Role of Media in Public Awareness

The media play an important role in increasing of public awareness and formation their views and attitudes toward certain issues. Nowadays, Internet resources are one of the most common means of communication as mass media. Today in Tajikistan, blogging and participation in social networks are one of the most common activities of Internet users after the e-mail and search programs. This trend is particularly noticeable among young people who spend more time on the computer and obtain more information from the global network.Today, blogging is also a good way to express views on any issues. With the proper formulation of the issue and placing posts in the blogs, social networks and forums, the discussions on the topic can continue for months and attract more attention than other types of media. Now, there are many blogs in the internet created by residents of Tajikistan or Tajik bloggers living abroad. Many people are becoming bloggers now despite of their professions, education and s tandard of living.Many of them are celebrities and idols whose opinions considered by most of the population, especially young people. We should expect that gradually the Internet will be the most popular way of exchange of information. The importance of this method of informing the public and attracting the online communities’ attention to various problems is the most efficient way to disseminate information. If we compare the traditional media to Internet resources, the important difference is that you always can post comments in the internet.The Tajik Family Planning Alliance in its operations put emphasis on the sharing of information, advocating, providing services and subscribing to services in order to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of the citizens, with special focus to HIV/AIDS and STI prevention, unwanted pregnancy, as well as unsafe abortion. For this purpose TFPA works with mass media such as newspapers, radio and television within the frame works of various projects.This year we started our work with a new direction, which is blogging. Within the framework of Access project it was held three day training for bloggers-journalists on the topic of â€Å"Blogging is an internet-based mechanism for the dissemination of information field about SRHR† to improve access of young people to information. 15 representatives of various newspapers have participated in this training. During the training the participants were taught how to create a blog in platform of WordPress. om – one of the most popular and multi-functional platforms for blogging. Participants were provided not only the information on how to create blogs, but also basic information on SRHR and family planning. In practical part of training, the participants created their own profiles on popular social networks such as Face book, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. By creating a profiles and blogs, they contributed to a greater dissemination of information i n the global network.In spite of the free choice of topic for a blog, most of the participants selected the topics related to SRHR and family planning, and the rest the aspects of healthy lifestyle. Thus, it was created 10 blogs, which included both personal blogs and blogs of newspapers. TFPA plans to continue to work with blogs and online journalists by supporting bloggers and active users of social networks and implementing variety of activities on promotion of relevant Internet resources, including the traditional media.

Outlaws and Violence of American West Essay

Many Americans consider the era of the Old West as one of the most fascinating chapters in our history. It’s an era that is uniquely American, and people around the world identify America with the era of the Old West. There is much legend surrounding American History of the Wild West when it comes to American outlaws lawmen and violence. But what is the real history about violence in the west? In this paper I will talk about outlaws and lawmen as well as the portrayal of violence of the west and try to identify the myths and legends versus fact from which the American mind as drawn up. So what is an outlaw? Well an outlaw is pretty much just what it sounds like. Somebody who has broken the law and is on the run from the law. The west was not a lawful place and most of the people in the west where on the fringes with the law to begin with. One of the most famous outlaws in American history is Billy the Kid. Billy the Kid has come down as a towering mythological figure, yet the history of the real Billy the Kid is something we don’t really know that much about. Other famous outlaws like ‘Jesse James and his gang, and the Wild Bunch with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had their exploits widely covered by the popular press of the time, and the American public seemed to take great interest in the tales of their exploits.† So could the media of the time period make a lot of stuff up about the law in the American West because that’s what sold? Or is it just the love for crime and fantasy telling stories is what drives the American mindset. In spite specific incidents of violence, the lawlessness of the Wild West has been blown out of proportion. Ironically, the myth of the lawless West began before the period was over. News articles and books written in the East exaggerated the west’s tales, or simply made up, stories about the crimes and criminals of the West. â€Å"Hollywood later fueled the myth, feeding the public’s desire for excitement and adventure with stories of gunfights in the street and stagecoach robberies.† The true story of the Old West is rather boring to most people. Because of the need to hunt for food or protect themselves from wild animals, many people did have guns. However, fans of Hollywood westerns may be surprised to learn that many western towns had strict gun ordinances, making it illegal to carry guns in town. People entering the town were required to surrender their firearms to the sheriff. In fact, a story that has come to epitomize the violence of the Wild West involved a conflict over such a law. When Virgil Earp, along with his brothers Morgan and Wyatt and their friend Doc Holliday, confronted five cowboys in the city of Tombstone over carrying firearms in town, violence erupted. This incident became known as the gunfight at the OK corral and only lasted about 30 seconds yet it’s forever immortalized in our history. We know this because of the countless movies and books written about the event. It’s interesting to note that even in this most famous gunfight of the violent West, only three people were killed. In any modern city today, such a minor incident would probably not even be front-page news. So, was there violence in the mountains, plains, and frontier towns of the old west? Yes. Most of the settlers moving west, whether they were farmers, cowboys, miners, or some other profession, were honest and hardworking. Just as today, outlaws existed, yet in most places and for most people, violent crime was not the daily norm that popular entertainment would have us believe. As un American as it may be, relatively few people in the Wild West were involved in the gunfights and stagecoach robberies that were immortalized by the movies. As I mentioned before there is no outlaw more legendary than Billy the Kid. Countless books, movies, and songs have been written about his life, but the reality was not quite as sensational. Often portrayed as a cold-blooded killer, â€Å"he entered a life of crime out of necessity, not malice.† People who knew him personally called him brave, resourceful honest, and full of laughter. Under different circumstances, he probably have been a successful person if it weren’t for his upbringing. The most famous myth about Billy the kid was that he killed 21 people, one for each year of his life. In reality this is just not the truth. He was probably only responsible for four killings in his lifetime. In reality a lot of Billy the Kid’s story has also been kind of blown out of proportion, although most of the events are true. Enraged from the murder of John Tunstall, Billy and his fellow companions were deputized and given the warrants to bring in the Murphy men who had killed him. They called themselves the Regulators. Due to the corruption of the day, the governor sided with Murphy, and the Regulators became the enemy. He was known to have killed four men as mentioned previously but because the media and the American love for action, it was out of proportion. After a daring escape from jail, and a few years on the run, he was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett while hiding out in a friend’s home. Over the years, several people have claimed to be Billy the Kid, but the chance that he survived and/or his body was misidentified are highly unlikely. Sticking to the topic of violence in the American West as being somewhat a myth we can look at the California gold rush. In three years, more than 200,000 people had migrated to California, most of them trying to get rich quick. If there were ever a recipe for chaos, this would seem to be one. One would think that these gold camps where home to tons of violence and outlaws. People of varied backgrounds and ethnicities, all armed and all seeking a valuable resource. But the mining camps quickly evolved rules for establishing mining claims and for judging disputes. The fact that each person carried a six-shooter meant that each had a relatively equal amount of power. That minimized violence. Dozens of movies have portrayed the nineteenth-century mining camps in the West as places of anarchy and violence, but according to Roaring Camp â€Å"beginning in 1848, the miners began forming contracts with one another to restrain their own behavior. There was no government authority in California at the time, apart from a few military posts. The miners’ contracts established property rights in land that the miners themselves enforced.† Even though there was some violence in these camps the miners more or less kept civilized. Gunfights never really broke out and violence was kept at bay because of the law. Though we don’t learn about this too much because of the movies and media once again. So what about gunfights with outlaws and lawmen? It is in everybody mind that two men meet a high noon in the middle of a busy street for everybody to watch and then when the clock strikes you draw your pistol and shoot. Though movies and television would like us to believe otherwise, it was very rare when gunfights occurred with the two gunfighters squarely facing each other from a distance in a dusty street. â€Å"This romanticized image of the Old West gunfight was born in the dime novels of the late 19th century and perpetuated in the film era, to such a point that this fictional version is what our mind’s eye quickly conjures up when we hear the word gunfight.† In actuality, the real gunfights of the Old West were rarely that â€Å"civilized.† In fact, there are several misconceptions about these gunfights. The first of which is that very rarely, did the gunfighters actually plan a gunfight to occur, calling out their enemy for dueling action in the street. Instead, most of these â€Å"fights took place in the heat of the moment when tempers flared, and more often than not, with the aide of a little bottled courage.† They also didn’t occur at a distance of 75 feet, with each gunfighter taking one shot, one falling dead to the ground, and the other standing as a â€Å"hero† before a dozen gathered onlookers. Instead, these fights were usually close-up and personal, with a number of shots blasted from pistols, often resulting in innocent bystanders hit by a bullet gone wild. Much of the time, it would be difficult to tell who had even won the gunfight for several minutes, as the black powder smoke from the pistols cleared the air. This is not to say that it never happened similar to the movies. One of the rare instances is the Wild Bill Hickok-David Tutt Shootout in Springfield, Missouri. Even then, it wasn’t a â€Å"planned† event, but rather, â€Å"it occurred when Wild Bill ran into Tutt in the street and was insulted.† Always shown bravely facing each other in the popular westerns movies with the like of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, in reality, the opponents were more often running around shooting wildly and ducking for cover. The gunfights were not usually clean either, as the â€Å"fighters were drinking and missing normally easy shots, continued to shoot until they had emptied their pistol.† This popular idea to the public mind that the frontier of the American West was an extremely violent place with little value placed on a human life is far from truth it seems. Small Western cow towns are thought to have witnessed hundreds of murders and killings. As well as, many outlaws and their gangs riding through the towns robbing banks, trains and stagecoaches. In fact, â€Å"there were only five killings in Dodge City during its most homicidal year of 1878. Deadwood, S.D., had five deaths in its worst year with Tombstone, Ariz., experiencing five killings in its most violent year.† So why do these towns claim these accounts? Well that’s easy to answer. The west was opening up and settlement was becoming vast in nature. A lot of people moving westward were already on the fringe with the law. So these cities saw this as a selling point for people to come to their towns. That the law didn’t exist in the towns. Once again we see the media using the myths and legends to there leverage. Some of the real violence and outlaws that happened during the expansion of the west we don’t often hear about. The homestead act of 1862 contributed to rapid settlement of western lands, and thus to conflict and violence, specifically with the cattle barons that were already there. Cattlemen often â€Å"claimed large areas of open range, using it for grazing and for driving their cattle to market.† Although in most cases they had no legal claim to the land, they had used it in this way for years, often fighting off Indians and other cattlemen in order to do so. Along with their wealth and the power provided by the men working for them, they â€Å"felt that having come first gave them the right to do whatever it took to drive the homesteaders out. This was especially true when homesteaders fenced off their land, limiting access to already scarce sources of water.† The most famous of the conflicts that resulted is the Johnson County War, which ended only after the cavalry was sent in by order of the President. The large cattle barons also fought among themselves for control of the open range and lucrative government supply contracts. The most infamous of these fights is the Lincoln County War of 1878, in which the outlaw Billy the Kid as who I mentioned earlier rose to fame. Of course, miners, homesteaders, and cattlemen alike also had to worry about the native tribes that they were displacing. These conflicts also led to violence. Many Americans consider the era of the Old West as one of the most fascinating chapters in our history. It’s an era that is uniquely American. There is much legend and myths about history of the Wild West when it comes to American outlaws lawmen and violence. As we have seen in this paper, a lot of the violence and outlaws were blown out of proportion for the most part due to the over romantic love of violence the American mind has come to love. This is due to the western movies and novels because that’s what sold the American heart. Although we do see that violence did exist in the west with the Johnson and Lincoln county wars and outlaws like Billy the Kid and Jesse James, most of the history of violence is was too dramatized. Why? Well I don’t know about you but John Wayne and Clint Eastwood seemed to be pretty big heroes in my mind, and well the movies are great way to feed our ego boosting American mindset of how the west was really won.

