Free Essay - The Scarlet Letter and the Christian Utopia :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter and the Christian Utopia Throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops the Christian Utopia to present to the reader the ideals and way of life the Puritans faced. The main character, Hester Prynne, commits a crime so unfathomable by the society yet she was able to live her life independent from the norms and values. Judgments of society's moral transgressions have altered since the Puritan era in such a way that we are no longer severely condemned for our principles. People are forgiven for their sins, but nonetheless they are forever persecuted to live with the shame such as Hester did in the novel. The Puritans believed that the Christian Utopia could be achieved by obeying a certain rule. Spirituality played a key component in dictating their lives. Hester for example, did not go against her community on purpose, but acted independently and followed the path of human nature. She still possessed religious morals. Yet this is disregarded by her act of adultery. In society during that time period, no matter how much good one does, the latter is what takes hold. Thus Hester is labeled to wearing the scarlet letter "A", in addition to having to take care of her fatherless child. Today, people do turn to religion for guidance, but not to the point where religion commands every action a person makes. People have drifted away from the black and white customs and adapted color and emotion to the path of life. People are given the opportunity to give up a child born out of wedlock to an adoption agency. Single mothers can attend schools with daycares. This is far from what H ester could ever imagine. Hawthorne develops Hester's character in an exaggeration through the usage of symbolism, to further emphasis the level of severity of her crime. "She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast, that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real" (Hawthorne 41). The Puritans viewed man as an animal, as if people needed to be controlled. Hawthorne shows that the balance between Man and Morality is not equal in the face of the Puritans.

Health and Nutrition Worksheet Essay

Use Ch. 1, 2, & 3 of Visualizing Nutrition, supplemental course materials, the University Library, the Internet, or other resources to answer the following questions. Your response to each question should be 75 to 100 words. 1.What is nutrition? Why is nutrition essential to our daily lives? For me nutrition would be eating the right types of food in order to maintain your body healthy. Nutrition is very essential to our daily lives because without proper nutrition our bodies would be fully functional. Either you would be tired or weak everyday no matter how much sleep you get or how long you’re at the gym for, again without the proper nutrition’s your body wouldn’t be fully functional. 2.What is the connection between nutrition and health? The connection between nutrition and health is that no matter what you do, everything starts with a foundation. In a house the â€Å"basement† would be the foundation, the part that’s holding the house up. But with our health, proper nutrition would be our foundation to a healthy lifestyle. 3.What is the relationship between poor nutrition and disease? The relationship between poor nutrition and disease is that with poor nutrition you are going to be more prone to catching a disease because your body is going to be weak and isn’t going to stand a chance against a virus. 4.What does it mean to eat a balanced diet? Why is food choice important for good nutrition? For me a balanced diet would be eating the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to help your body get the right amount of nutrition it needs, this means that if your body needs just 1 cup of wheat and 2 cups of fruits then that’s what you’re getting, not more or not less. Food choice is important for good nutrition because if you don’t get the right food that will satisfy your â€Å"pyramid† then you’re going to have too  much of one thing and not enough of the other which will lead to an unbalanced diet. 5.Why is physical activity important to a person’s health? What changes, if any, should you make to ensure you get enough physical activity? Physical activity is important because it can improve your health and reduce the risk you developing certain kind of diseases. Also by being active it will also help you stay fit and prolong your life rather than just being at home and being a couch potato which will hurt you a lot, because I am in the military I believe that I am already fit, sometimes I even think I’m getting too much physical activity, we workout 5 days a week and 4 out of the 5 days we work out in the morning and afternoon. 6.What influences your food choices? Why? What influences the food I pick would be a variety of things such as how it smells, looks, taste and most of all my culture. I’m Puerto Rican so I was brought up eating rice and beans for me food wasn’t food unless rice and beans were included. But around ten years old I moved to New York where its multicultural so that’s where I started tasting all different kinds of food such as Italian, Dominican, and real Chinese food, and realized that in order for something to be ‘food’ rice and beans’ didn’t have to be included. What also influences the food I pick depends on my son, me and my wife wont usually cook something that he doesn’t like but he’s so picky at times that we just make something healthy for all of us and he won’t eat it, I would have to feed it to him in order for him to eat it. 7.What is the difference between digesting protein and carbohydrates? Which would make you feel fuller longer? Why? The difference between digesting protein and digesting carbohydrates is that proteins are digested into amino acids while carbohydrates are digested into simple sugars. Also carbohydrates are converted into glucose which are then stored in the body and Proteins are broken down into amino acids which then are used to build and repair body tissues. I believe that protein will make you feel fuller because you don’t have to eat as much in order to satisfy your hunger. 8.How does today’s society affect our nutritional habits? Our society today affects our nutritional habits tremendously It’s so hard to control our food portion because of the food industries in the United States. Right now for example we could go down the street to McDonalds and order a Big Mac meal. Now the Big Mac alone has about 550 calories but then they give you some fries with the Big Mac and a fountain drink. Now if you were brought up like how I was, which was your mother or father yelling at you and telling you, â€Å"you need to eat everything on my plate†, then of course you are going to inherit those habits and you’re going to be eating everything they give you, and that of course unhealthy. You’re going to be eating a lot more than what you’re supposed to, making us gain weight and even have health issues. 9.How are nutrients used to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP)? Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, acts as a source of fuel within your cells. Formed from a series of chemical reactions, carbohydrates, proteins and fats can all be converted into ATP following digestion. One type of food that provides a source of ATP is meat and fish. These foods contain several animal cells, with each cell containing preformed ATP. The nutrients found within meats and fish may also provide a source of ATP within your body. Upon consumption, the fatty acids and proteins in meats and fish are digested and absorbed. If your body requires an immediate source of energy, these nutrients are used to make ATP within your own cells, helping to fuel your body. 10.Consider your personal dietary habits. What are some modifications you might make to promote good health? My personal dietary habits are eating only two meals a day and just drink water or powerade throughout the rest of the day. Which I know now that is a terrible idea, skipping meals isn’t good for us. In them two meals I eat a day, since I’m always at the gym I eat a lot of meat to intake a lot of protein, and with the meat I would eat about 1.5 cups of rice and .5 cups of beans, which is diffidently not maintaining a balanced diet at all. Some modifications I might make to promote good health would be to not skip meals, and maintain a balanced diet, not too much and not too less.

