Write with Detailed Reference to at Least Three Stories and Show how Jane Gardam Reveals the Extraordinariness of Ordinary People Essay Example

Write with Detailed Reference to at Least Three Stories and Show how Jane Gardam Reveals the Extraordinariness of Ordinary People Essay Jane Gardam uses a variety of writing styles to give the characters and narrators a sense of extraordinariness. She does this, for example, through her choice of language that gives life to the characters. Three stories in this collection that show this are The First Adam, Stone Trees and An Unknown Child.One of the ways in which Jane Gardam explores the unusual features of every day people is the use of narrative voice, in first or third person. The First Adam, is a story of a man named Bull. After finding retirement boring, Bull returned to work in Drab. The analogy of the orang-outang is a symbol of Bulls lonely life, which also comes across through the use of monologue throughout the story. The audience are first introduced to Bulls extraordinary way of life when he uses the phrase My tender mistress to describe his work. This story is written using a first person narrator and so he expresses his own thoughts and feelings to the reader. This is useful for the reader as they are s eeing exactly the same as Bull and so gain an understanding of the way he views Drab, his work and his life.This is similar to the style chosen for Stone Trees which is about the narrator, her life and told using stream of consciousness. The story starts on a journey to the Isle of Wight where the reader realise that her husband has recently died. One of the most important points of this story is the narrator repeatedly telling the audience that she did not want children but she discovers that her husband already had a son. This is shown through the line so now that you are which suggests that she understands that her husband lives on in the boy. Throughout the story, the narrator often uses you/I to show her views about Anna, Tom, her husband and their situation through the stream of consciousness. Having a first-person narrator explaining the situation, as she perceives it, means that the reader can discover traits about Anna and Tom, the narrator and her husband and the reader ca n share in her moment of realisation towards the end of the story. The extraordinariness of ordinary people is shown in this story in the way that the narrator copes with the death of her husband and finding out that he had a son that she did not know about.In contrast to this, a story written in the third person such as An Unknown Child is about a woman who has had had a mis-carriage and about how her and her husband try to rebuild their lives. After an incident in a restaurant, Evelyn and Mick finally begin to grieve for the loss of their own child. The third person narrator lets us find out about the lives of a few different characters which have important roles in the story such as Evelyn, Mick and Elizabeth. This shows the extraordinariness of apparently regular people by giving the reader an image of the characters, showing their moments of self-realisation and their interactions with the other characters.A very important technique used by Jane Gardam in these three stories to reveal the extraordinary nature of the people is a central symbol or metaphor which is carried throughout the story. The most obvious of these is the symbol of children in An Unknown Child. For example, on the journey to Florence, A baby had watched them and the place where they were staying was opposite the Innocenti baby place. This is an important feature as it shows both their views towards babies after Evelyn had a miscarriage. Evelyn looks at all the children and symbols of children which suggests to the audience that she is being brave. It also shows Micks attitudes towards Evelyn and how much he cares for her. This is shown particularly as he apologises even though it is obvious that Evelyn had made the decision to stay there. In The First Adam, there is a constant symbol of his work as a woman and the reminder that he does not have time to appreciate his surroundings like Venetia does in The Last Adam.The image of his work, spread on the bed, suggests that he is extremely involved with it and sees Drab as a project rather than a beautiful place. This illustrates the extraordinariness of Bull, as he seems to have a very interesting perspective of work a sees it very differently to other people. This encourages the reader to believe that he has a stronger relationship with his work that his wife. This, again is shown by Bull calling his work his mistress. Lastly, in Stone Trees, there is a symbol of the solidarity of stone in comparison to the life of a tree. This shows the characters attitudes and impressions of their lives and surroundings in comparison to each other. For example, where as the narrator wants to freeze her love for her husband and does not feel that she can share her love with other people, similar to the stone petrifying tree, her husband has touched other peoples lives which is evident from his child who is like him in looks but also in personality. The narrators response to the child is important as it is the first time she feels c lose to a person other than her husband illustrated by the last line so now that you are which indicates that she feels close to her husband through the boy.In all three stories, Jane Gardam gives the impression of the characters being mainstream, unremarkable and average. Throughout the three stories, the characters relationships show the reader that they are special. In The First Adam, Bulls passion for his work is shown when he refers to it as his mistress. Jane Gardam also reveals the problems he has with having relationships with women. However, in An Unknown Child we see the relationship between Evelyn and her husband as being very different in comparison. It is shown to the reader at the beginning that the relationship between them is good and that even after the terrible event opening the story they are very close and support each other. This is not the case by the end of the story when Evelyn realises that she, never thought of him.We realise that Mick did not tell her how he was grieving and so just supported her decisions. Evelyn discovering this is a pivotal moment as she realises that she has not grieved for the loss of their child, which is shown as her, weeping at last. Therefore Evelyn is revealed as extraordinary despite the reader believing her to be a quite unremarkable woman throughout the story. This is similar to Stone Trees where the narrator has a moment of self-realisation when meeting her husbands child. It is revealed to the reader, however, as a pivotal moment when the boy, whose kindness surprises the narrator, begins her healing process Her lack of anger here, and her acceptance of the fact that he was having affairs, ironically kept them together. This shows her to be extraordinary as her love for her husband was so great that she felt it was the only way she could still be with him.Throughout all three stories, the characters opinions are portrayed as the most important feature. This is significant in showing the extraordinarine ss of ordinary people as it gives them very different personalities and lives within their own stories. This can easily be seen in Bull in The First Adam where he tells the audience exactly how he feels about his surroundings and how he sees Drab as a, bloody country. This is important as it demonstrates his opinions in contrast with his wifes who he says feels that she is intruding in his mans world when she goes to foreign countries to be with him. Similarly, in a story such as Stone Trees we are only given the opinion of the narrator and her thoughts of how Tom and Anna are feeling. In both cases, we can only assume that the narrators guesses are correct until she realises that she has misunderstood the situation. An Unknown Child, although written from a third person narrative position, concentrates on Evelyns point of view and it is only as she realises her husbands grief that the reader understands it too. In this story and in Stone Trees the reader shares, or only slightly an ticipates, the whole truth of the characters lives.Another feature that shows the extraordinariness of ordinary people is the twists that occur towards the end of the story. This makes sure that the reader sees that all the characters have more interesting lives than was originally thought. One of the most obvious of these occurs in An Unknown Child where Evelyns moment of self-realisation occurs and she sees that she, never thought of him. This illustrates a surprising fact about Evelyn to herself and to the audience that the family turning up late for dinner acted like a catalyst for them realising what they have lost. The main twist in The First Adam, however, is not so obvious. I, personally think that Bulls day of no work is the twist in this story as even though he was still bored in Drab, he is still in control of his life. In Stone Trees, the narrator is amazed at how kindly Peter is treating her, even though he is only seven. This evokes a moment of realisation when she see s the pink starfish and sees the, growing things that are there all the time, though only now and then seen.All these characters experience The Pangs of Love which shows them to be different and in some cases extraordinary. Jane Gardams use of writing styles, for example first and third person, monologue, stream of consciousness and use of metaphors of motifs teach the audience different features of the characters so that they are seen as individuals. The fact that the characters thoughts are all told to the reader helps them to empathise with the characters and see them as surprising for coping with their difficult situations in the ways that they do.

