Monday, September 30, 2019

Hottie Hawgs Bbq Case Study

Hottie Hawg’s Smokin’ BBQ Case Study Team 16 Strengths: * NASCAR Partnership * Excellent food * Differentiated brand * Creativity of owners * Excellent marketing * Low infrastructure costs * Mobile restaurant * Little brand competition * Service flexibility * Proprietary recipes * Community support/interests * Professional marketing image Weaknesses: * Lack of cash flow * Leadership working for two companies * Loss of founder means all lies on Vaughn * High travel costs for events outside of Atlanta * Licensing decision reduces the opportunity of franchise income * Limited distribution capabilities Expansion is expensive * Non-centralized staff * Lack of business credit * Limited menu * Use of ACT funds to finance HHBBQ operations pierces the corporate veil. * Limited catering experience Opportunities: * Aramark/Pepsi Center opportunity * NASCAR as growth partner * Growth within Atlanta * Brand awareness through additional licensing and potential franchising * Merchandi se sales * Brick-and-mortar Flagship locations * Popularity of Food Trucks Threats: * Hooters Restaurants * Other barbecue restaurants * Customer reluctance to patronize a polarizing brand * Loss of trade-secret information Legal costs * Economic downturn/slow economic growth * Rising fuel and transportation costs * Pitmasters BBQ uses similar logo and brand image: 1. If you were in Kyle Vaughn’s position, which strategic option would you take? Explain your reasoning. Hottie Hawg’s Smokin BBQ was presented with an opportunity for tremendous growth early on in the life of the company that would test the limits of HHBBQ’s ability to raise capital, produce the quantity of food required and maintain the quality of the product while protecting the brand name and mark they had worked to cultivate.The Aramark/Pepsi Center contract would guarantee HHBBQ at least 100 events, projected at 16,000 people per event, and make HHBBQ the exclusive BBQ vendor for the arena. We b elieve of the two strategy alternatives HHBBQ had, the correct choice would be to pursue the Aramark contract. As a company that is looking to expand, passing up an opportunity of this magnitude might not occur again. Either of these two strategies are viable and possess pros and cons, but pursuing the Aramark contract would grant HHBBQ more potential rewards than passing.HHBBQ has already worked with one professional sport in NASCAR and the opportunity to serve customers of the NBA and NHL are markets that are too valuable to pass on. Once the decision to accept the Pepsi Center deal is made, HHBBQ will face more decisions on how best to handle supplying the needed food for the events. HHBBQ would have to re-locate the â€Å"18 Squeeler†, an open-air smoker on wheels, to Denver to prepare the BBQ or rent a local kitchen until a permanent commissary was set up.HHBBQ faced legitimate concerns regarding the ability of the Squeeler to meet the high food demand of the Pepsi Cente r and whether the legal costs, potential loss of food quality and possibility of compromising the brand image when dealing with a rented kitchen would make the deal not profitable. From the case study, the first 18 Squeeler was available one week after the initial conversation between Vaughn and Rybka. To meet the demand of the Pepsi Arena, HHBBQ should purchase an additional Squeeler so the food quantity and quality are not compromised.Once cash flow has begun and enough capital is raised to open a Denver commissary, the two Squeelers would be freed up to once again to perform at local events within the community and allow one Squeeler to return to Atlanta to service the home market. These are challenges that service firms face when attempting to match their products to the needs of their target markets (Ferrell & Hartline, 197). HHBBQ will experience on the job training while learning how to best forecast the correct amount of food needed to serve the arena and the number of new e mployees to hire and train to accommodate the number of visitors to the arena.Because most services are dependent upon people (employees, customers), HHBBQ must avoid past mistakes in variations in quality and inconsistency such as overstaffing, food waste, and less than ideal image promotion (Ferrell & Hartline, 198) to maintain high service quality and profitability. Although service quality is a subjective phenomenon (Ferrell & Hartline, 198),   this particular marketplace would not allow for service customization but allow HHBBQ to focus on food quality and speed of service to meet their customers’ needs. . Comment on the decision to license the Hottie Hawg’s brand rather than enter into a franchise agreement with Seymour. In the company’s situation, is it better to promote easier expansion through franchising or maintain tight control over brand image through licensing? Explain. At this early stage in Hottie Hawg’s Smokin’ BBQ’s histo ry, it is important to cultivate the brand image carefully and with almost obsessive attention to detail.The offering of tasty barbecue served by attractive women in a fun and laid-back environment is in its introductory stage (Ferrell & Hartline, 217), and will soon move into the growth stage if all goes well. Hottie’s must work to grow and build brand equity and establish a differential advantage in the market. This is done through careful management of the product and brand over this time. Public relations, advertising and incentives are critical at this stage in the brands life, as it sets the tone for the growth and maturity stage.Will this be just another barbecue joint or will Hottie’s stand out among a sea of ribs and wings? Rybka initially envisioned a brand so â€Å"extreme and offensive (as) to purposely alienate a large portion of the population† (Ferrell & Hartline, 519)   Allowing a franchisee to potentially dilute this brand is a risk they shoul d not be willing to take. The branding strategy employed by HHBBQ depends on the extreme offensiveness they are building, and a franchisee that doesn’t have the same â€Å"tough guts† that Vaughn and Rybka have may not be capable of sticking to their vision.Vaughn has done an excellent job thus far in developing a different style of BBQ restaurant in the southeast, and should protect the emerging brand image fiercely in order to maintain and develop according to the company’s vision. A license agreement, where complete control can be exercised over the quality of the food, the brand image, logos and marketing materials allows Vaughn to control the direction of the company, while realizing income from licensed sales.The brand is the most valuable asset to this emerging company; in fact, the brands image was â€Å"the cornerstone of the company’s success thus far† according to Lee, and therefore, should remain the top priority at this stage in the ga me (Ferrell & Hartlien, 526). It should also be noted that by licensing the product rather than franchising, HHBBQ has been able to avoid many unnecessary expenditures that go along with franchising. Had they sold Seymour a franchise, they may have had to invest more in him in terms of training, product knowledge, and other resources that HHBBQ cannot spare at the current time.Licensing provided Seymour an avenue to invest without much overhead expense, and still provided HHBBQ with licensing revenue and fees. 3. Assume that Hottie Hawg’s is successful with the Aramark/Pepsi Center opportunity. What should Vaughn’s next move be to continue that growth and success? Vaughn’s efforts, with the success of the Aramark/Pepsi venture will have resulted in the beginning of the growth stage of HHBBQ BBQ. This continuing growth stage has happened because sales increases will have been occurring rapidly due to the appeal of the product (Ferrell & Hartline, 219).Additionall y, Hottie Hawg’s BBQ will want to 1. â€Å"Establish a strong and defensible market position† and 2. Earn profit to repay debts as well as enough profit to justify moving forward with the business (Ferrell & Hartline, 219). In order to do this, Vaughn’s next moves should be to pursue one flagship brick & mortar location, more   18 squeelers to expand the reach of the product line, look for more venue arrangements that could be profitable, potentially pursue venture capital, and pursue more licensing agreements. Pursuing a flagship brick & mortar restaurant should be an important next step for Vaughn.Up to this point, Vaughn has not built a brick & mortar location because traditional storefronts require heavy upfront investment costs (Ferrell & Hartline, 521). However, with the cash flow that a successful Aramark/Pepsi Center opportunity will bring, it will be the right time to invest in a flagship location. A major benefit to creating a flagship store front in Atlanta, GA will be that HHBBQ will be able to finally focus some resources on the opportunities in Atlanta for local catering parties and events in this major metropolitan area (Ferrell & Hartline522).This will create more cash flow for the company, and the increased presence in the Atlanta metropolitan area should help to strengthen the position of the company by fulfilling the event catering need that has not been met there as of yet (Ferrell & Hartline, 213). Purchasing more 18 squeelers to increase the reach of the product line should be a next step for Vaughn. The 18 squeeler was one of the first pieces of equipment bought by Rybka and has proven to be invaluable (Ferrell & Hartline, 519).This smoker allows HHBBQ to reach out to people over a wide geographic area, resulting in increased brand awareness which helps build more brand equity (Ferrell & Hartline, 205). Investing in more 18 squeelers will allow HHBBQ to continue expanding the awareness of its high quality product, which will help set up future associations and increased cash flow. In fact, the food truck industry, of which HHBBQ’s squeeler would be considered part, is growing at a rate of 18. % in North Florida which shows that there are still incredible growth opportunities in this arena, although competition is increasing as well (Haughney, 2). Vaughn should also look for more venue arrangements. These arrangements are great opportunities because they offer tremendous upside potential through solid revenues, profits, and exposure (Ferrell & Hartline, 525). Partnering with major arenas such as the Pepsi Center is ideal because massive amounts of people will see and try the product and take that favorable opinion about the brand home with them.HHBBQ is poised to increase cash flow considerably if they can establish similar arrangements with some of the NASCAR events that they are already affiliated with, other popular arenas such as the Amway Center in Orlando, FL, Turner Field in Atla nta, GA, or busy venues such as major zoos, amusement parks, or even in airports. Venture Capital is another way for HHBBQ may be able to help fund growth after the successful Pepsi Center opportunity. Selling a minority stake of the company for cash may be a very smart move in order to fund future growth.HHBBQ will have enough viability now that there will certainly be interested parties. Venture Capital firms, such as Seed Capital, which provides investment in new start-ups, exist to make a return on their investment (Haughney, 3). HHBBQ could fund major expansion with a large influx of cash, as well as hire more support staff to handle the increased demand for product. Increasing the amount of licensing agreements for HHBBQ is also a smart move. Licensing agreements allow HHBBQ to receive substantial cash flow while allowing the company to maintain quality control over both brand and product (Ferrell & Hartline, 524).These controls are still very important, because HHBBQ’s brand image and great tasting food help set the company apart from competitors. Additionally, HHBBQ currently only has a licensing agreement in the Denver, CO area which means that an incredible growth opportunity exists here. Adding a few other major markets would be a wise move to ensure viable cash flows for HHBBQ. 4. If the Aramark/Pepsi Center opportunity turns out to be unsuccessful, what should Vaughn do to ensure the ongoing viability of Hottie Hawgs?If the Aramark/Pepsi decision proves unsuccessful, then Hottie Hawgs would have the opportunity to focus on other investment opportunities. As they do not have an excess of cash flow, it is our belief that Hottie Hawgs would initially benefit from raising capital. This time would also allow the fledgling company to build experience, maturity, and further develop within the growth stage, while having the additional financial flexibility that would come with more capital. Once Hottie Hawgs has raised ample capital, they would the n be able to focus on licensing/franchising, and more â€Å"Squeelers†.This capital would also allow Hottie Hawgs to consider the possibility of a brick and mortar restaurant. Hottie Hawgs has already established that they can attain profitability with the â€Å"Squeelers† once they verify the proper amount of food necessary. So the investment or licensing in additional â€Å"Squeelers† units would allow them to effectively manage the company’s growth. If the decision were to prove unsuccessful, Hottie Hawgs could also take that opportunity to move their operations back to closer to their home base. Atlanta, which has a population of over four million, would be a prime location for Hottie Hawgs to grow.Atlanta, which is a major metropolitan market, hosts NASCAR, MLB, NFL, and NBA, all of which could be potential events or venues where Hottie Hawgs could find success. This would also allow Hottie Hawgs to continue to attend successfully proven events, in t heir proximity, like the Billfish Tournament in Panama City. As noted in the case, Eric Rybka’s initial approach for Hottie Hawg’s branding was to, â€Å"create enough negative publicity to make the brand infamous, and then slowly morph the brand enough to be mainstream†. To ensure viability, Hottie Hawgs can take this unsuccessful decision and turn it an opportunity.They would now have the ability to change their brand to a more mainstream and socially acceptable brand. As we know from our text, a brand is a combination of the company’s name, symbol, and design. Taking an opportunity to refine these would fit well into Eric Rybka’s initial intent and direction of the company. This unsuccessful decision can also be turned into an opportunity for Hottie Hawgs to consider improvements or revisions of existing products. As noted in our text, these improvements or revisions can create a â€Å"greater perceived value† for the customer.In these ch allenging economic times, Hottie Hawgs could also consider cost reduction strategies. As noted in our text, cost reduction strategies would allow Hottie Hawgs to maintain a level of performance, but do so, â€Å"at a lower price†. This would allow Hottie Hawgs to appeal to the most cost conscious customers, but maintain the level of performance that has brought them initial success. This strategy could be achieved by considering lower cost meat providers, lower priced ingredients, or reducing costs in other facets of the restaurant, such as plates, utensils, cups, or napkins.Hottie Hawgs could also consider a co-branding strategy. Hottie Hawgs could contract and have Coke and Hottie Hawgs brand marks on their cups. They could also co-brand with locally prevalent companies to put their advertising on Hottie Hawgs to-go bags or boxes, along with Hottie Hawgs brand marks. Overall, it is our determination that if the Aramark/Pepsi decision proves to be unsuccessful, Hottie Hawgs still has a multitude of opportunities to maintain viability. Hottie Hawgs can consider licensing/franchising opportunities.They can make a decision to raise capital to obtain more Squeelers. They can consider other venues, like Atlanta, with the reasons that we noted above. Lastly, they can consider reconfiguring some of their strategies, utilizing concepts from the text, that would allow them to refine some of their strategies in an effort to maximize the fulfillment of the customer’s needs, while attracting a greater customer base. Even if the Aramark/Pepsi decision is unsuccessful, that does not mean that Hottie Hawgs is void of alternatives that can allow them to maintain viability and rofitability. O. C. Ferrell & Michael D. Hartline: â€Å"Marketing Strategy, Fifth Edition†    2011 Haughney, Kathleen. â€Å"Keep On (Food) Trucking. †   850businessmagazine. com. 850 Business Magazine. Web. 02 March   2013. http://www. 850businessmagazine. com/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=601%3Akeep-on-food-trucking&catid=64%3Aq-and-a&Itemid=1 Couret, Jacques. ‘ARC: Metro Atlanta Population Hits 4. 17 Million† bizjournals. com. Web. August 09, 2012 http://www. bizjournals. com/atlanta/news/2012/08/09/arc-metro-atlanta-population-hits. html? page=all

