The Essence Of Blues Music

The Essence Of Blues Music Blues music at its inception is the music of the downtrodden and poor. Having its roots in the plantations of the South, blues music gave expression to the trials and sufferings of African-Americans who had suffered slavery, injustice, and poverty. According to Scaruffi (2003), Music remained the main vehicle to vent the frustration of a people, but the end of slavery introduced the individual: instead of being defined by a group (the faithful or the workers), the black singer was now free to and capable of defining himself as an individual. His words and mood still echoed the condition of an entire people, but solo singers represented a new take on that condition, the view of a man finally enabled to travel, and no longer a prisoner of his community, although, sometimes, more lonely. The songs of a negro were the diary of his life (road, train, prison, saloon, sex), often an itinerant life, as opposed to the diary of a community (plantation, church) (1) The blues is a song of lamentation of self pity. The songs often deal with themes that deal with an individuals pain and are often told in a tongue-in-cheek manner. It is a highly personalized account of what an individual is going through, and is reflective of the harsh realities of life of the American Negro faces in the deep South. Oftentimes the lyrics of blues deal with unhappy situations brought about by being jobless, poor, lonely, hungry, or being betrayed and deserted by an unfaithful lover. The whole essence of blues music was pain, but while the songs seems to be a paean to an individuals plight it does not wallow in tragedy but rather it celebrates it and recognizes the inevitability of the situation. And in the song Folsom Prison Blues Johnny Cash has managed to capture all of these elements and succeeds in telling a story about a prison in-mate who landed in prison because he killed a man so that he could see how he would die. (2) There are two physical elements in the song that is consistent to the tradition of blues music. The first is the prison and the other is the train. These two elements can be seen as metaphors for two themes that were important to the downtrodden and dispossessed negro the reality of being a slave, both literal and figurative, and on the other hand the longing for freedom and redemption which due to his place in society he can never have. For the prison in-mate in the song his prison cell is a reality he cant escape from. It is a reality brought about by his own actions and to some extent it is a reality that he accepts and concedes to. While the train that he sees from his prison cell represents all the things in life that he would want to have but can never have due to his social status in life. In fact the train with all its rich folks is actually taunting him making him feel bitter about his situation. Scaruffi makes mention of this stating that, Theoretically, the civil war that ended in 1863 freed the African slaves (slavery was officially abolished in 1865), and, in fact, the first collection of negro songs was published shortly afterwards, Slave Songs of the United States (1867). In practice, it did little to improve the condition of the black man: same job, same discrimination. Even for the blacks who left the Southern states, the cities of the North promised freedom, but mostly delivered a different kind of slavery(1) This discrimination and the inability of African-Americans to escape the imposed state of things can be clearly reflected on Johnny Cashs song albeit with a prisoner taking the place of the black man with the train representing white society. The social condition that has spawned blues music is still in existence today in the black ghettoes of America and is seen in the implied racism that most of the poor working class African-Americans are still suffering from. It is for this reason that blues music and the themes that it deals with are still relevant today as it was then. But like any form of popular culture that gets assimilated in the mainstream blues music today has lost its socio-political power and is now viewed more of a musical genre and is celebrated more for its contributions to the world of music. Today most people with equate blues music with such bands as the Rolling Stones and other white musicians who were influenced by such blues legends such as Muddy Waters and BB King. But if you define blues broadly as the music of the downtrodden and the dispossessed then one can say that the blues music has influenced every form of music that has embraced the themes and issues that blues musicians sang about. During the 1950s blues music gave birth to rock and roll a musical style that took blues guitar chords and riffs and brought about a whole new form of expression that went against conservative values. Blues themes also found expression in the late 80s in the musical rebellion called punk music. Like the blues punk music was born out of the suffering and despair of a marginalized social stratum this time instead of black plantation workers you have the disillusioned working class youth singing about their plight. Rap music can also be seen as the direct descendant of blues music. Like the blues, rap music is a vocal expression of the African-American youth of today to illustrate the problems that he is facing in a society that has constantly denied him redemption and has marginalized him. According to Parker (1999), For todays Black youth, rap music is this medium. It is a musical voice and expression of the unjust and violent society in which they live. Is rap music a trend that has never been witnessed in America before? No, rap music is a continuing line of Negro expressions including; Spirituals, Blues, and Soul, all of which were inspired in trying times in our society, even more so than that of today(3). While blues music can never be separated from and will always be integral to African-American history and struggles, the themes the blues sang about has a universal appeal which speaks directly to all of those who has had to endure a life of struggle against social inequality, personal trials, and injustices. The challenge of an individual to rise above his social conditions and the limitations that society has imposed upon him is a situation that anyone can understand, empathize and relate to. Psychologically the blues is an outlet for the frustrations that a Black man has to face in American society. A blues musician Tampa Red sang a song called Depression Blues. The song lyrics tell of how if only he could tell all his troubles then his heart would be at ease. This shows that for blues musicians the blues is a cathartic activity which helps them deal with the troubles they are facing. Singing and music has been shown to influence the mood of people. An organization called the American Music Therapy Association even claims music helps individuals with mental health conditions to address depression by making them conscious about their feelings and be more in touch with their emotions and moods (4.). It is therefore clear that singing the blues does help us deal with personal issues by bringing out this issues out in the open in the form of song and music. It gives find us a safe form of expression wherein we could channel emotions and emotional release.

