Kurt Cobains Death free essay sample

Kurt Cobain: Murder or Suicide? On April 8, 1994 Kurt D. Cobain’s body was discovered in his home in Seattle, Washington. Cobain was the front-man for Nirvana, a 90’s grunge band hailed as the â€Å"flagship band† of Generation X, who produced well-known hits such as â€Å"Smells Like Teen Spirit† and â€Å"Heart-Shaped Box. † His death shocked the nation, leading to many copy-cat suicides and leaving many of the youth feeling hopeless and abandoned. Although everyone knew he was a suicidal drug addict, no one believed that he killed himself. People often theorized that Courtney Love was his murderer, not that she held the gun to his head, but that she hired someone to kill him. So the question still stands 17 years later: Did he commit suicide or not? Theory #1 Murder: Love DeWitt Many people began to theorize that Courtney Love, Cobain’s wife and mother of their daughter Frances Bean, and Michael DeWitt, a male nanny that resided in the Cobain residence, had something to do with his death. We will write a custom essay sample on Kurt Cobains Death or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page People began to say that Love and DeWitt conspired to kill Kurt because the two were in love with each other, and Courtney knew that Kurt would not let her go that easily. DeWitt and Love were never accused of having an affair. The only thing that led to this theory was a note that DeWitt had written Kurt about learning to take care of his responsibilities, Frances and Courtney, and to clean up his act. Theory #2 Murder: Love Pays Someone to Kill Cobain After Kurt’s death a gentleman who calls himself El Duce, the lead singer of an LA band called â€Å"the Mentors,† had told reporters that Courtney Love had offered him $50,000 dollars to kill Kurt Cobain. Even though he had said he was not able to carry out her offer because his band was touring, he brought it to the public’s attention that Love would have very well paid some hit-man to kill her husband. Another reason for this is that Kurt and Courtney were on the brink of divorce and he wanted her name pulled out of the will, so before he could do so, she wanted him dead. First off why would Love ask someone to carry out a deed such as this the first time meeting them and in public? Also how would her name being pulled out of the will devastate her since her band, Hole which she was the lead singer and guitar player of, was just as successful as his, which meant making the same amount of money as he did? Theory #3 Suicide: Cobain Reached the Peak of Fame I believe that the ruling of death was completely right: Kurt Cobain had committed suicide. There is substantial evidence that his death was self-inflicted. Not only was he released from detox about seven days before his death, but he also had a friend buy him a shot gun days before that. Cobain was a heroin addict, clinically depressed and also bipolar. He often told people, namely his band mates, how he wanted to die. Evidence #1: Heroin Blood Levels On April 14, 1994 the Seattle Post-Intelligencer released the official toxicology report that concluded that Cobain’s blood levels contained 1. 52 milligrams of heroin per litre of blood. Many people on the bandwagon of his murder will believe Grant, an investigator and the main person trying to prove Cobain was murdered, when he claims that anyone with that amount of Heroin in their system could not keep injecting themselves let alone pick up a gun and fire it. But sadly for those who has decided to believe Grant it is well known among doctors and addicts alike that if you have done heroin for many years, at very high doses which often led to overdoses, as Cobain experiences often, that you will develop a high tolerance which means it will take higher amounts to get you high and an even higher amount to kill you. Evidence #2: The Suicide Note It is almost always a given that when there is a note in the vicinity of a dead body it was most likely a suicide. The note that was only a few feet from the dead body of Kurt Cobain was written to explain his intent to leave not only Courtney, as they were planning on a divorce which is a big reason on why people believe she had something to do with it, but Seattle and the music business as well. At the bottom of the note there are a few lines that often make people question if those were also written my Kurt. Those last lines are said to be the only ones that infer suicide, even though to me the way he wrote the rest implies it as well, are believed to be written either by Courtney or the nanny. Anyone who has done drugs knows that when you shoot up that your functions slowly shut down, which is one explanation for the difference in hand writing, or even the fact that he was suicidal, maybe he was crying which would blur his vision and make it hard to write correctly. Evidence #3: The Gun Cobain had used a Remington Model 11, 20 Gauge Shotgun to shoot himself. First off with the conspiracy theories, people say he used just a regular hunting rifle (Remington Model 700), which is not true. Also many people say that he shot himself in the left temple, which makes absolutely no sense because first off he was right handed so it would be really awkward for him to reach around with a bulky shotgun to shoot himself on the left side. Also people should learn to not believe everything they see because the picture of his death that was published was a fake, and also the reason many people believe the temple theory. No blood was ever found on the right side of his head, which means that the bullet did not enter the left side nor exit the right. The medical examiner’s report says that he held the gun into his mouth and fired the shot. There is ample evidence that it was in his mouth because of the burns and residue left there. Also many people feel that because there are no fingerprints on the trigger that he did not shoot himself, they believe the weapon was wiped clean. Gun experts have claimed that fingerprints can be extinguished when the gun recoils after being shot. Conclusion No matter what anyone says, I know that Kurt Cobain committed suicide, whether the fatal blow was due to the heroin or the bullet, he killed himself. Not only was he suicidal, depressed, and bipolar, he had reached the peak of fame. And in his book Journals he writes a section where he talks about when he hits the peak of fame he was going to kill himself, and this was written before Nirvana ever had gotten a gig. Another odd occurrence is that he died when he was 27 years old, along with other idols such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. His sister told fans in the book Heavier Than Heaven written by Charles R Cross in 2001 that when Kurt was young he often talked about how he wanted to join the Forever 27 Club. There is ample evidence that he had killed himself and to support my view just look at his death certificate. For those whom think he was murdered, there is not one single piece of evidence that shows that anyone else injected the heroin into his system or shot him in the mouth. Yes Kurt Cobain was an American idol, yes his death has drastically affected the music world and yes he was on the top of the world but no one took that away from him other than himself. The only reason these theories have come about is because of a few reasons: it is hard to come to terms that someone so influential could kill themselves, it is hard to believe that his ‘psychotic’ wife had nothing to do with his death and that those people especially Grant just want to make money from the books and movies they keep making about it.

