The Intangible Weight of Feeling Stupid

Tick tock. The time is running out. Rivers of sweat are running down my forehead to my neck, burning my skin with its saltiness, slashing everywhere it touches. Tick tock. My senses are overactive. I hear a creak, a sneeze, a tap. Someone is snuffling. A pen is dropped; it pierced the ground. Tick tock. Is this the ticking of the clock or   my heart beating that is ripping my chest apart? I’m raising my head. So lonely, so terrified. My eyes are filled with tears. There is nothing left to do. I passed the point of no return.   Tick tock. Tick tock. It’s over. No, I’m not dead. I just took the ACT, and got a twenty six. It was a complete waste of four hours of my life, plus fifty eight hours of group classes and at least twenty hours of self-studying. After all the time and money I spent on the exam, there I was, looking at the screen, waiting for my twenty six to magically turn into a thirty three. I wasn’t used to this. I had a grade point average of ninety three, was the executive officer of one of the most determined clubs in our school, a member of the school choir and a couple of other clubs as well. However, I was continuously failing to take the test, which is called to be â€Å"the great equalizer†. So does this mean that my intelligence basically was not equal with the achievements I attained in my school? Does it mean that I was just dumb? After a depressive period, in which I was trying to understand whether I was stupid or not, I deduced that ACT doesn’t want the students to master math or science or any other abilities. It wants us to develop a new skill, called â€Å"taking the ACT†. Is the intention of the creators of these kind of exams to let us present our purest ingenuities to the colleges we apply?   Or are there entirely dissimilar reasons lying behind the idea of â€Å"standardized testing† the students? Our world is so driven by standardized tests. According to Wikipedia, there are approximately 76 standardized tests, from SAT to TOEFL and from ISEE to OAT, administered across the United States (Standardized). And the number is getting more and more each year. The education system is coming up with a new standardized test for each admission process. Yet its object is quite unclear to me. Colleges can determine a student's adequateness by looking at his/her GPA, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, internships and interviews. So why are they keep on insisting putting us under another weight of stress that has nothing to do with our intellectual curiosity? Someone should be benefiting from building up a stressed-out, materialistic generation.   ACT, for instance, requires a $54.50 just for test registration. However if you register later than the deadline there is two additional late fees, one is $47 and the other is $23, you should be considering. On the other hand, if you are an international student you need pay $37 more. If you want to change your test date, a total of 80.40$ is waiting for you (Cheng). Each year approximately 1,800,000 national students are taking the ACT. If we consider that each of them only pays the registration fee, we end up with $9,810,000 (ACT). Adding up the late fees, test date changing fees, international students and the international student fees, we can conclude that ACT is most probably earning the double, even triple of this amount. A lot of money, right? Besides, the standardized test companies are not the only ones who reap the benefits of constituting mentally depressed students. Test preparation institutions gain unbelievable amounts of money just by teaching the skill of   â€Å"taking the standardized tests†. My family basically funnel their money on ACT group classes, private tutoring, counseling sessions, each cost $3,800, $1,600, $200 in order. And the result is: a 26, lots of crying sessions and back pains due to anxiety disorder.   And the funniest part of it is that we blow money on these courses to get scholarships/financial aids from colleges. In the long run, the companies and institutions who are involved in the standardized test business are making inconceivable amounts of money by overwhelming the students with scores and competition. Apart from all the money standardized testing industry makes, there is a whole other level which directly has an impact on the students’ capability. We all know the famous quote of Jim Rohn â€Å"If you really want something, you’ll find a away.