Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Consumer Behavior - Essay Example 10 billion (Consumer Electronics, 2010). The market offers unique opportunities for cutting-edge consumer electronic products by serving as a platform for research & development on technology and by providing the business infrastructure to stimulate and capitalize on the concept of innovation. The citizens of UK spend more on innovative electronic products compared to any other EU country. These products include mobile handsets, HD-ready TVs and Blu-Ray players. Due to its promotions in consumer electronics UK is renowned for its innovations in engineering, electronic designs and optoelectronics as it serves a hub for the technological excellence in consumer electronics. Company Overview Meituxian (Guangzhou) Electronics Co. Ltd is a privately owned company, with its head office in Guangzhou China. The company is renowned to be high-tech enterprise with keen focus on R&D, manufacturing, sales and after sales service of its range of LCD TVs. The company has patented products which inc lude: Wardrobe LCD TV, Waterproof Mirror LCD TV, Network LCD TV and Hotel LCD TV. Since its inception in the year 2005 the company has managed to maintain a close collaboration, integrating technology exchange with domestic enterprises. The company now has well equipped facility and a high-speed automated production line. The company maintains a quality standard and adheres to ISO 9001 for the standardization of its production operations, thus ensuring to deliver high-quality products to the customer. This is quality consciousness is entrusted to the employees as â€Å"quality is the life of an enterprise†, thus bringing out the best quality in the company brand â€Å"MEIXIAN†. The company also believes in delivering technologically efficient after-sales service adhering to the philosophy of â€Å"Thoughtful, Dedicated, and Adequate† that is the preferences of the customers thus delivering more customer-centric service in order to maximize customer satisfaction (MEITUXIAN) Product Meituxian Electronics has had first-movers advantage in the industry by introducing its state-of-the art technical and innovative TV Ranges to the market. Its huge product range of LED and LCD TVs incorporates a combination of innovation and advanced technology with its integrated features. MEIXIAN TV Meituxian’s Meixian TV integrates IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) with regular TV functions. It is the TV that integrates internet and access to web channels, unlike the other TVs that have internet portal, Meixian’s service is a lot more comprehensive. It gives access to various internet channels including YouTube application, media streaming from other networks and social networking sites such as twitter and facebook on the TV screen.   The network can be accessed through a cable or a WiFi dongle that can be plugged into the USB port. The network setup is easy and user-friendly and the remote has a dedicated button to access the internet. The Aesthetic s are the ultimate feature of the TV that combine the domestic specialties

Egyptian Mythology Essay Example for Free

Egyptian Mythology Essay Mythology is a collection of stories believed to be true by any culture, where these stories are used to interpret and explain natural and supernatural phenomenon. Myths play a prominent role in religion. The abstract concept of god that is dealt with by religion is made concrete through the development of myths. Earliest mythologies concerned themselves with the immense powers of nature which might have confounded the brain of the primitive human beings. Therefore they worshipped nature rain, sun, water, wind, animals, birds, and trees. The evolution of mythology started with a feeling of terror and awe when confronted with these forces of nature over which man had very little power (Conway, 1876). The brain of human beings is constructed in such a manner that it seeks explanations for events. It is wired to look for causes behind consequences. Human beings used myths to provide reasons for the manner in which nature functioned. For example, thunder was considered to be the anger of gods. Many temples were built in order to propitiate the gods of their myths. Some of the most famous temples of Ancient Egypt are Abu Simbel, Abydos, Karnak, Luxor, and Ramesseum. Myths of different characteristics are found in ancient Egypt †¢ origin myths, †¢ ritual myths, †¢ creation myths, †¢ social myths, and †¢ eschatological myths. Of these, the creation myths are most interesting from the point of view of Egyptian mythology as well as those of other mythologies. According to the Egyptian mythology, there are three different cosmogonies: first involves the emergence of land and life from primordial waters known as Neith, second involves the creation of Ra from the interaction of water, air, darkness and eternity, and the third one is similar to the Judeo-Christian creation myth whereby Ptah, the eternal god, spoke and all creation was manifested. Origin of life for the Egyptians begins with the creation of the nine primeval deities known as Pesedjet. Out of these deities the most important one is Atum, who is known to be the ‘complete one’ or the ‘one absolute’. He is created from the primordial soup known as Neith. His breath becomes dryness and semen becomes moisture. Through an interaction of dryness and moisture, emerge the earth and sky. They separated to form life and death, and desert and fertile land. The creation of