Discuss Why Hydrogen Bonding Is Essential for Life Essay

Throughout biochemistry there are many bonds without which life as it is on earth today would not be possible. One of the most important bonds of these is the hydrogen bond, a weak chemical bond that is present in essential biological molecules such as water and polypeptides. A hydrogen bond is defined by Campbell and Reece as occurring when a hydrogen atom is covalently bonded to an electronegative atom but attracted to another electronegative atom. In water molecules, there are several key reasons why hydrogen bonds can be formed and explaining them in water a good way to show the chemistry. Firstly, the presence of covalent bond between the hydrogen and the oxygen means that the electrons in the outer shells of both atoms are shared- 1 electron from hydrogen and 1 electron from oxygen. Since the 2 electrons are shared, they are free to move within the covalent bond to the atom that is the most electronegative. In the case of water, this is oxygen. As a result of the electrons moving to the oxygen side of the bond, the hydrogen becomes less electron-dense and becomes a slight positive charge known as a delta-positive charge. It is this positive charge that has the ability to attract other negatively charged objects, since opposite electrostatic charged atoms attract each other. On the oxygen atom of each water molecule there is a lone pair of electrons that are negatively charged, which makes oxygen delta-negative. This means that between water molecules, the delta-positive hydrogen of one molecule is able to attract a lone pair of electrons from the delta-negative oxygen atom of another water molecule (Fig. 1). Fig. 1 Hydrogen bonding in water A hydrogen bond, however, is comparatively weak to covalent or ionic bond, as much as 22 times time weaker [Libes 2009], so in order to explain why hydrogen bonds are so necessary in life it is perhaps not significant that hydrogen bonds are weak on their own, since the majority of their use within strong structures is facilitated by their strength as a large number of hydrogen bonds. For example, the fundamental strength of tendons and skin lies within the many hydrogen bonds in the collagen protein. For formation of collagen, the strength of hydrogen bonds is required to firstly join two amino acid chains (polypeptides) together into a helix. Three helices are then bound into a triple helix by yet more hydrogen bonds. The result is a fibrous quaternary protein structure with a high tensile strength that the mammalian skeletal muscles could not function without. Tendons attach skeletal muscles to their respective bones and we would simply not be able to move without them. Other uses of hydrogen bonds in proteins include contributing to the specific conformational shape of globular proteins, called protein folding. A precise 3D shape is required in most enzymes so that the shape of binding site (active site) is complementary to the chemical reacting with the enzyme (substrate). Hydrogen bonds are essential, along with ionic bonds, covalent bonds, disulphide bonds and hydrophobic interactions, for making secondary structures (i.e. alpha-helices and beta-pleated sheets) coil into a tertiary structure. A tertiary structure, or a quaternary structure after further protein folding, can then be utilized as a specific enzyme within organisms to carry out specific metabolic reactions. It is the hydrogen bonding found in water, in fact, that makes the metabolic reactions in the human body so efficient. The slight increase of strength between water molecules caused by hydrogen bonds means that in comparison to other fluids without hydrogen bonds, water requires a lot of energy to raise the temperature of it. This is called high heat specific capacity and may be defined as the amount of energy required to change the temperature of 1g of a substance by 1C, an attribute that is especially useful when the body is actively maintaining the body temperature at 37C. Since it takes so much energy to change the temperature of water, the molecule estimated to take up 70% of an adult’s body, the core temperature of the body is resistant to fluctuations. For metabolic reactions this is very useful because it means that the enzymes can work at their optimum temperature, often the same as 37C core temperature, and thus the metabolic reactions within the body are very efficient. For every 10C below optimum temperature, the rate of successive substrate-enzyme collisions decreases by 2 to 3 times [Campbell and Reece, p862]. High specific heat capacity also benefits marine environments by resisting temperature fluctuations, which is perhaps why marine food chains are often many times longer than those of terrestrial organisms. The high heat capacity of water is one of several hydrogen-bonding attributes that benefit the marine environments, unsurprisingly, with the high surface tension and the small relative density of ice also playing a large role in how aquatic organisms survive. The high surface tension of water is perhaps best explained by relating it to close proximity of adjacent water molecules in aqueous solution. This closeness is of course caused by the numerous hydrogen bonds (Fig. 2) existing between the water molecules and is named cohesion, a word that can be defined as being united as a whole. Fig. 2 numerous hydrogen bonds As a result of the molecules being united as a whole, the top of a body of water has a membrane that is able to withstand a small downwards force before becoming pierced. The classic example of the organism that takes advantage of this phenomenon is the pond skater insect, which is able to utilize the high surface tension of lakes and ponds by walking on the surface of the water to look for prey. The other hydrogen-bonding attribute that benefits marine life especially but not exclusively is the small relative density of ice. While most liquids become denser when they change to a solid state, aqueous water gets less dense. This means that a volume of ice has a lighter mass than the same volume of its liquid counterpart and thus ice can float on top of water. The reason that ice is less dense than aqueous water lies within the microstructure of the molecules. Normally, a solid is denser than a liquid because the particles within a solid are more tightly packed together and thus more particles can fit into a given space. However, within ice, the hydrogen bonds between water molecules create a lattice structure Fig. 3 that increases the distance between the molecules. This means that less water molecules per volume exist in a solid form than as a liquid form, as much as 10% less than water at 4C [Campbell and Reece, 2008]. Fig. 3 Lattice structure Several advantages of the small relative density of ice can be observed within marine environments, such as the heat insulation that a surface sheet of ice provides and the fact that bodies of water never freeze from the bottom upwards, two essential phenomena without which many aquatic organisms would not be able to survive. It is also easy to forget that sea ice is also a habitat for sub-terrestrial organisms such as penguins and polar bears, a habitat that would not exist if ice did not float. Moving away from how hydrogen bonds benefit marine life and towards how they benefit terrestrial life, and having previously stated that water is very good at keeping the body warm at 37C, water is controversially a very good coolant. It is for the same reason that water is able to restrict temperature fluctuations that it is able to cool off the human body and other mammals. Resisting temperature change involves water’s high specific heat capacity and is the large relative energy required to change the temperature of 1g of water by 1C. This can be related to the high latent heat of vaporization, the phenomenon that makes cooling so effective, since latent heat is the heat energy lost from the body to evaporate 1g of sweat. In water the latent heat is particularly high because of the hydrogen bonds between the water molecules must be broken before liquid can change state into a gas, so more energy is required to evaporate the water and thus more heat is removed. Hydrogen bonds also play a large role in the evaporation of water from plants, called transpiration. Transpiration is the loss of water from the leaves of plants by evaporation and causes water to move into the roots up vascular tubes (xylem) within in the plant stem. This means a plant can transport water around its tissues for use in respiration and other metabolic reactions. Hydrogen bonds play a large role in transpiration in the same way that they do in the cohesion of water molecules to cause high surface tension. When water molecules are moved up the xylem vessels, they move as a whole due to the hydrogen bonding cohesive forces between the molecules. The molecules also stick to the walls of the vessels by hydrogen bonds, aiding the transport of the water furthermore. The movement of water aided by cohesion and adhesion is known as mass flow, and is the same occurrence as with sucking water through a straw. Since plants form the basis of most ecosystems as producers, hydrogen bonding plays a key part of life. Concluding, it is clear to see that without hydrogen bonds, life, as we know it today would not exist. Water makes up most of the earths surface and is perhaps the molecule that is the most essential for life- providing stable habitats for marine and terrestrial organisms as well as the transport of water in plants. The fact that most of the properties water are caused by hydrogen bonding shows how essential hydrogen bonds are for life on earth. Libes (2009). Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry. Elsevier Science and Technology. Pp28 Campbell and Reece (2008). Biology. 8th ed. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.

Illiteracy Rate in America

Although the United States is the most powerful country in the world, with its high economy rate and â€Å"dot comers† at its highest peak ever, it is unfortunately, sad to say that the elevating illiteracy rate is also at its highest peak also. Even though the U. S. has the lowest rate among the other world countries, illiteracy still is a problem today that many U. S. citizens struggle with. A generalization of illiteracy is not being able to functionally read or write and â€Å"is essentially associated with poverty†(National Institute of Literacy p94) Whereas the definition of illiteracy stated by Webster (p413) is being unable to read and write; uneducated; having or showing a lack of knowledge of fundamentals on a particular subject. No one is capable of looking at another person and realizing that they are functionally illiterate, because illiterate people make it difficult to detect because they are so good at covering it. The literate public does not realize the size of the literacy problem today. They think everyone is literate, but more than 40 million Americans 16 years of age and older have only basic reading and writing skills, according to the U. S. department of education. WWW. galegroup. com Customarily, citizens apt to looking down upon those who are not functionally literate and who were deprived of the education that those who aren†t illiterate were taught These people are illiterate because they never had the opportunity to learn, or when they had the opportunity, they lacked the motivation to learn. There are many problems that an illiterate person will face when trying to live a normal day-to-day life, because they had a lack of motivation, which makes it very hard for an illiterate person to get around or even survive. Because of this, many help tactics have been underway so that they may have assistance in getting important things done. Despite the dispossession of not being able to functionally read and write, there are various problems that an individual, and that individuals† family are faced with. Such types of problems are not being able to make out a grocery, fill out important documents, such as health care information to better facilitate them and their family, and not being able to apply for a well-positioned job because they are unable to comprehend what the application is asking. These problems are like a domino effect amongst illiterate persons. Once one problem is dealt with another one appears to happen very shortly afterward. Take for example an illiterate mother who has two young children who have not been educated how to read nor write yet. This mother has a low-income job, because of lack of reading proficiency skills, which makes her have a very tight budget for her single family home. On a regular trip to the grocery store this mother would first have to ration her money out so that she would still have money for miscellaneous things. She would only be able to rely on pictures and normally bought things. While at the checkout line this mother would not be able to count her money alone, because she is â€Å"functionally illiterate†, so she would definitely be in need of assistance. Major companies and businesses have realized the illiteracy rate increase and have taken action to try and remedy the problem. There are many ways in which these places have tried to assist in helping these illiterate persons. When illiterate persons enter a social work office, in need of some sort of care â€Å"they mainly recognize there names and that†s about it† says Peggy McEldon, of Dinnwiddie Department of Social Services. She also goes on to say that â€Å"often times people come in with their forms already filled out and completed all they have to do is put the information in the system. sometimes for some support they will bring a relative or an authorized person to speak or sign papers for them, if someone can†t read or write they can sign with an â€Å"X†. (Peggy McEldon) Most importantly whatever help that is needed they are entitled to do whatever is possible to reach their need. In another situation at the local Department of Motor Vehicles, such assistance to an illiterate person trying for a drivers† license is instead of a computer test given, an oral test would be given, to ask questions as to where they stand. most people who come in with needs of assistance is young people†(Linda Hall, Front Hall Desk). In the most multicultural nation in the world, it is not uncommon to come across illiterate persons in your day-to-day life. In the 3rd world countries the crisis of illiteracy has usually been demoted. More and more however, literacy is threatening the continual development of highly industrialized nations. Though there are many sources that illiterate persons can go to to get help and assistance, illiterate persons will still not be able to survive very long with knowing little knowledge. Although it seems as though their will never be a halt in the growth of illiteracy, we find that most people will hold educators accountable for the lack of literate people that walk the face of this earth, even though it†s the illiterate people who lack in the skills needed to perform his or her purpose. Consequently as the standards increase, population grows, and the educational system falters, illiteracy will continue to be one of America†s worst problems; and the number of illiterate people will continue to rise.