† But emboldening yourself for the standardized tests may not work if you don’t have access to health services or are constantly hungry or face with violence everday at home and at the neighborhood. Some might argue that the accomplishments the students get mostly depended on the level of effort they put on their education. As recent researches of Schochet and Chiang states, 90% percent of students’ success is related with the social/economic sufficiency, which is outside of teachers’ and students’ control (Debunking). On the other hand, the standardized test concept is solely based on standardized testing skills, which most low-status schools are not adequate to teach. Students from low-income families, consequently, both suffer from external factors and lack of test-oriented education. That’s why standardized tests cater to the highly educated class, who have financial prosperity. As ACT states, on 2013, only 5% of African Americans, 10% of American Indians and 21% of international students was able to pass the benchmark, whereas this percentage was 33 on white Americans section (Condition). So this study not only shows that ACT cater to rich and educated class, but also to white Americans. Especially on the international base, standardized tests try to eliminate cultural and educational backdrops. Students from different countries are exposed to varied education sy stems. This needs to be taken into consideration and reflected upon the way the tests are designed. As a Turkish student, this is the first time an exam is measuring my accuracy over my speed. Until now, I was always concentrated on the quality of my work rather than my speed. These tests basically cater to the same kind of people, thus they kill the diversity that students from different backgrounds might bring into a college classroom. Apart from the fact that ACT makes unbelievable amounts of money and it is   designed for a specific social class, there is the fact that these tests mess up with students’ psychology. I’ve gone through anxiety problems. I’ve been like a wandering ghost during the period I was studying for the exam, and I’ve been feeling stupid for the whole time. Am I just dumb? Or maybe I’m just ACT dumb. And I’m definitely not the only one. A student from Pablo Alto High School, in which a couple of students commit s uicide on 2010 due to the expectation of overachievement, says â€Å"We are lifeless bodies in a system that breeds competition, hatred, and discourages teamwork and genuine learning.† (Bruni) Is this what education all about? Are these exams really the great equalizers? Why does getting 26 from the ACT result in killing yourself nowadays? And this is just the bright side of the problem. We, I and the Pablo Alto students, have loving and caring families. We are healthy. We have enough, maybe more than enough, of everything we need. Our parents are providing us with every kind of education that can help us succeed at these tests. Yes, most of us don’t give up, but it’s because we have the chance not to give up.   There are a lot of other students who don’t have the same opportunities. And they give up, because they know that they are already beat.    Works Cited ACT Profile Report-National: Graduating Class 2009." National: Graduating Class 2009 (n.d.): n. pag. ACT. Web. Bruni, Frank. "Best, Brightest - and Saddest?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015. Cheng, Allen. "How to Save Money." SAT Cost | ACT Cost. PrepScholar, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015. "The Condition of College Career Readiness." PsycEXTRA Dataset (2012): n. pag. ACT. Web. "Debunking The Myths Of Standardized Testing." CTUNET (n.d.): n. pag. Chicago Teachers Union. Web. "Standardized Tests in United States." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web.

Solubility Rules of Ionic Solids in Water

This is a list of the solubility rules for ionic solids in water. Solubility is a result of an interaction between polar water molecules and the ions that make up a crystal. Two forces determine the extent to which the solution will occur: Force of Attraction Between H2O Molecules and the Ions of the Solid This force tends to bring ions into solution. If this is the predominant factor, then the compound may be highly soluble in water. Force of Attraction Between Oppositely Charged Ions This force tends to keep the ions in the solid state. When it is a major factor, then water solubility may be very low. However, it is not easy to estimate the relative magnitudes of these two forces or to quantitatively predict water solubilities of electrolytes. Therefore, it is easier to refer to a set of generalizations, sometimes called solubility rules, that is based upon experimentation. Its a good idea to memorize the information in this table. Solubility Rules All salts of the group I elements (alkali metals Na, Li, K, Cs, Rb) are soluble. NO3:  All nitrates are soluble. Chlorate  (ClO3-), perchlorate  (ClO4-), and acetate (CH3COO-  or C2H3O2-, abbreviated as Oac-) salts are soluble. Cl, Br, I: All chlorides, bromides, and iodides are soluble except those of silver, mercury, and lead (e.g., AgCl, Hg2Cl2, and PbCl2). SO42: Most sulfates are soluble. Exceptions include BaSO4, PbSO4, and SrSO4. CO32: All carbonates are insoluble except NH4 and those of the Group 1 elements. OH: All hydroxides are insoluble except those of the Group 1 elements, Ba(OH)2, and Sr(OH)2. Ca(OH)2 is slightly soluble. S2: All sulfides are insoluble except those of the Group 1 and Group 2 elements and NH4.

