Fashion Blogging †the Impact on Sales Essay

Thus, we first investigate whether blogging activity leads to (differential) market outcomes. We then examine whether managerial communication (magazines advertising) and blogging are synergistic. We assemble a unique data set from fashion containing market outcomes (sales), new media (blogs) and traditional media (magazines advertising) for a brand of clothing, and a brand of shoes. Each category has at least one product launch during the duration of our sample periods. We specify a simultaneous equation log-linear system for market outcomes and the volume of blogs. Our results suggest that blogs are predictive of market outcomes, new and traditional media act synergistically, pre-launch magazines advertising spurs blogging activity but become less effective post-launch and that market outcomes have some effect on blogging. We find detailed support for some of these findings via a unique and novel text mining analysis. We discuss the managerial implications of our findings. I-Introduction Consumer generated media (CGM) such as blogs (a contraction of the term â€Å"Web logs†) have witnessed explosive growth in the last few years. For example, the number of blogs worldwide is estimated to be 184 millions with a readership of 346 million (March 2010). In contrast, in March 2003, the number of blogs was essentially zero. Other types of CGM have also seen similar growth patterns, e. g. , Facebook, which started in February 2004, now has about 400 million members worldwide (February 2011). There are also indications that blogs are now being seen as similar to mainstream media sites – the number of blog sites in the top 100 most popular sites (blogs and mainstream media) worldwide was twenty-two in 2008 and blogs were being viewed by consumers as â€Å"sites for news, information, gossip etc. † (2008). In 2010, four of the top ten entertainment sites were blogs (March 2010). It is clear from these statistics that there is considerable activity (multi- media posting, blogging, visits, traffic etc. ) on the part of consumers. However, an important question, from a managerial perspective, is whether this activity leads to (differential) business outcomes such as sales or profits. In addition, little is known about the relationship between traditional or old media (where the company creates content and delivers it to consumers) and consumer generated, or new, media (where consumers create content and there in an exchange of this content between other consumers and potentially, the company). That is, are there any synergies between new media and old media? In this research, we take the first step towards answering these questions. Blogging is perhaps the most established and largest form of consumer generated media at this point in time. The total worldwide viewership of blogs is estimated to be about 346 million (March 2010). Wikipedia defines as a blog as â€Å"a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blogging is a worldwide phenomenon with the two biggest blogging markets being the United States and Japan. The number of blogs in the United States is about 23 million (about 12% of all US Internet users) and about 8 million in Japan (about 5% of all Japanese Internet users) in 2009. However, if one examines the total number of posts by language, Japanese language posts account for 37% of all posts worldwide followed closely by English language posts at 36%. Fina lly, readership of blogs in these two markets is ery high – about half of all Internet users in the US and about one-fifth of all Japanese Internet users have read a blog in the past year. While there are many informal opinions on the effectiveness of CGM in general (and blogs in particular) vis-a-vis market outcomes, there is limited empirical research that sheds light on this issue, especially for the launch of new products. The majority of the existing research has focused on online chatter (newsgroup postings, reviews and ratings) and its effect on market outcomes. There is some evidence that volume of online user ratings is positively correlated to sales. Blogging, on the other hand, has been seen as a unique type of user generated content as being a highly personal, non-directed communication tool. As Kumar (2005) note, blogs are unique for sociological reasons – they comprise a â€Å"highly dynamic, temporal community structure† that â€Å"focuses heavily on local community interactions† – and for technical reasons – blogs â€Å"offer us a ready-made view of evolution (of content) in continuous time. † In addition, blogging activity was probably the most pervasive CGM activity on the web during the time of our data. Given these unique characteristics of blogs as opposed to reviews, it is not obvious that bloggers’ activity should affect market outcomes. Surprisingly, there is very little research that has tried to quantify the effect of blogs on market outcomes, especially in the presence of traditional media and/or an examination of pre- and post-launch changes in the role of old and new media. Two recent empirical papers have focused on blogs and market outcomes. Dhar and Chang (2009) explore the relationship between music album sales (imputed via sales ranks on Amazon. om) and online chatter (as seen in blogs and on social networks). Using 108 music albums in early 2007 (before four weeks and after four weeks of their release), they find a positive correlation between both the number of blogs and Myspace member intensity with future music sales. Gruhl (2005) propose a new methodology to automatically generate a query of blog keywords to detect spikes in Amazon. com’s book sales rank. They conclude that their new algorithm could adequately predict the changes and spikes of future sales ranks. Thus, while these two studies suggest that there may be a correlation between blogging activity and market outcomes, they do not use actual sales data but only sales ranks from Amazon. com. To the best of our knowledge, the second issue that we outline above – the positive relationship between traditional media and new media – has not been investigated in the literature. Our expectation is that there will be a positive correlation between the quantity of traditional media and new media as traditional media is likely to provide discussion materials for bloggers. From a managerial perspective this issue is crucial, as managers have no direct control over CGM (blogs in our case). However, if there is indeed a synergistic relationship between traditional media, which are under managerial control, and new media, which are outside managerial control, then managers can leverage this relationship. Specifically, they can carry out â€Å"better† resource allocation and media planning (to traditional media) as they can take the spillover effect (from traditional to new media) into consideration. We examine the role of new media with respect to market outcomes as well as the relationship between new media and traditional media using data of two different clothing and shoes brand that are both promoted in fashion blogs. We consider the number of units sold, customers or subscribers (all a proxy for demand) as market outcomes, blogs as representations of consumer generated media and magazines advertising as traditional media. We specify a simultaneous equation model that links sales to advertising and blogs as well as a model that links blogs to advertising. Our results, after controlling for many temporal and cross-sectional factors, suggest that first, the volume of Blogstock (cumulative sum of past blog posts) is positively correlated with market outcomes (volume of clothing sold, and the volume of shoes sold) post launch. Second, the interaction between blogs and magazines advertising has a positive effect on market outcomes. Third, we also find that traditional media (magazines advertising) positively affects new media (the volume of blogs) pre launch. In other words, bloggers consume advertising, independent of the product, and this ncreases their blogging activity. Finally, we find that the effect of blogs varies between pre and post launch. In general, the positive relationship between magazines advertising and the volume of blogs pre-launch becomes weaker after launch. This result suggests that while magazines advertising can independently increase blogging pre-launch via the provision of information and content, post-launch (i. e. , once the product is available), consumers may rely less on traditional media, leading to a much weaker relationship between new and old media at that point. These last three sets of results shed light on the possibility that, broadly speaking, advertising and blogs act synergistically (with the relationship changing somewhat post-launch). The process explanations for our findings is not obvious. We take the first step in eliciting process explanations by carrying out a novel text mining analysis of the blog posts for the two markets (shoes and clothing) for which we have access to the textual content data. The findings from the text mining analysis suggest that blogs may affect market outcomes as they represent a rich source of product information and consumer opinion for other consumers. Also, bloggers do use advertising as a subject for blogging pre-launch but turn their attention to product attributes post-launch. II-Data Our data come from fashion market. We consider data from two brands – clothing and shoes. We first describe the market outcome data for each product market and then we describe the measurement of traditional and new media. III-Market Outcomes The daily sales of clothings were made available for the total fashion market based on a nationally representative consumer panel. The data include daily sales of two new pieces of clothing introduced in the period from January 2013 to March 2013. For shoes, the outcome variable we use is based on the same principle. We have data of two new models that were released (launched) in the period from January 2013 to March 2013. IV-Traditional Media The traditional marketing variable we use is magazines advertising. This was measured in units of daily or monthly Gross Rating Points (GRPs). There are some differences in the patterns of magazines advertising pre and post launch across the two brands. For clothing, most of the advertising is post launch. Typically, commercial ads in this market begin to air about five days pre launch and then the heavier advertising kicks in post launch. In contrast, for shoes, pre-release magazines GRPs are larger (on average) than the post-release magazines GRPs. Specifically, peak advertising for shoes was, not surprisingly, a week before its launch date in order to generate high demand at the time of the opening. V-New Media We obtain blogging data from blog 1 (www. leblogdebetty. com) for clothing data and blog 2 (www. sorayabakhtiar. com) for the shoes data. Both the brands scan and index the two blogging sites on a daily basis using keywords with coverage of about 64% of all blog articles. They then aggregate the data and provide the count of the daily number of blogs that mention a particular keyword on a specific temporal period such as day or month (multiple mentions in the same temporal unit are counted as one). As is typical for most blogs, its contents appear in a reversal chronological order and also include the blogger’s profile, â€Å"trackbacks† (links showing other websites, typically other blogs, that a blog is linked to), and comments. Buzz Research archives the contents of all blog posts. It also carries out lexical analysis of the contents of each tracked blog by using a proprietary text- mining method and classifies each blog as positive, negative and/or neutral with respect to a given keyword. We therefore have access to the actual content of all posts as well as the daily percentage of positive, negative and neutral blogs for the movies and cellular phone service markets. There is big increase in the average number of blogs per period post launch in all two brands. Interestingly, for the two brands markets where we have valence data, the biggest growth is in the percentage of neutral blogs post launch. To illustrate the relationship between marketing outcomes and both traditional and new media, we pick a product across our two brand markets. The figure suggests that magazines advertising, blog volume and shoes buyer are temporally correlated. Dividing the data temporally at the date of release we see that magazines GRPs and the number of blogs exhibit an increasing trend pre-release, but a decreasing one post-release. While we illustrate a typical data pattern through this example, the pattern is not identical for all brands across product markets. In conclusion, these data are novel in the sense that they combine marketing data for both traditional and new media along with market outcomes from a market where new media have proven to be important (at least in terms of activity). Our data are also novel in the sense that they enable us to focus on new product launches. In addition, the fact that we have data from two different brand markets (frequently purchased consumer goods) with varying characteristics (e. . , more versus fewer new product launches) will help us determine if the relationship between market outcomes and new media as well as the relationship between new media and traditional media generalizes across product markets. Finally, the availability of the actual blog post text (for two categories) opens up the possibility to conduct a deeper text-mining analysis. VI-Managerial Implicati ons So far, we have discussed the findings purely from a statistical point of view. However, it may be useful to translate these findings in a manner that uantifies the effect sizes from a managerial point of view. We therefore ran two experiments – the first to get a sense of how managers could change resource allocation and the second to see how managers could use blog data to improve sales forecasts. In the first experiment, we use the estimates from the clothing market data. To illustrate short-term effects, in the experiment, we assumed there were only three periods, two in the pre-release and one in the post-release. Recall that blogging is outside the control of managers. We therefore used the marketing instrument under managerial control in our data set – traditional magazines advertising. In the experiment, we increased the Adstock by one percent in the first pre-release period. The output we measured was the percentage increase in the size of the daily volume sold in the post-release period. A ten percent increase in the Adstock results in a 3. 3 percent increase in the number of blogs at the second pre-release period. As a result of this increase in the Adstock, we find that the net increase in the sales volume is 2. 1 percent. A decomposition of this overall increase due to traditional media versus new media suggested that the increase in the Adstock directly enhances the sales by 0. 13 percent while the interaction between blogging and advertising increases the sales by 0. 1 percent. Furthermore, the largest and most significant increase in the sales volume at post-launch is led by the indirect impact from advertising via blogging activity, which accounts for 1. 9 percent. Similar experiment for the other product markets also support these findings with the overall effect being slightly smaller for shoes (0. 4%). In addition to simulating the short-term effects of advertising, we use a simulation setting similar to the above experiments and expand the time horizon from one period to ten periods. The largest indirect effect of the ten percent increase in Adstock decays slower than do the other two effects across two product categories. The peaks of the indirect effects are located at the third period for t he clothing and at the second period for the shoes. These are resulted from the larger estimates of the carry-over constants of Adstock and Blogstock at post-launch in the blog equations. In the second experiment, we hold out the last observation from each brand and re-estimated the model. We then use the model estimates for prediction and computed the difference in the predicted value and the actual data across all the held out observations. We do this for the full model and a restricted version of the full model where the response coefficients for the number of blogs and the cumulative number of blogs were set to zero. Thus, the difference in prediction (based on the Root Mean Square Deviation) between these two models shows the extent to which the use of blog data can improve sales forecasts. The improvement in RMSD is very high for shoes, and modest for clothing. VII-Conclusion, Limitations and Directions for Future Research This paper adds to the very limited, but rapidly growing field of research into the effectiveness of new media, especially in the case of new product launches. Using a unique dataset from two product markets (a major new media market), we are able to combine into a single source, data on market outcomes, traditional media (magazines advertising) and new media (volume and content of blogs). We used a simultaneous equation model to capture the effect of new media on market outcomes and the effect of market outcomes on new media. While this in itself is somewhat novel, we were also able to include the major marketing activity (mgazines advertising) in both equations, both directly and via interactions. Thus this allows us to investigate two open questions in this domain – (a) whether new media (blogging activity in our case) leads to (differential) market outcomes and (b) whether traditional marketing actions (i. e. , magazines advertising) and new media act synergistically. We also make a first attempt, to the best of our knowledge, to use the content of the blog posts to shed â€Å"process† light on our econometric findings via a careful and methodical text mining analysis. Using data from clothing, and shoes brands, we find that patterns across the two categories showing clear linkages between traditional media, new media and market outcomes. In general, we find that cumulative blogs (Blogstock) are predictive of market outcomes, blogs and magazines advertising act synergistically, pre-launch advertising spurs blogging activity (that is predictive of marketing activity) but becomes less effective in inducing blogging activity post- launch and market outcomes also do have some effect on blogging activity. Our text mining results provide additional support for some of these findings. From a managerial point of view, in the experiment using clothing estimation results, we find that a one percent increase in the traditional marketing instrument (magazines advertising) leads to a median increase in market outcomes of 0. 2%, with a majority of the increase coming from the increase in blogging activity generated by the advertising pre-launch. Our analyses do also have a few limitations (driven mostly by the nature of the data). First, as noted earlier, the aggregate nature of our data makes it very hard to offer micro-level causal explanations of the effectiveness of new media and the synergistic relationship between new and traditional media. While our text mining analyses shed some light on our findings, it would be very beneficial to obtain datasets that link individual activity to market outcomes for a larger variety of new media. Second, our measures of new media are at present limited to blog content – volume – and in two product markets, keywords and valence. ). Third, our model could be improved with the potential use of non-parametric models to model the effects of both old and new media and the associated interactions. Finally, our data do not contain information on all marketing instruments and hence we use proxies (such as lagged sales in the case of distribution). We hope that with better data, future research will be able to address these limitations.