FEMINIST THOUGHT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FEMINIST THOUGHT - Essay Example he was in favor of equality between men and women, was against discrimination, and her harsh life experiences transformed her to a feminist with a different viewpoint on equality. As pointed out, Sojourner Truth fought for the wellbeing of women and to hinder the progress of social evil barriers like discrimination and marginalization in the society. She spoke about anti-slavery and womens rights, often giving personal testimony about her experiences as a slave. She strongly argued against the inequality among man and women in the name of gender status, and male supremacy. Joy Hakim points out that â€Å"She works for womens rights, black peoples rights, prison to reform, and temperance† (N.pag.). While there, she tried to challenge discrimination based on racial identity. As a womens rights activist, Truth faced additional burdens that white women did not have, plus the challenge of combating a suffrage movement which did not want to be linked to anti-slavery causes, believing it might hurt their cause. Yet, Truth prevailed, traveling thousands of miles making powerful speeches against inequality among men and women, slavery, and for womens suffrage. Besides, and she preached a combination of feminist Christianity, abolition, inequality and women’s rights. In general, Truths view of the social relation of the sexes differed totally from the prevailing philosophy that women should be a silent, or should be placed on pedestals. If institutions in the public sphere, such as the courts, were not fit places for women, she thought they were unfit for men as well. She declared she could work as much as a man. In her 1867 speech, she claimed to be over eighty years old, and said that she would live more years to see women get their rights man is so selfish that he has got women’s rights and his own, too, and yet he would not allow women to enjoy their rights. Personally, I consider that life experiences transformed Sojourner Truth to an activist. Truth was a lover

Pirates of Globalization Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pirates of Globalization - Term Paper Example The researcher states that in an era of globalization and fast dissemination of information, fraudulent manufacturers employ sophisticated means of acquiring patented information and exploit it for commercial gain. As Catherine Holahan notes in her article for Business Week, pirated goods now account for nearly 7 percent of all commercial activity across the world. Developing economies such as India, China, Brazil and Russia are proving to be hotbeds for this trend as Intellectual Property laws are either vague or poorly developed here. Moreover, in the era of the Internet, online commercial transactions across borders are especially difficult to bring under the purview of cyber law, as there is no consensus between different participant nations. It is due to this reason that Digital Rights Management (DRM) has been conceived and implemented. The researcher of this essay looks into some of the mechanisms for protecting Inellectual Property rights, especially that of DRM. The research er then analyzes the modern era of globalization, where intellectual property rights face their greatest threat through the open and free transmission of information in the cyber world. The case for enterprise DRM is synonymous with the case for a well-articulated, role-based technology and data protection policy. It is then concluded that DRM simply moves the point of data security from that of the network hardware or the computer software down to the individual document, or even right down to document-based operations.

Urban Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Urban Sociology - Essay Example In the process, the nature and possible causes of the urban sociological problems that occur in Africa will be discussed followed by examining the severity of constantly increasing population problem and its impact with the local, regional, national and global economy. Prior to the conclusion, recommended ways on how to combat the population growth problem will be tackled. Studying the Africa’s demographics is considered as one of the most controversial case during the twentieth century because of the rapid growth of the African population as well as its urbanization development. (Zuberi et al., 2003) Divided in five major regions known as the North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa (Think Quest, 2008c), the country is very unique in the sense that it is composed of more than 50 other countries with thousands of different ethnic groups such as the Arabs, Ashanti, Bantu, Berbers, Bushmen, Dinka, Fulani, Ganda, Hamites, Hausa, Hottentot, Kikuyu, Luba, Lunda, Malinke, Moors, Nuer, Pygmies, Semites, Swahili, Tuareg, Xhosa, and Yoruba aside from those that are less known by the local people. (Think Quest, 2008b) (See Table I – Complete List of African Countries, Population, and Internet Users on page ) Africa has a huge population with approximately 955.206,342 as of 2008. (Internet Worlds Stats, 2008) Despite the excessive high number of inhibitants, Africa is also considered as one of the fastest urban developing country. As of 2008, approximately one-third of the total African population lives and work in the cities. (Think Quest, 2008b) As a result of fast paced urbanization and a better economic base in the country, the number of birth and death rates has declined over the years. Aside from having the opportunity for a higher educational, the benefits of driving a car, and an access to worldwide

Philosophy - Aristotle vs Plato Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy - Aristotle vs Plato - Essay Example But essentially at a point their philosophies are almost the same because both them doubt the physical reality while their solutions for the believability of reality are different. Indeed Aristotle’s belief in reality emerges from the experimental proof. But Plato’s belief in reality is mostly contextual. For example, if it is believed by the most of the people, it is the reality for the time being. Even if one meets a more real thing, it will not be established by until others also feel in the same way as the person who has viewed the more real/realer. Therefore, Plato’s reality seems to be the norms followed by the most. Plato asserts that reality is essentially subjective and normative while Aristotle’s reality is objective and in order to earn the credibility, it needs to go through a set of experimental process. Indeed both Plato’s and Aristotle’s philosophies are complimentary to each other in the sense that the escaped prisoner discovers the reality through Aristotle’s experimental process that symbolically represents the prisoner’s attempt to escape from the cave, though in Plato’s allegory, the escapade of the prisoner happens accidentally, and the escaped prisoner must teach other prisoners in order to drive out the reality of the cave from their head, while establishing his own reality. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the prisoners’ cognitive perception of the shadow reality can be considered as their knowledge of the Cave. That is, Plato knowledge is related to physicality, and reality is absolutely the Ideas that precedes reality. P lato’s theory of Ideas and knowledge suggests that â€Å"states of being are contingent upon the mingling of various Forms of existence, that knowledge is objective and thus clearly more real, and that only the processes of nature were valid entities† (Thomas 23). In this regard, Richard L. W. Clark says that in Plato’s hierarchical model of cognition, â€Å"empirical

Short answer test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short answer test - Essay Example You have carefully chosen channel members to help get your product into the hands of customers. What kind of "value† would you want them to add to your marketing efforts and your customers? I would want them to create customer loyalty and retention. Each customer that walks away from the product is customer equity that goes missing. This will need to be done by tailoring products to meet customer needs. The communication process consists of the sender of the advertisement, the content of the advertisement, and the customer who receives the advertisement. Sometimes, feedback can also be considered part of the communication process because it helps to resolve weaknesses. The five tools are advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing. Advertising is used to reach customers through a medium of exchange. Personal selling is direct communication between an advertiser and a customer. Sales promotions add value to a product by offering incentives to purchase it. Public relations have to do with supporting causes that will make a firm look good. Direct marketing is about connecting with a customer in order to get a response. 5. One of the uses of public relations can be used for explaining problems your company is having with product shortages, executive embarrassment, product recalls, etc. How can you use Public Relations Pro-actively? Public relations campaigns are very easy to organize and are also very cheap to run. It helps to take the focus of problems that may be occurring in the business and focuses consumers’ attention on something that does not concern business operations. 6. Your Sunscreen sales are slow. You decide to add B2B sales representatives to your marketing efforts to convince retailers to buy and stock your product. Explain the kind of value you want them to add to your marketing efforts. The best type of value that can be added is to properly explain the products and its uses. This will

Gift of Fear, Just 2 Seconds, and On Combat Essay

Gift of Fear, Just 2 Seconds, and On Combat - Essay Example The book incorporates a couple of ideas. It provides tactics that seek to help readers, especially women, to avoid violence and trauma by educating them on a variety of warning signs as well as precursors to hostility. The novel presents a paradox of genre. Becker seeks to emphasize the inherent predictability of brutality by setting patterns of abuse and violence in his book. The book looks at various settings where violent behavior may occur. These places are the workplace, school, home, and dating venues (Becker 1). Just 2 Seconds, on the other hand, incorporates four critical lessons for protectors. These four ideas are categorized as how to evade attacks, how to evade close attacks, how to evade incidents that imperil other persons, and additional resources that could keep protectors from violent behaviors. The book is based on more than 1,400 violent attacks, especially assassinations of many world prominent people. Hence, the author’s aim is to try to ease these cases and create awareness of how people could avoid them (Becker 1). Finally, On Combat explores, thoroughly, what happens mentally and physically to most people when they meet a deadly threat. The book speaks of coping with the diverse aspects of combat, although from the perception of how people cope with combat. The main ideas of the book comprise the physiology of combat, perceptual distortions that take place during a fatal force encounter, metal attitudes as well as the aftermaths of combats (Becker 1). According to The Gift of Fear, the most powerful tool of preventing violence is through focusing on the verbal as well as non-verbal clues a person gives off. This could predict whether or not the individual or circumstances will lead to violence. The author demonstrates that people who keep to themselves are clearly boiling time bombs waiting to blow up. If SSAs could keep this in mind, then it would help them avoid future violent cases (Becker 1). Just 2 Seconds, on the other

