Customer Analysis of Nike Shoes User

Customer Analysis of Nike Shoes User Nikeshoes industries limited INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM Since the late 1980s, Business School marketing professor Itamar Simonson has looked for ways to understand how consumers make choices. Much of his work debunks the accepted theory that giving consumers what they want and making a profit are the most basic principles of marketing. Customers may not know what they want, and second-guessing them can be expensive, says the professor who teaches MBA and PhD marketing and consumer decision-making courses. In Simonsons words, â€Å"The benefits and costs of fitting individual customer preference are more complex and less deterministic than has been assumed†. Thats because â€Å"customer preferences are often ill-defined and susceptible to various influences, and in many cases, customers have poor insight into their preferences†. In one of his recent papers, Simonson tackles the issue of one-to-one marketing and mass customization. Supporters of these marketing approaches have suggested that learning what customers want and giving them exactly what they want will create customer loyalty and an insurmountable barrier to competition. In an example taken to the extreme in the 2002 movie Minority Report, Tom Cruises character runs through a shopping mall past talking billboards that recognize him by name and urge him to buy products he had earlier expressed an interest in such as jeans and Ray-Bans, the ultimate in personalized advertising. But Simonson has this to say: The fact that consumer preferences are often fuzzy, unstable, and manipulatable is unlikely to change. So, the effectiveness of methods to give customers exactly what they want has been grossly exaggerated. In studies, he has learned that even when customers have well-defined preferences and receive offers that fit those preferences; it is far from certain that the response to such offers will consistently be more favourable than those directed at larger market segments. Its all psychology. Consumers with well-defined preferences may be sceptical that a marketer could match expectations. Those who dont know what they want may not ever see the fit with what the seller wants them to buy. So, individualized offers depend on customers preferences how the offer was extended and on trust. Effective individual marketing requires not only an understanding of individual preferences and matching offers to those preferences, but also a thorough familiarity with the various factors that impact customers responses. This is a tall order, one that some companies have been able to fill, at least to some extent. For example, Amazon keeps track of customers purchases and suggests other books they might like. Dell builds computers from mass-made parts to customers specifications. But Simonson argues some companies can take the concept too far, like the Custom Foot chain of shoe stores that took detailed measurements and specifications from each customer to design one -of-a-kind shoes. Custom Foot didnt take into account that some customers were put off by the individualized attention, Simonson says, and felt obligated to buy the shoes because the store went to so much trouble. They often didnt come back. So knowing only the customer preferences is not enough. It is required to understand other aspects of customer behaviour. Keeping this in mind, present study will find out and analyze consumer behaviour of Nike shoes. About The Industry Nike, the number one manufacturer of footwear and apparel, has become a household name on the same level as mogul companies McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Budweiser. Nike was founded in 1964 by track coach and runner duo Bill Bowerman and Phillip Knight as Blue Ribbons Sports, later becoming Nike, Inc. in 1978. The name Nike was chosen in reference to the Greek Goddess of victory. Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, helped others succeed in times of war. NIKE, the worlds #1 shoemaker, does more dominating than assisting, to capture a hefty share of the athletic shoe market. It designs and sells shoes for a variety of sports, including baseball, cheerleading, golf, volleyball, hiking, tennis, and football. NIKE also sells Cole Haan dress and casual shoes, as well as athletic apparel and equipment. In addition, NIKE operates NIKETOWN shoe and sportswear stores, NIKE factory outlets, and NIKE Women shops. Nike didnt run TV ads until 1982. Previously, Nike concentrated on sponsorships and celebrity athletes endorsements including both professional athletes and college teams. The first professional athlete endorser was Ilie Natase a Romanian tennis player. The first track and field athlete to endorse the brand was Steve Prefontaine. Nike has signed top athletes in the sports of Football, Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, Cycling, Golf, Tennis, Skateboarding, Boxing, Track and Field and Formula 1 Racing. One of Nikes best PR decisions was signing Michael Jordan as a celebrity endorser in 1984. Nikes steady competition in the 1980s was Reebok. To break any similarities they had to Reebok, Nike began promoting its shoes as fashion accessories. Reebok had cornered the younger, aerobics audience, so Nike started concentrating their ads around the person wearing the product rather than the product itself. In the 80s, Nike grew to hold 50% of the market share in the athletic shoe market. In 1988, Nike employees met with advertising agency Wieden and Kennedy (formed in 1982). In the midst of the meeting, Dan Weiden turned to the Nike employees and said, â€Å"You Nike guys, you just do it.