Youth risk behavior surveillance system

Make you cognize how active teens are? Harmonizing to the informations and statistics from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a sub unit of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, as of 2007, 35.0 per centum of high school pupils throughout the United States are presently sexually active, and 47.8 per centum of high school pupils have already had sexual intercourse. These Numberss may look big, but in the past twosome of old ages, they have one time once more begun increasing after many old ages of easy dropping. Surprisingly, the clip frame when sexual activity rates had begun increasing is around the clip when abstinence-only plans began being pushed. The Obama disposal has late cut budgets on the abstinence-only plans due to these unwanted effects. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‘s National Center for Health Statistics published informations in March of 2009 saying adolescent birth rates in the United States have risen f or the 2nd twelvemonth, as of 2007. Due to this, many critics have begun to knock the pick of the Bush disposal, which strongly supported the abstinence-only plans. As a consequence, it leads us to the inquiry of whether abstention plans are truly making their occupation. All this information points to abstinence-only plans being uneffective and merely supplemented abstention plans seem to hold a desirable consequence in the public schools in the United States. Abstinence plans day of the month back to the 1980 ‘s, the epoch of the Reagan disposal. They were the solutions to many jobs within high schools ( Sexuality Research and Social Policy ) . An article in a 1987 newspaper states that Reagan encouraged the abstention plans because it was the best manner to â€Å"avoid undertaking AIDS† ( Boyd ) . This was besides a portion of Reagan ‘s plan in combating AIDS. Reagan said, â€Å"All the vaccinums and medicine in the universe wo n't alter one basic truth, that bar is better that remedy, and that ‘s peculiarly true for AIDS, for right now, there is no cure† ( Hess ) . Furthermore, Reagan believed that it was non the authorities ‘s duty to play a function in educating, but the function of both the school and household. In 1984, the first support for abstention instruction was given by the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Program. Harmonizing to Sexuality Research and Social Policy within National Sexuality Resource Center, as of September 2008, at least 1.5 billion dollars have been funded on abstinence-only plans. Abstinence-only plans chiefly focus on the abstaining from holding sex. It does non advert most subjects within reproduction, particularly contraceptive method and safe sex. There have been many statements about whether onanism is acceptable as a subject and action under the abstinence-only plans. However, sing the old slang for onanism is â€Å"having sex with yourself, † it should non be considered a portion of the abstinence-only plans. In 2005, abstinence-only plans were scheduled for usage in schools in communities with the bulk of Hispanics and Blacks. The ground suggested was because these groups are significantly more sexually active when compared to other groups ( Helman ) . More late, in 2008, 17 or more provinces had already adopted the abstinence-only path ( O'Brien ) . The other option for sexual instruction is abstinence-supplemented plans, besides known as comprehensive sexual instruction. For this type of plan, non merely is abstinence encouraged as a better pick, but the plan besides touches on the topics of contraceptive method techniques and sexually familial diseases. In 1990, the opposing statement against comprehensive sex instruction plans stated by the abstention plans leaders is that less than half of the schools give any instructions on how to utilize contraceptive method or where to obtain them ( Wilgoren ) . However, this job has been solved ; now they are making the exact antonym of what they were being accused of. Furthermore, the comprehensive sexual instruction plan has become the sexual instruction plan with the most support. In a magazine published in 2007, 94 per centum of parents believed that the comprehensive attack was the better of the picks ( Stover ) . Possibly the most limpid manner to see the effectivity of abstinence-only plans is to compare the plans ‘ consequences to those of abstinence-supplemented plans. Texas and California are both southern provinces, but they use different sexual instruction methods ; the province of Texas adopted the abstinence-only plans, while the province of California decided to utilize the abstinence-supplemented plans ( The Dallas Morning News ) . The consequences are dramatically different. In Texas, the province Torahs have made it compulsory to learn abstinence-only as the preferred option. Furthermore, they must pass most of their clip on abstention, and stress that abstinence-only is the lone manner to hold a hundred per centum bar of sexually transmitted diseases. The reference of sexually transmitted diseases is really limited ; merely those chosen by the board of legal guardians of a school territory can be mentioned as effects ( Wonderful Days ) . As a consequence, Texas has become the province with the most adolescent gestations in the state ( The Dallas Morning News ) . On the other manus, the province of California has demands in schools to learn abstinence-supplemented plans, which teach the facets of both abstention and contraceptive method. In add-on, to a broader assortment of subjects to discourse, the pupils are besides able to easy obtain birth control points, such as rubbers ( The Dallas Morning News ) . Harmonizing to Dr. Mark Horton who is the manager of the California Department of Public Health, the adolescent birth rate in California had reached its lowest point as of May 11, 2009 ( CA Dept of Public Health ) , presenting a great contrast to the consequences of Texas. From the comparing between the two provinces, it is evident that comprehensive sexual instruction had a better consequence. It has been brought to visible radiation that there may be other issues, such as racial per centum difference that may do this effectivity difference. However, the bulk of research workers are tilting toward the different plans doing the largest consequence. Many believe that learning teens to be abstentious is idealistic, it is impossible in world. Alternatively of working toward an impossible, it would be more realistic to make bar of gestations and sexually transmitted diseases compared to forestalling teens from holding sex wholly. Surveies have shown that by senior twelvemonth about two tierces of the category has already had sexual intercourse ( The Dallas Morning News ) . It would be literally impossible to rectify the incorrect of so many, so it would be more effectual to discourse both abstention and birth control. In the long tally, those who choose to be abstentious will hold the support, but those who choose non to wait will hold the right information to forestall themselves from acquiring pregnant or obtaining sexually transmitted diseases. There are statements on how effectivity of abstention plans is really calculated. Some argue that it is the figure of persons holding sexual intercourse ; others argue that it is the gestation rate. Due to the hardness of mensurating the figure of persons submerged in the universe of sexual intercourse, I will establish this research paper on the figure of gestation rate. This is because the figure of persons holding sexual intercourse and the gestation rates should be linearly increasing. Therefore, the higher the gestation rate means the more persons sing sexual intercourse. Real life illustrations are non the lone ways to turn out the ineffectualness of abstinence-only plans. Although existent life illustrations demonstrate the consequences of the plans, they do non acquire to the roots of the ineffectualness. Problems and loopholes that the plan is based on may be the account on non merely its effectivity, but besides why many professionals choose non to utilize it. Many well-known and well-respected scientists have focused in on the statement between the two opposing plans. Although there are pros and cons tagged to both plans, the bulk of research workers tend to tilt toward comprehensive sexual instruction being the better of the two. Harmonizing to the reappraisal done by the Committee on Government Reform of the US House of Representatives, 11 out of the 13 course of studies of the abstention plan are based on wrong information ( Stantelli ) . â€Å"The Accuracy of Condom Information in Three Selected Abstinence-Only Education Curricula† research done by Alison Jeanne Lin and John S. Santelli besides confirmed this consequence. The information given in the plans were non needfully false ; nevertheless, they were distorted and led to misinformation. Other informations are old and have been proven incorrect. This information included deceptive information on contraceptive method effectivity and the effects of abortion. Furthermore, the research workers took misconceptions and stereotypes as facts within their scientific research, doing their research biased and questionable. A survey done by Douglas Kirby showed that abstention plans do non detain the overall age of sexual intercourse ( Sexuality Research and Social Policy ) . One of the few pieces of informations given by abstinence-programs on contraceptive method indicates that rubber fail rates on undertaking HIV is between 10 per centum to 43 per centum, where lab consequences suggest the rate to be 1 per centum or under ( Morse ) . This is a important difference that could do major jobs when taught in category. If the pupil does non take abstention, so seeing the high opportunity of condom failure, they may make up one's mind to hold unprotected sex. This will ensue in more adolescent gestations and an addition in persons with sexually transmitted diseases. As of 1999, abstention plans claim that adolescent gestation rates had decreased by 17 per centum due to their parts. Many oppositions beg to differ because of the deficiency of grounds. Some have chosen to believe that the existent ground for this bead was due to the addition in usage of contraceptive method ( Morse ) . Furthermore, in â€Å"Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs and Their Impact on Adolescent Human Rights† written by Rebecca Schleifer and Alice M. Miller, they suggest that abstinence-only plans violate the human rights of teens, particularly those of doing healthy protective determinations ( Sexuality Research and Social Policy ) . Another issue is that abstention plans do non turn to one of the major jobs of teens who choose to hold sexual intercourse. Harmonizing to recent generated research, one of the traits that teens who abstain from sex have is â€Å"resistance to peer influence† ( Healy ) . Peer force per unit area and influence is likely one of the largest grounds why teens choose to hold sex. Many teens believe it is â€Å"in† and â€Å"popular, † and if they do non make it they will be out of the norm. However, abstention plans non turn toing this issue may be another cause of its ineffectualness. In add-on to the many grounds already stated, the apparatus of the plan besides contributes to the effectivity. The most commonly school-used abstention plan, titled Self Respect, does non hold a follow-up plan ( Elmer-DeWitt ) . Once the category is over, the pupils return to the existent universe, being enticed by the many weaving waies the society has created. This increased opportunity of being led astray shows how indispensable follow-up plans are. Without them, teens will evidently travel down the incorrect way. Students seeing how unorganised the abstention plan is one of the chief grounds lending to the failure of the plan. Students will be able to see how undependable the statistics are and how many research workers have disapproved of the plans. This will do them to oppugn the dependability of the plans. When they see another pick, particularly a more appealing one, they will choose out of abstention plans and lief embrace the other pick. For many high school pupils and teens, this other pick is holding a sexual spouse, one who they can hold sex with and trust on. To them, this pick is so much more attractive, and it is besides more pleasing to the teens ‘ ramping endocrines. On the other manus, comprehensive sexual instruction satisfies the sexual thirst of teens. It addresses the physical demands of teens as a fact and Tells teens that there is nil incorrect with the manner they are experiencing. Furthermore, it treats the teens like a friend and steer them along. In comparing to the stiff limitations of the abstention plans, this is a much better pick to learn teens the sex cognition that they need. Unless abstention plans can go more organized, and so, derive the regard and support of research workers, teens will non likely travel for this type of plan. Merely with reorganising and reconstituting the whole plan, it might be possible to convert teens to get down to take abstention over sex. Even holding said this, it will still take a long clip before teens choose abstention merely because of the past feelings this plan has given. As stated earlier, President Obama has late decided to cut the budgets on abstinence-only undertakings. This was one of the first things that he has chosen to make in his first twelvemonth of presidential term. The authorities did non randomly choose to cut budgets merely because of the economic depression. There are many possible grounds that have been brought to the public position, and the strongest ground being the plan ‘s ineffectualness, and the authorities has presented three possible statements back uping this affair. The most basic ground given by The American Public Health Association and U.S. Institute of Medicine to the Congress in 2008, states that â€Å"scientific surveies have non found that abstinence-only learning plants to cut gestations or sexually transmitted diseases† ( Allen ) . It is obvious that if schools do non learn teens contraceptive method techniques, they will non cognize how to forestall gestations. As mentioned above, many pupils will non take abstention because of its instability. Therefore, the end now is to learn them besides about safe sex to farther prevent a uninterrupted addition in adolescent gestation rates and the figure of people with sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, the authorities is taking comprehensive sexual instruction to be the better pick. Recently, as the authorities cuts back on abstention plans, a new societal group is taking up the occupation: spiritual groups. Abstinence plans have a part of their footing in Scripture, and to some extent, the plan really reworded Scripture as its learning stuff ( Elmer-DeWitt ) . It is no admiration that faith, more specifically Christianity can increase the effectivity and efficiency of the abstention plans, particularly when 78.5 per centum of the American population are Christians. In add-on, most faiths support the thought of sex after matrimony, which encourages the same thoughts as the abstention plans. Due to this, trusters in these faiths would more easy accept the intent of the abstention plan. Now, the authorities has given up abstinence-only plans for plans with a brighter hereafter. They now want to patronize abstinence-supplemented plans that are specially adjusted to learn information that is suited for teens ( Allen ) . They have now given the abstinence-only plans over to the spiritual groups. These groups have the resources and the correct background to force for the abstinence-only motion. Hopefully, under the right environment, abstinence-only plans may besides boom and make their occupation. From Angus McQuilken ‘s point of position, it is non difficult, †the job here is non the abstention, it ‘s the lone † ( Helman ) . A pessimistic research worker from Sexuality Research and Social Policy said, â€Å"We want people to cognize that abstinence-only instruction does n't work† ( Sexuality Research and Social Policy ) . Overall, we can non state that abstinence-only plans are wholly uneffective. They have their pros that can ensue in a immense measure frontward in sexual instruction with the aid and addendum of other plans or spiritual groups. In a sense, abstinence-only plans are like badly-oiled machines, or like electronics without electricity. They are good established, but the job is, without the excess oil or electricity, they can non run swimmingly or expeditiously. Likewise, without the supplemented informations, abstinence-only plans can non make their full potency. Once the plan is tweaked and reorganized, it may non merely make its possible, but besides excel more than either of the constituents. Many teens have spoken out on this affair. The girl of vice-presidential campaigner Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin has spoken out to teens across the state to believe before they do it. Furthermore, teens have mentioned that some of the information required to help them to do good sexual determinations are non taught in wellness category. Fifteen-year-old Mildred says, â€Å" We get sex-ed categories in school and that should be where teens get the right information, but that is n't go oning † ( O'Brien ) . The reply has been in forepart of our eyes all along, so following clip when another adolescent becomes pregnant or contracts a sexually familial disease, do n't fault them, fault the sexual instruction plans.

