DB1 Kroger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DB1 Kroger - Essay Example A case in point is the assertion that the firm has managed to mitigate competition fronted by the likes of Whole Foods. The above findings were shared by Plunkett (2011) who also noted that KR’s tendency to acquire firms, as was the recent case with the Harris Teeter, has solidified the company’s foundation. By engaging in merger or acquisition of other firms coupled with the never-ending commitment to innovation, KR’s success could be said to long lasting. Besides availing facts on the company, the writer has demonstrated impeccable research skills as evidenced by a couple of things. First is the accuracy clarity of the figures about the company. For instance, Smith (2013) who asserts that the company’s sales have remained ahead of other firms besides Walmart further confirms the reporting of KR’s sales increase. Secondly, the writer was able to provide KR’s share price, which is currently $70. The three areas the writer has provided more than just clarity is the financial and industry position, and the subsequent economic outlook. In addition, by concluding the company’s investment potential to be okay, the writer’s assertions are informed by the in-depth research as well as tremendous statistical projections. Evidently, this paper’s quality can only be termed superb since it has met all the requirements in terms of facts, arrangement and avoidance of plagiarism. For that reason, this work is hereby described as exemplary for the reasons

What is Android Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

What is Android - Research Paper Example phones and gadgets. In This way many forces have emerged that introduced open source softwares and operating systems that gave a total new shape to the world of communications and hand held devices. One of them in this field was Android .Android is an open source operating system that is widely in use in smart phones and portable computers in form of laptops and tablets. Android came into existence in the early years of first decade of current century when number of proponents sat together and decided on introducing a platform that would compete the existing players . Andy Rubin and Nick Sears are considered as the founders of this innovation. According to them, their aim was to create that would meet the customers’ requirements in a better and more efficient way. Their initial logo at that time can be termed as â€Å"smarter mobile devices that are more aware of its owner’s location and preferences â€Å".... Different versions are available in the market. Various versions exist in the market and number of updates and new applications have been introduced over the period of time each aiming to bring about more advancements and improvement and user friendly features into the setup. Few of the recent releases include 2.3 Gingerbread, 3.0 Honeycomb, and 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich .3.0 honey Comb was focused on Tablet while the 4.0 version brought more advancements to the smart phone platform. Salient features of the operating system include connectivity of almost all sorts ranging from GSM TO WIMAX; In case of media support it supports large number of video and audio formats ranging from H.264 to MPEG-4,MP3,MIDI.other features include multi touch support, multi-tasking, Global Positioning System . Although the previous year (2010) saw Android as the most dominant force in the market of smart phones and tablets, it cannot be termed as a perfectly smooth sail and Android does face certain problems in form of vulnerabilities, competition, improvements. The updates are termed are tedious and when compared to other platforms they are belived to give the customers a tough time while upgrading to any latest version.To some people Android doesn’t invest into the customer awareness in case of the new releases and hence awareness and customer guidance is found missing in case of new versions being released . The issue of Malware poses a serious threat to the integrity of Android as the best platform for the smart phones and tablets, and recently Google had to withdraw couple of Applications from market due to the reason of malware induced .Google in this regard has setup security teams that look into the matters and make sure

Underage Binge Drinking In UK Health And Social Care Essay

Underage Binge Drinking In UK Health And Social Care Essay The purpose of this study is for the writer to explore the government strategies in combating the rising rates of underage binge drinking in the UK. The writer will approach this topic by briefly examining the prevalence, determinants, and effects of underage binge drinking. The writer will also critically analyse gaps in government strategies in tackling underage drinking and subsequently formulate a policy intervention that would address the gaps highlighted. Ethical consideration of the policy intervention will also be explored, and subsequently reflection and conclusion will close the study. There is no universal definition of binge drinking, but it is often described as a pattern of excessive intake of alcohol over a short period of time (Home Office Findings (HOFs), 2005). Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) (2005) expands this definition further as such behaviour that leads to a rapid increase in blood alcohol concentration and consequently to drunkenness. However, the writer believes that binge drinking occurs when people have no limit of their alcohol intake within a short period resulting in exposing themselves or/and other people to risk. Underage binge drinking continues to increase in the UK, although the number of young people aged 11 to 15 who drink alcohol has fallen since 2001 (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2007). However, those that drink alcohol continue to drink more and more often (HM Government, 2007 In NICE, 2007). According to HOFs (2006), the nature of offences among aged 10 to 17 during or after drinking was associated with frequency of drinking. Those that drink once a week or more reported getting involved in arguments (48%), fights (19%) and criminal damage offences (12%) during or after drinking compared to those that drink between one and three times a month (16%, 6% and 4% respectively). Another study undertaken by The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) has examined drinking among representative samples of aged 15 and 16 in the UK. In 2003 study, UK was ranked as the third most teenage binge drinkers out of 35 European countries (Hibel l et al., 2004). There are some effects of teenage binge drinking, and one of this is medical effect. Binge drinking causes brain damage that destroys the brain cells and evidence suggests that adolescent binge drinkers are likely to experience impaired memory and reasoning skills (Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS), 2007). Alcohol poisoning is another common medical condition among young binge drinkers. The risk of cardiovascular, hypertension, strokes, heart diseases, psychological problems, breast and oral cancers are later effects of teenage drinking on adulthood (IAS, 2007). One of the economic implications of binge drinking is the cost to the NHS, it is estimated that the cost of alcohol harm to the NHS in England is  £2.7 billion (2006/07) as compared to  £1.7 billion in 2001/02 prices (The Health and Social Care Information Centre (THSCIC), 2009). Other effects of underage binge drinking result in alcohol related accidents. For example, in 2007, 6,541 deaths in England were directly related to alcohol consumption and this has increased by 19% between 2001 and 2007 (THSCIC, 2009). Also, binge drinking results in unsafe behaviour such as sexual activities and other illicit drug use, which is more prominent with young binge drinkers (IAS, 2007). DETERMINANTS OF UNDERAGE BINGE DRINKING Dahlgren and Whitehead (1991) (see appendix) formulated a useful framework to intensively explore the determinants of health. It is argued that public health is not mainly the absence of diseases (World Health Organisation (WHO), 1948) but to promote ways of prolonging peoples lives (Acheson, 1988) through the complex interactions between social and economic factors, the physical environment and individual behaviour as well as fixed factors such as age, sex and hereditary. The peak of teenage binge drinking age seems to occur around aged 15 and above. HOFs (2006) reported that children aged 16 to 17 reported having had alcoholic drink in the previous 12 months. This report shows the highest alcohol consumption (88%) between the age bracket as compared to children aged 10 to 13 that have the lowest (29%). Conversely, children aged 15 to 16 were used in ESPADs study, which shows high rate of underage binge drinking in the UK among these age bracket (Hibell et al., 2004). HOFs (2005) reported that young males are likely to binge drink (49%) than young females (39%). However, Hibell et al. (2004) argued that UK drinking culture seems to be shifting from young males consuming alcohol far more than young females because figures show that in the UK, Ireland and Isle of Man, teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to have consumed alcohol in binges (Velleman, 2009). Griffith (2000) suggested that drinking has been reported as being part of British drinking culture for generations. Plant and plant (2006) argued that most people in the UK drink alcoholic beverages and the negative effects of this drinking are clearly a big problem. The drinking patterns are highly influenced by national culture (Velleman, 2009). For example, in Mediterranean culture, young people are most likely to drink and drink more often and never caused public drunkenness (Velleman, 2009) whereas in northern European, drinking is characterised by excessive drinking but less frequent and heavier when it does occur (IAS, 2007). Parental influence was critically explored by Velleman et al. (2005) of which family structure was one of the areas where families can influence their minors substance use behaviour. Hellandsjo Bu et al. (2002) stated that children drinking at a younger age from single-parent families have limited family support. Steinberg et al. (1994) argued that non-separated parents who expect a lot from their children and provide a sense of self-efficacy tend to have children who are less likely to be misusing alcohol. Environmental factor such as advertisement (direct and indirect) is another factor influencing underage binge drinking. Anderson Baumberg (2006) and Hastings (2007) have suggested in their review that alcohol advertising and marketing are significant factors in the rise in alcohol consumption by young people. In contrast, alcohol and advertising industries argued that as the alcoholic drink is a legal product it should be legally possible for it to be advertised (IAS, 2008). Other determinants are the influence of peer pressure (Velleman, 2009) and socio-economic factors (Measham, 1996) as well as individual factors (Ryan, 2005 In IAS, 2007) such as impulsive personality traits, living away from home and to greater affluence, and increase in binge drinking for those who have weak health beliefs. CURRENT GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES AND BINGE DRINKING The four countries that constitute UK responded to ways in which rising rate of binge drinking could be controlled. In England, government published a policy document in 2004 on Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England (Cabinet Office Prime Ministers Strategy Unit, 2004). This strategy sets out to address better education and communication to achieve a long term change in attitudes to irresponsible drinking. It also focuses on better health and treatment systems to improve early identification and treatment of alcohol problems as well as to combat alcohol related crime and working with the alcohol industry to build on the good practice of existing