International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management Essay Example for Free

International Journal of Retail Distribution Management Essay Introduction Sales promotion is the offer of an incentive to induce a desired sales result (Gilbert, 1999). For our purposes promotional techniques, within UK supermarkets, have been taken to be value increasing promotions (i. e. coupons and price deals) and value adding (i. e. premiums, prizes/contests/sweepstakes, samples, point of purchase display, demonstration and loyalty cards). Sales promotion consists of a wide variety of short-term tactical promotional tools aimed at generating a desired response from customers. Although there is a shift in marketing communications, away from advertising towards sales promotions, there is no consensus among researchers that sales promotions lead to repeat purchase. It is agreed, however, that price promotions can result in a short-term increase in sales (Smith and Sinha, 2000; Banks and Moorthy, 1999; Kopalle and Mela, 1999; Diamond, 1992; Gupta and Cooper, 1992; Bawa and Shoemaker, 1987). It is also important to note that studies of price promotions also show that customers who take advantage of a price promotion often return to their favourite brands (Ehrenberg et al. 1994; Brandweek, 1994). There is a large body of literature, which has examined consumer response to sales promotions, especially coupons (Krishna and Zhang, 1999; Huff and Alden, 1998; Leone and Srinivasan, 1996; Bawa and Shoemaker, 1987, 1989; Gupta, 1988, 1993; Blattberg and Neslin, 1990). Coupons and discounts are the most widely used promotional tools. However, relatively little research has focussed on value adding promotions. In coupon promotions retailers maintain the original price of the product and it is only coupon holders who are entitled to a discount. As buyers are not subject to a reduction in sales price there is no need for them to adjust their internal reference prices downwards, as is the case with discount promotions. Therefore, coupon promotions should be more attractive than discount promotions in improving the transaction value of the product. However, consumers must keep track of the coupons and produce them at the place of purchase. If consumers are used to utilising coupons then they are likely to have a more positive attitude towards them (Huff and Alden, 1998). Also, if a The authors D. C. Gilbert is Professor of Marketing and N. Jackaria is a Researcher, both at Surrey European Management School, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. Keywords Sales promotion, Retail trade, Food industry, Marketing Abstract UK supermarkets need to be able to assess the current efficacy of the budget they allocate to promotional activities aimed at boosting sales. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to investigate consumer response to the four different promotional deals most commonly used in UK supermarkets: coupons, price discounts, samples and buy-one-get-one-free. Multi discriminant analysis was used on a study of 160 respondents to analyse whether there was an association between the four consumer promotional approaches and respondents reported buying behaviour. The findings indicate that only price discount promotions proved to be statistically significant on consumers reported buying behaviour. Purchase acceleration and product trial are found to be the two most influential variables related to a discount. For buy-one-get-one-free, while the result is not significant, the two variables, brand switching and purchase acceleration are statistically significant.

What Is A Topographic Map English Language Essay

What Is A Topographic Map English Language Essay A topographic map is a map that shows topography and features found on the earths surface. Like any map it uses symbols to represent these features. Lets look at a section of a topographic map showing the area around Spruce Knob in West Virginia. Spruce Knob is the highest point in West Virginia. This section of a topographic map illustrates many of the common symbols used on topographic maps. The map is repeated below with many of these symbols labeled. Some of the more common and important topographic map symbols have been pointed out by the purple arrows. More details are given in the text below. MAP SYMBOLS First lets recognize that map symbols are color coded. Symbols in green indicate vegetation, symbols in blue represent water, brown is used for topographic symbols, man made features are shown in black or red. Lets look at the symbols labeled in the map above: Contour Lines Contour lines are lines that indicate elevation. These are the lines that show the topography on the map. They are discussed in more detail in the next section. Contour lines are shown in brown. Two types of contour lines are shown. Regular contour lines are the thinner brown lines, index contour lines are the thicker brown lines. The numbers written in brown along the contour lines indicate elevation of the line. For this map elevation is in feet above sea level. Forests and Clearings Forested areas are represented by areas shaded green; for Spruce Knob this means most of the area. Areas that are not forested are left unshaded (white). Note that not all topographic maps show forests. Also note that this information is not always up to date or accurate. I have struggled to walk across densely wooded areas in places that have been mapped as clearings. Streams Streams and other water features are shown in blue. Roads and Trails Man made features are shown in black or red. Trails are represented as thin single dashed lines. Roads are represented as double lines or thicker red lines. A series of symbols are used roads to indicate road quality from double dashed lines for dirt roads to thick red lines for major highways. In the case of the Spruce Knob area we have two types of road, the thin double black lines and the thin dashed double lines. Buildings Like other man made features buildings are shown in black. Solid squares usually indicate buildings that would be inhabited by people (i.e. a house), hollow shapes usually indicate uninhabited buildings (for example, a barn) (Note this may not hold for maps in the future because it is not possible to determine what a building is used for from the aerial photos used to make the maps). Other man made features shown in black on our example include the lookout tower on at the summit of Spruce Knob and the radio tower. Though not seen on our map, larger buildings, like factories, are shown by larger shapes that outline shape of the building, and cities with closely spaced houses are shaded pink instead of showing individual houses. Boundaries Even though these are not physical features you can see on the ground, boundaries are shown on topographic maps by black or red lines. Boundaries are usually represented by broken lines (combinations of dots and dashes of different sizes). Different patterns are used for different types of boundaries (i.e., state, county, city, etc). On our example the boundary that is shown marks the edge of a National Forest. Bench Marks Bench marks indicate places where the elevation has actually been surveyed. These locations are indicated on the map by a triangle if a marker has been placed in the ground, or an x if not marker was left behind. Near either symbol are the letters BM and a number which represents the elevation of