Self-Evaluation and Learning Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self-Evaluation and Learning Needs - Essay Example I was able to detect my learning needs through the novice to expert theory. I found out my weaknesses through consultation with fellow employees and patients. In addition, the self-analysis in my profession helped me in detecting my professional faults that need tightening. After the evaluation, I have learnt that knowledge and experiences are all around us; it takes a good deep look into our selves to tap it. Self-Evaluation and Learning Needs Assessment Learning needs assessment is the identification of gaps in knowledge, attributes and skills of a specific discipline that need improvement for proper delivery of services. This usually involves change of performance in order to improve quality. Learning needs assessment has been seen as a vital point for personal and professional development of all individual and organisations of all disciples. As a nurse who is a graduate of an associate degree program with a 20 years experience in medical-surgical nursing, I have felt a necessity to evaluate and identify my learning needs in order to become a better nurse. I developed an urge to evaluate myself during my experience as a nurse to level up with the best nursing services offered. With the evaluation of over 20 years, my pedigree of learning needs has been established for continuous professional development. ... This was normal for just from university or college student because, like Benner (2001) says in her book, being novice, like I was, meant I had no experience, the rules to nursing were context-free and were applied universally. Over the years though, I started gaining experience as an advanced beginner. I was then able to recognise recurring meaningful care components and started formulating principles because of the experiences I had gained in the short time and was able to demonstrate acceptable performance. Practising as a medical-surgical nurse requires one to be clean, neat, responsible and organised at all times. I had learnt this in school but had no experience to actualise the theoretical information until I started working as the main nurse for all surgical operations. This is when I understood why surgical tools should be sterilised and not just because the books say so. I had advanced as a beginner. After a 3 year experience working as a nurse, I became very analytical in terms of my thinking and choice of the best action to be taken based on experience and also became much aware of my long-term goals. According to Wakley and Steve (2000), I became a competent nurse with proper organisation and greater efficiency. Being a clinical nurse specialist entails educating patients and staff on proper care giving, identification of patients’ needs that require referral for more specialized care and attention, providing primary care to patients. Changing my practice and improving quality meant that I had to diagnose the individual problems that I had observed in myself and training on them to ensure continuity of professional development as a

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Media Critics Beavis and Butt-head :: essays research papers

According to Douglas Rushkoff’s in his article Hating What Sucks, Beavis and Butt-head are media critics, instructing viewers on how to criticize music videos. I believe the way Beavis and Butt-head go about their criticism and commentary is undermining our value system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In TV’s Anti-Families: Married . . . with Malaise, Josh Ozersky states â€Å"no one who watches TV is going to stop because they see TV criticized.† He goes on to say that we feel flattered by this criticism and continue watching television anyway. Beavis and Butt-head can be seen in the same light when they criticize music videos on MTV. â€Å"In doing so they again demonstrate for us how to watch TV in the nineties,† according to Rushkoff.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can only interject that when we watch TV being criticized by these characters we feel a sort of power from the knowledge their criticism gives us. But is this the only thing keeping our eyes glued to the tube? Ozersky writes, â€Å"TV has never shown us TV; rather, it shows itself to us as a laughable, absurd, and harmless entity, much like the characters on its shows.† The criticism of TV doesn’t go far enough to keep us from watching it. We feel that TV is harmless and this is what keeps us going back for more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beavis and Butt-head qualify as being dysfunctional. So is this the kind of show you would find many cultural values in? Rushkoff argues that the show â€Å"promotes viewer awareness by allowing us to witness area where the characters’ own detachment has been compromised.† He says this in reference to Beavis watching an Aerosmith music video and lighting up a cigarette when the Aerosmith singer does. In this instance the author suggests he fell for the manipulation of the media. By the same token, Rushkoff contradicts himself and his pro-Beavis argument. Perhaps it is just a red herring, but by showing that the media manipulates Beavis it isn’t a very good argument for watching TV, much less Beavis and Butt-head.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In all reality, people do watch Beavis and Butt-head and other anti-family television shows. The power we feel in the act of criticizing and the seemingly harmless antics of these shows gives us a reason to keep watching and criticizing TV despite the irony of it. Because we know TV characters have no power to change their situations in the TV world we feel we are above them and can watch TV with harmless effects.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 9