Every AP US History Practice Exam Available Free and Official

Every AP US History Practice Exam Available Free and Official SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you want to do well on the AP US History test, you have to practice! Practice tests can help you organize your prep logically around areas of the curriculum that are most challenging for you. This article provides a complete list of all official and unofficial AP US History practice test materials available online,as well asdetailed instructions and tips on how to use them in your studying. Official AP US History PracticeExams This section lists all the free official practice tests available online for AP US History.All of these practice tests and free-response questions come directly from the College Board.You can use the free-response questions to practice writing essays at any point during the year, but I’d save the full exams for the final stages of your study process. The closer you get to the exam, the more important it is to understand exactly where your weaknesses lie and which aspects of the test present the most significant challenges. Official materials provide the best practice because the questions are a consistently accurate representation of the content and format of the real test. Full-Length AP US History Practice Exam This is a practice exam released by the College Board that aligns with the format and content of the latest version of the test.This test is the best free practice exam available online, so try to save it for when you’re closer to the real exam and want to get an accurate estimate of your score level. One caveat: there's no answer key for the free-response questions, so you might have a tough time scoring them. Refer to the College Board's general scoring guidelines to get an idea of how you did or ask your teacher if he or she would be willing to grade your essays. AP US History Free Response Questions, 2015-2017 The free-response questions for the three AP history exams have undergone some minor changes, but these sample questions will still closely resemble the format of the free-response section of the test that you're taking.Again, I would encourage you to save the most up-to-date questions for later in the study process so that you can get a better idea of what your scores will look like on the real test. AP US History Document Based Questions 1973-1999 This document includes a bunch of DBQs from past versions of the AP test. This question has remained relatively consistent throughout the years, so I'd say these are totally fine to use as practice materials. You never know exactly what the documents will look like on the test, so you should practice analyzing them until you feel comfortable with all different types of sources. Unofficial AP US History Practice Tests These tests are not directly from the College Board, but they will still help you become familiar with the material. This section includes links to bothfull unofficial practice tests and small-scale topic-specific practice quizzes. The short quizzes may be useful in the early stages of your studying when you want to target certain eras or avoid questions onmaterial your class hasn't covered yet. Prep Books Even though I'm emphasizing online practice materials in this article, it's also worth mentioning that some prep books include high-quality practice tests that are modeled directly after the current version of the exam. If you're willing to part with some of that sweet cash money, check out our list of the best review books for AP US History. Barron’s AP US History Practice Exam This practice exam is in the most up to date format, so it’s one of the highest quality free unofficial practice resources you’ll find online.It includes multiple-choice and free-response sections with answer keys for both types of questions. Full Old Format Practice Exam #1 and Answer KeyFull Old Format Practice Exam #2 and Answer Key These are unofficial practice exams originally createdby the W.H. Freeman publishing company.They each have 80 multiple-choice questions, a document-based question, and two free-response questions. There is some critical reading of historical texts required in the multiple-choice sections of these tests, so they're decent prep materials for your skills in both factual recall and deeper analysis. Full Old Format Practice Exam #3 This is a different old-format practice test created by an AP teacher.It has the same number of questions and includes similar content to that of the two tests in the previous section. Mini Practice Quizzes on Every Topic in AP US History Here, you’ll find practice quizzes for every topic covered in the course.There are multiple-choice questions and, for some topics, â€Å"short answer† questions (there's a drop-down menu of 12 answer choices).These won’t help much with the more analytical elements of the test, but if you want to test your factual recall, they'll serve you well. Multiple-Choice Questions Formatted for 2015 Exam This is a short quiz, but the questions are all similar to the ones you’ll see on the real test (you're asked to reference source materials to come up with your answers).It’s worthwhile to go through it and see how you do! Albert io AP US History Practice Quizzes This is a series of quizzes on every topic covered in the curriculum.As you take them, the site will display stats detailing how you fare on questions of each difficulty level.This should help you figure out the areas where your memory is shakier. GetaFive AP US History Course You can sign up for free for this service and enroll in the AP US History course.There are lots of practice questions and video lessons that may be helpful in your studying! Practice Quizzes for The American Pageant 12th Edition This site has chapter-by-chapter practice quizzes organized around an old edition of The American Pageant textbook.Questions are multiple choice and true/false.Again, this is more helpful for factual recall than for analysis questions. AP US History Notes Multiple Choice Practice Test This test has just 40 questions, but thesite also includes a list of frequently-asked AP US History multiple-choice questions that will prepare you better for the exam. McGraw-Hill AP US History Chapter Quizzes This website contains 32 multiple-choicequizzes,one for each chapter of the McGraw-Hill US History textbook. The quizzes follow the organization of the textbook, but they can still be useful even if your class uses a different textbook. Each quiz is titled so you know what part of US History it's testing you on. More Resources for Short Practice Quizzes on All Topics These are a few additional sites that have a bunch of short practice quizzes on every topic in the curriculum. If you're looking for additional questions that will test your basic knowledge of events in US History (or are looking for more questions dealing with a specific time period), you can refer to these resources. Brief Review in US History and Government: Quizzes CourseNotes Practice Quizzes for AP US History Varsity Tutors AP US History Practice Quizzes Matching and Multiple Choice Short Practice Quizzes Look at you! You're practically drowning in a sea of free practice questions! How to Use AP US History PracticeExams Now you have all sorts of AP US History practice resources, but what's the best way to use them? In this section we go over exactly how you should be studying with practice exams during each semester of the class. First Semester At this point, you can mostly rely on unofficial tests and quizzes that only deal with the topics that your class has already covered.Many of the sites listed above have large collections of questions for each unit of the course.Work on building a strong foundation of knowledge so that you’re prepared to answer more advanced analytical questions in the future. You can also look through the official free-response questions to find some that you feel confident answering based on what you’ve learned so far.It’s never too early to start practicing for the free-response section, especially when it comes to document-based questions.Writing a coherent and argumentative essay that incorporates six or seven different sources in just 50 