Life Signs †Poem and Summary By Mahapatra Essay

LIFE SIGNS Violence the day dims. When I open and shut my mouth the darkness chokes inside. The sad light pushes against a bullock-cart-driver’s whip which rests in a corner of the corridor, safe from the black pressure of dragging ribs. a country total solar eclipse It was the drawn-out cry of day that left behind no echo, day that became meek as a frightened child. A banner of pale human skin fluttered on top of the temple of Jagannath the vase a monsoon day fable The fable at the beginning of the monsoon choes alone, like a bell ringing in a temple far from home. in the fields of desolate rice captive air of chandipur on sea lost children of America dead river life signs grandfather again one day walking by the river. — Jayant Mahapatra Summary of â€Å"Life Signs† â€Å"Life signs† is the title poem of the volume Life Signs. The father-son relationship has been explored quite extensively and intensively in Indian English poetry, by Ramanujan, Parthasarathy, Shiv. K. Kumar and others and â€Å"Father† poems have become even a sub-genre of Indian Poetry in English. Life Signs† captures the central preoccupation of Mahapatra’s poetry, the irrevocable influence of the Father (by extension, the hoary tradition of the land) and the anxiety of the son-persona (the modernist, rationalist, unbeliever poet, by extension) to be freed of it Structurally, the poem is â€Å"a loosely connected set of evocative signs rather than a system and discourse† and such a poem with shifting metaphors may challenge neat interpretation; yet it â€Å"can have a great power to convey a highly complex experience and can acquire haunting beauty† (G. N. Devy). â€Å"The Cows† can be read as a companion poem. 11. 1- 2: What’s in my†¦: a blunt statement of the son-persona’s in ability to â€Å"occupy† the beliefs of the father 11. 3-5: a sense of loss caused by separation between father and son described in terms of the flowing river; the image of flow may also imply the passage of a major category in Mahapatra’s vision. 11. – 10: an associative cluster of signs: â€Å"sun†, â€Å"kites† and â€Å"clouds† evoking the sense of agedness of the traditions, which haunts him. 1. 15: â€Å"the odour†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦: another image evoking the sense of decay 11. 19-20: â€Å"come to rest†: typical Mahapatran obscurities which are the interpreter’s despair: 11. 23- 24: a conflict between the traditional beliefs and the rationalist skepticism of those beliefs- 11. 23- 24: the sense of loss and a discovery of a strange wisdom.

Maximizing the Unearned Dollar

â€Å"Workin’ 9 to 5, what a way to make a living; barely gettin’ by, it’s all talkin’ and no givin’ (Parton, p.1)†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Dolly Parton had the right idea when she wrote this song. We have to work to be able to pay for necessities such as housing, clothing, and food. In addition to necessity, having enough money left over at the end of the month to go watch a show or eat at a nice restaurant is an added bonus. Most of us put our nose to the grind stone only to live by the old â€Å"pay check to pay check† creed. Payday arrives and it’s smiles all around. Money makes us happy, but more money makes us ecstatic.There are the lucky few who win the Publisher’s Clearinghouse sweepstakes or the lottery, but the rest of us have to stretch our dollars as far as they will go.   If you aren’t rich, stretching the dollar is a way of life. However, not everyone wants to live that way. For them, there are several alternatives. They can hit up their wealthy relatives, further their education, chose to work a not-so-glamorous job, or they can turn to crime.Unfortunately, not everyone has wealthy relatives, not everyone has their mind set to get their Masters degree, and not everyone has the body to swing on a pole for hundreds of dollars a night. What’s left? That’s right†¦crime. Somewhere out there people have figured out that you don’t have to work that hard to maximize your bucks. True-be-it that not all of us will turn to crime to make more money, from big corporations to mom and pop shops, maximizing utility is what it’s all about.In the movie â€Å"Friday†, the character â€Å"Big Worm† sells the drugs he produces to make money (Gray, 1995). His operation is based on delegating sales to others, such as â€Å"Smokey†, a  drug addict himself. In addition to owning a classic vehicle, which is decked out in style, Big Worm also owns a snack vending truck, which he uses to check out the progress of his sales people†¦incognito.Big Worm’s character is dressed in name brand clothing, wears gold necklaces, rings and diamond earrings, and appears to have his hair professionally styled. His character seems to be so powerful that when Smokey fails to give him his due profits from sales, Big Worm has access to â€Å"guys† that are willing to put a scare in Smokey by driving through the neighborhood shooting guns. Sure†¦this is just a movie, but what Big Worm’s character does is no different than what big corporations do†¦he is utilizing his resources to maximize his utility. The only difference is that Big Worm is an undiscovered criminal, and big corporations are operating legally.Without the assistance of a writing staff, some real-life criminals don’t have the same results with their efforts. Hollywood gave Big Worm nice clothes, a nice car and nice hair, so it appeared that as a criminal, he had his business in a position good enough to create a profit. Unfortunately for real-life criminals, however, the way they handle their profit-maximizing decisions can prove that not all criminals are utility maximizers.Striving to achieve happiness can lead to extreme measures. Being financially set, though sometimes an unattainable objective, can relieve numerous stresses in one’s life, which can lead to happiness. For some, this goal is so important that they are willing to do not-so-legal things to get there. Occupational crimes, or crimes committed by altering records, overcharging customers or cheating a client (Wikipedia, p.1) is an example of an attempt to maximize utility. But the key word here is attempt. An attempt can be unsuccessful, which translates to the aforementioned criminal type not being a utility maximizer after all.Take a bank teller, for example. While the money people deposit daily into their bank accounts in no way belongs to the bank teller, the teller has access to an available source. Over time, the teller discovers that by accompanying his or her deposit slip with the daily customer deposits, they are able to obtain hundreds, or maybe thousands of extra dollars in their own bank account.After much research, the bank discovers that the teller is responsible for the discrepancies in so many people’s bank accounts. Upon the teller’s arrest, it is demanded that all monies embezzled be returned. To the bank’s horror, the teller is unable to make restitution because the money was poorly spent on material items such as clothing and electronics. In this instance, the crime was committed without the intention of creating financial security.   This particular criminal was not interested in being a utility maximizer.Back to the flip side of criminal utility maximization, insurance fraud is a good example to work with. In July of 2004, the owner of a grocery store in Everett, Washington lost everything to a f ire that was being investigated as a case of arson, more specifically, a hate crime (SPI Staff Writer, p.1). It was later discovered that the owner of the store was the culprit, spray painting hate messages throughout the building’s exterior, then dousing it with gasoline before setting it on fire. This was far from a hate crime, the investigative team determined. The reason for setting his store ablaze was to obtain the insurance he had on the store in order to alleviate some financial stresses he was experiencing. The investigation team determined that this was a case of arson for profit.On the legal side of multiplying your dollars, businesses, such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car, operate quite similarly to the style of our undiscovered criminal mentioned earlier within the text. Dubbed by â€Å"Business Week Magazine† as one of the best places to work (ERAC, p.1),Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a prime example of how utilizing your resources will maximize your profits. The stru cture consists of the sales team, the managers, the regional managers and the executives. In combination with pushing upgrades with their rentals, the sales team also pushes damage waiver insurance. Good performance will earn bonus checks.The managers then direct the sales team in order to receive higher commissions. The regional managers push the managers for increased pay scales, and the chain continues. The key to this process is using what you have to make more of what you want. Incentives help this system. As noted, the ERAC team is compensated for increasing the company’s profits. When you compare both criminal and legal operations side by side, the basics are the same.Though we have only compared corporations and criminals, we are all utility maximizers in one way or another. We have gambling, which comes in forms of scratch-offs, lotteries, bingo games, bets and casinos. Seeking to multiply their wealth, one might use their entire pay check to maximize his dollar. On the safer side of multiplying what you’ve got, we have people who invest.Conservative maximizers will place their money in low-interest savings accounts, while the more daring types will play the stock market. Making the most of what you have is, for most of us, human nature. On our own accord, we may choose to leave things as they are, or we may chose to make an attempt at becoming self-made millionaires. Maximizing legally or illegally, how we get there matters. After all, you can’t enjoy your maximized utilities from a jail cell.Works Cited1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dolly Parton. â€Å"9 to 5†. Greatest Hits. RCA Country, 1980. www.dollyon-line.com/archives/lyrics/9to5.shtml.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Friday. Dir. F. Gary Gray. Ice Cube, Chris Tucker. 1995. DVD. New Line Cinema. 1997.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enterprise Rent-A-Car. 2000/Rev. 2006. ERAC.com. January 2007. www.erac.com.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wikipedia. 2001/Rev. 2004. Wikipedia.org. January 2007. www.wiki pedia.org.

