Friday, December 27, 2019

Stem Cells The Fundamental Building Units Of The Human Body

Stem Cell Research Stem cells are the fundamental building units of the human body. They serve as a repair system internally. Dividing and restoring broken tissues to continue to develop. Each cell continues to divide to create another cell or to stay as a stem cell and continue to regenerate and divide as long as the organism is alive. Stem cells are very unique from other cells. They are distinguished and special; they are able to â€Å"renew† themselves through the splitting of cells, a process called â€Å"cell division† (National Institute of Health). Stem cells can split and divide as much as possible and can turn into a more specific cell when the body lack of it (Furcht and Hoffman liv). On the other hand, there are only certain places†¦show more content†¦Researchers extract stem cells by â€Å"destroying human embryos.† (Konsen 2-3). This is where the ethical and moral debate started. These cells are taken from fertilized eggs (egg cells extracted from the woman reproductive system) through â€Å"in vitro fertilization,† a procedure that bonds the egg and the sperm in an unnatural way or in a lab facility rather than inside a human body. Then these fertilized eggs are â€Å"donated for research purposes† but only with the permission of the owner of the fertilized eggs (National Institutes of Health). When donated cells are received by scientists and researchers, they are cultured and grown in laboratories, known as the process of â€Å"cell culture.† These cells are then produced by â€Å"transferring cells from a preimplantation,† which means that â€Å"the human embryo has not yet implanted in the wall of the uterus.† During this process the cells are placed in an instrument where they are grown and refined. This instrument contains a liquid â€Å"culture† which shelters the cells and nourishes while also supporting the said cells. These â€Å"culture medium† can also affect the growing mechanism that has been put into the instrument used to form the anticipated difference of the cells. After this, they then start a cycle of subculturing to create stem lines. These lines are used for different research on genetics and other branches of science to make advances in each field. In mostly all phases of the procedure, sets of these

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Essay on Transitioning a Child To Daycare - 526 Words

When a parent leaves their child off at a daycare, they often wonder why their child who was happy and content before they arrived cries and screams when their parent leaves to go to work. This is a very hard transition for infants, which is why its our job as infant toddler teachers to make the transition as comfortable and relaxing as possible. The reason children feel this way when their parents leave is because they are in what Piaget calls the sensorimotor stage, and are in the beginning of object permanence meaning that an infant realizes something is their even though they cannot see it. This is very important because, before an infant can experience object permanence often refereed to as separation anxiety, they only think†¦show more content†¦You should also greet the child as they come in the classroom so they feel welcomed, and to show them you are not a scary person. It is also important not to make many changes in your classroom. This shows the child that there is nothing to worry about, and to reduce their anxiety. You should also keep a routine schedule as well so that the infant does not experience anything out of the ordinary, and can feel comfortable in the classroom because they know what is expected. You should also give time when they arrive to play, and do activities that you have for them to do to make the transition easier. However the best way to go about this is to be patient with the child, and be understanding. There are several elements in the early childhood program that addresses stranger anxiety. For instance the staff child ratio for a child care center is one adult for three infants. Infants also have the same teacher so that they see the same face, and this insures that you develop an attachment as well as bond with the infant. Trust is also used to address stranger anxiety; having the caregiver ensure there needs are met does this. This is done when the caregiver rubs the infants stomach, and talks to them when they are changing their diaper, holding them when they are eating, and talking to them in baby language. In conclusion havingShow MoreRelatedAutism / Asperger And Autism767 Words   |  4 Pageswith understanding what is Autism and ways to support him with his diagnoses. As all parents at the beginning of learning their child has Autism/Asperger they are scared, they want to know what is best for their child when it comes to their development and what services are out there to help themselves and their child with their disability. As I observed my friend’s child, I learned that with the amount of support from family and friends along with his parent’s researching case studies and documentationRead MoreNonparental Child Care and Its Impact on Child Development1382 Words   |  6 PagesNonparental Child Care amp; Its Impact on Child Development LaTonya W. Boyd SOC 312 Instructor Steven Peters 11/28/11 The last century has brought about an increase in the female working populations. Included in this population are mothers who previously provided care for their pre-school aged children. Because of this drastic change, the need for non parental child care has also increased. In this paper, I will discuss the three types of non parental child care and their influence onRead MoreThe Journey With Emerson s Life848 Words   |  4 Pagessuccesses the come along the way while watching a child grow, change, and develop. I also discovered, loosely, how I think I would generally parent when the time comes. At the very end, Emerson reflected on my parenting and said that I was more accepting and warm than the average parent but was also more strict. During my own reflection, I interpreted this as a success. Since the early stages of childhood development, Emerson was a difficult child. He had tantrums, mood swings, and trouble with dealingRead MoreEssay on Sending Your Child to a Day Care Center3341 Words   |  14 PagesSending Your Child to a Day Care Center Abstract Sending your child to day care is a tough decision to make. Parents most look into various ideas when picking a day care center. They also must think about what is best for their child’s development whether it be social, physical or cognitive. There are various pros and cons to sending your child to day care and decide if it is right for your child and family. â€Å"As they stepped into Ms. Couchons office, the motherRead MoreDifferences Between Home Daycares And Daycare Centers3734 Words   |  15 Pages Differences Between Home Daycares and Daycare Centers: Assessing the Quality of Care Found in Both Settings Jennifer Lea Grossman Amberton University TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3 Genesis Purpose and Methods Significance Operational Definitions Research Questions 2. LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................7 3. METHODOLOGY..............................................................Read MoreThe Role Of Schools In Early Childhood Education1022 Words   |  5 PagesKindergarten. According to Erlbaum (1983), â€Å"Children who attend preschool are less often retained in grade and placed in special education, and they more often graduate from high school.† Enrolling a child in a Pre-K program introduces children to the academic skills that are a necessity when transitioning from Pre-K to Kindergarten and the academic years to come. The school years from Pre-K to the third grade are extremely important because during this time children are developing crucial cognitiveRead MoreObservation And Orientation Of The Gym1144 Words   |  5 Pagesthe treatment process so that the interventions can be integrated into the child daily routine (Spot, 2006). The clinic creates an atmosphere that encourages children to grow, learn, explore, and develop a positive self-esteem (Spot, 2006). As stated earlier, the clinic served pediatrics from zero to twenty-one years of age. The clients attend homeschooled, private, and public school. Their educational levels start from daycare to college. The clients are from a multicultural background; therefore,Read More1. Background Description Of School And Observed Classroom1480 Words   |  6 Pageswhich promotes education skills at an early age. This slogan promotes education and the concept of developing life long learning skills that are inherent in the preschool years. Another strength of the school is that the curriculum does not follow a daycare style rather it’s a general educational setting that prepares preschool students for the rigors of kindergarten and education beyond. Behavior is strictly enforced and its consistent among other students in the classrooms. An area of improvementRead MoreSusan Lewellyn s Life With Her Mother Essay1414 Words   |  6 Pagesdivorce was the life event that had the most impact on Susan’s life as a young girl. â€Å"In understanding the child s adjustment to divorce it is important to look not only at changes in family structure but also at changes in family functioning and at stresses and support systems in the child s extra familial social environment† (Hetherington, 1979). Susan lived in a continuous life of transitioning from one situation to the next. As a young girl, she had to rely on several sources of support in orderRead MoreDisruptive Behaviors : Social Deficits And Other Problem Behaviors Essay1786 Words   |  8 PagesDisruptive behaviors, even those of an aggressive nature, are not uncommon in children when they first attend pre-school. Pre-school is a time to play, learn and grow before entering a school setting. These children are often transitioning from life at home with their parents to meeting new adults and other children while learning new rules. Disruptive behaviors occur as children adjust to a semi-structured school day including time for free-play. These disruptive behaviors typically disappear on

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The Rebranding of Lenovo After Its Acquisition of Thinkpad free essay sample

