Thursday, August 27, 2020

Free Video Editing Programs for Journalists

Free Video Editing Programs for Journalists With increasingly more media sources fusing video onto their sites, figuring out how to shoot and alter advanced video news reports is an unquestionable requirement. Be that as it may, while a computerized video would now be able to be shot with something as basic and modest as a cellphone, proficient video editings programming programs like Adobe Premiere Pro or Apples Final Cut can in any case be overwhelming for fledglings, both in cost and intricacy. Fortunately there are a lot of free other options. A few, similar to Windows Movie Maker, are presumably as of now on your PC. Others can be downloaded from the web. What's more, a considerable lot of these free video altering programs are entirely simple to utilize. So on the off chance that you need to add computerized video news reports to your blog or site, here are a few choices that will permit you to do essential video altering rapidly and efficiently. (The admonition here is that in the event that you in the long run need to create proficient looking news recordings, youre presumably going to need to ace Premiere Pro or Final Cut sooner or later. Those are the projects utilized by proficient videographers at news sites, and are well worth learning.) Windows Movie Maker Windows Movie Maker is free, simple to-utilize programming that will let you do fundamental video altering, including the capacity to include titles, music, and advances. Be that as it may, be careful: Many clients state the program crashes as often as possible, so when youre altering a video spare your work habitually. Else, you may lose everything youve done and need to begin once more. YouTube Video Editor YouTube is the universes most well known video transfer site, so it bodes well that it offers a fundamental video altering program. Be that as it may, the accentuation here is on BASIC. You can trim your clasps and include basic changes and music, yet that is about it. What's more, you can just alter recordings that youve as of now transferred to YouTube. IMovie iMovie is Apples likeness Windows Movie Maker. It comes introduced free on Macs. Clients state its a decent fundamental altering program, however on the off chance that you dont have a Mac, youre up the creek without a paddle. Wax Wax is free video altering programming that is more advanced than different projects referenced here. Its quality is in the variety of embellishments choices advertised. Be that as it may, its more prominent advancement implies a more extreme expectation to absorb information. A few clients state it very well may be dubious to learn. Lightworks This is a component rich altering program that comes in both free and paid renditions, yet individuals who have utilized it state even the free form offers loads of modern highlights. Obviously, similarly as with any of the more adaptable altering programs, Lightworks sets aside some effort to learn and might be scary for novices. WeVideo WeVideo is a cloud-based altering program that comes in both free and paid adaptations. Its both PC and Mac-good and offers clients the capacity to take a shot at their recordings anyplace or to share and work together on video altering ventures.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Twelfth Night Essay Topics

Twelfth Night Essay TopicsTwelfth Night is a great film with interesting essays. The one that is recommended for the top twelve essays is 'A Review of Twelfth Night' by Steven C. Cram.Not only is this essay interesting but it contains some great examples for movie references and essays on the themes of the film. 'A Review of Twelfth Night' was created by Stevens, so he should know what he's talking about. His written review of the film is full of interesting, insightful, and realistic examples.This essay uses different film trivia and literary references to talk about the themes of the film. If you need a lot of film references, the homework for this essay might be to watch the film several times and read the essay several times. Or, even better, if you don't want to spend so much time on your essay, you can use the essay as an example of the sorts of themes you should focus on when creating a movie reference essay.The book's plot is based on Romeo and Juliet. There are many parallel s to the relationship between Juliet and the Prince of Darkness, Prince Oberon. There is also much Shakespearean influence in the plot.It is also full of words that are mostly commonly used in conversation today but have different meanings in a cheating spouse, an extra-marital affair, or even in the relationship between a boyfriend and girlfriend. But there are some words that have never been used that also have a lot of meaning in an academic essay.This essay features a famous pop culture reference as well as an interesting analysis of the word usage. To really get a good idea of the major points of the film, you should read this essay and also read the screenplay.There are plenty of other essay topics for the Twelfth Night film. You just need to choose your favorite. With any of the essay topics, you will learn a lot about the film, and you'll be able to write a really great essay.And when you finish, you can put your own essay online. Enjoy the film!