When Matt, Meredith, and Bonnie were all on their way, Stefan was left with Elena, now decently attired by Bonnie in her â€Å"Night Gown.† The darkness outside was comforting to his sore eyes – not sore from daylight, but from telling good friends the sad news. Worse than the sore eyes was the slightly breathless feeling of a vampire who hasn't fed. But he'd remedy that soon, he told himself. Once Elena was asleep, he'd slip out into the woods and find a white-tailed deer. No one could stalk like a vampire; no one could compete with Stefan at hunting. And even if it took several deer to assuage the hunger inside him, not one ofthem would be permanently injured. But Elena had other plans. She wasn't sleepy, and she was never bored being alone with him. As soon as the sounds of their visitors' car were decently out of hearing, she did what she always did in this mood. She floated to him and tipped her face up, eyes closed, lips just slightly pursed. Then she waited. Stefan hurried to the one unshuttered window, pulled the shade down against unwanted peeping crows, and returned. Elena was in exactly the same position, blushing slightly, eyes still shut. Stefan sometimes thought that she would wait forever that way, if she wanted a kiss. â€Å"I'm really taking advantage of you, love,† he said, and sighed. He leaned over and kissed her gently, chastely. Elena made a noise of disappointment that sounded exactly like apurruping kitten, ending on a note of inquiry. She bumped his chin with her nose. â€Å"Lovely love,† Stefan said, stroking her hair. â€Å"Bonnie got all the knots out without pulling?† But he was leaning into her warmth now, helpless. A distant ache in his upper jaw was already beginning. Elena bumped again, demanding. He kissed her for slightly longer. Logically, he knew she was a grown-up. She was older and vastly more experienced than she had been nine months ago, when they'd lost themselves in adoration kissing. But guilt was never far from his thoughts, and he couldn't help but worry about having her competent consent. This time thepurrup was one of exasperation. Elena had had enough. All at once, she gave her weight to him, forcing him to suddenly support a warm, substantial bundle of femininity in his arms, and at the same time, herPlease? chiming clear as a finger swirling on a crystal glass. It was one of the first words she had learned to think to him when she'd woken up mute and weightless. And, angel or no, she knew exactly what it did to him – inside. Please? â€Å"Oh, little love,† he groaned. â€Å"Little lovely love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Please? He kissed her. There was a long time of silence, while he felt his heart beat faster and faster. Elena, his Elena, who had once given her very life for him, was warm and drowsily heavy in his arms. She was his alone, and they belonged just like this, and he never wanted anything to change from this moment. Even the quickly growing ache in his upper jaw was something to be enjoyed. The pain of it changed to pleasure with Elena's warm mouth under his, her lips forming little butterfly kisses, teasing him. He sometimes thought she was most awake when she seemed half-asleep like this. She was always the instigator, but he followed helplessly wherever she wanted him to go. The one time he had refused, had stopped in mid-kiss, she had broken off speaking to him with her mind and floated to a corner, where she then sat among the dust and spiderwebs†¦andwept . Nothing he could do would console her, although he knelt on the hard wooden floorboards and begged and coaxed and almost wept himself – until he took her back into his arms. He had promised himself never to make that mistake again. But still, his guilt nagged at him, although it was growing more and more distant – and more confused as Elena changed the pressure of her lips suddenly and the world rocked and he had to back up until they were sitting on his bed. His thoughts fragmented. He could only think that Elena was back with him, sitting on his lap, so excited, so vibrant, until there was a sort of silken explosion inside him and he didn't need to be forced anymore. He knew that she was enjoying the pleasure-pain of his aching jaw as much as he was. There was no more time or reason to think. Elena was melting into his arms, her hair under his stroking fingers a liquid softness. Mentally, they had already melted together. The aching in his canines had finally produced the inevitable result, his teeth lengthening, sharpening; the touch of them against Elena's lower lip causing a bright flicker of pleasure-pain that almost made him gasp. And