The Sources of Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Sources of Law - Essay Example The federal and the state administrative regulations are set by the executive branch and are passed by the legislature. The constitution is the written rules that are agreed upon by the state union of people. This constitution remains in control until it shall be changed by the authority which created it. Though constitutions are long lasting and are not easily amended. It sets the parameters of the state and hence is formulated in a very general language. It’s composed of decisions that are made by courts in individual cases. It originates from specific facts and therefore the court resolves the disputes between the parties involved based on the individual facts. The judges make laws by applying and interpreting laws based on a case to another. A court uses an earlier and similar case to give a legal action in order to decide on an individual case. These sources may be given a lesser or a greater weight. These include writing of legal scholars which may either is in civil law jurisdictions or in academic writings and interpreting the legislation; it could be an edict from a ruler or from the king or even from Islamic religion like the Sharia

Oedipus Trilogy Essay Example for Free

Oedipus Trilogy Essay It was Sophocles who wrote the Oedipus Trilogy. Although Oedipus Rex has always been a common oral story to the Greeks, Sophocles added different dimensions in his rendition of the tragic story of Oedipus. Antigone was the epilogue of the trilogy and the last part of the story but it was the first play to be produced. Oedipus the King was the beginning of the trilogy, where the fate of Oedipus was prophesied, and the rise and fall of Oedipus was chronicled. And Oedipus at Colonus is the middle of the trilogy where Oedipus dies and his sons murder each other thus continuing the eventuality of the prophecy. In Antigone, the final pieces of the tragedy unraveled, thus completing the prophecy of the oracle to Oedipus. In Antigone, the play focuses more on the battle between opposing primary views and concerns. Actually, it was more on opposing pride. Antigone was determined to give his brother an honorable burial despite the fact that the current king blatantly forbids it. She maintains that love is above law and hegemony. Creon, on the other hand, although Polynices is his nephew, forbids the burial on the grounds that it is the law to refuse honorable funerals to traitors. Although the central characters have opposing views, their attributes are very much similar to each other. Both are blinded by their own pride in their decisions. Antigone, when confronted by Creon, refuses to back down despite the fact that Creon threatened her that her sister will be penalized together with her. Antigone, sees her action as a form of â€Å"martydom†. In a way she sees glory in what she had done by â€Å"sacrificing† herself for the sake of his brother, which somewhat preposterous because of the fact that his brother is already dead. Creon, likewise, refuses to change his decision despite his son’s threat of suicide if he condemns Antigone. Although he perceives that his son’s words were not empty threats, he still refused to change his decision. This is because he distinguishes his action as strength of leadership. He mistakes pride for decisive command. Antigone represents moral ascendancy over political law. Creon, on the other hand, symbolizes the primacy of the rule of law above all else. The play attempts to stir the audience to struggle on which side should prevail. Athens, during the time of Sophocles was in its golden age. Democracy has been the highest point of the era. However, there are certain rules of law that exist to govern the democratic state. The play seeks to arouse questions from among the audience. Whether certain personal morals and filial duty should take over the rule of law when the situation calls for it. Or whether the rule of law should always prevail to maintain order in the society. However, Sophocles drives home the point that there are no extreme grounds. Moral ascendancy and the rule of law are invariably intertwined and should be taken into consideration in making a decision. In the play it was the comical messenger that best manifested the careful weighing of consequences of his actions when he pondered to and fro on what to tell Creon. It was him that provided a middle ground. His action was the very reflection of the thoughts of the audience. Towards the end of the play, both Creon and Antigone became so blind of their pride in their decision that they were no longer fighting for what they believe is right. Antigone sees her suicide as a form of sacrilegious immolation as if she was giving herself up for the good of her brother. Likewise, Creon perceives his decision to condemn Antigone as strength of leadership. He thinks that if he pardons Antigone, then he had let Antigone â€Å"win†, that Antigone will emerge to be â€Å"the man† in the battle. Creon’s and Antigone’s greatest folly is their tendency to oversimplify the situation. Antigone reduced the circumstance to moral ascendancy and Creon to the rule of law. Their pride made them blind that their decision will lead to conflict and deliberation. Like all characters of the play, Oedipus’ tragic flaw is his pride. In Oedipus the King, the rise and fall of Oedipus was accounted to his pride. His killing of his father was brought about by his pride, his desire to seek the truth of his identity was driven by pride, his edict of severe punishment to the murderer of Laius was brought about by pride and even is in his lowest moment when he eventually discovered the truth he still clung to the last pieces of his trappings as king. However, there is a great difference in Oedipus’ pride and that of Creon’s and Antigone’s. Antigone claims that it was for her love of her brother that she disobeyed Creon but in reality she puts herself in a pedestal with greater morals than Creon could understand. She masked her pride with proclamations of sacrifice and martyrdom for filial love. Creon, on the other hand, asserts that his actions are but mere implementation of law. However, in truth, Creon revels at the power that he holds upon the kingdom. This is evident even in the play Oedipus the King when Creon demonstrated his newfound power by curtly cutting off Oedipus while he was still mourning his fate. Oedipus pride, however, was disguised as his earnestness. This was exposed when he declared that he would seek all means to end the plague in his nation. He was so earnest in his demonstrations to the people of his intentions to save his kingdom that he himself cemented his doom. Furthermore, in seeking the murderer of Laius, in his earnestness to punish the criminal, he unknowingly condemned himself. More over, when the truth of his identity was slowly untangling, he was so earnest in wanting to discover the whole truth that he made a way for his ruination. In truth, Oedipus was earnest because he wanted to set himself apart from the rest. He wanted to be a great leader in his nation. His exaggerated demonstrations of his intentions to save his nation were masked pride. He clearly wanted to be the â€Å"savior† of his kingdom. He celebrates at the power that he holds upon the people. This is obvious that he dares insult the oracle when he came to his presence. Moreover, being royals, Jocasta and Oedipus had the tendency to invalidate the fate the gods have in store for them. They have countless times declared that the oracle is false. This is clearly a sign of their pride that they could not fathom that there are any other being that is above them. At the end of the play, Oedipus took responsibility of his actions. But even in his broken state he was still proud. It was him who commanded Creon to bury Jocasta as he sees fit and to banish him from his nation. Although he no longer has any real power, he still managed to hold on to his last bits of power as a former king. Oedipus the King ended with Oedipus as a broken man banished from his kingdom and disgraced from the society. In Oedipus at Colonus, we find just that, a broken man. However, his brokenness should not be interpreted as newfound humility. Contrariwise, his decent into brokenness left him embittered. In the play, he again questions his fate. He even questions his sons’ decision in remaining adamant in his exile. The initial scene of the play rightly sets the tone for the story. Antigone was describing their trespass on holy ground that must be corrected with prayers and libation. It is ironing that Oedipus and Antigone, with full knowledge of the wrongness of their action still proceed to commit the deed then proceed to rectify the iniquitous. This is the theme all throughout the play, the characters all seemingly commit an action that they are fully aware that is not correct but still proceed to do so nonetheless. Again all of which is because of pride. When Creon abducts Oedipus’ daughters, Theseus proceeds to rescue them. He pretends that he did so because of honor and duty. However, in reality, Theseus’ primary objective is to save his own kingdom. In this play, most of the characters have hidden agenda. In the first two plays that Sophocles wrote, the characters were forthright with their motives. Antigone and Creon were so brash and obvious in their thoughts and beliefs in Antigone. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus lack of blunt motives led to his destruction. But in the third installment, the characters were more masked in their intentions. Even Oedipus, when he refused to go back to his city, he maintained that it was on the basis of his newfound holiness but in truth it was his pride that kept him from coming back. Why would come back to a city that shunned him? Or to the people that eschewed themselves from him? Moreover, in a confrontation with Polynices, he begins to questions his sons actions on why they were apathetic of his exile. He failed to realize that it was him who commanded Creon to exile him in the first place. Just as he was physically blind, he was also blind from the truth. Even in his deprivation he still was not able to fully see the extent of his mistakes and his pride. In the end, Oedipus’ death was inconsequential. For a character such as him, it is but ironic that his death was portrayed as merely peripheral with only Theseus as witness. Even the lamentations of Ismene and Antigone were not impassionate enough. Sophocles merely pointed out that no matter how great Oedipus was in his former glory, like everyone else, his end is just merely death – a fate that no great man can escape from.

Essay examples --

Ceramics are used extensively in dental restorations because of their superior aesthetics and biocompatibility compared to metals (1). However, the brittleness of ceramics can initiate crack propagation causing failure of the restoration (2). Resin cements are used for cementing ceramic restorations because of their excellent aesthetics and mechanical properties. The cement penetrates any defects or irregularities on the ceramic surface thereby preventing propagation of cracks (3, 4, 5). Optimal clinical performance depends on sufficient resin cement polymerisation. Degree of conversion (DC) is affected by the amount of light reaching the cement which in turn, is affected by the opacity and the thickness of the ceramic as well as the thickness of the resin cement layer. Insufficient polymerisation influences both mechanical properties and clinical performance of the restoration (2, 5). Aims of this study are to see how light transmission (LT) is affected by thickness or opacity of a ceramic and how resin cements thickness affects DC. Hypotheses are: (1) LT decreases with increasing thickness or opacity (2) DC would decrease with thicker cement samples. Method Shade A1, A2, A3 and A3.5 of Base Dentine VN7 powder (Vita, Bad SÃ ¤ckingen, Germany) were used. Ceramic disc thicknesses tested (measured using digital calliper) were 1.40, 1.00 and 0.60mm. Specimen preparation Twenty ceramics discs, five of each shade, were prepared by mixing 0.73g of powder with 0.29mL of Modelling Liquid (Vita, Bad SÃ ¤ckingen, Germany). The mixture was placed in a 1.60mm thick metal ring on a mould assembly and vibrated for 40 seconds. The surface was levelled using a razor blade before firing the discs in a furnace (Vita Vacumat 40, Bad SÃ ¤ckingen, Germ... ... the disc. LT through a ceramic disc would ultimately affect the polymerisation of resin cements. The second hypothesis that DC should decrease with increasing resin cement thickness layer is rejected as the graph showed that 1.00mm resin cement thickness had the greatest DC. A higher DC was seen with thinner resin cement specimens because there would be more LT and the photoinitiator in resin cements needs light to initiate the polymerisation reaction. A thicker resin cement layer would allow less light to reach the bottom so there would be less monomer to polymer conversion and resultantly, lower DC. However, very thin specimens may experience light reflectance which may affect the DC results. Conclusion LT through ceramics was measured and LT decreased with increasing thickness or opacity. DC appeared to increase when thicker resin cement samples were tested.

