Importance of Physical Fitness

English Assessment 2013 Importance of Physical Fitness Importance of Physical Fitness Physical fitness is one of the most important key to a healthy body. It is the basis of creative artistic activity. Physical fitness means the condition of being physically healthy, especially exercises and proper nutrition. It is the reason, a state of general well-being marked by physical health and mental stability. Physical fitness is not just bending our body.It is about having cardiovascular and overall muscular endurance, as well as a strong immunity system, and most importantly, a satisfied state of your mind. (Manohar, 2011) Past these days when physical exercises were meant for people who are serving in the armed forces or the people those who are having physically demanding jobs. Now a day’s most of the people believe that, having a physically fit body is the most important thing that a person can possess. The importance of physical fitness and exercise customized to the specific r equirements of both young and old. 3fatchicks, 2010) This has led to the quality and use of exercise equipment. The easy access to gyms and fitness centers helps to keep their body physically fit. This has resulted in people leading longer and healthier lives which their predecessors could not have dreamed of before. Physical fitness is important for everyone to stay active throughout their lives. Because of busy work and home lives, more than 60% do not get the best amount of physical fitness daily and these numbers are increase in day by day. Katherine, 2010) Experts recommend working out several times over the course of a week with varying exercises for the most benefit to your health. Collage of Islamic Studies Page 1 English Assessment 2013 Importance of Physical Fitness Health is one of the pre-requisites for a happy as much as well-balanced your life. There are many benefits, if a person becomes physically fit. There are some benefits of physical fitness like cardiovascular e ndurance is one of the advantages the person gets due to physically fit. This is the ability of the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues.As much as this will help to remove waste from over sustained period of time and also furthermore the strength deals with the ability of the muscle to exert force for a brief time period, while endurance is the ability of a muscle, or group of muscles, to sustain repeated contractions or to continue to apply force against an inert object. (. iaepa. us, 2009) Flexibility will denote the ability to move joints and use muscles through their full range of motion. Exercise and overall fitness helps you detoxify your body and thus lets your skin breathe. Katherine, 2010) It also helps to tone your body and thus enhances your overall appearance. So in short physical fitness keep you beautiful and glowing. 5. A healthy mind thinks in a healthy body. Any exercise included in your fitness regimen, it will lead to the production of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are the chemicals that make you feel happy and hence a healthy and physically fit body. (John, 2012) It is always accompanied by a healthy mind. Drive-away illness is also a benefit we will get from the physical fitness.Moderated and balanced workout in a fitness regimen helps to boost the immune system of the body. Fully functional and strong body immunity means that your body develops the strength to ward off diseases and infections. Body composition: this will help to consider the components of fitness. Composition refers to the body in terms of lean mass (muscle, bone, vital tissue, and organs) and fat mass. Actually, the optimal ratio of fat to lean mass is an indication of fitness. Performing the right set of exercises Collage of Islamic Studies Page 2 English Assessment 2013Importance of Physical Fitness can help people to get rid of body fat as well as to increase and maintain muscle mass. (Hardcastle, 2010) So, in short, to have great of satisfaction in our life, it is not just the materialistic things that we need, but it is our own physical fitness. This will help us in our life as a long run. It is rare to cause a disease if our body is healthy and mind is simply priceless. Even though we have everything like money, high education, family and peers if we are not physically fit we can’t engage and enjoy with them. Deh, 2012) Like our scheduled breakfast and lunch the physical exercise also must be a part of our day to day activities. Collage of Islamic Studies Page 3 English Assessment 2013 Importance of Physical Fitness Reference Iaepa. us. (2009, july 27). Retrieved july 27, 2009, from www. iaepa. us: http://www. iaepa. us/executive-protection-physical-fitness-requirements 3fatchicks. (2010). Retrieved 2010, from www. 3fatchicks. com: http://www. 3fatchicks. com/theimportance-of-physical-fitness-in-your-life/ Iaepa. us. (2012). Retrieved 2012, from www. iaepa. s/executive-protection-physical-fitnessrequirements: http ://www. iaepa. us/executive-protection-physical-fitness-requirements Buddy, T. ( 2012, October 25 ). studymode. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from www. studymode. com: http://www. studymode. com/essays/How-To-Improve-Physical-Fitness1160490. html Deh, T. (2012, October 8). saaraaalto. blogspot. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from www. saaraaalto. blogspot. com: http://saaraaalto. blogspot. com/2012_10_01_archive. html Hardcastle, J. ( 2010, October 4). ezinearticles. Retrieved October 4, 2010, from www. ezinearticles. com: http://ezinearticles. om/? The-Importance-of-PhysicalFitness&id=284434 John. (2012, August 2). witftennis. Retrieved August 2, 2012, from www. itftennis. com: http://www. itftennis. com/scienceandmedicine/conditioning/what-is-fitness. aspx Katherine. ( 2010). fitday. Retrieved 2010, from www. fitday. com: http://www. fitday. com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-importance-of-physicalfitness. html#b Manohar, U. (2011, september 30). buzzle. Retrieved septemb er 30, 2011, from www. buzzle. com: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/importance-of-physical-fitness. html Collage of Islamic Studies Page 4

