Fast Food Nation - 1032 Words

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Tutorial: â€Å"What’s in the meat† – Meat and potatoes Overview: A look into how the meat is prepared. What is in the meat that we don’t know about but still consume. How consumers love it because it’s cheap, quick and easy. Processing of meat, errors associated with the process of beef and chicken. Image Analysis: An effective image employs specific techniques to relay its purpose. This image of 6 year old Alex Donley uses the following techniques to influence the reader or viewers perception of the chapter. Framing, layout, colour, symbols and focus are all crucial aspects of the image. The image is a mid shot of the child’s face, resembling an individual school photo. His expression is relaxed,†¦show more content†¦More than two thirds of those hamburgers were bought at fast food restaurants. And children between the ages of seven and thirteen ate more hamburgers than anyone else.† p.198. A bug that kills children †¢ E. Coli is both a necessary bacteria in the human digestive tract and a very harmful toxin †¢ The effects of the E. coli toxin are can be mild diahorrea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and low grade fever. †¢ E. coli bacteria affects children and the elderly along with people with weak immune systems. †¢ â€Å"I would have done anything to save my son’s life, I would have run in front of a bus to save Alex.† p. 200. All we care to pay †¢ Because fast food is so cheap and accessible, the risks associated with it’s consumption are far from our minds because of the minimal cost. †¢ â€Å"The use of chemicals such as borax and glycerine to disguise the smell of spoiled beef...† p. 204. A matter of will †¢ The only way this issue can be resolved is if the fast food companies are willing to take the initiative to minimise the spread of disease. †¢ Every...manager attend a food safety course, that every refrigerated delivery truck have a record keeping thermometer mounted inside it...† p. 208. A lack of recall †¢ By the time food is recalled, it is too late as most of it has already been consumed and the recalls are voluntary. †¢ â€Å"the company made no effort to warn the public or to recall the frozen patties...† Our friend the atom †¢ The sub chapterShow MoreRelatedFast Food Nation1487 Words   |  6 PagesThe Changing of the Food Industry â€Å"In many respects, the fast food industry embodies the best and worst of American capitalism at the start of the twenty-first century – its constant stream of new products and innovations, its widening gulf between gulf between rich and poor† (Schlosser 6). In 2001 Eric Schlosser published â€Å"Fast Food Nation.† Eric Schlosser’s early 21st century muckraking text, â€Å"Fast Food Nation,† attempts to shed light on the consequences of the fast food industry on AmericanRead MoreFast Food Nation1271 Words   |  6 PagesIntro  to  Political  Science 5/12/2013 Fast  Food  Nation The  investigative  journalist,  Eric  Schlosser,  has  written  a  book  to  illuminate  an  epidemic  that started  in  America  and  is  now  becoming  one  of  the  world’s  largest  problems.  In  Fast  Food  Nation, Schlosser  frames  today’s  Fast  Food  giants  in  history,American  entrepreneurialism,  and  over consumption  in  respect  to  consumer  and  employee  wellbeing.  The  power  of  all  modern  Fast  Food giants  combined  have  eclipsed  the  power  of  any  one  government.  Marketing  has  become  a  keyRead MoreFast Food Nation1133 Words   |  5 PagesFast Food Nation Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser, is a stark and unrelenting look into the fast food industry that has ingrained itself in not only American culture, but in culture around the world. There is almost no place on earth that the golden arches has not entered. Aside from Antarctica, there is a McDonalds on every continent, and the number of countries that have fast food restaurants is growing on a daily basis. Schlosser describes in detail what happens behind the scenes, beforeRead MoreFast Food Nation2536 Words   |  11 PagesDialectical Journal – Fast Food Nation 1. â€Å"Hundreds of millions of people buy fast food every day without giving it much thought, unaware of the subtle and not so subtle ramifications of their purchases. They rarely consider where this food came from, how it was made, what it is doing to the community around them. They just grab their tray off the counter, find a table, take a seat, unwrap the paper, and dig in† (Schlosser 10). In this passage from the introduction, Eric Schlosser directly statesRead MoreFast Food Nation Examines The History Of The Fast Food1847 Words   |  8 PagesFast Food Nation examines the history of the fast food industry as the world began to consume the idea of quick and easy cuisine. This piece of investigative journalism really gives it s readers a look at the fast food industry and its development over time. This book is divided into two sections. The first section delves into the beginnings of the industry and how it developed into the large corporational business it is today. Th e second section examines the business behind the scenes. The bookRead MoreExamples Of Rhetorics In Fast Food Nation1038 Words   |  5 Pagesvery effective or ineffective at persuading an audience. This is seen in Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation in which he uses the three rhetoric tenets to better assure his claim of fast food but also use the rhetoric tenets ineffectively in an argument. By using these rhetorical ideas, his writing is very persuasive at points but also left