The Culture At My Previous Employment - 1049 Words

Leaders must work with others in the organization to understand the organization’s culture. The core beliefs and values that are shared by the organization’s members, that guide their actions in its behalf and define their expectations about the actions of those around them (Beach, 2006). In analyzing the culture at my previous employment, I discovered a few different types of cultures existed within my organization. The organization I worked for was a manufacturer of foam components to the Automotive, Appliance, Medical and Military industries. We have provided engineered solutions to leading global manufacturers since 1992. The company consisted of approximately 50 employees, in which about 10 of those were office personnel and the†¦show more content†¦My duties included taking customer complaints, order entry, invoicing, monitoring inventory levels, and purchasing raw materials and supplies for the company. Based on the survey results and my experience at the company, the culture at my organization was pragmatic and micro-managed. I felt the culture was pragmatic due to our mission statement which was Customer Satisfaction is our #1 Priority. This was the first thing I learned when I joined the organization 11 years ago. The slogan was written all over the place. It was even engraved on the pens we wrote with. We had to know it. The customer came before anyone or anything else. Whatever the customer wanted the customer got within reason. Top-notch customer service from all employees was a must. All employees were aware that they were expected to put the customers first always. Mixed with this culture was a micromanagement culture. The organization had such a small office personnel that the general manager tended to second guess everything we did. Employees would be monitored every step of the way through projects or assignments. When something did not meet the standards or expectations of the company the employee was monitored even further. This lead to people working in fear, trying to cover up and hide mistakes. The culture at my workplace also allowed people to hoard what they know. Communication was only free flowing amongst individual groups. We had in-groups an

Random House Response to Kindle-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Anayse the Case-The Random House Response to the Kindle. Answer: Introduction Book publishing industry constituted a large industry that was subjected to threat in Christmas 2009 with introduction of Kindle(Anand, 2011). Revolution of digital format in book reading techniques and methods with announcement of Amazons electronic reading formats overnight changed the entire business of book publishing companies. The innovation though started by Amazon was subsequently followed by a companies as Apple that looked onto new segment for devising products strategies. The scope of the above innovation is analysed in this case analysis to provide more detailed attributes regarding the same. Case Analysis Bok publishing industry involved a number of participants who made profits from selling of books. It involved printer, wholesaler, retailer, distributor along with several other participants as well. With introduction of ebooks prices of such books went down substantially. Kindle by Amazon was a Digital Disruption strategy that aimed to change the entire methods used in reading books. The entire value chain and profitability of the book publishing industry had to undergo a revolution in order to accommodate the change. Jeff Bezos ordered a number of ebooks from various publishing companies but at lower prices. Amazon was primarily a book selling company that forayed into retailing business some time ago. Kindle was an extension of the already existing business of Amazon and to provide customer delight(PETZOLD, 2008). With this type of innovation, Amazon was able to restructure and revolutionize the entire book publishing industry. Kindle was unlike any other innovation that had an evolution. It allowed its customers with the feeling of holding book in their hands. It also continued to purchasing books and updating their stock similar ways that it earlier did business. Though Kindle is a risky idea as Amazon tried to popularize the only idea of e-books but its brand name allowed to establish itself. Through calculated risks taking, it devised a new segment of the market from its incubator of innovation. Amazon did not sacrifice on its Cash Cows by stopping innovation. Rather it increased a product line to enhance ranking from existing customer base. It was not an incremental improvisation rather a new technique to re-establish its market dominance. E-books had been in existence for quite some time but it has adoption attribute to make an old idea new again. Amazon made its customers look at a e-book reading in a new format by providing convenience(Loebbecke, 2010). This business strategy of Amazon proved to be a powerful idea to attract people and recapture benefits. Similar innovations had earlier been done as Apple to its music, Ebay did to its auction. Product Lifecycle Analysis of Kindle depicts a rather long curve starting with launching of the product. Though the Kindle does not look attractive as the iPhone but its a