Arguments on W.C. Smith

Wilfred Cantell Smith a much respected Canadian religion academic died in 2000 but as other great thinkers like him his works continue to live after his passing.Smith has dealt extensively with the matter of â€Å"faith† and how we as people interpret or understand it on a daily basis. Faith according to Smith is the essence of humanity and it is for this reason that much of his work has delved largely on this matter.Before we go any further it is important to appreciate that Smith is a world class scholar who spent sometime teaching a Christian mission college in the Indian subcontinent before and after it was divided to create Pakistan.While there he developed an appreciation for the Muslim faith and on his return to Canada he helped set up the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University. He later on moved to Harvard where he became the Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions.Never one to be held down by conventions, his biggest aim was to move away fro m the Christian theology he had long dealt with, as a student and teacher, to a much broader way in which a better understanding of religion can be attained. Smith once described his work as: â€Å"the search for conceptual clarification of man's relation to transcendence.† (Jagger, 2004).Religion obviously has two terms that go hand in hand, â€Å"belief† and â€Å"faith†, as far as many people are concerned. Smith felt that faith is not only feature that defines religious life (Smith, 1998) but more what fully defines the human life.Faith according to Smith is different from belief. Not the matter that in Christianity the two terms represent the same quality and have therefore been used interchangeably as was used in the New Testament to in the translation of the word â€Å"pistis† (Smith, 1997).Smith’s beef, if you will, with â€Å"belief† today is that â€Å"belief† seemed to have acquired different meanings in English over time a nd it has brought about much confusion.In Believing: An Historical Perspective, Smith asserts that â€Å"faith† is concerned with persons and on the other hand â€Å"belief† refers to propositions (Smith,1997). This led to his observation that â€Å"belief† has come to simply mean a lack of certainty, i.e. believing in something that may not have factual truths.â€Å"Belief† is an opinion or conviction (Random House Dictionary, 1996). This definition is one that made Smith discount belief as something that can influence religion.   Smith has dealt further with this matter in another one of his works, â€Å"Faith and Belief†.  He felt that the changes that have occurred the terms â€Å"faith† and â€Å"belief† are his reasons for the position he holds that religion is not about belief. About religion itself, Smith argues that the terms â€Å"faith† and â€Å"cumulative tradition† are more apt terms for it.Smith points out that faith, though also very diverse, does not attract manifold interpretations as the term belief does. He also sees faith as cutting across all the religions of the world and it is what compels people to act in accordance to what their religion teaches.This point is what has won me over to Smith’s idea that religion is not about belief. I am in total agreement with Smith’s view of things here.In fact many people have followed Smith’s point of thinking and today the term â€Å"transcendence† is gaining ground around the religious circles. And whenever the term transcendence is invoked what comes to mind is Buddhism, so its clear why Smith’s observation takes all the religions under its his wing, so to speak.