minutes is a tough skill to master!Try to come up with an essay-writing process that works well for you so that you’re a pro by the time the test rolls around. Second Semester You can start taking full AP US History practice tests and assessing your AP score level midway through the second semester (March is a good time to get the ball rolling on this). By then, you’ve learned enough of the material for your scores on practice tests to be fairly accurate predictions of your final AP test scores. Since the US History test changed in 2015, you won’t have many full official practice tests that reflect the current format.Use your limited resources wisely by carefully assessing your performance on each practice test and studying your weak areas before taking additional tests. Take and score an initial practice test (with accurate time constraints!) before you do any studying.As you take the test, mark any questions you're unsure about; you’ll want to study that material later even if you end up guessing correctly.After you score the test, categorize your mistakes by historical period and theme to see if you can find any patterns. Then, start studying the areas that need work.You can turn to unofficial practice questions during the study process to test your knowledge. You should also practice writing essay outlines, so you're more prepared for the free-response section.Once you feel that you’ve mastered the subjects that stumped you on the first test, you can take another full practice test to see whether you’ve improved. Decide whether or not you want to repeat this process based on your score on the second test.If you haven’t improved much, you should reconsider your prep methods.Spend a longer time checking in with yourself to make sure you've retained information. You can also plan on doing more practice questions between full tests so that you’re prepared for the format as well as the content. Fill in any little holes in your memory. You never know if they'll come back to haunt you on the AP test. *spooky musical interlude* Essential AP US History Practice Testing Tips Tip #1: Read Excerpts Carefully, and Look for Direct Evidence The multiple-choice section is based on excerpts from historical source materials, so it tests both analytical skills and factual recall. You have to read the source materially carefully to find the correct answer.In many cases, several answer choices are historically accurate, but only one is directly supported by the evidence in the excerpt or illustration. Lookfor direct connections, and don't make too many assumptions based on your prior knowledge. Tip #2: Plan Out Your Essays When you have to write an essay on a timed test, it can sometimes end up an unfocused, disorganized mess.This is exactly what you don’t want on the AP US History exam.Hold yourself back from starting the writing process immediately, even if you’re anxious about not finishing in time.Writing a preliminary outline is critical. Without an outline, you risk rambling, going on irrelevant tangents, or getting stuck when you can’t figure out a good piece of supporting evidence!It will be much easier to write the essay if you already have a structure in place that makes sense. Tip #3: Get Comfy With the Document-Based Question The document-based question is different from other essay questions that you’ll encounter on AP tests.In fact, it’s probably the only question of its kind that you’ve ever seen on any test.DBQs can seem intimidating and weird, so make sure you practice them as much as possible before the real exam.Write notes next to each piece of source material to give yourself a basic idea of what it is and how it could be used to support the points you plan on making in your essay.You should come up with a strategy for approaching these questions that works for you before you’re face-to-face with the DBQ on the real AP test. Tip #4: Incorporate Background Information (Wisely) Include outside historical references that support your arguments in the DBQ or long essay questions.Even though you’re given seven sources to use as evidence in the DBQ, making additional outside connections will show that you’ve really mastered the material.Just remember to be careful with using outside information. Don’t fact-vomit all over the essay with everything you've ever learned about a topic.Structure your thoughts so that any outside information relates directly to the main argument of your essay. Always build sturdy conceptual bridges between tidbits of outside knowledge and the main argument of your essay. Conclusion The practice tests in this article should serve as helpful resources for you in preparation for the AP exam and any in-class assessments. Remember, official College Board questions are the highest quality practice materials, so use them wisely. Try to save most of the official practice resources for when you're closer to the AP test. You can use unofficial materials throughout the year to brush up on your memory of specific topics in the course. To recap, the overall study tips I recommend for AP US History are: Tip #1: Read Excerpts Carefully, and Look for Direct Evidence Tip #2: Practice Planning Out Your Essays Tip #3: Get Comfortable with the Document-Based Question Tip #4: Use Background Information, but Don't Overuse It With these tips in mind, you can take full advantage of the practice materials, become a master of US History, and show the AP test who's boss! What's Next? Are you missing some of your notes from class? This article has links to great notes for AP US History that will give you tons of information on every topic in the course. How do you know whether your practice test results are equivalent to a high or low AP score? Learn more about how AP tests are scored. Think you might take the SAT Subject Test for US History in addition to the AP test? Check out our complete study guide for the US History SAT II. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Importance Of Packaging In Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Importance Of Packaging In Building - Essay Example Product packaging is strongly linked to consumer perceptions about specific brands (Smith & Hui 2004). Branding is exceptionally vital in all aspects of marketing, and brand name/image becomes a dominant variable in a firm’s prospects for a continuing success. A business’s brand image is a sort of feelings provoked in consumers by a particular brand name (Grunert & Traill 1997). For example, one of the most well-known dog food brands, Pedigree, has a long-running promotion endorsing the adoption of stray dogs in animal shelters. This endows the brand a kind-hearted image and provokes a feeling among consumers that Pedigree has a sincere sympathy for ‘homeless’ animals (Hawkins & Gilson 1992). This costs the organization relatively little, only a morsel of package design, and can remarkably help in encouraging consumers to buy (Hawkins & Gilson 1992). Similarly, the packaging is specifically an integral component of frozen products (Kupiec & Revell 2001). This essay will focus on the influence of product packaging on consumers’ buying behavior, with a special emphasis on deeply frozen food packaging. The essence of creative product packaging will also be discussed, as well as the best way to package deep frozen food products. And the essay will sum up everything by formulating a conclusion regarding the role of product packaging in maintaining brand name or image. Understanding the value of product features affecting food preference at the perspective of sale is mainly essential to the success of the current competitive food industry (Vasquez, Bruce & Studd 2003). Conjoint analysis, for several years, has been employed to measure the significance of different product components for consumer’s buying preferences (Vasquez et al. 2003). The packaging appears to be one of the most significant aspects of buying decisions made from the perspective of sale. In addition, the packaging is a major food product component perceived by consumers (Paine & Paine 1993). It is impossible to avoid the fact that packaging plays a marketing role, although a business does not openly acknowledge the marketing features of packaging.

