Learning to Love the Bomb Essay

At first glance to the illiterate filmgoer this movie looks like an early 70’s lame attempt to show the ludicrous side of war. I was prepared from something slightly humorous and mildly entertaining. However, I was shocked to find that I was riveted to the storyline during the entire movie, absorbing so many symbolically charged characters and dialogues that I was practically transfixed while I worked out the meanings and messages that Stanley Kubric was slyly relaying to me through the medium of film. Kubric’s film, Dr. Strangelove: Or How I learned to Love the Bomb, is a black comedy with some very interesting messages about men, sexuality and war. Symbolism abounded in a variety of forms and was so cleverly disguised that it took several moments for the viewer to feel the full impact of Kubric’s message. Consider the opening scene, set to the background music of very sappy romance music we are introduced to two giant warplanes in the act of refueling during flight. The first impression is that of discord. War-time aircraft and romance music in a scene that lasts what seems likes five full minutes. The director prolongs the scene long enough for the audience to become suspicious of the underlying sexual symbolism of two planes mating before he cuts to his next immediately sexually charged scene of a perfect caricature of a US Army officer, with an enormous cigar protruding obscenely from his mouth. As the movie continues, so do the sexual innuendos. By the end of the movie Kubric’s message is clear, but it takes time to build us up before we reach complete realization of his purpose, which in itself is also interesting. The first compelling character that we are introduced to is the US Army General and his ever present cigar. The cigar is obviously a phallic symbol. It rises when the General is excited and droops lamely when the disappointment of his men overcomes him. He is an interesting character mainly because of his obsession with â€Å"bodily fluids† and what he feels to be the infiltration of his â€Å"pure essence†. This is the viewer’s first real clue to the ties between men, sexuality and war that Kubric is trying to relay. The General’s name is Jack D. Ripper. Taking his name from a sexual psychopathic was no mistake. Ripper is obsessed with the fact that he cannot ejaculate during sexual intercourse and tries to find the answer to this dilemma by blaming the Russians for fluoridating the American water supply. There are several interesting caricatures here beginning with the outward appearance of ultimate masculinity, that of an American Army General, his ever present cigar, and the enormous gun he pulls out as he starts shooting at the soldiers that are trying to save him. He is every inch a sexual psychopath. Ripper is more interesting when seen from the viewpoint that men and their obsessive sexual issues wreak havoc on the rest of the world. Ripper’s psychopathic behavior leads him to believe that he must take issues into his own hands and declare war on Russia, even if that means overriding the President of the United States. He is bound and determined to annihilate anyone who stands in the way of his sexual dysfunction. The General moves smoothly from blaming others, to repressing himself, right into violent repercussions for himself and everyone else. Closely connected to Jack D. Ripper is an English Officer in the US on an Officer Exchange Program. Although the caricature of the English Officer is humorous, his name, Mandrake, keeps us on Kubric’s path. Mandrake root is an herb that is often used in male impotence, for virility and as an aphrodisiac. This is interesting because of the interplay between Mandrake and Ripper. Straight-laced, foreign or different, and a bit feminine Mandrake is the complete opposite of Ripper. He also tries to console Ripper that his â€Å"bodily fluids† are perfectly normal and that he has no problem using them. Several times Ripper asks Mandrake to help him feed the enormous gun he is wielding about, and Mandrake’s response is quite feminine when he lays prostrate on the floor helplessly. The sexual symbols grow more numerous and less hidden as the movie progresses. We are introduced to the small group of men on the bomber who are sent to carry out the orders. The pilot in charge, Major Kong, plays an interesting role in delivering a different type of caricature of men. As opposed to Ripper who was psychopathic and sexually dysfunctional, Major Kong was the All-American cowboy. Honorable, naive, and not afraid to get the job done. There are several scenes in which the major tries to drop the bombs he is carrying and finds that they are stuck. Although his men cannot manage to solve the problem Major Kong leaves his post at the planes helm and goes to the underbelly of the plane to try to fix the wiring. He succeeds but when the bomb drops he is riding it, the bomb between his legs. This is the largest phallic symbol used in the movie and the considering the pilot’s name, Major Kong, it is no surprise. However, Kubric has the Major ride the bomb to its target where it then explodes in an enormous mushroom cloud. The explosion which is obviously symbolic of the finality of orgasm and the lunacy that drives men to achieve that end appears to be a recurrent theme. The male sex drive as connected to war is again driven home by Kubric. Moreover, he builds on this theme and gives us a basis for understanding with the characters and plotting that occurs in the War Room. It is here that we meet the President, whose sexually illicit name refers to sexual zones of a woman, and the very outspoken Buck Turgidson. The caricature of Buck is perfectly summed up in the meaning of his name. The term buck means stud while the word turgid means swollen. These two main characters do most of the talking in a very large room. The President mimics the attributes of his female name and is very submissive and feminine. His speech is whiny and apologetic on the phone and most of his arguing is with Buck. They argue across a large table and are so far away they practically have to yell to be heard. Buck only gets excited when he sees opportunities for destruction whereas the President is ready even to destroy his own bombers to keep the peace. The roles of these two characters are symbolic of the male versus female perspectives. Even the great distance across the room from which they speak contributes to the feeling that they are coming from different points of view. The female perspective of peace and harmony as opposed to the male perspective of domination. As a character study Buck portrays several attributes of male domination. He is always the first to speak, overbearing when he communicates, often rude and petty, always stuffing wads of gum into his mouth and smacking obscenely, and pouts like a toddler when he is asked to behave. He uses tactics to overpower the others by standing on his chair, glaring defiantly with those who disagree, and becoming physically violent to get his way if all other tactic fail. Of all the characters he is most desirous to carry out the war plans, for no other purpose than to win. The sexual innuendos associated with Buck relate to the only female in the movie who we meet briefly before he is called into the