Cold Stone Marketing

Cold Stone Creamery Marketing Leroy Dowdy Walden University Dr. Bari Courts 30 September 2011 Abstract Cold Stone Creamery operates approximately fourteen hundred stores worldwide. Their premium ice cream products have kept them at the apex of the ice cream industry. An audit of Cold Stone’s marketing approach revealed flaws in areas that are critical to organizations in today’s marketplace. A first person interview revealed Cold Stone’s lack of innovative technology and a failure to incorporate the recommendations of franchise owners.Although Cold Stone has been successful utilizing low-tech marketing, today’s technology has the potential to solidify their market advantage. Cold Stone’s centralized control of marketing decisions has also created negative effects on local owners. The economic situation and the desire for customers to live a healthier lifestyle may have continued affects on the company. This student provided technology, market resear ch, and branding recommendations that could improve the company’s market growth. Executive Summary Cold Stone Creamery was founded in 1988 in Tempe Arizona and is owned and operated by Kahala L.L. C. (Cold Stone, 2012). Since inception, their philosophy has been to provide superior ice cream to consumers. They went as far as trade marking their products as Creationsâ„ ¢ in order to brand a product that is limited only by the consumer’s imagination. Mr. Toby Douglas, Cold Stone Creamery franchisee, agreed to be interviewed to discuss Cold Stone’s marketing strategies. Cold Stone franchisees operate over 1400 high-end ice cream stores worldwide (Cold Stone, 2012). Their superior ice cream is made daily in each individual store and only uses fresh quality ingredients.Cold Stone consistently ranks high in customer satisfaction, company reputation, and product quality (T. Douglas, personal communications, September 25, 2012). Conversely, their pricing is ranked lo w when compared to their competitors. Their marketing plan is not very robust considering today’s technology venues. The plan consists of electronic and hard copy coupons, free in store samples, television advertising, partnerships with other business owners, and birthday clubs. The impending health care reform coupled with more health conscious consumers has the potential to threaten Cold Stone’s future profits.Within the mandate, is a requirement for calorie count to be displayed on the menu by the end of 2013 (T. Douglas, personal communications, September 25, 2012). Mr. Douglas was the first Cold Stone franchisee to introduce yogurt in his product line. His store is located in a middle class suburb; therefore, he should be in a position to continue to thrive under the new mandates. By continuing to collaborate with the franchisor on decision-making, collecting, and analyzing consumer habits, Mr. Douglas should achieve continued growth in his customer base. Marketin g AuditMarketing has been defined as fulfilling the needs and wants of a prospect while remaining profitable throughout the process (Kotler & Keller, 2012). The role of marketing cannot be over stated. Cold Stone has done an exemplary job increasing demand for a product that some would argue sales itself. Successful marketing compliments other business operations such as administration, accounting, and finance (Kotler & Keller, 2012). Cold Stone’s marketing research determined the target consumer to be women aged 25-50 (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012).The background of their research is proprietary; therefore, this student has no data to support or refute the findings. Given their success, one can conclude that Cold Stone’s comprehension of Kotler and Keller’s (2012) demand states concept is mature. Marketers must consider eight possible demand states: 1. Negative demand – customers do not desire a product. 2. Nonexistent demand â €“ product is unknown to the consumer. 3. Latent demand – current products cannot meet the consumer’s desire. 4. Declining demand – consumer purchases less or no product. . Irregular demand – purchases are influenced by variables such as seasonal changes. 6. Full demand – products are purchased upon introduction to the market. 7. Overfull demand – product supply cannot meet product demand. 8. Unwholesome demand – desired products are not socially acceptable (p. 8). Economics The current economic situation has affected Cold Stone franchisees, but not to a detrimental level (T. Douglas, personal communications, September 25, 2012). One of the largest economic influences to franchisees is the influx in the cost of sweet cream.Sweet cream is the bases for Cold Stone’s made fresh daily ice cream. Corporate fees remain constant; therefore, an increase in sweet cream cost solely affects the franchisee. Franchisees attempt to offse t the cost with low cost marketing campaigns. For example, franchisees may offer $1 off coupons for the duration of the sweet cream increase (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012). Technology Technological advances seem to be passing by Cold Stone. Other that social networking, Cold Stone has not embraced a large portion of today’s technology. Mr.Douglas is one of a small number of franchisees to have a touch screen cash register. Political Influences The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly referred to as ObamaCare, requires chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets to display calorie information on menu boards prominently (CSPI, 2010). With consumers attempting to become healthier, this mandate may affect Cold Stone’s bottom-line. Mr. Douglas attempted to get ahead of the implications posed by this mandate. In 2010, he became the first Cold Stone franchisee to offer a yogurt bar.Cold Stone officially introduced yogurt to thei r lineup in 2012. Cultural Cold Stone consistently receives high ranking from consumers. Their product quality and reliability appeal to their patrons. One possible cultural threat to Cold Stone’s profit may be the desire for a healthier lifestyle. According to Griffin, Siegle, Lanpher, Khorramian, and Demirovic (2010), American consumers are making a conscientious effort to live healthier lifestyles. Task Environment Audit A struggling economy can have a debilitating effect on a company’s success.The Small Business Administration (SBA) tracks the failure rate of companies that secure 50 or more SBA loan disbursements (BlueMauMau, 2011). BlueMauMau (2011) reported Cold Stone was ranked 25th with a 37% failure rate for franchise owners between 2001 and 2010. Markets The ice cream market is declining for large franchisees such as Cold Stone (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012). As a result, marketers have to be more innovative to attract consumers. Co ld Stone’s prices have always been higher than their competitors. The decline in market growth may prompt a better pricing strategy to offset the loss.Customer Segment Realizing they cannot meet the demands of each possible segment, Cold Stone chose to focus on demographics, specifically, the 25-50 year old female. The rationale for this segment remains a mystery, but reputation and product quality continue to receive a vote of confidence from consumers. The buying habits of this demographic continue to be examined and altered as appropriate. Competitors In addition to other ice cream providers, Cold Stone must compete with Starbucks, Tropical Smoothies, and other dessert vending companies (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012).Their strengths, when compared to competitors, include product quality, brand reputation, premium ingredients, and store location (Griffin et al, 2010). These strengths are contributing factors to their main weakness – price. A lthough the majority of customers agree that Cold Stone pricing is an issue, they are not willing to give up their super premium Creationsâ„ ¢. Distribution and Dealers The need for fresh ingredients limits Cold Stone distribution options. They receive fresh ingredients daily via a local ground distributor. Increased fuel prices have forced their distributor to institute a fuel fee for items delivered (T.Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012). Marketing Information System Usage Marketing information systems (MIS) provides the necessary details about consumer purchasing habits (e. g. desires and preferences) in order to guide organization’s success (Kotler & Keller, 2012). The MIS captures marketing manager’s requirement (actual, perceived, and what is affordable) during the process of identifying consumer information (Kotler & Keller, 2012). Examples of data captured by marketing managers include the following: †¢ Regularly made decisions †¢ Required information for making decisions Any special studies requested †¢ Desired information that is not being received †¢ Periodicity of required information (i. e. daily) †¢ Required data analysis and reporting programs (p. 69) Cold Stone franchisees have little to no input into franchisor MIS selection or data input (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012). This does not preclude them from creating their own system locally. The issue becomes convincing the franchisor that their local data is useful to the corporate process. Function Audit Cold Stone’s product objectives are straightforward.They proclaim, â€Å"If it has anything to do with ice cream, it has everything to do with Cold Stone† (Cold Stone, 2012). This simple yet bold statement is the corner stone belief that propels the franchise to the forefront of the ice cream vending market. Cold Stone’s premium ice cream comes in three sizes: Like it (5 oz. ), Love it (8 oz. ), and Gotta have it (12 oz. ) (Griffin et al, 2010). The addition of mix-ins such as Oreo pieces or M&Ms further increases the price; however, Cold Stone believes its customers are willing to pay the additional premium to experience their Creationâ„ ¢ products.Integrated Marketing Communications Cold Stone uses various media outlets to conduct their marketing (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 28, 2012). Given that their current target audience is women aged 25-50, Cold Stone has created a commercial campaign that they feel caters to demographic. Thirty-second advertisements run on television shows that attract the target demographic such as The View, Good Morning America, and Rachel Ray (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 28, 2012). Cold Stone’s research could not be analyzed to determine the accuracy of the chosen programs.Consumers also have the option to sample any of the flavors upon entering a store. The sample sizes are controlled by using o ne-time use sample spoons. Their direct marketing efforts include mobile phone and Valpak coupons (Griffin et al, 2010). Based on sales numbers, one could conclude that they are effectively using promotion tools to increase customer awareness. Strategy Audit Cold Stone’s mission statement is concise and stated in market-oriented language (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012). Their website highlights the first five words of their mission statement – We will make people happy.Their commitment to customer happiness is seen immediately upon entering their store. Customers are met with a cheerful greeting and even offer a song to any customer who shows their appreciation by way of offering a tip. When interviewing potential employees, Mr. Douglas seeks to find candidates with outgoing personalities who share in the desire to make customers happy during the Cold Stone experience. Marketing Objectives and Strategies Cold Stone takes their marketing efforts seriously, as evident by the corporate control of all marketing efforts.Individual franchisees use to plan and execute local marketing strategies independent of corporate; however, that is no longer the case. The franchisee has input into the process, but the franchisor has ultimate authority over marketing decisions. Branding The objective of corporate branding is to create an image that is synonymous with an organization’s name (Mankani, 2010). Cold Stone’s brand equity or value added is evident by the rate of customer loyalty (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 28, 2012). Although their prices are higher than the competition, customers continue to prefer the Cold Stone experience.According to Kotler and Keller (2012) customer loyalty is a great indicator that an organization has created a strong brand. Recommendations Kotler and Keller’s (2012) six-step marketing research process would serve as an excellent starting point for Cold Stone marketers. Mr. Douglas was not aware of this process and was eager to learn more about the concept. The first step is to define the problem. This student believes Cold Stone’s primary problem to be a lack of technology. Kotler and Keller (2012) suggest that technology â€Å"is the essence of market capitalism† (p. 81).In order for Cold Stone to remain at the apex of the ice cream industry, technology must permeate their marketing and management efforts. It is not enough to equip franchisees with touch screen registers. Today’s information travels at the speed of light and requires proactive marketing such as search engine optimization, social media campaigns, and consumer interest mining. Consumer interest mining analyzes the customer’s website usage and creates market profiles based on their search habits (Woods, 2011). The marketer targets the consumer with tailored products and services.Next is to develop the research plan. Cold Stone would need to develop a cos t efficient research approach that includes qualitative, quantitative, or mixed approach research methods. Thirdly, the information is collected. Since this is normally the costliest step, Cold Stone should be proactive and maintain a hands-on approach to ensure they remain efficient. Fourthly, analyze the collected information. It is critical that Cold Stone looks at all the data before making assumptions about consumer demand. They would do well to study the New Coke blunder of the Coca Cola Corporation (IM CETYS, 2007).Fifthly, present findings to the franchisor and franchisees. The franchisees have a vested interest in brand success. Finally, make decisions that will position Cold Stone to benefit from technology efforts that will solidify their competitive advantage in the ice cream market. In addition to adopting the marketing research process, Cold Stone could afford to make adjustments in their branding approach. Mankani (2010) outlines the following steps to consider when d evising a corporate branding strategy. Branding strategies should be driven from the top down.Without unity and direction from the executive level branding efforts may be disjointed and off the mark. Select a business model as the cornerstone for the branding strategy. A company’s needs and values should dictate which model is chosen. Solicit input from those with a stake in the company (i. e. , customers, shareholders, and employees). Mr. Douglas’s success as the first franchisee to add a yogurt bar has not been without glitches. The yogurt distributor that he initially used was not maintained by the franchisor because it offered no additional profits to the franchisor (T.Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012). In order to create another stream of revenue, Cold Stone commissioned Kohler Dairy to produce a Cold Stone proprietary yogurt and mandated its sole use by franchisees. Mr. Douglas believes the decline in his yogurt sales is due to a less desirable yogurt; however, Cold Stone refuses to attribute the decline in yogurt sales to their proprietary yogurt (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012). The franchisor’s response to Mr. Douglas fails to encourage employees to take ownership of the organization’s mission and vision.If franchisees are to be advocates of the branding process, the franchisor must encourage and act upon the type of feedback that Mr. Douglas offered. Decisions, such as these, should seek to make lasting customer relationships by providing the best product or service. A well-planned and executed communications strategy will propagate the branding efforts to the intended audience. For example, following up with customers by making post-sales contact via email, social media, or text messages will enhance branding efforts. Finally, perform audits on brand performance.Audits will assist in determining customer-based brand equity or the way a customer responds to the branding effort (Ko tler & Keller, 2012). Conclusion Cold Stone’s marketing efforts are calculated and centrally executed (T. Douglas, personal communication, September 25, 2012). Although their current store inventory is not as numerous as the past, their product quality and business reputation continues to be superb among their consumers. Haag and Cummings (2008) noted that business intelligence enables an organization to make educated decisions based on compiled data.Although there is no evidence of marketing information systems being utilized at the franchisee level, Cold Stone has an obvious grasp on demographic demand states. Cold Stone’s anemic technology model needs critical improvement. Today’s technology offers Cold Stone innovative solutions that can solidify their competitive advantage in the ice cream industry. Finally, Cold Stone’s stance on franchisee feedback is cause for concern. Although the franchisor understands and interprets marketing research nationall y, it makes sense that the franchisee understands their local consumers. In the case of Mr.Douglas, if Cold Stone made provisions for him to use the yogurt distributor preferred by his customer base this would result in a larger profit margin for all concerned parties. Customers will continue to crave Cold Stone Creationsâ„ ¢, but it remains to be seen whether Cold Stone can increase their customer base through more robust marketing techniques. . References BlueMauMau. (2011). BMM reports 2011 SBA failures: Cold stone creamery – 37%. Retrieved from https://sites. google. com/site/coldstonefacts/news/bmmreports2011sbafailurescoldstonecreamery-37 Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2010). Health reform to deliver calorie counts to chain restaurant menus nationwide. Retrieved from http://cspinet. org/new/201003211. html Cold Stone Creamery. (2012). About us. Retrieved from http://www. coldstonecreamery. com/about/about_cold_stone. html Haag, S. , & Cummings, M. (2008). Management information systems for the information age (Laureate Education, Inc. , custom ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. IM CETYS. (2007). New coke: A â€Å"classic† marketing research blunder?. Retrieved from http://imcetys. files. wordpress. com/2006/12/caso-newcoke. df Mankani, Y. (June 30, 2010). Eight important steps for creating successful corporate brand strategy. Retrieved from http://savedelete. com/8-important-steps-for-creating-successful-corporate-brand-strategy. html Mentzer, J. T. , Myers, M. B. , & Stank, T. P. (Eds. ). (2007). Handbook of global supply chain management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Woods, D. (2011). How real-time marketing technology can transform your business. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/sites/ciocentral/2011/05/06/how-real-time-marketing-technology-can-transform-your-business/

