The Cartesian Doubt Experiment and Mathematics :: Mathematics Math Mathematical Papers

The Cartesian Doubt Experiment and Mathematics ABSTRACT: The view that Descartes called mathematical propositions into doubt as he impugned all beliefs concerning common-sense ontology by assuming that all beliefs derive from perception seems to rest on the presupposition that the Cartesian problem of doubt concerning mathematics is an instance of the problem of doubt concerning existence of substances. I argue that the problem is not 'whether I am counting actual objects or empty images,' but 'whether I am counting what I count correctly.' Considering Descartes's early works, it is possible to see that for him, the proposition '2+3=5' and the argument 'I think, therefore I am,' were equally evident. But Descartes does not found his epistemology upon the evidence of mathematical propositions. The doubt experiment does not seem to give positive results for mathematical operations. Consciousness of carrying out a mathematical proposition, however, unlike putting forth a result of an operation, is immune to doubt. Statements of cons ciousness of mathematical or logical operations are instances of 'I think' and hence the argument 'I count, therefore I am' is equivalent to 'I think, therefore I am.' If impugning the veridicality of mathematical propositions could not pose a difficulty for Descartes's epistemology which he thought to establish on consciousness of thinking alone, then he cannot be seen to avoid the question. Discarding mathematical propositions themselves on the grounds that they are not immune to doubt evoked by a powerful agent does not generate a substantial problem for Descartes provided that he believes that he can justify them by appeal to God's benevolence. The question whether Descartes impugned veridicality of mathematical propositions via the arguments of the First Meditation is of epistemologically significance for an inquiry into the nature of Descartes' doubt experiment with a view to a plausible answer to this question may offer us clues to understand the nature of Cartesian theory of justification and the nature of foundationalistic epistemology in general. The evil genius hypothesis introduced in the last paragraph of the First Meditation does not seem to call veridicality of mathematical propositions into question: Descartes does not mention mathematical truths when he finalizes the setting of the doubt experiment. The text is ambiguous at this point and the reader is left ignorant whether simple truths of arithmetics or geometry are held exempt from doubt evoked by the evil genius hypothesis. Does this final tool of the doubt experiment put emphasis on the dubitability of judgments of common-sense ontology based on sense perception alone?

Quality and Risk Scenario Essay

The HIM professional can have a direct impact on the quality or compliance of specific operations or employees within a healthcare institution. Healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, can be huge institutions made up of hundreds or even thousands of treatment or operation specific areas operation. This can include anything from the surgeon who performs coronary artery bypass to the neonatal intensive care nurse who directly cares for struggling newborns to the physical plant worker who makes sure all the lights in the building stay on and the operating room is maintained at a certain temperature. As an overall institution the thought of identifying risk and liability within the organization can be quite overwhelming and daunting. The best way to approach this is to break things down into specific issues or areas and focus on one thing at a time, with the overall goal to be improving quality and reducing risk to the institution. This paper will focus on three specific scenarios that represent an area of risk and liability for the institution. These three scenarios will include the safety of blood transfusions within a hospital, dealing with power failure risks within a hospital and using operational checklists to improve employee efficiency, consistency and reducing the human factor of making mistakes. Scenario one is to be specific to a scenario involving patient care and safety. The specific discussion here will be the use of blood transfusions within the hospital setting. This is a procedure that has been done for dozens of years even as medical science has made tremendous progress. The reality is that science just hasn’t found a synthetic way to carry oxygen through the blood stream and blood infusions still remain today the best way to do just that. While the best procedure out there for this, blood infusions don’t come without their risks and financial impacts. A study by the University Healthcare Consortium analyzed over 29,000 blood transfusions over a 7 year period from 2003-2009 (Williams, 2011). These transfusions ranged anywhere from scheduled routine outpatient surgeries to unexpected traumatic injuries brought in through the emergency room. The analysis identified many risks associated with blood transfusions, including poorly trained staff, lack of trained staff, minor hemolytic allergic reactions all the way up to severe anaphylactic reactions. The study was even able to identify that the time of day that the transfusion was performed could positively or negatively affect the