An explanation of various marketing terms

An explanation of various marketing terms is the use of consumer-direct channels to reach and deliver goods and services to customers without using marketing middlemen.†Direct Marketing† is the use of consumer-direct channels to reach and deliver goods and services to customers without using marketing middlemen. Direct marketing implies marketing to the consumers directly without secondary media such as TV commercials. Direct Marketing includes the distribution of fliers, displaying signs such as â€Å"weekly specials† inside the store. It is used to target customers who cannot resist a good deal or bargain. Some Direct marketers use their customer database to contact them for special offers. They tailor their marketing offers and communications to the needs of individual buyers. Direct Marketing is generally used by small to medium size companies that do not have the budget for expensive commercial. There are many forms of direct marketing. The major types are as follows: Direct mail – the adverti ser contact prospective customers by sending some form of advertisement through the mail. Music and book clubs, magazine clearing house, and credit card companies make use of direct mail. Catalogue marketing – companies mail catalogues to consumers and to businesses or make them available at retail stores, and consumers make their purchase from the catalogues. For example, Sears and Canadian Tire’s catalogue shopping. Catalogue retailers appear well suited to operating on the internet as they has the systems and distribution experience required for such an undertaking. Telemarketing – using the telephone and call centers to sell directly to prospects and existing consumers. Companies use call centers for Inbound (receiving calls from customers) and outbound (initiating calls to prospects and customers) telemarketing. Direct marketing has been a major growth area in retailing. Its advantages related particularly to its ability to direct the marketing effort to th ose consumers who are most likely to respond positively. It also offers products and services in a way that is most convenient for the consumer. 2. _____ consist(s) of a collection of incentive tools, mostly short term, designed to stimulate quicker or greater purchase of particular products or services by consumers or the trade. â€Å"Sales promotions† consist of a collection of incentive tools, mostly short term, designed to stimulate quicker or greater purchase of particular products or services by consumers or the trade. Sales promotion as tools and techniques used to stimulate demand, encourage purchase or sales of a product or services, reward royal customers and attract switchers from competitors,. Advertising provides information on a product or promote a brand. Sale promotion offers reasons to buy now. Here are a few examples of sales promotions: Coupons delivered in the newspaper offering discount on your favourite coffee. An e-mail from Amazon.ca offers free shippi ng on your next purchase over $35. Sales promotion uses different mix of promotional tools designed to stimulate customers to buy a product. There are two categories of sales promotion tools: The consumer promotions tools – aimed at consumers directly such as; price discount or same price for the twice the amount of the product, discount coupons, cash refund from the manufacturer, patronage rewards such as doubling the amount of air miles, sweepstakes such as possible chance to win a trip to Disneyland and free gift, getting something from the purchase.

Evaluate the factors necessary for a successful multicultural Essay

Evaluate the factors necessary for a successful multicultural workplace - Essay Example How can we enable excellence at work and leverage on the diversity of culture, given the practical challenges brought about by human differences? While there are multiple factors which influence, impinge upon and determine the extent of success of any workplace, here we examine only those factors that have a bearing on the cultural aspect of the divergence. We also examine the challenges specific to a multicultural workforce and examine the factors that are necessary to make a success of the business operations in such an environment. Business is about people. A well-adjusted and satisfied workforce is the corner-stone of a successful business. A business or a transaction is largely, if not wholly, dependent on communication, which, as we will examine more closely later on, is almost inseparable from the underlying culture of the people involved. This is why it is of essence to understand this fact and hence expend effort towards creating a work culture that utilizes and thrives on the divergence of its workforce rather than allow the differences to create problems leading to an ineffective working environment. Culture in inherent. We live it, breathe it, represent it, but take it for granted. We are almost always affected by the underlying influence of culture but most of the time not conscious of it. Culture not only dictates how we live and behave, it also intrinsically determines the patterns of our reaction to people from other cultures. So what is culture then? Summarizing the many, varied and meaningful definitions, culture can be understood to be the window through which we view the outside world. It is the looking glass which colours what we see around us. It is the primary determining factor on how we speak, behave, work, grow and react to the world around. In the context of business, culture determines our practices and business communication. Business does not occur in vacuum. Nor is the business context, neutral. Business

German culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

German culture - Essay Example They make fewer friends and take time to get closer to them and once they make friendship they develop strong association. On the other hand, Americans tend to have more friends to increase their network and their friendship is often looser as compared to German friendship. 3. Germans work very hard during their working hours and try to relax and play after work. They leave promptly after working hours and taken longer annual vacations rather than taking vacations during working days. On the other hand, Americans tend to relax and socialize during the working hours and they prefer working in a relaxed environment. Actually, Germans have a monochronic culture and they prefer doing one thing at a time and they do not like interruptions and value orderliness in their tasks. On the other hand, Americans tend to be polychronic and they work on multiple things at the same time (Analytictech). 5. The German people wear engagement ring on the third finger of left hand and wedding ring is worn in the third finger of the right hand. Americans also follow the same tradition and wear engagement ring on the third finger of the left hand, however, during wedding ceremony, the engagement ring is removed and wedding band is placed on bride’s finger and after wedding the wedding ring is worn on the third finger of left hand

School Exclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

School Exclusion - Essay Example The topic under consideration is school exclusion. In many years the choice of this topic is motivated by a number of good reasons which includes among other things: My experience working directly with young people excluded by schools, on alternative education provision programs puts me in a good position to bring in first hand account into the research work being carried out. In addition, I have worked on projects that are related to social problems such as joblessness, alcohol and substance abuse and its attendant increased crime proliferation. A common trend that was observed among the majority of people that I came into contact with during this period exhibited interesting features that boarded on the subject matter of this research. Almost all the people had a visible form of low level of formal education; they also had a history of unpleasant experiences in the school setting. Finally, it is important to state that current social and political policy places education at the centre for personal and social development, thus making the topic increasingly relevant to our day and age. It is against this background that Mr. Tony Blair former British Prime Minister was quoted as saying "The best defence against social exclusion is having a job, and the best way to get a job is to have a good education' (SEU 1999, Pp6). The Labour Government therefore committed itself to addressing the challenges posed by social inequalities. Consequently, in carrying out research on a topic which is of personal interest to me it is my desire to contribute to the body of existing knowledge in my research sphere and also as a reference point for future research work (Bell 1999 Pg2). Indeed, the question of social exclusion and its attendant ills on the wellbeing of society is of paramount importance to stakeholders and interest groups. Many have therefore called for a well conserted approach to studying and addressing it. Suffice to cite a few statistical data from the 1999 report of the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) on Truancy and School Exclusion: In the 1995/96 academic year there were 12,500 permanent exclusions; Schools have to report to LEAs fixed-term exclusions (defined as exclusions of between five and a maximum 15 days per term) but the information is not collated. OFSTED estimates there are around 100,000 a year. Some of these may be repeat exclusions of the same child; Most excluded pupils are white, male young teenagers. But a number of groups are disproportionately likely to be excluded; children with special needs are six times more likely than others to be excluded; African-Caribbean children are more than six times more likely to be excluded from the school system; Children in care are ten times more likely; 83 per cent of excluded pupils are boys. 80 per cent are between 12 and 15 and half are 14 or 15; Recent evidence however proves that exclusions at primary ages are rising fast - by 18 per cent as captured in the report; Exclusion rates vary greatly from school to school, but tend to be higher in areas of deprivation; Statistics from the SEU's report Preventing Social Exclusion (2001) sights: Of all rough sleepers only 38% have any educational qualifications; Young runaways are twice as likely to have been excluded from school compared to those who do not

Research, Theory and Practice Cycle Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research, Theory and Practice Cycle - Assignment Example The relationship between research theory, and practice should be well understood because research without theory gives discreet information or data with no value to the discipline. The relationships are direct and positive which enables the experts to put the facts together providing tangible information. The transformation of nursing practice is possible by the incorporation of theory into the practice showing the evident excellent nursing care that the researcher should provide the patients (Tailor & Ranpenning, 2011). Since all the elements of nursing theory and practice are related. It is justified that entry can be done at any point because one element leads to the other and the cycle rotates. Nursing can be perceived both as a discipline and as a profession. Understandably, both the two entities are inherent since they can be applied correspondingly. It is noteworthy that nursing discipline requires a qualified and well-trained expertise to carry out because all the practical elements of research, theory, and practice are applicable to the daily health

David Bowie and Performativity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

David Bowie and Performativity - Research Paper Example This paper aims to analyze a song by David Bowie using Butler’s theory of gender performance. The essay aims at developing an argument referring to David Bowie’s song titled â€Å"Rebel, Rebel† from his album Diamond Dogs. The argument is going to be based on how the song represents gender, sexuality and identity. It is also going to analyze how Bowie challenges narratives of authentic identity. Bowie’s ways of troubling gender and sexuality as stable, readable, and expressive categories are also going to be addressed. According to Butler, gender is not based on a stable identity but an identity that is constitutively created through time and molded through repetition (Leonard 134). This repetition of deeds has a set of meanings that are already established in society. Gender reality is a product of performativity, which means that its degree of realness is measured by the extent of the performance. In this context, some acts are interpreted as an expression of gender identity. These acts can either conform to the expected cultural norms or contradict these norms. The song â€Å"Rebel, Rebel† by David Bowie is about a boy who went against his parent’s wishes and started wearing girl’s clothes and make up. Additionally, in the same album, there is a song titled â€Å"Walk on the Wild Side† about a transvestite. ... In all the live stage performances of this song, Bowie is dressed in outrageous feminine clothes. This aspect of staging artistic shows where the established distinction between genders was overlooked led to the emergence of Glam. Glam is a controversial stage performance and presentation of artistry that incorporates gender-bending techniques (Leonard 150). It also included the depiction of drag queens and personalities in different levels of conveying the underlying undertones in their performances. Bowie appearing in drag as Ziggy Stardust portrays this in the song. The song â€Å"Rebel, Rebel† conveys the notion that gender is not a static phenomenon as exhibited by the glam and drag modes of staging live artistic shows. The song tries to establish the fact that gender is a state that is achieved through change in behavioral mannerisms rather than a static set inbuilt qualities. According to Judith Butler, gender is an achievable state that is acquired through practice and repetition. Unlike common belief that a person is born into a specified and predetermined gender dictated by their biological sex, gender is perceived as a cultural dictate. This means that at one point in time, the human society decided to assign status to people. There was no other better way to do this than create a distinction between male and female roles. This spawned what is today referred to as gender. The society then designed roles that were assigned specific acts or behavior patterns that acted as a measure of gender. The song by Bowie seeks to depict gender as something that is not tangible but an idea that is held by people. Through repetition, as described by Butler, the notion of gender is realised through performativity. This is in the

