Admiral Kurtz In Apocalypase Now :: essays research papers

Admiral Kurtz Apocalypse Now is a film about madness. In this film, Willard, played by Charlie Sheen, is sent through madness, reminiscent of Dantes' journey through hell. His mission is to kill Kurtz, who’s gone insane according to military intelligence. Kurtz has gone on his own, starting his own society in Cambodia, where his troops and the local tribes worship him as a god. Kurtz has committed murder by waging his own ferocious, independent war against Vietnamese intelligence agents with his own native Montagnard army across the border in an ancient Cambodian temple deep in the jungle. General Corman explains the confused insanity of the war: "In this war, things get confused out there, power, ideals, the old morality, and practical military necessity." The colonel has become a self-appointed, worshipped godlike leader/dictator of a renegade native tribe. General Corman describes Kurtz's temptation to be deified: "Because there's a conflict in every human heart between th e rational and the irrational, between the good and the evil. The good does not always triumph. Sometimes the dark side overcomes what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. Therein, man has got a breaking point. You and I have. Walter Kurtz has reached his. And very obviously, he has gone insane." Kurtz’s motivation behind his actions is his need to feel godlike, to act without judgment. In Kurtz' camp, a site of primitive evil, they are greeted by a crazed, hyperactive, fast-talking, spaced-out free lance photo-journalist played by Dennis Hoper. The babbling combat photographer, garlanded by his camera equipment, hopes for their sake, that they haven't come to take away Colonel Kurtz. He describes the great awe all the natives have for their jungle lord: "Out here, we're all his children." The photojournalist appears to be a fanatical follower of Kurtz, worshipping the enigmatic, genius "poet-warrior" Kurtz as a personal god and expounding Kurtz's cause: "You don't talk to the Colonel, you listen to him. The man's enlarged my mind. He's a poet-warrior in the classic sense...I'm a little man. He's a great man. I should have been a pair of ragged claws, scuttling across floors of silent seas, I mean...He can be terrible. He can be mean. And he can be right. He's fighting a war. He's a great man." He offers first-hand advice from his own e xperience: "Play it cool, laid back...You don't judge the Colonel." Willard is impressed by Kurtz's power over the people.

The Prioress Tale :: essays research papers

The Prioress’ Tale Prologue Prioress, now it is your time, Speak up loud, be not a mime. â€Å"Fine then, I’ll tell you a tale from my mother, ‘Twill be unique, unlike any other. My story will teach you change isn’t good, Understand it you will, make you better it should.† The Tale Across the town and down the street People stopped to sample his delicious treat Sweet, thick and full of custardy goodness There was a man, not Elliot Ness Who fulfilled the Bronx’s pudding needs. A fat man, he was, pudding was his seed To plant on the earth to grow. The lunch rush on Monday was quite slow, But Pudding Man knew not what to do. So he shut down his shop and put on his shoe And walked right home and started to nap, He fell asleep quick, unlike dripping maple sap. All of a sudden something made him scream, Was it a seizure, no it was just a dream. The dream inspired him to rethink his life Should he shut down his shop or kill himself with a knife? No, Pudding Man thought to himself, Just remodel the shop and add some new shelves. Change his image and his shops image too, Add new flavors of pudding, none tasting like poo. The next day Pudding Man began his plan, New recipes, new store front, new sign that read â€Å"Pudding Man.† Even with the new image, no business came. In fact his new image was incredibly lame. Then Pudding Man began to think, Appeal to new customers, along the lines of a mink. â€Å"I’ll cater to animals of all different kind, I’ll make new recipes that I think up in the mind.† Scour the world is what Pudding Man did, Looking for new ingredients, like Beruitan Malkafid, Venezuelan Tapioca and Chinese Vanilla Bean, Would make his pudding quite peachy keen. And for decoration add a bone or catnip His pudding was so good, his dog licked his lip. Pudding Man thought to himself, â€Å"I don’t know what I should, Oh well, I’ll make it up, just knock on wood.† He opened for business at a quarter to eight, He arrived early, not to be late. The first customer strolled in at 7:46, Hoping for goo business, he prayed not for a jinx. The customer brought in his pet porcupine. â€Å"My pet ‘pine likes pudding, and yours looks quite fine.† The man told our jovial Pudding Man. So, He ordered a bowl of Mongolian Poe. â€Å"What is exactly Poe, my good fellow?† Pudding Man didn’t know but he acted quite mellow. â€Å"Ummmmm†¦it tastes likes a mixture of apples and grapes.† But what Pudding Man didn’t know, is that Poe was the snot of apes.

