Saturday, August 31, 2019

MHCC is just for Me Essay

When I graduated high school, I knew that if I wanted to get ahead in life I was going to have to get into college. Not knowing exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, made me worry about spending money on a traditional four year university. I realized that there were several cheaper options for a higher education were around my area. Starting my education at a community college seemed like the right step for me once I understood that the credits would all transfer to a university that I could choose at a later date. This was my first sensible step towards furthering my education. The problem was trying to decide which college to go to. I had to choose from Portland community college (PCC), Clackamas (CCC) or Mount Hood (MHCC). After sorting through the pros and cons, some of which were proximity to home and work, class availability and, helpful resources, it became clear which college was right for me. MHCC was my choice because it convenient for me. When choosing which community college to attend, the first thought was the distance from both work and home. I knew that I needed a place that was close enough to where I work so that I could take as many classes as I needed and not have to worry that I am going to be late for work because of traffic or some other distraction. Another reason that I need a place that was close is to save gas, as I am currently paying my own tuition and saving money is essential for a financially deprived student. It turns out Mt. Hood is only five miles away from my house, and even more convenient was that it was right down the street from where I work. With MHCC being so close to my work and home and I am only late to class because of my oversleeping. I have also been able to fit in extra classes every semester because of the time I save to squeeze it in without having to ask for any additional time off from work. I am currently working part time job at Bi-Mart so flexibility with scheduling is necessity for my schooling. My current situation for school is that I get to decide which two days I am off, and with those two days I can create my school schedule. MHCC scheduling is so convenient because that the same class that I may need could be taught by several different instructors which all have different times and different days allowing me to shape a schedule that will fit. This has really allowed me to appreciate the classes that are held twice a week for that reason. My usually schedule for school can sometimes take me all day. It starts with a morning class around eight all the way through the day until an evening course till around eight. Without the classes held only two days a week I don’t know how long it would take for me to graduate. One of the resources that I keep constantly using at Mt. Hood is the Learning Center’s tutors up on the second floor of the main campus l ibrary. I know that I am not the only student in the class room, so when I cannot get a meeting with the teacher to go over class items that I do not understand clearly I go to the tutor center. When I am up there I can receive all the help that I need for any school work that I am behind in. I know this because I go to the math tutor all the time for help just to get help that I need. I also have gone to the writing tutor in the past to help with papers that I get stuck on. I know that I am not a very strong writer and not all the rules of grammar stick with me, so knowing that there is a person that can help me makes me a more confident student and it makes me feel like I can achieve more. The convenience of the tutoring center has allowed me to be a better student. To be honest without MHCC, I don’t know if I would have the drive to go to another school. When thinking about the future it makes me cringe sometimes. If anything I have learned from working at Bi-Mart, I know that working dead end jobs as a lifestyle is not going to be in my best interest if I want to achieve something in my life. For that I consider Mount Hood to be a great school to attend. I am glad that I could find a school that could fit into my life and my future goals. At MHCC I have learned so much, and have improved both my writing and math. I know that furthering myself with an education is only going to benefit me in the time ahead and with the education at Mt. Hood I know that when I am able to transfer to that four year university I know that I will have the tools to be able to succeed not only there but beyond the university as well.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Branding Bangladesh Essay