patient outcome. So, while this can be a lifesaving procedure a blood transfusion should not be taken lightly. Another study published in the April, 2012 issue of the professional journal Anesthesiology was conducted by Johns Hopkins Hospital analyzing the outcomes of over 3000 patients who received blood transfusions. This study reveals that measuring the hemoglobin level in patients can be an accurate indicator of when a patient should receive a blood transfusion. This is a significant study because it could have a positive effect on both patient outcome and the financial costs involved in giving a blood transfusion. The Johns Hopkins study revealed that patients were being given blood transfusions when they really didn’t need it. A normal hemoglobin level ranges between 12-14 and the study reveals that a level as low as 7 or 8 is safe. Prior to this study the leading specialty societies, including the FOCUS research group (Functional Outcomes in Cardivascular patients Undergoing Surgury), set parameters that transfusions were definitely needed if the hemoglobin was below 7 and probably did not need a transfusion if the hemoglobin was 10 or above. But nobody ever set any parameters on what to do if the hemoglobin ranged between 7 and 10. This left the physician to decide when to start a blood transfusion. The Johns Hopkins study revealed that because of this most physicians always erred in the side of â€Å"safety† by ordering a transfusion any time the hemoglobin was at or below 10. But the Hopkins study has now determined that a hemoglobin of 7 or 8 can be considered safe. Giving blood to patients who have a hemoglobin above 7 shows no real benefit and truth is that the risk due to side effects may actually be increased. Remember that this procedure has been in place for decades and this new research was a game changer. The benefits to a hospital from the Hopkins study are tremendous. The study revealed that the costs to the hospital for one unit (300ml) of blood can cost as much as $1,100. While the donor gives the blood for free it must be analyzed for toxic diseases including Hepatitis and HIV (IMVS 2012). The blood is then separated into red blood cells, platelets and plasma, to be distributed specifically where needed. Include the storage and transportation costs and you can start to understand why blood is so expensive. Only giving blood when truly indicated has been shown to reduce the use of blood by up to 66% per institution with no change in outcomes to the patient including â€Å"length of stay, heart attack, stroke, death, and even the ability to walk† (Clark, 2012). This is where the HIM professional can come into play. The HIM can take research articles like this or even acquire their own research and then do training to educate the hospital staff. The Hopkins tudy indicated that when the HIM spoke directly with the surgeons and showed them the research there was a tendency to accept the new mindset and start delaying blood transfusions until the patient hemoglobin dropped below 7. This resulted in extra blood supply for those patients who truly need it and a significant reduced operating cost to the institution. It’s the HIM’s job to establish or change procedures that reflect changing and beneficial modalities and to get the information out to the hospital physicians and staff so they can help reduce institutional costs and ultimately benefit their own livelihood. This process can be done for hundreds or even thousands of processes currently in place within a hospital institution. Now we move on from our blood transfusion scenario to one involving the infrastructure of the hospital. The specific example to be used here is the hospital power supply. Hurricane Sandy revealed for many healthcare institutions in the north eastern United States that they were not as prepared as they thought. Some of these hospitals did have emergency generators in place, but they did no good for providing electricity when they were located in the basement of the building submerged in water from the flood. Sometimes it takes a real catastrophe for us to truly see how prepared we really are and how to improve. It’s crucial that a hospital be able to maintain electricity at all times. Almost every part of the building depends on electricity for staff to function and take care of their patients. Without electricity the lights won’t work, the furnace and air conditioners won’t work, the pumps won’t pump water through the pipes, ventilators will stop working and elevators won’t even be able to transfer sick patients between floors. These are some examples, but surely you can find many more failures if you look hard enough. For this reason, it is important that a hospital evaluate and have a plan in place to reduce the possibility of losing electricity and also have a plan in place if all safe guards fail. The concerns can truly be specific to a geographic area. For example, a hospital in the Midwest may not have to worry much about being hit by a hurricane, but it could be hit by a tornado. I spoke with hospital administrator Robyn Mazzolini at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois regarding how their hospital has addressed the issue of maintaining electricity to the facility. Robyn indicated that there were three specific issues of highest concern. They included the loss of power