Explanatory Concepts in Political Science Essay

Since 1979 there have been dramatic changes in both the structure and organisation of the Labour Party. In part, this was in response to their failure to win a general election between 1979 and 1997. However, the change goes much further than that and can be perceived as a reflection of the continued struggle between ideologies of different factions within the party. This essay will first try to establish what ‘Old’ Labour was and what it stood for. Then, scrutinising ‘New’ Labour, this essay will discus if, how and why the Labour Party changed and identify the key differences between ‘old’ and ‘new’ Labour. The Labour Party was initially established as a party to represent the newly enfranchised working class in Parliament. Growing out of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC), the party owed its existence to various trade union and socialist organisations. Consequently, right from its inauguration, the party’s primary purpose was to elect MP’s that would represent the interests of the unions. Although ostensibly not a committed socialist party, by 1918, the party had included Clause 4 in its election manifesto, the principle of public ownership which committed the party to nationalising land, coal mining, the electricity industry and the railways as well as declaring their intention to make rates of taxation steeply progressive to fund a major extension of education and social services.[1] Labour soon overtook the Liberals in popularity and rose to be the principle opposition for the Conservatives, forming three governments between 1926 and 1945. Post-war Labour fundamentally recognised the relationship between state and society in Britain and introduced a number of reforms in education, social security and welfare in an attempt to lay the foundations for a new, more caring society. The post-war Atlee government sent Labour on a trajectory towards socialism with commitments to economic planning in an attempt to reduce unemployment, a mixed public and private sector economy and a comprehensive welfare system which was endorsed by successive Labour and Conservative governments until 1979 when Thatcherism ideology took over. During this time Labour was widely perceived as being orientated towards a socialist perspective as the government took responsibility for unemployment, healthcare and housing. After Labour’s defeat by the Conservatives in the elections of 1979, the party went through a period of considerable internal turmoil that ultimately resulted in extensive reform of the structure and organisation of the Labour Party. Since 1979, there have been three distinct phases of change as ‘Old’ Labour became ‘New’. These can be defined as The Bennite challenge, Modernisation and New Labour. The first phase of this, the Bennite challenge led by Tony Benn attempted to redress the balance of power within the party. Aided by the leaders of some major trade unions at a special party conference in 1981, the party’s left wing activists succeeded in forcing through a number of internal organizational reforms that enhanced the power of grass-roots activists and trade unions in the selection of parliamentary candidates and party leaders. This change meant that ‘the party would now be committed to bringing about a fundamental and irreversible shift of power and wealth towards working people and their families’[2]. In response, a number of leading parliamentarians and supporters seceded from Labour and founded the Social Democratic Party in 1981. Labour presented a radical manifesto that proposed extensive nationalization of industry, economic planning, unilateral nuclear disarmament, and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Economic Community. The result was Labour’s worst national electoral defeat in more than 50 years. It was after this defeat that modernisation took place under the new leader of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, a politician who, despite his leftist credentials set about re-establishing Labour as a credible national electoral force. Kinnock’s â€Å"modernisation† process towards the beginnings of a ‘New Labour’ contributed to Labour’s electoral revival after the trauma of 1983. As well as explicitly rejecting nationalisation as a tool or goal of economic policy, Kinnock ‘set out to crush the revolutionary left by launching a series of expulsions of supporters of the Militant Tendency’[3] but it was not sufficient to deprive the Conservatives of their governing majorities in the general elections of 1987 and 1992. By the time that Blair took the Labour Party leadership in 1994, the leadership had reasserted its authority having introduced significant organisational reforms which broadened and centralised the decision making process within the party as well as removing all trace of links with Marxist socialist ideology. Traditionally, there had been a strong socialist link with the Labour Party through Clause 4. Despite opposition from many of the Old Labour leaders, the rank and file of the party was insistent on maintaining its Socialist roots right up to the 1990’s. In stark contrast to the rest of Europe, which by 1980 had largely rejected a fully-fledged socialist ideology, Labour maintained Clause 4 that sought to maintain its ideology of socialism and nationalisation. Clause 4 of the Labour Party’s constitution was an integral part of the party’s philosophy and ideology as it marked the party as ardently socialist. Clause 4 is as follows; â€Å"To Secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible up the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service.