Mission Vision and Objectives of TATA Case Study

Mission Vision and Objectives of TATA - Case Study Example Graham (2010) pointed out that â€Å"TATA’s business structure includes 11 charitable trusts that together earn 66% of TATA Sons and that are intimately involved in its governance. (Family members own only 3%)†(Graham, 2010, p.8). No other company in the world may have the same reputation as TATA has as far as social service is concerned. TATA is currently funding many social service activities such as clean water deliver, literacy, prenatal care etc. Moreover Indian Institute of Science, Tata institute of fundamental research, the national center for performing arts, Tata memorial hospitals, etc are founded or supported by the TATA group (Graham, 2010, p.8). In fact TATA is spending a substantial portion of their business profits for charity activities. Because of the huge attention given to social activities, members of TATA family are comparatively poorer than their business counterparts in India. In 2009, TATA spent $ 159 million for social service activities (Graha m, 2010, p.8). TATA believes that community support is the most important requirement for a business group to sustain its growth. It should be noted that Coke like international giants failed to operate successfully in India because of their failure to offer something to the community in which it operates. Coke’s bottling plant in Kerala was closed recently because of the allegations against Coke with respect to the exploitation of underwater resources in Kerala. At the same time, it should be noted that millions of hectares of land in Kerala are used for tea plantation by TATA and the people in Kerala do not have much problems with that. This is because of the fact that TATA is servicing the people in Kerala in many ways even though they use Kerala’s land for tea plantation. Recently TATA has introduced world’s cheapest passenger car (NANO) priced only $ 2500. In fact TATA wants to help the poor people with this product. Poor families of medium income families can afford a car with the introduction of NANO. While most of the other car manufacturers are trying to develop luxury cars, TATA thinks in the opposite direction. They wanted to make car which is affordable to even poor people and the outcome was NANO. Contaminated drinking water is causing thousands of deaths in India. In order to help poor people to purify drinking water, TATA introduced TATA Swatch or water purifier priced less than 1000 Indian rupees in 2009(Graham, 2010, p.9). It should be noted that there is no need for TATA like big companies to introduce products such as water purifier. However, they introduced this product only to demonstrate their social commitments. â€Å"The TATA group has a set five core values; integrity, understanding, excellence, unity and responsibility† (Angwin, 2011, p.133). These core values can be seen in every TATA business segments. Even though TATA’s business groups are operating independently, they understand each other work s trictly in accordance with the vision, mission and core values of TATA group. In short, TATA’s business culture is more oriented towards the servicing of poor. For TATA, business is not at all about making money or profits; it is about how well an organization can service the community without sins.

Kerala Essay Example for Free

Kerala Essay Kerala, the ‘God’s Own Country’, lies in the extreme Southern part of India. It has an area of 38863 sq. km and a population of 3. 18 crores. Kochi, or more familiarly, Cochin is a city of many parts. Around for a long, long time, Kochi played a pivotal role in the development of shipping and trade in the region. Kochis prime location on the west coast, its fine bay and protected harbor made it popular with seafarers and merchant ships who made frequent stops to stock up on spices, coffee and wood enroute to the rich markets of Europe and West Asia. And so down the ages, Kochi prospered as a busy port city and commercial centre. Its seafront is still extremely relevant to Cochin and to India: it houses a Naval Base and one of India’s busiest ports. It’s twin city, Ernakulam, is an important railhead and industrial centre. Kerala – God’s own Country tagline has been used because of its location, landscaping and its surroundings. It is the amalgamation of lush and tropical Malabar Coast on the west along with verdant backwaters in the centre ranging from Cochin to Kollam and Nilgiri mountain range covered with tea plantations in the east. Kerala The God’s own country Kerala, meaning â€Å"land of coconut trees†, is one of the relatively well kept secrets of all the exotic destinations in the world. However, Kerala’s popularity has increased over recent years. National Geographic† travel magazine lists Kerala among the fifty must see locations in the world. Not surpirisingly, the State Tourism Department promotes Kerala’s natural beauty, breathtaking lush landscape and tropical beaches as â€Å"God’s own country†. The result has been a signifiant influx of tourists and foreign visitors. The Sanskrit saying â€Å"athithi devo bhava†( treat your guest like God, with respect and honour) is ingrained in the collective ethos of the people of Kerala.