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Acquaint yourself with the characters in the story Essay

Read through the story and write down a few points that summarise the plotof the story. Acquaint yourself with the characters in the story. plot The structure of the storyline, the way in which the action develops. This will usually include the settings, the development of character, crisis or climax and resolution   The plot is about two young people, Sandra and Kerry, who belong to the Good Neighbours’ Club.   They go to do volunteer work at Mrs Rutter’s house. She is an elderly lady who lives past Packer’s End, a field that was said to be haunted. Sandra is not pleased that it is Kerry she is working with, as she had hoped it would be her friend, Susie.   After some time, Mrs Rutter tells them the story of what really happened at Packer’s End during the war.   An enemy plane was shot down over the field and she and her sister (Dot) went to investigate the crash.   They found the plane, but also found one of the soldiers in it still alive.   Because it was the enemy and because her own husband had been killed in the war, Mrs Rutter leaves the soldier to die overnight. When they arrive at the scene the next morning, he is still alive, but they don’t get any help for him. * The young people are shocked by what she tells them and Sandra suddenly sees Mrs Rutter in a new light, but she also sees Kerry in a new light. Sandra She is a young girl who is a volunteer at the Good Neighbour’s Club. She tells us that she is â€Å"nervy† and we see this when she walks past Packer’s End. She describes how when she was younger she had thought there were wolves and witches and tigers in the wood. This changed and when she was about twelve she heard that a German plane had gone down there, but had also heard stories about gypsies and rapists. She is a conventional young girl who would like to have a â€Å"bit of a giggle† with her friend, Susie, and is disappointed that Kerry Stevens with his â€Å"blacked licked-down hair and slitty eyes† was joining her at Mrs Rutter’s. Kerry is described in detail in lines 135 – 139. What does this description suggest to you? It is mostly about his appearance – acne, pale flesh – all that Sandra is concerned with is his appearance at first. This changes at the end of the story. She doesn’t know how Kerry can stand having dirt and grime under his nails from working on cars and â€Å"she thought of oily workshop floors, of the fetid underside of cars† (line 207). She thinks that Mrs Rutter will be old and kind and thinks that â€Å"old Mrs Rutter with her wonky leg would be ever so pleased to see them because they were really sweet, lots of the old people† (lines 93 – 94). Mrs Rutter She is seen at first to be a typical old lady who lives at Nether Cottage and is described as â€Å"a dear old thing, all on her own† (lines 4 – 5). Her behaviour and the setting of the cottage (see Setting) portray her as ordinary. She is described as â€Å"a cottage-loaf of a woman, with a face below which chins collapsed into one another, a creamy smiling pool of a face in which her eyes snapped and darted† (lines 97 – 99). This description of her appearance certainly doesn’t convey anything but a gentle old woman. Kerry Stevens He is a typical teenage boy with acne and â€Å"blacked licked-down hair† who is pleased when he gives Sandra a fright when they meet at Packer’s End. He is shocked by Mrs Rutter’s story and vows never to go â€Å"near that old bitch again† (line 364). Setting Packer’s End and Nether Cottage are where the story takes place. Packer’s End is described as a scary place where dreadful things have happened – â€Å"You didn’t go by yourself through Packer’s End if you could help it, not after teatime, anyway† (lines 30 – 31). Nether Cottage is described as being filled with sweet ornaments and pictures. Look at the description in lines 101 – 105 and try to imagine what the room looked like. Does this tell us anything about Mrs Rutter? The room is cluttered, but quite homely. The ornaments are all of rabbits and kittens and milkmaids and children – these are hardly sinister. She comes across as someone who likes collecting memorabilia Look at the description in lines 144 – 145 â€Å"a composite chintzy mass from which the cushions oozed and her voice flowed softly on. † This is a cosy description which portrays her as a nice old woman. The structure of this story relies on the reader ‘getting to know’ Mrs Rutter as a gentle woman who lives alone and is quite helpless because of her â€Å"wonky leg†. When she does tell us the horrific story of the plane going down and her and Dot’s failure to save the man who is still alive, it becomes all the more horrific and we realise, with Sandra, that people are not always what they seem and that there is definitely â€Å"darkness out there. † This makes the realisation that much more startling and effective. â€Å"Everything is not as it appears, oh no† (line 384). We are also then able to comprehend why Sandra sees such a change in Kerry. The change in Kerry is also well set up as in the beginning, from Sandra’s descriptions, we are led to believe that he is not special and yet at the end Sandra says things like â€Å"He had grown; he had got older and larger. His anger eclipsed his acne, the patches of grease on his jeans, his lardy midriff†¦ † (lines 373 – 375). Look at the last two paragraphs: pick out the images of darkness. How do these images link to the story and to the title? â€Å"You could get people wrong and there was a darkness that was not the darkness of tree shadows and murky undergrowth†¦ † (lines 375 – 377) â€Å"†¦and the next you glimpsed darkness, an inescapable darkness. The darkness was out there and it was a part of you and you would never be without it, ever. † (lines 380 – 382) These quotations refer to darkness, because the speaker in the story has just glimpsed inescapable darkness herself in the form of Mrs Rutter. This has changed the way she thinks about other people and the way in which she will view the world from now on. She says it will be with her for ever and she will never be without it now that she knows what it is. She will never be able to see a person, no matter how nice and innocent they look, as just that. This story deals with a young girl’s realisation about life. Her whole outlook on life changes at the end of the story. Choose one other story in the anthology that deals with this issue and show how the authors present this issue to us. Describe what the issue is and look at how their characters deal with it. (A good comparison would be Superman and Paula Brown’s Snowsuit. ) Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Joseph Conrad section.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Characteristic and performance of the video game Industry Essay

