How Modern Terrorism Uses the internet Research Paper

How Modern Terrorism Uses the internet - Research Paper Example The Internet provides terrorists with several advantages. For example, terrorists could operate in a clandestine manner from a distance. Such endeavors could be across national and continental borders, and could be conducted without fear of detection or regulation. The expenditure and risk involved in cyber – attacks are significantly lower than a physical attack. Furthermore, cyber – attacks tend to attract the attention of the media to a considerable extent (Why Terrorists Use the Internet, 2005). These advantages are off setted by several disadvantages. For instance, the intricacy and distributed nature of the Internet makes it very difficult to control a terrorist attack and achieve the sought for objectives. Terrorist attacks on the Internet chiefly cause economic damage, and there is very little scope for employing such attacks to cause physical harm (Why Terrorists Use the Internet, 2005). As such, a terrorist attack that does not entail death and injury attracts less attention and is therefore less effective in spreading terror. Moreover, terrorists host websites that display terrifying videos of their brutal murders. One such video showed the brutal killing of an American journalist by the Islamic terrorists. The Islamic terrorist group, Al Qaeda employs advanced communication technology in conjunction with multimedia, in order to engage in a highly sophisticated form of psychological warfare (Weimann, 2004). The al Qaeda has unremittingly declared; via its websites that its attack on the World Trade Center served to significantly damage the US economy, in addition to causing severe psychological damage to the populace. This contention has been borne out to some extent by the weakening of the dollar and the diffidence generated in the US economy, at the national and international level (Weimann, 2004). Moreover, the Internet provides a convenient means for raising funds for not only political organizations, but also terrorist groups. In a ddition, terrorist groups employ the Internet to recruit and mobilize cadres. Terrorist organizations not only use the various web technologies to enhance their allure, but they also collect information about the entities that browse through their websites (Weimann, 2004). In addition, technical information regarding the manufacture and use of explosives is readily available on the Internet. For instance, there are several websites that post The Anarchist Cookbook and The Terrorist’s Handbook. These are detailed manuals for manufacturing a vast array of explosive devices (Weimann, 2004). A major use of the Internet made by terrorist groups is for planning and coordinating terrorist attacks. The September 11 attacks were witness to the large scale use of the Internet by the al Qaeda to mount its murderous attacks. A large number of encrypted messages were retrieved by federal officials from the computer of the al Qaeda terrorist Abu Zubaydah, the monster who had masterminded t hese iniquitous attacks (Weimann, 2004). Realizing the benefit being derived from the Internet, by the terrorists, the US Government embarked upon a counterterrorism strategy. This strategy was aimed at infiltrating the message boards of the Islamic terrorists. In addition, the staunch ally of the US, namely the UK was successful in hacking an English language online magazine of the al Qaeda (Ackerman, 2011). Moreover, in the UK, the Home Office had proposed that filtering software was

The impact of substance abuse in the work place Essay

The impact of substance abuse in the work place - Essay Example Being a supervisor, my responsibility involves maintaining a productive, safe and secure environment for all employees at the work place. It is also my responsibility to evaluate and conduct performance discussion with employees. In the course of my duty as a supervisor, it is expected of me to treat all employees fairly in a manner that does not demean anyone (opm.gov). During my supervisory duty, it came to my attention that Balbito exhibited the following problems of absenteeism at work missing work for about two days a week. In addition, Balbito also had the following problems; falling sick at work frequently, missing deadlines, sleeping at work, problems with handling recruits in a professional manner and being at loggerheads most of the time with other co-workers. Consequently, the situation prompted me to take intervention and referral preparation for the employee prior to the actual intervention and referral. To this regard, it became worthwhile to put down on paper the perfo rmance problem as concisely and precisely as possible. In addition, it was necessary for me to prepare myself professionally for a constructive confrontation with the employee, Balbito (opm.gov). The responsibility of diagnosing drug abuse or alcohol abuse is not among my duties. Furthermore, having all answers to problems of an employee is also not my duty. The responsibility of providing therapy or counseling is the duty of the EAP professionals not the supervisor. In my own perspective, these problems are mostly related to alcohol addiction. Although Balbito had earlier admitting having problems with alcohol abuse, I detected that it was rather an addiction. Balbito purportedly used alcohol for recreational purposes, but the symptoms of irresponsible handling of his duties suggested addiction of alcohol due to its use as a stress reliever. Since my professional requires strict supervision of the performance of employees, I intend to address the issue strictly with no sympathy in this context (opm.gov). First, am going to summon the employee (Balbito) and express my concern