earth and life from chaos is a theory central to the Hindu, Cherokee, Babylonian, Nordic and Germanic mythologies. The other important motifs of creation myths are the separation of the male (father) and female (mother) gods, emergence of land from water and the creation of everything from nothing. According to the Ancient Finns, the world is formed from a broken egg. In ancient Egyptian mythology, the sun god, Ra, opened in an egg. As life exists because of the energy derived from sunlight, it is easy to notice that the creation of life is linked to the creation of the sun. Origin myths are known as aetiologies. They are used to explain the causes of certain cult myths. They are related to the creation myths in the sense that they explain the causes of the creation myths. Many animals were considered sacred. Nowhere is this more evident than in Egyptian mythology. The Egyptian pantheon was essentially zoomorphic. Some of the common sacred animals of the ancient Egyptian pantheon are Anubis, the jackal or dog; Apis, the bull; Hathor, the cow; Horus, the falcon; Satis, the gazelle; Sekhmet, the lioness; and Selket, the scorpion. All these animals were attributed with divine powers but the god himself or herself (as the case may be) was anthropomorphic. Gods created good and evil. Thus there was no need for a devil in ancient Egypt (Conway, 1876). Propitiating the gods with rites and rituals bestowed men with good fortune. For the ancient Egyptians though, it was not life that was important. They placed immense import on the after-life. All of life was a preparation for life after death. All the Egyptian myths speak about the after-life at some point or the other. In order to explain what happened to human beings after death, they believed that the soul of a person goes into a judgement hall by Anubis. The heart of the dead person is weighed on a balancing scale against a single feather that symbolizes Ma’at, who stands of truth. If the heart is outweighed by the feather, the dead soul goes to ‘live’ in the presence of Osiris, who is the lord of the after-life. If the heart outweighs the feather, Ammit, who is part lion, part crocodile and part hippopotamus, eats the heart. The reason for this is that a heavy heart is one that is burdened by sin and guilt and a light heart is a pure one (Budge, 1991). One of the most prominent deities in the ancient Egyptian mythology is the sun. Many deities were associated with the sun such as Bast, Bat, Hathor, Menhit, Nut, Sekhmet and Wadjet. The sun’s god was known as Ra who was the creator of everything. He was represented by a man’s body and a hawk’s head and holding a sceptre and an ankh. Horus was another representative of the sun. The sun would travel across the sky every day in a barque and travel in the underworld during the night. Ra would fight a battle with Apep everyday during darkness in order to remerge during the day. After their death, the members of the royal household were believed to travel with the sun each day in the barque. The kings considered themselves to be the sons of the sun and therefore, a Pharaoh was born divine. The king was ‘Son of Amen’ and therefore a personification of the sun, the father (Bard, 1999). The concept lingers to this day in the form of Jesus Christ who is the son of God, the Father. Jesus is in absolute likeliness of the God, the Father. Sun has similar importance in the mythologies of other cultures too. The Aztecs worshipped the sun as Toniatiuh, ‘movement of the sun’ in Nahuatl. For them, sun was the leader of heaven. According to them, the present sun was the fifth sun with its own cosmological time span. There were four other suns before this one. According to the Chinese cosmology there were ten suns. Hou Yi was the hero who shot nine of the ten suns so that there would just enough light and heat to sustain the planet. Most Vedic hymns are dedicated to Surya, the sun god. Savita was the personification of the deity. There were twelve Adityas or solar deities. Ancient Egyptian mythology is rift with rituals. Rituals were central to the religion, state and culture of this great civilization. Many texts were used to assist in the rituals †¢ Books of Breathing, †¢ Book of the Earth, †¢ Book of the Dead, †¢ Book of the Netherworld, †¢ Book of the Gates, †¢ Book of Caverns and †¢ Amduat. Of these, the Book of the Dead is most famous. It contains many spells and incantations. It was buried along with the dead in order to help them pass through the underworld in a safe manner. The ancient Egyptian funerary rituals included mummification, casting of incantations and spells, and burial. The bodies of the dead were mummified because the ancient Egyptians believed that the soul needed to the body even after death. The mummified bodies were buried along with many grave goods such as tools, implements, jewels, clothes and weapons. Many mummies would be placed in funerary boats. Burial rituals were always accompanied by funerary literature. For a long time it was thought that mummification was unique to the ancient Egyptians until mummies began to be discovered by archaeologists in China and Latin America. The process of mummification also appears to have been similar and they also appear to have been accompanied by rituals and incantations. The presence of megalithic structures in ancient Egypt has interesting parallels in Crete, Ireland, and even Melanesia. These are a group of complex building built in a labyrinthine fashion near a lake. They associated essentially with animal sacrifice