We would always be available and ready to explain further any of the contexts whenever asked. Sincerely yours, Members of the Brainstormers Acknowledgements Any comprehensive work such as report making owes credit to multitude of people. Certainly, we should acknowledge the contributions of the pioneers in the field of marketing & branding, especially those whose teachings have become a part of our thinking. First we commit ourselves grateful to almighty Allah who gives us power and knowledge to complete the report. Then we acknowledge our honorable course teacher Rafiuddin Ahmed; who has opened the door of knowledge in front of us. Through the whole semester he has broaden our outlook in Pricing and related sector. Next we acknowledge the Writer of the book who has helped a lot by writing a core book on: Strategic Brand Management (3rd Edition) -Kevin Lane Keller Without the direct and indirect support of these dear people this report would not exist. Contents |Serial No. | Topic Name |Page no. | |1 |Introducing Sundarbans |12 | |2 Nation Branding |13 | |3 |Branding Bangladesh |13-14 | |4 |Why select Sundarbans |14 | |5 |Branding Sundarbans |15-18 | |6 |Main attractions |19-20 | |7 |Requirements and recommendations |21 | |8 |Key Development strategies for Branding Sundarbans |22-25 | |9 |Conlusion |26 | |10 |Reference |27 | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In our report, we have discussed about a very significant phenomenon and that is our country’s natural pride Sundarbans. No other thing is so important for our nation in branding our country than the one and only Sundarbans. It is our nation’s very much blessing from God that, he has given it upon us. Not only its natural beauty but also its natural resources have made us very resourceful. Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world and it was on the short list of the new natural Seven Wonders of the World. The most amazing matter about Sundarban is that, it is the only forest in the world where the Royal Bengal Tiger lives. This Bengal tiger is a very rare animal in the world and its now on the verge of extinction. Most part of the Sundarban is water covered area and that is why it is called mangrove forest. Bangladesh can easily brand this mangrove forest and could gain a lot of attention of the foreigners. As a UNESCO world heritage site, the government of Bangladesh can make this extraordinary forest much more attractive to the outside world especially to the westerners. This â€Å"Beautiful Forest† sundarbans is the thing that we can proud of very much. It can be the main attraction for the visitors who love forests. The beauty and natural resource of the Sundarbans can symbolize the natural beauty of Bangladesh. The name may have been derived from the  Sundari  trees (the mangrove species  Heritiera fomes) that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers. Tourism as an industry can have all grounds to contribute to the national exchequer along with other industries. Perhaps, it sounds quite new when it comes up as industry in our country but tourism is one of the oldest industries across the world. As we look into the growth of tourism in the region, we do come to see bewildering facts that many countries of this region those developed quite a lot in industry did not have substantial natural advantages to turn tourism into industry. Though Sundarban consists of two countries- Bangladesh and India, most part of it are located in the Bangladesh portion. And again most number of royal Bengal tiger also live in the Bangladesh part. For that reason, it can easily be a tourist attraction and thus could become a good tourist spot for the tourists all over the world. Introduction As a student of marketing, we have to acquire a thorough knowledge about nation branding and country image. As a result to brand our own country is a very big as well as effective effort for us to achieve that knowledge. Moreover, the worthwhile thing is that, Sundarbans could be a good area of interest for the foreigners to visit our country. The Sundarbans provides a unique ecosystem and a rich wildlife habitat. According to the 2011 tiger census, the Sundarbans have about 270 tigers. Although previous rough estimates had suggested much higher figures close to 300, the 2011 census provided the first ever scientific estimate of tigers from the area. The management of wildlife is presently restricted to, firstly, the protection of fauna from poaching, and, secondly, designation of some areas as wildlife sanctuaries where no extraction of  forest produce  is allowed and where the wildlife face few disturbances. Although the fauna of Bangladesh have diminished in recent times[  and the Sundarbans has not been spared from this decline, the mangrove forest retains several good wildlife habitats and their associated fauna. Of these, the tiger and dolphin are target species for planning wildlife management and tourism development. There is high profile and vulnerable mammals living in two contrasting environments, and their statuses and management are strong indicators of the general condition and management of wildlife. Origin As a marketing student it is necessary to know different tactics and policies available to the term of Branding. The main purpose of our report is to make it an efficient as well as well-concerned item for a branding manifesto in the criteria of nation branding. Our teacher Mr. Rafiuddin Ahmed has been very much concerned with our topic and helped us in every step to create this wonderful report. The most important aspect of this report is that it has the latest information about the country aspect, the natural resources allocation items, the forest related articles and much more. It is a report which consists of all the current stuffs about the nature, the scenario, the natural habitat issue related to Sundarbans. Mostly our report is based on the nation branding that means we are very much focused to brand our country by Sundarbans and it is our main view of making this report. Therefore the natural scenario and the tourist attraction are all covered in this report about the Sundarbans. The most general view of this report is that, if a general person reads this report, he or she could easily understand the branding in Bangladesh and its current market situation, position, relevance in our country. Many organizations and renowned personalities of the world have made their report according to this planning process. Therefore to make this report meaningful and acceptable, we have tried our best to do this work a perfect one. Objectives Every report has some objectives. There are one broad objective and some specific objectives in their respective field. Our report on ‘Sources of Nation Branding’ has some specific objectives and a broad objective. Broad objective To make Sundarbans as a major branding element for Bangladesh. Specific objectives: ? To know the branding aspects of Sundarbans. ? To know the current tourism situations. ? To explain the various branding ways to brand our nation. Methodology We prepared one third of our report from secondary sources. We collected all the required information from different reference books, journal and related papers. All the members of our group worked hard in seminar for preparing this report. We also followed our text book for collecting some necessary information. The sheets provided by our course teacher also helped a lot for preparing report. Limitations We face some specific problem while preparing this report. These problems created some barriers to go ahead. Those specific problems are – 1. We didn’t get enough time to prepare this report, that’s why we prepared the report in a hurry. 2. We also had some financial problems to prepare the report. 3. We didn’t get all the required materials for enhancing the report. Introducing Sundarbans Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It is listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Two third of the Sundarbans remain in Bangladesh and the rest of it are situated in the India. The name  Sundarban  can be literally translated as â€Å"beautiful forest† in the  Bengali language  (Shundor, â€Å"beautiful† and  bon, â€Å"forest†). The name may have been derived from the  Sundari  trees (the mangrove species  Heritiera fomes) that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a corruption of  Samudraban  Shomudrobon  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sea Forest†) or  Chandra-bandhe  (name of a primitive tribe). However, the generally accepted view is the one associated with  Sundari  trees. The history of the area can be traced back to 200–300 AD. A ruin of a city built by  Chand Sadagar  has been found in the Baghmara Forest Block. During the  Mughal  period, the Mughal Kings leased the forests of the Sundarbans to nearby residents. Many criminals took refuge in the Sundarbans from the advancing armies of Emperor  Akbar. Many have been known to be attacked by Tigers  Many of the buildings which were built by them later fell to hands of Portuguese pirates, salt smugglers and dacoits in the 17th century. Evidence of the fact can be traced from the ruins at Netidhopani and other places scattered all over Sundarbans. The legal status of the forests underwent a series of changes, including the distinction of being the first  mangrove  forest in the world to be brought under scientific management. The area was mapped first in Persian, by the  Surveyor General  as early as 1764 following soon after proprietary rights were confiscated from the  Mughal Emperor Alamgir II  by the  British  East India Company  in 1757. Since the British had no expertise or adaptation in mangrove forests. Systematic management of this forest tract started in the 1860s after the establishment of a Forest Department in the  Province  of  Bengal, in  British India. The management was entirely designed to extract whatever treasures were available, but labor and lower management mostly were staffed by locals. Nation Branding Nation Branding is the establishment of an image (internally and externally) for a country based on positive and relevant values and perceptions. Nation branding aims to measure build and manage the reputation of countries (closely related to place branding). Some approaches applied, such as an increasing importance on the symbolic value of products, have led countries to emphasize their distinctive characteristics. The branding and image of a nation-state and the successful transference of this image to its exports – is just as important as what they actually produce and sell. This is also referred to as country-of-origin effect. Nation branding is still a developing field in which scholars continue their search for a unified theoretical framework. Many governments have resource dedicated to Nation Branding. Their aim is to improve their country’s standing, as the image and reputation of a nation can dramatically influence its success in attracting tourism receipts and investment capital; in exports; in attracting a talented and creative workforce and in its cultural and political influence in the world. Simon Anholt is widely considered to be the â€Å"founder†, â€Å"champion† and â€Å"instigator† of this concept and field of study and practice. Branding Bangladesh Like other countries, Bangladesh has started to brand her and trying to figure out the resources, capabilities, acumen in the related field. We have lots of scopes/opportunities; resources say novel laureates, historical places, longest beach in the world, culture, manpower, cuisine etc. Lack of proper branding initiative and expertise, we are lagging behind form the race of branding the country. Simon Anholt identifies 6 criteria for branding a nation. They are: 1. Tourism, 2. Exports, 3. Governance, 4. Investment ; immigration, 5. Culture and heritage and 6. People. Tourism sector Tourism sector has a lot of potentiality for branding. It can be our major criteria for branding. We can create a positive brand image about Bangladesh by branding our beautiful tourist area. Because most of the people when think about any country, the first visual image come to mind that the tourism place of the country. We have many place in the country which is full of natural beauty, they need to be properly advertised and maintained. Why Select Sundarbans We have the largest mangrove forest in the world. This is The Sundarbans. The Sundarbans over the years attracts adventurous forest product collectors, hunters, nature and wildlife lovers, researchers, and tourists. The beauty and natural resource of the Sundarbans can symbolize the natural beauty of Bangladesh. It has the unique beauty with the dazzling expanse of green, the blue heaven overhead meeting the horizon, the playful high tide and the ebb, the very smell of life in the air and the pristine sea beach. The Sundarbans play an important role in the economy of the southwestern region of Bangladesh as well as in the national economy. It is the single largest source of forest produce in the country. The forest has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1999. So, we select Sundarbans for Branding Bangladesh. Branding Sundarbans The word â€Å"brand† is widely used but unequally understood. Its meaning ranges from source country to consumer’s perception about a product. In today’s world, consumer perception gets more currency. If we put it simply, a brand is defined as a name, term, sign, symbol, design, or a combination of all these elements that is intended to identify the goods or services of a seller and differentiate them from competitors. According to marketing guru Philip Kotler, â€Å"Brand image is the set of beliefs consumers hold about a particular brand. † Simon Anholt, pioneer of nation branding, argues that brand is intangible because it has brand value as outlined in his book Brand New Justice. The brand value lies in the trust of a brand name for quality and reliability, a form of guarantee for its reputation, a promise the brand delivers and the service it provides to the consumers. An increasing importance of the symbolic value of products has led marketers and, consequently, policy makers of countries to leverage their products with distinctive characteristics of the country of origin. Here comes the concept of ‘place branding’. Dr Heather Skinner provides a comprehensive definition of place branding: â€Å"a place’s promotional activities, contextualized in the domain of marketing communications, marking the place with a distinct identity in the minds of the various target groups targeted by the incorporated place, from an inside-out approach, assuring the place’s multiple stakeholders, in partnership, manage and communicate the place’s brand identity to a wider world as they wished it to be presented. † The idea of nation branding is an extended form of ‘place branding’. Nation branding focuses on the nation as a whole — its people, culture and heritage, products and exports, investment, climate, tourism and so on. Bangladesh must take care of its own brand. This means that it must invest in its brand. It must manage and promote its brand. This is a task that must be taken by the government. The government has to take initiative to identify the full agenda of the country and mobilise the power. For this, the government needs to involve the key stakeholders. Participation in the branding process would encourage the stakeholders to promote the brand. The government, with a positive initiative, can get the willing support of other stakeholders. Every citizen and organization in a country would like to share a positive image of the country. A successful brand will represent the diverse. A good brand will take into account the inherent complexities and, at the same time, it will differentiate the nation from the others, putting it in the best light possible, without exaggeration or distortion. Bangladesh is a wonderful Country in the world. Bangladesh has many tourist spot. All spot are very attractive and well-known. Sundarban is one of them. It is more beautiful place for the Tourist. The largest mangrove forest in the World (140,000 ha). The World famous Royal Bengal Tiger’s homeland and about 400 tigers live in sundarban. About 30,000 wonderful spotted deer live in sundarban. There are many Tourist Spot in Sundarban. We have the largest mangrove forest in the world. This is The Sundarbans. It can be the main attraction for the visitors who love forests. The beauty and natural resource of the Sundarbans can symbolizes the natural beauty of Bangladesh. place. Our most of the tea garden is situated in Sylhet district. It can symbolize the beautiful image of Bangladesh. KATKA Katka is one of Heritage sites in Sunderban. In Katka there is a wooden watching tower of 40 ft. high from where you can enjoy the scenic beauty of Sundarban. A beautiful sea beach is there is Katka; you will enjoy while you are walking to go the beach from the watching tower. Verities birds are visible in Katka. Most beautiful place in sundarban. Kotka beach is truely magnificent. This sand track   is five km long. I heard   Kotka Beach is beautiful. But, it was more than beautiful. Moreover, it is built by nature and cared by nature. We were standing in front of Bay of Bengal and behind us there was the largest mangrove forest of the world. The weather was perfect to take a sea bath. We made a lot of joy while some other were too busy to keep the snaps of this beautiful place in a beautiful day. We   stayed there till noon and then slowly made a return walk through the mysterious jungle of Sundarban again. It was really a thrilling walk. If one are interested to go to kotka beach, you will find it  Ã‚  south-east of  Ã‚  Nilkamal  Ã‚  in the range of the Sundarbans. Usually it is convenient to start from the nearby island of Mongla (Khulna) by a variety of different boats, such as speedboats and cabin cruisers. The World famous Royal Bengal Tiger’s homeland and about 400 tigers live in sundarban. About 30,000 wonderful spotted deer live in sundarban. There are many Tourist Spot in Sundarban. Katka is one of Heritage sites in Sunderban. Katka a base for safaris, and well spot to see tigers and for bird-watching. Katka is well known for many rare and majestic wild animals. At Katka, one can see many precious wild animals right from tigers to deer and also varieties of birds and many kinds of monkeys. Here one can hear the natures’ music mixed with the wild fowls in the mornings and evenings. For those interested in wildlife trekking, the vast expanse of grassy meadows running from Katka to Kachikhali (Tiger Point) is an ideal route. Don’t miss this place if you are an adventurous tourist. HIRAN POINT This is another tourist spot in Sunderban. It is called the world heritage state. You can enjoy the beauty of wild nature and dotted dears walking and running in Hiron point. There is number of spot in sundarban. Hiron Point is another tourist spot in Sunderban. It is called the world heritage state. Hiron Point is a graceful spot, great for spotting tigers and other spectacular and rare wildlife animals. Also known as Nilkamal, it is well-known for tiger, deer, monkey, crocodiles and many precious birds. Often they are looking out there. This place attracts many tourists owing to its natural beauty and connate splendor. This is a place to have a look at the rare species of wild animals and birds, to be noted in the diary of bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts. Every visitors can Enjoy their time by watching this beautiful sinary of the nature. Here land and water meet in many novel fashions, Wildlife presents many a spectacle. No wonder, you may come across a Royal Bengal Tiger swimming across the streams or the crocodiles basking on the river banks. With the approach of the evening herds of deer make for the darking glades where boisterous monkeys shower Keora leaves from above for sumptuous meal for the former. For the botanist, the lover of nature, the poet and the painter this land provides a variety of wonder for which they all crave. Its  beauty  lies in its unique natural surroundings. MAIN ATTRACTIONS Wildlife photography including photography of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger, wildlife viewing, boating inside the forest will call recordings, nature study, meeting fishermen, wood-cutters and honey-collectors, peace and tranquility in the wilderness, seeing the world’s largest mangrove forest and the riverine beauty. FAMOUS SPOTS The main tourist spots in Sundarban are Karamjol, Katka, Kochikhali, Hiron point and Mandarbaria. Hiron Point (Nilkamal) for tiger, deer, monkey, crocodiles, birds and natural beauty. Katka for deer, tiger, crocodiles, varieties of birds and monkey, morning and evening symphony of wild fowls. Vast expanse of grassy meadows running from Katka to Kachikhali (Tiger Point) provides opportunities for wild tracking. Tin Kona Island for tiger and deer. KARAMJOL Karmajal is one of the wonderful visiting places in sundarban. To appreciate and to view the most cherished species of Bangladesh’s wildlife, thousands of visitors make their way to Karamjol, a ranger station deep in the forest that also serves as a deer-breeding center. Bangladesh has some exquisite wildlife species that are unique to the country, and Karamjol is one of the gateways to the majestic wildlife sanctuary, Sundarban. About karamjol: Karamjol is one of the gateways to the majestic wildlife sanctuary, Sundarban. ? Karamjol, a ranger station deep in the forest that also serves as a deer-breeding center. ? In the year 1966, the 38 500 square kilometers of Sundarban was declared a wildlife sanctuary . ? Hunting in this area is strictly prohibited and illegal. ? Karamjol is one the main tourist attraction point in shundarban. ? Every year thousands of visitors make their trip to karamjol. ? The preservation and conservation of rare and endangered species, such as the Royal Bengal Tigers, are the primary concern of this national park. Wildlife of karamjol the treasure of karamjol is its wildlife. t is a kind of the focal point for the tourists. here one can enjoy the true sprite of the amateur forest. here one can see many kinds of species from birds to crocodiles. The lists of wildlife are following thereby: 1. Mammal, 2. Insect. 3. Bird species (260 species). 4. Reptiles and fish (120 species). 5. Wildlife enthusiast can look forward to viewing River Dolphins. 6. Salt-Water Crocodiles. 7. Deer. 8. Wild boar. 9. Ducks. 10. Sandpipers. 11. Moths. 12. Monkeys. 13. Snakes. 14. Foxes. 15. And the ever elusive and graceful Royal Bengal Tiger. Requirements and Recommended Items The requirements to make a trip to karamjol are quite easy and hassle free. they are following thereby: Visitors who are elicited in catching a glimpse of the breathtaking wildlife of Bangladesh at Karamjol and Sundarban must first gain permission from the Forest Officer before entering the forest. ? And vaccines against Cholera must be taken before leaving for Karamjol. ? Other recommended items for the trip include dressing according to the tropical climate. ? boots with rubber soles or comfortable walking shoes ? Adequate drinking water. ? Insect repellent. ? A medical kit. ? Anti-diarrhea medication. ? And ant-malarial medication is also proposed. Karamjol and the breathtaking natural world of the Sundarban Wildlife Sanctuary await the adventurous traveler. To stand in one of the world’s largest mangrove belts, the mysterious forests and swamp land, and be amidst he picturesque jungle of Bangladesh, is an experience that will stay forever embedded in the hearts of those who come to explore Bangladesh. DUBLAR CHOR Bangladesh is a wonderful country. Along with sky touching hills and forests there are a lot of majestic beaches and islands. Dublar chor is one of them. This island is an awesome place for visitors. This beautiful little island can be found on the southern border of the Sundarbans. It looks onto the magnificent bay of bangle, providing visitors with some outstanding views. It can be said that Dublar Chor is like paradise in the Bay of Bengle. Around 50,000 individuals stop here every year. Many of these visitors are local, but each year more and more foreigners seem to be added t o the mix. One of the main reasons that so many people make the trip out to Dublar Char annually is because it is the best location to celebrate Rash Mela and holy bath. This Hindu festival is based on the meeting of Radha and Krishna a pairing which is celebrated by a three-day long annual festival. The tradition dates back more than 200 years and is incredibly exciting for both local and international visitors . The island is beautiful and awesome†- that’s what I can say about the Dublar Char. The beach Is a nice one. And the water is like glass. Most important thing is that there is no  pollution  in the island. All are built by nature and taken care of by nature. Forest is very near and you can feel it. | | | | | | Dublar Char, a beautiful island known for its picturesque scenes, is famous for fishing and is a place for fishermen with abundant of fish fauna. One can enjoy the fishing here, The Island has all the natural beauty of any of the world renowned Islands. It is an attractive island where herds of spotted deer are often seen to graze. A casual walk around the Island provides the tourist with the chance of spotting many wild animals. With water all around and with lots of fish fauna, Dublar Char offers unique experience to the enthusiastic visitors. Key Development strategies for Branding Sundarbans 1. Establishing Priority Zones: Overall development of tourism in a country is a huge task that should be a coordinated effort while stakeholders, both public and private one, must reach a consensus in designing and creating priority zones for tourism in Bangladesh. Selecting priority zones is something that needs special focus and consideration from different sectors like Ministry of Civil Aviation & Tourism in collaboration with Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, different Chambers of Commerce & Industries, and interested corporate houses. To present an international standard Tourism Site, we not only have to take soft policies but also have to take hard policies as well. We ought to realize and believe that Branding for Sundarbans for the international visitors needs to understand the nature of available Tourism facilities they are interested in. 2. Marketing Mix Strategy: For any commercial venture appropriate marketing mix can play a dominating role along with other relevant mechanisms. When it comes to marketing mix for Sundarbans, the concept of marketing mix has to be understood in a way that the industry can become objectively profit oriented by using all its competitive advantages. The 7P’s, that is – Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence, of the marketing mix needs to pragmatically be considered to create effective market oriented customer services that can attract the local and international customers. There are sea, hill, historical and cultural tourism products in Bangladesh. That is why the nature of marketing strategy or product strategy should comply with the regions and its vicinity. Tourism as an invisible sector especially international tourism, as one of the most vibrant indistinguishable export sectors, get significant amount of foreign exchange to the balance of payment and makes very important contribution to the economic growth of a country (Hossain 2006). Tourism is regarded as an invisible export because it has the potential to bring foreign exchange to a country, through the provision of services to overseas visitors (Davidson 1994). 3. Branding Bangladesh as a Largest Mangrove Forest: In order to promote any country as tourist destination the collective efforts from the different stakeholders are mandatory because the bigger success of the promotion abroad depends on creating and presenting a very positive image of the country where the role of branding plays a definitive performance. So far as our tourism experiences are concerned our biggest fallout in tourism is lack of brand image. Briton (1979) in his article â€Å"the image of the third world in tourism marketing† pointed out the inability of the tourism industry to represent destinations as real places and noted that the third world destinations are portrayed as paradise, unspoiled, sensuous, mystical and/or exotic and these types of representation affect tourists’ expectations and behavior. As a result, branding Tourism in Bangladesh is a part of Branding Bangladesh as a nation, what means that Bangladesh should be branded first as a nation so that the products of the Bangladesh can be placed in the other parts of the world. Baker (2007) argues that creating a brand that is going to stand out from competitors, resonate with customer needs, and gain the support of local stakeholders requires patience, vision, collaboration, and strategic thinking. This is the high time for us to have a collective branding approach for Bangladeshi products abroad in general and for tourism in Bangladesh in particular. 4. Communications Strategy: Communication means a total sum of different facilities provided by roads and transports, power and energy, telecom and ICT based communication and so on. When the question of branding Bangladesh comes to the table of discussion, ur strategists both private and public ones should have a comparative picture of our communications with our neighborin g countries. Our roads and transport system cannot meet the global standard. Most of the roads of inter-district communications have been suffering from severe damage and maltreatment, for example, one passenger has to take about 7- 9 hours from Dhaka to Khulna. About 95% of the foreign airlines don’t cover any destinations of the country rather than Dhaka. The domestic flights between Dhaka and other destinations are not hassle free. World Wide Web creates a new avenue for a number of new players into the tourism marketplace. Internet as a main distribution mechanism for direct contact is the noteworthy creation. A well-organized, informative, easily accessible attractive website needs to be designed to pull the tourists. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the prime criteria here to make the browser hit the particular website. Better communication will increase the number of domestic tourists as well as overseas tourists. 5. Accommodation Strategy Developing unique accommodation facilities is an integral part of total tourism approach. What has to be stated here is that accommodation facility for tourism industry must be designed in different tiers. In addition, establishment of food shops and restaurants should also focus on income level of the different tourists. Here we want to state that local administration and business body should come forward to control this malpractice. In order to attract international tourists, some accommodation facilities should have all kind of services that are making available by our competitors. 6. Role of Financial Institutions: Tourism has yet to be recognized as an industry in our country. To establish or to recognize a concern as industry different organs of the society, business and government should frame a uniform code of policies where the role of financial institutions is in the front line. Short, medium and long-term project-financing needs to be made available to boost need-based portfolio investment in tourism sector. So, financial institutions, different business organizations and potential investors of this sector might develop a joint working policy to turn tourism into a full-fledged industry where concerned backward and forward linkage industries are equally treated as inevitable part of tourism advancement in Bangladesh. 7. Safety and Security Strategy Many of our tourist places happen to be quite vulnerable to security concerns. Most people believe that effective vigilance by the security agencies play vital role in maintaining security. In some cases, it is true that law enforcing authority can ensure safety and security. On the other hand, if we look into causes of the insecurity in one place, surprisingly it is found that most miscreants and trouble makers are from the locality. Consequently, moral, ethical and cultural upliftment of the local people, to a large extent, is the fundamental and sentinel for ensuring security of tourists. In the same vein, some quarters think that formation and the deployment of especial security force, which may realistically be called â€Å"Tourist Police†, can provide substantial security benefit along with regular security agencies. For example, an specialized police (Beach Police) are already in operation in Cox’s Bazaar but what has to be in the front line is that they need to be equipped so as to withstand against any disturbance from any quarter on beaches. Tourism as an industry can have all grounds to contribute to the national exchequer along with other industries. Perhaps, it sounds quite new when it comes up as industry in our country but tourism is one of the oldest industries across the world. As we look into the growth of tourism in the region, we do come to see bewildering facts that many countries of this region those developed quite a lot in industry did not have substantial natural advantages to turn tourism into industry; however, they for example, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore took effective and rational strategies to establish tourism as industry. At the same time, many countries of this region have earned considerable trust and financial benefit out of their tourism. Bangladesh as a country having enormous natural facilities and being at cross section of the land can be an illustrious destination of tourism. To make Bangladesh so, effective tourism strategies and contemporary product mix have no alternative. Therefore, categorization and segmentation of tourism product remain a challenging issue for our concerned strategies. As we understand, Bangladesh has dedicated room to develop tourism in the areas of hill, sea, history and culture. Concl usion The Sundarbans area is one of the most densely populated in the world, and the population is increasing. As a result, half of this ecoregion’s mangrove forests have been cut down to supply fuelwood and other natural resources. Despite the intense and large-scale exploitation, this still is one of the largest contiguous areas of mangroves in the world. Another threat comes from deforestation and water diversion from the rivers inland, which causes far more silt to be brought to the estuary, clogging up the waterways. A new Khulna Forest Circle was created in Bangladesh back in 1993 to preserve the forest, and Chief Conservators of Forests have been posted since. The direct administrative head of the Division is the Divisional Forest Officer, based at Khulna, who has a number of professional, subprofessional and support staff and logistic supports for the implementation of necessary management and administrative activities. The basic unit of management is the compartment. There are 55 compartments in four Forest Ranges and these are clearly demarcated mainly by natural features such as rivers, canals and creeks. The Sundarbans plays an important role in the economy of the southwestern region of  Bangladesh  as well as in the national economy. It is the single largest source offorest produce  in the country. The forest provides raw materials for wood based industries. In addition to traditional forest produce like timber, fuelwood, pulpwood etc. large scale harvest of non wood forest products such as thatching materials,honey, bees-wax, fish, crustacean and mollusk resources of the forest takes place regularly. The vegetated tidal lands of the Sundarbans also function as an essential habitat, produces nutrients and purifies water. The forest also traps nutrient and sediment, acts as a storm barrier, shore stabilizer and energy storage unit. Last but not the least, the Sunderbans provides a wonderful aesthetic attraction for local and foreign tourists.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Britain the Great

