Choose a topic for the Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Choose a topic for the Paper - Essay Example The causes for the great depression are many and complex but the basic reasons for the great depression can be listed as a stock market which crashed, economic trends which were negative and a lack of investments in large projects. Industries such as heavy machinery production, shipbuilding and mining operations were worst hit and they had to let go of thousands of workers who could not find jobs to replace the ones they had lost (Wheeler, 2007). Amongst the after effects of the Great Depression was the New Deal which was offered by Roosevelt to the Americans which gave fair wages for fair work. A forty hour work week was created to make sure that positions could be given to all those who wanted to work and massive deficit spending was undertaken by the government to give the economy a boost. In fact, the current transport network which crisscrosses across America is one of the projects which was started to get America out of its economically stagnant state (Higgs, 1992). The Great Depression, even though it was a sad period for those who went through it brought many advantages for those who came after the period since the decisions made then have kept the American economy stable for decades. For example, the idea of a minimum wage comes from the aftermath of the great depression and the benefits to the southern half of the American states were immense since the economic focus shifted from agriculture to industrialization and services (Parker, 2007). I feel that Americans lost trust in financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies in the years which followed the great depression and came to depend more on the relationship they had with the government. Franklin Roosevelt probably benefited most from the era since he was able to pull America out of the situation and was (and still is) seen as a hero for the nation. His New Deal worked for a lot

Teaching in Nursing Education discussion posts Assignment

Teaching in Nursing Education discussion posts - Assignment Example This has hampered â€Å"staff development... managers are eager to get nurses into staffing; some are reluctant to send them to classes they should have before they start working.† This has curtailed the educational development of nurses leading to a shortage of specialized nurses (who would be preceptors) as hospitals are less willing to invest in the education of nurses (National League of Nursing, 2011). Nursing is more than a course taught at a college or university, it is a practical subject that has to facilitate hands on learning using hospitals. â€Å"The increase in numbers of students entering nursing programs there has become an increased competition for acute care clinical sites† and this has limited time for practice. This problem can be addressed by requiring that each nursing teaching facility build a teaching hospital before it is certified by the state education agencies (National League for Nursing, 2005). Huang, H. (2002). â€Å"Towards constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments.† British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(1), 27-37. Retrieved from

Elizbeth Bishop Personal Response Intro Essay Example for Free

Elizbeth Bishop Personal Response Intro Essay The poetry of Elizabeth Bishop appeals to me because she writes about things which are relevant, in a remarkably vivid and vital way. Bishops misfortune in life has inspired her to write distressing poems in which she describes to us the loss she suffered at an early stage in her childhood. She also tells us about her deepest and darkest moments in life. Out of Bishops troubled life, her poetry was born. Bishop has a painters eye and she vividly describes the world around her. She has a keen eye for detail and this is shown in the descriptive language in her poetry. Her strong sense of imagery draws the reader into her poetry. The themes exploded in Bishops poetry have universal appeal. What makes Bishops poetry particularly appealing is her ability to make ordinary everyday objects seem fascinating. Through Bishops poetry we see how close observation leads the poet to have several moments of awareness where she experiences several epiphanies. These moments of awareness are highly dramatic but extremely interesting. The poems ‘Sestina’, ‘First Death In Novia Scotia’, ‘Filling Station’, ‘The Fish, The Armadillo and ‘The Prodigal’ all demonstrate various issues such as nature and childhood memories. What appealed to me most about Bishop’s poetry was her use of striking and powerful imagery. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Fish for its unusual imagery and detailed description. I was drawn into the poem immediately as she says, I caught a tremendous fish. She describes the fish as ‘battered’, ‘venerable’ and ‘homely. Bishop then goes on to compare the fish to everyday domestic items. His brown skin hung in strips / like ancient wallpaper. I found this statement particularly appealing as it evoked a sense of homely familiarity in me.

