American Beauty Film Critique Essay Example for Free

American Beauty Film Critique Essay There are few films that achieve the high level of quality exhibited by that of the 1990 beautiful tragedy, American Beauty. The film is a true masterpiece in both content and how this content is delivered to the viewers. It excels at being an enlightening and relevant drama about American life, and never fails to keep the audience entertained by providing many instances of well-placed humor. Every scene is filmed including metaphoric elements that not only show great stylistic and aesthetics, but also create a mood and feeling for the theme of the movie. American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes, is a film that is set in suburban America, in a normal neighbourhood, following the everyday life of the central protagonist, Lester Burnham, who is living the typical ‘American Dream’. He appears to have a great job, big house, loving wife and daughter and even a white picket fence. However, all is not as it seems as appearance can often be deceiving; if we just â€Å"look closer†, we as audience members soon see that he realises both his wife, over bearing and controlling Carolyn and jaded teenage daughter, Jane think that, in the words of Jane, he is â€Å"this gigantic loser† and they’re right. The character of Lester is initially portrayed as a depressed, sad and lonely forty-year-old man, deprived of freedom and struggling to find anything worth living for. However as the film progresses Lester’s persona as a character is dramatically developed with the introduction of an equally intriguing character, Angela Hayes. Everything changes for Lester the night he is forced by his wife to his daughters school to see her perform as a cheerleader. There on the floor, engrossed in a pompon routin, parading and dancing around the court, he sees his ‘angel’: Angela his daughters high-school classmate. Angela fulfills the stereotypical idea of what beauty physical beauty is. She is thin, blonde, big blue-eyed and immediately catches Lester’s attention; Angela is not Lesters highway to bliss, but she is at least a catalyst for his freedom (Ebert, 1999). His thoughts, and the dissatisfaction they stimulate, blast him free from years of emotional torture and bring him right back to his youth. It is from this moment on that Lester transforms into a spontaneous hormone-driven teenage boy, who smokes marihuana, works out, and uits his job all in order to impress his Angel-a. American Beauty uses Angela as the image of Lester’s broader want; that being his underlying desire for freedom and evidentially beauty. However, she symbolizes the potential underlying superficiality of physical beauty that is slowly revealed towards the end of the film. The film portrays many of the hidden problems within the white picket fence American dream along with addressing the problems many Am ericans have with feeling free and accepting their own identity. The film shows the vastly different worlds that people can live in whilst still living on the same street, and the disorder and frenzy that lies veiled in a society that we all try to portray as being as perfect as possible. In doing so, American Beauty reveals that the only way to calm the chaos is to find beauty in everything. To â€Å"look closer† is a must for truly understanding and identifying with the continuous bombardment of symbolism that is constantly being illustrated in this film. American Beauty portrays such themes as the falseness in lust, power and appearance and that we need to remind our selves â€Å"†¦of all the beauty there is in the world†, as beauty is a matter of opinion. Beauty however, is the most significant and explored theme in American Beauty. Another prevailing theme is the notion of the characters journey and transformation throughout the film. Lester’s journey can almost be compared to one from childhood from adulthood, figuratively speaking as evidentially, he steps into a mature, paternal phase where he takes responsibility and finds meaning in life, as an adult. Many techniques were used to portray these themes and influence audiences opinions of characters and events, including film techniques of cinematography, soundtrack as well as such visual techniques of symbolism, colour and contrast and both aesthetic and stylistic elements. American Beauty is a complex film that relies so heavily on mis-en-scene and cinematography to portray its message. In particular this is showcased during one scene that truly puts the ‘American Beauty’ into perspective; the opening scene or as it is often referred to as, the â€Å"High Point Scene†. The film explores the concepts of what true beauty really is and as suggested in the title of the film, the American Dream and how far this ‘dream’ really goes and what it actually means; this is explored further from the films tagline â€Å"look closer†; to think about perceived desire and to analyze more what these wants are. Through the exploration of the opening scene and a study of how the cinematography, mise en scene and sound foreshadows plot points in the rest of the film, the underlying messages and symbolism will be uncovered. The movie opens with a grainy shot of Jane Burnham reclining on a bed, complaining about her father. The scene begins with what is referred to as a flash forward, in cinematic terms. The line â€Å"Someone really should just put him out of his misery† is a hint towards the mid life crisis that the father Lester is currently going through and the ways in which she is aware of the pain he is dealing with, not knowing what he truly wants. Through the mise en scene and cinematography displayed throughout the scene, the audience is enabled to receive a glimpse into the events that have just occurred. Through the use of a lesser quality picture, shaky footage and dimmed lighting the audience is able to identify with the fact that the imagery being presented has that of a ‘home movie’ feel. The utilization of ‘raw footage’ within this drama genre of film gives the audience a sense of reality towards the character, hence making the dialogue seem more legitimate and believable. The addition of a pause into the characters dialogue helps to support and express the sense of ‘reality’ further, as it is as if she is really thinking about what she is saying. The rather ambiguous approach to the delivering of the line â€Å"You want me to kill him for you? † helps to draw attention to Jane’s reaction as apposed to the interviewers own intensions. This poses both Jane Burnham, the daughter and the unidentified interviewer as suspects to her father’s upcoming murder. However the abstruse approach from the interviewer combined with the daughters reply is foreshadowing what is to come later in the film, as each character related to the father is set up to be the possible murderer of his death. By using the body language as a primary tool for communication, the reply of â€Å"Yeah, would you† to the previous statement, suggests that she is almost daring the interviewer to kill him. This is expressed through the dominant changing of levels when she sits up, almost creating a shift in power, and looks down and straight into the camera, but at the same time also insinuates some sarcasm on her part. The audience learns in the very first lines of the movie that Jane’s dad, Lester, is not the father that she wants. The opening credits roll, and the shot switches to an aerial view of a neighborhood. The exact location is not specified, and that is very intentional. It is important that this not be a critique of a specific area, but of American culture as a whole. The scene begins with an aerial shot of a suburb, with Lester Burnham introducing the audience to his life and informing them that In less than a year, Ill be dead, and in a way, Im dead already. This dialogue is heightened through the following shots of Lester lying alone on a bed in a very dull coloured room, thus signifying the meaninglessness life in which he is leading. The utilization of an aerial shot here creates the idea that the world is looking down on him. The dominant use of bright lighting also indicates that it is the morning, however through the use of shadowing casted over Lester, it expressed to the audience that he is still in ‘the dark’; he is yet to be enlightened. Visual techniques are a constant feature in American Beauty, including the use of colour, contrast