Of Mice and Men Dreams Essay

Good brainstorming attempt. You have written more than most at your age. Let’s try and clarify the ideas. QUESTION -Many of the characters’ ambitions in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are focused on dreams for a better life analyse the presentation of two of these dreams within the novel. How to Write an Essay 1. Don’t panic 2. Try to follow each of the characters. What would it really be like to be them? 3. Try to develop a short thesis statement. 4. Try not to deviate too far from the thesis statement during the essay. 5. Do you use one or two quotes? I’m from the U.S. We use double quotes first. Then, single quotes. Here are three good ideas you had. Try and develop the dream idea more. Stay away from the death of the dream. The question is really not asking how the dream dies. I have reworked the paragraphs a lot. The American Dream of prosperity and independence fuels Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The two central characters, George and Lennie, forge a bond to achieve this dream. In the achievement of their dream, they must separate themselves from the masses of itinerant workers whose sweat, grime, and despair become obstacles to dream fulfillment. George feels that their situation is unique in contrast to other ranch workers: they have each other. He boasts, ‘Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you.’ This shows that George and Lennie share a symbiotic relationship; they depend on each other to provide a sense of hope in an otherwise bleak life. In addition, their wages, food rations, and necessities will be shared. Lennie’s childlike faith in the dream forces the cynical George to confront the dream daily. Lennie’s main objective is to ‘tend the rabbits.’ He constantly looks to George for reassurance that he will be able to tend rabbits in the future. â€Å"Tending the rabbits† is a manifestation of George’s love for Lennie as much as it is Lennie’s dream. George is â€Å"tending the rabbits† already in driving ahead with the dream. Develop this paragraph. Despite the obvious joys of independence and owning land, George longs for freedom, the freedom of not having to work; instead, having the liberty to choose when he will work. ‘And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof.’ Another comparison: Curley’s idea of the dream.

Digital music and the internet age – The people vs. the recording industry association of America

Just as the Internet is fast becoming a way of life for many in the United States, music has had its roots embedded in people's lives, careers, and hobbies throughout history. What do you get when you merge music and the Internet in the year 2002? Chaos, it seems. In this heated debate, there are two sides that are prevalent. The first is brought by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which represents the major record labels, musicians, and artists in the United States. The RIAA claims that the Internet is responsible for rampant music piracy that has the power to destroy the music industry as we know it. The RIAA been in the center of countless lawsuits and trials, and is in the forefront of the digital music debate through its use of legal tactics. The other side of this debate is represented by you and me – the common people. We do not argue that music piracy is illegal and unethical. However, we have much at stake in this argument, as the RIAA has tried to gain approval for strict laws that could affect each and every one of us. The RIAA has tried to invade our privacy, sue the common people, prevent us from playing CDs in our computers, hack into our computers, stop the sale of personal music players, and change key pieces of legislature for their benefit. Rather than approach this issue with public support and regard for the consumers who make their industry possible, the RIAA has continually neglected public opinion and has put us on the back burner in order to protect their profit margins. The History So what exactly is this big mess about? In a nutshell, it boils down to digital music piracy. The music industry is hurting from a 9.2 percent global music sales slump in 2001. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, world CD sales fell seven percent last year, while singles and cassettes continued to decline (Wang 147). They claim that music piracy on the Internet is largely to blame for this trend. By merging the Internet and compact disc technologies, it became possible for people to convert the digital music stored on CDs into a very small computer file format called MP3. A music file converted to MP3 could then be sent to other people on the Internet quickly and easily. These technological advances eventually led to rampant music piracy on the Internet. While I do not condone nor support digital music piracy, I believe that the battle the RIAA is waging has been unfair, one-sided, and based on greed. In trying to protect their interests, this trade group has bitten the hands of the people who feed it – us. The Past In 1980, a case came upon the United States Supreme Court docket involving Universal City Studios, a Hollywood movie studio, and a new Sony technology called Betamax, or what we now refer to as the common VCR. Universal City Studios asked the courts to block Betamax sales, which were poised to enter the consumer market. The movie studio argued that consumers would use VCRs to copy and distribute copyrighted films (Wright 16). In 1984 the U.S. Supreme Court told the movie industry to back off, ruling that most people would use VCRs to record soap operas they missed while at work, rather than making illegal copies of films (Wright 18). One would think that a lesson was learned from this scenario. Sadly, that was not the case. Fast-forward fifteen years and we see a very similar situation unfold. RIAA vs. MP3 players In 1998, Diamond Multimedia introduced the Rio portable MP3 player to the consumer market. MP3 files were starting to become very popular. Using the Rio portable MP3 player, people would be able to convert files from CDs that they owned into MP3 format, and then transfer them onto the Rio MP3 player, which could store hours of music and would eliminate any need for CDs or cassettes (Musician's Internet, par. 8). Enter the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1999 the RIAA filed suit against Diamond Multimedia, the creators of the Rio MP3 player. They claimed that the player violated the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992, which prohibits devices that make copies from digital music recordings. The RIAA believed that since people had the ability to illegally download music from the Internet, the portable MP3 player should be illegal (Musician's Internet, par. 9). This was a major flaw in logic for the RIAA. First of all, I personally cannot think of one person who does not own at least one CD these days. Even my grandmother has more than a handful! By trying to ban the portable MP3 player, the RIAA was saying that people did not have any legal or legitimate use for the product. However, people could easily copy songs from the many CDs they owned onto this portable MP3 player, and still remain perfectly law abiding citizens! Just as in the previous Betamax judgment, this case was thrown out. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Diamond Multimedia's technology was perfectly legal, as the player made copies from computer hard drives and CDs, not solely from digital music recordings (Musician's Internet, par.15). The portable MP3 player has now become immensely popular and successful, and is one of the current best-selling pieces of technology on the market today. In fact, analysts predict that 26 million portable MP3 players will be sold in 2005, threatening the dominance of even CDs (Brull 67)! The RIAA was trying to hinder change. If they had been successful, we would not have portable MP3 players in our lives today. RIAA vs. Napster The case of the Recording Industry Association of America versus Napster was very widely publicized. Napster was an online file-trading program that allowed people to trade both legal and illegal MP3 files with ease. The RIAA soon entered the scene, eventually succeeding in shutting Napster down. I do believe that the RIAA had very good reason to take action against Napster, as it was an online music piracy haven. However, in succeeding to shut the service down, they overlooked a very important issue; people loved downloading music from the Internet. Rather than start their own legal online file-sharing program, the RIAA and the music industry were very slow in action. The RIAA did not listen to public demand for such a service. With the demise of Napster, new illegal trading programs popped up. Unlike their predecessor Napster, however, these programs would be next to impossible to shut down as they have no central server location. These networks run from user to user. Essentially, the only way to stop the programs is to shut down the Internet itself. If the RIAA had listened to the people, it is very possible that they would be in a much better position in the fight against music piracy. However, they ignored the need of the public, and dug themselves an even deeper hole. There was a very legitimate and legal answer to Napster. Rather than trying to turn the service into a paying model or creating their own service, the RIAA simply shut it down. They gave no thought to the legal uses, such as promotion, sharing of files by independent artists not signed to any record label, uncopyrighted material, and music available with permission from the artist or record company. So why didn't the RIAA and the major record labels jump to start their own Napster-like networks? The answer is simple. Digital music distribution, as it stands now, offers much thinner profit margins. Rapper Chuck D says â€Å"a major label makes a CD for as little as 80 cents, then sells it wholesale for $10.50 so retailers can charge $14 – that's highway robbery.† He gloats further that â€Å"the true revenge will come when the major labels start dropping their prices† (Hopper, par. 7). If consumers are able to use inexpensive technology to download music free or of a much lesser charge, you can bet that they won't run to a record store and pay $14 for a CD. The key to that $10 profit margin they are making is that manufacturing and distribution would eventually fade in digital downloads, meaning the record labels would have to cut costs and make a smaller profit. It's all about money. With so much piracy occurring online and next to no way to stop it, what could the RIAA do next? How about prevent consumers from playing CDs in their computers, or better yet, how about hacking all of your computers? That is exactly what they are trying to do. RIAA vs. Your Computer Throughout its many legal battles thus far, the RIAA has continually neglected and disregarded the music consumers. So, it comes as no surprise that it happens yet again. However, this time their focus is on your very own personal computer. One of the first anti-piracy measures used by the RIAA and the major record labels was a technology called copy-protected CDs. Introduced in 2000, these CDs were designed to prevent a user from copying music tracks to a computer and then sharing them with others online (Cohen 43). Sounds good, right? Maybe not, as this technology has a major downfall. If you try to play a copy-protected CD in your computer, you will find out that it isn't possible! In fact, even some older regular CD players cannot play the copy-protected discs. By adding this copy-protection, the music industry effectively stops you from playing these CDs in your computer at all. In doing this, however, one of your personal rights has been taken away. Imagine that! The 1992 Audio Home Recording Act allows music listeners to make some personal digital copies of their music for their own use and backup (Brull 67). With copy-protected CDs, you are not able to make copies of the music that you have purchased and have every right to copy and backup – another strike against the RIAA. The copy-protection debate is currently being waged by lawmakers. Another way the Recording Industry Association of America is trying to stop you from copying music and sharing it with others is by hacking you! This is another debate currently up in the air in Congress. The RIAA has recruited Congressmen Howard Berman and Howard Coble to introduce a piece of legislature that would let content owners hack pirates' computers (Brull 68). So what does that mean to you? Essentially, it means that the record labels, the RIAA, and copyright owners would be able to hack into your computers and delete or replace your illegal files. This is a huge breach of privacy, but yet another act that the RIAA deems ‘necessary.' If they cannot stop the software used to trade illegal files, the industry hopes to attack your computer instead! RIAA vs. Privacy and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) However, the fight doesn't stop at your computer. Money means so much to these companies that they want to compromise your privacy as well. On July 23, 2002, the Recording Industry Association of America made an unprecedented request of Verizon Communications, a company that sells Internet access to consumers. The RIAA served the company with a subpoena, seeking the identity of a Verizon subscriber who allegedly illegally traded songs by artists including Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and N'Sync. The RIAA didn't specify why it wanted to know who the user was, or what it would do with the information (Hopper, par. 16). Luckily, Verizon denied the request and took this issue to court. Everyone has a right to be anonymous online. A user's anonymity should not be unmasked without any proof of misconduct. In fact, in defamation and trademark-infringement cases, a judge is first asked to weigh the evidence of illegal activity against the constitutionally protected right to anonymous speech (Black 9). The RIAA is trying to bypass judges, courts, and laws in order to force ISPs to reveal information about their subscribers without even making any charges. This is yet another personal right that the company is infringing upon. This debate is currently in court as well, and it should be interesting to see what happens in the end. It is very probable that the U.S. Supreme Court will settle this issue. RIAA vs. Your Integrity Even after showing no respect for your personal rights and laws as a consumer, the RIAA is now attacking your very own integrity. On September 26, 2002, ads began running on television and in print condemning online music piracy. These weren't your normal ads, however. This time around, the RIAA thought that since they couldn't get your attention, perhaps popular music superstars could (Healy, par. 2). These ads, by such artists as Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Madonna have one underlying message – we are thieves. â€Å"Would you go into a CD store and steal a CD?† Britney Spears asks in one ad. â€Å"It's the same thing, people going into the computers and stealing our music† (Healy, par. 4). Rapper Nelly had a similar message. â€Å"We really look at it as stealing, because to us it's black and white, either you pay for it or you don't. And, you're not paying for it† (Healy, par. 6). However, these ads are a bit hard to swallow for the average consumer. Let's look at this picture again. These are mega-selling superstars. In 2000, Madonna had reported assets in excess of $425 million. Britney Spears makes over $40 million yearly (Healy, par. 9). The RIAA wants us to believe that these artists are hurting from piracy? I don't know about you, but I don't feel too sorry. Conclusion In conclusion, I believe that the Recording Industry Association of America is a devious and thoughtless trade group. They have continuously put their profit margin ahead of the rights of the consumers. The numerous real-life examples presented in this paper should give you a firm understanding of the unethical antics that the RIAA has used to further their cause. Which side are you on – big business, or consumer rights?