War Room. Kubric’s choice to make Buck’s love interest a secretary much younger than himself and who is always shown scantily clad in a bikini and high heels plays along with the typical male stereotype. At one point in the movie Buck receives a phone call from his mistress. He tries to assure her that he doesn’t want her for her body but â€Å"deeply respects her as a human being. † He then promises he’ll be back soon to â€Å"take care of her needs† shortly. Buck also was unable to have intercourse with his mistress before the meeting as he was busy going to the bathroom and then was called away. Kubric is mocking the male need to substitute sex for war. Another interesting aspect about the war room is the â€Å"Big Board† that is set up as the backdrop. It is an enormous map of Russia with the locations of all the bombers bleeping around the borders of the country. As the planes are all given the â€Å"go† code, the flashing lights start their course toward the border of Russia. The first plane to cross the border will then trigger the unwanted reaction of the Russians. This is very symbolic of the sperm’s racing to the egg. All the sperm racing to be the first to invade the egg. One of the last characters introduced is Dr. Strangelove. Although he has little do in the movie his symbolic presentations are really Kubric’s underlying message. Firstly, the name Strangelove is an accurate portrayal of what’s been happening in the movie from the beginning. This strangeness or perversion of love is the essence of Kubric’s theme. Dr. Strangelove himself has several symbolic issues as a character. Firstly is his inability to keep his arm from involuntarily saluting Hitler. Second is his sudden cure from immobility from his wheelchair when he stands erect from so much excitement. Although both of these acts are sexually symbolic, the cause for the excitement is the revelation. As the men sit in the War Room they discuss the possibilities and repercussions of nuclear war with Russia. Dr. Strangelove suggests taking a small community of people and living in underground mines. This prospect doesn’t seem appealing until he mentions that in order to recreate all the lives lost from the devastation of nuclear war each man will need to have ten female partners. The discussion becomes lively and animated as the men imagine the possibilities and then start to designate appealing sexual attributes the women must possess. Suddenly the immanent doom that awaits them with the total annihilation of the planet doesn’t look so bad with a 10:1 ratio of women to men, and they find themselves looking forward to doomsday after all. It seems as though Kubric is trying to portray the fact that men use extreme situations such as war and total destruction as a tool to open up doors to consider sexual fantasies that would otherwise be taboo. Kubric’s mockery of this attitude relays his thinking that this is the most ludicrous thinking of all, and suddenly the title makes perfect sense. The movie ends with orgasmic explosion after explosion of hydrogen bombs, just as it began with the foreplay of warplanes. Stanley Kubric’s insight and opinion about the relationship of sexual obsessions, power and war were shrewdly masked in the symbolism that abounded everywhere in the film, but even to the untrained eye his message came through loud and clear. REFERENCES Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to Love the Bomb. Dir. Stanley Kubric. 1964.

Airbnb Marketing Strategy Essay

INTRODUCTION Airbnb, founded during the economic downturn of 2008, is one of many innovative businesses operating within the growing shared economy. Airbnb offers an alternative to the traditional hotel business and allows property owners, termed â€Å"hosts,† to advertise and rent their extra space, be it a spare room, apartment or treehouse. â€Å"Guests† search through the Airbnb website, read reviews and connect with hosts to find less conventional and, often more, affordable lodging. Key to Airbnb’s business success is establishing a framework of trust on which both hosts and guests can rely, a system Airbnb has developed through a strong marketing strategy and through specific practices that support host and guest throughout the rental process. Building this framework of trust in the system is a focus not just for Airbnb, but is also typical of a company operating in the new sharing economy. WHAT IS THE SHARING ECONOMY? The sharing economy is a new economic opportunity for customers to access goods whenever they are required at that moment – with access trumping ownership. For example, if a person only uses a car once a month, they could rent a car from a sharing economy company like ZipCar instead of paying a monthly car payment for a car they barely use. Following the economic recession, many Americans have become less wasteful in using their economic resources. In addition, more Americans are expressing an interest in being more socially conscious of green initiatives and other social responsibilities (Neilson). These trends have resulted in a new focus on shared resources. Beyond just the economic benefits, goodwill and community building are important drivers of the sharing economy. Today, people who feel the burden of the current economic period may prefer to rent or sell to their peers instead of giving their business to major corporations. Furthermore, the Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) business model is allowing many individuals to exploit their own resources to gain additional income without the high startup costs and long-term commitment for business sustainability. Although the idea of sharing is an old idea, the ability for sharing to generate profit is relatively new. The sharing economy is greatly influenced by online commerce and social media. Online commerce has made it easier for  peers to share their goods and services with one another using trusted financing services through websites such as PayPal. Social media has helped spread the economic and personal benefits of the sharing economy and has served as the fundamental marketing tool for the growth of countless collaborative consumption companies. Companies functioning primarily in the sharing economy consistently urge their users to share their experiences via Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. These social platforms have become so integrated in w eb transactions that once a customer has confirmed or paid, they are prompted to immediately post their money-saving or moneymaking success directly to their social media page of choice. Also referred to as collaborative consumption, the social economy follows the idea that people will first use what they have, borrow, swap, make and thrift items before they actually buy something brand new (Anderson). The marketers of these sharing economy companies primarily target a few segments but are constantly expanding. Urban areas and members of the X and Y Generations are key demographics for the sharing economy. Demographically, the majority of sharing economy companies will target Generation Y due to their concern for environmental and social issues that influence their decision to save and reuse resources (Kotler, Philip, and Kevin Lane Keller, Chapter 8). Statistics show that the newest generation