Online Shopping vs Traditional Shopping Essay

Shopping always has been associated with long, dragging lines, parking issues, and the hassle of driving around from store to store until we finally find what we need; but not anymore. Online shopping has given people the freedom to shop at home wearing only their pajamas and still get what they want. Although this might seem like the answer to prayers of many people, online shopping has its flaws as does traditional shopping. To facilitate this decision we have to see if online shopping can measure up to the purchasing power of traditional shopping. To do this we need to weigh both methods to see how they compare to one another. Online and traditional shopping offer choices to shoppers; knowing the risks and benefits of both alternatives is necessary for them to make a smart decision. Online Shopping: When it comes to online shopping the idea of shopping in the comfort of your own home is very appealing to most people. You also have the choice of browsing different sites to find what you need instead of wasting gas and time driving around different stores. Also, many people dread standing in long lines especially during the holiday season. Online shopping offers a retreat from these situations. Another good thing about online shopping is that things are easy to find online. You just type whatever it is your looking for on a search engine and you will get many suggestions of sites on the item. And perhaps the best feature of all is the price reduction offered by the online option. The reason for this is because taxes seem to be lower or nonexistent on some products in some states when shopping online. Online shopping also prevents consumers from walking around with a big wad of money that can be easily lost or stolen. The flaws of online shopping usually come between the reliability of the websites, the risk of identity theft, and the risk of credit card fraud committed by computer hackers. There is also a risk of running into a website that can infect your computer with various kinds of viruses. Reading online reviews about certain websites can sometimes help in this matter. Quality is sometimes an issue with online shopping because you don’t physically see or try out the product before you make the purchase. That is  a huge turn off for most people because research has shown that motor skills are very important when it comes to activities such as shopping and people just plain and simple want to see and test out what they are purchasing. For example, ladies want to test out the new perfumes but cannot do that through the computer. Sometimes there are certain items people like to try out and physically see what it looks like on them, but obviously they can’t do that online. Another disadvantage to online shopping is the fact that you have to wait to receive your item. So, if you are in a rush then you are out of luck. This probably means that grocery shopping online is not a good idea. Method of payment is another risk by itself. Usually credit cards are the preferred method but sometime you can use PayPal. But, it is risky to use credit cards online because you don’t know who is looking at your information. With that being said, it is probably a good idea to make sure you are using a good anti-virus program before going on a shopping spree online. Traditional Shopping: In traditional shopping you simply get in your car, drive to your favorite store (possibly with a friend with you) and buy what you want. It is an opportunity to socialize as well as having the excitement of being in a store with millions of products which you can see and try before you purchase. This method allows you to get the item right now without having to worry about the product being lost in the mail. Also, if you don’t like something or if something doesn’t fit you can just simply take it back to the store and get a refund or your money back instantly rather than waiting for the postal service. Conventional shopping has a certain vibe or electricity to it which is hard to experience from a computer. Traditional shopping sounds great; however it does have its issues. Some of the problems with traditional shopping include gas money spent driving around to different stores looking for what you want. Sometimes what we are looking for might be available in a store in a different state. And that makes it pretty impractical to obtain that item which leaves us to basically wait until it comes to our favorite store. Also, trying to find parking at big department stores and malls can be very troublesome. Some  people simply forget where they parked. Some people accidently lock the car keys in the car, or sometimes we have to deal with traffic jams that cause unnecessary stress. It is just the overall consumption of time and energy that most people find difficult. You will also experience a phenomenon known as shopping rage which is more common during the holidays. People get tired and frustrated during the holidays and let their frustration out on other people when shopping. It is very uncomfortable in those situations especially if you have your kids w ith you at the store while shopping. This is something you won’t have to deal with when you are safe at home on your computer. The online shopping industry is growing more and more and there is good reason to believe that this growth will continue. One major factor to this prediction is that people are in fact saving money online because of the vast availability of items and because of the competition this creates among online stores. Despite its advantages, online shopping is still a relatively new concept for most people and because of this online shopping will fall behind the traditional shopping market, at least for now. It is a personal preference when it comes to choosing the two different shopping methods. Just like anything else they have their pros and they have their cons. Just remember to shop the way you feel comfortable and you will automatically become a smart and knowledgeable shopper. Happy shopping!!!

