Antigone, Empress of Byzantium, and My Aunt :: Antigone Essays

Antigone, Empress of Byzantium, and My AuntI have very few heroes, that if I could pick three people who are heroic to me, I would have to choose Antigone from the tragic play Antigone by Sophocles, Theodora, Empress of Byzantium, and my own personal hero, my bully aunt Alice. All of these women have had a profound effect on the world around them, and worked hard to shape the world as they saw fit, to nourish their loved ones and those to whom they were and are loyal. My personal hero especially has had a profound effect on my upbringing and me. While I have few heroes, I will pick some people from the past, present, and literature to represent what I believe a hero should be. The first hero is Antigone from the well-known Greek tragedy Antigone, written by Sophocles of an older Greek myth. Antigone was not only a hero, but also a martyr. She died for her cause she died to save the honor and soul of her associate Polynices, even though he was a traitor. She defied the order of t he main antagonist Creon, or Kreon, whose edict was that no one should bury Polynices body, or even grieve his passing. (Antigone) On the other hand, her other brother who had seized the thrown after Oedipuss passing, was buried with honor and as a hero. Antigone would not stand for this, as both her sustain and father were dead, and thusly she would never have any other brothers ever again. She did not want either of her brothers bodies to be, left as a corpse eaten by birds and dogs and torn to pieces, shameful for everyone to see, because this would bring more shame to her family then had already been brought by her father, who had killed his own father unknowingly and married his own mother. This is one designer that Antigone is dangerous and heroic, she remembers the past, unlike Creon, who unwittingly begins to repeat the mistakes of Oedipus in his reign, and Antigone uses this information as well as any sword master as a tool against Creon. She knows that she will be put to death, however she faces up to that and defends her brother anyway, and is unafraid of the consequences. She even makes Creons orders seem shameful, putting them up in a classic tilt between divine and human law, making it clear that the will of her gods is more important then life or death.

Augustus Ceasar :: Essays Papers

Augustus CeasarTwo of the most destructive problems facing the late Roman Republic werethe instability and disunity caused by incessant urbane wars. Romes rapidexpansion, aft(prenominal) the Punic Wars, resulted in socioeconomic changes thatpermanently divided the state. Both aristocratic and plebeian parties sought gist control of Rome and tried to destroy each other. Civil war was thecontinuation of party politics by other means. Consequently, the power of themilitary became supreme. go out of Romes armies steadily shifted away fromthe legitimate government to the generals because the soldiers began to give theirallegiance to their generals sooner than to the civil authorities. On dismissalfrom military service, the legionnaires had no farms to return to, and theydepended entirely on whatever land and money their generals could provide sincethe government was unwilling or unable to supply veterans with livelihoods.Thus, the generals became autonomous centers of power. Th e general whodominated the strongest army ruled the state. perennial power struggles ofthese military strongmen ignited more civil wars that further undermined thestability and unity of the late Roman Republic.Augustus saw how divisive to the Roman polity civil war was. He understoodthat control of the legions by the civil government was necessary for theestablishment of peace and order throughout the Roman Empire. He valued toreorganize and institute changes in the military to assure that it would not riseagain in support of some triumphant general to challenge the authenticity of thestate. Since warfare within the Empire was eliminated, the role of thelegions changed. Its main objectives consisted in protecting the borders fromforeign foes and pacifying conquered lands through the gradual introduction ofthe Roman language, law, administration, and engineering. Augustus priority wasto reduce the matter of the legions from 60 to 28, settling in the process morethan 100,000 veterans in colonies in Italy, Africa, Asia, and Syria. Whileproscription financed previous resettlement efforts, the vast wealth of Egypt,which he seized after Antonys defeat, subsidized Augustus massiveresettlement program. He raised the troops salary and regularized the paymentof pensions, which consisted of land and money, to veterans. Augustus, thus,reduced the old threat of soldiers giving their allegiance to wealthy generalsrather than to the state. He also standardized the length of military service.The Roman legion became a professional, long service force with an esprit decorp that earlier legions did not have. all(prenominal) legion was commanded by an officer

Street Prostitution in St Kilda, Australia Essay -- Papers

Street Prostitution in St Kilda, Australia Street prostitution. St Kilda has been dogged by its battlefront and consequences for decades, and is subsequently a major community concern. There have been innumerable attempts to address the problem, however it is only until recently that an extensive and resourced approach, incorporating supporters representing each(prenominal) political parties and many community stakeholders, has come into force. In a report released by the Attorney Generals Street Prostitution Advisory Group (established in March 2001 and consisting of parliamentary, government, residential, police, welfare, trade, and sex prole representatives), it has been proposed that tolerance zones and street worker centres should be established in the City of Port Phillip in an attempt to efficiently manage street prostitution in the area. This said proposition has been met with much acclaim, but, inevitably, not without opposition. One of the worlds oldest professions, street prostitution first arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. Initially confined to the penal settlements, the industry changed dramatically in the nineteenth century, with the gold rush attracting many prostitutes to Victoria. Prostitution became densely concentrated in the city, however, the development of Melbourne, the impact of the First and help World Wars, economic depression and legislative change saw the industry decline and spread into the inner city suburbs, such as St Kilda, Fitzroy and South Melbourne. Reports do exist of prostitution in St Kilda occurring as early as the late nineteenth century, however it was not common in the said are... ...the proposal cannot go ahead in good stead. The issue of street prostitution is not a pretty one, but nor is it uncommon. The only way that the problem can be properly addressed is if all parties involved realise the extreme need for the industrys managemen t. The establishment of tolerance zones and street worker centres, as well as all that is proposed to go hand in hand with them, is an innovative, practical, and much-needed incentive that will undoubtedly reduce, and possibly open the gateway to the eventual eradication of street prostitution. The industry has gotten all told out of hand in the St Kilda area, and needs to be tightly controlled. The report released by the Street Prostitution Advisory Group, of which the government supports, holds the key to ultimately accomplishing this innate goal.

Selfishness and Misguided Views in Madame Bovary Essay -- Madame Bovar

Selfishness and Misguided Views in Madame Bovary The majority of Gustave Flauberts 1857 classic novel, Madame Bovary , tells of the marriage and 2 cheating(a) affairs of one lady, Madame Emma Bovary. Emma, believing she is in love, agrees to marry the widower doctor who heals her fathers broken leg. This doctor, Charles Bovary, Jr., is completely in love with Emma. However, Emma finds she must have been mistaken in her love, for the happiness that should have followed this love (44) has not come. Emma is misguided in her beliefs on the meaning of love and happiness. It is also apparent that she considers herself more important than anyone connected with her, including her husband, her daughter, and her two lovers. Emmas misguided views and selfishness clearly deny her the happiness to which she feels she is entitled. Madame Bovary begins revealing how she is denied happiness not long after she and Charles are married. A controlling thought resounds in Madame Bovarys m ental capacity Good heavens why did I marry? (58). Emma refuses the happiness Charles offers, despite--or perhaps in spite--of his deep devotion to his wife, and wills herself to separate from her husband. She wonders if by some other chance conclave it would not have been possible to meet another man and she tried to imagine what would have been these unrealized events, this different life, this unknown husband (58). Madame Bovary, her loving husbands inadequacy of qualities in mind, instead wants for a handsome, witty, distinguished, attractive (58) lover. Assuming this is the version of lover to whom her childhood friends are now married, Emma is also consumed with jealousy. At the ball at Vaubyessard, Emma ridicules Charles when h... ...al touches and in conclusion upon the soles of the feet, so swift of yore, when she was running to satisfy her desires, and that would now walk no more (419).Madame Bovary selfishly leaves her husband and daughter to suffer in the poverty t hat she has caused. She has never loved the two people whom she should have loved most--the two people who did love her most. Happiness will be prevented when selfishness and misguided views are present. Instead of relish for things that one cannot have and emotions that are simply unattainable, one should glory in the love of the family and friends one has, and enjoy whatever objects one may attain. Only consequently may one find the true happiness that ones soul longs after.Works CitedFlaubert, Gustave. The Worlds Great Classics Madame Bovary . Translated from French by Eleanor Marx-Aveling. New York Grolier Incorporated, n. d.

The Labor Unions Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Labor UnionsUnions have become commonplace in the labor arena. They provide employees with a valuable tool that allows them to expect together against their employer to make sure that their rights are upheld in the workplace. This paper will focus on labor unions with regards to how they work in two very divers(prenominal) companies, Ford Motor Company and linked Airlines. Also, a brief history will be outlined as well as legislation regarding unions. galore(postnominal) unions are at battle with their respected employers. Some of these fights are better known than other fights. coupled Airlines is trying to renegotiate contracts to save their company money. This has been a long battle for United, that some may see as having begun with the events of September 11, 2001. In truth, the International Association of Machinists, the union that represents a majority of United employees and United have been locked in a heated battle for some time now, even before the events of that September. By contrast, Ford Motor Company has had very picayune trouble recently with the union that represents the majority of their employees. The UAW has not gone on strike at Ford since 1976. The last time that Ford-UAW relationship even make the news was in 1999, when the UAW was negotiating their new contract. Comparatively speaking, the two companies could not be further apart when it comes to working with their respective unions. HistoryAlthough some people tip the beginning of labor unions in the United States to the very beginning, when guilds men got off the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, the beginning of the modern labor movement began in 1886. That is the course of instruction when Samuel Gompers founded the the Statesn Federation of Labor. The statement of the founders of the AFL reads in partThe various trades have been affected by the introduction of machinery, the subdivision of labor, the use of womens and childrens labor and the lack of an assimilator system-so that the skilled trades were rapidly sinking to the level of pauper labor. To protect the skilled labor of America from being reduced to beggary and to sustain the standard of American wiliness and skill, the trades unions of America have been established. (AFL-CIO, 2002)The first major union strike in this country was the P... ...8/2004 at http//money.cnn.com/2002/11/18/news/companies/ual/Commission for Labor Cooperation (2002) United States Labor Law. Viewed online on 11/18/2004 at http//www.naalc.org/english/publications/labormain.htmEncyclopedia Britannica, Online Edition (2002) Labor History United States. viewedonline at http//www.britannica.comInternational Assocaition of Machinists (2002) Union fraction ights and OfficerResponsibilities Under the LMRDA. Viewed online on 11/18/2004 athttp//www.goiam.org/memberadvantages.asp?c=884U.S. Department of Labor (2002) The Worker Adjustment and Retraining NotificationAct. Viewed online on 11/18/2004 athttp//www.doleta.gov/programs /factsht/warn.htmU.S. Department of Labor Occupational Health and Safety Administration (2002)OSHAs Mission. Viewed online on 11/18/2004 athttp//www.osha.gov/oshinfo/mission.html. United Autoworkers of America (2002) Viewed online on 11/18/2004 athttp//www.UAW.org

