Martin Luther King I Have a Dream Essay

1) Rock solid, unshakeable confidence You can see from Martin Luther King’s body language that he was calm and grounded as he delivered his speech. Although you can’t see his feet as he’s speaking, I’d imagine him to be heavily planted to the ground, with a solid posture that says â€Å"Here I am. I’m not budging. Now, you come to me.† As a speaker, Martin Luther King had the solidity that is surely only found with those who have completely aligned their actions with their firm commitment. The 200,000 people at the Washington rally could not have pushed King off-track if they’d tried, so solid was he in his convictions. Self-belief from a beyond-personal source gives this sort of power – and you can see the impact. Martin luther king with this faith 2) The Voice It would always take a commanding voice to inspire thousands and Martin Luther King’s booming voice was well practiced in his capacity as a Baptist preacher. His cadence, his pacing and his preacher-like drama bring real passion to the speech. Martin Luther King used powerful, evocative language to draw emotional connection to his audience, such as: â€Å"Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.† â€Å"This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.† â€Å"We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities† Martin luther king let freedom ring 3) Rhythm & Repetition The intensity of King’s speech is built through bold statements and rhythmic repetition. Each repetition builds on the one before and is reinforced by Martin Luther King’s ever increasing passion. â€Å"We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. â€Å"Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.† â€Å"Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.† As the speech comes to a close the pace of Martin Luther King’s repetition increases, helping to build to a crescendo. 4) Ditching the Script If that wasn’t dramatic enough, Martin Luther King’s â€Å"I have a dream† speech was never meant to even include its most famous sequence and climax. Originally penned under several names, such as the catchy â€Å"normalcy speech† and â€Å"A Cancelled check†, King put aside his script ten minutes into the speech. Few would dare risk it at such a moment, but King was said to have responded to the cry of Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson â€Å"Tell ‘em about the dream, Martin!† and ad-libbed what came next. This is what gave â€Å"I have a dream† its raw power and edge – King was living the words that he spoke. 5) With, not ‘at’ his people It’s thought that King ditched the script so that he could connect more with his audience. And it worked. â€Å"I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations,† he begins. King goes on to talk to his audience and their personal situations directly, â€Å"Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.† King is with the people, fully connecting to them with his eyes and delivering a powerful rhythm in his speaking. Martin Luther King’s script writer, Clarence B Jones reflected, â€Å"It was like he had an out-of-body experience.† So often it is the speaker who is flexible and vulnerable enough to connect with their audience who has the most powerful impact.

