The Concert

The Concert The Third Day concert in April 2012 brought a sold out crowd of over 3000 people to Joplin’s Memorial Hall. When the ushers finally opened the doors people were lined up down the street. People flooded into the lobby where the band’s merchandise was being sold. The merchandise was set out on eight tables that were arranged in a U-shape against the entire back wall. The wall behind the tables was lined with t-shirts and hats. Half of the people were buying merchandise, and those who weren’t were at one of the two concession stands that were at either end of the lobby.The lobby smelled like an outdoor barbeque from the hamburgers that were being cooked on the grill. Music was playing softly, but all the people talking made it hard to hear. Slowly, people funneled into the auditorium to find their seats. The auditorium was huge. It had a lower level and a balcony. The center of the auditorium was full of seating for the VIP’s. The auditorium was a bout three quarters full when the band started. The lights went dim and the stage filled with smoke. You could hear the beat from the drums, but you could not see the drummer.The guitarist started playing. It was so loud it shook the walls. When the lead singer started singing, the crowd went nuts. They were yelling and chanting his name,† Mac, Mac, Mac. † Finally the smoke started to dissipate and the band was on stage dressed in torn jeans and flannel shirts. After the first song, Mac introduced the rest of the band. Each member did a short to showcase their skills. The next three songs were hit songs from their most recent album. The audience showed their approval into by waving their hands and singing with the music.To keep the audience involved in the show, Mac would hold the microphone toward the audience and have them sing the. Suddenly, everything went dark. It was so dark people couldn’t see the person next to them. Then a small light emerged in the middl e of the floor. The light grew brighter and brighter. Until it was recognizable as a make-shift camp fire. The music started again softly, and then got louder and louder. The band walked to the camp fire playing acoustic instruments. They stood around the fire playing older songs from their first albums, even playing songs that were never released.Eventually the band went back on stage and played their last few songs. They thanked the audience for a good night and left the stage. The people started chanting the band’s name over and over, hoping for an encore. The band finally returned to the stage and played one final song. The concert was finally over and everyone tried to leave at the same time. The front lobby was packed tight with people trying to get to the doors. The large number of people in the small building made for a long wait to leave, but ultimately, everyone got outside and was able to continue their evenings.

God and Mephistopheles Essay

In the prologue of Faust, Mephisto entered into agreement with the Lord. What are the terms of the agreement, and how does he go about attempting to win? What exactly does achieve in the process? In the beginning of the tragedy there is a dialogue between God and Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles says that people can’t use their mind in the right way. God argues and gives an example of Faust’s serving to Him and to people. Then Mephistopheles asks permission to put Faust on any trial because he wants to prove that Faust will fail. He obtains such permission but God is sure that Faust will feel the right way and that he will be saved. So, the struggle for Faust’s soul begins. As Faust is anxious about finding the highest sense of life, Mephistopheles wants to show the delights to Faust. They deal that if the scientist wants a moment to stay forever, he will be Mephistopheles’ servant. He tries to tempt him with the help of beautiful women Margaret and then Helen, but Faust can’t get a full happiness with them. The author reveals this idea by Helen’s words while her disappearing: â€Å"Alas, the ancient word proves true for me, as well: That joy and beauty never lastingly unite. † Mephistopheles also tries to arouse Faust’s desire to glory and worship but these attempts have no success. Finally Faust wishes the moment to stay forever, but Mephistopheles doesn’t win. It happens when he is building dam in order to help the people who suffer from floods. This wish is altruistic and that’s why Faust is saved. He finds the highest sense of life in common action that is necessary for everybody and that is realized by everybody. Outline some of the themes in Faust, and explain one briefly. In my opinion, it is possible to outline such themes of the tragedy as struggle between good and evil that occurs at global and private levels, the failure of the human ambitions to control and to change the nature and the natural phenomenon, the eternal search of the highest sense of life. The last theme is the main one of the tragedy, because Faust is anxious about getting absolute happiness. The temptations that Mephistopheles proposed to Faust couldn’t bring real and lasting joy. It means that people can hardly be happy when they rely on the things that pass soon as feeling in love and using the power upon people and glory. Feeling in love is wonderful, but it doesn’t guarantee the happiness. People are selfish and they do harm to their nearest very often. The example of the relationships between Faust and Margaret confirms this thought, because the main character’s selfish desire was a reason of Margaret death and the murders of her mother, child and brother. So, the idea of serving to people is contrasted to the selfish wishes of people. Faust was saved because his final deed was philanthropic. By the example of Faust Goethe shows us that a person always feel deep inside what is right and what is wrong but unfortunately it doesn’t mean that everybody finds the true sense of life. Compare and contrast the uses and/or criticism of religion in Hamlet and Faust. The Hamlet’s problem contains more philosophic and social aspects than religious ones. He struggles with the time he lives in and tries to improve it but he fails. Unsuccessful attempts of changing the world that doesn’t fit with Hamlet’s ideals results his fatalism and the final events of the tragedy. Hamlet doubts in the right of the events of global concern and that’s why his attitude towards religion is also doubtful. In his main monologue Hamlet supposes that death is a means of solving the problems of life. This thought doesn’t fit to the Christian ideas which had to be close for him. To my mind, the ideas of â€Å"Faust† are opposite to the ones of â€Å"Hamlet†. Goethe develops the plot of the tragedy with the help of such characters as God and Mephistopheles that demonstrates the authors’ persuasion that people are ruled by the supernatural essences. The fact that Faust is working on New Testament’s translation also reveals the idea of constant interaction between people and God. Goethe thinks that serving to people and serving to God are equal virtues. The fact that Mephistopheles couldn’t win the agreement also confirms the religious idea of constant victory of good. The main characters of the world literature’s masterpieces Hamlet and Faust are compared with each other frequently. Their personalities are alike because both of them try to struggle with the world order and challenge the destiny. Faust is going to know all the secrets of nature and his way to improve his own life and the whole world is scientific. What about Hamlet, he broadens the tragedy of his family to a global scale that’s why his thoughts about injustice concern not only his uncle but the human’s life. The first of act of Hamlet reveals that the ghost of his father assigns Hamlet an ambiguous duty. What are these duties, and using the text effectively, explain the one you think Hamlet’s satisfied? In the first act Hamlet knows from the Ghost of his father that he was killed and the Ghost asks him to revenge to Hamlet’s uncle for this murder. Though, the most important thing while revenging is to keep the soul innocent: â€Å"But, howsoever thou pursuest this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To my mind, Hamlet couldn’t execute such necessary conditions. Finally he revenges to Claudius, but as a result not only Hamlet’s mother died. Ophelia, Laertes, Polonius also became victims of the revenge. In the beginning the Hamlet’s soul doubted about the ways of the vengeance and he suffered a lot from these doubts, but the view of warriors has a great influence on him. The warriors are going to fight because of the land that their ruler doesn’t want to rent. The fact that twenty thousands of people are going to die because the honor of the king is wounded makes him decide that his thoughts and actions should be bloody and ruthless. He can’t keep his soul clear because, to my mind, his fault for the deaths of people that are close to him finally destroys his conscience.

A History of Sexually Transmitted Disease

This essay examines the current and historical relevance of sexually transmitted diseases. It focuses on current and historical infection rates, the causes of these rates, and current prevention methods. This paper examines the current and historical causes of STDs with a particular focus on chlamydia, HPV, gonorrhea, AIDS, and herpes. It uses statistics and several graphs in order to show the growing trend of STDs, the cause for that growth and concludes with methods of prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases appear to have always been a societal menace. At least, that is the impression garnered from recorded history. There is evidence of gonorrhea outbreaks dating as far back as 2200 B.C.E. (Spongberg, 1965: 23). Since that time, numerous new STDs and countless variations and mutations of existing STDs have arisen. Although infection rates have remained relatively constant throughout the ages, there have been occasional spikes as new diseases become prevalent. In the early 1970s, a surge of previously unknown STDs caused infection rates to soar to record heights (CDC, 1998). Today, there are an estimated 333 million cases of STD infection (WHO, 1996). This is a staggering number, compared to the estimated 150 million of 1960 (CDC, 1998). Fortunately, in the past two decades our medical technology has allowed us to treat and sometimes totally cure STDs that have existed for centuries. Our medical understanding of STDs has also reached new heights, allowing us to educate and inform the general public of the risks involved with unprotected sexual intercourse. However, while one might expect that our new arsenal of knowledge and medicine would be ample weaponry against STDs, infection rates have continued to rise over the last few decades (WHO, 1998). Although infection rates have slowed slightly, sexually transmitted diseases are still as prevalent, if not more so, than they were a generation ago.