initiatives and develop new ones. Finally, the new licensing law that allows 24 hour access to alcohol was introduced by the government in November 2005 (Department for Culture, Media Sport, 2005). The government measure to tackle binge drinking focuses on harm minimisation but failed to address the availability of alcohol through its 24 hour licensing law and affordability (POST, 2005). The current licensing law according to the government tends to reduce the practice of hoarding alcohol just before the closing hours and also reducing the numbers of people rushing into the street to purchase alcohol. The Royal College of Physician (RCP) strongly disagreed with government policy on its 24 hour licensing law. It was suggested that this will increase the overall consumption of alcohol and will have public health implications (POST, 2005). Government argued that its alcohol licensing law will reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and encourage a change in UK drinking culture (POST, 2005). Following the evidence presented above about the consequence of binge drinking in the UK, it is clear that more reliable and evidence based solutions need to be put in place because the governme nt is hoping to curb alcohol related crime rather than putting strategy that would curb the overall consumption of alcohol in order to safeguard the health of the people in general. The government policy on alcohol seems to contradict the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (OCHP) which suggests that all public policies should be examined for its impact on health (WHO, 1986) which seems to have been overlooked by the government. Furthermore, the numbers of people experiencing alcohol related harm continue to increase in the UK. For example, the numbers of people dieing from alcoholic liver diseases are increasing in England and Wales (HM Government, 2007 In NICE, 2007). The writer feels that if the strategy to curb the overall consumption of alcohol could be put in place, it will surely promote what the government is hoping to achieve. People should be entitled to good health and what binge drinking is causing in the UK is contradicting what a good health should be. WHO (1948) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being but not necessarily absence of disease. Alma-Ata declaration argued that people should have access to healthcare at a cost that is affordable and people becoming the ownership of their care (WHO, 1978). It also argued that health should be a fundamental human right and not a privilege. The governments strategy on binge drinking seems to lack public health bene fits as it contradicts Alma-Ata declaration of what a good health should be for the people. POLICY INTERVENTION According to Stevenson et al. (2002, p.533) policy is a course of action adopted or proposed by an organization or person. However, the writer argued that a policy is a set of rule or guideline that is specifically drafted for a particular purpose for an individual, organisation or country to follow. The writer will therefore focus on strengthening the current government strategy as this strategy appears not to be combating teenage binge drinking in the UK. The writer aims to propose a policy to reduce 24 hours access to alcohol (licensing law) to a restricted time scale and to increase alcohol taxes as ways of managing the availability of alcohol and to reduce early alcohol drinking. These ideas are well supported by RCP, British Medical Association, and Academy of Medical Sciences (POST, 2005). Currently in the UK, the legal drinking age is 18 years (Office of communications, 2004) and the writer is proposing that the age should be increased to 21 in order to reduce teenage drinking at early age and its associated harm. There has been a debate in the Australian media suggesting increasing the legal age of alcohol consumption from 18 to 21 years (Toumbourou, et al. 2008). Several studies conducted in the past suggested that raising the age would reduce adolescents access to alcohol and subsequent associated harms (Grube, 1997; Ludbrook et al., 2002). Lowering the legal drinking age from 20 to 18 in New Zealand is reported to have resulted in a sharp increase in teenage and adults binge drinking (Everitt Jones, 2002). The writer feels that if this approach is embraced, it will restrict access to alcohol among aged 18 to 21 which will partly reduce rate of drinking. However, this action on its own will not resolve the binge drinking and all its associated harm. NICE (2007) produces public health guidelines on sensible alcohol consumption for use in primary and secondary schools in order to tackle the drinking problem among the young people. The policy also sets to provide support for alcohol drinking parents. It appears that government is trying their best to curb the rising rate of underage drinking in the UK. However, the writer feels that sophisticated alcohol awareness programmes should be made available to the parents through their General Practitioners (GPs). There is no routine on alcohol awareness programme for the parents through their GPs and what appears to be available through the GP is to offer support when alcohol is becoming or had become a problem. There is a need for routine based alcohol awareness for the drinking parents in all the GP surgeries. This idea is well supported by OCHP which focuses on helping people develop their skills in order to be in control of their lives and have more power in decisions that affect them (WHO, 1986). In doing this, parents will be able to give advise on alcohol drinking as they will lead by example by not drinking or stocking alcohol beverages in the house. Evidence shows that parents are likely to influence their children through their drinking behaviour (Bandura 1977, In Velleman, 2009). The writer is also proposing that all alcohol related adverts (direct or indirect) should be ban in the UK because a recent review of seven international research studies revealed that