Ship in a Bottle

Introduction This report evaluates the strategic options for â€Å"ship in a bottle† company as it expands into the global market. In this expansion, five prospective markets (Asia, South America, Australia, Middle East, and Africa) emerge.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Ship in a Bottle specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To establish the probabilities of succeeding in these markets, this report evaluates the product sold (through the harmonized classification code), the criteria for selecting the foreign markets, export strategy to use, export intermediaries to use, and any cultural issues that the company needs to consider (before it ventures in the foreign markets). Comprehensively, this report shows that â€Å"ship in a bottle† company needs to consider the uniqueness of every market and formulate a customized market entry approach that complements the dynamics of every market. Harmonized Classi fication Code The harmonized classification code for â€Å"ship in a bottle† is 9706. This code falls under works of art, collectors’ pieces, and antiques. Code 9706 defines antiques that are more than a century old (Foreign Trade On-Line, 2012, p. 2). Since â€Å"ship in a bottle† is a historical nautical product, it classifies as an antique that is more than a century old. Foreign Markets The prospective foreign markets for â€Å"ship in a bottle† are Australia, South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. These markets have a lot of potential because they offer unique market dynamics that are favorable for the introduction of the company’s product. Australia Some Australian communities appreciate the shipping culture and the associated value of nautical products. The Southeast coast of Queensland is one such community (Ships in Bottles, 2010). With a market that appreciates nautical products, Australia also has many unique cultural institut ions that provide a ready market for the sale of culturally rich products like â€Å"ship in a bottle†. For example, the Sydney Maritime Museum, Williamstown Maritime Museum (Victoria), New Castle Maritime Museum (New South Wales), Maritime Museum of Tasmania (Tasmania), and the Queensland Maritime Museum (Brisbane) stock such kind of products (Ships in Bottles, 2010). â€Å"Ship in a bottle† company can therefore market its products to these museums.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Middle East Some foreign markets like the Middle East also share the same profile as Australia because some sections of the Middle East have a very rich shipping heritage. This heritage stems from past years of the Arab trade, where many Arab traders traversed the world to buy and sell goods. However, while focusing on the Middle East market, it is important to highlight the import ance of targeting areas that have a strong economic potential. Developed countries in the Middle East, such as, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia are attractive destinations for the launch of new nautical products. Moreover, these destinations have a deep internet penetration (plus an established e-commerce industry) that support internet sales. It is easier for â€Å"ship in a bottle† company to thrive in such destinations. Africa By focusing on Africa as a viable market for â€Å"ship in a bottle† company, it is crucial to show that some parts of Africa share the same market profile as most sections of the Middle East. For example, many parts of North Africa share the same demographics as the Middle East. Therefore, countries such as Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and Eritrea share the same market profile as most Middle East countries. Therefore, the same market potential highlighted in the Middle East market also applies to Africa. South America South America is also another potential market for â€Å"ship in a bottle† because it is a rapidly growing market that offers immense economic potential for companies that intend to be global. Notable countries in South America, which have posed a significant economic potential include Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. These economies are highly diverse and liberalized. Therefore, there is no significant barrier to entry for â€Å"ship in a bottle†. Asia Finally, â€Å"ship in a bottle† should also venture into some selected Asian markets because of their favorable demographics and immense economic potential. Asia is unique to other markets described in this report because the region has a deep cultural appreciation for history and community values (Wired, 2005). Therefore, unlike other markets that are highly commercialized, Asia provides a culturally conscious market that appreciates products that have a deep historical value. Since â€Å"ship in a bottle† company thrives on selling culturally rich products, the Company will find Asia to be a highly lucrative market. Direct or Indirect Exporting Markets for Direct Exports South America The close proximity between North America and South America informs the decision to adopt a direct export strategy in South America. Indeed, it would be cheaper to export the company’s merchandise (directly) to this market without having to engage third parties to sell the company’s products.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Ship in a Bottle specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By exporting the company’s products directly to its South America, â€Å"ship in a bottle† will have more control of the business, thereby increasing its chances of realizing more profits (Rao, 2008). It would be more expensive for young and emerging companies (like â€Å"ship in a bottle†) to engage the services of third par ties, or build a distribution facility in South America, if it can satisfy its South American market (efficiently) by directly exporting its products to the customers. Australia The similarities between Australian economic and cultural dynamics with America inform the decision to adopt a direct export strategy for the Australian market. Even though there may be some slight differences in the business practices of both countries, it is crucial to highlight the cultural similarities between both markets as a key decision-maker in the adoption of a direct export strategy. More so, the cultural similarities between America and Australia manifest because â€Å"ship in a bottle† largely thrives on the cultural appreciation of the product. Because both countries share same cultural dynamics, it will be easier to export the product as it is, without making any significant modifications on the company’s marketing and production strategies (Rao, 2008). Markets for Indirect Expor t Strategy Asia Exporting to the Asian market poses many risks to â€Å"ship in a bottle.† These risks stem from the differences in culture and community dynamics between western and Asian markets. For example, Wired (2005) says, Americans and Asians see the world in different lenses (p. 1). Therefore, while Americans may be fascinated by the physical attributes of a product, Asian consumers may be more inclined to understand the contextual richness of a product. To this extent, since the company’s strategies appeal to a western market, it may be wise to involve the services of a third party (export trading company, or an export management company) to sell the company’s products in the market. This strategy is important because an intermediary from Asia has a better understanding of the market. Africa and the Middle East Africa and the Middle East also mirror the same differences that the Asian market has with western markets. By the nature of their business pra ctices and cultural dynamics, Middle East and Africa have unique economic and cultural differences that pose a threat to the generalization of product categories across these markets. Moreover, the Middle East has a different business style that largely differs from western business practices. It is difficult to ignore such economic differences while trying to introduce a new product into such markets. It will therefore be crucial to seek the services of an intermediary to sell the company’s products to these markets. Like the Asian intermediaries, the Middle East and African intermediaries have a better knowledge of the market, business practices, and opportunities existing in their markets. They are therefore in a better position to sell â€Å"ship in a bottle† merchandise in their markets.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Intermediaries to use In the markets identified for indirect exporting, â€Å"ship in a bottle† should use agents, instead of distributors. Agents are the best intermediary to use because they campaign for the product, as opposed to merely distributing it (Brown, 2005, p. 343). In most of the markets described above, the main motivation for pursuing the indirect export strategy is to overcome market differences between the exporting country and the host nations. Differences in market demographics and business styles also contribute to this problem. Agents are better suited to overcome these challenges because they are in direct connection with the customers (and have a firmer understanding of their needs as well) (Brown, 2005. This knowledge is critical for companies that intend to penetrate foreign markets because it is difficult to understand the prevailing market dynamics in foreign countries, especially if a company has not operated there before. Distributors are not the right people to use in these markets because unlike agents, they do not campaign for their products. Instead, they just buy the products from their respective companies and sell them in their local markets. Furthermore, they do not persuade or identify customer needs; instead, they just avail the products to the markets. â€Å"Ship in a bottle† does not need such services because it needs an intermediary who would negotiate with buyers to buy the company’s products. Only agents provide this service. Indeed, Fred had experienced the need to build personal rapport with his customers (when he hired new assistants to help in the company’s operations). While learning new phone etiquettes, and how customers wanted to be treated, Fred also discovered the need for customers to feel secure. He understood that there was a need to have a deeper connection with the customers, as opposed to having a non-personal communication strategy with his customers. This is why he refus ed to have an impersonal processing system on the company’s website. Agents nurture a human connection with the customers the same way Fred prefers. Cultural Matters Cultural issues are important in international trade because they define the behavioral characteristics of a society. These behavioral characteristics are important in international trade because they underlie buyer behavior and the systematic procedures of doing business in the respective countries. Among all the markets highlighted in this study (Australia, Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia), cultural understanding is pivotal to the success of â€Å"ship in a bottle†. Some of the important cultural issues to look out for (in these markets) include Language One cultural factor that is important in international trade is language. More so, language problems may significantly hinder the efficiency of negotiations. Therefore, language barriers may affect payments and similar financial transactions. In the context of â€Å"ship in a bottle† case study, the South American market needs a careful cultural understanding because most of the people do not speak English. Instead, most of the inhabitants speak Spanish. This creates a language barrier for â€Å"ship in a bottle† because the company is English background. For example, the literal translation of the word â€Å"maà ±ana† (in Spanish) means tomorrow, but in business terms, â€Å"maà ±ana† simply means â€Å"not today† (British Chambers of Commerce 2012). This contradiction could be problematic for â€Å"ship in a bottle† because there would be many misunderstandings between sellers and buyers, if the seller does not understand the language context of the people. Language problems are however not only constrained within the South American market, the Asian market also has unique language dynamics that â€Å"Ship in a bottle† needs to understand. Specifically, most Asians ha ve a strong need to save face, even in the wake of bad business. For example, Wired (2005) says that it is rare to see Asians decline something (openly) because it is impolite to do so (in the Asian culture). The main problem surfacing in this context is how a supplier would know when to make shipments, or if a buyer is willing to stock the company’s products if they cannot say â€Å"no†. Comprehensively, it will help â€Å"ship in a bottle† to understand the contextual language differences of its Asian and South American markets if it intends to succeed in these markets. Religion Religion is a very important cultural issue to consider in international business. In many countries, there is a crossover between religion and business law. For example, in America, there is a crossover between business law and religion because both secular and religious holidays affect product offerings, sales, and the distribution strategies of different companies (British Chambers of Commerce 2012). The same would be true for Australia where religious holidays, such as, Easter and Christmas have a significant bearing on company sales and distribution strategies. Albeit â€Å"ship in a bottle† may enjoy the similarities between some of its prospective markets with America, the same is not true in some markets like the Middle East. Indeed, in some Middle East countries, Sharia law defines public and private life. The same is especially profound for business practices because Sharia law often outlaws earning interest in financial products, or trading in financial risks (British Chambers of Commerce 2012). Islamic laws also prohibit investments in business practices that contravene Islamic principles. For example, Islamic law prohibits people against investing in companies that promote pornography, sell alcohol, pork, and such like goods. Such prohibitions may limit the scope of activities that â€Å"ship in a bottle† intends to do in the Middle Eas t and Africa. Corruption Broadly, corruption is a social evil. Many countries suffer under this social ill. Often, the high prevalence of corruption in any country limits the expansion of foreign investments. For â€Å"ship in a bottle†, it is crucial to understand the prevalence of corruption in some of its prospective markets (notably, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East). In some of these markets, the level of corruption is high. For example, India has among the highest rates of corruption in the world (British Chambers of Commerce 2012). Therefore, as â€Å"ship in a bottle† considers venturing into such markets, it needs to be wary of the potential risk of having to bribe public officials to obtain certain services. Ordinarily, such practices add to the cost of doing business and as the British Chambers of Commerce (2012) affirms, any business manager needs to be wary of such costs. Pricing Strategies â€Å"Ship in a bottle’s† pricing strategy is two f aced – wholesale and retail. As Learn Marketing (2012) explains, arriving at a wholesale price is not a difficult issue if the company knows the retail price. Moreover, according to â€Å"ship in a bottle’s† research, many retailers would ordinarily want at least a 50% mark-up (Foley, 2004, p. 10). However, since â€Å"ship in a bottle† would be in business with different types of retailers (in different markets), it is better to adopt a flexible pricing strategy that suits the needs of every market. Therefore, each market will have a special pricing strategy. Middle East and Africa In the Middle East and Africa, â€Å"ship in a bottle† should pursue a penetration market strategy because most of these markets are not properly developed. Therefore, while the company may expect to face stiff competition in some developed markets that have a deeper appreciation for nautical products, â€Å"ship in a bottle† should first try to embrace a penetra tive market strategy in the Middle East and Africa to develop a strong market share. On establishment of this market share, the company may increase its price accordingly (Learn Marketing, 2012). Australia One main attraction for starting â€Å"ship in a bottle† company was the minimal competition for â€Å"ship in a bottle† products in America. However, because of the indirect competition since 50-plus wholesalers and retailers engaged in the sale and manufacture of nautical products, the company had to identify competitive strategies for gaining a successful entry into the market (Foley, 2004). Since Australia is a developed market that appreciates nautical products, â€Å"ship in a bottle† should expect a fair amount of competition from incumbent traders. In fact, the company should expect the same level of competition in Australia as it did in America. Therefore, the Australian pricing strategy should be competitive. In other words, the company should price its products very close (or slightly less expensive) to the competitors’. South America South America is a very interesting market for â€Å"ship in a bottle† because unlike other markets described above, the potential for success and failure in this market is almost equal. The close proximity between America and South America however poses a strong advantage to the company, especially regarding its direct export strategy. However, the cultural barriers and the high level of market segmentation in South America pose mixed results for the introduction of â€Å"ship in a bottle† products. From these market uncertainties (plus the adoption of a direct export strategy), it is crucial for â€Å"ship in a bottle† to adopt the cost-based pricing model. This model ensures the company recovers its cost of production and distribution as the main objective. Establishing the company’s mark-up comes later. This way, the company may weigh its options on the mark et (in the short term) and decide to change its pricing strategy later (Learn Marketing, 2012). Legal, Tax, Accounting, and Logistical Matters There are few major accounting, tax, and logistical matters to consider for the expansion of â€Å"ship in a bottle† company. However, there are significant legal issues to consider in this trade. For example, â€Å"ship in a bottle† is subject to international and local laws that characterize its prospective markets/countries. These legal considerations center on the protection of local industries against unfair trade practices from foreign goods. Therefore, while â€Å"ship in a bottle† may want to expand its markets beyond the US, it should be ready to comply with local and international trade laws. The company has experienced such legal considerations in the past. For example, when the company tried to clear its first inventory shipment, it had to wait for custom clearance. In other words, the company had to sign a co mpliance form to comply with the country’s laws of imports and regulations. Therefore, contrary to Fred’s expectation that the process of clearing his first shipment would be swift, it proved not only to be a tedious process, but also an expensive one (Foley, 2004). It is difficult to evaluate the import laws of every market described in this report, but every country has their laws that need compliance. â€Å"Ship in a bottle† company needs to be wary of these import laws. B-2-B and Internet Sales Business-to-business (B2B) relationships should be cultivated as the company continues to expand into new markets. More importantly, the company should cultivate these relationships with the new foreign market intermediaries. Furthermore, since the company intends to be global, it needs to develop a deeper understanding with its suppliers that they would meet the new market demands Internet sales also outline another strategic area that the company needs to grow. So f ar, the company has demonstrated that it can achieve significant success on its online sales platform. Indeed, from the success experienced at the gift shows, the company enjoyed a high internet traffic and positive feedback from its online platform (Foley, 2004). It is crucial for the company to maintain this momentum by exploring new avenues for expanding its online outreach. This need prompted the identification of the selected markets described above. In other words, the prospective markets described in this paper project a significant level of internet penetration. Therefore, it would be equally beneficial for â€Å"ship in a bottle† to pursue its online sales strategy as a complementary strategy (to the proposed strategies outlined in this report). This way, the company will be in a better position to exploit virtual and â€Å"real† sales opportunities. Conclusion Australia, South America, Middle East, Africa, and Asia provide a lucrative set of new markets that â€Å"ship in a bottle† may exploit. Albeit these markets provide unique economic, cultural, and political dynamics, they also pose new opportunities for growth in their unique ways. Nonetheless, as â€Å"ship in a bottle† embarks on its global expansion strategy, it needs to be wary of the cultural, competitive, and legal challenges of operating globally. The company may avoid most of these challenges by adopting smart strategies. For example, using agents to circumnavigate market knowledge gaps outline a smart strategy of increasing the company’s prospect of succeeding in these markets. Comprehensively, based on the uniqueness of every market described in this report, it is crucial for â€Å"ship in a bottle† to adopt customized strategies to exploit existing opportunities and minimize the threats of every prospective market. References British Chambers of Commerce. (2012). International Trade Manual. London: Routledge. Brown, R. (2005). Emerging Compan ies Guide: A Resource for Professionals and  Entrepreneurs. New York: American Bar Association. Foley, J. (2004). The Global Entrepreneur: Taking Your Business International. New York: JAMRIC Press INTL. Foreign Trade On-Line. (2012). Harmonized System Codes (HS Code). Retrieved from https://www.foreign-trade.com/reference/hscode.htm?cat=15 Learn Marketing. (2012). Pricing Strategies. Retrieved from https://www.learnmarketing.net/price.htm Rao, S. (2008). Indirect Exporting. Web. Ships in Bottles. (2010). Web. Wired, A. (2005). A real difference between Asians and Americans. Web. This report on Ship in a Bottle was written and submitted by user Israel Bush to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Art in Modern Times

