Wealth Management Investment

Wealth management is a crucial component in investing. It is a process that entails steps that organize the fundamental features of building a portfolio. An investor can deal with the uncertainty of financial markets; the uncertainty that markets were volatile last year, that they are volatile now, and that they will be volatile tomorrow, by regularly managing wealth. The wealth management process provides a strategic approach to managing and building wealth and will help an investor turn his client†s goals into reality. In managing the investment process investors must determine their objectives, the resources for achieving them, and the process to go through to get there. Most importantly, it is essential for clients to be exposed to any new investment procedure or opportunity in the context of their individualized investment policy. The first step in the wealth management process is to establish objectives. This step includes analyzing the current situation, where all factors that may have a bearing on the decisions should be identified, analyzed, and integrated into the process (Brown, Underwood 248). Before making any financial recommendations an investor must build a detailed financial profile so that he can understand the client†s personal balance sheet, his current asset allocation, and help the client develop his investment parameters. The result of this process is attaining the assessment of the investor†s goals. With this, it is critical for the client to express five key factors: his total financial picture, his financial goals and objectives, his feelings and tolerance for risk, his time horizon associated with each of his goals, and if the client is building his wealth, preserving it, or passing it on to others (Brown, Underwood 247). Proper objectives will be established by these factors through the individualized analysis of the client†s current situation. The second important step in the wealth management process is to set a strategy. This is attained subsequent to the client assessing his goals. In setting a strategy an investor will compare fundamental investment principles to a client†s goals. The client may consider five key fundamental principles when developing his portfolio strategy: Asset allocation, diversification, planning, discipline, and patience (Groppelli, Nikbakht 401). This step also helps the client to select appropriate asset classes and distributions. A portfolio†s asset mix or asset allocation refers to the percentages that are invested in various asset classes, such as domestic stocks, domestic bonds, cash, real estate, international stocks, international bonds, and so on. A selection of well-diversified assets within these classes is perhaps the most effective way to manage volatility and portfolio risk in today†s markets. The investor should work with his client to identify the investor profile that fits his objectives and tolerance for risk. The second step of wealth management also includes determining the time horizon of investment objectives. One must consider the timing of the possible unexpected as well as expected requirements for use of the portfolio†s assets. Market timing can be an unreliable and hazardous practice. Missing only a fraction of time can have a profound impact on value (Groppelli, Nikbakht 392). An investor can also help a client determine a financial plan to address his goals. In order for a client to make informed decisions and ultimately reach his goals, the investor should help translate the client†s goals and objectives into a personalized financial plan. This will help the client to organize his finances, where it will provide a clear picture of his financial situation, and help the client to understand how his financial puzzle fits together. He will have the accessibility to evaluate his short and long-range goals and see how each piece of his financial puzzle can influence the other interlocking pieces. With this personalized plan, a client may also find solutions by putting his strategies into action by providing access to specialists in various financial disciplines, such as trust, credit, asset management, business planning, and insurance. Lastly, this step will help the client to uncover opportunities, where he can identify opportunities that could influence his overall financial well-being. The third step in the wealth management process is to implement solutions. An investor can help the client select and implement financial solutions according to his financial plan and asset allocation strategy. The essential ways an investor can achieve this is by helping the client identify financial strategies and solutions, allocate his funds, select investment products, and managers, and develop a rebalancing strategy (Conley, O†Barr 42-44). To meet a client†s goals the investor can explore and help a client execute appropriate investment borrowing. Depending on the client†s needs, an investor can explore various strategies. These strategies include investing from retirement, wealth transfer and estate-planning strategies, tax-minimization strategies, company stock option planning, managing concentrated stock positions, alternative investments, and other personalized solutions. An investor should also allocate the assets based upon the client†s specific goals and risk tolerance, and he should select a money manager by using specialists. This construction would result in a customized plan and solution for the client and his long-term objectives. The final step in the wealth management process is to review the progress. An investor must continue to monitor the client†s situation in order to remain current with his goals in relation to the movement in the market. This ongoing service would include monitoring portfolio performance and results to evaluate progress, reviewing objectives and strategies periodically, and altering and adjusting the client†s wealth management strategies based on changing goals, circumstances, or conditions (Conley, O†Barr 45). In addition, it consists of monitoring the resulting performance of selected money managers. An effective monitoring program should provide the investor with sufficient information to evaluate the program†s strengths and weaknesses, and to keep the program on track in achieving the portfolio†s objectives. The truly effective investor realizes that a crucial element of the decision-making process is establishing appropriate performance measurement standards. The standards for provide an ongoing monitoring service for clients includes facilitating good investor-money manager communications and confirming the mutually agreed-upon goals of the investment policy. Also, an investor must show whether the assets are being managed as directed by that policy with respect to the portfolio†s risk tolerance and expected return. Another measurement is to support the qualitative judgments about the continued confidence, or lack of it, in the money manager†s abilities. The last measurement standard is to support the periodic consideration of the continuing appropriateness of the investment policy. In the monitoring process, there are issues that should be addressed at specific times. Monthly, investors should analyze their custodian†s appraisal report containing the current market value of holdings and the previous month†s transactions and expenses. Particular attention should be paid to transactions initiated by hired money managers and compared against the manager†s stated investment strategy. Quarterly, the investor should compare the asset allocation of the portfolio and the performance of hired money managers to benchmarks, and at least annually, there should be a formal review to determine whether investment objectives have been attained or have changed. The investor should be particularly sensitive of the need to determine whether the investment strategy still holds the highest probability of meeting short-term liquidity needs and long-term objectives. The role of the investor is to maximize the benefits to be gained from the wealth management process. The degree of commitment to the necessary tasks outlined in the process will ultimately determine investment success. It will be the actions of the investor that will have the greatest impact on the value of the portfolio and mastering the wealth management process will assist the investor in creating the greatest outcome for his clients and their futures.

Article Critique Essay

The author of this article is a Canadian who has raised the alarm on the increasing number poverty stricken people hence springing up of ghettos in big cities. The author rhetorically is asking a question whether there are ghettos in Canadian cities. The author is coming up with many ghetto synonyms but yet they are of not the same meaning. The name like enclave sound more ethnical and it has been described as a grouping of people from the same ethnic group living in a low income earning or a poor neighbourhood. The article pinpoints that in the year 2001 families residing in high poverty levels doubled the year 1981. The message in the article is directed to the authorities in these cities to get warned of a looming crisis and look for ways to alter the trend. The message is not has to any group that it mentions that is the people from the enclaves and the ghettos. The article has outlined many causes of ghettos in Canadian cities. Poverty has been rated as the number one cause and this article gives figures from the research to substantiate its claim. The exact time is given when immigration policy of Canada was changed and the change swung Canada into a cultural and social crisis or socio cultural crisis. According to the authorities and the research that has been carried out immigration puts Canadian cities on spotlight of having many poor neighbourhoods. The author also makes a comparison between Canadian and American cities whereby Canadian cities are going more enclave than ghettos in America. In American cities the traditional definition of a ghetto is a residential district that concentrates racial Enclave tends to collect people of the same ethnic background together while ghettos collect poor people from various ethnic backgrounds. In both cases, people involved are affected by poverty and low income level. From one of the researches that have been done, the article reveals that an alarm was raised about the growth of neighbourhood poverty in Canada. The article pinpoints groups of people who make up the population who end up to the ghettos. Their background is partly covered by poverty and the article further expose that these are immigrants from Asia, Africa, West Indies and Latin America. The research that was conducted showed that between 1971 and 2001 is the period when the majority of the Canadian population was born in the back mentioned countries. Nevertheless, some cities like London there are no ghettos and this is due to the efforts of the councils. However, I take the article head to mention that it does not clearly outline and show the consequences of the increasing population in ghettos and mushrooming of ghettos and enclaves. In many a times these nighbourhoods have been associated with crime and drugs. Does is it mean the researches that were conducted didn’t capture these common phenomenon that is associated with ghettos? Furthermore, the article does not highlight any ways that have been adopted to combat the expanding ghettos and enclaves without necessarily disrupting the social cultural set of these people in the ghettos. Reference: Walks, A. R. Bourney, L. S. (2006). The Canadian Geographer Publication:

What Does it Cost to Attend Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus?

