Advertising, through the ages has evolved to be a very powerful tool that can shape identities and personalities of consumers regardless of age, culture or sex

Advertising has, one way or another shaped my identity and personality. I also have to admit that because of my exposure to advertisement, I have achieved a certain status in my neighborhood.   I play basketball during my past time, and I became popular in town not only because of my skill but also because of the Nike shoes that I wear.Nike is the world's leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel.  Ã‚   I first heard of Nike when I was a kid, in T.V commercials of former basketball player Michael Jordan promoting the shoes.Being an NBA fan and a basketball aficionado, the commercials intrigue me into trying out the shoes he is endorsing.   The moment I bought my pair of Nike shoes and paraded it in school, I saw my classmates in complete awe after seeing me wearing the shoes for the first time.   I was bombarded with questions like â€Å"how much does it cost† or â€Å"where it was bought.†Also, when I play basketball using the said shoes, I also earned ext ra attention from the people who are watching the game because of my footwear.Aside from that I can feel that I can do things that Jordan does (high flying dunks, higher jumping ability) just by wearing the shoes he endorsed, especially when dunking the ball from the free throw line which was made famous by Michael Jordan during the slam dunk contest (though I have not yet accomplished it).When comparing it to other shoes, I can see that Nike has the edge because of its dimensions.   I feel that the shoes are lighter than other brands as what Jordan swears it to be.   During a game of basketball, which usually requires frequent running, I can feel that the shoes’ weight does not affect my speed.Another important feature is the durability of the shoes, in which it can last for years even if I frequently use it during basketball games.  Ã‚   Buying shoes that can be damaged easily can cause discomfort and even injuries.   I also feel that buying another brand will compr omise quality and that I may acquire an injury if my shoes, for example is below the standards that of Nike. With proper care, Nike shoes can be your companion for life.With its features and other types (running shoes, tennis shoes), all sports enthusiast will, like me, be forever loyal to the brand.   I can say that whenever I am wearing Nike shoes, I feel that I am better than other people, especially when playing basketball.   The shoes give my self-esteem a boost.Advertising, in reality is designed to attract people into buying particular products. But these days, consumers are very wise with regards to spending their hard-earned money. An advertisement full of fluff is easily recognized by them.Consumers know what they want and are not easily convinced especially when an advertisement is just luring them into spending. To meet their standards, advertising also stepped-up into the next level. It has become more creative, truthful and warm.My relationship with my Nike shoes i s growing strong. Michael Jordan may have influenced this â€Å"fetish† of mine. But in the end, I can say that my loyalty is due to the reason that through time, I have come to prove the things they say in the ads. And because of this, I give my loyalty only to Nike shoes and only to it.ReferenceSage, Alexandria (June 26, 2008). â€Å"Nike profit up but shares tumble on U.S. concerns†. Reuters. http://uk.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUKWNAS924120080626. Retrieved 2008-07-10.â€Å"Jordan and Wilkins Battle for Dunk Title†. NBA's Greatest Moments nba.com (website)http://www.nba.com/history/1988slamdunk_moments.html   