there is a correlation between prior alcohol advertising and marketing exposure and subsequent alcohol drinking behaviour in young people (Smith Foxcroft, 2007). Taking actions on alcohol advertisement in order to safeguard the future of minors are well supported by WHOs European Charter on alcohol. It addresses the European countries to take action on alcohol advertisement of which banning was part of the recommendations that were highlighted (IAS, 2008). However, the writer is aware that this approach might not be in favour of the UK economy because alcohol investors may leave or not invest in such country where promotion of their alcohol product can not be advertised. The writer believes that overall health of the people should outweigh such economic problem. Lastly, the writer is proposing that a measure such as introducing a national identity card for its citizens with a view that this card will be used at the point of alcohol purchase in order to keep a record of government recommended (THSCIC, 2009) daily alcohol intake (3-4 and 2-3 units for men and women respectively) for an individual who uses his/her card. This proposal will be monitored in relation to daily alcohol intake should people start to hoard alcohol. This proposal will also limit alcohol access to the minors as evidence suggests they still have access to alcohol despite government policy (HOFs, 2006). ETHICAL CONSIDERATION This study considers the four widely accepted ethical principles (Beauchamp Childress, 1995) which are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. This study will encourage the underage people to make choices based on the information provided. The right information will be passed to them and will be allowed to make their informed decisions. The study is also constructed in a way that is beneficial to underage people, family and society at large. The confidentiality and respect of the people will be maintained. Lastly, the writer will ensure that people are treated fairly and the resources will be shared equally among those that need support. REFLECTION My understanding of public health and application of theory into practice has developed to a considerable level during the course of this study. This study seems to be complex and requiring in-depth knowledge and understanding of public health practice. With adequate human and material resources obtained, I was able to uncover difficulties that were initially evident. This study has given credence to the gaps that sometimes occur in government strategy to combat a problem. I am aware that for an issue such as underage binge drinking to be revisited on the public agenda, there may be a need to advocate and mediate between different interests for the pursuit of health of the people in the society. Such way is achieved through media, advertising to raise public awareness, personal appeals by public officials and celebrities and many other approaches (Pencheon et al., 2006). Although this is not a guarantee that such issues will gain public agenda but it is suggested that public opinion has its greatest impact on government decision-making when people feel strongly and clearly about a problem (Pencheon et al., 2006). CONCLUSION This study has attempted to explore the rising rate of underage binge drinking by critically appraising the government measures in tackling the problem, with raised and explored policy interventions in order to address gaps in government strategy. It is hoped that the policy interventions would address the overall alcohol consumption rather than targeting only the alcohol binge drinkers. REFERENCES Acheson, D. (1988). Public Health in England. London: HMSO. Anderson, P. Baumberg, B. (2006) Alcohol in Europe, a public health perspective: A report for the European Commission. London: Institute of Alcohol Studies Bandura, A. (1977). Cited In: Velleman, R. ed. Influence on how children and young people learn about and behave towards alcohol. A review of the literature for the literature for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (part one). York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. [Online]. Retrieved on 12th December 2009 from: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/12563/1/JRF_children-alcohol-use-partone_2009.pdf Beauchamp, T. L. Childress, J. F. (1995). Principles of biomedical ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cabinet Office Prime Ministers Strategy (2004). The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England. London: Cabinet Office. Dahlgren, G Whitehead, M (1991). Policies and strategies to promote social equity in health (mimeo). Stockholm: Institute for Future Studies. Department for Culture, Media Sport (2005) New Licensing Laws Come into Effect at Midnight Tonight. [Online]. Retrieved on 26th January 2010 from: http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/3023.aspx Everitt, R. Jones, P. (2002). Changing the minimum legal drinking age.its effect on a central city emergency department. New Zealand Medical Journal 115 (25), pp. 9-11 Grube, J. (1997). Preventing sales of alcohol to minors. Results from a community trial. Addiction 92 (2), pp.251-260. Hastings, G. (2007) Social marketing.why should the devil have all the best tunes? London: Butterworth-Heinemann Hellandsjo Bu, E. T., Watten, R. G., Foxcroft, D. R., Ingebrigtsen, J. E. Relling, G. (2002). Teenage alcohol and intoxication debut: the impact of family socialization factors, living area and participation in organized sports. Alcohol and Alcoholism 37, pp.74-80 Hibell, B., Andersson, B., Bjarnason, T., Ahlstrom, S., Balakireva, O., Kokkevi, A. and Morgan, M. (2004). The ESPAD Report 2003. Alcohol and other Drug use among Students in 35 European Countries. Stockholm: Swidish Council for Information on Alcohol and other Drugs. [Online]. Retrieved on 12th December 2009 from: http://www.sedqa.gov.mt/pdf/information/reports_intl_espad2003.pdf HM Government (2007). Cited In: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. ed. Interventions