Branding and advertising Essay

In recent years there has been more of a shift towards more branding and advertising as opposed to focusing on product development, resulting in some companies having strong advertising campaigns coupled with a non-successful product. These observations lead to an important marketing theorem: Successful brands are built on successful products. The belief is that without great products, great brands could neither not exist nor withstand the competitive market. In a short paper, answer the following questions pertaining to the theorem. †¢Do you agree or disagree (partially or completely) with the theorem that successful brands are built on successful products? Why or why not? †¢Provide examples of brands and their products that a) prove the theorem and b) disprove the theorem. Explain your reasoning. †¢Why do so many companies appear fixated on branding rather than on ultimately developing successful products? In real terms, how would you as a marketing executive balance these two marketing forces? In recent years there has been more of a shift towards more branding and advertising as opposed to focusing on product development, resulting in some companies having strong advertising campaigns coupled with a non-successful product.

Langston Hughes “Theme for English B”

Langston Hughes â€Å"Theme for English B,† was written in part of an assignment given to Hughes from his college instructor. The instructor said, â€Å"Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you-Then, it will be true† (Hughes lines 2-5). Hughes viewed his assignment as expressing how he felted in the moment. He starts his paper by describing his journey from Durham, then to Harlem, where he is the only African American in his college class. At the same time, he outlines his walk from Harlem to his room. Later, Hughes expressed that at age twenty-two, his likes and interest was not much different from other races. Hughes then expresses his feelings toward connection. He says, â€Å"Yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American. Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you† (32-35). This expresses how he views different races in America. He views other races as being a part of one another because of the connection to the American life style. Basically, he is saying that because he and whites is American, they are connected through the way of American living, but at the same time, he expresses how the connection is not wanted or favored. Hughes ends his paper saying, â€Å"I guess you learn from me-although you’re older-and white-and somewhat more free† (37-39). Expressing that, even though the whites have more rights then him, they still influence him and vice versa.

Are Cell-Phones Dangerous? Essay

Technology is one of the most powerful factors that affect our daily life and routine. As part of it we have the well known and worldwide used: Cell-phones. A 2004 MIT survey said that cell phones were ranked as the one invention that people hate the most, but cannot live without. It beat out the alarm clock and the television. Cell-phones have become one of the most useful devices around the world; however, they have drastically and negatively affected our communication and privacy manners. In addition, they have created an incredible amount of mortal accidents around the world due to distracted drivers. Driving Accidents issues As a first issue regarding this remarkable invention we find the famous: texting while driving. Victoria police Const. Ryan Wilson, a member of the traffic division who chairs the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police traffic safety committee, cited a case a few years ago where a woman was killed in what was believed to be a case of texting while driving. Police sought court orders to get her phone records, which showed that she was indeed texting at the time of the crash (Jeff Bell 1). It is almost impossible to keep your eyes focused on the road while giving attention to the screen of your cell phone. It makes your sight go off the street entirely for a couple of seconds, when anything mortal can happen. Apart from texting it is common for many people to call while hands are on the wheels. But, is it considered as dangerous as texting? The study, by University of Utah researchers, adds to a growing body of evidence that conversing by phone while behind the wheel can be hazardous. Talking on a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk, new federally funded research shows (Jeff Bell 1). Despite the fact that everybody drives with one hand on the wheel, the process of our brain focusing on the conversation limits our capacity to respond properly to any minimal situation on the street. A 2005 study published in the British Medical Journal looked at crash data for 456 cell phone subscribers in Perth, Australia, who had an auto accident that required medical attention. The study, which essentially confirmed a similar 1997 study conducted in Toronto, concluded that drivers talking on their phones were about four times more likely to be involved in an accident than those who were not on the phone. Another highly publicized 2006 study from the University of Utah concluded that drivers who talked on cell phones were as impaired as drivers who were intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08. The study, however, found that using hands-free devices did little to improve drivers’ performances (Nancy McVicar 1). The use of them has been so far the best and only solution that diminish the risk of a mortal worldwide issue. It is not deniable that cell phones have caused several traffic deaths and injuries. As a matter of fact, either calling or texting while driving is among the most dangerous activity around the world. Despite some studies have shown that hands-free devices reduces the risk, they do not entirely finish with the problem. Frank Drews, one of the Utah researchers who has published earlier studies showing drivers on the phone are at higher risk of accidents, stated: â€Å"We have shown in previous studies there is no difference between hand-held and hands-free. There is a more dangerous component when people are dialing the phone or searching for the cell phone in the briefcase on the seat beside them, but what distracts people when talking on a cell phone is the conversation, not holding the phone (Nancy McVicar 1). People need to star being conscious and profit technology for our benefit not for our death. Communication Issues In another subject, cell phones have revolutionarily transformed our way to communicate to other people. We used to be anxious to see our friends, our family, our partner etc. However, people are so attached to their devices that even the most important and delicate conversation is spoken by phone. â€Å"And more than anything, we are discovering just how far and wide mind and body can be separated, because now we can be where we aren’t, no matter where we are,† said Martin Miller, a reporter from Los Angeles Times (Martin Miller 1). Despite the fact that cell phones clearly make our long relationships easier they completely destroy our closer ones. John Petersen, founder and president of the Arlington Institute, a future-oriented think tank in Arlington, Virginia. â€Å"What it is done is to change our view of reality. You remember not so long ago when making a long-distance phone call was a big deal? You would say, ‘I’m calling long distance,’ and you were supposed to drop everything? Now it is not a big deal anymore to get a call from anywhere on the globe† (Martin Miller 1). So, in fact not only our communication with close people is being jeopardized but the long distance treatment is also being affected. It is so easy to make long distances phone calls that we have stopped doing them. In spite of becoming every time easier to do them, we loose motivation and intrigue, which lead us to hesitate about the call and leave it for another moment. Besides the effect that cell phones has on any long and short relationship, there is a more concerning issue regarding communication, the face-to-face conversation. Cell phones are also reshaping our social habits and attitudes, say sociologists. According to Martin Miller, the portable phones, depending on their usage, can by turns be a shield against loneliness or create isolation. This would be the case when you cannot really focus on what you are doing, or what are you talking about due to the distraction that this portables create in us. Michael Zey, a sociologist at Montclair State University in New Jersey said: â€Å"They can reduce the need to create bridges. It allows people to exclude the people who may be in front of them and to intera ct with people they already know who are someplace else† (Martin Miller 2). We have become so dependant on these devices that they have created an inner necessity to be in touch at any time with family and friends. Even though this might sound as a good thing, it is not. People are not calling other people constantly with little regard to the content of the conversation. A recent three-panel cartoon in the New Yorker jokes around with some cell phone users apparent need to always be on the phone. The first panel shows a businessman entering a train talking on a cell phone with the caption, â€Å"I’m boarding the train.† In the next, which shows the man on the train, he says, â€Å"I’m on the train.† And in the last one, showing the cell phone user leaving, he says: â€Å"I’m leaving the train (Martin Miller 2). The urge of having knowledge of everything that someone else is doing is slowly killing our general communication with the outside world. â€Å"I think people have become more dependent on being in constant touch with others,† said Edward Tenner, author of the 1997 book â€Å"Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences† (Martin Miller 2). In general cell phones have changed negatively our close and far relationships. In addition, our face-to-face communication has also been drastically affected. In all of the cases they interrupt any situation happening at the moment and move your head to a whole other situation in another place. â€Å"Cell phones and what is coming is what is driving globalization,† says Petersen, a former staff member of the National Security Council at the Reagan White House. He cited: â€Å"I think what we’re seeing is an almost biological evolution of the species. I think we’re building a global nervous system and brain† (Martin Miller 3). Privacy Issues Moving to our last but not least issue about cell-phones, we have a worldwide lost of privacy because of these modern devices. â€Å"Technology has just exploded. It’s so sophisticated now and it’s very easy to utilize these different technologies to keep tabs on a person and find out where they’re going,† said Gina Pfund, chief assistant prosecutor of the Domestic Violence Unit in Passaic County (Hannan Adely 1). How easy is to take your partner’s cell-phone and scroll down the text messages, e-mails and personal contacts? This has become a habit for many people. Although it is extremely convenient to have all your information, addresses, pictures, among others inside one little piece of metal, it is extremely dangerous to have your intimate life registered in something that anybody can take and see. Therefore, people are not only searching into their partner cell phones but also buying small artifacts that can record and play back all you do with your phone. Hannan Adely from New Jersey Media Group Inc said: â€Å"The person watching or listening is often a family member and frequently a suspicious or controlling partner. They have scanned Facebook pages, viewed online web-browsing histories, and examined cell phone records for proof. But some take it a step further, planting spyware on smart phones and computers† (Gary Marx 1). Now our problems are not only cell phone but also the accessories that have been created for them. Even though Richard Drobnick, director of the Teaneck-based Mars & Venus Counseling Center, said some forms of prying can be justified because â€Å"people need to know the truth,† this new invention is more seen as a tragedy than a relieve. â€Å"All of the above examples of information collection are perfectly legal. But the most troubling aspect of the problem for privacy advocates is that in many cases consumers don’t immediately recognize these actions as invasions of privacy,† said Gary T. Marx, a Californian lawyer (Gary Marx 1). He also empathized: â€Å"They might have a vague concern over certain technologies, but consumers often don’t understand how technology is being used to gather, analyze, and distribute data. Even among more insightful users there is great disagreement about how to view new technologies, and consequently there is disagreement on what constitutes misuse† (Gary Marx 1). Despite the ignorance that the world is having by thinking that lost of privacy because of cell phones is not an issue, our standard of conduct must go beyond what is legal if privacy as we know it is going to be maintained. Conclusion In conclusion, cell phones might be considered as one of the most demanding device in our society; however, the negative side of them is enormous. Mortal accidents, lost of communication and lost of privacy are concerning problems that people should be conscious of. Although some people are aware of the situation, the necessity to use cell phones is bigger than our rational mind. â€Å"So one explanation for our result is that cell phones may be dangerous,† stated Saurabh Bhargava, professor of University of Chicago economics (Walberg Matthew 2). They certainly are more dangerous than people think. If we continue to use portable phones the wrong way, death statistics will keep raising as well as our personal relationships will keep ending. Be a part of the future, not a problem to it! Works cited Adely, Hannan. â€Å"Cellphone Spying Getting Easier for Abusers, Stalkers.† The Record. 02 Jan 2012: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2012. Bell, Jeff. â€Å"Distracted Driving Blamed for Growing Number of Traffic Deaths.† Times- Colonist. 29 Aug 2012: A.3. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Nov 2012. Marx, Gary T. â€Å"Privacy Lost.† California Lawyer. Jan. 1999: 48+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Nov 2012. McVicar, Nancy. â€Å"Study: Calling While Driving As Dangerous As Driving Drunk.† Sun- Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL). 29 Jun 2006: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Nov 2012. Miller, Martin. â€Å"Withdrawing into Our Cells.† Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA). Sept. 19 2002: E1+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Nov 2012. Walberg, Matthew. â€Å"Is Driving, Using a Cellphone As Bad As Thought?.† Chicago Tribune. 26 Mar 2012: 1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 12 Nov 2012.