Facts that make a class productive and enjoyable Essay

Facts that make a class productive and enjoyable - Essay Example In the process, clear distinction will be brought forth between being productive and being occupied. The first step that needs to be observed by teachers is; teaching the right things. It is not accurate to assume that all the things teachers teach are usually relevant and of ‘good practice’. Most teachers have adopted the method of â€Å"mark to the objective†. This method may also be referred to as marking, quality or focused. Such method of teaching disregard objectives of learning. Most teaching methods have been preoccupied with predetermination of what would be called as core subjects to train children on. The focus is much laid on the national curriculum than the actual things from which the students will benefit. One way of dealing with this is to try to use practical things in class especially when illustrating some products. This should go hand in hand with the identification of the right objective and subsequently, teaching these objectives at the right time at appropriate level. Rather than judging the teachers on whether they met the objectives of t he teaching, focus should be on whether those teachers got the objectives right in the first place. Another significant step that the teacher should observe and is a great factor is; getting the students do the work by themselves. There should be a very clear balance between the time students are putting in the work and what the teachers put. Study conducted by Smith, et.al (pg 13) reveals that schools where teachers and student do the work at the ration of 20:80 per cent, performed better than otherwise. This also depended on the teaching of the right objectives at the right time. Introducing the students into actual practice enables them to be more productive and they tend to find learning interesting as well. Another very important stage of making learning productive and fun is; the organizing

Research Methods in Leisure and Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Methods in Leisure and Tourism - Essay Example The use of qualitative and qualitative approaches has been recommended in researches involving social sciences. Nevertheless, each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages that can affect the outcome of the research. In order to come up with reliable research, it is important the researcher have a good understanding of each approach and hence be able to choose which approach is going to be used in particular situations. This report presents a comparison of methodological approaches used in two researches by different researchers. The report compares the research methods used in the two articles and offers a comparative analysis of the articles. The articles indicated below; Pourtaheri1, M., Rahmani, K. & Ahmadi, H. 2012. Impacts of Religious and Pilgrimage Tourism in Rural Areas: The Case of Iran, Journal of Geography and Geology, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 122-129 Haq, F., Jackson, J. & Wong, H. Y. 2012. Marketing spiritual tourism: qualitative interviews with private tourism opera tors in Pakistan, Central Queensland University. These articles have been chosen for various reasons. First the articles researches on key interesting topics that most researchers have never been undertaken. Therefore, the articles form a blueprint for further research in an interesting topic in the Arab countries. The other reason is that the articles are current and well researched with references and evidences included to back up the research process and the research finding. The final reason is that the articles have used two different approaches, one qualitative and the other quantitative thus presenting the learner with a good opportunity to compare the two research methodologies dealing with almost the same subject in the similar environment. The first article sought to find out religious and pilgrimage tourism impacted on the rural lives and used Iran as the case studies. The second article sought to find out how marketing of spiritual tourism was done and sought the views o f tourism operators in Pakistan. The two articles therefore have a correlation in many aspects including the investigation of almost similar subject area tourism and the Islamic environment in which the tourism was practiced (Pourtaheri1, Rahmani & Ahmadi, 2012, p. 122) The first article used a quantitative approach in the study by distributing closed questionnaires to a sample of 300 household. The questionnaires were designed in accordance with information collected from the literature review that the researchers had done before. This was important in designing the questions since the researcher had already collected information on tourism research and were acquainted with the dynamics of such type of research (Raj, R. & Morpeth, 2007). The researchers therefore wanted to build on the information they had collected in their literature and substantiated the findings of other researchers or come up with new knowledge religious and pilgrimage tourism and how it impacted on the rural lives in areas like Iran. The choice of Iran’s rural countryside was strategic in the sense that this would provide a better understanding of how religious tourism can change the perception of people especially in rural areas where tradition and cultural practices in the issues of religion and pilgrimage are dearly cherished by the residents. In using the questionnaires, the researchers employed a qualitative method in their study (Flick, 2009, p. 5). The study was carried out for two weeks through random sampling of households. Other

THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST - Essay Example Most of these groups were Christians and they included Armenians, Balkan, Persians among others (Howland, 1940). Because of Osman, Orhan, Murad I, and Bayezid I the Ottoman-Turkish Empire emerged as the most powerful Empire in the world. These leaders originated from the Turkish tribe and formed a dynasty of professional officers that led the empire in conquering Christians, Europe and other states in the Middle East. Howland (1940) argues that Ottoman-Turkish Empire was created by Turkish tribe. In addition, it was led by Osman I from r. 1290 to 1326. During that time Osman I converted many soldiers from other religions to Islam and made them Turkish warriors. These warriors were the custodian of Islamic faith and held the title ‘ghazi’. The warriors fought against the Christian Byzantine state and their success meant the spread of Islamic religion in lands that they conquered. However, Langer and Blake (1932) claim that, since Osman’s ancestors were from the Kayi tribe Ottoman-Turkish Empire was, therefore, founded by that tribe. In my opinion, Langer and Blake’s arguments are based on false assumptions. If Osman belonged in the line of his ancestors, it does not make Kayi tribe the founder of Ottoman-Turkish Empire. Instead, it is the people who physically volunteered in forming the Empire that would be identified as the founders. However, Langer and Blake would have argued that Kayi tribe was one of the contributors to the formation of Ottoman-Turkish tribe. This is because Osman’s ancestors were the founders of the dynasty. On the other hand, Howland assumptions are true. Indeed, the Turkish tribe established Ottoman-Turkish Empire under the influence of Osman I. The empire was a combination of Osman’s people, known as the Ottoman, and the Turks. Furthermore, the two groups happened to be in a similar geographical location called the Anatolia where they settled in 1071. Turks came into the

How Do You Define Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Do You Define Religion - Essay Example Different people define religion differently as different belief systems are ubiquitously accepted, and there is no one way to determine who is right and who is not. Different versions of religion are accepted throughout the world. There are two different definitions of religion. One is the formal definition that is coined by the notable figures of a religion, while other is one’s individual definition. In this paper, my personal definition of religion will be presented. My personal thoughts on religion and idea of God will be explored in the paper. I believe there is God, but He is different from how different religions portray him. I am a catholic but I believe in evolution and other scientific facts and theories. My idea of God is quite different from established religions. Personal Definition of Religion Religion is formally defined as a set of belief that surrounds around a moral system and a deity. Emily Durkheim defined religion as a set of beliefs that distinguish practices that are forbidden from practices that are sacred (p. 62). A formal religion also has a host of rituals and involved worshipping of a single being.

Nominating a Musician for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Essay

Nominating a Musician for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Essay Example ary 20, 1967  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  April 5, 1994) an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist of the highest caliber who articulated the angst, anxiety, frustration and untold aspiration of his generation. He was first noticed in the music scene with the anger of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from its second album  Nevermind  (1991) and departed with the challenge of In Utero (1993). Kurt Cobain belonged to Generation X, the generation who was labeled an X for the utter lack of description that encapsulate that era. This generation however was given a voice, whose language was spoken through the band of Cobain’s Nirvana which was labeled as â€Å"the flagship band† and spokesperson of his generation, the Generation X. The genre of grunge, with its raw deliverance was given an art and emotion by the genius of its spokesperson, Cobain. Kurt Cobain may have suffered the addiction to heroin and committed suicide. But it cannot be denied that his music has a far reaching influence beyond his generation. The genius of his Utero (1993) is a masterpiece that even the generation after him wondered of its genius. He truly lived the life of rock which includes the internal tumult that compels an artist to create. His life, though not openly shared, was communicated through his music not only during his time but also the succeeding generation that followed his. He may have lived short in the music industry, but not short enough to make his

The New Advancement in Treatment of Prostate Cancer - PROVENGE Term Paper

The New Advancement in Treatment of Prostate Cancer - PROVENGE (sipuleucel-T) - Term Paper Example Sadly, according to Vogelzang (1996), metastatic HRPC is responsible for almost all prostate cancer deaths. Medical options currently available for the treatment and management of prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, mitoxantrone, estramustine, vinca alkaloids, doxurobicin, and taxanes, among others (Middletone, 1996; Goodin et al., 2002). The choice of therapeutic management, however, is greatly determined by how advanced the disease has become. For instance, studies have shown that radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy could increase survival rate of patients with stage 1 and stage 2 prostate cancers by as much as 95% in the next 5 years but were no longer effective in treating the disease in its metastatic stage (Middleton, 1996). On the other hand, for patients with HRPC, taxane-based chemotherapy has demonstrated a modest survival advantage, but median survival after treatment is only 19 months (Small et al., 2006). Moreover, not all cancer patients are candidates for chemotherapy. Hence, more effective treatment regimens for advanced and metastatic prostate cancer are needed. A more recent advancement in the field of prostate cancer management is the use of the patient’s immune system to combat the disease through the administration of a non-prophylactic cancer vaccine (McNeel, 2007; Sonpavde et al., 2007). Sipuleucel-T, the first ever vaccine that works against late-stage, metastatic, and hormone-refractory prostate cancers, is an autologous cellular immunotherapy specifically designed to stimulate the body’s immune responses (FDA, 2010). This paper highlights sipuleucel-T (tradename: PROVENGEÂ ®) as a novel, nontoxic modality for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Specifically, this paper aims to review what sipuleucel-T (PROVENGEÂ ®) is, its components, its side effects, evidences of its effectiveness based on clinical trial studies, and its advantages over some of the existing prostate cancer treat ments. Discussion Among the different immunotherapy approaches investigated in the past, the use of dendritic cells (DCs), which are the main antigen-presenting cells (APCs) of the body, was found to be the most efficient way of presenting cancer antigen to the immune system (Bono et al., 2010). Sipuleucel-T, produced by Dendreon Corporation under the tradename of PROVENGEÂ ®, is a cancer vaccine that makes use of the patient’s own dendritic cells, hence the term autologous immunotherapy, to improve T-cell response (Harzstark and Small, 2009; FDA, 2010). Specifically, each dose of PROVENGEÂ ® contains at least 50 million autologous CD54+ cells activated with a recombinant human protein called PAP-GM-CSF, composed of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (FDA, 2010). CD54+, a cell surface glycoprotein that functions as a stimulator on APCs, bind to its receptor on the surface of T-cells during the process of antigen pr esentation (CST, 2010). Meanwhile, PAP is a surface antigen expressed in prostate tumor cells. Studies have shown that PAP antigen is relatively specific to prostate epithelium, making it a good target for vaccines (Oh, 2010; Nabhan et al., 2011). On the other hand, GM-CSF is an immune cell activator (FDA, 2010). The CD54+ cells collected from the patient through a process known as leukapheresis, are treated with