unsuccessful at other times. The use of ethos in Fast Food Nation is seen many times to help Schlosser appeal as credible and trustworthy while ensuring thatRead MoreFast Food Nation: The Inconvenient Truth of Fast Food Essay572 Words   |  3 Pages ‘Fast Food Nation’ by Eric Schlosser traces the history of fast food industry from old hot dog stands to the billion dollar franchise companies established as America spread its influence of quick, easy and greasy cuisine around the globe. It is a brilliant piece of investigative journalism that looks deep into the industries that have profited from the American agriculture business, while engaging in labor practices that are often shameful. In Fast Food Nation, Schlosser goes beyond the factsRead MoreEric Schlossers Fast Food Nation And The Jungle1698 Words   |  7 PagesFast food restaurants exude bright colors, distribute meals with toys, and create a sense of happiness, but what truly goes on behind the scenes of this magical industry? In Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation and Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, the authors use similar rhetorical strategies to reveal the motives and unconventional practices of the food industry. Schlosser conveys his purpose through the utilization of pathos, ethos, anecdotes and imagery as compared to Sinclair who uses historical referencesRead MoreFast Food Nation Essay804 Words   |  4 Pagesstudy called â€Å"Fast Food Nation 2008. The panel consisted of 1,000 respondents of ages 16-65 who provided their inputs with an online survey which was conducted between March 13 through 2008. Which was based on results on fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King , and Wendy’s are gaining popularity even through the economic hardship and recession. Marketing strategy has become more of influence on kids and young American’s. As population grows and the demand increases of fast food restaurantsRead MoreFast Food Nation By Eric Schlosser1678 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Congress should ban advertising that preys upon children, it should stop subsidizing dead-end jobs, it should pass tougher food safety laws, it should protect American workers from serious harm, it should fight against dangerous concentrations of economic power (Schlosser). People must wonder how is it that a fast food company has so much customers. Advertising is the answer. The power advertisers have to be able to influence so many people s decisions and affect people’s lives especially the lives

The Art Of The Folk - 1699 Words

The Art of the Folk: Jazz, Blues, Folktales, Dance: The Harlem Renaissance During the nineteenth- mid-twentieth century, folk became very popular and widely known within the nation. Folk is considered the ordinary citizens of a public or district considered as the agents of a conventional lifestyle and particularly as the originators or bearers of the traditions, convictions, and expressions that make up an unmistakable culture. When people started to realize, their potential and become open to the public about their abilities, the art of the folk begun to suddenly become more diverse. It became diverse in jazz, blues, folktales, and dance; some of the major aspects that caused todays music to be what it is in the twenty first century.†¦show more content†¦Jazz has no impediments, no course of music. Jazz is extemporization, and an approach to express happiness and passion. Jazz became very popular around the world. New Orleans was the one place where the stunning and uncov ering jazz style advanced. Jazz became so advanced that other artists noticed that each instrument that was played had a different sound that could attract to the soul. The instruments were, cornet, clarinet, trombone, tuba or bass, piano, banjo, and drums (wordpress.com). These instruments turned into a splendid arrangement underscoring free additionally pleasingly synchronized music lines. Jazz was very influential in the music industry. Charlie Parker one of the greatest musicians of all times once said, â€Å"Master your instrument, master the music, then forget all that and just play.† (Parker 2.) During the Harlem Renaissance jazz became an outlet on how African Americans expressed their feelings without words. It became the reason as to why we have blues, and other famous types of artistic expression. Blues, on the other hand is considered the sibling of Jazz and of the Harlem Renaissance era. Blues is a vital sort of music. Most music that you hear today has some type of recreation of the blues. The blues created a way for the music that we have today. Without blues there would not be any hip hop, rap, pop, R and B or gospel. Blues is likewise critical for African American culture. African Americans were additionally the general population who beganShow MoreRelatedWhen visiting the McKissick Museum I was engrossed by the American Folk Art, ceramic Face Jugs,600 Words   |  3 PagesWhen visiting the McKissick Museum I was engrossed by the American Folk Art, ceramic Face Jugs, also known as ugly or grotesque jugs. There are gaps in the history in regards to how the face jugs were made, what they were used for, and the meaning of the face vessel pottery. However it is believed that these vessels were original, useful, creative expressions of the African slave culture of the time created as early as the seventeenth century. Few artists of face jugs have been identified and theirRead MoreArt And Culture Of Mexico1304 Words   |  6 Pages I visited the National Museum of Mexican Art to find out more about the art and culture of Mexico. An