Pvr Cinemas Essay

INTRODUCTION Over the last decade, India has registered the fastest growth among major democracies and is now the fourth largest economy in terms of ‘‘purchasing power parity’’.Over the years, spending power has been steadily increasing in India. On an average, 30-40 million people are joining the middle class every year. The consumption spending is rising due to increasing disposable incomes on account of sustained growth in income levels and reduction in personal income tax over the last decade. The Indian Entertainment Industry is expected to significantly benefit from this fast economic growth, as this cyclically sensitive industry grows faster when the economy is expanding. When incomes rise, proportionately more resources get spent on leisure and entertainment than on necessities. Although over 90 years old, the Indian film industry was only accorded the status of an industry in 2000. Consequently, it is only during the last five years that the Indian film industry has been able to attract financing from banks, financial institutions, private equity investors and corporations. Prior to 2000, the industry was almost solely reliant on private and largely individual financing. Although corporatisation of the film industry has started, the film industry is currently largely unorganized and fragmented. Going to the cinema is one of the most popular entertainment options in India. PVR CINEMAS Priya Exhibitors (p) ltd is a part of the diversified Bijili Group, which has interests in transport, finance and construction sectors all over India. After a downturn in the industry in late 80s when the onslaught of video wars at its peak cinema has now been rejuvenated with the latest international trends in cinema exhibition reaching India’s shores swiftly with the arrival of satellite TV. The capitals cosmopolitan audience is becoming increasingly aware of the advanced cinematic technology that enhances the movie going experience and this has whetted their appetite for watching movies on the â€Å"big screen â€Å".To cater to the increasingly sophisticated tastes of the audience Priya exhibitor Pvt Ltd. totally refurbished the existing cinema in June 1991 including installation of a Dolby stereo sound system. They also gained exclusive rights to screen blockbusters from major distributors mainly Warner brothers, 20th century fox, united international pictures, small wo nder then that the cinema has become the focal point for entertainment in the capital for both the young and old attracting over 30,000 patrons a week. Infact, â€Å"Speed† set a national box office world record of Rs.785000 in its first week of screening at PVR (the highest ever for an English film), which is remarkable considering the relatively low price of a cinema ticket in India.Buoyed by the overwhelming success of the cinema after upgrading, Priya exhibitors ltd have taken he next initial step for setting up the first multiplex in the country in a joint venture with Village Roadshow Ltd, Australia’s entertainment corporation.PVR is a brand name synonymous with state-of-the-art cinema exhibition in India. PVR specializes in developing and operating state-of-the-art Multiplexes.PVR Cinemas are the leading cinemas in the country with an emphasis on design, technology and service. Over the last three years, PVR has established itself as a very strong brand associated with movies, quality exhibition and youth-targeted promotions.The company was conceived as a Joint Venture between the Bijli family,headed by Mr. Ajja y Bijli as Indian Promoters and Village Roadshow Limited of Australia, one of the largest multiplex operators in the world with more than 1500 screens under operation. PVR has been a pioneer in multiplex development by setting up India’s first multiplex PVR Anupam4 at Saket in city of Delhi. The company has since grown to become the largest cinema exhibition player in the country and has 5 theatres with 19 screens in city of Delhi/Gurgaon under its operation.The Cinema can boast of the highest box office collections in India for five consecutive years since its opening. Located around the Cinema in the same complex are a number of up-market restaurants, pubs and fast-food eateries that make it a popular youth hangout place and indeed an entertainment experience for the entire family.PVR Priya, a 25-year-old cinema still considered the best Cineplex in Delhi, was completely renovated and brought into the fold of PVR in January 2000. PVR Priya boasts of the highest box office collections in the city of Delhi after PVR Saket. It also has the distinction of having the widest screen in India. Following the tremendous success in South Delhi, PVR expanded to WestDelhi in 2001 with the launch of two new multiplexes — PVR Naraina, and PVR Vikaspuri. PVR Naraina, with four screens and 830 seats, was launched in August 2001. PVR Vikaspuri (3 screens, 921 seats) was launched in November 2001.PVR Group has re-opened one of Delhi’s oldest and most popular cinema hall, Plaza; now known as PVR Plaza. With a seating capacity 22 of 300 seats, the all new single screen auditorium has been renovated and refurbished to bring back its former glory. The cinema, unique in its nature, combines the look and feel of the 50s with the state-of-the-art cinema viewing technologies of today. The most recent addition to the chain is PVR EDM, this three-screen multiplex, located in the popular East Delhi Mall, is equipped with the stateof- the-art technology and is one of its’ kind in the vicinity.The three-screen multiplex has a total seating capacity of 723 seats. It is equipped with the latest THX-approved three-way surround sound system with real life sound effects and state-of-the-art projection facility with the latest Xenon-based technology. The stadium seating arrangement ensures unobstructed viewing from anywhere in the auditorium. STP OF PVR CINEMAS SEGMENTATION On the basis of customer preferences, we may classify PVR under the Clustered category. This is owing to the fact, that out of the entire masses they have clearly defined their target audience and aim to cater to them. Also, PVR is a Concentrated Market because they only cater to the premium movie-going audience i.e. SEC A and SEC B.PVR Cinemas has approx. 22 million movie goers per month Consumer Demographic Segmentation Age: 61% between 18 and 49 Gender: 47% Males / 53% Female Income: 61% have income over 50K Education: 55% of adult movie-going audience has attended/graduated college*. Of these adults, 37% have college degrees or higher Consumer Psychographic Segmentation PVR Movie Goers are people with high resources and can be classified as â€Å"Experiencers† who seek variety and entertainment. Spend a comparatively high proportion of income on fashion, entertainment, and socializing. â€Å"PVR Movie Buffs† generally have the following major tendencies:- -Go outside the home for entertainment -Participate in sports and other active lifestyles -Hard to reach through other traditional media -lighter television and radio users, but heavy internet users -Receptive to advertising in movie theatres, consider as part of their movie going experience Consumer Behavioral Segmentation Usage rate: 1/3 of the population attends the movies one or more times per month. WHAT? 1. What benefits that the customer seeks? – Complete movie going Experience. 2. Factors influence PVR’s demand? – Price, movie, day, time of the day, day of the week, month etc. 3. What function can the product perform for the customer? –Entertainment. 4. What are the important buying criteria? – Price, ambience, placement, quality service, premium positioning, status symbol. 5. What risks does the customer perceives – risk of being overcharged, risk of being in an emergency like fire at the theater. HOW? 1. How does customer buy the product? – Online /Telebooking / In person 2. How long does the buying process take? – Simple and prompt 3. How do the various marketing mix elements influence the customer at each stage of buying? 4. How does product fit in to their lifestyle? – Entertainment product for the premium. 5. How much would they be willing to spend? – PVR had started with tickets being priced at Rs 125 with special counters available for tickets worth Rs 7. Even when all tickets are now priced at Rs 145, there is no change in the amount of customers that PVR receives, which means that people are willing to pay. 6. How much do they buy in one transaction? – Almost always more than 1 ticket. Depends upon the person, movie playing. TARGETING PVR being the first of its kind has always been a market leader and therefore its offering to the customer is Innovative. PVR has premium pricing and they target mainly SEC A and SEC B. PVR has brought to its customers the experience of Luxury Cinema. PVR uses the concentrated method as they have target a much focused audience out of the entire masses. PVR witnessed tremendous success Europe Lounge in Delhi. PVR Cinemas has also recently introduced the concept of luxury viewing to Bangalore. Gold Class Cinemas have been introduced for the first time in India, are two ultra luxurious exclusive auditoriums, each equipped with plush and fully reclining seats and generous legroom. Patrons can also enjoy star like treatment at the exclusive Gold Class lounge which provides an excellent pre cinema experience with scrumptious food and beverages PVR Priya of PVR’s chain use Differentiation method for pricing. It practices different price slabs for different target audience. For instan ce, they have tickets ranging from Rs 45 (for the youth) to Rs 140 (for the upper-class i.e. SEC A). POSITIONING PVR had, and still has a very well planned market position. Its premium positioning affects the customers perceptual positioning. Therefore, they decided on their marketing strategy and pricing, keeping the target market in mind. In case of PVR, they make use of all their tangible elements to prove to their customers that their movie tickets are worth the price they are paying. Also, since some of the other movie theatres (which are not multiplexes) are still offering movies at rates as low as Rs 35, it is the task of its marketer to ensure that PVR comes across as a superior brand in terms of cinema viewing as well as the experience. It’s positioning is evident in its mission statement also which says† A commitment to deliver the best quality cinema viewing Everywhere, Every time.† MARKETING MIX – 7 Ps 1. SERVICE PRODUCT/ SERVICE PACKAGE A product (in the marketing context) may be tangible, intangible or both. In case of services, on the contrary, the tangible component is nil or minimal. In services, there is no or very little tangible element because of which they are considered as benefits, which are offered to the target market. First, a service is a bundle of features and secondly, there benefits and features have relevance for a specific target market. Therefore while developing a service product, it is important that the package of benefits in the service offer must have a customers perspective. 