product that can provide its user value. It provides its customers access to 80,000 odd books within touch of a finger. Aesthetic proposition is not a component for Amazon rather catering to its basic functionality is the primary concern. Innovative Strategy of Amazon proves that its not a new gizmo, but rather makes millions of books available to customers on the touch of a finger. Amazon believed that they wanted to sell a solution rather than an aesthetic product. Its performance and customer satisfaction has been rated better PDA and laptops. The launch time for the product was also perfect as it was offered during Christmas and could be presented as a Christmas gift. It allowed customers right frame of mind to purchase the product, hence timing greatly influenced the products success. Conclusion Analysing innovative strategy of Amazon it can be said that it was not an overnight revolution of products rather gradual. Amazon plans to introduce and add books gradually in Kindle allowing greater access to its readers. Amazon ordered a number of books to be made available online but that innovative process was more progressive in nature. The innovation left several book publishers rather in a state of anguish at they were at a loss of devising strategy that could meet the challenge. The innovation had rapidly transformed the entire experience of book reading and allowed Amazon with an opportunity to provide interaction with its own products to customers. This innovation was an extension of Amazon with its products in the market to build greater brand name rather than popularizing itself through its regular bestsellers. Reference Lists Anand, B. N. (2011). The Random House Response to the Kindle. addition to examining changes within this particular industry, the case is useful to highlight certain general issues involved in any corporate strategic change process, particularly: understanding the impact of e. Loebbecke, C. S. (2010). Innovating for the mobile end-user market: Amazon's Kindle 2 strategy as emerging business model. In Mobile Business and 2010 Ninth Global Mobility Roundtable (ICMB-GMR). 2010 Ninth International Conference on (pp. 51-57). IEEE. PETZOLD, N. J. (2008). Hybrid Value Creation as a strategic response to Disruptive Change. The case of Amazons Kindle. Managing Disruption and Destabilisation

The poem My Last Duchess Essay Example For Students

The poem My Last Duchess Essay These quotes show us that the Duke is very arrogant and how he believes he is so much better than everyone, this can be seen in both quotes as in the first quote he believes his name is much better than anything else, and more so in the second quote as he believes himself to be so much better than everyone else and stresses that he will not lower himself by forgiving, even his wife. The poem also shows the Dukes jealousy, which can best be seen when he talks about how his wife treats him just as she treats everyone else and how he feels this isnt right. The poem shows us that the Duke thinks that the looks she gaves out to strangers should just be for him, She smiled no dout, when I passed her; but who passed without much the same smile? And also when he explains that she is too easily tempted and often gives the eye, too easily impressed; she liked whateveer she looked on, and her looks went everywhere. We will write a custom essay on The poem My Last Duchess specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now These quotes show us that the Dukes jealousy stems from the way his ex-wife acted around others but also shows that his jealousy is for something he could have -as there is no distinct sign in the poem that they had a sexual relationship- and when he sees his wife giving the eye he realises what hes not getting? The poem also shows us that the Duke is very paranoid because of his wife, this is best revealed when he talks about the painter and painting and how she was shown flushed and how many have asked how she got that passionate glance on her face, how such a glance came there. perhaps Fra Pandolf chances to say her mantle laps over my ladys wrist to much or paint must never hope to reproduce the faint half-flush that dies along her throat. This quote shows that the Duke is very paranoid that his wife has been unfaithful to him, he fears the way his wife is always giving people the eye and also believes that his ex-wife and Fra Pandolf may have been together, and he uses his time when painting her picture to flirt,chat-up and touch her. Throughout the poem the poet describes the Dukes ex-wife pretty well but he leaves us one thing to question, is she alive or dead? This is revealed at the very start of the poem when the Duke talks about how she and the painting looks and says, Thats my last Duchess painted on the wall, looking as if she were alive, I call that a piece of wonder, now. This quote tells us that he is not with her anymore and although does say as if she were alive and therefore imply that she is dead, could mean two things, one being that shes dead but the other being that she is just dead in his heart? The quote also suggests that she wasnt a thing of wonder before she left him as he says I call that a piece of wonder, now but could also mean that he didnt see how beautiful she was until now?