† And so the infamous Just Do It tagline was born. Nike currently enjoys a 47% market share of the domestic footwear industry, with sales of $3.77 billion. NIKE sells its products in more than 180 countries, for over twenty-five years and there are over 500,000 people today directly engaged in the production of their products. They utilize an outsourcing strategy, using only subcontractors throughout the globe. Their majority of their output today is produced in factories in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, but they also have factories in Italy, the Philippines, Taiwan, and South Korea. These factories are 100% owned by subcontractors, with the majority of their output consisting solely of Nike products. However, Nike does employ teams of four expatriates per each of the big three countries (China, Indonesia, Vietnam), that focus on both quality of product and quality of working conditions, visiting the factories weekly. They also developed their code of conduct in 1992 and have implemented it across the globe, as its goal is to set th e standard for subcontractors to follow if they wish to do business with Nike. However, due to a manufacturing network of this magnitude, they have faced numerous violations involving factory conditions and human rights issues, which have been widely publicized. Nike, Inc. is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing of footwear, apparel, equipment and accessory products. Nikes athletic footwear products are designed for specific athletic use, although some of its products are worn for casual or leisure purposes. The Company creates designs for men, women and children. Running, basketball, childrens, cross-training and womens shoes are the Companys top-selling product categories. Nike also markets shoes designed for outdoor activities, tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, football, bicycling, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, aquatic activities, hiking and other athletic and recreational uses. Nike sells active sports apparel that covers most of these categories, athletically inspired lifestyle apparel and others. Nikes mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world, and the company says further that If you have a body, you are an athlete. The firms overall vision includes providing a full range of high-quality, performance-oriented and technologically sophisticated athletic shoes and a variety of accessories targeting individuals of all ages, in all market segments. Nike Air Max+2009 Nikes patented Nike Air Max+2009 Light Architecture selectively alters maximum cushioning, maximum comfort a premium ride. High-end technology combines with streamlined design in the Nike Air Max+ 2009 Running Shoe for a premium ride and fit built for speed. Ideal if youre a runner with an underpronated to neutral gait, the Air Max+ 2009 boasts maximum comfort and cushioning from heel-strike to toe-off. The full-length articulated Max Air unit provides exceptional cushioning and allows for a smoother, more natural range of motion through every foot strike. The Nike Air Max line has had a long and impressive history of constantly innovating and providing stylish ultra-functional sneakers in the process. The latest offering in the line is the Air Max+ 2009 Running Shoe, a sleek new model with some very nice touches like Flywire technology and a full 360 Air Max sole unit. The shoe also features a partially transparent upper that reveals the Flywire and a mesh under layer. The fellas will have grey/black/red and Silver/volt/black colour ways to sink their teeth into, while the ladies versions will come in grey/orange and grey/silver/liquid lime. The Features of Nike Air Max+2009: The State of the art Flywire An ultra-strong and ultra-light Flywire provides both targeted support and a uniquely dynamic fit. The Acclaimed Max Air A full-length articulated Max Air unit provides maximum cushioning to give a smoother ride. A Cushy Ride Full-length Cushion combines plush cushioning with springy resilience for both comfort and protection. Cutting Edge Engineering Ensure better runs with the engineered heel collar that conforms to the shape of foot for a more comfortable fit and feel Durable Exterior Strategically placed lugs and a waffle-like outsole gives an optimal traction, durability and cushioning. How Nike Air Works Durable, Versatile, Revolutionary, Nike Air was the first air technology developed at Nike, and it changed the way of thinking about cushioning: encapsulated air to cushion the foot strike in athletic shoes. It remains the standard in impact protection more than 20 years after its debut. How Nike+ Works Nike+ is designed for athletes who like to run with music and who want to measure and monitor their progress toward their goals. To get instant workout feedback, youll need Nike+ ready shoes and either a Nike+ SportBand or an iPod ® nano and Nike + iPod Sport Kit (which includes a sensor and iPod nano receiver). When placed under the sockliner of the left Nike+ ready shoe, the sensor measures your pace, distance, time elapsed and calories burned. This information is transmitted wirelessly to the receiver for real-time audio feedback while you listen to your favorite workout music. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Nike is a language of sports, a universally understood lexicon of passion and competition. A lot has happened at Nike in the 30 years since they entered the industry, most of it good, some of it downright embarrassing. But through it all, Nike remain totally focused on creating performance opportunities for everyone who would benefit, and offering empowering messages for everyone who would listen. What started with a handshake between two running geeks in sleepy Eugene, Oregon, are now the worlds most competitive sports and Fitness Company. The World Headquarters is in Beaverton, Oregon. The Pacific Northwest is Nikes hometown, but like so many ambitious souls, Nike has expanded their horizons to every corner of the world. Nike employs around 23,000 people, and every one of them is significant to our mission of bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. Along the way Nike joined up with some great partner companies that help extend our reach within and beyond sports. Cole Haan offers casual luxury footwear and accessories out of New York City and Yarmouth, Maine. Bauer Nike Hockey, based in Montreal, Quebec, is the worlds leading manufacturer of hockey equipment and a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike, Inc. Nike partnered with Hurley International, a premium teen lifestyle brand founded by 20-year industry veteran Bob Hurley based in Costa Mesa, California. In 2003, Nike completed the acquisition of Converse, the globally recognized footwear brand with nearly a century of sports heritage and home of the perennially popular Chuck Taylor All-Star and Jack Purcell footwear. In August 2004, Nike created the Exeter Brands Group, a wholly owned subsidiary, dedicated to building athletic footwear and apparel brands for the value retail channel. This portfolio of brands includes the Official Starter Properties LLC and Official Starter LLC which are the sole owners and licensors of the Starter, Team Starter and Asphalt brand names as well as master licensee of the Shaq and Dunkman brands, a line