I hold my duty as i hold my soul both to my God Essay Example for Free

I hold my duty as i hold my soul both to my God Essay Polonius statement, found in Act Two, Scene Two, reflects the symmetry and order of the society he lives in. He inhabits a world of certainty and medieval convention. The play can be seen to challenge the statement, both in the action and in the characters, particularly in the character of Hamlet himself. It is Hamlet, the renaissance man of the play, whose controversial attitude is constantly seen to challenge the medieval certainties that could still be seen in Jacobean society. Value was placed on duty to the monarch and to God; the institution of marriage was sacred and scientific reasoning was absolute and definite. All these things are challenged in Shakespeares Hamlet. The social and cultural climate of Jacobean society was such that certainties and conventions were held in high esteem- Shakespeares Hamlet is written in the context of, for example, the social hierarchy of the time, the medieval court, and religion. All of these are challenged in the play by both the characters and the plot. Even the very form of the statement challenges these certainties, for the couplet is a chiasmus- the symmetrical structure reflects the very nature of the society in which Polonius lives. In Shakespeares time society was beginning to ask some of the questions which Shakespeare addresses through the character of Hamlet. Most people embraced a rational, scientific line of thinking Elizabethans were not always heavily superstitious. For example, in Act one, Scene one, Horatio expresses doubt at the existence of the ghost: Before my God, I might not this believe Without the sensible and true avouch Of mine own eyes. They also began to question the old hierarchy and the natural order of things- such as God and gracious king upon the dawn of the Renaissance. The idea of society as a fixed structure and everything being ordained in the world was indeed a strong certainty. Hamlet has a clear vision of things as they are he is a realist, a Renaissance man, unlike characters such as Claudius and Polonius who Shakespeare portrays to be lacking in vision. Shakespeare shows the court to be full of people who think that all these things are absolute simply because they have always been a certain way. Hamlet is also the main vehicle through which Shakespeare conveys his views. Hamlet has indeed been brought up with medieval and religious certainties too. Or that the everlasting had not fixd His canon gainst self- slaughter. A modern audience may very well see Hamlet as being rather tame- a twenty-first century rebel would not acknowledge proprieties such as the divine ban on suicide- but Hamlet seeks more than revenge. He is a melancholy individual, who searches for the answers to some of these questions; through the title statement, Shakespeare challenges his contemporary audience and the modern audience to question these certainties too. Hamlets clear vision is in direct contrast to the other characters, in the sense that he is the only character who is prepared to question these certainties and to try and define, in a sense, what the true meaning of life is, what it is all about. Shakespeare challenges the statement of duty to God and king by implying, through the character of Hamlet that life is underpinned by something other than the monarch and the church. Hamlet is totally aware of the beauty of the world yet at the same time has a pessimistic outlook on the gifts of man as we are all destined to die anyway: What piece of work is a man, How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god: and yet to me what is this quintessence of dust? The character of Polonius is underpinned by values such as duty to God and king- this is illustrated not only in Act Two Scene Two but also in Act One Scene Three: This above all : to thine own self be true, As it must follow the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man. This quotation illustrates a simplistic outlook on life. The main way in which Shakespeare challenges this outlook is, ironically, in Polonius death. In Act Three, scene four, Polonius is casually and ignominiously killed by Hamlet : O, I am slain. Polonius expresses surprise as much as anything, while Hamlet s words reinforce the irony of Polonius self- importance: I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune: Thou findst to be too busy in some danger. Polonius is clearly at home in this ordered society and shows a passive acceptance of the status quo. He has a simple medieval outlook on life and clearly values his duty to his God and king; however, he dies by ridiculous accident. Although throughout his life he has clearly endeavoured to serve these two entities to the best of his ability, he still dies an unnatural, brutal death. Shakespeare is therefore illustrating the irrelevance that these values have to life, both in Shakespeares era and now. The statement which Polonius makes in Act Two Scene Two about duty to God and King allows the reader to infer a lot about the character of Polonius and the world in which he lives- he does not seek new experience. These