Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Memo - Essay Example It is during this time that the company was confirmed to have increased its earnings in a profit margin of 50% as compared to 25% in the previous years. As a result, the CEO rewarded me for the contribution I had made for the two years through my hard work and diligence while working with the company, affirming that the company had a tremendous increase in profit during my tenure. Needless to say, this is one of the achievements I am still proud of to date. Moreover, before I came to the U.S from Saudi Arabia I used work with one of the biggest Oil Companies (Saudi Aramco) in the country. My job description was a manager, with the responsibility of overseeing 65 employees out of the total 300 working under my supervision. Consequently, I would like to retaliate that the responsibility of supervising 65 employees particularly in the production department of an Oil company is not easy but requires patience, understanding and motivation of the employees in order to increase productivity and maximize on profit. Finally, I have engaged myself in a number of community services in the last few years since I completed grade school. To begin with, I am a member of ‘Keep it Clean’ initiative which has over a hundred volunteering members who clean recreation parks and public amenities around busy cities in San Diego three or four times a week depending on the weather. Secondly, I belong to a very young youth initiative known as ‘Clear the road and save time’ that began three months ago with the aim of assisting the few traffic personnel present on the roads in easing traffic jams on major roads in Washington D.C. Since it is volunteer work, I ensure that I dedicate two hours of my day to the initiative. Similarly, I have strictly dedicated my free time to assisting lost people and locating their intended destinations. This idea came up after I realized that

Opinion Editorial (Op Ed article) on how oil production affects the Essay

Opinion Editorial (Op Ed article) on how oil production affects the society behavoirs and manners in the producer contry - in ku - Essay Example Kuwaitis’ yearly income per individual is around $40,000 to more than $100,000, which is considered high. Citizens do not worry about taxes, employment, health care, and education. People can afford to not work and this has adverse effects on our values and behaviors. Kuwaitis expect money without working hard for it. In addition, they would rather work in public sector that can assure them high salaries with much less effort than the private sector. This weakens the private sector business in Kuwait. Mr. Mohammad Al-Sanousi, former minister of Information, said in an interview, he laid off around 600 employees who do not even come to work. He also said, they constitute a heavy burden on government’s budget. Citizens become more interested in prestigious jobs, so that Kuwait is forced to import foreign workers to fill the gap in the labor force. In the end, Kuwait will find itself with unbalanced economical situation. Certainly, there are those ambitious Kuwaitis who wo rk hard and do care about Kuwait’s economy. Their efforts are not enough if the government is not doing its part.

Psychology of Personality Essay Example for Free

Psychology of Personality Essay Psychology of personality is a branch of psychology that focuses on the study of personality and the individual differences. The main areas of focus are usually looking at individual’s psychological processes, the individual differences and studying how human behavior is similar. Personality is usually defined as well organized and dynamic set of characteristics possessed by a person that distinctively influence the cognitions, behavior in various situations and motivations. Since personality is complex and dynamic, various psychologists have come up with different theories to explain the different personality types. For the purpose of this paper, Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and Jung’s theory of personality shall be used to analyze the personality of a lady friend by the name Ann. Since most people have various personality disorders, Ann’s personality disorder shall also be analyzed. Freud’s Theory of Personality The Freud’s theory of personality illustrates that personality of a human being is made up of three structures namely; the ego, superego and id. The id contains instincts and it is usually unconscious. The ego develops after the id and is considered to be the executive branch of personality since it uses reasoning to make decisions. Both the ego and id have no morality but the superego is the structure that contains morality as it takes into account whether something is right or wrong. The superego is also referred as the conscience since it has the ability to judge whether something is right or wrong. According to Freud’s theory of personality, personality is established at around five years of age. Studies suggest that the early childhood experience influence human behavior and continue to do so through out the whole life (Mitterer Coon 2008). Further studies illustrate that behavior of a person develops through a series of childhood stages and the driving force during the stages is usually the psychosexual energy. Incase all the stages are completed successfully, healthy personality develops and if not, fixation occurs which leads to a personality disorder. These stages of development include the anal, oral, phallic, latent, and genital stage. Some of these stages shall be discussed comprehensively while analyzing Ann’s personality. Jung’s Theory of Personality Jung is psychologist who accomplished much but his personality theory of introversion and extroversion gained a lot of recognition and overshadowed the rest of