The Genesis Fitness Club

Table of Contents Introduction SWOT Analysis Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats Reference List Introduction The Genesis Fitness Club was started back some years ago in Melbourne with a vision of providing honest and professional services which are superior to other fitness clubs around the country. Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Genesis Fitness Club specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Their mission is to offer fitness solutions that are fun, easy, and rewarding in order to achieve the desired results. In its existence, the club has always worked at maintaining a community based culture by supporting the local schools and kindergartens as well as businesses and this has been a pivot towards its growth (Genesis Fitness Club 2011). A knowledge management system is defined as the way in which a company collects its data, organizes it before distributing it to the reliable parties. The idea behind a successful knowledge management system is the assumption that each employee, member or a customer from a company should have easy and ready access to the operation details as well as the possible solutions to the problems that may arise (Newman Conrad 1999). For example a customer should know who to contact when a certain problem arises or when he or she is in need of certain services. There exists four types of knowledge management systems which are classified according to their characteristics and they are: fragmented, content based, process based and finally the capability based system. Nowadays, companies prefer an integrated knowledge management system due to the advantage that it provides timely solutions for all sorts of problem either emergency or day to day problems (Uriarte 2008). The Genesis Fitness Club uses the content based knowledge management system whereby, any relevant information that a customer, employee or member may require is easily accessed through the int ernet in their websites. With the General Fitness Club having many subsidiaries across every state in Australia, they have developed a website whereby one can easily access the information of any of the General Fitness Clubs around or near him or her. These websites are equipped with any information the customer may require from the attendance charges, membership fees to the different packages offered by the clubs. Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This system serves as an advantage to the club since with all information being easily accessible; it is easier for the clients to contact the General Fitness clubs headquarters armed with information about the enquiry as well as detailed information of what was not covered in their websites. The use of the website for information management also serve as an advantage since the company expenses due to the reduced number of p ersonnel required as well as expenses required for stationeries and this in return gives the company a chance to provide the services at more friendly rates compared to other competitors in the industry (Donnellan Bruss 2004). SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis usually provides us with an opportunity in understanding the strongholds of a company, the promising opportunities where the company might increase their investments to gain more revenue. It also show how the company needs to mitigate the effects of the threat from competitors as well work on the weaknesses and change them to strongholds for the club to prosper. Strengths The company works through a results orientated approach by attracting and maintaining customers, this has been done by sometimes offering a 10 day free membership offers: this ensures that the clubs remain operating since revenues are guaranteed from the members who have shown continued loyalty to the club (General Fitness Club Prahran 2011). Genesis Fitness C lub are also armed with a detailed nutrition program where they provide the best eating guidelines for their members to ensure that with a correct meal and the exercises, clients achieve their objectives within the shortest time possible. They have well trained staffs: The General fitness Stores have staffs that are professionally trained and have a true passion of training the kids, business as well as kids’ needs for their members. By providing all the trained professionals, Green Fitness Centres have proved that they can go way well above in order to ensure their clients are well satisfied (Australian Sports Club 2008). With the company offering its services through the internet, the company’s online presence gives its members and new customers access to the services they are offering, how much they are charging, the schedules and also the fitness progress. Thus, one does not have to walk to the club centres or make calls since information is easily accessible thro ugh the internet (General Fitness Club 2011).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Genesis Fitness Club specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The atmosphere in the General fitness Centres provides fun for all family members since our facilities are best suited for any age bracket irrespective of how fit or how old they are. And finally, the Companies clear vision of providing an honest and professional services superior to other fitness clubs is a clear indication that the company main goal is satisfying the customers to the fullest (McMahon 2011). Weakness There are usually high costs which are associated with customized and personalized services as well as the capital required to purchase the modern equipments and thus the high fees may be a hindrance towards providing our services to those who cannot afford. There is also the inability by Group Fitness Centres to work on high volume businesses since personal a ttention is required and investing time on a particular client reduces the time that could be available to serve more people. There are also costs involved in attracting large corporate clients such as employees of a certain company. Such venture would require investing heavily in promotion services. Opportunities Benefits Issues Continued participation with the increasing market growth In the last few years, there has been increased interest by people in joining fitness clubs. The increased appreciation is an opportunity since it will lead to an increased market share resulting in increased revenues. Internet possibilities With the club websites remaining updated, the club can expand its online stores by offering more services through the internet. Bonds created by group workouts The clubs offer programs where customers are trained together. In normal circumstances, there will be likelihood for the members of that group to be close and work towards helping each other gaini ng full fitness thus helping in creating of stronger social bonds (Genesis Fitness Centre 2011). Threats Increased living standards: With the costs of living rising, there is a likelihood of people being conservative with how they spend their money and this will reduce the revenues the company is gaining from its members. There is also the threat from other upcoming fitness centres as well as copycat training services centre which might decide to copy the services being offered by General Fitness Centres. This is a major threat to the company but with the national reputation the centres have amassed through out Australia, this effect will not be felt. Societal transformation where people are likely to be more health sensitive leading to fewer visits to the gym facilities is another major factor that will lead to a decline in revenues gained. Reference List Australian Sports Club. 2008. Genesis Fitness Cairns. [Online] Available at: http://www.sportsclubsdownunder.net/index.php?op tion=com_contenttask=vie wid=111Itemid=92 .Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Donnellan, B., Bruss, K. 2004. Gaining Competitive Advantage through the Management of Process Knowledge. [Online] Available at: http://hdaconsulting.com/images/Visions_July04.pdf. Genesis Fitness Centres. 2011. Genesis Fitness Group Workout Schedule. [Online] Available at: http://www.genesisfitnesscentre.com/group-fitness-schedule . General Fitness Club Prahran. 2011. Why Genesis Fitness Clubs Prahran? [Online] Available at: http://www.localfitness.com.au/genesis-fitness-clubs-prahran . Genesis Fitness Club, 2011. The Fitness Club for Everybody. [Online] Available at: http://www.genesisfitness.com.au/ . McMahon, M. 2011. News from the Club Manager. [Online] Available at: http://www.genesisfitness.com.au/uploads/Genesis_Maitland_News_January_2011.pdf . Newman, B., Conrad, W.K. 1999. A Framework for Characterizing Knowledge Management Methods, Practices, and Technologies. [Online] Available at: http://www.km-forum.org/KM-Characterization-Framework.pdf . Singh, M. 2010. Home Gym Des ign: How Do I Design A Perfect Home Gym? [Online] Available at: http://ezinemark.com/a/home-gym-design/ . Uriarte, F.A. 2008. Introduction to Knowledge Management. [Online] Available at: http://www.aseanfoundation.org/documents/knowledge_management_book.pdf . This assessment on The Genesis Fitness Club was written and submitted by user SerDuncan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Roy