Is digital evidence collected from a volatile source as valid as that Research Paper

Is digital evidence collected from a volatile source as valid as that collected from a static source - Research Paper Example Evidence sources in the recent times has shifted from static source as one of the initial steps in evidence collection to adoption of digital source which is quickly driven by the ever changing dynamic computing environment. Evidence from volatile source can be referred to as data that provides a linkage that is significant between the victim and the perpetrator (Wang 2007). It can be gathered from anything that is criminally related such as such as theft of trade secrets, destruction of intellectual property and fraud to the usage of computer. Static source can be referred to as data preserved when the computer is turned off conserved on a computer hard drive or another medium as opposed to volatile source whose storage is in memory and gets lost when the computer is turned off. Introduction There are various ways of collecting digital evidence from the scene of crime. The most prevalent techniques are collecting digital evidence form volatile sources and collecting from static sour ce. Data from volatile source might have key evidence. It is therefore vital that at the scene of crime, the computer remains on. Tools for data collection range from various software such as data recovery, file examination, internet protocol tracking, decryption, authentication and most notably backup. Other notable tools are needed when obtaining data such as hardware imaging tool where bit by bit of data is copied using a method known as a bit stream copy. Data backups are always considered first with a principal objective of retaining the original evidence. Scope Casey (2000) lays out the physical characteristics of digital source where he asserts that it cannot be kept in its original state easily since the computer system records data in binary form that is 0 and 1 where the copied data has user modifications making it difficult to recollect volatile source in its original status. Volatile source can easily be produced hence prone for it being modified or copied raising doubts on its source and integrity. The negative impact posed is the difficulty to deduce directly the relationship between evidence obtained and the suspects as posed to the highly efficient methods such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or fingerprints that is used for evidence authentication. A computer uses random access memory (RAM) to store volatile data by way of writing current processes in the form of a virtual clipboard for process usage and immediate reference. The information that may be of interest to the investigator include running processes, console executed commands, clear text passwords, unencrypted data, instant messages and the internet protocol addresses. There can be a scenario where an examination of a running system is required involving a computer during investigation. These can be enhanced using home networking technology which allows an investigator to have a small network to facilitate any investigative situation involving a computer. Volatile source data preserva tion and forensic examination analysis will surely be the way forward for many years to come for digital evidence collection. Investigators ability to collect crucial evidence at the crime of scene ought to be critical most importantly when they are provided crime scene collection skills so as to deal with the challenges and workload brought about by

Wallace Stevens Death of Soldier & EE Cummings Sweet Old Etceter Essay

Wallace Stevens Death of Soldier & EE Cummings Sweet Old Etceter - Essay Example On the other hand, Wallace Stevens’ ‘The Death of a Soldier’ is perceived through a modernist view in a dimension of realism that treats acceptance of fate as mundane. On claiming ‘Life contracts and death is expected, As in a season of autumn’, W. Stevens takes on a perspective that embraces practicality where no point of despair becomes necessary. Time instead serves as an indispensable element in the poem and even ‘death’ which is said to be ‘absolute’ and ‘without memorial’ is subject to the constant changing of season. Unlike with Faulkner’s narrative which appears to celebrate sensible aspects of living through remarkable human traits, Stevens’ brief work can be felt to assume rigidity, perhaps to drive any huge amount of agony over death. As if to deprive the poem of components that lead to sentimentality, Stevens occurs to have been more inclined to render the piece as a detail of fact. By t he repetition of simile with ‘As in a season of autumn’, there emerges an attempt to signify the physical rather than the emotional state of nature with respect to the perspective of a third person in view of war.

Lombardi's Italian Grill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lombardi's Italian Grill - Essay Example Although Monica has proved to be a competent manager, her competence is not fully reflected in the business. This is because the business is experiencing slow growth resulting from reduced sales. The case study also indicates that Monica has identified the problems in her strategies (Perreault, Cannon, and McCarthy 65). After identifying the weakness in her strategies, Monica is considering making some improvements to increase her sales. Monica’s business is doing better than average although it has not achieved perfection. The need to change her immediate marketing strategy indicates that her business is not doing according to her expectation. The need to adopt new strategies also indicates that her sales are below her target. Monica is currently operating under a moderate marketing strategy. This is because the strategy lacks sufficient tools and hence it is incompetent. However, her current strategy is in accordance with the four P’s of management (Perreault, Cannon and McCarthy 25). Monica located her restaurant in a strategic position that is convenient to the customers. The restaurant is located in a strip mall that is next to a major highway. Monica also conducts her business in accordance with the second P of management. This is because she ensures that all her food items are sold at a moderate price to all customers. In the beginning, Monica used to buy a three-quarter page in the local dailies to promote Lombardi Grill and its products. Although Monica had acknowledged the need to advertise her products, she did not use an appropriate media. Monica could have advertised her products on the radio in order to reach many people. The main customer of her food products are the local people and therefore the business could have done better with a direct sales approach and a Monica considered several strategies that she could have applied in order to improve the performance of her business. Joining a franchise chain was one of her possible development strategies.

Alfred Wegener ideas about Continental drift Research Paper

Alfred Wegener ideas about Continental drift - Research Paper Example Wegner’s ideas on plate motion were later on developed by different researchers. One of them is Kiyoo Wadati, who suggested that plate motion has resulted in often earthquakes in Japan, and those earthquakes are connected to the continental drift. He compared data from different earthquakes and identified a specific earthquake zone in the oceanic trench (Garrison, p. 70). Hugo Benioff pointed out that Kiyoo Wadati’s findings were related to the â€Å"subduction of the seafloor†("The Giants of Science"). Harry Hess was able to move beyond Wegener’s ideas and develop them in a different direction. He discovered how the seafloor spreading operates and what role magma plays in it by filling in the deep oceanic trenches ("Harry Hammond Hess: Spreading the Seafloor") Ronald Dietz arrived at the same conclusion, however the Hess owns the idea that continents move together with an attached oceanic basin on the same crust (Garrison, p.70). Tuzo Wilson analy zed Hawaiian Islands and their relation to tectonic plates. He concluded that these island were created as a result of plate’s movement northwest over the â€Å"hotspots† ("J. Tuzo Wilson: Discovering Transforms and Hotspots").

History of the Vietnam Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of the Vietnam Wars - Essay Example eneva, in which Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam received their independence and Vietnam was temporarily divided between an anti-Communist South and a Communist North. In 1956, South Vietnam, with American backing, refused to hold the unification elections† (Learn about the Vietnam War, 2010). It is difficult to understand what the French and the Americans tried to achieve. If they felt they could impose their might through superior military prowess, they had difficult time proving it in the marshy soil of tropical Vietnam. In the first place, the military preparation was nothing short of disaster. The huge pile of weapons stocked by the French and the Americans was of little avail to the Vietnamese. The weapons only served to aggravate or spoil things for the French and the Americans by adverse reactions from their own homelands. Nothing much is known about adverse public reaction to the Indo-China war in France. The protests were largely muted and it was left to the politicians to take action as they deemed fit. The French defeat in Dien Bien Phu was a substantial eye-opener to the French government and they did not waste time in tactfully concluding the war with a peace conference in Geneva. The Americans were, however, more noisy. In the United States, opposition to the war was vociferous. As the years progressed, the media was pregnant with news of public protests and atrocities committed on American soldiers. Politically, both President Johnson and President Nixon faced angry crowds swearing by anti-war statements. The American Presidents were sensitive to adverse political decisions and had no idea the chaotic situation at home might cause in the present or in the future. In the latter years of President Nixon, he was too caught up with the Watergate scandal to think clearly on issues with regard to Vietnam. His frustrations compounded issues and the failure of the Americans in the Vietnam was the result of political wrangles that only added to the

Differences and Similarities Between positive and Negative Thinker Essay

Differences and Similarities Between positive and Negative Thinker - Essay Example The more problem coming into their lives the stronger they are. In every depth of problem; they will overcome it. The more fall down into thinking to the solution; the more strong their faith to God. The problem passes by into them the more they enjoy, it. Positive thinker is the people who think that there is a GOD. They believe that every problem that coming into their lives is just a test from the Supreme Being. They believe that God will not going to give a problem that they cannot solve. Deeper the problem deeper the faith in God. Every situation in their lives happier or pain , they going to face it The more test the more perseverance in them. Our lives is only given by GOD. They believe that every cry out into their lives GOD is listening. More and more they persevere. Every problem they face ; they face it with enthusiasm. They think that learning is enjoyable; exciting; learning is just okay; something is required for the job. Activates the world around him positively. A negative thinker is a person who is more to depressive. In every problem they think that it has a one. They think that God has a favorite child. In every problem the negative thinker is always an opposite traits of a positive person. They always tremble in every problem. They always think of nothing will going to happen even if they tried many times. In their lives they always think that every time they try to speak somebody will going to control them.