that particular location. Bench marks are shown in black on topographic maps. CONTOUR LINES Contour lines are lines drawn on a map connecting points of equal elevation. If you walk along a contour line you neither gain nor lose elevation. Picture walking along a beach exactly where the water meets the land (ignoring tides and waves for this example). The water surface marks an elevation we call sea level, or zero. As you walk along the shore your elevation will remain the same, you will be following a contour line. If you stray from the shoreline and start walking into the ocean, the elevation of the ground (in this case the seafloor) is below sea level. If you stray the other direction and walk up the beach your elevation will be above sea level (See diagram at right). The contour line represented by the shoreline separates areas that have elevations above sea level from those that have elevations below sea level. We refer to contour lines in terms of their elevation above or below sea level. In this example the shoreline would be the zero contour line (it could be 0 ft., 0 m, or something else depending on the units we were using for elevation). Contour lines are useful because they allow us to show the shape of the land surface (topography) on a map. The two diagrams below illustrate the same island. The diagram on the left is a view from the side (cross profile view) such as you would see from a ship offshore. The diagram at right is a view from above (map view) such as you would see from an airplane flying over the island. The shape of the island is shown by location shoreline on the map. Remember this shore line is a contour line. It separates areas that are above sea level from those that are below sea level. The shoreline itself is right at zero so we will call it the 0 ft. contour line (we could use m., cm. in., or any other measurement for elevation). The shape of the island is more complicated than the outline of the shoreline shown on the map above. From the profile it is clear that the islands topography varies (that is some parts are higher than others). This is not obvious on map with just one contour line. But contour lines can have elevations other than sea level. We can picture this by pretending that we can change the depth of the ocean. The diagram below shows an island that is getting flooded as we raise the water level 10 ft above the original sea level. The new island is obviously smaller than the original island. All of the land that was less than 10 ft. above the original sea level is now under water. Only land where the elevation was greater than 10 ft. above sea level remains out of the water. The new shoreline of the island is a contour line because all of the points along this line have the same elevation, but the elevation of this contour line is 10 ft above the elevation of the original shoreline. We repeat these processes in the two diagrams below. By raising water levels to 20 ft and 30 ft above the original see level we can find the location of the 20ft and 30 ft contour lines. Notice our islands get smaller and smaller. Fortunately we do not really have to flood the world to make contour lines. Unlike shorelines, contour lines are imaginary. They just exist on maps. If we take each of the shorelines from the maps above and draw them on the same map we will get a topographic map (see map below). Taken all together the contour lines supply us with much information on the topography of the island. From the map (and the profile) we can see that this island has two high points. The highest point is above 30 ft elevation (inside the 30 ft contour line). The second high point is above 20 ft in elevation, but does not reach 30 ft. These high points are at the ends of a ridge that runs the length of the island where elevations are above 10 ft. Lower elevations, between the 10 ft contour and sea level surround this ridge. With practice we can picture topography by looking at the map even without the cross profile. That is the power of topographic maps. READING ELEVATIONS A common use for a topographic map is to determine the elevation at a specified locality. The map below is an enlargement of the map of the island from above. Each of the letters from A to E represent locations for which we wish to determine elevation. Use the map and determine (or estimate) the elevation of each of the 5 points. (Assume elevations are given in feet) Point A = 0 ft Point A sits right on the 0 ft contour line. Since all points on this line have an elevation of 0 ft, the elevation of point A is zero. Point B = 10 ft. Point B sits right on the 10 ft contour line. Since all points on this line have an elevation of 10 ft, the elevation of point B is 10 ft. Point C ~ 15 ft. Point C does not sit directly on a contour line so we can not determine the elevation precisely. We do know that point C is between the 10ft and 20 ft contour lines so its elevation must be greater than 10 ft and less than 20 ft. Because point C is midway between these contour lines we can estimate the elevation is about 15 feet (Note this assumes that the slope is constant between the two contour lines, this may not be the case). Point D ~ 25 ft. We are even less sure of the elevation of point D than point C. Point D is inside the 20 ft. contour line indicating its elevation is above 20 ft. Its elevation has to be less than 30 ft. because there is no 30 ft. contour line shown. But how much less? There is no way to tell. The elevation could be 21 ft, or it could be 29 ft. There is now way to tell from the map. (An eight foot difference in elevation doesnt seem like much, but remember these numbers are just an example. If the contour lines were spaced at 100 ft intervals instead of 10 ft., the difference would be a more significant 80 ft.) Point E ~ 8 ft. Just as with point C above, we need to estimate the elevation of point E somewhere between the 0 ft and 10 ft contour lines it lies in between. Because this point is closer to the 10 ft line than the 0 ft. line we estimate an elevation closer to 10. In this case 8 ft. seems reasonable. Again this estimation makes the assumption of a constant slope between these two contour lines. CONTOUR INTERVAL and INDEX CONTOURS Contour Intervals Contour lines can be drawn for any elevation, but to simplify things only lines for certain elevations are drawn on a topographic map. These elevations are chosen to be evenly spaced vertically. This vertical spacing is referred to as the contour interval. For example the maps above used a 10 ft contour interval. Each the contour line was a multiple of 10 ft. (i.e. 0, 10, 20, 30). Other common intervals seen on topographic maps are 20 ft (0, 20, 40, 60, etc), 40 ft (0, 40, 80, 120, etc), 80 ft (0, 80, 160, 220, etc), and 100ft (0, 100, 200, 300, etc). The contour interval chosen for a map depends on the topography in the mapped area. In areas with high relief the contour interval is usually larger to prevent the map from having too many contour lines, which would make the map difficult to read. The contour interval is constant for each map. It will be noted on the margin of the map. You can also determine the contour interval by looking at how many contour lines are between labeled contours. Index Contours Unlike the simple topographic map used above, real topographic maps have many contour lines. It is not possible to label the elevation of each contour line. To make the map easier to read