Assignment: Law practical writing

Assignment: Law practical writing March 20, 2015 xxxx Dear Mr Carlos Santiago, Mr Alfonso Ribeira owns one hectare land, which he uses for producing ethical foie gras. He does this by using a method of forced-feeding geese. Ethical foie gras is produced by making use of the natural instinct of geese to eat the wild yellow lupines seeds in the winter months. Which is then used for the production of foie gras. Due to the conduct of which occurred on 1 December 2014 – when insecticide was applied on my client’s property by the defendant Mr. Carlos Santiago – my client, Mr Alfonso Ribeira, has suffered losses both towards his geese and his business. Therefore I hereby demand, on behalf of my client Mr. Alfonso Ribeira, a sum of (approximately) ‘10.000,- to compensate these loss(es). This liability is based on the basic rule for tort liability in the Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR) found in Art. 1:101, (1): †A person who suffers legally relevant damage has a right to reparation from a person who caused the damage ‘intentionally’ or ‘negligently’ or is otherwise accountable for the ‘causation’ of damage.† The demand has been established on the basis of negligence and causation, which has lead to legally relevant damages. These actions are the following: You were aware of Mr Alfonso Rebeira’s business on his hectare; The insecticide comes with a precaution measure, on when and how to use it – making it evident that it should not be applied on windy days – for which you have ignored. The insecticide was blown on the lupin seeds. You were fully aware that the geese were eating the seeds, and that this would cause in their death, yet no warning was given to your neighbor at the time that the product was sprayed. The death of the geese has caused damage to Mr Alfonso Rebeira’s business and therefore an economic detriment. The fact that you used the insecticide on a day which was prescribed NOT to use, has led to the chain of liable activities. The decision to use the insecticide on a windy day has resulted in negligent behavior, according to Article 3:102: ‘A person causes legally relevant damage negligently when that person causes the damage by conduct. Does not meet the particular standard of care provided by a statutory provision whose purpose is the protection of the person suffering the damage from that damage. Does not otherwise amount to such care as could be expected from a reasonably careful person in the circumstances of the case’ On the one hand you have followed the statutory regulations by applying the insecticide between the required months, as stated in the regional Insecticide Regulation (2008). On the other hand you did not amount to the expected care when you sprayed the insecticide on a windy day regardless of the warning stated on the label. Therefore you have not met the standard stated in Article 3:102 (b). This makes you liable for negligence. Regarding the insecticide regulation, you have had enough time to use the product on a windless day between the months. Furthermore, since you have had more than enough time to spray the insecticide on a windless day after the 1st of December, you have acted negligently. The activity that occurred negligently: on 1 December 2014, (the defendant) Carlos Santiago applied an insecticide to his young olive trees in accordance with the regional Insecticide Regulation (2008) which stated: * Insecticide can be applied only from 1 May to 1 January at the discretion of the user. The label on the insecticide prescribed the following precaution; To spray the insecticide on windless days. Art. 4:101, (1) (1) A person causes legally relevant damage to another if the damage is to be regarded as a consequence of: ‘ (a) That person’s conduct; or ‘ (b) a source of danger for which that person is responsible (2) In cases of personal injury or death the injured persons’ predisposition with respect to the type or extent of the injury sustained is to be disregarded negligence DCFR: Article3:102 Negligence ‘Apersoncauseslegallyrelevantdamagenegligentlywhenthatpersoncausesthedamagebyconductwhicheither: (a)Doesnotmeettheparticularstandardofcareprovidedbyastatutoryprovisionwhosepurposeistheprotectionofthepersonsufferingthedamagefromthatdamage; (b)Doesnototherwiseamounttosuchcareascouldbeexpectedfromareasonablycarefulpersoninthecircumstancesofthecase’ issue rule analyses application conclusion Alfonso Ribeira started a business producing ethical foie gras. – Carlos owns the adjacent hectare. (Ethical foie gras is produced by making use of the natural instinct of geese to eat acorns, different types of grasses and the wild yellow lupines seeds in the winter months) On 1 December 2014, Carlos applied an insecticide to his young olive trees in accordance with the regional Insecticide Regulation (2008). Insecticide can be applied only from 1 May to 1 January at the discretion of the user. here is light wind in these months and therefore the toxic product does not easily spread to neighboring fields. The product labels also warn users to spray the insecticide on windless days. On 1 December 2014 a strong wind hit the region. Carlos, carried out his plan to spray his trees on that day. The yellow lupines were exposed for a few days to the insecticide. Result: 50 geese died because they ate the seeds of the yellow lupines.

Play Station 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Play Station 4 - Research Paper Example Watch dogs ranks second and the FIFA 14 ranks third. The reviews from the customers who bought these games earlier have contributed greatly to the increased sales by creating an urge among other buyers. Below, I shall discuss the reason each game made it to this list. This PS4 game has sold over two million, five hundred and ten thousand copies in both North America and Europe. This number of sales is incredible. There are those who feel that these sales are because it a Cod game and the lovers just buy it on this basis. But this game is unique, that boosts its sales. This game features players on the side of a nation fighting for liberty: they have to fight hard to survive. The immersion levels in this game are stunning, and the performance is good. These features raise its demand among play station 4 lovers. Another fascinating feature that makes this game an exceptional one is that unlike in the past call of duty games, one creates a soldier. It is upon the player to decide the gender and the appearance of a soldier. People love character customization, and this game offers just that. There is also a feature on the multiplayer. As the match goes on, the environment evolves. This change in landscape makes the players change tactics and come up with other strategies making the player feel that they own the game. Watchdogs has sold over two million four hundred and seventeen thousand copies. The game stands out because of the multi-player system that is simply amazing and that it is a fun game to play. The game has good visuals that are mind blowing. Most players love this game because the controls are tight, and the game is responsive. Every button on the PS4 is utilized for this game making it more captivating. The story line of watchdogs is interesting, and once the player gets to level two, it is even more captivating. It creates an urge that is intense among the players where the player utilizes the city’s feature to their full

Just answer an essay question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Just answer an question - Essay Example Value hedonism is a basic principle of Utilitarianism, which provides that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by the intrinsic value that would be obtained from such an action, where the intrinsic value is measurable based on the happiness index. Thus, based on this principle, the Ford Motor Company’s decision not to make an improvement on its defective gas tank design because the costs of improving the design outweighed its benefits is right and moral, since it gave happiness to the company. On the other hand consequentialism is an important aspect of the Utilitarianism, where the rightness or wrongness of an act is also judged, based on how good or bad the consequences it produces are. The fundamental aspect of Utilitarianism regarding consequentialism is the fact that; good intentions do not matter in determining the rightness of an action, as long as good consequences are obtainable. Therefore, based on this principle, the Ford Motor Company’s decision is good, since despite the intention of the action, the consequences were good, since the company did not incur the extra costs. However, through applying the Utilitarianism concept of universality, all individuals to be affected by the consequences of an action are deemed morally relevant. Thus, considering the Ford Motor Company’s decision would impact negatively on the customers of the company, then it is morally wrong. This view point is emphasized by the impartialism principle of Utilitarianism, which requires that all individual affected by the action should count equally, as regards the consequences of an action. This being the case, the Ford Motor Company’s decision is immoral, since its consequences do not grant the customers of the company equal happiness, as it does to the

