Review of Cornel West's Malcolm X and Black Rage for a college-age Essay

Survey of Cornel West's Malcolm X and Black Rage for a school age crowd - Essay Example The issues of social hybridity, clairvoyant discussion, dictator associations, dark incomparability, limits and fringes in sexuality and different issues poses a potential threat in the current society. West expresses that, ‘ In request to manufacture the best out of Malcolm X’ s belief systems, we should extend and save the idea of clairvoyant transformation that concrete the gatherings and systems where dark network, care, love, humankind and concerns develops and flourish (West, 170). West has utilized tenderness, ethos and logos to make his message enticing to the perusers. Cornel west attempts to explain how Malcolm’s Black fury was coordinated to the white populace as well as to the dark Americans, minds. He clarifies that Malcolm’s mystic discussion will elevate blacks to acknowledge and cherish their self-esteem and culture. Malcolm X was a progressive figure and against proposition of Martin Luther King Jr. also, Gandhi who used peaceful belief systems to accomplish indistinguishable objectives from his antecedents. He needed to stop the abuse that focused the dark individuals. West depicts Malcolm X as an ideological pioneer for the dark radicalism including Black Nationalism (aggregate activities and institutional structure), dark religion (profound quality and otherworldliness), communism (equity/opportunity and hostile to dominion) just as panafricanism (internationalism and character) (West, 172). Malcolm X’s profound cynicism focused on the chance and the capacity of the white Americans to conceal their prejudice drove him to minimize the present and past bonds between the whites and the dark individuals. West clarifies that Malcolm belief systems concentrated on opportunities of the dark populace despite the fact that he knew that most of the populace was bigot. Malcolm X scrutinized the American vote based system expressing that it had made the dark individuals non resident. Preferably, protected

Beginning Psychology Essay

Starting Psychology Essay Starting Psychology Essay 1. Characterize brain science. - The logical investigation of psyche and conduct. 2. Clarify why utilizing instinct about ordinary conduct is lacking for totally understanding the reasons for conduct. - There are an assortment of inclinations that frequently impact our discernments and lead us to make an inappropriate ends. 3. What are observational strategies? What is the logical strategy? How do the two relate? Experimental technique is an approach to gather and compose information and make inferences, similar to experimentation. Logical technique is one type of observational. Logical strategy is set principles and methodology that researchers use to lead exact strategies. 4. Name the three degrees of clarification (viewpoints) in brain science, and the procedure hidden every one. Give a case of each identified with accomplishment in school. Lower †natural/An individual destined to savvy guardians would be bound to be fruitful in school. Center †relational/A parent can show their youngster that it is so imperative to examine and energize passing marks. Higher †social/Other nations are increasingly forceful with educating and how much time kids spend at school and have better standards from their understudies. 5. Rundown and characterize the four difficulties of examining brain research. Singular contrasts †Each individual is special. One individual could go into a profound sorrow in the wake of losing a friend or family member while another laments and proceeds onward showing just slight side effects of wretchedness. Duplicate decided †There is once in a while only one purpose behind certain human conduct (viciousness, kid misuse). Connected causes †The reasons for specific practices are regularly connected so that is it troublesome or difficult to unravel which reason has the most impact. Oblivious procedures - Reasons we are ignorant of, one model is stifled recollections. 6. Rundown and characterize the five most significant inquiries that therapists address. Nature versus support †The contrast between what is acquired (qualities) and our condition. Through and through freedom versus determinism †The contrast between having power over one’s own activities or more affected by factors out of one’s control. Exactness versus mistake †The assurance that individuals can settle on great choice when those choices could really be affected by close to home inclinations and predispositions. Cognizant versus oblivious preparing †to know about what is making our activities as restricted being unconscious of why we at times act the manner in which we do. Contrasts versus similitudes †Are there contrasts among people? Contrasts in light of culture or ethnicity? Or on the other hand would we say we are all fundamentally the equivalent? 7. What is structuralism, created by Wundt? What technique did structuralists use to consider the brain? What were the confinements of that technique? What are the two â€Å"firsts† authorize to structuralists? Structuralism is the investigation of the cognizant mental components. Structuralists utilized thoughtfulness, members clarified their encounters while finishing assignments. The confinements were that cases where members couldn't clarify how they concocted answers for a basic math issue, the oblivious procedure. The acknowledgment of the oblivious procedure was one â€Å"first†. Another â€Å"first† was that Wundt found it took an individual longer to report an upgrade instead of simply react to it. 8. What is functionalism, created by James? What field of brain research created out of functionalism? What is the significant impersonation of that field? Functionalism was to make sense of why creatures and people create specific mental angles. The field of developmental brain research created from functionalism. Its significant confinement is that we can't foresee which mental qualities our progenitors had. 9. What is the field of brain science that Freud created? What is the general impact of this methodology? What focal thoughts from that field are as yet critical to brain research today? The field Freud created was psychodynamic