Lefeveres Concept of Translation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Lefeveres Concept of Translation - Essay Example The work of Andrà © Lefevere in translation studies is based on some very strongly held views about the nature of writing and rewriting as these activities have been conceived throughout all of human history. The quotation mentioned above summarizes one particular key theory of his, which is concerned with the relationship which exists between translation and power. This paper will examine Lefevere’s concept of translation by breaking the statement quoted above into four distinct segments, each of which will be discussed in turn: The first of the four segments of Lefevere’s quotation is quite straightforward and seems simple enough at first reading. Lefevre classifies translation as â€Å"a rewriting of an original text.† It is true that translations are â€Å"rewritings† or re-formulations of other texts, but it is questionable whether translations are always rewritings of an original text. Many post-structuralists would maintain that no text is ever truly original since every text stands in some relation to texts which have gone before. The concept of â€Å"intertextuality† indeed assumes a long chain of connections reaching back in time and across cultures so that every text that exists could be said to be a â€Å"rewriting†, or a decoding and re-encoding of other texts. Other scholars would argue that the very concept of â€Å"text† is fraught with problems because that â€Å"text† changes its nature every single time it is read by another person. What a r eader puts into a text is, therefore, from this point of view, just as important as what the writer puts in, what the translator puts in, and what the text gathers to itself through multiple other unintended connections. Looking back over world literature it is very striking that stories which authors have written over the centuries have depended on other stories, legends and â€Å"texts† that have come before.

My Family and the Conservative Theory Essay Example for Free

My Family and the Conservative Theory Essay I believe that my family is a great example of the conservative theory. I was raised by both of my parents who have been married for over thirty years. There was myself and my two sisters that also comprised our household. We lived in Saudi Arabia growing up and are followers of Islam. My father, Mahdi was a geography teacher on the college level, from which he has since retired. My mother taught middle school science. My older sister has been married for over five years and has one three year old child. I am currently attending college and studying finance and my younger sister is attending college and studying accounting. Being part of the Muslim community is part of the conservative nature of my family. We choose to try and live our lives according to the five pillars of Islam. These are the beliefs that the religion was founded upon. The first pillar of Islam is that Allah is complete and supreme oneness and that Muhammad was the great prophet. This one pillar is the foundation for the way that my family chooses to live our lives. We choose to participate in a culture where we are governed by Allah a will to do what is good and morally just. The second pillar of Islam is the establishment of daily prayers. Daily prayers are very important in our culture. They are the communication that we have with Allah and the way that we are guided in how we are going to make decisions. As a follower of Islam we pray five times per day. The third pillar of Islam is concern for the needing. This includes being willing to sacrifice to help others who are less fortunate than we are. It is important in my culture to give to those who are needy and to help them as much as we possibly can. Islam teaches not being selfish and wanting worldly possessions but rather being selfless and always giving of oneself to others. This means that it has never been important to me or my family as to whether or not we are wearing a certain brand of clothing or whether or not we have certain processions. It is not important for us to try to keep up with mainstream society in an attempt to fit in as we believe that our riches are destined for another time and another place. We value saving and are conservative in our spending and shopping habits. The fourth pillar of Islam is self purification through fasting. Fasting is a big part of our beliefs and we are conservative in this area as well. We fast during the month of Ramadan from sun up until sun down. This is to teach us discipline. There is no stronger conservative value than discipline as when we are disciplined we are able to make decisions without feeling the pressure of the outside world. The fifth pillar of Islam is to make a pilgrimage to Mekkah. The pilgrimage to Mekkah is important as we are traveling to the divine spot where Muhammad heard the words of Allah that he used to write the Koran. One of the biggest differences in the Islamic culture that we are a part of in comparison to most other cultures of today is the beliefs that we are taught about dating. Muslim teachings teach us that we are not to date until we are in the confines of marriage. It is against our teachings to go out on dates or to have premarital sex as these behaviors are considered worldly and a poisoning of ourselves and we are to be a temple to Allah. In our culture we start a dua when we want to start dating. This means that we ask Allah to send us a mate with whom we will make a good match with. We believe that Allah’s divine wisdom will allow us to meet our perfect match. I believe that a man and woman are created to be able to find the one perfect match for you who will give you spiritual unity and peace. When someone in my family is looking for a partner with whom to share their life with, the whole family becomes involved. It is still important to find someone who we are going to connect with and get along with and having a person chosen for us is not a way of controlling who we date but rather a way of keeping us from making the mistake of bad relationships and having to suffer through the pain of heartache. The overall idea is that by keeping ourselves pure and clean and not being in a physical relationship with anyone we are able to find a partner who truly is the best match for us emotionally. We also are able to find the one true partner that Allah has created for us by not letting physical attraction or other decisions get in our way. We remain pure for those who we are going to marry and yes this does mean that we do not believe in premarital sexual intercourse or sexual relationships in any way. My family is very conservative in the area of dating as both my sister and her husband and my mother and father are part of marriages that were arranged. My family also does not believe in divorce. We believe that if you truly are with the person that Allah has placed you with then there is no reason for divorce from that person. Growing up following the practices of Islam has made me a much more conservative person than most of my peers. I believe that those who commit crimes should be punished to the full extent. One heated subject for today’s culture has been the idea of corporal punishment and I am in favor of this practice when it is used for the correct reasons and within the realms of the law. I feel that this is the conservative approach on this topic, following the adage if you â€Å"can’t do the time then don’t do the crime. † I also am against abortion which is another topic of heated debate today. Abortion is something that is not allowed through the practices of Islam and something that would never be okay for me or anyone in my family. Homosexuality is also popular today and in the faith of Islam it is not allowed as it is considered a true sin. However it is also a sin to perform any type of sexual act outside of marriage as sexual acts are supposed to be for the purpose of creating a family. My family has not had children out of wedlock. My family has always worked hard to uphold themselves to the moral standards of Islam. Some of this has been difficult as I have always had to think of the moral debate to a subject and how I could justify my decision within my faith. I was raised to be respectful to my parents and could not have said some of those things that I have heard other students talk about saying to their parents. I have always been raised that without my parents I would not be anything and that I needed to uphold the utmost respect for them and their decisions in life. Even when I have disagreed with things that my parents have said, I will still give them the respect of listening to their decision without question. I have always known that my family was different from the other families that I have been witness to since moving to the US. Since we have always practiced Islam and since I grew up in Saudi Arabia I did not realize that we were so much more conservative than other families. Being a part of a conservative family has taught me many things, including that I have values and principals that I am not willing to let down for any reason. I want to follow the teachings of Allah and I want to preserve a culture that I feel reacts in a better way too many of the controversial issues of today. There are all kinds of issues that have to be dealt with on a regular basis when someone is growing up in today’s culture. In a way it is nice to not have to worry about some of these issues as they are behaviors that are not permitted by Islam therefore they are behaviors that I have never thought about being involved in. I do not date and I am a virgin and therefore I find that I am a part of a subgroup within the US culture that is unique in itself. Stating that I am simply conservative might be an understatement as I believe that Allah has better for me and that I should uphold myself to the highest moral standards in order to be able to please him and find my end reward later after this life has ended. I also believe that I have been taught unique values which have carried over into my conservative way of thinking. I was raised by both of my parents who are still married and I have watched my older sister attempt to have the same life that we did growing up. I am hopeful that one day Allah will speak and that I will find my mate and be able to fulfill my life as well.

