Product Analysis about Fast Food Restaurant Essay

Product Analysis about Fast Food Restaurant - Essay Example With a varied range of fast food items and ready to eat deserts, the company has been operating well in the international market. The company, in order to meet the changing demands, has been updating their marketing strategies as per the need of the changing time. Moreover, the company has also been serving a varied range of delicacies to capture markets of the fast food restaurants. The company has also opened a large number of franchises to serve people better in the larger number (Dominos IP Holder LLC, 2008). Herewith, the paper focuses to complete a detailed analysis of the fast food restaurant. By analyzing the different market recommendations of the fast food restaurant, a detailed picture of their market strategy is framed. The paper also describes the current fast food services the company is trading on from a critical point of view, highlighting its positives and negatives as well. Initially, Domino’s was involved in serving only Pizzas since its inception. Gradually, with the changing demand and taste preferences, the company became diversified in its food services with the inclusion of a variety of flavored pizzas and a varied range of deserts into their product line. In comparison to other food items, its Handmade Pizza has been a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to the company, attracting high demand from the targeted consumers. The company has also been selling a wide range of products like the Parmesan Bread Bites, Stuffed Cheesy breads and Chocolate Lava Crunch to attract a diversified customer group. The company is recognized to be the bestsellers of a varied range of products, which has set a benchmark in the industry by ensuring timely delivery with quality. To increase the convenience of home delivery, Domino’s has been taking initiatives in opening a virtual store. These virtual stores were designed in order to enhance the customerâ⠂¬â„¢s convenience in placing orders. Additionally, in order to

Managing Global Markets: Yoshinoya

Managing Global Markets: Yoshinoya International Brand Recognition: Yoshinoya is one of Japans largest restaurant chain companies and a global brand with over 1400 locations throughout the world including 99 in USA. It is known for its quick service and the menu is based on fresh ingredients served in a variety of rice bowls including its original recipe Beef Bowl that started it all in 1899 opening its first store in Tokyo Japan. Scope of Expansion: In 2006, Yoshinoya made franchising opportunities available to U.S. entrepreneurs. Service: Known for its quick service. It is one of its key strengths and tries to maintain it in all of its outlets and franchises. Quality: Yoshinoyas commitment to quality has never wavered since opening in Tokyos Nihonbashi District in 1899, even stopping sales of its popular beef bowls in 2003 when a ban on American beef went into effect in Japan. Beef bowls were off the Yoshinoya menu for two and half years, until the import ban on American beef was lifted, and company officials say the Yoshinoya decision reflects the commitment to maintain the best quality in both service and product. Its beef bowl recipe calls for American beef, and thats all Yoshinoya has served for nearly eleven decades. Professional Advertising Campaigns: Yoshinoya is known for its advertising campaigns and helps to advertise for the franchisees also. Skilled Traning: Yoshinoya has developed a stringent training regimen for all Yoshinoya employees, hence franchisees can enjoy having a courteous, well-trained staff from the very first day, and maintain the same level of high quality and service across the chain. Competency: Yoshinoyas major expansion plans are for Chinaand to open as many as 500 restaurants there by 2010, as part of its joint venture with Hong Kongs Hop Hing Food Group. There are already 99 restaurants operating in the USA and many more to come. Diversification Strategy: The company began expanding its range of restaurant formats, starting with the 1996 acquisition of Commoco Food Company, later renamed as Peter Pan Comoco, operator of the Hitokuchi Chaya baked good chain. In 1999, the company acquired struggling Kyotara Corp. and its chains of takeout sushi and seafood restaurants. The company acquired the Chinese food chain Shanghai Express in 2002, then added the Hanamaru noodle restaurant group in 2004. The companys other restaurant formats include the Kyotaru takeout sushi chain; Shanghai Express, a Chinese-foods concept; Hitokuchi Chaya, which sells fresh-baked taiyaki cakes and takoyaki dumplings; and the curry shop Pot Pot. Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchanges First Section, Yoshinoya DC is led by chairman Shuji Abe. Yet gyudon remained the companys core recipe. Into the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, Yoshinoya stepped up international expansion of its flagship chain. The company entered Singapore in 1997, followed by the Philippines in 2001. By 2002, the company had launched a second mainland China partnership, targeting specifically the Shanghai market. In that year Yoshinoya also opened its first restaurant outside of the U.S. West Coast, targeting the New York City market, and boosting its number of restaurants in that market past 100. This was followed by the creation of a new subsidiary, Yoshinoya America, to oversee growth of its U.S. operations. Similarly, the company launched a subsidiary in Australia, which opened its first restaurant in 2004, followed by the launch of operations in Malaysia later the same year. Meantime, the companys Beijing-based joint venture announced its own plans to expand its restaurant chain to as many as 500 restaurants by 2010. These efforts enabled Yoshinoya to continue to post strong revenue gains through 2005. Nonetheless, the companys profitability suffered as the U.S. beef ban entered its third year. At last, however, the Japanese government announced its decision to lift much of the ban. This allowed the company to launch its first limited sales of its beef bowl by September. While supply shortages continued to hamper the company, it nonetheless was able to resume wider gyudon sales by December 2006. The effect on the companys revenues were dramatic; by the beginning of 2007, the company posted revenue gains of more than 119 percent. Yoshinoya DC had become one of Japans largest and most diversified and restaurant groups, building its empire on a recipe that had been a Japanese favorite for more than 100 years. Agility: Yoshinoya was hit hard, however, by the developing crisis in the global beef industry. The appearance of the first case of so-called mad cow disease in the United States, which was becoming notorious for the suspect nature of its sanitary conditions, prompted the Japanese government to enact a ban on all U.S. beef imports in 2003. Remembering its last ill-fated attempt to alter the ingredients of its famous beef bowl, Yoshinoya adopted an extreme response, announcing that it would simply end sales of its flagship dish until imports resumed. In place of the beef bowl, Yoshinoya rushed to develop new recipes, including chicken- and pork-based bowls. Weaknesses: Global competition with other fast-food chain of restaurants: Other competitive fast food chains such as KFC , Mc Donalds, Subway, Burger King have many restaurants world-wide. Mc Donalds has the largest Market share in the fast food industry. International Marketing Strategy The international marketing of Yoshinoya* and its services needs to improve for its survival.. With the growing numbers competitors branches worldwide, Yoshinoya needs to further expand its international market operations. In terms of competition, one great and possible strategy to do is a possible merger, joint ventures or strategic alliances because by doing this kind of strategy, it will lessen the competition in the market. It should look at localizing its menu and offer discounts and sales. IT should advertise to bring in more franchises to expand further. Keeping pace with changing consumer preferences As a natural process of reaction in the product marketing, the dynamic and diverse consumer preferences and behaviour is the most predicted trend that will affect the marketing strategy. Due to different geographical location, cultural beliefs and practices, lifestyle, health status, and personal indifferences, various segments of the current marketing strategy are subject to possible changes. Yoshinoya, should look at expanding or altering its menu based on the locations and the consumers prefermnces. Also, it should concentrate on low calorie foods as more and more fast food restaurants causes concerns of obesity and health issues. Eating places were forced to stake out a strong identity for themselves and to pay closer attention to consumers, who were becoming increasingly demanding Dependence on American beef for its signature Beef Bowl In late 2001, a domestic mad cow incident critically damaged beef bowl sales. In late 2003, Japan suspended imports of American beef due to a BSE incident in Washington, cutting off Yoshinoyas main source of short plate (fatty beef) that is the main component of its beef bowl. This forced Yoshinoya to terminate gyudon sales in Japan (the first time in its history) on February 11, 2004. News of the removal of this item from Yoshinoyas menu caused its fans and non-fans alike to queue in massive lines at Yoshinoya restaurants all around Japan to taste what might be their last beef bowl for a long time. Yoshinoya then switched to selling butadon (pork don) instead of beef. However, Yoshinoya restaurants in America continue to sell the beef bowl using American short plate, and restaurants in Japan sold a gyÃ…Â « yakiniku don (Yakiniku-style beef bowl). In December 2005, Japan agreed to remove the restriction on importing US beef. A letter to customers was then put up in restaurants promising that the beef bowl would return in a couple months or so. However, in January imports stopped again because inspectors found banned cattle parts in a veal shipment from the U.S. In June 2006, however, Japan lifted the ban on imports, and on July 31, 2006, Yoshinoya reposted the letter promising to bring back the beef bowl in about two months. External Factors for Yoshinoyas planned entry Ethnic food is seen as the basis for innovation in the food industry. Different cuisines and products are emerging on a continual basis, as consumers become more knowledgeable about eating habits in other parts of the world as well as becoming acquainted with foreign cuisines through foreign travel.Apart from formerly being consumed mostly in the evening, ethnic food is now being consumed throughout the day, for example as a lunchtime snack. The repertoire of ethnic food is forecast to widen even further, resulting in continuous increases in sales Chinese food is expected to remain the largest segment within the market for East Asian cuisine, since it has a significant customer base and is quite popular with large sections of population. However apart from Japanese cuisine, growth is expected to be strongest for the Thai and Indian segments, which are becoming increasingly popular. Japanese became a trend cuisine in the mid 1990s with several sushi outlets opening up in major cities. German retail quickly picked up on this trend and started offering Japanese sushi in its chilled cabinets at first in large cities only and then successfully in more rural areas. Today, in rural areas, sushi tends to be accepted very positively.Japanese food has only recently, within the last five to ten years become popular but the range available is still relatively restricted. Yoshinoya provides healthier food when compared to other fast food joints like Mc donalds and KFC.Wagamama is not Japanese cuisine. In fact, there are no Wagamamas in Japan or China so Yoshinoya providing authentic Japanese food is an advantage. Changes within the population have directly affected the development of the food sector. As the number of single households and working women has increased, coupled with an aging population, German societys values have shifted towards focusing more on the quality of life. Todays consumer is more widely travelled and open-minded towards new, exotic cuisines. Risk factors Ineffective risk management within partnership working may lead to poor working relationships and lack of engagement,not realising benefits,community outcomes not achieved against agreed priorities,reputational damage,poor value for money and missed opportunities to secure cashable efficiencies gains and contribute towards sustainability targets. PESTEL analysis: Political Factors The government in Europe is supposed to be politically stable. In recent years, the Government has pursued policies aimed at making Europe more attractive to investors, creating a welcoming environment for foreign investment. It has low labour and transport costs and the introduction of the single market has eliminated exchange rate fluctuations and reduced overall transaction costs. European government is planning to lower corporate tax which will be extremely beneficial. . Denmark badly needs skilled foreign workers, and will change laws to make them welcome. The rise of the newly formed centrist party New Alliance, offers the minority centre-right coalition government a stable partner.encourage entrepreneur and energy reforms, while rejigging the administrative structure of the municipalities. The addition of the conservatives to the coalition suggests a more active foreign policy, including stronger ties with America, but also a mediating role in the EUs strained relations with R ussia.Less belt-tightening will boost the economy, as will increasing integration into west European production and supply chains. The government controls the marketing and licensing of fast food restaurants which makes it important for every company to maintain good relations with the government and benefit from tax reductions. Ireland With the Green Party now in the coalition government, policy will shift slightly towards environmental issues, though the governments overall focus-keeping businesses competitive-wont change. Economic management will be more complicated than during the boom years; spending cuts, for example, may now be required,creating stresses within the government. Economic factors In last few years there has been a financial crisis in the market. Cost of everything has increased due to fall in major investment banks. There have been inflationary pressures due to high energy prices and lack of credit. All this would amount to increase in price of supply chain and goods. The cost of food items has increased as there has been a food crisis. France and Germany have interrelated economies,so selling in both the markets would not yield great results. Yoshinoya import most of its raw material such as beef and potatoes due to local market cannot supply in abundant to meet the demand of its product they need to be aware of global supply and currency exchange. Since the pricing is above normal food pricing Yoshinoya consumers may find it hard to make the buyer agree to the price on offer. Moreover if the economy is bad and income percapita is affected, the demand of Yoshinoya product will certainly going down. Good economy generally means disposable income is more and p eople can spend more on more expensive food . SOCIAL/Cultural Not many people can afford eating out all the time but with the fast food option providing affordable meals people have caught up with increased spending habits.But consumers always also look for value for money and demand quality in services and more conveniences that can differentiate one restaurant from another. There is not much difference between cultural and the purchase of products in a single country but for different countries cultural sensitivity should be upheld. For example in India people (Hindu) do not take beef, Muslim countries do not take pork, German like beers, Finnish like fish type of food menu, Chinese like to associate food with something good (for example prosperity), Asian like rice and Americans eat in big-sized menu. So far Yoshinoya has shown good efforts in localization of its menu to suit local taste but it should constantly survey and learn about local culture to better understand and design the best product for them Technological European online meal solutions prospects by country For a fast food restaurant, technology does not give a very high impact on the company and it is not a significant macro environment variables. Computer ordering (till system) and using technology for production,supply and research reasons is a requirement.Technology implementation can make the management more effective and cost saving in the long term. Environmental factors Yoshinoya should invest more on the environment related issues. They should reduce their dependency on beef dishes as production of beef involves methane gasses coming from the cows ranch causing green house effect. Large scale plantation affects the environment and loss of green forest opening for plantation activities. Vegetarian environmentalist criticizes the fast-food giant for cruelty to animals and slaughtering. Use of plastic is also an issue as millions of people are known to throw away packaging which is hard to recycle. Our world is getting concern on environment issue and business operating here should not just care for profit, but careful usage of world resources for sustainable development and care for environment safety and health for our future generation. Legal factors Legal requirements of a business owner should be to follow stipulated laws such as operating hours, business registration, tax requirement, labor and employment laws and quality environment certification (such as ISO) in which the outlet has been certified. The legal requirement is important because the offenders will be fined or have their business prohibited. b) Country Shortlisting This part addresses why the country Uk was chosen from amongst the 27 other countries belonging to the EU. A 2008 study was conducted worldwide counting the number of fast food restaurants per person.The UK has claimed this title with Australia second and the United States third. England alone accounted for 25% of all fast food. The majority of multinational corporations that are based outside of Europe but have a presence on the continent, establish their European operations in the UK. Decision making global integration vs global responsivenessmulti domestic strategy,the food industry has a weak need to integrate operations across countries because scale economies are highly offset by transportational costs. In Russia,eating out is also becoming increasingly common. A burgeoning middle class is creating a solid customer base and is increasing demand for international foods, with the result that numerous restaurants and cafà ©s are opening or expanding. In France With regard to business and investment, the climate cannot be considered to be very conducive due to lack of fiscal and investment freedom, and freedom from government intervention. Business taxes are also higher compared to other developed countries which acts as a deterrent for investment. In 2004, Germanys share of the ethnic food retail market (by value) within Europe was relatively small (9.2% compared to the UKs 68.8%). Nevertheless, it was the third largest market, following the UK and France (who had 9.7%) In 2006, the Ethnic Food retail market in Europe was worth EUR 4.12 billion. The UK has the largest and most developed market, with sales worth over EUR 2.34 billion. In fact, the UK, France and Germany together account for over 80% of total sales. It notes that countries like Spain and Ireland have much smaller markets, but that sales are on an upward spiral So first establish about 5 stores in uk and 5 in germany check the performance over a year hope to gain from spillover effects where Media helps it to get noticed in nearby countries and the following year expand in markets like Denmark and Netherlands which are in the same region. So the plan suggests that the country selection is also region specific.Northern European countries like england and Denmark andWestern European countrie like Germany and Netherlands Economic stability based on GDP Spain has per capita GDP of UK is $ 34,619 (International Monetary Fund,2009).It is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France and the second largest after germany in terms of Purchasing Power Parity. Japanese in Uk Colindale in north London has Oriental City a shopping centre which has the highest footfall of Asian consumers. North West England, Manchester is town with largest population and Aberystwyth largest student town are locations for opening a store. When eating outside the home, Japanese expatriates in the Netherlands most commonly patronise Chinese restaurants (29% of meals eaten out); Japanese restaurants run a close second at 25%, Italian restaurants at 19%, and French restaurants at 10% (Cwiertka 2000, p. 17) Start with 10 stores with centralization,check performance and then shift to decentralization. The strategy for the first three years in Europe should be of Centralization and concentration in big country markets . Part 2 a) Market Entry Strategies Why would Yoshinoya choose franchising? Yoshinoya wants to aggressively expand in the European market.The franchising model will help it expand its operations on a faster scale. Speed of entry Speed of entry can be classified as Aggressive-broad front and aggressive-focused. Yoshinoya must have systematic and dynamic game plan using all of its resources. How will the franchise work? Joint venture will be 50-50. Yoshinoya has had nation wide franchising in the United States offering single franchise and territory arrangements. Having identified a franchisee, NewLook must determine aspects such as franchisee fee and initial investment required to get the venture on road. NewLook can follow the standard industry practice of charging between $30,000 $40,000 per location per year a standard followed by 70% of the franchisors. Additionally, the terms of franchising also need to lay down the amount of royalty that franchisee needs to pay (International Franchise Association, 2010). This figure is a percentage of franchisees gross monthly income and could be set at 4%. Risks of franchising Without having a local presence in Europe, this method results in a great loss of control and supervision over the franchise as the franchisor has no legal entity in Europe. However Wholly owned facilities, at the start would serve as anchors while they build relationships in the host country to support further entry through non-equity modes such as franchising and management service contracts (Bartlett Ghoshal, 2000). So it might prove difficult to build familiarity and relationships in the market, non-equity contractual forms are readily adopted to support the increasing degree of presence. Due to Yoshinoyas present financial condition franchising would be the best option but finding the right franchising partner would be the most important. Exit Strategies Franchisors that they needed to understand that their business would fail, and in fact all businesses are bound for failure. Daniel Hudson Burnham said Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir mens blood. So plan. Plan to profit. Plan to nurture and build. And plan to exit.If Yoshinoya does not get its estimated profit or is in loss, it can exit the market. It is not easy to exit the market as closing franchised stores due to non performing would affect brand image and create stutor among other franchising partners.If a joint venture is established exiting market becomes an easy option as the share can be sold to the partner. Relocation of non profitable stores can be an option. Additionally, once the initial period of uncertainty is over and the payoff (for NewLook) from the venture is more or less stabilized, NewLook may find it advantageous to dissolve the partnership by either acquiring the franchisees interest in the venture or selling its own stake. The price for the t ransfer of ownership interests between two parties should be set in the original contract. To determine the share price, both parties could accept the appraisal of an independent evaluator (Chi, Tailan; McGuire, Donald J, 1996). b)Functional strategies, including product, marketing, and operations decisions. The marketing strategy inviloves 4ps product,price,place and promotion.As yoshinoya is not yet established in the European market they could use Penetrative pricing policy to expand the menu by adding chicken based side orders,sushi,soups and salads.To cut costs,decreasing price should not be an option instead they should reduce the quantity of products.Table service is a good idea.On the other hand having a limited menu, rapid table turnover and employing temporary staff on minimum wage so that pension and health benefits dont have dolled out is a way of cutting costs too. A marketing strategy involves using brand names and other marketing elements.Yoshinoya must look at protecting brand name and patent.In a Franchise system the franchisor does the RD and Marketing while Franchisee does the Production and sales and service. c) Yoshinoyas Organizational Structure Organizational structure shows how management decisions would be taken and the flow. VP (HR) will be reporting to CEO and will be accountable to all HR related operations. Senior VP (marketing and sales) will be reporting to CEO and will be accountable for marketing and sales. CFO will be reporting to the CEO and will be accountable for all financial operations. VP (Operation development) will be reporting to COO and will be in charge for operations and development. Then VP (Investor relation) will be reporting to COO and will be responsible for relations with the investors. VP (public relations) will be responsible for public relations. Special task force would be formed to work in teams to take care for any new stores to be opened or major structural changes to be made in functioning of any stores. Although the organisational structure outlines who reports to whom within the MNE, it does not indicate where decsisions are made within the framework.companies must determine where decisions will be made.The higher the level within the organisation at which decisions are made, the more they are considered to be centralised;the lower the level,the more they are decentralized.whether decision making should be centralized or decentralized can be addressed from the stand point of either the company as a whole or some part of it,such as particular subsidary operation. d)Strategic control system Conclusion It is observed from various analysis made above like PESTLE and SWOT, that Yoshinoya is a brand which needs to expand internationally in order to increase its revenue and to compete with other big brands. References: http://www.swot-pest-porter.co.uk Hollensen, S (2003) Global Marketing: A Decision-Oriented Approach. 3rd ed. Pearson Education Wall, S Rees, B (2004) International Business. FT Prentice Hall. LEE, K CARTER, S (2005) Global Marketing Management. Oxford: OUP Mellenius, H 2007 Market Orientation as a Branding Strategy. Working Paper, department of Business Studies, Uppsala University. 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Its Time to Make Prostitution Legal :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

