Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Discuss the lecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discuss the lecture - Essay Example She also discusses what challenges she had to face while writing the poems and researching for the book. The lecture is more of a personal story of how Rita Dove’s inspiration and journey that ended up in the form of this book. She tells it very much like a personal story of intrigue and research to find out about Bridgetower. She sprinkles her lecture with light humor every now and then to save the listeners from monotony and reads out from her book to help us actually see how her research on Bridgetower was employed to weave poems. Being a black American wed to a white man, and having a child she can totally relate to Bridegtower’s story. Being the son of an African prince and a Polish mother, Bridegtower was ‘different’ as Rita Dove calls it, his father helps him ‘exploiting the difference’ and that is explained by Rita Dove when she reads out ‘The wardrobe’. Similarly we notice that Dove virtually goes back in time and gets into Bridgestone’s shoes to explore what it felt like being him back then. The way Rita Dove tells the story of her research and inspiration behind the book, and then when we listen to those recitations of poems from Sonata Mulattica, we can easily see how she went into every small detail for writing her poems. Like she tells how Thomas Jefferson was there in one of Bridgetower’s concerts. And then the way she tells how being black or mixed or ‘different’ was treated differently back then if compared with todayâ€⠄¢s world. She calls this story ‘More than a story’ and her treatment of it proves that she has indeed turned it into more than a story, breathing life into it. Rita Dove loves playing music and her interest in music and classic compositions takes her at a totally different level to be able to understand and appreciate Bridgetower’s lost talent. She celebrates it

Monday, October 28, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis compare Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Analysis compare Essay This is a rhetorical essay comparing, Looking At Women, written by Scott Russell Sanders; and What Is A Homosexual?, Written by Andrew Sullivan. These two essays describe in detail how children are growing up and knowing at an early age that they are either heterosexual or homosexual. When comparing these two essays both boys are going through puberty, watching their body change and develop. Mr. Sanders essay is about boys learning when they are attracted to girls, usually its around the time they are going through puberty; while Mr. Sullivan essay is about when boys learn that they are attracted to boys. This also was when the boy went through puberty. Looking At Women is about when a boy realizes his body and mind are changing towards girls, and realizes his attraction toward girls. When you can look at a girl, and realize it is the opposite sex. Mr. Sanders talks about how should the male figure look at the female when they display their body with little to no clothing. He goes on to explain that its natural for us to look at the opposite sex. We as humans are curious in the opposite sex, so our eyes naturally wander and look. Upon reading these essays I realized we all go through puberty and that is basically when we find ourselves. Our wants and desires for either the same or the opposite sex. Having said that, what if you were not attracted to the opposite sex, but were attracted to the same sex. What Is A Homosexual is a persuasive essay about gay adolescents realizing they are attracted to the same sex at an early age. Mr. Sullivan realizes his attraction to the same sex after he went through puberty as the boy in Mr. Sanders essay noticing his attractions to girls. Both boys have to control their desires to look at either the opposite sex or the same sex. I realized that both boys are going through similar situations under different circumstances. While the  homosexual cant not be caught looking at another male while dressing in the locker room. But, the heterosexual can look at the opposite sex and want be picked on. In todays society the clothes for girls has changed sense I was a preteen and going through puberty. The preteens now wear little clothing as possible to show off their developing figure into a woman. This will attract the eyes of the young male thats also going through puberty, and doesnt want to be caught staring at the developing young female. This is also similar to the young boy that is having homosexual thoughts in the locker room. He has to control his action of staring at his same sex friend that has change over the summer from puberty. Both the boys are going through similar situations, one is with the same sex while the other is the opposite sex, finding sexual attraction and the urge to look and their desires for the other person. While Looking At Women and What Is A Homosexual seem very different, they are quite similar. The boys are going through the same body changes and realizing the attraction to either girls or guys. The boys are sorting out their desires on how to look at the other person weather its the opposite sex or the same. Interesting enough the boys learn to control their wandering eyes, and when its appropriate to look at either gender.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Dolores Claiborne :: essays research papers

The Eclipse   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the day of the full eclipse, Dolores Claiborne’s life changes forever. True, it had been changed by events beyond her control long before this fateful day, but she chooses this day to end her husband’s life so she and her family can go on living. Steven King masterfully weaves this tale of love, abuse, and denial in his novel, Dolores Claiborne, which was later turned into a movie directed by Taylor Hackford. Although the movie adaptation of the novel follows the story line very closely, there are a few changes made, such as the role of Dolores’ daughter, Selena, the intended audience to Dolores, and the importance of Salena being raped by her father.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Salena plays an important role in both the book and the movie, her roles in each are different. In the book, she is dependent on her mother until the point when her father begins to sexually abuse her. She then withdraws from everyone and tries to forget about the fact that it ever happened. In the movie, however, Salena has come back from New York to defend her mother after she has been accused of killing Vera Donovan. She has developed a drug abuse problem, just like her father. Salena is the reason for many of the scenes throughout the movie, as she is remembering them and discussing what really happened with her mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In both the novel and the movie, the story of the eclipse and the events leading up to it are told in a flashback. The difference is that in the novel, Dolores is telling her story to the police in the form of a confession. She wants to get it all out of her conscious so that she can be cleared of killing Vera Donovan. In the movie, however, she is talking to Salena, who doesn’t remember all of what happens, or is in denial about most of what happened. Many of the present time scenes in the movie are of Dolores trying to convince Salena that this really did happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yet another important event in both the book and the movie is when Dolores finds out that her husband has been sexually abusing their daughter. It is at this time that she decides to kill him, after some prompting by Vera Donovan. She takes drastic measures in planning her husband’s â€Å"accident.† In the movie, however, the abuse is only acknowledged.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Foreign Investment in India