Research Investigation Essay Example for Free

Research Investigation Essay A research investigation on what specific skills an actor would need learn in order to convincingly portray the role of Silvio in Carlo Goldoni’s, A Servant of Two Masters. Carlo Goldoni wrote the comedy â€Å"Arlecchino servitore di due padroni†, which translates into modern English as The Servant of Two Masters, a commedia dell’Arte-style play. The performers of Commedia were often illiterate, and as such there was no point to write down scripts and record the performance, it was improvised and modified, preserving the aspects the audience found amusing and excluding those that were less successful. In this way, Carlo Goldoni’s writing down of the play strictly goes against commedia traditions, as it is not the way things were done when it was originally staged. Despite performing all their plays in Italian for the first twenty or so years, Commedia troops had phenomenal success, perhaps because the slapstick nature of their comedy mingled with its vulgar humor was relatively easy to follow. The themes of the play, including love, romance, deception and the status between masters and servants, combine to create an enjoyable and greatly comical performance. The play also scrutinizes social boundaries that were once present. Such as, the idea of a woman being dressed as a man this was much more controversial in the 1700’s and especially a woman who defeats a man in combat, as Beatrice (comes to Venice dressed as a man in search of her beloved Florindo, She is also a part of the first lover couple along with Florindo) defeats Silvio. Smereldina (the maid of Clarice, she is an extremely feisty and slightly bitter character who wants more than anything to find a man and get married) also confronts Silvio and scorns him, which is something unparalleled in that time, a woman of the serving class reprimanding a man of status. The play also explores the lengths people will go to for the sake of love, the hopelessness of Florindo (a man banished from his home in Turin for his murder of Federigo Rasponi, and the lover of Beatrice who comes in search of him) and Beatrice’s relationship to find each other, as well as commenting on the importance of never giving up hope, because as they are about to kill themselves they find each other again. This is also reflected in the many difficult predicaments Truffaldino (the servant of both Florindo and Beatrice, he is a mischievous, hungry man who is seeking ways to better himself, he is comic relief and also the main protagonist) finds himself in, as no matter how hopeless his situation looks, he keeps on envisaging himself getting out of his tricky situations and eventually he does get out of trouble. The behavior by those of the dominant class of the servants is a very noticeable theme of the time period, and an important social observation. The serving class of Truffaldino, Smereldina and the Porter (she carries the bags places at different times during the play and has a fairly rough time of it, carrying very heavy loads only to be ridiculed and left unrewarded for her labor) are regarded with little respect and trust throughout the entirety of the play. As the early performers of this play were more than likely lower class individuals, this play is an insightful parody of their own difficulties. Commedia dell’Arte is an Italian theater style, characterized by masked performers and improvised scenes based on simplistic scenarios. Carlo Goldoni categorized four elemental types of stock characters in Italian comedy: Pantaloon, a miserly Venetian merchant, easy to anger, disrespected by everyone and a born loser; Dottore, a pedantic lawyer-type from Bologna; Brighella, a serenading servant who enjoys thieving, and bragging; and Arlecchino, a basically thoughtless servant permanently in despair over unreturned love. A Servant of Two Masters is set in Venice in the 1700’s, and would have been performed by a travelling troop of commedia actors. As such, they would have had very limited set facilities, and their performances staged outdoors, meaning they would have to allow for surrounding noises such as wind when performing. Throughout this research investigation it will be delving into what specific skills I must learn in order to convincingly portray the role of Silvio in Carlo Goldoni’s, A Servant of Two Masters. There is a catch when one decides to take on the task and portray the role of Silvio in The Servant of Two Masters and that is that the comic instincts of a skilled actor need to conquer a tendency to be a servant to the text. It has been said that commedia is the riskiest form of comedy. That being said, it is worth the risk. When the flash of inspired improvisation hits an actor it is like a whirlwind and time seems to be in a complete interruption while a phenomenon takes place. Fortunately Goldoni’s writing is so perfectly composed and clinging to fundamental Commedia dell’Arte form that it allows one to understand how to perform below, within and around the text itself. Focusing on the lovers, they are the sons and daughters of characters who are also high on the social ladder; this is where Silvio finds himself in The Servant of Two Masters. The lovers in this play (Silvio and Clarice) are not only infatuated with each other they are extraordinarily infatuated with themselves. More often than not, they are only with one another because the other person makes them look better. They argue often, making a big melodramatic show out of their blubbering and attempting to top the others grief; yet they immediately make amends when they receive a flattering remark about their appearance. They speak in a distinguished, pretentious and flowery language: â€Å"If I could think that you desired my blood to avenge my supposed cruelty, I give it you with all my heart. But, oh God! Instead of the blood of my veins, accept, I beg you, that which gushes from my eyes.†(Goldoni 53) Silvio is traditionally costumed in the latest Italian fashions (since Italy is where Commedia originated) The Lovers elegant costumes were usually of the same color, just in case another couple of lovers was in the play too. This only reaffirms how much they were made for each other. Just like couples who wear matching outfits today. Given that Silvio is wealthy, he wears expensive clothes and jewelry, made of luxurious fabrics. Both Silvio and Clarice usually hold some kind of prop in their hand, most likely a letter to swoon over, or a handkerchief but this is of course the director’s choice. There is always a mirror somewhere on their body, being in a purse or pocket, or even hanging as a necklace around the actor’s throat. This is useful for admiring oneself, or in Silvio’s case for seeking out Clarice and adorning her through it. Unlike what most know Commedia dell’Arte to be known for the lovers do not wear masks. Rather, they wear quite a bit of makeup which in turn subsidizes as their mask. The term dreamer is a key way to understanding the lovers movement. Their feet are firmly on the ground, in a somewhat Ballet style position, but they lack firm contact with the earth because they lead with their chest and are heart heavy. Their arms are held out to their sides and curved. Their whole manner is very elegant and balletic, as they do not walk so much as glide. They never touch; to do so would cause them both to faint and or run away. It is sexually arousing for them to get very close without touching. They aren’t the brightest individuals so walking is somewhat of a challenge causing them to wobble, due to the uncertainty of their lack of contact with the ground. The posture that Silvio undertakes is that of compelling pride. His chest is naturally expanded and thrust out so that his heart essentially leads him, sometimes seeming to literally pull him across the stage. He points his toes while standing (like that of a ballet dancer), and when moving, he takes light, quick steps, giving himself a floating appearance. Overall, they simply lack contact with the ground. Their hand movements and gestures are very grand, expansive and expressive. Actors use the same dancing trainers as the wealthy individuals whom they are imitating in order to put emphasis on the absurdity of melodramatic behavior. There can be two sets of lovers in a Commedia dellArte play. The First set of lovers, usually more intelligent and serious, and the Second Lovers which in A Servant of Two Masters is Silvio and Clarice, usually whimsical and slightly silly. The second lovers in Goldonis A Servant of Two Masters are Clarice and Silvio. In research of the lovers when things are not going their way, they throw tantrums, pout, hurl insults while crying and whining. Their manner of dress and movement is highly stylized (more so than the First Lovers), making Silvio quite a narcissus. Silvio exists very much in his own world- and in his own world within that world. Self-obsessed and very selfish, he is more interested in what he is saying himself and how it sounds than in what his beloved Clarice is saying. He is primarily in love with himself, secondarily in love with love, and only without any doubt in love with his beloved. What he learns, if anything, from the tribulations of A Servant of Two Masters is the need to reverse these sickening priorities. Even though most of Silvio’s declarations would melt a heart of stone, there always seems to be a comic side to everything he says. One wonders if the explanation does not lie in the fact that love often robs the lover of all sense of his own logic, even though he may be the most rational of living men under ordinary circumstances. He does, however, come off better than most other Commedia characters: there is no viciousness in him, and less to be accused of – except for his vanity and narcissism. He represents the human potential for happiness, which is something that everyone is striving for. â€Å"Sir, I beg you, let everyone do as they will; do not be so put out about it. Now that I am happy, I want all the world to b e happy too. Is anyone else going to be married? Let them all get married†! (Goldoni 54) I have become conscious of the fact that the character of Silvio must be played as one that is over confident. He is very certain of himself and of his actions. He believes he is entitled to Clarice and is willing to fight to protect his property. Silvio is also quite protective, or even overprotective of those things which are important to him, or that he sees as belonging to him. He wishes to keep Clarice all to his own and have her within an area he feels he can keep safe. While he is protective of others, he himself shows little regard when placing himself in jeopardy. This is shows how dim witted his character truly is. The idea of defeat does not enter his mind and he is always on the front foot, unwilling to let others determine his actions, he is a very rash character. Patience is a virtue, apparently. Silvio often lacks any sense of patience which makes him a very irritable, anxious, angry and difficult to be around type of character. His shortage of patience makes him a rat her ignorant character. Silvio is always quick to act and often makes mistakes because of his unwillingness to listen to the advice or opinions of others. He is a man of action, and he needs for things to be occurring or he quickly loses any potential interest. He is quick to do battle regardless of the consequences, which shows how stupidly in love he truly is. His unwillingness to listen to an entire situation and process his next appropriate action, often get him into irresponsible situations. â€Å"†¦That wretch shall die, and my ungrateful Clarice shall see her lover wallowing in his own gore†. (Goldoni 26) Despite his quick anger and his tendency to solve his problems with violence, he is inconspicuously charming. Even though his unwillingness to listen too much besides the sound of his own voice, he is really just eager to please his lover Clarice. He has swept Clarice off of her feet and is the heartthrob of Venetian women. Some people settle down, and some people are just settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than the feeling of butterflies, which is exactly how Silvio feels towards Clarice. He is never slow to put himself in harm’s way. He is quick to action and has little caution for his own well-being when engaging in any sort of fight, or in anything else he does. He is a man to be admired when he is at his finest, even though he is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. â€Å"I don’t care how old you are’ I have a mind to run you straight through the body†. (Goldoni 24) Through researching the character of Silvio it would be necessary to portray him as a man who struggles to hold himself in the position in which his status in society places him. He strives to be suave, cool and collected, but somewhat fights to maintain focus and is very quick to act, his actions usually end in anger and much turmoil. He is a powerful physical presence, and is one of formidable fighting skill, but is emotionally immature on many levels. His love for Clarice is one of his few genuinely mature emotions, and it is his motivation through the play. He is prone to rash, spontaneous actions, as well as to throwing tantrums such as a moody child would when things don’t go his way. This effectively suited the comedic aspect of the play while not deteriorating from the romantic story between Clarice and Silvio. â€Å"When we love we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too†. (Jeaulo Coelho)