Christianity, the True Religion Essay -- Religion Christian Jesus

Christianity, the True Religion I was raised Catholic, at the insistance of my parents. After many years of drinking and partying, I got very bored and thought, Is this ALL there is to life?!?! I thought, If there really IS any truth to a life after death, I should at least TRY to find the answer. I started to do some research on science and religion to see if I could come up with any TRUTH about the meaning of life. In school, I was taught that mankind was evolving and getting better, but it didnt appear that way to me. It SEEMED as though modern science had proven that God didnt exist. As I did more research on my own, I found out that this just isnt the case. I learned that the Universe and ALL matter have a DEFINITE beginning. Most atheists and re-incarnationists believe that the Universe has ALWAYS existed, but this contradicts the fact. Cause and effect tells us that the Universe must have been caused. It is logical to believe that an invisible, non-material God had caused the beginning of the Universe. Some think that aliens and U.F.O.s have something to do with our existence, but even if they DID exist, THEY would need a beginning as well! The evolutionists believe that evolution is a FACT, and that the fossil record PROVES it. I learned that neither evolution NOR creation are FACTS, they are only THEORIES! There is NO way to PROVE either one because they CANNOT be re-created in a lab experiment. Whatever THEORY you believe, you MUST believe by FAITH. I learned that when something dies, it does NOT become a fossil, it rots away VERY quickly. Fossils are formed by RAPID burial and destruction , NOT over SUPPOSED billions of years! What the fossil record DOES prove, is that there was a TERRIBLE global disaster. Scattered across mountain tops all over the world are fossils of both modern & extinct ocean and land creatures ALL MIXED TOGETHER. This fact can ONLY be explained by a RECENT Creation and a WORLDWIDE FLOOD, and NOT by evolution. I thought that evolution was true just because the majority accepted it. The MAJORITY also used to believe that the Earth was FLAT!!! Then I was confused about all the different religions out there. Which God should I serve?!?! Does it REALLY matter as long as I am sincere and a GOOD PERSON I thought, What if I am sincerely WRONG!?!? I started to do some more research to try to find the TRUTH. ... ...ask questions. I am just writing this paper because I was SO surprised that I was able to find REALLY satisfying answers to all my questions, when I thought that no one could EVER really know the TRUTH for sure. I read some books on life after death and re-incarnation by people who have CLAIMED to have died. Then I thought If these people were REALLY dead, then they STILL would be!! I DONT expect anyone to just believe me or this paper, but I would HOPE that this article would at LEAST make people think about all of this on their OWN and do some of their OWN investigating!! I just wanted to share what I have learned and to give people a head start. I know how difficult it is to listen to someone else tell you about their religion, I was there. It all seemed so confusing to me, at first. Since Ive done all this research, I KNOW that the Bible is TRULY Gods Word to all mankind, and I believe it. I pray that THE LORD JESUS CHRIST uses this paper to open up the minds and hearts of everyone who reads this so that they may be saved from an eternity separated from GOD and in hell. Eternity is a loooong time to gamble with. If you died right now, do you know where YOU would go !?!?!

‘Ozymandias’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley Essay

Compare the way the central characters are presented in ‘checking out me history’ by John Agard and ‘Ozymandias’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The poems ‘Checking out me History and ‘Ozymandias’ both use a wide range of various language and structure techniques to explore in great detail the central characters as well as their thoughts and feelings. The poem ‘Checking out me history’ uses various structural techniques to present the main character and to show his views, which also explains his frustration about not having a personal identity. In contrast to this, the poem ‘Ozymandias’ uses more linguistic features to describe the deteriorating decline of the statue. In the poem ‘Checking out me history’ the language used in the poem helps to create a clear image to the audience that shows the characters frustration and aggressiveness by using nonstandard English. For example, ‘Dem tell me’ imp lies that no matter how much the character is told about English history, he will continue to rebel against English society to prove how proud he is about his own culture and background by using phonetic spelling. This may help the readers to empathize with his thoughts and feelings. The non – standard English that is used throughout the poem also conveys how the character is representing himself through the language he is using. The almost sarcastic tone he uses to display his lack of interest in British history suggests that believes that black people’s history should be taught just as well as other cultures. Due to this poem not being grammatically correct, the audience are assured that the main character is unhappy with the way he has been taught through English education. The phonetic spelling shows us a rebellious side to the character as he challenges society to balance out histories of many cultures equally. However, In the poem ‘Ozymandias’ the tone created by Percy Bysshe Shelley connotes the idea of past occurrences. It can create the image that power is only temporary, and it is not long before nature takes over. The use of the words ‘frown’ and ‘wrinkled’ suggest the decline of the power that Ozymandias once had, or even ‘believed’ that he had. The use of the language throughout the poem creates a negative effect almost suggesting the significance of Ozymandias has now gone, and all that’s left is a statue. The use of the ‘!’ in the phrase ‘ye mighty,and despair!’ connotes the emphasis in the poem which helps the reader to understand how Ozymandias once expected fear from society or even envy. The poetic device of imagery is a similar comparison between both poems. In Ozymandias, Percy Shelley creates a memorable image of the statue which was once so great. The words ‘half shrunk’ and ‘shatter’d’ create the image of something that now is useless and has no significance what so ever, showing the deterioration of the statue. In addition to this, the way the poet describes ‘Ozymandias’ in such detail reveals how the audience may feel no sympathy towards Ozymandias. ‘Sneer of cold command’ suggests the characters arrogance towards society and his disapproval of the public. In contrast to this, in the poem ‘checking out me history’ the main character speaks very highly of his culture and its past, unlike Ozymandias as throughout audience can understand how Percy Shelley believes it is wrong for society to be in favour and to follow of such a self -obsessed king. The stanzas in the poem ‘Checking out me history’ shows a strong link to imagery as the historical figures from the characters background have a strong effect on the reader. An example of this is when the character talks about someone he feels is inspirational in the 9th stanza. She is described as a ‘healing star’ and a ‘yellow sunrise to the dying’ which connotes how imp ortant this woman was, and how she is worth learning about.

Vanilla Sky essay essays

Vanilla Sky essay essays In the movie Vanilla Sky, Tom Cruise takes on two roles, his characters actual life, and his dream life. The bases of these two roles remain the same. Hes a well to do young man from upper manhattan who has just about everything he wants. Money, a promising career, good looks, and a great social life, but the one thing he is missing is experiencing true love, which he later discovers in his dream. Penelapie Cruz plays the object of his affection in this almost perfect dream, and completes the missing part of what he now feels is a perfect life. Until a glitch in the system forces him to realize that all it is, is a dream. The glitch is then fixed and the time has come for him to make a choice, either stay in the surreal life with his love, or be brought back to the reality. The only catch is he will no longer be living in the world he was once familiar with due to the fact that it is 150 years later. All of his friends and family are long gone, along with his wealth and every other aspect of his life from long ago. Nevertheless, he chooses to return to modern day living, and the movie ends with him being brought back to the real world. Being that he no longer has the same status as he did in the past, Im sure he will have a better appreciation of life from that point on, and will use the values he gained from living in his dream and apply them to his new lifestyle in the future. ...

Land Degradation essays

Land Degradation essays Land degradation is a decline in the quality of land. There are several major types of land degradation in Australia. Some of which are listed below: Soil erosion occurs when large numbers of trees are removed from a small area. Normally, soil is held together by tree roots. However, when these trees are removed, there is nothing to hold the soil together, so when the wind blows the rich, fertile topsoil is easily blown away. Once this has occurred, crops planted on this land are of lesser quality and quantity, as there are less nutrients present in the soil. Sometimes this problem is so severe that crops can not be planted at all. This is a big problem to farmers, as their profits are greatly reduced. The only solution is to plant trees with strong roots in an effort to hold the soil together, to prevent further damage, and, years later, to try to replant crops. The only way that we can resolve soil erosion is by leaving trees in a small area as is, and cutting down trees in big areas where trees arent really needed. If we can do this, Soil erosion will hopefully be kept to a minimum and farmers would be able to make more profit and provide us with food. Soil salinity is another problem related to the removal of trees. Underneath the soil is a layer of water called the water table. Normally, the level of this stays constant, as any rain is absorbed by the trees. However, when these trees are removed, rainfall causes the water table to rise, bringing with it dissolved salts from rocks deep under the earth. The water then becomes salty. As salty water cannot be absorbed by plants, the plant runs out of water, so its leaves fall off. Without these leaves, photosynthesis can not occur, so the plants die. This is called dieback. This can only be helped by planting one of a very few salt-tolerant trees, which help by: 1. Absorbing rainfall, preventing the water table from rising further. 2. Removing salt from the water, thi...