The Rebranding of Lenovo after Its Acquisition of ThinkPad Chinese company Lenovo, founded in Beijing in 1984 and incorporated in Hong Kong in 1988, has gone through rebranding after its 2005 acquisition of the ThinkPad PC business from U. S. firm IBM. [1] Since then, Lenovo has risen to become the top PC maker alongside Hewlett-Packard, and analysts point to its ThinkPad products as a major factor behind its success. Lenovos acquisition of IBMs personal computer division accelerated access to foreign markets while improving both its branding and technology. Before 2005, Lenovo lacked international recognition, attention to user and user experience outside China. The acquisition of the ThinkPad not only helped Lenovo promote brand image, but also helped it build the awareness in overseas markets. In order to extend the market and compete against its competitors Lenovo has pursued innovative new PC designs such as its popular IdeaPad Yoga products, ThinkPad Helix, and ThinkPad Twist. We will write a custom essay sample on The Rebranding of Lenovo After Its Acquisition of Thinkpad or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lenovo has achieved significant success with this high-value strategy and it now controls more than 40% of the market for Windows computers priced above $900 in the United States. 2] Keeping the original name ThinkPad, Lenovo puts its brand identity in front of it. The brand value of ThinkPad has been successfully kept after being acquired by Lenovo. Shipments of Think-branded computers have doubled since Lenovos takeover of the brand, with operating margins thought to be above 5%. [2] Lenovo has aggressively expanded the ThinkPad brand away from traditional laptop computers in favor of tablets and hybrid devices such as ThinkPad Helix and the ThinkPad Twist. Lenovo ThinkPad ThinkPad line has filled up the blank of high-end products, completing the whole product lines of Lenovo. Now, Lenovo offers a multiplicity of product lines, and successfully seizing both high-end and low-end market. ThinkPad products are aimed at producing enterprise machines and high-end consumer products and positioned to compete with Apple in the high-end market. While, other product lines, such as IdeaPad and Essential, are focusing on mid- and low-range products, competing with HP, Deal as well as other mid-and –low range price PC producers. To improve its brand awareness in the international retail market, Lenovo has invested heavily in media and promotion. Lenovo hoped to establish a worldwide brand image of cool and innovative, rather than a synonym for cheap. Lenovo has purchased the advertising space during Super Bowl and a popular TV show Glee. One ad shows a Lenovo notebook open its parachute after being thrown out of an airplane, which displays the Quick Launch feature of the Lenovo notebook. In the lobby of the Lenovo U. S. building, the tagline â€Å"For those who do† can be easily found everywhere. Lenovo was also cleverly advertised in a Hollywood movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon. In the movie, a computer transforms into a robot friend of the hero, Shia Labeouf — and the name of the computer company is there for all to see: Lenovo. Chinese enterprises are looking for better opportunities to promote brands globally, and Hollywood is a good platform, said Liu Siru, head of the advertising company Filmworks China Entertainment Marketing, which is operating in the US movie hub[3]. References: [1]: Company history of Lenovo on their official website, http://www. enovo. com/lenovo/us/en/history. html [2]: [From guard shack to global giant; Chinese industry From guard shack to global giant; Chinese industry]. The Economist. January 12, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013. [3]: Chen Jia: Remake, Remodel and Rebrand: Chinese firms need to raise their game to gain international recognition, October 2, 2011. [4]: Craig Stephen (August 20, 2012), China’s Lenovo may be one-o ff success,MarketWatch, August 20, 2012. [5]: Face value: Legend in the making. The Economist, February 6, 2013.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

s Hazards

Society’s Hazards Why is it that we wish for better times? Do you remember your parents saying, â€Å"Back in the good ol days...†? Have you caught yourself saying, â€Å"Man, I remember when...†? The truth is that we all have asked this of ourselves. Today’s society is stressful and dangerous. Children are forced to learn faster, they are pushed to succeed, and taught they are survival of the fittest. Adults are stressed because they didn’t get there bonus, promotion, or there home situation is deteriorating. In today’s racing society, elementary students are being taught things we didn’t learn until junior high. I remember my psychology professor telling us a story about his english teacher in seventh grade and what assignments they had to do. We laughed and told him that we did those type of assignments in fourth grade. His response was, â€Å"Really? Geesh!† Teenagers are told school is most important. The importance is stressed so much that when they get unacceptable grades, they sometimes can’t cope with the stress. Teenage suicides have sky rocketed because they see themselves as failures and useless. They are taught to be the best in all situations, whether it be academics, popularity, or wealth. As we move towards a less religiuos society, morals have left. The children have been taught evolution and have reduced humanity to a pile of goo. Life is an accident and holds no meaning. As we have seen, kids are become less troubled by taking another persons life. Adults, also, have a problem with this exhausting society. We, as a society, are very materialistic. Material things are not necessarily bad, but when they become our goal there is never enough. We strive for that next promotion, that better car, that bigger house. When we don’t reach these goals, we see ourselves as failures. The result is we work harder and in doing so, neglect other responsibilities such as family. You would be s... 's Hazards Free Essays on Society\'s Hazards Society’s Hazards Why is it that we wish for better times? Do you remember your parents saying, â€Å"Back in the good ol days...†? Have you caught yourself saying, â€Å"Man, I remember when...†? The truth is that we all have asked this of ourselves. Today’s society is stressful and dangerous. Children are forced to learn faster, they are pushed to succeed, and taught they are survival of the fittest. Adults are stressed because they didn’t get there bonus, promotion, or there home situation is deteriorating. In today’s racing society, elementary students are being taught things we didn’t learn until junior high. I remember my psychology professor telling us a story about his english teacher in seventh grade and what assignments they had to do. We laughed and told him that we did those type of assignments in fourth grade. His response was, â€Å"Really? Geesh!† Teenagers are told school is most important. The importance is stressed so much that when they get unacceptable grades, they sometimes can’t cope with the stress. Teenage suicides have sky rocketed because they see themselves as failures and useless. They are taught to be the best in all situations, whether it be academics, popularity, or wealth. As we move towards a less religiuos society, morals have left. The children have been taught evolution and have reduced humanity to a pile of goo. Life is an accident and holds no meaning. As we have seen, kids are become less troubled by taking another persons life. Adults, also, have a problem with this exhausting society. We, as a society, are very materialistic. Material things are not necessarily bad, but when they become our goal there is never enough. We strive for that next promotion, that better car, that bigger house. When we don’t reach these goals, we see ourselves as failures. The result is we work harder and in doing so, neglect other responsibilities such as family. You would be s...

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Mixing up lay and lie

Mixing up lay and lie Mixing up lay and lie Mixing up lay and lie By Maeve Maddox A reader writes: I have problems with lying and laying. Â  Is there an easy way to make sure I am using the right one? The distinction is easy enough, but this particular usage is on the endangered list and may not survive into the next generation of English speakers. Knowing the difference between lying and laying requires the speaker to recognize the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. Verbs that describe actions are either transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb takes a direct object. The Latin prefix trans- means across. The action of the transitive verb carries across to a direct object. This direct object receives the action of the verb. Ex. The man drives a truck. The verb is drive. To determine whether the verb has a direct object, one asks drives what? In this example, there is an answer: drives a truck. The verb drives in this sentence is transitive. Something, truck, receives the action. Some verbs are always transitive. Some are always intransitive. Many, like drive, may be either transitive or intransitive. Ex. Every Sunday the family drives in the countryside. If we apply the question drives what? to this sentence, we do not get an answer. Nothing in the sentence receives the action. There is no direct object so in this sentence drive is an intransitive verb. The action remains with the verb. (The phrase in the countryside tells where the family drives.) The common confusion between the verbs lie and lay is understandable because the form lay exists in the conjugations of both verbs: to lie intransitive verb meaning to recline; to rest horizontally Present: Today I lie on the bed. Past: Yesterday I lay on the bed. Present Perfect: I have lain on the bed all day. Present Continuous: I am lying on the bed. to lay transitive verb meaning to place; to put Present: Today I lay the book on the table. Past: Yesterday I laid the book on the table. Present Perfect: I have laid the book on the table. Present Continuous: I am laying the book on the table. Here are a few more illustrations of correct usage: Lie down, Fido! The accident victim lay in the street. The spectators lay back in their seats to look at the sky. Today its your turn to lay the table. I laid the table yesterday. English has two other verbs that may confuse the issue further: to lie to tell a falsehood generally intransitive: Present: Today I lie about my age. Past: Yesterday I lied about my age. Present Perfect: I have lied about my age. Present Continuous: I am lying about my age. to lay to produce an egg may be transitive or intransitive Present The hens lay eggs. (transitive) The hens lay well. (intransitive) Past The hen laid three eggs. (transitive) Present Perfect: The hen has laid an egg every day this week. (transitive) Present Continuous: The hens are laying well this year. (intransitive) Both forms of lay derive from an Old English verb meaning to place on the ground or put down. The two lie verbs come from two different Old English verbs, one meaning to speak falsely, and the other meaning to rest horizontally. This is not our first post on lay/lie and probably wont be the last. See this one from July 2007. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadExcited ABOUT, not "for" 50 Words with Alternative Spellings