his work. His theory suggests that introversion and extroversion are opposing attitude types that make a person to behave in a particular way. According to this theory of personality, human behavior is controlled by the introversion and extroversion attitudes. He defines an introvert as someone who is quite aware of the inner world and does not give much thought to the external world. An introvert attitude is usually more concerned with the subjective appraisal and considers dreams and fantasies more. On the other hand, an extrovert is usually characterized by the outside movement of the psyche energy. An extrovert attitude places more importance on the objectivity and at the same time gains a lot of influence from the outer environment than the inner cognitive processes. Nonetheless, the theory suggests that it is still possible for one person to have both attitudes though more often than not one must be overshadowed by another. The four functions of the personality theory namely, thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition were combined so as to come up with the eight personality types. Discussion Ann is a twenty five year old lady who currently works as a research scientist. She is very competent and productive, and since she was employed two years ago, she has received a number of awards due to her competency. She happens to be the first born in the family of four and has been brought up by very strict parents. Though she loves people, she mostly prefers to be alone and in social functions she prefers to remain calm and only talks with people close to her. She spends most of her leisure time reading or watching television when she is not studying. She can make a very good friend but once angered she reacts aggressively and she can put up a fight very first. In addition, she is quite independent and barely shares her things with other people. However, many people usually complain of her reserved and cold nature but she is quite orderly and maintains high level of cleanliness. In application of the Jung’s theory of personality, Ann displays more of an introvert attitude than that of an extrovert. While making decisions, Ann takes her time analyzing the available options and is not easily influenced by the outside factors which display an introvert attitude as illustrated by Jung’s theory of personality. She often makes a decision which suits her best, without giving much consideration to what others may think of her. Moreover she works best while alone and does not prefer social functions unless when it is very necessary. A person with such behavior is classified as an introvert by the Jung’s theory of personality (Gelpi 1993). While applying the Freud’s theory of personality, some of the behavior that characterizes Ann’s personality can be attributed to the experiences she passed through during the early childhood stages. The fact that she holds a lot of mistrust toward people illustrates that the care takers did not feed her on demand during the oral stage. However, during the anal stage, she received the appropriate toilet training hence the reason why she is quite competent, productive and orderly (Dumont, Wedding Corsini 2007). Personality Disorder A personality disorder is often described as an enduring pattern of inner experiences and behavior that seems to deviates from individual’s culture and sets in during early adulthood or adolescence stage (Dobbert 2007). Since most of these behaviors are pervasive and also chronic they usually cause impairment in the daily life. A study of Ann’s life shows that she most probably suffers from a paranoid personality disorder. It is a disorder that is characterized by agoraphobia, depression and substance abuse as illustrated by the studies of (Dobbert, 2007). Ann displays most of the symptoms associate with paranoid disorder because she does not trust people, gets angry quickly especially if she thinks that she is being deceived, thinks that people are untrustworthy, she is always serious and secretive, and always analyzes every gesture and conversation to look for the hidden meaning. The above mentioned Ann’s personality traits illustrate that she suffers from paranoid personality disorder since the same symptoms characterize the disorder are part of the diagnostic criteria of the disorder. Conclusion and Recommendation Psychology of personality is very important since it helps in understanding different personalities as illustrated by the different behaviors. In psychology, there are many theories that have been established to explain different personalities. Despite the fact that all have the same goals some contain controversial ideas. However, they are still very helpful. In this study, the Freud’s theory of personality which illustrates that early childhood experiences shape the behavior of a person has helped in understanding the personality of Ann. It was possible to deduce that her mistrust originates from her oral stage as her caretakers did not feed her on demand. Such an experience makes an infant to lose trust on people. Jung’s theory of personality helps in understanding that the reserved nature of Ann is a result of an introverted attitude. In addition, the study has been of great help since it was possible to realize that Ann’s pervasive behavior of excessive mistrust is as a result of a paranoid personality disorder. References Dobbert, L. D. , (2007). Understanding personality disorders: an introduction. Westport, Greenwood Publishing Group. Dumont, F. , Wedding, D. Corsini, J. , (2007). Current Psychotherapies. Stamford, Cengage Learning. Gelpi, D. L. , (1993). Committed Worship: Adult Conversion and Initiation. Collegeville, Liturgical Press Mitterer, J. O. Coon, D. , (2008). Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior. Stamford, Cengage Learning.