Human consumption: and its effect on the environment Essay

The environment is a very important in human existence as it is basically all that surrounds us. Our environment is a complex phenomenon that consists of the climate, geography and other natural resources in the environment. The human life basically depends on healthy produce and the balanced environmental conditions. The environment however could affect humans physically spiritually and culturally. In today’s ever growing society, it is important that we take care of our environment in order to have a healthy and balanced environment. Humans are known to solely depend on earth’s resources such as; oil, forests, water, energy and others. These resources however, get limited in time and humans are known to largely consume them. There are some negative and positive effects on the environment caused by humans. In terms of negative effects, the depletion of the ozone layer, pollution and overconsumption are some examples of how humans affect the environment. However, there are some positive effects which benefits the environment such as—conservation of wild life. The environment today, has been affected by various factors, which benefits the environment and negative factors, which damage the environment and cause severe damage to it. Several discussions have been made on human consumptions and what effects they have on the environment. This essay will be set in three parts that will assess human consumption and the various ways in which it affects  the environment. The first part of the essay will focus on the negative and positive effects human consumption has on the environment and secondly this essay will discuss over consumption of natural resources, and thirdly this essay will address various solutions in which to address this problem and help the environment and all of earth’s resources to give a more balanced and healthier environment. THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF HUMAN CONSUMPTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT As mentioned earlier, there are many ways in which the environment is affected negatively by humans. One of these ways is through pollution. Pollution is basically regarded as unwanted substances that are harmful and contaminating the environment. Pollution is a very important issue when addressing the environments and its factors. There are various types of pollution, such as; air pollution, water pollution, land pollution and others. Air pollution is when there are unwanted, harmful substances in the air which have poisonous effects. These substances are very dangerous and when ingested could cause diseases such as cancer and bronchitis, which are deadly to both man and animals alike. â€Å"Pollutants are harmful chemical or physical substances released into the atmosphere, a water source, the soil or a component of the biosphere† (Saier, 2006:205) Particle pollutants when released in the air are very lethal, and could cause severe damage to the human body. Air pollution does not only affect humans but it also affects the environment, for example, the depletion of the ozone layer is caused by harmful toxins that are released into the air. Water pollution however, is the contamination of water bodies in the ecosystem such as rivers, lakes, oceans and others. This mostly occurs, when pollutants are released into the water bodies and this could be very dangerous to man, animals and other living creatures in the environment. Water much like air, is very needed in other for the environment to be balanced. Another example of pollution is land pollution which is the deposition of solid or liquid waste material on land. This is also very harmful to the environment, especially when the garbage disposed is not separated into re-usable and recyclable waste. Lands that are contaminated as a result of pollution are known to be very problematic to the human respiratory system. Pollution is a very serious matter that needs to be taken into further considerations, especially since it is done  mostly by humans. There is no question that humans are incapable of destroying the environment and although a lot has changed in the generation, much has not. Humans still contaminate their air, water supplies and land by disposing hazardous materials and thereby destroying natural habitats. It is important we take the matter of pollution seriously and properly take care of our environment, because we still continue to populate the earth at an increasing rate. (Pierce et al., 1998) There also some positive factors of human’s in our environment. These positive effects are very beneficial to the environment as it properly sets it in balance. One of the ways in which humans are impacting the environment positively is by protecting endangered species. Nearly most endangered species are now being bred in protective areas. Species such as the Chinese giant pandas is an example of endangered species that are carefully being bred in protective areas to keep them from going to extinct. OVERCONSUMPTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES Overconsumption of natural resources has become a growing trend, especially in the industrialized nations. Overconsumption which is the act of using something to the excess is mostly done in western industrialized nations. â€Å"The necessity of preventing environmentally disrupting effects of affluent consumption in modern industrial societies has been recently addressed in a vast body of literature on ‘sustainable consumption’† (Cogoy, 2010:460)Natural resources such as materials, water and energy are very essential in the environment because they are the basis of our existence on earth. These resources are gradually decreasing due to humans’ constant consumption of these resources. Our climate is changing, species are becoming extinct, fish and forests are shrinking due to the damages that are imposed on our environment by humans. â€Å"..Overconsumption of natural resources is portrayed as a major threat to the sustainability of the world’s envi ronmental systems.