It's Time to Make Prostitution Legal Prostitution has long been called the world's oldest profession. For as long back as we have records, evidence can be found of people selling sex for some sort of gain. When the colonists were running around slaughtering the natives, they also were enjoying the pleasures of local prostitutes. In fourth century, Athenian orator Apollodoros stated "we have courtesans for pleasure, and concubines for the daily service of our bodies, but wives for the production of legitimate offspring and to have reliable guardians of our household property." And yet in "progressive" America, a land were people claim to be the most socially advanced, prostitution is an illegal act that results in the sheltering of rapists, drug dealers, and abusers. Legalization of prostitution could solve a lot of problems caused by its illegality, but it's unlikely that those rich old white guys in Washington are going to make the change. They prefer to ignore the issue, occasionally making the token gesture at trying to end it completely. Reality check folks, if prostitution has been around this long, it's not going anywhere. You can throw more laws at it, up the punishment, even do like Minnesota and post those arrested for prostitution (not those just found guilty) and stick their pictures on the internet, but you aren't going to change reality. Nevada has already seen the light...why not the rest of country? If this country were to legalize prostitution, we could make a fortune while also improving the health of our country and the "character" behind it all. Look at Nevada. Let's take prostitution off the streets by requiring services be offered in a brothel or on appropriate web sites. As for the common streetwalker, arrest them for solicitation, but just solicitation, no more tacking on the prostitution part. Change the law to require condoms and regular health checks and AIDS testing. Where prostitution is legal in Nevada, the number of AIDS cases among the workers is now down to 0 (where the illegal hookers have topped 25% infection...that's a one in four chance of paying to get AIDS). By having it legal, prostitutes will no longer have to fear going to the cops when they get raped or beaten.