Tata Motors losses

Tata Motors losses Can Tata Motors capture and increase its market share in India through the launch of Jaguar and Land Rover? Introduction: My commentary examines the recent acquisition of Tata Motors of two iconic brands- Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motors at a staggering amount of $2.3 billion. Despite being well known brands, they are suffering losses. After Tata Motors take over, they were strategizing to launch these products in the Indian market which has huge growth prospects. The real challenge was in these brands attracting customers away from rivals in the Indian market. Simultaneously Tata Motors has launched Tata Nano to capture the Indian market for small cars. This will be reinforced by launching light- weighted aluminium and hybrid cars from Land Rover. With help of SWOT, Ansoff Matrix and Asset led Marketing my commentary will examine how successful will be the launch of Jaguar and Land Rover cars in India. SWOT Analysis: SWOT analysis is a useful decision-making tool that is used to assess the current and future situation of a product, brand, company, proposal or decision. It considers both internal and external factors that are relevant to the issue under investigation.[1] Strengths: The acquisition of the two global brands- Jaguar and Land Rover acts in a crucial way to increase and develop the brand reputation and the quality of products for Tata Motors. It provides plenty of opportunity to the Indian consumer and the developing Indian automobile market can also help the launch of brands in the long-term. It can reap economies of scale through component sourcing and low cost engineering. Weakness: With different product portfolios for both brands it will be a challenging task ahead to market the same in the price sensitive Indian market. But this could be overcome through proper market research. Another concern is the diminishing image due to the continued losses and a de motivated work force due to the change in management. With right training and incentives and proper marketing strategies the company can convert these negatives to strengths. Opportunities: This launch is a great opportunity for the Indian customer and target the growing Indian market. Automobile market is developing in India and placed with launch of Nano, Tata Motors will be in a good position capture a larger share of the market. Threats: Increasing fuel prices combined with global meltdown will be a challenge for the company to stay afloat and over come the losses. In addition the strong competition can threaten the expected sales of the company. However the inherent financial and managerial strength of the conglomerate should be able to let the company withstand the challenges and move ahead. A danger that remains is that with the new ownership international brand loyalties may change and customers may move towards other models in the market. Ansoff Matrix: The Ansoff Matrix is an analytical tool that helps managers to devise their product and market growth strategies. It consists of four growth strategies namely- Market penetration, Market Development under new and existing and markets AND Product development, Diversification under new and existing products.[2] Diversification It refers to the high risk growth strategy that involves a business marketing new products in new markets. Parent companies can benefit from having a presence in a range of products and markets in different regions of the world.[6] Market Penetration- Tata could continue with the same strategy that it had adopted for the UK for the rest of world. The estate, coupe and open saloon models of Jaguar and the Freelander and Range Rover sport of Land Rover selling in the existing markets UK can help them to gain profits and increase in sales in other markets due to the reputation of the brands. For the new models that are planned to launch, promoting and advertising can be a good choice for the firms to maintain their position in the market and to attract more consumers and build customer loyalty. Tata Indica and other commercial vehicles like Tata Ace are examples of Tatas market penetration strategy that exist in the existing markets and are still earning them great profits. Product Development- Tata Motors are launching the smallest car the famed Tata Nano in the Indian markets which is a new product by the firm and launched in existing markets of India and other countries where Tata Motors operate. This car can be useful for the firm as they can easily generate profits through this product as well as their brand name. Also, the firm can compete with other businesses in the same market with the help of these products. Tata Starbus and Tata Xover are other new products that have been launched by Tata Motors in India and other existing markets of Tata Motors. Diversification- The new products planned by Tata Motors through the Jaguar and Land Rover brands can be categorized in diversification. The company plans of manufacturing hybrid, electric and bio-fuels based and environmental friendly cars with the help of latest technology through both of these brands which can be useful in boosting the brand image of the firm. Also, there may be an increase in the profits of the firm as the hybrid cars are said to be the future of automobiles in order to save the earth from pollution. These new products launched in the new markets of India and others can be termed as diversified strategy of the firm. Tata Nano can also be included in this strategy as it is also a new product and is planned to be launched into new markets of African and Asian countries. Asset led marketing: Asset led marketing is a strategy that is adopted by the business for the sales of their products or services. Here, the firm uses its intangible assets for introducing a new product in the market. Tata Motors is a well-established and well-known firm and a part of the parent company Tata and Sons. Thus, in order to launch its products or services in the market and start off with immediate sales and profits, Tatas can use this which may even be applicable for launching the two automobile brands. Tata Motors have been in the news for past several months due to the launch of the worlds cheapest car in India- Tata Nano manufactured by their own company. Simultaneously launching two brands can help Tatas in gaining a lot of customer attention and thus a larger customer base. The well established and elegant brands with the giant prestige of Tata Motors can help the firms in garnering huge amounts of profits and gaining control over their competitors. Evaluation : The biggest advantage of this acquisition is that the firm might see an increase in sales of the cars due to both firms worldwide luxury brand reputation and also due to the services and quality provided by the cars. But at the same time, the number of competitors in the booming automobile market of India has increased and finding their way out to satisfy the customers with different marketing strategies can be very costly for the firm. Tata Motors can implement various strategies such as advertising and also, various schemes can be used which guarantee consumer satisfaction and can also prove to be a part of customer attraction. These strategies can prove to be useful in boosting the brand image and the sales of the company as well. Short- term problems faced by the firm may be the recovering of the costs that has been put into the acquisition and the launch of Jaguar and Land Rover cars. The high manufacturing costs of Tata Motors, Jaguar and Land Rover might prove to be another reason for the losses in the accounts of the Tata Motors. The long-term problems can be an increase in competition as the Indian automobile market is developing at a rapid rate. If the company suffers losses, then there might be the need for job redundancies, thus leading to worker de-motivation. Conclusion: To conclude, the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover brands may be risky due to the global slowdown but Tata Motors with its brand name and established presence in India can succeed in the long run. Tata Group, a huge multinational giant worldwide can capitalize through cross-subsidization. I think that by promoting the products and launching it along with Tata Nano will be useful as each can be a backup for the other in the future. The workforce can be motivated through good learning experience as they may have access to the technology used in manufacturing these premium cars but at the same time, if the products fail to create a mark on customers, the workers may feel insecure as job redundancies may be adopted by Tata Motors to struggle with their own financial portfolio. Bibliography- 1. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE55R0LK20090628?pageNumber=2virtualBrandChannel=0 2. http://www.autoblogs.in/2009/06/tata-jaguar-land-rover-launch-india.html 3. http://free-sms-mms.blogspot.com/2009/06/tata-jaguar-land-rover-launched-in.html 4. http://www.zeenews.com/news542730.html 5. http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14790692 6. http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/In-The-News/Rough-Roads-Ahead.html 7. http://business.outlookindia.com/inner.aspx?articleid=1225subcatgid=611editionid=36catgid=44 8. http://www.tata.in/media/reports/inside.aspx?artid=r8CuZiHSZ2o= 9. http://money.rediff.com/companies/tata-motors-ltd/10510008/profit-and-loss 10. http://www.moneycontrol.com/financials/tatamotors/profit-loss/TM03 11. http://www.moneycontrol.com/financials/tatamotors/balance-sheet/TM03 12. http://www.moneycontrol.com/financials/tatamotors/ratios/TM03 13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Motors Appendix- SWOT: Strengths-  · Jaguar and Land Rover have a respected brand image in the global markets for their luxurious cars.  · A good move for Tata Motors to enter the luxury market.  · A global visibility for the owner of the company as a sprawling conglomerate.  · Benefits from component sourcing, design services and low cost engineering.  · A good learning experience for the workers. Weaknesses-  · Both brands have a vast and a different product portfolio.  · Unavailability of premium auto parts at the Indian auto parts suppliers and thus, the need to import.  · Diminished corporate image of the brands due to massive losses in the past few years.  · De-motivation of workers due to redundancies and job cuts Opportunities-  · Opportunity for the Indian customers to have near access for driving premium cars.  · India is a developing automobile market and thus, a useful step for the long term.  · Simultaneous launch of the Tata Nano and other models can generate higher profits and develop their control on both the upper and the lower and middle class market.  · Range of products with different prices helps them to diversify.  · Reinforcement of globalization. Threats-  · Negative impact on the car sales of the brands due to economic meltdown and global recession.  · Lead to value-destruction due to lack of synergies and high-cost operations.  · Prohibition of establishing a stronger market base and increasing sales due to the number of rivals such as Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, Lamborghini.  · Increase in fuel prices.  · Shifting brand loyalty due to change in ownership Ansoff Matrix- Existing product New product Existing market Market penetration This strategy mainly applies for those businesses that focus on selling existing products in the existing markets. It is a low- risk strategy and helps to increase the market share of its current products.[7] Product development This strategy involves businesses aiming to sell new products in existing markets. This strategy is also a reason for acquiring another company as the costs of starting another company can be saved and different types of customers can be catered. This strategy is also useful for businesses using brand expansion strategies.[8] New market Market Development This method serves for those businesses that apply the strategy of selling existing products into newer markets.[9] Such techniques are used by businesses that plan to expand their business and attain higher customer base. Diversification It refers to the high risk growth strategy that involves a business marketing new products in new markets. Parent companies can benefit from having a presence in a range of products and markets in different regions of the world.[10] MUMBAI (Reuters) Tata Motors (TAMO.BO), Indias largest vehicles maker, on Sunday announced the launch in India of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, the marquee brands it bought from Ford Motors (F.N) last year. Saying it was a momentous occasion for the company, chairman Ratan Tata said, This is in keeping with our desire to extend the penetration of the brands in India. The automobile firm, which controls about 60 percent of the worlds fifth-biggest truck and bus market, will soon also be rolling out the Nano, billed as the worlds cheapest car. Jaguar is launching the XF amd XK range of luxury coupes and convertibles in India starting at a price tag of 6.3 million rupees (79,000 pounds) and going up to 9 million rupees. Land Rover will initially be launching three vehicles including the Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery 3, with prices also starting at 6.3 million rupees but going beyond 9 million. The luxury car market in India is very small, but there is a huge opportunity there. It is growing fast and we expect it to grow fast over the next 5 to 10 years, said David Smith, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover. India is an important part of our plans for the future, said Mike Driscoll, managing director of Jaguar. The luxury car segment in India is less than 1 percent of the total car market there.Continued On Friday Tata Motors posted its first loss in eight years at $520 million (315 million pounds) for the year to March 2009, with its Jaguar Land Rover unit reporting a loss of 306 million pounds in the 10 months of the fiscal year to March 2009, as a brutal global recession crippled car sales. On the issue of loan guarantees for JLR, Tata said, we are in discussions with the U.K. government on the loan guarantees and hopefully we will find a solution for it and our funding plan for JLR will progress. The company is seeking guarantees for the 340 million pounds loan sanctioned by the European Investment Bank and other loans from U.K.