Customer Based Brand Equity

Customer Based Brand Equity If all Coca Colas assets were destroyed overnight , whoever owned the Coca Cola name would walk into a bank the next morning and get a loan to rebuild everything. VP Corporate Communications, Coca Cola Abstract: The Purpose of this paper is to highlight the major contributions in the process of developing and measuring customer based brand equity (CBBE) models by looking into the contributions of different researchers in this field. From the outset this paper, then, becomes a comparison of different CBBE models. Starting from Aaker (1991) to Keller (2003), it compares four CBBE models. This paper considers Agarwal and Raos (1996) model to be the best suited one for Pakistani environment because it integrates the customers decision making process with customer based brand equity. Introduction: This paper highlights major contributions in the process of understanding different customer based brand equity models. The focus on customer based brand equity is because of three reasons: 1. it allows the assessment of equity at the brand level; 2. researchers in marketing heavily use this concept; and 3. marketing practitioners find this concept of brand equity easier to understand than other brand equity concepts (Agarwal Rao, 1996). Literature Review: A traditional definition of a brand was: the name, associated with one or more items in the product line, which is used to identify the source of character of the item(s) (Kotler, 2000) (p.396). The American Marketing Association (AMA) definition of a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors (p. 404). Keller (2003) defines brand as technically speaking, whenever a marketer creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product, he or she has created a brand (Keller, 2003) (p. 3). Before the shift in focus towards brands and the brand building process, brands were just another step in the whole process of marketing to sell products. For a long time, the brand has been treated in an off-hand fashion as a part of the product (Urde, 1999) (p. 119). Kotler (2000) mentions branding as a major issue in product strategy (p. 404). Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000) mention that within the traditional branding model the goal was to build brand image; a tactical element that drives short-term results (Aaker Joachimsthaler, 2000). Kapferer (1997) mentioned that the brand is a sign -therefore external- whose function is to disclose the hidden qualities of the product which are inaccessible to contact (Kapferer, 1997) (p. 28). The brand served to identify a product and to distinguish it from the competition. The challenge today is to create a strong and distinctive image (Kohli Thakor, 1997) (p. 208). Concerning the brand management process as related to the function of a brand as an identifier, Aaker and Joachmisthaler (2000) discuss the traditional branding model where a brand management team was responsible for creating and coordinating the brands management program. In this situation, the brand manager was not high in the companys hierarchy; his focus was the short-term financial results of single brands and single products in single markets. The basic objective was the coordination with the manufacturing and sales departments in order to solve any problem concerning sales and market share. With this strategy the responsibility of the brand was solely the concern of the marketing department (Davis Aaker, 2000). In general, most companies thought that focusing on the latest and greatest advertising campaign meant focusing on the brand (Davis Dunn, 2002). The model itself was tactical and reactive rather than strategic and visionary (Aaker and Joachimsthaler 2000). The brand w as always referred to as a series of tactics and never like strategy (Davis and Dunn 2002). Kapferer (1997) mentions that before the 1980s there was a different approach towards brands. Companies wished to buy a producer of chocolate or pasta: after 1980, they wanted to buy KitKat or Buitoni. This distinction is very important; in the first case firms wish to buy production capacity and in the second they want to buy a place in the mind of the consumer (p. 23). In other words, the shift in focus towards brands began when it was understood that they were something more than mere identifiers. Brands, according to Kapferer (1997) serve eight functions shown in Table 1 below: the first two are mechanical and concern the essence of the brand: to function as a recognized symbol in order to facilitate choice and to gain time (p. 29); the next three are for reducing the perceived risk; and the final three concern the pleasure side of a brand. He adds that brands perform an economic function in the mind of the consumer, the value of the brand comes from its ability to gain an exclus ive, positive and prominent meaning in the minds of a large number of consumers (p. 25). Therefore branding and brand building should focus on developing brand value. Table 1 The Functions of the Brand for the Consumer Function Consumer Benefit Identification To be clearly seen, to make sense of the offer, to quickly identify the sought-after products. Practicality To allow savings of time and energy through identical repurchasing and loyalty. Guarantee To be sure of finding the same quality no matter where or when you buy the product or service. Optimization To be sure of buying the best product in its category, the best performer for a particular purpose. Characterization To have confirmation of your self-image or the image that you present to others. Continuity Satisfaction brought about