and symbolism. The primary recurring prop that is introduced at the beginning of the film is a rose, in which the audience first sees in a close up before Lesters wife Carolyn Burnham picks it up. The first shot of the rose seems out of place, beginning with the flower filling the frame and then moving down to focus on the thorns before Carolyn’s clippers cut it. The rose symbolizes the impotence of not only the love life between Lester and Carolyn but the idea of the American Dream. This shot not only draws attention to the rose as a recurring object in the film, but it also serves as a metaphor for the Burnhams: on the outside they appear perfect, like the flower, but underneath they are rotten and broken (represented by the thorns). In this shot the character of Carolyn is also introduced and is instantly perceived as a cold, workaholic who is obsessive about how they (the family) is presented. This portrayal is demonstrated through the line â€Å"See the way the handle on those pruning shears matches her gardening clogs? That’s not an accident†, thus showing the audience what level she will go to, to maintain order and control. What is also noticeable about this shot is the mise en scene, in particular the red roses, white picket fences and the blue painting on the house. These colours in specific represent the American flag and therefore the American dream. These objects are most perceived to be included within the American dream as well as stereotypical figure of Carolyn, the suburban housewife. This ideology however, creates contrast with the cinematography. Many scenes are metaphoric in how they are shot, and what is in the frame symbolizes a higher, deeper meaning. This is demonstrated when, Lester looking out the window of his house at his wife, and the blinds on the window represent jail cell bars. Even the blocks of text on his computer screen at work, (shown later in the film) represent jail cell bars. Lester is â€Å"in jail† because his life at this point is so empty and missing substance. This cinematography technique often used in film nior is utilized to convey the emotions of disassociation and distance which in this case, is the way in which Lester feels towards his wife; he is no longer associated with her. American Beauty is more than a biting satire on suburban life. This somewhat contrived story is meant to be an allegory. Alan Balls richly textured screenplay, brilliantly executed stylistic and aesthetic elements such as cinematography, mise en scene and symbols are effectively demonstrated throughout this masterpiece of a film. Every single shot is so carefully taken and layered with such vast significance that it is a marvel to behold. â€Å"Look closer, the films tag line tells us. Look closer at the beautiful things we yearn for and spend our life chasing. There isn’t a single example of a film done better. Not only is the content top-notch, but the technical aspects of the movie are excellent as well. American Beauty truly demonstrates the power of film.

Factors That Restrict Success Within Youth Sport

Factors That Restrict Success Within Youth Sport Part 1 With reference to the theory undertaken in this module, evaluate the key factors that restrict success within youth sport. Theory that has already been undertaken in this module includes details of the factors that restrict success in Youth Sport. Factors that have been researched prior to this piece of work are Participation Rates, Support Structures, Maturation Rates, Talent Identification and School Sport Competition. Follows, will be a detailed report underpinning three of these factors and it will stress why they each restrict success in Youth Sport. Youth is another common title for a young person or young people (Konopka, G., 1973). People have different views on how they would define sport, people suggest that sport is an activity governed by rules or customs and often engaged competitively whilst others suggest differently. Sporting people have different attitudes when it comes to playing sport. Sportsmanship is an attitude that strives for fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, ethical behaviour and integrity, and grace in victory or defeat (Fish and Magee 2003). Sports are most of ten played just for fun or for the simple fact that people need exercise to stay in good physical condition. Although they do not always succeed, sports participants are expected to display good sportsmanship, standards of conduct such as being respectful of opponents and officials. The three factors that will be that will be detailed are Relative Age Effects, Talent Identification and Significant Others. These seem to be the most contrasting factors that restrict success therefore there will be outcome of an understanding from different views and aspects of the sporting world for youths. Depending on the dates of a childs birth, they will be in either one season or the other to determine what school year they will be entering. For sports players, physical appearance is an agenda when it comes to selecting players off an appearance basis and measuring biological maturity is a way of finding best players; (Vaegans et al 2005). Youths that are involved in sport must be adequately prepared for a life in sport Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) provides a model that they can work from. Phase 1 FUNdamentals (FUN) Objective TO LEARN FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS Content Overall development, focusing on the ABCs (Agility, Balance, Coordination, Speed) to underpin the generic skills used in many sports: Running, jumping and throwing. Frequency Perform physical activity 5-6 times per week. Phase2 Learning to Train (L2T) Objective TO LEARN FUNDAMENTALS SPORTS SKILLS Content Concentration on the range of FUNdamental sports skills, such as throwing, catching, jumping and running. Introduction to readiness: being mentally and physically prepared. Basic FUNdamental tactics, e.g. if fielding, net/wall, invasion games can be introduced. Cognitive and emotional developments are central Skills are practised in challenging formats Frequency As above. If there is a favoured sport, it is suggested that at least 50% of the time is allocated to other sports/activities that develop a range of skills. Phase3 Training to Train (T2T) Objective TO BUILD FITNESS SPECIFIC SPORTS SKILLS Content This phase ideally occurs post-puberty and attention switches to: Fitness Training Detailed mental preparation A focus on sport-specific skill development, including perceptual skills (reading the game/tactical understanding). Decision making Detailed and extensive evaluation Frequency For the aspiring performer, sport specific practice will now be 6-9 times per week. Phase 4 Training to Compete (T2C) Objective TO REFINE SKILLS FOR A SPECIFIC EVENT OR POSITION Content Event and position specific training Physical conditioning Technical and tactical preparation Advanced mental practice All of the above come together and are developed under competition conditions. Frequency Training could be up to 12 timesper week. Phase5 Training to Win (T2W) Objective TO MAXIMISE PERFORMANCE IN COMPETITION Content Development and refinement of the aspects above, but with more use in competition modelling and more attention to rest periods and prevention of injury due to heavier load. Frequency Training could be up to 15 times per week Phase6 Retainment For athletes/players retiring from competitive sport, many sports are developing Masters Programmes. An additional phase retainment- keeps the players/athletes involved in physical activity. Experiences gained as competitors can be invaluable, should they move into administration, coaching or officiating. A move to another sport, perhaps at a more recreational level, may better suit some. There are consequences that the sports person could be faced with as well as the advantages and disadvantages. According to research it has been found that approximately 70% of successful hockey and football players had a relative age advantage because they were born in the first-half of the defined age-group for their respective sports. By comparison, only 30% of these top-level players were born in the last 6 months of the respective â€Å"sport year†. One consequence that has been found is an increased drop-out rate for those youthful hockey players that had been disadvantaged by age in the past (Barnsley Thompson 1988), suggesting that given the choice, younger children will seek to leave or avoid an activity in which their competitive position is hampered by their relative age. Interestingly and predictably, the relative age effect has also been found in other competitive sports such as baseball (Thompson et al 1991). Steven Gerrard was affected as a youth when it came to playing football and furthering his career. Follows is a prime example of how he overcome his relative age effect. Steven Gerrard, one of Englands most talented footballers, was born in May 1980 and was also a late developer. He describes in his autobiography his huge disappointment at not getting into the FA school at Lilleshall and subsequently not playing for England under-16s. Michael Owen, born some six months earlier in December and more physically developed made both squads easily. Steve Gerrard wrote in his autobiography: â€Å"The one nagging doubt in the back of my mind was that my rivals were bigger: I was really small and facing some tall, strong units in my position. â€Å" Steven resented his rejection but had coaches and mentors at Liverpool who knew he needed more time. Significant others can be described as the people who are around the sports performer. There are 4 sectors; Technical, Peers, Family and Supporters. These are also the key interpersonal support factors that affect a young persons participation and progress in sport. The technical others are the people who see the person as a sports performer. They could be their coach, teacher, club official, sport sciencetist or medical health sciencetist. Peers are made up of people such as friends, classmates and team mates. Family is made up of parents, grandparents and siblings. Finally, supporters are people such as fans and neighbours. All 4 sectors have some form of impact on the sports player whether it is a big one or a small one. Parents are major part for the youths life. It is the parent that has brought the child up and it is their duty, by nature, to mould the child into a young promising adolescent. Parents have empathy for their children, perceived sharing their childrens on court em otions. They are perceived to possess knowledge and expertise of the sport so they feel entitled to comment. They also have a continuum of reactions throughout their childs sport, good and bad. In-game negative comments are usually about 10%. (Holt et al 2008). Significant others can have a negative impact on the sports performer. These effects could include dropping out of sport all together. This could be caused by pressuring parents, lack of peers during adolescence and sibling rivalries. The parents could be either really demanding of the child and either expect too much of them in their sport or could be too strict towards them. Eccles and Harold (1991) proposed the parents expectations influence the child decision to engage in sport and activities including the intensity of effort expended and their childs actual performance level. Next is an extract which is a study examining parental influence on childrens participation in sport, giving an idea why the parents could restrict success in Youth Sport. X. Yang et al (1997) states ‘The purpose of this study was to examine parental influences on childrens participation in sport and their later physical activity. The population for the study consisted of a random sample of 1881 9- to 15-year-old boys and girls who were exposed to the extensive research program called Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns in 1980. They and their parents have been followed up for twelve years at three-year intervals by means of a short questionnaire concerning physical activity and other factors. The results indicated that the fathers physical activity in 1980 was related to their childrens habitual physical activity in the same year, and gave in boys and girls a significant prediction of PAI values twelve years later when the starting point was the age of 9, and also among boys from 15 years of age to 27. During the three years follow-up period, the extent of participation in sport was higher in families with active parents than in families with pas sive parents and single parents. The relationship of physical activity and sports participation with fathers socioeconomic status and education was not strong as with fathers physical activity. Talent Identification is a where a talent is found in a person. In this case it is when a talent is found in a Youth. There are different processes in which talent identification can be used in order to find potential sports persons. Scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scouts organization. Many scouts are former coaches or retired players, while others have made a career just of being scouts. Skilled scouts who help to determine which players will fit in well with an organization can be the major difference between success and failure for the team with regard to wins and losses. Talent can not only be identified by an official spectator, it can be identified by standard spectators e.g. team mates, coach, teachers. It can also be identified by parents and grandparents. If the non-official spectators were to recog nise a talent within a Youth playing Sport then they could hold the boost that the player needs in order to further themselves in their chosen sport. If the non-official spectator fails to let on to the sports person then it could restrict them from being successful in sport. UK Sport holds a number of talent identification programmes for youths and generally people aged 17-25. These are ‘Pitch 2 Podium, ‘Sporting Giants and ‘Girls4Gold. UK Sport (2008) and the English Institute of Sport (EIS)began asearch for highly competitive sportswomen with the potential to become Olympic champions in cycling and other targeted Olympic sports (bob skeleton, canoeing, modern pentathlon, rowing and sailing). Girls4Gold is the single most extensive female sporting talent recruitment drive ever undertaken in Great Britain. Girls4Gold can only take a number of people onto their programme, same with any other programme. Following the tremendous success of Team GB at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Girls4Gold team received over 1300 applications and cant take on anymore applicants until the next opening. This could be a restriction in itself because this programme could be missing out on extreme sports people including male participants. This is only available for females and therefore could hold a feature which a sporting male might need for success but doesnt have on offer anywhere else on their sporting grounds. After summarising the three factors discussed in this essay, it is clear that they all hold possible restrictions for success in Youth Sport. Relative age effects take a greater approach to the physical side of the sports people body, as the older the sports person is, the more mature and developed their body is and the younger the person is the less developed they are. This could be a restriction when it comes to team games more than it could be a restriction to playing sport individually. This means that the player could have more chances of becoming successful in an individual sport rather than a team sport. The restriction depends on what the players sport is and which ‘school year the player is born into. Significant others can be a restriction in itself depending on who the ‘significant others are around the sports player. Provided that there are the right people, technically as well as emotional and mentally, the then player could be stable and could be successful. However, if those people arent in place to give the young sports person the interpersonal support they need then they could be self reluctant to take up opportunities in order to be successful. Talent identification is the main key to success in sport. If the payer is not recognised then the player is not faced with the opportunity to make their sport official or even turn it into a career for themselves. With this it could be argued that the sports person should not take chances and wait to be noticed and that they should help themselves be acknowledged by talent identifier. This is when they could apply for programmes such as ‘Girls4Gold. This is when it could be ‘make or break for the sports player, as sometimes they are not always faced with people on the search for talent.

