The Applicability of the Porter Diamonds Framework Essay Example for Free

The Applicability of the Porter Diamonds Framework Essay The car industry contributes for 40% of German exports. Germany is the third world car producer and approximately 6 million cars are produced every year. Among these firms are the luxury firms such as BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Audi. Let’s consider, first of all, the factors conditions in relation to the car industry. These factors express the Nation’s position in factors of production such as unskilled labor, skilled labor, infrastructure, natural resources†¦ * The industries are based on a high technological region, in the center of a zone of economic development. * Germany has always considered very important the transmission of scientific and technical knowledge: from the mid XIX century, a huge net of technical schools has been created (the Gewerbeschulen). Those schools became later engineers school and technical universities. Today, Germany sustain this effort in favor of a â€Å"knowledge society† by taking measures such as the â€Å"Exzellenzinitiative† which is backed by Angela Merkel and allocate 1,9 billions in order to maintain German research among the top 3 in the world. This initiative wishes also to sustain the creation of clusters. * In Germany, approximately one job out of seven is linked (directly or indirectly) to the car industry. The labor is very skilled. * Germany’s position is also an advantage: the country is in the heart of Europe and shares borders with many countries. * The transport infrastructure is optimal (railway, important harbors, road infrastructure†¦) The Demand conditions are another factor of the Porter’s diamond: * The local consumer is demanding: quality is very important * Huge population. * The wage level is high among the population * Increase of revenue levels in emerging countries. The demand abroad is high. The Related and supporting industries (clusters of industries) factors: * Presence of competitive suppliers * Presence of clusters (and government incentives in order to develop them) * Presence of a labor market that develops specific skills relevant for the cluster Firm strategy, structure and rivalry factors: * The four luxury brands are based in the same region. Therefore there is a strong competitiveness among them. However, each brand has a specific positioning. * The local context favors investments and constant improvements. Government: * There are no speed limits in Germany therefore sport cars can be used to their full potential. * Incentives to sustain scientific development and the creation of clusters. [ 1 ]. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89conomie_de_l%27Allemagne.

