Elevator Pitch

The concept of the Elevator Pitch is borne from the idea that if you met an investor on an elevator and only had 30 seconds to pitch your business, what would it sound like? In fact 30 seconds is about as much attention as you are going to get from an investor to begin with, so thinking in that time frame makes a lot of sense. The formula for the perfect Elevator Pitch involves three ingredients – the Problem, the Solution, and the Market Size. The Problem Every great company starts by solving an important problem.The more accurately you articulate the Problem, the more valuable the Solution will be. Think about how NetFlix. com solved the problem of having to go to the video store in order to rent a movie. No one enjoyed having to travel back and forth to the video store for a rental, nor did they appreciate paying late fees (which we all have done, and hate! ) NetFlix solved the problem of never having to visit a video store to rent a movie and never having to pay late fees again. It was a real problem that everyone could identify with (much to the chagrin of Blockbuster! The Elevator Pitch has three main ingredients: The Problem, The Solution and The Market Size. With only the Problem in hand, our Elevator Pitch would start like this: â€Å"Going to the video store is a pain. People don't like traveling back and forth just to rent a movie and they hate paying late fees even more. † What's important about this explanation of the Problem is that everyone can relate to the problem. The more relate-able the problem, the more likely you are to get someone's attention to it.Think about ways to modify your â€Å"Problem† so that anyone you meet could easily understand it. It’s more important that the problem is relate-able than complicated. Now let's find a solution. The Solution Once you've articulated the Problem your next step is to think about how your Solution fixes that Problem beautifully. Sticking with our NetFlix example, hereâ €™s how we might articulate our Solution: â€Å"NetFlix provides customers with a huge selection of movies that they can order right to their doorstep and never have to pay a single late fee for. Notice how the Solution ties directly back to the pain points of the problem, namely the fact that you don't have to leave your house and you don't have to pay late fees. A good Solution is a direct reflection of the Problem. As a side note, a Solution with no Problem preceding it is a lot less valuable. Take a second look at the Solution for NetFlix above without the Problem before it, and think about how much less exciting that Solution is without understanding the Problem that it solves. The Market SizeSolving the Problem beautifully is nice and all, but if the Market Size of the Problem isn't big enough, you're not likely get investors very excited. The Market Size explains just how big and widespread the market is, which implies how big of a company you can build by solving that p roblem. Investors want to know you're solving a painful problem in a giant market. If you can combine those two factors, you'll generate a lot more interest. Watch what happens when we reduce the size of NetFlix's Market Size by just adding a few words to the Problem: Going to the video store to rent the movie Fletch is a pain. People don't like traveling back and forth just to rent Fletch and they hate paying late fees even more. † We haven't even explained the Solution yet and already you're probably thinking â€Å"How big of a business could you build on helping people rent Fletch? I mean hey, it's a good movie, and probably a seminal work by Chevy Chase, but c'mon! † Now let's try that again, only this time we'll use a real Market Size: â€Å"For over 90 million Americans going to the video store is a pain.People don't like traveling back and forth just to rent a movie and they hate paying late fees even more. † Notice how with just a small modification we ga ve you a real good indication of how big this Problem really is. 90 million Americans represent a lot of dollars spent. Even if you don't entirely understand the problem, you can certainly understand that 90 million people probably add up to a pretty big market opportunity. Picking the right Market Size is about identifying a portion of the market that is likely to buy your product.It's not everyone that's ever seen a movie; it's everyone that is currently renting movies. Maybe it's less than that if some percentage of those consumers don't use the Internet. You don't need to have the world's largest market, but be mindful of going after a market that is obviously too small (like the people renting Fletch) for fear of turning people away before they even have the opportunity to hear you out. Put it Together, then Pare it Down Now we've got a nice understanding of the Problem, Solution and Market Size. The next step is to distill that explanation down to an easy-to-remember ite-sized sound bite that still covers all the bases. Let's try a shorter version: â€Å"NetFlix helps over 90 million Americans avoid driving to the video store by delivering movies directly to their doorstep without ever paying late fees. † In one sentence we've tackled the Market Size, Problem, and Solution in a way people can easily remember. Most importantly, in a way you can remember when you're explaining what you do a million times over! In many cases, you'll be lucky if you get just enough time to get this one message across, so refining the message is key.Don't worry about getting it right the first time. Pitch it a few times to strangers, get some reactions and modify. It takes some practice. The Tag Line Distilling the Elevator Pitch down to one sentence isn't always enough. You'll often need something that's just a few words in order to arm others with an easy explanation of your company. You'll personally remember that 90 million Americans have a movie rental problem and that you help people avoid late fees. No one else will. Investors won't remember more than the general concept.Your advisors who mention you at cocktail parties won't be able to recite your beautiful pitch. You need a Tag Line. The Tag Line is an explanation of what you do without the details. It's how people reference you before getting into the pitch. It's how you probably remember most of the products you use today. Here's a Tag Line for Netflix: â€Å"Mail Order DVD Rentals† Notice how simple that is? That's the point. In just four words it explains what NetFlix does, without going into the details of the problem it solves or how big that problem may be.Take some time and really refine your Tag Line. Put it on your Web site, your business card and all of your collateral items. You're building a brand after all, and your Tag Line is what makes that brand memorable. Summary Your Elevator Pitch may be one of the single most important tools you use to communicate your brilli ant idea to the world. Most great pitches you hear, like famous advertising slogans, are the result of countless hours spent refining, gathering input and refining some more.

Meaningful employment Essay

This paper will focus on how social, political, and economic difficulties contribute to the lack of democracy in undeveloped societies. The article will also offer ways to improve literacy, health care, poverty, and political participation in those countries. Problems encountered by undeveloped societies are of chronic and systematic nature. The population of those countries is often trapped in the vicious circle of deprivation: lack of education harms their chances to obtain meaningful employment, which in turns prevents the country from realizing its economic potential, which in turn leads to inexistent of insufficient safety net (health care and social security) for the population. In such an environment, democracy cannot flourish. When people are concerned with physical survival of themselves and their families, they are unlikely to engage in any kind of political activism. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, basic social needs are a factor of motivation only in case main physiological needs are fulfilled and relevant safety and stability is guaranteed. While political participation and awareness are essential for democracies, low standard of life and pervasive insecurity hinder the ability of undeveloped society to promote good governance. However, there is a way out of this cul-de-sac. Developing nations should accept the help of international institutions and donor countries; yet this development aid should be tied with particular programs and closely monitored. Developing countries should not rely on foreign aid as a continuous source of public finance but rather a venture capital to be invested in the rebuilding of economic infrastructure. Paramount importance should be attached to education and political participation of populace.

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Discussion - Assignment Example He also introduced the idea of equality by showing the value of each person irrespective of his rank (Zola, 2003). The two artists use the same technique to communicate to the public and present their ideas. Manet used a large canvas, which was past the standard canvases sold during his time. Tucker (1998) indicates that the painting was done on a large canvas, of almost a similar size to those used by historians to document noble events. It was done on a 208 X 264 cm canvas. He may have been passing on information to the public about his might as a painter, or may have been showing the authorities that they are all the same irrespective of status. He painted a stark naked model in a canvas of the same size as those used by the authorities; this could have been a way of telling the authorities that even the stark naked deserve to be in such canvases. During his time, stark naked pictures were not respected and were considered inappropriate. Manet may have been saying that, whatever people think is inappropriate, could be appropriate in some other way; they were all the same. A similar technique is used by Courbet in his Burial at Ornans. In this painting, there is a group of people; the mayor, the priest, and different other people, prominent and not, with their respective outfits. They are depicted with their own personal worries. Within the picture, at the edge of the grave, there is a gravedigger sitting on his knees. He sits on his knees, but is the only one with the head held high. Buchon (1977) notes that, â€Å"he alone commands† (p. 3). This picture shows that even if one is a gravedigger, there is an area where he will outwit the rest. It also shows that even if one is a priest, king, or highly ranked official, when it comes to the time of burial, they will all look up to the gravedigger. The gravedigger, therefore, has a

Critical Discourse in Design - Intention versus Perception Assignment

Critical Discourse in Design - Intention versus Perception - Assignment Example To achieve this, the company has a team of professionals, including the most creative minds and the best directors in the country. Some of the recent campaigns by the company include (included are the links to the commercials).   Movistar is one of the top clients for this subsidiary and they did the campaign for its networks. The title of this campaign was ‘gravity’ and one of these videos was directed by two of the most known directors in the industry, Jorge Soto and Charlie Valderrama. The commercial was in the form of a video, this makes it easy to capture the attention of the target audience. People are more likely to watch moving images than any other form of media (Art Directors Club, 2011). The content of the commercial is also limited as it only involves one character. This gives the commercial a sense of mystery as we try to understand how this central character will relate to their environment. In the commercial, the central character is seated and manages to defy gravity. The end result is that the character floats throughout the commercial. The context of this commercial is that everything is possible for the users of this network as the commercial ends with the name of the brand, Movistar. The directors used in this commercial have a history of coming up with such commercials. Their work usually involves very few characters and it is these that are used to convey the message about the product to the consumer. The intention of this commercial is to portray a scenario which is impossible to achieve, in this case, floating above the ground. This makes the viewers’ wonder how this is possible. At the end of this phase, the name of the brand appears on the screen. This creates a link between the brand and the floating character. It shows that the product has limitless capabilities and it can enable them to do a wide range of things that were previously not possible (Plunkett, 2008). All these things can be made possible due to the Movistar 4G networks.  Ã‚  