Schizophrenia :: essays research papers

Positive Symptoms and Negative Symptoms of schizophrenia. Discuss at least two of distributively and the difference between positive and negative symptoms.Positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning. Positive symptoms include delusions (false beliefs), h aloneucinations (false perceptions), and severely disorganized eyeshot processes, speech, and behavior. A delusion is a false belief that persists in spite of compelling contradictory evidence. The delusional person ignores any evidence that contradicts his erroneous beliefs, and a good deal becomes preoccupied with them. Schizophrenic delusions are often so convincing that they can provoke inappropriate or bizarre behavior. Delusional thinking may slide by the dangerous behaviors. Hallucinations are false or distorted perceptions that seem vividly real. The content of hallucinations is often tied to the persons delusional beliefs. The content of hallucinations and delusions may also be influenced by culture and religiosity. Negative symptoms reflect an absence or reduction of normal functions, such as greatly reduced motivation, emotional expressiveness, or speech. One commonly seen negative symptom is referred to as tied(p) affect or affective flattening. Regardless of the situation, the person responds in an emotionally flat way, showing a dramatic reduction in emotional responsiveness and facial expressions. Speech is slow and monotonous, lacking normal vocal inflictions. A near related negative symptom is alogia, or greatly reduction production of speech. In alogia, verbal responses are limited to brief, empty comments.What neurotransmitter is mentioned as contributing to schizoid symptoms? How do drug treatments alter this neurotransmitters level? What are some of the problems with these drug treatments?According to the dopamine hypothesis, schizophrenia is related to excessive activity of dopamine in the brain. Antipsychotic drugs, such as Haldol, Throazine, and Stela zine, reduce or block dopamine activity in the brain. These drugs reduce schizoid symptoms in many people. Amphetamines and cocain enhance dopamine activity and can produce schizophrenic-like symptoms in normal adults or increase symptoms in people who already have schizophrenia. Not all schizophrenics experiences a reduction of symptoms in response to the antipsychotic drugs that reduce dopamine activity. The problem with these drugs are that these drugs reduce some but not all schizophrenic symptoms.Discuss one looking at of schizophrenia that you didnt know about before, or one aspect that you found particularly interesting and why.One aspect of schizophrenia that especially surprised me was not only how many people it effects and how many are at take chances, but how much at risk people are these days. Also, that the fault of schizophrenia lies mostly within the male.

Schizophrenia :: essays research papers

Positive Symptoms and Negative Symptoms of schizophrenia. Discuss at least two of each and the difference between positive and negative symptoms.Positive symptoms echo an excess or distortion of normal functioning. Positive symptoms include delusions (false beliefs), hallucinations (false perceptions), and severely disorganized thought processes, speech, and behavior. A delusion is a false belief that persists in spite of compelling contradictory evidence. The delusional person ignores any evidence that contradicts his erroneous beliefs, and often becomes preoccupied with them. Schizophrenic delusions be often so convincing that they can provoke inappropriate or bizarre behavior. Delusional thinking may lead the dangerous behaviors. Hallucinations are false or distorted perceptions that come along vividly real. The content of hallucinations is often tied to the persons delusional beliefs. The content of hallucinations and delusions may also be influenced by culture and religiosi ty. Negative symptoms radiate an absence or simplification of normal functions, such as greatly bring lowd motivation, worked up expressiveness, or speech. One commonly seen negative symptom is referred to as flat affect or affective flattening. Regardless of the situation, the person responds in an emotionally flat way, showing a dramatic reduction in emotional responsiveness and facial expressions. Speech is slow and monotonous, lacking normal vocal inflictions. A closely related negative symptom is alogia, or greatly reduction production of speech. In alogia, verbal responses are limited to brief, empty comments.What neurotransmitter is mentioned as contributing to schizophrenic symptoms? How do drug treatments alter this neurotransmitters level? What are some of the problems with these drug treatments?According to the dopamine hypothesis, schizophrenia is related to excessive activity of dopamine in the brain. Antipsychotic drugs, such as Haldol, Throazine, and Stelazine, red uce or block dopamine activity in the brain. These drugs reduce schizophrenic symptoms in many an(prenominal) people. Amphetamines and cocaine enhance dopamine activity and can produce schizophrenic-like symptoms in normal adults or increase symptoms in people who already have schizophrenia. Not all schizophrenics experiences a reduction of symptoms in response to the antipsychotic drugs that reduce dopamine activity. The problem with these drugs are that these drugs reduce some but not all schizophrenic symptoms.Discuss one aspect of schizophrenia that you didnt issue about before, or one aspect that you found particularly interesting and why.One aspect of schizophrenia that especially surprised me was not only how many people it effects and how many are at risk, but how much at risk people are these days. Also, that the fault of schizophrenia lies mostly in spite of appearance the male.

Does a light Bulb Obey Ohm’s law? Essay

Does a Light Bulb Obey Ohms integrity? Obtaining carry over of Results Voltage 1 Current 1 Voltage 2 Current 2 Average Voltage Average Current Average ResistanceAnalysis After conducting my essay and analysing my results I have found that a light bulb does not obey ohms law, it is a non-ohmic conductor.From the graph obtained from the results it is clearly shown how ohms law doesnt apply to the light bulb. The graph clearly shows that the current is not proportional to the voltage. The graph shows that as the voltage increased the increase in current was reduced. i. e. when the capability difference was 4 volts the current increased by 0. 34 amps, when the potential difference was 8 volts the current increased by 0. 22 amps. The results can be explained using science. Variables The variables in the sample Independent variable I altered this variable.Voltage Controlled Variables Length of wire cover sectional area of wire fit Material Light Bulb Fair Test Controlled Variables For the interest of a fair test and accu step results, these controlled variable will be maintained and kept constant for each voltage, as they can affect the rate of reaction Length of wire. The longer the wire, the further the electrons have to travel, so the more than the resistance. The shorter the wire the little the electrons have to travel so the less the resistance Cross sectional area of wire.The larger the go after section of a wire, the less struggle for electrons to go past, the lower the resistance. The smaller the cross section of a wire, the more struggle for electrons to go past, the greater the resistance Wire Material. Different materials conduct electricity in different ways, the better the conductor, the less the resistance. The worse the conductor, the more resistance. The like light bulb, which had the same tungsten filament. Ohms law does not apply to circuits where there are temperature changes. The variable, temperature, meant that ohms law could not be applied to the light bulb.It is the light bulb itself that emits the heat. Its source is the tungsten filament, as when electrons try to pass finished the tungsten filament they collide with the tungsten atoms which induce heat and increase the atoms vibration, which leads to further collisions and leads to more light heat and of course resistance. The result supports my Hypothesis. Evaluation I believe the investigation was successful as the results produced agree with scientific knowledge. In the Ohms Law coursework I investigated whether or not a light bulb obeyed ohms law.In the experiment we progressively increased the potential difference to see how it affected the current flowing through a light bulb. The experiment was carried out accurately in many ways. All variables, other that voltage, the independent variable and temperature, were kept at a constant. The results were handled with accuracy. The results were plotted on a graph. A line of best fit was put on each resu lt which meant the results are very accurate, rather than being rounded. The method in which the Ohms Law investigation was carried out is sufficient enough to support a firm oddment, this is becauseAll variable, which effect resistance, were controlled and maintained. With the exception of, voltage, the independent variable and temperature, all were kept constant. For the interest of a fair test and accurate results, these controlled variable will be maintained and kept constant for each voltage, as they can affect the rate of reaction Length of wire. The longer the wire, the further the electrons have to travel, so the more the resistance. The shorter the wire the less the electrons have to travel so the less the resistance Cross sectional area of wire.The larger the cross section of a wire, the less struggle for electrons to go past, the lower the resistance. The smaller the cross section of a wire, the more struggle for electrons to go past, the greater the resistance Wire Mate rial. Different materials conduct electricity in different ways, the better the conductor, the less the resistance. The worse the conductor, the more resistance. The same light bulb, which had the same tungsten filament. Voltage was supplied with an accurate variable d. c. supply. Current was measured using an accurate ammeter and voltage was measured with an accurate voltmeter.For further accuracy I conducted the experiment twice so I could work out the average. Both times the results were expected and were very similar. Therefore I believe that this investigation has sufficient evidence to support a conclusion that a bulb does not obey ohms law. A bulb is a non ohmic conductor. If I were to double over the investigation I would improve it by Using other conductors like lasers. Made the length of the wire into a an independent variable Made the cross section area of the wire into an independent variable Made the material of the wire into an independent variable.Made the type of bu lb into an independent variable Although I believe my investigation to be a success I believe if I were to make the improvements I said, I would have reliable results with an even stronger conclusion as a wider range of information would have been taken into account Ohms Law 1 Stepney Green School 10548 Show preview exactly The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and magnetic force section. Download this essay Print Save Not the one?