Friday, August 21, 2020

6 Books to Scare Students at Halloween

6 Books to Scare Students at Halloween 6 Books to Scare Students at Halloween It’ll soon be the 31st October, and we here at TopUniversities are very excited for Halloween! If, like us, you are batty for Halloween, you might want to take a look at our list of the best Halloween themed books for students. We have included books for a range of subjects, so there should be something for everyone. The scariest part is, they may even help you with your degree… Read on to find out more about some of the spookiest books around. Accused: British Witches throughout History by Willow Winsham Subject: History What’s more Halloween themed than witchcraft? Answer: nothing.   This fascinating book reveals the true stories of 11 women across five centuries who were victimized and condemned for witchcraft in Britain. Accused draws on a multitude of primary sources, including the documents, church and census records and original pamphlets describing the crimes. It journeys from the first accused witch, “sorceress” Alice Kyteler, in 1324 to the last, Scottish psychic Helen Duncan â€" the final person to be imprisoned under the British Witchcraft Act of 1735.     This is a fascinating, if not horrifying, piece of history which will probably make you more scared of the lawmakers of the time than of the witches they  condemned. Dracula by Bram Stoker Subject: English Written in 1897, this gothic horror novel has been studied in countless English classes, and frankly, is the ultimate classic Halloween novel. Even if it isn’t on your syllabus this year, Dracula is well worth a read. The novel itself is written in an epistolary format; through a series of letters, diary entries, ship logs and newspaper articles. It tells the story of a vampire, Count Dracula, and his attempt to move from Transylvania to England to find new blood and spread the undead curse. You’ll probably be pleased to know that Count Dracula is about as far away from Twilight’s rendition of vampires as you can get â€" Stoker’s Dracula is a lot more sinister and merciless than Meyer’s Edward Cullen. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you awake at night, this is the one for you. Talking with Psychopaths and Savages - A journey into the evil mind: A chilling study of the most cold-blooded, manipulative people on planet earth by Christopher Berry-Dee Subject: Psychology In Talking with Psychopaths and Savages, author and criminologist Christopher Berry Dee takes you deep into the minds of some of the world’s most terrifying psychopaths and notorious serial killers. In the book, Dee interviews subjects and their psychiatrists and discovers some surprising and chilling revelations. The scariest thing about this book is that you might start recognizing the criminals’ personality traits in people around you, and maybe even in yourself. Read this book if you want to question everything you know about what (and who) psychopaths are.   If you enjoy this book you may also be interested in reading the author’s other works, including ‘Talking with Serial Killers’. The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity by Douglas Murray Subject: Politics In the Madness of Crowds, Murray explores some of the most divisive issues of the twenty-first century: sexuality, gender, technology and race. Murray picks apart the inconsistencies, contradictions and injustices in each of the arguments surrounding these big topics. But why is this book scary? Murray is outrightly provocative and controversial and will often point out aspects of societal change that are contradictory, despite having a seemingly positive effect. He deliberately says things that people will want to argue against, and that is precisely why this book is worth a read. It will spark political debate and raise some interesting questions about society in the twenty-first century.   Mortal Minds: the biology of near-death experiences by Dr. G.M. Woerlee Subject: Biological Sciences If you’ve ever wondered what people experience when they’re dying, whether there’s any possibility for life after death, if there’s such a thing as a soul or if it’s possible for the conscious mind to exist after death, then this is the book for you. In Mortal Minds, Dr. G.M. Woerlee reveals all the things we didn’t think it was possible to know about the connection between life and death. One Amazon review says “I recommend this book most highly to anyone searching for answers to these important questions, and that should include most of humanity”. Mortal Minds will scare you because it’s essentially a book confronting the boundaries between life and death â€" and what’s scarier than that? Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence by Christian Parenti Subject: Geography We are only just coming to grips with the sheer horror of climate change. In Tropic of Chaos, investigative journalist Christian Parenti explores how extreme weather changes are causing humanitarian crises and state failure. In a nutshell, the book suggests that climate change is making resources that people need and want less available, such as water, oil and land, contributing to war, famine and conflict. Probably the scariest book of the lot. Of course, this is only if you find the complete destruction of our planet scary. Which you should…   Image credit: Goodreads Want more content like this?  Register for free site membership  to get regular updates and your own personal content feed.

Monday, May 25, 2020

What Is Critical Race Theory

Critical race theory (CRT) is a school of thought meant to emphasize the effects of race on ones social standing. It arose as a challenge to the idea that in the two decades since the Civil Rights Movement and associated legislation, racial inequality had been solved and affirmative action was no longer necessary. CRT continues to be an influential body of legal and academic literature that has made its way into more public, non-academic writing. Key Takeaways: Critical Race Theory Critical race theory was a response by legal scholars to the idea that the United States had become a color-blind society where racial inequality/discrimination was no longer in effect.While race as a notion is a social construction and not rooted in biology, it has had real, tangible effects on African Americans and other people of color in terms of economic resources, educational and professional opportunities, and experiences with the legal system.Critical race theory has inspired various other sub-fields, such as LatCrit, AsianCrit, queer crit, and critical whiteness studies. Definition and Origins of Critical Race Theory Coined by legal scholar Kimberlà © Crenshaw in the late 1980s, the term critical race theory first emerged as a challenge to the idea that the United States had become a color-blind society where ones racial identity no longer had an effect on ones social or economic status. Just two decades after the accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement, many politicians and institutions were co-opting the aspirational, color-blind language of Martin Luther King, Jr.