Why Did Collective Security Fail In The 1930s History Essay

Why Did Collective Security Fail In The 1930s History Essay The 1930s saw the failure of the League of Nations in terms of Collective Security. Several shortcomings and problems resulted on three major crises that proved the League to be helpless. In the grip of the Great Depression of the 1930s, the major powers of the League (Britain and France) were more inclined to a policy of appeasement. Basically a more liberal alternative to the Balance of Theory, Collective Security was the idea that nations should group together in condemnation of any aggressor and pursue sanctions against them, whether economical, diplomatic, or military. This idea was enshrined in Articles 10, 11, and 16 of the Leagues Covenant. There was, however, a major flaw in the Leagues proposal of Collective Security; none of it was enforceable, nations could choose whether or not comply, therefore making it little more than a code of honour, and since when has honour ever been of any value on politics when it comes to each nations interests? The aforementioned articles do not specify any particular sanctions or punishments for offending nations, merely stating that the Council will advise upon the course of action to be taken. Following the major events of the 1930s, the League failed spectacularly in upholding international peace and the Second World War broke out in 1939. The League did not meet once during the war and in 1946, its duties were given to the newly formed United Nations. Aside from the three major crises that occurred (which will be looked into later in this paper) there were some basic problems that prevented Collective Security from ever being a reality. Firstly, the USA preferred an isolationist policy at the time, and was therefore not a member of the League of Nations, and their support and influence was therefore absent from all negotiations. Even thought the Americans would voice their opinion at times, they took no action. In terms of their military, Britain and France were in a very weak state, and the world knew it Therefore, their diplomacy help very little sway as they could not back up their threats with any action; this, plus a lack of Soviet support, meant they could do little but shake their heads at the antics of rogue states such as Germany, Japan, and Italy. Economically, they were also very weak. The Great Depression had hit both nations hard and their defence spending was down. Furthermore, in British politics, it was the common opinion of politicians that the British public cared little for issues far from home. Who among the public would care for the Manchurians, or Ethiopians, or Czechoslovakians? In the grip of such a terrible depression, it is easy to see why the British politicians would only seek to improve conditions at home. They therefore only declared support for economic sanctions, merely to keep a good image in international politics. It is interesting to note that Winston Churchill, when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, was a strong opponent of appeasement. The first major challenge to Collective Security was the Mukden Incident and subsequent Japanese invasion of Manchuria in China. Japan was as hard hit as any other nation by the depression and sought to overcome its economic problems by creating an empire. At the time, the Japanese had control of the Manchurian railway and it was speculated that they had for a long time intended to invade, but simply waited for an excuse to do so. In 1931, the Japanese claimed the railway in Mukden was sabotaged by Chinese nationalists and proceeded to attack the Chinese army in the region (who had recently executed a Japanese spy). The Chinese forces, knowing that the Japanese simply wanted an excuse to invade, offered very little resistance. In no time at all, the Japanese had launched a full scale invasion and their tenacious and well trained troops had no problem in overcoming the Chinese army. Within weeks, key locations in Manchuria were already in Japanese hands and by February 1932 the whole of Manchuria was captured. The Japanese controlled state of Manchukuo was set up the same year with the former Chinese emperor running it. In response to this, China appealed to the League of Nations to do something about the Japanese attack. The League sent a delegation to Manchuria to look into the issue and come to a conclusion about who was to blame. The delegation, however, took until September that year to conclude that the Japanese were to blame and recommend that Manchuria be returned to the Chinese, something the Japanese ignored. In February 1933, a special League Assembly was held to discuss the matter, in which 40 countries agreed that Japan had acted aggressively without justification and that they had to withdraw from Manchuria, which would be returned to China. The Japanese delegate had said at the meeting, due to the fact that China had only recently emerged from a revolution and was still in the midst of a civil war, that China was not a real country. When an agreement could not be reached, Japan informed the League of its intention to withdraw from it. Japan was no longer a member of the League of Nati ons and in 1933 invaded Jehal, the next Chinese province next to Manchuria. Economic sanctions were suggested at the League but never put into effect because Japans main trade partner, the USA, was not a member of the League. Further, the British had trade interests with Japan and did not want to sever trade with them. The League did not even order a halt on arms sales to the Japanese, in fear of a Japanese declaration of war. The next incident to threaten Collective Security was the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. Ironically, as recently as September 1928, Italy had reaffirmed its Treaty of Friendship with Ethiopia. This was, however, all about to change. The Italians did have some fortified military bases in Ethiopia (without Ethiopian consent it should be added) and because these were never disputed they assumed that the international community recognised it as their right. In December 1934, at a base in Welwel, Ethiopia, an Anglo-Ethiopian boundary commission encountered an Italian fortified base. Once the commission had finished, it withdrew, but left behind its Ethiopian military escort. The escort ended up fighting the Italians. Both parties complained of the others guilt. In September 1935, the League of Nations exonerated both parties in this incident. However, due to the delay and the subtlety of the British and French political manoeuvrings, Mussolini perceived the weakness and helplessness of the British and French, and concluded that there were no obstacles in his path. Therefore, on October 3rd, 1935, Italian forces invaded Ethiopia from Eritrea and Italian Somaliland without a declaration of war. Four days later, the League unanimously declared Italy an aggressor but did nothing further. In another display of belligerence, an Italian Baron in Geneva taunted the League of Nations, saying that Italy was ready for war with Europe should they oppose Italys plans, and that peace would soon follow. The Ethiopian armies were no match against Italys modern army with its tanks and aircraft and after seven months of war, Ethiopia was defeated and its emperor, Haile Selassie, had fled the country, much to the disgust of the Ethiopian people. During the wa r, the Italians had even used poison gas against the Ethiopians and the Leagues proposed armaments embargo was ignored. In June the following year, Haile Selassie was in Geneva, and gave a speech to the League of Nations. He said that they had to now decide whether they supported Collective Security, or International Lawlessness. This was all of to avail, as Britain and France soon recognised Italys control of Ethiopia and, also in June, the Italians formed a constitution that joined Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland into one administrative unit, split into 6 provinces. In response to a failed assassination attempt on the Italian commander in Ethiopia, Graziani, the Italians executed 30,000 Ethiopians, mostly from the young and educated in society. Italy had extended its empire as the Leagues members merely dithered and debated among themselves. The third and final crisis that more or less finished off the League and brought about the end of Collective Security was the Munich Agreement and Germanys subsequent invasion of Eastern Europe. The nation of Czechoslovakia was formed in 1919 from territory of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. In a typically cack-handed attempt by the Allies at creating a post-WWI nation, the country had around 7.5million Czechs, 3.2million Germans, 2.3million Slovaks, 560,000 Magyars, and 100,000 Poles. This multiethnic society had many issues, particularly among the Germans, who resented being ruled by others. The Germans were mainly concentrated in an area called the Sudetenland. The Sudeten Germans Peoples Party, formed in 1931, had demanded that the region be given to Germany; a demand ignored by the Czech government because it could encourage other ethnicities in Czechoslovakia to demand independence and because the Sudetenland was very rich in natural resources like lignite and coal. Therefore, in 1938, Adolf Hitler instructed his generals to prepare for the invasion of Czechoslovakia. Although France had signed a defence pact with Czechoslovakia, Hitler was confident that the French would do nothing to interfere in order to avoid war with Germany. The British policy favoured peace above all else because it was simply not in any position to impose any threats on Germany. The might of Britains armed forces was the Royal Navy, which could not access the landlocked nation of Czechoslovakia and the Royal Air Force was still undergoing a change from biplane to monoplane aircraft and was therefore in no fit state for action, especially against Germanys Luftwaffe, whose might Hitler had been displaying for quite some time. Therefore, Neville Chamberlain (prime minister of Britain) and Edouard Deladier (president of France) met with Hitler in a place called Bertesgaden, near Munich, to discuss Germanys claim to the Sudetenland. Chamberlain was informed by his military staff that in the first 60days of fighting alone, despite the capable Czechoslovakian army, over a million Czechoslovakians would be killed by the German bombing alone, necessitating the need for mass graves. The British and French propose that all territory in Czechoslovakia with more than 50% German population should be handed over to Germany. These talks, however, failed, and, at Mussolinis suggestion, Hitler calls for a meeting to be held in Munich between Britain, France, Germany, and Italy to discuss the matter again. It is noteworthy that Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union were not invited to these talked, much to the anger of Joseph Stalin. This time, Chamberlain persuades Deladier that they must appease Germany in order to mainta in peace, which he agrees on. Without Czechoslovakian consent, the British and French bowed to Hitlers demands and signed the Munich agreement, giving Germany the Sudetenland and making it clear to the Czechoslovakians that, if they objected, they had to face Germanys army alone. This was done on the condition that Germany would make no further territorial claims. Chamberlain returns to Britain and is hailed as the man who saved Europe from war. The Czechoslovakian frontier guards were ordered to leave their posts; Germany took control of the Sudetenland, and soon violated the agreement by stationing military units in the region. These three incidents in the 1930s completely undermined the whole concept of Collective Security. Collective Security sought to condemn and punish aggressors, to protect the sovereignty of its members, and maintain peace in general. The League of Nations failed in this respect, the biggest proof of this is the Second World War that followed these events. The British and French merely tried to appease the aggressive states, a policy which only delayed war. Furthermore, the USA maintained its isolationist policy until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, when they finally entered the war. The League was powerless to enforce any effective sanctions against offending states, often due to an unwillingness to act on the part of the British and French, their inability to cooperate with Russia, and Americas abstention from taking part. Whether or not the powers could have enforced the Leagues decisions is a debateable point. According to Churchill, the Royal Navy was perfectly capable of sinking any Italian ship in the Mediterranean headed for Ethiopia. It could also be argued that Britain could have used its Navy, in agreement with Frances more considerable Army, to force Germany to come to terms. Although the Royal Navy could not access Czechoslovakia, it could still have threatened to blockade German ports if Germany wanted to invade. Instead, the British signed a treaty with Hitler allowing Germany to have a navy one third the size of Britains. The British and French did not prevent the Italians from using the Suez Canal during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, and the fact that they merely threatened sanctions but did not enforce them achieved nothing but to push Italy into an alliance with Nazi Germany. To top all of this, the Soviets tried to invade Finland in 1939-40. Stalin was worried about the proximity of Leningrad to the Finnish border, which he feared was vulnerable to Nazi artillery fire. When the Soviets attacked, the British and French condemned it, and sent reinforcements to Finland that ousted the Soviets. This seems like the British and French realising, too late, that they had lost the fight for peace. The Second World War began with Germanys violation of the Munich Agreement by invading Poland. Too late the British and French took up arms to fight for peace. Germany already controlled much land beyond its borders, Italy had furthered its imperial ambitions in Africa, and Japan was steadily spreading its empire in Asia and the Pacific. Collective Security had therefore failed in all respects. The First World War was called the War to End All Wars and the League of Nations was established in an effort to prevent another global conflict; it failed, another World War was fought, and the League did not meet once during the 6 years of conflict. In 1946, its duties were transferred to the newly created United Nations. Sources: http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/A-D/Collective-Security-The-1930s-and-the-failure-of-the-league-of-nations.html http://www.johndclare.net/league_of_nations8.htm http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=23501 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/id/88739.htm http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/leagcov.asp http://modern-british-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_understand_appeasement http://www.johndclare.net/league_of_nations6.htm http://www.johndclare.net/EL5.htm http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWleague.htm http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/czechoslovakia_1938.htm http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0212881/invfin.html http://www.country-studies.com/ethiopia/mussolini%27s-invasion-and-the-italian-occupation.html