suicide Essay -- essays research papers

Suicide Suicide is a significant cause of death in many western countries. Attempts at suicide, and suicidal thoughts or feelings are usually a sign indicating that a person is not coping, often as a result of some event or series of events that they personally find prostrating traumatic or distressing. Most people who attempt suicide are confused about whether or not they want to die. They usually are desperate to find a way to remove or stop emotional pain. A suicide attempt is often a cry for help that ends in a tragedy. In eight out to ten suicides the person has spoken about their intent before killing themselves. In many cases, their impact can be mitigated, or their prostrating mind will gradually decrease if the person is able to make constructive choices about dealing with the crisis when it is at its worst. In some cases exceeding deaths by motor vehicle accidents annually. Many countries spend limitless amounts of money on safer roads, but very little on suic! ide awareness and prevention, or on educating people about how to make good life choices. They need someone to take them and their emotional pain and discouragement seriously. What is usually most helpful is to encourage them to express them-selves without telling them how they should feel or think. In the vast majority of cases a suicide attemptor would choose differently if they were not in great distress and were able to evaluate their options objectively. Most suicidal people give warning signs in the hope that they will be rescued, because they are intent on stopping their emotional pain, not on dying. Suicidal people need friends who will listen patiently and show they care, and referral to a professional if possible. Since this can be extremely difficult, so we may be better able to recognize and help other people in crisis, and also to find how to seek help or make better choices ourselves. People usually attempt suicide to block unbearable emotional pain, which is caused by a wide variety of problems. A person attempting suicide is often so distressed that they are unable to see that they have other options. We can help prevent a tragedy by trying to understand how they feel and helping them to look for better choices that they could make. Suicidal people often feel terribly isolated because of their distress, they may not think of anyone they can turn to, fu... ... taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone. God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The church prays for persons who have taken their own lives. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Page 608) Suicide is an issue which should be examined at by all angles. Not just from the angle that it is â€Å"wrong". End of debate. Rather it should be looked at from the point of view that â€Å"yes" for some people, they should be allowed to die in peace. Attempted suicide is also relatively rare in children under the age of 12. After that the rates increase constantly with age especially among girls, who are far more at risk of making attempts than boys. A considerable amount is known about the characteristics of adolescent suicide attempters, especially the disturbed care and family problems and the factors that reckless their suicide attempts. Prevention of child, adolescent and adult suicidal behavior is an urgent task. Doctors, other health professionals and teachers play an important role in identifying those most at risk, but this is often difficult because their characteristics are shared by many more individuals who will not carry out suicidal arts.

Plastic Cups Industry

{draw:frame} December 8, 2009 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 2 Industry/Product Category Overview 2 Market Size 2 Growth of Product Category 3 Recent Product Innovations 3 Market Sub-Segments 4 MARKET SECTOR RESEARCH 4 Differentiation 5 Value to Consumers 5 Fit in the Market 5 Pricing Strategies within Market 6 NEW PRODUCT INFORMATION 7 PRICING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND THEORY 8 CONCLUSIONS 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 Introduction Industry/Product Category Overview The Foodservice Packaging industry deals with plastic products such as plastic bowls, cups, plates and cutlery. The industry encompasses packaging for the home, commercial use and government institutions, such as schools and correctional facilities. Specifically, the product being developed belongs to the reusable cup category, in which the primary national competitor is Solo Cup Company. Although the Foodservice Packaging Industry was impacted by the economic situation, the challenges proved beneficial for the industry as they led to increase in product innovation. More notable, the â€Å"greening† of products, making them less harmful to the environment, has become a signal of the changing times. Additionally, the reason for the resiliency in some product categories in the industry, is the result of consumers downgrading their, spending on dining out and increasing their spending on home cooked meals. As consumers continue to downscale they will be looking for more disposable items to use in their homes. The foodservices packaging industry contains already established firms, such as Solo Cup Company, however, our product will service a niche in the market not effectively reached by other vendors. Market Size Recycled, reusable plastic wear finds its place in the disposable sector of the industry under the segment, â€Å"Cups and Lids. This market accounts for several segments of plastic ware: Cups and Lids, Containers, Dinnerware and others. In addition, the market includes several â€Å"end-use† markets such as restaurants, retail stores, and various institutions. With respect to the â€Å"cup and lid† market the U. S. is predicting increases over the course o f a four-year layout. It has been speculated that between now and 2012, demand for this respective segment will continue to grow by approximately 4. 3 percent to a figure of $7. 8 billion. Looking further ahead, we see predictions that this industry is expected to eventually reach $16. 52 billion by year 2015. This growth has been associated with increasing away-from-home expenditure, and dual-income families with reduced time for making elaborate home cooked meals, finds immense applications in restaurants, institutions, and retail stores among others. Increase in the number of working women and changing trends in ethnicity have also led to greater indulgence in foodservice disposables. While these aren’t figures directed at the cup market in its entirety, research has noticed a close correlation between purchasing plastic dinnerware (i. e. plastic plates and eating utensils) and the significant increase in plastic drink ware. It’s been noted, however, that of the foodservice market, cups and lids are anticipated to produce the quickest growth in profit from now until 2015. This is expected to be fueled by the increasing demand in environmentally friendly cups, such as compostable cups or recycled content cups, will add value gains as these cups tend to be higher in price than conventional cups, thus generating a respectable profit. Growth of Product Category The Solo cup company was founded in 1936. Solo was and still is one of the biggest companies in the plastic disposable cup industry. In 2006, the company posted sales of over 2. billion dollars. Since the founding of the consumer packaging industry, growth has been exponential. The industry is multi-billion dollar commerce and one that most consumers contribute to at one point or another. Plastic cups are now an everyday item in many people’s lives and have literally countless uses. With the modern, fast-paced lifestyle, convenient, disp osable plastic cups are practical. There are also niche products that are still plastic disposable cups but they have a bit of flare to them. Some of these products include insulated plastic cups and cups that have hand grips added to them. The first Solo red, basic cup that most people know was introduced in late 1972. Since then, the popularity has grown exponentially. What used to be just a family consumer product has now morphed into a product that is used by some of the biggest corporations in the world. 