Art in Modern Times The first article is authored by Michael Fried and it explores the form of the photograph. The article begins by discussing the nature of still-life paintings. The paper also looks into the views of some art critics concerning still-life art pieces.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Art in Modern Times specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the author, visual art gives several but particular impressions to the viewer. Consequently, painters are more aware of the ‘expected’ end results than they were in the past. The article proposes that for artists to avoid looking like they are trying too much to produce an ‘effect’, they have to try to ‘do nothing’. The author concludes by exploring the issue of absorption and invisibility in the interpretation of photographs. The other article is authored by Nicholas Brown and it forwards the argument that artwork is just like any other commodity. The article begins by exploring an excerpt by Karl Marx and then continues to outline the roles of art buyers and sellers. The element of satisfaction and its relation to commodity exchange in the art market is explored by the author. Art as a commodity that can be sold and purchased applies to culture and its capital value. According to the author of this article, the commodity market leads to self-representation. Consequently, it has been argued that most of modern art is produced under restrictive environments. The lack of ‘real subsumption’ is a factor that has affected art in modern times. This paper is a discussion of the arguments that are presented by both articles concerning art in modern times.  The place of art in modern times is adequately investigated by Michaels in his article. One of the most prominent arguments in the first article is the connection between still-life art and photographs. According to the author, the photograph is a represe ntation of the Diderotian still life (Michaels 1). In this regard, photographers are nowadays regarded as artists.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the claim that photographers are a part of the fine art community has been challenged by several stakeholders. The main opposition against photography being an art form is based on the argument that photographs do not carry with them the adequate ‘intentional meaning’. The argument against legitimacy of photographs as a form of fine art is still debatable. Most art scholars are of the opinion that photographs are not art because they ‘capture’ rather than ‘convey’ meanings. This argument is quite solid especially in an age where photographs and videos have bombarded everyday art life. Consequently, admitting photographs into the category of fine arts would saturate the market wi th a ‘shaky’ art form. For instance, the intention of modern photography is to present audiences with products that are pleasing to the eyes.  The argument of most art scholars is that art should carry ‘intentional meaning’ (Michaels 4). Michaels also explores the idea of ‘art and objecthood’ in a modern context. According to the author, in the past art has responded to ‘theatricality, minimalism, postmodernism, and literalism’ (Michaels 5). Consequently, art and objecthood makes the silent nature of photographs to be ‘artistic’ in translation. Nevertheless, the author notes that the objecthood of various forms of art varies.  On the other hand, the author of the second article uses Marxist arguments about commodities and the market place to explore the place of art in modern times. According to Marx, whenever the element of money is featured in a transaction, the most important relationship is between the artist a nd the market (Brown 1). This argument is quite interesting because it covers a large part of modern culture. For instance, some paintings can fetch millions of dollars in the market while others only sell for a few hundred. After a close investigation, one might find that the quality of the materials that is used to make both paintings is similar.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Art in Modern Times specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, one painting becomes very appealing to the buyers while the other one is hard to sell. Naturally, the artist will seek to find out what appeals to the buyers during art auctions. In the process, the artist will abandon his/her self-expression in favor of the tastes of the buyers. This argument appears simple to most people. However, given the capitalistic nature of the modern art industry, this argument is quite significant. The author solidifies this argument by explaining that modern artists only strive to produce products that are of value to others and not to themselves. Both authors reckon that art has changed over the course of time. For Fried, the proof is in the fact that the consideration of photographs as a form of art is commonly debated in modern art circles. On the other hand, Brown investigates the place of art in the modern capitalistic environment (Brown 2). In both articles, the authors do not offer blanket judgments on the place of art in modern times. However, the authors explore the arguments of other art experts such as Ranciere, Diderot, Robinson Crusoe, and Hegel among others. Both articles discuss modern complexities that characterize modern art. On nature and theatricality, Fried explores Ranciere’s argument that paintings are legitimately artistic because they only imitate non-art without themselves being ’non-art’ items. On the other hand, photographs can be non-art (Michaels 4). This argument was broken down by Fried when he explained that a photograph acts like one of the many items in the world but it does not act like a representation of any of these various objects. This argument is quite similar to Brown’s argument that modern art only exists in a market place. Consequently, art has always been produced in accordance with the needs of the users and not the artists. This argument also translates to the fact that not all art has managed to retain its autonomy in the prevailing market conditions.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For Fried, the legitimacy of art depends on its form while for Brown authenticity relies on the intended market (Brown 7). These two arguments focus on the factors that give art a place in modern society.  In both articles, there are several arguments that appeal to art enthusiasts. The argument about photographs being termed as people, places, and objects can resonate with any art scholar. For instance, when most people see the photograph of the president they say that ‘is the president’ instead of using the latter explanation. Therefore, photographs are more like reflections than they are expressions. All these circumstances solidify the argument that photographs do not fit the description of art. Fried’s article is a deep analysis of the form of photographs in relation to art. Previously, art was rarely taken to the market place and in most occasions, the market itself found the art. This interesting argument is contained in Brown’s article. Furthermo re, the author notes that today’s market place is quite competitive as a result of globalization. The article maintains that art has the potential to achieve autonomy in modern times. However, factors such as globalization, capitalism, and mass marketing prevent art from gaining autonomy. Brown’s arguments appeal to art scholars because like Fried’s claims, they provide important points of discussion. Brown, Nicholas. The Work of Art in the Age of its Real Subsumption under Capital. Nonsite, 13 Mar. 2012. Web. Michaels, Walter. Neoliberal Aesthetics: Fried, Rancià ¨re and the Form of the  Photograph. Nonsite, 25 Jan. 2011. Web.

Corporate Social Responsibility for Medium-Sized Companies Assignment

Corporate Social Responsibility for Medium-Sized Companies - Assignment Example For this reason, there is room for CSR activities and an enhanced action plan with the stakeholders. Employees, investors, customer and suppliers are part of the internal circle. At Pured ®, workforce being 160 results in diminished employee inefficiencies and friction. However, employee-focused workshops can be arranged on a quarterly basis so that any unwanted stir-ups or potential inefficiencies can be eliminated. Since every employee adds value to the concise nature of company operations; any disruption can do more harm than it would in a large enterprise. Subsequently, labour unions will also be content with Pured ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s employee management. As for customers and suppliers, the general rule of thumb should be honesty and respect of commitment. Since the company values all its contributing stakeholders, customers and suppliers need utmost deliverance. If things are optimum with the supplier, the positive effect will trickle down to the customers. Exclusively for customers though, ethically-aware advertising and quality maintenance are most important. Pured ®Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s 68% public ownership roughly amounts to 4000 shareholders. Some important points should be taken into account here. Pured ®, being a public corporation, must try to keep the investors up-to-date about the financial and overall situation of the company; the financial reports should be transparent. When it comes to secondary stakeholders, however, government laws and taxation duties should be top priorities for Pured ®. The tax bracket needs to be re-evaluated since the company has grown from a small company to medium-sized company. At the end of the day, indirect stakeholders influence the company in many ways, hence, social developmental activities and external parties should be considered as well. The factory is located on the outskirts of the city and there has been considerable allotment of funds towards a ‘greener’ way of manufacturing techniques. This can be reaso ned with the fact that one of the main motivations for small businesses to be socially responsible is reputation (Six Key Issues on Corporate Social Responsibility, 2003). As the new CEO, I find it necessary to make sure this ‘green’ approach is implemented. The outskirts of the city are also home to various fruit and dairy farms. Hence, this calls for environmentally-friendly processes at the factory. Emissions should be cut to minimum and recycling should become part of company values. This could very well create a positive image of the company especially among local residents that might include employees who live nearby. Also, recycling and ‘green’ processes would help save costs in the long-run. Recycling will help save costs in the raw material purchase. In future, the filling machines and packaging automated systems can be run on solar power. Apart from that, CSR activities are also important. For large companies, there are a lot possible avenues for social deliverance such as educational institutes, entertainment industry and government welfare projects. But, sponsoring and funding social campaigns on a large basis are difficult for small and/or medium companies; however, small contributions can be made to potentially needy class of society. Brand recognition is vital here; since our products are beverages, we

