Personal Statement for a Traineeship Application

Personal Statement for a Traineeship Application Motivation letter is one of the most fundamental parts of your traineeship application. It’s your chance to make your application stand out and demonstrate your passion and dedication towards your career and academic success at the same time. Most applicants struggle to write a personal statement or motivation essay  for a traineeship, but it doesn’t have to be too difficult. Basically, your job is to write why they should hire you, your goals and so on. There are no specific topics you should discuss and most applications don’t require specific length. For example, you don’t have to meet 500-word count. Your motivation letter for traineeship can be between 50 and 200 words long, or a little bit more. Someone can write a letter 800-words long while another person can write only 200 and still have a better statement. It’s about quality, not quantity. It’s important to be specific, clear, and precise. In order to write a high-quality motivation letter, it’s essential to read the traineeship requirements not only because you want to ensure you match them, but because it’s good to reflect them in the essay. Another useful thing you can do is to do a little research, use all perks that Google offers, and find out as much as you can about the organization, company, university etc. You can mention some things in the essay to show that you truly appreciate that institution and everything it stands for. Just like with CV, you should avoid using I too often in the essay for the traineeship. The reason is simple; you don’t want the entire essay to focus only on you but on the traineeship program and the organization. Your goal is to describe how everyone can benefit by choosing you for that position: you get to learn, they get to work with a reliable and trustworthy person who’s willing to learn and absorb. With that being said, your traineeship motivation letter should include the following: Who you are – introduce yourself without making it look like you’re bragging or complaining. Make it professional! Why you assume you’re the perfect fit for the program – when you come to this part, you just have to write your key skills and characteristics that make you ideal for the program. Express your desire to learn, dedication, strict work ethic What do YOU bring to the table – use a sentence or two to describe how the organization can benefit from accepting your application. Again, it’s important to make sure it doesn’t look like you’re bragging. Be realistic and humble, yet confident Your career goal/how will traineeship help you reach it On the next page, you’ll find an example of how to compose motivation letter that will say a lot without using too many words. Remember, motivation letters for traineeship don’t have to be too long! If you are confused with some points of this type of paper writing you can use professional help and say  write my personal statement for me because experienced writers from writing service are available and ready to help.

Jean Paul Sartre essays

Jean Paul Sartre essays From the early to late 20th century a philosopher by the name of Jean-Paul Sartre became a major spokes person for existentialism, catching the largest audience in all the history of philosophy. Sartre developed a sort of chain of philosophy with and responsibilities for humanity to live by. He expressed that every individuals first responsibility to, not only their self, but to humanity as well, was to realize they exist and define themselves as who they are and how they will be. From there he believed that everyone is free to make choices, and everyone is responsible for realizing that every choice made not only affects their future but humanities as well. Once those choices are made, he felt it is every individual's responsibility to get what they want, and not sit and wait for it to happen. He felt that humanity relied too much on God in all these aspects of life, and he felt God was too unreliable. People needed to be shown that every individual is responsible for every aspect of theirs and humanities future. People can only rely on themselves. People must realize that they exist without the help of God and learn to define themselves as human before anything else. This is the first step on Sartre's chain of philosophy. Everything that has been created has been developed from an idea or concept before it actually existed. Take for example a knife, the artisan who creates one has a concept of its appearance and usage before be begins to develop it. In this case the knifes essence came before its existence. But in the case of humans Sartre felt this was not so. His atheistic existentialist approach was that if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, a being which exists before it can be defined by any concept of it. That he believed was humans. Therefore humans must first of all exist, encounter themselves, and then define themselves or develop their concept of self afterwards. ...

France Essays

France Essays France Essay France Essay Social landscape France has Rupees second-highest birth rate, and has shown an upward trend since the sass. Frances birth rate of around two children per woman in 2010 makes it one of only two European countries that could maintain their current population based on present trends. The problem of an aging population is becoming more apparent. Additional government expenditure between now and 2050 due to increased pensions, healthcare, and dependency care related to the aging population is predicted to be more than 4% of GAP. Technological landscape France has a favorable innovation climate, which is reflected in the large number of patents received. In 2010, the total number of patents received from the US Patent and Trademark Office (SPOT) reached 124,723, which indicates the countrys strong support for innovation and R. The governments interventionist attitude, as seen in the case of Internet advertising, and the ongoing withdrawal of business-friendly schemes like the Young Innovative Company (YOGIC) concept will affect Industrial growth, and could reduce investments In the country. Legal landscape Foreign investments increased by 22% In 2010, with 782 projects leading to nearly 32,000 Jobs, an increase of 6% compared to 2009. Many of these projects were related to the renewable energy sector. In 2010, foreign companies based In France created two million Jobs. Many of the governments tax and labor reforms have been met with cynicism and public protests. The government Is planning to Increase weekly working hours to 39 from the current 35 and abolish the wealth tax Limp ¶t De solidarity © sure la fortune. However, these moves are bound to face public outrage and demonstration. :

11 Geographic Facts About the Gulf of Mexico

11 Geographic Facts About the Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico is a large ocean basin near the Southeastern United States. It is a part of the Atlantic Ocean and is bounded by Mexico to the southwest, Cuba to the southeast, and the Gulf Coast of the United States on the north, which includes the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas (map). The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world at a width of 810 nautical miles (1,500 km). The entire basin is about 600,000 square miles (1.5 million sq km). Most of the basin consists of shallow intertidal areas, but its deepest point is called Sigsbee Deep and has an estimated depth of about 14,383 feet (4,384 m).The Gulf of Mexico itself and the regions surrounding it are highly biodiverse and feature large fishing economies. The economics of the area as well as the environment thus are sensitive to pollution.   To learn more about the Gulf of Mexico, visit the  Gulf of Mexico Program  from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Gulf of Mexico Geographic Facts Here are 11 facts about the geography of the region: 1) The Gulf of Mexico likely formed as a result of seafloor subsidence (or the gradual sinking of the seafloor) about 300 million years ago. 2) The first European exploration of the Gulf of Mexico occurred in 1497 when Amerigo Vespucci sailed along Central America and entered the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida (the strip of water between present-day Florida and Cuba). 3) Further exploration of the Gulf of Mexico continued throughout the 1500s, and after numerous shipwrecks in the region, settlers and explorers decided to establish a settlement along the northern Gulf Coast. They said this would protect shipping, and in the event of an emergency, rescue would be nearby. Thus, in 1559, Tristn de Luna y Arellano landed at Pensacola Bay and established a settlement.4) The Gulf of Mexico today is bordered by 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of U.S. coastline and is fed with water from 33 major rivers that flow out of the United States. The largest of these rivers is the Mississippi River. Along the south and southwest, the Gulf of Mexico is bordered by the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche,  and Yucatn. This region consists of about 1,394 miles (2,243 km) of coastline. The southeast is bordered by the northwest portion of Cuba, which includes the capital, Havana.5) An important feature of the Gulf of Mexico is the Gulf Stream, which is a warm Atlantic current that begins in the region and flows north into the Atlantic Ocean. Because it is a warm current, sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are normally also warm, which feeds Atlantic hurricanes and helps in giving them strength. Climate change thats warming waters further is also making them larger, as in increased intensity and amount of water. Hurricanes are common along the Gulf Coast, such as Katrina in 2005, Ike in 2008, Harvey in 2016, and Michael in 2018.  6) The Gulf of Mexico features a wide continental shelf, specifically around Florida and the Yucatn Peninsula. Because this continental shelf is easily accessible, the Gulf of Mexico is exploited for oil with offshore oil drilling rigs centered in the Bay of Campeche and the western Gulf region. Eighteen percent of the countrys oil comes from offshore wells in the Gulf. There are 4,000 drilling platforms there.  Natural gas is also extracted.7) Fisheries are also extremely productive in the Gulf of Mexico, and many Gulf Coast states have economies centered on fishing in the area. In the United States, the Gulf of Mexico has four of the countrys largest fishing ports, while in Mexico the region has eight of the top 20 largest. Shrimp and oysters are among the largest fish products that come from the Gulf.8) Recreation and tourism are also a significant part of the economy of the lands surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Recreational fishing is popular, as are water sports and tourism along the coastal regions.9) The Gulf of Mexico is a highly biodiverse area and features many coastal wetlands and mangrove forests. The wetlands along the Gulf of Mexico cover around 5 million acres (2.02 million hectares). Seabirds, fish, and reptiles are abundant, as well as bottlenose dolphins, a large population of sperm whales, and sea turtles.10) In the United States the population of the coastal regions surrounding the Gulf of Mexico is estimated to number more than 60 million people by 2025, as states such as Texas (the second most populous state) and Florida (the third most populous state) are growing quickly. 11)  The Gulf of Mexico was the site of a large  oil spill  that occurred on April 22, 2010, when an oil drilling platform, the Deepwater Horizon, suffered an explosion and sank into the Gulf about 50 miles (80 km) from Louisiana. Eleven people died in the explosion and an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil per day leaked into the Gulf of Mexico from the 18,000-foot (5,486 m) well on the platform. Cleanup crews attempted to burn the oil off of the water, gather the oil and move it, and block it from hitting the coast. Cleanup  and fines cost BP $65 billion. SourcesFausset, Richard. (April 23, 2010). Flaming Oil Rig Sinks in Gulf of Mexico. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/23/nation/la-na-oil-rig-20100423Robertson, Campbell and Leslie Kaufman. (April 28, 2010). Size of Spill in Gulf of Mexico is Larger than Thought. New York Times. Retrieved from: nytimes.com/2010/04/29/us/29spill.htmlU.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (February 26, 2010). General Facts about the Gulf of Mexico: GMPO: US EPA. Retrieved from: epa.gov/gmpo/about/facts.html#resources.