interesting exhibit found in the museum is called Nuestra Historias: Stories of Mexican Identity from the Permanent Collection. The exhibit displays various artworks from the 18th through the 20th century. The purpose of the exhibit is to show how the Mexican identity has been altered throughout time and different regions. After the Mexican Revolution, modern Mexican artists were significant figuresRead MoreThe Culture Of Folk Culture863 Words   |  4 Pagessmaller communities is considered folk culture. Though, most of the legends, jokes, and myths told from these specific families in past generations die off, accustoming to the specific events that are occurring today. This is recognized as popular culture or â€Å"po p culture†; appealing to a larger and more general audience. The creation of a certain type of culture, including â€Å"pop culture,† must have a starting place whereas in this case its mother is folk culture. Folk culture reveals the strength andRead MoreThe Taj Mahal or The Golden Temple820 Words   |  3 PagesTABLE OF CONTENTS Painted Art 1 History 1 Murals and Miniatures 1 Folk and Tribal Art 1 Religious Art 1 Christian Art 1 Buddhist Art 2 Islamic Art 2 Architectural Art 2 Taj Mahal 2 The Golden Temple 2 Humayun’s Tomb 2 Festivals 3 Dance 3 Theater 3 Music 3 India has some of the world’s greatest arts. For example the Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple, and Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. In India, art is expressed in many different forms. India has one of the world’s largest collections of songs, musicRead MoreSikh and Punjabi1563 Words   |  7 Pagesregion of  Majha,  [6]  centralizing in  Lahore  and  Amritsar. Along with  Lahnda  and  Western Pahari  languages, Punjabi is unusual among modern Indo-European languages because it is  a tonal language. Different Art forms in Punjab GATKA (MARSHAL ART OF PUNJAB) Gatka  (à ¨â€"à ¨ ¤Ã  ¨â€¢Ã  ¨ ¾)  is a weapon-based Indian Marshal art created by the  Sikhs of the Punjab. The Punjabi word  gatka  refers to the wooden stick used in sparring matches. The term might have originated as a diminutive of the Sanskrit   word  gadha or mace.  A moreRead More Hungarian Peasant and Folk Music Essay1562 Words   |  7 PagesHungarian Peasant and Folk Music I. General confusion about Hungarian folk music. Gypsy music Peasant music - the real Hungarian folk music - is not Gypsy music. Peasant music certainly had influence on the songs and playing of gypsies who lived in Hungary and performed in ensembles, though. Gypsy music used to be the basis of all generalizations about Hungarian music. It was Ferenc Liszts monumental error to state that Gypsy music is the creation of gypsies. The so called gypsy scale pointsRead MoreTaking a Look at Natyasastra674 Words   |  3 Pageslack of interest of folk and illiterate people. Sanskrit theatre became Brahminical and elitist. Folk theatre is the next prominent theatre after Sanskrit theatre. Bharata in Natyasastra has also acknowledged the existence of so many folk forms of theatre even in those days. Many scholars believe that both forms of theatres begin simultaneously and Sanskrit theatre was popular among higher class of the society while folk theatre was popular among villages and lower class people. Folk theatre usuallyRead MoreDefining the Humanities Essay1179 Words   |  5 Pagesmusic was an expression of what I know about the humanities, art, style, genius, and culture from the 60s. I will also discuss how the music of the 60s compares with other forms I know about from the same period. One of the definitions of humanities, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is â€Å"Those branches of knowledge, such as philosophy, literature, and art, that are concerned with human thought and culture; the liberal arts.† Culture is a big part of humanities. Culture, as definedRead MoreNegro Spirituals1624 Words   |  7 PagesNegro Spirituals Spirituals, a religious folk song of American origin, particularly associated with African-American Protestants of the southern United States. The African-American spiritual, characterized by syncopation, polyrhythmic structure, and the pentatonic scale of five whole tones, is, above all, a deeply emotional song. Spirituals are really the most characteristic product of the race genius as yet in America. But the very elements which make them uniquely expressive of the Negro make themRead MoreEssay on Negro Spirituals1630 Words   |  7 Pages Negro Spirituals Spirituals, a religious folk song of American origin, particularly associated with African-American Protestants of the southern United States. The African-American spiritual, characterized by syncopation, polyrhythmic structure, and the pentatonic scale of five whole tones, is, above all, a deeply emotional song. Spirituals are really the most characteristic product of the race genius as yet in America. But the very elements which make them uniquely expressive of the Negro make

Management of Organization Sports and Fashion Brands