Roy Patrick Roy Catches: Left Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 lbs Born: Oct. 5, 1965 Quebec City, Quebec Roy was Montreal's fourth choice (51st Overall) in the 1984 entry draft. He was traded by Montreal with Mike Keane to Colorado for Joycelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky and Andrei Kovalenko on Dec. 6th, 1995.First NHL Game: Feb. 23, 1985 vs. WPG First NHL Win: Feb. 23, 1985 vs. WPG First NHL Shutout: Jan. 15th, 1986 vs. WPG First Game with Colorado: Dec. 7th, 1995 vs. EDM First Victory with Colorado: Dec. 11, 1995 at TOR First Shutout with Colorado: Oct. 28, 1996 vs. WSH Career Milestones: Longest Win Streak: 11 (1/12-2/7/99) Longest Unbeaten Streak: 17 (2x) 14-0-3 1/28-4/1/99 13-0-4 1/30-3/24/94 Longest Shutout Streak (Min.): 168:47 2/1-2/7/90 Career Highlights: 1986 NHL All-Rookie Team"‚Â ¦1986 Stanley Cup Champion"‚Â ¦1986 Conn Smythe Trophy Winner (Youngest player to ever win the award - 20 years old)"‚Â ¦1987 William M. Jenning Award Winner"‚Â ¦1988 William M.Goalie Tim Thomas, NHL Hockey player for the Bosto...

Adverse effects of flood in Pakistan

Adverse effects of flood in Pakistan Executive Summary: The Flood of 2010 which affected around 20 million people in Pakistan directly and left them homeless have been the worst flood that Pakistan and the world has ever seen. The research was conducted on the subject of â€Å"adverse effects of flood in Pakistan† and how it has affected our agriculture, banks, economy, imports and exports. The research was basically exploratory in nature in which we gathered articles from various institutions, organizations and newspapers. There is so much material available on the topic that it became a challenge for us to remain specific and to the point. One more problem was that due to many sources there were a clash in the facts & figures so we have taken out the reliable resources in order to make it less confusing. The research concluded that the flood has caused unprecedented devastation to Pakistan’s economy, agriculture, infrastructure, imports/exports and above all, to human lives and dignity. Not only 20 mill ion have to be given food and shelter but for the long term the government and the people have to create jobs so that they can stand on their own feet again. Introduction Natural Disaster is the effect of natural hazards which includes flood, tornado, volcano eruption, earthquake or landslide that affects the environment, leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses. It is terrible event that is not caused by human activity and results in deaths, injuries or damage to property. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster, and their resilience. This perceptive is concentrated in the formulation: disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability .A natural hazard will hence never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability, e.g. strong earthquakes in uninhabited areas. The term natural has therefore been disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement. Natural disasters which occur due to the change of plate tectonics are earthquakes, volcanoes, geyser eruptions and tsunami. These different types of natural disasters have taken away millions of lives and have caused trillions of dollars in terms of financial losses. The recent flood in Pakistan was one of the worst natural disasters in Pakistan’s history and in world’s history. It was one of the biggest disasters that the world have ever experienced not in terms of death but in terms of people affected, area affected and in terms of financial losses that occurred. Almost one- eighth of the population was directly affected by flood. The floods that recently caused great damage to Pakistan had more impact than the combine impact of tsunami in 2004, Haiti earthquake in 2010 and Earthquake of 2005 that affected northern areas of Pakistan. The affected people in these combine three disasters were around 11 million people but in the recent flood affected around 20 million people across Paki stan. Pakistan has experienced floods and the details of those floods are provided below: Flood in September 1992 affected 12 million people Flood in August 1992 affected 6 million people Flood in August 1976 affected 5 million people