5 product levels are as follows:Core Benefit is the MOVIES that the customer comes to a cinema hall for,along with the attendant experience of PVR. The expected product in PVR’s case would be ambience, hygiene, good service, parking, candy bar etc.PVR has augmented its product offerings: * Luxury cinema PVR has brought to its customers the experience of luxury cinema.After the tremendous success of Cinema Europa in Delhi, PVR Cinemas has introduced the concept of luxury viewing to Bangalore as well. Gold Class Cinemas have been introduced for the first time in India, are two ultra luxurious exclusive auditoriums, each equipped with 32 plush and fully reclining seats and generous legroom. Patrons can also enjoy star like treatment at the exclusive Gold Class lounge which provides an excellent pre cinema experience with scrumptious food and beverages. * Bulk Bookings There are special arrangements for bulk bookings (of twenty or more tickets) done by corporates. Details can be filled online and PVR executives themselves get in touch with the concerned people. * E-booking and tele-booking PVR also provides the factility of e-booking, which was first started by PVR, it has now been copied by Satyam cineplexes as well. It also offers telebooking * Parties at PVR PVR has also started helping customers in planning birthday/kitty parties at PVR. They have made PVR a wholesome entertainment experience than just a movie watching spree. * Movie newsletter and magazine To keep its customers hooked on to movies and to PVR, it has also come out with an online newsletter called ‘PVRWire’ is directly mailed to the subscribers and can also be downloaded from their website.They have also launched a movie magazine called ‘Movies First’ . * Movie vouchers They have also taken out the unique concept of movie vouchers which people can use as gifts. Many corporates have also started using these as incentives and rewards for their employees.The vouchers are available in denominations of Rs 100 to Rs 350 and a * minimum of 25 coupons needs to be purchased to avail of the offer.The following options are available in Delhi/NCR The Delhi PVR Movie Money Voucher costs Rs 150/- and is valid right through the week across all cinemas (except PVR Gurgaon – Cinema Europa)PVR Gurgaon (Cinema Europa) PVR Movie Money Vouchers cost Rs 160/- The following options are available in BangaloreClassic Mon -Thur : Rs 100/-All Week (including Weekends) : Rs 130/-Europa Mon -Thur : Rs 130/-All Week (including Weekends) : Rs 150/-Gold Class All Week (including Weekends) : Rs 350/- + Rs150/- for food and beverages (optional) THE SERVICE PACKAGE The â€Å"package† concept of services product suggests that what you offer to the market is a bundle of different services, tangible and intangible, but there is a main or substantive or ‘core’ service and around it are built the auxiliary/peripheral/facilitator. It is important to note that facilitating services ate mandatory and if these are left out, the entire service would collapse. Yet another type called supporting services, don’t facilitate the consumption of core services but are used to increase the value and thus differentiate from the competition.Quality Assessment through RATER in case of PVR Focused on developing a procedure for quantifying customer’s service quality can be measured in following dimensions: * Reliability – Ability to perform promised service dependably and accurately. PVR is a very well established brand name, and the audience is given excellent experience of the basic product i.e. the movie as well as the other elements involved. Hence, it is very much capable of good delivery of the service it provides. There is no flaw in the quality of the service and is always delivered on time. * Assurance – Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey truth and confidence.Since PVR is a high contact organization, the employees are well trained in all areas regarding customer interaction and courtesy. PVR movies being a service, heavily relies on its employees, as they are the only mode of direct communication made with the customers. They are well trained and are definitely able to convey the confidence that the brand name represents. * Tangibility – Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel etc PVR movies have a lot of tangible elements present like the employees (staff), the movie halls, the candy bars, rest rooms etc, all of which are highly maintained and well kept. * Empathy – Caring, individualized attention to the customer.Even though in a service like this customization is not possible, the employees of PVR Cinemas are always very helpful and provide the customers with good assistance whenever needed. From the employees made to sit at the ticket counter to the employee that guides customers to their respective seats in the cinema hall, all employees deliver a very helpful attitude towards the target audience. * Responsiveness – Willingness to help customer with prompt service.The employees of PVR are fast and prompt at delivering their service and are taught to cause as less inconvenience as possible to the customers. If a customer places an order via telebooking / online reservation etc, the delivery of the tickets is made well before the show timing at the customer’s doorstep. The employees are well trained. 2. PRICE To many customers, high price means high quality. Services pricing follows the price and practices of pricing of goods and therefore are either cost based or market based. Within these, categories of price may be profit oriented, government controlled, competition or customer oriented. But the characteristics of services do influence the pricing and therefore different methods of pricing are followed in their case. PVR when started off had a huge advantage of being the only one of its kind in Delhi to begin with. Therefore, they could charge a higher amount to its target audience, as they did not hesitate to pay the sum for the new concept. This high pricing helped them make maximum gains. Also, PVR had, and still has a very well planned market position. Its premium positioning affects the customers perceptual positioning. Therefore, they decided on their marketing strategy and pricing, keeping the target market in mind. Hence,we may say that the pricing as well pays a strategic role in their marketing plans.In case of PVR, they make use of all their tangible elements to prove to their customers that their movie tickets are worth the price they are paying. Also, since some of the other movie theatres (which are not multiplexes) are still offering movies at rates as low as Rs 35, it is the task of its marketer to ensure that PVR comes across as a superior brand in terms of cinema viewing as well as the experience. The movie theatres market is a Free Market, even though the government in the past regulated it. This allows PVR as the market leader to set its own prices. Prices that had originally started from Rs 125 (for evening shows) and Rs 90(for morning shows and weekday plans) have increased to a high of Rs 150 and the lowest is Rs 100. The high pricing however has not led to any change in the footfalls that PVR gets. Even in slighter crowded shows, the occupancy rates as low as 35% reaches PVR’s break-even points.PVR Priya has a slightly different pricing system, which varies from Rs 45 to Rs 150 for different slabs of consumers. This has been done to mainly attract the youth and to keep the concept of movie going still affordable at one of its chains.The pricing at PVR Europa is Rs 160 and a Gold Class ticket is charged at Rs. 750. It offers superior ambience, environment, seating, viewing etc in the sum. 3. PLACE / DISTRIBUTION Services are generally created and delivered to the buyer at the same time,therefore creation of time and place utilities is a vital function in services marketing. Irrespective of middlemen or direct sales channel, the factor of location keeping in view the potential markets is the most significant in channel selection and distribution.The issue of location here plays a very important role, as all PVR Cinema Halls are stationed at good locations in the city, which gathers a large number of footfalls for them every day. PVRs usually open at an eventful yet untapped location, followed by which (as we saw in case of Anupam PVR Saket) other retail chains get opened around it as well. Their places are always well situated and are well linked. PVR does not have any other channel of distribution, as their service is sold solely at their chains. They do follow any franchisee outlets, even though they indulge in ticket sales online and via telebooking. The only intermediary involved for proc uring movies are Indian as well as international movie distributors, by way of whom they acquire the movies. * Distribution of Movies The Company has also recently forayed into the Distribution of Hollywood film titles in the country through its 100% subsidiary, PVR Pictures. By virtue of its strong brand equity and partnerships with major independent Hollywood studios like Miramax, Newline Cinemas etc. that are not represented in India through their own offices, PVR has managed to procure and distribute titles in the country. With the advent of the multiplex revolution across the country, the company sees a great opportunity to fill up these upcoming multiplex screens with Hollywood titles. The has successfully distributed major Hollywood titles like Rush Hour 2 , Wedding Planner Chicago , Choclat ,Spy Kids 2 , Makdee etc. 4. PROMOTION Promotion is a very vital part of the marketing mix especially in the case of services. The customer needs to trust or have belief in the service, as he has to pay for it pre-experience. Therefore, it is very important to sell the service in the best possible way. Usually the objective of promoting a service may be to create a brand image, establish a personal relationship with the client and to create an impression of competence, honesty and sincerity to win the buyers’ confidence in sellers’ abilities to deliver the service efficiently. To promote these, the marketer generally employs indirect selling techniques, as it is usually not possible to use the conventional promotion tools like advertising. Promotion activities like community relations, event management, media blitz, corporate identity programs have relevance. 3rd parties like government, unions and interest groups are important, as they are capable of influencing market access. PVR as a brand indulges into print advertisements on every Friday giving out the latest movie schedules. Any new developments are communicated to the audience via press releases. Hence there is a strong element of PR involved. Apart from that, they usually have contests pertaining to latest festivals like Valentines Day, New Years Eve, Oscar Movies Week etc. PVR also has a host of online promotional contests associated with movies The latest one relates to the film King Kong.They are also in collaboration with cellular services like Airtel have SMSand-win contests and give out free tickets to the winners. Also, PVR attracts a lot of commercial shooting / media coverage via programmes etc which promotes it as a brand in a big way. Organizing Star Events on Premiers of movies like ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ helps PVR relate better with its target audience i.e. the youth. The whole PVR banner and its exterior environment including movie hoardings, banners etc help promote the concept of movie viewing as well as PVR as a strong and successful brand. PVR also hosts premiere shows with leading movie stars visiting the various PVR cinemas. They also host numerous fun events for children while screening animations etc.