† (Brown et al., 2000). Overconsumption which is regarded as the excessive used of goods and services is perceived as a means of personal happiness, status and success. However, in an environmental context, it is the excessive use of natural resources. It is known that humans today extract and use more 50% more natural resources than only 30 years ago. This consumption from humans, is a way of trying to  aspire to achieve happiness through the use of goods produced from materials that are deemed â€Å"plentiful† and resourceful. (The European Environment [SOER], 2010). There are ways in which we can avoid over consumption of natural resources in order to continue to thrive on earth. These ways include; changing our lifestyles and making it more sustainable so that we are able to protect our ecosystem and natural resources. It is important we characterize the problem of overconsumption and start a debate about resource use and its environmental impacts around the world. If humans were to continually consume resources wastefully, in order to follow self-interested motives, then natural resources in the environment would be reduced and future consumption will be undermined and resources are very likely to slowly deplete. Solutions Asserting that â€Å"human influence on the planet has increased faster than human population,† Joel Cohen elaborated on the concept of human carrying capacity. Though carrying capacity is ultimately determined by natural constraints, Cohen stressed the role of human choices about lifestyle and consumption in determining how many people the earth can sustain within those constraints. Emphasizing the role of economics, Donald Ludwig contended that the real problem with human population growth is not biological, but societal. Ludwig asserted that a fundamental conflict exists between economics and ecology; economists believe growth to be essential, leading to increased consumption, while ecologists say growth is inherently limited. Reaffirming Ludwig’s opinion about the importance of economics, William Rees introduced the concept of the ecological footprint, a model that puts the economy inside the ecosphere, intrinsically imposing limits on growth based on availability of resources. The ecological footprint recognizes the interplay of economics and ecology by measuring not just the natural resources a place uses of its own, but those consumed from other countries. Though it is Gretchen Daily’s opinion that â€Å"people have difficulty looking beyond their own discipline for solutions,† she stressed the importance of crossing both societal and economic boundaries in exploring the issue of human population growth. Daily believes that not only  must scientists cooperate with others, but cooperation within the sciences is essential; scientists worldwide must begin to share information. Bibliography Cogoy, M. (2010). Consumption, time and the environment. Review of Economics of the Household, 8(4), 459-477. Saier, M. (2006). Pollution. Environmentalist, 26(3), 205-209. Peirce, J., Weiner, Ruth F, Vesilind, P. Aarne, & ScienceDirect. (1998.). Environmental Pollution and Control. Burlington: Butterworth-Heinemann. Brown, Paul M, & Cameron, Linda D. (2000). What can be done to reduce overconsumption? Ecological Economics, 32(1), 27-41.

Center for Writing Excellence Scavenger Hunt

Submit your responses to the following questions: (HINT: Refer to the Reference and Citation Examples documdented in the Tutorials and Guides section, as well as the Sample Paper and the Library link. ) If more than one author is listed, must all authors be listed in the citation? Yes Is the author’s full name used in the References page entry? No If no year is listed for an in-text citation, what should be listed? (n. d. ) What is the minimum information needed for an in-text citation? Last name and year What abbreviations are used before page (if listed) in an in-text citation? . or pp. What is used for the author’s name in the in-text citation if the article’s author is not listed as â€Å"anonymous† or at all? Name the group authors On the References page, what words of an article or book title are capitalized? First word, proper nouns, and the first word after colon or dash What U. S. cities do not require a state when listed on the References page? B altimore, Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco Are quotation marks used for titles of articles in the sources listed on the References page? No How is the state abbreviated for the publisher’s location on the References page? The First and Last letter of the state and capitalized Are any sources listed in the References page italicized instead of underlined? Yes If the full title of your essay is â€Å"The Paragraph and You: A Study of Organization,† in how many places of the document would the full title be listed? All pages since under 50 characters How far from the top of the page is the header? Half inch†¦ What is the suggested length of an abstract? What point size is preferred for the font at the University of Phoenix? What is the preferred spacing in a document? Are there any extra spaces between paragraphs of a paper? How are personal interviews or e-mails listed when cited in a paper? Should the Web address for retrieving an article in an electronic database be listed in the reference? How do you get to the Center for Writing Excellence? Here’s something fun—go to the list of common English errors and indicate what the difference is between â€Å"flaunt† and â€Å"flout. Check out the section that provides tips on Microsoft ® software and indicate how you insert headers and footers in a Word ® document. How do you add a button to your Microsoft ® Office ® Toolbar? Category Button Description Edit Replace Allows you to find and replace one bit of text with another. For instance, if you spelled someone’s name â€Å"Charla† throughout your paper and then found out it was really supposed to be â€Å"Sharla,† you could enter these values and the replace tool would change them all for you. View Ruler Turns the ruler on and off. Header and Footer Allows you to enter information into the Header and Footer areas. Fit to Window Stretches your paper to fit the viewing area. Depending on your