Pennsylvania State University is a popular choice for Pennsylvania students, as it offers students the flexibility to transfer to the main campus at University Park after starting college at one of the regional campuses. But because of the difference in tuition and fees and the local cost of living, you’ll want to be prepared to know what it would cost to send your student to Penn State’s main campus over one of the regional campuses. We’re going to look at what factors contribute to the cost of attendance at Penn State-University Park, and how you can keep the costs down for your family. You may be surprised to learn that college costs vary from campus to campus of the same institution, but they also vary from student to student at the exact same campus. Although we’re going to go over what the full price of a year of education at Penn State is, you should know that the actual cost of a Penn State education will likely be different for your family. Instead, you’ll want to consider what the net cost for your family will be. Although averages are a good place to start and we will include them, it’s better to consider the specific factors that will reduce your net cost. Very few families pay full price, and this is due to financial aid from: A combination of financial aid from these sources will help you reduce your net cost, and we’ll go over what you can roughly expect from each source below. Although we call it the list price, schools refer to this as the estimated cost of attendance. If you’re wondering why it’s an estimate and not an exact number, it’s because schools tend to average the cost from their current students. Each student has different expenses, from housing to transportation to groceries. Generally, the cost of attendance includes things like tuition and fees, room and board, and other costs of living like transportation, or even laundry expenses. Because Penn State is a public institution, there is a difference in the tuition and fees for in-state students versus out-of-state students. In the 2016-2017 school year, the total price for in-state students was $35,758, while the total price for out-of-state students was $50,240. Most families don’t end up paying list price because they qualify for some kind of financial aid, but there are some families who would likely pay list price at any institution. Wealthy families with household incomes over $175,000 usually end up paying the list price, especially if their student didn’t receive any merit scholarships. We hope that you’re feeling relieved to know that you’re not likely paying the list price, but you may still be wondering what you can expect to pay if your student attends Penn State. For students who qualify for financial aid, the average price for in-state students was $34,167, and the average price for out-of-state students was $48,649. While the averages above are a good starting point for determining your net cost, it’s often more helpful to look at the cost based on household income. Students who come from families with higher need will have a lower average net price, which helps make college more accessible. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. Merit aid is usually offered to students on a need-blind basis, meaning that students of any income level can receive merit aid. Merit aid is generally offered to the top admitted students with exceptional accomplishments. At Penn State, about 15.6% of students who don’t qualify for need-based aid receive some form of merit aid (note that there are some students who receive need-based and merit aid). The average merit aid award for a student without need was $653, which reduces the net cost for in-state students to $35,105 and out-of-state students to $49,587. Although it may not be much, every bit helps, and there are some schools that don’t offer any merit aid. Due to its small average award size, Penn State ranked 807th in a pool of over 1000 schools we analyzed for merit aid generosity. Students have to cover the remaining cost of attendance somehow, and a common way that students do that is to take out loans. At Penn State, about 56% of students have a loan to help cover their annual expenses. The average size of the federal loan per student was $7,838 total across all four years. When choosing a school, you should encourage your student to look at the typical student outcomes as a factor in their decision. Although their individual effort and resourcefulness are more likely to secure their post-college success, it’s still good to know if a school provides a conducive environment to students. At Penn State, around 83% of their students graduate within six years. Ten years out of school, the average main campus grad is making $55,300. Penn State’s University Park campus is located in the State College municipality, which offers a small-town environment with an emphasis on college activities. The cost of living index for State College is 113, which means that it’s about 13% higher than the national average. Overall, it’s pretty affordable to live near University Park. All freshman students are required to live on-campus, but students are allowed to live off-campus starting their sophomore year. Here are the average apartment rents in State College: Although some of the housing options may be cheaper per month, students who live on-campus are required to purchase a meal plan. Many students find that the freedom that off-campus housing provides is worth it, especially because they can easily cook their own meals. Many students choose to work part-time jobs to help cover some of their living expenses. According to the Economic Policy Institute , the minimum wage in Pennsylvania is the same as the federal minimum wage at $7.25, and the average hourly wage is $22.55. Aside from traditional saving methods, one of the best ways that your student can help reduce the net cost to your family is to apply for as many scholarships as they can. Scholarships are a form of gift aid that doesn’t have to be paid back, and they are often merit-based. Here are just a few ways you and your student can start looking for scholarships: If your student will be considered out-of-state at the time of application, you may want to look into what the requirements are for your student to be reclassified as an in-state student after their freshman year. They should speak directly with a financial aid officer at their school to make sure that it doesn’t impact any of their other financial aid, but it could save your family thousands of dollars each year. Although we focused on how to make attending the main campus more affordable, you should also know that your family can save money if your student chooses to attend a regional campus. Many students transfer to the main campus after spending a year or two at the main campus; the regional campuses often have lower tuition rates, and if your family lives in the area, they can save even more by staying at home. With many ways to reduce your family’s net cost, from financial aid to part-time student work, we hope that you have found your student’s dream school to be financially feasible. If you’re looking for personalized guidance about college affordability, we’ve got you covered. As part of our College Applications Program, our Finances tool shows students the ROI of different schools and majors and help students identify scholarships to apply for. On average, our students earn about $83,000 in scholarships. Find out if working with our Financial Aid Tools is right for your family!

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 40

Reading response - Essay Example "Is a plongeurs work really necessary... He earns his bread in the sweat of his brow, but it does not follow that he is doings anything useful." This quote could be found in Chapter XXII when the author is just about to give up working at Auberge, with promise of working prospects in London. In this quote something is being said about poverty: That there are people who would willingly accept their plight because it is necessary. The argument is that it must be done, otherwise something in society will fail. The author, for example, mentioned that there were so many men with university degrees in Paris working as dishwashers and seemed to choose the because it is necessary. The offshoot was that they were trapped into poverty. For all his seeming practicality and sense, why would the author risk going to London on the strength of a friends recommendation? His friend Boris has already led him into deeper mire than he was in previously, so why trust his life on

Discrimination in Gtan Torino Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discrimination in Gtan Torino - Essay Example The 2008 film Gtan Torino, which stares Clint Eastwood exhibits a high level of cultural diversity. However, Walt Kowalski, who is the main character and protagonist in the movie, shows high level of resistance to the abundant cultural diversity. He is filled with stereotypes and prejudice on the cultural units he desists. Kowalski lives a rather miserable life, as he is haunted by memories of the people he killed in the war in Korea, when he was in the military. His wife also dies, he is not in good terms with his children and family, and does not get along with the neighbours. Therefore, his is a solitary life, which he lives with his dog.   Kowalski is an angry veteran, who hates and despises Koreans. He also hates and despises his neighbours, who are Hmongs. He treats them in an ill manner, abuses them, and considers them barbaric and uncivilized.   Stereotyping, which is a form of discriminating is wrong, and most of the time, does not depict the true picture of the person o r group being discriminated against. Stereotypes are false perceptions about a group of people, which outsiders hold about them. Nonetheless, unless one interacts with certain people, and learns their way living and doing things, then holding any type of stereotypes about them is wrong. In this film, Kowalski has various stereotypes about most Asian ethnic groups. For instance, he believed that all Chinese people cooked and fed on dogs as a meal. Nonetheless, his neighbours were Hmongs.... In this film, Kowalski has various stereotypes about most Asian ethnic groups. For instance, he believed that all Chinese people cooked and fed on dogs as a meal. Nonetheless, his neighbours were Hmongs, who are an Asian ethnic group from parts of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Kowalski therefore, despises his neighbours, and thinks they too cook and eat dogs. However, when he finally establishes a close relationship with them, he realizes that they prepare and eat good and decent meals, just like him. This therefore, proves his stereotype against them wrong. Discrimination against a certain group of people based on their race might make one to miss special opportunities of exploring and getting in touch with human diversity. One might fail to see the good side of the people whom they discriminate against. This is because; those who discriminate against others are less likely to associate with them, as they regard them to be less important. Therefore, discrimination is wrong, si nce it denies one the opportunity to experience and benefit from a different cultural group. In this film, Kowalski is a lonely old man, who does not have company, as even his own children do not like being around him, and even plan to take him to a retirement village. Nonetheless, when Kowalski gets in close association with his neighbours, through the young Sue and Thao, he begins to learn many positive facts about the Hmong people, which he never imagined, as he had belittled the Hmongs and other Asian ethnic groups. Although one might consider their ethnic group as superior, compared to others, there might be many factors, which the other groups that are perceived less powerful, have, that

Case Study to Promote Critical Reasoning Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

To Promote Critical Reasoning - Case Study Example The sources of conflict that are developing in this facility are (1) differences in goals (each group or person has a goal or purpose within which the donated funds are suggested to be earmarked); (2) resource interdependence (the units compete with each other for other own share of the resources, specifically, of the donated funds); (3) task ambiguity (there is a lack of clarity as to how the money or donated funds must be used according to a pre-defined guideline or policy); (4) differences in power and status; as well as backgrounds and traits (each group has different perceptions on the relative value of their contributions to the achievement of the hospice center’s goals) (Martires & Fule, 2004). 2. What kind of leadership actions are needed to prevent the escalation of this conflict? The use of authority or leadership through recognition of the highest authorized decision-maker within the hospice center is needed to impose a solution to resolve or suppress the conflict. The highest authority in the hospice center would depend on which role was designated at the organizational structure. For a non-profit hospice, the decision-makers are usually members of the Board of Directors where an executive committee would be headed by the President (AAHPM, n.d.). In this case, the highest authorities seem to be in the professional capacities of the Administrator and the Finance Officer – with no clear distinctions of who should be in charge to decide on matters of the funds (could be the Finance Officer, if explicitly identified within the hospice’s policies and procedures). As it is, I agree with the Finance Officer to initially put the money in the bank for future needed endeavors. Spending the funds must be subject to the plans of the hospice given their urgency and importance to the achievement of the hospice’s mission and vision. 5. Try role playing a negotiation among the administrator, the financial officer, the chaplin, a representative of