Toll Company Annual Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toll Company Annual Report - Case Study Example This is the group work component of the assignment. After inter-group discussion, each member of the group will complete a peer review on the group members which will be submitted to the tutor in the tutorial class. The group work component of the assessment is worth 10%. Part 4 of the case study must be completed as an individual assessment. This part of the assignment is worth 15%. Please see Part 4 for requirements and instructions for submission. Document 1: Each student will download from the Morningstar DatAnalysis Database, the company’s 2013 annual report (hard copy not necessary) and financial data in a excel spreadsheet for the past 10 years. It will be sufficient to use an electronic copy to use as the reference material for answering the case study questions. Morningstar DatAnalysis Database – (available via libguides or alternatively the JCU library databases): to obtain the necessary company annual reports and financial data in an excel spreadsheet for the past 10 years. Note, students will only require the financial data for the past 4 years to perform the financial statement analysis. Simply hide the column information that is not required. This information will be used for generating financial statement analysis (parts 3 and 4) of the assignment. Students may also find it useful to refer to the financial data when making comparisons in part 2. Groups will consist of students that have been assigned the same company for the case study assignment in each tutorial class. It is recommended that students answer the questions assigned for each class in advance, so they areable to participate in inter-group discussions during the tutorial class.If the weekly questions are done in arrears marks may be lost because of failure to participate in group discussions during the tutorial classes. What are the page references for the

Corporate Governance and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate Governance and Finance - Essay Example Company Background Apple Inc. was instituted in the year 1977 and is headquartered in California, United States of America. The company along with its subsidiaries designs, produces, and sells mobile communication devices, personal computers, media devices, and handy digital music players among others. Apple Inc. also sells a range of associated services, software, networking solutions, peripherals, digital content and other forms of applications. Apple Inc. caters to a broad array of clients, ranging from individual consumers, to small and mid-sized enterprises and education, corporate and government customers (Apple Inc. (a), 2012). The products as well as services offered by Apple Inc. comprise of iPhone, Mac, iPod, iPad, Apple TV, in addition to a collection of specialized and consumer software applications. Apple Inc. also provides the iOS, iCloud, and Mac OS X operating structure, in addition to an assortment of accessory, service as well as support offerings. Apple Inc. also v ends and distributes digital content as well as applications by means of the App Store, iTunes Store, Mac App Store and iBookstore. The Company markets its products throughout the globe via its stores, both online as well as retail in addition to direct sales force. Apple Inc. also sells via wholesalers, intermediary cellular network carriers, retailers, as well as value-added resellers. Furthermore, Apple Inc. also markets a range of third-party iPhone, Mac, iPad, and iPod attuned products, such as application software, printers, speakers, headphones, storage devices, as well as many other accompaniments and peripherals, via its retail and online stores (Apple Inc.(a), 2012). Company History Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the year 1976. Originally, the... This essay stresses that the subject of corporate governance is associated with the jobs and accountabilities of a business organization’s Board of Directors in handling the business and their associations with the organization’s shareholders as well as other stakeholder. Characteristically, in any corporate organization the full time executive directors possess extensive powers with reference to the dealings and matters of the organization they are paid to manage in support of the shareholders. Nevertheless, the executive directors might not always bear the interests of the shareholders in their mind while carrying out their executive responsibilities. Consequently, this had resulted in endeavors to make the directors more liable for their strategies and actions. This paper makes a conclusion that Apple Inc. practices strong corporate governance principles and hence the company has not faced any major instances of conflict of interest. The comprehensive assessment of the corporate governance as well as the code of conduct of Apple Inc. revealed that the Company abides by strict guidelines and always attempts to protect the interests of its stakeholders. This strict abidance to the required market practices have resulted in positive fortune for the Company. The assessment of the financial position of the company illustrated that the position of the company had further fortified since the years and the stock price movements revealed that Apple is provided good value for shareholders’ money.

The promotional strategy of British Airways Coursework

The promotional strategy of British Airways - Coursework Example This research will begin with the statement that the airline sector is a large form of mass travel in the global transportation network. The sector in general involves the organisation of people, airlines, equipment and buildings for transporting mail, freight and passengers to various parts of the world. International air travel is so extensive that it is possible to reach almost any major city in less than a day. Different airline companies deal with different types of cargo, for example companies like British Airways specialise in the transportation of people. This has been by far the largest source of revenue for airlines since the second half of the twentieth century. The different airline companies battle against each other by offering attractive fares and specialised discounts. The passenger services usually offer two areas of travel, first class or coach, first class being more favourable due to comfortable seating arrangements, more elaborate meals and usually more flight pe rsonnel on hand. The coach service is cheaper with a slightly more crowded atmosphere. Other services include the transportation of mail, and freight services. This method of transporting goods is quicker than the old methods of using trains or boats. The current structure of the airline sector is fairly composite. There are many markets, all of which host two main dimensions, product and geographic. The product of which being the passenger, and the geographic being the destination. At all levels, it shows characteristics of oligopoly and competition; however, there is very little evidence to show that the airline industry is a natural monopoly, where one firm stands out from the rest. The characteristics of the industry show that there are few firms, a substantial market share and high barriers of entry, all of which indicate the sector as an oligopoly market structure. So much so that the leading four firms, United Air Lines, American Airlines, Delta and Northwest, make up 64% of the market share. As these companies make up such a high percentage, it makes the industry highly concentrated, meaning that merges are becoming more and more common. This means that the market concentration will increase in the future (Blythe 2005 p 15). Literature review British Airways: Company Profile: British Airways is the biggest world wide passenger airline. The main activities of British Airways and its subsidiary undertakings are the operation of international as well as domestic planned and charter air services for the safe and comfortable transportation of passengers, freight and mail as well as the prerequisite of additional services. The Airline had a total of 373 aircraft in operation as of September 30, 2001 (Proctor 2000 p 56). A total number of employees about 50,000 and a route network comprised of 150 destinations in 72 countries. Its fleet is composed of more than 350 aircrafts. BA is the airline company with the most flights from Europe to North America in the world (Peter 2006 p 90). BA was formed in 1973, as the outcome of the merger between State-owned

US Role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

US Role - Essay Example When that was rejected, other presidents tried using diplomacy to settle the conflict like presidents W. Bush’s administration in the 1990s during the gulf war. The diplomacy path has enabled the United States gain confidence of the Arab nations and this facilitated the second camp David peace agreement that was also rejected. In the wake of September 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration started siding more with the Israeli because the Arab countries could not be trusted anymore. It also led to declaration of war on the terrorist groups which reside in the middle east and this put to an abrupt stop the peace talks and the mediation role of the United States. Even though this took place and is still taking place, the Obama administration has once again embarked on the peace talks for the sake of the energy products in the middle east. President Obama has constantly been advocating for peace in those Arab countries that are in conflict and once again has gained the trust of the Arab countries and the results of the peace talks are yet to be seen (Simon 2009). United States government has its reasons for seeking peace in the Arab countries. The Middle East is endowed with oil that is an essential commodity in the world and also has other minerals that are interest to the American government. The mediation by the US is a faà §ade so that their reputation as the superpowers and being more in control of the world than the Soviet Union is not questioned or even threatened (Mahler and Mahler 2010). In reality, war in the Arab countries benefits the United States by them pretending to side with no one and hence gaining the support of all the fighting parties and thus continuing to gain the oil and minerals without struggle. If the conflict between the Arab and Israeli ends without the face and hands of US being seen in the peace talks and

German Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

German - Essay Example Elie and his father were sent to an attached work camp of the chambers where they worked as labourers. He and his father remained in the camp for close to eight months working under deplorable conditions with torture and cruelty. When the move was being done, Elie’s father had been beaten by the Nazis due to his weak condition. He was suffering from dysentery and starvation, while Eli had been by fellow inmates for his food. Both were thus left behind while others were being marched to Buchenwald. A few weeks later after being sent back to the crematorium, the liberation army rescued them. 2. My personal view of the gas chamber in question is that it had purposely been reconstructed to conceal the truth of what happened in the chamber during the war. There were unanswered questions left during the interview that leaves one with the question of why the museum personnel had been trained to give similar answers to all tourists. When Dr. Cole kept pondering Alicia to tell him whether she personally suspected the chambers having been reconstructed, she referred him to a higher authority, the museum supervisor who was rude at him, who was obviously was not ready to answer his questions, referring him to Piper the Head of Archives who gave him a rather shocking revelation. According to Piper, the gas chamber had been reconstructed after the war, with modifications which were meant to conceal the true picture of the chamber. He acknowledged that it had been reconstructed after the war, meaning that there are things about the chamber that were being hidden from the eyes of the public. The fact that David Irving had been arrested and charged for telling the public that the chambers had been reconstructed and even was fined for his statement leaves a lot to be questioned. The chimney’s theory is no different from that of the chamber. I believe they were initially used as gas chambers to pass in Zyklon B gas to the prisoners inside the chamber.