Essay on the book Christianity in the first three centuries by Adolf

On the book Christianity in the first three centuries by Adolf Harnack - Essay Example Thus, the religion of Christianity has â€Å"become a power† (Harnack 312). Initially, Christianity has been known as a part of Judaism; subsequently, it has become one of the most dominant religions in the world. In its evaluation as a popular religion, it has attained a powerful grip on humanity. Harnack, by analyzing both historical developments of dogma and of the relation of the church to the state, along with missionary movement of Christians, investigates the expansion of this religion. Christianity has received a strong foundation to grow and the time too has been perfect in a certain sense, despite the stiff oppositions, constant attacks, enemies, unfavorable rulers and authorities. Harnack’s work is divided into three sections. The first section deals with the humble but dynamic beginning, with the background of Judaism, and the emergence of Jewish religion. Then it goes on to the mission, consequently segregating from the mainstream. The second section concer ns with the contents of the message that influenced the Christians with such a powerful force. The third section dwells on different methods employed, and hostility suffered in the voyage of the mission until it attained the recognition of the masses. This paper offers a critical analysis of Harnack’s work in relation to the mission and the expansion of Christianity. Review: Right at the beginning, in Book 1, Harnack brings to the attention of his audience Christianity’s germination on the fertile land of Jews and examines how it has fared then on. The context has remained favorable for Christianity’s growth. Jewish foothold has been very firm and their propaganda profound. Judaism gradually kept transforming in a philosophical context. However, afterwards, the religion has â€Å"presented itself in the eyes of the law and the authorities as a religion distinct from that of Judaism, its character as a religio illicita was assured† (Harnack 302). Simultane ously, the religion has blended itself into the lives and other aspects of the society in the east. This was syncretism, which looked like a unity from distance but is heterogenous in reality. When â€Å"Christianity came to formulate ideas of God, Jesus, sin, redemption, and life, it drew upon the materials acquired in the general process of religious evolution standing against polytheism.† Harnack showed that Jesus’ preaching and works are the base for further mission work and the impulse given by His genuineness worked as its spirit. The earliest followers, especially Paul, got this profound consciousness of being an apostle to the world. He was driven till the western ends of Roman Empire. The transition from Jewish mission to gentile mission is clearly shown by Harnack. In between, he argues against the Jews’ evilness and unworthiness of God’s grace. He takes it to extremes. In the gospels, first of all, one can find the obligation to go to the Jews and then the Gentiles. Jesus, however, did not give an explicit command for this, which remained further a field to think upon. However, His message was for the whole humanity. Harnack depicted Christianity as a syncretistic religion. But it is not clear to what extent this syncretism or the acceptance of ideas from others, and employing them for own understanding, was present in the words of Jesus and the

Importance of English Essay Example for Free

Importance of English Essay Good morning, teacher and fellow students.Today I would like to talk to you about â€Å"the Importance of English.† First, English is the language for communication more than 1.5 billion people speaks this language everyday. It is indeed one of the most widely spoken languages in this world. Second, English is the language for Science and Technology many books are written in English. Many research papers are presented in English. If you are good in English, you were be able to give up with it latest development. Third, English is the language for travel if you ever travel oversea, you will understand it is importance .For example, you go to the airport-you read signs and directions in English .You checked into a hotel-you speak English with the receptionists .You go shopping-you bargain in English .You go to a restaurant-you order you food in English. Imagine just how difficult things can be if you can’t speak English well. Finale, English is the language for international business and trade. If you want to do business internationally, you were have to commence with your business associates in English, the better your English is the more business opportunities you were have. My conclusion is that everybody must learn this importance languages .You want be successful, MASTER ENGLISH! ! ! You want to have good career, MASTER ENGLISH! ! ! You want to make friend with people from all over the world, MASTER ENGLISH! ! ! If you successfully master English, You were have many more opportunities in life so make up you mind, pick up your book, open your mouth and start learning English today.

Individual Rationality and Collective Rationality Essay Example for Free

Individual Rationality and Collective Rationality Essay 1. Introduction of Double Auction As one of the most popular way to trade, auction has a long history. According to the different kinds of market structure, there are two kinds of auction, one-side auction and two-side auction (i.e. double auction). Compared with one-side auction, the market structure of the double auction is many-to-many, which means that there are more than one seller and more than one buyer, so both the buyers and sellers lose their own comparative advantage which exists in one-side auction. The relationship between them is a kind of equality between demand and supply. In recent years, with the development of the global economy, there are more challenges for new auction theory and its applications, which are shown in the following aspects. First, with the development of the Internet and communication technologies, e-commerce has become a new business method. At the same time, internet auction has been widely used in the field of e-commerce. Since auction is widely used in the field of trading non-scarcity goods, it changes structure of auction, which used to be based on the buyer’s market or the seller’s market. As double auction can solve the problem of collusion and malignant bid, it has become a widely used way in e-commerce. For example, both NYSE and Chicago Exchange have put different kinds of double auction into practice. With the growing of financial market and e-commerce, the need for better auction rules is surely increasing. Besides, as enterprise restructuring has become a hot topic, double auction is found to be a way to deal with property transactions, mergers and acquisitions. What’s more, with the upgrade of demand structure, the diversification strategy for enterprise business and influence of the supply chain management, there are diversified production, diversified manufacturing and diversified demand. Many famous car companies such as Ford are using combinatorial double auction to the sale and purchase of auto parts. When auction is used in the above fields with various needs, there is a great need for the development of new auction model. Compared with other auction mechanisms, double auction can not only solve the problem of monopoly, but also reduce the duration and costs of trade. However, there are still some problems about it, such as trading rules, the way to release information and the formation of transaction price. According to the above reasons, double auction has attracted much attention. And the core theories about it are Smith’s mystery and Hayek problem, which try to explain how the double auction can reach the equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity predicted by the demand-supply model, under the conditions that there is no complete information and few people in the auction. 2. Design of Experiment In order to do some further analysis, we conducted an experiment which simplified real double auction situations with the help of several undergraduate students under four assumptions: First, rational man assumption, which means everyone wants to maximize his/her profit. Second, the goods are homogeneous, so there is no monopoly. Third, there is no cost of sending or getting information, i.e. the transaction cost is zero. Fourth, the participants have no information about the experiment parameter (the value for buyer or cost for seller) before they join the experiment. (2) Trading rules a. When the trade begins, the buyers give their quotes first. Who raises his hand first will quote first. Then, the sellers offer the price they ask. b. Both the sellers and the buyers don’t know the information about the other side. c. When quoting, the seller must ask for a price that is lower than the former seller, and the buyer must ask for a price that is higher than the former buyer. When the price of the two sides is equal, a transaction is reached. d. The trade for each group is divided into three periods and each period lasts for 5 minutes. (3)Trading steps a. Divide all the participants into two groups, buyer and seller, and each group has 8 people. b. Zero phase trade. In order to make the participants familiar with the rules, there is a zero phase trading, the result of which is not included into the final result. c. Begin official trade. d. End trade and take down all the results, including every participant’s own profit in each period and their total profits. Double Auction Experiment 1. Concept Definition and Parameter Settings If we carefully consider each quoting process, we will find the game process in double auction. There are inside game and outside game in the experiment. Firstly, there is among-group game between buyer and seller and they want to drive down or push up prices to earn as much profit as possible. And based on the theoretical design, a buyer and a seller can be trading at least one unit of commodity in one trading period. Experiment shows that each buyer and seller generally trade exactly once each period. Secondly, there is within-group game both among buyers and among sellers. Taking buyer as an example, when the seller quotes a price, buyer X can choose to trade or wait. If choosing to trade, he will probably miss a next lower quoted price although obtaining a certain surplus. However, if he chooses to wait, then the other buyers may intervene in transaction, which constitute competition for buyer X. Each buyer and seller should consider the competition within group, acting as an individual in the game. Meanwhile, they should also consider the competition between groups, acting both as an individual and a group in the game. As can be seen, the core of the complex game process is the relationship of individual-collective interaction. By observing dynamic transaction and competitive process among individual, between the individual and the collective and between the collective, we try to find the interpretation of some problems. Therefore, constructing appropriate parameters, we proceed from rational assumption to define individual rationality and collective rationality respectively. (1) Constructing quoted price functions of the buyer and the seller Firstly, assuming the quoted price function of the buyer i is bidi = vi(1-Ï€i) where bidi denotes the quoted price of buyer i, vi denotes the willing-to-pay of buyer i, Ï€i denotes expected rate of return. Secondly, assuming the quoted price function of the seller is: askj = cj(1+Ï€j) where askj denotes the quoted price of seller j, cj denotes the cost of seller j, Ï€j denotes the expected rate of return of seller j. (2) According to the market parameters and theoretical equilibrium price(7.8) of buyer and seller, we can calculate the standard rate of return of every buyer and seller, Ï€i* and Ï€j*, respectively. (3) On this basis, we assume that individual rationality index is bri=Ï€i/Ï€i* of the buyer, srj= Ï€j/Ï€j* of the seller. The higher the index, the higher is the degree of the buyer or the sellers individual rationality, for it indicates more incentive to maximize their interests strongly. The standard individual rationality is 1, indicating that the expected rate of return and the actual rate of return of the buyer or the sellers are consistent. (4) Similarly, we can define the buyers collective rationality index as sbri=Ï€i/Ï€i*, where Ï€i is the average expected rate of return of all the buyers who participate in a transaction, Ï€i* is the standard average rate of return of the buyers. Whats more, we can define the sellers collective rationality index as ssrj=Ï€j/Ï€j*. The higher the index, the higher is the degree of collective rationality, because it indicates more strongly motivation to maximize their collective interests. The standard collective rationality is also 1, indicating that the expected collective rate of return and the actual collective rate of return of the buyer or the sellers are consistent. 