of athletic apparel, footwear and accessory products for the value retail channel. The Nike family is a fairly vast enterprise. Nike operates on six continents Nikes suppliers, shippers, retailers and service providers employ close to 1 million people. The diversity inherent in such size is helping Nike evolve its role as a global company. They see a bigger picture today than when they have started, one that includes building sustainable business with sound labour practices. Nike retains the zeal of youth yet act on our responsibilities as a global corporate citizen. â€Å"If you have a body, you are an athlete. And as long as there are athletes, there will be Nike†. PRODUCT TREND Bovine skin was by far the most preferred leather material, followed by goat/kid/lamb/sheep skin and crocodile skin. Respondents overwhelmingly preferred the colour black and to a lesser extent, dark brown. For handbags/briefcases, popular colours included light brown, white and red. Consumer Segments with the Biggest Spending Power Male professionals, managers and executives are the segment with the biggest spending power for now and in the coming three years. The Competitiveness of Hong Kong Brands/ Suppliers of Leather Consumer Goods. Most retailers consider Hong Kong brands to be either very competitive or quite competitive in both high-end and mid-range segments, but less competitive in the low-end segment. The competitiveness of Hong Kong brands mainly rests on their product style/design and quality, with most respondents picking those as the major reasons behind the attractiveness of Hong Kong brands in the high-end and mid-range segments respectively. PRODUCT PROFILE Apart from delivering a pair of comfortable sports shoes Nike also provides a number of value-added features with its products. The features that are a part of every Nike sports shoe are as follows. High Performance Sports Shoes: Nike has patented the â€Å"Air† system and has made it into a regular feature in most of its models. Many models feature an air pocket in the shoe that reduces the weight of the shoe and reduces pressure on the heels. The overall design and compactness of the shoes have made it a favourite of many professional athletes around the world. Comfort: Nike shoes are renowned all over the world for the comfort they provide. Well padded and cushioned, they provide a tremendous level of comfort to the wearer and reduce the strain to his feet while playing. Lightweight: This attribute is in line with the two described above. A lightweight shoe provides greater mobility and eases the pressure on the feet of the wearer. Durability: People purchasing a pair of shoes at such a high price often feel that they have made an investment. They would obviously want to see their shoes last a long time. To prove this point we draw the example of the authors of this marketing plan. All of us own a pair of Nikes and have been wearing them for well over two years a symbol of the durability of Nike shoes. Style: Nikes designs are considered to be the most stylish in the industry and beat all others as far as looks are concerned. Attractively packaged, it is a delight to bring a pair home. Add to this the â€Å"Swoosh† the most recognizable symbol in sports and you have a product that would give the user a definite sense of pride. Nike shoes also come with a guarantee card that enables the owner to return it in case of manufacturing defects. However, owing to the fact that the company implements strict quality control measures, coming across a defective pair in a store are a rarity. The most recent additions to their line are the Nike 6.0 and Nike SB shoes, designed for skateboarding. Nike has recently introduced cricket shoes, called Air Zoom Yorker, designed to be 30% lighter than their competitors. Nike positions its products in such a way as to try to appeal to a youthful.materialistic crowd. It is positioned as a premium performance brand. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research comprise defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data, making deductions and reaching conclusions and at last carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating Hypothesis. In short, the search for Knowledge through Objective and Systematic method of finding solutions to a problem is Research. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES  · To study the tastes, preferences and buying behaviour of consumer in case of foot wear of Nike.  · To analyze buying behaviour of consumers.  · To recommend strategies to Nike to increase sales.  · SWOT analysis of the product sold.  · Comparative study with the competitors. RESEARCH DESIGN TYPE OF RESEARCH: Descriptive research Descriptive research includes Surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The main characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no control over the variables; he can only report what has happened or what is happening. DATA SOURCES There are two types of data. Source of primary data for the present study is collected through questionnaire and answered by consumers of Nike shoes. The secondary data is collected from journals, books and through Internet search. PRIMARY DATA: The data that is collected first hand by someone specifically for the purpose of facilitating the study is known as primary data. So in this research the data is collected from respondents through questionnaire. SECONDARY DATA: For the company information I had used secondary data like brochures, web site of the company etc. The Method used by me is Survey Method as the research done is Descriptive Research. RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS Selected instrument for Data Collection for Survey is Questionnaire. QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN FORMULATION Under this method, list of questions pertaining to the survey are prepared for marketing staff of consumers of Nike shoes. Questionnaire has structured type questions as well as unstructured type questions. Structured objective type questions are prepared for the respondents with fixed response categories. Some of the questions are of multiple-choice type. The questions have more than one alternative. Questionnaire: A questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to respondent for their answers. It can be Closed Ended or Open Ended Open Ended: Allows respondents to answer in their own words are difficult to Interpret and Tabulate. Close Ended: Pre-specify all the possible answers are easy to