—i.e., the idea that we should judge someone on the content of his character rather than the color of his skin—while omitting the more critical aspects of his speeches that emphasized discrimination and economic inequality. There were also beginning to be attacks on affirmative action policies, with conservative politicians arguing that they were no longer needed. CRT as a school of thought is designed to highlight the ways that supposedly color-blind laws have allowed racial oppression and inequality to continue despite the outlawing of segregation. CRT originated among legal scholars like Derrick Bell, Kimberlà © Crenshaw, and Richard Delgado, who argued that racism and white supremacy were defining elements of the American legal system—and of American society writ large—despite language related to equal protection. Early proponents argued for a contextual, historicized analysis of the law that would challenge seemingly neutral concepts like meritocracy and objectivity, which, in practice, tend to reinforce white supremacy. The fight against oppression of people of color was a major goal of early critical race theorists; in other words, they sought to change the status quo, not just critique it. Finally, CRT was interdisciplinary, drawing on a wide range of scholarly ideologies, including feminism, Marxism, and postmodernism. Derrick Bell is often thought of as the forefather of CRT. He made important theoretical contributions, such as arguing that the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education was a result of the self-interest of elite whites instead of a desire to desegregate schools and improve education for black children. However, Bell also critiqued the field of law itself, highlighting the exclusionary practices at elite schools such as Harvard Law School, where he was on faculty. He even resigned from his position to protest Harvards failure to hire female faculty of color. Other early important figures were Alan Freeman and Richard Delgado. Black feminists have been particularly influential proponents of CRT. Beyond coming up with the name of the field, Crenshaw is even more well-known for coining the now-very-fashionable term intersectionality, meant to highlight the multiple and overlapping systems of oppression that women of color (in addition to queer people of color, immigrants of color, etc.) face that make their experience different from that of white womens. Patricia Williams and Angela Harris have also made important contributions to CRT. Race as a Social Construct The notion that race is a social construct essentially means that race has no scientific basis or biological reality. Instead, race as a way to differentiate human beings is a social concept, a product of human thought, that is innately hierarchical. Of course, this does not mean that there are no physical or phenotypical differences between people from different regions of the world. However, these differences make up a fraction of our genetic endowment and do not tell us anything about a persons intelligence, behavior, or moral capacity. In other words, there is no behavior or personality that is inherent to white, black, or Asian people. In Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic state, That society frequently chooses to ignore these scientific truths, creates races, and endows them with pseudo-permanent characteristics is of great interest to critical race theory. While race is a social construct, this does not mean that it hasnt had real, tangible effects on people. The impact of the notion (as opposed to the reality) of race is that black, Latino, and indigenous people have for centuries been thought of as less intelligent and rational than white people. Ideas about racial difference were used by Europeans during the colonial period to subjugate non-whites and force them into subservient roles. This socially constructed notion of race, which was used to exercise and reinforce white supremacy, was the backbone of Jim Crow legislation in the South, which relied on the one-drop rule in order to separate people by race. Race as an idea continues to have a wide range of effects with respect to educational outcomes, criminal justice, and within other institutions. Applications of Critical Race Theory CRT has been expanded to various fields within and beyond law. Two offshoots are Latina/o Critical Theory—whose leading scholars include Francisco Valdes and Elizabeth Iglesias—and AsianCrit, whose proponents include Mari Matsuda and Robert S. Chang. LatCrit in particular has relied heavily on queer theory and feminism, and both of these variants address issues relevant to the Latinx and Asian populations in the U.S., such as immigration and language barriers. In this way, CRT has many overlaps with and is often a defining feature of Ethnic Studies programs in many colleges and universities. CRT scholars have also turned their attention to a critique of whiteness, the ways it is socially constructed (as opposed to the standard by which all other groups should be measured), and how its definition has expanded or contracted historically. For example, various European groups—such as Irish and Jewish immigrants—were originally racialized as non-white when they began arriving in large numbers in the United States. These groups were eventually able to assimilate into whiteness or become white, largely by distancing themselves from African Americans and adopting the Anglo mainstreams racist attitudes toward them. Scholars like David Roediger, Ian Haney Là ³pez, and George Lipsitz have all contributed important scholarship to critical whiteness studies. Sub-fields of CRT focusing on gender identity and sexual orientation have also emerged in recent decades. Some of the most important scholars fusing CRT with feminist theory are featured in the anthology Critical Race Feminism: A Reader. As should be evident, there are many overlaps between critical race feminism and intersectionality, as both focus on the overlapping and multiple marginalizations of women of color. Similarly queer crit, as theorized by scholars like Mitsunori Misawa, examines the intersections of non-white identity and queerness. Apart from the legal field, education is where CRT has had the largest impact, specifically in terms of the ways race (and often class) intersect to create worse outcomes for black and Latino students. CRT has also become a more influential ideology in the new millennium as the scholars of color who were its first proponents have been tenured at major American law schools. Criticisms Crenshaw (in Valdes et al., 2002) and Delgado and Stefancic (2012) detail the opposition to CRT in the 1990s, principally from neo-conservative opponents of affirmative action who saw CRT scholars as leftist radicals, and even accused them of anti-Semitism. Critics felt the legal storytelling movement, an approach focusing on stories by people of color and used by CRT law scholars to challenge dominant narratives, was not a rigorous method of analysis. These critics also objected to the notion that people of color were more knowledgeable about their own experiences and thus, better equipped to represent them than were white writers. Finally, critics of CRT were suspicious of the movements tendency to question the existence of an objective truth. Notions like truth, objectivity, and meritocracy are all challenged by CRT scholars, who point out the often invisible workings of white supremacy, for example, the ways whites have always enjoyed a form of affirmative action within higher ed ucation through policies like legacy admissions. Sources Crenshaw, Kimberlà ©, Neil Gotanda, Gary Peller, and Kendall Thomas, editors. Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings that Formed the Movement. New York: The New Press, 1995.Delgado, Richard, and Jean Stefancic, editors. Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, 2nd ed. New York: New York University Press, 2012.Hill-Collins, Patricia, and John Solomos, editors. The SAGE Handbook of Race and Ethnic Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2010.Valdes, Francisco, Jerome McCristal Culp, and Angela P. Harris, editors. Crossroads, Directions, and a New  Critical Race Theory. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Main Characters In Brave New World - 1036 Words