2. Analysis of Parameters In order to study the market inefficiency of the second group, we selected two sets of data as a typical example. Group #1s transaction price is equal to the theoretical equilibrium price (7.8), while Group #2s transaction price is far from the theoretical equilibrium price, only 6.3. Lets observe the quoted price of the buyers and the sellers in the first group, We find that in the second offer, S2s quoted price fell directly from 10 to 7.5, its price is less than the theoretical equilibrium price 7.8, which makes the sellers quoted price become farther and farther away from the equilibrium price. Instead, the buyers offer is steadily rising with smaller fluctuation, which makes the buyers successfully lower price. Let’s move to the quotes of the buyers and sellers from Group #2. Obviously, the quote fluctuations of both sides are smaller and the final equilibrium price (Pe) is closer to the ideal value. Therefore, we may infer that in the double auctions where the number of quotations reaches a certain level, if we want the final transaction price to be close to the theoretical equilibrium price, fluctuations in both quotations cannot be too great, otherwise it will be very easy to deviate from Pe, consequently making either buyer side or seller side gains too much surplus. The reason why we emphasize a certain level of the number of quotations is that if either one side of the bidders or the askers offers a price that is quite close to the expected one, a deal is very likely to be made. Actually, we do see lots of quick transactions in the experiment, especially the 2nd round of Group #1, where there would be expected to exist fluctuation. But that quick deal is based on that either buyer or seller or both of them have an intuition about Pe or are simply informed of that price. If the information for both sides is so inadequate or even zero, then it will seem quite important to estimate Pe by price fluctuation during the first several quotes. On the other hand, however, substantial quote fluctuations will not only compress the quote space afterwards, but also impair one’s own market power, while increasing the other side’s market power and surplus. Let’s now look at the changes in individual rate of return and individual rationality index of Group #1 and #2. Group #1 A. Expected Rate of Return The fluctuation of expected rate of return is distinct around the seller S2, where the expected rate of return of buyers is far higher than that of the sellers. B. Individual Rationality As can be seen, buyers’ individual rationality fluctuates more than the sellers’, while the degree of buyers’ individual rationality (1, since round 2) is much higher than that of sellers’ (1, and decreasing since round 2). Thus, we can assume that there is a collective irrational phenomenon among the sellers. Usually, both buyer and seller will hope to receive higher surplus and try to make the price more beneficial to themselves. So it’s reasonable to see that individual rationality index fluctuates a bit around the standard line or even higher than it, just to make the final transaction price and surplus closer to the theoretical ones. But in this case, seller S2 suddenly lowers his expected rate of return (from the normal 2.22 to 0.86), probably because he underestimates Pe or just wants to quickly sell the product. It’s quite hard for the following sellers to reach the ideal level, but can only quote under 1, giving buyers more space for quote and more power to control the market. If the sellers following S2 used to have higher expectation than 1, then a phenomenon called inconsistency of collective rationality occurs by the influence of inconsistency of individual rationality. When it happens, the irrational collectivity’s power is impaired and Pe and surplus will end up more beneficial to the other collectivity. As can be seen from the experiment results, the collective rationality index of buyers is 2.793, which is much higher than that of sellers, 0.808. Group #2 A. Expected Rate of Return The expected rate of return fluctuates more, comparatively. What’s more important, the values of both sides are quite close. B. Individual Rationality This corresponds to our previous analysis. The individual rationality index of both buyers and sellers is always larger and very close to Group #1. The individual rationality equals to the standard individual rationality when the final deal is made. In this situation, the quote range and market power for both sides are similar without any doubt. The price at equilibrium and the surplus are close to the theoretical value. Therefore, we can think that there is no disturbance of individual rationality to collective rationality for both sides. From the perspective of collective rationality index, sbri=1.879ï ¼Å'ssrj=1.692ï ¼Å'the difference is relatively small and both values are larger than 1. From the analysis above, the following could be inferred. In certain times of quote, if the market’s transaction price and surplus diverge from the theoretical Pe and surplus, there must exist a negative disturbance of individual rationality to collective rationality for one side which enables the other side to have dominant power of quote. In another way, if the market’s transaction price and surplus are close to theoretical values, there is going to appear two cases. First, individual rationality and collective rationality are in accordance with each other for both sides and both have the similar market power which results in mutual antagonism; second, disturbances for both sides may be very large and the rationality values are not close at all, which does not show in all the experimental data while it could be thought to exist theoretically. The values are close only at the transaction price and it is based on an obvious premise that the values are larger than 1, since as long as one value is less than 1, it is very easy (not necessarily) to fall to a weak position (which usually happens in the first round of Group #2). The way to analyze these three situations is pretty similar to the one analyzing monopoly and competitive markets. The key element is the effect of the relation between individual rationality and collective rationality to market power. Conclusion From the analysis above, we can reach a primary conclusion that the quote from a single seller or buyer can affect the formation and the result of market equilibrium. We can use individual-collective rationality model to explain the process. Individual rationality can cause a destabilization to collective rationality (resulting in remarkable fluctuation), when the destabilization is small, which means that the individual rationality that causes it is not less than one, the collective rationality still tends to be consistent and this will not have a significant effect on the market power of both sides. But when the destabilization is large, which means that the individual rationality that causes it is less than one, there will be a significant effect on the consistency of the collective rationality, so there will be a change of the two sides’ market power. Then, the equilibrium price and the surplus of both sides also change. So, there is a kind of tension between individual desirability and collective desirability. There are some points that we need to pay attention to. First, this kind of relationship becomes more obvious with the increasing of quotation times during one period. The deeper reason for this is the lack of information and each side has to continuously probe and tries to release as much information, which can maximize his profit, as possible, no matter whether the information is true. If the deal can be reached within one or two times, there will be no such complex game about the info releasing and collecting. Second, in reality, the destabilization is always negative (i.e. a sudden decrease in bid or expected return), which indicates the bounded rationality. We don’t need to take positive destabilization into account. So, how can we use this model to explain the non efficiency phenomenon of market in double auction? There are two aspects that we need to pay attention to. First, the relationship of individual rationality and collective rationality has an effect on the market power, and then affects the equilibrium price and the ratio of the surplus of both sides; the price either has a bad effect on the sellers or the buyers (In our experiment, it is the sellers that lose). Thus, some buyers or sellers that could have entered the deal are kicked off now, which leads to some deadweight loss. Second, when the market power is out of balance, the number of games between buyers and sellers will increase. Let’s take the third group (whose transaction price is averagely 10% less than theoretical Pe) as an example. When the buyers realize their power and advantage, they will wait the sellers to decrease the price. At that time, from the perspective of buyers, the earnings of waiting is larger than the risk. The sellers are forced to decrease the price, but only for a little each time to avoid a worse price. As a result, during the limited trading times, the number of transactions decreases, which leads to further deadweight loss. References 1. JAVIER GIL-BAZO, DAVID MORENO, AND MIKEL TAPIA, â€Å"Price Dynamics, Informational Efficiency, And Wealth Distribution in Continuous Double-Auction Markets†, Computational Intelligence, Volume 23, Number 2, 2007 2. Charles A.Holt, Loren W.Langan, Anne P.Villamil, Market power in oral double auctions† Economic Inquiry, 24:1 (1986:Jan.) p.107 3. Juliette Rouchier, Stà ©phane Robin, â€Å"Simulation Gaming† 4. Darren Duxbury, â€Å"Experimental Evidence on Trading Behavior, Market Efficiency and Price Formation in Double Auctions with Unknown Trading Duration†