The Childhood Obesity in Toledo, Ohio Problem and Possible Solutions

The Childhood Obesity in Toledo, Ohio Problem and Possible Solutions Introduction Childhood obesity has been on the increase in the United States with negative implications on the health of children. Toledo, Ohio has not been spared of this obesity crisis and rates of obesity continue to rise in the region. The high prevalence rate of obesity among children in Toledo is a cause for alarm and it requires direct action aimed at coming up with effective strategies and programs to prevent or alleviate the problem among the population.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Childhood Obesity in Toledo, Ohio: Problem and Possible Solutions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Owing to the fact that obesity reduces the quality of life and shortens the lifespan of the person, it is of importance that solutions be developed to deal with this problem in children. In recognition of this fact, Toledo Mayor Mike Bell led a delegation of high-profile leaders, earlier on in the year, to a meeting in Washin gton where they sought solutions to the childhood obesity epidemic that the Toledo area faces (Boyd-Barrett 1). This paper will propose feasible solutions for the obesity problem that Toledo faces. The paper shall begin by highlighting the major causes of childhood obesity in Toledo. Solutions which include: healthy eating, dietary education in schools and increase in physical exercise will be proposed as the best ways to counter childhood obesity. The paper will make use of authoritative sources on the subject to reinforce the proposals made. Childhood Obesity: Causes While there are a number of causes of obesity, Jelalian and Steele declare that overindulgence in unhealthy foods and limited physical exercise are the major causes of the problem (23). This assertion is reinforced by the fact that obesity is mostly limited to people who eat unhealthily and exhibit limited physical exercise. Among the children in Toledo, unhealthy dietary habits are core to the increase in obesity. Th e home and school environments are some of the major causes of these unhealthy eating habits. In the school environment, many elements such as vending machines and the fast foods offered at cafeterias encourage unhealthy eating habits. These fast foods contain trans fats which have been linked to increased risk of heart diseases and have also been grossly implicated other health conditions including obesity and diabetes (Frary 56). There is also limited availability of healthy foods. Boyd-Barret notes that Toledo is aflicted by a scarcity of grocery stores. In the places there the stores are available, they seldom have any fresh fruits or vegetables to offer. This is in contrast to the high availability of fast food restaurants which are virtually around every corner. Another reason for the prevalence of childhood obesity in the region is a lack of nutritional education by the children. Lucas County Commissioner, Pete Gerken, noted that children are not as well-educated as they shou ld be about exercise and diet which is what has made childhood obesity the number 1 health issue in Toledo (Boyd-Barrett 1). Nutrition education is also fundamental to the success of any obesity alleviation efforts since it can lead to the adoption of healthy lifestyles.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lack of proper exercising has also led to the increase of obesity in children. Elected officials report that the obesity problem that Toledo faces is exacerbated by poor community planning and urban environments that fail to provide people with enough recreational opportunities where they live (Boyd-Barrett 1). Without exercising facilities, children are bound to continue with their unhealthy sedentary lifestyle which comprises of playing video games and watching TV. Proposed Solutions It has been elaborately shown that the quality of food served to children in the scho ol setting is of low nutritional value and unhealthy. Economic considerations result in fast foods being preferred in school cafeterias over healthy foods. Unhealthy fast foods are lower priced compared healthier meals which not only cost significantly more but they also take longer to prepare. The foods that are available to children in schools are mostly made up of snacks, fast foods and sodas; all of which are rich in unhealthy fats, sugars and salt. With this in mind, it is evident that the key to solving the problem of childhood obesity is an overhaul of the school nutrition program. To begin with, schools should endeavor to get rid of fast foods in schools. The very presence of fast foods undermines the health foods since fast foods are not only cheaper but also sweater. Research by Frary et al indicated that the number of fruit and vegetable intakes by children decreased as intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages increased (61). It can therefore be inferred that decrease in junk foods and sodas will result in an increase in healthier food intake. Without a doubt, the funding of healthy eating programs would be expensive to the parents and the schools. Money is a major consideration since poverty is a big challenge for Toledo where nearly 20% of residents receive food assistance (Boyd-Barrett 1). As such, it will be necessary for schools to participate in the Federal Meal program. These programs adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) thus providing students with nutritious meals. These meals are reimbursable by the state thus greatly decreasing the price per meal making them much more affordable. Proper education on nutrition and proper diet is one of the means through which obesity can be combated in Toledo. The CDC highlights the need for provision of nutritional education guidelines to school-age youths so as to ensure that health lifestyles are adopted early in life and perpetrated all through adulthood.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Childhood Obesity in Toledo, Ohio: Problem and Possible Solutions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A solution that increases knowledge on proper diet and exercise is therefore appropriate. Schools are the venue through which this solution can be implemented Schools are a major influence for children and they are responsible for instilling principles in the child’s life. Schetzina et al declare that the most effective means through which a healthy eating culture can be ingrained in the minds of children is if they are taught this at the earliest stage possible (23). Devoting some educational time to teaching children sound nutritional principles may result in the children adopting favorable lifestyles. The incorporation of nutrition education at the elementary school level would increase the likelihood of children adopting healthy eating habits which would continue through their lives. This would reduce the r isk of the children developing obesity even more. Proper exercising is another means through which childhood obesity can be curbed in the region. Physical activity in children can be encouraged through physical education. As it currently stands, physical education has taken a back seat as schools lay more emphasis on studies and other academically oriented activities. This clearly indicates the low priority that Physical education is given in schools. As a result of this, there are minimal opportunities for children to be physically active during school time and the physical education classes are one of the first to suffer when budgetary cuts are necessitated in schools (Jelalian and Steele 34). The reality is that in most schools in Toledo, physical education classes are been squeezed out as pressure increases for students to raise their performance in the subjects which are examinable. Considering the importance of physical education, parents and teachers should continue to advoca te for improved physical activity opportunities for children in schools. Physical education classes should be consistent and regular and inclusive of all the students to make sure that every student benefits from proper exercising. At the community level, there is lack of proper facilities where people can exercise. The community should therefore continue to pressure the local authorities to improve the social amenities available. In particular, calls for creation of parks and other recreational spaces should be made so as to encourage healthy living. Conclusion This paper set out to highlight a problem that affects the Toledo community and propose feasible solutions to the same. The paper has addressed the issue of childhood obesity, which is a major problem since it affects children who are the future of the community.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This paper has proposed feasible solutions which are not only desirable but are the means through which we can restore the health of the children. It has been demonstrated that the biggest cause of obesity is poor eating habits exhibited by the school children and the lack of physical education programs in the schools. As such, for any solution to yield favorable results, it must set out to tackle these core issues of nutrition and physical education. While the solutions proposed in this paper will come at a cost, the solutions will result in improved health of the children. This will be beneficial to all since the children are the future of the community. Boyd-Barrett, Claudia. Childhood obesity targeted by Lucas County leaders. 23 February 2011. Web. CDC. Guidelines for School health Programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating. March 2009. Web. Frary, Carol et al. â€Å"Children and Adolescents’ Choices of Foods and Beverages High in Added Sugars Are Associated With Intak es of Key Nutrients and Food Groups†. Journal of Adolescent Health 2004; 34:56-63. Jelalian, Elissa, and Steele, Ric. Handbook of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity. Springer, 2008. Print. Schetzina, K. E. et al â€Å"Developing a Coordinated School Health Approach to Child Obesity Prevention in Rural Appalachia†. Rural and Remote Health 9: 1157. 2009.

Protestant Reformation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Protestant Reformation - Essay Example This belief gave immense power to the priests and the Pope, who was the highest titled priest of the world. The priests used that power of intercession to ensure the growth and prosperity of the 'church' to the detriment, many times, of the citizenry that made that immense power and wealth possible. Many times, the arrogance and power that were wielded by these priests caused an environment of resentment among the people that were supposedly being served. Not only was this power a continuing slap in the community's face, but salvation was also for sale! In order to raise funds for more and more elegant buildings and to support the avaricious appetites of the clergy individuals were told that the only way to be "saved" was by literally paying for your sins. An individual at that time may have to do a few "hail Mary's" but in order to ensure salvation, silver and gold coins given into the hands of the local monasteries was by far and away a more viable option. This air of resentment and anger had been simmering for decades and along with the 'salvation for sale environment" was part of the problem according to Luther's eyes.

Learning from our success and our failure Essay

Learning from our success and our failure - Essay Example He thinks that he won because nobody else deserved it, which is often not the case because the most hard working do not necessarily make it to the top. This attitude defines such an individual as a selfish, proud, and morally degraded person. On the contrary, let’s suppose an individual who becomes more thankful to God upon becoming successful in achieving his goal. His success makes him more down-to-earth and modest. Instead of thinking of himself as a superior being, he guides others so that they can also achieve their goals. Success of such an individual defines him as a thankful, caring, and modest person. Now let’s consider the cases of failures. Let’s suppose an individual who fails to achieve his goal. He becomes so dishearted that he gives up and never tries again. Such attitude would define this individual as an impatient person who is also not very hard working. On the contrary, let’s consider an individual who fails to achieve his goal but does not give up until he finally achieves it. This person would be defined as a determined, focused, and hard working person. People’s tendency to learn from their successes and failures varies from one person to another. Some people learn from their successes and failures whereas others never learn any lesson. However, the tendency of an individual to learn from his/her failures is more compared to his/her tendency to learn from his/her successes. This is because of the fact that when an individual fails, he/she tries to identify the factors that caused him/her to fail if he/she is wise. Identification of these factors makes this individual learn a lesson. On the other hand, successes are just celebrated and many people become so overwhelmed with the joy of success that they do not care to learn a lesson from it. However, there are always some wise people who reflect upon their experiences to identify the strategies and