in schools to prevent and reduce alcohol use among children and young people. [Online]. Retrived on 20th December 2009 from: http://www.nice.org.uk/PH007 Home Office Findings (2005). Findings from the 2003 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey. alcohol-related crime and disorder. [Online]. Retrieved on 15th December 2009 from: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/r261.pdf Home Office Findings (2006) Underage drinking: findings from the 2004 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey. [Online]. Retrieved on 15th December 2009 from: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/r277.pdf Institute of Alcohol Studies (2007). Binge Drinking. Medical and Social Consequences. [Online]. Retrieved on 10th January 2010 from: http://www.ias.org.uk/resources/factsheets/binge_drinkingmed.pdf Institute of Alcohol Studies (2008). Alcohol Advertising. IAS Factsheet. [Online]. Retrieved on 13th January 2010 from: http://www.ias.org.uk/resources/factsheets/advertising.pdf Ludbrook, A., Godfrey, C., Wyness, L., Parrot, S., Haw, S., Napper, M. Teijlingen, V. (2002). Effective and cost effective measures to reduce alcohol misuse in Scotland. A literature review. Scotland: University of York. [Online]. Retrieved on 20th January 2010 from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/health/alcoholproblems/docs/lire-00.asp Measham, F. (1996). The big bang approach to sessional drinking. changing patterns of alcohol consumption among young people in North West England. Addiction Research 4(3), pp.283-299 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2007) Interventions in schools to prevent and reduce alcohol use among children and young people. [Online]. Retrieved on 20th December 2009 from: http://www.nice.org.uk/PH007 Office of Communications (2004). Final revised alcohol advertising rules. London: Ofcom. [Online]. Retrieved on 2nd January 2010 from: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/AlcAds/decision/rules.pdf Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2005) Postnote. Binge Drinking and Public Health. [Online]. Retrieved on 2nd January 2010 from: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn244.pdf Pencheon, D., Guest, C., Melzer, D. Gray, J. A. M. (eds.). (2006). Oxford Handbook of Public Health Practice. 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press. Plant, M. Plant, M. (2006). Binge Britain. Alcohol and the National Response. New York: Oxford University Press. Ryan, F. (2005). Cited In: Institute of Alcohol Studies. ed. Binge Drinking Nature, Prevalence and Causes. [Online]. Retrieved on 10th January 2010 from: http://www.ias.org.uk/resources/factsheets/binge_drinking.pdf Smith, L. A Foxcroft, D. R. (2007). The effect of alcohol advertising and marketing on drinking behaviour in young people. A systematic review. London: Alcohol Education and Research Council. [Online]. Retrieved on 10th January 2010 from: http://www.aerc.org.uk/documents/pdfs/finalReports/AERC_FinalReport_0040.pdf Steinberg, L., Fletcher, A. Darling, N. (1994). Parental monitoring and peer influences on adolescent substance use. Pediatrics 93(6 pt 2), 1060-1064 Stevenson, A. (ed.), Elliott, J. (ed.), Jones, R. (ed.). (2002). 2nd ed. Colour Oxford English Dictionary. 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Teaching - Igniting the Spark in our Learning Community Essay -- Colle

Teaching - Igniting the Spark in our Learning Community I tend to be a talker. I can keep up a good bit of conversation for much longer than my schedule usually allows. The gift of gab is a quality I have learned to apply in numerous different realms, and I intend for it to lead a flow of information in my classroom. The best thing about being a talker is that at any given moment, I am usually armed with half a dozen different ways to say the same thing. I love being able to talk with someone who is having trouble understanding something, and spin the information to him or her in a new way that they can understand. Being able to successfully convey information to someone who has been confused is remarkable to me. So, with my gift, I have been exchanging ideas and information with every community I participate in, from Rock Climbing and Boy Scouts, to Drama and Classrooms. I have found a niche as a teacher able to converse with students in a variety of formats, which affords me the opportunity to participate in the passing of infor mation, and to view its flow into knowledge. Since I was endowed with such an abundance of speech, I have taken a strong interest in language, and the numerous ways that it can be used to convey a variety of information. I feel that each student in my education community should be guided toward their highest goals. Every student that walks in the door has the ability to discover a field that interests him/her, and to develop knowledge in that field. It is my job as a teacher to foster each student’s interests, and provide them with the appropriate tools of language that will allow them to succeed in any field, and thus meet their goals. This is quite easier said than done. I truly ... ...d content can keep learning interesting, and personal for each of my students. Each format will be identified as a tool of language, because information is useless for students if they don’t have a clear guide for applying it. In this WAC-type manner students will be guided to experience how important language is in every field. I believe my conversational ability will help establish this type of a classroom community. This community will benefit from a variety of activities that can illustrate the importance, and numerous uses of our language in any field my students show an interest in. I can spark others in our learning community with my interest in the abilities of language through my conversational skills, that interest can play an integral part in the achievement of the goals of everyone involved with the community at one time or another.