Great Britain is a small, seemingly insignificant island that was able to rise above everyone else, and establish one of the greatest empires in the history of the world. As a small geographical entity, Great Britain benefited from its union with the nearby areas, creating a stronger force that would be recognized not only in the European region but all over the world. Great Britain capitalized from its political unions of several Kingdoms. In 1603 under the Union of Crowns, England and Scotland politically unified, and in 1707 the parliaments of the two merged, thus creating the Kingdom of Great Britain.One can consider this politically union as an important step in the rise to power of Great Britain. Instead of being alone, it chose to unify the nearby kingdoms into one formidable power. Through this political unification, the small kingdom conveniently grew larger, with more people to govern and more power to maneuver. Great Britain’s political actions were all strategic mo ves that it chose to make in order to assure of a more effective, longer lasting rule. It did not sacrifice any of its vast holdings; instead it chose to fortify its relations to other kingdoms by ultimately sharing with each other through a political union.It is Great Britain’s advantage when it did so, as it eliminated competition which would have threatened the Kingdom’s existence. Great Britain’s rise to power is the product of excellent political power plays and maneuvering, giving them the advantage of whatever situation they may face. They have united with other kingdoms to create a power that would rival other large territories, and the political decisions it has made were all for their advantage. Reference: GreatBritain. co. uk. â€Å"Great Britain – Uk Information Guide. † http://www. great-britain. co. uk/index. htm.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Discussion Points about Critical Gender Studies readings Essay - 1