†[4] The clause is clearly anti-capitalist and commits to replacing capitalism with a system of social ownership, justice and planning where more control is given to ‘the workers’. Dearlove and Saunders propose that in practise, Old Labour was happy to accept a capitalist economic order although they sought limited social ownership through nationalisation, limited redistribution or wealth and income through taxation and welfare and limited planni ng through national agencies. In practise then, Dearlove and Saunders suggest that Labour should have been considered as a ‘social democratic’ party rather than actively pursuing its formal socialist objectives. Following the election of Tony Blair in 1994 as leader of the Labour party, the party saw a series of programmatic and organisational changes; the party systematically reviewed its policies so as to re-embrace the mixed economy in the tradition of the revisionists of the 1950s. Labour had consistently struggled to fully implement socialism, and reject the capitalist system because of what many critics believed to be a lack of a proper plan of how to implement their socialist ideology and replace the capitalist system. Blair took the modernisation of the party to a new level, adopting the American idea of rebranding the party as ‘new’. The slogan, ‘New Labour, New Britain’ was unveiled and stuck as the new party name. Blair believed that the Left had to ‘modernise or die.’ [5] With the rejection of Clause 4, Blair and the modernisers showed little respect for Old Labour’s sacred cows; â€Å"state ownership, economic planning, Keynesian de mand management, full employment, tax-and-spend welfarism and close links with the trade unions†[6] and brought Labour back to win the next General election. New Labour is itself a contested term. There is much debate as to what exactly it means. Michael Freeden suggests that the ‘ideological map’ of New Labour is â€Å"†¦located somewhere between the three great Western ideological traditions – liberalism, conservatism and socialism – though it is not equidistant from them all.†[7] Some suggest ‘New’ Labour is nothing but a marketing ploy and product of Alistair Campbell’s PR campaign for Labour in an attempt to win votes. During the 1997 election campaign, the Conservatives tried to convince voters that New Labour was simply ‘Old’ Labour in disguise using the ‘New Labour, New Danger’ slogan. Some political scientists, notably Driver and Martell assert that the political positioning of ‘New’ Labour is nothing more than Liberal Conservatism. They would argue that ‘New Labour’ is simply an extension of Thatcherism inasmuch as it is no different from Thatcherite attempts to blend traditional conservative and classical liberal principles. Pointing to Conservative prescriptions regarding education, the family and welfare, they assert that ‘New Labour’ is simply a progression of Thatcherism. Blair sees ‘New Labour’ as a new means to an old end, believing that the party has the same values yet is using new ways to achieve these aims. Apart from the rejection of Clause 4, how then is ‘New’ Labour different from ‘Old’ Labour? Dearlove and Saunders regard ‘New Labour’ to be Liberal Socialism. New Labour has rejected its classed based socialism in exchange for what many believe to be ethical socialism which has been largely influenced by Blair’s own Christian beliefs and the Labour ‘tradition of self help and mutual aid. Dennis and Halsey have defined ethical socialism as ‘a moral community in which freedom is gained for every member through the sharing of what they have, in equal mutual respect for the freedom of all’. Where Thatcher ‘sought to temper the free market individualism of neo-liberalism with an emphasis on traditional conservative values’ Blair has tried to temper the individualism of neo-liberalism with traditional ethical socialist values of equality, fraternity, self improvement and moral rectitude, in an attempt to amalgama te neo-liberal economics and socialist ethics. Whereas ‘Old Labour’ had been based on the big ideas of socialism and collectivism for the advancement of the working class, ‘New’ Labour attempts to reconstruct the state with more democracy and individual responsibility based on ‘co-operative self-help’ and the idea of communitarianism whereby individuals have a responsibility to help themselves and those immediately around them in their community. There is a new emphasis on social cohesion and ‘New’ Labour’s attempts to repair the social fabric of society. ‘New’ Labour is attempting to maintain the dynamic, innovative and efficient aspects and advantages of a liberalised economy whilst trying to avoid the inimical and often inevitable social fragmentation. One