Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Great Depression Essay -- American History

The Great Depression The Big Picture The Great Depression was the longest and most severe economic decline in American history. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed and began the depression. Although industry leaders issued optimistic predictions for the nation's economy, the market crash wiped out nearly 40% of the paper values of stocks. Great innovations in productive techniques during and after the war raised the output of industry beyond the purchasing capacity of U.S. farmers and working force. As a result of this, unemployment skyrocketed during the years of the Depression, reaching levels as high as one third of the population. Almost half of the commercial banks of the United States failed during the Depression. Crop prices fell by over fifty percent. People went hungry because so much food was produced that production became unprofitable. Others were unemployed because they had produced more than could be sold. Hundreds of thousands roamed the country in search of food, work, and shelter. Huge numbers of Americans had their lives upset by the Depression. Homelessness, poverty and despair characterized much of the nation in those days. Many of those who could not provide for their families, in larger cities as well as smaller towns, committed suicide to put an end to their troubles. Small Town Life The depression was not limited to the confines of large cities, it spread like a disease throughout our great nation. It even managed to find its way into the small town of Oakesdale, Washington. Frances Taylor, a mere child at this time clearly remembers the events that took place. "As children, we weren't really aware of what was going on. We simply didn't understand the concept of being poor." Many fam... ...ovided the initial 63 million dollars for the project to begin. "My father found work by being part of the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. He would stay on the site while our mother took care of the children back in Oakesdale. He would send the money back to support the family." The Grand Coulee Dam would provide many jobs for the unemployed as well as be used in the upcoming war. It was used primarily for irrigation at first, but as the war progressed it was changed to produce more electricity for the Northwest's aluminum industry. The beginning of World War II would prove to be the factor that directed America out of the Depression. How ironic, that such a horrifying event could spur an economic rejuvenation. The Depression was a trying time, America was at a loss for words and money, but as a nation, we pulled together and got through the worst of the worst.

Friday, January 17, 2020

McCain Foods Essay

1. Which four Ps make up the marketing mix? Answer: †¢ Product †¢ Price †¢ Place †¢ Promotion †¢ Product – this has to look and taste good and be made from wholesome ingredients. †¢ Price – the price has to be attractive to ensure enough sales to generate a profit. †¢ Place – the place and position of the product in the market is important to compete for market share. †¢ Promotion – this has to fit the company’s objectives for the product. 2. Explain the different product categories in the Boston Matrix. Why is this a useful tool for businesses? Answer: The Boston Matrix identifies four types in a company’s product portfolio: †¢ Stars. These products have a high market share in markets that are growing quickly. For example, the Playstation was a star when it was first introduced into the games market. †¢ Question Marks. These products have a low market share in a growing market. Costs are more than returns as the company tries to increase market share. An example of a Question Mark could be a newly launched fashion item or a new car model. †¢ Cash Cows. These products have high market share in established markets, for example, cornflakes in the breakfast cereals market. †¢ Dogs. These products have low market share in a low growth market. A company may look to get rid of these products or invest in marketing to improve sales. For example, DVD recorders have replaced video recorders 3. Analyse how McCain Foods’ promotional strategies tie in with its message ‘It’s All Good’. Answer: Promotion A further demonstration of the ‘It’s All Good’ ethos is McCain Foods’ ethical stance on promotion. McCain makes a Commitment not to advertise to children under 12 years old. It also ensures that the retail labeling on its products carries clear information on levels of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar to help shoppers choose healthier options. Its labeling is in line with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) traffic light scheme and the food industry’s Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA). McCain also takes part in different types of sponsorship, such as: †¢ TV show Family Fortunes. This brings the McCain brand to a wide audience through a popular family programme. †¢ McCain Athletics Networks which encourage young people to get involved in the sport through local clubs. This further supports the company’s approach to balancing calories in with calories out. 4. Consider other promotional strategies McCain could use and say whether they are above- or below-the-line. Answer: Above-the-line promotion is paid for and includes traditional advertising routes such as television, radio and the press. These are good for carrying marketing messages to a large audience. However,it is less easy to measure the impact of these channels, for example, whether a TV advert has increased sales. Special displays or positioning in stores or advertising on supermarket trolleys are also examples of McCain’s above-the-line promotional activity. Below-the-line promotion can take many forms and is usually more under the control of the business. Typical examples include events or direct mail. McCain uses a combination of below-theline activities including: †¢ door-to-door leaflet drops or books of vouchers which give customers discounts over a period of time. These help to attract consumers and establish brand loyalty so the consumer buys the product again. †¢ email newsletter for consumers. This creates a relationship with consumers, which is unusual for a B2B organisation. It not only allows McCain to communicate directly with and listen to consumers, it also enables the business to collect information, for example, about their lifestyles and product choices. This is used for feedback, research and promotions.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