Discussion Points about Critical Gender Studies readings - Essay Example Discussion Points about Critical Gender Studies readings Globalization in the face of this book’s discussion has brought about a whole new change of order in the society and provided more opportunities to those who have been marginalized for so long (Lowe 120). The opening of the world has transformed the role of women as it makes their voice known as well as empowers them. This may not seem such a big deal compared to other positive effects of globalization such as making the United States, not the super power nation it has always been as more countries such as China and Japan grow economically and militarily at a high rate and threaten the position of US but it is a big deal to these groups of individuals (Lowe 122). Women in the developing nations in Africa and Asia has always been tied down by oppressive cultures but with globalization, these cultures are starting to be questioned and even disbanded as an interchange of cultures from all over the world infiltrates these nations. This has therefore brought a social revolution and new meaning to feminism as the roles of women and men not only intertwine by they are even reversed in some cases all based on cultural changes brought about by globalization (Lowe 123). The biggest question that however lingers is whether these changes will continue with their positivity and expansion and to what extent? Will they lead to negative effects and impacts to societies in the long run or are they truly a blessing and will remain that way?

Strategic analysis of the Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic analysis of the Wal-Mart - Essay Example The intention of this study is Wal-Mart as one of the largest and formidable players in the global retail industry. Since its establishment by Rogers Ark in the year 1962, the company has grown by leaps and bounds with a presence in about 28 nations with about 9759 stores across the globe. The company provides direct and indirect employment to 2.1 million individuals globally. Wal-Mart is also listed on the bourses of the New York stock exchange where its stocks are being actively traded. It has been consistently ranked among the top brands by leading agencies like Fortune and Forbes. The company derives its competitive edge on the basis of its famous EDLP (Every Day Low Price) strategy and has a cost leadership approach towards generating competitive advantage in the market. A successful logistics and supply chain management strategy of the company using ERP is the backbone behind the successful recipe of success of the company. Michael Porter stated three generic strategies that ca n also shape up positioning of a product or a brand in the market. Positioning is defined as the image of a product or service in the minds of the target market audience. The three strategic alternatives given by Porter include focus, differentiation and cost based leadership. Firms undertaking a focus strategy generate competitive advantage on the basis of concentrating on a single product line or a specified customer segment. A differentiation strategy involves competing in the market on the basis of differentiation in products and services that involves providing a product or service that is unique in the industry and deriving competitive advantage from the aspect. ... Background Wal-Mart is one of the largest and formidable players in the global retail industry. Since its establishment by Rogers Ark in the year 1962, the company has grown by leaps and bounds with a presence in about 28 nations with about 9759 stores across the globe. The company provides direct and indirect employment to 2.1 million individuals globally. Wal-Mart is also listed on the bourses of the New York stock exchange where its stocks are being actively traded. It has been consistently ranked among the top brands by leading agencies like Fortune and Forbes. The company derives its competitive edge on the basis of its famous EDLP (Every Day Low Price) strategy and has a cost leadership approach towards generating competitive advantage in the market. A successful logistics and supply chain management strategy of the company using ERP is the backbone behind the successful recipe of success of the company (Wal-Mart, 2011). Strategic Positioning Michael Porter stated three generic strategies that can also shape up positioning of a product or a brand in the market. Positioning is defined as the image of a product or service in the minds of the target market audience. The three strategic alternatives given by Porter include focus, differentiation and cost based leadership. Firms undertaking a focus strategy generate competitive advantage on the basis of concentrating on a single product line or a specified customer segment. A differentiation strategy involves competing in the market on the basis of differentiation in products and services that involves providing a product or service that is unique in the industry and deriving competitive advantage from the aspect. Cost based differentiation includes a strategy under

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

I don't know the title yet, please advise Essay

I don't know the title yet, please advise - Essay Example re than any other element in that society, helped create a consciousness among Japanese of their history and identity and provided, and still provide, a context for an understanding of the aims and accomplishments of their culture. In addition, there is now a greater interest in traditional Japanese culture abroad than ever before. Art exhibition, touring theatrical groups, translations of traditional Japanese literature... This implies that the Japanese culture is one of the cultures in the world that is quite authentic. This is the main reason as to why I chose for my essay to analyze the Japanese craftsmanship. The craftsmanship itself has simplicity and pays attention to the rigorous details and furthermore the procedure and art of how the objects are made with. One of the main inspiration of the Japanese concept is from my visit to an exhibition that was held at Design Museum †Product Fitness 80† by Muji that was held in the last spring of 2012. In this exhibition I was inspired greatly by the main purpose of the exhibition which was to bring into focus the minimum usage of materials and energy in order to make various products. One of the eye catching products that I saw in this exhibition is the pottery that was assembled using Kintsugi technique. This technique uses old objects that are recycled in order to come up with a new product. This was common in the Edo period. With this in mind my paper will be split in to different sections in order to analyze the Japanese craftsmanship in a simple manner. The first section of the paper will be looking at the history of the Japanese craftsmanship briefly thereafter I shall look at different aspects of craftsmanship through a series of case studies being analyzed. According to Lonsdale (2008), the Japanese style has many strands that re made together in order to come with a modern style in the Japanese culture. Swann (1979) points out that the Japanese art is a subject that covers a wide array of styles and

