Destroying the Rain Forests: Human effects on Natures Essay examples --

Destroying the Rain Forests: Human effects on Natures The rain forests are one of the most unique places on the planet earth. They are home to several thousand species of animals that live no where else in the world1. They are also one of the primary sources of oxygegn of the world. One cannot even begin to describe the sheer beauty of the rain forests. However, the interaction of man with these marvels of nature has had a negative effect. Through agriculture, societal development and the search for raw materials mankind is destroying these marvels of nature. The rain forests are a display of the negative effects of humans on nature. One of the biggest destroyers of the rainforest is farming. Farmers in areas inhabited by the rainforest are cutting down, burning and taking over the rain forest land to make room for farming. These lands once inhabited by the beautiful forests are being turned into crop fields and cattle pastures. This would have to happen if the farmers used efficient farming methods. Most of the farmers however are chopping and burning the rain forests to make fertile land, and then draining the life out the land by overusing it2. They then move on and take out more land to farm with. These farmers are taking out the rainforests at an enormous rate. They are however not the only source of rain forest destruction. Another cause of deforestation of the rain forest is the population growth of humans3. The population is growing at an enormous rate. As population grows so does the search for space. In tropical climates rainforests occupy forty-nine percent of the land and twenty-five percent of the land is covered by closed rain forest4. Parts of Asia and Africa are covered by as much as forty-one percent ra... ...an, 103 8. Bawa, Kamaljit, and McDade, Lucinda, eds. La Selva: Ecology and NaturalHistory of a Neotropical Rain Forest. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994. 109 9. Bawa, 154 10. Jordan 333 11. Barraclough, 184 12. Barraclough, 316 13. Bawa, 201 14. Jordan, 35 15. Barraclough, 21 Bibliography. - Barraclough, Solon L., and Ghimire, Krishna B. Forests and Livelihoods: The S.ocial Dynbamics of Deforestation in Developing Countries. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995. - Bawa, Kamaljit, and McDade, Lucinda, eds. La Selva: Ecology and NaturalHistory of a Neotropical Rain Forest. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994. - Jordan, C.F., Ed. An Amazonian Rain Forest: The Structure and Function of a Nutrient Stressed Ecosystem and the Impact of Slash-and-Burn Agriculture. Athens, GA: UNESCO, 1989.

Valleyfair Essay -- Personal Narrative Amusement Parks Essays

Valleyfair â€Å"Come on, guys,† I yelled at my family, which consists of my mom Madonna, my father John, and my two sisters Alissa and Kara, as I ran frantically across the jam-packed parking lot to the opening gate that led to a world of adventure. As wide as the world around, my eyes pierced at the doorway to a world of fun. Families, of all sizes, were enjoying all the possibilities of fun. Hearing laughter and frightening screams, warned me of the experience waiting for me within the doorway to everlasting amazement. The sweet baked smell of funnel cakes swarmed into the fresh morning air. Before I knew it, my family and I were ready to enter Valleyfair, an amusement park that offers summertime fun to the maximum. As soon as I passed through the opening gate, all my worries and fears of the world drifted away. At Valleyfair, I was a different person, a person ready to experience extreme adventure. At a steady pace, my family and I began our adventure. Not far from the opening gate, I glanced at the first ride I was going to experience, the Cork Screw. The whole entire family was going to ride on the rollercoaster, even my sister Alissa who is terrified of coasters. As I walked up the narrow path that led to the Cork Screw, I could see that there was a large number of people waiting to get onto the ride. While waiting patiently to board the coaster, I gazed up in awe at the Cork Screw, one of the newer roller coasters, which sparkled high above our heads. Twirling hoops and loops were the main attraction of this roller coaster. Nevertheless, before I knew it, it was our turn to ride the Cork Screw. As soon as I entered onto the platform, I bolted towards the first car seat of the roller coaster. Following me slowl... ...reme adventure. â€Å"See you next year,† I thought to myself. I turned around and followed my family to our car. What a day I had had. Valley Fair offers me a day of no worries. Once I walk into the park, all my worries drift away. Whenever my family goes to Valley Fair, I let myself forget all my worries and fears for a day. I do not care what my future holds, but care only about what I am doing at that point in time. Valley Fair is my haven! As anyone can see, Valley Fair is a great place for families to experience summertime fun to the maximum. With over 75 rides and attractions, there is a ride for everyone to enjoy. Given that adventure comes by the minute at Valley Fair, a full day is needed to enjoy this park of adventure and thrill. So, the next time you are in the Minneapolis area, why not stop and spend a day at Valley Fair. You will not regret it!