Goals for improving your interpersonal communication Essay

Goals for improving your interpersonal communication - Essay Example When we communicate with a group of people we are purely communicating in simple words which eventually become our idea or give it a meaning and are conveyed to other people easily. Other people might use the same words which makes the same sense at the same time. These words and ideas reflect an individual’s background because when we communicate we are not just communicating with words but our gesture, body language, delivery style is also judged. People actually judge us by our behavior, no body reads the brain. We are watched out by the people even if a single wrong word is delivered by us whether it’s professional field, student life or a social forum. This part makes an individual better at interpersonal communication and prepares students like me for their career and professional life. I have started to communicate with people at every level in order to view things at a broader perspective and while interacting it gives me an overview of how individual thinks and about their mind set (Devito 65). I need to have 100 percent knowledge and information about the topic or event being discussed. In order to attain this goal I have started to work on my reading skills so that to get a better grip on communication and language skills. Also to get your memory refreshed with knowledge (subscribe to news paper or journals). By reading books one can help develop creativity. To get a better idea of other people interest and area we need to read about different types of people (Devito 105-108). For instance; if I am communicating in a group who belong to different fields I should know their mind set in order to explain my idea else it would never sound relevant to them. To share my perception with someone I need to be open in a way that others find me friendly and which results in strong building of relationships. All this require self confidence and increasing the social circle. Communication can even

Social Media - important of branding Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Media - important of branding - Assignment Example Stride gum believed that by sponsoring Matt through his world trip, the company would strengthen its brand image and earn sufficient returns (â€Å"Where the Hell is Matt?† 2012). The reason for doing so was two-fold. Firstly, Stride gum argued from the point of view that a significant part of internet users was the millennial generation; the target group. By sponsoring Matt Harding on his world trip, the brand image would reach the target group just by watching the video. In addition, Stride gum acknowledged that marketing information ought to be appealing to prospective consumers. By sponsoring Matt, the information about Stride gum proved to be in line with the environment that the video depicted. Stride gum created a business environment through the jovial feelings that were established by the video. Sponsoring Matt on his world trip was a significant investment for the company that ought to bring sufficient returns to the company. Among the main things that Stride expected to achieve was a large customer base. In the business world, a large customer base reflects high profits. In addition, the company expected its productivity to increase, hence increasing business performance. Stride gum’s case is a sufficient proof that the social media is a valid platform for strengthening the brand