'What More Do They Want' - Service Provision of Refugees and Asylum Essay

'What More Do They Want' - Service Provision of Refugees and Asylum Seekers - Essay Example Accordingly, it is imperative to embark upon an integration project as would successfully lead to the assimilation of this group into the national culture and society. As the research illustrates, integration can best be carried out through the provision of equitable access to public services and the exploitation of these services for the specific purpose of integration. According to the literature on the topic, the education and mental healthcare services are, within the context of the stated, defined as primary integration enablers. Certainly the cost of integration may be quite high but the benefits of successfully integrating refugees and asylum seekers into British society are even higher. Apart from the fact that, as a nation-state, Britain has historically relied on waves of immigration as a means of building itself and, more importantly, strengthening its economy, immigrants bring a wealth of talent, experiences and skills with them as can effectively ensure their functioning as a constructive economic asset (Humphreys, 2001). Despite this, however, Britain’s immigrants, as in her refugees and asylum seekers, are hardly awarded equitable access to essential community services, chief amongst which is education. The implication here is that the country’s refugees and asylum seekers are marginalised and their potential to positively contribute to the nation is severely constrained (Bocker and Havinga, 1998). The consequence, as Hames (2004) notes, is not limited to the fact that asylum seekers and refugees are denied equitable economic, social, political and educational opportunities but, that their marginalisation is leading to the evolution of a  "dual Britannia† (92). Britain’s asylum seekers and refugees, therefore, are not only being denied the realisation of their potential and the country their constructive exploitation as a valuable economic

3D printer Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3D printer - Lab Report Example There are several accessories required to use the equipment in the lab. An advanced slicing engine, the algorithm that directs a MakerBot Replicator, powers the machine. The materials used determine the product, but it is essential to understand the software and other computer applications that are required for the model before printing (3D Creation Lab). One also needs to select an appropriate polymer or business papers if one needs a durable prototype. The process for 3D printing is a lengthy process, but in the end, it turns digital designs into realism. It involves laying successive layers of materials using a computer, in an additive process that continues until one reaches the desired product in terms of geometry and shape. A computer aided design (CAD) package is used to design a model before the printing process (3D Creation Lab). After examining the design for manifold errors, one converts the model into thin layers, which designers tailor according to the type of printer. An inkjet printer head sets down material onto a powder bed in succession, through processes such as extrusion and

1-What are the advantages and disadvantages of using technology at Essay

1-What are the advantages and disadvantages of using technology at school OR 2-In what ways can technology such as tablet devices contributes in the children education at school - Essay Example These resources will be of immense value to the current research as it will help in obtaining information regarding the negative effects associated with use of technology in classrooms. Brown, Dina, and Mark Warschauer. "From the University to the Elementary Classroom: Students Experiences in Learning to Integrate Technology in Instruction."Â  Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. 14.3 (2006): 599-621. Print. The article titled From the University to the Elementary Classroom: Students Experiences in Learning to Integrate Technology in Instruction was authored by Brown along with other researchers and this research was conducted in order to identify methods through which instructors can implement technological advancement in different aspect of teaching such as preparing curriculum and creating coursework (Brown 599). This resource is important to the present study as this resource can provide information regarding how the issues experienced by educationists while using technology in their class rooms can be solved. Buchanan, JA. "Use of Simulation Technology in Dental Education."Â  Journal of Dental Education. 65.11 (2001): 1225-31. Print. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.130.3369&rep=rep1&type=pdf The research article titled Use of Simulation Technology in Dental Education was written by Buchanan and in the purpose of conducted this study was to identify how the technological advancement of simulation is being used in the field and educational circuit of dentistry and what are the possible advantages as well as disadvantages experienced by the stakeholders of the field in implementing this technology (Buchanan 12231). This resource can be used as an example of how technology is actually being used by educational institutes and how it is impacting

Fascinating Moment Essay Example for Free

Fascinating Moment Essay Miller successfully makes the Vinny Bolzano story a fascinating moment to return to by carefully planning the plot of the play. In the beginning, because Eddie told the story of Vinny Bolzano, we believe that no matter how much he hates the cousins, he wouldn’t do anything like Vinny because of his belief in loyalty to family and the community. However, just before he leaves Alfieri’s office, we see the phone-booth gradually light up, symbolizing the triumph of Eddies desperation over his conscience as he contemplates the idea of snitching to the Immigration Bureau. Earlier in the play, Eddie shows his belief in the unspoken code of honour and Italian ‘justice’ when he tells Catherine the story of Vinny Bolzano to warn her about snitching on Marco and Rodolfo and the consequences, and is very particular on pointing out how no one should know that they are harbouring illegal immigrants. The story of Vinny is not merely that of a young boy who betrays his own uncle to the authorities. It also goes to show the price he has to pay for that betrayal. He is humiliated in the street by his own parents and he leaves his house never to be heard of again. The fact that Eddie does the exact same thing of which he has spoken with such horror is ironic, but for the audience who were warned at the start of the play it is dramatic irony. Eddie forgot the words which he made very clear to Catherine, you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away. His words foreshadow his own destruction. Now he finds this saying to be true: his feigned horror on finding the Liparis have relatives sharing with Marco and Rodolfo, and his suggestion that they are being tracked, coming just before the immigration officers arrive, is a giveaway. It is also made more of a community issue because now he hasn’t just snitched on his own family but also on the Liparis. Lipari and his wife, Louis and Mike, the stage representatives of the wider community, one by one leave Eddie alone, symbolizing his isolation. Both Catherine and Beatrice are speechless with shock when they realise what Eddie has done, and immediately, their opinion of him changes from love to hate. Miller uses Beatrice’s unbelieving â€Å"Oh, my God, my God† to show that even she, who had stood by and supported Eddie, had now turned against him.  To add further insult to injury, Marco later spits in Eddie’s face, and is then carried away before Eddie can retaliate. This sequence of events further degrades Eddie’s character, and will lead to his end being far more tragic, as he is deserted, disgraced and angry at how he thinks his good intentions are being misinterpreted and thrown back in his face. The climax of the play is a showdown and it clearly shows the ignominious consequences that Eddie brought upon himself. Marco believes it is dishonourable to let Eddie live, but has given his word not to kill him. Eddie pulling a knife out means that Marco can see justice done, while keeping his word. Again the action is symbolic of the plays deeper meaning. Eddie literally dies by his own hand, which holds the knife, and is killed by his own weapon; but Eddie also metaphorically destroys himself, over the whole course of the play. And this is what Alfieri introduces to at the plays opening: the sight of a man destroying himself, while those around him are as powerless as a theatre audience to prevent it. Alfieris speech at the beginning begins by introducing a lot of concepts which are explored later in the play. He begins with a speech on lawyers and the distrust that originates from it, You see how uneasily they nod to me? Thats because I am a lawyer a lawyer means the law, and in Sicily the law has not been a friendly idea. Both Eddie and Marco allow their personal feelings to affect their idea of justice. They are not strong enough to take an objective view. We see that Alfieri is right, people are not strong enough to execute true justice, their desires and feeling always take a part. This is why it is better to rely on the law, which although flawed offers an objective view. We can see later in the play that both Eddie and Marco turn to the law for help, but the law lets them down, You mean to tell me that theres no law that a guy which he aint right can go to work and marry a girl and ?. These two parts of the play link to show us that the law will often clash with loyalty, and when something interferes with loyalty, one often has to turn to the law for help; however, the law may often deal with the problems too severely. We can see this by the drastic action that Eddie has to take to remove Rodolfo from Catherine’s love. Alfieri says This is not God only God makes justice. The idea that the corporate federal law is inadequate comes out in a few places in the play. One example is when Marco is in jail and talks to Alfieri about what will happen to Eddie. Marco says all the law is not in a book. This tells us that Italians have many different rules to Americans to do with punishment and believe in getting justice rather than abiding by the law. With this, Miller tries to show the culture clash as Americans believe more in law whereas the Italians believe in justice. Justice is a very important because it links in with honour. Honour is shown to be very important, especially to the male characters. It means far more to them than the law. To be honourable is to be respected. If you do anything dishonourable, you lose respect. That is why Marco and Eddie are so keen to protect their names and get a just conclusion. Codes of honour bind families and the whole neighbourhood with a sense of community. Everyone should look out for one another, to betray someone is the most dishonourable action imaginable.