80% of Solo’s sales come from these large corporations such as Starbucks and fast food restaurants who use other, smaller containers as condiment holders. What started out as just simple cups has evolved into something much more broad and diverse. The aforementioned condiment containers are an example. Another example would be the lines of complete tableware that some companies now offer. They are entirely plastic and disposable, just like the cups. The industry has grown from just a simple singular product into completely separate lines and product trees. The expansion from the beginning is enormous. Recent Product Innovations In the plastic tableware industry, lines have blurred between â€Å"disposable† and â€Å"reusable. † With many disposable cups now being marketed as dishwasher safe, low-grade dinnerware has become single-use for some market segments, but multiple-use for others. The â€Å"Green† movement has also influenced this industry. Increasingly, consumers are willing to spend more on products made from recycled or biodegradable materials. Several companies have taken advantage of this new market segment by promoting â€Å"green† product lines. MicroGreen Polymers, for example, is a Seattle-based company that manufactures disposable coffee cups produced from recycled pop bottles. The company uses a thermoformed plastic technique that infuses tiny bubbles into the plastic, resulting in a â€Å"more bang for your buck† product. In addition to resisting temperatures up to 400 degrees, the product also costs fifteen to twenty percent less than competing products. Another eco-friendly tableware producer is EcoProducts, which makes plastic-looking cups that are made from compostable corn. The cups require less energy than a traditional plastic cup to produce, resist heat up to 145 degrees, and compost in only 45 days. Solo Cup Company, the market share leader in plastic cup manufacturing, has also come out with a line of â€Å"green† products called â€Å"Bare. † It is the first nationally available full line of food service and consumer products made of recyclable or renewable materials, and because Solo has the brand recognition that emerging companies don’t, it has a unique advantage over the competition. Another recent product innovation is the beveled cup design that allows for a slip-free grip of the beverage. Solo has released products with this feature called â€Å"Grip Cups†, while Hefty released a similar product called the â€Å"Easy Grip Cup. † Advancement in the industry is the development of color-changing plastics which are being used in the production of low-grade cups. The company MoodCups uses this technology to produce customizable cups for large-scale customers that change color in response to contact with cold temperatures. MoodCups is one of a variety of companies which currently utilize this technology, but thus far the products are only available in mass orders of 250 or more rather than in family-size quantities. Market Sub-Segments There are two main market sub-segments for this product: college students and home users. College students (24 and under) are often price sensitive, with less sensitivity to quality. Additionally, this segment already uses this type of cup for playing drinking games, keg parties, and everyday cup use. Kooler cups will be a draw to this segment because of their unique color-changing technology, low price, and versatility. Home users, generally classified as those consumers 25 and older, are interested in value rather than price alone. The ability to use the product we have created, Kooler Cups, at dinner parties or in everyday settings will add value to the product for this segment. As with college students, these cups will draw in home users looking for that little extra bit of flare to throw in at a home party or with the kids. Market Sector Research The presence of myriad â€Å"off-brands† offering substitute products to the classic Solo cup creates a unique challenge in this product category. While Solo remains the number one competitor in this product category, almost identical products are available to consumers at a lower cost that are packaged under generic and store brands. Throughout our in-the-field pricing research, we found that the store brand alternatives to Solo cups were consistently priced much lower than comparable name-brand products. Differentiation Our product will compete with existing products in the market sector through characteristic differentiation rather than low cost. Kooler Cups will be considered somewhat of a novelty item by offering consumers the ability to own a disposable cup that is more fun and different that other items they see by major competitors. Kooler Cups are temperature activated cups that change colors which add excitement and allows for the consumers to see that the beverage is the perfect temperature. This feature is currently not part of the market our product is entering and this is a main reason it will be successful. Additionally, Kooler Cups are made of a harder plastic that is both inexpensive and manufactured of a higher quality material than competing products. By producing Kooler Cups with a higher quality material, we can ensure that the product is dishwasher safe. Value to consumers These unique features bring a whole new set of desirable and valuable traits of disposable cups to the consumer. The higher quality material establishes a large part of the value of the product as consumer will pay less for a reusable cup that is able to be disposed at the consumer’s discretion. This feature allows for a range of uses at an affordable price which leads to a decrease in consumer disappointment with the accidental destruction or loss of the product. Additionally, the products material provides value by being dishwasher safe which will decrease the spread of germs or residue that may occur with hand wash only cups offered by major competitors. The new material will also add to the ease of cleaning the product, saving the consumer time as well as money because they will need to purchase the cups as frequently. The color change features adds value by bringing an element of surprise and excitement to whatever event the product is used at. For the inexpensive nature of the product, this feature will be a major selling point and will lead to a higher perceived value by consumers. Fit in the market Kooler Cups will participate in the disposable food service products market with products manufactured by major companies like Solo Cup Inc. Kooler Cups will be available at a comparable price to other products in the market because they can be considered disposable even though they are not necessarily one-time use cups. We will package and sell Kooler Cups in comparable quantities to its competitors in the market to encourage the