medieval certainties are also challenged in the character of Claudius. He is obviously not on the side of God- indeed, he seems to contradict the very reasoning of the church by the brutal manner in which he murders the king. It is ironic therefore that he seems to declare himself king by divine right as he actually dies with a guilty conscience: Theres such divinity doth hedge a king That treason can but peep to what it would, Acts little of his will. Here it appears that Claudius has conveniently forgotten exactly how he became king. Shakespeare is challenging the idea of kingship. He is showing the court to be full of people who think things are the way they are because they have always been done that way, such as Polonius, Gertrude, Claudius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The character of Claudius highlights the corruption of the medieval court. The intrigue and machiavellian machinations of the court are self justifying to all these people; for example, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deceive Hamlet and go behind his back simply because they are serving their king. In Shakespeares time deception and violence were commonplace if they would benefit the king. Although Claudius seems to take the moral high-ground throughout the play he has no good intentions toward Hamlet at all. Shakespeares Hamlet also challenges the institution of marriage- it is shown in the conduct of Gertrude and Claudius not be a sacred union but a justification for excessive promiscuity. Hamlet is distraught by his mothers rapid re- marriage to his uncle after his fathers death: To post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets. Shakespeare invites us then to question the notion of a stable royal marriage, and the values that society had then and the values we have now. Hamlet is disgusted by their sexual excesses and, moreover feels he has been tainted by them: O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew. Shakespeare is challenging the morality of the royal marriage- the fact that Gertrude marries the kings own brother shortly after his death seems to suggest the absence of love. In Hamlet, the degree of emotion and true respect in marriage is shown to be weak- it is easily overruled by lust, as the ghost of the previous king states: Let not the royal bed of Denmark be. A couch for luxury and damned incest. Hamlet is an unconventional revenge tragedy- Shakespeare subverts the genre. Hamlet is reluctant to take revenge whereas Laertes is hot- headed, impulsive and ready to avenge the murder of Polonius: It warms the very sickness in my heart That I shall live and tell him to his teeth, Thus diest thou. Shakespeare undermines the concept further by showing that Hamlet is not in fact a coward- his ideas are slightly more subtle. He is indeed hesitant about avenging his fathers murder- he passes up an opportunity to kill Claudius in Act Three, scene four, as he does not want to kill him in an act of redemption. This goes against the traditional idea of medieval and Jacobean revenge: A villain kills my father, and for that To heaven. Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge. This is a challenge to the genre because Hamlet is prepared to bide his time in order to achieve the perfect murder- he wont be spontaneous and impulsive. This is shown by the fact that he passes up an opportunity to kill Claudius. Shakespeares Hamlet has a good degree of relevance to life in the twenty- first century. Although some of the major themes, such as the court and incest, are no longer applicable to modern life, we can relate to some of the underlying themes such as love, sorrow and resentment; we can relate to the emotional distress. Reasoning in Medieval Denmark where the play is set nor indeed in Jacobean society is not so different to our reasoning today- the majority of people today may not believe in ghosts but characters in the play, such as Horatio, and some people in Jacobean society do not believe in ghosts either. In Act one, scene five, Hamlet makes this very thought- provoking comment to Horatio: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. We have our certainties today- in the form of scientific reasoning; but our certainties are equally open and capable of being challenged. One of the main themes in Hamlet is death- we are still uncertain about what happens after we die. The character of Hamlet himself has a romantic, post modernist way of thinking; everything is relative and there are no certainties- only thoughts: Nothing is good or bad. Thinking makes it so. In a sense here Hamlet can be compared to the Romantics. Keats wrote in the context of Shakespeare: Twixt damnation and impassiond clay. (On Sitting Down To Read King Lear) This in a sense is what underpins Shakespeares Hamlet- the idea that whatever certainties are held in any given era will always be questionable, and open to discussion. Our certainties will always be challenged because nothing is definite, or absolute. This romantic concept is based on the idea that this is what life is about- challenging certainties in order to try and discover the ineffable truth about this world and the next.