Keys To Success And Critical Issues Marketing Essay

Keys To Success And Critical Issues Marketing Essay Mcayain knives is owned and operated by Mark Hopper who is a Master Blade smith and experienced Blacksmith who has been in the Industry since the age of 15. Mcayain Knives will be a new venture for Mark Hopper whose main business is working on big architectural iron work for companies and home owners. Mcayain knives will be introducing a new product line of three designs of custom made knives that will target outdoor enthusiasts for example the fishermen, tactical groups and Hunters. The knives will be of high quality, tough, durable with a superb cutting edge. The knives will have edge holding abilities; this means with use they retain their sharp cutting edge and low edge wear guaranteed. The cryogenic steel making technology that Mcayain will use to make its knife is one that no other knife manufacturer is using at the present time, and will provide a knife that most outdoor enthusiasts will hopefully embrace to cater for all their needs without worry that they may have with other knives like edge holding capabilities. Mcayains marketing goal is to meet the needs of every outdoor enthusiast in the market in the future and to get their specialty knives out to every outdoor enthusiast including their target market of hunters, and fishermen. Mcayains will use pull strategy by advertising in Blade magazine, knife illustrated and Tactical knife Magazine which are the top knife magazines in the U.S on a monthly basis to drive consumer sales and brand awareness. Participating in trade shows and also driving consumers to check out their interactive website. Mcayain intends to sell 9,600 units and 10,560 units of Knives in 2009 and 2010 respectively. The units will bring sales of over one million dollars in the first year and hopefully increase at a 10% increase each year. As long as Mcayain keeps selling their knives at a steady rate then they will keep growing their profits as the years come. The most important factors for Mcayain to succeed in the business is for them to get notoriety for its quality of product being tough, offering a superior edge and having good design. With so many knife companies out there Mcayain will have to stand by their steel forging technology that provides a more superior outdoor knife that its competition and deliver the best interactive custom knives to their customers. Mcayain Knives fatal problems that they may incur would be Competition getting their technology and making similar products. Legislation of laws that may ban carrying and use of fixed blade knives. Mcayain would have to be a trend setter and move as the market moves and always be a step ahead of competition. Also a forum on their website for informing customers of existing laws and how it affects them then and how to lobby if needed. Product Mcayain specialty Knives will produce and Market a new product line of custom made knives that will target and appeal to customers, who are interested in high quality, tough, durable knife with a superb cutting edge. The knives will have edge holding abilities, this means with use they retain there sharp cutting edge and low edgewear guaranteed. Mcayain will offer designer style knives, which are not only good looking with great aesthetics but at the same time a knife that will function in any weather or climate. Through its marketing and promotion efforts, Mcayain knives will appeal to many customers who enjoy active outdoor lifestyles for example fishing, hunting and tactical exercises. The customers will have internet options that they can use to get interactive with the whole knife making process, they will have options as to what handle materials they want to use, the case materials and other accessories like fire starters and sharpening stones. Mcayain knives will offer three patterns of knives; the first one will be the skinning knife with a 3.5-inch blade, tactical life, with a 7.5-inch blade and the third one, which is a trout and stream knife with a 5.5-inch blade. The steel for the blades will be made using two types of technology mixed together, which are the old and the new. The old will be using forging techniques where steel is shaped by hammering and the new using cryogenic hardening which is using different temperature methods. These knives will have different steel finishes, one being a Teflon coating, which is a durable, non- reflective black finish which will appeal to a lot of the customers who enjoy hunting and who dont like a flashy knife. Another steel finish being offered is the tumbled finish, which is a matte, metallic finish. A mirror polish which has a high polished look and these will be targeted to customers who like shiny knifes. The last steel finish that will be offered will be the bead blasted finish, which is a satin metallic finish for all customers. As handle materials Mcayain Knives will offer black linen Micarta which is a tough durable synthetic material that is bonded together with linen cloth. This coarse texture helps for non-slip purposes and durability features. Another option will be the use of Cocobolo wood; this is a deep rich wood for those customers who want something pretty on their knife handles, paracord wrap/ carbon fiber and aluminum handles that are ductile, tough and offer non-slip features. The cases for the knives will be made from three different materials. The first one will be regular traditional leather. The next material for the cases will be Ripstop Nylon case, which is a lightweight case that packs close to the body and can be attached in different ways. The last option will be a Kydex case, which is a semi rigid form of plastic that is known to be tough and durable. All cases offer multiple hanging options, clips, leg harness and traditional belt loop. Mcayain Specialty Knives is offering its target market a product that is not being offered by the other knife companies in the business. The knives offered could withstand any climate or extreme condition and at the same time offer customers the options to build a customized knife according to their preferences from start to finish. A lot of Knives in the market which are being offered by top companies like Buck knives or SOG knives provide one or two of the options being offered by Mcayain knives. Industry Analysis The the last few years have been a time of transition for the knife industry. Forces within and outside the business have worked to reshape designs, materials and the industrys distribution channels (Calandra, B. (2006). On the cutting edge. Retrieved July 24, 2008 from http://www.sgblink.com). The fixed- blade segment of the industry, which is hunting, fishing and outdoor knives, has seen the most change. There has been increase in sales because of the new designs which use new technology, lighter, durable products with better cutting edges, (Calandra,B.( 2006). On the cutting edge. Retrieved July 24, 2008 from http://www.sgblink.com). According to ( Tabor, T.C. 2007).  January, Choosing the right hunting knife.  Countryside and Small Stock Journal,  91(1),  57-59.   Retrieved July 24, 2008, from Research Library  database) there is still the hardcore hunting, fishing and outdoor consumers who are buying the best quality, high tech knife with new steel and interesting blades and state of the art handles. With this in mind Mcayain knives as described in the product analysis will continue using the best steel and offer new designs that the outdoor consumer wants. The Knife industry continues to evolve with each passing, the outdoor market is looking at lightweight knives like water knives and durable, coated knives that can withstand a lot of water and tear, (Snow, J. 2007,  September. A Cut Above.  Review of Outdoor Life,  212(8),  78). Consumers of specialty knives are willing to spend money on a knife that will make their outdoor or everyday lives easier (Fowler, E. 2007). Knife Talk: The Art and science Of Knife Making. Iowa: Krause Publications). Many of them have multiple knives that they keep in their collections, trucks, boat or one on their belts (Fowler, Ed. (2007). Knife Talk: The Art and science Of Knife Making. Iowa: Krause Publications). Many people who are involved in outdoor activities or live in rural areas have a need for more than one knife and often make additional purchases where the initial purchase was made. A lot of business for specialty knives occurs during gift-giving occasions and when the hunting and fishing season begins (Fowler, Ed. (2007). Knife Talk: The Art and science Of Knife Making. Iowa: Krause Publications). A lot of businesses in the knife industry, even the small ones make sales in the millions each year, (Snow, J. 2007,  September. A Cut Above.  Review of Outdoor Life,  212(8),  78). Despite tight laws in knife carrying due to the senseless September 11 attacks, during which the knife industry worldwide experienced a slow in sales, knives are still selling and the knife market is here to stay with great potential for new businesses ( Kramer, B. (20   March). Buck Knives finds success through lean manufacturing.  Knight Ridder Tribune Business News,1.   Retrieved August 09, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Dateline  database). Market Summary According to Dan Bumps from Blade Magazine the average specialty knife buyer is male and between the ages of 30-70 years old, with education beyond high school. Most are professionals (23.4%), proprietor/ self employed (13.7%), Managerial (10.6%), Technical (14.8%) and Blue collar (19.3%) with other (8.4%) ( D.Bumps, personal communication, July 28, 2008) An average outdoor enthusiast owns an average of 132 knives in his collection; and has a knife collection worth 10,089 dollars; they purchase an average of 27 knives annually and spend an average of 1,473 dollars annually on their outdoor hobby (D. Bumps, personal communication, July 28, 2008). Dan Bumps from Blade Magazine continues to mention that the average household income of this industry is 84,507 thousand dollars and are willing to spend money on a knife that makes their outdoor life easier(D.Bumps, personal communication, July 28, 2008). Mcayain knives will fulfill market needs by introducing their knives to three subsets. The first sub-market is the hunting enthusiastic who comprises of roughly 15% of the total target market. These are the individuals who enjoy deer hunting and want a good working knife for dressing animals, while offering exceptional cutting edge advantage which is durable, comfortable and easy to use. The second sub-market is for those customers who enjoy fishing and comprise of another 15% of our market; these are the sports fishermen and casual weekend users on the lake. They will use the knife for cutting bait, preparing the fish (scaling and gutting) and a knife that is comfortable, light, with superb quality. The final sub-market is for the outdoor enthusiasts who make up the most of our target market at 70%. They are the customers who have to have these kinds of knives whether for show or use. They are the individuals who are perceived serious about the outdoors and use different opportunities to show their knives and skills in outdoor sports or other challenges. Market trends show that outdoor enthusiasts are after knives that are user friendly and can perform multiple tasks. Todays buyer is after as much versatility and quality as can be packed into one package (Fowler, Ed. (1998). Knife Talk: The Art and science Of Knife Making. Iowa: Krause Publications). Market trends also show that the consumer wants multi tools, which is essence is a pair of folding pliers high breed with a Swiss army pen knife. This knife has utilitarian tools such as a saw, bottle opener, screw drivers, knife blade, scissors, and files (Troy, M. DSN Retailing Today, Oct 2, 2000,, Retrieved on July 18, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_19_39/ai_66034876 ). This market is something that has been well covered by other businesses and is not something Mcayain Knives is willing to venture into because the multi tool is essentially a pair of pliers and we strive to specifically make a hard working knife. Another trend in the knife industry is the tactical knife, which is a knife you have to make do with for whatever you need it at the time, whether that means to cut a person out of a wrecked car or defend yourself from an attack (Pohl, D. (2003). Tactical knives. Germany: Krause publications). This is going to be close to 50% of Mcayains Market. It is the fastest growing portion of the knife market today. According to blade magazine, 82% of consumers will increase or maintain knife buying level over the next 12months. There is potential Market growth in this knife industry that will come from new products, not old (Calandra, B.( 2006) On the cutting edge. Retrieved July 24, 2008 from http://www.sgblink.com ). Calandra says that this new growth will come from Outdoor recreationalist and not just from traditional hunting and fishing categories. The Competition Three companies lead the target market that Mcayain knives are venturing into. Primarily Buck Knives command the majority of all the recreational knife market in every genre. This for Mcayain knives would be like trying to topple coca cola but to steal 1% of their market would mean a huge profit to Mcayain. Buck knives competitive advantage lies in their over 100 years of knife making and 35million dollars in sales in the fiscal year of 2007 according to Hoovers(Buck Knives Inc. (July 15th). Retrieved July 23, 2008, from Hoovers Company Records  database). SOG knives are the second largest competition for Mcayain knives. SOG originally stood for Studies and Observation Group, an elite joint services military group designed for covert operations in the Vietnam War. Sanctioned to develop and purchase their own equipment, SOG created a knife for use in one of the harshest environments in the world. (SOGKnives, Retrieved July 23, 2008 from http://www.sogknives.com/store/index.html). SOG has a well established specialty market, they provide consumers with good quality products that have been brutally tested and designed by top military weapon designers (Hartnik, A.E. (2005). The Complete encyclopedia of Knives. New Jersey: Chartwell Books). SOG has an added advantage of having contracts with several areas of the military providing them with edged tools that can be used in combat situations or outdoor recreation. Cold Steel knives are the third largest competition for Mcayain knives. They are very meticulous in making their knives, there choice of metal is very specific and their hardening and tempering process is chosen for their superior qualities in cutting abilities and blade strength. Their steel is specially made; all their blades are forged and cryogenically hardened which provides them with a very innovative and technologically advanced process which most knife manufacturers have deemed too complicated and expensive to undertake (Pohl, D. (2003). Tactical knives. Germany: Krause publications). Cold steels market share includes the martial artist which opens up a totally untapped market by Mcayain Knives. Another added advantage is that cold steel offers San Mai III, which is laminated steel used in making their larger knives, tougher, more flexible and virtually unbreakable while still retaining their high quality cutting edge. No other knife manufacturers offer this because it is too complicated to do.