Who were the Neanderthals, and what caused their extinction Did they Essay

Who were the Neanderthals, and what caused their extinction Did they influence Homo sapiens, either genetically or culturally - Essay Example Also, These Neanderthals are also genetically associated with the â€Å"Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH)† by some anthropologists based on genetic and cultural evidence, while there is still an ongoing debate about the conformity of the proposition. Anatomically modern humans are the most immediate ancestors of the humans, and possibilities of interbreeding amongst the species are still being investigated. However, scientific study of genetics indicates that humans and Neanderthals have only been found to have ancestral connections about 550,000 years ago. However studying evolution from a cultural perspective indicates a strong sense of connection between early humans and the Neanderthals. These species, the Neanderthals were first discovered in 1829. In 1856, when Neanderthal specimen was found in a cave in Germany the scientists were amazed at the discovery as it was very unique and distinctive from other fossils previously been found, as the skull was oval in shape with th ick and strong bones along with a retreating forehead (Delson 2006). The name Homo Neanderthals was suggested to these unknown species by the geologist William King in 1864 when these were found in the Neander valley in Germany (Jordan 1999). However, after a lot of research the scientists were able to discover the fact that the species discovered in 1829 were the same as these found later. Neanderthals had a strong body built with a heavy structure and a shorter height, ideal to absorb more heat so that they can survive in cold climates. Sexual dimorphism between both genders was comparatively unclear. To shed light on the causes of extinction associated with the Neanderthals, it is first crucial to study their modes of survival and their lifestyles. These species relied on the plants to acquire nutrition for their survival. However, due to the colder climates that they had to face, possibilities are that the plant supplies would have adequately dropped during the winters. Due to t his factor they had to diversify their food sources including meat in their diet to fulfill their nutritious requirements (Shipmen 2008). Anthropological remains like sharpened tools for cutting and ripping away meat preys indicate that these species were seasonal meat hunters. Moreover, when scientists studied the plaque over the teeth of the remains, they even found out that these species incorporates mollusks, sharks and other marine species as their diets. Amongst other anthropological evidences, a flake tool sophisticated in its built was also found which was made after breaking off the stones from the surfaces, though it wasn’t as complex as those tools found amongst other ancestral species associated with humans. Moreover, having studied the anatomy of their bodies, it was concluded that their arms were rather asymmetric which are indicative of the fact that they used thrusting techniques to capture preys, which means that they utilized larger animals for consumption. Along with these remains, other significant discoveries were the needle like tools which can be used for sewing garments to wear. Moreover, Neanderthals are also found to have used fire for various purposes. Thorough analysis of the locales draws attention towards shallow pits along with other even shallower grave like structures. This indicates that these people used to bury the dead into graves and hold funerals to carry these events. The settings also reflect that these species used to live in a nuclear family setup while some instances indicate social gatherings and events to be a part of their lives as well.

Supply Chain Management and Quality Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Supply Chain Management and Quality - Term Paper Example The market is customer-driven and therefore neither product nor service alone is the significant matters, but, the perceived value to the customer of the entire relationship with an organization is extremely important. Many companies attempt to measure the quality of their product or service from the internal quality assurance to external customer satisfaction and from that to the ‘customer value’ issue (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky and Simchi-Levi, 2004, p. 187). Â   Â   Â   Â   Â  Generally, ‘Quality’ refers to providing of outstanding goods and services including its attractiveness, perfectness with no manufacturing defects and long term dependability and reliability (Bateman and Snell, 2003, p. 12). When it comes to the Oil and Gas operator, customers demand increased value and high quality when they buy oil or gas. Customers may perceive that these should be easily available or should be using various purposes like household, vehicles and for operating some machines. Customers basically ay not satisfy with its oil and gas if the company fails to deliver such qualities and facilities as well. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â  Quality and the concept of Total Quality Management play significant roles in strategic planning and strategic management. Strategy, as detailed above, is an attempt to achieve competitive advantage by being different. It is the application of available resources of the firm to pursue the specific aims of the policy. Strategic thinking and conversion of the vision in to into plans in order to achieve its realization are the very basic two elements involved in ‘strategy’ (Sower, 2010, p. 26). Modern management requires incorporating quality and continuous improvement as strategic objectives of the organization in a way that these strategic objectives will be turned an integral part of the business. To be more specific, the present day management scenario shows that achieving ‘quality’ in all the functional areas that business is related with is critical to the success, because, the market that it operates in is customer-driven and thus ‘quality’ gains a significant role in the objectives of the firm.