Human resource strategies should be underpinned by 'organisation Essay

Human resource strategies should be underpinned by 'organisation development' theories which suggest ways that people in an organisation should be managed - Essay Example (Cusack, no date, p.1) 1. Human Resource – This is referring to an inventory of talents, skills and capabilities of a group of persons which may be tapped for a purpose of economic value. The FreeDictionary by Farlex, 2005, defines is as â€Å"The company department charged with finding, screening, recruiting and training job applicants, as well as administering employee-benefit programs 2. Organizational Development – It is basically a method for facilitating change and development in people (styles, values, skills), technology (greater simplicity, complexity), and in organizational processes (relationships, roles). For example, if a HR manager wants to introduce a form of participative management where a paternalistic style has traditionally existed, he or she would have to become an â€Å"inside change agent.† (Chruden & Sherman, 1984, p.548) 4. Human resource strategies – It therefore means plans for the maximum use of the inventory of talents, skills and capabilities of group of persons which may be tapped for a purpose of economic value. 5. Organizational Development Strategies – We could define it as a plan to facilitate change and development in people, in technology and in organizational processes. The topic also defines OD strategy by saying, â€Å"which suggests that people in the organization should be managed.† The proposition must be true because one cannot have human resource strategies without human beings and human resource does not only talk about individual human resource in isolation but also of how to combine these individual resources in the context of an organization (Dictionary Definition of organisation, 2005) or group of humans or people to attain corporate objectives. A corporation, a partnership or even a sole proprietorship is a business organization with people in it either in the form of an employee, manager,

Response to an essay exam Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response to an exam - Essay Example It is evident that believer may be losing the culture war to the non believers because of the continued decline in moral directions and the minimal religious liberty in the United States today. There are different flashpoints that have a greater contribution to the debate of whether God exists or not. Scientists have challenged the notion about the universe’s age. They strongly believe that it must be at least millions of years old while the bible estimates it to be less than ten thousand years old. A major contribution to this flashpoint was when astronomers came up with two systems of measurement to establish that near galaxies are millions of light years away. This brought a viewpoint different from that of believers that consider creation to have taken place in six days. This theory created another flash point of the big bang theory challenging the belief of how the universe was created. Scientist state that the universe was made with the big bang. It started from space then dispersing from each other formed the universe. George Gamow contribution to the culture war was by his theory that the universe may have formed from a hot beginning that would be cooled to form protons. However, he did not have a clear explanation of what caused the big bang. Christians, on the other hand, are sure that God created the universe and structured it specifically to be the way it is. (Edwin and Leigh, 2002) In evolution, Charles Darwin developed a materialistic view of the universe in which he stated that there is no God, only matter. He made the theoretical perception from Ivanivich Oparin’s study of how gases and water formed organic molecules when charged with electricity. Darwin states that the early life begun naturally and evolved to more complex forms as time passed by. Man evolved from animals like apes and monkeys and became more complex in body and mind over the years. He assessed that human beings are no different from animals and share similar

Adopting a simple profit-maximising perspective ..... can have Essay - 2

Adopting a simple profit-maximising perspective ..... can have positive impacts for a firm,Using examples where appropriate, discuss this assertion - Essay Example This paper will examine the positive impact of the firm by applying the profit maximization strategies and perspectives. Different aspects of profit maximization of the firms and their strategies in order to maximize their profit will be studied in this paper. Some firms achieve its profit maximizing objectives by developing and implementing several strategies by motivating its employees and managers, improving returns on investments, and increasing product awareness etc. Competitive strategies that a firm implement to maximize its profits are as follows: A firm can destabilize its competitors by increasing its market share and sell the products or services at the same prices as competitors do to maximize its profit and creating a positive impact on the firm. A firm having the capability to produce the product at low cost can maximize its profit easily and in short time(Business Plan Hut 2012). A firm uses differentiation strategy usually to gain a competitive advantage over the existing workers inside that firm. Profit maximizing firm adopts this strategy when a customer’s desire and wants are so varied that a consistent product do not satisfy their desire. When customers are placing more value on the differentiated products that a firm is providing to them, then they are force to pay high price to that firm which helps it to maximize its profit(Business Plan Hut 2012). To maximize a firm’s profit and creating a positive impact on that firm, a focus or niche strategy must be huge to give away a healthy profit to that firm. The firm that employs this competitive strategy to maximize its profit experiences a loyal customer base. This competitive strategy helps the firm to maximize its profit that has a positive impact on the firm. Focus Strategy tends to be beneficial for the firm to maximize its profit when the following factors are set: Oil companies believe in long-term profit maximization and avoid large short-term losses and show their

Comparing NorthWest Cost and Great Plains( about Archaeology) Essay

Comparing NorthWest Cost and Great Plains( about Archaeology) - Essay Example Crop production is likely to be aff4cted by the changes of climate and atmospheric conditions. Geoff (2005): Geoff (2005): notes that evaluated CO do increase photosynthesis of plants and ultimately its production. Temperature level and precipitation amounts have a potential of affecting crop production in a negative or positive manner. Negative effect will be due to unfavorable climatic changes. The final level of CO is dependent on the local climatic conditions, for instance, summer air temperatures and higher springs may be god for crop production in northern temperature where they will increase the growing season. On the other hand higher temperatures may being negative effect to crops especially on crop maturity (Geoff, 2005) The entire region of Great Plains is characterized with low annual rainfall, in many cases there is concentration of storms though in a short duration. The temperatures in region keep on fluctuating though the region has average winds which are equivalent to those found in other areas. As historian Prescott W in his book "the great plains" suggests, the northwest European people who settled in the region was faced which three major problems, these were environmental encounters, which were; The landscap 1. Soaring summer temperature in the region 2. Arid southwest and inner west 3. Great unending grasslands which were located across the country (Prescott,1933) The Great Plains environment The landscape and undergrowth of the grasslands is amongst the slightest varied to be located in anyplace in United States. Early on settlers who followed the Oregon Trail were able to get to the Pacific coast in a single spell of travel, this was partly because of easiness to cross the grasslands. The region is located wholly within the inner lowlands physiographic area. The core sedimentary beds fall smoothly. Height increases steadily, almost unnoticeably, from the east side to the west side. Along the eastern border, the height is only 500 meters, while the west parts of Colorado, Denver, has a height of over 1,500 meters. (Zeynep et al, 2004) Geographically, the biggest part of Great Plains is known as the High Plains which stretch down the western margin of the area from south Texas going northward to the southern Nebraska. The region is covered by substantial layer of sediments which are mostly very sandy and very porous, this part is typically flat. However down streams for example, Scottsbluff on the Platte River in western Nebraska erosion has resulted in considerable local relief. (Siegried et al, 2004) Settlement patterns Pre-European settlement of the Great Plains by Indian American was restricted. Hunting, especially for buffalo, at that time was the principal economic activity. Many tribes were living alongside streams in partially permanent homes. With no ways of speedy long-distance land movement the Indians could not live far from the dependable water provisions of the water streams for any prolonged period. This was a considerable problem, since the migration of the buffalo herds meant going leaving the Indian settlers without food (Siegried et al, 2004) The initial American observation of the area as discouraging and not easy place to settle

Stephen Michael Reich Biography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Stephen Michael Reich Biography - Essay Example Reich has established himself as one of the foremost composers of our time, as an early pioneer in American minimalism and tape music. At the Cornell University in the year 1953 to 1957, he has studied philosophy, at Julliard, with Vincent Persichetti, he turned to composition in the beginning from 1958 to 1961, later at the Mills College from 1962 to 1963, with Darius Milhaud and Luciano Berio. Strict diatonic and tonal harmonies and steady strong pulse are general characteristics of Reich’s music. Recently with John Adams and earlier with other first generation minimalists like La Monte Young and Philip Glass are generally grouped with Reich. With an unrelenting pulse, short and repeating melodic figures his music is deeply American and is usually compared to be-bop and rock and roll. European forms and techniques have immensely influenced Reich’s music, like the other minimalist composers, which can be viewed as a reaction to the elitist and academic climate of music .At the San Francisco Tape Music Center, in early 1960’s Reich’s early works were created. The earliest examples of â€Å"phasing†, which is one of the most used and well known techniques of Reich are â€Å"It’s Gonna Rain† which was created in 1965 and in 1966 â€Å" Come out† was produced. In this process, two tape loops are set into motion at two slightly different speeds, so that the tapes begin in unison and slowly shift "out of phase," creating a new set of harmonies and rhythms.... At the San Francisco Tape Music Center, in early 1960's Reich's early works were created. The earliest examples of "phasing", which is one of the most used and well known techniques of Reich are "It's Gonna Rain" which was created in 1965 and in 1966 " Come out" was produced. In this process, two tape loops are set into motion at two slightly different speeds, so that the tapes begin in unison and slowly shift "out of phase," creating a new set of harmonies and rhythms. Later this process was integrated into numerous pieces for instruments and tapes or traditional acoustic instruments like in the Violin Phase and Piano Phase in 1967. Reich also introduced into "Violin Phase", new melodic figures that are produced by overlapping voices of the original theme, the notion of "found" or "resulting" patterns. In the year 1971, in Drumming that was very popular and influential this technique was further explored. Reich intensively studied Ghanaian drumming in 1970, that indirectly or directly led to many of the procedures throughout his career and drumming. Developed and re-orchestrated through four distinct sections this piece is a massive, hour long amplification of a single rhythmic cell. The piece begins by introducing the initial rhythmic pattern in a slow additive process. New harmonic and melodic patterns are created through phasing procedures and further build up and reduction, by doubling, first by female voice, and then by whistling and finally by piccolo these are brought to the fore. Even though strictly diatonic however by more diverse harmonic language and noticeably faster harmonic rate of change, Reich's later