Fluorescence and Pharmaceuticals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fluorescence and Pharmaceuticals - Essay Example fluorophore through the absorption of light energy, a transient excited lifetime with some loss of energy, and return of the fluorophore to its ground state accompanied by the emission of light. Due to the energy lost during the transient excited lifetime, the light energy emitted is always of a longer wavelength than the light energy absorbed, and that is used to study different life processes (Molecular expressions).Today, there is an increased use of these techniques encouraged mainly by labeled antibody techniques (Coons and Kaplan, 1950) and by application of fluorescent dyes as tracers in histochemical techniques. Aminoacridine compounds have special affinity for nucleic acids; a sensitive fluorescence technique in which acridine orange is used for the identification of DNA and RNA in mammalian cells (Anderson, Armstrong, and Niven, 1959). Thus using fluorescence techniques and microscopy, the precise location and dynamics of intracellular components labeled with specific fluorophore designed for the cell system and the targeted interaction as applied to a pharmaceutical agent. This domain also, as a result, includes the study of other physicochemical properties of the concerned molecule, diffusion coefficient, transport characteristics, and above all the interaction with other biomolecules present. When applied to the field of study of pharmaceuticals and their effect on cell systems, this can allow one to study the phenomenal response in fluorescence to localized cellular environmental variables, such as, variation in pH, viscosity, refractive index, ionic concentrations, membrane potentials, and solvent polarity in living cell systems and tissue preparations with extraordinarysensitivity... Anderson, E. S., Armstrong, J. A., And Niven, J. S. F., 1959. 'Observation Of Virus GrowthsWith Aminoacridines.' 9th Symposium Of The Society For General Microbiology, April,1959. Cambridge (University Press). Medical Research Service, Department Of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,1 And Oregon Health And Science University,2 Portland, Oregon, And Department Of Biochemistry, Mahidol University,Bangkok, Thailand3

Career Competence Factors Essay Example for Free

Career Competence Factors Essay The essential skills and abilities associated with students’ personal learning styles are many of the capabilities hiring managers look for when reviewing applications. University of Phoenix learning goals represent another set of core competencies that can help you become recognized as an exceptional candidate or employee. Part A Complete the Personality Spectrum on pp. 66–67 in Ch. 3 of Keys to Success. Based on the results, respond to the following: What is your primary strength? My primary strengths are that I am a THINKER and an ORGANZER. How does this strength make you a strong candidate or employee? I am good at solving problems and I am responsible and reliable. What is one area of improvement?Being a giver is an area that I need improvement in. How can you improve in this area to become a stronger candidate or employee?I can improve by being more sensitive to others feelings and needs. Part B Read the University of Phoenix Material: University of Phoenix Learning Goals, included in the materials for this assignment. Fill in the following matrix with summaries of how each university learning goal can help you with career preparedness. University Learning Goal How can each goal prepare you for success in the workplace? Professional Competence and Values Having values and ethics can help you in makin important and critical decision in the workplace. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