Why the Drinking Age Should be Lowered essays

Why the Drinking Age Should be Lowered essays On my eighteenth birthday earlier this summer, I was informed of my new responsibilities as an adult. Legally, Im old enough to move out and live without supervision, get married without a parents permission, be held accountable for my actions, and face the consequences as any American adult would. At age eighteen, Im able to get into dance clubs, and some clubs on the eastside that cater to the adult crowd, or so I hear. Im old enough to join the military and fight for my country, and am considered an adult by all legal standards. I have the same amount of independence as my parents, or do I? This drinking age in this country is age twenty-one. When one reaches twenty-one, the have complete freedom. They can drink freely without fear of being caught and punished along with the many freedoms they received when they turned eighteen. Years ago, the legal drinking age was eighteen. The government changed this because? My thoughts, they didnt think the youth of that generation were mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come along with the consumption of alcohol. A responsibility of that magnitude does require a certain level of maturity. I feel that by age eighteen, one is mature enough to handle that responsibility. If youre old enough to go to war, why arent you old enough to drink? I believe society would benefit from this change because drunk driving rates could possibly lower. An underage person goes to a party, and drinks until he or she is not in proper state of mind to drive home. They dont want to call a parent or someone else to pick them up for the fear of getting in trouble for drinking underage. If they were of age, they could freely call someone without the chance of getting in trouble for doing something illegal. Ive heard stories that people my age drink mostly because its somethi ...

Applying For a Home Loan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Applying For a Home Loan - Essay Example The message has an appropriate logical flow of the relevant steps, which minimizes the necessary changes as it begins with the first contact with the customer, application, verification, evaluation, approval, and settlement. The only key change that should occur is the inclusion of graphical representations that will make the message more appealing. The message can have a picture of properties or houses in the background, which would make the message more appealing to the eyes of the reader. Since the message relates to financing, the messenger can add details pertaining to interest rates. As such, the message should have more sections. This extra section should detail the attractive interest rates the company offers to ensure that the client is not reaped. Most financial messages tend to skip this part as it contains imperative details to avoid losing clients once they see the cost of financing the property. Adding this section would make the message more informative to the reader (Anderson, 2010). The current message contains six major sections namely contact, application, verification, evaluation, approval, and settlement. However, the messenger should add one more section. Hence, the new steps in the application for a home loan should be contact, application, verification, interest rates, evaluation, approval, and settlement (National Australian Bank, 2014). The inclusion of the interest rates would enable the customers to undertake a personal evaluation of their suitability for such a financial service given their finances.