Find an article about plate tectonics(within the last 2 years Assignment

Find an article about plate tectonics(within the last 2 years 2012-2014) and summary the article - Assignment Example Behind this discovery is Yin who was a well known UCLA professor specialized in Earth space science and the author who was responsible for the research. During the analysis that was done on the images captured by the NASA satellites using its spacecraft called THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) together with the HIRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) powerful cameras. The professor took a total of about 100 satellite images and analyzed them which revealed plate tectonic activities, with his experience in conducting a lot of geological research in area like Himalayas and Tibet which hold world major plates divide, he took keen study on the images from Mars and discovered that a lot of features looked similar to those on earth especially those that were found Himalayas, Tibet, California as well as geomorphology. For instance, the professor discovered very smooth and at the same time flat canyon wall which can only develop due to the effect of a fault. There was also a steep cliff that looked the same as that found around California’s Death Valley developed due to the fault. Yin also discovered linear volcanic zone which draw a conclusion of plate tectonic activities. â€Å"These are features that are very rear to be seen in our solar system apart from planet earth and Mars† said Yin, a professor whose work is respected by many and become the cover story in August 9, 2012 issue of the common journal lithosphere Mars surface has some of the longest and deepest ever system that contains canyons that has never been seen in our solar system which is called Vallies Marineries. It is estimated to be about 2,500 miles in length approximately nine times more compare to the earth’s Grand Canyon. Many scientists up to now are left wondering how this was formed, whether it was a big crack that happened on Mars’s shell forcing it to open

Enron Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Enron - Research Paper Example top, what exactly went wrong, and how this wrong was further fueled by an individual’s personal quest for gains, eventually turning the company into nothing more than a mere sand dune. A significant part of this research would also attempt to highlight circumstances under which auditors for the firm, Arthur Anderson failed to play its role as well as the failure of the federal government in its part to detect cracks in Enron’s policies and financial reporting to its shareholders. â€Å"In an attempt to identify the relationships, organizational and individual, that played a part in Enron’s fall, I will highlight the reasons that led to the eventual failure of Enron, the role played by individuals serving the management of Enron to hide information from their employees, stakeholders and the general public to elude failures and heavy losses incurred due to malpractices and willful fraudulent activities.† Based in Omaha, Nebraska, InterNorth was a very large company with investments in businesses ranging from plastics to petroleum exploration and so on. Primarily a gas pipeline manufacturer, InterNorth was also distinguished in its operations of the largest gas pipeline spread across North America. A legacy of Northern Natural Gas Company founded in 1932, InterNorth was formed as its holding company in 1979. Later in 1985, InterNorth took over Houston Natural Gas Company in 1985, in pursuit of expansionary production opportunities. For a while, the company was renamed HNG/InterNorth after the takeover, later named to Enron in just a few months. After the takeover, HNG/InterNorth fell into depth of $ 4.2 billion (Gavridis) following the acquisition of the company. In view of the critical situation, Kenneth Lay, then CEO of HNG, used Employee Stock Ownership Program to pay off the debt. After the settlement, the company, initially planned to manage two headquarters in Omaha and Houston, moved all its operations to Houston, Texas where HNG was initially based,

Abraham Lincoln and the Self-Made Myth Essay Example for Free

Abraham Lincoln and the Self-Made Myth Essay An ambitious ascent from a poor Illinois farm boy to occupying the highest political office during one of Americas most turbulent times makes for the literature of hero worship. In the essay entitled Abraham Lincoln the self-made myth Rich Hofstadter challenges the reader to penetrate beneath the surface of the American political tradions and investigate the event and actions that contributed to the Lincoln Myth. To begin with Hofstadter states that one of Lincolnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s most endearing qualisties to Americans was his humble origins and the fact that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lincoln was a preeminent example of that self-help which Americans have always so admired,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (121). But he further goes on to state that Lincoln used this to his advantage. First in his campaign speeches always eluding to himself as humble Abraham Lincoln and in the way he addressed his own wife in public as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“motherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (122). See more: Foot Binding In China essay He received distinguished guests in shirtsleeves, and once during his presidency hailed a soldier out of the ranks with the cry, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Bub! Bub!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The concept of the self-made, simple man played well with the American public thus became à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“fully absorbed into his political being,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (124). Historical novels and fictionalized biographies about Lincoln would be amiss of the greater portion of its contents were not dedicated to the slavery issue. Many only give, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a tiresome celebration of the America past with a progressive interpretation of American history of her-worship and national self-congratulation,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Forward 2). In Hostadterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s essay he discusses the slavery issue not with a sentimental approach but with critical analysis. Lincoln was a Southerner by birth. He grew up in communities in Illinois where slavery was rare. Laws against runaway slaves were in force when Lincoln served in the s tate legislature. It was here that Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery by voting against a proslavery resolution.