South West Airlines a Review

SOUTHWEST AIRLINE ANALYSIS Contents SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CASE STUDY4 INTRODUCTION4 PART 1: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS5 OVERVIEW5 MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS6 PESTEL Analysis6 Industry Analysis9 Five Forces Model Pictorial Representation9 Five Forces Analysis10 PART 2: INTERNAL ANALYSIS13 OVERVIEW13 SWOT ANALYSIS14 Strengths14 Weaknesses15 Opportunities15 Threats16 The VRIO Framework16 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS17 PART 3: CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE COMPANY18 Mergers and Acquisitions18 Financial Outlay18 Legislation19 PART 4: STRATEGIC OPTIONS19 Ansoff Matrix19The TOWS Matrix20 PART FIVE – EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS21 OVERVIEW21 PART 5: DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWS STRATEGY22 PART SIX – DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STRATEGY23 PART 7: CONCLUSION24 REFERENCES26 SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CASE STUDY INTRODUCTION Southwest airline is based in the United States with its headquarters in Dallas, Texas, that mainly serves a domestic clientele in northern America. The company has grown from a few ai rcrafts at induction into the aircraft market, to a fleet of many domestic carriers that serve the larger domestic airline clientele.Started in 1971, Southwest Airlines started business with three Boeing aircrafts while serving three cities in Texas notably Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Today the company serves 97 destinations in 41 states within the US, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and six near international countries with a fleet of 694 Boeing jets (Southwest, 2009). The company is now one of the United States biggest airline companies, offering low cost fares to their clients.The company offers the lowest combination of aircraft fares to its customers making it one of the most attractive airline carriers in the continent. The company boasts of in addition to the low fares a working staff that are reliable as well as a friendly customer service, a rich corporate culture that extends deep within the communities they work with. The company has grown ma inly through acquisitions and mergers with other companies and has been described by Fortune Magazine as one of the most profitable companies of 2012 according to (Southwest, 2012).This report will undertake an intensive look at the internal and external influences that affect the company as well as the current issues and challenges the company is facing. Further the report will generate strategic options for the company as well as an evaluation of them while describing the selected strategy. The main stakeholders associated with the company are the customers proven by the effort with which the company strives to ensure their comfort through consideration of pricing, as well as convenience offering many flights to various domestic locations offering the customers convenience.Other important stakeholders held in regard by the company are the employees of the company who are dedicated to working for the company, suppliers who continuously accord support to the company as well as the i mmediate community that the organization interacts with. With relation to the strengths that the company possesses in the domestic airline industry the company can be assumed to be working in a cost leadership generic strategy (Porter 1980). The reasons for this are that as the company is operating with the low cost policy to its clientele, the company has the advantage of working with a wide and broad base of clients.The strength therefore for the company comes from working with the numbers of passengers that it ferries between destinations on a low cost policy. PART 1: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW An external analysis is often used by organizations in a bid to identify the threats and the opportunities that exist in a company’s environment. Opportunities and threats for companies are mainly of an external nature and can have a direct impact on a company’s performance. Opportunities for a company such as Southwest Airlines are potentially rewarding conditions only when the company responds to them properly and in the right manner.Threats on the other hand are the conditions that can potentially weaken a company and provide hindrance for the company potentially preventing it from attaining its organizational goals and objectives. MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Macro-environmental analysis involves a company analysing the environment that it has no control over. To do so is done with the purpose and intention of deriving the potential opportunities and threats that exist for the company allowing it to make appropriate considerations and decisions in the light of the issues presented.The PESTEL model is the most popularized model used to analyse the macro environment of a company in addition to other forms of models and structures that are also used in the analysis. PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis tool looks at the environments of the changes in Political climate, Environmental climate, Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic as well as the Legal a tmospheres surrounding the entity (DeWit, 2004). A diagrammatic representation of the external environment that surrounds organisations is as described below; [pic]Diagram 1: PESTEL representationSource: Hunger (2011). Political Analysis The political climate surrounding the Southwest airline is not intensive. The managerial relations with the government of the day are okay. And therefore government interference in the affairs of the company is highly limited. Economic analysis An analysis of the economic environment surrounding Southwest airline is favourable. The domestic market the company addresses is well responsive to the company as they endeavour to fulfil their mission of transporting passengers at reduced rates that favour their consumers.The company has maintained profitable constant for the last 40 years. Socio-Cultural Analysis Socially the company has interacted well with their clients, suppliers and customers over the years. By giving back and engaging in community soc ial relations with the parties the company boasts of having a good working as well as cultural background with the people it has dealt with. The company owns a training centre from where they are able to give education to the people on aircraft flying as well as other airline related activities.In addition the company is heavily unionised so as to address the plights and concerns of their employees. Technological Analysis The company in recent years has engaged in technological advancements by keeping up to date with the current systems that are being introduced everyday integrating them into their systems. Systems such as booking, route paths as well as their company itinerary are available online and they have improved efficiency for the companies.The company further boasts of being the first aircraft line to own a website in early 1995 as well as the downloadable tool in 2005, that notified customers of offers and promotions that the company was running. Environmental Analysis Th e company has engaged in sustainable forms of fuel usage as well as sustain ably monitoring their resources. Through projects such as Evolve, which involved the redesign of the cabins on the craft to accommodate efficient waste disposal as well as reduce weight from waste on the craft.The company in recent times for example contracted Pratt and Whitey to supply the company with Eco-power water pressure washing systems that allowed the company to wash the grime of the engines turbine blades while the aircraft was parked at the gate. This allows the company to engage in environmental friendly ways while still maintaining their goals of quick turnaround (DeWit, 2004). Legal Analysis The company has been engaged in various legal tussles with some of their effects being felt to this day.A legal issue with the Wright Amendment has over the years been a stumbling block for Southwest Airlines as it acts as a limiter to the number of turn around flights that the company can offer. Having a l arge customer base is an advantage for the company but with the Wright Amendment whose recommendations are still being eliminated in phases the legislation has prevented the company from delivering more service to their clientele which would help them boost their revenues. Industry AnalysisConducting an industry analysis is also essential for a company as it helps the company determine the profitability levels of the company within the competitive industry (Hubbel, 2013). The main objective for this analysis is often to determine the factors of competition that influence the industry. Conducting this type of analysis is mainly aided by the five forces model that was presented by Porter, (1980). Its purpose is to mainly help create and manage competitive advantages for a company that may allow it to be steps ahead of the immediate competition.Five Forces Model Pictorial Representation [pic] Source: Sridhar, 2012 Five Forces Analysis The five forces analysis tool mainly undertakes a s tudy of the following areas in the external environment of a company; barriers to entry, substitutes available, supplier power, buyer power and finally competitive rivalry. Researching by concentrating using the above areas of environment for a company helps a company greatly when coming up with specific strategies and the development procedures on which to follow so as to assess the position of the company in relation to their current standing (Choo, 2002)Barriers to Entry Southwest airline is currently faced with a high amount of entry barriers into the market. In recent times airline companies have been conducting mergers and acquisition arrangements amongst each other mainly due to the high costs that are found within the industry. Among the first challenges to entry the company was faced with was the Wright Amendment which was created in 1979. This federal law governed the traffic at Dallas Love Field which was the predecessor to the airfield now located in Dallas, Texas.This a mendment regulated the amount of non-stop flights between Texas and other states. This law caused the founders of the company to concentrate on the local market dwelling with the demand that existed within the state of Texas. In recent times more specifically in 1997, 2005 and 2006 as a result of some repeal some of the restricting factors in the law were abolished leaving others intact. These led to the company increasing the number of direct flights in the state as well as expanding into other states around the country.In later times merging of companies has also created a problem for Southwest Airline. The reason for this is that these mergers increase the capital revenues for the other companies enabling them to invest more in profitable investments and thus more profits. This consequentially causes the company Southwest airline to lose out on market share and customers. Some examples of companies that have merged recently are Delta that merged with Northwest Airline, American a nd America West, United Airlines and Continental and the recent rumour that US Airways would be merging with American.Availability of Substitutes This refers to the alternatives that are available to the local customers. This is in reference to other forms of transport other than air. This challenge is not as significant to the company as since the other available forms do not meet the demands of the market in comparison to the demand for air transport. Transport by railroad is not as popular amongst the people since it is not enough in supply and not readily accessible. Road transport especially by bus too is not suited for the kind of clientele that need the services of the air transport.The customers who mainly use the service are frequent fliers as well as business people who need to travel across the country on a regular basis to meet their clients and other people they may need to interact with in the course of their journeys. Supplier power The ability of the company to meet the demands of the market is very high. Supplier power refers to the size of the companies that are engaging in the supply of a service or a good. For Southwest airlines the company is very well capable to meet the demands of the market.The company services a large fleet of aircraft well suited for the job of transporting passengers and in addition has a very low rate of cancelled flights 16. 1% according to the statistics provided by American Skies in 2012. Buyer power The power of the consumers has been decreased by the capability of the company to manage their flights and fleets. In addition the company has a very high efficient rate of route utilisation meeting the demands of the market in a timely and capable manner. Competitive RivalryThe competition surrounding the company is fierce. With the recent mergers of the afore mentioned airline companies operating in the US alone, the market has become very competitive and volatile for Southwest and thus the need of a good strategy so as to keep up in the market or else risk being phased out. Some of the company’s main competitors are companies such as American Airlines, US Airways, United and Delta. These companies are engaged in acquisitions and mergers in efforts to dominate more within the market which poses a threat to Southwest Airlines.To win customer loyalty for Southwest Airlines in the highly competitive environment it is prudent that the paper also addresses the concerns that customers address before they identify an airline as their choice of carrier. Some of this factors that customers address are: i. Reliability- Is the company able to offer on time departures and how do they handle customer luggage? For an airline that is constantly getting delays this is not a strong suit or losing luggage in transit and is a turn off for many customers. ii.Number of flights- This is another consideration as clients may be interested in travelling back and forth even within a day. The number of flights t hat a company handles is also a vital factor to win the loyalty of a customer to the company. iii. Pricing- This factor is the most important. In today’s economies customers have become price sensitive and will go for the cheapest options available but that provide quality services that a client may feel as they have spent their money in a worthwhile manner. Using the PESTEL and Five Forces Models above a number of opportunities present themselves.The opportunities available are that once the Wright Amendment restrictions are lifted the company could increase the number of turn around flights delivering more services to the customers. The company could engage more in mergers and acquisitions to take advantage of more international flights to more destinations. The threats that pose a danger to the company achieving its goals and objectives include the possibility of losing clients to other companies as a result of the mergers occurring that could in turn induce the lowering o f prices by the other companies as they would have more resources.The threat of economic instability causes a rise in cost in provision of added benefits which would force the company to downsize staff or reduce on other costs or be left with the option of increasing fares so as to continue working efficiently and effectively. PART 2: INTERNAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW This is an evaluation of a company’s current position from an internal point of view with regards to the marketing operations and financial strengths of a company. Using a value chain for Southwest airlines would benefit the company as they strive to offer valuable services in the industry to their stakeholders.Using internal analysis would benefit the company in streamlining operations as they would endeavour to use their strengths and turn around their weaknesses so as to create opportunities in the chains of activities in the delivery of operations that they would undertake. SWOT ANALYSIS An internal look at the com pany using the SWOT analysis reveals the strengths possessed by the company as well as the weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the company.An internal analysis of the company’s relations and affairs helps in trying to determine on which areas the company could possibly improve upon so as to come up with good strategies that the company can work with (Hunger, 2011). Strengths i) The company has a stable financial outlay that assists when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. The company recently announced an expansion program of their company headquarters where they would then serve clients on a 24hr basis having ensured that their systems would be up to date and efficiently working for the market it seeks to maintain. i) Low fee airline. For the company this is a strength because consumers and the market get to enjoy quality services as well as at an affordable price making it one of the most profitable companies through opportunistic costs. The company through its n umerous routes transports many passengers while conducting their quick turnaround system to meet the heavy demand present in the market. iii) A good working staff. One of the many fun facts about the company is that they have 1,355 married couples. This is a sign in addition to the many unions present within the company to address issues and concerns f the staff members. What the above facts present is that the company enjoys a good working environment and highly motivated at the same time. iv) The company has the lowest complaint records according to American Skies 2012. The rate was estimated to be at 0. 