Hollywood Portrayal of Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hollywood Portrayal of Cancer - Essay Example Sweet November and Autumn in New York are both love stories that are centered on the appreciation of the beauty of life. In exploring this theme, the movies placed the main characters in a situation where one of them is terminally ill. Sweet November is a love story that revolves around Nelson Moss (played by Keanu Reeves) and Sara Deever (Charlize Theron). Deever took it as a mission to help Moss overcome his obsession with work and success, and thereby allowing him to appreciate and enjoy life. This mission would be achieved in just one month. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Deever is afflicted with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that is the main reason for Deever's decision to lead an unusual lifestyle of "curing" men of their misbehaviors towards women. The story ends tragically, with Deever ending her relationship with Moss and facing the consequences of her illness alone.. Autumn in New York is a love story between a womanizing older man and a young, vibrant woman. Early on the story, Charlotte Fielding (Winona Ryder) and Will Keane (Richard Gere) fell in love, and as Keane was ending the relationship in the same manner as he had ended his past relationships, Fielding agreed to the fact that they would have no future together because she was sick. The story ended in tragedy as Fielding dies of a rare disease after the last-resort surgical operation failed to save her life. There are many similarities in the two movies in the manner that cancer was portrayed. First, the illness was equated to the certainty of death. The drama in both films revolves around the fact that the women have little time left. Both protagonists also dealt with the disease in a similar manner - they gave up on medical treatments. In Autumn of New York, Charlotte Fielding even signed a directive that no surgery will be made on her. In one of their conversations, Fielding told Keane, "I don't want to give hope, when there is none" (Chen, 2000). The same attitude was somewhat projected by Sara Deever in Sweet November. She decided to take on a different course in life, away from the regular treatments usually provided by hospitals to cancer patients. Both films in a way concluded that there were no other options for the two cancer-afflicted characters, and that subjecting themselves to medical treatments and procedures would yield the same result, that is, eventual death. The character in Autumn in New York died at the end of the film, while in Sweet November, the character decided to come home and perhaps yield to medical cure for her illness, although the last scene seemed to indicate that she would be spending the rest of her life wilting away and succumbing to death. She left the viewers thinking that she would die, in the same way that her lover agreed to letting her go and face death. Both stories depict the dying characters, both of which were white women, still in flawless appearance. This would fall under what Comedienne Carol Burnett referred to as the Movie Star Disease (as cited in Lallanilla, 2005), where the ill character,

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 8

Business law - Essay Example 222). This case examines the degree of responsibility the employer has over the visitors or workers and the extent to which their can disclaim that responsibility. The case involves Dabir an employee at Uxbridge University whose car was stolen from the university’s car park. According to the university policies, the limited parking space was only available for the workers living beyond ten miles from the University. Furthermore, the space was given on first-come-first-served principle. Since Dabir was living less than ten miles, he was not entitled to parking space in the university compound. However, the morning he arrived early he decided to park his car in the institution’s car park. Later he learnt his car was missing and after reporting he discovered he had no chance of recovering his car either with the help of the police of compensation from the university. The car park attendant informed him that he saw a stranger drive his car out and did not ask stop him because he thought he was a new member of the staff. After informing the security personnel at the university, they rubbished him and claimed it was a waste of time. Furthermore, the security personnel claimed that Dabir was not entitled to gate pass because he lived less than ten miles away. Dabir has been inconvenienced a lot because he has to board multiple vehicles before he gets to the place of work. The issue in this case is whether the university is liable for the loss of Dabir’s car, whether the university had done enough to discharge their responsibility whether Dabir was liable for contributory negligence (Howells & Schulze, 2009). It appears the main reason for the university restricting right of parking the car at the university’s car park was because of insufficient parking space. However, even the available space was on-first-come-first-served basis, and many

Concepts of Intelligence and Logic

Concepts of Intelligence and Logic The beauty of learning is that you never graduate from it. Brennan Claybaugh Today, sending and receiving information is instantaneous. The way you live, learn, socialize, and do business is constantly transforming because of developments in technology and communication. Smart phones, e-mail, websites, and various apps are a part of daily life. These developments have revolutionized how you learn, think, receive information, and communicate. Even as you are reading this book, you could take a moment and search online for more information about any topic. This chapter will focus on the brain and its relationship to learning. Learning is a skill that can be developed and improved. You can discover how to learn faster and how to make the process more fun. Here you will be introduced to ways of improving your learning and performance skills with easy, fun suggestions to help you become a better learner.  