Critical Lens Essay Example for Free

Critical Lens Essay In Optimism, published in 1903, Helen Keller states Although the world is full of suffering it is also full of the overcoming of it. By this she means that eventhough there is a lot of obstacles in life, there are people that have the power to move past them. I disagree with this statement. One work of literature that help disprove Helen Kellers statement is the epic tragedy, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. Another work of literature that disproves the statement is The Monkeys Paw by W. W. Jacobs. Both of these works use different literary elements to disprove the statement. In the epic tragedy Macbeth the author, William Shakespeare, uses symbolism to show that the world is full of suffering and sorrow. One example is when Lady Macbeth cries, â€Å"Out, damned spot; out, I say . . . who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?† in her sleep. The spots of blood Lady Macbeth dreamed she saw on her hands were symbolizing the guilt that she had for killing King Duncan. Another example of symbolism in Macbeth is when Macbeth says â€Å"Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?†. Macbeth is feeling guilty because of all the live he has taken and all the lies he has told. These example help to show that the world is a place full of suffering. In the twisted short story, The Monkeys Paw by W.W. Jacobs, the author uses irony to show that the world is full of evil and suffering. One example of irony in the short story is when Mr. and Mrs. White need money, so they make a wish with the paw for 200 pounds. They wait the next morning after their son, Herbert, goes to work for the money to show up. Later in the afternoon, a fancily dressed man pays a visit to the family saying that their son has died in a machinery accident. He then pays them 200 pounds for their loss. Another example of irony is when they wish for Herbert to come back to life. Herbert came back to life, but he was all destroyed from the machinery accident. Mr. and Mrs. White were terrified, Mr. White made a wish. They opened the door, and the road was empty. This short story shows that the world is evil and twisted. In conclusion, the world is a cruel place. Ms. Helen Kellers statement was disproved by the multiple examples provided. Macbeth killed many people trying to keep the secret of killing King Duncan. The White family was put through suffering: by having their son dead, having to see the torn body of their loved one, seeing the undead Herbert show up at their home, and living the rest of their lives kowing it was their fault Herbert died.

Youth Violence Essay Example for Free

Youth Violence Essay Youth violence in the United States is a major social problem that will inevitably get worse. Criminologists and state authorities are more concerned on the issue of youth violence than adult violence because the crimes involving the youth are becoming more violent and are continuously increasing the number of juvenile offenders (Zimring, 1998, xi). During the mid 1990s, the increasing rate of violence involving the youth alarmed state authorities that committee hearings in the Congress had been scheduled for it. In one of the hearings, Representative Bill McCollum said that â€Å"even though there is a decline in rates of violence, the increasing rate of violent crimes by young offenders are alarming† (cited in Zimring, 1998, xi) In a report published by the Office of the Juvenile Justice and Prevention Program of the U. S. Department of Justice, there are nearly 2. 2 million arrests of persons below 18 years old (Snyder, 2008). This involves theft, arson, robbery, murder, drug abuse, weapons law violation and rape. In this year alone, almost one of very eight crimes recorded in the United States are committed by juvenile offenders (Snyder, 2008). There are also more than 619,453 offenses, of which 181,468 youth offenders arrested, recorded from various schools in the country for a five-year period from 2000 up to 2004 (Noonan Vavra, 2007). Of those recorded, the age brackets of the offenders are: 38. 0 percent 13-15 year olds; 30. 7 percent 16-18 year; 18. 2 percent 19 or older; and 11. 0 percent -10-12 year olds. (Noonan Vavra, 2007). Zimring (1998) believes that the lenient treatment on juvenile delinquents and crimes involving the youth in the 1980s may have been contributed to its increase in the 1990s. (p. 7) There are already numerous studies and researches done to study the reasons behind such antisocial behavior of the youth. Prothrow-Stith Spivak (2004) believes that the cycle of violence usually starts at home (p. 49). Youths who witnessed violence at home when they were still a child, are most likely to commit a criminal offense upon reaching the puberty stage. There are also numerous factors that are most likely related to youth violence, such as: alcohol, binge drinking and drug abuse; media hype and cultural norms that patronize or promote violence in the society; vulnerability of young persons, particularly adolescents; racial discrimination; poverty; and violent or not unfriendly family background (Prothrow-Stith Spivak, 2004, p. 49). Now, the challenge among state authorities is to conduct effective prevention programs on the issue. Counselors and psychiatrists believe that prevention program is more effective than having a stricter juvenile justice system. Prothrow-Stith Spivak (2004) challenge the people concerned in the prevention of youth violence to actually confront the status quo and the whole juvenile justice system (p. 227). Professionals that are usually working with juvenile offenders should be trained on how to understand the illnesses, sufferings and offenses of the offenders rather than just reacting on actual cases. Most programs funded by state agencies available for the youth are usually for the treatment of the problems encountered by them, rather than helping the youth to prevent and handle it. Millions of public funds have been spent on persecuting and incarcerating offenders but minimal funds have been allocated into stopping the current problem of adolescent people getting involved in illicit and violent behaviors (Prothrow-Stith Spivak, 2004, p. 230). Youth violence is undeniably a national issue to that needs to be addressed. The resolution of this issue however is not only an area of concern of state authorities, but also a collective conscious effort of sectors that should be involved such as the family, media, school authorities and even the youth themselves. Only with the proper understanding and analysis on the problem that will ensure the resolution of it. References Noonan, J. J Vavra, M. C. (2007, October) Crime in Schools and Colleges: A Study of Offenders and Arrestees Reported via National Incident-Based Reporting System Data. The Card Report. Prothrow-Stith, D. Spivak, H. R. (2004) Murder Is No Accident: Understanding and Preventing Youth Violence in America. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Snyder, H. N (2008, November). Juvenile Arrests 2006. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/221338. pdf. Zimring, F. E. (1998) American Youth Violence. New York: Oxford University Press.