My experience in Malaysia: A reflective report

My experience in Malaysia: A reflective report It’s not easy to leave your country of origin and to settle down in another country where you are a visitor but my experience in staying Malaysia is incredible. Malaysia is one of the most beautiful and fascinating tourism destinations of South East Asia. Malaysia comprises out two parts, Peninsular Malaysia, which is located between Thailand in the north and Singapore in the south, and the two provinces Sabah and Sarawak, located on Borneo. It has a rich history courting back to the 13th century moreover it was a busy port for Europeans and far trades for many hundred years. It is a multiracial country with has a rich cultural heritage and a population of 23.27 million consisting of 61 percent Malays, 30 percent Chinese, 8 percent Indians and 1 percent of other ethnic groups. In 15th century Malacca was the initial name to Malaysia. In the year of 1957 Malaysia gained its independence from the British. Later in 1963 after the fusion of Singapore Sarawak and Sabah into a centr al union in which Malacca was called Malaysia. It is surprising to know that the Diversity of races, religions and cultures is an important characteristic of Malaysians. As moving from past to 21st century Malaysia is a modern city with shopping mall, cinemas, international hotels and star bucks everywhere. Knowing the brief history behind Malaysia after 4 hours sitting on plane I arrived into Kuala Lumpur which is the capital and the largest city in Malaysia. I was greeted by a member of a staff who then latterly took me off to hostel that night. Next morning I was warmly greeted and met the rest of the international students. It was a great day meeting them because I was happy to meet some of my collides who stayed with me in Srilanka. Accommodation costs are comparatively cheaper away from the city so as i moved into an apartment about 5-8 minutes’ walk from campus. At the campus there were rich variety of backgrounds, nationalities and cultures. Accommodating a community of 40% international students, studying at the Malaysia Campus is a great way to meet people from across the globe, learn about their cultures and communicate people about your own. Being in a newly expanded campus most of the facilities were new, Wireless network, library with latest collections of books, nice lecture hall with new computer and projector and also the shuttle service were amazing. The courses and teaching methods were not very different from what i have learnt in my country. When it comes to food Malaysia food is a mix of Indian, Chinese, Burmese and traditional Malay style. As for now I used to have my lunch, dinner in cafeteria. Sometimes when i get sick of the campus food I would just go to the restaurants nearby because there are number of small home style restaurants that offer delicious food at low prices. Trying out the Malaysians national dish Nasi lemak which is served with steamed rice, coconut milk, curry chicken or beef, fried anchovies and sambal was totally different when comes to the taste of red rice and curry. As a Sri Lankan student in Malaysia I wasn’t felt out of place because Malaysian culture is so way similar to srilankan traditions. On top of that, there are many places of interests in country such as beaches, islands and rain forest where you could fresh out from stress. Malaysias rain forest is deliberated as the oldest in the world so as the largest flower of the world, Rafflesia, is found in the rainforest of Malaysia. The diverse species of animals and plant life continue to enthuse a great deal. As a student to Malaysia, I discovered a wide range of customs and practices, some of which is different from what i practiced at my country. With different mix of races, religions and cultures Malaysians celebrate variety of festivals such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Puasa, ThaiPusasm, Deepavali and Christmas. Being an international student I did have its ups and downs. Major problem was adjusting with the language as Malay is the official language but English is also often spoken out as it is the second language, but I have largely adapted to it now. The pace of life in Malaysia is gentle, steady and everyone moves with a purpose and goal. Climate in Malaysia is different from my country as it’s generally warm throughout the year. Astonishingly they have only two seasons it’s the dry and the rainy season. Malaysia which is considered to be the most attracted tourist residence consists numerous places to visit such as the Kula Lumpur the largest and busiest city in Malaysia has the tallest twin buildings called Petronas Twin towers and it was established the world’s tallest towers in the period of 1998 to 2004 and the sixth tallest telecommunication tower in the world. Redang Island in Terengganu is one of the finest coral and marine ecosystems in Malaysia. Following with the Cameron highlands a place for coolness, fresh fruits and vegetables. The national park Pahang for ecological wonders. Moreover the Petaling Street, the Centre of Kuala Lumpurs original Chinatown, maintains much of its traditional atmosphere, particularly at night and the Batu caves which is a limestone hill consists of series caves and caves temple located in north of Kula Lumpur. I explored some of the best cultural and natural sights, venues and places in Malaysia. One of the best places I visited in Malaysia was the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, because it has five different theme parks at one place. If Disney land is happiest place in earth probably Sunway Lagoon T heme Park the most exciting and amazing place to see. Malaysia has some of the most attractive cave systems in the world. Among the more famous are the Niah, Mulu and Clearwater caves. With a charted length of 100 kilometers, the latter is considered Asia’s longest cave system and grades tenth in the world. The Clearwater River which flows through this cave system is one of the world’s biggest famous underground rivers. As others countries Malaysia is also endowed with natural resources such as agriculture, forestry and minerals. Rubber was one of the mainstays of Malaysia economy which was lately replaced by the oil palm. Meanwhile Malaysia comprises three major cultures: Malay, Chinese and Indian, each culture has its own traditional and religious objects of clothing all of which is gender precise and may be altered to local impacts and conditions. The Malay wears the Baju Kurung and the Baju Kebaya. Besides the Chinese women wear the cheongsam, it is a one-piece dress with a high neck, diagonally closed with small clips or toggles. The Indians wear very colorful saris in a rich variety of bright and refined dyes for their usual prayer in the temple and for everyday living. However for the Malay culture, the men usually wear Baju Melayu with a cap, on their head. Traditional clothing for men in Malaysia consists of a silk or cotton skirt and shirt with a scarf like piece of cloth tied around his waist. Meanwhile the Indian men wear Sherwani, which is a coat like clothing fitted close to the body, of knee-length or longer and opening in front with button. They also wear Lungi, Dhoti and Kurta and Paja ma. Wedding style is unique from other countries. The activities that take place during Malay wedding often come from the diverse cultural traditions indigenous, Hindu and Islamic those have together served to shape traditional Malay culture. Each wedding take place in their traditional way. Moreover the stability and peacefulness of Malaysia is a unique and a peaceful environment to live besides it is a great place if you love hot and humid climate, and if you are food lover.