Product Management 101 Tips for Writing Good User Stories

Product Management 101 Tips for Writing Good User Stories In the world of agile development, user stories have become a central part of product management. But the concept of user stories can easily be misunderstood to be just another way of outlining the requirements for a product or a service. If you don’t pay attention to writing user stories, you might end up wasting your time and be left with ill-fitting stories. © pixabay | UnsplashIn this guide, we’ll explain the concept of a user story and examine the qualities that make up a good user story. We’ll then provide you with six tips for writing exquisite stories and finally detail the limitations of a user story in product management.USER STORY IN A NUTSHELLUser story is a concept used in software development and product management. It is a description of the user using the products, as well as an explanation on what the user wants from it and why. In it’s essence, a user story helps to create a more simplified requirement description.User stories are essential for building your service, whether a software or a product, as they help identify the needs of the user. Instead of using lengthy requirement specifications, user stories can help capture the core elements of the functionality.To put it shortly, a good user story will capture:The who â€" who is using the product or service?The what â€" what are they trying to achieve with the pro duct or service?The why â€" for what purpose are they using the product?One of the simplest user story templates would look like this:As a [who], I want to [what], so I can [why].Therefore, a user story for a recruitment website might be:As a job seeker, I want to search for a job, so I can get on the career ladder.User stories are generally used as part of agile development strategies, with the product manager taking charge of the creation. Nonetheless, it’s a good idea to ensure everyone in a team knows how to write user stories and to use them for the benefit of the project. WHAT MAKES A GOOD USER STORY?While the concept of a user story is straightforward, writing good user stories is not as easy as you might think. There are good and bad user stories. Before we look at the tips for writing good user stories, it’s beneficial to first examine the reasons behind a good user story.One of the most commonly cited ways to assess the strength of a user story is with the INVEST acron ym. The acronym was first introduced by Bill Wake, the author of eXtreme Programming Explored, and it’s a great method to test if your user story is well written.INVEST stands for:Independent â€" each feature should be as independent as possible.Negotiable â€" user stories are not detailed specifications, but tools for the team to discuss and collaborate.Valuable â€" user stories must provide value to the user of the product or service.Estimable â€" user stories don’t need to include too much detail, but they must provide enough information so that you can make estimations.Small â€" user stories are not big, but small and concise.Testable â€" the wording must allow the user story to be tested.When writing user stories, it is helpful to keep the above acronym in mind. It can help you capture the essence of a good user story: it’s a story, not a task.Finally, it’s important to understand what a user story is not supposed to be in order to create a solid story. You are not writ ing a detailed specification of the product or service, when you are creating a user story. A user story will start a conversation and help move the team forward, not end it as a final description.TIPS FOR WRITING GOOD USER STORIESIn order to ensure your user stories follow the INVEST concept and help you fulfill the business needs, keep the below tips in mind when writing user stories.Research your userIt’s essential to first understand who the user is. After all, user story should be written from the user’s perspectives and you can’t capture the what and the why, if you don’t start with the who.Interview and observe the user to understand who they are and how they are using the product. You can’t write a good user story by speculating on the user and their ideas â€" you need to research these before. In short, you are examining the functionality of the product and service in terms of the user.Therefore, you want to create user personas as a way to capture the user in mor e detail. A user persona can consist the following elements:A name and a pictureRelevant characteristics and personality traitsAttitude of the personThe benefit of using the product or serviceLet’s consider the following examples of a user story:As a user I want to be able to access job postings so that I can find work.As a job seeker I want to be able to access job postings so that I can find work.The examples are similar in nature, but the first doesn’t define the user well enough. We don’t know the user persona and we cannot make further assumptions, when he is only referred to as ‘the user’.On the other hand, the latter example defines the user in detail and instantly gives us more information about what the user needs.Learn from Google Ventures on how to conduct a user test. Start with epicsYou should start the process of writing user stories by creating epics. An epic is a big and sketchy story, which will break into smaller, separate user stories over time.By creati ng epics first, you can develop an understanding of the functionality better and leverage user feedback on the prototypes. With an epic, you’ll learn about the needs of the user and how to address them.As you craft sketchy epics, you can start creating the detailed user stories. In short, epics can help you understand the user persona and parts of the functionality they are looking for. For example:As Kate, I want to tell people about big events at work.As you learn more about the what and the why, you can start forging the above information into a more testable and clear user story. For instance:As product manager Kate, I want to show an overview of the upcoming events at work, so that I can promote them.Focus on the goalThe key to a good user story is to focus on the specific goal. If you are able to identify the goal for the user, then you are going to understand the functionality of your product or service better.There are two reasons goal matters in user stories. First, they ensure you are solving an actual problem with the user story and not simply assuming things. Second, they provide you the tools for testing the user story and understanding when the user needs are satisfied.Therefore, in order to write a good user story, you need to consider why the user wants the specific feature or product.For instance, the below example of a user story does not explain the value of the system in a clear manner:As a customer ordering groceries, I want to view my previous shoe orders on the website.If you read the example, you are left asking what is the reason for the user wanting