The Eye 2002 And 2006 Movie Comparison

The Eye 2002 And 2006 Movie Comparison 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction To make sure the research can be done in correct way with relevant content. Researcher can use relevant article, journal even theory to provide an idea or evidence of the research topic so that credibility and accuracy of the works can be increased. Thus, literature review is one of the important parts in completing research. 2.2 Horror Films According to the journal of Tim Dirks (1996), horror films are unsettling films designed to frighten, panic and dread to invoke people hidden worst fears while captivating and entertaining people at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films effectively centre on the dark side of life, the forbidden, strange and alarming events. Thus, it deals with people most primal nature and fears, nightmares, vulnerability, alienation, revulsions, fear of death and dismemberment, loss of identity and fear of sexuality. From the earliest days, people used their vivid imaginations to see ghost in shadowy shapes, emotionally connected to the unknown and fear things that are improbable. People can get into an outlet for the feeling of fear itself without actually being in danger by watching horror films. Theres a very real thrill and fun factor in being scared when watching horrific images. A good horror film does not need complex technology special effects to produce in some situations. This is because when horror films done with less reliance on horrify special effects, it can be extremely effective film forms which tapping into people dream states the horror within man himself or unknown. The earliest horror films were in Gothic style, which means they were usually set in fog-shrouded, spooky old mansions, or castles, dark and shadowy locales. For the main characters have included supernatural or grotesque creatures, monsters, vampires, devils, ghosts, zombies, demons even an unknown human. Horror films can be developed from several sources such as folktales with witchcrafts, devil characters, myths, fables, ghost stories and novels. In horror films, the irrational forces of horror invariably need to be defeated. These films normally will end with a return to normalcy and victory over the antagonism. 2.2.1 Plot Dorian Scott Cole claims that plot is refer to the main plan of the story, the structure of an event to telling what is happening from the beginning to the end of the event. Its also the engine that drives the story forward on the course. It plays an important role in an event like films and literatures. To make a plot of the story, writers need to consider what the character needs and his situation in the story. When the characters are put in a situation, they are going to start working to get what they want. Writers need to get clear with everything in the story so that they can construct the plot clearly without any confusion. There are many types of plot that writers can use to construct their story. One of the famous types of plot that frequently used by writers is Freytags pyramid. Classically Freytags pyramid can be divided into 5 parts which are exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution and denouement. In the exposition, the background information that is needed to understand the story properly is provided. Such information includes protagonist, antagonist, basic conflicts, settings, and so forth. The exposition ends with the inciting moment, which is the single incident in the storys action without which there would be no story. The inciting moment sets the remainder of the story in motion, beginning with the second act, the rising action. During the rising action, the basic conflict is complicated by the introduction of related secondary conflicts, including various obstacles that frustrate the protagonists attempt to reach his or her goal. Secondary conflicts can include adversaries of lesser importance than the storys antagonist, who may work with the antagonist or separately, by and for themselves. The third act is that of the climax, which marks a change, for the better or the worse. If the story is a comedy, things will have gone badly for the protagonist up to this point and things will begin to go well for protagonist. If the story is a tragedy, the opposite state of affairs will ensue, with things going from good to bad for the protagonist. During the falling action, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, with the protagonist winning or losing against the antagonist. The falling action may contain a moment of final suspense, during which the final outcome of the conflict is in doubt. The resolution is the character solves the main problem or conflict or someone solves it for him or her. Everything of the story will be settled in this stage. The comedy ends with a denouement in which the protagonist is better off than he or she was at the storys outset. The tragedy ends with a catastrophe in which the protagonist is worse off than he or she was at the beginning of the narrative. Writers are very depending on their creativity in composing the flow of plot in order to make the event attractive and interesting. If the plot is not composed in suitable and attractive way, the final event will not in good condition no matter how good the idea is. Thus, there is a big challenge to a writer in composing an interesting plot for a film or literature. 