East Asian History Essay

In the year 1943, the allied forces made a Deceleration in Cairo pledging freedom for the Korean peninsula from Japan. The US, China and Great Britain were the main parties involved in this declaration, often known as the ‘Cairo Declaration’. In the Yalta Conference, Roosevelt made a proposal to the USSR leaders for having a four-power leadership of Korea. Although, Stalin took President Roosevelt points into consideration, no formal agreement was reached upon. President Roosevelt proposed that the US, USSR, Great Britain and China would take hold on Korea. Following these talks, the tension between the communist nations and the western nations began to rise. In the Postdam conference in July 1945, Independence was promised for Korea. The US asked the USSR to enter the war with Japan to free Korea. However, they also suggested that the Japanese could not be attacked from Korea, unless the Japanese mainlands were captured. The USSR army attacked the Japanese forces from the northern side after capturing Manchuria. Following the American bombing of the Japanese cities in August 8, 1945, the Japanese troops began to surrender. The 38th Parallel was utilized as a line of control. North of this line, the USSR troops took charge and south of this line, the American army had control. The Japanese forces actually surrendered to the US forces on September 8th in Seoul. The USSR forces began to seal the line of control. The USSR forces were however present in Korea earlier compared to the American forces. There are many reasons as to why the US government wanted to divide Korea. Some suggest that it was basically done to prevent the USSR army from occupying the entire Korea. Other felt that it was to increase the military presence (from several countries) in Korea, and in this way prevent any single power from taking control of Korea. Initially, the Korean division was proposed as a temporary measure (basically for military operations). However, the conflict between the Eastern and Western powers meant that no particular solution was reached for this issue. In this way Korea continued to be divided (Turner Learning, 2007 & Britannica Encyclopedia, 2007). Once Korea was divided, the Americans began to have a Government under Korea under the rule of Syngman Rhee. This government was basically set up against communism. South Korea was called as ‘Republic of Korea’. In the northern side, the USSR government set up a communist government under the rule of Kim II Sung. This state was called as ‘Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’. Kim II Sung was actually a major of the Red Army. After the World War II he was considered the head of the North Korean communist party. He was appointed the head of a committee for settling administrative issues. In 1947, a legislative assembly was formed in North Korea, and Kim was elected the head. He had a strong military presence in North Korea. Initially, Stalin wanted to stop Kim from using communist influence in North Korea, but Kim was against this. Later, Stalin and Kim were planning to enforce communism throughout Korea. Kim II Sung’s army was known as the ‘North Korean Military Army’. This army included a few generals who had waged war against the Japanese. Kim was interested in developing a nation that was torn out of war. He brought all agricultural activities under the control of state. He also started developing the industry in Korea. On the other hand, the South Korean’s did not have a strong military presence under the US army. When the US army was withdrawing its troops in 1949, only about 100, 000 soldiers were trained in the South Korean Army. The Russians began to support an attack of South Korea in the year 1950. North Korea utilized Russian artillery, guns and tanks to launch an attack in South Korea. The South Koreans were unprepared by the attack from the North Koreans. The American aid was rather insufficient. The Americans and the UN had to support South Korea in its fight against North Korea during the Korean War (Turner Learning, 2007 & Britannica Encyclopedia, 2007).

Essay on Increase Cost of Living

India vs. UAE Living in India as compared to staying around the world you need to adapt to the surrounding atmosphere. Similarly I have been living in Sharjah since a while however I have lived my whole life in India. Although these two countries are far apart, very few factors such as education system and the culture between the two countries. There are a lot of difference between the Indian and the UAE education system. In India the schools mainly follow CBSE system, similarly in the UAE most of the schools follow the same system. On the other hand there are many schools and colleges that follow the IGCSE system.I have studied in a school where the school follows CBSE board. The main difference between the two of them is CBSE is much harder than the IGCSE board. The portion that CBSE covers in high school is what the IGCSE students study in collage. I had a major advantage on it because I did the CBSE board. The students who study IGCSE mainly study the Cambridge portion. In India, some schools don’t even have textbooks to study from, and still people study and get amazing grades. This is because the people in India struggle to study. That’s why there is a lot of completion as compared to the UAE.In India the education system is progressing at a slow rate. In India schools don’t use the latest technology to teach the students and are still teach on the board and chalk method. In UAE almost all the schools have computers and smart boards, which make studying much more easier and fun. The fees structure in a normal collage in India is very high as compared to the fees structure in any university in the UAE. The cultural diversity in India is very huge. In UAE it is less. The parents in India are very conservative when it comes to children. if it is a girl then they will be more protective because of the security of the girl.Parents do not allow the girl to leave the house for more until late in the night. On the other hand if it were a guy then they would have not cared much. This because of when it comes to the girl, the security of hers becomes important, as she could be raped or kidnapped or anything else can happen. Whereas in the UAE this is not the case because they know wherever their children are they will reach home safely, because of the laws. According to my personal experience the mentality of an Indian parent should change and they should leave their children free to live their lives. In India people eat with their hands.The men sitting first, to eat together in one huge plate. On the contrary, in UAE people eat by sitting on the table and in different plates and sit around the dining table. In India the women don’t sit together for food with the men. When I was a young kid I use to sit on the floor and eat food with my dad and my cousin brother. Back then I use to think why eat by sitting on the floor. As I grew up I realized that it is an Indian culture and tradition to sit down and eat. The man has the last say in any important decision. Whereas in UAE, when a decision is made by asking the opinion of all the members.In conclusion in the many years to come I would like to see India catching up with the UAE. To make a country better than the others countries, Education and cultural diversities of the country plays a major role. There are many colleges in India that have been recognized internationally. The Indian education system will come up in the coming years, as the IT sector in India is booming. This will be a turning point to them as they can make some better technology better than the other countries, whereas in the UAE, technology has played an important role and which has helped them to make education much easier and more interesting to people.

Culture-History, Social Evolution, and Archaeology

Culture-History, Social Evolution, and Archaeology The culture-historical method (sometimes called the  cultural-historical method or culture-historical approach or theory) was a way of conducting anthropological and archaeological research that was prevalent among western scholars between about 1910 and 1960. The underlying premise of the culture-historical approach was that the main reason to do archaeology or anthropology at all was to build timelines of major occurrences and cultural changes in the past for groups that did not have written records. The culture-historical method was developed out of the theories of historians and anthropologists, to some degree to help archaeologists organize and comprehend the vast amount of archaeological data that had been and was still being collected in the 19th and early 20th centuries by antiquarians. As an aside, that hasnt changed, in fact, with the availability of power computing and scientific advances such as archaeo-chemistry (DNA, stable isotopes, plant residues), the amount of archaeological data has mushroomed. Its hugeness and complexity today still drives the development of archaeological theory to grapple with it. Among their writings redefining archaeology in the 1950s, American archaeologists Phillip Phillips and Gordon R. Willey (1953) provided a good metaphor for us to understand the faulty mindset of archaeology in the first half of the 20th century. They said that the culture-historical archaeologists were of the opinion that the past was rather like an enormous jigsaw puzzle, that there was a pre-existing but unknown universe which could be discerned if you collected enough pieces and fitted them together. Unfortunately, the intervening decades have resoundingly shown us that the archaeological universe is in no way that tidy. Kulturkreis and Social Evolution The culture-historical approach is based on the Kulturkreis movement, an idea developed in Germany and Austria in the late 1800s. Kulturkreis is sometimes spelled Kulturkreise and transliterated as culture circle, but means in English something along the lines of cultural complex. That school of thought was generated primarily by German historians and ethnographers  Fritz Graebner and Bernhard Ankermann. In particular, Graebner had been a medieval historian as a student, and as an ethnographer, he thought it should be possible to build historical sequences like those available for medievalists for regions that did not have written sources. To be able to build cultural histories of regions for people with little or no written records, scholars tapped into the notion of unilinear social evolution, based in part on the ideas of American anthropologists Lewis Henry Morgan and Edward Tyler, and German social philosopher Karl Marx. The idea (long ago debunked) was that cultures progressed along a series of more or less fixed steps: savagery, barbarism, and civilization. If you studied a particular region appropriately, the theory went, you could track how the people of that region had developed (or not) through those three stages, and thus classify ancient and modern societies by where they were in the process of becoming civilized. Invention, Diffusion, Migration Three primary processes were seen as the drivers of social evolution: invention, transforming a new idea into innovations; diffusion, the process of transmitting those inventions from culture to culture; and migration, the actual movement of people from one region to another. Ideas (such as agriculture or metallurgy) might have been invented in one area and moved into adjacent areas through diffusion (perhaps along trade networks) or by migration. At the end of the 19th century, there was a wild assertion of what is now considered hyper-diffusion, that all of the innovative ideas of antiquity (farming, metallurgy, building monumental architecture) arose in Egypt and spread outward, a theory thoroughly debunked by the early 1900s. Kulturkreis never argued that all things came from Egypt, but the researchers did believe there was a limited number of centers responsible for the origin of ideas which drove the social evolutionary progress. That too has been proven false. Boas and Childe The archaeologists at the heart of the adoption of the culture-historical approach in archaeology were Franz Boas and Vere Gordon Childe. Boas argued that you could get at the culture-history of a pre-literate society by using detailed comparisons of such things as artifact assemblages, settlement patterns, and art styles. Comparing those things would allow archaeologists to identify similarities and differences and to develop the cultural histories of major and minor regions of interest at the time. Childe took the comparative method to its ultimate limits, modeling the process of the inventions of agriculture and metal-working from eastern Asia and their diffusion throughout the Near East and eventually Europe. His astoundingly broad-sweeping research led later scholars to go beyond the culture-historical approaches, a step Childe did not live to see. Archaeology and Nationalism: Why We Moved On The culture-historical approach did produce a framework, a starting point on which future generations of archaeologists could build, and in many cases, deconstruct and rebuild. But, the culture-historical approach has many limitations. We now recognize that evolution of any kind is never linear, but rather bushy, with many different steps forward and backward, failures and successes that are part and parcel of all human society. And frankly, the height of civilization identified by researchers in the late 19th century is by todays standards shockingly moronic: civilization was that which is experienced by white, European, wealthy, educated males. But more painful than that, the culture-historical approach feeds directly into nationalism and racism. By developing linear regional histories, tying them to modern ethnic groups, and classifying the groups on the basis of how far along the linear social evolutionary scale they had reached, archaeological research fed the beast of Hitlers master race and justified the imperialism and forcible colonization by Europe of the rest of the world. Any society that hadnt reached the pinnacle of civilization was by definition savage or barbaric, a jaw-droppingly idiotic idea. We know better now. Sources Eiseley LC. 1940. Review of The Culture Historical Method of Ethnology, by Wilhelm Schmidt, Clyde Kluchhohn and S. A. Sieber. American Sociological Review 5(2):282-284.Heine-Geldern R. 1964. One Hundred Years of Ethnological Theory in the German-Speaking Countries: Some Milestones. Current Anthropology 5(5):407-418.Kohl PL. 1998. Nationalism and Archaeology: On the Constructions of Nations and the Reconstructions of the Remote past. Annual Review of Anthropology 27:223-246.Michaels GH. 1996. Culture historical theory. In: Fagan BM, editor. The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. New York: Oxford University Press. p 162.Phillips P, and Willey GR. 1953. Method and Theory in American Archeology: An Operational Basis for Culture-Historical Integration. American Anthropologist 55(5):615-633.Trigger BG. 1984. Alternative Archaeologies: Nationalist, Colonialist, Imperialist. Man 19(3):355-370.Willey GR, and Phillips P. 1955. Method and theory in American archaeology II: Historical-Developmenta l interpretation. American Anthropologist 57:722-819.