from the local utility company, flooding of the existing generators in the basement of the main hospital and damage from tornados. Robyn indicated that about ten years ago the hospital installed a generator in the basement of the main building that is capable of providing power to the entire ten story hospital, including all lights and HVAC. The problem was that the unit was very large and heavy and, as a result, had to be installed in the basement. A second generator was installed right next to the first to act as a backup generator should they lose power from the power company. These generators are also designed to operate on both natural gas or stored gasoline in the event the gas lines become compromised. This seemed to solve 90% of the scenarios that could come up. Then the neighboring community experienced a flood that shut down utilities for days and a few weeks in some areas. The hospital was concerned that they would be shut down in the event of a flood in their generator rooms in the basement. So, they added a third generator inside a remote area on the south perimeter of the hospital. This generator is located inside a concrete structure three floors above ground level. This is a smaller generator that will run specific areas in order for the hospital to stay functional. For example, this generator only supplies certain lights so that there is always enough visibility to operate. It also is designed to operate all electronics in the operating rooms, emergency room and critical care areas so there is no compromise to patient care. On the remaining medical floors there is one or two red colored electric outlets that operate off this third generator. In addition, this generator is not connected in any way to the basement level so that it can power the upper floors of the hospital even if the ground level is buried under 20 feet of water. The third generator is also enclosed in walls of reinforced concrete with the thought that it could withstand a tornado. It was the HIM and the HIT who were involved in the process to help determine the essential power needs of the hospital. The HIM evaluated the staff and the various facilities to determine that they could function treating most patients as long as there was one dedicated outlet within each patient room. The HIT also identified that the operating rooms, critical care areas and emergency room pretty much needed full power capabilities no matter what. The HIM and facilities managers both have a critical role in communicating the needs of the patients, staff and hospital to the engineers, administrators and building designers. And while Lutheran General Hospital was able to spend millions to prepare for a power disruption and pretty much covered every scenario, they still need to be ready to operate should all power to the facility cease. It is the HIM who can evaluate the various areas of the hospital based on resources, staffing and needs to determine the most critical issues to address first in the event of a total power failure. This takes a lot of time and energy and is probably an evolving process as conditions and resources change. But, in the end, it is the HIM professional who is able to connect all the dots to help bring the best solution for the organization. The third and final scenario presented here is related to staffing and how the HIM can help reduce risk and liability when it comes to the behavior of hospital staff. Hospital employees by their human nature are susceptible to making mistakes or forgetting to do certain things in the course of their patient care. Every health care institution, and any other business for that matter, strives to find ways to provide the best service possible to its customers. The challenge in improving service and reducing liability is finding a process that actually works. Ohio State University Medical Center found a way to improve the quality and consistency of patient care from its medical professionals. Ohio State did created a system of check lists to be used by hospital staff in their particular department and area of responsibility. So, there were many different checklists, but each employee only had one checklist that they were specifically responsible for. The University compared the outcome of over 3000 patients both before the check lists were used and then an additional 3000 plus patients after the checklists were used. The results were staggering. The study showed, for example, that the surgical death rate of patients decreased 47% when check lists were used compared to none used. Surgical infection rates were found to have decreased by 45%. These are dramatic results that clearly show a huge improvement in patient care and reduction of risk and liability. A possible cause for such improvement is that using checklists prevented medical staff from skipping a stop that could have caused a serious complication or infection. The aviation industry has proven that checklists work. When a pilot has a sudden engine failure there is plenty of room for panic and impulsive missed steps. This is why pilots are trained to immediately pull out their check lists, even if they have them memorized, and go systematically down the list to make sure that all steps are completed as indicated. This following of check lists has proven to significantly improve survivability of the aircraft during