History of Science Analysis Paper -- Science Sociology

History of Science Analysis Paper Europe’s Age of Enlightenment was a time of new scientific theories, discoveries, and technologies that powerfully affected, even shaped, society. As technological advances became widespread after the Industrial Revolution, this interactive relationship between science and society accelerated. Reflecting on the social and scientific changes they were witnessing, Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) and Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) sought to grasp the nature and consequences of a central interest of the Enlightenment, Progress. In his 1857 work, Progress: Its Law And Course, Spencer sought to understand Progress by cleaving it from its accomplishments and laying bare its essentials. Central to this task was dispassion as Spencer set aside consideration of the moral and ethical consequences of Progress and sought only to observe and describe its nature and effect. Such observation, he declared, showed that the nature of biological Progress had been revealed. To him biological progress was indisputably an evolution from homogeneity to heterogeneity. This â€Å"law of organic progress† he took to be the â€Å"law of all progress†. Applying this notion to social phenomena, Spencer maintains that human history is just such a progression, an evolution from homogeneous social structures to heterogeneous ones. Accordingly, Spencer maintains that government, commerce, language, literature, arts, religion, and even the various scientific disciplines over time inevitably have grown more intricate and specialized. Writing about the distinct social classes and their structure, Spencer notes that after the Industrial Revolution, because people started to have much more specific jobs , commu... ...Bartlett, John, comp. Familiar Quotations, 10th ed, rev and enl. By Nathan Haskell Dole. Boston: Little, Brown, 1919; Bartleby.com, 2000 (for birth and death years) Bowler, Peter J., and Iwan Rhys Morus. Making Modern Science: a historical survey. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2005. Print.\ Carlyle, Thomas. â€Å"From Signs of the Times: â€Å"The Mechanical Age†Ã¢â‚¬  Modern History Sourcebook. 1998. Web. 29 Sept 2010. Spencerr, Herbert. â€Å"Progress: Its Law and Cause.† Modern History Soucebook. 1997. Web. 28 Sept 2010. Weinstein, David, "Herbert Spencer", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta  (ed.), . (for birth and death years)

Examining Ethnic Differences in Achievemen Essay

1. The definition of an ethnic group is a group of people of the same race or nationality that share the same cultural norms and values. 2. Three ways in which the education system may encourage separation between children of different ethnic backgrounds are: Labelling and teacher racism, many teachers label their students and studies by interactionist sociologists found out that many teachers labelled black children as disruptive and they didn’t want them in their class. Another reason is the ethnocentric curriculum. Troyna and Williams describe the curriculum in British schools as ethnocentric because it gives priority to white culture and the English language; this causes separation between white pupils and other ethnic pupils. A final reason is the selection and segregation available to schools. David Gillborn argues that marketization has given schools greater scope to select pupils. This puts some ethnic minority pupils at a disadvantage because selection gives more scope for negative stereotypes to influence decisions about school admissions. 3. There are many ways in which factors in children’s home background may lead to differences in achievement levels between ethnic groups. The first way is cultural deprivation; this is split into 3 aspects. The first is intellectual and linguistic skills. Cultural deprivation theorists argue that many children from low-income black families lack intellectual stimulation and enriching experiences. Bereiter and Engelmann consider the language spoken by low-income black American families as inadequate for educational success. The next aspect is attitudes and values. Cultural deprivation theorists say that some black children are socialised into a subculture that instils a fatalistic ‘live for toady’ attitude that does not value education and leaves them unequipped for success. The final aspect of cultural deprivation is family structure and parental support. Daniel Moynihan argues that because many black families are headed by a lone mother, their children are deprived of adequate care because she has to struggle financially in the absence of a male breadwinner. Also Ken Pryce claims that Asians are higher achievers because their cukture is more resistant to racism and gives them a greater sense of self-worth. However, he argues, black Caribbean culture is less cohesive and less resistant to racism. As a result, many balck pupils have low self-esteem and under-achieve. Another reason is Material deprivation and class. According to Flaherty; Pakistani’s and Bangladeshis are over three times more likely than whites to be in the poorest fifth of the population, as a result statistics show that Pakistani and Bangladeshi boys are among the lowest ethnic groups in the country to obtain 5 A-C GCSE’s. A final reason is racism in wider society. David Mason says â€Å" discrimination is a continuing and persistent feature of the experience of Britain’s citizens of minority ethnic origin. † 4. The differences in educational attainment between different groups of pupils have been a major focus of much sociological research. These differences can often be seen to be largely due to different social class, but also gender or ethnicity. Social class is the most significant and dominant factor when looking at these differences, but ethnicity also has a relative impact on educational achievementÃ'Ž Education has a key role to play in eradicating racism and valuing diversity and it a responsibility for all educational establishments, including those with few or no ethnic minority pupils. Promoting racial equality demands a whole school approach and commitment from all those who are involved in the life and work of their school. Racism is linked to the educational achievement of minority ethnic groups, however the connections are complex. Gilborn and Mirza conclude that ‘social class and gender differences are also associated with differences in attainment but neither can account for persistent underlying ethnic inequalities: comparing like with like, African Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi pupils do not enjoy equal opportunities. ’ They also argue that in promoting educational inclusion as a means of raising standards, there is a need ‘for clarity and guidance in translating the commitment to equality and inclusion into policy proposals and practice at the local and school level. Many cultural deprivation theorists see the lack of intellectual and linguistic skills as a major cause of under-achievement. Gordon Bowker identifies their lack of standard English as a major barrier to progress in education and integration into wider society. However the Swann Report found that language was not a major factor in under-achievement. Other cultural deprivation theorists suc as Charles Murray argue that a high rate of lone parenthood and a lack of positive male role models lead to the under-achievement of some minorities. Also Anthony Flew believes that ethnic differences in achievement stem from cultural differences outside the education system, not discrimination within it. However Geoffrey Driver criticises the cultural deprivation theory for ignoring the positive effects of ethnicity on achievement. He shows that the black Caribbean family, far from being dysfunctional, provides girls with positive role models of strong independent wome Driver argues this is why black girls tend to be more successful in education than black boys. Some socilogists that the ethnic differences in education are cause by racism. John Rex shows how racial discrimination leads to social exclusion and how this worsens the poverty faced by ethnic minorities. In housing, for instance, discrimination means that minorities are more likely to be forced into substandard acoomodation than white people of the same class. This creates separation due to the ethnic children not being able to study at home and therefore getting lower grades than the white children who are able to study at home.