Signs of Understanding

For the past centuries, deaf people or those hard of hearing were the only ones who used sign language to communicate their thoughts and feelings. People with perfect hearing like Joseph Garcia, a certified interpreter, were mostly interested in learning this kind of language only in reference to the hearing handicapped. However, with his involvement in the deaf community, he soon noticed that babies born of deaf parents tended to develop speaking language abilities faster than children with parents who had no handicap did. Puzzled by his observations, he decided to pursue the topic for his 1986 graduate thesis. With the cooperation of 17 families, he found out that consistently exposing babies to signs can make them learn these gestures by their eight or ninth month. Since then, Garcia has been a principal researcher for 109 studies and has developed programs, books and other materials that implement his findings. (â€Å"About Joseph Garcia† par. 1-3) During the same period, Linda Acredolo also realized that there is a possible connection between signs and early child development as her daughter’s reaction to the fish while they were in her pediatrician’s office intrigued her. Her child, Katie, went to the fish tank and started to blow towards the fish. When they went home, Linda had to put Katie back in her crib and activate her fish mobile with a gentle blow. It was then that she remembered her daughter’s gestures in the doctor’s clinic. Armed with this realization, the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development granted Linda Acredolo and her partner, Susan Goodwyn, funding to conduct a study on the impact of symbolic gesturing on babies. (Haussman par. 4-5) The study was composed of 103 eleven-month old infants divided into two groups and reassessed on their 15th, 19th, 24th, 30th and 36th months. One control group knew nothing about using symbolic gestures while the other group of parents taught the infants how to use signs.   The results showed that the babies who learned symbolic gestures had a great advantage on the â€Å"vast majority of the language acquisition measures.† (Goodwyn, Acredolo & Brown 81) The initial researches made by Garcia, Acredolo and Goodwyn are the basis of popular programs now being conducted that help babies acquire better speaking abilities and aid parents in understanding their children. Learning to speak is a very important aspect of child development.   Here are some milestones that indicate the proper language development of children. According to the Child Development Institute, at the age of 6 months, babies normally do vocalization with intonation and can respond to name call outs.   Infants, at this point, should also be able to turn their heads or eyes toward human voices even without being distracted with gestures and show appropriate reaction to friendly or angry tones. At 12 months of age, a baby can use fragments of a word or words with correct meaning and understand simple instructions with vocal or physical hints. By this time, the one-year old baby can practice adding prefixes or suffixes to words and can be aware of the importance of social value in connection to speaking. By the time the child reaches 18 months of age, his or her vocabulary may contain 5 to 20 words composed mostly of nouns. These babies tend to make repetitions of a word or phrase with much jargon and emotional content.   It is also at this point when babies learn to follow basic commands. By the age of two, toddlers can typically name objects that are familiar to him and use this with about two prepositions like â€Å"in,† â€Å"on† or â€Å"under.† The children also start using short sentences composed of 1 to 2 words and 2/3 of their babble are understandable. Their vocabulary expands to 150 to 300 words and can use at least 2 pronouns interchangeably (ex. You and I). Toddlers of this age have poor rhythm and fluency while voice and pitch control are not yet to be controlled. However, this stage is also where most parents begin to teach their children response to commands like â€Å"show me the light (your eyes, nose, etc.).† By three years of age, children are expected to use the pronouns, â€Å"I,† â€Å"You† and â€Å"Me† properly and understand plurals and past tenses. The prepositions â€Å"in,† â€Å"on† and â€Å"under† are common in making three word sentences. Their vocabulary may expand from 900 to 1000 words and 90 percent of spoken words are already understandable. Three year olds can also comprehend basic queries regarding their surroundings can associate experiences with reason. Identification of own sex, name and age is also common to children of this age. The basis for language development also has something to do with a baby’s physical growth. According to a research made by Melanie Canault and her colleagues in 2007, children realize how to control their respiration and its phonation first by learning how to open and close the vocal tract in continuous rhythm during vocal emissions. However, productions of these sounds are still under the influence of strong physiological constrains. Although many children are ready to learn verbalization before 12 months old, most have yet to acquire the fine motor skill they need to create words using their mouths. (Taylor B1) Since most parents believe that their babies’ language development starts with the first words uttered by infants, it will seem that there is little way to help babies communicate their needs until an appropriate physical development stage. However, researchers traced that verbal language begins with comprehension of â€Å"arbitrary symbols to stand for real-world phenomena.† (Goodwyn, Acredolo & Brown 82) Baby sign language, according to numerous researches, can hasten a child’s achievement of the milestones presented above. Many studies have sprung from the original researches done by Garcia, Acredolo and Goodwyn.   In 1997, Kimberlee Whaley, coordinator of the laboratory school and an associate professor of human development and family science at Ohio State's College of Human Ecology, and her colleagues in Ohio State's A. Sophie Rogers Infant-Toddler Laboratory School started a program to help the babies in their care communicate their thoughts through sign language. Teachers were looking for some way to teach their conflicting one-year old students another physical gesture that would indicate their displeasure instead of pushing each other. They realized that if sign language can help children with special disabilities communicate, it can also aid with babies who have yet to learn speech. One of the teachers was already knowledgeable in American Sign Language and taught the other caregivers on how to use certain gestures for their small experiment. The signs were used while the teachers spoke to the children so that the babies will learn it naturally. The results show that the first words that children learn to verbalize are those that can be associated to the signs and that as these babies learned to use speech more fluently, their use of signs diminish. It also lessened the frustration of both children and teachers because instead of crying the very young students are able to gesture what they need lessening the stress in the environment.   Parents also learned the sign languages and pleased by it. Another research report made by Jana M. Iverson and Susan Goldin-Meadow strengthens the contention that gestures can hasten language development when they studied ten children who were learning to develop their abilities from single words to two-word combinations. They found out that the children first learned to make gestures before they could verbally pronounce the words. Another fact they established was that those who learned to make a gesture and associate it to word combinations first (example: pointing to a bird and saying the word â€Å"nap†) were the ones who initially verbalized two-word combinations like bird nap.   They concluded that gesture not only predates but also predicts changes in language meaning gesture can really pave the way to better language development. Many speech pathologists and parents are attesting to the benefits of baby sign language on families with normal hearing children. Babies who learn symbolic gestures are able to speak earlier than non-signers (as attested by the researches mentioned), experience less frustration (evidenced usually by less crying), develop larger vocabularies, become better readers and develop IQs that are at least 10 to 12 points higher. (Ryan par. 5) Although more research must be done to understand why babies who learn sign language develop verbal skills ahead of those who do not, the results of previous studies on the benefits of symbolic gestures already prove this phenomenon. Tantrum spells usually erupt because of frustration.   Babies between 9 to 30 months old usually get frustrated because they are not able to communicate their need well.   Dr. Alan Greene (par. 1-3) explains that the ideas of these babies, â€Å"far outstrip their language skills†¦ because large muscle coordination is learned before small muscle coordination – at about the same time kids want to express themselves.† Dr. Greene therefore recommends that parents teach their children sign language because hand and head movement is easier than manipulating the mouth and this form of language bridges the communication gap that results to less frustration. Many researchers also claim that vocabulary is deeply enhanced by baby sign language and has positive effects on IQs. The basic theory is that because children are better understood, they gain more self-confidence in learning. A baby can learn a great deal when he feels important, which not only creates a â€Å"more confident person, but a more confident communicator. (Murkoff, 2003 cited in Haskin par.4)   Dr. Marilyn Daniels, associate professor of speech communication at Penn State’s Worthington Scranton Campus, believes that â€Å"knowing a second language, such as ASL (American Sign Language), also boosts self-esteem of the children.† (Fong, par. 2) There are two ways to teach babies how to sign. The first way is based on the research of   Joseph Garcia who believes that ASL is the best tool to teach children how to sign. The second stream of learning is based on Acredolo’s research that uses any symbolic gestures that may be comfortable for both parents and their children. However, these schools of thought both believe in simplicity, consistency and the proper ages to start learning. Parents or care givers can start teaching signs to babies as young as six to nine months old. It is expected that a month may pass before the child uses the sign on his own. Caregivers need to begin with simple words that are basic to the child.   Words like â€Å"eat,† â€Å"milk,† and â€Å"drink† are great for starters. People teaching the language must also be patient in giving only a few words to the babies to start with so as not to overwhelm the child. One of the most important rules in teaching symbolic gestures is that the teacher must have the baby’s complete attention. Distractions will inhibit learning anything at all. The proper selection of words is also important.   Basic one-syllable words (preferably verbs and nouns) are the best choices. Some parents prefer to teach their children words that are more practical to their daily routines but there are those who choose words based on what generates more excitement for their child. Words like â€Å"bird,† â€Å"light,† and â€Å"foot† may be of more interest to a child and parents are given the freedom to choose their vocabulary starter. It is also recommended that the teacher say the words aloud while doing the gesture.   This will hasten speech development.   If the gesture refers to an object, it would be advisable to show the child the object while doing its associated sign.   The teacher, for example, can verbalize and make the sign for â€Å"book† before reaching for it and repeat the same cycle while holding the book. Before putting the book back, the teacher must also do the cycle again. This will teach the child to connect the object to the sign. An additional tip to say the word clearly and slowly. Consistency is the key to success. The person teaching the child to sign must take every chance to repeat the gesture when appropriate. The signs need to be part of a daily routine.   It takes a lot of repetition for the child to develop recognition. It is also advisable that the people with whom the child communicates regularly know the signs and are coordinated in their efforts to avoid confusion. Many people attest that their families have fun having their own set of symbolic language because it fosters camaraderie among them and strengthens their bonds toward each other. From the experiences of other parents and caregivers, it is noted that babies will not be able to completely copy a sign during his or her first attempts to show it.   Some children take months to learn the system but parents attest that it is worth it. It would be worthwhile to pay close attention to the baby’s hand movements at the start to know if he or she is already attempting to imitate the signs.   It may look uncoordinated at first but constant practice will refine the movements. Once an infant learns the first gestures, he or she can be taught additional words.   It is not unusual for a child to learn about 40 to 60 words in sign language before he is physically prepared to talk. (Williams 2007) Speech therapists have been using sign language to hasten verbal communication in children who seem to have delayed developments in this area. According to Jennifer Fusco, a speech pathologist, â€Å"When a child begins to use signs, and we respond to the signs as if they used a spoken word, the communication cycle begins.† It is therefore logical for some speech therapists to advocate baby sign language because it can aid in developing verbal abilities of children. However, there are also those who oppose too much focus on the system citing that they know of a mother who decided â€Å"to focus entirely on teaching baby sign and to ignore vocalisations has actually retarded her son's spoken language development.† (Grove, Herman, Morgan ; Woll par. 10) These therapists also believe that too much concentration on baby sign language may hamper speech development because other means of communication are ignored. Research has properly shown that baby sign language can be very helpful to a child’s language and intellectual development.   It boosts self-esteem and confidence in learning which aids in better IQ attainment.   Even if it does not achieve the things mentioned, it is still worth using as a tool for better communication because it fosters better family ties and less stressful moments for both parents and children. Works Cited â€Å"About Joseph Garcia.† Sign2Me.com. 29 November 2007 Canault, Melanie, Rafael Laboissierre, Pascal Perrier and Rudolph Sock. â€Å"The Development of Tongue Gestures at the Babbling Stage.† 29 November 2007 Child Development Institute. â€Å"Language Development In Children.† 29 November 2007 ;http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/language_development.shtml;. Fong, Vicki. â€Å"Sign Language Enriches Learning For Hearing Children.† 20 November 2001. PennStateNews. 29 November 2007 ;http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/signlanguage.html;. Fusco, Jennifer. â€Å"American Sign Language.† Speech Delay.com. 29 November 2007 Goodwyn, Susan, Linda Acredolo and Catherine Brown. â€Å"Impact of Symbolic Gesturing on Early Language Development.† Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 24.2 (2000):21-103. Greene, Alan. â€Å"Baby Sign Language.† 30 July 1999. drgreene.com. 29 November 2007 ; http://www.drgreene.com/21_17.html;. Grove, Nicola, Ros Herman, Gary Morgan and Bencie Woll. â€Å"Baby signing: the view from the skeptics.† 29 November 2007 Haskin, Doug. â€Å"Advantages in Signing with Babies.† 10 November 2006. Lifeprint.com. 29 November 2007 ;http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/babysigning2.htm;. Haussman, Penny. Baby Sign Language†¦Not Just For Babies Anymore! TinyTalking   Ã‚   Hands.com. 29 November 2007 Iverson, Jana M. and Susan Goldin-Meadow. â€Å"Gesture Paves the Way for Language Development.† Psychological Science. Vol. 16.5 (2005): 367-371. Ryan, Diane. â€Å"Extraordinary Benefits Result when you Teach Sign Language To Your Hearing Baby.† theparentsite.com. 29 November 2007 ;http://theparentsite.com/parenting/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   signbaby.asp;. Taylor, Lewis. â€Å"Say It In Signs.† The Register-Guard. 02 July 2007: B1. Waley, Khimberlee. â€Å"Teaching Infants to Use Sign Language.† Newswise. 29 November 2007 ;http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/?id=SIGNLANG.OSU;. Williams, MJ. â€Å"Teaching Babies Sign Language.† babies-and-sign-language.com. 29 November 2007 ;http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/baby-signs-teaching-infant.html;.

