History Of American Liberty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History Of American Liberty - Essay Example The story of freedom’s expansion during this period was messy and conflict-ridden. The earliest settlers in the new colonies came to practice a way of life that was denied to them in their homeland. They wanted to experience religious freedom and the variety of political freedoms that were necessary in order to achieve their dream of living in community with each other without worry of persecution (Foner 47-50). This guiding principle, however, had inner conflicts such as the need to suppress certain kinds of dissent within their own communities, a system of life that was paternalistic in its treatment of women and even more importantly a need to survive the harsh life in the new environments they found themselves in (Foner 51-56). In attending to all of these needs, the colonialists met the native populations who were already here when they arrived with curiosity at first and later with a kind of malevolent manipulation. Their own need for land and safety drove them to treat the Native Americans as enemies and they began a process of slowly pushing the Native Americans out as they expanded their own territories westward (Foner 78-80). This process went on throughout the period, culminating in the Jacksonian era with an official government policy of â€Å"Indian removal† (Foner 151-155, 370-371). The drive to increase religious freedom and promote the establishment of economic independence, therefore, led to horrible discrimination against another already established group in the new territory that would eventually make up the nation. The rights of Native Americans to their own independence autonomy were continually infringed upon even as the new colonists sought to increase their own freedoms. The tragic story of the treatment of native populations is equaled, perhaps, only by the story of the treatment of the black slave populations (Foner 130-132, 220-223, 400-408).

Federal Reserve and the Great Recession Research Paper

Federal Reserve and the Great Recession - Research Paper Example One of the major causes of the Great Recession was the bursting of the housing bubble. Being a regulator of the monetary system, the Federal Reserve could have seen a crisis coming. The major cause of the housing bubble bursting was that the Fed opted to expand their monetary policy; though the regulation was effectively done, this policy was a contributor to the problem. The Federal Reserve might have bowed to the pressure from the government to have the implementation of the housing policy be implemented. It happened that the dot-com crash was followed by a substantial increase in the printing press that resulted in an increase in the monetary base. Additionally, there was a great cut in the federal funds by Greenspan (from 5.6% in 2001 to 1% in 2003). These factors contributed to an increase in the housing among other investments that utilize huge amounts of capital. The Fed could have intervened at this point and develop a regulatory mechanism to prevent the situation from escala ting to the financial crisis and ultimately the Great Recession. The Federal Reserve failed to develop adequate measures that would deal with the insolvency. Two institutions at the center of the Great Recession, Lehman Brothers, and Washington Mutual became insolvent resulting in their collapse. The Fed made a miscalculated attempt to go ahead and support these institutions instead of giving them a chance to fail, the outcome would have been an increase in the amount of savings as well as investments.

Analysis of Mobile Telecommunications Industry

Analysis of Mobile Telecommunications Industry Contents Market Analysis and Research Plan (Word Count: 912) Marketing Research Plan Competitors Market trends STEP Analysis Strategic Analysis and Recommendations (Word Count: 1117) 2.1 SWOT 2.2 Portfolio analysis 2.3 Growth Strategy Recommendations Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Bibliography Appendices Marketing Analysis and Research Plan Marketing research plan The brief is to conduct an analytical survey into the Mobile telecommunications industry as a service/network provider in order to judge feasibility. After recent developments of Tescos entering the Mobile phone industry as a service/network provider, Asda are also keen to explore and keep up with Tescos in this respect also. Using secondary research we will first look into the Mobile telecommunications industry. This information will then be analysed from a company perspective, followed by recommendations. 1.2 Competitors Information cited in this section has been adapted from MarketLine (2005). In appendix 1 (section 6), I have elaborated on the information given in this section. O2 O2 is a mobile communications service provider operating in the UK, Ireland and Europe. O2 have 19 million customers within some of the biggest consumer markets for mobile services. SWOT analysis Strengths Strong presence in the UK market. Weaknesses Small scale European operations competitors are better placed. Over reliance on UK market. Opportunities Well placed for 3G expansion. Threats Declining penetration and saturation of voice services. Overexposure to UK market adverse effect of unforeseen market challenges. Impact of regulation. O2 operates in highly regulated markets. Hutchinson (3G) UK 3G is a mobile multimedia company focused mainly on the providing 3G (third-generation) mobile communication services in the UK. Strengths First mover advantage. Alliance with key brands. Parent company support. Weaknesses Low presence in the wireless market. Low average revenues per user. Opportunities Focus on content. Booming mobile gaming market. Improving 3G market. Threats Rapid technological change. Increasing competition. Threat from other technological products. Orange Orange is a mobile telecoms service provider with over 44 million customers in 22 countries worldwide. Orange is one of the worlds, and is UKs, largest mobile communications companies. Strengths Global brand strength. Launch of OrangeWorld/Signature phones. Large subscriber base and strong subscription growth. Weaknesses Reliant on data for growth. France Telecom buyout. Cost cutting could damage reputation. Opportunities WAP capability Investment in new technology. 3G and Push to talk. Increase average annual revenue per user. Threats Strong competition. Health risks and government legislation. Market saturation in Europe. T-Mobile T-Mobile is a market leader in mobile communication technology operating largely in Europe and US. The company is now realizing large profits, and at the end of year end of 2004 achieved record revenue of E25 billion. Strengths Strong backing of parent company. Strong alliances. Strong financial growth. Weaknesses Decreasing average revenue per user. Lack of presence in high growth markets. Opportunities Most of T-Mobiles opportunities lye global markets, such as the growth in worldwide mobile subscriptions and the freemove alliance. Rise in demand for 3G/UMTS technology. Threats Slowdown in the UK economy Growing consolidation and competition. Vodafone Vodafone is a communications company with business interests in 42 countries worldwide. The company made a net loss of  £7,540 million during fiscal year 2005, compared to  £9,015 million net loss in 2004. Strengths Leadership position. Global brand strength. Growth of Vodafone Live! Weaknesses High debt. Opportunities Growth through 3G. Increase ARPU. Threats Increased competition. Market saturation in Europe. Health risks and government legislation. 