then Elena did something she never had done before. Delicately, carefully, she took one of Stefan's fangs and captured it between her upper and lower lips. And then, delicately, deliberately, she just held on. The whole world reeled around Stefan. It was only by the grace of his love for her, and their connected minds, that he didn't bite down and pierce her lip. Ancient vampire urges that could never be tamed out of his blood were screaming at him to do just that. But he loved her, and they were one – and besides,he couldn't move an inch. He was frozen in pleasure. His fangs had never extended so far or become quite as sharp, and without him doing a thing the razor edge of his tooth had cut into Elena's full lower lip. Blood was trickling very slowly down his throat. Elena's blood, which had changed since she had come back from the spirit world. It had once been wonderful, full of youthful vitality and the essence of Elena's living self. Now†¦it was simply in a class of its own. Indescribable. He'd never experienced anything like the blood of a returned spirit. It was charged with a Power that was as different from human blood as human was from animal blood. To a vampire, blood flowing down the throat was a pleasure as sharp as anything imaginable to a human. Stefan's heart was pounding out of his chest. Elena daintily worried the fang she had captured. He couldfeel her satisfaction as the tiny sacrificial pain turned to pleasure, because she was linked to him, and because she was one of the rarest of all breeds of humans: one who actually enjoyed nurturing a vampire, loved the feeling of feeding him, of him needing her. She was one of the elite. Hot shivers traveled down his spine, Elena's blood still making the world spin. Elena let go of his fang, sucking on her lower lip. She let her head drop back, exposing her neck. The head-drop was really too much to resist, even for him. He knew the traceries of Elena's veins as well as he knew her face. And yet†¦ All's right. All's well†¦Elena chimed telepathically. He sank twin aching fangs into a small vein. His canines were so razor-sharp by then that there was nearly no pain for Elena, who was used to the snakebite sensation. And for him, for both of them, there was the feeding at last, as the indescribable sweetness of Elena's new blood filled Stefan's mouth, and an outpouring of giving swept Elena into incoherency. There was always a danger of taking too much, or of not giving her enough of his own blood to keep her – well, frankly, to keep her from dying. Not that he needed more than a small amount, but there would always be that danger in trafficking with vampires. In the end, though, dark thoughts swam away in the sheer bliss that had overcome them both. Matt fished for keys as he and Bonnie and Meredith all crowded into the wide front seat of his rattletrap car. Embarrassing to have to park that next to Stefan's Porsche. The upholstery in back was in shreds that tended to stick to the derriere of whoever sat on it, and Bonnie easily fit on the jump seat, which had a jerry-rigged seat belt, between Matt and Meredith. Matt kept an eye on her, since when she was excited she tended not to use the belt. The road back through the Old Wood had too many difficult turns to be taken lightly, even if they were going to be the only travelers on it. No more deaths, Matt thought as he pulled away from the boardinghouse. No more miraculous resurrections, even. Matt had seen enough of the supernatural to last him the rest of his life. He was just like Bonnie; he wanted things to settle down to normal so he could get on with living the plain old ordinary way. Without Elena, something inside him whispered mockingly. Giving up without even a fight? Hey, I couldn't beat Stefan in any kind of fight if he had both arms tied behind his back and a bag over his head. Forget it. That's finished, however she kissed me. She's a friend, now. But he could still feel Elena's warm lips on his mouth from yesterday, the light touches that she didn't know yet weren't socially acceptable between just-friends. And he could feel the warmth and the swaying, dancing slenderness of her body. Damn, she came back perfect – physically, at least, he thought. Bonnie's plaintive voice cut into his pleasant reminiscences. â€Å"Just when I thought everything was going to be all right,† she was wailing, almost weeping. â€Å"Just when I thought it's all going to work out after all. It's going to be the way it wassupposed to be.† Meredith said, very gently, â€Å"It's difficult, I know. We seem to keep on losing her. But we can't be selfish.† â€Å"Ican,† Bonnie said flatly. I can, too, Matt's inner voice whispered. At least inside, where nobody can see my selfishness. Good old Matt; Matt won't mind – what a good sport Matt is. Well, this is one time when good old Matt does mind. But she chose the other guy, and what can I do? Kidnap her? Keep her locked up? Try to take her by force? The thought was like a dash of cold water, and Matt woke up and paid more attention to his driving. Somehow he'd already automatically navigated several curves of the pitted, one-lane road that ran through the Old Wood. â€Å"We were supposed to go to college together,† Bonnie persisted. â€Å"And then we were supposed to come back here to Fell's Church. Backhome . We had it all planned out – since kindergarten, practically – and now Elena's human again, and I thought that meant that everything was going to go back to the way it wassupposed to be. And it'snever going to be the same again,ever , is it?