17 Writing Tips Actionable Exercises to Write Better Today [VIDEO]

17 Writing Tips Actionable Exercises to Write Better Today [VIDEO] 17 Writing Tips Actionable Exercises to Write Better Today [VIDEO] Writing tips have aided every writer out there- from Ernest Hemingway to Stephen King.And now you’re here for a reasonYou want to learn how to write better through specific writing tips. Because lets be honestwe all feel like our writing could use some improvement.What you didn’t know is that you’ll learn a whole lot more than that by reading this post and you’ll find out exactly what if you stick with us.Writing is a skill you can never be the â€Å"best† at. You will always be able to grow and expand on your writing skills. Once you’ve reached what you believe is your very best, there is still mountains more you can improve upon.That’s part of the magic of being a writer.But it can be hard to know where you actually need the improvement. Which areas are your weakest and which do you excel in?Here are 17 strong writing tips:Write what you want to read Write with intention Use psychologyWrite as often as you can Eliminate distractions Research storytelling and story structure Always get feedback Focus on new ways to phrase common visuals Practice writing when you’re not writing Use strong language Just write to write Just do it. Youve got to work. Write for yourself first. Quantity will make up for quality. Tell the truth. You cant edit a blank page.Its one thing to improve your grammar, its another to work on bettering the actual writing.If you’re like me (and almost all writers out there), you likely struggle with insecurity in your writing. Us writers have a tendency to focus on the bad without knowing how to make it better, and this can often cost us our writing motivation.NOTE: We cover a number of writing tips in our VIP Self-Publishing program, along with everything youll need to write, market, and publish your book to bestseller status.Click here to learn moreLet’s get started. Writing Tips to Help You Become an AuthorIf you’re looking for a way to get your book done quickly a nd with quality, you’re in the right place.We put together this free training for you to learn exactly the writing tips that helped Chandler Bolt hit bestseller status with all 6 of his books. Join your FREE training and learn how you canwrite abetterbook in as little as 90 days if you really focus.Just click the button below to watch!Click here to start your training TODAYHow to Improve Writing with Tips for Writing a BookIn order to improve your writing skills, you have to commit to writing as much as you can, using different writing exercises, and reading often. You have to form a writing habit in order to do this.But there is good news about this.Your writing skills are not stagnant. They change and grow as you do.Think of it as running. The more you run and train, the better you become. It can be really hard to write a book at first but as you learn new techniques, how to use literary devices, and new methods for making it easier, you become a stronger, better runner.Wr iting is exactly the same.The way you improve your writing skills is by making a commitment to you, your work in progress, and all the people who can benefit from your book.How do You Become a Good Beginner Writer?Being a good beginner writer is about learning the craft of writing and learning specific techniques that make writing good in the first place.In fact, becoming a good beginner writer is all about reading as much as you can and writing as much as you can. This is what will help you recognize those literary elements you can then replicate and make your own when writing and editing.Just like I mentioned above, the more you can write, the better you will get, and this makes publishing your book and showing it to the world much easier.But it’s also about consuming content about becoming a better writer, like podcasts, blog posts, and videos around the craft of writing.These are our favorite writing tips resources:The Self-Publishing School Youtube ChannelOur Podcast, wh ere we highlight success stories and learn how authors made it happenJenna Moreci’s Youtube channel featuring the best fiction and self-publishing writing tipsDailyWritingTips.com, a blog featuring unique and specific tips for writingHannah Lee Kidder’s Youtube channel including tips from a multi-published fiction authorThis Stephen King video featuring his own tipsBrandon Sanderson’s lectures from a college classroomChandler Bolts personal Youtube channel for productivity advice and moreJustPublishingAdvice.com, a blog dedicated to sharing helpful publishing and writing tips.What are some writing tips for beginners?Being a newbie writer is not easy. These are some of the top writing tips we suggest in order to improve your writing skills as a beginner.Writing Tip #1 Write what you want to readIf you yourself wouldn’t pick up the book or story you’re writing and read it with joy, then you shouldnt’ be writing it.â€Å"But what if I think o ther people will like it even if I don’t?†This is a very common argument against this writing tip but it’s not sound. And the reason for that is because you’ll lack the passion.When you create a story that you love yourself, it comes through in the writing. It’ll read as if the words and your protagonist and characters as a whole pop off the page instead of lying flat.It will also be much easier to write and you’ll want to write it more than if you didn’t enjoy the story or topic as much.So for this writing tip, ask yourself these questions:Would you pick it up to read the back cover?Would you personally look for a book like this?Is this a book genre you personally enjoy?Will you develop the characters in a way that makes you root for them?Is the story structure captivating to you?Have you read and loved other books with similar worlds/characters/stories?If you cant answer these questions with a confident yes, skip the book idea and wr ite one you actually want to.Writing Tip#2 Write with intentionAll writing has a purpose and it needs a purpose if you want your writing to get better and read as something enjoyable.When you have a reason for writingwhat you’re writing, it becomes so much easier and it feels like you’re fulfilling a purpose rather than just writing a book.If all youre doing is writing a book to make money, then your heart (and therefore your passion) is in the wrong place. This makes it very clear to readers through your writing.Below is a writing tips exercise to help you achieve writing with intention.Writing Tip#3 Use psychology to write betterYes, there is research involved no matter what kind of book you’re writing.â€Å"But how can psychology actually help my writing improve?†In order to craft your book in a way that speaks to readers how you intend it to, you have to understand how the human mind works.This is how using psychology as a writing tip helps you get better:Youll craft more realistic charactersYour antagonists and protagonists motives will be more realisticYou can take your readers on a better experience by learning to manipulate their emotions with your plotYou can easily hit emotional triggers in readers that prompt them to keep turning pagesYoull better understand what it takes to write a novel thats engagingThe Write Practice has a fantastic resource for how to use psychology to become a better writer.Once you know how people interpret different events, messages, and themes, you can weave them into your book so it has more impact when they’re finished reading.And for the fiction writers out there, psychology helps you create real and lifelike characters that leave readers itching to turn that page and read more about them and their journey.Writing Tips Action Step:In order to accurately research for your book, think about what you want your readers to take away from each chapter, and then the book as a whole.Then res earch how real people interpret those specific messages.For example:If you want readers to feel inspired during a certain part of your book, research â€Å"psychology of inspiration† and read how one can build up to feel inspired and even how it affects their outlook in order to better craft the next chapters.Writing Tip#4 Write as often as you canEven if all you’re writing is a paragraph, it’s better than not writing at all.And if you can’t add on to your book for whatever reason (maybe a lack of an outline?), then write something else.Here are a few ways you can utilize this writing tip by writing something else:Write a short storyStart a new novelWrite a poemSkip to a new section in your book to writeWrite about your life in prose to practice descriptionsThe point is to write as often as you can because the more you write, the better you will get. It will help you pinpoint weaknesses in your writing and you’ll notice improvements as you write.W riting more often also allows you to flex your imagination, which is indeed much like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets and therefore, you’ll be able to write with more creativity.Writing Tip#5 Eliminate distractionsIn this age of technology and helpful writing software, there are endless amounts of distractions.We almost always have our phones within reach, a computer right at our fingertips (literally, if you’re writing), and a TV nearby with access to Netflix, Hulu, and other attention-sucking programs.If you want to write better, you have to eliminate distractions that keep you from writing.Here are our writing tips to get rid of distractions:Use a distraction-blocking App like Freedom or PauseForShut your phone off and put it in another roomClose out of all apps or windows on your computerSpend 15 minutes listening to music that reminds you of your book to get you in the zoneTell all your friends/family to leave you alone for writing timeAs ment ioned above, the more you write, the better you get. But you can’t write if you’re constantly checking your phone, email, or watching TV.Writing Tip#6 Research storytelling and story structureThis is largely for the fiction writers out there, but all writers can benefit from this writing tip of improving your storytelling.Storytelling and writing are not the same things.Writing is the way in which you describe what’s happening within the story. The story itself is a whole other piece of the puzzle and is arguably the most important piece.When you have a story idea worth writing, theres a few things to remember.Here are our top writing tips for learning the craft of storytelling:Study comedians the reason comedy is, well, funny is because comedians know how to tell stories in a way that keep us on the edge of our seat, and then they surprise us, which often initiates the laughter.Learn from great storytellers Stephen King is one of the best storytellers of al l time. He has a book, On Writing, that touches on this craft. Give it a read for some of the best writing tips youll find.Read as much as you can Writers learn how to write through reading. The more you read, and the wider variety of genres, the more youll naturally pick up on the art of storytelling.Get feedback on your stories This is the hardest, but most crucial writing tip to help you improve. You have to understand your weaknesses in order to make them stronger. Ask friends and family for help in order to learn how to make your stories better.Writing Tips Action Step:Read books, listen to podcasts, or watch videos about the art of crafting a story.Another great way to learn the ins and outs of storytelling is to watch great comedians. The reason they can make you laugh is how they craft what they’re saying.Notice the pauses, when they speed through what they’re saying, and how they deliver that final line.These are all techniques you can use on a larger scale when writing your book.Writing Tip#7 Always get feedbackThis will always be the hardest, but most important part of improving your writing. Of all the writing tips to take and execute, this is the best one.It’s very difficult to gauge your own writing because you wrote it.This is much like trying to tickle yourself. It just doesn’t work because you’re the person doing it and is much more effective when someone else does it.Thats why the beta reading process is so vital. Its when you let others read your book in order to gain feedback from people in your intended audience.That’s what it’s like for your writing. You need an outside set of eyes on your work.Jenna Moreci has a great resource on the beta reading process you can check out.Here are some specific questions to ask others for this tip to improve writing:Did you find anything confusing or unclear?Did you understand why InsertNameHere did what they did?Were you able to easily follow the dial ogue?Was the dialogue in writing clear and concise?Which character did you empathize with more?Do you have any predictions about what will happen?Do you have any feedback I didnt ask you about?Writing Tip#8   Focus on new ways to phrase common visualsOne of the best ways you can strengthen your creativity is by consciously thinking about how you can describe common things in new, interesting ways.You want to make people see that common item or situation or visual in a brand new light.The way you can do this is to pause when you’re describing something in your writing and think to yourself, â€Å"how else can I explain this to create a stronger emotional impact?†Here’s an example of this writing tip if you’re still a little confused:â€Å"The sun set behind the trees and the world fell quiet.†Is this a bad way to describe a sunset and night beginning? No. However, you can easily get more creative about how to illustrate this to readers through wo rds. Like this:â€Å"Night yanked the horizon over the sun, silencing the world with its absence.†This is saying relatively the same thing, but in a way that stops and makes someone appreciate the way in which it was crafted.Writing Tip#9 Practice writing in your headThis might sound a bit confusing, so let me elaborate.When you look at the world, how do you see it? Probably the same way everyone else does.Here’s an example of how you can practice writing but only in your own head. This can help you learn how to craft your prose to read in a beautiful, elegant fashion while also being unique and interesting to readers.Right now, I’m looking out my window into the backyard. It has snow, the trees are bare, and the sky is a muted gray at the horizon, fading to a very faint blue as you look higher up.This is a very typical visual for winter (especially in Wisconsin).Now, in order to practice writing without writing, all you have to do is start describing what you see in prose that you would write in your own head.Like this:â€Å"Stillness hung in the air thicker than Christmas morning eggnog, the ground covered in a thin sheet of white speckled with brown where the snow failed to make its mark. Bare branches reached toward the absent sun, reluctantly accepting the gray of winter in its place.†This example is more prose than reality, but this is how you can sharpen those skill by just thinking in this way.Notice the world around you in the way you would write it in a book.The more you practice this when you’re on the subway, making dinner, or even watching your family and friends interact, the easier it will be to write those situations in your book.Think like a writer in order to become a better one.Writing Tip#10 Use strong languageThis writing tip can completely transform your writing for the better. It’s the single best way to make your writing more captivating without really adding anything new. You just simply hav e to replace weak language with stronger, more descriptive writing.This can take some time to get used to but the more you do it, the easier it will get.So how do you recognize weak language?Here are some mistakes to look for in your writing to utilizing this writing tip:Passive voice Passive voice is any use of a to be past participle. Now, thats just a fancy way of saying that if you have something was done by something, its passive voice. An example of this is: The chicken was beheaded by the farmer. That is passive voice, whereas, The farmer beheaded the chicken. is active voice.Weak verbs These are the basic, non-detailed version of better verbs. An example would be, She walked to the store. In this case, walked is the weak verb. You can use another form of this verb to create a stronger visual for your reader. Heres what that would look like: She strutted to the store.Emotion explaining Using words that are emotions in your writing is a pretty clear indicator you have to sh ow and not tell. Saying, She was scared, is telling. You can create a better experience for the reader by showing that shes scared through body language, dialogue, and description.We even make it simpler for you with our strong verbs list. It has over 200 strong verbs and includes the common weak verbs you can replace.Writing Tips Action Step:Fill out your information for instant access to your strong verbs list of over 300+ verbs to use! hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4208601", formId: "c14c8b05-e824-459b-b7eb-a03c87d82b93" });Writing Tip#11 Just write to writeForget about your goals. Forget about how anyone else will interpret what you’ve wrote and just write.Do it for you. Write what you like and what makes you happy.Don’t think about the future or publishing or where you’re going from here. Just grab that outline, sit down, and write because it’s fun.Believe it or not, this frees up a lot of mental space and allows you to write without thinking too much, which often helps you write better.One of the best writing tips I ever received was to always have a side project going on, something you have no intention of ever publishing. This is where your real writing happens.Its a place for you to experiment, discover your writing voice, and learn what you truly love to write while still working on your main project and accomplishing those goals.Writing Tips from Famous AuthorsWhat better way to improve your writing than to practice writing tips from those who have mastered the cr aft?Here are our top writing tips from professional writers like Stephen King, JK Rowling, and even Margaret Atwood.#1 â€Å"Just do it.†Much like we mentioned above, Margaret Atwood is a huge advocate of diving right in and just writing, despite your fears, insecurities, or lack of direction.â€Å"I think the main thing is: Just do it. Plunge in! Being Canadian, I go swimming in icy cold lakes, and there is always that dithering moment. ‘Am I really going to do this? Won’t it hurt?’ And at some point you just have to flop in there and scream. Once you’re in, keep going. You may have to crumple and toss, but we all do that. Courage! I think that is what’s most required.†As someone who has made waves with a number of her novels, including the masterpiece that landed her an entire TV series, The Handmaid’s Tale, she is someone you want to take advice from- especially now that Margaret Atwoods Masterclass is available.#2 Youve got to work for it.Much to every writer’s dismay, books don’t actually write themselves. If there was a special machine we could plug into our brain that would spit out a perfect copy of the story inside our minds, we would all opt for that instead of sitting down and plucking away at the keyboard.But that’s not a reality (at least not yet).Someone who knows the value of hard work when it comes to writing is J.K. Rowling. Perhaps you’ve heard of her?â€Å"Youve got to work. Its about structure. Its about discipline. Its all these deadly things that your school teacher told you you needed†¦ You need it.As hard as it can be, Rowling’s advice is as sound as any. Work for your book. Work hard so others can benefit from the worth you’re holding onto.#3 Write for yourself first.Stephen King has an entire memoir-ish that doubles as writing tips simply because writing has been nearly his entire life. One of the best lessons King says he ever lea rned was from a newspaper editor he worked for while he was in high school (which he discusses in his memoir/writing book On Writing) and he has maintained that voice in his head throughout each work he writes.When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story. Your stuff starts out being just for you, but then it goes out.On Writing by Stephen King continues to be a source of inspiration and help for writers everywhere. King has a way of pulling you in and giving you the BS-free advice all writers want and, in most cases, desperately need.#4 â€Å"Quantity will make up for quality.†Ray Bradbury is one of the most quoted authors out there. He shares his methods for writing and how to actually succeed in this industry.His best advice, in my opinion, comes from his book Zen in the Art of Writing, where he says you have to schedule the time to write and write daily because quant ity will make up for quality.In fact, quantity is what leads you to quality.Michelangelo’s, da Vinci’s, Tintoretto’s billion sketches, the quantitative, prepared them for the qualitative, single sketches further down the line, single portraits, single landscapes of incredible control and beauty.†In essence, the more you practice writing, the better youll become and that makes all the difference when it comes to separating yourself form other writers.#5 â€Å"Tell the truth.†Miss Angelou is an inspiration to writers everywhere. She’s a personal favorite of mine and her quotes and advice for both writing and life has always spoken to me on a different level than others.One of the best writing tips I’ve read of her is the fact that you have to write the truth.â€Å"I look at some of the great novelists, and I think the reason they are great is that they’re telling the truth. The fact is they’re using made-up names, made-up people, made-up places, and made-up times, but they’re telling the truth about the human being- what we are capable of, what makes us lose, laugh, weep, fall down, and gnash our teeth and wring our hands and kill each other and love each other.†When you have a truth worth sharing, writing becomes easier, more meaningful, and therefore more impactful for those reading it.This ties into our writing tip above about writing what you want to read. Focus on telling your truth.#6 â€Å"You can’t edit a blank page.†Are you sensing a theme within these writing tips yet?Even Jodi Picoult agrees that you can’t become a better writer if you never write.â€Å"You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.†The best of all writing tips is this one. You have to actually write if you want to get better because the great writing doesnt happen on the first try. It happens on the second, fifth, and even tenth.You first have to write the wo rds in order to make them better.Writing Tips to Get You Started TODAYIf you’re here, it means you’re ready to take the leap and start writing.We can even help you have your book outlined today but only if you take action now.