A detailed analysis of the video games industry, the relationship between the console, the developer and the gamer and the case studies of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft has conclusively proved the hypothesis that a symbiotic relationship exists in the video games industry between the console, developer and the consumer which impacts on the overall growth and performance of the business and will also have an effect on future trends. A survey of data analysis will reveal that there are excellent prospects for growth of the console video gaming industry despite threats from other areas of the same business such as online and mobile gaming. The details of the research outcome and the salient conclusions and recommendations are as per succeeding paragraphs. The overall growth of video and computer games world wide is likely to grow from $ 27,000 million to approximately $ 54, 000 million or double during a period of three years from 2005 to 2008. The console video games industry is set to grow from $ 15,000 million in 2005 to over $ 20, 000 million in 2008. This is a growth of over 30 percent which is likely to surpass the growth in all other segments of entertainment. This growth is driven by the popularity of console games in general as well as certain technological factors such as development of online console gaming facilitated by upgraded consoles and broadband connections which can facilitate easy transfer of images and videos. Apart from this economic factor, there are other profound changes which will come about in society as predicted by Doug Lowenstein who has indicated that it would transform the total social and cultural thinking in the years ahead. (Conference, 2000). The numerous voices raised against the growth of video games and their influence on children in America has decried the growth of this industry. Such protests and developments will certainly affect the growth of the video industry and it is likely to create more benign games in the future. Of greater concern to social scientists is the inculcation of hyper competition and deviant sexual values in children due to games. (Squire, 2002). This issue is likely to place pressure on the gaming industry to ensure that it follows the norms set by bodies such as the industry content regulator, Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in America. Another important facet is content creation and retailing online. This mode will develop at much faster pace than at present. This will enable greater participation of gamers and will consolidate the existing relationship between the console, the developer and the gamer. Technology as the MMOG will further boost the growth of the industry as well as the relationship between the stake holders in its growth. Relationship between console, developer and consumer The research has conclusively established a positive relationship between console, developer and consumer. Video gaming is a highly interactive process in that there has been a total shift in the relationship between the producer of goods, the developers of content and those who are partaking off that content, the gamers. This relationship has become of mutual support rather than of give and take. The mediums used for such an interaction have been consciously developed in some cases as Nintendo which started with a special magazine and has now come up with various other actions to support the developer as well as the consumer in providing the company effective inputs for development of games. A similar trend has been observed in the case of Sony and Microsoft. The growth of the internet has further added to the impetus and this will be supplemented by on line gaming which is providing gamers an opportunity to respond actively to their entertainment requirements. The response of all companies has been active in fostering this relationship. The other aspect is the active involvement of console and developers. While all major console producers have in house developers, they are including the information technology behemoth; Microsoft actively seeking the assistance from external developers. Companies have fostered special programs as Game Play Counselors and Digipen to cultivate the loyalty of the developer community along with community participation program called as NSider forum by Nintendo.

Friday, September 27, 2019

BSBOHS404B contribute to the implementation of strategies to control Coursework

BSBOHS404B contribute to the implementation of strategies to control OHS risk - Coursework Example However, for a mobile crane to qualify for registration, it must have a rating capacity greater than 10 t. In addition, before registration, the mobile crane in question must undergo thorough inspection by a competent person. Further, mobile crane owners are required to ensure that cranes are in good condition all the time. According to Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 211 requirements, registration of mobile cranes is done on January 31 every year (The State of Queensland par. 3). Even though there has always been a requirement for the registration of air conditioning units, this requirement was crapped under WHS Regulation 2011. This implies that there is no longer a requirement for the registration of an air conditioner (The State of Queensland 36). Like fired pressure that must be registered under, WHS Regulation 2011, the same applies to unfired pressure vessels. Registration of unfired pressure vessel is required under the regulation to ensure that it is in good condition and does not pose health and safety risk to workers. In fact, before registering unfired pressure vessel, a thorough investigation is conducted by a competent person to ensure that the vessel meets the health and safety requirements. Compliance with the health and safety regulations aims to guarantee safety and health of workers using the vessel (State of Queensland 23). An air compressor falls under pressure vessels, which require registration under schedule 5, Part 2 of WHS Regulation 2011. According to this regulation, any pressure vessel classified as hazard level A, B, or c must be registered. An air compressor is one of the pressure vessels that falls under these categories, thus must be registered. To qualify for registration, the threshold for the compressor design must be Volume x Design Pressure_> 30MPa.L. Once the threshold is met, then the supplier of the air compressor must ensure that its design is registered with the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Statistical Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Statistical Problems - Essay Example The approximation becomes better with increasing sample size The simple random sample of 50 women with one job is greater than 30. Therefore, in this case Central Limit Theorem is applicable and the distribution of the sample can be assumed as normally distributed. (b) The percentage of all samples of 50 women with one job that have the mean length of time employed within 20 weeks of the population mean is (approximately) equal to the area under the normal curve with parameters  µ and 13.01 that lies between  µ - 20 and  µ + 20. The corresponding z-scores are: (c) No. If I bought one bag of water-softener salt and it weighed 39 lb, I would not consider this evidence that company’s claim is incorrect. Because there is 25.14% probability that the weight of one randomly selected bag of water softener salt will be 39lb or less. (d) Yes. If I bought 10 bag of water-softener salt and it mean weight was 39 lb, I would consider this evidence that company’s claim is incorrect. Because there is only 1.74% probability that the mean weight of 10 randomly selected bag of water softener salt will be 39lb or

Identify Mystery Liquid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identify Mystery Liquid - Essay Example Handle hot beakers using beaker tongs. 2. Wear protective gear: gloves and overall. 3. be cautious while handling solutions such as drain cleaners since they are caustic. 4. Avoid eye and skin contact with the chemicals. 5. Wash out any contact with the chemicals with large quantities of water. Procedure: 1. Chop red cabbage into small pieces and place them in a 100-mL beaker and add 30 mL of distilled water. 2. Place the beaker on a hot plate, and allow the water to boil until a deep purple color appears. Using beaker tongs, carefully remove the hot beaker from the hot plate give it time to cool then transfer the red cabbage indicator to a clean beaker. 3. Place a clean microplate over a piece of white paper. Using pipets add 5 drops of lemon juice to L1; drain cleaner to L2, and Anti-freezer to L3. For each solution Use a clean pipet. 4. Draw the red cabbage indicator into a clean pipet, and to each solution L1-L3 add 5 drops of the red cabbage indicator. Stir the solutions careful ly using a stirring rod. 5. By clearly observing the three solutions, record the color changes in the data table. With reference to the color chart, record the approximate PH of every solution. Acid & Base Observations Solution color Approximate PH Inference Lemon Juice Light red 2 slightly acidic Drain Cleaner Yellow 13-14 Basic Anti-freezer Green 10.5 basic Conclusion From the above observation it very clear that the liquid found by Mr. Fischer was likely to be lemon juice and not drain cleaner or anti-freezer. Explanation Drain cleaner was found to have a PH of 13-14 which depicted a basic solution. The anti-freezer was found to have a PH of 10.5 depicting a basic solution too. Lemon juice was the only liquid found to be acidic. Lemon juice Corresponded to the liquid found in such a way that its acidic nature would corrode metals. DOCUMENT B pH OF COMMON SUBSTANCES WITH THEIR IUPAC NAMES: pH OF COMMON SUBSTANCES pH [H  3  O  +  ], M Example 0 1.0 Battery acid, 1 M sulfuri c acid 1 1 ? 10  ?2 Lemon juice 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid 2 1 ? 10  ?3 Vinegar impure dilute acetic acid 3 1 ? 10  ?4 Soft drink sodium bicarbonate 4 1 ? 10  ?5 Rain water H2O 5 1 ? 10  ?6 Milk Lime calcium hydroxide 7 1 ? 10  ?8 Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate 8 1 ? 10  ?9 Washing soda, Na  2  CO  3 sodium carbonate 9 1 ? 10  ?10 Anti-freezer ethylene glycol 10 1 ? 10  ?11 Aqueous household ammonia, NH  3 11 1 ? 10  ?12 Limewater, aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide Common household chemicals (Katz 2-4) DOCUMENT C A household hazardous waste that can be identical to the liquid found in the house must have acidic properties, meaning that it may corrode metal containers and turn red cabbage indicator juice red. Corrosive substances can eat into skin and metal therefore they need to be handled with care and disposed correctly (Carboni 12). In this case we consider Vinegar which made from fermented wine, apple juice, or grain. Vinegar is ma de up of 5 percent acetic acid, thus it turns out to be mild acid. Vinegar has the capability to dissolve grease, mineral deposits, get of rid soap traces, deodorize, take out mildew or wax backlog, and refine some metals. Vinegar is able to clean stone or brick, and is used in making some carpet cleaning agents as an ingredient. Vinegar can be

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The technology of medicine & how its shaped the nation over the last Essay