Ã‚   Learn how to learn, and you will love what you learn. Think about: What is learning? What is my learning style? How will I improve my learning skills? What is my learning strategy? Learn about: Left brain vs. Right Brain Multiple Intelligences Learning Types Learn from: Lyn Christen Den Claybaugh Left Brain vs. Right Brain Personality-related labels include shy, outgoing, dramatic, egocentric, charitable, etc. But have you heard of left-brained or right-brained? The human brain is divided into two hemispheres. Each half performs a distinct set of operations, such as the ones listed in the chart below. Therefore, a talented artist may identify as right-brained whereas a skilled engineer may identify as left-brained. [cite source] Our predominate thought process usually leans to the right or to the left and can impact our personality and our decisions. [cite source] You can take an online test to determine whether you are predominantly left-brained or right-brained. Use one of the links below or complete an online search for left brain/right brain test to find other tests. Its fun! Give it a try. https://www.arealme.com/left-right-brain/en/ Psych Test left brain/right brain test http://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/3178 Sommer+Sommer http://braintest.sommer-sommer.com/en/ Intelliscript http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi What did you discover? Are you more left-brained or more right-brained? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How will understanding the functions of the left brain and the right brain help you to become a better learner? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Multiple Intelligences Its not how smart you are, its how you are smart! Howard Gardner The theory of multiple intelligences identifies seven distinct domains of the brain each person uses for processing information and solving problems reflecting a unique aptitude of capabilities. Multiple intelligences documents the extent to which people possess different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform and understand in different ways. We are all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial representation, the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, musical thinking, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves. Where individuals differ is in the strength of these intelligences the so called profile of intelligences and in the ways in which such intelligences are invoked and combined to carry out different tasks, solve diverse problems, and progress in various domains. Think about the things you enjoy doing most. Do you love writing, reading or watching movies? Do you often find yourself counting things or working with numbers? Do you enjoy creating new or different combinations of color and drawing pictures? Do you find yourself in constant motion or find it difficult to sit still? Do you like to dance or create music? Are you constantly talking with friends? Do you love to wander into quiet places or watch the world around you? The Seven Multiple Intelligences Verbal/Linguistics often communicate with ease and understanding. They may learn and solve problems by listening and reading, asking questions, and using word memory devices (like mnemonic devices and acronyms). They frequently have the ability to remember names, dates and places, and love story telling. They generally have good listening skills and are able to use verbal and written language to explain thoughts and concepts. Math/Logics often make decisions using logic and proof rather than emotion. They tend to have proficient problem-solving skills and see the relationship and patterns when working with numbers. Math/Logic learners frequently understand cause-and-effect relationships and learn through information analysis. It is common for Math/Logic learners to prefer the use of outlines, bullet points, and logical sequences to communicate. Spatials may love designing and creating. They often express their thoughts and ideas through pictures, graphs and charts. Spatial learners tend to solve problems through the use of images or using mental concept maps. Spatial learners regularly see how all the parts fit together to produce results, and use mind mapping, graphic organizers and visualizations to create models. Bodily/Kinesthetics are frequently adept at skills that demand applied learning. They have a tendency to solve problems and interpret and decipher information through action. They often learn by doing and demonstrating a defined process (demonstrating the process cements the knowledge). They usually prefer hands-on activities, as well as developing others ideas into finished products. Musicals generally enjoy following a step-by-step process when working or problem solving. They may use defined tasks and procedures and are oftentimes sensitive to rhythms, tonal patterns, cadence, and an orderly environment. They may have a natural inclination to use repetition, movement, and timing in developing a thought pattern or response. They frequently rearrange processes to fit their internal rhythm, and focus on results following exact and specific instructions. Interpersonals likely strive to be friends with as many people as possible. They have a tendency to solve problems by processing information through group discussion and interacting with others. They are often able to uplift a group and tend to welcome everyones ideas. They usually enjoy having people around them and work well with others in a team environment. They may be sympathetic to the needs of other people, and respond to the temperament of individuals. Intrapersonals are frequently inclined to create their personal space and may be very aware of changes that affect their surroundings. They have a tendency to perceive emotional and intellectual stimuli and recall personal experiences (empathy) when relating to others. They regularly provide a wide perspective of possible ways to solve a problem before deciding on the best solution. They will likely continue to try to improve an idea or concept after others have considered the problem solved. They oftentimes enjoy developing ideas independently before sharing their work with others. Intelligence Profiles The greatest potential of a multiple intelligences approach grows from the concept of a profile of intelligences uncovered by the The MI3 Talent Key. Intelligences are not isolated; they interact with one another (in an individual and between people) to yield a variety of outcomes. Each persons intelligence profile consists of a combination of relative strengths and weaknesses among the different intelligences: Verbal/Linguistic, Math/Logic, Spatial, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonals. Activity Take the The MI3 Talent Key and write your results here___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Based on your results How will you become a better learner? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How can you become better at communicating with others? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What Is Learning? Learning involves your personality, brain function, action, social skills, openness, focus, motivation, effort and discipline. What you learn is a choice and is completely up to you. There are many ways to learn. Some people like to learn in very traditional ways, similar to how they learned in high school. Some see learning as a discovery process, and others like to learn by connecting with people. There is no right or wrong way to learn. The key to your success is in figuring out how you like to learn and then getting really good at the process. You can quickly learn any new skill to improve your performance by becoming a super learner. Super learners are people who have mastered the skill of learning. Yes, learning is a skill just like reading, cutting hair, doing makeup, giving a massage or doing a pedicure. Once you learn how you learn best, you can confidently tackle any subject with success. Becoming a super learner means that you are open and willing to try on new ideas. It also means that sometimes you have to let go of what you already think you know. Super learners are successful because they are open to new ideas. There are many beliefs or myths about education that may block your learning. They include believing that: You can only learn from an expert or the teacher. Its not good to make mistakes. You look dumb when you ask questions. It is hard to learn new information and skills. Cramming your mind full of details is learning. Learning is boring and time-consuming. What do you believe about learning? Your assumptions may be holding you back from truly enjoying the learning process. Learning is a life skill that will bring you opportunities for success, satisfaction, and adventure. What are your beliefs about learning? Write them down. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A New Definition for Learning Did you know that you are always learning? As a matter of fact, you cannot not learn. You are a learning machine. You just have to know what makes you as the learning machine work at your most efficient capacity. The way we think and learn is being researched now more than ever before. As new methods of teaching and learning are developed, you will be asked to change as a Learner. Here are some ways you will want to grow: Learn how to ask questions Young children are always asking questions. Questioning is an important part of learning. Throughout the process of learning, you should constantly ask questions and persistently search for answers. Search for the information Dont wait to be taught, take charge of your learning. Learning is a verb, which means you need to take action. Dont check out during the learning process. Stay focused and learn from your co-workers, classmates, clients, videos, books, magazines, demonstrations, the internet and lectures. Define your learning style There is not just one way to learn. We each have a unique learning style and preferences. Define what works for you as a Learner and do it. Master your unique learning approach, then be flexible and try on new ways to learn. Acknowledge your feelings while you learn Learning is emotional as well as intellectual. Your emotions about who you are learning with, how you are learning, and what you are learning can either help you or keep you from learning. Your emotions help you to remember what you have learned. The stronger your feelings about what you are learning, the longer and more vividly you will remember it. Positive learning experiences make you feel happy, interested, and secure. You are motivated and focused. If something is not working and you find yourself not enjoying the process, then change it. Guiding Principles Educators have taken much of the new research on learning and applied it to school curriculums. They created a list of learning values and beliefs called the Guiding Principles. This list may help you to change your beliefs about the learning process and your role as a Learner. Education is an adventure of discovery. Effective learning starts with a game plan, which helps you to focus on taking action. Learning is blocked when fear is present. Let go of your fears and try on what you are learning. Making a mistake is not fatal. You make discoveries, not mistakes. Learn to embrace your discoveries and make them part of the learning process. You learn best when you are having fun. Learning success is based on changing your behavior and beliefs. Learning is a verb, so put your knowledge into action. You are uniquely intelligent and have your own style of learning. Find a learning strategy that best fits what you like and how you prefer to learn and follow it. When you honor your special qualities, you automatically become more successful. You learn best when you are physically, emotionally, mentally, and creatively involved. The learning process is neither good nor bad; it simply is working or not working. If it is working, improve it. If it is not working, change it. Recognizing your personal successes encourages you to learn more. Praise and rewards are everyones best motivators. The most effective Learners have learned to think for themselves. They dont wait to be told. They have taken responsibility for what and how they are learning. What is your favorite Guiding Principle and why? Write your answer here.