every fifth contour line vertically is an index contour. Index contours are shown by darker brown lines on the map. These are the contour lines that are usually labeled. The example at right is a section of a topographic map. The brown lines are the contour lines. The thin lines are the normal contours; the thick brown lines are the index contours. Notice that elevations are only marked on the thick lines. Because we only have a piece of the topographic map we can not look at the margin to find the contour interval. But since we know the elevation of the two index contours we can calculate the interval ourselves. The difference in elevation between the two index contours (800 700) is 100. We cross five lines as we go from the 700 line to the 800 line (note we dont include the line we start on but we do include the line we finish on). Therefore we divide the elevation difference (100) by the number of lines (5) we will get the contour interval. In this case it is 20. We can check ourselves by counting up by 20 for each contour from the 700 line. We should reach 800 when we cross the 800 line. One piece of important information we can not determine from the contour lines on this map is the units of elevation. Is the elevation in feet, meters, or something else? There is a big difference between an elevation change of 100 ft. and 100 m (328 ft). The units of the contour lines can be found in the margin of the map. Most topographic maps in the United States use feet for elevation, but it is important to check because some do you meters. Once we know how to determine the elevation of the unmarked contour lines we should be able determine or at least estimate the elevation of any point on the map. Using the map below estimate the elevation of the points marked with letters Point A = 700 An easy one. Just follow along the index contour from point A until you find a marked elevation. On real maps this may not be this easy. You may have to follow the index contour a long distance to find a label. Point B = 740 This contour line is not labeled. But we can see it is between the 700 and 800 contour line. From above we know the contour interval is 20 so if we count up two contour lines (40) from 700 we reach 740. Point C ~ 770 Point c is not directly on a contour line. But by counting up from 700 we can see it lies between the 760 and 780 contour lines. Because it is in the middle of the two we can estimate its elevation as 770. Point D = 820 Point D is outside the interval between the two measured contours. While it may seem obvious that it is 20 above the 800 contour, how do we know the slope hasnt changed and the elevation has started to back down? We can tell because if the slope stated back down we would need to repeat the 800 contour. Because the contour under point D is not an index contour it can not be the 800 contour, so must be 820. DETERMINING CONTOUR INTERVALS Most contour lines on topographic maps are not labeled with elevations. Instead the reader of the map needs to be able to figure out the elevation by using the labeled contour lines and the contour interval (see previous page for explanation). On most maps determining contour interval is easy, just look in the margin of the map and find where the contour interval is printed (i.e. Contour Interval 20 ft). For the maps on this web site, however, the contour interval is not listed because we only parts of topographic maps, not the whole map which would include the margin notes. However we usually dont need to be given the contour interval. We can calculate from the labeled contours on the map as is done below. This method works if we dont have any topographical complications, areas where the elevation is not consistently increasing or consistently decreasing. With practice these areas can usually be easily recognized. Also this method does not tell the units for the contour interval. In the United States most topographic maps, but not all, use feet for elevation, however it is best to check the margin of the map to be sure. READING ELEVATIONS Lets go back to the Spruce Knob area and practice reading elevations. On the map below are 10 squares labeled A through J.? Estimate the elevation for the point marked by each square (make sure to use the point under the square, not under the letter). Compare your answers to the answers below. Recall that we determined the contour interval on the previous page. ELEVATION of Points: A. 4400 ft Point A sits right on a labeled index contour. Just follow along the contour line until you reach the label B. 4720 ft Point B sits on a contour line, but it is not an index contour and its elevation is not labeled. First lets look for a nearby index contour. There is one to the south and east of point B. This contour is labeled as 4600 ft. Next we need to determine if point B is above or below this index contour. Notice that is we keep going to the southeast we find contour lines of lower elevations (i.e. 3800 ft.). This means as we move away from 4600 ft. contour line toward point B we are going up hill. So point B is above 4600 ft. Count the contour lines from 4600 ft to point B, there are three. Each contour line is 40 ft. (from our previous discussion of the contour interval) so point B is 120 ft. above 4600 ft that is it is 4720 ft. C. 4236 ft Point C sits right on a labeled bench mark so its elevation is already written on the map. D. 4360 ft. Point D is on an unlabeled contour line. From our discussion of point B above, you can see that point D is on the slope below Spruce Knob. Just above point D is an index contour. If we trace along this contour line we see its elevation is 4400 ft. Since point D is the next contour line down hill it is 40 ft lower. E 3800 ft. Point E is on an index contour. Follow along this contour line until you come to the 3800 label. F. ~4780 ft. Point E does not sit on a contour line so we can only estimate its elevation. The point is circled by several contour lines indicating it is a hill top (see the later discussion of depression contours to see why we know this is a hill). First lets figure out the elevation of the contour line that circles point F. Starting from the nearest index contour line (4600 ft) we count up by 40 for the four contour lines. This gives us 4760 ft (4600ft + 40 ft. x 4). Because point F is inside this contour line it must have an elevation above 4760 ft., but its elevation must be less than 4800 ft, otherwise there would be a 4800 contour line, which is not there. We dont really know the elevation just that it is between 4760ft. and 4800ft. G. 4080 ft. In order to determine the elevation of point G we first must recognize it is on the western slope of Spruce Knob. Looking at the index contours we see that point G is between 4400 ft and 4600 ft contours. (It is a good idea to check the elevations by counting by 40 for each of the contour lines between 4400 and 4600. If the numbers do not work out it may mean that the contour lines, and therefore the topography, are more complicated than a simple slope. That is not the case here.) Counting up two contour lines from 4400 ft. gives our elevation of 4080 ft. H. ~4100 ft. Point H is circled by a contour line indicating it is the top of a small hill. Its elevation is determined the same way we determine the elevation of Point F. Find the index contour below point F (4000 ft) and count up for the two contour lines (4080 ft). Point F is above this elevation