Interpret and Tabulate. TYPES OF QUESTION INCLUDED: DICHOTOMOUS QUESTIONS: Which has only two answers â€Å"Yes† or â€Å"No†? MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS: Were respondent is offered more than two choices. IMPORTANCE SCALES: A scale that rates the importance of some attribute. RATING SCALE: A scale that rates some attribute from â€Å"highly satisfied † to â€Å"highly unsatisfied† and â€Å"very inefficient† to â€Å"very efficient†. SAMPLING UNIT: Who is to be surveyed? The marketing researcher must define the target population that will be sampled. The sample Unit taken by me is to the General public of different age group, different gender and different profession. EXTENT: Where the survey should be carried out? I have covered entire residential area of Dubai city for the survey. TIME FRAME:- When the survey should be conducted? I conducted my survey for 8weeks from 10th may to 10th July SAMPLING FRAME: The source from which the sample is drawn SAMPLING TECHNIQUE: How the respondent is chosen? In the Project sampling is done on basis of Probability sampling. Among the probability sampling design the sampling design chosen is stratified random sampling. Because in this survey I had stratified the sample in different age group, different gender and different profession. SAMPLE SIZE Consumers of shoes, 50 no: STEPS FOLLOWED IN COMPLETING THE STUDY: (i) Libraries (ii) Internet sites containing information on Nike shoes marketing are browsed. (iii) Journal containing info (iv) Sample survey was conducted (v) Data was thoroughly checked for error. DATA PROCESSING METHODOLOGY  · Once the primary data have been collected, they are edited inspected, corrected and modified.  · Tabulation bring similar data together and totalling them in meaningful categories. Questionnaires are edited both in the field and later in home. Field editing took place just often the interview. Generally editing is required for open type of questions. Brief notes or symbols are frequently used during the interview to initially record the interviewers response since it was not desirable to interrupt the flow with lengthy note taking. The responses are thoroughly checked at home for incorrect, inconsequential or contradictions categories are developed only often the replies has been reviewed. This review provided a feel for the pattern of answers and thus determine what categories best represent the answers. The collected data are placed in an order. Percentages of respondents answered similarly are calculated and placed in a table. Then this is interpreted. Interpretation changes the new information immerging from the analysis into information that is pertinent or relevant to the study. CONCLUSION WAS DRAWN BASED ON THE SURVEY FINDINGS: Finally recommendation was made to improve the sales strategy of Nike shoes to increase the sales volume. SAMPLE DESIGN THE BASIS OF SAMPLING: Consumers of Nike shoes are chosen randomly, so that unbiased, representative sample may be obtained. LIMITATIONS OF RESEARCH The geographical area was very much limited to residential area so the results are not particularly reflection of the current behaviour. BIASES AND NON-COOPERATION OF THE RESPONDENTS: The collected data are placed into an order. Percentages of respondents answered similarly are calculated and placed in a table. Then this is interpreted. This involved drawing conclusion from the gathered data. Interpretation changes the new information immerging from the analysis into information that is pertinent or relevant to the study. Due to limited time period and constrained working hours for most of the respondents, the answers at times were vague enough to be ignored. Most of the people take their Nike Shoes in the period preceding March so the response to initial contacts were not all encouraging and that has been the primary reason in the inability to quantify the results large enough so as to deduce any relevant outcomes. COMPANY PROFILE NIKE INDUSTRIES LTD. A COMPANY PROFILE Nike India Ltd (BIL) is India‘s largest footwear company. Nike first established itself in India in 1931 and commenced manufacturing shoes in Batanagar in 1936. The company has its Headquarters in Kolkata and manufactures over 33 million pairs per year in five plants located in Batanagar (West Bengal), Faridabad (Haryana), Bangalore (Karnataka), Patna (Bihar), Hosur (Tamil Nadu). It secures its leather supply from two tanneries in Mokamehghat (Bihar) and Batanagar (West Bengal). It has a distribution network of over 1,500 retail stores and 27 wholesale depots provide excellent access to consumers and wholesale customers throughout India. As on December 31, 2006, the Canadian parent had a 51 per cent stake while institutional holding was about 13 per cent. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Nike India has said that its Faridabad and Mokamehghat units are being taken over by Fashion Shoe Private Ltd and BDCL Enterprises Pvt Ltd, respectively. The company is also enabling the buy back provision in its Articles of association to enable buy back of shares. The assets and liabilities of both the units will be transferred to these companies and shares will be offered in the agreed ratio to the existing shareholders of Nike India Ltd on a record date, which will be fixed by the Calcutta High Court. While retail sales have increased both in value and volume, wholesale sales have declined due to restriction of supplies as a means to recover customers outstanding. General recession and sluggish market conditions in the industry also have had a direct impact on lower sales and profitability. Resistance of consumers to price rises in popular volume products as well as discounts to clear slow-moving stocks and under utilization of production capacity adversely affected the operational results. The lockout declared at the Peenya factory on October 1, 2008 due to serious industrial relation problems and non-compliance with the tripartite settlement has been withdrawn. The footwear manufactured in this factory, which was shifted to the companys other factories and associated manufacturers, will now be gradually produced within the factory. In Simonsons words, â€Å"The benefits and costs of fitting individual customer preference are more complex and less deterministic than has been assumed†. Thats because customer preferences are often ill-defined and susceptible to various influences, and in many cases, customers have poor insight into their preferences. In one of his recent papers, Simonson