The Electronics Industry in India :: miscellaneous

The Electronics Industry in India The Electronics industry is one of the fastest growing industries right from its origin. The profit brought out of this is much more compared to other olden industries. India is one among the largest economies in the world and has a good GDP among emerging economies. The birth and growth of this industry in India is quiet interesting. With large population and the potential consumer demand is almost unlimited and hence a strong growth performance could be expected. The base of this industry. Basically Indian market is a consuming market, it grows as people consume more. The liberalization of the economy by 1991 has helped to a rapid growth this helped the electronics industry in India as one of the most important and emerging markets. The start of this industry here dates back to early 1960’s.Electronics was primarily focused to develop in the filed of communication systems for radios, telephony, telegraphy, and television broadcast. A lot of importance was given for the augme ntation of defense capabilities. Till 1980’s the electronic sector was government owned. From there on the growth of the electronic industry took off due to economic changes resulting in the globalization of the economy. The electronic industry recorded a very high growth in subsequent years by 1990’s. Private, foreign investments were encouraged. This was the starting point of forex to pour in. Easing the Norms for the investment, reduction in duties and deli censing of several consumer electronic products marked attraction of foreign investors. The domestic circle response to this was also favorable to the government policies. Allowing this industry for the private sector enabled entrepreneurs build industries to meet suppressed demand. Improvements in this industry have not been only to a particular area but in each and every process right from acquiring the raw materials to the packed product. Long steps have been made in the area of consumer products, communication, biomedical instrumentation, networking and defense. This resulted in significant market growth by late 1990’s. The sales of some basic units increased three-fold .the main area of focus has now turned to design, Compact packing and to provide vale added service. Analyzing the strength of this industry it has a competitive advantage by providing high quality-low price, large trained manpower poll. The key strength being developed infrastructure as compared to the mechanical industry. The software technology parks that have been established are providing the necessary software orientation for this industry.

Determination of a Rate Equation Essay -- GCSE Chemistry Coursework In

Determination of a Rate Equation Rate equation has the form rate = k [A]x[B]y which shows how the rate of a chemical reaction depends on the concentration of the reactants (A&B) and the rate constant k. The rate equation normally indicates what species are involved in the rate-determining step and how many species are involved. A rate equation is used to describe how the concentration of a product increases or the concentration of the reactants decreases with time, the equation also indicates how the concentration of one or more reactants directly affects the rate. Occasionally it can even be the concentration of a product that affects the rate. In general the rate equation for the reaction: A + B C + D Is found by experiment to follow simple kinetics with the rate equation being written as: Rate = k [A]x[B]y k = rate constant, x = order with respect to [A], y = order with respect with [B]. There are three orders of reactions, zero order, first order and second order. Zero order = the rate does not depend upon the concentration of the reactant. The rate of reaction is fixed. Doubling or tripling the concentration of the reactant makes no difference to the rate. Thus: Rate of reaction = k or rate of reaction = k[A]0. First order = the rate of reaction depends directly upon the concentration of the reactant. If the concentration of the reactant is doubled, the rate doubles, thus: Rate of reaction = k[A] or rate of reaction = k[A]1 Second order = the rate of reaction depends directly upon the square of the concentration of the reactants. If its concentration is doubled, its rate of reaction quadruples. Thus: Rate of reaction = k[A]2 The graph below shows zero, first and second order reactions and how changes in the co... ...ean that the concentration would be altered so this wouldn’t work. Also when doing the experiment the temperature was not always constant in the surroundings and in the solution. This could have affected the rate of reaction by some reactions happening faster and some slower than the others. To improve this i could make sure all the solutions were at the same temperature before starting the reaction. This would then ensure that the test was being conducted fairly and that way i could get more accurate results. To improve the experiment and minimise errors I can try and devise a better method that would ensure that all of the above errors were reduced. When measuring out my solutions I was taking readings from below the meniscus, this reduced the numbers of errors in my results. REFERENCES:  · Cambridge chemistry 2 text book  · Letts revision guide.  · Class notes.