Aircrafts

Aircrafts Abstract: Aircrafts throughout their journeys need to be in contact with air traffic controllers. Long haul ocean crossing flights are increasing steadily every year due to growing demands. The increasing air traffic over the ocean is a serious concern for the controllers where the aircrafts are beyond the eye of the radar and ground stations that track their motion in air. The present communication between the cockpit and the controller is a high frequency radio communication where the position of the aircraft is sent to the air traffic controller through a third party radio operator who acts as an intermediary between them. Relatively the half duplex nature of the system and the use of a single frequency channel add complexity to the problem. Though the modern communications is going through an era where graphical interaction systems are being developed, the communication in an oceanic haul is still voice communication. This project focuses to improve and analyze the performance of data communications in exchanging information between the pilot and the controller in oceanic haul long routes. The controller pilot data link communications is taken for analysis in its performance in oceanic routes. Introduction: Aviation has seen rapid developments. Modern airliners are now heavily computerized monsters. They now fly higher and faster. The role of an air traffic control is massive in the field of aviation. Since they provide information about other planes approaching nearer to them and maintain spacing between planes. Pilots usually communicate with the controllers using radio aids that allow them to use normal voice communications, which is the very existing problem in the industry of aviation. Demand for air traffic has been increasing steadily in recent times. Increasing flights to the United States of America have led to the increase in air traffic over the oceans which have also intensified the job of the air controllers. With Nearly hundreds of carriers crossing the Atlantic every day, the responsibility of the air traffic control are huge, because they are the only point of reference to a pilot for navigating and knowing information about the traffic prevailing around him. The Traditional HF voice communication system has drawbacks which limits the points of communication between a pilot and an air traffic controller. Call sign confusion, interference and many more factors are hurdles to a good ground to air communications. Effective communication management is primary concern in developing co-operative multi user interaction systems. Each individual agent must know what, when and how to communicate. Effective Utilization of shared communication resources also should also be taken in to account, when there is limited resource available. This needs more attention when the demand exceeds the capacity of the system, and a priority is required This project focuses on how to improve communication between them, taking in to account various parameters that affect the transmission in a high frequency radio communication. Apart from, the attempt to replace traditional voice communication, to a text based communication using CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Communication) in an oceanic haul is also developed,that would be a base to the future aviation researches . Background: The main idea is to achieve data link communication in a oceanic haul where there are no radar coverages and grond station contacts.This research was carried out in past ,over few years back.The CPDLC is a continuously on-going research project.Some of the old papers are still being researches to achieve text based information exchanges through datalink commnications.However due to the advent of growth in technology each and every day,advances in research also take a new shape than and there. This has motivated this project to evaluate the performance issues of applications in the aeronautical telecommunication networks ,which is the backbone network in aviation . Aims and Objectives : This thesis aims to : To develop a robust and reliable communication model using adhoc systems Research the various performance issues in using the ATN application CPDLC in long haul routes. The main objectives of this project is to Reduce the work load of the air traffic controllers by developing text data communications using adhoc networks Reduce workload for pilots Prevent congestion of air traffic Preventing air accidents due to misinterpretation of communications from the controller Research Methodology: The background for this thesis includes a lot of introduction and information about how ground to air communications take place.In order to review the present standards of communication,to analyze their nature and also to understand its properties ,a very intense search has been made and during this phase ,references to various technical publications ,articles expert opinions were read and references from various international organizations like ICAO and Eurocontrol were taken up to write this thesis.After careful analysis, performance analyziz was made and implementing text based communication was studied.The next part of this project will discuss all necessary things needed to understand this thesis. Literature survey : The History of communications in aviation is vast .We would be discussing only the current developments in modern technology and reviewing some of the applications developed in relations to this thesis. The standards in Aviation are monitored by certain governing bodies that are responsible for the safety and security of the air transport.The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is the major governing body and specialized agengy of the United Nations for standard and recommended procedures in civil aviation. Aeronautical telecommunication Network: ICAO having endorsed a proposal for the future communications in aviation that uses digital datalinks to supplement voice communication to provide a good and reliable communication,has led to the development of Aeronautical telecommunication network.It is an international infrastructure that manages digital data transfer between the aircraft and the air traffic control.In fact it is a dedicated network for aviation to provide seamless ground to air as well as ground to ground communication for the aircrafts.It is designed to support the increasing air traffic due to increasing demands. Development Of ATN: Air traffic management needed enhancements due to its rapid increase in traffic .as a result a single controller cannot handle such a large amount of traffic .Hence the concept of distributed traffic handling were followed by the controllers to handle the rising amount of traffic.Efforts were also taken to automate traffic handling.When critical analysis were made regarding the automation of traffic,it became apparent that air traffic automation requires more exchange of computer to computer data interchange that included transfers between aircraft and ground computers.Apart from that automation also required infrastructures that need to be integrated with aircraft and ground stations.The real automation of this air traffic could be possible only data computers rather than being independent processors were also a networking peers with their respective ground stations.These operational objectives when combined together led to a dedicated forming of a complete network exclusively for t he field of aviation,that came to be known as the Aeronautical telecommunications network. Data communications have been deployed both(air to ground and ground to ground ) for many years not only for air traffic management but also for administrative and ground operations.Besides the aeronautical telecommunications support a wide environment where tcket sales,crew duty rotas,weather forecasts are all done.Certain standards and protocols are used. The international air transport associationhave developed a set of OSI profiles called the aeronautical OSI profile,that can be used over the ATN. Benefits of ATN over the traditional networks: The ATN has scored over the traditional voice communications with a number of advantages that would make air travel more safe and secure.the following are some of the advantages over which Are described below: ATN offers more clarity in communications.As a result retransmission rate is reduced much and interpretation errors are minimized in a long distance communication The Communication channel is made use more effieciently to transmit data between the computers rather than usage of channel in voice communication. It gives increased possibility to connect two end users without knowing their locations in a global data communication network environment. It minimizes work load for the pilots and controllers ,since a number of preformatted and short text messages are available .These standard message are very well known to the pilots.These standards are globally fixed and they mean the same everywhere in world.Hence communication becomes easy ,eliminating misinterpretation errors completey. The multitude for accommodation of various ground systems like ATSC,AOC,AAC,APC are easily done using ATN. ATN provides a unique solution to satisfy a wide range of data communications therby providing much ease and effiecient useage of the available resources. It provides a robust an reliable service to achieve higher availability and integrity that should be need for an improved operational capability. It provides for timely exchange of ATS information between ground facility improving security and productivity of the entire system The above reasons justify that the ATN has unique features and its applications are widely important in both ground to air as well us ground to ground communications The ATN environment: Operating in a global environment is always a challenge for a network .The ATN is designed to operate in extreme environment considering rough weather and other circumstances.Apart from lot of constraints,the ATN has been designed to operate under four major situations .Each one is termed an element.The first element is to capability of the network to transfer data to an aircraft without the sender knowing where actually the aircraft is, in other words hidden identity.This network mobility is essentially the powerful feature of the Aeronautical telecommncation network.The next element is to use the available multiple links installed in aircraft simultaneously.In this case the specification of the cost,link and speed preferences are advised b the applications that ATN uses when forwarding the data to an air borne system.It is these preferences that determine which link to be chosen to send and receive data over the other available links.The third element is to accommodate all availabl e low bandwidth links both grond and airlinks in this case.These links are normally used to compress the data to be sent.The last element is the standardization of the applications and all services used by the ATN so that they remain the same throughout the world and do not cause further confusion in supporting applications. The ATN Mobility: An important feature in network is that all the other end users must know the availability of the datalinks so that congestion can be reduced.Hence it is necessary in a network to let to know the end users about the links and the multiple paths that reach all the aircraft airborne.Broadcasts in a network can lead to a serious problem of flooding. Hence inorder to satisfy network mobility the ATN designers have stipulated a concept called the backbone routing technology.This effiecient technology restricts the broadcasting of information to avoid flooding but at the same time allows the ground system to send information about the availability of the links and other information to the nearest aircraft that are with ints reach. This simple figure would easily demonstrate the backbone routing implementation. The router r0 is the aircraft router that is airborne.Now when it is necessary to communicate with the router R7 .the ground router has to update all the backbone routers that the aircraft is aavailable for contact.It is also noted that only the routers in home domain