† She finished more quietly and with a little gulping sigh, â€Å"Is it?† It wasn't even really a question. Matt and Meredith found themselves glancing at each other, surprised by the sharpness of their pity, and helpless to comfort Bonnie, who now had her arms folded around herself, shrugging off Meredith's touch. It's Bonnie – just Bonnie being theatrical, Matt thought, but his own native honesty rose to mock him. â€Å"I guess,† he said slowly, â€Å"that's what we were all sort of thinking, really, when she first came back.† When we were dancing around in the woods like crazy people, he thought. â€Å"I guess we sort of thought that they could live quietly somewhere near Fell's Church, and that things would go back to the way they were before. Before Stefan – â€Å" Meredith shook her head, looking off into the distance beyond the windshield. â€Å"Not Stefan.† Matt realized what she meant. Stefan had come to Fell's Church to rejoin humanity, not to take a human girl away from it into the unknown. â€Å"You're right,† Matt said. â€Å"I was just thinking about something like that. She and Stefan could have probably worked out some way to live here quietly. Or at least to stay close to us, you know. It was Damon. He came to take Elena against her will, and that changed everything.† â€Å"And now Elena and Stefan are leaving. And once they leave, they'll never come back,† Bonnie wailed. â€Å"Why? Why did Damon start all this?† â€Å"He likes to change things out of sheer boredom, Stefan once told me. This time it probably started out of hatred for Stefan,† Meredith said. â€Å"But I wish that for once he could have just left us alone.† â€Å"What difference does it make?† Bonniewas crying now. â€Å"So it was Damon's fault. I don't even care anymore. What I don't understand is why things have to change!† â€Å" ¡Ã‚ ®You can never cross the same river twice.' Or even once if you're a strong enough vampire,† Meredith said wryly. Nobody laughed. And then, very gently: â€Å"Maybe you're asking the wrong person. Maybe Elena's the one who could tell you why things have to change, if she remembers what happened to her – in the Other Place.† â€Å"I didn'tmean that theydo have to change – â€Å" â€Å"But they do,† Meredith said, even more gently and wistfully. â€Å"Don't you see? It's not supernatural; it's – life. Everybody has to grow up – â€Å" â€Å"I know! Matt has a football scholarship and you're going away to college and then you're going to get married ! And probably have babies!† Bonnie managed to make this sound like some indecent activity. â€Å"I'm going to be stuck in junior collegeforever . And you'll both be all grown up and you'll forget about Elena and Stefan†¦and me,† Bonnie finished in a very small voice. â€Å"Hey.† Matt had always been very protective of the injured and ignored. Right now, even with Elena so recently on his mind – he wondered if he wouldever get rid of the feeling of that kiss – he was drawn to Bonnie, who seemed so small and fragile. â€Å"What are you talking about? I'm coming back after college to live. I'll probably die right here in Fell's Church.I'll be thinking about you. I mean, if you want me to.† He patted Bonnie's arm, and she didn't shy away from his touch as she had from Meredith's. She leaned into him, her forehead against his shoulder. When she shivered once, slightly, he put his arm around her without even thinking. â€Å"I'm not cold,† Bonnie said, although she didn't try to shrug off his arm. â€Å"It's warm tonight. I just – I don't like it when you say things like  ¡Ã‚ ®I'll probably die right' – watch out!† â€Å"Matt, look out!† â€Å"Whoa – !† Matt pumped the brakes, cursing, both hands wrestling with the steering wheel as Bonnie ducked and Meredith braced herself. Matt's replacement for the first beat-up old car he'd lost was just about as old and didn't have airbags. It was a miscellany of junkyard cars pieced together. â€Å"Hang on!†Matt yelled as the car skidded, tires screaming, and then they were all flung around as the back end swerved into a ditch and the front bumper hit a tree. When everything stopped moving, Matt let out his breath, easing his death-grip on the steering wheel. He started to turn toward the girls and then froze. He scrabbled to switch on the map light, and what he saw held him frozen again. Bonnie had turned, as always in moments of deepest distress, to Meredith. She was lying with her head on Meredith's lap, hands locked onto her friend's arm and shirt. Meredith herself was sitting, braced, leaning as far as possible backward, her feet stretched to push against the floor beneath the dashboard; her body bowed back in the seat, head flung backward, arms holding Bonnie down tightly. Thrusting straight through the open window – like a knobby, shaggy green spear or the grasping arm of some savage earthen giant – was the branch of a tree. It just cleared the base of Meredith's arched neck, and its lower branches passed over Bonnie's small body. If