Nikes Marketing Principles

Nikes Marketing Principles Blessed from the mighty heavens by the Greek Goddess of Strength, Power and Victory read Nike; the brand has always captured ones imagination and strengthened its position among the upper echelons of marketing icons. Nikes marketing strategy draws your attention by interrupting you, attracting you, ensnaring you and finally and most importantly satisfying you. In a recent conference, Paul Knight , the charismatic founder and ex- CEO of Nike chose a divergent outlook to most other speakers on the subject of choosing Nike over competition. He asked people who run to rise from the comfort of their seats. He then asked those who run three or more times a week to keep standing. He looked on and exquisitely announced -We are for you. When you get up at 5 oclock in the morning to go for a run, even if its cold and wet out, you go. And when you get to mile 4, were the one standing under the lamp post, out there in the cold and wet with you, cheering you on. Were the inner athlete. Were the i nner champion. Just Do It is more than a tag line, its a motto. Its a cheer. Its a rallying cry. A sublime demonstration which augmentsmarket segmentation, fortifies positioning, empowersbrand building, and exemplifies relationship management in a snapshot, slowly and yet subtly hitting the sweet spot. The Story So Far More than 25 years ago, Co-founder Bill Bowerman used a waffle iron to conjure up a new sole for a pair of running shoes. Nike hasnt looked back since. Innovation has been the mainspring for a company exalting in its enduring success. With insufficient funds to indulge in advertising, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman took to the streets, selling shoes at local athletic meets from the backs of their trucks. The word-of-foot gripped the sporting fraternity and marked the beginning of Nikes success on track. Then came the late 80s and with it the pain of losing out on sales to Reebok who introduced training shoes, tailor made for a growing breed health conscious women. In a bid to regain market share, Nike played to their strength and countered punched with new models of shoes designed for various sports. This was the phase when Knight and Bowman realized the importance of aggressive marketing coupled with product innovation and began to invest a princely part of corporate revenues toward s marketing and advertising. By the early 90s, Nike was ranked as one of the best advertisers in the world, soulfully striking ones emotional chords rather than the rationale ones. The Marketing Mix One of the key ingredients of the perfect marketing recipe comes by way of blending in the marketing mix. The key elements of the marketing mix are a set of interrelated entities which are set in unison with one another. (Proctor, 2000: 212). The marketing mix is a combination of the 4 Ps Product, Price, Place and Promotion for any business venture. Adapted from Exploring Business (Karen Collins) We shall evaluate the positive and negative impact of Nikes marketing mix in more detail. Product: Product is the companys offering via goods or services to the customer. A product can be viewed at three different levels: Adapted from Selling and Sales Management (David Jobber) Core Product It is the main benefit that the product offers to the customer. In the case of footwear, it is meant to protect and comfort the human foot whilst it is on the move Total Product (adding value) The chief aim is to ensure that customers purchase your brand. Nike has been a dominant player in the footwear market over the years. Their well-crafted design, innovative products, marketing and brand building activities have helped them gain a differential advantage over their rivals. Their packaging and labelling has been state of the art over generations. Augmented Product(Extended Product) The non-tangible benefits that the product can offer. This encapsulates customer service, after sales and warranty. Nike prides itself on excellent customer services with faulty products instantly replaced without any flutter. Nike warranty time is standard to current markets. Today, Nikes products are manufactured in more than 700 factories, employing over 500,000 workers in 51 countries. The company, through its Footwear segment, offers footwear products for men, women and children. Through its Apparel segment, it is engaged in selling sports apparel and other accessories designed for specific purposes. Under the Equipment segment, the company offers a range of performance equipment such as bags, socks, timepieces, sport balls, electronic devices. Other segment offerings are brands such as Cole Haan, Converse, Hurley, NIKE Golf and Umbro. Over the years, Nike has changed the way the game is played with its wide range of products. Nikes offerings have been in the ascendancy with the sales of 175 different styles of shoes in the 1980s springing to almost 772 different styles in the 1990s collections to a remarkable 1200 different styles showcased in the 2000 collection. Nike Air Max was the first line of shoes introduced in 1987 with frequent additions in the same product line over the years. The Air Jordan XX3 was its marquee shoe product designed for basketball with the contemporary issue of environment consciousness in mind. The Ansoff Matrix The Ansoff Matrix is a marketing tool developed to help marketers figure out the best way to grow their business via new and existing products and new and existing markets. The four strategies involved comprise of: (Kotler, 2006:48) Market Penetration Product Development Market Development Diversification Adapted from Marketing Management (Philip Kotler) Market Penetration Market penetration is built around marketing existing products to existing markets. Some of the techniques involved to increase revenue are promoting the product, professing brand loyalty etc. Nike has invested heavily in drawing up an elevated level of brand awareness to its omnipresent customer base by way of sponsorships, advertising and promotional activities. The company have significantly revamped their supply chain system which in the past has hampered their quest to meet global customer demands. They have also driven their retail based sales strategy to maintain their shelf space with enticing incentives. Market Development Market development focuses on marketing existing products to new markets. Some of the methods involved in capturing a new audience are exporting products, targeting a new market segment etc. Nike has effectively been able to expand geographically with their multifarious product offerings. They pulled off a masterstroke in 2003 signing up Liu Xiang, Chinas first gold medallist at the Olympics .This was followed by an advertisement showcasing his muscle and that of a nation with the trademark Swoosh on his shoulder. The result a walloping 66% rise in sales of its core products in China in what was the start of an intangible treasure hunt. Product Development Product development talks about marketing new products to existing markets. The capabilities here involve innovating new products to replace already existing ones. Nike has constantly been on the run with its technically advanced shoes time and again. The classic example is that of the Air Jordan Lines. There have been a staggering 25 major models of the product released over the past 25 years with variable designs and signature performance re-layers. Diversification Diversification thrives on marketing new products to new markets. It can be classified as related and unrelated. Related means remaining in the same market one is familiar with. Unrelated is delving into a new industry with no marketing experience. Nike has followed related diversification. The Prime example: adding the clothing line to its existing shoe operations. Nike has introduced a 3D soccer game available for download from their website which advertises their key products. This is targeted on a global scale at youngsters who gradually get associated with the product catch them young they say! BCG Matrix The Boston Consulting Group matrix is a chart designed to help companies analyse the performance of their business units. The market growth and market share dimensions provide a handy evaluation for the company on how to prioritize their product portfolio. Adapted from Perspectives on Strategy (Carl W Stern/George Stalk) Cash cows earn a lot of revenue and the onus is on stability strategies. In Nikes case, a vintage example is that of the Air Jordan sneakers. They exhibit low growth but already have a dominant market share. Stars are fledging businesses that thrive on accelerated growth of market share. Companies tend to reinvest their profits back into the business hoping to gain enough market-share to envisage themselves as cash cows. Nike has recently announced quadrupling their investments in apparel innovation and trends citing it as their biggest opportunity in the next five years. Nike has also developed its Nike+ products combining the best of both worlds superior products and technology. Question marks are new businesses whereby companies delve into expanding markets albeit with a low market share. Companies use share profits from other businesses to try converting a question mark into a star. Fitting example of a question mark in Nikes case are their recent watches and electronic products designed to capture more market share. Dogs yield low returns in a low growing market. Companies tend to employ turnaround and retrenchment strategies for their dogs or even dispose them off if they dont foresee a measurable future. The Nike brass decided to sell Bauer Hockey in 2008 in the event of tight margins in hard goods and a flat hockey market. Product Life Cycle Product life cycle explains the history of a product and the stages which it went through. It can be divided into the following stages: Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Introduction Stage: When a product is introduced, sales are going to be low till the customers become aware of the product and its benefits. During this stage, the companies will try to establish a market and build a demand for the product. Growth Stage: The growth stage is a period of quick revenue growth. Sales start increasing as customers start getting to know the product and its benefits .Sales will increase further as retailers express their interest in shelving the product. Maturity Stage: Maturity stage is the most profitable phase. Advertising expenditure will be reduced. Competition by other firms on similar products will be foreseen. The primary objective at this stage is defending market share whilst going hell for leather with profit making. Decline Stage: Sales gradually begin to decline because of a potential variance in customer tastes. The market reaches its threshold for the particular product. Decrease in sales leads to either less or no profit at all. Example Air Jordan Air Jordan, also simply as Jordans are a brand of shoes and athletic apparel produced by Nike originally designed for a very well known professional NBA basketball player Michael Jordan. The Air Jordan line is now sold by the Jordan Brand subsidiary of Nike. Since its first release in 1985, there have been new designs of the shoe released each year and have been making decent profits even after Michael Jordan retired from the NBA. Below is the Life cycle for this product. Life cycle curve of Air Jordan SALES Introduction Growth Maturity Decline TIME Nike introduced the first series of Air Jordan shoes in 1985, there were a multiple series released till date. The above graph illustrates the stages this product went through in product life cycle, which was introduced in 1985. It had a decent introduction, it reached the next stage i.e growth by 1992 and made a good amount of profit and reached a maturity state by 1998 and has maintained stability in this stage till date. Nike Hockey Sticks In 1994, the year Nike bought Montreals Canstar Sports, maker of the popular Bauer skates and other equipment, it then manufactured the series of hockey sticks between 2004 -06 in china. Random testing by health have found the lead in the sticks far exceeds the acceptable tolerance and because the sticks are used by youths, lead is especially harmfull. Approximately 100,000 sticks have been found to have dangerous levels of lead. Nike Bauer has issued a recall that takes the sticks out of the hands of youth and junior players. Below is the product life cycle for this product: Nike Hockey Sticks Introduction Decline SALES TIME The above graph illustrates the sudden decline of a product. Nike introduced different models of Hockey sticks for respective customers in American region in the year of 2008. This product has not gone through the stages which comes before the decline stage, since, quite before the product would start growing, it started to decline since the sticks were found harmful to be played with. Positive Impact: Nikes gift to the world lies in the comfort of mankinds happy feet. Creativity has always been Nikes forte and it comes as no surprise that they have toyed with the idea of customers designing their own shoes. Watching over the process of production of their creation adds to customer satisfaction and gives them a sign of belonging. Keeping abreast with technology, Nike has collaborated with Apple Inc. to produce the Nike+ product used to monitor a runners performance through a radio device in the shoe linked to the iPod Nano. . The cricketing fraternity has largely benefitted from the Air Zoom Yorker, devised to be 30% lighter than competitor shoes. Athletes have found the Nike Free edition to be a major boon with the design allowing foot muscles to gain strength by way of less constriction mechanism. Basketball players found the Nike Hyper dunk to be quite useful with its superior shock absorption techniques minimizing the impact of stress on the muscles. Customer satisfaction can be directly mapped to the success of the company. Nikes capture of market share with its diversified product range has seen its revenue shoot through the roof in recent years. Negative Impact Nike also had its fair share of brickbats with respect to its products. Its futuristic-looking hockey skates bombed in the markets during the late 1990s. The failure was deduced to be a result of rushing the product into the market before fully straightening out the probable design problems. A good 13 years after acquiring Bauer, and arrogantly making promises that it would revolutionize the business of hockey, Nike eventually sold its Nike Bauer unit to investors Roustan Inc. and Kohlberg Co on February 2008, an unassuming fall from grace for one of the worlds powerful brands. Though Nike Bauer was a market leader, it was predicted that the company would find it hard to recover even half the $395 million amount it paid for Canstar Sports, Bauers Montreal-based parent, in December 1994 mainly due to the stagnant hockey market. Nike as a company was built on the assertion that low cost and high quality running shoes could be imported from cheap Asian markets like