Multinationals Act More Ethically as They Are More Successful Dissertation

Multinationals Act More Ethically as They Are More Successful - Dissertation Example The Body Shop 14 Ben & Jerry's 14 Multinational companies that are more ethical after facing 15 the repercussions of unethical behaviour Nike 15 McDonald's 16 Research on ethical trading and customers 16 The Institute of Business Ethics 17 Research on Coffee Labelling 17 Summary of findings 18 Conclusion 18 Introduction In today's ever changing business arena, there is still one constant force that drives multinational companies - profits. No matter the nature of the business, most companies still seek to maximise shareholder value as this tangible financial measure epitomizes corporate success. Nevertheless, in the last two decades, there has also been a noticeable shift in business priorities as multinational companies recognise that fulfilling shareholder value may not be sufficient to acquire the results they need. Henry Ford once said that, "business must be run at a profit, else it will die. But when everyone tries to run a business solely for profit then also the business must die, for it no longer has a reason for existence." (Roddick, 2000, p. 23) This essay examines the role ethics plays in multinational businesses and the intricate link between ethics and profits. To do this, the definitions of shareholder and stakeholder values are scrutinized in order to understand the motives behind companies acting ethically. Here, shareholders are characterized as financial investors and stakeholders are individuals or bodies of people like employees, customers, partners, and pressures groups who have emotional and long-term ties to a company. Delving further into the issue of stakeholder influence on ethics and profits in... In order to reinforce the essay's arguments, successful companies like The Body Shop and Ben & Jerry's whose competitive advantage is cemented in ethical trading from day one are contrasted with business leaders like Nike and McDonald's who have jumped on the social responsibility band wagon after suffering the repercussions of unethical behaviour. To further understand company motivation for ethical business, research and studies on the consumer's point of view are also examined. Shareholder vs. Stakeholder Before the 1990s, business success was dictated solely in financial terms. Shareholders are normally financial investors rather than individuals with emotional and long-term personal ties to a company. In short, they are profit-driven. Today, the advent of social messages tied to company mission statements prove that besides shareholders, there are stakeholders that are not interested in the financial side of businesses, but who are just as crucial in the development of almost all aspects of a business. In Appendix F, Price Waterhouse Coopers (2006) believes that in order to protect a company's reputation, there are five stakeholder groups, including shareholders (capital), employees (manpower), customers (revenue), partners (suppliers), and pressure groups (a license to operate) that need close attention. The following section examines each stakeholder group and the value they provide in addition to exploring the impact each group has on shareholder value (which provide tangible financial assets).

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Globalization - Essay Example The regional trade agreement chosen for this report is Mercosur. This agreement was created on 26 March 1991, when Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay signed the Treaty of Asuncià ³n to create the Southern Common Market. The agreement now encompasses the four Latin American countries along with a fifth member state – Venezuela. The purpose of this trade agreement is to promote free trade among the member countries and enable a fluid movement of goods, workers, and services.Mercosur has been very successful in increasing intrabloc trade among its member countries and in reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers. Following this trade agreement, intrabloc trade increased from 9% to 25% of the total exports within eight years. This trade agreement enabled the formation of a common market promoting free trade. The Mercosur member countries also gained in bargaining power to negotiate trade agreements with other countries. Interregional trade among the member countries tripled f rom the US $ 4.1 billion to the US $ 10.7 billion. All countries in the sub-region experienced increased growth of about 6.1% that was the highest to be recorded in a decade. From the figures released by the World Trade Organization, it can be inferred that the trade agreement not only boosted trade among its members but also was successful in increasing trade with the rest of the world. Since the inception of Mercosur, there has been a 207% rise in trade among member countries and 122% increase in trade with the rest of the world.... (2) Report on a Regional Trade Agreement The regional trade agreement chosen for this report is Mercosur (Mercado Comun del Sur/Mercado Comum do Sul/Southern Common Market). This agreement was created on 26 March 1991, when Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay signed the Treaty of Asuncion to create the Southern Common Market. The agreement now encompasses the four Latin American countries along with a fifth member state – Venezuela. The purpose of this trade agreement is to promote free trade among the member countries and enable a fluid movement of goods, workers and services (â€Å"About MERCOSUR†). Mercosur has been very successful in increasing intrabloc trade among its member countries and in reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers. Following this trade agreement, intrabloc trade increased from 9% to 25% of the total exports within eight years (Paiva and Gazel 116). This trade agreement enabled the formation of a common market promoting free trade. The Mercosur member countries also gained in bargaining power to negotiate trade agreements with other countries. Interregional trade among the member countries tripled from US $ 4.1 billion to US $ 10.7 billion. All countries in the sub-region experienced increased growth of about 6.1% that was the highest to be recorded in a decade. From the figures released by the World Trade Organization, it can be inferred that the trade agreement not only boosted trade among its members, but also was successful in increasing trade with the rest of the world. Since the inception of Mercosur, there has been a 207% rise in trade among member countries and 122% increase in trade with the rest of the world