Norms of Christian Theology

1. The sources and norms of Christian Theology I understand scripture, tradition, reason and experience as the sources and norms of Christian theology. Revealing the knowledge of God, guides us to know God, and inform our action and practice as believers, they are the sources as witnesses that points to the knowledge of God. At that same time, they are norms by which we can judge our understanding of God and correct our behaviors as children of God 2. Understanding of the source and norms Scripture is the witness of God’s revelation through Jesus Christ.This is crucial source not only to form academic study within Christianity, but to use in public worship, meditate the word of God, and transform Christians’ life and the world. There is New Testament and Old Testament. For a long time, putting the center as the point of Jesus Christ, church tradition considered that Old Testament point forward and New Testament point back to Jesus Christ. However, we need to understand that both of them are not only the account to testify of God saving action throughout history, but also the expectation of Christians’ hope confirmed by God.In terms of the Old Testament, it is important, first of all, because it reveals the essential characters of God who reveals in Christ: through the story of Israel, we can see God who is faithful, promised to his people, delivered them from bondage, and keep promising hope. Secondly, Old Testament also anticipates the same future with which New Testament anticipates. That is hope confirmed by God. The New Testament is important in that it tells Christ in different ways. It is not only story looking back, but that looking forward in which Christ will come again and God’s unfulfilled promise will be fulfilled.Tradition is the proclamation of the word of God in which believers in communities of faith understood, taught, preached, meditated, and shared the world of God at different ages with various ways. There are thr ee views of relevance of tradition. The first is magisterial view in which tradition as DUAL SOURCE has the same authority with scripture. In this view, scripture is the written form of apostolic witness of Jesus Christ, personal revelation and tradition is the oral form which is communicated hand out by apostles and witnesses generation to generation.The example is devotion to Mary, the central role of Bishop or Room. With Magisterial authority it has been very successful at maintaining the visible unity in church. However, it was challenged by Protestants to give the authority to only scripture. The second is diaconal (service) view in which tradition as ONE SOURCE subordinate to and measured by scripture. In this view, like Nicaea creed and Apostle Creed, does not communicate with the true of scripture, but hear in scripture and summarize it with new and fresh language.On balance, diaconal view seems to be best able to honor the past and the evangelical impulse to measure everyth ing against Scripture. However, it still gives us question where the tradition communicate in which the scripture silence? In this vein, Martin Luther who denies dual source view also did not agree with single source view. It is because that traditions treated with respect and values where the scripture silence and did not contradict scripture. The third view is diabolical in which tradition is dangerous and misleading.Insisting that only authority encountering revelation is through the word of God, Free Church and Baptist part of radical reformation have non creedal tradition. As a distinguish character of human beings, reason is a tool of thought that we use to understand. It question Christians if Christian faith is self-consist and it consist with other things we believe. There are three approaches to understand the relationship of reason to the knowledge of God. The first is that reason is no role to understand the knowledge of God.It is not necessary to be Christian faith self -consist. As a human instrument, there is no value at all in reason dealing with divine. Without reason, we simply believe. The second is that reason completely adequate to understand the world and God. According to this view, reason tells us everything reliable, and the fact that we can know about God is the fruit of reason. Enlightenment, Deism, Thomas Jefferson approached reason into a magisterial level. In this view, reason helps us to have consistency with the others we believe when they are reasonable.However, if there is conflict between reason and faith because faith is something beyond reason, this view couldn’t provide consistency. The third view is that reason is wonderful gift from God, relevant to things of the world, things of God. However, it is not sufficient for understanding things of the world and God. In this view, faith and reason is not a relationship of contradictory, but two wings of a bird, where reason provides first, faith provides second. Faith is root and reason is stem. Reason by itself is fully inadequate, but helps deepen our understanding of Scripture, tradition and ourselves.Experience is to experience God in personal life. It is not usually listed the source and norm of theology with other three (ex, Episcopal Church), but it is very typical in Methodist. Because it played very roles in different theology, it is interesting source and norm. McGrath suggests two models of experience. The first is that experience provides a foundational resource of Christian theology. It means that 1st hand encounter is the surest from of knowledge and self-explanatory; other things become more intelligible because of that experience.Second, theology is a framework to interpret human experience. In this view, experience is not capable of interpreting by itself, but interpreted by theology. For example, Wesley emphasized experiential dimension of Christian life and experiential faith. He thought his great experience reversed as tied up as a sense of joy and assurance in which the gospel became true for him. Lots of liberation theologian also interpreted their experience as hardship, injustice and oppression in light of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.However, here is question, if experience becomes a identify mark and determined whether or not disciple, what happens feel more, less, or dried up? In addition, one’s experience can be revised and transformed. In that sense, Karl Barth said that experience is relevant, so not equally easy to receive the gospel. 