Negative Effects of TV on Young People

Negative Effects of TV on Young People As we can see, television is playing a very big role in our life. Television has its good side. It can be entertaining and educational, and can open up new worlds for children, giving them a chance to travel the globe, learn about different cultures, and gain exposure to ideas they may never encounter in their own community. However, parents need to understand the negative influence of childrens TV, even childrens programming, because children are likely to learn things from TV that parents dont want them to learn. Television can affect childrens health, school work and behavior in negative ways. Excess television viewing can influence childrens physical and mental health. On one hand, it could affect badly childrens physical health. It is easy for children to be myopic if they watch TV more than two hours in a day. Children will spend less time on sports and TV time also takes away from participating in sports, music, art or other activities that require practice to become skillful. And they may have high caloric intake if they are watching TV at dinner. A person would burn fewer calories while watching TV than when just sitting quietly, doing nothing (Langholt, 2010). So it may contribute to obesity problems. Children who watch more TV are more likely to be overweight. TV is a bigger factor than diet. Estimates of risk indicate that more 60% of overweight incidence in this population can be linked to excess television viewing time (Dietz, 1996). Many TV ads encourage unhealthy eating habits. Two-thirds of the 20,000 TV ads an average child sees each year are for food and mo st are for high-sugar foods. After-school TV ads target children with ads for unhealthy foods and beverages, like fast food and sugary drinks. On the other hand, watching TV has bad influence on childrens mental health, too. Children who are addicted to TV are hard to communicate with their family members and classmates. One study found that TV viewing before age three slightly hurt several measures of later brain development. Before the age of three, childrens brain develops rapidly, forming connections and pathways that will assist with learning later in life. Studies indicate that exposure to television, with its fast-moving images and rapid actions, actually rewires childrens brain to crave this hyperactive stimulation. The benefits of parent-child interactions are proven, and under age three, talking, singing, reading, listening, to music or playing are far more important to childrens development than any TV show. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends that pare nts keep their kids away from all TV until after the age of two (Bushman, 2010). Children under age eight cant tell the difference between reality in our lives and fantasy on TV. In this case, children may be frightened or upset by TV stories easily, and the symptoms include bad dreams, anxious feelings, being afraid of being alone, withdrawing from friends, and missing school. TV viewing may replace activities that we know help with school work, such as reading, doing homework, pursuing hobbies, and getting enough sleep. First, it makes children read fewer books and have lower grades in school. Watching TV at age four is one factor to be associated with bulling in grade school. Second, children may become more seeing than thinking. It may prevent children from the development of their imagination and creativity. Finally, one research study found that TVs effects on education are long term. The study found that watching TV as a child affected educational achievement at age 26. Watching more TV in childhood increases chances of dropping out of school and decreased chances of getting a college, even after controlling for confounding factors (Bushman, 2010). Children who watch more sensitive TV may have behavior problems. First of all, they will imitate the violence they see on TV. Programs designed for children more often contain violence than adult TV. Young children may even try to emulate the things they see on TV, not realizing that they risk injuring themselves or others. According to the AAP, Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence (Bushman, 2010). Watching violent shows is also linked with having less empathy toward others. A university of Michigan researcher demonstrated that watching violent media can affect willingness to help others in need (Bushman, 2010). Whats more, alcohol advertising, including TV ads, contributes to an increase in drinking among youth. TV ads are a major factor in normalizing alcohol use in the minds of children, adolescents and college students. Alcohol has damaging effects on young peoples developing brains-and the da mage can be permanent. Children who watch TV are more likely to smoke. Even though tobacco ads are banned on TV, young people still see people smoking on programs and movies shown on television. Recent research has shown that exposure to smoking in movie characters increases the likelihood that viewers will associate themselves with smoking (Langholt, 2010). Kids who watch more TV start smoking at an earlier age. The relationship between television viewing and age of starting smoking is stronger than that of peer smoking, parental smoking, and gender. Finally, children get lots of information about sexuality from television. Because most parents dont talk to their kids about sex and most school dont offer complete sex education programs, they get much information about sex from TV. However, watching sex on TV increases the chances that a teen will have sex, and may cause teens to start having sex at younger ages (Bushman, 2010). In summary, television viewing affects childrens physical and mental health, school performance and behavior in negative ways. Therefore, children should replace TV time with creative and physical activities, reading and playing games with positive values and educational content.

A Study of a Dionysiac Sarcophagus :: Art

A Study of a Dionysiac Sarcophagus In the Los Angeles County Art Museum A man dies. He winds his way down into the underworld to reach the banks of the river Acheron where he meets the ferryman Charon. He takes a coin from his mouth to pay the toll across. On the opposite bank he is greeted by a Maenad or perhaps Bacchus himself who offers him a kylix of wine. Drinking deep, the man is transformed and resurrected from death to a higher plane. Instead of living a miserable dream in the underworld he receives redemption from his god Dionysos, the Savior. In Roman imperial times there was a great resurgence of the "Mystery" cults of Greece fueled by the hope of a life after death. In funerary monuments there can be seen the tenets of the religion as well as how it views the afterlife. Within the Los Angeles County Art Museum stands such a vessel created to facilitate this journey to eternal bliss. A gift from William Randolph Hearst, the piece is a sarcophagus from the Severan period of the Roman empire near the end of the second century detailing a procession of Dionysos, the god of wine, and his followers. Such a procession could be from Dionysos's messianic journeys or from his triumphal return from spreading the wine cult. Originally in the mausoleum of a wealthy family in Rome, the sarcophagus was in later times used as a planter for a flower bed(Matz, 3). This "misuse" of the piece explains the deterioration of the marble which necessitated extensive restoration in the 17th century(4). It is tub shaped with dimensions of 2.1 meters long and 1 meter wide, standing 0.6 meters from the ground. The shape is similar to tubs used for trampling grapes which had spouts ornamented with lions' heads to vent the wine(3). Being shaped like a wine vat makes the sarcopagi a transformative force in its own right by symbolically turning the person interned within into wine ! bringing hi m closer to the god. Unlike other sarcophagi of the period the back of this piece has not been left unhewn, but instead a strigal pattern of repeating "S" shapes has been carved, suggesting that the piece may have stood in the center of the mausoleum. Unlike other more famous and elaborate Dionysiac sarcophagi, such as the Seasons sarcophagi and the Triumph of Dionysos in Baltimore which portray specific pivotal events in the mythos of Dionysos, this piece gives us instead a somewhat generic slice of Bacchic life(Matz, 5).