32 of every 100,000 passengers. This is a strength acknowledging a good appreciative customer base. Weaknesses i) With the maintenance of the low pricing strategy adopted the company has been utilizing the conditions have however been changing especially with the recent economic troubles that were experienced globally.In the aviation industry, this was affected by the high costs o f fuel and other products. ii) Confined market. Over the years the company has been dealing domestically limiting the number of consumers and who in turn developed an attitude towards the company when it came to destinations outside the domestic company. This left room for other companies to set up shop in the international travel market. Opportunities i) The company has an opportunity to deal with the international market through associations created recently with companies such as AirTran Airways.The merger which is expected to be complete by the year 2015 is an opportunity for the company not only to increase its revenue but to also expand its market. ii) Good pricing on aircraft. Dealing with exclusively Boeing to deliver crafts for the company the company has been the launching pin for many of the Boeing designs and creations. The good relationship that exists with the company presents that the company can get good pricing deals for the aircraft that they incorporate into their fleets. Threats ) The company is faced with the threat of losing out on revenue with the high costs being incurred by the company in the conduct of its operations in comparison to the low pricing that they charge to their customers. ii) The recent merging trend happening in the industry also poses a great threat for the company. This threat poses the challenge for the company by them losing out on the market share which stands at 12. 3 according to the American Skies records, 2012. The VRIO Framework [pic] VRIO framework addresses the questions of Value, Rarity, Imitability and Organization.Using this framework to generate strategic plans for a company is also a worthwhile strategy by asking the questions on the resources available to the company, are they valuable, rare, can they be duplicated and the capability of the organization to exploit this resources. For example using the resources of the company ie. Number of staff, aircraft carriers, capital outlay, loyalty of the custom ers we get the following results by asking the questions, i) Value: Is Southwest able to exploit this resource or neutralize a threat in regards to the resource? ii) Rarity: Is Southwest in control of the industry on this resource? ii) Imitability: Is the resource difficult to imitate in the industry? iv) Organization: Is the company ready to take advantage of the market? For Southwest the answers to this questions are as found in the table below. |Resources |Value |Rarity |Imitability |Organization | |Staff |High |Yes |No |Yes | |Aircraft carriers |High |Yes No |Yes | |Customers |High |Yes |Yes |Yes | |Capital outlay |High |Yes |Yes |Yes | FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Financial analysis for the company reflects that the company has been doing well with a net income of $421 million (? 279) in 2012 as reflected below: †¢ Net income: $421 million (? 279) †¢ Net income, excluding special items: $417 million (? 76) †¢ Total revenue passengers carried: 109 million †¢ Total RPMs : 103 billion †¢ Average passenger load factor: 80. 3 percent †¢ Total operating revenue: $17. 1 billion (? 11. 3) (Southwest, 2012). In comparison to the achievements the company has made over the years a good strategy needs to be determined and formulated so as to assists the company maintain its lead as well as strengthen it. PART 3: CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE COMPANY The company as identified by the above tools of analysis reveals that the company is faced with a number of challenges as articulated below.Mergers and Acquisitions This challenge though Southwest company is also engaging in it shows that the company is taking up its position within the international aviation industry in a slow paced nature. With other companies merging so as to take advantage of resources and opportunities means that they are gaining more within the markets. With a project as the merger between the company and AirTran Airways the process should be speeded up so as to create the opportunity for the company to engage in more destinations as well as the international market (Southwest 2012).Financial Outlay The company has steadily over the last few years been losing out on revenues and reduction in profits. For Southwest, this challenge has been as a result of increased costs of operations as well as diversion of revenue towards other projects such as the expansion of the headquarters for the company. For the company this poses the challenges for the company since they are investing in more acquisitions which are on a low share of the market bringing in little returns although increasing the number of destinations that the company can reach thereof.Legislation Amendments to regulation such as the Wright Amendment are required to be amended fast and implemented so as to create an opportunity for the company to increase its number of flights between destinations to serve the large customer base and reduce on the loss of revenue. Federal legislation is what made the company start off at a slow pace that caused the company to lose out on gaining more market share. PART 4: STRATEGIC OPTIONSWith relation to Southwest airlines strategy of delivering services to their clients at the lowest costs confirms that the company wishes to continue with the generic strategy of cost leadership. With the options available for the company such as those of mergers this could entirely support the company in achieving its goals and objectives of expansion and cost effectiveness. Strategic tools such as the Ansoff Matrix and the TOWS matrix reveal strategic options that a company such as Southwest could implement and follow so as to increase their position in their market (Choo, 2002).Ansoff Matrix As depicted in the image below the Ansoff matrix is a simple model that helps a company identify the opportunities present for it to engage in and come up with a good strategy by looking at the factors of market penetration, product development, market developm ent and diversification by comparing to the products offered and the markets available. For Southwest the company has penetrated the market effectively in the domestic scene whereas internationally the company is taking a slow route with the merging with other companies such as TransAir Airways.This tool links organizations marketing strategies together with the strategic directions that the company is pursuing so as to present the organization with alternative growth strategies. The tool identifies the market as well as the organization on the grounds of level of market penetration and market development. These two features of the market are analysed on the grounds of the relation of existing products to the existing as well as the new markets. Product development and diversification are measured and obtained in the view of how new products will relate or will be received in an existing market as well as a new market. pic] The TOWS Matrix This employs the theory of the SWOT analysi s but instead identifies the threats and opportunities first and the weaknesses and strengths are last. The reason for this is so that the management identifies the threats and opportunities first and then using the strengths and weaknesses finds the best solutions on how to handle them. The threat of losing out revenue and the emerging trends taking place in the market are the biggest challenges for the company. The opportunities for the company are those of penetrating the international market through mergers and partnerships with other airlines so as to gain ground.The company also has the opportunity to reduce costs by gaining discounts from suppliers and other available resource demanding duties so as to increase revenue. To increase opportunity and reduce the threats the company should employ the strengths of the strong financial outlay and engage in profitable projects to cover revenue base, and take advantage of the strong customer loyalty base available for the company. Wit h weaknesses the company should re-evaluate their pricing strategy so as to keep up and maintain a stable working financial base without losing value from their customers.PART FIVE – EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS OVERVIEW Strategy evaluation is an easy task to perform for management of an organization especially when using procedures such as those described above. However it becomes more complicated when the strategies to use are concerned with emerging issues that are not expected. In the selection of the best criteria to use when selecting the best strategy so as to ensure its success in implementation the criteria that they need to meet range from consistency, consonance, advantage, feasibility, suitability, and acceptability.Developing a choice strategy, an organization should ensure that the strategy does indeed meet all the above criteria so as to be considered as being worthy of implementation. In the case of Southwest airlines, using the generic strategies of the An soff Matrix, TOWS matrix to sort the internal elements that influence the organization and the PESTEL and five forces models for the external environment determining the best strategy would involve analysing the strategies using the criteria above.For the internal analysis the TOWS matrix lacks in consistency. The elements that present themselves are lacking in consistency due to the constant changes going on in the environment. As the company undergoes restructuring as a result of the merger with other organizations this presents the problem of different variables coming up making the matrix not suitable to rely upon. Unlike the Ansoff matrix that fits all the criteria as stipulated the failure by one strategy to meet this disqualifies it from being used.In the external analysis the PESTEL analysis is the best strategy to use as it has a broad coverage detailing the issues that are relevant this model out rightly fits into the Southwest Airline external environment. PART 5: DESCRIP TION OF THE TOWS STRATEGY The TOWS analysis is the best method to utilize for development of the strategy. The matrix comprehensively involves an intensive study of the external and the internal environments that affect the company. The possible strategies that come out of the use of the TOWS analysis are: i. Engaging in the International MarketPenetrating into the international market would be a rich opportunity as the company is already popular domestically and so the company could be assured of gaining ground in the market share. Investing in this opportunity would be a gain for the company. With the repeal of the Wright Amendment with the last clause expected to be taken off in 2014 the company could easily take advantage of this opportunity and expand their market. ii. Reduction of costs By reducing on the heavy investments such as the staffing costs the company could save on revenue and profits.Laying off excess staff and conducting an intensive study on which resources to sav e up on would create an opportunity of savings for the airline. iii. Taking advantage of more Mergers with other airlines The last strategy that the company could possibly engage in would be that of merging with more companies. This would lead to savings on capital resources for the company. At the same time more ground would have been covered as the companies working in conjunction with each other would help reduce the barriers that a company by itself would be challenged with.PART SIX – DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STRATEGY The strategy recommended for Southwest Airlines would be to embark on an international growth pattern. Going on global outreach program would help the company boost its profit as it serves more clients in the international market. The reputation of the company as a result of being an already established airline would help boost its image in the international scene especially as a result of the low pricing strategies that the clients would be expecting as well as the helpful members of staff.Providing a consistent and adaptive transport system as the company is already known for domestically would ensure that the company would always have an awaiting market ready for them. By expansion through more acquisition programs as well as mergers the company would ensure that the fully meet the demands of the market. The idea of expansion is also feasible by that the company already possesses adequate resources from staff, to carriers and the capital to launch into the new ventures could easily be raised with respect towards the financial reserves that the company possesses.The expansion strategy is also suitable and acceptable as the market is quickly turning global with individuals travelling further away mainly for the purposes of business or leisure. The world today has been brought together making it very accessible from one area to another. The physical requirements that could possibly be required would be those of carriers, which the compa ny already possesses financially the company possesses the strength and capital. Human resource is not an issue for the company as it has a good relationship with its staff and in addition the company further possesses a large base of employees.Finally the company possesses the reputation of a good cost effective and dependable airline. With this the company has one of the biggest strengths that it could actually possess that would ensure its success in the international market. PART 7: CONCLUSION Strategy formation is an important aspect in enhancing organisational, and market growth. Strategy formulation enhances effective creation future growth plans for the organisation through continued research of the most effective strategies relating to organisations objectives and implementing them to ensure effective organisational growth.Southwest airlines realises this fact and hence inputs a lot of research and commitment into ensuring that proper strategic decisions are met that enhanc e achievement of organisation’s overall objectives. Incorporation of a competent and skilled research and development team ensures that the organisation conducts the necessary research on their products, their performance, customer satisfaction and customer needs experienced in their current product market and anticipated venture markets.Through proper incorporation of the TOWS model, the organisation is able to understand market demands through incorporation of market penetration and development strategy, product development strategy and diversification strategy depending on current position of organisation products in the market and their anticipated growth strategy. Therefore strategy formation plays a vital role in enhancing organisational development through incorporation of various strategy development measures that aim at expanding organisation’s market share and scope.REFERENCES Choo, M, Chun, W & Bontis, N 2002, The Strategic Management of Intellectual Capital and Organisational Knowledge. New York: Oxford University Press. De Wit, B & Meyer, R 2004, Strategy, Process, Context and Content: An International Perspective, 3rd ed. , London, Thomson International Business. Gomez, M, Luis R, Balkin, D, & Cardy, L 2008, Management: People, Performance, Change, 3rd edn, New York: McGraw-Hill Hunger, J & Wheelen, L 2001, Essentials of Strategic Management, Prentice Hall. Southwest. om, 2009, Southwest Airlines –A Brief History. Retrieved on http://www. southwest. com/swamedia/swa_history. html Porter, M. E. 1980. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: The Free Press â€Å"Southwest Airlines will become Launch Customer for the New Boeing 737 Max Aircraft† 2011. Southwest Airlines Retrieved on 1st March 2013 http://www. swamedia. com/releases/7b1c6522-daf8-40be-98d4-ce354aa974d3 Sridhar, A. (2012) Information Systems Strategy and Management, Masters in Management Information Systems at UIC .