( Pohl, D. (2003). Tactical knives. Germany: Krause publications). Future competition for Mcayain knives comes from Diamond Blade Company. This company is an up and coming company whose innovation in cutting edge technology has taken the knife industry by surprise (Knives Illustrated, 2008, Retrieved July 23, 2008, from http://www.knivesillustrated.com/ ). They have spent the last five years developing a way to create differential hardeners in their knives and improve the edge holding ability exponentially from traditional knives. Diamond Blade Company has managed to develop steel that is over 300% more wear resistant than conventional D2 steel but still flexible enough to bend at 90 degrees without breaking, which ensures a superior knife(Knives Illustrated, 2008, Retrieved July 23, 2008, from http://www.knivesillustrated.com/ ). Keys to success Critical Issues There are several things that Mcayain knives need to do to succeed:- Mcayain needs to get notoriety for its quality of product being tough, a superior edge and having good design. This will be done by editors of magazines having the product for destruction testing. Mcayain needs a superb advertising strategy that brings awareness of the quality and diversity of its products. This would be both in print media and electronic media targeting not only the conventional knife user for example the hunters, fishermen but also cyclists, gun collectors, golfers or runners who might be interested in a specialty knife. Mcayain will need to design and produce products that meet market demand. Mcayain has to pay attention to the following critical issues:- Constantly monitor customer satisfaction, ensuring that the growth strategy will never compromise service and satisfaction levels. Mcayain has to establish itself as a market innovator that listens to its customers desires and needs. Mcayain needs to pursue controlled growth that dictates that all expenses will never exceed revenue base, this will help protect against recessions. Marketing strategy Mcayain has a limited budget, so the marketing strategy will be simple. Mcayains goal is to meet the needs of every outdoor enthusiast in the market in the future and to get their specialty knives out to every outdoor enthusiast including their target market of hunters, and fishermen. Developing visibility and brand equity is the key. To do so, Mcayains will use pull strategy by advertising in Blade magazine, knife illustrated and Tactical knife Magazine which are the top knife magazines in the U.S on a monthly basis to drive consumer sales and brand awareness. Participating in trade shows and also driving consumers to check out their interactive website. Mcayain is offering three knife patterns, the skinning knife with a 3.5-inch blade, tactical knife, with a 7.5-inch blade and the third one, which is a trout and stream knife with a 5.5-inch blade. The pricing structure of the knives is based on a tumbled finish blade and a cast aluminum handle in a rip stop nylon case. The basic price for the skinner is 130 dollars, trout and stream price is 140 dollars and the tactical knife will be 150 dollars. Additional blade finishes, additional handle materials and case options are add- ons that will increase the price of the knives according to customer needs and preferences. Using its interactive internet site, Mcayain will offer consumers chances to win free custom made knives by having competitions on who will introduce the most customers to the site, discounts for customers who purchase knives on a regular basis using their customer database to increase and drive sales. Marketing objectives The Knife Industry is a very competitive industry which is always changing. It is vast and diverse with many different levels of businesses from the large manufacturer to the single custom maker. Over the next three years Mcayains is targeting a Market share of roughly 2%. This may seem as a small percentage but in actuality it will give Mcayains a profit in the millions. Considering our main competitor Buck knives Inc, made $35 million in sales in 2007, and just to claim 2% of their Market would give Mcayains a profit of $700,000. This would just be one of the competitors Market share not including the rest. This will be done by Maintaining steady growth in each month by developing new products and features and allowing the customers to have more influence in the creation process of their knife. Also Mcayain will grow through increase in new customers who are turned into long-term customers. Financial Objectives Table 1: Production cost for Mcayain Tactical Knife (Most Expensive in the line) Manufacturing cost $ D2 Steel 6 Aluminum Handle 1.50 Handle Bolts 3.50 Rip stop Nylon 1.50 Press studs .75 Drill bits 2 Carbide chip 5 Ceramic belt Forging time:- 5minutes Machining of blade:-30minutes Sharpening:- 15minutes Heat treating :- 10 minutes 7 1.70 10 5 3.40 Machining Handle:- 10minutes Making case:- 30 minutes Assembling parts:- 5minutes Power TOTAL COST 3.40 10 1.70 20 82.45 The price unit of a tactical knife is $150; it costs Mcayain $82.45 to manufacture it. Advertising, Insurance and Workshop Rent are ongoing monthly expenses which equate to $7640. From the Manufacturing costs calculations, Mcayain can make 800 knives a month this divided into the ongoing monthly expenses gives an additional cost of $9.55 per knife. The total production cost for a knife is 82.45+ 9.55= $92.00 This gives Mcayain a profit of $58.00 per unit. This is a profit Margin 38.7% Mcayains major in-house expenses would involve new dyes for the forging process, CNC programming for machining centers for blades and handles. The dyes would cost $2,000 a piece per design ($6,000). CNC programming would cost $1,000 per design ($3,000). This would be a total of $9,000 in expenses. Taking our profit of $58.00 per unit and dividing into our total expenses of $9,000 we would need to sell 155 units to make profit. Mcayain would expect to be profitable within two months of advertising. Positioning Strategy The knife Industry is quite competitive and always changing, in order for Mcayain to obtain a good market share it should create PODs (points of differences in their knives. The number one thing going for Mcayains knives is the superior quality of steel and the cryogenic way of forging it that no other knife company is doing right now. As a web-based company it will offer interactive features that the customer can get involved in. Customers will be able to go in and design their knife from scratch to finish and change features as they wish and Mcayain will custom make the knives according to the customers preferences and mail it to them. Mcayain intends to keep up with customer needs and add new features and interactive capabilities to their Website and Knives. Marketing Mix Mcayain intends to use more than one marketing channel to increase market coverage and decrease any channel costs that they may incur. To do so they will use a multi-channel market system (Kotler, P., Keller, K.L. (2008).Marketing Management, 13e. (p.468-470). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall). The company will use direct marketing by selling all its 3 kinds on knives on line. The customer as mentioned before will be able to design their knife from the first stage to the final stage according to their preferences. If customers do not want to custom make their own design then they will have options to simply buy the ready-made knives. Customers will be able to go online, read reviews and get every detail of information about the knives. If they have any questions they can either email write or call and customers will be able to order knives through mail and phone. Advertising is one of the major channels that Mcayain intends to use and spend a lot of money on in pushing their product and creating brand awareness. Mcayain intends to advertise in the top three Knife magazines in the US market which are, Knife Illustrated, Blade Magazine and Tactical Knifes. The advertising cost for a 4 color full page advertisement is going to cost Mcayains a total of $ 10,920 a month in all three publications. Mcayain intends to send samples of their knives to Knife magazine editors, outdoor teams and Military tactical teams to test their product. Mcayain believes their product is superior and will sell itself through these channels. Word of mouth will help spread the word about the knife and hopefully drive customers to the Internet site. The company will use the magazines advertising to promote sales by offering customers to send in design ideas and vote on the best, and whoevers design gets chosen receives a free custom made knife. This will drive traffic to the site and hopefully get Mcayain some sales. Mcayain also plans to attend craft/ trade shows to show case their knives to all the knife enthusiasts attending. In the US a lot of knife shows are held throughout the calendar year. This will introduce the knives to any new potential customers and anyone else who would be interested in knowing about the Knives. Financial, Budgets and Forecasts The following sections provide the breakeven analysis, sales forecast, and expense forecast for Mcayain Knives. As a benchmark Mcayain knives will use the Tactical knife pricing to calculate its profit and loss because this is the more time consuming of the three designs, so the comparable percentages or profits of the knives are the same which is 38.7%. 12.1 Break Even Analysis With an estimated fixed cost of $445,640 for, 2009, the breakeven is: Break Even = Total fixed costs/ Unit contribution= 445,640/ 58 =7684 units. Mcayain Knives targets to sell 9,600 knives this comes from calculating how many knives they can make in a year. (800* 12). Therefore the profit for 2009 becomes: Profit = (9,600* 58) 445,640) = $111,160 The calculations are same for years 2010 and 2011. Table 2 shows the break even and profit for the next three years. Table 2. Break even and profit Impact for the next three years. Year Units sold Fixed costs Break Even Profit 2009 9,600 knives $ 445,640** 7684 knives $111,160 2010 10,560 knives* $ 436,640** 7529 knives $175,798 2011 11,616 knives* $ 436, 640** 7529 Knives $237,046 **Fixed costs are estimated for all three years. * Units sold for 2010 and 2011 are estimated assuming 10% market increase every year. 12.2 Sales Forecast Table 4 provides the sales forecast for the next three years for Mcayain Knives. Sales for 2009 are calculated using the following equation: Sales= Price per unit* units sold= $ 150 * 9,600 knives = $1, 440,000 Table 3:- Sales forecast for the next three years. Year Units Sold Price Per Unit Sales 2009 9,600 units $ 150 $ 1,440,000 2010 10, 560 units $ 150 $ 1,584,000 2011 11,616 units $150 $ 1,742,400 12.3 Expense Forecast Table 4 gives the expense forecast for the next three years. Expense for 2009 is calculated using the following equation:- Expense = (variable cost per unit * units sold) + fixed costs = ($92 * 9,600) + $445,640 =$1,328,840 Table 5:- Expense forecast for the next three years Year Units sold Variable cost per unit Fixed costs Sales 2009 9,600 $92 $445,640 $1,328,840 2010 10,560 $92 $436,640 $1,408,160 2011 11,616 $92 $436,640 $1,505,312 Marketing and Sales Organization As of right now Mcayain Knives has no sales or Marketing force in the Organization. The manager/ Owner of Mcayains, Mark Hopper intends to do all the initial Marketing of the product by attending trade shows, dealings with knife magazines and sales pitches to any potential clients. The reason for this is that all the other staff are production staff except for the secretary who makes sure all knife orders are fulfilled and shipped to customers. Mark Hopper who designed and developed the products and the processes that involve in making the knives, feels that his knowledge and experience of theses knives puts him in the best position to communicate the qualities and the designs to his future clients. Therefore he is the best for Marketing Mcayain Knives. In the future Mcayain Knives would like to have a specialized team of people who move upward from their original production positions into sales, management and product design and development positions. This will give the staff in these positions in-depth knowledge of the production processes and the product, which will aid them greatly in their new roles. Contingency Plan Mcayain knives is versatile enough to move with the trends of the market as well as being a trend setter. This is due to the fact that coming up with a new product would only be a $10,000 investment in CNC programming, tooling and die making. Right now Mcayain knives produces only fixed blade knives rather than folding knives or multi-tools, so it does not cover all aspects of the knife market, this could be seen as only having a single sale strategy. Another risk could be caused by legal legislation outlawing the carrying and use of knives; this would have a detrimental effect on Mcayains market. Competition is always a concern; this is because it is very simple in the knife industry to take someones idea and develop it further. To minimize the Market moving and Competition, Mcayain Knives has to be a trend setter in the interactive designs of knives. They have to make sure their products are always exceptional and constantly developing. Keeping the customers excited in what they will do next. For legislation laws Mcayain Knives intends to open a forum on their website informing people of proposed legislations and possible movements within the law.