Human rights studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human rights studies - Essay Example It also provides that every person has the right to highest attainable standard of health; and the right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities. As may be seen, Dole Food Company opted to use Nemagon, a banned pesticide, was not only illegal but also immoral. In the case study, it emerges that the company knew that the pesticide was known to cause sterility, yet it went a way to use the pesticide. By so doing, the company can be seen to have intentionally been blind to the kind of harm which they were exposing their workers. As a registered company, it is assumed that the company knew the provisions in the UN charter on human rights and intentionally failed to observe it. For instance, it is the fact that the company used the harmful pesticide and still expected human labor to interact in the environment that had such chemicals was a violation of UN charter that everyone has a right to reasonable working environment. There was the option of using an alternative pesticide that would not have put the workers’ health at risk but the company avoided taking that direction. Another violation of human rights was that by using Nemagon, the company failed to protect the community’s right to healthy environment. The pesticide used has been observed to have left traces everywhere, especially on land and in water. The result is that people and animals are equally affected and it is estimated that the effects may last in the soil for as long as 200 years. As a result, suckling mothers have indicated signs of infection by the pesticides to levels as high as 700 times. I every essence, the use of Nemagon as the company’s pesticide is a gross violation of human rights. How can you justify the existence of human rights? The existence of human rights has been justified on various grounds though the common denominator always points to promotion of equity, justice and healthy living. It is usually a concept of universality that by the mere fact that on e is born a human, then the person must be granted certain level of protection that will ensure his/her survival (Orend p. 16). Orend argues that it is not just for one to violate others’ rights and retain his. His argument seems to highlight the need for people to realize that as much as they have been allowed to enjoy their human rights, so is it their noble duty to also allow others enjoy such rights (Orend p. 38). This applies to the above case where the management of the company should have also considered letting the Nicaraguan banana farm worker enjoy their right to a clean environment. This is something that should be observed not just because the law provides it so, because the law is a just a guideline anyway, but on the basis that human life is worth protection from harm. The existence of human rights is therefore also seen to be anchored on ethics of utilitarianism and consequentialism (Mill, 2012, p. 39). It widely seen that the consequences of certain actions wo uld degrade life, and because the actors motives cannot be predetermined, existence of human rights is enshrined to prevent such unforeseen eventualities of what is probable if a contrary path is taken. The basis of philosophy of law is anchored on such foundation (Aquinas and McDermott, 2008, p. 87). According to Raymond Wacks, the existence of human rights can be justified on basis of duty (Wacks, P. 55). Wacks observes that although human rights may also be justified on the basis of duty, it is not all the time that when one has a duty over

Smith v Firstbank Corp. Legal and Regulatory Issues Case Study

Smith v Firstbank Corp. Legal and Regulatory Issues - Case Study Example The plaintiffs held that the private bulk sale of the shares by the defendants was not reasonable. They also reasoned that if the sale was commercially reasonable, then, the way the sale was carried was not reasonable (Clarkson, Roger and Frank 592). They also argued that the defendant never sought multiple offers or even the best price for the stock. Rules(s) The provision for the disposition of collateral in a commercially reasonable manner is to provide protection to the owner of the property under disposition. It is meant to ensure minimization of losses in the disposition. As a factor, price alone is not enough to prove reasonableness. Other factors such as the circumstances that surround other such sales and the effects of the use of other methods of sale would also affect commercial reasonableness of such a sale (Clarkson, Roger and Frank 592). Application The court considered several factors; †¢ Circumstances surrounding previous similar sale of shares necessitated the defendant’s choice †¢ The defendant sought multiple offers as evidenced by the e-mail to Oberon Securities †¢ The defendant sought the best price as indicated by the different in stock prices between the two sales (Clarkson, Roger and Frank 593). Conclusion The plaintiffs’ appeal against the summary judgment could not hold as the court determined that the defendant carried out the disposition in a commercially reasonable manner.

Finance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Finance - Research Paper Example 1. Distribution analysis American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) has got outlets in USA as well as in Canada. All total there are more than 900 stores in and around USA and Canada. There are more than 150 stand alone stores in USA. The compnay has presence in more than 76 different international countries. AEO produces its own products and also sells them under the same brand name. Although the products itself may have different brand name but it comes from the same fashion house. The supply chain of AEO is a two level process only. Thus, the number of intermeidaries are comparatively low. The raw matrials are sourced from 15 different suppliers and the 5 different manufacturers produce the final products. The products are shipped to the warehouses (Bethel 24). They remain in the warehouse till new order for delivery are received. The products are then shifted to the distribution centre and from the distribution centre to the airports and ports. Most of the time the products are shifted thro ugh the ports. This is because of the reason that the waterway offers the most efficient and cost effective way to transport the goods. Once the goods reach the ports, then the goods are trasported from the ports to the distribution centre (Alchain 780). The manufacturing centres are present in Pittsburgh, in USA. The goods are sent using both railway and roadway. The outlets are spread all across the States. As mentioned there are about 150 stand alone shops. The stand alone shops deal with American Eagle Outfitters products only (Betty 602). These outlets have large holding capacity of apparel products. So the products are stored on season basis. The small shops or the multi brand shops are supplied with products on a monthly basis. The stand alone shops sometime also act distribution centres for the smaller outlets or the multi brand shops. Fig 1: Distribution system Source: (Betty 607) The following diagram gives a schematic view of the supply and distribution system of AEO. The orders are processed and then sorted in order of the importance and delivery date. Then the inventory is assesed to find out how much additional orders need to be put with the manufacturers to suffice the demands (Modigliani 262). The products are then packed and kept ready to be shifted to the distribution centres in case of inland distribution (Boyd 20). If overseas distribution is involved then the products get shifted directly from the warehouses to the airports and the ports, for airlifting and transportation through waterways. Fig 2: Value chain Source: (Boyd 24) 2. Market analysis USA has one of the largest apparel market in the world. USA alone constitutes 28% of the total global market. The market value of the USA apparel is USD 331 B. The apparel industry employes about 105, 457 people on an average basis. Although the percentage share of people employed by the USA apparel market is quite small in comparison to the rest of the world (Boyd 30). This is because of the reaso n that the the percentage share denoted by USA in terms of employment size is significantly small in comparison to the huge percentage share (28%) in terms of market value. The market share is analysed by denoting the total value of all the apparels sold in each quarter as well as by

Smith v Firstbank Corp. Legal and Regulatory Issues Case Study

Smith v Firstbank Corp. Legal and Regulatory Issues - Case Study Example The plaintiffs held that the private bulk sale of the shares by the defendants was not reasonable. They also reasoned that if the sale was commercially reasonable, then, the way the sale was carried was not reasonable (Clarkson, Roger and Frank 592). They also argued that the defendant never sought multiple offers or even the best price for the stock. Rules(s) The provision for the disposition of collateral in a commercially reasonable manner is to provide protection to the owner of the property under disposition. It is meant to ensure minimization of losses in the disposition. As a factor, price alone is not enough to prove reasonableness. Other factors such as the circumstances that surround other such sales and the effects of the use of other methods of sale would also affect commercial reasonableness of such a sale (Clarkson, Roger and Frank 592). Application The court considered several factors; †¢ Circumstances surrounding previous similar sale of shares necessitated the defendant’s choice †¢ The defendant sought multiple offers as evidenced by the e-mail to Oberon Securities †¢ The defendant sought the best price as indicated by the different in stock prices between the two sales (Clarkson, Roger and Frank 593). Conclusion The plaintiffs’ appeal against the summary judgment could not hold as the court determined that the defendant carried out the disposition in a commercially reasonable manner.

Are actors and professional athletes paid too much Essay - 1

Are actors and professional athletes paid too much - Essay Example Perhaps the life of glamor experienced by such individuals does not do much to dispel this argument. Among athletes idolized in terms of payments include Arnold Schwarzenegger; a former bodybuilder later turned actor and a governor of California. Arnold, who is better known for his roles in Conan the Barbarian and the Terminator and the Expendables, is rumored to be among those that are highly paid in the industry. What is interesting is that he has lived in both sides of the acting and athlete jobs. Others include Dwayne â€Å"the rock† Johnson, who rose to fame as a professional wrestler with WWE. According to the Hollywood Reporter Magazine, actors such as Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Bullock top the list when it comes to payments. Downey Jr’s $ 75 million emanates from his 7 percent slice in Iron Man # and a whopping $12 million from HTC endorsement deal. However, before we roast actors and actresses due to their salaries, we should know that there seems to be some discrimination among the big stars and those not considered as big stars. â€Å"When you a big star, you get well paid, with the middle being cut out,† one top agent commented on the Hollywood Reporter magazine. So much so that, Leornardo DiCaprio earned $25 million for the hit movie The Wolf of Wall Street with co-star Jonah Hill only managing $600000. What’s more is that DiCaprio even got nominated for an Oscar because of his â€Å"troubles.† According to Hollywood Life, The Big Bang Theory Fans are â€Å"outraged† over the multi-million deal lead actors Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, and Johnny Galecki have signed with CBC. What’s funny is that one would normally presume that fans would be thrilled by the news that their favorite sitcom actors would be bagging more. â€Å"Prior to the reported new deal, each actor was earning $350000. The trio has now tripled their paychecks having signed on for three