but below 4120 ft because this contour line is not present. I ~3980 ft. Point I is also not on a contour line. It is also not on the top of a hill because a contour line does not encircle it. Instead it is in between to contour lines on the side of a hill. One of the contour lines is the 4000 ft index contour. The other contour is 3960 ft contour (40 ft lower, you can tell it is lower because you are moving toward the stream which is in the bottom of the valley). The elevation of point I is between 3960ft and 4000ft. Since point I is midway between these two contours we can estimate its elevation as midway between 3960 and 4000. J ~ 3820 ft. The elevation of point J is found the same way as the elevation of point I. Gradient (Slope) Topographic maps are not just used for determining elevation; they can also be used to help visualize topography. The key is to study the pattern of the contour lines, not just the elevation they represent. One of the most basic topographic observation that can be made is the gradient (or slope) of the ground surface. High (or steep) gradients occur in areas where there is a large change in elevation over a short distance. Low (or gentle) gradients occur where there is little change in elevation over he same distance. Gradients are obviously relative. What would be considered steep in some areas (like Ohio) might be considered gentle in another (like Montana). However we can still compare gradients between different parts of a map. On a topographic map the amount of elevation change is related to the number of contour lines. Using the same contour interval the more contour lines over the same distance indicates a steeper slope. As a result areas of a map where the contour lines are close together indicate steeper slopes. Areas with widely spaced contour lines are gentle slopes. The map below examples of areas with steep and gentle gradient. Note the difference in contour line spacing between the two areas. Compare the slope of the west side of Spruce Knob with the slope of the east side. Which side is steeper? ..The east side. Notice the spacing between the contour lines. Contour lines on the east side of Spruce Knob are closer together than the contour lines on the west side indicating steeper slopes. Map Scale Topographic maps are drawn to scale. This means that distances on a map are proportional to distances on the ground. For example, if two cities 20 miles apart are shown 2 inches apart on a map, then any other locations that are two inches apart on the map are also 20 miles apart. This proportion, the map scale, is constant for the map so it holds for any points on the map. In our example the proportion between equivalent distances on the map and on the ground is expressed as a scale of 1 inch = 10 miles, that is 1 inch on the map is equal to 10 miles on the ground. Map scales can be expressed in three forms. We will look at all three. VERBAL SCALE The simplest form of map scale is a VERBAL SCALE. A verbal scale just states what distance on a map is equal to what distance on the ground, i.e. 1 inch = 10 miles from our example above. Though verbal scales are easy to understand, you usually will not find them printed on topographic maps. Instead our second type of scale is used. FRACTIONAL SCALE Fractional scales are written as fractions (1/62500) or as ratios (1:62500). Unlike verbal scales, fractional scales do not have units. Instead it is up to the map reader to provide his/her own units. Allowing the reader of the map to choose his/her own units provides more flexibility but it also requires a little more work. Basically the fractional scale needs to turn in to a verbal scale to make it useful. First lets look at what a fractional scale means. A fractional scale is just the ratio of map distance to the equivalent distance on the ground using the same units for both. It is very important to remember when we start changing a fractional scale to a verbal scale the both map and ground units start the same. The smaller number of the fractional scale is the distance on the map. The larger number in the scale is the distance on the ground. So if we take our example scale (1:62500) we can choose units we want to measure distance in. Lets chose inches. We can rewrite our fractional scale as a verbal scale: 1 inch on the map = 62500 inches on the ground. We can do the same thing used with any unit of length. Some examples of verbal scales produced using various units from a 1:62500 fractional scale are given in the table: UNITS VERBAL SCALE Inches 1 inch on the map = 62500 inches on the ground. Feet 1 foot on the map = 62500 feet on the ground cm 1 cm on the map = 62500 cm on the ground M 1 m on the map = 62500 m on the ground Notice the pattern. The numbers are the same, only the units are changed. Note that the same units are used on both sides of each of the verbal scale. While these verbal scales are perfectly accurate, they are not very convenient. While we may want to measure distance on a map in inches, we rarely want to know the distance on the ground in inches. If someone asks you the distance from Cleveland to Columbus they do not want the answer in inches. Instead we need to convert our verbal scale into more useful units. Lets take our example (1 inch on the map = 62500 inches on the ground). Measuring map distance in inches is OK, but we need to come up with a better unit for measuring distance on the ground. Lets change 62500 inches into the equivalent in feet (I choose feet because I remember that there are 12 inches in 1 foot). If we multiple 62500 inches by the fraction (1 ft / 12 in) inches in the numerator and denominator cancel leaving an answer in feet. Remember, since 1 ft = 12 inches, multiplying by (1 ft / 12 in) is the same as multiplying by 1. The result of this multiplication gives: 62500 inches x (1 ft / 12 in) = 5208.3 ft So we can rewrite our verbal scale as 1 inch on the map = 5208.3 feet on the ground. This is also a perfectly valid verbal scale, but what if we wanted to know the distance in miles instead of feet. We just need to change 5208.3 feet into miles (we could change 62500 inches into miles but I never remember how many inches are in 1 mile). Knowing that there are 5280 feet in a mile: 5208.3 ft x (1 mi/5280 ft) = 0.986 mi. So our verbal scale would be: 1 inch on the map = 0.986 miles on the ground. For most practical purposes we can round this off to 1 inch on the map ~ 1mile on the ground, making this scale much easier to deal with. We can do the same type of conversions using metric units. One of the ways to express a fractional scale of 1:62500 as a verbal scale using metric units is 1 cm on the map = 62500 cm on the ground (see table above). As with inches, we really do not want ground distances in cms. Instead we can convert them into more convent units. Lets convert our ground distance from cms into meters. Recall that there are 100 cm in a meter. So: 62500 cm x (1m / 100cm) = 625 m. So we can write a verbal scale of 1 cm on the map = 625 m on the ground. What if we want our distance in kilometers (km). We just change 625 m into km by multiplying by (1km/1000m). The result is a verbal scale of 1 cm on the map = 0.625 km on the ground. So for any fractional scale we can choose the same units to assign to both sides and then convert those units as we see fit to produce a verbal scale. Given all of the possible map scales and all of the possible combination of units