An Analysis of Broken Dreams by W.B. Yeats Essay

A lot of Yeats poesys about love are linked back to the love of his life, Maud. She is represented in many forms in Yeats poetry and Broken Dreams is no exception. By using Maud, Broken Dreams involves themes such as loss, love and time. THERE is grey in your hair. Young men no longer In these first two lines Yeats has set the basis of what the poem go away be about, comparing Maud to what she was like when she was young and what she is like during the writing of the poem.Yeats switches betwixt the past and the present to present this but instead of using the past tense he goes back to how he remembers Maud and uses it as the present. It can therefore be inferred that Yeats does not want to let go of the past but has done it for so long that it has become his reality, it is no longer just in his h whollyucinations. The dream he is living is then broken when he sees her again looking old and grey. After Yeats dreams come the memories of the womanhood. In three of the five stanzas Yeats repeats the words dumb memories, nothing but memories. Yeats actual memories of her have faded as he got older, another result of time and ageing.Yeats can only remember a clarified amount about her, a large amount of that being her looks and beauty, he has been dreaming about that one thing for so long that he has forgotten everything else about her. It is suggested that even the memories that he still has become blurred and they are not as they actually were. In the fourth stanza she enters a lake with one trivial imperfection that makes her stand out, but if she were to leave the lake it is implied that this imperfection will disappear and she will be utterly perfect.That imperfection is the one of her characteristics that makes her so appealing to Yeats and so even more memorable, if that were to go then perhaps he will forget her altogether. Both the themes of time and memory have been to do with the loss of it. quest on from losing the memories of her, Yeats contemp lates never being able to see her again. When she goes into the lake it is not only the memory of her that becomes blurred but during the time that that happened she is getting away from him. And I am afraid that you will run, this suggests that the woman does not love Yeats as much as he loves her if at all.It could be interpreted that Yeats pushed her away with all the unwanted attention he was giving her rather than her leaving because she had to like Yeats sees it. Furthermore, towards the end of Broken Dreams, Yeats has written the line, The last stroke of midnight dies. This is line tosum up the theme of loss on a whole whether it is time or the loss of the woman.The stroke of midnight has awoken him from a dream state thinking about this pleasing woman, making Yeats realise that he has lost a large amount of time in the day as he could have been doing something more productive. As well as time there is also the loss and possible death of this woman as Yeats says midnight die s instead of ends or finished. Focusing more closely on the woman, who is based on Maud, her Beauty is emphasised throughout Broken Dreams.At the start of the poem, her looks Recovered him upon the bed of death. Her looks alone gave an old, dying man the will to live even though she is of old age herself. Further on in the poem Yeats describes her looks when she was younger, saying You are more beautiful that anyone, these two pieces of the poem show that Yeats is completely fixated with the woman and perhaps even enchanted by her beauty. According to Yeats, she is the most beautiful person in the whole world, but that is notwithstanding an opinion Yeats has of her.This opinion on her looks leads him to believe that her beauty alone saved a mans life when this most likely is not the case. The womans apparent beauty in Broken Dreams appears to have hypnotised Yeats into believing that she is a Goddess walking among us, something that I highly doubt.

Case Study “Scouts Canada” Essay

Question 1Using the full spectrum of segmentation variables, describe how Scouts Canada could segment its market place.Scouts Canada is a Canadian organization therefore the organizations segmentation strategy is primarily geographic. The caller focuses on the Canadian market, including all provinces and territories of the country.Based on what the organization wants to accomplish Scouts Canada should cave in their marketing strategies to study and segment the market based on demographics (age, family size, life cycle) and psychographics.Demographic Segmentation fragments the market into categories according to different demographic factors, usually with regards to the wants and require of multiple consumer groups. The organization provides opportunities for many people of different ages and gender. Whether people want to participate in a program, volunteer, or separate out to be a leader. Scouts Canada caters to their bearing market and offers incentives to attract people in v arious life cycles. The programs of Scouts Canada are aimed at different age groups Beaver Scouts (5-7), Cub Scouts (8-10), Scouts (11-13), Venture Scouts (14-17), and Rover Scouts (18-26).They send away tailor their programs to those with large families, in which each constituent can feel included and involved.Psychographic segmentation this marketing strategy incorporates the lifestyle aspect approach, because part of their commissioning is to provide adventure, healthy active living, getting outdoors and learning how to be environmentally friendly and responsible, etc.Question 2What changed first the potential scouts member or the scouting experience? Explain your response by discussing the principles of market targeting. It began with a vision. It was nurtured with passion. It will succeed through action.In accordance with their targeting strategy secern marketing, the organization strived to alter and improve their scouting experience to appeal to a larger number of scout members by customizing separate offers to appeal to appropriate segments. They updated their programs to develop an increase in appeal to a broader range of members. In doing so they as well created more volunteering spots as to provide easier access and increase opportunities. They also increased their appeal to younger members by providing potential for leadership growth. In addition they had the uniforms redesigned by Joe Fresh, an innovative Canadian designer. Also they intensified their environmental running game and centric values by planting trees, promoting recycling, and other projects. To further promote their clean image they published a simple and effective scouts manual, detailing sunrise(prenominal) information, as well as designing a new logo and bilingual motto to appeal to the countries two official languages. Finally they fabricated new print advertisements that highlighted health issues such as obesity, and quirky ads, which captured the public interest.Que stion 3What steps did Scouts Canada take to reposition its offering? An initial aspect that Scouts Canada has retrace is their experiences, with the hopes of expanding their potential scout member range.The case study stated that members would start when they were very young and lose interest after a few years. So one of the things Scouts Canada had to do was find a way to retain them past those few years. The reason why Scouts Canada faced its loss of potential members was because they failed to understand their market segments. They could not tailor their product or membership so that it would meet the needs of more individuals they just kept a simple plan crossways the board. Because they did not apply differentiation and understanding of the cultural shift towards cosmos green they suffered a high member loss between 1996-2000.Question 4Will Scouts Canada ever return to the membership levels its experienced inthe 1960? Why or why not? Scouts Canada has the potential to reach equal or higher(prenominal) membership levels than in 1960, (maximum member period), but only if they continue to take certain actions. They need to target specific groups of people who focus on being Green and invironmentaly friendly, as well as creat valuable exciting experiances for all. Scouts Canadas target market is relatively sturdy, and there stands much to be harnessed from it. ratiocinationSince the internal and external reefurb of the organization, membership has increased in every province. Almost 6000 scouting groups have increased membership by over 15%. Scouts Canada should strive to continue to watch and analyze the changing market, and adjust its marketing and retention strategies accordingly. They should also Implement a stronger training program for scout leaders, as they are the future of the company. Finally, they should seek to increase their efforts in focusing on alumni members because experienced members serve to help in grounding the organization and furth er legitimize the companys existence. Thanks to the innovative marketing strategy, the new company branding has proven a successful overall increase in acquiring new members, and maintaining loyal participation throughout the country.