“Journey’s End” by R.C Sherriff Essay

Journey’s End is a play about British soldiers in World War One, and the effects the war has on them, both physically and mentally. The play explores many aspects of war life, including friendship, alcoholism, class boundaries and the lifestyle of the men in the trenches. This essay explores how the play shows the effects of war on those involved, looking at use of dialogue, lighting, props and other key dramatic devices. The essay will mainly focus on Act 3, Scene 2 of the play, but relevant quotes from other scenes in Journey’s End will also be used to help illustrate points. Stanhope, the Commander of the company, is a prime example of how the war effected many intelligent, able young men. The audience knows Stanhope is a good officer and is well respected from earlier dialogue in the play. For example, in Act 1 Scene 1, Osborne says, â€Å"He’s a long way the best company commander we’ve got†, and Hardy agrees. Stanhope is also a humorous man, and can get on very well with his fellow officers. For example, at the beginning of Act 3 Scene 2, he has all the men in stitches, relating tales of mischief with women. However, he appears to only be in a good mood when he has been drinking, which he does a lot. We know this because in the very first scene of Journey’s End, Hardy discusses Stanhope’s drinking habits with Osborne, saying, â€Å"I never did see a youngster put away the whisky he does†. One of the main effects of the war on Stanhope is his drinking. He drinks for â€Å"Dutch courage† on the battlefield, and in Act 1 he confesses this to Osborne, saying â€Å"If I went up those steps into the front line without being doped up with whisky I’d go mad with fright†. This quote tells the audience that Stanhope has come to depend upon drinking to help him cope, and certainly has some kind of alcohol problem. The excessive drinking also greatly affects his temper, and he has fierce mood swings throughout the play. An example of one of these mood changes is the contrast between his  jolly, merry demeanour at the beginning of Act 3 Scene 2, and the und iluted rage he expresses later on in the scene when he confronts Raleigh about his failure to attend dinner. These changes in his demeanour are shown by the changes in tone and volume of his voice throughout Act 3 Scene 2. At the start of his confrontation with Raleigh, he speaks in a fairly mild, controlled tone of voice. Silence is indicated by the stage directions to create tension, for example â€Å"there is silence except for the the rumble of the guns†, creates a distinct impression of awkwardness and fraught tension. The use of silence also contrasts strongly with the way Stanhope yells angrily at Raleigh later on in the scene. These sound devices both grab the audience’s attention, and show them just how enraged Stanhope is. Even the sight of Raleigh appears to anger Stanhope. This is because Stanhope was at school with him, and is engaged to his sister. Stanhope is paranoid that Raleigh will tell his sister about his drinking habit, and seeing a familiar face from the outside world has rattled him because he is so used to the routine of war. After Osborne, whom he was very close to, is killed during a raid, the men do not openly grieve, but try and act normally to keep their morale up, and have a dinner with cigars and champagne to celebrate the successful raid. Raleigh refuses to go to dinner, which greatly angers Stanhope. By the end of Act 3 Scene 2, Stanhope is absolutely livid with fury. The last line he shouts; â€Å"For God’s sake, get out!† is then followed by silence, which is a very effective device in grabbing the audience’s attention and creating a mood of fear and apprehension. Overall, Act 3 Scene 2 is most effective in showing an audience just how much of an impact th e war has had on Stanhope and his personality. Raleigh is another character who is greatly effected by war, but, unlike Stanhope who has been been in the trenches a long time, Raleigh is very inexperienced, which makes him appear extremely naive and vulnerable. Raleigh’s first reaction upon entering the trenches (Act 1) is that of surprise. He has been expecting more noise and excitement, and says to Osborne, â€Å"How frightfully quiet it is!† To begin with, Raleigh is very eager to go out and fight, but Osborne’s death  after the raid has a big effect on him. He cannot understand how the men can sit, eating fine food and drinking champagne ,when one of their closest companions has been killed. However, Raleigh does not realise that the reason why they are doing this is to try and help themselves to forget the tragedy that has occurred, and to boost morale amongst the men. Raleigh has misunderstood the situation, and only realises his error at the end of Act 3 Scene 2, when Stanhope shouts, â€Å"You think there’s no limit to what a man can bear?† Raleigh tries to apologise, but Stanhope is too incensed with rage to listen. By the end of that particular scene, even though Raleigh has only been at war for a week, he is already a changed person. His short battle experience has erased whatever distorted expectations he has had before, and he now knows about the harsh realities of life in the trenches. We know this because of his obvious change in mood and personality- by Act 3 Scene 2 he says a lot less than he has beforehand, and stage directions tell us at one point, â€Å"Raleigh speaks in a low, halting voice†. R.C Sherriff has chosen to alter his speech and tone of voice to show the audience clearly how the raid has affected Stanhope as a person. Osborne is a character who is very much aware of the realities of trench warfare, as the oldest and one of the most experienced officers in the Company. In Act 1 the stage directions describe Osborne as â€Å"hard as nails- physically and emotionally strong†. He is a father figure for the other officers, and is affectionately known as â€Å"Uncle†. Osborne is also a loyal and caring friend. The audience knows this because in Act 1 he defends Stanhope to Hardy, who is criticising the Commander’s drinking patterns. He also puts Stanhope to bed when he is drunk, which shows that he has a caring nature. He and Stanhope are extremely good friends- the war has brought them very close. Dialogue throughout the play shows that Osborne tends to use short sentences, such as â€Å"Oh?†, and â€Å"I see†. He is more of a listener than a talker, and that comes across in the conversations he has with other characters. It is quite possible that he has always been a quiet man, but the war could have caused  him to become even quieter and more withdrawn. In Act 3 Scene 1, before he goes out during the raid, Osborne gives Stanhope his watch and ring with a letter to give to his wife, â€Å"just in case† anything should happen to him. Stanhope reassures him, â€Å"You’re coming back, old man† , and the two men laugh as they go their separate ways. However, neither of them really know if Osborne will come back alive or not, and this fear and uncertainty is another effect the war has on the men and their lives. Throughout the play, lighting is used to set the mood and display to the audience as realistically as possible what it was like for the men living in the dugouts. There is little light for most of the play, just dim yellow candles. On the very first page of the play, lighting is described in some detail. Phrases such as, â€Å"A pale glimmer of moonlight†, and â€Å"the misty grey parapet† give the idea of a gloomy, shadowy atmosphere. The lack of light must have affected the men’s sense of time and place. In the play, Trotter keeps a calendar so he can tell what day it is, and how long it is until the raid. However, in Act 3 Scene 2, the stage directions say, â€Å"The dugout is lit quite festively with an unusual amount of candles†. At the beginning of this scene, the lighting reflects the bright, jolly mood of the men, and contrasts strongly with that of the previous scene. The sounds and props used in this scene are also very different to that of Act 3 Scene 1. The sound of laughter replaces the sound of heavy guns, which lightens the mood and relieves tension considerably. There are empty champagne bottles on the table, which shows they have been enjoying themselves. The food described in this scene (roast chicken), is very different to the food the men consume in earlier scenes. In Act One, when Osborne asks what flavour soup they are having, Mason replies, â€Å"It’s yellow soup sir†. Most of the officers came from upper/middle class public school backgrounds, so quite a big effect on them would be having to eat small portions of revolting, non- nutritious food. It would also be a major change for many of the men not having washing facilities, and having to survive in appalling living conditions. Many men would have suffered from acute boredom  when nothing was going on, so many (like Stanhope) reverted to drinking or smoking heavily just for something to do. The war affected all the men involved in so many different ways, but obviously the main effect was that so many of them lost their lives in battle. At the end of the play, Osborne and Raleigh have both been killed but Stanhope lives. The deaths of Raleigh and Osborne show that war is indiscriminate, and death can occur at anytime to anyone, regardless of age or experience. Raleigh is a young, inexperienced newcomer, and Osborne is an experienced senior officer, but they both die within a few days. Journeys End shows the effects of the war on the men involved very realistically, using dramatic devices such as sound, dialogue, props and lighting very effectively. It paints a clear picture in the reader’s mind of what it was like in the trenches, and how the men were affected by battle.

Auto biography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Auto biography - Assignment Example Along with a growing interest in and knowledge of electronics, Dath has shown his capacity for business and entrepreneurial initiative as well. Joining White Castle in 2004, Dath has worked his way up to Assistant General Manager and has developed all along his Having a sense of clear vision and direction, Dath has made most out of his experience at White Castle. His decision to enhance his knowledge of aeronautics and electronics made a perfect sense given his earlier interests and development. Currently attending New York-based Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, Dath streamlines his work and personal interests into a coherent career path. Vaughn’s vision and mission, moreover, only reflects Dath’s acumen for investment in skills, knowledge and experiences. Consistent to his continuous self-development, Dath has most recently (2009) received an A+ certification. Being trained at Vaughn as a pilot, flying remains Dath’s real passion. On global issues, Dath’s awareness of his chosen industry’s –i.e. aueronautics – implications for environment, has made his development of keen interest in green issues most evident in activities at Vaughn and

Luxury Retail Development in Hong Kong and Macau Assignment

Luxury Retail Development in Hong Kong and Macau - Assignment Example The paper highlights on the significant role that marketers play and even some of the tactics that they apply to meet their objectives.As the report highlights in the next five to seven years, China is expected to overtake Japan and become the world’s largest luxury market according to a report by Lu.Two administrative regions of China, that include Macau and Hong Kong are the key indicators of the current surge in luxury retail market in the country. Demand for luxury goods in these two cities have been observed to be on the rise despite economic slowdown, which had severe effects on major markets in the world including China. Lucrative market in Hong Kong and Macau in addition to consumers’ increased buying power has lured international luxury companies to make investment in these two markets. This essay will provide an assessment of luxury retail development in Hong Kong and Macau in relation to evolution of luxury retail market in these two cities and marketing stra tegies, which are being employed by businesses parties in the industry.  Early 1990s marked the development of luxury retail market in China. Prior to 1980s, government restrictions hampered introduction of western goods and services in the country. Consequently, internationally established luxury companies could not be able to penetrate the Chinese market.  Majority of households in the country including those in Hong Kong and Macau had lower purchasing power.