-based commercial banks. It is seeking these funds to develop new and more fuel efficient cars for improving its competitive position. Sustaining the downturn is important for us and finding a solution (for the loan guarantees) is extremely important to us, Tata said. He also said that if there was a large financial package from the U.K. government for Jaguar and Land Rover then, there should be commensurate level of representation from them, which had to be negotiated and worked out. An ill-fated, two decade-old strategy is about to end. When Ford hands over the keys to Jaguar and Land Rover (J-LR), it will end its troubled journey with the high-performance premium car brands, which have failed to pull in expected profits despite large investments. Tata Motors is expected to finalise a deal for the two companies for just over $2 billion. However, recent reports indicate that the price might be higher than previously thought. Tata Motors is said to be looking for financing worth $3 billion to fund the deal. The Financial Times reports that Tata Motorss advisors on the J-LR deal, JP Morgan and Citigroup, have received instructions to arrange for funding from banks. What worries investors is that Tata Motors may be stretching itself. This is a critical year for the company. In January, Tata Motors introduced its ultra-cheap car — Nano — to heavy national and global interest. It simultaneously launched a new platform for the Indica, its best selling passenger car. Later this year, it will also launch the World Truck, a project that has been under development with South Korean subsidiary, Tata Daewoo. â€Å"Investors have not taken this deal positively as it will put a lot of pressure on Tata Motors highly leveraged balance sheet,† says Aniket Mhatre, an analyst with financial services firm, Prabhudas Lilladher. â€Å"Also, the Nano wont be profitable for at least the first two-three years. The combined effect is expected to put pressure on Tata Motors margins and profitability.† In January, shortly after Tata Motors was made the preferred bidder for J-LR, credit rating firm Crisil downgraded the companys long-term debt ratings to a ‘negative watch. It said that the deal would be challenging for Tata Motors as a significant portion of combined revenues would come from two newly acquired companies where Tata Motors had â€Å"yet to build and demonstrate capabilities†. The companys stock has dropped 7.9 per cent to Rs 702.65 per share on the year to date. Future Strategy What happens next depends on how well Tata Motors can handle the acquisition and service the considerable debt it will assume. The group is known to retain the services of the current management team after taking over companies. This is exactly what happened when Tata acquired Spanish bus makers Hispano Carrocera and South Korean truck makers Daewoo Commercial Vehicles. Tata executives have likely already approached Jaguars top management team to secure their services beyond the acquisition. The Tata Groups reasoning is that it avoids the hassle of new managers having to learn the ropes. Employee morale also stays high as workers stick with bosses they trust. Still, some Tata Motors executives will definitely be sent to the UK to integrate the finance and business operations of the two companies. Tata has also promised it will not tamper with Jaguar and Land Rovers business plans, made by Ford up to 2011-12. This means that no employee will be fired and no plant shut down, even if these are a financial burden. Scheduled roll-outs for Jaguar and Land Rover are also likely to carry on. â€Å"Ford has plans of launching a number of new models for the J-LR combine,† says Mhatre. â€Å"[These] are expected to do very well in their respective markets. It could provide the much needed boost to Jaguars profitability in particular.† Ford has also secured components from suppliers over the medium term. Tata Motors will enjoy this benefit as it will buy it time to integrate J-LR operations into its own extensive community of lower-cost suppliers, which include around 20 auto design studios, steel units and various component makers. Chairman Ratan Tata also assures that Jaguar and Land Rover will not be re-badged as Tata vehicles. Jaguar dealers were disappointed when they realised that the once-legendary British brands would now be owned out of India. â€Å"For the European market, Tata Motors has a ‘truck-manufacturer image,† says Mhatre. â€Å"Consumers may consider shifting their brand loyalty to competitors in such a scenario.† That is why Tatas decision to not tamper with Jaguar and Land Rovers â€Å"character† will be important. It is also consistent with moves from past acquisitions. Trucks sold in Daewoos native South Korea do not bear the Tata badge. That emblem only appears on vehicles where the Tata brand is more well-known than Daewoo, such as markets like South Asia or Africa. BRAND POWER: Jaguar and Land Rover will not be re-badged as Tata vehicles What Tata Gains The most obvious benefit for Tata Motors is the technology it will now have access to. Both Jaguar and Land Rover use advanced technology and design and production techniques to churn out their vehicles. These include the use of lighter materials such as aluminium as well as considerably more advanced engine and transmission technologies. â€Å"Land Rovers SUV technology [in particular] could be useful for the Tatas current products in the segment,† says Yezdi Nagporewalla, National Industry Director (industrial markets) at KPMG. Then theres green tech. At the ongoing Geneva Motor Show, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata said that he was interested in producing green cars. â€Å"We are very keen and†¦ are looking at working on vehicles that run on biofuels, electric vehicles and hybrid fuels,† he told journalists. Land Rover already has one hybrid concept — the LRX — and says it would invest  £700 million in the development of sustainable technology over the next five years. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the two brands will give Tata Motors a foothold in the luxury space. This means that the company will have a readymade offering in every car segment from ultra-cheap (the Nano) to utilitarian (the Indica) to commercial vehicles (Ace, World Truck) to SUVs (Sumo, Safari and Land Rovers) and, finally, to premium, high-performance cars (Jaguar). The fact that it can literally buy premium brands off the shelf means that it wont have to invest its own time and money to catch up with high-end technology. This is exactly what has put car makers such as Honda or Toyota at a disadvantage in the premium segment in markets such as the US. For the moment, it is unclear whether Tatas gamble will work. $2 billion is a lot of money and, if the analysts are right, Tata Motors may not be in the best position to pay it all back. Still, the Tata group is arguably one of the most professionally managed corporate houses in the country, if anyone can pull it off, they can. Bibliography- http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/In-The-News/Rough-Roads-Ahead.html 3. Tatas to launch Jaguar, Land Rover on June 28 Last updated on: June 18, 200910:23 IST Indias [ Images ] tryst with luxury brands takes a new turn on June 28,when Tata Motors [ Get Quote ] unfurls its marquee brands, the Jaguar and Land Rover [ Images ], in its home market. The cars will be launched just weeks before Indias first global brand, the ultra-cheap Nano [ Images ], hits the road in July. Tata Motors acquired the luxury vehicles from Ford [ Images ] Motor Co for $2.3 billion in March last year. This is the first time globally that Jaguar and Land Rover will debut together. After Mumbai [ Images ], the imported cars will drive to Ludhiana and Bengaluru [ Images ]. The Jaguar will roll out five models including the XJ, XX, and XF. Two models of the Land Rover will available. Tata Motors declined to reveal the first year sales targets for its new offerings. But a senior Tata manager said they will be number a few hundreds. In the United Kingdom, the Jaguar largely sells four models: Estate, saloon, open-top and coupe. The hot selling Land Rover brands overseas are the Range Rover [ Images ], Defender, Discovery and Freelander. JLR will be the first luxury cars from the $83 billion Tata conglomerate although they had a joint venture with Mercedes [ Images ] nearly a decade ago. While the Jaguar gives Tata Motors a toehold in Indias premium car segment, the Land Rover completes its SUV range which includes the Sumo. The JLR launch comes at a time when Indias luxury car market has belied the downturn. Global brands like the Rolls Royce, BMW [ Images ], Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Maybach and the Bentley have made India their coveted destination in the last couple of years. Last year, Mercedes announced that it will invest Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion) to set up its first fully-owned production facility in India. Its first plant in Pune was leased from Tata Motors. Even as compact cars clog Indian roads and drive over two-thirds of the 1.5 million auto market, the high margin luxury cars are a status symbol amongst Indias rich. Ludhiana, for instance, is the Mecca of luxury cars, auto makers say. India now has its very own luxury brands. Tatas Takeover of Jaguar and Land Rover: Bumpy Road or Smooth Ride? Published: April 03, 2008 in India [emailprotected] Will the acquisition of Land Rover and Jaguar be a smooth ride for Tata Motors? That is the question that many observers have been asking since the Tata Group and Ford announced their $2.3 billion deal at the end of March. The takeover has been greeted with jubilation, especially in India, because of the prestige of these marquee brands. On the other hand, skeptics have also been wondering how this acquisition fits in with the Tata Groups overall strategy. What can the Tatas do differently than Ford to ensure that the acquisition pays off? What major challenges will Tata Motors face in integration and marketing? To help make sense of these issues, India [emailprotected] spoke withJohn Paul MacDuffie, Wharton management professor and co-director of theInternational Motor Vehicle Program, andHarbir Singh, Wharton management professor and co-director of theMack Center for Technology Innovation. An edited transcript of the discussion follows: [emailprotected]:Lets start with the question that is on everyones mind. Does this deal make economic sense? MacDuffie: Its a very fascinating deal. Its clearly not a deal that is trying to build economies of scale in just one business and just reach into new markets. Its quite a differently motivated deal. For Tata its not the first time that theyve reached for a brand with some prestige value as part of expanding their global visibility. So I think viewed as an acquisition that they intend to learn a great deal from, it could very well make sense. The exposure that the Tatas will have to the high end of the auto business, which they know very well at the domestic end, and to the managing of this very prestigious brand I think could offer a lot of learning opportunities. [emailprotected]:Harbir, just to follow up on the same issue, the Tatas have the Indica, and they also recently launched the Tata Nano, the famous one lakh rupee car, or the $2,500 car. Do brands like the Jaguar and Land Rover really fit in with that overall portfolio? Whats your sense of the fit? Singh: My sense is that the Tatas are trying to expand their portfolio in general and they are trying to offer [various brands]. I dont think its a question of the customer viewing Nano, and Jaguar and Land Rover as all offerings of the same company. Its much more a question of like Louis Moet Hennessy having a set of brands and really doing the best you can for Land Rover and the best you can for Jaguar. In terms of the economic sense of the transaction, I think another way of looking at it is: Whats the replacement value of those brands, right? And clearly whatever price they pay is much lower than the replacement value. So the real challenge here for them is to make sure that they can enhance Jaguar in its own terms and enhance Land Rover in its own terms. [emailprotected]:John Paul, do you agree? MacDuffie: Yes. Ford of course sold the companies because the company is in deep financial distress and really needed cash now. There can be a dispute, I guess, about whether the price is too high or too low, but the Tatas certainly paid substantially less than Ford did for those brands. And by all counts Land Rover is profitable and Jaguar has made a strong comeback based on building capabilities, improving quality, they have some interesting new products in the pipelines, so I do agree. [emailprotected]:Did the Tatas did get a bargain, or did they overpay because this was a higher price than the market expected? MacDuffie: Its always very tough to know exactly and theres always this kind of speculation at the time. I think that Ford was certainly counting on increasing the volumes of these brands probably particularly Jaguar to a much higher level. And so at a certain point their efforts to greatly expand the volume, I think, probably hurt them somewhat. They were introducing lower priced Jaguars that a lot of people didnt feel represent that brand very well. They were trying to leverage their own Ford design parts from other models. I actually think managing it as a prestige brand from the base that Ford established should work well for the Tatas. That appears to be their pattern with their acquisitions that they by and large allow the management to keep doing what it is doing and, as I said, look for opportunities to learn from these foreign acquisitions. [emailprotected]:Some critics have been saying that for the Tatas this was a deal motivated more by the desire to acquire marquee or iconic brands, almost like former colonials acquiring the trappings of the former empire. Does that criticism make sense? MacDuffie: Who knows about that motivation? Theres certainly a kind of interest, I think, in the whole deal that comes partly from such associations. One of the other Tata deals thats gotten some attention is the acquisition of Tetley Tea, another British brand, and also of British Steel, the remains of British Steel. And so clearly investing in Britain has worked well for Indian companies. There were competing buyers, mostly private equity sometimes in partnership with other auto companies. And both the unions and the suppliers of Jaguar and Land Rover very much prefer Tata. I suspect not because theyre an Indian company but because of their track record in the way theyve managed acquisitions. They by and large have not done wide-scale layoffs, they have not done lots of consolidation; theyve focused on leveraging the strengths and the capabilities they have acquired. Singh: I agree with everything John Paul is saying. My comment is that its important for the Tatas not to get distracted by the nationalism and those kinds of things, which are all inevitable and natural. And I think its good, the pride is well-placed. You know the pride in Tatas by Indian investors and others is well placed. But fundamentally, this transaction has to perform because its a large transaction. I think there is a very good chance of performing. But I think it important for them to not get wrapped in the overlay of national pride and British colonialism and all those things. [emailprotected]:Ford really had a tough time during the many years that it owned these brands. What could the Tatas do differently to make sure that the acquisitions pay off? Singh: Its correct that Ford struggled quite a bit with these transactions. One of the issues that John Paul mentioned earlier was that Ford is in financial trouble. So if you were to think about Tatas approach to all of this, they could get a good price because its a distress sale. I mentioned market replacement value and there is a good chance that the $2.3 billion is well below replacement value because Ford bought Jaguar for a similar reason. They wanted that luxury nameplate. And Land Rover also is a high-end nameplate. But we can also ask that based on these multiple bidders present, that what we will get is kind of almost an auction-like value, right? Except that it will, given that the bidders are all well-informed and they have had access to the books this is a private transaction, its not a pub