Kant philosophy Essay Example for Free

Kant philosophy Essay For this case, I will be using Kantian ethics to pinpoint the rationally correct action to take. Before discussing Kantian ethics in relation to the case, we must first explore what Kantian ethics is. Kantian ethics comes from the deontological school of thought, which focuses on the moral correctness of the act in itself (Johnson, 2013). This means that the judgment on the act is done a priori. This is contrasted to the consequentialist school of thought, which focuses on the results of an act as the factor that would qualify the rightness or wrongness of an action (Sinnott-Armstrong, 2012). A consequentialist would make a judgment on an act a posteriori. Kant utilized a concept called the Categorical Imperative, which states that that which is moral is that which is rational (Johnson, 2013). Therefore, a moral act is one that follows from a rational agent. An immoral act, as it follows, is that which is irrational (Johnson, 2013). Another significant factor to consider in Kantian ethics is that the most important value that they seek to preserve is autonomy. Contrasted to a Utilitarian, a Kantian would promote autonomy rather than happiness. The Categorical Imperative contains three main elements. One element of the Categorical Imperative is the formula of universalizable maxims. The formula of universalizable maxims states that a right action is that which can be universalizable (Johnson, 2013). The question here would be: would an action be acceptable if everyone did it? To test this, a person would need to imagine a twin world wherein that action is the norm for everyone. Then that person would need to see if such a world is conceivable and rational. Another important factor for this experiment would be to see if the universalized act would inhibit other people’s freedom. If the universalized act or maxim doesn’t infringe on other’s freedom then this act is acceptable (Johnson, 2013). Another element under the Categorical Imperative is the Humanity Formula. This concept states that humanity is a means in itself and should never be treated merely as a means to an end (Johnson, 2013). This means that each human being must be respected because he or she has his or her own inherent autonomy and dignity (Johnson, 2013). This formula stipulates that a person may not be manipulated by another as a means to achieve a particular goal. Realistically, though, you cannot help but use people as means to an end (Johnson, 2013). This happens everyday, for example, when we use shop clerks to purchase food. In this example, we are using the shop clerks as a means to get the ends, which is food. The reason as to why this particular case of using a person as a means to an end is acceptable is because of the idea of consent. A shop clerk has freely chosen to pursue his or her own line of work and this entails being a means through which people can purchase food. Thus, the shop clerk consents to being a means to this particular end. The third element under the Categorical Imperative is the Kingdom of Ends Formula. This formulation states that an agent exists in a community that is made up of equally rational agents who have just as much say in the maxims that become universalized (Johnson, 2013). The universalized maxims become the law and every agent in this community agrees to conform his or her actions to the law. B. DISCUSSION OF CASE For this particular case, we are dealing with the maxim of taking cognitive enhancing drugs to increase productivity output. If we were to test this particular maxim using the formula of universalizability, we would have to imagine a world wherein every person would do this particular action. In this world, everyone would use cognitive enhancing drugs to meet deadlines or to finish their work faster. In the face of stress, instead of overcoming the obstacle through the person’s own hard work and will, he would only merely need to pop a pill. As mentioned in the case, this kind of accepted behavior could create a new kind of neuro-society. This new neuro-society would be filled with people popping pills like Adderall or Ritalin to focus on their work on hand. There is essentially nothing wrong with increasing the ability of a person to focus on a particular task. The downside of this kind of society would be that it would become a society of drug dependency. Designer drugs like the ones previously mentioned would act as a quick fix for people. Instead of relying on their own wills and capacities, people would be relying merely on the drug to be able to produce an output. This dependency goes against the value the Kantian holds above everything else: autonomy. By allowing a drug-dependent society to prosper, we would be limiting our own freedom by slowly becoming more dependent on drugs. In this world where using cognitive enhancing drugs is the norm, imagine if the drug would suddenly be taken away. People would not know how to focus or get their work done without the drug. In the face of stress, people wouldn’t know how to act since they have lost the drug that previously did all the work for them. This is because they supplemented their own shortcomings with the drug instead of developing themselves into becoming fully functioning and autonomous adults who could deal with their problems. This maxim being universalized would stunt our own development and would, in turn, create an infantilized society. This thought experiment aims to show that the maxim of using cognitive enhancing drugs does not pass the test of universalizability. Secondly, in this world with this universalized maxim, the using of cognitive enhancing drugs may become a norm not only for college students or adults, but also for children. Children are vulnerable in the sense that their autonomy is still limited. Because a Kantian would uphold autonomy as the most important value, he or she would feel an obligation to protect vulnerable parties who have limited autonomy. In this world, there may be over-achieving parents who want their children to be competitive in the world of academics. If the using of cognitive enhancing drugs becomes the norm, then these kinds of parents might try to get their children to take these kinds of drugs to get ahead in their studies. A Kantian would see that the children must be protected from these kinds of actions since they cannot utilize their autonomy in the full capacity. Another point for this argument is that if children are put on cognitive enhancing drugs from an early age, then they will grow up never knowing what it is like to function without these drugs. Furthermore, they will become extremely dependent and they will never be able to realize their own full potential and capacity. This means that their autonomies will always be somewhat limited. Therefore, a world wherein cognitive enhancing drugs are the norm, not just for adults but also for children, must be avoided. Therefore, based on the twin world test, the use of cognitive enhancing drugs should not become a norm since it creates a dependent society and it creates an opportunity for vulnerable parties to remain vulnerable and never reach their full autonomies. Thirdly, another reason as to why this particular maxim would not be acceptable for a Kantian is because it goes against another element of the Categorical Imperative: the Human Formula. As previously stated, this formulation asserts that humans should not be used merely as means to an end. This formulation includes disallowing agents in using themselves as a means to an end (Manninen, 2006). The act of taking cognitive enhancing drugs reduces the person to merely a means to an end. Instead of respecting one’s own capacity to achieve one’s full potential, a person merely reduces himself to something akin to a machine that will produce output in the quickest way possible. Instead of the person using his or her own capacity in facing the challenge, the act of using a cognitive enhancing drug will circumvent the process of self-development and will skip the opportunity for personal growth. In this manner, the person will accomplish the short-term goal of churning out an output without actually developing his or her own talents. As noted in a journal article by Manninen (2006), when drugs are treated as a miracle solution to the stressful emotions an agent is feeling, this stops the agent from growing and overcoming the stress by himself or herself. This sacrifices an important aspect of being human: the capacity to engage in personal development. This stunts personal growth and, in turn, society is left with people who do not know how to deal with problems by themselves. Instead, they turn to using drugs as an emotional crutch. In conclusion, we see how a Kantian would view the maxim of using cognitive enhancing pills in response to stress or a heavy workload. Since the most important value for the Kantian is autonomy and the development of this, he or she would see this maxim as something that limits and stunts autonomy. Therefore, to make this maxim into a universalized law would be irrational. In my opinion, I think that Kantian ethics did pinpoint the morally correct response in this case. This is because the using of cognitive enhancing drugs would reduce the agent to a mere means. This is not morally correct since human beings are not mere means nor machines but rather rational agents who deserve respect and the chance to grow. References: Johnson, R. (2013). Kant’s Moral Philosophy. In E. Zalta (Ed. ), The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/kant-moral/ Manninen, B. A. (2006). Medicating the mind: A kantian analysis of overprescribing psychoactive drugs. Journal of medical ethics, 32(2), 100-105. Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2012). Consequentialism. In E. Zalta (Ed. ), The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato. stanford. edu/cgi-bin/encyclopedia/archinfo. cgi? entry=consequentialism.