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 160

Summary - Essay Example Looking in her eyes you couldn’t actually tell that she was a criminal as she wore an innocent, attentive face with soft eye and an intelligent mouth. When she is arraigned in court for stealing a car, she looks at the camera with curious laughter and no remorse or guilt (Zhang, 206). They were brought up in time of war and lost their fathers, husbands and boyfriends in cold blood. They then experience cold peace at the end of it all where they are involved in criminal and immoral acts such as black markets, narcotics, sexual promiscuity and hucksterism. The beat generation is compared to the other post war generation which dubbed itself the ‘lost’ generation. They laugh hysterically because nothing else meant anything to them, they seem to be lost in their own world. They migrated to Europe in the face of war, unsure of whether they were looking for the ‘orgiastic future’ or escaping from the ‘puritanical’ past. They were eventually caught in the face of romance and disillusionment until they became an illusion. This generation lacks the eloquent air of bereavement which was a characteristic of the lost generation’s symbolic actions. The repeated inventory of of shattered ideals and the continued laments about the moral currents which obsessed people of the lost generation do not concern young people today. They were brought up In the ruins and no longer notice them and they drink to come down or to get high. Only the most bitter among them would call their reality a night mare and prot est that they have indeed lost the future. The absence of personal and social values to them is not a revelation of shaking the ground beneath them but a problem demanding day to day solutions. The aspect of how to live seems to them more crucial than why they live. The eager faced girl picked up in the face of doping describes the sense of community she has found in marijuana which she does not get in the society. The

Growing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Growing - Assignment Example Balancing classroom activities and creating time for co-curricular is essential in reaffirming student’s academic performance. Social media interaction through Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn, are critical to keeping learners updated on vital issues and trends in their fields of study. Digital technology plays an integral role in shaping today’s life. Technology has a great influence in nearly all the fields of life ranging including education. Introduction of distance learning allows people from all walks of live to access quality education regardless of their location. Digital technologies improve access to information, storage, and retrieval of documents through development of school websites and cloud computing. According to Higgins, Xiao & Katsipataki (2012), studies linking provision and use of technology to attainment indicate consistent positive association with education outcomes. Computers are essential in carrying out research, doing assignments and presentation as they provide the based updated information. Technology acts as a supplement to regular teaching hence should not be applicable as a replacement. In addition, tested attainment gains are evident in mathematics, science and in improving the learners writing intervention in literacy. In conclusion, being a user of the digital devices such as laptops and tablets, I regularly visit social media as a source of vital information and interaction with friends’ schedule in their daily program. Balancing of academic and other activities is my crucial tool in monitoring and limiting unproductive use of technologies. Higgins, S., Xiao, Z. & Katsipataki, M. (2012, November 26). The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning: A summary for the Education Endowment Foundation. Full Report. London: Durham University Education Endowment Foundation. Richtel, M. (2010, November 21). â€Å"Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction.† The New York Times.

People Abused Free

People Abused Freedom of Expression in Using Internet Essay The internet allows people to express and communicate with people around the world. It is not only a way to communicate, to share opinions and perspectives but also a source of information which every person could have an easy access. This information may or may not provide genuine idea for the reason of opinionated ways of expressing thoughts. This actually offers extraordinary opportunities for people who want to articulate an opinion about anything. According to Fisher, they can make their thoughts available world-wide more easily than ever been possible before. And today, the internet is becoming not only a site for people in sharing their thoughts, but also a location to disdain others, and to communicate dreadful messages. The internet also offers greater freedom that it has no exact rules in expressing personal thoughts. This freedom, allow people to be free to say whatever they want, placing an extraordinary priority on their own individual rights, frequently to the disadvantage of the right of other people. As said by Willard (1997), the net is a new frontier that offers a kind of freedom not generally formed in the real world. It is an environment where there is not only greater freedom, but where the laws rules, and social standards are not quite as clear or perhaps not quite as enforceable, as we have come to expect in other areas of our lives. She explains that there are people who maintain that they should have the freedom and right to use the internet in whatever way they choose, without regard for the maltreatment they may impose upon others. The power of the internet has broadened over the years since it has distended to include the internet connected devices. Most of homes, schools and even mobile phones today have already internet connectivity. The penetration of these technologies has become very easy for people to spread information for a short time. However, anyone with an internet connection can harass, embarrass, threat, and humiliate almost anyone else. As described by StopCyberBullying. rg, the act such as the threats of violence, hate speech, harassment, peer pressure, bribery, psychological abuse, and extortion are simple refers to cyber bullying. Furthermore, again pointed out by StopCyberBullying. org, that these offenses are occasionally committed by people impersonating someone else, anonymously, or under the deceptive outward appearance of a group, making accountability and preventability difficult. Since, these people feel they are invisible, because the hostility is not face-to-face. This leads them to say what they want online, that they would not usually say in a person and persecute an individual without a fear of having any outcome or consequences, particularly, when they do it using a secret name. Thus, from time to time, inflicting pain on somebody, gives them a boost in their ego. Another reason as stated by StopCyberBullying. org is revenge. People that are victimized may put into practice cyber bullying out of vengeance to get back others for making them unhappy. They may commence protecting themselves, only to find out that they enjoy being a cyber-bully. Also as indicated, periodically people do it for fun because they are tired and impatient and have too much time on their hands. Several also do it only for laughs to get attention and reaction to other people. These reasons proved that people abused freedom of expression while using internet. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Myspace were becoming weapons. They are being misused by the people to harm anyone.