of adults buys fewer houses and fewer cars than its predecessors (Ciccone). Furthermore, Generation Y is attracted to unconventional practices such as the sharing economy and is highly social, able to spread the word. Generation X is more likely to be those who are renting out their goods and services. As Generation X has more responsibilities, they enjoy the extra income that helps them finance their obligations, such as children and paying a mortgage. People are collaborating informally in their communities out of both necessity and as a lifestyle choice. A sharing economy company should concentrate on branding, networking and experience to ensure its success (Olson). Branding is key because sharing economy companies want consumers to have confidence in their brand. The sharing economy is at an advantage, being relatively new with a market that is interconnected through online commerce and social media. Outside of spreading the work, a sense of community is built within the network. Finally, a sharing economy company has to concentrate on customer experience. Customers are looking for ease of  use and product value. When these desires are met, consumers will return to use the service as well as recommend it to others. One very successful example of a company with the sharing economy employing these factors is Airbnb, who in less than a decade has built a major competitor to the centuries old hotel industry. WHAT IS AIRBNB? Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia founded Airbnb in San Francisco, when they began renting out airbeds in their apartment to people attending a local conference to generate additional income in 2008. The early business model for Airbedandbreakfast.com, later renamed Airbnb, focused on large conferences such as the Democratic and Republican Conventions, which created bustling business in the 2008 election year. In 2009 the founders, now including Gebbia’s former roommate and tech wiz Nathan Blecharczyk, received $600,000 in seed funding from Sequoia Capital. In that same year, acknowledging that renting to complete strangers made many people uncomfortable, Chesky and Gebbia flew to New York City, home to many of their users, to meet with hosts in person and survey for potential improvements. This was an unusual strategy for an internet company but it later proved to be profitable. Over the next two years, Airbnb made several key strategic changes that gave it direction and force in the marketplace. Of particular note was the establishment of Airbnb’s broker’s payment model and the decision to bring in professionals to photograph host homes. By the end of 2011, Airbnb had gone international and reached critical mass (Geron). Forbes estimates that Airbnb likely lost money in 2012 in favor of accelerating growth, a hit the company could withstand due to the influx of capital from various Silicon Valley venture capital firms (Geron). Their market penetration is comparatively strong, according to Tech Crunch, with Airbnb’s booking expected to have surpassed that of Hilton in 2012 (Empson), and hosts renting to an estimated 2.5 million people according to the Economist (â€Å"All eyes on the sharing economy†). The Wall Street Journal valued Airbnb at $2.5 billion in October 2012, and Privco projected their revenues for that year to be at $180 million (Melby). In exchange for customer support, website maintenance and various insurance and security features, Airbnb employs a broker-style payment model, taking a portion of  the rental price between 6% and 12% from the guest, depending on the property price, and a 3% service fee from the host (Geron). Airbnb has come into its own financially, while still maintaining an identity that, though not especially anti-corporate, is certainly fresh, young and innovative. From the company logo, with its big, curly lettering and informal design, to its emphasis on direct interaction with potential users, Airbnb has built its brand for the generation inspired by innovation. The motto â€Å"travel like a human† emphasizes the difference between the traditional, impersonal, corporate travel experience and the opportunity Airbnb presents to users to build their personal networks with hosts in far off places, at a lower cost. As is perhaps to be expected with an internet company, Airbnb relies heavily on social media to create and perpetuate its brand identity. A key aspect of the company brand is the travel experience. They post a â€Å"traveler of the week† on their Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus pages, and recently concluded a photo contest using Instagram, with Airbnb travel credits as the prize. While the choice of prize may be a bit opportunistic, the interactive concept to use the mainstream photo-sharing app, and the reward both fit well with the Airbnb brand and kept the focus on travel rather than profit motive. Naturally, travelers’ blog posts that mention Airbnb, whether they focus on the company or simply mention it in p assing, are often promoted through â€Å"re-tweets† and posts on the Airbnb blog. The experience of travel is only one facet of a company identity that is as carefully well-rounded and appealing as its users. Airbnb also emphasizes its interest in the popular local movement with its â€Å"Living Local† shows, a part of its â€Å"AirTV† series. Each online episode features a tour of a unique Airbnb host property, and interviews with the generally personable host or hosts. Beyond that, Airbnb is aware of the appeal of its unique and tech-centric business model to engineering and tech nerds. The company provides content catering directly to this audience through its specific engineering blog – nerds.Airbnb.com – and its Tech Talk YouTube series, where young tech enthusiasts present on innovative new technologies and how they can and are being harnessed to build businesses (YouTube). These videos, generally around an hour in length, provide an in-depth review of current technological and business innovations. Airbnb also uses social media to associate itself with other organizations, not unlike cross branding, which  establishes Airbnb as culturally present and economically innovative while also eliminating the costs of a major advertising campaign. Their Facebook page, for example, lists SXSW, TED, Virgin America, Lonely Planet and Business Punk as organizations that Airbnb â€Å"Likes.