Utopian Societies Essay Example for Free

Utopian Societies Essay Utopian societies are in constant struggle to find perfection in everyday life. In Fahrenheit 451 and The Handmaid’s Tale, each protagonist is struggling with fitting into these boundaries of perfection. When inquisitive minds emerge in a society that strives to be so pure, it can become dangerous not only physically but also emotionally. Although these societies strive for a utopia thinking that it will allow them to reach perfection, it in fact ends in hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is seen in both Fahrenheit 451 and The Handmaid’s Tale through Captain Beatty and the power of books, the government taking Offred’s daughter, and both societies basing their beliefs off of fiction. In Fahrenheit 451 Captain Beatty, a leader and someone to whom the firefighters look up to, has read and made up his own mind about books but will not allow anyone else to read the books which he knows hold so much power. By denying the people to read the books that he himself has read, Beatty is the epitome of a hypocrite. When speaking about the books it is obvious that Beatty understands the great power these books yield, but he refuses to let that power out. This is hypocritical because Beatty tells Montag that the books say nothing! You can teach or believe (Bradbury 59) and yet he still believes that these books have to have enough power that the world must be rid of them. Although Beatty preaches the uselessness of books, he has dedicated his life to burning them all, an admittance in itself that the books hold enough power to change the ideals of the society in which they live. In The Handmaids Tale Offred is accused of being an unfit (Atwood 39) mother for her daughter because of her past. Offred met her husband through being his mistress, but waited until marriage to have a child. The government uses their affair against them, convincing Offred that because the bible says that adultery is a sin that she is not fit to be a mother. To make-up for her affair and illegitimate child, the government gives Offred a choice between being a Handmaid or an un-woman and chooses to become a handmaid. Her duties as a Handmaid, however, are to repeat the same sin that plagued her with this destiny. The hypocrisy surrounding this society and Offreds role in it is that to dissolve yourself of sins, you must keep repeating them. This kind of adultery is seen as righteous because this society bases their beliefs off of the Bible, which, in the story of Rachel and Jacob, deems an affair for the purposes of child bearing as necessary. Through allowing Offred to rid herself of her sins by sleeping with married men, the government is a hypocrisy that uses the Bible to justify their cause. In both novels, each society is based off of myths that cannot be proved or seen. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradburys society follows a strict code of the phoenix: it must all burn to ashes before it can be reborn again. Taking this literally, the society decides that books must be the rebirth of the society, burn[ing] all books (Bradbury 57). The only problem with this is that the Phoenix is based off of mythology, only existing in fiction. Bradburys society is striving to reach a new mythical beginning, setting themselves up for disaster. Likewise, in Atwoods utopian society, their new rules and regulations are based off of the Bible, a book of stories that cannot be proved as non-fiction and are more fantasy than realistic. Many of the stories and rules of the Bible are out dated. The society picks and chooses what rules and commandments they want to follow, reverting themselves back to a lesser time. By basing their societies off of myth, both Bradbury and Atwood depict men and women who are constantly influenced by hypocrisy. They are forced to believe blindly that these myths will lead them into safety and a better future. Each society comes with a promise of better times, but by basing it off of mythology they are striving for perfection which can only lead them down the road of disaster. In both Bradbury and Atwoods utopian societies, the government strives for perfection by changing the standards that their people live by. Although their is revolt and questioning in the means of these changes, it is ultimately at the blame of the people of the societies themselves. In Fahrenheit 451, the minorities (Bradbury 57) are the ones who begin the banning of the books, but because their are so many minorities, every book must go. Likewise in The Handmaids Tale, the men of the society agree to the changes which affect everyone, reverting their society back to a time where there was no technology or developments. By leading the change of the societies, the people are the only ones to blame for their societys hypocrisy and ultimate downfall. Citations Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaids Tale. New York: Anchor, 1986. Print. Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon Schuster Paperbacks, 1951. Print.