2.2.1.1 Developing a Plot for Horror Films There is a challenge for a writer in developing a plot for horror film. According to Theresa Hoppers journal in 2002, writers need to keep their mind to be original when work out a plot for horror film. Writers can make their writing original by adding own personal take on a familiar plot. There are so many horror plot devices that people familiar with such as happy family moving into haunted houses, naà ¯ve people abusing Ouija boards, charismatic vampires, vengeful witches, demon lovers and so on. These have all been used since the beginning of the genre, but it is not meaning that writer cannot still employ them successfully. They just have to think of a unique way by looking at the subject so that they can give a new life in the old device. Christina Hamlett claims there are several steps in developing a plot for horror film in proper way. First of all, writers need to familiarize themselves with as many horror films as they can and study the techniques that filmmakers like to use to scare their audiences. For example, use fairly ordinary items like dolls, cars, dogs, houses and other daily things and imbue them with extraordinary and malevolent powers. Besides that, they also escalate the suspense and terror by systematically isolating the potential victims, utilizing gruesome visuals and scary sound effects, and playing on the apprehensions that many of people had as children. After that, writers can make a list of the top 10 thing that people are most afraid to according the level of threatening. Then pick the one that absolutely terrifies writer the most and form the basis of the plot. There is a must writer to pick out the scariest object for them in order to develop the story with true feeling. If not they will no t able to develop the story that really touch audience because writers even not able to persuade themselves the story or the object is scary. Once the object has been chosen as the main things in horror film then writers need to outline the scary story before start to write it. Outline is very important part in developing a plot because it helps writers to clarify every single elements or conflicts in the story before they write out the detail things. To outline the scary story, writers need to give the villain in the story a plausible motive for what it does. For example, the villain is seeking revenge against the descendants of the person who killed him, the villain is seeking to avenge the honor of a deceased sweetheart, responding to an ancient curse that forces the main character to do evil things or reacting to the effects of a bad lab experiment. There are so many possible way to let writers develop, it is just depending on the creativity of the writers. To avoid the protagonist in the scary story just simply be reacting to everything that the monster do, writers need to give them some solid motivations. For instanc e, hero needs to accomplish to be thwarted in some way by the presence of the evil forces. He cant simply walk away from this scary conflict because if he does, something even worse could happen as a result. After all the characters basic information and the conflicts between protagonist and antagonist have been developing. It is the time writers indentify the story into 5 parts of the plot which are exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution and denouement. Writers need to get clear with what is happening within the 5 parts of plot. During the moment, writers need to decide how many characters that needed in the storyline and what kinds of locations will be required. Last but not least, the dialogue should always sound natural, horror films tend to have less dialogue in them than other genres because their strength is derived from the scary visuals and action sequences. 2.3 Music in Horror Films Simon Boswell is a music composer who famous for his involvement in several classic horror films. Those involvements are including many by Italian horror master, Dario Argento. According to Boswells statement Music in horror films is probably more powerful than in any other genre, so its good for a composer to do them because he can be very influential on the action. John Hubinette claims that music in horror films is more powerful than in most other films due to the dramatic nature and shifting pace of horror films. The main purpose of horror film is to scare people. To do these by all means possible, filmmakers will not only depend on visual. Even though music is a very important aspect of horror films, it must never distract the audience. The music should fit the action as well that is not perceived as a separate aspect of the film, it should be integrated with the visual and work to seamlessly intensify the events in the film. This is perhaps the reason why music in films is so often overlooked. It the music is well composed and well implemented, it will becomes a part of the overall experience. In the earliest years, orchestral music is the most characteristic type of horror film music. It has been used since the birth of the genre even today orchestral music is the most popular type of music used in horror films, thrillers and adventure films. Theres a reason why orchestra music is so popular and rapid used in horror film until today. Orchestral music has open-endedness and great dynamic range that allows the composer to greatly vary his compositions to follow