Woodstock Music Festival

Woodstock Music Festival Abstract Woodstock Music Festival was a three day event that took place in 1969. It involved a â€Å"throng of sex, drugs, and rock n rollplus a lot of mud.† Woodstock has turned out to be a 1960s hippie counter-culture symbol during one of the most unstable years in contemporary history.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Woodstock Music Festival specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this paper, theories regarding the causes of this colossal concert will be discussed and argued, in effect convincing readers to look at the music festival in new point of view and discover the symbolic significance that stirred novelty to a crippling nation. Body In 1969 America summer, numerous huge concerts took place, however none of them were as symbolic and celebrated as Woodstock Music Festival. Woodstock impact on the society and culture of Americans will be remembered in many decades to come. John Roberts, Artie Korn field, Michael Lang, Joel Rosenman were men who initially established the event. Their initial plan concerning the concert was to back up the plan of opening a recording music studio in Bethel, NY; this is where the concert in fact took place. Intended to become the biggest event that assembled many people in one specific place and time, Woodstock Music Festival represented â€Å"three days of love, peace and music† in the middle of Vietnam War terrors (Evans, 48). Woodstock was the most eminent music concert and it took place when Americans were greatly divided; more than four hundred thousand people from all over the country assembled to commemorate â€Å"Three Days of Peace and Music.† Those 3 days of celebrated performances, indescribable mud and memorable experiences enabled Woodstock Art and Music turn into be a symbol of all generation. The historic event became large for Americans’ generation as an icon of camaraderie and love of music during a time of d isaster, war and generational clefts. Woodstock music festival was a shrilly pacifist show, but its meaning was thinned by the media. Instead of focusing on the political avowals made, typical cultural critics talked-about long hair, nakedness and hippies (Perone, 87). The event, as it were, had lost its grip in the midst of a normalizing and co-optive media tradition that overlooked existent politics and replaced sensationalism and symbolism. The concert was officially known as â€Å"The Woodstock Music and Art Fair,† it went through various hypothetical incarnations, recorded in an article in the year 1994 by Elliot Tiber.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many articles wrote lots of different things regarding the concert and large numbers of people from different parts of the country walked for miles to reach the location (Evans, 108). Even though the W oodstock Music Festival was intended to be a ticketed event, ultimately, the planners stopped collecting the tickets because the crowd started to cut away and to trample the fences which made even more people to come to the concert. The event schedule featured the most celebrated and legendary rock and folk music groups of the 60s. In the first night, the concert was headlined by Ritchie Havens and came to an end many hours later with Joan Baez giving a blazing close-down. Artists began their performances every day at around midday and they made sure they engaged the crowd. There were fundamental causes for this event and so they had to give their all. The Americans were very segregated at the time and the frights of the Vietnam War were still very fresh in their minds. So much was going on and there was too much pressure surrounding the people. The event was all about love, peace and above all music (Makower, 97). Woodstock Music Festival was inspiring and remarkable for people who attended because it had performing artists who played for the largest audience of their vocation. Woodstock Music Festival featured unforgettable â€Å"acts of the Rock Roll† epoch i.e. â€Å"Joan Baez, Richie Havens, John Sebastian, The Who, Santana, Mountain, Canned Heat, Arlo Guthrie, CCR, Joe Cocker, Grandpa Simpsons favorite band that day––Sha Na Na, The Band, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, CSNY, and Country Joe and the Fish and Jimi Hendrix, who sang his terrific edition of the Star-Spangled Banner.† The event was about three days of peace and love, contrasting the Vietnam War and abhorrence. The Vietnam War was a lengthened conflict existing between nationalist forces who tried to unite Vietnam nation under a communalist government and the US (with South Vietnamese help) trying to put a stop to the spread of communalism.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Woodstock Music Festival spe cifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Engaged in a battle that many saw as having no means to win, United State heads lost their citizens support for the warfare (Evans, 56). Ever since the end of this warfare, the Vietnam War has turned into a point of reference for what not to do in the future when it comes to U.S. foreign battles. This war left Americans in division and with so much hatred; the festival intended to bring peace and love in the land. The festival was caused by the urge to unite American people and to alleviate the pressure that the people were going through. Organizers of the event said that people who were buying tickets for the Festival were contributing to a unified front against the hatred, the division and the Vietnam War. Artists played great music and made antiviolence speeches; Country Joe for instance exhorted the audience that â€Å"if you want to stop this fucking war, youll have to sing louder than that.