aspect of this is the shift from the ‘Old’ Labour stance on providing a large welfare state as a means of creating a more egalitarian society to ‘New’ Labour’s smaller we lfare state which is based on the principle of ‘hand up, not hand-out’ and the idea that the community and the individual should exist for each other’s benefit. The Ethical Socialist ideals are further perpetuated with ‘New’ Labour’s belief in stakeholder capitalism – the idea that every citizen must be included in the society they live in by being made to feel they have a long term stake in it using the idea of the welfare state and universal provision of services such as healthcare and education. Unlike ‘Old’ Labour’s focus on the interests and needs of the working classes, the trade unions and the poor, ‘New’ Labour concerns itself with the interests of consumers, especially middle Britain and a new deal for citizens. Anthony Giddens argues that this is largely in response to the impact of ‘post-materialism’. This idea asserts, â€Å"after a certain level of prosperity has been reached, voters become concerned less with economic issues than with the quality of their lives.†[8] In order to get the middle England vote, New Labour needed to accommodate for these voters. Giddens also suggests New Labour’s shift is a reflection of class dealignment and the decline of the blue collar, working class which meant Labour could no longer rely on a consistent ‘class bloc’ to vote for them. ‘New’ Labour has largely rejected a Keynesian style economy using demand management style that had been characteristic of ‘Old’ Labour. ‘New’ Labour has also rejected its former ideology of nationalised industry and public ownership replacing this with a much more free market approach and even privatisation of some former publicly owned services such as the London Underground. To argue that there are no discernable differences between ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Labour would be both naà ¯ve and crass. Like most political parties, since its inception, Labour has evolved, changing both its organisation and ideology to reflect changes in society and voters needs. The gap between the Left and Right has significantly narrowed with ‘New’ Labour policy and there are undeniable elements of Thatcherism in ‘New’ Labour although it is certainly not merely an extension of this. Perhaps the most significant change to ‘New’ Labour, the amendment of Clause 4, can be attributed to class dealignment and the decline of the working class that has shifted Labour far away from its socialist and nationalising policies that used to provide the core of its ideology. ‘New’ Labour no longer seeks to nationalise and plan but rather prefers equality of opportunity rather than outcome. ‘New’ Labour is no l onger the preserve of the socialist working class; it has been transformed into a party for middle England as much as the workers. [1] John Dearlove and Peter Saunders – Introduction to British Politics 3rd Edition, Polity 2000 p.394 [2] ibid p.397 [3] John Dearlove and Peter Saunders – Introduction to British Politics 3rd Edition, Polity 2000 p.402 [4] The former ‘Clause 4’ of the Labour Party constitution [5] Tony Blair, speech to the Part of European Socialists’ Congress, Malmo, 6 June 1997 [6] Stephen Driver and Luke Martell – New Labour, Politics after Thatcherism 1998 Polity, p.12 [7] Michael Freeden – The Ideology of New Labour – Political Quarterly 70 (1999) p.48 [8] Anthony Giddens – The Third Way: The Renewal of Democracy Polity p.19

Celestial Seasoning

Celestial Seasonings was found by small countryside family aiming to bring natural herb benefits to the customers in 1969. Celestial’s herbal tea was sold through local stores initially. Celestial Seasonings went through major change when it was bought by Kraft Inc in 1984. Kraft brought Celestial products to new markets before selling it back to the Celestial’s old management in 1988. The selling and re-purchase of Celestial benefit the company to get into national market and exposure to wider consumer range.Throughout the decade of 90’s, company extended its product line as per market demands. As result herbal supplements, medicinal teas, herbal supplement capsules and many other products were added to celestial product range. Company had good growth till end of decade until some of its product start showing the declining trend. There are some problems relating to celestial Seasonings progress which include ethical issues, quality concerns and limited target ma rket.Celestial Seasonings makes its entire product range from natural herbs but still company cannot promise to make people healthy. It’s a product not medicine so it cannot claim for treatment of illness and claiming so raises ethical issue. Quality concern is another problem with the celestial Seasonings products. 