Saturday, November 23, 2019

positive discipline essays

positive discipline essays Teaching young children right from wrong is a practice that has developed throughout the ages. Today, the focus is on positive discipline approach while guiding children through common situations, like when young children use profanity, opposed to the physical punishment tactic used in the past. A commitment needs to be made to a positive approach in disciplining young children. The main part of this paper will discuss the approaches that a child care provider can facilitate when directing children in positive discipline. The use of profanity from children is directly impacted by social, economic, and community backgrounds. In a religous community for example, parents might observe a tight restriction on the use of profane language. Parents in non-religious communities may not put as much emphasis on this value. There are several catagories of profane language according to Dr. Timthy Jay, including, name calling, insulting, and profanity. Dealing with the usage of profane or negative language can be positive. If a two or three year old blurts out a dirty word, the childcare provider may simply tell the child to not say the word again. A child at the age of five canunderstand and receive an explanation for not using the word again. At age eight a child is capable of empathy and shoukd understand that what they say may hurt another childs feelings. Cursing by children in public has been increasing in America, especially in daycare settings. It has, therefore, become the classroom teachers responsibility to discipline the students actions with positive discipline. Children need to learn respect and understand the differences between what is acceptable, unacceptable, and innapropriate language. Acceptable language is considered a formal level of speech. This type of speaking is what every child should acquire. Unacceptable language includes harrasment, gender or racial discrimination, and obscenity. Inappropriate language depends he...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Managerial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managerial Accounting - Essay Example This article mainly discusses Breakeven Analysis such that the first section highlights the definition of breakeven point along with its graphical representation. Next section describes the importance of breakeven analysis. Last part of this article outlines the implications of breakeven analysis followed by the conclusion which summarize the article. Breakeven Point The level of sales or production quantity which can bring the company in a position where it neither generates any profits nor incur any losses, that point is called as breakeven point or level (tutor2u). When a particular product is manufactured, it has mainly two components which are variable costs and fixed costs. In order to reach at the breakeven level of sales, variables costs are deducted from the sales to arrive at the contribution margin. The percentage of that contribution margin with respect to sales is then compared with fixed costs resulting in the breakeven level of sales. If the contribution margin is prov ided in per unit terms, then break even quantity to be sold would be found. Following are the formulae for Breakeven Sales Level and Breakeven Quantity: Breakeven Sales Level = Fixed Cost / Contribution Margin (%) Breakeven Quantity = Fixed Cost / Contribution Margin (per unit) Where, Contribution Margin = Sales – Variable Cost Graphical Representation Graphically, breakeven points can also be identified with the help of the following diagram, where it can be observed that the point of intersection between lines OA and BC where line OA describes the normal sales level and BC denotes the total cost of the product comprising both variable and fixed costs. The point Q denotes the breakeven quantity. It is important to note that at point P, the firm is neither incurring any loss nor generating any profit and that is the breakeven point for the sales level. Reasons for Breakeven Analysis There are different reasons due to which business managers are keen to undertake this analysis such that future planning of operating activities, setting sales objectives, avoiding losses, estimating sales and costs forecasts etc. All these reasons are discussed as under: Future Planning Breakeven analysis helps business managers in undergoing rigorous future planning about the different products. By virtue of this analysis, some products are removed from the product line which can no longer generate profits, some of the products are added in as they have the capacity to generate some profits. At the same time some existing products are also continued with as their breakeven analysis provides them the likelihood of earning some profits. Setting Sales Objectives In order to motivate the sales force, breakeven analysis is conducted and then sales force is provided some targets to achieve. As per meeting the different levels of target sales, the company’s profits increase at the same time it adds up more rewards to the sales force. Avoiding Losses The next major reason f or the breakeven analysis is the avoidance of losses. Since the most preferred objective of a company is to avoid losses at any costs, therefore the business managers, conduct this analysis which reveals as which product can be sold in what quantities in order to establish different quantity levels of sales. If a given product’s breakeven quantity is too high and the company does not realize that this much quantity they can actually sold, it means that product will surly incur some losses. So it is

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Digital Journalism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Digital Journalism - Assignment Example Many years ago before the development of radios, televisions, newspapers or cellphones, people used the traditional methods of communication. These methods were nevertheless inefficient and many people didn’t receive the information. Years on, technology was advanced and newspapers and the use of telegrams were established. After that, technology continued to advance until the present day, where technology has grown and advanced further making it possible for many people get information anywhere and everywhere (Pavlik, 2008). Technology can therefore be referred to as a driver that has changed journalism for the past two decades and continues to transform it. The development of journalism attempts to deal with dynamic growth of developing and developed nations. Digital technology has designed journalism in many different ways. Many countries have developed new forms of media technologies like radio and televisions, which has been possible because of development of cables television, as well as high definition and digital television (Pavlik, 2008). Another significant development was the rise of internet and the World Wide Web that has created access to any information, radically raising technology for the past decades. This new form of digital journalism has brought the global market close together and it has given people the platform to get access to information. The developments of mobile phones and handsets have been among the most significant developments in journalism. This is because they have widened the access of information and news to people all over the world. The most significant development of journalism is the quick access to internet; this has been possible due to its availability and the low cost.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Why Fiction Stories Are Important to Society Essay Example for Free

Why Fiction Stories Are Important to Society Essay When we are young we read a lot of children’s stories, or have them read to us by our parents or at school. A lot of these stories are entertaining but they can also be used as a catalyst to teach young children about morals and values. For instance, a favourite of mine is Horton Hears a Who, by Doctor Seuss. This particular story is about equality and tolerance of difference, Horton says, â€Å"a persons a person no matter how small. We could have instead sat a young child down and told them all about the Holocaust, slavery and the many other unjust acts of discrimination around the world and why it is wrong – but a child wouldn’t understand and even they did, it would be cruel to expose a child to this kind of information. This is one reason why fiction is so important; it allows information and ideas to be accessible to a larger audience. The two films we have been studying this year, Born on the Forth of July and Gallipoli are both based on actual events. Why then weren’t these stories presented as a documentary? So many other films do the same thing. Why? When we take real events and work them into a fiction or semi fiction story there are certain aspects of the events that can then be manipulated or emphasised to have a greater effect on the audience, but also to direct the audience towards an intended or dominant reading of the text. In the movie Born on the fourth of July, we follow the story of Ron Kovic from his innocent youth, to an extremely patriotic teenager, his time in Vietnam and then see his transformation into a protester of war. The movie stays very close to actual events except for two distinct adaptations. While in Vietnam Kovic shoots down a fellow marine, Wilson. In the film he later confesses to the Wilson family of this. However this is scene has been invented. In this scene we see Kovic’s face through a close up camera shot, his anguish, pain and guilt of his mistake are evident. We are then transported into his memory of the event; the slow motion and daunting music create a funeral atmosphere. By being subjected to Kovic’s emotion so bluntly through the close up camera shot and then to see how he remembers the tragedy with such regret, a sense of Kovic’s conflict with himself is created and we cant help but to sympathise with him. Further more, we then see the members of Wilson’s family, his mother and father and widowed wife and son. We see them separately, also through close up camera shots to emphasise their emotions, the horror of realisation at what Kovic is saying and then extreme pain of loosing their loved one. The extreme pain of loss is confirmed when Wilson’s wife says to Kovic, â€Å"I can never forgive you, maybe the lord can. † The Wilson family cannot forgive Kovic however we admire his honesty. By creating this scene we are exposed to some of the after effects of war, grief stricken families, this builds on the anti war theme. More so this scene also shows us that veterans of war are just as much victims as those that died because we have scene the conflict Kovic has with himself and our sympathy towards Kovic is strengthened. The other adaptation of the story is Kovic’s high school sweetheart, Donna. We meet Donna in Kovic’s childhood; their affection for each other is carried throughout their teenage years. The high school prom is created to present to the audience the idea of ‘young love’ between Donna and Kovic, particularly Kovic’s feelings for her. It is evident when we see Kovic’s outburst of anger when he finds out Donna is going with someone else, due to a misunderstanding, and then confirmed as he runs through the rain on the night of the prom, purely so he can dance with Donna before he is dispatched. The music, especially the song ‘Moon River,’ heightens the dreamy, starry eyed, mood. We meet Donna again when Kovic returns from Vietnam. Here she is epresentative of the uprising antiwar movement in America. In one scene Kovic tells Donna, â€Å"I made a promise to myself that I would come back and love you forever. â€Å" However, it becomes clear that there will be no future for Donna and Kovic, perhaps because of the time in which Kovic was at war or because of the paralysis he returned with. Either way it is heartbreaking to see; the chronological structuring of the film and early development of Kovic’s feelings for Donna aids the strong emotional effect that this loss of love and loss of the future Kovic hoped for has on us. Here we can see that by adding fictional sections to actual events the impact on the audience can be heightened because we are subjected to scenes, characters and conflict, which have been carefully crafted to have a direct impact on our emotions. The film Gallipoli shows much of the conditions and events that soldiers endured during world war one, but more so is a display of the nature of events which lead to warfare and hence the death of many young Australian men. Aspects such as propaganda, social pressure, mate ship and patriotism are criticized for wrongly influencing these men to join the war effort. We are also presented with ideas about the lack of food, arms and poor medical treatment. At the end of the film we see the inevitable tragedy at Gallipoli, which we are most confronted with by the death of Archie Hamilton, the protagonist. His character was inspired by C. E. W. Beans Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 describing Private Wilfred Harper during the attack at the Nek, Wilfred was last seen running forward like a schoolboy in a foot-race, with all the speed he could compass. However the effect of Archie’s death would not have been as powerful and therefore would not have worked as effectively to confirm the ideas about world war one if it were not for the development of Archie, despite being inspired from history is a fictional character, throughout the film. In the exposition we are introduced to Archie and his identity begins to take shape. We know Archie is a young Australian boy, this is established not only by the written code, ‘Western Australia 1915,’ by also by the wide-angle long shots of the country. Immediately the dominant audience, Australians, begin to relate to Archie. This is reinforced by the display of other Australian values such as competitiveness when Archie, running on foot races back to the home gate against a man on horse back. Throughout this scene we hear the music Oxygene by Jean Michel Jarre, which appears in numerous other running scenes throughout the movie. Sections of this running scene are shown through long shot with the use of panning, this emphasis the incredible distance of Archie’s run and we admire his strength, determination and his physical pursuit. Archie’s character continues to develop through the story in such a way that we continue to admire and care for him. The use of fictional genre means that Archie’s character can be constructed in such a way to achieve a maximum emotion attachment towards him. In this way his death at Gallipoli impacts our emotions and this pushes us to reflect on and alter our attitudes towards war, the aim of the film. Lastly, I am going to refer to Ray Bradbury’s short story The Pedestrian that is set in the future. Leonard Mead, the main character walks the streets at night in 2052, he’s done so for many years but the streets are always empty. Everyone else is inside fixated on their T. Vs, or as Mr Mead puts it, â€Å"the tombs, ill lit by television light, where the people sat like the dead, the grey or multi-coloured lights touching their faces, but never really touching them. † On this particular night, Mr Mead is stopped by a robotic police car and taken away to the psychiatric centre for research on regressive tendencies. This piece of writing, fiction as it is, is making a statement about technology and its effects on the individual and human society as a whole. This text and many others much like it are extremely thought provoking. In this way we can see that fiction is an important part of our lives. Reading stories like this may prompt people to change their attitudes or even behaviours to help preserve our future. And then there’s the magic of fiction. Take the above story for example; we are transported into the future and bombarded with the strange situation Mr Mead finds himself in. Because of the third person limited point of view, we know what Mr Mead is thinking and feeling – we feel like we are him or at least that we are there with him. His moonlit walk on a cold frosty night; the atmosphere, which he is experiencing, we experience through the tone of the text to be melancholy. Created by the long syntax and relentless metaphors and similes. This imagery can also work to draw us into this imaginary world so that we can see and feel as Mr Mead does, ‘crystal frost in the air; it cut the nose and made the lungs blaze like a Christmas tree inside. † Fiction stories fire our imaginations whether we the writers or the readers. Fiction is enjoyable to read, that in itself is reason enough to say that it is not bunk.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto Essay -- Science Technology Social Femini