selection of this product for gatherings where many cups are required. Pricing Strategies within Market With several outside factors affecting the profitability and bottom line of a firm, pricing plays a crucial role in reaching that yield. Understanding the costs associated with the product (cost of goods sold and operating expense) is the first step before determining an appropriate pricing strategy. The cost of goods sold accounts for the various costs that go into production of the good as well as shipping and handling expenses. In addition, operating expense takes into consideration the costs associated with overhead, marketing, payroll, and office supplies. The pricing strategy used should more than cover these expenses to result in a respectable profit. With respect to the Palouse region, it appears that our main competitor, Solo Cups is employing a promotional pricing strategy. This strategy is best used as new products are introduced into the market, or in our case, to stimulate demand for an already-established product. The demand for this well established product comes with respect to seasonal changes, given the â€Å"special events† occurring during those seasons. During the fall and winter months, Solo cups are found on sale because of the influence of the two most common sports in our area, football and basketball. With the multitude of residents who tailgate as well as attend or host pre-game parties, breakeven on sales of cups are surely met and exceeded with the use of effective promotional efforts. Also, it was noticed that during off seasons such as late spring throughout summer, the plastic cup industry aims to target the outdoor enthusiast crowd. This group includes those involved with barbequing, casual camping, outdoor sporting events, as well as general picnicking. With this, Solo can maximize reach of its target audience under various shifts, both seasonally as well as activity-based by providing a recognizable price during these respective months as well as using other products to help promote their cups. Upon visiting local stores such as WinCo, Wal-Mart, Rosauers, and Safeway, we observed that Solo Cup places a significant emphasis on product positioning as they are determined to set an inviting, yet profitable price. In WinCo, Rosauers and Safeway, they take advantage of end-cap displays generally strategically positioned with complementary products such as America’s â€Å"beverage of choice,† Busch Light and Keystone beer. This type of strategy grabs the consumer’s attention through use of effective signage, as they are stocking up on supplies for any given event. Given the availability of wide aisles, such as the bordering aisles at Wal-Mart, Solo can position its cups at conveniently located product islands. These islands are also generally shared with other complimentary items, namely Busch Light and Keystone beer as well as twelve pack cases of soda. This is especially effective because people will pass these islands on their way to satisfy their regular shopping lists, being reminded of their need for cups and beverages, if not already realized. New Product Information Our product is a sixteen ounce plastic cup. The features that distinguish Kooler Cups are that they are reusable, dishwasher safe, and color-changing. We believe that by adding these, our product will have value associated with it that the products we are competing with do not have. These features add extra cost to the production of the cups; however, these will be strong selling points to the consumers and will bring in the volume of sales needed to counter the extra costs. By having Kooler Cups made as reusable and dishwasher safe cups, they are more appealing to a broader market, ranging from the household parent who is purchasing to entertain guests, to the college student who is looking for an affordable option as a party cup, and everyone else in between. If a consumer were to go to the grocery store and purchase a pack of Solo brand cups, they would use them for the evening, and throw them away at the end of the night just like any other trash. However, with Kooler Cups, the consumer is able to use the time after time, making our product a much better value over the life of the cup. Kooler Cups will be the life of the party with the color changing technology. This feature will appeal especially to college students looking something extra to have at their party, as well as being a strong selling feature to mothers who go hopping with their children. It is a feature that is sure to be determining factor in the minds of potential consumers, and will result in Kooler Cups gaining a sizable amount of market share from the product launch. Kooler Cups will be positioned on the shelf where all of the other plastic party supplies are located. They will be at a higher price point than most of the competing products because of the reusability a nd color changing features of the cups. Kooler Cups will be offered in packs of twelve, even though many of the competing plastic cups come in packages of twenty. Our product cost would be too high if we offered packs of twenty, so at packs of twelve, the price will seem closer to the competing cups, even though the price per cup will be much higher. The Kooler Cups will sell in packs of twelve cups, and made so that they are stackable. The design of the cup will have a more modern of a look, with a slight outward curve on the upper half of the cup. It will be constructed out of Polypropylene plastic (No. 5), which is a food safe plastic that is dishwasher safe and more durable than Polystyrene (No. 6) that Solo brand cups are made out of. Polypropylene plastic is also able to be engineered to have thermodynamic qualities. Forecasting the demand of our product has proven to be somewhat of a difficult task. After looking at many different factors, the estimated monthly demand in the first year of Kooler Cups is 155,000 packages of Kooler Cups. This was found by looking at the total amount of college student in the United States which is about 14 million. We estimate that probably about 3/5’s of college students participate in drinking, which would bring the number of college age drinkers to 8,400,000. Assuming that each drinking college student consumes about 3 plastic cups a month that would bring the number of cups used monthly to 25,200,000. We are estimating an initial market share of 5%, which would equal 1,260,000 cups purchased monthly. That is 105,000 packages of cups sold per month, and we added an additional 50,000 cups to be consumed by other markets such as households. This gives us a monthly demand of 155,000 packages of Kooler Cups. Pricing Strategy, Tactics, and Theory Our plan is to implement a price-skimming strategy to establish Kooler Cups as a competitor in the market. By pricing the cups slightly higher than our primary competitor, Solo Cup, we will communicate high product value and capture the price insensitive market first. While the price for a package of thirty sixteen oz. Solo cups ranges from $2. 67 to $5. 49 (depending on the distribution channel), we will package our product in twelve cup packages for approximately $3. 