The Characters Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh :: Epic Gilgamesh essays

The Characters Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh "Aruru molded out of clay in the image and 'of the essence of Anu', the sky god, and of Ninurta the war god named Enkidu" (pantheon.org/articles/e/enkidu.html). "His whole body was shaggy with hair, he was furnished with tresses like a woman, his locks of hair grew like grain. Enkidu was the bull-man (a human with horns, tail, and rear hooves of a bull). In the Akkadian Gilgamesh Epic, Enkidu is said to have lived with gazelles and jostled other wild beasts at the watering place, until civilized by Aruru's harlot. After being with the harlot for six days and seven nights Enkidu wanted to return to the wild beast, but they fled from him. "You have become wise Enkidu, you have become like a god" (piney.com/Enki.html). "Enkidu is gradually introduced to civilization by living for a time with a group of shepherds, who teach him how to tend flocks, how to eat, how to speak properly, and how to wear clothes. Enkidu then enters the city of Uruk during a great celebration. Gilgamesh, as the king, claims the right to be the first with every new bride on the day of her wedding; as Enkidu enters the city, Gilgamesh is about to claim that right. Infuriated at this abuse, Enkidu stands in front of the door of the marital chamber and blocks Gilgamesh's way. They fight furiously until Gilgamesh wins the upper hand; Enkidu concedes Gilgamesh's superiority and the two embrace and become devoted friends" (myfortress.org/EpicofGilgamesh.html). "Enkidu was the companion of Gilgamesh, and a wild or natural man" (pantheon.org/articles/e/enkidu.html). "Because Gilgamesh was too energetic for the people of Uruk, the gods decide to create a partner for him. Later he was considered a patron or god of animals" (piney.com/Enki.html). "Gilgamesh proposes a great adventure: they are to journey to the great Cedar Forest in southern Iran and cut down all the cedar trees" (wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM). "To do this, they will need to kill the Guardian of the Cedar Forest, the great demon, Humbaba the Terrible. Enkidu was extremely terrified they were headed to the dark forest to hunt Humbaba" (gilgamesh-solutions.com/epic.cfm). "Unlike Gilgamesh, Enkidu had seen this brutal monster before, he warned Gilgamesh, "Oh my lord you do not know this monster and that is the reason you are not afraid. His teeth are dragon fangs, his countence is like a lion, his charge is like a flood, and with a look he crushes alike the trees of the forest and the reeds of the swamp.

Psychology Exercise Essay

A research question was proposed to a student asking why teenagers have more difficulty focusing their attention early in the morning when compared to that of younger children. After carefully considering the evidence in each choice option, the following were ranked in order the most convincing to the least convincing: 1. Thirty well-designed studies published in prestigious journals have discovered that melatonin; a hormone involved in sleep is secreted by the body of teenagers at a different point in the sleep-wake cycle than it is for young children and adults. 2. A nutrition expert, appearing on Good Morning America, stated that she believes teenagers have more difficulty focusing their attention than younger children because, as she learned in her interviews with students of all ages, the teenagers were more likely to skip breakfast. 3. After overhearing many teenagers talking about why they struggle with paying attention early in the morning, it provided a good understanding for the problem. 4. Twenty well-controlled experiments published in prestigious journals strongly suggest a cause for why teenagers have more difficulty focusing their attention early in the morning than do younger children. 5. Two well-controlled experiments published in a prestigious journal suggest a cause for why teenagers have more difficulty focusing their attention early in the morning than do younger children. 6. After a recent airing of a story on the news show Dateline on NBC about some people being morning people and others being night people, Channel 5 asked viewers to call in the reasons they have difficulty focusing attention in the morning. Two reasons were given most frequently, and those reasons were presented on that night’s local news. 7. A relative has a hunch. The decision to give the aforementioned reasons the rank in which they received was based fully on the evidence presented in each statement. Items 1-3 indicated a true correlation between the proposed question and the stated reason and personal understanding. Items 4 and 5 could have been credible sources, but they were absent the findings in the statement offered. Item 6 was not a source focused on the study of teenagers, but rather its research was done on a PSYCHOLOGY 3 broad level. Finally, item 7 did not come from someone with credibility nor did it possess any scientific verification to back up any reasoning. Also, it did not contain a valid reason pertaining to the question at hand. There were only two reasons suggested that contained factual evidence that were believable and credible (Shohov, 2004). Items 1 and 2 proposed that research in relation to the proposed question had been carefully and scientifically performed. Item 1 declared that thirty well-designed studies had been performed concluding that a specific hormone was believed to be the cause for a teenager’s inability to focus early in the morning. These studies had also been published in prestigious journals. Item 2 aired on a publically respected early morning news broadcast. The finder-of-fact was an expert nutritionist who had conducted many interviews on children of all ages. Her conclusions were drawn based on answers voluntarily given by the interviewed teenagers. Her findings concluded that teenagers skipping breakfast had more difficulty focusing early in the morning. Both of these suggested reasons offered a definitive answer to the proposed question, and they bore evidence to support their findings (Shohov, 2004). References Shohov, S. (2004). Advances in psychology research, volume 17. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