an emergency. The use of check lists seems to hold true for the health care industry, too, as the data clearly shows. The HIM plays a critical role in the development and rollout of these check lists to the various departments. The HIM must involve the hospital staff, managers and physicians in the process of developing a check list that easily and safely covers the needs of both the patient and the hospital. Once developed the HIM must develop and take the time to train the staff so that they understand the intent of the check lists as well as the individual steps and why they are to be completed. This training will ensure that the employees buy into the use of the check lists and choose to use them consistently with every patient. Theoretically, this should provide the same process and the same desired outcomes each time. Besides implementing the checklist program through training the HIM also plays an important role in developing a policy that says how the plan is to be implemented. Employees appreciate it when everything is clearly spelled out of what is expected of them. The HIM is in a position to deal with both the hospital administrator and the front line nurse who is physically caring for patients. This allows the HIM to obtain feedback and recommendations from all involved in the process and create or modify the plan as it is determined that changes need to take place. The HIM is possibly also in the best position to analyze the data to present the findings of the continued analysis to administrators to determine if the check list process is working or not. An example of a checklist that Ohio State University Medical Center used was the Pre-Op holding RN checklist that ends with transfer to the operating room RN checklist. Each nurse has specific duties to complete with their patient as they prepare them for their surgical procedure. The Pre-Op nurse can follow the check list to ensure that all required actions have indeed taken place. When transferring care to the operating room nurse the pre-op nurse passes on her check list to verify to the next nurse that everything has been completed properly. Each nurse is also required to ask the next receiving nurse if they have any questions. As you can see, this process really does maintain a high quality of continuity of care for the patients as they move throughout the various areas in the hospital during their stay. Cutting corners and skipping steps in the patient care process is significantly reduced if not completely eliminated and the HIM or HIT professional is involved all along in helping to create and improve the process within that hospital. This paper only discussed three scenarios in the process of seeking to maintain quality while reducing financial liability within a hospital environment. These processes can be used and applied towards the thousands of specific areas of responsibility that exist within a large health care facility like a hospital. The HIM professional really does play a crucial role in connecting the various departments and providers within a small or large healthcare institution. The HIM is in a position to know the pulse of the front line operations as well as the upper office administration’s intended direction going forward. The HIM professional can pull everyone together to compile data and make recommendations or changes that benefit the patient, the physicians and nurses, the facilities operators and even the top level administrators. There are few other individuals who are in such a good position to create such positive change. Quality HIM professionals will be in demand for many years to come.

Effects of Commercialization Essay

Effects of Commercialization Commercialization is often confused with sales, marketing, or business development. â€Å"The rise of commercialization is an artifact of the growth of corporate power† (Gray Ruskin and Juliet Schor 487). Ruskin and Schor states that â€Å"corporations fostered the anti-tax movement and support for corporate welfare, which helped create funding crises in state and local governments and schools, and made them more willing to carry commercial adverting (487). Open-source communities have learned over time to integrate commercial interests into their development ranks without capitulating to those commercial interests. â€Å"Economists often assume that markets are inert, they do not affect the goods being exchange (Michael J. Sandel 492). Commercialization process has three key aspects: The Funnel it is essential to look at many ideas to get one or two products or businesses that can be sustained long-term, stage-wise process, and each stage has it s own key goals and milestones, and vital to involve key stakeholders early, including customers. There are so many outlooks of commercialization. The effects of commercialization are black Friday, attack on family values, and environment. The rise of commercialization is an artifact of the growth of corporate power† (Ruskin and Schor 487). Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Black Friday is the following Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Black Friday is not a holiday. Black Friday has become popular. Better than last minute Christmas sales. Retailers put their items on sale on Thanksgiving Morning. We realize the importance of Black Friday to retailers. It’s the day that the yearly sales finally move from the red deficit column into black profit. But its impetus, the blood sport of bargaining hunting, overshadows the meaning and the reason for Thanksgiving. Instead of giving thanks for what we have, too many salivate over what can be acquired. â€Å"Economics was becoming an imperial domain. Today, the logical of buying and selling no longer applies to material goods alone† (Michael J. Sandel 494). The family is the most  fundamental of society’s institutions, for it is within the family setting that lifetime behaviors and beliefs are established and values nurtured best in children including adolescent behavior. â€Å"The mother of the household says having less means her family appreciates p ossessions more† (Anna Quindlen 502). One key form of capitalist attack on the family lies in a process called commodification, in which capital seeks to undermine the natural forms of human interaction in all spheres of life and exchange them with commercial relations. In particular, capital strives to turn loving family relations. Healthy families are a challenge to capitalism. Family values and family ties are important institutions which, among others, affect numerous economic decisions. An historical perspective reveals that the conflict over the family may only be beginning and that we may be on the verge of a wider confrontation that will decide not only the survival of the family but fundamental questions about the scope and nature of the modern state. Political attacks on our families involve so many issues, there are many ways you can begin to talk to your child about them. â€Å"We did not arrive at this condition through any deliberate choice. It is almost as if it came upon us† (492). There is a massive environmental impact just in the sheer activity level of the community. The commercialization environment, the microeconomic and strategic conditions facing a firm that is translating an idea to a product, determines the most effective commercialization strategy, the process for bringing innov ation to the marketplace. â€Å"As corporations consolidate their control over governments and culture, we don’t expect an outright reversal of commercialization in the near future† (491). The crucial element of a firm’s commercialization strategy is whether it competes or cooperates with established firms. Commercialization strategy is thus one of the most crucial decisions a firm makes in terms of its ability to profit from technologies developed within the firm. Effective commercialization strategy results from careful analysis of the commercialization environment. Considering the benefits and costs of other strategies for securing profits and competitive advantage through innovation. â€Å"We live in a time when almost everything can be bought and sold (492). In conclusion, commercialization is often tangled with sales, marketing, or business development. Black Friday is one of the largest shopping days of the year. Black Friday is the following Thanksgiving Day in  the United States. The family is the most fundamental of society’s institutions, for it is within the family setting that lifetime behaviors and beliefs. There is a considerable environ mental impact just in the complete activity level of the community. Many technologies begin in the laboratory and are not practical for commercial use in their infancy. Works Cited Quindlen, Anna. â€Å"Stuff is Not Salvation.† Perspective on Contemporary Issues: Reading Across the Disciplines. Rd. Katherine Anne Ackley 7th ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. 2015 502-04. Print. Ruskin, Gray, and Schor, Juliet. Every Nook and Cranny: â€Å"The Dangerous Spread of Commercialized Culture.† Perspective on Contemporary Issues: Reading Across the Disciplines. Rd. Katherine Anne Ackley 7th ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. 2015 487-91. Print. Sandel, Michael. â€Å"What Isn’t for Sale?† Perspective on Contemporary Issues: Reading Across the Disciplines. Rd. Katherine Anne Ackley 7th ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. 2015 492-97. Print.

Macbeth William Shakespear Essay

The tragedy â€Å"Macbeth† written by William Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as a man who was once a great hero, that falls victim of his ambition for power. This ambition is induced by factors including Lady Macbeth, the witches prophecies and the guilt and remorse felt by Macbeth in regards to the deed he was to commit. These are the factors that contribute to the downfall of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is characterized as an ambitious woman who can manipulate Macbeth easily. This is shown in (Act 1 Scene 5 line 25) when she says â€Å"That I may pour my spirits in thine ear†. She manipulates his self esteem by playing with his masculinity and his bravery. Lady Macbeth feels she does not have the strength to commit the deed herself and therefore becomes successful in altering Macbeths ambitions. She says ‘unsex me here' (Act 1 Scene 4; line 39) meaning that she could never have to position of power and rank that she pushes Macbeth to strive for. Through the laguage technique of Euphemisms, Shakespeare shows that Lady Macbeth has difficulty coping and facing reality. An example of this is the text is referring to the murder of King Duncan as ? the ‘deed'. Lady Macbeth describes