computer’s screen settings, this sometimes makes things easier to see. Normal Switches to the Normal view. Print Layout Switches to the Print Layout view. Insert Page Break Adds a page break to your paper at the point where your cursor is. Page Number Inserts a page number into your document (useful in the header). Symbol Adds symbols not available on your keyboard. Some useful examples are the em dash (—), the copyright mark ( ©), all of the accented letters you could ever want (Useful if your name is â€Å"Renee†), and several f r a c t i o n s ( ^! ) . F o r m a t A l i g n L e f t L e f t j u s t i f i e s t h e t e x t o f w h i c h e v e r p a r a g r a p h y o u r c u r s o r i s i n . C e n t e r C e n t e r s t h e t e x t o f w h i c h e v e r p a r a g r a p h y o u r c u r s o r i s i n . A l i g n R i g h t R i g h t j u s t i f i e s t h e t e x t o f w h i c h e v e r p a r a g r a p h y o u r c u r s o r i s i n . D o u b l e Spacing Double-spaces whichever paragraph your cursor is in. How do you add a button to your Microsoft ® Word ® Toolbar for Office 2007? How do you submit a paper to the Center for Writing Excellence? What leeway do you need if your paper is due next class? Factor in a day or two for revisions and then determine the last possible day you can submit the paper for review. What are the three major databases that you can access at the University of Phoenix’s Online Library? How can you obtain assistance in looking for something in the Online Library collection? What is plagiarism? When you are citing a directly quoted, word-for-word source in a paper, do you use quotation marks? Describe the spacing after punctuation the University of Phoenix requires in written assignments. Which fonts are acceptable for use for assignments submitted at the University of Phoenix? If you are stumped by a grammar question and cannot find the answer, where can you go to get an answer?

Case History on Best Buy

Best Buy, Inc. Case Study: Case History Clayton Bender, Justin Swanson, Kaitlyn Krause, Michelle Chambers, Elmon Tanielian Company Background: Best Buy Co. , Inc. operates as a multinational retailer of consumer electronics within the services industry. Founded in 1966 under the name Sound of Music, Inc. , Best Buy underwent a name change in 1988. It was founded by Mr. Richard M. Schulze and is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Best Buy operates under a Board of Directors but is a publicly traded company owned by stockholders.The company operates retail stores and call centers and conducts online retail operations under a range of brand names such as Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, The CarPhone Warehouse, Five Star, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales and The Phone House. Best Buy is the 11th largest online retailer worldwide and ranks #468 on the Forbes Global 2000 (Global 2000 Leading Companies, 2012). The mission of Best Buy, though not directly outlined a s such, can be summed up by a quote from the CEO. Our formula is simple: we’re a growth company focused on better solving the unmet needs of our customers—and we rely on our employees to solve those puzzles. Thanks for stopping† (About. com). Best Buy’s vision is, â€Å"To make a meaningful and lasting impact on the quality of life in the countries and communities we serve. † Best Buy has four primary values that govern decision-making processes; unleash the power of our people, learn from challenges and change, show respect, humility and integrity, and have fun while being the best (Code of Business Ethics, 2013).Best Buy’s Market Philosophy: Best Buy operates in all 50 states, districts and territories within the United States. Various brand names under the Best Buy Inc. umbrella exist throughout the geographic area including Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video and Pacific Sales (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). In the US alone, Best Buy reaches nearly 1 billion consumers each year in stores, on BestBuy. com and on m. BestBuy. com or the mobile shopping website. Out of the $165 billion per year spent on electronics in the U. S. , more than 6% of that is at Best Buy —ahead of Wal-Mart Stores (12%), Amazon. com (5%), Costco (3. 5), and Target (2. 5%) (On Best Buy Media Network, 2011). Within the domestic market, store development is aimed at multi-channel retail points of presence that focus on a given local environment, while simultaneously decreasing overall store square footage. To do this, the company anticipates closing approximately 50 large format U. S. Best Buy branded stores in fiscal year 2013 to explore other options, as well as downsizing to appeal to increasingly popular online shopping trends.They have also decided to close all Best Buy branded stores in the UK, Turkey, and China. They instead chose to focus their attention on their Five Star branded stores in China, and their Car Phone Warehouse, and Phone House stores in Europe. Best Buy’s international market is comprised of operations in Canada (Best  Buy, Best  Buy Mobile, Cell Shop, Connect Pro, Future Shop and Geek Squad), Europe (The CarPhone Warehouse, The Phone House and Geek Squad), China (Five Star), and Mexico (Best Buy and Geek Squad) (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012).These varied brands allow the company to include several lines of consumer retail products such as mobile phone products, entertainment products, appliances and related services that are tailored to appeal to each niche market. In 2012, international markets generated 26% of Best Buy’s revenue (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). In the Canadian market, Best Buy is the fastest-growing specialty retailer and â€Å"e-tailer† of consumer electronics, PCs, and entertainment software.Best Buy focuses on children and communities, attempting to â€Å"help youth develop their skill set, discover their talents, and sustain a las ting interest in education† (About Us, 2013). Best Buy has decided to close their large-format Best Buy branded stores in China, Turkey, and the United Kingdom in order to reach areas that