Educational administrators Essay

A stakeholder is an individual or an entity that stand to gain or lose from the success or failure of a system or an organization. From a business perspective the stakeholder analysis theory asserts that an organization should pay greater attention to its stakeholders’ suggestions and interests in order to incorporate them in the overall decision-making process. Just like it is in the business world, school organizations (institutions) involve several stakeholders such as students, teachers, the parents’, the government, community, etc. [Gross & Godwin, 2006] Each stakeholder has got a distinct role to play for instance; students are expected to be disciplined, participate in various school activities, and to perform excellently in their academics, the teachers on the other hand are expected to live to the expectations of the professional code of conduct, and to do all what pertains instructions giving, the parents on their part are expected to collaborate with changing demands of the school and to promptly pay fees. The government is expected to offer, technical, professional, and monetary assistance to the schools, while the community is expected pay taxes that are used in the running of the school activities. Just as the stakeholders roles differ, so does their expectations. Students expect an all-inclusive school environment that is rich in quality instructional giving methods and other social amenities such entertainment, sport facilities, etc; the teachers expect to be given reasonable remuneration packages and enough working space to professionally deliver to the students; the parents expect quality education for their children that will result into good results at the end of the school life; the government expects maximum adherence to the school curriculum and the production of happy and useful school products (students) who will fit well in various sectors of the economy; on the other hand the community expects the school to produce happy and useful products who will be called upon to play various tasks in the society. [ESD, 2005-11] Irrespective of whether the school performance is excellent or on a downward trend, all the stakeholders should work together, relate, share, and communicate more often in order to maintain the good performance or impr ove on the nose-diving performance. [Gallagher, Bagin, & Moore, 2005: p. 12] For the smooth running of the school, a proper communication system must be maintained. An administrator will not accomplish any goals in the school without adequate communication. A good communication system should always allow for the receiver to respond to the communicated message. It has been noted that school administrators fail not because they want to but due to their failure to plan. However, a good communication system will not exist without a proper plan. [Holliday (1988)] For, Harris, (2004) â€Å"Good communication does not happen by accident, it is planned, †¦ However, principals with a specific communication plan are able to provide needed support that leads to effective relationship building. † (p. 19). In a school setting communication is paramount in keeping the stakeholders fully informed about well-meaning changes that affect the realization of the school core objectives and also to keep a constant track of any changes in stakeholder expectations. One such well-meaning change in a school is curriculum development. The importance of curriculum changes is seen in the sense that a curriculum is the prime plan of the course of study that provides the learner with proper learning experiences under the guidance of a school. If a curriculum is not meeting the set goals of education then its change is always imperative. Again, it can be changed in order to meet the global innovations and changes of stakeholders’ expectations. [Walkin (1982)] However, to change a curriculum all the stakeholders must be contacted and their views collected. The current curriculum being used by the high schools in our state was lastly developed ten years ago. Many people have been complaining about it, and calls for its change have been received from several stakeholders in the state. As the chief principal in my school, the task of contacting all the stakeholders in order to get their views concerning the current curriculum efficacy lies wholly in my docket. I will prepare a comprehensive report concerning curriculum matters and a questionnaire; the two documents will be sent to students, teachers, parents, the state education department officials, and some members of the School Board of Governance. The response to these messages and others from other schools will be used to push the state education department to come up with a committee that will embark on the process of reviewing the current curriculum and facilitate changes were necessary. [Gallagher, Bagin, & Moore, 2005] In order to convince the stakeholders that a change of the current curriculum is necessary I will prepare a detailed report that will describe the national goals of education, the objectives of the current curriculum relative to the national education goals, my school performance in state tests for the last five years, and the performance or the last five years of other five schools in different school districts in the state. The report will also include several articles published in some of the leading newspapers and education journals in the state calling outlining the importance of changing the current curriculum. The purpose of this compressive report will be to impart the stakeholders with the necessary knowledge that will enable them to make a decision as to whether a change is necessary or not. In accompaniment of the report will be a five-question questionnaire that will be prompting the stakeholders to sincerely state their opinions on the issue. To compile the report I will need the assistance of several people. The students from various classes, class teachers, the subject heads, head of departments, principals of other schools in different school districts in the state, local education department officers, and several curriculum experts in the state. Two sources of data will be utilized in the study i. e. the primary and the secondary data sources; the primary source will include the data that will be collected direct from the people through observations or verbal interviews while the secondary ones will comprise of stored records, newspapers, and journal articles. In order to collect reliable and valid data I will employ two qualitative methods of data collection. These methods will be verbal and over the phone interviews and scrutinizing of test results presented to me by the respective class teachers, and other written materials. [Taylor & Bogdan, 1984] These two methods will enable me to get a clear picture of subject teachers’ comments, how the students have been performing relative to the national goals of education, curriculum objectives, and the syllabus requirements, and experts’ views on the impact of the current curriculum in meeting the socio-economic, cultural, and political needs of the students and the society at large. The construction of the five-question questionnaire will be guided by the above reports conclusions. Teachers will collect their reports and the questionnaire from the staffroom while the students will be given theirs via their respective class teachers, for those other stakeholders the post office mailing service will be the obvious option. Stakeholders will be required to take three to six days to study the report fill the questionnaire and mail back the questionnaire. [Gallagher, Bagin, & Moore, 2005] The returned questionnaires will then be analyzed the overall stakeholders verdict recorded. If a clear majority shows that they are for a change – which is the most probable verdict, then another report that describes the new stakeholders’ expectations in my school will be prepared but this time not targeting all the stakeholders but the state education department office whose one of its core mandate is to constantly review the existing curriculum. The report will also be copied to the school heads of all the schools in the state through their respective school district offices, and they will also be carrying out their own change communications, their reports will also be forward to the state education department. [Gallagher, Bagin, & Moore, 2005] In order to provide a feedback to all my schools stakeholders who participated in the change-communication process, I will publish the analyzed results in the local daily newspapers, local educational journals, and even non-print media. Students will also be issued with the same reports to read and to take to their parents, and thus as much people as will be practically possible will definitely be reached through these communication methods. These will help to build a sense of trust on the school among the school stakeholders, as their true feelings will be reflected in the communicated report. Again, this will serve as a positive precedent for future communications of positive changes. [Harris, (2004)] This report will also be made the main agenda in the normal biannual stakeholder meetings, and therefore there will be still a chance to convince the skeptics on the importance of the changes and also develop a time frame, and the other important deliberations that pertains the changes. In these biannual meetings other important changes pertaining the smooth running of the school will also be discussed such as entering into agreements with local colleges and universities in order to facilitate a smooth transition from high school to college education for our school graduates. [Gallagher, Bagin, & Moore, 2005] References: Bogdan, R. C. and Taylor, S. J. (1975). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A phenomenological approach to the social sciences, Boston: Allyn & Bacon, available at; http://www. universitybusiness. com,accessed on March 10, 2009 Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), 2005-2011. UNESCO, available at; http://portal. unesco. org/education/en/ev. phpURL_ID=23304&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201. html, accessed on March 10, 2009 Gallagher, D. R. , Bagin, D. , & Moore, E. H. (2005). The school and community relations, (pp. 16-39). Boston: Pearson Allyn and Bacon, accessed on March 10, 2009 Gross, K. & Godwin, P. (2006). Education’s Many Stakeholders: Educational administrators are increasingly recognizing what business have long understood: customer satisfaction matters, accessed on March 10, 2009 Harris, S. (Ed) (2004). Bravo principal: building relationships with actions that value others. Larchmont, N. Y. : Eye on Education, accessed on March 10, 2009 Holliday, A. E. (1988). In search of and answer: What is school public relations? Journal of educational Public Relations. 11 (2), p. 12, accessed on March 10, 2009 Walkin, L. (1982). Instructional Techniques and Practice. Chetrenham: Stanley Thomes Ltd, accessed on March 10, 2009

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Week 3-Individual small - Assignment Example She decided that since she could not afford to pay 12000 dollars to health care for her first year in self-employment, she would seek more affordable coverage. She found out that she was only eligible for a cheaper insurance at this time of the year based on â€Å"special enrollment." This â€Å"special enrollment† includes elements like unexpected divorce, birth of a baby, and job loss among other circumstances that would make paying the needed money for health cover hard. Though this is a national case of changes in health care, the impact is far felt within the country. The reason for such ignorance is that sources of education for most people on health care changes and the requirement are not reliable and do not give finer details of options that are present. In this article, the author does not directly make a claim to solve the problem but anyone reading her article knows her suggestion. The lesson is that people need to be reeducated on the possibilities and circumstances that surround changes in healthcare insurance coverage as a means to adapt to healthcare reforms (Jean Card, 2014). Jean Card. (2014, July 17). How Obamacare Screwed Up My Small Business Health Insurance - US News. US News & World Report. Retrieved August 28, 2014, from

Global Executive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Executive - Essay Example us opportunities available in today’s transnational business environments a global executive has to have a profile to explore these possibilities and navigate his company. He has to have a vision and a strategy. Kenneth Chenault is the CEO of American Express (AmEx), a company that forwarded freight and valuables initially. Today AmEx has evolved into a company that creates and sells financial products and is well known for its charge card. International expansion has made American Express a global payments company. Kenneth Chenault has most of the qualities if not all, that are required to succeed in a global and a highly competitive credit- and charge-card business. According to Timothy O’Brien (1999) Chenault is known to be a â€Å"savvy marketer and a determined revenue builder†. A global executive has to have the following competencies : Strong management skills, able to think globally, sensitive enough to build lead effective teams that are diverse (cross-cultural), competitive, expert in recruiting talent from different regions, must be able to teach, motivate and influence, strong in building inter-persinal relationships, ready to empower people, must ensure feedbacks, has to be a good listener and a communicator as well , ability to encourage constructive dialogue, leadership qualities to lead change and innovation and last but not least to learn from experience.. Doug Lennick and Fred Kiel (2005) have said in their book that the four elements vital for sustained success are integrity, responsibility, compassion and forgiveness. A global executive has to have these qualities. Being a global executive means having a vision and a right strategy. His strategy was to expand the charge card network through banks and financial institutions; offering wider financial and investment services and increasing the market share in niche segments like small businesses and overseas markets. He used technolgy like the web and smart cards for this purpose. He