Marketing Plan For Fruits Grapes Marketing Essay

Marketing Plan For Fruits Grapes Marketing Essay INTRODUCTION Today, it would not be wrong to say that globalization is at its full pace India, being a developing economy of the world, contributes a good share in various services products. India is the second largest producer of fruits in the world, contributing 10.23%and 14.45%of the total world production of fruits. India has made a fairly good progress on horticulture map of world with total annual production of the horticulture crops touching over 149 million tons. India has been contribute with wide range of climate and physiographical conditions and as such is most suitable for growing various kinds of horticultural crops such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, nuts, spices and plantation crops. It is diverse agro climatic conditions allow production of a wide range of tropical, sub tropical and temperate fruits. The annual production is estimated to be nearly 46 million tonnes accounting for about 10% of the world production. Indian fruit production yields and exports grew faster than the average for the world production at 5.33% compared to 2.2% and exports at 8.21% compared to nearly 2%. Indias share in the global exports of fruits is less than 5%. Trade in fruits has become steadily more important over the last decades. The volume, consumption and direction of this trade have changed as income and insistence on quality has grown on the demand side, while the technology and trade agreements have determine the supply side. Lower prices and greater availability of produce years have raised the layout of fruits in global consumers basket of goods. Other factor is healthy diet and improved handling and transportation has furthered the globalization of fruit trade. Globalizati on of markets is likely to continue as the factors of supply are combined with invention in technology and trade barriers enabling suppliers to meet the preferences of a more wealthy business. Developed countries will continue to persist global trade in fruits. Global imports are forecast to reach 4.3 million tonnes by 2010 with 87% or 3.8 million tonnes specified from developed country market. The fruit export grew 41% in 2009-10 and value wise export in 2008-09 also rose by 50% to Rs. 3, 65,915 over Rs. 2, 43,713 in 2007- 08 said by Mr. Anand Sharma Commerce minister of India. The EU anticipated remaining the worlds largest import market followed by the United States. The export market for fresh fruits is highly competitive among the top exporters. Making access to foreign market is critical to countries that are large exporter. Free trade agreements are one means to provide increased market approach and encourage increased export. In addition to negotiating trade agreement top exporter use various export promotion and marketing techniques to increase their market share in foreign market. Introduction of the Company: Adani Agrifresh Ltd.:- I choosing a existing company which is situated in Maharashtra named Adani Agrifresh Ltd. Maharashtra is the one of the largest state in the production of fruits (19%) of the total fruit production in the country. The state produces around 9 million tonnes of fruits having productivity of 16 MT per hectare, which is fairly good when compared to countrys average of 12 MT. It grows commodities like grapes, pomegranate, mango, oranges, lime and strawberry, jack fruits etc in large quantity .The state holds prestigious position in vegetable production contributing 5% of the production and stands 7 in the country. The state has comparative advantage in export because Mumbai port and metropolitan market are there. Usually very little quantity of export quality grapes comes to APMCs. Export grapes are usually procured at the fare gate. Traders and exports go directly to farms 20-25 days before harvest and they fix a procurement price based on the grade. In certain commodities the state has occupied unique and prestigious position , e.g. mango ,pomegranate, grapes and onion. Highly spoilable nature of his fruits makes their marketing system more costly and complex. Timely and procurement of fruits in bulk is of immense importance for exporters. Transportation plays an important role in fruits marketing. The exporter has to meet the specific qualitative and quantitative requirements of the importer. The packaging, residue testing, documentation and phyto-sanitary certification have to be met in order to export. So establishing an efficient backward linkage is must for exporting fruits. Maharashtra is a leading state in production of Grapes in whole country. In regards to agriculture land under grapes cultivation grapes production, Nasik Sangli districts are at vanguard in the state. Apart from these grapes are also grown in the districts of Ahmednagar, Pune , Satara , Solapur and Osmanabad. Now a days grapes produced in Latur district of Marathwada. However, Nasik and Sangli districts are ahead in the production of grapes in a scientific manner. During very first season (2007-08) Adani Agrifresh Ltd. exported 50 Container of Grapes to European Nations from Nashik District. Area under grapes in Maharashtra is 35236 hectare out of which Nasik and Sangli districts contribute 24174 hectare and 8255 hectare respectively. Maharashtra produces around 988722 MT of grapes annually, in which Nasik and Sangli districts contribution is 500406 MT and 231635 MT. Total export of Grapes from India is 26793.83 MT valuing 105.89 crores out of which nearly 80 % is exported from Maharashtra. The Varieties grown in Maharashtra are Thompson seedless, Tas-e-Ganesh, shared seedless, Flame seedless and Sonaka. ADANI GROUP PROFILE I have selected a existing company name Adani Agrifresh Ltd. It is a organisation of Adani Group. Adani Group, founded in 1988, is one of the fastest growing business houses in India. The Adani Group has its roots in its flagship company, Adani Enterprises Ltd. (formerly known as Adani Exports Ltd.), which has been established by Mr. Gautam S Adani in 1988 as a partnership firm with an initial capital of Rs. 5 lacs. Through his entrepreneurial vision, global aspirations, hard work, quality standards and customer centric approach, Mr. Gautam Adani has transformed the Group in one of its kinds which has crossed the total revenue of INR 180 billion on March 31, 2007. Other company of adani group- Adani wilmar ltd Adani logistics ltd Adani enterprise ltd ADANI AGRI FRESH LTD. Prolonging the shelve life of fruits and vegetables and thereby creating a business plan. Project conceived by June 2005 and completed in 14 months, 3 CA stores within a year including procurement of land. FOCUS Strong backward integration for product availability. Developing procedures and systems in both infrastructure and manpower to meet the world standards. To tap potential of Indian market. VISION To provide safe, hygienic, and fresh quality fruits. Investment in technology and infrastructure to build and integrated supply chain of fruits and vegetables. Build strong network with farmers, right from their growing by assisting them in technology. To bring transparent product handling system that will benefit farmers. ACHIEVEMENT- Started in 2006 by investing Rs. 200 crores to set up controlled atmospheric pack houses in Shimla district at three different placed Viz. Rampur, Sainj and Rohru. First time in India introduced Controlled Atmospheric storage facility. First time in India introduced Optical Sorting-Grading facility for fruits. Procured 18000 MT apples from Shimla and Kinnor district of Himachal Pradesh. Set up strong marketing network in 30 Major towns of India. Introduced first brand Farm Pik in apple. New Market selection of Adani Agrifresh Ltd. for Grapes Fresh (HSC 080610) For expanding a Market of Adani Agrifresh Ltd. I select UK market. Because Adani Agrifresh Ltd. already exporting product in developed countries like Germany, Sweden, Netherland and Denmark etc. It will be beneficial for the organization because it could be easily control the business operation in UK. 1: Demand of Grapes in U.K.: The total consumption of grapes in the U.K. market is very high due to demand of wine in the market. And fresh grapes are consumed by the people. EXPORT OF GRAPES Varieties in Demand in UK market- Name of the Varity Description Berry size Harvesting period THOMPSON SEEDLESS Round berries green color, Seed less variety. 