Maybelline vs. Mary Kay

Mary Kay vs. Maybelline Mary Kay has been one of America’s most trusted global names in skin care,  makeup  & body care for many years, as well as Maybelline cosmetics. Both provide America and the rest of the world with astonishing beauty products like make up, lip stick, and lip gloss. When American women and teenagers go out to buy their cosmetics, they are bombarded with different ads and different products saying that what they make is the best thing out there.Mary Kay and Maybelline cosmetics are always going back in forth with their many different cosmetics and it is leaving women and teenagers clueless which one is better all across the United States. The newest lip gloss that Mary Kay has come out with is NouriShine Plus. NouriShine Plus has a new NouriShine formula that nourishment the lips right when being applied. It comes in 6 irresistible colors all enhanced with super shine sparkles to give your lips the perfect shine. The Lip Gloss, unlike other lip glosses has good for you ingredients that will not stick to your lips, but will wear away over time.The model who is modeling the product has no pores on her face what so ever, a smooth face, is applying the lip gloss with a relaxed and confident look on her face, and has perfect red lips that shine with the NouriShine Plus Rockin-Red Lip Gloss. The model also has a photo shopped check and chin line, perfect eyebrows, and bright shining red jewelry that matches the lip gloss to a T. Mary Kay put there Facebook page and website name on the bottom of the add so that viewers of the add can look further into the different types of Mary Kay cosmetics.On the add itself it says this about their new Lip Gloss â€Å"Drench your lips in irresistible colors. In finishes that go from supershine to shimmering sparkle. And pamper lips with good-for-you ingredients. To color your lips incredible, contact your Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant or connect with one at MaryKay. com. † Obviously M ary Kay is happy about their product enough to go into that much detail and say that many good things about their NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss. The Purpose of the argument is to convince the audience to buy Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss.The Audience that Mary Kay’s products are for are teenager and women ranging from the young age of 12 to the old age of 65. The age range needs to be big because Mary Kay wants to sell as many products as possible, so to be able to do that; they need to have a wide range of age. The technique the augment uses is the emotional technique. It uses emotional because it makes the buyer/user of the product feel better about herself, and makes the product user feel more comfortable or better looking than what they felt like before using the product.The maker of the argument is the Mary Kay companies themselves and their model. The model is making the argument by showing herself using the product, while Mary Kay is the company that is providing the model with the lip gloss, and there are the ones that made and are trying to sell their product. The facts that the argument relies on is that their lip gloss has long lasting shine and good for you ingredients. The authorities that the argument relies on are making the user prettier and more attractive because her lips gloss has more shine than any other.What claims are being used? Their product outlasts and outshines the competition with six irresistible colors that don’t stick because they have healthier ingredients. The social conflicts are that in public a woman’s lips will still shine even though she put the lip gloss on over 7 hours ago. The historical conflicts are that Mary Kay has been around for 65 years and had provided American citizens with quality cosmetics ever since they became about. The argument is arranged with a model in the center of the ad, applying the lip gloss with a relaxed look on her face.With small text describing what their new NouriShine Plus lip gloss is, and were to contact Mary Kay at. The ad persuades that audience to buy their product because there isn’t another product that is out there similar to it, will make a women feel more beautiful and a better self esteem because she doesn’t have to worry if her lips are still shinning on a Saturday night. Maybelline is known around the world as one of the most premiere cosmetics suppliers around. From their catchy catch phrase ‘Maybe she’s born with it, Maybe its Maybelline†, to their beautiful products and models.The newest lip gloss that hit the market with Maybelline’s name on it is their new Super Stay 10 Hour Lip Gloss. Their new lip gloss has lasting color, super stay formula that won’t dry out, glides on wet and smooth, and a feel fresh all day feel. The text describing their new lip gloss is â€Å"New Super Stay 10 Hour Stain Gloss, A whole new wear; vibrant & shiny, never flat. A whole new feel; feels fresh all day, never dry. A whole new application; glides on wet & smooth, never drags. Available in 10 long lasting colors, the new lip gloss is guaranteed never to dry out or to drag when being applied.The Maybelline model that is modeling the product, has perfect white teeth, straight eyebrows, photo shopped cheek line, no pores and a baby skin face, and ruby red lips that have just been drenched in the new lip gloss Maybelline’s secret that they put on the ad is â€Å"Unlike traditional lipstains, our shine enhancing, formula glides on for a lightweight layer of color that wont dry out. † No other product lists their so called secret on their ad, it is because Maybelline is so confident that their product will sell that they don’t need to lie to their customer, they will just tell them the truth.The Purpose of the argument is to convince the audience to buy Maybelline’s 10 hour lip stain. The Audience that Maybelline’s products are made for are teenager s and women ranging from the young age of 12 to the old age of 65 just like Mary Kays. The technique that the argument uses is the emotional technique. It uses emotional because it makes the buyer/user of the product feel better about herself, and makes the product user feel more comfortable or better looking than what they felt like before using the product. The maker of the argument is the Maybelline companies and their model.The model is making the argument by showing herself using the product with a big smile, and with the new lip stain fresh on her lips. Maybelline is making the argument because they are the company that is providing the model with the lip gloss, and there are the ones that made and are trying to sell their new product. The facts that the argument relies on is that their lip gloss has a 10 hour super stay formula. The authorities that the argument relies on are making the user prettier and more attractive because her lips gloss will outlast the competition.The claims that are being used is that Maybelline’s product outlasts other competition because of their new 10 hour super stay colors that don’t drag or dry. The social conflicts are that in public a women usually has to go to the bathroom to apply more lip gloss, but with the new 10 hour super stay, she only needs to apply it once a day. The historical conflicts are that Maybelline is the most trusted name in cosmetics, and that they have never made a product that the buyer was not happy with.The argument is arranged with a model on the far left side of the ad, smiling with a fresh layer of lip stain that she just applied. With bigvtext describing what their new 10 hour stay lip gloss is. The ad persuades that audience to buy their product because there isn’t another product that is out there similar to it, will make a women feel more beautiful. When you put these two different products side by side, the Maybelline 10 hour stay, and Mar Kay’s Super stain, th ey are almost identical on every aspect of their ad.The difference in the product is only what the product does in terms of long lasting shine or 10 hour stay formula, and also the only other difference would be the companies that make them and the different looking bottles that they come in. Both are trying to sell their new type of lip gloss, both have a beautiful model modeling their lip gloss, both stated the positive side of the lip gloss, and both didn’t say anything negative or the side effects of taking their product.If myself was to go out and buy lip gloss I would be undecided on the quality of Mary Kay vs. Maybelline’s lip gloss, but the only thing keeping me from spending my money, sit the price of beauty. The external aspect that would draw me more toward one or the other product would have to be the healthier lip gloss that has the â€Å"good for you ingredients†, because nobody wants to put things on themselves that makes their lips feel like they are being dragged down by so much lip gloss.

Government Essay

Government is an inevitable asset because human beings are savages and without government there would be total chaos. James Madison said â€Å"If men were angels, no government is needed†. People need a form of organized authority to create and enforce laws. Government plays a major role in everyday life, it provides people with public services, set goals and public policies, maintains tradition and culture, and resolves conflicts. In this essay, I will be discussing politics and public administration. I will further explain how both are intertwined and would never be able to be separated from one another. In hearing the word politics, what usually springs to mind are images of government, politicians and their policies or more negatively the idea of corruption, scandals and dirty politicians. The actual definition seems to have been obscured and almost lost by such representations and cliches that tend not to pinpoint the true essence which defines politics. Politics is a very emotive word and is used by different people to mean different things. There is no unifying theory of politics and hence no set boundaries of what can and cannot be said to be political. Politics is a broad term, which encompasses a wide range of activities and beliefs that help shape the modern world in which we live. The general contention is that politics is the preserve of government, either through influence, elections, or through the power and authority exerted by those who rule. In order to understand politics, and the role it fulfils, I feel it is important to backtrack to the beginning where the term politics originated. The word politics stems from the ancient Greek word polis, which means city-state. Ancient Greek society was divided into a collection of independent city-states each possessing its own system of government. Therefore, politics can be defined as â€Å"what concerns the state†, a view currently held by the public. The common belief is that if someone is to be involved in politics, then they hold a government office or position, whether it is in local government or the central government (Retrieved February 2, 2009, from http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Polis ). The Greek philosopher Aristotle identified the word politics is as â€Å"politike†, a practical science, which is concerned with the noble action of happiness of citizens (Retrieved February 2, 2009, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Politics_(Aristotle). Politics is the decision making process, the settling of conflicts and the enforcing of goals and interests of citizens. Politics and public administration are cl osely linked, because public administration is defined as government management and examines the practices of governance. The separation of them from each other is a completely impossible. Traditionally, public administration is thought of as the accomplishing side of government. It is supposed to comprise all activities involved in carrying out policies of elected officials and some activities associated with the development of those policies. How these responsibilities are carried out reflect on the legitimacy of the administration, as well as the legitimacy of the government (Fesler & Kettl, 2005). Public administration impacts everyone’s life in different ways. Public administration allows people working in government to make a positive impact on society. They are organizations and agencies that apply and control different areas of society. Public administration creates and changes public policy programs to respond to the needs and interests of our nation. Every aspect of our daily lives is impacted in some way by the actions of federal, state, or local bureaucracies that manage and organize the public lives of its citizens. Public administration controls everything from the way we travel, our health, our education and our law enforcement. The American Public Transportation Agency improves and advances public transportation. They provide safe, proficient and cost effective transit services, improve services to meet national energy, environmental, and financial concerns. They are responsible for planning, designing, constructing, financing and operating transit systems. The Department of Health and Human Services is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing important human services for those who are not able to help themselves. This public administration includes the FDA, Food and Drug Administration, that assures the safety of foods, cosmetics, safety of pharmaceuticals, biological products, and medical devices. The HRSA, Health Resources and Services Administration, provides access to important health care services for people who are low income, uninsured or who live in rural areas or urban neighborhoods where health care is limited. These agencies are just a few of the many agencies that impact our everyday lives (Fesler & Kettl, 2005). Politics and public administration are intertwined and can never be separated from one another, because they complement each other and are connected in numerous ways. Through politics, members of the government make decisions and public administrators carry them out. Politics are not governed by a single institution, but by a collection of institutions, many of which are specialized. Public administrations on the other hand, have an extensive focus on governance systems. In other words, politics can never be separated from administration, because their functions always overlap one another. Politics and administration functions both need to be performed to have a successful governance system. Public administration is created as a result of politics, although others might say that there is politics in public administration. Both of which are true. As new laws are passed and policies change, it is up to the public administrator to implement these changes and carry them out. It can be a police officer issuing a ticket for a new law that was recently passed or a building evacuation by Department of Buildings inspectors, because a new building code was passed and the building is deemed unsafe to live in. It is simply a vicious circle with politics and public administration. In conclusion, politics and public administration have essential functions which simply cannot exist without each other.