Sarbanes-Oxley Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sarbanes-Oxley Act - Essay Example Based in Houston, Texas Enron has moved from its modest position to be the tagged as the 7th largest company in the United States and was expected to climb higher and stand out in the power and electric industries. In 2001, the company has 21,000 employees, believed to be in its peak operations. But there was no power shortage in California, hungry to profit more; in a tapped conversation, investors were discovered to have called the plant managers, asking them to shut down the power plants for ‘repairs’ even if there were no technical problems or such. With this ‘technical problems’ prices of electricity rose up to nine times. Enron was a blue chip stock, sold at 90 dollars per share; conniving with its accounting firm, the Arthur Andersen, it has carried out illegal accounting practices since mid 1990’s. It took the plunge when it was found out that its revenues were from trading with special purpose entities. It has at the same time anomalously not declared its losses and debts and from the 90 dollar per share, it has slipped down a 50 centavo per share in a matter of months after the scandal was made public. What made it more devastating was that the same modus was used by other companies such as the MCI-World com, Global Crossings and Tyco among others. The accounting firm that figured in the Enron scandal has handled some of the financial reports of these erring companies. From this economic mess, people feared to invest their money in the market. The government was expected to do something drastic. To make measures to combat the public’s fear to do business with the market. Thus Congressman Paul Sabanes from Maryland, former senator and the longest serving Congressman of Maryland with Michael Oxley from the 4th district of Ohio sat down and authored a bill to respond the problem. They designed a bill that will implement stricter policies for public companies to follow, professional and ethical guidelines for certified public accountants,

Arcor Case Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Arcor Case Analysis - Term Paper Example The company was founded in the year 1951, producing a wide range of products ranging from confectioneries to personal hygiene products and also frozen goods. At present the company operates in over 120 countries worldwide and Arcor was also ranked 14th amongst the top 100 candy companies at US in the year 2009 with a revenue of US $ 2.2 billion. The company provides high quality products and on the other hand to reduce the cost of the product Arcor vertically integrated the packaging system into their system. In the year the company was nominated as the ‘best company’ in Argentina from the chamber of commerce of US. This award recognizes the company who includes management sustainability in their corporate practices. The Company also encourages in promotion of education at Argentina and Brazil. This social responsibility is aimed to minimize the problems arising at workplace and the impacts of environment at the manufacturing plants (Innovalatino, 2010). Situation analys is SWOT Analysis The growth of the company and sustainable survival in the industry the SWOT analysis is conducted by the company. It helps the company to understand the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company identification of which can assist in the implementation of strategies according to the needs of development. Strength Arcor has a great brand name at Argentina. The company’s huge percentage in the domestic market share with around 54% in the candy and 33% at chocolate market gave the company immense popularity in the international market due to its strong base. International acquisition strategy of Arcor with small third party to reduce its price to the end user along with the vertical integration structure for manufacturing of different ingredients facilitates the process of reducing price for the company. This is the major strength of the company which keeps the price low for the firm without affecting the quality of the product. Weaknesses Th e production plants of the company are all located in domestic country thus distribution of the company is a very important aspect to look after by the company. Proper training of the distribution channel and salesperson are required by the company failing to which might create problem for the company to reach to the customers in foreign countries. Building own distribution system can help the company to cope with this problem. Opportunity New product line from the company with over 50 new candy compared to 10 from each competitor can create a huge potential for the company in developing countries where the demand for candies are growing in recent years. Demand for chocolate and confectionery are also increasing which can be a great opportunity for the firm to launch new products in this category (Ghemawt, Rukstad, Illes, 2009, p. 5). Threats Financial crisis and economical slowdown is one of the major threats for the company. While entering into new market the political factor is a lso a possible threat as change in policies of the government can increase the tax on import and export duties which might force the company to increase price for the products, thus loosing the title of being the cost leader in the market. Competitive analysis To get an extra edge in the competitive environment Arcor should analyze the external environment of the firm and understand the threats from different dimensions like new entrants, suppliers,

Indra Nooyi the Current CEO of PepsiCo Research Paper

Indra Nooyi the Current CEO of PepsiCo - Research Paper Example She launched her vision for the company with the motto â€Å"Performance with Purpose†, using her vast experience to promote a culture of change within the company. This has proved an integral strategy that will define her legacy, while her vision has significantly narrowed the company’s path for the foreseeable future (Annapoorna, 2011). Indra Nooyi has positively mastered various emotional intelligence competencies, including trustworthiness, adaptability, initiative, empathy, service orientation, and organizational awareness to succeed, which will be the focus of this paper. Indra Nooyi has proven to be a trustworthy leader with a real purpose and vision that her employees can believe in. While she is accountable ultimately to the shareholders at PepsiCo, it has been evident that she does not pander to Wall Street and is very clear about her goal to transform PepsiCo to a provider of healthy food and away from being a snack food firm (Cook & Glass, 2014). She has made this known through the prioritization of the environment, consumers, and her employees, considering a profit later, which has not been lost on her employees and management. The â€Å"Performance with Purpose† mission has formed the foundation for trust with her employees through its human sustainability, talent sustainability, and environmental sustainability aspects. By generating and balancing profits without loss of focus on her vision, the employees feel that the company has a secure future. This has also ensured that the employees focus on the company’s future and balance it with accountabilities and performance. Nooyi has given the employees a sense of purpose in knowing that they are making a difference while putting their future in the CEO’s hands for the future (Cook & Glass, 2014).  

Research Methods and Stats for Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Methods and Stats for Finance - Essay Example ore, the appropriate and integrative application of "Software as electronic commerce platform for manufacturers and wholesale distributors" with a focus on education and implementation of supply chain management software could have a significant impact on the manner that supply chains function within the companies (Karpinski p 9 1999). Business process re-engineering (BPR) is applied at the local, managerial, and corporate levels of the business. This concept has a significant impact on the various phases of the business process, where the changes that occur can be related to the flow of information and products (Desel & Erwin, 2000). BPR is used in SCM to renovate the managed and integrated processes that create a capable and viable business environment (Chan and Qi 2003). The crucial tenants of BPR is that it reduces tension between inter-organisational departments and business partners, particularly when the there is friction within the SC process (McCormack & Johnson, 2000). Business process re-engineering, specifically related to the main focus of technology and communication in supply chain management includes: (1)Further integration of activities between suppliers and customers across the entire supply chain;(2) on-going changes in supply chain needs and required flexibility from IT; (3) more mass customization of products and services leading to increasing assortments while decreasing cycle times and inventories; (4) the locus of the driver’s seat of the entire supply chain and (5) supply chains consisting of several independent enterprises (Akkermans et al p 284 2003). The benefits of using the BPR concept to promote SCM needs are that it connects information management (McCormack & Johnson, 2000); promotes cost saving activities through efficiency and communication (Horvath, 2001), and reduces financial risk in unsuccessful supply chains (Cross 2000). This project is to examine management logistics in supply chain management as it relates to the

Ethnic Background Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Background Essay My name is Stephanie Flowers and until this class assignment I never thoughtfully considered what my actual ethnic background was. After looking up the meaning of my last name I found it to be of Welsh origin. This means that I could possibility trace my family roots back to Great Britain. After reading chapter one of Race and Ethnic Relations I discovered that being a part of a certain ethnic background does not mean that you have to be part of that race, but you have to practice the common cultural traditions of that subculture. So based off of my name some people might think that I was English. I grew up with a few household traditions that I consider to be a part of my ethnic background. To begin with, I would consider my family to practice Irish traditions. We always have huge St. Patrick’s Day party at my house that turns into an all-day drinking and eating celebration. I might not know all the reasons behind this celebration and what I consider a part of my family tradition, but it is still a part of my ethnic background in my opinion. Drinking is a big part of being Irish and in my family most celebrations do involve some type of alcohol. In Irish culture it is normal to introduce alcohol to children before the actual drinking age, I think this is good because we grow up with this around us and never take consumption of alcohol to extremes because it such a part of everyday life. I am would also consider myself to be of German ethnicity. My family has a good luck tradition for New Years. We eat pork roast and sauerkraut in hopes that the next year will be filled with lots of happiness and joy. I personally love this tradition and get upset when I sometimes only get to eat this meal once a year. It is one of my top five meals to eat that my grandma cooks. Being from the United States of America I do think that I have picked up so many different traditions from all of the friends that I have had throughout my life. This is why I love living in this country I get to experience so many different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. My boyfriend is of the Catholic religion, his family maintains this culture by attending mass for Christmas, Easter, and whenever they feel the need strengthen their relationship with god. This is the way that they maintain their ethnic background. They are a common group of people who believe the idea that they all share the share cultural heritage. This stems from his Irish background where Catholicism is the main religion practiced in that country. So to me this is the way to stay in touch with being from Ireland even though they now live in America. My cousin Rachael is half Mexican. Her mom was an immigrant and came to this country to start a better life. I love getting to go to their house in Texas; her mom makes the best Mexican dishes. What I have noticed from her Mexican culture and ethnicity is that food is a way of bringing the family together, it is a time of bonding in their household. I believe that by cooking traditional Mexican food it keeps her in touch with her roots and makes her feel better connected to her homeland. After doing this assignment I am very interested in doing more research on my family roots and discovering more about who and where I came from. Like it says on the Ancestry. com commercial, â€Å"you don’t have to know what you’re looking for; you just have to start looking. † So that’s what I am going to start doing. Also, I would like to conduct interviews with the elderly people in my family and possibility start filling out my family tree, which would be an easy way to connect the dots of my family history. I will still continue to maintain my Irish and German background by drinking on St. Patrick’s Day and eating pork roast and sauerkraut. I am very proud to be an American and I wish I didn’t take all of the rights that I have in this country for granite.