Bonnie's seat belt hadn't let her turn; if Bonnie hadn't flung herself down like that; if Meredith hadn't held onto her†¦ Matt found himself staring directly into the splintered but very sharp end of the lance. If his own seat belt hadn't kept him from leaning that way†¦ Matt could hear his own hard breathing. The smell of evergreen was overpowering within the car. He could even smell the places where smaller branches had broken off and were oozing sap. Very slowly, Meredith reached out to break off one of the twigs that was pointed at her throat like an arrow. It wouldn't break. Numb, Matt reached over to try it himself. But although the wood wasn't much thicker than his finger, it was tough and wouldn't even bend. As if it's been fire-hardened, he thought dazedly. But that's ridiculous. It's a living tree; I can feel the splinters. â€Å"Ow.† â€Å"Can I please get up now?† Bonnie said quietly, her voice muffled against Meredith's leg. â€Å"Please. Before it grabs me. It wants to.† Matt glanced at her, startled, and scratched his cheek against the splintered end of the big branch. â€Å"It's not going to grab you.† But his stomach was churning as he fumbled blindly for his seat belt fastening. Why should Bonnie have the same thought as he had: that the thing was like a huge, crooked, shaggy arm? She couldn't even see it. â€Å"You know it wants to,† Bonnie whispered, and now the slight shivering seemed to be taking over her whole body. She reached backward to undo her seat belt. â€Å"Matt, we need to slide,† Meredith said. She had carefully maintained her painful-looking bowed-backward position, but Matt could hear her breathing harder. â€Å"We need to slide toward you. It's trying to get around my throat.† â€Å"That's impossible†¦.† But he could see it, too. The freshly splintered ends of the smaller branch had moved only infinitesimally, but there was a curve to them now, and the splinters were pressing into Meredith's throat. â€Å"It's probably just that nobody can stay bent backward like that forever,† he said, knowing that this was nonsense. â€Å"There's a flashlight in the glove compartment†¦.† â€Å"The glove compartment is completely blocked by branches. Bonnie, can you reach to unfasten my seat belt?† â€Å"I'll try.† Bonnie slid forward without raising her head, fumbling to find the release button. To Matt it looked as if the shaggy, aromatic evergreen branches were engulfing her. Pulling her into their needles. â€Å"We've got a whole freakin' Christmas tree in here.† He looked away, out through the glass of the window on his side. Cupping his hands to see better into the darkness, he leaned his forehead against the surprisingly cool glass. There was a touch on the back of his neck. He jumped, then froze. It was neither cool nor warm, like a girl's fingernail. â€Å"Damn it, Meredith – â€Å" â€Å"Matt – â€Å" Matt was furious with himself for jumping. But the touch was†¦scratchy. â€Å"Meredith?† He slowly moved his hands away until he could see in the dark window's reflection. Meredith wasn't touching him. â€Å"Don't†¦move†¦left, Matt. There's a long sharp bit there.† Meredith's voice, normally cool and a bit remote, usually made Matt think of those calendar pictures of blue lakes surrounded by snow. Now it just sounded choked and strained. â€Å"Meredith!† Bonnie said before Matt could speak. Bonnie's voice sounded as if it were coming from underneath a featherbed. â€Å"It's all right. I just have to†¦hold it away,† Meredith said. â€Å"Don't worry. I won't let go of you, either.† Matt felt a sharper prickle of splinters. Something touched his neck on the right side, delicately. â€Å"Bonnie, stop it! You're pulling the treein ! You're pulling it on Meredith and me!† â€Å"Matt,shut up !† Matt shut up. His heart was pounding. The last thing he felt like doing was reaching behind him. But that's stupid, he thought, because if Bonnie really is moving the tree, I can at least hold it still for her. He reached behind him, flinching, trying to watch what he was doing in the window's reflection. His hand closed over a thick knot of bark and splinters. He thought, I don't remember seeing a knot when it was pointed at my throat†¦. â€Å"Got it!† a muffled voice said, and there was the click of a seat belt coming undone. Then, much more shakily, the voice said, â€Å"Meredith? There are needles shoved all into my back.† â€Å"Okay, Bonnie. Matt,† Meredith was speaking with effort, but great patience, the way they'd all been talking to Elena. â€Å"Matt, you have to open your door now.† Bonnie said in a voice of terror, â€Å"It isn't just needles. It's little branches. Sort of like barbed wire. I'm†¦stuck†¦.† â€Å"Matt! You need to open your doornow – â€Å" â€Å"I can't.† Silence. â€Å"Matt?† Matt was bracing himself, pushing with his feet, both hands locked around the scaly bark now. He thrust backward with all his strength. â€Å"Matt!† Meredith almost screamed. â€Å"It's cutting into my throat!† â€Å"I can't get my door open! There's a tree on that side, too!† â€Å"How can there be a tree there?That's the road!† â€Å"How can there be a treegrowing in here?† Another silence. Matt could feel the splinters – the slivers of broken branch – biting deeper into the back of his neck. If he didn't move soon, he would never be able to.