the event in a film. Another reason could be that orchestra music is very neutral and appeals to a wide audience, but perhaps the main reason is that powerful orchestral music simply works very well when there is a need to convey emotions and set a certain mood. Today, orchestral music is not the only genre used in horror films. Many films differ in this area by using other kinds of music such as synthetic based music and industrial music. For example Blair Witch 2 which uses alternative rock and meal music. This selection of music works pretty well, as it is quite dark, brooding and suits the visual style of the film. In several times, classic orchestral horror music has been replaced with music that would normally never even be considered for a horror film. Perhaps the most extreme case is American Psycho, which mainly uses American 80s rock and pop music. In this film, it becomes obvious that horror films require the right kind of music to function properly. A very odd feeling is produced when Patrick Bateman (the male protagonist) slaughters one of his victims to the tune of Hip to be Square by Huey Lewis and the News. It produces a complete audio-visual dissonance, but when this music decreases the fear factor of this particular scene, it does create a very odd experience, which is probably what the film makers aimed to create. 2.4 Sound Effects in Horror Films Besides music, sound effects are also one of the important elements in horror film. It has the ability to give a big shock to audience and enhance the scary atmosphere in the scene dramatically. Besides that, sound effects helps to make the action in horror film become lively and increase the reality feeling. According to the statement by John Hubinette, he claims that both the music and sound effects are directly linked to the visuals of the film. Music works by accompanying the events in the film to create or adjust a certain mood or atmosphere. Sound effects are usually tied even more closely to the events in the film, most of the cases are applied to intensify or mark direct action such as movements and impact. These sounds are usually exaggerated especially in action film and horror film. Theres a classic example of an exaggerated sound effect which is punches, which often sound like whip lashes when normally filmmakers would produce a barely audible. Although this kind of sound effect might negatively affect the realism of certain events in a film, it does serve to increase the power and intensity of movements, impacts and other actions which is very important especially in horror films that aiming to create a confrontational audio-visual experience. There is also a type of sound effect known as ambient sounds that widely use in horror films nowadays. In horror film, ambient sounds usually insert in looped sequences and used to create a background noise for a scene. Thus, it will looks natural even enhance the particular moods in the scene. There are some examples of ambient sounds that people can found in horror film such as crickets, humming, the wind blowing, thunder and rain. It is also interesting to note that in particular horror films tends to highlight sounds that people would normally not pay attention to, such as a beating heart or someone breathing. This usually happens when there is a single victim being chased or stalked by a monster or ghost. The purpose is to draw audience into the scene and to make it part of the action or put it in the situation of the victim. This tactic works very well in horror film in most of the time. Other than that, silence can also function as a sound effect in some scenes. It can be used when there is a need to create high tension and also be used together with loud musical hits in a turn-taking sequence. Silence has the function that emphasizes the certain atmosphere or situation in the scene instantaneously. Compare with music and sound effects, silence will be the best weapon for filmmaker to draw audiences attention in particular scene. Audiences needs nowadays are become more complicated, they will not satisfy with the effort on visual effect in horror film. Music and sound effects are also the element they concern with. 2.5 Theories and Concept Applied Theories are very important in conducting a research; it helps research to explain certain phenomenon or situation with evidence. Thus, the result of research will be more persuasive once research applied theory in his work. Auteur Model and Feminist Model will be included to analyze the content analysis in this research. 2.5.1 Auteur Model In the 1950s and 60s, the film critic Andrew Sarris became the leading American proponent of what is now called Auteur Theory. Auteur is come from French word which means author. Talk of artistic and the term auteur placed the director centrally as the author of the film. An auteurist critic looks for consistency of theme and design throughout a directors film. If the film maker was to be seen as auteur they would have to exhibit through a series of films clear auteur characteristic. To fulfill the requirement of Auteur model, there are four characteristics author refer to. Firstly, the visual style of the film; which means the Mise en scene and designation of cinematography in the film. Secondly, the narrative structure and feature of the film; which referring to the story genre and the message that bringing by the film. Third, the particular character traits and