Education Budget Cuts And Its Negative Impact Essay

Education Budget Cuts And Its Negative Impact - Essay Example Secondly, it is for students, the budget is used to provide financial aid or scholarships to students from low-income families. As the United States owes a large amount of debt, a consequence caused by the global financial crisis, which began in 2008, the current economic situation has led to education budgets being cut by state and local governments. Even though, there is a strong reasoning behind this decision, budget cuts negatively impact society in a number of different ways. Some of these include; denying students access to higher education, reducing the quality of education in offer, lowering the number of skilled workers available for the workforce, and keeping low-income families trapped in poverty. A reduction in the education budget is harming the U.S. educational system by not letting tomorrow’s leaders grow in knowledge. First, the reduction of education budget causes schools to offer less class. According to the Pasadena City College (PCC) admission office, as of fall 2010, there were 32,000 credit students and 8,000 noncredit students studying at the community college (Kleinbaum 1). The college had many complaints from students that, they could not register for future semesters because, either the classes were full or they were cancelled due to budget cuts, in order for the school to pay general expenditures. In fact, I became a â€Å"victim† student at PCC after a budget cut to education in association with my registration experience. Being an international student, I always pay the highest amount of tuition fee in comparison to the local students, and I have to maintain above 12 units for every semester. However, even though I paid almost $8000 for every school year, I still did not get any priorities to register classes I wanted in the first two years. Since school, did not provide many alternative classes, a lot of my primary choices were either closed or were

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

Source Annotation - Essay Example On average, Americans spend 20 to 30 or even 100 times as much on medical services and devices as what they would cost in a shopping mall (Zuckerman 1). The article tries to get a reason for the high costs. It cites the partnership of most hospitals and private insurance companies as one reason for the fee hike. The insurance companies have a power in negotiating with hospitals over a patient covered by them. They pinpoint the hospital in their grid of providers. Insured patients can get discounts that are thirty to fifty percent beyond low Medical care charges. Zuckerman (2) further adds that doctors tend to over-test to avoid malpractice and misdiagnosis to avoid malpractice and misdiagnosis. The high-tech devices used in the hospitals drive the costs to bizarre levels too. The author of the article has used information from the analysis of works of medical practitioners. For example, he has cited one Steven Brill, who initially exposed the impact of insurance companies on hospitals. The study also has much of its information from the federal government sources such as where it points out that readmissions alone cost over $25 billion a year and that medical care budget may well hit $600 billion this

How to Use your Facebook Homepage Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to Use your Facebook Homepage - Assignment Example Add friends-before beginning the process of creating your profile, Facebook will make a suggestion of individuals you would want to add as friends. If you do not recognize any of them, you can skip the step and proceed to the next. You will then be asked whether you want to scan your email accounts for other recognizable users. If you like you can also leave out this step and add friends via Facebook itself. 6. Verifying your account on completion of the account creation process, a newsfeed will appear at the top of the page. Then you have a view of a message notification that an activation email has actually been sent to the email address you signed up with. 7. Finish up filling the rest of the profile-click the link on ‘Edit profile’ that is below your picture in the top-left corner. You can add the information you want to share. Some of the profile options consist of the following: relationship status, hometown, current home, favorite quotes, religious views, and political views. 8. You can also set the privacy options for each piece of information added above on the profile. This is done by clicking the privacy button on the top right corner. This tool permits you to select the individuals to view what you have shared. You can choose to share with friends, the public or a specific group of people (Schenk).

Trends and Challenges in Human Resource Management Essay

Trends and Challenges in Human Resource Management - Essay Example Owing to rapid technological advancements, the demand for well trained employees is high. Organizations are now looking to impart necessary skills to their workers using all kinds of innovative strategies and training resources. With respect to this trend, Rothwell, Hohne, & King (2000), state HR practitioners, " must be ready to manage, design, develop or select, and use learning technologies that support learning and development for their organization" (p. 190). Focus has also shifted to employee development, leadership development and performance improvement. Here again the organization looks to HR practitioners to bring out positive results. Mathis & Jackson(2005) state, "Four major HR challenges faced by managers and organizations now and in the future are the globalization of business, economic and technological changes, workforce demographics and diversity, and organizational cost pressures and restructuring" (p. 28). Nowadays the world is a global - workplace and under these circumstances it is the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) to steer the organization across the choppy waters of international law, cultural issues and the threat of terrorism. Technological changes have made it imperative that HRM adapt itself to meet the needs of the organization. The workplace has become increasingly diverse in terms of ethnicity, gender and age. Therefore HR practitioners must ensure there is no discrimination or harassment on the basis of ill-conceived stereotypes. They must also work to create an environment of security to enable optimal production while keeping at bay employees' insecurities about losing their jobs. A Complete Performance Management System as Opposed to Annual Performance Appraisals: Performance management seeks to enhance performance, introduce changes as per the need, keep up morale, and keep communication channels opens. According to Hendry et al., "Despite a revised perspective which treats performance management as a wide-ranging process many line managers still equate performance management with annual appraisals and their negative aspects" (as cited in Price, 2000, p. 193). Annual performance appraisals are dreaded by the employees. They are asked to fill out forms or are interviewed and then judgments are made as to their character by managers who are usually ill-suited for the purpose. This method of evaluation creates a hostile environment where negative attitudes prevail and no discernible improvement in performance is seen. In the words of Price (2000), "Modern performance management systems emphasize dialogue rather than assessment" (p. 194). Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) and behavioral observation scales (BOS) are popular techniques designed to overcome the shortcomings of performance appraisals. These techniques stay objective, while focusing on employees' performance and potential. Performance management is a key aspect of HRM. It helps bring out the potential of employees as individuals and as team members. Thus by focusing on performance management the HR department can deal effectively with the trends and challenges of Human resource management. References Fitz - enz, J. (2001). How to measure human resource mana

Effects of drug cartels on U.S. border states Research Paper

Effects of drug cartels on U.S. border states - Research Paper Example With the infiltration of the drug cartel into the United States there comes some serious issues. There are several different cartels in Mexico and these organizations will often get into violent battles over drug trafficking routes, leading to violence within the United States border states, (http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/04/mexican-cartels-migrate-to-usa.html). Obviously, the drug cartel brings more drugs into the border states and cities. More illegal drugs in any area is never a good thing. Drugs become more accessible to people, leading to a variety of issues. Lastly, there are economic concerns that arise in these border states due to the presence of the drug cartel. The interesting part is that these economic concerns are not all negative. There can be positive impacts related to the influx of money into the cities and border states. There are two ways in which drug cartel members participate in the economic climate of the city in which they live. Some members of drug cartels operate their own business, disguised as a legal company, but actually serving as a front for their drug business. These businesses can launder drug money and be a store front of sorts for the distribution of illegal drugs. These businesses are also a way to purchase necessary supplies legally, (Freedman, 2011). An example of this happened in San Antonio, Texas. There was a real estate developer named Marin â€Å"Gordo† Herrera. Even in the recent difficult economic times, Herrera was able to develop two successful real estate development companies and manage to avoid the foreclosure crisis. During this time, he was able to earn more than $4 million in profits. This money and the purchase of 77 properties contributed positively to the San Antonio economy, (Freedman, 2011). However, Marin â€Å"Gordo† Herrera was actually a primary member of a Mexican drug

Come a-knocking on Deaths door Essay Example for Free

Come a-knocking on Deaths door Essay The Ode is used as a poetic form for philosophical contemplation. Compare two odes by Keats in the light of this observation How much do you agree with the statement: John Keats was unfortunate in his upbringing to some extent? On one hand there was a chance for a budding surgeon but he gave that away to his literary awakening which drew him to write odes such as the ones I am going to analyse. Personally, learning about his life prior to literature, I feel that the situations he dealt with, at such a young age were remarkable but perhaps had he not faced those decisions, he wouldnt have come to write such poetry brimming full with philosophical contemplation. John Keats was born on the October 31st, 1795 in Finsbury Pavement, near the centre of London. He learnt to deal with death from an early age as his father died in an accident when he was only eight years old. Seventeen years later in 1810, his mother died due to consumption, leaving John in the care of his grandmother. Subsequently, under the care of guardians he left school to become an apprentice to a surgeon. Unfortunately, before the completion of his apprenticeship, John had a quarrel with his master and therefore left to pursue a stronger path in literature, deftly in the company of his good friend Cowden Clarke. Three years of receiving scarce and negative feedback on his sonnets and poems, John was once again in the presence of a dying man: this time it was his brother. Tom Keats was also taken by consumption in 1818. Though by this time, distinct signs had begun to show in the decent of Keatss own health. Keats himself was fighting illness and death in his latter years. Despite the fact of his deteriorating wellbeing, Keats continued to delve deeper into love and time. His mental understanding of what lies beyond was perhaps something that I could never even begin to contemplate. His dying wish was to have the words: Here lies one whose name was writ in water, on his gravestone when he died on 23rd February, 1821. Writing his most famous odes in his dying years was a sign of great character; I think that being able to face such a prospect of dying young, his mind matured faster than that of others. Increasingly throughout the odes, I can see that John has indeed spent many thought provoking sessions in front of the artefact he describes. He sees, he feels, he waits and then he writes. The form of poetry which Keats was most celebrated for was the Ode. This style of elaborate and stately lyric poem was lengthened or shortened at the whim of the poet. However, the basic arrangement of the stanzas was patterned in sets of three a strophe and an antistrophe, of which both had an identical metrical scheme, and an epode, which had a structure of its own. Dating back to the Greek choral songs, the ode has appeared in many centuries over the world. Roman poets such as Catullus took the form of poetry to their own meaning. The ode was generally used to express strong emotions that flooded the poets mind at the time, the poet would be transfixed onto the idea and he would try to convey his meaning through the literary form.