are updated and all the others remain unnoticed.Hence considering this situation R1 R2 R 3 are updated and the others are left unnoticed .. Hence routers not in home domain do not know what is happening. This helps to avoid flooding . The squares in the figure represent applications used by the ATN. The CPDLC application of the ATN is discussed in the later chapters as how messages are transferred.Here application H1 when needs to communicate with aircraft airborne,has the router R8 in the home.R 8 does not know any information about the aircraft,so it forwards to the nearsest backbone router R2.R2 knows the information about the aircraft hence it sends the data to R7 through R1. Thus data traverses.In similar case, application H2 needing to communicate sends the data to R16,From there the backbone router R5 takes over.But R5 does not have any information about the aircraft hence instead of forwarding the packet to R5 it sends to R4 and then the same process takes place. Both the aircraft and the ground routers at the ground station communicate using a protocol called inter domain routing protocol which forms the basis of this inter domain routing.This is the protocol that redistributes data over the entire networ k without causing flooding and thereby enabling all the communication . Now there is yet another to note in this backbone routing. Preference based routing is necessary to allow multiple paths in a network to be available simultaneously.Some applications may require quality of service for cost and safety for performance isues.In such cases it is required to route over the other available routes.here in this considered case,aircraft router has both VHF and satellite conection .In case if the VHF is not available then a satellite connection is used to transfer data . accordingly the aircraft router R9 will take its turn to send information through the router R4 which is in ground .all entries are stored in packets by the routers they pass through.By this the packets can be examined by the other router for the shortest path to be taken to the destined aircraft it should be sent.Thus the mobility of the ATN works,adding more reliability to the communication system . ACCOMODATION OF LOW BANDWIDTH : As specifeied earlier the design of ATN is designated to accommodate the low bandwidth froundlinks to the network.Accordingly,the throughput for the groundlnks to operate in ATN is expected to operate in a low bandwidth than the available system today.Hence a compression methodology has to be used for thi purpose.The present VDL2 comunication used in aeronautical communication a channel that can transfer 32 k bits / second is shared by multiple aircraft using the carrier sense multiple access method.It is a notable feature that ATN has let also multiple compressions to occur in its routers .The rate of compression is not a fixed one.It is determined when an aircraft enters the region of an ATN router .An open system interconnection network connectionless protocol is used for this kind of purposes.It reduces hundred bytes of header information to six btes.Another technique used to compress the header is the deflate technique.A deflate algorithm uses the similar kind of mechanisms used by the ZIP used in compressing text files.It compresses both the header and the data units available to the aircraft .this way by compressing the data units,low bandwidth channels are made use by the ATN effieciently. APPLICATIONS OF THE ATN: The standardization of ATN by the international civl aviation organisatio has led to the development of four applications.These four applications are of more significance in the aviation industry since they help in navigation of aircrafts when air borne .These applications are Context Management Automatic dependent surveillance system Controler pilot data link communications Digital-Inflight information system The digital inflight information system is used to get updates from the ground sation required for the flight such as weather udates and other traffic conditions in terminal area ehich is essential during landing The controller pilot data communications is a essential development and this thesis would deal mainly with this application that exactly replaces the voice communications with the data messages to the extent it could do . The automatic dependent surveillance system is highky essential for the transmission of digital information regarding the position of the aircraft to the radar at the ground station so that automated networks and systems can maintain adequate separation of aircrafts in air.The separation of aircrafts depending up on their size and type is an important consequence in the field of Aviation where it constitutes to the safety of the planes going at higher altitudes . Context management is another directional service,where specific features could be provided to the aircraft on logging in to that particular air traffic system,associated with the network address of the server at the ground station.Thus aircraft being guided till the terminal control are where the approach controller would take care after with the secondary radars being used for assistance . These applications would surely contribute to the effective communication between the controllers and the pilots who are air borne. The functionality of The Aeronautical Telecommunication Network : The functionality of an aeronautical network seems to be little when compared to that of voice transmission networks,but it offers more robust connectivity and more integrity in communication between two end systems that are either fixed or mobile or even adhoc,taking in to consideration for transition paths and end to end delays. ATN Components: Notably ATN supports many Full dupliex communication system. These are some of the supportable forms of the communications Airline systems and ATS systems Airline and aircraft systems ATS and aircraft systems ATS systems interconnected Airline syatems inter connected together Airline systems refer to the maintainence syatems that the airlines deploy such as dispatch deliveries and others whereas aircraft systems refer to the systems actually in aircraft that help to navigate the syatems The above figure shows the typical environment of an ATN Subnetworks,Routers and the Endsyatems are the major components that constitute to the building of an ATN. Subnetworks: Subnetworks which form a part of the comuication network. A subnetwok forms the major transferring medium between the sytems in the ATN.They are infact a major component of ATN .Usually packet switching netwrks are the subnetworks used in ATN. A lot of grond as well as air borne systems are equipped with capability of supporting this features in ATN. Subnetworks can be of two types. Ground to Ground (Fixed) Air to Ground (Mobile) Ground to Ground subnetworks are usually local are networks connecte with in subsytems .It can be the local airport network connected with the ATC to share weather and other advisory informations where there is no controllers employed for certain routes. Local area networks employed with token ring ,Ethernet FDDIare nowadays used as ground subnetworks Air to Ground networks are usually wide are networks .They are used when the air craft is air borne and hence communicates with the ATC controllers.Based up on the type of Network the ATN routers adapts itself to transfer the data packets between the adjacent subnetworks. The various air to ground subnetworks include Very High Frequency Subnetwork Satellite communication Mode S subnetwork HF subnetworks The HF and MODE S subnetworks are mostly used in short range communications.Mostly short haul flights that travel in the European continents are equipped with instruments that make use of the Mode S Subnetworks.Both the communications and the automatic dependent surveillance for spacing can be achieved with Mode S which is relatively cheap when compared others. HF Networks are much more similar networks but are used in relatively average haul flights which are in continuous contact with grund stations throughout their journeys with out any oceanic travel. Satellite communication and VHF networks are the physical transfer mediums used in Long haul oceanic flights .RElativekly costlier for communication but still used in modern days. Routers: The ATN routers play a major role in routing the packets to different subnetworks thus maintaining the integrity of the network.Since the air crafts change their course during their course of flight,the path taken in a network to reach that aircraft must be determined accordingly.It is the routers that decide the traversing of packets at any stage in network.The routing is performed on the basis of class of service the packets request and the availability of the links in the network. Dynamic routing is also supported by ATN ,allowing each router to update ,due to the changing courses taken overby flight and other failures occurring unexpectedly where an alternate path is chosen.Routers operate at the third layer of the OSI layer according to a set of predefined protocols.The necessary information to route the packet are present in the header of the encapsulated packet that a router that deals with. Routers in ATN can be broadly classified in to two types . Intra domain routers (static or dynamic) Inter domain routers The intra domain routers are local routers that are used in local domains and are not to global international standards.But the inter domain routers are all set to global international standards and can handle more traffic than inter domain routers . The ATN routers differ from the Normal routers by certai features that distinguish them.those are listed. In a ATN router there is a possibility of applying specific policies that enable the supporting of mobile communication providing effiecient air to ground routing The enhanced security system that ATN adheres to protect the tampering of data. Use of compression methods to accommodate low bandwidths in air to fround links and other data networks. Termination procedures and initialization of a new route when an aircraft enters the system or leaves is a major advantage in an ATN End syatem: These system integrate the host system with the network.all the application level services are coordinated to the host by these end systems to establish communications with the peer to peer system in network. They have the capacity to communicate with another subnetworks end systes in order to provide end to end communications to the ATN applictons that handle operations. It is for this purpose they have a seven ;ayered protocol stack that hosts appropriate communication services in support to the applications of the ATN. The above figure relates the constituent elements of the aeronautical telecommunication networks with the OSI layer protocol stack structures ,that helps in establishing peer to peer commuications with end systems. ATN domains : Unlike other networks ATN has also domains that are essential for routing purposes.Each domain may have inter domain router and end systems. To make the routing process simplified the administrations of the adjacent domains may combine together to form a single domain sharing a policy and hence making it single. Administrative domains are part of ATN where they are managed by a single authority.This administrative domains are either the Civil Aviation Authority ,an Air traffic controller or an international aeronautical communication service provider (IACSP) A routing domain may have the following characteristics. All informations regarding the connectivity and quality of the service related with the internal systems are are exchanged without any restrictions. With in a domain ,selected routes(the common routes to the other systems lying outside the domains ) may be advertised by a BIS router. These routes advertised by the BIS routers to the other routers that lie outside the domains are controlled by a policy that enforced by the advertising BIS router . The figure gives an example of an ATN domain Thus the very basic essentials of a data network that is used to exchange informations was discussed. In next chapters VHF which is used as a physical transfer medium is discussed .