and funerary rituals (Campbell, 1959). Ancient Egyptian mythologies extend even to the trees. They considered that a spirit dwelled in a leafy-tree and that there was a well of water at the bottom of the tree. Some of the common sacred trees in Egypt were the sycamore, palm, and persea (Buhl, 1947). Hathor, the cow was also known as a tree-goddess in the Old Kingdom and many tree-goddess cults prevailed in that region. Hathor was also known as ‘The Mistress of the Southern Sycamore’. Not only females but even males were associated with tree divinity. â€Å"He who is under a moringa tree† was a common statement in tree cults and referred to various tree deities. Mythologies abound even today in many religious systems. Many Judeo-Christians believe that the Genesis is a literal account of creation. It has sparked many a controversy with the evolutionary theory of life. Comparative mythologists such as Joseph Campbell and Rollo May claim that the loss of connection with ancient myths is one of the causes of greatest concerns for the modern man. Myths act as guides. They are the signposts of the soul. The stories they tell are very similar to the lives we lead. The morals they provide are sure to help man in solving the problems of his own life. REFERENCES: http://www. solarnavigator. net/egyptian_solar_boat. htm Moncure D. Conway, â€Å"On Mythology†. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 5, (1876), pp. 202-212. Budge, E. A. Wallis, â€Å"Egyptian Religion: Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life (Library of the Mystic Arts)†. Citadel Press. August 1, 1991. Kathryn Bard, â€Å"`Encyclopedia of the Archeology of Ancient Egypt†. Routledge. 1999. Joseph Campbell, â€Å"Primitive Mythologies†. Penguin Books. 1959. Marie-Louise Buhl, â€Å"The Goddesses of the Egyptian Tree Cult†. Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr. , 1947), pp. 80-97

The Ongoing Crisis in Sudan Essay -- Foreign Policy

While the international community views the human rights abuse in Sudan a tragedy, instability in Sudan and South Sudan pose great risk to the U.S. national security and foreign relations and interests. For two decades, Sudan has been actively in a civil war for land, natural resources, and independence. This has caused civil unrest amongst its people mainly because of forced displacement and insufficient humanitarian assistance. Many human atrocities have been committed and reports estimate that over two million people have died because of war, famine, and disease. According to Eurasia Review (2012) â€Å"After decades of civil war, North and South Sudan signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. The CPA set standards for sharing oil revenue (50:50 split) and a timetable toward a referendum on the South’s independence.† On July 7, 2011, Sudan split into separate countries, Sudan and South Sudan, after declaring its independence from Khartoum. Historica lly, the relationship between the U.S. and Sudan has been coarse both economically and politically. The Embassy continues to evaluate its posture in Sudan regularly, particularly in the wake of the January 1, 2008, killings of a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employee and his Sudanese driver in Khartoum.† Also, according to the Sudan Tribune â€Å"Sudan has been on the US economic sanctions list for more than a decade over allegations of supporting terrorism as well as human right abuses.† Currently, U.S. strategic priorities in Sudan include three main principles. First, a definitive end to conflict, gross human rights abuses, and justice for the genocide in Darfur. Second, the implementation of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that... ...line.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303812904577291172056 640582.html Bureau of African Affairs (2012, January 10). Background Note: Sudan. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htm Eurasia Review (2012, March 20). Sudan And South Sudan Energy Profile: Oil Production Stuck In Talks – Analysis. Eurasia Review News & Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.eurasiareview.com/20032012-sudan-and-south-sudan-energy-profile-oil-production-stuck-in-talks-analysis/ Herbst, M. (2008, March 14). Oil for China, Guns for Darfur. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2008/gb20080314 _430126.htm No economic prosperity in Sudan without political settlement, says opposition figure . (2012, March 18). Sudan Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.sudantribune.com/No-economic-prosperity-in-Sudan,41956 The Ongoing Crisis in Sudan Essay -- Foreign Policy While the international community views the human rights abuse in Sudan a tragedy, instability in Sudan and South Sudan pose great risk to the U.S. national security and foreign relations and interests. For two decades, Sudan has been actively in a civil war for land, natural resources, and independence. This has caused civil unrest amongst its people mainly because of forced displacement and insufficient humanitarian assistance. Many human atrocities have been committed and reports estimate that over two million people have died because of war, famine, and disease. According to Eurasia Review (2012) â€Å"After decades of civil war, North and South Sudan signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. The CPA set standards for sharing oil revenue (50:50 split) and a timetable toward a referendum on the South’s independence.