Question: Discuss about theManagement of Organization for Sports and Fashion Brands. Answer: Introduction Sports direct started as a single store located in Maidenhead, which was founded by mike Ashley in the year 1982. Eventually, the company has not only became the largest sports retailer as far as the revenue and profit is concerned but also owns a huge number of lifestyle, sports and fashion brands that are famous worldwide. They have around 420 stores in the United Kingdom. out of the 420 stores, majority of them under the trademark of Sportsdirect.com. The premium lifestyles division currently operates in 130 stores in the United Kingdom and the stores operate under the trademarks of USC, Flannels, Van Mildert and Cruise (Sportsdirect.com 2016). The international presence of Sports Direct is also commendable. Sports Direct has retails store that is entirely owned by them, joint ventures with various retailers and have their products in stores that are owned by other retailers. In the 19 European countries, there are 270 stores of Sports Direct. It is evident that sports industry has experienced an increasing growth from past few decades. Especially, the European countries have expressed a considerable interest towards the sports programs. This has opened up the opportunities for the sports brands to expand the business by penetrating in target market. Due to the tremendous performance of Sports Direct, it has gained strong market presence around the globe. One of the major principles of the organization is to meet the potential needs of the sports lover and design the products. In addition, the brand has enormous reputation of applying innovation in its products and services. However, the strategy of Sports Direct is not to stop and keep on growing and developing. The current strategy of Sports Direct is to expand in the EEA countries in the coming three to five years (Markets.ft.com 2016). The marketing strategy of sport direct is not limited to the brick and mortar stores. Their online presence is also strong and they deliver the products to the doorstep of the individuals. The mission and vision of Sports Direct is to become the leading lifestyle and sports retailer in the market of the United Kingdom as well as internationally. Sports Direct aims at sustainable growth of the shareholders by delivering the customers with high quality products and products of the leading brands (sportsdirectplc.com 2016). They aim to grow by increasing their efficiency, effectiveness and the capacity of the operations to satisfy the customers. The mission statement of Sports Direct is to provide customers with high quality sports clothes and equipments at an affordable price and give unmatched customer service (the Guardian 2016). Some of the values of sports direct are: To work as a single team Plan for future success Strive to lead in the business as well as help in energizing other people Do things in ethical manner Create a good impression on the customers as well as in the market Satisfying the customers Deliver proper results The values of the company and then development of the employees has helped in high performance of the company and high reward for the company that has helped in achieving success for the organization. Self-Reflection The completion of the report gave me an enormous satisfaction as I have gained the opportunity to gain knowledge regarding each aspect of the sports industry. I have also observed that sports industry has increasingly been developing since the demands of sports programs are increasing rapidly. I have understood how the marketers utilize the opportunities of the markets that have high demand. While focusing on the strategies implemented by the sports brands, I have pointed out that sports brands tend to implement the changing trends of peoples life style. In addition, another significant aspect I have found out that is the application of the innovation in its products and services. By applying innovation in the products and services, the sports brands effectively meet the changing needs of the customers. However, the current scenario of each industry indicate that organizations have started embracing the trends of innovation to access the large market within short time to meet the dem ands of the customers. Notwithstanding, I have realized sports brands are still now able to penetrate in the market through the trends of e-commerce. Lastly, a secondary research on the current topic would have increased my knowledge to a greater extent. By completing the project, I have developed my observation skills that I could utilize further in my academic studies. Conclusion On the conclusion of the report, it can further be added that sports industry is one of the growing industries. Thus, the sports brands have got the rush to develop and innovate the products and services. In addition, there is an increasing competition among the sports brands due to the growing demands of the sports programs. Therefore, the large sports brands like Sports Direct have utilized the innovative marketing strategies like applying innovation in its products and services. The core strategy of developing the products with current trends of fashion helps the organization best meets the needs of customers. Lastly, it can be added that innovative strategies could help the organization to access vast market within short time with best investment strategies. References Markets.ft.com. 2016.Sports Direct International PLC, SPD:LSE summary - FT.com. [online] Available at: https://markets.ft.com/data/equities/tearsheet/summary?s=SPD:LSE [Accessed 4 Sep. 2016]. Sportsdirect.com, 2016.About Us | SportsDirect.com. [online] Sportsdirect.com. Available at: https://www.sportsdirect.com/customerservices/otherinformation/aboutus [Accessed 4 Sep. 2016]. sportsdirectplc.com, 2016.Annual Report Accounts 2016. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.sportsdirectplc.com/~/media/Files/S/Sports-Direct/annual-report/2016-annual-report-accounts.pdf [Accessed 4 Sep. 2016]. the Guardian, 2016.Sports Direct International | Business | The Guardian. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/sports-direct-international [Accessed 4 Sep. 2016].