that can be used it may seem that scales on topographic maps a very complicated. In fact there are only a few scales commonly used, and each is chosen to allow at least one simple verbal scale. The most common fractional scales on United States topographic maps and equivalent verbal scales are given in the table below. FRACTIONAL SCALE SIMPLE VERBAL SCALE 1:24000 1 in = 24000 ft 1:62500 1 in ~ 1 mi 1:100000 1 cm = 1 km 1:125000 1 in ~ 2 mi 1:250000 1 in ~ 4 mi After all this why would anyone in their write mind want to deal with fractional scales. Well, first as the table above shows its not that bad, and second, they allow us to get the most precise measurements off a topographic map. If we are not that concern about being precise we can use the third type of scale, discussed below. BAR SCALE A bar scale is just a line drawn on a map of known ground length. There are usually distances marks along the line. Bar scales allow for quick visual estimation of distance. If more precision is needed just lay the edge of a piece of paper between points on the map you want to know the distance between and mark the points. Shift the paper edge to the bar scale and use the scale like a ruler to measure the map distance. Bar scales are easy to use, but there is one caution. Look at the typical bar scale drawn below. Note that the left end of the bar is not zero. The total length of this bar is FIVE miles, not four miles. A common error with bar scales is to treat the left end of the line as zero and treat the whole bar as five miles long. Pay attention to where the zero point on the bar actually is when you measure with a bar scale. In addition to their ease of use, there is one other advantage of a bar scale. If a map is being enlarged or reduced, a bar scale will remain valid if it is enlarged and reduced by the same amount. Fractional and verbal scales will not be valid (unless they are adjusted for the enlargement or reduction, more fun calculations we will not worry about). This is a problem with the maps you are looking at on this web site. The actual scale of the map will vary depending on your computer monitor and its setting. For the maps on this site only bar scales are included since the size of the bar will also change with the size of the map. Latitude and Longitude It is important when using topographic maps to have some way to express location. You may want to tell someone where you are (i.e. help we are sinking at this location), or where to go (meet me at this location), or even just what map to look at (look at the map showing this location). In each case you need to be able to express your location as precisely as possible. There are many systems for expressing location. We will start by looking at one you are already familiar with: latitude and longitude. Latitude and longitude lines form a grid on the earths surface. Latitude lines run east to west, longitude lines run north to south. Latitude lines run parallel to the equator and measure the distance north or south of the equator. Values for latitude range from 0Â ° at the equator to 90Â ° N or 90Â °S at the poles. Longitude lines run parallel to the Prime Meridian (arbitrarily set to run through Greenwich, England) and measure distance east and west of this line. Values of longitude range from zero degrees at the Prime Meridian to 180Â °E or 180Â °W. The basic unit of latitude and longitude is the degree (Â °), but degrees are a large unit so we often have to deal with subdivisions of a degree. Sometimes we just use a decimal point, such as 35.789Â °N. This format referred to as decimal degrees. Decimal degrees are often found as an option on Global Position Systems (GPS) or with online topographic maps, but decimal degrees are not used on printed maps. On these topographic maps the latitude and longitude units are expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds. Each degree is subdivided into 60 minutes (). Each minute is divided into 60 seconds (). Note the similarity to units of time which makes these relationships easy to remember. If we are interested in a general location we may just use degrees. For more precision we specify minutes, or even seconds. Note that we always need to specify the larger unit. You cant specify your latitude or longitude with just minutes or seconds. A coordinate such as 25 is meaningless unless the d egrees are also given, such as 45Â ° 25. The area covered by the quadrangle depends on the spacing of the latitude and longitude lines used in the grid. For maps of roughly the same size closer spaced lines produce maps that cover less area, but show more detail. Lines that are spaced further apart produce maps that cover much larger areas, but are not as detailed. Quadrangles are often

God is Pantheistic Essay examples -- Literary Analysis, Epictetus

Epictetus’s god is pantheistic Because his teachings can be interpreted in different ways, Epictetus’s view of god is unclear. It is unclear whether Epictetus’s god is a pantheistic god who is one with the universe or whether his god is a personal god that answers prayers and watches over his people like the god of monotheism. While there is little doubt that Epictetus views god as all powerful and all good, I will argue that his texts also indicate that Epictetus views god as a pantheistic god possessing none of the defining characteristics of a personal god. There is a significant difference between what Epictetus means by being all good and what monotheism defines as all good. What monotheism defines as all good is perfect morals while Epictetus defines the true nature of good as intelligence, knowledge, and right reason (Discourses 8:2). According to Epictetus, the true nature of good cannot be found in irrational creatures such as animals and plants. Rather, it can only be found in what is rational (Discourses 8:3). Only what possesses rationality can have the true nature of good and since the true nature of god is where the true nature of good is, one can only conclude that the true nature of god is rationality (Discourses 8:1). Epictetus’s god does not merely possess these qualities, but he is goodness, he is rationality itself. That is the defining difference between the good of Epictetus’s god and that of a personal god. The texts make it clear that Epictetus sees god as all powerful. He describes god as being the artificer of the universe and that no one could possibly possess power equal to god (Discourses 6:10, 14:11). This could be interpreted as a personification of god because being an â€Å"artificer† and the ab... ...e of ourselves, but simply to preserve ourselves as nature intended (Discourses 8:23). Epictetus’s god is not a caring, personal god as a cursory glance at the texts might have someone believe. While at first glance it may seem as though Epictetus’s god appears to be a personal god, a closer look at the texts reveal that his god is a pantheistic one who is not at all like the personal god of monotheism. His god is one with the universe and the true essence of his god is the rationality of intelligence, right reason, and knowledge while a personal god is a separate entity from the world but cares and watches over from above. Although both Epictetus’s god and the personal god of monotheism are both all good and all powerful, they are so in very different ways. Epictetus’s god is clearly a pantheistic god possessing none of the traits which define a personal god.