The technology of medicine & how its shaped the nation over the last century as it pertains to war battlefield effectiveness - Essay Example All the above have been made simpler, faster, cost effective and above all, life saving processes through technology. Medical help is offered online and there are facilities to reach out to specialists and doctors for online advice and suggestions before critical surgeries. Evolution and incorporation of technology and medicine have gone a long way in changing the world today (Hernandez, 2007). There have been new treatments for previously terminal and untreatable illnesses such as diabetes and AIDS. An acute condition like bypass grafting is possible today due to the major advancement in medicine and technology. New procedures have been developed that enable diagnosis and treatment of secondary ailments. It is an on-going clinical progress today, done to improvise on the quality as well as making major advances in the scope of medicine (National Research Council, 2003) The most important contribution of medical technology has been towards war and the injured soldiers. It has come a long way from using chloroform to perform surgeries (Civil War), to the discovery of penicillin (WWII) to the latest medication and treatments provided today to the war- ravaged soldiers. The concept of Triage, wherein the injured are treated based on the severity of their wounds, was pioneered first during the Napoleon wars and is being implemented even today. Today the soldiers are trained on better management of the injured with the aid of improved technology and advancement in medicine. Wars in Afghanistan, Vietnam and Iraq have one thing in common- gravely injured soldiers who needed immediate attention and medical aid. This led to the improvisation of medicine with better equipment provided to the army, pain management and infection control given priority, setting up of combat support hospitals (Military Medicine, 2009) which specialize in the planning and

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Use Cases Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Use Cases - Research Paper Example The diagrams also have attachments of informal text giving extra details similar to that which exists in the requirements document. Their level of use is normally during the analysis phase of the software. Through it, as designers the goal of meeting the demands of the system remains in scope. In figure 1 above, the stick figure shows an actor playing the role of an entity external to the system and its interactions. In this case, the actor is either another system or a person. The user in the ATM system can withdraw cash (Zhang & Yang, 2012). In other cases, the user is not always the real person, but it may consist of the duties played by a real person when in interaction with the ATM system. Other actors present in an ATM system include administrator who fills the cash in the dispenser before work commences. The client inserts their card into the slot in the ATM that reads the card. The bank then has to perform synchronization between the ATM and the bank through providing an identifier for the session. The system then deciphers the information in the ATM card before authenticating the customer to perform their transaction at the ATM. The client will then select the option to withdraw which will provide them with the options of how much to withdraw. The system will compare the users wishful amount with what it possess before allowing them to withdraw. Otherwise, if the amount is more than what they can withdraw, they will be requested to enter a smaller value. The ATM system will then eject the card from the bank. Dispense of cash takes place thus allowing the system to record a log of transaction for the withdrawal of that money. The latter marks the ends of the process. The transaction on depositing cash through the ATM is mapped by a request to the client to select the type of the account for which to deposit to from available options. The customer then enters the amount they wish to deposit through the ATM (Salerno, 2014). The transaction

Monday, September 23, 2019

Brand McDonalds Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brand McDonalds - Assignment Example   McDonald's and Golden arches can be said to be a beacon of success. As per 2011, it is the largest fast-food chain. Its revenue as of 2013 is the US $ 28.1057 billion. McDonalds’ has a good brand image and ranks among top ten in the survey of most valuable company in the planet (McDonald Corp. 2013). However, McDonalds is facing some peculiar problem.  McDonald's quite low when compared to its rivals in factors of quality perception.2. It has a new breed of customers with changing taste and preference and it has to keep itself relevant before it is too late or become history (Slama, 2014, pp. 9-11).Let us analyze the Brand management strategies of McDonalds through the lens of Keller’s brand equity model.Keller published this theory in his book strategic brand management. The theory of this model is pretty simple. It simply states that the company needs to redefine how customers think about their product for creating a strong brand. As per the figure there are fou r steps in order to build a strong brand image.  Applying the models 4 steps in case of Mc Donald’Step 1. Brand IdentityMc Donald wants to change its brand image in which it is identified as major culprit for the chronic obesity problem faced by US and other countries.  In wants to reposition itself as a brand that makes nutritional foods instead (Doole and Lowe, 2008, pp. 42-44). Its recent advertisement campaigns focus on people and emotions. Even there is a change in the product line to include new and healthy products.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Library an Internet Essay Example for Free

Library an Internet Essay The internet and the library , both are the considered to be a big depository of information .Library can be defined as [1]â€Å"A collection of literary documents or records kept for reference or borrowing† While Internet is defined as [2]â€Å"An electronic network providing access to millions of resources worldwide. University Libraries provide access to many periodical indexes through the Internet. Internet access is available on all floors of the Libraries.† Internet and the library both seems to be serving the same purpose but as the time goes by and world moves to new innovations and directions , the question arises is the latter going to replace the former . This essay compares and contrasts the Internet and an Library , how they share a common purpose and how they vary from each other while serving the purpose . Both the internet and an Library provides information on a wide array of topics but it may be not be necessary that library in United states has the books or journals about the History of Asian countries like china , India . Even if an American Library does has the books and information on the Asian history it may not as exhaustive as it would be in the libraries based in Asia itself . It is not possible to have the same set of books and information in all the libraries. Not all the books available in the Library of the Lindenwood university would be same as available in the libraries of Delhi University at India . Although noticeable works like the ones of Shakespeare would be definitely on the shelves of both the libraries .But its not always necessary that less known authors or journals will make to each library. While on the other hand information available on internet is universal , the same information can be accessed in all the computers worldwide . There is no regional version of internet just about anyone and everyone can access the same information whether it is done with a internet connection in India or in Americas .

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Tragedy Of Machismo Media Essay

The Tragedy Of Machismo Media Essay The tragedy of machismo is that a man is never quite man enough. (Greer, 1987) This is a quote that could serve as a metaphor to describe how man can never be as ideal as portrayed by advertisements. The modern portrayal of men in advertisements is the one in which they all appear to be ultra masculine, and researches have shown these images to have a negative impact on the self-esteem of men, especially boys and young men (Constructed bodies, deconstructing ads: Sexism in advertising, para 2). This could be explained by the fact that men is trying to pursue the norm, of which they should be ultra masculine, leaving them under excessive emotional stress as they try to model after these stereotypically male attributes; or for some, especially feminine and androgynous men, to simply stay relevant within their social circle and essentially, the society-as discussed in Is the Malboro man the only alternative? The role of gender identity and self-construal salience in evaluations of male models. (Gnoth and Brett, 2009) The objectification of woman by modern advertising has been debated upon for many years since the start of the post-feminist era as women slowly gain their foot power in the society. As far as the apparent diminishment of advertising campaigns targeted to promote product services through the use of womens sexual appeal goes, there has also been a significant increase in the objectification of men in advertising. Unlike women who are shown as being excessively thin, men are shown as being over muscular and athletic. A 2002 study by the University of Wisconsin suggests that this new focus on fit and muscled male bodies is causing men the same anxiety and personal insecurity that women have been feeling for years. (Masculinity and Advertising, 2010) In the United Kingdom, one of the very worrying causes of death among men is suicide, which stands at a proportion of 1 out of 100 deaths. It is postulated by Mulholland (2010) that depression is one of the main causes of suicide, which main cause is poor self-esteem. Self-esteem is a concept that can only be measured by self-report. (Frost and McKelvie, 2004) It is measured by how much people value themselves and how worthy they feel their beings are. Poor self-esteem, therefore, occurs in people whose self-values or self-priorities are not met. So, where do these values and priorities come about? Why is value placed on certain things as opposed to other things? Several reasons that could have influenced how and what values and priorities people, mainly men, are adopted come to mind: Advertisements, social and cultural trends and the perception of men by the opposite sex. All factors: Advertisements, social and cultural trends and womens perception of men should be considered equally and not be discounted in any way. Hence, this paper shall seek to prove that the extent to which that modern advertising is negatively affecting mens self esteem is larger than the other factors. Advertisements vs Womens Perception of Men A quote by Ray Lewis, a professional football player featured in a viral television commercial for Old Spice, from the television commercial Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like goes: Hello, ladies, look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isnt me, but if he stopped using ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like hes me. This particular television commercial (Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, 2010) was posted onto YouTube, a video sharing website, and has garnered almost 31 million views, 37 thousand comments, 114 video responses and umpteen reposts by other YouTube channels since its release in February, 2010. These staggering figures were also reflected in their sales figure: a 106% increase in sales (Old Spice Campaign Smells Like a Sales Success, Too, 2010) within 4 months of the start of the marketing campaign, Smell Like A Man, Man. The videos in this campaign, which seem to be targeted mostly at women, all feature a hunky man promoting the Old Spice products while reading a script which humorously brings across the point that no man is like him; no man can ever be like him; and the closest you can get to be like him is to smell like him. Judging by the fact that Old Spice had chosen women as the main target audience for their marketing campaignwhich they should have done extensive research to determineit can be inferred that womens perception of men, or particularly her man, has great power in deeply affecting men, influencing them in their decision making; in this context, the kind of smell they use. This inference can also be further proven by the actual increase in sales of the Old Spice products. However, to conclude that it is actually the womens perception of men that is affecting how men view themselves is a very narrow-minded act because the images displayed explicitly to the public through the form of advertisements are what are influencing womens perception of men. Hence, it can be concluded that advertising is and takes precedence and relevance over womens perception of men in lowering mens self-esteem. Next, this paper will explore this question: Is modern advertising following social and cultural trends, or is it going ahead of them? Advertisements vs Social/Cultural Trends Advertisements have always been known to be able to cause an impact, fulfilling their purpose to influence, urge and compel the public to purchase or engage the goods and services they are endorsing. In this context, it is no doubt that by doing so, they are also influencing the way people think about which are popular products or services and which are not, albeit subconsciously. However, what are the things that inspire advertisers in the way they advertise their products? Do they safely follow social conventions or do they actually set the standards? While it is easy to argue that since the sole purpose of advertisements is to persuade people to buy or engage goods and services, advertisements must surely conform to social standards; however, the possibility of it happening in reverse also deserves consideration. The following example presents evidence that supports the statement that advertising does go ahead of social trends; however isolated an example it is. In an interview conducted by CNN with Donatella Versace (Donatella Versace, CNN Interview, Part 1/3, 2009), designer for fashion powerhouse, Versace, it was mentioned that Versace was the first ever luxury brand to have entered China. Before 1979, the year China introduced Versace into its market, the idea of a luxurious lifestyle was not widespread, partly due to the then still low living standards. However, over the years, it was the upbeat advertising of the luxury goods lifestyle that started the notion of living life luxuriously. Since then, China has surpassed the United States of America to become the second-largest luxury market in 2009 (Luxury Brands in China, 2010). China is also set to become the second largest consumer of luxury by 2015 (China Luxury, 2007). The above-discussed point has proven that advertising and social trends both influence each other in a way or another. They are also factors that have in one way or another negatively affected mens self esteem. However, if we were to consider the extent to which has more direct effect on lowering mens self esteem, it will be advertising, since the visual representation in the form of images is straightforward and clear, unlike social trends, which sometimes can be unobvious, leading men to be oblivious about their existence. The Importance of Context When discussing the effect that modern advertising has on mens self-esteem, the context of the circumstances also has to be considered in depth. Across time and space, the set of priorities of men changes and is different. Therefore, we can assert that advertisements may not actually affect mens self-esteem as images portrayed by advertisements at a present time or place may not be what they desire to emulate or copy. For example, in the early to mid 20th century China, value might be put on people who had good martial arts skills because in those days, that was one of the few things people associate success with. However, nowadays, value seems to be put on wealthy people with social stature because of the change in what people associate success with-from life skills, or skills in general, to economic wealth. In addition, since martial arts originated from Asia, Westerners may lack familiarity to it and find it hard to relate to it, even though they are living in the same era. Hence, if an advertisement featuring a martial arts master were to be shown to the men of today, the effect of this advertisement on their self-esteem might actually be minimal to none. It might be true that the context in which advertisements are being displayed for public view and what they are actually about might not be applicable to some people due to the differences in each individuals set of values and priorities, but without factoring in external factors such as globalization, it will be unfair to come to the conclusion that advertisements have little to do with the lowering of self-esteem of men. With globalization, and the rise of computers and the Internet, the myriad of pages, websites and even programs are tools that have been connecting people, communities and even nations together. The exposure to advertisements online is abundant since usually, one of the key revenues for web and program developers is the endorsement of products through advertisements on their web pages and programs. The convenience and high accessibility of the Internet has enabled companies to broaden their customer market, and in the same way also helped expose people to a huge and limitless array of advertisements. Under the influence of these advertisements, which include references from both the present, past, and also all around the world, people start to learn more about the cultures of others, past and present. By accumulating more real world knowledge over time, advertisements will now be more relatable and relevant. Hence, advertising will, again, present the risks of lowering mens self este em. Conclusion All in all, although the social and cultural trends and also factors such as the womens perception of men have in a way or another contributed to the negative change in the way men view themselves, they are in fact caused by the extensive exposure to advertisements that have been making use of the objectification of men to sell their goods and services. Therefore, it is with huge certainty that I conclude that advertisements is to a large extent the main cause of the decreasing self-esteem of men.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Ulysses S. Grant Essay -- essays research papers