Black People and James Baldwin Essay

In Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif,† the story is about two girls, Twyla and Roberta. They grow up in an orphanage because their mothers could not care for them. Morrison makes it clear the girls come from different ethnic backgrounds but never states which one is black or white. At one point in the story Twyla comments, â€Å"We looked like salt and pepper. † I grew frustrated with the story and had to read it several times. I could never determine who was black and white and the lesson I learned should have been it doesn’t really matter. The story begins with Twyla’s mother dropping her off at the orphanage. She meets Roberta and they become best friends. The bond they share occurs because they were not considered real orphans. They were abandoned kids unlike the other children whose parents had died. One of the last times the girls see each other was the day of a visitation. On that night, Twyla’s mother was wearing â€Å"those tight green slacks that made her butt stick out. † Many people have labeled blacks as having larger butts. She could have been black, she could have been a heavy white woman with a large butt, or a Hispanic woman like me. But I automatically stereotyped and went with Twyla has to be black. During the visitation Roberta’s mother â€Å"had brought chicken legs. † Twyla notices Roberta does not eat the chicken legs. I always thought black people liked chicken more than white people which means Roberta was white since she did not eat the chicken. Or maybe she just wasn’t hungry. Shortly after that visitation Roberta’s mother came to take her home, leaving the girls devastated. They see each other several times throughout the years. At their first meeting, Roberta was rude and distant because she was high. Roberta tells Twyla she is on the way to see Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was an infamous black guitarist. I thought at this point Roberta has to be black. However Hendrix’s band was interracial with a diverse audience. Roberta could have been white due to the diverse audience. I am a huge Hendrix fan and I am not black so why would I think Roberta is. Twelve years later they meet again at a grocery store. Roberta married a rich man and was extremely friendly to Twyla. Twyla cannot hold back her emotions and asks Roberta about the last time they saw each other. Roberta shrugs it off, â€Å"Oh, Twyla, you know how it was in those days: black—white. You know how everything was. † I can relate to this. In 1980, the Cuban Mariel Boat Lifts came over bring thousands of Cubans. I am Cuban but I was born here. Kids I had known since kindergarten treated me as if I just come over on the boats. It had a lasting effect on me and matured me beyond my years. The third time they meet is at the school where their children attend. Roberta and other mothers were picketing because they did not want their kids to be segregated. This led to a fight severing any last chance of a friendship for them as it would not be resolved until Twyla and Roberta meet for a final time. As the story ends I do not get a sense of closure. The question of which girl is white or black remains unanswered. It opened my eyes and made me question how prejudice I really am. I try to not stereotype as a result of what I went through as a child but I found myself doing just that. I can understand why Morrison wrote the way she. I am not sure what her goal was overall but to me it seemed as if she were teaching me about prejudices. â€Å"Recitatif† challenged me to not judge either girl by their race but accept them for who they are. In the end, what difference did it really make about the girls’ races? The story is about how their friendship develops and then deteriorates. Nothing more; nothing less.

Sectarian conflict in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Sectarian conflict in Iraq - Essay Example The first two pages provide an in depth analysis and commentary on the evolving nature of the conflict. It argues that the roots of the conflict have been present since the creation of the country in the aftermath of World War I by the integration of former Ottoman Empire provinces. Further the politics of the country has been based upon totalitarianism and centralized government that has been effective and efficient in suppressing any manifestation of Shiite or Kurdish nationalism and fundamentalism. After this the research study focuses on the efforts of the Iraqi and American administrations in resolving the sectarian problem. Despite superficial attempts to negate the concept of sectarianism the root causes of the conflict persist. The research paper uses the political theory of realism in order to understand the causes and nature of the sectarian conflict in Iraq. Finally it makes recommendations which will assist policy makers in eradicating the scourge of sectarianism in the c ountry. Iraq was created after World War I by the British administration by joining together former provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Three ethnic and sectarian groups, Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites inhabited this area. During the Baath party regime of Saddam Hussein, the Sunni elite had managed to suppress any manifestation of Kurdish or Shiite resurgence. However the United States invasion of Iraq and overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime has dangerously changed the balance of power and monopoly once enjoyed by the Sunni elite. Shiites and Kurds have carved out their respective zones of influence where they dominate the state and security apparatus. Fighting in Iraq has increasingly turned towards a sectarian conflict between Shiites and Sunnis. The struggle has also been a broad part of the struggle between Arab states and Iran to protect and defend their interests in Iraq. Sectarian clashes have led to the wholesale expulsion or killings of minorities with enclaves being carved out

Value chain for carrefour company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Value chain for carrefour company - Essay Example This ensures that the company meets the needs and requirements of its many customers. In order to secure customer loyalty and competitive advantage, Carrefour offers its customers with a wide selection of products at best prices. Carrefour operations focus on providing products that meet the needs of a wide range of customer requirements. The retailer has every store format that meets the needs of its customers and copes with changing market trends. Carrefour has hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, cash and carry stores (Carrefour, 2012). The company uses current technologies and innovations to strengthen its operations. Carrefour seeks to offer the best range of products and services to its customers. The company’s convenience stores offer convenient services and practicality to its customers. Carrefour’s operations seek to meet the requirements of its customers. Carrefour uses Electronic Data Interchange system for procurement of its products. The company makes these products available to customers through a variety of stores worldwide. Carrefour human resource management ensures that all personnel provide quality services to customers all over the world. This is by strengthening human resource department and customer relations. Carrefour combined with See Beyond to implement and install integrated composite application network software. This was to enhance its operations and deliver quality services and goods to its customers. The software would allow Carrefour to customize its operations to various local conditions. Using the software, Carrefour would integrate its stores, distribution centers and local supply chain partners all over the world. Carrefour strengthened its inbound logistics by giving its managers the freedom to buy products from local suppliers. This increases customer loyalty thus, offering the company competitive regional advantage in different areas (Carrefour,

Functional Ares of Top Shop Business Case Study

Functional Ares of Top Shop Business - Case Study Example It has over 300 stores around the world. It also has around 165 stores for men’s wear. It is the number shop in Britain when it comes to clothing, accessories and make up. This company offers high quality products at a reasonable price and it has embarked on technology to market and sell its products. THE 5 KEY FUNCTIONAL AREAS IN TOP SHOP BUSINESS Human resource: their main responsibility is to look and hire new employees who will efficiently carry out the company’s responsibilities. They also make sure that their employees are well trained to enhance efficiency in their endeavors. They should make sure that the employees have filed in all the paper work before they embark on their duties. They also determine the salary scale for each employee according to the employee’s occupation and responsibilities in the company. Marketing: this department should always give directions on what products the company should release to the market. It should always be aware of w hat is on market and what is not. They should also know the needs of their customers and be sure to meet each and every one of it. They reach these conclusions by researching through various mechanisms. They help the company to put its strategies in order so as to meet the demand of the customer. They have a responsibility to determine the price of a certain product considering the cost involved in processing it. All products should be advertised and promoted so as to educate the public on the products. This needs budgeting and proper planning. They determine the distribution channels that are going to be involved in distributing the products. The ICT and administration support: This group has always supported day to day running of the business. They involve themselves in the clerical duties, cleaning of the premise, they offer computer and technological help and they ensure people’s security health and safety. Operations: this is a department involved in producing the nice a nd appealing garments seen on the web to see that the customers are coming back for more. They are people with skill, creativity, attention to detail and informed. They use the available machinery, the building and raw materials provided to come up with products to be sold to the clients on order. Research and development: With the use of ICT, people are able to stay informed and get as much information as possible. The customers can give feedback which will inform this department on what they want. This department keeps competition on check by updating on existing designs. Customer care: (Lyon, 2012) notes that the front desk is the most critical and sensitive area. The front desk personnel should never fail to impress so as to have many clients. For every opportunity be it a phone call, an appointment honor, the excellence of the business should be seen. The front desk has always set the pace for everyone in the company to emulate and internalize. The main responsibility of this d epartment is to make sure that their customers are satisfied and their questions are well answered. They answer calls from customers, give extra information on the products or services offered and solve their customers’ problems in relation to the products they are interested in. The personnel in this department are well trained and they understand the company’s policies. Additional responsibilities include receiving of payment, handling refunds, cashing checks, and selling stamps.  