Aldous Huxley wrote the book Brave New World, which was originally published in 1932. Throughout the story, many characters are introduced but some of the main characters are the Director of the Hatcheries and Conditioning (Known as Tomakin and D.H.C.), Lenina Crowne, Bernard Marx, Henry Foster, Mustapha Mond, and John the Savage. At the beginning of the book, D.H.C. is taking student on a tour of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, while he explains the conditioning process and introduces a few of the main characters such as, Henry Foster and Lenina Crowne. Early on in the the book, soma is introduced, which is a drug that is taken everyday that the government uses to keep people from speaking freely. While in the†¦show more content†¦Before the egg even becomes fertilized, the life of the human is already set in stone. Once the the humans’ place in the caste system is decided, they are conditioned to be happy with their life and act like what is exp ected of their caste. In this world the conditioning leaves almost no room to be unique, and as soon as you become unique, you are simply an outcast. Being an outcast in the world of Brave New World is simply unacceptable, and the cure to this problem is soma. Soma is a drug that is taken on a daily basis, even is taken multiple times a day, to keep a person calm and happy. It is expected of everyone to take soma, and even in the higher classes of the caste system, people can’t wait to take it. When Lenina and Bernard first arrived to the savage reservation, they went to a native dance at the pueblo, which proved to be too much for the soma-less Lenina. â€Å"A gramme is better than a damn,† said Lenina mechanically from behind her hands. â€Å"I wish I had my soma!† (116) Later on after Lenina and Bernard got back to the rest house, Lenina took six half-gramme tablets of soma and ended up in the soma-holiday state for seven hours. Lenina could not wait to take the soma that she left at the rest house because her experience at the pueblo was distressful for her. Lenina could not understand the lifestyle of the people in the Savage Reservation, which led to her anxiety and feeling as if she could not fit in. For some people though, suchShow MoreRelatedBrave New World: A Struggle Between the Genius and the Mediocre931 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Æ' After the publishing of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, modern literature has changed forever. It is considered a masterpiece and one of the pillars of the dystopian novel. However, both of those affirmations can be called into question. The former based on a subjective opinion of a reader and the latter through compromising its dystopian nature. Similarly to George Orwell’s novels, the main appeal of Brave New World is within the ideas it contains, not within its literary merits. Huxley’s talentRead MoreBrave New World and Anthem Comparison Essay1092 Words   |  5 PagesThe Government’s Different Ways of Controlling People In both Brave New World and Anthem the underlying themes are very similar. The government controls every aspect of people’s lives, everyone is supposed to be perfectly happy with what role they are given, and the main character do not fit into what the government was deemed normal. While both books have these very similar traits, there are many differences as well; the way the government controls the people, as well as the form of governmentRead MoreBrave New World Exploration And Extension1347 Words   |  6 PagesDanielle Newman Camille Hensley Coach Hansen British Literature August 7, 2015 Brave New World Exploration and Extension Aldous Huxley was born in Surrey, England on July 26, 1894. He came from a family already intertwined with a love of writing and philosophy. His grandfather was already credited with introducing Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution to the public. Huxley’s mother was the niece of Matthew Arnold, a poet who focused on commonly debated moral themes in his works. Needless to sayRead MoreA Brave New World vs. 1984991 Words   |  4 PagesA Brave New World vs. 1984 There are many similarities and differences between Aldous Huxleys A Brave New World and George Orwells 1984. With my analysis of both novels, I have come to the conclusion that they are not as alike as you would believe. A Brave New World is a novel about the struggle of John, ‘the savage, who rejects the society of the Brave New World when and discovers that he could never be truly happy there. 1984 is a novel about Winston, who finds forbidden loveRead More Free Brave New World Essays: Huxley and Shakespeare540 Words   |  3 Pages In Aldous Huxleys â€Å"Brave New World, allusions to William Shakespeare and his works emphasize the contrast between the Brave New World and the world in Shakespeares time and even the current time period. Enhancing the works meaning, the allusions and characters reactions to the allusions reveal the positive and negative aspects of our society today. The main characters in Brave New World, Lenina Crowne, Henry Foster, and Bernard Marx, live in a futuristic world where babies are massRead MoreEssay about 1984 and Brave New World1304 Words   |  6 Pages1984 and Brave New World Undoubtedly, the thought of living in, or forming a utopian society has flashed through nearly every person’s mind. A few people have even tried to make this ideal dream society a reality. Unfortunately, within the pursuit of these societies the leaders become corrupt and begin to become paranoid with the fear of rebellion. Hundreds of people were murdered during the reigns of Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin in what they considered measures to maintain peace and stabilityRead MoreComparison of A Brave New World and 1984 Essay642 Words   |  3 Pagesof A Brave New World and 1984 A Brave New World is a story about Bernard Marx, who rejects his society because he finds that he is not satisfied with living a controlled life. 1984 is a story about Winston who finds forbidden love within the restrictions of his society. These books are both in the same genre, so they can be easily compared and contrasted. The main similarities in the two pieces are the topics of the novels, the endings of the books, the nature of the characters, theRead MoreAldous Huxley s Brave New World1564 Words   |  7 Pages Envision a world where everybody is happy, there is no sorrow or suffering, no fear of death, no misery, everything is pleasant, and the government doles out happy pills, known as Soma. Aldous Huxley’s novel â€Å"Brave New World† describes this world. Is everyone truly happy, and what do the citizens sacrifice in exchange for living in this utopia? Huxley