“A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution” by Carol Berkin

In the book â€Å"A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution† by Carol Berkin she explains the constitution from start to finish from how it all began, to the debates inside the convention and finally the end product. Berkin takes the reader and puts him directly in the middle of the convention of 1786; throughout the book you can feel the excitement, the frustration, the tensions between delegates and the overall commitment to making a new government work for all. The time for a new government came about in times of fear, many men such as William Livingston wondered â€Å"if the republic could even survive another decade† for Henry Knox made an excellent point in declaring â€Å"Our present federal government is a name, a shadow, without power, or effect†. Meantime the relationship between the states was poor and there was an uncertainty if they would even remain united what with the debts, the economic turmoil, and the slow realization that without England they had no protection from the outside world. The question on everyone’s mind was, is there anything that can be done to save their country? 55 delegates gathered in hopes of answering this question with a brilliant solution of their own. The Delegates that gathered in Philadelphia were among the most respected men of their time. They ranged from lawyers to politicians, from the aged Benjamin Franklin to the young Jonathon Dayton, and you’d find that all of these men were of blue blood wealth or the few who as Berkin put were the minority that â€Å"Had risen from obscurity to wealth by virtue of some combination of talent, luck, and well-made marriages. Nobody present would ever be considered just a common man, and for some such as Thomas Jefferson, they would see these men as â€Å"Demi-gods† instead of the regular, flawed, yet brilliant men that they were. It was during this convention that the Virginia Plan was proposed by Edmund Randolph, which was the proposal to write a new constitution instead of re vising the Articles of Confederation like intended. After many debates between the larger and smaller states on being fairly represented and even more adjustments and altering towards the plan itself, the convention created the Senate which was a body of wise men that was made up of two men rom each state. This worked out to satisfaction of the smaller states and for the larger states they were given a House of Representatives that would consist of a larger body of representatives for each state in proportion to the amount of the people in that state. During the Convention there were many controversies between these men, some were focused on not wanting to upset their constituents back in their home states, and the smaller states were constantly trying to protect themselves from the influence of the larger states, while the southern states feared that a national government would upset the slave trade. However, many of the delegates shared a bigger fear throughout the convention, which was putting too much power into a central government and the fear that the senate and House of Representatives would have too much power. George Mason, an initial advocate of a strong central government withdrew his support and refused to sign the finished Constitution, claiming that the new government would â€Å"produce a monarchy, or a corrupt, tyrannical aristocracy† so for the sake of trying to find a balance, the idea of giving the chief executive the power of veto over legislation was proposed. Along with this power a check was needed, so the idea that a three quarters vote from congress could over rule a President’s veto was adopted. How to elect a President was the cause for some of the longest and grueling debates in the convention, the question of who to trust too choose the president was heavy on all their minds. The delegates knew that it couldn’t be left to the legislative power to choose and Gouverneur Morris even declared â€Å"it would be like the election of a pope by a conclave of cardinals†. To leave the choice to the people alone left the certainty that the people would be led and lied to by â€Å"a few active and designing men† as Charles Pinckney put it. Lost and befuddled on what to do, the convention turned the matter over to the Committee of Postponed Matters where after weeks of debate of their own, they came up with something that we know today as the Electoral College. The States were able to elect an amount of electors equal to the number of representatives in the house and senate. These electors were to meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for two people to represent their state. From here their votes would be delivered signed, certified and in a sealed envelope, to Congress, where the results were to be counted in front of congressmen and senators. In the event of a tie, members of the House of Representatives would select which would be the president. It was through this process that our first President, who set the precedent for all presidents to come, was elected. Even when the Constitution had been drawn up and was ready for ratification by the states, which wouldn’t happen for another year after many political battles between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, the Delegates realized that though this document would suffice for now, they couldn’t escape the indefinite future, so they included in the constitution a capacity for change which was designed so that later down the road when times had changed and change was needed, it could be incorporated into the constitution as amendments. In closing, Carol Berkin did an excellent job of portraying the struggles and concerns that went on in that Philadelphia Independence Hall, the framers fought through frustration, pressure, and with each other. They knew what had to be done, and though some did not remain throughout the convention, we owe our law of the land to the determination of these 55 men.