Airasia Such As Computer Reservation System Information Technology Essay

Airasia Such As Computer Reservation System Information Technology Essay AirAsia is one of the Malaysia Airline that established for everyone who dreamed of making flying to reach ones destination. Since 2001, AirAsia has been expanding rapidly with the largest low fare airlines in which everyone can travel with affordable price and AirAsia has also awarded for the world best low cost airline in year 2010 (Miller, P., 2010) [Online]. Lets put it in this way with a simple slogan, Now Everyone Can Fly, Malaysias AirAsia has successfully carried out and placed in customers mind with the largest low-cost flying trip and largest customer base. Go Holidays offered by AirAsia at the low-cost flying trip, whereby they also offer hostel, hotels, car rental and holiday packages at discounted rates. Booking or reservation of airplane tickets can be done at www.airasia.com. Besides, AirAsia provide services such as Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) and AirAsias bus travel to KLIA at the lower cost. According to The Star report under the business section, AirAsia is now announced that several airports in Malaysia and regional countries will offered a self check-in service and for more convenience, customers can also use web-based check-in service (The Star, 2010) [Online]. In the year ended 2009, AirAsia reported a net profit of RM549.1million, a rise by 11% compared to the loss of RM 496.6 million incurred during 2008 (The Star, 2010) [Online]. 1.2 Types of Information System There are few types of Information System were in use in AirAsia, such as Computer Reservation System (CRS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System, and Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) system. CRS is a computer system used in travel industry that allowed storing, retrieving data and conducting transactions. This system was created by airlines. AirAsia used this system is to allow users to access and check seating availability, flight schedules, airline fare, booking reservations and generating tickets. CRM is a set of applications that give companies to gain insights into customers changing needs, wants, and behaviors in order to better serve them (Haag and Cummings, 2008). This applications help AirAsia to analyse customers contact, so that it enable AirAsia to maintain and update electronic customer profile. Moreover, CRM also help to update online answers at AirAsias web page frequently asked questions (FAQs) about their services, such as booking, online payment and etc. ERP is the information systems to integrate the data from different functional areas of a business, such areas as planning, manufacturing, order entry, inventory management and many more (Oz, 2008). This system also help in planning and allow companies to operate more efficiency because it avoid duplication of information and avoid rework (Oz, 2008). AirAsia uses ERP system is to capturing daily operations transactions, manage its supply chain, and also helping to save its daily operational costs as well as to increase the operational performance to become more efficiency (Microsoft Press Pass, 2005). APS is a type of system also known as manufacturing management process. This system is used for supply chain planning in the sense that it uses information from ERP for planning and scheduling operations (Muzumdar, no date)[Online]. APS also can be used to tracks costs based on the activities in the production of manufactured goods. However, due ERP system does not provide for better supply chain management to analyses the flexibility and intelligence required implemented by AirAsia. AirAsia therefore use APS system helps to improve AirAsias strategic and operational performance, classifies and clusters orders from customer, and checks resources availability. 2.0 Benefits from System Adoption 2.1 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) A good CRM is important for AirAsia to success in airline industry. With CRM, AirAsias staff will easily understand and satisfy customers needs and wants. The benefits of CRM are such as: (i) Reduce Operating Costs: By using CRM system, work and activities done by AirAsia will become more systematic and coordinated. This will help AirAsia to eliminate waste of funds, such as AirAsia use web or e-mail to handle some customers queries or problems instead of through a call centre. This results labour cost will be reduced and business operations will become more effective and efficient. CRM also can help AirAsia to organise customer communications if AirAsia facing difficulties, such as struggles to maintain multiple mailing lists for different groups of customers. (ii) Development of Better Relations with Customers: Using CRM helps AirAsia to develop their customers relationships. CRM systems provide reliable sources to deal with AirAsias customers in sales, marketing, and service to optimize revenue, customer satisfaction, and customer retention (Laudon and Laudon, 2010). The benefit of using CRM is because this system provides a better service to customers. For example, on the first page of the AirAsia Website, which has stated the member log in button and this has proven that AirAsia always set their customers as the first priority in every consideration. The benefits of becoming AirAsia members are information provided to customers will always ones step ahead from others (ie. promotional booking offers, news updates, and so on). All customers particular data are fully secured and will be guaranteed for personalization from AirAsia. (Azleen Ilias et al., 2009)[Online] 2.2 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System There are many different benefits and reasons why AirAsia choose and deploy ERP systems. These are as follow: (i) Help reduce operating costs:   The ERP systems enable to help AirAsia to reduce operating cost and its a benefit when AirAsia is running company analytics.   The major benefits of ERP are improved the coordination of AirAsias process into one streamlined process where all information can be accessed across departments through a single enterprise wide information network (Anthony, 2005)[Online].  Additional benefit from implementing ERP systems are reduced operating cost, such as lower the cost of production, marketing, inventory control, and help desk support (Anthony, 2005)[Online]. (ii) Facilitate Day-to-Day Management: Facilitating day-to-day management activities is also one of the benefits from ERP systems. In encourages the establishment of backbone data warehouses (Anthony, 2005)[Online]. The implementations of ERP systems allows employees to access real time information and this helps with research, decision making, and managerial control (benefitsoferp, 2010)[Online]. Besides, it also can perform activity based costing and helps AirAsia to track activities actual costs (Anthony, 2005)[Online]. 2.3 Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) There are certain benefits which can be found in APS system. These are as follow: (i) Visibility Across The Whole Supply Chain: The benefit of using APS system is visibility across the whole supply chain. The supply chain management system will ensure each party, (ie. suppliers and customers) works together in integration in terms of cross-functional scheduling and planning. So that AisAsia will have better connectivity across the supply chain (Muzumdar, no date)[Online]. (ii) Optimizing profit management (Anon, 2010)[Online]: The most influencing factor in AirAsias strategy is the price, this is because the airline competing in the low cost market. Trend analysis also benefited in that the APS system is designed to Maximised revenue of AirAsia by the existing YMS system and optimizing price strategy. On the other hand, AirAsias operational cost will be minimized by APS system by using YMS system to generate information to further improve AirAsias plan and schedule for the facilities needed (Muzumdar, no date). The integration of YMS system into the APS system ensures profit optimization. 3.0 Pitfalls to Avoid 3.1 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Although CRM systems have brought benefits to AirAsia, but there are still some pitfalls exist. AirAsia therefore should avoid these pitfalls otherwise a significant effect will cause AirAsia improperly operate. Listed below are the pitfalls need to avoid. (i) Inadequate training on the CRM software (Anon, 2010)[Online]: Anytime when a new system is introduced, employees feel lack of confident to use it and they will always try to avoid from using it. Many training consultants offered by CRM software vendors visit AirAsia during their rollout phase and for refresher sessions (Anon, 2010)[Online]. This system is highly encourage to be provided as adequate training will be given to employees and money saved in the long run even-though it is costly and time consuming (Cost Vs Benefits analysis). (ii) Misunderstanding customer needs (Anon, 2010)[Online]: Sometimes, unnecessary time taken to service the customers and not giving good services will affect AirAsias image. AirAsia therefore should respond to customers when it is needed. For example, in the CRM process, CRM manager should arrange and reply the customers queries that ask for the essential information through easy-to-use access. At the same time, get feedback from customers is encouraged so that able to improve companys CRM system in future. 3.2 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System There are some common pitfalls to avoid when AirAsia implementing ERP systems. These are as follows: (i) Lack of Time and Manpower Required For Implementation (Mutt, 2010)[Online]: When there is a shortage of time and employees required for implementation, AirAsia may over burden the employees with their regular work by giving them extra responsibilities on ERP implementation (Mutt, 2010)[Online]. This will lead employees could not perform the ERP software properly as they are already over stress with their regular work. To avoid this happen, AirAsia should work out a proper time schedule for ERP implementation process and working hours of each employee so that each employee may contribute as per their ability in the process (Mutt, 2010)[Online]. (ii) Poor Selection of ERP Software (Mutt, 2010)[Online]: There are many reasons result the poor selection of ERP software, however the most common cause is due to inability to identity the functional requirements. Proper cross checking of the products not aligned with the designed and derived functional requirements, lack of detailed study of the product and its characteristics also lead to poor selection which may result AirAsia fail in implementing ERP properly. Therefore, to avoid this, employees of the company at all levels should be responsible and involved in the testing and study of the product. Assistance from the external expert can be taken to improve the system. Besides, successful implemented ERP from the same industry can be use and refer for the improvement purposes. 4.0 Conclusion In todays world, the business among airline industry has become more competitive and very tough. Every company in airline industry is trying to implement some strategies to compete with each other. To survive in business world, AirAsia needs to achieve their long terms objective and compete with their competitor in the airline industry. AirAsia has been so successful in Low Cost carrier (LCC) among all the competitors in airline industry until today and many passengers would like to travel by choosing AirAsia because they offered low fares with no hidden charges, interesting promotion packages, and many more. Recently, AirAsia had offer mobile booking via SMS (Short Message Service) and AirAsia is the first airline in the world provides this service. Last but not least, CRM is a powerful competitive tool that always serves customers better by understanding their needs, wants, and behaviours. Through the AirAsias website applications, they can provide most reliable and potential airline services to customers. 