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Connecting to your future is a journey filled with discoveries, not failures. Adopt thoughts that will keep your learning positive and productive. Your Learning Style Super learners are successful because they are open and willing to learn. In this section you will learn how to improve as a Learner. Remember that you are learning all the time. Learning is a natural process that is the result of your experiences. Your learning has a cycle that has been outlined by educational expert Dr. Bernice McCarthy. Her learning theory explains that we all experience learning in phases that can be defined by four basic questions: Why? What? How? and What if? You can improve your learning by asking yourself questions such as: Why do I need to know this information? Why is it important? What is the information I need to know and master? How do I learn it? How do I perform the steps? What if I did it differently? What if I created my own methods? Let questions guide your learning. When you are truly interested in something you naturally ask a lot of questions. Your questions guide and help you to learn more. Here is an example of how you can use questions to guide your learning of finger waving. Improve your comprehension. Answer all four questions each time you learn something new. When you take advantage of each learning phase, you will find that you can learn faster, while having fun. There Is No Wrong Way to Learn You are unique as a Learner because of your personality, approach, and preferences. You may prefer a certain aspect of learning over others. For example, you may prefer to jump right into what you learn, or you may choose to study all of the information thoroughly before you start applying your knowledge. Your unique approach to learning is called your learning style. Your learning style defines how you learn. It describes what you prefer and predicts how you may respond during the learning process. The following are descriptions of four basic learning styles. Read through all the descriptions and check the ones that best describe you. You may select descriptions from different learning styles. It is possible to have more than one learning style. Whats Your Learning Style? Check the traits below that describe you most. If you are a Feeler learner: Feelers primarily learn by relating to and connecting with others. You perceive the learning process as emotional. When in balance, you love to work in groups and are very social. When out of balance, you withdraw and do not participate. You naturally ask, Why do I need this information? or Why is this important? You need to know the meaning of what you are learning and how it relates to you. You need to know the benefits of what you are learning. You are social and like to work with partners or in groups while learning. You seek an emotional connection to what you are learning, your teachers, and fellow learners. You learn through relationships. You need to be in a harmonious and cooperative learning environment. You are sensitive to criticism and unsolicited feedback, preferring a gentle approach when being coached. If you are a Thinker learner: Thinkers primarily learn by thinking and assimilating information. You need time to reflect and process what you are learning internally before you apply it. When in balance, you are a detailed and focused listener and learner. When out of balance, you focus too much on unimportant information, or you become critical. You naturally ask, What do I need to know to perform better? You love facts and details. You want an organized learning environment. You want to understand the reason things work. You like things sequential, methodical, logical, and systematic. You need to learn the concepts and facts thoroughly before you are comfortable performing. You may seek perfection. You learn by problem-solving and thinking things through. You like to research and find information. You like to reflect on what you have been learning. You like specific and detailed feedback and coaching. If you are a Driver learner: Drivers learn by doing and by actively pursuing new skills. You like taking risks and making discoveries. You see learning as an active process and like to learn things quickly. When you are in balance, you are open to feedback and coaching and like to lead learning activities. When you are out of balance, you can be disruptive and impatient. You naturally ask, How do I perform it? or What are the steps in doing it? You learn best by doing. You love to jump right in and figure it out. You detest long, drawn-out explanations or lectures. You like to identify step-by-step procedures. You learn best when you are active. You like role-playing, simulations, and rehearsals. You are the first to put things to use when they are useful. You use common sense to problem solve. You want a basic overview of what you are learning and do not need every little detail. You like demonstrations and workshops and welcome hands-on coaching. If you are an Inventor learner: Inventors learn by creating. You love to tweak, adapt or change what you are learning. You experiment, and make it your own. You truly think outside of the box. When you are in balance, you add creativity and a fresh perspective. When you are out of balance, you are unfocused, distracted, and all over the map. You naturally ask: What if I did it differently? or What else do I need to learn to be more creative? You learn best by creating and inventing new methods. You are not satisfied with the traditional ways of using information or performing tasks. You learn by being innovative. You want to explore all of the opportunities. You want to improve what you are learning or create a new way to learn. You like to implement, then improve your work. You learn through experimentation. You like coaching and feedback on the end product and on your creativity. Did you check more descriptions under one learning style than under the others? Write down what your learning style is here. ______________________________________________________ ­_ How will knowing your learning style help you identify learning opportunities? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stretch Your Learning Style Dont allow your learning to become boring. Step out of your box and stretch your style. Become flexible in your approach to learning and find new ways to learn. For example: If you are a feeler, take more risks, jump right in, and learn from your discoveries. Be open to more feedback, and try not to take criticism or coaching personally. If you are a thinker, step out of your box and let go of how things are supposed to be. Become more creative and explore different aspects of what you are learning. If you are a driver, try to become more detailed, more like a thinker. If you are an inventor, learn to work and collaborate with others, become more like a feeler, or become more systematic like a thinker. By stretching yourself, your learning will become more interesting, and you will become well-rounded. You may discover something about yourself through the process. Now that you know your style, create a learning strategy that fits your needs. Dont wait for someone to accommodate you. Ask for help, and give your instructor feedback about what you like and how you learn. Stretch Your Style To improve your learning, approach it from various perspectives. If you like to learn as a thinker, try learning as an inventor. We all are a little of all learning types. Bringing out the other styles in your personality will help to deepen your understanding. Become your own learning coach and motivate yourself to become a better Learner. What are some ways that you will stretch as a learner? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Practice and Apply What You Learned Every day you have an opportunity to really grow and master your learning. You may find that the more focused you are when you are learning, the faster and better you will learn a new skill. Learning is not beneficial unless you put what you have learned to use. As you complete each learning process, ask yourself, What did I learn from this? and How can I put this information to good use? Finally, we recommend that you make learning part of your daily life. Let go of distractions that keep you from improving your performance. Spend time each week building your knowledge, your skills, and, most importantly, your attitude. When you learn in ways that are compatible with your learning style, you will: Learn faster. Have more fun. Recall what you learned. Improve your performance. Be a Lifelong Learner about learning. Read motivational and informational books, magazines, websites and materials about learning. Listen to audio learning programs. Attend ongoing learning seminars and classes. MY BRAIN GAME PLAN THINK In this chapter you learned about left brain vs right brain, Multiple Intelligence, learning and learning styles. Lets create the second step of your game plan. Make a commitment to discover and improve your learning style. Write your commitment here. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ REFLECT Think about what fears or obstacles may interfere with keeping your commitment. Write them here.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TAKE ACTION REINVENT Make room for learning new ideas and information. ASK Learn how to ask questions, especially why, what, how, and what if? STRETCH Recognize and use your learning style, then stretch yourself to try other ways of learning. LEARN Learning is an active process. Take control and become an active participant. Prepare yourself to learn. FOLLOW Follow the Guiding Principles to make your learning more worthwhile.

Comparing Alcoholism in Grace and Dubliners :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Alcoholism in Grace and Dubliners What does it mean to be in a state of drunkenness? A person who is inebriated views his surroundings in a surreal fashion; reality exists on the periphery. The drunk is by default interacting with the world on an inferior level as opposed to those who are sober. Alcoholism is also a chronic debilitating disease. It resonates outward from the individual to all those that he has contact within his life. Joyce utilizes the character of the drunk in many of the stories in Dubliners, hardly a story skips a mention of drink. Among despair, isolation and dependence, alcoholism is a theme that runs through all the stories. Alcoholism is the focus in "Grace" where Joyce takes the symbolic alcoholic and shows us what Joyce believes is a part of the problem plaguing Dublin. When we first meet Tom Kernan, we are not even told his name. Kernan is an anonymous being-a drunk that is not differentiated from any other drunk. In his alcohol-induced state he is barely human. "He lay curled up at the foot of the stairs down which he had fallen...his clothes were smeared with the filth and ooze of the floor on which he had lain...a thin stream of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth" (Joyce 150). Kernan has quite literally fallen but also has fallen morally and spiritually. The crowd that surrounds him fairs better only in comparison to him. Instead of seeking immediate help, they all query as to what is his name. Who he is, is obvious, he is a drunk. Yet there is an unwillingness to address this by the crowd. The reason why he is lying on the floor is present but not acknowledged. Is this evasion part of the essence that makes up the people of Dublin? Surely it is for repeatedly the reader is shown or referenced alcohol but direct acknowledgment does not come. "'That's ugly'" (Joyce 153) we are told by Mr. Powers who has just been shown Kernan's bitten tongue. What exactly though is ugly? Solely the bitten tongue or the defeated man or the inhabitants of Dublin? Perhaps it is all of them. Kernan's physical maladies are demonstrative of his mental affliction. At first he has fallen, then his anonymousness persists because he cannot speak. He cannot speak at first because of the level of intoxication but also as we learn because of his bitten tongue.