Science and Shamanism

Just like Science, Shamanism started a very long time ago. As Shamanism is considered as archaic magico-religious phenomenon in which the shaman is the great master of ecstasy, Science is also known as an ancient part of life in which its masters are called Natural Philosophers and later are known as Scientists. There are many commonalities and similarities between Science and Shamanism. Shamanism without their knowing also incorporates scientific methods while performing and making potions from herbs. Same with Shamans, Scientist also perform tasks and experiments by using special tools.Both Shamanism and Science respond to society’s needs. A very good example is by healing. Scientist conduct experiments and tests to discover medicines that can cure illness just like shamans. Thus, we can say that Science and Shamanism somewhat are related to each other, but however there are still factors that keep them apart. First, Shamanism in terms of healing is not really accepted by we stern Science, why? Because both of them can heal certain patients their sources of healing are undoubtedly very different. Shamanism is a range of beliefs, rituals and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world.They heal people by mending souls. Shaman gains knowledge or power to heal an individual by entering the spiritual world or its dimension. The shaman may acquire many spirit guides in the spirit world, these guides direct the shaman in his/her travels. The spirits are always present in the Shaman though others only encounter one when there is a Shaman around. The Shaman heals by returning ‘lost' parts of the human soul from wherever they have gone to. The Shaman also cleanses excess negative energies which confuse or pollute the soul.Science on the other hand is a systematic enterprise of knowledge about nature and organizing and condensing that knowledge into testable laws and theories. These laws and theories are used by scientist to invent things and cure diseases by making medicines and vaccines. Scientists perform research toward a more comprehensive understanding of nature, including physical, mathematical and social realms. Since Science is a complex branch of understanding and has many fields of expertise, thus Scientist don’t call or rely on spirits but rather use scientific knowledge.Scientists study different fields of science to gain knowledge and use that knowledge to help people. This knowledge is used in biomedical research. Biomedical research is a research concerning medicines that cure people scientifically unlike shamans that use spirits in healing. This is another factor that sets shamanism apart from science. Another factor that sets Science and Shamanism apart is the basic implicit principle in Shamanism that there are two realities and that the perception of each depends upon one's state of consciousness.In this principle 2 realities are stated. The first is â€Å"OR† or â€Å"ordinary reality † in which those in the â€Å"ordinary state of consciousness† (OSC) are the ones that are involved in this. Scientists and ordinary people are considered to belong in this â€Å"OR†. On the other hand Shamans believe that they do have another kind of reality. They call this the â€Å"NOR† or non-ordinary reality in which those in the â€Å"shamanic state of consciousness† (SSC) are the only ones who can experience this. And lastly, people who believe that Science is more accurate never relied on Shamanism.Not only in medical purposes but also in anything that Science can prove and study. Thus, a boundary between people who believe in Science and the ones who have faith in Shamanism is made. Since Scientists study things very carefully before ordinary people deal with it, most of the western people believe that Shamanism is just a fiction. On the other hand the ones who believe in Shamanism also think the same way western people think. Because of th is line people who have their own beliefs never tried or tested both. A very great example is during ancient times.Since then Science never believed and accepted that spirits are real. Historical origins prove the attacks of the Church on such pioneering scientists as Galileo and Copernicus during the Renaissance and Reformation. Up to the present Scientist never believed spirits. One of the great scientists that never believed spirits is Einstein. He believed â€Å"spirits† or â€Å"souls† are otherwise anathema and not acceptable as part of the paradigm. This results to the limitation of the parameters of science by decreeing that certain prior phenomena cannot have existence.It also resulted to limitation of science whose Achilles heel is founded upon an unproven belief: the belief that spirits, including souls, cannot exists. Science has never disproven the theory of the existence of spirits. Thus, disproof of theory, or falsification, is a cornerstone of scientifi c method(cf. Popper). As long as the theory of spirits cannot be falsified by science the line between Shamanism and Science will never be gone. However this factors that separate Science and Shamanism apart can still be bridged.As we all know healing both in Science and in Shamanism do have processes. These processes can be studied by science which I think has the greater knowledge to prove things. Once Science has discovered the way shamans heal they can infer scientific methods on the way and methods Shamans perform their healing. Not only that, from what I’ve read like Science, Shamanism can also be studied. Studying Shamanism can be one of the bridges that can unite the two. Another way to bridge the two is by scientist not only studying the Shamans’ methods but also by performing and being one of them.Thus, Scientists can train ecstatically and traditionally for them to have a greater knowledge of how Shamans communicate with spirits. In this ways scientist can p erform trances that can make them one of the Shamans and be on the â€Å"shamanic state of consciousness†. These trances will also help them feel and experience how Shamans talk with what they call spirits and how Shamans experience the non-ordinary reality. Lastly, as Scientists engage and be part of shamanic society there they can prove or falsify if Shamanism is either true or just a fiction.In order to bridge these two Scientists who have more knowledge and grasp of experimenting must use themselves as experiment samples for them to achieve what they want. If they have proven that Shamanism can be true then maybe somehow they can make a way to connect the way Shamans perform their methods because they themselves are also Shamans. In this way scientific method will therefore be broader and can be used in Shamanism. Thus, Shamanism can be considered a branch of science.

Reflection on the book “Night” by Ellie Wiesel Essay

â€Å"I know it’s terrible, trying to have any faith†¦ when people are doing such horrible things. But you know what I sometimes think? I think the world may be going through a phase†¦ it’ll all pass, maybe not for hundreds of years but someday. I still believe in spite of everything that people are really good at heart.†(Diary of Anne Frank) While reading the book â€Å"night†, my view was that people had the right to lose faith after everything they had to go through. However, when I finished the book, I gave it a deep thought and realized that people are good at heart. Maybe it doesn’t take only one lifetime for them to realize what it means to be good and make good actions, but what is important is that maybe one day they will do realize it. It’s hard to accept that a person who was able to sleep after killing thousands of people, can change some day, but who knows? Life changes people and especially after such horrible scenes I think humans won’t let anything like this to happen again. In my opinion, the impact of the Holocaust is huge and people have learned their lesson. Killing and watching people of all ages suffer in such terrible ways didn’t do any good and it won’t do in the future. In times such as these, it’s hard to keep any faith. The only thing in your mind, other than how to survive, is to question life, or God, or even yourself â€Å"Why is this happening to me? What have I done wrong that I have to be punished for? Isn’t there a God?†. How can you explain to someone who has survived a concentration camp, that the one who had killed his/her family and friends, can change, can be good? Few are those who can understand the injustice of life, and moreover, can understand and believe that humans are not all that cruel. I truly believe that the phase when people were able to do anything without a blink of an eye has passed with the Holocaust. Also, I think that there are many people who pray for forgiveness for those who torture and murder, because â€Å"what goes around comes around†. Even if people don’t get killed themselves, life simply always gives it back to them, because the world has  to be in balance – one can’t kill, and have free soul at the same time.

Ethnocentrism, Geocentrism and Polycentrism Assignment

Ethnocentrism, Geocentrism and Polycentrism - Assignment Example   To begin with, it may be logical to present reasons that support the position in question. First of all, it must be noted that the use of land which once used to be a forest will significantly enhance food production which will benefit the entire mankind. Indeed, the new territories will be free of pollution and other negative impacts of the humanity which will contribute to the quality of food that is produced on it. Other than qualitative enhancement, one may also observe quantitative enhancement since people will have more soil to grow crops and this will boost the production of food making sure that there is enough for everyone and the people will no longer experience hunger.Another point that should be mentioned lies in the fact that by clearing the forests and using the territories as new farmlands people will connect urban and rural areas. Indeed, it often happens so that the former have excess of food resources, but there are few people to consume them; on the other hand, cities virtually have no farmlands per se, but they are inhabited by people who are willing to pay for food. Therefore, if the forests are cleared, the infrastructure that connects the two kinds of areas will improve and so will the quality of life of the people on the both sides. So, this will be an important strategic move. Finally, one should also note that by using the lands that are cleared from forests the people will reclaim certain territories that used to be outside the scope of agriculture.   

Effects of Cell Phone on the Human Body Research Paper - 1

Effects of Cell Phone on the Human Body - Research Paper Example Along with the increase in cell phone use, the incidences of cancer have also exploded all over the world. This may be a consequence of the microwave radiation that is employed for communicating through cell phones. â€Å"Studies that claim a relationship between cell phones and diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s should not be brushed aside as ‘inconclusive’† (â€Å"Disadvantages of Cell Phones†). Cell phone affects the brain activity by giving a boost to the brain glucose metabolism in particular regions, though if or not it is something serious is still debatable. Talking to WebMD, the director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nora Volkow said, â€Å"[w]e don’t know that this is harmful [but we know that] glucose metabolism is a direct indicator of brain activity† (Volkow cited in Doheny 1). The sugar is consumed by cells in the brain for energy. This conclusion was drawn after a comprehensive research by Nora Volkow and her colleagues. They involved 47 healthy volunteers in that research and performed PET scans of their brains after placing the cell phones on their left and right ears. The glucose metabolism in the brain was measured twice. While studying the effect of cell phone on the brain on the positron emission tomography (PST) scans, Volkow found a 7 percent increase in the metabolism of glucose in the regi on of the brain that was nearest to the antenna in people that held the cell phone on either side of the brain for 50 minutes.  

Multiculturalism In America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiculturalism In America - Essay Example Multiculturalism is not merely about the demographic composition of the American population, but how political systems frame the cultural diversity especially in participation in national matters (Alonso 24). The United States has witnessed high influx of immigrants from all parts of the world. Multiculturalism is closely related with identity politics, but requires the different religions, ethnic diversity and cultural diversities to be accommodated in the national issues such as representation. Government multiculturalism policies that promote multiculturalism include the federal support of newspapers and television that broadcast in the minority languages, support for minority festivals, encouragement of minority representation in education and politics (Donovan 99). Other public policies that encourage multiculturalism include acceptance of traditional dress codes in schools (Alonso 68). Multiculturalism is problematic since it reinforces the oppression of minorities in the socie ty. Critics of multiculturalism argue that it leads to segregated communities. This is because cultural differences such as traditions, values and shared beliefs are recognized in the nation-level thus denying opportunities for social cohesion (Alonso 63). Although protection of the minorities in the society will reduce the inequalities, racial or cultural based protections of the minorities will exacerbate the inequalities since powerful members of a particular minority group will undermine the opportunities and liberties of the vulnerable members of the particular group (Donovan 123). Feminists argue that multiculturalism will lead to entrenchment of the cultural practices that deny women equality and undermine the protection of women rights in the society. Accordingly, cultural practices like customary law on polygamy and religious laws will undermine the dominant legal system thus perpetrating the inequality of women in the society (Alonso 128). The duty of the government is to safeguard the individual rights, but not group rights. Granting cultural groups specific rights and protections undermines the individual rights to liberty and right of association in the society (Donovan 45). Accordingly, the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution is framed on the ideals of liberty, respect for universal human rights and right to pursue happiness. In addition, American ethos is based on individualism, equality in opportunities and egalitarianism thus all different cultures must internalize in order to ensure societal stability. In this regard, government policies that promote multiculturalism will create social instability and distinct cultural ideas other than those that have governed Americans since independence (Alonso 234). Multiculturalism undermines the struggles for justice and redistribution in the US. The politics of cultural recognition seeks to remedy the status inequality, but redistribution challenges the inequality in distribution of resource s and seeks economic restructuring in order to attain economic justice. For instance, Jim Crow laws of the southern states perpetuated political disenfranchisement thus providing opportunities for economic isolation of the Black Americans (Donovan 110). Multiculturalism entrenches cultural distinction thus leading to power differentials that hinder economic justice to the traditionally isolated minority groups like Black Americans (Alonso 178). Critics of multiculturalism argue that cultures should not be preserved since they are influenced by immigration, imperialism and international trade. Advancement in technology, influence of the mass media

Problem Solving College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problem Solving College - Essay Example In problem solving one should explore all options one by one until you come across the best one. However, in general, as one gains experience in solving problems, one develops one's own techniques and strategies, though they are often intangible. The computer is not an intelligent machine. It does not have the ability to think about the solution of the problem. Our task is to provide a series of steps, which when written in a programming language becomes a code. The computer runs the code for the solution. The good part is that the computer can run the solution consistently, again and again once we have written the code, saving us from the tedious and boring work. Programs are written to solve problems posed by people. The difficulty of writing the programs is driven by the difficulty of the problems. The difficulty of the problems is limited by the imagination of the people posing the problems. Now we'll see how problem solving by programming is difficult. Programming is a complex skill that takes time to master. To solve a specific problem via programming, you need to understand the nature of the problem. Think about the solution of the problem. Then we will choose a programming language. You need to have knowledge of the programming language you decide to use. ... Depending on the nature of the task problem solving can either be easy or difficult. Let's take a very simple example of finding the largest number from a given list of unsorted numbers. We can easily solve this problem manually, provided the given list of numbers is not too big. If we have to solve the same problem using programming then it is not so easy .We will have to explain the computer all the steps one by one and code it for the compiler to run the solution. Similarly, if we have a list of numbers which is very big, say ten thousand numbers and we have to find the maximum one so it would be easier to write a code for the problem rather than going through the whole list. There are many ways to find the maximum number in a given list of unsorted numbers. We will discuss one of the ways to solve it. Our first step would be to consider the first number as the largest. We will save that number in a temporary location .Then we will compare it with all the other numbers in the list and if we encounter any number greater than the number stored in our temporary location, we will update our location. The last noted item in our memory location is the largest in the list when the process is complete. Hence, we can say that it depends on the nature of the task whether problem solving is difficult with programming or not. Similarly, we consider another example of a factorial generating program. We can easily calculate the factorial of a small number in our minds but think about a program that will return you the factorial of any number you want. It can be as large as you want because you don't have to worry about the computations. The computer is going to