† On July 7, 2011, Sudan split into separate countries, Sudan and South Sudan, after declaring its independence from Khartoum. Historica lly, the relationship between the U.S. and Sudan has been coarse both economically and politically. The Embassy continues to evaluate its posture in Sudan regularly, particularly in the wake of the January 1, 2008, killings of a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employee and his Sudanese driver in Khartoum.† Also, according to the Sudan Tribune â€Å"Sudan has been on the US economic sanctions list for more than a decade over allegations of supporting terrorism as well as human right abuses.† Currently, U.S. strategic priorities in Sudan include three main principles. First, a definitive end to conflict, gross human rights abuses, and justice for the genocide in Darfur. Second, the implementation of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that... ...line.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303812904577291172056 640582.html Bureau of African Affairs (2012, January 10). Background Note: Sudan. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htm Eurasia Review (2012, March 20). Sudan And South Sudan Energy Profile: Oil Production Stuck In Talks – Analysis. Eurasia Review News & Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.eurasiareview.com/20032012-sudan-and-south-sudan-energy-profile-oil-production-stuck-in-talks-analysis/ Herbst, M. (2008, March 14). Oil for China, Guns for Darfur. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2008/gb20080314 _430126.htm No economic prosperity in Sudan without political settlement, says opposition figure . (2012, March 18). Sudan Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.sudantribune.com/No-economic-prosperity-in-Sudan,41956

Home Schooling and Public Schooling

Never before in the United States have parents been so disgruntled about their children†s education. The main reason behind this massive disruption seems to be that public schools are not living up to parent†s standards. Because of this, parents are taking their child†s education and future into their own hands. Many parents are turning to an â€Å"alternative† means of educating known as home schooling. Home schooling is simply education of school- aged children at home rather than at school. Parents are choosing home schooling over public schools because public schools are not meeting their child†s academic, individual, and/or disability needs. First, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are not meeting student†s academic needs. Parents expect their child will learn to read, write, and acquire basic math skills by the time they graduate. However, public schools throughout the United States are failing to teach these basic academic skills. Recent studies appear to show that many who graduate, as many as 25%, cannot read or write at an eighth grade level. This is a tragic statistic for a nation claiming to be so developed. There are more opportunities to gain an education in the United States than any other country in the world, yet evidence seems to shows that the United States rank at the bottom of industrial nations in reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, students are said to be ranking lower than ever on Academic Achievement Tests. Children who attend public schools rank in the â€Å"average zone† whereas, home schooled children typically score above average. To add to this common bit of knowledge the press has recently reported the startling news that children schooled at home seemed to be five or more years ahead, of their formally trained peers, in their ability to think. These statistics prove that home schooled children are doing better in all academic areas compared to children attending public schools. Secondly, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are no longer taking a student†s individual needs into consideration. Since students are taught lessons based on an academic calendar year, they are expected to be able to complete specific tasks by the end of that year. When students fail to meet these expectations they are required to repeat the same grade the following school year, or worse yet, passed on without ever gaining the needed skill. For example, at the end of a school year if a student is having difficulties reading but doing well in other subjects he or she will be required to repeat the same grade or will be passed on continually without ever learning how to read. If students were properly tutored in the areas they are having difficulties in they would not have to repeat the same grades or graduate without the tools necessary to be successful. Unfortunately public schools do not give special tutoring to students like they once did. Teachers in the public school systems are teaching students as though they are on an assembly line. They no longer have time to work one on one with them. Unlike public schooling, home schooling allows parents to teach in a style and at a pace that best fits their child†s needs. Home schooled children are not held back in the same grade if they are lagging behind in particular subjects. Their parents can move them to the next grade and tutor them in the subjects they are having trouble with. Children who are home schooled also get individual attention from their parents. They do not have to worry about waiting for their teacher to find time to help them. It is becoming apparent to many parents that home schooling meets the individual needs of their child better than public schooling. Finally, parents of children with physical and mental disabilities