helped shape the modern mind with provocative theories about humankind s destiny, and he was concerned with the possible social and moral implicationsRead MoreEssay Compare and Contrast Themes of Brave New World and 19841174 Words   |  5 Pageswritten by George Orwell and Brave New World penned by Aldous Huxley both possess similar topics and themes. In both novels societies are striving for a utopia, or a perfect society. These novels also take place in so cieties with versions of totalitarian governments, which is a government that rules by coercion. Not only are the topics similar, but in both novels a rebellious character is the protagonist; Winston Smith from 1984 and John the Savage in Brave New World. Another parallel in the booksRead MoreComparison between The Chrysalids and Brave New World892 Words   |  4 Pagesby John Wyndham published in 1955 and â€Å"Brave New World†, a novel by Aldous Huxley published in 1932. The story in â€Å"The Chrysalids† takes place thousands of years in the future in a rural society similar to our world before the invention of modern technology such as telephones, cars, etc. The people in the novel have vague memories of the Old People, a civilization which existed long ago and seems to be similar to our current technologically advanced world. The people in â€Å"The Chrysalids† practice

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Demographic Transition Model Analysis - 1208 Words

In 2050, Argentina will be in stage four of the demographic transition model. This proposes that the population growth will be approach zero, and Argentina will sustain an unvarying population. Most of Europe, Japan, and the United States are perpetually in stage four. Argentina will then be considered a developed country with most people in the working age group, with a tumbling birth rate. This can be seen in the 2050 graph when the sides of the â€Å"pyramid† begin to straighten out or become inverted all together. Eventually in the future, as the birth rate maintains a steady decline and fewer children are being born, pronatalist policies will have to be put in motion. As the population becomes older, there will not be enough working†¦show more content†¦Based on this rate, Argentina seems to have a good quality of living as well as a fair economic stature and education system. With a crude birth rate at 19 and a crude death rate at 8, it can be inferred that Ar gentina takes care of its elderly and helps young couples plan for their family. With this understanding of the rate of natural increase, one could look at Argentina’s infant mortality rate as another positive demographic indicator. Infant mortality rate depicts the number of deaths of children less than one year of age per 1,000 births within a country. Argentina has an infant mortality rate of 11.7 based on the 2013 World Population Data Sheet, which is very low compared to the world average of 40 (9). Even though Argentina’s infant mortality rate (IMR) is lower than the world’s average, it is not as low as one may think when looking at their population of 41.3 million people. This means that nearly 826,000 babies under the age of one have died within their first year. On the other hand, the infant mortality rate of Argentina is much lower than the majority of Africa and parts of Asia, which suggests that Argentina has a sufficient healthcare and education system for women (2013 World Population Data Sheet, 9). If the infant mortality rate is high, which in Argentina’s case it is not, it would be a good indicator that the country most likely lives in poverty and does notShow MoreRelatedMe xico s Demographic Transition : Public Policy And Spatial Process1618 Words   |  7 PagesMartin, P. H. (2000). Mà ©xico s demographic transition: Public policy and spatial process. Population and Environment, 21(4), 363- 383. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8682dba3-0cfb-4608-bc36- 42cf5849d36e@sessionmgr111vid=16hid=116 This article presents a case study on the demographic transition of Mexico using crude birth rates and crude death rates from 1899-1993 at five year intervals. The article goes into an in-depth analysis of changes in birth and deathRead MoreThe Growth Of Population Growth Essay1422 Words   |  6 Pagesdouble time, which is the number of years it takes for population size to double (Harper, Chapter 5). For developed countries, the calculated double time is longer than that of a developing country (Harper, Chapter 5). The first case study under analysis is that of Rwanda, one of the poorest nations in the world, which therefore has one of the lowest double time growths (Harper, Chapter 5). Food scarcity and violence are the stories of Rwanda’s fate and is outlined in Jared Diamond’s book, â€Å"Collapse†Read MoreThe Volunteer Stages And Transition Models : Organizational Socialization Of Volunteers1355 Words   |  6 PagesCritique CITATION Haski-Leventhal, D., Bargal, D. (2008). The volunteer stages and transitions model: Organizational socialization of volunteers. Human Relations, 61(1), 67-102. STUDY PURPOSE The article, â€Å"The Volunteer stages and transition models: Organizational socialization of volunteers†, by Haski-Leventhal and Bargal explores volunteers’ experiences in an organization and proposes learning and interaction models within the context of volunteering. The abstract of the article provides a strongRead MoreEvaluation Of 30 Day Hospital Readmission Using A Dataset Of More Than 29000 Patients973 Words   |  4 Pagesvalidate predictors of 30 day hospital readmission using a dataset of more than 29,000 patient’s record over the age of 65 and to compare prediction models that used alternate comorbidity classifications. In these paper they were capable to identify the risk factors of hospital readmission and calculated the risk of all the attributes by using prediction model. An important limitation of their study was that it did not directly include information on patients’ abilities to perform activities of daily livingRead MoreHigh Rates Of Poverty : Sierra Leone Essay1161 Words   |  5 Pagesthe working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. † High rates of poverty can place a significant burden on the health of a country. In the following situation brief, topics including burden of disease, key determinants of health, and analysis of equity will be discussed in order to assess the state of health in Sierra Leone. Burden of Disease Summary: In Sierra Leone, the life expectancy at birth is 56.5 years for men, and 57.7 years for women . Although these statistics are low whenRead MoreGap Analysis Essay926 Words   |  4 PagesThe Gap Analysis Model |[pic] |The â€Å"Gap Analysis Model† is a simple yet powerful visual tool to help clarify objectives, current realities, and action steps. The model has application to a wide | | |variety of personal and organizational situations, and can easily be used with students as well. As you examine the model, be sure to follow the section numbers and | | |start on the right side with the â€Å"ideal situation.