Donna J. Haraway’s "A Cyborg Manifesto Haraway’s provocative proposal of envisioning the cyborg as a myth of political identity embodies the search for a code of displacement of "the hierarchical dualisms of naturalized identities" (CM, 175), and thus for the breakdown of the logic of phallogocentrism and of the unity of the Western idealized self. Haraway defines the cyborg as "a cybernetic organism, a hybrid of machine and organism, a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction" (CM, 149). Her argument is introduced as "an effort to build an ironic political myth faithful to feminism, socialism, and materialism" (CM, 149). She claims blasphemy and irony as her vantage tools. Blasphemy invokes the seriousness of the stance she adopts, as well as her distancing from the moral majority without breaking with the idea of community and connectivity, and "irony is about contradictions that do not resolve into larger wholes, even dialectically, about the tension of holding incompatible things together because both or all are necessary and true [†¦]. It is also a rhetorical strategy and a political method" (CM, 149). Thus, she posits the embracing of difference and partiality as a different perspective on identity, while the "Manifesto" of the title evokes notions of political commitment and avant-garde activism, alongside with historical reverberations of Futurists’ acclamations to the new machine-age. Haraway’s cyborg is a blending of both materiality and imagination, pleasure and responsibility, reality and the utopian dream of a world without gender and, maybe, without end. We are all hybrids of machine and organism. The cyborg is our ontology, a creature in a post-gender world with "no origin story in the... ...and involvement of the female writers into the questioning and subversion of objective transparency. Finally, the prominence of the visuality and corporeality of/inside the Literary Annual openly challenges the masculine illusion of modesty. Abbreviations CM: "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century". MW: Modest_Witness@Second Millennium. Works cited Haraway, Donna J. "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century". Simians, Cyborgs, and Women. The Reinvention of Nature. London: Free Association Books, 1991. ---. Modest_Witness@Second_Millennium. Feminism and Technoscience. New York: Routledge, 1997 Hunt, Leigh. "Pocket-books and Keepsakes". The Keepsake. Ed. William Harrison Ainsworth. London: Hurst, Chance & Co., & Robert Jennings, 1828.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Robi Intern Report