to see the orders. What is the value in being able to view the order history?A much better user story would therefore be:As a customer ordering groceries, I want to view my previous shoe orders, so that I can re-order my favorite products faster.This time you know what’s driving the user need. You are able to understand the customer behavior better and ultimately to test the user story ’s viability.Keep it concisePay attention to the language you use when you write user stories. Your user stories must be easy to understand. After a person reads a user story, you don’t want them to be left with confusion.To achieve the right kind of tone you want to use an active voice and easy words. Jargon and a formal tone are not suitable for a user story. For instance, consider the following example of a complex and badly worded user story:As a customer, I need to save, print and email my lists on the platform, and then send the requirements for the shop.The above is hard to read, it’s not concise and it doesn’t answer the question of why. In addition, it also includes a larger story and would be much better as an epic than a user story.An example of a concise user story would be:As a customer of the food delivery service, I need to save my item list, so that I can use it as a starting list at the store.You might also notice from the too examples that while the first e xample included a lot of detail, the latter example removed certain elements. In the above example, you probably would come up with a number of different user stories from the first epic.While you don’t want the user story to include too much information, you also don’t want it to be too broad. Consider the example of:A member can manage tasks.While the user story is short enough, it’s vague and doesn’t reveal anything interesting or valuable to the reader. Instead, you’d want to include more detail and say:As a team member, I can view or hide the tasks so that I can manage my account.The example template mentioned in the introduction is one of the simplest templates to use. Whilst it is often the preferred format, you can experiment with other styles, as long as you pay attention to the length and clarity of the format.Include acceptance criteriaA user story should always include acceptance criteria. The acceptance criteria are also known as Conditions of Satisfactions (C oS) or Definition of Done (DoD). This essentially helps underline the conditions for job achieved and helps with testing the user story.Acceptance criteria can be used as a checklist to check the product or service has met the user’s need. You can create the acceptance criteria by asking questions such as:What if?Where?When?How?Your project should include between two to five acceptance criteria. You should create the list during a meeting with the product or service owner and the development team (if separate).For example, if you are developing a service for registering membership, you’re acceptance criteria for user stories would be:The user knows how to register on the websiteThe user knows how to confirm registrationThe user knows where to solve registration problems Once you have the acceptance criteria, you can use it to test and support your user story. Remember the criteria is not there to restate the story, incorporate in new stories or contain new workflows.For instance , if your user story is:As an app user, I want to delete messages, so that I can control my phone memory.Bad acceptance criteria for the above would be something like:The user wants to select any message, remove the text and save another version of the text.The problem with the above criteria is that it adds new workflows and stories to the existing user story. The user story doesn’t, for instance, mention anything about the ability to save modified messages.Make it a team effortAs mentioned in the introduction, user stories are often the responsibility of the project manager. But the effort of creating them should solely rely on the hands of a single team member. The best user stories are created as a team effort because it guarantees they capture the experience and functionality better.Roman Pichler recommends writing user stories as part of the backlog grooming process, as this guarantees the whole team can provide input for the stories. Furthermore, approach the writing proces s more through communication rather than implementation. You want the team to discuss the ideas, provide feedback on existing epics and data, for instance.Even if you can’t have the whole team and all the relevant stakeholders meet at the same time, you should gather feedback from everyone.Below is a great video on how to brainstorm user stories together with your team; outlining the steps, you need to make the most of the collaborative effort: KNOW WHEN A USER STORY IS NOT ACCEPTABLEIn order to write good user stories, you should understand they aren’t always the right or the only format you should use as part of product management. There are a handful of business needs, which cannot be appropriately understood through a user story.A user story might not be adequate format, if the product or service at hand is focusing on:A change requestA constraint such as technology stack or database useA technical requirement such as a security standard complianceFor example, if you only ne ed to capture a technical requirement, a user story won’t help communicate the problem and the solution. Ronica Roth, an Agile coach and consultant with CA Agile Central Software, said in her blog post that by trying to make a technical task into a user story, “you often do not end up with working software at the end of each iteration, and you lose flexibility in prioritization”.If the why is a technical capability, you are generally better off avoiding a user story. This is because the technical capability is not going to provide value to the end user. Consider the following attempt of a user story with a technical capability as the why:As a tester, I want to have detailed plans so that as the system is completed, I will be able to test it.Overall, user stories are just a part of a good user experience. But you also want to add in other techniques such as story maps and mock-ups. Remember user stories are not detailed requirement stories, but aimed at capturing the functional ity of the product or service.FINAL THOUGHTSUser stories are an essential part of product development. A good story can help understand the needs of the user and the ways the product or service can help fulfill them. It can guide product development by helping it focus on functionality.Although the concept and purpose of user stories is simple, writing a good user story isn’t necessarily as easy as it sounds. Apply the INVEST approach to your user stories and remember to write the stories from the user’s perspective. Approach the process through communication and collaboration and be aware of the limitations of user stories.Image credit: pixabay | Unsplash under  CC0 Public Domain.