offer the best growth opportunity to particular locations (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Competitive Environment: Best Buy’s competitors range between online retailers (Amazon), big box retailers (Target and Wal-Mart), club stores (Sam’s Club and Costco), pecialty electronic retailers (Apple), and home improvement stores (Home Depot and Lowes). Some Best Buy rivals compete purely on price, while others compete on experience. Best Buy believes that online retailers will have their price advantage reduced as state governments around the country re-evaluate sales tax laws that allow some online competitors to offer lower prices. Additionally to combat price wars Best Buy also has price matching policies for other brick and mortar retailers and during this last holiday shopping seaso n even matched some online retailers’ prices (Best Buy to Match Online Prices, 2012).With the elimination of Best Buy’s biggest rival, Circuit City, they are left to focus on competitors such as Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Home Depot. None of these stores compete directly with Best Buy in every segment, but each of them offers products that compete directly with Best Buy. As shown in Exhibit 1, while Best Buy does compete with Home Depot and Lowes, the effect of appliances on Best Buy’s sales is quite small, accounting for only 5% of sales in 2011.Because there are no stores which offer a value proposition exactly like Best Buy, it presents a problem when analyzing financial statements of Best Buy’s main competitors (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). See Exhibits 2-5 for detailed copies of Amazon and Wal-Mart financial statements. Trends- Best Buy competes in the electronics stores and consumer electronics industries. The industry overall is heading into new territor y as online shopping continues to take over the market. Recently, traditional big box stores such as Best Buy have been threatened by an increase in online consumption tendencies.Often, consumers will use stores such as Best Buy as a showroom to test new products, make a purchase decision, but then go home and find a cheaper price online. With many established, online retailers of consumer electronics on the web, retailers must find a new way to attract customers. The various methods of promotional channels such as large and small structured stores, websites, and kiosks, are all ways the company is tailoring to the market they are attempting to reach. Marketing: Products and Services- Best Buy specializes in technological goods and services.This includes home office, consumer electronics, appliances, and entertainment software. Best Buy is an ideally suited ‘one-stop-shop’. Best Buy offers Geek Squad Technical Support to consumers to aid with any difficulties or defects , to ensure customer happiness, and build loyalty. Also offered is a low-price-guarantee, where Best Buy will match the price if you find a lower price on an identical available product at a local retail competitor's store, a local Best Buy retail store or BestBuy. com (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012).As Best Buy is not a manufacturer of unique products, the main differentiating factors would be their low-price-guarantee and the in-home service â€Å"The Geek Squad†, which offers personalized technical support. In addition, there are many products that are exclusive to Best Buy, such as certain televisions, video games, and computer devices. Distribution- Best Buy sells products through both its 1,103 retail locations and their website bestbuy. com. Domestic Distribution- Inside the U. S. , most Best Buy products are shipped directly from the manufacturers to the regional distribution centers.The exceptions to this method are large TV’s and appliances which are shipped from producers to specific satellite warehouses in each major market. In certain cases, where release dates play a large role in a product, the item will go directly from the producer to individual Best Buy stores (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Products purchased online are either picked up in store, or shipped directly to consumers via the same regional distribution centers the stores receive their products from. International Distribution-In Europe, Best Buy’s two small cell phone stores have their products shipped from manufacturers to regional distribution centers and then to the stores. Individual stores hold only immediate stock requirements while distribution centers hold additional merchandise. Best Buy stores in Canada and Mexico follow the distribution method used in the U. S. (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Promotion- The customer base is primarily centered on high income earners (75,000+), 24-54 aged males who have children (ad example targeting this listed in exhibit 6).B est Buy shoppers are viewed as mobile, technically savvy, advanced digital users, who are highly engaged in learning about technology as well as encourage their children to learn about technology, too (On Best Buy Media Network, 2011) (promotion example targeting this listed in exhibit 7). Including selling, general and administrative expenses, promotional costs were $995,000,000 in fiscal year 2012, $862,000,000 in 2011, and $709,000,000 in 2010 (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012).Best Buy has traditionally focused on media involving print, television, large-scale events, and is now shifting gears more towards digital advertising for promotional efforts due to consumer changes in shopping habits. Best Buy spends most of the promotional budget during the holiday season in response to high sales during Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). A detailed list of quarterly expenses can be found in exhibit 8. One of the largest and most expensive prom otional efforts undertaken by Best Buy is the commercial segments aired during the Super Bowl.Best Buy has utilized this tactic for the past three years. In 2011, the commercial featured the celebrities Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne. In 2012, it featured mobile innovations