Art Censorship Essay examples -- essays research papers

Art Censorship   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In recent news there was a controversy over art shown in Santa Fe Community College’s gallery. The artist Pat Payne created obscene religious pictures that for the most part were mocking the Catholic religion. I feel that there is no need for artwork to be censored if in an appropriate place. Placing paintings that may seem to be obscene in an art museum, gallery, or anywhere else that attract mostly mature individuals is appropriate and obviously placing those same pieces of art in an elementary school would be inappropriate. My point being that artworks of any type being placed in Santa Fe’s art gallery should not be an issue. The majority of individuals looking at Santa Fe’s gallery are older and mature, and if children are being brought into a place like this, ad...

Academic Writing on Riders to the Sea Essay

Edmund John Millington Synge (1871-1909), an Irish playwright, wrote ‘Riders to the Sea’, one of his first two one-act plays (the other one is ‘The Shadow of the Glen’). ‘Riders to the Sea’ (1904) is Synge’s dramatic response to the experience of his frequent sojourns in the Aran Islands. ‘Riders to the Sea’ dramatizes the archetypal struggle of man against the hostile natural forces and rends man’s inevitable defeat in the conflict against predestination which brings out a tragic effect at the end of the play. This one-act play is a tragedy that portrays a compressed and synthesized picture of hopeless struggle of an Aran woman and her helplessness against the fate. Ernest A. Boyd (American critic and author) in ‘The Contemporary Drama of Ireland’ states that ‘Riders to the Sea’, sums up the essence of the â€Å"constant struggle of the Aran islanders against their relentless enemy, the sea. † The protagonist in J. M. Synge’s one-act play Riders to the Sea, Maurya, is an old Aran fisher-woman, whose name echoes the Greek word moria, meaning fate. See more: Is the Importance of being earnest a satirical play essay Riders to the Sea does not fit the mold of classic Greek tragedy, as Aristotle defined it, for its central character is a peasant, not a person of high estate and she does not bring about her own downfall. Maurya is thus distinctly different from the classical protagonists such as Oedipus, Agamemnon or Antigone, all of whom are highborn. While classical and Renaissance tragic protagonists undergo suffering owing to their ‘hubris’ or ‘hamartia’, Maurya appears to be a passive and helpless victim in the hands of the destructive sea. In Maurya’s case, no profound question seems to be raised about the complicated relationship between human will and predestination. Yet, she resembles the great traditional protagonists in her heroic power of endurance and the spiritual transcendence over her suffering. In J. M. Synge’s play, Riders to the Sea, the audience is confronted with a story of an Aran mother of eight children living on an island off the western coast of Ireland. When the play opens, we find out that she has lost her husband and five of her six sons to the sea, which is necessary for livelihood as means of transport to the mainland and also for participation in the fishing industry. Her two daughters, Cathleen and Nora, are also present. The lone son, Bartley, needs to take the horses to fair across the bay, and Maurya begs him not to leave. But Bartley insists that he will cross the mainland in spite of winds and high seas. Mad and aggravated at Bartley for not listening to her pleas, Maurya allows him to go, however, without her blessing. Cathleen and Nora persuade their mother to chase Bartley with the food they forgot to give him and to give him her blessing regardless of her fears. Maurya returns horrified with a vision she has seen of Michael riding on the horse behind Bartley. When the girls show her Michael’s clothes her only response is that the good white boards she had bought for his coffin would serve for Bartley instead. Even as she speaks, the neighboring women troop in, their voices raised in the â€Å"keen,† that monotonous Irish chant of grief. Men follow bringing the body of Bartley. The play crawls to the end through Maurya’s fatalistic submission. They’re all gone now and there isn’t anything more the sea can do to me. † She can sleep now with no worry but that of starvation. In the everlasting battle between the life-giver and the destroyer, between the mother and the destructive sea, Maurya, at last, ironically, is triumphant. Having lost all her sons, she has been liberated from the everlasting cycle of suffering and grief. At this point, she seems to withdraw her sympathy from the community of mankind when her disillusionment compels her to state – â€Å"I won’t care what way the sea is when the other women will be keening. The final phase of Maurya’s suffering reveals a transition from misery to a profound tragic transcendence. Like the Sophoclean protagonists, she achieves knowledge and enlightenment out of misery and heroically accepts her tragic mess. Tragic wisdom illuminates her mind into the understanding that death is an essential episode in the universal cycle of life. Instead of accusing God, she reconciles to her fate bravely and gracefully and accepts her misery as the sublime will of God. Reconstructing a broken life into a new existence of faith and self-sacrifice, she achieves tragic dignity and elevation in the eyes of the audience. She invokes God’s blessings upon all – â€Å"†¦. may He have mercy on my soul, Nora, and the soul of everyone is left living in the world. † Maurya, as portrayed by J. M. Synge in ‘Riders to the Sea’, is truly an unforgettable character who wins our admiration by her unusual power of endurance, by her capacity to withstand her misfortunes, and by her dignified behaviour at a time when she has suffered the most painful bereavement of her life. Finally, she gives expression to her stoical acceptance of her and fate in the following memorable words— â€Å"No man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied. Declan Kiberd, an Irish writer and scholar in his ‘Synge and the Irish Language’ (Macmillan: London 1979)notes that Synge’s dramatic language tries to allow the Aran islanders â€Å"to speak directly for themselves,† demonstrating that Maurya’s famous words, â€Å"No man at all†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. must be satisfied† (III, 27), are translated almost directly from a letter to Synge from an Inishmaan friend. Maurya is drawn to be regarded as tragic character in the proper sense of the word. After all we are reading a one-act play in which an elaborated portrayal was not possible. Besides, there is no real conflict either in Maurya’s mind or between Maurya and circumstances. She has just to remain passive because there is no other choice for her. ‘Tess’ in Thomas Hardy’s famous novel ‘Tess of the D’urbervilles’ is a tragic character because she puts up a brave fight against adverse circumstances, but nobody can fight against the sea which is the cause of the tragedy in Synge’s play. The end comes inevitably and this again is traditional. Dunbar’s ‘Lament for the Maker’s’ may stand to embrace them all. So to quote: â€Å"Since for the Death remeid is none, Best is that we for Death dispone, After our death that live may we: Timor Mortis conturbat me. † The drama by virtue of being a one-act play unavoidably limits Synge’s scope. But, in that limited scope Synge has achieved remarkable effect of tragic impact. The result is one of the most deeply moving tragedies ever written. W. B. Yeats on Synge’s conception of style states â€Å"The first use of Irish dialect, rich, abundant, and correct, for the purpose of creative art was in J. M. Synge’s Riders to the Sea† (Plays in Prose and Verse Written for an Irish Theatre, London: Macmillan 1922).

Using the Spanish Verb Tomar

Using the Spanish Verb Tomar To say that the Spanish verb tomar means to take isnt doing the word justice. Although it can usually be translated that way, it actually has a wide variety of meanings and is used in all sorts of expressions. Thus, like with some other common verbs, you need to pay attention to context when translating tomar. It generally isnt all that difficult figuring out what the verb means, as long as you realize that it usually conveys the idea of taking something or taking something in. What is a bit more difficult is knowing when to use it when speaking Spanish; it isnt always appropriate to use tomar when you mean to take. One quality of tomar, however, is helpful: It is one of the most common verbs that is conjugated regularly. Meanings of Tomar Here are some of common meanings of tomar with sample sentences. Note that meanings often overlap. If you choose something to eat, for example, you might translate tomar as either to choose or to eat, depending on which sounds more natural in the context. To Take Physical Possession Tomà ³ el libro y volvià ³ a su habitacià ³n. (He took the book and returned home.)Toma mi mano y camina conmigo. (Take my hand and walk with me.)Los campesinos tomaron como rehà ©n al gerente. (The farmworkers seized the manager as hostage.) To Choose Habà ­a muchas. Tomà © el azul. (There were many of them. I picked the blue one.)Mi filosofà ­a es tomar lo difà ­cil como un reto. (My philosophy is to choose what is difficult as a challenge.) To Eat or Drink Tomo cafà © como parte del desayuno en mi programa de dieta. (I drink coffee as part of breakfast for my diet)El segundo dà ­a tomaron una sopa de pollo. (The second day they had chicken soup.) To Use a Form of Transportation Tomemos un taxi. (Lets take a taxi.)Cuando tomo el metro tardo hasta 45 minutos. (When I use the subway Im as much as 45 minutes late.)No quiero tomar el autopista. (I dont want to go on the freeway.) To Take Medicine Recomendamos que tome ambas pà ­ldoras a la vez. (We recommend that you take both pills at the same time.)Es necesario que tomes medicina para combatir la infeccià ³n. (It is necessary that you take medicine to fight the infection.) To Interpret Something a Certain Way Me tomaron por loco. (They thought I was crazy. They took me for a crazy man.)La mayorà ­a de crà ­ticos se lo tomaron a broma. (Most of the critics took it as a joke.)Le tomaron por espà ­a. (They thought he was a spy.) To Adopt a Course of Action Para demostrar que el cambio era efectivo, se tomaron medidas muy drsticas. (In order to demonstrate that the change was effective, very drastic measures were taken.)Tomemos un enfoque diferente. (Lets take a different approach.)Viajar no perjudica la salud, si se toman precauciones. (Traveling isnt dangerous to your health, if precautions are taken.)Tomà © la derecha. (I turned to the right.) Using the Reflexive Tomarse The reflexive form, tomarse, is usually used with little or no change in meaning from the nonreflexive form. Sometimes tomarse refers specifically to drinking alcoholic beverages. Tà ³matelo con humor y disfruta el momento. (Take it with a sense of humor and enjoy the moment.)No se tomà ³ toda la cerveza. (He didnt drink all the beer.)Luego, me tomaba un autobà ºs a Panam. (Later, I took a bus to Panama.) Phrases Using Tomar Additionally, tomar is used in idiomatic phrases. Many of them are equivalent to English phrases using the word take. Here are some of the more common: Tomar apuntes - to take notes (an Anglicism, tomar notas, is heard in some areas).Tomar el control - to take control.Tomar (un) examen - to take a test.Tomar fotos - to take photos (sacar fotos is preferred in some areas).Tomar responsabilidad - to take responsibility.Tomar nota - to take note.Tomar parte - to take part.Tomar la pluma - to begin writing.Tomar el sol - to sunbathe.Tomar tierra - to land (said of aircraft). ¡Tà ³mate esa! - Take that! (said, for example, when hitting someone). Key Takeaways Tomar is a very common verb that carries the idea of taking, although it can be translated in many ways. It often suggests that a choice of some sort was made.Tomar is used in a variety of phrases and idioms.The reflexive form, tomarse, usually has no translatable difference in meaning than the standard form.