5.0 How AirAsia should use Information Systems for the future, focusing on the competitive advantages of IT As a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of AirAsia, in order for AirAsia to improve the performance and management of AirAsia successfully in future, few competitive advantages of IT are needed to focus. However, the most important information system should focus on is Customer Relationship Management (CRM). First of all, AirAsia shouldnt approach to CRM initiative development that is learning from other competitors, for example fast check-in system by installing kiosks. In order to differentiate from other competitors in travel industry, AirAsia should carry out CRM program in favor of investing in initiatives with a high return, which will respond to customers needs and desires. Therefore, in order to maintain competitive advantages and profitability, AirAsia should foster the relationships between customers (according to Hillman and Keim). In the business world, company will never compete against company, but will compete network against network. For example, MAS (Malaysian Airline System) does not compete against AirAsia. Their respective networks compete. AirAsia and MAS, both are low fare airlines. In order to attract customers to travel, AirAsia always advertise their promotions through AirAsias webpage and newspapers with the most affordable price. With no doubts, poor network services will not have a good relationship in long run. Therefore, network has to work together with CRM to deliver great value of information to customers and solve customers problems, is a source of great competitive advantage. Lastly, a simple notification given by AirAsia to customers can be an opportunity for a valued dialogue. The implementation of CRM is to create a valuable customer relationship and with the two basic functions that are marketing and the customer experience. Marketing is required to build promises with customers, manage the dialogue component of the customer relationship, and motivate customer purchase behaviour. The customer experience is to deliver on the promises, represent the service component of the customer relationship, and reinforce customer purchase behaviour. Time is precious, quick and prompt to respond to customers email or SMS (Short Message Service) is very important. Dissatisfaction of customers is also very important because it provide excellent feedbacks to improve the quality and value-added of AirAsia.

Difference Between British And South African English Language Essay

Difference Between British And South African English Language Essay Introduction: I aim to establish dialectal features importance upon the English language. This will occur through identifying how dialectal features are introduced into speech, significant differences between British English and South African English, as well as the possible differences in application of dialect into language. I aim to identify distinctive dialectal features in ordinary, colloquial speech, which are different to English speakers. A comparison of British English and South African English will enable differences to be shown. Within the speech, variables will affect the language choice, not always dialectal variables. These variables include age (adults and Children in the conversation), location of the speakers (where theyre from and location which they currently reside) as well as the tier of class which the speakers are from. I will focus upon South Africans (English speaking not Afrikaans- the Lingua Franca), the test subjects are from the Cape Town area in South-west South Africa. Therefore, the South African test subjects should have many similarities to the British speaking English test subjects. As a consequence, I expect the main difference between the two sets of test subjects to be lexical due to them being English speaking. Research: Dialect differentiates language, distinguishing location, class and other social boundaries. The South African language is similar to the English language, a cosmopolitan, hybrid language, with lexis being drawn from many other languages and cultures. Officially there are 11 languages feeding into South African [1] from Dutch Afrikaans to English, providing dialectal words such as the Afrikaaner word Braai for barbeque. It is often that these words interlink into different languages with the meaning mirrored in the adopted language such as Dutch to Afrikaans lexis. This is obvious through words like Biltong (Afrikaans) and aardvark (Afrikaans) transferring to the English language. English is seen as a Lingua Franca in South Africa, not necessarily the dominant language spoken language, but instead a language which is a backup language which is always spoken in contexts where appropriate, for example, English is the international business language, therefore the majority of business is conducted in English. As a consequence Afrikaans speakers use English; the lingua franca language use in Afrikaans-medium high schools in Pretoria reported that they often used English words when speaking Afrikaans [2]. Therefore showing the English languages dominance due to the ability to transfer into different languages. Therefore, itll be interesting to see if the South African language of 11 different languages and distinctive dialects transfers into the English language as seen with the transfer of French lexis such as Entrepreneur, quit or Cafe. Dialects form through modification of standard of English, changing due to influences and situations. They are a form of expression, marking individualism or belonging to a group e.g. social grouping such as level of class (Gentry, middle or working). As Peter Trudgill interprets dialects allow for recognition of area of growing up or current residence Other people will use this information to help them decide where we are fromà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [3]. This investigation aims to distinguish the differences of lexical variations, grammatical differences, approaches to speech, length of utterances, and use of taboo and non-fluency features. Data Analysis: The speech is started off by statements (declarative) and questions (interrogative sentence mood), for example line one of the South African transcript Kieron (.) dinner time. The use of these sentence moods is the typical, standard of introduction for conversation. Furthermore both transcripts feature turn-yielding cues at the end of around half of sentences, leading to the formation of adjacency pairs. Therefore, theres no difference between English and Southern African English conversations over on how theyre introduced or ended suggesting this method is the standard, not fulfilling any aims of establishing dialectal differences. The main difference between the dialects of Southern Africa and an English Dialect is a high lexical variation. A clear example is the word robots used in Western South Africa to mean Traffic lights. This shows the use of different lexis to apply the same meaning as also seen through the adjective Lekker to mean good or nice. Whereas the transcript shows the English dialect to use +degree adverbs intensifying the adjective the food is very burnt as opposed to the Southern African these crunchies are lekker. The South African lexis doesnt rely upon intensifiers instead having stronger dialectal words to take the place of two words, whereas the word Crunchies is a piece of South African lexis for Flapjack. Nouns have been used with inflections for both English speech and South African speech. Proper Nouns for both English and South African havent featured the inflection of s with the exception of General motors' which said singularly on its own. However, common nouns are varied in both English and in Southern African. Concrete nouns such as Takkies or Pants both feature the inflection of s, yet concrete nouns like Lappie havent featured an inflection. This feature of spoken language is mirrored in the English transcript with concrete nouns such as apples crackers. This shows no difference between the South African and British English dialect in the application of inflections, not helping to solve the language investigation. Adjectives dont tend to have inflections such as suffixes added to them in either dialects. Both dialects lack suffixes such as -en to give adjectives a regional placer, helping to determine the area or social class from which the test subjects are in or reside from. The South African transcript uses adjectives such as slow pre-modifying nouns like any normal application of adjectives. Whereas, the English transcript also applies adjectives use; e.g. well ridiculously cheap. This shows there is little if no difference between uses of adjectives between these two different dialects, suggesting it again to be the standard. As a consequence neither disproving nor proving a noticeable difference between the dialects. Whereas, adverbs are also similar with no real noticeable difference between the two different dialects. Neither dialects as discussed before seem to use suffixes onto the adverbs e.g. slowly. Adverbs have been used in both dialects as transcribed showing the adverbs to intensify or portray manner, place or time, as seen by ridiculously cheap. As seen before, this doesnt identify dialectal differences, meaning the aims fulfilled. However, there is a difference in pronoun structure between the two transcripts and dialects. The English dialect transcript focuses upon object personal pronouns e.g. i didnt know this, whereas the South African transcript mainly uses subject personal pronouns (I) (we). However, this may not be a dialectal difference due to being in different circumstances with them both being on different topics due to not being scripted. Therefore it neither confirms nor disproves dialectal differences in speech. The South African transcripts shows dynamic verbs used with past tense inflections of -ed as well as present tense inflections of -e: i lagged Whereas the English transcript also shows the use of dynamic verbs, but only in the past tense. Like the South African Dynamic verbs, it portrays the action having already occurred. However, neither of these inflections are dialect specific, such as an Eastern English dialect of he walk. Therefore, this doesnt help to identify dialectal features in spoken language. The utterance length is higher in the English transcript on average as compared to the South African, suggesting dialect may affect length of utterance. However, there are more speakers (5) as compared to (4) within the South African discourse; therefore it is more likely that each speaker will have a shorter duration of speech due to some form of interruption by another speaker. As a consequence, this hints that utterance length may be a dialectal feature; however it is more likely to have been highly influenced by the amount of speakers. Therefore not really being a useful piece of data. The transcripts have recorded different features of non-fluency signifiers, showing that dialect may cause different non-fluency features. The South African transcript notes the high use of fillers and other parts of unscripted speech such as facework like the facilitive tag question youre lovely (.) arent you. voice filled pauses occur where the speaker responds, yet doesnt provide a very clear answer. Whereas the British English transcript shows quite a high use of false-starts and recycling in speech unlike the South African transcript. This clearly shows both dialects have certain non-fluency features; however they vary and may just be partially dialect specific. It is obvious the main difference between these transcripts and dialects is lexical variation. This is not really surprising due to the South African test subjects being English spoken. English South Africa is hugely influenced by western media i.e. American TV programs. The only real way to clarify these findings of dialect not being hugely different between British English and western South African is to undertake many more tests to see if there is reliability in the results or if it shows a broader theme as such. CUT = This conclusion is repeated through the use of negatives, where neither dialects show abnormal use of negatives, therefore not providing a noticeable difference, meaning no clear conclusion can be drawn from these results.