situation; which referring to the acting style and the performance of actors. The last characteristic is referring to the theme that set in the film. If the filmmaker has reached those entire mentioned characteristic, these characteristics will be clearly seen in all of his work in whatever genre. Gillkings statement claims Alfred Hitchcock as a director frequently studied from an auteur perspective. When Auteur Model was being developed, Alfred Hitchcock was frequently acknowledged as the consummate exemplar. Even his name evokes immediate expectations in terms of themes and techniques. As the master of mystery and suspense, Hitchcocks films play with the audiences nerves, sexuality or tabooed areas assume central or implicit places. For example the latent homosexuality of Strangers on a Train (1951), the Parody of an Oedipus complex in Psycho and the traumatic remembrance of repressed Memories of Marnie (1964). Hitchcock was influenced by the German Expressionists and he admired their ability to express the ideas in purely visual terms. It is the visual expression of thought and psychology that Hitchcock achieves throughout his films. Hitchcocks films are marked by his mastery of cinematic technique which is exemplified in his use of camera viewpoints, elaborate editing and soundtrack to build suspense. There are several example can be found in his films. For the first, Notorious (1946) includes an incredible zoom-in from a high shot to an extreme close-up of a significant plot detail and suspense building inter-cutting of the final scene. Secondly, In a scene in Blackmail (1929), Hitchcock uses a complex pattern of sound and dialogue based around the word knife to reflect feelings of guilt. Besides that, there is a cut from a womans scream to the similar sound of a train whistle in the The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935). In Suspicion (1941), his personal stamp is typified by the use of a light bulb to produce the effect of an ominous, glowing glass of milk. This attribution of symbolic power to inanimate objects is another hallmark of Hitchcock which a bread knife in Blackmail (1929) and a key in Notorious (1946). He a lso places great focus on the creation of set pieces where he is able to exercise his talent for detail and suspense. According to the statement of Gillking, he also claims that Hitchcocks vision of the world is reflected in the themes that predominate in his films. The specific psychology that is presented in the films such as the fascination with wrongful accusation and imprisonment is a significant part of the Hitchcock signature. One of the basic themes is that the mistaken identity, the wrong man accused who must find the real perpetrator in order to prove his innocence for example The Lodger (1926), The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), North By Northwest (1959) and so on. Other than that, Hitchcock also found visual expression for his themes in recurrent motifs that express his vision of the world like staircases in Strangers On A Train (1951), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), sinister houses in Psycho (1960), chasms in Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959) and National Landmarks that the most obviously in North by Northwest which includes the United Nations Building and Mount Rushmore. Besides Alfred Hitchcock, there are so many directors that under Auteur Theory, such as John Ford from United States, Pang Brothers from Hong Kong, Jack Neo from Singapore. They have their own strong characteristic in directing a film and it is hard to imitate or replace by others. People are familiar with their style even can recognize their film easily with the characteristic of film that mentioned above. 2.5.2 Feminist Model Feminist model is widely used to discover and describe a distinctively female perspective on film, as well as those ways in which the cinema might not be found uniquely pleasurable by female viewers. There are two elements which are psychoanalytic and ideological analysis has blended by Feminist model criticism. The psychoanalytic component is found in attempts to understand the ways cinema arouses the pleasure and desires of its audiences and how this might differ on a gender basis. In the other side, ideological is found in the efforts of feminist criticism to relate the portrayal of women in films to particular social attitudes, assumptions and practices that may be found in the more general society of which those films are a part. According to the statement of Stephen Prince, he claims that Feminist film criticism tends to assume two forms. The first is an analysis and description of how a male-dominated film industry has selectively shaped images of women in films that have been created largely by men. Male director has portrayed womens image in their desired way through the visual spectacle and the use of the close up function in film to present women as erotic object for the contemplation of an ideal male audience. For example, Marilyn Monroe or Marlene Dietrich is the most popular star who is the erotic image for a male audience. She gave the extraordinary visual attention through her body in the film which directed by male director. The second form is closely related to the first, it is the discovery of alternative feminist forms or filmmaking and images of characters. There is a wide range of filmmakers and models of filmmaking to choose by