Beyond Europe

The Roaring Twenties brought forth a new musical style in the United States. Piercing together the complex blend of European and African American musical traditions, merging the soulfulness of the blues and the syncopated rhythms resulted in a unique, rhythmic compelling music that is known as jazz. It is a music dominated by improvisations and a definitive beat (Kamien, 1998, p. 359). This popular music has produced some of the best American musical figures- Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker.Indeed, it has become one of the more popular music the world has known and continues to enjoy today. There are two clear-cut jazz features: syncopation and rhythmic swing. It boasts of lively rhythm that is oftentimes hard to describe but easy to recognize and listen to. Its call and response feature, wherein a voice is answered by an instrument or an instrument is answered by another instrument arose from the African American church services where the congregation responds voc ally to the preacher’s call (p. 360).But more than the percussive sounds, improvisations, call and respond, and the performance techniques that accompany jazz music, jazz music is popularly known as the â€Å"only truly American contribution to the world of music† (Wright, 1996, p. 390). While jazz music is an amalgam of different musical streams, it is in America where jazz was planted and flourished. There is no contest about that. There is no concrete record that show when jazz started or how it first sounded because the music was only heard; hence no musical notations were traced.However, its origin was placed somewhere in 1900 (Kamien, 1998, p. 359). What was certain about jazz music though was where it was first heard: in southern and Midwestern cities. Jazz music was first heard in the streets, bars, brothels and dance halls in New Orleans, St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago (Wright, 19976 p. 390). Furthermore, it was in New Orleans where many jazz legends began - Armstrong, King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton (p. 391). One of Oliver’s finest works is the Dippermouth Blues, which showcase instrumental blues in its unique New Orleans style.This style is usually rooted on a march, a church melody or a ragtime piece (p. 365). On the other hand, Armstrong was best known as the inventor of scat singing, warbling nonsense syllables like dat-a-bat—a-dip-da (p. 365). He was also an outstanding jazz trumpeter and his performance of Hotter than That with this group The Hot Fives focused on the improvisatory solos. When the Spanish-American War ended, there was a surplus of military band instruments sold at a cheap price. Many black musicians brought instruments and took up employment in bars and brothels (Wright, 1996, p.391). Band instruments were instrumental (pardon the pun) in shaping jazz music. It was a reflection of the African Americans’ love of music and importantly, their determination to succeed. The precursors of jazz m usic were ragtime and the blues which existed in the 1890s to 1915 (Kamien, 1998 p. 360). Ragtime was generally played by black pianists (Wright, 1996p. 390). Black pianists experienced difficulties looking for employment so they were reduced to playing in brothels, saloons, and dancehalls. Despite that, the popularity of ragtime music could not be discounted.By the end of World War I, roughly two thousand piano sheets of piano ragtime music were sold (p. 390). Scott Joplin, the man behind famous pieces like Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer was the best-known composer of ragtime music. Similar to ragtime music, blues was another music that grew out of the African Americans. It is said that blues were a kind of black folk song that originated in the 1880s-1890s in the South (Wright, 1996, p. 387). It was developed out of the work songs, spirituals and field hollers of the black slaves (p. 387).Typical blues subjects were of poverty, loneliness, oppression, and melancholy. By 1912, the blues were printed as sheet music (p. 387). Ragtime music, with its upbeat sound, and the blues, which reflected the hard life and the tough-minded humor of the African Americans, helped uplift peoples’ spirits. The Progressive Era, which covered 1900s up to the First World War, was a period of marked changes in the country. Problems on capital, labor, immigration, and corruption in politics pervaded the country (Jordan and Litwack, 1991, pp. 570-594).Adding more reason to be depressive was the aftermath of the First World War. Repression and intolerance pervaded the country. The post-war years brought despair for many African Americans. With the Jim Crow restrictions, the lynching, beatings, and revival of the Ku Klux Klan, Americans, especially the African Americans, turned to music for comfort. Their desolate living unleashed their creativity. Out of ragtime and the blues came the expressive, raspy style that became the jazz. The end of the war and the great black migr ation made it possible for jazz music to spread in America.As aforementioned, jazz became the rage in the 20s. Novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald even dubbed the time as the â€Å"Jazz Age† (Wright, 1996, p. 394). Jazz music became so popular that it was now performed in large dancehalls and even in movie houses (p. 394). In the years to follow, jazz developed into a rich sub styles such as swing, bebop, cool jazz, free jazz and rock fusion. Ellington was one of the most revered composer, arranger and conductor in the swing era. Some of his works include Ko-Ko, Air shaft, and Blue Serge (Kamien, 1998, p. 367).Other notable jazz piece is the bebop-syled Bloomdido performed by alto saxophonist Charlie â€Å"Bird† Parker, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, bass player Curly Russell, pianist Thelonious Monk and percussionist Buddy Rich (p. 368). Meanwhile, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down from trumpeter Miles Davis exemplifies jazz rock. No doubt, jazz music is one of the most important Ameri can contributions to twentieth century popular culture. At the heart of jazz is improvisation. Looking back, people were probably drawn to jazz music precisely because of this.Through music, they had the freedom to follow their own flights of fancy. It is this appeal that made it popular with people during that time. Jazz music became a diversion, bit at the same time, an aspiration that perhaps one day, they would do more than make do. References Kamien, R. (1998). Music An Appreciation 3rd ed. USA: McGraw-Hill. Jordan, W. and Litwack, L. (1991). The United States Combined Edition 7th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Wright, C. (1996). Listening to Music 2nd ed. Minnesota: West Publishing Company.