Drivers Education for Students with Multiple Disabilities Essay Example for Free

Drivers Education for Students with Multiple Disabilities Essay Students with multiple disabilities are those who are experiencing more that one form of disability. Disability may be mental or physical or combination of both that hinders one from performing various life activities. Such students require much care as they cannot fully do what is required of them with help from another person. Such students should be given helpful education that would enable them contribute to the economy. Drivers’ education for students with multiple disabilities is required for none of the curriculum has considered this during their planning and implementation. Research question The main purpose of the paper is to identify whether there is any need to have drivers’ education for the people with multiple disabilities to offer services in special schools and in public schools. Another aim of the research is to determine how this education would be offered and what type of disability would benefit from the drivers education. How effective would this education be to the disabled. Justification of the research Students with multiple disabilities cannot perform a number of activities an able student can perform; this justifies the research because there is a need to have to have the disabled contribute to the nation building and economy. Drivers’ education would be necessary for the multi disabled students for there are those who can drive effectively despite of the disability. Review of the bibliography The provided bibliography would help in providing a critical review for the research and will give enough literature as to whether this drivers’ education for students with multiple disability is needed and to what extent. Bibliography (Video)The Los Angeles Club of the Deaf Story. DeBee Communications, 6965 El Camino Real, Ste. 105, Carlsbad, CA 92009 Bowe, F. (1978)Handicapping America: Barriers to disabled people, Harper Row, Disability and Chronic Disease Quarterly, Department of Sociology, Brandeis University, Disability Grapevine Online Newsletter. http://www. disabilitygrapevine. com/ Disability Studies Online Magazine. http://www. disabilitystudies. com/index. htm Gary L. (2005)Encyclopedia of disability, SAGE Publ. , Gary L. et al. , eds. (2006) Encyclopedia of Disability. 5 vols. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Health Ethics, Policy and Law,† Cornell Journal of Law and Public http://papers. ssrn. com/sol3/papers. cfm? abstract_id=950878 Johnstone, D. (2001) An Introduction to Disability Studies, , 2nd edition, Kaushik, R. (1999) Access Denied: Can we overcome disabling attitudes , Museum International (UNESCO) , Vol. 51, No. 3, p. 48-52. Leonardi M; Bickenback, J; Ustin TB; Kostanjsek N; Chatterji S, and on behalf of the MHADIE Consortium (2006) â€Å"The definition of disability: what is in a name?,† Lancet 368(9543): 1219-1221 Mitra S (2006) â€Å"The Capability Approach and Disability† Journal of Disability National Center on Disability and Journalism. http://www. ncdj. org/links. html Paul T. (2005)Understanding Disability: Inclusion, Access, Diversity, and Civil Rights. Westport, CT: Greenwood Policy Studies, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 236-247 Policy, 15(2): 403-482 http://papers. ssrn. com/sol3/papers. cfm? abstract_id=931703 Ruger JP (1998) â€Å"Aristotelian Justice and Health Policy: Capability and Incompletely Theorized Agreements† Harvard University, Ph. D. Thesis Ruger JP (2003) â€Å"Health and Development† Lancet, 362 (9385): 678 Ruger JP (2006) â€Å"Health, Capability, and Justice: Toward a New Paradigm of Ruger JP (2006) â€Å"Measuring Disparities in Healthcare†, British Medical Journal, 333:274 http://papers. ssrn. com/sol3/papers. cfm? abstract_id=934987 Ruger JP (2007) â€Å"Rethinking Equal Access: Agency, Quality and Norms,† Global Public Health, 2(1): 78-96 Sen AK (2002) Health: perception versus observation British Medical Journal 324:860-861 Terzi L (2004) â€Å"The Social Model of Disability: A Philosophical Critique†, Journal of Applied Philosophy, 21 (2): 141-157 Terzi L (2005) â€Å"Beyond the Dilemma of Difference; The capability approach on disability and special educational needs†, Journal of Philosophy of Education, 39 (3): 443-459 Terzi L (2006) â€Å"Beyond the Dilemma of Difference: the capability approach to disability and special educational needs† R. Cigman (ed. ) Included or Excluded? The Challenge of the Mainstream for some SEN Children. London: Routledge

Measuring Public Relations Effectiveness For The Dole Food Company :: Business Case Study, solution

I also chose to analyze an article by Dr. Walter Lindenmann, a case study called â€Å"Measuring Public Relations Effectiveness For The Dole Food Company and the Society for Nutrition Education.† The main reason I chose to analyze this article was because it focuses specifically on one measurement study and tells exactly how it was conducted. Dr. Lindenmann‘s study was to determine the effectiveness of a program conducted by the Dole Food Company. The Dole food Company’s program involved creating a CD-ROM in conjunction with the Society for Nutrition Education that would educate third grade students and their teachers of the importance proper nutrition. The CD-ROM was to inform them about how they needed to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to maintain a healthy nutrition. Dole chose to test their CD_ROM in 178 classes in 65 schools across 5 different states before they took the program nationwide. Dole used Dr. Lindenmann and the office Ketchum Public Relations to conduct the study on the effectiveness of the CD_ROM in their test program. Dr. Lindenmann explained that they used a three-phased research design to conduct their study. They started off by sending out questioners that were distributed to about 1000 students and 40 teachers. The questioners were used to measure the awareness and attitudes of the classes before they were introduced to the CD-ROM. This was used to establish a base line to compare the results of the study against in the report. They then conducted a qualitative telephone poll with one forth of the teachers after the introduction of the program at about the mid point of it. The poll was used to track the teacher’s views and concerns regarding the CD-ROM. The third phase the research team conducted mirrored the first phase. The team distributed questioners four months after the programs completion in order to measure awareness and behavior change as result of the CD-ROM. Results of the measurement test found the program to be beneficial. Before introduced to the CD-ROM students were only able to answer five out of eighteen questions on the questioner correctly, four months after the program students were able to answer eleven of the eighteen questions correctly. The proportion of student that were able to answer seventeen of the eighteen questions correctly also went up. The study also found that students were talking more with there families about the importance eating five fruits and vegetables a day, this increased from forty five percent before the program to sixty seven percent after being exposed to the program.