AlLDI Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AlLDI - Case Study Example With already 90% of German shoppers, the organization saw it better to look into other markets. They ventured in the U.K. in 1980’s and the U.S.A. in 1976. They capitalized on these markets by reducing the heavy reliance on individual labelled goods and began to stock various national brands. In 1991, the organization invested on outlets in existing Gateways food Marts sites with the hope of enticing new clients to the Gateways (Lane & Steen, 2014). In 2013, Aldi’s U.K. product categories remained limited to approximately 1000 items (stock keeping units â€Å"SKU’), compared with 10,000 SKU managed by typical U.K. supermarkets. Cheap prices and limited SKU saw the company increase its client by 16% every year. Aldi’s have been found to be 40% cheaper than Waltrose, plus an annual saving of 1,700 Euro. It is clear that the company will be able to maintain its competitive advantages, as it has a simple business model of minimizing operational costs through purchasing only one line per item from suppliers, thus limiting choice for the consumers (Lane & Steen, 2014). Moreover, transportation costs have been minimized through direct delivering from the warehouse and being merchandised on the pallets they arrived in. With the limited assortment, the organization can achieve substantial globalization. Their product ranges mainly specialize on their own-branded labels, thus assisting them in controlling their costs and product prizes. Aldi as a discount organization has held a record year in the U.K. and Ireland, with a 65 percent increment in profits in the regions. The store found in Germany appreciated its lower prices as it drove the record results, with the discounter gaining pre-tax profit of  £260.9 million ($423.3 million) in 2013. In its U.K. and Irish store, profits went up from  £157.9 million on the previous year. This is by maintaining constantly low prices and ensuring product quality. Aldi currently controls around 4.8

Leadership in Film Honor and Glory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership in Film Honor and Glory - Essay Example It speaks about the horrors, rigors and racism of men crossing the North Pole. The basically unknown story of Matthew Henson who has almost been forgotten from history as the co-discoverer of the North Pole simply because of his race. Delroy Lindo gives an excellent portrayal of Matthew Henson who's ability to co-habitat and communicate with the natives allows he and Perry to reach what was once unreachable. Our nation has great discovers and inventors who should not simply be forgotten because they were of a different race. The struggle and anonymity Matthew Henson endured after his trek should never have happened. This movie does a very good job in reminding us that we are a nation of adventurers.. Black and White. History, the saying goes, is written by the winners. As the melancholy English poet Thomas Gray eulogised in his mid-17th century poem "Elegy in a County Churchyard," there is a vast wealth of unrealised human potential resting six feet beneath our feet. How many Miltons and Shakespeares, he asked, have passed us by because of a rigid and unforgiving social system that refused to allow those of humble birth to rise above their station Textbooks happily proclaim that American Admiral Robert Peary discovered the North Pole, but how many of these same books tell the story of the other American who a

Using the UTILITARIANISM STRATEGY Briefly explain the strategy in your Essay

Using the UTILITARIANISM STRATEGY Briefly explain the strategy in your own words and describe how the strategy would be used to determine the right action if you found a wallet containing $300 - Essay Example Mill argues that people should act the way it brings them as much happiness as possible, and the only way they should sacrifice their own interests if their decision will bring more valuable common good than the personal one (Brink 2008). In the situation when someone finds a wallet containing $300 Utilitarian ethics has a certain way of solving such a moral dilemma. As far as human should act the way it will bring him more happiness, but acting morally, if you know whose wallet it is than you have to act according to the principle: do as you would be done by. The explanation is very simple: if the moral principle’s purpose is to build good and virtuous society, than everyone would be happy and grateful to receive his lost wallet. But if you don’t know whose wallet it is than you can keep it, because the money you found will make you happy. Brink, David. (2008). Mills Moral and Political Philosophy. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall Edition), Edward N. Zalta  (ed.). Retrieved from:

Assignment on Microeconomics 5 questions (350 words to each question) Essay

Assignment on Microeconomics 5 questions (350 words to each question) - Essay Example Cost when unoccupied $76.00, Minus dog care $8.00, Minus security firm $10.00 the balance is $58.00. We also consider depreciation that occurs in excess when someone is living in the house, the excess depreciation is $5, so we add the balance above which gives us $58 plus $5 equals $63. On the gardener's services, because the person renting the house takes care of the gardening services his cost of leaving his house unoccupied reduces by $10 therefore we get $63 minus $10 we get $53. The surgeon should reduce his tent by both the value of dog care and need for a security firm because this are taken care by the person living in the house so our value will be 53-18=35. Therefore the minimum amount the surgeon should accept to receive, as rent should be $35. Substitute goods are products that are similar in that they satisfy the same want, if one's good is not available one can substitute it with another example butter and margarine that are consumed with bread. Butter and margarine can be substitutes of one another. Perfect competitive market is a theoretical market structures in which there are many buyers and sellers with no individual power to influence market price. Prices are determined by demand and supplies in the market assumptions of a perfect competitive market are: Many buyers and sellers, Perfect mobility of factors of production, perfect knowledge, homogenous products, absence of externalities. (Hardwick, Khan & Langmead, p 91, 1997). The analysis of equilibrium price and quantity was by Alfred Marshall (1842-1924). He analyzed the demand curve and the supply curve and stated that where the two curves intersect, they give us the equilibrium price and quantity in the market. (Hardwick, Khan & Langmead, 1997). Qo is the equilibrium Quantity Po is the equilibrium price a) Equilibrium price of butter has increased and that the equilibrium quantity of bread has increased. Possible explanations are: I. Price of milk has decreased - If the price of milk decreases then we expect the price of butter to go down. This is explained by the fact that in production of butter, milk is the key input in the process. Therefore, a decrease in the price of butter cannot explain an increase in price of butter. II. Price of flour has decreased - If price of flour decreases we expect price of bread to go down because flour is the key input in production of bread. If price of bread decreases we expect an increase in the quantity demanded of bread. Therefore this explains the increase in equilibrium quantity of bread. On butter - as the bread demanded increases and having in mind that bread and butter are complementary goods. We expect the price of butter to go up also due to increased demand. Demand and Supply Curve for Bread Price Po P1 SSo 0 Quantity The decrease in price of flour causes the supply curve of bread to shift downwards from SSo to SS1 . our

Genetics exam question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetics exam question - Essay Example y through the increased potential for arrest and conviction of criminal elements, critics contend that the system opens the door for a big brother type of abuse. Though the system may result in an increase in the conviction rate, the personal nature of DNA information should be subject to the same standards as medical history and should not be warehoused in a central government location. There is little public disagreement as to the value of DNA when prosecuting a criminal who may be responsible for a child abduction or rape. According to the government, "The national DNA database is a key police intelligence tool that helps to quickly identify offenders, make earlier arrests, secure more convictions, and provide critical investigative leads for police investigations" (The national DNA database 2007). However, as more people are entered into the database cross contamination of samples could make the information acquired unmanageable. In the case of property crimes, anyone who had been minimally in contact with the crime scene in the recent past could be considered a suspect (Linacre 2003, p.1841). This could potentially involve all of a stores recent customers if there was a break in or a robbery. While it may help to place the perpetrator on a list of suspects, it would also incriminate a large number of innocent bystanders. Though the current requirements for collecting samples is restricted to those people that have been implicated in a crime, the protections are being compromised by law enforcement practices. During a recent investigation into a sexual assault in South London, the police department wrote a letter to the local population requesting voluntary DNA samples. However, the voluntary aspect was framed in a coercive effort. The letter said in part, "Consider that the suspect is likely to refuse to provide a voluntary sample; catching him will be far easier if he is the only one" (cited in Lettice 2005). Innocent citizens may feel pressured into

Of Paradise and Power by Robert Kagan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of Paradise and Power by Robert Kagan - Essay Example They self-identify as tough. In the end, Kagan claims America is much more technologically advanced and that it can attack safely other countries because it has the means to do so with technological warfare. However, as has been seen over the last few years in Iraq, American military power can get very tied up and may not always be very effective; it can sometimes limited in its ability to reshape a society or political system or deal with an intractable ethnic conflict. That said, I really do believe that Kagan’s argument more or less makes sense and that the Europeans need to take a more proactive, robust role in the world today in order to help solve all the problems and conflicts. This theory has inspired me to potentially work as a diplomat in the future. I started out thinking about conflict in an idealistic way, but now am much more realistic about these sorts of things. It’s important to ask the question when thinking about conflict and politics, What is power? Kagan suggests it is purely military force. The US is the lone power in the world with the ability to conduct expeditionary warfare on multiple fronts across the globe whenever it wants to. As was demonstrated in the Balkans in the 1990s, Europeans aren’t able to project a credible military force even within Europe. Therefore the Europeans resort to the only thing they have for managing international conflicts, international institutions such as the UN. The success of European integration and solving the "German problem" has a lot of Europeans.

Managing Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Managing Information Systems - Essay Example Data in a Data Warehouse is arranged by subject not by function. As a result a data warehouse provides a peculiar view of the data that is amenable to manipulation for decision support. Levine and Siegel (2003) identify the key elements of a data warehouse as: "They are subject orientated, integrated, time variant, nonvolatile, and contain a collection of both detailed and summary data." The data warehouse can enable a business to solve many problems that can only be diagnosed when someone looks for a pattern in data. For instance, someone can determine problems associated with a product buy analyzing return and repair records. Data warehouse can be used for customer profiling where customer behavior in past promotions can be used to predict results of a planned campaign. A targeted campaign can be launched on a specific set of profiled customers where the anticipated response is expected to be higher. A data warehouse manager is the key person in defining requirements and format of a data warehouse. He or she must ensure at all the time that the data warehouse is meeting a company's strategic objectives. A data warehouse manager leads in specification of new solutions for the business. He or she is in charge of a team of experts that are involved in data warehousing projects. He or she has to ensure that any projects are implemented on time and properly and meet the company's objectives. The data warehouse manager needs to understand the different job responsibility of customers including the user computer skills. It is important that he understands the nature of decisions that need to be supported. In monitoring the system the manager should identify the most effective users of the warehouse. Expand usage of the system within company by identifying non-users of data warehouse and schedule them for appropriate training. The manager must ensure that the user interfaces are user-friendly. Data integrity issues are also the responsibility of the data warehouse manager. It is important to make sure the data in the warehouse is trustworthy. To this end data should be continuously monitored. The manager must search for new data sources and adapt the warehouse to changing data profiles, reporting requirements, and business priorities. The manager must highlight any successful decision made using data warehouse. Finally, "[k]eep your business users, executives, and boss happy". Data warehousing is a dynamic process. The warehouse manager has to ensure that the data is refreshed frequently and no data goes stale. Monitoring of utilization of the warehouse is also important for the data warehouse manager to understand how suitable each of the warehouse solutions is to the business. Being essentially a team leader a data warehouse manager has to supervise a high level team of programmers and database experts. With his or her team the data warehouse manager devises projects such as load processes automation and data modeling. The data warehouse manager must understand high-level business modeling and decision support to assist in development of business solution. Components of a data