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MPH502 - Introduction to Public Health Module 1 - SLP - Essay Example A research done on the rate of tuberculosis found that there was a rapid increase of 20% in the prevalence of tuberculosis in the United States from 1985 to 1992. HIV and Tuberculosis have also been found out to be related as it is seen in many cases that individuals have both HIV and tuberculosis together (Ferguson & Roads 2009; Robbins et al 2005). The most common reason for the occurrence of tuberculosis is over crowdedness and sanitary problems. It is a disease which is most prevalent in the lower class society as they are more susceptible to unhygienic living. The bacterium M.Tuberculosis is the most common strain which affects the human beings with Tuberculosis in the United States. The dangers posed by the disease Tuberculosis have been realized by many of the organizations worldwide and these organizations have taken preventative measures to ensure that the class of human being remains safe from this disease. World Health Organization is one of these organizations which are taking strict measures to save the world from such an endemic. It is designing new technologies and investing in projects which would provide new treatments of TB to the whole world. They are developing a strategy which would ensure that people with tuberculosis are diagnosed with the disease even before the disease gets active. Specific conditions have been set out by the organization under which it is necessary for the health care professionals to test the individual for any positive signs of Tuberculosis. This early diagnosis would help with the definitive treatment of tuberculosis. Moreover a vaccine is also available for tuberculosis known as the BCG vaccine and this also helps to pre vent the onset of tuberculosis in many infants (Ferguson & Roads 2009; Upshur et al 2009). The organization is recommending ways through which the infection can be controlled. This can be useful in preventing the spread of tuberculosis to the health care

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Private and Public Finance for Property - Case Study Example These policies may include measures to prevent pollution as well as economic policies that stimulate the economy. According to Griffith and Wall (2007), Public finance captures many scenarios that are common in everyday life and the important role that is played by the government in ensuring fairness and equity in the society. For example, everyone wants to enjoy good roads, street lighting, and excellent security but given an option, no one would pay for them. After all, no one really hates free things. Public finance, therefore, captures the concept of free riding and what the government does to avoid it. The basic premise is that if someone volunteers to construct a road then all of us can enjoy the service without paying for it. The problem is that hardly will anyone volunteer to construct this road. Public finance covers this and many other challenges and how the government comes in to solve them. Flynn (2007) argues that the main reason behind the existence of public finance is the provision of key public goods and services. These public goods and services mostly include defense, policing, roads, health care, education, pension as well as welfare benefits. Provision of these public services would not lead to a socially optimal outcome if left in the hands of the private sector whose major motivation is profit. That is why the state comes in to provide these services since it is motivated by the good of the public and not profits. The existence of public goods is a further justification of public finance. In most cases, these public goods are least profitable to private enterprises and therefore the government is forced to chip in and provide them free of charge to the general public. Therefore public finance is crucial for a number of reasons. There are some goods that are very important and the citizens of a country should enjoy them even if they are not able to pay the  market rate for them.

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Strategy- the question below - Essay Example expected to rise gradually and record a steady flow of revenue, the economy is going to recover, and consumers are going to have more disposable income available for purchasing both premium and private label brands. This will enhance the average transaction sizes for grocery stores and supermarkets. According to Quelch, the Supermarkets and Grocery Stores Industry, which is in the mature stage of its life cycle, will be in the next couple years preceding 2019.The supermarkets and grocery industry contribution to the GDP of the economy is predicted to remain flat. An industry’s contribution to the economy is measured by the industry’s value added or simply (IVA).However, the country’s GDP is expected to rise to an estimated average level of 2.5% annually despite the fall in the growth of the supermarket industry. According to Korda, 2012, an industry is terms as declining when its growth falls below the GDP’s annual growth level. This should however not ala rm you because supermarkets and groceries have in the past-recorded low profit margins leading to a lowering of the whole’s industry contribution to the economy. Other factors contributing to the industry’s slow growth include the intense competition in the food retailing industry which cays a reduction in the profit margins of the retail stores. The introduction of new entrants to the industry (Edli and Aldi) are bound to result in lower profit margins for our company in the future if necessary measures are not taken like adopting a cost advantage strategy. There are a number of reasons why the supermarket should adopt the cost advantage strategy. Berinstein, 2003, argues that a firm pursuing a cost-leadership strategy attempts to gain a competitive advantage primarily by reducing its economic costs below its competitors. Wm Supermarket is a big supermarket. It therefore has the advantage of economies of scale. The supermarket has a very high level of production and is therefore able to buy and use

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M-Commerce - Essay Example The technology of cell phone is rapidly becoming the most well-liked device intended for browsing the Internet. Through this technology most of the people are frequently log-on to Internet and search for the information regarding a business, entertainment, and other Medias (Kitch, 2009).  The term and technology of the mobile commerce is utilized to outline the emerging practice of conducting promotional and financial activities by means of the utilization of a wireless handheld device. The term mobile commerce is recognizing as the transactions can be conducted by means of personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones and other hand held devices that can work by means of Internet access. The technology and implementation of the M-Commerce has been the most sophisticated technology that is operational nowadays and going to enhance more and more day by day (Tatum, 2009). Mobile-Commerce can be described as a technique or tool that offers the facility of the selling and buying of g oods, products as well as services through mobile phones or wireless handheld devices (like that cellular telephone, personal digital assistants, etc.) (Wang, Song, Lei, & Sheriff, 2005) and (TechTarget, 2003). Presently the technology of the Mobile-Commerce is recognized as the next-generation e-commerce. Through the Mobile-Commerce technology a user can access the web without requiring and discovering a place to plug in the huge system. The rising technology behind Mobile-Commerce, which is based on the WAP or Wireless Application Protocol, has made far bigger paces in Europe, where mobile devices operational by means of Web-ready micro-browsers are greatly widespread than in the United States (TechTarget, 2003). However (Stafford & Gillenson, 2003) differentiate between E-commerce and M-commerce by saying that, E-commerce is generally deals with the activities of buying and selling, on the other

Sophocles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sophocles - Research Paper Example It is known that he wrote around on hundred and twenty tragedies in his life. However, only seven of those writings are available in the present times (Sophocles, iv-vi). The present study makes a detailed research on the admirable tragic writer and discusses on his writings that are available and thus reflecting his excellence and talent. Sophocles: About the Man and his Writings: Sophocles had written several plays and he always used to remain present during the performances of his acts and received appreciations from his audiences. He had been crowned for his plays for around twenty times. It was Sophocles who had introduced the concept of a third person in speaking the dialogues of the plays. This concept had greatly contributed to the industry of drama. His plays had a soft and harmonious grace accompanied by his dialogues. The people of Athens had created a monument on his account that reflected the use of bees as could be associated with the softness and harmony of his plays. An understanding of his feelings, his selection of plots for his plays, and his style could be analyzed from the plays that are available till date. It has been observed that Sophocles presented his plays with simple and natural incidents, his emotions being gracious and inspirational, and reflecting his moral values to the public. The description of his writings revealed his power of thoughts being mirrored through his evaluations. His style of presentation involved a significant art of mastery in it. He lived his life from 497 till 406 before Christ and contributed significantly in the field of plays and drama (Sophocles, vi-xi). Writings of Sophocles: The tragedies written by Sophocles as available in the present times include Azax, Electra, Philoctetes, Antigone, Trachinle, Edipus Tyrannus, and Edipus Coloneus. The play of Ajax involves the death of the character called Ajax as a result of disappointment resulting from not receiving an honor after Achilles’ death which in stead was received by Ulysses. The story reflects disappointment, murders, and Ajax killing of own life. Other characters in the play also had significant roles to act on like Teucer who was the half-brother of Ajax. Sophocles significantly presented through this play the concerns for a master and the consequent disappointments from failure. The characters of the play had been created with great thoughts with their names having appropriate Greek meanings and presentation (Sophocles, x-22). Electra was another play written by Sophocles that represented the death of a character named Agamemnon by his wife. Electra saved her brother from the incident and let him grow up under the care and guidance of Strophius who was the king of Phocis. Years later when the child grew up and came to know of his father’s murder, he took revenge with the assistance from his sister (Sophocles, 53). Thus this presents a talent of Sophocles presenting another tragedy where there is pain, there is re venge and yet a tragic story to tell a tale of a lifetime. Similar to the above mentioned plays, the writer of his times successfully completed the other dramas, many of which are no more available. Of all his writings, Oedipus the King is known as one of his master piece. It contains surprising contents. The story reveals a tragedy where Oedipus kills his mother and gets married to his mother with intention to avoid circumstances he analyzed