Who Should be Considered a Hero in Anglo-Saxon Culture and Today? Essay

Who Should be Considered a Hero in Anglo-Saxon Culture and Today? Today, many children would consider Superman, Spiderman, Batman & Robin, and even possibly Arnold Schwarzenegger in his old film The Terminator as great superheroes. These comic strip heroes even impress adults as courageous men because we cannot get over their legendary and their supernatural skills. For example, Spiderman is well known for the spider webs that emerge from his manly wrist. On the other hand, heroes are not just defined by comic strips or cartoons. Firefighters, police officers and even our fathers or mothers are heroes in many of our lives. The characteristics that we describe our heroes as having today are quite similar to those of heroes in Anglo-Saxon culture. Since the Anglo-Saxons were one of the Germanic tribes who invaded England, they were people who had their own language, values and culture. In the Anglo-Saxon adventurous and popular legend Beowulf, the valiant Beowulf is known to be the Superman during the Anglo-Saxon period. In Anglo-Saxon culture and literatures, the characteristics of a hero are to be bold, strong, fearless, loyal and showing indifference to pain. In addition, Beowulf’s faith and confidence in himself and his role as a warrior in the society are other important factors in being a hero. When Grendel’s mother seeks revenge and runs back to her swamp, Beowulf speaks with confidence to go after her: â€Å"let us go at once to look on the track of Gendel’s kin. I promise you this: she will not be lost under cover, not in the earth’s bosom in the mountain woods nor at the bottom of the sea, go where she will. This day have patience in every woe -- as I expect you to† (25). In additio n to this, Beowulf is, beyond doubt, ... ...ffers slightly from generation to generation, from culture to culture, and from individual to individual. But heroes or heroines are still admired for their bravery, great deeds, or noble qualities. The fearless deeds accomplished by Beowulf are not necessarily required for a person to be considered as a hero or heroine today. Albert Einstein is an American hero because he accomplished many great achievements in science. All the passengers who died on the September 11th flights are also looked upon as heroes or heroines because they faced a horrific terrorist act close up. Fathers can be called heroes in their sons’ eyes because they simply admire their dads. Hence, the word â€Å"hero† has many meanings today. The Anglo-Saxon ideal of a hero was comparatively narrow and limited. Today heroism is defined more broadly. How broad will the term become in the next 25 years?

Carribbean Mist :: essays research papers

Caribbean Mist Web Project Recommendation Report Overview This report provides Caribbean Mist Inc. Tanning Spa, with a well detailed recommendation for a web site that would cater to the company’s needs. In order to create a good web site and write a good report we need to have a general understanding of your needs. From our extensive research we can see that the main goal for the company’s web site is to attract more customers and provide customers with more information regarding your services. Both goals are addressed in the recommendations for the web site so that it will achieve its full potential. In this report we will analyze and contextualize our team’s field research so that we can give recommendations for a web site that meets the standards of Caribbean Mist. After looking over what we had gathered from our research we began to see what Caribbean Mist is looking for in this web site and what restrictions and standards you are forced to comply with. The report provides recommendations for advertising for the web site, web site design, where to host the web site, and the context on the web site. Each recommendation is well stated and provides descriptive steps or actions, supported by research, that the company must perform in order to fulfill the recommendation. Along with the description, we will provide a rationale on why the option we chose will best suit your needs. Lastly, each recommendation presents Caribbean Mist with a step by step procedure of what needs to be done and how long it will take. To assist Caribbean Mist with our recommendations, we have also i ncluded a cost analysis of each recommendation that is given so that you will know exactly how much each step will cost and how much money will be needed to get the project started. Analysis Our team executed a number of things to produce our recommendations. We did field research, an interview, and market research. Our field research consisted of an in-depth observation of Caribbean Mist while they were open for business. This gave us a better idea of what types of customers come into Caribbean Mist and how often. We also conducted an interview with the manager to get a better idea of what Caribbean Mist wants in a web site. We conducted market research by examining other tanning company web sites to see what is popular in the industry.

Homosexuality and God Essay

LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. In use since the 1990s, the term LGBT is an adaptation of the initialism â€Å"LGB†, which itself started replacing the phrase gay community beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the community in question felt did not accurately represent all those to whom it referred. The initialism has become mainstream as a self-designation and has been adopted by the majority â€Å"sexuality and gender identity-based† community centers and media in the United States and some other English-speaking countries. The term LGBT is intended to emphasize a diversity of â€Å"sexuality and gender identity-based cultures† and is sometimes used to refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or cisgender instead of exclusively to people who are homosexual, bisexual, or transgender. To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer and/or are questioning their sexual identity as â€Å"LGBTQ†, recorded since 1996. In Malaysia, LGBT rights are partially recognized. LGBT individuals encompass all races and ethnicities, religions, and social classes. Sexual orientation and gender identity questions are not asked on most national or State surveys, making it difficult to estimate the number of LGBT individuals and their health needs. Research suggests that LGBT individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. Discrimination against LGBT persons has been associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Experiences of violence and victimization are frequent for LGBT individuals, and have long-lasting effects on the individual and the community. Personal, family, and social acceptance of sexual orientation and gender identity affects the mental health and personal safety of LGBT individuals. It is important to recognize the difference between sexual orientation and sexual behavior as well as the differences among sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender role. Sexual orientation is the affectional or loving attraction to another person. It can be considered as ranging along a continuum from same-sex attraction only at one end of the continuum to pposite-sex attraction only at the other end. Heterosexuality is the attraction to persons of the opposite sex; homosexuality, to persons of the same sex; and bisexuality, to both sexes. Sexual orientation can be seen as part of a continuum ranging from same-sex attraction only (at one end of the continuum) to opposite-sex attraction only (at the other end of the continuum). Sexual behavior, or sexual activity, differs from sexual orientation and alone does not define someone as an LGBT individual. Any person may be capable of sexual behavior with a person of the same or opposite sex, but an individual knows his or her longings—erotic and affectional—and which sex is more likely to satisfy those needs. It is necessary to draw a distinction between sexual orientation and sexual behavior. Not every person with a homosexual or bisexual