Short Biography of Django Reinhardt free essay sample

The Hardships and Upcoming of Dagon Reinhardt Dagon Reinhardt once said Jazz attracted me because in it I found a formal perfection and instrumental precision that I admire in classical music, but which popular music doesnt have. Reinhardt had worked very, very hard to get to the peak of his career. His life was like a story In the genre of Rags to Riches because he wasnt born with the best of beginnings, but he still accomplished the Impossible and became the first Important European Jazz musicals, still known by musicians today.Dagon was born, as Jean Reinhardt In Liberties, Pont-a-Cells, Belgium on January 23rd 1910, Into a poor family. HIS father Is Jean Eugene Weiss (also goes by the alias of Jean-Baptists Reinhardt) and his mother Is Laurence Reinhardt. Dagon In Romania language means to awake. In his early childhood Jean lived In Romania (Gypsy) encampments close to Pans. We will write a custom essay sample on Short Biography of Django Reinhardt or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He was also very attracted to music at an early age. A funny fact is that his first instrument was that he actually played the violin first despite that hell become best- known for the guitar.He received his first quit « as a gift when he was twelve years old, specifically it was a banjo-guitar. He quickly learned how to play without any tutoring; Dagon learned through watching other musicians play and copying their fingerings. At the age of thirteen he was able to make a living off of playing music, but the consequence for that was that he received very little education and he only learned reading and writing in his adult life.When he was 18 there was a fire that injured him. His right leg, fourth and fifth fingers were paralyzed because of this, and even though two of his most important engineers were paralyzed he still sought out to relearn the way of the guitar with only 2 fingers. He discovered Jazz and traded his banjo-guitar in for a Seller Guitar between 1929 and 1933. Between 1934 and the start of World War 2 (1939), Dagon toured the united Kingdoms with his quintet.After the world war he toured the united States; he was a great success, however, the more popular bands didnt really cooperate with him. In 1947, he returned to France, but It was difficult for him to adapt to modern life. He was very popular and he had many sold out concerts, but he often skipped out on hem and did other things Like wandering off to the beach, to the park, sleep, etc. HIS fans, bands, and managers considered him extremely unpredictable.He retired in 1951, but he still loved music so he continued to play In clubs. After his retirement he started learning how to play the electric guitar. Using this, Dagon new style he created was short lived because, in 1953, when he was walking home from playing in a Paris club, he collapsed from brain hemorrhage. It took a full day for doctors to arrive because it was a Saturday and he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Sourcing Sound and Image

Sound and image are the elements that often complete each other. When there is not enough of imagery, the acoustic elements add the atmosphere, and vice versa Sourcing Sound and Image is the project that perfected it. Making the visuals blend with the sounds in the background, it creates a fantastic cadence of imagery and sound. Taking a closer look at some specimen of the genre, one can possibly tell why these unusual artworks are so mesmerizing.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sourcing Sound and Image specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Speaking of Wolniak’s Flash Art, one must mention that the images, with all their abruptness, remind of the SOS signal; however, with the soothing buzzing sound in the background, the whole artwork of life and death. Perhaps, it is the simplicity of the idea and its meaningfulness that makes Flash Art an artwork one cannot shift the eyes from. Another peculiar masterpiece, L ightning Field by Rudy Lemke makes one see the whole idea of Sourcing Sound and Image from a different perspective. The image of black and white stripes shape shifting is something that can put even an insomniac to sleep; however, the music that follows creates the atmosphere of something being about to happen, which makes the whole artwork rather threatening. Van McElwee attempted to approach the same issue from a different angle as well, displaying footage of images sinking in white noise, and offering a corresponding soundtrack. Disturbing and unusual, the work leads the viewer into the depth of the subconscious and turns the process of watching into unceasing guesswork. On the contrary, Vitiello offers rather vague images combined with a heavy melody that jumps from the background into the front. Creating the impression of something dangerous approaching, the composition is a triumph of merging a sound and an image into a single entity. Like a dashed line, it charms the viewer i nto watching, yet at the same time makes the audience remain on alert, intrigued and waiting for something to happen. In the given case, the sound and the video are not fully corresponding, yet they perfectly supplement each other. As for Lemcke’s Waterlilies, the footage stands out from the rest of the works; unlike the rest of the compositions, it does not contain a neurotic element that sends shivers down the viewer’s spine immediately; on the contrary, it is much like the Flash Art, with its soothing and relaxing effect. In addition, the shape shifting images create the impression of something elusive.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, Brilliant Noise by Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt is one of those artworks that immediately send the audience into the realm of their own fantasies. With the image of a solar eclipse and a weird, alien-like melody in the background, the whole video makes the audience believe that they have entered the sci-fi territory. Therefore, it is clear that the specific art owes a lot of its charm to the specific way the sounds and the imagery are combined. In addition, the succession of the elements is crucial for the perception of the artwork as well – these are the sharp changes of the images together with the noise in the background that create the unique feeling of witnessing something grandeur. While both the images and the sounds are sharp and abrupt, they create a pattern that thrills the viewer into paying attention. Works Cited Jarman, Ruth and J. Gerhardt. Brilliant Noise. 2006. Web. Lemcke, Rudy. Lightning Field. 2003. Web. Lemcke, Rudy. Watrelilies. 2003. Web. McElwee, Van. Radio Island. 1997. Web. Vitiello, Stephen. Light Readings. 2003. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sourcing Sound and Image specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wo lniak, Scott. Flash Art (Circles and Rectangles). 2010. Web. This essay on Sourcing Sound and Image was written and submitted by user L10nel to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet Essays