Redbox Essay

I. Executive Summary Redbox Automated Retail LLC was started in 2002. It started out being an experiment, funded by McDonalds, with grocery style kiosks and DVD rental kiosks. Within the first year Redbox dropped the grocery side and capitalized fully on the automated DVD vending machine rental. In 2009, Redbox became a fully owned subsidiary of Coinstar. A strategic evaluation of Redbox’s internal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and potential threats are the bases of this marketing plan. While Redbox exhibits non-traditional marketing venues, they have proved to be successful marketing channels. A strong focus is put upon Redbox in contracting with Verizon for the implementation of streaming movies, maintaining the low price for rentals, and the convenience of the kiosks for the busy consumer. II. Environmental Analysis Since Redbox was originally tried as a grocery and DVD rental kiosk, the transition into only the DVD rental market was relatively easy. Redbox is not only its business name; it is also its aesthetic view. It is a fully automated video and gaming rental venue that is all contained within a 12 foot square red box, hence the name. Redbox positions its kiosks in high-traffic areas like gas stations, grocery stores, and pharmacies. These are strategically placed for their intended target markets to have a one-stop shop on their way home from work. The idea behind it was to entice the customer to rent a movie at a store that they are frequently shopping at, without having to make another stop. A. The Marketing Environment 1. Competitive forces. Redbox is in a highly competitive market. They face competitors such as Netflix and Blockbuster. Redbox leads in a competitive stand out by offering quick, convenient and affordable movie rentals. A Blu-Ray movie rents for $1.50 per day and a regular DVD movie rental is $1.20 per day. The Redbox network is nationwide and offers more than 30,000 convenient locations. (4) Blockbuster Express recently joined the kiosk movie rental market which led them to be a direct competitor to Redbox. They also have a leg up on Netflix as Redbox doesn’t require monthly contracts, which is highly appealing to the casual movie viewer. 2. Economic forces. With the present state of the economy, Redbox flourished when the demand for cheaper movie rentals increased. When the Blockbuster brick-and-mortar stores were forced to close, Redbox rentals jumped up 28% from 2010 to 2011. (1) 3. Political forces. There are no foreseen political forces that can alter Redbox’s operations. 4. Legal and regulatory forces. There are several laws and regulations that Redbox should abide by. But with Redbox being in a self-serve kiosk, it can make some of these laws and regulations harder to enforce. The Motion Picture Association of America sets the ratings on movies, and no one under the age of 17 can rent a rated R movie. Redbox does require age verification before renting the R-rated movie(s). The Federal Copyright Act â€Å"governs how the copyrighted material, such as movies, may be used†. (2) A rented or purchased movie doesn’t issue the right to show the movie outside one’s home unless that site carries a license for public exhibition. The Video Privacy Protection Act â€Å"prevents disclosure of personally identifiable rental records† without the written consent of the consumer. (3) The Entertainment Merchants Association regulates the industry for renting DVD’s and/or video games. â€Å"They protect the right to sell, rent, and /or promote the sale and rental of entertainment products and content†. (5) 5. Technological forces. With technology always increasing and new products are always being introduced, Redbox will undoubtedly be affected by technological advances. Consumers’ interest in renting physical movies will be on a decline with companies like XFinity offering the ability to stream movies online and watch them on any screen. Hollywood studios are also putting tighter reigns on places like Redbox. They are trying to delay the rental time frame from when DVDs are released to when they are available for rental. By trying to do so, they believe that it allows the consumer a chance to buy the movie before it becomes available for rent. And the studios receive a higher cut off of sales verses rentals. 6. Sociocultural forces. Today’s fast-paced society allows for less leisure time. Consumers are looking for convenience and easy to use products. Redbox offers a convenient service that allows renters to be able to rent-and-return anywhere at any kiosk. Customers can also reserve a movie online or via mobile apps and pick up at the nearest Redbox location (4). B. Target Market(s) Redbox has three main target market segments, the casual viewer, the family viewer, and the non-web savvy person. For first target market segment, Redbox markets towards the casual viewer. They have a policy of no monthly contract fees unlike their competitor, Netflix, who enforces a monthly fee. The casual viewer doesn’t rent enough movies or games to justify the fee. The casual viewer appreciates the ease and convenience of the locations of the Redbox. While Blockbuster also targets the casual viewer, Redbox is more appealing due to the inexpensive cost to rent a movie. The second target segment is the family viewer. Redbox positions itself in convenient locations for the ease of renting for the busy mom or dad. They can stop off at the grocery store or gas station on the way home from work and also pick up entertainment for the whole family, without having to make another stop. And the third target segment is the non-web savvy person. Netflix requires the use of the Internet