orientation is sexually active. A person’s sexual orientation does not tell us if she/he is sexually active or does it define her /his specific sexual behaviors. Similarly, sexual behavior alone does not define orientation. A personal awareness of having a sexual orientation that is not exclusively heterosexual is one way a person identifies herself or himself as an LGBT person. Or a person may have a sexual identity that differs from his or her biological sex—that is, a person may have been born a male but identifies and feels more comfortable as a female. Sexual orientation and gender identity are two independent variables in an individual’s definition of himself or herself. Sexual identity is the personal and unique way that a person perceives his or her own sexual desires and sexual expressions. Biological sex is the biological distinction between men and women. Gender is the concept of maleness and masculinity or femaleness and femininity. One’s gender identity is the sense of one’s self as male or female and does not refer to one’s sexual orientation or gender role. Sex refers to the biological characteristics of a person at birth, while gender relates to his or her perception of being male or female and is known as the gender role. Gender role refers to the behaviors and desires to act in certain ways that are viewed as masculine or feminine by a particular culture. A culture usually labels behaviors as masculine or feminine, but these behaviors are not necessarily a direct component of gender or gender identity. It is common in our culture to call the behaviors, styles, or interests shown by males that are usually associated with women â€Å"effeminate† and to call the boys who behave this way â€Å"sissies. Women or girls who have interests usually associated with men are labeled â€Å"masculine† or â€Å"butch,† and the girls are often called â€Å"tomboys. † Transsexuals are people with the biological characteristics of one sex who identify themselves as the opposite gender and have had some type of surgical alteration and/or hormone treatments that changes their bodies’ appearance in alignment with their identity. While understanding the various concepts used in sexual orientation in general, it is very imperative to define in specific details definition of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) accordingly. Lesbian which is originally a Greek word, is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an adjective, to describe characteristics of an object or activity related to female same-sex desire. Lesbian as a concept, used to differentiate women with a shared sexual orientation, is a 20th-century construct. Gay is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward/between males. Gay is a word (a noun or an adjective) that primarily refers to a homosexual person. The word â€Å"gay† arrived in English during the 12th century from Old French gai, most likely deriving ultimately from a Germanic source. The term was originally used to refer to feelings of being â€Å"carefree†, â€Å"happy†, or â€Å"bright and showy†; it had also come to acquire some connotations of â€Å"immorality† as early as 1637. The term’s use as a reference to homosexuality may date as early as the late 19th century, but its use gradually increased in the 20th century. In modern English, gay has come to be used as an adjective, and as a noun, referring to the people, especially to men, and the practices and cultures associated with homosexuality. By the end of the 20th century, the word gay was recommended by major LGBT groups and style guides to describe people attracted to members of the same sex. Bisexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward males and females. The term is especially used in the context of human sexual attraction to denote romantic or sexual feelings toward men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the heterosexual–homosexual continuum. People who have a distinct but not exclusive sexual preference for one sex over the other may identify themselves as bisexual. Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles. Transgender is the state of one’s â€Å"gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) not matching ones â€Å"assigned sex† (identification by others as male, female or intersex based on physical/genetic sex). †Transgender† does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation; transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual; some may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable to them. The precise definition for transgender remains in flux, but includes: â€Å"Of, relating to, or designating a person whose identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender roles, but combines or moves between these. † â€Å"People who were assigned a sex, usually at birth and based on their genitals, but who feel that this is a false or incomplete description of themselves. † â€Å"Non-identification with, or non-presentation as, the sex (and assumed gender) one was assigned at birth. A transgender individual may have characteristics that are normally associated with a particular gender, identify elsewhere on the traditional gender continuum, or exist outside of it as â€Å"other†, â€Å"agender†, â€Å"Genderqueer†, or â€Å"third gender†. Sexuality and gender have different impacts in each culture’s laws, attitudes, and organizations. More secular and â€Å"modernized† societies often h ave more favorable treatment of LGBT individuals than societies which value tradition and religious piety. However, accurate generalizations are difficult to make; even within Malaysia, attitudes towards LGBT individuals vary from person to person. Cultural differences in LGBT issues have wide-ranging effects. Other cultures may have different ways of expressing affection—for example, in India, it is common for same-sex friends to hold hands without any assumption of a romantic connection—or of categorizing gender and sexuality—for example, in parts of Latin America, a man is not considered gay if he engages in same-sex intercourse as the insertive artner. Thus, American English terms and conceptualizations of LGBT issues may not directly translate. The visibility of LGBT individuals and organizations varies by culture. Some cultures have an underground LGBT scene where LGBT individuals are tolerated as long as they remain mainly closeted, whereas other cultures may have a more open and organized community of LGBT individuals. In addition, some cultures may provide legal protection for LGBT individuals and recognize their partnerships, while other cultures may criminalize same-sex intercourse. Globally in some country; For example in Malaysia, Cross-dressing(Gender identity/expression) is not technically a crime. However, transgender individuals have often been arrested by police officers under the civil laws governing â€Å"public indecency†, and if they are Muslim, can be further charged by religious officers under Sharia Laws for â€Å"impersonating† women. For example, in 1998, Forty-five Muslim transvestites were charged and convicted in court for dressing as women, and twenty-three more transgender persons faced similar fines and imprisonment in 1999. Finally, there may be major differences within the LGBT community in a specific culture; for example, in parts of southeastern Asia it is considered culturally acceptable for a man to have sex with a feminine transgendered man, while there are no such provisions for women having sex with transgendered women. Homosexuality: The Christian Perspective (LESBIAN, GAY & Bisexuality) In a world of moral confusion and ethical compromise, the principles for which the Holy Bible stands, is directing the Christians in the right path to God and the way of life. The Christian point of view is based solely upon the Bible, the divinely inspired Word of God. A truly Christian standard of ethics is the conduct of divine revelation, not of statistical research or of public opinion. For the Christian, the Bible is the final authority for both belief and behaviour. The Explicitly the Bible teach about homosexuality