Discovery of the Dinosaur with the Fossilized Heart :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Discovery of the Dinosaur with the Fossilized Heart Dinosaur fossils are one of the few ways in which scientists can study the history of life on earth millions of years ago. Each new discovery is unique in its own way and provides valuable information about the past. No two finds are exactly identical; therefore, when dinosaur remains are uncovered, the possibility and excitement of new information or even a new species exists. Until the year 2000, no dinosaur has ever been found with a fossilized heart. Scientists at North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences discovered a sixty-six million year old Thescelosaurus with a heart. The Thescelosaurus was a â€Å"bird-hipped† dinosaur or an ornithischian ( Russell 2). This herbivore lived near the end of the Cretaceous period, about one million years before the conclusion of the dinosaur era. Thescelosaurus was about the size of a short-legged pony, according to paleontologist Dr. Dale Russell and was native to North America from Wyoming up to Alberta, Canada. This particular Thescelosaurus was discovered in Harding County, northwestern South Dakota in 1993. It has been estimated to weigh nearly 663 pounds and thirteen feet long. The remains were located in a poorly consolidated channel of sandstone, exposed in the upper half of the Hell Creek Formation (Fisher 2). Scientists have named this discovery Willo, after the wife of the rancher on whose property it was found. The discovery of Willo is unique because it is the first dinosaur with a fossilized heart. However, this was just the beginning of an extraordinary find. â€Å"Not only does this specimen have a heart, but computer enhanced images of its chest strongly suggest it is a four-chambered, double-pump heart with a single systemic aorta, more like the heart of a mammal or bird than a reptile,† according to Dr. Dale Russell. Russell is a paleontologist at North Carolina State University and a senior research curator at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. This discovery is unusual because all modern reptiles, except the crocodile, contain a single ventricle that pumps blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. All modern reptiles have paired systemic aortas developing from the ventricle, which distributes the blood to the body. â€Å"In contrast, the four chambered heart of modern birds and mammals has two completely separated ventricles and a single systemic aorta, ensuring that only completely oxygenated blood is distributed to the body† (Fisher 2).

America Needs the Stop-loss Program Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive

America Needs the Stop-loss Program The scary reality of the war on Iraq is something all Americans face today, the reality being, what happens if we do not have enough soldiers to continue all of the projects that the United States have already started. Does America have enough troops for what they are doing? Can America afford to tell people when they leave the military, thanks and we wish the best for you with civilian life, or should they be fighting to keep them as long as possible? America spend the money to keep the soldiers employed and across the waters to keep the promises made to make Iraq a democratic country? America needs to continue their fight, even if it means to maintain solders longer then they once thought. With the â€Å"Stop-loss program† introduced by President George W. Bush, the military finally received the power needed to persevere the numbers needed in winning the War on Iraq. Since June of 2004, 800 soldiers have died while fighting the war in Iraq, as well as nearly 4,700 wounded in battle, reported Pete Yost in the Associated Press, on June 1, 2004. Not only is the military losing soldiers due to death or being wounded, but there have also been a large number of people who, when they are discharged from the military, do not reenlist, but instead they want to go and try their luck in the civilian world. The rate America keeps losing their men and women, in Iraq proves that something needs to be done to keep the military in the high supply needed. How can the promise made to the Iraqi civilians be kept if there is not enough man power to finish what was started? Plus the number of civilians who have been signing up has drastically decreased. That is why President Bush’s â€Å"stop-loss program† otherwise known as the â€Å"back-door draft† is crucial for our continuing fight. According to what is written in the policy â€Å"The policy is designed to assist in meeting manpower requirements for future operations, and will, therefore, evolve to remain relevant to future operations, and will, therefore, evolve to remain relevant to future developments in mission requirements and our involvement in current operations.† (Maradmin 007/03). This policy was put into effect after September 11, 2001 in order to keep the military numbers up. With the â€Å"stop-loss policy† America is fighting to keep their military well stocked... ...ing the military how can they afford to keep people there? If a promise to a country is made, then the country needs to be willing to keep the promise to the best of their ability. The United States, could not win the war without the soldiers who fought in it, and they cannot give Iraq the freedom promised if they do not have enough men and women in combat. The stop-loss program that President Bush set up and put into play is something that was very needed in the country during this time of conflict. In conclusion, there are many reasons why the â€Å"back-door draft† is something that is needed in today’s society. American is trying it’s hardest to spread freedom and democracy around the world, to countries that have not been able to obtain it on their own. The military plays a massive role in the gift that America is giving to Iraq, without the military the old Iraqi government would still be in charge, and they would be a lot further away from freedom. With President Bush’s stop-loss program, it does just that; it stops the loss we were suffering with the deaths and discharges of soldiers and keeps the military full of soldiers who have first hand experience.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Speech