such as Instagram and the popular game, Angry Birds. For this upcoming Super Bowl, Best Buy will feature the comedian Amy Poehler. These are significant decisions considering this year’s thirty-second ad placement cost $4 million and is projected to reach over 100 million viewers (The Associated Press, 2013). Leadership:Best Buy’s Board of Directors, elected by the shareholders, is responsible for overseeing the business and affairs in order to manage the long-term interests of the company (Best Buy, Inc. , 2013). The Board of Directors is in charge of selecting and evaluating the performance of senior executives. There are four distinct committees structured within the Board: Audit Committee, Comp ensation and Human Resources Committee, Finance and Investment Policy Committee, and Nominating, Corporate Governance, and Public Policy Committee.A detailed visual of the organizational structure can be viewed in exhibit 9. Organizational Culture: Traditionally, Best Buy has been known for enforcing strict policies and encouraging employees to work overtime. In 2003, however, the corporate culture was radically changed to a system designed by two of the company’s own human resource department employees, Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson (Brandon, 2007). This system, known as ROWE or the results-only-work-environment, allows personnel to come and go as they please.Many corporate employees have no official office or work schedule. Similar systems have become popular in the advanced technical industry, including companies such as IBM, but no such corporate culture existed in a large retail company before Best Buy. The system is working to meet their goals, as employee turnover dec reased drastically after implementation. However, recently, employee satisfaction has suffered as a result of a decrease in company profitability (Conlin, 2006). Stakeholders:The primary stakeholders are the stockholders; the individuals that have an active interest in the company’s successes and failures because their personal investments are directly impacted. Additional stakeholders include employees (who rely on the company to stay in business and guarantee their employment), consumers (who depend on the products and services of the company), and the surrounding community which Best Buy is committed to serving in their values. Currently, a general concern of stakeholders is the increasingly competitive nature of the of the electronic retail market.With e-retail and internet stores becoming more significant players in the market place, Best Buy seems to have become a place of research and testing by the consumer, rather than actual purchasing. Stakeholders are calling for innovative and differentiating factors to emerge for Best Buy to remain a key player in the consumer electronic market. In addition, as typical of most companies, the stakeholders of Best Buy want increased sales and profit margins, to hopefully lead to increased stock prices as well. Financials: Balance Sheet-Best Buy currently has approximately $16 Billion in assets, $12 Billion in liabilities, and $3 Billion in stockholder equity. Over the past three years, total assets and stockholder equity have been decreasing while total liabilities have been increasing. (Best Buy Balance Sheet) A detailed balance sheet can be found in exhibit 10. Income Statements- Best Buy had a loss in net income during FY 2012 of $1. 2 billion compared to net earnings of $1. 3 billion in 2011. A detailed balance sheet can be found in exhibit 11. Objectives ; Performance Strategy:Best Buy competes in a competitive retail industry constantly affected by the current state of the economy and consumer confiden ce. Such an industry presents difficulty in predicting consumer behaviors and corresponding sales. These tough times have forced Best Buy to begin transforming the company and hone in on strategies they believe will â€Å"offer the best opportunities to improve returns† (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Best Buy has committed to focusing on four main initiatives all revolving around that transformation and improving financial performance. Multi-year Cost Reductions-Best Buy aims to lower the cost structure of various areas of their business through improvements in efficiency as well as current investments designed to provide long term earnings benefits. These changes will include closing 50 of their large, brick-and-mortar stores within fiscal year 2013. In addition they aim to decrease the costs of goods sold as well as reduction in corporate and support structures (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). U. S. Store Format Improvements- Best Buy will be revising their store formats in order to â€Å"increase points of presence, while decreasing overall square footage†.These changes will occur through increasing the number of their Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores, decreasing their large-format stores, and to remodel key market Best Buy stores into their smaller, leaner, â€Å"Connected Stores (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Growth Initiatives- Best Buy will execute growth initiatives in e-commerce, connections, services, and China. They will approach growth in e-commerce with â€Å"more competitive online pricing, broader use of free shipping, the expansion of our online assortment, and further development of Best Buy Marketplace†.There will be a focus on increasing all mobile connection expertise, all product services, and store locations in China. Improved Customer Experience- Best Buy believes that they differentiate themselves from competitors through careful and persistent attention to the experiences their customers have. Through programs such as t heir â€Å"Perfect Match Promise† which provides customers with a 30 day period of full technical support, hassle-free returns, and competitor price matching as well as their Reward Zone loyalty programs, they desire to provide their customers with an incomparable experience as they shop at Best Buy.Finally, Best Buy aims to increase their enhanced training for employees in order to meet these customer