How I Spent My Holiday

How you spent your last holiday During my last school holidays, I spent a few days at my cousin’s house at Morib, a well-known sea resort. I shall never forget that visit. On the day I arrived at Morib, my cousin told me that he would do to make my stay there a very interesting one. He said that he would make a raft to use it in the sea. Then he would buy fishing net to catch some fish in the shallow water near the coast. When I heard all this, I was very delighted because it was one of the reasons that I had decided to visit my cousin.We then walked up to the beach which is near his house. While we were there, sometime in the evening, the sea looked extremely beautiful. I saw the islands and hills in the distance, the birds in the air, and a few boys and girls playing on the beach. I also saw some fishermen coming out of the water with their catch. All this was indeed very interesting to look at. On the next day, my cousin and I collected some tree trunks from the forest near by. As my cousin’s house is close to the sea, we decided to make the raft on the beach itself.It took us almost the whole morning to make the raft. We then had our lunch and went to Banting, the nearest town, to buy fishing net. After that we returned to my cousin’s house. In the evening we put the raft on the sea. The water was still high, but the raft floated quite well. My cousin and I sat on it and began to row it by using the oars that we had made ourselves. We felt very happy indeed and continued to row it. We remained on it for a long time, but as it was already getting dark we did not go far.We returned to the shore and tied the raft to a tree. On the next day, we went out to catch some crabs and fish. We used the net that we had bought and caught a lot of fish. Then, we had our lunch and went out again on the raft. We continued to row it as far as we could. It was really a pleasure to be away from the shore. The sea was calm and we could row with ease. My cous in told me many interesting things about Morib. We then returned to the shore. In this way, I spent my holidays happily at Morib, a place I shall never forget.