Beveridge Report of 1942 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Beveridge Report of 1942 - Essay Example The Second World War for the general population was an experience that was more extensive and indiscriminate than 'f any previous conflicts. Previous wars had mostly been fought far from Britain. The Blitzkrieg, the war by air, changed this. It destroyed millions 'f homes and forced people from the cities to flee to the countryside, bringing together people from different classes and backgrounds. It had been an intense and traumatic time for the entire nation but also a realisation that misfortune and tragedy were not restricted to the disadvantage alone. The task 'f re-building the state needed to take place at every level, as well as the re-building 'f lives: This led to a great expansion in the role 'f Government in society. Historically British social policy had been dominated by the Poor Laws. But now there was widespread support for reform and expansion 'f the welfare system. Development 'f such reforms would owe much to Fabianist beliefs and the Beveridge Report 1942. William Beveridge was appointed by the wartime Government to review Social Security Policy. His report concluded that the state should meet collective welfare needs and provide positive freedom to individuals by removing the Five Giant Evils. In 1945 Labour began addressing Beveridge's evil through state action introduced reforms: 'Our po'The National Health Service was set up to combat Disease. Full Employment to combat Idleness. State Education to fifteen to combat ignorance (actually introduced by the war time government). Public Housing to combat Squalor. National Insurance and Assistance Schemes to combat Want.' (Jones, 1991 p.126) Claiming: 'Our policy was not 'f reformed capitalism, but progress towards a democratic socialism...the war had shown how much could be accomplished when public advantage was put before private vested interest. If that was right in wartime, it was right in peacetime' (Jones, 1991 p.117) To describe the social policy reforms, press at the time coined the phrase 'from the cradle to the grave'. Alcock describes the social policy proposals as: 'The social policy response to the depravation 'f depression' (Alcock, 2003 p.220) Prior to the NHS, health care was not a luxury everybody could afford. Access to a doctor was free to workers but this did not cover their families. Poor people often went without medical treatment, relying on home remedies or on the charity 'f a doctor. For the Government to fund the NHS and other evils economic growth and full employment were essential. Maynard Keynes advised the government to spend its way out 'f a recession by lowering taxes and investing more in projects and programmes. Government began to use Keynes theory 'f demand management and in 1946

Reliance on National Test Scores in Admissions Essay

Reliance on National Test Scores in Admissions - Essay Example It is perfectly clear that people differ in the way they perceive and process information, and for some students, it may be difficult to deal with SAT and ACT just because they are presented in the form of tests. Also, depending on a person's temperament, time of information processing changes as well. What is more, while some people are able to deal with pressure they face while completing any important task, such as testing, others are more exposed to stress and cannot complete tests properly even though they have enough knowledge to do it. External factors depend on the character of the tests, on those who compose them, and on the society as a whole. For instance, it is believed that the results of these tests highly depend on a class a student belongs to: the richer the students' parents are, the higher are his / her scores. In addition to this, taking into account high stakes, people try gaming standardized tests, and quite often, they do it criminally. Therefore, there is no gu arantee that a student is as good at studying as his / her scores show. The second argument that explains irrelevance of standardized tests is that these tests lack content validity. Content validity is a very important characteristic feature standardized tests should have. It is defined as the extent to which a test represents the content of an area that is measured. SAT and ACT do lack this characteristic feature. The matter is that they leave out a significant portion of material covered while studying.

Society In Philippiness Essay Example for Free

Society In Philippiness Essay When we were human beings in small tribe hunting and gathering, everybody you had to deal with was somebody you saw every day. We’re species that’s based on communication with our entire tribe. As the population grew and people had to split up into smaller tribes and separate, they got into the point where they never see each other for their whole lives (Lamy Lester). Communication is important in maintaining relationship with our family, friends, and even somebody we encounter in our day-to-day lives. The internet is the first technology that let us have many-to-many communication with anybody on the planet. In a sense, it brought us back to something we lost thousands of years ago Internet allows people to interact with others anywhere on the planet (Lamy Lester). Today’s generation is based around technology. Everything we do revolve around the internet. It is primarily a source of communication, information and entertainment, as simple click and search, internet can provide us the information we need. The internet is unique among the mass media in allowing interpersonal communication through email and instant messaging. It is a community known as â€Å"Social networking†. Social networking has left us with the chance to meet people in a much easier method; a friend is now a finger click away. _______ Filipinos use social networking sites every day. Facebook, Yahoo, MySpace and Twitter are used extensively for the purpose of communication because those are the most popular networking sites this time. There are also programs that allow us to communicate such as Skype and Yahoo messenger. On Facebook, you can simply click â€Å"add friends† and the other person can either accept you or deny you. One of the most important advantages of the use of social media is the online sharing of knowledge and information among the different groups of people. This online sharing of information also promotes the increase in the communication skills among the people especially among the learners/students of educational institutions. Some people can access social networking sites without even leaving their house. Technology and social networking is slowly taking over people’s lives and beginning to affect their personal relationships and real life interaction. College teenagers are the most common users in Social networking. Students in Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite (LPU-Cavite) are using social networks to keep in touch with their friends, family and for academic purposes. Since LPU-Cavite is updated and uses modern technology as a way of teaching, student’s now have the knowledge to use technology as well. Some professors even use the networking sites to upload their lectures and upcoming lessons for the student’s benefit and advantage. Social networks are increasingly being used by teachers and learners as a communication tool. Teachers create chat rooms and groups to extend classroom discussion to posting assignments, tests and quizzes, to assisting with homework outside of the classroom setting. Learners can also form groups over the social networking sites and engage in discussion over a variety of topics (Trisha Dowerah Baruah). Using social networks as a way of sending lessons and information to students consume less time and effort that will give student’s benefit for their upcoming class and discussion.

Signification of Professionalism in Nursing Essay Example for Free

Signification of Professionalism in Nursing Essay Historically, one’s perception of a nurse could be represented by mental images of conformity. Dressed in crisp, pallid uniforms; individuals projected a polished and poised appearance lacking the embodiment of unique qualities. Regardless of their disciplined nature, a nurse may have only been considered an altruist servant of to their community or as an assistant to a physician. Rarely were they considered a professional. Modern advancements in academia have secured nurses a respected position within the professional community. What in particular contributes to professionalism? LaSala and Nelson state that: â€Å"appearance, behavior, and communication have a cumulative effect on the professional image† (2005). A professional appearance reflects an impressionable message in which a patient may feel more secure in your ability to care for them, as it appears you are able to care for yourself. Professional behavior is necessary in order to convey a role of influence. In order for a nurse to effectively educate, she herself must model positive health promotional practices and avoid damaging convention. Additionally, â€Å"posture and body language are one influence on others’ perception of competence† (LaSala, Nelson, 2005). Professional communication is vital to a nurse’s credibility. Whether spoken or written, â€Å"An individual who uses language skillfully and appropriately reflects intelligence and knowledge† (Arnold and Boggs, 2004). The significance of professionalism in appearance, behavior, and communication is essential to understand. Positive, professional influence will enable a nurse to develop trusting relationships with their patients, which in turn, will ensure competent care and the ability to maintain the respect earned as professionals. Works Cited LaSala, K. B., Nelson, J. (2005). What contributes to professionalism? Medsurg Nursing, 14(1), 63-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230521474?accountid=89121 Arnold, E., Boggs, K.U. (2004). Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses. St. Louis: Saunders