the feminist critic. The critic could examine the work of a director such as Jane Campion, who makes films that are not slotted into particular genres or targeted to be large crowd pleaser employing traditional formulas. Two of her films are The Piano (1993) and Orlando (1993). The Piano (1993) , stars Holly Hunter as a mute, Victorian, unwed mother who travels to New Zealand to fulfill an arranged marriage to an English farmer who living there. The film explores her torturous reception as both a woman and an artist. She have to live in a culture which is alien to her and that places her into the most insensitive and brutal husband. Orlando (1993), this film examines the consequences of gender roles and how they affect the way people live their lives. Sally Potters film is adapted from a Virgina woolf story about a young man during the Elizabethan era who lives for over four centuries without aging but who mysteriously changes into a woman. Orlando has experiences the world from the perspective of each gender through living as both a man and a woman. Orlando comes to appreciate the uniqueness of each genders role and how socially conditioned these roles are. The Piano (1993) and Orlando (1993) are philosophically and aesthetically distinct from male-directed productions. In the unique term of their narrative and image all the perspective brought to gender. Its social definition and impact on sexuality, speech and art, each film offers the pleasures of distinctive female voice in cinema. 2.6 Summary This chapter explains horror films, plot, music, sound effects and 2 theories which are Auteurist Model and Feminist Model with several facts and example. Researcher can learn and understand more about the background of the titles throughout this chapter. By studying all the titles above, it will give researcher a clearer image about what is going to focus in the following chapters. Thus, it also minimizes the chances researcher out of topic when doing this research.

Congress And The Change In Term Limits Essay -- Politics Political

Congress and The Change in Term Limits In 1994, for the first time in 40 years, Congress was drastically changed. The Democratic majority was uprooted and new, lively, freshmen were instated with a job to undertake. As part of the Republican=s AContract with America,@ these new Republicans had to revise the current Congressional term limit status. In undertaking this task, these men and women ran into a seemingly stone road-block. This roadblock consisted of long-term, carreerists who were unwilling to change. The problem was not that there were no Congressmen who were committed to real change elected in 1994 because there were, but Congress was highly dominated by long-term careerists in both parties who seemed to have more loyalty to the system than to their constituents. As Thomas Jefferson put it, "Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct." (Oxford dictionary of quotations, p.272) Over time, career legislators are more likely to promote the interest of the establishment of which they are part than that of the larger public. This fact is not surprising. If most of a persons time is spent meeting with lobbyists, constituents, and bureaucrats, that person may actually come to believe what these influential people are saying. This is why new blood needs to enter Congress more frequently, in order to avoid the highly influenced Congress that is filled with old people with old ideals. Needless to say the once optimistic freshmen were unsuccessful in their task, and it=s plain to see why. Until that changes, Congress is not going to change. Congressmen need to get back to basics and realize that they are in office to serve their people, and not themselves. What would change Congress is term limits. By the middle of last year nearly half of the states had restricted, almost all of them by popular vote, the number of terms that their members of Congress could serve. But then the Supreme Court intervened. In U.S. Term Limits, Inc., et al. v. Thornton et al., a narrow five-to-four majority voided these restrictions, stating that "allowing individual States to craft their own qualifications for Congress would thus erode the structure envisioned by the Framers, a structure that was designed, in the words of the Preamble to our Constitution, to form a Amore perfect Union.@ (US Law Week, 1995) Congress, na... ..., Edward H.(2), "Six and Twelve: The Case for Serious Term Limits," National Civic Review, 1991. P. 251. Jefferson, Thomas. "Letter to Tench Coxe" 1799, The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, 3d ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979, p. 272. McLaughlin, Fabrizio, Memorandum to "all interested parties," February 6, 1996, p. 1. (www.poilticalscience/pub/quotes.com) Moore, Stephen and Steelman, Aaron. "An Antidote to Federal Red Ink: Term Limits," Cato Institute Briefing Paper no. 21, November 3, 1994, p. 21. (Http://www.cato.org) Payne, James, AThe Culture of Spending: Why Congress Lives beyond Our Means@ University Press, 1991 p. 175-80. Smith, Bradley A. "Campaign Finance Regulation: Faulty Assumptions and Undemocratic Consequences," Cato Institute Policy Analysis no. 238, September 13, 1995, p. A15 (www.cato.org) U.S. Term Limits, Inc., et al. v. Thornton et al., 63 U.S. Law Week 4413, 4432. May 22, 1995. Wall Street Journal "Conflict in Congress," Wall Street Journal, April 22, 1996, p. A22.