Promotion of New and Renewable Sources of Energy Essay -- United Nati

Promotion of New and Renewable Sources of Energy Introduction Energy plays a crucial role in the economic development of all nations, especially those with limited access to resources. Access to energy sources is one of the fundamental elements of poverty reduction and sustainable development. It is for this reason that renewable energy and energy efficiency is essential to protect and preserve, as it provides a basis for economic advances, increased education, and environment sustainability. The United Nations is committed to alleviating these pressing concerns through the implementation of programs such as the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, as well as through numerous others and in concordance with the work of its main bodies and committees. Acknowledging the importance of sustainable uses of energy, the Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN) meets biennially to specifically discuss energy and ways to implement ever improving technology. History of Committee The Economic and Financial Committee is commonly referred to as the 2nd Committee, as it is one of six main bodies under direct authority of the General Assembly. ECOFIN deals with issues concerning economic growth and development, globalization and interdependence, sustainable development, as well as macroeconomic trade and commodities. ECOFIN also pays special attention to the concerns of the least developed countries and items on the agenda focus on integrating developing countries smoothly into the world economy (?Economic and Financial?). Other current affairs include disaster reduction, women and development, preventing and combating corrupt practices, and protection of the global climate. ... ... Assembly Main Committees. 3 April 2007. ?Changing Unsustainable Patterns of Consumption and Production.? 2002. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 3 April 2007. ?Establishment of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as an Organ of the General Assembly.? 30 December 1964. General Assembly Resolutions. ?The Energy Challenge for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals.? 2005. United Nations Energy 3 April 2007. ?What Are the Millennium Development Goals 2005. UN Development Goals. 20 April 2007.

Eleanor Roosevelt Essay -- President Politics Papers

Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt’s work has made a significant impact on the interpersonal domain. Her work touched the lives of millions of Americans and influenced many aspects of American politics. She was a master of her domain, interacting with millions and breaking down many barriers. Her work can be considered creative because it was so unconventional. She took on roles that were considered untraditional for women, and with an innovative approach. I admire her work as a leader, a woman, and a creative individual. Although I cannot imagine having as far reaching an impact as Eleanor Roosevelt, I hope to be strong in the interpersonal domain. As an organizational leadership major, the traits of the interpersonal domain would be strong assets for me in any career. On any level, I have a deep appreciation for her ability to help people and change lives. Eleanor Roosevelt is a master of the interpersonal domain because she could interact with anyone and she touched the lives of millions. Childhood and Early Experiences Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884 (Youngs 26). Her parents were both from prominent families, part of the ‘Old New York and Hudson River’ aristocracy. Many of her ancestors had played significant roles in American history (Lash 6). Her mother, Anna Hall Roosevelt, had been a debutante, and was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time. Eleanor’s father, Elliot, was a sportsman, and a handsome man (Youngs 15). Eleanor was an intelligent and happy child, who was doted on by her parents. While she spent time with her parents, she was also close to her nurse, who played a large part in raising her. Eleanor’s first language was French... ...ew York: Penguin Books, 1992. Gardner, Howard. Creating Minds. New York: Basic Books, 1993. Goodwin, Doris Kearns, â€Å"Eleanor Roosevelt.† Time. 13 Apr. 1998: 122+. Lash, Joseph P. Life Was Mean to be Lived. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1984. Means, Marianne. The Woman in the White House. New York: Random House, 1963. Roosevelt, Eleanor. The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt. New York: Harper And Brothers Publishers, 1937. Scharf, Lois. Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady of American Liberalism. Boston:Twayne Publisher, 1987. Steinberg, Alfred. Mrs. R.: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1958. West, J.B. Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies. New York: Coward, McCann, and Geoghegan, 1973. Youngs, J. William T. Eleanor Roosevelt: A Personal and Public Life. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 2000.

Essay on The Pardoner of Chaucers Canterbury Tales :: Pardoners Tale

The Canterbury Tales - The Pardoner The Canterbury Tales is a poetic story of a group of people, who were going to pilgrimage. They were going to the tomb of St. Thomas a Bechet in Canterbury, which is about sixty miles from London in England. In that group, there were clergy and laity people. And in the poem Chaucer described all of them so well that we can easily see the picture of how they lived and how they behaved in manners of work and other ways of life. And while he was describing, he also criticized some members of the clergy position, because of their abusing of their position and doing things that they were not supposed to do, or not doing something they were supposed to do in their position. Among those people whom Chaucer criticized very much were the Friar and the Pardoner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the medieval society, where people were very religious, illiterate and superstitious, the Friar was respected as God himself. The Friar’s job in the church was to help people, who committed crime, by giving them a guide to pray for a certain time so that they can receive absolution. But the Friar in the Canterbury Tales was not honest and dedicated in doing his job. He abused his position by taking money from people who came to confess. He told them that they would get absolution if they pay him and thus broke the vow of obedience because it is against the Catholic Church. He broke the vow of chastity by having adulterous relationships with other women. By wearing expensive clothes, spending his time with wealthy people rather than helping beggars or sick lepers, he broke the vow of poverty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Pardoner is a person who says prayer for dead people so that the sins they had committed in life would   be forgiven. The Pardoner of The Canterbury Tales abused his position by selling some papers which he claimed if people bought, their time in purgatory would be shortened after death; he sold them for very high price. He also claimed that he had Virgin Mary’s veil, which would have been 1330 years after Mary died. He also claimed that he had St. Peter’s sail and said the pig bones, he always carried with him, were relics of St. Peter. Chucer also criticized him by implying him as a homosexual by referring him to a gelding or a mare.

Old Ironsides by Oliver Wendell Holmes: An Explication of the Poem Essay

â€Å"Old Ironsides† is a poem entitled to an old U.S. battleship. After news spread that this ship would be destroyed, Holmes nicknamed the ship as â€Å"Old Ironsides† to help construct a foundation of defense so that this battleship would not be demolished. The poem saved the ship from being destroyed and gave Holmes national recognition as a poet. The first stanza talks about tearing the flag down off the ship because it will no longer sail on the water. The word meteor is used as a metaphor because the ship is an object of attention in the ocean just as a meteor is an object of attention in the sky. The emotional appeal a reader receives from the stanza is loud anger. For example â€Å"Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!† is a line from the first stanza that implies the strong emotion of anger. The second stanza talks about the ship’s past during the War of 1812. The first half is about the ship being a part of a battle. This implies the ship’s importance to the war. The last half of the stanza explains that the ship shall no longer be part of any such venture anymore. The third stanza implies that the ship should not be destroyed but instead active until the ship gets destroyed by an enemy. The stanza also expresses that the ship’s â€Å"grave† should be the ocean.