Adult education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adult education - Assignment Example The adult learner shall have developed a different perspective to learning and shall have garnered skills and experience from social and professional interactions. Based on the differences between adult and initial education, special challenges exist that face adult learners and formal policies towards learning strategies are necessary for efficient adult learning. This paper explores the scope of adult learning and its associated challenges and strategies with the aim of recommending a suitable strategy to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education for policy development. This aims at improving benefits of adult education to learners. Adult education: special needs Dynamism of adult learning over the past decades identifies the need for periodic changes in the scope of adult education that offers diversified utility to learners such achieved transformation through self-reflection and development of new knowledge base. The learning process however needs to consider special needs am ong learners. A rich knowledge base has been developed on adult learning mechanism to facilitate identification and management of the needs. Unlike young learners in initial learning frameworks, adult learners are slow in conceptualization and knowledge development. This means longer time in a learning process and possible needs for empowerment to aid the speed of learning. The adults are however able to compensate for this weakness through their vast experience and through effective time management. Differences in visual potentials across age also identify special needs among adult learners. While human development occurs with age, vision begins to decline after the age of 18 year. The decline is gradual until the age of 40 at which the rate of decline increases and means age is a factor to needs among adult learners. Hearing potential also decline among adult learners though this occurs at late ages and hearing aids may be used to facilitate learning processes. Adults also report memory problems during their learning but the problem is less significant in contextual learning (Florida State University, n.d.). Assumptions of adult learning Basic assumptions to adults learning are another set of important factors, to adult education, that educators and policy makers need to consider for successful learning processes. Learners’ self-concept that changes with age explains a transition from nature of learning among young people in initial learning environments. A level of maturity is evident among adult learners who prefer a more independent approach to learning. There is change from dependence on learning environment to a self-reliant approach in which an adult learner is an independent and active party to the learning process. Understanding the shift in self-concept is important among educators because implementing a learning strategy that fails to recognize a learner’s desired level of independence may communicate oppression and compromise effecti veness of the learning process. Transitions across cognitive development stages supports validity of the change in self-concept at adult learning stage because each developmental stage marks increased learning potential that identifies learners abilities to learn on their own. The cognitive development theory supports independence potential by early adulthood and while level of learners’ required independence may vary across age, it is significant among adult learners (Florida State University, n.d.). Adult learning also holds the assumption of significance of learners’ experience that plays to major roles in education. Having interacted with social and professional environments, adult learners

The Not-So-Wonderful World of Euro Disney Case Study

The Not-So-Wonderful World of Euro Disney - Case Study Example The company said these efforts led to "a substantial increase" in attendance and hotel occupancy, and to a 17% rise in operating revenue" (Cateora, P. and Graham, J., p. 614.) Another factor that contributed to the park's unsuccessful year was that transatlantic airfare wars and currency movements led to visits to Orlando's Disneyworld being less expensive than going to Paris. The weather in Florida was sunny and the beaches are nearby. The saw EuroDisney as another form of American imperialism, or an extension of the American Empire. "American Empire is a term relating to the political, economic, military and cultural influence of the United States," explains Wikipedia (2008). The factors that played into the unsuccessful first year could have been foreseen somewhat easily by EuroDisney and/or the parent company. The same goes for their being able to control them. Hostility among the French had risen even as the plans were being set as it was stated earlier, that they did not want American imperialism invading their country and culture. Cateora, P. and Graham, J., p. ... The French were upset during the early advertising because of the advertisement's focus on the size and glitz instead of the different rides and attractions. (Cateora, P. and Graham, J., p.614.) As most of us know, advertising plays a very strong role in our world today. Nowadays it seems that the only way to avoid any form of advertising is to isolate oneself and live in a cave but not all advertising is negative and bad. It is found almost everywhere Student's Last Name 3 such as just by walking on the street, driving a car, or watching TV. Ference (2004) reports, "Every surface that could possibly have an ad slapped on it -- clothing, buses, taxis, myriad walls and billboards, even the snow you ski on -- now hawks something." According to Wikipedia encyclopedia, "Advertising is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually performed by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an overall promotional strategy. ("Advertising", 2006). Companies are bombarding us with thousands of different ads with only one intention: to persuade us to buy their products. Every advertiser or company must do more than just make a product, give it an attractive price, and offer it to the consumer. They have to also communicate and promote it to their current and future customers; they have to advertise it. Advertisers appeal to the lusts, desires, and wants of the target market or potential customer. Therefore, the ability to foresee tha t the advertising was getting a negative response was obvious and this could have been somewhat controlled by EuroDisney and/or the parent company Disney. Yes, advertising bombards us everywhere but it is not without control and regulation by thegovernment,

Micro Economics - Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Micro Economics - Competition - Essay Example However, not all situations can the management plan on how to counter the competitors. In most cases, these situations arise due to unavoidable circumstances facing an organization. Whenever such situations arise, an organization’s management has to take drastic measures of solving the problem. How firms solve the problem of competition in the two scenarios forms the main discussion of this paper. Short-Run Decisions and Long Run Adjustments of Firms Facing Competition Introduction Competition occurs in perfect market structures where firms operate in a perfectly competitive market structure. In perfect competition, many small firms involved in the production of identical products with perfect access to resources and knowledge characterize the market structure. Firms operating in a perfectly competitive market structure face a horizontal and perfectly elastic and demand curve, a situation where marginal revenues are equal to average revenue. Characteristics of perfectly compet itive markets include perfect knowledge, freedom of entry and exit of firms, production of homogenous and identical units of output and many firms in operation. The structuring of a perfect market does not give an opportunity to a single firm to either influence the market price or market conditions, there are no governmental regulations and the assumption there is no existence of externalities. Body Faced with the problem of competition, organizations have to device ways and means of preserving their relevance in the market. Various factors affect the relevance of organizations in the industry they operate. Jain and Khanna (198) assert that quality and the popularity of an organization’s products among the customers determine the market share of that company in the market it operates. Competition indirectly acts as a quality controller. As companies increase their fight for a bigger cake in the entire market, they apply a number of measures. Firstly, companies increase their focus on the quality of products provided to the market while at the same time strives to offer the best prices in the market. Pricing is not an influential factor as high-end markets have indicated. Quality is the biggest factor influencing the market dynamics and purchasing behaviours of customers. Compromising quality of products adversely effects on the customers base of a company. Companies known to high quality products and services are associated with large market shares and subsequently report high revenues and profits. While laying down strategies for winning their competition, organizations apply a number of means and ways. Although every organization uses unique strategies in the market geared towards increasing its revenue sales, there are similar steps that organizations use to achieve these results. Either, an organization can opt for long term or short-term competition mitigation factors. While long-term plans needs a solid strategic plan and implementation schedule, short term decisions could be spontaneous and reactive. Reaction is a situation where a company facing high competition from other firms operating in the same industry takes drastic measures of countering that competition. Mainly, the management as measures of last result takes such measures. However, the management of an organization should be adequately prepared to counter any in eventualities whenever they occur in their operations. Whenever

The Dust Bowl Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Dust Bowl - Research Paper Example Egan describes it â€Å"as if a curtain were being drawn across a vast stage at world’s end.†1 Much of Egan’s prose has this biblical tinge to it, and it strikes the proper tone for a disaster that seemed like a foretaste of Doomsday. A catastrophic symbiosis occurred. The region’s residents suffered crippling economic and personal privation from which most never recovered; similarly, the region sustained a devastating physical transformation from which it has never fully recovered. And there is irony of biblical proportions at work here, in that the people who endured such abject misery were the same ones who were responsible for the most spectacular climactic shift in American history. The land that farmers so freely exploited was part of an exquisitely delicate eco-system. The pristine grasslands which massive herds of buffalo had kept in check created a root system that held fine, fertile soil in place. When the buffalo were exterminated, the plains Indians whose subsistence depended on them moved further west, leaving only white settlers concerned with profiting from the richness of the land. That meant clearing away the grasses. When the Depression hit and wheat prices fell, farmers were forced to increase their yields, clearing more and more grass in order to do so. Millions of tons of dust were picked up by the highest winds in the United States, rendering bare survival problematic. Farmers found themselves incapable of adjusting to the situation, and agricultural profitability in the region suffered. â€Å"During the Depression and through at least the 1950s, there was limited relative adjustment of farmland away from activities that became relatively less productive in more –eroded areas.†2 In the more-eroded counties, attempts at agricultural adjustment resulted in a recovery of less than 25 percent of initial losses.3 One of the most remarkable aspects of the Dust Bowl, and which speaks to the sheer