A variation of the Stroop effect Essay

AbstractThe prep bes of completing a task which requires the use of both automatic and escortled processes was investigated through a both-process taste designed around a variation of the Stroop effect. Previous research found that, when performing certain tasks, retort conviction is longer when an automatic process conflicts with a controlled process, in this in billet indi abidet interferes with naming the twist of ink a reciprocation is written in. These results reinforced a two-process theory of attention. In the current experiment, the nature of the words in which dissimilar work of ink were printed was manipulated. The results further supported a two-process theory by showing that the nature of the words apply did have a significant effect on reaction eras.IntroductionIf we consciously perceived the vast amount of stimuli available in daily life our senses would go into overload. Our brains have a dependent capacity and we only have the brainpower to attend to a limited amount of information. The conscious cognitive process of selective attention protects us from macrocosm overwhelmed by all the sensory signals impinging on our receptors by allocating processing resources where necessary. The conscious processing of information over which we can exert control (controlled processing) requires rational effort, drawing on the limited processing resources available to us in varying degrees depending on the task at hand, and can be easily interrupted. This was the stance assumed by Kahneman (as cited in Edgar, 2007) who put forward a limited-capacity theory suggesting a general-purpose hypothetical mental structure with an upper limit in the amount of information it can deal with at any one moment. The responsibility of this processor is to analyse incoming stimuli and integrating it with information already inside the memory, thus implying some information cannot be processed.While this suggests the central processor divides its resource po ol between competing ongoing tasks, in that respect are instances where attention can be successfully divided under certain peg downs. Through a successionof experiments Schneider and Shiffrin (as cited in Edgar, 2007) made a distinction between controlled and what they termed automatic processes. much(prenominal) processes require little or no mental resources and occur without conscious awareness, enabling our limited resources to be directed elsewhere allowing for some tasks to be through with(p) at the analogous time as others, thus preceding to the development of two-process theories. While automatic processing offers speed and economy of effort is has a notable disadvantage in that it can interfere with the conscious processing of information a phenomenon that demonstrates said drawback is that termed the Stroop effect (as cited in Edgar, 2007), which looks at what happens when we need to attend two conflicting signals.In an experiment participants were required to ident ify the colours that were used to spell out the names of other colours, as swiftly as feasible (the Stroop condition). In the alternate condition, in which participants tended to execute their response with greater ease, colour-neutral words were used (e.g. rat, grand, bolt, etc.). It would seem that the ability to read forms an automatic response, which during the Stroop experiments interfered with the controlled process of naming the colour of the ink. Through a variation of the Stroop effect, the endow experiment investigated further the idea that automatic processing interferes with the information a person is consciously trying to attend. or else than using colour words (e.g. red, purple etc.) the experimental condition employed colour-related words (e.g. blood, plum etc.) printed in a colour that was incongruent with the word the control condition contained colour-neutral words (e.g. ledge, grade etc.).The research hypothesis was that participants would bribe longer to com plete the condition where the words were colour-related than the condition containing colour-neutral words. This is a one-tailed hypothesis. The null hypothesis was that there will be no difference in the times taken to complete the two conditions.MethodDesignA within-participants design was employed. The independent variable (IV) was a list of coloured words which consisted of two conditions. author 1 (the experimental condition) was manipulated to compose of colour-relatedwords printed in a colour that was incongruent with the word. Condition 2 (the control condition) contained colour-neutral words. In both conditions the participant was required to say aloud the colour of the ink that each word was printed in. The dependant variable (DV) was the time taken to correctly identify the ink colour of each word within the colour-related word list. This was accurately measured to the hot whole second by the researcher using a stopwatch. Controls were introduced to limit the effects o f any possible confounding variables. To avoid possible practice effects of doing both conditions in the same order for each participant, the order in which the conditions were presented was counterbalanced.Data on odd- amounted rows of the complete data set (1, 3, 5, etc.) are from participants who did condition 1 accordingly condition 2, whereas data on even-numbered rows (2, 4, 6, etc.) are from participants who did condition 2 then condition 1 (A copy of the complete data set can be found in auxiliary 1). Each colour-related word was used five times within condition 1 to avoid causing a practice effect the number of colour-neutral words used in condition 2 was the same. The same number of words was used in both conditions (thirty). The words used in the two conditions were matched for length. The different coloured inks were exactly the same hue for both conditions and presented in the same order. The operating instructions given to participants in both conditions were identi cal.ParticipantsOf the twenty participants that took part in this experiment, 10 were male and 10 female, aged between 18 and 69. Sixteen of these participants were recruited from personnel at The Open University, or their family members and friends. The remaining four were selected from associates of the experimenter who had no friendship of the hypothesis or the specific research sphere all were conscious that they would be taking part in a cognitive psychological experiment involving lists of coloured words, the resulting data would be used in a report to gain university course credits and that they could withdraw at any time. Each mortal signed a consent form thereby obtaining informed consent.MaterialsThe stimuli presented in each condition (a replica of which can be found in Appendix 2) consisted of a sheet of A4 paper on which 30 words, placed in two columns, were written in various colours of ink (red, blue, green, yellow, orange and purple). In the experimental condition (condition 1) colour-related words were printed in a coloured ink that was incongruent with the word (e.g. the word grass printed in each of the above colours excluding its natural association, green). The words used were blood, sky, grass, lemon, carrot, and plum, each word appearing five times in each of its incongruent colours. The control condition (condition 2) contained colour-neutral words (blame, ledge, grade, career, intend and sty). Each word began with the same letter as its corresponding colour-related word (e.g. Blood and Blame) as well as being identical in the number of characters each of the words appeared in the list five times. The words were presented in no specific pattern, but the same in both conditions. Participants response time for each condition was measured with a stopwatch and rounded to the nearest whole second. Results were recorded on a pre-prepared response sheet. Verbatim instructions were issued to each participant.ProcedureEach participant was app roached and asked if they would be willing to take part in an experiment that was investigating one aspect of cognitive psychology. They were informed of what participation would entail. If they agreed to take part, each participant signed a consent form (Appendix 3) and was reminded that they could withdraw at any time. The age, sex and order of conditions were then recorded on a pre-prepared response sheet before each participant was tested individually. The instructions for the experiment were read verbatim to each individual. They were told that they would be presented with two lists of words, one at a time, and that they should say out loud the colour of the ink that each word was written in as quick as possible starting at the top left of the list working downwards and then proceed to the top of the right column.To ensure they soundless what was being asked of them they were shown an example sheet once the participant confirmed that they understood what was required of them, either condition 1 or 2 was placed flavor down in front of them (the order of presentation alternating between participants to avoid a possible confounding variable).This information was also recorded on the response sheet. The paper was turned over and the stopwatch was started. When the task was complete, the time taken for each condition was recorded on the response sheet to the nearest second. The participant was then thanked, fully debriefed as to the aims of the experiment and given the opportunity to ask any questions they had.ResultsThe research hypothesis in this experiment was that participants will take longer to complete the condition where the words were colour-related than the condition containing colour-neutral words. The time in which it took for each participant to complete the required task was measured for each condition to the nearest second.DiscussionThe results of the present experiment showed that it took longer to complete a task when it was required to att end to two conflicting signals at the same time indicating that automatic and controlled processes operate simultaneously. Response times in the condition where participants had to identify the colour of ink used for colour-related words were longer and therefore statistically importantly different from the condition where they had to identify colour-neutral word colours. This suggests that the process of reading interfered with participants ability to name the colour of ink each word was written in when the words were colour-related.Stroop (as cited in Edgar, 2007) similarly demonstrated some of the costs associated with an interaction between automatic and controlled processes through the stroop effect experiment namely that people tended to find it to a greater extent difficult to respond with the colour of the ink a word was written in if the word itself described a colour, as opposed to a colour-neutral word. Stroop used his findings as evidence for a two-process theory of atte ntion, indicating that automatic processing interfered with the information the participants were consciously trying to attend (controlled processing). If it were so that a general-purpose central processor divided its limited resource pool between competing ongoing tasks, as suggested by Kahneman (as cited in Edgar, 2007) it could be expected that in the present experiment the response times for the two conditions would be similar in value as the participants would find neither condition much difficult than the other.However, this is not the case on average participants did take longer to complete the experimental condition, therefore it can be assumed that they found it more difficult. This result implies that multiple pools of resources are present with regards to attention and that automatic and controlled processes operate concurrently. Numerous controls were put in place to ensure any possible confounding variables were at a minimum, however, there are factors that could cont ribute to these despite the practices put in place. Automatic processes can be influenced by individual strategies and so it may be that participants were able to exert bare(a) control over their attention within the experiment. One method of doing thiswould be to focus their attention on the initial letter of each word, with the aim of ignoring the word itself as much as possible, allowing for a greater available resource pool which can then be applied to the identification of ink colours.To attack this, the order in which participants completed each condition alternated, however this method has its limitations as it doesnt guarantee the complete absence of a confounding variable. In conclusion, the results of the experiment reported here do support a two-process theory of attention. However, although the statistical results allowed for the rejection of the null hypothesis, it is possible that by performing the experiment on more than twenty participants, a greater difference in response times could be produced allowing for more solid support for the theory. Future studies conducted in this area should move to carry out experimental research on a larger sample of participants in order to strengthen the evidence and lessen the possibility of said(prenominal) confounding variables.ReferencesEdgar, G. (2007) Perception and attention. In D. Miell, A. Phoenix, & K. Thomas (Eds.), Mapping Psychology (2nd ed., pp.3-50). Milton Keynes The Open University.

Critical Theory Essay

over censorious theory is a body of ideas generally associated with the Frankfurt School. It was during the early 1980s that a new form of theoretic inquiry which was highly critical of tradional theories of IR, emerged. However the genesis of the theory can be found in the works of Kant and Marx with their tension on the emancipatry manipulation of knowledge and enquiry. In other words critical theory entails enlightenment project which subjects knowledge and education to the ideal purpose of freedom and liberation.Jurgon Habermas gave a new life to the critical and emancipatory views of Kant and Marx when he questioned the epistemological(source of knoeledge) and ontological(nature of being) foundations of existing social order and said that all knowledge is historically and politically based. searing theory also involves the critique of modernity in the domains of state capitalism, high-tech reindustrialization and science-cum-computer oriented education system that have stren gthened and perpetuated the hegemony and dominance of few.Among the prominent critical theorists inclde Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Paulo Friere, John Forester, Herbert Mercuse, Andrew Linklater and Dieter Misgeld,etc,.Trends in Critical possibilityFollowing are important trends in critical theorya) Critical Social TheoryThe underlying point of analysis in critical social theory is society as a whole. It seldom focuses on state. It discusses all the social structures which are accountable for dominance, ignorance and exploitation. Frankfurt Scool is the poineer of this trend.b) Critical International TheoryCritical international theory with its basis in emancipatory ideas of Kant and Marx seeks to look for the possibilities of tronsforming international relations so that constraints of dominance are removed and univaresal freedom and equality achieved. It is actually the extension of critical social theory to the domain of international relations.Key Aspects of Critical Theo ry1) Problem-Solving and Critical TheoriesProblem-solving Theory Accordinng to Robert Cox problem solving theory takes the world as it finds it.It does not challenge the present order solely legitimise and affects its smooth working by solving the particular problems that troubles it. Traditional theories of IR are considered to be working in fever of stabilising prevailing structures of world order with their inequalities of power and wealth. 2) Critical International Theory It argues that cognitive processes themselves are subject to political interests and, therefore, are to be critically evaluated. Theories of IR like any other knowledge are conditioned by social, cultural and ideological influence and the task of critical theory is to evaluate such conditioning implications. It not only challenges the status-quo oriented theories but also comes up with normative solutions in favor of emancipation.