Colombian Folklore - 5889 Words

------------------------------------------------- Colombian folklore From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Culture of Colombia | | Art Cinema Cuisine Dance Folklore Literature Music Radio amp; Television Sports Theater | See also: Colombian mythology Carnaval de BarranquillaMarimonda characters. Colombian folklore are beliefs, customs and cultural traditions in Colombia. Contents [hide] * 1 Cultural influences * 2 Relevancy * 3 Legendary creatures * 4 References | ------------------------------------------------- [edit]Cultural influences Colombia has many traditional folk tales and stories about legendary creatures which are transmitted orally and kept for next generations to come. Some of them are†¦show more content†¦From black dogs to seductive women (lord knows how scary they can be) to a drunk-bashing horse-rider and much more, make sure you’re sitting comfortably because here are our top 5 scariest characters in Colombian mythology: 5. El Perro Negro ( The black dog) Beware of the dog Travel bloggers beware! El Perro Negro (The Black Dog) is a gigantic dog that shoots fire from his mouth and eyes and lurks in the otherwise tranquil Antioquia nights in search of lost travellers. Are you planning on walking the streets of Medellà ­n at night, thinking to yourself that the only risk is indeed wanting to stay? Well think again. That chilling howl that pierces the night; the sound of a heavy chain being dragged slowly along; those thudding footsteps that mimic your heart as it beats faster and faster†¦ run for your life. It could be The Black Dog – a tortured, demonic soul reincarnated chasing you to take you to a hotter, but considerably less pleasant, place that lies far, far beneath Medellin. 4. Madre Monte Madre Monte When rains terrorise the land, there’s only one woman that can be responsible: Madre Monte. Madre Monte is an ecologically aware creature, punishing those who take advantage of the land or disrespect our earth. Covered from head to toe in mossy greenery, with her face obscured by an opaque hat, Madre Monte is also fiercelyShow MoreRelated2567 : The Family Of The Black Hummingbird Society1322 Words   |  6 Pages Last night I hired a private detective to follow me. His name was 2567. My hyper-active fantasy saw that true to folklore, he strode from the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s open door, donned with a dark wool trench coat, and gripping an ebony briefcase. All the signs of a deductive reasoner where there, from the constantly roaming grey mist-like eyes to the slight scholarly scowl. 2567 glanced at objects as if they held immeasurable clues to something far beyond itself. And he glanced at people as if they were only objectsRead MoreEcuador Is Located Between Peru And Colombia1136 Words   |  5 Pages24 eruptions total including the major eruptions. The 3 major eruptions are known as Plinian eruptions or otherwise known as Vesuvian Eruptions, which are volcanic eruptions marked by their similarity to the Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Flag The Colombian, Venezuelan, and the Ecuadorian flags are very similar to each other. Because upon their independence in 1822, they formed a confederation called The Gran Colombia. They separated in 1830 but retained the same flag design.The current flag of EcuadorRead MoreHistory of the Development of the Short Story.3660 Words   |  15 PagesGogol (â€Å"The Nose,† 1836), Ivan Turgenev (â€Å"Byezhin Meadow,† 1852), and Anton Chekhov (â€Å"The Darling,† 1899) in Russia; and Honorà © de Balzac (â€Å"A Passion in the Desert,† 1830) in France. Traditional tales were put to new uses, such as transmitting the folklore and history of a region or a nation, while other stories frankly and realistically depicted everyday life. Regionalism is mingled with psychological realism in the New England short stories of Sarah Orne Jewett (as in â€Å"The White Heron,† 1886), theRead MoreIndian English Novel17483 Words   |  70 Pagesera Indian literature usher ed into the modern and then the post-modern era. The saga of the Indian English novel therefore stands as the tale of Changing tradition, the story of a changing India. The stories were there already in India steeped in folklores, myths, written in umpteen languages as India is always the land of stories. However, the concept of Indian English novel or rather the concept of Indians writing in English came much later and it is with the coming of Raja Rao, R.K. Narayan, Mulk