to be able to rent movies. For those who either don’t have the technology available or those who are insecure of using a bank account or credit card number online, Netflix is not appealing. And with the focus Netflix on streaming movies online, they are pushing aside the lower income bracket who can’t afford the technology or those who don’t understand the technological lingo required for the streaming usage. That is where Redbox steps in and will capitalize on such consumers. Consumers are being forced to move from the brick-and-mortar stores to another venue of renting movies. With Redbox’s kiosks being user friendly and convenient, many of those consumers are trending towards the use of kiosks. Also the opportunity is becoming available for Redbox to take those valued consumers who are technologically savvy and offer them the option to stream videos online. C. Current Marketing Objectives and Performance Redbox’s current marketing objectives are to drive performance. They want to continue to drive customer loyalty, continue to engage their customers and grow profitability. By engaging their customers, Redbox is always looking to make the rental process more efficient and effective. They have installed several technology upgrades into the kiosks that will shorten the rental time frame by 20-30 seconds. They are continuously working on the most convenient locations and placements of the kiosks to drive their performance and grow profitability. Since 2002, Redbox has at least doubled, if not tripled, their revenue for seven years in a row. They distribute over 37 million disks to their field employees to install in the kiosks per year. Thousands of kiosks are installed every year. They have been able to build the infrastructure of the business to grow with the changing times, to keep up with the customer demands, and to grow their customer base into loyal customers. III. SWOT Analysis A. Strengths 1. Over 30,000 convenient locations nationwide 2. No monthly membership fees 3. Rent-and-return anywhere policy 4. Offers cheaper rental prices, $1.20/night, than its competitors 5. Largest DVD-rental kiosks operator B. Weaknesses 1. Limited access to titles, mostly new releases, and the schedule of release date depends upon the studio, not Redbox 2. Increased costs for DVD acquisitions due to Warner’s discontinued relationship with Redbox (9) 3. Marketing communication channels rarely used 4. Only accepts Debit or Credit Cards for methods of payment 5. Lacking web management in monitoring code sharing websites that allows for free rentals C. Opportunities 1. Tap into the market of streaming movies online 2. Now offers video game rentals at a relatively cheap price, $2/night 3. Mobile applications for IPhone and Droid for yet another ease of renting 4. $7 billion industry, in 2011, according to IBIS World D. Threats 1. Stiff competition with Netflix, Blockbuster Express, and Amazon 2. Websites like Hulu offering movies free of charge via the internet 3. Strained relationship with Warner Brothers by not accepting their terms of a 56 day waiting period to release new releases, resulting in increased costs for Redbox acquiring Warner Brother films (9) 4. Movie studio lawsuits stating they were only making 60 cents on new release movie rentals from Redbox, whereas they make $17 per sale of DVD at Wal-Mart. (9) IV. Marketing Objectives Unlike their major competitor Netflix, Redbox is not a big advertiser. Redbox mainly uses its internet website, in store cross-promotions, and their strategic placement of their red kiosks. On www.redbox.com, they showcase their movie and video game inventory and all their locations of their kiosks. One can also reserve the movies or games on the website and pick it up at the nearest kiosk location. It is a very simple, yet effective website. Redbox uses the placement of their eye-catching, red colored box as part of their marketing campaigns. They are strategically placed in high traffic areas and four wall stores. CFO Scott Di Valerio states that â€Å"Coinstar wants to be the leader of automated retail†. (14) Redbox also uses in store cross-promotions. Take the Orville Redenbacher’s promo, for example, on special marked popcorn boxes; there is a promo code for two free Redbox rentals, a coupon for a free 2-liter bottle of soda and a coupon for Orville’s poppycock popcorn. (15) Everyone associates movies and popcorn together so by running this cross-promotion, it brings new customers to Redbox and be able to experience the ease and convenience of usage. It has made family movie night just a little better. V. Marketing Strategies A. Target Market(s) Redbox uses the strategy â€Å"Think big, start small, scale fast.† All of the opportunities that Redbox reviews and pursues are in big spaces. They also look at new ventures who can realistically reach $100million in revenue in an allotted time frame. But before those big opportunities can be obtained, they need to start small. They believe in the right environment, which includes a small team, a few resources and time to hash over the details, so they can get to a point to accurately scale each venture. When that point is reached, Gregg Kaplan, Constar’s COO, says â€Å"It’s like unleashing the wonderful benefit that Redbox and Coinstar teams and the full organization can take against these opportunities.