Hand with the Reflecting Sphere

Reflection of Life Near the end of every journey of life, people will look back and reflect on past doings to judge the weight of what they feel their life was worth. For some, that reflection may be filled with feelings of accomplishment and contentment. That feeling can be for things such as settling down with a family or just simply making the most of what life has thrown at them. For others, however, the reflections may be filled with various memories of regrets stemming from things such as lost loves or an isolated lifestyle. Hand with Reflecting Globe, a picture drawn by M. C.Escher, a famous artist, depicts an example of a life reflection, in this case, the artist himself. The concept Escher tries to express is that each spontaneous action or decision has a major influence on what can seen in the reflection. The message being shown through this picture is that every man, woman or child who does not take full advantage of the life given to them will live only to look back on wh at can be described as an empty room, nothing to express emotionally and certainly nothing important enough to form any kind of attachment, however, a major element in Escher’s image is power.Power to control and change the reflection in the globe depending on the individual’s choices and actions in life. The focal point of any piece of artwork is the one object that instantly grabs the audience’s attention, in this case, the man, a representation of a life full of regret and delusion. The neutral expression seen on his face suggests that he holds no particular attachment to his surroundings and constantly keeping a professional front, not usually a feeling associated with one’s home. Another feature that hides what the man is currently thinking is his beard.Covering half of his face, the beard serves as a barrier between the reflection and the man’s emotions, in a sense, protection from reality. The simple curve of the globe causes the man’ s facial features to appear as if he has a small smile on his face, perhaps because the man wants to delude himself into thinking that the life he currently leads is not as horrible as it looks. The suit being worn leads the viewer to believe that while he may have a successful career, the man puts more attention on his work than his personal life that he seems to be uncomfortable even in such an intimate setting.His rigid posture also adds to the formality that he holds. The man sees his own home to be unfamiliar territory, stemming from the idea that he has no one to come home to, and holds no emotional attachment. Because of the lack of attachment, the man seems to be lifeless in the sense that there is a lack of movement or emotion within his body. The entire room is entirely bare of any personal belongings, such as intimate pictures, that can be usually seen littered in people’s homes symbolizing loneliness.The air in the room, like the man, seems to be completely lifele ss because things seem to be firmly planted on the ground and completely still. The furniture in the room seems to be completely untouched suggesting the lack of visitors. Their positioning, however, is set up in an intimate manner, a delusion made by the man into thinking that he does not lead an entirely lonely life. Besides the lack of anyone else in the room, the windows also radiate an isolated feeling. The bars on the windows closely resemble prison bars along with no visible door suggest that there is no escape.Prisons keep prisoners isolated from the general public as a form of punishment; the man sees that his current lifestyle is a type of punishment because prison bars keep people in but they also keep people out, isolating him further. On the other hand, the only light source visible in the room is coming from the windows hinting towards the brighter world outside and what the man could have had instead of sitting in a darkened corner. Because of the isolation his  "prison cell† provides, it only allows the man to see outside the windows and not interact with them physically causing a feeling of loneliness.When thinking of a globe, most come to the conclusion to the model of Earth, the public’s world. In this picture, however, the globe is a symbol for a world, more specifically the man’s world. Because of the characteristics of crystal, it causes one’s reflection to be flipped upside down and no matter how much the man may try to delude himself, it is too late to completely turn his life around. Therefore, the world the man is looking into is not his future, but into his past. The clarity of the reflection suggests that the globe is made of a chrome material.Chrome balls are hollow on the inside representing the emptiness within the man’s world. Because of the weightless quality, seen from the lack of strain in holding up the ball, the man’s world can be seen as extremely fragile and unstable. The frai lty can be connected back to the man’s lack of attachments because he finds nothing important enough to weigh down and stabilize his world. Each new attachment or accomplishment made in one’s life slowly adds weight and size to the globe also making it sturdier giving it a sense of balance, something humans seek in everything they see and do.In the man’s world, however, his lack of attachments is affecting the stability and size of his world since his world only consists of that one room. The room is big enough for a family but only houses one, thus, bringing, a sense of loneliness and regret. Within in the globe being depicted, it shows all the flaws of a life full of isolation despite the flawless nature of the surface of the globe. The hand, as simple as it is, plays a role just as important as any of the other symbols. â€Å"Take control into your own hands,† is a saying that is drawn quite literally in this picture because the hand is a symbol for co ntrol.Escher is emphasizing the fact that the holder is always in control of their world based on the decisions made. The weight of someone’s world is dependent on the confidence to make words become actions and being able to prioritize the events in one’s life. Thinking of the size difference between a hand and the world is astronomical. In the picture, however, both the globe and the hand are drawn roughly the same size showing the importance of both and how much of an influence one decision can make on their reflection. Besides the globe, the hand, in reality, is the only object that is physically in the picture.The man and the room are simply visual reflections. That small detail shows that the hand is the only controlling factor when it comes to what is being reflected and the only connection to reality. A hand to individuals is unique, just like his or her thought process. Therefore, each reflection varies person-to-person good or bad depending on their own choic es. A life filled with no attachments or achievements can cause a reflection filled with emptiness and regret when they do not live their life to the fullest and take control of their life.The regrets may come from being too absorbed in one aspect they completely ignore or forget about the other and it causes damage as time ticks on and it starts becoming too late. Escher has drawn a piece that truly resonates in any kind of person to convey the message that the power to live life to the fullest all rests in the palms of their hands and it is up to each and every person to make the decisions that influence the accomplishments and achievements made throughout lives.However, another message that comes through with the picture is also that the superficial world is what defines what is important today. People are more focused on making the money to live comfortably and to show off the material possessions that are owned. That drive to own material possessions has caused the neglect of t he social life that leads to the lonely and depressed feeling that is personified in the picture drawn by Escher. The picture is clear, materials hold no meaning and no pull without anyone to share in the success and provide support along the way.