Ethnocentrism As Defined By The Osu Department Of...

Ethnocentrism, as defined by the OSU Department of Anthropology, is â€Å"an attitude that is centered on one’s own culture, values, and ways of acting and thinking †¦[and] may lead to unfair criticism of other cultures† (Rosenburger 8). Ethnocentrism is a natural response for people who experience or become immersed in a culture where values, customs, and shared practices are different from their own. It is the difficulty or inability to understand other ways of acting, thinking, or feeling; when one cannot process the understanding of others attitudes within a cultural context. Each culture has values – important beliefs and moral natures that underlie the influences of the interaction through history and current social, ethnic, or regional groups. Some may even participate in various cultures at one time or over time. Cultures may, and often, have underlying conflicts within them and will almost always change as time goes on and new generations form. Ever y culture is unique. They have symbols or material items that hold special value to the culture that often hold a deeper meaning that is only embodied by those who are a part of the culture (Rosenburger 7,8). Ethnocentrism also plays a large role in the studies of cultural Anthropology. Everyone experiences ethnocentrism at least at one point in time. The American culture is a great example of a culture that holds very strong ethnocentric views. Although America is one of the most culturally divers countries in the world,

Describe the effects of the Blitz in Everyday life in Britain Free Essays

By 1940, Britain had seen the face of war through the Blitz. Devouring everything, Hitler’s Luftwaffe were relentless as they launched raids after merciless raids. Loved ones died, friends suffered, rationing ravaged the lands and there was the constant fear of death at every turn at every corner. We will write a custom essay sample on Describe the effects of the Blitz in Everyday life in Britain or any similar topic only for you Order Now No one was safe, not even The Royal family when they moved to Coventry. The reminder of war and a reality that they could not escape haunted the people as some died of severe fatigue. Morale was low, with death possible by a number of means and the quality of life alien to what people were used to, the Blitz was the most effective weapon against the Britons. The era of 1940-41 saw the focus of attacks on London as well as some other cities. Parts of these places were described as being razed. With thousands of homeless strangers wandering for shelter, and with virtually no finance, these houses stayed as rubble. Even people with homes could not stop to wander what they would do when they were without. Homelessness was just one of the problems, death being the other major factor. There could be many possible means of dying. Shrapnel wounds, extreme exhaustion, being buried alive under the rubble the list is endless. Even in their subterranean cellars, people could die of flooding. Throughout the war there wasn’t even a bomb shelter designed to take full impact from a bomb. The few places which provided full shelter from the bombing, the underground railways for example, proved too costly for the Brits. The Blitz’s ruthless aggression took all and any victims, women and children took large percentages of the death toll. Schools, entertainment facilities and even churches were targeted. The population’s moral was low, women feared for their husbands and sons abroad and dreaded for their children on the home front. Children were targeted by the bombing of schools and education, in theory this would prove an excellent tactic for the Germans as the children were the future of Britain, thus with a lack of education the British army would weaken. Furthermore, with entertainment facilities being bombed, morale would dip to its lowest for it was one of the only things which could relieve the Britons minds. Not even churches were safe, the people had no one to turn to. With scarcity of faith and society in an anarchy they did want to be in, one wonders how the people coped with the devastation the Blitz brought. The first attack on Britain by Hitler’s Luftwaffe brought the start of a fifty seven day consecutive bombing. Around three hundred German bombers set out to destroy London. The Royal Air Force had a demanding task set against them as they were heavily outnumbered and could not replace the amount of planes falling from the skies. Women on the home front were expected to work overtime without extra pay. The arduous labour they had undergone brought them severe fatigue and when they finished work and went home, if it was still standing, the air raid sirens and blackout would not help them to get any rest. The life of a commoner during the Blitz was no easy one. With friends and family dying abroad as well as on the home front life would have been torment. Huge amounts of stress and pressure would be exerted on those working in factories, urged to work overtime and for little pay. Death could be met at any and every corner, a bomb blast could lead to a number of painful deaths. Rationing was enforced due to the bombing of major ports such as in Portsmouth. As well as the fact that entertainment was also targeted, life was made worse for the Brits as they had nowhere to turn to in order to relieve their pain and sorrow. Life during the Blitz was strenuous due to all these factors, yet probably the worst devastation the Blitz had brought was how the inhabitants could not talk about their problems as it may have revealed positions to spies. One must applaud those who survived the Blitz and all they went through for it is hard to live when there is nothing to live for. How to cite Describe the effects of the Blitz in Everyday life in Britain, Essays