Integrated Information Technology and Early Childhood Education Research Paper

Integrated Information Technology and Early Childhood Education - Research Paper Example An important finding from the study is that integrated information technology can have both negative as well as positive impacts on the above mentioned factors, therefore, the tools need to be used with the right balance. Additionally, empirical and quantitative studies related to the impact of integrated information technology on early childhood and factors such as education, family atmosphere, parenting style and the relationship between the parents and children are still in their nascent stages. Introduction It is often said that children of today belong to the 'Technology Generation' (Jukes and Dosaj, 2006) or the digital natives (Presnsky, 2005). Information technology becomes a part of their life even when they are very young and has a deep influence during the growth years. Over the past decade, the use of integrated information technology continues to increase in early childhood education. During the initial years, both parents as well as teachers were concerned whether using instruments of integrated information technology would be beneficial or harmful to the children (Prensky, 2005). However, the advantages offered by Information technology in education is immense and cannot be ignored. Traditionally, using information technology meant just the use of computers. ... This study takes a look at how integrated information technology can have a major impact on early childhood education, especially from parenting and character education perspectives. In doing so, the study looks at how the instruments of integrated information technology co-related with early childhood education, parenting styles, effectiveness on children's learning, character development, parent-children relationship and family atmosphere. Literature Review and Proposition Development 1. Integrated Information Technology and Early Childhood Education With advancements in information technology, a number of instruments are used to aid learning in children, even those who are in pre-school and kindergarten stages (Donald et al,. 2012). Modern day classrooms for early children are equipped with devices such as computers, cameras, multimedia equipment, voice recorders, conferencing instruments, Internet connection and so on. All these instruments are also integrated with each other to form one cohesive medium of integrated information technology (Presensky, 2006). While there was considerable skepticism on whether integrated information technology should be used for early childhood education, over the past few years, integrated information technology has become an integral part of early childhood education. Additionally, as the world is becoming increasingly technology dependent, it is also necessary that such technology is integrated with their learning process from an early age. One reason as to why early childhood education is effective through information technology is that the human brain is able to relate more to the visual images, 3-d videos, communication tools

The Coca-Cola Company Struggles with Ethical Crises Essay

The Coca-Cola Company Struggles with Ethical Crises - Essay Example The Belgian government ordered Coca-Cola to recall all its products, a move that was also witnessed in the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Coca-Cola at first underestimated the gravity of the matter, and took several days before correcting the situation or even going to the press about the issue. As a result of this delay, other people continued to suffer from the contaminated products, which had been determined to be the result of a consignment of carbon dioxide that had been improperly processed. France also reported about a hundred people had become ill after consuming coke, which led to all Coca-Cola products being banned from the country (Ferrell, Ferrell & Fraedrich ,2011) . The situation escalated and culminated in December the same year, when Belgium ordered Coca-Cola to halt a campaign it had launched to re-introduce its products in the country. Coca-Cola market eminence in Europe reduced significantly after this scandal, due to the incapability of the corporation to handle the cases professionally and with the seriousness they deserved. Coca-Cola was also accused of unfair competition in the international arena especially in European countries. In 1999, Coca-Cola sought to expand its market in France by trying to purchase a beverage company. The government intervened and stopped Coca-Cola from acquiring the company, under the antitrust laws of the European Union. Other countries such as Italy also accused Coca-Cola of anticompetitive prices and won a case against the company on the same. Other companies such as Pepsi also accused Coca-Cola of using discounts and refunds to get more consumers, something that was against European laws. Allegations of racial discrimination also plagued the Coca-Cola Company in 1999, after about 1500 employees of African-American descent sued the company on grounds of racial discrimination. The employees complained that favoritism was evident, in terms of payment, performance analysis and promotion. These allegations caused a lot of unrest in the company, and Coca-Cola had to pay 193 million dollars to settle the case (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011). Another case was in store for Coca-Cola, when it was accused of shipping more inventories to its supplies before a quarter was over, against business law. Afterwards, the company would count the shipments as sales, despite such goods remaining in the warehouses or being returned. These sales were then counted as revenue, thus creating the impression of a strong company, therefore, fooling investors who believed the inflated profits. Distributors of Coca-Cola products in the U.S sued the company in early 2006, after the company started using delivery agents to supply its products to warehouses. This move according to the distributors was against antitrust laws, and Coca-Cola had to find a way to settle this dispute. In Colombia, accusations surfaced between 2001 and 2004 that Coca-Cola had been intimidating its employees since 1989. Statistics showed that eight w orkers had died, 48 forced into hiding, and 65 issued with death threats in the Colombian bottling plant. The workers union sought compensation for the affected families, although Coca-Cola maintains that these allegations were unfounded. In India, the Coca-Cola subsidiary was accused of using contaminated ground water to make soft drinks, resulting in excess levels of pesticides in these drinks. In addition to this,

Psychological knowledge or research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psychological knowledge or research - Essay Example Political psychology is relevant to this article as it is an interdisciplinary subject which touched on areas of cognition, communication, emotion and the human mind. This particular filed of study is certainly at work in most or all of the news reports and media that we view. The author of this particular article really does not employ a heavy power of persuasion or even emotion thereby slightly losing her readers’ attention or emotional response. Deeper and more thorough analysis of this article may in fact yield a psychological media tactic actin within this article. In a different and unrelated article from the Chicago Tribune, Bonnie Miller and Ashley Wiehle note the case of a particular woman who suffered for years with an eating disorder. Her picture is present with the article as is the fact that her recovery cost her family $100,000. The fact that the authors placed a picture of the now healthy Traub in order for their readers to view her as a real person. When we are able to rest our eyes on the tangibility of human suffering, we are that much more likely to actively empathize with that individual as an entity and not just a disembodied name or case study. Certainly, the article raises interesting points that spark the interest of the reader. This includes the amount of money spent on treatment for an eating disorder as well as how blatantly necessary treatment is to those suffering with an eating disorder. The authors also provide quantitative data such as Traub’s morbidly low weight of less than 100 lbs and the startling amount o f money required for treatment. This truly allows the reader to ponder things such as what Traub must have looked like prior to treatment. The reader can also better appreciate the expense of treating an eating disorder when insurance has in the past, never covered treatment for Anorexia and Bulimia. The authors list

Employment Law case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment Law - Case Study Example Momma Mia will then be subjected to wrongful termination charges. In addition, Momma Mia will be held liable for providing state and federal employment taxes, compensation insurance, withholding taxes, Social Security taxes and other employment benefits. Misclassification can subject an employer to penalties (DuBoff 1999 p. 80; Twomey p. 605). No statutory law clearly defines the term ‘employee,’ but common law describes an employee as one who provides or performs services for another for compensation where the employee determines the manner and the means by which the services or work is to be performed. This common law agency-test was laid down in Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co v Darden, 503 US 318 (1992). Likewise, section 220 (2) of the Restatement (Second) of Agency defines the term servant similarly and enumerates ten elements to distinguish between servant and independent contractor: extent of control; distinctiveness of occupation; necessity of supervision over na ture of work; skills required; supply of tools for the work; length of employment; method of payment; role of work in employer’s regular business; what the parties believed, and; if principal is in business or not. Applying the law at bar, Jill qualifies as an employee. Her schedule and contacts, among others, need to be approved by her employer and equipment and other tools will be supplied as well by it.

Enhancing Occupational Safety Health While Adapting to Biodiesel As An Essay

Enhancing Occupational Safety Health While Adapting to Biodiesel As An Alternative fuels - Essay Example The process includes the reaction of vegetable oil with the alcohols in the presence of a catalyst, while the alcohols are usually ethanol or methanol. For the purification of the bio-diesel and removal of the phospholipids, the ultra-shear mixers or the De-gumming process is used, as they can efficiently blend and mix the acid or water into the oil for the formation of bio-diesel. The other processes of bio-diesel production involve the following (Dub, Marc A, et al. 2007). There are numerous positive impacts on occupational health and safety when the bio-diesel replaces the hydro-carbon fuels. Serious, continuous and long enduring exposure to the petroleum fuels has always caused environmental pollution (Fernando, Sandum D, et al. 2007).. The air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution are the direct result of heavy transport on roads using petroleum fuels. The use of bio-diesels in transport vehicles can save many drivers, pedestrians and indirect victims like factory workers from lungs cancers, skin abrasions and gastric diseases. Bio-diesels are environment friendly and greener in action. Being less combustible, the bio-diesels are less dangerous for the human life as compared to their petro-besed counterparts. The excessive use of hydrocarbons has been a reason for the extinction rare flora and fauna on the earth. The plants, animals and marine life destroyed by the petroleum products had a deeper link with the human health and occupational safety (Al Gore 2007). Sea water has been frequently polluted with the leakage and seepage of petrol while being transported by ships. This has caused serious destruction of marine life. The workers employed in the petroleum factories are always exposed to serious risks of life. Therefore, bio-diesels used in the transport are a single answer to many questions of health and safety for the workers and transporters in addition to the whole mother earth. That's why these fuels are becoming popular around the world because of their benefits for the occupational safety and th e ecological environment. The only hindering factor in their production, distribution and consumption has been their higher cost of production.It is also quite evident, from the vicious bonding between the terrorists and the leaders of the petroleum producing countries that the demand for finding some other substitute of petroleum is raising day by day. The margin of problems created by the continuous use of petroleum is rising more every day as all under-developed countries greatly depend on the fuel (petroleum) that is sold by the tyrants only. US economic conditions are getting worse every day due to the reason that she spends more than $ 100-150 billion annually for purchasing oil from other countries. US military also demands high proportion of fuel and oil to be used for our defense. To develop some other useful alternatives of oil should be the top and utmost priority of USA. In the United States of America a larger quantity of

Are the Differences Between Management and Leadership Essay Example for Free

Are the Differences Between Management and Leadership Essay What are the Differences Between Management and Leadership? † Management and leadership are closely related but is not the same thing. They are both necessary and complementary to each other. In the corporate world, there are vastly different jobs that require different skills. There are similarities with the two and you can hardly become a great manager without good leadership capabilities. Being a manger does not always mean that the person has the natural ability to lead. And being a good leader does not always make for the best manager. Leaders can be found in all departments of the workplace. A person can be called a leader if he can successfully influence and encourage colleagues to work toward and objective in which the goal is beneficial to the group. The leader’s job is basically to inspire and motivate. Leadership is an ability that is difficult for some people to learn. However, they may not be able to handle difficult business related issues that a manager might have to handle. A manager is considered a leader by definition of the position. Employees are required to follow this individual as required in their job descriptions. Managers offer stability and confidence in organization. Managers are good at delegating tasks and achieving results, but may not be the first person employees look to for guidance. Management may be described as doing things right, while leadership is doing the right thing. Managers have subordinates, while leaders have followers. Employees may not feel a sense of loyalty to a manager, but will stick with the leader because they have a greater sense of belief in them. Managers who don’t have true leadership skills lack certain qualities that are attractive to followers, such as charisma. Being able to blend the styles of a leader and a manager represents a distinguished skills set. That’s why people with the ability to be leaders and mangers are found at the top of all successful companies. The most successful businesses and teams have strong leaders who know how to motivate employees and managers to the results needed to achieve success. I personally think businesses should carefully review applicants for management positions to make sure they have the abilities to lead as well as manage. If the applicant does not possess all of the qualities needed to be a great manager then perhaps they are not the right person for the job. I would not want a manager who you could not depend on in times of crisis and conflict. http://guides. wsj. com/management/developing-a-leadership-style/what -is-the-difference-between-management-and-leadership.

Purpose and Meaning of Education Essay Example for Free

Purpose and Meaning of Education Essay Poverty is my pride, struggle is my way of life, education is my weapon and love of Allah is my strength. (Hazrat Mohammad PBUH). Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training, research, or simply through auto-didacticism. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts. Islam has put great stress on Education. The very first word of the first revelation was Iqra means read. The Holy Quran emphasizes more that seeking of knowledge is compulsory upon every man woman. Islam has given very clear instructions for the Education and has made it compulsory for all the genders equally. The purpose of education according to Islam is to serve the humanity in every possible way and lead a peaceful life by obeying the commandments of Allah (the only creator of the entire universe). Lack of education is the root cause of every trouble and misery. It is education only by which we can bring change, peace as well as prosperity in the world. Our aim should be clear in this regard that the only possible way to make human life as better as we can is education only. We know very well that education is the only weapon which is the best anti-biotic to every evil cause. We can destroy every evil strength through this weapon and bring desirable changes in every part of the globe. Today when we look at the world we find it divided on the bases of religion, race, colour, caste, creed and tribe. Sectarian and ethnic discrimination has drawn the boundaries of hate and egotism. We can overcome all these by spreading education in the entire world and make it a way towards social and global brotherhood on the basis of humanity. Past history proves that human is the most furious creature on this planet which is why today we see this bloody picture and insecurity all over the world but if we adopt the education in our characters and deeds we can surely make this world a better place to live on. When we speak about standard education it means there should be same and qualitative education across the world so that every human being can seek it in the very same like others do. Standard education will destroy the poverty, misery, and hunger from the world. No any other human doctrine can stop the destruction of human beings except the education as it the need of the hour as well as the only way for the survival of humanity. Conclusion. From the above mentioned facts and realities it is quite clear that the meaning, purpose and cause of education should be to serve the humanity without any kind of discrimination on the basis of equality so that we can make our world a place better to live on peacefully and purposefully.