1.3 Market Trends All the information cited below, unless mentioned otherwise, has been taken from Datamonitor, Wireless Telecommunications Services in the United Kingdom, July 2005. Market Value UKs wireless communications market reached a value of  £9.8 billion in 2004. Although the value of the market has increased, the growth of the market hasnt been so capitalizing on the previous years. I think this is due to the highly competitive nature of the market, and saturation. Also, this high market value is on the back of some very strong economic performance by the UK. Market Volume The market exudes high market penetration. Linking this to the Market Value, it can be seen that Market Value fell in 2003 and 2004 due to fewer subscribers. One striking thing about this statistic is that the UKs population is 59.2 million (Mintel; Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004). This indicates that most of the UK population already subscribe to mobile services. Hence a near fully saturated market. Market Segmentation Market Share by Network In order to view the above table more clearly, I have extrapolated the information into a pie chart below: The industry is extremely competitive. The market share (by volume) is very equal. It seems that the market is at an equilibrium. Market share by Value Call revenues (consumer expenditure on calls etc) by mobile network, 2003 Source: Mintel; Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004 Again, the whole industry is at more or less at an equilibrium albeit very competitive. 1.4 STEP analysis of Mobile telecommunications industry Social According to Mintel, Telecommunications Retailing UK May 2004 research, overall population of 15-24 year olds is set to reduce. This means that the scope of potential new customers is extremely low. Focus will have to be mainly on customer retention, and prizing customers away from competitors. However the younger consumer does now see a mobile phone as essential in every day life. Technological 3G technology is the main source of change in this market. The younger market does however seem to embrace new technologies. It is now hoped that new technologies will further stimulate demand. Economic Due to the recent boom economy, Mintel reports that the population as a whole is becoming more affluent and more affluent phone users spend more on mobile phone services. The below table illustrates this: UK socio-economic groupings of adults, 1998, 2003 and 2007 (proj) 1998 2003 2007 (proj) % change 000 % 000 % 000 % 1998-2007 AB 9,773 20.8 11,883 24.6 13,370 27.1 +36.8 C1 12,990 27.6 13,371 27.7 14,062 28.5 +8.2 C2 10,305 21.9 9,849 20.4 9,241 18.7 -10.3 D 8,437 17.9 8,365 17.3 8,280 16.8 -1.9 E 5,504 11.7 4,791 9.9 4,344 8.8 -21.1 Total 47,010 100.0 48,260 100.0 49,297 100.0 +4.9 SOURCE: National Statistics/Mintel UK has been on in an economic boom period since 1998 with low inflation and interest rates. This has meant that mortgage and loan costs will be cheap, hence consumers have higher disposable income. The economy now however seems to be slowing down, this means that new services and technologies being offered to consumers will be less accepted. Political/legal Mobile handsets give off radiation and various electronic/micro waves. The health implications of this is not quite clear. The mobile phone and service providers have strict international guidelines to adhere to because of this. There are also concerns in regards to mobile phone masts being erected close to residential areas, as the effects of these to locals and the environment is also not clear. These issues and the market being very competitive, saturated and an oligopoly, may lead to further regulation and government involvement in the future. Strategic Analysis and recommendations SWOT Analysis Strengths Despite picking up sales in the past 4 years, Asda have faced slower sales in 2005. Nevertheless, Asda enjoys a firm customer base that has seen Asda overtake Sainsburys in the ranking of leading supermarkets in the U.K. Asda in essence is a multinational company through Wal-marts ventures in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. As one of the first businesses to recognise the importance of cutting edge systems and economies of scale, which have allowed them to keep prices low, from which consumers have gained greatly. However, Asda has managed to keep its distinct identity separate from its parent company. Asda have been gradually expanding their stores demonstrating their plans to provide consumers with the biggest choice of goods ranging from everyday groceries, to non-food products such as clothing, and small electricals. Unlike many other supermarket brands, Asda have focused their efforts in stand-alone non-food formats. At group level, Wal-Marts performance over the past five years has been consistently outstanding. With sales growing by 46.8% over the period. , The growth comes on the back of 19.9% increase in store numbers, suggesting healthy underlying performance. The companys price-competitiveness has undoubtedly been driving sales. Another important factor, highlighted by Asda in 2004 is the expansion to non-foods, including the well-received clothing label George. Weaknesses Asda has seen an unusually high number of changes at the top management level. This has caused uncertainty over how the company is run which in turn has had an effect on its sales. However, it should be noted that in the case of Asda, most of the top men had been with the company for a number of years before taking the lead, which should have helped the transition. The companys much publicised price promise has not helped the companys revenues. Increased competition has created downward pressure on the supermarket industry. The price war between Tesco and Asda has impacted heavily on both companies, however, it would appear Asda have felt the effects of this much more than Tesco. In more recent times, and perhaps more seriously, the company have failed to meet sales expectation in the three-month period ending in October, when its market share had also failed to improve. Opportunities The company has faced criticism for its destructive seafood policies of all the UK supermarkets. Report published by Greenpeace states thats Asda sells 13 species of threatened fish. This does not help the companys image in todays environment, where consumers are more environmentally conscious and healthy lifestyle society. In terms of the mobile industry and the possibility of entering the mobile telecommunications market, the spare capacity that has resulted from huge infrastructure investment has created opportunities for companies wishing to set up as virtual network operators (MVNOs). The