[pic] American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) INTERNSHIP REPORT ON â€Å"A Research on the Classification of Sales Channel: Robi Axiata Limited† Supervised By: Kazi Ahmed Farhan Lecturer School of Business American International University-Bangladesh AIUB Submitted by: Gazi Fahd Hussain ID NO: 07. 01. 02. 085 Major in Marketing School of Business â€Å"A Research on the Classification of Sales Channel: Robi Axiata Limited† LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 31 March 2011 Kazi Ahmed Farhan Lecturer School of Business AHSANULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Subject: Submission of Research on the Classification of Sales Channel: Robi Axiata Limited.Dear Sir, According to your advice to prepare a research on the classification of sales channel I have prepared my report on â€Å"Robi Axiata Limited†, on of the telecommunication company of Bangladesh. In this research i have explained point of sales activities of Robi Axiata Limited in detail. I gathered the infor mation as much as possible. Much of our information is collected from primary sources (visiting retailers of Robi Axiata Limited & talking with the management of Robi Axiata Limited) & some other information was collected from the internet. I enjoyed working on this report and hope you will find it innovative.Sincerely yours, Gazi Fahd Hussain ID No: 07. 01. 02. 085 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT All praises for the Almighty Allah, the most merciful and beneficent, for giving me sufficient opportunity to study in B. B. A. program (American International University-Bangladesh). I am indebted to many people for providing us encouragement and support during my learning and working while making this research and we want to show our gratefulness to these people. I am very much grateful to KAZI AHMED FARHAN, my respected course instructor, who provided me the opportunity to do this report.It was not possible for me to prepare this research without his sincere permission, constant support and inspiration . I express my gratefulness to him. Thanks to the authority of Robi Axiata Limited for helping me in every possible way. My cordial thanks to ANM KHALED (Specialist, Consumer Sales & Services, Market Operation Division) & SABBIR SHOAIB (Specialist, Consumer Sales & Services, Market Operation Division) in particular for their enormous help and assistance, for providing me the required information about point of sales classification of Robi Axiata Limited.I would also like to thank my friends and peers for their encouragement, support, and suggestions which helped us to make this report a successful one. Letter of Endorsement The Internship Report entitled â€Å"Classification of Sales Channel: Robi Axiata Limited† has been submitted to the Office of Placement & Alumni, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration, Major in Marketing, Faculty of Business Administration on 31 March , 2011 by Gazi Fahd Hussain, Id No: 07-08740-2 The report has been accepted and may be presented to the Internship Defense Committee for evaluation. Any opinions, suggestions made in this report are entirely that of the author of the report. The University does not condone nor reject any of these opinions or suggestions). ______________________ â€Å"KAZI AHMED FARHAN† Internship Supervisor EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In this research paper, I have provided a quantitative and descriptive research on Classification of Sales Channel: Robi Axiata Limited, in Bangladesh. In this research paper, I have discussed & worked out with theoretical reviews of Point of sales (POS) classifications and alternation of decisions can make by the organization.More to say , that I have completed this research paper on long term broad objective and specific objectives to fulfill the information I have collected through primary & secondary data . Earlier, we have tried to review the company overviews and literature review on the purpose of the POS clas sification. At last, we have discussed & delivered some suggestions & recommendations to improve the conditions workout throughout the research for the respective organizations. The overall research is for the purpose of identifying point of sales classification and afterwards activities for the retailers in Mirpur areas, Dhaka city. ______TABLE OF CONTENTS_______ Title Page—————————————————————————i Letter of Transmittal————————————————————ii Acknowledgement————————————————————– iii Letter of Endorsement———à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ iv Executive Summary———————————————————– v Table of Content —————————————————————-vi 1. Introduction—————————————————————— 1 1. Background of the report—————————————————————–1 2. Objective of the study—————————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€2 3. Scope of the report————————————————————————3 4. Limitations———————————————————————————-3 5. Statement of the problems—————————————————————-3 6.Literature Review————————————————————————–4 2. 0 Methodolog y———————————————————————–6 2. 1 Sources of Information———————————————————————6 2. 2 Methods of Data Collection —————————————————————6 2. 3 Data Analysis——————————————————————————–7 2. 4 Timeline of Activities———————————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€-7 3. Company Overview———————————————————— 8 3. 1About Robi———————————————————————————–8 3. 2 Background of the company ————————————————————- 9 3. 3 Journey of the Country ——————————————————————–9 3. 4 Strategic Overview of Robi ———————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€-10 3. 5 Mission & Vision of Robi ————————————————————– 11 3. Division & Department of Robi———————————————————11 3. 7 Products & Services ———————————————————————-11 3. 8 Coverage ———————————————————————————- 13 3. 9 Organizational Structure ————†”————————————————–14 3. 10 Features of Robi ————————————————————————-14 4. 0 Finding & Analysis ———————————————————– 15 4. Key Findings of the Study ————————————————————– 31 5. 0 Recommendations ———————————————————————— 33 6. 0 Conclusion— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€-34 7. 0 Appendix————————————————————————————— 35 1. 0 Introduction Telecommunication is the transmission of information, over significant distances, for the purpose of communication. Today the globe is a village and telecommunication has become a necessity to people’s life.Moreover, telecommunication has started introducing some diversified areas with the help of its mobile network. Nowadays, people can not think without mobile phone. Many people depend on it for their ultimate connectivity. It has become a part of people’s day to day life. Mobile technology is pr esently providing various cheap solutions in people’s daily life. Information technology enables telecom companies to provide economic solutions with a very cheap and easily available access, which was costly earlier and not accessible to some extent.Using a mobile phone has become a common measure of communication in our country. From a rickshaw puller to a higher official, everyone owns a mobile phone. The number of mobile phone users is increasing day by day. So our country has become an attractive market for mobile operators. Robi Axiata Ltd. is one of the leading mobile operators in our country who have seen this great potential. 1. 1 Background of the Report For BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) students of University of AIUB, internship program is mandatory for every student to complete the degree.Internships provide an opportunity for students to link theory with practice and further serve as a temporary labor pool for those organizations that have committed t o participate in the internship program. The internship program has following purposes: †¢ It provides a student with a practical real world experience in the public or nonprofit sector before entering into a job market. Such experience not only increases students’ job prospects, but also teaches what is expected in terms of professional behavior. †¢ It enables a student to develop important skills which cannot be taught in the classroom. It enables a student to compare theoretical ideas learned in the classroom within the world of work. †¢ It permits a student to apply the technical skills learned in the classroom to real world problems. I have prepared this report while working as an intern in Robi Axiata Ltd. This report is based on â€Å"Marketing of Robi Axiata Ltd†. I have also covered information regarding the organizational overview and what I did and learned everyday in Robi Axiata Ltd. 1. 2 Objectives of the Study There are two kinds of objecti ves of the report. They are: ? Broad Objective ? Specific ObjectiveBroad Objective: The main objective of the study is to know how Robi classify its business channels. From the study, I also want to acquire a sound knowledge of roles, activities and responsibilities of the Consumer Channel Development unit of an organization which I can apply in my future professional life. Specific Objectives: The specific objectives of this internship report are: ? To have a clear understanding of market dynamism. ? Categories as well as find out business opportunities and potential POS for sales penetration. ? To capitalize on market by increase trade loyalty. To find out POS wise sales and find out ways to penetrate sales in future which include KYC (Know Your Customer) as well. ? To capture the snapshot of market so that in future Robi can introduce POS wise campaign, channel loyalty program etc. ? Enhance the visibility of Robi at market level. ? Service at customer door steps through identify and expanding service point. 1. 3 Scope of the Study The organization chosen was a telecommunication; therefore, the focus of the report was mainly on the Point of Sales (POS) undertaken by the organization.I tried to focus on gathering knowledge about the POS classification activities & policies of Robi Axiata Limited in depth. As, the research was a combination of both field work & theoretical knowledge, I am able to understand from my research preparation in a much detailed & clear way. 1. 4 Limitations of the Study Three months of time for a research is really very low. It is really very difficult to find out every single issue within this limited period of time. Overall the limitations those I have faced are: ? Time Frame. It was difficult to access to more internal information. ? It was really difficult for me to accumulate confidential data. ? Some retailers didn’t give attention providing information. 1. 5 Statement of the Problem After completion of this study I can able to find out the perceptions of the company practicing POS classification about the retailers and the decisions which can be effective for that. 1. 6 Literature Review There are some strategies which a business organization always applies for achieving its objectives. Business classification is one of these strategies.In Bangladesh it is always seen that business organizations classified their products for generating some value in these. In telecommunication companies, it has seen the most. For example, grameenphone Ltd. classified their SIM cards in many classes: djuice, bondhu, apon, corporate etc. Robi Axiata Limited is also one of the leading telecommunication companies in Bangladesh. SIM card with a unique customer’s identity is its basic product. It also classified its products into many categories. But recently it has a plan to classify its business channels as well.Previously, in many times Robi used to classify its products in many ways. But it was the lack of m otivation of sales people; as a result Robi did not get the expected level of sales which it expected. So it is clear that, to get the expected sales level it is also important to motivate the sales people properly. Recently Robi takes the initiative to classify its Point of Sales (POS), from which basically the products spread to the customers. Robi basically plan to rearrange their POSs into three possible parts: Premium, Gold and Silver.As the part of this project Robi has done a detail questionnaire survey. By analyzing the survey report Robi has the plan to treat its POSs accordingly. Turning Of Aktel Into Robi And Their Market Challenge. Aktel, one of the country’s top mobile phone brands, took its new name—Robi—meaning the sun, with effect from the dawn of Sunday when it also unveiled a new logo for the company at a colourful ceremony at the capital’s Suhrawardi Uddyan. Aktel will henceforth be known as Robi, underlining the rich, vibrant culture a nd heritage of Bangladesh, executives of the popular cellphone company said. Robi brings the first gleam of light that shows us the day†¦ a symbol of harvest that brings smile on the faces of farmers,’ said Michael Kuehner, the Managing Director and CEO of Axiata (Bangladesh) Ltd. , the Malaysia-based mobile operator. He went on to point out that the word Robi is also very familiar to Bangla speaking people as it is the name of their pride poet, Rabindranath Tagore. ‘We aim to develop an emotional link with the culture and roots of this nation†¦ Therefore, we chose the Bangla word Robi to be our identity,’ he said.The mobile phone operator has also taken the logo of the Axiata Group Berhad, the parent company. Axiata (Bangladesh) Limited, formerly known as TM International (BD) Limited, is a joint venture between Axiata Group Berhad (70 per cent) and Japanese NTT DoCoMo (30 percent). One of the six mobile companies in Bangladesh, Robi is the third large st mobile phone operator in terms of revenue, having some 10. 31 million subscribers across the country. Earlier, the largest mobile phone operator in the country, Grameen Phone Ltd. , had also changed its logo assuming that of Telenor Group, the major shareholders of the GP. By changing the name to a Bengali word, the company aims at aligning its services to local culture and tradition. The word has been chosen as it carries a range of dominant meanings of emotional and cultural bondage of the people of this land,’ Kuehner told a press briefing at Suhrawardi Uddyan. Robi’s head of corporate affairs Segufta Yesmin Samad and chief commercial†¦ 2. 