Hp & Disney Alliance

Strategic Analysis on HP-Disney Alliance Introduction On October 9th 2003, Walt Disney Company, an international entertainment and media enterprise, and global technology provider Hewlett-Packard (HP) declared a ten-year strategic alliance for the purpose of developing innovative technologies and promoting Disney consumers’ experiences. The arrangement was achieved by jointly disclosing â€Å"Mission: Space† ride, which had been collaboratively designed and developed by HP and Disney employees for several years, reported by Business Wire (9 October, 2003). Mission: Space† was located in Walt Disney World Resort at Epcot theme park, Florida, including the following activities: Space Pavilion, Space Attraction, Space Advanced Training Lab and Space Cargo Bay. It was highly praised by Fiorina, then chief executive at HP, that the cooperation was based on both business expansion and technology development when HP wanted to recover from the business downturn and improv e its public image (Takahashi, 2003). Meanwhile, by using HP devices and technologies, â€Å"Mission: Space† ride provided Disney consumers with weightless simulations and consumers would feel like travelling in space (Takahashi, 2003).Company Profile Hewlett-Packard Company Hewlett-Packard, established in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard from Stanford University, was initially to produce an electronic instrument called audio oscillator. The Walt Disney Studio was HP’s first client who bought eight oscillators to create the movie â€Å"Fantasia†. It was HP and Disney’s first cooperation (Hewlett-Packard Company, 2012). HP, headquartered in California, is one of the world’s largest technology companies that provide software, services and technology products to its customers.During the economic recession in the early 2000s, numerous companies reported losses and it was essential for HP to seek opportunities to sustain its information technology advantages (Chen et al. 2011). The Walt Disney Company Walt Disney and Roy Disney founded Disney Brothers Studio in 1923 in California for cartoon production. In 1971, the first Disney World opened in Florida and several years’ later, theme parks and Disney MGM studio were set up subsequently. Then in 1986, the firm’s name was changed to The Walt Disney Company (The Walt Disney Company, 2012).Now it is a worldwide entertainment and media company by operating in five sectors: ‘theme parks and resorts, consumer products, media networks, interactive media and studio entertainment’. In the early 2000s, Disney expanded its business around the world by building theme parks, collaborating with Eastman Kodak, Bank One and Visa to attract more consumers. Consequently the ten-year alliance with HP was arranged for both technology and entertainment development (The Walt Disney Company, 2012).Alliance Design When Disney animation engineers first came up with the simul ation of space travelling – Mission: Space ride, they realized it was crucial to find a partner that could perfectly combine the classic Disney adventures with the technology of aerospace simulation (Disney + HP, n. d. ). HP then became Disney’s partner because it delivered a wide range of supports from Disney’s visual effect to animation tasks. Then a contractual alliance between HP and Disney was formed.HP first offered infrastructure to deliver digital equipment, then it manufactured devices and hardware that serving Disney’s consumers (Fried and Spooner, 2003). Not only did HP highlight Walt Disney in its $300 million advertisements, it also launched sweepstakes to push â€Å"Mission: Space† into public (Camp, 2004). In return, what HP benefited was that it could acquire consumers’ data for further developments and promotions. Even though the potential benefits for HP was hard to estimate, HP was still quite satisfied with the volume of visitors (Camp, 2004).Above all, the value – creation logic for this alliance can be categorized as co-specialization. Both parities in the HP and Disney alliance were focusing on their advantages. Disney initiated the thoughts and ideas for the projects because they knew what they would be doing and how they could achieve it. On the other hand, HP provided Disney with information technology support and technological products that help to build up the projects. Apart from the personal computers, web servers, relevant software nd 13,000 printers offered by HP, it cooperated with Disney to develop â€Å"Ears to the world†, which was a handset for non-English speaking consumers (Banke, 2003). As pointed out by Carly Fiorina, HP CEO, ‘every process is being digitized right now, every physical analogue process will become a digital one – every last one, and the alliance will focus on the creative process and content delivery’ (Sutton, 2003). It is obviou s that all HP and Disney desired for the alliance is the combination of traditional Disney elements and new information technology.Alliance Management HP and Disney started their relationship 73 years ago when Disney purchased oscillators for the movie â€Å"Fantasia† in 1939. Clarke and Columnist (2003) believed that now it was the power behind Disney that made HP offer ’13,000 printers, 10,000 servers and 70,000 personal computers to Disney’. They also estimated that of the USD 100 million cost on Mission: Space, HP will pay almost USD 50 million according to its 10 – year contract. So in the alliance each party negotiated to contribute equally on capital.Reported by Business Wire (11 September, 2007), Michael Mendenhall, who had been working in Disney as an executive for past 17 years, was employed as ‘senior vice president chief marketing officer’ by HP. From then on, Michael would be in charge of HP’s marketing operations as well as operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Therefore, the relationship between the two