tackles the issue of one-to-one marketing and mass customization. Supporters of these marketing approaches have suggested that learning what customers want and giving them exactly what they want will create customer loyalty and an insurmountable barrier to competition. But Simonson has this to say: The fact that consumer preferences are often fuzzy, unstable, and manipulatable is unlikely to change. So, the effectiveness of methods to give customers exactly what they want has been grossly exaggerated. His take on the long-held assumption that individual marketing will supplant targeted marketing is â€Å"not so fast†. In studies, he has learned that even when customers have well-defined preferences and receive offers that fit those preferences; it is far from certain that the response to such offers will consistently be more favourable than those directed at larger market segments. Its all psychology. Consumers with well-defined preferences may be sceptical that a marketer could match expectations. Those who dont know what they want may not ever see the fit with what the seller wants them to buy. So, individualized offers depend on customers preferences how the offer was extended and on trust. Effective individual marketing requires not on ly an understanding of individual preferences and matching offers to those preferences, but also a thorough familiarity with the various factors that impact customers responses, Simonson writes. This is a tall order, one that some companies have been able to fill, at least to some extent. For example, Amazon keeps track of customers purchases and suggests other books they might like. Dell builds computers from mass-made parts to customers specifications. But Simonson argues some companies can take the concept too far, like the Custom Foot chain of shoe stores that took detailed measurements and specifications from each customer to design one-of-a-kind shoes. Custom Foot didnt take into account that some customers were put off by the individualized attention, Simonson says, and felt obligated to buy the shoes because the store went to so much trouble. They often didnt come back. So knowing only the customer preferences is not enough. It is required to understand other aspects of cust omer behaviour. Keeping this in mind, present study will find out and analyze consumer behaviour of Nike shoes with reference to ladies segment. FUTURE PLAN The management says that it is not averse to outsourcing if it worked out cheaper. It is also open to the idea of importing shoes mostly from China if it works out cheaper. Nike and Reebok India Company have announced an agreement to foray into retailing partnership for sale of Reebok and Rockport footwear in Nike outlets. The partnership entails retailing a range of sports shoes for walking, running, tennis and training for personal fitness and sports. An attractive valuation compared to its peers is the main trigger for the scrip. Besides, the companys aggressive focus on retailing and revamping of business (a division into shoes and apparels) is also helping sentiment for the scrip. Plans are afoot to start selling apparel in India made by the joint venture North Star. Theres talk that the company is planning on a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to cut costs. For the third quarter ended 30 September 2007, Nike India reduced its losses to Rs.5.68 crore on a 9.2% increase in net profit to Rs.154.27 crore. Despite reducing its losses for the quarter, Nike India has, over the last few quarters, been continuously recording weak performances as a result of an overall slowdown in the industry due to lower consumer spending. Increasing domestic competition, particularly from the unorganized sector, has also been eroding into the companys market share. The company is finding it difficult to maintain its market share in a highly price-sensitive Indian market, despite having strong brand recall. 97% of the companys revenues are from the domestic market while the remainder is from exports. Nike India is the biggest player in the Indian shoe market. Nike Indias major problems include its high cost of production and low emphasis on marketing. The company may be able to address the first problem through outsourcing products. Batas brand image has been restricted to that of a company that emphasizes on utilitarian products more than trendy ones. Customers feel the company is lacking in innovation. Hence, their preference has shifted to other local brands. Nike India has a large marketing network with over 1,600 showrooms, 35 wholesale depots and eight retail distribution centres across the country. Besides, there is a network of 500 exclusive wholesalers servicing 30,000 dealers all over the country. However, in spite of this and the license to sell other brands like Nike, Hush Puppies and Lotto, Nike has not been able to improve sales consistently. The recent rise i

Nelly Concert Essay -- essays research papers

Nelly Concert   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On Monday March 25, some members of the baseball team, my girlfriend, and I traveled to Murray State University to watch a concert performed by Nelly and the St. Lunatics. It was a terrible night to go anywhere because it was raining and storming the whole way, but there was nothing that was going to stop us from going to the concert. We where all so hyped up about it and couldn’t wait to head out. My brother, who attends Murray State, had gotten us excellent seats about seventy-five feet away from the stage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We got to the Murray about twenty minutes before the concert started. So we headed in to find our seats and wait for the opening band to come out and perform. At about five after eight, the lights went out and it was time for the concert to start. Two guys came out on stage and started to sing. The two guys called themselves Core Project. I thought that this band was pretty awful. I could not understand one word they said the entire time they were on the stage. They just tried to be like every other band to come out right now. They didn’t offer anything different or unique. I must not have been the only one that thought they were bad because there were many people booing and yelling out â€Å"you suck† while they where on stage. After about a twenty minute performance they left the stage and another band came out to perform.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next band to come out was a group called Thr...