Whole Foods: a Whole-Istic Strategy

1. Define Whole foods’ â€Å"product†. How does it deliver value to customers? The Whole Foods Market chain was the first retailer in the United States offering products to its customers that are natural (grown without being treated with growth hormones or antibiotics) and ’certified organic’. The product of Whole Foods are organic, natural and gourmet foods, taking into account the environment as an important factor, and making of the earth the first priority. hey’re not a company selling cheap products but they’re a company selling quality and health to their customers. They’re not giving importance to businnes, but to quality and satisfy their customers. Whole foods is not only taking care of their customers but also of the environment and of our oplanet. Whole foods deliver value to their customers by selling the highest quality natural and organic products available, satisfying and delighting their customers, supporting team member happiness and excellence, creating wealth through profits and growth, caring about communities and the environment, creating ongoing win-win partnerships with their suppliers and promoting the health of their stakeholders through healthy eating education. 2. Organic food are becoming very popular. Many chains, including Wal-Mart, have begun offering and expading their selection of organics. Does this pose a competitive threat to Whole Foods? Wal-Mart represent a big threat to the Whole Foods stores, because it is starting to offer organic products at lower prices and if consumers start to see this in Wal-mart they’re going to start buying in there, but now in the USA all Products sold as â€Å"Organic† must now meet the requirements of the USDA Organic Rule, and every product most under a number show how organic is their product, that could be an advantage for Whole Foods because it can show that the quality meet the prices that they have, and for Wal-Mart could be a little difficult to have such quality product at such a low price. . With respect to Whole Foods’ targeting and positioning strategies, what challenges will the company face in the future as it continues to grow and expand? As it grows and expand it’s difficult to the market of organic food to keep all of these demand as far as it has Whole-Foods, it is also very difficult to satisfy the expectations of all the customers using suc h a high quality level in each of the products. For high quality products it is improtant to takle care of every item that comes out to the market, and it is so expensive for Whole Foods to do that so it is going to reduce quality. It is also important to know that Whole Foods incomes are flattening and net income is plummeting. And this is all going to create a debt for Whole foods and making such expensive products, they most cut costs to make make the company more proffitable. 4. In some places, Whole Foods is commonly known as â€Å"Whole Paycheck† While the firm has clearly positioned itself away from pricing issues, can it avoid this element of the marketing mix forever? Why or why not? It can avoid them by giving lower prices to their customers, but it’s difficult because they’re offering organic quality products, which in countries like the United States are very expensive to afford. It is very difficult to overcome this situation but Whole Foods is doing well by offering more discounts, increasing lower-priced store brands, advertising products they sell at a good value and organizing budget-focused store tours. This could be a major move for Whole Foods to create a new image of their market. . What other trends in the future of retailing do you think will have an impact on Whole Foods? The economy have it cycles but in the other hand it gives some trends like it’s people taking care of their health, there is a lot of people with their awareness and their consciousness and how lifestyle plays into the role of health. There’s a million of people realizing they want vitality in their lives. And these are big trends. These are shifts that people are not going to go back from.