Expression and Purification of recombinant Green Fluorescent Protein

Expression and Purification of recombinant Green Fluorescent Protein ABSTRACT: The purpose of this experiment was to determine if a His-6 tagged recombinant form of Green Fluorescent Protein could be expressed in a pRSETA vector of E. Coli. This was determined through multiple procedures beginning with purifying the sample with Ni +2 agarose chromatography which showcased the relative fluorescent activity of the samples, which elution sample two (E2) had approximately 100,592.2 RFU/mg . The yield of total protein was found by use of a Bradford Assay and a standard curve. The purity of the GFP was determined by comparing the intensity of bands that appeared at around 31.4 kDa (the molecular weight of rGFP) to a molecular weight ladder on an SDS-PAGE gel. The Western Blot test, utilizing a nitrocellulous membrane, confirmed the expression of rGFP. The Western Blot confirmed that the correct bands were analyzed in the SDS-PAGE gel which E3 had an estimated purity of 0.4, indicating a yield of approximately 29.4 ug of rGFP for the third Elution (E3) after a total p rotein amount of 49 ug was extrapolated from the Bradford assay. INTRODUCTION: The Green Fluorescent Protein was first isolated from the Aequorea Victoria jellyfish and studied by Osamu Shimomura. In other organisms other than this specific jellyfish, there are fluorescent proteins with more color varieties than just green (Ward). GFP is able to fluoresce due to the formation of a chromophore in its center that resides in a stable beta barrel structure. The interactions between Ser64 and Gly67 on an alpha strand form a five member ring structure and its this structure that contains properties for fluorescence. When ultraviolet light is absorbed at 395nm, an emission wavelength of 510nm is seen as fluorescent green light. The excitation wavelength of 395nm excites the electrons within the protein and raises the energy of the protein. As the protein loses energy, it emits the energy at a wavelength of 510nm. Wild type GFP does not have immensely visible fluorescence, therefore a genetically modified form of GFP, GFPuv, was used in order to better observe fluoresc ent activity. For rGFP to be fully expressed, GFPuvs open reading frame was pRSETA vector, which was cut by a restriction enzyme at sites that complimented the start and stop codons of the His-6 tag sequence. A T7 promoter and Xpress Epitope were also genetically added into the vector with the purpose of simplifying purification. T7 polymerase minds to the T7 promoter and activates the production of GFP, while the Xpress Epitope allows for the binding of a primary antibody. The binding of a primary antibody allows for the binding of a secondary antibody which contains horseradish peroxide, producing bands on the nitrocellulose membrane. (2 pg 351) Histidine-6 tags primary purpose is to aid in the purification of rGFP proteins in affinity chromatography. Histidine has an affinity to bind with transition metal ions, and is why a Nickel+2 agarose chromatography was chosen. When a sample is passed through the Nickel+2 agarose column, the His-6 tags fused with rGFP protein will bind to the column and any proteins not of interest or containments will pass through the column. To elute the bound rGFP proteins from the column, elution buffer containing Imidazole is used and competes with the histidine residues for the binding sties to the Nickel+2 agarose column due to its higher affinity for them. Elutions from the column therefore contain rGFP. (2 pg 359) The purpose of this experiment was to see if a His-6 tagged recombinant form of GFP, from the E. coli strain BL21pLysS, could be expressed and then purified using Ni+2 agarose affinity chromatography technology. If this experiment is successful, an inexpensive and relatively simple method to measure gene expression and locate and track proteins may be at hand. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bacterial Expression Grow two bacterial cultures: G, containing BL21, DE3, pLysS, and the plasmid pRSETA-GFPuv with the GFP sequence, and V, which is identical to G, but it does not have the GFP sequence. Incubate both cultures at about 37Â °C until OD600 equals 0.5. Transfer 1ml of each culture into separate centrifuge tubes and centrifuge to obtain a pellet. The supernatant from the tubes will be discarded and then label the tubes V0 and G0 and stored at -20Â °C. Induce the rest of the culture with IPTG and allow to grow for 3 hours. After the 3 hours, collect 1ml of each culture and centrifuge. Label the tubes V3 and G3 and were store at -20Â °C. Collect 15 ml of G and centrifuge, and label it as G3-15ml and store at -20Â °C. (1 pg 105) Preparation of Crude Extract After the slow freeze process, add 1 ml of breaking buffer (10mM Tris, pH 8.0; 150mM NaCl) to the frozen bacterial pellet G3-15ml, and pipette up and down until completely dissolved. Then transfer the contents to a centrifuge tube and vortex for 5 minutes and place in a 37Â °C water bath for 10 minutes. Afterwards, incubate in dry air at 37Â °C. Centrifuge the mixture at 4Â °C and transfer the supernatant into a clean centrifuge tube and take a small sample to label as GCE. The remaining supernatant will go through the Nickel+2 agarose column. (1 pg 110) Ni+2 NTA Chromatography Pack a 3ml plastic syringe with a small amount of glass wool to prepare the Ni+2 agarose column. After that, pipet 1 ml of breaking buffer into the syringe to remove any air bubbles. As the breaking buffer is going through the syringe, pour some breaking buffer into the leur-lock and then screw it onto the syringe. Add 1ml of 50% Ni+2 agarose into the column and then open the leur-lock to pack the agarose matrix in the colum. Add 5 ml of breaking buffer subsequently into the column to push the ethanol of the Ni+2 agarose through the column. Then close the leur-lock and apply the crude extract to the column and allow 5-10 minutes for the histidine tags on the rGFP to bind with the Ni+2 agarose beads. Open the leur-lock and collect the non-crude extract in a centrifuge tube labeled W1 for the first wash. Add 0.5ml aliquots of breaking buffer to the column and collect the washes in tubes W2-W10. Add 10 increments of 0.5ml of elution buffer and collect in tubes E1-E10. Then store your GC E, W1-10, and E1-10 samples at -20Â °C. (1 pg 111-2) Bradford Assay Analysis To create a Bradford assay, mix protein sample with water, and then add Bradford reagent dye. Vortex the mixture and then transfer it to the wells of a microtiter dish, so that the absorbance of your protein sample can be determined at 595nm using a spectrophotometer. To determine the amount of total protein present in the sample volume, you must create a Bradford standard curve using 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 ug of BSA and the absorbance values observed to determine a best-fit line. Perform the assay in singlicate using samples W1-W6 and E1-E6 to determine if the microplate data falls within the standard curve. Once you have determined what volume of sample to use, repeat the Bradford assays two more times for each sample. Use the standard curve and experimental absorbance values to extrapolate the total protein present in the volume of sample you use. (1 pg 124-6) SDS-PAGE/Coomassie Blue Analysis of rGFP Fractions Create a 12% Resolving Gel by mixing water, 30% Acrylamide, 10% APS, TEMED, and 4x resolving buffer [0.75M Tris pH8.8, 0.4%SDS]. Pour the resolving gel into a gel electrophoresis set up and overlay with some water. Allow the resolving gel to polymerize and proceed to making a 5% Stacking gel by mixing water, 30% Acrylamide, 10% APS, TEMED, and 4x stacking buffer. Pour the stacking gel on top of the resolving gel and immediately insert a comb to form the wells. Prepare your loading samples with 4x sample loading buffer and then vortex, boil, and centrifuge. Do this for the G0, G3, GCE, W2, W3, E2, and E3 samples (or fractions that contained the most rGFP fluorescence). (1pg 111-2) After the gel has solidified, transfer the apparatus into the electrophoresis tank and load the electrophoresis buffer into the tank. Then load your samples into lanes one through seven respectively along with a marking ladder to compare the distances the samples traveled after electrophoresis. Electrophorese at 200V for approximately 45 minutes and then stain your gel with Coomassie Blue dye. To remove the stain that has not been absorbed by proteins, the gel is soaked in dilute acid and methanol. Western Blot Develop an SDS-PAGE gel as previously described using your sample fractions and transfer the proteins onto nitrocellulose transfer membrane using two locking cassette lids with sponges and filter paper encompassing the gel and nitrocellulose. Remove the nitrocellulose and stain the membrane with Ponceau S stain, and allow to incubate for approximately 2 minutes. Once stained, wash the membrane with nanopure water until bands are visible on the membrane. Next, perform the blocking step by placing the membrane in a container containing 5% non-fat dry milk/TBS solution and incubate on a shaking platform. Pour out the blocking solution and add 0.05% Tween 20/TBS solution and then allow it to incubate on a shaking platform, and then pour out the solution. Repeat this wash step two more times. Add mouse IgG anti-Xpress epitope MAb and allow incubate on a shaking platform this is the primary probe step. Then repeat the wash step as mentioned previously three more times, and add Sheep IgG a nti-mouse IgG conjugated horse radish peroxidase polyclonal anti-serum solution (the secondary probe). Allow the membrane to incubate, and then perform the wash step twice. For the final wash, use only TBS, and then add TMB substrate solution and incubate until appropriate banding is shown. Stop the reaction with distilled water and scan or photograph the membrane as the results may fade with time. RESULTS: In the specific strain of E. coli, BL21pLysS, pRSET-GFP represses the lac promoter which is part of the operon needed for T7 polymerase activity. T7 polymerase binds to the T7 promotes of pRSET-GFP and activates the His-6 tag that expresses the fluorescence of GFP. Even though some GFP is produced this way, it is experimentally not enough, so IPTG is added to repress the repressor so an increase of GFP production can occur. V0, V3, G0, and G3 were all bacterial cultures of E. coli with specific distinctions between all of them. V0 and G0 were collected from bacterial cultures that were not yet induced, but G0 contained the GFP sequence while V0 did not. V3 and G3 were the V0 and G0 samples after induction had occurred for 3 hours, and again G0 contained the GFP sequence while V0 did not. W1-W10 were washes collected from the Ni+2 agarose column using the breaking buffer whereas E1-E10 were washes collected using elution buffer. Figure 2. SDS-PAGE/Coomassie Blue stained gel analysis of rGFP SDS-PAGE gel, which was used to analyze our purification of rGFP from a crude extract, and the corresponding molecular weight. This gel was made with a 12% resolving gel and a 5% stacking gel. Wildtype rGFP has a molecular weight for 27kDa. The ladder has kDa rungs of 97.4, 66.2, 45.0, 31, 21.5, and 14.4. The band for rGFP has been indicated on the figure. The different samples were taken during our purification. The highest protein containing washes and elutions were used in the SDS-PAGE gel. G0 represents a sample containing rGFP prior to induction. G3 represents a sample containing rGFP after 3 hours of induction. GCE represents the GFP crude extract after the slow-freeze/quick-thaw process. Figure 3. Western Blot of rGFP We used the Western Blot to detect, and more importantly, quantify proteins that react with antibodies. The Ponceau S stain was performed to highlight the existence of our proteins successfully being transferred from the SDS-PAGE gel. We then performed a blocking step with 5% non-fat dry milk/TBS solution followed by washes with 0.05% Tween20/TBS. The probe first used was mouse IgG anti-Xpress epitope MAb solution, which we followed with washes of Tween20/TBS solution. The second probe used was sheep IgG anti-mouse IgG conjugated horseradish peroxidase polyclonal anti-serum solution, which we followed with two washes of Tween 20/TBS solution with the third wash being pure TBS. Then, TMB solution was added to develop the nitrocellulose membrane and this reaction was stopped by pouring distilled water over the membrane. Above are the 8 lanes, G0, G3, GCE, W2, W3, E3, E4, and a known molecular weight ladder, respectively. CONCLUSION/DISCUSSION: A great amount of research has been put into the field of monitoring gene expression and there are currently many research laboratories that use labeled antibodies and other various means to do so. However, this new recombination technology, a vector can be created to provide a simpler and less expensive approach that can even be performed in vivo. The purpose of this experiment was fulfilled as His-6 tagged rGFP from a particular E. coli strain was successfully expressed, purified, qualified, and quantified by means of Ni+2 agarose chromatography. GFP was initially expressed as a histidine tagged protein that was inserted in E. coli and subsequently a crude extract of this protein was isolated. Throughout the experiment, we were able to inspect and measure the fluorescing activity of our elutions with the use of handheld UV lights. GFP was successfully expressed because of the fluorescent activity that was emitted when shown under UV light. This rGFP was purified using a Ni+2 agarose column which allowed for the binding of the His-6 tagged rGFP to the Ni+2 agarose beads in the column, and subsequently let all other proteins not of interest and containments to be collected in washes. Then, rGFP proteins were eluted by passing elution buffer containing Imidazole through the column because Imidazole has a higher affinity for the Ni+2 agarose beads than does Histidine. Therefore, one could expect that most if not all of the rGFP would be found in the elution washes and would present higher fluorescing activity than the washes with breaking buffer. Figure 1 clearly supports this argument. From referencing Figure 1, the most rGFP was found in E2 because it exhibited the highest fluorescent activity in RFUs. Using a standard curve based off of known quantities of mass of a certain protein, one is able to extrapolate the amount of protein present in ones sample. This can be used to estimate the amount of rGFP activity. For instance, E2s specific activity was found to be approximately 100,592.2 RFU/mg. W1-W6 had the least amount of fluorescing activity because the washes were done prior to the addition of Imidazole through the column. This is expected as Imidazole would flush out rGFP in the elutions, which would produce the highest GFP fluorescing activity. Percent purity of the rGFP samples were approximated using the SDS-PAGE gel with Coomassie blue staining to allow visible bands to appear which were used for comparisons. The molecular mass from each individual sample was determined by comparing the bands with the bands of the known weight ladder. The percent purity of each individual band was determined by comparing the bands against each other. The molecular weight of wild type rGFP is 27 kDa, and the molecular weight of rGFP for mutant rGFP used for this experiment was approximately 31.4 kDa with the 40 extra amino acids that were added taken into account. For example, E3 percentage of purity was found to be .4. The amount of protein yielded was 29.4 ug of rGFP for the third Elution fraction (E3) after a total protein amount of 49 ug The Western Blotting technique detected and quantified proteins that reacted with a specific antibody. In our case, it verified rGFP was expressed and whether or not it fell in the range of the expected molecular weight of 31.51 kDa. Lanes GCE, G0, G3, and E3 all contained a bright band around 31.4 kDa, indicating that rGFP was existent. This result corresponds to the expected of E3 having the one of the highest rGFP activity. The fact I had used E3 for the SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting skewed my results, but E2 and E3 had the highest activity for me. Even with my error, GFP was effectively expressed and purified and its finding is important to science because it can be used to track cancer causing cells one day to help figure out where problem spots begin and can help eliminate the issue before it escalates indicating that fluorescent proteins might eventually be clinically useful in cancer patients (Hoffman). This can occur since GFP can successfully be expressed in other organisms as this experiment through the use of E.coli, humans cells can certainly be tagged and label the tumour before treatment and then monitor for fluorescence after treatment to identify possible recurrence or metastases (Hoffman). The same can be said with heart disease and other health related problems. The future of GFP remains limitless when scientists can unlock its full medical potential. REFERENCE/BIBLIOGRAPHY (1) Rippel, Scott. BIOL 3380 Fall 2010: Biochemistry Lab Manual. The University of Texas at Dallas. Richardson, TX. (2) Rippel, Scott. BIOL 3380 Fall 2010: Biochemistry Lab Lecture Notes. The University of Texas at Dallas. Richardson, TX. (3) Ward, William. History of GFP and GFP Antibodies. Brighter Ideas. 2009. 26 Oct, 2010. http://www.brighterideasinc.com/proteins-antibodies/history-of-gfp-and-gfp-antibodies/ (4) Ninfa, Alexander J. and David P. Ballou (1998). Fundamental Laboratory Approaches for Biochemistry and Biotechnology. (5) Hoffman, Robert M. Uses of Fluorescent Proteins to Visualize Cancer In Vivo: Can Fluorescent Proteins be Used in Humans? 2005. 28 Oct. 2010. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/513975_6