99. Because our production cost per cup is much higher due to the higher-grade plastic used for raw materials and the thermodynamic technology, offering the same package size as Solo would make the price per cup difference obvious. However, packaging the cups in sets of twelve accomplishes two goals: 1) increasing the customers’ propensity to purchase the product because the package price is within an acceptable range of competitors’ prices, and 2) reinforcing the reusable feature of the cups (i. e. , if they’re reusable, why buy thirty of them? ). Once the price insensitive market is saturated, we will lower the price slightly to capture more price sensitive markets. Logistically, this strategy makes sense for a company starting with limited production capacity. As a result of high startup costs and little brand awareness (and, consequently, low initial revenues), we will only have the capital to produce limited quantities of the product in the beginning. Then, as brand awareness increases and we begin to re-coop our startup costs, we will generate enough cash flow to increase production capacity and decrease our cost per cup. With a lower cost per cup, we can lower the price without eroding our margins. Because our product has a differentiating feature (the color changing technology), we won’t be forced to compete on price. Additionally, since there are no comparable substitutes for this product’s differentiating feature, we can be the ones to determine its value. Rather than choosing between a name brand Solo cup and a store brand cup that looks virtually identical, customers are choosing between a commodity (the classic disposable cup) and a whole new product entirely. Firms often times find too much comfort in their pricing strategy, and are too optimistic, that they fail to realize what could go wrong with regards to sales or driven demand. As a business, it’s crucial to analyze these â€Å"what-ifs,† if you will, to determine the next plan of action. It becomes entirely necessary during the initial stages of product development and marketing, to come up with something known as a worst case scenario. So, with this scenario in mind, what if the demand for Kooler Cups plummeted during the first three to six months, creating a significant decrease in our sales figures? Would we just â€Å"call it quits,† and bail before too much of our time, money, and efforts are wasted? Well, the primary strategy behind price-skimming doesn’t say to bail, but instead reduce price if that initial market isn’t purchasing our product. The idea behind this strategy resides in the fact that there are different pricing phases over time to generate profits with respect to various price-sensitive markets. If, in our case, consumers aren’t buying during the initial phase of pricing [first 3-6 months], we will reduce the price to try and capture the next segment, using an effective promotional strategy. For example, we would attach a $. 50 off coupon on the outside of the package, as to not degrade the price or brand of the cups, but increase the value leading to higher sales volume. This will keep broadening the consumer base until, eventually, we have maximum market potential given our product. Looking on the other end, if sales skyrocket given a drastic increase in demand, there are a couple different options to consider: increase capacity while maintaining (or even lowering) price, or implement a slight price-increase to counteract demand. Seeing as the product is rather new into the market and un- established, most would agree that the appropriate strategy to take would be to slightly increase price without coming across to customers as charging an unreasonably high price. A brand new business, such as ours, would not hold the necessary resources needed to expand and increase capacity (i. e. purchasing new equipment or hiring additional people). The next best alternative at hand would be a slight price increase until demand starts to level off again. *Conclusion * The disposable sector of the Foodservice Packaging industry is comprised of single-use products such as plastic bowls, cups, lids and cutlery for the commercial, government and home use sectors. The specific product category that Kooler Cups will be competing in is titled â€Å"Cups & Lids†, and includes disposable beverage products made from various grades of plastic, Styrofoam and molded paper. This category is projected to have the highest revenue growth between now and 2015, due largely to innovations in environmentally friendly products such as compostable cups and cups made from recycled materials. Solo Cup Company, the primary competitor in this product category, has overwhelming market share and posted sales of $2. 4 billion in 2006. Created in 1936, Solo enjoys well-established brand equity and has the advantage of low production costs due to its high volume manufacturing. These factors allow Solo to retail its products at a premium price, resulting in high profit margins. By differentiating our product based on its unique characteristics, we will enter the market as a high-quality alternative to the classic Solo cup. With its color changing technology and durability, Kooler Cups will compete in the market by providing the customer with a uniquely valuable product. Bibliography â€Å"Ammended Annual Report. Solo Cup Co.. N. p. , 1 Jan. 2006. Web. 14 Oct. 2009. . â€Å"Cold Cups & Lids. † EcoProducts. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. . â€Å"Cups & Lids to 2012 – Market Research, Market Share, Market Size, Sales, Demand Forecast, Market Leaders, Company Profiles, Industry Trends and Companies including Solo Cup, Dart Container and Georgia-Pacific. † _ The Freedonia Group – Market Resea rch _. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. http://www. freedoniagroup. com/Cups-And-Lids. html. â€Å"Cups & Lids. † Market Research Reports – Business Market Research Reports & Industry Analysis. N. p. , n. d. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. http://www. marketresearch. com/product/display. asp? productid=2021950. Dunn, Collin. â€Å"MicroGreen: Recycled Plastic Cups Cut Heat and Waste : TreeHugger. † TreeHugger. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. http://www. treehugger. com/files/2006/02/microgreen_recy. php. â€Å"Our Values, Vision and Mission. † Foodservice Packaging Institute. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Oct. 2009. http://www. fpi. org/EXPAGES/ourvalues. asp. â€Å"Packaging Industry Related News. † IDS-Packaging – Online Information Resource, Exhibition, Conference, Packaging White Papers, Suppliers, Products, and much more. N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. http://www. idspackaging. com/packaging/us/newsrelease. html. â€Å"REVOLVER. † ONESHOT CORPORATION. N. p. , n. d. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. http://www. one-shot. com/solocup_r. html. â€Å"Solo Cup Company | Company profile from Hoover's. † _Hoovers | Business solutions from _Hoovers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. http://www. hoovers. com/company/Solo_Cup_Company/hsxrti-1. html. â€Å"US Census Press Releases. † Census Bureau Home Page. N. p. , n. d. Web. 3 Dec. 2009. http://www. census. gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_

Chrysalis module four behaviourism Essay