Features of Twentieth Century Literature Essay Example for Free

Features of Twentieth Century Literature Essay 20th century is the age of modernism in literature. 20th centurys literature follows differently from the 19th century literature, because of importance given to presentation of human consciousness and human psychology. As result new narrative techniques like impressionism and stream of consciousness has been introduced, the purpose of whom is to highlight human perception. Impressionism has been adopted by many writers, replacing realism. 20th century is an age of emphasis on inner reality, therefore psychoanalysis and human psychology is an important part of literature. Experience is given structural support by, motifs, myths, and parallel themes. Isolation and, loss of hope in humanity are one of the salient themes of modern literature. E. M. Forster, Joseph Conrad and James Joyce are three prominent writers of the twentieth century, who applied modern techniques and themes in their novels. Human consciousness is an important aspect of 20th century novel. Human, thoughts, feelings and stimulations are much important constituent of the century s fiction. In fact A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is like a little world of Stephens mind, which is a result of an evolutionary process. Ulysses can be called the story of thought life of Stephen and Morgan within one day. Stream of consciousness is an emergent technique of 20th century novel, employed to explain human thoughts, feelings and stimulations. Stream of consciousness describes the flow of thoughts and feelings in the mind without a sequence, in other words in natural order.. Used for the first time by William James, Joyce gives new meanings to it by using in his novels, A Portrait, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake . Joyce makes use of stream of consciousness technique In Ulysses Mr Prince dines alone in a restaurant . Joyce takes us to his mind journey; an internal monologue here is the soup, the smoking soup. Be careful that the waiter does not splash me in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Stephens flow of thoughts is revealed when he meets a man besides the bridge. : it must be eleven he thought.. as he turned away he heard a clock somewhere near him he laughed as he heard it as it made him think of Mac Cann. Isolation is an evident theme of 20th century literature. Stephen in A Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man is detached from his world. Stephen is an individual who wants to break free from the barriers of nationalism, religion and society. Stephen is standing apart from his fellows and peers,but he apart from them and in silence, remembered in what dread he stood Experience gets a structural support in modern literature, through parallel themes and use of myths. Ulysses is written parallel to odyssey. A portrait of the artist as a young man has the myth of Daedulus employed in it. In the writing of English fiction, the narrative technique has shifted from realism to a new method of impressionism. The purpose of impressionism is to lay stress on human perception and knowledge. It began from the work of Walter Pater and Henry James to flourish in the hands of, James Joyce, among others. Impressionism is vivid in A Portrait of the Artist as Young Man. Joyce uses impressionism in the epiphanic moment of Stephens life when he comes to know that he cannot repress nature and therefore his natural inclinations. She seemed like one whom magic had changed into the likeness of a strange and beautiful seabird.. : Impressionism is also employed in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, which is a journey from darkness to light for Marlowe. Therefore he perceives things, learns and gets knowledge by interpreting things around him. Conrad employs impressionism for this process. .Near the same tree two more bundles of acute angles sat with their legs drawn up his brother phantom rested his forehead.. Imperialism and colonization is one of the modern themes in 20th century English literature. A Passage to India and, Heart of Darkness throw light on manipulation by man when he is in power. Both works utilize Britains Age of Empire as a backdrop for the narratives and they explore British attitudes and behavior in the foreign locales of the imperial frontier. Ivory has a strong drive for white man and he does not leave any chance to get it. The action of each work takes place against the backdrop of Empire Heart of Darkness has the morbidity and pathos of modern literature, as it shows the gruesome face of mankind. Conrad has lack of hope in the modern man. Therefore Heart of Darkness raises important questions about the development of civilization. The civilized man plays havoc with the surroundings of the jungle, unchecked by rules and regulations. The developed society thus is held questionable. The white man plays a worse role than the barbaric who according to Marlowes observation probably dont even know the concept of time. Heart of darkness is also a journey of self realization, both of Marlowe and Kurtz. Marlowe has a passion for maps since childhood. Maps lead towards new ways and help in exploration. Marlowe explores human self and the rotten truths of colonization during his journey up to the river to meet Kurtz. Heart of darkness has the perspective quality of 20th century literature. Conrad places the narrator inside the action of the story in order to remain impersonal. The narrator has an individual voice he interprets the things in his own way and thus we see a perspective of an individual. Conrad does not project any ideology or theory, but just scans the grim faces of mankind. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster is a novel on colonial rule and differences between the natives and British are revealed. It is a relationship between colonized and the colonizer. It discusses the modern problem of clash between cultures . It is a discourse on the cultural differences between two nations. In A Passage to India, the story of Adela Quested false accusation against the Indian Dr. Aziz ,that he attempted to rape her on an expedition to the Marabar Caves, becomes symbolic of the distortions of understanding and interpretation that can occur between cultures, and of the injustice that inevitably occurs when one people holds power over another . The passage to India is a discourse on the in understandable existence of man. It has the questions about the mans existence which are the feature of 20th century literature. Marabar Caves themselves are an important symbol Their freezing regularity, hard to decipher echo that follows any sound made within them, come to represent the nullity of human action, the meaninglessness of existence. As in all 20th century literature the psychological effect of the colonization is clear in a passage to India. The British people cannot come out of the psychological influence that they are a much exotic race than the Orientals, where as the natives are hostile to them. As a result it ends up that with their given psychologies the two nations cannot unite. Ms Adela quested cannot stand the reality, the real India and her illusion becomes symbolic of the psychological crisis. Ms Moore undergoes a transformation as compared to other English men.