through familiarity and intimacy with the brand that you have been consuming for years. Hedonistic Satisfaction linked to the attractiveness of the brand, to its logo, to its communication. Ethical Satisfaction linked to the responsible behavior of the brand in its relationship towards society. Adapted from Kapferer (1997) Kapferers view of brand value is monetary, and includes intangible assets. Brands fail to achieve their value-creating potential where managers pursue strategies that are not orientated to maximizing the shareholder value (Doyle, 2001) (p. 267). Four factors combine in the mind of the consumer to determine the perceived value of the brand: brand awareness; the level of perceived quality compared to competitors; the level of confidence, of significance, of empathy, of liking; and the richness and attractiveness of the images conjured up by the brand. In Figure 1 the relationships between the different concepts of brand analysis, according to Kapferer (1997), are summarized. Figure 1 From Brand Assets to Brand Equity Brand Awareness + Image + Perceived Quality + Evocations + Familiarity, liking Brand Assets Brand added value perceived by customers Costs of branding Costs of invested capital Brand financial value (BRAND EQUITY) Kapferer (1997), P 37 Brand Equity Many researchers, while discussing brand building models, have referred to brand equity. Urde (1999) in his model of brand orientation, Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000) in their model of brand leadership, Davis (2002) in his model of brand asset management, de Chernatony in his model of corporate branding (De Chernatony, 1999), and Kapferer (1997) have discussed brand equity in their respective models of brand building. But what exactly is brand equity? Brand equity, as first defined by Farquhar , is the added value with which a given brand endows a product (Farquhar, 1989) (p.24). Apart from Farquhars first definition of brand equity, other definitions have appeared. According to Lassar, Mittal, and Sharma (1995), brand equity has been examined from a financial perspective (Farquhar, Han, Ijiri, 1991), (Simon Sullivan, 1993), Kapferer 1997, Doyle 2001), and a customer-based perspective ((Keller 1993; (Shocker, Srivastava, Ruekert, 1994); and (Chen, 2001)) (Lassar, Mittal, Sharma, 1995). In other words, financial meaning from the perspective of the value of the brand to the firm, and customer-based meaning the value of the brand for the customer which comes from a marketing decision-making context (Kim, Kim, An, 2003). Brand equity has also been defined as the enhancement in the perceived utility and desirability a brand name confers on a product (Lassar, Mittal and Sharma 1995, p.13). High brand equity is considered to be a competitive advantage since: it implies that firms can charge a premium; there is an increase in customer demand; extending a brand becomes easier; communication campaigns are more effective; there is better trade leverage; margins can be greater; and the company becomes less vulnerable to competition (Bendixen, Bukasa, Abratt, 2004). In other words, high brand equity generates a differential effect, higher brand knowledge, and a larger consumer response (Keller 2003), which normally leads to better brand performance, both from a financial and a customer perspective. Financial value-based techniques extract the brand equity value from the value of the firms other assets (Kim, Kim, and An 2003). Simon and Sullivan (1993) define brand equity as the incremental cash flows which accrue to branded products over and above the cash flows which would result from the sale of unbranded products (p. 29). These authors estimate a firms brand equity by deriving financial market estimates from brand-related profits. Taking the financial market value of a firm as a base, they extract the firms brand equity from the value of the firms other tangible and intangible assets, which results in an estimate based on the firms future cash flows. Along the same line of thought, Doyle (2001) argues that brand equity is reflected by the ability of brands to create value by accelerating growth and enhancing prices. In other words, brands function as an important driver of cash flow. Customer Based Brand Equity (CBBE): Aaker (1991) provided conceptual scheme which link brand equity with various customer response variables. He suggested using repurchase rates, switching costs, level of satisfaction, preference for brand, and perceived quality on various product and service dimensions as potential measures of CBBE (Aaker, 1991). Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000) define brand equity as brand assets linked to a brands name and symbol that add to, or subtract from, a product or service. According to them, these assets, shown in Figure 2, can be grouped into four dimensions: brand awareness, perceived quality, brand associations, and brand loyalty. Figure 2 Aakers Model of Customer Based Brand Equity Brand Equity Brand Awareness Perceived Quality Brand Associations Brand Loyalty These dimensions have been commonly used and accepted by many researchers (Keller 1993; (Motameni Shahrokhi, 1998); (Yoo Donthu, 2001); Bendixen, Bukasa, and Abratt 2004; Kim, Kim, and An 2003). Brand awareness affects perceptions and taste: people like the familiar and are prepared to ascribe all sorts of good attitudes to items that are familiar to them (Aaker and Joachimsthaler 2000, p. 17). Perceived quality influences brand associations and affects brand profitability. Brand associations are anything that connects the consumer to the brand, including user imagery, product