Tribological Audit Of Rolling Element Bearings

Tribological Audit Of Rolling Element Bearings 1. INTRODUCTION: In the current scenario, conservation of material and energy is very much important. As the principal cause of material wastage is wear, any reduction in wear leads to savings. Friction is the main cause of wear which leads to energy dissipation and damage to equipments. [1] Friction occurs when one surface drags upon another surface. The magnitude of frictional force depends upon the interaction of mating surfaces. All surfaces consist of minute asperities and depressions even though the surface has high degree of finish. From close observation it is clear that frictional force is produced due to the distortion of the micro asperities when one surface slides over the other. As most of the surfaces are elastic up to a limit, the original shape is regained afterwards. In extreme cases the asperities get removed due to plastic flow of materials. [4] This process of removal of material from one or both of two surfaces in contact is known as wear. [6] Lubrication is the most effective me thod to lower the friction and to control wear and tear. Lubrication is the process of interposing a solid liquid or gaseous lubricant in between two surfaces in relative motion in order to decrease wear and tear. [6] Tribology is the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion and of related subjects and practices. [5] Tribology is derived from the Greek word Tribos which means rubbing. It deals with relative motion of the bodies, friction, wear and lubrication. The motion of the bodies includes sliding, rolling, spinning, bouncing or combination of these. [5] The written history of tribology is as old as about five thousand years. In olden days itself people were concerned about friction and the ways to reduce it. Assyrians used rollers made of wood to move massive stones. [2] Later carts are developed as rolling friction is less than sliding friction. Although the ways to reduce friction was highly concerned from the olden days itself, the word tribology was introduced in 1966. [5] The minimum film thickness in tribological machine elements was in the order of 10 µm to 100 µm at the start of the century. Later advance in the tribology led to the development of components with film thickness up to 1 µm. The thickness is further reduced to 0.1 µm by the end of the century. In short, tribolo gy in the important factor in design of machine elements and selection of lubricants. [5] 2. ROLLING BEARINGS: Invention of wheel led to minimise the effort of moving an object as rolling friction is less than that of sliding friction. Even though rolling motion produces less friction, man was seeking different ways to decrease the rolling friction. This led to the discovery that bearing based rolling motion consumes less power. Hence it was implemented in all rolling systems including complex machine mechanisms. In earlier periods the roller bearings was not able to compete with the hydrodynamic sliding bearings as it cannot meet with the endurance characteristics of the other. The roller bearing was universally accepted in the 20th century by the development of superior bearing materials and advanced techniques. This helped to manufacture roller bearing assemblies with extreme accuracy and long life. The competition among the manufacturers increased in early 1970s which led to a sudden increase in the production of high quality products at relatively low costs. [2] Rolling bearing includes all types of bearings to permit minimum friction between two moving surfaces relative to one another. The main application of roller bearing is to rotate a shaft relative to some fixed or oppositely rotating structure. It also allows relative linear motion of a fixture in a fixed direction provided by a stationary shaft. [3] Usually a bearing consists of two steel rings each of which consists of a hardened raceway. The hardened steel balls or rollers roll in these raceways. These rolling elements are usually held in an angular spaced structure which is called separator or retainer. [2] ball.gif Figure 1- Ball Bearings [7] There are different types of roller bearings based on their analysis of operation. A brief description on various types of bearings is explained below. 2.1 BALL BEARINGS: 2.1.1 Radial Ball Bearings: Radial ball bearings are the most popular rolling bearings. This type of ball bearings has an inner and outer raceway grooves in between the balls are inserted. The grooves have curvature radii of about 53% of the size of the ball diameter. The inner groove is concentrically fixed inside the outer groove and the ball bearings are present in between the grooves. The bearings are separated uniformly. A cage is used to maintain the separation. Deep groove ball bearings have the capacity to carry more loads as it is having large ball diameter. It can carry radial as well as thrust loads. Seals are present to keep the lubricant in and protect from external dirt. [2] Figure 2- Radial Ball Bearings [8]radial-bearings.jpg 2.1.2 Angular Contact Ball Bearings:406px-Angular-contact-ball-bearing_single-row_din628_type-b_120.png Angular contact bearings are designed to withstand heavy thrust loads or a combination of both thrust and radial loads. The ball bearings have a contact angle which does not exceed 40 degrees. Single and double row ball bearings are usually used depending upon the nature and magnitude of force to withstand. In this type of ball bearings, the outer raceway is the part of a sphere. The load applied on the outer raceway is minimised as the balls do not conform well into it. By using large balls the load on each ball can be minimised. This type of bearings can be used in applications where the parallelism of shaft and the housing are not exact to each other. [2] Figure 3- Angular Contact Ball Bearings [9] 2.1.3Thrust Ball Bearings: thrust-ball-bearing_din711_ex.png Thrust bearings are those bearings having a contact angle of 900 which can withstand thrust loads. These types of bearings are meant for high speed applications. The thrust bearings are mounted on spherical seats to obtain high degree of alignment ability. These bearings cannot be used to hold any radial loads. [2] They are mainly used in automotive, marine and aerospace applications. These increase smoothness and help in noise reduction thereby reducing friction in the attached part. Small size, reduced friction and long life are the main advantages of thrust bearings. [10] Figure 4- Thrust Ball Bearings [11] 2.2 ROLLER BEARINGS: Roller bearings are used in applications where the bearings have to support very high loads. Rollers are used in these bearings instead of balls. In these roller is cylindrical in shape and so line contact is formed between rollers and raceways. This spreads the load out a large area. Hence they have more load supporting capability. [12] They supply more fatigue endurance than ball bearings. Also the cost of manufacturing is high. These bearings consist of two concentric raceways which consist of rollers in between the two. To increase the load carrying capacity, cylindrical bearings with two or more rows of rollers are constructed. Different types of roller bearings include needle roller bearings, tapered roller bearings, thrust roller bearings and spherical roller bearings. [2] Roller-Bearing.jpgLB_OP_Linear_Motion_Bearing_250x250.jpg Figure 5- Roller Bearings [13] Figure 6- Linear Motion Bearing [14] 2.3 LINEAR MOTION BEARINGS: Linear motion bearings are the recent products developed in order to provide free motion in one dimension. In machine tool slide ways, very high friction is developed. Linear motion bearing consists of balls which carry the loads laterally in a particular direction and hence wear and tear can be minimised. They provide smooth, precision, guiding surface. The rolling element of a linear bearing rides over it thereby reducing friction. [15] 3. TRIBOLOGICAL FACTORS: Tribology deals with friction, wear and lubrication. The two key factors related to tribology are interacting surfaces and relative motion. It is clear that tribology is concerned with two surfaces in relative motion which are adequately close to one another. Usually a poor tribological interface is designed and then various lubricants are used to lower the friction between the surfaces. The most acceptable way is to design a better interface which includes the selection of a good lubricant also to minimise the friction and wear to the lowest. [5] Various tribological factors are to be taken into consideration while taking a situation. The important tribological factors include: Material Surfaces Lubricants Operating Conditions [5] 3.1 MATERIAL: The initial step to be taken while designing a product is the material selection. There are various factors which are taken into consideration while selecting the material. For tribological point of view the following factors are to be given importance before material selection. Basic Mechanical Properties Friction Wear Resistance Compatibility [5] 3.1.1 Basic Mechanical Properties: The basic mechanical properties of the material such as elastic modulus, Poissons ratio, yield stress, hardness, fatigue resistance, ultimate tensile strength and thermal conductivity are to be analysed. [5] Also the availability and cost of the material are also taken into account. Based on these observations the best material suitable for the manufacturing of bearings is selected. The selection of material used for bearings is to be done carefully based on standard specifications. The material plays an important role in the performance of the bearings. This affects the overall performance of the machinery also. The selected material is used to manufacture the load bearing parts of the bearings like raceway grooves and balls or rollers only. Retainers and cages are made from some other soft materials with desired qualities. [17] 3.1.2 Friction: Friction is the resistance offered by two interacting surfaces in relative motion. The degree of friction is denoted by coefficient of friction  µ. [6] Friction occurred during sliding is known as sliding friction and which occurred during rolling is known as rolling friction. The main factors which cause friction are adhesion between surfaces, surface hardness, asperities etc. [6] 3.1.2.2 Laws of Friction: There are different laws of friction which are applicable to dry friction between interacting surfaces. The first and second laws were put forward by Leonardo da Vinci and third law was introduced by Coulomb. [6] The first law of friction states that force required to initiate or sustain sliding FT is proportional to FN, the normal force. [6] Thus FT ÃŽ ± FN or FT =  µ.FN [6] Where  µ = Coefficient of friction The second law of friction states that the friction force FT is independent of the apparent area of contact Aa [6] The third law of friction states that friction is independent of sliding speed. [6] It was found that the first two laws of friction are obeyed in almost all experimental conditions. Lubrication systems can be used to lower the friction developed within the bearings. Friction in bearings depends upon the viscosity of lubricant and shear rate. Self lubricated bearings are widely used as it offers only very low friction. [20] 3.1.3 Wear: Wear can be termed as the material loss or volume loss from the surface of the materials in contact. [21] The main types of wear occurring on material surfaces are adhesive wear, abrasive wear, fatigue wear, corrosive wear. The local pressure at the asperities becomes extremely high when the normal pressure is acted upon the mating surfaces. When the pressure exceeds a certain limit, the asperities deform plastically until the area of contact increased sufficiently to withstand the load. The wear produced due to adhesion process has been explained by Archard equation. Wad = K [22] Where Wad = wear rate K = wear coefficient F = normal load H = hardness of softer material When two dissimilar materials slide over one another, the softer material gets scratched away. Thias type of wear is called as abrasive wear. Fatigue wear occurs when a rotating shaft is subjected to reversal of bending stresses. Corrosive wear is due to the reaction of the material surface with the environment or an external agent. [6] Wear occurs in ball and roller bearings due to corrosion, shock loading of fatigue. Atmospheric agents like dirt and girt are the other external factors which are responsible for wear. [4] 3.1.4 Compatibility: Alloys are usually selected as bearing materials. Alloy is a solid composition consisting of two or more metals and elements in fixed proportions. The two alloys which are used to manufacture the bearings are Chrome Steel and Stainless Steel. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. [17] Various other elements like silicon, manganese, phosphorous, sulphur, chromium and molybdenum are added in chrome and stainless steels in order to increase the strength, hardness and corrosion resistance of the alloys. [18] Carbon is used in the alloy to form cementite structure and to formation of pearlite, spheroidite, bainite, and iron-carbon martensite. This improves hardenability of the alloys up to 0.65%. Wear resistance is increased up to 1.5%. Toughness of the alloy reduces and the brittleness increases when carbon is added. Manganese increases the hardness penetration of steel. Chromium is added to increase hardness, toughness and wear resistance to steel. Silicon acts as the deoxidiser during the manufacturing process. [19] 3.1.4.1 Chrome Steel Chrome steel is one of the widely used alloys to manufacture bearings. It is used mainly in high load bearing applications as this material is capable of withstanding very high loads. The machinability of the material is as high as highly finished, less noisy bearings are obtained. Also the life of the bearings is also very high. Under test conditions, the Rockwell hardness of the material is observed as 60 64 C. This material is used in applications where corrosion is not considered. [16] The constituent elements in the chrome steel are given in the table 1. 3.1.4.2 Stainless Steel The standard material used for the bearings is 400 series Martensitic Stainless Steel. This type of steel is highly resistant to corrosion and hence stainless steel bearings are used in applications where corrosion is to be taken into account. It is having less load withstanding capacity when compared to chrome steel. There are three types of 400 series Stainless Steel suitable for making bearings. These materials are developed by manufacturers to be used for certain specific applications. [16] 3.1.4.2.1 DR Stainless steel This material is highly resistant to corrosion and is used in applications which deal with highly corrosive medium. The material can be precisely machined so as to obtain high degree of finish to the surface of bearing. This helps in smooth, low noise operation of the bearings. The Rockwell hardness of the material is observed as 58 60 C. [16] The chemical composition of the material is given in table 2. 