Change and Continuity in L’Oreal

Change and Continuity in L’Oreal Introduction There have been plenty of cosmetics that have been produced and released in the market by various companies in the previous five years. The reason behind this is that more and more people especially women are becoming more conscious of their physical appearance that they are prepared to spend their hard earned money even on expensive but high quality and effective cosmetics. While the cosmetics industry is comprised of many companies that offer unique cosmetics at varying prices, it remains clear the LOreal remains as one of the more dominant and successful organizations at present. Since its establishment in 1909, LOreal has since become a significant force to reckon with in the cosmetics industry (LOreal Official Website, 2010). The advent of globalization has enabled the company to diversify its products to cater to various target markets with distinct beauty needs. Because of the massive profits that LOreal consistently gets from its local markets, the company has been able to effectively allocate its financial resources towards its expansion activities that have helped solidify the companys dominant position in the cosmetics industry. Guided by the effective leadership headed by CEO Jean-Paul Argon, LOreal has amazingly continued to make strides even in the presence of the global economic crisis that has resulted in many of its competitors experiencing significant declines in productivity and profitability. It is clear that the deep wealth of financial and human resources of LOreal along with the effective strategies to take advantage of the benefits provided by globalization has helped sustain the productivity of the company and it is expected that LOreal would be able to maintain its strength in the next couple of years. Part A: Internal / External Analysis Internal Analysis: Strengths LOreal is very much a recognized and admired company in the field of cosmetics. The organization is actually the most dominant and productive cosmetics producer over the past decades. This dominance consistently allows LOreal to attract more followers and convert them as loyal customers by making them satisfied with the beauty products that they buy. The growing population of LOreal has always been the stable source of revenues for the organization which makes it easy for them to achieve financial strength. The effective leadership of LOreal is doing a great job in adjusting the organizations plans and initiatives based on the latest trends in the cosmetics industry. This signifies the dedication of the management to maintain the positive image of the organization by always offering the more reliable beauty products that people will really enjoy and love. LOreal functions under the principle that to maintain its top position in the cosmetics industry, the focus and emphasis of their activities have to be geared to what their customers really aim for in terms of being beautiful (Begoun 2004, p. 560). LOreal does not take chances and is noted for making smart moves to beat its competitors in launching the most innovative beauty products all the time. LOreals cosmetics do not really come at cheap rates but the huge number of loyal customers is a sufficient proof that these products really work. LOreal is also known for its remarkable capability to always be the first company to find the latest beauty ingredients that will work well. The organization possesses deep financial resources to use in extensive research efforts that will help them to check the typical beauty problems of people. Consistent assessments of the cosmetics of LOreal are also being undertaken so that the organization is assured of the sustained effectiveness of their products. Any moves done by its competitors are also being monitored by LOreal for the organization to be able to respond quickly with better products and initiatives. Internal Analysis: Weaknesses The major point of vulnerability of LOreal is the alarming truth that the organization seems to neglect the idea of selling its cosmetics to the people belonging to the lower classes. The inability of the organization to keep in touch with the lower classes is a huge obstacle that continuously denies them the opportunity to clearly separate itself from the rest of its rivals. Because the prices of LOreal products are not considered as budget friendly among the lower class families, they are consistently being beaten by their rivals in this market segment (Kapferer 2008, p. 379). This is absolutely where the rivals of LOreal are striking back in an effort to somehow catch the company The usual criticism that LOreal receives regarding its cosmetics is that they are only made for the wealthy people to enjoy. The advertisements of LOreal boast of the numerous celebrities that endorse their products, and these send the wrong signals especially to the people belonging to the lower classes that these beauty products were not intended for them to use. This has sparked rumors that LOreal is biased when selecting their target markets that will use their cosmetics (Turner 2005, p. 226). This negative publicity and the failure of the organization to clarify these nasty rumors have somehow cast doubts even on their loyal customers regarding the true intentions of the organization. Critics also always question the corporate social responsibility initiatives of LOreal. Since LOreal has diversified its operations in numerous locations involving more than 80 countries, an evident weakness is that handling and monitoring its global activities have truly turned into significant challenges for the company. It only becomes harder for the company on the areas where LOreal products are not really very much patronized by the public due to the expensive prices and lack of familiarity. If LOreal is not going to do anything to improve its poor status in these countries, their competitors will someday take advantage of these weaknesses and may displace them at the top of the cosmetics industry. External Analysis: Opportunities LOreal is always presented the opportunity to offer its loyal clients with the best cosmetics that are impossible for their competitors to imitate. Even though the company is criticized for its selective target marketing initiatives, it could always help to silence their critics by always coming up with high quality products that are reasonably priced. The company has to continue taking advantage of its excellent research and development team that has proven its capabilities time and time again. The chance to respond to the criticism that LOreal is afraid to deal with the consumers from the lower classes must be grabbed by the company to once and for all settle this issue. Perhaps an important move connected to this would be finding ways to make their products more affordable for the public (Capon 2008, p. 263). This way, the consumers from the lower classes can be able to start appreciating the cosmetics of LOreal and not simply dream of using them just like what they always see and hear in the advertisements. It is always important that the consumers feel that their needs are being addressed by the companies whose products they patronize. LOreal can still keep on searching for other struggling cosmetics organizations and perhaps make intensive moves to acquire them to further expand their operations and strengthen their grip at the top spot in the cosmetics industry. It is no secret that the ongoing financial crisis has affected most companies and minimized their effectiveness, but remarkably LOreal has stayed strong even through the tough circumstances (Tang 2008, p. 20). The deep resources of the company significantly