The Material Nature of Spirituality Essay examples -- Spirit Spiritual

The Material Nature of Spirituality It was observed from the 'time to think' experiments done in Biology 103 lab, that thinking is material. Thinking was associated with material changes and activities in the brain and the connected nervous system. This promulgates the brain=behavior notion. According to this notion, all aspects of human behavior and experiences are functions of a material structure, the brain. Who one is, is determined by his or her brain. Nevertheless, many people continue to believe in a 'higher power' that guides and controls human action and behavior. In a sense, religion and spirituality was developed to understand and explore questions about 'who we are' and 'what is the purpose of life'. Whether one is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu, religious thinking and belief attempt to ground human experiences and thoughts in the spiritual and ethereal. Religious experiences are considered 'otherworldly' and not material. Heightened spiritual behavior through prayer, meditation or yoga is considered to lead to a state of 'transcendence', 'inner peace' or a 'nearness to God' depending on which faith you follow. Hence, the notion of spirituality and religion is based on an ethereal component. However could the ethereal and spiritual be embodied by a material structure, the brain? Recent scientific research has provided observations, which suggest spirituality, and religious experience has a biological basis. Scientific observations suggest there are specific physiological aspects to spiritual behavior like meditation, prayer, and yoga. Many people nowadays follow transcendental meditation, prayer, and yoga to enhance their spiritual and physical well being. These spiritual pra... ...rch/tm_charts/1Phys.html 3) The Effects of Meditation on the Brain Activity , http://members.aol.com/InstSSM/parietal.HTML 4) Searching for the God within,, a past Newsweek article. http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/brynmawr_main?http_rc=400&class=session&sev=temp&type=session&cause=http%3A%2F%2Fweb4.infotrac.galegroup.com%2Fitw%2Finfomark%2F678%2F198%2F19025812w4%2Fpurl%3Drc1_EAIM_0_A69411041%26dyn%3D12!xrn_10_0_A69411041%3Fsw_aep%3Dbrynmawr_main&cont=&msg=No+Session+cookies&sserv=no 5) The Humanizing Brain: Where Religion and Neuroscience Meet, http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/brynmawr_main?http_rc=400&class=session&sev=temp&type=session&cause=http%3A%2F%2Fweb4.infotrac.galegroup.com%2Fitw%2Finfomark%2F678%2F198%2F19025812w4%2Fpurl%3Drc1_EAIM_0_A53739125%26dyn%3D19!xrn_5_0_A53739125%3Fsw_aep%3Dbrynmawr_main&cont=&msg=No+Session+cookies&sserv=no

Cutco Case Write-up Essay

What is direct selling?Direct selling is the face-to-face selling away from a business location. It is technically a form of non-store retailing. The manufacturer sells directly to the consumer or business customer as does Dell, Inc.Direct sellers are not employees of the company. They are independent contractors who market and sellthe products or services of a company in return for a commission on those sales.Direct selling is a push-marketing strategy where there are no physical stores. Orders are usually placedin person or via the consultant’s Web page. Sometimes the phone is used to place orders or reorders, but only about 12% of sales take place this way. Home shopping parties are the most widely recognizedsales method, where friends, family or acquaintances get together for a few hours to learn about orsample a range of products or services. However, the majority (about 70%) of the direct selling industry’s sales actually occur using a one  -to-one approach wher e one seller may present the productsor services to a single consumer. According to the direct selling association (DSA), some recent statistics are as follows- 85% of the sellersreport a good, very good or excellent experience with direct selling. 74% of U.S. adults have purchasedproducts from a direct seller. 70% of direct selling takes place in a residence, and almost two-thirdstakes place on a one-to-one basis.The popular form of direct selling is multilevel marketing. Multi-level marketing, which is commonlyreferred to as MLM, is one type of distribution method found in direct selling. You may also hear of theterm multilevel used to refer to a type of compensation plan that pays its representatives based on the individual’s product sales as well as that of their â€Å"downline,† which refers to a group of people thatconsultants bring into a company to generate sales.2. How would one respectively characterize Cutco Corp. and Vector Marketing Corp?Cutco Corporation, formerly Alcas Corporation, is the parent company of Cutco Cutlery Corp., multi-levelmarketing company Vector Marketing, KA-BAR Knives Inc. and Schilling Forge. Its primary brand is alsothe name Cutco. The company was founded in 1949 by Alcoa and Case Cutlery (hence â€Å"Al-cas†) tomanufacture knives. The management purchased the company from Alcoa in 1982, and the companyacquired Vector Marketing Corporation in 1985. In early 2009 Alcas changed its name to Cutco, thename