An Analysis Of Fractional Distillation

An Analysis Of Fractional Distillation Describe, with the help of a diagram, how the different hydrocarbon fractions in crude oil are separated by fractional distillation. Identify the main fractions by name and according to the approximate number of carbon atoms in the molecules. In the world today the primary source of fuel for most of our needs come from fossil fuels. These are in the form of coal, natural gas and crude oil. In the petrochemical industry the crude oil is refined through a process of fractional distillation. This breaks apart the larger hydrocarbons into their smaller fractions at varying temperatures in the distillation tower. The heavier fractions containing the most carbon atoms are drawn off at the highest temperatures and the lighter the hydrocarbons the lower the temperature needs to be to draw off the fraction. The process of fractional distillation provides the following groups of products: 1. Liquid petroleum gas 2. Naphtha 3. Gasoline 4. Kerosene 5. Diesel oil 6. Lubricating oils 7. Fuel oils 8. Residues 8. Residues Furnace Liquid petroleum gas id the lightest fraction and is drawn off as a gas from the top of the distillation tower. It contains between 1 and 5 carbon atoms. It is the lightest fraction and is not very dense, because of this it can be drawn off at a temperature of 20 °C. It is used as an alternative to petrol in cars following a conversion. FurnaceNaphtha is a fraction that contains between 5 and 9 carbon atoms, with this increase in carbon atoms the density and boiling points increase. This means that the fraction will come off at a higher temperature of 70 °C. This fraction can be further broken down in the process of thermal cracking to produce ethylene and benzene which are important in the plastics and pharmaceutical industry. Gasoline contains between 5 and 10 carbon atoms and is drawn of at a temperature of 120 °C. This is the lightest fraction of the liquid grade fuels that are commonly used. It is what we know as petrol and widely used in cars and small 2 stroke engines. Kerosene contains between 10 and 16 carbon atoms and is drawn off at a temperature of 170 °C. This is the principal fuel in the aviation industry where it is graded further depending on the final use. It is widely used for powering gas turbines and other internal combustion engines in propeller driven aircraft. The use of kerosene to fuel aircraft is because it must have a high specific enthalpy of combustion per gram as this will release a lot of energy when it burns this means it will also have a high enthalpy density. This is important as the fuel must be stored. A less dense fuel will use more space and provide less energy for the space it takes up on the aircraft. Diesel oils are drawn off at a temperature of 270 °C and contain between 14 and 20 carbon atoms. This is very similar to kerosene and has a similar consistency with the increase in viscosity and increase in boiling point it become necessary to keep the fuel warm in cold environments as the fuel becomes thick and refuses to flow through fuel systems, this problem if needed can be solved by lighting a fire under the fuel tank to bring the fuel up to temperature and enable it to flow. Also as this fuel is not dissimilar to kerosene some gas turbines like the Rolls Royce Pegasus 11-61 turbofan will operate with no appreciable loss of power or function. Lubricating oils come off at a temperature of between 300 and 375 °C and contain 20 to 50 carbon atoms. This high content of carbon atoms gives the lubricating oils their high viscosity and high melting point making them ideal for this use. Fuel oil is the heaviest of the fractions to come of other than the residue and is drawn off at a temperature of 600 °C and has between 20 and 70 carbon atoms, this is a very heavy thick fuel which often requires pre heating before use in the fuel system. The main uses for this fuel are for large diesel engines in ships trains and factories. It is also used as a reserve supply for power stations at peak demand when gas supplies are limited. This fraction is also used to quench the residue in the process of thermal cracking to produce heavy fuel oil. This is also known as bunker oil, the lowest grade of fuel oil for use in the shipping industry as a cheaper alternative to fuel oil. The residue from the distillation process is drawn off from the bottom of the distillation tower and contains a high number of carbon atoms >70 this carbon rich mixture is washed in fuel oil in the steam cracking process to make heavy fuel oil. This process leaves the residue coke. The raw residues are used in the manufacture of asphalts for road surfacing and bitumens for sealing roofing materials that also may be made from this residue sold as roofing felts. b. Why might fractional distillation be carried out under reduced pressure? Fractional distillation is carried out under reduced pressure because when the pressure of the substance is reduced the intermolecular forces between the molecules become weaker. These molecules are then able to escape as vapour more rapidly and means that the process of fractional distillation can take place at a lower temperature which both reduces the energy needed and ultimately cost. c. Some heavier fractions are processed using cracking. Explain what is meant by cracking and why it is carried out. The term cracking is used to refer to the breaking of larger hydrocarbons into smaller constituent parts to produce the smaller and more useful alkanes and an alkene and to further process the residues from fractional distillation. This can be done in several ways, and can be split into thermal cracking and catalytic cracking. Both of these processes are used in the petrochemical industry to process some of the heavier fractions of crude oil further into gasoline and other useful products the lighter fractions of naphtha and butane are also processed into compounds of ethylene and benzene for use in the pharmaceutical and plastics industry The demands of consumers for large amounts of gasoline for cars means that over 50% of the crude oil has to be turned into gasoline to meet demand and as this fraction only forms 30-40% of crude oil the demand has to be met by way of other processs . d. Distinguish between thermal cracking and catalytic cracking. Give examples of products formed by each method. Thermal cracking of hydrocarbons is done in 3 ways. steam, vis breaking and coking. In these processes the hydrocarbons are heated to a high temperature until they break into there component parts. Steam cracking is where the hydrocarbons are briefly heated with high temperature steam to 816  °C Ethane and Naphtha produce light alkenes such as ethylene and propylene the heavier naphthas are cracked into gasoline. Benzene comes off at the higher temperature of around 1000 °C and is an important molecule in the pharmaceuticals industry. Ethylene is used in the manufacture of plastics Vis breaking is carried out to process the residues from the distillation process. This is done by heating the residue to 482 °C and then quenching it with fuel oil. This then poured down a distillation tower and then flashed without oxygen. This flashing of the residue produces the product heavy fuel oil and tar. Coke is the final residue from the process of steam cracking and is deposited on the sides of the furnace which is then periodically cleaned off in the process of decoking the furnace. This coke is then sold on for use in industry as a fuel. Fluid catalytic cracking is the most important process of converting the fractions of crude oil into the more valuable gasoline, olefinic and other products. This process has largely replaced the thermal cracking process as it yields a higher return of gasoline with a higher octane rating. This process of fluid catalytic cracking runs as a continuous process in the refinery without interruption 24 hours a day for a number of years without before routine maintenance. The modern fluid catalytic cracking is a complex process in which the recycled fractions are injected into a riser with a high boiling point stock which is at a temperature between 315 °C and 430 °C and a pressure of 1.72barg. This vaporises the larger hydrocarbons and on contact with the catalyst it cracks them into smaller hydrocarbons. The catalyst that is used in the process is then cleaned of the hydrocarbon deposits and then recycled back through a regenerator. This is done by blowing air into the regenerator an d burning off the coke deposits. This regenerator operates at a temperature of 715 °C. The burning off of the coke from the catalyst is exothermic a heats it up. This recycled catalyst is then returned to the process and provides the heat to vaporise the stock and residue mixture and provide the energy for the endothermic cracking reaction. This process is dependant on both the physical and chemical properties of the catalyst. There are four main components to the modern catalyst in the FCC. These are crystalline zeolite, matrix, binder and filler. The zeolite is the main provider of catalytic activity. The matrix contains amorpous alumina which also provides some catalyst activity within the sites of large pores. This enables the cracking of larger hydrocarbons than the zeolite alone. The binders and fillers of the catalyst provide the physical strength and maintain its integrity. Contaminants in the stock from metals all have a detrimental effect on the catalyst which can be mit igated in some way by avoiding stock with contaminant, fresh catalyst, demetalisation though this is expensive, and by adding other metals to form compounds that are less troublesome to the catalyst. e. Write a possible equation for the cracking of dodecane, C12H26. Heat + CH3(CH2)10CH3 CH3(CH2)4CH3 +H2C=CH(CH2)3CH3 Dodecane _ hexane 1-hexane. The thermal cracking of the dodecane is exothermic and the heat that is used in the process is largely taken up by the catalyst in an endothermic reaction. This heat energy is then partly recovered in the re use of the catalyst up until the point it requires cleaning or replacing. 2 a.(i) Define what is meant by a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that alters the rate of a chemical reaction without being changed chemically or consumed in the reaction. They can however change physically. Catalysis is the process of increasing or decreasing the rate of a reaction. These can be both positive and negative. The catalysts that speed up reaction are called positive catalysts and ones that slow down reactions are called inhibitors. There are also substances that increase the activity of the catalysts which are called promotors; the substances that deactivate the catalysts are called catalytic poisons. The use of catalysts is a means of making the process viable if it would not happen without it and also as a means of making the process cost efficient in terms of energy use and cost. The ability of the catalyst to be reused in most cases reduces the cost further. a.(ii) How do catalysts work? During chemical reactions the addition of a catalyst will increase the rate of the reaction at a lower energy level than the reaction without an addition of a catalyst. The combination of product and catalyst reactants raises it above the activation barrier and raises the potential energy of the reactant molecules as they come together. The energy of the activated complex reaches its maximum and form an activated complex, this activation energy then falls and the product forms and the molecules of the catalyst and product separate. This means the catalyst can be recovered from the product and used again following some reprocessing in some instances. The use of catalysts can be for both cost saving and also as some reactions may take a long time or not even be possible without the addition of a catalyst. b. Why is it important that catalytic converters start working at as low a temperature as possible? It is important for the catalyst converter to work at as lower temperature as possible as reaction rates are almost always increased when the temperature rises. This is because as the temperature increases so do collision rates of the molecules between the catalyst and exhaust gases. To ensure that the rich mix of gases emitted by a cool engine is converted fully at low temperatures it is necessary for the catalyst to be active at a low temperature. This also means as the temperature increases the reaction rate will increase too. c. Why do you think the catalytic converter is sited close to the engine? The catalytic converter is sited close to the engine to ensure that the exhaust gases are as hot as possible before entering the converter. By keeping the gases hot it will increase the catalysis rate due to the molecules being more active as the temperature is increased. d. Why are harmful emissions on short car journeys or in cold weather particularly high? Short journeys will not raise the temperature of the engine block or manifold assembly, this leads to the hot combustion gases being cooled in the short journey to the converter. Operating in low temperatures will also cool the manifold assembly on a continuous basis as cold air passes the manifold leading to the cooling of the exhaust gases If the temperature is consistently cold the injectors or carburettors can be retuned to burn a leaner mix which raises the burn temperature in the cylinder and reduce the emission of un burnt fuel and rich exhaust gases into the catalytic converter. The burning of a lean mix at normal temperature will raise the cylinder temperature and cause pitting on the piston head and possible damage to the cylinder which in time will cause oil to pass into the cylinder producing soot and partially burnt oil into the exhaust system. e. Explain what is meant by poisoning a catalyst? The catalyst converter can be poisoned by containments in fuel and by burning the wrong type. This leads to the coating of the catalyst with contaminants like lead from leaded fuels and manganese which is used as additive to gasoline. Gasket failure in the cylinder head will lead to oil and coolant entering the cylinder and being ejected out in the exhaust gases. Depositing partially burnt oil and silicon from the coolant in the converter. This reduces the contact between the catalyst and exhaust gases. Some of this reversible over time but the catalytic converter will be less effective in the mean time and may never fully recover its full working capacity. f. What is done to the catalyst metals to increase their efficiency? The catalytic converter is made of several components witch all have important roles to play in the functioning of the catalytic converter. The core or substrate in modern catalytic converters is made up of a ceramic honeycomb or a stainless steel foil. This is so that it doesnt react with the catalyst and also providing an extremely large surface area to support the washcoat. This washcoat is to make the converter more efficient and is often a mixture of silica and alumina. This provides a rough surface area on the substrate which greatly increases the surface area compared to the honeycomb structure alone. The catalyst and washcoat are mixed and then added to the substrate. This catalyst is made up of precious metals such as platinum which is the most widely used metal as it is the most active catalyst but not necessarily suitable in all situations. There are several different metals used as catalysts as some are more suitable than others in certain circumstances. To reduce the cos t and reduce unwanted reactions palladium and rhodium are also used. Platinum and rhodium are used as a reduction catalyst; platinum and palladium are used as an oxidising catalyst. There are several other metals used in catalytic converters though their uses have limitations and legislation also prevents use in certain countries due to the toxicity of the substances they produce. g. What is meant by homogeneous catalysis? Is the catalysis taking place in a catalytic converter a good example of homogeneous catalysis? Discuss. Homogeneous catalysis is when the catalyst is in the same phase as the reactants and product. The homogeneous catalysts are more selective for a single product, more active and easily modified for optimising selectivity. Though these catalysts are more prone to permanent deactivation and are difficult to separate from the product so the catalytic converter is not a good example of a homogeneous catalyst. The catalytic converter in the exhaust system of a car is a heterogeneous catalyst as the catalyst product and reactant are not in the same phase. As the metals are coated onto a ceramic honeycomb surface the gases from the engine must diffuse to the catalyst surface and absorb onto it. This is why the catalyst needs to be coated thinly onto the honeycomb structure to increase the chance of the molecules coming into contact with the catalyst. The 3 main reactions that take place in the converter are as follows. 2CO(g) + O2(g) → 2CO2(g) 2NO(g) + 2CO(g) → N2(g) + 2CO2(g) 2C6H6(g) + 15O2  Ã¢â€ â€™ 12CO2(g) +6H2O(l) h. Suggest a reason why the catalytic converter has to be replaced eventually. The catalytic converter will eventually have to be replaced as the physical structure and catalyst will become worn out and polluted by contaminants. This will reduce the capability of gases to be converted as there will be less contact both from soiling and reduced surface area due to physical and chemical degradation of both the substrate and the catalyst. As this catalyst is coated onto the substrate in the manufacturing process it is not possible to reuse the catalyst and a new one will be required. i. Catalytic converters convert the pollutant gases carbon monoxide, C7H16 and nitrogen monoxide into harmless gases. However, this is still only a partial solution to the emission problem. Explain why. Even though the catalytic converter converts the more harmful gases into carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas and waters it is only a partial solution to the problem of huge amounts of waste gases being emitted into the atmosphere? This is because the carbon dioxide and nitrogen gases are both pollutants that both contribute to the problem of global warming and in the case of CO2 a contributor to the acidification of the oceans. This latter problem could have far reaching consequences in relation to marine life for which 2 billion people rely upon for protein and the associated industries that harvest the sea for commercial gain. j. An. oxygen sensor monitors the oxygen flowing through the exhaust system and feeds back to control the fuel-air mixture entering the engine. Why do you think too little oxygen flowing over the catalyst would be a bad thing? Why do you think too much oxygen flowing over the catalyst might be a bad thing? The sensor in modern cars monitors the oxygen that flows through the catalytic converter. This provides the information for the engine management system to feed oxygen into the exhaust gases when insufficient oxygen is present from either cold starting or fuel rich gases being emitted this ensures the catalyst can completely react and convert the gases. If there is insufficient oxygen the gases will not be completely converted leading to the emissions of the more harmful gases. The presence of too much oxygen will cause an increase in temperature and also oxidisation of the catalyst which will cause degradation from heat or corrosion. k. It has been suggested that battery-powered cars, which do not emit pollutants, are a solution to the problems of environmental pollution. What effect would the increased use of battery-powered cars have on the demand for electricity? What would be the consequences for the environment of this demand? The global car count to date is approximately 600 million and is expected to double in the next 30 years to a huge 1.2 billion cars. This is clearly going to cause problems both for the demand of fuel to build and power them and also in the pollutants they emit. The use of gasoline and diesel oils to fuel this demand is eventually going to rapidly deplete world reserves at an ever increasing rate. This will happen even if car numbers stayed at todays level as extraction is almost at its peak level. The current theories on how much is left is a secret closely guarded by opec and the oil rich nations like Saudi Arabia who for the last 30 years have never changed the forecast for the reserves they hold. This is clearly untrue, and in the future will cause a sudden collapse of the availability of oil. It has been suggested that electric powered cars could be a solution to the problems of both pollution and consumption of one of the most valuable resources mankind has. As a solution is th is possible? There are a number of factors to take into account. Cost of replacing 600-1 billion cars in both raw materials and energy to make them and scrap the old one. Increase in the demand for electricity and can this demand be met without a net increase in global emissions from power stations without burning huge amounts of carbon fuels. Will the electric car be able to meet the demands of the travel hungry consumers? Is there the global political will to address the issue? Resistance of the world population to change there ways, this is important as all the thinking in the world is of no use if nobody will do anything. On the cost of replacing 600-1.2 billion cars, it is going to cost a huge amount of money, approximately 12 trillion pounds for the new ones and 3 trillion for scrapping the old ones. This is a total of  £15 trillion. An estimate on the total amount of dollars in the world is 908 billion in use as of 2009 (source: Federal Reserve). In addition to this there is $1,655.6 billion in current accounts, $8,326.8 billion in savings and approximately $10 trillion in bank deposit certificate and stocks. As this latter one is money that is not freely available it could be said there is approximately $8.3 trillion of accessible cash. This is a huge amount of money, far short of the money needed to replace the global car collection. Although this is not all the money in the world it is a considerable amount of it and can be taken as a fair marker of how difficult it is going to be to fund the change. Although the electric powered car is efficient at approximately 40% compared to gasoline at15%. Could the demand be met from the electric industry without increasing emissions? The answer to this is yes at a cost. global electricity production annually is 13.7 trillion watts. The requirements on demand if we were all to go electric would be approximately 60.44 billion watts though the annual cost of charging the cars up would be cheap compared to the use of gasoline. There needs to be a global political will to change and this may not come until problems from global warming have started to have an economic effect Last of all will the people of the world do the right thing for the good of the planet and make the change, it would be nice to think they would but this will be the most difficult challenge of them all as most people are not keen on a change.