† Each of these associations strengthens their brand – Virgin America connects them to another untraditional travel company and to Virgin’s maverick CEO, Richard Branson, whose appeal to young professionals has made him by far the most followed â€Å"Influencer† on professional social media site LinkedIn (â€Å"LinkedIn Today: Top minds, big ideas†). Similarly, their public association with SXSW reveals a cultural affinity in line with that of their clientele, and functions in tandem with the demand for lodging during the festival, to which Airbnb has dedicated a specific section of their site. Through these efforts, the company has branded itself as young, innovative and culturally and technically savvy—all traits that exist outside of its travel-focused revenue stream, but which are inherently appealing to the clientele, both hosts and guests, on which Airbnb relies. AIRBNB FOR GUESTS Airbnb’s business model focuses on consumer-to-consumer (C2C) transactions based on trust. Its model is similar to the popular C2C marketplace of eBay where buyers and sellers engage in transactions that are each evaluated by individuals for their level of risk on the basis of detailed profiles, history, product, price and other resources. However for Airbnb, the relative level of investment for guests and hosts is significantly higher on a per transaction basis. Travelers are risking their vacation experience, safety and in most cases, a relatively higher dollar value than a single product purchase. Hosts are offering their homes, their personal privacy and their own safety, as well as their living experience for the time that their place is secured by a guest. With these personal investments in mind, the success of Airbnb’s ability to instill confidence, trust and safety throughout their network was critical to the success of the company. Airbnb’s roadmap to build safety and security for their renters includes a private messaging system that allows users to learn about each other prior to booking while holding private information to be disclosed at a later time. Another system is Airbnb’s â€Å"verified ID† badge where users will  register their social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Airbnb reviews and official documentation from their photo ID and/or passport. With the verification of all of these resources matching up, those users will receive a â€Å"Verified ID† badge with their account information demonstrating to other users that their identification has been vetted. In April of 2013, Airbnb began randomly selecting users to complete this profile and expect to have this expanded worldwide for all Airbnb members in the near future. Over the last two years, Airbnb has made efforts to increase their resources to expand security and sustain the trust in the marketplace by doubling the size of their customer support staff with 24Ãâ€"7 support, creating a dedicated Trust & Safety department and designing tools to verify user profiles and facilitating richer communications between guests and hosts prior to booking. With these basic features, the usability, consistency and accessibility to hosts and the Airbnb support team continue to be critical characteristics to Airbnb’s service roadmap. Although, when travelers are â€Å"shopping† they also have the responsibility of maximizing their use of these tools and take care in evaluating their own transaction risk by perusing host profiles, reviews, social networks and even connecting with their host on a regular basis. AIRBNB FOR HOSTS Hosts are just as much Airbnb’s customers as guests so while they must inspire guests to stay in an individual’s residence, Airbnb must simultaneously inspire trust and confidence in the Airbnb model for hosts. Airbnb’s actions and interactions with hosts and potential hosts are meant to project an image of control, confidence and community for the host, with a particular focus on doing so administratively, financially and socially. To simplify and centralize the hosting process, Airbnb manages all the administrative functions of becoming a host, which provides a support system and protection for the host and his or her property. Rather than having hosts build a new website for their rental, the site is already created (in multiple languages and currencies) and all he or she must do to get started is create a profile. Airbnb has a free customer service team to help first-time hosts understand the process. While Airbnb makes it clear on their website that understa nding tax and legal status for hosts is the  responsibility of the host, Airbnb provides reference documents and answers to common questions on their website. Although Airbnb maintains the site architecture, hosts are in complete control over the rental price, amenities and house rules. Airbnb in some cases will even offer free professional photography for host properties. A secure online payment system is built into the website to guarantee complete, on-time payment directly to the host (â€Å"Why Host†). Hosts are essentially allowing a stranger into their home (or boat, treehouse, etc.) so a sense of control is key for their confidence in this model. To do so, Airbnb creates systems to offer protection to hosts’ persons and property. Hosts have total control over who rents their listing. A potential guest puts in a reservation request through the online system and then the host has 24 hours to accept or decline the request. During this time the host and potential guest can communicate through the website communications system and reference the aforementioned â€Å"verified ID† system. However, the rental address is not given out until the owner accepts the guest and hosts also have access to the 24-hour customer service hotline (â€Å"Trust†). Since most hosts are renting primary residences or rooms, protecting against potential damage is much more important than if this was a hotel or business. While normal renters’ or homeowners’ insurance is the responsibility of the host, in 2011 Airbnb launched its â€Å"Host Guarantee† property protection program. In May 2012, it took insurance underwritten by Lloyd’s of London to extend the Host Guarantee to up to $1 million in property damages. This covers guest damages beyond the scope of â€Å"reasonable wear and tear† in 23 countries. No additional cost or actions are required for the host to have this protection (â€Å"Guarantee†). The financial incentive is a key reason people become hosts. In a survey of members of Airbnb in San Francisco in November 2012, over 90% of hosts rented their primary residences to visitors and spent almost half the income they made on living expenses (Lawler). To encourage more people to become hosts and to support existing hosts, Airbnb also focuses on facilitating the financial aspects of renting. Firstly, it is free to create a listing using Airbnb. For online payments, the guest submits payment and once the reservation is accepted Airbnb processes and collects the payment in full. Airbnb holds the payment until 24 hours after check-in (and after the guest-host walk through). This helps uphold host cancellation policies and provides a neutral third-party  for financial exchange. The Airbnb website also facilitates cleaning fees which are held until the property is vacated. The secure payment of fees and usage is a key way Airbnb builds confidence for hosts in addition to the social and cultural aspects of hosting. While the first reason most hosts decide to rent their space is financial, another reason is a desire to meet new people, show off their city and be part of the shared economy. Airbnb allows hosts to rent out primary and secondary residences, but 50% of hosts rent private rooms in their residence while they are there (â€Å"Life†). On the Airbnb site, there are numerous forums and guides for people to learn about becoming a host, exchange ideas and form a deeper community within the sharing economy. The social community built in Airbnb, plus the financial and administrative support systems, encourage new and repeat hosts to open their homes and lives up to the world because they trust in the brand and system created by Airbnb. NEXT STEPS Airbnb’s success did not come without the expected growing pains