Lion Capital and Blackstone Essay

Question 1: Why would Lion do a deal with Blackstone? Why would Blackstone do one  with Lion? What does each risk? What can each gain? Lion and Blackstone are joining together to leverage industry expertise and financing power. Lion has a strong understanding of consumer-focused brands and using proprietary deals to turn an existing medium-sized player into a larger busines by using it as a platform for acquisitions. Examples of such deals include Weetabix and Jimmy Choo. Blackstone has the power to bring very large financing into a deal, capable of investing up to $1 billion in a company, while also having an international presence, bringing synergies across borders. However, this partnership also brings in a lagging pace in closing deals and public visibility and scrutiny. Lion typically moves quickly on deals, and already has decided ahead of Blackstone on timing and price. Blackstone, however, still needs to conduct due diligence and have the deal reviewed by the investment committee.  Moreover, Lion’s partnership with Blackstone brings it into the Financial Times’ front page and pressures it further to perform. Question 2: Is Orangina a good deal? It seems that Lion and Blackstone are paying a pretty full price; what angle might the Blackstone-Lion consortium have found to justify it? Yes, Orangina is a good deal, for its brand power, its resilience, its financing-friendly nature, and its operating and distribution network in France and Spain. Orangina has iconic brands that are well known in France and Spain, and it commands a strong presence in its niche without intruding on the soft drink space of brands such as Coca Cola. It can be levered easily, as it is in a defensive sector, has strong cash flows, and with tangible assets that can be claimed. Despite being undermanaged, it continued to perform well in bad times, indicating that it has a working operating infrastructure and does not depend on a personality to guide the business. Moreover, the team has a good understanding and fit with the company. Javier Ferrà ¡n of Lion, a Spanish national who speaks French, is well suited to understand a company with operations concentrated in Spain and France, and is also ideal for his past experience in the soft drinks sector. Question 3: Based on the information provided in the case, how would you value Orangina? We will NOT value the company based on any discount cash flow model, including LBO valuation or APV model, as we are dealing with a private company, whose beta and future capital structure are unfeasible to estimate.  Private companies have no estimable beta, since they are not publicly traded and are illiquid – their value does not move in any direction with respect to the market. There are also no strong barriers to entry in a soft drink market, so terminal growth also can’t be easily estimated. However, we can first attempt a simple Venture Capital valuation model to get a quick ballpark for our valuation. We find that a reasonable equity valuation for a private equity buyer lies between $900 million and $1.9 billion. This implies an equity valuation between 760 million euros and 1.6 billion euros. With plans to place 900 million euros of debt, Orangina can be priced at 1.7 billion euros to 2.5 billion euros. We can assume that the 1.85 billion euro valuation of Blackstone and Lion is quite reasonable. Question 4: What is the best deal approach? The team needs to make a bid that will make them one of the trusted and approved buyer candidates immediately, even with the risk of overpaying. They need to become one of the groups with access to the Orangina management team and their advisors, and begin asking the questions they need answered on the company – such as the implementation of a stable management team in a time of a high management turnover, the ability to grow in the food channel or obtain higher bidding power in the out of food channel, and a turnaround strategy for France. Given that Blackstone and Lion have a special edge that Lion’s team understands the sector, the business, and the geography well, they should be willing to pay up front in the early auctions, so that they can eliminate strategic buyers such as Pepsi, while also discouraging other financial buyers who don’t have the same level of understanding, edge, or angle on  this sector. Once the likelihood of a deal is strong enough, Blackstone and Lion can begin negotiating a definitive merger agreement with prices and terms that are a bit more suitable and fair for it. However, the current priority should be to get into the buy and cut others out as soon as possible.

Analyse how contrast between characters helped the author communicate an important message or idea