Cannibalism: As sanctioned by a cultural norm

Cannibalism: As sanctioned by a cultural norm What would you choose, eat or be eaten? Will you save your life or save others? Its a very hard decision, to cannibalize your fellow humans. Its a matter of choice. Many of us are not convinced with this kind of matter, its very hard to accept that cannibalism sometimes use for survival. Its because the practice of cannibalism can also be considered as a crime. (Adams, 2004) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ New Testament, John 6:53-55 Cannibalism is also called anthropophagy, eating of human flesh by another human. There are some reasons for cannibalism, in some tribes; it is a part of their culture, so the act of cannibalism is being practiced. Another reason is that cannibalism is a form of survival. The hungry people for instance trapped in a wild place, the tendency of it is for them to find a food source, and if they cant find any food it can lead to Cannibalism or what we called the survival cannibalism. And the most common reason for cannibalism is the insanity of people. (Adams, 2004) It was considered a great triumph among the Marquesans to eat the body of a dead man. They treated their captives with great cruelty. They broke their legs to prevent them from attempting to escape before being eaten, but kept them alive so that they could brood over their impending fate. With this tribe, as with many others, the bodies of women were in great demand. Rubinstein, W. D. (2004) The anthropologist Tim White suggests that cannibalism was common in human societies before the beginning of the upper Palaeolithic period. He based his theory on the butchered human bones that found in Neanderthal and another low/middle Palaeolithic sites. (White, 2006) Cannibalism lower and in middle Palaeolithic may have occurred because of food scarcity. (Owen, 2006) In early history cannibalism is mentioned many times. In bible (2 kings 6:25-30) wherein two women decided to eat their children (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) the same story that was told by Flavius Josephus during the invasion of Jerusalem by Rome, cannibalism is also documented during the starvation in Egypt that caused by the failure of Nile river to flood for eight years (1073-1064 BC). (Against Jovanius-Book II, 1893) As in modern times, (modern era) there are many cases of cannibalism especially during World War II, the brutality of Japanese is spread, due to lack of food sources. Even soldiers probably killed and ate during and after the battle. During starvation, soldiers are forced to eat the diseased prisoner even though it is disgusting, but they have no choice because that is the only way for them to survive. It is an example of survival cannibalism. (Ang, 2005) Anthropologists have made no serious attempt to disabuse the public of the widespread notion of the ubiquity of anthropophagists. in the deft hands and fertile imaginations of anthropologists, former or contemporary anthropophagists have multiplied with the advance of civilization and fieldwork in formerly unstudied culture areas. The existence of man-eating peoples just beyond the pale of civilization is a common ethnographic suggestion. Arens, 1981 The manners of the Androphagi are more savage than those of any other race. They neither observe justice, nor are governed, by any laws. They are nomads, and their dress is Scythian; but the language which they speak is peculiar to themselves. Unlike any other nation in these parts, they are cannibals. Rawlinson, 1858-1860 The Anthropophagi, whom we have previously mentioned as dwelling ten days journey beyond the Borysthenes, according to the account of Isigonus of Nicà ¦a, were in the habit of drinking out of human skulls, and placing the scalps, with the hair attached, upon their breasts, like so many napkins. Bostock and Riley 1855 I believe that when man evolves a civilization higher than the mechanized but still primitive one he has now, the eating of human flesh will be sanctioned. For then man will have thrown off all of his superstitions and irrational taboos. -Diego Rivera When humans eat the flesh of other humans in able for them to survive this is what we called survival cannibalism. This is the only generally accepted form of cannibalism but still it is punishable by the law. Some people think that all people have the capacity to eat other people if you put them in right circumstances. As mentioned a while ago regarding the cannibalism during World War II, it is considered as survival cannibalism because of famine. (http://www.trutv.com/) Eating someone who has died in order to survive is incorporating their substance, and it is quite possible to compare this with a graft. Flesh survives when assimilated by someone in extreme need, just as it does when an eye or heart of a dead man is grafted onto a living man (Auxiliary Bishop of Montevideo. Read, pp.1974. Alive. Avon, New York) In early 1942 an Indian soldier Hatam Ali was a witness of cannibalism during World War II. He tried to escape from the hand of the Japanese but before he leaves, he witnessed the brutality of Japanese among the prisoners as well as the soldiers because they are lack of food sources, they ate the diseased prisoner sometimes they draw lots. Whoever was picked was the one who will be killed and cooked. Could you imagine you are eating human flesh everyday? (Armando, 2005) Nothing more strongly arouses our disgust than cannibalism, yet we make the same impression on Buddhists and vegetarians, for we feed on babies, though not our own. Steevenson 1850 Ritualistic and Epicurean Cannibalism, the modern forms of this type of cannibalism is very similar and can be seen in some other tribes. The only difference is that this type of cannibalism is associated with satanic and cult group rituals. Epicurean and nutritional cannibalism is the rarer and is usually considered as a sub-motivation of other forms of cannibalism, such as the survival cannibalism and the sexual cannibalism. (http://www.trutv.com/) The ritual cannibalism is more complicated type of cannibalism compare to other types, because human flesh are sold as a medicine in various human diseases. This is something exotic, because the medicines are came from human flesh, some American food cultist studied about the use of human placenta as a remedy in any human diseases. (Janzen, 1980) In Helsinki, Finland in 1999, there two men and a teen-aged girl arrested because of the torture, murder and cannibalism of a twenty-three year old man. They claimed that they are satanic and they perform a ritualistic killing. (http://www.trutv.com/) The cannibalistic practice among criminals is increasing over the last century particularly in the western hemisphere. The law makers around the world are forced to establish or to update the law regarding cannibalism. Because many crime including criminal cannibalism has been reported and well documented. In some cultures the act of criminal cannibalism maybe an acceptable element for another culture. (http://www.trutv.com/) There are many people who refuse to believe that cannibalism is being practiced in this modern civilized age. Somehow there is much proof suggesting that it does occurred and with some frequency. There are so may documented cases of cannibalism particularly during the last 100 years. (http://www.trutv.com/) Self cannibalism is a practice of eating oneself. The other term for self cannibalism is auto cannibalism or auto sarcophagi. (http://meish.org) Some people are engaged in self cannibalism because of body modification for example eating your own skin because of body modification or by drinking your own blood. This practice is called auto vampirism. But sucking blood from wounds is not considered as cannibalism. (Anonymous) On January 13, 2007 the Chilean artist Marco Evaristti was a host in a dinner party for his friends. The main meal is agnolotti pasta which was topped with a meatball made from artist own fat. (http://www.news.com.au/ ) Self-cannibalism sometimes used in brutality as a torture method. Like Erzebet Bathor, she tortured her servants by forcing them to eat their own flesh. (Adams, 1986) In 16th century, during the time of Spaniards, they forced the native people to eat their own testicles as a capital punishment. (De La Torre, 1986) The Chijon family were a gang of cannibals in South Korea. This group of cannibals was founded by Kim Ki Hwan, a former convict and six other prisoners joined the gang. The Chijon family is composed of 7 criminals, the objective of this gang is to kidnap rich people and extort money from their families, Because of the anger of this gang to the rich people, forced them to kill the best customers in one of the most exclusive department store in Seoul, South Korea. After the crime the six members of chijon family were found guilty in murdering five people in 1994. After the crime, one member of chijon family confessed in front of many people that he ate the flesh of one of the victims and saying that he wanted to renounce his humanity. The gang realized that they need more tactical and more effective way to kidnap a wealthy old men. The gang was able to get the list from renegade personnel. The list contained the name of the big time customers. With the use of that list they choose who the next victim is. On November 1, 1994 the chijon family was sentenced to death because of the five people they killed. (http://www.imaeil.com/) Another case of cannibalism has been reported in South Korea. A self-confessed cannibal named Yoo Young-chul that was born in 1970 in South Korea admitted that he killed 21 people; most of them are prostitutes and rich old men. The Seoul central district court accused him of 20 murders (one case dismissed on a technicality). He burned three of his victims and chopped the body of at least 11 of them and after that he confessed that he ate the livers of some of his victims. This crime was happened between September 2003 and July 2004. When Yoo was arrested, in front of media he explains his motive, Yoo said that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ women shouldnt be sluts and the rich should know what theyve done à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ On July 19, 2005 he was sentenced by death by the Supreme Court. Because of that case, the South Koreans open their minds about the capital punishment in South Korea. (http://trutv.com) Cannibalism exists because of the hungry people, due to lack of food sources, many people are forced to cannibalize their fellow human because that is the only thing that they can do in able for them to survive. There are many cases of cannibalism in different countries like in China, Korea and Japan. Some people are practicing the act of cannibalism because its a part of their culture, but some other people are practicing the act of cannibalism because of insanity. The most generally accepted form of cannibalism is the survival cannibalism but its still punishable by the law. If you put yourself in a situation wherein youre going to choose, to eat or be eaten, its a very hard decision, as a matter of fact many people choose to eat human flesh rather than to die because of hunger. Based on my study, I found out that there are three things why cannibalism has been practiced in some other countries. First, the insanity of People, second, as sanctioned by a cultural norm and lastly, for survival.