regarding his performance as a human resource professional. In the most precise manner, am going to inform him of the problem of alcohol addiction that has come to my attention. Additionally, I will avail the documentation of the problem to him in a professional way as the supervisor. At last, I will demand an explanation from him regarding his performance. Since the employee (Balbito) had already admitted his problem regarding alcohol abuse, I will refrain from personal issues and frame the discussion strictly to matters pertaining performance to resolve his problem. In a professional perspective, am going to address my concern regarding performance to get the employee (Balbito) to acknowledge the performance problem. During the performance discussion with the customer, I will order the employee (Balbito) to stop reporting to work under the influence of alcohol since it has a negative im pact on his performance. Adding to this, I will give the employee a fortnight to improve on his performance failure to which, he is subject to suspension from work for a period of one month. To make the intervention effective, am going to refer the employee (Balbito) to employee assistance program professional for counseling. By doing this, information concerning his privacy regarding this issue will be availed to him.

Can Regulation Of Tobacco Affect Health Care Costs Economics Essay

Can Regulation Of Tobacco Affect Health Care Costs Economics Essay The economic calculations associated with tobacco use are very complicated. For every savings, there are increased costs in other areas. Many productivity costs are subjective, while things like tax revenues are very definitive. These costs can be absorbed by various entities; public, private, and governmental. The tobacco industry has been viewed as the root of many of these costs. This industry has historically been exempt from oversight by any governmental agency, other than taxation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently taken charge of overseeing and regulating many tobacco products, including cigarettes. Can the new regulations have any effect on health care costs? Why is tobacco use such a big deal? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, responsible for one in ten adults and the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide (2010). Costs (both public and private) associated with health care related to tobacco are astronomical. Productivity is reduced or lost when people are at their prime due to tobacco use. A 1994 report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of US$ 200 thousand million, a third of this loss being in developing countries (World Health, 2010). This paper will look at the costs associated with tobacco use in the United States and the relationship regulation may have on reducing these costs. Compared to the length of time tobacco has been used, the health effects of its use are just recently becoming understood by the general public. Prior to this knowledge, the tobacco companies were free to advertise without any regulation. 1789 saw the first tobacco advertisement in the U.S for snuff. Communication, transportation, and manufacturing constraints of the time prevented any major branding and marketing successes. The first strong national tobacco brand didnt emerge until near the end of the Civil War, when both Union and Confederate soldiers in Durham, North Carolina raided a local farmers tobacco crop while waiting for a surrender to be completed. After the war was over, these soldiers began writing to the farmer, Mr. John Green, requesting more; Green went on to establish the successful Bull Durham Tobacco Company. (Collins Lapsley, 2010) The cigarette machine was one of the two major innovations that changed the industry and embedded tobacco into the minds of Americans. It was introduced in the 1880s and allowed companies to go from producing 40,000 hand-rolled cigarettes a day to over 4 million. The other major innovation came in the form of advertising. The color lithograph revolutionized advertising and packaging. These factors allowed companies to brand their products, searing them into the fabric of everyday life. Promotions, such as trading cards, were packaged with cigarettes and became collectors items. World War II came and went with millions of soldiers and sailors addicted to nicotine courtesy of free cigarettes issued along with meals. Marketing remained pretty much unregulated throughout the 1950s. Advertisements promoted how healthy it was to smoke and how doctors (whom the public trusted) recommend one brand over another. Sponsorship of television shows, like The Flintstones and Gunsmoke, propelled cigarette smoking into a normal and expected part of life. For tobacco companies, it was the Golden Age: cigarette ads featured endorsements from dentists, doctors, babies and even Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle (Collins Lapsley, 2010). Research evidence was beginning to mount of a link between tobacco use and lung cancer. Filtered cigarettes were born, which eventually led to light and low tar brands all of which have been proven to be no safer than regular ones. Rising public interest in health issues associated with tobacco use and concern about social costs associated with the care of sick tobacco users have created an atmosphere less tolerant than before. In the United States, social acceptance of tobacco use is rapidly declining. 