† (6) Redbox are placing more kiosks in more convenient places in hoping to increase more brand awareness, which is especially critical since they don’t spend much on advertising means. Mobile applications for iPhone and Droid are becoming intensely popular. The application will display a map of all the kiosks available in the area and also allows the viewing of what DVDs that kiosk has available. One can also reserve the movie via the mobile application and pick up at the nearest kiosk. B. Marketing Mix 1. Product. Redbox is the leader in DVD rentals, renting more than 1.5 billion discs to date, in over 30,000 locations. They boast on the fact that Redbox kiosks are available, within a five minute drive, to more than 68% of Americans. (4) And their rent-and-return anywhere policy makes Redbox an undisputable convenient place to rent moves. It is also possible to purchase the DVD at the kiosks or online at Redbox.com. 2. Price. The price to rent a DVD from a Redbox kiosk is astronomically cheap. It costs $1.20 to rent movies, including new releases, and $2.00 for video games. The rental period lasts until 9pm the night following the rental purchase. For each additional day you keep the movie, you are charged the rental fee plus tax per day. If you happen to hold the DVD for 20 days, you are charged $24 plus tax, $34.50 for Blu-Rays, or $60 for video games and the disc becomes yours. (4) These cheap prices have caused a strained relationship with the movie studios in Hollywood. They only earn $.60 per movie rental, where as they earn $17 per DVD sale, no matter the selling price. 3. Distribution. Redbox installs their kiosks in convenient, easy to access places, such as grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, convenience stores, and large retailers like Wal-Mart. According to Coinstar’s 2011 10-K report, they have 35,400 kiosks available nationwide, each holding about 630 disks. (11) They are available in every state, including Puerto Rico. The kiosk is like the traditional brick-and-mortar video rental store, but only occupies up 12 square feet. Consumers access the movie database via a touch screen, make their selection(s), swipe their credit/debit card, and receive the DVD or video game(s). It is meant to be a quick, efficient and fully automated rental process. The kiosk scans the bar codes of the movies or games to keep track of its inventory. Bar code scanning allows them to track the rentals and the returns easily, especially when they offer the rent-and-return anywhere policy. 4. Promotion. Redbox sends promo codes to individuals who have signed up to receive emails. They also send promo codes via text messages. Those test messages results in a free rental once per month. Another promo Redbox offers are gift cards via email that gives the recipient a code for a free rental. In 2009, Redbox added a free mobile application for iPhone users and in 2011 they made the application available for Android users. The application allows users to sort through the available titles, find a kiosk location, and reserve a movie all from a smartphone.

Overweight or Obese Students in Physical Education Essay

In this thought paper, a social ecological constraint model study the inclusion of overweight or obese students in physical education by integrating key concepts and assumptions from ecological constraint theory in motor development and social ecological models in health promotion and behavior. There are some issues about the ecological constraint model. Often, overweight or obese are considered relative to their physical inabilities and how they differ from their peers. Even worse, physical educators maybe negatively biased toward overweight or obese students. Greenleaf, Martin & Rhea, 2008; Greenleaf and Weiler, 2005) and may have stereotypical views of lifestyle behaviors, lack of individual control, outward appearance (Chambis, Finley, & Blair, 2004; Rukavina, Li, & Rowel, 2008; Rukavina, Li, Shen & Sun, 2010). Another constraint is obesity bias/weight stigma, often defined as the assumption that overweight people have negative character trait such as laziness, self-indulgence, or lack of intelligence (Puhl & Brownell, 2001). In parallel of this article, given the social acceptability of negative attitudes toward obese individuals, it may not be surprising to learn that weight discrimination is common in the United States. Weight stigma or bias generally refers to negative weight-related attitudes toward an overweight or obese individual. These attitudes are often manifested by negative stereotypes (e. g. , that obese persons are â€Å"lazy† or â€Å"lacking in willpower†), social rejection and prejudice. Weight stigma includes verbal teasing (e. g. , name calling, derogatory remarks, being made fun of, etc. ), physical aggression (e. g. , hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, etc. ) and relational victimization (e. g. , social exclusion, being ignored, avoided, or the target of rumors). Many obese individuals report being treated with less respect or courtesy than thinner persons and being called names or insults because of their weight. Thus, weight stigma can emerge in subtle forms, or it can be expressed directly. Discrimination is distinct from stigma and negative attitudes, and specifically refers to unequal, unfair treatment of people because of their weight. For example, an obese person who is qualified for a job but is not hired for the position because of his or her weight may have been the victim of weight discrimination. Other examples include being denied a job promotion or fired from a job because of one’s weight; being denied certain medical procedures or provided inferior medical care because of one’s weight; or being denied a scholarship, a bank loan or prevented from renting or buying a home because of one’s weight. Despite the increasing prevalence of obesity, it appears that incidences of weight discrimination are only becoming worse. (Puhl, R. M. , Andreyeva, T. , & Brownell, K. D; 2008).