Japan and sold in th e US. Nike felt the negative tremors as allegations were rife that they underpaid factory workers in Indonesia they sold shoes for around about $150 and paid the person making them a meagre 50 cents!.Along came the by-products of child labour in Cambodia and Pakistan and unsatisfactory working conditions in China and Vietnam during production. Recently, Nike has brought about winds of change towards its irrelevant practices and is also dedicating its efforts towards environmentally responsible business operations Price Price is one the key component which more or less decides the fate of a company. It is a return on efforts poured into manufacturing and marketing a product. Listed below are the various components of an effective pricing strategy (Proth and Dolgui, 2010: 101) Market- Skimming The process of Price Skimming involves setting high price for new products. The objective is to skim the revenues layer by layer from the customers who are willing to pay more to have the product sooner. Market- Penetration This involves setting low prices for new products in order to attract and penetrate the market in the initial stage of the launch of the product Competitive Pricing Prices in this strategy are set lower than that offered by the competitors or same price with the added incentives to attract customers. Premium Pricing Prices are always set high for a product or service to emphasize its exclusiveness. Economy Pricing This is a no frills low down price technique, since the manufacture and marketing costs are kept at a minimum. Psychological Pricing This approach is manifested when marketers wants the customers to feel that they are paying less. Prices are often expressed as odd prices, for example 99.99 cents not 100 dollars. Product Line Pricing This approach is mostly used by the marketer who has a wide range of products or services offered. The price is reflective of the benefits of parts of the range. Optional Product Pricing Companies offer to sell option or accessory products along with their main product. Captive Product Pricing This is the practice where the prices of a basic product are kept low to attract customers and the price of a companion product without which the basic product cannot be used is kept high. Product Bundle Pricing In this approach different products are put in the same package and sell them for discount. This helps the sellers to move old stocks. Promotional Pricing This approach is mainly used by the sellers who want to promote their product by attracting attention to the business. Typical example is that of a buy one get one free scheme. Geographical Pricing Geographical pricing is considered for different variations in prices in different parts of the world. Value Pricing Prices of a product will be based on the value it creates for the customer. This is usually the most profitable form of pricing, if it can be achieved. Nikes Pricing Strategies Nikes pricing strategy all comes down to understanding the products, competition, marketing the product and most importantly determining which price point is the best for their product .Needless to say, it is very rare that an organization makes use of all the above permutations and combinations in pricing techniques. Nike is no different with its pricing strategy revolving around penetration pricing, premium pricing, value pricing, skimming pricing and psychological pricing. Penetration Pricing Nike initially started out on the principle of penetration pricing so as to capture market share and then gradually increased prices. Premium Pricing As Nike exclusive products developed; it became recognizable to consumers in that marketplace. This drove its perceived value to a higher level especially with the limited editions of the Air Jordans. Value pricing Nike went about setting the price to the degree at which consumers place their value on the product. It is at this very point that customers associated themselves with Nike and paid the extra penny, as long as their products remained state of the art and exhibited the cutting edge. Psychological pricing Nike has priced their products to $99.99 (for example). After all in ones mind, a .99 is always cheaper than a .00. Skimming pricing This approach dwells on skimming market profits layer by layer. Nike has used this to good effect in setting high initial prices for the new design they bring into the market. This is then tailgated by a gradual decline in price as the design has been in the market for a while and a new product is on its way. Adapted from Principles and Practice of Marketing (David Jobber) Nike employs a rapid skimming strategy of setting high prices as well as investing heavily in advertising the new product. Generally, Nike shoes current season last for a period between 3 to 6 months where they are sold at peak prices. After that season, comes a process called closeout where prices are gradually reduced. The final stage is that of the inventory cleanout where a take all basis strategy is employed to sales. Nikes quality is directly proportional to its commitment of excellence. Excellence comes at a premium and fittingly so. This places Nike in the upper rightmost quadrant of the Price vs. Quality matrix. Nikes products are well worth their weight in gold. Positive Impact Nikes dominance in the market through its vehement promotional strategy coupled with a smart pricing function makes the market as a whole unattractive for competitors. In most cases, it has identified the precise price points across its range of products. The impact of Nikes pricing strategies can be seen in its overwhelming sales and profit margins (on a single pair of shoes!!!) as depicted below. Negative Impact Nikes pricing strategy has not always been quaint. The Air Jordan brand shoes were premium priced, released once every year in order to keep the value of the shoe as high as possible and make it a collectors item. However, this has prompted this line of shoe to be highly duplicated or imitated which has become a major headache for Nike with the virus spreading to the other products just as well. In 2003, the overpriced Air Jordans at $200 were biting the dust on store shelves as consumers shifted base to Sketchers (SKX ), K-Swiss (KSWS ), and New Balance shoes who slowly began nibbling away at Nikes heels. Nike has not utilised all the strategies of pricing. Each and every pricing strategy has its own advantages and disadvantages. Nike can venture into approaches like promotional pricing as an attraction tool for the customer by mentioning the word FREE. Nike can also utilize product bundle pricing by combining products (with a high and low demand) and selling them at a discounted price. Place (Distribution) Place pin points to effective distribution of products or services to the end customers. It is paramount for the organization to correctly estimate the needs and wants of the customers to meet its marketing objectives. Adapted from Principles of Marketing (David Jobber) Channel 1: Direct Marketing (No intermediaries) The direct marketing channel has no intermediaries. The company sells straight to the customers. Channel 2: Indirect Marketing (One intermediary) The first level of indirect marketing involves one intermediary. The company sells its goods to large retailers who in turn line them up for customers. Channel 3: Indirect Marketing (Two intermediaries) The second level of indirect marketing involves two intermediaries. The company sells its goods to wholesalers who buy in bulk and sell them to smaller retailers. Channel 4: Indirect Marketing (Three intermediaries) The third level of indirect marketing involves three intermediaries. The company sells its goods to agents who contact wholesalers who further sell to retailers. From the view of the producers, more number of levels leads to higher complexity and much less control. Nike employs the first two channels to good effect. Heres how: Nike -Direct Marketing By 1999, NIKE had opened 13 of their privately owned NIKE Town superstores located in high traffic upmarket surroundings. The first of those was a posh store in Portland which was soon bettered by a larger than life outlet in downtown Chicago. Nike also operated 53 outlet locations focussed on liquidating overstocked and outdated inventory. NIKE redesigned and overhauled their website incorporated with e-commerce functionality. A variety of products were put up for sale at full retail prices. Nike Indirect Marketing (Retailers) Nike operates 338 retail stores in the US and 336 stores worldwide. Retail stores in the US Retail stores Worldwide Nikes store formats include a mix of departmental stores, footwear stores, goods stores, tennis, skate and golf shops, and as well as retail accounts. Nike store are centrally located and easily accessible. The company operates three significant distribution centres located at Memphis, Tennessee and Wilsonville, Oregon in the US. Then, there are the leased distribution facilities which operate on a comparatively smaller scale in the home country. Nike also runs 14 distribution centres worldwide with Japan and Belgium among their prime locations. Subsidiaries NIKE also has global presence through several of its subsidiaries. The wholly owned subsidiaries include Cole Haan, Converse, Umbro and Hurley. Converse is engaged in designing, distributing and licensing of athletic and casual footwear, apparels and accessories. Cole Haan designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats. Umbro is engaged in the designing, distributing and licensing of athletic and casual footwear, apparel and equipment for soccer under Umbro brand. Hurley designs and distributes sports apparel relates to surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. Nike is developing high calibre information systems, logistics and a much improved supply-chain management system. In the good old days production was based on instinct. Nike used to take a guess as to the number of pairs of shoes to churn out and hoped to cram them on retailers shelves. Nike has revamped its supply chain management systems since the disaster to ensure the right amount of sneaker s find their way across the world more quickly. Positive impacts As Nikes market share grew, it buoyed merchants who carried their products. This helped Nike negotiate terms with retailers on location, display and inventory levels all of which contributed to the overall customer experience. NIKE Towns in Portland and Chicago became an instant hit with customers flocking in to witness the two-story wall painting of Michael Jordan and trying out shoes in the mini basketball courts. Souvenirs and other rarities were a showcase for the latest Nike had to offer and helped in brand building activities. The 53 stores opened up for liquidation served as a handy means for getting rid of excess inventory whilst maintaining control of the brand. Nikes re- launched website keying in on inspirational content as well as innovative products was met with a phenomenal amount of success. Negative impacts In the early days, Nike suffered from retailer inconsistencies. Imperfect information was received on inventory levels leading to stock outs and misallocations .The infamous i2 fiasco was a rap on the knuckles for Nikes brand image. It was made an example of as a company that botched up its supply chain unit. It was a deemed to be software glitch and the repercussions cost Nike more than $100 million in lost sales, leading to a depressed stock price by about 20%, which further went on to trigger a flurry of class-action lawsuits. Succinctly, the i2 demand-planning engine ordered for a surplus of thousand Air Garnett sneakers than the market had called for and a thousand fewer Air Jordans than were actually in demand. Nike looked at various operational workarounds but at best it was a classic case of damage limitation. The opening of the NIKE Towns and e-commerce applications was a cause of concern for Nikes traditional retailers initially as it would eat into their business. Nike all ayed fears by positioning their direct marketing strategies differently to the retail markets but doubts were still casted on the anomalies of this move. Promotion Compelling promotions and captivating advertisements are the cornerstones of a successful product in contemporary times. Listed below are the various components of an effective promotional mix. Advertising Nikes legend with television commercials dates back to October 1982 with the first advertisement broadcast during the New York Marathon. Wieden and Kennedy were the creators in chief back then and not surprisingly their partnership with Nike still holds fort to this day and age. Nike advertisements are very appealing and leave a long lasting imprint in the viewers minds. Public Relations Public relation is an entity that focuses on both brand building as well as defending. Nike has recently employed the green public relations strategy. This has been a powerful weapon in the corporate social responsibility aspect with environmental issues the subject of concern in contemporary times. Personal Selling Nike endorses the personal selling technique to good effect. Customer assistants in Nike retail stores have direct contact and constant interaction with the buyers of their merchandise. Nike representatives often train customer assistants on the latest in technology and merchandize. Sales Promotions Sales Promotions are driven around the accelerated purchase of products. Nike entices its customers with discounts, rebates and gift coupons. Direct Mail In the direct mail method, publicity material is sent to a customer within the targeted segment. Nikes concentrated efforts in recent times towards publishing its customer catalogues has been met with open arms a staggering 200,000 responses to the catalogue e-mail in 60 days. Internet Marketing The dot com industry has been an emerging trendsetter in ever growing and evolving marketing strategies. Nike has given volumes of ad space to its armada of products via a network of sites. Nike is accelerating Internet marketing campaigns to diversify extensively on the web. The impact of these promotional strategies can again be traced back to the profits at which Nike operates on. Sponsorship has been a key strategy in Nikes promotional activities. Nike endorses a galaxy of celebrity athletes across all sports. Michael Jordan was an absolute superstar for them in terms of publicity and sales. A whole array of national teams including the Indian National Cricket Team is under sponsorship contracts with Nike. News has just come in of Nikes win as the official uniform sponsor of the National Football League (NFL) for a deal worth a whopping $500 million. The Communication Model Adapted from Marketing Management Philip Kotler Nike has efficiently translated all the key factors in efficient communication. Through their marketing strategies, they have reached out to a plethora of audiences and gained a profitable response. They have encoded their ideas, coated them with creativity and pushed them through to be easily decoded by the receivers (custo