3. Difficulty to understand scripture, tradition, reason and experience as norms and sources of theology As I mentioned in the beginning, scripture, tradition, reason and experience are the sources and norms of theology.As sources, they sustain Christians’ life so that their understanding and knowledge become nourish to know God. At the same time, by using them as norms, we can measure other testimonies. One of difficulty is that we easi ly want to make them norms; we are not accepting them as sources. We need to receive them as sources which inform our action and practice in Christ. 4. Relation with the personal word of God, Jesus Christ. In Barth’ three folds of the word of God, the center is the personal word of God, Jesus Christ. The second circle is apostolic witnesses about Jesus Christ.Then the third is proclamation in which literal word of God proclaims today through various ways and activities. Reflecting these four sources on the three folds of the word of God, scripture is witness of the personal word of God, Jesus Christ. Tradition is in between scripture and proclamation. It is because that tradition is witnesses of the personal word of God as well as proclamation of the word of God today. Finally, reason and experience have dimension of all three dimensions; scripture, tradition, and proclamations.

Calvin Klein Marketing Strategies Essay

Calvin Klein Inc. is a fashion brand founded in 1968 by Calvin Klein. The company is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and currently owned by Phillips-Van Heusen. Like other fashion brands, Calvin Klein established a world famous monogram: the â€Å"cK† emblem. Statistics: Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation Incorporated: 1967 as Calvin Klein Ltd. Employees: 900 Sales: $170 million (2001 est.) NAIC: 315232 Women’s and Girls’ Cut and Sew Blouse and Shirt Manufacturing; 315233 Women’s and Girls’ Cut and Sew Dress Manufacturing; 315234 Women’s and Girls’ Cut and Sew Suit, Coat, Tailored Jacket, and Skirt Manufacturing; 315999 Other Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing Company Perspectives: We believe our expertise in brand management, product design, sourcing, and other logistics provides us with the ability to successfully expand product offerings and distribution under the Calvin Klein brands while preserving the brands’ prestige and global presence. As a result, we believe we have the opportunity to realize sales growth and enhanced profitability. Key Dates: 1968: The Calvin Klein brand is launched. 1973: Klein wins his first Coty American Fashion Critics Award. 1979: Calvin Klein controls one-fifth of the designer jeans market. 1982: Klein enters the underwear business. 1985: A new perfume called Obsession is launched with a $17 million advertising campaign. 1989: A Unilever Co. subsidiary purchases the Calvin Klein cosmetics/fragrance line. 1994: A unisex fragrance, cKone, is introduced; the company’s underwear business is licensed to Warnaco Group Inc. 2000: Klein files suit against Warnaco Group and its CEO Linda Wachner. 2003: Calvin Klein is acquired by Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation. Company History: Calvin Klein, Inc., designs, licenses, and, in some cases, produces clothing, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishings bearing the name of designer Calvin Klein. Since its inception, the company was a partnership between Klein and his childhood friend Barry Schwartz. Named by Time magazine in 1996 as one of the 25 most influential Americans, Klein made his impact not only by designing but also by marketing his wares through high visibility and often controversial advertisements created by the company’s in-house agency, CRK Advertising. In 2002, worldwide retail sales of Calvin Klein products surpassed $3 billion. Most of these goods were manufactured and sold by other companies under license–licensed products account for over 90 percent of company revenue. After three years of shopping around for a buyer, Schwartz and Klein inked a deal with Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, the largest shirtmaker in the United States. The $430 million transaction was completed in F ebruary 2003. Rocketing to Stardom in the 1970s Born and raised in New York City’s borough of the Bronx, Calvin Richard Klein decided he wanted to be a fashion designer at an early age. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1963, he worked for women’s coat and suit manufacturers in Manhattan’s garment district before opening his own business in 1968. A childhood friend, Barry Schwartz, loaned him $10,000 in start-up money and joined the firm a month later, after the family supermarket in Harlem that Schwartz had inherited was gutted in the riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King. Klein rented a dingy showroom to exhibit a small line of samples. His big break came when a vice-president at Bonwit Teller stopped at the wrong floor of the building, liked what he saw, and invited Klein to bring his samples to the president’s office. Klein wheeled the rack of clothes uptown personally and won an order of $50,000 (retail) on the spot. Bonwit’s gave the merchandise impressive exposure, with window displays in its flagship Fifth Avenue store and full-page ads in the New York Times. Soon after, Calvin Klein was besieged by orders. The fledgling company booked $1 million worth of