0 Methodology of the Report 2. 1Sources of Information Robi is one the major telecom service provider in Bangladesh. Its Head Office is situated in Nafi Tower, Gulshan-1, and Dhaka.The study will primarily focus on the Consumer Channel Development unit of Consumer Sales and Service (CSS) Department of Robi where I am doing my internship. However, relevant and necessary analysis of other events and circumstances pertaining to the study will be made. The following sources have been used for the purpose of gathering and collecting data as required. A. Primary sources: ? Observation ? Personal interview ? Through personal acquaintance with the people at Marketing Division B. Secondary sources: ? Information from web. ? Brochures. ? Newspapers Clips. ? Journals, and ? HR BooksBoth primary and secondary data sources will be used to generate this report. Primary data sources are scheduled survey, informal discussion with professionals and observation while working in different desks. The secondary data sources are different published reports, manuals, price updates and different publications of â€Å"ROBI†. 2. 2 Methods of Data Collection Relevant documents and data will be obtained from CSS Department, Robi. Further material will come from previous reports, studies, articles, news published on Natio nal Dailies etc. Literature concerning explanation and theories will be collected from Internet.A questionnaire will be prepared including both open-ended and close-ended questions to get feedback from the POSs that will be used in measuring the effectiveness of the classification. Observation on the activities of the colleagues, in-depth discussion with organizational supervisor and my practical knowledge on job will be helpful to know activities, duties and responsibilities of the Consumer Channel Development Unit. 2. 3 Data Analysis After surveying, questionnaire will be reviewed and edited to ensure the completeness, consistency and reliability of data as well as to facilitate the coding process.Then, the open-ended responses will be coded and finally data will be computerized. If required, recoding will be done to facilitate analysis. Analysis of data and the preparation of the report will be done by the Microsoft Office Program (MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint) in compute r. 2. 4 Timeline of Activities: The plan for this project is provided on the basis that it is a general guide to direction. Due to the nature of the research some information may be difficult to obtain on schedule and allowance for this needs to be made. This plan is also subject to change on re-evaluation.In every stage, strong communication with my supervisor will be maintained to get the best outcome of the report. Stage 1: Topic selection and proposal submission: 7th March, 2011. Stage 2: Gather information from secondary sources as well as obtain data from primary sources. Conduct and complete reviews of relevant literature within 24th March 2011. Stage 3: Make needed correction & Prepare draft report within 31st March 2011 and show my Internship Adviser. Stage 4: Make needed correction suggested my supervisor and prepare final report for final submission within 10th April 2011. 3. 0 Company Overview 3. 1 About Robi Axiata LimitedRobi Axiata Limited is a dynamic and leading cou ntrywide GSM communication solutions provider for Bangladesh, and is joint venture Company between Axiata Group Berhad, Malaysia and NTT DOCOMO INC, Japan. It was formerly known as Telekom Malaysia International (Bangladesh) which commenced operations in Bangladesh in 1997 with the brand name AKTEL. On 28th March 2010, the service name was rebranded as ‘Robi’ and the company came to be known as Robi Axiata Limited. Robi is truly a people-oriented brand of Bangladesh. Robi, the people's champion, is there for the people of Bangladesh, where they want and the way they want.Having the local tradition at its core, Robi marches ahead with innovation and creativity. To ensure leading-edge technology, Robi draws from the international expertise of Axiata and NTT DOCOMO INC. It supports 2G voice, CAMEL Phase II & III and GPRS/EDGE service with high speed internet connectivity. Its GSM service is based on a robust network architecture and cutting edge technology such as Intellig ent Network (IN), which provides peace-of-mind solutions in terms of voice clarity, extensive nationwide network coverage and multiple global partners for international roaming.It has the widest International Roaming coverage in Bangladesh connecting 600 operators across more than 200 countries. Its customer centric solution includes value added services (VAS), quality customer care, easy access call centers, digital network security and flexible tariff rates. By leveraging on Axiata's extensive expertise in the international communications implementation, Robi became the first mobile operator to connect Tetulia and Teknaf, which is the northern and southern most points of Bangladesh, and first to provide seamless coverage along the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.With a network covering all 64 districts of Bangladesh, coupled with the first Intelligent Network (IN) Prepaid Platform in the country, Robi is geared to provide a wide range of products and services to customers all over Bangla desh. 3. 2 Background of the Company Axiata Bangladesh Ltd. (Robi) was found as a joint company of the Axiata Group Berhad from Malaysia and the NTT DoCoMo Inc. from Japan. It operates as a Limited Liability Company, where a founder and a majority shareholder, the AXB- member of the Axiata Group Berhad owns 70% shares, while the minority shares of 30 % are being controlled by the NTT DoCoMo. . 3 Journey of the Country Robi is the dynamic and leading end-to-end countrywide GSM mobile communication solutions of TM International (Bangladesh) Limited. With a vision to be the leading service provider in the ICT sector in Bangladesh, it has contributed considerably to the improvement of tele-density of the country. This fact is apparent through Robi's presence throughout the reaches of Teknaf to Tetulia and the seamless network established along the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.Robi's investment in Bangladesh to date stands at a significant amount, which has contributed significantly towards the growth of the economy of the country while creating multifarious employment opportunities in many active areas. Among many products, Robi has launched its dynamic new service called Robi International Roaming Service, which allows Robi users to access over 550 global operators across more than 205 countries. With this robust service, Robi boasts to be the widest roaming operator in the country, far outweighing the current roaming service provider's coverage. New service and features area to be added) Robi also prides itself as a technology driven company. It has invested heavily into upgrading the systems with state of the art equipment with cutting edge technologies available today in the telecom sector such as its Short Message Service (SMS) and Voice Message Service (VMS) systems, and migration of the Pre-Paid network platform to Intelligent Network (IN), which was successfully implemented for the first time in Bangladesh.A reflection of these processes are the highly competi tive product packages and first ever services that had been offered to all Robi Customers throughout the year. It is strongly believed that Robi will be the pioneer service provider to be able to realize the long-felt needs of the customers from all walks of life by offering innumerable innovative products and value-for-money services throughout the years to come. In concert with the theme of undeniable customer appreciation, Robi celebrates the end of a remarkable year. 3. 4 Strategic Overview of RobiPrinciples of Robi: Employees of this company hold themselves accountable to the following guiding Principles for the organization- Emotional: Passionate, Creative, Respectful, and Open. Functional: Simple, Ethical, Transparent, Ownership. Passionate: We're passionate – it's in all of us. Whether visible or hidden within for whatever reason. Creative: Everything we do we should do in a creative innovative manner. Respectful: We are truly respectful to each other. Our subordinate s, peers, partners and customers. Open: We have no hidden agendas. We share information freely.Simple: Everything we do and say should be simple and easy to understand Ethical: We are moral, upright, honest, righteous, virtuous, honorable, keeping our promises in all we say and do. Transparent: A few key words and phrases sums this up: Honesty. Openness. Frankness. No lies. No deceit. No games. Easily understood. Ownership: Whilst working individually or collectively, we clearly demonstrate individual and collective ownership. 3. 5 Mission & Vision of Robi Vision To be a leader as a Telecommunication Service Provider in Bangladesh MissionROBI aims to achieve its vision through being number ‘one’ not only in terms of market share, but also by being an employer of choice with up-to-date knowledge and products geared to address the ever changing needs of our budding nation 3. 6 Division & Department of Robi ROBI is operating with following Divisions / Departments having it s establishment in different locations at Dhaka, Chittagong and other regions of Bangladesh. ROBI has following divisions and departments: ? Finance Division ? Commercial Division ? Information Technology Division ? Technical Division Human Resources Division ? Revenue Assurance Department ? Regulatory Affairs Department ? Internal Audit Department ? Corporate Affairs Department ? Corporate Strategy Department ? Supply Chain Management Department ? Credit Control Department ? Legal & Compliance Department ? Security & Safety Department ? MD’s/CEO’s Office 3. 7 Products & Services Robi's GSM service is based on a robust network architecture and cutting edge technology such as intelligent network (IN). The intelligent network (IN) provides peace-of-mind solutions in terms of voice clarity, wider nationwide etwork coverage, numerous international roaming global partners, and popular value added services (VASs), quality easy-access customer care, round the clock call cente r operations, ironclad digital network security, competitive tariff rates and precise billing. Robi provides standard mobile connections with NWD and ISO facilities. They also provide mobile-to-mobile, Mobile with T&T incoming and outgoing facilities. TMIB has an integrated and fully computerized Customer Care Billing System (CCBS), which supports virtually all subscriber-related functions with its 24-hour customer care service. . 7. 1 Product Portfolio The product line of Robi is divided into two types based on the subscription category for general subscribers – Prepaid and Post paid. 3. 7. 2 Pre-paid Packages Robi Prepaid offers a single package that delivers simplicity and flexibility at the same time. Robi Prepaid is continuously adding new features and plans to provide absolute freedom to the customers. Tariff plans are as follows- †¢ Ek second Tariff †¢ Simple tariff †¢ Normal tariff †¢ Super simple †¢ Extra simple 3. 7. 3 Post-paid Packages Dat a Packages:Robi offers flexible internet usage packages currently. There are 5 internet options available in Robi's product portfolio. ? Volume Based Pack ? Daily Browsing Pack ? 20/20 Internet Pack ? Monthly Unlimited Internet ? Pay-per-use Services ? Basic Services: Telephony & Data ? Supplementary Services: ? Calling Line Identification Presentation (CLIP) ? Call Waiting and Call Holding ? Call Forwarding ? Call Conferencing ? National Roaming – Both way ? International Roaming ? Itemized Billing ? Dedicated Customer Services 3. 7. 4 Value Added Services: †¢ SMS: Local & |†¢ Voice Chat |†¢ Kid Zone | |international |†¢ Easy Menu |†¢ Cricket Zone | |†¢ Robi GoonGoon |†¢ Instant News |†¢ Robi Internet | |†¢ Voice Mail |†¢ Robi Directory |†¢ MMS | |†¢ Balance Transfer |†¢ Stock Information |†¢ Robi SMS Chat | |†¢ Friends & Family (FnF) |†¢ Call Block |†¢ Job Portal | |†¢ Robi Radio |â₠¬ ¢ Missed Call Alert |†¢ mPay | |†¢ Song Dedication |†¢ Push Mail |†¢ Robi Bazar | |†¢ Robi Zone |†¢ Phone Backup |†¢ Islamic Info | |†¢ Voice Portal |†¢ BBC Janala | | Robi has the widest roaming facility among Bangladeshi mobile phone operators, with 550 operators across more than 205 countries in the world. Many more products are in line to be added to the existing array of Robi products and service the days to come. 8. Coverage Robi now Bangladesh covering all 64 districts with a robust network. With the permission from Bangladesh Govt. o cover the 3 districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts, the company is aiming to invest heavily on network development in this region. The quality of voice and invulnerable and secured service are the key strengths of Robi to expand its business and subscriber base. 3. 9 Organizational Structure The organization is headed by its Chief Executive designated as the Managing Director entrusted with overall re sponsibilities of business direction of the organization and leading dynamically towards the attainment of its Vision, Mission and Goal. In attaining the above mission, Chief strategic officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing officer, Chief Technical Officer, Chief Human Resource Officer assists the Md. The organization organogram is in appendix page. 3. 0 Features of Robi †¢ Cellular Phone Service: †¢ Country-wide Coverage with Supreme Quality Network: †¢ Better Customer Service: †¢ Better Billing: †¢ Better Switching: 3. 10. 1 SIM-Card Identity Number: †¢ Consistent and High Quality Voice: †¢ Security: 3. 10. 2 Exciting Robi Value Added Services: †¢ Robi Itemized Billing: †¢ International Roaming: †¢ Choice of Handset: †¢ Competent Human Resource: 3. 10. 