Influence of Globalisation on Culture

Influence of Globalisation on Culture David Stephens To what extent is globalisation an enhancer of culture? Culture is a way of life unique to a certain set of people; cultures are usually national but can also be present in local communities and on an international scale. Often the term ‘culture’ is misunderstood. To some it may mean traditions that have been passed down through generations but to others it can represent simpler things such as the area they live in or even the language they speak. Culture in itself is not easily defined because of its ever fluctuating nature. No two cultures are identical but some are more similar than others. Globalisation is a term used to decide the many ways in which people and places are becoming ever more closely linked[1]. Globalisation has had a massive effect on culture both historically and in recent times. New cultures deep in the heart of India and South America are being contacted, opening up a huge range of potential investigations. While on a less dramatic scale the trading world between different cultures has become hugely imp ortant and is aided greatly by how easy it has become to trade on a global scale now thanks to leaps forward in technology, transport and communication (see table 1). Trade is often interpreted as the exchange of goods but it can also facilitate the interconnections between cultures. This is evidently present in how many American companies have moved workers into the Far East to places such as India or Vietnam. What has increased Globalisation How has it affected Globalisation Technology Technology is often linked to the advances in medical technology shared between countries. Nowadays we have world leading physicians from all corners of the globe collaborating on projects to aid medical treatments. This allows exchange of local culture and ideas for the benefit of the majority. Transport We have been blessed with larger ships, cheaper air travel, high speed trains and more airports. This has come to the forefront of modern day lives with more and more families travelling overseas to immerse themselves in other cultures. For example in Spain, which is a popular holiday resort has been bombarded by ‘Brits’ abroad. Places such as Menorca and even cultural hubs such Barcelona which I have visited recently has evidence of home nation culture such as Irish bars and traditional English Fish and Chip shops. Is this eroding or extending culture – I guess it depends upon your perspective! Communication Communication usually in the form of mobile phones and internet gives us such easy access to communicate with people anywhere on earth. This has improved sales as products can be ordered and delivered around the globe which ties in with the transport aspect of global perspectives. Locally, businesses can expand and distribute products beyond the locality, which is good for both the consumer and the business itself. Though I have been talking about how globalisation has affected our ability to communicate with other cultures in recent times, it has been around for a long, long time. When Christopher Columbus set sail in search of Asia[2] and discovered the West Indies and made the civilised world aware of the Americas, he participated in the globalisation of the cultures of the indigenous people on the islands as he made the world aware of their existence for the first time in their history. This was obviously a huge leap forward for globalisation as it set off a chain of events that would eventually end in America being one of the biggest economies for trade and best educational facilitating countries in the entire world. Culture and globalisation are two very contrasting ideas. A culture new to the idea of globalisation may be worried about whether its way of life will stay sacred and individual to them if the rest of the world has access to it.[3] This is a very legitimate fear and can very easily be construed as an invasion of privacy. Although when looked at from a more international perspective you can see that you can learn from other cultures. Very similarly to the development of language, a way of life can be studied and can often add to your own culture as many medieval countries did to provide the languages we speak in the present day. The main cause of globalisation is the ‘western’ world attempting to spread their culture into different corners of the earth. A great example of this is the coffee chain ‘Starbucks.’ Starbucks was founded in 1971, gaining mainstream success around 1991. Since then it has had exponential success with over 20,000 shops worldwide.[4] It is now a firm stalwart of the American Culture. Though Starbucks itself has not always been part of the culture we know today there have always been coffee houses in popular culture although they were initially confined to the USA. Starbucks has introduced a whole new ‘coffee-house’ concept by becoming a multi-national company. Originally just an American chain it has spread rapidly, becoming popular in Britain and is becoming a growing phenomenon in South America.[5] This may be both a problem and an advantage for these countries, for example Peru is one of the South American countries being affected by the so cal led ‘Westernisation.’ It has a 9% unemployment figure (almost one million eligible people out of a job).[6] The opening of new American and British chain stores will provide much needed jobs that will boost their economy as well as providing a stable income for them and their people. On the other hand much small business owners would be ousted by the competitive pricing from these big profit organisations setting up franchises in some Peruvian cities. Traditionally Peru has been famous for incorporating many small businesses into urban areas and Starbucks would be potentially devastating for some of these places. Peru is a nation with many young dependents, indeed 29.1% of the population aged between 0-14 years[7]. This may mean that more jobs available in a stable working environment may not be so bad for the young work force in South America. When more young people are in employment more money is pumped into the economy, which enables the country to safeguard and pres erve it’s own culture such as traditional shops and the upkeep of nationally important monuments. But is globalisation inevitable and perhaps instead of safeguarding our cultures we should accept it and take whatever positives it may bring. [8] This quote from Kofi Annan outlines the view that however hard you fight it, globalisation will always present itself to you using the analogy of gravity. Perhaps this can be linked to the fight that several rural cultures in India and South America are having to avoid any contact with civilization[9]. It may show that perhaps instead of wasting energy fighting a losing battle they should embrace the change. We can help them understand useful medical techniques and educational strategies while they may help us understand their culture and learn their own unique ways of dealing with things such as medical emergencies. On a national scale (UK) and at a more local perspective it is clear that there is an ever larger influence of Polish born immigrants affecting my local area. This is shown to great extent by this graph: [10] This shows how the population of Polish born immigrants living in the UK has swelled massively from under 100,000 in 2001 to over half a million in 2010. This has been analysed in part by a report by Ian Duncan Smith in a report (February 2013). It shows some surprising results. It states that immigrants from other nations such as Romania and Bulgaria will have nines times more money in England on a minimum wage of  £543 to take home to an average family of two children every week compared with  £62 back home. Of course living costs will be a lot less in some of these Eastern European countries compared with Britain. It is also said in the report that these immigrants from Eastern Europe will have twice the ‘economic incentives’ of the Polish immigrants.[11] This is quite a daunting figure as we can see how much success Polish immigrants are having in the UK, this may encourage more and more workers from Eastern Europe to find a better life here.The reason I find thi s daunting is because of the population figure that has been forecast. It suggests that up to 250,000 Romanian and Russian immigrants could move to the country in the next 5 years.10 While it is also forecast that the population of Britain could grow by more than 10 million in the next 25 years.[12] With resources and services stretched to breaking point as it is another 10 million extra people in the country may not be best for our future. Of course, globalistation results in positive diversity in local commmunities but may cause services to be stretched, resulting in potential animosity between existing residents and new arrivals. To understand a broader picture of the affect of globalistaion on culture we have to look at a national scale example. The country in my opinion that has been changed most dramastically by globalistaion in recent years must be The United Arab Emirates. [13] This is a stark contrast from 23 years ago to 5 years ago. After being established in the 18th century as a small fishing village it began to expand after the discovery of oil in the area.[14] Globalisation put UAE firmly on the map, moreso given the importance of oil to almost all developed nations. But what do people think about this? A young man studying in Canada that was born and brought up in the UAE has noticed that social values that play a huge part of modern society in the west are nothing like those in the UAE.[15] This is surprising as the globalistaion shown in the UAE is heavily influenced by the west so one would expect the social values such as letting someone with right of way pass in the street would also be passed into UAE culture so obviously globalisation has not affected every aspect of life in Dubai and the UAE. Table 2 below considers the future ‘what –if scenarios of globalisation Table 2: Globalisation defeats nationalism†¦ But what would happen if globalisation sped up and defeated nationalism to provide us with a completely globalised society? Could we live like that or is nationalism too important to our society? Well according to Gary Abate of TED discussions â€Å"it is not geographical borders that are the problem, but the borders within ourselves,† this though very philosophical is no answer to the question posed. Perhaps he is trying to imply that if there was only one country and culture there would still be divides and it isn’t necessarily nationalism to their country but nationalism to culture and if globalisation took over and we lived completely globalised we would still want to have our own culture. Although perhaps another interpretation of a globalised community is not a community with one culture but many more than a single global entity. This would be completely different in the way that each community would fight to defend their culture and that may cause many disagreeme nts. Globalistaion loses momentum†¦ What would happen if globalisation was to cease or at least lost the momentum it is carrying at the moment? Well some may agree that to stop globalisation is a near impossible task and if it was to happen it would mean larger powers such as the USA would lose both a lot of business but also a lot of workers, this is because many of the workers that many large US companies use are situated in less wealthy companies which means they can work for a fraction of the price that a US worker may demand. On the more positive side it would make countries invest further into their own economies and help the less fortunate of their own culture by providing more jobs internally to the country. While also a focus may have to be put on technology to do the jobs in factories that may otherwise be outsourced to a different country so hopefully technology would take further leaps forward in terms of development. Globalisation gathers momentum†¦ Another major scenario that would change the dynamic of culture is if globalistaion gathered greater momentum. This may cause countries to forget their own cultural identity as they spread further and faster across the globe. A quite major example of this is the football club Cardiff City. In 2012 owner Vincent Tan decided to change the colour of the clubs home shirt from blue to red. The club had played in a blue kit for 104 years prior to the change, this angered many fans as it was seen as a marketing ploy to appeal to fans in Malaysia (Tan’s home nation). This shows an example of an individual showing the view that to globalise as much as possible is more important than serving the preservation of culture. But can our cultures be preserved, should they be? In a world of ever growing globalisation we have to find more and more ways to preserve our culture. Obviously there are aspects of ever culture that should be preserved, for example the way in the UK they remember the fallen heroes of war every November 11th and in the USA on the anniversary of one of their greatest national tragedies 9/11 they remember and honour. On a lighter note festivals such as China’s New Year’s celebrations are a thing definitely worth preserving. But should all cultures be preserved? Should uncontacted tribes still stay away from civilistaion or should they step into the new world? New advances in the world may aid them greatly but also may be too intimidating and would be incredibly derogatory to their development. Globalisation may harm the development of some un-touched civilisations by introducing them to the new danger of world affairs and in some cases ignoring the on-rushing tide of glo balisation and leaving these civilisations and other countries in the world to their own devices is sometimes a larger step towards preserving culture than presenting it all over the globe could ever be. If your culture such as Ireland’s famous bars are now scattered all over the globe can they be construed as your culture any longer or have you lost that national identity to globalisation? My final thought is this; though globalistion can help with exploring the great depth and wonder of the world, being conservative in where you ship your culture to is the greatest tool of preservation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Edexcel AS Geography Textbook page 88 , Publisher Phillip Allan Updates in the year 2008, A collective works by Sue Warn, Cameron Dunn, David Holmes, Bob Hordern, Simon Oakes and Michael Witherick. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#Quest_for_Asia http://www.buzzle.com/articles/culture-and-globalization.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks http://www.stateofnature.org/?p=6292 http://www.limaeasy.com/peru-info/important-facts-and-figures-about-peru http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/study/humanities/globalisation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncontacted_peoples http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/august-2011/polish-people-in-the-uk.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9877851/Bulgarian-and-Romanian-workers-nine-times-better-off-in-UK.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10429901/Migrants-add-5.8m-to-bulging-Britain.html https://p1.dntrck.com/tr?id=c3d70bba1eace8af05025b74ea8901ccae4a0fb1.r http://www.colorcoat-online.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/same-place-different-years/ http://www.7daysindubai.com/People-Dubai-disappointment/story-19775407-detail/story.html http://www.ted.com/conversations/7931/can_we_abolish_nationalism_and.html 1981 words excluding tables, headings and subtitles [1] Edexcel AS Geography Textbook page 88 , Publisher Phillip Allan Updates in the year 2008, A collective works by Sue Warn, Cameron Dunn, David Holmes, Bob Hordern, Simon Oakes and Michael Witherick. [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#Quest_for_Asia [3] http://www.buzzle.com/articles/culture-and-globalization.html [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks [5] http://www.stateofnature.org/?p=6292 [6] http://www.limaeasy.com/peru-info/important-facts-and-figures-about-peru [7] http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=PERU [8] http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/study/humanities/globalisation [9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncontacted_peoples [10] http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/august-2011/polish-people-in-the-uk.html [11] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9877851/Bulgarian-and-Romanian-workers-nine-times-better-off-in-UK.html [12] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10429901/Migrants-add-5.8m-to-bulging-Britain.html [13] https://p1.dntrck.com/tr?id=c3d70bba1eace8af05025b74ea8901ccae4a0fb1.r [14] http://www.colorcoat-online.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/same-place-different-years/ [15] http://www.7daysindubai.com/People-Dubai-disappointment/story-19775407-detail/story.html