Clash Of The Titans | Film Review

Clash Of The Titans | Film Review The film Clash of the Titans (2010), directed by Louis Leterrier, is a serious battle for power between men and kings, and kings and gods. However, the battle of gods themselves could devastate the world. Perseus (Sam Worthinfton), a demigod brought up as a man, is powerless to put away his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), the unforgiving god of the underworld, who feeds himself from human fear. Perseus put himself upfront to organize a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he could overthrow Zeus (Liam Neeson) and expose hell on earth. Leading a group of courageous men, Perseus heads off on a dangerous journey into the heart of forbidden worlds. Fighting with worldly demons and fearsome beasts, he will only go beyond this challenge once he recognizes his power as a god and disregards his fate and create his own destiny. The film begins with a narration portraying the three Olympians who fought the Titans in the past: Zeus, Poseidon (Danny Huston) and Hades. Hades showed their way of conquering the Titans with his own creation, the Kraken, a giant sea monster. After the fall of the Titans, Zeus created humans and lead them while Poseidon governs the sea, On the other hand, Hades who have been betrayed by his brother Zeus, was forced to lead the Underworld and discovers an unusual way to have his power from humans that was different from his brothers gaining theirs from prayers. For him, he can obtain power through human fear. Thousand years later, Spyros (Pete Postlethwaite), a fisherman, comes across with a coffin floating in the sea, where he found a baby, Perseus, lies together with his dead mother, Danae. The fisherman comes to a decision of bringing up Perseus as his own son. Years passed, Perseus and his family are in the sea, fishing together when they saw a group of soldiers from the army of Argos tearing down a statue of Zeus as a proclamation of war against the gods. Hades reveals himself and orders harpies to kill the soldiers. Moreover, as he sees the fishing boat of the family of Perseus, he also destroyes it and sinks into the middle of the sea. As Perseus tries to rescue his family, without any reason, the surviving soldiers of Argos detain Perseus back to their homeland. During the feast for the soldiers who survived the battle, King Cepheus (Vincent Regan) and Queen Cassiopeia (Polly Walker) of Argos are differentiating themselves together with their daughter, Andromeda (Alexa Davalos), t o the gods to protect their kingdom. Moreover, after persuading his brother to loose the monster on humankind to reprimand them for their disobedience, Hades shows himself in the courtroom before executing the remaining soldiers while Perseus is untouched. Hades reveals that Perseus is a demigod son of Zeus. He also warns that if Princess Andromeda is not sacrificed to the Kraken, Argos will be devastated in ten days. Hermes (Alexander Siddig), the messenger of god, comes up to Zeus on Olympus to reveal where his son Perseus is. While Hermes recommends giving Perseus a safe haven, Zeus proclaim that he shall have his own fate together with the other mortals. The king asks for the help of Perseus after he is imprisoned. Perseus refuses at first until he meets Io (Gemma Arterton), a woman whose not growing old as a reprimand for refusing to be seduced by a god. Io then tells him about his origin and the punishment done by Zeus on Acrisius (Jason Flemyng), the former king of Argos, who was married to Danae, for opposing the gods. Acrisuis immediately orders the death of Danae and the baby Perseus after her giving birth. He decides to have them in the coffin float into the sea. However, an infuriated Zeus struck Acrisius with lightning, resulting to a dreadful damage to him. As Io finished her story and after knowing that defeating the Kraken will let him to have his vengeance with Hades, Perseus agrees together with Argos most formidable soldiers. They are also accompanied by Persian monster-hunters named Ixas (Hans Matheson) and Kucuk (Mouloud Achour), and Io, get on board on a mission to look for the Stygian Witches, the three women with gray skin and have one eye. Into the woods, Perseus and the soldiers discover a sword created in Olympus which will only illustrate its true power in the hands of Perseus. Wandering away from the group, Perseus runs into Zeus sacred herd of flying horses, the Pegasus. On the other hand, Perseus turns down the gods offering- the sword and the pure-black Pegasus, as he doesnt want to be a god. As per the order of Hades, Calibos attacks the group of Perseus and tries to take his life. Number of soldiers was killed in this act but Calibos failed to murder Perseus, and loses his hand before he can get away. But the drop of Calibos blood develops giant scorpions from the sand, which then attack Perseus and his men. Though the group was able to kill several scorpions, many of the soldiers were slain as well, and those who survived faced more monsters to fight with. Perseus and his group were saved by Djinn, a bunch of desert sorcerers who were humans before but changed their human flesh with ash and dark magic. The Dj inn were able to put the scorpions under their spell. Helping Perseus to heal his wounds, Sheikh Suleiman (Ian Whyte) Djinn leader, decided to join Perseus group to witness the gods obliteration of Argos. These brave men reached the Garden of Stygia, wherein they gathered information, from the Stygian Witches, that the head of the Gorgon Medusa (Natalia Vodianova) has the power to kill the Kraken, with the risk that they might be slain in the process. As they continue their journey, Zeus got to see Perseus to offer him a sanctuary at Mount Olympus, but still, Perseus refuses the offer. Instead, Zeus gives him a golden drachma, which he learns to be a means to buy off Charon for a way to the Underworld. On the other hand, Io was left outside of Medusas den, where a spell was cast that no women will be able to enter the area. Perseus, together with the remaining soldiers, gives all their strength to stay alive, but one by one, they turn into stone with her gaze. With Suleiman self-destructing himself and the sacrifice of Draco (Mads Mikkelsen), Perseus is able to behead Medusa. He came out in time to witness how Calibos kill Io by thrusting a sword from behind. Perseus challenges Calibo s in a battle and kills him with the sword given to him by the gods, which transforms Calibos back to his human form. As Acrisius draws in his final breath, Hades power leaves him and tells Perseus to refuse to be a god. Perseus stays with Io until she passes on, then rides on to Pegasus and prepares himself back to Argos with Medusas head. At the same time, some of Argoss citizens founded a cult of Hades, who is planning to sacrifice Princess Andromeda to the Kraken, in opposition to the kings wishes. Hades enlightens Zeus that the fall of Argos will bestow him enough power to remove the other Olympians from power. He then left Zeus defenseless to guarantee his triumph. On his way to Argos, Hades sends out his harpies to obstruct Perseus way back to Argos. Perseus overcomes the number of harpies sent by Hades and let the Kraken met the gaze of Medusa which turns the monster into stone. During this upheaval, King Cepheus was killed by the cult leader and has been crushed under the debris of the broken body of stoned Kraken. Hades shows up and scorns Perseus that he cannot kill him, since he is a god. Perseus snaps that Hades can live forever but it will not be in the world of men. He then uses the sword to send away Hades back to the Underworld. After saving Argos from destruction, Princess Andromeda advocates that Perseus should be the king and rule Argos at her side. Zeus gives Perseus a visit and offers to make him a god. Perseus declined both propositions. Zeus then advised Perseus that when Hades gathers enough fear from humankind, he will arise and return to rule the world in darkness. But Perseus will be prepared enough to stop Hades for the s econd time since he has all his intention of staying on Earth. With this, Zeus brings Io back to life, and the two rejoice while Pegasus flies above them. COMMENTARY ON THE FILM: CLASH OF THE TITANS (2010) The movie is a remake of the film Clash of the Titans that was aired almost thirty years ago. The first film was produced in 1981 and the new version of the movie is an inadvertently entertaining retelling of a classic Greek mythology. Fanatics of the earlier version of the film will not be in favor of the remake because of their concept of perfection of the original version. Thus, if movie goers will search for the original substance of the movie, they will be dissatisfied. However, for viewers who are searching for simple, enjoyable and exploration loaded with enormous mythological creatures of the original edition they will definitely take satisfaction in this movie directed by Louis Leterrier and distributed by Warner Bros. Picture. As a Turkish person, I chose BM Magazine to publish this review since BM Magazine accepted to publish my article in their May issue. At first, I am encountering problems in conceptualizing the film since many parts of the original version were cut and modify. However, since I was inspired by the movie Avatar which was aired in 3 Dimension (3D), the curiosity grew more as it was aired in more than hundred theaters in UK last month. As I watched this movie, I found out that this was an action-packed movie from beginning to end and I believe that generation of viewers today will be convinced that this film is better than the 1981 film in term of effects and cinematography. Many of us know that the element of Greek mythology is filled with sex, anger, and envy and other shortcomings. The film Clash of the Titans portrays the story of Perseus, son of Zeus- the ruler of the heavens, as he leads the humans in a combat against the gods of Olympus. Particularly, Persues has an unwell will against Hades, brother of Zeus and ruler of the Underworld, since the god killed Perseus adoptive family out of anger. Zeus adores the humans and believes he needs their worship, but Hades disagrees. He thinks that humans, particularly those in Argos, are high and mighty who believes they do not need gods. At the time that Queen Cassiopeia compared her daughter Andromeda, and claims that her daughter is more beautiful than Aphrodite, the gods instigate war on humans to teach them a lesson. The screenwriters, Travis Beacham, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi felt that political power struggle between the gods was not interesting enough, so the film focused on vengeance. Aside from Zeu s and Hades, no other gods or goddesses are integrated and it seems that their arguments are better to be just a reflection rather than the films driving factor. The writers chose to keep the majority of the elements, order of events and even the dialogues from the original film, but then decided to change certain elements or add characters in the story. From the original movie, characters of Andromeda and Calibos have much greater roles. Also, other characters like Poseidon, Ammon, Pegasus, Hera and Thetis, who played significant roles in the original, have either minimal roles or do not appear in this remake. Some personage have different roles but are in both films like Danae, who is the wife of Acrisuis and mother of Perseus, but from the original film, Danae is the daughter of Acrisuis impregnated by Zeus. With the original film, Perseus love interest is Andromeda, and not Io, whom he married and became the King of Argos, which he declines in the remake. Things that the two films have in common are the attack of the scorpion, the combat with Medusa, and the final with the Kraken, and for Perseus being the son of Zeus. The movie started out as 2-dimensional film, but with the release of the 3-D movie Avatar, the Clash of the Titans was converted to 3-D. According to Director Leterrier, The adaptation to 3-D adds unbelievable depth to each scene, enhancing the chronicle and providing an all-encompassing clash familiarity. There are movies that are intended to be produced in 3-D. However this film was originally intended for 2-D version, but because of the success of Avatar, the director and producer decided to release a new version also intended for viewers who wanted to watch this film in 3-D. This new version in 3-D adds to the excitement but not to the entire effect of the story. The special effects, mostly digital, have been purposely made to gather some with the original film. However, viewers of this film may be perplexed to find the substance of 3-D since the dimensional layer does not agree with the camera. Moreover, the high dimensions of graphics also exposed little to the viewers. Thus, I would recommend to watched the film and in 2D instead of 3D to further appreciate the context of the film. On the other hand, the movie is definitely filled with striking settings and extraordinary creatures. Pegasus, the flying horse, is portrayed beautifully and the massive numbers of scorpions are indisputably frightening. The Kraken, a gigantic sea monster, is less remarkable than the trailer would have you believe. The film was shot in very lavishing scenery. As for the cinematography, it is very vibrant- jumping out and zooming in or out around each character all the way through ravines and desert landscapes. Many of us know that Greek mythology gives emphasis on power, intelligence and beauty of the gods and goddesses. However, the interesting aspect such as beauty is not shown in the new version. Not a single goddess delivered an argument in this film. But still, Io is able to fill the missing part of the movie, showing more reasonable and more likeable female character and love interest than Andromeda. Moreover, I find the movie drew a cast of familiar faces. Sam Worthington showed only one emotion throughout the movie, seriousness, as Perseues, the most important character in the film. Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Dunny Huston portrayed as the three main Greeks gods: Zeus, hades and Poseidon. Not much participation for Neeson and Huston has very little to do with the movie. Character of Io, played by Gemma Arterton, a woman cursed with agelessness and watch over Perseus through his mission. Alexa Davalos as Andromeda, the princess offered as a sacrifice for the Kraken. In over all, Clash of the Titans is perhaps the first 3-D movie intended to the generation of today. However, it is very hard for me to visualize that this movie will incarcerate wider audience since more of the viewers will undoubtedly attend for its nostalgia value. Moreover, it offers no-frills approach for classical movies with monsters, chaos, and violence abundantly with just enough limits not to over step the leap of the PG-13 rating. For those viewers who will watch this movie in 2D might debate that it harkens back some of the classic fantasy adventure in the middle decades of the 20th century. Thus, I find the movie a flawed but a very entertaining remake of the Greek mythological elements.