Marriage versus living together

Tr send aways atomic number 18 showing that there is a change in the way intra mathematical group relationships are constituted throughout the world. Cohabiting, in the absence of a marriage contract has only become so common over the past hardly a(prenominal) decades. This practice of living with a partner in an intimate relationship that does not involve signing a marriage contract, referred to by any of the ground consensual unions, cohabiting unions, cohabitation, or living together, is evidenced both in developed and developing countries.Mokomane (2005) notes an increase over marriage in this type of relationship (p. 57). Kenny and McLanahan as well observe that, in the U. S., cohabitation has surpassed marriage as the preferred mode of intimate unions. It is useful, therefore, to understand differences between a cohabiting and a marriage relationship, in order to watch why couples are now choosing this type of union over marriage.The most apparent difference between a mar riage and a cohabiting relationship is in their institutional makeup. A marriage is, by its very nature, a contractual type of relationship where both couples agree to an intimate union. A cohabiting relationship is similarly an agreement between two partners. The difference is that a marriage requires signing a legal document representative of the couples legal obligations to each other. In a cohabiting union such legality is not evident.Marriage relationships are therefore more permanent than cohabiting unions specifically because of this legality. A cohabiting couple may choose to end a relationship at any time without facing much external difficulties but a married couple has to apply for a divorce. but put a married couple is legally accountable for either staying together or separating while this is not so in the case of cohabiting couples.Mokomane (2005) notes a further difference in the average age of individuals who enter either union. She has observed that couples in a c ohabiting relationship are usually much jr. than those in a cohabiting relationship. From her research it was discovered that cohabiting men and women average 37.9 and 32.8 years respectively while their married counterparts average 51.3 and 45.6 years respectively based on the 2001 census in the U.S. (p. 63). This is suggesting that cohabiting relationships is usually the first choice relationship and later there is the transfer into a marriage union when the individual gets older.It has also been famed that married couples earn more than their cohabiting counterparts. According to Clarkberg (1999), income is usually a predictive factor for individuals to get married. She argues that, since individuals with more income seem to be the ones that enter into married unions, therefore a good income is probably seen as a requirement for entering into a married union. Clarkberg cites research conducted in Puerto Rico in which it was concluded that cohabiting relationships are a poor man s marriage(p. 947).Markowski, Croake and Keller also found that cohabiting couples had more lifetime partners than married couples suggesting a higher rate of promiscuity in the former group. They establish that cohabiting couples are more likely than married couples to have had more than six sexual partners (p. 33).Finally research has found that there is a higher rate of domestic violence among couples that are cohabiting than those that are married. Even further there are also higher rates of homicide within this group (Kenny & McLanahan, 2006). In consistent cases it has been found that the rate of domestic violence among married couples is significantly less than the rate among cohabiting couples. These researchers estimate that cohabiting relationships are between two and quartet times more likely to involve domestic violence than married relationships.It appears therefore that, for reasons of economy and because of its perceived permanence, more persons are staying away from marriage relationships, at least in their younger days, while enjoying the privileges of an intimate living relationship with their partner.Related essay My Ideal WifeReferenceClarkberg, M. (1999). The price of partnering The role of frugal well-being in young adults first union experiences. Social Forces, 77(3), 945-968.Kenny, C. T. & McLanahan, S. S. (2006, Feb). Why are cohabiting relationships more violent than marriages? Demography, 43(1), 127-140.Markowski, E. M., Croake, J. W. & Keller, J. F. (1978, Feb). Sexual history and present sexual appearance of cohabiting and married couples. The Journal of Sex Research, 14(1), 27-39.Mokomane, Z. (2005). A demographic and socio-economic portrait of cohabitation in Botswana. Society in Transition, 36(1), 57-73.

Law with Tort of Negligence Essay

The application is chthonic s1 sale of goods act on that point is a admit form between me and Mandela where I have agreement, intention and consideration to buy the armchair from Mandela, thus contract is form. Besides that, armchair is considered goods and there is consideration of money where I paid Mandela for $1500 and lastly there is in like manner head of property where I paid $1500 for the armchair from his take a shit. therefrom, in conclusion the armchair that I grease ones palmsd is on a lower floor Sale of Goods Act.Another come in in the question is whether we bunghole swear Tyson (owner) compensate me for $500 that I ( emptor) spent on repair the chair and either return the chair and insist upon a regress, specifically under consumer countenances s 55 fitness for purpose? In the question the law would be s 55 there is an implied guarantee that where the buyer expressly or by implication makes known to the vender the particular purpose for which the goods ar call for, and shows that judgment and seller, the goods moldiness be reasonable fit for purpose, based on the case apply v Australia Knitting Mills and Wallis v Russell.In the question Tyson has buck s 55 fitness for purpose where he is selling furniture in his Classic Antiques Store but the furniture that he sell are fragile. In s 55 there is certain condition we must satisfy. First, buyer must express or the seller has known the buyer particular purpose for the goods they required. Second, has the buyer relied on the sellers skill or judgment? Third, are the goods of a description which it is in the assembly line of the sellers business to supply? And lastly, has the buyer ordered the goods under their trade name so that it is clear there is no reliance on the skill of judgment of the seller?Based on the condition above, I had satisfied all the condition, where I express to Mandela (salesperson) that I want to use the armchair as my new house furniture. On the other hand, Mandela stated that It is a stiff old thing. I mystify on it all the time. Hence, I relied on his judgment and bought the armchair. Moreover, Tyson business are selling furnitures where the armchair is considered as a furniture, thus it is also satisfied goods are descriptive under the course of the sellers business. Lastly, although I didnt buy the armchair based on the trade name, but I believe on the skill or judgment by Mandela.In conclusion, the seller has breach all the criteria in s 55 and under s 261 consumer have the right to choose either a refund or replacement of the products if supplier fail to fulfill with consumer guarantee, as a result I digest insist Tyson compensate me for $500 for fixing the chair and also can return the chair and insist upon a refund. Based on the question, the issues would be based on Mandelas statement that It is a solid old thing. I sit on it all the time. You will be used it safely for galore(postnominal) years. Will it lead consumers to believe that it can be used as furniture and can be used safely for umpteen years, specifically under consumer guarantees s 18 Misleading or cheapjack conduct? In the question, the law would be s 18 where A corporation shall not take away in conduct that is take or deceptive or is likely to vitiate or tell on, based on the case of Eveready Australia Pty Ltd v Gillette Australia Pty Ltd ,Henjo Investment Pty Ltd & Ors v Collins Marrickville Pty Ltd and Taco friendship of Australia Inc v Taco Bell Pty Ltd. In the application, there are 3 elements which must fulfill breach of s 18.First of all, Mandela engage in conduct with me that the armchair is safe and can be used for many years more which imply a false representation of the fact to me where the armchair was truly fragile. Furthermore, I purchase the armchair under trade and commerce whereby under mutual communication, and I negotiated 30minutes vivaly with Mandela (salesperson) to sell me the armchair with $1500. M oreover, Mandela conduct was misleading or deceptive where he stated he sits on the armchair all the time where he actually doesnt sit on it and the fact that the chair was actually fragile.Refer to Taco Bell to check into whether the conduct is misleading or deceptive that there are certain criteria to justify whether they are mislead or deceived. First, the conduct is based on me which is justified the targeted by the conduct of the defendant. The time I was in Tysons shop, Mandela forms an erroneous conclusion to me, that the armchair is safe and can be used as furniture where it was not the fact. Hence, proves the conduct by Mandela skilled of being misleading or deceptive. In conclusion, Mandela has breach the 3 elements in s 18 of ACL for misleading and deceptive. Based on the question, Tyson is the owner of the shop (Principle), Mandela is the store manager and also salesperson (Agent) and I am the buyer (Third Party). In the question the issue is whether or not Mandela had situation to sell the chair at that price under Agency scope of an agents way? Law is express authority where the agreement is created between agent and principal in the written or oral form based on the case John McCann & Co v Pow.In addition, apparent(a) authority is also applied here where the principle, either by words or conduct, whitethorn leads to third party mistaken to believe that an agent has authority to act on the principles behalf, based on the case Tooth & Co v Laws. Moreover, responsibility of agent where the agent must follow the lawful and reasonable instruction of the principle and be honest in performing the commerce is set by the principle, based on the case Bertram, Armstrong & Co v Godfray.Hence in the application, Mandela has breach express authority under agency where he doesnt follow the oral agreement by Tyson to sell the armchair for at least $3500 and he sold the armchair for me with $1500. Besides that, under apparent authority, Tyson eith er by words or conduct leads me to believe that Mandela has authority to contract on their behalf and I couldnt know Tyson has instructed Mandela to sell the armchair for at least $3500.Based on the question, the issue is whether I can sue Tyson under tort of negligence and outcry compensation? The law tort of negligence was know in the case Donoghue v Stevenson where the plaintiff must establish that, the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of shell out, the defendant breached that duty, and lastly the plaintiff suffered damage as a result of the breach in tort of negligence. Hence in the application, Tyson (defendant) has owed a duty of care to me (plaintiff) based on the test and relationship.All the find in the shop must be reasonable foreseeable, however the armchair was not reasonable foreseeable where the armchair looked skillful but actually was fragile, even though Tyson does put a sign on the wall of the shop mention that Please do not sit on the chair-fragile- consid ered sold if damaged but as a furniture shop, guests might need to try or test the quality of the products. In addition, there is a vulnerable relationship where Tyson hires Mandela as a manager and salesperson to control the shop, and I was dependent on Mandela, thus Mandela has the duty to protect my safety in the shop.Hence, Tyson has breach duty of care under magnitude of the risk of likelihood of the occurrence where the armchair was not covered or blocked to prevent customer sitting on it which same case as Bolton v Stone. Thus, he had fail to exercise the required standard of care due to the armchair being fragile and I sit on it, the chair had collapsed under my weight and has been injured when I fell to the floor. Hence, I have suffered damage due to the chair collapsed and I fell to the floor.However, Tyson have defenses to negligence under voluntary assumption of the risk where the plaintiff had full and positive knowledge of the risk where defendant had actually put t he sign on the wall that said revel do not sit on the chair- fragile- considered sold if damaged. Besides that, the plaintiff had sufficient custody of that particular risk where plaintiff had saw the sign on the wall but write out the sign. Lastly, there was voluntarily acceptance of that risk as the plaintiff knew the chair were fragile but doesnt care and sit on the chair. Hence, at defendant point of view plaintiff should bear the risk. In conclusion, as I am the plaintiff I can sue Tyson under tort of negligence and claim for compensation, because Tyson should need to be more aware and cover or block the fragile furniture alternatively of just putting a sign on the wall due to customer might ignore the sign and sit on the chair.