of the primary product. See Figure 1 Figure 1www.cutco.com/aboutus More than 100 kitchen cutlery products are sold under the Cutco name, as well as a variety of kitchengadgets, utensils and flatware. The company also carries a line of cookware, sporting and pocket knivesand garden tools. As of 2012, Cutco was purchased by more than 15 million satisfied customers. Over700 manufacturing and administrative people are employed at the Cutco/Vector headquarters in Olean,N.Y. Cutco products are marketed directly, by appointment only, to consumers in the convenience of their homes, at fairs and shows, and sold in specialty Cutco retail stores located in:St. Louis, MO, Indianapolis, IN, Lansing, MI, Erie, PA.Vector Marketing  CorporationVector Marketing is both a multi-level and direct sales company that sells Cutco. Earlier on there werehundreds of small independent sellers of Cutco. In 1981, Vector was created as an independent seller.From 1981 to 1984 Vector sold way more than all the other independent sellers. In 1985, CutcoCorporation (back then it wa s called Alcas Corporation) bought the company from its owners toreplicate Vector’s success across the nation. Vector is now the exclusive seller of Cutco Cutlery. Vector’s home office is in Olean, New York, and has over 250 year-round, independently run locations throughout the United States, Canada, and PuertoRico. Vector has over 300 more temporary locations that open each year for the peak summer season.The sales efforts are organized by geographic location. Currently six regions exist and are combined intotwo companies-Vector East and Vector West.The sales representatives are primarily students who sell Cutco products during their summer vacations.Sales are made through in-house presentations in which representatives display the superiority of Cutcocutlery by cutting unconventional materials such as rope and leather. The operating margin of VectorMarketing is approximately 7 percent. Vector also runs a catalog to maintain a continuing relationshipwith customers after the summer peak season. Sales representatives continue to receive commissionson catalog sales as long they maintain a modest sales level. Vector also runs a we bsite to recruitstudents and service current customers and provide product information. 3.  How is Cutco Cutlery marketed?Cutco cutlery was designed to be the finest cutlery in the world. Cutco cutlery has always beenhistorically marketed through direct selling primarily via Vector Marketing Corporation. The peopleactually selling Cutco cutlery are independent contractors who effectively operate their own business.Sales RepresentativesThe sales representatives (mainly students) are paid a commission on the products they sell but do notreceive a salary from the company. These sales are made through in-home presentations in which salesrepresentatives validate and prove the superiority of Cutco cutlery through demonstrations. The onlydownfall to this method is that many of these college students join as a  Cutco representative to makemoney for the summers and the customers they create often lose contact with Cutco products and thecompany afterwards. Catalog SalesCutco created a small catalog mailing in 1985 that is now sent to 4 million customers around four timesthroughout the year. In 2011, this catalog generated 120,000 orders and approximately $18 million insales. This is important to continue because, as stated before, sales representatives often lose contactwith customers after the summer and this is a great way to retain customers and continue acquiringnew customer in the September through December months.Internet ActivitiesInitially a customer-oriented website focusing on customer service and product information only,customers soon started wanting to order directly off the website. This demand for e-commerce resultedin a closed customer site in 2000, in which only existing customer were allowed to view prices and placeorders. As of 2011, approximately 56,000 purchases were made online generating revenues of $8.7million and operating margins of 9 percent.Other Marketing initiativesThese included booths at county fairs and shows. In 2011, nearly 1,800 fairs and shows were bookedand revenue exceeded $9 million. Another initiative existed where realtors purchased Cutco products asgifts for potential customers/clients generating $4 million in revenue. Cutco also used other avenuessuch as Cutco retail locations to reach customers and social media to reach future representatives andcurrent customers to keep them abreast developments in product line changes and updates viamediums such as Facebook and Twitter. 4.  