Charles Perraults Puss in Boots Essay examples -- Charles Perrault Pu

Charles Perrault's Puss in Boots Charles Perrault's version "Puss in Boots" is a simple enough tale, in which the cleverness of the small prevails over the merits of size and strength and the lowly thirdborn son of a miller transcends his own expectations to achieve personal success. A major part of the tale is the archetypes used within, those easily recognisable symbols of common association and subconscious significance. Among these are symbols standing for the boy's transformation into self-determined adulthood, others associated with the miller's son's growth and achievement, and Puss himself, by whose characteristics and machinations the boy achieves his success. Like so many other fairy tales, "Puss in Boots" recounts the progression from one stage of life to another, in this case from a child's dependence on his parents for shelter and guidance to a separate existence as a self-sufficient adult away from the childhood home. This development is reflected in the archetypes found in the story, which at points draw attention to and accentuate the changes the miller's son undergoes. To begin with, the very identity of the hero's father - a miller - is an indication of where the boy starts out. Millers grind flour to be made into bread, bread being a common symbol of childhood, and the son has no need to begin his progression toward independence until his father dies, effectively cutting off his source of that childhood standby. This lack of bread means, from another perspective, that he cannot eat and as the act of eating is an archetype indicating transformation, it's notable in its absence - he is not yet ready for that next stage of life. So, the miller's son turns to the cat to form a whole new relationship of ... ...tainment value, if nothing else. It is all these aspects which the boy must be able to draw on to succeed, all neatly condensed into a small, furry body. Though "Puss in Boots" is about the miller's son's movement from childhood to a mature, adult societal role, it is Puss who steals the spotlight. The boy is pushed into the background in favour of his more flamboyant and active servant, and though he achieves his transformation, it cannot happen without the cat's use and manipulation of what is already present inside him. As such, Puss embodies what the miller's son needs most following his loss of adult shelter to push into the adult world himself, becoming the principal archetype of all used within the tale. Perrault, Charles. "Puss in Boots." Folk & Fairy Tales Comp. Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. 2nd ed. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview, 1996. 94-97.

Henry James, Principled Realism :: Henry James

Henry James, Principled Realism I read a critical essay by Michael Kearns entitled, "Henry James, Principled Realism, and the Practice of Critical Reading." In it, Kearns invents the terms "principled reality" and "naà ¯ve reality" and how to apply these perspectives when reading Washington Square. As Kearns explores these two types of realities, he states that the readers should take a stance of "principled realism" which he defines as follows: "principled realism, like pragmatism, is a method which holds that no objective truths or transcendentally privileged perspective can be found but that we can understand enough about a situation or event to be able to act responsibly towards all persons involved." We can achieve this, according to Kearns, by understanding that the characters are fully dimensional. We must look at their strong points, their positions on certain issues, and we might speculate what their downfall might be. Although Kearns thinks that we who read Washington Square with a principled realistic perspective should remain ethically neutral, he does urge that we also become emotionally involved. He states: " Principled realism recognizes the importance of emotional as well as rational responses; to the extent that readers come to care about the novel's characters, they are in a position to perceive and share the fundamental ethical stance of James's fiction." On the other hand, Kearns defines his term "naà ¯ve realism" as characteristic of "someone who mistakenly elevates socially constructed and verbalized knowledge over the individual and inarticulate rather than accepting both as valuable." Kearns believes that Dr. Sloper and the narrator both practice naà ¯ve realism and this, he contends, is dangerous thinking. He continues: " Sloper's naà ¯ve realism manifests itself in his belief that he can build a valid theory on facts†¦he has reduced to propositions." Kearns implies that James creates fictional characters (such as Dr. Sloper) to help his readers form the correct ethical judgement about the novel. The doctor is so cold, so calculating, the readers naturally would want to take the opposing position. He is not the only one that Kearns believes uses naà ¯ve realism. The narrator does as well: "as the story develops and Catherine's experience expands, the narrator remains superior; in particular, he grants the young woman no depth of inner life.

Do Political Campaign Contributions Impact the Outcome of Elections? :: essays research papers

Do Political Campaign Contributions Impact the Outcome of Elections? In the process of searching for a research question that has the possibility of gaining positive results one must find a dependent variable in addition to several independent variables that might be a direct cause or a factor in the dependent variable. In observing major political elections throughout my life I have noticed a recurring trend. In many elections one candidate outspends their opponent in an attempt to gain victory. I intend to set up a research design to determine whether independent variables concerning campaign contributions have an effect on the outcome of elections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As campaign finance reform remains a hot topic in congress with legislation such as the McCain-Feinghold Bill, it is important to determine if campaign spending affects the outcome of elections. If the results this question indicate a direct relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable then legislative restrictions might necessary. If campaign spending does not factor in on the outcome of elections, then maybe there is nothing wrong with a candidate outspending their opponent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several articles and books have been written on this subject that I have found useful. According to Ruth S. Jones(1981) â€Å"These sentiments are often supplemented by a belief that the only way a minority party can win is by outspending opponents.† Throughout the article Jones focuses in on this trend. If this assumption is true it would indicate that outspending an incumbent is necessary to gain office.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Committee for Economic Development found similar results(1968), â€Å"Candidates with access to vast personal or family fortunes have a substantial advantage in the pursuit of high office.† This means that a wealthy candidate can in essence buy a victory in an election. This committee’s research has provided several facts toward my research plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the contrary, in an article by Gary C. Jacobsen(1978),†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦spending by challengers has a substantial impact on election outcomes, whereas spending by incumbents has relatively little effect.† These findings add another Wrinkle in the process of framing my research design by forcing me to differentiate if spending by incumbents and challengers has a different impact. This article refers to a number of recent studies that found that there is a relationship between how much money is spent and how well a candidate does on election day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the twentieth century events have occurred that indicate that campaign spending in some instances factored in on the results of elections. Do Political Campaign Contributions Impact the Outcome of Elections? :: essays research papers Do Political Campaign Contributions Impact the Outcome of Elections? In the process of searching for a research question that has the possibility of gaining positive results one must find a dependent variable in addition to several independent variables that might be a direct cause or a factor in the dependent variable. In observing major political elections throughout my life I have noticed a recurring trend. In many elections one candidate outspends their opponent in an attempt to gain victory. I intend to set up a research design to determine whether independent variables concerning campaign contributions have an effect on the outcome of elections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As campaign finance reform remains a hot topic in congress with legislation such as the McCain-Feinghold Bill, it is important to determine if campaign spending affects the outcome of elections. If the results this question indicate a direct relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable then legislative restrictions might necessary. If campaign spending does not factor in on the outcome of elections, then maybe there is nothing wrong with a candidate outspending their opponent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several articles and books have been written on this subject that I have found useful. According to Ruth S. Jones(1981) â€Å"These sentiments are often supplemented by a belief that the only way a minority party can win is by outspending opponents.† Throughout the article Jones focuses in on this trend. If this assumption is true it would indicate that outspending an incumbent is necessary to gain office.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Committee for Economic Development found similar results(1968), â€Å"Candidates with access to vast personal or family fortunes have a substantial advantage in the pursuit of high office.† This means that a wealthy candidate can in essence buy a victory in an election. This committee’s research has provided several facts toward my research plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the contrary, in an article by Gary C. Jacobsen(1978),†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦spending by challengers has a substantial impact on election outcomes, whereas spending by incumbents has relatively little effect.† These findings add another Wrinkle in the process of framing my research design by forcing me to differentiate if spending by incumbents and challengers has a different impact. This article refers to a number of recent studies that found that there is a relationship between how much money is spent and how well a candidate does on election day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the twentieth century events have occurred that indicate that campaign spending in some instances factored in on the results of elections.