helped them to coast along the difficult stretch of 2008 and 2009 when the financial crisis struck. By making efforts to acquire or strike partnership deals with other smaller cosmetics companies, manufacturers and suppliers, LOreal can be able to take advantage of the financial crisis to pull away from their competitors and pounce on the problems that continue to hound them. External Analysis: Threats Since LOreal is the most dominant cosmetics company at present, the rest of the field is always waiting for any potential mistakes that LOreal is going to make so they can take advantage and pull themselves closer to the top (Doz 2001, p. 44). The intense rivalry is very typical in the cosmetics industry, and if LOreal becomes complacent and starts underestimating the capabilities of their competitors to beat them in sales and profits, it could be a costly mistake and something that the company could regret later on. Whether LOreal admits it or not, the financial crisis sooner or later will become an imminent problem that they will have to deal with especially if the crisis extends for the next two to three years. It can become more problematic if LOreal fails to adjust the prices of its beauty products, as the financial crisis has made most people to hesitate spending their money on expensive beauty products. Therefore, LOreal cannot simply keep relying on its deep financial resources to save them from the impacts of the financial crisis because eventually they will get depleted if even their loyal customers decide to refrain from buying their cosmetics. It is a must for LOreal to be able to find other ways to sustain their financial stability and make contingency plans in case the number of their loyal customers begins to decrease. LOreals promotional activities have also been attacked by critics for being biased and providing statements about their products that are merely lies (Sandhusen 2008, p. 52). These are absolutely not good for the long term progress of the company, as these controversies will forever be remembered by the public which could prevent LOreal from stabling bigger and stronger customer bases. The image of the company may be that of a dominant organization in the cosmetics industry, but if the public would believe that they are involved in illegal and unfair practices, they would eventually be losing majority of their precious clients. Summary What LOreal has to focus on is guaranteeing that they continue to capitalize on their strengths while their vulnerabilities are identified and resolved immediately. The various strengths of LOreal are unique and have been obtained through the hard work and commitment of the company to excellence. It would only be logical for LOreal to keep utilizing their strengths to their advantage given that its competitors are still struggling to the impacts of the economic crisis. The company also has to be resilient to monitor any available opportunities that could emerge and should not hesitate to grab them. LOreal, though, must be extra careful because their competitors are always significant threats to their dominance in the cosmetics industry. They need to pay close attention to their activities especially their marketing programs that have been the subject of controversies and fix the issues immediately. Task 2: Globalization and LOreal How globalization influences policies and decision making in LOreal The advent of globalization has had significant impacts on the policies and decision making of LOreal. Globalization has enabled LOreal to formulate policies that are geared towards utilizing its distinct operational structures to produce cosmetics that can be well appreciated by the public consumers all over the globe (Floyd 2004, p. 77). The policies of LOreal have always been based on globalization, and these include addressing the beauty needs of clients all over the globe, utilizing its resources to produce the best cosmetics, advocating diversity in their workforce to obtain better capabilities, improving its knowledge of world trends in cosmetics as well as establishing effective partnerships with providers and manufacturers all over the world to enhance the outputs and minimize their expenses. Through creating policies and decisions that aim to sustain LOreals dedication in offering the best beauty products to its global clients, the company believes that it is able to use globalization to its advantage. LOreal is aware that establishing a global presence is important for them to achieve success, which is why their policies and decisions are geared toward being involved in the cosmetics industries all over the world. LOreal aims to help establish an excellent business environment all over the world while expanding its operations in various sectors (Haig 2006, p. 27). For LOreal, globalization signifies the necessity for them to broaden its operations to enable more individuals from different cultures to get to know and use their beauty products. This global expansion initiative, though, is being done by the company in an organized and effective manner. LOreal has effective guidelines that help safeguard the environment of the foreign countries where they have operations. T he company also offers employment opportunities that are loaded with excellent incentives. They also have policies in interacting effectively with their providers to advocate the maintenance of excellent guidelines in the production of cosmetics. Of course, LOreal does not forget to recognize the policies and traditions of their global partners for development. The advent of globalization has also heavily influenced the policies and decisions of LOreal with regard to workforce diversity. LOreals policies and decisions are geared towards improving its operations through harnessing the knowledge and skills of their workforces all over the global and getting their precious suggestions and contributions. The company understands that the presence of globalization implies the need for them to rely on their diverse workers and address their typical concerns. The policies of LOreal also include guidelines to coordinate with the leaders of foreign countries where they have operations in offering sources of livelihood for their people in exchange for the continued stay of LOreal. This way, the company is able to maintain good relations with more than 80 countries where they currently have production plants and offices. It has become very clear for LOreal that to achieve global dominance in the cosmetics industry of the world, they have to use the diversity of their workforces to their advantage (Finkelstein 2007, p. 132). While the company has successfully expanded its operations in various continents, it remains a challenge for LOreal to penetrate certain underdeveloped countries due to cultural and language barriers. This is the reason why the management is working to break these barriers through new policies that will enable the company to finally penetrate in these tough locations that will contribute to their long term success. LOreal also has policies that aim to build strong relationships with its global business partners, including material providers and manufacturers. This is based on the philosophy of the company that it cannot achieve success by relying only on its own efforts. The company understands that by encouraging the participation and support of other important business organizations, LOreals aim to succeed can have a better chance to happen (Khanna 2010, p. 101). This structure of operation also helps the company to delegate its responsibilities effectively and trust that their business partners will be able to accomplish the tasks and responsibilities given to them by the