Agriculture of Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Agriculture of Pakistan Essay Agriculture is a vital sector of Pakistans economy and accounted for 25. 9 percent of GDP in 1999-2000, according to government estimates. The sector directly supports three-quarters of the countrys population, employs half the labor force , and contributes a large share of foreign exchange earnings. The main agricultural products are cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables, in addition to milk, beef, mutton, and eggs. Pakistan depends on one of the worlds largest irrigation systems to support production. There are 2 principal seasons. Cotton, rice, and sugarcane are produced during the kharif season, which lasts from May to November. Wheat is the major rabi crop, which extends from November to April. The key to a much-needed improvement of productivity lies in a more efficient use of resources, principally land and water. However, change is dependent on the large landowners who own 40 percent of the arable land and control most of the irrigation system, which makes widespread reform difficult. Assessments by independent agencies, including the World Bank, show these large landholdings to be very unproductive. Pakistan is a net importer of agricultural commodities. Annual imports total about US$2 billion and include wheat, edible oils, pulses, and consumer foods. Pakistan is one of the worlds largest producers of raw cotton. The size of the annual cotton crop—the bulk of it grown in Punjab province—is a crucial barometer of the health of the overall economy, as it determines the availability and cost of the main raw material for the yarn-spinning industry, much of which is concentrated around the southern port city of Karachi. Official estimates put the 1999-2000 harvest at some 11. 2 million 170-kilogram bales, compared with the 1998-99 outturn of 8. 8 million bales and the record 12. 8 million bales achieved in 1991-92. The government recently actively intervened in the market to boost prices and to encourage production. A major problem is that the cotton crop is highly susceptible to adverse weather and pest damage, which is reflected in crop figures. After peaking at 2. 18 million tons in 1991-92, the lint harvest has since fluctuated considerably, ranging from a low of 1. 37 million tons in 1993-94 to a high of 1. 9 million tons in 1999-2000. The 2000-01 wheat crop was forecast at a record 19. 3 million tons, compared to 17. 8 million tons produced during the previous year. This increase is due largely to favorable weather and a 25-percent increase in the procurement price to about US$135 per ton. About 85 percent of the crop is irrigated. Despite the record production, Pakistan will continue to be a major wheat importer. The government has imported an average of US$2. 4 million annually over the past 5 years. The United States and Australia are the major suppliers. Demand for wheat is increasing from Pakistans rapidly growing population as well as from cross-border trade with Afghanistan. Pakistan is a major rice exporter and annually exports about 2 million tons, or about 10 percent of world trade. About 25 percent of exports is Pakistans famous fragrant Basmati rice. Rice is Pakistans second leading source of export earnings. Private traders handle all exports. Pakistans main competitors in rice trade are Thailand, Vietnam, and India. Tobacco is grown mainly in the North-West Frontier Province and Punjab and is an important cash crop . Yields in Pakistan are about twice those for neighboring countries largely due to the extension services provided by the industry. Quality, however, is improving only slowly due to problems related to climate and soil. Farmers have started inter-cropping tobacco with vegetables and sugarcane to increase returns. About half of the total production is used for cigarette manufacturing and the remainder used in traditional ways of smoking (in hand-rolled cigarettes called birris, in water pipes, and as snuff). The share of imported tobacco is increasing gradually in response to an increased demand for high-quality cigarettes. Minor crops account for only 5 percent of total cultivated area; these include oilseeds (sunflower, soybean), chilies, potatoes, and onions. Domestic oilseed production accounts only for about 25 percent of Pakistan total edible oil needs. As a result, Pakistan spends more than US$1 billion annually in scarce foreign exchange to import edible oils, while its oilseed processing industry operates at less than 25 percent of capacity due to an inadequate supply of oilseeds. For 2000-01 total oilseed production was forecast to decrease 10 percent to 3. 6 million tons. The government has highlighted development of the oilseed sector as a priority. Pakistans fishing industry is relatively modest, but has shown strong growth in recent years. The domestic market is quite small, with per capita annual consumption of approximately 2 kilograms. About 80 percent of production comes from marine fisheries from 2 main areas, the Sindh coast east from Karachi to the Indian border, and the Makran coast of Baluchistan. Ninety percent of the total marine catch is fish; the shrimp which constitute the remainder are prized because of their greater relative value and demand in foreign markets. During 1999-00, total fish production was 620,000 tons, of which 440,000 tons consisted of sea fish and the remainder were fresh-water species. About one-third of the catch is consumed fresh, 9 percent is frozen, 8 percent canned, and about 43 percent used as fish meal for animal food. Livestock accounts for 40 percent of the agricultural sector and 9 percent of the total GDP. Principal products are milk, beef, mutton, poultry, and wool. During 1999, the livestock population increased to 120 million head. That same year Pakistan generated 970,000 tons of beef, 640,000 tons of mutton, and 190,000 tons of poultry. In an effort to enhance milk and meat production, the government recently launched a comprehensive livestock development project with Asian Development Bank assistance. Poultry production provides an increasingly popular low-cost source of protein. Modern poultry production is constrained by high mortality, high incidence of disease, poor quality chicks, and poor quality feed, combined with an inadequate marketing system. Frozen poultry have only recently been introduced. Forests cover an area of 4. 2 million hectares or about 5 percent of the total area of Pakistan. The principal forest products are timber, principally for house construction, furniture, and firewood. Many of the countrys wooded areas are severely depleted as a result of over-exploitation. The government has restricted cutting to protect remaining resources—though corruption often jeopardizes environmental efforts—and has lowered duties to encourage imports. Forestry production has since declined from 1. 07 million cubic meters in 1990-91 to 475,000 cubic meters in 1998-99. Pakistan imports an estimated US$150 million of wood products annually to meet the requirements of a growing population and rising demand by a wealthy elite.

On “Unspeakable Conversations” Essay Example for Free

On â€Å"Unspeakable Conversations† Essay The issues of euthanasia and infanticide have long been subjects of heated debate, and there are no signs that the arguments for and against the two ethical dilemmas are coming to a halt. For the most part, the issue stems from the classic stand-off between religion and science, or religion and the state. In cases where the aforementioned conflict applies, what are brought to the table are arguments revolving around and stemming from the idea of a human being’s â€Å"right to life†. Generally the church invokes the central belief that a life can only be ended by the supreme being that created it, to counter whatever propositions that may have been deducted from scientific studies and philosophical undertakings that deviate from the said belief. Nowadays, debates on euthanasia and infanticide no longer just stem from religious beliefs. Opposition for the legalization of the two issues likewise comes from various organizations that, in more ways than one, are (or will be) directly affected. An example of such an organization is Not Dead Yet: a movement that concerns itself with the plight of the disabled, and of which Harriet McBride Johnson whose article â€Å"Unspeakable Conversations† is at the heart of this position paper – is a member. For purposes of clarity, this paper focuses on the implications of and points in Johnson’s article in exploring the philosophy of Peter Singer, who is undoubtedly one of the most controversial philosophers – nay, figures – today, with the intent of refuting his position relative to the two areas of concern. In a nutshell, this paper, while acceding to the logicality and coherence of Singer’s position, argues that the world in general is not yet ready for his revolutionary view of morality and ethics; and that there are more grounded alternatives that have yet to be considered and taken which do not require the legalization of either euthanasia or infanticide. The Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary defines euthanasia as â€Å"the act or practice of killing hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy; also : the act or practice of allowing a hopelessly sick or injured patient to die by taking less than complete medical measures to prolong life—called also mercy killing†; infanticide, on the other hand, translates to â€Å"the killing of an infant†. Since the latter definition elicits horror, it is important to emphasize that what Singer proposes is selective infanticide – a concept that is not as horrifying when understood in the context of his philosophy. Harriet McBride Johnson’s â€Å"Unspeakable Conversations† is a personal account of the lawyer’s relationship with Singer, which began when she accepted the latter’s invitation to two speaking engagements in Princeton University in March 2002, and her thoughts on his philosophy. Even before her encounter with the controversial bioethicist, Johnson had been fully aware of Singer’s philosophy, what with her organization Not Dead Yet being a thorn on the professor’s side, disrupting his lectures and even protesting his appointment in Princeton University. As such, it is no surprise that in the latter part of the article Johnson recounts that her agreeing to be involved in one of Singer’s talks in a non-violent manner (so to speak) aroused negative feedback not only from her co-members in the organization – who believe that a discussion with him is out of the question since giving him an audience legitimizes his view but from her sister, who clearly is of the opinion that Singer’s view, if used as a basis for future legislation / action, may pave the way for another genocide. Johnson’s opposition to selective infanticide is grounded on two ideas: (1) that people are not fungible, and (2) the basis for selecting disabled infants is prejudicial. The first concept is clearly a response to Singer’s assertion that infants are replaceable, and thus infanticide cannot be considered wrong when done under the correct pretense. Such a striking proposition is rooted in what Johnson sees as Singer’s view that infants cannot be considered â€Å"persons† on the basis of their inability for self-awareness, and their inability to express preferences, the most important of which is the preference to live. As for the second idea, Johnson strengthened her argument by raising the issue of race versus disability (in relation to trends in adopting babies): if the basis for killing a certain infant is the prediction that its life will be worse-off in the future due to disability, then why can’t a mixed-race baby – whose chances of being adopted are slimmer compared to white babies, thereby raising its chances of living a life that is not at all appealing – also be considered? This oversight, for her, is a product of prejudice prevalent today. As indicated in the article, Singer responded to the question by saying that whereas preferences based on race are not reasonable, those based on ability are not. With regard to euthanasia, or assisted suicide, Johnson made use of the ideas of Andrew Batavia and Carol Gill to better make understood her point.. For Batavia, assisted suicide is but another way of upholding a person’s autonomy: if a person wants to die, then out of respect for the autonomy of that person, everything – even assistance – should be given to facilitate the choice. Carol Gill, on the other hand, considers assisted suicide a form of discrimination directed towards the disabled. This idea stems from the fact that on a general note, society takes every known measure to prevent the occurrence of suicides; and yet, suicides for the ill and the disabled – though assisted – are considered (or even encouraged). This contradiction is explained by Gill as a product of the underestimation most people have of the quality of life a disabled person has or can have, which likewise gave birth to the stereotypical image of the disabled as people who are to be pitied. With the above statement in mind, it only follows that society is not surprised – in fact, Gill went as far as to say that it is considered rational – when a choice to die is made by a disabled/ill person. Johnson quite expectedly sided with Gill, adding that what is worrying is what she calls the â€Å"veneer of beneficence – the medical determination that, for a given individual, suicide is reasonable or right. † Debunking Batavia, her article implies that choices are, in fact, illusory when the discussion is that of a disabled person’s preference to die. Why is this so? Under â€Å"normal† circumstances – that is, with a non-disabled person – a choice is to be upheld in respect of a person’s autonomy. When it comes to a disabled/ill person’s â€Å"choice† to die, however, the issue is not that of upholding the choice but of the very occurrence of the thought that the person prefers to die rather than live. For Johnson, prior to legalizing assisted suicide, what should be done is exhaust all possible means of upholding the right to live of the disabled and the ill. Quoting her: â€Å"We shouldn’t offer assistance with suicide until we have all the assistance we need to get out of bed in the morning and live a good life. Common causes of suicidality†¦ are entirely curable. † In defense of Singer and his views, Johnson acceded that the professor’s work is logical, in that â€Å"it does make sense – within the conceptual world of Peter Singer†. If one were to read his work â€Å"Practical Ethics†, it is clear that the ideas of Singer regarding infanticide and euthanasia are entirely rational, albeit horrifyingly so for the majority of the human race who have yet to understand his way of thinking. A utilitarian through and through, Singer merely applied the dictum of producing the most happiness for the most people in conjunction with his view that what matters is not the species of a creature but its sentience and ability for self-awareness. With these in mind, and all subjectivity aside, his pursuit of the legalization of euthanasia and selective infanticide are logical – as logical as his pursuit for animal rights are. However, such a revolutionary way of looking at the universe in general is still unwelcome today. To think like Singer is to uproot age-old beliefs and completely reconstruct one’s brand of morality – a feat that is perhaps not impossible, but improbable. As such, Johnson’s idea that before thinking of assisted suicide, assistance first should be given to the disabled and the ill, is the better route to take. REFERENCES Johnson, Harriet. (2003). Unspeakable Conversations. New York Times. February 16, 2003, from http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html sec=healthres=9401EFDC113BF935A25751C0A9659C8B63 Mar. (2008). Princeton Bio-Medical Ethics Professor Peter Singer Teaches Controversial Ethics. Associated Content. February 21, 2008, from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/616049/princeton_biomedical_ethics_professor. html? cat=5 Singer, Peter. (2008). Putting Practice Into Ethics. The Sun: New York. January 16, 2008, from http://www. nysun. com/arts/putting-practice-into-ethics/69595/