† Read MoreQuantitative Research Study Plan Essay2112 Words   |  9 Pagesnewspaper organizations are transitioning to online news distribution models in an attempt to sustain their businesses. Such transitions require traditional print news media companies to conduct staff reductions, then offset the loss of high cost, highly trained journalists and editors through the addition of user generated news article content. This quantitative study focuses on the effectiveness of media company transitions from print to online through an evaluation of readers trust in news mediaRead MoreHealth Information Management And Assessment Essay826 Words   |  4 Pagesand Assessment Jodi Lynch December 19, 2016 An Electronic Health Record (EHR) is an electronic version of a patients paper chart. The EHR stores the same data that you would file in a paper chart. The EHR includes the Following data sets: demographics, progress notes, problems, medication list, vital signs, past medical history, family history, social history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports. (CMS para 1) A paper chart contains the same data that you would enter intoRead MoreEssay On Global Informatics819 Words   |  4 PagesThe new challenges for Informatics arising from the analysis of extremely large data sets The capacity and ease to store data on servers, whether cloud or physical has increased drastically over last couple of years. Three of the market leaders in storage drives reported a combined shipment of 605 exabytes of data in 2016[1]. In biomedical engineering, there have been tens of thousands of terabytes of fMRI images with each image containing more than thousands of voxel values and twitter generatesRead MoreNurse Practitioner-Managed Follow-up of Cariac Surgery1375 Words   |  6 Pagessurgery follow-up interventions (Sawatzky, Christie Singal 2013). Background and Significance The stated goal of the research article and subsequent random control trial (RCT) was to describe and compare outcomes of a nurse practitioner follow-up model in lieu of the standard primary care provider follow-up protocol of patients participating in elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Additionally, the hypothesis clearly states patients receiving the intervention would have enhanced

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Analyzing Forces on Amusement Park †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Analyzing Forces on Amusement Park. Answer: Introduction: The Amusement Parks offers leisure facilities like shows, water rides, themed exhibits, mechanical rides, refreshment stands along with other attractions. They represent a major portion of the business in the United States and helps in generation of revenue of around $15.4 dollars. However, the Amusement Park Industry in recent times faced decline in revenue and attendance in the period of economic recession (McC1ung, 2012). This industry also heavily relies on declining demographic. The essay thus focuses on corporate strategy, business strategy and operational tactical strategy of Six Flags that is a major operator of theme park. There is also a SWOT analysis done on the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. The essay also provides an example of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi that is an amusement park located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates The entertainment industry is gradually gaining a prominence and thereby investments in entertainment projects have been undertaken. Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is one such amusement park built for the purpose of entertainment. The emergence of Six Flags has also been reason for a similar purpose. Six Flags also known as an amusement park corporation is a part of the entertainment industry and takes up measures for ensuring maximum entertainment to the visitors. The company however maintains thrill parks, water parks, family entertainment centre and theme parks for the purpose of entertaining maximum number of people. Six Flags also known as Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is responsible for the operation of major theme park. In addition, the organization also takes initiative in operating water and safari parks. The organization thus maintains six major regional parks around United States and one park in Canada and Mexico respectively (Sixflags.com, 2017). This is quite similar to Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, an amusement part in the United Arab Emirates. The parks offered by Six Flags are a combination of state of the art children ride, thrill ride, concessions and choreographed shows. The company has recently emerged from the state if bankruptcy through implementation of new management followed by a retrenchment strategy. The mission statement of the company represents the reason for its existence. The mission of the company thus focuses on surrounding the finest ride of the world with entertainment from field of theatre, sports, music, television and film (About Six Flags Over Texas | Six Flags Over Texas, 2017). Thus, it is an operator of amusement park whose focus is primarily on thrilling and new rides mostly surrounded by characters, activities and shows. The company has adopted various short term and long-term objectives that it plans to accomplish over the coming two years. The short term goals include of Six Flag included development of the sports bars, opening of cafes, ensuring new attractions at every park. Six Flags aims to open bars not only equipped with drinks and food but also make twenty-two flat screen television available for playing a variety of sports around the world (Six Flags' New CEO Outlines Strategy, 2017). The organization also undertakes opening of cafes that contained healthier options. To be in a position like to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Six Flags have undertaken major renovations and have made certain expansions for enhancing its portfolio. The long-term goals of the company are also worth a mention. The company has applied for a licensing deal with Meraas Leisure and Entertainment of Emirates for creation of a park in Dubai that would carry the name of Six Flag. The company also went into agreement with Riv erside Investment Group that will enable the trademark of the company licensed in six of the parks in China slated for opening. Business Strategy Formulation Six Flags in order to move forward with its mission focuses in four major areas (Marketrealist.com. 2017). This includes, undertaking investment in the process of innovation, ensuring transition to a brand that is regional and change in the pricing of tickets. Six flag have its operations in markets that are geographically diverse. Thus, to ensure flexibility for responding to local conditions, the park considered as a separate entity controlled by a general manager. A locally appointed management team consists of senior personnel responsible for maintenance and operations, human resource, marketing and promotion, finance and merchandizing. The management team of the individual park also takes up the task of ticket sales, community relations, local advertising and training and hiring of personnel. The general manager of each park reports to the regional executive vice president of the company who then directly reports to the CEO of the company. The company also has an Executive Vice President who holds the responsibility of in-park and retail spending in all the parks. However, the Six Flag parks remain open daily including memorial as well as Labor Day. The parks also remain in operation not only during weekends but also during peak seaso n while keeping pace with themed events. Six Flag