How To Use the Spanish Preposition A

The Spanish preposition a is often thought of as the equivalent of to—but in fact, it has far more uses. A can also be the equivalent of on, at, from, by or in. In many cases, it is not translated at all. Rather than learning how to use the Spanish a by its translation, learn the purposes for which a is used. The following list doesnt cover all its uses, but it does show the uses you are most likely to come across at the beginning stages of learning Spanish. Using a to Indicate Motion or Location Almost any verb indicating motion, and even nouns, can be followed by a before a destination. It can also be used with some other verbs to indicate where the verbs action takes place. In this and the following tables and examples, the preposition is listed in italics in Spanish and in English where its translated rather than implied. Spanish Sentence English Translation Llegamos a Argentina We arrived in Argentina Se acercà ³ a la casa. He approached the house. Cayà ³ al piso. It fell to the floor. Ofrecemos servicios especializados para facilitar su visita a Disneyland. We offer specialized services to facilitate your visit to Disneyland. Esa es la puerta al baà ±o. That is the door to the bathroom. ("Al" is a contraction of a + el, usually meaning "to the.") Me siento a la mesa. I am sitting at the table. Using a Before an Infinitive A is often used to connect a verb with an infinitive that follows. This use is especially common when indicating the start of an action. In these cases, a is not translated separately from the infinitive. Spanish Sentence English Translation Empezà ³ a salir. She began to leave. Entrà ³ a hablar contigo. He came in to talk to you. Él se negà ³ a nadar. He refused to swim. He venido a estudiar. I have come to study. Comenzà ³ a bailar. She began to dance. The most common usage following this pattern is using ir a infinitive to form the a type of future tense  known as the periphrastic future. Si no jugamos bien no vamos a ganar. If we dont play well we arent going to win.Voy  a  cantar.   I am going to sing.Tenemos que aceptar que tal vez no nos vayan a entender. We have to accept that sometimes they arent going to understand us. Using A To Indicate Manner or Method Numerous expressions begin with a followed by a noun to indicate how something is done. The phrase starting with a functions as an adverb and is sometimes translated as one. Spanish Sentence English Translation Vamos a pie. We are going on foot. Hay que fijarlo a mano. It is necessary to fix it by hand. (Note that a mano also could have been translated as "manually," an adverb.) Estoy a dieta. I am on a diet. Escribo a là ¡piz. I am writing with a pencil. Andan a ciegas. They are walking blindly. Llegamos a tiempo. We are arriving on time. La internet evoluciona a cada instante. The internet is changing constantly. Lee el libro a escondidas. She is studying the book covertly. Introducing an Object With A Before a direct object, a is used before name or noun that represents a person in a usage known as the personal a. The preposition in these cases usually is not translated. A can also introduce an indirect object. Spanish Sentence English Translation Conozco a Pedro. I know Peter. (In this and the next two examples, the name functions as a direct object.) Encontrà © a Fido. I found Fido. Verà © a Marà ­a. I will see Mary. Le doy una camisa a Jorge. I am giving a shirt to George. (In this and the next three examples, "George" is an indirect object. Note how the translation of a varies with the verb.) Le compro una camisa a Jorge. I am buying a shirt for George. Le robo una camisa a Jorge. I am taking a shirt from George. Le pongo la camisa a Jorge I am putting the shirt on George. Using a in Time Expressions A is sometimes used in specifying times or days, as in these examples. Salimos a las cuatro. We are leaving at four.A la una de la noche escuchamos maullar. At 1 a.m. we heard meowing.Estamos a lunes. Today is Monday. (Literally, we are at Monday.)