Computer education Essay Example for Free

Computer education Essay Computer education is two sides of a coin, there are several advantages and disadvantages which are listed below: Advantages: 1. Information is available at the click of a button, the internet is very useful and gives a huge support to the teacher to enhance her curriculum 2. The students themselves can learn a lot about the topics taught in class through the internet 3. Children find the lessons interesting since teachers have access to a vast pool of information. 4. Children can submit homework etc via computer, thus saving of time 5. Saves a lot of stationery, paper wastage is minimal since students can submit their projects via computer. 6. Also, today everywhere a computer is used children become computer savvy and better prepared to face the world. Disadvantages: 1. Computer tends to make the children lazy, reason being that a computer is a one stop shop. Everything is available at a click of a button, they do not have to strive to collect information. 2. Children lose their power the think since just by putting in one word on the search engine a whole treasure of information opens up, everything is available without trying very hard, children lose their imagination power and ingenuity. 3. Children do not have to learn spellings, calculation, tables they become totally dependant on computers and their skills for memorising, application, quick thinking are not developed. 4. A computer is a very cold way of teaching, earlier live examples and objects were used which were far more exciting, we could touch, smell objects like earlier if a teacher wanted to teach about an orange a live orange was brought and shown, today everything is shown via power point presentations on screen which does not have the same effect on children, since a live thing is so much more exciting. 5. Children lose touch with the real world and live in a virtual world which is not good. 6. Children become loners, lose friends, since all the time they are stuck to the computers 7. They do not sleep on time since chatting, emailing,