What factors should be considered when evaluating the possible growth drivers?Several factors should be considered when evaluating potential growth drivers: The current economic situation is an important factor in determining how inclined consumersare willing to spend their income on cutlery. Sustainability of brand recognition and brand presence. This needs to be considered becausewith virtually no mass-market marketing, word-of-mouth becomes very important to spread theword about the brand and its offerings. Creating more consumer exposure to the brand wouldbe needed to be evaluated to gain customers in the direct selling environment Availability of recruits is another factor that can influence potential growth drivers- as thenumber of recruits increases; the potential number of impressions can be increased. Investing in diverse recruiting procedures and multi-channel approaches to acquiring potentialrecruits instead of web-only efforts could be considered. Potential entry into international markets via joint ventures could be considered. This wouldobviously dependent upon the state of the global economy . The cost to expand supplementary channels (internet and catalog) and the potential impact ondirect sales. Effect of aggressive marketing on field sales and potential conflict arising from sales throughretail stores. What growth driver(s) should serve as a strategic focus? Why?Growth drivers for strategic focus should be as follows: Increasing the number of recruits will directly drive Vector’s revenue growth. Additional growthcan be achieved through investment and energy to improving recruiting approaches andstrategies. To generate more consumer product sales in the future, Cutco must invest in brand recognitionefforts. Consumers are more likely to buy a brand that they are familiar with and recognize. Ascompetition increases in the future, this will be one of the determining factors in increasingsales in a fragmented environment. Dependence solely on the domestic economy could spell disaster for sales. Therefore,expanding to international markets could be key for the brand in order to gain an edge on thecompetition. Traditionally direct sales representatives could sell to homes easily since one key decision makerin the family was always at home. Today with dual-earning households, supplementary channelssuch as the internet and catalogs are necessary to reach households. One of the riskiest strategic options is a retail channel. However, in today’s micro -segment retailenvironment consumers need choices and strategically this could easily complement the directsales efforts of Vector to reach more consumers and increase revenue. Co-branding withcelebrity chefs is one example of taking advantage of a pull-marketing retail environment.

Psychological Effects of Bisexuality

What is bisexuality? Synthesizing the predominant theories of bisexuality, Smiley (1997) suggested the following definition: Bisexuality is a sexual orientation in which an individual: experiences a combination of sexual and affectional attractions to members of both sexes; engages to varying degrees in sexual activities with both sexes; and self-identifies as bisexual in a way that is consonant with personal, social, political, and lifestyle preferences (Smiley, 375). Bisexual and the transgender people are two less visible segments of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. According to the authoritative Kinsey Report, which compiles data on human sexuality, almost eight in 10 people have some characteristics of bisexuality, wherein an individual feels attracted to both sexes (Klien, 13). However, bisexuals have to confront not just the homophobia of the straight community, which brands them as promiscuous, even though most are in strictly monogamous relationships, they also face derision from the gay community, which considers them closet gays, hiding behind the veneer of bisexuality because they are afraid to come out. Not surprisingly, therefore, that a recent study by the Australian National University found that bisexuals â€Å"had the worst mental health on measures of anxiety, depression and suicidality (Hall, 28). Tommy (name changed) Hogan, who came to Los Angeles, California nearly two years ago for graduate studies in Health Administration and works for Watts Health Foundation, says in adolescence he found himself being attracted to both boys and girls. In the gender-segregated society we lived in, opportunities for `fooling around' were much more readily available with peers of the same sex. I thought everyone in my circle was like me. So when I came to the Los Angeles it was very surprising to find that there were some individuals who were not attracted to men and others who were not attracted to women† (T. Hogan, personal communication, October 26, 2002). He wouldn't say he was gay. He would only say that he was sleeping with other men. He liked to call it â€Å"M-S-M,† men sleeping with men, you know, Brothers on the down low. I called it being a bisexual. The first thing that Tommy made clear to me is that bisexuality does not describe one sort of behavior, but rather a whole range of behaviors and lifestyles. Talking openly about sexual orientation within as private a community as the African American community is something that is not often done. Tommy revealed his disappointment at the community’s lack of acceptance of non-traditional lifestyles. According to a generally agreed upon definition, it isn't necessary for a person to be equally attracted to men and women and to be involved in multiple relationships, to be bisexual. In fact, a person can be celibate and still be bisexual. It's all a matter of