Love in If Thou Must Love Me, Let it be for Naught, To His Lady, and The Taxi :: To His Lady The Taxi poems

Love in "If Thou Must Love Me, Let it be for Naught", "To His Lady", and "The Taxi" "when a man loves a woman he'd give up all his comfort, sleep out in the rain, if she said that's the way it ought to be" (Percy Sledge). No truer words have ever been spoken when it comes to relationships between man and woman. For when a man and a woman come together for a relationship it should be for the right reason, and that reason is love. Love is much more than just a word though, it is a feeling and emotion that cannot be duplicated, imitated, or simulated. Love is, as described in "If Thou Must Love Me, Let it be for Naught", "To His Lady", and "The Taxi", the emotions of joy, happiness, caring, passion, commitment, pleasure, and even pain all rolled into one, which is shared between two people. The only love is true love. This means that when one loves another, the love that they are feeling should encompass all attributes of the person they are loving. If one were to say that they loved another for their beautiful eyes, this would not be true love. In order for it to be love, one would not just see the beautiful eyes, they would see everything about that person as beautiful. Elizabeth Barrett Browning agrees when she says to not love for a smile or a look, instead one should love for loves sake. ?Thou mayst love on, through love?s eternity? (206 14). True love is also a love that is eternal; true love is never ending. Henry Howard also believed that love should be everlasting. Wedding vows have become, to a certain extent, things of the past. People are getting married only to be divorced with in the first couple years of marriage. Till death do us part no longerholds meaning in the holy union of two souls. This is not true love. Luckily Howard helps us to see what true love is when he paints us a picture in words in ?To "His Lady?. ?In the long night, or in the shortest day/ In lofty youth, or when my hairs gray/ Set me in earth, in heaven, or yet in hell/ Sick, or in health, in ill fame, or in good/ Yours will I be? (277 lines 6, 8-9, 11-12). Through thick and thin, no matter what happens the man in this poem will stick by his lady.

George Orwells Animal Farm :: George Orwell Animal Farm Essays

George Orwell's Animal Farm George Orwell has used many techniques of writing such as irony and humour to portray significant events throughout Animal Farm. This extract, just after the slaughter of the 'disloyal' animals (one of the most emotive of the events in the book), is no exception and so I will be analysing and interpreting the response of readers as well as making links to other parts in the book. 'Loud singing' could be heard from the farmhouse, this is just after the pigs have come across a 'case of whiskey'. It is not the singing itself, which is the 'surprise' to the animals but the song that is being sung, Beasts of England. Beasts of England, the song of rebellion and hope, has just been banned. The banishment of the song stood for the destruction of old Major's vision of a 'perfect unity' between animals. Also the song signifies rebellion and so Napoleon has forbidden it to extinguish any fighting spirit against his dictator-led regime. The pigs, after being intoxicated, lose all their inhibitions; it seems ironic how they are now relying on their natural instincts rather than their brains. Them singing Beasts of England is hypocritical of the banishment, and supports the readers dislike of the pigs. Napoleon is seen wearing a 'Bowler hat' and 'gallop rapidly round the yard', this is the only time where Napoleon loses control. In my opinion, which may be disputed, this is a sign of Napoleon evolving in to the 'pig to man' he becomes in the end. His wearing of the bowler hat, an item of clothing, reveals his human behaviour in contrast to him galloping, which exposes his animal instincts. To us this image of a boar in a bowler hat is amusing although the animals must have been confused. The following morning Squealer appears, 'walking slowly and dejectedly', already the readers are able to make the link that the pigs must be hung over hence no 'pig appeared to be stirring'. Squealer announces to the animals that Napoleon 'is dying!' As a reader I have no sympathy towards the announcement but only humour since I know he is not going to die, he is only hung over. On the other hand the reaction from the animals is tremendous; 'a cry of lamentation went up' and they had 'tears in their eyes' while asking each other 'what they should do if their leader were taken away from them'. As readers it is very frustrating to see the animals act so pathetically, that they are so dependant upon 'comrade Napoleon' their 'leader'. Later on Squealer declared 'the drinking of alcohol was to

The Decline of Womens Roles in Early Christianity Essay -- World Hist

The Decline of Women's Roles in Early Christianity "Suddenly Jesus met them and said, `Greetings!' And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him." (Matthew 28:9)# Near the end of each of the four Christian gospels, it is women who first discovered that the body of Jesus was missing and who were the first to report seeing him after his death. Certainly then, this is a major indication of the high involvement of women in early Christianity. With such high status undoubtedly must have come power, influence, and important positions in the early Church. But by approximately 750 C.E women had lost these major roles in the Church, and the power and influence they once had. This essay will examine the decline of women's roles in early Christianity, and argue that this loss of power was a direct result of the canons of early Eastern and Western Church councils, which were founded on patriarchal notions. Before delving into why women lost positions in the early Church, it's best to first discuss what roles or positions they held. To begin, there were the wives of priests and various other church officials, who functioned as respected co-workers along side their husbands.# It is important to state though, that wives did not carry out the duties of their husbands. Next, was the order of widows, normally older women who had been married to only one man, and who had consecrated themselves to the church, after the death of their husbands, in order to pray for the clergy and congregation.# Deaconess was yet another position held by women. Although a deaconess did not have the same responsibilities as a priest, their specific role was to instruct female catechumens in the doctrines of the Christian faith, help to baptize... ...drickson Publishers Inc., 1998. Coogan, Michael D., Editor. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2001. Eisen, Ute E. Women Officeholders in Early Christianity. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Collegeville: The Order of St. Benedict Inc., 2000. Kraemer, Ross Shepard, and Mary Rose D'Angelo. Women and Christian Origins. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1999. MacDonald, Margaret Y. Early Christian Women and Pagan Opinion. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Markus, R.A. Saeculum: History and Society in the Theology of St. Augustine. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1970. Scholer, David M. Women in Early Christianity. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1993. Williams, Stephen, and Gerard Friell, Editors. Theodosius the Empire at Bay. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. The Decline of Women's Roles in Early Christianity Essay -- World Hist The Decline of Women's Roles in Early Christianity "Suddenly Jesus met them and said, `Greetings!' And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him." (Matthew 28:9)# Near the end of each of the four Christian gospels, it is women who first discovered that the body of Jesus was missing and who were the first to report seeing him after his death. Certainly then, this is a major indication of the high involvement of women in early Christianity. With such high status undoubtedly must have come power, influence, and important positions in the early Church. But by approximately 750 C.E women had lost these major roles in the Church, and the power and influence they once had. This essay will examine the decline of women's roles in early Christianity, and argue that this loss of power was a direct result of the canons of early Eastern and Western Church councils, which were founded on patriarchal notions. Before delving into why women lost positions in the early Church, it's best to first discuss what roles or positions they held. To begin, there were the wives of priests and various other church officials, who functioned as respected co-workers along side their husbands.# It is important to state though, that wives did not carry out the duties of their husbands. Next, was the order of widows, normally older women who had been married to only one man, and who had consecrated themselves to the church, after the death of their husbands, in order to pray for the clergy and congregation.# Deaconess was yet another position held by women. Although a deaconess did not have the same responsibilities as a priest, their specific role was to instruct female catechumens in the doctrines of the Christian faith, help to baptize... ...drickson Publishers Inc., 1998. Coogan, Michael D., Editor. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2001. Eisen, Ute E. Women Officeholders in Early Christianity. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Collegeville: The Order of St. Benedict Inc., 2000. Kraemer, Ross Shepard, and Mary Rose D'Angelo. Women and Christian Origins. New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 1999. MacDonald, Margaret Y. Early Christian Women and Pagan Opinion. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Markus, R.A. Saeculum: History and Society in the Theology of St. Augustine. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1970. Scholer, David M. Women in Early Christianity. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1993. Williams, Stephen, and Gerard Friell, Editors. Theodosius the Empire at Bay. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.