3.1.4.2.2 AISI 440C Stainless Steel AISI 440C Stainless Steel is highly resistant to corrosion and is easily available. But it is not widely used now a day when more modern materials are developed. The Rockwell hardness of the material is 58-60 C. [16] The chemical composition is given in table 3. 3.1.4.2.3 ES1 Stainless Steel: This material is highly resistant to corrosion and has high machinability. Thus highly finished surfaces can be produced. The material is having a Rockwell hardness number of 58 60 C. [16] The composition of the material is given in table 4. 3.2 SURFACE: Surface quality of the materials is one of the major tribological factors which determine the efficiency of the product. [4] Surface finish decides the amount of friction and wear of the material. Surface texture and conformity are the terms which are to be given importance. 3.2.1 Surface texture: The surface of the material is the part which interacts with the environment. The surface may not be highly finished due to several reasons. It may be due to the imperfections caused during manufacturing, due to external agents or due to loads acting on the surface. The deviations observed on the surface can be mainly classified into three which includes roughness, waviness and error of form. [23] Roughness is the surface irregularities which consist of rises and valleys. This creates an uneven surface pattern. Waviness is the small ups and downs on the surface which is having less amplitude that of roughness. These may be caused due to work piece deflections, vibration or heat treatment. Error of form is the slight deviations from the nominal shape. [6] The surface profiles can be traced by using different apparatus like Abbott profilometer, Tomilson surface finish recorder and Talysurf surface finish recorder. [4] 3.2.2 Conformity: Conformity is the degree of agreement between the surfaces. [5] An interface consisting of two plates is said to have high conformity. Journal bearing is an example for high conformity material. An interface consisting of a plate and a ball is said to be having low conformity. Ball bearing is an example for low conformity material. Conformity is an important factor which is to be considered as it has an important role in determining the pressure, shear stress and temperature in the interface. [5] Figure 7- Surface Texture [23] 3.3 LUBRICANTS: Lubrication is the technique employed to reduce wear by the interposition of a solid, liquid or gas between the two surfaces which come into contact with one another. It was a persistent problem for man for centuries from the day he used to move materials. Friction consumes and wastes energy whereas wear leads to the damage of the equipment which are undesirable and it has to be avoided at any cost. Every moving part of machinery is subjected to friction leading to wear and tear which has to be avoided. Lubrication plays a vital role in avoiding the friction between mating surfaces. The history of lubricant begins thousands of years before. It was found that the ancient Egyptians used lubricants to avoid friction in the wheels of chariots. [24] In ancient times lubricants were of animal, plant and marine origin. Later mineral oils were started to use as lubricant. The new science of lubrication based on hydrodynamics came in 1880s. [24] Lubricants are of solids, liquids and gases but liquid lubricants are widely used. These include mineral oil, synthetic oil, grease, vegetable oil and water. Lubrication is done by applying a thin film of lubricant between the surfaces in contact. [6] Thus undesirable problems like friction, wear, noise and vibrations can be reduced to a very high extent. 3.3.1 Viscosity: Viscosity of a lubricant is the main characteristic which is taken into account before selecting it for a specific application. Friction, heat generation, film thickness and load carrying capacity depend upon the viscosity of lubricant used. Generally viscosity can be stated as the hindrance of the fluid to flow. But based on lubrication, viscosity is the measure of ability of fluid to maintain lubrication at specific operating conditions. [24] 3.3.2 Lubrication Regimes: Lubrication can generally be classified into four different regimes based on the thickness of the fluid film in between the surfaces in contact. They include: Hydrodynamic Lubrication Boundary Lubrication Mixed Lubrication Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication 3.3.2.1 Hydrodynamic Lubrication: image8.jpg Figure 7- Hydrodynamic Lubrication [25] In hydrodynamic lubrication, a fluid film is formed in between the two surfaces in contact. Thus one surface floats on the other and there occurs no direct contact between the surfaces. In microscopic level the surfaces of the materials consist of asperities. In normal condition without lubrication, the asperities are in direct contact with each other. When one surface slides over the other, the asperities get deformed producing friction and hence wear. Hydrodynamic lubrication helps avoid the friction as there is no direct contact between the surfaces. The viscosity of the lubricant helps to increase the fluid pressure in between the surfaces. Thus the lubricant layer holds the surfaces apart. As the lubricant layer formed is thicker than the surface roughness of the material, one material slides over the other without damaging the surface. It is observed that the thickness of the film is more than 1 µm. [24, 25] The surface is separated apart by hydrostatic lift. A fluid flowing over a surface immediately takes the speed of the surface. Similarly when the fluid moves in a converging gap, the pressure increases and the surface is lifted. [25] 3.3.2.2 Boundary Lubrication: Boundary lubrication is a type of lubrication in which the surface roughness of the material is same as that of the fluid layer thickness. Thus when one surface moves upon the other, the asperities comes into contact. When load is applied the asperities gets plastically deformed which leads to friction and wear. As friction is not desirable different methods are also adopted to reduce friction in this type of lubrication. This includes the use of various additives to the lubricants. The additives are classified according to the surface action exhibited on the material surface. They are mainly of three types. Physically absorbed layers Chemically absorbed layers Chemical reaction layers 3.3.2.2.1 Physically adsorbed layers: When the lubricant is applied, it forms a layer on the material surface. The weak intermolecular force called van der Walls force exerted by the layer of the lubricant helps to attach to the surface. This layer lubricates and allows the other surface to slide over the other without causing friction. As the lubricant is not undergoing any chemical reaction, the process is reversible. The bonds formed by van der Walls force are weak and it can be removed. The main disadvantage of the physically adsorbed lubricants is that they have a temperature limit above which the lubricant melts. 3.3.2.2.2 Chemically adsorbed layers: Chemically adsorbed layers are those formed due to the chemical reaction with the surface material. Chemisorption is a type of adsorption in which the molecules are hold tight by the valence force of the molecules of the lubricant. The bonds created are stronger than the physically adsorbed layers. Usually chemically adsorbed lubricants form long chain fatty acid molecules, which has high affinity to metal surfaces. Fatty acid additives like stearic and oleic acid forms chemically adsorbed layers. The typical thickness of the boundary film is about 3 µm. As chemical reaction takes place in the interface, the adsorbed layer can be removed only under extreme conditions like high temperature, vacuum or by using some chemical treatments. [26] 3.3.2.2.3 Chemical reaction layers: Chemical reaction layers are formed by the reaction of additives in the lubricant with the surface of the material on which it is applied. In this adsorption is not taking place, instead a chemical reaction that bonds the lubricant and the material occurs. Thus the layers formed are permanent. The main disadvantage of physisorption and chemisorptions is the temperature limit above which the lubricant gets ineffective. In this type of reaction the working temperature is not a factor. Hence this type of lubrication is used in high speed and high load operating systems as high temperature is developed in these cases. Zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) is widely used as an additive to produce effective chemical reaction films. [24] 3.3.2.2 Mixed Lubrication: Mixed lubrication has the features of both hydrodynamic lubrication and boundary lubrication. In hydrodynamic lubrication the contact surfaces are separated apart by the pressure of the lubricant interposed between the surfaces. Hence there will not be any contact between the two surfaces in motion. But in boundary lubrication, one surface rests on the other. When the surface moves the asperities gets plastically deformed which causes friction and wear. Mixed lubrication acts between the two extremes of hydrodynamic and boundary lubrication. In mixed lubrication regimes a fluid film layer is developed where contact takes place between the asperities of the surfaces. Thus a slight deformation is formed while sliding occurs which is highly desirable. The film thickness ranges from 0.05 µm to 0.1 µm. [25] 3.3.2.3 Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication: Elastohydrodynamic lubrication is a type of lubrication which brings together hydrodynamic lubrication, hertzian contact and change in viscosity with pressure. In this method of lubrication, the surface is modified to minimise friction. Elastohydrodynamic lubrication is used in applications where low conformity and highly loaded tribological interfaces are present. Roughness of the wearing surface is taken into consideration in this lubrication. Roughness is taken as the average of high and low points of the surface which is called as the centreline average. [27] A non conformal contact can produce pressure to a very high level. When the pressure increases it directly affects the viscosity of the lubricant. In normal conditions the viscosity of the lubricant is less noticeable but during elastohydrodynamic lubrication the viscosity increases which makes the lubricant act as a semi solid. This creates a thin film of oil in between the mating surfaces. [25] 3.4 OPERATING CONDITIONS: Operating conditions are the main aspect to be taken into account while designing a mechanical component including bearings. There are different factors which comprises the operating conditions. Load Relative Motion Temperature Environment 3.4.1 Load: The load applied on each ball and roller is to be determined to manufacture the bearings which can operate at the desired applications without failure. In order to calculate the load deflection relationship is to be developed for roller element contacting raceways. In almost all the applications the outer or inner raceways is in steady state rotation. The speed of the rotation may not be large enough to affect significantly the distribution of the load equally on each roller or ball elements. The rigidly supported bearing is subjected to radial load which may lead to deflection. The radial deflection at any rolling element is given by ÃŽ ´ÃË† = ÃŽ ´r cos ψ  ½ Pd [2] Where ÃŽ ´ÃË† = radial deflection r = ring radial shift ÃŽ ¨ = angular location Pd = diametral clearance Thrust load and roller bearings are also subjected to thrust loads which are distributed equally among the rolling elements. The thrust load can be calculated using Q = Fa / Z Sin ÃŽ ± [2] Where Q = thrust load Fa = applied load Z = number of rollers per row ÃŽ ± = contact angle 3.4.2 Relative Motion: Relative motion is the motion of either one or both surfaces with respect to each other. There are different forms of relative motion depending upon the style of motion. They include sliding, rolling, spinning and bouncing. Sliding refers to the smooth movement over a surface maintaining the contact between each other. Rolling is the movement by revolving within the axis. Spinning is the rotation of a material within its axis. Bouncing is the rebounding due to an impact. Chance for sliding occurs in the rolling bearings due to thrust loads. Bouncing may occur due to sudden fluctuation in loads which may lead to destruction of bearing material. 3.4.3 Temperature: Operating temperature is a factor which is to be taken into consideration for the smooth functioning of the bearings at load conditions. Temperature rise may occur in the bearings during operation which may be due to different reasons. One factor which causes the rise in temperature is the application of excess load. If excess load is applied, the material may not be designed to withstand that much high load. So it may lead to failure. Another reason for the temperature rise is the absence of lubricant. The lubricant should be interposed to the surfaces in contact. If it fails to continuously supply the lubricant to the surface, friction is produced which results in gradual rise in temperature. Various coatings are also used to overcome temperature extremes. 3.4.4 Environment: Nature of environment is the feature which can influence the efficiency and life of the bearings. There are different agents which affect the operating conditions of the bearings which may be harmful. These include contaminations like dust, wear particles, air, water, process fluid etc. Insulations are to be provided to avoid exposure to these external agents. This can be done by using seals or coatings. 4. CONCLUSION: The various tribological factors are to be considered while designing rolling bearings. This tribological audit looks for the different factors which affect the performance and life of the bearings. The major tribological factors found include material, surface, lubrication and operating conditions. Different solutions are available which can be applied to each factor to lower the friction. Material should be wisely selected which can be easily machined to obtain highly finished surfaces and should possess the strength to withstand the loads applying on it. The material should be selected according to the application. Surface texture and conformity of the material is to be carefully observed as the surface finish is one of the major factors which cause friction. Lubrication plays a major role in the performance of the equipment. Right method of lubrication is selected. Elastohydrodynamic lubrication forms the film with minimum thickness which is the most desirable in bearings. Operat ing conditions affects the performance and life of the bearings which includes contaminations like dirt, wear particles, water, corrosive process fluid etc. Proper measures are to be taken to avoid exposure to these agents. From this audit it is clear that we have to take care of the tribological factors and select the most suitable ones to obtain maximum performance and life to the rolling bearings.