companies would be closer than ever as Michael was experienced in both industries, and the continuing cooperation of Innoventions Dream Home proved that the alliance was under well management (China Business Newsweekly, 11, February 2008).Alliance Performance As referred in The Walt Disney Company Annual Report 2004 (2004), the revenues in parks and resorts segment for the fiscal year was USD 7,750 million. It increased by 21% compared with year 2003. The report stated that the Walt Disney World Resort drove USD 609 million of the total increase, which was attributed to high theme park attendance, reflecting the continued success of Mission: Space as well as the success of the alliance (Appendix 1). Meanwhile, Hewlett-Packard Company Annual Report 2005 (2005) also eported a total net revenue increase in 2004, from USD 58,799 million in 2003 to USD 64,046 million (Appendix 2). Therefore, from financial perspective, both companies were successful during the following one to two years after they formed the alliance. From objective and perceptual aspects, the HP and Disney alliance was also successful. When Mission: Space ride first opened, the continuing promo attracted more than 1. 1 million tourists and the ride still drawing more and more customers every year (Camp, 2004).HP’s Karen Jones believed that the alliance was the greatest combination to two famous brands and it success was because of the effort and time that HP and Disney had put into (Camp, 2004). Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resort, praised the cooperation and approved that HP was the perfect partner to present Disney’s ideas and thoughts into reality (Banke, 2003). Evaluation of the Alliance Personally I believed the alliance was a breakthrough for both companies, especially when the US economy was suffering recession in the early 2000s.The alliance started with a good design beca use HP and Disney knew what contribution each party could bring. In co-specialization, the alliance scope was well controlled and conflicts were reduced because each company shared their values and information on what they did best, thus increasing productivity and reducing research and development costs. Since HP and Disney had previous co-working experience (Hewlett-Packard Company, 2012), it would be easier for them to managing the alliance. By allying with each other, HP and Disney created a win – win situation.HP gave Disney the chance to realize its space travelling simulation and reinforced Disney being the world leading enterprise in the entertainment and media industry. On the other hand, Disney helped to strengthen HP’s place in the technology industry. Disney developed easier accesses to its consumers and HP obtained numerous consumer data for further promotions. In addition, they both benefited from the growth of revenues and market share. Above all, it can be concluded that the alliance is aligned with its performance. Future for the Alliance The future for the alliance is bright and of huge potential.Followed by the appointment of Michael by HP in 2007, HP and Disney were cooperating on more and more technological entertaining facilities thereafter. Despite of Mission: Space ride commenced in 2003, the alliance was focusing on new technology products in recent years, such as Innoventions Dream Home. In 2008, The Disneyland Resort reached another agreement with HP, Microsoft and Taylor Morrison for the framework of Innoventions Dream Home (‘Major Integrators Partner with Disney’, 2008). This project aimed to introduce new concepts of home by mixing technology elements into it.Innoventions Dream Home attempted to create a ‘high- tech, high-touch’ experience for its guests and illustrate how technology was involved in people’s life. The continuing alliance allowed HP to provide its newest products and s oftware to Disney (‘Major Integrators Partner with Disney’, 2008). As recommended by Ed Grier, president of Disneyland Resort, he believed that it was an inspiring alliance that brought Disney’s imaginations and HP’s technology together again (China Business Newsweekly, 11, February 2008). Reference List: Banke, J. 003, TalkDisney, Florida, viewed 14 October 2012, Camp, S. 2004, ‘Marketing Mission By HP and Disney’, Brandweek, vol. 45, no. 12, pp. 29, viewed 14 October 2012, ProQuest Central. Chen, C. , Lim, J. and Stratopoulos, T. 2011, ‘IT Capability and a Firm’s Ability to Recover from Losses: Evidence from the Economic Downturn of the Early 2000s’, Journal of Information Systems, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 117-144, viewed 11 October 2012, ProQuest Central.Clark, S. and Columnist, S. 2003, ‘HEWLETT-PACKARD ON BOARD AS SPONSOR OF EPCOT RIDE: [FINAL EDITION]’, Orlando Sentinel, 10 October, pp. C1, viewed 17 October 2012, ProQuest Central. ‘Disneyland Resort; Disneyland Resort Reaches Agreement with Microsoft, HP, Life/ware and Taylor Morrison on Innoventions Dream Home’, 2008, China Business Newsweekly, 11 February, pp. 191, viewed 18 October 2012, ProQuest Central, ISSN 1945-5984. Disney + HP, n. d. , HP Solutions, California, viewed 14 October 2012, < http://welcome. hp. com/country/us/en/msg/corp/htmldisney. html > Fried,

Government spending and tax legislation signed by the president