16 mm to 18 mm January to April SONAKA Elongated berries,green less variety. 16 mm to 18 mm January to April SHARAD SEEDLESS Round berries,Blackish red colour,seedless variety. 16 mm to 18 mm January to April FLAME SEEDLESS Round berries,Blackish red colour,seedless variety. 16 mm to 18 mm January to April Clone and Tash-e-Ganesh are also having demand to some extend in Dubai and Middle East.*Thompson seedless constitutes nearly 95% of grapes export to Eupore and UK.but for dubai and Middle East market ,along with Thompson seedless ,Sharad seedless ,Sonaka,2-A clone and Tas-e -Ganesh are preferred. Marketing Plan: Factors such as market penetration, market share, profit margins, budgets, financial analysis, capital investment, government actions, demographic changes, emerging technology and cultural trends are also addressed. There are two major components to your marketing strategy: How you will implement and support your day to day operations. How your enterprise will address the competitive marketplace. In the process of creating a marketing strategy you must consider many factors. Of those many factors, some are more important than others: If the market is not especially attractive, but your enterprise is one of the strongest in the industry then an effective marketing and sales effort for your offering will be good for generating near term profits. If the market is very attractive but your enterprise is one of the weaker ones in the industry you must concentrate on strengthening the enterprise, using your offering as a stepping stone toward this objective. If the market is very attractive and your enterprise is one of the strongest in the industry you will want to invest your best resources in support of your offering. If the market is not especially attractive and your enterprise is one of the weaker ones in the industry you should promote this offering only if it supports a more profitable part of your business. Having selected the direction most beneficial for the overall interests of the enterprise, the next step is to choose a strategy for the offering that will be most effective in the market. Differentiation Strategy: It is one of creating a product or service that is perceived as being unique throughout the industry. The emphasis can be on brand image, packing, proprietary technology, special features, quality assurance, superior service, a strong distributor network or other aspects that might be specific to your industry. Cost Leadership Strategy: It is based on the concept that you can produce and market a good quality product or service at a lower cost than your competitors. It is used in the initial stage of the company or newly entry in the global market. These low costs should translate to profit margins that are higher than the industry average i.e. capital, good process engineering skills, close management of labor, products designed for ease of manufacturing and low cost distribution. Focus Strategy: It may be the most sophisticated of the generic strategies, in this strategy more intense form of either the cost leadership or differentiation strategy. It is designed to address a focused segment of the marketplace, product form or cost management process and is usually employed when it isnt appropriate to attempt an across the board application of cost leadership or differentiation. Pricing: There are three basic strategies to set the price of a product in the global market. Skimming Strategy: If Adani Agrifresh offering has enough differentiation to justify a high price and desire quick cash and have minimal desires for significant market penetration and control, then they set or captured the market very quickly. Penetration Strategy: If near term income is not so critical and rapid market penetration for eventual market control is desired, then you set your prices very low. And the company will available the product in off season. Comparable Pricing Strategy: If Adani Agrifresh is not the market leader in the industry, then the leaders will most likely have created a price expectation in the minds of the marketplace. In this case price offering comparably to those of competitors. Promotion: There are many strategies for advertising an offering the product. Some of these include: Product Comparison advertising: In a market where offering is one of several providing similar capabilities, if offering stacks up well when comparing features then a product comparison ad can be beneficial. Product Benefits advertising: To promote offering without comparison to competitors, the product benefits ad is the correct approach. This is especially beneficial when introduced a new approach to solving a user need and comparison to the old approaches is inappropriate. Corporate advertising: When variety of offerings and audience is fairly broad, it is often beneficial to promote enterprise identity rather than a specific offering. PEST Analysis There are many factors in the macro-environment that will affect the decisions of the managers of any organization. Tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes are all examples of macro change. To help analyze these factors managers can categorize them using the PESTEL model. This classification distinguishes between: Political factors: These refer to government policy such as the degree of intervention in the economy. What goods and services does a government want to provide? To what extent does it believe in subsidizing firms? What are its priorities in terms of business support? Political decisions can impact on many vital areas for business such as the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system. Economic factor:Â  These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. As you will see throughout the Foundations of Economics book economic change can have a major impact on a firms behaviour. For example: Higher interest rates may deter investment because it costs more to borrow A strong currency may make exporting more difficult because it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency Inflation may provoke higher wage demands from employees and raise cost Higher national income growth may boost demand for a firms products Social factors:Â  Changes in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. In the UK, for example, the population has been ageing. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staff are living longer. It also means some firms such as Asda have started to recruit older employees to tap into this growing labour pool. The ageing population also has impact on demand: for example, demand for sheltered accommodation and medicines has increased whereas demand for toys is falling. Technological factors:Â  new technologies create new products and new processes. MP3 players, computer games, online gambling and high definition TVs are all new markets created by technological advances. Online shopping, bar coding and computer aided design are all improvements to the way we do business as a result of better technology. Technology can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organizations providing the products. Environmental factors:Â  environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries including farming, tourism and insurance. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a significant issue for firms to consider. The growing desire to protect the environment is having an impact on many industries such as the travel and transportation industries (for example, more taxes being placed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars) and the general move towards more environmentally friendly products and processes is affecting demand patterns and creating business opportunities. Legal factors:Â  these are related to the legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years in the UK there have been many significant legal changes that have affected firms behaviour. The introduction of age discrimination and disability discrimination legislation, an increase in the minimum wage and greater requirements for firms to recycle are examples of relatively recent laws that affect an organisations actions. Legal changes can affect a firms costs (e.g. if new systems and procedures have to be developed) and demand (e.g. if the law affects the likelihood of customers buying the good or using the service). Factor Include: Political e.g. EU enlargement, the euro, international trade, taxation policy Economic e.g. interest rates, exchange rates, national income, inflation, unemployment, Stock Market Social e.g. ageing population, attitudes to work, income distribution Technological e.g. innovation, new product development, rate of technological obsolescence Environmental e.g. global warming, environmental issues Legal e.g. competition law, health and safety, employment law Successful Export Marketing Export marketing is a serious issue for most growing companies in todays global economy. Export marketing is not just a process to find buyers/importers and approach them with the expectation of export orders but a well planned strategic marketing process one should follow and performed well to get success in International Market. Strategic marketing action plan is a set of key functional areas of export marketing which should be performed well and followed step by step to get succeed in Export marketing. Identify your target market To identify target market and market needs where your products/services has good market potential and demand. There are many countries in world and you should select right one for your product and services. If you know your target market and market needs, you could easily get export orders from those countries. You can identify target market by conducting International Market research activity that will give you detailed knowledge of opportunities in International market. Developing Export Marketing strategies After identifying target market, develop a right Export Marketing Strategies including market entry strategy, positioning strategy, product strategy, pricing strategy, branding strategy, supply strategy and promotional strategy according to target market needs. Based on the conclusions of the International market research, you will be able to develop the strategy to meet your export marketing objectives. To enter in right market where your products/services has good market potential and demand. To position appropriately that give you an edge over competitor. To develop products/services those satisfy needs of buyer. To offer prices that gives both of you and your buyer a competitive advantage. To supply as per ready stock or buyers requirements. To promote your company that creates awareness among buyers/importers. If you have developed right export marketing strategies you could enter and develop international market faster with sustainable export sales growth. Preparing Marketing Communication Tools Once you have developed strategies based on target market needs, and then prepare informative and appealing marketing communication tools like Company Profile, Sales letter, Product Catalogue, Brochures, Website etc. that can supports in positioning and promoting your company. Promotion And after that make a promotion plan which plays a major role in export marketing success. Main objective of promotion is to create awareness among buyers/importers of what you are and what you offer. Promotional mix should be cost effective and should deliver right message, in right time and at right place. Promotion should lead buyers/importers to get attention, capture interest and take action in initiating business communication with you. Internet is the best cost effective and fastest promotion tool in present export marketing practices. It has been seen that major buyers/importers using search engines, B2B portals and directories to find and contact genuine suppliers. Generating Export Inquiries Success in export Marketing begins with generating genuine export inquiries from prospective buyers/importers which requires expertise and focused work of promotion, sourcing genuine buyers and approaching them professionally. One should study buyers profile and/or buy leads to know whether you can offer them what they require. It has been seen that many suppliers contact majority of those buyers/importers who have no interest in their product/services without understanding their profile and needs. A Buyer/importer can send you inquiry only when he needs your products/services either better than his existing supplier in terms of Quality, Price, Services and/or developing more suppliers and/or for other reasons. So contact them by offering competitive advantage which can get them interested to send you inquiries which can be converted in to export orders by communicating and negotiating professionally. Whether you own a sole proprietorship offering consulting services or manage a 1500-person manufacturing facility, exporting offers you opportunities for growth, increased sales and diversified markets. Exporting takes time and effort. It also takes resources and a strong commitment to compete beyond your current borders. If you are focused and have assessed your readiness to enter the global market and it also helps exporters identify their priorities as they prepare to export. Plan: The secret to export success is preparation and a carefully researched export plan. This is your source of direction as you embark on your journey into foreign markets. An export plan helps you to act rather than react to the challenges and risks encountered in international business. And in addition to helping you implement your export strategy, it can help you obtain financial assistance, investors or other strategic partners required to make your export venture a success. An export plan comprises many elements a description of your company, its market and industry, and your business objectives; information on your products or services; an analysis of the target market and industry, including trends and forecasts; an examination of the competition and their strengths and weaknesses in contrast to your own; international marketing strategies, including customer profiling and the development of sales and distribution channels; employment and training issues; financial requirements and forecasts; and much more. Conduct research to find the right market Thorough market research helps you make sound export marketing decisions by giving you a clear picture of the economic, political and cultural factors that affect your ability to sell your product or service. Ultimately, market research saves you time, money and effort by reducing your exposure to unknowns. There are two main types of market research. Secondary market research consists of information collection from published sources (books, newspapers, market reports, studies, and periodicals) and the Internet. Researchers will find trade statistics, market and industry information, even potential partners and trade leads. Secondary research helps you fine-tune your information needs. Primary market research helps you fill in the critical gaps through direct contact with key experts, customers or other sources of information. Primary research frequently involves personal contact techniques such as interviews and consultations and is best attempted after you have familiarized yourself with the potential market through your secondary research efforts. Devise marketing strategies for your target market These strategies are captured in the international marketing plan, a flexible document that will likely be reviewed, revised and modified throughout your exporting activities. Marketing is a continuous activity and so is marketing planning because you can never know enough about your customers and how to meet their needs. The basic marketing formula the four Ps of product, price, promotion and place is just the beginning when it comes to international marketing. Your plan will need to address many other