faces limited direct competition that proves to be beneficial for the park. Higher capital investment, longer developed lead timing and the restrictions of the zone gave the degree of protection against the newly emerged competitive theme park. The management however estimates the cost to be around $200 million with a minimum period of two years for constructing a new regional theme park similar to Six Flags. This business strategy adopted by the company has not only helped it in regaining its position but also ensure having a competitive advantage. However, for ensuring successful implementation of business strategy there should be an abundance cash flow and access to finance otherwise it will not be possible for Six Flags to undertake necessary expansion by implementing high tech attractions for quenching the visitors craving. Six Flags must ensure that the rides of the parks develop the concept of intellectual property or IP which is able to touch the riders not only at physical level but also at the emotional level. Attractions based on IP are part of ever flowing cycle. The success of the business strategy of Six Flag also depends on the help it receives from its international partners in strengthening its bottom line which implies that the theme park does not invest money on exchange of the any licensing deal with a local developer. The local develop on the other hand operates and builds a theme park based on the specifications put forward by the company representing theme park by paying a licensing fee that might be a fla t fee or a revenue percentage or both. These deals not only ensure a risk free cash flow to Six Flags but also enable the company to expand its brand to the newer markets. There is no point closing the parks for several months during certain periods. Six Flags as a part of its business strategy thus ensures that the theme parks have locations where the mild weather allows operations round the world. However, in this regard the company can ensure building facilities that are weather proof and which have the capability of staying open in conditions which are less ideal. Moreover, to implement a business strategy successfully and generate huge revenue the theme park must compete as a vacation destination with facilities of transport, hotels, dining facilities, entertainment and shopping. Thus, the more facilities a theme park is able to provide in addition to the quality time at the park for meeting the needs of the visitors, the more money Six Flags will make. However, parks that are unable to offer such amenities losses the money to other businesses. This leads to lesser cash flow for company operating the theme park for engaging in activities related to capital expansion. Thus, successful implementation of business strategy ensures necessary undertaking of certain initiatives by Six Flags. Research and Development Strategy The focus on innovation investment is the research and development strategy. According to this strategy, since it emergence from bankruptcy, the company has heavily made investments in the development of new products and rides. According to specific figures, the company devoted 6 percent of its capital to modernization (Blake Jones, 2017). These figures represented about 9 percent of its revenue. The company undertook sixteen major innovations added to eighteen parks of Six Flag. The innovations of the company however categorized into innovative show technologies, world record-breaking rides, and historic theme park transformations. The expenses of Six Flags have dropped to 61% after its emergence from bankruptcy. The actual figures of the drop in expenses were around $81,628,000 from $84, 219,000 within a gap of a year from 2013 to 2014. Similar to other amusement parks like Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, Six Flags have also initiated fixed set of expenses (Bandopadhyaya, Callahan, Shin, 2012). The company has also saved considerably on the variable cost for products sold outside tickets that includes souvenirs, drink and food. The expenses on these products reduced to $ 1.7 million within a years gap that is between the early parts of 2013 to 2014. Six Flag focused on transitioning from a national brand to regional brand. Most of visitors of Six Flag parks originate within a range of 150 miles. Therefore, the company implemented an operations strategy that helped in targeting the local guests to the local parks (Moore, 2016). This approach was different from the approach initially adopted by the company prior to its bankruptcy. The replacement marketing campaign of Six Flags inspired the regional and local residents to pay a visit to the park by promoting through local television, cinema, radio and digital media. Six Flags emphasized on social media campaigns through first person video posts. There has also been development of the local twitter and face book pages. There were also new contest and competitions in the park. The shift in marketing has therefore coincided with local marketing acquisition and social media platform for promotion of the park. To capture market position similar to Ferrari World, Six Flags plans to provide massive discounts on the admission fees. Coupons often found on the sides of cola cans that show directly in the kiosks of the park that helps them in getting major discounts (Bandopadhyaya, Callahan, Shin, 2012). The recent investor report of the company has highlighted that the local promotional coupons that had offerings on buying one and getting one free reduced. This had led to an increase in admissions per capita. The company also pushed the seasonal passes with the prediction that it will not only help in the generation of more revenue annually but will also increase the flow of cash compared to the number of visitors on a single day, help in building recurring revenue and help in utilizing excess capacity even during the periods of off-peak. Thus, incentives on the seasonal passes have resulted in increasing the season pass proliferation by 18%. The Board of Directors at Six Flag consists of seven members. Of them, Jim Reid Anderson and Usman Nabi are employees at Six Flags while the rest of the directors ensure board experience related to investment consulting, foodservice, entertainment, private equity, casinos and tobacco industry (Levitt, 2014). Executive Leadership Leadership also represents corporate governance. At Six Flags, leadership represents the various posts held by the different leaders. Lance Balk is a member of the general counsel whereas Marshall Barber is the chief financial officer (Investors.sixflags.com, 2017). Kathy Aslin is the senior vice president human resource whereas Danielle Bernthal holds the position of senior vice president, assistant general counsel and corporate strategist. Tom Iven and David McKillips hold the post of senior vice president along with looking after the United States park operations and in park service respectively. However, the international park operations looked upon by John Odum while Brett Petit looks after the sales and marketing. Stephen R. Purtell holds the position of investor relation and treasurer while Leonard Russ is responsible for strategic planning and analysis (Investors.sixflags.com, 2017). Operational tactical planning refers to the process of creation of linkage between strategic objective and goals to the tactical goals and