Nanospheres of Agâ€coated Fe3O4 Synthesis

Nanospheres of Ag–coated Fe3O4 Synthesis Nanospheres of Ag–coated Fe3O4 were successfully synthesized and characterized. Photocatalytic properties of Fe3O4@Ag composites have been investigated using steady state studies and laser pulse excitations. Accumulation of the electrons in the Ag shell was detected from the shift in the surface plasmon band from 430 to 405 nm, which was discharged when an electron acceptor such as O2, Thionine (TH), or C60 was introduced into the system. Charge equilibration with redox couple such as C60à ¢- Ã¢â‚¬â€œ/C60 indicated the ability of these core–shell structures to carry out photocatalytic reduction reactions. As well, outer Ag layer could boost charge separation in magnetic core through dual effects of Schottky junction and localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR)–powered band gap breaking effect under sunlight irradiation; resulted in higher photocatalytic degradation of diphenylamine (DPA). The maximum photocatalytic degradation rate was achieved at optimum amount of Ag–NP loading to products. Adsorption studies confirmed that degradation of DPA dominantly occurred in solution. Moderately renewability of the nanocatalysts under sunlight was due to oxidation and dissolution of the outer Ag layer. KEYWORDS: Core–shell Fe3O4@Ag; Plasmonic photocatalysis; Laser pulse excitations; Charge equilibration; Schottky junction; Diphenyl amine Introduction Core–shell nanocomposites combine the profitable properties of both the core and the shell materials (1). Various types of core–shell materials have been technically synthesized owing to their unique physicochemical properties and great potential applications (2,3). Among them, superparamagnetic core–shell nanocomposites do not retain any magnetization in the absence of a magnetic field (4). Hence, they have been broadly used in magnetic resonance imaging, hyperthermia, separation and purification of biomolecules, drug delivery, and catalysis (4,5). The combination of nanocatalysts together with magnetic carriers has attracted increasing attention due to their recoverable nature from the mother solutions in presence of an appropriate magnetic field (6). Recently, to prevent the agglomeration and to further improve the durability of the nanocatalysts, various core–shell like magnetic chemcatalytic and photocatalytic nanomaterials have been developed (7–9). Due to weighty role of Ag based magnetic nanocatalysts in fine and specialty chemistry, different kinds of this bi–functional nanostructures such as Fe3O4–Ag core–shell like NPs, heterodimers, and core–satellite particles have been prepared (11,12). The Ag component in most of the above products was located on the surface of the magnetic carrier whereas structures with an Ag core and Fe3O4 shell are rare. This article aims primarily to unravel the major mechanisms in magnetic core–shell plasmonic photocatalysis. It is important to elucidate the influence of the metal shell layer on the photoinduced charge separation in inner magnetic carrier and reveal the occurrence of charge equilibration between the metal and magnetic semiconductor. Therefore, we have prepared Fe3O4, Ag–coated Fe3O4 (Fe3O4@Ag) in ethanol medium and their behavior under UV–excitation were compared. The factors that control the charge separation and photocatalytic properties of coated nanostructures are also presented in this paper. Besides, we selected diphenylamine (DPA) as a model contamination (13–17) to present powerful and cost–effective photocatalysts. The European Union has listed DPA as a prior pollutant (14). According to the best of our knowledge, the photocatalytic degradation of DPA using Fe3O4@Ag nanospheres has not been reported, previously. The operational conditions in photocatalytic removal of DPA were optimized. The effect of Ag–NPs loading on photocatalytic activity of core–shell nanoparticles was also investigated. Further studies were designed to answer the questions of whether DPA adsorbed on the Ag surface is an important step in its photocatalytic degradation rate or not? Eventually, tentatively reviews on the efficiency and durability of core–shell photocatalysts under sunlight irradiation were checked up. Experimental section Materials and Measurements Powders of DPA, D(+)–glucose anhydrous, thionin acetate salt (C12H9N3S.C2H4O2), AgNO3 (99%), FeCl2.4H2O (>98%), FeCl3.6H2O (>99%), NH3.H2O (25–28%) and HPLC grade acetonitrile (purity 99%) were purchased from Sigma–Aldrich. The hexahydra salt CoCl2 was purchased from Riedel–de Haen Germany. DPA was purified by simple preparative chromatography on a silica gel column (3:1 n–hexane/acetonitrile as a mobile phase) and followed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) monitoring. All other materials were of highest purity commercially available and were applied without further purification. The Britton–Robinson buffer solutions were prepared in 0.04 M concentration. The DPA stock solution was set up by dissolving 10.0 mg of the powders in 100 mL of 60/40 v/v buffer solution/acetonitrile and then stored in a refrigerator. High purity water purified with the Milli–Q system was used in all experiments. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study was carried out using a Hitachi S–4300 (Japan) instrument. The crystalline structure of the powders was studied by X–ray diffraction (XRD) with a PHILIPS PW–1840 diffractometer. The UV–vis spectra were recorded on a Biotech Diode–Array spectrophotometer. The IR spectra of the synthesized magnetic NPs were obtained using a Shimadzu FT–IR 8300 spectrophotometer. Magnetic measurements were made with a Quantum Design PPMS Model 6000 magnetometer at 25  °C. The pH values of all solutions were assessed by a model 744 Metrohm pH meter (Switzerland). An external magnet bar of 5 cmÃâ€"5 cmÃâ€"3 cm and power of 1.46 T was used for the accumulation of magnetic NPs. The photodegradation of DPA has been monitored using UV–vis spectrophotometer (Biotech) and a HPLC (KNAUER). The HPLC system used throughout this study consisted of a HPLC pump (KNAUER, K–1001, USA), a sample injector with a 100 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­L loop and a UV detector (KNAUER, K–2600). The column used was a reversed–phase Spherisorb C18 column (250 mm Ãâ€" 4.6 mm i.d., 5 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­m). The mobile phase was acetonitrile–water (65:35 v/v) with a flow–rate of 1.0 mL/min. The column temperature was 25  °C. The effluent was monitored at 254 nm. Preparation of Fe3O4@Ag nanoparticles Fe3O4–NPs were prepared using the most conventional reported co–precipitation method first (18), followed by the slow reducing of the Ag+ ions to form a metal shell around the core. Calculated amount of freeze dried magnetic NPs were well–dispersed in 10 mL deionized water. A 10.0 mL portion of 1.0 mM AgNO3 solution was then added into suspension. Glucose was used as a mild reducing agent for the reduction of Ag+ ions (19). Increasing the amount of glucose increases the reduction rate of Ag+ ions. We have found that the experimental conditions that employ molar ratio of metal ions to glucose of 2:1 yields stable suspension of core–shell particles. The condensation deposition of metal particles slowly progresses to yield ~2–3 nm metal shell. With continued stirring of the solution at room temperature, the color slowly changed from black to brownish. Optimized reaction time of ~25 min was achieved based on maximum photocatalytic activity of core/shell clusters. Ag–NPs were also produced in a separate batch using the same experimental conditions. Laser Flash Photolysis Experiment of nano–second laser flash photolysis was performed with 337 nm laser pulses from N2 laser system (Laser pulse width 800 ps, intensity 5 mJ/pulse). Unless otherwise specified, all the experiments were performed under N2 purging condition. Steady–state photolysis experiments were conducted by photolyzing N2–purged solution with UV light (two high–pressure 15 W mercury lamps). Analytical Methods The adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of DPA was carried out in a home–made cylindrical Pyrex reactor (50 mL) with a double–walled cooling–water jacket. UV illumination was conducted utilizing two UV lamps housed over the photocatalytic reactor. In all the experiments, the reactor was fixed 15 cm distant from the light sources. Prior to illumination, equal volumes of DPA and photocatalyst suspension (50 mL volumes) were stirred in the dark for 15 min to achieve the adsorption–desorption equilibrium. Then, UV–irradiated samples (3 mL) were obtained at fixed time intervals and exposed to an external magnetic field for separation of photocatalysts from the reaction mixture. Sample analysis was done by recording the UV–vis absorbance spectra and, simultaneously, injecting of 10 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­L of solution into the HPLC column. The kinetic data are presented as means of triplicate experiments. Results and discussion Characterization of the prepared nanoparticles The studies of size, morphology and composition of the NPs were performed by means of TEM images, FTIR spectra, XRD patterns, UV–vis absorption spectra and magnetization tests. The TEM images of the core–shell clusters demonstrate that these particles have spherical shape with average size of 9.0 ±2.0 and 12.0 ±2.0 nm, respectively (Figure 1A and 1B). Figure 1B shows that a pale shell was coated on the surface of the black core and the interface between the core and shell is sharp and clear. The surface of the core–shell particle is rather rough. The particle size analysis illustrates that the Fe3O4 particles are coated with silver (Figure 1C and 1D). The change of absorption peaks in the FTIR spectra indicate that the Ag–NPs are coated on the surface of Fe3O4–NPs (Figure S-1A) (20). The absence of characteristic diffraction peaks of Fe3O4 reflection in the XRD pattern manifests complete coating of the Fe3O4 seeds by Ag metal (Figure S-1B) (21). After reduction of Ag ions, a new strong absorption band in the UV–vis absorption spectra is observed at 420 nm, which is assigned to the surface plasmon resonance peak of Ag–NPs (Figure S-1C) (22). The large decrease in the magnetic moment of the Fe3O4–NPs after coating with Ag–NPs is attributed to the presence of nonmagnetic Ag metal in the prepared composites (Figure S-1D) (19). Steady–State Photolysis Figure 2A shows the changes in the absorption spectrum following the UV–irradiation of Fe3O4@Ag colloids suspended in de–aerated ethanol as a steady–state photolysis. Before subjecting to UV–irradiation, the plasmon absorption peak of suspension is seen at 430 nm. It should be noted that the small Ag particles prepared using glucose reduction represent absorbance peak at around 420 nm (19,22). The red shift in the plasmon absorption of the core–shell particles is dependent on the type of the oxide contact layer, refractive index of the surrounding medium, the volume fraction of shell layer (23), scattering effects and adsorbed chemical species (24). For 15 min UV–irradiated sample, the absorption shift attains a plateau with a surface plasmon absorption peak at 405 nm (25). For comparison, no spectral shift was observed during the UV–irradiation of bare Ag–NPs suspension in ethanol (Figure 2B). Transient absorption studies were probed using nanosecond laser flash photolysis (Figure S-2A). Notably, the spectral feature of the transient spectrum (Figure S-2A) closely matches with the difference spectrum recorded in steady–state photolysis as shown in the inset of Figure 2A. We can also repeat the photoinduced charging and dark discharge cycles repeatedly and reproduce the plasmon absorption response to separated electrons (Figure S-3) (24). Estimation of the amount of Electrons accelerated into Ag shell layer Known amounts of concentrated thionine solution (degassed) as a redox couple was injected in small increments into the UV–irradiated Fe3O4@Ag suspension (24). The absorption spectrum was recorded after each addition of thionine (Figure 3A). The presence of any unreduced thionine as the endpoint of titration is marked by the appearance of 600 nm absorption band. The plasmon shift can thus be related to the concentration of thionine added (inset of Figure 3A). From the slope of this linear plot until endpoint and the net shift observed in the plasmon band, we expect a maximum access of about ~35 electrons per Fe3O4@Ag core–shell particle (24). The dependence of the plasmon shift and the number of electrons versus the UV–irradiation time is also shown in Figure 3B. We also selected C60 as an excellent probe to investigate interfacial electron transfer in colloidal core–shell magnetic systems (24). The absorption maximum at 1075 nm manifests formation of C60 anion (C60à ¢- Ã¢â‚¬â€œ) (Figure 4) (24). The electron transfer yield increased initially with increasing concentration of C60 (inset of Figure 4). Photocatalytic activity of Fe3O4@Ag particles The UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and HPLC experiments were performed to follow the photodegradation reaction progress. Figure 5A exhibits the changes in the absorbance spectra of DPA after black–light irradiation in the absence and presence of the nanocatalysts. Photographs from the solution of DPA before and after its photocatalytic degradation are shown in the inset of this Figure. Figure 5B displays the photodegradation monitoring of DPA by HPLC. The separation method of DPA, intermediates, and products was very similar to those reported in literature (26). By irradiation of DPA with UV light for 40 min, a reduction in the chromatogram at 10.5 min in accompanying with the appearance of a new peak at a retention time of 9.3 min is observed. The obtained chromatograms suggest higher photodegradation rate of DPA in the presence of the Fe3O4@Ag clusters (Figure 5B). The photocatalytic degradation kinetic results of DPA are shown in Figure 5C which can be well described by Langmuir–Hinshelwood (L–H) model (27). The rate constant, the linear plots of −ln(C/C0) vs. time was calculated as 0.041 min−1 for the coated particles (Figure 5D). After maintaining DPA–NPs suspension in dark no new peak was appeared in the chromatogram (plots (a) and (b) in Figure 5C). Using surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing, Du and Jing showed that oxidation of the aromatic compounds containing a free electron pair on the nitrogen atom is increased using a modified Fe3O4@Ag magnetic NPs probe (28). Figure S-4A exhibits a Langmuir type adsorption isotherm of DPA (29). The effect of initial concentration of pollutant, pH, catalyst concentration, and shell coating time on the photodegradation rate of DPA were also investigated (30,31). Photocatalytic degradation rate constant of DPA is inversely proportional to its initial concentration which implies that the reaction dominantly occurred in solution rather than in the catalyst surface (inset of Figure S-4A) (30). The L–H equation also was successfully used to describe that DPA adsorbed on the Ag surface is not an important step (32). Capping of Ag shell on the Fe3O4 core was confirmed by checking the stability in an acidic solution (HNO3). At pH 3O4–NPs surface (33). Significant shifting (~2nm) in spectra for DPA was detected at different pH values. Figure S-4B shows that the adsorption of DPA on Ag surface decreases, but the removal of DPA increases with the increasing pH. At sufficiently higher pH values, the formation of oxidizing species such as the oxide radical anion (à ¢- O–) could also be responsible for the enhancement (34). The observed results are consistent with the proposed mechanism for the photolysis of DPA in literature (35). Figure S-4C shows the time–dependent degradation of DPA at different concentrations of nanocatalysts (36). At excess concentrations of nanocatalysts, considerable decreasing in the photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the low probability of provoking all photocatalysts in solution together with their self–absorption effects. The photocatalytic activity of Fe3O4@Ag clusters initially increases to a peak and then decreases with increasing coating thickness (Figure S-4D), most possibly due to shading (37–39), strong scattering and light filtering effect (40) of denser coating. Varying the Ag shell thickness and the refractive index of the solvent allows control over the optical properties of the dispersions (inset of Figure S-4D) (41). After 40 min photocatalytic reaction, core–shell nanocatalysts were collected by using a small magnet followed by twice washing with deionized water for reusing (Figure 6). In the first cycle of sunlight irradiation, ~95% degradation of DPA was achieved. However, after 3 recycling reactions, photocatalytic activity of the coated particles greatly reduced to the activity level of bare Fe3O4–NPs. Corrosion (38,42,43), oxidation (42,44) or dissolution of the noble metal coating are likely to limit the use of noble metals (Figure S-5A and S-5B). Moreover, the absence of holes in the outer layer of the core–shell particles was investigated. After each addition of known amounts of concentrated Co2+ solution into the UV–irradiated Fe3O4@Ag suspension no color change was observed (Figure S-5C and S-5D). A series of ROSs, such as à ¢- OH, à ¢- O2−, à ¢- HO2 and H2O2, are subsequently produced from primary active photogenerated holes and electrons (30). 0.1 M isopropanol or sodium azide (NaN3) was added in the reaction solution as scavengers of à ¢- OH radicals (45). I− ions was selected to scavenge the photoholes and resulted à ¢- OH radicals by forming relatively inert iodine radicals (30,46). The obtained pseudo–first–order rate constants with or without the addition of various scavengers are all presented in Table 1. In the presence of isopropanol and NaN3, the pseudo–first–order rate constants decreased from 0.041 min−1 to 0.014 and 0.017 min−1, respectively. The degradation rate of DPA with ~65.0% yield is contributed by the à ¢- OH radicals. Comparatively, the rate constants also decreased very closely to 0.018 min−1 after addition of KI scavengers in the reaction solution. Thus, the contribution percentage of photoholes in the degradation rate was deduced as ~0%. Photocatalytic degradation rate constant of deaerated DPA solution with N2 was roughly stopped, since moved electrons toward the outer layer dont receive oxygen. Therefore, only 35.0%, of the degradation rates were from other ROSs or direct photolysis of DPA. CONCLUSIONS We have scrutinized the photoinduced charging and dark discharging of electrons in a magnetic core–silver shell structure. The shift in surface plasmon band serves as a measure to determine the number of electrons accelerated into the metal shell. The charge equilibration between the metal and magnetic semiconductor plays a significant role in dictating the overall energetic of the composite. These magnetic core–metal shell composites are photocatalytically active and are practical to promote light induced electron–transfer reactions. The enhanced sunlight photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite could be attributed to a synergistic effect between LSPR–powered bandgap breaking effect and bandgap–excitation effect modes (38,47–52). In this photocatalytic system, presence of oxygen for starting the degradation of pollutants is imperative. Exploring the catalytic activity of such composite structures could pave the way for designing novel light harvesting systems.

Lennies Passion for Soft Objects in Of Mice and Men :: Papers

Lennie's Passion for Soft Objects in Of Mice and Men Works Cited Missing Definition of the word trace: follow, hint, and mark out. In this essay I will trace in detail soft things that Lennie pets in the novel, showing that the petting grows more serious as the novel goes on. In the novel Lennie pets mice, he dreams about petting rabbits, destroys someone's dress in Weed, hurts Curly's hand, kills a pup, and kills Curley's wife. Bad things come in threes, Lennie's two accidental killings of animals foreshadow the final killing of Curley's wife, an accident that seals his own fate and destroys not only his dreams but George's and Candy's as well. In the beginning Lennie used to pet mice that his Aunt Clara used to give him, he would always end up killing them because he didn't know his own strength. Lennie never killed any pet or person purposely; he pets too roughly and kills them accidentally. An example of his rough tendencies is in the first chapter (page7) when Lennie wants to keep a dead mouse and George wouldn't let him Lennie says" Uh-uh. Jus' a dead mouse, George. I didn't kill it. Honest I found it. I found it dead." The dead mouse is also an allusion to the novel's title, a reminder that dreams will go wrong, even petting a mouse.