The Worlds Biggest Criminal (Osama bin Laden) Essay

The Worlds Biggest Criminal (Osama bin Laden) - Essay Example The reason why Osama bin Laden was hailed as an international criminal and terrorist was because he had been involved in setting up the banned outfits Al-Qaeda and the attached wing Taliban. What these groups brought to the fore was massive killing of people all around the globe (Searcey 2011). Their number one priority was to make sure that the so-called Muslim preaching was made significant yet they conducted their own attacks, all in the name of the religion of Islam. Osama bin Laden, along with his close aides was able to gather a great amount of hate all over the world for these activities. I am of the view that once Osama bin Laden was caught, he should not have been killed since he was unarmed. As he has slaughtered thousands of people worldwide, it would have been better had he been captured alive. If this was done, the number one criminal would have been taken to the United States where criminal proceedings shall have been held. But this was not to be, and Osama bin Laden wa s killed which essentially closed the chapter once and for all. Since he was required by the US government dead or alive, the US Navy SEALs only found it appropriate to kill him and then take his body forward. I do not think this served the purpose since his death did not teach people a lesson as his capturing alive would have. His conviction would have sent a totally unique message to all the criminals and terrorists all over the globe.

Credit Card Fraud in the USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Credit Card Fraud in the USA - Research Paper Example The onus falls on the merchants to pay for the credit card fraud and if it lacks in proper insurance, they have to incur the chargeback fee as well. The US is moving towards a cashless society but credit card theft has become a major concern of retailers, consumers, credit card issuers and the law enforcement agencies (Hearn, 1986). Credit cards were introduced in the 1950s and since then fraudsters have been finding ways to attack the system (Byrne, 2010). According to The Survey of Consumer Payment Choice, there were 176.8 million credit card holders in 2008 and the average cardholder has 3.5 credit cards (Woolsey & Schulz, 2011). Credit cards represent the majority of the total $315 billion US financial fraud loss in 2005 while according to a European study more than 22 million adults were victims to credit card fraud in 2006 (Conlin, 2007). According to the 2009 LexisNexis True Cost of Fraud Study, retailers lose $100bn a year to consumer-facing fraud. Twenty-four percent of all retailers, 43% of whom have a strong online presence, reported increase in losses through credit card fraud. Most card fraud payment losses were borne by the card issuers (59%) followed by the merchants (41%), says Sullivan (2010). In 2006 the total fraud losses were estimated at $3.718bn as per table provided below: Source: Sullivan (2010). The process for approving card payments depends to a large extent on information. The criminals have an incentive to steal this information and this leads to attacks on computers, data breaches and ultimately payment fraud. Card fraud is the highest in the United States than countries such as UK, Spain and Netherlands. Better technology in the payment approval system can help combat fraud to some extent. Online payment approval permits automated checks against wider sets of information such as the cardholder’s zip code or transaction history (Sullivan, 2010). Criminals gather such information and use it to commit fraud. Criminals steal wa llets, intercept mail and get access to account statements, or even spy and gather information when the card is in use. Video cameras secretly placed can capture valuable information. Phishing and hacking are other modes through which criminals gather information to conduct fraud. Credit and charge card fraud cost cardholders and issuers millions of dollars each year. Earlier the fraud used to occur over the telephone when the fraudster posed as an organization representative and offered incentives in exchange for credit card information. Theft is the most common form of fraud but people can also use the card number without the knowledge of the owner of the card (FTC, 2009). The thief eyes the trash to collect discarded receipts or carbons through which it is possible to obtain the credit card number. Others ways in which fraud can occur is when dishonest clerks make an extra imprint and use the card details to make personal charges. Now the criminals use packet-sniffing programs on the Internet and steal credit card information electronically. The largest case in the US credit card fraud history took place in 2008 when Albert Gonzalez and his team attacked TJX and other companies (Byrne, 2010). They acquired more than 130 million debit and credit card numbers and stole tens of millions of dollars. These were basically of customers of 7-eleven and other retail giants.  

ART AND EXPERIENCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ART AND EXPERIENCE - Essay Example Each of these produced a different approach to the expression used and allowed the cartoons to remain at the forefront of expressing and questioning the movements which were occurring during this time frame. Background of Caricatures and Cartoons The 18th and 19th centuries differed with caricatures and cartoons because of their main purpose. In contemporary drawings, there is a focus on the publisher, with the cartoons published in magazines and newspapers. The expression was then based on short term ideologies and statements about a given issue. However, the cartoons which were provided before the 20th century were based on long term applications and were typically used with as a form of artistic expression to be shown in galleries, cafes and other areas. The concept of not dividing the cartoons and caricatures from the everyday artistic expressions created a valuable aspect to the cartoon and what is represented. More important, the subject matters and statements were created to r emain relevant throughout time and to have thematic material which was applicable to culture, history and the way in which current events related to this1. The concept of the cartoon as one which was relevant to the time frame and which was also depicted as art then led to a distinction between the genre of art which it represented. Instead of creating the ideology that the artistic work was a cartoon or caricature, many considered the technique as one which expressed a form of satire. The satire was based on the current system while creating an expression which was both realistic and which couldn’t hold the belief of remaining real. The image and brand which was used with the technique was able to create this dichotomy specifically by showing that there was an unrealistic aspect to the political, social and cultural ideologies which many had, even though it was an event which had occurred. The dichotomy which was created and which presented the aspect of a satirical piece of work then led to specific expressions and definitions within the art presented2. Political Revolution and Cartoons The first component which was seen with the cartoons and satires which were presented were based on the French and British revolutions which occurred during the time. These particular components of history were based on the rebellion of the peasants and commoners to gain rights within the lands and to have more abilities with the nobles that were in the region. When this occurred, there were several uprisings and political powers which resisted the change. The result was sets of battles and warfare as well as arrests which occurred with the revolutions to try to maintain and change what had occurred with those who had gone through the desire to change. At the same time, there was a sense of trying to keep the lower classes oppressed while allowing the nobility and those with a higher economic and social status to remain ahead of those in society. The rebellion which oc curred was based specifically on these divisions and the way in which they built into the several revolutions of the time.3 There are several examples of the uprising as well as the rebellion which took place and the satirical events which were associated with this. Figure 1 is a representative of the cartoons and satires which were based on the revolution. Figure 1: Reveil de Tiers Etat When looking at this specific piece, it can be

Global tech change simulation final paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global tech change simulation final paper - Essay Example To cater for such shortcomings, the change management plan was tailored accordingly. The outcomes of the change management simulation clearly provide that most objectives were met with. Evidence for this fact is provided by the many quantifiable indicators presented in the findings of the change management simulation. On the other hand, there are some areas, such as understanding the problem, where the quantifiable indicators could not score very well and hence it could be surmised that these areas could have benefited from better planning and implementation. If there were an opportunity to redo this project, the Understand part of the project, particularly problem identification, would be redone with greater objectivity to achieve greater success at it. In a similar manner, the Enlist part of the project could have done better through greater motivation to employees. Similarly, there were some loose ends in the Motivate and Communicate parts of the exercise that could have had better outcomes through better planning, implementation and reporting. Kotter’s change process carries a large amount of respect in contemporary change management practices given its efficacy in delivering on outcomes. The change management plan used for Global Tech is differentiated from Kotter’s change process although it does hold some comparable exponents. If the change plan for Global Tech is analyzed sequentially, it becomes clear that the first phase of the change plan â€Å"Understand† is in some part influenced by Kotter’s exponents of â€Å"Increase urgency† and â€Å"Get the vision right†. Kotter’s ideas on â€Å"Increase urgency† build on an examination of the market’s competitive nature and present challenges that require change. Similarly, Kotter’s ideas on â€Å"Get the vision right† rely on developing an understanding of where the organization is at and where it needs to go to meet looming challenges

What is the Muslim Brotherhood and why is it so popular in Egypt Essay

What is the Muslim Brotherhood and why is it so popular in Egypt - Essay Example It is worth mentioning in this context that the notion of Muslim Brotherhood has its roots in Egypt where it was founded as a pan Islamic religious and social movement by a group of activist Islamic scholars and teachers in the 20th century. Historical evidences reveal that the movement had been quite popular not only in Egypt but all around the world integrating more than two million Islamic members from various Islamic countries. To be noted, the movement was founded by an imam and a school teacher named Hassan al-Banna. According to the founder of the movement, i.e. Imam Hassan al-Banna, the main idea behind the initiation of the movement was to encourage the Islamic nature to dominate, rather than to get dominated by others. Although many experts all over the world believe that the organisation does not appreciate violence, it has many a times found cruised to have its linkage with Islamic terrorism (Tadros, 2012, pp. 1-15). It is in this context that the leaders of the Muslim Br otherhood attempts to advise its loyal followers to rescue Jerusalem from the dominance of Palestine which indicates a strong influence of historic event on the religious as well as social customers of the Muslim community in Egypt. This particular aspect however have been criticised to ignite the sense of terrorism among the followers of the organisation. It is further viewed that the organisation seeks to spread its teachings and ideologies all across the globe so that they can gain maximum number of followers which will in turn strengthen their power and influence over the world politics which has further been criticised as an aggressive political move covered with religious and social intentions. Apparently, the organisation works in every section of the society which includes schools, universities and professional offices among others. This aspect concedes with the aim of the organisation which searches for commendable position in all aspects of life of the Islamic people with special emphasis on the Arabic countries (Tadros, 2012; Leiken & Brooke, 2007, pp. 107-121). Correspondingly, the aim of this paper is to discuss about the Muslim Brotherhood in detail with respect to its popularity in Egypt. Discussion The Muslim Brotherhood From a generalised perspective, Muslim Brotherhood is regarded as a social and religious organisation that has its presence in various Islamic and non-Islamic nations of the world. It seeks to operate and show its influence in various aspects of the day to day life of people belonging to the Islam community, integrating all the Muslim like-minded people from around the world to regain the historical identity and a respectful position of Muslim society in the modern world (Aldridge, 2013, pp. 1-75). However, the concept of Muslim Brotherhood has a broader dimension. In order to have an in depth understanding of the same a detailed study is required. Hasan al-Banna was the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt in th e year 1928. He not only acted as a leader of the religious as well as political movement but also worked as a guide to the Muslim community motivating his followers to regain the dominance and social respect in the world. The organisation can further be observed to have been built on the notion that by integrating the Muslim community people, referred as Muslim brothers, the organisation could effectively work towards strengthening the presence

Management Theories Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management Theories - Assignment Example The both are geared towards improving the productivity of organizations as well as their effectiveness which is quite evident in the scientific theory as it tries to follow all the simplistic and universal set rules in order to realize higher productivity in the organizations and make everything run smoothly. A similar spirit is seen in the humanistic theory as it stresses on situational suitability and coming up with principles that assure them of their success without having to rely on the universal ones (Robbins, 2006). All this is geared towards achieving success in the management of these organizations as well as their effectiveness.Both theories try to make an improvement on the relationship between managers and their workers as seen with the scientific theory through emphasis of working with togetherness between the workers and managers. On the same note, the humanistic theory also insists on managers understanding organizational situations before figuring out the best way to work with and through other people as they co-ordinate activities. As all these are done for the better of the managers and the workers, it is meant to improve the relationship between them and make the work environment comfortable.Both the scientific and humanistic theory have diversified views on how to improve management and create efficiency in the organizations and be sure that their goals are achieved. Though they have common goals of improving management and efficiency in organizations.