Ulysses S. Grant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American General and 18th President of the United States of America, Ulysses S. Grant, was a master war strategist who won the first major Union victories during the Civil War; however, political leadership proved to be far different from military leadership for Grant. While in office from 1869-1877 Grant scarcely attempted to control events, made injudicious appointments to public office, and had official corruption taint his administration, although Grant himself was never said to be actually have been involved in this corruption.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  'The military life had no charms for me,'; Grant said later. After graduating from the Untied States military academy Grant was commissioned as Brevet 2nd Lieutenant, assigned to the 4th U.S. Infantry, and sent to Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis, MO. While stationed at Jefferson Barracks Grant met his future wife, Julia Dent, who was the sister of one of Grant's West Point classmates. This romance was temporarily interrupted however, when orders were given that sent Grant's regiment to the Southwest frontier in May of 1844.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the south seceded from the Union Grant had no troubles making up his mind to fight for the Union cause. Grant organized the first group of Union volunteers in Galena and accompanied the men to Springfield. Grant longed for active duty and, on May 24, 1861, offered his services to the U.S. government, suggesting th... Ulysses S. Grant Essay -- essays research papers Ulysses S. Grant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American General and 18th President of the United States of America, Ulysses S. Grant, was a master war strategist who won the first major Union victories during the Civil War; however, political leadership proved to be far different from military leadership for Grant. While in office from 1869-1877 Grant scarcely attempted to control events, made injudicious appointments to public office, and had official corruption taint his administration, although Grant himself was never said to be actually have been involved in this corruption.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  'The military life had no charms for me,'; Grant said later. After graduating from the Untied States military academy Grant was commissioned as Brevet 2nd Lieutenant, assigned to the 4th U.S. Infantry, and sent to Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis, MO. While stationed at Jefferson Barracks Grant met his future wife, Julia Dent, who was the sister of one of Grant's West Point classmates. This romance was temporarily interrupted however, when orders were given that sent Grant's regiment to the Southwest frontier in May of 1844.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the south seceded from the Union Grant had no troubles making up his mind to fight for the Union cause. Grant organized the first group of Union volunteers in Galena and accompanied the men to Springfield. Grant longed for active duty and, on May 24, 1861, offered his services to the U.S. government, suggesting th...

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Alzheimers Disease: What are we Forgetting? Essay -- Alzheimers Dise

Alzheimer's Disease: What are we Forgetting? Alzheimer's disease (pronounced Alz'-hi-merz) is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. It was first described by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and has been diagnosed in millions of people to this day (1). This disease results, ultimately, in the destruction of the brain and brings new meaning and insights into just how much brain may equal behavior. Alzheimers is a degenerative disease that usually begins gradually, causing a person to have memory lapses in both basic knowledge and simple tasks (7). Alzheimers disease causes the formation of abnormal structures in the brain called plaques and tangles (particularly causatory are NFTs- neurofibrillary tangles) (5). As they accumulate in affected individuals, nerve cell connections are reduced. Some initial symptoms are loss of job skills, difficulty with familiar tasks, language problems, unawareness of time and place, lack of good judgment, problems with abstract thinking, misplacing things, and dramatic changes in personality (1). The speed with which the disease progresses can vary, but ultimately, as it destroys brain cells, causes confusion, personality and behavior changes and impaired judgment so severe that the patient may not seem to be the same person. Communication becomes difficult for the patient as they struggle to find words, finish thoughts or follow directions. So me experts classify the disease by stage (early, middle and late). But specific behaviors and how long they last vary greatly, even within each stage of the disease. Eventually, most people with Alzheimers become unable to care for themselves (1). The symptomology here is very dif... ...hem. The person is no longer "there", yet their body can be seen plainly. So who are we? Flesh? Brain? Something else that our brain and flesh create together? Probably. Those afflicted with Alzheimer's experience the ultimate brain shutdown. Their brains are destroyed by a currently unstoppable disease; connections are lost. And in the process of losing their minds, they lose themselves. WWW Sources 1)Alzheimer's Association http://www.alz.org/ 2)Alzheimers.com http://www.alzheimers.com/ 3)Alzheimer's Disease Review http://www.coa.uky.edu/ADReview/ 4)Alzheimer Research Forum http://ww.alzforum.org/ 5)Alzheimer starting point? http://www.uni-hohenheim.de/~rebhan/entorhinal.html 6)Alzheimer Web http://dsmallpc2.path.unimelb.edu.au/ad.html 7)The Health Connection http://thehealthconnection.com/Disease%20Center/diseases/alzheim.asp

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

Where; where hR, hF are the normalized gray level histograms of xR and xF, respectively. The joint gray level histogram of xR and xF is denoted by hR,F, and L is the number of bins. xF and xR correspond to the fused and reference images, respectively. I(xR;xF) indicates how much information the fused image xF conveys about the reference xR. Thus, higher the mutual information between xF and xR, there are more chances that xF resembles the ideal xR. D. Entropy (EN);- Entropy can be used to measure the difference between two source images and the fused image. The entropy of an image is a measure of information content. Entropy is the average number of bits which have a need of quantize the intensities in the image. It is represented as follows : where p(g) is the probability of grey-level g , and the range of g is [0,.....,L-1].High information content of image would have high entropy. High entropy of fused image indicates that the it contains more information than the original image sources. V. PROPOSED SOFTWARE DESIGN Interactive software is developed to do the reliable monitoring and management of Fusion process. The system software is made using MATLAB .We are taking two images image A and image B after the process of Counterlet transform. We get one output fused image. VI.CONCLUSION With this we conclude that contourlet Transform can be used to fuse two dimensional images and represent them more efficiently, which makes the fused images more clear and more informative. Contourlet Transform overcomes the drawbacks of traditional Image Fusion schemes by using ALM. The Experimental results using this technique of IF show that it can preserve more useful information in the fused image with higher spatial ... ....7, pp . 372-377( 2009) 12) Yi Yang ,Chongzhao Han ,Xin Kang and Deqiang Han â€Å"An Overview on Pixel-Level I mage Fusion in Remote Sensing,† Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Automation and Logistic,vol 6, no .4, pp .2339- 2344 feb (2007) 13)image code,† IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 31, pp. 532–540, 1983. 14) R. H. Bamberger and M. J. T. Smith, â€Å"A filter bank for the directional decomposition of images: theory and design,† IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 882–893, 1992. 15) G. H. Qu, D. L. Zhang, and P. F. Yan, â€Å"Information measure for performance of image fusion,† Electronic Letters, vol. 38, no. 7, pp. 313–315, 2002. 16) H. Tian, Y.-N. Fu, and P.-G. Wang, â€Å"Image fusion algorithm based on regional variance and multi-wavelet bases,† in Proc. of 2nd Int. Conf. Future Computer and Communication, vol. 2, 2010, pp

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Childcare †Orientation Package Essay