Take home mid term (nonresearch other than course readings) Essay

Take home mid term (nonresearch other than course readings) - Essay Example The social structure that we have is dictated by our economics. Class and stratification come about as a result of economic opportunity. Groups that struggle for equal rights pin their demands on the need for economic equality and equal pay. Efforts to create new social institutions are done so not with speeches and persuasion, but with economic motivations. Barrington Moore's argument that economic trends are a better predictor of political behavior is certainly true in America. America was built on free market economics and has molded the way we perceive our class system and our social programs. The American Revolution was unique in that it was not a revolution that overthrew an existing system, but was rather a fight for independence that was in the process of building a system of government. Historians have, at times, noted the multiple roles of America's revolution and termed it a liberal-republic or exclusionary republic. John Adams observed with some pride that America had turned "their backs on Europe's class-ridden corporate society, for rejecting the canon and feudal law" (Hartz 322). This viewpoint painted America as a Democratic Republic in which each individual was a participant in their own fate. Indeed, there was little to overthrow when America was created. It was the most orderly and free society in the world and there was a movement to preserve that tradition. Sam Adams was less hopeful and predicted that all systems, however free, would eventually fall prey to man's tyranny and the "passions of Men that are fixed and timeless" (Hartz 324). The American Revolution created a free republic that was still in its infancy. There was freedom that was unknown to Europeans as Hartz notes that, "millions of Europeans have fled to America to discover the freedom of Paine, there have been a few Americans, only a few of course, who have fled to Europe to discover the freedom of Burke" (336). This freedom was not only in political thought and social structure, but also economics. Free market economics demanded freedoms of political thought and this was not overlooked by Franklin. Franklin was more absorbed with the philosophy of economics than that of politics and was revered for the philosophy by which Poor Richard lived more than for the Almanac itself (Hartz 332). From this aspect America was a rugged Republicanism that was exclusionary by necessity. They were building a society with deliberate frugality. The deliberate course of events created a free market republic, yet many economic sectors were dependent upon the oppression of slaves and women. Their freedoms, built into the constitution, would not be realized for centuries. Still, the free Republic was inevitable as Hartz writes, "When men have already inherited the freest society in the world, and are grateful for it, their thinking is bound to be of a solider type (324). This soldier mentality has been the impetus for the steady progress toward the building of the Republic as it was founded and it was intended. 3a.) James Madison's Political Thought James Madison, one of the most influential founding fathers of the constitution, was a complicated political thinker whose enigma, has at times, been interpreted as inconsistent. Madison began his life born into wealth and privilege offering him a liberal education in one of America's finest universities. Madison was a man of