Qualitative Research Methodologies Essay

Veal (2000) has described research a â€Å"systematic and careful inquiry ands search for the truth† or an investigation into a subject to discover facts. Research is collection of methods, tools and techniques for acquiring knowledge. The nature of research is to discover and explain and answer the unanswered questions. Qualitative methodology focuses on â€Å"quality† a term referring to the essence or ambience of something (Anastas, 1999). Qualitative methods are used to understand complex social phenomena. They are suitable to seek knowledge about the fundamental characteristics of a phenomenon under study. Types of Qualitative Methodologies Case-Study Research Methodology Case study as a â€Å"realistic† methodology, which deals with solid and specific questions. Case study translates research question into more researchable problems, and provides rich examples, which are easy to comprehend. The significance of case studies is its revealing meaning of a phenomenon. Observation Research Methodology Scott (2001) has described observation an effective way of finding out about people in their particular environment. Observational research method provides understanding of interaction between marketers and users, exploring members interaction in an organisation and understanding norms in a community. Ethnographic Research Methodology According to Garson (1998) ethnography is the study of cultural groupings. It concentrates on close field observation of socio-cultural phenomena. Ethnographic research is a holistic approach that tries to understand a culture through the members of given culture. Quantitative Research Methodologies Quantitative research is gathering data in quantity. The goal of the quantitative research approach is to find out the truth by using statistical procedure. Hara (1995) has pointed out that quantitative methodology allows readers to understand facts easily by looking at charts and graphs. The use of statistics reduces contradictions, which may exist in research. Morgan (2000) has mentioned that â€Å"quantification† allows accuracy of statements by providing facts and figures with precision. Absence of one will make the other incomprehensible. It is assumed that quantitative methodologies are more logical and more comprehensible than qualitative methodology for this reason. descriptive, experimental, quasi-experimental Methodologies. Data Collection However for this research the most appropriate method for this study is case study as this study is comparison of these two cities based on the data and facts obtained from different libraries, books, journals, newspapers and census department to answer the questions below. †¢ How history and geographical location influence their development? †¢ What are the current economic figures of the cities? †¢ How much progress these cities have made in trade, commerce health education and sanitation systems? †¢ What is the role of geography and location in the development of urban cities?

Bureaucratic Practices In Educational Institutes

Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity, usually in large organizations and government. As opposed to adhocracy, it is represented by standardized procedure (rule-following) that dictates the execution of most or all processes within the body, formal division of powers, hierarchy, and relationships. In practice the interpretation and execution of policy can lead to informal influence.Of the most famous political persons responsible for the making of bureaucracy, and its effects on society would be Max Weber, the German sociologist who set the course of the field in foundations of Administration and Politics. Weber established there were three different types of authority which helped to set the stage of public administration and helped to direct the forms of government which exist today. The three types of authority that dominate the governmental and societal settings of the present are traditional, charismatic, and legal rational.The third ty pe of authority is the type which we are most familiar with. Legal rational authority dominates the modern world, and can easily be thought of as a closed system of regulations and rules forming a bureaucracy. This authority is purely devoted to impersonal and functional purposes, thus giving the perfect stage for bureaucracy, where all focuses are impersonal and functional alone. â€Å"†¦ the bureaucratic system of organization is primarily characterized by the existence of a series of relatively stable vicious circles that stem from centralizations and impersonality† (Crozier, 1964, p 193)Bureaucracy in Educational Organizations Bureaucracy manifests itself in schools in the several ways. One key feature of a bureaucratic organization is presence of a formal hierarchical structure. Each level in a bureaucracy controls the level below and is controlled by the level above. A formal hierarchy is the basis of central planning and centralized decision making. In the school setting, the school head teacher tops the hierarchy, followed by his deputy. The teachers come next, then the prefect. The students lie at the bottom of the hierarchy.A bureaucracy runs by some well defined rules. Controlling by rules allows decisions made at high levels to be executed consistently by all lower levels. In the school, there are certain rules that students are supposed to abide by. The teachers also have a general code of conduct which they are supposed to observe. In a school, there is functional specialty. Every teacher has a special subject that he/she teaches, and is not expected to venture into other subjects. This is another key feature of a bureaucracy.Another characteristic of a bureaucracy is purposeful impersonality, whereby the idea is to treat all employees equally and customers equally, and not be influenced by individual differences. In the school, a school head is not supposed to talk to his children, who attend the school, about family matters. He is s upposed to act like he does not know them in any other way apart from that they are his students. A school can therefore be said to be a typical bureaucracy. During volunteer work at Thika Primary school, I noted several cases in which bureaucratic tendencies of the school, led to compromised resultsHow Bureaucracy Causes Poor Results In Schools Bureaucracy has been hailed as an excellent system of management in the organizations. In fact, no single system of administration has been adopted more widely that the bureaucratic system. Unfortunately, the system has largely failed to impress in education institutions, especially the academic institutions. During the course of volunteer work, this fact was manifested in a number of cases. Bureaucracy in school leads to a situation whereby students find it extremely difficult to secure audience with the head teacher.This is because, for a student to report a problem to the head teacher, he has first to report to the class prefect, who info rms the teacher. The teacher informs the deputy head teacher, who consequently forwards the issue to the head teacher. In this case, addressing the problem takes a painstakingly long period of time. If the issue required fast action, the intervention might come too late. The student ends up bearing the brunt of a bureaucratic system, which reflects negatively on his academic performance.This case was evident in Thika Primary School, whereby several children admitted to have sought audience with the head teacher, with little success. Another negative consequence of bureaucracy notable is in the procurement of learning resources. The process of purchasing books for the school takes too long, since approval must be sought from the head teacher, who takes the issue to the board of governors for a final decision on whether to place a tender. The tender is advertised and awarded to a book distributor.This whole process can take more than one school term, delaying the time that the student s have to interact with the books. This consequently leads to poor results. At the time of volunteer work, several story books had been ordered for purchase, but the process was taking too long. Bureaucratic practices in academic institutions also dent school student performance, whereby students are given insufficient feedback of their performance in a term. Here, the rules oblige the head teacher to write his feedback on the student’s performance, in the report form.However, due to the large numbers of students, he is not able to follow up the individual performance of each student. What he does to fulfill his obligation is fill all the report forms with the same comment, for example, ‘fair’. The student ends up not well guided on how well or bad he has performed. In such a case, he does not know whether he is faring poorly and needs to improve, or is performing well and needs to improve. This leads to bad grades in the subsequent terms. Conclusion It is import ant that schools abandon bureaucratic tendencies that lead to poor academic performance of the students.The head teacher must ensure that he is approachable, not seated in some hierarchically elevated seat. Process of purchasing learning resources must be made faster and simpler. Once such steps have been taken to streamline how schools run, the performance of the schools will improve, and the students will be able to achieve their academic goals and career ambitions References Bureaucracy. Anti Essays. Retrieved October 23, 2008, from the World Wide Web: Crozier, M. The Bureaucratic Phenomenon . 1964. London: Tavistock Publications. http://www. antiessays. com/free-essays/1895. html www. wikipedia. org/bureaucracy