service goals (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Works Cited Global 2000 Leading Companies. (2012, April). Retrieved from Forbes: http://www. forbes. com/companies/best-buy/ Best Buy Balance Sheet. (n. d. ). Retrieved from Yahoo Finance: http://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? s=BBY+Balance+Sheet;annual Best Buy Income Statement. (n. d. ). Retrieved from Yahoo Finance: http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=BBY+Income+Statement;annual Best Buy, Inc. (2011, January 23).On Best Buy Media Network. Retrieved from Best Buy Media Kit: http://www. bestbuymediakit. com/assets/files/Media_Kit_Presentati on. pdf Best Buy, Inc. (2012). Best Buy 10k Report. Richfield: Best Buy. Best Buy, Inc. (2013, January 22). About Us. Retrieved from Best Buy Canada: http://www. bestbuy. ca/en-CA/about-best-buy-canada. aspx? path=9825360f7559258208ae2438cb28c580en99 Best Buy, Inc. (2013, January 22). Code of Business Ethics. Retrieved from Ethics Point: https://secure. ethicspoint. com/domain/media/en/gui/32565/code. html? 3 Brandon, J. (2007, April 4).Rethinking the Time Clock. Retrieved from CNN Money: http://money. cnn. com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/03/01/8401022/index. htm Conlin, M. (2006, December 10). Smashing the Clock. Retrieved from Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine: http://www. businessweek. com/stories/2006-12-10/smashing-the-clock Kerrigan, H. (2012, April). Results-Only Work Environment Goes Public Sector. Retrieved from Governing: http://www. governing. com/topics/public-workforce/gov-results-only-work-environment-goes-public-sector. html The Associated Press. (2013, J anuary 22).Best Buy Super Bowl branding spot will focus on humor, enlists Amy Poehler. The Washington Post, p. 1. Zimmerman, A. (2012, 10 12). Best Buy to Match Online Prices. Wall Street Journal. Exhibit 1: Best Buy’s Domestic Sales Allocation (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012) Exhibit 2: AMZN Income Statement Exhibit 3: AMZN Balance Sheet Exhibit 4: WMT Income Statement Exhibit 5: WMT Balance Sheet Exhibit 6: Promotional Ad Example Promotional Ad Source Exhibit 7: Promotion Example-Scholarship Program Promotion Example-Scholarship Program Source Exhibit 8: US Promotional Focuses Broken Down in Quarters On Best Buy Media Network, 2011) Exhibit 9: Organizational Chart Exhibit 10: BBY Balance Sheet Exhibit 11: BBY Income Statement Here are my thoughts†¦ The purpose of this Case History is to provide data for the next document, the Case Analysis. You should examine your Case History to ensure that it contains sufficient data for a complete Strategic Analysis—an Environment Analysis and a Company Analysis. For example, do you have sufficient data to conduct a PEST Analysis? Do you have sufficient data for conducting a complete Competitive Forces Analysis?On page 5, you do not provide data under the heading of â€Å"Leadership†. On a more comprehensive scale, does the Case History tell the story of Best Buy, or is the Case History a collection of different pieces of data? Does the sequence of the data facilitate a story? From the Heading â€Å"Balance Sheet Analysis† to the end of the document’s text, you seem to be presenting an analysis. The purpose of the Case History, though, is to present data. The analysis should be saved for the next document, the Case Analysis. Midnight- Sunday, February 3rd Other points to Add: 5 Forces Model Highlights: Risk of Entry by competitors- * Low everyone is in that wants to be * Intensity of Rivalry * High * Bargaining power of buyers * High price and experience dictate where we go * Bargaining power of suppliers * Low buyers took control * Closeness of substitutes * No idea what a substitute would be †¦ * Power of complement providers * †¦ PEST Analysis: * Political * * Economic * disposable income levels affect the amount people want to spend on these goods * Social * Trending products * Technological * whoever continues to provide/produce the newest gadgets

Police Description In The Media Essay

In maintaining peace and order in the society, the police force specifically the police officers definitely play a profound and significant role that they need to accomplish (â€Å"Police Discretion,† n. d. ). As such, in any given social disturbance or violence, the police officers are the primary people that commonly respond in order to address these issues (â€Å"Police Discretion,† n. d. ). In addition to this, the function and presence of police officers in these given situations are essential wherein these people commonly represent the law and usually serve as a mediator that resolve differences or problems of the situation (â€Å"Police Discretion,† n. d. ). With the above written facts and information, and the reality of the nature of a police officer’s job, it entails various difficulties, it is evident that the duty and the profession of a police officer is indeed important towards the achievement of a healthy human community (â€Å"Police Discretion,† n. d. ). Likewise, such complex and risky job of a police officer is absolutely helpful in protecting the safety of the public against any detrimental acts such as violence, crime and street transgression (â€Å"Police Discretion,† n. d. ). However, what supposed to be a positive and uplifting profession that would be essential and helpful in the community is sometimes affected by the presence of media (â€Å"Police Discretion,† n. d. ). At the present time, the media is responsible in the numerous names or labels, which characterizes police officers according to their role in the society. In a sense, police officers are often identified with several definitions that have been already established in the past. One of the main roles of police officers in the society is the perception of people that they are the protector of the public against situations and individuals that might threaten their well-being. Nevertheless, there are also other roles that police officers are associated with such as: Crime Fighter, Social Servant, Order Maintainer, and Crime Preventer. Crime Fighter The major responsibility of police