LOreal management. Another impact of globalization in the policies and decision making of LOreal is the obvious focus on recognizing the rights, traditions, beliefs and norms of every foreign country where they have operations. The company understands that they have to be careful not to violate any of these international laws and policies if it wants to remain productive in these foreign locations. The policies of LOreal in this regard require the constant communication of the corporate leaders and the government representatives to discuss effectively the guidelines and other agreements that need to be approved. This way, any unexpected problems or concerns that could happen in the international locations can be easily resolved and their potential negative impacts are significantly minimized. Part of the policies of LOreal in respecting the international laws of their global business partners is the policy of maintaining the cleanliness of the environment. As LOreals products involve chemical wastes, the company assures the governments of their global business partners that waste disposal is always done effectively to prevent environmental damage and other hazardous impacts. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of LOreals response to globalization In terms of addressing the beauty needs of clients all over the globe, LOreal has mostly been successful in this regard. LOreal views the existence of globalization as a force that makes the beauty needs of their global clients even more complicated. This is because the existence of globalization can easily change the mentalities of people through what they see, heat and read in the media (Mueller 2004, p. 180). This means that what the beauty products that they might like today may be irrelevant for them tomorrow. However, because of the competent and hard working research and development team of LOreal, the changes in the consumer trends and behavior are easily monitored and thoroughly evaluated by the company. The successful response of LOreal to globalization in terms of addressing the needs of their global customers can be attributed to the hard work of its research and development team. The advent of globalization has also challenged LOreal to utilize its resources effectively to produce the best cosmetics. This is because globalization has also been beneficial to the competitors of LOreal. Its competitors have also acquired the new technologies, information and expertise that have significantly improved their operations and their chances to topple LOreal at the top of the cosmetics industry (Kurtz 2009, p 45). However, LOreal has been able to prove time and time again why it would be hard for its competitors to displace them at the top. Under the guidance of effective leaders, LOreal has consistently been able to maximize the depth of its financial and technological resources to create unique, innovative and relevant beauty products that cater to the beauty needs of its global clients. LOreal has never shown any hesitation to spend significant amounts of money in order to always be the first company to launch cosmetics that can catch the attention of global consume rs. LOreal has also been effective at responding to the challenges of globalization through the presence of diversity in their workforce to obtain better capabilities. With its global operations anchored on the strong contributions of its more than 100 production sites with almost 60,000 workers coming from various cultural backgrounds, LOreal has been successful in maximizing the availability of the skills, knowledge and expertise of its diverse workforce to its advantage. It is quite evident that the presence of globalization has made it mandatory for companies to really use a diverse workforce to be able to cope up to the challenges that it presents (Morck 2005, p. 211). The success of the response of LOreal to globalization in this aspect can be directly attributed to the excellent work of the human resources department of the company. The department is able to effectively select the right combinations of people from various cultures to handle the responsibilities inside the company, and does a good job in making sure that the needs and concerns of the employees are always addressed. As a result, the employees of LOreal all over the world are able to contribute significantly to the overall success of the organization. Globalization has always been connected to modern technologies and mass media, and LOreal has successfully used them in improving its knowledge of world trends in cosmetics. The negative consequences of failing to know and understand the latest developments in any market or industry have always been costly and disastrous for companies, which is why LOreal has significantly invested in modern technologies and production equipment as a proof of their readiness and willingness to embrace the challenges brought about by globalization. LOreal does not really worry about the huge funds that it shells out to acquire these technologies and equipment, because it understands that eventually the advantages of their investments would eventually outweigh the expenses. Aside from expanding its operations globally, LOreal has also been successful at establishing effective partnerships with providers and manufacturers all over the world to enhance their outputs and minimize their expenses. Over the last three years, LOreal has engaged in various acquisitions in an effort to cope up to the expansion activities of its competitors as dictated by globalization. Because of globalization, the implementation of free trade has made it easier for the competitors of LOreal to also engage in expanding their operations especially in areas where LOreal has been having difficulties in penetrating. Nonetheless, the strength of the significant acquisitions of LOreal most notably its acquisition of the Body Shop and Sanofi-Aventis is still much better compared to the minor transactions being done by their competitors. Perhaps the only aspect where LOreal has not achieved any satisfactory results is with regard to the environment (Peng 2008, p. 92). It is a well known fact that globalization has been criticized for causing environmental degradation, and the complaints being received by LOreal with regard to waste management are proofs of this. The company has been blamed for polluting water systems due to the chemicals involved in its production wastes, and this has surely caught the attention of the public. Complaints also with regard to the company making use of live animals to test their products have been condemned by animal rights advocates, and numerous protests have been initiated all over the world to stop LOreal from continuing such initiatives. While the company has always denied being involved in these animal testing activities, animal rights groups have yet to be convinced that LOreal is not guilty of these violations. These negativities are definitely undesirable and need to be fixed b y the company before they get blown out of proportions and become more complicated. Areas for improvement in the response of LOreal An important area of improvement for LOreal is concerning its research and development department. This unit deserves to be given credit for its excellent outputs and performances that have enabled the company to maintain its dominant position in the cosmetics industry. It is safe to say that the challenges brought about by globalization in terms of addressing the unpredictable beauty needs of the people have all been shouldered and correctly identified by the tireless researchers of LOreal (Flapper 2005, p. 80). This does not mean though that there is no more room for improvement