attributes, organizational associations, brand personality, and symbols (p. 17). Brand loyalty is at the heart of brands value. The concept is to strengthen the size and intensity of each loyalty segment (p. 17). The simplest way in which the brand equity can be considered is that it can be understood as the incremental value a brand name grants a product (Srivastava Shocker, 1991). According to Lassar, Mittal and Sharma (1995), brand equity can be configured against five dimensions: 1) performance, 2) value, 3) social image, 4) trustworthiness, and 5) attachment. They agree to the views of Srivastava and Shocker (1991) who believe that customers evaluate brand equity on the basis of two components; 1) brand strength and 2) brand value. Since they believe that the source of brand equity is customer perceptions, as described by Keller (1993), it is important for the managers to be able to measure and track it at the customer level (Keller, 1993). Figure 3 below explains the model. Figure 3 Lassars Model of Customer Based Brand Equity Brand Equity Performance Social Image Value Trustworthiness Attachment Keller (2003) introduced the Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) model, which approaches brand equity form the perspective of the consumer -whether an individual or an organization (Keller 2003, p. 59). The model is based on the premise that the power of a brand lies in what customers have learned, felt, seen and heard about the brand as a result of their experiences over time (p. 59). He defines CBBE as the differential effect that brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of that brand (p. 60), which emerges from two sources: brand awareness and brand image. According to Keller (2003), brand awareness consists of brand recognition -the consumers ability to confirm prior exposure to the brand when given a brand as a cue (p. 67)- and brand recall -the consumers ability to retrieve the brand form memory when given the product category, the needs fulfilled by the category, or a purchase or usage situation as cue (p. 67). On the other hand, brand image is created by marketing programs that link strong, favorable, and unique associations to the brand in the memory (p. 70). These associations are not only controlled by the marketing program, but also through direct experience, brand information, word of mouth, assumptions of the brand itself -name, logo-, or with the brands identification with a certain company, country, distribution channel, person, place or event. The way to build a strong brand, according to the CBBE model, is by following four sequential steps, each one representing a fundamental question that customers ask about brands: 1. Ensuring the identification of the brand with a specific product category or need in the customers mind -who are you? 2. Establishing the meaning of the brand in the customers mind by strategically linking tangible and intangible brand associations with certain properties -what are you? 3. Eliciting customer responses to the brand identification and meaning -what about you? 4. Converting the response into an active, intense and loyal relationship between the customers and the brand -what about you and me? The CBBE model is built by sequentially establishing six brand building blocks with customers (Keller 2003 p. 75), that can be assembled as a brand pyramid, shown in Figure 4. Brand salience relates to the awareness of the brand. Brand performance relates to the satisfaction of customers functional needs. Brand imagery relates to the satisfaction of customers psychological needs. Brand judgments focus on customers opinions based on performance and imagery. Brand feelings are the customers emotional responses and reactions to the brand. Brand resonance is the relationship and level of identification of the customer with a brand. Figure 4 Kellers Model for CBBE Resonance Feelings Judgments Imagery Performance Salience Identity Who are you? Meaning What are you? Response What about you? Relationships What about you and me? Another model of customer based brand equity was presented by Agarwal and Rao (1996), who linked various components of CBBE to examine their convergent validity. To measure CBBE, they used a framework based on the perception-preference-choice paradigm and the hierarchy of effects model of McGuire (McGuire, 1972). This framework measures the stages through which a consumer passes before making a purchase decision (Agarwal Rao, 1996). The hierarchy model for CBBE is shown in figure 5 below. Figure 5 Agarwal and Raos Model for CBBE Awareness Actual Choice Perceptions and Attitudes Preferences Choice Intentions Unaided Recall Familiarity Value of Money Quality of Brand Name Explicit Preference Implicit Preference Likelihood of Buying Past Purchases Current Purchases Customer Based Brand Equity The model suggests appropriate indirect brand equity measures as conceptualized by Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993). These measures can be considered as the sources that can lead toward creation of brand equity. Conclusion: After discussing above four models to measure customer based brand equity (Aaker 1991; Lassar et al 1995; Agarwal and Rao, 1996; Keller, 2003) it is concluded that the model presented by Agarwal and Rao (1996) seems to be more appropriate to fit Pakistani environment. In addition to measuring CBBE, It seems to incorporate recent theoretical advances and managerial in understanding and influencing consumers decision making process. They have also provided a validated instrument (with Cronbachs Alpha above 0.85) to support their model of customer based brand equity.