A Complete History of AP Classes and Controversies

A Complete History of AP Classes and Controversies SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You probably imagine the AP exam program as one of the mysterious primordial forces of the galaxy, along with gravity and taxes. But, in actuality, the AP program is only about 60 years old. From its unabashedly elitist beginnings to its present attempts to democratize advanced high school coursework, read on to discover a brief history of AP classes and exams, some current AP controversies, and some thoughts on the program’s future. History of the AP Program The story of the AP program begins in the 1950s. In the midst of the Cold War, American policymakers began to fear that high school was not adequately preparing students for college and post-graduate studyand students with advanced training were viewed as an essential part of the American triumph over the Soviet Union.In response to the need to better integrate secondary and university education, the Ford Foundation created the Fund for the Advancement of Education (FAE) in 1951. One of FAE’s initial investigations involved examining the records of graduates of elite prep schoolsLawrenceville, Exeter, and Andoverwho were seniors at Yale, Harvard, and Princeton. They found that most students were taking entry-level coursework in their freshman year at college that merely repeated things they had already learned in high school. The final report suggested that more advanced high school students be allowed â€Å"advanced placement† in college coursework based on exam results. Meanwhile, a parallel FAE project worked on developing universal introductory college-level curriculafor implementation in high schools. Both studies together led to a pilot program with 27 schools administering the first AP tests in 1954. After the strong performance of the test-takers as compared to college freshman who had taken introductory university coursework, ten AP exams were rolled out nationally in 1956: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English Composition, Literature, French, German, Spanish, and Latin. Management of the AP program was passed off to the College Board in 1955. In the early days, no exams were longer than three hours and students could take any number of exams for a $10 fee. From the beginning, students received scores from 1 to 5, as they do today. The 1960s saw the beginning of an increased focus on teacher training and exam grading standardization to increase overall program consistency.Subsequent decades have seen both a huge expansion in the number of students taking exams and in the number of different exams offered. Many exam and program revisions have also taken place amid concerns that the program is biased towards students of a higher socioeconomic status. Over the years, the price of each exam has risen dramatically. In 2015, each exam cost $91. Financial aid was available for a $26-28 discount, but this still leaves the cost at over $60 per exam. There are currently 37 courses, and over 2 million students took over 4 million AP exams in 2014. There are about 16 million high school students (of all grades) in the country, which means that one in eight, or about 12%, took at least one AP exam last year. For more on the history of the AP, see this in-depth article by history teacher Eric Rothschild. In the 1960s the AP Program expanded, and Buzz Aldrin prepared to go to the moon. Current Controversies For all that AP exams have become a key marker in high school coursework rigor and an integral part of the high-school-to-college transition, the history of AP classesis not without its issues and controversies. There are four main issues with the AP program currently under debate in the national discourse on education. The Program Is Biased Towards the Privileged In spite of the College Board’s attempts to make the exam fair for all and somewhat standardize curricula, the fact remains that the AP program is most successful at schools with more resources. These schools can afford the best teachers, smaller class sizes, newer textbooks, and better technology, all of which contribute to preparing students for AP exams. This means that students at less well-resourced public schools often do not receive adequate preparation for the exam, even if their schools offer AP courses. In this sense, the AP program does little to address real education inequity and may even perpetuate it. Even the cost of the exam is prohibitive to low-income studentswith financial aid, each exam is still over $60. The Too-Rapid Expansion of the AP Program A similar concern is that the rapid expansion of the AP program has set many students up to fail on their exams. Some have argued that the College Board pushes APs into low-income schools and promotes opening AP courses to all students (not just honors-level ones) too rapidly. Then, it’s argued, they don’t provide adequate support or resources in making sure schools can actually prepare students for the exams. This just leads to many students wasting money taking exams they are likely to fail. The Coursework Is Not College-Level Another common complaint is that AP coursework is not an adequate substitute for introductory college coursework. There are concerns that AP classes skim too much material too quickly, preventing students from developing in-depth knowledge or true understanding of the subject. This leads to students being unprepared for advanced-level coursework when they use their AP coursework to skip introductory classes. Some Schools Are Dropping the AP Program Some schools, most notably the University of Chicago Lab School, are dropping AP courses from their offerings amid concerns that the courses prevent teachers and students from truly rewarding, in-depth academic inquiry of subjects. Of course, others have pointed out that it’s really only prestigious high schools that can afford to drop AP classes since, for many schools, AP coursework is the primary marker of academic rigor on student college applications. In that sense, it’s unlikely that there will be a mass exodus away from the AP program anytime soon. Only fancy schools can drop their AP courses for other advanced coursework. The Future of the AP Program There are, in general, two major movements within the AP program to address some of these concerns: revising courses and introducing new courses. Course Revisions A huge number of AP Courses have been recently revised or are in the process of revision. Of course, each course is different, but there have been some general themes to the changes. One major aim is to reduce the content scope of many of the courses so that students can get more mastery over a narrower span of subject matter. Another major change is to focus more on critical thinking and analysis skillsan example of this change is the focus on analyzing sources on the revised history exams. The hope is that by teaching more skills and less content for rote memorization, students will gain more concrete academic competencies from AP courses that they can carry forward into college. Introducing New Courses and Programs Another change has been to introduce some new courses, like AP Computer Science Principles. The most notable addition, however, is the AP Capstone program, which is designed to compete with IB. To get an AP Capstone diploma, students need to take one year of the new AP Seminar course followed by one year of the new AP Research course, in addition to four other AP courses. Students need to score a 3 or better on all exams/courses to get the AP Capstone diploma. AP Seminar and AP Research are designed to much more closely mimic the feel of a small college seminar class, with an interdisciplinary focus and lots of extended individual inquiry. The AP Capstone program aims both to better prepare students for college coursework and to bring more cohesion to the AP program in general. Will future AP exams be proctored by robots? KeyPoints in the History of AP Exams and Courses The AP Program started as a pilot program in the 50s, amid concerns that students in high school were not being adequately prepared for advanced coursework and college and graduate education.From its small beginnings, the AP Program has become a giant, with over 2 million students taking AP exams in 2014. However, the program isn’t without its critics. There are concerns that the program perpetuates education inequity, that it has expanded too rapidly to prepare schools or students for the coursework, and that the coursework is not college-level. Some elite high schools have even dropped their AP programs. In response to some of these issues, the College Board is in the midst of an extensive revision process that has narrowed the content scope of many courses and placed an increased focus on academic skills and critical thinking. They have also introduced the AP Capstone program, an AP diploma program designed to create a more cohesive AP experience. In spite of its issues, it doesn’t seem like the AP program is going anywhere anytime soon. It continues to be one of the primary markers of rigor on a student’s high school transcript. But it will be interesting to see what the future holds! What’s Next? Wondering about the new AP Capstone program described in this article? See our guides to AP Seminar, AP Research, the AP Capstone program, and which schools are currently participating the AP Capstone program. If you’re looking for more information about the AP program, see our articles on whether or not the College Board is mismanaging the AP program and five problems with the AP program. Curious about the IB program, too? See our introduction to the IB program.