IKEAs Marketing and Expansion Strategy Analysis

IKEAs Marketing and Expansion Strategy Analysis This report is a follow on from the in class IKEA presentation based on the IKEA case study IKEA-Managing global expansion. Being a multinational successful organisation there would be various corners to look at in order to analyse IKEA however this report will focus on the analysis of IKEAs globalization and internationalization models, as well as key opportunities and threats faced by IKEA and their cultural web and how it supports their current strategies. Overview of the furniture market Based on Mintel research database, the sales of furnishings and houseware in the top 25 global economies generate annual revenues of more than $270 billion. However the sales of furniture were hit hard in 2008 and 2009 by a combination of fewer housing transactions and the recession. With the exception of IKEA, US companies (Furniture Village, Homebase, DFS etc) dominate the global home furnishings landscape, yet the worlds most lucrative regional market is still Europe. Buying furniture nowadays is not as simply organised as in the past where you just had to take what was available from the few retailers and wait weeks before it was delivered. Today competition is all about offering the right product, for the right money, in the right way. Just under half of adults (25 million) look for lasting quality when buying furniture. Retailers need to prove their quality with customer reviews and demonstrating how items can stand up to heavy usage especially in households with kids. Service is important and four in ten adults are influenced by the presence of knowledgeable and helpful staff when choosing between stores. The role of staff has shifted from one of a sales person to be one of consultant. Further visiting showrooms is a key part of the buying process for furniture as it gives the customer an idea about their wanted environment however focus remains on price. Overview of the company IKEA Group is a global and privately-held retailer of Scandinavian (Swedish) designed home furniture and accessories and now retailer of its own food label. Their products range focuses on good design, good quality and function at a low price. In the mid-2000s the company was leader in the flat-pack furniture business generating annual sales of 21.5 billion euros. The company has the biggest market share in the UK. It operates about 301 stores overall in 36 countries most of them in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. The company was founded by Mr. Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 and although partly controlled by the Kamprad family, it is under the ownership of the Stichting INKGA group, a charitable foundation registered in the Netherlands. IKEAs main UK competitors include Asda, Argos, Debenhams, Next, Tesco, John Lewis etc. The Difference between Internationalisation and globalization Globalisation entails all the operations undertaken by an organisation that envisions itself present in many countries worldwide. IKEAs past globalisation strategy was based on one design fits all which meant that initially they did not adapt to the local markets. However as they expanded in Japan and the US they soon realised that they had to tailor made their products to fit the countrys specifications and requirements if they wanted to succeed. For instance, the US customer preferred big and ample furniture and houseware while in Japan they looked for small and simple items to fit their small living environments. In opposition internationalization is at the other end of the globalization as it takes into consideration what each particular market has to offer and not what the company has to offer to the market. IKEAs strategy has adapted over the years in a way that they think globally and act locally. IKEAS INTERNATIONALIZATION STRATEGY Key Opportunities IKEAs main strength is its international brand recognition built up on low product prices and design. Its product portfolio caters for most lifestyles and budgets. The implementation of cost leadership strategy in order to penetrate new markets is a definite strength and opportunity IKEAs costs were/are approximately 30%-50% below competition prices. The costs of transportation were cut by 80% by providing furniture in flat packs. By offering simple and modern designs and by introducing cash and carry and self service concepts, IKEAs stores were guaranteed a success. After investigating the German market IKEA took advantage of the poor organisational strategy of the existing furniture dealers in the country and changed its operations by providing customers immediate delivery of quality goods at low prices when they opened their Munich store. Their West German market has expanded through aggressive advertising despite the challenges encountered by the law suits initiated by its competitors and trade associations. In the UK, IKEA provided unique products, low prices and cashcarry service. In this way the firm achieved competitive advantage over its existing competitors that were taking as long as 3 months to deliver the goods. Opposed to their competition, IKEA demonstrated efficiency and skill. As mentioned previously, in their US placement IKEA had to adapt their product range to suit the requirements of the American market. They redesigned the store layout to provide more directions and shortcuts for customers who opposed to the idea of wandering through the store. They also increased the size of their beds, bed linens, sofas, armchairs etc., as the European sizes were too small for the American customer. In addition they also offered a customization of their products. Further their US expansion IKEA made a bold move by opening a mega store in Chicago with a new layout (double the size of a normal IKEA store). It had 3 levels that included a self service warehouse, customer service and cafe on the first floor as well as a showroom and a market place on the other floors. From there on the stored were designed to improve the direction and flow of customers. IKEA also offered home delivery and assembly for an extra charge. The US expansion was a success due to these measures and strategy adaptation despite their competition continuously replicating IKEAs products. Threats The organisations main weakness is that they are very much reliant on the European market where 82% of its stores are located. The threat here is represented by the competition as IKEAs methods have been copied by other retailers that have introduced similar product ranges at low prices. Market saturation is another threat as with the development of e-commerce in each European country customers can compare prices, reviews and switch to alternative suppliers if necessary. Further threats are represented by the recession in Europe as well as the adverse effect of a weak dollar on sales in the US. Political and economical instability of the Chinese and Russian markets are also a potential threat since IKEA is planning on expanding in these two markets. However IKEA is successfully counteracting its main weakness (over reliance in Europe) with its key opportunity expansion in the emerging markets in Asia and Eastern Europe. The Cultural Web and the Organisational Culture The organizational culture describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of an organization which define its environment or it can simply describehow things are done around here To analyse IKEAs cultural web we need to use the Cultural Web model. The Cultural Web identifies six elements that help to make up the paradigm the pattern or model of the work environment. By analyzing the factors in each, we can see: what is working, what isnt working, and what needs to be changed. Stories The hero in the company is Ingvar Kamprad seen by the employees as a visionary who worked hard, lived simply and gave an example to all. In fact IKEA is all about the Swedishness a simple culture with simple values such as humbleness, simplicity, teamwork etc. The brand image varies in different countries depending on the countrys culture. eg: in Sweden (low priced, low quality brand), UK (poor service) etc. Rituals and Routines The Company strongly believes in staying close to its customers. In fact every store is a parent-friendly environment people come first. However IKEA is also focused on its people and their working way. Employees dress informally and work in a relaxed office environment with open plan floors. On their website IKEA remarks that A career in IKEA is not a ladder, is what and where you make it. They expect teamwork and mistakes as long as the employee learns from them. However IKEA is also about making the impossible in cost cutting. In fact, staff travelled economy and took buses or stayed in hostels. There are wall stickers to turn off lights, taps and computers after each use. Stores that cut costs the most receive a reward from the management. Symbols It is normal to find the same features in every IKEA store. For instance, all shop floor staff dress in uniform (yellow blue) for the Swedish flag colours. There is a restaurant, a food hall a childrens corner as well as little shopping helps such as pencil, paper, shopping bag, and tape measure. As mentioned previously, IKEA is all about Swedishness and focus on a minimalistic and simple design delivered in their custom flat packs. Their main symbol is the brand name and the brand colours all significative of Sweden and their Swedish founder Kamprad. Organisational Structure Typical of IKEAs organisation is their informal management which is presented in a non-hierarchical and caring manner. There is typically only 3 hierarchical levels of responsibility between the store manager and the employee. Every month there is the so called Anti-bureaucrat week where management spend a whole week in the warehouses and stockrooms. Appropriate training programmes are given to all company management. However as always on IKEA s organisational structure is their focus on cost cutting and as such they incite all designers and material buyers on cost reductions. Control Systems At the centre of the IKEAs control systems is quality control. Emphasis is put on delivering good quality, sturdy furniture that passes their standards. Further way to control their operations is by making sure that the management works closely with the staff making also sure that their warehouses are correctly labelled in their products. Rewards are given to the stores that generate more profit and that cut more costs considering that one of the principles of IKEAs strategy is cost cutting. Power Structures Senior management was predominantly Scandinavian and only in the last 5 years the strategy of only forwarding employees who were Scandinavian or Swedish speaking into management has changed. However all employees are involved the individual store operations and encouraged in their work thanks to their friendly management strategy. Employees are in fact egged on to take responsibilities in order to assess their performance; their ideal is that every employee is important to IKEAs success. The Paradigm IKEAs cultural web supports its current strategy. In the past IKEA favoured the Sweds for managerial programmes but in the last 5 years international career management is now seen essential to sustaining international growth but more steps and measures need to be taken to ensure that other backgrounds are fitted into the managerial programmes. The organizational career culture supports the corporate strategy with suitable structure and rewards. IKEAs cultural values are things like informality, cost consciousness and a very humble and down to earth approach as passed down by Kamprad along with responsibility and teamwork and ensuring that their employees are highly motivated and committed. Cultural and Corporate Strategy Changes Put more emphasis and work on employees of other nationalities/backgrounds in order to create a multicultural environment by having a diverse management and strengthen IKEAs corporate view being a multinational group. Since all IKEAs stores are out of the city centres many customers in the big metropolis do now own a car or have suitable transportation in order to be able to shop in IKEA therefore a possible strategy change could entail IKEA to have smaller retail outlets near city centres perhaps selling furniture on catalogue but definitely having stock in-store for houseware and smaller items. Many IKEA competitors offer free delivery on orders above a certain amount; as we have previously shown competition is fierce in Europe therefore this measure could ensure that the profit is taken by putting a minimum spending limit in order to qualify for free delivery (e.g. free delivery on orders above 150 GBP or more) and would therefore open IKEA to more budget oriented customers. Another suggestion to attract more customers would be to have quick assembly tips/class in store for the non-diy oriented customers. IKEA is all about self service but not many customers are skilled to deal with DIY and assembly. This measure would make sure that their products are opened to every type of customer. Self service warehouse and furniture pick up places all contain some long numbers in regards to the desired item. Perhaps IKEA could implement a new system where warehouses havelabels, not numbers making it easier on customers. (e.g. Section: Chairs. Aisle-3, Type: Victa) Conclusions IKEAs main strategies remain the same; success is ensured by adopting aggressive price strategies and aggressive advertising as well as a wide product range unlike any competitor at the moment. Service however needs to come to focus to improve customer purchasing and still maintain their market position as other cheaper players are entering the market such as the supermarkets. Is getting any bigger better?