Pass The Weed :: essays research papers

Pass The Weed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cries of conservatives across America has grown to a riotous roar. The problem is that the long-standing and unjust prohibition of the psychoactive drug marijuana has been lifted by voters in Arizona and California. Under the new law, doctors can prescribe marijuana to those patients who can possibly benefit from the drug's medicinal purposes. Used for alleviating pain and suffering, the drug can provide needed relief for many people. However, to the concerned, it appears that with the new propositions government has granted permission to posses and consume a drug that has been banned for decades. The â€Å" smoke† has yet to settle in Washington, but a reaction to the new laws from the federal government seems unlikely. Optimistic supporters hope that similar policies and propositions will soon come to voters in other states.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The debate over the legalization of Cannabis Sativa, more commonly known as marijuana, is currently one of the more heated controversies in the country today. The drug has been unrightfully prohibited since the 1930's for its dangerous effects. However, earlier and more primitive cultures were able to safely explore marijuana's usage for both medicinal and hallucinogenic properties. The usage of marijuana has existed for thousands of years in many countries world wide and can be documented as far back as 2700 BC in ancient Chinese writings. In the earlier cultures, marijuana usage was accepted and its effects documented. However, the United States government overlooked all of the information and banned the drug. Recently, however, there has been a resurgence in the opinion of the drug's positive medicinal purposes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Studies on the medicinal uses of marijuana have been conducted on many patients that suffer from various health problems. In patients with the AIDS, the drug served as a beneficial way to stimulate appetite. Thousands of AIDS patients already use marijuana illegally for this condition and have reported excellent results. For those AIDS victims, marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite that are common to the syndrome. Another medical function for marijuana is to combat glaucoma, the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma is an eye disease that results from pressure that builds up over time and causes great pain and vision loss to sufferers. In the glaucoma patients, marijuana can aid in relieving the intraocular pressure on the eyeball, and thereby alleviate the pain and sometimes stopping the progress of the condition. Multiple sclerosis is another incurable condition that could benefit from the legalization of marijuana. The disease disrupts the normal functioning of the nerves in the brain and the spinal cord.