A place that is relaxing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A place that is relaxing - Essay Example It is just the best in the vicinity, cherished and admired by the community. Will it remain lush and unsullied From the central area, there is a pathway going through the miniature forest and then to the lake. Along the lane, the greenery is prominent and is visibly the home to squirrels, rabbits and other forms of animal life. Different floral shades adorn the hanging branches which visitors see and appreciate as they pass the wooded trail. The feeling of fun and contentment is overwhelming in every step down the road. There is silence and dimness in the corridor but it does not sow fear. Instead, the mood is relaxing as it fascinates the passers with the aroma of the soft wind and the calmness that blends. Will the living things stay around for long As the short trip approaches the lake, the panorama shows magnificence and splendor. The body of water looks well and immaculate. The view indeed proves that both residents and touring guests work together to protect the environment around and to preserve the lovely spot. If all other places are taken cared of as is so in Kensington Park, the earth will continue to be strong and healthy. The planet in which we live will be more than grateful for the caring attitude. To really do this, we all have to cooperate. Shall we After the church service on... The rest and recreation venue embodies a surrounding that is well sustained. The facilities provide enough for the needs of those who roam around the promenade without making it untidy and unclean. That only speaks that the element of concern for this admired place is in the heart of every individual coming over to savor the pleasant gifts of nature. Certain pieces of amenities are a fixture for the convenience of the visitors but everything is installed in such a way that the inherent beauty is not sacrificed and spoiled. It is a fact that in so many instances, the environment gives way to tourist attractions. That is not a commendable act as it destroys the natural surroundings. In Kensington Park, the managers and overseers of the place see to it that any development and improvement are sustainable. The site is made better every now and then without damaging the environs. With these policies and practices, the place will surely remain fresh and clean. The regular residents in the wooded area have adapted to the characteristics of the atmosphere. The rabbits, squirrels and other animals have become natural pets for those who pass the pathways leading from the main park to the nearby lake. They do not pose any harm or threat and they also expect none as they co-exist with the human population that is welcomed daily to the premises. These creatures will definitely stay in generations to come for as long as their habitat is kept intact they way it should be. Animals play an important role in the balance of ecology and we have to think about them and understand their way of life and their necessities for survival. As is done in Kensington Park, the harmless living things composed of the rabbits, squirrels and their companions are not hurt or

The Analgesic Effects of Acupuncture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Analgesic Effects of Acupuncture - Assignment Example The paragraph shows an aspect of the medical field that has been rarely studied and is never properly understood. However, as mentioned in the paragraph, Acupuncture has started the to evolve from its roots in Asia to other developed parts of the world. The paragraph is well- written and is focused on the main topic at hand. It does not dwell on other irrelevant facts and figures. The feature of the paragraph that is to be greatly appreciated is the citation of two articles which shows the effects of acupuncture on both animal and humans alike. The studies cited in the paragraph have been explained in the detailed description. The main problem that the researcher noticed in the paragraph is the lack of justification to the main topic. The two articles that are mentioned in the paragraph although selected very well are little less to justify the analgesic effects. The author can add a few more of the relevant articles to prove his point. Furthermore, the author can select such article s which are backed by numbers and figures but the two articles that are already mentioned do not mention the amount or extent of decrease in analgesic pain. Another problem that the researcher found is that the paragraph has a number of problems which include grammatical errors and punctuation errors. These errors should be reviewed before submission. The author can also change some words and find more suitable alternatives for certain words. For e.g. in L3 of the paragraph the word â€Å"part† can be replaced with â€Å"component† or any other suitable word. The third problem that the researcher thinks may cause difficulties among the audience is the use of certain terminologies that are quite difficult to decipher for the general public. The author should add explanations for certain terminologies like Yanglinquan, Yinlinquan, Zhusanli, Dubi, Kunlun, Xuanzhong, Sanyinjiao and Taixi. The fourth problem is that the two articles that are mentioned in the paragraph are n ot well written or descriptive, the methodology should be more well-defined and the results should be based on a certain number and figure rather than the subject’s word of mouth. The mechanism of pain reduction should be elaborately explained as well.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 5

Marketing - Essay Example In the current case, an expensive line of women bathing suit is to be launched internationally. For this, the bathing line will have to create strategic alliance either with the host nation or with a local organization. The various criteria for choosing a country are as follows: Political assessment- It means accessing government stability as well as friendliness to foreign market entrants. Economic assessment- It involves documenting and analyzing of economic indicators such as, health, foreign investment activities, taxes as well as history or mergers and acquisitions. Social assessment- It involves collection of demographic information such as, age, employment rates, income history and population. Infrastructure assessment- It involves evaluation of ground conditions like, power, roads as well as telecommunications reliability. Legal assessment- It includes preparation of all regulatory compliances which the company is not following currently. Each of the countries chosen, Brazil, UAE and Spain are politically and economically suitable for the expansion business. Also, the infrastructure in all three countries is well established and shows constant growth (Lawrence, 2000). Brazil and UAE are major emerging economies and Spain has an established market for luxury swimsuit line for women. Thus, all these three countries are suitable according to most of the chosen criteria. Marketing communication Before entering into an international market, it is extremely important to understand the foreign market and the industry environment. Before marketing communication planning, the Swimsuit Company will have to look into following criteria: Assessment of growth potential It involves projecting realistic and opportunistic growth trajectory after entry into the market. Spain is one of the major European markets for swimsuits, after Italy and France. The overall yearly swimsuit sales are increasing. This can be attributed to huge tourist footfalls as well as local market consumption. Brazil has become one of the hottest destinations for luxury apparel market, as a result of increasing number of international brands as well as affordability among consumers. Even though apparel sector has seen a constant growth in UAE, the sale of men’s luxury swimsuits is much more than the ones for women. Competitor evaluation It involves identification of top players in the industry. Spain is the home for some of the top-notch luxury swimsuit brands such as, Women’s secret and Oysho, which are market leaders. Other prominent market leaders are Andres Sarda, TCN and Selmark. Brazil is still an emerging market in terms of luxury swimwear. Local brands such as, Gap and H&M, are not doing a good job. Brazil has the opportunity for luxury swimsuit market. Most of the women swimsuits in UAE are available only in malls. Customer evaluation It involves gathering customer behavior insights which can help in making useful adjustments in product designs as well as marketing communication strategies (Young & Aitken, 2007). Tools such as, fit matrix and customer opportunity matrix, can be used. As discussed earlier, both Brazil and Spain are preferable markets for expansion. However, Spain can be considered as a mature market and competition will be tough. Compared to this, Brazil has fewer competitors in luxury swimsuits category and market demand is constantly increasing. Pricing and positioning analysis It is important to forecast appropriate approaches

Marketing questions x 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing questions x 2 - Essay Example The manager must try to keep his services memorable to his customers each time he provides it. Though there are no direct considerable benefits from intangible services, manager must give priority to this process as it helps him/her to circulate the brand name. Inseparability of services means the services cannot be separated from the persons or sources that provide them. This feature helps the marketer to maintain a good relationship with his /her customers. Since the services are inseparable from the provider, the manager or his staff should be pleasant and polite enough while providing their services in order to ensure good service experience to the customers. Variability or heterogeneity of services is another important tool to anchor a firm’s sustainability in market. It means services are variable on the ground of individuality of service providers and service delivery time. The customers always like to get the most efficient and consistent service whenever they require it. Hence, in order to meet customers’ needs, managers have to develop well-organized selection and training programs for their staffs. The marketer can also arrange a ‘customer satisfaction monitoring system’ which would help him/her to assess the effects of the services provided. ‘Peishability of services’ also have considerable significance in the development and execution of marketing plans. Perishability of services means, the service is decayed quickly or cannot be stored as it is intangible. In order to overcome the perishability of services, managers must try to maintain a balance between the demand and supply of their com modities (Fisher, Pride and Miller 32-33). The characteristics discussed above can be explained with an example of a service experience I have had as a customer. Once I visited a car showroom to get detailed

Organizational Psychlogy And Behavior Case Study

Organizational Psychlogy And Behavior - Case Study Example This essay discusses the system of assigning advisors for all students, that is clearly a very good one, because it can ensure that each student can be helped to find a suitable path in life. However, the system should have such mechanisms as to provide real equal opportunity to all. People are all different, and there should appear no such differences in treatment as it happened to Paul. Since the school must have had an antidiscrimination policy, Dr. David , unfortunately, could not even tell Paul that he did not like him and did not want to give him advice. On the other hand, Dr.David`s behavior towards the female student could possibly be interpreted as sexual harassment, so Dr. David had behaved improperly twice, not once. The system of advisors should be revised in such a way as to prevent such events and allow both students and advisors to express their beliefs, so that there should not appear any discriminations. Perhaps it would be a good idea to aks the advisors beforehand if they wish to work with that particular student, although that could give space for further discrimination. But, on the other hand, assigning Paul to Dr. David and letting Dr. David discriminate Paul anyway is not a good course of action, either, because Dr. David is entitled to his own opinions, too, and if he feels any disliking at all he will never advise Paul with an open heart. Perhaps it would be best to allow the advisors to choose their students, as long as each advisor has the same number of students.

The Data Scientists PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Data Scientists - PowerPoint Presentation Example In this regard, they suggest that data can amount to four basic objectives, thus report role; where issues that have occurred can be understood, diagnostic role; where the reasons for their occurrences are noted, predictive role; where projections of future events can be based and finally recommendation role; where ideas can be suggested based on the projections made (Davenport and Patil 73). The lasting effect of data storage is vested in vested in their master definitive roles of economic significance. Such data have got overwhelming value. It can also yield to efficiency especially in organizations. Such a pivot is easily provided to make the organization perform on a higher playing ground (Davenport and Patil, 76). In my general perspective, with the advent of data scientists, business models can be rapidly developed. A point to back this is the argument that organizations use enormous capital to maintain the data infrastructure, yet still, the end users doesn’t incur direct monetary implications. The question is then, where could be the compensation for such a massive investment? The answer to this is pointed at the amount of data at the disposal of such

Organizational Psychlogy And Behavior Case Study

Organizational Psychlogy And Behavior - Case Study Example This essay discusses the system of assigning advisors for all students, that is clearly a very good one, because it can ensure that each student can be helped to find a suitable path in life. However, the system should have such mechanisms as to provide real equal opportunity to all. People are all different, and there should appear no such differences in treatment as it happened to Paul. Since the school must have had an antidiscrimination policy, Dr. David , unfortunately, could not even tell Paul that he did not like him and did not want to give him advice. On the other hand, Dr.David`s behavior towards the female student could possibly be interpreted as sexual harassment, so Dr. David had behaved improperly twice, not once. The system of advisors should be revised in such a way as to prevent such events and allow both students and advisors to express their beliefs, so that there should not appear any discriminations. Perhaps it would be a good idea to aks the advisors beforehand if they wish to work with that particular student, although that could give space for further discrimination. But, on the other hand, assigning Paul to Dr. David and letting Dr. David discriminate Paul anyway is not a good course of action, either, because Dr. David is entitled to his own opinions, too, and if he feels any disliking at all he will never advise Paul with an open heart. Perhaps it would be best to allow the advisors to choose their students, as long as each advisor has the same number of students.

Analysis of complex sentences of wals info French features 122, 123, Essay

Analysis of complex sentences of wals info French features 122, 123, 124, 125,126,127,128 - Essay Example hat are often coded in special ways using semantic case, case affix or an adposition instead of the grammatical case marking that is used in marking core arguments (Dryer et al. 123). While oblique objects are rarely the target of syntactic rules such as strategies on relativization, languages of the world use different strategies in relativizing the obliques. Apparently, French uses the relative pronoun strategy in relativization of the obliques. Different suprasegmental and morphosyntactic are used to ensure that the head noun functions as a noun while still playing some role in relativization. Moreover, the relative clause connects the pronoun or noun to the main phrase or clause. Example; A subject compliment is simply described as the pronoun, noun or adjective that trails the linking verb (Dryer et al. 124). The syntax of want keeps changing and the notional subject of its complement predication may be left implicit when coreferential wityh the wanter or expressed overtly in the complement phrase using pronominal elements. Evidently, as the complement subject is left implicit, special verb verbs including infinitives in articulating the verb ‘want’ into the construction. This is often the case in world languages with morphology. A purpose clause is basically a subordinate clause that investigates ‘for what purpose’ or ‘why’ the main clause verb was done (Dryer et al. 125). Noteworthy, a purpose construction encodes a relation between events such that the linked event, often coded by the main clause, is performed with the intention of realizing the other, which is often coded by the purpose clause. Purpose clauses constructions are commonly classified as either balanced or deranked. ‘When’ clauses are not defined in morphosyntactic terms but are rather defined in functional terms. According to Dryer et al., â€Å"A ‘when’ construction is regarded as one encoding a temporal relation between two events, such that there is a temporal overlap

Japanese animation and how its been influenced by American culture in the 20th century