market leading operators can sell their spare capacity to MVNOs, whom maybe in a better position to win over certain customer sectors. It is better for an operator to lose customers to MVNO that is using its network than to a market-leading rival. The wide range of content and service made possible by 3G technology and converging technologies has created excellent opportunities for operators to put together compelling propositions tailored for different customer sectors, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approach. Threats Rise in demand for organically grown produce has resulted in loss of revenues for all of the supermarkets, losing their custom to smaller independent grocers and farm shops. Wireless fidelity (WiFi) and its successor WiMax pose dangers for 3G operators as they are able to capture a significant part of the wireless broadband market by enabling users to download data at faster speeds and provide a much cheaper service than existing products. Going into an industry, which has yet to settle, would be a risk that has to be taken under consideration. As the market has become more saturated it has become more difficult for the main operators to achieve revenue growth from voice calls. Increased competition and the additional capacity created by the 3G networks have raised the prospect of a damaging price war on voice minutes. Operators must attract new customers to 3G however, this will lead to alienating users of 2G mobile phones, and cutting revenue obtained from this. The MVNOs that are differentiating themselves on price and offering a no-frills service are vulnerable when the major operators cut the cost of voice calls in order to gain market share in the 3G environment. Portfolio Analysis Much of Asdas estate development is concentrated towards expanding in the non-foods offer. The company introduced optician centres, pharmacies photo centres and jewellery departments in its stores as recorded in march 2005. Asda clothing range George currently has 6 stand-alone stores, which have been introduced since 2003. A full-service Asda Superstore typically carries some 30,000 products. Of these some 60% are food items. In addition to the usual branded goods, Asda stocks a strong own-brand offer. However, sales of organic food are booming and shoppers are increasingly spurning supermarkets to buy produce directly from growers and independent retailers. The company has also introduced a finance service in order diversify into other industries. The services include home, motor and pet insurance, along with trust funds and credit card facility also available. BCG matrix for the food industry 10 * Non-foods * Organic foods Market growth * Asda living * Store Clothing range Financial Services * 0 2.0 0 Relative market share Growth Strategy and Recommendations Ansoffs Matrix Product Present New Present Organic foods Market New Non-foods Mobile communications operator From the BCG matrix, we can see that there are 2 groups of products, which have room to be developed in order to generate more revenues. With the increase in demand for organic foods, Asda is in a position to be able to introduce a larger selection of organic foods. Much greater promotion of organic needs to take place if the company is to bring back lost consumers from local and independent food producers. Asda can also promote its non-foods range to a greater extent, however, it maybe possible for the company to promote its non-food products to a different market, perhaps to rival Ikea in the home products market. In light of Tescos entry in to the mobile communications market, diversifying to a different market may also help improve Asda revenue. With Asdas main focus on its non-foods range, moving into the mobile communications market maybe more suited to Asda policy of expanding its non-food section. Asda already has experience in moving in to industry to which is not initially been related, as we have seen Asda clothing range George, has enjoyed relative success despite strong competition from more established high street retailers. The mobile communications market will however pose very different problem, as this is a fast moving industry, with technological innovations leading the way. In a saturated industry, it will be difficult for Asda to be competitive against the more established network operators, but network space available through virtual networks, now is likely to be the best time to enter the mobile communications industry. In addition, it maybe more viable for Asda, if more resources are concentrated on attracting consumers to a 3G service which will provide a more level playing field as the 3G services are still relatively new to the market. Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Market segmentation, targeting and positioning Vodafone The Vodafone group has the largest share of the corporate mobile communications market with around 15 million customers. The company offers a wide range of voice and data communications. The Vodafone 2G/2.5G covers 99% of the population. Vodafone was the first mobile operator to introduce international roaming service. Key segments The mobile communications industry has two main types of customers. These are consumers and business users. The majority of the mobile phones costs are met by users themselves, mainly using the mobile phone service for personal calls. With the existence of a number of leading companies with in the market, the market place has become saturated. The trend now is to concentrate their efforts on retaining their most valued customers. Vodafone along with other leading operators, require consumers to spend more money on non-voice services and have become increasingly engrossed with levels of average revenue per user. There are several areas within the consumer group, which accounts for a large share of the revenue generated by Vodafone. Mintel have reported that the group of 15-24 year old mobile phone users are set to rise. Mobile phones are particularly popular among 15-24-year-olds, and Mintels consumer research section demonstrates that consumers in this age band are motivated by style. These younger consumers are familiar with mobile phone technology and are willing to adapt to new skills and habits as the new technology appears. Their social lives tend to be very active, making the mobile phone a necessity for them and they are also viewed as a necessary fashion accessory. The ownership of mobile phones demonstrates the areas in which Vodafone should be looking to concentrate their efforts in order to generate revenues from voice and data transmissions. Ownership of mobile phones, by gender and age, 7-19s, 2003  [1]   Base: youths aged 7-19 All Males Females 7 to 10 11 to 14 15 to 19 % % % % % % Own mobile 66 63 69 25 77 91 Shared mobile 4 4 4 7 4 1 None 30 34 27 68 20 8 Text messaging 66 63 70 26 77 91 Games 57 53 61 22 64 79 Taken from the TGI Youth survey of 5859 youths aged 7-19 Income generated from voice and data transmission services delivered to companies and other organisations is an increasingly vital revenue stream for Vodafone and most mobile operators in general. Vodafone has recognised