Mister Pip written by Lloyd Jones is a novel recounted by the protagonist Matilda. Set in 1990’s Bougainville, we see Matilda begin to question her Mother’s traditional idea’s about life as a civil war rages between the rebels and the Redskins in her homeland. Mr. Watts or â€Å"Pop eye† is given the role teaching the village children, being the only educated, and consequentially, white man left on the island. He begins reading Great Expectations to the children and Matilda finds herself becoming entranced in white civilisation. She gets immersed in the story of the white boy â€Å"Pip† living in London in the 1800’s, very much aware his story is in great contrast to her own. Matilda’s Mother has never been out of Bougainville, she knows little to nothing about the outside world and believes in traditional ideas, holding her ancestry and God dear to her. Through the course of the story we see contrast grow between Matilda and her Mother as their values and interests begin to change and set them apart from each other. We see these differences overcome however when the time comes to stand up for the other, the bond of unconditional love conquering all, the author communicating to us how powerful it can be. In the beginning of the novel we get the impression Matilda has never challenged her Mother’s values – her roots, her culture and the Bible. Matilda knows no other world apart from her own, never having been fully exposed to other cultures and ideas – â€Å"What I am about to tell results, I think, from our ignorance of the outside world†. Matilda becomes familiar with white civilisation when Mr. Watts begins reading the children Great Expectations, learning about the way of life in a culture that greatly differs from her own – â€Å"Mr. Watts had given us kids another piece of the world†. She becomes intrigued by Mr. Watts and immersed in the book, entranced by a white boy in the setting of 1840’s London â€Å"By the time Mr. Watts reached the end of chapter one, I felt like I had spoken to this boy Pip. This boy I couldn’t see to touch but knew by ear. I had found a new friend. † In contrast, Matilda’s Mother Dolores had never had such a positive introduction to white civilisation. The white world took her husband away from her – â€Å"The white men took my Father and her husband away† the white world brought war to her homeland by bringing in the Redskins â€Å"The white men were to blame for the blockade †, the white world took Mr. Watt’s wife, Grace away and gave her back in a state of madness. Dolores cannot see past the bad experiences she had with the white world to see that it could provide Matilda with a better future. The white world to Dolores is a damaging place she doesn’t want her beloved daughter to be part of. She doesn’t let Matilda’s obvious interest in it, as Dolores in contrast never had, stop her from protecting Matilda against it with all she has. She wants Matilda to be safe in the world she knows rather than lose her to a world she is ignorant of – â€Å"She didn’t want me to go deeper into that other world. She didn’t want to lose her Matilda to Victorian England†. Firstly Dolores tries to distract Matilda from the story of Great Expectations and Mr. Watts by trying to get her to learn the names of her ancestors by making Matilda write them out in the sand – â€Å"my mum’s response was to reach for our family history and pass on to me all that she knew. † Her ancestors are a very important part of Dolores’s life. It soon becomes clear they are not important to Matilda whereas Pip, an imaginary, yet very real boy in Matilda’s mind is – â€Å"I felt closer to him [Pip] than the names of those strangers she made me write in the sand† When Matilda writes Pip’s name alongside her ancestors Dolores becomes angry at what Matilda values – â€Å"She gave me a look of pure hate†, the plan to pull Matilda back actually pushes her further away, deepening the contrast between them. Dolores does not give up in a quest to do what is for Matilda’s own good. She continues to try and â€Å"save† her daughter, the power of unconditional love overcoming their even more obviously marked differences. Dolores then tries to impose her faith on Matilda in hope she will begin to value God over Great Expectations to lead her away from the white world. Dolores comes unannounced to Matilda’s class and tries to educate the children on the only thing she knows well: the importance of faith â€Å"she didn’t know anything outside what she knew from the bible† but as Mr. Watts ets further through the novel Pip becomes yet even more important to Matilda. Dolores never stops in trying to steer Matilda away from the white world. The world she knows barely anything about, the world she thinks is evil. Despite their ever-increasing differences Dolores will always continue to protect Matilda from what she believes is bad. We see the power of unconditional love shown again through Matilda and Dolores’s contrast when Matilda di scovers Great Expectations to have been stolen by her Mother. When Dolores hides Great Expectations much strife is caused. The Red Skins visit Matilda’s island, threatening to burn all of their possessions unless they give up â€Å"Pip† who is only a character from a book and cannot be given up. Because the book is not where it is supposed to be â€Å"Pip† cannot be explained. The redskins burn the whole villages’ possessions because Dolores fails to come forward and admit to what she had done in order to retrieve the book. Although Matilda’s Mother could not have expected such consequences to have arisen from what she had done, her aims in the first place were not respectable. Dolores goes too far in trying to lead Matilda away from the white world and hides the book more out of her resentment for Mr. Watts and her hatred of Matilda being interested in things she isn’t herself. After Matilda finds out what her Mother does she feels extremely betrayed considering the act petty and selfish – â€Å"There are no words for the feelings of betrayal I had at that time† but chooses not to give her Mother up. Her unconditional love for her Mother wins out over all other emotions, no matter how strong they are. The contrast between Matilda and Dolores ultimately results in a test of the unconditional love felt between them and the author uses Matilda’s decision to show us how very powerful it can be. As the book goes on and the war between the rebels and the Redskins continues to rage, Mr. Watts comes up with a plan for himself, Matilda and supposedly her Mother to leave the island and escape to the white world – â€Å"There is a boat coming on the night after the full moon†. He tells Matilda he will tell her Mum just before they leave- â€Å"Make no mistake, I intend to speak to Dolores. For now though it is just our secret†. Matilda doesn’t doubt Mr. Watts’s word and she presumes her late notification about the trip is because her Mother might give something away with her insolence towards the white way of life, stopping them from going at all – â€Å"I understood- without any need for Mr Watts to spell it out for me – my mum was a risk with that information†. Matilda begins to get excited and impatient to leave, but angry with Mr. Watt’s for leaving it so late to tell her Mum. She brings it up with him –â€Å"â€Å"have you spoken to my Mum Mr Watts? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ thats when I understood, or at least, I thought I did† when it is implied that Mr. Watts may have never been planning on telling Dolores Matilda immediately disregards her longing to go to the outside world, putting the love she has for her Mother first– â€Å"I will not go without my Mum†. She makes it clear that if her Mother wants to stay on the island or if she is not included in the plan, she will not go with Mr. Watts. Despite the fact Matilda wants very different things from her Mother at this point in the novel Matilda expresses automatic unconditional love for her, knowing straight away that the love she has for her is greater than her desire to live in the white world and be different. Matilda again puts the contrast between them aside, and if she can’t be with her Mother while experiencing the white world, she won’t go at all. At the end of the book when the redskins come to their island again Matilda’s Mother pays the ultimate price when she stands up for the memory of Mr. Watts after the redskins kill him. They ask if anyone witnessed his murder, as though daring anyone to say that it had happened. When Matilda’s Mother pays tribute to Mr. Watts and says â€Å"Sir, I saw your men chop up the white man. He is a good man. I am here as God’s witness†. It is a brave, selfless act that she knows will result in dire consequences. She is taken away, Matilda being made to follow soon after. She comes to find her Mother just having been raped – â€Å"When I came around the huts, my Mum was on the ground. A Redskin was on top of her†. The soldiers threaten to do the same to Matilda and Dolores immediately protects her daughter from them pleading â€Å"Please. Have Mercy. See. She is just a girl. She is my only girl. Please. I beg you. Not my darling Matilda†. Regardless of the growing contrast and tension between them Dolores displays the ultimate act of unconditional love, sacrificing herself to stop Matilda getting raped – â€Å"My life. I will give you my life [In return for Matilda not to get raped]†. Dolores puts Matilda’s innocence above her own life, showing she loves her on top of all things no matter how different or interested in the white world she has become. In conclusion we see many situations where the author has used contrast between Matilda and her Mother to communicate the idea of how powerful unconditional love can be. We see both characters put aside their differences to display unquestionable acts of love for the other. The fact that both are able to move on from the other’s contrast to themselves to put their wellbeing first shows that unconditional love between mother and daughter, when it calls for it, is no match for other emotions humans can get caught up with in life.