The GAP: PESTEL, SWOT and Porters Five Analysis

The GAP: PESTEL, SWOT and Porters Five Analysis Elements of Analysis: The GAP Case PESTEL Analysis Utilizing the PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental Legal factors) model, the key drivers and areas of significant impact for the competitive advantage in the GAP case are (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2005, pp. 65, 68): Political – This seems only to be a factor with regards to operational differences between geographic/geopolitical regions, i.e., the US vs. the UK, and social welfare policies that affect actual garment construction. Social – This is a major driver of success as â€Å"fashion† and â€Å"style† would likely fall under this auspice. Specifically, the ability of the firm to generate the perception that its products reflect the fleeting sense of a trend is central to being a leader in retail fashion. Technological – This is a significant factor as the lack of a fully function European e-commerce platform was an opportunity cost that can be measured in lost market share valued in the multi-million pound range. SWOT Analysis Strengths The Gap has existed marketing power and presence and has prime, established retail locations throughout the US and UK. Weaknesses The inability to establish e-commerce on the UK side has lost not only sales opportunities but likely tarnished the image of a company that wants to be seen a ‘hip and trendy’ in a digital age in which competitive parity is ‘bricks and clicks’. Opportunities Through existing resources and brand equity, the Gap has the opportunity to regain one of the top spots in the mind of the consumer for fashionable clothing. One of the chief means of doing so is to quickly replicate the success of the online presence of the US business in the UK. Threats Perhaps the biggest threat is that one of the smaller boutique venues will achieve sufficient success to legitimately chip away at the mindshare of the consumer that Gap currently has on a scale that will be very difficult to reclaim. Porter’s 5 Forces As with the PESTEL framework above, only the most salient factors are indicated (Porter 1980, p. 4): Potential Entrants –The rise of small-scale boutique firms allow profit-taking from firms that do not have the ‘overhead’ of a corporation such as The Gap. This allows for greater flexibility and speed in the delivery of fashion to market. The Threat of Substitute Goods – Similar to â€Å"potential entrants†, there are not only other products that perform the same function but, in times in which economics dictate allocation of scarce consumer resources amongst items that, to some extent, fall under the category of highly discretionary spending. Contrary to this, one might argue that ‘fashion will always be in style’ and thus in-demand, the attractiveness of the industry will attract more entrants. Eventually, a form of homeostasis will be achieved but only at the expense of the exit of some less profitable firms. Industry Rivalry – The combination of the above two factors creates what is arguably a hypercompetitive environment characterized by larger firms seeking to sustain competitive advantage through enduring presence while small, flexible and fast firms seek to take perhaps a temporal portion by capitalizing on that which is most trendy. The Four P’s (Price, Promotion, Place Product) The concept of the marketing mix or â€Å"the 4 P’s† gives tremendous strategic insight into how the firm goes to market with its portfolio of goods and services. Price – Pricey but not so much that they cannot be seen as â€Å"luxurious necessities† for those for whom being ‘cool’ or ‘sexy’ is a real or aspirant lifestyle. Promotion – Consistent with other aspects of the marketing mix, television advertisements feature hip and trendy music, often done by somewhat older (yet still cool) musicians with engaging music. These featuring dancing or at least, rhythmic maneuvers, in which one must assume the clothes worn are as much a part of the causative agent for such behavior as the apparent youthful attraction and attitude of the performance crew. Place – Sold only through Gap stores in mainstream retail locations such as shopping malls and through, at least in the US, Gap-branded online channels. Product – Positioned as perhaps something that could be labeled as [young] ‘sexy casual’, such an offering virtually defines its market as those who are young and view (or want to view) themselves as fashionable and trendy. Products include shirts, jeans, sweaters, accessories and more and all geared at generating such a â€Å"feel† or experience for the wearer. Overall Business Strategy In general, a firm can have one of two broad strategies: cost-leadership or differentiation. With regards to differentiation, a firm may choose to segment based upon the customer by focusing on a niche or specialty market or they may choose product differentiation as by innovation or similar pursuit (Porter 1980, p. 35). Using this general approach, the Gap clearly pursues a strategy of seeking competitive advantage by differentiating product offerings (what it does) to those for whom a sense of ‘urban/sub-urban-esque’ fashionable â€Å"personal style† is very relevant to their lifestyle (the target market) through a combination of exclusive retail locations and a corollary online venue (the where of it’s strategy). Corporate Social Responsibility The idea of corporate social responsibility is best expressed by the notion of, â€Å"†¦ the extent to which an organization exceeds the minimum obligations to stakeholders as specified through regulation and corporate governance† (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2005, p. 191). With regards to the GAP case, such a perspective is evident when they actively seek to position themselves not simply as seeking to establish sustained competitive advantage but the advantages conferred to everyone through sustainable business. Specifically, through their alliance to support AIDS awareness and suffering, they achieve profits and good works. Antithetically, one critique would likely be to question not the outcome but the motive for doing so. The Resource-Based View The essence of the resource-based view of the view establishes the lens of the â€Å"VRIO framework†. That is, for a firm to achieve sustained competitive advantage, its resources must be valuable, rare, inimitable and organizational in nature (Barney 2007, p. 138). With this in mind, it seems to follow that the best sources of such are resources which are intangible rather than tangible. From this perspective, the ability of GAP to attract and retain designers who can consistently replicate and market what is or is about to become â€Å"fashionable† at competitive costs would meet such criteria. Strategic Recommendations The essence of the Gap to maintain/re-establish sustainable competitive advantage is to be able to be both â€Å"big† and â€Å"small† simultaneously. The competition seemingly enjoys the element of first-mover advantage with regards to their ability to operate under the radar only to appear with trendy products in the market that less insightful firms can then attempt to copy. Correspondingly, the ability of the boutique firm to mass-produce and distribute a successful product is far less than that of the Gap with it established manufacturers and well-oiled distribution channels. Thus, the Gap needs to adopt fast, flexible methods of getting fresh and accurate insights into production and into stores. In the classic business decision, the Gap has but two options: make or buy. That is, they can either allocate resources in the form of time, talent or treasure (aka, money) to acquire these abilities or they may choose to outsource these functions to other firms. Perhaps a hybridized solution is to form strategic alliances with such smaller firms that have these resources in abundance but lack the marketing and manufacturing power of the Gap. Such a solution would achieve the goal of the acquisition, even if temporary, that the Gap seems to lack as it seeks to create lasting sources of competitive advantage in the face of the hyper-competitive, mature yet dynamically fickle industry of upscale casual fashion apparel. Mature vs. Dynamic Firm The Gap competes in a arguably mature but changing and constanting renewing industry. A â€Å"mature† industry can be characterized by the following (Barney 2007, p. 94): Slowing growth in total industry demand. The development of experienced repeat customers. A slowdown in the increases in production capacity. A decrease in new product introductions. An increase in the level of international competition. An overall reduction in industry profitability. With these criteria, the retail fashion clothing industry is perhaps somewhat unique in that each year brings something of a second-chance to capture the market. Though the degree of competitiveness and production capacity indicate a mature industry, the new arrivals to the target customer segment in regards to age, affluence and attitudes provide a potentially rich new customer base. These factors lead to the classification of the industry as being â€Å"mature† but yet quite â€Å"dynamic† in the sense that technology and the preferred tastes of an ever-changing consumer segment create a need for the Gap to acquire marketing insights and speed and flexibility in production to bring such high-margin, high-risk products as fashion clothing to market. Key References Barney, J. (2007). Creating and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, 3rd edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice-Hall. Johnson, G., K. Scholes, and R. Whittington. (2005). Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th edition. Harlow, England: Prentice-Hall. Porter, M. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries Competitors. Boston, Massachusetts: The Free Press.

Consumer Appeal Essay -- essays research papers fc

Consumer Appeal Advertisers of today have strategically combined commercials and television shows in order to sell products. Gloria Steinem discusses a similar idea in her article, "Sex, Lies, and Advertising." She repeatedly demonstrates how advertisements, particularly in magazines, are complementary to the articles around them. In the same manner, so are commercials to television programs. They are both aimed at the same groups or types of people, such as sex, age, gender, etc. Many times, the time of day or day of the week a show is aired has a lot to do with the types of viewers the program will attract. Thus, the types of commercials will also differ. On Saturday nights at 10:00 p.m., the program "Profiler" airs, a mystery-thriller series. The story line is of a young, beautiful white female trying to capture a serial killer/stalker, who killed her husband and continues to stalk her. The show is very detail oriented, in the sense that the viewers need to pay close attention to what is going on to be able to follow along with the mystery. It tends to "suck you in", so to say, because it causes the viewers to become involved and engrossed in solving the mystery. The assumed target of this series is mainly adults over the age of twenty-five, with the exceptions of those viewers that do not watch it at the time it actually airs, but they tape it to watc...

Building the Panama Canal Essay -- essays research papers

Since the start of Teddy Roosevelt's presidency, he wanted to imperialize the United States. He believed that building a canal in Latin America would be a good way to imperialize. It would connect the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans and would be much quicker and more efficient than having to go around the bottom tip of South America in the Tierra del Fuego. Roosevelt was determined to build this canal and would keep pushing for it until he got his way. He faced many obstacles, but his determination enabled him to overcome them. With much help, he would build one of the most important canals in the western hemisphere. Building a canal to connect the seas together wasn?t originally Roosevelt?s idea. The idea had been around since Spanish colonial times, but the United States took interest in the subject too as they expanded westward. In 1846 a treaty was signed granting the United States transit rights across the Isthmus of Panama, as long as they guaranteed neutrality in Panama and Columbia. In 1848, Great Britain and the United States had great interest in building the Nicaragua Canal, a route other than across the Isthmus of Panama. The Clayton-Buwler Treaty of 1850, in which Great Britain and the United States promised that any canal in Central America would be politically neutral, ended the rivalry between the two countries. Credit of the idea for building a canal can be given to Cornelius Vanderbilt. H realized he could make quite a profit from the canal. The United States found it imperative that they had control over a canal in Latin America, but did not know whether to build one in Nicara gua or Panama. Later, in 1878, a French company under Ferdinand de Lesseps, who was an ambitious man who built the Suez Canal, was grant... ...more of an imperialistic nation, which was Roosevelt?s goal all along. In 1977, the United States signed a treaty with Panama stating that the U.S. would end its control beginning in the year 2000, and Panama would resume the operation and defense of the Panama Canal. Therefore, presently, the Panama Canal is neutral, but is still very important due to the U.S. We still have a say on what happens to and goes on around the canal, and if something were to happen to stop the flow of the ships through the canal, the United States would be allowed to step in and take care of the problem. Over the last ten years, nearly $100 million have been spent on repairing and widening the canal. Through all the thinking, planning, hard labor, and toiling put into the Panama Canal, the canal became arguably the most important canal ever and one of the greatest engineering feats ever.

A Comparison of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight, Stone Angel and A

     "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight" is a poem by Dylan Thomas.   This poem is about fighting against death. Many people die everyday with a sense of defeat. They reach a point in their lives were they feel it is useless to fight against a force that is destined to claim them. The strength of their youth disappears leaving them weak. Those who accept death too early die spiritually before they die physically. They grieve a loss that is yet to come. "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" demonstrates perfectly the attitude Dylan Thomas felt his father should have had against his death. "D.J. Thomas had never recovered since having tongue cancer in 1932. Losing his eyesight Mr. Thomas' pride and fire had almost all drained out of him; he was becoming the husk of his former self. He did the crossword puzzles of which both he and Dylan were so fond of and awaited the end. The spectacle of his decline distressed Dylan greatly and inspired this poem." (FitzGibbons 295). Dylan Thomas did not wish to see his dad surrender to his death. In writing this poem, Dylan set out to encourage others to fight against death and to live their lives to the fullest. In the novel "The Stone Angel", Hagar Shipley is a woman fighting against her own death. Her son Marvin and his wife Doris wish to put Hagar in a nursing home because they feel she is too old to take care of herself. Hagar, feeling differently, takes matters into her own hands and flees to a house in Shadow Point. Hagar is fighting against the death she feels will claim her if she is placed in a nursing home. By running away, Hagar is standing up for her right to be able to live her own life the way she feels. Marvin is a representation of the death attempting to take hold o... ...n. The main theme of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem is to learn from your mistakes. After telling his tale to the Wedding Guest, the Ancient Mariner realized that the murder of the Albatross was a mistake and lived a life of penance. The act of murder was an impulsive act because the Mariner felt threatened by the Albatross their actions. The deaths of both birds brought about memories from both the Ancient Mariner and Hagar which they shared with other people, the Wedding Guest and Murray F. Lees. These memories help them to realize the mistakes they made. Through their own personal recollections, the Ancient Mariner and Hagar both achieved a better understanding of their lives and in turn were able to die with a sense of contentment and relief.    Works Cited FitzGibbons, Constantine. The Life of Dylan Thomas. Boston: Little Brown & Co., 1965   