Huntingtons Disease :: essays research papers

Huntington's Disease Background Huntington's disease is inherited as an autosomal dominant disease that gives rise to progressive, elective (localized) neural cell death associated with choleric movements (uncontrollable movements of the arms, legs, and face) and dementia. It is one of the more common inherited brain disorders. About 25,000 Americans have it and another 60,000 or so will carry the defective gene and will develop the disorder as they age. Physical deterioration occurs over a period of 10 to 20 years, usually beginning in a person's 30's or 40's. The gene is dominant and thus does not skip generations. Having the gene means a 92 percent chance of getting the disease. The disease is associated with increases in the length of a CAG triplet repeat present in a gene called 'huntington' located on chromosome 4. The classic signs of Huntington disease are progressive chorea, rigidity, and dementia, frequently associated with seizures. Studies & Research Studies were done to determine if somatic mtDNA (mitochondria DNA) mutations might contribute to the neurodegeneration observed in Huntington's disease. Part of the research was to analyze cerebral deletion levels in the temporal and frontal lobes. Research hypothesis: HD patients have significantly higher mtDNA deletionlevels than agematched controls in the frontal and temporal lobes of the cortex. To test the hypothesis, the amount of mtDNA deletion in 22 HD patients brains was examined by serial dilution-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and compared the results with mtDNA deletion levels in 25 aged matched controls. Brain tissues from three cortical regions were taken during an autopsy (from the 22 HD symptomatic HD patients): frontal lobe, temporal lobe and occipital lobe, and putamen. Molecular analyses were performed on genetic DNA isolated from 200 mg of frozen brain regions as described above. The HD diagnosis was confirmed in patients by PCR amplification of the trinucleotide repeat in the IT 15 gene. One group was screened with primers that included polymorphism and the other was screened without the polymorphism. After heating the reaction to 94 degrees C for 4 minutes, 27 cycles of 1 minute at 94 degreesC and 2 minutes at 67 degrees C, tests were performed. The PCR products were settled on 8% polyacrylamide gels. The mtDNA deletion levels were quantitated relative to the total mtDNA levels by the dilution-PCR method. When the percentage of the mtDNA deletion relative to total mtDNA was used as a marker of mtDNA damage, most regions of the brain accrued a very small amount of mtDNA damage before age 75. Cortical regions accrued 1 to 2% deletion levels between ages 80-90, and the putamen accrued up to 12% of this deletion after age 80.

My Personal Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Education T

My Personal Philosophy of Education When I came to college, I debated on a major, trying to find a career that would be satisfying to me. After much pondering, I decided that education is the right path for me. I now find that not only do I think it is the right career, but I have a passion for helping children succeed. Education is a very important part of today's society. Teaching is a way to make society a better place for today's generation and our children. Teaching may not seem like a very important career to some people, but when I think back to some of my own teachers, I realize what an important part they played in my life. Many people have the desire to be a teacher from the time they are children. Others figure out their destiny much later. I started out wanting to be a forester. Forestry is something that always fascinated me, but after giving that a shot, I realized that it wasn't something for me to spend the rest of my life doing. After forestry fell through, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to be. I thought about my two favorite teachers from high school. Mrs. Patterson, my math teacher, and Mr. Brown, my science teacher, had both told me I'd make a good teacher because I could get things across to students that had trouble understanding. Mrs. Patterson chose me as a tutor for her upper level math courses because I knew the classes well and could sometimes teach things to students clearer than she co...

Analysis of Donnes The Bait and Marlowes Passionate Shepherd to His L

Love, an extremely and unsurprisingly popular topic among writers in every time period and corner of the world, is the central subject of two similar, yet contradicting literary works – â€Å"The Passionate Shepard to His Love† by Christopher Marlowe and â€Å"The Bait† by John Donne, respectively. Each author masterfully utilizes imagery, but in different ways to achieve two different purposes. Marlowe’s idealistic vision of what love should be is countered by Donne’s rather cynical realism. Both works begin with an identical first line that is followed by a line that Donne alters from Marlowe’s original line. The change seems subtle yet it contains thematically significant meaning. Marlowe’s second line reads â€Å"†¦and we will all the pleasures prove†¦Ã¢â‚¬  while Donne slightly changes the latter of the two – â€Å"†¦and we will some new pleasures prove†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The discontinuity lies in the wording as Marlowe fails to recognize the negatives connected with relationships. Donne acknowledges these hardships, replacing Marlowe’s extreme word choice - â€Å"all† to â€Å"some†. The alteration provides a more realistic approa...

Five Sociological terms and concepts Essay

The purpose of this paper is to talk about the five sociological terms, concepts or theories that I feel have impacted my understanding of the social world. These terms, concepts and theories include the social construction of reality, sociological perspective, observational research, operational definition and debunking. I will define each concept and then briefly explain how the concept helped me understand the process by which reality is socially constructed. The first concept that impacted my understanding of the social world is the social construction of reality. The social construction of reality is our perception of reality is built for us by other people. It isn’t determined by other people but it is heavily influenced by other people. Things that influence our social construction of reality could be our parents, friends, neighborhoods we lived in, schools we attended and everybody and everything we came in contact throughout our lives. The social construction of reali ty helped me better understand how reality is socially constructed because it showed me how other people can influence an individual and shaped them into the person they are. The second concept that impacted my understanding of the social world is the sociological perspective. A perspective is the way to see the world. There are many different perspectives that include anything from The Historical Perspective to The Psychological Perspective. Specifically, The Sociological Perspective states that the world doesn’t consist of a reality that everyone sees in the exact same way. Everyone views situations from different angles. With The Sociological Perspective, it doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong. The Sociological Perspective is only concerned with whether they are seeing the big picture. The Sociological Perspective exists so that we can view social reality from as many perspectives as possible instead of looking at it from your own. The Sociological Perspective helped me better understand how reality is socially constructed because now I actively use it look at situations, I now try to view situations from other peoples perspectiv es. The third concept that impacted my understanding of the social world is observational research. Observational Research is a tool that sociologists  use to gather data on certain subjects and theories. First there is Participant Observation. Participant Observation is the observation on a subject that is done personally the researcher. The second type is Naturalistic Observation. Naturalistic Observation is the observation of subjects in their natural environment usually without the knowledge of the subjects in order to get more accurate data. Observational Research helped me better understand how reality is socially constructed by producing data that opens our minds in the social world. The forth term that impacted my understanding of the social world is Operational Definition. Operational Definition is a definition that can be measured. Operational Definitions specify definitions as much as possible. It can be measured in many different ways, whether it be numerical or just a more specific definition of a word. Operational Definition helped me better understand how society is socially constructed by giving a more descriptive definition of different word that would otherwise would not have been measured. The fifth and final concept that impacted my understanding of the social world is Debunking. Debunking is one of Peter Berger’s motifs for sociological consciousness. Debunking is the examining of social beliefs to see if they’re supported by empirical evidence. It’s used to look beyond the facts and refers to looking at the behind-the-scenes patterns and processes that shape the behavior observed in the social world. Debunking helped me better understand how society is socially constructed by proving that things aren’t always what they look like until you look past the surface and see the things that shape our behavior in the social world. This paper’s purpose was to talk about the five sociological terms, concepts or theories that I feel have impacted my understanding of the social world. The paper included social construction of reality, sociological perspective, observational research, operational definition and debunking, all of which impacted my understanding of how society is socially constructed.