1964 saw the first real public scrutiny of the tobacco industry when the U.S. Surgeon General released his first report on Smoking and Health. This comprehensive report outlined how tobacco had been shown in over 7,000 scientific studies to be linked to lung cancer, emphysema, and other diseases. This was the tipping point for many. Warning labels were mandated on packages. Advertising restrictions for radio and television were put in place. The public was put on notice that tobacco may not be all the things the industry was telling them. 18 Surgeon General reports have followed, as new findings have been proven. In 1996, cigarettes were labeled an addictive drug. The FDA sought to gain control over the industry and limit the sales and advertising of tobacco products (Brant, July 2008). With presidential support, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the industry in 2000 claiming the federal agency was never given the proper authority to regulate tobacco by Congress (Brant, July 2008). Restrictions are not new to the tobacco industry. Extremely deep pockets have allowed them the opportunity to design ways around most hurdles in the past (See Appendix). Regulation comes in many forms. State and local governments have passed laws throughout the years, most of which regard taxation. The recent passage of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) tobacco regulation bill will give the national government much more power over the manufactures actions. This is the broadest and most comprehensive regulation over the tobacco industry ever. The FDA will be able to control product ingredients, labeling, marketing, and determine whether new products should be distributed. The budgetary impact of smoking Costs related to tobacco use can be looked at from different perspectives. There are related costs that are only seen by the individual, their family, and those close to them. Then there are the costs that are seen by society. These social costs are what drive many of the regulatory policies we have in the U.S. These costs must be balanced and weighed with the benefits associated with tobacco use. Organizations from several fronts are quick to weigh in on advantages and disadvantages of such policies. Each has their own agendas and use data to support them. High social costs justify more restrictive policies, while lower social costs support the argument against such policies. Calculating these costs is not simple. It is important not to count the same costs twice. A sick smoker that becomes dependent upon welfare payments instead of their job salary should not be seen as lost productivity and the cost of welfare payments. The first is a real cost (a real loss of resources) while the second is a pecuniary cost (a redistribution of resources from taxpayers to the smoker) (Adhikari, et al. December 30, 2008, p. 1227). Health care costs in the United States continue to account for an ever increasing percentage of personal and public expenditures. The budgetary impact of tobacco use generally is looked at as whether the tax revenues cover the costs that tobacco use imparts on government agencies. These costs are not just paid by these agencies. Personal and business costs, such as those of health insurance companies, bear massive burdens too. While we are often asked: Do smokers cover the smoking-related costs that the rest of the community bears?, the more relevant question is: Does the tobacco industry cover the communitys smoking-related costs?. The answer to this second question is almost certainly no' (Lindblom, 2010, p. 2). It has been estimated by the CDC that each pack of cigarettes sold in the United States costs the nation more than $7 in medical care and lost productivity (2010). The lifetime health costs of tobacco It is important to understand the difference between the lifetime personal health care costs of smokers compared to non-smokers. There is an argument that smoking provides benefits as well. It may be obvious that smokers have higher costs during their lifetimes, but one must consider the non-smoker lives a longer, more productive life, and therefore uses health care services for a longer period of time. Philip Morris, a major tobacco company conducted a detailed data analysis and submitted a 1999 official report to the government of the Czech Republic that they should let Philip Morris sell cigarettes in their country. They (Philip Morris) said that the government would save approximately $1,227 US per person on savings of health care for older people and increase in taxable revenue (Philip Morris, 2000). The industry is in a catch 22 situation when arguing this point. Premature death associated with tobacco use must be admitted and the economics must outweigh human life. The Center for Disease control estimates that male smokers have approximately $16,500 more lifetime health care cost and females have approximately $19,500 than those that do not smoke. (Campaign, 2010) This adds up to considerable amounts that someone must absorb. The nationwide total in 2004 was almost $98 billion(Adhikari, et al. 2008, p. 2228). Measures to reduce tobacco demand There are many different regulatory measures that can be used to significantly impact tobacco use, such as bans on direct and indirect tobacco advertising, tobacco tax and price increases, smoke-free environments in all public and workplaces, and large clear graphic health messages on tobacco packaging (Collins Lapsley, 2010). Tobacco taxation Taxation is probably the most effective (and certainly the most cost-effective) means of reducing tobacco consumption. Studies have shown that higher prices equate to less people using, especially youth. Young people have less disposable income than older people. This makes them more sensitive to changes in price. Adult tobacco use also changes in relation to price increase too, but not as much as youth. Burman notes that research has shown that a 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes would reduce youth smoking by more than 10 percent (Brandt, July 31, 