The Changing Mattress Business Essay -- Economy, Economic Downturn

Changes in the global environment, in conjunction with the deepest and most prolonged economic downturn since the Great Depression, have started a sea change in the domestic mattress industry. The end of conspicuous consumption for big-ticket items such as mattresses and foundations, is the result of declining new home sales, tightening of consumer credit, the consumer confidence index still well below pre-recessionary levels (Wang, 2010), and unemployment hovering near 10%. In order to remain viable in rapidly changing global and task environments, mattress manufacturers will need to lower material and manufacturing costs, develop products that differentiate them from their competitors, or develop new channels of distribution for their products. Domestic production of mattresses and foundations in 2010 was slightly below 6 billion dollars and almost 16% less than the peak mattress production of 2007 (International Sleep Products Association, 2010). Many consumers have lost confidence in the economic state of the country and therefore have begun to believe that, as Newt Gingrich said recently, "if you can’t afford to buy a house, don’t buy it" (Gingrich, 2010). The economic downturn has signaled the end of conspicuous consumption, defined as â€Å"the act or practice of spending money on expensive things that are not necessary in order to impress other people† (Merrian-Webster's Leaner's Dictionary, 2010). Identify functional and dysfunctional control systems within your own organization I am currently a Senior Vice-President of Sales for King Koil Licensing (â€Å"King Koil†). The company licenses mattress-manufacturing facilities, called licensees, both domestically and internationally, to produce the brands that King Koil owns. The l... ...ving the wherewithal to maintain our lifestyle will be difficult to achieve if this strategy fails. From a professional standpoint, I have had a certain level of success as a retail executive for the past 37 years, and have built a reputation that I do not want sullied through an association with a company that fails. The mattress industry in America has contracted as consumers have suffered through these difficult economic times and will continue to face more changes in the global environment and changes in the task environment. The enterprises that remain stuck in the middle, stick to the â€Å"old ways†, react to these changes too late will likely go the way of Two Guys, Kobackers, Woolworth’s, Montgomery Ward, Circuit City, Studebaker, and too many other businesses that failed to move their organizations through the economic mine fields that confronted them.

The Life and Times of William Rufus de Vane King :: Essays Papers

The Life and Times of William Rufus de Vane King William Rufus de Vane King was a distinguished politician who concluded his remarkable political career by being elected the Vice-President under Franklin Pierce’s pro-slavery ticket. However, he is the only person to be elected to that office that never actually served as vice-president. Without doing this, King is known through history as a popular and pre-eminent politician from Alabama. Besides being the only vice-president elected to not serve his term, he is the only United States official to take the oath of office on foreign land. Instead of taking the oath of office in the nation’s capital, William King took the oath in Havana, Cuba. Unfortunately, less than one week after Inauguration Day, King died at the age of sixty-seven of tuberculosis. In those years prior to his death, King made several pertinent contributions to the United States political system. King began his life on April 7, 1786. He was born on a lovely spring day in Sampson County, North Carolina. His inheritance from different backgrounds was evident. The values and morals that his parents instilled within him caused young King’s actions. His father was of Irish descent that was a planter who sometimes served in the state legislature. His father also served dutifully during the Revolutionary War and was a member of the convention that was called to adopt the federal constitution. His mother had a touch of Huguenot ancestry. William King was a tall and slender man. His physique was gracefully erect, and he was always generous and courteous. This characteristic came from the upbringing from his parents. He was very humble. He was not arrogant or boasted about his accomplishments. King never married. However, there were rumors spread that there was a relationship between him and President James Buchanan. It was known that King and Van Buren shared a twenty-year intimate friendship. They shared quarters in Washington, D.C. for many years, and Buchanan called their relationship a communion. A law partner of James K. Polk labeled the two Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan. King was born when the United States was young and developing.

Lemurs of Madagascar

Lemurs of Madagascar Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Lemurs of Madagascar 1. Madagascar biome is a tropical rain forest. The main characteristic of a tropical rain forest biome is the presence of Warm temperatures throughout the year. In a tropical rain forest biome, there are three layers. These layers include the top trees, followed by the canopy layer characterized by dens leaves hence low light penetration and the third layer are the ground layer. The ground layer lacks any vegetation owing to the low amount of sunlight reaching it due to the dense canopy layer. 2. Changes happening in Madagascar pose challenges to lemurs in the island.The main changes that affect the lemurs include the effects of agricultural activities on the environment. Forestland conversion for agricultural use including the creation of pastureland, cropland, and degradation of the soil due to fire and clearing by humans is the agricultural changes on Madagascar. Soil erosion caused by slash-and-burn farming also forms the other changes in Madagascar that brings forth challenges to lemurs. As a conclusion, high deforestation rate and increased human population and erosion form the main changes that challenge the existence of lemurs in Madagascar. 3.The lemurs that are adapting well with the changes in Madagascar are the ones with the ability to live in an altered habitat. (This is a habitat with secondary characteristics owing to human activities in the island). These include the ring-tailed lemur lemma catta and sifakas, but between the two, the ring-tailed lemma catta is adapting better to changes in the ecosystem. The fossil lemurs’ disappearance in the island was due to inability to adapt well to the changes. The other types of lemurs that have disappeared due to change in the habitat include Palaeopropithecus, Daubentonia robusta, Archaeiindris fontoynonti and Megaladapis edwardsi. . A generalist behavioral type is required of the lemurs in Madagascar to be able to cope with the change s in the island for their adaptation and survival. The species favored in this criterion are sifakas and lemur catta, which are adapting well to the changes. Other behavioral characteristics required include being terrestrial for them to adapt well with the changes as depicted by the lemur catta. Physical characteristics that improve adaptation to the changes include ability to take advantage of changes by feeding on crops, tourist handouts, insects, flowers, and fruits. . Lemurs might not develop to adapt to changes in Madagascar because they lived on trees and the deforestation affects their form of livelihood. The reduction in the soil’s ability to support the vegetation that forms the main food for the lemurs is another reason owing to the high rates of soil erosion and degradation. Similarly, human actions in the highland affect their ability to adapt with the changes hence another reason for the inability to adapt to changes in the habitat. 6. The water cycle is the biochemical cycle that may be altered by activities in Madagascar.An alteration on the water cycle takes the following pattern owing to the activities in mainly deforestation and soil erosion and degradation. Cutting of rain forests results in low moisture transpiration to the atmosphere. The result is a reduction in the cloud cover, diminished precipitation, and lead to drought in the area. The replacement of the forests requires water hence an impossible occurrence when there is drought in the area. Reference â€Å"Lemurs in Madagascar: Surviving on an Island of Change. † Films Media Group, 2006. Films On Demand.