Record Organization

All sizes of facilities seem to have a few similarities and differences in how a facility handles loose reports. In reviewing our compiled data I noticed that most of the facilities prefer that their loose records are permanently anchored in the patient’s charts. Permanently anchoring files in patients charts can avoid files being misplaced or lost. The way files are organized depends on each facility policies. In the information the most popular form of organization seems to be chronological.While others file by personal information, doctors’ orders, medications, then legal information. In reviewing the data from the interviews, I noticed there were some similarities and differences in how a patient’s file is handled. Small facilities seem to use paper files and all reports are filed within the patient’s main record immediately. This prevents reports from getting lost, and they are easier to locate. All medium and large facilities are more likely to use e lectronic files rather than paper files.With electronic files everything gets filed in the patient’s main file immediately. Using electronic files also eliminates the risk of misplacing files. It seems the smaller facilities use paper files because the electronic system may be too costly for them. In conclusion, how patient’s files are filed and how they are taken care of within a small, medium, or large facility depend on the preference of that facility. Even though there are some similarities and differences they all take care in the organization of how their files are filed whether it is paper or electronic.

Communication Effects on Daily Life

#4: Identify one or two direct ways in which mass media and culture impacted the 2012 national election results. Mass media had a profound impact on the 2012 presidential election. Mass media is one big community that includes a mainstream of media. Some of the biggest components of the mainstream are television, radios, and the Internet. Mass media is one of the most powerful tools used during national elections because it helps influence open-minded voters. Culture also heavily impacts the national election results because the United States is slowly becoming a multicultural society.Racial diversity is something that is so prominent in our lives and therefore it plays a key role in the political system. One direct way in which mass media impacted the election was through attitude influence. Romney and Obama were aware that attitudes could be influenced through the media and both candidates spent over 1 billion dollars during their campaigns, setting a new record. Throughout years a nd months leading up to the election, the campaigns used mass media to spread political support or disdain to thousands of potential voters. The television is one of the most important technologies that have impacted the election.It has remained ahead of other media for the past 8 years. Attitude influence can be shaped through political debates that are shown on TV. Millions of viewers watch television and tune in during the debates. The television helps reinforce previous attitudes and influence voters who are independent. The Internet is one other major key that impacted the election results. A decade ago, just one-in-fifty Americans got the news about a candidate from the Internet. Today, one-in-three Americans regularly get information about a candidate or the election online.These numbers show the candidates the importance of getting their message out to the public in order to gain more support. Culture heavily impacted the presidential election as well. The tremendous growth of minorities in the United States has lead to a greater impact of minorities during the presidential election. â€Å"A minority vote could make a difference in the presidential battleground†, (Zacarias, 2012). 2012 was a big year in elections because minorities could play a vital role in the outcome of the election. Obama and Romney both tried to get support from the minorities. Read also: â€Å"Advice About Communication†Obama constantly stated that he would reform immigration laws and this helped him gain more minority votes, which could have played a role in him beating Romney. Culture, and specifically minorities and immigration issues are going to become more and more popular in the upcoming elections. #3: Describe the effects of new technology on interpersonal communication, their accessibility, and their implications on global communication. New technologies are slowly taking over the world and a lot of face-to-face interactions happen through mediated technologies.Mediated communication is making it easier for people to communicate with each other, in a variety of contexts. Whether that is Skyping from school, conference calls at work or social networking with friends. One effect of the new technology is selectivity of the mass communication audience. New technology has made mass media become more selective. For example, newspaper-publishing c ompanies can now sort through hundreds of articles to publish or delete any column with a press of a button. This gives the gatekeeper a great responsibility because they have the ability to influence the flow of information to a receiver.The other big effect that technology has on interpersonal communication is enhancing communication. Technological innovations such as teleconferencing and telecommuting make it easier for people to communicate with others at separate locations. It is something that businesses of all kinds are adopting around the country. The effects of the new technology have given people the opportunity to extend relationships across local and national boundaries. â€Å"Currently, it’s estimated that there are 1. 1 billion people online throughout the world† (Internet Usage Statistics, 2007).This is an example of how much we rely on technology. New technology is in everything and everywhere we go. Through computers, cell phones, machines, satellites and e-mails; new technology have become more accessible to people in society. Just because technology has become more relied upon and accessible, does not mean it is necessarily good for society. One global implication is that it has made people more introverted. New technologies have become more convenient and therefore cause less human contact. People do not have to go outside of their home to get access to what’s currently going on around the world.The new technology also enables people to isolate themselves from the world and spend more time on media than perhaps other people. Not everyone has access to the new technologies and this creates a digital divide. On a more positive note, new technologies contribute to implement political or social change across. There will continue to be long-term global communication but it’s important that we don’t let technology overshadow human issues. #5: Think of a group you belong to. Describe your roles in relationship to the functioning of the group and any of the common difficulties that your group encounters in solving problems.The group I am going to pick for this decision is the executive committee. I am one of the 8 members in my fraternities executive committee. The executive committee consists of members that best represent the fraternity and meet when a decision or punishment needs to be made. The whole chapter votes the 8 members of the committee in and trust that decisions will be made to further the chapter’s excellence. Each person in the committee is equal in status. Some do not have power or authority over others. Last year I was the head of security for our house.With that being said, one on my primary roles is to give insight on issues that the guys might not know how to appropriately handle. I typically give suggestions and information to the committee that might not cross their mind right away. Opinion seeking, opinion giving and coordinating are things I keep in mind to he lp better the function of the group. I am going to talk about a situation that happened a few weeks ago. One of our brothers got drunk and decided to throw beer bottles in the street and curse our security. I happened to be on security tonight and talked to security so they did not have to come search our house.This brother put our house at risk and so there was an executive meeting called that next day. The overall consensus was to fine the brother 250. 00 for his actions. I gave insight and offered suggestions on how we could more effectively get through to the brother. The committee ended up listening to me and the brother is no longer allowed to drink in our house this semester. Since alcohol is essentially what caused him to act out in such a poor manner. The executive committee sometimes struggles when it comes to problem solving. Often the group is split and we have to call someone else in to count and therefore make the decision.One of the biggest problems that the group has when it comes to problem solving is railroading. Unfortunately there is always a guy or two, no matter what the issue is, that tries to force their will on the group. Another common problem that is often faced deals with constructive criticism. Some of the group members often attack each other if they feel offended instead of successfully challenging ideas. #6: What difficulties might arise with intercultural communication? Have you experienced any? Intercultural communication is something that has become so pervasive within the last few decades.This is due to advances in technologies and mass migration that has made long distance communication more reachable. One thing that is certain is that intercultural communication has become more available to the world. With that being said, there are several difficulties that might arise with the instant popularity of intercultural communication. The first difficulty that might arise is the use of language. Language differences go much deep er than simple translations. The Spair-Whorf hypothesis states that, â€Å"languages differ more than strict word-for-word translations often indicate because people who speak the languages have different needs. In high school my neighbor had an exchange student from Spain. I know the basics of the language as asked him for a vaso which I thought meant glass. It does mean glass but he made me aware that it could also mean substance. Even when we can manage to translate from one language to another with literal accuracy, the failure to understand idioms can create difficulties. Nonverbal messages are different throughout cultures and therefore can lead to difficulties and misunderstanding between people. The exchange student from Spain invited me over to his house one time.He asked me if I wanted something to drink and I nodded. He looked at me funny and did not move until I said yes please. I later found out that in Spain, nodding does not have the same meaning. Norms, roles, belie fs and values are also difficulties that might occur in intercultural communication. People in different cultures expect different behaviors from on another. â€Å"Each norm takes different forms in different countries (Christians and Traber, 1997). When it comes to greeting, in the United States people often shake hands or hug. In France it is common to kiss on the cheek.If a guy kissed a girl on the cheek here, he might leave with a black eye. Norms also can lead to misunderstandings. In our society, it is taught at an early age to speak up and make eye contact. However, in some countries, speaking up is considered disrespectful. Difficulties in intercultural communication might arise when it comes to beliefs and values. It happens often that someone from a country, who is speaking to people of a different country, might offend them. If people do not understand or accept the values of another country, difficulties and tensions will rise.Ethnocentrism and stereotypes are two probl ems that not accepting values of a country can lead to. Improving these perceptions will help reduce the amount of difficulties that are tied with intercultural communication. #7: Using your media/new technology journal, describe how mediated communication and communication technology affects your daily life. Apply concepts from the theories and textbook to explain your reliance (or lack thereof) on media. My laptop, cell phone and television are technologies that I use the most in life. I use these forms of technology everyday, in a variety of contexts.Whether that’s typing up a paper in my room, watching a football with friends, or Skyping with a friend in Paris. The types of technology and media listed in my journal have impacted communication in my life because I do not have as many face to face interactions and tend to be less extraverted. Whenever I use my laptop, I often get on the Internet. That’s because life has become so smooth with the Internet being easy t o access. Some of my main uses with it are connecting with friends, connect to social networks and browse different newsgroups to keep up on current information.According to USC’s Center for the Digital Future, 77. 6% of Americans are daily Interne users. That’s more than three quarters of the population and shows how important the Internet is in people’s daily lives. I will be the first to admit that I’d be lost without my cell phone. It is considered an essential in my daily life. Cell phones can be used in a variety of ways. Making phone calls, sending text messages, emailing, browsing the Internet and even shopping. With that being said, the main thing I use my cell phone for is convenience.Using my cell phone is not always a good thing though because it is sometimes a distraction and can be dangerous because sometimes I read texts while driving. The television is also a technology that I use to keep up with information. In my life, it serves as an ey e around the world. It helps educate myself through social, political and economic issues, which lead me to use selective attention. I often turn to the television for entertainment with friends because it helps bring us together and keep the dynamics of our group intact.Recent research finds that among college students the five most often used sources of news were, â€Å"hometown newspapers, comedy news, cable news, Internet news, and broadcast news† (Didi and LaRose, 2006). This shows how strong the relationship between personal and mediated communication can be in our daily lives. I use the media to choose communication that often confirms to my own beliefs. Selective exposure is something that I often do because seeking out something that is similar to my values or attitudes is something I would probably enjoy.