Should Class Attendance Be Required

Word count 780 Should class attendance be a requirement? Many people ask should class attendance be a course requirement for students in college? There are two different opinions. Some people feel that it should be mandatory for college students to attend there classes everyday. Many other people however feel that students should be able to decide whether they want to go to there class or not. As far as I am concerned, no matter what unless the student is sick or has a family emergency they should be required to attend there classes every day whether the student likes it or not. Generally, students who do not like to attend classes have their own reasons. One of the main reasons is, many students feel they can learn some things better on their own rather than being in a classroom. If a student had to attend a class in which the professor teaches something they have already learned on their own, it would be a pointless. Some students that do not attend class, may feel they are able to learn some things better on their own but they may miss a lot of other important information given during a class. A student who attends all of his or her classes does have an advantage over a student who does not attend. In the first place, college professors often teach students many things that cannot be learned from a textbook. Like easier ways of figuring out a problem, or what something means. Many people believe that college is a place where professors are supposed to teach students what they know. In a textbook, normally there is just a lot of information and knowledge. However, how is the student supposed to understand and develop all this information? Students need to attend class; the professor is the best person to help them with these skills. Some students do not learn by just by reading the textbook, some people need things to be explained to them so they fully understand the concept. If the students went to class, the professor would be able to teach them how to learn, how to absorb information and how to apply what they have learned. When students attend class every day it also teaches them responsibility, discipline, and how to work together with other students. This prepares them for having a job, which requires people to work in groups. School starts at a certain time just like a job. Having to be at a certain place at a certain time also prepares students for getting a job in the real word. College is a lot like having a job. Students need to be responsible, and be in class on time just like people need to be at work on time. Being in class everyday and on time with an assignment-completed helps to prepare them for a career. College classes also teach students how to work with the other students in the class. Many times students will be given group assignments. In this activity, students will have to work with people from different backgrounds who they do not even know. In this situation, they learn how to handle working with people different from themselves, which is a very important factor in the work place. When students do not come to class they tend to miss many important things like discussions, due dates on work given during class, and class work. In college, professors teach student many things during discussions. This is when the professor lectures to the class about important things students need to know. During the discussion is the time to listen, learn and write down every thing the professor has to say on the given subject. If a student is not sitting in class to listen or write down information given by the professor he or she may never understand what was learned that day in class. In addition, students may miss due dates on assignments that were given during class which means the student will receive a zero on the assignment, and that is never good. Class work is a very important part of college. If a student does not attend class to complete his or her class there is a good chance that student will fail. I believe that students should be required to attend classes all the time. Student cannot just learn thing from reading a textbook they need a little guidance also. Professors can teach you the method of how to develop and use knowledge learned. In addition, college prepares you for a job by teaching discipline and responsibility. In short, attendance in all classes should be required.

Paraphrase Sample

Unit II Assessment Question 2 Ramesh Punna Columbia Southern University Original Passage Large-Scale Complex IT Systems (Ian Sommerville, Dave Cliff, Radu Calinescu,Justin Keen, Tim Kelly , Marta Kwiatkowska,John McDermid, and Richard Paige): Complexity stems from the number and type of relationships between the system’s components and between the system and its environment. If a relatively small number of relationships exist between system components and they change relatively slowly over time, then engineers can develop deterministic models of the system and make predictions concerning its properties.However, when the elements in a system involve many dynamic relationships, complexity is inevitable. Complex systems are nondeterministic, and system characteristics cannot be predicted by analyzing the systems constituents. Such characteristics emerge when the whole system is put to use and changes over time, depending how it is used and on the state of its external environment . Dynamic relationships include those between system elements and the system’s environment that change.For example, a trust relationship is a dynamic relationship; initially, component A might not trust component B, so, following some interchange, A checks that B has performed as expected. Over time, these checks may be reduced in scope as A’s trust in B increases. However, some failure in B may profoundly influence that trust, and, after the failure, even more stringent checks might be introduced. Complexity stemming from the dynamic relationships between elements in a system depends on the existence and nature of these relationships.Engineers cannot analyze this inherent complexity during system development, as it depends on the systems dynamic operating environment. Coalitions of systems in which elements are large software systems are always inherently complex. The relationships between the elements of the coalition change because they are not independent of how th e systems are used or of the nature of their operating environments. Consequently, the nonfunctional (often even the functional) behavior of coalitions of systems is emergent and impossible to predict completely.Paraphrase for above passage: Minimizing the relationships among the entities in large scale system reduces the complexity. Complex systems are not very scalable and would be huge effort when we need to do any changes over time. Relationships should be changing depending on their performances over the life cycle of application to be more robust and granular. Dependency between the software systems must be identified in design phase to make a large scale system and failure to do this process would result in unstable and fragile software system.

Original writing assignment Essay

   It was a beautiful sight, picturesque even, all around were fields of lush green grass with steep hills, deep valleys and evergreen trees. In front of him there was a lake with beautiful sparkling blue water, with beavers going about their daily business, fishes swimming and birds singing. However, as he glanced across to the other side of the lake the boy laid eyes upon an almighty cave. The water on this side of the lake was brown with dead fish floating on the surface. The banks surrounding this part of the lake were simply bare rocks threatening to crush anything with the misfortune of touching them. There were no birds singing or beavers playing. Not a single living thing dwelled on those premises and it was obvious why. Who in there right minds would rather live there than on the stunning view that was just meters from the grim scene? The boy drew his gaze away from the lake and noticed many little buildings with thatched roofs and only one floor. In front of these unusual and certainly old-fashioned buildings stood small families of people all dressed in pretty much the same way. The women wore long brown and white frilly dresses. They all looked like servants. The men also wore brown and white but these were brown tattered trousers and a white V-necked shirt. At a glance down at his attire, the boy noticed he was wearing exactly the same as the other boys that he had seen. He was tired and decided that he should get some rest; a fall from the sky into unfamiliar territory can really take it out of you. The young boy slowly advanced towards the nearest house. He was walking straight towards the 3 people stood in front of it, but the didn’t even seem to have noticed him. The boy was only 20 metres from them now but their gaze was still fixed to where he had first landed. He was now only 10 metres from them and could clearly see every single crevice on their skin. That was then he noticed the boy in front was not only dressed identically to him he was also exactly the same height and build with the same blonde hair blue eyes. He even had exactly the same horseshoe shaped birthmark on his neck. The young boy looked extremely confused and turned to the women in a desperate search for an explanation. To his horror, the woman was looking straight through him. This feeling of horror rapidly swapped itself with a feeling of utter disbelief, he recognised this women but where from. He opened is mouth to ask if she too recognised him. However, as soon as the first letter rolled of his tongue and dissipated into the air the almighty rumbling started again. This was much worse then the soft rumbling he had become accustomed to during his dreams. This was a full-blown earthquake style rumbling. The whole ground was shaking. The voices started again. He could finally make sense of the voices â€Å"Help David, the cave, help† it started of with just the women but very quickly the rest of the people joined in. He finally realised where he recognised that woman from. It was his mum, but it wasn’t. It couldn’t be it had to be a bad dream. The voices were unbelievably loud now. He could not take much more of this. David dropped to his knees willing himself to wake up. He didn’t. Of course, he didn’t: He couldn’t. There was only one thing he could do. The young boy sprinted to the cave, as soon as his size 7 shoes made contact with the cold grey stone the voices stopped, and the rumbling subsided. The inside of the cave was massive. David was standing in what seemed to be an ally. It had a grey floor and red-stone wall. In this alley of a cave ran a small, dirty brown stream. David decided to follow the stream. The silence was deafening. He was right in the centre of his worst nightmares yet the scene he was now living resembled his dreams in no way what so ever. He was expecting an increasingly loud rumble as he became ever closer to the source of all his sleepless nights. However, it was in no way at all like this. All David could hear was the ‘splat’ as his feet slapped against the wet floor. All he could do was walk straight into the caves belly, he could not go back outside, he couldn’t face the screaming. He had to sort this, now, once and for all. The relatively small walk was taking forever, a whole hour seemed to have passed as David walked through the cave however in reality it was closer to a minute. At last, the young boy had reached his destination. It certainly was not what he had expected. He was standing on a floor of grey stone. In front of him was a ring of water. Inside this ring was a small island containing one thing and one thing only; a white, round crystal. A rickety rope bridge hung loosely over the deep murky water. This was the end; he had reached the end of the cave, the end of the nightmares. It had to be something to do with that crystal, but what? David had obviously made his mind up as he cautiously walked to the bridge. He checked the ropes, it seemed secure enough but there was only one way to find out. He raised his foot and slowly but surely placed his foot on to the bridge. As soon as his foot connected with the nearly rotten wood an almightily high-pitched scream pierced through the silence, the rumbling once again shook David’s brain, and a short stab of bright light temporarily illuminated the area before subsiding into a low shimmer. The rumbling didn’t stop, it got considerably worse. The bridge was shaking; water was spraying from the stream in huge waves. He had to keep going, this torture had to end. David lunged and grabbed the crystal. A searing pain swarmed through David’s entire body. A brilliant light blinded him. Everything went white. David could no longer hear the high-pitched screams; he did not feel the ice-cold water flooding over the top of him. The rumbling stopped, so did the screaming and the crystal returned to the dull colourless state in which it started. David was nowhere to be seen.   All this happened 14 years ago. I have been all alone here ever since, still experiencing the same horrific dreams. Although now it’s all changed. You are here. The man thrust his hands forwards, palms out. There was writing burnt into the skin. Help David Our Saviour. Harry Litchfield Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.