Education Analysis Paper

â€Å"The popular notion of what it’s like to teach in urban America is dominated by two extremes† (Michie, 1999, p. xxi). Gregory Michie succeeds admirably in rendering his teaching experiences in the complicated reality between two extremes in his book Holler If You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and His Students. Many people hear about the horror stories, portrayed by the media mainly, that schools in urban America are nothing short of chaos; uneducated and uninterested kids. Then there are other stories that are rarely heard of, about the one teacher who makes the difference in such a school. Michie’s account in his book skillfully avoids the simplification either extreme would demand. Holler if You Hear Me touches on a variety of the fundamental challenges of teaching: classroom discipline, teacher frustration, racial and ethnic differences, student apathy, relationships with students and with other teachers, and the list goes on. Throughout the book, Michie balances his tales of struggle with moments of joyous success. Not surprisingly, the successes are often related to the development of deeper connections between teacher and student. This aspect is so detrimental to the educational system. As teachers we need to make that connection with our students. To not do so would be taking away from their experience as a student as well as ours as teachers. Isn’t this why we teach to begin with? This goal may seem high considering you have to add on top of curriculum, standards, rowdy students, the personal connection of teacher and student. It may seem this way, but if it’s not set, then everything else does not seem worth the trouble at all. Esme Codell states my beliefs on this topic beautifully: â€Å"The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and sees them through† (Codell, 1999, p. 5). I may not succeed in reaching every student I teach, but if the effort is made on my part, if I set this goal and try to see it through, then at least I know I did not give up. There are so many situations that Michie was in where I felt he should just let it go, don’t try because it’s not going to work out, especially so in the story where Reggie was attacked by a local police officer, but he didn’t (Michie, 1999, p. 46). As I was thinking about this, I wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of seeing this man brought to justice, although in the end he wasn’t. Michie wasn’t even there, but he knew if something wasn’t done, this would affect the way Reggie grew up and viewed life. It is this kind of dedication that inspires me to keep going to classes and writing papers. I want to help students to see our world in a different light. Joel Spring stated in his book, American Education, â€Å"the school will continue to be used in efforts to solve social, political, and economic problems† (Spring, 2004). The purpose of public schooling is to prepare today’s children for tomorrow’s problems. It is important not only to teachers and students, but also to the community as a whole. If the communities where these children are being raised see the teachers that teach their kids really do care, the implications are endless. Things could change, especially so for urban American communities. I know these are high hopes, but again, if I don’t set them, how will I even begin to see them through. Being a teacher means I must strive to connect with my students. I have to see beyond my basic responsibilities as a teacher and bring the students to the fore-front of my life. It is the little moments of success that will bring such a connection to our relationships with our students. â€Å"It’s a teachable moment that got away, just one of many that I’ve knowingly let slip through my fingers† (Michie, 1999, p. 102). Michie presents his victories with a genuine modesty that comes from the experience of other, less effective teaching moments, but these moments are not always successful. Michie’s reported mistakes and difficulties are some of the most instructive parts of the book. As a prospective teacher, I have to understand the reality of life that not all teachable moments are going to be seen through. Sometimes they are lost and Michie has opened my eyes to such an existence. The only difference is that I hope I do not â€Å"knowingly† allow this to happen. At times, though, I wanted to hear even more introspection from the author about the reasoning behind his actions or why he thinks a particular moment worked well or did not work at all. It was frustrating when there was no follow up on something as important as â€Å"a teachable moment being lost† (Michie, 1999, p, 102). It is apathy such as this that makes going into the teaching field frustrating. The Corridor of Shame is a prime example of a cold detachment of interest. Nobody really cares for the students who live out there along the highway, but who is suffering? The students are. Do people even know what’s going on in our state? I didn’t until I watched this film. What kind of message is this sending to our nation? What’s behind the motives of leaving schools such as these left out to die? Politics? Hidden agendas? Who knows? What is important is that we ask these questions and put forth an effort to find the answers. We need to find out why teachers, administrators, parents, etc. allow schools to be lost. Essentially these schools are if you think about it. A school that is neglected is an entire lifetime of teachable moments being lost. Holler If You Hear Me contains powerful stories of Michie’s first years as a teacher in public elementary and middle schools on Chicago’s South Side. Each chapter begins with a story told by Michie, followed by the reflections of one of his former students who were at the fore-front of each story. Michie’s purpose in this alternating format is to â€Å"shed light on the education of a teacher† and â€Å"to allow space for my students to speak their minds, tell their stories, raise their voices† (Michie, 1999, p. xxi). I really enjoyed these first-person reflections because it made Michie’s students come alive for me regardless of how insightful and caring the author’s descriptions might be. It was different and refreshing. As I was reading this book, I was able to empathize as well as sympathize with both teacher and student. This type of narration allowed me to see past the words written and see the person behind the font. Since Michie’s book does not follow one classroom or group of students throughout its entirety, the student reflections serve to deepen my understanding of certain students but also to encourage me to wonder about the future lives of each student that Michie mentions. This part was actually where I was disappointed. I felt that I was ‘left hanging,’ there was no resolution. Some of the stories did not need this, but I felt that if he thought the student’s story was significant enough to be talked about, then he should have let us readers have a clue as to how they ended up. Michie’s concern for and commitment to his students shines in Holler If You Hear Me, and his questioning, wonderment, frustration, passion, and humor pulled me along this journey of embodied education. Michie was in fact the miracle-worker that no one hears about in a world where chaos is synonymous with life in general for those who went to school in urban Chicago. Although he lived in such extreme realities, his ability to clearly display his experiences in no way was diminished in his book. While many of the issues raised are familiar, Michie’s book is one of ordinary inspiration that will appeal to both teachers and students. Works Cited Codell, E. (1999). Educating esme: Diary of a teacher’s first years. In A. S. Canestrari & B. A. Marlowe (Eds. ) Educational foundations: An anthology of critical readings (pp. 3-7). Sage Publications. Michie, G. (1999). Holler if you hear me: The education of a teacher & his students. New York: Teachers College Press. Documentary from class: Corridors of Shame Handout from class: Joel Spring: The Purposes of Public Schooling