‘Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of the learning principles that sustain and maintain it. Discuss this statement and show how a behaviourist’s approach to therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic one’ In this essay I will first of all explain the main principles and theories that underpin the behaviourist approach to psychology. I will subsequently outline how behaviourist theory can provide therapists with some insight into both the causes of maladaptive behaviour and how that behaviour might be sustained and maintained. Having discussed the main behaviourist principles and how they relate to maladaptive behaviour, I will then compare and contrast the behavioural approach with the psychoanalytic (Freudian) approach. I will also comment on ethical issues especially as they relate to behaviourism and some of the experiments on which the theory is founded. Behaviourism is a school of psychology that emphasises the scientific study of obs ervable behaviours especially as they relate to the process of learning. It was highly influential and dominated psychological theory for some thirty years between the early 1920’s and 1950’s. The early formulation of behaviourist theory was in the work of an American psychologist John B Watson. In some respects, his research was a response to the prevailing psychoanalytic approaches to therapy at the time. In his work ‘Psychology from the Standpoint of a Behaviourist’ published in 1929, Watson believed that behaviourism, ‘Attempted to make a fresh, clean start in psychology, breaking with current theories and with traditional concepts and terminology’ (www.britannica.com). His vision was one of psychology becoming a purely objective branch of natural science, where the only admissible conclusions were those that could be obtained by independent observers of the same object or event, as would be the case in scientific experiments. Behaviourism is concerned with explaining how behaviour arises and is maintained. Also to identify and characterise influences on behaviour and to explain how, under certain conditions, behaviour can change. The roots of behaviourist theory can be found in the work of Ivan Pavlov, a Russian scientist. He researched what is known as reflex, an automatic reaction to a particular stimulus. Specifically, his research looked at the reflex that stimulates the production of saliva in dogs when given meat. The meat is the stimulus for the reflex, but what Pavlov noticed was that the dogs in his experiments would start to salivate even at  the sight of the person who regularly fed them. In his famous and now well- known experiment, Pavlov then introduced the sound of a bell every time the food was presented. He found that just the sound of the bell would produce the same reaction in the dogs even if there was no food. He concluded that the dogs had learned that the bell signalled food. Watson brought Pavlov’s findings to the attention of fellow psychologists and then conducted his own experiment involving a young boy, Albert. This came to be known as the ‘Little Albert’ experiment. Watson initially presented Albert with a tame rat and observed his response; at that st age the boy had no fear of the rat. Watson subsequently observed Albert’s reaction to a loud noise when it was made behind his head. Not surprisingly, the child cried at the sound and tried to move away from it. Watson then presented the rat to Albert just before making the loud sound. This time the child reacted by moving away from the rat thereby demonstrating to Watson a change in behaviour as a result and linking the rat to the loud noise. Watson’s experiment showed that Albert had learned to show a defensive reflex reaction. This came to be known as classical conditioning and this approach to understanding behaviour was described as stimulus response psychology. These days the ethics of this experiment would be highly questionable however, subjecting a child to fear in this way and conditioning his response as a result would not acceptable. Several contemporaries of Watson were also working in this area of behavioural research. The work of Edward Thorndike and B.F. Skinner made a huge contribution to behaviourist psychology. Thorndike pioneered the study of animal behaviour with his ‘puzzle boxâ €™ into which he placed a hungry cat. Food was placed outside the box and he found that the cat learned to manipulate the door catch to get out of the box to obtain the food. Unlike Pavlov’s dogs, the cat in his study had some element of control given that being able to get the food was conditional on the cat opening the door. The consequences of the cat’s behaviour (getting the food), Thorndike argued, altered the cat because it learned to open the door. As the cat was ‘instrumental in opening the door he called this instrumental conditioning. Skinner, who was influenced by Thorndike’s work, argued that learning through reinforcement is common to all species not just animals. Much of his work involved studying the behaviour of rats and pigeons. He conducted several experiments using a special device he designed called the ‘Skinner  box’. This provided a controlled environment in which animal behaviour could be observed in a systematic way. His experiments were designed to shed light on how behaviour is initiated, maintained and how under certain conditions it can be changed as a result of consequences of the beha viour. He argued that behaviour takes a particular form because it has consequences that both give rise to it and maintain it. When the consequences change, so does the behaviour he said. Skinner placed a hungry rat in the box where it had to negotiate a maze to find the food. At first the rat would run up blind alleys in the maze but with experience it gradually learned how to negotiate the maze to find the food more quickly. Behaviourists like Skinner believed that the principles involved in these learning processes were applicable to people and underpin complex human behaviour. Skinner proposed that behaviour changes as a result of its consequences and that behaviour is also reinforced by reward. Behaviour that is reinforced will also increase in frequency Skinner suggested. Similarly, he argued, negative reinforcement works in the same way as positive re inforcement. For example, if a loud noise is made every time a rat pokes its nose through its cage, the rat would stop doing it. He promoted the idea that as humans are just another species, giving praise for desirable behaviour in a child would reinforce that behaviour in the same way that getting food by pressing a lever in a box would reinforce behaviour in a rat. Skinner went further by suggesting that there is no such thing as free will; he called it the principle of determinism, the assertion that all human behaviour is determined by what went before. Skinner’s hypotheses created widespread debate amongst psychologists and not surprisingly, his critics pointed out that humans are very different to animals and that results from experiments conducted on rats in a laboratory couldn’t just be applied to human behaviour. Behaviourist critics reasoned that human behaviour is immeasurably more sophisticated than animal behaviour, rooted in language and operating within complex cultures. Humans have insight into their behaviour and have conscious awareness, they contended and therefore are able to make conscious choices. Skinner fell out of favour in the 1970’s following the publication of his book ‘Beyond Freedom and Dignity’ where he urged society to reject the assumption that free will is the main determinant of behaviour. In contrast to the psychoanalytic school of psychology, behaviourists regard  all behaviour as a response to stimuli, with the underlying assumption that what we do is determined by the environment we are in that provides stimuli to which we respond. Also that the environments we have been in in the past, caused us to learn to respond to stimuli in particular ways. ‘Behaviourists are unique amongst psychologists in believing that it is unnecessary to speculate about internal mental processes when