Sony Research Paper

Journey of SONY : A Revolution of Walkman to I-Pod 1981 Walkman II Sony is arguably Japan's best known company and one of the world's largest and most well respected consumer-product manufacturers. Its products are world famous and sold everywhere around the globe. Surveys in early 2000s have showed that Sony was the most recognized and esteemed brand name in the United States (ahead of Coca Cola, General Motors and General Electric) and is third coolest global brand after Nike and Tommy Hilfinger among American teens. Although Sony has some of its luster since then it is still a remarkable company.Sony is the world’s No. 2 consumer electronic maker after Panasonic with around $70 billion in worldwide sales. One of Japan’s first internationally-minded companies, it has relied heavily on exports and was among the first Japanese firms to build a U. S. factory. In the 1960s, 70s and 80s it helped turned â€Å"Made in Japan† from a joke into a symbol in unsurpassed q uality. Sony has traditionally been known as a great innovator that transformed entire categories of electronics with products like the Walkman music player and PlayStation game console, and was able command premium prices for its top-quality products.Sony not only changed business and the electronic industry it also changed the world. Before it came along electronics were large bulky products that kept people sequestered in their homes. After Sony, they became small products that people they could to take with them to enhance their surroundings wherever they went. Sony topped a Harris poll for best brands for the 7th consecutive year in 2006. Dell and Coca Cola were 2nd and 3rd respectively. In 2004, it was ranked by Forbes as the 72nd largest company in the world. Sony placed 35th in the 2011 Interbrand Best Global Brands ranking. Coca Cola and IBM were No. and 2. Sony had 160,000 employees and 57 manufacturing sites as of September 2008. It has traditionally been regarded as one of the top transnational companies in terms of foreign assets and foreign employees. The goal of the company has been to apply the most advanced technology to consumer products for fun and enjoyment rather than just practical uses. Sony Walkman Walkman prototype The Walkman miniature cassette player first went on sale in July, 1979. Inspired by pocket cassette recorders designed for dictation, it changed the way we lived by making music and electronics portable, personal and mobile.It changed the lifestyles and listening habits of millions and was particularly embraced by young people, commuters and joggers. In 1986, â€Å"Walkman† was added to the Oxford English dictionary. For a while it was used as a generic term for all portable music devices. The Walkman was originally made as a prototype so that Sony co-founder Akio Morita could listen to opera on long-distance flights. The device, which was original marketed in Britain as the Stowaway, almost didn’t happen. â₠¬Å"Everybody gave me a hard time,† Morita said in his memoirs.Sony engineers and executive said it was ludicrous to sell a tape-player without a recording function. It took a while for the Walkman to catch on. Sales initially were sluggish. The Walkman has been described as Morita’s product and his greatest contribution to Sony. It was Ibuka who came up with the idea for product but Morita was the one who overcame resistance of senior Sony executives to bring the product to market. The Walkman was the right product for the right time. It was the prefect device for the me generation era and the fitness craze.Its headphone output jack was originally named â€Å"guy† and input hole â€Å"doll. † A famous Walkman ad from the 1980s featured a monkey (a Japanese macaque) listening to a Walkman with a very human-like relaxed, content expression on its face. The Walkman was followed by Watchman mini television (1982) and Discman compact disc player (1984) and hund red of imitations by competitors. As of 2004, 340 million Walkman had been sold and130 different Walkman models had been released. They included models that ran MDs and memory sticks. The first device to gain as much attention as Sony’s Walkman was Apple Ipod, released in 2004.In response to that Sony introduced a hard disk Vaio pocket and a hard disk Walkman. In October 2010, Sony announced it was cease producing conventional Walkman cassette players. They were done in by competition from MP2 players and Ipods. They lasted for 31 years. Sony and Sweden’s Ericsson produce cell phones together, mainly making mid- and high-range handsets, In recent years sales have suffered. It has profits have been around $300 million on around $4. 5 billion in sales Sony and KDDI developed a Walkman brand cell phone that downloads music Sony: How did the former gadget king lose its mojo?Before the iPod, everyone's headphones were plugged into the Sony Walkman. But as the Walkman lost i ts relevance, Sony seemed to, as well posted on April 2, 2012, at 6:25 AM Sony has faded since its classic '80s-era Walkman went out of style, but a new CEO is trying to change that. Photo: DK Limited/CORBIS Like Xerox, Kleenex, and Google, Sony's Walkman was the rare brand that was so popular it became the thing itself. The Japanese electronics giant was ubiquitous in other ways, too, and there was a time when it seemed as if everyone owned a Sony device, whether it was a television, a camcorder, or a stereo.But in the iPad age, Sony seems to have all but disappeared from the marketplace for must-have gadgets. What happened? And how can its new CEO, Kazuo Hirai, turn the company around? Here, a guide to Sony's woes: How badly is Sony struggling? It's not pretty. The company is set to post a loss of $2. 7 billion for the current fiscal year. It was worth $100 billion in 2000, but since then has lost 80 percent of its value. And it's even struggling in its native Japan, where Apple f or the first time was just voted the country's top consumer brand. Where did Sony go wrong?Sony is an enormous company, and its movie unit (which produced the Spiderman movies) and music business (which distributes Adele and Taylor Swift) post profits. In fact, its biggest moneymaker is Sony Life, an insurance company. The problem is lackluster gadgets. Consumer electronics still account for half of Sony's sales, and the company's once-unrivaled television division, for example, â€Å"is drowning in red ink,† says Matt Burns at TechCrunch. Why can't it make another Walkman? Sony's â€Å"gift for innovation† came more easily when the company was â€Å"young and streamlined, not sprawling,† says Chico Harlan at The Washington Post.Sony has become an â€Å"unwieldy multiheaded beast,† says Burns, and is simply less focused on product development. Furthermore, Sony is reluctant to take the draconian steps — firing workers, for example — that are often necessary to make companies more nimble. Like other struggling Japanese companies, Sony still adheres â€Å"to cultural expectations of lifetime employment,† says Harlan. What is Sony's new CEO planning to do? Hirai, who took the helm on April 1, is proposing a new business structure called â€Å"Sony One,† which will see the company focus on gaming, mobile devices, and digital imaging.For a company that missed out â€Å"completely on the iPod era of portable music devices,† it's hoping to â€Å"make up for lost time† with a big splash in the smartphone industry, says Devindra Hardawar at VentureBeat. Gaming is still a â€Å"cash cow† for Sony, and its digital cameras are â€Å"better† than most, so the Sony One plan seems solid. Can it make a comeback? Hirai says he's willing to take the â€Å"painful† steps it will take, says Cliff Edwards at Bloomberg Businessweek, including cutting costs. But Sony will also have to do a bet ter job of wedding its gadgets with the vast music and movie content at its disposal.Sony's â€Å"engineers were slow to weave it all together, as Apple did seamlessly with its iPod and iTunes,† says Harlan. It's an ironic twist of fate for the reigning company â€Å"Apple and Steve Jobs were aiming to dethrone 15 years ago,† says Burns. Sony's Walkman Disappears With a Whimper Few tears were shed as Sony announced