71% people consider Celestial Seasonings products safe for health while 29% people have some concerns about safety. They think that being natural doesn’t make it safe. Herb source authenticity also raises questions about quality.Celestial Seasonings offer a wide range of product but major target market is baby boomer ladies with 35 to 54 years of age. Its tea products have high price than other tea competitors. This raises the problem of limited target market. As a solution of ethical problem, company must not make unjustified promises. Product statements can show that these can help living healthier life rather than its impression of a curing product. Qual ity can be assured by club marketing programs and virtual tours. Sustainable sourcing assurance can also help improving customers’ confidence.Club marketing programs can be launched and events can be held on farm and production locations to improve customer perception for product quality. Market development is solution to limited target market issue. New target markets can be explored. Company can go global and enter the markets where tea is a part of tradition like England, India, and Pakistan. Celestial Seasonings has kept its promise to bring natural herb benefits to the customers. Company can overcome current problems and increase its profits with market development, club marketing programs and keeping the ethical concerns.

Free Essays on Ecuador

Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the west coast of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator. The Andes Mountains rise through much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the plateaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuador's capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, partly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900's, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its rich soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. It is also the country's leading commercial center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a large jungle. Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or have had the support of the armed forces. About 10 percent of Ecuador's people- mostly of European ancestry- make up the wealthiest and most powerful group in the country. Indians and mestizos each form about 40 percent of the population. Blacks, whose ancestors were brought to Ecuador as slaves of the Spaniards, make up the remaining 10 percent of the population. Most Ecuadorians speak Spanish, and more than 90 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. The Ecuadorian government requires all children from 6 to 14 year... Free Essays on Ecuador Free Essays on Ecuador ECUADOR ECUADOR COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: Ecuador is a developing country. Travelers to the capital city of Quito may require some time to adjust to the altitude (close to 10,000 feet), which can adversely affect blood pressure, digestion and energy level. Tourist facilities are adequate, but vary in quality. Introduction Epithet after epithet was found too weak to convey to those who have not visited the intertropical regions, the sensations of delight which the mind experiences.- Charles Darwin If an argumentative group of travelers sat down to design a shared destination, they would be hard put to come up with a place that would best Ecuador. Packed like a knee-cap between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador contains within its borders an improbable variety of landscape and culture. For the mountaineer, it is bisected by an epic stretch of the northern Andes. For the jungle explorer, there is a biological mother lode within the Amazonian Oriente. The sea-minded are rewarded with miles of Pacific coastl ine, to say nothing of the living wonders of the Galapagos Islands. Not only are these regions highly defined, but excluding Galapagos they are also wonderfully contiguous. The entire country is about the size of Washington state, and it is home to some of the world's most extraordinary national parks. In a matter of two hundred miles, the traveler can penetrate all of the mainland's defining regionsthe coastal lowlands in the West, the volcanic central highlands, and the rainforests of the East, or Oriente. Ecuador's climate is equally generous to the traveler. Embracing the Pacific, Ecuador rests squarely on the equator (hence its name). Here, seasons are defined more by rainfall than temperature. A warm rainy season lasts from January to April, and May through December is characterized by a cooler, drier period that is ideally timed for a summer trip. History & Culture Ecuador's culture and history mirrors the diversity of its landscape. L... Free Essays on Ecuador The first Spaniards landed in northern Ecuador in 1526. Pizarro reached the country in 1532, and spread terror among the Indians thanks to his conquistadors' horses, armor and weapons. The Inca leader, Atahualpa, was ambushed, held for ransom, 'tried' and executed, and the Inca Empire was effectively demolished. Quito held out for two years but was eventually destroyed by Atahualpa's general: Ruminahui, rather than be lost intact to the invading Spaniards. Quito was refounded in December 1534. Today there is only one intact Inca site in Ecuador - Ingapirca, to the north of Cuenca. After the Incas were defeated, the Spanish became the new rulers of Ecuador. A creole middle class began to emerge and made several attempts to free Ecuador of Spanish rule. This would finally happen