Cadbury plc: An overview

Cadbury plc: An overview 1. Introduction Cadbury Plc has constantly been in the spotlight since August this year when its share price rose by more than 200 pence when Kraft placed its hostile takeover bid worth $17 billion. Since then other rivals such as Hershey, Ferrero and Nestle have also made interest for acquisition of the company. It is probably happening due to the facts that Cadbury Plc has been facing liquidity problems that prohibited rapid expansion, while at the same time having exceptionally strong presence in emerging markets and having strong brands. Cadbury Plc operates in a very competitive confectionery market characterised by fast-changing consumer attitudes and values. Hence the need for a strategic perspective on marketing never lessens. Moreover, (Financial Times, 2009) the confectionery industry is struggling in the recession as consumers seek out cheaper foods limiting discretionary spending on confectionery. These cheaper alternatives, coupled with the â€Å"derisory† takeover bid from Kraft foods, has caused a deep cloud of uncertainty to linger on Cadbury Plcs future, further compounding the need for a strategic perspective on marketing. 2. Business Strategy Business strategy can be defined as the direction and scope of the business over the long-term,which achieves advantage for the organisation through its arrangement of resources within a suitably challenging environment, to satisfy the needs of the market and fulfil stakeholder expectations (Brassington et al., 2006). Strategy can exist at different levels in a business entity: Corporate strategy concerns the allocation of resources within the organisation to achieve the business direction and scope specified within corporate objectives. It helps to control and coordinate the different areas of the organisation such as finance, marketing, research and development etc. Quite often corporate strategy is explicitly envisioned in a mission statement†. (Creating Brands People Love, 2009) For example Cadbury Plcs vision is to be the biggest and the best confectionery company in the world. Competitive strategy (business unit strategy) determines how a business competes successfully, in a particular market with particular regard to the relative positioning of competitors. Marketing strategy defines target markets, what direction to be taken for a defensible competitive position, compatible with overall corporate strategy within those markets. The strategic management process comprises three main components as shown in Figure 2 below: Strategy Implementation is often the hardest part in the strategic management process. However, this report only concentrates on strategy analysis and choice. 3. Strategic analysis Strategic analysis involves the analysis of the business strength, position and understanding the preponderant external factors that may influence that position. The methods below were used to assist in a strategic analysis for Cadbury Plc: FiveForces Theory a technique for identifying the forces which affect the level of competition in an industry developed by Michael Porter. Analysis of the Human Resources. Corporate and Operational issues. International Export Dimension. Swot Analysis. 3.1. The Five Forces Analysis Lindt Sprungli SpA Fujiya Co., Ltd. HARIBO GmbH Co KG Hsu Fu Chi International Limited Kraft Foods Inc Lotte Confectionery Co Ltd Nestlà © SA Perfetti Van Melle SpA The Hershey Company Tootsie Roll Industries Inc Mars Inc In pursuing an advantage over its rivals, Cadbury Plc has in the past adopted such tactics as: Changing prices to gain a temporary advantage (docstoc website). For example, a price reduction by three rupees for a mini Perk a Cadbury Plcs brand in India helped Perk penetrate the rural market increasing Cadbury Plcs market share in India by 1% with a further 10% rise in overall chocolate sales. Improving product features Cadbury Plcs brand, Dairy Milk, is the worlds most famous brand name and the companys leading chocolate bar by revenue. The company has used this to its advantage by creating new Dairy Milk varieties such as Wispa and Fruit Nut. Creative use of channels of distribution various outlets such as supermarkets, vending machines and convenient stores have been effectively utilised by Cadbury Plc and its rivals. Consequently, creative advertising has been the key factor in increasing market share. (Adbrands website) Advertising Age estimated global advertising expenditure by Cadbury Plc to be in the region of $425m in 2007, making it the worlds 83rd largest advertiser in advertising expenditure. Threat of substitutes in Porters, model substitutes refer to any products in other industries with lower prices or better performance parameters for the same purpose. According to confectionery news website, a growing trend towards healthy products by consumers has resulted in a drop in the value of the overall UK confectionery. Consequently, dark chocolate which is perceived to have great health benefits, has had an increase in popularity. As a matter of fact, in 2008 Cadbury Plc re-launched its Bourneville brand (dark chocolate) to counter this imminent threat and capitalise on the popularity of dark chocolate. Consumer power this is the impact that buyers pose on a production industry. The magnitude of the impact can be due to several factors. A big factor in the confectionery industry is that of a well educated consumer perception of the product. (The Epoch Times)This was so evident when consumer pressure resulted to Cadbury New Zealand backing down from an initiative to substitute cocoa butter to vegetable fat and palm oil. The latter would have increased palm oil production and the associated growth in plantations could lead to extensive destruction of plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. Moreover, the consumers were not only unhappy with the products new taste and texture, but also the weight of each bar had significantly reduced. Supplier power suppliers refer to the entity that provides the industry with the raw materials. Powerful suppliers can exert an influence on the production industry by selling raw materials at a higher price to capture some of the industrys profit. Barriers/threat to entry as a firm operating in the free enterprise world, any firm should be free to enter and exit the market. However, industries exhibit some features that protect high profit firms thus inhibiting the entry of new rivals. Barriers may arise from the: Government which can develop and implement policies in relation to several macroeconomic influences, in turn affecting markets and organisations such as Cadbury Plc. Cadbury Plc have to operate according to the rules and regulations stated by the governments. Their products have to conform to the safety laws, for example, manufacturing processes in Cadbury Plc are subject to pollution controls. The government implicates Fiscal policy, which involves altering government expenditure/taxation. For Cadbury Plc to see an increase in profits in the future, they will want the government to implicate expansionary fiscal policy whereby the government would raise government expenditure, leading to an increase in aggregate demand or by cutting taxes, which would leave consumers with more money to spend on products such as those made by Cadbury Plc; in turn raising aggregate demand and therefore profits (Advisors in Fiscal Policy). The government could however introduce Contractionary Fiscal policy which would see aggregate demand be reduced by cutting governments expenditure or by raising taxes and hence reducing consumers expenditure. For Cadbury Plc to increase their profits, they will be against the government introducing Contractionary Fiscal policy. The Government also provide Cadbury Plc with incentives to open new factories and other work opportunities where there is a high unemployment rate. Patents and propriety knowledge ideas that provide competitive advantage are treated as private property when patented. Hence others cannot use them, which creates a barrier for entry. Cadbury Plc is strongly positioned due to a large product patent basis and their heavy investment in their research and development department. Expensive capital potential entrants are reluctant to commit to acquiring highly specialised expensive machinery. As a matter of fact, even though Cadbury Plc being one of the largest confectionery companies in the world, it is facing liquidity problems hindering their expansion into new regions (Data Monitor Cadbury PLC, 2009). 3.2. Human Resource The biggest human resource issue facing Cadbury Plc today is the loss of job security amongst many of their employers. As demonstrated in Maslows hierarchy of needs, a popular and accepted motivational theory, job security is an important factor in the motivating and well-being of a firms employees (Mottershead et al., 2006). With respectable newspapers and other informative media (The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, BBC etc.) predicting large job losses in Cadbury Plc should a potential takeover succeed, many employees are currently fearing for their jobs and this may affect their performance (Rohwedder, 2009; No Author, 2009; Clark, 2009). Cadbury Plc union leaders have met with Kraft (a US based business bidding to takeover Cadbury Plc) in order to protect Cadbury Plc employees and ensure that their employees jobs are still secure should Krafts proposed bid be accepted. However, this action in itself demonstrates the amount of scepticism that exists within many Cadbury Plc employees and highlights the lack of job security with many of the workers. This cynicism may be due to the fact that employees are unable to understand how Kraft can make their potential quoted savings without a significant loss of jobs (No Author, 2009; Griffin, 2009). The loss of job security may not only affect factory workers but may also affect managers and employees in higher positions within Cadbury Plc. During a takeover there is a lot of restructuring within all companies involved and many jobs tend to be lost as companies find that roles overlap. These job losses occur at all levels of employability and there tends to be a period where the company has a very high employee turnover level. Although Kraft is the strongest bidder for Cadbury Plc, Hershey and Ferrero (an Italian based business) have recently released independent statements revealing their interest in a potential takeover of Cadbury Plc. However as both businesses are significantly smaller than Kraft, sources close to both firms have revealed that Hershey and Ferrero have been in talks about a potential joint bid for Cadbury Plc. Although, Cadbury Plc union leaders remain steadfast in their belief that the best option for Cadbury Plcs many employees is for Cadbury Plc to remain an independent company (Clark, 2009). As we enter a more technological era, the ever constant fear for factory workers is the fear that they will be replaced by computers. This is a smaller human resource issue facing Cadbury Plc; however it is ever present and therefore is an issue that must be consistently paid attention to and addressed. At a recent visit, to the Bourneville site of Cadbury Plc, students were able to visit both the modern factory and the older one. At the older factory, it was clear to the students that more human interaction with the product existed. While in the modern factory students saw that a lot of the human interaction had been replaced with faster and more efficient equipment. It is important that the human resource department in Cadbury Plc address the above issues as the motivation and overall well-being of the employees will affect the companys performance in the long term. As Cadbury Plcs is the biggest confectionary company in the world (Cadbury plc, 2009) they stand to lose a lot. 3.3. Corporate and Operational Issues With different businesses attempting to takeover Cadbury Plc, there are a lot of different factors that will affect the way Cadbury Plc is viewed as a corporation and in turn how they operate should a potential takeover succeed. One of the main selling points for Cadbury Plc in Britain and Ireland, who account for 24% (Cadbury plc, 2009) of their revenue, is the fact that Cadbury Plc began and has remained a British business (up until today) and therefore it lends an authenticity to the brand that most competitors do not have. British favourites, such as Cadbury Dairy Milk, may begin to lose out to competitors should Krafts proposed takeover succeed. This is because a lot of the public in the United Kingdom do not support the proposed takeover and some MPs have even gone as far as requesting a motion that ensures that Cadbury Plc remains in British hands (No Author, 2009; Rohwedder, 2009). Cadbury Plc have also had negative publicity towards the takeover with Felicity Loudon who is a descendant of John Cadbury (the founder), publicly stating that Cadbury Plc is a â€Å"brand that is synonymous with Britain† and should the Kraft takeover succeed it will â€Å"become a commercial wasteland†. These are strong words and may dissuade people from buying the once popular Cadbury brand (Rohwedder, 2009; No Author, 2009). As a result of the negative publicity potential takeovers have received, Cadbury Plc will be forced to use a different marketing strategy should a takeover bid be accepted as some of the British authenticity that Cadbury Plc as a brand previously had will be lost in the takeover. Cadbury Plc must be prepared to face losses in the UK market as customers may choose not to buy Cadbury Plc brands due to the takeover and the potential loss of jobs at Cadbury Plc UK sites. However, if Cadbury Plc is able to launch a successful marketing strategy, then they may be able to limit the loss caused by a takeover. 3.4. International Export Dimension As a leading global confectionary company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands, Cadbury Plc employ approximately 45,000 people and has direct operations in over 60 countries, selling their products everywhere around the world The company operates its business through four different business segments namely Britain, Ireland, Middle East and Africa (BIMA), Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. Britain and Ireland are the largest business unit in the group. The companys main markets in Middle East and Africa include South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria and Ghana. The companys American business comprises of the three largest confectionary markets in the world, US, Canada and Mexico. This also extends through Central America and the Caribbean and it also has operations in South American countries which include countries like Brazil, Argentina, Peru, etc. With a market share of almost 20%, the company is the leading player in South America. In Europe, the company operates in majority of Western Europe, Scandinavia, Turkey and Russia. The companys biggest European operating unit is in France. The Companys Asian businesses are concentrated in India, China, Malaysia and Thailand. In the Pacific regions, the companys operations are mainly located in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Cadbury Plc has a leading position in Australia with an overall 30% market share. (Data Monitor Cadbury PLC, 2009) In each of the four different segments, marketing is very important element in promoting the product and is done different to each other due to the products being sold in those areas. For example, Perk is a Cadburys product which is sold in India. The product is aimed at the youth. Marketing for this product is done in a way so it appeals to the Indian community. This includes advertisements which are shown their national language, Hindi and is normally performed by high prolific people of India like actors and actresses of Bollywood (Indian Cinema). 3.5. SWOT Analysis Strengths The main strength of Cadbury Plc is that they have a very good reputation and have a widely recognised brand name which has led them to become the worlds number one confectionary company having bought Adams (the owner of chewing gum brands including Trident and Stride) in 2003. They have unrivalled strength and breadth of participation. It is the market leader in the global confectionery sector with a market share of 10.5%. Cadbury Plc has a diversified product base as the company offers chocolate, gums and candy products; the company is well diversified in terms of revenue generation from all its operating regions. Cadbury Plc should aim to balance the share of revenue from its operating regions to gain global dominance (See Figure 4, Figure 5 and Figure 6). (Cadbury PLC- Our Strengths). This shows the market share of chocolate between Cadbury Plc and their rivals. Cadbury Plc is currently number one, with Mars/Wrigley a very close second. (Cadbury PLC- Purple bi, 2009) It is clear that the main source of Cadbury Plcs revenue comes from their chocolate and cocoa beverages. However, it is clearly profitable to the company that they have diversified into other markets. (Cadbury PLC- Creating brands people love, 2009) Weaknesses However, Cadbury Plc has a weak liquidity position. At the year ending December 31, 2008, Cadbury Plcs current assets were $2,635 million compared to the current liabilities of $3,388 million. This could negatively impact the operational efficiency and growth initiatives. Another weakness is the companys employee efficiency, i.e. the total revenue per employee. It is considerably lower than rival companies such as Hershey, and Chocolade Fabriken Lindt Sprungli (Lindt). The low revenues per employee indicate relatively lower employee productivity. This can be solved by offering incentives to employees, i.e. bonuses for high productivity. Opportunities Due to the increasing awareness of dark chocolate and its health benefits, there is a fast-growing market in many parts of the world; combined with ethical concerns, the demand for organic and fair-trade chocolate have increased. Cadbury Plc has numerous amounts of premium chocolate products across the world so an increase in the customer preference for premium products would increase sales. Cadbury Plc can also look to increase sales and their presence in the US confectionary market; it is already well positioned to capture the growing demand for the confectionary in the region. Recently, people are becoming more conscious about their health which consequently results in a drop in sales for Cadbury Plc dairy products. This is a growing concern for the company and an issue that must be addressed. Cadbury Plc could possibly invest in a low calorie snack range which could boost sales dramatically. Threats The rising cost of many of Cadbury Plcs raw materials (especially cocoa and peanuts) could cause a serious impact on the companys profitability. Prices are expected to continue rising in the near future for cocoa because the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) reduced its estimate by 0.1 million tons whilst the demand for cocoa is increasing. At present, Cadbury Plc imports its cocoa products directly from third party suppliers so perhaps investing in their own cocoa farm would be beneficial in the long run. The confectionary market is highly fragmented with increasing competition. Many large businesses have merged together to gain more market share intensifying competition. Therefore Cadbury Plc would be under pressure to change prices of products, reducing its margins. Rising labour costs will dramatically cut into Cadbury Plcs profit margin because a majority of their employees are from the US and Europe. Minimum wage has increased significantly in both the US and the UK. Cadbury Plc needs to attract and retain efficient employees in all segments of its business to become even more successful. (Data Monitor Cadbury PLC, 2009) Looking at the data collected from the questionnaires, it is apparent that Cadbury products are easily accessible to the public (shown in Figure 12) so Cadbury Plc should look to keep this up. However, a large number of people do not know that Trident and Halls are part of Cadbury Plc. Figure 11 shows that members of the public would be more willing to buy Trident and Halls product due to the fact that it is part of a well represented company. More than half of the general public thought that Cadbury products were well priced, with mainly students thinking that Cadbury Plc overprice their products. Cadbury Plc should look into the possibility of issuing discount cards to students as this may encourage them to buy more Cadbury products. Figure 4 and 6 shows the share of revenue between Cadbury products and their global sites respectively. It is clear that chocolate and cocoa beverages are their main source of finance. Cadbury Plc need to concentrate on areas such as Asia and the Middle East as the share of revenue is 6% and 7% respectively. Cadbury Plc could sell their sites in those regions and concentrate on Europe, North America, Britain and Ireland, as these areas generate a combined total of 66% of Cadbury Plcs share of revenue. Figure 7 (in the appendix) shows that Cadbury Plc has had the biggest share movements over the past year compared to their main rivals. This shows the share of revenue across the world. Britain and Ireland current generate the most revenue followed by North America and then Europe. (Cadbury PLC Creating brands people love, 2009) 4. Business philosophy Cadburys Schweppes adopted a Managing for Value philosophy in 1997. They are committed to using their assets to exploit growth opportunities and to drive value creation. The main goal of Cadbury Plc is to consistently produce major shareholder returns. They support this by two other commercial goals: to profitably and significantly increase the global confectionary share and to secure and to grow the regional beverages share. Cadbury Plc had a strategic review of Europe Beverages its partner company, the conclusion being in the best interest of the shareholders to investigate the sale of the Europe Beverages business. The board decided Europe Beverages did not have a high enough potential growth and returns. The board also realised that the money made from the sale could help reduce the companys debts therefore on the 1st September 2005, Cadbury Plc announced they were selling the Europe Beverages group. Cadbury Plc currently possesses nine Board Members consisting of two Executive Directors and seven Non-Executive Directors. The Board of Directors are responsible for the overall management and performance of the company, and the approval of the long-term objectives and commercial strategy. They also delegate day-to-day management to the Chief Executives Committee (CEC). The CEC reports to the Board and are accountable for the day-to-day management of the operations and implementation of strategy. Driving high level performance of growth, efficiency and capability programmes are The CECs responsibility to the Board. (Cadbury PLC- Our Management) Cadbury Plc also adopts a policy of democratic management. All members of staff are made to work together as a team for the good of the company. Decisions are reached amongst the various groups by first taking into account everyones inputs, ideas and suggestions. This style of management works for Cadbury Plc because the workers feel as though they have power in decision making and therefore are more free and able to make suggestions that they feel could just alter the business this motivates workers and makes them feel more engaged with the company. 5. Branding Cadbury Plc as an organisation has developed a strong image for the Cadbury corporate name to act as a shelter for all its product brands. Branding is the creation of a three-dimensional character for a product, defined in terms of name, packaging, colours, symbols etc. Tthat helps to differentiate it from its competitors and helps the customer to develop a relationship with the product. As a result Cadbury Plc products benefit from both the affection that consumers hold for the corporate name and from the individual character developed for its products such as Cadburys Flake, Cadburys Hot Chocolate and Cadburys Dairy Milk (Principles of Marketing). Aspiring competitors of Cadbury Plc aim to build a strong brand. For example supermarket own-label products are packaged and branded in similar fashion to Cadburys; this has posed a threat to Cadbury Plc as often the supermarket own-label products are cheaper than Cadbury Plc products and, in todays economic instability, this could lead to them becoming more popular and therefore lead to a reduction in sales for Cadbury Plc. There is also a possibility that Cadbury Plc could become complacent with their branding and not seek to improve on it which could therefore lead to consumers becoming bored with the product or maybe even consumers needs could change which could lead to Cadbury Plc falling behind in the market. For Cadbury Plc their brand name is well known, but due to the reasons stated above their name is not enough to ensure that they remain the main brand in the industry. To stay on top of the market Cadbury Plc should constantly research into their brand name and look to invest money into improving the brand image to keep up with todays changing times. To compete with the lower priced supermarket own-label brands, Cadbury Plc may have to reduce their prices. However the problem for Cadbury Plc is that if they reduce their prices then that could be associated with deterioration in quality. One way Cadbury Plc could lower their prices to compete with its competitors without damaging the brand is to offer discounts on bulk purchases for example a pack of 5 Bounty chocolate bars for  £1.25 which equates to 25p each whereas the single Bounty bar would be sold at 45p each. The consumer recognises that the lower price is due to bulk buying and does not associate it with the brand quality. 6. Strategic Choice Involves identifying the strategic options, evaluating and selecting strategic options. 6.1. Possible strategies to consider and current business issues Recent bid from Kraft Foods Inc and possible new bids from Hershey Co, Nestle SA and Ferrero SpA have made the situation Cadbury Plc is facing today exceptionally complex and adds multiple choices of possible takeovers and mergers to strategies generally needed to consider. Kraft taking over CadburyPlc An offer worth $17 billion and placed by Kraft would provide Cadbury Plc with consequent advantages and disadvantages. For instance, recently Kraft stated that the ‘takeover would increase scale in developing markets and create a company with about $50 billion in revenue [it] would achieve at least $625 million of cost savings annually by the end of the third year (Bloomberg), whereas conversely Lord Mandelson cautioned that Kraft would be facing ‘huge opposition from the local population and from the British government (Telegraph). Furthermore, this could lead to job cuts in Bourneville, therefore UK‘is likely to seek guarantees from Kraft on decision-making and employment (FT). Recently, Kraft Food Inc has now taken the takeover offer for Cadbury Plc straight to shareholders. Kraft offered a mixture of cash and shares for each Cadbury Plc share. This offer included 300 pence in cash and 0.2589 new Kraft shares for each Cadbury Plc share. Alternative take-overs/mergers from Hershey, Nestle and Ferrero Hershey, Nestle and Ferrero have made interest in acquiring Cadbury Plc. Accepting offers from any of the mentioned companies would be more advantageous than to accept Krafts bid, since these are more confectionary marked oriented and hence are concerned with similar issues Cadbury Plc is facing. For example, Hershey, the largest U.S. chocolate maker, has ‘about 14 percent of its $5.13 billionrevenueoutside its home market in 2008, whereas Cadbury Plc has 22 percent of sales coming from outsideNorth America (Bloomberg). This merge could lead to strongest and biggest global confectionary company. Nestle, the worlds biggest food company, could stand in and buy back the U.S. rights to Kit Kat and Rolo brands from Hershey, giving Hershey the power to fund a combination with Cadbury another option would be for Nestle to acquire Cadburys gum unit and then sell the chocolate division to Hershey orFerrero SpA (Bloomberg).Expand emerging markets (India, South America, Middle East, an d Africa) According to Todd Stitzer, CEO of Cadbury Plc; the company has the largest business of any of competitors in emerging markets that already contribute for more than a third of revenues. Cadbury Plc has already created strong foundations such as distribution systems and consumer relationships in these countries. For example, the company has experienced over 20% annual growth for the last three years in India (Creating Brands People Love, 2009). Expand developed markets (Europe, North America, Australia) Although these markets are considerably saturated, according to Cadbury Plc there still is much untapped potential (Creating Brands People Love, 2009). Expansion here is based on mostly new developed products and innovations in advertising. Concentrate more on luxury and natural products Since consumer awareness, such as healthy lifestyle, fair trade issues etc., is rising, more consumer attention is made on natural and luxury products. Recent takeover of Green and Blacks, The Natural Confectionery Co and Fair-trade certification proves the importance. New relevant takeovers could improve the share of the growing market. Invest more in development and innovations In order to expand, especially in the developed markets; science and development play great part. Making new products sometimes is the only way to expand in such regions, because of high market saturation. Move factories to countries with less expensive workforce Since factories are mostly based in western countries, high and rising wages play major role for small margin, therefore moving to countries with less expensive workforce could be beneficial (for instance, in Europe, moving from UK and France to Eastern European countries and the Baltic States, In Northern America, moving from USA to Mexico), however, there would be strong opposition from western governments and unions that happened during recent factory move from UK to Poland. (Daily Mail) 6.2. Future Business Environ