Introduction Child Care in Ontario Child Care Licensing in Ontario Role of the Operator The Director under the Day Nurseries Act Role of Program Advisors The Application Process Planning and Design Guidelines for Child Care Centres Obtaining a Licence Health Canada – Product Safety Program Duration of Licensing Process Types of Licences Child Care Licensing Website Child Care Service System Managers 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 9 9 10 10 10 11 11. Summary of Licensing Requirements for Day Nurseries Organization and Management Staff Qualifications Health Assessments and Immunization Number and Group Size Criminal Reference Checks Building and Accommodation Equipment and Furnishings Policies and Procedures Playground Requirements Inspections Insurance Requirements Fire Safety and Emergency Information Health and Medical Supervision Nutrition 13 13 13 13 14 15 15 17 17 18 19 19 19 20 21 2. Behaviour Management Enrolment Records Program 22 23 23 Summary of Licensing Requirements for Private-Home Day Care Agencies Organization and Management Numbers of Children Criminal Reference Checks Building and Accommodation Equipment and Furnishings Policies and Procedures Inspections Insurance Requirements Health and Medical Supervision Nutrition Behaviour Management Enrolment Records Program Health Assessments and Immunization 25 25 25 27 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 31 32 32 33. Conclusion Glossary of Terms (Appendix 1) Things to Look Into Before Applying for a Licence to Operate a Day Nursery or a PrivateHome Day Care Agency (Appendix 2) Ministry of Children and Youth Services Regional Offices (Appendix 3) Child Care Service System Managers (Appendix 4) 34 35 36 37 38 3 INTRODUCTION One of the goals of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services is to help support social and economic development in Ontario by investing in and supporting an affordable, accessible and accountable child care system which helps benefit children, their parents and caregivers, and the broader community. The early learning and child care system in Ontario should: †¢ be accessible, affordable and inclusive †¢ care for children in a safe, nurturing environment †¢ foster early childhood development †¢ help support early learning and readiness for school †¢ be flexible and provide choice †¢ support children and their families †¢ provide appropriate standards of child care †¢ provide supports for parents in financial need, who are employed, in training, or involved in other employment activities †¢ support economic growth, and †¢ work in partnership with others involved in Ontario’s  early learning and child care system. This Orientation Package has been designed to provide individuals who are interested in obtaining a licence to operate either a day nursery (also known as child care centres) or a private-home day care agency in the Province of Ontario, with practical information and advice. The following information is included in this package: †¢ the process for obtaining a licence †¢ a summary of the licensing requirements to operate a day nursery or a private-home day care agency under the Day Nurseries Act †¢ a glossary of terms (Appendix 1) †¢ information to assist you in considering your decision to apply for a licence to operate either a day nursery or a private-home day care agency (Appendix 2) †¢ a list of the Regional Offices of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (Appendix 3), and †¢ a list of the Child Care Service System Managers responsible for planning and managing the delivery of child care services throughout Ontario (Appendix 4). 4 CHILD CARE IN ONTARIO The child care system in Ontario consists of a range of services for families and their children, including licensed day nurseries and private-home day care which provide supports to children and their families. The Day Nurseries Act requires any premise that receives more than five children under the age of 10 years, not of common parentage (children who have different parents), for temporary care and guidance, to be licensed as a day nursery. A person may provide informal child care to five children or less under the age of 10 years who are not of common parentage (children who have different parents), in addition to his/her own children, without a licence. This number may not be exceeded, regardless of the number of adults present or on site. When a person provides in-home child care at more than one location or co-ordinates the provision of care at more than one site, a licence to operate a private-home day care agency is required. It is an offence to establish, operate or maintain a day nursery or private-home day care agency without a licence. On conviction, the fine is up to $2,000 for each day the offence continues, or imprisonment for a term of not more than one year, or both. Ministry staff have the responsibility to follow-up on all complaints about child care being provided without a licence. CHILD CARE LICENSING IN ONTARIO The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is responsible for the Day Nurseries Act and issues licences to operators of child care programs. There are two types of licensed child care programs: day nurseries and private-home day care agencies. In the Day Nurseries Act and in this package, child care centres are referred to as day nurseries. Day nurseries may include nursery schools, full day care, extended day care, and before and after school programs. 5. Private-home day care agencies arrange or offer home day care at more than one home. Care is provided to five children or less, under 10 years of age in a private residence other than the home of the parent/guardian of the child. Homes are monitored by the agency. Role of the Operator Operators have responsibility for the operation and management of each day nursery or private-home day care agency, including the program, financial and personnel administration of the program. Operators of licensed day nurseries and private-home day care agencies are required to achieve and maintain compliance with the standards set out in Ontario Regulation 262 under the Day Nurseries Act at all times. The Day Nurseries Act and Ontario Regulation 262 are available through: Publication Services 777 Bay Street, Market Level, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C8 416-585-7485 or 1-800-668-9938 The Day Nurseries Act is available on the ministry’s website at: http://www. elaws. gov. on. ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d02_e. htm. Ontario Regulation 262 under the Day Nurseries Act is available online at: http://www. elaws. gov. on. ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_900262_e. htm#37. (1). The Director under the Day Nurseries Act Child care licences are issued by a â€Å"Director† who is an employee of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, appointed by the Minister for the purpose of the Day Nurseries Act. The Director reviews all documents required for licensing, approves and signs the licence. The Director has the authority to refuse to issue a new licence if: †¢ the applicant or any of the officers, directors or employees of the applicant are not competent to operate a day nursery or privatehome day care agency in a responsible manner in accordance with the Day Nurseries Act 6 †¢ the past conduct of the applicant affords reasonable grounds for the belief that a day nursery or private-home day care agency will not be operated in accordance with the Day Nurseries Act, or the building in which the applicant proposes to operate the day nursery or provide private-home day care does not comply with the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act. †¢ In addition, if there are grounds, the Director may refuse to renew or revoke an existing licence. The Director may also issue a direction and temporarily suspend a licence if there is an immediate threat to the health, safety or well-being of the children. An applicant or licensee is entitled to a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal. Role of Program Advisors Program Advisors, Ministry of Children and Youth Services staff designated under Section 16 of the Day Nurseries Act, are responsible for inspecting day nurseries and private-home day care agencies to enforce licensing requirements. In some regional offices, this position is referred to as Licensing Specialist. Program Advisors are responsible for assessing whether the operator has met the licensing requirements before an initial licence is issued. Unannounced inspections are conducted by Program Advisors for licence renewals on an annual basis or more frequently for a shorter term licences. In addition, Program Advisors conduct unannounced inspections in response to complaints related to licensed child care programs and to monitor operators who have difficulty maintaining compliance with licensing standards. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services also responds to complaints from the public pertaining to persons who are alleged to be operating without a licence (i. e. caring for more than five children under 10 years of age, not of common parentage, without a licence). The Application Process An individual or corporation can apply for a licence to operate a day nursery or a private-home day care agency. (Licences cannot be issued to partnerships. ) 7 Types of operators include: †¢ an individual †¢ corporations (non-profit and for-profit) †¢ municipalities †¢ community colleges †¢ churches, or †¢ Bands and Councils of the Band. The prospective operator contacts the local Regional Office (see Appendix 3) to request an application package and confirm the information required before proceeding with the next steps in the licensing process. Prior to requesting an initial site inspection for a day nursery (a visit to determine if the space is appropriate), the operator submits the completed application form to the Regional Office, as well as: †¢ †¢ †¢ written verification from the zoning authority confirming the location is approved for use as a child care centre detailed floor plans, and detailed site plans of the proposed location. These plans must include room measurements, window measurements (actual glass area), location of fixed cabinets (counters and storage areas) and fenced outdoor playground space dimensions (if required). Please note that effective July 1, 2005, as part of regulatory changes to the Ontario Building Code, all building or renovation plans for a day nursery must be reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services prior to a municipality issuing a building permit. It is the operator’s responsibility to determine whether the location will meet zoning, building, fire and health requirements. Written verification must be submitted to the regional office confirming that these requirements have been met prior to a licence being issued. The fee for a new licence is $15; the renewal fee is $10. If a licence renewal is submitted to the ministry after the licence expiry date, the late fee is $25. 8 Planning and Design Guidelines for Child Care Centres This guide provides information about the planning, design and renovation of licensed child care centres. It is intended to be used by persons involved in the site selection, design, and operation of a child care centre in the province of Ontario. This guide is available through the local MCYS Regional office and on the ministry’s website at http://www. children. gov. on. ca/mcys/english/resources/publications/be ststart-planning. asp. (Alternately, from the ministry’s home page at http://www. children. Gov. on.ca, you can follow the links to Best Start, then Best Start resources, then Planning and Design Guidelines for Child Care Centres. ) Obtaining a Licence To obtain a licence, applicants must demonstrate compliance with the requirements set out in Regulation 262 of the Day Nurseries Act in a number of areas including: confirmation of compliance with municipal zoning, building, fire and health requirements; the suitability of the building; availability of equipment and furnishings; conformity with space requirements and playground standards; maintenance of staff/child ratios for various age groups; staff qualifications; nutrition; appropriate behaviour management; programming and insurance. Private-home day care agencies must demonstrate compliance with the requirements set out in Regulation 262 of the Day Nurseries Act in a number of areas including: staffing and training; policies and procedures; records of inspections of providers’ homes; availability of equipment and furnishings; appropriate behaviour management and insurance. The Program Advisor makes a recommendation to the Director under the Day Nurseries Act about the issuance of a licence based on their assessment of compliance with the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act and ministry policy. The Director decides whether to issue a licence and the type and term of licence to be issued. The Director may add terms and conditions to the licence. The operator is required to comply with the terms and conditions of the licence as well as the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act and ministry policy. 9 Operators must apply for a licence renewal prior to the expiry date of the current licence. Licences may be issued for a period of up to one year if all licensing requirements are met. Health Canada – Product Safety Program Health Canada helps protect the Canadian public by researching, assessing and collaborating in the management of the health risks and safety hazards associated with the many consumer products, including children’s equipment, toys and furnishings, that Canadians use everyday. Through their Product Safety Program, Health Canada communicates information about juvenile product hazards and recalls to protect children from avoidable risks. Advisories and warnings, juvenile product recall notices, food recalls and allergy alerts are posted on the Health Canada website. The Consumer Product Recalls webpage can be accessed at http://209. 217. 71. 106/PR/list-liste-e. jsp. Health Canada offers an electronic newsletter so that the public can receive updates when consumer advisories and warnings, juvenile product recalls, and consultation documents regarding consumer product safety are posted on the Health Canada Web site. As a prospective operator, you are encouraged to register on line for this service at: http://www. hc-sc. gc. ca/cps-spc/advisories-avis/_subscribeabonnement/index_e. html. Duration of Initial Licensing Process It may take up to 6 to 12 months to open a new day nursery or private-home day care agency depending on a number of factors, including the extent of the renovations, the incorporation of a corporation, the purchasing of equipment, the hiring of a supervisor or home visitors, the recruitment of staff, the development of policies and obtaining all required approvals. Types of Licences †¢ Regular licence – may be issued for up to 1 year if the operator was in compliance with licensing requirements when last inspected. 10 †¢ Regular short-term licence – issued at the discretion of the Director – routinely issued to new licensees (generally for a period of up to six months) or when more frequent licensing visits are appropriate to support ongoing compliance. Regular licence with terms and conditions – terms and conditions are requirements prescribed by a Director and are additional to the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act. They may reflect circumstances specific to the operation, such as half day or 10 month service. They may also be in place to minimize the recurrence of a non-compliance, such as incomplete staff medical records. Provisional licence – When Day Nurseries Act requirements have not been met and the operator requires time to meet requirements, a provisional licence (generally for a period up to three months) may be issued. This licence gives the operator a period of time to meet licensing requirements. Copies of a letter indicating that a provisional licence has been issued and a summary of the non-compliances are sent to the centre for distribution to parents. The summary of non-compliances will also appear on the Child Care Licensing Website. †¢ †¢ Child Care Licensing Website MCYS has launched the Child Care Licensing Website to provide parents with information about licensed child care in Ontario. The site is accessible at http://www. ontario. ca/ONT/portal51/licensedchildcare. A search tool allows parents to search for child care by city, postal code, type of program, age group, program name, operator name and language of service delivery. The site also provides the status of the licence and the terms and conditions of the licence for any licensed program parents might be considering or about which they might be concerned. Once a licence is issued, the information appearing on the licence of the program will be available on the website. Child Care Service System Managers The child care system is managed at the municipal level by fortyseven Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) /District 11 Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs). Each service system manager has responsibility for planning and managing a broad range of child care services, including fee subsidy, wage subsidy, family resource centres and special needs resourcing. Prospective operators should contact their local child care service system manager (see Appendix 4) to discuss the need for child care in the area being considered and for information about funding and fee subsidy. 