What You Ought to Know About Crafting Great Scenes - Freewrite Store

What You Ought to Know About Crafting Great Scenes - Freewrite Store Today’s guest post is by Marsh Cassady. Marsh has Ph.D in theatre and is a former actor, director, and university professor. He is the author of fifty-seven published books and hundreds of shorter pieces. His plays have been performed in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., including Off-Broadway. Two men are collecting their papers and preparing to go home after a writing workshop. One approaches the other, obviously wanting to say something.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Get the hell away from me.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I just want to help, damn it.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Help? How can you possibly help me? For God’s sake, man, you know even less about constructing a good scene than I do.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Oh, yeah? If that’s what you think, why don’t you let me prove you wrong?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Yeah, sure, you’re going to prove me wrong. I can’t believe this.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Just listen, for heaven’s sake.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I guess that’s the only way to end this stupid argument.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"So it’s agreed?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"You wear me down, man. So just go ahead and say what you want.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"All right then.† He begins to explain†¦ We often think of scenes as plot segments, or to use a theatrical term, motivational units. Yet consider two things. First, a scene can rarely stand alone and make sense by itself. But some jokes and some short stories, particularly flash fiction, are exceptions. For instance:    The Forecast Is Rain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"For crying out loud! We gotta run...or are you gonna lie in bed all day? I’ll get the car, while you phone and tell them we may be a little late.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sally knew how important it was to get the new apartment. The rent was cheap, but all we could afford.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"When you're ready- and it better be quick- come out to the car.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was a sad situation. I’d lost my job. No prospects. Sally never would work; too lazy, I suppose. Can’t see any other reason. And if we didn’t get the new apartment, the manager here would kick us out on the street.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dammit, where was she? The forecast was for rain, and the old car leaked around both doors and the windshield. I wanted to get to the new place before we got soaked. Make a good impression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Sally, where the hell are you?† I screamed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The front door opened; Sally stood there in pajamas and a robe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"What’s wrong with you?† I asked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Mom sent me money,† she said. â€Å"You can go; I’m staying here.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What! After all this time, nearly four years, together. And to think I’d always treated her so well. Second, not all scenes directly contribute to the plot. What was that? Okay, I said â€Å"directly contribute.† Yet each scene has to contribute in some way to the overall story. Sometimes scenes are largely narrative or descriptive and involve little conflict. At the same time, they have to be interesting; they have to, in some way, contribute to the advancement of the plot- even though indirectly- and they have to hold a reader’s attention. This all means that a scene needs to have a purpose, and everything within it has to relate that purpose. It’s up to you to figure out the purpose of each of your scenes and not deviate from it. There can be many reasons for including a scene. Maybe it’s to establish the world or universe in which the action exists. Maybe it’s to reveal character. There are many types of scenes, a few of which we’ll get to later. But let’s take the type that directly advances the plot. Plot and The Scene First, maybe we need to define plot? What exactly is it? The answer is that it’s the portrayal of conflict between a protagonist- the guy with the white hat- and the antagonist- the guy with the black hat.   Both have a particular goal they want to reach within the context of the story. When plotted fiction is at its highest point, one of the two beings or forces is victorious in defeating the other, thus reaching its goal. â€Å"Beings or forces† instead of men or women? Yes, since first of all there are different sorts antagonists. In other words, the protagonist may struggle against: 1) another person; 2) against self; 3) against society; 4) against nature. To further confuse things, a protagonist or antagonist may be a group of people, rather than an individual. The second sort of conflict may be as simple as a person fighting against an addiction, the third fighting against corruption, the fourth against a severe storm. An example of a group antagonist would be a n evil government. And characters in fiction certainly don’t have to be human beings; they can be animals, extraterrestrials, or even imaginary creatures like Hobbits. A plot generally has four (or sometimes five) parts. It begins when things are at an even keel and something destroys this balance. This may occur near the beginning of the novel but often occurs before the action begins. This â€Å"upset† is the inciting incident, which initiates the struggle between the protagonist and antagonist. The parts are the: 1. Inciting incident- Which leads to the conflict. 2. Rising action- Where the tension and conflict build. 3. Turning point- Where the end of the conflict is determined. 4. Climax- Where the protagonist or antagonist is defeated. 5. Falling action or denouement- Where everything is tied up. The following illustrates a very simple plot, and serves as a diagram for a scene, as well. But if it is one scene of many, of course, there is no turning point. Rather the action falls off a little before it continues to build. In other words, there are minor climaxes.       Look back at the opening of this post, which, in effect, has all the necessary ingredients of a scene- two people arguing over whether one of them actually knows how to construct a scene. The beginning of the argument is the inciting incident, the argument itself the rising action, the one person’s decision to give up is the climax, and the rest of the blog is the denouement- though most denouements are short. (An exception is some mystery novels in which a lot of loose ends need to be tied up.) Each scene in which there is conflict has to contain these elements. Most stories and certainly virtually all novels have more than one scene, each building to a climax and then falling off a little before the next scene begins, like this:       Sometimes, the turning point and the climax are the same, sometimes not. The turning point is where the action can go no further without something irrevocable happening. The climax is where the irrevocable actually occurs. Think of a close basketball game. The teams struggle to score baskets. One scores first and temporarily gains the upper hand. Then the other goes ahead. The struggle continues till the final seconds of the game. The score is tied. One team gets the ball and scores just as time runs out. This is both the turning point and the climax. But suppose two people are enemies, and each wants to defeat the other. They have a sword fight. One knocks the sword out of the opponent’s hand. This is the turning point. The climax comes a few seconds later when the one still holding the sword stabs the other†¦or decides to spare his life. The turning point is when the one with the sword in hand carries out the decision, which brings about the defeat of the other. Fiction often contains scenes in which there appears to be no direct conflict. Yet if the piece is well‑written, the conflict is inherent; it relates to what already has been shown. For example, one character may be describing what is bothering her, what has caused the central problem and conflict. In so doing, she may begin to glimpse a possible solution, foreshadowing more direct conflict while building tension and anticipation about whether she will succeed. But remember that everything that occurs in fiction with a plot has to be relevant to the advancement of the plot. Everything must be relevant to the protagonist’s attempt to reach his or her goal. Dialogue and The Scene Most scenes contain conversations. Writing dialogue involves many considerations. First, does it sound natural? I say â€Å"sound natural† because dialogue is rarely an exact replication of everyday speech. It’s more direct, more honed. It doesn’t change direction as often as regular conversation. Each line has to contribute in some way to the advancement of the scene. It cannot be extraneous, except if going off on tangents is an important part of the character’s personality. Other things to consider are if the dialogue fits the â€Å"universe† or the â€Å"given circumstances† of the story. Dialogue from Elizabethan times would be vastly different from that of today. And a Bostonian would speak much differently than a Canadian. You need to consider if the dialogue in any scene fits the characters. Are they highly educated or do they have little formal education? What are their economic backgrounds? You need to figure out any part of a character’s background, experience, and personality to have them speak â€Å"naturally.