plans to shelve most editions of its once ubiquitous Walkman cassette player. The now-unwieldy device, which debuted in 1979, was credited with beginning the portable music player craze and ushering the transition of music fans â€Å"from listeners into users. But many columnists, instead of penning fond farewells to the iPod's ancestor, are bidding the device good riddance, asking why it wasn't discontinued â€Å"years ago. † Still, there were a more than a few who waxed nostalgic about those tinny headphones blaring their favorite '80s tunes. A Ver y Subdued Goodbye for the Device The Wall Street Journal's Daisuke Wakabayashi wonders how the iconic device managed to disappear so inconspicuously, especially in Japan. â€Å"Perhaps there was no raucous send-off in Japan, because the Walkman has come to symbolize, fairly or unfairly, how Sony relinquished its portable music player lead to Apple Inc. s iPod on its ways to taking a backseat to Steve Job’s seemingly endless string of hits†¦. To be sure, most consumer electronics products disappear with barely a whimper†¦. However, one can not help but think the Walkman and its incredible success deserved more than a gadget’s equivalent of a gold watch and a pat on the back. † ‘The Best Symbol of the Demise of Sony' Douglas A. McIntyre at 24/7 Wall Street pens a eulogy for the Walkman and, in turn, Sony. â€Å"There will be many histories of Sony written and most will question why the company was not more aggressive to court music companies and c reate its own iTunes store. Unfortunately, McIntyre argues, â€Å"Its digital version of the Walkman came to market too late†¦. The burial of the Walkman signals the death of Sony’s own ambitions in the portable multimedia device industry. It will be a case study at business schools for decades to teach how a company can lose a market it has dominated. † It Used to Be Amazing, Today It's ‘Kind of a Joke' Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall briefly recalls 1979. â€Å"It wasn't just that the device was small, though it was — not that much bigger than the size of a cassette itself.It was that the headphones were so small and managed to provide — right up against your ear — a surprising degree of audio fidelity. Remember, holding a boombox up on your shoulder wasn't just an affectation. It was the only real way to listen to music on the go. † We Wouldn't Have the iPod Without It After making the requisite quips about the Walkman (â€Å"at least it outlived disco†) CNet's Greg Sandoval notes that the devices designers â€Å"likely influenced† the eventual concept of the iPod. â€Å"[Steve] Jobs took portable music to a new level, one where even [Sony] couldn't compete.Jobs wrapped his offering around a cohesive and as yet unbeatable combination of hardware, software, and digital retail. Sony knew hardware but was at best so-so in retail and a total disaster at developing software (see Sony Connect). Some have speculated that Sony's failure to keep up in a segment that the company created was one of the reasons it has given the Walkman such a quiet send off. † ‘Enough Nostalgia. Let's Recall the Bad Times. ‘ NPR's Jacob Ganz remembers the music players with little fondness. Walkman was all about smaller and cheaper: headphones were light, but breakable. You could hear your music on the go; so could everyone else, since the speakers in the headphones were so bad that you had t o crank the volume. † It also had the interesting effect of turning â€Å"music into a drug, boiled down into capsules that were lower in purity but easier to acquire and manipulate. The device itself may have been too rigid and flawed to survive changing times, but the Walkman changed us from listeners into users. † 30 facts from 30 years of the Sony WalkmanThe first Walkman was launched 30 years ago today Related stories Three decades ago today, Sony launched the Walkman in Japan. It changed how and where we listened to music and its legacy and name still continue today. To celebrate the anniversary of the launch, we've gathered together 30 facts from the last 30 years of one of tech's biggest product icons. 1. The idea for the Walkman came from Masaru Ibuka, the founder of Sony. He was a regular user of the 1978 TC-D5 portable tape recorder, but found it too heavy.He and Sony's Executive Deputy President Norio Oga challenged Nobutoshi Kihara to come up with a simple, playback-only stereo version of the small Pressman tape recorder. 2. Despite initial troubles with batteries and the strangeness of a large pair of headphones teamed with a small device, Ibuka said to Sony's Chairman Akio Morita â€Å"Don't you think a stereo cassette player that you can listen to while walking around is a good idea? † 3. Over 300 different Walkman models have now been produced. 4. Walkman was chosen as a name partly because of the popularity of Superman in 1979. 5.In early 1979, Morita held a meeting in which he held up the prototype Pressman-derived device and said the product should be manufactured and would be a hit among the young. He gave the engineering team less than four months to produce the model, which needed to launch in June. 6. Due to the short time frame, members of the engineering team had to work through the night two or three times a week. 7. The first H-AIR MDR3 headphones weighed just 50 grams at a time when most headphones were 300-400 grams. They were being developed in Sony's research labs at the time of the Walkman project. . By June 1989, a decade after the original, 50 million units had been shipped. 9. Morita ordered an initial production run of 30,000 Walkman units to be made – double the montly sales of the best-selling tape recorder. Poor initial response and sales 10. The first TPS-L2 model was shown to the press on 22 June 1979. Journalists were driven to a park, given a Walkman and were told to walk around while listening to an explanation of the Walkman in stereo. 11. However, initial press responses were very lukewarm. They believed it wouldn't take off. 2. By the end of the first month on sale only 3,000 units had been sold. 13. Retailers weren't keen on the product as they didn't think they could sell something that wouldn't record. 14. Yet, the word of the Walkman spread quickly among the young in Summer 1979. So much so that Marui Department Store placed an order for 10,000 units – even though major Japanese retail was still ignoring it. 15. The initial batch of 30,000 units sold out by the end of August and Sony had problems fulfilling orders for the rest of the year. 6. A worldwide launch was planned for six months after the Walkman's Japanese launch, but Sony subsidiaries didn't like the Walkman name. 17. Other proposed names were Soundabout in the US, Freestyle in Sweden and Stowaway in the UK. 18. But Morita went on a business trip and in both France and the UK people asked him when they would be able to get a Walkman. The name was already set in stone. 19. The latest Walkman line is the X-Series portable video player. A complete success 20.To emphasise the nature of the product, the 1979 launch event was held outside with Walkman demos in the form of people roller skating or cycling while listening to the device. 21. 100 million units were shipped by 1992. 22. In 1986 the name Walkman was included in the Oxford English Dictionary. 23. Many at Sony initia lly felt that the Walkman should be able to record, but Morita was determined to produce a playback-only unit. 24. Again, due to the short time frame, the development team was told not to worry too much about what the original Walkman looked like. 25.In the UK, the first Walkman in the UK came with stereo and two mini headphone jacks – even though it only had one pair of MDR-3L2 headphones. 26. Sony does not like Walkman to be pluralised in the traditional form – either as Walkmans or Walkmen. 27. The first Discman was launched as early as 1984 – the D-50 or D-5. Later models included ESP for shock protection. 28. 1992 saw the launch of the digital re-recordable, MiniDisc Walkman. 29. The Sports line of waterproof players was introduced in 1983. 30. Incredibly, Sony still manufacturers cassette-based Walkman players today.