that in present day climate of highly competitive business environment, efficient communication is a key factor, which must be developed in order for a mobile operator to gain a competitive edge over its rivals. The importance of business customers can be demonstrated by looking at the levels of expenditure on business advertising. In the year ending September 2004, around  £14.4m was spent  [2]  . Even though this is nothing when compared to the amount spent on consumer advertising, the big players such as Vodafone and O2 have gradually increased their spending to attract business customers while Orange and T-Mobile are slowly following suit. Targeting strategies Currently, the market leaders in the mobile communications are all competing for the same customers, employing similar tariffs and services so as not to fall behind its rivals. With the introduction of the 3G networks, many of the mobile operators have also introduced 3G tariffs on to their respective networks. Even though new technology is continuously being developed, the targets for each of the mobile operators remain as it is. In general, there are no specialist tariffs which concentrate on a particular area of the market with the exception of the business tariffs which are designed to provide efficient and reliable communication service to businesses. Some mobile operators provide tariffs, which can be considered, for a particular group, however, this is not an area, which can be considered as a specialist group. T-mobile for example have recently introduced the Best of Both Worlds tariff, and even though this may seem ideal for younger users of mobile phones, the tariff is appealing to many who desire more complete control over the cost of the service they use. Positioning With the majority of mobile phone operators providing a similar service with similar tariffs, it is reasonably difficult to evaluate the positioning of the respective brands in the market. Regardless of this, there are factors, which influence consumers when deciding which network to choose. A list of the factors influencing the choice of networks is shown below: Most important factors when choosing a mobile phone network (% of adults), 2004  [3]   Tariffs 31.9 Network Coverage 21.1 Reception 17.2 Personal experience 9.8 Special offers 8.3 Company reputation 7.5 Recommendation 6.6 Additional services offered 4.4 Advertising 0.8 Using the lowest price plan and the service available on that plan offered by each of the leading mobile operator companies, we are able to look at the brand positioning of the Vodafone in comparison to its major rivals. Perceptual map for mobile operator market High price * Orange * O2 High service Low service * T-mobile * Vodafone Low price Although the position of Vodafone at a glance does not appear to be desirable, Vodafone boasts an extremely high level of network coverage, reception, and a level of customer service, which is rivalled only by Orange. Vodafone has a reputation as a global company, and is the worlds largest telecommunications company, which provide a whole range of services. Vodafone was the first of the four largest networks to launch its 3G consumer services in November 2004 and continues to be one of the leading innovators in terms of providing the latest products, which are accessible to a large sector of the market. The Vodafone brand is recognised through out the developed world and has since enjoyed a reputation for representing quality of product and service. The Vodafone shops all trade under the same corporate brand and logo. Its chain of some 350 stores has remained roughly the same size for the last two years, although many of the smaller shop units have been abandoned in favour of larger premises. The stores have a strong corporate identity, featuring the red and white livery of the brand. Vodafone has strong and consistent retail branding and in Mintels research Vodafone was mentioned by 8% of consumers as a source of their last mobile phone, placing them just behind Orange. Vodafone is the only retailer to achieve significantly higher penetration among 15-19s than for other age bands, probably connected to its high profile role in sports sponsorship. The companys long-standing in the market means that it is well used by a wide range of consumers from a broad spread of age and social groups. The Vodafone shops sell handsets that can only operate on Vodafone tariffs. Vodafone are in general up to date with the latest technology and handsets accompanied by a large range of accessories. Market Segments According to a market report on Mobile Phones by Key Notes in 2005, the Mobile telecommunications industry can be separated into two main sectors, which can be then further segmented; Type of revenue, and Type of customer. Type of Revenue This relates to how a customer uses a mobile phone. This can be calls and fixed charges, text and picture messaging, or interconnection fees (for when a call is made from one service provider to another). The below table illustrates the revenue of each segment. Mobile operators are now expanding and looking to earn more from the text and picture messaging sector in particular, with the advent of 3G. The UK Cellular Telecommunications Market by Revenue Source by value ( £m)    1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 Value ( £m)                Retail Revenues                                  Calls and fixed Charges 5,049 6,253 7,041 7,991 9,185 Text and picture messaging 126 553 1,073 1,529 1,854 Connection fees 76 56 64 24 5                   Total retail revenues 5,251 6,862 8,178 9,544 11,044 Source: The UK Telecommunications industry Market Information, Office of Telecommunications (oftel)/ Key Note Mraket Report 2005, Mobile Phones Type of customer Customer type can be of 2 kinds; Business user or Consumer. Business users primarily use voice calls, and have to pay fixed charges. Consumers on the other hand are a lot more varied, they contribute to all 3 of the segments mentioned above. Buyer Behavior Survey by BMRB Internationals Target Group Index (TGI) 2004, suggests that Mobile phones are primarily owned by younger consumers, with more than 80% of under 55 year olds owning mobile phones. It is also reported that Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) is the more popular than pay-monthly or contract services, especially among the lower income earners (those below social grade C2). Males are more likely to have fixed monthly contract phones, and the reverse in true for PAYG. The below table indicates that the type, value or content of the tariff mainly affects consumers choice of network, followed by network coverage and signal/reception. 1st 2nd most important factors when chosing a Mobile Phone Network (% of adults), 2004    Most important 2nd Most important Addittional service offered 4.4 5.4 Advertising 0.8 5.3 Company reputation 7.5 6.7 Network coverage 21.1 10.8 Personal experience 9.8 6.8 Reception 17.2 13.5 Recommendation 6.6 8 Special offers 8.3 9 Tariffs 31.9 14.2 Source: Target Group Index (TGI), BMRB International Ltd, 2004 Again, BMRB Internationals Target Group Index (TGI) 2004, suggests that phones are mainly used for text messaging, and games. Competitor Strategy and Positioning of 02 (mm02 PLC) O2 O2 is a mobile communications service provider operating in the UK, Ireland and Europe, who generated  £4.8 billion of revenue in 2003. Business Description: O2 have 19 million customers within some of the biggest consumer markets for mobile services. 