Defining Time :: Definition Essays

Defining Time When I think of time, I am immediately drawn to the song Unchained Melody written by the Righteous Brothers. In this song there is one line that describes time almost perfectly, as I believe it to be. This verse states that time can do so much, however it is very broad but let me explain. The song was written about a love that was separated and to me moments were described prior to the breakup and how time would be cherished if another chance was given. These moments can be either spent talking, holding each other, or just being near one another. There are many things that are affected by time. Sleep for instance seems like wasted time, however it is very necessary to be productively effective while awake. Did you know that we spend one third of our lives sleeping. Of course many people vary based on their life style but their are many psychological factors to consider for each person. I do believe that time can be wasted in some cases such as the old idea of cutting the lawn with scissors. This is not an ideal way of doing it, and common sense tells that a lawnmower would be a much faster way of completing this task. This example simply depicts predicaments that people often run into. Sometimes we don't have a choice of how things are completed due to lack of knowledge or tools required for the task. Anyhow it would still be wasted time if there is a faster way of doing things. The old saying that, "time is money" is so relevant to this day and age. Why spend hours chopping down a tree and cutting the wood yourself, when you can purchase perfect size pieces at a local hardware store? Sure you would save money but the time spent could have been spent with your family, using a small portion of a paycheck instead. I have had moment where I have wasted time and understand that it is for personal satisfaction. An example of this is baking a cake. It is nice to say, "hey, I made this from scratch how do you like it"?, as opposed to "I saved ti me and bought it at the bakery".