Analysis of the Demand for a M&S Simply Food Convenience Store

INTRODUCTION In this report we assess whether an M&S Simply Food convenience store would be profitable when located in Complex Desjardins, Montreal. In the U. K. Simply Food possess a strong brand image and wide-variety of products that emphasize quality. Although considered more expensive than competing stores To see if the chain will have the same level of success in Montreal, we first analyzed the fundamentals and competitive landscape of the industry. Once a gap in the market was identified, we used quantitative research practices to examine each of the marketing mix factors involved in establishing the store.Our findings will indicate whether the location and consumer pool under consideration will RESEARCH OBJECTIVES * Identify the M&S Simply Food products and services, and the factors that drive the chain’s success in the U. K. * Analyze the market fundamentals of the convenience store sector in Montreal, and identify whether a market gap for quality, high-end stores suc h as M&S Simply food exists * Assess whether M&S Simply Food will be profitable in Complex Desjardins based on the following factor: (i) Location (ii) Consumer Demographic (iii) Consumer Preferences (iv) Competition & Pricing Propose key operating and marketing strategies to ensure the success of M&S Simply food in Complex Desjardins. METHODOLOGY Industry Knowledge Exploratory research was employed to gain understanding of the U. K. convenience market and lean how the M&S Simply Food chain is positioned. This involved a review of studies and data made available by leading international research institutions, as well as informal discussions with consumers who previously lived in London and are familiar with the brand. We applied the same methodologies when conducting a similar analysis of the Montreal convenience market.In this stage of our research we were able to apply more formal approaches, such as conducting in-depth interviews with store managers. After all the necessary inform ation was acquired, a qualitative comparison of the industries was made to determine whether opportunities existed for M&S Simply Food in Montreal and whether a repositioning of products would be needed. Target Market From our previous analysis we establish a target market: consumers at the Complex Desjardins. This location is one of the main attractions in Montreal, at a vast 4 million square feet.Roughly 30,000 people come to the complex and its surroundings daily to work, shop, eat and/or enjoy the activities surrounding the Central Square. The Central Square inside the building has a surface of 15,000 square feet and is surrounded by a commercial gallery of 100 stores and restaurants. Thus, this location was chosen because of its notoriety and large exposure to residents and tourists. Survey and Sample Size To determine whether consumers at Complex Desjardins would be willing to purchase M&S Simple Food products we conducted an anonymous survey on food services within the comple x.The survey was a questionnaire made up variety of formats designed to draw out information about the location, demographic, consumer preferences, surrounding competition, pricing comparisons and consumers’ willingness to pay. Interviews were conducted at the Complex Desjardins, as well as within a 500m radius of its surroundings which comprised of Complexe Guy-Favreau, Bleury Street, Place Des Arts and Boulevard Saint-Laurent. We classified qualified respondents as consumers that came through the complex at least 3 times a week.In total, we interviewed 96 people, considering a variability of 50% and a 10% acceptable sampling error at 95% level of confidence. Assuming the total population under observation here is 30,000, it is evident that a 5% confidence interval is well above 96. Thus, no more readjustments are needed due to small sampling size. FINDINGS Convenience Market (1) U. K. Industry The U. K. convenience store market was valued at ? 30. 9 billion in the 12 months to April 2010, representing a 6. 3% increase on the previous year. The value of the market continued to grow despite a 0. 5% in store numbers. With he total U. K. Food and Grocery market expanding at a slower rate of 4. 1% in the same period, it is evident that the convenience sector is accelerating at a faster pace than the overall market. Thus, its market share has risen to 20. 5%. The factors driving the sector are the rising number of single person households, a growing population, increasing number of women in the work place and longer working weeks. The sector is also propelled forward by improved operational standards, greater awareness of shopper trends and more modern, tailored convenience solutions. (2) M&S Simply Food PositioningThe convenience sector is highly fragmented, with store operators divided into the following segments: co-operative, forecourts, multiples, symbols & franchise, and non-affiliated independents. M&S Simply Food is part of the franchise segment, wh ich recorded the fastest growth in the previous year. This expansion was driven by additional stores, increased promotional activity and improved value for money. M&S Simply Food specializes in selling ready-made meals: salads, sandwiches, desserts, snacks, and microwavable dishes. The self-service store also sells fresh produce, possessing wide selection of fruit and vegetables.Being high-end oriented, the franchise targets working professionals not only looking for a fast, healthy meal, but also willing and able to pay an additional expense for high quality food. For the added premium, customers have access to more adventurous recipes, better packaging and fresher ingredients. These value –added services, alongside the modern layout of the stores, give the brand a competitive edge in the market and allow it to capture a significant share of consumers. A negative sentiment expressed by consumers was attributed to the experience of purchasing at M&S Simply Food stores.Due to brand’s high popularity, long queues often form inhibiting browsing by other potential customers and causing feeling of frustrations by professionals that are time-sensitive. (3) Montreal Industry The convenience sector in Montreal is made of Canadian chains and independents. Family-run depanneurs cater to local neighborhoods and immigrant populations, offering specialty foods and discount long-distance calling cards alongside the usual convenience-store fare. Others offer a wider variety of services such as Canada Post, Western Union transfers, Internet access, and home-delivery of groceries.However, the market is dominated by a large Canadian chain known as Couch-Tard Inc. The chain offers a quality assortment of freshly brewed coffee, frozen/iced beverages, fresh sandwiches and other fresh food items that are marked under proprietary brands. Arguing that most convenience stores are too cluttered, the Couche-Tard company introduced a new concept called â€Å"Store 2000â₠¬ . These stores have wider layouts, brighter lighting, modern decor and often have Quick-Service Restaurants (QSR) located within them. The new concept was a success and the results were integrated into upgrades for all stores. 4) M&S Simply Food Expanding to Montreal It is evident from our research that the U. K. has a more diverse group of convenience stores with different positioning catering to all consumer income brackets. However, in Montreal we see that Couche-Tard owns the majority of the market and is designed to target the average consumer, thereby not competing with deppaneurs immigrant pool. This also illustrates a gap in the Montreal convenience market: value-added stores aimed at consumers from a higher income bracket. M&S Simply Food’s positioning in U. K. onvenience markets makes it an ideal candidate. Survey Results (1) Location The statistical analysis of the questionnaire revealed that over 85% of the respondents visited the Complex Desjardins and its sur rounding area at least 3 times a week. In Table below it is evident that the number of times a week respondents enjoy meals at the complex is greater in frequency towards higher values, with the overall average at 2. 7 times. This illustrates that the location receives a great deal of foot traffic, and is a popular food services venue. Table 1: How Often Consumers Eat at Complex Desjardins   | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Never| 2| 2. 1| 2. 7| 2. 7| | Once a month| 2| 2. 1| 2. 7| 5. 4| | Biweekly| 4| 4. 3| 5. 4| 10. 8| | Once a week| 7| 7. 4| 9. 5| 20. 3| | Twice a week| 13| 13. 8| 17. 6| 37. 8| | Three times a week| 20| 21. 3| 27| 64. 9| | Four times a week| 16| 17| 21. 6| 86. 5| | Five times a week| 10| 10. 6| 13. 5| 100| | Total| 74| 78. 7| 100|   | Missing| System| 20| 21. 3|   |   | Total| 94| 100|   |   | Furthermore, findings indicate that respondents favor particular designated areas within the complex and its surroundings when ea ting.With response rates of 38% and 34% respectively, the most popular areas are the food court and restaurants/cafes on the adjacent Saint-Catherine Streets. Diagram 1: Preferred Food Locations (2) Consumer Demographic In Table 2 we see the sample size under consideration reflects the social demographic profile of the area: professionals, local residents or students studying nearby. There is a fairly even distribution between male and female respondents, with males slightly ahead at 51%, conveying that the area equally attracts both sexes. Table 2:Social Demographic Profile of Complex Desjardins Based on Sample Statistics| |   | I work at or close to Complexe Desjardins| I live at or close to Complexe Deskardins| I study at or close to Complexe Desjardins| None of the above| N| Valid| 36| 28| 21| 3| | Missing| 58| 66| 73| 91| | Mean| 1| 1| 1| 1| | Median| 1| 1| 1| 1| | Mode| 1| 1| 1| 1| |   |   |   |   |   | I work at or close to Complex Desjardins| |   | Frequency| P ercent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Yes| 36| 38. 3| 100| 100| Missing| System| 58| 61. 7|   |   | Total| 94| 100|   |   |I live at or close to Complex Desjardins| |   | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Yes| 28| 29. 8| 100| 100| Missing| System| 66| 70. 2|   |   | Total| 94| 100|   |   | I study at or close to Complex Desjardins| |   | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Yes| 21| 22. 3| 100| 100| Missing| System| 73| 77. 7|   |   | Total| 94| 100|   |   | None of the above| |   | Frequency| Percent| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| Valid| Yes| 3| 3. 2| 100| 100| Missing| System| 91| 96. 8|   |   | Total| 94| 100|   |   | |   |   |   |   |   |Consumers in the area tend to be well educated, with 63% of respondents having completed a college degree. This, alongside results that show 41% of respondents are between the ages18-24, indicates that complex attracts a great de al of young professionals. However, Diagram 2 below also illustrates that another 48% of respondents are between the ages of 25-40. Furthermore, the average household is occupied by 2. 