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Hello and thank you all for coming! Today, we are here to commemorate the man, or Genius rather, who goes by the name of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. At the early age of four, he could learn a piece of music in a mere thirty minutes. At six years old, he began writing his first symphonies. Oh, the joy I would have if I could just sit and talk with him about his passion for music. We would talk about how he structures his compositions or about how easy he thought it was to compose a piece of music in only a short amount of time.Mozart’s mind is almost magical in my eyes. The precision he put into every one of his symphonies and operas emulates the passion he must have felt for his work. Of course it goes with out mention that he had his struggles every now and then, especially with matters of money. But through it all, he still managed to bring the world a wide array of music, which we can honestly say has defined a major portion of the â€Å"classical† period of music. Many composers that followed him sought to emulate his style, but it seems to me that there was no one greater than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.As a classically trained opera singer, I have experienced the joy and struggle that accompanies any Mozart compilation. As I began learning his work, I was able to step into the shoes of one of Mozart’s opera singers. I imagined him encouraging my progress and watching my every achievement. Having learned many of his operas, I wondered how many he actually wrote in his life and what went into making them. I also thought of how his work had affected my life and the life of others.And, because of this my friends, I am here today to show you why Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart deserves a day of recognition for what he has given us, and to immortalize his life and works, and for his influence in my life. His operas are enchanting and unforgettable, but more importantly, the admiration I gained from learning his operas throughout m y life has given me a greater respect for the love of classical music. Mozart had many followers of his talented music, and of course, as he traveled for work, he had to accommodate to them.He composed many operas in German, Latin, and Italian. The traveling started when he was young. At only seven years old, his father would take him and his sister on tour across Europe, which gave him the chance to perform and to absorb many different styles of music. Since Wolfgang was a fast learner, he was quick to acknowledge the many musical idioms he had learned and that in turn helped him setup his own style of music. When he began freelancing his music, he sparked a great interest among people because they had never experienced the â€Å"Mozart† way of music.If he hadn’t embarked on his own path of self-fulfillment, I wouldn’t be here talking with you today. You see, Mozart had a passion and he built on that and was able to watch it grow. His actions have helped me kee p my love for music growing. Like Mozart, there are times that I struggle with the music, but it’s the passion and perseverance inside of me that pushes me forward. Because of my endeavors and accomplishments with Mozart’s operas, I was able to cultivate a new view on life. There is courage in me that I have gained from overcoming the difficulties of his works.I have an enormous amount of respect for real music because I know how much time and talent goes into it. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has shown me, through his works, that I can achieve great things and that I can over come difficulties. There is a way to share with others the joy and strength he has given me, and that is to dedicate a day of celebration in his name. I am proud to honor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by proclaiming that January 21st is national Mozart day. This day will not only commemorate the day he was born, but it will also memorialize the history of his life.In celebration there will be chances for you to learn more about the famous composer. Historians will share with you the stories of his life, orchestras and operas will preform for you his many challenging masterpieces, and musicians everywhere will have a chance to be recognized for all the hard work and dedication they put into sharing the gift of music. A banquet held for them will provide the opportunity to learn and share all the unique aspects of music each musician can share with the world.This day will help us to set our goals high, and like Mozart, we will achieve greatness. No one will ever have the misfortune of not knowing who Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is and what he has blessed us with. Joy and relaxation will run through the veins of listeners as radio stations spread the beauty that his music provides. Mozart’s life was built around music. He was preforming almost his whole life, and even though that is true, most of us wish he could give us more.There are many works of music out there that have been writt en by Mozart but there are many more pieces of music that have been written and shaped by the influence he has bestowed upon the world. His love for music has shown me how much I can achieve just by pursuing the hard to reach goals. As we celebrate his life, may we take advantage of the joy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart can bring to each of our lives. But remember, Mozart was truly gifted and was recognized for it at an early age. You can encourage your children to get involved with music. You never know, what if they become the next â€Å"Mozart! † Thank you