Ajanta Caves Essay

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India are a Buddhist monastery complex of twenty-nine rock-cut cave monuments containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both â€Å"Buddhist religious art†[1] and â€Å"universal pictorial art†[2] The caves are located just outside the village of Ajiná ¹ ­hÄ  in Aurangabad District in the Indian state of Maharashtra (N. lat. 20 deg. 30†² by E. long. 75 deg. 40†²). Since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Excavation of the caves began in the third-second century B.C.E., during the period when Dakshinapath was ruled by Satavahana dynasty, and activity at the complex continued until the fifth to sixth century C.E., when the region was ruled by Vakatakas. Both the Satavahanas and Vakatakas were followers of Brahmanism, but also patronized the Buddhist shrines. The walls, ceilings and columns of the caves were covered with complex compositions of the Jataka stories (the stories of the Buddha’s former existences as Boddhisattva), and ornate floral and animal decorations. The exuberance and richness of the painting suggests that the artists were accustomed to painting secular as well as religious works. The paintings have a natural fluidity, depth and volume not found in later, more stylized Indian art. Jataka tales from the Ajanta caves Ajanta Caves – view from ticket officeAjanta Caves in Maharashtra, India are a Buddhist monastery complex of twenty-nine rock-cut cave monuments containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both â€Å"Buddhist religious art†[1] and â€Å"universal pictorial art†[2] The caves are located just outside the village of Ajiná ¹ ­hÄ  in Aurangabad District in the Indian state of Maharashtra (N. lat. 20 deg. 30†² by E. long. 75 deg. 40†²). Since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Excavation of the caves began in the third-second century B.C.E., during the period when Dakshinapath was ruled by Satavahana dynasty, and activity at the complex continued until the fifth to sixth century C.E., when the region was ruled by Vakatakas. Both the Satavahanas and Vakatakas were followers of Brahmanism, but also patronized the Buddhist shrines. The walls, ceilings and columns of the caves were covered with complex compositions of the Jataka stories (the stories of the Buddha’s former existences as  Boddhisattva), and ornate floral and animal decorations. The exuberance and richness of the painting suggests that the artists were accustomed to painting secular as well as religious works. The paintings have a natural fluidity, depth and volume not found in later, more stylized Indian art. Jataka tales from the Ajanta caves Ajanta Caves – view from ticket office Horse shoe shaped Ajanta caves view from Caves Viewpoint some eight kms away Contents [hide] †¢1 Description and History †¢2 Dating of the Caves †¢3 Structure of the Caves o3.1 Cave One o3.2 Cave Two †¢4 Paintings †¢5 See also †¢6 Notes †¢7 References †¢8 External links †¢9 Credits Description and History The Ajanta Caves are a Buddhist monastery complex consisting of 29 caves (as officially numbered by the Archaeological Survey of India), located in a wooded and rugged horseshoe-shaped ravine about 3.5 km from the village of Ajintha, which is situated in the AurangÄ bÄ d district of Maharashtra State in India (106 kilometers away from the city of Aurangabad). Along the bottom of the ravine runs the Waghur River, a mountain stream. The caves, carved into the south side of the precipitous scarp made by the cutting of the ravine, vary from 35 to 110 feet in elevation above the bed of the stream. The monastic complex of Ajanta consists of several viharas (monastic halls of residence) and chaitya-grihas (stupa monument halls), adorned with  architectural details, sculptures and paintings that, even in their partially damaged state, are considered one of the glories of world art.[3] Excavation of the caves began in the third-second century B.C.E., during the period when Dakshinapath was ruled by Satavahana dynasty, and activity at the complex continued until the fifth to the sixth century C.E., when the region was ruled by Vakatakas. Both the Satavahanas and Vakatakas were followers of Brahmanism; nevertheless, they not only generated a liberal climate in which all religions could flourish, but also patronized the Buddhist shrines. The mention of a rock-cut monastery as the abode of the Buddhist monk Achala celebrated Buddhist philosopher and author of well-known books on logic, and the mountain range where it was located, the monastery being for certain Cave No. 26 and the mountain range, Ajanta ridge, appeared in the travel account of the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang, who visited India in the seventh century C.E. and stayed there for 15 years[4]. Nothing more was known of Ajanta before 1819, when some British officers of the Madras Army made a chance discovery of this magnificent site. They named it Ajanta after the name of the nearest village. In 1843, after a gap of 25 years, James Fergusson presented a paper to the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and drew global attention to the site. The M adras Army deputed its officer R. Gill to prepare copies of the Ajanta murals. Gill worked from 1849 to 1855 and prepared 30 paintings, but unfortunately they were destroyed in a fire in 1866. The efforts to discover Ajanta progressed in two directions, the preparation of copies of the murals, and research on Ajanta’s other aspects. Mr. Griffiths, the Superintendent and Principal of Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai School of Art, Bombay, was at Ajanta from 1872 to 1885 with a team of his students, to copy its murals, but unfortunately most of these were also destroyed in a fire. Finally, Lady Haringham and a team of artists comprising Syed Ahmad and Mohammad Fazlud-din of Hyderabad and Nandalal Bose, Asit Kumar Haldar and Samarendranath Gupta of the Calcutta School, camped at Ajanta from 1910 to 1912 copying its murals. In 1956-1957 the Archeological Survey of India took up the project and authentic copies of the murals were prepared. In 1983, the Ajanta Caves were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dating of the Caves The period during which Ajanta Caves were excavated stretches over eight- or nine hundred years from the third- to second century B.C.E. to the fifth- sixth century C.E. The caves reveal two distinct phases of excavation. Six of them, namely, caves 9, 10, 8, 12, 13, and 15-A (the last one was re-discovered in 1956, and is still not officially numbered), belong to the early period. Caves 9 and 10 appear to have been excavated during the second half of the third or the first half of the second century B.C.E.. The other four date from the first century B.C.E. However, Cave 10 is the earliest; it precedes even Cave 9 by at least 50 years. Caves 12, 13, and 15A of this phase are vihÄ ras (monastic halls of residence). During this period, Buddhism pursued the HÄ «nayÄ na doctrine, which initially prohibited the worship of anthropomorphic images of Buddha. Caves 9 and 10, the Chaitya-grahas (homes of the Sacred, monument halls) do not have anthropomorphic images of Buddha, though on th e faà §ade of Cave No. 9 such images were subsequently added. Around the first century B.C.E.Hinayana allowed the making of Buddha’s personal images. The shift from non-image to image characterizes other caves of this early phase, known as the Hinayana-Satavahana phase. Caves 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 to 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 belong to the later phase, which began three centuries later, from the fifth to the sixth century C.E.. Buddhism had largely shifted to Mahayana doctrine and the region was ruled by Vakatakas of the Vatsagulma branch, who were also the patrons of these caves; this phase is usually known as Mahayana-Vakataka phase. As suggested by epigraphic records, Caves No. 16 and 17 were commissioned by Vakataka ruler Harishena (475-500 C.E.) through one of his ministers Varahadeva, who was posted at the site for supervising the progress, and a subordinate vassal of the area respectively. Ajanta had been a center of monastic and religious activities since the second- to first century B.C.E.; the embellishment of facades and wall spaces with paintings and sculptures continued all through. However, the excavation of the caves seems to have been suspended until the excavation of Caves 16 and 17. Cave 8 was long thought to be a HinayÄ na cave; however current research shows that it is in fact a Mahayana cave. Three chaitya-grihas, caves 19, 26, and 29, were excavated during the Vakataka or Mahayana phase. The last cave was abandoned soon after it was begun. The rest of the excavations are viharas: caves 1-3, 5-8, 11, 14-18,  20-25, and 27-28. None of the caves in the Vakataka phase were ever fully completed. Based on the archaeological evidence visible on site, the suggestion of Walter M. Spink that a crisis occurred when the ruling Vakataka dynasty suddenly fell out of power and forced all activities to a sudden halt, is increasingly gaining acceptance. Structure of the Caves The viharas are of various sizes, the maximum being about 52 feet. They are often square-shaped. Their designs are varied; some have simple and some have ornate facades, some have a porch and others do not. The hall was an essential element of a vihara. The early viharas of the Vakataka phase were not intended to have shrines because they were meant to be used solely as halls of residence and congregation. Later, a shrine set in the back wall of the vihara became a norm. The shrines were fashion to house a central object of reverence, often the image of the Buddha seated in the dharmachakrapravartana mudra (the gesture of teaching position). In the more recent caves, subsidiary shrines are added on the side walls, porch or the front-court. The facades of many vihÄ ras are decorated with carvings, and walls and ceilings were often covered with paintings. Most of the subjects of the paintings have been identified by the German Ajantologist, Dieter Schlingloff. Cave One Painting from Cave No. 1 Cave 1 The first cave on the eastern end of the horse-shoe shaped scarp, it is, according to Spink, one of the latest caves to have begun on site and brought to near-completion in the VÄ kÄ Ã… £aka phase. Although there is no epigraphic evidence, it has been proposed that the VÄ kÄ Ã… £aka king Harisena may have been the benefactor of this better-preserved cave. This cave has an elaborate carving on its facade with relief sculptures on entablature and fridges, depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha as well as a number of decorative motifs. A two-pillared portico, visible in nineteenth-century photographs, has since perished. The cave has a front-court with cells fronted by pillared vestibules on either side, and a porch with simple cells on both ends. The absence of pillared vestibules on the ends suggest that  the porch was not excavated in the latest phase of Ajanta, when pillared vestibules had became the norm. Most areas of the porch were once covered with murals, of whi ch many fragments remain. There are three doorways: a central doorway and two side doorways, and two square windows carved between the doorways to brighten the interiors. Each wall of the hall inside is nearly 40 feet long and 20 feet high. A square colonnade of 12 pillars inside supports the ceiling and creates spacious aisles along the walls. A shrine carved on the rear wall houses an impressive seated image of the Buddha, his hands in the dharmachakrapravartana mudra (position). There are four cells on each of the left, rear, and the right walls. The walls are covered with paintings in a fair state of preservation, depicting mostly didactic, devotional, and ornamental scenes from the Jataka stories (the stories of the Buddha’s former existences as Boddhisattva), the life of the Gautam Buddha, and those of his veneration. Cave Two Painting, Cave No. 2 (?) Painting from the Ajanta caves Ajanta Caves Ajanta Caves Cave 2, adjacent to Cave 1, is known for the paintings that have been preserved on its walls, ceilings, and pillars. It resembles Cave 1 and is in a better state of preservation. The porch and the facade carvings are different, and the cave is supported by robust ornamented pillars, but the size and ground plan have many aspects in common with the first cave. The front porch has of cells supported by pillared vestibules on both ends; porch-end cells, which provided more room, symmetry, and beauty, became a trend in all later Vakataka excavations. The paintings on the ceilings and