† What is natural for one character could be vastly different from what is natural for another. Further, the mood of the scene helps determine the type of dialogue. A scene in which a mother is trying to save a child from an attack by a rabid dog would certainly be different from that mother talking to her neighbor about an upcoming vacation. Character, Dialogue and The Scene More than all this, you need to keep in mind everything you already known about the   character and build on that. You also need to be sure that during any scene, particularly one of intense conflict, you need to reveal more and more about what the characters are like. This is true for the protagonist and the antagonist, but usually not so important for other characters, many of whom are there simply as â€Å"devices† to further the action. The less important the characters, the less the reader needs to know about them. If you spend too much time with these minor characters, you take away from the plot and lead the reader astray. The central characters have to be well-developed enough so that what they are willing to do to reach their goal is a logical outgrowth of the type of people they are. There also has to be a reason for other characters to be present in any scene. You need to ask yourself why they are necessary to the advancement of the plot. Each character in a plotted story, like the protagonist and the antagonist, has a goal. Maybe a husband’s goal is just to support to his wife in her struggles. Maybe it’s as simple as a mailman delivering a letter- his goal- that is important to the plot. Exposition, Dialogue and The Scene There’s also the matter of exposition. You need to determine everything the reader or audience member needs to know in order to understand the scene. Exposition establishes the time period, the location, the situation, and anything else the reader needs to know. At the same time it shouldn’t call undue attention to itself. The first of the two following examples is ludicrous; it’s intrusive and unnatural:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John: Well, here we are, the first day of our vacation in Paris, and we forgot to ask the Thompsons to water our plants while we're gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marsha: Yes, and, like we discussed, we should have canceled the newspaper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John: Oh, well, since this is the first vacation we've taken in the last eight years, we should just try to forget such things and enjoy our two weeks together.    Such a scene can come across as humorous or boring. Besides that, the characters are telling each other things they already know. Some of the information may be necessary for a reader to know, but presenting it this way doesn’t work. You could rewrite the same material to give it tension and conflict:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"For heaven’s sake, Marsha, how could you forget to ask the Thompson’s to water the plants?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I suppose, John, the same damn way you forgot to cancel the paper. I mean we did agree on who was responsible for what!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I take you to Paris- for a nice vacation, one I thought you’d appreciate- and you act like this.†    Or take the following scene from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. The scene is pure exposition, yet Wilde makes it humorous, reveals lot of information about the two characters, and sets up what is to follow:    ALGERNON: How are you, my dear Earnest? What brings you up to town? JACK: Oh, pleasure, pleasure! What else should bring one anywhere? Eating as usual, I see Algy. ALGERNON: (Stiffly) I believe it is customary in good society to take some slight refreshment at five o’clock. Where have you been since last Thursday? JACK: (Sitting down on the sofa) In the country. ALGERNON: What on earth do you do there? JACK: (pulling off his gloves) When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people. It is excessively boring. ALGERNON: And who are the people you amuse? JACK: (airily) Oh, neighbours, neighbours. ALGERNON: Got nice neighbours in your part of Shropshire? JACK: Perfectly horrid! Never speak to them. ALGERNON: How immensely you must amuse them! (Goes over and takes a sandwich) By the way, Shropshire is your county, is it not? JACK: Eh? Shropshire? Yes, of course. Hallo! Why all these cups? Why cucumber sandwiches? Why such reckless extravagance in one so young? Who is coming to tea? ALGERNON: Oh! merely Aunt Augusta and Gwendolen. JACK: How perfectly delightful! ALGERNON: Yes, that is all very well; but I am afraid Aunt Augusta won't quite approve of your being here. JACK: May I ask why? ALGERNON: My dear fellow, the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you. JACK: I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town expressly to propose to her. ALGERNON: I thought you had come up for pleasure?...I call that business. JACK: How utterly unromantic you are! ALGERNON: I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.    Some of the things we learn in this scene are that Jack and Algernon are good friends since Jack has felt comfortable enough to drop in unexpectedly. We learn that Jack will be serving tea to Gwendolen, whom he obviously intends to marry. We find that Jack and Gwendolen obviously love each other. Wilde also begins to reveal what the two men are like and hints at what is to follow. Furthermore, Wilde sets up a series of small conflicts. Many of the lines are humorous because we don’t expect them. In the following, the two characters had been hovering over their bodies in an emergency room. Suddenly, they swooped down†¦into the same body:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Frank opened his eyes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Well, Brad, I see we're awake," a female voice said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brad! What the hell was going on!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "What...what happened?" His voice sounded funny; he felt strange.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brad woke up, his head filled with random images, alien thoughts. What's going on?He screamed inside his brain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stop the damned screaming!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What! Who are you?he asked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Frank Willard. Who are you?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bradley Booth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are you doing in my head?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You're in my body,Brad said. Get the hell out!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Your body? What happened to my...oh, my God!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What?Brad asked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I was in this smash-up. A guy wasn't looking. An asshole in a semi. He pulled in front of me; I couldn’t even swerve.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You!Brad said. You were hovering. I thought how awful your body looked. A pile of rubbish!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hey!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yeah?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My body isn't... Oh, Jesus, I was up there, and floating beside me- You! Nothing seemed to be wrong with you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nothing wrong, you stupid shit! I'd been stung by a bee!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A bee? You were stung by a bee. What kind of person-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I'm allergic to bee stings, all right! I could die.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What kind of sissy are you, man?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Look, creep, you're the one who's dead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dead! Oh, Jesus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You ...Brad sensed that part of his brain had gone to sleep. Oh, fuck. How could this be? He really was crazy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Then he remembered. Somebody saying he was going to make it. At the instant he merged with his body, he felt another-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Mr. Booth!"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Yes," he said. "It's just me."    The second scene, presented humorously, is filled with conflict, though with elements of personality and some exposition involving the situation. But the scene sets up what is going to be a series of conflicts in which the two men have to solve the major problem of sharing the same body. Obviously, this is going to affect everything they try to do in that each is stubborn and refuses to give in to what the other wants. Some scenes are strictly narration, as in the following excerpt from a longer scene in which a man with serious mental problems has been trying repeatedly to kill a young actress. Though the scene consists only of his thoughts, we certainly get a glimpse into the sort of person he is and how he feels.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I said I loved Mary. I was going to kill her†¦ I love Mary. I love Ruthie. She'll have to have me. We're going to be married. If she doesn't marry me, I'll ki...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No, I love her. Damn it, I love her. I love Mary too; no, I don't, the little bitch.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some scenes are strictly narrative. They may show a character jogging or traveling in a train or any one of dozens of other scenarios. Or they may be entirely descriptive. But they set up what is to follow; they anticipate and so build interest and suspense. __________   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important to remember that each scene in a story is different and therefore has its own purpose and its own requirements. What you need to do is to determine that purpose and how you can do your best to achieve it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Examine each element of your scene and figure out if it accomplishes what you want it to, and that it is consistent with the other scenes in the story or novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Does the dialogue fit the character, the situation, the mood, the time period? What is jarring about the conversation? What doesn’t fit?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do the same with the important characters. Are they believable and consistent within the framework of the story? Is there anything out of place? If so, what, and how can it be fixed?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is the scene interesting? Will it hold a reader’s attention? Is there tension and suspense? Have you written the scene so that it holds the reader’s attention and make him or her look forward to the next scene? Are the characters themselves interesting? Will the reader care about the protagonist and those close to him or her? If not, you need to make the character more appealing in whatever way you can. What can you do to make the reader care?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Writing a good scene is a matter of figuring out its purpose and following through in an interesting manner. If you do that, you should have no problems.       Marsh Cassady has Ph.D in theatre and is a former actor, director, and university professor. He is the author of fifty-seven published books and hundreds of shorter pieces. His plays have been performed in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., including Off-Broadway. For about eight years he was co-publisher of a small press and a literary journal. He has also taught creative writing at the University of California, San Diego, and for thirty-five years led all-genre writing workshops.