Should Black Men Around the World Be Placed

We return conceptualized the multiplex railroad telegraph, which altogetherowed messages to be sent from moving trains to railway stations. We nourish assisted in leading Thomas A. Editions research team in the develop custodyt of the electrical light bulb. We constructed a device that allowed machines to be lubricated while they are in operations. We have been just about of the most noble kings and queens in explanation (Michael, PI). We have survived slavery, mass genocides, civil wars, theorized and actual disposal plots.From slave cuffs to presidential cuffs, the strength and abilities presented by black individuals well-nigh he world is astounding. Despite all odd, statistics and stereo types here in the linked States and around the globe Afri goat Americans continue to prove as a people, no matter the circumstance they have the ability to overcome any issue. Its Just a theory but, in order to protect the male African American populations should black custody around t he world be placed on the endangered species list? Although it is clear that African Americans have peachy success, as with any culture in that location are great failures.In the United States African American Males shoot up 13. 5 cities in 2007 where African Americans. Within the subset of African American violence 93. 1 share of document deaths were males. Between the age ranges of 15 to 24, African American Men have been victims of violent crimes that include, robbery, self-importance destructive acts, simple to aggravated assault, faction violence, and practice of law brutality (AP, POP). Could these issues be connected to the root bewilder of the deadion of black men around the world? few believe that African American men are on a self destructive path.While differents think we are being killed in this disreputable ricer of retrogression into slaver. What is an endangered species? A species population of organisms with the risk of becoming extinct of falling birth p ass judgment and growing death rates, or being threatened by the changing environmental or depredation parameters. Only few Although at this time currently The International Union of Conservation of Nature (ICON) does non have any human subsets listed on the endangered species list, the concept of the JINN is to protect species from potentially becoming extinct without gaining public notice.Many factors are reviewed when accessing the conservation tutus of the list, Just because the numbers of remaining are high isnt Just a key indicator. The overall increase and decreases in population overtime, known threats and so forth. Internationally, over ane light speed countries have agreed to create biodiversity action plans to protect threatened and endangered species (David, Pl 5). The endangered species list stock-still does include a policy on species maintaining and captive breeding programs.This area of the program would need to be modified, captive breeding program does not app ly to humans as they have free will. Arguments have been made that self destructive acts are the primary reason for the down fall of the African American community. At Finger High School located in lucre, student Daring Albert a 16 year old black honor student was knocked to the grown by a blow to the coping with a railroad tie. He was kicked, punched and stomped. His cries went unanswered, and by the time some unity was able to help Daring it was to late, he died lying in the middle of the street.The background on Darings story isnt very uncommon for this area of Chicago (Morocco, Pl). Daring alkyd into the middle of deuce rival black gains, in his attempt to help one of the victims he was mistaken to be part of the rival gang. According to Derby Morocco who is also an African American, this is another(prenominal) tragedy where African American civil rights leaders remained silent. Mr.. Morocco believes that if this story would have been a white gang attacking a black gang both self-ap touched African American leader would be in front of some form of media preaching about some form of social injustice.Mr.. Morocco references the professorship Beams statement about the police arresting Proof. Henry Louis Gates, Jar. In contacts to the President comments and setting up meetings surrounded by the professor and the arresting police office, no media coverage was giving to the malicious homicide in the brutal putting to death of this honor student (Morocco, PI). Mr.. Morocco is not saying that the president is reasonable for Darings death, he states the fact the he is thwart tierce-year-old mans killer. According to New York Times There are more black men in prison than college.Only 5% of black men are in college. 70 percent of black men have experienced long- term unemployment (AP, POP) The African-American males comprise over fifty-five percent of the nations prison population, one out of every fourteen black men is incarcerated for an crime. Between the ages of 20 to 29, one out of every 4 black males is in prison, on parole, or on probation for an alcohol or drug-related crime (AP, POP). all over the last decade there were more than 1. 4 million sentenced inmates at the end of 2003, an estimated 403,165 were Black men between ages 20 and 39.Compared with 12. 3 percent of young Latino men and 6. 7 percent of young white men, 76 percent of young black men are croup bars (AP, POP). . When compared to other races. What is the real issue of whats going on when it comes to black men in America? Is this a from of self-destruction? Although it is clear that black on black crimes exist, in the United States we have a long history of white on black crimes. November 25, 2006, Sean Bell was hot and killed on the morning after his bachelor party, and two of his friends where severely wounded.Mr.. Bell was holding his bachelor party at Club Koala in Jamaica plane section of Queens, New York. This night club was under investigated by seven un dercover police detectives, as a result of accusations that the owners of the club had been steering prostitution (Baker, POP).. According to Report Karen Zaire of the New York Times, Gunman had an contestation inside the club with a woman and threatened to get a gun. One of Bells friends was though to have said you, get my gun as they left the scene.Fearing that a shooting might occur, one of the plain-clothed African American officer Scared Sonora followed the men to their vehicle while alerting his backup team, prompt the team to confront Bell and his companions before they could leave the scene. Sonora held out his badge, and identified himself as a police officer, and told the car to stop. However, Bell accelerated the vehicle and hit Sonora, then striking the unmarked police minivan. Scared Sonora believed he saw Gunman reaching for a gun while in the car, yelled gun to other police at the scene, and opened fire on the car.All officers and detectives at that point Joined him in shooting at the car, firing 50 bullets in a few seconds (Zaire, POP). On March 16, 2007, three of the five police officers involved in the shooting were grand Jury indictment. police officer Michael Oliver, who fired thirty one of the fifty shots ND Officer Scared Sonora, who fired the first shot, confront charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and assault, while Detective Marc barrel maker faced charge of two counts of reckless endangerment. The three detectives pleaded not guilty at the arraignment hearing on March 19, 2007.Detectives Sonora and Oliver were released on bail and Detective Cooper on his own recognize. On April 25, 2008, all three of the police officers indicted were acquitted on all counts (Baker, Pl 7). On June 7, 1998, James Byrd Jar, accepted a ride from Shawn Allen Berry, Lawrence sat ride of his live. Instead of taking James home, the three men took James behind a convenience store, beating him unconscious, stripped him naked, chained him by the an kles to their magazine truck, and dragged him for three miles.Forensic evidence suggests that James attempted to keep his tribal chief up while being dragged behind the truck, an autopsy suggested James was alive during much of the dragging, and he only died after his right arm and head were severed after his body hit a culvert, although the men claimed that Bards throat had been slashed before he was ragged (National News Briefs, 23). Finally the arguably the most infamous biomedical research study the United States.The Tuskegee syphilis experiment was the clinical trial study conducted between 1932 and 1972 in Tuskegee, Alabama, by the United States man Health Service. Investigators recruited 399 impoverished African-American men with syphilis for research related to the natural progression of the untreated disease. This experiment can be compared to mass genocides (Prater, 2007). On May 16, 1997, President Bill Clinton formally apologized and held a ceremony for the Tuskegee d uty participants. In his speech, President Clinton Stated What was done cannot be undone.But we can end the silence. We can stop turning our heads away. We can look at you in the eye and finally say on behalf of the American people, what the United States government did was shameful, and I am sorry( Washington Post News Feed. PI) . As a people, African American are often the underdogs. Brought here by slave ships, then sold and beaten. Although there is the need for the United States to progress, we should not have to pass affirmative actions laws Just to be able to moment. Some might say we are living in the past, that this is self-distraction.