Firda Kahlo Art Critical Analysing

Critical Analysis This is an oil on canvas painting by Friday Kohl called Cropped Hair, made in 1940 at a size of coxcomb. It is a self- portrait of her with a scissor in one hand and her hair creeping everywhere on the floor. As you can see in the painting, the fore ground busy because of the long dark hair that is laid all over the floor. In the middle ground of the portrait, it shows Friday Kohl sitting in a chair, wearing an oversized suit, that by the looks of it isn't hers while holding a serious, upset or pain face.As if she was thinking of the pain that someone had caused her, expressing it thought her minting. The way she is position in the painting is out of proportion, from her neck and below it is different from her neck and upwards, making her looks stiff and uncomfortable. The chair also stands out more than the rest of the portrait along with the hands, face and neck; she had used a bright warm yellow to out-stand the other dark and light, warm and cool colors. The ton ing of the middle ground is also very clear, showing all the shadows that are in the suits and her face.The background of the portrait is different from the rest. She had painted it plain, as well s making it look like they are clouds, bring all the attention to the foreground. The top of the background shows some text and music notes. The used of Friday Kohl's Line, Tone, Color, Shape, Pattern and shapes are very unique. She had used manly warm color in her portrait. A cool blue for the suit, a warm red for the floor, a warm yellow for the chair and a mixture of colors for the wall but mostly yellow.The tone's she used made the chair and herself look AD and the rest AD. The pattern she had used is clearly shown in the wall behind her; it is soft and has a repetition of smudge pots making it looks like clouds. This is very different from the rest of the portrait. The texture of the background, her skin, chair and suit are smooth rather than rough. The way she painted the portrait fl oor, from light transitioning into dark to make it seems spacey and how she placed the horizontal line far back.This make also made the room more spacious and wide as if she is in an empty room and by herself. The focal point of the portrait is of Friday Kohl sitting on the chair and the hair surrounding her. Your eyes would be more attacked to the hair that is on the floor cause it gives Off creepy but also sad look to it, your eyes then moves to her in the oversized suit then to the plain background. This it because of her use of red in the portrait, your eyes are usually more attacked to warm colors.Friday Kohl painted this portrait after she had a divorce with her husband, for cheating on her with her own blood sister. She wanted to express the self- independence and self- confidence that she had gain after the divorce. Showing him and other's that she does not need him anymore. I believe that the oversized suit she is wearing in the portrait is Diego. She did this because her h usband liked her to wear dresses and now that he is gone, she does not need to dress to impress. The scissor that she is holding in her hand, tells me that she had cut off all her hair.This was like a sacrifice to her. Her hair was the one thing her husband loved most about her, by cutting all her hair off. She is trying to show that she had cut all ties that she had ever had with her husband. If Diego had left her, then why goes she need the one thing her loved most about her. Your hair is like your Identity. No hair, no identity ‘look it was because of your hair, owe you are without hair, I don't love you anymore' this is what the text in the portrait says. This was a big sacrifice she was willing to make.The portrait looks very empty with Just her in the middle could maybe explain the feeling she was feeling after the divorce, depress, sad, lonely and empty. In my own opinion I dislike this portrait. It looks creepy and gross, with all the hair loosely laid on the ground an d her proportion isn't correct. This is something I would not want to hang up on a wall. It gives off an unpleasant and uncomfortable feeling, like she is looking at you every second, staring at you with hateful eyes.