Customer Requirements And Product Characteristics

Customer Requirements And Product Characteristics One of the main roles of any manufacturing plant is to produce product that caters to the demands of the market, and the best way to understand the market needs is to distinguish what is important to the customer/consumer. This understanding of the customer gives the manufacturer a competitive edge, as he knows more or less what the needs of the customer is, when he sells his product in the market. This competitive edge can be distinguished into various factors, for e.g. Quality, Speed, Dependability, Cost, and so on. A particular way of distinguishing which factor gives us more competitive edge is to distinguish between what Prof Terry Hill calls as â€Å"order winners† and â€Å"order qualifiers†. (Pycraft et al 1997) [Online] But before we dive into categorising the various competitive factors into order winners and order qualifiers, it will be helpful if we knew where the products lie in the Puttick Grid. The Puttick Grid, devised by the Warwick Manufacturing Group, defines product market position with respect to the complexity of the product and the level of uncertainty in the market. A point to note about the Puttick Grid is that over a period of time, product tends to move around in the grid and hence may change after a period of time. The Specialist DBPs have a very erratic demand profile, they are basically manufactured either one by one, or if they is more demand they probably in batches of 10. There is a peak in demand during the spring and summer seasons as a lot of people get back to riding their bikes after the winter, and hence become desirable during these seasons amongst the people who own vintage bikes. Also since these are vintage bikes, they dont mind spending a bit for getting replacement parts. The Aftermarket DBPs have a rather subdued demand as compared to the Specialist DBPs. Since these are DBP that are no longer in standard productions, there are a lot of organisations that have come out with their own version of the DBP and hence the customer has more choice. So, in such a case, the customer will go by brand image, price and the quality of the product. The Original Equipment DBPs on the other hand, will have a very stable demand that will be known to Friction Materials well in advance. Quality and price become very important for such a product and hence they become more of a commodity. Hence according to the above discussion, the products have been placed in the Puttick Grid as shown below in Figure 1.1.1 Super Value Product Responsive/Jobbing/Fashion Specialist DBP Consumer Durables Commodities Original Equipment DBP Now that we have an understanding of where the product lies with respect to the Puttick Grid, we can distinguish which competitive factor is an order winner and which is an order qualifier. Characteristic Aftermarket DBP Specialist DBP Design Brand Name 60 60 Price 40 40 Speed (Lead Time) Q Dependability (Availability) QQ Q Quality (Fit to purpose) Q QQ Table 1.1.1: Order Winners and Qualifiers. (Adopted for Hill 2000) [Note: Order Winners are marked out of 100. Q: Order Qualifier; QQ: Order Looser.] Characteristics Original Equipment DBP Design 40 Brand Name 10 Price 40 Speed (Lead Time) 10 Dependability (Availability) QQ Quality (Fit to purpose) QQ Table 1.1.2: Order Winners and Qualifiers. (Adopted for Hill 2000) [Note: Order Winners are marked out of 100. Q: Order Qualifier; QQ: Order Looser.] 1.1.1 Design The links between design, operations and markets are the very essence of the business. The way that these integrate, therefore, is fundamental to sound strategy development and implementation. Both design and operations aim is to provide products according to the technical and business specifications. (Hill Hill 2009) In case of Aftermarket DBPs, the dimensions of the DBP are calculated from the equivalent OE component and then some changes are made so as to avoid patent infringement. So in this case, the design of the DBP is not very important as it is only reverse engineered from an existing product. In case of Specialist DBPs, the dimensions are taken from records if they exist or taken from existing component and then designed as a made-to-order item. So in this case too, not much work goes into the design of the DBP as they are already available to the manufacturer. Hence, design of the DBP does not give the product any competitive edge over other competitor products. In case of Original Equipment Manufacturer, initially specifications will be given by the motorcycle manufacturer. But if Friction is selected as the preferred OE for DBP, it will be expected to design the brakes to meet the requirements given by the manufacturer. Hence, if not initially, over a period of time the designing of brakes for the OE product range will become the one of biggest competitive edge that the company could get in winning the order. 1.1.2 Brand Name Through a variety of activities, companies try to establish a brand name for their products in the market. Where this has been achieved and maintained, companies will win orders partly due to the image that has been created in the market. (Hill Hill 2009) In case of Aftermarket DBPs and the Specialist DBPs, the brand name, â€Å"Stop-Rite†, play a major role in winning orders for the company. Since these parts are no longer in standard production by the OEM, there is a lot of competition in the market to win orders for these products. And hence the brand image, which Friction Materials Ltd has maintained for the last 20 years, becomes the biggest competitive edge in the market to win orders. In case of the OE DBPs, initially Friction Materials is trying to win orders and hence it does not have a brand name in the OE market as of now. But as they start to win orders and establish them in the market, their brand name will start to help them win orders and hence, as time will progress, brand name will become an order winner. 1.1.3 Price In many markets, particularly in the growth, maturity and saturation phases of the product life cycle, price becomes a very important order winner. When there is a range of products to choose from, price comparisons with alternatives becomes an integral part of the customers evaluation of the product and hence price plays a very important part in winning orders. (Hill Hill 2009) In case of the Aftermarket and the Specialist DBPs, since there are a lot of alternatives in the market, price eventually become one of the main reasons why the customer chooses to buy the product, as if there are two products meeting his criteria, they are bound to buy the cheaper product. Hence they become an order winner. In case of the OE DBPs, since the manufacturer is going to buy the product in bulk, he is going to want to buy them from a manufacturer who is able to produce them in the cheapest possible way and who also meets their requirements. Hence price in this case becomes one of the biggest factors for choice. 1.1.4 Speed (Lead Time) and Dependability (Availability) A company may be able to qualify for an order/win an order based on how quickly they are able to supply the product or if the product is already available for delivery/purchasing for the customer. Hence is it very important that the Operations Lead Time must be able to match the Customer Lead Time. (Hill Hill 2009) In case of the Aftermarkets DBPs, the ability to deliver the DBP faster than others may affect the spares stores to make an order to the manufacturer. This is possible if the lead time for the product is less and hence lead time becomes an order qualifier. With respect to the customers, the product being available on the store self become an order qualifier, i.e. they consider the product as a possible buy. But in case the product is not available on the shelf, means that even though their product is better than the competition, they will lose an order and hence this becomes an order looser. Similarly, in case of the Specialist DBPs, since these are mostly made-to-order items, the lead time does not give an influential competitive edge over the competition. But at the same time, availability/delivery of the product has to be on time and this becomes an important factor that the customer will take into consideration when he/she is looking to buy a DBP for his/her Vintage Motorbike. Hence availability of the product on time becomes an order qualifier in this case. In case of the OE products, the motorcycle manufacturer will be looking for a manufacturer who can produce the parts and deliver them in the shortest possible time. Hence speed or lead time becomes an order winner. Also, being a local supplier to the local motorcycle industry will give them a competitive edge over other outside competitors as they will be able to respond to the demand much quicker. But, in addition to this, being able to deliver the products on time is going to be a very important factor. So important that initially, some late deliveries may lead to the manufacturer going to an alternate supplier as you are not able to meet his demands on time. Hence dependability becomes an order looser. 1.1.5 Quality Quality or Quality Conformance can be defined as ability of a manufacturer to manufacture products according to the customers requirements. (Slack et al 2002) In case of the Aftermarkets and Specialist DBPs, no one is going to consider buying the product unless you are certain that the DBP is fit to use on their particular motorcycle model. Hence for both these product ranges, quality becomes an order qualifier. That is, only if the DBP is fit to use on a particular customers motorcycle, they will consider buying that DBP. In case of the OE products, since now they are trying to become suppliers of OE products for the first time, quality has to be bang on target. It has to meet all the customer requirements. Any lapse of quality may lead to a halt in the manufacturers assembly line and this is going to cost them a lot of money. Hence any lapse in quality of the OE suppliers part will give a bad impression and hence may lead to the supplier losing the order. Hence quality for the OE product range becomes an order looser. 1.2 Implications on Operations The Polar diagram (above) shows all the competitive factors for all the product range and their relevant importance for winning orders. Hence, in a way, the diagram also helps understand where Operations should concentrate more so that they will be able to produce more products that will be able to win the orders in the market. From the above diagram, we see that for all the three product ranges, Price, Quality and Dependability are the common performance objective that can help give them competitive edge in the market. Hence operations has to focus more on reducing the cost of the product and at the same time try to keep quality at a good level and always deliver the goods on time. Also, we see Brand Name is very important for the Aftermarket and Specialist market. But if operations is able to maintain price, quality and dependability; it will maintain and perhaps even built up the brand name of the product. Also, by concentrating on dependability, operations is going to keep the lead time (speed) of the product to as low as possible to meet the delivery times and hence speed is also taken care of. Hence by concentrating more on price, quality and dependability, operations will be able to cover all the order qualifier and winner factors of all the 3 product ranges. 2 Manufacturing Strategy for the OE product 2.1 Framework Hill, T. (2009) breaks down the process of developing an operation/manufacturing strategy into 5 simple objectives. 2.1.1 Defining the Corporate Objectives The recent future Corporate Objective of Friction Materials is to try and break into the OE product sector. This will help them isolate the financial burden that they have to carry due to the ever decreasing prices because of cheap Far Eastern Aftermarket DBP available in the market. Hence another Corporate Objective is to make them more stable financially by entering a highly profitable and long term contract product range. Other general corporate objective like Profit and Growth and ROI also apply to Friction Materials Ltd. 2.1.2 Defining the Market Strategies to meet these objectives As said in the Corporate Objectives, Friction Material Ltd. is now trying to enter the Original Equipment product market. Volumes initially (during sampling stage) will be low, to the order of 300. But once their samples get approved, they will start producing these products in very high volumes, to the order of about 3000 DBP/week. Keeping these facts in mind, the Marketing Strategy for the OE product range is to produce and deliver high quality low cost DBP on time, every time. 2.1.3 How do products win orders in the market place? As mentioned in Section 1, the major factors that win orders for the OE product is Price, Quality and Dependability (in terms of delivery). Once Friction Materials becomes the choice for OEM for DBPs, they will have to design the brakes themselves and hence Design also becomes an important order winner. 2.1.4 Establishing the most appropriate mode to manufacture these sets of products Process Choice We are in process of getting samples accepted for the new OE product range. Currently we are manufacturing only the Spares and Specialist product ranges and this is done in a batch process flow layout. This is ok for these ranges as they are in small quantities of about 300 DBP/week. But the new OE product range is going to require about 3000 DBP/week. Hence the Batch layout will not suffice to meet this quantity demand. The most appropriate process choice for such a huge demand is the Mass Layout or the Continuous Layout. But the continuous layout calls for a bigger investment in terms of the money involved. Since Friction Materials is only starting to try to establish itself in the OE market, it would not be wise to tie up a lot of the Companies money into something that might not work out to the magnitude expected. Hence the Mass Layout seems to be a more sensible choice. 2.1.5 Provide the manufacturing infrastructure required to support production Providing the infrastructure to support production of the new OE product is going to involve some amount of trade off in the sense of a balance between the various competitive factors that will affect the ability of the product to win orders. For instance, from the polar diagram (Sector 1.2) we see that dependability and cost of product play a very important role in helping the product win orders. In order to always deliver the product on time, we must always have enough stock with us to meet the demand. This can mean that we make-to-stock the product. But if we have a lot of inventory, it means that we have a lot of money held up as inventory and this may lead to increase in the price of the product to help insulate this cost. But this increase of cost may lead to loss of an order. Hence what amount of inventory would be sufficient to always meet customer demands and not hold a lot of money in inventory would be the trade off that we will be keen to look for. This process of trade o ff balance will help the manufacturing/operations to align itself with the corporate strategy. (Slack et al 2002) 2.2 Analysis of Current Operations System Before we can start formulating and making changes to the production system, we must first define what the current system is. We can do this with the help of various tools. We are going to use the SWOT analysis tool to do the same. Once we know where the current production capabilities are, we will be able to make decision taking into account the current scenario. 2.2.1 SWOT Analysis Strengths Weakness The brand name â€Å"Stop Rite† Established producer of aftermarket DBPs in the UK and Western Europe Competency in making the brake pad mixture * Good liquidity and turnover * Bad production planning system even though a MRP system is in place for the same Opportunities Threats OE market will lead to more opportunity in the EU market. OE market will help insulate the competition and market share because of the Far Eastern Competition * Growing to a medium scale company will help in being capable of handling more customers * Competition for cheaper Far Eastern Competition Table 2.2.1: SWOT Analysis Tool The brand name â€Å"Stop-Rite† is one of the main strengths of Friction Materials Ltd. This is what is helping them win orders in the Specialist market and the aftermarket market. This brand name that they have, they have been able to establish it because of being one of the main trusted DBP manufacturer in the UK and Western Europe market. This is also one of the strengths that they should exploit. They have a competency in creating their own mixture for the DBPs, which helps keep the cost of the product down. Also, as we can see from the financials, their Quick Ratio is about 1.03 and their Current Ratio is about 1.8, both of which are very near the acceptable values and hence the company is doing very well financially. And as they say â€Å"Cash is King†, this is their main strength. But even though they are strong in these areas, their production planning system is not very good, or up to industry standards. Even though they have a MRP II system in place, the Planning Controller has to fire fight situation that should not arise because of the system. This shows one of the two situations, either the Planning Controller is not familiar with the system or there is something wrong with their planning system. This can cause a lot of problems if they are to start production for about 3000DBP/week for the OE product. Opportunity wise, the OE product can help gain more market share in the Western European market and hence improve their brand name even further. Also, since this will be a more steady market, this will help insulate some of the market share loss due to the cheaper Far Eastern Competitor products in the Spares market. This will help the company grow financially which is always the main aim of any organisation. Once the organisation has more market share and money, they can easily transition to a medium scale company and hence cater to more customers. The only threat that the company faces is due to the Far Eastern products. They are almost as good as their DBPs, but they are far cheaper than Frictions DBPs and hence this sometimes leads to loss of market share. Entry to the OE product market will help them to insulate this loss. Now that we are clear on where the organisation current strengths and weakness lie, we can develop our manufacturing strategy to complement the strengths and negate the weakness of the organisation. 2.3 Elements of Manufacturing Strategy Miltenburg (2005) divides manufacturing strategy in six main sub-systems and terms them as Manufacturing Levers to reflect the concept that each sub-system can be adjusted to align according to market demands and corporate mission. 2.3.1 Sourcing Current list of all the suppliers to Friction Materials Ltd. are largely UK based. This is good as this help in decreasing the manufacturing lead time of the component. Since currently, their production demands are very low, to the order of 300DBPs/week; they were unable to convince their suppliers to deliver Just-in-Time. But now since they are looking to produce to the order of about 3000DBPs/week; they should be able to convince the suppliers to deliver Just-in-Time. Along with this, they should bring the list down in number and probably sign long term contracts with their most reliable supplier as the demand for the OE market is very stable and this long term contracts will help with the demand and also improve relations with their suppliers. But care should be taken when such contracts are framed, so that if the supplier does not make the delivery, then Friction Materials is free to buy that demand from another supplier. (Quinn and Hilmer 1995) In terms of the product range, since making DBPs is their main expertise, I feel that they should continue to produce all their existing product range so that they do not lose their current market share and customer base. The level of vertical integration should be kept to a minimum and Friction Materials should concentrate on its main competency of making the DBPs. Smaller parts of the product like the packing materials should be bought from an external vendor. 2.3.2 Process Technology Hill (2009) uses a profiling method to help decide what kind of production process is good for a particular type of product depend on the profile of the product. We will use this profiling approach to decide the type of process that we will implement for the OE range of product. Relevant Aspects Characteristics of Process Choice Product Job Batch Line Type Special Standard Range Wide Narrow Order Size Small Large Level of Change High Low Rate of NPD High Low Order-Winner Del. Speed Price Process Technology G.P. Dedicated Flexibility High Low Volumes Low High Key Tasks Meet Spec. Cost Investment Low High Table 2.3.2.1: Hills Profiling Approach (Source: Hill and Hill 2009) For the OE product range, we know the following: The order volume is going to be very high; hence the product is going to be standardised. Since the product is standardised, it is logical to have machinery dedicated to the product so that it can churn out more product and help meet the high demand. This in turn will decrease the flexibility of the process, but that is a trade-off that has to be taken to meet the high demand. We are going to produce only a certain types of DBPs, hence range is very narrow. The variations in the design of the DBPs are going to be minimal. New designs will only be developed when there is a requirement for it, hence the rate for new product development is also low. Order-winner for the OE product as discussed above is a balance between delivery speed and cost. Hence the key task for the process is bringing the cost of the product down. Hence we see from the above table, most of the profile of the OE product fits the Line Process choice. Hence in our case, for the OE product range, it is advisable that we go for a Line process. Currently, the Spares and Vintage DBPs are being produced in a Batch Equipment Paced Line Flow. They are currently running operations with 3 machining centres, each consisting of a pair of inter linked CNC machines with magazine feed. But even with a demand of only 300 DBPs/week compared to a demand of 3000 DBPs/week, the 3 machining centres are running at full capacity and often require overtime to meet the demand. Hence it is only logical for Friction Materials to in some new machining centres for the new OE production line that will be mainly be used for OE production, as they will find it very difficult to cope up with the demand with the existing infrastructure available. In fact, Friction Materials should look to start to invest into some of the other machines that they require for the production of DBPs to help cope up with this new OE demand. It is also advisable to make this new investments into the shop floor as the OE market is a profitable market which has a very stable demand and this demand will be there for quite a few years and hence this investment can be easi ly recovered during the life cycles of not OE product, but probably two or three OE products. The current manufacturing process layout should be adopted for the OE production also. The process has been setup taking into consideration the capacity of the mixer, setup time on the presses and stock levels and hence they are designed to give the whole process a flow. But setting up a completely new production line demands a lot of capital being invested and it will take quite some time before you will be able to break even for this investment. Hence the logical thing to do for Friction would be to invest in some new machining centres, so that they would be able to able to cope with the demand. But these new machining centres should be dedicated to only for the OE products. And over time, with increasing profits from the OE business, they can keep adding more machining centres to create a separate line for the OE product. 2.3.3 Production Planning and Control The production of DBPs has been broken down majorly into two process; namely Pressing and Finishing. The Pressing team takes care of making the brake pads; the Finishing team takes care of machining the DBPs to ensure consistency of the physical dimensions of the pad. Since both these processes are independent of each other, they are connected to each other with some decoupling or WIP inventory (Miltenburg). In our case, the baking process is the decoupling process. The two bin system can be used for inventory control for raw materials. In this system, the buffer stock in kept in the second bin and the current stock in kept in the first bin. Once the first bin is emptied and the buffer stock is brought into use, the purchase team should place orders to the respective material supplier for replenishing the material. For quality control, the organisation is already running on Statistical Process Control charts for the Spares and Specialist market. But this is acceptable for these products as their production volumes are not very large. The OE volumes are going to be very huge and hence SPC may not be the right choice for quality control. SPC looks at maintaining the quality of the products that the processes inside the organisation. Since OE is such a big market and where it is always important to â€Å"get things right the first time, every time†; it is better that Friction Materials looks into implementing Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM not only looks into the quality of parts being produced inside the organisation, but it takes the whole supply chain into account and sees to it that not only are the part being produced are up to quality standards, but also parts entering into the system are of optimum quality as it is unlikely to product good quality parts out of sub-standard part s. (GE Systems). Also in TQM, each worker becomes responsible for keeping the quality of their output up to standard. Hence this virtually removes the requirement of a quality control team in the organisation. 2.3.4 Human Resources The major machines, that require training in the whole manufacturing process at Friction Materials, are the press machines and the machining centres. The current workforce employed at Friction Materials is very well trained and are flexible enough to work on any process within their block. But we see that there is considerable time that goes into the setup of the presses when there is a need to change the design of the pad. So the employees can be further trained in how they can reduce the set up time for the presses. Regular maintenance is being carried out at Friction Materials by the current