Learning from Mistakes

I don’t remember anyone ever telling me how important school was. Maybe they did and I just chose to ignore it. Instead, I focused all of my energy on my friends, and â€Å"extra-curricular activities† that had nothing to do with academics. I remember thinking I already knew all there was to know about the real world. But, as a teenager, I guess you don’t really know anything. So, I continued to have fun with my friends without thinking of what the future had in store for me. Now here I am at the age of thirty-three and I realize how much easier my life would have been if I listened to the wise words being told to me by my mom, dad, and mostly from my grandmother. High school should be a time to spread teenage wings, growing up from children into young adulthood. To start preparing for the dreaded â€Å"C† word, College. When most kids were shuffling themselves from class to class, taking notes, flipping through pages of boring text books, I was nowhere to be found. Instead I was hanging out in the parking lot. My activities included swapping gossip from other delinquents. Instead of learning the periodic table of elements, I learned the basic chemistry of illicit drug use. When others were learning the miracles of internal combustion, I learned how to scope out unlocked parked cars that allowed me access to â€Å"OPP† Other People’s Property. I earned my unofficial degree in General Education by majoring in Street Smarts. However, one can’t write that on a resume. During this time, my family raised their efforts in trying to encourage me to go back to school. My parents were informed by the truancy department of my 30 day personal leave of school and my mom was being threatened to go to jail for my actions. My mother had had enough and dragged my know-it-all behind back into school following into each room and sitting with me to ensure I actually attended class. She was my faithful but unwilling lunch partner. As upset as I was that she followed me around like an angry mother bear, my friends enjoyed their free lunch. Midway through my sophomore year in high school I dropped out and focused my time on losing myself in the fog of drugs. Days melted into weeks, which then melted into months. One day I woke up and realized I was nineteen years old. It wasn’t too long after that I found out I was pregnant with my oldest daughter Christal. All of a sudden education became important to me. I enrolled into Serremonte Del Rey Adult education. Going back to school with an infant child was harder then I could imagine. Diapers and bottles became routine and somewhere in the middle of raising a baby I had to find time to do my homework. It was hard but I was able to graduate with my G. E. D. A few years later my second daughter, Jennel, soon came along. Somewhere between the birth of my first and second child, I realized I had to get a job. I was twenty-three at the time. My first job was at a jewelry kiosk called â€Å"Impressions By The Inch. † Working as a single mom took up most of my time and energy. If I wasn’t at work, I was home taking care of kids. The hangouts in the High School parking lot were things of the past. As those fun days disappeared I realized that I had wasted my time having fun and not preparing for me or my daughters future. After working in the jewelry store, I started working as a manager in the retail store called Aeropostale for three years. It was exhausting, raising two daughters and accommodating a hectic schedule was near impossible. I found myself at times sleeping overnight in the back room because it was easier than going home in between work shifts. Soon I found a job working for the Marriott Hotel chain where I’ve been for five years. Working for the Marriott was a blessing in disguise as far as my path back to education. Had it not been for the constant breakdown of office equipment and computer failures, I would not have realized how much I enjoy the inner workings of computers. Recently, my hours at work were reduced giving me an opportunity to go back to school. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was to go back to school to get my degree. Going back to school added other difficulties, but I am glad to accept them because I know I am working towards a goal that will one day make my future better and brighter. Looking back, I have to ask myself, â€Å"Do I regret the choices that I made in my adolescent days? † I can definitely say that I don’t regret a thing! My experiences made me the strong, independent, hard working woman that I am today. My only wish now is that when my children look at me and the life I lived then and live now they will see their mom, a woman that despite my many mistakes, I learned important lessons along the way. Even though I had a rough start in school, I had the courage to go back. Education is an important key in making a better life. It is never too late to go back to school. Street smarts are important to have, but to have a well rounded education means getting a degree. They can use the lessons I learned to help them prepare themselves for a career and not just a job. That is how they can make a better life for their children. I hope they take my experiences and use them to make themselves better women. As far as education, I want them to know what they learn in school helps them make a better future.

Bipolar Disorder Research Paper

Bipolar Disorder Research Paper Bipolar Disorder can be a very scary thing for people to go through. You can go from being extremely â€Å"happy†; to extremely upset within seconds, which is due to the serotonin levels in your brain. Bipolar disorder causes people to have mood swings which most of the time have nothing to do with anything going on in their lives. This disease is exactly that, a disease. People who get it cannot help it, just as people with cancer cannot help what they have received. Another name for bipolar disorder is manic depression, which is a very effective definition of the disease. Bipolar means 2 poles, in this case meaning mania and depression. When you have an increased level of serotonin on your brain, you are said to be hypomanic. When you have a low level of serotonin in your brain, you are depressed state. Bipolar patients have both of these going on at the same time throughout their lives, possibly even many times a day if they are what they call a rapid cycler.People with bip olar disorder may try to commit suicide or do things to harm themselves. Such things may include cutting themselves, drinking, using drugs, most popularly marijuana. People with this disorder, to relieve the symptoms of pain and stress, supposedly use marijuana. Although marijuana does have antidepressant properties, it can cause amotivational syndrome. This occurs when people who use it begin to perform at a very low level, lower then they were before using the drug. The person may feel relief from their symptoms but this may be just an illusion.When bipolar people are in a manic state, they begin to think in a frenzy.All of there muscles will tense up, and their shoulder blades and jaw will begin to ache. Their heartbeat speeds up. Physical activities become effortless and they feel very strong, yet doing simple things like tying their shoes becomes difficult. They begin to feel twitchy and want to move around a lot. People during mania often talk to themselves, or if talking to o thers, they repeat the same thing over and over. Often times, they over react to things or blow things way out of proportion, and tend to have short tempers. Driving while in a state of mania is one of the most dangerous things for them to do because they forget about the mental pictures of other cars and believe they are the only ones on the road. Even if things are irritating to others, they will continue to do them, such as poking people, interrupting others, or ignoring. The dreams manic people have are so vivid they feel as if they have lived them. Speech often speeds up and may be unintelligible to others. Productivity soars during this time, but they get easily confused if given more than one thing to do. When he or she is hypomanic, they are very good at lyrics and poetry, being able to come up with songs and things very easily. As you can se, many things can happen when you are in a hypomanic state. Although you may be asking yourself, besides the few obvious ones like dang erous driving, what could be so bad about this? The answer to that question is suicide. A little know fact is that surprisingly, more bipolar people commit suicide during hypomania rather than depression because they feel like they are on top of the world and nothing will hurt them, while as depression causes you to mope around.On the other end of the spectrum falls depression. People begin to lose understanding of what they should be doing next. They tend to wander around in a daze. Things begin to stay undone. Even the people he or she is around all the time begin to make them nervous. They can fight it for a while, but when it hits hard, everything becomes a burden to do. It’s a battle that is always lost because they cannot help it. By the time they realize they need help, the depression ahs taken over, and they cannot communicate clearly enough with others to tell them. They often stay inside and never leave and their sleep patters become odd, often staying awake for 20 or more hours. These people become so afraid of others that they disappear and go driving, sometimes for hours. The purpose is to escape and put their body somewhere else that is safe and comfortable to escape the terror. Days are spent with almost completely blank minds. Just enough of them is alive to make sure they eat and act as though others know nothing of the disease.In my surveys, I found the results kind of surprising. Almost exactly half of the 50 people surveyed knew someone who was bipolar, which I found amazing. A good thing about this is that the people who didn’t know anyone who had manic depression said that they would try to calm them down and be a good friend to them. The sad thing is that most of the people who knew someone knew of times they had tried to kill themselves.I chose to write about manic depression because a close friend of mine is bipolar and it is so hard sometimes to deal with him. But I do because I love him, and I know that without me, some times he would feel as if no one cared. He started out young doing the typical things that boys do, like drawing bloody pictures and stuff like that.He always thought about killing the person he was mad at as child, even though it was trivial at the time, to him it was important. But in no way is he ‘a crazy psycho that needs to be in an asylum,’ as one of my friends put it. He is a human being and just like any other, he should be treated fairly and not looked down upon. I have realized in the past few years that I’ve known him, most, if not all, of the symptoms he has displayed that I thought were just ‘him’, were really signs of mania and depression. He feels comfortable talking about his disease, so soon after we met, he told me. I was confused at first and wasn’t sure how to handle him. But then I realized that he should be treated the same, I just have to be careful of what I say around him, because bipolar people tend to get their feeli ngs hurt or their nerves set off very easily. Luckily, he was diagnosed at 18, which seems like a lifetime ago for him. He is 21 now, and takes medication to help control the masked killer we call manic depression, which affect 2-3 million people in the U.S. I believe he is on the right track now; all he needs is the right motivation, and people to stand by him.I recently read a book by Danielle Steel, entitled â€Å"His Bright Light: The Story Of Nick Traina†, which was about her 19 year old son who was bipolar and killed himself. This has become my favorite book, and I love the way she told the story. What she says in the intro of the book almost brought me to tears because it is how I feel sometimes about my friend. She said: â€Å"There is no denying that it is a hard, hard road loving someone with bipolar disease. There are times when you want to scream, days when you think you can’t do it anymore, weeks when you know you haven’t made a difference but only wish you could, moments when you want to turn your back on it. It is their problem, not yours, and yet it becomes yours if you love the person suffering from it.You have no choice. You must stand by them. You are trapped, as surely as the patient is. And you will hate that trap at times; hate what it does to your life, your days, your own sanity. But hate it or not, you are there, and whatever it takes, you have to make the best of it.†Bipolar disorder is something that cannot be cured, but controlled, if in the right environment. I hope if I have taught you anything at all today, it is this: if you know someone who is like this, please, don’t turn your back on them. Stand by them and support them, because this is something that they will have to deal with for the rest of their life.