walls of this porch have been widely published. They depict the Jataka tales that are stories of the Buddha’s life in former existences as Bodhisattva. The porch’s rear wall has a doorway in the center, which allows entrance to the hall. On either side of the door is a square-shaped window to brighten the interiors. Four colonnades arranged in a square support the ceiling; the  capitals are carved and painted with various decorative themes that include ornamental, human, animal, vegetative and semi-divine forms. The paintings covering the walls and ceilings are eroded and fragmentary at various places. Painted narratives of the Jataka tales are depicted on the walls in such a way that a devotee walking through the aisles between the colonnades and the wall would be able to â€Å"read† about the Buddha’s teachings and life through successive births. Paintings The Ajanta Cave paintings are the earliest and most important wall paintings in India and are particularly significant because all other forms of painting, such as palace murals and painting on wood, cloth or palm-leaf from before about 1000 C.E. have not survived. [5] The technique and process used to create the Ajanta cave paintings are unlike any other artwork found in the art history of other civilizations, and are unique within the history of South Asian art. The walls, ceilings and columns of the caves were covered with complex compositions of the Jataka stories and ornate floral and animal decorations. The paintings depict a universe in which aristocratic men and women dwell in harmony with an abundant nature. The exuberance and richness of the painting suggests that the artists were accustomed to painting secular as well as religious works. The process of painting involved several stages. First, the rock surface was chiseled to make it rough enough to hold a plaster made of c lay, hay, dung and lime over a clay under-layer. Differences are found in the ingredients and their proportions from cave to cave. While the plaster was still wet, the drawings were outlined and the colors applied. The wet plaster had the capacity to soak up the color so that the color became a part of the surface and would not peel off or decay easily. The colors were referred to as ‘earth colors’ or ‘vegetable colors.’ Various kinds of stones, minerals, and plants were used in combinations to prepare different colors. The paint brushes used to create the artwork were made from animal hair and twigs. The outline drawing has a fluency and vigor not found in later Indian painting. Modeling and highlights, as well as spatial recession are used to accentuate the volume of the figures. The latest paintings show some of the highly-stylized, flatter qualities of paintings from the succeeding centuries. Sculptures were often covered with stucco to give them a fine finish and lustrous  polish. The stucco had the ingredients of lime and powdered sea-shell or conch. The latter afforded exceptio nal shine and smoothness. In cave upper 6, where some of it is extant, the smoothness resembles the surface of glass. See also The Ajanta Caves (Ajiá ¹â€¡Ã¡ ¹ ­hÄ  leni; Marathi: à ¤â€¦Ã  ¤Å"à ¤ ¿Ã  ¤â€šÃ  ¤  Ã  ¤ ¾ à ¤ ²Ã  ¥â€¡Ã  ¤ £Ã  ¥â‚¬) in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India are 30 rock-cut cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to the 600 CE. The caves include paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of Buddhist religious art (which depict the Jataka tales)[1] as well as frescos which are reminiscent of the Sigiriya paintings in Sri Lanka.[2] The caves were built in two phases starting around 2nd century BCE, with the second group of caves built around 600 CE.[3] It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.[4] Since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The caves are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, near Jalgaon, just outside the village of Ajiná ¹ ­hÄ  (20 °31†²56†³N 75 °44†²44†³E). Caves are only about 59 kilometers from Jalgaon Railway station (on Delhi – Mumbai, Rail line of the Central railways, India); and 104 kilometers from Aurangabad (from Ellora Caves 100 Kilometers). Contents [hide] †¢1 First period †¢2 Second period †¢3 Rediscovery by Europeans †¢4 Cave One †¢5 Cave Two o5.1 The facade o5.2 The porch o5.3 The hall o5.4 The paintings †¢6 Cave Four †¢7 See also †¢8 References †¢9 Literature †¢10 External links [edit]First period According to Spink (2006), the first phase was the construction of sanctuaries (known as chaytia-grihas) built during the period 100 BCE to 100 CE, probably under the patronage of the Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE – c. 220 CE) in the canyons of the Waghora River. The caves 9, 10, 12 and 15A were constructed during this period.[5] Murals preserved from this time belong to the oldest monuments of painted art in India. Bird’s eye view of Ajanta Caves. [edit]Second period Ajanta Caves, map Scholars disagree about the date of the Ajanta Caves’ second period. For a time it was thought that the work was done over a long period from the fourth to the 7th century AD, but recently long-time researcher Walter M. Spink declared that most of the work took place over short time period, from 460 to 480 CE, during the reign of Emperor Harishena of the Vakataka dynasty. Some 20 cave temples were simultaneously created, for the most part viharas: monasteries with a sanctuary in the structure’s rear centre. Each of cave temples seem to be patronised by influential authority, numerous best available artists have been involved in the work with fruitful rivalry between the neighbouring construction sites.[6] According to Spink, the Ajanta Caves appear to have been abandoned shortly after the fall of Harishena c. 480 CE. Since then, these temples have been abandoned and gradually forgotten. During the intervening centuries, the jungle grew back and the caves were hidden, un visited and undisturbed.[7] [edit]Rediscovery by Europeans On 28 April 1819, a British officer for the Madras Presidency, John Smith, of the 28th Cavalry, while hunting tiger, accidentally discovered the entrance to one of the cave temples (Cave No. 10) deep within the tangled undergrowth. Exploring that first cave, long since a home to nothing more than birds and bats and a lair for other, larger, animals, Captain Smith scratched his name in on one of the pillars. Still faintly visible, it records his name and the date, April 1819. Since he stood on a five foot high pile of rubble collected over the years, the inscription is well above the eye-level gaze of an adult.[8] Shortly after this discovery, the Ajanta Caves became renowned for their exotic setting, impressive architecture, historic artwork, and long-forgotten history. [edit]Cave One Painting of Padmapani and Vajrapani from Cave No. 1 Porch of cave no. 1. Ajanta Caves The first cave was built on the eastern end of the horse-shoe shaped scarp. According to Spink, it is one of the latest caves to have begun on site and brought to near-completion in theVÄ kÄ Ã… £aka phase.[clarification needed] Although there is no epigraphic evidence, it has been proposed that the VÄ kÄ Ã… £aka Emperor Harishena may have been the benefactor of this better-preserved cave. A dominant reason for this is that Harisena was not involved initially in patronizing Ajanta. This cave has one of the most elaborate carvings on its facade with relief sculptures on entablature and ridges. There are scenes carved from the life of the Buddha as well as a number of decorative motifs. A two pillared portico, visible in the 19th-century photographs, has since perished. The cave has a front-court with cells fronted by pillared vestibules on either side. These have a high plinth level. The cave has a porch with simple cells on both ends. The absence of pillared vestibules on the ends suggest that the porch was not excavated in the latest phase of Ajanta when pillared vestibules had become a necessity and norm. Most areas of the porch were once covered with murals, of which many fragments remain. There are three doorways: a central doorway and two side doorways. Two square windows were carved between the doorways to brighten the interiors. Each wall of the hall inside is nearly 40 feet (12 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) high. Twelve pillars make a square colonnade inside supporting the ceiling, and creating spacious aisles along the walls. There is a shrine carved on the rear wall to house an impressive seated image of the Buddha, his hands being in the ‘dharmachakrapravartana mudra. There are four cells on each of the left, rear, and the right walls. The  walls are covered with paintings in a fair state of preservation. The scenes depicted are mostly didactic, devotional, and ornamental. The themes are from the Jataka stories (the stories of the Buddha’s former existences as Bodhisattva), the life of the Gautama Buddha, and those of his veneration. [edit] Cave Two Ajanta Caves ï‚ § Painting, cave no. 2. ï‚ § Painting from the Ajanta Caves. ï‚ § A section of the mural at Ajanta in Cave No 17, depicts the ‘coming of Sinhala’. The prince (Prince Vijaya) is seen in both of groups of elephants and riders. ï‚ §The consecration of KingSinhala (Prince Vijaya) (Detail from the Ajanta Mural of Cave No 17). ï‚ § Entrance of cave no. 9. ï‚ § Lord Buddha in preaching pose flanked by Bodhisattvas, Cave 4, Ajanta. Cave 2, adjacent to Cave 1, is known for the paintings that have been preserved on its walls, ceilings, and pillars. It looks similar to Cave 1 and is in a better state of preservation. The facade Cave 2 has a porch quite different from Cave one. Even the facade carvings seem to be different. The cave is supported by robust pillars, ornamented with designs. The size and ground plan have many things in common with the first cave. The porch The front porch consists of cells supported by pillared vestibules on both  ends. The cells on the previously â€Å"wasted areas† were needed to meet the greater housing requirements in later years. Porch-end cells became a trend in all later Vakataka excavations. The simple single cells on porch-ends were converted into CPVs or were planned to provide more room, symmetry, and beauty. The paintings on the ceilings and walls of this porch have been widely published. They depict the Jataka tales that are stories of the Buddha’s life in former existences as Bodhisattva. The porch’s rear wall has a doorway in the center, which allows entrance to the hall. On either side of the door is a square-shaped window to brighten the interior. The hall The hall has four colonnades which are supporting the ceiling and surrounding a square in the center of the hall. Each arm or colonnade of the square is parallel to the respective walls of the hall, making an aisle in between. The colonnades have rock-beams above and below them. The capitals are carved and painted with various decorative themes that include ornamental, human, animal, vegetative, and semi-divine forms. The paintings Paintings appear on almost every surface of the cave except for the floor. At various places the art work has become eroded due to decay and human interference. Therefore, many areas of the painted walls, ceilings, and pillars are fragmentary. The painted narratives of the Jataka tales are depicted only on the walls, which demanded the special attention of the devotee. They are didactic in nature, meant to inform the community about the Buddha’s teachings and life through successive rebirths. Their placement on the walls required the devotee to walk through the aisles and ‘read’ the narratives depicted in various episodes. The narrative episodes are depicted one after another although not in a linear order. Their identification has been a core area of research since the site’s rediscovery in 1819. Dieter Schlingloff’s identifications have updated our knowledge on the subject. Some believe that the art work has erroneously been alluded to as â€Å"fresco†, rather than mural, and assert that the technique and process used to produce this kind of artwork is unlike any other artwork found in the art history of other civilizations, including within the history of South Asian art. Cave Four The Archeological Survey of India board outside the caves gives the following detail about cave 4 : â€Å"This is the largest monastery planned on a grandiose scale but was never finished.An inscription on the pedestal of the buddha’s image mentions that it was a gift from a person named Mathura and paleographically belongs to 6 th century A.D. It consists of a verandah , a hypostylar hall, sanctum with an antechamber and a series of unfinished cells.The sanctum houses a colossal image of Lord buddha in preaching pose flanked