How significant was the division between the Scottish Highlands and Essay

How significant was the division between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands - Essay Example It is interesting to note, that the topic of Highlands-Lowlands division is closely connected with the discussion of the British imperialism and its impact on the development of Scottish nationalism (or national identity), as it is a historical fact, that the development of imperialism had already reached rather significant level, but its spreading onto the Highlands territory was prevented by the division between Highlands and Lowlands; although the connection between the division and the Scottish nationalism is seen, the work will not make special accent on this topic, but we will here look at the general impact on people, their culture and the whole future history of Scotland which was made by this division. The division of the Highlands and Lowlands has created a major impact on the fact that Scottish people didn't feel like entire nation and the notion of nation has ceased to exist for them. However, this impact was created through the number of factors, which are to be consider ed separately in this work. The feudal movement, which existed in Scotland, was one of the major engines, making the division of the Scotland closer. The roots of the division lay in the fact, that King David, being active supporter of the feudalism and making everything possible to spread it over the country, has unconsciously divided Scotland into two parts: the estates, which he often granted to his lords, were mainly situated in the southern part of the country, making it more bourgeois and developed, and thus closer to Britain - not physically, but in economic development and culture. It is already by that time, that Scottish nation was characterized by two different languages spoken, and two different political preferences - while the Highlands was closer to Ireland, the Lowlands at the moment tended to speak Teutonic (modern English) and thus culturally to be closer to England. The manners and customs of the Scots vary with the diversity of their speech. For two languages spoken amongst them, the Scottish and Teutonic, the latter of which is the language of those who occupy the seaboard and plains, while the race of Scottish speech inhabits the Highlands and outlying islands. The people of the coast are of domestic civilized habits; the Highlanders and people of the islands, on the other hand, are savage and untamed race, rude and independent, given to rapine, ease-loving, hostile to English people and language - and exceedingly cruel.'1 This extract makes it evident, that though the division between Highlands and Lowlands is mostly discussed through the period, starting with the 17th century, the roots of the problems were already apparent in the 14th century. Knowledge and understanding of these roots is essential for defining the significance of this division both for the history and for the people. Though the later period became a mark of more equal feudal development of both Scottish parts, but the discrepancies, planted earlier, remained to grow into more serious forms, which later turned into huge cultural, religious and attitudinal division between the people of one state. Closer to the beginning of the 18th century, it has become apparent that the division betw

Cover letter (business letter format or block style) Essay - 1

Cover letter (business letter format or block style) - Essay Example Besides that, my tutor advised me to look for additional help through the reading and writing centers. Following this class, I can now review the overall effort that I have put throughout the learning period. I learnt the most from analyzing a friend’s essay entitled, â€Å"Food Stamp and Millions People Rely on† in several ways. Since it was my first time to encounter this type of an essay, I had to undertake significant research on the topic and post my work in the class forum. However, I made several mistakes such as providing personal opinion instead of analyzing the content. In addition, my mind opened up when we were learning about ethos, pathos and logos as I am now able to identify different types of appeals and understand an article’s deeper meaning. One of my easiest essays was â€Å"Forgiveness and Generosity†. The main reason why I found the essay easy was the fact that it was a reflective essay where I had the permission to give my experiences, which is one of the easiest things for me to do. This is because most of the information incorporated my own life events and it is considerably easy for me to remember it. In addition, I did not have to apply many writing skills. One of the essays that I struggled most to complete was titled, â€Å"Effects of Tsunami on Japan’s Economy†. I was not conversant with citations but my instructor showed me how to use a simplified website that generates automatic citations easily. I still made the mistake of not arranging the citations in alphabetical order. I had to read very many sources, which was tedious. I had difficulties when writing the outline and my essay had many grammatical mistakes. However, my tutor rendered her assistance on how to fix most mistakes and my final draft had improved substantially as there were fewer mistakes. Through reading many articles, I was able to learn many words that I can now apply easily in my essays. I also learnt several writing

Full block international letter Essay Example for Free

Full block international letter Essay September 11, 2007 Dear Mr. John, Thanks for writing to us, enquiring about our new hair-product, â€Å"Growmore†. We appreciate your kind interest. We are aware that you are one of the top super-stockiest of hair-oil products in your State, California; you have the network to supply the products to about 3000 boutiques all over the State. We have received hundreds of enquiries from your State, in response to our mail-order communication, but you are the one selected by the Company for further negotiations for a sales contract. Yes, it is possible with you. Though we do not have any business dealings so far, our Managing Director Mr.Wills Parker is personally aware of the reputation of your Company. We believe, you have gone through the product catalogue. Being in this line, you must have come across some interesting new features about this oil. This product is catching up fast with the women clients; it is already the number one product of our company within a short span of two years. Extensive promotion of this product is being done this year in the European and USA markets. Now that we are on the threshold of a working deal, I need to share some additional information with you, not mentioned in the catalogue. A research team of five, all of them holding Doctorates in herbal medicines, was given the responsibility of developing this unique product, three years ago. Along with application of the oil, guidelines about figure, diets and nutrition, exercising, staying young and healthy and beauty problems of every kind have been given. The truth about this hair oil is that mere applications will not do; hair-growth can not be bought in a jar it is necessary to tell the truth to a client, to win the long-term trust—one has to change the living style. The results are guaranteed. Only a healthy individual will have the healthy growth of hair. Every woman, irrespective of the age, would like to remain poised and sophisticated, with a stunning hair-growth. Hair is the permanent and most versatile accessory of a woman. It is a vital part of her personality and looks. To a cosmopolitan woman, it is a medium of art and self-expression. We only wish to assure them that it is possible to fulfill their aspirations. This is the genuine assurance of our product. This product cures the existing problems and prevents the impending ones that contribute to then loss of hair. I am writing this letter in some length, because we are aware that you are the stockiest of hair oil and other products for many companies. We demand your very best attention to promote our product at the initial stage. We say, at the initial stage, because we know, the intelligent and satisfied customers will then take over the sales campaign for the benefit of both of us. Chemically prepared and preserved cosmetics have done enough damage to the hair of women. Now the herbs, fruits and vegetables have taken over. The facts mentioned in hundreds of ancient texts on herbal oils have been researched over, and this product is the result of it. The first dispatch of 2000 jars is under way. As discussed over the phone, our Chief Sales Manager (International), Mr. K. L. Baptist will call on you, with an appointment, within the next ten days. We look forward for a happy and long association with you. Yours truly, Mark Patterson. Deputy General Manager.