12 DAY NURSERIES ACT SUMMARY OF LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR DAY NURSERIES Day nurseries are centre-based programs and can include nursery schools, full day child care, extended day and before and after school programs. Organization and Management The operator of the day nursery is responsible for maintaining compliance with the Day Nurseries Act and ministry policy. This includes responsibility for the operation and management of the program and financial and personnel administration. A qualified supervisor who directs the program and oversees the staff is required for each child care centre. This person must have a diploma in Early Childhood Education, or other academic qualifications which are considered equivalent, and have at least two years experience in Early Childhood Education. The supervisor must also be approved by the Director under the Day Nurseries Act. Staff Qualifications †¢ The supervisor must have a diploma in Early Childhood Education or equivalent qualifications, with two years experience and must be approved by the Director under the Day Nurseries Act. †¢ One staff with a diploma in Early Childhood Education or equivalent qualifications must be hired for each group of children. Health Assessments and Immunization †¢ Staff immunization/health assessment, as required by the local medical officer of health, must be completed before commencing employment. 13. Number and Group Size Number of Staff required for a Day Nursery Other than a Day Nursery for Children with Disabilities Ratio of Employees to Children 3 to 10 1 to 5 Maximum Number of Children in a Group 10 15 Group Age of Children in Group Infant Toddler Under 18 months of age 18 months of age and over up to and including 30 months of age more than 30 months of age up to and including 5 years of age 44 months of age or over and up to and including 67 months of age as of August 31 of the year 56 months of age or over and up to and including 67 months of age as of August 31 of the year 68 months of age or over as of August 31 of the year and up to and including 12 years of age Preschool 1 to 8 16 Junior Kindergarten 1 to 10 20 Senior Kindergarten 1 to 12 24 School age. 1 to 15 30 †¢ All children must be supervised by an adult at all times. †¢ Ratios are not permitted to be reduced at any time for children under 18 months of age. †¢ Ratios are not to be reduced on the playground. 14 †¢ Where there are six or more children over 18 months of age or four or more children under 18 months of age in attendance, there must be at least two adults on the premises. †¢ Staff/child ratios may be reduced to 2/3 of the required ratios during the periods of arrival and departure of children and during the rest period, with the following exceptions: †¢ †¢ when children are under 18 months of age on the playground with any age group. †¢ In a full day program operating six or more hours in a day, for the purposes of staffing, the period of arrival is not to exceed two hours after the opening and the period of departure is not to exceed two hours before the closing of the day nursery. †¢ In half day nursery school programs and school age programs, the period of arrival is not to exceed 30 minutes after the opening and the period of departure is not to exceed 30 minutes before the closing of the day nursery. Criminal Reference Checks Individuals and directors of a corporation applying for new licences will be required to submit a criminal reference check to their local Ministry of Children and Youth Services Regional Office as part of the licence application. In preparation for the initial licensing visit, the operator of the day nursery is required to develop a criminal reference check policy for all full and part time staff working with the children, as well as for volunteers. Additional information about the Ministry of Children and Youth Services criminal reference check policy is available from Regional Offices. Building and Accommodation Each day nursery must: †¢ comply with the requirements of applicable local authorities i. e. zoning and building department, medical officer of health and fire department †¢ comply with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, O. Reg. 170/03, where applicable. These provisions only apply to designated facilities with drinking water systems where 15 the water is not provided through service connections with a municipal residential water system. The requirements of this regulation are available from the Ministry of the Environment’s website at http://www. ene. gov. on. ca/envision/gp/5361e. pdf †¢ comply with the requirements for lead flushing and water sample testing (where applicable) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, O. Reg. 243/07. The requirements of this regulation are available from the Ministry of the Environment’s website at http://www. ontario. ca/ONT/portal51/drinkingwater/General? docId= 177450&lang=en †¢ comply with the requirements of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. †¢ have designated spaces for washing, toileting and separate storage areas for toys, play materials and equipment †¢ have designated space for eating and resting, preparation of food if prepared on premises or a food service area if food is catered (prepared off premises by a food catering company and delivered to the centre), a fenced playground (see page 15), storage for beds, a staff rest area and an office area if the program operates for six or more hours †¢ have play space of at least 2. 8 square metres (30 square feet) of unobstructed floor space for each child, based on the licensed capacity †¢ have separate play activity rooms for each age grouping. A separate sleep area for infants is also required †¢ have rooms on or below the second floor where the rooms are for children under six years of age †¢ have a clear window glass area equivalent to 10% of the available floor area for each play activity room for a program that operates for six or more hours in a day. 16 Equipment and Furnishings Each day nursery must have: †¢ an adequate number of toys, equipment and furnishings for the licensed capacity. The toys, equipment and furnishings must be age appropriate and include sufficient numbers for rotation as well as for gross-motor activity in the playground area †¢ infant and toddler diapering areas that are adjacent to a sink †¢ cribs or cradles that meet the requirements of the Hazardous Products Act, for infants, and cots for older children †¢ equipment and furnishings which are maintained in a safe and clean condition and kept in a good state of repair †¢ a telephone or an alternative means of obtaining emergency assistance that is approved by the Director †¢ Where children are transported in a day nursery vehicle, child seating and restraint systems are used that meet the requirements of the Highway Traffic Act, O. Reg. 613. Policies and Procedures Every operator must develop the following policies and procedures: †¢ Fire evacuation procedures †¢ Sanitary practices †¢ Serious occurrence policy, including child abuse reporting procedures †¢ Criminal reference check policy †¢ Medication policy †¢ Behaviour management policy, including monitoring procedures and contravention policies 17. †¢ Program statement/parent handbook †¢ Playground safety policy †¢ Anaphylactic policy, including an individual plan for each child with a severe allergy and the emergency procedures to be followed. Playground Requirements †¢ Programs operating six or more hours in a day require outdoor play space equivalent to 5. 6 square metres (60 square feet) per child, based on licensed capacity. †¢ The playground must be: †¢ sub-divided if licensed capacity is over 64 children †¢ at ground level and adjacent to the premise †¢ designed so that staff can maintain constant supervision. †¢ If used by children under 44 months of age as of August 31 of the year, the playground must be fenced to a minimum height of 1. 2m (4 feet) and furnished with one or more gates that can be securely closed at all times. †¢ If used by children 44 months of age and up to an including 67 month of age as of August 31 of the year (children eligible to attend junior and senior kindergarten), the playground is fenced to a minimum height of 1. 2 metres and the fence is furnished with one or more gates that are securely closed at all times, unless otherwise approved by the Director. †¢ Fixed playground structures (i. e. climbing equipment, slides) are not required by the Day Nurseries Act; however, if the operator intends to install fixed play structures, the structures and safety surfacing must meet current Canadian Standards Association standards. †¢ The current Canadian Standards Association’s (CSA) Standard applies to new and newly renovated playground equipment, and 18 safety surfacing. The CSA Standards also set out the requirements for routine maintenance and inspections. †¢ Playground plans indicating the type and location of fixed structures as well as the type and area of safety surfacing must be approved by the ministry before installation. †¢ Once play structures and surfacing are installed, compliance with the CSA standards must be verified in writing by an independent certified playground inspector before the structures can be used by the children. Inspections †¢ Copies of fire and health inspections are to be sent to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services program advisor and kept on file at the day nursery. Insurance Requirements †¢ The operator must have comprehensive general liability coverage and personal injury coverage for all staff and volunteers. †¢ All vehicles owned by the operator and used for transportation of staff and children must have motor vehicle insurance. Fire Safety and Emergency Information †¢ A fire safety plan must be approved by the local fire department. †¢ A written evacuation procedure, approved by the fire department, must be posted in each room. †¢ Staff are to be instructed on their responsibilities in the event of fire. †¢ Monthly fire drills must be conducted and written records of drills maintained. †¢ Tests of the fire alarm system and fire protection equipment (as required under the Ontario Fire Code) must be conducted and written records of test results maintained. 19. †¢ There must be a designated place of emergency shelter. †¢ An up-to-date list of emergency telephone numbers including the fire department, hospital, ambulance service, poison control centre, police department and a taxi service must be posted where they can be easily accessed. †¢ Medical and emergency contact information for each child must be accessible. Health and Medical Supervision †¢ A daily written log that includes health and safety incidents is required. †¢ Any instructions or recommendations made by the fire department, public health department or other regulatory bodies must be implemented and recorded. †¢ Sanitary practices and procedures must be approved by Ministry. †¢ Children must be immunized according to the requirements of the local medical officer of health, unless a fully authorized exemption is on file. †¢ Before each child begins to play with others, a daily observation of the child’s health is required. †¢ An ill child must be separated from others and arrangements made for the child to be taken home or for immediate medical attention, if required. †¢ Serious occurrence procedures must be in place and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services notified of any occurrence. A serious occurrence includes such things as the death of a child, a serious injury, alleged abuse/mistreatment of a child, a missing child, a disaster on the premises (e. g. fire) or a serious complaint. 20. †¢ A written anaphylactic policy is in place that includes: †¢ A strategy to reduce the risk of exposure to anaphylactic causative agents †¢ A communication plan for the provision of information on lifethreatening allergies, including anaphylactic allergies †¢ An individual plan for each child with an anaphylactic allergy that includes emergency procedures in respect of the child †¢ Staff, students and volunteers have received training on procedures to be followed if a child has an anaphylactic reaction. †¢ A first aid kit and manual must be readily available. †¢ A written procedure approved by a qualified medical practitioner regarding the giving and recording of medication is required. The procedure should include the storage of medication (e.g. medication must be stored in a locked container). †¢ If a child has or may have a reportable disease or is or may be infected with a communicable disease, this is reported to the medical officer of health as soon as possible. †¢ Cats and dogs on the premises must be inoculated against rabies. Nutrition †¢ Infants are to be fed according to written parental instructions. †¢ Food and drink from home must be labelled with the child’s name. †¢ All food and drink must be stored to maintain maximum nutritive value. †¢ Meals and snacks must meet the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act. Canada’s Food Guide provides useful information about nutrition. 21 †¢ Meals are to be provided where a day nursery operates for 6 or more hours each day or where the daily program operates less than 6 hours each day and operates over the meal time. This generally refers to the provision of lunch as the mid-day meal. In day nurseries that offer care over extended hours, this may mean that breakfast and/or dinner are also provided. †¢ With the approval of a ministry Director, children 44 months of age or over as of August 31 of the year may bring bag lunches. Written policies and procedures with guidelines for bag lunches should be both posted and provided to parents. †¢ Menus must be posted with substitutions noted. †¢ Children’s food allergies must be posted in the kitchen and in all rooms where food is served. †¢ Special dietary arrangements for individual children are to be carried out according to written instructions of parents. Behaviour Management †¢ Corporal punishment is not allowed under any circumstances. †¢ The following are not permitted: †¢ deliberate harsh or degrading measures that would humiliate or undermine a child’s self respect †¢ deprivation of food, shelter, clothing or bedding †¢ confining a child in a locked room †¢ exits locked for the purpose of confinement. †¢ Written behaviour management policies and procedures which guide centre staff in managing children’s behaviour are to be reviewed annually by the operator. The operator is required to review the policies and procedures with employees and volunteers or students before they begin working, and annually thereafter. These policies must set out permitted and prohibited behaviour 22 management practices and measures to deal with any contraventions of the policy. †¢ There must be: †¢ a signed, written record of all reviews, and †¢ a written procedure for monitoring behaviour management practices of employees, students and volunteers, and a record kept of this monitoring. Enrolment Records †¢ Up to date enrolment records for all children in attendance must be on site at all times and be available to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. These records include, in part, an application, immunization records, emerg.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Musical Analysis; Comparing ‘Tonight’ with ‘Maria’; West Side Story.