What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet Essays What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet Paper What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet Paper The past a few years saw the boom and bust of the Internet sector, which is perhaps one of the most dramatic business events for several decades. Shutdowns of Internet companies more than doubled in 2001. However, based on a conservative estimate, only at most ten percent of significant Internet companies have shut down or declared bankruptcy. With the burst of the Internet bubble, people now are becoming more rational. Internet has become an important part of business and government, and less a part of frenzied speculation. Electronic commerce, which covers a much broader scope than mere Internet companies, has been penetrating our life to various degrees. It is no longer time to consider whether it should get involved in our existence but time to examine its implications and so as to make it bring positive changes to us. This paper provides an overview of e-commerce and an analysis of the opportunities and challenges for the world, especially the developing countries. Emphasis is placed on the evaluation of trade-related issues. Electronic Commerce Defined Kevin Kelly, the author of New Rules for the New Economy, describes the new business landscape, It is global. It favors intangible things ideas, information, and relationships. And it is intensely interlinked. These three attributes produce a new type of marketplace and society, one that is rooted in ubiquitous electronic networks. That is, the New Economy has been transformed by digital technology in the postindustrial period. Value creation for customers has shifted from physical goods to an economy that favors service, information, and intelligence as the primary sources of value creation. E-commerce may be understood in a broad sense or a narrow sense. The former refers to all the business activities (like buying, selling, and other transactions) that are conducted via communication and business technologies. By this definition, a transaction may be done through telephone, fax, credit card, TV shopping, and the Internet. A narrow sense of definition for e-commerce is different, which refers only to the Internet-based business activities. What we are discussing here is related to the latter kind, i. e. business activities conducted with the help of Internet. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), electronic commerce is the production, advertising, sale and distribution of products via telecommunication networks. It includes: 1) the searching stage where producers and consumers, or buyers and sellers, first interact; 2) the ordering and payment stage once a transaction has been agreed upon; and 3) the delivery stage. In addition, the member states of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have agreed on a working definition of e-commerce: the networks over which E-commerce activities are carried out (Internet or others), the specific business processes related to e-commerce and the different actors involved (businesses, households or Governments). Economically speaking, e-commerce is a cheap way, by connecting computers everywhere, to carry out those activities which used to cost so much time and money from businesses. All those actions like product promotion, invoicing of merchandise, inventory control, communication with suppliers and customers, etc. can be accomplished over the Internet. With the help of Internet, your communication with your boss or employees two thousand kilometers away is as convenient and efficient as if you were in the same city. The market used to leave too little room for small businesses. However, things are different for the e-commerce. In e-commerce, so long as the business, no matter it is big or small, can move onto the electronic highway, you just go ahead with your business. It is up to the e-commerce consumers to decide which company they like and what products they would like to buy. In a way we may say that e-commerce has brought a revolution to businesses in an all-round way. Unfortunately, up to now, quite a number of companies have not yet realized the significance of e-commerce, not to speak of taking real steps to meet the challenge. Advantages E-commerce has opened an enormous market for all businesses. More and more companies have started doing business on/via the Internet. In Canada, one out of ten companies sold goods and services on the Internet in 1999. The total value for the customer orders received over the Internet was $4. 4 billion (with or without online payment). At present, according to Toronto research firm International Data Corp. the Internet business has grew to a total of US$ 435 billion worldwide by the year 2002. What business owners are mostly concerned about is in what way they can benefit from doing e-business over the Internet, which sounds quite reasonable and understandable. Actually, once you set up a store on the Internet, you have expanded your market to the whole world, which is beyond the customs tariff or the political influence. Although not all visitors to your Net store will ever do any shopping at your store, you should try your best to win them over by your marketing strategies. In fact, what you do for your products/services promotion on the Internet is only a supplementary effort to and not a replacement of your traditional ways of promotion. By your careful designing, consumers are encouraged to become more involved with your products or services. It is highly necessary for e-commerce to think of some special programs. Like the traditional way of building consumers loyalty, companies on the Net may practice the membership reward programs. Many consumers are interested in programs like Frequent Buyers, Point Accumulation or Free Internet Access offered by the credit card companies/banks, airlines, or bookstores. There are a number of ways to conduct B2B transactions online. Ever since the late 1960s, big companies have been doing business on the standardized electronic forms by using EDI. The traditional one-to-one transaction model has been gradually renewed with the advent of Internet: sellers sell directly from their websites; almost all computer-related companies have their own stores on the Net; and some smart virtual marketplaces attempt to bring both sellers and buyers together in one place. It is not hard for us to see that Internet has brought more vitality to the business transactions. Disadvantages of E-commerce As you begin to write your first column in the electronic commerce series, you realize that some business processes may never lend themselves to electronic commerce. For example, unique and high-cost items, such as jewelry or antiques, may continue to be difficult to inspect from a remote location. Most of the disadvantages of electronic commerce today, however, stem from the newness and rapidly developing pace of the underlying technologies. These disadvantages will disappear as electronic commerce matures and becomes more available to and accepted by the general population. Many products and services require that a critical mass of potential buyers be equipped and willing to buy via the Internet. Another example of a technology problem on the Web today is that the color settings on computer monitors vary widely. Clothing retailers find it difficult to give customers an accurate idea of what a products color will look like when it arrives. Most online clothing stores will send a fabric swatch on request, which also gives the customer a sense of the fabrics texture. As