02 is now a well-established and profitable business. They are now looking to expand their product portfolio horizontally, exploiting existing distribution channels and new product opportunities. This could well prove to take investment and focus off/away from its main business which is the mobile services provider. Revenue analysis: O2s turnover increased by 22% from 2003 to 2004. The main reason for the increase was the overall rise in subscriber numbers and the increased usage of the Groups services by subscribers. Competitor Strategy O2 have reduced there employee base by 3000 to 12000 employees through restructuring. And achieved an increase of one million customers in the 2003/04 financial year. In 2004/05 O2 have developed and moved into 3G network services, which enables them to offer high-speed streaming of videos and other multi media. O2s strategy has focused on three key areas improved operating performance; managing businesses cohesively and leading in mobile data services. Within the market, 02 are expected to continue to look to acquire and retain high value customers. Companies are forever trying to increase the ARPU (average revenue per user). This has led to heavier targeting and strategies, creating more services and getting consumers to use them, i.e. OrangeWorld and VodafoneLive! Positioning All the mobile phone networks look to offer a wide range of services, and position themselves in the market to cater for all. Companies need to maximize their revenue potential in a highly competitive and ever saturating market. The below tables will help me position the mobile phone companies in a perceptual map. 1st 2nd most important factors when chosing a Mobile Phone Network (% of adults), 2004    Most important 2nd Most important Addittional service offered 4.4 5.4 Advertising 0.8 5.3 Company reputation 7.5 6.7 Network coverage 21.1 10.8 Personal experience 9.8 6.8 Reception 17.2 13.5 Recommendation 6.6 8 Special offers 8.3 9 Tariffs 31.9 14.2 Source: Target Group Index (TGI), BMRB International Ltd, 2004 The above table shows what consumers look for in a network. Mobile phone users, year to April 1999-2003 and Q1 2004 Year to April 1999 2001 2003 Q1 2003/04 % change m % m % M % m % 1999-2004 Vodafone 7.9 32.9 13.2 28.0 12.1 2

My Mother’s First Tattoo :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Mother’s First Tattoo My mother and I have never got along particularly well. Our relationship was "you leave me alone and I'll you alone." When I first took an interest in modification, around the age of 14, she hated it. It was the source of countless fights, insults, and incidents that nearly led to me being kicked out of her house. She saw it as something I was doing out of peer pressure, which was absurd, as at the time none of my friends had any interest in modification. I didn't even know anyone, online or offline, who had any piercings other than their ears. To her, this was nothing more than a phase I'd eventually grow out of. She argued that I was ruining my life, that I'd never get a job, that my visible piercings would get me into fights at school, the list goes on and on. My father, though he never said much about it to me, felt the same way she did. Somewhere along the line, something changed. When my 18th birthday rolled around, I was in college, living 17 hours away from my parents. My father called me one day and asked what I wanted for my birthday. I said I wanted a tattoo, expecting him to hang up on me. To my amazement, he said OK. So, when I was visiting for Christmas, my father paid for my first tattoo. My favourite birthday present thus far as it represents so many things. It was then that I found out my mother had always wanted a tattoo. More specifically, she had always wanted a facial tattoo; a tiny butterfly tattoo close to one eye. As my father had threatened to divorce her if she ever got it, it was unfortunately something she never pursued. She was outraged that my father deemed it OK for me to have one. This led to many more fights. Eventually, I had moved back into my parents house. After being back for about six months, my mother approached me and said she wanted to get a tattoo, regardless of how my father would react. I helped her pick out an image and took her to the studio to set up an appointment. A few days after she got her tattoo she approached me again. This time saying she wanted to get her eyebrow pierced. All the memories of the things she had said when I had my eyebrow pierced came flooding back.

The required number of hours

Sleep is a basic human need. It functions to restore normal activity levels and normal balance among the parts of the nervous system and it allows for repair processes to occur as in protein synthesis (Kozier, 2004). Lack of sleep is said to cause an emotionally irritable, poorly concentrated individual that experiences decision making difficulty. The required number of hours of sleep per day varies with age. A newborn is expected to sleep for 16 to 18 hours a day, an infant 22 hours a day, a toddler 10 to 12 hours per day and preschool children need 11 to 12 hours of sleep per day (Kozier, 2004).As the individual grows older, he is required to sleep less. School aged children is required 8 to 12 hours of sleep, adolescents 8 to 10 hours, young adults 7 to 8 hours, middle aged adults 6 to 8 hours and elders only 6 hours (Kozier, 2004). The circadian rhythm, the most familiar rhythmic biologic clock that is responsible for our sleep-wake patterns, follows a dark-light pattern with the suprachiasmatic nucleus as its pacemaker (Bullock, 2000).The suprachiasmatic nucleus is found in the anterior hypothalamus and is stimulated by the receptors in the retina of our eyes. Melatonin, which has regulatory effects on the SCN, is secreted by the pineal gland and its secretion is stimulated by the dark and is suppressed by light (Bullock, 2000). Melatonin promotes sleep in this way, and fewer hormones secreted, as in the elderly, will be one of the many causes for insomnia (Bullock, 2000). There are several factors that can cause sleep pattern disturbance aside from a decrease in melatonin.Sleep pattern disturbances can be caused by external or internal factors and these disturbances can only be classified as a medical condition when they chronically interrupt sleep (Bullock, 2000) or when the inability to sleep well at night causes impaired daytime functioning (Atkinson, 2000). Sleep pattern disturbances have been grouped into four categories by the Association of Sleep D isorders Center, namely, disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, disorders of excessive somnolence, disorders of sleeping-waking schedule and dysfunctions associated with sleep, sleep stages or partial arousal (Atkinson, 2000).Disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep include insomnias, which is the inability to sleep and maybe exhibited by difficulty falling asleep, there are recurrent awakenings, and early morning awakening without being able to go back to sleep (Atkinson, 2000). Reasons for the cause of insomnia is still not known, as some claim that this is a symptom of a disease or just a perception of individuals who feel that they have not gotten enough sleep because of some factors they claim to have experienced. Insomnia can be attributed to various factors that could either be pathologic or psychological.Pathologic causes include disease process, pain, obstructive uropathy, hyperthyroidism, congenital heart failure, respiratory disease, arthritis, and hormonal i mbalance (Atkinson, 2000). Psychologically, anxiety, obsessive worrying, chronic stress and depression can bring about insomnia (Atkinson, 2000). As much as possible, interventions for insomnia remain to be nonpharmacologic, but if the individual is experiencing sleeplessness that is ruining his daytime activities, a doctor will prescribe selected sedative-hypnotic medications.Although effective, these medications should not be used as often and several considerations should be noted. These medications produce a central nervous system depression and produces an unnatural sleep, it may resolve insomnia for tonight, but may disturb sleep the following night and cause daytime drowsiness (Kozier, 2004). Some medications are antianxiety medications which decrease the arousal ability of the individual taking it; these are also contraindicated to be taken by pregnant women because of the congenital anomalies that they may cause (Kozier, 2004).These medications also vary in their onset and duration of action and continuous use can lead to tolerance or to drug dependency (Kozier, 2004). Sudden cessation of these medications can result in withdrawal symptoms and even death, thus before withdrawal of medications, the dose should be gradually tapered to about 25% to 30% weekly. Examples of these medications are Chloral hydrate (Noctec), Ethchlorvynol (Placidyl), Flurazepam (Dalmane), Glutethimide (Doriden), Lorazepam (Ativan), Melatonin, Temazepam (Restoril), Triazolam (Halcion), Zaleplon (Sonata), and Zolpidem (Ambien) (Kozier, 2004).Alternative treatment for insomnia have been preferred over the pharmacologic therapy because alternative treatment is natural, hence less side effects are experienced and the individual will be able to have control over his sleep-wake cycle. Nonorthodox, unconventional, alternative, complementary, are a number of terms used to denote non-medical treatment that has been used since early times for a variety of diseases. Complementary and alte rnative medicine is defined as being identified through a social process as those practices that do not form part of the dominant system for managing health and disease (Kozier, 2004, p.224). Before considering any therapy, be it alternative or pharmacologic, the individual is advised to consider techniques on promoting rest and sleep. A person who is suffering from insomnia should establish a regular sleep-wake pattern, this means that he should try to go to sleep at the same time everyday and wake up at the same time also. This is to prevent disruptions in the biologic clock (Kozier, 2004). He should also try to eliminate lengthy naps in between sleeps, and if ever necessary should limit this to only thirty minutes per day at the same time everyday (Kozier, 2004).He should get ample exercise or physical activities during the day to lower stress but this should not be done two hours before bedtime. The individual should also avoid dealing with personal problems or office work befor e going to sleep and instead should establish a routine before sleep such as reading a book, listening to music or drinking a glass of warm milk (Kozier, 2004). Finally, to establish a sleep pattern the person is asked to only use the bed for sleeping, so that he would associate it with sleep, and that if still not drowsy, pursue some relaxing activity (Kozier, 2004).The environment also plays a role in helping the individual fall asleep. There should be appropriate lighting, temperature and ventilation as per the person’s desire, noise should be kept to a minimum and if extraneous noise is present, it should be blocked with soft music (Kozier, 2004). With regards to food consumption and diet, the individual should not take a heavy meal 3 hours before bedtime and to decrease fluid intake 2 to 4 hours prior to going to sleep but if it cannot be helped, void before sleeping (Kozier, 2004).Several drugs can disrupt sleep by delaying its onset, decreasing sleep time, and cause ni ghtmares and should be avoided before sleeping, examples are alcohol, amphetamines, antidepressants, beta-blockers, bronchodilators, caffeine, decongestants, and steroid (Kozier, 2004). Caffeine – containing foods and beverages include coffee, soda, tea and chocolate and should not be taken 4 hours before bedtime. Promoting comfort and relaxation may be helpful.The individual should wear loose-fitting nightwear, have taken a bath and does not feel sweaty and hot, make sure the bed linen is soft, smooth, clean and dry, and a back massage may be done, which is a type of touch therapy (Kozier, 2004). There are several healing modalities that are being implemented to help alleviate insomnia, and this includes touch therapy, mind-body therapy, and aroma therapy. Touch therapies, which include massage, foot reflexology, acupressure, and reiki, may stimulate the production of healing-promoting chemicals by the immune or limbic system (Kozier, 2004).Massage assists in relaxation and blood circulation improvement (Kozier, 2004). Physically, it promotes muscle relaxation by helping in release of lactic acid that is formed during strenuous activities and exercise, it improves blood and lymph flow, stretches joints, and helps in body toxin release and immune system stimulation (Kozier, 2004). It also has mental and emotional benefits like anxiety relief and it provides a sense of relaxation and well-being (Kozier, 2004).There are three kinds of massage strokes, namely effleurage (stroking), friction pressure and petrissage which is kneading or large quick pinches of the skin, subcutaneous tissues and muscles (Kozier, 2004). Mind-body therapies utilize the individual’s focus on realigning or creating balance in mental processed to bring about healing (Kozier, 2004). Progressive relaxation is most helpful in insomnia because it reduces increased level of stress and chronic pain by enabling the individual to wield control over the body’s responses to anx iety and tension (Kozier, 2004).There are three requisites though, to be able to make use of this technique. There should be correct posture, the person’s mind should be at rest and the environment should be noise free as possible and the technique is to make the individual tense and relax his muscles alternately and then focus attention on the differentiating feelings of each action (Kozier, 2004). This can result to decreased oxygen consumption by decreased metabolism, heart and respiratory rate, and decreased blood