Uni :: essays research papers

The protagonist in this self titled autobiography Martin Luther King, Jr. is Martin Luther King Jr. himself. In this scene Mr. King was at a book signing in a Harlem department store. As he was autographing a copy of his book about the Montgomery bus boycott titled â€Å" Stride toward Freedom† he was approached by the antagonist of this scene; an obviously demented black woman later to be judged as legally insane, Mrs. Izola Ware Curry. On Saturday September 20, 1958 Mrs. Curry approached Mr. King and asked, â€Å"Are you Martin Luther King?† Mr. King replied â€Å"Yes†, and she commenced to stab him in the chest with a razor sharp letter opener.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Martin Luther King, Jr. was rushed to Harlem Hospital by ambulance where he would lay for four hours while he was being prepped for the removal of the keen-edged knife. Days after surgery Dr. Maynard, the chief of the surgeons, informed Mr. King that the razor tip of the letter opener was touching his aorta requiring them to open his chest to remove it. With this comment to follow, â€Å" If you had sneezed during all those hours of waiting your aorta would have been punctured and you would have drowned in your own blood.† said Dr. Maynard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If this had actually been the one of Dr. King’s last days; it would have meant that the world would have been deprived of a ten year, non-violent campaign that did in fact change society for the better. A little less than a year after his near fatal stabbing he and his family would embark upon a journey to India accompanied by Dr. D.L. Reddick. There he meet Ghandi himself giving him newfangled prospective on non-violent campaigns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a Humid Saturday Afternoon on September 20, 1958, Dr. King sat in a Harlem Department store signing copies of his book on the Montgomery bus boycott entitled â€Å"Stride Toward Freedom†. Amidst all the smiles and support of the crowd derived an obviously deranged woman. She approached Dr. King and inquired,†Are you Martin Luther King?† As Dr. King Replied, †Yesâ€Å" She stabbed him in the chest with a letter opener. Dr. King was rushed to the Harlem hospital by ambulance where he was immediately prepped and admitted to the surgery ward. After hours on the operating table the head surgeon Dr. Maynard, had the saturnine duty of telling the King family that the totality of effort shown by he an his team were only able to slow Dr.

MacDonald Essay -- Business, Protective Tariffs Policy

Although they represented differed political parties, Sir John A. MacDonald and Sir Wilfred Laurier pursued the same goals while in office. MacDonald recognized Canada's need for protective tariffs on exported goods, the need of settlement in the west, and the need for a railway to unify the nation. MacDonald immediately implemented protectionism and the establishment of a railway. On the other hand, Laurier took these goals and expanded on them. John A. MacDonald outlined the goals of Canada in the National Policy and these goals were accomplished in the period of the Laurier Boom. The first goal of MacDonald's National Policy was the establishment of protective tariffs on goods. Although formerly a supporter of free trade, MacDonald decided that the current circumstances were favorable to protectionism (Stevenson, 194). His advocacy for protective tariffs had great impact on Canadians, so much that the nation voted MacDonald into office in 1878. For the next eighteen years after the establishment of the National Policy, the Liberals held to a rigid free trade philosophy and â€Å"directed its main attack upon the tariff system and the anti-protectionist case came to enjoy wide acceptance† (194). When MacDonald first implemented protectionism, Laurier, like many other liberals, was against the idea. However, once in power, Laurier was prompted by British preference to maintain the policy of high protection (194). However, the tariff issue was banished once the boom took flight as Canada's export markets were thriving. The country experienced great prosp erity, rapid development as well as expansion, especially for the railways (194). Once the country's prosperity began to slow down, farmers of the west that were â€Å"the chief sufferer... ...s National Policy and Wilfred Laurier accomplished it in his time in office, the period known as the Laurier Boom. This goes to show that the different political parties do not vary so much in their ideas, but more so in the ways of which they execute them. These two men exemplify their political parties; although both parties are equally motivated, when executing their practices, conservatives tend to be more laid back and behind the scenes and liberals are more diligent and in the forefront. For example, MacDonald came up with and outlined the policy, and Laurier took the policy into application. Although their approaches are different, the ideas and actions of these two men together are the reason for the development of Canada as a nation. Therefore, with this in mind, both the Laurier government and the MacDonald government created the nation of Canada.