can be considered as basic because, if we accept God’s Word on the subject of homosexuality, we benefit from His adequate answer to this problem as seen in Christianity. This project is concerned only with the Christian or biblical view of homosexuality. The Bible has much to say about sex sins in general for a view in Homosexuality in Christian perspective. First, there is adultery. Adultery in the natural sense is sexual intercourse of a married person with someone other than his or her own spouse. It is condemned in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 20:14; I Cor. 6:9, 10). Christ forbids dwelling upon the thoughts, the free play of one’s imagination that leads to adultery (Matthew 5:28). Second, there is fornication, the illicit sex acts of unmarried persons which is likewise forbidden (I Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; Ephesians 5:3). Then there is homosexuality which likewise is condemned in Scripture. The Apostle Paul, writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares that homosexuality â€Å"shall not inherit the kingdom of God† (I Corinthians 6:9; 10). Now Paul does not single out the homosexual as a special offender. He includes fornicators, idolators, adulterers, thieves, covetous persons, drunkards, revilers and extortioners. And then he adds the comment that some of the Christians at Corinth had been delivered from these very practices: â€Å"And such were some of you: But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God† (I Corinthians 6:11). All of the sins mentioned in this passage are condemned by God, but just as there was hope in Christ for the Corinthians, so is there hope for all of us. Homosexuality is an illicit lust forbidden by God. He said to His people Israel, â€Å"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination† (Leviticus 18:22). If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them† (Leviticus 20:13). In these passages homosexuality is condemned as a prime example of sin, a sexual perversion. The Christian can neither alter God’s viewpoint nor depart from it. In the Bible sodomy is a synonym for homosexuality. God spoke plainly on the matter when He said, â€Å"There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel† (Deuteronomy 23:17). The whore and the sodomite are in the same category. A sodomite was not an inhabitant of Sodom nor a descendant of an inhabitant of Sodom, but a man who had given himself to homosexuality, and the unnatural vice for which Sodom was known. Let us look at the passages in question: â€Å"But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house around, old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men hich came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. (Genesis 19:4-8)† The Hebrew word for â€Å"know† in v erse 5 is yada`, a sexual term. It is used frequently to denote sexual intercourse (Genesis 4:1, 17, 25; Matthew 1:24, 25). The message in the context of Genesis 19 is clear. Lot pled with the men to â€Å"do not so wickedly. † Homosexuality is wickedness and must be recognized as such else there is no hope for the homosexual who is asking for help to be extricated from his sinful way of life. Romans 1:24-27; I Timothy 1:10 and Jude 7. If one takes these Scriptures seriously, homosexuality will be recognized as an evil. The Romans passage is unmistakably clear. Paul attributes the moral depravity of men and women to their rejection of â€Å"the truth of God† (1:25). They refused â€Å"to retain God in their knowledge† (1:28), thereby dethroning God and deifying themselves. The Old Testament had clearly condemned homosexuality but in Paul’s day there were those persons who rejected its teaching. Because of their rejection of God’s commands He punished their sin by delivering them over to it. The philosophy of substituting God’s Word with one’s own reasoning commenced with Satan. He introduced it at the outset of the human race by suggesting to Eve that she ignore God’s orders, assuring her that in so doing she would become like God with the power to discern good and evil (Genesis 3:1-5). That was Satan’s big lie. Paul said that when any person rejects God’s truth, his mind becomes â€Å"reprobate,† meaning void of sound judgment. The reprobate mind, having rejected God’s truth, is not capable of discerning good and evil. In Romans 1:26-31 twenty-three punishable sins are listed with homosexuality leading the list. Paul wrote, â€Å"For this cause God gave them up into vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. † (Romans 1:26, 27). These verses are telling us that homosexuals suffer in their body and personality the inevitable consequences of their wrong doing. Notice that the behaviour of the homosexual is described as a â€Å"vile affection† (1:26). The Greek word translated â€Å"vile† (atimia) means filthy, dirty, evil, and dishonourable. The word â€Å"affection† in Greek is pathos, used by the Greeks of either a good or bad desire. Here in the context of Romans it is used in a bad sense. The â€Å"vile affection† is a degrading passion, a shameful lust. Both the desire (lusting after) and the act of homosexuality are condemned in the Bible as sin.

City Road Essay

Another would be that pedestrians seem to be favoured more so than motorists. For instance the islands in the middle of the road, they are there to make crossing City Road safer and more convenient to those who travel by foot. The island isn’t just the concrete mound in the middle of the road, it also includes the paint on the ground around it which cars are not allowed to drive over. Again, the bollards that were erected along the pavements are there to favour pedestrians. The reason why they were put there is to stop vehicles parking on the curbs, which was a problem before the bollards were put in place as the cars and lorries would park right over the pavements making it difficult for people to walk past and leaving less space for people with prams or wheelchairs to go round. Some things favour different groups because they appeal to different groups. Take for example the Taste Buds Cafe; one thing that struck me straight away was that the majority of the customers in there were predominantly female and mostly the older generation. They like to go in there because it appeals to them, it appeals to them because; The price is reasonable- a lot of the customers will be drawing a pension so keeping costs down is important to them, They feel safe- because there are regulars who go there and they get familiar with one another and that gives the customers a sense of safety because they know what to expect and Mr Suarez the cafe owner aids in the feeling of safety through being consistent in the way in which he runs his business. Also the menu is all home cooked and this is important to his customers. Because of all these factors, Mr Suarez’s cafe is geared more towards the older generation than the younger ones so in a sense it is favouring, although that isn’t altogether a bad thing. Lastly I would mention the security cameras. They are positioned all over City Road and they are there for a number of reasons, one reason is that a crime is less likely to be committed in an area which has CCTV (which deters people from offending) and also it makes people in the area feel safer knowing that these things are in place to not only aid in the catching of the people who commit the crimes but also that it is part of crime prevention too. CCTV is important on City Road because it does make the residence feel that little bit safer, a lot of them feel that the road is a bit â€Å"rough† and not the sort of place you would like to walk down at night, even though the local policeman denies that there is a problem with crime in the area. People just perceive it to be a crime hotspot, despite having little to no experience of any serious crimes having taken place on the road. Most of the material things on City Road favour one group over another but some inadvertently and some deliberately, the issue with the busses for example is inadvertent. They are not purposely designed to be inconvenient to a certain