the action of murdering King Duncan through the words ‘to catch the nearest way'. The use of this euphemism to describe the action of killing Duncan can be seen as though she is trying to hide the harsh imagery of blood and violence in the action of murder. This is an example of Lady Macbeth’s diminishing sense of conscientiousness. The composer also uses vulgar language to express Lady Macbeths character. She says ‘Screw your courage to the sticking place' in order to further manipulate Macbeth. Shakespeare uses the three witches to set the dark sinister tone of the play. They resemble fates, who sinisterly manipulate human lives and subsequently end them. Sakespeare creates a mysterious and ominous atmosphere, indicating that ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ which suggests a change of values. â€Å"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,The instruments of darkness tell us truths. â€Å"(Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 134 & 135) The comparison of the witches to â€Å"instruments of darkness† reveals their truly foul nature. Shakespeare is implying through Banquo that the prophecies of the weird sisters will only bring about Macbeth's downfall. In addition, since Macbeth listens to the witches, he can be considered an â€Å"instrument of darkness† himself. The witches prophecies are very powerful in their manipulation of Macbeth. Through equivocation, the composer expresses the theme of appearance vs real by making the Witches prophecies appear to be a good thing to Macbeth but in reality, they trick him into damning himself. The witches speak in rhyming couplets throughout the play, which separates them from the other characters. In act 1 scene 3 the witches greet Macbeth as ‘Thane of Glamis’, ‘Thane of Cawdor’ and as ‘King of Scotland’. This prophecy leads Macbeth to genuinely think about being in control and having power. The audience views the witches as evil, having the capability of casting terrible events. However the witches cannot force Macbeth to do anything that he does not want to do. They merely revealed the future and chose to confront Macbeth at a time when he is most vulnerable, after the battle where he is feeling very proud of his achievements. Consequently, the witches certainly did have a role to play in Macbeth’s downfall, but if Macbeth had been more concerned with morality and ethics and less concerned about having power, control, and becoming king, he would have ignored the witches’ prophecy. Prior to the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth is plagued by worry and almost aborts the crime. It is in Macbeths soliloquy, where the audience is made aware of Macbeths uncertainty about whether or not he should go through with the murder. â€Å"Is this a dagger which i see before me The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee† (Act 2 Scene 1 lines 41 ; 42) This extract shows how Shakespeare explores the theme of good and evil and how Macbeth is torn between the forces of good preventing the deed, and the forces of evil which seem to be aiding him in his crime. In this scene, Macbeth also says â€Å"A dagger of the mind, a false creation Proceeding from the heat oppressed brain? †. Macbeth wonders if this vision of the dagger comes from his feverish mind. He also decides that he is imagining things. He is not able to distinguish reality from imagination. It is obvious that Macbeth would like to think that the dagger is imaginary, but the guilt he feels at the thought of committing the evil deed is enough to make him think the dagger is real. Although the murder has not yet taken place, Macbeth starts to feel guilt and remorse and is concerned of the consequences that may occur if he does murder King Duncan. His weakness is ‘valuating ambition' meaning that following the deed, Macbeth will suffer the consequences. The appearance of blood on both the hands on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is an image that represents the guilt and fear of their brutal crime. In the use of personification, Macbeth imagines that the stones of the castle are alive and talking. His fearful imagination makes him afraid that the stones on which he walks will speak out and give him away, following the deed. Perhaps the turning point of the novel in which Macbeth kills Banquo; his loyal friend due to the paranoia felt after the deed had been committed. Shakespeare uses an aside to express how Macbeth's character begins to deteriorate. This aside is crucial because it foreshadows future events to come. â€Å"Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear† This text shows how the composer has used various language techniques such as commas and punctuation to break up the phrases into regular patterns, creating dramatic effect. Shakespeare also uses irony to show how it is ironic that Macbeths quest for power and happiness would leave him weak and alone. Shakespeare uses this variety of techniques to portray how insanity had finally take over Macbeth and pushed him over the edge. In conclusion, it is evident that Macbeth is an ambitious man who is corrupted by the power he gains. The key influences that induce Macbeth into a down spiral are lady Macbeth, the witches prophecies and his own feelings of guilt. In the end it is Macbeths tragic flaw, vaulting ambition, which leads to his downfall.