Appiled Arts Essay

Although we now tend to refer to the various crafts according to the materials used to construct them-clay, glass, wood, fiber, and metal-it was once common to think of crafts in terms of function, which led to their being known as the â€Å"applied arts. † Approaching crafts from the point of view of function, we can divide them into simple categories: containers, shelters and supports. There is no way around the fact that containers, shelters, and supports must be functional. The applied arts are thus bound by the laws of physics, which pertain to both the materials used in their making and the substances and things to be contained, supported, and sheltered. These laws are universal in their application, regardless of cultural beliefs, geography, or climate. If a pot has no bottom or has large openings in its sides, it could hardly be considered a container in any traditional sense. Since the laws of physics, not some arbitrary decision, have determined the general form of applied-art objects, they follow basic patterns, so much so that functional forms can vary only within certain limits. Buildings without roofs, for example, are unusual because they depart from the norm. However, not all functional objects are exactly alike; that is why we recognize a Shang Dynasty vase as being different from an Inca vase. What varies is not the basic form but the incidental details that do not obstruct the object’s primary function. ?Sensitivity to physical laws is thus an important consideration for the maker of applied-art objects. It is often taken for granted that this is also true for the maker of fine-art objects. This assumption misses a significant difference between the two disciplines. Fine-art objects are not constrained by the laws of physics in the same way that applied-art objects are. Because their primary purpose is not functional, they are only limited in terms of the materials used to make them. Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress. Paintings must have rigid stretchers so that the canvas will be taut, and the paint must not deteriorate, crack, or discolor. These are problems that must be overcome by the artist because they tend to intrude upon his or her conception of the work. For example, in the early Italian Renaissance, bronze statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a cannonball under that hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the weight of the leg. In other words, the demands of the laws of physics, not the sculptor’s aesthetic intentions, placed the ball there. That this device was a necessary structural compromise is clear from the fact that the cannonball quickly disappeared when sculptors learned how to strengthen the internal structure of a statue with iron braces (iron being much stronger than bronze). Even though the fine arts in the twentieth century often treat materials in new ways, the basic difference in attitude of artists in relation to their materials in the fine arts and the applied arts remains relatively constant. It would therefore not be too great an exaggeration to say that practitioners of the fine arts work to overcome the limitations of their materials, whereas those engaged in the applied arts work in concert with their materials.

Lord of the Flies A Tale of a Fateful Trip Essay

Lord of the Flies: A Tale of a Fateful Trip Man has never quite found a truly perfect paragon in himself. Through some fault of his own he can never achieve the high ideal of perfection that he seeks to attain. The Divine Michelangelo, named so by his contemporary biographer Giorgio Vasari, never called his masterwork of the Sistine Chapel ceiling finished. When it was unveiled Pope Julius II fell to his knees in prayer at the sight of this divine work of perfection. Michelangelo, who never claimed himself to be a painter, never accepted his work as a masterpiece, claiming that it was full of flaws produced by his own imperfections and sins. William Golding attributes this universal flaw to the evil produced by man.†¦show more content†¦Ralph is physically strong: as far as width and heaviness of shoulders [go]...he might make a boxer (10). He is neither awkward nor clumsy, for he is at the age before puberty that, when presented in art and literature, hints of innocence and naivete. Ralphs luck manifests itself in his finding the conch. The one object that initiates his title as leader, Ralph wields the conch as a sign of power and authority, comparable to the status symbol of luxury cars owned by business executives. Were Ralph not to have found the conch he would have no reason for becoming leader. It is also due to fate that blowing the conch gathers the boys together. Ralph and Piggy were having fun with the conch which emitted a low, farting noise (17). By a stroke of luck Ralph learns to blow the conch and, in turn, starts his reign as leader. For the time that he is leader, Ralph is excellent. He uses his common sense to assess the situation of the boys realistically-quite mature for a twelve year old boy. He sees what must be done for their survival: he sets up parliamentary meetings, builds huts and constructs a signal fire. He appraises the advice of his right-hand-man, Piggy, according to its practicality-agreeing that, indeed, they need to survey the island, but that Piggy should not be a part of the surveying team. Ralph, however, is by no means a perfect character. He is often meaner to those weaker thanShow MoreRelatedThe Ballad of the Sad Cafe46714 Words   |  187 Pageshuman triangle in a primitive Southern town. . . A young boy learning the difficult lessons of manhood. . . A fateful encounter with his native land and former love. . . These are parts of the world of Carson McCullers -- a world of the lost, the injured, the eternal strangers at life s feast. Here are brilliant revelations of love and longing, bitter heartbreak and occasional happiness -- tales that probe the very heart of our lives. CARSON McCULLERS (1917-1967) When she was only twenty-threeRead MoreIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pages93-109. Isichei, Elizabeth 1976. A History of the Igbo People. London: Macmillan Press Ltd. Ladefoged, Peter, Kay Williamson, Ben Elugbe and Sister Ann Angela Uwalaka 1976. The stops of Owerri Igbo. Studies in African Linguistics, Supplement 6:147-163. Lord, Carol 1977. How Igbo got from SOV Serializing to SVO. Compounding. Studies in African Linguistics Supplement 7:145-155. Maduka, Omen Nnamdi 1983-1984. Igbo ideophones and the lexicon. Journal of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria, 2: 23-29. ManfrediRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesor transnational families provided the basic mechanisms that made global migration possible and reproducible. The kinship-based diffusion of information, behaviors, and habits that was carried through family letters and photographs, travel, local tales, and word of mouth had a multiplying effect. Links not only connected forward to younger relatives and new generations but also connected laterally, branching out to increasingly distant relatives, to â€Å"cousins of cousins of cousins,† who would in