The Concept And Antilogy Of Ne Essays -- essays research papers

The Concept and Antilogy of Necessity in 'The Things They Carried'; The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, a medley of short stories tied together by a common theme, examines the many facets of necessity and poses a question of just how valuable the things we hold to be necessities really are. During the confusion of war, the definition of necessity becomes rather slippery in the minds of the soldiers and in such desperate situations, a soldier may find himself holding on to all he can. Despite the fact that these objects may hurt the soldier or bring him to his demise, letting go of such articles is very difficult. The late Ted Lavender, whose death is only a memory throughout the book, is one of those men. When he was shot, the enormous amount of weight he was carrying at the time, the fear in his heart, and the weight of the bullet caused him to collapse instantaneously. Symbolically, the act of falling relates to the weight causing his ultimate downfall - death. The Things They Carried exhibits necessity in its advantageous aspects as well as its disadvantageous ones. It examines the burdens of each individual and the effects that the burdens have on the person in given situations. O'Brien deliberately makes the reader consider what constitutes a necessity by packing his story with heavy irony; a weight that sends conflicting images to the reader and causes him/her to examine the realms of necessity. The reader can go further and apply this distinction between real ne...

Essay --

Today there are many problems and defects with with healthcare, income inequality and poverty. From time to time the government tried to change policies, in order to improve these issues, however, the gap between rich and poor keeps increasing and there is very little improvement in healthcare and the economy. In fact, healthcare keeps on becoming costly. Research studies shown that, there are strong connection has been made between housing and health. The continuing inequities in health reflect socioeconomic inequalities including housing conditions and this has led to a renewal of studies in the past years in housing as a cause of health (Research Part: I, Ch. 4&5). In this research essay it will focus on housing as a cause of health, and study of a causal connection between the two can be identified. Also, it will study other things that related to housing and may have an impact on health and how they interact, and whether a more approach included that should be taken to improve h ealth status. This approach would accept the complex causal role of housing, both at an individual and community level. According to the research studies, there are many causes of health, including: household income, employment, working conditions, education, warm dry housing, family support, the absence of drugs and diseases (Research Part: I, Ch. 4&5). Each social class has a evident power, and that power is their economic ability to change society. The four major classes are the capitalists, managers, businesspersons, and the workers. A persons clothing, housing and educational opportunities usually depend on their class, but that is a direct reflection of their income. A person does not gain any class or power without their income being taken into... ...level initiatives and stronger legislation to require healthier homes and neighborhoods. Public health professionals and health care providers must fight to create universal, equitable housing policies that benefit our most vulnerable populations." In conclusion, health and housing are strongly and complexly interconnected at a level that appears clear to common sense, but can be difficult to discover through scientific experiments. According to the researches above, it’s shows that housing indeed is an important factor of health status. However, the very nature of both housing and health means that they are inserted of some other factors, and each of the factor are influence by one of another. Anyway, the strong correlation between these two concepts means that if an incorporated, continual policy was approved, the consequences could prove to be quite significant.

Marketing Essay -- Business, Customer Satisfaction

This essay is a critical literature review of Relationship Marketing in relation to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. In this review, I will provide a brief orientation of relationship marketing; identify the different dimensions of relationship marketing and critically analyse the concept of relationship marketing in relation to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Leahy (2011:651) defined relationship marketing as ‘attracting and keeping customers for a long period of time’. Relationship marketing is used by firms to change consumer attitudes and increase the frequency of purchase in a business using marketing techniques such as promotions and advertising. According to Ndubisi and Chan (2005), relationship marketing provides an organisation the opportunity to be forward thinking with regards to getting access to the right information about their customers in order to meet the customers’ needs effectively, efficiently and gain competitive advantage. On the other hand, as a result globalisation, Geddie et al. (2005) viewed Relationship Marketing through the prism of technology because businesses have the opportunity to store vital information on their customers shopping habit in their databases thereby, using it to their advantage in providing a better customer service and establishing a long-term relationship with their clie nts resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Peppers et al. (1999) referred to relationship marketing as one-to-one marketing and suggested that businesses must be dynamic and fast in their approach and response to individual customers’ needs which are ever-changing and unpredictable. Therefore, organisations must be prepared to provide bespoke products or services that meet... ..., Leahy (2011) notes that even if a firm using databases that has allowed them to reach all their customers, that does not mean they are maintaining the relationship with their customers successfully. Yet a customer’s perception of relationship is not rated highly neither is it valued because customers view it ‘impersonal’ and they are very suspicious of the firm’s motives (Leahy, 2011:453). With technology, firms have been able to contact customers about adverts and promotions but that does not mean an active relationship exists between both parties. Customers interest in what brands have to offer them and is of a great interest to them et, they don’t value firms trying to establish a relationship with them. It might help if firms decide to look at other avenues of trying to reach out and establish close relationships with their customers so it can be effective. Marketing Essay -- Business, Customer Satisfaction This essay is a critical literature review of Relationship Marketing in relation to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. In this review, I will provide a brief orientation of relationship marketing; identify the different dimensions of relationship marketing and critically analyse the concept of relationship marketing in relation to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Leahy (2011:651) defined relationship marketing as ‘attracting and keeping customers for a long period of time’. Relationship marketing is used by firms to change consumer attitudes and increase the frequency of purchase in a business using marketing techniques such as promotions and advertising. According to Ndubisi and Chan (2005), relationship marketing provides an organisation the opportunity to be forward thinking with regards to getting access to the right information about their customers in order to meet the customers’ needs effectively, efficiently and gain competitive advantage. On the other hand, as a result globalisation, Geddie et al. (2005) viewed Relationship Marketing through the prism of technology because businesses have the opportunity to store vital information on their customers shopping habit in their databases thereby, using it to their advantage in providing a better customer service and establishing a long-term relationship with their clie nts resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Peppers et al. (1999) referred to relationship marketing as one-to-one marketing and suggested that businesses must be dynamic and fast in their approach and response to individual customers’ needs which are ever-changing and unpredictable. Therefore, organisations must be prepared to provide bespoke products or services that meet... ..., Leahy (2011) notes that even if a firm using databases that has allowed them to reach all their customers, that does not mean they are maintaining the relationship with their customers successfully. Yet a customer’s perception of relationship is not rated highly neither is it valued because customers view it ‘impersonal’ and they are very suspicious of the firm’s motives (Leahy, 2011:453). With technology, firms have been able to contact customers about adverts and promotions but that does not mean an active relationship exists between both parties. Customers interest in what brands have to offer them and is of a great interest to them et, they don’t value firms trying to establish a relationship with them. It might help if firms decide to look at other avenues of trying to reach out and establish close relationships with their customers so it can be effective.