Monday, August 26, 2019

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Relations - Essay Example A nation cannot be referred to as sovereign without stable security. The success of all the development activities that a state undertakes is determined by the security status of that state as well as that of other nations. Majority of the key world powers retain their status through maximizing their share of the world power. According to Mearsheimer, some of the notable behaviors applied include regional hegemony, accumulating maximum wealth, achieving the preeminent land power and nuclear superiority. Many of these nations dearly ensure the security of their territories owing to the underlying realist notion that the world is characterized by competition and war and that every state should possess an inherent military offensive to preserve their sovereignty. This leads to the enhancement of suspicions and fear over the intentions of another state in the use of military offensive. Alternatives that exist beyond maximizing the security interests of a state include enhancement of glob al military dominance, economic superiority, and social-cultural cohesiveness. Global Military Dominance Most states focus on security to preserve their legacy of maintaining global dominance. It is common logic that primacy brings a lot of interests spanning from balancing the world power and spearheading the world peace efforts. When a state is at the pinnacle of power like the United States of America, the only probable step that it can make is towards downfall. Realists postulate that, under such circumstances, insecurity may worsen the situation further. According to Walt, the fear of an imminent decline in control of global power control arose from the United States capability of reaching the zenith.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Business plan for a start-up ( Financial data) Literature review

Business plan for a start-up ( Financial data) - Literature review Example With god business plan, the future of the business is certain and all future occurrences will be met with certainty. For a stat-up business, plan is used by business to determine its future survival and viability. Businesses cannot run effectively without a plan. Most plan make assumptions about the future. Any assumption made should be made with great caution as failure for the assumption to hold, the whole plan might be jeopardized. A successful business plan should be prepared based on past experiences fact and empirical data. It requires lo of expertise to prepare a concrete plan for a start-up business that has no past records experience. This paper will focus on the financial side of a business plan by reviewing overall financial records for all industries that are components of a plan. The financial plan of a start-up business will be based on the size of the proposed business. This means that it will rely mainly on assumptions. Analysis will be done o the future cash flows, i ncomes and expenses, balance sheet, capital, profitability and financial ratio analysis. The major assumption that will be used in the plan will be: The prevailing market and economic conditions prevail. Methodology The plan will be prepared based on projection of financial statements. ... According to Lemieux (2013), The various parameters that have taken into consideration for evaluation of the net income of the firms are the general, selling and administrative expenses, depreciation, regulatory expense, insurance costs of the company, rental charges to be paid for the establishment of the business, cost of advertising, utility bills, etc (Lemieux, 2013, p.39). These expenses are adjusted to the gross earnings to form the net earnings of the company. The net earnings of the company are important for the calculation of the net operating cash flows. The net operating cash flow has been forecasted to be 35500 pounds which is expected to increase gradually in the next two years. There are investment cash flows for firms which would involve cash outflows for purchase of fixed assets of the company and other capital expenditures. The cash out flows on account of investment activity of the business is valued at 16250 pounds. The investment activities are expected to increas e in the first three years as the business would focus on increasing their market share. The cash outflows due to financing activities would be due to the interest payment for the debt incurred from the bank and the interest paid to the creditors. The cash outflow for financing activities of the business would be 15650 pounds that is anticipated to increase in the next two years. The net cash flows for the business have been forecasted to be 3600 pounds which is expected to increase by 10% in the next two years as shown in Table 4 in the Appendix. Uses of the data The profit and loss statement and the balance sheet have been forecasted as a part of the business plan and have been presented in Table 2 and Table 3 respectively in the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act Research Paper

The Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act - Research Paper Example This essay discusses that the current gender gap is not because women are less skilled than men but because now women demonstrate a higher propensity to attend college than men. Inequality in pay is due to the high extent of women’s segregation because of the nature of jobs. Hence, it can be said that women are now increasingly involved in competing with men in the job market. It is now required to eliminate the gender pay disparity because if single working mothers start earning as much as men there will be an increase of about 18 percent in the family income and the poverty will be reduced considerably. Major reforms relative to PRWORA have been in welfare fields such as housing, health care, child care and food. The federal government has allocated larger budgets for child care programs, which is evident from the fact that federal funding for child care has increased by almost 100 percent since the PRWORA was implemented. But some problems remain such as only about 12 perce nt of eligible households receive financial help under provisions of the Child Care and Development Fund. All families are not able to get benefits of state and federal schemes relative to child care, while tax exemptions continue to be meager in assisting families to adequately meet childcare costs. Additionally, the quality of child care is still poor because child care workers continue to be paid less. Even though there has been enhanced funding by the federal government in regard to child care, the pay of childcare workers has been stagnating.... Consequently, the outcomes of the PRWORA have been disputed and political campaigners have claimed either total success or failure depending upon their affiliations. At the same time, some facts cannot be denied such as the drop in volumes by about fifty percent in welfare relative to AFDC and TANF in spite of the several provisions that extended benefits external to the given rules. According to Boushey (2011), it is now evident that most of the former welfare recipients do not have work and those that are working earn between $6 and $8 per hour, which is too meager to sustain a family. The extent of poverty has increased amongst working families despite the decline in over all poverty rates. Families headed by single working mothers are the worst effected in this regard. Moreover, poverty has become more severe during the last many years for families that were already in deep poverty. Many families that were receiving welfare prior to the implementation of PRWORA are likely to expe rience greater hardships after they leave welfare. Over 33 percent of families getting welfare experienced situations when they were unable to get adequate food and the required medical care as compared to the position prior to the introduction of PRWORA. Families having one full time worker stood just a little less chance of experiencing one or more of such difficulties in comparison with the present welfare families. Almost 25 percent of families that became ineligible for welfare and had a single earning member went without adequate food, housing and the essential medical facilities. Most of the objectives of PRWORA pertained to addressing the high rate of single parenthood amongst poor households. It

Friday, August 23, 2019

Management data analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management data analysis - Assignment Example Question 6: How many times per week do you deposit waste? The following table shows the results of the survey: Employees Gender Q 1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 1 Male yes 1 1 1 23 3 2 Male yes 2 3 1 45 12 3 Male No 2 3 3 38 6 4 Female Yes 1 2 3 52 4 5 Female No 3 2 3 28 5 6 Male yes 3 2 1 18 7 7 Female yes 3 3 3 27 8 8 Female 3 3 2 33 6 9 Male No 2 3 3 56 17 10 Male Yes 2 3 3 63 21 11 Female Yes 1 1 3 39 2 12 Female Yes 1 1 1 40 7 13 Female Yes 1 1 1 33 5 14 Male no 1 3 3 22 5 15 Male yes 1 1 3 20 18 16 Female Yes 2 3 1 18 4 17 Male No 3 3 3 34 9 18 Male No 3 2 1 50 12 19 Female no 3 2 3 52 19 20 Female Yes 2 2 1 61 13 21 Male Yes 2 2 1 56 4 22 Male no 1 2 3 44 15 23 Female Yes 1 3 3 42 17 24 Female Yes 1 3 1 19 17 25 Male No 1 2 3 26 10 26 Male No 1 1 1 23 3 27 Male Yes 2 3 1 45 12 28 Male no 2 3 3 38 6 29 Female No 1 2 3 52 4 30 Female No 3 2 3 28 5 31 Male no 3 2 1 18 10 32 Female No 3 3 3 27 8 33 Female no 3 2 3 33 6 34 Male Yes 2 3 3 20 10 35 Male yes 2 3 3 63 23 Table1: survey results Null hypothesis: There is enough evidence to show that support for the new waste policy was related to the volume of waste produced prior to the policy’s introduction. Table 2: Model Summary Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate 1 .025a .001 -.030 5.81551 a. Predictors: (Constant), How much waste did you generate on a typical day Table 3: ANOVAa Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression .679 1 .679 .020 .888b Residual 1116.063 33 33.820 Total 1116.743 34 a. Dependent Variable: How many times per week do you visit the central re-cycling bins? b. Predictors: (Const

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Hassan’s Story Essay Example for Free

Hassan’s Story Essay A. The two major types of surface markings that bone do have are the depression and openings. These include fissure, foramen, fossa, sulcus, meatus, process, condyle, facet head, crest, epicondyle, line, spineous process, trochanter, tubercle, and the tuberosity. B. Liu and Hassan were surprised to find metopic suture on an adult skull because right after birth the left side and right side of the birth bone are united by the metopic suture. They also were surprised, because this suture should have disappeared between the ages of six to eight years of age. Finally because they are only founded in 5 to 10% of people. C. The skeletal structures that are found inside the nasal cavity that might be missing from a excavated skull would be the perpendicular plate, middle and inferior nasal concha and the vomer. D. Hassan and his team would be able to tell the ages of the skeletal remains of the woman and the baby by the four main sutures such as coronal suture, sagittal suture, lambdoid suture, and the squamous sutures. E. The features that the larger skeletal in the sarcophagus would show to indicate it was a female is the vertebral column of a female is about 61cm (24in.) and a male vertebral column of a male is about 71cm (28in.). F. The bone of the neck region that could be affected or damage by strangulation or neck trauma other than the cervical vertebrae is the hyoid bone. G. If the bones of a person found at the excavation site were mixed and out of order the anthropologists would be able to determine which was cervical, lumbar, or thoracic, because the cervical vertebrae include interlocking vertebrae bodies with saddle shaped superior and inferior surfaces alongside the canal is triangular and of a similar size to the vertebral body, and the spinous process are shorter then in thoracic and not as massive as the lumbar vertebrae process. The thoracic vertebrae increases in body size and articulates with a pair of ribs in the human skeleton. The upper thoracic bodies are roughly triangular in a superior outline whilst the lower thoracic vertebral bodies are more circular. The vertebrae canal are smaller relative to the vertebral body, and importantly, more circular then in cervical vertebrae. Finally the lumbar vertebrae increase in size from superior to inferior. They are the largest of all the infused vertebrae, and should be easily identifiable by their size and features. H. Bones with their hard structures would be subject to and show signs of the disease that destroyed this community because I. The structure that passes through the transverse foramina of cervical vertebrae that would cause death if damaged as in the child’s skeleton is.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Infuluence of Self Concept on Cummunication Essay Example for Free