factors, such as payment, paperwork, practices, partnerships and protection and many more. Enter the market There are as many market entry strategies as there are markets; however, these strategies can be loosely grouped into three categories. Direct exports, as the name implies, involve direct marketing and selling to the client. In a reasonably accessible market such as the United States, direct exporting of products or services may be a viable option. But in less familiar markets, with different legal and regulatory environments, business practices, customs and preferences, direct exporting may not be an option. A local partner, for example, may be better able to manage these complexities and serve your potential clients better. Indirect exporting is frequently used to enter new markets. Businesses selling products enter into an agreement with an agent, distributor or a trading house for the purpose of selling the products in the target market. Due diligence is critical when selecting an agent or distributor for indirect exporting. The third market entry strategy involves strategic partnerships with other companies or individuals with complementary skills and capabilities. A partner can often provide the insight, contacts and expertise that fill the gap in your export readiness. A strategic alliance with a company selling a complementary product or service can provide more effective market access, resulting in more foreign sales in less time. As with indirect exporting relationships, contractual agreements with partners must be stated in clear terms and, whenever possible, refer to Canadian laws for the protection of the Canadian company. Get your product or service to market Every market has its own set of rules and regulations covering safety, health, security, packaging and labeling, customs and duties among other things. Additionally, these rules and regulations may vary depending on the product or service you are exporting. It is critical that you understand the rules and regulations that apply to you before you ship your goods or open your foreign business location. Product-based businesses with shipping requirements will benefit from developing a relationship with a freight forwarding company and a customs broker. Explore financing options While there are overnight export success stories, most companies must be prepared to invest both time and financial resources to see the return on their investment and the subsequent success. Consequently, financial stability and a secure cash flow are important during this period. In some cases, businesses can rely on their domestic sales to sustain their early export efforts. If this is not possible, it is a good idea to know what financing options are available. Exporters must develop a financial plan to understand and address the diverse costs associated with exporting, complete with a two- to three-year cash budget to cover expenses and a capital budget. A capital budget is a cost-benefit assessment of your export objectives and serves as your operating plan for measuring expenditures and revenues. Understand the legal and regulatory issues There are numerous international conventions, treaties and national, regional and municipal rules that can affect your ability to operate successfully in foreign markets. Exporters may also encounter disputes with agents or distributors. It is important to understand your rights and obligations when resolving disputes, selling goods or services and protecting intellectual property. Export Process for Grapes: Harvesting As we know that before go through the export process harvesting the grapes. Grapes harvesting is done in early morning because at that time the temperature is low. And every bunch of grapes are carefully placed a single layer in crates. And after that the carets are kept in the shade. Grading:- After harvesting the grapes removal the unwanted berries and grading according to berries size and bunches size and colour. Packing:- The grapes are packed according to the berries size and packed under supervised and hygenic condition. And the packeg boxes of grapes is different, it is folded/corrugated pack. In the package boxes of grapes the SO2 pads inserted in the box which is help in keeping fungus free grapes. After the packed the grapes in the boxes the packed boxes are transported to the cooled storage which is known as member societies for pre-cooling treatment. Where the grapes are pre-cooled to two degree C to sustain its life from 60 days to 90 days. Grapes pre-cooled by forced air cooling method Export:- Thereafter the boxes containing in 40 feet reefer container in which the temperature fixed 2 C are filled with the packed produce under supervision of a Central Excise and Custom supervisor and the grapes are leaving to the port. And then the grapes are stuffed in the container. The stuffing condition of the grapes are checked by the shipping officer and sealed by the Excise and Custom inspector. Conclusion: India did export of 13,928 tonnes of grapes in 2009. And this figure is excluded from UK because UK import very few from India but UK is a big potential market for consumption of grapes because UK is a cold region so people use to drink wine to be warm. But India Export grapes in EU market so India has a great opportunity and control the trade in UK. So UK can be a good potential market to export the grapes. For this I made a marketing plan which can generate profit.

The Debate Over Artificial Intelligence Essay -- Exploratory Essays Re

The Debate Over Artificial Intelligence    Can machines think? Or rather, can we develop true artificial intelligence in the sense of machines that think and understand as we humans do? This is an interesting problem that is becoming more and more relevant in our lives as computers become more complex and integral to our lives. Two articles, John Searle's "Minds, Brains, and Programs" and William Lycan's "Robots and Minds", present two different answers to this question and also raise several new questions. John Searle takes the position that on one level computers do think - they manipulate symbols - yet on another level they do not think - computers do not understand the symbols they are manipulating to mean anything in the sense that we humans do. Lycan takes the position that yes, computers do think, and that it is quite possibly only a matter of time before a machine can be created that not only looks and behaves like a person, but also thinks like a person. Therefore, Lycan claims, the suitably programmed machine of thi s complexity is a person as much as you and I are. I fall more on Lycan's side of the argument. Words such as "intelligence" and "understanding" have variations in their definitions depending on whom you ask. It is often hard to come up with even a simple definition once one delves into the problems at hand. But, since we as humans (in particular Searle) often try to separate ourselves from computers by saying that we understand the meaning of the symbols we manipulate, it is necessary that I give a useful and accurate meaning to the words (or symbols) I will be using. I define "thinking" as processing information, with any level of complexity. I include in the thinking category a thermostat makin... ...a human who's body is almost entirely mechanical) are people? If we cannot distinguish their minds from regular humans', then we have no basis for denying that they have the same basic rights. As for the second question, that is much tougher, and he makes the analogy to animal rights, for even now computers exhibit intelligence that is roughly equal to many animals. However, since I have proved my main point, and run over my page limit, I will now bow out. The area of animal rights is still hotly debated, and we still often disagree on many aspects of human rights. These areas are the subject of many papers, articles, news stories, even organizations. Maybe, if only to prevent a repeat of our confusion morally over our sudden ability to clone complex biological organisms, we should start looking now at the issue of "computer rights". It still sounds strange to me.   