Character study of Rosalind from As You Like It Essay

Rosalind, throughout William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, uses her ability to control language to attain her goals. Using creative speech, Rosalind enables herself to control and manipulate every situation that she is involved with, especially those concerning Orlando and Phoebe. Rosalind dominates many scenes in As You Like It and, ultimately, everything that Rosalind wants to occur does. She even changes her identity to do so. By using ingenious language, Rosalind facilitates the accomplishment of all of her objectives throughout the play. The first situation in which Rosalind displays her dominance in language is in the Forest of Ardenne, disguised as Ganymede, a male. She, knowing that Orlando is yearning for her love, comments on his obvious unrequited love, saying, â€Å"Then there is no true lover in the forest; else sighing every minute and groaning every hour would detect the lazy for of time as well as a clock.† (111) By implying that Orlando’s love is not true love, she immediately inspires Orlando to prove her wrong. Orlando, becoming a little suspicious, inquires why her accent is not rough as a result of her living in the secluded forest her entire life. She retorts almost immediately with an elaborate story in which she states, â€Å"But indeed and old religious uncle of mine taught me to speak, who was in his youth an inland man, one that knew courtship too well, for there he fell in love. I have heard him read many lectures against it.† Although a lie, Rosalind uses this sly and dece ptive speech to give herself the excuse to sound educated and the ability to discuss love. Rosalind sets up this situation from the beginning, enabling herself to discreetly mention true love in order to get Orlando’s full attention. Rosalind goes on to obtain Orlando’s undivided attention by saying, â€Å"There is a man that haunts the forest that abuses our young plants with carving ‘Rosalind’ on their barks, hands odes upon hjawthrons and elegies on brambles, all, forsooth, the name of Rosalind. If I could meet that fancy-monger, I would give him some good counsel, for he seems to have the quotidian of love upon him.† (113). Rosalind proclaims herself as an expert of love in order to give herself an excuse to meet with Orlando and help him cope with his situation She knows Orlando will surely agree to meet with her to discuss his love. He says that he is truly in love, but Rosalind states that â€Å"there is none of my uncle’s marks upon you. He taught me how to know a man in love.† Orlando retorts, â€Å"I would I could make thee believe I love.† By implying that Orlando may not even be in love at all, and promoting herself as an expert, she is enabling herself to â€Å"counsel† Orlando. She leads Orlando to want to prove he is in love with Rosalind. The major fact that she is interested in is observing how deeply Orlando is in love with her and how desperate he is to be with her. By leading Orlando on to believe that she is an expert when it comes to matters that concern true love, Rosalind allows herself to find out what Orlando is thinking about her from a third person, and unbiased, perspective. Rosalind also creatively uses language to manipulate situations that contain Phoebe, Silvius, and her own disguised character, Ganymede. Although Silvius deeply loves Phoebe, she continues to reject his brutally. However, Ganymede gets involved to defend Silvius, saying to Phoebe, â€Å"Who might be your mother, that you insult, exult and all at once over the wretched? What though you have no beauty-as, by my faith, I see no more in you than without candle may go dark to bed-must you be therefore proud and pitiless?† (131). Ganymede goes onto criticizes Phoebe even more by saying, â€Å"‘Tis not your inky brows, you black silk hair, your bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream that can entame my spirits to your worship.† However, instead of getting Phoebe to realize she should appreciate Silvius’ love, Ganymede unintentionally obtains Phoebe’s love. Phoebe states to Ganymede, â€Å"Sweet youthm I pray you chide a year together. I had rather hear you chide than this man [Silvius] woo.† 133. Phoebe becomes attracted to Ganymede not realizing that Ganymede is really Rosalind, a woman. Rosalind, realizing this, continues to insult and criticizes Phoebe. She knows that she can eventually trick Phoebe into loving Silvius. Seeing an opportunity, Ganymede continues to insult Phoebe in order to continue to attain her love. Also, Rosalind sees that Silvius’ love for Phoebe is deep and true, despite that Phoebe rejects and ignores him. She sees the opportunity to manipulate Phoebe into loving Silvuis. As a result, she continues to lead Phoebe on, preparing for the time in which she ahs the chance cajole her to love Silvius. Rosalind uses her creative language one final time in dealing with the weddings. She is able, through the use of witty language, to arrange each marriage, and those who are involved, to her liking. Orlando reveals to Ganymede that he â€Å"can no longer love by thinking,† and now, more than ever, needs to be with Rosalind. Ganymede then responds by saying, â€Å"I have since I was three year old, conversed with a magician most profound in his art and yet not damnable. If you do love Rosalind so near the heart as your gesture cries out, when your brother marries Aliena shall you marry her† By assuring Orlando that Rosalind would marry him the next day, Ganymede then proceeds with the second part of her plan. She realizes that Phoebe has an attraction towards her as Ganymede She uses this fact to persuade Phoebe to marry her, with one stipulation. If Phoebe for some reason decides that she does not want to marry Ganymede, Phoebe would then be obligated to marry Silvius. Ganymede obtains Phoebe’s agreement on their marriage, stating, â€Å"If you do refuse to marry me, You’ll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd [Silvius].† Ganymede goes on to state: [To Silvius] I will help you if I can. [To Phoebe] I would love you if I could-Tomorrow meet me all together. I will marry you if I ever marry a woman, and I’ll be married tomorrow. [To Orlando] I will satify you and you shall be married tomorrow. Eventually, Ganymede reveals herself as Rosalind, and, accompanied by Hymen, prepares to marry Orlando. Aliena reveals herself to be Celia and weds Oliver. Phoebe, realzing that her lover, Ganymede, is really a female, then agrees to wed Silvius as a part of he pact with Rosalind.

Leading, managing and developing people Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leading, managing and developing people - Outline Example 318). Contracted workers will not access HR training and development. They also lose their benefits such as the medical insurance packages. Considering the negative change in treatment, contracted workers of Tiger Cars will cease from doing extra work that they could have done if they could be working on a permanent basis. Psychological contract provides an explanation for the eminent decrease in the output if the company implements its employment strategy. In the long-term the expansion plan may not work well due to issues of HR that may arise. The HR is likely to experience inflated costs of remuneration, in the long run, when they lay-off workers (LIU, 2009 p. 30). The HR department will have to hire consultants at high rates to fill the gaps of knowledge left by staff reductions. The HR will ignore the cost of cutting staff. However, with the expansion of the company the HR will face the challenge of making replacement to the lost comprehension of the firm, its processes and customers (Mazur, 2012 p. 1). It will lead to revenue loss and reduced productivity. The contracted former employees will also undertake the contracted work only without offering extra skill (Pesqueux, 2012 p. 1). Tiger Car LTD must consider implementing strategies that boost the commitment, attitudes, and their relationship with the contracted employers (Collins, Cartwright and Hislop, 2012 p. 211). Improving work conditions and implementing some exchange model between the contracted workers and the organization can boost the employee’s commitment. In addition, the provision of training, improved supervision, and the provision of co-worker support can ensure that the output of the contracted workers is boosted significantly (Jafri, 2014 p. 168). Sadiq, S. (2014). Relationship between Psychological Contract Violation, Supervisory Support, Psychological Contract Breach and Organizational Citizenship Behavior.  IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 16(3),