business in its first year, reaching sales volume of $5 million by 1971. Klein mainly designed women’s coats and two-piece suits until 1972, when he began concentrating on sporty sweaters, skirts, dresses, shirts, and pants that could be mixed and matched for a complete wardrobe. The clothing featured  the simplicity of line, muted earth tones, and classic fabrics that characterized his work and gave it an air of understated elegance. Klein won a Coty American Fashion Critics Award–fashion’s Oscar–in 1973. He received an unprecedented third consecutive Coty Award for women’s wear in 1975 and, at age 32, was elected to the group’s Hall of Fame. That fiscal year (ending June 30, 1975) the firm shipped $12 million worth of merchandise, including swimsuits and dresses. It earned another $2 million to $6 million from licensing furs, umbrellas, sheets, shoes, scarves, belts, dresses, sunglasses, suedes, and patterns. Klein not only designed every item carrying his name but closely watched every step of the production process. Company revenues rose to $40 million in fiscal 1976 and a startling $90 million in 1977. Because its prices were generally below those of its two major competitors, Ralph Lauren and Anne Klein, the firm won the loyalty of young working women as well as older, wealthier buyers. Calvin Klein merchandise was so hot that the company could pick and choose among stores that wanted to carry the company’s products and blackball those that dared to try to return unsold goods. Seven hundred buyers and reporters were turned away from Klein’s fall 1978 fashion show; the buyers who got in placed $28 million worth of orders within 48 hours. Klein introduced his first menswear collection in 1978, telling the New York Times Magazine that he approached men’s clothing â€Å"with the same philosophy as the women’s. They’re for Americans who like simple, comfortable but stylish clothes–but with nothing over scale or extreme.† No less than 779 fabrics were used in the European-produced collection, which ranged from neckties to suits and overcoats. The production and sale of most of the men’s clothing was licensed to Bidermann Industries. Also in 1978, Calvin Klein introduced his own line of fragrances and a complete makeup collection of 18 beauty and skin-care products that stressed neutral colors to give the face a natural effect. However, the lightweight, rosy perfume (at $85 an ounce) needed to anchor the collection never caught on with the public. The fragrance and cosmetics business was sold to Minnetonka, Inc. in 1980. Calvin Klein jeans, by contrast, were to become the company’s biggest hit. Klein’s first attempt, in 1976, to capitalize on the designer-jeans craze–at $50 a pair–was a failure. The following year, however, his company cu t a deal to design the product for Puritan Fashions Corp., the largest dress  manufacturer in the world. Klein raised the groin in his jeans to accentuate the crotch and pulled the seam up between the buttocks to give the rear more shape. A Times Square billboard of model Patti Hansen on her hands and knees, her derriere arched skyward and the Calvin Klein label on her right hip visible, caused a sensation and remained in place for four years. By 1979, Calvin Klein was second to Gloria Vanderbilt in designer-jeans sales, with one-fifth of the market. A company spokesman observed, â€Å"The tighter they are, the better they sell.† The biggest lift to Calvin Klein’s jeans was the television campaign directed by Richard Avedon that featured 15-year-old model/actress Brooke Shields provocatively posed in a skin-tight pair of Calvin Klein jeans. In the best-remembered spot, she pronounced, â€Å"Do you know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.† In another she declared, â€Å"I’ve got seven Calvins in my closet, and if they could talk, I’d be ruined.† These suggestions of underage sexuality struck a public nerve and, following a flood of complaints, the New York flagship stations of all three networks banned the two ads from the air. Klein could shrug off the criticism because sales of his jeans were then climbing to two million pairs a month. He added a jeans-inspired collection that included shirts, skirts, and jackets, also licensed to Puritan. These products accounted for about $100 million in sales in 1980. Branching Out in the 1980s In 1982, Calvin Klein entered the underwear business, once again exploiting the allure of youth in provocative poses to push the product. Photographer Bruce Weber’s beefcake ads featured a brawny Olympic pole vaulted in various states of well-endowed undress. When the company rented space in 25 New York bus shelters to display advertising posters featuring the underwear, all 25 had their glass shattered and posters stolen overnight. The follow-up was predictable–a line of women’s underwear featuring male-style briefs and boxer shorts that retained the fly front. Both campaigns were hits. The men’s line was part of the Bidermann license, which lapsed in 1987, while the women’s skivvies so outstripped Calvin Klein’s own manufacturing capabilities that in 1984 this division was sold to Kayser Roth Corp., a unit of Gulf & Western Industries, for about $11.2 million. Calvin Klein continued to design and create advertising for women’s underw ear, later adding hosiery and sleepwear lines. In 1982, Puritan Fashions–9 percent  owned by Klein and Schwartz–had sales of $245.6 million, of which licensed Calvin Klein products accounted for about 94 percent, earning $15.6 million in royalties for the firm. However, Puritan’s finances deteriorated as the designer-jeans boom ended and so, to protect their investment, in late 1983 Klein and Schwartz bought almost all the shares they did not already hold for $65.8 million in a leveraged buyout, with a Puritan subsidiary financing the purchase by taking out bank loans. The consolidated companies were renamed Calvin Klein Industries. After Puritan lost $11.3 million in 