This Fad?s Gotten Out of Control :: essays research papers fc

In America, 10,250 people died from skin cancer this past year, according to the American Cancer Society. Skin cancer, the most common of all cancers, accounts for nearly all cancers in the United States. Over one million cases are diagnosed in this country each year (Johnnie).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reason for all of this? UV exposure. America’s value of life is very high, yet many people die just because they are not wise enough to keep out of the sun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The greatest danger from this problem is faced by teenagers. Studies have shown that among artificial tanners, those who started at an early age are more likely to develop skin cancer. Out of high school-aged girls, 51 percent reported using a commercial tanning bed at least four times in the past year (Perron). The fact of the matter is younger people do not have the foresight to realize that being tan isn’t worth the sometimes fatal after-effects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The social desirability of a tan is a modern phenomenon, beginning in the 1920’s when the French designer Coco Chanel decreed it as a fashion look. The concept of obtaining a tan without going outdoors became increasingly attractive (Aldige). Today’s media influences everyone, but especially young people, to feel like they need to have that beautiful dark skin color to look good. Teenagers, caring more about their social status and appearance, are looking past the obvious risks of skin cancer. Teenagers ages 12 to 17 are visiting tanning salons in record numbers. This trend presents a huge level of concern, as studies have shown that the risk for skin cancer increases when tanning begins at a younger age. With this fad being so popular, teens are always finding themselves at the tanning salons, becoming nice and crispy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The best way to keep everyone from this fatal cancer is by completely not allowing teenagers below the age of 18 to ever go to a tanning bed. There have been several other health risks that have been legislated against, such as smoking, drinking, and using seat belts. Why not tanning? We need to make it completely illegal for kids with such delicate skin to go fake-baking. Before the age of 18, teenager’s brains are not mature enough to make wise decisions about something that could greatly affect their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some would argue that they can still go out in the sun and get skin cancer. Experts agree that sunburns are caused primarily by exposure to UVB rays; however, UVA rays do not burn, but actually may do more harm.

“More than our brother is our chastity”. How far do you find yourself able to condone Isabella’s point of view

John 15:13 says: â€Å"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends†. In the traditional Christian Elizabethan society; this sentiment would have been revered; Shakespeare’s Puritanical and Catholic audiences would have loved the ideas of self-sacrifice and the immediate ascension into heaven. However, in Measure for Measure, Shakespeare manages to challenge this verse; he manipulates the situations and then causes the audience to digest the complexity of the verse, and causes the audience to question whether Isabella’s estimation that fornicating to save the life of another is not only morally wrong and a direct rebuttal of Jesus’ sentiment; but a damning sin. Isabella’s introduction into the play arouses intrigue in audiences and readers, as she is described as having a â€Å"speechless dialect/Such as move men†; so it is expected that audiences and readers would be waiting with bated breath fro Isabella to meet Angelo; and Shakespeare does not disappoint. The scene is written in blank verse, with unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter; Isabella first line is not quite metrically even; the word honour cannot be properly stressed, and that falter changes the rhythm of her speech. Her second speech leaves a gap in which Angelo inserts a terse question; almost as if the incomplete pentameter forces Angelo to reply. That first break in rhythm changes the dynamics of Isabelle’s interaction with Angelo. Shakespeare purposefully does this in order to use language and rhythm to convey the intensity of the relationship instantly forged between them; in particular the way the metre swaps between the two speakers. Later in the scene, the roles are reversed. On line 51, the position of the words in the pentameter undermines their stated meaning: while the words themselves speak of a certainty and finality, the rhythm is half-finished; in which Isabella can – metrically must- reopen the argument; although Angelo’s words say there is nor room for argument, he does not, at some level, want to dismiss the argument entirely; The language of the scene shows the extent to which they are aware of each other. So from the beginning of their interaction readers and audiences alike are left to question if this awareness is befitting of a novice nun. Conversely, Isabella may be seen as a model of some aspects of Christian virtue in ‘Measure for Measure', and her opposition to giving up her virginity an extension of her inherent virtue. For instance, in Act 2 Scene 2, Isabella's dialogue with Angelo expresses her quality of mercy, as although Claudio's sexual transgression is â€Å"a vice that I do most abhor†, Isabella argues that Angelo â€Å"might pardon him, / And neither heaven nor man grieve at the mercy. Furthermore she connects this value directly to God and her religion; â€Å"Why all the souls that were, were forfeit once/ And he that might the vantage best have took/ Found out the remedy. † This opposes Angelo's strict adherence to the secular laws of Vienna. His speeches in this scene make repeated references to his view of the law as immobile, such as â€Å"Your brother is a forfeit of the law/ And you but waste your words. He does not address the moral issues surrounding Claudio's crime, and the dry legal connotations of his language may seem to lack sympathy or mercy; this contrasts with Isabella's emotive language and religious allusions. This juxtaposition may have provided Shakespeare's original audiences with an interesting and current rhetorical debate, as the laws of the church and England's common laws were sometimes distinct and contradictory, causing moral and legal conflict. Moreover, the laws at the time were concerned with principles of justice, but did not often consider mercy, which was thought to be a religious virtue. Therefore, the characters of Isabella and Angelo may be intended to represent the two sides of this debate. Similarly, in John Webster’s ‘The Duchess of Malfi† The Duchess is portrayed as character who breaks the traditional Elizabethan revenge plot by to speak and act with the freedom of normal, albeit impulsive human beings. The Duchess is portrayed as sensual and aware of her sexuality, but is still able to become the embodiment of Christian virtue. In some ways Isabella and the Duchess are strikingly similar, but where The Duchess is overtly sexual, Isabella – like Angelo, has a moral compass that causes her to view situations as either Black or White, with no in-between {Insert quotation here} Isabella may therefore represent the difficulties of being a model of virtue, and of holding strict values of chastity and restraint whilst upholding sometimes contrasting principles of mercy and compassion. These themes would have been relevant in Jacobean society, as puritan values – which Isabella's devotion may represent – were becoming increasingly influential politically and socially, for instance the theatres of the suburbs were at times closed by puritan intervening. Furthermore, the play's genre of problem play allows for moral dilemmas to be raised and viewed from both sides. Therefore although seems to Isabella demonstrate a struggle to become ideally virtuous, it cannot be said definitively whether she succeeds as Angelo brings to light an equally challenging view â€Å"Is there no charity in sin? † However, it could be argued that modern values make it difficult for todays’ audience and readers to full grasp the gravity of Isabella’s situation. A similar story to ‘Measure for Measure’ is outlined in the Elizabethan novella â€Å"Eptia and Juriste† by Giraldi Cintho; in which Juriste is appointed governor of Innsbruck. He sentences a young man Vico to death; and like Angelo, Juriste propositions Epitia for sexual favours in exchange for her brother’s life, hinting that he might even marry her later. Epitia refuses indignantly â€Å"My brother’s life† she says with noble fierceness â€Å"is indeed very dear to me, but my honour is far dearer: my life I would willingly lose to save his, but I will not preserve him with my honour† so it could be argued that dilemma’s like this were popular and scintillating with Elizabethan audiences, as they understood the true depth of both women’s situations. Unfortunately, the representation of Isabella's religious devotion may appear – to some readers and audiences; humorous in its extremes, such as when in Act 1 Scene 4 she wishes for â€Å"a more strict restraint† even than â€Å"the votarists of St Claire†, a Catholic order that Shakespeare's audiences may have recognised as following rigorous rules of poverty. Furthermore, Isabella's devotion to chastity may place her on what seems like a moral highroad unachievable by most, and this may causes an audience to question or disapprove of her character. However, although Isabella's resilient chastity may have therefore seemed virtuous, her direct language: â€Å"Better it were a brother died at once† could seem unsympathetic and her use of the pronoun â€Å"our† in her proclamation â€Å"more than our brother is our chastity† could be seen as unemotional and an attempt to depersonalise he situation; making it harder for audiences and readers alike to empathise with her. Although, the argument of Isabella’s lack of sympathy for Claudio could be countered with her argument that Angelo should put himself in Claudio's place: â€Å"Go to your bosom, / Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know/ That's like my brother's fault†. ; the emphasis on the shifting pronouns enacts the level of syntax, the act of identification she seeks to prompt. Also, it may be significant that Isabella sticks to her values of chastity even though it involves emotional upheaval, whereas Angelo, when he discovers he is not the legal and moral puritan he had previously thought himself to abandons his values completely and becomes a tyrant, exploiting both the law and the other characters for his own benefit, saying: â€Å"I have begun, /And now I give my sensual race the rein. † So, while Angelo is portrayed as occupying the same if not higher moral ground that Isabella, his fall from grace is well documented and juxtaposed against Isabella – who sometimes unethical but never immoral, it shows that Isabella’s strength lies I her unwavering moral compass, and easily giving over her virtue would be untrue of her character. This is portrays especially well in Act 2 Scene 4, where Angelo asks â€Å"who would believe thee Isabel? â€Å". Here Shakespeare's use of the rhetorical question emphasises Angelo's power over Isabella, in that he is relying on his â€Å"unsoiled name† to protect him from prosecution. The imagery of the â€Å"unsoiled† name implies that Angelo's power stems from his past reputation, in that no one would believe that he would be capable of succumbing to the same weaknesses as other's. This point is mirrored in the â€Å"Duchess of Malfi† in which the Cardinal places his power in his reputation as no one expects him to be a fornicator as his position supposedly attests to his morality. In conclusion, Isabella's conflict in the play has a deep moral centre. She wants to become a nun, but can only save her brother's life by surrendering her chastity to Angelo. When she says, â€Å"More than our brother is our chastity† I believe she is not being cruel or selfish, but trying very hard to adhere to an ingrained sense morality, and unlike many characters in the play, she sticks to her values and her faith; and this might seem foreign even to some Elizabethan audiences, as in some cases, representations of women of this time can be seen as being limited to idolised virgins, or sexual women who were often demonised as whores. So, because Isabella is not a perfect religious ideal, but as a woman with flaws who is placed in a difficult situation, and tries to achieve the best outcome; it is easy to respect her.