Heroism Redifined: Lord of the Rings

Heroism redefined Lord of the Rings J. R. R. Tolkien Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, offers the reader a truly compelling picture of the world of Middle-earth. The author, in great detail, depicts a complex reality which abounds in a whole variety of creatures, cultures, languages and histories. If we take a closer look on Tolkien’s masterpiece we will easily notice a complexity of themes, motifs, symbols which add to the semantic richness of the text. It is necessary to mention that Tolkien was considerably influenced by the literary tradition.Fascinated by literary genres such as a heroic epic, a chivalric romance or a fairy tale Tolkien skillfully weaved many characteristic conventions of these genres in Lord of the Rings. Among many other features drawn from the literary tradition the theme of heroism occupies a prominent position in Tolkien’s trilogy. On the one hand Tolkien follows a well known model of a courageous epic hero, but on the other hand he operates with the theme in an innovative way.Apart from a careful depiction of a well known image of noble heroism typical of great figures of historical significance such as Aragorn, the novel surprisingly offers a completely new image of heroism which is represented by small hobbits. Providing at the same time two parallel faces of the concept, Tolkien significantly changes and challenges the traditional meaning of heroism and, as a consequence, significantly enriches the literary tradition. A significant part of the trilogy is devoted to the deeds of great Men such as Aragorn.Drawing extensively on the tradition of heroic epic and chivalric romance Tolkien presents a powerful image of a knightly hero full of noble virtues. Aragorn is a â€Å"born hero† – a true heir to the throne of Gondor, â€Å"born to achieve great deeds in his time† (Zimmer Bradley 83). He is a courageous man of action, endowed with physical strength, who combats evil, brings order and re stores peace. Respected and admired by other characters, Aragorn is a hero of indomitable spirit who never commits mistakes and always serves as an epitome of bravery and virtue.Although Aragorn is one of the most prominent characters in the trilogy, the most important mission, to destroy the malevolent Ring, falls upon a completely different figure. The future of the whole Middle-earth does not depend on noble Elves or brave Men or even strong Dwarves but lies in the hands of the seemingly weak and insignificant hobbits (Gulisano 131). Tolkien’s surprising choice falls upon small and rather funny creatures which, in fact, do not really have any particular achievements. Though small and weak, it is Frodo and his faithful servant Sam who are burdened with an extremely difficult task.Contrary to all expectations Frodo is chosen to carry the ring: â€Å"You may be nobody in particular in yourself, yet for some inexplicable reasons, through no choice of your own, the Ring has co me into your keeping, so that it is on you and not on Gandalf or Aragorn that the task falls of destroying it† (LotR, I, 284) At first the small hobbit is full of doubts. He is neither a great wizard like Gandalf to plan the strategy of war against Sauron, nor Aragorn, an outstanding warrior who is destined to be the leader of the army of Gondor. Yet, the Ring has clearly chosen the hobbit.Unlike other significant figures of the trilogy Frodo has â€Å"heroism thrust upon him† (Zimmer Bradley 84). In contrast with Aragorn, Frodo is not born to gain glory, yet through experience and ability to endure hardships he finally rises to heroism. Though hesitantly, Frodo humbly accepts the task: â€Å"’I will take the Ring,’ he said, ‘though I do not know the way. †(LotR, I, 284) Even though Frodo would rather â€Å"stay at home than risk my life on the very slight chance of winning glory† (LotR, I, 284) eventually he resigns from his own comfor t and safety and full of hope takes up a dangerous journey to save the world of Middle-earth.During the journey he often trembles, regrets his lot and wonders why he was burdened with such an enormous load, still he manages to remain faithful to the mission till the very end. Deciding to carry the Ring Frodo starts to follow a path full of sacrifices and pain. As the Ring bearer he is forced to put up a constant resistance to his own ambitions and desire for power (Bramlett 70). Frodo undeniably becomes a hero of the story. Though he actually fails at the very last moment of his mission – he yields to the temptation and wants to posses the Ring for his own- the quest is still completed and Frodo returns covered in glory.However, as Frodo rather reluctantly accepts the heavy burden of the unusual quest there is another character who follows the same path on his own free will and without complain. Sam, Frodo’s devoted servant, becomes an unrecognized hero of the story, w ho bravely accompanies and supports Frodo till the very last stage of their journey. He is the one who cares even less for glory and heroic deeds. His only wish is to protect his master and follow Frodo even if it means death. (Zimmer Bradley 84) Throughout the story Sam undergoes perhaps the most significant development.He starts out as a minor character. Even Sam describes himself as a â€Å"luggage in a boat†. He is a rather comic and childish character hardly adequate for such a grand enterprise (Purtill 89). Although at first he displays a sort of a limited perception, which is not unusual for a hobbit – he can be very practical at times – â€Å"his mind was slow but shrewd† (LotR, II, 625). In the course of the novel Sam gradually takes more and more responsibility and acquires such importance that without him the quest would be unfulfilled.Sam seems to be a typical hobbit servant, yet Tolkien endows him with certain features which differentiate him from the traditional literary servants. This peculiar hobbit is endowed with a sort of curiosity which is quite unique for a hobbit. He is fascinated with Elves and dreams about an opportunity to meet them one day. He is much more open to the new ideas and experiences than a typical hobbit (Purtill 90-91). What is more, Sam is also aware of his own limitations. He usually depends on the opinion of others, as he is not able to decide on grand matters: â€Å" I hope that the master will think it out carefully.He’s as wise as any, but he’s soft-hearted, that’s what he is. It’s beyond any Gamgee to guess what he’ll do next† (LotR, II, 625). Moreover, Sam is also endowed with a significantly greater independence than a typical servant (Purtill 90-91). When Frodo decides to abandon Shire alone, without any support of his friends, Sam reveals Frodo’s plan to Pippin and Merry in order to protect his master. On another occasion he disobeys Ar agorn and secretly follows Frodo on the further journey without informing the rest of the fellowship. When his master comes at stakeSam is able to do absolutely anything. Above all else, Sam characterizes an enormous devotion, selflessness and love for Frodo. His care for his master is truly incomparable: â€Å"It is hardly possible to separate you form him [Frodo], even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not† (LotR, I, 284). Throughout the story signs of Sam’s love for Frodo can be frequently encountered: â€Å"Sam came in. He ran to Frodo and took his left hand, awkwardly and shyly. He stroked it gently and then he blushed and turned hastily away. † (LotR, I, 237) His love for Frodo is immense.He is totally selfless and ready for sacrifices for his master. His devotion is best portrayed in the last stage of the quest, when the fellowship is broken and the two hobbits continue their dark journey to Mordor all by themselves. As Frodo, due to the malevolent power of the Ring, gradually becomes both physically and mentally weaker, Sam becomes an actual guide and protector. He deals with the practical aspects of the journey and combats various obstacles throughout the way. Gradually Sam becomes less comic and much more doughty.Along with their approaching the gates of Mordor Sam is significantly gaining importance and becoming a truly mature character. When the two hobbits are just one step form completing their mission of destroying the Ring everything is almost ruined due to Gollum’s betrayal. Sam and Frodo are attacked by a giant spider Shelob. Frodo is wounded in the combat and Sam is convinced that his beloved master is dead. Though terrified and totally miserable he does not turn back. He feels an obligation to continue the quest. As soon as he realizes that his master is still alive he rushes to rescue Frodo.As for the time being he carries the Ring, and just like Frodo and others he is subject to the great temp tation. On this stage of the journey ominous power of the Ring is the most dangerous and the temptation is respectively stronger. The Ring plants in Sam visions of himself as a great warrior: Samwise the Strong. Hero of the Age, striding with flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to overthrow of Barad-dur. And then all the clouds rolled away and the white sun shone, and at his command the vale of Gorgoroth became a garden of tress and brought forth fruit.He had only to put on the Ring and claim it for his own and all this could be. In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own lands to use, not the lands of others to command. And anyway, all those notions are only a trick,† he said to himself. (LotR, III, 880-881) Sam is saved by his great love for his master and his extraordinary common sense combined with modesty and humility. Deep down he realizes that the vision of himself as a great warrior is ridiculous. The illusion, in fact, does not even constitute a dream that he aspires to. Sam is aware that he is not meant to be a grand hero. He knows perfectly well that his true vocation is to be a humble servant and this is exactly what makes him happy.The great trial Sam is subject to requires from the little hobbit a great deal of common wisdom and strength. Sam who at first seems to be a rather weak and at times an irritating character demonstrates strength which can be compared to the one of Galadriel or Gandalf. He is not only able to resist the temptation, but also to return the Ring to Frodo without hesitation. Sam displays enormous grandeur. At this poi nt he presents more heroism than for instance one of Tolkien’s classic heroes Bromir for whom temptation turned out too great to resist.As one of the critics rightly suggests: â€Å"He [Sam] exhibits concrete wisdom rather than abstract reasoning, finds relationship more important than objects, is supportive, nurturing, and self-sacrificing. † (Purtill 95) Tolkien seems to suggest that these are the features that account for true heroism. Thanks to Sam the quest can be completed. He supports Frodo emotionally till the very end and even literally carries him to the Mount Doom when the latter is physically unable to reach the destination.At the last stage of their journey Frodo is so debilitated by the power of the Ring that he is practically unable to think clearly. All his powers are focused on resisting the temptation of putting the Ring on the finger. Form now on the success of the mission depends on Sam. At this point, the development of Sam is clearly visible. He r ealizes that the mission has to be completed, that they must do everything in their power to end the task. He knows that they have reached a point from which there is no return.Though, he is convinced that there is no hope for them and they are doomed to death, he still manages to follow once entrusted mission. Sam becomes an undeniable hero of the story. Though he does not acquire a sort of glory that Pippin and Merry achieve on a battlefield, still he does acquire the necessary virtue and wisdom to eventually become the leader and the ruler of the hobbits – the Mayor of the Shire. Lord of the Rings, among many other beautiful and complex images, provides one of the most extraordinary and memorable depictions of heroism.Greatly influenced by the literary tradition, Tolkien both follows and modifies the concept of heroism and consequently provides the reader with two faces of this traditional notion. Tolkien emphasizes a number of features characteristic for a heroic epic and a chivalric romance. Features such as courage, fortitude, nobleness and honour can be found in several prominent figures in the novel. One of the most distinct examples, personifying all these virtues, is to be found in Aragorn. He is a classic hero, descendant of the line of kings, great warrior, the one who restores peace and brings back justice.Aragorn is the rightful heir to the throne who bravely struggles with the forces of evil and at the end triumphantly comes back to his kingdom and marries Arwena – Elf princess. Aragorn embodies all features typical of a truly heroic character in the traditional sense of the concept. However, the author does not only provide the reader with a well known model of heroism based on strength and courage. The novel presents a new surprising aspect of this concept and at the same time establishes a modern, innovative definition of the notion.In the course of the novel the reader is exposed to a very peculiar juxtaposition of characters. Next to such heroic figures as Aragorn Tolkien places queer, little, funny hobbits. It is Frodo and his devoted servant Sam who become true heroes of the story. If it had not been for their simplicity, ordinariness, lack of violence and ability to self-sacrifice the whole Middle-earth would be seized by the forces of evil. Frodo and Sam represent ordinary, insignificant figures who through their selflessness, loyalty and love for friends are brought to the heroic glory.Realization of their own limitations, common sense and modesty prevents them form mistakes that other characters are prone to commit. Hobbits represent the kind of courage exhibited by an ordinary person, who rises to heroism in the face of challenge (Purtill 77). Their courage is moral as well as physical. On their quest they have to face both mental torments, such as resisting the power of the ring and fear of enemies, and physical hardships, like lack of food and water, exhaustion due to the strenuous journey and w ounds they receive during combats.Tolkien presents the reader a new definition of heroism which is based on love and humility and can be achieved not exclusively by the chosen, great figures but by everybody. Heroism that Tolkien offers in Lord of the Rings is within everybody’s reach, no matter how small and weak and ordinary they would be (Gulisano 132). Juxtaposing the two kinds of heroism Tolkien stresses the fact that both can harmoniously coexist and are complementary: â€Å"without the high and noble the simple and vulgar is utterly mean; and without the simple and ordinary the noble and heroic is meaningless† (Tolkien in: Purtill 60).