Ghost Children of San Antonio Essay -- Urban Legends Ghost Stories

Ghost Children of San Antonio The legend of the Ghost Children of San Antonio dates back to the first half of the 20th century, with the majority of accounts placing its origins within a period extending from the 1930’s to the 1950’s. The story is based on a supposed freak accident involving a school bus full of children. As the story goes, the school bus stalled over a set of train tracks and was subsequently hit by an oncoming freight train, killing everyone on board the bus. (Weiser) Not soon after this grisly event, it was said that, should anyone park their car on the very same train tracks and place the gears in neutral, the car will roll uphill (seemingly defying gravity) off of the train tracks to a safe distance away. According to legend, the ghosts of the dead children from the bus accident push one’s car to safety (seemingly uphill) so they may avoid a similar fate. (Mikkelson) This story was recounted to me by a 20 year old female student at my University. She is a Communications major, coming from an upper middle class family in the rural suburbs of New Jersey. I interviewed her in her apartment sometime in the late afternoon in an informal setting. Although she is skeptical about things such as urban legends and ghost tales, she explained to me that this story always unsettled her in an inexplicable way. Yeah, there’s one [story] that’s pretty scary that comes to mind. My one friend [name omitted] – I think you met her once – well she moved to Jersey from Texas about 3 years ago and told me about this place kids would go when they were drunk or just looking for something to do. I asked her if she’d ever been there, but she told me she’d only heard it from a friend of a friend kind of deal. Well, an... ... that the story is representative of how all ghosts behave. Society prefers to consider ghosts as â€Å"protectors† or â€Å"helpers† rather than as â€Å"frighteners† or â€Å"killers.† Works Cited Juliano, Dave. "Haunted Places in Maryland." The Shadowlands Ghosts and Hauntings. 09 Apr. 2006. http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/. Lane, Stephanie. "Cry Baby Bridges." Dead Ohio. 09 Apr. 2006 www.deadohio.com. Mikkelson, Barbara. "Helping Hands." Snopes. 24 Mar 2003. Urban Legends Reference Pages. 09 Apr. 2006. www.snopes.com. Sceurman, Mark. Weird U.S. Weird NJ, Inc. 09 Apr. 2006. www.weirdus.com. Wagner, Stephen. "The Haunted Railroad Crossing." About Paranormal. About, Inc. 09 Apr. 2006. http://paranormal.about.com. Weiser, Kathy. "Lone Star Legends: Ghostly Children." Legends of America. Oct 2005. Legends of America.com. 09 Apr. 2006. www.legendsofamerica.com.

Booker T. Washingtons Influence on Historically Black Colleges Essays

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON: THE AMBIGUITY OF INFLUENCE ABSTRACT My paper will discuss the continuing influence of Booker T. Washington's writings on historically black colleges. While my paper will focus on the ways in which the historically black college continues to adhere to the model provided by Washington, it will also explore the ways in which it diverges from the early Hampton-Tuskegee ideal. According to James D. Anderson in The Education of Blacks in the South, both contemporary observers and later historians have portrayed the white south as taking a monolithic view of black education. However, many secondary schools in the south did not emphasize the kind of industrial education advocated by Washington. In the same manner, the historically black college no longer places the emphasis on vocational training it did at one time. However, there are still advocates for Washington's model although the training under discussion is in technical fields. Washington's influence can also be found in the importance often placed on action in hi storically black colleges, such as mine, which can undermine attempts on the part of faculty to pursue a life of the mind. At the same time, stimulating new influences emerging from African-American studies are changing and enhancing the campus culture enriching both students and faculty. My paper will conclude by considering the influence of honors programs as well as multi-ethnic and multi-cultural student bodies and faculties on the future directions of the historically black college. INTRODUCTION The freedmen and women of the Ante-Bellum South had a thirst and hunger for knowledge known by few; often learning from another freedman who had just learned to read himself, freed... ... bonds to a past and to an American tradition erase all personal feelings of self-aggrandizement and intellectual pride, a place where the self encounters the struggle of America's past, a place where the soul grows deep like the rivers. WORKS CITED Anderson, James D. The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1988. Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk. 1903. New York: Penguin Books, 1989. Sims, Serbrenia J. Diversifying Historically Black Colleges and Universities: A New Higher Education Paradigm. Westport: Greenwood P, 1994. Washington, Booker T. A Sunday Evening Talk. Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. 15. Jan. 1911. Washington, Booker T. Up From Slavery. 1901. New York: Doubleday & Co., 1963. Willie, Charles V., and Edmonds, Ronald R. Black Colleges in America. New York: Teachers College Press, 1978.