Found Dog Flyer Essay

According 2013 IPCC Status Report on Climate Change, climate change is occurring due to global warming. Observational evidence is coming back from all continents and most oceans, And it shows that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes particularly temperature increases. There is much scientific data backing the (intergovernmental panel on climate change) with conclusions and facts, based on changes in weather patterns (increasing temperatures, changes in snow and ice including, permafrost) also according to findings there is a high confidence that natural water systems, are also affected including, enlargement and increased numbers of glacial lakes, settlements in mountain regions are at high risk of outburst floods caused by melting glaciers. Governmental institutions in some areas are responding to the problems caused by global climate changes by building drainage networks and dams. The climate changes also lead to increasing volatility in storms and wild fires, droughts, and reduced energy demand’s and increasing sea levels. The aspects of climate change we are certain of are as follows, increased water availability in moist tropics and high latitudes, and decreasing water availability and increasing drought in mid-latitudes and semi-arid low latitudes, hundreds of millions of people exposed to increased water stress causing localized negative impacts on small business and coastal areas, and increased damage from floods and storms, and leading to erosion in coastal areas in addition based on satellite observations since the early 1980s there is high confidence that there has been a trend in many regions towards earlier â€Å"greening† ( measured by the normalized difference vegetation index) Of vegetation in the spring linked to longer thermal growing seasons due to recent warming. About which we are uncertain is many of the long term effects of climate change. The main factors determining climate change are carbon dioxide and pH levels in the environment, and are mainly a result of human activity with factors  such as carbon emissions. The report states phenomenon and directions of trends and, passes assumptions based on past trends are believed to wide spread effects on water systems but not limited to in addition to food and water shortages, increased death food and water borne diseases and wide spread erosion. Many assumptions are made based solely on passed trends I feel some of are inconclusive due to the lack of data in the report to support. And in conclusion This is my first time in a college class like this and everything is new to me and I need a lot more research to draw any more conclusions, and I am uncertain of information that is missing to support more of the causes.