3 Customer Service †¢ SIM Change †¢ Scheme Migration (Postpaid) †¢ Re-initialization (Prepaid) †¢ Itemized Bill (Postpaid) †¢ Reconnection (P ostpaid) †¢ Activation of Value Added Services †¢ Ownership Change (Postpaid) †¢ Easy Load †¢ Address Change (Postpaid)As of June, 2010 there are 20 full-fledged customer care centers across different areas of Bangladesh – 6 in Dhaka, 3 in Chittagong, 1 in Narayangonj, 1 in Comilla, 1 in Feni, 1 in Cox's Bazar, 1 in Mymensingh, 1 in Jessore, 1 in Barisal, 1 in Rajshahi, 1 in Sylhet, 1 in Kushtia and 1 in Khulna. 4. 0 Findings & Analysis From the research, I have made in Mirpur Street, I was successfully tried to locate the light box. From the above depicted pie chart, we can easily understand that, most of the Light Boxes are displayed with Robi; about 42% of the respondents are using Light boxes attached with the Robi Axiata Company. They are highly promoted as the focused on Light Box because it is attracted to the customer/ subscribers at first sight. On the other hand, 30% of the shops are Airtel, another mobile operator that has recently acquired by B harti Airtel. And the other operators use limited in Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.Shutter Branding is a common style in placing the small shops in the rural and urban From the above pie chart, we can see that, Most of the Shutter Branding is covered with the Banglalink Promotional Activities (71%). On the other hand, other operators do not focus much on the Shutter Branding as their activities. Painting in the shop reflects both outdoor and indoor outlook that brings out the lucrative presentation to be attracted by the subscriber. From the research in the location of Mirpur, we can see that, Banglalink, the 2nd Operator, leads the promotional activities by painting their retailer shops. In case of Robi, they are behind on this.From the pie diagram, we can understand that, maximum shops are in between 0-99 sqft space to operate their business as retailers. Because of lack of space, they are not able to keep more things in the shop. About 85% of the respondents make their shop within 10 0 sqft. As, it is a very narrow space, few of the retailers (about 15%) use their shop space about to 100-150 sqft. The Space of a shop is important in which the relevant variable is about the size of the customers / subscribers are coming for service at a time. Most of the shops are covered with the space for 1-3 persons at a time for receiving the services. It is relevant to the retailers, lack of capability of investing money for the comfortable shop space for the customers/ subscribers.The above depicted pie chart shows that, about 75% of the respondents are build a shop or rent a shop for 1-3 person service system at a time . On the other hands, few of the respondents have the capability to emerge the space of the space to 4-6 persons. From my survey, most of the retailers are involving in the mobile business (65%) because, it is the highest growth of business sectors now a day in our country. So, people are highly attracted to do business on this sector. Few of the respondent replied that they are doing business with Electronic shops (17%), few are computer shops (8%), and few are CDs shops (9%). They are considered as a second earning source in the business. [pic]From the research, I have found that, most of the people are investing about 5000-15000 taka / per day, as the business is the daily income process like Point of Sales of SIMs and other things that provided by the company. In which as the subject of the matter is about small medium enterprise, like mobile shop or other mobile accessories units, people are investing at their capability, about 58% respondents are doing business daily with the range of amount. About 39% are investing 15000 -30000 taka daily, for Point of Sales of different operators. From the graph, we can see that, Most of the Robi Retailers has the capability to invest 500-1000 Tk (75%) that placed in the inner city; others have the capability investing 1000- 3000 Tk placing their shops on the main road.Compare to Grameenphone c ustomers, retailers said that, they are not getting many customers of Robi in those areas, so they are providing low investment on Robi Easy Loads and SIMs. From the survey, I have found that, most of the retailers are able to sell all of the operators SIMs in an average amount of 25 SIMs in a week. On the other hand, and few retailers can sell more than 25 that range into 50 (32%). The amount of selling is very low because, the strictness of Government rules and regulation may be a constraint like – high price SIMs, SIM Tax, BTRC registration form to all operators. In this reason, customers are rarely encouraged to purchase a new SIM with connection.From the pie chart, we can see that, most of the weekly SIMs sales are Airtel Operators (78%) that represents the 1st position in the market in the current period. They are providing more facilities like ( Instant Bonus, Load Returns, New Sim Offers etc) that the other operators in the market. On the other hand, other operator li ke Robi (13%) is in 2nd position, because they are offering new packages in which those are attracted by the customers like the newly package â€Å"Robi Club†. From my Survey, I tried to identify, the market leader in Point of Sales as Daily Load Sales. From the chart, we can see that, Grameenphone is in 1st position in the market all over the country.Consequently, Banglalink is in 2nd Position. In some areas, Airtel & Robi are ahead in between of them. From the pie chart, most of the retailers are satisfied about the facilities of Robi provided to them (79%). Few of the respondent replied that they are getting more facilities as being a good seller (11%). Also their expectation can increase if they get proper services about retailers’ relationship. From the graph, most of the respondents are satisfied about Robi Distribution Commission System (83%). They have more expectation from Robi getting more amount of Commission as per sales of Easy Loads/SIMs. Few of them comp lained about the distribution system.From the pie chart, most of the retailers are not satisfied about the distribution of Robi SIMs that provided to them (89%) because they are not getting actual demand of SIMs in the market at the time. Sometimes they are delayed in reach to distribute there. They are getting very small amount of distribution of SIMs about to 5 -7 pieces. Few of the respondent replied that they are moderate about the facilities (8%). From my survey, most of the retailers are satisfied about the network status of Robi Axiata Limited. They are happy to see the network tower of Robi near to them . But some of them have complained about the network traffic in which the Easy Loads / SMS are not provided timely. It is really appreciated to the respondents, as they are highly satisfied about the sales representatives of Robi Axiata Limited.Because representatives are communicating with the retailer daily, as they are also happy to get anything what they want about the lo ads. 4. 1 Key Findings of the Study After evaluating the available data I got some findings. The data’s were totally related with each other . Every output I got has relation with the previous one or the next one. So the findings should be related with the created problem concern. ? As a promotional tools, Robi Axiata Limited more on Light Box in many retailers shop in Mirpur. Because , This is the first impression that attracted by the customers when they come for services in the retailers shop like – Easy Loads, Purchasing Sims, or come for knowing new packages and services.Light box is complied with LED Box which is transparent and bright. ? Robi is not concerned much as spotlighting Shutter Branding. Because, Robi doesn’t use this concept because of the peak hours time. Shutter is always open and the branding is not visible in the meantime. ? Most of the people are involved in the mobile business as their primary earning. Because it is the most high growth e conomic sectors in our country. So, people are eagerly interested involving in this business and gain profit. ? In this area, it has been a place of employment. Anyone can invest with a low capital and low risk. It doesn’t need to have very special skills to run the business. When a business is going to start for a retailer, the official processing is not much effective. Retailers often face hazardless. ? Low investment ability for Robi Axiata Limited by the retailer’s capability that severely depends on Sales results. Now –a –days, competitively, Robi is in 3rd place in customer subscriber in the market, so the retailers are investing more on others operators like Grameenphone & Banglalink. ? There is a huge demand of Robi SIMs, but there is much enough distribution system. There is a lack of distribution channel activities in Robi, it manages less SIMs distributions to the retailers, but in case of distribution, Robi is trying to increase the SIMs distr ibution, which is on process. Overall facilities are satisfactory to the retailer. The facilities are providing in case of Sales outcomes, which is given in Commission base to the retailers. In case Robi retailers, they are getting commission quickly than other operators. ? In this time, Robi network is satisfactory all over the areas. In this time, Robi spends a huge amount of money to set up more frequent network coverage all over the country. Comparing to the past situation, Robi hasn’t been faced problems in case of network facility. ? SIM distribution is very bad to the retailers for selling to the customers. This is a major problem in SIMs distribution for the retailers nd also the incompatible series of SIMs number which are chosen by the customers while purchasing. ? Retailers are not received satisfactory amount of SIMs distribution according to the demand in the market. ? Sales representatives are ought to be very active and is satisfactory to the retailers. Communi cation is utmost important increasing relationship level among retailers and customers. Robi has been managed it very successfully to them. ? Robi has no service desks compare to the other operators, which is hampering the effective service delivery to the customers. When customers are faced in any problem, they are not capable to come to share their problems to Robi Sheba because these are not nearly situated.Service desks in any retailers shop can solve this problem instantly. 5. 0 Recommendation Some of the recommendations we can deliver for the Robi Axiata Limited on Point –of – sales (POS) classification from preparing this research. Those are briefly written below in key points: ? Promotional Advertising in Branding Robi needs to be innovative and creative. ? Robi should focus on other advertising tools that have not been taken by the management. ? Robi should open a training center on POS to increase the knowledge and skills of the retailers. ? Robi should have a service desk in every retailer shops to increase the level of satisfaction of both retailers and customers. Robi should increase the SIMs sale availability to the respected high demand areas so that the retailers can sell the product of Robi to the customers easily. ? They should think about the highest sales retailers, and provide extra commission on their sales. ? To sustain in the market, Robi should focus on retailers needs and wants that need to identify. ? They must pay commission and provide facilities as much as quickly so that their expectations are fulfilled. ? They should think more in improvement of the relationship between the company and retailers. 6. 0 Conclusion Point of sales is a marketing tool to which has been in use to develop the business operation efficiency of companies. Robi from the year 2010 onwards is practicing Point of sales to increase the sales and revenue to gain profit.For Robi Axiata Limited to be profitable telecommunication company, there has t o an effective Point of Sales plan to be demonstrated clearly to the retailers A system of accountability and flow of information throughout the organization and also retailers need to be established so that the retailers have the trust to the company. All the decisions can be managed from the perspective of point of sales so that the company can classify the better retailers shop and provide good facilities to them. From this research the company can easily make decisions to them. 7. 0 Appendix Fig 01: Work plan of Robi Axiata Limited [pic] †¢ RSP= Robi Sheba Partner Figure 02 : Distribution Channel of Robi Axiata Limited Pos classification questionnaire survey Pos Name: ______________ Pos code: ________Pos address: ________________________________________________ Pos owner name: _______________________ Phone Number: _______ Visibility: 1. Light box: 2. Shutter branding: 3. Shop painting: 4. Space of the shop: a. 0-99 sqft b. 100-150 sqft c. 150-200 sqft d. 200-above 5. Custom er accommodation: a. 1-3 person b. 4-6 person c. 7-10 person d. 10 to above 6. Business type: a. Mobile phone b. Electronic c. Computer d. Cd e. Others 7. Investment ability in a day: (taka) a. 5000-15000 b. 15000-30000 c. 30000-50000 d. 50000 to above 8: Investment ability of Robi: (taka) a. 500-1000 b. 1000-3000 c. 000-5000 d. 5000 to above 9: weekly SIM sale all operators: a. 0-25 b. 25-50 c. 50-100 d. 1500 to above 10. Weekly SIM sale individual: GP BL ROBI AIR CT TELE 11. Daily load sale: GP Bl ROBI AIR CT TELE 12. The facilities of Robi a. Very good b. good c. moderate d. Bad. e. very bad 13. Distribution system of Robi: a. very good b. good c. moderate d. Bad. e. very bad 14. SIM distribution system of Robi: a.Very good b. good c. moderate d. Bad. e. very bad 15. Robi network status: a. very good b. good c. moderate d. Bad. e. very bad 16. Weekly SR visit: a. One tome b. two time c. three time d. four time e. daily 8. 0 Reference & Bibliograph ? Marketing RESEARCH: An Applied Orientation – Naresh K. Malhotra, 5 th EDITIONS, 2008, Prentice-HALL, USA. ? Anm Khaled (Specialist, Consumer Sales & Services, Market Operation Division ? Sabbir Shoaib (Specialist, Consumer Sales & Services, Market Operation Division) ? www. robi. com. bd ? www. google. com [pic] ———————– BL GP