How to Identify Types of Trees in North America

How to Identify Types of Trees in North America The easiest way to identify North American trees is by looking at their branches. Do you see leaves or needles? Does the foliage last all year or is it shed annually? These clues will help you identify just about any hardwood or softwood tree you see in North America.  Think you know your North American trees? Hardwood Trees Hardwoods are  also known as angiosperms, broadleaf, or deciduous trees. They are  abundant in the eastern forests of North America, though they can be found throughout the continent. Broadleaf trees, as the name suggests, bear leaves that vary in size, shape, and thickness. Most hardwoods shed their leaves annually; American holly and evergreen magnolias are two exceptions. Deciduous trees reproduce by bearing fruit that contains a seed or seeds. Common types of hardwood fruit include  acorns, nuts, berries, pomes (fleshy fruit like apples), drupes (stone fruit like peaches), samaras (winged pods), and capsules (flowers).  Some deciduous trees, such as oak or hickory, are very hard indeed. Others, like birch, are fairly soft.   Hardwoods have either simple or compound leaves. Simple leaves are just that: a single leaf attached to a stem. Compound leaves have multiple leaves attached to a single stem. Simple leaves can be further divided into lobed and unlobed. Unlobed leaves may have a smooth edge like a magnolia or a serrated edge like an elm. Lobed leaves have complex shapes that radiate either from a single point along the midrib  like maple or from multiple points like white oak. When it comes to the  most common North American trees, the red alder is number one. Also known as Alnus rubra, its Latin name, this deciduous tree can be identified by oval-shaped leaves with serrated edges and a defined tip, as well as rust-red bark. Mature red alders range from about 65 feet to 100 feet in height, and they are generally found in the western U.S. and Canada. Softwood Trees Softwoods  are  also known as  gymnosperms, conifers or evergreen trees. They are  abundant throughout  North America. Evergreens retain their needle- or scale-like foliage year-round; two exceptions are the bald cypress and tamarack. Softwood trees bear their fruit in the form of cones. Common needle-bearing conifers include spruce, pine, larch, and fir. If the tree has scale-like leaves, then it is probably a cedar or juniper, which are also coniferous trees. If the tree has bunches or clusters of needles, it is pine or larch. If its needles are arrayed neatly along a branch, its  fir or spruce. The trees cone can provide clues, too. Firs have upright cones that are often cylindrical. Spruce cones, by contrast, point downward. Junipers dont have cones; they have small clusters of blue-black berries. The most common softwood tree in North America is the  bald cypress. This tree is atypical  in that it drops its needles annually, hence the bald in its name. Also known as  Taxodium distichum, the bald cypress is found along the coastal wetlands and low-lying areas of the Southeast and Gulf Coast region. Mature bald cypress grows to a height of 100 to 120 feet. It has flat-bladed leaves about 1 cm in length that fans out along twigs. Its bark is gray-brown to red-brown and fibrous.

Participation Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Participation Discussion Questions - Essay Example According to Sward (2006) a technology should only be implemented if it adds value to the company. Based on this assumption any process improvement while marginal benefits do not exceed its marginal cost should be not be considered. I like your company’s use of the cycle counting method. Increasing the physical inventory counting frequency increases the chances of detecting unproductive activities such as employee theft. Interacting with the customers and gaining feedback from them is a great way to obtain valuable information. Running out of inventory is a nightmare. A few years ago I worked for a manufacturing company. We were developing a new product. The bill of materials included a rare plastic that was hard to locate anywhere globally. We spend six months looking for a suitable supplier that would have a constant supply of the raw material. The project was shut down because a risk management analysis determined that stockouts of the material would occur that would shut down the production line. One of the consequences of a stockout is loss of revenues (Answers, 2009). The scenario you mentioned about the company you work for goes against traditional business wisdom. Most people believe that having a lower inventory count and the implementation of inventory systems such as JIT are the optimum way to run a business. Every industry has its peculiarities and internal knowledge of its behavior is needed in order to make good business decisions. The Comcast product utilizes a customization strategy in order to adapt the specifications based on the level of technological advancement of the region. As the market requirements of different regions change the company could transfer inventory from one region to another. If an inventory model becomes obsolete in one region the company can still use that inventory to supply other locations. Adaptability and flexibility are two good attributes of a production

Wireless and Mobile Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wireless and Mobile Computing - Research Paper Example Additionally, Turisco and Joanna, internet refers to a global network which provides information access, as well applications, by use of a Web navigator or browser. Three Data transfer Options Turisco and Joanna reveal that, today’s market is features three commonly utilized method of data transfer; they include: i) Wireless Local Area Network (Wireless LAN) ii) Wireless Web or Wireless Internet iii) â€Å"Hot syncing† or Data syncing. Although this approach is referenced as a method of wireless data transfer, it is not ideally a wireless method. Data syncing uses docking stations or docking cradles, connected to a LAN in order to support data transfer between the device and the organization’s information system. Wireless LAN Matthew Gast, in his volume Wireless LAN, the term wireless LAN refers to a flexible communications and system of data communications, used, additionally, to or in place of a wired-oriented LAN. Turisco and Joanna, further, explain that, whi le featuring the Radio Frequency (RF) technology, the technology of wireless LANs receive and transmit data through the air. This approach minimizes the necessity of wired connections; the method, further, enables user mobility. Contrary to a number of other technologies, including as infrared, wireless LAN does not have to maintain the â€Å"line-of-sight† technology. Thus, the featured device can apply anywhere within the area of coverage. In a wireless LAN technology, the caregiver keys in data into a featured (handled) device including a Personal Digital Assistance (PDA), tablet, or laptop with a unique wireless LAN card. The card relays data in real time, by use of an antenna, using RF technology to a terminal of access, mainly connected to a wall or ceiling. For example, in a hospital setup, the terminal of access is connected to the LAN sends the requests for data or data received from the handheld information system to the information patient’s care information system. Additionally, data from the information system’s site can be relayed to the handheld system via the same technology. Wireless LAN’s indicate efficient application in the setting of a health care. Within the health care set up, the mobility area is confined within the organization or building; and the information necessary for system’s update can be immediately accessed. If the caregiver uses a relatively small handled device such as a PDA, such a small screen size suits the data viewing limitation, as well as the function of data collection. Tablets and laptops provide advanced capabilities of processing, more data storage, as well as larger display and thus users have access to entire records, as well as enjoy other privileges through the wireless connectivity. Wireless Internet A publication by Amjad Umar, Mobile Computing and Wireless Communications presents a discussion, that wireless internet (wireless Web) supports access data though mobile comput ing through the internet and particularly equipped handled devices. By using the latest PDA or a Web phone with the support of a micro browser, the user can, therefore, access display accessible data that can be accessed through the internet. From a technical explanation, the mobile device is connected to the systems cellular and thus can send requests to computer network (link) server. In this context, the server plays the role of a gateway, translating signals generated from the handheld devices into the signal language understandable by the Web, by use of an access as well as communication protocol. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) emerges the leading