† Leaders of the movement and other advocates took their turns too and several men smashed their draft cards protesting against the Vietnam War (Makower, 73). Nonetheless, Media’s image and reminiscence of this festival focused on the commemorating side of it: the loud music, the rain and mud, the nakedness, drugs and â€Å"free† love. There were numerous turbulent incidents closely enveloping Woodstock Music Festival. For example the Vietnam War had just got into its 5th year. It would have entered its 6th year if Saigon to the Vietcong did not admit defeat on 30th April, 1975. In the previous year, Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination was very fresh in the minds of many people in the country. A fugitive convict, confessed to the felony however he later claimed to have been set-up. His confession was however sustained 8 times and in 1998, he passed on in prison. There was also another recent assassination involving Sen. Robert F. Kennedy: this occurred in LA at the Ambassador Hotel which happened just 2 months after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. A Palestinian migrant known as Sirhan Sirhan assassinated Kennedy, after he had addressed his cohorts, and passed away the following day: Sirhan was arrested and put in jail.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the festival Lang said that Americans were trying hard to get-out of that Vietnam War. He stated that â€Å"The whole decade had been filled with efforts to improving the human condition with human rights struggles, civil rights and womens rights. We were just first realizing that we were trashing the planet we lived on and the ecology movement was just beginning and a lot of groups at the time were turning a bit violent in trying to get their message out, (out of) frustration.† He continued to say that Woodstock served as a diplomatic and a serene way to fight the negative and depressing attitude brought about by those events. The country had gone through so much and even if the artists’ initial plan was to establish a recording music studio, the cause of the Festival was to bring Music, Love and most of all Peace (Perone, 29). Actually, by the first day of the Festival, as the performers looked-out-upon the huge multitude, they must have seen that Woodstock M usic Festival was not going to be just like any other concert that would be overlooked and forgotten. Looking from the outside Woodstock Festival might have been seen like just a concert for the young generation that involved hearing and dancing to their favorite musical tunes, but it proved to be much greater than that. Even though music was a significant part of the event, it could not have celebrated for such a long time if that were the extent of its worth. This means that the Festival was much more than just music and dancing. Woodstock brought out an important message to the people by helping them realize that they could come as one during depressing moments and discover a unified aspiration which was â€Å"Love and Peace†(Makower, 35). Even though there was law enforcement during the festival because it was feared that there would rioting, the police disregarded drug laws. The audience stayed diplomatic and calm all through the period of the festival in spite of the in tense use of LSD and Marijuana. During the Festival, no conflict was reported even though there was death because a tractor ran over a man. The entire Festival was a moment of peace and cheerfulness. Lots of people attending the event were given a gleam of hopefulness and optimism in a world that disregarded them. Despite the mud engraved in their bodies and the drugs, the long for love, peace and acceptance was in the air. The atmosphere and the frame of mind created by this is what made the Festival terrific and unforgettable. If it wasn’t for this pervasive feeling, the crowd could have dismissed the event like just any other excuse to get together, listen to music, dance and get high on drugs. There were little things that created great difference like the fact that there was no reported damage of properties during the entire festival. Also, even if there was lots of trash left at the concert site, the venture to clean-up the six hundred acre was completed in 5 days; crew members and attendees also helped with the cleaning (Littleproud, 46). For the majority of people, the impact of the festival was evident in their lives. Both men and women acquired self-confidence to go out there and make a big difference regardless of what some people may have thought of them. These people made great impact on the US society when just living their ordinary lives. They were educational pioneers with their varying feelings regarding the meaning of music, art and the society’s structure. Woodstock Music Festival’s impact that was left on the country could have been just as enormous on the people who watched it as the ones who were in reality present (Bennett, 67). People who went to the festival showed almost everybody around them that they can get together and make a big difference if only they wanted to. This event came at a time when most young people of America needed ideas of how to bring unity and peace in their land regardless of their differenc es. Due to Woodstock Music Festival, both men and women were inspired to go out there and make their own music. Also, there were new musicians who made their debut at the concert; for example Carlos Santana. Much of the music played during the festival was cordial and it happened to be a way of allowing the listeners find a foundation on which to talk about the events surrounding their world (Littleproud, 201). The Festival feeling has lasted on people’s minds for decades and up until this day, music continues to have a much more intense and influential effect on the people listening to it. It is obvious that without music events like Woodstock, Music wouldn’t be what and where it is at present. Efforts to recreate Woodstock Music Festival couldn’t be mastered because of one major factor. This was plainly that there was no profound ground or purpose to the reproduction. â€Å"Woodstock 94† was the second concert but it was no more than a big endorsement. In spite of Woodstock 69’s initial plan of studio promotion, it turned out to be much more than that for the reason that it took place at a time when Americans were searching for answers not simply empty ideas and talks. With the great publicity of Woodstock 94 in the media, it lost all optimism of be what the original Festival was all about. Woodstock 99’ was overly commercialized but this was not an issue, however everything else that was visualized happened. There was great hope for the last try to have another emblematic Woodstock prior-to the closing stages of the millennium. The optimism and expectations were shattered just as fast as the Woodstock site in Rome, NY. The festival’s audience was made up of a small number of patriot Woodstock aficionados that went to all three concerts bearing the name â€Å"Woodstock.