of any startup company, and especially one commanding a dominant market share in the new sharing economy. While its impact on the tourist trade, individual income, revenue to small businesses and economic stimulation are remarkable, the personal price some individuals have had to pay using Airbnb’s service is important not to overlook. From city-issued sanctions to individuals violating lease regulations, to vandalism of personal property and identity theft, the safety, benefits, opportunity costs, and sustainability of Airbnb’s service has been questioned in the media. To alleviate some of these concerns and remain a viable business, Airbnb should examine these obstacles in an effort to institute awareness through its community. They can continue to find ways to provide a more comprehensive and scrutinized ID verification process for all of their users to minimize the existence of bad apples. The level of care that hosts place on evaluating their individual transaction risk and understanding of regulations specific to their city has a direct impact on their safety and success as an Airbnb host. Through consumer forums, hosts, guests, and potential consumers and guests can communicate on a network to learn from their peers. Airbnb should also consider expanding the countries covered and the items covered under the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Host Guarantee† to increase host protections locally and internationally. Moving forward, Airbnb has to be conscious of the popular pitfalls fellow sharing economy companies have faced. In a Campbell Mithun study, consumers were concerned with the following, in descending order: What I lend could get lost or stolen, I might not trust others in the network, my privacy might be compromised, sharing is not worth the effort, and the goods or services might be of poor quality (Olson). As described above, Airbnb has taken necessary measures to help defe nd the safety and privacy of its host and guests. However, as the sharing economy evolves, this could get more difficult and new safety concerns can arise that Airbnb will need to resolve quickly. Collaborative consumption represents a major economic, social and cultural shift as it moves out of infancy and toward acceptance. These companies need to find the balance between the potential of the sharing economy and the standing regulation of the government. The current brick and mortar companies that are participating in highly-regulated industries like hotels or rental cars now have to compete with services that do not go through the same rigorous levels of inspection or qualifications to ensure public safety (Lawler). Sharing economy companies could make a solid argument for self-regulation. Airbnb should take care that they currently have the proper management to ensure there are no nefarious parties in their business dealings and that their brand is strong enough to self-regulate (Lawler). For a well-rounded approach, shared economy companies should look towards or at least be aware of how the government may impose regulations to see how they might help or hinder Airbnbâ₠¬â„¢s progress. There will come a time when companies like Airbnb will need to defend their unconventional and minimally regulated services, and should now put into place a team that can defend them. Lobbying municipal and state governments in high usage areas is a more traditional but still relevant area for Airbnb to protect its business model and by extension its users. The greatest advantage that collaborative consumption has when defending their stance to the economy is that they exist to help people in their communities to meet their goals (Metcalf, Warburg). These companies need to leverage their community-based benefits as a way to gain support and appeal to those wanting greater government intervention. Preparation and understanding of user needs, government regulations and economic trends will bridge the nascent shared  economy into a strong, sustainable economic force. Therefore, if Airbnb continues to focus on building a brand that consumers can trust in and created mechanisms to support hosts and guests then it can be a durable, profitable company for years to come. WORKS CITED Airbnb. YouTube. Web. 27 June 2013. https://www.youtube.com/user/Airbnb Anderson, Lauren. â€Å"Collaborative Consumption Directory – Visualized.† Collaborative Consumption. Collaborative Consumption, 30 May 2013. Web. 01 July 2013. http://www.collaborativeconsumption.com/2013/05/30/collaborative-consumption-directory-visualized. Ciccone, Alicia. â€Å"The Sharing Economy.† The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 05 Sept. 2012. Web. 01 July 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/the-sharing-economy_n_1857201.html Empson, Rip. â€Å"CEO Brian Chesky Says Airbnb Will Be Filling More Room Nights Than All Hilton Hotels By The End Of 2012.† TechCrunch., 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 29 June 2013. http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/12/cloudera-ceo-mike-olson-by-december-31st-airbnb-will-be-filling-more-room-nights-than-hilton-hotels/ Geron, Tomio.†Airbnb and the Unstoppable Rise of the Share Economy.† Forbes, 11 Feb. 2013. Forbes. â€Å"Guarantee.† Airbnb. Web 30 June 2013. https://www.Airbnb.com/guarantee Lawler, Ryan. â€Å"Airbnb: Our Guests Stay Longer and Spend More Than Hotel Guests, Contributing $56M to the San Francisco Economy.† Tech Crunch. 9 November 2012. 30 June 2013. http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/09/airbnb-research-data-dump/ Lawler, Ryan. â€Å"Balancing Innovation And Regulation In The Sharing Economy.†TechCrunch. Crunchbase, 9 Dec. 2012. Web. 01 July 2013. http://techcrunch.com/2012/12/09/balancing-innovation-and-regulation-in-the-sharing-economy. â€Å"Life† Airbnb. Web 30 June 2013. https://www.Airbnb.com/life â€Å"LinkedIn Today: Top Minds, Big Ideas.† LinkedIn.com. Web. 29 June 2013. http://www.linkedin.com/today/influencers?trk=tod3-top-nav-filter Kotler, Philip, and Kevin Lane Keller. â€Å"Chapter 8 Identifying Market Segments and Targets.† Marketing Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2012. Melby, Caleb. â€Å"Who Will Get Rich from Sky High Airbnb Valuation?† Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 27 June 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/calebmelby/2012/10/19/peter-thiel-may-invest-150-million-in-airbnb-at-2-5-billion-valuation/ Metcalf, Gabriel, and Jennifer Warburg. â€Å"A Policy Agenda for the Sharing Economy.†SPUR.com. The Urbanist, Oct. 2012. Web. 02 July 2013. http://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/policy-agenda-sharing-economy. Olson, Kristine. â€Å"Campbell Mithun.† Campbell Mithun. 8 Feb. 2013. Web. 01 July 2013. http://www.campbell-mithun.com/678_national-study-quantifies-reality-of-the-sharing-economy-movement. Temple, James. â€Å"Google Places Draws Complaints from Yelp, Others.† SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle, 29 June 3011. Web. 27 June 2013. http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Google-Places-draws-complaints-from-Yelp-others-2352896.php â€Å"The Globally, Socially Conscious Consumers.† The Global, Socially Conscious Consumer. Nielson, 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 01 July 2013.