Democracy Or Oligarchy? A Comparative Essay :: essays research papers

During the Classical Age of Greece, two powerful city-states emerged, each governed by a different system. Athens was run by democracy, whereas, Sparta, a military state, was governed by oligarchy. Athens' democracy served its people better. Since all had a say in the government and everyone was included in a state was ruled by many. In Sparta, the state was controlled by a select few, kings and ephors, who had absolute power. In Athens plenty of time was spent on architecture, to ensure that Athens would forever leave behind a cultural legacy, whereas in Sparta it was believed that there was no need to build extravagant buildings, therefore leaving very little of a cultural legacy. Finally, Athenian slaves were treated very well, often paid, and had a chance to buy their freedom, unlike Sparta, where slaves were treated as though they were not people, and could be killed for any reason at all. In Sparta slaves lead cruel lives. The number of slaves in Sparta outnumbered the amount of citizens, making Spartans constantly paranoid of a helot revolt. In order to prevent this fear, "the ephors declared war on them every year. In spite of these precautions, the Spartans frequently had to suppress helot revolts"(Davis 90). The Spartans felt this was an efficient way to keep the numbers of slaves down, and to further subdue the slaves hopes of one day being free. Since slaves were treated horribly by the Spartans they were constantly trying to escape. In Sparta a slave could be killed simply because of being suspicion of that slave being a rebel or planning to escape. In Athens most slaves were loved, respected, and often paid for their labours. They were given the opportunity to pay for their freedom. Unlike Sparta, slaves in Athens were "protected from bodliy harm by legislation"(Davis 94). Slaves were much more happy in Athens since they were not const antly in fear for their lives. In Athens slaves also had several opportunities for normal jobs, for example, a slave could be an artistan. Slaves in Athens, "often worked alongside citizens and metics in both unskilled and highly skilled jobs"(Davis 95). On the most part, slaves in Athens were happy and content, however one-fifth of the slave population was forced to live and work in the silver mines. Since slaves in Athens received better treatment and the ability for them to have jobs other than normal labours, slaves had a better life than the slaves of Sparta.

Problems in Air Traffic Control and Proposed Solutions Essay -- Aviati

Problems in Air Traffic Control and Proposed Solutions In northern California this summer, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unintentionally performed it's first operational test of "free flight"; aviation without direct air traffic control. This was an unintentional experiment because it was a result of a total shut-down of the Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). Although Oakland is only the 16th busiest ARTCC, it's responsible for the largest block of airspace of any ATC facility; 18 million square miles. Oakland directs all upper-level flight from San Luis Obispo, California to the California/Oregon boarder, including most Pacific oceanic routes. The failure happened at 7:13 a.m. local time during the morning "departure push". Controllers estimated there were 60-80 aircraft under their control when the power died. All radar screens went dark and all radios went silent. It took 45 minutes to restore radios and bring up a backup radar system. It was more than an hour before the main radar presentations came on line. One controller described the sudden quiet in the control suite as "the loudest silence I've ever heard" (UPI , 1995). He went on to say there was "panic on everybody's face" as they realized they had been rendered deaf, dumb, and blind by this catastrophic equipment failure. It took a few minutes for controllers to realize the shut-down had affected the entire facility. There was no book procedure to cover this emergency scenario, so most controllers improvised. Controllers in adjourning Los Angeles, Salt Lake, and Seattle ARTCCs and various Terminal Radar Approach Controls (TRACON; the level of radar coverage below upper-level ARTCC radar) were asked to take control over all airspace within their radar coverage, and divert aircraft under their control inbound to Northern California. Control towers in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, and other airports in the area were instructed to hold all IFR departures on the ground. The most difficult problem was getting notification to the airborne flight crews. In one case, controller Mike Seko said, "We had Napa tower telling high altitude aircraft Oakland Center had lost everything, and to switch to emergency frequencies" (Seko, UPI, 1995). But most airborne aircraft on Oakland Center frequencies were in a state of "l... ...ly privatize it, another to rework it from within, and a few other variations of those. Legislators have their own reasons to support certain bills; is our safety one of them? The Federal Times editorial sums up an everyday controllers concern. He's the one working with that aged computer equipment, he's the one working the unnecessarily long shifts, he's the one scared every day his screen will go dark during the morning rush hour. I would be inclined to listen very closely to his concerns and follow his recommendations towards a solution. The FAA's Quality statement declares the agency as an organization dedicated to "eliminating barriers, improving communication, providing additional opportunities for training, and constantly encouraging all personnel to seek ways to improve". The FAA is proud of its Quality activities because they "foster such initiatives as continuous improvement of work processes, empowerment of employees, partnering of labor and management, and re- engineering". (World Wide Web FAA Home-page, 1995) These are very lofty goals that always require improvement. But will disaster strike before their processes gets us a new ATC system?

Your Trusted Friends Analysis

Have you ever been watching television and right in the middle of your show been flooded with an endless amount of commercials? If you answered yes, I’m willing to bet that one of those advertisements were for one of the many fast food companies in the United States. In our country, fast food corporations have a dominating grasp on the consumer and the market as to which they are tackling. Some are calling it a pandemic, the next tobacco, and even a deadly drug that is being given to us willingly without any restrictions. Society has come to see this so called viable source of food as a quick, convenient way of getting the nutrition needed during our everyday lives. The only reason as to which we have been able to convince our minds that what is being offered is ok is due to the intense advertising campaigns, which these multi-million dollar fast food companies run. With ads directed at adults showing how a quick burger can be convenient on the go to a full blown marketing campaign directed at kids from ages three to thirteen, fast food companies have been able to brainwash most of America without any real restrictions. To ensure the health and well being of our countries youth, fast food companies must take more responsibility and be required to have restrictions on their marketing campaigns. Toys, Play place’s, clowns and kid’s club are only a few of the many marketing ploys which giant fast food companies have enacted to grab the youth demographic and capitalize on it. What kid is going to deny a fun finger food like french-fries, a cheeseburger, and on top of all that a toy! It’s like the big brother stealing candy from his younger sibling. In America, we have determined that the age of 18 is when one is considered an adult and liable for his own actions. Yet we allow major companies, which are detrimental to our overall health, to spend billions of dollars on marketing tactics that our directed solely at our countries youth. How can we expect these young children to make decision about poor food choices and living a healthy lifestyle when there is a toy involved? Schlosser touches on the growing problems with marketing that is aimed directly at the youth. He admits that studies don’t by the FTC show that young children cannot tell the difference between advertisements and actual television shows (192). This gives these companies a huge advantage over their target market. The child’s brain is under constant development and when they are exposed to so many advertisements daily for these fun, exciting foods that come with toys and feelings of fun, they are bound to give in do to their sheer mental capacity. In Eric Schlossers article â€Å"Your Trusted Friends† he states, â€Å"The typical American child now spends about twenty-one hours a week watching television- roughly one and a half months of TV a year† (193). This being said, children are seeing hundreds of these brainwashing commercials a week. Fast food corporations are pretty much stealing from the helpless with out any repercussions. Without any restrictions theses billion dollar empires are going to continue to target the heart of America, which will inevitably leading to a completely unhealthy nation who is blinded by the advertisements. It is time someone steps in and makes a change to benefit those who are suffering the most from this outrageous marketing scheme, our nations youth. That someone I speak of is the government. We need stricter policies on advertisements and target audiences. It's one thing for an adult male to make a decision to eat the unhealthy food offered by these companies. Being an adult he should be able to understand the consequences of eating fast food. It’s the eight-year-old child who does not. If fast food companies are going to base their marketing campaigns around children they should be inclined to help support positive programs for theses children such as schools physical education, summer programs and other activities that will teach kids to become active. The government needs to formulate a plan that would implement strict tax laws on marketing campaigns directed at younger audiences we could use these tax dollars for these types of programs that would counter the effects these companies products are having on the kid. I doubt parents would feel as bad giving McDonalds their money for non-nutritious food if they new a few pennies out of the cost of a cheeseburger would be going to her child’s elementary school P. E. fund. Kids will always love toys, fun foods and a happy time and these companies know that. There is no stopping the marketing that will be pushed at these kids. But what we can do is hold the companies responsible and demand that they give back. Our country over the past decade has been through everything from wars to recessions and the last thing we need is to only worsen the poor health of our country due to fast food. Our most impressionable citizens, our youth, are being flooded every day by the intense marketing schemes from fast food companies daily. These empires that have been built on our bad eating habits and poor decisions are only going to get worse and effect our children as well grandchildren if we don’t start finding solutions to counteract what these companies our doing to us. And I say counteract because we cannot bring these companies down. What we can do is hold them accountable and demand that they give a fraction of what they put into these giant marketing campaigns back to our nation’s children and the programs that are needed to keep them healthy. If we are going to make certain that our country lasts we must make fast food companies more responsible for the elaborate schemes they direct at our children. With some push and demanding of change from our government concerning this issue we can ensure the future health of our country.