whom he or she finds attractive and how he or she identifies himself or herself. There is no behavioral â€Å"test† to determine whether or not one is bisexual. Bisexuals come in all shapes and sizes, from all occupations, and with all levels of educational, racial and cultural background. When Tommy told his father of his attraction to both men and women, his father simply said that though these desires were natural and most people had them, eventually he expects Tommy to get married and have a family. â€Å"Even though his message was that it was preferable to get married to a woman, I was struck by his statement that same-sex feelings were natural, and by the fact that he didn't put same-sex desire down by calling it a perversion or sin† (T. Hogan, personal communication, October 26, 2002). Hogan says, â€Å"People have this misconception that bisexuals are promiscuous. I have been in strictly monogamous relationships and most of us are perfectly content with that. If people have made up their mind something is abnormal they can come up with as many reasons as to why it is so, and if there are people who think otherwise, they too can come up with a variety of reasons to prove their point. Why can't we approach this from a humanistic viewpoint that people have the right to love whomsoever they want to, as long as it is consensual? Tommy is very content with the bisexual lifestyle he is living. He seems to not know whether or not he will always be this way. I got a sense from our interview that he wasn’t happy being this way. He begin the express the importance of how being very religious he could not live this type of lifestyle. I would have to agree that the Bible does speak against any type of homosexual behavior. Tommy and I have discussed this issue on more t han one occasion. He seems to be confused as to what he really wants. It is a battle for him to be with a woman and be attracted to a man that is in the same company. Tommy at the present lives by himself so he doesn’t feel as if there are any rules he has to live with. He currently resides in the Hollywood area. He is comfortable living this lifestyle and his community contributes to this. Tommy has many friends and he also dates several women. Many individuals do not know that he is bisexual. Individuals might suspect that Tommy is bisexual but they have no confirmation. I am a close friend to Tommy and I actually have had the pleasure of knowing him for two years. I also might add that I have been attracted to Tommy for these two years and have dated him. I do accept his lifestyle as being bisexual because I care about him. But, I choose not to be in a relationship with Tommy because I do not want to risk my life or my health. We have an open and honest relationship so he understands that I have feelings for him but I in know way want to proceed with a relationship. But, if he chooses not to participate in this lifestyle in the future I just might end up being with him. But as one of his friends along with the others, he is accepted and is treated no differently than the next person. Tommy always feels comfortable in talking with me about his sexuality. He seems to be at this point in his life trying to deal with issues in the past that he feels might have led him to being attracted to both women and men. He has never mentioned to me about anything that stemmed from his past that might have triggered this imbalance in sexuality. I personally accept anyone who chooses to live a gay, lesbian or bisexual lifestyle. However, I do not condone dishonesty in sexual relationships with partners who have no knowledge of each other’s sexuality. It is really hard to discuss the responses of others, many individuals just do not know. Tommy is a very nice looking young man and is very professional and classy. He has all the traits that women are seeking in this young adult age. I believe that if women knew of his lifestyle as a bisexual they might not be as interested in him as before. As I mentioned many people question his sexuality but he has encountered no prejudice against him in that regard. Tommy indicates that it wasn’t until he came to Los Angeles that he decided to practice his lifestyle as a bisexual. Los Angeles makes it a lot easier to be bisexual, gay or a lesbian and be accepted in society. He feels most comfortable here and being able to go out in public with another man. He felt as though when he lived with his family he could not practice bisexuality. He never carried out sexual relationships with men until he came to Los Angeles. The sexuality of Black males as well as females is enmeshed with racial stereotyping thus the issues of gays and bisexual blacks is a particularly sensitive one so far as the Black community is concerned. The notion is that bisexuals are confused, promiscuous and greedy. To me promiscuity is really an oxymoron. It’s down to the individual needs and requirement of that person. I will never have an issue with anyone who chooses to be bisexual but in these days it is just unsafe to be with someone who is bisexual because AIDS is so prevalent and many individuals are just not honest with their sexual orientation.