Ralph Lauren Essay

Ralph Lauren Corp is one of the best-known fashion design and licensing company in the world. The brand was launched in 1967 founded by American designer Ralph Lauren. Prior to starting Ralph Lauren, he worked for Brooks Brothers. In 1968 he started a line of men’s ties. By 1969 he had a boutique store within the Manhattan department store Bloomingdale’s. In 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women’s collection and his first store in Beverly Hills, California. Ten years later, in 1981, the brand went global with its first international store on London’s New Bond Street. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993. The brand’s mission is they are always standing for providing quality products, creating worlds and inviting people to take part in their dreams. They are the innovators of lifestyle advertisements that tell a story and the first to create stores that encourage customers to participate in their lifestyle. And their vision is planning to open more stores and increase market share in the next fiscal years, positioning to begin taking advantage of international market’s appetite for luxury goods. Ralph Lauren designs, markets and distributes luxury products domestically and globally. The company’s brand names include Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren, Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Polo Jeans Co. , RRL, RLX, Rugby, RL Children’s wear, Chaps and Club Monaco. The company offers, along with its licensing partners, broad lifestyle product collections in four categories: apparel, which includes collections of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing; home, which includes coordinated products for the home, such as bedding and bath products, furniture, fabric and wallpaper, paints, broadloom, tabletop and giftware; accessories, which encompass products such as footwear, eyewear, jewelry and leather goods, including handbags and luggage, and fragrance and skin care, of which products are sold under the Glamorous, Romance, Polo, Lauren, Safari and Polo Sport brands. The Company operates in three integrated business segments: wholesale, retail and licensing. The company sells the products through department stores, specialty stores, golf and professional shops, as well as its own stores and licensed retail stores, concessions-based shop-within-shops, and e-commerce Websites. Distribution is accomplished at a domestic and international level with the three business segments. Due to the business expansion and fast growing e-business, the company’s wholesale cited strong demand in U.  S and international market. As of the first quarter of 2013, Ralph Lauren had 329 retail stores around the world, and operated 240 wholesale of its own stores in the U. S, 100 retail outlets, 478 concession-base shop-within shops and 6 e-commerce websites. In the end of 2012, the total revenue reached to $6. 8 billion. According to Yahoo Finance, from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013, the total revenue reached 992. 1. There are two main competitors towards Ralph Lauren. Tommy Hilfiger(THC), though its subsidiaries, designs, sources and market men’s and women’s sportswear, jeans wear and children’s wear under Tommy Hilfiger trademarks. THC offers the products in the global market and engaged in wholesale, retail and licensing, Tommy Hilfiger reported earnings results from the fourth quarter 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, the revenue increased 9% to $891. 1 million from $815. 8 million in the prior year’s fourth quarter. So THC is the biggest competitor of Ralph Lauren. And another main competitor is Liz Claiborne Inc. LIZ), its designs and markets branded women’s and men’s apparel, accessories and fragrance products. This Company is operating wholesale, retail also and reaching consumers of various age, gender, size or value preference. Due to stripping out unrealized foreign currency losses and other items, the company’s total revenue has decrease. But it still reached $307. 4 million from the end of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013, which is the competitor for Ralph Lauren and share the market. Ralph Lauren’s strengths lie in its brand equity, infrastructure improvements, its history, and its financial strength. Ralph Lauren’s brand name and the logo are both recognizable and highly regarded in the fashion world. Polo Ralph Lauren’s classic style has allowed the company to expand its product portfolio into markets. High customer loyalty allows for a larger profit margin than most other companies in its industry. The powerful brand equity responsible for such a strong consumer following reduces the price sensitivity for retail sales, which was a strong factor in maintaining good performance. However, the weaknesses are in its dependence on department store sales and manufacturing. Sales from department Sales from department stores make up for almost one third of Ralph Lauren’s revenues. Sales in department stores can be uncertain due to market share with competitors and the financial stability of these stores. Moreover, manufacturers has resulted in limitations with manufacturing for situations of high demand. Due to the high standards of the Lauren fashions. Lauren’s designs sometimes create new methods for quality with manufacturing, which hinder future growth. Lauren’s opportunities for growth include brand extension, and international expansion. International expansion presents a wealth of opportunity for Ralph Lauren. Their approach to each region is specific to its business climate and structure, while the common goal is to broaden their reach through increasing direct brand ownership and control with new specialty retail store openings. The strong, flexible infrastructure allows Lauren to capitalize on opportunities to grow businesses around the world. Lauren has a strong investment of $1. 1 billion comes from its stakeholders and long-term debt ratio just 7% at the end of first quarter of fiscal 2013. The company’ financial and strategic fundamentals looks like very strong. It shows that Ralph Lauren is highly reliable. Wholesale and retail are the two main business segments of Ralph Lauren, accounting for about 97% of its revenues. About 45% of the retailer’s revenue comes from the wholesale segment, and the retail segment constitutes about 52%. In fact, the wholesale business’ contribution to overall revenues has been declining since 2008. It stood at 58% of total revenues in 2008 and 45% in 2012. On the other hand, the retail segment improved from 39% to 52% during the same period. So this trend will continue in the future with wholesale’s contribution coming down to as low as 30%. t Moreover, the department stores’ market share has been declining in the U. S. retail market and the market per share has decline from $179. 90 to $168. 41 between the end of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, which representing the percentage 6. 39% decrease. Due to the increase in the share of private label brands, such as the competitors expand their business by introducing the new lines for their products, Ralph Lauren’s specialty stores and other department store revenues will be impacted. Other factors such as the discontinuation of American Living brand and consolidation of China network will also weigh on the wholesale segment’s growth. The international revenue has decline from 10% to 8%, which dragging its overall revenues down by 2%, especially in countries in Europe. From 2012, Lauren witnessed a sharp decline in its revenues from Europe due to its over reliance on the region’s southern countries, which have been significantly impacted by the debt crisis. Lauren is facing problems in Europe mainly due to the increasing cost of wholesale hipments and tax cost. Lauren set a high retail price on its products but people don’t want to spend too much to buy it. Therefore, it result in the large surplus of the product. On the other hand, Lauren found out the high shipment and tax cost are mainly due to the unfavorable economic environment and its high concentration in the worst hit Europe. The retailer operates more than 600 stores in the region. As a result, it earns more than 60% of its revenues from this region and has high exposure to countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece, where economy remains weak. In addition to this, the retailer runs the risk of self-cannibalization due to its high concentration in these markets. Since the European business accounts for an important part of Laure’s revenues, the decreased from 10% to 8%, dragging its overall revenues down by 2%. The counterfeit issue which affects the Lauren’s brand image, especially happened in Asian market, such as China. The evidence shows that Ralph Lauren being more focus on Asian market. For instance, in China, there are more than 16 retail stores and 23 factory stores opened in recent years. Therefore, the new problem counterfeit issue has shown up during Lauren’s expanding. It was reflected in people said that they have bought the counterfeit shirt in China. Even in the U. S, more and more counterfeit clothes which have the same label with the authentic ones entered into market. The reason that cause this problem in China mainly due to the position of Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren have three color label (purple, black and blue) series represent the different level of craft, but the retailer in the Asian market mix them together to sell. On the other hand, the â€Å"high class† series mainly remain in the U.  S, and just a small amount exports to China. Therefore, the blue series which represent the â€Å"low class† are sold more. So people regard Ralph Lauren as cheap and common and believe it can just fit for the young people. They don’t regard Lauren as one of the luxury goods brands. This opinion affect the position of the brand. The counterfeit products occur because the blue series it is easier to replicate. The retailer doesn’t classify the different Ralph Lauren labels probably because he lacking of strict requirements for the site selection of the retailers. With the large growing population of China, more and more U. S company aim China as their second large market and wants to earn more market share. Ralph Lauren’s retailer had to missed the opportunity in the big cities and choose the customers in smaller cities as the object aimlessly. And the economy situation is different between the big cities and medium-small cities; it is easier to sell their products in big cities in order to build the good brand image. Moreover, brand image usually is cognized in big cities and then spread to other medium and small cities. Therefore, the need of the Ralph Lauren is affected by the development of the cities and as the result affects its performance. Overall, the brand image is affected by the counterfeit issue. For increasing the market share, there are a number of potential solutions. Introduce new design for the existing product line, such as design more color on product especially for the apparel in different season. People’s need is always changing, different color on the product will give people more options. Besides, U. S retailers should get more focus on online sale. Online is important trade group, it can attract more people to buy if they publish its own online-holiday-sale. In addition, online sales were expected to continue to outpace the growth in in-store sales. To take an advantage of online sale, The potential solution for the counterfeit issue all over the world, especially for the China market is building a good brand image. The problem here for Ralph Lauren is, â€Å"people don’t know what’s real and what isn’t. † To build a good brand image, Lauren should stick to its commitment to the market and take more or direct control of its China operations, product, and quality. For example, close non-profitable stores and moving away from selling products in department stores to focus on setting up its own retail outlets. Due to the lacking of restrict requirement for the site selection and lacking of understanding of the brand for the retailers, Ralph Lauren now is probably a little behind the other luxury retailers in entering this market, so the they should consider the company’s new stores in China must be in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and surrounding regions. The other potential solution for the counterfeit issue is Lauren maybe can introduce the new unique product line for the international market. Such as the limit edition for the different product only for each foreign market or make more different label tags on the product so that it is not easy to replicate. However, this requires Ralph Lauren had better do a lot research on different culture in order to make the best product to meet people’s need.