Strategic Initiative Paper free essay sample

In the current business environment, companies must take strategic initiatives to prevent the losses and overcome the rough economy we are currently facing. Starbucks Corporation (furthermore, Starbucks) is known as one of the leaders for the retail sales of roasted and specialty coffee. Starbucks is focused on creating a detailed strategic and financial planning that can take the company to the next level. The aim of this paper is to investigate Starbuckss actions upon creation of strategic and financial plans, and its impact on cost and sales and risks associated. Starbucks has a long-standing effort in thical conduct and global responsibility. One of the major efforts is sourcing ethically grown coffee. For example, Starbucks Annual Report for the 2009 states that the Companys focus is on ethically sourcing high-quality coffee, reducing its environmental impacts, and contributing positively to communities. Starbucks Global Responsibility strategy and commitments are integral to the Companys business strategy. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Initiative Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Starbucks Corporation, 2009, Annual Report). The strategic plan includes the Shared Planet initiative. Starbucks has commenced plans to make environmental ransformations to the companys business practices through the Shared Planet. These changes include buying ethically traded coffee, which encompasses environmentally responsible grown coffee and the ethical treatment of coffee farmers. Starbucks collaborates with Conservation International to ensure that the company is meeting purchasing guidelines for socially, environmentally, and economically responsible coffee. Starbucks Shared Planet also embraces conservation of the growers surrounding communities. For example, Starbucks is committed to creating environmentally clean water filter systems in the communities hat the coffee is grown. The company has also committed to recycling and reducing waste. Starbucks Initiative Plan states that by the year 201 5, the company will serve 25% of its beverages in reusable cups and introduce in-store recycling stations for the non-reusable cups. The company is devoted to reducing energy use by 25% in all new stores and obtaining 50% of the used energy from renewable energy sources for all company-owned stores by the end of 2010. By the year 2012, Starbucks plans on reducing water use by 15% company-wide. Obtaining LEED certification for all new stores globally will begin in late 2010. Such efforts are commendable and provide a solid platform for successful business. However, to be financially sound, Starbucks must consider financial aspects of the aforementioned initiative and costs associated (Starbucks Corporation, 2010, Responsibility). Based on the aforementioned information regarding Shared planet one can easily determine that this initiative is closely aligned with Starbucks mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time (Starbucks Corporation, 2010, Our Starbucks Mission Statement). However, important to note are relationship etween this initiative and financial planning of Starbucks. Sourcing ethically grown and socially responsible coffee has cost Starbucks $1. 28 per pound in fiscal 2005 as Starbucks paid $1. 9 per pound of coffee on average in fiscal 2008 (Starbucks Corporation, 2008, Global Responsibility Report). Ultimately, costs associated have increased cost of sales. For example, cost of sales including occupancy costs increased to 41. 0 percent of total net revenues for the 13 weeks ended July 2, 2006, compared to 40. 6 percent in the corresponding 13-week period of fiscal 2005 (Starbucks Corporation, 2006, Financial Release). In the same financia l release, Starbucks has stated that the increased costs of sales are result of increased cost of green coffee. Similarly in 2008, the cost of sales increased to 43. 8% from 41. 9% in fiscal 2007. However, in this particular case the occupancy costs were additional cost increase margin (Starbucks Corporation, 2008, Investor Relations). The increase in cost of sales has significant impact on the total net revenues. Looking at the Starbucks reports the total net revenues have also increased. For example the total net revenues have risen from (in millions) $7,786. 9, $9,411. 5, to $10,383. 0 in years 006, 2007, and 2008 respectively. Unfortunately, in year 2009 the total revenue has dropped to $9. 774. 