Immigrant Workers in Phoenix :: Immigration Labor Immigrants Essays Papers

Immigrant Workers in Phoenix Before the sun even rises in Phoenix, out of the closing shadows of night, dark and quiet silhouettes begin to appear. They are the silhouettes of working men who rise before the sun rises, each with the hope of obtaining work and earning money to help support their families. These men are usually assumed to be immigrants without the proper paperwork to work in the United States. They are also better known as day laborers. These so-called â€Å"day laborers† congregate on street corners or in the parking lots of builders’ stores awaiting the arrival of employers who will hire them for a day’s work. Some cities have tried to ban this type of â€Å"recruiting† while others have accepted it as inevitable. In Phoenix alone there are an estimated 2,500 day laborers ready, willing and able to work each and every day that stand on street corners hoping and praying they will be picked up by someone to work. Some days their prayers are answered and on others they are not. Before September 11, 2001, you saw them everywhere – in hard hats on construction sites, working as landscapers, painters and just about anything else one can imagine. Today, these migrant workers are struggling under a sputtering economy and the harsh glare of the escalating U.S. homeland security system. To add even more problems to their already full plate, the immigration service in Phoenix is warning contractors against hiring undocumented day laborers. The warnings are taking a toll on many laborers in north Phoenix who had been getting constant work. â€Å"I’ve worked only two days since last week† said Ruben Fuentes, a native of Tijuana. At the break of dawn on a Tuesday morning, the 20-year-old Fuentes joined dozens of others at the corner of Greenway Road and 29th Street to wait for someone to pick them up. â€Å"It’s getting harder,† he added and from my viewpoint, it looked like more men were left standing than were picked up for work on the day I chose to visit. Unfortunately for everyone, contractors could face fines of up to $1,000 for each occurrence if they fail to fill out the proper immigration forms by the end of the workday said Victor Brower, deputy assistant district director for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Phoenix.

Legalization of Marijuana is Necessary :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marijuana has been unfairly villainized and prohibited in America. Legalization offers a practical, effective, and humane approach to dealing with marijuana use. In the following pages I will point out the inconsistency and hypocrisy of America’s marijuana laws, some of the problems with our current methods for controlling illegal drug use, and some of the possible advantages of legalization. It is unclear exactly why the recreational use of marijuana became of such concern to some people in the first place, but much of the information published and testimony made to Congress on the subject in the 1930’s was simply ludicrous. A 1936 article from the American Journal of Nursing claimed that a marijuana smoker â€Å"will suddenly turn with murderous violence upon whomever is nearest to him† (Bring Drugs 13). In 1937, Harry Anslinger, then head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Drug Enforcement Agency) testified before Congress that â€Å"Marijuana is the most violence causing drug in the history of mankind,† and that â€Å"Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes† (Bouril 4).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some theorize that anxiety over the decline in size and power of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics after the 1933 repeal of Alcohol Prohibition is what caused Anslinger to push so hard for the prohibition of marijuana (4). The preposterous lies told about the effects of marijuana usage by people like Anslinger has led others to believe that there was a hidden agenda behind the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 - to eliminate hemp. In 1916 the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced, in Bulletin No. 404, that one acre of hemp would produce as much pulp as four acres of trees, and that if a machine for stripping hemp were developed it would be unnecessary to cut down forest to make paper (Bock 3). Shortly before the passage of the Act, state of the art stripping and pulping machines were available and a few were in use. An article written for Popular Mechanics entitled â€Å"New Billion-Dollar Crop† discussed how this new technology would make hemp â €Å"the most profitable and desirable crop that can be grown† (Bouril 5). Unfortunately, the article was not published until February of 1938 - a day late and a dollar short. There is considerable evidence that the

Robert Frost is an American poet – What do you find specifically American in his poems and what do you find is universal?