True Human Nature (criticism Of Lord Of The Flies) :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reading Lord of the Flies, one gets quite an impression of Golding’s view on human nature. Whether this view is right or wrong, true or not, is a point to be debated. This image Golding paints for the reader, that of humans being inherently bad, is a perspective not all people share. This opinion, in fact, is a point that many have disagreed with when reading his work. There are many instances throughout Lord of the Flies that state Golding’s opinion suggesting an evil human nature. Each of these instances are the bricks holding together his fortress of ideas that are constantly under attack.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lord of the Flies is but an abstract tool of Golding’s to construct the idea of human nature in the minds of his readers. Throughout the novel, it is stated that all humans are evil. It is said that this evil is inescapable and will turn everyone evil. At one point in the book, when the Lord of the Flies is representing all evil, this theory is stated as, â€Å"The Lord of the Flies was expanding like a balloon† (Golding 130). Along with this idea is the religious symbolism that is used for ineffectively confronting the evil. At a point in the book, Golding has Simon, symbolic of Jesus Christ (a Christian deity), confront the Lord of the Flies. This is a pig’s head on a stick that is imagined to talk and represent the evil in all humans. Simon tries to act and spread the knowledge of this evil to others but is killed. This is a direct reference to the death of Christ, alluding to the Holy Bible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At many points throughout Lord of the Flies, Golding writes for the characters to become gradually more and more evil. This attribute even reaches the symbols of goodness and order, such as Ralph. Once, when Ralph and Piggy go to the feast on Jack’s beach, they begin to meld with the others and their evil ways. â€Å"Piggy and Ralph, under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secure society† (Golding 138). This really only proves their common longing for a place with others, not any depth of evilness. Golding also has all of the characters eventually participate in the hunts, his representation of an evil ritual that humans perform. By having all of the characters practice this, he illustrates his belief of everyone being susceptible to turning evil. This fact is not necessarily true. Humans develop their own dedications to their own beliefs, morals, and ethics.

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In today’s society, students seem to be different. As a future teacher, I realize that students today need more out of their education. I believe this is because of the vast home lives students come from and the various issues that students face today. Many of the students that I have worked with on my field experience come from dysfunctional homes or broken homes. This creates many problems; both emotional and behavioral. As a future teacher, it is important to keep this in mind when working with students. Teachers today evaluate the background of their students and use this information to better serve each and every student. In today’s world, teachers understand that not every student is the same and doesn’t come from the same place. Due to this fact, teachers make it very important that they get to know who their students are. Each day is a new day for a teacher and every child is a unique individual. Teaching has its many ups and downs. I believe that teachi ng is not just profession for livelihood but goes far beyond the essential human values. Teaching is not a profession; it's a passion. Without passion for your career and a desire for your students to learn, to help them be the best in the world, if not, we have failed as a future teacher and failure is not an option. A teacher has to be an inspirational and constant driving force to a student, and only then can they become somebody in life. Great teachers are remembered not for the subject they teach, but for inspiring their students and for unlocking their ability to dream. Teaching is an honorable profession and to be a teacher by choice is even nobler. Teachers are the guides to future leaders of history. Their effects are timeless and no one knows where their influe... ...including the residents' quality of life, the care received, the environment surrounding them, and the nursing home's payment policy. I worked with the recreation director, who plans activities for the residents. I painted the elderly women's nails and read them letters from their children. Also, I helped with special days like Ice Cream Day, Summer Picnic Day, and Clown around Day. For each we create special word scrambles. I also have taken patients for walks. We had birthday parties and exercise days. Through my volunteering I have had many good experiences both volunteering and visiting my grandfather. My volunteer experience has shown me that I can bring joy to older people. Everyone will have to face having parents and grandparents growing older and becoming dependent on their children. Dealing with this situation has made me a stronger and more caring person.