1984, Calvin Klein Industries placed $80 million in high-yield bonds (so-called junk bonds) through Michael Milken of Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc., mostly to keep Puritan afloat. Registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the junk bonds Calvin Klein issued afforded the public a rare look at the finances of the closely held enterprise. Calvin Klein Industries had 1984 revenue of $258.2 million and net income of $17.2 million, with Klein and Schwartz each collecting $12 million in salary, dividends, and other distributions. Puritan returned to profitability in 1985, earning $12.4 million. Nevertheless, Calvin Klein Industries had huge payments to make on its big junk-bond debt, and this financial problem seemed to be taking a toll on the designer. â€Å"Every color choice became life or death,† he later told Newsweek, â€Å"because doing everything as well as possible meant survival.† In 1988, he spent a month at the Hanley Hazelden Center in Minnesota to receive treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. When Minnetonka launched a new perfume called Obsession–at $170 an ounce–in 1985, Calvin Klein created a heavy-breathing print and TV campaign that cost more than $17 million in ten months alone, followed by another $6 million campaign for Obsession for Men. One Weber print ad featured two nude men entwined around one female; another, a naked couple with their groins pressed together; a third, three naked women, limbs entangled. A survey ranked the Obsession ads as the most memorable print advertisements of the year for four years in a row. TV commercials displayed a female model as the object of obsessive love by, in turn, a boy, a young man, an older man, and an older woman. Obsession quickly became the second-best selling fragrance in the world. Combined with Obsession for Men and a line of body products, sales broke the $100 million mark by the end of 1987. To complement Obsession, an oriental fragrance, in 1988 Calvin Klein  introduced a floral scent, dubbed Eternity, which was marketed in perfume, cologne, cologne-spray, and body-cream forms. Newly married to his second wife, Klein devised a softer $18 million promotional campaign based on the themes of spirituality, love, marriage, and commitment. By the end of its first year on the market, Eternity had grossed $35 million. Minnetonka (14 percent owned by the Calvin Klein Sport division) was sold in 1989, with the Calvin Klein cosmetics/fragrance line fetching $376.2 million from Unilever Co.’s Chesebrough-Pond’s subsidiary. Also in 1989, Calvin Klein opened its first full-line free-standing store, in a Dallas suburb. Products included Calvin Klein Sport lines for men and women, women’s and men’s underwear and sleepwear, hosiery, shoes, outerwear, accessories, cosmetics, and fragrances. Rescue and Resurgence in the 1990s In 1991, Calvin Klein introduced a new silk-scarf collection licensed to Ray Strauss Unlimited. Also that year, the company resumed menswear, licensing it to Gruppo GFT, an Italian manufacturer. Eyewear and sunglasses bearing the designer’s name, previously made by Starline Optical Corp., were licensed to Marchon Eyewear. The big story that year, however, was the introduction of Escape, a $115-an-ounce â€Å"fruity, floral† scent. â€Å"After work you get away,† Klein explained regarding the concept. â€Å"You escape, and you do it with style.† Escape proved a hit and was followed in 1993 by Escape for Men. Despite sizable royalty payments from these and other products, Calvin Klein was falling into financial trouble in the new decade. The company’s revenue dropped 13 percent in 1990, to $197 million, leading to a $4.3 million loss, the third time in five years the company had been in the red. The Puritan/Calvin Klein Sport division lost $14.2 million alone. Many younger women who could not afford the designer’s flagship Collection line were not buying his clothes at all. A sexually suggestive insert for Calvin Klein Jeans in Vanity Fair in October 1991 failed to stimulate sales, prompting U.S. retailers to contend that Klein had fallen out of touch with their customers. Calvin Klein, Inc. was restored to financial health partly through the efforts of David Geffen, the entertainment tycoon who was a long-time friend of the designer. Geffen purchased $62 million of the company’s debt securities in 1992 at a discount and was repaid in 1993, when the company took out a $58 million loan from Citibank. The firm then paid  off the Citibank loan by licensing the underwear business to Warnaco Group Inc. for $64 million. Warnaco also won the license for a new venture, men’s accessories. Undeterred by suggestions that with the end of the â€Å"decadent† 1980s sex no longer sold, Klein introduced a new line of underwear, including $16 fly-button shorts, in 1992 with ads featuring Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg), a muscular rap star. The campaign proved successful with both young men and women, grossing $85 million for the company within 12 months. In 1994, a partnership later renamed Designer Holdings Ltd. bought Calvin Klein’s fading jeans business for about $50 million. Calvin Klein introduced a khaki collection in 1996 and also licensed it to Designer Holdings, along with CK Calvin Klein Jeans Kids and CK Calvin Klein Kids Underwear, also introduced that year. Designer Holdings was acquired by Warnaco in 1997. By 1995, when it opened a four-level, 22,000-square-foot minimalist-style emporium at Madison Avenue and East 60th Street in Manhattan, Calvin Klein had six stores in the United States. In addition, during 1993 and 1994, the company licensed Calvin Klein boutiques to operators in Barcelona, St. Moritz, Zurich, and Singapore and formed a partnership with four Japanese companies to create in-store shops there and to produce more licensed apparel. Four stores–in Manhattan, Dallas, Palm Beach and Costa Mesa, California–remained in 1997. The