2008, p. 447). Taxes can be used to this benefit, along with the increase in public funds that can be focused on tobacco prevention programs. Cigarette taxes can be seen as a double edged sword. Governments can become as addicted to the tobacco tax income as smokers are to lighting up every day. The amounts of money are astronomical. The President of the United States, Barack Obama signed into law on February 4, 2009 a 62-cent federal tax increase per pack of cigarettes, along with increases in other types of tobacco too. This money is to be used to fund the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a major childrens health reform package. The federal cigarette tax is $1.01 per pack and the average state tax is just over $1.00 per pack. According to the Tax Trade Bureau, over 16 billion state tax-paid packs were sold in FY2009. The total tobacco revenue generated for government use is approximately $39 billion. This significant figure is enough to get any legislator looking for the source and wondering how to keep it. Several states have hoped to fund health care with tobacco dollars. Massachusetts, California, Oregon, and even the federal SCHIP program have come under heavy opposition from the tobacco industry. The SCHIP program was finally approved, but the other propositions ultimately failed. The primary argument used against such taxes is that a tobacco tax is a regressive tax, meaning that it affects poor people more so than others. Approximately 33 percent of those living at or below the poverty level smoke. The argument is that a greater portion of their income is spent on tobacco, and therefore the tax would be greater. Counter to this argument for the SCHIP funding is that the program is designed to disproportionately benefit those in this income level. And so, under an expanded SCHIP, low-income families would have essentially paid $164 to get $1,700 worth of coverage (Robert Wood, May 18, 2009). Theres a big difference in the cost to society and what society is getting back in tax, said Dr. Terry Pechacek, the associate director of the CDCs Office of Smoking and Health. We believe society is bearing a burden for the individual behavioral choices of the smokers. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the nations total cost of smoking at $3,391 a year for every smoker, or $157.7 billion (Curfman, Morrissey, Drazen, June 22, 2009). Poverty and tobacco are closely linked. Some studies have noticed that in some countries, the poorest households can spend up to 10 percent of their entire income on tobacco products. It is difficult to ascertain how this might have a direct impact on malnutrition, health care and longevity of life, as well as things like literacy rates. Tobacco has a wide reaching impact. Restrictions on advertising and other promotion Anti-tobacco campaigners support restrictions on advertising and promotion. It seems obvious that promotion and advertising increase the demand to use, or the industry would not spend the amounts they do. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, from 1998 to 2006, tobacco industry marketing has increased, nationwide, by more than 85 percent, with tobacco industry marketing in 2006 totaling at least $12.8 billion (or more than $35 million per day) (2010). The tobacco industry addresses these concerns with the rhetoric that advertising does not increase the market size, merely determining the market shares of individual firms. While this point is difficult to determine, a key finding from the national youth tobacco survey indicates that the three most heavily used brands of cigarettes by teens are the three most heavily advertised by the industry. Studies on the effect of these restrictions indicate that partial restrictions (i.e. location or type only) have little impact on demand. Restrictions on advertising and marketing do not change the amount the industry spends, only the location and types of activities. They simply shift to non-restricted types of marketing. This is why it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of marketing restrictions. When restrictions are imposed that affect multiple avenues, tobacco consumption goes down significantly. This supports the thought that marketing increases the market size, not just move customers from one brand to another. Health information and counter advertising Anti-tobacco campaigns use pro-health messages and counter-marketing campaigns have been show to have some effect in swaying people away from use. The premise is that the better educated users or potential users are, the better chance they will chose not to us the products. This is a difficult avenue to promote anti-tobacco messages, as it is extremely costly and directly competes with the marketing expenditures of the tobacco industry. There is no way to match, dollar for dollar. Success comes from the combination of efforts counter-marketing with the other restrictions. There is a synergistic effect. Smoking restrictions and bans on sales to youth Youth tobacco use is of utmost importance to the tobacco industry and the anti-tobacco movement organizations. From the 1950s to the present, different defendants, at different times and using different methods, have intentionally marketed to young people under the age of twenty-one in order to recruit replacement smokers to ensure the economic future of the tobacco industry (Campaign, 2010). Where someone can smoke has become a frontline issue. Restrictions of the location, such as restaurants, workplaces, and other public places, make it more difficult for the smoker to light up. This creates an incentive to quit and reduces the opportunity for others to start. These restrictions reduce the amount of tobacco people use, reduce the prevalence