Opinions of Discussion Essay

The critical decision makers necessary for the development of an effective sales curriculum for a multinational company include the sales and marketing director, the financial director, the human resources director and the various country managers. The CEO will need to be kept abreast of all developments to ensure that it meets his approval. Similarly, the board of directors will also have to be briefed about the project so that it is line with the company’s vision and mission statement. The sales and marketing director’s input into the project will be to develop sales and marketing strategies that will be adopted for use by sales personnel. From the various methods of marketing are available, the director will have to enumerate the most effective ones and explain which strategy is best suited for a particular situation. This may include direct sales, sales promotions, mail orders or e- business. Market segmentation will be applied to target particular groups while profiling techniques will enable the sales team to correctly identify their customers. Proper planning of finances and budgeting will be the financial director’s docket. By developing budget plans and drawing up financial estimates, the sales curriculum will effectively guide the sales team in assessing their efforts in terms of money spent and results achieved. It will also reduce wasteful expenditure by explaining how to save money and still be effective in one’s duties. The human resources director will draw up a training program for sales staff to develop their skills and enable them to be more effective in their duties. As part of their training, the curriculum will incorporate successful techniques of interacting with the customers by focusing on the needs of the end user rather than on the company’s immediate goals. A remuneration schedule based on performance will form part of the curriculum. A summary of the code of conduct in force will form part of the annex. Different people have different norms and practices. The input of the various country managers will be important in identifying the peculiarities of certain nations. This will assist the sales staff in relating to their customers on local terms. This reduces misunderstandings arising from cultural conflicts. For any program to be successful it must have the support of the final decision maker. In this case the CEO has got to be involved in the overall design and development of the curriculum so that he can give his input. This factor is important when it comes to issues like training that involve the company spending a lot of money. By being involved in the process, the CEO will appreciate the curriculum and ensure that its implementation does not lack finances or materials. In a school setting and a business environment the stakeholders and decision makers are more or less similar. The head teacher and the CEO are the final decision makers. Both entities have a board of governors/director. The company has shareholders who have a stake in the company while the schools have parents who are actively involved in its welfare. Local authorities regulate the functions of both institutions while both of them have customers and suppliers that they attend to. Teachers are unique stakeholders in a school setting because not only do they mould the children under their care but also teach them. They are like surrogate parents and thus have a greater interest in their charges. Unlike employees in a firm, teachers’ concern over the ‘produce of their labor’ extends well beyond the school gates.

Political Issues Regarding the Hispanic Population

Political Issues Regarding the Hispanic Population Courtney Warner ETH/125 Cultural Diversity Instructor Michelle Ward Saturday May 8, 2010 Political Issues Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Dominican Americans have separate cultures but both include strong family bonds and religious beliefs. These cultural groups are classified into the Hispanic American category because they share the Spanish language. â€Å"Although these groups share the same language each group has a different dialect and origin. Cuban and Dominican Americans have made the greatest developments in the social and political stand point. Puerto Rican Americans have made progress on the homeland in the economic view. While some groups resist assimilation into the American lifestyle, others have embraced it. † (Alba, 2006). Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican Americans have many resemblances but still remain separate in their ethnicity and are descendants from a variety of immigrants. The main reason for these groups immigrating to the United States was for a safe environment free of political issues occurring in their countries and to seek a better way of life. Mexican Americans have attained both social and economic status, broken the language barrier, and achieved legal status in the United States. Most Mexicans that come to America are looking to work hard and overcome the obstacles they faced politically and economically in Mexico. The political issues facing Mexicans are typically the same as any foreign immigrant. Voting is a challenge. The voting of the Hispanic population is down because the majority of Mexicans are not legal citizens which prevent them from voting. According to the Census Bureau (2008), it is estimated that 1. 7 to 2. million percent of the United States population is illegal immigrants. The Hispanic population has not obtained political power equal to its proportion of population. Through years of protests and debates bilingual voting is now an option for counties with large numbers of non American speaking citizens. Bilingual education is also another very important political issue in the Mexican community. Origi nally schools in America only taught one language with the exception of extra credit language courses. With the rising number of immigrants the school boards in heavily populated Mexican communities are now offering bilingual classes. Immigration laws are also a constant debate with Hispanic members. After years of failed attempts at passing new immigration laws, with the new Obama administration hopes are high that immigration reform will be put back on the national agenda. English is the primary language of Puerto Rican Americans. English is taught in Puerto Rican elementary schools since Puerto Rico is commonwealth of the United States. Even though Puerto Rica is considered commonwealth it still has its own constitution, legislature, and governor but is subject to the rules and regulations of the United States. The commonwealth status allows all Puerto Ricans American citizenship, making them migrants not immigrants. Puerto Rican American assimilation has been both successful and problematic. Puerto Ricans living in the United States and Puerto Rico are still experiencing issues with drug use and crime. Lack of educational opportunities and failure in family structures are also causing struggles in the Puerto Rican population. The political involvement of Puerto Ricans and other minorities in the United States is small in comparison to their population size. Less than half of the Puerto Rican population has taken advantage of their voting privileges. Once Puerto Ricans become more settled as residents, they start to participate in politics. For most Puerto Rican residents their primary concern is to search for better economic conditions rather than become a member of a political party. The majority of these immigrants that chose this route are non-English speaking and not able to join or participate in an election. Instead, the immigrants are more likely to become members of religious organizations because they are accustomed to these religious ways in their country. Religion plays a major role in family and political life. Recent discussion amongst Puerto Rican government officials is pushing for Puerto Rico to become a legitimate U. S. state. Cuban Americans have asserted themselves politically and economically in the Miami, Florida area and are becoming the dominant ethnic community. In Florida this is where the most noteworthy Cuban American political organizations, research centers, and cultural institutions exist. Between 1989 and 1990, 78% of Cuban Americans registered to vote in comparison to 49. 3% of Mexican Americans, and 49. 9% of Puerto Ricans. Cuban Americans also seem to have a better economic security than other Hispanic groups. The average Cuban American income in 1986 was roughly $26,700 which was more than $6,700 for all Hispanic households. Cuban Americans are also highly educated; a vast majority has completed either college or graduate schooling. Cuban Americans are noted to be conservative politically and tend to vote for the Republican Party. The most important political organization in the Cuban American community is the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF). This organization is dedicated to restructuring U. S. olicy toward Cuba and removing Castro from Cuba. The CANF is also responsible for raising money for political purposes and lobbying elected officials. There has been much progress made in the Cuban American’s political role, they elected Cuban Americans to Congress and dominated the local political scene in the Miami area. However, the core issues still remain in the political debate of Cuban Americans; migration, Castro, and U. S. Republicanism. Dominicans view education to be a primary concern. Dominicans in the United States have fought one of their most important political battles over education. It was in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, that they organized together to voice to the local board of education. The school board consisted of no Dominican citizens but the school itself had a majority or Dominican school agers. The Dominicans protested to put a Dominican on board and they were successful in their motives. This began the political mobilization for Dominicans in the education arena. Other important political issue’s the U. S. Dominican community is concerned with is the status of undocumented migrants into the United States, citizenship status, and the police violence towards Dominicans. There have been several organizations and lobbies created to achieve these rights. As of now, Dominicans have not been involved in National politics, but have made efforts at local levels. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) is a research, policy, and education organization dedicated to â€Å"developing and implementing programs that promote the integration of Latino immigrants into American society, developing future leaders among Latino youth, providing assistance and training to the nation's Latino elected and appointed officials and †¦ conducting research on issues important to the Latino population†. With the recent election of an African American into U. S. Presidency demonstrates how our society has evolved. The important fact to understand is not that we have a black president, but we have come to terms and not dismiss a candidate based on race. WE need to consider other important issues like this election has brought understanding that new opportunities have been made available for minorities in the political world. Our modern day society is beginning to change by taking positive steps in the right direction. References Alba, R. (2006). Mexican Americans and the American dream. Political Science & Politics_. American Political Science Association. _ Retrieved April 30, 2009 from http://www. apsanet. org/imgtest/PerspectivesJun06Alba. pdf Ballasy, N. (2010). Top Puerto Rican Government Leaders Argue for Statehood on Capitol Hill. Retrieved from http://www. cnsnews. com/news/article/65006 Countries and Their Cultures. (2009). Multicultural America. Retrieved from http://www. everyculture. om/multi/index. html Mongillo, I. (2010) Yale-New Haven Teacher Institute. Puerto Rican Cultural Differences in Politics. Retrieved http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1980/6/80. 06. 08. x. html NALEO Educational Fund. (2010). Action Urgently Needed on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. http://www. naleo. org/ Pew Hispanic Center (2010). Key Issues for Hispanic Voters Include Education, Economy and Health Care. Retrieved from http://pewhispanic. org/newsroom/releases/release. php? ReleaseID=14 Pew Research Center Survey (2006). Chapter 7: Ideology and Policy Issues. Retrieved from http://pewhispanic. org/files/reports/75. 7. pdf Reshaping politics. Economist, 00130613, 1/9/2010, Vol. 394, Issue 8664 Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=47437302&site=ehost-live Schaefer, R. (2006). Hispanic Americans. Week Seven Reading: Chapter 9. Retrieved from ETH/125—Cultural Diversity website. References Insert References Here.