Infuluence of Self Concept on Cummunication Essay The self-concept is a major influence in communication for many reasons. When two people are communicating, they are doing so by first sending out a message that is composed and shaped entirely by their inner self-concept. The way that a person sees themselves from the inside thus shapes the external messages they will send out into the world. Regardless of a person’s external circumstances or characteristics – say, their height, age, sex, and so on – their internal self-concept may be significantly different and thus affect their communication. This type of self-concept ties into the area of self-esteem. According to researcher Chris Mruk, there are five dimensions to self-esteem: competence (your beliefs about your ability to be effective), worthiness (your beliefs about the degree to which others value you), cognition (your beliefs about your character and personality), affect (how you evaluate yourself and the feelings generated by your evaluation), and stability or change (Mruk, 1995). Our self-esteem is shaped by a number of factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic to us. Our experiences shape our self-esteem as much as our inborn characteristics, and experiences we have as young children can be especially impactful on our self-esteem, with effects that can last for decades or even a lifetime. Our self-concept is also heavily influenced by the people around us, especially those most important to us. This is known as the Pygmalion Effect, and is described in an experiment by psychologists Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson. In the experiment, teachers were told that certain of their students were gifted, with high IQs. In reality, they were of average intelligence. However, at the end of the year, the average students had improved their grades and IQ scores. This was a result of the high expectations of the teachers, who communicated these high expectations to the students by providing them extra positive reinforcement, and non-verbally communicating the fact that they viewed the students as high-achievers. The results of the study clearly demonstrated that the expectations and communications of the teachers influenced the self-concepts of the students (Rosenthal Jacobson, 1968). The concept of the self plays an enormous role in communications because it is crucial for how a person places themselves and the person they are communicating with in the world. How we view ourselves and others is a fundamental component of the communications process. Self-concept provides the foundation which all communication rests on, because in a very real sense these perceptions determine â€Å"whom† is communicating â€Å"what† to â€Å"whom else†.

The Negative Effects Of Animated Cartoons

The Negative Effects Of Animated Cartoons What are cartoons? According to Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary (1948), a cartoon is an amusing drawing in a newspaper or magazine, especially one that comments satirically on current events. Also, it defines animated cartoon as a film made by photographing a series of gradually changing drawings, giving an illusion of movement. An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn) film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot (even if it is a very short one) (Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, 2001). AudioEnglish.net (2000) defines animated cartoon as a film made by photographing a series of cartoon drawings to give the illusion of movement when projected in rapid sequence. Then, Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia (1994) claims that originally, a cartoon was regarded as a full-size drawing used for transferring a design to a painting, tapestry, or other large work. The encyclopaedia also claims that it was in the 19th century that the term acquired its popular meaning of a humorous drawing or parody. Cartoons are not simply animated, sketched or drawn figures as unfamiliar viewers may think, they are comic constructions, ranging from mildly humorous to savagely satirical, based on current happenings and/or peoples lives (Websters Dictionary, 1972). This is where the problem comes in. What are cartoonists making children feel is funny, trivial or even of no consequence? Before the advent of the word cartoon in its modern sense in the 19th century, all sorts of funny and/or awkward drawings were referred to as caricatures. (Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopaedia, 2004) The most famous figure of early times for the world of cartoons is William Hogarth created in 18th-century Britain. Honorà © Daumier, a French man, introduced text to his cartoons to convey their unspoken thoughts in the 19th century. Following this, Britains punch became the leading source of cartoons in the 19th century and then The New Yorker took the lead for the Americans (Britannica Concise Encyclopaedia, 1994). According to Museum Broadcast Communication (2008), cartoons as we know them today generally evolved in the teens, however, their growth was stifled by the fact that for every second of animation, about 25 scenes had to be drawn. This made production tedious and uneconomical. Nonetheless, Earl Hurd revolutionized the insipid industry of the era by designing the cel (a sheet of lucid celluloid) patented with Bray Studios Inc. The cel provided cartoonist with new light; they only needed to redraw the part of the cartoons that moved. Studios also discovered ways to simplify the process of animation by initially departmentalizing the steps of the process of making the cartoons and then using storyboards (little drawings of scenes that represented different sections in the cartoon) to plan cartoons. Thus, something similar to a production line was formed for producing animation, making it much more economical. Furthermore, Jerry G. Butler states that the animated cartoon industry was born with Krazy Kat created by the American George Herriman. This was followed by Pat Sullivan and Otto Mesmers Felix the cat which was the first series of the animated cartoon industry; the majority of the first animated cartoons were adapted from comics, following their earlier popularity with readers. Walt Disney, one of the early producers, was one of the first to use new technologies and devise competent modes of cartoon production. His Steamboat Willie (1928) was the first notable cartoon with harmonized sound and also his Flowers and Trees (1932) was the first to employ the tri-colour, Technicolor procedure which became the industrys primary colour scheme of the time. The major reason for the success of the cartoon industry according to the Museum Broadcast Communication (2008) was an effective distribution system. Before sound was introduced to cartoons, they were produced by smaller studios with restricted theatre access. Later on, major studios such as MGM and Warner signed distribution deals with these smaller studios gaining their distribution rights and greatly increasing the distributing power of these smaller studios. Some major studios even went on to produce their own cartoons, as the standard way of exhibiting films at the time included cartoons. Jerry Butler says that cartoons started emigrating to television around the late 1940s when Van Beuren (a smaller studio) started selling its shows to early programs for children like Movies for small fry. Disney was one of the first major studios to follow this trend posting The Mickey Mouse Club to television. Thereafter, the other major studios joined in. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopaedia (2004) says that concurrent with the vital changes for the film studios, there were also changes in the aesthetics of the cartoons that were made. Hitherto the 1950s, cartoonists in particular those working for Disney strived to achieve naturalistic figures so much so that they transformed dancer Marge Champion into Snow White. However, World War II and post World War II art movements including Pointillism cast off this natural style to nurture an approach that stressed abstract line, shape, and pattern. United Productions of America (UPA) was at the fore front of this revolution, with its first achievement coming with the Mr Magoo series in 1949 followed by its Gerald Mcboing Boing which won an Academy Award in 1951; truly setting this new style into motion. According to Wikipedia, UPAs style featured flat perspectives, imaginary backgrounds and strong primary colours all with limited animation. UPAs cartoons were simply flat in backgrounds of wide fields of colour; squiggles suggesting clouds and trees. Also, Wikipedia says that crucial for the progress of television cartoons, was the limited nature of UPAs creations summarized as, the amount of movement within the frame was greatly reduced, the motions are often repeated. A character chattering his teeth, for example, might contain only two distinct movements which are then repeated without change. Thirdly, limited animation uses less individual frames to embody a movement. Full animation might use 24 discrete frames to represent a movement that takes one second; however, limited animation might cut the number in half. The result is a faintly jerkier movement. Wikipedia noted that UPAs changes in animation which appeared to have been aesthetically inspired, also made good business sense. Flattened perspective, abstract backgrounds, strong primary colours, and limited animation result in cartoons that are cheaper and quicker to produce. When animators began creating programs specifically for television, they quickly adopted UPAs economical practices but did away with their aesthetics in the process. The first successful, designed-for-television cartoon was Jay Ward and Alexander Andersons Crusader Rabbit initially distributed in 1949. Network television cartooning which came along eight years later had its first cartoon series developed by Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, the most successful producers of television cartoons. The Ruff and Ready Show was the first made-for-TV cartoon to be broadcast nationally on Saturday mornings; its popularity helped to establish the practicality of Saturday morning network programming. Hanna-Barberas The Flintstones (1960) was prime-times first successful cartoon series but also its last until the debut of The Simpsons in 1989. With these first well established cartoons, the characteristics of the made-for-TV cartoons were laid down (Toontracker, 1996). UPA-style aesthetics (especially limited animation) were mixed with narrative structures that were developed in 1950s television making the final trait of the made-for-TV cartoons an emphasis on dialogue as dialogue in the made-for-TV cartoons often re-states that which is occurring visually. In this way, televisions roots in radio are revealed. There is a reliance on sound in, for instance, Tom Jerry cartoons in which there is no dialogue at all, made-for-Television cartoons are often less visually oriented than theatrical cartoons from the golden era. (Museum Broadcast Communication, 2008) Television cartoons in the 1990s were dominated by the phenomenal success of Matt Groenings The Simpsons, which thrived after its series first appearance in 1989. Its success was principally responsible for the creation of the FOX network and the launching of one of the largest merchandising campaigns of the decade. (The Simpsons Bios, 2009). With this history in view, there are various types of cartoons which different sources including Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia (2001) have highlighted, they include: Fine art These types of cartoons were basically blueprints used by artists to transfer their ideas from the canvases to actual pieces. They were used in the production of frescoes and also by weavers to transfer designs to their looms. Tapestry cartoons which were usually coloured, were followed by eye by the weavers on the loom. Print media In the sense as used by print media today, a cartoon is a work of art, typically intended to be funny. This use dates from about 1843 when the Punch applied the term to the sardonic images it contained. Cartoons were initially meant to be ironic, mocking the outrageous events of the time. Print media cartoons can also be further broken down. Gag cartoons or single-panel cartoons, are found in all print media and they are generally made up of a single drawing with a subtitle immediately below or a speech balloon. Editorial cartoons are a type of gag cartoons found mostly in media dealing with news and although they may be humorous, they are more serious in tone parodying recent happenings. Comic strips, also called cartoon strips are found every day in newspapers globally. Usually they are short series of cartoon illustrations in sequence and although humour is the rifest subject matter, adventure and drama are also represented. Motion Picture Due to the close similarities between early animated cartoons and comic strips, cartoon as generally used today refers to motion picture cartoons. This type of cartoons are displayed on television or in cinemas and are created by showing illustrated images in swift succession to give the illusion of motion. They may or may not include synchronized sounds but most modern motion picture cartoons do. In the past few years, it has been noticed that there is an increase in violence and other inappropriate behaviours among children who we expect to be generally peaceful. What do many children today have in common, what do they share that could be the cause of this change in behaviour? The quest for a reason, an answer has led to the main source of entertainment for children today, cartoons (Leonard Erin, Senior Research Scientist at the University Joanne Cantor, 2002). Cartoons have become the favourite past time of most of the worlds children today. Their lives revolve around everything they watch on television or read in comic books and this has been estimated to take up about 4 hours of their day (Mariam, 2009). Normally, children start watching cartoons whilst they are very young and at the age of two or three they would have been converted to ardent apostles. This has become an issue as many problems have been discovered to have roots in watching cartoons (Stevie Hossler, 2004). MENTAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CARTOONS ON CHILDREN By Stevie Hossler (2004) Children spend a total of about 13,000 hours in school from day one till graduation day. This seems like a very long time under which the influences of their teachers can be felt. However, within the same time frame children spend a total of about 18,000 hours watching cartoons. This is more than enough time for cartoons to take their effect on the childrens brains, emotions and sense to feel pain. David Satcher, the United States Surgeon General, stated in a report on adolescent violence (2000) More aggressive behaviour in a young childs life is caused by recurrently watched entertainment that contains violence. The American Psychological Association passed a resolution in February of 1985 due to its research findings, communicating the dangers violence on the television has on children. The major effects proved by their study are: The children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others; children who watch violence do not fear violence nor are they bothered by violence in general. The children are more likely to become aggressive or use harmful actions towards others. When we are born we have the capacity for motivation, experience, and training, and because of this our minds are very impressionable. Therefore, our brains development is an active mix of nature and nurture, so it is important to choose a healthy environment for all children. This means cartoons with violence will be detrimental to a child because in general, being interactive with any environment enhances the development of a successful brain. As a result, a tremendous amount of childhood involvement with electronic media can limit social interaction and may obstruct the development of a brains social systems. However, some cartoons promote creativity in children making them more exposed to information that was once unavailable to people their age. Also, children seem to have become brighter and are more emphatic INCREASED CHILD SAFETY RISKS DUE TO CHILDREN WATCHING CARTOONS BY Brandon Ybarra (2004) Today, very many unrealistic things can be seen in cartoons; surviving gunshots at extremely close range and even coming back from the dead. Unfortunately, parents seem to be happy with these cartoons as they do not promote sex but these sorts of cartoons are not good for children. In many episodes of Pokemon for example, brawls can be seen between the Pokemon and in the incident of the death of any of the pocket monsters they are simply reborn, they can never die. Teaching children this is relatively unhealthy as they are young and inquisitive and may not know the full implications of death. It is understood that growing children admire and most often imitate their cartoon heroes even to the extent of trying to fly like Superman or climb walls like Spiderman. Unfortunately, this is not just a cut when talking about injuries to children. VISUAL SUBLIMINAL MESSAGING IN CHILDRENS CARTOONS BY Chris Choma, (2004) Cartoons are packed with many contentious matters which are not consciously noticed but do have an effect on the subconscious minds. This is called subliminal messaging. It is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as, Below the threshold of conscious perception; inadequate to produce conscious awareness but able to evoke a response (AHD, 1352). It means therefore that broadcasters are brainwashing people and more significantly children. Unfortunately, this act is not yet illegal but it is widely frowned at. The use of subliminal messaging has greatly reduced due to advances in technology which enable viewers to scrutinize what they are watching frame by frame. Although subliminal messaging seems to have reduced, no one can be certain as only those who put these messages there are supposed to know that they are there. AUDITORY SUBLIMINAL MESSAGING IN CHILDRENS CARTOONS BY Shawnte Ray (2004) The delivery of auditory information to parts of the mind without an individuals actual perception is called auditory subliminal messaging. A classic example is a statement made by Meowth in an episode of Pokemon which was aired on Monday, October 11th, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. He said, If thats the Democratic way, I am voting Republican. Children are exposed to auditory subliminal messages which are quite common in popular cartoons. Their effects may never be discovered as they will become part of the childrens lives. CARTOONS EFFECTS ON CHILDRENS BEHAVIOR BY Ben Wikox (2004) Organizations such as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have discovered from research that children who watch cartoons in which violence is incorporated are more likely to employ violence in real life. They insist that parents should screen the cartoons their children watch and also parents should act as interpreters when necessary, telling the children violence is not the best course of action. The American Academy of Paediatrics states, Neuroscientists have shown that external experiences notably mould a young brain and following this they have discovered that a higher rate of cartoon viewing can be linked to lower academic achievements, particularly comprehension scores. Their humorous nature stifles the development of the left hemisphere of the brain which dominates our use of language. Television is a very quick medium, with messages shot at the viewers like lightening bolts. The minds of children have therefore adapted to obtaining such high speed information and therefore tend to refute slower forms of gaining information or thorough reading as in day to day schooling. TELEVISIONS EFFECT ON THE BRAIN AND EYES After watching an episode of Pokemon which was aired in December 1997, many children across the globe were reported to have suffered seizures (Warner, 2004) It has been agreed on by eye specialist that watching television under right conditions does not cause any harm to the brain or the eyes, however, doing so in inappropriate conditions; in a dark room closer than five feet, will lead to eye fatigue and as scientific evidence also corroborates, brain damage (Adams, 1992). A study which was carried out by the Childrens Hospital and Regional Medical Centre of Seattle, Washington made known that children who watch three to four hours of cartoons daily have a 30 to 40 percent higher possibility of developing attention deficit disorder than children who did not watch cartoons (Todays Chiropractic, 2004). From the foregoing, it can be suggested that though cartoons have some advantages to their viewers, their disadvantages out weigh those advantages, thus, this research hopes to prove that the seemingly harmless cartoons children are exposed to and/or allowed to watch have some adverse effects on their behaviours and at the same time create an awareness of the dangers of cartoons to our communities and have these dangers checked so as to prevent an aggravation of what seems at present to be a harmless situation.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Reputation in Beowulf Essay -- Anglo Saxon Literature