8 residents and generates roughly CAN37,600 a year. These findings highlight another consumer profile, that of local residents; classifying them as small family units in the middle-to-high income bracket.Thus, our findings conclude that the consumer pool at Complex Diagram 2: Income levels (3) Consumer Preferences Our statistical analysis of the questionnaire revealed that the consumer preferences of the sample pool are aligned with M&S Simply Food’s products and services. Roughly 61% of respondents stated that they would purchase food from a convenience store specializing in quality. Their main justifications for purchase included the reliability of quality food, the convenience of ready-made meals, the ability to enjoy restaurant quality food at lower prices, and the chance to maintain a heal thy diet.Furthermore, the study revealed that when faced between the choices of picking up their own food or having it served to them, respondents were equally divided. These factors encompass the overall message, products and services of M&S Simply Food value-added services. Table 3 analyzes the relationship between price and healthiness of food in terms of their importance to the end consumer. The cross tabulation clearly reflects the two variables are integral in the decision making process of the consumer: the more emphasis placed on the healthiness of food, the more significant pricing becomes.We can also conclude from the chi squared test that the relationship between the two variables is statistically significant. Unfortunately, our findings proved inconclusive when determining whether consumers would be willing to pay more for healthier, higher quality food. This limitation was due to the lack of responses to the particular question in the survey. Table 3: Relationship Betwe en Price and Health in Consumer’s Decision-Making Process Healthy food on the menu * Price Cross Tabulation| Count|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Price|   | Least| 2| 3| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| Most important| Total| Healthy food on the menu| Least important| 1| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 1| | 3| 0| 1| 0| 0| 0| 0| 1| 1| 0| 3| | 4| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 1| 0| 0| 1| 2| | 5| 0| 0| 0| 0| 1| 2| 0| 0| 0| 3| | 6| 0| 0| 0| 0| 2| 1| 3| 2| 0| 8| | 7| 0| 0| 0| 1| 1| 3| 3| 4| 3| 15| | 8| 0| 0| 0| 0| 1| 3| 8| 2| 4| 18| | 8| 0| 0| 1| 2| 1| 2| 0| 2| 0| 8| | Most important| 0| 0| 0| 0| 4| 0| 2| 2| 7| 15| | Total| 1| 1| 1| 3| 10| 12| 17| 13| 15| 73| |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Chi-Square Tests|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |   | Value| df| Asymp. Sig. 2-sided)|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Pearson Chi-Square| 1. 52E+02| 64| 0|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Likelihood Ratio| 72. 529| 64| 0. 217|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Linear-by-Linear Association| 6. 593| 1| 0. 01|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | N of Valid Cases| 73|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | a. 81 cells (100. 0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is . 01. |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Correlations|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |   |   | Healthy food on the menu| Price|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Healthy food on the menu| Pearson Correlation| 1| . 303**|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | Sig. (2-tailed)|   | 0. 09|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | N| 74| 73|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Price| Pearson Correlation| . 303**| 1|   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | Sig. (2-tailed)| 0. 009|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | | N| 73| 73|   |   |   |   |   |   | à ‚  | **. Correlation is significant at the 0. 01 level (2-tailed). |   |   |   | How appealing varying food items are to the sample pool is illustrated in the table below through the mean value of each product; with the number 1 representing very little appeal and the number 10 great appeal. The relatively stronger desire for salads and sandwiches over desserts reflects the health conscious nature of the consumer.Furthermore, the high frequency of fruit’s appeal suggests consumers’ eagerness for diversity in menu options. Thus, it is evident that the taste preferences of the consumers are in line with some of the Simply Food products. However, the absence of responses concerning vegetables and microwavable meals suggest a lack of demand for such items. Table 4: Appeal of Food Products |   | Salads| Sandwiches| Desserts| Juices| Fruits| N| Valid| 74| 73| 74| 73| 74| | Missing| 20| 21| 20| 21| 20| | Mean| 7. 35| 7. 95| 6. 41| 7. 37| 6. 95| | Median| 8| 8| 7| 8| 7 | | Mode| 7a| 9| 9| 8| 7| a. Multiple modes exist.The smallest value is shown|   | (4) Competition and Pricing Several questions in the survey were designed to size the level of competition M&S Simply Food would face in Complex Desjardins. Our findings concluded that respondents favored a combination of restaurants and food court stations, with the top two in each respective category being: (1) Eggspectation and Baton Rouge; and (2) A&W and Subway. This gives M&S Simply Food a competitive advantage as its high quality food gives consumers the restaurant feel, while its ready-made, self-service concept mimics the convenience of the food court.Despite the popularity of some competitors, 63% of respondents stated that they do not have a preferred food chain. The results indicated that bad service and poor quality of food were the main deterrents of brand loyalty. However, nearly half of respondents expressed boredom with current food chain alternatives and eagerness to try new venues . When asked about sentiments regarding a new chain called â€Å"Simply Food†, 42% of respondents said that the name appealed to them. Also, Diagram 3 illustrates the styles of cuisines respondents believe are missing in the complex. Diagram 3: Styles of Cuisine Missing in Complex DesjardinsThe frequency below illustrates that 47% of respondents spend between CAN10. 00 to CAN14. 99 on a meal in Complex Desjardins, with the overall average meal costing CAN11. 80. In comparison, M&S Simply Food individual products range on average from CA2. 00 to CAN4. 50. However, in Table 5 below we see that the brand’s luxury meals cost significantly more, averaging CAN22. 00. Taking into consideration the average expenditure of respondents, the findings suggest that consumers in Complex Desjardins are more likely to purchase individual food items, rather than an entire luxury meal.Table 5: M&S Simply Food Prices | Cost in Pounds (GBP)| Cost in Canadian Dollars (CAN)| Average Cost of Salads| 2. 77| 4. 34| Average Cost of Ready-Made Meals| 2. 64| 4. 13| Average Cost of Fruit| 2. 81| 4. 40| Average Cost of Dessert| 1. 31| 2. 05| Average Cost of Luxury Meals| 14. 11| 22. 08| Correlations By running a series of correlation tests, we discover whether the demand for food within the complex is influenced by the income level of the respondents, the price of food, types of food chains available and consumers’ taste preferences.Table 6 below shows that the only 2 variables that are correlated are the number of times respondents eat at Complex Desjardins and the annual income levels. Although the value is not statistically significant to 0. 05, it is significant enough to display a relationship: that the frequency of visits, or rather demand, is determined by and proportional to the income levels of respondents. Table 6: Variables Correlated with the Demand for Food |   | How often eaten at Complex Desjardins| Which area do you prefer to eat in| Educational Level| Income Level| How often eaten at Complex Desjardins| Pearson Correlation| 1| . | . 343**| 0. 116|   | Sig. (2-tailed)|   | . | 0. 003| 0. 332| | N| 74| 0| 72| 72| Where? | Pearson Correlation| . a| . a| . a| . a| | Sig. (2-tailed)| . |   | . | . | | N| 0| 0| 0| 0| Education| Pearson Correlation| . 343**| . a| 1| . 324**|   | Sig. (2-tailed)| 0. 003| . |   | 0. 006| | N| 72| 0| 72| 70| Income| Pearson Correlation| 0. 116| . a| . 324**| 1| | Sig. (2-tailed)| 0. 332| . | 0. 006|   | | N| 72| 0| 70| 72| a. Cannot be computed because at least one of the variables is constant. | **. Correlation is significant at the 0. 01 level (2-tailed). LIMITATIONS As in any research report, a number of limitations in the execution and analysis of our report occurred. The main issue we encountered was that of missing data, in which a number of questions in the questionnaire were left unanswered. As a result, many of our estimates were found statistically inefficient due to loss of informat ion, while other estimates may be considered biased if the data from questions left vacant are systematically different. In the future, we suggest increasing the sample size to ensure a more reliable and valid data set.Another common limitation is the subjectivity of surveys in that respondents often fail to answer questions truthfully and therefore skew the results. Efforts to ensure data is accurate would have required more expenditure; however budget restrained us from implementing such solutions. Budget constraints limited the sample size, and care should be exercised in the future to general these findings further. CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS After much assessment, we believe that M&S Simply Food will prove to successful if established in Complex Desjardins.Our findings conclude that the complex and its surrounding are the ideal location to for Simply Food to attract its target market. Consumers that purchase food at the complex are young professionals and local residents who fall into the middle-to-high income bracket, and therefore are able to afford brand’s higher priced products. Furthermore, consumers’ product preferences reflected strong desires for higher quality food and a wider variety of cuisine options. Simply Food prides itself on offering its consumers premium quality meals made from adventurous recipes and fresh ingredients, and therefore will be able to capture this unmet demand.Although there is a great deal of competition in the Complex Desjardins, its consumers are open to change and are ever evolving their taste pallet. The unique style of M&S Simply Food enables it to provide consumers with quality restaurant food at the speed and convenience of food court service, thereby capturing a wider share of the market and competing with both food chain categories. The following is a list of recommendations we believe will ensure the profitability of M&S Simply Food in Complex Desjardins: * Locate the convenience store in the foo d court, as it attracts the greatest number of consumers.The food court also compliments the self-service nature of the store, providing consumers with an adjacent seating area. * Ensure all advertisements of the brand strongly highlight the â€Å"Simply Food† name, as well as key phrases that reflect the stores value-added services: for example â€Å"High Quality Food†, â€Å"Adventurous Recipes†, â€Å"Variety of Cuisine Options†, and â€Å"A Healthy Meal Option†. This well help the brand appeal to consumers’ preferences. * Limit products to ready-made meals, sandwiches, salads, fruits and beverages.Exclude the sale of vegetable produce and microwavable meals, as there does not seem to be a demand for such items. * To encourage the sale of more expensive luxury platter meals, we suggest holding discount promotions during the soft opening of the store. Reduce the price of platters to slightly below the average cost of meals in the complex, in order to entice consumers and build brand loyalty. * To compete with competitors, M&S Simply Food must build up its reputation as a quality food provider at a quick and convenient pace.To ensure this is done successfully, stores must be designed to provide adequate space for browsing, which is to be separated from the pay register. By doing so M&S Simply Food will not have the same queuing problem it encounters in the U. K. , which often deters potential customers. REFERENCES IGD The Food and Grocery Experts. â€Å"Convenience Retailing Market Overview,† [On-line]. Available: http://www. igd. com/index. asp? id=1&fid=1&sid=7&tid=26&cid=91 [20/1/11] Marketing Week (2007, April). â€Å"Assessing the M&S Simply Food Brand,† [On-line]. Available:

Net-Zero Energy Homes

Definition of a Net-zero Energy Home A Net-zero Energy Home (NZEH) is â€Å"capable of producing, at minimum, an annual output of renewable energy that is equal to the total amount of its annual consumed/ purchased energy from energy utilities† and emits zero net carbon (1). This concept is becoming increasingly popular as people are becoming more aware of the effects of buildings on the environment. However, to build a net-zero home, in-depth design considerations to minimize â€Å"the energy requirements for space heating, cooling and water heating† are required (2).This will result in the least amount of artificial ighting, heating, and air conditioning to be used to achieve human comfort level (2). Designing for Building Orientation The best building orientation for making efficient use of solar energy is south. Thus, running the buildings long axis from east to west and facing within 30 degrees of due south is strongly recommended (Figure 1). This allows the house to receive at least 90 percent of the optimal winter solar heat gain. The buildings south orientation should also be clear from obstacles to allow unblocked sunlight to enter the house (3).Use and Placement of Windows Windows let in sunlight but trap long-wave radiation, making the indoor temperature rise; however, in the absence of sunlight, windows let out considerable amount of heated air due to their high conductivity. To minimize this effect, selecting windows with special coatings are recommended. Window sizes have to be determined carefully because of these unique properties, to balance heat loss and heat gain: Net window area should be at least five percent of net floor area with each room or space having one or more windows.Glare can often become problematic especially through south-facing windows but this can be prevented by using low-emissivity oated windows. Sloped or horizontal windows such as skylights must be used with caution because they can become major areas of un controllable heat loss, overheating, and condensation (3). Controlling Airtightness Holes, cracks, floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, and outlets are all susceptible locations of air leakage. Air leakage equals energy leakage because as heated air leaks out of the building, the cooler air outside tends to get sucked into the building.Therefore, tight sealants around all Joints and openings are required. Proper Insulating Techniques An NZEH should also be well insulated around the building envelope to minimize eat transfer. This is achieved by using proper installation of insulation that meets the required R-value (Figure 2). This will not only minimize the energy loss but also reduce the need for supplementary heating (3). Providing Ventilation by Mechanical or Natural Systems Ventilation can either be mechanically or naturally provided.Before energy conservation became an issue to building occupants and the construction industry, buildings were not as airtight as they are today and na tural ventilation was sufficient. Building occupants could open and close windows for fresh air and continuous entilation was always present through the building's cracks and openings. In airtight buildings, natural ventilation is unreliable because buildings have fewer openings and cracks for natural air flow and the weather is often too cold or rainy for occupants to leave windows open for maintaining adequate relative humidity and fresh air circulation (4).One of the mechanical ventilation systems is the exhaust-only system, which exhausts air out of the building through an exhaust fan (Figure 3). This can be cost effective and functional provided that the building is airtight enough to run this system. If the building has cracks that act as an air path, the air that gets exhausted out can get sucked back into the building, essentially defeating the purpose of the system. Also, in humid climates, the exhaust-only system tends to cause condensation problems in wall cavities (4).Su pply-only ventilation provides fresh air through vents and is extremely effective in providing high indoor air quality when the system is designed and installed according to the building size and specifications. This system can also be combined with a heating system or a humidifying system to suit the occupants' needs. This system makes the indoor air pressure higher than the outdoor air pressure, which can work to the occupants' advantage if the building is located in hot and humid climates because the positive air pressure will resist the hot and humid pressure from getting sucked into the building.However, this is problematic in cold climates because hot and moist indoor air will push against the warm side of the wall cavities, which leads to condensation problems (5). An exhaust and supply balanced system is the most ideal system as it can serve all climates. Increasing the Efficiency of Furnace and Air Conditioner Systems Two of the major sources of energy consumption in todays households are the furnace in the winter and the air conditioner (A/C) in the summer. Increasing the quality and efficiency of the furnace and A/C will make some of the greatest returns in cost.Three main factors contribute to healthy and efficient furnace and A/C systems: Correct installation by qualified trades. Properly sealed supply and return duct system with approved tapes or mastics to minimize air loss. Continued maintenance throughout the lifetime of the furnace and A/C. Where space and cost conditions permit, consider ground-source heat pump echnology as opposed to ENERGY [email  protected] furnaces: â€Å"A ground-source heat pump uses the earth or ground water or both as the sources of heat in the winter, and as the â€Å"sink† for heat removed from the home in the summer.For this reason, ground- source heat pump systems have come to be known as earth-energy systems (EESs). Heat is removed from the earth through a liquid, such as ground water or an antifreeze solution, upgraded by the heat pump, and transferred to indoor air. During summer months, the process is reversed: heat is extracted from indoor air and transferred to the earth through the ground water or antifreeze solution. A direct-expansion (DX) earth-energy system uses refrigerant in the ground-heat exchanger instead of an antifreeze solution† (6). Figure : Schematic Diagram of a Ground-source Heat Pump Source: http://www. ge04va. vt. edu/A3/A3. tm Water Conservation Techniques through Efficient Water Distribution Systems After heating and cooling, water heating is typically the next largest energy user ot the home because it is necessary for so many domestic activities. Heating water is a large cost especially if a home has out-dated appliances. These next tips can substantially reduce energy consumption simply from water conservation based eating systems. Firstly, a tank less on-demand water heater is advantageous for residences already conserving water, for hot water users relatively close together, and for communities living where natural gas is readily available (Figure 5).Secondly, consider a solar hot water pre-heat system with a parallel piping system for the hot water outlets. Solar energy is the most economical and available energy source and should be utilized to its full potential. The key is to have a knowledgeable solar hot water instillation company perform the installation so proper instillation is achieved. Finally, another cost-effective method to conserve water usage is to install low-flow fixtures. Thousands of gallons of water are wasted everyday because of unnecessary use from high-flow fixtures. Figure : The Process of a tank less water heater Source: http://kerrygoldplumbing. om/tankless-gas-water-heaters Energy Efficient Lighting Fixtures and Lighting Energy efficient lighting fixtures, lighting, and energy efficient appliances meet a standard of reduced energy use rated by ENERGY STARL Such appliances consume significantly less energy and water than the standard products. Energy efficient ighting fixtures use about 25% the amount of energy of a regular incandescent light fixture (7). Such fixtures are specifically made to work with fluorescent or LED lights and therefore use less energy. Fluorescent light bulbs consist of a gas-filled tube and magnetic or electronic ballast (8).These bulbs last about 10 times longer (9 years at 3 hours/day) and run cooler than a standard incandescent light bulb (8). Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting consists of a semiconductor diode that converts applied voltage to light (9). LED lighting is available in many different colors and izes, has a lifetime of more than 22 years but still very expensive. Energy Efficient Appliances Energy efficient appliances are rated by ENERGY [email  protected] and use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models because these products use advanced technology in their systems (10).These appliances are readily available and can be found at all appliance retailers such as Future Shop, Best Buy and Sears. Photovoltaic (PV) systems Photovoltaic (PV) systems are comprised of solar cells which convert sunlight directly into electricity (11). These cells or semiconductor wafers, installed on the sun-facing ide of buildings, are protected from rain, hail and other inclement weather elements by a glass sheet (11). As photons from the sunlight knock electrons into an excited higher energy state, electricity is created and captured by the solar cells (11).These solar cells are connected in either series or parallel or both to form PV modules, and in applications the PV modules are arranged in arrays. PV systems produce D power and electricity fed into the electricity grid is converted by inverters to AC power. Current PVsystems in use have a 12 to 18 percent average efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity (11). Current developments have achieved an efficiency of 42 percent (11). Residential Applica tions for PV Systems In residential building, PVsystems are typically installed on roofs or on walls.Roof tiles with integrated PV cells can also be purchased. The use of the residential PV system allows the home to be connected to the electricity grid and surplus power deposited into the grid. To acquire a net-zero energy balance, the goal is to produce as much power from PV systems as you consume from the power grid, so that at the end of the year the homeowner pays absolutely nothing for power. The upfront cost f current PV systems is still relatively high typically costing installed (12).Working Towards a Canadian NZEH Building Standard Although there is currently no Canadian net-zero energy home building code, work is progressing to lead Canada towards such a building approach. Leading the way is the Net Zero Energy Home Coalition, formed in 2004, whose mandate is to promote existing and available energy efficient and renewable energy technologies to supply residential energy i n a sustainable manner in order to minimize the production of greenhouse gases and create healthier, greener communities (1).Comprised of ome builders and developers keen in applying renewable energy resources to residential building, the Coalition in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Natural Resources Canada, Industry Canada, and Environment Canada, aims to establish a new Canadian NZEH building standard by 2030. To showcase the viability of NZEHs, the CMHC, supported by the Net-zero Energy Home Coalition, is currently leading a demonstration building project called the Initiative.Fifteen teams across Canada were selected to build demonstration homes using the various techniques discussed in the previous ections. To date, six of the fifteen homes have been completed in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec (13). Initiative NZEH Examples – New and Old The Alstonvale Net Zero House is an example of new NZEH construction while the Now House Project dem onstrates how NZEH principles can be economically applied in home renovations. The Alstonvale Net Zero House The Alstonvale Net Zero House (shown on the cover) is a single-family detached house in Hudson, Qu ©bec currently under construction.It features an air-tight, well- insulated building envelope, extensive passive heating and cooling techniques hrough large south facing windows, sunscreens, and natural sources of shade (14). An air-to-water pump heating system connected to a PV system provides heated water for the in-floor radiant system and other domestic uses (Figure 9). Instead of standard landscaping, a large portion of the site will remain undisturbed and act as a natural habitat tor the local wildlite (14). The Now House Demonstration The Now House Project is a retrofit of a 60-year old home in Toronto, Ontario.The project goal was â€Å"to demonstrate how home owners and contractors can dramatically mprove the energy efficiency of existing homes with a few relatively simple modifications† (15). Energy requirements were reduced by upgrading the insulation, installing low-e, argon-filled windows and energy efficient ENERGY [email  protected] appliances, and replacing incandescent lighting with LED lighting (16). Increased energy efficiency and renewable energy production were accomplished through installation of solar hot water panels, a photovoltaic array, and a waste water heat recovery system (16).Figure : A Comparison of Energy Consumption between the Now House and Average Canadian Homes Source: http://www. mhc-schl. gc. ca/en/inpr/su/eqho/noho/ upload/Now-House_E-Oct30. pdf Figure 10 on page 8 compares energy consumption rates between the average Canadian home and the Now House w. Taking into account space heating, water heating, major appliances, interior lighting and space cooling, the Now House will consume only 38 percent as much energy as an average Canadian home (16). From this demonstration, the project shows that NZEH principl es are economically viable for renovating similarly older homes across the country. https://happyhealthyhome.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/hhh_report_final.pdfhttps://www.pinterest.com/aimej_r/maison-bioclimatique/http://www.whitebear.k12.mn.us/https://www.energystar.gov/ia/new_homes/features/Appliances_062906.pdfhttps://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/oee.nrcan.gc.ca/files/pdf/publications/infosource/pub/cipec/Managementguide_E.pdfhttps://www.energystar.gov/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamphttp://thefreedictionary.com/https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=appliances.pr_energy_guidehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaicshttp://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/2003-11-13_500-03-083F.PDFhttps://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/eqho/ecte/ecte_005.cfmhttps://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Mortgage_and_Housing_Corporationhttps://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/eqho/noho/