Starbucks External Environment

Starbucks External Environment This report is prepared for Starbucks Coffee Company Starbucks by a Specialist Marketing Consultant, to analyse the strategic position for Starbucks in the Specialty Coffee Industry. It provides a summary of all the major findings and, explores various strategic options and recommendations for Starbucks in order to increase and maintain its competitive advantage within the industry. Starbucks is a global leading brand, well known for its specialty coffee. The coffee house does not only sell high-quality coffees, but also Italian style beverages, cold beverages, complimentary food items, premium teas and coffee-related accessories. It has further retained its competitive advantage by selling packaged coffees and teas, ready-to-drink beverages, ice creams and many other products in other retail stores such as supermarkets through licensing relationships. Key Findings: Starbucks is facing various issues, some of which include; Maintaining the Starbucks Experience for customers and not being seen as just a money making machine Store Expansion Competition from fast-food chains and other specialty coffee retailers Generating more demand Lowering input costs Key Recommendations: Based on the strategic findings, the report outlined several recommended strategic options, the mains ones of which are: To improve the subliminal and express aura of Starbucks by supporting more good causes and paying its proper taxes. To increase revenue at lower costs, Starbucks must try and search for more licensing relationships and expose the brand further. Existing stores could attract more customers, particularly after the morning peak times by offering non-coffee beverage options or products for specific groups such as retired people. The recommended policies will help to enhance and strengthen Starbucks market share in the specialty coffee industry. Background Information on Starbucks Coffee Company (Starbucks) Starbucks was incorporated in the year 1971 by its founding directors Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker. The Company was set up to operate as a roaster and retailer of whole bean and ground coffee, tea and spices together with coffee making equipment in Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington (Starbucks 2013b). In the year 1987, the original owners sold the Starbucks chain to former employee Howard Schultz, who is now the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Starbucks. Schultz re-branded his already existin II Giornale Coffee outlets as Starbucks and quickly began to expand (Grant 2010) as he believed that: From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection (Starbucks 2013a). Starbucks has truly developed a unique brand experience, one which is the most respected and recognized around the world (Starbucks Annual Report 2012). Today, it is known to be one of the largest and best established American global coffeehouse chains (Grant 2010). It has grown to have over 20,800 stores in over 60 countries, with the United States having the highest number of stores, followed by Canada. The UK has approximately 806 stores. However, countries like India, the second most populous country in the world, has only circa 8 stores (Loxcel Starbucks 2013). Critical Evaluation of the Porter Five Forces Concept All organisations need to understand the dynamics of their industries and markets in order to compete effectively and intensively in the market place. An American management writer Michael Porter came up with a framework called Porters Five Forces (Porter 2008). The framework analysis the attractiveness of an organisation and or/industry structure, determines the main external competitive threats, and assesses the extent to which the five forces are relevant to the organisation and/or industry (Hollensen 2003;Purcell 2013). The five fundamental competitive forces include (1) Rivalry, (2) Buyer Power, (3) Threat of Entry, (4) Supplier Power and (5) Threat of Substitutes (Porter 2008) (Figure1 Porters Five Forces Framework). These five forces, as explained above, aid an organisation to understand two strengths; The current competitive situation and, The strength of a position it would like to move into (Purcell 2013). Michael Porter simplified the micro-economic theory into the above five major influences. Each of these influences take into account demand and supply, corresponding products as well as substitutes, the relationship between volume and production and the cost of production, and the structure of the market such as oligopoly, monopoly etc. (Grundy 2006;Porter 2008). Apart from that, the value of information abstracted from the Framework analysis, assists to fuel three aspects of corporate planning; Statistical Analysis The attractiveness and profitability of an organisation/industry can be determined by using Porters Five Force Analysis, hence supporting decision making on whether to enter/exit from an industry or market segment (Porter 2008). Furthermore, the framework considers and takes into account the impact of competitive forces on the organization (RAPIDBI 2012) itself versus impacts on its competitors (Ketels 2006). Due to the availability of different resources and levels of competences, the competitors may have different reactions when there is a change in competitive forces, hence influencing the structure of the whole industry (Grundy 2006;Ketels 2006). Dynamical Analysis   A combination of both Porters Five Force Analysis and a PEST- Analysis (Political, Economical, Social, Technological), will disclose clues on how attractive the organisation/industry will be in the future (Porter 2008). This is because a change in Political, Economical, Socio-demographical and Technological aspects of organisations/industry can be influential on the five competitive forces and, hence will impact on the industry structure (Karagiannopoulos et al. 2005). Analysis of Options Improvement of an organisations own competitive position can be influenced by having some knowledge on both the degree of intensity and power of competitive forces (Recklies 2001). A new strategic direction can be derived from this such as new positioning in the market and differentiation for competitive products (Porter 2008). Accordingly, Porters Five Force Framework allows an organization to analyse the market structure and competitive situation in a more systematic and structured way (Recklies 2001). Once all relevant forces for that particular market are identified and analyzed, managers can find options that influence these forces, subject to the organizations interest (Grundy 2006;Ketels 2006;Recklies 2001). Recent research has shown that Porters Five Force Framework has got both strengths and weaknesses when used in todays dynamic environment, the main weakness highlighted has been the historic nature of its development (Grundy 2006). Cyclical growth in the 80s showed that the global economy had been fairly stable and predictable, compared to the current economy (Grundy 2006). Several limitations to the Porters Five Force Framework have been shown as; From the economic point of view, the framework is under the assumption that the market is perfect (Rivard et al. 2006). As a result, the framework will not be able to deliver meaningful insights on highly regulated industries (Grundy 2006)) . The applicability of the framework is more towards the analysis of simple market structures, rather than those which are in a much more complex industry (Grant 2010). As a result, the framework is limited to focusing on particular segments of such industries. This imposes an increased risk in omitting important elements (Grant 2010) . The framework assumption on having moderate static market structures makes it a non suitable framework for todays dynamic markets. Business models, entry barriers and relationships may change along the supply chain within a snapshot due to technological breakthroughs and dynamic market entrants (Karagiannopoulos et al. 2005). As a result, the framework could be a preferred model to be used at a later stage for analyzing new situations; however, it is limited to and perhaps not ideal to a certain extent to provide preventative actions (Rivard et al. 2006) . Porters Framework is based around the idea of competition, hence the name competitive forces. The assumption made by the framework is that a company will try to attain competitive advantage over the various players in the markets together with suppliers or customers (Aktouf et al. 2005). As a result of this, the framework only focuses on such aspect of strategy rather than taking into consideration the availability of strategic alliances, virtual enterprise- networks or others (Aktouf et al. 2005).    Overall, Porters Five Forces Framework has limitations because it does not take into consideration new business models and the dynamics of the market place (Recklies 2001). This report will now apply the Porters Five Force Framework to Starbucks Coffee Company (Starbucks) which is a large specialty coffee shop popular in most western countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom and many others. Critical Analysis of Starbucks External Environment Within the rapidly changing global picture, companies and consumers are increasingly affected by global forces, represented as non-controllable. These forces are external environmental influences which must be monitored and responded to, on an ongoing basis by marketers, as they will lead to new opportunities and threats (Kotler 2007). An external environmental analysis, using the macro-economic PESTLE model was carried out for Starbucks and has been attached at Appendix 2 of this report. It can be seen from the analysis at Appendix 2 that there is currently a negative imbalance in Starbucks external influence matrix. This is because whilst the sociologic factors are favourable, whilst other factors such as Political, Economic and Legal show substantial threats. However, Starbucks has got some strengths that over-come some of these non-controllable influences from the external environment. It has built in flexibility to change, for example, agreeing to pay extra corporation tax in the UK, for the next two years (BBC News Business 2013), or relating to the closure of non-profit making stores, and lastly it has developed high powered management decision making process which ensures that is quick at exploiting opportunities (Patton 2012). Critical Analysis of Starbucks Business Environment Michael Porter (1985) posits that, in an attempt to find effective sources of competitive advantage, a thorough research should be conducted on the structure of the industry. In this case, an analysis of the speciality coffee industry can help to establish the strategic position Starbucks occupies and wishes to occupy. Porters Five Forces model is a useful tool in this regard. It shows how key elements have shaped the competition in the industry (Hill and Jones 2009). Buyer power In the specialty coffee industry today, consumers have wide access to different products at different prices with better quality services (Hunt et al. 2011). This practically means that individuals have the choice to easily switch from product to product, whichever is the preferred one. This is where Starbucks has an advantage; it decides on the prices of the drinks offered to its consumers, by taking into consideration the price-elasticity which is strongly influenced by loyalty to its brand and also current prices at rival stores (Grant 2010). Since Starbucks is known to be an up-market coffee shop with high quality, based on perception and offering vertically differentiated products it is very likely for it to be able to sell its products at high prices, hence leaving no room for price-negotiation with its customers (Grant 2010). Supplier power In 2008, Starbucks purchased its input goods from suppliers at a market price which was 23 per cent lower than it is now (Corporation, 2008) It also takes advantage of its size and benefits from economies of scale, however, this does not help Starbucks to increase its number of suppliers due to the circumstances within Starbucks own marketplace (Grant 2010). Prices are usually determined based on the demand and supply ratio, hence, with an increased level of competition (Kotler 2007), substitute suppliers are always available if Starbucks wishes to purchase at a different price point. Despite all the supplier conditions, Starbucks holds a better relationship status with its suppliers than most of its competitors (Starbucks, 2013). Threat of substitutes Product-for-product analysis together with an analysis of generic substitution is an important area to consider for Starbucks, since 14% of coffee drinkers have a favourable opinion for them (Rasmussen Reports 2011). The vast variety of the availability of different beverages such as soda, energy drinks, juices or water, in comparison to coffee, must be taken into consideration by Starbucks. However, this is not of a huge concern to Starbucks since it sells a large selection of these beverages within its stores, the biggest one being tea, a direct substitute to coffee. Starbucks has taken the initiative to sell this direct substitute product under its own Tazo ® Tea brand (Starbucks 2013). There is quite a concern when the threat of customers substituting away from Starbucks and going for direct competitors such as Cafà © Nero and Costa Coffee (for example in the UK) is considered. These direct competitors are hard to differentiate because they also truly pride themselves on customer services and on the quality of their speciality drinks. Large food chain competitors such as McDonalds are usually known as having a negative undertone of being cheap, often compromising on the quality of coffee. This has no effect on Starbucks targeted customer base (Grant 2010). Threat of entry The barriers to entry in the specialty coffee market, such as the one Starbucks operates in have increased. This has reduced the potential threat of new entrants (Patton 2012). The capital requirement for small coffee shops in this industry is relatively small as the shops require a small amount of floor space and not a high amount of technology is used, which is normally the biggest start-up cost. As a result the potential for more of these small coffee shops to enter the industry is still present (Articlesbase 2011). Industry Rivalry McDonalds and other fast food chains are key competitors which are diversifying their beverage menu. The direct competitors like Costa Coffee and Cafà © Nero compete on a much more of a parallel with Starbucks compared to the fast food chains, as they attract the same consumer base and offer similar products as in the way Starbucks does. Starbucks differentiates itself from other coffeehouses as it reaps higher margins from its specialty drinks. This is because it takes advantage of economies of scale and has a different cost structure in contrast with other competitors in the market. They pay less for the products bought in bulk, such as dairy goods, syrups, paper goods etc (Starbucks 10K 2010). Strategic Recommendation Whether Starbucks coffee has the actual quality to attract customers or whether there is just a perception of it being better than that of competitors has been the subject of much discussion on public media through many recent surveys and reviews. Irrespective of that, some possible strategies to be considered by Starbucks in order to maintain its market position are as follows: Strategy to renew the Starbucks brand name. To maintain a strong brand name, Starbucks will have to assure people that their coffee is better than all other beverages, be it McDonalds coffee or Costa Coffee; by introducing a more aggressive advertising campaign in order to educate and acquaint customers about the uniqueness that Starbucks quality offers as well as by diversifying advertising channels using internet, visual media etc instead of depending on employee-customer liaison (Starbucks, 2013) Product Differentiation Product differentiation is very vital in order to develop new flavour, blends and also roast fusions (Ross Gaddis, 2013) Starbucks should continue its coffee development program efforts through extensive research. This should continue to be done by providing free samples, at first, leading to launching the new product into all stores depending on what response it gets from the samples distributed (Porter, 2008) Due to the recession, consumers try to cut their spending and are less likely to buy a cup of coffee for  £2.50, and therefore, differentiation can be a useful tool to overcome economic downturns (Moon, 2010) Starbucks can promote new cost efficient products by selling them at lower prices, hence not affecting its luxury-premium status in the market. This strategy can help Starbucks retain its customers as well as intensify their brand name. Privilege Card and Rewards Program Starbucks Card program for consumers to reload credit online has been implemented in order to not only provide customers with rewards on online registering but also benefiting them with complementary beverages after a certain number of purchases, free refills as well as free syrup options (Starbucks, 2013). However, other competitors also have similar strategies for consumers and this leads Starbucks to offer distinct rewards in order to deliver incentives for coffee consumers as compared to its rivals. For instance, Starbucks could cooperate with airline companies and various large retail businesses so as to combine their rewards program with Starbucks (Hill Jones, 2010) Focus on the coffee Starbucks should also consider cost reduction as well as potential growth strategies especially at the time of economic downturn. For example, Starbucks has begun to invest in new businesses other than coffee, such as films, music and books (Starbucks, 2013) This has led Starbucks to incurring higher costs and lower profit margins but this can be prevented by focusing on different marketing techniques to reach a wider audience. In these recessionary times, involving itself in fewer businesses can help Starbucks cut down costs and more resources can be utilised to improve their core product, which is coffee (Moon, 2010) Efficient Store Expansion Decision The launch of more stores has had to be reduced or halted completely in order for Starbucks to survive at the time recession in the United States. In the year 2007, Starbucks opened about 1700 stores; today it has around 15000 stores and still aims to build the number of stores up to 40000 in the foreseeable future (Corporation, 2008) Taking into account its overall financial performance as well as the downfall in the economy, it is best if Starbucks focuses on renewing its brand and customer base rather than opening stores at present (Omer, 2008). The Starbucks Feel People enter a Starbucks store not just for a cup of coffee but also for the relaxed environment and the opportunity to de-stress for a while. The initiative to write customers names on their cups adds to this club atmosphere. This Starbucks feel needs to be further developed and sold to the customers. SECTION 6 References Aktouf, O., Chenoufi, M., Holford, W.D. 2005. The False Expectations of Michael Porters Strategic Management Framework. Problems Perspectives in Management (4) 181 available from: http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/19299836/false-expectations-michael-porters-strategic-management-framework Articlesbase 2011. The Initial Capital Investment in Starting a Coffee Shop Business. Articlesbase available from: http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/the-initial-capital-investment-in-starting-a-coffee-shop-business-5185126.html Accessed 18 April 2013. Business, N., 2011. www.bbc.co.uk. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20573208 [Accessed March 2013]. BBC News Business 2013. Starbucks rejects tax row threat after Cameron Speech. BBC News Business available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21219823 Accessed 12 April 2013. Corporation, S., 2008. www.nytimes.com. [Online] Available at: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/starbucks_corporation/index.html [Accessed 2013]. Grant, R.M. 2010. Contemporary Strategy Analysis: Text Only John Wiley Sons. Grundy, T. 2006. Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model. Strategic Change, 15, (5) 213-229 available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsc.764 Hill, C. Jones, G., 2010. Strategic Management Theory. USA: South-Western Cencage Learning. Hill, C. Jones, G.R. 2009. Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach : Theory South-Western/Cengage Learning. Hollensen, S. 2003. Marketing management: a relationship approach Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Hunt, K.A., Durango, C.O., Fate, J. 2011. Cultural and Social Influences on the Perception of Beauty: A Case Analysis of the Cosmetics Industry. Journal of Business Case Karagiannopoulos, G.D., Georgopoulos, N., Nikolopoulos, K. 2005. Fathoming Porters five forces model in the internet era. info, 7, (6) 66-76 available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14636690510628328 Ketels, C.H.M. 2006. Michael Porter Competitiveness FrameworkRecent Learnings and New Research Priorities. Journal of Industry, Competition Trade, 6, (2) 115-136 available from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=trueAuthType=athens,cookie,ip,urldb=bthAN=22555133site=ehost-live Kotler, P. 2007. Framework For Marketing Management, 3/E Pearson Education. Moon, H.-C., 2010. Porters Generic Strategies. In: Global Business Strategy. Singapore: World Scientific Publisher Limited, pp. 10-20. Omer, 2008. Porters Generic Model. Porters Model of Generic Competetive Strategies, 43(3), pp. 55-64. Patton, L. 2012. Starbucks Falls After Cutting Forecast Below Estimate. Bloomberg Businessweek available from: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-07-26/starbucks-falls-after-cutting-fourth-quarter-profit-forec Accessed 15 April 2013. Porter, M., 2008. Competitive Strategy. 2nd ed. New York: The Free Press. Porter, M.E. 2008. THE FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES THAT SHAPE STRATEGY. Harvard Business Review, 86, (1) 78-93 available from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=trueAuthType=athens,cookie,ip,urldb=bthAN=28000138site=ehost-live Accessed 25 March 2013. Purcell, S. 2013. The Strategic Planning Process Part 1. Student Accountant Technical available from: http://www.accaglobal.com/en/student/qualification-resources/acca-qualification/acca-exams/p3-exams/exams-p33.html Accessed 31 March 2013. RAPIDBI 2012. Porters Five Forces for competitor anaysis and advantage. Porters Five Forces Competitor Analysis available from: http://rapidbi.com/porterfiveforces/ Accessed 24 April 2013. Rasmussen Reports 2011. Coffee Drinkers Buy Starbucks More But Like Dunkin Better. Rasmussen Reports available from: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/february_2011/coffee_drinkers_buy_starbucks_more_but_like_dunkin_better Accessed 16 April 2013. Recklies, D. 2001. A Critique of the Critique of Porter. Porters Five Forces available from: http://www.themanager.org/Models/P5F_2.htm Accessed 21 April 2013. Rivard, S., Raymond, L., Verreault, D. 2006. Resource-based view and competitive strategy: an integrated model of the contribution of information technology to firm performance. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 15, (1) 29-50 available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2005.06.003 Ross, R. Gaddis, D., 2013. Product Differentiation. Strategic Management Journal , 34(5), pp. 509-532. Starbucks, 2013. www.starbucks.co.uk. [Online] Available at: http://starbucks.co.uk/ [Accessed April 2013]. Starbucks 2013. Starbucks Tea. Starbucks Corporation available from: http://www.starbucksstore.co.uk/tea/tea,en_GB,sc.html?cm_mmc=Google+UK-_-Brand-+Starbucks+Tea+(UK+Lang)+(Exact)-_-Starbucks+General-_-Starbucks+Generalgclid=CPbS6vPW17YCFXIPtAodmVgAgQ Accessed 18 April 2013. Starbucks 10K 2010. Starbucks Annual Report. Starbucks Corporation available from: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/829224/000119312510266333/d10k.htm Accessed 19 April 2013. The Boston Globe 2008. Starbucks testing sales of 8-oz. cup of coffee for $1. The Boston Globe available from: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/01/24/starbucks_testing_sales_of_8_oz_cup_of_coffee_for_1/ Accessed 18 April 2013. The New York Times 2008. Starbucks Plans Return to Its Roots. The New York Times available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/business/20sbux.html?scp=3sq=starbucksst=nyt_r=0 Accessed 19 April 2013.