Japanese animation and how its been influenced by American culture in the 20th century Introduction In this essay I shall investigate to what extent twentieth century American culture has influenced Japanese animation. I shall examine the history of Japanese film, paying close attention to the rise of animation as an independent art form; determine what facets of American culture have appeared and influenced Japanese animation, including language, pop culture and consumerism; present two case studies of Japanese animated productions that adhere to the American influence; and draw conclusions from my findings. For my research I shall be referencing literature on Japanese animation, American culture and film history. The case studies shall consist of films by Osamu Tezuka and Mamoru Oshii. History of Japanese Animation The Japanese film industry was born out of the fascination with Edisons Kinetoscope. The Kinetoscope had been first shown in New York in 1894, and two years later the Japanese imported several to their cities. This was a period of celebration and novelty as the Sino-Japanese war had been won in 1895 with Japan forcing the Chinese invasion out of Korea; proving that Japan could adjust to the modern civilization [sic] which less than fifty years earlier had arrived knocking at the closed gates of the country in the person of Commodore Perry. It was the reign of Emperor Meiji, spanning 44 years from 1868 to 1912, which welcomed an era of rapid commercial expansion. In 1897, the Lumià ¨re brothers Cinà ©matographe arrived with a mixed bill of films including Baignade en Mer and LArrivà ©e dun Train en Gare. This was followed by the Edison Vitascope and its films The Death of Mary Queen of Scots and Feeding Pigeons. These innovative projectors were extremely popular with the Japanese, including the future Emperor Taisho. The public were arriving in their thousands to watch these films and continued to do so for another twenty years. Throughout this period the Japanese were importing films from Europe and the United States. It was only in 1912 that Japan founded its first production company; Nikkatsu Motion Picture Company. Established as an independent company under the title Japan Cinematograph Company, Nikkatsu started mass distribution and production of films in the 1920s. This meant that Japan was still dependant on films produced in the West to exhibit in its cinemas in the 1910s. During the First World War (1914-1918) European films were unavailable and to fill the void Japan began to heavily import films from Hollywood. One particular film that was to change the way the Japanese read film narrative was D.W. Griffiths 1916 feature, Intolerance. Perhaps the director nost influenced by Griffith in this early period of Japanese film was Norimasa Kaeriyama. Kaeriyama introduced advanced film technique into Japan and helped establish the Film Record, the countrys first motion picture magazine. His films were heavily inspired by the Hollywood narrative structure and were dedicated to: the introduction of long-, medium-, and close-shots, together with editing principles; the conversion to realistic acting; and the use of actresses in womens roles instead of oyama (oyama impersonators were previously used instead of actresses for female roles). After the death of Emperor Taisho in 1926 Japans new Emperor, Showa (Hirohito), began to reject the liberal attitudes towards Western influence of his predecessor. There was more emphasis on creating greater armies and a more powerful navy than building diplomatic relations. Before the Great Depression rocked the United States and Europe, Japan had already suffered; this was accelerated by the population boom across the country. Japan now put emphasis into its manufacturing and exportation of goods. Japans foreign policy had become one of aggressive expansion; they had seized control of the railways in Shandong, China, but were forced to withdraw after China boycotted Japanese exports. There was unrest in the country as labour unions were growing and dissatisfaction bred. Strikes and boycotts were rife, and this was reflected in the films of the time. Period drama films afforded the public the luxury of escapism while, on the other end of the scale, left-wing tendency films that soug ht to encourage, or fight against, a given social tendency played to the nation. This period of filmmaking in Japan proved that the industry had grown up from its humble origins and was establishing its own themes. The influx of the talkies from Hollywood finally pushed Japanese filmmakers to produce their own sound filmes. In the early 1930s sound became the norm for Japanese productions and therefore pushed the boundaries of the industry; allowing directors such as Teinosuke Kinugasa to create lavish dramas that were adored by the public. Suddenly the door was open for filmmakers to adapt historic tales dramatically. These dramas were singled out by the Emperor who saw them as an important tool to boost the nations morale, showing the masses how important history was; and how important it was to actually make their own history. The second Sino-Japanese war was not unexpected. The film industry had to develop the skills to produce the war genre. The first Japanese war movie was Tomotaka Tasakas 1938 feature, Five Scouts (Gonin no Sekkohei). It is interesting to note that this film does not include the pride, nationalism or propaganda that was being released in the United States, Britain or Ger many. The story dealt with the lives of five soldiers caught up in a battle that they know they must fight. This narrative development of character over plot is still used in modern cinema, most recently in Sam Mendes Jarhead (2005). After the destruction of the Second World War, Japan was forced to rebuild as a nation. The Emperor saw the need to keep the cinemas open (at least those that still remained). Production continued, some unfinished films were abandoned due to their military narrative, and projects that had been discarded before the outbreak of war were completed. The occupying Allied interim government announced a list of prohibited subjects, these included militarism, revenge, nationalism, religious or racial discrimination, feudal loyalty, suicide, cruelty, exploitation of children and opposition to the occupation. Editorial power had been taken away from the filmmakers and left with a foreign military presence. Out of this period two important directors were to emerge; Kurosawa and Kinoshita.In 1950, Akira Kurosawas Rashomon was released. The film introduced new ideas to Japanese, and world, cinema. It was the first film to use flashbacks that disagreed with the action they were flashing back to. I t supplied first-person eyewitness accounts that differed radically; one of which came from beyond the grave. The final scene saw no Hollywood resolution with three self-confessed killers and no explanation. His later films included Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) (1954), The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi-toride no san-akunin) (1958) and Yojimbo (1961). Keisuke Kinoshita directed Japans first colour film in 1951 with Carmen Comes Home (Karumen kokyo ni kaeru). Kinoshitas work is much lighter than that of Kurosawa and his influences seem to come from French comedies; most notably in the two Carmen movies featuring the stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold Carmen. Both these and other films explore the need for a character to leave the countryside and head to the new cities. This was echoed in Japans successful attempts to join the United Nations in 1956. In 1958 the first cartoon feature from Japan was released from the Toei studios. Panda and the Magic Serpent (Hakuja den) was directed by Kazuhiko Okabe and Taiji Yabushita and tells of two lovers in ancient China who must battle evil to find happiness. The film combines bizarre supernatural sequences, psychedelic montages and instantly likeable songs. Even though it can be argued that this is the Japanese interpretation of Disneys 1940 classic Fantasia, Panda and the Magic Serpent heralds the beginning of the Japanese animation industry (anime). Anime is the term used to describe Japanese animation. Since the 1950s Japan has been at the forefront of not only producing animation but is a world-leader in comic book art, or Manga. It is best described by Gilles Poitras: Anime (pronounced ah-nee-may), as defined by common non-Japanese fan usage, is any animation made in Japan. In Japan, the word simply means animation. While anime is sometimes erroneously referred to as a genre, it is in reality an art form that includes all the genres found in cinema or literature, from heroic epics and romances to science fiction and comedy. Whereas anime is what people would refer to as cartoons, Manga is the illustrated storyboards that the reader animates in his or her head. The fact that Manga is read by a whole cross-section of society is notable because it is; simply too fascinating, colorful [sic], and rich a literary medium to be left solely to children. The 1960s saw a host of anime films released. In The Enchanted Monkey (Saiyu-ki), directed by Daisaku Shirakawa, Taiji Yabushita and Osamu Tezuka in 1960, the story is a retelling of part of the epic Chinese classic, The Journey to the West, written by Wu Cheng-En in the sixteenth century. This technique of updating early stories was a popular theme in anime and is still used today. However, it was not only the cinema that was releasing anime productions. Japanese television aired Mighty Atom (Tetsuwan Atomu) from 1963 to 1966. Mighty Atom was the creation of Dr Osamu Tezuka, an influential figure in the early development of Manga. It was the first animated series produced by Tezukas television and film production company, Mushi Studios. The initial episode was shown as a television special on New Years Eve (one of the most widely viewed evenings on Japanese television) and became an instant success. When the series was shown in the United States the characters name was changed to As troboy due to DC Comics already owning a character called The Mighty Atom. The series proved to be extremely popular with children, and sparked controversy amongst parents who, even though the translation was greatly softened and sometimes edited for juvenile audiences, complained that the often dark subject matter was not suitable for impressionable young minds. Some episodes exhibited increasingly dreamlike and surreal imagery. This argument still persists today with the debate on whether graphic violence in cartoons (or anime) can prove detrimental to a young audience. The 1970s was a time of consolidation for the animation studios. The worldwide popularity of anime had afforded hundreds of studios to be set up to produce a plethora of films and television series. The moon landing in 1969 fired the imagination of the world with more emphasis on science fiction; and that is what the audience wanted. Fans of anime, or otaku, from around the world demanded new productions from these studios, and in turn the studios delivered new and advanced films. Otaku derives from the Chinese character for house and the honorific prefix o-. This translates as your honourable house. It is an extremely polite way of saying you when addressing another person in conversation; the writer Akio Nakamori proposed that the term be applied to the fans themselves. Another interpretation, as used by the Japanese media, is that of extreme fixation, which is probably closer to the truth. Either way it is the fans of anime that have been the driving force behind its success. In 1971 an animator directed 24 episodes of an anime series called Lupin III (Rupan sansei). It was the start of a very important career for perhaps the most important animator to come out of Japan. This man was Hayao Miyazaki. The series ran from 1971 to 1972 and was so successful that a number of sequels were made as well as theatrical releases. Lupin III describes the life of gang members in 1970s society. The action targeted the adult audience with its violence, sex, dark humour and contemporary soundtrack. Eight years later Miyazaki went on to direct The Castle of Cagliostro (Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro). The film is a continuation of the Lupin franchise that started with the television series in 1971. The emphasis is on the characters rather than the plot; a trait that Miyazaki develops over the course of his career. Even though the film is far from being one of the best examples of anime from the 1970s, the pace, comedy and willingness to show anti-heroes captures the f eeling of the decade. Another example of an anime series that became global was Gatchaman Science Ninjas (Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman). This series originally ran from 1972 to 1974 in Japan before being renamed Battle of the Planets when it aired in the United States in 1978. Yet again the re-dubbed, re-edited version was toned down for the Western audience, so much so that the series was moved from Earth to outer space; sequences with a robot (7-Zark-7) were added to patch the safer storylines together, make up for the lost (edited) footage and jump on the Star Wars R2-D2 bandwagon; exploding planes and ships were always robot-controlled and Spectra forces constantly ejected. The original Gatchaman series introduced characters that had feelings and motivation; there was character development and ongoing sub-plots. They sought revenge, felt jealousy and fear, had relationships, and got hurt. The villains were unabashedly evil, not misguided. The heroes didnt always win, at least not completely.It was as if the West was still not ready to embrace anime and Manga as an art form that was acceptable for adults to enjoy. Anime was still widely seen as cartoons for children in the 1970s. The Japanese animation industry went from strength to strength in the 1980s. It was the decade that saw the Western world finally succumb to the power of anime. This was a two-pronged attack; a Manga pincer movement. For those that still believed animation was for children there was the extraordinary global phenomenon that was Transformers, and for those that were looking for an alternative cult classic there was Akira. In 1984, American toy manufacturer Hasbro bought the rights to produce transforming robots from Japanese company Takara. To bolster the sales of their new line Hasbro decided to use anime as the frontline attack on the target audience (children). The result was the extremely successful Transformer series. This series led to the production of the 1986 feature film, Transformers: The Movie. This was the first real evidence of American culture, in its consumer form, influencing Japanese animation. In stark contrast of the animation-as-advert, Katsuhiro Ôtomo directed the 1988 classic Akira. The film was soon to become a benchmark for anime in Japan, and across the world. This was a film that was aimed at adults with dark, subversive themes. The futuristic settings of Neo-Tokyo were apocalyptic and tinged with doom. After Akira it was widely accepted that anime was not just for children. The 1990s saw anime reach mass appeal as the release of such films as Patlabor (Kidà ´ keisatsu patorebà ¢) (1990), Patlabor II (Kidà ´ keisatsu patorebà ¢ 2) (1993) and Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995) by Mamoru Oshii found an international audience; Hideaki Anno and Kazuya Tsurumakis 1997 feature End of Evangelion (Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijà ´-ban: Air) followed on where the original Japanese television series left off; and of course Hayao Miyazakis Crimson Pig (Kurenai