Robert Frost wrote many poems about everyday rural life that are closely linked with human emotions. Most of his poems contain hidden meanings that are not clear at first sight. Firstly, I will talk of the specifically American aspects in Frost's poems. One thing sometimes found in Frosts poems that is American is the place in which the poem is set. The locations of Frosts poems often give a feeling of wide stretching forests and fields that go on for miles that don't exist in many other countries. â€Å"I let my neighbor know beyond the hill; And on a day we meet to walk the line† This phrase, from â€Å"Mending Wall†, immediately suggests vast amounts of space as the speaker talks of, â€Å"beyond the hill†, having a hill on ones land indicates that it must be spacious, and, â€Å"we meet to walk the line†, this ‘walking the line' gives an image of a boundary between two sizeable pieces of territory. â€Å"After Apple-Picking† also gives a sense of immense space with its' title and subject matter. The title tells the reader of the event that is occurring in Frost's orchard. Having an orchard on ones property implies a huge amount of land is owned. â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood†, â€Å"And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth† These phrases from â€Å"The Road Not Taken† also indicate a vast space. The second of the two phrases especially does this as the path travels so far in to the enormous wood that the speaker can not see its' end, he can only see where it bends further on. â€Å"Some boy too far away from town to learn baseball† This line from â€Å"Birches† also emphasizes the space in America. The fact that a boy I too far from the nearest town to learn how to play baseball shows that there is a lot of room between heavily populated areas. Robert Frost uses the landscape's size to indicate a feeling of isolation and loneliness. Another American aspect of Frost's poems are certain word spellings and place names. â€Å"neighbor† – Mending Wall â€Å"color† – Gathering Leaves â€Å"Vermont† – Out, Out! â€Å"woodchuck† – After Apple Picking â€Å"Axe-helve† – Axe-helve The first two phrases are spelling differences from United Kingdom English. â€Å"Vermont† is a state in America. â€Å"woodchuck† is an animal native to America and an â€Å"Axe-helve† is the American way of saying axe handle. However, I believe that these parts of the poems are superficial and aren't really important to the poem's content and idea. American traditions are also sometimes mentioned in Frost's poems. â€Å"I like to think some boy's been swinging on them† This line, from â€Å"Birches†, talks of the tradition of swinging from branches of birch trees. The speaker tells the reader of how young boys, who are far away from a town and other young children, like to swing from branches. â€Å"Birches† also mentions another American tradition, â€Å"Some boy too far away from town to learn baseball† Lastly, I will discuss the distinctive American climate that is portrayed in Frost's poems. â€Å"We sit indoors and talk of the cold outside. And every gust that gathers strength and heaves Is a threat to the house.† It is not often that you see climates like this outside of America, Especially not in the United Kingdom. â€Å"He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.† This line is from â€Å"Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening. This is also very much an American climate. Snow is quite rare in most other countries including the United Kingdom, particularly to the extent shown in this poem. I will now talk of the Universal aspects in Frost's poems. One aspect of Frost's poems that is not centred on America is human emotions and philosophies. For example, at first sight â€Å"Mending Wall† seems to be a poem about two men building a wall between their two properties, however, the poem has a hidden meaning. The poem is really focused on the human barriers that people put up between themselves and others and the traditional views that the speaker disagrees with. This is a main characteristic of Frost's poems and is featured in most of his work. There is also a hidden meaning in â€Å"Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening†. On the surface the poem talks about a man who stops by some woods to watch them fill up with snow, however, its hidden meaning is about a man who seems somewhat weary of life and he wants to take a â€Å"time out†, but he can not do this as he has other responsibilities to adhere to. Another example of this is the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken†. This poem talks of a man trying to decide which road to talk in a wood. Its hidden meaning is about the choices we have to make and how we can come to wonder if we have chosen the right path. Also other aspects of Frost's poems that are universal are his verse structures and some of his rhyme patterns. However, also some of his rhyme patterns were unique and exclusive to him. An example of this can be taken from â€Å"Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening†. He uses the same rhyme sound for each line in the four-lined verse, except for line three when he uses a new rhyme sound. He then carries this rhyme down to the next verse as the common rhyme sound and so on. When he reaches the last verse the rhyme sounds are all the same. This is a very clever technique as it makes the poem flow well and allows the reader to see the interconnecting superficial theme and hidden meaning. Also by keeping the rhyme sound constant in the last verse he makes his final point stand out and rounds off the poem. In conclusion, I would say that on the whole Frost's poems are universal and have universal appeal as they deal mainly with human emotions. The aspects of his poems that are specific to America are superficial and have no real relation to the poems themes and ideas.