“No damn cat, and no damn cradle”: Truth and Meaning in Cat’s Cradle Essay

In Kurt Vonnegut’s apocalyptic novel, Cat’s Cradle, the end of the world has been realized. Plant life crunches underfoot, as though it has undergone a deep freeze. The tropical seas surrounding the fictional island of San Lorenzo have solidified, assuming a dull, frosted appearance. Grand waterfalls flowing from the majestic peak of Mount McCabe become lifeless. The once-scenic island horizon is transformed into a pale, sickly yellow. The introduction of ice-nine into the environment leads to radical weather patterns and global chaos. Ice-nine is a crystal form of water, much like standard ice, but with a melting point of 114.4 degrees Fahrenheit. When the compound makes contact with water, the liquid instantly freezes solid, turning a frosted blue. The novel begins with a brief but telling preface: â€Å"Live by the foma* that make you brave and kind and happy and healthy† (Vonnegut VII). â€Å"Foma† are defined as â€Å"harmless untruths† (Vonneg ut VII). While this brisk preface may merely seem to be a comical play on the standard disclaimer found within most fictional novels and therefore hold little significance, it sheds considerable light on the murky relationships between truth and meaning, as well as science and religion. Each train of thought has its own way of understanding and explaining the jumbled universe humans inhabit, and each claims to possess a high degree of truth. It is in this vivid and terrifying landscape that Vonnegut conveys to the reader through humor and symbolism that pursuing truth, whether through religion, science, or other pathways, is not an inherently positive or beneficial and does not aid one in the search for meaning in life. For hundreds of years, science and religion have been at odds. From the execution of the Greek philosopher Socrates to the Renaissance in Europe to modern times, the two opposing forces have always had an abrasive relationship. The beginning of the Enlightenment movement in Europe in the early 17th century marked a turn toward science, knowledge, and reasoning. It is from this era that modern society derives the notion that truth, along with the quest for it, is intrinsically constructive for humanity, along with the belief that lies are detrimental to the cause. In Cat’s Cradle, this is shown not to be the case. At the General Forge and Foundry, scientists and researchers work tirelessly â€Å"‘†¦to increase knowledge, to  work toward no end but that’† (Vonnegut 41). It is here that Felix Hoenikker, the father of the atom bomb and of ice-nine and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (a prime example of Vonnegut’s trademark humor), spends the final twenty-eight years of his life toiling away in the confines of his lab. Felix is a very childlike character, incapable of caring for himself and struggling with interpersonal interactions. Following the death of his wife Emily while in labor with Newt, his daughter Angela assumes the maternal position of the disjointed household due to Felix’s childlike nature. She forgoes any social interaction with peers in order to hold the family together. Frank Hoenikker, the middle child, follows suit, becoming an antisocial figure in the book. He becomes known as â€Å"secret agent X-9† on account of his perpetual business-like demeanor. Felix neglects his parental duties, opting instead to spend time on research and scientific pursuits. John Tomedi views the scientist symbolically: â€Å"Hoenikker serves as a symbol of scientific irresponsibility, a man so withdrawn from humanity and so focused on childish play with nature that he has no perspective on the effects of his crea tions and a total apathy for theirs uses† (Tomedi 41). As a direct result of Felix’s actions, his children suffer from the lack of true parental figures. The Hoenikker children can be considered casualties of science and truth. It is at the General Forge and Foundry that two major scientific advancements are made: the nuclear bomb and ice-nine. While both represent cutting-edge scientific knowledge, the culmination of countless hours of research and development, neither invention represents the progression of humanity. As Vonnegut himself says, â€Å"It’s a law of life that if you turn up something that can be used violently, it will be used violently† (Allen 97). The atom bomb leads to the death of tens of thousands in the events at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while ice-nine leads to the destruction of the entire world. The destructive nature of ice-nine and the atom bomb, inventions that were fostered by science, is in direct contradiction to the concept that science and knowledge benefit humankind due purely to their foundation in truth. Following the ice-nine catastrophe, John, the narrator and protagonist, finds himself in an underground fallout shelter with another resident of the island. John offers to share with her â€Å"‘One of the secrets of life man was a  long time understanding: Animals breathe in what animals breathe out, and vice versa’† (Vonnegut 268). One with basic knowledge of science would immediately notice an error in the writing. The text should read something to the effect of â€Å"animals breathe in what plants breathe out.† This inconsequential error proves Vonnegut’s point: the truth is irrelevant. The misinformation changes nothing. This â€Å"factoid† proves useless, not due to its false nature, but rather to its real world application, or lack thereof. One Another parallel experience occurs at the bar in the town of Ilium. While John is enjoying a drink, he poses a question: â€Å"‘What is the secret of life?’ I asked. ‘I forge t,’ said Sandra. ‘Protein,’ the bartender declared. ‘They found out something about protein’† (Vonnegut 25). Again, this piece of information has little relevance in the real world. It is not going to improve humanity or save one’s life. It is merely a fact to satisfy one’s curiosity. Vonnegut also uses humor to prove his point: â€Å"How can anybody in his right mind be against science?’ asked Crosby. ‘I’d be dead right now if it wasn’t for penicillin,’ said Hazel. ‘And so would my mother.’ ‘How old is your mother?’ I inquired. ‘A hundred and six. Isn’t that wonderful?’ (Vonnegut 234). The use of the word â€Å"wonderful† is questionable. A long life does not equate to a quality one. Science, being founded on truth and knowledge, does not benefit humanity. On the tropical island of San Lorenzo, the denizens of the country would be faced with t he depressing truth if it were not for the deliberate lies of Bokononism. In 1922, two friends, Lionel Boyd Johnson and Earl McCabe, shipwreck on the island shortly after setting sail. The state of the nation is so poor, no one attempts to prevent the foreigners from taking power. Initially, the duo resorts to a form of communism. They amass the entire wealth of the nation and divide it equally among its many residents. Each islander’s share amounts to approximately six dollars. Realizing the futility of their efforts to advance the island economically, they turn to another solution: religion. Johnson devises his own religion, which becomes known as Bokononism. To add some zest to the monotonous life on the island, the partners develop roles to fulfill in a sort of play. Johnson becomes known as Bokonon, while McCabe becomes a violent dictator whose sole mission is to capture and kill Bokonon. This drama contributes greatly to the popularity of the religion, thus benefitting the island population. The islanders are subject to substandard  living conditions: poverty, pestilence, and famine are prevalent. The island lacks the necessary resources to develop. They face a bleak and hopeless future. Rather than facing the reality of day-to-day life, they adopt the fabricated religion of Bokononism: †¦when it became evident that no government or economic reform was going to make the people much less miserable, the religion became the one real instrument of hope. Truth was the enemy of the people, because the truth was so terrible, so Bokonon made it his business to provide the people with better and better lies. (Vonnegut 172) Following a similar form to the beginning of the actual novel, the Books of Bokonon, the religion’s equivalence to the Bible, warns the reader: â€Å"‘Don’t be a fool! Close this book at once! It is nothing but foma!’