Causes of Film Cult Status: Donnie Darko

Causes of Film Cult Status: Donnie Darko Film Donnie Darko Abstract The following dissertation developed out of an enthusiastic interest in â€Å"Cult† film fandom and, in particular, Donnie Darko (Kelly: 2001). The desire to study the film in depth through a case study into its fandom came from my own curiosity and ambition to decipher and understand the level of fandom that surrounds the film, and how that formulated. Through reviewing and studying other academics work in the field and their own theories on cult films it acknowledged the diverse work when trying to find a solid definition and the complexities that follow the term â€Å"cult†. The research was used as the core of my study whilst examining Donnie Darko throughout the dissertation, using the work as not only a definition for cult but also theories on reception and fandom. .. By looking at the pre release of the film itself and the critical reception that followed an interesting debate is revealed: Was Donnie Darko created to become a â€Å"Cult† film? By conducting a study into the critical and fan reception of Donnie Darko it became apparent of the impact this had on the film’s cult status and also of how the cult fandom communities communicate and operate with each other in the form of dedicated fan web sites and fan message boards. By taking into consideration the various components of Donnie Darko, pre release, distribution, fan and critical reception, the conclusion of how much Donnie Darko can be represented as a Cult film can be found. It is plain to see what impact the internet had on the success of its reception with fans and revivals for re-releases, all of which point to the film being deliberately manufactured to adhere to cult sensibilities. Introduction In contemporary film and media there has always been an interest in fan studies and audience reception but there has been limited work on the specific genre of cult fandom and cult films. The research that is already available on the subject of cult films is inconclusive and does not share a common definition of what cult film is. I believe that it is possible to make a structured framework of what makes a film cult from existing research but there is insufficient study in respect of how cult films can be seen to be deliberately made. It is my hypothesis that film makers now have the knowledge to be able to construct and manipulate their films into gaining a cult audience, and that by researching this it will inform future academic discourse in the area of cult film. This piece of work will endeavour to map out the techniques used to create a cult film and thereby gain a cult audience and from this it will be possible to determine whether or not cult films are a carefully constructed and marketed text. In this dissertation, which takes the form of a case study, the 2001 Richard Kelly film Donnie Darko will be analysed in terms of how it has achieved the perceived status of being branded a cult film. The aim of this will be to define what a cult film is, and what attributes constitute a cult film, whilst looking at levels of fandom and considering whether or not cult is more ordinary than first perceived. The first section of this paper will discuss existing definitions of what cult films are, and also the problems faced when defining them. Having arrived at a solid definition of what a cult film is it will be used as the reference point when considering cult film in terms with Donnie Darko for the rest of the paper. A film’s cult status is not dependant on textual aspects alone and, in the final section of the paper, I will take a look at the reception of Donnie Darko amongst critics and general fans; this is, arguably, the most essential element to consider in terms of understanding how the status of cult film was conferred upon Donnie Darko. By referring to academic journals and contemporary reviews of the film in commercial film magazines and on websites it will be possible to arrive at an idea of how the critics formed the cult idea. Lacking a formal outlet, fan reception is harder to analyse, but by surveying fan communities online in the form of a dedicated fansite and one specifically created forum for Donnie Darko fans, it will be possible to analyse the fandom surrounding the film. Also, through analysis of focus groups of self proclaimed Donnie Darko fans, it will, through their discourse and opinions, be possible to map how cult fans react and use the text, in order to find out whether the film was constructed for this purpose. Literature Review – What Is Cult? When studying Cult Film it is first important to arrive at a robust definition of the term in order to provide clarity throughout this study. â€Å"Cult Film† is a phrase that is often used, in the context of certain films, by film reviewers, critics and the film fans alike, but arriving at an academic definition of what the terms exactly means, and the attributes a film must be seen to have to conform to a notion of a cult framework, is a difficult task. Many theorists have proposed their own notions and definitions of what makes a film cult, each formulating a different variation of what they see as essential to the make-up of a cult film. Some suggest that a â€Å"cult film† is created through its overall consumption, whilst others attribute prominence to other elements that feature within the text themselves. In their work in the area of cult film Jancovich, Stringer, Willis and Reboll also recognise that the term cult has many different meanings and connotations, asserting that â€Å"(Cult) would include entries from such seemingly disparate subgenres as â€Å"bad film†, splatterpunk, â€Å"mondo† films, and sword and sandal epics, Elvis flicks† (Sconce 1995 cited in Jancovich et al 2003:1) the list goes on but the point they are trying to make is that an overwhelmingly large group of films could potentially be considered as cult. In their work they do not set out to completely define the exact characteristics of any specific movies, describing cult films as an â€Å"essentially eclectic category† (Jancovich et al 2003:1) the work also goes on to propose that there is no one single signifier or characteristic that is occupied by every cult film but that they are formed by the viewers and critics via a â€Å"subcultural ideology† (Jancovich:2003:1), and that, in terms of film, this ideology is formed when the audience or even the film maker choose to view the films in opposition to what is thought to be mainstream cinema. An example of this would be Hollywood cinema stories that have a beginning, middle and an end whilst following a set path which leads to a resolved and happy ending in most cases. Jancovich goes on to also describe how film fans claim the title of being a cult fan by suggesting that there are two separate groups. The first set of fans that are ones that can be seen to â€Å"revere specific films as works of true artistic and political independence† (Jancovich et al: 2003:2). Examples of such works would include Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971) and more recently Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994), these films although having gained much popularity can be perceived as being quite obscure and different. These differences are aesthetically pleasing for certain viewers that consider it cult. The other group of fans he describes are fans that watch films that can be viewed and celebrated for the simple fact that they have not adhered to mainstream cinema, these films, in a lot of cases, do not even have recognisable quality in terms of story or acting but are again enjoyed due to the over-the-top and often clichà ©d acting and effects. An example of this would be Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead Trilogy in the 1980’s, which included over the top gory scenes and also clichà ©d catchphrases such as when the main character Ash (Bruce Campbell) is confronted by a demon who tells him that he will â€Å"swallow his soul† before Ash replies â€Å"Swallow this† kills the demon with a shotgun blast. Such celebration and viewings of these films, known as cult fandom, came from a direct opposition to main box office Hollywood hits and certain areas of movie fans seemed to crave these over-the-top and unusual films more than the epic blockbuster. This market for alternative films was not left unnoticed by film exhibitors and the emergence of art screenings began to emerge or, as Jancovich put it, they â€Å"turned to wealthy specialist audiences through the creation of art cinemas† (Jancovich et al 2003:3). The creation of such picture houses channeled the fans of these alternative films together and became their first forum to engage with each other. This can be considered a critical step in cult fandom emerging and is pertinent in terms of this study as it can be seen to correspond with the online forums that are now widely available for fans to discuss their passions. A phenomenon which is discussed in detail below. Jancovich et al goes on to touch on the spate of technological advances that have recently begun to have a bearing on whether films gain the status of cult. For example new media outlets such as digital television, art cinemas, VHS, DVDs and most recently the internet that allow higher distribution of films, regardless of the film’s success in the mainstream cinemas. This technological revolution of distribution is described by Jancovich as â€Å"a powerful market force† (Jancovich et al 2003:4). Such a market force means that films that completely failed at the box office and have been written off by critics can nevertheless go on to gain a loyal fan base simply through buzz generated by fans telling each other about the films. A phenomenon which has become increasingly prevalent with the rise of the internet fan bases. Jancovich et al acknowledge a number of problems with the new rise in technology, the first of which being that the wide array of possible ways for the films to be seen now â€Å"threatens distinction and exclusivity†(Jancovich et al 2003) something which cult movies and their fans depend on. This is a particularly interesting notion, as it suggests that although the available media outlets allow fans a base on which to share their film interests on, it can also mean that film makers can market carefully constructed films, which adhere to all the attributes that have made many other cult films successful, directly in order to tap into a specific, pre-identified cult audience. There are examples of films being made for the specific purpose of gaining a cult status or a highly niche audience to form a cult, this warps the notion of what cult film is due to the deliberate attempt to create a fan base rather than one being spontaneously generated. This can lead to films appearing to have the textual elements of a cult film but not have the same following of that of a cult film but, rather, that of a failed mainstream film. A fan base which is essential to the idea of cult. An example of a failed cult film would be I Heart Huckabees (Russel:2004) its confusing, multi level narrative and overall unusualness, whilst seeking a cult market, has not generated any significant fan support, so cannot be considered cult as loyal fan base is a reoccurring element in any cult definition. One film that might been seen to be a successful manufacturing of a cult was The Blair Witch Project, using alternative technology, with the use of the handheld cameras, not seen before in modern Hollywood. This film can be also said to be the first film to properly use the internet as a tool for advertising their film, through a cult medium. h Be that as it may, it is not to say that any film with a fan base will be considered cult. Films such as Star Wars (Lucas) which has perhaps the biggest, obsessive fan base of any film could be perceived as being far too popular in the mainstream to be even considered as cult. This is one of the many difficulties in investigating what a cult film is but despite of this it is still essential to investigate films on many levels to identify and confirm a films cult status.The reception of a film after its release represents perhaps the biggest part in the creation of a cult film and this happens through two groups – The Fans and The Critics. First of all the viewing public play a major part in the cult success of a film and only through fandom can a film achieve a true cult status. Cult films could be labeled through critics calling it so in a review, this can cause a domino effect and influence fans to begin acknowledging the film as having cult status, due to the academic labeling of cult. Critical approval though is not as concrete evidence of a films status, as the slating of a film by a critic could in turn create a higher cult following for that film.Harper and Mendik in their work have put forward a number of characteristics of films that are considered cult after analyzing a number of cult films. They point towards futuristic ideas, the paranormal, scattered and complex narratives, gory violence and events that cannot be explained, this are seen to be essential to being able to put films into a cult category (Harper Mendik 2000:8 to10). This work along with Jancovich et al’s approaches cult film as a type of counter culture. An alternative culture to Hollywood and its principles and practices in terms of film and also counter to the norms of the rest of western society. Although there are many differing views on what a cult film is, this is the definition that will be used and acknowledged throughout the rest of the study and is the template for what will be considered â€Å"Cult†. The definition above is not complete however as , although it does describe what elements the film has to have for the reader of the text to describe it as cult, it does not entirely show what cult fandom is, and as a result it is essential to read the text as what Barry Grant describes as the â€Å"supertext†. What is meant by the â€Å"supertext† is that more than just the text is studied and in relation to cult film its distribution, consumption and reception all play a pivotal role in its cult definition or as Grant himself describes â€Å"Because cult films, by common definition involve some intense devotion on the part of their audience† (Grant 2000:14) It is Grant’s view that the supertext, in the form of a cult film can transport the viewer away from their own reality by using a certain text to escape from their norms as Grant states in his work on The Rocky Horror Picture Show in which he contends that â€Å"it is a fundamentally ambiguous text that can comfortably accommodate opposed readings. Because of its well-known phenomenon of audience participation, the move also is perhaps the clearest demonstration of the cult films supertextual significance† (Grant 2000:19). This view ties in with audience reception theory and the Uses and Gratifications model to be exact. Throughout this study fans’ behavior will be looked at in relation to the Uses and Gratifications (UG) which is a body of approaches underpinned by the basic idea that people use texts and the media to gain specific gratifications out of them or as Blumler and Katz state It presents the use of media in terms of the gratification of social or psychological needs of the individual (Blumler Katz 1974). In their work on UG Jay G Blumler and Elihu Katz put forward four sub-sections when considering in what areas the audience were gaining gratification from media texts; these include surveillance, personal relationships, personal identity and diversion. The element that relates closest to the work on cult film and in particular Grant’s work is the Diversion section, which is described as a media text which allows the user an escape from reality. Also the section on personal identity is relevant to this study as it is described as a person creating their own identity from things they find attractive in the media. These two sub-sections will be considered when studying fans that use Donnie Darko as it demonstrates the