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation Essay

Fender is an American manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers based out of Scottsdale, Arizona. The privately held company was founded by Clarence Leonidas â€Å"Leo† Fender in Clifornia in 1946. The company specializes in solid body electric guitars such as the Stratocaster and Telecaster, and solid body electric bass guitars such as the Precision and Jazz models. Fender instruments are widely considered to be the standard to which most other electric guitars are measured. As marketing manager, I have been asked to develop a brand extension within Fender, in this case, we have decided to move into percussion instruments, specifically drum kits. We will be developing 3 new models of Fender drum kits, a six, seven and eight piece kit. The six piece kit will be made up of a snare drum, four tom toms and a bass drum. The seven piece kit will be similar, with the addition of another tom tom, and finally the eight piece will be similar to the seven piece, with the addition of a second bass drum. All drums will be sold without cymbals and hi-hats; however all will include a kick pedal for the base drum. The objective of this extension is to begin moving Fender into new instruments, especially to develop a line of percussion instruments, with the future goal of developing a percussion department within the company, which will in turn lead to the manufacturing and sale of bongo drums, conga drums and tambourines. We feel that this area of the market for musical instruments has a clear niche gap within it that Fender can fill. With our excellent reputation within the industry, we feel customers will have the brand loyalty to purchase Fender drums. We also feel that with our world class team of developers and creators, and having the resources to use only the finest wood, we can create a drum kit that will be used by the most influential and talented drummers in the world. This will of course lead to worldwide sales of Fender drums, increasing sales to unprecedented levels, which in turn will give us the chance to employee a greater number of people, all while creating a whole new division within the organization, greatly adding to the legacy of Fender instruments. Our target market is the total number of potential buyers for our product. Among this broad group, we have our primary and secondary target markets. Our primary market in this case will be those most likely to buy our new product. This will mainly be drummers and musical institutions, for example music schools, colleges and workshops. Our secondary market, those who have the next greatest potential to buy now or in the future, will be musicians of all instruments; non-musicians who we hope will to purchase a kit and learn to play; and advertisement companies or agencies. Our primary market is simple, drummers drum. They need a drum kit, and if we can convince them of the superior quality and craftsmanship of Fender drums, we hope they will use Fender exclusively. A similar approach is being taken when marketing towards musical institutions. Our secondary market however will be more difficult. Despite the fact that drums are used in many forms of music, musicians in general who we will target will specifically be guitarists, bass players and singers. We feel these players might be interested as many will already be playing music in a similar style to heavier, drum-orientated sound, as opposed to a classical trumpet player for example. We also feel that these players will very likely be familiar with the Fender brand, again as opposed to a musician playing an instrument in which Fender does not specialize. They will therefore be familiar with our high quality level of workmanship and reliability. We will have many well established brands to compete with within the marketplace. Companies such as Pearl, Tama, Evans and C&C are highly regarded within the drumming community and have spent years building u brand loyalty among their customers. Of these companies, Pearl and Tama will be our strongest competitors. Pearl is a multinational company, founded in 1952, specializing in percussion instruments. They cover a huge range of kits, including six, seven, and eight piece kits similar to the kits we will be producing. Their Vision, Masters and Session models are widely popular and well prices. Tama is a sub division of the Hoshino Gakko Group, a company specializing in Tama drums and Ibenez guitars. Like Pearl, Tama produces well crafted, highly priced drum kits and have a great reputation worldwide for quality. Fender Drums – Marketing Strategy Price We will be selling our three kits (six, seven and eight piece) directly from our Fender stores worldwide for $1499, $1799 and $2199 respectively. We have spent many months analyzing our competitors’ marketing prices and feel that these prices offer a great deal for customers. For example, Pearl and Tama sell their six piece kits for $1599 and $1649 respectively. This places our product at a lower price range than both. We have also reached a deal with Sabian (manufacturer of hi-hats and cymbals) to sell our six piece kit with four of their cymbals as a bundle deal. Regarding this deal, we will receive $50 less per kit than when sold separately, however we feel Sabian to be a highly regarded company who customers have built up a great relationship with and therefore we hope to garner some of their brand loyalty to introduce new players to our product. Our seven and eight piece kits will be sold individually only for the foreseeable future. Our seven piece kit is being sold at the same price as those offered by Pearl and Tama, while our eight piece kit is $100 cheaper than Tama’s eight piece kit. Ours is $50 more expensive than Pearl’s eight piece kit; however we feel our product to be vastly superior to theirs, and therefore do not anticipate this slight difference as being problematic. We will also be offering out 100 kits initially to established artists as endorsements. These kits will be distributed, free of charge, to 42 pre-selected musicians, in the hope that by being used by these artists, other musicians who are influenced by these drummers will be eager to also purchase a kit. In addition, our seven piece will contain a 13 x 10 tom tom and our eight piece will include a 20 x 16 bass drum. We will offer a range of spin off products which can be attached onto each kit, including a cowbell, tambourine and jam block. Each kit will be available in three colors (red, green and black) and will be sold with safety casing as an additional extra. They will be branded with the Fender logo on the top right portion of the front of the bass drum. Our products will vary to competitors’ products in many ways. Our drums are different sizes, therefore giving out a slightly different tone and sound. All drums a headed with smooth emperor drum skins, which resonate for longer and give a crisper, more accurate tone. Only the finest maple and rosewood will be used to ensure the most satisfying sound and timbre. Place Our products will be available from all Fender stores throughout Australia, Europe and America. We hope, over the next 12 months, to establish a relationship with stores throughout Asia and South America to sell Fender drums. Our products will also be available from our online store, as well as through third party sellers such as Amazon and EBay. Our products will also be available for both use and purchase at many trade fairs throughout America and Australia over the next six months. Promotion We have many options when considering methods of promotion. As the leader in musical instruments worldwide, with 312 stores, this gives us a great starting point. All stores will stock our kits, displaying them front and center within their stores, to be sure customers will be quickly aware of them. We regularly host trade fairs across the world, which will also give us another means of advertising. We will be taking our advertising in many of the world’s most read magazines (such as Rolling Stone, News and Time), newspapers (NY Post, Sydney Morning Herald and British Times) and websites (BBC, Dailymail, and TMZ). We will advertise and promote through television and radio also. I feel our greatest promotion will be through Sponsorship. We have signed 42 of the greatest drummers currently playing to use our kits. Drummers like Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails) and Nathan Followill (Kings of Leon) all have huge fan bases of drummers, who we hope will be eager to try and purchase our kits once they realize their influences are also using them. Our competitors also use many of these means of advertising, however we feel with our larger budget, and many more stores internationally, we have a much larger platform to promote from. We will begin promotion as of September 2014, hoping to garner enough attention to our product before the Christmas rush of product purchasing begins. While our product is not a ‘seasonal’ product, we feel it would be a good time to release these kits. In closing, regarding which of the 4Ps will be the most influential initially on our product, I believe it will be our product itself. Our price is very competitive; we feel strongly this will not be a problem. Our promotion will be huge, using magazines, radio, TV, internet, billboards, instore advertising, sponsorship and trade shows among other means. Our placement options are huge. With our worldwide brand, we can sell our product worldwide. However, our product itself, with its world class development, beautiful tone, ease of use, gorgeous design and competitive price will stand up for itself as a leader in drumming products, and over time, we hope will be the number one drum kit on the market. Sources http://www.smarta.com/advice/sales-and-marketing/advertising-and-marketing/how-to-develop-a-marketing-strategy/ View as multi-pages