The Bewitching of Anne Gunter

The Bewitching of Anne Gunter details the life of a young girl who claimed to be possessed by witches. She was not in fact possessed, and according to her at her trial, her father forced her to act as she was. Her father Brian Gunter had a long history of problems with one of the women who was accused, Elizabeth Gregory. The other women Agnes Pepwell was chosen because she was rumored to be a witch, and it would add credibility to the accusation. The problem between Brian Gunter and Elizabeth Gregory began at a football match in the town of North Moreton. It was a form of what is now called soccer, but was much rougher. It was many times viewed as just an excuse for two villages to get in a huge brawl. People were known to die from injuries related to this extreme form of physical activity. It was very hard to reconstruct what happened on the day of the football match in North Moreton. Brian Gunter was a spectator and two of Elizabeth Gregory's sons were playing in the game. A fight broke out between two men, one of them a Gregory. Gunter got in the middle of it and tried to break it up, at this point Richard Gregory and his brother John turned on Gunter. In the middle of the melee Gunter pulled out his dagger and killed both brothers. The Gregory's tried to get Gunter tried for murder, but it never came to trial, possibly because Gunter was powerful in his area. The bad blood between the two families now existed, setting the stage for Anne Gunter to accuse Elizabeth Gregory of witchcraft. Anne Gunter first had symptoms of hysteria in the summer of 1604. It was not thought to be demonic, until months later when the fits became significantly worse. The Gunter's had people come in and look at Anne, and in time she was diagnosed by many with being possessed. The actions that Anne Gunter testified too, as to come of as being possessed are extremely disturbing. Her father read the Warboy's book on witchcraft and made her imitate many of the signs of being a witch. She was drugged, to induce vomit and also was given drugs to quell pain. She was given a green mixture, which would throw her into deep rages then a very strong dullness. During the dullness when visitors were there pins were stuck into her body to show her lack of feeling. This was a sign to show that she was possessed. When the visitors would leave she could not life her arms and the pain would be unbearable. Anne testified that she have even stronger fits of torture when the accused would come near the house. She would be told they were near and act accordingly. It was a very detailed operation involving Brian Ginter's sister and her husband. Anne would be given pins to vomit and sneeze due to the fact that letting go of foreign objects out of your body was a strong sign of being afflicted. She claims she put herself through all these horrible things because she was afraid of her father and he always threatened her, although it might have something to do with her craving attention. The family also sent for good witches who could help cure the affliction. This helped fro awhile, but Anne became bewitched again and the symptoms started up again. The family also tried a number of remedies that were popular at the time. The family burned Elizabeth Gregory's hair in an attempt to help Anne recover, also moving her to different places, but nothing provided permanent relief. It is hard to give one reason why witchcraft became so prevalent during this time period. Reasons that have been given are the reformation, and Catholics trying to counter that reformation. It can also be seen as Christianity still trying to root out traditional beliefs of people, which included magic and mysticism. It was also not like society just had witchcraft, as a strange belief. It was part of a much wider belief in ghosts, fairies, fortune telling and astrology. The reformation had helped create a new focus on the devil and all his works and this also added to the witchcraft craze. It is also amazing how people of the time would go along with the person being a witch. They in turn would make up things about the accused witch, like they say Agnes Pepwell turn a cat into a black rat. Witchcraft gave people the ability to blame things on other people and to harm them considerably. It can be compared to being accused of rape, even if you didn't do it and are proved innocent, you will still have that stigma attached to you. It was many times pure bad luck that you were accused and the consequences could be deadly. After the trial of Anne Gunter, witchcraft trials were less frequent then in other parts of Europe. Convictions were also more rare then in other countries. One reason was the alleged witches were tried by the assize courts. The judges in these courts were senior judges who were high up in the social hierarchy of England. They were not allowed to be from the area they were trying so they were distanced from the local issues and bias. In many parts of Europe the trials were presided over by local courts and judges who brought their own biases and thoughts into the trial. The English courts also differed in the fact that they did not use torture as a means of bringing out confessions, where in other places witches would confess, due to the pain inflicted. The end result for the Gunter's is hard to definitively answer. Brian Gunter was brought before the Star Chamber not to face the charges of fabricating the witchcraft of his daughter but to answer to an assault charge years later. He died in 1628 with no mention of Anne in his will. Anne was most likely married, but it is hard to say to exactly who. One possibility is a man with the surname Ashely, or another man John Hartgill. The records of the times are very hard to interpret and if she did indeed marry Hartgill she would have been 16 years his senior, which would have been extremely rare even today. The historian who researched this book had to go to great lengths to gather information. He had to put together bits and pieces of historical accounts for everything to come together. The book does a good job of showing you how witches were treated in England and to what lengths people would go to, to accuse someone else. The author used church records, court records, and personal diaries, all first hand accounts. He then used historical background to help put everything together for the reader. What the village was like, the population and how trials were done. The book showed how easily people could be accused of witchcraft and it also shows the mob mentality that existed in this time period. One thing that is really disturbing is the lack of conscience shown by people. The people who accused the women of witchcraft, obviously new it wasn't true, yet Anne Gunter showed no remorse for putting these women through this harrowing experience. Her only concern when confessing was of her own pain. One of the problems with this book is the fact that the historian many times did not have much to work with. He in turn would interpret a document to the best of his ability. Many times this would end up being a conjecture, and not a sure fact. History many times has to be looked at like that, but many of his inferences may have been off. There was almost a shadow of doubt over every part of the book. One thing that is interesting is that how high profile this case was. The King became involved, and the case received a lot of attention. That shows that even with all the publicity how hard it was to reconstruct this case. It would be even harder to ever show what happened in other cases, with less prominent members of society involved.