Stretegic Analysis of Pepsi

Strategic Analysis of PepsiCo | | Introduction Pepsi co is a carbonated beverage that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. It is sold in stores restaurants and from vending machines. The drink was first made in the 1890s by a pharmacist Caleb Bradham in New Bern, North Carolina. The brand was trademarked on June 16 1903. The has been many Pepsi variants over the years since 1903 to name a few they have Diet Pepsi, Crystal Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, Pepsi blue, Pepsi raw, Pepsi one etc. PepsiCo is situated in a soft drink industry that is dominated by Coca Cola. By the time it got into the market Coca cola had already made its mark among the public and the newcomer Pepsi found it hard to find a consumer base. Their first effective marketing strategy, they put their sodas in beer bottles and sold them cheaper than Coke. There was more drink for less money. They started selling, and Pepsi was seen as the poor man’s cola. Although this strategy worked, Pepsi recognized that if their image remained as that of the Poor Man’s Soda, their customer base would never widen. In order to improve its image, Pepsi devised a new marketing strategy by employing celebrities for its advertisements. One of their first celebrity endorser was Barney Oldfield, the pioneer for automobile racing. Afterwards, PepsiCo dipped its marketing hands into acquiring even more business. They bought Taco Bell and Pizza Hut and exerted effort into developing overseas restaurant ventures. One of the most successful advertising and promotion campaigns in history. SWOT Analysis Strength †¢ Pepsi has a broader product line and outstanding reputation. †¢ Merger of Quaker Oats produced synergy across the board. †¢ Record revenues and increasing market share. †¢ Lack of capital constraints (availability of large free cash flow). †¢ Great brands, strong distribution, innovative capabilities †¢ Number one maker of snacks, such as corn chips and potato chips Weakness †¢ Pepsi hard to inspire vision and direction for large global company. Not all PepsiCo products bear the company name †¢ PepsiCo is far away from leader Coca-cola in the international market – demand is highly elastic. Opportunity †¢ Pepsi should expand into markets that they are not currently in. †¢ Food division should expand internationally †¢ Noncarbonated drinks are the fastest-growing part of the industry †¢ Pepsi should position itself on t he cutting edge of the healthy food trend in the market place by increasing trend toward †¢ Changing customer tastes e. g. variants of drinks †¢ Focus on most important customer trend – â€Å"Convenience†. Threats †¢ Pepsi is blamed for pesticide residues in their products in one of their most promising emerging market e. g. in India †¢ Over 50 percent of the company's sales come from Frito-Lay; this is a threat if the market takes a downturn †¢ PepsiCo now competes with Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, and Kraft foods (because of broader product line) which are well-run and financially sound competitors. †¢ Size of company will demand a varied marketing program; Social, cultural, economic, political and governmental constrains. External Analysis PEST Analysis: Political influences: – The production distribution and use of many of PepsiCo product are subject to various federal laws, such as the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act. – The businesses are also subject to state, local and foreign laws. – The international businesses are subject to the Government stability in the countries where PepsiCo is trying get into (underdeveloped markets). Businesses are also subject to de taxation policy in each country they are operating. They also have to comply with federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations. Economic influences: – Pepsi is subject to the harvest of the raw material that they use in their snack foods, soft drink and juice, like corn, oranges, grapefruit, vegetables, potatoes, etc. Because of they rely on trucks to move and distribute many of their products, fuel is also an important subject, so they are subject to the fuel price fluctuation, and to possible fuel crisis. Operating in International Markets involves exposure to volatile movements in foreign exchange rates. The economic impact of foreign exchange rates movements on them is complex because such changes are often linked to variability in real growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions and other factors. PepsiCo is also subject to other economical factors like money supply, energy availability and cost, business cycles, etc. Social influences: – Pepsi is subject to the lifestyle changes, because of it bases its advertising campaigns in a concrete kind of people with a special lifestyle, it is for that PepsiCo has to pay a special attention on the lifestyle changes. Around the world Pepsi drinkers are defined, there is a kind of people who drinks Pepsi another kind who drinks Coca-Cola; it is for that they have to pay attention to the social mobility for not losing a possible market. – Taking into account that PepsiCo is trying to introduce itself in underdeveloped markets, they have to be careful with the possible problems with the governments of this countries, and with the problems could rise from PepsiCo act with the people of this countries. Technological influences: – PepsiCo is subject to new techniques of manufacturing, for their three business sectors, snack food, juices and soft drinks. It has to pay attention to the new distribution techniques. – And they have to fix their attention in the competence developed, to know about the new products. Porter’s Diamond: The Porter’s Diamond Analysis tries to explain the Competitive Advantage of Nations. There are four attributes of a nation comprise Porterâ₠¬â„¢s Diamond of national advantage, they are: Factor Conditions: The basic factor conditions are natural resources, climate, location, the more advanced factor conditions are skilled labour, infrastructure and technology. There are some of these factors that can be obtained by any company (like unskilled labour and raw materials) and, hence, do not generate sustained competitive advantage. Below is a market share structure, Pepsi has around the world as of 2007. Pepsi has a long standing commitment to protecting consumer whose trust and confidence in its products. In order to ensure that consumers stay inform about the quality of all Pepsi products sold in the world. Summary of the Pepsi Strategy Conclusion Assessing Pepsi’s marketing strategies; shows that Pepsi has made several right choices. With the existence of Coke, Pepsi can never lay claim to true originality. It is not that unique. So, before it entered the international market, it first familiarized its customers with its product thoroughly in its home base and lowering their prices. By the time Pepsi was ready to enter the international market, it had a good grasp of what its target audience really is. In conclusion, Pepsi’s marketing strategies, from past to present includes: enhancing their distribution system, knowing the environment of the foreign market and finding the things their target buyers had in common, adding new innovations and products while improving the old products, imaginative advertising, use of advanced technology, assertive promotions, trendy, socially-aware campaigns, alliances with major corporations and expansion into other industries such as restaurants. Al in a one Pepsi-Cola  concentrates on markets where it could prosper alongside  Coca-Cola,  rather than trying to defeat it and its still progressing well. The King III Report and its implications in IT Introduction King III states that – In contrast to the King I and II codes, King III applies to all entities regardless of the manner and form of incorporation or establishment applies to all entities regardless of the manner and form of incorporation or establishment. Unlike previous reports, King III deals with IT governance in detail. According to the introduction of the Report: information systems were used as an enabler to business, but have now become pervasive in the sense that they are built into the strategy of the business and the risks involved in information technology (IT) governance have become significant. The King Report III provides a list of best practice principles which have become an indispensable guide on Corporate Governance to directors, executives and regulators alike. King III provides guidance to all corporate entities on various governance related aspects, including: Ethical leadership and corporate citizenship, Boards and directors, Audit committees, The governance of risk , The governance of information technology (IT), Compliance with laws, rules, codes and standards, Internal audit, Governing stakeholder relationships, Integrated reporting and disclosure. IT governance Unlike previous reports, King III deals with IT governance in detail for the first time. In exercising their duty of care, directors should ensure that prudent and reasonable steps have been taken in regard to IT Governance. IT governance should focus on four key areas: †¢ Strategic alignment with the business and collaborative solutions, including the focus on sustainability and the implementation of ‘green IT’ principles; †¢ Value delivery: concentrating on optimizing expenditure and proving the value of IT; †¢ Risk management: addressing the safeguarding of IT assets, disaster recovery and continuity of operations; †¢ Resource management: optimizing knowledge and IT infrastructure. KEY PRINCIPLES OF THE KING III REPORT The Report places great emphasis on: †¢ Leadership; †¢ Sustainability; and †¢ Corporate Citizenship. The importance of the concepts of integrated sustainability and social Transformation is highlighted. This leads to a lasting concentration on the effects of business on society and the environment. The concept of sustainability is linked with the evaluation of ethics and the improvement of ethical standards in business and in the community. The Minister of Environmental Affairs has pointed out that, unless measures are adopted, greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa will quadruple by 2050. This would result in South Africa becoming a pariah nation. Sustainability reporting is also emphasized in the need to utilize suppliers from amongst previously disadvantaged people. The success of companies in the 21st century is likely to involve: †¢ The natural environment; †¢ The social environment; †¢ The political system; and †¢ The global economy. The King III Report has placed great emphasis on an integrated report, which will evaluate the company’s impact on the economic life of the community in which it operates, as well as many other matters. Conclusion The release of King III is welcomed and represents a significant advance in good corporate governance that looks to the future. Companies will also find King III more user-friendly, in particular the new format of the Code which briefly sets out the recommended best practices against the applicable principles, should constitute a handy quick reference guide. In addition, the Practice Notes, when released, will greatly assist with implementation and going forward, the Institute of Directors will also be developing tools to assist different types of entities identify how to apply relevant principles and recommendations. All in one I would say the release of King III is welcomed and represents a significant advance in good corporate governance that looks to the future. Companies will also find King III more user-friendly, in particular the new format of the Code which briefly sets out the recommended best practices against the applicable principles, should constitute a handy quick reference guide. In addition, the Practice Notes, when released, will greatly assist with implementation and going forward, the Institute of Directors will also be developing tools to assist different types of entities identify how to apply relevant principles and recommendations. Reference http://www. sirpepsi. com/pepsi11. htm â€Å"compiled by 2002† http://www. radessays. com http://www. bookrags. com http://www. allbusiness. com. http://www. peerpapers. com http://www. michalsons. com/king-3-published-for-comment/1463 http://www. pwc. com/en_ZA/za/assets/pdf/pwc-draft-kingiii-presentation-09. pdf