on May 24, 1822; thanks to Simon Bolivar. The first years of the Republic were marked by instability and power struggles. History evolved around the figure of the first President, Venezuelan born General Juan Josà © Flores. During this government the first constitution was written. Quito was chosen as the capital of Ecuador and Catholicism was the official religion of the State. By 1860, Gabriel Garcia Moreno consolidated the country and an era of conservatism began with support from the Catholic Church, which lasted until 1895. During the last part of the 19th Century, the country flourished economically, mainly due to cocoa exports. In the late 1800s, Eloy Alfaro led a liberal revolution that reduced the power of the clergy and created an era of capitalist development. Political instability dominated during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1941, Ecuador was invaded by Peru and lost control over much of its Amazon Territory. The border is still a matter of dispute, appearing differently on Ecuadorian and non-Ecuadorian maps. After World War II, Ecuador's economy received a boost due to banana exports. A period of peace from 1... Free Essays on Ecuador Ecuador is one of the smallest countries of South America. It lies on the west coast of the continent between Colombia and Peru. The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name. Ecuador is the Spanish word for equator. The Andes Mountains rise through much of central Ecuador. About half the people live in the valleys and on the plateaus of the Andes. Quito, Ecuador's capital, lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level on an Andean plateau. A flat, partly forested, tropical plain extends west of the Andes along the Pacific Ocean. This coastal plain is developing faster than any other part of the country. About half the Ecuadorian people live there. During the middle and late 1900's, many people moved to the coastal plain to farm its rich soil. Others moved to the coastal city of Guayaquil to find jobs. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city. It is also the country's leading commercial center and chief seaport. East of the Andes Mountains is a large jungle. Ecuador has had more than 15 constitutions since it gained independence from Spain. Most of these constitutions provided for an elected legislature, but in many elections few of Ecuador's people have been allowed to vote. Strong leaders have suspended or replaced many of the country's constitutions in order to stay in office or to increase their power. Most of Ecuador's rulers have been military leaders or have had the support of the armed forces. About 10 percent of Ecuador's people- mostly of European ancestry- make up the wealthiest and most powerful group in the country. Indians and mestizos each form about 40 percent of the population. Blacks, whose ancestors were brought to Ecuador as slaves of the Spaniards, make up the remaining 10 percent of the population. Most Ecuadorians speak Spanish, and more than 90 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. The Ecuadorian government requires all children from 6 to 14 year...

aus relationship with china essays

aus relationship with china essays Good morning teachers and students China is a country in East Asia The total area of China is 9,571,300 sq km (3,695,500 sq mi) including inland waters. The country stretches across East Asia in a broad arc that has a maximum east-west extent of about 5,000 km the worlds largest country by population and one of the largest by area, measuring about the same size as the United States. China proper centers on the agricultural regions drained by three major rivers-the Huang He (Yellow River) in the north, the Yangtze (Chang Jiang) in central China, and the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River) in the south. The countrys varied terrain includes vast deserts, towering mountains, high plateaus, and broad plains. Beijing, located in the north, is Chinas capital and its cultural, economic, and communications center. Shanghai, located near the Yangtze, is the most populous urban center, the largest industrial and commercial city, and mainland Chinas leading port. More than one-fifth of the worlds populatio n-1.3 billion people-live in China. More than 90 percent of these are ethnic Han Chinese, Australia regards the relationship with China as one of its most important. The bilateral relationship is based on shared interests and mutual respect, an approach which offers the best prospects to maximise shared economic interests, advance Australia's political and strategic interests, and manage differences in a sensible and practical way. Since 1997 there has been a major strengthening of relations, assisted by a strong program of high-level visits in both directions. Prime Minister Howard visited China most recently in August 2003. He visited previously in March 1997, in October 2001 to attend the APEC Leaders Meeting, and in May 2002. PRC President Hu Jintao visited Australia in October 2003. Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited in September 1999. Bilateral relations have reached a new level of maturity with the reciprocal...