buy custom Development of Church Policy essay

buy custom Development of Church Policy essay Medieval period represented major developments of the church policy. During this period, the church dominated the society. Medieval people believed in God entirely. Thus, the church had control over them. Both peasants and town people worked for free in church. One of the major policies that were implemented during medieval period was the translation of the Great works that particularly related to church activities from Latin to English. This made it possible for the works to spread across Europe (Powell, 2006). Moreover, this facilitated the spread of the Roman Catholic Church. During this period, many people were illiterate. Thus, the church developed a policy where it sponsored learning institutions. Large number of people was able to read and write. During the medieval period, the pope played both spiritual and political roles. He represented the authority of the church. He influenced the direction of the church and the state. Pope had the authority to make decisions affecting the church and the entire empire. For example, Pope Innocent III facilitated the re-union of the western and Byzantine Empire. Thus, pope could perform the duties of the king or those of the emperor. Throughout the history of papacy, Pope Innocent III was the most influential and powerful. He was able to exert changes over all Christian regimes especially in Europe. He supported catholic reforms. This was on ecclesiastical matters. In addition, due to his influence, there was an increase in the canon law. Politically, he was highly influential. For example, he used interdiction and censures to ensure that the prince obeyed his decisions. He was able to call for military action against some religious groups such as Muslims and Cathars. He also called for the Fourth Crusade that resulted in the sacking of Constantinople by his crusaders. This led to the reunion of both the Western and Eastern churches something that made the Pope happy. Therefore, the reign of Pope Innocent III, clearly shows that Popes were both religious and political leaders during this period. Buy custom Development of Church Policy essay

Hanoi Jane essays

Hanoi Jane essays The Vietnam War divided our country as no other war had to date. The slow build up in troops overseas began in the Kennedy administration and built progressively through the Johnson years. By the time the Nixon Presidency began in 1968, the war had become a hotly contested political and moral debate in the United States. Protests against the war and the many factions of the anti-war movement ripped at the countries resolve to be at war and win the war. As the number of wounded and killed mounted so did the anti-war movement. At the height of the tension at home in the late 1960s, Jane Fonda, movie star and activist, took over the leadership movement of the anti-Vietnam war. This paper will report three important aspects of Jane Fondas trip to N. Vietnam that impacted people involved in the war; she may have caused the death of many Americans by buoying the hopes of the North Vietnamese, the betrayal and deaths of American POWs, and participating in North Vietnamese propaganda. This paper explores the anti Vietnam efforts of Jane Fonda, who by what many considered her illegal trip to North Vietnam to encourage the communist army in their war efforts. As an outspoken communist and member of the violent Black Panther civil-rights activist group, Fonda began speaking on college campuses and at large rallies across the nation to stir up dissent to the war effort. She established the FTA (F _ _ _ the Army!) activist group in 1971 to create dissent in the United States. In 1972, with U. S. war efforts still at an intense level of conflict, Jane Fonda made a two-week visit to North Vietnam. While visiting Vietnam, Fonda visited a camp known to the prisoners as Hanoi Hilton. The prisoners were forced to see Fonda and deny that they were being tortured. Fonda then proceeded to travel home and pronounce that the prisoners were in good health. As the war moved on POWs began returning home (some of the ...

Benefits Of Customer Relationship Management Essay

Benefits Of Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example Studies show that CRM was developed because consumer differed in their spending habits and preferences. If all consumers were alike, there would be less need for CRM. Consequently, understanding customer profitability and drivers can enable customers to better customize their offerings to optimize the general value of their client portfolio (Kaufmann, 2013). The attention that organizations are currently giving CRM is because today’s marketing environment is highly concentrated and more competitive. CRM is an enterprise-oriented concept covering all sections of a business (Baran and Galka, 2013). In addition, besides customer service, CRM would also encompass manufacturing, assembling, purchasing, product testing, sales and engineering, human resource, and marketing. CRM is a complex concept that mines customer information, which has been retrieved from all customer touch points, which then creates and supports the organizations to have a comprehensive perspective of the custo mer (Kaufmann, 2013). The result is that organizations can identify and determine the right category of customers and forecast the trend of their future purchases. CRM is also an all-embracing concept that smoothly incorporates field support operations, customer service, sales, and other processes that concern customers. CRM is a concept touching on how companies can retain their most profitable clients and simultaneously lower costs and increase values of engagement that then increases profitability (Baran and Galka, 2013).  

Scheduled Installments comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Scheduled Installments comparison - Essay Example Because of that, it is essential to look beyond the visible features and focus on the functionality of the two solutions to determine the best choice of a solution for improving the business. In the functional evaluation of micro to medium market Scheduled Installment solutions, the Accounting Library placed Scheduled Installment in low position in majority of the functional aspects but Microsoft Dynamics GP occupied almost the top position. The variation in functional ability gives a direct outcome on the productivity of the users.  A systematic analysis done in 2007 on the contribution of the Scheduled Installment solutions on the productivity of users revealed that users of Microsoft Dynamics GP had an average score 18% above users of Scheduled Installment solutions. Microsoft Dynamics has got three core strengths that enables maintain the top functional efficiency above Scheduled Installment. Dynamics GP operates together with Microsoft Office applications just in the same way as SQL products do. It also works in the same way as the Microsoft Office products.  It is therefore very easy for Microsoft Dynamic GP users to integrate them with Office applications such Access, excel, Power Point, Outlook and Word.  In addition, users who already are conversant with Microsoft Office applications need little or no training at all to use Microsoft Dynamics GP because they have similar interfaces.  On the other hand, Scheduled Installment is still in the process of working with Microsoft to construct their integration with Office applications. As Scheduled Installment gives an ordinary system user interface with real time accessibility to all of properties, Microsoft Dynamics GP gives each user a customized and personal interface, which is task oriented and with pre-defined, customized roles and information look. The role-oriented home pages provide each user with the necessary information

Ceremonial Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ceremonial Speech - Essay Example As Doug Harty averred, â€Å"Jobs got away with inexcusable outbursts because they were part of the whole (charismatic) person† (Hardy par. 3). From his personal perspective, it was revealed that from among the numerous accomplishments attributed to him, Walter Issaacson, his biographer has disclosed that â€Å"it was Apple the company. Making an enduring company, he said, was both far harder and more important than making a great product† (par. 4). Another remarkable trait that maybe only those who are close to him know is that Jobs lived a very modest life, despite the apparent wealth he generated through hard work and persevering talent. Romain Moisescot wrote that his house could have been built larger than the typical suburban houses in Palo Alto, but it did not stand out as lavish or easily identifiable to be his. As emphasized, â€Å"despite his net worth of over $8 billion, his garden had no walls and he did not even lock the front door† (Moisescot:The real deal par. 2). A true attestation of his humane nature and the fact that he remained to be a perfectionist in every facet of his life made him totally distinct and uniquely Steve

Why Do We Fight Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Why Do We Fight - Coursework Example The USA conflict with the Al- Assad regime began way in 2012. In 2013, the region experienced a quest for regime change affecting most of the regions in the Middle East and Levant regions (Blanchard et al, 2014). The internal matters become a global issue once the passive powers got involved. The first internal conflict took place early in 2011 when rebels called for regime change and engaged with the existing government. This escalated into a civil war that left millions displaced. The issue destabilized the region. The Kurdish region of Kobani would stage another internal conflict that would draw international attention (Dunne, 2013). An uprising calling for independent Islamic states rose and affected the region. The USA and her allies called for joint efforts to curb this movement. This would, later on, escalate into USA- Syrian conflict. Dunne (2013) attributes the internal conflict to failures by the government to control activities within its borders. The loss of confidants fr om a given percentage of the Syrian created room for the rebels to advance in their activities. USA interests in the region Three major points drove the military actions against the region. The first point is to aid the rebel in ending the Al- Assad rule. This is enhanced by the fact that the current regime is opposed to the USA involvement in the Middle East. There was needed for a collaborative government in the region that would ensure the USA’s policies are executed with less resistance.

Trends in Common Law Jurisdictions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Trends in Common Law Jurisdictions - Essay Example First, it must specify the requirements pertinent to the service subject matter of the contract. This often includes the date, time and length of the performance. (Each song must be in the length of 1-3 minutes). It is also important to clarify how many batches of songs is Finbar expected turn over before he gets paid. This can be expressed in terms of weeks or months. (Finbar should turn over three songs to TV8 in the first week of May. Finbar will get paid every two weeks for the ten weeks that the song will be used by TV8.) This will ensure that both TV8 and Finbar will know what is expected of Finbar to avoid disputes during the duration of the contract. The second thing a performance contract must contain is the manner of compensation for Finbar. This can be a guarantee ("TV8 will pay Finbar 60 Euros every week), incentive (TV8 will pay Finbar 5% of the total contract price if ratings of the children’s TV show rise by at least 2%). In this case, Finbar had no contract with TV8. There was no written agreement between him and Jenny McSwindle. McSwindle’s letter to Finbar could not be considered a contract. The letter was, at the very least, an offer to Finbar. Finbar did not expressly, and in writing, signify his assent or consent to the terms proposed by McSwindle in her letter. While it could be said that Finbar’s act of sending TV8 some material was an implied assent to the contract, the same act had actually no consequence. Jenny McSwindle had sent Finbar a letter withdrawing her â€Å"offer† on April 30 but Finbar apparently, unaware of this withdrawal, sent the material on May 01. From the foregoing, it could be said that there was â€Å"no meeting of the minds† between Finbar and Jenny McSwindle. McSwindle’s â€Å"offer† was not simultaneous with Finbar’s â€Å"acceptance.† Events which had transpired could be described only as a â€Å"negotiationsâ €  between the parties. Negotiations may or not end in a contract. In this case, it clearly did not end a contract.     Ã‚  