The origins of modern dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The origins of modern dance - Essay Example Modern dance form allowed for self-expression and allowed the dancer to design ones own steps and sequences (Dance Tutor, 2009). While these dance forms were invented in USA, the dancers were not very well received in USA and they had to travel to Europe where the audience was much more appreciative. Up till 1927, modern dance was regarded more as a form of curiosity and not taken seriously with audiences in US, booing away the dancers. Many in the audience could not accept a female dancer making pelvic thrusts repeatedly. In the great depression, modern dance was found to be ideal to represent the economic troubles that the people faced and gradually more people practiced it. Learning it did not require great expense and one could dance bare feet and wearing street clothes. Gradually, modern dance and its various forms were adapted into movies, musicals, and the classical dance form of ballet faded into the background. Modern dance grew into various sub forms such as Postmodern, Contemporary, Expressionist, Salsa, Reggaeton, Modern Jive, Hip Hop, Street dance and many more (Dance Tutor, 2009). Lester Horton, born in who lived from 1906 till 1953 was one of the founders of American modern dance. He was a skilled choreographer who invented a number of creative and innovative styles of dancing. Lester took to dancing at a young age and combined ballet, native American dance, art and the stage to create a unique form of dancing. He initially danced and participated in a number of dance pageants that were held in different cities and also collaborated with a number of other choreographers and dancers. He danced and partnered with artists such as Michio Ito from Japan and he continued to promote and popularise modern dance among a wide section of the population. In those days, ballet was considered as the accepted dance form and all other dance forms including modern dance were regarded with