Teenage pregnancy Essay Example for Free

Teenage pregnancy Essay Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenage girl, usually within the ages of 13-19, becoming pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to girls who have not reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, who become pregnant. Causes and of teenage pregnancy Teen pregnancies may result for different reasons in industrialized countries as compared to developing countries. Factors that contribute to teenage pregnancies include: Customs and traditions that lead to early marriage (developing countries) Adolescent sexual behavior which may also be influenced by alcohol and drugs Lack of education and information about reproductive sexual health including lack of access to tools that prevent pregnancies Peer pressure to engage in sexual activity Incorrect use of contraception Sexual abuse that leads to rape Poverty Exposure to abuse, violence and family strife at home Low self esteem Low educational ambitions and goals Effects of teenage pregnancy Research indicates that teen pregnancy and motherhood can have detrimental socio economic and psychological outcomes for the teen mother, her child, and her young siblings. A teen mother is more likely to: †¢ Drop out of school †¢ have no or low qualifications †¢ be unemployed or low-paid †¢ live in poor housing conditions †¢ suffer from depression which may result in suicide †¢ live on welfare The child of a teen mother is more likely to: †¢ live in poverty †¢ grow up without a father †¢ become a victim of neglect or abuse †¢ do less well at school †¢ become involved in crime †¢ Abuse drugs and alcohol †¢ Eventually become a teenage parent and begin the cycle all over again The younger sibling of a teen mother is more likely to: †¢ accept sexual initiation and marriage at a younger age †¢ Place less importance on education and employment Disadvantages of teenage pregnancy TEEN PREGNANCY: STIs, HIV AND AIDS †¢ As a result of unprotected sex, young people are also at risk of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection. †¢ The highest rates of STIs worldwide are among young people aged 15 to 24. Some 500,000 become infected daily (excluding HIV). †¢ Two in five new HIV infections globally occur in young people aged 15 to 24. †¢ Surveys from 40 countries show that more than half their young people have misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted. †¢ Married adolescent girls generally are unable to negotiate condom use or to refuse sexual relations. They are often married to older men with more sexual experience, which puts them at risk of contracting STIs, including HIV. Prevention FAMILY PLANNING AND YOUNG PEOPLE: CHALLENGES †¢ Many societies, including in Malaysia, disapprove of premarital sex. †¢ As a result, young people have limited or no access to education and information on reproductive sexual health care. †¢ Modern contraceptive use among adolescents is generally low, and decreases with economic status. Fewer than 5% of the poorest young use modern contraception. †¢ Young women consistently report less contraceptive usage than men, evidence of their unequal power in negotiating safer sex or restrictions on their access to services (such as lack of information, shame, laws, health provider attitudes and practices, or social norms). †¢ Young people may hesitate to visit clinics because of lack of privacy and confidentiality, inconvenient locations and hours, high costs, limited contraceptive choices and supplies, and perhaps most importantly, negative or judgmental provider attitudes. †¢ Laws and policies also may restrict adolescents’ access to information and services, for example, by limiting family planning to married people or requiring parental or spousal consent. †¢ A basic challenge in advocacy, especially in traditional societies, is the taboo on public discussion of sexual issues, including the fact that many young people are sexually active before marriage.