company also had an outlet store in Secaucus, New Jersey. In 1994, Calvin Klein introduced cKone, a unisex fragrance that became another smash hit, grossing $60 million in its first three months. It was followed in 1996 by cKbe, promoted in a $20 million monochrome print and TV campaign directed by Richard Avedon that featured young models exposing lots of pierced and tattooed flesh. In a poll conducted by Louis Harris for USA Today, only 4 percent of the respondents expressed strong liking for the ads, while 57 percent said they disliked them. Advertising experts suggested that what was turning off the general public was precisely what was attracting the people who were buying the product, especially teenagers. Advertisements for Calvin Klein jeans also continued to provoke controversy. Posters featuring a notably skinny model, Kate Moss, were festooned with stickers reading à ¢â‚¬Å"Feed this woman† by a Boston-area group called Boycott Anorexic Marketing. The company ignored the group but was unable to shrug off the reaction, especially from Christian groups, created by its summer 1995 campaign for CK Jeans, featuring models  who appeared to be teenagers in states of undress that, according to one writer, â€Å"suggested auditions for low-budget porn movies.† For the first time the company retreated, pulling the ads, which the designer maintained had been â€Å"misunderstood. †¦ People didn’t get that it’s about modern young people who have an independent spirit and do the things they want to and can’t be told or sold.† A U.S. Justice Department investigation ended without charges after federal agents determined that no minors were used in the ads. The controversial ads did not offend the market for which the campaign was intended. CK Calvin Klein Jeans continued to be one of the strongest sellers among youths. â€Å"They want the Calvin Klein label,† explained the executive editor of Children’s Business in 1996. â€Å"Also at the point the children are over eight, they’re pretty much deciding what they want to wear. †¦ These lines †¦ have the cachet that comes from the adult market.† Later that year a Calvin Klein underwear ad showing a 20-year-old male model in very tight gray briefs, posed with his legs wide apart, was dropped by the company’s own licensee, Warnaco. Also in 1996, a group of parent-led anti-drug groups called for a boycott of Calvin Klein products to protest a new ad campaign that they said glamorized heroin addiction. The magazine and television advertisements in question featured gaunt, glassy-eyed models to promote cKbe. In 1999, an underwear billboard in Times Square featuring two scantily clad young boys launched yet another round of controversy. The ad was eventually pulled after rumors surfaced that speculated on Klein’s sexual orientation. In 1995, Calvin Klein launched, under license, a home collection composed of sheets, towels, and tableware. By 1997, only the designer’s signature Calvin Klein women’s collection of apparel and accessories and the CK Calvin Klein bridge collections of less-expensive women’s and men’s apparel (except in Europe, the Middle East, and Japan) were being manufactured by the company itself. Of the company’s $260 million in sales in 1996, $141 million came from its in-house products and $119 million from royalties and designer income. Of worldwide retail sales of $4.4 billion, apparel accounted for $2.7 billion, fragrances for $1.5 billion, and other products for $200 million. Net profits were $41 million. During the late 1990s, Calvin Klein, Inc. was 43 percent owned by the designer and 43 percent owned by Schwartz, who was chairman and chief executive officer. The rest of the equity was held by family trusts.  Gabriella Forte, a former Giorgio Armani executive, became the company’s president in 1994 and was put in charge of day-to-day administration. The company was divided into three parts: the Calvin Klein collection, cK sportswear, and cK Jeans. In addition to apparel, each segment offered perfume, accessories, and housewares. New Ownership in a New Century During 1999, both Klein and Schwartz agreed that it was time to seek out expansion via a merger or an alliance. In October, the company hired investment firm Lazard Freres & Co. to organize a deal. With a billion dollar price tag however, Calvin Klein was unable to find a suitable partner. and in April 2000 the firm took itself off of the market. Klein commented on the process in a June 2000 DNR article, claiming that â€Å"a year ago we decided to explore strategic options for the company. We wanted to see how we can take the company to the next step. It gave us the opportunity to talk to various partners and explore opportunities and take the business to the next level.† Klein went on to say, â€Å"We decided to remain a private company because we thought we could do it better on our own.† During that same time period, Klein filed suit against his largest licensee, the Warnaco Group Inc. and its CEO Linda Wachner. Claiming the firm had violated federal trademark laws and breached fiduciary duty and several contracts by distributing its jeans to low-end retailers, Klein hoped to strip Warnaco–on the brink of bankruptcy–of its licensing rights. Warnaco on the other hand, claimed that Klein had been fully aware of its distribution practices for years and they stood to lose millions if the suit favored Klein. In 1999, one-third of the company’s revenues and cash flow was attributed to the sale of Calvin Klein jeans. Relations became even more strained between the two companies when Wachner filed a libel suit against Klein for comments made in several speeches and on the television show Larry King Live. The two appeared in court in January 2001 but came to an amicable resolution before the proceedings began. In late 2002, Calvin Klein, Inc. caught the eye of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (PVH), a company looking to acquire a major brand. As the largest shirtmaker in the United States, PVH owned the Van Heusen, IZOD, and G.H Bass brands and had licensing agreements with Geoffrey Beene, Arrow, DKNY, and Kenneth Cole. Under the leadership of CEO Bruce Klatsky, PVH made a play for Calvin Klein and eventually won the battl e. A  2002 New York Times article reported that the union would â€Å"give Van Heusen what Mr. Klatsky called the best-known apparel label in the world, and will give Calvin Klein, who will stay on with the new company, the financial resources to further expand his name in Asia and Europe. The purchase will also free the designer to worry more about aesthetics and less about production and bookkeeping.