6, possibly result of the global economic downturn (Starbucks Corporation, 2009, Annual Report). Based on the mitigation strategies aimed to reduce cost of sales, it appears that Starbucks is aiming for reduced cost of sales and increased revenues. According to the Starbucks Annual Report 2008, the company has 583 million of purchase commitments which, together with existing inventory, is expected to provide an adequate supply of green coffee through calendar 2009 (Starbucks Corporation, 2008, Annual Report). Additionally, nine and five percent of the purchase commitments from 2008 will be received in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Important to note about the aforementioned is that the purchase commitments are based of fixed-price contracts where the price of green coffee has been fixed by either seller or Starbucks directly (Starbucks Corporation, 2008, Annual Report). The fixed price contracts may account for published reports, which state that despite the rising prices of green coffee Starbucks will not increase selling price to the consumers (Morran, 2010). Such efforts would set Starbucks apart from its competitors. For example, J. M. Smucker raised prices an average of 9% on its Folgers, Dunkin Donuts, Millstone and Folgers Gourmet Selections coffees. Kraft followed suit with a hike on the price of Maxwell House and Yuban brand coffee (Morran, 2010, para 3). This coupled with the ethical background and initiative of Shared Planet will ensure loyal following and consumer satisfaction. Risks for any project or initiative are inevitable. However, if the company can foresee these risks they have a better chance of eliminating the problem before it occurs. Starbucks Shared Planet has few risks; as he strategic plan is to become more environmentally aware. The risk is that the company will not be able to execute the initiative as planned. Therefore, the cost of the campaign and advertising will have negative financial impact, if the initiative is not successful (Starbucks Corporation, 2009). The Shared Planet is also dedicated to Material interruptions in Starbucks supply of the coffee they prefer can financially affect these efforts (Starbucks Corporation, 2009). Furthermore, if the sales are not at a peak and Starbucks cannot make a profit on the higher cost coffee; this will affect ts cash flows and liquidity. The Shared Planet initiative is also implementing reusable cups (Starbucks Corporation, 2010, Responsibility). Although ethically sound and an excellent marketing move, this can increase both costs of the products and marketing. The risk associated with this is that customers may not accept the new product or the price increase to purchase the new product (Starbucks Corporation, 2009). The aforementioned risks could result in decreased sales and increased costs. This can severely impact Starbucks financial health, operability, and decrease onsumer confidence. Many risk factors are outside the companys control. However, if Starbucks anticipates the possible risk, develops mitigation and contingency plans, the company will have a better chance at finding solutions for potential problems identified herein. By being proactive instead of reactive, Starbucks has placed itself in a position in the market to grow, expand, and excel with the Shared Planet initiative. The Shared Planet has opened the door and allowed Starbucks to provide a high quality green product at a fair market price to their customers. The production of high quality green coffee has increased acquisition and merchandise costs. Over the past four years, the cost of sales for the green coffee has increased 2. 8%. While this increase in the cost of goods is somewhat significant, the foresight and ability of Starbucks to minimize this increase has allowed Starbucks to increase their overall market share thus increasing their revenue base by 25. 5% over the same period. This effort was part of the Starbucks mitigation plans and its ability to secure fixed purchase (price) contracts for the product through 2011. These ontracts will reduce the cost of the coffee acquisitions and merchandise and will further increase Starbucks share of the coffee market. Such actions have allowed Starbucks to be set apart from its competitors and increase its part in market share. Furthermore, this type of commitment, to both its investors and consumers coupled with sound financial business practices and financial health have allowed Starbucks to be one of the industry leaders who has opportunity to grow over the next fiscal year and beyond.