cult fan’s relationship to the text as being active and is the closest media theory to the work already studied on cult film. Finally, in considering the phenomenon of online fandom, it is worth noting Matt Hills work on newsgroups which describes online fandom as something separate and new from offline fandom, or as Matt Hills states â€Å"The mediation of ‘new media’ must be addressed rather than treated as an invisible term within the romanticised ‘new’. (Hills 2002:172). This particular study was useful to me in that it was the first to open my eyes into the usefulness of the data online when studying fans. Here Henry Jenkins explains the wealth of data that can be accessed â€Å"the computer net groups allow us to observe self-defined and ongoing interpretive community.. {Whose} discussions occur without direct control or intervention by the researcher, yet in a form that is legitimately open to public scrutiny and analysis† (Jenkins 1995 cited in Hills 2002: 174). I found this quote particularly useful when deciding on methodology and despite having already decided on focus group research to research fans face–to-face it became apparent that the internet also would have a wealth of data to be analysed without any interference from academics, making the data more valid.Overall what I can take from the literature review is the following definition of cult that will be used as a template for the study of Donnie Darko. Having studied many different theories, it is the following template that will be used when considering fans in relation to the film â€Å"A cult film is characterised by its active and lively communal following. Highly committed and rebellious in their appreciation, cult audiences are frequently at odds with cultural conventions.Cult films transgress common notions of good and bad taste, and they challenge genre conventions and coherent storytelling. Among the techniques cult films us are intertextual references, gore, loose ends in storylines, or the creation of a sense of nostalgia† (Cultographies: Cult Definition: Web: Accessed 10/03/08) As it is this definition, combined with the Jancovich’s theory that cult films can be deliberately made in a marketing attempt to gain a cult following, that will be used in relation to fans using Donnie Darko as a supertext to see how film makers can now manipulate a fan base, using new media technology as a base. Project Aims The aim of this study will be to follow the case study of Donnie Darko, it being a contemporary example of a cult film, and map out its reception as a cult film from its early cinema release to the reception of both fans and critics alike of subsequent releases of further editions of the film. By mapping out the film in this way it will become clearer not only how it adheres to the cult formula but also how cult is established or even in some cases manipulated. By studying fans of the film in relation to Grant’s work on the supertext it becomes clear how the film makers have influenced the level of fandom involved and also perhaps most importantly the fans’ contribution. Methodology To maximise the potential for results that hold quality and validity throughout my case study of Donnie Darko a number of different methods are used to gain the evidence I need to conclude this study. The purpose of focus groups in this study is to question fans of Donnie Darko on their level of fanaticism and also to find out how they were influenced by the film to become such a fan. The constitution of the focus groups is derived from personal networks, family and other university goers. My target population has no class, race or gender requirements, targeting the fanatical fans of Donnie Darko and as the film itself when it was released was targeted at teens and tweens the source group is taken from university students and their peer group. Focus groups were determined to be the optimum methodology, representing a practical and relatively inexpensive way to do research due to lack of a budget; the participants can be sought out and assembled quickly. The insights that are needed to make are immediately available, the insights in this case is what makes the film so important to their lives and the reasons behind them buying into the Donnie Darko cult.The benefits of using a focus group rather than just a survey revolve around the degree of interviewing flexibility as; during the focus groups it is possible to play clips from different films and to be able to study body language and interactions between the fans in relation to the enjoyment of different elements of cult films. Arthur Asa Berger describes the usefulness of this particular technique â€Å"The aim of the discussion is not to build a consensus, but just the opposite- to find out what each member of the focus group thinks about the topic under discussion, to elicit from each person in the group his or her descriptions of behavior of interest.†(Berger 1991:91)The contents of the transcripts obtained from these focus groups are then read through and analysed using content analysis trying to draw distinction between a cult films being deliberately manufactured The attendees of the focus groups included five fans of the film that I had considered to be deeply involved with their fandom in regards to Donnie Darko. They were obtained by the sending of emails, Attached at Appendix B, to all students of Bath Spa University, asking them if they consider themselves fans of Donnie Darko and if they did if they would like to take part in a research project that would not take up much of their time. Their anonymity was also assured, as their gender was neither at issue nor who they were. Many replies were received,32 in all, and a response was sent back outlining the intentions of the study, how the findings would be used and what would be required of those willing to participate Potential participants were also sent a set of questions designed to test their level of fandom. These questions were derived from the largest Donnie Darko fan list (website) on the internet and required the respondent to possess a degree of knowledge necessary to being considered a â€Å"true† fan of Donnie Darko. The replies that were considered to most correspond with a high degree of fandom were subsequently selected to take part in the study. During the focus group session a number of set questions, Attached at Appendix A, were asked that were considered essential to my study. These questions were used as they facilitate an analysis of how the film makers attracted this cult market and what elements inspired the fans. The reasoning behind using the interview technique mixed with the focus group rather than questionnaire is that the interviews enabled participants to answer in their own words and language structure in favour of a mark out of 10 on a questionnaire sheet. This affords the findings a richer meaning as well as allowing for the clarification of certain meanings or, as Berger puts it, â€Å"The depth interview, on the other hand, is highly focused. It is conducted to get at matters such as hidden feelings or attitudes and beliefs that respondents may not be aware of or that are only dimly in their consciousness† (Berger 1991:57) The responses that are sought in order to prove the hypothesis that cult films are manufactured to directly gain a cult fan base are ones that relate to the film in terms of the definition of cult previously stated for example enjoyment of the loose plot or the sense of nostalgia that film brings to the viewer. Critical Reception Donnie Darko is firm cult fan favorite and has been named in numerous cult film list including coming 9th in Film Four’s 50 films to see before you die (channel 4: web). The film, set in 1988, takes place in a small town in the USA which is about to witness the end of the world. Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a troubled youth who is plagued by visions of a giant rabbit named Frank who warns him of the worlds impending doom. Along with his girlfriend Gretchen (Jena Malone), and other people that help him along the way, he must try to understand the strange happenings at home, at school and his life. It is a struggle against time and life as he gets led closer to the end of the world. Donnie Darko was the debut film of director and writer Richard Kelly. It premiered at 2001 film festivals, generating a high level of â€Å"buzz† and picking up a number of awards; most notably the grand jury prize at the renowned Sundance Film Festival. The film generated a lot of hype arising from this festival buzz, and this hype in turn damaged the commercial success of the film. Film distributors were put off by the film’s multi-genre format and, arriving around the time of the terrorist acts of 9/11, the scenes of plane crashes at the start and end of the film, as one commentator states â€Å"Donnie Darko, a story of death and crashing jets, flopped in the US, not least because it came out just after 9/11† (Danny Leigh: 2004: Web). Because of this the film was considered a box office flop, only being able to amass $110,494(source IMDB) in its first weekend as it was only shown on 58 screens in the whole of the United States and, subsequently, only given a f ew weeks run, it was in danger of slipping off the radar. Under these situations, the press and critics may not have given Donnie Darko the attention and acclaim that is arguably deserved. At the time of release Richard Kelly had not explained that the film was open to interpretation and reviewers seemed at odds with the film, especially with what the film was trying to say or if indeed that the audience was required to create their own meaning. Searching for reviews of Donnie Darko it becomes apparent that few critics were agreed on the films agenda. The British Film Institute’s magazine Sight and Sound wrote that â€Å"(Donnie Darko is) about seemingly inconsequential but secretly connected details, and divine forces that compel characters to actions they dont understand† (Felperin 2002 web) Others do not share this view, with one reviewer deciding that Donnie Darko is merely a general teen movie and that â€Å"Donnie Darko may be the Everest of adolescent angst movies. A smart, emotionally troubled suburban teen wrestles with the usual stuff identity issues, bullies, well-meaning but clueless parents and various school absurdities† (W. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle 2001) and some clearly articulating their confusion, asking â€Å"Is it a horror film? A black comic parable of Generation X angst? A teen drama with a psycho edge? If not, what the hell is it? Looking in my notebook, I see I have scribbled: David Lynch, The X Files, Prozac Nation, My So-Called Life, Ghost World†¦.none of these quite nails the genre, and perhaps more importantly the tone of this very strange movie.† (Bradshaw: 2002 Guardian: Web) The confusion that was exhibited by the film critics can be attributed to the multifaceted and multi genre format that can be seen in most cult films. Donnie Darko’s mix of sci-fi, horror and comedy is reminiscent of other recent cult films such as Starship Troopers and Critters and apparent in reviews of an older cult favourite The Evil Dead which state that â€Å"The influence of The Three Stooges on its comical creative trio of director Raimi, producer Robert Tapert, and lead actor Bruce Campbell gives the film a playful but unsettling feeling† (Glanville 2001: BBC: Web). It is this unusual mix that gives cult films an ingredient that mainstream Hollywood lacks, cult films can be seen to go against these ideologies and critics did not miss this within Donnie Darko from the outset, claiming that â€Å"The product of first-time writer-director Richard Kellys fertile imagination, Donnie Darko is one part 1980s Hollywood teen movie, one part sci-fi flick, with a dollop of David Lynch and a twist of Catcher in the Rye. If you were cynical you might call that cocktail the instant cult classic† (Slater 2002: BBC Web). With reviews such as this the Donnie Darko cult begins to take shape in the public consciousness whilst the fact that the film seems to have been designed as a cult is also recognised by the reviewers. After the critics have their say it is down to the fans to make what they want of the film and whether or not the reviewers have a direct influence on the fans when calling films cult is another issue, but they can be seen reacting to Donnie Darko as they had with numerous cult films to go before it. By looking at Donnie Darko, we are looking at the most contemporary film to become such a cult success and much of the onus has been pointed towards the increase in new media technology and in particular the internet. The internet has enabled large groups of fans in fan communities that can easily support, critique and help each other to come to understand films, especially Donnie Darko. Not only can fans talk to each other about the film, the interest in film can be seen world wide and the buzz created helps spread the word and in turn influencing many sales on DVD â€Å"Following the success at the Pioneer, midnight screenings popped up across the country, fueling domestic DVD sales to more than $10 million† (Burnett: 2004 indiewire Web) these sales have since gradually increased in America and gaining a huge following in the U.K. In much the same way as the critics were split and at odds with each other, the audience also lacked consensus, with some arguing that the plot holes and the general mystery around the film should be celebrated for making the film special and those who did not subscribe to this concept and expected the film to be resolved for them. Such oppositions in taste between fans and critics alike creates the perfect grounds for a cult to form and to be celebrated, this becomes clearer when studying the fan communities themselves. Study Phase 2 Returning to the internet, as represent the primary vehicle and forum for fans to communicate with each other, often in the form of dedicated fan sites. Such sites are created by individual wishing to share their fandom of the film with others and seeking to explain Donnie Darko in their own way. Perhaps the main source of discourse between fans takes place on interactive message boards, an online version of the ‘book club’ model for example. By analysing and describing the audience reception to Donnie Darko, it gives us additional insight into the level and type of fandom that is associated with cult films. More now than ever before, due to technological advances, fans are able to discuss and interpret their views on the film, and even doubters of the film can read the views of fans and be drawn into the mystery of the film. Such debates not only invoke discussion but allow the fans to obtain pleasure from the text and becoming more literate in it. The internet discussion rooms help breed the cult in more ways than the discussion itself. The debates between fans lead on to other events such as the viewing of the film again, evaluating and developing new ideas obtained from reading other fan theories. Subsequent development of their own new ideas to share with other fans is encouraged, not only adding value to their own reading of the text but also boosting the pleasure of the community as a whole. It can be argued that such close inspection and dismantling of the text, leads to the film being used in a way that was not the intention of its author, Richard Kelly, but it is this hardcore following of fans online that have created the success for Donnie Darko and without their keen following and debates the film would not be ascribed cult status. Here it may be pertinent to refer back to the idea of the supertext as we can identify the fans’ reception as showing the commitment and passion required to form the cult of Donnie Darko using the internet as the foundation for the fans personal but maybe imagined affiliation with the film. When searching the internet, on a search engine, typing in â€Å"Donnie Darko Fansite† brings up thousands and thousands of pages and, after reading through many of them, it seeme