pressure (Kozier, 2004).Aromatherapy, which is defined clinically as the controlled use of essential oils for specific measurable outcomes by Kozier, can be used by massaging into the body, added to water that is used when bathing, inhaled or applied as hot or cold compresses. The oils used in this therapy are distilled from a variety of substances such as flowers, roots, wood resins, leaves, lemon or orange rinds, barks, etc. When inhaled, the oil’s arom a is detected by olfactory receptor cells in our nares.The stimuli received will travel along the olfactory nerve or the cranial nerve I, the stimuli will then be received by the olfactory bulb and will be sent to the brain. The essential oil aroma is thought to play a role in emotions, memory and a variety of body functions including the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and immune response (Kozier, 2004). There are 300 essential oils being used and some of these are lavender for headache relief, stress and insomnia, peppermint for nausea relief, aid in respiration an antipyretic, and sandalwood for chapped skin, depression, and stress (Kozier, 2004).There are also some herbal preparations that can be used for insomnia. Hops and valerian are used to induce sleep by nervous system relaxation, as recommended by the website Holistic online. There are ways by which we can combine both the conventional treatment and the alternative therapies to reduce insomnia. One way is to do the techniques on promoting rest and sleep, while on low-dosed medication. In a way, this might still be useful in eventually lowering and then eliminating drug use while still maintaining a normal sleep-wake pattern.Although plausible, it is still best advised to not take pharmacologic therapy when necessary. There is to some extent a risk on using sedative-hypnotic drugs, as mentioned earlier. This can cause drug dependency, withdrawal symptoms if stopped abruptly without tapering the dose gradually, and can disrupt the sleep-wake pattern by causing excessive sleep and daytime drowsiness. It should also be noted that these drugs can be expensive and if needed on a daily basis may become a burden to healthcare cost budgets.The benefit of course is that you will be able to sleep, after a few minutes once the drug is taken. As to the nonpharmacologic treatment suggestions, there are no risks, as long as the person who would want to try out these therapies has an open mind and is willing to subject himself to these procedures. Health wise, the therapies do not present any danger to the individual being subjected to the procedures unless pregnant, has allergies to the essential oils or herbs, has fractures, skin conditions or disease processes.If the person has insomnia as a symptom to an underlying disease, he should immediately heed the physician’s advice. I do not see alternative treatment as a threat to the medical community, nor a competition. These two have very different procedures and are based on different dogmas that they should not be compared to each other. Although it cannot be helped, people should always be open-minded about these things, because they are at times useful, and have been subjected to numerous tests to be proven safe and effective.Of course, if one is in doubt of the nature or cause of their insomnia, one should head to the nearest clinic or to the family physician before taking these alternative treatments into consideration. Once there is no underlying pathology, then before taking sleeping pills to make the dilemma go away, nonpharmacologic therapy should and is highly recommended to be done. There is no harm to it, and it might just help. It costs less and can be done right at home without spending gas to go some place else. But if all else fails, then it is suggested to take the sleeping pills as prescribed by the physician.References Atkinson, R. L. , Atkinson R. C. , Smith E. E. , Bem, D. J. , & Nolen-Koeksema, S. (2000). Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology. USA: Thomson. Bullock, B. and Henze, R. (2000). Focus on Pathophysiology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Holistic Online. (1998-2007). Herb and Herbal Therapies. Retrieved January 25, 2008, from http://holisticonline. com/Remedies/Sleep/sleep_insomnia_herbs. htm Kozier, B. Erb, G. , Berman, A. , & Snyder, S. (2004). Fundamentals of Nursing. USA: Pearson Education. .

Elements of Marketing Mix Essay

Elements of Marketing Mix â€Å"A typical marketing mix includes a product, offered at a price, with some promotion to tell potential customers about the product, and a way to reach the customer’s place† (Perreault & McCarthy, 2004, pg. 36). A company will use the marketing mix in order to control variables in marketing to satisfy a target group. This paper will describe the four elements of the marketing mix; product, place, price, and promotion. In addition, the four elements of the marketing mix will be discussed on the impacts in the development of Starbuck’s marketing strategy and tactics. Product†The product area is concerned with developing the right â€Å"product† for the target market† (Perreault, 2004, pg. 38). This requires a company to determine what item or service is desired by the customer in order to fulfill needs. The product needs to provide a service, cover the expected needs for the customer, or deliver the expectations created by other elements of the marketing mix. Service, benefits, branding, and packaging are some things that are taken into consideration with an organization’s product (Perreault et al, 2004). The overall objective is to offer a product that will satisfy the wants and needs of people. Place†Place is concerned with all the decisions involved in getting the â€Å"right† product to the target market’s place† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 39). Place refers to the delivery of a product or service to a location that customers may obtain from. This step is needed to get the finished product from the company or origin to the consumer. Marketers need to consider the most efficient method to distribute an organizations product. Channel type, market exposure, locations of stores, service levels, means of transportation and distributing are factors that are taken into considers when marketers need to develop a strategy for place (Perreault et al, 2004). The overall objective is creating a place in order for customer’s to buy the product. Price†Price setting must consider the kind of competition in the target market and the cost of the whole marketing mix† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 40). The price is the amount that will be charged for the product. â€Å"Managers  must know current practices as to markups, discounts, and other terms of sale† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 40). The prices set by competitors will affect the price of the product. Organizations use pricing techniques in order to reach a competitive price of the product. Prices are set by a company in order to become profitable or to even reach the break even point. Flexibility, product life, cycles, geographic terms, discounts, and allowances are factors that must