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Essay on Sports Sponsorship

The main reason for companies to invest into professional sports is because many minds of sports have a certain desirable image or the athlete / player is an idol for the people. The identification with the athletes / players is strong, they are role models for the spectators and younger generations. The Investors hope that when people see the athlete they also think of the product features and vice versa. Later If the target group goes into a shop, they see the product and remember the connection. Maybe they even buy the product.It is very important that the image of the product and the image of the athlete correspond to each other. Therefore, it is impossible in Germany that a football player would promote red lipstick. If a company needs a new or better image for itself or for a product, they often sponsor a sports club or an athlete. The German company Siemens sponsors Real Madrid because Real Madras's team Is supposed to be modern and excellent at what they do, an Image that Sie mens wishes to imply for their own company.Another reason for sports sponsorship can be the introduction of a new and still unknown product or that the company itself is still new and unknown. Therefore, the company tries to gain attention by advertising with sport events or athletes. In the sass Commodore was a pompons for the 1 . FCC Brayer Munched, because nobody knew Commodore and they gained public attention with their commitment.. But some sponsors work with little clubs to be closer to their customers. For example insurance companies are interested in the direct contact with the people.They want to sell their products. It is not important for small and regional companies to sponsor a big club. They need a little club in their area / district for success. Every company needs their own sponsor concept for success and content clients. What can be done for a sponsor at a Volleyball event.. Where and how can a sponsor show his logo or product? You have some areas for the sponsors banner, flags, flying banner etc. : o I v areas (ten Title, Press room, sponsor wall) o spectator areas (Like entry, the hall †¦. O Press areas (like the press room, the press conference†¦. ) o VII area (for the sponsors, important people †¦.. ) – It is possible to give â€Å"give sways†, papers and programs for the spectators or VISP with the sponsor logo or information. – Sometimes the sponsor have an area for information or a booth.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Shrek Film Review Essay Example

Shrek Film Review Essay Example Shrek Film Review Paper Shrek Film Review Paper Essay Topic: Film Hilarious, irreverent digitally-animated fable from the makers of Antz. A Scottish ogre, a talking donkey, a midget tyrant, a princess with a secret and a whole raft of fairy-tale characters poke fun at uptightness and dole out liberalism. Shrek!! The highly indulgent topic of cinematic conversation ever since its release during late 2001. Well, impressed by its popularity I decided to take a look!! In due course, I was not disappointed!! Based in modest moderation on William Steigs book about a giant green ogre, this irreverent and absorbing computer-animated fairy tale is aimed as much at children as their parents. From the start, tradition is acknowledged as well as mocked. The execution of both is masterly. Opening with a Once upon a time story narrated over the turning leaves of an illustrated book, the pages are abruptly torn away to be used as toilet paper by the mischievous Shrek. The tone for a highly entertaining adventure has been set for the audience. The flatulent ogre then bathes in a nearby mud pool where he delights in blowing fart bubbles to the surface. So, far tradition is being turned on its head! Shrek is the Yiddish word for fear. I dont know what the Yiddish word for lovable is, but that would have been more appropriate! Shrek tries his best, but hes more cuddly than scary. This can be clearly seen in parts of the movie, which leads to the audience seeing new/interesting sides. Mike Myers Scottish brogue makes Shrek more endearing and adds another dimension to the movie. Mike Myers in a more familiar role of Austin Powers. The giant green ogre certainly doesnt intimidate the irrepressible and wise cracking Donkey (a character that accurately incorporates verbal diarrhoea, brought to life by an inspired Eddie Murphy, who imposes himself as the reluctant Shreks sidekick after fleeing from the evil ruler Lord Farquaad. The diminutive and dastardly Farquaad, voiced malignantly and masterly by John Lithgow, who has banished all the fairy tale characters from his kingdom of Duloc, including the Three Blind Mice, Pinocchio and Donkey. Whereupon they seek refuge at the home of the reclusive and sceptical Shrek, this despite the prominent Beware of the Ogre sign. Anxious to be rid of the intruders, Shrek pleads to Farquaad for their removal. The Lord agrees to his request, but this is a fairy tale and so naturally theres one condition. And again, because its a fairy tale, you have to have a princess in there somewhere. But this is no ordinary fairy tale and so when Farquaad has to find a wife to make his kingdom perfect; he picks Princess Fiona (the voice of Cameron Diaz) over two other contestants in a dating game and then gets Shrek to bring her back. The Dreamworks team behind Shrek take obvious delight in mocking their Disney rivals with Farquaads perfect kingdom bearing more than a passing resemblance to a certain other magic kingdom. Shrek enjoys feisty and addictive humour found in other recent animated films like Aladdin. The magic and charm of this genre is being able to plunder inspiration from everywhere and anywhere, enabling such moments as an aerial fighting sequence from The Matrix. Its while indulging itself with such gags that Shrek is at its best, as when the ogre inflates a hapless frog into a balloon as a gift for Princess Fiona, who in return snatches an unsuspecting snake from a tree, blows it up and twists it balloon-style into a dog. The styles of a princess and an ogre, at this point are equally amusing. Another example of a fairy tale with a slant. An encounter with Robin Hood and his merry men also gives an original slant when they break into a Riverdance routine. Comedy, it seems can only be restrained by rules. This production is clearly as amusing for the animators as the results are for the audience. Shreks frivolity extends to its soundtrack which is a refreshing change from the generic tunes that burden most animated films. Its collection of pop songs includes tracks by Smash Mouth, The Proclaimers, Maroon 5 and climaxes with Donkey leading a chorus of characters in a rendition of Im A Believer. As with all good fairy tales Shrek is built solidly around a moral, the message being to focus not on appearances but inner beauty, but that is secondary to the films main concern which is to make you laugh, and you do. Loudly and often, believe me!

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Bananas Are Radioactive (So Are Many Ordinary Objects)

Bananas Are Radioactive (So Are Many Ordinary Objects) You may have read about everyday objects setting off radiation alarms at border crossings between the US and Canada and Mexico. Newsweek has an article describing how medical radiation treatments (e.g., bone scans) may lead to traveling delays when they trigger radiation sensors. When the sensors are tripped, border officials conduct more intensive inspections to make sure you arent carrying nuclear weapons. There are other ways to set off the alarms. Do you carry kitty litter in your car to help provide traction in icy weather or to absorb oil? Its slightly radioactive. Do you have tile or granite in your vehicle for a home improvement project? It has a relatively high radiation signature. Do you have a lot of bananas? They are also slightly radioactive. Key Takeaways: Bananas Are Radioactive Bananas are slightly radioactive due to the presence of a natural isotope of potassium. Potassium is a key mineral in the fruit.Many other common materials are also radioactive, including potatoes, bricks, and cat litter.For the most part, these substances do not present a health risk. However, they can set off radiation sensors at ports of entry and their radioactivity is detectable using a Geiger counter. Its pretty easy to understand why tile, granite, and kitty litter are radioactive. They contain low levels of minerals that naturally decay. Bananas are radioactive for a similar reason. The fruit contains high levels of potassium. Radioactive K-40 has an isotopic abundance of 0.01% and a half-life of 1.25 billion years. The average banana contains around 450 mg of potassium and will experience about 14 decays each second. Its no big deal. You already have potassium in your body, 0.01% as K-40. You are fine. Your body can handle low levels of radioactivity. The element is essential for proper nutrition. If you have a banana in your car for your lunch you arent going to set off a Geiger counter. If you carry a produce truck full of them, you might encounter some problems. Ditto for a truck of potatoes or potassium fertilizer.The point here is that radiation is all around you. If you do an internet search, youll note significant concern (panic?) over bananas being radioactive. Are they radioactive? Barely. If you set a banana on a detector you wont hear mad clicking. It wont glow in the dark when you turn out the lights. There is a perception that radiation is bad, bad, bad. Its just a part of life. Bricks are radioactive. Anything containing carbon (you) is slightly radioactive. Bananas are radioactive and its no big thing. Well... except maybe to Homeland Security.