Lipids :: essays research papers

Lipids The subject I will cover is lipids. I will tell you about the description of it’ s organic compound. I will tell you where it is found. I will tell you what the uses are in plants and animals. I will also tell you about it’s chemical structure and give examples of types of these compounds, such as cholesterol. The organic compound of lipids have many similarities. They are almost always greasy, fatty, oily, or waxy. They do not dissolve in water, but they do in other organic solvents. This is like if you get grease on your hands it is hard to wash of because it seems to repel the water. You can find lipids in many places. They are usually in fatty foods like butter, salad dressing, and cooking oils. They can also be found inside of animals as the form of fat. Lipids are always found in fat because when you get a build up of lipids it forms fat. Lipids have many uses amongst plants and animals. The main use of these are for energy and storing energy. When they store energy they make triglycerides also known as fat. There are also many other uses such as insulation and protection. They are also used in making cell membranes. They make it so that the cell can maintain it’s shape by keeping water and water-soluble compounds from passing through it. The lipids that are waxy are usually used to make protective coatings on the surface of plants and animals. Since a lipid is an organic compound it contains carbon. They also contain hydrogen and oxygen, but in some very complex chains there is also phosphorus and/or nitrogen. Lipids are made by the dehydration synthesis of glycerol and fatty acids. This is when three molecules of fatty acids combine with one molecule of glycerol by taking water out of the solution. Lipids are always huge molecules, which means they have a lot of energy like twice as much as sugar. This is because more energy goes into making it so you get more out of it when it is broken down. The following is what a lipid would look like. When lipids are made they can produce many different compounds. One of those is phospholipids. These are what help make cell membranes and keep water out of them. They also make a very common lipid and that is cholesterol. Cholesterol is and extremely complex lipid. It builds up on the inner walls of the arteries. Lipids :: essays research papers Lipids The subject I will cover is lipids. I will tell you about the description of it’ s organic compound. I will tell you where it is found. I will tell you what the uses are in plants and animals. I will also tell you about it’s chemical structure and give examples of types of these compounds, such as cholesterol. The organic compound of lipids have many similarities. They are almost always greasy, fatty, oily, or waxy. They do not dissolve in water, but they do in other organic solvents. This is like if you get grease on your hands it is hard to wash of because it seems to repel the water. You can find lipids in many places. They are usually in fatty foods like butter, salad dressing, and cooking oils. They can also be found inside of animals as the form of fat. Lipids are always found in fat because when you get a build up of lipids it forms fat. Lipids have many uses amongst plants and animals. The main use of these are for energy and storing energy. When they store energy they make triglycerides also known as fat. There are also many other uses such as insulation and protection. They are also used in making cell membranes. They make it so that the cell can maintain it’s shape by keeping water and water-soluble compounds from passing through it. The lipids that are waxy are usually used to make protective coatings on the surface of plants and animals. Since a lipid is an organic compound it contains carbon. They also contain hydrogen and oxygen, but in some very complex chains there is also phosphorus and/or nitrogen. Lipids are made by the dehydration synthesis of glycerol and fatty acids. This is when three molecules of fatty acids combine with one molecule of glycerol by taking water out of the solution. Lipids are always huge molecules, which means they have a lot of energy like twice as much as sugar. This is because more energy goes into making it so you get more out of it when it is broken down. The following is what a lipid would look like. When lipids are made they can produce many different compounds. One of those is phospholipids. These are what help make cell membranes and keep water out of them. They also make a very common lipid and that is cholesterol. Cholesterol is and extremely complex lipid. It builds up on the inner walls of the arteries.

M&M Project

They are one of the most popular candles In America, being Included In many different outlets Including MASCARA, hot air balloons, video games, you name It. In this report I plan to go over each individual part of the M&M report that was conducted throughout the course of the class. While doing that I will try to explain it to the best of my ability in the simplest terms possible so even someone who doesn't have a lick of statistical knowledge will be able to understand what took place and be able to grasp the results. Part 1 In the first part of the M report, we had a very simple task.The task was to go UT to a convenience store and buy three bags of M, and count how many different pieces of candy were In each of the three bags. Out of the entire student's in the class I would say every single student's count of each individual color was different. But for the classes sake all of the colors were added up, as was the grand total of all the candies combined in the three bags. The gran d total was: Blue 934, Orange 1025, Green 928, Yellow 639, Red 556, Brown 616 and the total being 3684. It is interesting because watching the video they said that certain colored candies have a higher percentage than others.One of those colors being Red, and Red is the lowest. Part 2 In part 2 we were tasked to find the sample proportions as well as the sample mean. After we finished calculating those two, a histogram was created. After that, another sheet on the spreadsheet was used to calculate a descriptive statistics. Finally a summary of a list of things was needed to be gathered for the final portion. There Is a pretty simple to calculate the info that is generated in the descriptive statutes. There is a handy tool called staunch that If you plug In a few numbers It will spit back the answers that you are searching for without all the fuss.Part 3 In part 3 our goal was to construct confluent intervals for the proportion of each color as well as the mean number of candles per bag. A 95% confidence level gives an indication of how accurate your calculated value is, which Is more accurate than simply the mean or the median. A 95% confidence level means that 95 out of 100 times your value will fall in between your confidence interval; so 95 out of 100 times 1 will De In your consonance Interval. I en enlarger your consonance level (percentage) the smaller your interval will be and therefore the more accurate your results will be. Part 4For Part 4 we were tasked to find the null, alternative hypothesis, the critical value, test statistic, whether or not to reject the hypothesis, and the conclusion of each individual color. As well as a test claim to determine if the bag would have more than 54 pieces of candies. The null hypothesis basically states that there is no statistical difference between the groups you're comparing. The alternative states that there is a difference. You accept the null when your statistical analysis value is below the critical value, which depends on the p value. For this section we had to get calculate for each individual color.After that, we had to test that the bag had more than 54 different pieces of candies. Part 5 Finally, for part 5 we had to do a similar test as part 4 except this time it wasn't for all of the colors. It was only for red and brown combined. So we do the same formulas that were used in part 4, and we were able to achieve the answers we were looking for. We found that for red and brown the critical value at . 05 alpha, was 1. 960 the test statistic -1. 773 and we failed to reject it. Quality Assurance I would say that from watching the video, there seems to be two reasons that loud affect the process of the colors.One of the reasons that I think the colors could potentially be off target is because it is possible that the ink gets low in the tanks that spray the gloss onto the pieces of candy. Another reason that they could be discovered is when they are all mixed together; they may or ma y not be dry. If they aren't dry, then there is a chance that some of the pieces could rub together, and some of the color could rub off on the candy. The package distribution is another thing that would affect the percentages of the candies.Although in the video is talks bout how certain colors have a higher or lower or share a mixed percentage, there is a chance that even knowing that, the machine could make errors, and divvy out some out the pieces incorrectly. Conclusion Overall the project was something that was interesting to work on. It offered some new insight on the M&Ms candy itself. Prior to doing the assignments I had no clue that they were broken down into specific percentages, nor do I know that they had people that studied the colors of the candy! Also when you bring statistics into the mix, it also adds another layer of fun so to speak.