of smoking, and have a direct impact on the exposure of second-hand smoke to others. Other smoking cessation interventions Cessation programs have made an impact on tobacco prevalence too. Pharmacological product advancements, from nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), to newer products such as Chantix à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ have helped the tobacco user assure success. These products are heavily marketed and many health care organizations provide them with little or no costs associated to the patient. Some argue the cost benefit of public subsidy of these products is a win-win based on health care costs saved. FDA Tobacco Legislation Through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. federal government was recently granted authority to oversee many tobacco products. Members of Congress and health organizations have worked toward this goal for many years. This new authority includes many of the items discussed above, i.e. manufacturing standards, marketing and sales practices. The legislation is a very comprehensive approach to changing tobacco use among Americans, now and for future generations. New standards for additives, flavors (other than menthol), restrictions on sales, distribution, and marketing apply. Detailed ingredients will have to be disclosed. The FDA will have the authority to require changes to products. This is the first major governmental step to protect the public from the harms of tobacco. The new law: Restricts Marketing and Sales of Tobacco Products to Children bans ads within 1000 feet of schools and playgrounds eliminates sweetened (candy flavored) cigarettes Requires Detailed Tobacco Product Disclosure Provides Access to Tobacco Manufacturers Research Strengthens Tobacco Product Warning Labels warning labels must cover 50 percent of the front and back of the pack. Allows FDA to Require Changes to Tobacco Products to Reduce Risk Where Technologically Feasible Regulates Health Claims For Scientific Accuracy And Public Health Impact Evaluates Reduced Risk Health Claims For New Products eliminates cigarettes from being labeled light or low tar Regulates Only Manufacturers, Not Farmers The Congressional Budget Offices (CBO) examination of the new law shows an expected reduction in the number of underage tobacco users of 11 percent by 2019. CBO also estimates will lead to a further decline in smoking by adults by about 2 percent after 10 years. The expected impact of the legislation on the use of tobacco products stems from a combination of regulatory and economic factors. (Congressional, 2009) Impact of FDA Regulation of Tobacco on Medicaid The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) anticipates that the new FDA tobacco rules will lead to a reduction in smoking among pregnant women. Pregnant women that do not smoke during pregnancy are less likely to have low birth weight children. Low birth weight kids cost more at birth and during childhood. As a result, state spending for Medicaid would decrease by an estimated $17 million over the 2010-2014 period, with additional savings in subsequent years (Yang Novotny, 2009). Medicaid expenditures are expected to be reduced by $100 million over 10 years. Other Medicare expenditures are positively affected by the FDA rules too. Heart attacks and stroke are less likely to occur in non-smokers, which will mean acute care services costs will decrease, but it is unclear as to by how much. Medicare costs may increase in some areas due to increased life spans and the payout associated with that. Conclusion A key aspect of tobacco prevention is that as people decide not to use tobacco products, their health will be generally better. If all Americans stopped smoking-beginning with this generation of teens-that would do more to improve the health of the nation that any other reform (Adhikari, et al. December 30, 2008, p. 1227). The economic calculations associated with tobacco use are very complicated. For every savings, there is an increase in costs in another area. Many productivity costs are subjective, while things like tax revenues are very definitive. Public and private costs have to be figured separately. However, there are situations where they overlap and care must be taken to count them in only one spot. For instance, someone that lives just below the poverty line and smokes may rely on public assistance for many things, like health care. That same person quits and their relative household revenue and productivity increases. They may not be as reliant on public assistance. The i ncrease in their revenue and productivity cannot be counted if the decrease in public assistance spending is also counted. It is certain that more regulation, like that in the new FDA program will indeed reduce tobacco use. It is certain that reduction in tobacco use equates to less money spent overall on health care compared to the smoker, but may increase health care costs long term due to extended life span. It is certain that overall productivity will increase as tobacco use decreases. The real questions occur when these issues are followed by the question of By how much?. It is almost like Newtons Law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The factor that must be considered is the value of life length and productivity. These values can sway the equation massively in one direction or the other. The latest estimates of total smoking-attributable health care costs approach $100 billion. Private insurance covers 50 percent of smoking-related medical costs for people aged 19-64 (American Academy, 2010). Education about the effects of smoking on health continues to escalate. As more is learned, the estimates increase as to the costs associated with tobacco use.