Marketing Behavior and Decision-Making Assignment - 1

Marketing Behavior and Decision-Making - Assignment Example In addition, this course also highlights how the decision-making process is affected by social, marketing and other situational factors. According to research, the customers usually go through a five-stage process. This model is extremely crucial for individuals during the creation of marketing decisions. As stated above, this model includes need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase analysis (Kardes, 2001). This course enables learners to manage all these stages hence, persuading the potential client that the product surely satisfies his or her needs. On the other hand, an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree is usually awarded to learners who have understood and mastered the study of business (Gorman, 2003). Researchers claim that this degree is considered as a prominent degree compared to other degree courses all over the world. The learners are equipped with knowledge which can be applied in several real world business situations. Individuals with the MBA degree have successfully managed to advance their careers and also increase their salary potential in a significant way. This is because most of the MBA graduates are eligible to apply for the job vacancies in the current business world. In fact, job vacancies that are related to the executive and senior management positions usually require individuals who have an MBA degree. Most of the MBA programs offer the required skills in general management through a specialized curriculum (Gorman, 2003). This form of education is quite relevant in most business sectors and industries. In the MBA degree, there are different disciplines that are offered. Some of the most common disciplines include marketing, economics, accounting, finance, information systems, entrepreneurship, global management and operations management among

Censorship, The First Amendment, and Free Speech Essay - 1

Censorship, The First Amendment, and Free Speech - Essay Example Victims of hate speech suffered from emotional, as well as psychological pains, and as a result, various institutions took up action by way of creating hate speech campus codes. These codes were meant to limit speech that was both hateful as well as harmful to people (Garrett 1). However, the courts systematically began striking down the policies in speech, stating how they were unconstitutional. From a student’s perspective, hate speech is unfair harassment or treatment either verbally or non-verbally directed towards an individual, or group of persons based on their color, race, nationality, religious beliefs, age, and sex, with the sole purpose of creating offensiveness and intimidation for the persons involved. Although there has been a significant increment in the number of hate speech codes within colleges, as well as universities, the increase in hate speech occurrences across the U.S is unbearable. Although hate speech codes endeavor to create a safer environment that is politically correct within college campuses by instituting principles as well as guidelines for students to adhere to, they are somewhat ineffective because they are merely trying to cover up hate speech (Gould 73). Various campuses enforce repressive as well as biased speech codec, and under these codes, all groups of persons of integrity risk persecution from school staff. These speech codes make it punishable for students to talk about or even distribute resources concerning issues that are contrary to dominant beliefs within the campus, of which could be mostly secular as well as politically correct in nature. Nevertheless, there has never been any known case whereby a college’s speech has remained unchanged after a courtroom challenge. The present generation of speech codes tends to come by way of students conduct and email policies that ban invasive communication, statements of diversity that have provisions for

Avis Europe Good Corporate Citizens of the Society Essay

Avis Europe Good Corporate Citizens of the Society - Essay Example The company is now enjoying around 16% market share in U.K. The company provides rental stations through three business formats such as corporate locations, agency location and franchise location. The Budget variety, belonging to Avis Europe in March 2003, provides for customers in above 1,000 places within 65 countries. These are contract-based firms with corporate offices in Austria and Switzerland, France and the UK.   Avis Europe aims to be the leading rental car company while maintaining very high ethical standards. Avis works on the Philosophy of ‘Kaizen’ or Continuous Improvement, which they coin by the phrase â€Å"We Try Harder†. A person named Warren Avis founded Avis Europe. He was a war pilot who after being discharged from US war force came out to design his car rental company. He thought of tapping the niche market of Airport Car Rental Service. The first airports the company tapped were Miami and Detroit. The success of the company can be traced from the fact that in about seven years it rose to the second position behind companies like Hertz and Lazard Freres. Keeping in mind the philosophy of continuous improvement their mission is to build a long-term relationship with stakeholders in the business. They also consider customer loyalty as the focus area. According to a survey report prepared by U.S research organization, Avis is one of the top companies from the vi ewpoint of customer loyalty. Retention of customers in a highly competitive market is always a difficult task. Therefore, they are very much focused on this. In terms of their vision, Avis Europe wants to establish themselves as good corporate citizens of the society. Gaining customer loyalty is their prime goal in this respect. They are also adopting many strategies to project themselves to the society as a good & responsible company. They are equally caring about their employees, suppliers, shareholders,  environment community and society.