Nestle Milky Bar Product Line Extentsion Marketing Essay

Nestle Milky Bar Product Line Extentsion Marketing Essay Milkybar white chocolate is an established childrens brand with a rich heritage. Over the past 2 years the volumes on this product have been declining due to negative associations of confectionery brands with childhood obesity. Moreover legislation prevents promoting this product to the key target market. A need for innovation turnaround within the brand portfolio is imperative to ensure survival sustainability on the brand over long term. Consumers preferences during economic downturns are generally do not promote trial of new products as a result of limited discretionary income. The underlying concept is that consumers would rather spend their hard earned cash on products that they are certain of, than products that could potentially be a disappointment. This trend is also amongst low income earners consumers (ACORN Category 5, Group N;O;P;Q;U) (Appendix 1) Manufacturers are also reluctant to make far bigger investments into a new brand prefer to extend established brand names in different product offerings. A product that utilises an existing brand name requires lesser investment than if a entirely new brand name launched. The risk is also lessened through product extension. So while an organisation requires to remain exciting relevant to consumers to ensure its survival the preference is to do this through renovation on existing lines as opposed to complete innovation. Current Market Chocolate Confectionery Nestles standpoint on food nutrition is simple you are what you eat. There is more awareness now is that good food means good health and good life and people are starting to make more food choices based on health. With over 140 years of food and nutrition research, Nestlà © is committed to offering healthier lifestyle choices including Good Food youll enjoy for a Good Life! Due to the nutritional challenges that consumers are faced, what they eat; how much they eat; and the way they live their lives, eating a healthier diet may be daunting. However sometimes a few small changes can make a big difference to your overall health. Nestle commitment is to ensure that consumers dont have to compromise on taste and enjoyment in order to be healthy. Nestle promotes the concept of healthier eating: to eat a healthy balanced diet and the right amount for the level of activity that you do each day in order to avoid unwanted weight gain. By following these guidelines consumers can ensure healthier, good food choices you are more likely to: Feel and look great Meet daily nutritional needs for nutrients, including essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants Provide a boost to your immunity helping to fight off coughs, colds and other everyday bugs Be better able to control your weight Lower your risk of developing serious illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or cancers However healthy eating is an aspect of the lifestyle, keeping active as part of your daily life, is also an important part of keeping well and taking care of yourself. Nestle helps to provide good food choices by Providing consumers with useful information on the nutrition content of products both on the website and on the food and drinks packaging Providing consumers with information about healthy eating and tips on how to make healthier choices However while key to Nestles objectives of healthier eating the fundamental vision of good food good life in a nutritionally responsible manner the taste profile of products should not be lost. Consumers Milkybars key consumer has been children aged 5-13. This young consumer segement usually is not the shopper generally the shopper is either parents, family members or caregivers . This in itself provides a key challenge to the marketer, while the product must appeal to the target segment it must also do the same for the shopper. Therefore there are contradictory motives desire of the product from both the shopper the consumer. While the child may simply want a yummy treat, the shopper is concerned about topical issues of high sugar intake, bad nutrition obesity. It becomes very difficult then to appeal to both these very key stakeholders without risking alienating one or the other. The key challenge then is satisfying both these key stakeholders in the purchase decision making process. The actual consumer the child requires a treat with little consequence or thought to nutrition the caregiver requires a product that will offer some nutritional value. A product that could satisfy both these needs will ensure the survival of the brand. To further complicate matters recent development restrictions into advertising childrens brands increases the challenge of marketing a child-focused chocolate brand. Ofcoms restrictions on TV advertising of HFSS (High Fat, Salt, Sugar) prevents Nestle from utilising TV as a medium for Milkybar adverts during key childrens programming slots. Moreover the healthier eating debate has prompted key stakeholders of childrens health like parents, key givers schools to reduce chocolate offer alternatives such as cereal bars, fresh and dried fruit, nuts and seeds thus also limiting the availabilty distribution of Milkybar. The below is a ruling from OFCOM which is the advertising governing body for the UK. Legislation The Government would like to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS foods) to children in all its forms , including on broadcast and non-broadcast media) and to encourage the promotion of healthier alternatives. This is against a background of social and governmental concern about rising childhood obesity and ill-health due to dietary imbalance, specifically the over-consumption of HFSS foods and the under-consumption of fresh foods, fruit and vegetables. Both the Department of Health (DH) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have identified television advertising as an area where action should be considered to restrict the advertising of HFSS products to children. The brand has previously used the platform of advertising through the concept of a humorous, Wild West-inspired heroes and villains theme. Its most recent TV advert, a sedate looking Milkybar Kid on horseback wandering through a wood, with no dialogue just animal noises, which highlights the whole natural concept. The concept therefore of extending this product into associated categories is imperative. With this in mind exploration into a Milkybar ice cream lollies was initiated. This will extend this product to a different consumption occasion add volumes revenue to the base brand. The product will be positioned as calcium enriched to add value for its consumers. Calcium is a likely association for the already milk rich chocolate bar. The concept behind the added value is the shopper gatekeeper for kids will seek healthier snacking options. And a product that will assist in a key concern for gatekeepers nutrition will provide a creative solution. Milkybar ice cream lollies will be positioned as a snacking/dessert option for children. The creaminess of Milkybar chocolate will appeal to children on the taste platform. The calcium enriched position will add extra value of providing nutritional benefits while being a snack. This will increase its appeal as a healthier snacking option for parents gatekeepers. The portions nutritional guidelines will be in line with Nestles principles of responsible healthier eating. With this in mind the concept for project Cold Cow (Milkybar ice cream lollies) was formulated.

Alice Walkers Everyday Use Essays -- Alice Walker Every Day Use Essay

Alice Walker's "Everyday Use"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story "Everyday Use" the narrator is telling a story about her life and two daughters, who are named Dee and Maggie. The narrator is very strong willed, honest, compassionate and very concerned with the lives of her two daughters. Her daughter Dee is not content with her lifestyle and makes it hard on Maggie and the narrator. The narrator is trying to provide for her family the best way she can. The narrator is alone in raising the two daughters and later sends her daughter Dee to college. The longer the story goes on the more the narrator shows how intelligent and how much she loves her two daughters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mama who is the narrator is a woman who can do any chore that a man can, because of the way she is described. "In real life I am a lar...

Effects Of Rape On Women Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Webster’s Dictionary describes rape as the crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse. Rape is a crime in which most women cannot defend themselves. The fear of rape plagues every woman at some point or another in her life. The traumatic effects of rape vary from mild to severe, from psychological to physical. This paper will evaluate rape, as well as the effects it has on women, the theory behind male dominance and patriarchy, and differences in demographics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Rape is a crime that combines sex and violence, that makes sex the weapon in an act of violence.†(Kimmel 257) Because of this, rape is often traumatic for the victim of a rape. Many victims undergo what is known as rape trauma syndrome, â€Å"†¦rape trauma syndrome, consisting of an acute stage, where the primary response is fear, followed by a reorganization stage, characterized by phobias, insomnia, sexual dysfunctions, and major changes in life-style.†(Chandler et al pp. 248) These are some of the psychological side effects that women must endure after the rape. There are also other factors, relating to the individual that effect rape trauma they include, â€Å"age, prior sexual experience, ethnicity, and response of significant others to the victim. Factors relating to the sexual assault, such as degree of violence and the relationship between the victim and the assailant also affect trauma.†(Chandler et al pp 249) Overall, is i s safe to say that there are many psychological effects of rape that allows women to fear the attack of a rape. In many rape situations, the victim is raped by an aquaintance, therefore the victim is less likely to report the rape. â€Å"About 15 percent of college women report having been sexually assaulted; more than half of these assaults were by a person that the women was dating.†(Kimmel 233) If more than half of the sexual assaults and rapes are commited by a person that a women is dating or at least knows, then the people that are the rapists are the everyday Joe’s walking down the street, not the psychotic rapist that women are on the look out for. â€Å"Moreover, 20 to 50 percent of women have sustained sexual coercion at least once while dating.†(Burke et al 272) This statistic shows that when women are in a relationship they are much less likely to report a rape. â€Å"Women tend to... ...ies that in rapes where white men are the offender, they usually know the victim, however, in cases where black men are the rapist, they tend to be strangers. Abortion is a very controversial issue in our society. However, people tend to feel differently about abortions for rape victims. The contriversy over the abortion issue is that if a woman is responsible enough to go through the actions to become pregnant, she should be able to have the child. Churches believe that abortion is murder. However, if a woman is raped, she did not give her consent to have sexual intercourse with the offender. According to Schuman and Scott, although there are many people that have mixed feelings about abortion, in other words they believe that it is okay at some times, but at other times they feel that it is wrong, the most extreme pro-life people still believe that abortion is wrong â€Å"when pregnancy results from rape or incest.† (Schuman and Scott 786) In these situations, however, pro-choice believe that women have as much right to choose what happens to their body. According to Kimmel, in some states abortion is only legal in â€Å"cases of rape or of a threat to the mother’s health† (Kimmel 255).

Analysis of T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay

Analysis of T.S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' demonstrates the effects of social and economic pressure in the life of a Victorian man. T.S. Eliot shows us, in an ironic monologue, how the reality of age and social position paralyzes his character with fear. The poem opens with six lines from Dante?s ?Infernio?. This particular stanza explains that the speaker is in hell and the message can only be told to someone else in hell. The speaker tells us that it is OK for the listener to hear the message, since in order to hear you must already be in hell and no one ever returns from there. So the message will never leave. I believe Eliot uses this message to infer that only a reader who understands the loneliness and desperation of Prufrock can truly understand the poem. However, in my research, I have found as many different interpretations of the poem as I have found readers. Most agree; however, that Prufrock is speaking to the reader when he says ?you and I?(Line 1). Many readers also agree that Prufrock is a lonely man, but what type of company he desires seems to vary greatly. Interpretations include sex, social company, long term love, and even death. I believe Prufrock yearns for the sense of belonging, both with a female and with his society. He struggles with issues of sex, age and social change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The beginning lines of the poem(1-25) paint for a very descriptive picture of the street where Prufrock is walking. It also alerts the reader of Prufrock?s distaste for this area and this society. He describes it as ?have deserted?,?muttering?.?one-night cheap hotels? and ?sawdust restaurants?.(5-7) He contrasts that with his destination of a ?room where women come and go/Talking of Michelangelo?(13). Prufrock doesn?t give the reader much insight into his thoughts until line 26. From this line forward, we get a glimpse of what it must be like to be Prufrock. He tells us ?There will be time, there will be time/ To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet?(27-28), indicating repression. He must ?prepare? himself mentally to be able to put on the correct social image before he makes his ?visit?(12). The rest of the poem simply reinforces his struggle between the way he would like to be and the reality of his life. He begins to ponder the ?overwhelming question?(11) ... ...e is ?almost ridiculous--/ Almost, at times, the Fool.?(118-119)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although many of the comments and interpretations of ?The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock? that I have read seem to believe that the last 4 stanzas are a sign that he may break out of his shell. I believe it is the surrender of all hope and the recognition of the inconceivability of his desires. I think lines 120-130 are Prufrock?s way of telling us of the dream of youth that he will leave behind. He will not ?wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled?(121) nor ?wear flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.? These are the customs and actions of young passionate men. Men whose physical appearance and less stuffy lifestyle will attract the ?mermaids?(124). He concedes ?I do not think that they will sing to me.?(125) Prufrock leaves us with the thought of how life and society can force us from our dreams and sink us with reality. ?We have lingered in the chambers of the sea/ By sea-girls wreathed with seeweed red and brown/ Till human voices wake us, and we drown.?(129-131) Works Cited: Eliot, T. S. ?The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.? Collected Poems 1909-1962 . New York: Harcourt Brace, 1963.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 14. Plans