Friday :: Germanic Mythology Language Essays

Friday Every Monday at work, I hear people complaining that they wish it would be Friday already. Everyone waits for this last day of the working week with excitement and eagerness. Friday represents the completion of the week, and at the same time, the beginning of the weekend. The origins of the word "Friday" take their roots from Norse mythology, when this day signified rejuvenation, and at the same time loss, death or completion. In various cultures, this day has numerous meanings and is perceived both positively and with anxiety. The meaning of Friday was preserved through centuries, and today we still use the pagan name of Friday as well as pagan names for other days of the week in the English language. Friday has come a long way from the Anglo-Saxon frigedaeg or from the Old High German Freyja, a goddess of love and fertility. In Germanic mythology Freyja was portrayed as the goddess of youth, beauty, and sexual love. She was married to Odur, but he left her to travel around the world. Afterward, Freyja was depicted weeping, and her tears were drops of gold. Freyja's most famous possession was her necklace, Brising ("necklace of the dwarfs"), given to her by the dwarfs in exchange for her having sexual intercourse with them. Often in myths Freyja is accused of having sexual intercourse with many men and gods. Also Freyja is known as a patron of married couples and "is very fond of love ditties, and all lovers would do well to invoke her," according to the Prose Edda (Mercatante 264). However, besides being the patron of marriage and goddess of fertility, Freyja is portrayed as the goddess of battle and death. She claimed half of the dead warriors killed in battles and received them in her realm of Folkvang. Odur, her husband, received the other half of warriors at Valhalla. The fact that Friday was held sacred to this goddess of fertility and death signifies that inhabitants of ancient England perceived this day as the beginning and at the same time as the completion of their weekly activities, or possibly life. Although in various cultures the meaning of Friday differs, there are numerous similarities, which can be traced down to the common source. In Norse mythology, where paganism dominated religious and cultural settings, Friday was considered to be the day of love and a good day to put a beginning to various activities such as farming or a conception of a child.

Death Penalties in the UK Essay

In PSHE we were studying death penalties in the world. All of the students had different opinions on why we should have or why we shouldn’t have it like it is now in the UK. In this case my opinion is to keep it how it is and not punish criminals with death penalties. I would like to keep the law with no death penalties in the UK. This is because even though the do horrible crimes to get a death penalty, they are still human and there are a lot of things that could go wrong. You could be taking an innocent person who done nothing wrong and giving the death penalty and realizing your mistake after they’re dead. Even if they are guilty there could be so much pain when they are getting injected or shot or any other ways to kill them. Just because they’re murderers, they are still human. Also, what if they did get their death penalty but they didn’t die until an hour after or several minutes, just imagine how much pain that person would be, how their family would feel, how you would feel if you were in that same position. A woman from the UK was sent to America to get a death penalty for something she might not have done and we’re only depending on the evidence of two people. On May 4th 1990 in Florida a man named Jesse Joseph Tafero was executed on the electrocution chair. During the execution, six-inch flames erupted from Tafero’s head, and three jolts of power were required to stop his breathing. State officials claimed that the botched execution was caused by â€Å"inadvertent human error† the inappropriate substitution of a synthetic sponge for a natural sponge that had been used in previous executions. They attempted to support this theory by sticking a part of a synthetic sponge into a â€Å"common household toaster† and observing that it smoldered and caught fire. Just ask yourself the question: would you liked to be treated this way? This also has a bad picture on Britain. Keep the old saying into your head: treat other people the way YOU would like to be treated. This is my opinion and I think you should take this on mind because we would like to keep a nice image on Britain and not damage it more than it already is. Please don’t put the death penalty in Britain. A lot of people would agree with me.