technology improves, this disadvantage will become less of an issue. Businesses often calculate their potential profits before committing to any new technology. These calculations have been difficult to perform for investments in electronic commerce because the costs and benefits have been hard to quantify. Technology costs can change dramatically during electronic commerce implementation products (processes) because the technologies can change so rapidly. Many firms have trouble recruiting and retaining employees with the technological, design, and business process skills needed to create an effective electronic commerce presence. Another problem facing firms that want to do business on the Internet is the difficulty of integrating existing databases and transaction-processing software designed for traditional commerce into the software that enables electronic commerce. In addition to the technology and software issues, many businesses face cultural and legal impediments to electronic commerce. Some consumers are still afraid to send their credit card numbers over the Internet. Other consumers are simply resistant to change and are uncomfortable viewing merchandise on a computer screen rather than in person. The legal environment in which electronic commerce is conducted is full of unclear and conflicting laws. In many cases, government regulators have not kept up with technologies. Laws that govern commerce were written when signed documents were a reasonable expectation in any business transaction. As more businesses and individuals find the benefits of electronic commerce to be compelling, many of these technology- and culture-related disadvantages will disappear. Values that Electronic Commerce Creates Electronic commerce creates value by vastly lowering the cost of transferring many types of information, on a one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many basis. On the demand side, the advantages are improved information about the available goods and services, improved access to them as well as more customization that matches the taste of the buyers. On the supply side, electronic commerce can streamline transaction processes and reduce cost. When Cisco Systems replaced its phone and fax ordering process with online ordering, the company saved more than half a billion dollars and reduced error rates from 25% to 2%. Study also shows that there is a lot of cost savings in delivery directly to the home rather than doing so through a store. Internet makes the time when transactions take place flexible, a very important feature in a global economy with different time zones. Thus 24-hour online banking service has brought much convenience at low cost both to the banks and the customers. E-commerce also enables better matching of buyers and sellers, which means more transaction volume and higher market efficiency. In addition, e-commerce has created opportunities for brand new products and industries. Examples are Internet appliances, such Palm Pilots, and Internet-based services, such as PC-to-Phone calls. Moreover, e-commerce creates new markets where preciously transaction and coordination costs were prohibitively high. New View Technologies, formerly known as eSteel. com, aggregates steel producers and purchases from around the world into a single online marketplace. On the macroeconomic level, it is widely recognized that e-commerce, both B2C and B2B models, reduces overall transaction cost, allocates resources better, increases economies of scale and improves the competitiveness of business in general. Despite some existing murkiness, recent studies show that e-commerce does have a positive impact on national growth of productivity and GDP. It is expected that European countries will catch up quickly with the United States, and developing countries, with a certain degree of preparedness, could also converge in productivity with the leading e-commerce countries. Prerequisites of Electronic Commerce The benefits of being integrated in e-commerce look inviting, especially in trade-related issues. But in order to reap these benefits, there are many prerequisites. First, the implementation of e-commerce needs sufficient technologies and infrastructures of computer and telecommunication, whose development is ever accelerating. Countries should have reached a certain stage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) development so that the buyers and suppliers can actually materialize the possibility of conducting e-commerce. Second, electronic commerce also requires the technological and processing capability to make on-line payments and to deliver goods and services to consumers both physically and over the Internet. The appropriate development of financial services and logistics is also an indispensable part of the e-commerce. Despite its prevalence in certain sectors and regions, e-commerce is still in its infancy. There is urgent need, both on the national and international levels, for the establishment of standards, regulations and laws to create an environment of certainty, trust and security of the purchase and sales, as well as for the conveyance and use of information provided online. What E-commerce Means to Developing Countries? E-commerce is unique in its great capacity to go beyond the boundaries of time, space and information. An OECD study shows that there is a linkage between the openness of an economy and ICT spending. Trade in the goods and services are facilitated by the dissemination of ICTs. Countries where ICT spending has increased sharply usually also have sharp growth in trade. Therefore, given its immense effect on international trade as well as investment, e-commerce influences the development and globalization processes of the world. To meet the prerequisites of e-commerce requires a great amount of resources and efforts invested over a long period of time, so e-commerce is one more challenge that the developing countries are facing in the era of so-called new economy. In this realm, there is still much to accomplish for the developed countries and the way is probably even longer for the developing countries. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has studied this issue and come up with two scenarios. In Scenario I, the developing countries may be able to skip certain stages of development, jump on the express train of e-commerce and better integrate themselves in the world economy. A 1% productivity growth in the services sector in Asia would result in welfare gains of US$ 12 billion, GDP growth of 0. 4%, a wage increase of 0. 