Activision Blizzard

Comp whatsoever History and Profile Activision and snowstorm Entertainment consider been longstanding brands indoors the drama labor for rough time. Activision started out in 1979 as the worlds first independent developer and distri aloneor of characterisation spiriteds for maneuver condole withs much(prenominal) as Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, in accession to exploitation both gaming and business applications for personal computers. One of their earliest study hit games was Pitfall, which was designed for the Atari 2600 series gaming console. This project was so successful it resulted in the proceeds of several clones, including stand-up arcade games. afterward losing a multi- one million million million dollar judgment on damages involving a patent infringement, Activision went through Chapter 11 unsuccessful person proceedings and reorganization in 1991. It was during this time when they decided to concentrate solely on a video gaming production strategy, eventually developing popular games such as Sonic, Guitar Hero and the current herald of responsibleness Series. From 1997 to 2007, Activision acquired multiple companies geared towards strengthening their position relation back to their gaming strategy, simply ache in addition kept their foot in the door for aggrandizeing their market into other put downtainment ventures.Beginning in 1998, Activision launched strategical partnerships with comic and image producers Marvel Entertainment, Disney Interactive, and LucasArts Entertainment. In 2001, Activision acquired the rights to the Columbia Pictures feature film Spider-Man, and had signed a multi- form create agreement between DreamWorks SKG in 2003. skin rash Entertainment began in 1991 as a federation called te & Synapse, also figure games for Sega-Genesis, Super Nintendo, and DOS- and Mac- compatible games for personal computers.The keep party established the roseola Entertainment strike off in 1994, when they became one of the most popular and vigorous respected makers of computer games. blizzards main(prenominal) charge is on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable fun experiences, and by doing so, has maintained a reputation for timberland at bottom the gaming industry. Released in 1994, Warcraft Orcs and Humans became their first in a series of role-play strategy games to bring forward accolades as one of the best games of that year.Multiplayer computer games were still relatively impertinently at this time, and skin rash began to compress return of the opportunities that this niche had to offer. They are now the leader in the field of massively multiplayer online games (MMORPG), with more than than 11. 5 million monthly subscriptions. Blizzard has additionally developed a trio of popular PC games, including the Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo series, creating a culture that champions both productive and experimental creativity which inspires devoted players. Jeff Green, editor-in -chief of the online gaming magazine 1Up. om nones, Blizzard plurality are fundamentally design geni holds, making games easy enough for casual players and deep enough to attract and hook hardcore players. Simple to learn, touchy to master is the holy grail of game design, and Blizzard does this every single time. In late 1998, Blizzard Entertainment became a subsidiary of the French conglomerate Vivendi, grouped into its Vivendi world(a) Games division. From 2000 to 2007, Blizzard Entertainment exhalationd several games under their trilogy series, consonantly exceeding sales projections and becoming the unprecedented leader within the gaming industry.On December 2, 2007, it was announced that Activision would be acquired by Vivendi, with Vivendi contributing its gaming division positivistic a cash investment, in exchange for a majority stake in the new group. In 2008, Vivendi Games merged with Activision, using the Blizzard brand in naming the resulting company, Activisio n Blizzard. SWOT Analysis Strengths Activision Blizzards balance sheet was initially considered to be its most valuable strength when the unification between the twain companies transpired however, this was not necessarily the case. The spare strategy was to rely on Blizzard Entertainment as a cash cow to finance the merger.With Blizzard Entertainment having more than $3. 3 billion in cash and short term investments, and no debt at the time, it had the flexibility to obtain more intellectual property and natural endowment, and olibanum further help to strengthen the new company. Reeling from a series of legal actions against them, and suffering income losses in both 2008 and 2009, Activision Blizzard has finally begun to turn around their financial status, and is root word to gain ground relative to their balance sheet. More on this matter provide be discussed in the financial section of this paper.The tax pelt should plainly be getting smoother with the merger of Blizzard and Activision. The combined company is not as dependent as other gaming companies on console upgrade cycles for generating the majority of its taxation and earnings. Blizzard Entertainments creative activity of Warcraft, as a subscription service, helps to also keep the tax income stream smoother than normal. With a large and popular range of titles, Activision Blizzard can ask for, and receive more shelf space than competitors at retail outlets that sell their products, such as GameStop and Wal-Mart.Getting the product in front of consumers with favorable shelf placement is on the button as important in the gaming industry as it is in the grocery industry, and Activision Blizzard uses this strategy to their prefer. Weaknesses Activision Blizzard has had a previous history of difficult relations with developers. The recent firings and defections of product developers from Infinity Ward, producer of the hit release chew the fat of province recent Warfare 2 is a special cas e in point. Also, legal issues have been a wonderful weakness and liability for the company.Who owns what, and what is agreed upon at times are contentious issues. The ex-Infinity Ward executives claim envision of the Modern Warfare brand line. Additionally, the musical group No Doubt sued Activision Blizzard, claiming that their images were being used for any song in Band Hero, contrary to what they said had been agreed to. Opportunities At the past E3 multitude for the gaming industry, current Activision-Blizzard chief operating officer Bobby Kotick noted that There is a $3 billion used game market that we do not participate in. The only true competition within this realm is GameStop, who would potentially suffer losing a large portion of their current market status if Activision Blizzard decided to enter this segment of the market. Activision Blizzard also has strong franchising capabilities. Even in the middle of a recession, gamers are volition to pay for the newest release s and additions related to their games. A winged horse pet for terra firma of Warcraft, priced at $25, was musical themed by more or less reports to be bringing in as untold as $2. 5 one thousand thousand per hour for a period last spring.Activision Blizzard has the capabilities to take advantage of this phenomenon through franchising markets. The mobile gaming medium is inhabity open Activision Blizzard successfully released a mobile version of Guitar Hero for Apples iPhone. It would bug out that scaled-down versions of their most popular games are on the horizon to be produced for smartphones and iPads. With Activision Blizzards branding, they have a tremendous repertoire of brands and licenses that can be franchised or published for various markets, including clothing, toys, collectibles, comics and books, and even syndicated movies or cartoons.Threats unstable gaming is probably their biggest threat, due to small studios being able to reach a multitude of people through inexpensive downloads to smartphones. This will sure create a more militant atmosphere in the very near future. Games with long franchise lives can also be a burden on the company. A good case in point would be their Guitar Hero game, which is getting old, with sales beginning to drop and stall. Consumer Affairs cites a act upd decline in the music genre as the primary reason habituated by the company for dropping the game.Activision Blizzard, as a quality control measure, is retiring(a) some of their lesser grossing games to concentrate on more receipts productive and newer versions of such games as predict of Duty, World of WarCraft, and Diablo. SWOT Conclusion When looking at the collective elements contained within the SWOT analysis, it is apparent that Activision Blizzard began their merger rather sluggishly. This could be attributed to differences in corporate cultures or their need to address and announcement pending legal issues as quickly as possible, so that finance s are readily available to fund future ventures.Opportunities abound in the realm of on-line gaming, franchising, and partnerships or joint ventures with various companies in a diverse range of markets, and it would be in their break out interest to take advantage of these given opportunities in utilizing a differentiation strategy that delivers both tangible and intangible attributes. Blizzard Entertainment has been at the forefront of this type of strategy long before their merger, with such features as Battle. net forums for its customers to chat, exchange ideas and strategies, and take feedback on given games.Each day hundreds of gamers post new ideas and petitions in Battle. net forums art object thither are always assigned personnel on Blizzards behalf to read and respond to them. By infusing a culture of having gamers as employees, coupled with the feedback it gets from its Battle. net forums, they are capable of using this data in designing or making improvements on th eir current games in real time as well as future games. They additionally hold several events annually for their gaming customers to interact with and launch new products.BlizzCon (in the United States) and the Blizzard ecumenical Invitational (held in various other countries) are major events that casing their talent and customer oriented initiatives. With Activision coming on board, they have taken a major maltreat in creating a company that is virtually one with the gaming community on both a consumer level as well as a personal level, which should be a viable formula for success, regardless of which locateion they choose to go. Five Forces Analysis Barriers to Entry There are little to no barriers to entry. Popular games are being developed at a rapid pace throughout the industry. Activision Blizzard posses an advantage, however, with their scale and catalog of games, in addition to third-party developer relationships. Their main advantage relative to this issue lies in the ir manufacturing and dispersal capabilities. Threat of Substitutes There are currently no close substitutes for games such as look for of Duty and World of WarCraft, however, new games always have a potential of becoming popular, depending upon their format, story line, and general interview appeal. Other types of entertainment could also be classified as substitutes, such as music and movie videos, but it is unlikely that they would surpass the popularity of Activision Blizzards more popular games. Power of Buyers With on-line scattering capabilities becoming the norm, buyer power is diminishing. Activision Blizzard allows for real time consumer feedback through various forums, which gives them a first derivative advantage when developing new games due to the uniqueness of the industry. Power of Suppliers Activision Blizzard relies primarily on in-house talent to design and evelop their games. Supplier power is medium, primarily because developers and console game producers nee d Activision Blizzard as much as it needs them. Rivalry Among Sellers Activision Blizzard is the leading MMORPG developer relative to on-line gaming, and they will continue to focus on this platform as a primary revenue stream. They also lead the console gaming market, and have begun a quality control toughie to ensure a consistent and sustainable competitive advantage through innovation and development of quality products.Gaming is not the only business within the entertainment industry, but it serves a well-proportioned demographic, to say the least. With making a distinction between gaming and entertainment, one can see a more obvious picture developing relative to the merger between the two companies. In joining two major players with hit franchises together, Vevendi is expecting to realize a major coup within the entertainment side of this merger by taking advantage of Activisions relationships with major motion picture production companies.And with social gaming on the rise w ith the launch of smart phones, there is another consideration to make within the gaming realm. With the trend towards digital distribution growing, this should continue to accept down costs, which will also open the field to potentially more on-line players. Activision Blizzard faces legion(predicate) hurdles when speaking in terms of their competitive advantage in both the gaming and entertainment industries, but to be the dominant player in both industries, one must be resourceful and innovative by nature.This is truly where both companies have dominated in the past by comparison, and will most certainly be the catalyst for a rebound performance in the future, or even a new entry into other markets as well. Key Success Factors Diversified partnerships with licensing or franchising companies prominent inventory of product, which in turn gives them a larger portion of retail shelf space naked as a jaybird product releases (Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo) Leader in on-line gaming subscriptions (MMORPG) Corporate culture of gamers throughout company structure, coupled with collective talents of game designers Designs and develops their own gaming platforms Interactive consumer portals for input and feedback on their products (Battle. net, BlizzCon, Blizzard Worldwide Invitational) Financial Analysis Despite Activision Blizzard experiencing a couple of net losses in 2008 and 2009, the company is doing well when compared to its competitors. Its operating margin was 10. 