Marketing Essay

Marketing: a useful tool for Success Kevin Quinones University of Phoenix Marketing: a useful Tool for Success When you hear stories of how successful a firm is you are probably wondering what actions did they take to achieve this pinnacle? There is more significance in that question then you may think. Certain elements lie behind the work of that firm’s success through strategic planning. This strategic planning may affiliated with finance, internal operations or marketing. However, today I am only going to discuss one strategic element and that is marketing. When I first think of marketing, what comes to mind is billboards or advertisements in a magazine, on a commercial or a cereal box? I thought that marketing was simple; just put your product out there as much as possible and create a market trend. Needless to say I found that marketing was much more then advertisement. Marketing deals with identifying and meeting human needs otherwise known as â€Å"meeting needs profitably†. Moreover, when you are dealing with marketing you are analyzing people to decide your target market. You want to determine when people will buy, what type of product they will buy, what type of look they will buy and how will you get your message across that you have what they are looking for. Importance of Marketing There are many other reasons why marketing is such a crucial element to a company; let’s go back to finance shall we? Ask yourself this question: would a company finance a project that is not going to bring a high rate of equity? Marketing is often a key element when it comes to finance operations so if there isn’t a sufficient demand for the products a project can produce then why produce it? I will use my company as an example to paint a better picture. Nexans I work for Nexans, who are global experts in cable systems and distribute power and telecommunication wire throughout the U. S. Lately we have invested in many projects for new machinery that are in the process of being installed and programmed to produce certain types of finished goods. These finished goods are at a high demand in the market as of today and we are considering it a very well thought-out investment that will increase company capital. The company will make money once they are up and running because demand is high for the products and this is what makes marketing so very important. Nintendo When Nintendo came out with the Nintendo Wii their target market was so versatile that it almost seemed it would never work. The intricate design of the Wii sparked a gaming interaction unlike none other before. The thought of playing a video game and barely pressing any buttons sounds too futuristic, but designer Shigeru Miyamoto did just that by creating a game the was intended to give players the freedom to do responsive actions with the Wii remote. So how exactly did Nintendo use a marketing plan to spread the word? According to chmielewski of the L. A. Times, Nintendo used an Ambassador strategy where they went to six major cities in the U. S. and gave Nintendo Wii’s out to three different groups. a core gamer/loyalist who would sing the praises of the system to other gamers; a large multi-generational family, where everyone from the kids to the grandparents could take turns with the Wii remote; and an alpha mom, who would presumably spread the word at schoolyards, soccer fields and her neighborhood. † Nintendo targeted people that were influential in their community and this influence would spread the word like flash fires. Verizon Verizon used marketing as a tool to targe t ‘tweens and teens from ages 8-11 and 12-19. Verizon created. The importance of Verizon’s vision relied heavily on finding the right sponsors to reach these target groups. Verizon used sponsors such as N’Sync summer concerts, MTV’s â€Å"Real World† and Nick online (Prnewswire, 2009). Through the use of these market segments and other influential tools to reach out to the youth is one of the reasons why Verizon is one of the biggest cellular corporation in the United States. Marketing is a fundamental tool that can be used to drive the success of any business for it deals with meeting the needs and wants of everyday consumers. The importance that marketing has on a firm should not be taken lightly for without any knowledge of marketing whatsoever, projects and products alike would fail miserably. Nexans used marketing as a variable tool to weigh investment decisions, while Nintendo used marketing to show how versatile their gaming concepts were to a vast audience. Moreover Verizon used marketing to target specific groups and used sponsors to dive their message across in the most likely of places those target customers would be affiliated with. These are all examples of how important marketing is, how would you use it? References Chmielewski, D. (2009, December, 5). Marketing Moms. Los Angelas Times. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://articles. latimes. com Prnewswire. (2009). Verizon Marketing Executive to Share How Teens and ‘Tweens Spark Telecom Leader's Marketing. PR Newswire Association LLC. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www. prnewswire. com ———————– Marketing 2 Marketing Essay Marketing: a useful tool for Success Kevin Quinones University of Phoenix Marketing: a useful Tool for Success When you hear stories of how successful a firm is you are probably wondering what actions did they take to achieve this pinnacle? There is more significance in that question then you may think. Certain elements lie behind the work of that firm’s success through strategic planning. This strategic planning may affiliated with finance, internal operations or marketing. However, today I am only going to discuss one strategic element and that is marketing. When I first think of marketing, what comes to mind is billboards or advertisements in a magazine, on a commercial or a cereal box? I thought that marketing was simple; just put your product out there as much as possible and create a market trend. Needless to say I found that marketing was much more then advertisement. Marketing deals with identifying and meeting human needs otherwise known as â€Å"meeting needs profitably†. Moreover, when you are dealing with marketing you are analyzing people to decide your target market. You want to determine when people will buy, what type of product they will buy, what type of look they will buy and how will you get your message across that you have what they are looking for. Importance of Marketing There are many other reasons why marketing is such a crucial element to a company; let’s go back to finance shall we? Ask yourself this question: would a company finance a project that is not going to bring a high rate of equity? Marketing is often a key element when it comes to finance operations so if there isn’t a sufficient demand for the products a project can produce then why produce it? I will use my company as an example to paint a better picture. Nexans I work for Nexans, who are global experts in cable systems and distribute power and telecommunication wire throughout the U. S. Lately we have invested in many projects for new machinery that are in the process of being installed and programmed to produce certain types of finished goods. These finished goods are at a high demand in the market as of today and we are considering it a very well thought-out investment that will increase company capital. The company will make money once they are up and running because demand is high for the products and this is what makes marketing so very important. Nintendo When Nintendo came out with the Nintendo Wii their target market was so versatile that it almost seemed it would never work. The intricate design of the Wii sparked a gaming interaction unlike none other before. The thought of playing a video game and barely pressing any buttons sounds too futuristic, but designer Shigeru Miyamoto did just that by creating a game the was intended to give players the freedom to do responsive actions with the Wii remote. So how exactly did Nintendo use a marketing plan to spread the word? According to chmielewski of the L. A. Times, Nintendo used an Ambassador strategy where they went to six major cities in the U. S. and gave Nintendo Wii’s out to three different groups. a core gamer/loyalist who would sing the praises of the system to other gamers; a large multi-generational family, where everyone from the kids to the grandparents could take turns with the Wii remote; and an alpha mom, who would presumably spread the word at schoolyards, soccer fields and her neighborhood. † Nintendo targeted people that were influential in their community and this influence would spread the word like flash fires. Verizon Verizon used marketing as a tool to targe t ‘tweens and teens from ages 8-11 and 12-19. Verizon created. The importance of Verizon’s vision relied heavily on finding the right sponsors to reach these target groups. Verizon used sponsors such as N’Sync summer concerts, MTV’s â€Å"Real World† and Nick online (Prnewswire, 2009). Through the use of these market segments and other influential tools to reach out to the youth is one of the reasons why Verizon is one of the biggest cellular corporation in the United States. Marketing is a fundamental tool that can be used to drive the success of any business for it deals with meeting the needs and wants of everyday consumers. The importance that marketing has on a firm should not be taken lightly for without any knowledge of marketing whatsoever, projects and products alike would fail miserably. Nexans used marketing as a variable tool to weigh investment decisions, while Nintendo used marketing to show how versatile their gaming concepts were to a vast audience. Moreover Verizon used marketing to target specific groups and used sponsors to dive their message across in the most likely of places those target customers would be affiliated with. These are all examples of how important marketing is, how would you use it? References Chmielewski, D. (2009, December, 5). Marketing Moms. Los Angelas Times. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://articles. latimes. com Prnewswire. (2009). Verizon Marketing Executive to Share How Teens and ‘Tweens Spark Telecom Leader's Marketing. PR Newswire Association LLC. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www. prnewswire. com ———————– Marketing 2