Ocean Pollution Essay Example

Ocean Pollution Essay Example Ocean Pollution Paper Ocean Pollution Paper You authorized the report on September 23. At your request the formal report presents information on ocean pollution and how it affects the earth. This report presents information in three broad categories: top zone, second zone, third zone. The report includes the six cos of communication and PAP format. As always, helping you with this report and future endeavors is anticipated. So Ocean Pollution Prepared for Prepared by Antonio Burped September 26, 2013 Table of Contents Transmittal Memorandum Title Page 1 Table of contents 2 TOP zone 3 Second Zone 4 Third Zone 5 Conclusion 6 Currently, ocean pollution is a significant issue affecting the oceans and the rest of the earth. Problems like oil spills, toxic wastes, garbage, vehicle pollutants, global warming hazards, and other detrimental materials are all kinds of pollution that damages oceans every day. Ocean pollution directly affects aquatic life and indirectly affects humans and resources. Water shelters 70 percent of the planet making up rivers, lakes, and oceans. Scientists trust the worlds largest garbage dump is found in that water. (The Great Pacific Garbage patch, 2011) There are three zones that make up the ocean: the top zone, second zone, and third zone, all of which are polluted from different things and different reasons. Top Zone The topmost region of the ocean is termed the Epiphytic Zone or sunlight zone. Here you will trace most oceanic life where algae can cultivate lucratively and the temperature is kindlier, which is inviting to most sea creatures. (Surface Area and the Seabed Area, 2010) This zone is roughly 600 et deep, but is the nominal precinct out of the three. One of the numerous kinds of contamination in this zone is oil pollution. This is triggered by ships either leaking, or carrying oil that crash in the sea. Whenever you take your boat out for a good time, it is actually polluting the marine. The boats running engine can kill animals with the chemicals in the exhaust, and the extra gas the engine gives off. Another type of effluence that is most times associated with ocean pollution is garbage dumping, which includes trash, human waste, bathing water, and plastics. Garbage dumping is found in roughly the top 90 feet of the ocean. In that 90 feet you can find six times more pieces of plastic than there is plankton, which is the main food source for many of the sea creatures in the top zone. (Ocean Pollution) (Out of sight, Out of Mine, 2009) Second Zone The second zone is known as the Despotic Zone or twilight zone. Practically no sunlight will ever see this zone, resulting in very few plants being able to grow. The only animals you will find here are those that live with very little sunlight, exceedingly cold water, and extremely high pressure. This zone is ,400 feet making it the second largest zone. Pollution in this zone includes metals and toxic chemicals. These chemicals come from Agriculture causes. Chemical pesticides or fertilizers used to kill harmful insects or substances on land, are the chemicals that are poisoning the fish population. When rain hits plants on land, the pesticides and fertilizers get taken out and run off into the oceans. (Ocean Pollution, 201 1) The chemicals then settle at the bottom of the ocean and eventually are eaten by fish.

good vs evil essays

good vs evil essays The Lord of the Flies: Good vs. Evil The constant struggle for survival of the young boys in The Lord of the Flies ultimately results in innocence transforming into savagery. There is an on going battle between good and evil which has always been the focus of William Goldings works. Stung by what he considers an unreal view of life, the novelist is too magnanimous to stop at exposing the faults of another, but goes on...to tell the truth (Cook 173). In this novel, Golding uses intense imagery to undermine our naive faith in the moral progress we like to read into modern social society (Baker 175). In all of Goldings novels, he has a message or moral that he tries to get across to the reader. In Lord of the Flies Golding tries to put the reader into a different world, the intention is to undermine our naive faith in the moral progress we like to read into modern social history... We are urged to recognize that human nature is dynamic and capable of extraordinary transformations which may result in social good or ill (Baker 175). Piggy is incessantly used as a symbol of what is good and moral. During his death, he is portrayed even as a righteous symbol of Christ. He is the representative of all things acceptable and lawful. The death of Piggy is an emblem of the Fallthe later reference to it makes that interpretation indisputable. But the power of Mr. Goldings art depends also upon the showthe shown significance of the grunt (which means more than the authors clever sneer), the smashed conch and split brains.... The alert pupil is expected to register through those carefully presented symbols the ultimate fragility of the boys tenuous grasp on sense, order and legitimate behaviour. That the falling Piggy, representative of intelligence and the rule of law, is an unsatisfactory symbol o...

Mobile Application by

Mobile Application by Mobile Application by We are happy to announce the release of our mobile app for Android users. The mobile app is meant to make your user experience more convenient and effective. This app is essentially the tool that allows you to gain total control over the writing process. You are able to view all your orders, communicate with your writer staff, download or upload files and rate your completed papers. As you can see the app allows you to do essentially same things that customer control panel does with the only difference that you dont have to work from your computer a good old smartphone or tablet will do. After you install the app, you will need to log into it. There are two ways of authorization: you can either log in using your username password or you can use your facebook account. The latter method is the most convenient option because it does everything in just one click. For your information: we do not track facebook logins, do not store this information in any way, so rest assured your personal information will not be released to anyone else. Want to know more? Go here: Ordering Procedure and Its Staff Our Writers The History of Our Partners Once you log in, you will see that your mobile app is subdivided into three categories: current orders, completed orders all orders. These titles speak for themselves, so we will not explain them in great detail. You can see their status, order title order number. To view order details, touch the respective order. Once you enter this section, you will see your order details, including things like progress, type of order, a number of pages, academic subject, deadline and your writer ID. Use other sections (info, messages, review, rating) to navigate through the app and access the function you need. Thank you for downloading and installing the application on your smartphone. We hope you find this application useful and really enjoy it. We are happy to hear any feedback from you, please email our support team at support@

10 Fascinating Animal Facts

10 Fascinating Animal Facts Our world is full of animals that are wondrous and amazing! These fascinating creatures have certain adaptations that may seem strange to us, but are necessary for the animal to survive. These adaptations may be defense mechanisms that help the animal to avoid predators or they may aid the animal in obtaining food for themselves. Below are ten fascinating facts about animals that may surprise you. Fascinating Animal Facts 10. Frogs have ear drums on the outside of their heads. While frogs dont have an external ear as humans do, they have an inner ear, middle ear, and an outer ear drum or tympanum. 9. Sea otters always float on their backs when they eat. These marine mammals dine on animals including mussels, sea urchins, clams, and snails, all while floating on their backs. Their extremely dense fur protects them from the cold waters as they eat. 8. Polar bears look white, but they actually have black skin. Unlike other bears, their fur is transparent and reflects visible light. This allows polar bears, which live in the arctic tundra, to blend in with their snow covered environment. 7. Snakes always keep their eyes open, even when they are asleep. Snakes cant close their eyes because they do not have eyelids. They do have eye scales which cover their eyes and shed when the snake sheds its skin. 6. Crickets have ears on their front legs. Located just below the knees, their ears are among the smallest in the animal kingdom. In addition to crickets, grasshoppers and locusts also have ears on their legs. 5. Aardvarks can hear and smell termites and ants. An aardvark uses its long tongue to reach deep into termite and ant mounds. These animals can eat tens of thousands of insects in a single night. 4. Cobras are able to kill with a bite as soon as they are born. Baby cobra venom is just as potent as an adult cobras venom. Their bite is dangerous because cobras can inject large amounts of venom in a single bite. Cobra venom contains a neurotoxin that affects the central nervous system and can lead to paralysis, respiratory system failure, and death. 3. Flamingos have knees that can bend backward. Well actually, what looks like knees are really its ankles and heels. A flamingos knees are located closer to its body and hidden under its feathers. 2. The pistol shrimp catches its prey by surprising it with a loud banging noise made with its claws. The sound is so loud that it stuns or even kills their prey. The sound made by pistol shrimp claws can be as loud as 210 decibels, which is louder than a gunshot. 1. Some species of Australian Flower Spiders eat their mother when food becomes limited. The mother spider sacrifices herself by encouraging her young babies to attack her, dissolve her insides, and feed on her body. Cannibalism is also seen in other spider species and most often observed in relation to sexual encounters. More Fascinating Animal Facts Common Animal Questions and AnswersWhy do zebras have stripes? Why do some tigers have white coats? Find answers to these and other commonly asked questions about animals. Why Some Animals Play DeadWhen faced with danger, some animals go into a catatonic state. They appear to be dead to the world. Discover why some animals play dead. 10 Amazing Bioluminescent OrganismsSome organisms have the ability to glow. The light emitted is due to a chemical reaction. Discover 10 amazing bioluminescent organisms. 7 Animals That Mimic LeavesSome animals camouflage themselves as leaves to avoid predators or catch prey. The next time you pick up a leaf, make sure it is not a leaf impostor. Amazing Animal SensesDiscover some amazing facts about animal senses.