Differences in the Way Language is used

Language is an important aspect of a human being. The capability to speak and used language makes it possible for an individual to relate to other people. However, language is not merely a means of communication it is an essential factor that shows a person’s thoughts as well as his or her culture. Being the case, since there are many various cultures in the world it is not surprising that there are many languages that exist. This kind of diversity is even more observable in the different ways language is used. Numerous articles have dwelt on the topic of language especially in its importance and the ways it is used.The succeeding paragraphs will discuss the different usage of language based upon some of the written accounts that have given specific attention in this topic. These will deal with the various function of language on different areas and its effects in the society. American linguists and anthropologists perceived that language has a more important role aside from t he fact that it shapes an individual’s view of reality. This idea became widely known during the beginning of the 20th century especially in the first four decades.The one responsible for this kind of thinking are Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Whorf. They asserted that â€Å"language predetermines what we see in the world around us† (O’Neil, 2006, n. p. ). Simply put, language acts as a filtering mechanism wherein an individual could only see and understand the real world based upon the categories of their language. In the study of Sapir and Whorf, they conducted a cross cultural comparison of color. A person perceived a particular color through the use of the eyes, which is aided by light.The frequency of light is the one who stimulate the eye in order to recognize the lightness or darkness of a certain color. As such, the eye only see the value of a pigmentation whether they are high or low but the terms used in referring to it like red or green does n ot actually exist. As such, it is through the use of language that these different values of light are called with various names (O’Neil, 2006, n. p. ). The assumption of Sapir and Whorf that there are cultural differences in the perception of color is not recognized by other expert in the field by commenting that they went to far.Experts said that all people in the world have the similar visual perception and this is not affected by culture. Nevertheless, the study that they conducted proves that language has an important role in how people perceived the different phenomena in their surrounding like the recognition of light. It is through language that people could specifically recognize these colors by name even if they have various terminologies on how it should be called. Language as a medium could also be used in order to change people’s perceptions about things as well as make them adhere to new ideas and concepts.A good example of such is through the media. Adve rtising has its way of using and playing with language that would make an ordinary consumer avail of the products and services that they are marketing. The famous taglines or one-liners that most commercials used leave a mark in the consciousness of the people that make them patronize what they are selling (Schrank, n. d. ). Moreover, even television programs or movies also have its way of changing the opinion of people about issues and other events.The media could easily used words that could aggravate a certain event than what is really happening. Language also has a pivotal role in the world of business. The rapidly changing time has paved the way for business operations to become international in nature. This is exemplified by existence of multinational corporations that operates in different countries and establishes business relationship with people of various cultures. Good communication is one of the most important elements for a successful business and in order to do so lan guage have to be given due importance.In an article written by Jim Brantley (2007), a teacher of Business English and a consultant that specializes in Cross Cultural Communications, he emphasizes the importance of effectively using language in business especially during this time of globalization. Brantley discusses that today’s market is highly characterize by competition wherein there is a demand for diversity and the need to venture into labor markets that will sustain the nature of the business. Important factors like currency can be easily understood but dealing with people who are involved in business operations could be more challenging.More so, if it deals with people of different nationality. The primary idea in addressing this issue is by teaching a standardized medium of communication through the English language. Key employees should know how to speak English in order for them to easily understand instructions as well as give their inputs in decision-making proces ses. However, it is not as simple as that because there should be a substantial process of teaching in order for the employees to effectively use the language. In this scenario, the importance role language is further highlighted.Language is a pivotal tool in many aspects of operation in the society and it is clearly seen in the area of business. In a culturally diverse world where people come from different countries with various nationalities, language served as a means of identification. Most people would easily recognize the country of origin of a particular individual based upon the language that he or she uses. Even the mere accent that a person produce while speaking is a helpful indicator in recognizing his or her nationality.Furthermore, the identity of a state is also exemplified through the language that a country is using. Almost every state has a country profile that contains the necessary vital information about that particular entity. Language is included among the fa cts that describe a certain country. As such, this only proves that language is essential in differentiating one country from another. Moreover, having this knowledge is also beneficial in dealing with its people. Diplomatic relations is widely practiced by most states.In doing so, a state has to established relationships with other countries in order to facilitate cooperation and collaboration in various areas of interests. It could be in terms of economic concerns and social problems. Even the process of asking for aid in times of crisis or war becomes easier through good relationships. To be able to form an effective and meaningful diplomatic relationship, the representatives of each country have to give specific attention in learning the language of the other party they are dealing with (Edwards, 2004).This is also the reason why most ambassadors are multi-lingual so that they could properly convey the message of their state with the international community. Geographical locatio ns and boundaries are also another reason to the different uses of language. The territorial location of a particular country is often the reason as to why particular words are formed. This is exemplified by the case of some people who are living in tropical climates where they have never experienced having winter season. Due to the fact that they only have summer and rainy season, they are not familiar with the word snow.If a person who experienced having four seasons in their country uttered this word, some people will not understand it. On the other hand, Eskimos who live in a cold climate used more than fifty terms to pertain to â€Å"snow† (Think Quest, 2000). The discussions above show that indeed language plays a very important role in the society. Its usage as a means of communication encompasses many aspects in terms of economics, politics as well as social factors. Language also has a more essential function in recognizing one country from the other.In relation to t his, even the territorial origins of individuals are easily identified through it. Nonetheless, its most important contribution is in shaping the thoughts of people especially on how they perceived reality. Language is not merely a means of communication it also becomes part of the people’s culture. It becomes one of the most appropriate symbols that describe a particular group. In all these, language is not only a tool that people use but it actually becomes a representation of who they are.