Introduction to Santander and its market plan

Introduction to Santander and its market plan Santander is one of the largest financial institutes in the world with a consumer base of 66 million people worldwide functioning in 40 countries with 150 years of experience making it the 5th largest bank in the world by profit and the 7th largest by market capitalization (Santander Home Page). The success of a business lies with its collaboration and communication strategies with its customers and clients (Kotler Sitawan, 2007). Santander has enhanced and developed its business by emphasizing the need to communicate and collaborate with consumer and customer demands prior to financial profit and organizational benefits; this is the biggest secret to its success. Marketing has evolved a great deal in the past decade and Kotler describes marketing as the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong relationships in order to capture value from customers in return (Kotler, 1999). 1.1.1 Marketing plan and mission the mission of Santander is dedicated to being a resilient financial institute while embracing a culture of market orientation and making customers priority and forefront of every strategy or plan formulated. The marketing plan for Santander hence stands to endeavor and to seek out and conserve the buoyancy of its customers and offer generous services aligned with consumer expectations and demands (Santander Home Page). 1.1.2 Marketing plan and vision- the vision henceforth is aptly aligned with the mission of the organization by unremittingly creating value products for customers offering a sense of belonging and a family environment where services are beneficial according to their requirements (Santander Home Page). 2.1 Marketing plan in terms of changing market trends Marketing has evolved a great deal and Kotler defined these changes in three stages (1) marketing 1.0 (2) marketing 2.0 and (3) marketing 3.0 (Kotler Sitawan, 2007). The 1.0 marketing strategy is epitomized by Henry Fords marketing strategy with respect to his T automobile Model stating any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black; illustrating that marketing is about selling a single product on a large mass scale bearing in mind feasibility and low cost (Kotler Sitawan, 2007). Henceforth marketing 2.0 signifies technological trends of marketing epitomized as age of participation where collaborative marketing strategies i.e. news, advertisements and online marketing approaches like Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter etc are used for marketing products and services. Most of the organizations functioning in the business world follow and adhere to marketing 2.0 strategies but with the changing trends corporations like Santander have altered th eir marketing strategies by collaborating marketing 2.0 and marketing 3.0 strategy where information technology is collaborated with global marketing approaches as 3.0 is an approach that addresses concerns and desires of global citizens (Kotler Setiawan, 2007). Santander has improved and enhanced its marketing products and service by offering online banking to its customers. However as the competitive market has evolved fiercely the organization has realized a need for change with reference to their services. The rapidly advancing technological trends and consumer demands in accordance to it Santander has aimed to leverage its consumer base to escalate its revenue stream while offering extended services in banking to its customers. Taking all these factors into consideration a marketing plan for Santander thus formulated was to introduce a much more advanced and improved version of online banking ensuing releases supplements new features and functionalities to make it truly state-of-the-art (Santander Home Page). A brief outline of its marketing plan thus follows: 2.1.1 E-Services The corporation with the changing trends aims at the best quality services that are beneficial and according to customer demands and requirements. Santander has launched an online direct savings for Family Planning and Education and is offering the following:  · Childrens savings accounts  · Education savings accounts  · Holiday savings accounts  · Retirement savings accounts While offering these Santander offers the following additional services to its best eminence (Santander Home Page):  · Accepting deposits  · Lending loans  · Transfer of money  · Trustee business  · Safekeeping  · Government business  · Venture capital offering loan for initiation of a risky business  · ATM  · Phone and internet banking  · Deposit insurance schemes 2.2 Marketing plan and product analysis in terms of marketing environment and competitors Family planning and educational savings account is offered by every bank in the world. Santanders marketing environment is highly competitive and rapidly evolving with institutions adapting to advance and current marketing trends in order to enhance consumer base. What makes Santander different and unique in its marketing strategy and service offers is their cost effective and consumer reliable savings accounts and services that prove to be beneficial to their customers in the long and short term. Following is a comparison of its competitors to the e-savings services it offers: Source: www.comparethemarket.com Analyzing the market environment and market trends, Nationwide offers award winning savings accounts with their e-saver account acknowledged by Money-facts as one of the most consistently high-paying internet savings account between 2005 and 2008. The service however is limited and targets a particular set of customers those who can afford it activating it by depositing  £5,000 in their accounts. Their cost-effective and premier services are limited to a particular class in society which is also evident in their limited advertising strategies. The services they offer are (www.natwest.co.uk):  · 2.00% gross p.a./AER with no more than 3 withdrawals annually otherwise it may result in low interest rate  · Savings from  £1 to  £500,000  · Customers holding a Nationwide Flex Account is offered to set up a high interest internet savings account  · Customer not a Nationwide Flex Account members are obligated to open a Flex account online alongside an e-savings Plus Abbey is a collaborative of Santander and is ranked as one of the 10 largest banks worldwide. On the other hand Abbeys marketing strategies and services seem more business oriented with the aim of enhancing revenue stream while offering customer satisfactory services and products. Abbeys allow its customer to open a savings account with a minimum deposit of  £1 while offering them an interest rate of 2.50%. Although a lot of other banks provide the same service i.e. opening a savings account for the amount of  £1 the difference is highlighted in their interest rates which are less then Abbeys. Abbey offers interest rates and savings accounts which helps customers in achieving their saving targets for short and long term. Their advertisement and marketing strategy invokes customers stating whether youre saving up for a new car or just for a rainy day you can get their quicker with an Abbey savings account (www.abbey.co.uk). Abbeys savings account are designed and formulated to suit variety of needs of customers i.e. whether customers are planning to save up annually with the purpose of benefitting from higher interest rates or in need of savings accounts which does not limit withdrawals on the cost of interest rates. The bank offers savings accounts all suited to a variety of customers and a universal mass target. Their product and services are as (Abbeys home page):  · Offers a grand return of 2.50% gross/AER with a bonus of 2.00% gross/AER for the first year while opening a savings account  · Savings from  £1  · Offers round the clock money withdrawals without limitations or penalties  · Calculation of interest on a daily basis with final payment on a monthly basis  · Provision of Financial Services Compensation Scheme Services where savings is cosseted up to  £50,000 The market environment after analyzing both of these financial institutes seems to be fiercely competitive. The comparison of both distinguishes the aims and objectives of both on different yet same plane e.g. Nat-west targets a particular class with limited services with no compromise on quality or performance; hence confining a major part of its services to business customers and their investment securities. In simple words the services of Nat-west are beneficial and reserved for the elite. Abbey, conversely, appeals to the needs and demands to a variety of investors big or small and their services and products are designed for all classes. Evaluating products and services of these two competitors Santander aims to offer services that are not reserved or confined to just one class or a particular set of targeted customers. To establish a strong market plan and marketing approach Santander has launched branches in various destinations nationwide emphasizing that location is significant in marketing strategies. The location of the branches is vigilantly planned out i.e. on high streets and malls etc which are easily accessible by customers. Santander has also invested in promoting branches in the rural area by carefully evaluating the saving rates in both rural and urban areas; and after careful evaluation it seems that people in the rural area tend to save up more as compared to urban areas. Apart from this Santander has launched an easily accessible e-savings family and educational accounts by enhancing its profit margin by 3% (Santander Home Page). The reason for this improvement in profit scale is beneficial with reference to organizational marketing benefits and customer requirements and demands e.g. this service is offered online making it more cost effective i.e. not investing in staff, branching or online advertisement and by offering online bank statements it saves up on cost of postal or printing. Hence it proves beneficial for both customer and the Bank. Santander offers the following services in a competitive market environment (Santander Home Page):  · Great return of 3% gross/AER including a bonus of a free laptop after one year on first commencement of the account  · Savings from  £1  · Customers with current accounts can set up savings accounts on high interest rates  · Withdrawal of money anytime with interest generating on an annual