Please see the order instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Please see the order instruction - Essay Example Both China and Russia changed themselves from centrally planned economies to market-directed and China’s reforms started in the late 1970s whereas Russia saw such reforms only during the early 1990s. The pace and situation of the reforms were different in both the countries. Russia’s reforms were brought into effect comparatively at full tilt after the end of Communism. In China, market-oriented reforms took form gradually and were controlled by Communist government. Political constraints play a critical role in the development of economic reforms. For Chinese leaders, the reform strategies were a medium through which they could make changes and adjustments to their own political interests. However, if the interests are not protected, the parties would disagree with such reforms. According to political scientist Susan Shirk, political constraints lead to a compromise in decision making process among political parties. In order to solve the political constraint problem, China had started modest reform strategies in some areas and sectors where investment opportunities were huge and estimated profit from the pre-reform system was small. Soft budget constraint was introduced by Kornai. It is a main source of inefficiency. These inefficiencies, in order, tend to lead to inefficient resource allocation, over investment, shortages and macro economic imbalances. The SBC exists and creates problems in other financial systems. Kornai states that there are two kinds of explanations of SBC. They are exogenous and endogenous. â€Å"Explanations of the first type attribute the existence of the SBC to various exogenous reasons, including the paternalism of a socialist state and the governments aims for job creation or for gaining political support† (Lin & Tan 1999). The second type of explanation views the SBC as an endogenous phenomenon, which is

Why Do We Fight Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Why Do We Fight - Coursework Example The USA conflict with the Al- Assad regime began way in 2012. In 2013, the region experienced a quest for regime change affecting most of the regions in the Middle East and Levant regions (Blanchard et al, 2014). The internal matters become a global issue once the passive powers got involved. The first internal conflict took place early in 2011 when rebels called for regime change and engaged with the existing government. This escalated into a civil war that left millions displaced. The issue destabilized the region. The Kurdish region of Kobani would stage another internal conflict that would draw international attention (Dunne, 2013). An uprising calling for independent Islamic states rose and affected the region. The USA and her allies called for joint efforts to curb this movement. This would, later on, escalate into USA- Syrian conflict. Dunne (2013) attributes the internal conflict to failures by the government to control activities within its borders. The loss of confidants fr om a given percentage of the Syrian created room for the rebels to advance in their activities. USA interests in the region Three major points drove the military actions against the region. The first point is to aid the rebel in ending the Al- Assad rule. This is enhanced by the fact that the current regime is opposed to the USA involvement in the Middle East. There was needed for a collaborative government in the region that would ensure the USA’s policies are executed with less resistance.

Please see the order instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Please see the order instruction - Essay Example Both China and Russia changed themselves from centrally planned economies to market-directed and China’s reforms started in the late 1970s whereas Russia saw such reforms only during the early 1990s. The pace and situation of the reforms were different in both the countries. Russia’s reforms were brought into effect comparatively at full tilt after the end of Communism. In China, market-oriented reforms took form gradually and were controlled by Communist government. Political constraints play a critical role in the development of economic reforms. For Chinese leaders, the reform strategies were a medium through which they could make changes and adjustments to their own political interests. However, if the interests are not protected, the parties would disagree with such reforms. According to political scientist Susan Shirk, political constraints lead to a compromise in decision making process among political parties. In order to solve the political constraint problem, China had started modest reform strategies in some areas and sectors where investment opportunities were huge and estimated profit from the pre-reform system was small. Soft budget constraint was introduced by Kornai. It is a main source of inefficiency. These inefficiencies, in order, tend to lead to inefficient resource allocation, over investment, shortages and macro economic imbalances. The SBC exists and creates problems in other financial systems. Kornai states that there are two kinds of explanations of SBC. They are exogenous and endogenous. â€Å"Explanations of the first type attribute the existence of the SBC to various exogenous reasons, including the paternalism of a socialist state and the governments aims for job creation or for gaining political support† (Lin & Tan 1999). The second type of explanation views the SBC as an endogenous phenomenon, which is

Rising Income Does Not Necessarily Determine a Rise in Happiness Essay Example for Free

Rising Income Does Not Necessarily Determine a Rise in Happiness Essay Many people say that money can buy anything including happiness. If one possesses a huge sum of money then they will be able to acquire the necessities of life that brings great satisfaction and significantly increases the happiness in people. Happiness comes from within and is an intangible asset. Happiness is a common term with a vast concept. One of the most conventional definitions refers to happiness as an attitude towards ones own life, the degree to which a person judges the overall quality of his or her life as a whole in a favourable way (Bruni Stanca, 2007 ). Others believe that true happiness is not obtained through material possession but divine paths. They deem that the aim of human way of life is not restricted to money as it is regarded as only a kind of survival in this world and doesn’t have any relationship with happiness. Money versus happiness What is crucial in a human being’s existence? Money will, in all likelihood, be the answer in most people’s life. The current society endorses the objective of making as much money as one can without considering what the cost is. People lie, cheat, and steal to gain another dollar at the loss of others happiness, but do they acquire the happiness from others? Vice versa, there are people who take home more money in a day than others in a year but yet they are still contemplating suicides. According to Bruni and Stanca (2007), when a person income rises, they need to pursue a higher level of pleasure so as to achieve the same level of happiness. A very vital question often asked is Does money buy happiness? Money does buy happiness if it is a material need. According to Diener, Harter and Arora (2010), â€Å"the Gallup World Poll included measures of not having enough money for food and shelter and therefore allowed people to examine the path from income through basic needs to the various forms of subjective well-being† (p. 269. ). However, using money on a want more than a need, for example, a nicer car or fancier bag, is unlikely to buy happiness which is long lasting. Money is directly related to happiness only to a certain extent but after a certain amount, it does not necessarily determine a rise in happiness. These three various effects help to explain these paradoxes are different perspectives, comparison of incomes and the doubling effect of incomes. Different Perspectives of the Rich and Poor The impact of rising income depends on the different social status an individual holds. The two social statuses that will be discussed here are the rich and the poor. The poor is defined as having insufficient means to afford needs and many a time requires struggle to attain those means; while the rich is defined as having more than enough means to afford needs and luxury wants. These are the two extremes in a society. Those experiencing poverty view having an increase in income as being a luxury, allowing them to afford even more necessities to support themselves and their family which builds a perspective in them that having more money means having an increased level of happiness. However, the increase in income only brings happiness till it allows the individual to escape poverty and after which, the rise in income no longer contributes much to an individual’s happiness level (Martin, 2008; Myers and Diener, 1997). On the other hand, many rich individuals do not feel any happier with rising incomes. According to Martin (2008), the doubling of average incomes in the west for the past 50 years did not invoke any significant rise in the level of happiness. It is true that with higher incomes, an individual’s spending power will increase but that will also mean an increase in aspirations (Easterlin, 2001). With this consistent rise in income and aspirations, each factor is dependent on one another, the level of happiness will remain the same and in some cases when the aspirations are beyond what the income can fulfill, depression may follow. Many tend to spend their extra rise of income haphazardly which eventually creates a vicious cycle of getting and spending rather than using that sum to increase freedom and peace of mind (Martin, 2007). In addition, having more income means having a wider spectrum of options to choose from in life. However, with more options it will mean choices become more difficult (Binswanger, 2006). With more options, it means choosing any one will incur a larger opportunity cost when all options seem attractive but only one can be chosen, hence forgoing the remaining options. Therefore, the status of rich or poor determines the significance of increasing happiness. Comparison of Incomes Humans have a natural tendency to compare what they have with everyone around them, including the comparison of incomes (Binswanger, 2006) where people choose to earn more than others, hence resulting in happiness. This can be well explained by the saying â€Å"keeping up with the Joneses† where people tend to keep upgrading themselves and become better than others hence making them feel they are of a higher status. When this happens, people begin to desire for branded cars, larger houses, expensive clothes and luxury holiday trips. This raises the self-esteem together with their social status (Martin, 2007) where people begin to feel good about themselves and being seen as admirable in a society’s viewpoint. As stated in a research by Martin (2007), some people were asked if they prefer earning an income of $50,000 as opposed to others having $25,000, or an income of $100,000 while others get $200,000, they chose the former. This clearly shows that even if every individual has one’s income increased, the level of happiness will not increase because of the need to have high self-esteem with high social status. The rise of income of everyone in the society does not equate to the rise of relative income where relative income means having earned a certain amount of income as compared to others’. Having a higher status than others may bring happiness but for the status of an individual to rise, others will have to be in a lower status and to some extent this can only be achieved at the expense of others’ happiness. Furthermore, if an individual decides to pursue a higher relative income, one will have to do that on the expense of one’s personal leisure time, striving to advance in one’s career to earn more money. Assuming that this thirst for status remains unquenched, the individual will be giving up a lot of one’s leisure time just to reach that temporary moment of high status and eventually a ‘snowball’ effect is created where more time, which can be spent on being happy, is being eroded at the end of the day. The Doubling Effect of Incomes Due to the high tendency of people adapting to higher income with higher aspirations (Binswanger, 2006), the desire for more income will never stop. In addition, when an individual earns a certain level of income, one will easily get used to it and soon becomes dissatisfied again. To satisfy that individual again, it will mean having to increase one’s income with a significant percentage. A study was done to further explain how an individual can only be satisfied when one’s income is doubled instead of raising by a percentage smaller than 100%. People tend to be happier when their initial income of $10,000 is increased to $20,000 as opposed to those who earns an initial $80,000 and getting an increase to $90,000. For that to feel an equal impact, the initial income of $80,000 should rise to $160,000 instead (Diener, Ng, Harter and Arora, 2010). In terms of percentage, the increase is required to be at least 100% increase for the impact to be significant enough to make an individual happier. In other words, the doubling of an income will give rise to a higher satisfaction level as compared to a relatively smaller increase. Table 1 Percent Distribution of Population by Happiness at Various Levels of Income, United States, 1994 Table 1 depicts the various income groups and shows how the doubling of each income group rises the mean happiness rating. As shown, the mean happiness rating for those earning $10,000 is 2. 1 while those earning $20,000 has their rating rising by 0. 2 and as the earnings doubled each time, the rating increases steadily. Counter-argument: Money Bring More Opportunity to Happiness Money has a direct correlation to happiness to a certain extent. According to Tatzel (2003), happiness rises when we experience self-esteem, control and optimism, and it decreases when those factors fall. Rise of income increases these personalities, allowing one to attain a higher level of happiness. Self-esteem is the beliefs, thoughts and feelings people have about themselves. It motivates one’s attitude and behavior. People use their money to boost their ego while some use money on retail or food to mask pain or deal with emotional issues. These help them to feel better and contribute to their happiness. Research conduct by Becker (1965), stated quite a few examples of how money indirectly bring happiness through time-saving inventions. For example, shopping in supermarkets help to save shopping time, vehicles help to cut down time spend on traveling to our destination and communication deceive such as telephones help us to get our message across faster. The key focus here is monetary affluence resulted in more opportunity leading to happiness Being financially stable, one has control the nature of their daily activities. This brought about spiritual joy as one can go to the movies every weekend, or lavish on gifts for the people he/she love. For the rich, money helps them have pure happiness because they can help bring relief to the suffering millions and the victims of the disasters. Money can also give us experiences and opportunities that we would otherwise never be able to have Money not only provides a shelter over one’s head but also provides assurance, leading to optimism. For example, when faced with illness, stress and fear of death will be relieved due to the security that money promises. A man in fear of death ceases to be afraid when he has the needed money, even before he actually cures the illness. Thus, money took away the fear and helps one to be optimistic. There are so many more things that money could be used in exchange for our desires thus, it resulted in a raise in happiness index. Money is one of things that contribute in the process of being happy. Rebuttal: Money cannot buy happiness Money enables the opportunity for happiness, but people more often than not squander away on things that will make them happy but never does so. It only buys illusions of happiness. As such, people have a tendency to shift towards money and material pleasure. According to Binswanger (2006), all time-saving innovations mentioned by Becker (1965) did not result in time-savings. For instance, e-mails are more convenient than sending letters thus prompting individuals to send more messages through mail as compared to letter than they ever would. Instead of having to read only one letter, there will be an increase in the exchange of information resulting in failure of time-saving improvements. Very often, people mentioned that money can increase one’s sense of well-being as it does not restrain one from spending more time in leisurely pursuits. For example, watching a musical show or going for a vacation. However in reality, time was wasted on work and traveling, less time was engaged in experienced happiness. Psychologists of Harvard University concluded that wealth increases human happiness when it brings people out of poverty but it does little to increase happiness thereafter. There are people who are wealthy but lonely, while others are poor but happy because they have their close friends, good health and family. Happiness is not just set by one single factor but many others; it does not always increase in direct proportion to the amount of money. Conclusion In conclusion, money is necessary but not the obligatory prerequisite for happiness. Individuals may be more satisfied with their life if they have more money, but this does not necessarily mean they will be happier. Money does provide basic needs which leads to happiness as it satisfies one’s desire, however this feeling does not prolong when there are more money. In addition, there must be a balance between earning morning and leading a healthy lifestyle. Being absorbed in earning money can easily cause one to forget their actual meaningful tasks such as caring for their families, having time with their friends†¦etc. They trap themselves in the materialized ambition and lose what are important to their life. Happiness and contentment are simply poles apart. Being in the upper social status distribution will not ensure a placing in the upper rank of the happiness distribution. However being contented and getting involved in meaningful accomplishments such as help to pave a way to the top of happiness index.