Reasons of degradation of mangrove forests

Reasons of degradation of mangrove forests Reasons of degradation of Mangrove forests in Pakistan and its Management. Abstract: Over 600,000 hectares of Pakistans coastline is under mangrove forestation. Coastal mangrove ecosystems in Pakistan have been seriously degraded over the last 50 years as a result of freshwater diversion for agriculture, industrial and urban water pollution, over-fishing in Indus delta andoverharvesting of mangroves by the local communities, sedimentation, and coastal erosion.The Indus delta of Pakistan constitutes the most extensive mangrove forestsapproximately 129,000 ha along the coast. The data for this paper was collected from different reports and from WWF Pakistan. The paper focuses on thereasons of ecological damage ofmangroves in Pakistan and their management through sustainable use of mangrove resources, their protection and conservation.There is also a need for the creation of awareness and education among planners and coastal communities regarding the sustainable management of mangrove forests. The objectives of this paper are: Determination of causes of degradation of the mangrove forests and quantification of the areas destroyed by various factors specially. Decreasing freshwater and silt flows from Indus river. Browsing by camels Industrial and marine pollution. Management of mangrove forests by restoration and with training and awareness among people of that area. Introduction: Mangroves are the marine tidal forests that include trees, shrubs, palms, epiphytes and ferns (Tomlinson, 1986). The plants and animals community associated with mangroves is referred to as the ‘mangal (Macnae, 1968). Mangrove ecosystems have diversity of plants and animals with heterogeneous habitats and adapted to the environmental conditions of highly saline, soft bottomed anaerobic loose mud and silt (Clough, 1992).Amjad and Khan (1983) mentioned the estimated area of mangrove cover in Pakistan is about 283,000 ha consisting of 281,000 ha in Sindh and 2000 ha in Balochistan.It is one of the most productive ecosystems and a natural, renewable resource. Over the last decade, concern has grown over the ways in which human activities have altered the mangrove ecosystems of Pakistan. The rate of degradation of mangrove forests in the Indus Delta has been estimated at 6 percent between 1980 and 1995. At present, only 15 percent of mangroves here are considered healthy (Thompson a nd Tirmizi, 1995). Freshwater scarcity due to upstream diversions of river flows for agriculture,industrial water pollution and algal bloom, overgrazing, browsing by camels, lopping by villagers along the coasts,erosion caused by tidal current, cutting for fuel wood and timber, and unsustainable fishing levels are seen as the main factors associated with biodiversity loss in the mangrove forests on the coasts of Sindh and Baluchistan (IUCN Pakistan, 2005).The Indus delta is not only one of the longest deltas in the world; it is also the largest area of arid climate mangroves in the world. The natural resources it contains are of significant economic importance to Pakistan, and the time is now to conserve what is left whilst it is still in a viable condition, rather than wait until it is too late. It does this by developing zones where various activities can take place, by regulating the levels of these activities to sustainable limits and by encouraging in the participation of local people. The commitment of the main land-owning agencies in the Indus delta is required to make the concept of the Indus delta Biosphere secures a reality (Macintosh and Ashton, 2002). The management of the different resources of the mangrove ecosystem is handled by different agencies of the government, both at central and provincial levels. Forestry, fisheries and land administration agencies, for example, have specific jurisdiction over specific resources in the area of mangrove (IUCN Pakistan, 2005). It is believed that local people living in the coastal areas have been able to manage mangrove forests for their communities (Qureshi, 1984). A current working plan titled â€Å"Working Plan of Mangrove Forests for a 20 year period from 1985-2005 has been prepared with the objectives to protect the coastline from erosion, and to meet the demands of local communities provide them sustained quantities of forest products (Qureshi, 1985). Afforestation and reforestation activities are b eing undertaken on a small and large scale by IUCN in collaboration with Sindh Forest Department. The International Society for Mangroves Ecosystem (ISME) with its headquarters in Okinawa, Japan is encouraging mangrove studies and plantations along the coast of Pakistan (IUCN Pakistan, 2005). There are also many government and non-government organizations under different projects working for the management of mangrove forests in Pakistan these include the WWF, Pakistan, Sindh Forest Department, World Bank, UNDP and UNESCO. Literature review Historical records indicate that the original extent of mangrove forests has declined considerably under pressure from human activity. National proportions of original mangrove cover lost vary from 4 to 84%. For example, in Southeast Asia Malaysia lost 12% from 1980 to 1990 (Ong, 1995); the Philippines originally had 4,300 km2 but now has 1,200 km2 (Primavera, 2000); Thailand had 5,500 km2 in 1961 but 2,470 km2 in 1986 (Aksornkoae, 1993); and Vietnam 4,000 km2 originally to 2,525 km2 today (Spalding et al., 1997). Mangroves have often been considered as unproductive land and their destruction and degradation have been due to the preference for short-term exploitation for immediate economic benefit like shrim farming, rather than long-term sustainable exploitation (Saenger et al., 1983). Underestimation of the total economic value of mangroves and of the impacts of human activities are major factors contributing to the widespread loss and degradation of mangrove ecosystems (Gilbert an d Janssen, 1998). Ong (1995) considers that burgeoning populations are possibly the biggest cause of mangrove destruction and degradation because they rely heavily on marine habitats and resources for food, building materials, building sites and agricultural and recreational areas. They also use coastal areas as a dumping ground for sewage, garbage and toxic wastes. Pollution and poor land use practices within these watershed areas affect downstream marine habitats because sediments and pollutants are ultimately washed into coastal waters. Mangroves have been over exploited or converted to various other forms of land use, for example agriculture, aquaculture, salt ponds, terrestrial forestry, urban and industrial development and construction of dikes and roads (Macintosh, 1996). Global warming could be a significant threat to mangrove cover and biodiversity. Rising water (as a result of melting ice caps) could drown coastal mangrove. Projected climate change could have other effects, such as changes in ocean currents, salinity and surface temperatures. These would alter the species compositions and perhaps trigger local and global extinctionÊ ¹s (McCarthy et al.,2001). Over cutting is another major factor as Mangrove wood (especially Rhizophora spp.) is good for charcoal production because it is heavy, dense, hard and with a high calorific value (Aksornkoae, 1993). The residents of Keti bunder reported that before the construction of Sukkur barrage, the river water used to flow 9 months in the year. After its construction, this was reduced to 7 months due to decreasing flood water, the mangroves forests are being adversely affected,due mainly to salinity resulting from lack of freshwater inflows (IUCN,2005). The damage on account of browsing by camels is serious and extensive. During flood season in the River Indus, the camels from the interior of Sindh migrate to mangrove forests in herd (IUCN, 2005). Increasing populations put pressure on the production for food. Mangroves are often converted for salt production, agriculture and aquaculture. Large tracts of coastal mangrove in Asia have been converted to rice farming (FAO, 1982). The creeks represent an important resource for recreation, water sports and ecotourism for Karachi, which has relatively few such amenities nearby. Such development will change the relationship of the local people with the mangroves and will add additional stresses to the environment unless the developments are planned sensitively preservation of the area for viewing wildlife, such as migrating water fowl, dolphins and mangrove jackals is being considered, and the idea of a mangrove national park (IUCN, 2005). Off-site activities, unrelated to the mangrove ecosystem but detrimental to it, for example oil pollution, diversion of upstream freshwater resources for irrigation and offshore dredging also have detrimental effects on the mangrove ecosystem. Indirect effects of agriculture on mangroves can be seen through diversion of freshwater by agricultural schemes and run-off of agricultural residues. For example, the interception of freshwater for agriculture has severely affected the mangroves in the Indus delta of Pakistan (Hogarth, 2001). Storm damage, coastal erosion, naturally shifting hydrology, climate change and sea level rise. Karachi, which is on the northern edge of the mangrove forests of the Indus Delta, has rapidly grown in population and level of industrial activity. This has increased the pollution load on the mangroves. Along the Korangi creek a number of villages are rapidly growing and their waste is adding to the pollution problem (IUCN, 2005). Governance and institutional failure to effectively manage coastal mangrove resources. Poor planning of coastal land use and implementation of development plans Issues related to enforcement, realistic design of implementation of laws e.g. Zonation. Lack of involvement of communities in decision making (management, development of legislation, enforcement). Lack of understanding and awareness of the value of mangrove ecosystems among various groups of people including policy makers, officials, developers and local people. Compatibility issues. Timber mafia is a major threat to mangroves involved in illegal trading of fuel wood. Conflicts are common between the various departments involved. Weak coordination between different levels and different sectors of government Availability of infrastructure, manpower and equipment are inadequate for effective control over the utilization of mangrove resources (IUCN, 2005). Reserves have been established for the preservation of mangroves ecosystems or to enhance the survival of particular species within these ecosystems in atleast thirty-six countries in the world, (Vannucci, 1996). At the International Level, the common approach to major environmental policy issues has been to formulate conventions, treaties and agreements, which all concerned countries become signatories to. Mangroves are today a global issue because more than 100 countries worldwide have mangrove resources (Spalding et al., 1997). Methods for international and regional management of mangroves include Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Bio-regional management, Transboundary Protected Areas (TPA) and Biosphere Reserves (BR). The use of protected areas for conservation management has many advantages for mangroves and other coastal ecosystems (Spalding et al.,1997). The number of Transboundary Protected Areas (TBPAs) for mangroves is now growing around the world. In 1988 there were only 59 s uch areas, mainly concentrated in Europe and North America: by 1997 this figure had grown to 136, distributed through all regions of the world (World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), 1998). Several factors have influenced this growth, including greater support from donors and international assistance for the establishment of TBPAs to enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource use at an ecosystem scale. International cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region has been particularly effective with many countries sharing knowledge from many years experience of mangrove planting for reforestation purposes. International NGOs are the leading agencies in mangrove rehabilitation for example the Danish Red Cross (DRC, 1994) and the UK Save the Children Fund started mangrove planting (Macintosh et al., 1998). At the national level governments should be encouraged to ratify international and bioregional conventions and agreements, and to bring them into law so that they are a lso legally adopted at national level. The expansion of markets has driven exploitation of natural resources to extremes in some places, where levels of investment create imbalance between alternative uses for the same resource. In such cases the poor can be made poorer. Sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities are therefore dependent upon effective management of all interrelated activities in coastal areas to achieve sustainable use of both living and non-living resources, and equitable sharing of the benefits arising (Brown, 1997). There are many forms of tourism but ecotourism or nature-based tourism should be promoted because it reduces the negative social and environmental impacts of tourist visits to an area (Clark, 1998). Reforestation in indus delta and the community participation are both very effective tools for management of mangroves in that area. The proper laws and regulations should be implemented to protect the mangroves (IUCN, 2005). Discussion and Conclusion: An examination of the literature on mangroves reveals that there is still a need for further descriptive studies in Pakistan. A common need idenitified is to develop and improve the scientific knowledge base on mangrove ecology and biodiversity. Mangrove ecosystems have demonstrated high value for forestry and fisheries. They are however, under severe and increasing human pressure because a large proportion of tropical coastal populations is mangrove dependent. Mangrove ecosystems are being exploited on the basis of inadequate information and there is a growing trend toward the utilization of mangrove areas for various and often conflicting purposes.   There is an urgent need to improve and facilitate communication among mangrove scientists themselves and between them and policy makers, planners and mangrove managers. Capacity building should also include assisting stakeholders (local communities and community based organizations, government agencies and departments, university. de partments, research institutions, private companies, national and international NGOs) to increase their capability to participate in mangrove management. For example by providing boats, or boat repair facilities to fishermen and enforcement officers, or by providing equipment to monitor water pollution. People living in an around mangroves should be made aware of the importance of the mangrove ecosystems as a whole. Attempts should be made to make village people understand the environmental and social impacts of large scale exploitation operations on their land; eg. Mangrove fellings for industrialization and urbanization. Moreover active involvement of the community, local government and private industry should be enlisted and harnessed to protect, rehabilitate and conserve mangrove areas. This necessitates a more vigorous extension and information campaign and the participation of the various sectors in planning and implementing of conservation and development program for the mangrove. The coastal areas of the country lack basic amenities such as drinking water, fuel sources, and road infrastructure. Over time, the coastal population has grown as a result of increased returns from fishing, despite the poor physical infrastructure. Consequently, the demand for fresh water for house hold consumption has increased several fold. Local authorities have not assessed the household demand for water, causing the meager water supplies from seasonal rivers on the Baluchistan Coast, in particular, to be under pressure due to population growth. pollution of the marine environment is another proximate cause of biodiversity loss in the coastal areas of Pakistan. Three areas in the coastal region of the Indus Delta are significantly polluted: Keti Bunder (to the south near Sir Creek), the metropolitan center (Karachi, Port Qasim, and Rehri), and the coastline in the west (extending from Sonmiani to Jiwani). The loss of mangrove species during the last 50 years, besides being consistent with the reduced supply of fresh water to the Delta, is also consistent with the increased volume of untreated wastewater discharges from industries and the city of Karachi and its vicinity. In addition, land clearance for the construction of new sea ports, extension of existing sea ports, and establishment of industrial units near the coast has also contributed to the depletion of mangrove cover, particularly in the northern part of the Delta. Lack of alternate fuelwood aggravated the problem. Alternatives, such as kerosene oil or natural gas, are either not available or too expensive for the local communities and ultimately they fulfill their needs by cutting trees. Responsibility for protecting mangrove forests has lain with the Forest Department since the late 1950s, but only very recently has this department shown any interest in conservation of these forests. A mere expansion of responsibilities, without the requisite resources, will not help the Forest Department implement the existing laws. For example, one forest guard alone is given an area of 20,000 to 25,000 acres of mangroves to monitor. At the national level, weak environmental groups coupled with a general lack of political will to control deforestation allow weak implementation of laws to continue. These environmental groups receive inadequate support from international bodies and NGOs, while the absence of strong conditionalities related to environmental protection in larger economic and financial agreements does not promote political will on the part of the government to control deforestation. The conclusion is that the loss of mangrove species over the last 50 years is highly consistent with the reduction of fresh water and silt supplies to the Indus Delta. There is a need to create awarness among people the local government should stricly implement laws to conserve the mangroves forests.