basis  · Customers with e-savings accounts are entitled to a 25% discount on travel 2.2.1 SWOT analysis of Santander Strengths v Introduction to e-savings interest account v Comparatively better interest rates v Ideally suited to a variety of needs v Provision of better discount offers v Being more cost-efficient through e-services Weaknesses v Increased costs associated with more benefits to attract customers Opportunities v Introduction of new branches in rural areas v Moving a product into a new market sector v Benefitting from new technological trends i.e. e-savings and online banking Threats v Increasing competition and threats to the Banking industry from other companies v Decreased investment in savings account due to the current financial climate 2.3 Marketing plan in terms of marketing environment and consumer behavior The marketing environment assessed and evaluated for a marketing plan is derived from two factors (1) motivational factors of consumer attitude (2) amendment of marketing strategies according to changing consumer attitudes and demands (Kotabe Helsen, 2010). Hence in this scenario the marketing environment thus assessed for apposite marketing management are derived from two factors (1) motivational factors or aspirations of people whether to having savings or not (2) amending interest rates with changing consumer attitudes and demands. While evaluating the marketing environment and consumer demands organizations should evaluate products that are in the market and are not appealing to consumers; the best way to overcome such a challenge for the marketer is either to find ways to change the product or change consumer perception (Elliot Roach, 1991). In the banking sector it is known fact that the amount of savings by a consumer escalates with the increase in their income and as econom y strengthens the volume of savings by individuals is likely to grow (Johnson 2004). It is for this reason that consumer attitudes and motivations must be evaluated and aptly assessed to better comprehend how and why flux in savings occurs. What motivates people to save? this aspect of consumer attitude has been researched by the Survey Research Center where it analyzes and evaluates consumer attitudes towards savings. Their findings demonstrate that consumer save for a variety of reasons different from the other and the two major reasons hence highlighted are of two kinds (1) the survey showed that 40 to 45% of individuals save for emergencies or for a rainy day to eliminate the chances of being broke if ever unfortunate turn of events may occur (2) 70% of the individuals surveyed gave a positive outlook to their savings stating that they would save for an early retirement or for family and educational needs or to purchase a house or start a small business (Spiegel Samuels 1984). Due to these factors Santander strives and seeks to preserve and attain consumer confidence by offering products that are aligned with their attitudes and demands and services that comply with their life aspirations and their needs for savings. The following critical path or marketing plan analysis has been established by the organization to follow the launch of e-services: 3.1 Marketing in terms of technological and media trends Kotler has described the enablers of new wave technology the rise of social media and has further classified it into two categories (1) expressice social media (2) collaborative media (Kotler Satiawan, 2007). In recent years the World Wide Web has become one blog and has evolved personal communication for availing economical benefits and gains. This has given rise to new technological trends and changing marketing strategies for organizations like Santander. Consumers products in quick access and easily managed are now rapidly becoming popular by means of e-services or the internet as business social media is low-cost and bias-free and it will be the future of marketing communications (Kotler Satiawan, 2007). Trend-watching becomes essential when it comes to promotion, pricing, positioning and executing a product into the market as it summarizes consumers motivation for product co-creation (Kotler Satiawan, 2007). 3.1.1 Promotion- online advertising a means of collaborative social media trend is rapidly evolving and developing in the business world. The Internet Advertising Bureau and Price water-house Coopers, surveyed a report with reference to online advertising and its growing consumer appeal stating that it grew 41.2.% to reach  £2.02 billion in 2003and it exceeded by 11.4% market share against 10.4% traditional and conventional advertising media i.e. newspapers and magazines. The traditional advertising market saw a 2.9% decline in their market share in 2008 against internet advertising (Shampine, 2003). The three principle categories in online advertising formats i.e. display advertising, paid-for-search and online classified advertising grew by 35%, 52% and 45% respectively generating revenues of  £453.7 million,  £1.2 billion and  £379 million annually, respectively (Shampine, 2003). Recent years have shown a thrust in technological trends particularly in E-services and it is anticipated that this impetus will escalate and advertisers feel prone towards experimenting and benefitting from these technological trends and creating more innovative and appealing advertisements to enhance consumer base. In response to this drastic technological change, Santander Bank is promoting its business through operating a very user attractive website and by using the social Medias such as facebook and twitter. Companys website is where promoting the business also the main aim is to facilitating the customers and management perceived the healthy impacts on customer base of the company. Hence, online advertisements are more beneficial for organizations like Santander. 3.1.2 Pricing- the pricing for the service offered by the Bank should be aligned with consumers motivation for product co-creation. The interest rates should be amended and modified with the changing consumer attitudes and their feasibility. Market evaluation hence for expressive social media becomes essential for Santander to understand and collaborate with consumers and their expectations associated with the organization. 3.1.3 Products- Santander management is continuously seeking the new ways to meet up the needs and demands of their customers by offering them the more competitive and versatile products. The e-savings offered by the Bank is offered to appeal consumers who are pursuing means to save up for a better tomorrow for their families and child well being. The services online offered by Santander include Childrens saving accounts, Education savings accounts, Holiday savings account and Retirement savings account. 3.1.4 Placement- Internet and web has become the fastest growing convenience in the past recent years. However, the bank is offering the combination of both services; online and offline services. Considering that there are areas where the branches have not been setup, e-services are ideal for the customers to access their account details, statements and deposits online. 4.1 Marketing in terms of future sustainability According to the projections released by the Office for National Statics, the population in the UK is anticipated to increase by 4 million to 65.6 million by 2018 highlighting a 1.2% incline per annum. The statistics illustrate that the working population defined as individuals between 16 and 59 is anticipated to increase by 14% i.e. from 38.1.million to 43.3 million in the span between 2008 to 2033. This also means a 1.2% increase per annum and since this is the target of Santanders e-savings services the market evaluation and product projection is carried out with reference to these statistics and information. (Source: www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/pprojnr1009.pdf). According to a published report by Mintel Corporation Ltd. people investing in savings accounts average percentage stands at 40% and which is expected to rise to 42.1% by 2012; demonstrating a  £95.14 per head savings that is to increase to  £98.37 and  £101.29 in 2011 and 2012 respectively (www.statistics.gov.uk). Bearing in mind all these figures and statistics the future prospects of Santanders e-savings can be made hence: Net profit 4,685 5,109 5,538 For future prospects and the firms future reputation will be well managed by controlling launch product effectively and aptly by  · Calculated planning of the e-savings service after vigilant market environment and consumer behavior evaluation and assessment  · Conducting online surveys and creating blogs for feedback and evaluating possible opportunities for modifying product according to consumer needs  · Managing online project management by establishing monitoring and task management teams  · Viral circulation strategies i.e. advertising through expressive social media and collaborative social media  · Refining formats i.e. pricing, promotions, bonuses and discount rates, up-sells and continuous improvement programs for the services being offered  · Synchronizing efforts with in-house staff, outsources and vendors and deliverables from project principles  · Setting up a customer service online operating team available to consumer round the clock. 5.1 Conclusion When undertaking a sustainability initiative it is important to measure the costs, savings, and revenues and other benefits to get all stakeholders on board and the measures should be accurate and honest to evaluate the impact of initiative on financial return and intangible benefits (Cooperman Gifford, 2008).Santander is keen on adapting to the changing technological trends as due to globalization the world has become one block where exchange of ideas, thoughts, personal communication and information is carried out through the evolving internet trend. As the statistics show online advertising is rapidly becoming popular due to the vastly growing number of consumers approaching firms and organizations for their needs and requirements by e-services. The future for Santander stands bright and the high reputation is evident from its inclining market share and consumer base by adapting to the 3.0 marketing strategy in todays business world. This will also enable the organization in comm unicating and collaborating with its customers in a better way and better comprehend their needs and demands and modify their products accordingly.