Ways To Improve Starbucks' Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ways To Improve Starbucks' Services - Essay Example Indeed, Starbucks needs to drastically change the way they distributes their service so as to increase customer satisfaction to remain competitive in the particular industry. Starbuck was founded in 1971 as a Seattle coffee bean retailer and roaster and since then has expanded quickly. Thus Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegel obtained the idea from Peet Alfred(of the famous Peet’s coffee)/.Initially the store just sold coffee making equipment and coffee beans as opposed to selling drinks, of which they have become popular globally. After a decade, Schultz Howard was contracted as a Director of Retail Operations and concluded that they ought to be selling drinks instead of machines and beans. Failing to convince the owners, they parted ways and Howard started the II Giornale series of coffee bars in the year 1986. The following year, Baldwin and company decided to sell Starbucks to Schultz who immediately changed the name of his II Giornale locations to Starbucks and began expanding. After dominating Seattle the chain of coffeehouses spread throughout the US and later on became international. Over the length of time, Starbucks has been in e xistence, it has acquired and bought companies such as Seattle’s and Peet’s Best Coffee and taken over several locations of Coffee people and Diedrich Coffee stores. From 1987, Starbucks has been opening 2 new stores everyday on average. The first ever store outside of the US or Canada was opened in 1996 in Tokyo and it Starbucks still maintains a considerable presence in Japan even to date. Today Starbucks has been able to expand to more than 17,200 stores in more than 55 nations worldwide. They have the biggest presence in the US, which has over 11,200 stores. Starbucks can be located in such diverse nations as Romania, Chile, Bulgaria and Bahrain. The very recent expansion took place in Budapest. Presently the overseas stores make up about one third of Starbuck’s

How cell phones affected business in the world Research Paper

How cell phones affected business in the world - Research Paper Example This is especially in terms of communication besides ensuring that they can execute certain policies not only when physically present in the company but also while far away from the premises (Donovan, 2012). Consequently, cell phones have made everything fast and easy because it is just either the touch of the screen or press of a button, and individual attains what he or she wants (Diniz, Porto de Albuquerque, & Cernev, 2011). However, cell phones in the field of business have presented both merits and demerits mainly based on their usage. This is especially by employees who end up using them inappropriately for their gains (Diniz, Porto de Albuquerque, & Cernev, 2011). Enhance Business Flexibility When utilized as necessitated, cell phones pose numerous benefits to any business venture globally (Donovan, 2012). They normally allow for easy flexibility of both the business and employees while working. This enables one to work from anywhere irrespective of time, and still business ru ns smoothly, which is by offering the necessary directives, for instance, from business owners (Donovan, 2012). This is a positive impact on the businesses, which allows for extra flexibility not only to the owners but also clients because they are capable of both ordering and paying their bills using cell phones (MPESA) (Diniz, Porto de Albuquerque, & Cernev, 2011). For instance, suppose one is away from his or her office during a business trip, yet one can still communicate with clients and meet their needs. In addition, a person is capable of planning and holding meetings without necessarily being at the venue physically through a teleconference (Diniz, Porto de Albuquerque, & Cernev, 2011). Presently, numerous cell phones are Internet-enabled, implying they can perform similar and even more efficient functions than an ordinary computer. For instance, these functions embrace sending emails, conversing, browsing the Internet and typing documents irrespective of the user’s l ocation (Donovan, 2012). These features enable users to be updated with the current ongoing events besides being able to meet his or her prospective customers and suppliers. For instance, suppose a client is in need of a proposal, so one can send it to him or her via uploading it via the phone where the receiver gets it within seconds (Diniz, Porto de Albuquerque, & Cernev, 2011). Making the World a Global Village Cell phone knowhow has also turned the world into a global village in diverse ways (Diniz, Porto de Albuquerque, & Cernev, 2011). For instance, one can easily communicate with diverse people globally without necessarily being together physically, which also applies to both buying and selling varied merchandise. This is aided by phone enabled features such as emails, teleconferencing, and social sites (FaceBook and Tweeter) to relay information from the sender to a large pool of clientele within seconds. A businessperson can hold conference meetings with fellow business peo ple by teleconferencing or via Skype. This is much easier and faster due to a cell phone’s portability that prompts even workers to execute some of their roles while far from their respective working venues (Curwen & Whalley, 2010). This is evident currently with some global corporations which find it easy to deploy their staff in diverse