Drugs and Alcohol - 1682 Words

Table of Contents Background 1 Objectives 2 Proposed Actions 2 Anticipated Outcomes 3 Key roles and responsibilities 3 Timelines and resources required 3 Key risks 3 Evaluation Method 3 References 4 Background Drugs and alcohol is a major social issue (J. David Hawkins, Richard F. Catalano, and Janet Y. Miller, 1992). It is not something that can be solved by the law (Lee P. Brown, 2008). Throughout history, many attempts have been made to try and legalize and control alcohol and drug addiction but has failed. It requires education, international awareness and a lot of work to resolve. Whilst alcohol and certain drugs are not illegal, the potential dangers are well documented. It is in many regards, worse of a problem than other social problems such as smoking. Not only does it create health problems, but creates a habit from a young age that is hard to avoid (Kabir Ayub, 2011). This affects families, schools and the larger part of society. It creates a burden for law enforcers, violence, accidents and a lot of other side-effects. Drugs and alcohol have especially been a major issue in NSW full of pubs and night life. Major incidents of violence at many locations have been recorded. The number of police officers required to monitor and deal with incidents have greatly increased since 2011. New laws, curfews and extreme measures had to be put in place (NSW Government, 2014). This shows that inaction is a major cost to society and is a major burden on theShow MoreRelatedDrugs And Alcohol And Drugs1767 Words   |  8 PagesSome people know what alcohol and drugs do to our body and we understand, but the problem is â€Å"How come people do these kind of stuff in the first place?† or what makes them choose these choices. Well the thing is, People suffer from anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression or other mental illnesses use drugs and alcohol to ease their sufferings. But the thing that we don t get is why do such a bad thing if you know that it s destroying your organs and your insides. Drugs or alcohol ca n sometimes makeRead MoreDrug Alcohol And Alcohol Abuse Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesDrug and Alcohol Abuse Drug and alcohol abuse is something that is happening more and more often it seems. There are many reason for this happening. First of all, people experiment with drugs and alcohol mainly out of curiosity. Maybe their friends are doing it, they just want to have a good time, or they could be hoping to improve athletic performance. It is common thing at parties and social gatherings for people to feel the need to drink or try drugs. Another reason start to use and abuse drugsRead MoreThe Drug Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse Essay1531 Words   |  7 PagesThe movie Trainspotting is an entertaining look into the dark world of drug and alcohol abuse. 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American leaders attempted to do the same to alcohol with Prohibition in the 1920?s. In any society, drug use plays a part in the people?s culture. Whether it be a native taking hallucinogens for a religious ceremony, a destitute alcoholic drinking on a city street, or a group of teenagers smoking marijuana, drugs and alcohol have the same effects in any culture. The question of ?why do people use drugs? has

The American Dream By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1134 Words

Throughout centuries, the interpretation and perception of the American Dream has changed considerably and frequently. From the vision of individual betterment in 1774, to African-American civil rights in 1963, the American Dream has and will continue to alter, as the country evolves. However, the basis of the American Dream has remained the same, with the set of ideals being democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality. In addition to the ideals, the Dream is believed to be, that anyone has the ability to achieve wealth or anything if one works hard enough for it. While for others, the Dream is believed to be living a simple, happy and fulfilling life. Essentially, the American Dream is theoretically for every American individual, regardless of their race or social class. Many historians and novelists, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, have accepted that these different beliefs and set of ideals make up the core components of the American Dream. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, Th e Great Gatsby, the American Dream is an underlying theme. Fitzgerald affirms the idea of American Dream through Gatsby s transformation in socioeconomic classes, however, critiques the pursuit of the American Dream through sharing the perspective that the Dream is not universally attainable, and those who do achieve it, may still lack emotional fulfillment. Gatsby is the primary character used by Fitzgerald to embody the American Dream. In Chapter 6, it was revealed to Nick, theShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream By F. Scott Fitzgerald1978 Words   |  8 PagesThe American Dream Since its production in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel The Great Gatsby has ended up a standout amongst the most referred to, censured, and examined bits of fiction ever. It has frequently been portrayed as maybe the most striking anecdotal investigation of the age of the group noblemen and the social conditions that delivered them. 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Discovering Computers

Question: Describe about the Discovering Computers? Answer: Role of Network The role of the network in this scenario is to meet up the demands and accessing of the membership records in the Sports club. For this it is important to have a proper access to the database which can easily equip with all the health and other safety requirements. The sports club manager matches to access and handle a safe and secured database which contains information as per the access and maintenance of the records. This will ensure the monitoring and handling the test for the entire updates and installation pattern. As per the management software and monitoring, there is a need to ascertain the network traffic for procuring to all the hardware resources and organisation. Benefits of Networks This will assure the shared knowledge of the ideas and technology in order to expand to different resources and patterns. The opportunities and connections are direct to handle the impression with the increment in the confidence which attributes to the growth and better connectivity. The influence is under the knowledge and reliability pattern which needs to work towards handling a positive uplift along with the satisfaction to the customers. Resource Implications The pattern of data transmission generally involves the