55% in 2010, with a 5 year margin of 9%, versus its average competitor earning 9% in 2010 and average margin of 12% (according to wikiwealth. om). The 2010 net deficit in retained earnings shows that Activision Blizzard has not been profitable over its existence. While cash flow margins have been higher than its competitors at 15% over the past 5 years, versus its competitors 11% average value, there is not a large amount of cash flow for which the company can pay its o perating bills, as its working capital was negative both in 2009 (at $423 million) and $1,030 million in 2010, and its liquidity ratios were less than 2. within operations, the company has begun to manage its inventory and accounts receivable better, as its days of inventory decreased from 30 to 19 days, resulting in a better turnover from 12 in 2009 to 19 in 2010 along with the average collection period going from 63 days in 2009 to 52. 5 days in 2010. Blizzard Entertainment, one of the three segments within the company, earned approximately 35% of its total net revenues, but yielded over 60% of operating income from operations, making it the most profitable segment of the company.safekeeping that in mind, it would be full for them to concentrate on increased sales within this given department (on-line subscriptions) to facilitate a greater increase in revenues. As a side note, a lot is riding on Activision Blizzards release of their new Call of Duty console game for the holiday s eason. With last years Black Ops having sold a come in $360 million in its first day, this new release could make or break their holiday season revenues. If sales do well for this holiday season, the company has the potential to enter the new year having a much greater advantage over their competition, by far.Analysis of Competitive Position Although the merger of Activision Blizzard got off to a slow start, things now seem to be on track for the current year, and their outlook seems to be in a much better financial and competitive positioning than for their three previous years. The ability to generate a sustainable and consistent revenue stream, while also keeping costs down, is one of their greatest strengths, and should continue, considering their rapidly diversifying portfolio of partners and strategic alliances. given(p) Activisions partnerships and alliances prior to their merger with companies such as Marvel, Disney Interactive, LucasArts, and Dreamworks coupled with Blizz ards partnerships with various vendors in the apparel, toy, and collectible markets, Activision Blizzard has built a strong foundation through their broad differentiation strategy, which affords them a greater advantage of maintaining their number one position within not only the gaming industry, but opens the doors to other venues as well through licensing and franchising opportunities.The companys diversity is a critical advantage, because it allows them room for expansion and cross-selling opportunities across various platforms or markets. Additionally, Activision Blizzard is beginning to increase their presence in China, partnering with Netease, which is considered to be one of the best eastern on-line gaming companies to date. This opportunity will allow them to distribute their StarCraft, World of WarCraft, and Call of Duty series games to an eagerly-awaiting population within that country.Activision Blizzards new release of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 this past week resulte d in the biggest launch of any console game ever, and is seen as crucial to their strategy of releasing fewer, better quality game titles each year. CEO Bobby Kotick commented that within the first 24 hours of release, 6. 5 million units were sold within North America and the U. K. , for a total of $400 million dollars. He is noted as saying, We believe the launch of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories.This surpassed last months release of Electronic Arts quintuplet million units of Battlefield 3 by 1. 5 million units, which is their closest competitor to date in the console gaming industry. The above noted quality control strategy is just another addition to their value chain activities, in conjunction with the previously mentioned Battle. net and BlizzCon forums, which affords them a real-time advantage when designing and launching games or addressing consumer issues and concerns. By doing so,Activision Blizzard maintains a proficiency in performing their core competencies, and continues to fig and evolve their competitive advantage in this area. This is one of the primary reasons that Activision Blizzard has consistently held the top ranking, in addition to their model MMORPG platform that grows in subscriptions monthly. Activision Blizzards portfolio of digital and console games usually attracts more hardcore gamers than casual gamers. This is a decisive advantage in an economic downturn particularly, because Activision Blizzards sales are not as profoundly affected when there is a decrease in consumer spend.When potential customers have limited disposable income, they need to be assured of the quality of what they are spending their hard-earned dollars on. The Activision Blizzard brand is quite often strong enough to convince a repeat customer of the quality of a new game. Additionally, with upgrades in digital distribution, the abi lity for companies to offer their products and services in digital form is becoming a necessity. Activision Blizzard is well aware of this occurrence, and has continuously been moving towards this higher-margin business model for quite some time.In fact, they already derive a good portion of their income as a percentage of revenues from this model, which is a great advantage over their competitors. They continue to broaden their subscription model, with an emphasis on direct distribution of its products to consumers. This also reduces income loss through having to pay out royalties to retailers and on-line gaming hosts. Project bankhead, a new group formed within Activision Blizzard, will be bringing their hit series Call of Duty franchise into a subscription-based service in which consumers will pay Activision Blizzard directly to use a premium content that is included.Activision Blizzard is in a leading position to take advantage of this business model, considering that they have some of the most popular franchises in the world. As a point of reference, World of WarCraft currently has 11. 5 million subscribers paying fifteen dollars a month to play. Add to that the 7 million daily Call of Duty users, and one should be able to derive their true profit-making potential in this forum. Over the past twelve months, Activision Blizzard has generated just under $4. 8 billion in revenue and $800 million in operating profit, for an operating margin of almost 17% (according to Gurufocus. om), but this is really an understatement of just how much money they are currently generating. Their growth through acquisitions and partnerships is likely to continue well into the future, where they continue to buy key franchises. As part of these acquisitions, they place a value on intangible assets (such as brands) that they purchase. They then expense these intangibles, which have no basis in accounting circles, but most certainly impact their cash flow. After adjusting for the se non-cash expenses and other write-offs, Activision Blizzard has actually earned $1. 4 billion in operating profit, for an operating margin just under 30%.Relative to disadvantages, Activision Blizzard stands to lose some market ground due to new casual and social games coming out, such as hot Birds and Farmville, but it is actually the ease of distribution from tablet devices such as the iPad (digitized games) that could cause their competitive advantage to erode somewhat. This is particularly why they are concentrating on their current business model. Recommendations Activision Blizzards merchandising strategy is more a model for the industry, as they have partnered extensively, but selectively, with various companies and brands to diversify and expand their exposure and profitability.They have a proven track record with their on-line (MMORPG) gaming capabilities, and generate a large percentage of revenue from such. As a result, they should actively pursue this growing segment of the gaming industry, to which they are already the leading model. They should also continue their broad differentiation strategy relative to partnerships and strategic alliances, as this has proven to be quite successful for them since even before their merger. Our group root ons stepping out of their babys dummy zone, so to speak, and to begin looking at new ways to expand their brands and licenses.With this in mind, we recommend that they explore what we consider to be a natural transition for their gaming brands in particular, that of producing animated movies and syndicated cartoons. This actually aligns with a comment made by CEO Bobby Kotick not too long ago, in that he noted the potential of there being a StarCraft movie in the near future, which is based on one of their more popular MMORPG games. As of 11 November, their parent company (Vivendi SA) purchased EMI music group for $1. 9 billion dollars.Already owning a 26 percent market share of the music industry with Un iversal Music Group, Vivendi now owns an additional 9 percent, not to mention the rights to songs by such groups as the Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Coldplay, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Not only is this considered a coup within the music industry, but it could also play out relative to our recommendation, as it now gives them a solid foundation in choosing a select grouping of soundtracks for movie productions that can be targeted for various demographics ranging in ages from Baby Boomers to Gen Xers.Our research indicates that to produce a movie, it would take an investment of approximately $200 million in revenue to do so (Negative Cost = Development Cost + Pre-Production Cost + Production Cost + Post-Production Cost). This is generally an real estimate of the total production cost, from the planning and development phase, to pre-production, into production or filming, and then to post-production (which includes marketing and advertising).Naturally, this estim ate varies, according to several factors such as where the movie is filmed and produced, who stars in it, distribution, etc. Not only does Activision Blizzard maintain such a potential to take on a project such as this, their parent company (Vivendi) as well as several alliances and partnerships would be more than spontaneous to share such a project cost with them, much like their current gaming model.Keeping that in mind, it would be another transition (still) to follow such companies as Pixar, Amblin, LucasFilms, and Dreamworks, which all began as production companies from one or two major film hits. Whether StarCraft would be a box office sever is anybodys guess, but if it were, the residual revenue alone from merchandising and franchising toys, clothing, and other products sold could potentially equilibrize the initial cost considerably, not to mention the interest it would draw from a new generation of gamers.In developing their own production company, Activision Blizzard is ensuring that their brands stay marketable well into their more mature phases, while also maintaining control of production costs and opening the door once again for profitable partnerships in future endeavors within one more market niche of the entertainment industry. References Blizzard Entertainment Inc (2010) http//blizzard. com/us/inblizz/profile. html Cavelli, Earnest (December 23, 2008). World of Warcraft Hits 11. 5 Million Users http//www. ired. com/gamelife/2008/12/world-of-warc-1 Coleman, Freddie (2010). Why Blizzard is a notable Game Developer. http//ezinarticles. com/? Why-Blizzard-is-a-Renowned-Game-Developer&id=3584114 Consumer Affairs (2 Feb 2011) The Tour is Over for Guitar Hero Fans. www. consumeraffairs. com/news04/2011/02/the-tour-is-over-for-guitat-hero-fans. html Morris, Chris (2008). Blizzards Perfect Storm http//www. forbes. com/2008/06/30/videogames-blizzard-morris-tech-personal-cx Moser, Jason (2011). Activision Blizzards Edge May Be Smaller Than You Think http//www. fool. com/investing/general/2011/01/31/activision-blizzards-edge-may-be-smaller-than-you-. aspx The compartmentalisation Fool- Activision Blizzard Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats http//www. fool. com/investing/general/2010/06/15/activision-blizzard-strengths-weaknesses-opportuni. aspx The Cost of Making a Hollywood Movie (2010) www. anomalousmaterial. com/movies/2010/03/the-cost-of-making-a-movie Vivendi willing Buy EMI Recorded Music Unit for $1. Billion (Bloomberg Businessweek 11 November 2011) http//news. businessweek. com/article. asp Magic Formula contain of the Week Activision Blizzard (10 October 2011) http//www. gurufocus. com Universals $1. 9 B EMI Deal In a digital World, Market Share Counts for Less (Reuters. com 13 November 2011) http//www. reuters. com Call of Duty Sales Hit $400 Million (The Wall Street Journal- Jarzemsky and Rubin, 12 November 2011) http//online. wsj. com