4% and a growth in services exports of between 2% and 3%. Therefore, e-commerce can become an important tool for development and fast catching-up. However, in Scenario II, developing countries might lag further behind technologically. While developed countries will have welfare gains of US$ 117 billion, the developing world as a whole will experience a huge loss in welfare (close to US$ 726 billion) and GDP, reduction in wages and deteriorating terms of trade. E-commerce could hence constitute an additional factor widening the gap between developed and developing countries. For individual countries, the trade effect of e-commerce is two-fold: On the one hand, new demand and market for goods and services has been created and expanded. Tourism industry, an information-intensive industry, is an important employer and foreign currency earner for developing countries. E-commerce can help maintain and improve their comparative advantage over developed country destinations. Although developing countries lack in modern ICT and financial infrastructures, their customers usually come from developed countries where such infrastructures are modern. Therefore, this obstacle is not formidable. With the adoption of e-commerce and other improvements in the business, the developing countries can reach their customers more directly with more comprehensive and flexible tourism products, reducing and/or eliminating the cost associated with a chain of intermediaries. As a result, the tourist industry of developing countries can become more competitive. E-commerce also makes it possible for consultancy type work such as software development and support to be carried out in the developing countries where consultants are employed to serve customers abroad. This means the sale of services in which the developing country has a comparative advantage (relatively low labor cost), which has not been fully utilized because of restrictions on the movement of natural persons. Microsoft has just moved its Global Technology Engineering Center to China. This is a net benefit to the exporting country in terms of income, retained earnings and employment. On the other hand, sectors that have been shielded from international competition will now be challenged by foreign producers. This might create serious problems for the developing countries, at least in the short term. In various WTO agreements, they have been granted special treatment for a certain period of time so that their domestic industries will not be overwhelmed all at once. With the advent of the e-commerce, it has to be determined what degree of openness is optimal so that the countries can gain from efficiency rather than suffer from the by-effects such as threats to national security and sovereignty as well as unemployment. Over the past decade, the regions with the highest annual growth in goods and services exports were Latin America, North America and Asia, whose shares of world exports also rose, while those of Europe, the Middle East and Africa declined. Africa posted the lowest export growth rate (at 1% per year). The most dynamic regions in terms of exports were also the most dynamic in terms of imports, reflecting a better integration into trade. This shows that although trade has increased in every region of the world, not all regions have benefited equally from the dissemination of trade as a result of new economy, where e-commerce plays a major part. E-commerce helps enhance global economic integration because the new opportunities that it creates bring in certain countries that have previously been left out. For example, www. EthioGift. om is selling Very big sheep- a 35 KG Sheep for Your Familys Feast ($97), featuring a photo (with zoom view) of an attractive brown and white ovine. This Ethiopia-based website is a model of its kind an e-commerce venture based in a developing country doing a booming business with clients in the industrialized world. However, without the necessary infrastructure and technology to connect them in the network of e-commerce, the most disadvantaged countries are threatened with even greater exclusion from trade and investment flows. Africas regression in international trade statistics proves that the digital divide does exist. According to OECD, some countries exclusion is made even more visible by the digital divide. However, the number of those excluded has been dropping steadily thanks to the new technologies. Although it appears that the developing countries have an interest in trading ICT products, the inequality of access to the new technologies is blatant. As long as this inequality persists, the problem cannot be totally solved. Therefore, the impact of e-commerce has two sides. Although its overall impact on the world is positive, we cannot assume that, for any single country under current conditions, the net effect of e-commerce is positive, too. Since e-commerce seems an irreversible trend, measures must be taken to make it work better and fairer for each player. Such efforts shall come both internationally and domestically.

Living Longer than Expected Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Living Longer than Expected - Essay Example The main reason life expectancy has increased is the improvement in medicine in general, with particular emphasis on the development of brand-new drugs during the 20th Century, namely antibiotics. The influence of these remarkable drugs can be summed up in a single fact: more people are saved in a single year from antibiotics than the c.100,000,000 who were killed in wars during the whole of the Twentieth Century (Cooter, 2002). Ironically, the final push towards the development of antibiotics occurred because of the mortality rates from infections within soldiers during the worst of those wars, WWII (Cooter, 2002). Together with the development of antibiotics to treat infections, another whole class of drugs - vaccinations, were developed and perfected during the century. One of the worst killers of previous centuries had been tuberculosis, By the middle of the century it was virtually a fading memory in much of the developed world because of the invention and perfection of a simple, safe vaccine (Bloom, 2002. Together with other vaccinations a whole host of deadly diseases were virtually wiped out, ensuring far more children survived into the relatively healthy adult years. Improved sanitation and nutrition also helped to increase life expectancy in the first half of the century. In the last decades of the Twentieth Century the increased efficacy of medicine treating serious diseases from cancer to heart disease has enabled older people to live through conditions that would have previously killed them. Operations such as bypass surgery, transplantation and a whole array of new drugs have increased life-expectancy. While the current "obesity epidemic" (nih, 2006) may slow the increase in life expectancy, it is clear that babies being born today may well have a lifespan approach an average of ninety. This is an extraordinary situation: the doubling of life expectancy over a single century. Present Effects of Increased Longevity The present effects of increased vary from those that are fairly obvious, such as more old people, to those a little more intangible, such as changes in marriage patterns. The effects of increased lifespan on the health industry are profound. While advances in medicine are largely accountable for longevity, the healthcare industry also bears the brunt of the pressures that are created by the changing demographics of its patients. Old people tend to become sick more often, and the nature of their care is also different: Population aging can have an important impact on health expenditures (both public and private) as well as on the optimal design of health care systems. The technologies associated with diseases of the old tend to be more expensive than the technologies associated with diseases of the young. (James, 1999) Also, about 30 of healthcare costs now stem from treatment in the last six months of life (nih, 2006). These were people (often old) who would normally have died in earlier times. Ethical questions regarding