Free Essays on What Is The Difference

What is the Difference? â€Å"Each individual’s journey through life is unique. Some will make this journey alone, others in loving relationships- maybe in marriage or other forms of commitment. We need to ponder our own choices and try to understand the choices of others. Love has many shapes, colors, and is not finite. It can not be measured or defined in terms of sexual orientation.†** As we are all aware, there is much of a debate on homosexual couples having the right to be legally married. There are two articles that (I have found to be the best detailed) strongly support the legalizing same sex marriages are; Iowa Representative Ed Fallon’s speech to the House in 1996, and an article from the Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples. On February 20, 1996 and Iowa Representative (Ed Fallon) was reading his speech to the House of Representatives discussing why he supports the legalization of same sex marriage. Naturally, he started his speech, by stating this debate and how their vote would affect the public’s point of view. He used many examples of â€Å"pink-baiting.† He felt that by creating gay and lesbian unions, instead of legalizing gay marriage, this would only reinforce homophobia and gay bashing. He stressed the idea that heterosexuals need only to accept homosexuals. In order to do this, Representative Fallon, had stated that we all need to put an end to fear and stereotypes, and start seeing each other as fellow human beings. (I, totally agree) that that this is a civil rights issue, and it poses no threat to the society. There is another argument that I think would help clarify the up more it was written by the co-director of the Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples. He (like others) believes that marriage is not only a religious agreement, but also has legal and civil status. According to his article, â€Å"Legal marriage triggers 150-250 laws in every U.S. state, as well as more than... Free Essays on What Is The Difference Free Essays on What Is The Difference What is the Difference? â€Å"Each individual’s journey through life is unique. Some will make this journey alone, others in loving relationships- maybe in marriage or other forms of commitment. We need to ponder our own choices and try to understand the choices of others. Love has many shapes, colors, and is not finite. It can not be measured or defined in terms of sexual orientation.†** As we are all aware, there is much of a debate on homosexual couples having the right to be legally married. There are two articles that (I have found to be the best detailed) strongly support the legalizing same sex marriages are; Iowa Representative Ed Fallon’s speech to the House in 1996, and an article from the Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples. On February 20, 1996 and Iowa Representative (Ed Fallon) was reading his speech to the House of Representatives discussing why he supports the legalization of same sex marriage. Naturally, he started his speech, by stating this debate and how their vote would affect the public’s point of view. He used many examples of â€Å"pink-baiting.† He felt that by creating gay and lesbian unions, instead of legalizing gay marriage, this would only reinforce homophobia and gay bashing. He stressed the idea that heterosexuals need only to accept homosexuals. In order to do this, Representative Fallon, had stated that we all need to put an end to fear and stereotypes, and start seeing each other as fellow human beings. (I, totally agree) that that this is a civil rights issue, and it poses no threat to the society. There is another argument that I think would help clarify the up more it was written by the co-director of the Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples. He (like others) believes that marriage is not only a religious agreement, but also has legal and civil status. According to his article, â€Å"Legal marriage triggers 150-250 laws in every U.S. state, as well as more than...

Microeconomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Microeconomics - Assignment Example A good graphical representation of functional utility is shown below. Marginal rate of substitution represents the rate at which customers are ready to give up one commodity in order to exchange while ensuring a same level of utility. MRS varies with points along the indifference hence it is vital to keep locally in the definition. In addition, MRS of a commodity X is equivalent to the marginal utility of X over the marginal utility of Y. a. An increase in the price of a normal good: This had direct effect of changes in income on consumption choice. In this case, consumers buy more goods when their income rises as the prices remain fixed in the market. In this case, a change in the income of the buyer causes the demand curve to shift. This is evident through a negatively sloped demand curve to counter the space in the exhibit. Therefore, the increase in demand causes an increase in demand and a shift to the right of the demand curve for living space. b. A decrease in the price of an inferior good: In the market, a decrease in the prices of such goods leads to increase in the equilibrium quantity demanded. Therefore, the substitution effect would force the consumer to buy more of the good. c. An increase in the price of a Giffen good: In economics, an increase in the prices of Giffen good increases the quantity of the good that is demanded in the market. This results to an upward sloping demand curve due to interactions of the income and substitution effects. The income effect can be positive or negative when the price of these goods

Characteristics of an enterpreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Characteristics of an enterpreneur - Essay Example Not only does he invent but also oversees the progress and performance of the business venture. According to most economists, an entrepreneur is one who is willing to bear the risk of a new business venture if there is a significant chance for profit (Davidsson 70). Entrepreneurial ventures are considerably different and depend on the type of organization, individual and creativity involved. The ventures range in scale from solo projects to major undertakings creating many job opportunities. Various entrepreneurial ventures include establishing a communications store that get people talking by selling cell phones and other devices, starting a mobile computer training that prevents employees from having to leave their offices to undertake computer courses, starting a glass shop that collects and recycles used glass materials, the list practically endless as noted by Parker (66). What is needed to be a Successful Entrepreneur In order to succeed in doing business, an entrepreneur must have a great deal of passion in their undertakings. In other words, he or she must love what he does, passion driving him/her toward working harder and harder toward set objectives. With hard work, the business person becomes more productive and much happier with time. Yet another trait that the entrepreneur must posses is persistence (Krueger 23). This means that the entrepreneur must be determined to succeed in all that they do. They must be prepared to overcome daily challenges and to do the things that they may not like to do. The entrepreneur must also be able to work toward achieving an ultimate goal in a creative way. Since the entrepreneur always desires to grow and meets challenges along the way, he/she has always to think about the next step to take. For example, the business person must always think of creating a new product, business, or service. Being creative on how to address conflict and service to customers and willingness to engage in new and exciting ideas will pl ace the entrepreneur above many competitors. He or she must be independent, ready to make things happen and very disciplined in managing time. A good entrepreneur should be intuitive. Always able to look beyond the obvious and able to make quick decisions that may affect the business. A good entrepreneur must be self-confident, always optimistic and maintaining faith in what he or she does. This allows the entrepreneur to be realistic and open minded and not afraid to ask questions and take risks on the journey to success. Yet again, the entrepreneur needs be hardworking and ready to forego comfort so as to realize the laid down objectives (Barrow, Brown &Clarke 20). In order to succeed in any business one must possess certain attributes and acquire specific knowledge and necessary business skills. Personal qualities are important, such as the desire for continuous education, self motivation, discipline, clear vision, and a great passion. Beyond the personal attributes business men and women must be good communicators. They need to be good in both written and spoken language. This will ensure that the business person establishes good understanding with the clients. The business people also need to be socially networked. This is because in business, it is more of who you know than who you don’t know. One current customer is worth more than several other potential customers. One