The famous poet James Russell Lowell once said, â€Å"Reputation is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit† . Reality stresses the importance to be more concerned with personal character than self reputation, because character beholds who you really are, while your reputation is merely what others perceive. The epic of Beowulf, written in Old English, describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century. Having an outstanding reputation was an important aspect of life, and in the world of Beowulf it was no different. Having a good name is the same as immortality because the name will be placed in history and will be forever remembered. When introducing himself to the Danes, Beowulf was sure to mention his achievements such as the slaying of a tribe of giants and how he had driven away countless enemies from his homeland. In his eyes, personal reputation is the most valuable possession as he took what ever means necessary in order to build a handsome repituar. After Grendel’s mother seeks him out to exact revenge for the crime that she believes that he has committed against her, he sees this as an opportunity to further his reputation. The definition of justice in terms of Grendel’s mother is to seek out the one who is responsible for the death of her son and take his life as well. This is a justified reason for her to take revenge. Her only son was taken from her and the line is very thin between her and her son because they perceive events as though they were cursed. Being that t hey are descendants of Cain, the biblical son of Adam and Eve, the brother of Able who Cain believed was blessed by God kills Abl... ...atiently waits because she knows that the same person who slew her son would be coming after her as well. Beowulf’s pursuit of the mother is nothing more than another way to build his reputation because if he had slain Grendel and it got him such recognition, slaying both ogre’s would raise his reputation tremendously thus bringing him even closer to his name being secured on the cover of the history book. Him going after Grendel’s mother has nothing or very little to do with the fact that she is a woman, it however has everything to do with the fame he would get and the respect that would be associated with his name. In conclusion, for Beowulf, the most important thing is reputation and the immortality that goes along with having a reputable name. Having a good reputation ensured that long after you die the birth name will be an official heroic figure in history.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Intrinsic Value of Relationships, and The Drastic Effects of Greed :: essays research papers fc