are finding that home schooling meets their child†s handicap needs better than public schooling. A major downfall of public schooling is that handicapped students are graded in the same style as the rest of the students. In public schools, children with handicaps are still expected to complete all of their assignments in the same given time as other students. Teachers are not taking these children†s handicaps into consideration. For example, children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have trouble staying focused and are easily distracted. As a result of constantly being distracted, they are not able to complete their assignments. This type of grading style has become a great concern for parents of disabled children. Because of situations like this one, parents are making decisions to teach their disabled children at home. By teaching their children at home they are in an environment that is equipped to aid in their development. For instance, children with ADD are in an environment where they will not be influenced by the action of other children and cannot be as easily distracted. In addition, they have special time to complete their assignments, as well as have all of their assignments tailored to fit their abilities and needs. By home schooling, children with learning disabilities are given equal chances of succeeding in their education which they otherwise would not get in public schooling. Public schools may have been the center for learning years ago. However, today they are not meeting children†s academic, individual, and disability needs. As a result, parents are choosing to educate their children through home schooling. Reports show that home schooled children are ahead of children who attend public schools by a noticeable degree. In addition, disabled children are having their needs met better at home than in public schools. They are being given an equal chance at succeeding in their academic endeavors. Parents are choosing home schooling because it currently offers the best solution to their problems facing the public school systems.

Great Gatsby Review Paper

Great Gatsby Review————————————————- CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP COMP 1500: College Writing Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Division of Humanities Submitted by: Assignment Number: 1 Assignment Title: The Great Gatsby Review Date: March 16, 2013 CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased.I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Student’s Signature: The Great Gatsby I’m known to be a very picky reader. I judge titles, the size of font, and the cover illustration. With all this in mind, I thought I would hate the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. On the contrary, this book was a p age turner, and I constantly found myself at the edge of my seat biting my nails in anticipation. The descriptions in this book helps you imagine and greet the characters so vividly.Fitzgerald shows  an excellent understanding of lives that contain the great American Dream of being a millionaire and being happily married, yet are corrupted by greed. The more you read into the novel, the more you get pulled into a twisted love story. In the beginning of the novel, I was a little lost. I couldn’t understand who goes to an extravagant mansion party without knowing who the host is, or why nobody tried to find out. Luckily, our narrator, Nick, goes searching for this host.A drunken man wearing owl glasses stumbles upon Nick and begins observing the novels on the large bookcase. To his surprise, all the novels are real and not a facade to make the host look intelligent. When I discussed this with my teacher, she said this may be a foreshadowing that resident of this wealthy commu nity use wealth to cover up their wrongdoings and moral decay. What is the host, Gatsby, hiding if he wasn’t getting credit for any of his parties? This mystery pulled me into the book and that’s when I began to love it.We soon meet the rich and romantic Gatsby and who seems like he has his whole life together. He’s well respected for being in the army, rich and handsome. Despite all the magic, it’s a cruel facade. Behind the glitter lies a sad story with gloom and intensity. The Great Gatsby shows his desire into harsh, vivid light. He is a character who is so perfectly and tragically characterized, as he forgot his honest past as Jay Gatsby, and lost Daisy, his true love, who perfectly plays her part as innocent malevolence.If that’s not enough, Gatsby must also compete with Tom, Daisy’s husband, who slyly watches while he boasts of his physique and wealth. The two struggle to play their position in this twisted love triangle, which harms countless victims. Among the disorder, seems to be the only one with true knowledge of what is right, but doesn’t stop the chaos. The relationship is a massacre where no one truly wins. All in all, The Great Gatsby is about deception and the American Dream.Fitzgerald blurs our view with reality of the harsh world, yet slyly lets us see clearly enough to see Nick’s view on the chaos. Because Gatsby represents the truth of the American Dream, Fitzgerald shows that it will only lead to the decay of innocence and trouble, as Gatsby did during his transition from an honest, to corrupt man. Fitzgerald delicately handles this complex scheme in a way I have never seen replicated in authors today. I enjoy the book because once you think you know what’s going to happen, Fitzgerald slyly flips the script perfectly.