collaborative framework and innovation which can easily help in diffusing knowledge and try to produce creative patterns. There are communications based on network creation which provides to set up an access as per the global scale assessment. The network profiles helps in increasing the productivity of employee and help in reduction of the cost of all the equipments. The accessing of the resources is based on sharing different networking versions which will try to handle and authenticate as per the passwords and computer security patterns. Expenditure Costs The cost and the acquisition patterns are based on the production of the mark-up profits. The cost is the metrics to meet all the modelling paradigms as per the productions. The expenditure is only on keeping the information on business and buying a proper network connection with proper communication. The expenditure cost is also based on the external costs and the social cots which is important for properly handling the gym, swimming pool, squash and other facilities available in the club. Impact on Employees The implementation of a well-connected network bots the performance of employees as well. The employees can easily share information with the respective concerned department, without going through a long process of email, or pen and paper work. The database is shared between the concerned departments, and they can both access the information simultaneously at real time. This also improved the environment for the work, and hence, employees benefit from them. Network Topology The arrangements have been done as per the convenience of the employees as well as the visitors. This would ensure a complete network program system where the signals are transferred between the nodes through the Ethernet connection. The topology follow the description of the path between the nodes and help in setting up the connections. A network topology diagram has been attached below. It shows the connection between the databases which is shared by the systems, and their connections. It can be seen that the email services and club intranet services could be accessible to all the systems In addition to that: The Reception and Facilities administrator will have access to Service Set 1, which has Membership Records database and Sports facilities database. The sports coordinator has been provided with the access of sports equipment, health and safety requirements and sports trainer availability databases. The site manager has been provided the access to building and maintenance records database. The business and accounts information has been protected by a firewall, so that it cannot be accessed by anyone not authorised to do so. The club manager and his assistant has access to this business information and accounts information. I is a secure database. Network Components and Connection Materials The hardware components that would be used in the project for the implementation of proposed apology: Routers: We propose to use Cisco Wireless routers to provide the Wi-Fi facility in cafeteria. We also propose to use the Wireless connection itself for all the network implementation, to avoid the wiring difficulties. The Wi-Fi routers would be mounted on the walls of the Gym, Reception, Sports Manager office, Site manager office and cafeteria. This would cover the complete complex. Computer Terminal: The new computer terminal can be installed, or it can be upgraded, for the reception, facilities administrator, sports coordinator, sports club manager and assistant and site manager. The system must has following minimum configuration: Wireless connectivity RAM: 2 GB HDD: 250 GB Processor: Pentium i5 LAN Cable: LAN cable are to be used to connect the routers with the server and databases. The cable compatible with the routers can databases can be used. Databases: The database can be maintain by setting up a server on a system, which can be kept always on. The database can be set up using Windows Server 2012. Cabling and Hardware Configuration The cabling and hardware configuration has been shown on the network diagram included below. It shows the wireless area as well. The cables are connected from the server database to the respective Wi-Fi routers. Software Requirement The software requirements for the implementation of the system are: Operating System The operating system should be Windows 7 or higher. Though, Windows 8.1 I recommended. This is for the normal terminals. For the database, the operating system should be Windows Server 2012. Network Operating System The NOS is to be used to configure the network. Thee IOS by Cisco can be used for the purpose. The network simulator: Packet Tracer, can be used to simulate the network prior to implementation. Drivers The Wi-Fi drivers needs to be installed on all the systems so that they can access the network. The driver will be system specific. Application Packages The application packages that would be needed for day to day working on the clubs, which would be installed on the system are: Antivirus and Malware protections Windows Office 360, which would include MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, etc. Discussion The system would give an excellent performance, for the configurations mentioned in this proposal. The server would be able to handle all the database requirements of the club, with Widows Server 2012. It is the most user server, and preferred by engineers. They have minimal system failures and data loss. The data would also be backed up periodically on a hard drive to prevent any data loss or corruption of the data. Thee bandwidth that can be provided with the configuration mentioned would b 100MBPS, with the wireless routers of Cisco. The real data speed may vary depending on the internet connection. The database would be accessible at high rate. The latency would be minimum as the whole area will be covered with the wireless routers. The courters has been proposed at equal distances to minimize the latency and maximize the availability. The system itself has built in troubleshooting option. A network administrator would additionally be needed to look into the matters which cannot be handled by the system troubleshooter. References Shelly, Gary, et al. "Discovering Computers" 2003 Edition. Wendell Odom, Rus Healy, Denise Donohue. (2010) CCIE Routing and Switching. Indianapolis, IN: Cisco Press Kurose James F and Keith W. Ross: Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet, Pearson Education 2005. William Stallings, Computer Networking with Internet Protocols and Technology, Pearson Education 2004. Dimitri Bertsekas, and Robert Gallager, "Data Networks," Prentice Hall, 1992. Waters, J. K. (2002). John Chambers and the Cisco Way: Navigating Through Volatility. Wiley. ISBN 0-471-00833-8. Young, J. S. (2001). Cisco Unauthorized: Inside the High-Stakes Race to Own the Future. Prima Lifestyles. ISBN 0-7615-2775-3. "Cisco IOS Command Modes". Cisco. "Cisco IOS and NX-OS Software Reference Guide", Cisco White Paper.