explaining behaviour’ (psychlotron.org.uk). Behaviourists believe that people are born with some innate reflexes such as fear and rage which do not need to be learned, but that all of a person’s complex behaviours are as a result of learning thr ough interaction with the environment. It is therefore assumed that the individual plays no part in choosing their own actions and behaviour. Today only a few psychologists would label themselves as behaviourists and the arguments about free will and conscious choices still continue. However, studies since the 1950’s have in fact brought an increasing recognition that conditioning probably occurs more widely than was previously understood. It is recognised for example that drug or alcohol use can be triggered by environmental cues – places and situations where drug taking or alcohol consumption is present. Contemporary therapy for some types of psychological distress owes much to insight derived from behaviourism. Children who self -harm can be treated with techniques of re inforcement for non- harming behaviours for example. Apparently one of the techniques used for treating people with obsessional and phobic disorders involves identifying and removing reinforcement for behaviour that is excessive and reinforcing the more positive behaviour with praise. The behaviourist approach is also relevant in understanding addiction and habitual behaviour – whether it be smoking, drugs, alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex etc. With this type of maladaptive behaviour there is a strong and fairly immediate positive reinforcing consequence of the behaviour. Whereas the unpleasant consequences of the behaviour are delayed i.e. potential serious illness in terms of smoking for instance. It is also recognised that someone who regularly exhibits violent or aggressive tendencies may well have grown up in a violent household where violent behaviour was modelled and reinforced. The psychoanalytic approach to counselling and psychotherapy has its roots in Freudian theory which essentially espouses that it is repressed memo ries and sexual wishes that are the root of psychological problems. In the  psychoanalytic approach there is an assumption that client’s difficulties have their ultimate origin in childhood experiences and that the client is not usually aware of the motives or impulses behind their actions. Prior to Watson and Skinner’s experiments, psychology had almost entirely been based on a psychoanalytic approach – the study of what happens in people’s minds. In therapy, people would report what was on their mind and this was documented and analysed by psychologists such as Freud. This approach to understanding people’s behaviour was considered highly subjective and unscientific by behaviourists. Freud espoused a range of theories to account for maladaptive behaviour; he argued that in early childhood three phases of psycho sexual development set the stage for a series of conflicts between the child and its environment, its family and most importantly its parent. He proposed that that the way in which parents responded to th e child would have a powerful influence on the later personality of the child and a significant impact on adult relationships. Psychological problems according to Freud arise because a person’s impulses and drives are driven underground and continue to influence the person subconsciously. There is significant emphasis in psychoanalytic theory on the quality of the relationship between child and parents. The fundamental viewpoint shared by all psychoanalytic counsellors and therapists is that in order to understand the personality of an adult client it is necessary to understand the development of their personality through childhood. Freud did not suggest however that that childhood experiences directly influence adult personality; he stated that the influence occurred in a particular way through the operation of the unconscious mind. This is perhaps where there is the most stark contrast between the behaviourist and psychoanalytic approaches. Behaviourists concern themselves with actual, observable behaviour rather than internal thoughts processes. Freud however not only advanced the idea of the unconscious mind, he also developed a complex theoretical model explaining the human mind as comprising three regions which he labelled the id the ego and the superego. The id being a reservoir of primitive instincts and impulses that are the ultimate motives for the behaviour; the ego which is the conscious rational part of the mind that makes decisions and deals with external reality and the superego a sort of store house of rules and taboos, mainly an internalisation of parental attitudes. Conflicts between  these elements can lead to stress in Freudian theory. An individual’s behaviour can be understood according to Freud, as being under the control of forces such as repressed memories, childhood fantasies which a person cannot acknowledge. The role of the psychoanalytic therapist is to look for ways of getting beneath the surface of what the client is saying and what is immediately observable. One could of course explain t he ‘forces’ mentioned above in behaviourist terms; that a person has simply been conditioned to do, act, say things in a certain way. A child repeatedly subject to violence or witnessing violence may well be more prone to aggressive behaviour in adulthood for example. But in Freud, I feel there is a richness not found in behaviourism. People and relationships are complex and therefore some emotional problems equally complex. In my view a psychoanalytic approach attempts at least to reflect this complexity – where therapy aims to enable clients to become more aware of their inner emotional life and therefore be more able to control feelings in an appropriate manner and gain the freedom to behave differently. A key aim of psychoanalysis is to achieve client insight into the true nature of their issues/ problems. Genuine insight usually being attained as result of the quality of the relationship between client and therapist. There is little reference to the quality relationship between client and therapist in the behaviourist approach. In the psychoanalytic approach there is as much emphasis on what the client doesn’t say as on what he or she does say about his or her problem – Freud wrote about what he termed defence mechanisms, which seek to protect an individual from emotionally disturbing or threatening unconscious impulses. These defence mechanisms might include such things as repression , denial, projecting one’s unacceptable thoughts and feelings to another person; or displacement, where an individual might channel impulses to a different target or regression where an individual responding to internal feelings triggered by an external threat, might revert to childlike behaviour from an earlier stage of development. This aspect of Freud’s theory provides powerful insight I feel into certain maladaptive behaviours. Of course the work of the proponents of behaviourism such as Watson and Skinner and Freud’s psychoanalytic theories have been developed and redefined over the years. In my opinion both approaches can have a valuable role to play in understanding maladaptive behaviour in spite of  their very different emphases, depending on the type of behaviour being treated. Behaviourism was the precursor to social learning theory developed by Albert Banduras and this emphasises both the social and physical context people find themselves in and how children in