† It appeared that the other people that constituted the rest of the attendees were practically all there to get high and tear down anyt hing that surrounded them. By the end of the festival, almost the entire stage and music equipments were ruined. There were also rape cases and all mementos given like posters, caps and shirts were stolen. The conducts portrayed during Woodstock 99’ festival can be referred to as â€Å"destructive vigor.† It went past foolish brutality to a point of bringing down the splendor of the original Woodstock 69’. Sadly now when people remember Woodstock Music Festival, they can’ help but also recall the damage that took place during its most recent effort at recreation. Conclusion In spite of people’s wish to bring back the mood and sensation of the original Woodstock Music Festival, all that remains is its effect on people who took part in it and the affect it had on the society they live in. Woodstock 69’ feeling will never be lost despite what happened in the consequent Woodstock concerts. It was caused by the desire to promote music studios but it played a greater role. At that time so much was going on in US and people were experiences great hatred and division. The Festival brought the feeling of â€Å"Love, Peace and good Music.† Bennett, Andy. Remembering Woodstock. USA, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2004. Print Evans, Mike. Woodstock: Three Days That Rocked the World, California, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2009. Print Littleproud, Brad. Woodstock Peace, Music Memories, New York, Krause Publications, 2009. Print Makower, Joel. Woodstock: the oral history.USA, SUNY Press, 2009. Print Perone, James. Music of the counterculture era. Chicago, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Print

The Business Strategy Game - BSG Online game Essay

The Business Strategy Game - BSG Online game - Essay Example Industry overview As we entered the footwear industry the notion of being highly competitive in the market was our main subject of concern. Through the knowledge we had gained in business studies, we had to apply Michael Porter’s five forces so that we thoroughly understand the market and promote our company’s competitive advantage (Roy, 2009). Thus, we put the following forces into close consideration. Firstly, on the bargaining power of buyers, we saw that, since the footwear industry provides an extremely competitive market, this force was at all times undergoing a steady rise. The most important opportunity under this force was that our company had the prospect of applying our differentiation principle for the products offered by our company. However, we observed that there was always the threat of consumers having a high bargaining margin thus bringing in the possibility of a lower profit than the one we had anticipated. About the bargaining power of suppliers, we saw that since there are very many suppliers in the footwear industry, this force is always very low. This was a very important opportunity to our company as it meant that, we could get supply of raw materials at low price. Thus, it aided us in meeting the strategy clock principle of selling quality products at low price. Concerning the threat of new entrants, we saw that the industry offered a great opportunity to our company. Since industry 7 was limited to five (5) groups, this threat was not applicable. In this sense, the footwear industry offered a huge opportunity for our company since we had to lay all our concentration mainly on outshining our existing competitors. Regarding the threat of substitute products, we saw this was a subject of great concern for our company. This is because, this competitive force was always very high as at most times the products available in the market were substitutes of one another. However, this force was an important opportunity to our compan y since it motivated us to be very innovative. Finally, we saw that the force of competitive rivalry was a great opportunity for our company to triumph in the industry. The opportunity offered by this force was that it ensured we did all our best in innovating higher quality product designs. However, our company had to face the threat of our competitors using our product designs to come up with more advanced ones. Company overview As we took over management of Zenith Company Limited, we observed several essential strengths and weaknesses that the company already put in place (Brott, 2009). Among the most essential strengths that Zenith had created is a huge market share of around 20%. Secondly, the company had a good customer base for its products particularly in North America and Europe Africa. It had also done a lot in promoting its brands over the internet thus enjoying the advantage of selling its products at higher prices per pair. Our company also had the advantage of having u tilized a significant number of retail outlets (Hill and Jones, 2010, p. 178). However, the company had some weaknesses and they included lack of celebrity appeal. The company further had a weakness of taking a lot of time in delivering goods to its clients. Decisions Year 11 There are several decisions that we had to concur as a team. This was to ensure that our company was going to meet the goal of being very competitive