Sociologia urbana Essays - Popular University Of Cesar, Valledupar

Sociologia urbana Essays - Popular University Of Cesar, Valledupar Sociologia urbana La sociologia urbana es el estudio sociologico de la vida social y de las interacciones humanas en areas metropolitanas. Es una disciplina normativa de la sociologia que intenta estudiar las estructuras, procesos, cambios y problemas de un area urbana y, hecho eso, proveer aportaciones para el urbanismo y el diseno de las politicas. Los sociologos urbanos usan el analisis estadistico, la observacion, la teoria social, las entrevistas, y otros metodos para estudiar un rango amplio de temas, incluidas las tendencias de migracion y demografia, la economia, la pobreza, las relaciones interraciales, las tendencias economicas, etcetera. Durante la revolucion industrial, sociologos como Max Weber y Emile Durkheim se centraron en la urbanizacion creciente de la vida social y en los efectos que tuvo sobre los sentimientos de alienacion y anonimidad en el individuo. La Escuela de Sociologia de Chicago es una influencia importante en el estudio de la sociologia urbana. Muchos de sus hallazgos han sido refinidos o rechazados, pero el impacto duradero de la Escuela todavia se pueden encontrar en las ensenanzas de hoy. Sociologia rural La sociologia rural es un campo de la sociologia y las ciencias agrarias tradicionalmente asociada con el estudio de la estructura social de las zonas rurales y sus conflictos, aunque actualmente incluye dentro de sus ambitos de estudio temas interdisciplinares como la alimentacion y la agricultura o el acceso a los recursos naturales que trascienden las fronteras de los espacios rurales tradicionales. Su nacimiento se remonta a Estados Unidos a fines del siglo XIX. Dentro de los enfoques teoricos, uno de los primeros trabajos que sistematizo las fuentes de esta disciplina es el del sociologo ruso-estadounidense Pitrim A. Sorokin considerado como el fundador de esta disciplina academica y Carle Clark Zimmerman titulado Principles of Rural-Urban Sociology publicado en 1929 Sociologia medica La sociologia medica o sociologia de la salud es una rama tanto de la sociologia como de la medicina encargada del analisis de las organizaciones e instituciones medicas; la produccion de conocimiento y la seleccion de metodos relacionados entre ambas areas, la accion social y la interaccion entre los profesionales de la salud, como tambien de los efectos socioculturales derivados de las practicas medicas. Los campos que interactuan comunmente con esta disciplina son la sociologia del conocimiento, los estudios de ciencia, tecnologia y sociedad y la socioepistemologia. Los sociologos medicos se encuentran interesados en las experiencias cualitativas de los pacientes, desempenandose en los limites de otras disciplinas tales como la salud publica, el trabajo social, la demografia, la gerontologia, entre otros, con el fin de explorar la convergencia entre las ciencias sociales y las ciencias medicas. Una de las problematicas que trata la sociologia medica es la desigualdad en el acceso a la salud asociado a las clases sociales y razas, siendo los resultados de las investigaciones un objetivo en la creacion de normativas y mejoramiento de las politicas publicas dentro del ambito estatal Sociologia del derecho La sociologia del derecho, es aquella rama que estudia los problemas, las implicaciones, objetivos y todo aquello concerniente a las relaciones entre el derecho y la sociedad. Ante todo las relaciones sociales, entendidas como las conductas que tienen en cuenta la actitud y la conducta de otros, en ciertos aspectos se encuentran alcanzadas por la regulacion juridica. Asi, la relacion entre vendedor y comprador, la de propietario y locatario, la del empresario y el trabajador, la del prestador de servicios y sus clientes, ingresan al plano de lo que el derecho regula. Las relaciones entre los dirigentes politicos y los afiliados a los partidos politicos, entre los dirigentes sindicales y sus asociados, entre los dirigentes empresarios y sus pares de la misma actividad, los medicos y sus pacientes, los profesores y sus alumnos, los que proveen un servicio de transporte y los usuarios, los integrantes de congregaciones religiosas y sus fieles, los socios de una actividad comercial, productiva o de servicios, los que practican determinado deporte y sus companeros de equipo o rivales, las relaciones entre conyuges en la familia, las relaciones entre padres e hi jos, las relaciones entre hermanos, las normas que regulan el matrimonio, el divorcio o la separacion de hecho, la normativa que regula las sucesiones, el testamento, la donacion de bienes, la cesion de derechos, etc... Sociopatologia Estudia las causas sociales de la conducta "desviada" (prostitucion,