Annotations Heart of Darkness

Passage 1 â€Å"I left in a French steamer: The French Steam Ship and she called in every blamed port they have out there, for, as far as I could see, the sole purpose of landing soldiers and custom-house officers. I watched the coast. Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. Analogy comparing the coast slipping by the ship to a mystery. There it is before you — smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, Personification: Giving humanlike features to the coast. ‘Come and find out. This one was almost featureless, as if still in the making, with an aspect of monotonous grimness. Suggesting that the coast invites us to uncover its secrets. The edge of a colossal jungle, so dark-green as to be almost black by using these two words is the author purposely trying to imply racial discrimination†¦.? , fringed with white surf, ran straight, like a ruled line, far, far away along a blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist. The sun was fierce, the land seemed to glisten and drip with steam. Here and there grayish-whitish specks showed up clustered inside the white surf, with a flag flying above them perhaps. Whitish specks† symbolize the white settlements. Settlements some centuries old, and still no bigger than pinheads on the untouched expanse of their background. They looked so small in the huge jungle. We pounded along, stopped, landed Parallelism soldiers; went on, landed Parallelism custom-house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God-forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag-pole lost in it; landed Parallelism more soldiers — to take care of the custom-house clerks, presumably. Some, I heard, got drowned in the surf; but whether they did or not, nobody seemed particularly to care.They were just flung out there, and on we went. Every day the coast looked the same, as though we had not moved; but we passed various pl aces — trading places — with names like Gran' Bassam, Little Popo; names that seemed to belong to some sordid farce acted in front of a sinister back-cloth. The idleness of a passenger, my isolation amongst all these men with whom I had no point of contact, the oily and languid sea, the uniform somberness of the coast, Using descriptive language to describe the calm motionless sea†¦ seemed to keep me away from the truth of things, within the toil of a mournful and senseless delusion.The voice of the surf heard now and then was a positive pleasure, like the speech of a brother. The sound of the waves was a calm sound for him and he compares it to the voice of a brother using a simile. It was something natural that had its reason that had a meaning. Now and then a boat from the shore gave one a momentary contact with reality. Sometimes the boat on the shore reminded him of reality†¦this quote touches the theme of the story, It was paddled by black fellows. â₠¬Å"Black fellows† Discriminatory language-(You could see from afar the white of their eyeballs glistening.They shouted, sang; their bodies streamed with perspiration; they had faces like grotesque masks Is this a caricature, its describing the features of the â€Å"blacks† as a grotesque mask which to me sounds exaggerated and inaccurate. How can you say that about someone? Isn’t that a bit condescending, comparing their faces to an ugly mask (simile) these chaps; but they had bone, muscle, a wild vitality, an intense energy of movement, descriptive language describing their sharp features. that was as natural and true as the surf along their coast.They wanted no excuse for being there. They were a great comfort to look at. For a time I would feel I belonged still to a world of straightforward facts. What are the straight forward facts and who defines them? ; But the feeling would not last long. Something would turn up to scare it away. Once, I remember, we came upon a man-of-war anchored off the coast. There wasn't even a shed there, and she was shelling the bush. It appears the French had one of their wars going on thereabouts.Her ensign dropped limp like a rag; the muzzles of the long six-inch guns stuck out all over the low hull; the greasy, slimy swell swung her up lazily and let her down, swaying her thin masts. In the empty immensity of earth, sky, and water, there she was, incomprehensible, firing into a continent. Onomatopoeia(Pop, would go one of the six-inch guns; a small flame would dart and vanish, a little white smoke would disappear, a tiny projectile would give a feeble screech — and nothing happened. Nothing could happen.There was a touch of insanity in the proceeding ‘Touch of Insanity† is no t the lateral meaning of the word, in this case it can be used as a figure of speech, a sense of lugubrious drollery in the sight; and it was not dissipated by somebody on board assuring me earnestly there was a cam p of natives — he called them enemies! — hidden out of sight somewhere. Passage 2: We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. It has a literal and figurative meaning. Literal in that the river shrunk as they continued on with their journey and opened up from the front.It’s figurative in that the heart of darkness symbolizes the things unknown and the things which represent or hold a larger importance. It was very quiet there. At night sometimes the roll of drums behind the curtain of trees would run up the river and remain sustained faintly, as if hovering in the air high over our heads, till the first break of day. Whether it meant war, peace, or prayer we could not tell. †¦ We were wanderers on prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet.They had gone so far off, that they went able to recognize anything and thus they felt like they were born again as they went further down into the heart of darkness. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil. But suddenly, as we struggled round a bend, there would be a glimpse of rush walls, of peaked grass hoofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of feet stamping, of bodies swaying, of eyes rolling, Parallelism(‘†¦of†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢) under the droop of heavy and motionless foliage. .. The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us-who Parallelism (‘†¦was’) could tell. Who is to judge whether they were welcoming them or abusing them. This passage shows uncertainty in that nothing seems understandable. ? We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, Simile in that as the glided past no one noticed them and like a ghost it almost wasn’t real. Nothing seemed real, and their presence was insignificant. They wer e invisible. ondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse. Analogy: As they tried to discover the unknown just like men from a mad house released and waiting to get out and notice everything. could not understand because we were too far and could not remember, because we were traveling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign-and no memories. The earth seemed unearthly. Paradox We are accustomed to 1ook upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there – there you could look at a thing monstrous and free.It was unearthly, and the men were–No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it-this suspicion of their not being inhuman. I would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity-like yours-the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar . Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough; They were horrified and unable to recognize there surroundings. They felt like they had been born again into a world waiting to be re discovered. ut if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of there being a meaning in it which you -you so remote from tile night of the first ages–could comprehend. And why not? The mind of man is capable of anything-because everything is in it, all the past as well as the future. What was there after all? Joy, fear, sorrow, devotion, valor, rage-who can tell? -but truth-truth stripped of its cloak of time. Let the fool gape and shudder-the man knows, and can look on without a wink.But he must at least be as much of a man as these on the shore. He must meet that truth with his own true stuff-with his inborn strength. They were searching for the truth†¦but what was really the ‘t ruth’? Principles won't do. Acquisitions, clothes, pretty rags–rags that would fly off at the first good shake. No; you want a deliberate belief. An appeal to me in this fiendish row-is there? Very well; I hear; I admit, but I have a voice, Parallelism (‘†¦I†¦ ’) too, and for good or evil mine is the speech that cannot be silenced. Of course, a fool, what with sheer fright and fine sentiments, is always safe.

Compare and contrast the effects of hypermedia

INTRODUCTIONTechnology is changing the way lessons are taught. A wide variety of multimedia applications teaching various core competencies are now available either freely or commercially. The World Wide Web (WWW) is also becoming a very powerful tool for teaching, allowing teaching materials to be enhanced by hyperlinked audio, video, interactive objects and animations.PURPOSEThe purpose of this document is to compare and contrast the effects of multimedia and hypermedia web-based lessons. It begins by distinguishing the difference between a pure multimedia and a hypermedia web based lessons.DEFINITIONSMultimediaMultimedia is in essence a presentation of information that incorporates multiple media such as text, audio, graphics, and animation (CITEd Learn Center, 2007). Multimedia could be carried in any form and it need not be computerized. It may come in the form of video tape, video CD, DVD or some other form of digital media. Since computers offers one of the most seamless form presentation, multimedia are normally associated with computers. Multimedia presentations are normally distributed in the form of CDROM that can be played live or installed in a computer.HypermediaHypermedia refers to hyperlinked multimedia—the linkage of text, audio, graphics, animation, and/or video through hyperlinks (CITEd Learn Center, 2007). An example would be a hypermedia study guide that offers illustrated textbook content hyperlinked to web-based video and other content, glossary entries, and comprehension questions. Other hypermedia applications for the classroom include supported digital reading environments and lessons. Technically, a hypermedia is also a form of multimedia but for discussion purposes let us use hypermedia for hyperlinked multimedia, and use multimedia instead for the other forms of multimedia presentations.EFFECTS ON WEB BASED LESSONSHypermedia offers more power in terms of integrating curriculum contents. Through interactive objects, it can be used to add attractiveness through user interaction. It can even be applied in the form of games where the user becomes motivated through rewards and punishment. On the other hand, multimedia presentations are normally fixed presentations with no user interaction. It may be part of a web lesson but only a direct link to a fixed video presentation or a download link to fixed multimedia presentation. Hypermedia allows a simple text to be enriched with a lot of hyperlinked vocabulary definitions, glossaries, translations, explanatory notes, background information, and instructional prompts.On the other hand a simple multimedia only offers limited enrichment because it is not associate different forms of media, each must be explained separately. Hypermedia through hyperlinked and pop-ups can use a single text to be represented by several media through a simple point or click operation. Hypermedia can also be use to address a wide variety of needs, providing alternative means to engage l earners. With hypermedia, teachers can help a variety of learners. Moreover, because the various supports are presented as hyperlinks, students can access them independently according to their interest, similar to an on-demand video.Learning using multimedia or hypermedia is significantly more effective than traditional lectures. Although, according to Howard and Carver (1995), multimedia and hypermedia web lessons benefited the best students the most. This is primarily because of their increase interaction with hypermedia instructions. Again, since hypermedia offers more interaction, it is more effective than a pure multimedia presentation.EFFECTS ON WEB BASED LESSONSThe overall effect of hypermedia and multimedia in web lessons is by far very significant. Since hypermedia offers more flexibility in linking several sources of information from main idea to background information it is more effective than purely multimedia web lessons. Hypermedia presentations also are able to addres s a wide variety of needs as oppose to multimedia which mostly focus on a single core competency.