Coasting down the sweeping drive, I was reveling in the scent that was still lingering in the car. When I pulled up to the garage I saw Jasper and Emmett fooling around and wrestling outside. Instead of leaving the vehicle I took another breath. The aroma was intoxicating. Jasper turned to stare at me after he was immersed immediately in undulations of love, like a sponge absorbing water. My intense love was flowing through me as if there were blood flowing through my veins again. Each second, Jasper was being saturated in my bliss. He shook his head in absolute fascination at my involvement with the human girl that was swiftly taking over my existence. I rolled my eyes at him, ignoring his preconceived notions. He turned back to Emmett, grabbing his wrist and swinging him over his shoulder while Emmett landed with a loud thud on the ground. â€Å"I'm going to get you for that,† Emmett grabbed at Jaspers ankle, bringing him down to the ground, another loud thud issued through the small clearing. They both jumped up and began beating on each other. Watching the pair of them brawl was always amusing to me because Jasper would use moves that Emmett had never imagined before and Emmett would ultimately be defeated. Though he was tremendously sturdy, Jasper had familiarity in fighting particularly strong vampires. Their grappling continued while Jasper attempted to throw Emmett down, which eventually worked, but fighting with Emmett reminded me of a human trying to wrestle a piano up the stairs. Dammit! Where does he come up with those moves?Emmett rumbled. Jasper was chuckling in a patronizing tone at Emmett's indistinct muttering. I couldn't help but snicker right along with him. He's in a better mood. â€Å"Hey, wanna wrestle, bro?†Emmet smiled at the thought. â€Å"Emmett,† I tried to stifle my chuckle. â€Å"You know that you will just get angry because I will hear what move you are going to make!† I said in good spirits. Whatever, Edward! Emmett replied sarcastically. His lip curved up in a menacing way and in the next instant he visualized tackling me. He flashed towards me, and in that second I bounded up and on his back, ready for the attack. A few choice curse words exited his mouth. Snickering, I leapt off his back and continued walking towards the house, Jasper's loud guffaws continued echoing through the forest. â€Å"It's so unfair, you know?† Emmett complained. I am beginning to see why Alice likes this human girl so much, Edward is not brooding anymore, Jasper hit Emmett with a small pine tree. Thwack. â€Å"Ahhhh,† Emmett shouted while running full force toward Jasper like a train going full speed. Thwack. Emmett laid on the ground, giving up. Jasper chuckled. I threw them a quick smile over my shoulder before entering the house. â€Å"I bet he won't bring her back,† Jasper said to Emmett, knowing I could still hear. I grimaced. â€Å"What's on the table?† Emmett chuckled. â€Å"I won't use my abilities during our next three football games,† Jasper said, grinning. â€Å"Yeah, no more warm fuzzy feelings about how precious the pig skin football is!† Emmett agreed. â€Å"And if you lose, Emmett?† Jasper continued. â€Å"I won't say another word about that incident in Alaska†¦you remember, don't you?† Emmett retorted with a smile in his voice. â€Å"You're on!† Jasper exclaimed. This was apparently the second bet Jasper had made today, though I never understood why he would bet against Alice. I continued to be in better spirits regardless of the banter between Emmett and Jasper and no doubt it was due to the exceptionally delicate girl, Bella. I saw Alice and Rosalie working on their fashion line when I walked inside and they both looked up. Rosalie was finally starting to rein in most of her frustrations. Alice flitted toward me. Can I meet Bella now? Please! I just found the perfect dress for her to wear. Seriously, have you seen the girl's wardrobe? She needs help! Alice's vision of Bella and her, arms around each other's waist, once more flickered in her mind. There was something new there, though, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. â€Å"Alice, please, not now,† I pleaded. Her bottom lip puckered out and she frowned. â€Å"I'm sorry, Alice. I just don't think I am ready.† Or I'm not willing to share her when I just so recently obtained her, I thought dubiously. It will happen, Edward. I love her and you can't keep her to yourself forever!Alice's lower lip was still protruding. She marched away from me and began working with Rosalie again. Pig,Rosalie snapped. At least her thoughts were becoming less insulting. When I entered my room I placed a classical CD in the player, trying to drive my thoughts away from the brown-eyed girl that was always at the forefront of my mind. Instead of listening to the intricate workings of the master piece I was listening to all I could think about is how Bella's heart sounded strangely like the melody flowing from the violin in the background, or how her voice sounded like some musical ballad that no instrument would ever be able to duplicate. Or how the rhythm of her pulse was perfectly harmonious with her very soul. An hour had elapsed and no matter how relentlessly I tried, all I could imagine was her magnificent bouquet, her blushing cheeks or her continuous, melody like heart pumping her soul with life. I was in dispute with myself about going to see her. Each grueling minute was passing at a snail's pace as I sat on my couch, yearning to be close to her. It wasn't long before I lost my internal argument, though; I sprang out my window and proceeded in the direction of Bella's. There he goes again, Emmett saw me through the window. When I arrived outside her house, Billy and Jacob Black were still there. I began searching their thoughts, hoping I hadn't missed something important. Jacob's thoughts were very irritating. He couldn't keep his eyes off Bella but his thoughts were not like Mike's; he put Bella on a pedestal in his mind and respected her. Regardless, I was still not happy about the way he fantasized her. The Blacks were about to depart and I was able to listen in on them with no difficulty, easily probing their minds for information, secretly unlocking more of Bella's thoughts by spying on her. Here I was, being the vampire stalker again, like a falcon searching for prey. â€Å"Are you and your friends coming back to the beach soon?† Jacob asked, excited. I really hope so†¦I think Bella likes me. Man, she is so good-looking! â€Å"I'm not sure,† Bella sidestepped Jacob's question. Dang, I hope she comes to the reservation soon. I had a good time with her last time she was there. I think she likes me, too. She was flirting with me†¦ I think.Jacob was picturing them strolling on the beach together. I clenched my teeth tight enough to cut steel, I was so annoyed. Yes, I was undeniably aggravated. Abruptly my mood was lightened when I saw how Bella was trying to flirt with Jacob in his memory. I suddenly couldn't suppress a laugh that came through my still clenched teeth when I saw how Bella was attempting to flirt. She truly had no idea what she did to the males around her, how her light flick of her lashes brought some boys to their knees, begging to go out with her. Unexpectedly, I felt sorry for the child. It couldn't possibly be his fault that she was entirely unaware to her exquisiteness. â€Å"That was fun, Charlie,† Billy said, though his thoughts were elsewhere. I can't believe I didn't get the opportunity to tell Charlie about Edward! Next time†¦ So, Billy did recognize me earlier. He probably weaved an intricate thread of lies into Bella's head. His recollection of his histories was more involved than I realized, but still, his opinions are based solely on half-truths. â€Å"Come up for the next game,† Charlie encouraged. â€Å"Sure, sure,† Billy said. â€Å"We'll be here. Have a good night.† He suddenly looked at Bella. I'm going to have a talk with her about this Cullen business. â€Å"You take care, Bella,† he added gravely. Billy had every right to be concerned about Bella. She was hanging around a vampire†¦ for fun; what's more perilous than that? And not just any vampire; the one who hungered after her blood above all others of his kind. Though Bella's mind is cut off to my extraordinary gift, one thing was still certain: she was absolutely unique. â€Å"Thanks,† she mumbled and then looked away. She didn't look incredibly pleased with Billy and without thinking about it, once again I tried to penetrate the solid wall surrounding her thoughts. Nothing, silence. So, instead, I was now observing Bella via Charlie's mind which was quite tedious at times considering his thoughts were sometimes non-existent and his human eyes were weak. I saw the back of Bella's head through his cloudy human vision as she began walking towards the stairs. Charlie hurriedly called out to her. â€Å"Wait, Bella.† She jerked slightly and turned around warily. She had a severe look on her face, or maybe it was a look of guilt†¦shame? Hum, I really hope I hadn't missed anything for the short period of time that I was gone. What could she possibly be feeling guilty about? Again, I was chastising myself for not just giving up my hopeless effort to stay away from her. There was something I missed and now I was regretting my absence. â€Å"I didn't get a chance to talk to you tonight. How was your day?† Charlie inquired. â€Å"Good,† Bella said, still hesitating on the stairs. It looked like she was in deep thought and once again I was perturbed by the lack of thoughts emitting from her. What could possibly be going through that curious mind of hers? I tried to probe her mind once more, just to check, before I reached the silent and impenetrable barrier that was always there. â€Å"My badminton team won all four games,† she said dubiously. I immediately remembered her hitting the net, herself, and Mike in one swing. Now that I knew she was all right, I laughed loudly. The poor girl really was the clumsiest creature I had ever known. She seriously had the grace of a drunk sailor playing golf. â€Å"Wow, I didn't know you could play badminton!† Charlie exclaimed. Four games? Wow. I'm impressed. I laughed even louder at the fact that he thought she was the reason why the team won. Charlie was truly taken aback and had every right to be according to her statement. â€Å"Well, actually I can't, but my partner is really good,† she admitted with chagrin. Oh. I should have known better. â€Å"Who is it?† he insisted. â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she hesitated. â€Å"†¦Mike Newton.† Jealousy ripped at me. This new emotion was masterfully working its way into my daily routine and continuing to aggravate me. She didn't like him, it was obvious, yet every time they talked or I had to listen to his every fantasy, the little green monster grew to another size. â€Å"Oh yeah ?C you said you were friends with the Newton kid. Nice family. Why didn't you ask him to the dance this weekend?† Charlie was smiling now and his thoughts were wistful. There it was again, the now larger green monster tugging at my heart, making me want to bring my previous ‘torture Mike' fantasies to reality. Blow torches came to mind. â€Å"Dad!† Bella groaned, snapping me out of my unhealthy fantasy. â€Å"He's kind of dating my friend Jessica. Besides, you know I can't dance.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† Charlie muttered, disappointed. â€Å"So I guess it's good you'll be gone Saturday†¦ I've made plans to go fishing with the guys from the station. The weather's supposed to be real warm. But if you wanted to put your trip off till someone could go with you, I'd stay home. I know I leave you here alone too much.† â€Å"Dad, you're doing a great job.† Bella smiled at him and I saw a sign of relief in her eyes. What was she so relieved about? Why wasn't she telling him she would be with me that day? Even if we weren't going to Seattle, as long as he knew she was with me†¦I'd have to bring her back. If she doesn't†¦No. Stop there. â€Å"I've never minded being alone ?C I'm too much like you.† She winked at him, a sign of trust. She went upstairs after that and I could hear her preparing for bed. As soon as she was asleep I would be in her room again, watching over her as her vampire protector. Bella slept very peacefully that night. I was sitting in my usual spot and taking pleasure in the delectable fragrance that was now engrained in my mind forever. Each breath sent flames down my throat, but it was somewhat pleasurable, too. I was hoping that with each painful gulp of air I would eventually become immune to her scent. Deep down, I was still mildly worried that I wouldn't stay in control for long when I had her alone in the far away meadow. I took in another breath and it was like swallowing daggers, but it was almost a good pain, a sweet pain. After several hours, the scent started to feel less agonizing and much sweeter. I was grateful that it was becoming easier to be around her. If I were to be away from her for any period of time I would be afraid I would have to start all over again. I sighed. I was just giving myself excuses to never leave her. Tonight, I ventured towards her pile of books. Along with Shakespeare there were other classics. Her copy of Wuthering Heights was torn to pieces. Going through the small pile next to her bed, I learned that she still had several surprises up her sleeves. She was, undoubtedly, the most original and unordinary teenager I had ever met. When dawn broke across the night sky, I decided I needed to leave before Charlie woke up. Darting through the misty forest, I was whizzing past trees at a lethal speed. The air from the night was moving rapidly past me and my throat was still burning from her magnificent fragrance. I was thinking about hunting prior to Saturday so that I would be prepared before I was with her in the meadow†¦ alone. Me and her delicate soul alone ?C no thoughts, no nosy vampires – just me and her in the riveting meadow. The monster was too tightly bound and needed a release. Just a small ounce of prevention ?C inadequate though I knew it would be. When I arrived at home Alice was waiting for me, already in on the plan. Let's go this afternoon!She beamed at me. Her eyes were twinkling and she couldn't suppress her radiant smile. I soon saw why she wanted to go hunting with me so badly. Her vision was clear; she would be introduced to Bella today. Even though the meeting would be quick and last a few seconds, she was elated. â€Å"Is that the only reason you want to go hunting with me?