The Adventure of Tom Sawyer Quotes

'The Adventure of Tom Sawyer' Quotes The Adventure of Tom Sawyer is a novel by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). The book is a Bildungsroman, following the development of a young boy, as he experiences one adventure after another. Mark Twains work is told in the third person, looking back with a sense of nostalgia. Here are a few quotes from The Adventure of Tom Sawyer. I aint doing my duty by that boy, and thats the Lords truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spile the child, as the Good Book says. Im a-laying up sin and suffering for us both, I know. Hes full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! hes my own dead sisters boy, poor thing, and I aint got the heart to lash him, somehow. Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks.- Mark Twain, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 1He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well thoughand loathed him.- Mark Twain,  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Ch 1Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He surveyed the fence, and all gladness left him and a deep melancholy settled down upon his spirit. Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden.- Mark Twain,  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Ch 2He had discovered a great law of human action , without knowing it - namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to obtain.- Mark Twain,  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Ch 2 Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.- Mark Twain,  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Ch 2Tom was a glittering hero once more-the pet of the old, the envy of the young. His name even went into immortal print, for the village paper magnified him. There were some that believed he would be President, yet, if he escaped hanging.- Mark Twain, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 2Often, the less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 5The minister gave out his text and droned along monotonously through an argument that was so prosy that many a head by and by began to nod - and yet it was an argument that dealt in limitless fire and brimstone and thinned the predestined elect down to a company so small as to be hardly worth the saving.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 5Huckleberry was cordially hated and dreaded by all the m others of the town because he was idle, and lawless, and vulgar, and bad - and because all their children admired him so, and delighted in his forbidden society, and wished they dared to be like him.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 6   You only just tell a boy you wont ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and thats all. Anybody can do it.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 7The elastic heart of youth cannot be compressed into one constrained shape long at a time.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 8They said they would rather be outlaws a year in Sherwood Forest than President of the United States forever.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 8Five years ago you drove me away from your fathers kitchen one night, when I come to ask for something to eat, and you said I warnt there for any good; and when I swore Id get even with you if it took a hundred years, your father had me jailed for a vagrant. Did you think Id forget? The Injun blood aint in me for nothing. And now Ive got you, and you got to settle, you know!- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 9Oh, they just have a bully time - take ships, and burn them, and get the money and bury it in awful places in their island where theres ghosts and things to watch, it, and kill everybody in the ships - make em walk a plank. they dont kill the women - theyre too noble. And the womens always beautiful, too.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 13 There was no getting around the stubborn fact that taking sweetmeats was only hooking, while taking bacon and hams and such valuables was plain simple stealing - and there was a command against that in the Bible. So they inwardly resolved that so long as they remained in the business, their piracies should not again be sullied with the crime of stealing.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 13Here was a gorgeous triumph; they were missed; they were mourned; hearts were breaking on their account; tears were being shed; accusing memories of unkindnesses to these poor lost lads were rising up, and unavailing regrets and remorse were being indulged: and best of all, the departed were the talk of the whole town, and the envy of all the boys, as far as this dazzling notoriety was concerned. This was fine. It was worth being a pirate, after all.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 14As the service proceeded, the clergyman drew such pictures of the graces, the winning ways, and the rare promise of the lost lads, that every soul there, thinking he recognized these pictures, felt a pang in remembering that he had persistently blinded himself to them always before, and had as persistently seen only faults and flaws in the poor boys.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 17 What a hero Tom was become now! He did not go skipping and prancing, but moved with a dignified swagger, as became a pirate who felt that the public eye was on him. And indeed it was; he tried not to seem to see the looks or hear the remarks as he passed along, but they were food and drink to him.- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 18I could forgive the boy, now, if hed committed a million sins!- Mark Twain,  The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 19Huck Finns wealth and the fact that he was now under the Widow Douglass protection introduced him into society-no, dragged him into it, hurled him into it-and his sufferings were almost more than he could bear. The widows servants kept him clean and neat, combed and brushed... He had to eat with knife and fork; he had to use napkin, cup, and plate; he had to learn his book, he had to go to church; he had to talk so properly that speech was become insipid in his mouth; whithersoever he turned, the bars and shackles of civilization shut him in and bound him hand and foot.- Mark Twain, The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Ch 35 Study Guide The Adventure of Tom Sawyer Review