Essay --

The Tea Party’s Influence on American Politics Throughout American history, the role and size of the United States government has been debated since the 1st United States Congress. In modern times, a new conservative group, known as the Tea Party has formed to advocate for smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and restoring traditional American values. This group has made it tougher for Democrats and Republicans to solve their differences. Receiving dramatic support when it formed, the Tea Party, acting as the most conservative members in government, has changed American politics by dividing the Republican party, making it tougher for Congress to pass bills, showing major opposition to the President, and causing gridlock within the government. The Tea Party is defined as a conservative grassroots movement that, â€Å"calls awareness to any issue which challenges the security, sovereignty of domestic tranquility of our beloved nation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .1 In addition to this, there are many based Tea Party groups around the country, such as Tea Party Patriots and Tea Party 911.2 Furthermore, the formation of the Tea Party is not fully defined. Many Tea Party activist like to refer to the 1773 Boston Tea Party as when their movement was established.3 However, it is argued that the modern Tea Party formed on a nationwide protest, known as the Tax Day Protest, on September 12, 2009.4 This group was protesting nationwide against 787 billion dollar stimulus package and the 3.5 trillion dollar deficit that was implemented by the Obama Administration and a Democratic controlled Adams 2 Congress.5 While many argue that the Tea Party was formed as a grassroots coalition, others claim that this movement was funded by elites, former politicians and con... ...ugh time on dealing with the debt ceiling once again. Thirty Republican Tea Party members oppose raising that debt ceiling. Because of this, Republicans have to create a bill in which they will receive Democratic support. Hopefully, a bipartisan solution by all members will allow the debt ceiling to be risen.44 The Tea Party has changed politics by making the Republican Party more Conservative and making the legislation process slower. They have indeed influenced and change politics in the election process and caused the necessity of bipartisanship in Congress. In addition, they brought the debate about the interpretation of the Constitution, restoring traditional values, economic ideologies in America, and the role and size of the United States government. The Tea Party will go down in history as one of the groups that has changed American politics in many aspects.

7-Eleven Casestudy

INTRODUCTION The ability to respond quickly to the ever-changing marketplace is paramount to the success of most businesses. The convenience-store industry is a highly competitive one and 7-Eleven’s ability to become a leader market leader appears to be based on the company’s ability to quickly respond to the rapidly changing tastes and needs of the market. 7-Eleven has not always enjoyed success, especially in the 1980s when things got really bad for the company. Helped, however, arrived in the form of Ito-Yokado (the company’s Japanese Licensee).Ito-Yokado revamped the entire retailing approach of the company by introducing an innovative approach to retailing which, along with the aid of technologically advanced systems, significantly impacted 7-Eleven’s success. ANALYSIS Ito-Yokado’s innovative approach to retailing is known as â€Å"tanpin kanri† or â€Å"item-by-item management†, a business approach that revolves around the follow ing: 1. Carefully tracking and paying attention to the fine details of the buying preferences of customers 2. Allowing the customers tastes and shopping habits to dictate the products that are carried in 7-eleven stores. -Eleven has been able to simplify the process of tracking and paying very close attention to the shopping habits of their shoppers by using the information systems installed in all of their stores. USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPACT SUPPLY CHAIN VISIBILITY, VARIABILITY AND UNCERTAINTY Technology plays a vital role in 7-Eleven’s supply chain. The company’s state-of-the-art information systems appear to have reduced the company’s supply chain risks by increasing visibility, while reducing variability and uncertainty. Supply Chain Visibility Supply Chain visibility is the ability to access relevant supply chain information.Thanks to cutting-edge technology, like the Mobile Operations terminal or MOT, 7-Eleven knows the exact amount of individual items that are sold in each of its 5,800 North American stores on a daily basis. Another technology: the MC3000 handheld scanner lets the company collect data on items as they come off delivery trucks- increasing the company’s visibility on a real-time basis. 