To gain insights to some of the factors that will help movie investors Assignment

To gain insights to some of the factors that will help movie investors in making better decisions - Assignment Example Various factors such as budget allocated, market positioning, release timing, and the type of the content are important in addressing the research problem. The results of the model are aimed at predicting the success and failure of movie release in the initial opening week box office. Multi-linear regression and regression tree analysis of the data signified error in data interpretation. The percentage of error ranged from 37 to 43 percent. Therefore, it was important to improve data analysis accuracy in order to provide reliable research result. Data analysis of various variables included release time, type of content played, inclusion of an Oscar actor or producer, and genre. The model used in the research study did not bring out the intended accuracy, resulting into recommendation for a further research. There are myriad ways through which the research model can be improved in order to enhance accuracy. For instance, the inclusion of major variables in the research design such as marketing budget, channels, and running the model on a larger database platform. The research study discusses significant effects of various variables and how they determine success of a movie release. The movie industry is one of the industries that have gained prominence due to prevailing dynamism. Movie investors put into consideration a wide range of factors in the determination of a successful movie. The opening week box office performance has a significant role in predicting fruitful movies. The BIDM report focuses on business prediction model, by carrying out multi-linear regression and regression tree, in addressing the situation. Variables such as budget, the presence of Oscar actor, type of content, release timing, and MPAA ratings have all been put under scrutiny in exploring the success of a movie in its opening week. The return on capital analysis of

Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Hamlet - Essay Example It seemed to me that he was different from Oedipus or Macbeth in that he did not jump into thoughtless action. I searched for the possible reasons for this and interrogated the differences in the notion of tragedy among these heroes. Apparently, Hamlet was different from the others because he was faced with serious domestic problems soon after he returned home from the University. The learned Prince took the world seriously and tried to comprehend it to the fullest, and to his utter dismay discovered that time was out of joint. I focused on the specific pattern in which Hamlet tried to discover the truth and the ways in which he tried to avoid action. I searched for the possible reasons for his ambivalent relationship with his mother Gertrude and lady love Ophelia, and a specific pattern evolved with which I could argue that Hamlet’s inaction did not show his inability, and that it was part a well thought out plan of action which the Prince had conceived. The paper revolves around the idea that Hamlet’s inaction was related to the careful study of the situation at hand which he had to resolve. It is argued that instead of jumping into thoughtless action like Oedipus or Macbeth, Hamlet took as much time as possible to interrogate the existential questions he was faced with and realized that the state of the world did not adhere to any idealistic notion. Hamlet’s quest for truth is not something that would lead to a happy state of affairs. He realizes that he is doomed to be a tragic hero whose actions can only result in irrevocable sorrow. The paper introduces the psychoanalytic readings that have established the possible reasons for the procrastination of Prince Hamlet and goes on to analyze the Apollonian and Dionysian traditions in the Greek culture. In this section, Hamlet is seen as possessing more of the Apollonian elements in contrast with Oedipus, who

School Fundings Tragic Flaws Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School Fundings Tragic Flaws - Assignment Example The main message that the authors aim to reveal is the clear and distinct unequal allocation of funds for schools that are currently skewed towards higher income students rather than the neediest. The effect of the policies emerging from the three levels of government agencies is that educational funds that are supposed to be allocated equally tend to be distributed more to higher income pupils, highlighting disadvantaged educational benefits that are supposed to be equally received by students regardless of income level.The significance of the argument is seen in terms of the policies’ effect on teachers preferences for place of work High-poverty schools typically have less experienced teachers and high turnover rates, so the average teacher salary is much lower in those schools† (Casey and Rosa, 2008, 1). As shown, higher-poverty schools do not attract highly experienced teachers due to poor working conditions and the lower salary rates that come from the disparate all ocation of educational funding. In this regard, the pupils from high-poverty schools are exposed to teachers with lesser experiences and training and thereby, could compromise the level of instructions accorded to these students, when compared to lower-poverty schools that receive greater funding.One personally agrees with the author’s contention that there is a need to reevaluate and assess the disparities in educational funding accorded to school on a national level to justify allocation on an equal basis.