Fragile X Syndrome Case Study Health And Social Care Essay

Fragile X Syndrome Case Study Health And Social Care Essay From seven years old, Michaels speech was still rather incoherent, he spoke very quickly and under his breath and didnt make much eye contact. Only up until the last couple of years his speech has improved and is much clearer, although he still tends to perseverate and get stuck on a subject and repeat the same thing over and over. Michael has a sister 2 years older and in 1992 they were both referred to the genetics clinic in the Royal Childrens Hospital by our pediatrician as they both presented with significant developmental delays and the doctor suspected some genetic condition may be at the root of the problem. Tests were performed, even an X-ray on Michaels head as they noted he had rather dysmorphic features, but nothing proved positive and there was no known reason for their problems. ______________________________________________________________________________The patient presented in the above case study is a classic case of Fragile X-Syndrome, the most frequent cause of inherited mental retardation. Patients presenting with this syndrome are affected in various facets of functioning, including intellect, emotion, behavior, and physical characteristics. The cause of the syndrome involves the expansion of a single trinucleotide gene sequence on the X chromosome. Other disorders that are placed in this category include Huntingtons Disease, Kennedy Disease, Dentatorubralpallidoluysian atrophy, and Friedrichs ataxia. This consequently results in the failure to express a protein that is required for normal neural development, and coded by the FMR1 gene. Because it is an X-linked disorder, cases are seen in all carrier males and in 35% of carrier females. Because of the subtle nature of signs of the syndrome and difficulty in diagnosis, all children with mental retard ation should be tested for Fragile X syndrome and family members are advised to undergo genetic counseling in order to decrease the recurrence of Fragile X in the family. Etiology The abnormality of the chromosome presented in Fragile X syndrome is found on the Xq27.3 site and commonly used as a diagnostic marker for the syndrome [1]. In most cases, the expansion of the single trinucleotide gene sequence includes 50 to 200 CGG repeats at the site and these repeats are passed down from generation to generation [1]. In comparison, the number Mathew 2 of repeats in a normal individual is between 6 and 50. Due to the increasing expansion of the trinucleotide gene sequence, there is methylation of the DNA which in turn silences the FMR1 protein [3]. FMRP plays important roles in learning and memory, and also appears to be involved in development of axons, formation of synapses, and the wiring and development of neural circuits. Diagnosis Because there is no clinical diagnostic criteria, scoring systems have been developed to select individuals for Fragile X Syndrome [4]. It can also be diagnosed using molecular genetics testing of the FMR1 gene. One method of diagnosis is based on chromosomal study to present the chromosome under special folic acid deficient culture conditions [3]. There are two different types of molecular DNA tests. The screening tests are polymerase chain reaction based. Additionally, they need to be confirmed using Southern blot hybridization [5]. It is important to diagnose affected patients as early as possible to provide early intervention and supportive care (i.e., specific developmental therapy and an individualized education plan) and to inform parents for further family planning [4]. One half of families in a 2002 survey reported having an additional child with fragile X syndrome before the older affected child was diagnosed [4]. Family history collection should include questions about other family members, with particular attention to developmental delay, mental retardation, and psychiatric disorders [4]. In addition, a family history of women with premature ovarian failure and men with FXTAS should be ascertained. A positive family history in a proband with developmental delay should prompt consideration of genetic testing of the FMR1 gene [4]. The American College of Medical Genetics recommends testing, regardless of family history, for all males and females with mental retardation of unknown etiology [4]. Therapy/Treatment Treatment is supportive, requiring a multidisciplinary team and including anxiety-reducing measures, behavior modification, and medications to manage associated psychiatric disorders. Individual education plans are necessary for school-age children [2]. Although several Mathew 3 medications have been proposed to treat fragile X syndrome, none of them are supported by ]good evidence [2]. While there is no current cure for the syndrome, there is hope that further understanding of its underlying causes would lead to new therapies. Currently, the syndrome can be treated through behavioral therapy, special education, and when necessary, treatment of physical abnormalities [2]. Persons with the fragile X syndrome in their family histories are advised to seek genetic counseling, to assess the likelihood of having children who are affected, and how severe any impairments may be in affected descendants [2]. The Fragile X syndrome been the subject of numerous studies, and recent investigations have addressed the question of whether this disorder is amenable to either prenatal diagnosis or to treatment with folic acid [3]. In a previous study, the effect of oral folic acid therapy (10 mg/day) in a blind study of 14-year-old monozygous twins with the fragile X syndrome was examined [3]. They reported on eight patients with psychotic-like symptoms. Seven were improved by therapy with I M 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (folinic acid) at doses of 0.5 mg/kg body weight for a period of a few weeks [3]. Three patients had an almost total recovery from psychotic-like symptoms [3]. One 14-year-old boy who was severely hypotonic and disinterested in his environment became responsive and able to sit and crawl after 2 months of therapy with folic acid in doses of 1 mg/kg day [3]. Harpey also reported some success with therapy with intramuscular folinic acid and hydroxocobalamin by mouth [3]. In a recent re port, a male fetus was diagnosed as having fragile X and the mother was started on a regime of folic acid 2 mg/day [3]. After delivery, the baby was treated with 1 mg/day of folic acid. On evaluation at 6 weeks of age, the baby was described as having a dolicocephalic head, long ears, a flattened malar area, enlarged testes, and a high frequency of fragile X chromosomes (20/60 cells). Two studies attempted controlled trials of folate in the fragile X syndrome, and one of these has been reported in some detail [3]. Brown conducted a double-blind crossover study in which two brothers with the fragile X syndrome were treated with either intravenous folic acid (1.6 mg/kg daily as a single dose) or saline placebo for 8 days [3]. Following the controlled trial, the brothers were maintained on 10 mg/day of oral folic acid for 3 weeks. Over 6 weeks, the dose was increased to 500 mg/day for the younger brother and 1,000 mg/day for the older brother, and then both Mathew 4 brothers were maintained on 1,000 mg/day from 1 month to 5 months after the onset of the study [3]. Because this disorder is a very common cause of familial mental retardation, and because of the in vitro effect of folate in decreasing expression of the fragile site, one may be tempted to attempt folate therapy in these patients. However, two studies to date have failed to demonstrate any abnormality of folate metabolism in cultured cells from patients with the fragile X syndrome [5]. Therefore, we urge continued caution in the expectation of beneficial results and advise against routine use of folate therapy in patients with established mental retardation and the fragile X syndrome [5]. Because there is no cure for Fragile X syndrome, the hope is that future investigations into the underlying causes that will further lead to new therapies.