be considered before setting the price of a product (Perreault et al, 2004). In addition, pricing strategies also will vary according to region. For example, a product that sells for a price of 10 dollars in California may only sell for 7 dollars in the state of Georgia. The o verall objective is the set the right price for the product. Promotion†Promotion is concerned with telling the target market or others in the channel of distribution about the â€Å"right† product† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 40). Promotion is how the marketer will communicate, inform and persuade customers to purchase a product or service. There are many ways in which to market the product. The marketer must take in account multiple ways of promotion; personal selling, mass selling, and sales promotion. All can be mixed to create the right blend that will target the marketplace. Personal selling involves direct communication between a company and their customer, usually face-to-face. However, direct communication can also be through phone interviews or sales calls, conferences through video and the internet (Perreault et al, 2004). Promotion can also be used to target a large group of consumers at the same time such as radio or television advertising. This is known as mass selling. Finally, sales promotion refers to promoti on activities that do not involve advertising and personal selling. Contest, coupons, and special offers are some examples of sales promotions (Perreault et al, 2004). Starbucks’ Marketing MixStarbucks Coffee mission statement is to â€Å"establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow† (Starbucks, n.d.). Starbuck’s has utilized the four marketing elements to help create an excellent impact in the development of their marketing tactics and strategies. Starbucks originated in Seattle, Washington, over 30 years ago,  and owns more than 12,000 stores worldwide. Starbucks achieved this by creating a successful marketing strategy. Starbucks was recognized 7 times as one of the â€Å"100 Best Corporate Citizens† by Business Ethics Magazine (Shareholder, 2007). Starbucks customers include people of diverse ethnicity, income, and age groups with varying tastes and interest. With this diverse clientele, Starbucks has made marketing a challenge to target all these diverse groups of people. Product†Starbucks is dedicated to purchasing the highest quality coffee and paying premium prices to reflect ongoing commitment to coffee-farming communities† (Shareholder, 2007). The reason Starbucks offer so many different varieties of products is to satisfy the diverse clientele. This company has continuously been able to influence their clientele by offering products that appeal to all cultures. Starbucks has been able to meet a specific market demand. â€Å"Starbucks gives a wide range of food and beverage options, from indulgent treats to lower-fat and reduced-calorie choices for all consumers’ tastes† (Shareholder, 2007). Starbucks continues to innovate and extend the Starbucks Experience with imaginative new ready-to-drink beverages and expanding coffee offerings. PlaceStarbucks’ stores are strategically placed in locations that are visible and have a great deal of traffic. Starbucks is successful at placing their products strategically in order to impact sales volume. According to the Starbuck’s 2006 annual report, â€Å"we opened 2,199 new stores globally (ahead of 1,800), at an average pace of six new stores per day, bringing our total to 12,440 stores in 37 countries† (Shareholder, 2007). They have locations on busy street corners, in malls, theaters, office buildings, grocery stores and airports which have allowed them to be clearly visible. Almost anywhere a person turns there is a Starbucks around the corner. PriceStarbucks does not consider their price to strategy to be of significance compared to the other elements in the industry. â€Å"The company’s 12-ounce tall latte ranges from $2.25 in Minnesota to $3 in New York City† (Wong, 2004). Like any company, prices are based on the level of economy in each area. Starbucks prices largely are also based on manufacturing.  Starbucks’ prices reflect cost of coffee beans, sugar, geographical areas, and the overall experience. Distribution also plays a role in how the product is priced at each company. PromotionStarbucks employs a mix between personal selling and sales promotion. â€Å"Personal selling lets the salesperson adapt the firm’s marketing mix to each potential customer† (Perreault et al, 2004). Starbucks does not just have salespeople, but baristas. Starbucks’ baristas inform and sell the product face-to-face to the customers. Starbucks’s promotions do not include traditional advertising, but global sales promotions. Sales promotions spark purchases by customers through different channels. In August of 2006, Starbucks supported Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign. They sold 53,000 copies of The Little Engine That Could and hosted 330 reading events setting an official Guinness world record. Furthermore, incentive sales promotions included donating 5 cents for every bottle sold for the Ethos Water Fund. The Ethos Water Fund focuses on improving local water sources and providing sanitation and hygiene education to the communities in Ethiopia and Indonesia (Shareholder, 2007). People want to be apart of Starbucks’ global efforts and these are examples of effective sales promotions. ConclusionWhen developing a marketing, all decisions impacted the four Ps should be made at the same time. The four elements of the marketing mix are equally important. This is because the products, places, prices, and promotions of an organization surround the most important element; the customer (Perreault et al, 2004). According to Starbucks 2006 annual report, â€Å"There are numerous competitors in almost every market in which Starbucks operates and in which it expects to expand in both the specialty coffee beverage business and the specialty whole bean coffee business† (Shareholder, 2007). Starbucks has proven to stay on top of their market. However, Starbucks and any organization need to continuously examine their marketing mix in order to stay competitive and profitable. By successfully completing the circle of the four Ps, Starbucks has established a multi-million dollar organization that is a Fortune 100 Company. References Perreault, W. D. & McCarthy, E. J. (2004). Basic Marketing: A Global-Managerial Approach. The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2007, from https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.aspStarbucks, (n.d.). Retrieved Nov. 11, 2007, from http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/environment.aspShareholder, (2007). In Starbucks Coffee 2006 Annual Report. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2007, from http://www.shareholder.com/visitors/dynamicdoc/document.cfm?CompanyID=SBUX&DocumentID=1382&PIN=&Page=13&Zoom=1xWong, B. (2004, Sept. 28). In Cup of Starbucks going up average of 11 cents Oct. 6. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2007, from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/192721_coffeeprice28.html