objectives (Vieyra Vieyra, 2014). The strategy is undertaken by a company for describing success, success conditions and helps in explaining what portion of strategic plan needs to be put to operation during given period of operation. The Six Flag introduced the concept of Halloween Town for which there has been substantial change undertaken. This strategy was a huge success with over 9600 attendants. Six flag thus ensured the following steps to make the event a successful one: The new concept introduced especially targeted the families as they have tendency to spend 25% more on food and entertainment. Instead of concentrating on the tallest, scariest and the fastest rides the company now focused more on entertainment factors that are family friendly and includes mainly water rides and costumed characters. In addition, the company also focused on the play area for the toddlers. Introduction of Pocket Friendly Entertainment: Six flags tried to give its audience a mini Disney experience through the new concept of Halloween Town and a price much cheaper compared to the other Halloween attractions. Six Flags discarded the concept of Mr. Six and he is not to be found in any of the advertisements related to the Halloween town. The company also tried to introduce the concept of Dont burn mom. Through this strategy, the company focuses on introduction of not only family friendly ride but also street entertainment. The company also introduced more tweety birds thereby enabling children to take picture with them. This strategy enabled the company to earn accolades from most of the sectors. This tactical strategy has helped the company to revive its position which was to some extent lost due to bankruptcy. The retrenchment strategy adopted by Six Flag involved preparing the amusement parks for getting a thematic makeover (Investors.sixflags.com, 2017). Six Flags aims at an extensive process of changing the names of the parks and at the same time ensure a makeover that is thematic after its emergence from bankruptcy. As a part of the turnaround plan, the chief executive of Six Flags adopted objectives for increasing the corporate sponsorships, improving customer services and make the amusement park more appealing for the families (Macarthur, 2017). Thus, to bounce back and be in a position similar to Ferrari World, the focus was on turning Six Flags in to a business that focused on brining more people and getting them spend some quality time at the park. Moreover, the plans were on for setting up the marketing of parks. The theme park industry has a capital-intensive nature therefore companies responsible for aggressively financing growth with debt will necessarily possess a higher ratio to debt to equity. During the year, 2014, the debt to equity ratio was 4.0. This reflected that the company is financing the operations quite aggressively with the debt capital (marketrealist.com, 2015). However, the debt ratio for a capital-intensive industry standing at two is quite normal. Situation Analysis SWOT analysis The determination of situation analysis of Six Flag is through identification of strengths, weakness opportunities and threats. Similar to the Ferrari World, the strength of Six Flag lay in: The parks placement The introduction of innovative rides Generation of the theme aspect along with maintenance of rides with higher technology (Levitt, 2014). Cost advantage Leverage of assets Effectiveness in communication Presence of strong management team Presence of brand equity that is Strong Presence of a strong financial position Ensures reputation Management The weakness factors represents: The parks dependency on good weather Existence of seasonality in various parks Ensuring gauging of price. The theme parks lacked appeal towards the older generation Indulged in a process where hiring of employees took place in every season. Presence of a competitive market Opportunities of Six Flags represent: Entrance into the newer growing markets Enhanced growth on the internet and mobile media. The increased presence in the global markets The companys presence in the growing economy Threats to these theme parks represent: Race amongst rival operators. Government restrictions and policies that pose hindrance in operation of the park. Threat in the labor market due to the seasonal employees. Increase in the cost of the labor Presence of external business risk The industry analysis is done with the help of Porter which portrays the key pressures that a particular firm faces in the industry where there is existence of competitive advantage. The industry analysis done based on various factors that includes, bargaining power of suppliers, the threats faced from the new entrants, threat of the substitutes, bargaining power of the buyers and industry rivalry (Lillestol, Timothy, Goodman, 2015). Thus, the bargaining power of suppliers is quite high in case of Six Flags. However, Six Flags faces lower threat from the new entrants. As far as substitutes are concerned, it is quite high although the buyers possess medium bargaining powers. Further, Six Flags also faces higher industry rivalry. The organizational analysis is the PEST analysis that puts forward a framework for better understanding of the macroeconomic industry of the organization that is part of the amusement park industry. These however include political, economic, social and technological aspects. The political aspect implies that the regulation act of the government has negative influence on the net profits of the theme parks. The consideration of the economic factors of the amusement park industry shows a growth in revenue between 2.2 to 5.3 percent. The social factors represent the demographics on which a theme park is dependent (Strelets, 2012). This demographic represented by teenagers in the age group of ten to nineteen. Thus, any change in the demographics will directly affect the attendance in the park. However, as far as technology is concerned amusement parks focuses on utilization of technology based on three areas that are cost cutting, seasonal updates and overall guests experience (Khler, 201 3). Conclusion The essay ends with a note that Six Flags is the largest operator of theme park with a mission that aims at providing unique experience to its customers. After its emergence from bankruptcy, the company has not only embraced regional strategy but has also opted for new innovative rides. The company has also focused on social media marketing locally and enhanced the sale of seasonal pass tickets. Through the essay, one can also see that on the financial front, the company has witnessed substantial growth. Referencing About Six Flags Over Texas | Six Flags Over Texas. (2017).Six Flags Over Texas. Retrieved 27 November 2017, from https://www.sixflags.com/overtexas/news-room/about Bandopadhyaya, A., Callahan, K., Shin, Y. C. (2012). Corporate financial strategy. Blake Jones, b. (2017).Six Flags officials detail theme parks strategy.Glens Falls Post-Star. Retrieved 27 November 2017, from https://poststar.com/news/local/six-flags-officials-detail-theme-parks-strategy/article_2bd37a34-a981-11df-b12d-001cc4c03286.html Company History. (2017).Investors.sixflags.com. Retrieved 27 November 2017, from https://investors.sixflags.com/investor-overview/company-history Investors.sixflags.com (2017) Leadership. 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