officers is to assure that the law is properly implemented. They have to make sure that all individuals abide by the rules of the country. By doing so, they have to combat all those individuals who disobey what the law states. A good example of this is when police officers arrested 175 Mexican drug trafficking suspects. The prosecutors stated that this incident is a momentous step in addressing the problem of drugs that is observable on the U. S. -Mexico border. In relation with this, the Justice Department said that the 175 people that were captured are believed to have relations with the violent drug cartels of Mexico (Schmitt, 2008). This article that was written in The Los Angeles Time, explains the efforts of the Justice Department to address the worsening problem of drug trafficking. The police force has an essential part in capturing the 175 suspected member of the drug cartel. However, this importance is not seen in the article. The writer did not give much emphasis or consideration in the pivotal contribution of the police officers in the success of this operation. As such, the role of police officers is not given the appropriate recognition that it deserves. This should not be the case because they are the one who are risking their lives in order to fight crime. Social Servant The function of police officers does not stop in fighting crime but they also see to it that they attend to the other needs of the people. They are also considered as public servants that give attention to other social issues. The mere fact that there job entails a huge amount of responsibility as well as putting their own life at risk is enough proof that they are indeed a servant for others. This is clearly seen in the case of new Detroit Police Chief James Barren. Even though accepting this kind of position is very difficult with all the duties that he needs to accomplish he still took the job. Furthermore, he is willing to exert the extra effort in order to provide a safe environment for those under his responsibility. He showed this when he said, â€Å"It’s no secret that public safety and the safety of our city are among my top priorities†. â€Å"We need to work hard to restore faith and trust and integrity back to the police department and to the great people of this city† (Schmitt, McGraw, and Gorchow, 2008). The media was able to highlight the new task that Barren has to face through this article. Order Maintainer Public order is also the job of police officers. It is part of their task to protect and uphold the society and deal with any incident or individual who poses a threat to it. There are cases wherein some people are often the cause of public disturbance, which can inflict harm on other people as well as on his or her self. A good example of this is when a chief officer pulled a gun off a teen that was running amok and fighting with his fellow classmates right after dismissal. The police chief was relived that he was able to take the gun because the situation could have been worse (Van Sack, 2008). The portrayal of the police officer in this article shows his role as someone who implements social order. He appears as a hero who was able to save the day and prevent people from being hurt. Crime Prevention As they say, â€Å"prevention is better than cure†. In the same manner, Police officers are also doing the necessary steps in order to address the causes of problems before they even materialize. This is exemplified by the police force initiative to unite together in order to combat marijuana. Law enforcement officials of the whole state are doing the necessary action against campaigns that encourage teenagers to use marijuana. In relation to this, they also call for the participation of parents to closely monitor the development of their children so that they could avoid any bad influences that might affect their children (Ellement, 2008). The image of police officers tends to vary based upon how a particular tool of media portrays them. The discussed articles above mostly shows a police officers that is all powerful who could with stand anything. However, it must be remembered that these police officers are also humans that have to be given protection and due consideration. In order to do so, the media should treat them with respect even if other officers are not rightfully doing their duties, not all police officials should be generalized as such because there are still those who are doing their jobs like the officers exemplified in this paper.

Judaism and Divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Judaism and Divorce - Essay Example Although divorce in the United States of America is governed primarily by state laws, religion also plays an important role when many people consider divorce as an option. This is true whether the married couple is Christian, Jewish, Mormon, or attached to any other religious institution. What results is a multi-layered approach to divorce in which religious scripture exists alongside state law as a governing set of principles and processes. Of particular interest is when religious doctrine cannot be neatly harmonized with secular state laws; this is significant because there are instances, such as in the case of Judaism, when a civil divorce is granted under a state's laws but not granted pursuant to Jewish doctrine. The consequences can be especially difficult for Jewish women. This essay will examine this multi-layered approach to divorce, the tension that can exist between religious scripture and state divorce law, and how divorce among Jews compares with people from other religi ons. As a preliminary matter, divorce must be considered within a legal context. In the United States that means a combination of federal and state law; in the case of divorce, state laws are fundamentally controlling. Indeed, as stated by a leading scholar in the field, "Judges, scholars and practitioners commonly assume that family law decisions are quintessentially matters of state law. For example, a common theme of the Supreme Court's federalism decisions is the assertion that "family law (including marriage, divorce, and child custody).