Comparing Tonight with Maria (Both from ‘West side story’) (Tonight also known as balcony scene – Tony and Maria sing together. Maria – sang by Tony. ) The piece ‘Tonight’ begins in B maj; it opens with Tony stating â€Å"the most beautiful sound I ever heard† this is sang in a very recitative style; mainly monotone (D) – rubato. This makes his words seem the prominent element – stressing the drama. The gentile bassoon plays a descending line – while the horn plays a simplified version ~ this ‘decent’ becomes a theme in Tony and Maria’s relationship. It also plunges Toney into a dream world. This opening line leads swiftly on to the theme of ‘Maria’. Throughout the song there are many variations on ‘Maria’ – however the first time (bar 28) a perfect 4th is used between the ‘Ma + ‘ri’; the ‘a’ is a dissonant – yet is warmed by the sound of the horn (emphasising the ri-a). The instrumentation is thin here- mainly heterophonic , working with the triplets which diminish the rhythm and increase the tension. In bar 4; the ‘a’ of Maria is resolved on to a D (rather than an E) – this is a descending min 3rd, however the oboe doesn’t resolve- this creates anticipation and leads the music on demonstrating that the song is to grow- reflecting Tony’s feelings for Maria- yet clashing slightly and creating an element of pain- foreshadowing the ‘later’ tragedy. From bar 8, on to bar 9; After the sequential transformation ‘up a tone’ in bar 8 the music changes again as if onto an ‘Aria’ section. It does so on the ‘Ma’ to the ‘ri’ – The ‘ri’ is sang on an A natural (appoggatura) –making a dim 5th. The instrumentation thickens here, timps and double bass are also added , the bass plays pizz, and its rhythm goes slightly Latin – similar to much of the dance music throughout the musical – and all this creates a colourful image in the listeners head – reflecting the image of Maria in Tony’s head. Bar 15; Instrumentation thickens here as the clarinets, Horns, and trumpets are added, as the music progresses, bar 17; the oboes are added. In bars 18 and 19 there are two descending lines linking and building up to the 6th variation of ‘Maria’; the flute is added in bar 19, and the trombones are added in bar 20. Full orchestration on the 6th variation of Maria; this variation of Maria is a descending phrase, as it moves down a tone each time: Also rhythmically augmented. Middle syllable is an appoggiatura. {draw:frame} The phrase continues to descend with â€Å"say it loud and there’s music playing†. There is also a diminuendo in bar 23 and the violins take on a more prominent role – this makes the music seem more romantic and soft, Bernstein has used word painting here as Tony describes Maria’s name as soft â€Å"almost like praying†, plus on the word ‘praying’ there’s a per5th. In bar 28, the 6th in-between the ‘ri +a’ _(like the 1st version of Maria, but last note turned upside down)_ becomes a countermelody, the theme is played in the contrabass; this constant repeat of ‘Maria’ demonstrates Tony’s worship for her. In bar 48, the theme is demonstrated in thicker texture again – it leads to an operatic recitative style line from Tony ppp (while the accompaniment is simply semibreves) far from the ‘Latin style dance atmosphere’ demonstrated previously. {draw:frame} Finally in Bar 51 there is one more variation of ‘Maria’ – reminiscent of the first version – but with a per5th (ma-ri), the ‘a’(G) is held for about the last two bars; underneath this, an Eb is held making the ‘a’ sound like a discord. This creates a certain pain about the last note – foreshadowing future events, suggesting that its all going to end with pain. The balcony scene also begins in Bmaj – and opens with a descending line, reminiscent of ‘Maria’ – linking the two songs and making the ‘descending line’ a theme in their relationship. In bar 3 the theme from Maria is echoed in the violins. This opening piece of music (1-29) is very important; it acts as an underscore – reminiscing previous songs, as it gently continues and goes through many temporary modulations. In Bar 30 the vocals begin; (Only Maria sings) the instrumentation is thin – with violins holding sustained notes creating a tense, hesitant yet romantic atmosphere. The descending line theme ‘augmented’ in the bass. The tempo is marked as andantino, little faster – as the tension increases. All this forces the vocal melody to be exposed, (making the soloistmore important) demonstrating their vulnerability and innocence. At bar 32 a contrabass is added, marked pizz, – this adds an amazing gently pulsating, heartbeat rhythmical effect – creating much excitement; reflecting their emoticons. draw:frame} The vocal melody is still very exposed and prominent as it rises above the accompaniment in broken chords. In bar 37 Tony sings alone, as he says â€Å"Maria† there is a perfect5th between the ‘Ma-ri’ like the actual song, ‘Maria’ – again linking the two songs. Maria then sings solo, for one bar only, she re peats his name twice – echoing his actions, this makes the duet seem more conversational – enhancing the drama. Bar 42; Allegretto – always a little faster, the heart beat rhythm is still present – retaining the excited and heightened emoticons.