Government spending and tax legislation signed by the president Introduction Fiscal policies can be described as policies that governments implement to stimulate their economies. Every government tries to spend within its revenue limit. In fact, rarely do governments spend beyond their income. However, United States has been spending more than its revenue since 1969.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Government spending and tax legislation signed by the president specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is mainly because it pays interest on the loans. This paper will explore its spending and tax legislation. It will also explore the country’s fiscal policy and evaluate whether this is expansionary or contractionary. Finally, it will explore how American population can influence decision makers on fiscal policy (CCH Group, 2011). Summary of government spending and tax legislation The United States government has experienced increased government spending annually, as they try to settle both their international and internal commitments. This has led to increased spending, which exceeds its annual income. Since 1969, Congress has continued to make appropriations, which are way beyond its income. This has forced treasury to borrow a huge debt, which earns interest. The current national debt is estimated at $14.7 Trillion. This is quite massive. In fact, the president signed a new legislation in August that raised its debt limit. At the same time, he constituted a bipartisan committee, whose aim is to reduce deficit (Heakal, 2009). United States fiscal policy United States fiscal policy came into play after the great depression of 1930s. This led the government into managing its economic policies. During this period, US economy expanded. However, wars such as World War II caused great deficits to economy and the huge spending continued after 1969. Current fiscal policy forces the government to spend more that it earns. This is mainly because of factors such as military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, among others. Other factors include tax cut, and September attacks, as well as the dot-com bubbles (The Library of Congress, 2011). Is US fiscal policy expansionary or contractionary? US fiscal policy can be considered as expansionary. This is mainly because most of its expenses go to defense. Otherwise, the market is expanding. In fact, its performance during peaceful years has been impressive (The Library of Congress, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More How American consumers can influence decision makers on fiscal policies American consumers have continued to increase budget deficit. This is mainly because they opt for cheap products from China. This has forced most manufacturers to seek cheap labor in china and India, among others. The result is low income for the government and increased unemployment. In order to influence decis ion-making, consumers should buy American products to improve government income. This will influence change in fiscal policy as more revenue is received (The Library of Congress, 2011). Has it has changed over the past 5 years Consumers are continually cutting on their expenses. This is mainly because of high health insurance, recession and cheap products from China, which provide alternatives to American products. This boosted China’s economy while the US deficit increases (The Library of Congress, 2011). Conclusion Every government tries to spend within its limits. In fact, rarely do governments spend beyond their revenues. Since 1969, Congress has continued to make appropriations, which are way beyond its income. This has forced treasury to borrow a huge debt, which earns interest. Moreover, American consumers continue to increase budget deficit. This is mainly because they opt for cheap products from China. In order to influence decision-making, consumers should buy Ameri can products. This will improve government revenue (The White House Emblem, 2011). Reference List CCH Group. (2011). CCH Tax Briefing: Budget Control Act of 2011. tax.cchgroup.com. Web. Heakal, R. (2009). What Is Fiscal Policy? investopedia.com. Web. The Library of Congress. (2011). Bill Text Versions 112th Congress (2011-2012) S.365. thomas.loc.gov. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Government spending and tax legislation signed by the president specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The White House Emblem. (2011). White House. whitehouse.gov. Web.

Annexation of Mexico essays

Annexation of Mexico essays That American annexation of Mexico would be mutually beneficial is nearly beyond dispute. The first is an ever-expanding "Land of Opportunity." The second is a troubled political and economic failure. The former stands as the economic success story capitalism. The latter crawls as a nation either unwilling or unable to utilize its own resources and, thus, languishes in economic collapse. While America sits to a small degree dismayed with the unethical maneuvering of her politicians, Mexico reels from the daily instability of a horrendous government system that bears no responsibility to the people it governs. In short, the bulk of the Mexican Republics major problems would be eliminated or, at least, alleviated by her annexation. With this in view, the most pressing question rears itself out of the mire of international policy: "By which means shall America gain Mexico?" The term "pressing" is used here sarcastically, for-though a few actually do consider this question a pressing on e-the means remain today as patently obvious as they were in the nineteenth century. Quite simply, the best method for the expedient annexation of Mexico-which most everybody deems both imminent and necessary-is that of invasion and subjugation. Please allow for the presentation of a scenario. Thirteen days after the first American battletank rolled across the border south of Santa Fe, Toms and his wife (with five children in tow) proceed to a mandatory convocation in the small towns square. An American announces in unbroken Spanish that Mexico and her states are now America and her states. It is a hot Mexican day. The American representative relates a brief summary of the twelve day incursion and how Mexico gave her rule over to the United States with few casualties (resultant largely from the American show of force). He goes on to explain that the former Mexico will be included in the free states of her captor with full rights and ...