The Impact of the Bridge between Vancouver and Vancouver Island Essay

The Impact of the Bridge between Vancouver and Vancouver Island - Essay Example There is current debate about whether or not to build a bridge to Vancouver Island, British Columbia (BC) and the mainland. Many arguments for, and against, exist. Some believe that a bridge to Vancouver Island with provide an economic boost to the surrounding area. Others believe that a bridge to the island will lead to destruction of the pristine nature of the island. The proposed bridge is compared to the bridge built connecting Prince Edward Island and the eastern mainland of Canada (New Brunswick). Feasibility studies give a grim picture of the work required, and funds needed, to construct a bridge over the Georgia Strait. Many believe that the cost of the project would outweigh any economic gain to the Island and the mainland. Vancouver Island is serviced by an airport at Nanaimo where customers can fly to and from the mainland airports located at Victoria (southern tip of Vancouver Island) and Vancouver BC. Ferry service to the island consists of four routes: Ferry service to the island can take more than 1 hours to cross the 26 Kilometer wide Georgia Strait and cost up to $60 per car. A proposed bridge would run from Vancouver Island to the Vancouver area on the Mainland. Studies conducted in the 1980's examined the feasibility of building a fixed link (bridge) connecting Vancouver Island with Vancouver on the Mainland. ... These studies didn't end debate but did show that any type of bridge building would encounter major obstacles. Any bridge built would have to stand up to earthquakes and other engineering challenges (Ministry of Transportation). The Georgia Strait is a seismically active area. Other potential problems include (Ministry of Transportation): length of a crossing could be up to 26 kilometres water depths are up to 365 metres deep, soft sediments of up to 450 metres on the ocean bed potential marine slope instabilities along the eastern side of the Strait could result in future underwater landslides extreme wave conditions (4 to 7 metre waves, with 6 metre tides and 2 knot current) design wind speed of 115 kmh with gusts up to 180 kmh passage of major ships through the area; and the need to protect a crossing structure against ship impact (a floating bridge could not withstand the impact of a tanker vessel). Several bridge types were proposed for study. They include a bored tunnel, submerged floating tunnel, floating pontoon bridge, and a series of cable style bridges (Ministry of Transportation). The bridge proposal is often compared to the bridge that was built between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, Canada. There are many similarities. Residents argued that a new bridge would destroy the environment on Prince Edward Island. Others argued that the convenience and fees would be lower for a fixed link than the ferry system that was in place. Both bridge locations have severe weather considerations. Theoretical Analysis Economic growth in a specified area can be accomplished in many ways. Economic growth theory is used to explain how different factors

International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Business Strategy - Essay Example It is a fashion house established by Thomas Burberry in 1856, which became iconic for its check pattern and its outdoor line of clothing, particularly its trench coats. Its long years of existence and ties with the British historical narrative since the 1900s, established Burberry as a heritage brand. At present, it is a holder of Royal Warrants, which is a form of recognition that the establishment provides goods to a member or members of the royal family. These variables are inherent in Burberry’s branding and figure prominently in its competitive strategies. But during the 1980s, the company has experienced poor performance and this persisted way until the latter part of the 1990s. This changed in the past decade and the company is considered to be one of the best global brands in its category and is operating with record profit. Currently, Burberry has more than 500 stores in over 50 countries. This report will explore Burberry’s strategies, which allowed it to gain competitive advantage in the luxury market and achieve successful expansion overseas. The Luxury Fashion Market: An Analysis The luxury fashion market is composed of several categories but these are mostly dominated by apparel and footwear. It can also include leather goods, accessories and jewelries. While each of these can very well be considered a separate industry, companies tend to sell them all given the fact that they do overlap, mainly because they have the same consumer demographics and consumer demand profile. The fashion luxury industry – mature industry - caters to a specific group of consumers: the wealthy. These are those who need practical (since clothing and footwear are, of course, necessities) but prestigious products; and those who are fashion conscious. This variable explains why the industry emphasizes intensive marketing and advertising campaigns. The consumer demographics and demand profile, wrote Wagle (2003), also underpins how the overall industry d emand is driven by â€Å"general economic trends, including changes in disposable personal income, consumer confidence, and consumer spending.† What this means is that in times of economic growth, the market’s demand is driven by the consumers’ need and impulse, whereas, during economic downturn, caution permeates the market. This is demonstrated in the poor performance of luxury fashion companies during the recent financial crises. The financial crunch, based on several empirical evidences, is proven to put pressure on the luxury market. The Global Economic Crisis Resource (2009, p.27), for instance, stated in one of its findings that â€Å"much activity in the luxury market has been driven by easy credit and perceived wealth† and that the crisis has significantly reduced the net worth of the rich, forcing them to cut consumption significantly. Today, the luxury fashion industry is a lucrative business due to globalization. The robust development of emer ging economies such as China, India, Russia, and other countries, has led to an expanded demand for luxury goods. In addition, it also provided the opportunity to source cheaper materials and labor abroad. The integration of the international market has facilitated these trends and companies like Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Burberry effectively seized the opportunity to their advantage. However, it also increased competition and changed the dynamics by which products are made and sold to consumers. Competition As previously