for this department. The management of the company can keep allocating funds to this department to make sure that the researchers are able to keep doing their studies and activities without any limitations. It is important to remember that the research team is doing its studies on consumer behavior on a global scale, so financial assistance will definitely be needed by the department. The management of cultural diversity among its employees is also an important area of improvement for LOreal. While the company has done a good job in taking advantage of the diverse skills, knowledge and expertise of its employees all over the world, it will be beneficial for the company if there would be clearer methods of conflict resolution especially as cultural diversity is also the usual culprit of frequent disagreements among the employees. It is impossible to think that the employees of LOreal will always agree to all aspects of their work so it will help that methods of conflict resolution are firmly in place. This is an important impact of globalization that LOreal cannot afford to neglect since it could really have negative consequences on the performance of the company. The company is already doing a great job addressing the needs of their global workforce, but ample focus has to also be given to ensure that the diverse employees of LOreal are all on the same page. The use of mass media for its marketing efforts can also be improved by LOreal in response to the challenges of globalization. LOreal has been criticized for unfair advertising practices which have been denied by the company. Nonetheless, to make sure that all these criticisms are answered effectively, perhaps it is now time for the company to step up their efforts in utilizing various types of media outlets to improve its marketing outputs and reach more consumers from faraway places (Rugman 2005, p. 167). The use of Internet as an effective marketing strategy can be an excellent move for LOreal to intensify its marketing efforts and take advantage of its extensive reach. The marketing team also has to monitor the contents of their advertisements to check if there are indeed signs or indications of racial discrimination to prevent unnecessary controversies and issues from emerging. Perhaps the most important area of improvement that LOreal has to focus on is concerning ethics and environmental issues connected to globalization. This has been the major cause of controversies and problems for the company and it is only a matter of time before lawsuits will be filed against LOreal for continuous violations on animal rights and environmental policies. The improvement necessary for this starts with the employees of the company learning to follow the policies especially since they are operating in foreign countries. The management and the employees of LOreal really need to make serious discussions regarding these matters because if they are left unresolved, they will really start pulling the company down. These controversies are not good for the image of LOreal, so the sooner they are able to provide remedies to these problems, the better it will be for the company as they can start concentrating on issues and concerns that are more important than dealing with the co nsequences of their inability to follow policies. Conclusion There is no doubt that LOreal is at present at the top of the cosmetics industry because of its effective strategies that are geared towards taking advantage of its strengths and opportunities as well as reducing the impacts of its weaknesses and the threats being imposed by its competitors. It has also helped the company in having excellent leaders and hardworking, diverse employees. LOreal firmly believes that cultural diversity is an asset for the company, which is why the skills, knowledge and expertise of its employees are always developed to maximize them and put them to good use. Globalization is perceived by LOreal as a challenge and an opportunity to keep improving its operations all over the world. LOreals policies and decisions have undoubtedly been influenced by the impacts of globalization, and the company does not see anything bad at it for as long as the activities that they do are always in accordance to their mission, vision and objectives. The policies of LOreal have always been based on globalization, and these include addressing the beauty needs of clients all over the globe, utilizing its resources to produce the best cosmetics, advocating diversity in their workforce to obtain better capabilities, improving its knowledge of world trends in cosmetics as well as establishing effective partnerships with providers and manufacturers all over the world to enhance the outputs and minimize their expenses. There have also been negative impacts of globalization that LOreal needs to resolve immediately to make sure that they are able to maintain at the top of the cosmetics industry for the long term.

Edgar Allan Poe and the American Mind Essay -- Edgar Allan Poe

Throughout the first half of the 19th century, America gazed at itself in a mirror and saw that it was good. As a beacon for democracy, the United States appeared to shine bright as the light of the world, demonstrating through the 1828 election of President Andrew Jackson that even a commoner from the countryside had the potential to rise to the top of the political hierarchy. On another level, under the growing success and influence of the Industrial Revolution, the American people seemed to ascribe widely to the belief that nature could be conquered by man, that no danger posed by the natural world was beyond the salvation offered by human technology. And then there was the overarching vision of manifest destiny, the nation’s blessed calling to expand its territory from ocean to ocean and thereby fulfill its purpose as a paradigm of virtue amid the savagery of the New World. Beneath the surface of each favorable reflection, however, lay shadows of hypocrisy that casted silent judgment upon these shining images of prosperity: the fact that democracy empowered the people, but only if they were white males; the reality that with industrial progress came egalitarian regress; and the truth that manifest destiny served as but an imperialist justification, a sort of divine mandate, for the removal and massacre of countless Native Americans. This tension between negative undertone and positive faà §ade, between dark realities and their euphemized reflections, created a critical dissonance in the 19th century American conscience, such that the nation appeared ostensibly promising on the surface, and yet remained ravaged by storms of contradiction underneath. Perhaps inspired by this internal struggle between delusion... ...nly reality within the mind of the person. Works Cited Fisher, Benjamin F. The Cambridge Introduction to Edgar Allan Poe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print. Gargano, James W. â€Å"’The Black Cat’: Perverseness Reconsidered.† Twentieth Century Interpretations of Poe’s Tales. Ed. William L. Howarth. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1971. 87-94. Print. Hammond, J.R. Edgar Allan Poe Companion: The Short Stories. London: MacMillan Press, 1981. Print. Jones, Paul Christian. â€Å"Slavery and Abolition.† Edgar Allan Poe in Context. Ed. Kevin A. Hayes. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2013. 138-147. Print. Quinn, Arthur H. Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography. 1941. Print. Robinson, E. Arthur. â€Å"Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart.’† Critics on Poe. Ed. David B. Kesterson. Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami Press, 1973. 107-115. Print.