Final Exam Critical Thinking Essay

Our newest product Wet Wonders lip gloss, has not been performing very well. Creative Cosmetics needs to come up with different ways to market our lip gloss in order to boost sales. The projected sales for Wet Wonders lip gloss have slumped and we are in danger of having to scrap this product and its promotional campaign. During product development, our initial testing proved that Wet Wonders can be successful based off the positive feedback we received. In order to boost sales, Creative Cosmetics needs to analyze the role of advertising in society, why it’s so important and how to effectively use it. Without advertising consumers would not be told what to buy. Advertising is the reason our homes are filled with so many items, why we drive the cars we do and why we wear the clothes we wear. There have been many studies on the increase of advertisements over the years. â€Å"In 1915, a person could go entire weeks without observing an ad. The average adult today sees some three thousand every day† (Twitchell 203). Advertising also fuels the need to shop which in turn stimulates the economy. Economist can track consumer spending every quarter allowing them to gauge how well the economy is doing. Due to budget constraints, Creative Cosmetics chose to only sell Wet Wonders through ads on the radio. Using only radio ads to market our product, has not proven to be very effective. While radio allows you to tell a story and take the listener’s mind on a journey, it is not the most effective means of marketing a lip gloss. The radio paints a broad stroke, meaning it is heard by many different people. There are specific times when we could have our ads running that could pinpoint a certain group of people, although it’s not necessarily guaranteed. Another downside to radio ads is they don’t have the ability to allow the consumer to see what they are missing. It’s not enough to say we have a wonderful product. We want to make the consumer feel that their lives would be so much better with our lip gloss and if they don’t buy it then they are missing out on something great. In other words, we have to convince them that they need our lip gloss in order to make their lives as exciting as the woman wearing it. Television could do that most effectively. Television commercials would give us the visual component we need. Our ads could really drive home the message that Wet Wonders lip gloss can change your whole look in instant. We want women to feel as though they can go from drab to fab with just one swipe of our lip gloss. Television would give us the ability to make women as though they would feel, sexy, confident and desirable when they wear our lip gloss. We could run our commercials during peak times that women are watching television such as the morning and afternoons. While there are a lot of women working outside the home, there are still a good number of women that stay at home to raise families. An ideal time to run our commercials would be during talk and game shows as well as soap operas. Another idea would be to use a famous person or celebrity in our advertising. People like to feel as though they trust the person they are buying something from and even though they may not personally know the celebrity they trust them. Since we know our product would be best suited being marketed on a visual platform, we should also consider magazine ads. Magazines would be a perfect way to market our Wet Wonders lip gloss. With magazine ads we could saturate the market with our product and message. There are teen magazines, young adult beauty magazines, and magazines for the more mature woman. Every one of these genres have women that are sexy, confident, and desirable. This is exactly the woman we want to market to. Magazines have the ability to make consumers visualize themselves as that sexy, vibrant woman that wears Wet Wonders lip gloss just by looking at a picture.

American Express Swot Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Express Swot Analysis - Essay Example From there on the company focused on global expansion and gradually became popular for its financial products like the charge card. (â€Å"Our History†, 2009). In the present era American Express is one of the payments company with world wide presence and is also a well known brand in the financial world. The brand is built on the values such as trust, quality, security, integrity and superior customer services. (â€Å"Our History†, 2009). Since the year 1850 American Express as a company has followed and conducted their business operation based on several guidelines and value propositions. The company’s core value is customer commitment. The company focuses on gaining customer confidence through extensive relationship making programs. The primary and the main strength of the organization is their ability to diversify their operations also side by side generating revenues. As we look into the history of the firm we could observe that the company has strategically adapted several diversification policies which had made it possible for them to sustain in the market. The company started its operation as an express company is now among the top players in the financial market scenario. Product innovation wise also the company claims its advantage. The company launched its new holiday gift card which is unique in its name and design qualities celebrating Hispanic culture and providing gifts for Christmas Eve and the day itself, the New Years and also the three King’s Day. (â€Å"Celebrating Hispanic Culture with the Felicidades Holiday Gift Card†, 2009). This example does not only show the product variety and range that the company offers, but it also reveals the company’s focus on the large custome r base that it usually caters to. Time to time the company successfully delivers diversified products and services and expands its range with much authority in the global market.

Sociology paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sociology paper - Essay Example Because of their physical strength of men believe that they are more competent than women. This attitude has been persistent in world history and religion and culture have always tried to reinforce this belief. The female sex is perceived to be weak and feeble, and this becomes the cornerstone of sexism. For this reason women face more domestic violence than men (Brinkerhoff, Lynn, Suzanne & Rose, 2008). The belief is so ubiquitous that from childhood the same attitudes are inculcated in children and this is how it has become a social problem. It is very important to identify sexism as a problem and only then a solution can be prescribed. The education system can play a key role in it. Children should be taught at a very early age that men and women are equal. Role play exercises can be sued to break the stigma about particular jobs being more ‘female’. Also gender discrimination laws should be made stronger so that punitive action can repel sexist practices from