A Reflection on the Qur'an, Heritage and Education Essay

A Reflection on the Qur'an, Heritage and Education - Essay Example This essay reflects on his ideas on the subjects of the Qur’an, laws, and education. It agrees with the foundations that the Qur’an laid for a comprehensive viewpoint on lawmaking and legal interpretation, as well as on a modern educational system that balances religious and rational sciences. The Qur’an is the foundation of Islam, which supports it as a way of life. The Qur’an is different from other religious texts, because it focuses on the moral development of humanity in a tangible and communal way (Rahman 2). It is different from Buddhist and Taoist texts that tend to be metaphysical or individualist in orientation. The Holy Bible of Christianity also attempts to morally guide Christians as individuals and as a community, but it does not attempt to affect the legal and political dimensions of human living. The Qur’an, on the other hand, is a blueprint not only for individual living, but how individuals should live together. It is a practical a nd moral guide for numerous issues, including peace, war, and various other public and private affairs (Rahman 2). This paper believes then that the basis of saying that Islam is a way of living is because the Qur’an provides for the direction of that way of living. In Christian societies, the Church and the law are separate, and so are the Church and legislative and executive functions of society. Muslim jurists, on the contrary, use the Qur’an to find answers to both historical and present-day legal questions and cases (Rahman 2). The idea is that God lives through the words of the Qur’an and to follow it completely entails that Muslims should believe in and depend on the Qur’an completely. This way, they truly fully surrender to Allah through living the Qur’an in every aspect of their existence. This essay agrees with Rahman that one of the main problems with present Islamic jurisprudence is the failure of jurists to have a unified reading of th e Qur’an, which leads to an atomistic and insufficient understanding of the verses and the entire Qur’an itself. Rahman criticizes the deductive reasoning used on the Qur’an, such as using qiyas, or analogical reasoning, because it reduces it to its parts, instead of using the parts to appreciate it as a whole (Rahman 2). Like Rahman, this essay believes that to properly read the Qur’an, people must go beyond literally reading the verses, and instead, they must read it in relation to the whole of the text too. In other words, the process starts from the specific and then goes to the general goals and values of the text. Rahman is concerned that by diving the text into verses, they will have unintended legal and religious interpretations (Rahman 2-3). In order to properly read the Qur’an, this paper believes too that the thought systems must come from it, and not from external sources, like what the Sufis did (Rahman 3). This way, fundamental ideas and thought structures will be derived from the Qur’an itself and not from the outside, which are forced on the Qur’an instead (Rahman 3). Rahman calls his process as a new hermeneutical method that highlights the cognitive aspect of the Qur’an (4). It consists of studying the Qur’an using its text, instead of relying on external resources to make sense of it. For me, it means that interpreting the Qur’an does not require outside sources, but an analysis of what the text means in its parts and then as a whole. The idea is to go inside the

Home land security and terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Home land security and terrorism - Essay Example Either they belong to Muslim communities or non Muslim; they become the target of violent spreading factors (Eric Croddy, James J. Wirtz, 2005, p 458). In such a worse condition there are few countries which are severely affected i.e. Pakistan Afghanistan and Srilanka. But the super power of this world is not yet largely affected by the roots of terrorism. Securing the borders is one of the biggest challenges that US government is facing these days. To avoid the risk of terrorism the government utilizes a number of technologies such as â€Å"virtual fence† of sensors; cameras, motion detectors, and other equipments (United States, Dept. of Defense, Newton N. Minow). Undocumented immigrants are also forbidden by the government so that the invasion of terrorists is controlled within a state. But this does not make the whole system a fool proof system but it still leaves doubts because of which the government tries to enhance its system. Bush administration bequeathed a border security program to Obama team in which undocumented immigrants were cited as a cause of terrorism. Therefore Secure Border Initiative (SBI) plan was made by Obama administration’s new team. It is a comprehensive plan to control the illegal flow of immigrations. It includes increased staffing to strengthen interior enforcement. A great investment was also made in detecting technology and infrastructure. A vital module of the SBI strategy is SBI- net program. In March 2010 DHS designed another surveillance policy in which a new security technology would be installed. It includes mobile surveillance, thermal imaging devices, ultra-light detection, backscatter units, mobile radios, cameras and laptop computers for pursuit vehicles, and remote video surveillance system enhancements. By applying all these parameters it is expected that US can be successful in maintaining security

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 21

Marketing - Essay Example Even though the corporation sounds quite young, most of its brand names are over 100 years old. The company was first established in 1965 through the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay. The company offers superior products that are of high quality. High standards of performance, competitive strategies and high integrity of people have fostered the success of the company (Stoddard, 2008). It is the largest manufacturer and distributor of beverages and other syrups and it is the largest corporation in the U.S.A. Coca-Cola was invented by John Stith Pemberton. The product WAS later bought by Asa Candler who incorporated the company in 1892. The company offers more than 400 brands in more than 200 countries. The product has over 1.5 billion customers every day. According to annual reports, the company sells over 400 brands which include diet coke, diet coke caffeine free, diet cherry coke, coke with lemon, diet coke with lemon, diet vanilla coke, Aquarius Mineral Water, diet coke with lime, coca-cola C2, diet coke plus among others. The company offers wide range of products such as AMP Energy, diet mountain screw, mug root beer, propel, sierra mist, sobe, no fear, pepsi max, sobe life water, starbucks coffee drinks and tava among others. The company adopted one quality standard in all branches around the globe. It is very committed to satisfy and protect the interest of the consumers since they are the bedrock for the success of the company. The products carry a quality assurance seal which enable the consumers to know the global quality of items. On the other hand, Coca-Cola Company offers a wide range of products including beverage concentrates and syrups. The company uses marketing strategies and product differentiation to achieve it’s of objectives of customer satisfaction. It has good reputation all over the worlds due to quality products that the company offers. It extended the products of coke and developed new products such as