Facts About the Burial of Qin Shi Huangdi

Facts About the Burial of Qin Shi Huangdi In the spring of 1974, farmers in Shaanxi Province, China were digging a new well when they struck a hard object. It turned out to be part of a terracotta soldier. Soon, Chinese archaeologists realized that the entire area outside of the city of Xian (formerly Chang an) was underlain by an enormous necropolis; an army, complete with horses, chariots, officers and infantry, as well as a court, all made of terracotta. The farmers had discovered one of the worlds greatest archaeological wonders: the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. What was the purpose of this magnificent army? Why did Qin Shi Huangdi, who was obsessed with immortality, make such elaborate arrangements for his burial? The Reason Behind the Terracotta Army Qin Shi Huangdi was buried with the terracotta army and court because he wanted to have the same military power and imperial status in the afterlife as he had enjoyed during his earthly lifetime. The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, he unified much of modern-day northern and central China under his rule, which lasted from 246 to 210 BCE. Such an accomplishment would be difficult to replicate in the next life without a proper army, hence the 10,000 clay soldiers with weapons, horses, and chariots. The great Chinese historian Sima Qian (145-90 BCE) reports that construction of the burial mound began as soon as Qin Shi Huangdi ascended the throne, and involved hundreds of thousands of artisans and laborers. Perhaps because the emperor ruled for more than three decades, his tomb grew to be one of the largest and most complex ever built. According to surviving records, Qin Shi Huangdi was a cruel and ruthless ruler. A proponent of legalism, he had Confucian scholars stoned to death or buried alive because he disagreed with their philosophy. However, the terracotta army is actually a merciful alternative to earlier traditions both in China and in other ancient cultures. Often, early rulers from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties had soldiers, officials, concubines and other attendants buried along with the dead emperor. Sometimes the sacrificial victims were killed first; even more horrifically, they were often entombed alive. Either Qin Shi Huangdi himself or his advisors decided to substitute the intricately-made terracotta figures for actual human sacrifices, saving the lives of more than 10,000 men plus hundreds of horses. Each life-sized terracotta soldier is modeled on an actual person as they have distinct facial features and hairstyles. The officers are depicted as being taller than the foot soldiers, with the generals tallest of all. Although higher-status families may have had better nutrition than lower-class ones, it is probable that this is symbolism rather than a reflection of every officer actually being taller than all of the regular troops. After Qin Shi Huangdis Death Shortly after Qin Shi Huangdis death in 210 BCE, his sons rival for the throne, Xiang Yu, may have looted the weapons of the terracotta army, and burned the support timbers. In any case, the timbers were burned and the section of the tomb containing the clay troops collapsed, smashing the figures to pieces. Approximately 1,000 of the 10,000 total have been put back together. Qin Shi Huangdi himself is buried under an enormous pyramid-shaped mound that stands some distance from the excavated sections of the burial. According to ancient historian Sima Qian, the central tomb contains treasures and wondrous objects, including flowing rivers of pure mercury (which was associated with immortality). Soil testing nearby has revealed elevated levels of mercury, so there may be some truth to this legend. Legend also records that the central tomb is booby-trapped to fend off looters and that the emperor himself placed a powerful curse on any who dared to invade his final resting place. Mercury vapor may be the real danger, but in any case, the government of China has been in no great hurry to excavate the central tomb itself. Perhaps it is best not to disturb Chinas infamous First Emperor.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example This implies that regardless of whether or not the theory of anthropogenic global warming eventually finds a firm and strong support in the peered-reviewed journal, it cannot be denied that there is a consensus in a world scientific body on the anthropogenic root of global warming and its association with fossil fuels. The United Nations-created IPCC â€Å"states unequivocally that the consensus of scientific opinion is that the earth’s climate is being affected by human activities† and that â€Å"the observed global warming over the last 50 years is likely to have been due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations† (Oreskes, 2004, p. 1686, citing an IPCC document). Further, according to Oreskes (2004), â€Å"the IPCC is not alone in its conclusions† because â€Å"all major scientific bodies in the United States whose expertise bears directly on the matter have issued similar statements† (Oreskes, 2004, p. 1686). For example, Oreskes (2004, p . ... hropogenic and greenhouse gas-associated climate change to be an accurate reflection of the current thinking of the scientific community on the issue (Oreskes, 2005, p. 1686). According to Oreskes (2004, p. 1686), the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have issued statements with a conclusion that â€Å"evidence for human modification of the climate is compelling.† Second, environmental activism is good because it is through environmental activism that we can adopt policies that promote good health and a better quality of life associated with clean air, clean seas and oceans, clean rivers, and clean terrestrials. For instance, Wong et al. (2004) examined the health benefits of reducing air pollution under the United States Clean Air Act and estimated that the decrease in morbidity and mortality among children would add at least US$600 billion to the $100 billion benefits through the reduced morbidity and mortality of adults. Third, environmental activism because it promotes intergenerational equity: development must not be at the expense of the future generations, we must meet the needs of our generation but not to disadvantage of future generations. For instance, Weiss (2008, pp. 615-616) noting that â€Å"the impacts from warming are predicted to be long-term, widespread and severe† has affirmed that â€Å"climate change is an inherently international problem with extremely serious implications for equity between ourselves and future generations and among communities in the present and future.† Thus, in summary environmental activism promotes humanity’s survival or comfort, good health and quality of life, and intergenerational equity. Position 2: Negative Response We can also cite three key

You will need to pick a topic for me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

You will need to pick a topic for me - Essay Example These are just some of the questions that plagued the venerated Philosopher David Hume. In section four of A Treatise of Human Nature (1739), Hume states that the majority of people believe that they are the ‘same’ person that they believe they were two, five or even ten years ago. Although many different aspects of themselves will have ‘changed,’ they still feel that their personal identity remains the same.1 So if we do not truly know ourselves, then what is this information that we have about ourselves? What are all these insights that only we have access to that we assume constitutes our identity? In this paper we will examine Hume’s theory that all we observe are our perceptions, not our true self. We will look at what Hume states in his treatise and discuss whether what he says is plausible in any way. Let us begin by examining Hume’s epistemology. Empiricism was a pivotal to Hume’s theories, particularly the work of Locke.2 Empiricism sought to â€Å"discover†¦the original, certainty, and extent of human knowledge.†3 Hume’s treatise was his attempt at â€Å"developing a ‘science of man,’†4 that would show and explain to us â€Å"the extent and force of human understanding†¦which could explain the nature of the ideas we employ, and of the operations we perform in our reasoning.†5 He believed that all human knowledge originates with experience, and that all of our experiences are of our own perceptions.6 It was when Hume applied these ideas to our personal identity and the notion of the ‘self’ that his argument against â€Å"the existence of a substantival mind†7 was born. His argument is a logical one, although worrying (to think that there is a possibility that we cannot know our true ‘self’). Hume believed that because all of our knowledge is derived from our experiences, and that our experiences depend directly upon our perceptions, that these