† Under the terms of the deal, Klein remained a design consultant for Calvin Klein, Inc. while PVH retained 100 percent ownership of the firm. The $430 million cash and stock deal also included royalty payments to Klein through 2018. Completed in February 2003, the acquisition marked a new era for the brand. For the first time, Klein did not have complete control over the products sold under his name, and his partner Schwartz had retired. After questionable behavior in March at a Knicks basketball game in New York was made public, Klein announced he was again seeking professional help for substance abuse. Both PVH management and Klein claimed it would not affect his role with the company. In March 2003, Calvin Klein announced a licensing agreement with Vestimenta S.p.A. in which the Italy-based concern would manufacture and distribute the Calvin Klein Collection line. PVH also planned to launch a new Calvin Klein men’s sportswear line in 2004. While Calvin Klein would no doubt continue as a leading brand for years to come, the results of its new ownership and management structure remained to be seen. Reference: https://giantkillers13.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/calvin-klein-marketing-strategy/

Financial Planner Essay

Among the many career fields to choose from, I’d like to pursue one in the financial planning industry. A financial planner’s job is diverse and could be in areas like management of cash flow, investment and retirement planning, tax and estate planning, insurance and risk management planning, among others. There are also job opportunities outside personal planning that provides more financial rewards. I believe this job to be interesting, challenging and beneficial to people. This isn’t like other jobs wherein you’re only there to perform a task — sometimes without knowing the end result or the product of your efforts. As a financial planner, a person is able to help other people in more significantly, even in a life-changing manner. It’s a fact that many people have great ideas and good intentions regarding their finances, but few have the willpower and the right know-how to execute their plans. That’s where I see myself helping. I’d like to see people to be more financially stable and create for themselves a nest egg for their future. People should be aware of financial planning at an early age. The earlier a person starts setting aside part of his income for a financial plan, the more secure is his future going to be. Another reason why I’d like to have a career in this field is because I get stimulated when dealing with numbers. Crafting plans after studying pages of figures and mathematical formulas is something that does not daunt me. According to journals and news articles that have been published regarding the financial planning field, the demand for financial planners are rising globally as more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of having tailored financial plans for themselves. Over the years, financial planners have gradually, but consistently, created a niche for themselves in the market. There are several factors that have contributed to the upswing of demand for financial planners. In the earlier years, people were happy with social security benefits and old age Planner 2 pensions provided by the government. But years later, people’s outlook has shifted and the idea of being more comfortable and secure in old age have dominated the minds not just of those who are near retirement but even those who are still relatively young. Awareness among young professionals is seen to continue within the next decade, making it reasonably safe to assume that demand for financial programs and financial planners will continue. Another reason why the financial planning business has risen is caused by uncertainties in the stock markets. People are now opting to seek professional advice, before investing in a particular bond or stock. There is also a growing demand for financial planners outside the personal planning arena. Financial planners have found themselves becoming more and more necessary in banks and other financial institutions. Their expertise is needed in determining risks involved in investment vehicles. The pay scale and benefits that a certified financial planner receives differ from company to company, experience, and type of certification. A person who holds a position in higher management, like a vice president or portfolio manager, will earn a six-digit figure. Likewise, a person who’s been a financial planner for more than twenty years will also receive a six-digit salary. Entry-level compensation is often in the range of $30,000 to $40,000. The banking industry and other financial institutions’ salaries are often higher compared to other industries. For instance, a job posting for a financial advisor in Connecticut offers an annual income of $50,000 to $80,000. Another example is an ad for looking for financial planning director, which offers at least $150,000 annual income. But what’s more attractive about being a financial planner is the opportunity to earn more than your basic salary. Commissions and incentives are given for every transaction. A person’s overall income is often measured by how well he networks and sells financial products.