Expressionism: Van Goughs Starry Night Essay -- essays research paper

During the Modern Era of the late 19th century and the early 20th century, many artists were turning away from the idea of painting realistic images. Photography, having just been developed for public use a few decades earlier, made artists of the day focus less on painting as an precise copy of what is seen, as had been done for centuries. Since the Middle Ages, most artists painted exact representations of life. Starting in the late 1800s, though, many artists were starting to embrace the theory of art as an impression of what is seen. Impressionism, the art movement that began in the 1870s in France, was the first real development of this new concept of painting. Impressionists, such as Claude Monet, sought to put on canvas how they saw light and nature. Unlike the artists from centuries before, the Impressionists were not interested in painting images of nobility or religion; instead they focused more on painting ordinary people and nature. Post-Impressionism, which occurred abo ut a decade later, still used similar subject matter, however, focused more on the structure and form of the subject while still portraying the impressions of light and atmosphere on the subjects and its surroundings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of these Post-Impressionists was the Dutch artist, Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh believed that art was a form of expression. Painting was an emotional and spiritual experience for him. He painted not only how he interpreted his surroundings, but his sen...

Capital Punishment is Murder Essays -- Against Death Penalty Essays

American history is replete with examples of brutality and foolishness that will forever blot the American conscience. Early in this century, Sacco and Vanzetti were railroaded for a murder of which they were almost certainly innocent. The trial was a farce, and the verdict was a more a result of bias against Italians than of the evidence. Their lives were forfeit. Later in the century, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were tried for conspiracy to commit espionage. Despite questionable evidence and even more questionable conduct on the part of prosecuting attorneys and government agencies, they were convicted; the verdict was a statement of public hysteria and fear of Communism. They too met the executioner. Not yet ingrained in the annals of history, in the past months the state of Texas executed a man who even the state admitted had not pulled the trigger, but was only an accomplice. If the recent elections prove anything, it is that these examples of the state-sanctioned murders of inno cents have done nothing to change the American mind. Many Republicans ran and won on a "law and order" platform; in New York, Governor George Pataki defeated former Governor Mario Cuomo largely on the basis of Cuomo's opposition to capital punishment. This article is an appeal to readers' morality, to their consciences. It does attempt to show that the death penalty is costly and impractical (though it is), or that it is unconstitutional (which it may well be). The article is an appeal for mercy. Perhaps the greatest problem with the death penalty, as the cases of the Rosenbergs and of Sacco and Vanzetti point out, is the chance for error incurred in capital cases. A study conducted at Stanford University found that, since 1900, more than fifty pe... ...run by criminals unless the criminals are all destroyed: it is a war of us against them and we must use whatever means are necessary to fight against them. Even more moderate advocates of capital punishment tend to hold to a black-and-white morality that justifies the brutality of capital punishment as a necessary act of self- protection. However, before giving in to fear of crime and justifying the deaths of innocents that inevitably result from the institution of capital punishment, we should remember that one of the few things that distinguishes human from animal is the capacity for mercy. Even if we could be absolutely certain of a person's guilt, by killing him or her do we not make murderers of ourselves. Darrow reminds us exactly what it means for society to abandon its mercy: "I would hate to live in a state that I didn't think was better than a murderer."

enemy of the people Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen is a theatrical drama which portrays important characteristics such as honesty, integrity, and courage. All of which could be seen as hazardous to European politics at the time. Dr. Thomas Stockmann is a common man who attempts to create a revolution in his town. With the help of his naturally defiant personality the doctor makes a discovery that he hopes will better the town. This discovery was meant to lead a change in the physical structure of the water source. Instead it created a waterfall of political disaster. Despite numerous stabs in the back and lack of free-thinking, Dr. Stockmann stood tall and never backed down from what he believed in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play is set in a small town in Norway that has just begun to develop the wings it needed to expand and become prosperous. This is in the most part due to The Baths; a business Dr. Stockmann and his brother Peter began, to cure the sick through spa treatments and rest. At the beginning, it seems as though The Baths had just begun to take off. The play is set in the Stockmann’s kitchen where Mr. Billings, a close friend and member of the People’s Herald, is having dinner. He is then joined by Hovstad, also a member of the People’s Herald, and in the absence of Dr. Stockmann they discuss the future of The Baths. The Mayor, who is also Thomas’ brother, stops in unexpectedly to have a word regarding The Baths. Since Dr. Stockmann has not yet arrived home from his walk with his sons; Billings, Hovstad, and the mayor begin to discuss future events. Hovstad explains to the mayor that he can see nothing but good in the future for the town, a nd that Dr. Stockmann had been holding an article he had written that was sure to spark interest in his recent discovery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At this point it is obvious that the relationship between Dr. Stockmann and his brother Peter is not the strongest. They seem to struggle on seeing eye-to-eye on several issues. Before Dr. Stockmann arrives home, his wife Katherine is comforting Peter, since he has taken great offense to Hovstad’s comment about The Baths being Thomas’ discovery. Dr. Stockmann arrives and is pleasantly surprised to see another dinner guest, Captain Horster, on his way in. His friends and brother have been awaiting him. A string of many arguments betwee... ...rrive home from school early because they have received a notice. Dr. Stockmann reassures his family that everything will be ok. He will host a school in the same room where he was branded an enemy of the people, and raise the poorest boys to drive out the wolves. Katherine worries that the wolves may drive him out of town, but Thomas reassures her that they don’t stand a chance. The doctor has made another great discovery†¦that the strongest man stands alone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is intrigue in way of heroism that draws many of us to good novels such as this. By using Dr. Stockmann as a strong hearted individual who stands up for what he believes in, Ibsen has captivated many readers such as myself. I believe that many of the ideals that we as a society deem to be virtuous in a man are possessed by Dr. Stockmann in this novel. His strong will in the face of everyone trying to bring him down is a depiction of someone who stands up for what they believe in. As you look back on what you’ve read, you get a strong grasp of Dr. Stockmann’s ideology and it is something to admire, which combined with an interesting plot and well written scenes, makes for an exceptional novel.

Ramya Holdings

About us * Ramya Holdings incorporated in 1987 and commenced operations in 1988 as Ramya Apparels (Pvt. ) ltd. The company emerged as a manufacture and exporter of apparels to USA and EU markets. * To diversify into the Horticulture sector, Ramya Horticulture (Pvt. ) Ltd was incorporated in 1998 operating Walpita Nursery and raised its arm to Ambewela and Wellawa Nurseries in 2000 and 2002 respectively. * As a result of re-structuring of operations, Trendywear (Pvt. ) Ltd. was formed in year 2003 and the first factory for outstations opened in the same year at Katupotha, in Kurunegala District.In 2006, another factory was opened in Delgoda, Gampaha district. * In 2008, Ramya Horticulture (Pvt. ) Ltd obtained the Global GAP accreditation. * In 2009, Ramya Horticulture (Pvt. ) Ltd commenced operations with its Tissue Culture Production Facility in Walpita Nursery and received the Global Gap accreditation for the same in the year 2011. * To cater for the high demand in the apparel indus try, Trendywear (Pvt. )Ltd opened a factory in Adhikarigama, Nuwara Eliya District in 2010 In 2011, the company diversified into the Hospitality sector by opening THE PLAINS, Luxury Boutique Bungalow in Ambewela for Eco and agro tourism. * In 2012, Trendywear diversified into its newest venture in Wellawa, Kurunegala district, another garment factory in view of uplifting the living standards in rural areas CHAIRMAN’ PROFILE – Mrs. Ramya Weerakoon Mrs. Ramya Weerakoon, Chairman of the company is in business since 1973. Her hobby of Batik making proved to be a good source of income at that time and she set up a small workshop at home with 4 employees initially.In 1976, she ventured into the export market. Mrs. Weerakoon is recognized and awarded in many occasions locally and Internationally. Some of her major achievements are as follows. * Awarded for Best Export Performance in Handicrafts from Export Development Board in 1980. * National Productivity Merit Award in 1993 from National Institute of Business Management, Sri Lanka. * Women Entrepreneur of the year 1997 Gold Award Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce. * Priyadharshani Award 1997 for Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs of South Asia & Pacific Countries in New Delhi. Large Category Industry Gold Award from Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce in 1997. * Best Woman Exporter Silver Award in 1997 from National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka * Entrepreneur of the year 1997 Medium Category Industry Merit Award. * Best Women Exporter in 1998 Gold Award – National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka. * Women in Excellence 1998 for the International Women’s Day March 1999, for Entrepreneurship – Ministry of Women’s Affairs of Sri Lanka * Best Women Exporter in 1999 Gold Award – National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka. Woman Entrepreneurship Award for the Asian Region – La Caixa 3rd IWEC Awards – New Delhi 2009 * Woman Entrepreneu r of the year – Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2012 Membership of Professional Societies * President of the Apparel Exports Association 200gfp – Sri Lanka * President Floriculture Produce Exporters Association * Immediate Past Chairperson of Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce – Sri Lanka * Immediate Vice Chairperson – SAARC Chamber of Women Entrepreneur Council (SCWEC) * Council Member of the National Chamber of Exporters – Sri Lanka * Executive Committee Member – National Agribusiness CouncilCHAIRMAN / MANAGING DIRECTORMRS. KANTHI RAMYA MANEL WEERAKOON DIRECTORSMRS. L. V. M. WEERAKOON MRS. T. C. T. WEERAKOON MR. V. K. T. ALAKESHWARA HEAD OFFICE459/1, KANDY ROAD, RAMMUTHUGALA, KADAWATA, SRI LANKA. Telephone:+94-11-5626601/ 6 Fax. +94-11-2972081 [email  protected]@ramyaholdings. com WORKFORCE 5500 MAJOR EXPORT MARKETS USA/ UK/Europe MAJOR BUYERS FOR APPERALUSA JC PennyGuess MauricesForever 21 Kohl’sLimited Too Charlo tte RusseCosco Coldwater CreekDress Barn Catherine’sMacy’s UK/ EUROPE Daxon Ellos ASDA Edinburgh Woollen Mill Sainsbury’s Charles Voegele MAJOR BUYERS FOR HORTICULTURE CAMPO INTERNATIONAL B. V. HOLLAND JCONNECTA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   – HOLLAND PLANTAS DEL CARIBE  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   – HOLLAND WORLD TOP FLOWERS EST. – K. S. A. DAEYANG FLOWERS SEEDS & SEEDLING CO. LTD  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   – THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA. GLOBAL HORTICULTURAL MATERIAL CO. – THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA. DAESHIN HORTICULTURAL CO. , LTD  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   – THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA. SHIMA TRADING CO. LTD  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ JAPAN. SUM GREEN CO. LTD  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œJAPAN. DIAMOND NURSERY  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ PAKISTAN. OPTIMUS FLOWERS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ UNITED KINGDOM. BOTANICA HORTICULTURE PTY LTD  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   – AUSTRALIA. COSTA NURSERY FARMS, INC. – U. S. A. FOREMOSTCO ®, INC  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ U. S. A. COMPLIANCE APPROVED ISO 9001:2000 (SGS) WRAP JC Penny (by JC Penny) WAL-MART TARGET (by TARGET) ASDA (by BUREAU VERITAS) LIMITED TOO (by STR) GUESS (by STR) REDCATS (by CSCC .