Marijuana Use: An Ethical Examination Essay -- legalization of marijuan

Works Cited Missing Instead of addressing the tiresome argument about whether or not marijuana should be legalized in the United States, I would like to examine a much more fundamental question: whether or not it is right to use the drug. This problem is strictly an ethical one. If we are to examine only the moral implications of the action then we must discard governmental laws from the equation, for this decision could be made anywhere, at any time, under any sort of governmental regime, under any set of laws, which after all are only that particular government’s best guess at morality and who’s to say their judgment is any better than yours? Knowing that this decision is a rather daunting one, I’ve enlisted the help of three friends, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill, to aid in the decision making process. It just so happens that they are experts in the field of ethics. Aristotle is an ancient Greek philosopher, really the first philosopher to use the word â€Å"ethics†. His major book on ethics is titled Nicomachean Ethics (Bostock 1). In order to understand Nicomachean Ethics and apply it, we must first understand how Aristotle viewed the world. Aristotle sees the world in terms of ends, purposes, and functions. In nature, the end of the acorn is to become an oak tree. In human affairs, the end of architecture is to produce buildings; of shipbuilding, to produce ships; of medicine, to promote health. Humans too have a function, an ultimate end; this Aristotle calls eudaimonia. The traditional translation is happiness, but this translation is misleading. To put it most aptly eudaimonia â€Å"connotes overall success and prosperity and achievement, though it also connotes something that we may call... ... the world would most likely be made up of people enjoying pleasure, something that can not really be considered bad. Many would argue that the world would be full of drug addicts, but this is not the world that we have set up. According to our perceived duty, all must use marijuana in moderation, and to use it to excess would be just as offensive to the duty as would be not using it at all. We have now heard from three very distinguished Moral philosophers, and all have said that moderate use of marijuana is not a bad thing, one even calling it our duty. The most common type of actual moral reasoning is a loose combination or confusion of methods (Sweet 4). So, if we combine all that we have heard, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that the use of marijuana, as a bodily pleasure, is morally justifiable, probably more so than not using the drug.

Poduct Life Cycle

Note:- Company has stopped manufacturing this model. The Rajdoot Deluxe has a powerful 175 cc, 9 BHP engine with electronic ignition. This tough and highly durable motorcycle has making it a total economy bike by virtue of its low running costs, easy serviceability and high re-sale value. WiWith over 16 lakh bikes on the road, Rajdoot continues to be the favourite of the Indian masses. Its relevant technology for the Indian road condition makes it suitable for all types of terrain.The Rajdoot Deluxe with 4-gear transmission for excellent riding comes in exciting colours with chrome plated mudguard and is the favorite so far. | TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF RAJDOOT DELUXE| Engine| Type| 2 Stroke| Displacement| 173cc| Bore x stroke| 61. 5x58mm| Max. Power| 9/5000 rpm| Max. torque| 1. 37/3500 rpm | Starting | Kick start| Transmission| 4 speed, const. mesh| Clutch | Wet, multi disc| Chassis| Frame| Double cradle| Tyres – Front| 3. 00Ãâ€"19-4PR| Tyres – Rear| 3. 0x19-4PR| Sus pension – Front| Telescopic Hydraulic | Suspension – Rear| Hydraulic Coil Spring| Fuel tank capacity| 9. 2| Dry weight| 114. 0| Dimensions| LxWxH| 2095x760x1115| Ground clearence| 175| Wheelbase| 1280| Electricals| System| 12 AC| Ignition| Electronic CDI| Source: http://www. yamaha-motor-india. com/| Ads by GoogleProduct Lifecycle Control Software to manage the entire product lifecycle and data. www. softexpert. com/product-controlStart your own businessIn Computer Education industry Join hands with Aptech www. aptech-education. comPresenting Mahindra e2o The Next Gen Electric Car The Future Of Mobility Is Here www. mahindrae2o. com/know-more| Two Wheeler Showroom  » Motorcycles  » Scooters  » Scooterettes/Mopeds  » Sports Bikes Browse by Capacity Two Wheelers by Brands http://topforeignstocks. com/foreign-adrs-list/the-full-list-of-indianadrs/ http://www. indiainfoline. com/MarketStatistics/ADR http://www. equitymaster. com/stockquotes/adr. asp

Non Biodegradable

Non-biodegradable waste made up roughly one-third of the municipal solid waste produced in the U. S. in 2009 (see References 1, page 6). The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends recycling whenever possible, and disposing of your trash at a combustion facility or in a landfill only when recycling is not possible (see References 1, page 11). Hazardous waste should be handled separately by your local sanitation department or by private companies that specialize in safe disposal of toxins (see References 2).Recycling Separate glass, plastic and metal from other non-biodegradable waste for recycling. Many urban and suburban areas have curbside recycling programs; if such a program is not available, take recyclable materials to the nearest collection facility for processing. Recycling saves space in landfills and reduces the amount of virgin materials that must be mined or manufactured to make new products, saving energy and reducing global climate change in the process. (See R eferences 3) CombustionSome non-biodegradable waste like used rubber tires and plastic can be burned at combustion facilities. Most of these facilities use the heat generated by incineration to make energy in the form of steam or electricity, which reduces their demand for other nonrenewable resources, including coal and petroleum. In 2009, combustion facilities burned 3. 1 million tons of solid waste, mostly used tires. Combustion of municipal waste also reduces the volume of trash that ends up in landfills. (See References 1, page 166) LandfillsLandfills provide long-term storage for non-biodegradable waste. Ideally, landfills are carefully situated to prevent contamination from entering surrounding soil and water, and managed to reduce odor and pests as much as possible. (See References 4) Federal regulations require careful monitoring in and around the site. Hazardous Waste Disposal Some products like motor oil, pesticides, batteries and paint are potentially hazardous to sanita tion workers and the general population as a whole.They are also more dangerous to the environment than inert materials like plastic or rubber. Many communities offer special collection and disposal programs to deal with household hazardous waste as safely as possible. In areas with no such programs, it's legal to dispose of household hazardous waste in the trash. Follow any special disposal instructions listed on the original container. Before doing so, however, contact the manufacturer or retailer of the material you need to dispose of to ask if they accept old materials for reuse or recycling.