no buta) (1992) and Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997). The American influence was still rife as the toy industry, in particular the computer and video game market, provided the plotlines to a number of films and television series including Street Fighter II: The Movie (1994), Battle Arena Toshinden (1997) and the original series of the next big thing, Pokà ©mon (1998 onwards). In 1999, Michael Haigney and Kunihiko Yuyama directed the feature length version of the popular Pokà ©mon ser ies; Pokà ©mon: The First Movie. Whereas the 1980s saw Transformers flood the childrens market, the beginning of the new millennium saw the Japanese revenge. Pokà ©mon originally began as a video game, on the Nintendo Gameboy: The Pokà ©mon game was the platform for the Pokà ©mon brand to kick-start what would become the worlds largest success story in the game-licensing card-collecting business. The video game gave the characters identities, the collection cards gave them powers, the movie added life to the brand, and word-of-mouth spread the news. The Pokà ©mon invasion is still evident nearly ten years later as the television series is still in production, with two feature film sequels having followed the original cinematic release. The consumerism powers of America had truly influenced anime. American Cultural Invasion The cultural invasion from the West began in earnest at the turn of the twentieth century. Japans industrial revolution had been slow to start but quickly gathered momentum. By 1890 there were two hundred large steam factories where twenty years earlier there had been none; steamship tonnage increased from 15,000 to over 1,500,000 tons in the period between 1893 and 1905; and by 1896 things Western were in full fashion derbies or straw boaters were worn with formal kimono, the big gold pocket-watch was tucked into the obi, and spectacles, whether needed or not, were esteemed as a sign of learning. Ironically, the period when Japan found itself bowing down to the pressure of American influence was directly after fighting a war against it. When the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki it was not just the radiation that remained in Japan. Any country that has been invaded will always have traces of the invaders culture embedded into the normal life of its habitants. The All ied (most notably the American) control of Japan directly after the war was to allow Western influences to develop into the Japanese way of life. This influence was both highly visual as well as subliminal. America saw the clandestine operations there were not only as part of an effort to defeat Japan but also as the opening wedge for post-war Southeast Asia. The Japanese were suspicious of the Western approach to education and the governing of their homeland. The Occupation, they thought, had destroyed traditional Japanese virtues and unleashed a wave of selfishness and egotism. In an interview with the elderly president of a real estate company in Oita City, author Jeffrey Broadbent discovered the feelings of the former owbers of the land: Due to American influence, the heart of our people has been lost our way of thinking that, if its good for the progress of the whole, its good to sacrifice yourself The Japanese strength from group unity has been lost. The other side of the coi n is the very noticeable, consumer-led American cultural assault on Japan.The way in which American culture has seeped into the Japanese way of life is what Koichi Iwabuchi writes as: strategies that incorporate the viewpoint of the dominated, who long ago learned to negotiate Western culture in their consumption of media products imported fro the West. Depending on the viewpoint of the individual, culture and life in Japan, and especially that in the densely populated areas, are influenced by the same commercial culture that defines the American way of life today. Japanese streets are now littered with the flashing neon signs that are found (admittedly all over the world) adorning the pavements of any American town or city. Western branding has left its mark on Japan. The American phenomenon of the fast-food culture such as McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Baskin-Robbins, and other outlets dominate the Japanese urbanscape more than in America. As a mat ter of fact the first Disneyland outside the United States was built in Japan. Even when taking into consideration the immense popularity of Japanese culture (for example, the growth of Yo! Sushi restaurants in the UK) and the Wests embracing of Eastern philosophies (in this case Shinto and Buddhism), it is safe to say that Japanese culture has been more extensively shaped by its American counterpart than vice versa. If it is indeed true that Japans exports of products and manufactured goods far outweighs its imports, then it is also true that Japan imports vastly more information about or from the United States than the other way round. Japan is today regarded as one of the leading powers in the world especially in the representation of its national media; the Japanese population of more than 120 million people and its economic wealth make the Japanese audiovisual market, along with that of the United States, one of the only two self-sufficient markets in the world. However, this does not mean that foreign popular culture is no longer consumed in Japan; American popular culture has continued to strongly influence and saturate Japan. Japan is one of the biggest buyers of Hollywood movie and many Japanese television formats and concepts are also deeply influenced by and borrowed from American programmes; yet the format is quite often changed to make it more suitable to a Japanese audience: What was marked as foreign and exotic yesterday can become familiar today and traditionally Japanese tomorrow. Kosaku Yoshino writes that although Japan has developed a relative maturity of its cultural industries, it still hasnt fo und itself fully expanding on the exportation of its television programming and films to other regions of the world. This unexportability of Japanese media can be explained by the term cultural discount: A particular programme rooted in one culture and thus attractive in that environment will have a diminished appeal elsewhere as viewers find it difficult to identify with the style, values, beliefs, institutions and behavioural patterns of the material in question. Included in the cultural discount are reductions in appreciation due to dubbing or subtitling. The biggest media products that the Japanese have managed to export, despite cultural discount, is Manga and anime; but is this due to American cultural influences shaping the genre into a more Western-friendly medium? Case Study 1 Alakazam the Great (Saiyu-ki) The first example of a Japanese animation that has been influenced by American culture is the 1960 feature, The Enchanted Monkey (Saiyu-ki), directed by Daisaku Shirakawa, Taiji Yabushita and Osamu Tezuka for Toei Studios. It was released in America as Alakazam the Great in an attempt to win a bigger audience by moving away from the emphasis of the ancient Eastern tale, the story is a retelling of part of the epic Chinese classic The Journey to the West (Xiyouji), written by Wu Cheng-En in the sixteenth century. The title name-change and the subsequent character name-changes point to the influence that America held over Japanese culture at the time. The original story chronicles the many encounters of Sanzo, a monk who travels from China to India to obtain a copy of the original Buddhist scriptures to bring back to his country and teach the purity of Siddhartas original messages. In Osamu Tezukas film the star of the show is not Sanzo but Son Goku, the monkey king. Son Guko is a tale nted but arrogant warrior that is sent on a journey by Buddha to learn the virtues of humility and compassion. However, when re-dubbed and released in the United States the characters changed. Sanzo became Prince Amat and turns out to be the son of Buddha. Buddha in turn is named King Amo, Sir Quigley (Pigze), Lulipopo (Sandy), and Son Goku is renamed the titular Alakazam. Considering the fact that the storyline was centuries old there is more than a passing resemblance between the character of Alakazam (Son Guko) and the way in which Japan was seen by the rest of the world. In the tale the protagonist is king of his surroundings (Japan in the late 1930s and early 1940s) before he discovers the existence of a people that are more powerful than him. In an attempt to beat them he sneaks into their world and begins a pre-emptive strike against them (Pearl Harbour attack). He is then disciplined by a greater being (America) before being allowed to continue his journey under the agreement that he learns from his mistakes (the Occupation and the subsequent acceptance into the United Nations). I believe the fact that Tezuka decided to use the story to create this, the third Japanese feature length animation, demonstrates an understanding of the ever present American dominance over Japan. The aesthetics of the production borrow from the American animations of the time. In the post-war period it was evident that the biggest influence on the explosion of Manga style artwork came from the imports of European and American comic books and animation. The most famous being the work from the studios of Walt Disney. Osamu Tezuka was originally a Manga artist before he became involved with anime. His style and technique was heavily influenced by Disney (he admitted to watching Bambi 80 times and Snow White 50 times). The studio that he worked for, Toei, strived for that same cross-cultural, cross-generational appeal of Disney, albeit using more Asian scenarios. Considering that he had studied Disneys Bambi to the point of obsession it is not surprising to learn that Tezuka noted how Bambis childish attributes, such as his big eyes and large head, were an ideal way of conveying complex emotions. The influence of the West is truly evident in this film, and many that followed it. Case Study 2 Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995) The second film I am looking at in detail is Ghost in the Shell (Kà ´kaku kidà ´tai) (1995), directed by Mamoru Oshii. It is widely accepted that anime has been inspired by a number of different factors that draws simultaneously on medieval Japanese traditions, on American cyberpunk styles, and on an imagery of ethnic and cultural mixture (of the sort envisioned in Blade Runner) that never quite evokes any specific human society, but that in various ways hints of the American dream of a multicultural society and suggests the extent to which the American science fiction film has become a key narrative type for much of contemporary culture. This cyberpunk culture has been lapped up by the Japanese and features heavily in Manga and anime. Perhaps the most famous writers and contributors to this particular genre are William Gibson, author of the cult Neuromancer and Philip K. Dick, author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the novel that was the basis of the 1982 classic Blade Ru nner. Both these writers provided a futuristic world that could be further advanced by the medium of animation. The plot of Ghost in the Shell parallels Neuromancer very closely, except that rather than an artificial intelligence seeking to be free by merging with its better half, an artificial life form (the Puppet Master) seeks to free itself by merging with the protagonist (cyborg Major Motoko Kusangi). Developing similar themes to Gibson and Dick, Oshiis interest in mankinds over-reliance on technology is brought to a logical conclusion in Ghost in the Shell, which foregrounds fundamental questions about what it is to be human in an increasingly computerised cyberworld, where a computer programme gains sentience and also questions its own function in the acquisition of power, autonomy and longevity. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and later Blade Runner the plot and characterisation are centred on the struggle to determine what is human and what is machine. It can be argued that Neuromancer borrows from modern Eastern culture as the locale is set in Japan, however, it is the significance of the characters rather than the setting that has cemented it as a science-fiction classic. In Dicks novel, the opening image of the book, comparing nature to technology, sets the tone of this narrative. The protagonist, Case is a combination of man and machine; a now common trait amongst Cyberpunk literature and animation.It is this imagery that Oshii has borrowed from the West that has provided the background to his work; Blade Runner has been labelled as one of the finest examples of post-noir with its anti-heroes, atmospheric lighting and dark storylines, and Oshii replicates this in his film. He uses sound, and in particular the score written by Kenji Kawais to achieve an emotional response from the viewer that is a million miles from any Disney cartoon. He presents Ghost in the Shell with the feeling of a bona fide film noir that just happens to be an anime production. As such Oshii has admittedly borrowed American ideas, themes and culture but he has formed his own creative style out of it. He uses the medium not only to entertain but to put forward questions of morality to an audience that are not treated like children: Oshii develops the form by refusing innocence and indifference, insisting upon only the maturity of the medium. Indeed, while in an accessible, orthodox model, it only advances the case further that all animation is in some sense experimental, even within populist forms. Conclusion From my research I have drawn the conclusion that Japanese animation has indeed been influenced by twentieth century American culture. This has happened side by side with the country as a whole accepting elements of Western popular culture. As early as the beginning of the century under the leadership of Emperor Meiji Japan began to embrace the West after years of being an insular island race. It was immediately after the end of the Second World War, when Japan was occupied by the Americans under General MacArthur from 1945 to 1951, that the floodgates opened. American control influenced education, culture and general living. Whereas the older generation saw this as Japan losing its heart the younger generation thought of it as a fresh start. This is evident in Japans rise to power in the 1960s onwards. The Feudal system of Japan that had reigned until 1868 had been disregarded; the way of the samurai had been supplanted by the power of the microchip. The nation had taken on board Am erican culture and adjusted it for their own purpose. This ability to progress with outside influences paved the way for animators such as Kazuhiko Okabe, Taiji Yabushita, Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Ôtomo and Mamoru Oshii. It is worthy of note that it has not completely been one-way traffic. The Japanese animators have been influenced by American culture (Disney, comic books, Cyberpunk, etc.) but in turn the Americans, and the West, have imported attributes specifically found in Manga and anime. The creative team behind The Matrix trilogy, Andy and Larry Wachowski, are Japanese anime fans and were the driving force behind the 2003 animated film The Animatrix. Advertising agencies in the United States have also picked up on the popularity of anime with the Coca Cola group producing the Obey Your Thirst Voltron campaign, combining anime and hip-hop to sell Sprite.Sales of Manga comics and picture novels in North America grew over 40 per cent to $140 million in 2004. This trend was also boosted when director Hayao Miyazaki won the Oscar for Best A