† I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Of course not, silly! I don't want you to hurt her, Edward. Hunting before you see Bella is a great idea. You could use my company, too. I can tell it bothers you that you don't have the greatest self-control, and I am used to it with Jasper. I understand. â€Å"Okay, but you better be good! Don't thrust yourself on Bella. I don't want to scare her off.† I paused for a moment before adding, â€Å"even though she probably needs a good dose of fear.† I frowned. Alice just grinned widely and scampered off into the house as she sang joyfully in her mind about meeting her new best friend. â€Å"I mean it!† I shouted. I washed up, jumped into my Volvo and hurried back to Bella's, pulling into the driveway as soon as Charlie was gone. Bella ran out of the house quickly, and this time she didn't hesitate before she got into the car eagerly. Her hair was shiny and smelled like strawberries, a strong whiff of it hit me as she shut the car door. As soon as the door was shut, her aroma swam around my nose. I was beginning to enjoy her scent, embracing it instead of cringing away from it. No mistakes. As soon as I saw her smiling face and recognized that she was pleased to see me, too, I couldn't help but smile back at her, it was an automatic response. â€Å"How did you sleep?† I asked. I knew she slept well. I kept watch over her all night. She didn't even speak. It must have been a dreamless night for her. â€Å"Fine, how was your night?† She smiled wider. â€Å"Pleasant.† I was thinking about how Bella had another suitor she didn't want, Jacob Black. She said yes to me. I couldn't help but feel euphoric. She looked at me and her eyes were so warm and inviting. Her hot, delicious breath surrounded me and I just wanted to tell her how much I loved her. Couldn't she tell? It must be obviously splayed across my face. I took in the air between us. Mouth-watering; there were no other words to describe it. â€Å"Can I ask what you did?† she inquired with a smirk. She wanted to know what I was doing last night. Did she really care what I did, or was she just being polite? No, she did think about me. She even thinks that her feelings for me overshadow my own. She couldn't comprehend the mere complexity of my love for her. She didn't realize how lucky I really was. â€Å"No, today is still mine,† I said. She looked at me in disbelief and kitten outrage. Today I had a brand new list of questions to ask her. I asked her about Renee, her hobbies, and what the two of them did in their free time together. I wanted to know about her grandparents, even her school friends. Every thought I unlocked was like opening a door to a new world. During our lunch break together, I remembered I wanted to know more about her past relationships; or not, actually, but I still had to know her complete story. My lips moved and freed the question before I gave them permission to do so. She looked embarrassed and I watched as her face went from her lovely white and slowly began to flush pink. The flood of blood up to her face made me bite down on my cheek. Her flush was utterly stunning, and delectable. My surprise kept the monster at bay as the realization of the fact that she had never chosen anyone before me hit. Were we dating? Is that what this is called?It was hard to believe that she didn't have someone in the past. Every male she has come across has had to mentally remind themselves to put their tongues back in their mouths. They flock to her. Did she say no to every one of them, even before me? She said yes to me, I reminded myself. â€Å"So, you never met anyone you wanted?† I asked. â€Å"Not in Phoenix,† she answered, blushing again. What are you thinking? My lips pressed together into a hard line. I watched her across the cafeteria table as she took a bite of her bagel. Human food did look utterly disgusting. What does Edward see in Bella? She isn't even pretty, Jessica glared at her. I wanted to shield Bella from her thoughts, but at that moment I remembered my hunting trip. â€Å"I should have let you drive yourself today.† â€Å"Why?† she demanded. She looked confused. â€Å"I'm leaving with Alice after lunch,† I said She blinked, â€Å"Oh.† She looked disappointed and then said, â€Å"That's okay; it's not that far of a walk.† What? She couldn't be serious. After all this time did she not think of me as a gentleman? I would never make her walk. I was frowning. â€Å"I'm not going to make you walk home. We'll go get your truck and leave it here for you.† â€Å"I don't have my key with me,† she sighed. â€Å"I really don't mind walking.† She looked upset then. What are you thinking now? This was getting exasperating. I shook my head. I know where the key is, Edward, Alice's thoughts chimed in. â€Å"Your truck will be here, and the key will be in the ignition ?C unless you're afraid someone might steal it.† I laughed. Who would want to steal that truck? If someone did I would hunt them down. â€Å"All right,† she agreed. She pursed her lips like she was thinking hard and I could almost see a hint of a challenge. I smirked at the thought. Having a psychic as a little sister had its advantages. â€Å"So where are you going?† she asked casually. â€Å"Hunting,† I answered grimly. â€Å"If I'm going to be alone with you tomorrow, I'm going to take whatever precautions I can.† Run, Bella, run! Stay, Bella, stay, I was pleading silently. I had to give Bella the choice. It had to be her choice, always. â€Å"You can always cancel, you know.† She looked down and I was frustrated because I couldn't see her face. â€Å"No,† she whispered and looked up at me again. â€Å"I can't.† She can't? I sighed mentally and realized that I couldn't cancel either. â€Å"Perhaps you're right.† She changed the subject, â€Å"What time will I see you tomorrow?† she asked. She looked upset. Had I said something to upset her? Exasperating, not knowing her thoughts was purely frustrating. Did some god send this wonderful creature here to drive me mad? Hoping I hadn't upset her I answered, â€Å"That depends†¦ it's Saturday, don't you want to sleep in?† I offered. â€Å"No!† she answered quickly. I almost felt my heart restart after 80 years of being still. She didn't want to sleep in because she wanted to be with me. I tried my best to suppress a smile so she wouldn't be able to tell how pleased this actually made me. â€Å"The same time as usual, then,† I decided. Then I wondered about Charlie. She didn't tell him that she was going with me, I speculated how she was going to explain me showing up at her house, â€Å"Will Charlie be there?† Her eyes grew tight and she said, â€Å"No, he's fishing tomorrow.† She seemed enormously pleased about something. I thought about taking her and never bringing her back. Stop! That fantasy, above all the rest, should be the one I would will myself to never think. Didn't she want me to bring her back? I was feeling frustrated and my voice came out a little sharper then I meant, â€Å"And if you don't come home, what will he think?† She looked at me like she was prepared to answer this question, â€Å"I have no idea, he knows I've been meaning to do the laundry. Maybe he'll think I fell in the washer.† She was tempting me to seize her and run for it! I scowled at her and she attempted to be angry by scowling back. Just like always, she was just a vicious kitten. She scowled at me for a few more moments and then her expression changed. She looked thoughtful. What was she thinking now? â€Å"What are you hunting tonight?† she inquired like she was asking me to pass the salt. It was so causal, like she was asking about the weather or what was on TV. â€Å"Whatever we find in the park. We aren't going far.† I mused. â€Å"Why are you going with Alice?† she asked with obvious curiosity. I considered this for a moment. She talked about my clandestine existence like it was normal. I mulled things over; how to tell her that it was Alice that was going because most of my family members were†¦ un-approving of my newly found obsession with a human girl. â€Å"She is the most†¦ supportive.† I frowned, thinking about her visions of vampire Bella. You know it is because I am your favorite sister. Alice thought. Great, she was listening. Bella looked up at me with her beautiful chocolate eyes, â€Å"And the others?† she asked apprehensively, â€Å"What are they?† Pissed off that is what we are. Rosalie thought. Emmet looked at Rosalie then and followed her stare. I try to rein her in bro, but she is feisty. That's Rosalie for ya. Emmett thought. I wrinkled my brow and replied the best way I could without hurting her feelings, â€Å"Incredulous, for the most part.† I watched her gaze go from my face to over her shoulder. I watched my family with disbelief. They were staring off in different directions, acting like they weren't listening. I couldn't be so lucky. â€Å"They don't like me,† she guessed. She wouldn't think that Edward if you would introduce us. You know Bella and I are going to be best friends. You know how much I love her. Alice mused. â€Å"That's not it,† I disagreed. Liar, Rosalie thought. â€Å"They don't understand why I can't leave you alone.† I said. Damn right I can't understand. She's a human. Rosalie thought with disgust. It's true bro, I can't really understand the appeal, but if it makes you happy then I got your back. Emmett contemplated. â€Å"Neither do I, for that matter.† Bella added on top of the already massive amounts of thoughts coming from my family over this conversation. I couldn't accept that she would consider something like that. Didn't she know that her beauty was one of a kind, inside and out? I've never meet a being quite like her before. I shook my head and rolled my eyes towards the ceiling, partially for her answer, and partially answering my family's thoughts. I looked back at Bella, â€Å"I told you ?C you don't see yourself clearly at all. You're not like anyone I've ever known. You fascinate me.† She glared at me with her furious kitten face again. I smiled at her face, â€Å"Having the advantages I do,† I mused, touching my forehead, â€Å"I have a better than average grasp of human nature. People are predictable. But you†¦ you never do what I expect. You always take me by surprise.† She looked away then, and back at my family. She looked†¦ embarrassed? Upset? I couldn't tell, â€Å"That part is easy enough to explain,† I added. I wished she would look my direction, â€Å"But there's more†¦ and it's not so easy to put into words-â€Å" What the hell are you thinking of saying to her, Edward? Rosalie then turned and glared at Bella. What is so special about this girl? Huh? I don't see it. She is so breakable and human. You just keep her around because she smells like the greatest snack you'll ever have! Rosalie continued to give Bella a fierce look. If you take a bite out of her this will hurt our whole family, you know that! I had it with her and I snarled under my breath. Whatever, nitwit. Rosalie turned her head then. Bella looked back at me then and I was relieved to see her face. She looked†¦ frightened? Was that possible? Did Bella even know what fear was? I was going to have to give Rosalie a good scolding later. â€Å"I'm sorry about that. She's just worried. You see†¦ it's dangerous for more than just me if, after spending so much time with you so publicly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't want to finish my sentence. I was hoping she wouldn't ask to hear the rest, but of course, she would want to know. â€Å"If?† â€Å"If this ends†¦ badly.† I put my head in my hands and tried to push the thought out of my head. Maybe she will finally see that this is serious. That I could†¦ gulp†¦ kill her at any moment. I could breathe her delectable scent in and one day the monster might break free from the darkness I put him in and decide to taste the delicious blood that I could see pulsing on her neck. I heard her drop her hand on the table. I kept trying to push those thoughts away, but then I took in a large gulp of her rich aroma. Instantly the monster reared up. I heard Bella's shaky voice then, â€Å"And you have to leave now?† The monster retreated then. â€Å"Yes,† wait, she wasn't†¦. scared? She still didn't want me to leave? I relaxed and couldn't help but look delighted, â€Å"It's probably for the best. We still have fifteen minutes of that wretched movie left to endure in Biology ?C I don't think I could take any more.† Bella gave me a look like she completely understood what I meant, she must have been feeling the same way about the dull movie, not like I was watching it anyways. It's time to meet Bella! Yay! Alice trilled in her mind. I could see the back of my head from her vision as she skipped over to the table. â€Å"Alice,† I said. â€Å"Edward,† she answered, and added, this is where you introduce us, in her thoughts. â€Å"Alice, Bella ?C Bella, Alice,† I introduced them, hoping that Alice won't start bugging me every five minutes about hanging out with her. I only barely obtained Bella, and I didn't want Alice to take all her time away from me. â€Å"Hello, Bella,† Alice smiled, â€Å"It's nice to finally meet you.† Once again I saw a vision of her and Bella arm in arm, smiling at each other, Bella's eyes bright, crimson red. I shot a dark look at her. â€Å"Hi, Alice,† Bella whispered shyly. â€Å"Are you ready?† Alice asked me. I didn't want to leave Bella, but I was more than happy to remove Alice from her, â€Å"Nearly, I'll meet you at the car.