American Geopolitical Interest Essay -- Politics International United

A Game of Strategy Mark Twain once defined the term, sphere of influence to be, â€Å"A courteous modern phrase which means robbing your neighbor—for your neighbor's benefit.† Like Twain, many claim that economic interests have caused America to rob its Southern neighbors and act in a self-seeking manner. Others claim that the ideological conviction that America altruistically acts according to its neighbor’s benefit has strongly influenced America’s international behavior. However, America, possessing a huge GDP at its disposal, a strong government, and a patriotic society realized that these assets alone could not guarantee the nation’s survival. It must be able to ensure national security as well as protect its interests abroad. Although it is true that ideology, economic welfare, as well as domestic politics all have played a significant role in U.S. foreign policy, the fundamental factor that has governed American foreign policy has been geopolitical objectives. The Monroe Doctrine, contrived by President Monroe in 1823, is a lucid example of America’s pursuit of geopolitical interests in the Pan-American region. The Doctrine was an audacious declaration to the powerful European nations to abstain from the region. It followed the spirit of â€Å"Manifest Destiny†, the rousing conviction that Americans had the right to seize the territory surrounding them. According to Coerver and Hall, the essential principle that this Doctrine was based upon was the â€Å"conviction that the United States was destined to expand†(13). The authors proceed to remark of the State Department’s concern that Spain’s loss of its empire may yield to other European powers taking over various areas of Latin America, especially the prospect of Br... ...icy in the region. Through the analysis of the Monroe Doctrine, the Roosevelt Corollary, the importance of the Panama Canal, and a host of other examples, one can perceive the great importance America imposes on its national security interests. Even to this day, geopolitical concerns dominate American foreign policy. This time, however, Latin America goes unobserved as the United States proceeds to pursue its new strategic interests in the Middle East. Works Cited 1. Coerver, David and Linda Hall. T a ngled Destinies . Albuquerque: U of New Mexico P, 1999. 2. LaRosa, Michael and Frank O. Mora eds. N e ighborly Adversaries: Readings in U.S. - Latin American Relations . Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 1999. 3. Brockett, Charles. â€Å"An Illusion of Omnipotence: U.S. Policy Toward Guatemala 1954- 1960.† Latin American Politics and Society, 2002.

Digestion and Metabolism of the Koala :: Microbiology Marsupials Essays

Digestion and Metabolism of the Koala Koalas’ diets consist solely of Eucalyptus, which has many defensive mechanisms to deter herbivores. The foliage contains chemicals that are toxic and interfere with digestion, such as condensed and hydrolysable tannins, phenolic compounds, cyanogenic glycosides, and essential oils. The leaves also contain low concentrations of nutrients, making it even more difficult for the extraction of nutrients. In order to obtain the maximum amount of nutrients, koalas select leaves that have high nitrogen content, minimum levels of water and essential oils, and low in condensed tannins. The amount of nutrients absorbed in the gut is dependent on mastication due to the small size of the stomach. The cecum of the koala is 1.3 meters in length and has 8 to 14 folds, allowing epithelial relationships with 45 different species of bacteria. Tannin-protein-complex-degrading enterobacteria, one of the most important species, degrades tannin-protein complexes to remove nitrogen for absorption in the cecum. Juvenile koalas must obtain microflora by ingesting a special form of feces, called pap, from the mother. Introduction Koalas, Phascolarctos cinereus, are classified in the Order Diprodontia of Marsupiala. The major distinguishing characteristics of Diprodontia are syndactyl hind feet, forcipate forepaws, and one functional pair of incisors in the lower jaw (Martin and Handasyde, 1999). Koalas live in the eastern portion of Australia, from coastal and inland Queensland, through New South Wales, and on to Victoria. Among koalas, the size of the animal increases southward. Male koalas in Victoria weigh from 9.5 to 14.9 kilograms, while in Queensland, they weigh 4.2 to 9.1 kilograms. This trend also occurs in the female populations. In Victoria, females can weigh 7 to 11 kilograms and in Queensland can weigh 4.1 to 7.3 kilograms (Martin and Handasyde, 1999). Three subspecies of koala have actually been classified due to the difference in size and fur color. P. cinereus victor is found in southern Australia and is characterized by thick cinnamon-colored fur and is the largest of the koalas. P. cinereus cinereus is found throughout the koala range and has mixed gray fur.

Sample Speech

â€Å"Celebrity Culture has gone too far† Write a speech in which you attempt to persuade an audience that today’s obsession with the lives of the rich and famous has gone too far. Why are we so fascinated by the people who make no impact what-so-ever on our lives? Why do we go mad when some rich and famous person makes headlines in the newspapers and magazines for getting drunk at parties or for breaking up with their new boyfriend or girlfriend? Why do we consider these events as a big deal and try to follow up on all the news about it?Aren’t these so-called celebrities normal ordinary people just like each one of us? However, it is right to say that all of us idolize them, follow their every move, and treat them as modern gods. I can honestly say that there is no one sitting in front of me, who never had an obsession with a celebrity before in their life. Good Afternoon ladies and gentleman, teachers and my fellow students; my name is Sinjumol Sunny and today, I will be talking about how our obsession with celebrity culture has gone too far.Do you think our obsessions are far beyond what they should be? Well, I certainly believe it has crossed its limits a long time ago. We live in a world full of new technologies, which gives us an unlimited access to the tabloids more than ever before. We have televisions, magazines, Internet blogs andsocial networking sites that are filled with enormous amounts of images and news of the world-wide known celebrities. We are at a time where we have more contact with celebrity gossip than we have had ever before.However, we are now faced with a question: what are the effects that these superstars have on us? I strongly believe that celebrities influence fans to be devastatingly thin, to get drunk and be high on drugs and they create a stereotypical image of perfection. Celebrities have become a terrible role model for many young people like us. Figures show that 77% of the peoplein this world believe tha t celebrities have too much of an influence on young girls. This effect isclear in the appearance and attitudes of young girls around us.They try to imitate the celebrity fashion and follow the latest trends. We have all seen girls as young as ten or twelve years old go around wearing tight clothing and mini skits. They spend hours working out to achieve a size zero figure. There is also a vast amount of girls who starve themselves every day or go on very unhealthy diets just to look like the stereotypical images created by the media and the celebrities.According to the National Institute on the media and the family,40% of nine and ten  year-olds had tried losing weight. This is totally outrageous and these young girls are getting influenced from celebrities like Madonna and Cheryl Cole who have gone too far with their size zero or even double zero figures. It annoys me to see celebrities who are constantly trying to out-skinny each other while this makes the average woman left fe eling very conscious about their own figures. I strongly believe that this size zero trend needs to stop and people should be much more responsible about their health especially young girls.With celebrities creating impossible standards of beauty of goddesses, more and more young adults are feeling less confident, angrier, and more dissatisfied with their looks. Without doubt our obsession with the rich and famous celebrities has gone too far. It has gone past the stage that we are even risking our health and lives to follow them. I was shocked to hear that people are willing to hurt themselves because they are willing to do anything for their obsession. We all have seen the hash tags #cutforbieber trending on Twitter.Although it started as a joke, it was surprisingto see so many young girls actually harming themselves. I believe that self-harming is not a fashion or statement. It's a sign that young people are experiencing extreme distress and need help. Another example of how our obsession with celebrity culture has gone too far is when I see people having their bodies filled with tattoos of their favourite celebrities. Although having one or two is acceptable, seeing One Direction fans with around 70 tattoos on them is without doubt crossing the line.Celebrities often get bizarre tattoos to be in the spotlight. We all know the large scaled tattoo that Cheryl Cole has on her back and Harry Style with countless numbers of tattoos on his body. Many fans are getting the identical tattoos. I believe this is really senselessand people need to be original and if you are putting any tattoo on your body, make it something special to you and something meaningful, rather than a copy of your favourite celebrity tattoo because you have an obsession on them. I believe that celebrity culture has pretty much taken over lives.It is alarming to know that celebrity news often takes the headlines in newspapers and channels above world events. Recently, the news of the birth of Prince George has received huge coverage in the papers so much thatthose important issues that were happening at the time such as the Syria crisis were overshadowed with the news of the new-born Prince. Also the death of Princesses Diana had been due to our obsession of celebrity culture going out of control. Shedied due to a high speed getaway from the reporters and paparazzi that came after her.Although the French courts ruled that photographers were not responsible for her death, it is a known fact that they were an inevitable source to her death and we had a major loss of a very beautiful and humble princess and great role model. It is clearly understood that our obsession with the rich and famous had a cost on us, and on them. Let me ask you a question. Who is your role model? I’m sure almost 90% of you have thought of a celebrity’s name. But are they really and truly the person you want to turn out to be. It is a known fact that many celebrities take drugs.We se e them getting high in leaked pictured of private parties and even some showing up drunk at concerts and public functions. It is shameful to think that we are also following what they do and putting our lives at risk. Drinking alcohol and taking drugs seems to be acceptable to many people because their celebrity role models are taking them. However we also do need to think about people such as Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse who have passed away due to the high intake of drugs. We also see celebrities going into rehabilitation centre because they are so dependent on it.Do we want to turn out like them? On a final note, let us rise up now and stop letting celebrity culture teach us what to do. Let’s be original, and be the person that we truly are inside. Today’s obsession with the lives of the rich and famous has gone too far. Let us stop it there before it gets too late and out of hand. Let’s do it together. We’ve heard what we have to do. We’ve seen what we need to do. Now is the time to do it, and, together, we can stop our obsession with celebrity culture. Thank you,