LVMH: Managing the Multi-Brand Conglomerate Essay

1. LVMH’s diversification represents the group’s strong presence in the luxury goods market as a whole with products from the fashion and leather range, wines and spirits range, watches and jewelry range, perfumes and cosmetics range, and finally the selective retailing range. This strategy aims to claim market share in market segments that are interrelated with the specific customer segment as the common denominator. LVMH is a market leader in some markets and has a decent market share in others and aims to be the leader in the luxury market as a whole where the elite customers can recognize its brands from all of its product ranges and the company plans to build brand loyalty within those customers so that a customer who chooses LVMH for watches for instance, is also inclined to choose an LVMH product for wine and spirits. Diversification also spreads the company’s costs over a number of brands and the revenues as well so that it can always insure good rate of return for investors. 2. For a company like LVMH to compete on a scope that includes champagne, jewelry, fashion, cosmetics, and retailing is logical and even necessary for it to keep a competitive edge because its competitors have implemented the same strategy to fight for market share in the luxury market in all of its segments. The company’s policy aims to build the idea in their customers’ heads that they can always expect the same consistent high-end quality when choosing any brand that is owned or associated by LVMH and since elite customers, or simply customers looking for some products for luxury living, usually want to wear high quality jewelry to match their high quality fashion wear or even enjoy the consumption of high quality spirits, they can always have the brand image of LVMH in their heads because they expect that the quality of the jewelry or the wine will match the quality of the fashion wear they are wearing. 3. LVMH adds value to its different businesses by passing down the know-how that made its original products timeless to the brands that are relatively newer so that quality is consistent throughout its different brands. The company does this through human resources departments that have  an eye for talents for design as well as the right people to learn the company’s policies and to implement them so that the functioning of the group remains consistent. The value chain for LVMH begins with purchasing raw materials for them to create their product, which of course, they have gained expertise and leadership even in some segments. In operations, handled extensively in France and Spain, they strive to compete for cost leadership. Next comes logistics, which is mainly sea routes and they strive to have their products delivered in timely fashion so they can meet customer demands which sometimes exceeds supply knowing that creating high-end luxury products is time consuming. Next is marketing, where they always depend on their brands’ historic qualities to promote themselves to already-loyal customers and to newer customers seeking luxury goods. Finally, in service, human resources can always insure the best retail outlet partnerships and good sales and after-sales services. 4. In general, LVMH have their value chain synergized whether purchasing, operations, technology, sales and marketing, distribution, and services but since their multi-brand strategy is highly decentralized (this is due to the belief of keeping the independent identity of the brand and its creative process), but technology can be best synergized in this sense only to control quality and oversee the creative process while at the same time assuring the creative processes remain independent and well-backed. 5. LVMH’s core competence begins in its product and service quality which is history timeless and is already infiltrated the luxury market as a whole either as a market leader or a strong competitor for market leadership. This alone gives the brands a strong competitive advantage and attractiveness. Another core competence is innovation. LVMH’s brands and smart brand acquisition strategy has seen it house some very important fashion labels that are historically known for innovation (Luis Vuitton, Givenchy, Tag Heuer etc†¦) as well as hiring some of the most world-renown designers (example: Marc Jacobs). With this in customers’ minds, they can always expect innovation from the company’s already established brands as well as their newly acquired or marketed brands. LVMH organizes training and skills development seminars that ensure they always remain competitive and leaders in innovation, creativity, and luxury appeal. Their controlled distribution  networks, extensive marketing activity, and their presence in all the luxury markets also gives the company as a whole a competitive edge. 6. LVMH has exploited its core competence in its various diversification moves and strategic acquisitions in a very reasonable and logical manner. The diversification moves have remained consistent with the company’s image because it has diversified only into markets and products which the company viewed as â€Å"luxury† in the eyes of the customer. The company has enough knowledge of the market and they know customer tastes and behavior and it also uses the existing infrastructure to promote their diversified products. The same can be said about the strategic acquisitions as they usually acquire a brand based on its fit with LVMH’s existing product lines or if that is not the case, they may acquire a brand for a certain characteristic or asset they think they need to gain more competitive advantage which may be used either in the newly acquired brand or their existing brands. It is also important to note that newly acquired businesses have greatly contributed to the company’s revenues over the recent years and shareholders have, as well, benefited from the diversification strategy of LVMH. 7. LVMH manages its diversified empire by implementing a decentralized management strategy to manage its many diverse brands. Most of them enjoy a great deal of autonomy because in the fashion business, which depends on creativity and innovation, the creative people must be given freedom for their work to become a hit and not a miss. Headquarters ensure quality control and financial backing for newly acquired brands that have near future potential. LVMH manages a very diversified product portfolio with star brands in the fashion and leather goods and to some extent the watches and jewelry brands. They have cash cows in the wine and spirits brands and in selective retailing. They have however question marks in the perfumes and cosmetics lines. The cash cows look to remain that way and not become poor dogs due to the timelessness of LVMH’s products in history and their portfolio of star products are diversified and positioned in the market in a way that capitalizes on the industry’s growth. As previously mentioned, LVMH manages people with a human resources department that organizes skill developing seminars as well as inter-product seminars to strengthen the  brand’s philosophy in its people and to motivate them to work always in that manner. 8. As previously noted, LVMH has a strength in its synergies due to its existing infrastructure regardless of its diversified brands, newly-acquired brands, and global presence where it is normal to form synergies in the value chain in order to have consistent quality and timely delivery of products as well as maintaining the same level of excellence in sales, marketing, and after sales services. Their selective retailing of course, is the main reason for delays in case of unexpected high demands and in high costs, but since it does not sacrifice its core competency in delivering always high quality luxury products. 9. Some synergies that can be identified and exploited by LVMH include overlapping technology across all its diverse businesses including e-commerce and to implement technology developments into some of its brands which have long been run in a traditional way. Operations are normally overlapping due to the nature of luxury goods and this can be further exploited to include wine and spirits product lines to include better synergy in marketing and sales for this product line. Luxury products are normally sold in similar markets therefore they can always demand a premium price since they target premium customers and this will always be to the company’s advantage and it should not back down from this pricing policy. This product placement and premium price it demands makes it easy for LVMH’s different diverse businesses to overlap and cross-sell its diverse luxury brands. 10. Bernard Arnault’s diversified strategy and his acquisitions under LVMH have been, in general, fruitful and this is evident from the fact the new acquisitions are contributing significantly to the revenues of the company and the growth is sustained in existing markets and is positive in new markets. It is normal, when implementing such a strategy, that some strategic moves may not always be fruitful but the company can afford to pull the plug on brands that are not performing as expected due to the large diversification in all departments that the company enjoys and the existing  infrastructure and operations chain which won’t be harmed in this case. The company’s image is still regarded by the customer as it was historically and the elite customer can still relate to its fresh acquisitions and above all the shareholders are satisfied with the financials of the company so, all in all, as long the management is remains overlooking the creative processes and the company satisfies its strong creative people, the strategy looks to be sustained. 11. LVMH is recommended to continue adding to its already impressive product portfolio by keeping sight on appealing brands that fits its brand image. However, luxury businesses that are not core to its image should be divested from such as the mass retailing and media businesses and it should focus on its core product lines. Also, management should be patient with brands that are initially underperforming because over time, they may build their own reputation and become hot sellers and this move is in line with the company’s philosophy of timelessness. LVMH should also have back-up options in creativity in the form of protà ©gà © designers in the case of head designers leaving or disagreeing with management policies because at the end of the day, in the luxury business it is the combination of innovative design as well as high quality that affects the bottom line sales and revenue. 12. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Diverse and powerful product portfolio in the luxury market – historical significance of the brand image – Strong distribution channels and strong relations with retailers due to the brands’ influence – Consistency in launching new products and acquiring new businesses – High-end quality control Weaknesses: Selective retailing business questionable with underperforming returns – Competitiveness within its own brands weakens some of them against competitors Opportunities: Entering new markets and expanding into new countries –  Marketing and advertising more aggressively Threat: External economic impacts (price deflation, decrease in consumer purchasing power†¦) – Imitator brands and cheap knock-off products – Focusing on one brand and neglecting other brands with big potential

The Exchange of Dirty Hypodermic Needles

The Exchange Of Dirty Hypodermic Needles For Clean Ones, Or The Sale Of Clean Ones. Is it the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean ones, or the sale of clean ones necessary for our society? The exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean, or the sale of clean ones is very necessary and important because our society is in need of solutions on how to prevent and decrease the big amount of infections and death that these type of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis c are causing.A lot of people do not protect themselves as they should because of lack of information. Many people think that HIV and many other diseases are spread only through sexual contact and not through needles that have been used and infected with these diseases appearing by others. I totally agree that the exchange between dirty hypodermic needles for clean ones, or sales of clean ones is going to provoke a huge positive impact in people’s life and health because they will be more aware of the damage that such negligence would cause if they are not well informed.First, the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean one, or the sale of clean ones it’s important because our society needs more solutions on how to prevent infections and diseases. Often we try to find and fix these types of problems before even looking where they coming from in order to create solutions for it. According by The Lindesmith Center, New York City by 1994, 125,000 people had developed AIDS as a result of injecting drugs with unsterile syringes and over a third of new AIDS cases stem from injection drug use.There are many ways people can stop this big increment or at least prevent them. The best way you can prevent such infections or diseases is to stop injecting drugs or never start using them, go to programs where they can help you with these types of things such as substance abuse. If you continue to inject drugs, always use new, sterile syringes and never use more than once or share syring es, needles, water or other drug preparation materials.Do not share toothbrushes, razors and other items that may be contaminated with blood. Tattooing or body piercing may also increase the risk of infection and always, always practice safe sex. Second, the exchange of dirty hypodermic needles for clean one, or the sale of clean ones program is need to create more knowledge to those people who still ignore the big consequences that the exchange of needle can cause to their life and health. We, as part of this society, must show greater interest in our health.According to the Massachusetts statewide harm reduction coalition, this program of exchanging used dirty needles for new ones is a big step and it promises to provide these syringes through different courses and manuals explaining how and why it is best to do this instead of keep using the same needles that others might have used since these can cause infections and diseases to many more people. Also, it offered information and counseling about these diseases as how we can avoid them and prevent them, as also about drugs and sex among others.However, many people are still against these types of programs because they think that instead of helping our society to reduce the large number of infected people caused by the mishandling of dirty needles injections with these programs, it will make them increase; According to them people will consume more and will became more addicted because of it. I do not agree with this kind of assertion because it is a complete lie that because of information and the exchange of a needle people will consume more, at least there is still nothing that can prove it.In the other hand, there are many articles and studies that prove as the use of needle exchanges increases, the use of shared needles decreases according to the Lindesmith Center, New York City. In conclusion, I think the exchange of dirty hypothermic needle to clean ones, or the sale of clean ones is very important fo r us and our society because along with this, people will be more safe and well inform since the lack of information that some of us have according to these type of situations.Many people get infected because of their negligence for example, tattooing with needles that have been used by others or as most cases injecting drugs using the same syringe of another person. In the future, if these type of issues continue without something that can stop it or at least prevent it like the program that a lot of states have â€Å"exchanging a dirty hypodermic needle for a new one† the amount of people infected will be much greater than we think.