Mentoring Programs for At-Risk Youth

The word mentor derives its origin from a character in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. When Odysseus, King of Ithaca, went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his Kingdom to Mentor. Mentor served as the teacher and overseer of Odysseuss’ son, Telemachus.1 In our society today, mentors generally are volunteers who are committed to helping students or youth identified as â€Å"at-risk† and/or as a potential dropout get back on track—academically, socially, mentally and physically. The specific roles of mentors are multifaceted and varied. Mentors are big brothers/sisters, role models, friends and confidantes. Their goal is to make a connection and then, using that connection, convey a positive message to their mentee. Mentors build self-esteem, motivate and help young persons set goals and work toward accomplishing those goals. There is little doubt of the importance of mentoring programs and the benefits they yield. Studies of existing programs indicate that youth who participate in mentoring relationships have better attendance and attitude toward school; less drug and alcohol use; improved social attitudes and relationships; more trusting relationships and better communication with their parents; and a better chance of going on to higher education.2 Unfortunately, all those who could be benefiting from having a mentor are not. According to Mentoring in America 2005: A Snapshot of the Current State of Mentoring, â€Å"Of the 17.6 million young people who could especially benefit from having a mentor, only 2.5 million were in formal, one-on-one mentoring relationships.† 3 In the state of Connecticut, over 160,000 children—or 25 % of Connecticut’s youth—are in life situations that place them at risk for personal and academic failure.4  These situations include poverty, inadequate early childhood experiences and preparation for school, family drug use, violence, involvement in the criminal justice system and lack of access to needed social and mental health services. Government, community and civic groups and individuals are trying to change that; trying to make a difference. Since 1989, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership has worked with the State of Connecticut, Connecticut's corporate and business communities and other public, private and community organizations to provide the leadership and resources to assist 387 schools, 249 community organizations and 93 businesses in efforts to keep the children of the state safe, successful and drug-free.5 This is being accomplished, in part, through the following programs. The Connecticut Mentoring Partnership Created in 1977, The Connecticut Mentoring Partnership (CMP) challenges business leaders to help create a statewide mentoring initiative as a prevention strategy to protect youth from drug use, school failure and other related problems. The program provides leadership, resources and training to schools, businesses, community and faith-based organizations throughout the state in an effort to increase mentoring partnerships and promote safe, quality mentoring programs. The Partnership also works to: Raise public awareness: CMP has partnerships with NBC30, CBS Radio, Buckley Radio and others, a statewide media campaign recruits mentors during National Mentoring Month in January. Raising awareness of the importance of mentoring is also done year-round. A toll-free number, 1-877-CT-MENTOR, provides information on mentoring and ties into a statewide database of mentoring programs. Recruit and refer mentors: Business and community groups are assisted in recruiting their workforce or members to serve as mentors. Develop new mentoring resources, including public and private funding; advocate and promote public policies and legislation that strengthen mentoring; and collect and track data. Activities and services of the CMP include: The Mentoring Training Institute; technical assistance and support on Connecticut Quality Standards for mentoring programs and assistance on program design; resources and mentor recruitment, screening, training and program design; Regional Mentoring Networks for program providers; mentor recruitment and a toll-free Mentor Referral Line; annual mentoring showcase conference and workshops; The Mentoring Corporate Honor Roll and Corporate Mentoring Round Table that promotes, supports and recognizes corporate involvement; and program evaluation tools and resources. Since 1997, CMP has created over 200 new programs and more than 3,000 new mentoring relationships. Since 2001, 70 schools and businesses have joined the Partnership’s School Business Mentoring Alliance and 90 companies have been recognized through the 2005 Mentoring Corporate Honor Roll.6 The Urban Mentoring Initiative The Urban Mentoring Imitative (UMI) was created in 2005 in partnership with the state of Connecticut. Over the next two years—2006-2007—the CMP will initiate a mentoring expansion effort in Hartford, Waterbury, Norwich, Bridgeport, New Haven, New Britain and Windham. During that time, The UMI will be responsible for attempting to significantly increase the number of mentors for at-risk children in those communities. This will be done by increasing the capacity of existing mentoring programs to reach more children; developing new mentoring programs and models to address existing gaps; and identifying and accessing additional resources. The two-year funding appropriated by the State legislature will be matched by corporate and private sector monies secured by The Governor’s Prevention Partnership. Project Choice Mentoring Program Project Choice Mentoring Program (PCMP) is dedicated to helping the youth of the City of Hartford. Its mission is to empower committed delinquent youth to make positive life choices that will enable them to maximize their personal potential and be successful in their community. â€Å"The program provides caring mentors who are fully trained and supported by the professional staff of Project Choice and Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters,† according to Eddie Perez, Mayor of Hartford, CT. â€Å"Project Choice mentors strive to be a positive support system to the youth as well as to the family by forming a relationship based on trust and respect. This allows Project Choice mentors to advocate for the youth in academic, community and family settings while opening doors of opportunity that otherwise would not be available to them.†7 Project Choice started as an idea of David Norman in August 2001 at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS). Norman took on the challenge of becoming a positive role model for one â€Å"in need† youth. Over time, the youngster responded to Norman’s efforts with improved behavior, causing others to notice the change. As a result, the idea of role model became more widely accepted and the term was gradually changed to mentor. This acceptance allowed Norman and others to work with more youth at the CJTS facility and Project Choice was born. Project Choice works with Connecticut’s Juvenile Justice and â€Å"at-risk† youth between the ages of 11 and 21. The program operates on a â€Å"buy-in† premise. It is completely youth-driven, ensuring that the youth have the option to â€Å"buy-in† (or participate). No participant is forced, mandated or court ordered to be part of the mentoring process. In 2003, Project Choice partnered with Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters (NBBBS). Today, PCMP also is partnered with Boys ; Girls Clubs of America and together with NBBBS, work under the umbrella of Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families, Bureau of Adolescent and Transitional Services. Project Choice also is networked with the One-on-One Mentoring Program. Project Choice again expanded its resources by establishing a formal collaboration with Project Connect. Project Connect specializes in presenting alternative choices to youth and reinforcing the belief that positive behavior yields positive rewards. Youth Fair Chance, Inc. This national project is funded by the Department of Labor. Established on a case-management basis, this Connecticut program targets individuals between the ages of 14 and 25. Focus is on computer, job and life skills training; tutoring, which is conducted four times a week; and informal mentoring. There are no specific project guidelines for the mentoring program, which currently operates on an as-needed basis. Set up within a peer-to-peer mentor atmosphere, Yale University students occasionally provide assistance. Other services offered by Youth Fair Chance include day care, summer employment assistance, support groups, high school diploma equivalency classes and recreational activities. Four youth program areas are presently being developed that will focus on gender-specific prevention programs for female youth. During the 2005-2006 academic school year a follow-up evaluation of the school-based mentoring program was conducted by the Connecticut Mentoring Partnership. One hundred and ninety mentored youth from seven school systems were evaluated.8 The evaluation was viewed as a pilot or exploratory study that would serve as a stepping stone for future evaluations and mentoring research. Overall, the results were positive. The state’s mentoring programs seem to be reaching those individuals who are somewhat academically at-risk and are subsequently able to sustain or improve their academic performance during the course of a mentoring relationship. Footnotes 1Reh, F. John. Mentors and Mentoring: What Is a Mentor? Retrieved December 1, 2006, from http://management.about.com/cs/people/a/mentoring.htm. 2Mentoring in America 2005: A Snapshot of the Current State of Mentoring. Results of a poll on mentoring commissioned by MENTOR. Retrieved December 1, 2006, from http://www.mentoring.org/leaders/partnerships/index.php?s=CT. 3http://www.mentoring.org/leaders/partnerships/index.php?s=CT. 4The Governor’s Partnership Program; Connecticut Mentoring Program. Retrieved on December 1, 2006, from http://www.preventionworksct.org/mentor.html. 5http://www.preventionworksct.org/mentor.html. 6http://www.preventionworksct.org/mentor.html. 7Project Choice Mentoring Program. Received from http://www.projectchoicementor.org/index.htm. 8Connecticut Mentoring Partnership 2005-2006 Evaluation Results Executive Summary. Received December 1, 2006, from http://www.preventionworksct.org.

Confessions of the Worlds Worst Parent

The essay written by Jerri Cook titled Confessions of the World’s Worst Parent, is based on the book Free Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry written by author Lenore Skenazy (Cook). Cook provides similarities about raising her son and uses Skenazy’s experiences as they both point out the feeling of being judged by â€Å"good† parents because they gave their children the freedom to explore life without constant supervision. Cook shows the struggles between raising children the way she was raised and the way society wants them to be raised today.Cook explains to the audience in a humorous fashion the questions that all parents deal with, children and their freedom to explore and the paranoia that they will be hurt or taken. Presently the planet is dealing with the age of too much information, along with this comes misinformation and overinflated imaginations. Cook mentions that life for children was different when she w as a child; children were left to their own devices and the parents trusted them to do the right thing and it did not do any harm (Cook). Cook explains throughout her that society may be producing a planet filled with paranoid parents and children  that cannot fend for themselves.Should parents give their children more responsibility and trust to explore and acquire life skills on their own? The method that Cook uses to make her point to the audience throughout her essay is an anecdotal technique. She uses examples from her own life raising her son and quotes from Skenazy’s book to find a personal common ground with parents raising children. Cook points out the criticisms that Skenazy faced when opening her personal life to the media and sharing her child rearing skills.The use of Cook’s anecdotal technique allows the readers to find a common ground with the author that is familiar and comforting. The humorous way that Cook invites the reader into her life can appeal to parents that might think they are alone with their child rearing fears about not being a good enough parent; this style of writing could comfort a parent to make them feel they are not alone. Cook uses her research to find valid reasons to why parents today are too overprotective and paranoid and shares this interesting information with the audience.To begin with, Cook gives the audience an example of how her son â€Å"Josh told a classmate about throwing rocks at some beavers, and a teacher overheard† the school was â€Å"concerned that the children were 1) being made to work too hard in the garden and 2) that they weren’t being properly supervised† (Cook). Cook mentions that she was confused by the concern, and wondered if she was expected to â€Å"get in the car and go get them? † (Cook). Unfortunately for Cook and her children, the experience left a lasting impression of guilt and that Cook never wanted to be seen as â€Å"the â€Å"bad† p arent† again (Cook).From that point on Cook was â€Å"constantly at their side† (Cook) even though it caused some distress to her and her family. Similarly, Cook mentions that Skenazy â€Å"was nearly devoured by the media and other parents† because â€Å"she let her nine year old son ride the New York subway alone† (Cook). Skenazy wrote a column about her son’s adventure for the â€Å"New York Sun† (Cook) and it had caused her to be â€Å"criticized by every child safety â€Å"expert† (Cook) which in turn initiated an investigation of neglect for her son.Cook uses this example to show the different methods of parenting that exist and that some parents still feel that their children are fully capable and intelligent enough to make good choices. On the other hand Cook explains the paranoid state of affairs that the â€Å"good parents† (Cook) are inflicting on their children. As a result, Cook mentions that Skenazy started her ow n investigation into the actual facts and statistics about children and safety. Through Cook’s description of Skenazy’s investigations she learned that â€Å"Not only is the fear irrational, according to the statisticians Skenazy interviewed, it’s based solely on perception.† (Cook).This â€Å"perception† (Cook) can also be altered by the â€Å"issue of parent peer pressure† (Cook). Cook quotes Skenazy by writing, â€Å"Hell hath no fury like a self-righteous parent† (Cook). Furthermore, Cook explains Skenazy’s idea of the â€Å"helicopter parent† (Cook) that hover over their children â€Å"wasting their time, responding to threats that don’t exist† (Cook). Cook illustrates the idea about the old question of â€Å"how many cases have there been of children being injured or killed by tainted Halloween candy? † (Cook).After doing some research and asking questions the answer to the question turned out to be â€Å"none† (Cook). An â€Å"urban legend† (Cook) that unfortunately began with a horrible incident involving â€Å"relatives, in attempt to save their sorry selves, sprinkled some of the drug on the dead child’s Halloween candy after a child got into a relative’s stash of heroin and died† (Cook). This unfortunate incident has caused panic and concern for parents during Halloween for decades and to the dismay of children when a large portion of their candy was put in the garbage because it looked tampered with.In conclusion, Cook wrote this essay to humorously explain with anecdotes the trivial nonsense guilt that the â€Å"good parents† inflict on other parents that do not have the same views on the supervision of children. Cook tries to ease some of the guilt and inadequacy of being a â€Å"bad parent†. Cook makes light about not following parental peer pressure and raising their children as they feel comfortable and in the be st interest of their children.