7-Eleven’s supply chain visibility has been greatly impacted by technology as it allows the company to better predict, with great accuracy, the number of individual SKUs that each store will sell. Supply Chain VariabilitySupply chain variability involves volatility in the flow of goods and services in a supply chain. By having the right systems in place, 7-Eleven’s supply chain variability appears to have significantly decreased. The MOT system at 7-Eleven, for example, allows stores to better forecast the number of individual SKUs, resulting in decreased storage and spoilage costs; and the elimination of potential bullwhip or snowball effects. MOT has also slashed the amount of time and labour that it takes to count inventory and to order new products, causing an improvement in company efficiency and a decrease in variability.Supply chain uncertainty Supply chain uncertainty occurs when decision makers do not know what to base their decisions on (due to a lack of proper information). 7-Eleven store managers used to color code information manually physically keep track of frozen sandwiches by their written expiration dates and would sometimes make sandwiches on the premise when instructed by corporate management. Information systems now allow stores to accurately forecast the number of stock/items that need to be replenished, resulting in significantly reduced uncertainty. THE BENEFITS OF TECHNOLOGY AT 7-ELEVENTechnology has played a crucial role in increasing 7-Elevens profitability and market share. The hundreds of millions of dollars that the company has invested in technology in the past decade appear to be paying dividends in the following ways: †¢Increased profitability: Last year, t he store reported $12. 2 billion in revenues †¢Increased share prices: Company stocks have soared above $30, since trading for less than $6 in early 2003. †¢Consecutive sales increases: The company boasts 35 consecutive quarters of same-store sales increases Technology plays a crucial role in the gathering, analyzing and distribution of information at 7-eleven.While other convenience stores chains have just gotten around to POS scanning, 7-Eleven has item-by-item information gathering systems that assist in day-to-day decision making. 7-Eleven’s retail information system or RIS provides timely sales data that enables stores to tailor their product assortments to meet the demands of their customers, reducing the risks involved in introducing new products ( due to the availability of sales data within 24 hours of a product’s introduction). The 7-exchange data system for category management, which suppliers access online, provides insights that can lead to new p roducts or product packaging.The information on this system can even alert suppliers to a potential or missed opportunity. 7-Eleven’s has opened its doors to small suppliers through its Web Vendor terminal. Suppliers who cannot afford EDI use this to communicate with the company and accept orders for very specific items like ethnic items or the self-serve espresso in a Manhattan store 7-ELEVEN’S BUSINESS STRATEGY The driving force behind 7-Eleven’s success appears to be the company’s ability to execute a Customer Intimacy strategy.Customer intimacy involves targeting specific market segments, then tailoring offerings that meet the demands of these segments. Companies that excel at this are known to: 1. combine detailed customer knowledge with operational flexibility (so they can respond quickly to fulfil the needs of their customers) 2. Continuously tailor and shape their products and services (in order to fit their customers). According to Keith Morrows, 7-Eleven’s CIO and VP of information systems, â€Å"decisions about what should be in the store are best made at the store, at the moment of truth, by people in the store, on a real-time basis†.This allows the company to shape their stores around the customer’s day-to-day habits, instead of basing company decisions on focus groups, marketing research or non-scientific guesses. Pursuing a Customer Intimacy strategy can be expensive: 7-Eleven spent $93 million on technology as the company installed new HP servers, wireless LAN, computer-based training software and new ordering system for fresh foods. Customer intimate companies, however, are willing to spend in order to build long-term customer loyalty that provides lifetime value to the company.