For so many people one of the hardest things in life is maintaining a strong and healthy relationship with another person, but it is especially difficult in a romantic relationship. For the most part, successful relationships are based on honesty, communication, trust, and most importantly compromise. When you are in a relationship that has a foundation based on those characteristics, it makes you feel connected with that person. On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, traits such as jealousy, greed, deceit and selfishness can lead to disastrous relationships that will only leave people hurt. Two classic books that we’ve read this semester are McTeague by Frank Norris, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Throughout both books, the reader can easily find an underlying theme of relationships if they look hard enough. In both novels it seems to be abundantly clear that the prominent relationship portrayed is a failed relationship. When analyzing the relationships between the people in the book, it becomes clear through the ways in which the characters interact with each other throughout the stories, that they are not actually relationships in the true essence of the word.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another recurring theme that is common in both books by Norris and Fitzgerald is the attribute of greed. In McTeague, the greed that is on display is one that is present throughout the novel. The first time we are introduced to it is when Marcus claims that Trina’s winning lottery ticket belongs to him, and it takes a tragic turn, ultimately leading to McTeague’s killing of Trina and Marcus, before dying himself from dehydration in the desert shortly thereafter. In The Great Gatsby, a type of greed that is on a similar level was quite obvious within the relationships of Tom and Daisy as well as Gatsby and Daisy. This theme of greed, hidden behind the different relationships we read about in both books, was a main source of their failures.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In McTeague, Norris first portrays Marcus as the closest friend that McTeague has. McTeague and Marcus meet each other â€Å"at the car conductors’ coffee –joint, where the two occupied the same table, and met at every meal† (Norris 10). One is naturally led to believe, based on their frequent meals together, and the close living proximity to one another, that the two were extremely close friends, conceivably even best friends.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on Norris’ description of Marcus as one of McTeague’s closest friends, probably his closest friend, we only have access to one side of the relationship, but no real indication of how Marcus’s feels towards McTeague.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

One Man, One Vote? Essay -- essays research papers

One Man, One Vote?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joseph Farkas thinks that every vote cast should equal every other vote. He feels that many people are voting without knowing why they are voting for a certain person or why they aren't voting for another. He says that a vote cast by a person with no or very little knowledge in the election should not count as much as a vote cast by a person who knows alot about the election. The people who care about who has an important role in the government should have a bigger say in who is going to have that important role. The votes cast by a person who doesn't really know why they are voting for someone should not equal as much as an election educated person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I do not think that this is a good idea at all. It would not encourage people to learn more about the election but keep them away from the voting area. It will probably make people not want to vote because many of them would think that their vote will not mean as much to the election. It would make the people who are familiar with the candidates want to vote because they would have a bigger say in who gets elected. It would be very hard to decide who know what about the running candidates and issues that are being addressed. They would have to give some kind of multiple-choice question test that you had to fill out while voting. It would take a long time for each person to vote and I think that would make people less encouraged to come and vote. Sin... One Man, One Vote? Essay -- essays research papers One Man, One Vote?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joseph Farkas thinks that every vote cast should equal every other vote. He feels that many people are voting without knowing why they are voting for a certain person or why they aren't voting for another. He says that a vote cast by a person with no or very little knowledge in the election should not count as much as a vote cast by a person who knows alot about the election. The people who care about who has an important role in the government should have a bigger say in who is going to have that important role. The votes cast by a person who doesn't really know why they are voting for someone should not equal as much as an election educated person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I do not think that this is a good idea at all. It would not encourage people to learn more about the election but keep them away from the voting area. It will probably make people not want to vote because many of them would think that their vote will not mean as much to the election. It would make the people who are familiar with the candidates want to vote because they would have a bigger say in who gets elected. It would be very hard to decide who know what about the running candidates and issues that are being addressed. They would have to give some kind of multiple-choice question test that you had to fill out while voting. It would take a long time for each person to vote and I think that would make people less encouraged to come and vote. Sin...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Solving Vertical and Horizontal Well Hydraulics Problems

A new generalized three-dimensional analytical solution is developed for a partially-penetrating vertical rectangular parallelepiped well screen in a confined aquifer by solving the three-dimensional transient ground water flow differential equation in x-y-z Cartesian coordinates system for drawdown by taking into account the three principal hydraulic conductivities (K _x, K _y, and K _z) along the x-y-z coordinate directions. The fully penetrating screen case becomes equivalent to the single vertical fracture case of Gringarten and Ramey (1973).It is shown that the new solution and Gringarten and Ramey solution (1973) match very well. Similarly, it is shown that this new solution for a horizontally tiny fully penetrating parallelepiped rectangular parallelepiped screen case match very well with Theis (1935) solution. Moreover, it is also shown that the horizontally tiny partially-penetrating parallelepiped rectangular well screen case of this new solution match very well with Hantus h (1964) solution.This new analytical solution can also cover a partially-penetrating horizontal well by representing its screen interval with vertically tiny rectangular parallelepiped. Also the solution takes into account both the vertical anisotropy (a _(zx)=K _z/K _x) as well as the horizontal anisotropy (a _(yx)=K _y/K _x) and has potential application areas to analyze pumping test drawdown data from partially-penetrating vertical and horizontal wells by representing them as tiny rectangular parallelepiped as well as line sources.The solution has also potential application areas for a partially-penetrating parallelepiped rectangular vertical fracture. With this new solution, the horizontal anisotropy (a _(yx)=K _y/K _x) in addition to the vertical anisotropy (a _(zx)=K _z/K _x) can also be determined using observed drawdown data. Most importantly, with this solution, to the knowledge of the author, it has been shown the first time in the literature that some well-known well hyd ra

Friday, August 16, 2019

A paper on Stress

In all what follows Is a glimpse Into the way stress exists In my life, how applying a new management tool helped, and what I think it all means to me. What is stress? A question that must be answered is â€Å"what is stress? † The National Institute of Mental Health says that stress is â€Å"the brain's response to any demand† (NIMH, 2014) which Is a simple statement that has tremendous ramifications. As we are, at nearly all times, under a demand of one sort or another. But Stress is more than that, as it is also a physiological process.As discussed in our reading the process of stress is not event specific, but rather a generalized response by our nervous system to certain chemicals produced when we are activated. That activation can be a Bear charging us, or a paper that is due, or anything that causes the Sympathetic Nervous system to engage. Because the body only has one set of tools for the response the content, or context, or the â€Å"threat† is almost i rrelevant. It's not relevant because the result, the body's response, Is the same as â€Å"your blood pressure Increases, your heart beats faster, and digestions slows down† (Reader, up. 2).However since our modern stresses are not fleeting, we never out run the bear because the â€Å"bear† is just our boss at work. Our system does not manage itself well anymore. Our nervous system activates and then stays activated, we never reach the â€Å"rest and digest† side of the equation, which is detrimental to both physical and emotional health over time. The detrimental effects of stress over time Our body's inability to tell the difference between a life threatening event and a I OFF of response which can be thought of as â€Å"unresolved survival-related tendencies† (Ogden, et al, Trauma and the Body, 2006, P. 6) is where we get into trouble. Our â€Å"fight or flight† response is a finely tuned emergency reaction system, built over a millennia of evol ution, which is now poorly adapted for our current living Tyler. As noted in the reading even the most recent and sophisticated of our arousal system is ill equipped to handle the daily levels of stress we live with. Living with this unresolved activation can cause â€Å"atrophy in a part of the brain called the hippopotamus† (Reader, up. 9) which affects memory.Continued exposure to the chemical soup that stress releases can impact our immune system, and make us susceptible to â€Å"upper respiratory infections† (Reader, up. 9) and it can lead to weight gain, heart problems, and a litany of other health issues. As that is the case finding a useful tool for mitigating the impact of stress is important. Mindfulness: an applied model of stress reduction To that end I have been practicing Mindfulness. The process of Mindfulness is one of expanding self-awareness.The process has been defined as an acute awareness of personal experience that occurs without Judgment (Davis & Hayes, 2011). In short to be mindful is to be open to the full experience of the body in a way that is not recriminating, to allow the way the body feels to inform one of the status of the body. In my case I applied it, Mindfulness, as a process of somatic and emotional wariness. To that end I would sit, or walk, and first focus on my breath. This awareness would allow me to become tuned to my somatic state and to center myself.Once I found my balance I could explore the physical responses I was having to a given stresses. Once I had explored those areas that were embodying the stress I could relax the physical elements, and release the tension. This would allow that regained sense of calm and control to extend into the emotional realm. It is interesting to note that I found that a similar model was useful in physical pain reduction as well. Stress: my ongoing experience As noted stress is a daily presence in my, and most American's, lives. It is pervasive and persistent and, as ou r reading has shown, dangerous.My Stress Log, maintained from the 17th of July 2014 to the 1 lath of August 2014, has been both interesting and at times irritating. My results offered me an opportunity to note that my experience with stress is more regular and pervasive than I had thought. The log has given me insight into a set of recurring stresses that I live with, which affect me almost daily, which I am working to contend with. My number one stresses is my espouse to people that abuse my time. I am a fairly ordered person and so I enjoy a life that is structured. I am where I say I will be at the time I say I will be there.When others are late, or interfere with my plans, it activates me. My stress levels skyrocket. Another ongoing battle with stress comes from traffic, I hate sitting in traffic. There used to be a pattern to traffic in the bay area, a clock you could be aware of and use to stay clear of traffic Jams. Now there is no logic to the mess, no time there aren't too many people on the road, and no way to avoid the headache. It does not sit well with me. Finally there is a constant stresses in my life that is both unmanageable and inescapable, my Father.Our relationship has never been great and now it's devolved into a place where I am sort of the hired help. Every time my phone rings and I see it daily (at times hourly) stress events I have been applying the process of Mindfulness, and the results have been pretty good. Conclusion After 4 weeks of use and training myself to think â€Å"mindfully' I can engage the process of mindfulness as needed, with varying degrees of success. My ability to feel my own espouses is steadily improving, and that ability allows me to â€Å"get ahead† of the moment.I am responding, rather than reacting to, things like my Father, or Traffic, or any of a number of other issues on a daily basis. This has enabled me to feel more in control and generally happier as I navigate my day. It has brought me enough re lief that I am working to get my wife involved in the process. Before my log I didn't think I was so engaged with stress, now I see that it is my constant companion. With that knowledge and given my new understanding of the harmful effects of stress on the odd, the opportunity to learn Mindfulness (and other moderation techniques) has been enjoyable and helpful.