† I met Bella, yay. Edward, you know this means that we get to start hanging out right? Alice beamed. I glanced at Bella and as she watched Alice dance away. â€Å"Should I say ‘have fun,' or is that the wrong sentiment?† she asked, looking back at me. Her expression showed a painful emotion, like me leaving her for a short moment in time would cause her great pain. She was so nonchalant about talking about my world that I couldn't help but grin. â€Å"No, ‘have fun,' works as well as anything.† I said. â€Å"Have fun, then† she said, I could tell there was an edge to her voice. Was she going to miss me while I was away? Being separated from her was overwhelmingly painful, was she feeling this way too? She couldn't possibly grasp the concept of the kind of love I felt for her. â€Å"I'll try,† I continued to smile at her, â€Å"And you try to be safe, please.† â€Å"Safe in Forks ?C what a challenge.† â€Å"For you it is a challenge.† I hoped that she remembered my last request about her safety; that she stays out of the woods. â€Å"Promise.† I begged. If she put herself in harm's way or was hurt in any way because I wasn't there to protect her†¦ it would shattered my cold, silent, heart into pieces. â€Å"I promise to try to be safe,† she mused, â€Å"I'll do the laundry tonight ?C that ought to be fraught with peril.† If that were all she was going to do this evening, she should be safe. I remembered her incident in gym from the other day and grasped the concept that no matter what Bella was doing, there was always an opportunity for her to injure herself. The thought merely brought on an internal chuckle, though, and I teased, â€Å"Don't fall in.† â€Å"I'll do my best† she mocked. I stood then, wishing I didn't have to leave. Bella got up too. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow,† she sighed. I was suddenly absorbed by my desires again. Maybe if I just lightly gripped her around the waist, I would only have to concentrate on the amount of pressure I used. No mistakes, I scolded myself. I suppressed a sigh. â€Å"It seems like a long time to you, doesn't it?† I asked. She nodded with a sullen expression. She was continually saying yes to me. â€Å"I'll be there in the morning,† I promised. The infatuation I had over touching her was winning my inner dispute. I longed to hold her in my arms, to be engulfed in her warmth. I was craving her touch, too. My body was burning with the yearning to possess her and before I knew it I had reached over and touched her face, lightly touching her cheekbone. Her scent was lingering between us and I took air in my lungs slowly, as if to make the burning and aching of my throat a more pleasurable experience. It wasn't, it was only a burning pain and I knew if I didn't turn away now I wouldn't stop at her face. I'd grab at her waist and bring my lips to hers. No mistakes, I yelled internally. I turned on my heel and strode swiftly from the room, even though my mind was begging me to turn around and take the girl into my arms and†¦ stop there! When I arrived at the car Alice was sitting on the hood, â€Å"You know, Carlisle could help you turn her,† Alice mused. I glared at her. â€Å"I will not take her life Alice!† â€Å"Sure fooled me, I thought I was going to have to drag you out of the lunch room with the visions that were flashing in my mind,† Alice said, â€Å"Now I'm super thirsty after all the imagines I saw,† she faux pouted. â€Å"Like I said, I won't end her life,† I eyed her evenly. â€Å"Like I said,† she mocked, â€Å"you should ask Carlisle. If you aren't biting her because you are afraid you will end her life, then why? To keep her human?† she looked at me in aversion, â€Å"but you know†¦ Carlisle won't kill her.† Alice continued. â€Å"Alice, Bella will not be turned into a vampire, the first one who tries will suffer the consequences!† I growled. â€Å"Okay, okay. Just a thought, Edward,† she looked unhappy. Alice got into the Volvo and we drove to Bella's. She'll be fine, you know? Her night looks extremely uneventful. She really needs to get out more†¦ Alice thought. â€Å"I know, being away from her just makes me extremely anxious,† I explained. â€Å"I know,† she trilled. We arrived at Bella's shortly. You'll find the key in her blue jeans downstairs in a blue laundry basket, Alice thought, figured I would save you some time. You would have found it eventually, of course, but this way you get out of there quicker. â€Å"Thanks, Alice,† I said, glad our little spat was patched up, or at least put behind us. â€Å"You're Welcome!† Alice said while she jumped in the driver's side of the Volvo and drove off towards our house. I was lurking inside Bella's house and found her truck key quickly. Her lingering scent was ever present throughout the house. I was breathing in deeper than I ever had before around the seductive scent, only because she wasn't here in the house. I was in no danger of hurting her when she wasn't here, I contemplated. So I took in another gulp of her perfume before I left the house, which I know I would regret later when I was hunting. I drove her truck back to the school; her aroma was stronger in here than in her house. I tried to distract my mind by musing over all the things I could upgrade on her truck before Bella got out of school. If Rosalie and I were on better terms I would have her do some work under the hood. This truck couldn't possibly be that safe. I grabbed a piece of paper out of my backpack and decided to write a note to Bella. I have a keep sake from her, she deserves to have one from me, too. I thought of what to write while I was driving (more like snail crawling) back to the school. I decided simple was safer. When I parked the truck I left the key in the ignition and wrote â€Å"Be Safe† on the white piece of paper. I left it in her seat. I checked to make sure there was no one looking and I speed off through the forest and back home. Alice was waiting on the doorstep for me. â€Å"Are you ready?† She trilled. â€Å"Yes, let's go.† We sprinted through the forest in silence for several miles. I knew it was safe to hunt when the only thoughts I heard were Alice's. She was thinking about what she was going to pick out for Rosalie to wear tomorrow, whether green and pink or black and pink would look better on her new design for a shirt, and which shoe would look better with Esme's pants, open toed or not. Her thoughts wondered every which fashionable way possible, and I was grateful. I didn't want her to bring Bella up. She had so many visions and images in her mind when it came to Bella, and I would never be ready to see some of those visions come to light. Her mind suddenly shifted to our purpose. She stopped suddenly and her eyes went blank. I saw flashes of a large animal in her thoughts but they were flashing and changing so rapidly I was unable to ascertain what she was seeing. Her eyes focused on me now; there is a bear 5 miles from here. Go north and follow the river, you will run into him in 8.2 miles. Alice smiled at me. â€Å"You know, Emmett will be jealous if I tell him you helped me catch a grizzly.† I grinned. â€Å"I know, but you need carnivore blood to help you out with tomorrow.† She smirked. â€Å"Meet you back here in 30?† I asked. You've got it! She was gone before she finished her thought. I ran north until I hit the river and followed it. I was letting the monster out of the cage, disengaging my ever flimsy hold on my growing thirst. The monster had been begging for release more than normal lately and I finally let my animal instincts take over. I thought of Bella's blood, and I was instantly ravenous. I came across a bear exactly 8.2 miles from my starting location. Alice really did have an amazing gift. The monster reared up and I let out a menacing growl. The bear stood on its hind legs and growled back unimpressively. I leapt towards the beast and quenched my thirst. I was right, Bella's scent and blood even made the bear's blood dull to the point of being dissatisfying. Bears were much more delicious then the deer I usually ate, but I had been exceedingly gluttonous with feeding since I met Bella, making my meals less than appetizing. When the animal was dry of its blood I pushed the carcass off me and breathed in the cold night air. I rejoined with Alice shortly after. â€Å"Are you going to Bella's tonight?† she asked. â€Å"Of course, Alice, why?† I stared at her suspiciously. â€Å"Oh, well, Jasper and Emmett have been missing you like crazy, I think I might have even seen Emmett pout the other night when you left so early,† she chortled. I didn't respond. I know that I had been spending an abundance of my time with Bella, but didn't they understand? They hardly leave their other half. That is what Bella had become though, my other half. â€Å"Please, Edward†¦ please,† she begged. I couldn't stand to see my little sister beg like this. I did owe my family a plenitude of my time after everything I had been putting them through lately. â€Å"Okay Alice, but just for the earlier hours of the evening,† I gave in. During the evening Jasper, Emmet, Alice and myself decided that we were going to play cards. With the many talents my family members have, you would think that playing cards would be ludicrous. Jasper would be feeling the triumph or failure emitting from a card player, Alice would see future moves that you were going to make, and I could hear their thoughts. We didn't play games where we had to use our brains though. The card games we played were strictly speed based. With our vampire speed we tore through every deck of cards. Jasper and Emmet loved to gamble, and our games wouldn't be the same without a bet. Because of their constant opposition, Esme made us move our game outside before Emmett broke anymore furniture. Rosalie was still fuming about the situation with Bella, but even she couldn't hold herself up in the garage anymore and came to play. After 79 decks of cards, 2 broken tables, 1 broken vase, 1 ripped shirt (Jaspers), and 3 trees knocked down, we decided that we had ca used enough destruction. I did get pleasure from the time spent during the evening with my siblings. My regular moping had abruptly wilted away after I came back from Denali. I could tell that my family was enjoying the new Edward, the less mummy-like Edward. Something told me they didn't want the sulky one back again, which just gave me another excuse to stay with Bella. Time passed slowly, even with the fun I was having with my family. I looked at the clock and noticed it was 10pm. I quickly stood up, ready to leave and watch Bella sleep. Emmett looked up at me and gave me a pleading look. Come on bro, we are about to play some serious football. Jasper and I have come up with some new rules; you have to catch the ball with your elbows only. Come on, it will be hilarious! Emmett begged. Plus I have a bet that†¦ he continued, but I interrupted him. â€Å"Emmett, I'm sorry†¦ maybe another time. It makes me uneasy to be away from her, you understand, right?† Emmett scoffed and I grinned, â€Å"I knew you would understand!† When I arrived at Bella's, she was already asleep. Any normal teenager would have been out with friends, going on a date, or shopping†¦ but not my Bella. When I finally climbed through her window, I heard music playing. I was instantly intrigued. It was Chopin's Nocturnes. Once again, we shared a common interest. I knew this CD well. As I stepped closer to her, the scent that had almost taken me the first time we met entered my lungs and I felt like succumbing to the monster inside. She turned over once, and I heard her sigh my name. The clawing monster was instantly diminished. She didn't move much after that, and she even lightly snored. I sat in the rocking chair breathing her scent in deeply. I was fighting all of my cravings tonight. She looked absolutely beautiful with her hair splayed across her face and pillow. Her pink cheeks lightly flushed. How long was I going to be able to suppress my growing desires to touch her? I knew that our trip to the meadow would either be our breaking or making point. Would she leave alive, or would she leave a vampire? I won't end her life, I promised myself. Tomorrow, of all the days I had spent with Bella, would be the one day I would not be allowed to make a mistake. I repeated, no mistakes, to myself for good measure. I suppressed a sigh. I honestly don't know if I will ever really leave her alone, but I would like to think that after tomorrow, I will have a plan. When it started to get light outside I decided to leave, realizing Charlie would be up soon to go fishing. I was leaning over Bella, taking in her scent one last time before I left, and suddenly my hand was at her face lightly caressing. I pulled away immediately and flew out the window. I decided that before I took Bella to the meadow, I needed to see Alice. Her visions were versatile lately. My future was a mystery and I wanted reassurance that Bella would come home to Charlie alive and unharmed. I knew what my decisions would be, but these new cravings were taking over. How many times had I reached out and touched Bella, not even realizing it until my hand was warming from her skin. Alice greeted me at the door, â€Å"Edward, I know you are worried, let me show you what I see. There was one outcome where you bite Bella and she becomes a vampire, hum†¦ but that one has become distant and fuzzy. This clearer vision shows you and Bella laying in the meadow, and my last vision shows you bringing her home safely.† Alice showed me mentally. I had a lump in my throat as I tried to thrust the first vision from my mind. That lump continued to grow as I began panicking. I didn't know how to ask, but I had to ask for her help. Before I could request her help, Alice answered, â€Å"I will be close by Edward. I won't let anything happen to Bella.† I love her too, doesn't he realize this! â€Å"Thanks, Alice.† I whispered. I swiftly rose up the stairs to prepare myself for our new journey together.