particular learn by observing and then imitating others who effectively act as models. This is more complex than simple stimulus response theory and it can be very important and enlightening for a therapist to understand the current and past social contexts of a client and its potential impact on their behaviour. Equally important, in my view, is the recognition that people have a complex inner mental life and an emotional inner world and responses that sometimes can’t be explained by environmental factors alone. In the same way that behaviour theory has developed, psychoanalytic theory has also a dvanced. The work of psychologist Melanie Klein for example, who researched the early relationship between mother and child, concluded that human beings are motivated by the need to establish and maintain relationships. This suggests to me that the quality of relationship between client and therapist is of significant importance. This thinking has little or no place in behaviourist approaches to therapy. Even contemporary cognitive behaviour therapy, which has its roots in behaviourism, places less emphasis on the relationship between client and therapist. Whereas the psychoanalytic counsellor would emphasise exploration and understanding, the CBT approach would be more orientated towards demonstrable action to produce change. It would seem sensible, in treating stress and anxiety to try to combine both approaches. A client suffering from anxiety is more likely to respond positively to a therapist with whom they have a trusting relationship; without that it would be very difficult for a client to face fears that may be buried in their subconscious. And for the therapist, it would be necessary to be able to establish/ understand the potential environmental and social triggers or stimuli (both current and historic) for the client’s anxiety. This could involve exploring the clients past in terms of their relationship with their parents perhaps and also searching for other relevant information about the situations that provide the cues for the client’s anxiety. In conclusion, although the assumptions made by early behaviourist psychologists seem overly simplistic nowadays , this work laid the foundations for more extensive research that has advanced our knowledge  about social learning and how this can affect behaviour. Although behaviour modification therapy doesn’t necessarily sit easily within a collaborative counselling relationship, some of the principles of behaviourism can be applied and adapted to understanding maladaptive behaviour. Behaviour modification therapy has been shown to be very effective with certain types of disorder such as obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, addiction, anxiety disorders, fears and phobias. Sources: Mcleod J. (2008) Introduction to Counselling, third ed, Open University Furnham A. 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need to Know, Quercus Publishing Hayes N. (2010) Understand Psychology, Hodder Education Ltd Chrysalis Year Two, Module Four course notes. www.britannica.com 17/11/2014 www.wikipedia.org/behaviourism 17/11/2014 www.psychlotron.or.uk 17/11/2014

Angel and Demons Book Report Essay

ANGELS AND DEMONS Angels and demons is a heart pounding adventure written by the author Dan Brown and published in 2000. Dan Brown is also famous for his bestselling novel The Davinci code (published 2003); both these novels feature the fictional college professor Robert Langdon as the main character or â€Å"hero† in the story. Both of these stories revolve around the delicate subject of religion as he incorporates religious fact into fantasy. First off, our characters include Robert Langdon who is a professor of symbology at Harvard University. He is flown to a Swedish nuclear research facility known as CERN (Which really does exist) by the director of CERN Maximilian Kohler to investigate the murder of esteemed scientist Leonardo Verta. Leonardo Verta was the head scientist of a research group working on an antimatter energy source until he was killed, and the anti-matter stolen. Robert leaves CERN with Leonardos daughter Vittoria Vetra to Rome in search of the stolen anti-matter. Robert leaves CERN with a new counterpart and one clue to solve the unraveling mystery of who stole the anti-matter and killed Leonardo Verta; the ambigram branded into the scientist chest saying Illuminati. Soon after arriving in Rome Robert and Vittoria are rushed to Vatican City by commander of the Swiss guard Commander Olivetti, as the situation grows more dire after four high ranking cardinals are kidnapped by the illuminati assassin, with one clue, one will each be slaughtered on the alters of science along the path of illumination. When the threat comes in that if they don’t stop the assassin by eight o’clock the Vatican will be destroyed, as they race against the clock to stop the destruction of the Vatican new problems will rise and betrayal is around every corner. This book is strongly recommended for readers who enjoy large scale mysteries and people who enjoy stories involving conspiracies. This is because this story involves a race against time and a struggle to stop a secret society that controls half of the government itself. This tale is a mind bending race against time and an enemy who seems to be everyone and control everything.

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What are the functions of the digestive system? The functions of the digestive system are to break down food, down Into various macromolecules in order to extract the nutrients from the food. 2. How does the structure of each organ In the digestive system relate to Its function? They have a specific structure In order to properly perform the function they were meant to do. For example the small intestines have villa in it in order to increase the surface area and absorb nutrients easier. 3.How goes the digestive system assist in maintaining the water balance in the body? The large intestines help with water retention so the body doesn't get dehydrated very easily. 4. How do enzymes assist the process of digestion? Enzymes help assists the process of digestion by breaking down specific macromolecules and speeding up the process as well. 5. How do factors such as temperature, pH and concentration of enzyme or substrate affect the rate of enzyme-catcalled reactions? They can speed up or aid the reaction process or denature the enzyme depending on the given notations. . What are IBM and BMW? IBM Is body mass Index and BMW Is basal metabolic rate. 7. How can IBM and BMW help assess healthy diet and weight? Because they help determine whether you are considered overweight for your height group. 8. What are the health risks associated with being overweight or underweight? They can lead to many different issues such as heart problems, malnutrition, brittle bones, muscle aches, etc. 9. What body systems are affected when a person is overweight or underweight?Multiple body systems can be affected ouch as the digestive system, skeletal system, muscular system, cardiovascular system, etc. 10. What is ATOP? ATOP is adenosine troposphere. 1 1 . How is energy released from ATOP and used to do work in the body? Energy is released from ATOP through the process of hydrolysis. 12. How do the air you breathe and the food you eat relate directly to the production of energy in the f orm of ATOP? The quality of the alarm and food affects the production of energy from ATOP based off how much ATOP can be produced from the alarm and food given.