† (Vonnegut 265). This line establishes the illegitimate nature of the Books of Bokonon, and, subsequently, the religion of Bokononism in its entirety. The lack of truth is beneficial because â€Å"When people believe that they have the ‘Truth,’ they seek to impose their beliefs on others, and religious wars are the inevitable result. The highest truth in Bokonon’s religion is that all spiritual truths are actually useful fictions, creations of the imagination that do not exist outside of the human mind. The meaning of life is not something we can discover in the outside world. We must create it for ourselves† (Marvin 89). The religion is openly founded on falsehoods. In spite of this, the residents of San Lore nzo experience a real, tangible benefit. The stark reality of life on the barren island is too much to bear; therefore, Bokonon feeds the residents compounding lies. Bokononism proves more beneficial to the residents of San Lorenzo than the alternative: science. Though at its foundation Bokononism is series of untruths, that fact does not limit the religion in its ability to aid those in need. Vonnegut portrays all religions as unreliable texts despite claims to the contrary. The island’s dictatorial president, Papa Monzano, is dying a miserable death from cancer. As his death nears, Papa undergoes his last rites with the aid of a †¦Christian minister, who was ready to take care of â€Å"Papa’s† spiritual needs as they arose. He had a brass dinner bell and a hatbox with holes drilled in it, and a Bible, and a butcher knife- all laid out on the bench beside him. He told me there was a live chicken in the hatbox. The chicken was quiet, he said, because he had fed it  tranquilizers†¦ He turned out to be an intelligent man. His doctorate, which he invited me to examine, was awarded by the Western Hemisphere University of the Bible of Little Rock, Arkansas†¦ He had said that he had had to feel his way along with Christianity, since Catholicism and Protestantism had been outlawed along with Bokononism. â€Å"So, if I am to be a Christian un der those conditions, I have to make up a lot of new stuff.† (Vonnegut 214) Much like Bokonon, the Christian minister fabricates new aspects of the religion to suit his needs.   Daniel Minguez offers a thorough inspection: â€Å"This examination implies that one may rely upon an iteration of Christianity with the same confidence of its truth as one may rely upon their own guesswork at the workings of the universe†¦ It shows that Christianity is just as effective without the accepted dogma of the Catholic or Protestant church and renders the text as inconsequential to the enactment of Christianity itself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Minguez 9) The Christian minister offers a distorted and absurd version of the religion. He makes additions to the religion with little regard for its supposed sanctity despite having been well educated. By doing so, he strips Christianity, in addition to all religion, of its credibility. Religion and science are used as vehicles to pursue a deeper question regarding humanity: what is the purpose of life? The world inhabited by humans is mysterious, unpredictable, and ultimately meaningless. The characters in Cat’s Cradle are in search of purpose and meaning. In an attempt to find such, they supplement religion and science for true understanding. Bokononism and science strive to create meaning and purpose for the lives their followers. Bokononists believe â€Å"†¦that humanity is organized into teams, teams that do God’s Will without ever discovering what they are doing. Such a team is called a karass†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Vonnegut 2). This is the stated purpose of Bokononism: to carry out God’s will. Though Bokononism does not explicitly condemn the attempt to understand God, it merely states that â€Å"such investigations are bound to be incomplete† (Vonnegut 4). One cannot understand or comprehend God: I once knew an Episcopalian lady in Newport, Rhode Island, who asked me to design and build a doghouse for her Great Dane. The lady claimed to understand God and His Ways of Working perfectly. She could not understand why anyone should be puzzled about what had been or about what was going to be. And yet, when I showed her a blueprint of the doghouse I proposed to build, she said to me,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m sorry, but I never could read one of those things.† â€Å"Give it to your husband or your minister to pass it on to God,† I said, â€Å"and, when God finds a minute, I’m sure he’ll explain this doghouse of mine in a way that even you could understand.† She fired me. I shall never forget her. She believed that God liked people in sailboats much better than He liked people in motorboats. She could not bear to look at a worm. When she saw a worm, she screamed. She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is Doing. (Vonnegut 4) This does little to satisfy m an’s natural desire to know and understand his environment because â€Å"†¦any invented sense-making system is continually disproved by man’s immediate experience of the world, and the arbitrariness of events perpetually defeats any system of alleged causalities† (Bloom 91). Man must learn to accept such a situation: Tiger got to hunt, Bird got to fly; Man got to sit and wonder, â€Å"Why, why, why?† Tiger got to sleep, Bird got to land; Man got to tell himself he understand. (Vonnegut 182) In man’s attempt to create meaning, he may weave fiction to appease his desire for purpose, though such systems are deemed invalid. It is man’s responsibility to forge purpose and meaning for one’s existence. Vonnegut’s writings in Cat’s Cradle show that truth is not innately positive, and that lies are the opposite. Science, sharing an intimate relation to truth and knowledge, is the source of significant regression and damage to humanity in the form of the nuclear bomb and ice-nine. The atom bomb produces suffering, death, and environmental damage on an unprecedented scale, while ice-nine utterly annihilates all life on the planet. On the other hand, the fabricated religion of Bokononism, while founded on falsehoods, brings hope to the otherwise hopeless. It creates a veil to mask the otherwise unavoidable reality of life on the barren island of San Lorenzo. Bokononism and science are used by their followers to create meaning and purpose in their lives. This leads to the final conclusion that it is ultimately up to man to create meaning for an otherwise meaningless existence. Works Cited Allen, William R., ed. Conversations with Kurt Vonnegut. Jackson: University of Mississippi, 2001. Print. Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Interpretations: Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle. Broomall: Haights Cross Communications, 2002. Print. Marvin, Thomas F. Kurt Vonnegut: A Critical Companion. Westport: Greenwood, 2002. Print. Minguez, Daniel. â€Å"Cat’s Cradle: The Apocalypse of Human Thought.† OxyScholar. Occidental College, 1 Apr. 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. Tomedi, John. Great Writers: Kurt Vonnegut. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2004. Print.