My Hometown

My Hometown Good morning ! My name is Quang Ngoc. I come from Vu Ban district which is to the south of Nam Dinh. I am living with my parents and my sister, . In my free time , reading book and speaking English are my hobbies. Today I am here to tell you about my hometown. Firstly, Nam Dinh province is my home town. It is small but peaceful and beautiful and situated in the south of the Red River Delta. It is surrounding up by some others neighborhood province in the region such as Ha Nam, Thai Binh on the north and northeast, Ninh Binh on the west, the East Sea with 72km long coastlines. pic] Now let me take you to travel around Nam Dinh city first. The city is about 90 km southeast of Vietnam's capital,  Hanoi. From Hanoi, it takes you an hour and a half to go there by a coach. If you are sick of cars, you can go by train. Nam Dinh railway-station is a big one in the North-South railway network, so it is very convenient for you to choose a trip. Nam Dinh is a political, economic, cultural, commercial center of the Red delta. It used to be called the textile city and it was recognized as the first municipality last year [pic]Traveling around Nam Dinh city is simple and convenient. There are many different vehicles you can use such as: bus, taxi, motorbike,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"xich lo†, bicycle. Two large rivers passing away Nam Dinh city are Red River and  Dao  River  . The two rivers play an important role in river traffic and development of Nam Dinh in the long run. [pic] [pic] Nam Dinh is famous for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ph? †. Besides, you can enjoy many other specialties:  gai cake,  Ng? banana,  Siu Chau candy†¦ If Hanoi has 36 old streets, Nam Dinh has also 40 ones  , for example,  Hang Vang, Hang Bat, Hang Nau, V? Man†¦ But now most of them don’t exist and trade traditional products like before. These small and old streets are on the bank of  Dao  River  and contain peculiar pi'kju:lj? /rieng bi? t shape which is related t o 750-year-developing history of Nam Dinh city. Some streets still keep their initial i'ni l/ name such as:  Hang Ti? n, Hang C? p, B? c Ninh, Hang Thao, Hang D? ng, Hang S? t†¦ The rest of them are changed name into: Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Van Th? †¦ They are always crowded, busy and are important parts of Nam Dinh center.Nam Dinh city is also called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  and it has many handicraft villages, tourist potential and rich in many historical, cultural sites and many tourist attractions. If you are keen on religious and culture, I will take you to the Tran relic, the tower Pagoda, Co Le Pagoda, Keo Pagoda (Hanh Thien), Phu Day Relic†¦ [pic] Nam Dinh is also the hometown of many Generals and martial /'m? : l/ vo heroes as well as the hometown of many writers and poets like Tran Te Xuong (Tu Xuong), Nguyen Binh   [pic]The Tran dynasty was the most flourished /flourish hung th? nh, th? nh vu? ng in Vietnamese feudal /'fju:dl/ . Tr? n Hung D? o statue is placed in front of 3-2 Square and in the bank of V? Xuyen Lake and this is also a place where many important events are held. [pic] Phu Day relic located in Kim Thai commune, Vu Ban district is the worship of Princess Lieu Hanh, one of four immortal gods of Vietnam (Saint Tan Vien, Thanh Giong, Chu Dong Tu and Princess Lieu Hanh) Located in the Red River Delta, Nam Dinh has a long tradition culture.This cultural treasure ‘tre / kho bau is derived di'raiv/b? t ngu? n t? from the lives of residents, was developed in various forms and activities such as folk songs, writing, water puppetry/'p? pitri/, song festivals, xam †¦ and many other traditional games†¦ [pic] Many people enjoy going to Xuan Thuy National Park on their weekend. it situated in Giao Thien Commune, Giao Thuy district. It is an ecological tourist destination for those who are interested in learning wildlife and migratory /mai'greit? ri/ di tru birds.It was selected as a door stop of thousands of migr atory birds with a lot of varieties and species fly to the south in the winter of last November from the lunar calendar and return in late February, in early March every year. The forest is home of many species of birds, sea cat, fish, shrimp, fish, crabs, snakes, clams, and oysters. Coming to Xuan Thuy National Park, visitors will be lived in the vast spaces of the earth and sky, cloud, breathing fresh air, watching birds. The first feeling when you wake up in the morning here is quiet, fresh and peaceful.You seem to give up all noise, hurry and being tired of modern life behind. So it is really ideal place to rest and relax. Nam Dinh doesn’t have as many tourist attractions as Hanoi, but it brings special characteristics which nowhere has. Imagine that you come to Nam Dinh one day, walking in small streets with red-rice-flowers bloomed gorgeously, enjoying specialties of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  and listening to the whistle from the weaving company in the hurry of city every sunset, you would certainly feel fret and regretted when leaving! [pic] [pic]Nowadays, government and inhabitants in Nam Dinh is trying to build and decorate our city more and more beautiful and attractive. Many projects are also being carried out such as:  Hoa Xa industrial park,  L? c Vu? ng  and Th? ng Nh? t  new urban areas, a 700-bed-hospital of the South Red River Plain zone†¦ Nam Dinh is in the developing line, and it definitely must become the worthy center of Red River Delta in the future. Our youth generations who were born and grew up in Nam Dinh are always proud of our hometown with all the most respectful sentiment /'sentim? nt/.Whenever I go and stay, I won’t never forget my hometown where I have my family and relatives. It is kept deeply in my heart †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å" South or west, home is best† I love my hometown. I want to be come Viet Nam talented people to help my homeland more beautiful and powerful. I am delighted th at you will come to visit my hometown. My Hometown Good morning ! I am †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I come from Vu Ban district which is to the south of Nam Dinh. I am living with my parents and my sister, . In my free time , reading books and speaking English are my hobbies. Today I am here to tell you about my hometown.Nam Dinh is small but peaceful and beautiful and situated in the south of the Red River Delta. It shares the borders with some neighborhood provinces such as Ha Nam on the north, Thai Binh on the northeast, Ninh Binh on the west and the East Sea with 72km long coastlines. Nam Dinh city is a political, economic, cultural and commercial center of the Red Delta. It used to be called the textile city and it was recognized as the first municipality mju:,nisi'p? liti/ last year Now let me take you around the city.. From Hanoi, it takes you an hour and a half to go there by a coach. If you are sick of cars, you can go by train. o it is very convenient for you to cho ose a trip. Traveling around Nam Dinh city is simple and convenient. you can travel by bus, taxi, motorbike,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"xich lo†, bicycle. Nam Dinh is famous for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ph? †. Besides, you can enjoy many other specialties:  gai cake,  Ng? banana,  Siu Chau candy†¦ If Hanoi has 36 old streets, Nam Dinh has also 40 ones  , for example,  Hang Ti? n, Hang D? ng ,†¦ They are always crowded, busy and are important parts of Nam Dinh center. Nam Dinh city is also called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†. It has many handicraft villages, tourist potential and rich in many historical, cultural sites.If you are keen on religious and culture, I will take you to the Tran relic, the tower Pagoda, Co Le Pagoda,†¦ Nam Dinh is also the hometown of many Generals and heroes as well as the hometown of many writers and poets like Tran Te Xuong (Tu Xuong), Nguyen Binh   The Tran dynasty was the most flourished in Vietnamese feudal /'fju:dl/ . Tr? n Hung D? o statue is pl aced on the bank of V? Xuyen Lake and this is also a place where many important events are held. Phu Day relic located in Kim Thai commune, Vu Ban district is the worship of Princess Lieu Hanh, one of four immortal gods of Vietnam.People come here to pray for luck. Many people enjoy going to Xuan Thuy National Park . It is situated in Giao Thien Commune, Giao Thuy district. It is an ecological /,ek? ‘l? d? ik/ tourist destination for those who are interested in learning wildlife and migratory /mai'greit? ri/ birds. The forest is the home of many species of birds, fish, shrimp, †¦ Coming to Xuan Thuy National Park, you will live in the open spaces breathing fresh air and watching birds. The first feeling when you wake up in the morning here is quiet, fresh and peaceful.You seem to give up noise, hurry and being tired of modern life behind. So it is really ideal place to rest and relax. Nam Dinh doesn’t have as many tourist attractions as Hanoi, but it brings special characteristics which nowhere has. Imagine that you come to Nam Dinh one day, walking in small streets with red-rice-flowers , enjoying specialties of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Thanh Nam†Ã‚  . you will never forget it when leaving as people are friendly and hospitable. Nowadays, government and inhabitants in Nam Dinh is trying to build and decorate our city more and more beautiful and attractive.Many projects are also being carried out such as:  Hoa Xa industrial park,  L? c Vu? ng  and Th? ng Nh? t  new urban areas†¦ Nam Dinh is in the developing line, and it will become the worthy center of Red River Delta in the future. Wherever I go and stay, I always miss my hometown where I have my family, friends and relatives. It is the sweetest, loveliest and best place for me It is kept deeply in my heart . One proverb says â€Å" South or west, home is best† I want to become a talented/good Vietnamese people to help my homeland more beautiful and powerful. I am delighted that y ou will come to visit my hometown one day.Conversation Questions Hometowns Where are you from? What is the name of your town? Where is it? Do you like it? Why or why not? What's your hometown like? What is the population? Is your hometown famous for anything? Do you hope that someday your hometown would be world famous for something? What could it be famous for? What is the best thing about your hometown? How long have you lived in your hometown? Do any other of your family members also live in your hometown? Where did your maternal and paternal great-great-great grandparents live or come from?Has your hometown changed a lot since you were a kid? If so, how? Have the changes been for the better or worse? Can I visit your hometown on the Internet? Do your childhood friends still live in your hometown? If not, where are they now? Does your hometown have any festivals? When are they? What happens at that festival? What's there to do in your hometown? Tell me why I would enjoy visiting your hometown. When is the best time to come to your hometown? Tell me why I should visit your hometown. What interesting city lies to the north, south, east, west of your hometown?What are some things in your hometown that are part of history? What does your hometown produce? What is the worst thing about your hometown? What is the geography of your hometown? (i. e. beach, mountains, etc. ) What are the main attractions in your hometown? What are the main economical resources in your hometown? Can you describe the main geographical features of your hometown? After you graduate do you want to live in your hometown? Why or why not? If you could live anywhere else, where would you like to live? Is your hometown growing? Is this a good or a bad thing?How do you see your hometown growing in the next 20 years? Does your hometown have a college or university? Does your hometown have a shopping mall shopping? Does your hometown have antique shopping places? Where is the best place to get a reasonably priced, but delicious meal in your hometown? What is the best season in your hometown? What is the average yearly rain fall for your hometown? What is the average temperature in winter time? (summer time? ) Does it snow in your hometown? These small and old streets are on the bank of  Dao  River  and contain peculiar pi'kju:lj? /rieng bi? shape which is related to 750-year-developing history of Nam Dinh city. Some streets still keep their initial i'ni l/ name such as:  Hang Ti? n, Hang C? p, B? c Ninh, Hang Thao, Hang D? ng, Hang S? t†¦ The rest of them are changed name into: Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Van Th? †¦ Located in the Red River Delta, Nam Dinh has a long tradition culture. This cultural treasure ‘tre / kho bau is derived di'raiv/b? t ngu? n t? from the lives of residents, was developed in various forms and activities such as folk songs, writing, water puppetry/'p? pitri/, song festivals, xam †¦ nd many other traditional games†¦ Quest ions Traffic Accidents †¢ Have you ever seen a traffic accident? †¢ Have you been involved in a traffic accident? †¢ Do you know someone who has been involved in a traffic accident? †¢ Have you been injured in a traffic accident? †¢ Do you think talking on cell phones can help cause traffic accidents? †¢ Do you think a motorcycle rider should be required to wear a helmet? †¢ Do you think a person should be required to wear a seat belt? †¢ What kind of insurance do you have on your car? †¢ Have you ever hit an animal at night when you were driving your car? What kind of safety features in a car would help you if you had a traffic accident? †¢ Are traffic accidents a major cause of death in your country? †¢ Who dies in traffic accidents more? Young? Old? Children? Boys? Girls? †¢ How can traffic accidents be prevented? †¢ What are people not doing that they should to prevent deaths in traffic accidents? †¢ What are you not doing that you should to prevent deaths in traffic accidents? †¢ What should be done in order to prevent traffic congestion in your city? †¢ How do you feel about spending time in rush hours?