Associate Degree in Nursing Essay

Healthcare systems and the way safe, quality health care is delivered are continually changing to better serve patients and communities. Professional nursing practice is a large component in the healthcare system today. Back in the 1960s, professional nursing leaders tried to adopt the bachelor degree programs as the only educational track to become a registered nurse (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). Due to nursing shortages and demands this motive did not hold fast. Individuals entering the nursing profession today must first decide which educational pathway to take to become a Registered Nurse (RN). Although there are studies that suggest nurses with a higher level of education have better overall outcomes, there still exist different educational pathways one can take to become a registered nurse. The two most popular educational programs today are the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Both programs prepare students to sit for the state’s NCLEX exam and obtain a registered nurse license. Each educational pathway poses different advantages and disadvantages. The associate level degree can be obtained in two to three years and offered through community colleges and technical schools. Because the length of the program is shorter than the BSN program, this can be viewed as an advantage, saving both time and money. ADN nurses are typically educated to be direct care providers, usually employed by hospitals and long term care facilities. The course of study includes general education and clinical nursing classes (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). Technical skills are emphasized in the ADN programs, leaving little time for critical thinking skills. According to the American Association of College of Nursing (AACN), ADN nurses are better suited to work at the bedside in less complicated plans of care (Baccalaureate Degree, 2000). The associate degree nurse does possess good technical skills. The bachelor level degree can be obtained in four years by attending a college or university. Obviously, the BSN program will take more time and money over the ADN program. Although most colleges and universities offer traditional four year nursing programs, some offer accelerated programs. It will usually cost the same, however you are able to enter the nursing profession sooner. Unlike the ADN program, â€Å"the BSN nurse is better prepared to practice in all health care settings – critical care, outpatient, public health, and mental health† (Baccalaureate Degree, 2000, para. 8). In addition to the content taught in ADN programs, the humanistic BSN education encompasses more of the physical and social sciences (Impact of Education, 2011). The BSN nurse is better prepared to work more independently, therefore is well qualified to practice in healthcare systems outside of the hospital. Bachelor programs â€Å"prepare professional nurse generalists for acute care settings, community-based practice, and beginning leadership /management positions† (Creasia & Friberg, 2011, p. 32). This course of study is crucial to the delivery of good, safe, quality patient care. There have been several research studies completed to see if there is a correlation between higher RN education level and better patient outcomes. Several studies concluded there is decrease in mortality rates within hospitals that employee a greater percentage of bachelor prepared nurses (Creating a More, 2011). There are several patient care situations within hospitals in which a BSN nurse would be better qualified to create and manage a patient’s plan of care. Suppose a 28 year old American Indian female was admitted for preterm labor at 32 works gestation with a history of non-compliant diabetes since age 15. Both the ADN and BSN nurse could clinically perform a thorough assessment of the patient, monitor fetal condition and uterine activity, and administer medications. This patient needs more than just acute clinical care; she needs education and resources on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle for her and for the child she will soon be raising. A BSN practitioner has extensive training in cultural, social, and economic areas and would be a much better provider of care than the ADN nurse. Both ADN and BSN nurses will usually start at the same salary in the hospital or long term care facility, the ADN nurse will be limited to career advancements and opportunities. Charge nurse positions may be available in some organizations; however any position of higher level will almost always require an advanced education. Years of experience will sometimes be of relevance for a higher level position, but ultimately, these positions go to individuals who hold a bachelors and/or masters degree. As healthcare settings and delivery of care change, more nursing positions require the Bachelors of Science degree to be hired (Baccalaureate Degree, 2000). Overall, studies and research have proven the BSN nurse to be better prepared professionally for the ever changing healthcare systems of our world today and tomorrow. There have been great strides by nursing leaders and organizations around the nation to increase the number of bachelor degree nurses from 50% to 80% by the year 2020 (Employment of New Nurse, 2011). Even though deciding which educational pathway to take now is still up to the individual, research points to the BSN program. Choosing the BSN educational pathway over the ADN not only provides a broader spectrum of education to better serve patients and communities, but also opens many doors of opportunity for growth and advancement.

Child Development Models Essay

This essay will describe the different explanations for children’s behaviour, examining the Psychodynamic, Behaviourist and Social Learning perspectives. It will also evaluate each of these theories and make reference to their practical application. In doing so, the essay will set out how parents, child psychologists, social workers and teachers can aim to understand children’s behaviour.  As Haggerty (2006) states, â€Å"The theory supporting psychodynamic therapy originated in and is informed by psychoanalytic theory.† The psychoanalytic approach to therapy was developed by Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychiatrist. Freud’s model proposed that an individual has three elements to their psychological self: the ego, superego and id. The id is the most primitive, consisting of largely unconscious  biological impulses. The ego uses reality and its  consequences to modify the behaviour being urged by the  id. The superego judges actions as right or wrong based  on the person’s internal value system.  (Strickland ed., 2001, p.637)  According to Freud, children progress through various psychosexual stages of development. He claimed that, at particular points in the process, a single body part is particularly sensitive to erotic stimulation (Stevenson, 1996). The first stage begins at birth and continues until approximately 1 year old. It is classified as The Oral Stage because the mouth and lips are the main focus, displaying biting, sucking and chewing behaviour. The Anal Stage comes next and usually occurs between 1 and 3 years old. Toilet training encourages the child to enjoy expelling faeces. At this point the id will be satisfied by this instantaneous pleasure and will be in conflict with the ego and superego, which are concerned with controlling bodily functions to satisfy social expectations and practicality.  The Phallic Stage occurs between approximately 3 and 5 years old and contains one of Freud’s most controversial theories, the Oedipus complex (or Electra complex in females). His theory states that the child becomes focused upon the genital area and experiences turmoil in the form of an unconscious desire to possess the opposite-sexed parent and eliminate the same-sexed parent. What Freud termed the Latency Period comes next. He believed that sexual drive lay dormant due to repressed impulses and desires. At this stage, children focus upon non-sexual activities and form same-sex friendships.  At approximately 12 years old, a child faces puberty and enters what Freud classes as The Genital Stage. The focus returns to the genitals but this time in relation to others. There is now an interest in relationships and exploring sexuality. When a child is unable to resolve the conflicts that occur at any of these stages, fixation can occur. â€Å"If needs are not met in a satisfactory way or if the individual’s conscience or superego cannot deal with impulses and drives to love and to hate, then complex character traits emerge† (Errington and Murdin, 2006). For example, oral fixation may result in an adult displaying pessimism, sarcasm or gullibility, whilst phallic fixation may result in recklessness or fear of commitment. Freud, like many who begin a movement, now receives much criticism. One area of weakness is the limited scope of his research, as his therapy work mainly focused upon upper middle class women. Another popularly criticised aspect of Freud’s work is the emphasis on sexuality as, in his view, everything seems to stem from expression or repression of the sex drive (Boeree, 2006). Despite criticism, Freud’s methods underpin the commonly held belief that childhood experiences are hugely important to personality development. In practical terms, those working with children today place great importance on ensuring that a childhood contains opportunities to develop, to learn the difference between right and wrong, and to learn to appropriately act upon or repress urges.  Behaviour therapy is defined as â€Å"A collection of psychotherapeutic techniques aimed at altering maladaptive or unwanted behaviour patterns, especially through the application of principles of conditioning or learning.† (Colman, 2006). The main influencers of this theory were Pavlov, Watson and Skinner. Ivan Pavlov, later to receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his research into the digestive system, observed that â€Å"†¦dogs would salivate upon seeing their keeper, apparently in anticipation of being fed.† (Strickland ed., 2001, p.478). Pavlov extended his experiment and rang a bell immediately before food was served to the dogs. Eventually, the dogs would salivate upon the bell ringing, even if no food was then served. This led Pavlov to develop an understanding of conditioned responses and unconditioned reflexes.

Strategies of alterity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategies of alterity - Essay Example For as long as the beloved remains so, he or she may only be defined according to the emotions that he or she brings about from the lover. Barthes obviously takes a pragmatic perspective about romantic relationships. Even as he considers the importance of lovers in knowing each other, he also recognizes the fact that lovers can never fully know or understand the other. Although both Alien Encounter and Outer Space were outright works of science fiction, particularly discussing about the yet to be fully explored frontiers of human and alien relations and the possibilities of life forms beyond the Earth, the spaces it actually meant are the void in human knowledge. The tone of both pieces were light and humorous although the theme that both represent is quite serious. Both being narratives, the readers/viewers are addressed in the second person, which effectively relates them to the theme in point. The female characters in the movie are in search of someone special to them respectively in order to fill up the void in their individual lives. (Sarbanes 57) They did so when then they encountered aliens. However, these beings from outer space do not become special in the sense that became other halves of long-term romantic relationships with the main female characters. Their significance is in their ability to let the women see beyond the void they are experiencing, making them able to live their respective lives better. The desiring subject of the book and the movie is the main female character. Seemingly, the objects of desire are the aliens but, in fact, it is the wish to have happier and less lonely lives. Scopophilia is the sense of gratification that an individual experiences by just looking. According to Freud, scopophilia is one of human sexual instincts although it exists independent of the functions of the main sexual organs. For the person committing scopophilia, an object, often another individual may be