The article â€Å"Indian firms' foreign ownership at its peak† talks about foreign ownership in listed Indian firms. According to the analysts the foreign ownership has reached its peak and is expected to rise further as corporate profitability grows. However, factors such as high inflation and corruption may result in overseas investors being careful with their actions. As a result of year 2010, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) shareholding rose to the highest level since Indian markets opened up to foreign investment in 1993. In addition, strong corporate earnings had made India the top investment destination in 2010. As India is the second fastest growing major economy in the world after China, it is likely to attract higher investments in the future. Although the growth potential outlook for India remains positive, it is susceptible to correction due to is top priced trading compared to other markets. The threat of high inflation and rising crude prices resulting in a slow-down of growth and corporate profitability has affected the foreign investors action. The moderation in foreign flows has led to a decline in stock prices. An increase in FII shareholding was detected in sectors, such as consumer goods, pharma, metals, large software firms and telecom service providers. In banking and financial industry, however, the FIIs stakes were lowered as well as in most construction firms. The trend in foreign inflows in the future will depend largely on whether macroeconomic concerns such as inflation abate as well as on policy initiatives in the national budget to be tabled in Parliament next month. According to the article, investors remain careful with their action in the mean time until policy cues particularly around the budget are solved.Link to the article:http://www.allbusiness.com/trade-development/trade-development-finance/15460726-1.html

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Zara Case Study

Despite the current centralized distribution model working well and at below capacity, continuous rapid expansion outside of Spain for Inedited brands (exhibit 8) would bring problems of; larger amalgamation of dispersed network pictures, rater demand and customization for Ezra offerings from consumers. This would further bring the effects of discomposes of scale; increased transportation costs, top heavy Organization, potentially exceeding working capacity, increased risk if central distribution centre fails.No standardized market position – Sara's expansion approach have led them to be positioned differently in each geographical market despite targeting the same consumer segment, Ezra currently use company-centered knowledge to determine price and positioning strategies for different geographical segments. This has caused inconsistent consumer perception of their brand e. . Americas and Spain. Being in a globalizes marketplace, this poses a problem to the global perception a nd position of the Ezra brand.Competitive Environment -? Ezra is competing in a competitive market where the competition are seeing similar growth in stock prices and revenue (Exhibit 3, Exhibit 5). Competitors such as have already achieved similar competencies to Ezra in terms of variety and stock refresh, and have obtained more advanced competencies such as localization of distribution centers, reducing the competitive advantage that Ezra has in terms of flexibility in their products array and enabling the threat f substitution.Other competitors such as Unique have further gained competitive advantage by differentiating themselves in the saturated market of fast retailing by using an undifferentiated marketing approach targeting a larger customer base, leading to a revenue growth rate greater than Ezra from 2009-2010 (Exhibit 5). Potential Solutions A potential solution for Ezra is the possibility of forming a joint-venture distribution centre in China as a precursor for localizat ion of design and production in Asia.This joint-venture promotes multilateral exchanges with other economic actors within the network. Helping Ezra maintain a competitive advantage over competition by allowing for Ezra to assess their ‘STEP based on network insight to better standardize their market positioning. However, internal clashes can arise from a shift from a centralized to decentralized distribution business model. Also both organization can clash due to the rejection Of the partner-organization's underlying logic, objectives and business culture.Another potential solution is for Ezra to expand their e- commerce presence in Asia and America to gain competitive advantage, such as the growing market of e-commerce in America. This allows for Ezra to extend their reach to customers, and further gives them a competitive advantage over competitors such as who have yet to setup an e- commerce presence in Asia. This would also compliment the rapid expansion into the Asia regi on specifically targeted at India and China.However, this method would entail higher outbound shipment costs as individual items will have to be shipped from the central distribution center in Spain to the consumer in Asia or America. This leads to another potential solution on focusing on their existing supply chain competency in Europe to further expand e-commerce presence beyond the 8 countries that use a Ezra online store. This would utilize Sara's existing centralized supply chain in Europe to expand reach to the existing customer base.However, this would give Ezra little long term competitive advantages over competition as competitor brands can easily implement the same marketing approach. Ezra may also want to consider adopting an undifferentiated approach by expanding their basic line to further compete with a larger customer base as Unique have done with a large amount of success (exhibit 5). This solution however would to be a viable long term solution and has the possibil ity of affecting their overall brand perception if less fashionable items of clothing were being pushed to the consumer.Best Solution The best solution for Ezra would be to open a joint-venture distribution centre in China as a precursor to opening localized design and production facilities in Asia, this fits into Sara's objective to expand rapidly in a very competitive landscape (Exhibit 5). This is also consistent with their joint- venture with Data group in opening up Ezra stores in India with the potential for Network Insight. The overall issue to this solution is that Ezra will need to find a partner to form a joint venture with, this may also require exchanges with local economic actors in China to gain insight.China is a rapid growing market for Ezra with 71 stores opening in 4 years and on target to becoming Sara's 2nd largest market. Opening a distribution center in China entails the following; 1 . Network Insight for ‘STEP' Competitive advantage – Whilst openi ng a distribution centre in China itself is not a major competitive competency in comparison to R&M's localized distribution centers, by operating a joint- entire in China and through the recursive exchange in the joint-venture structure along with exchanges with other economic actors, this promotes multilateral exchanges which will lead to a realistic and better understanding of the market.This can be used by Ezra to help better periodically evaluate their ‘STEP' due to changes in consumer needs, this ensures maximized long term success and competitiveness by assessing actions against modern network insights 2. Reduced re-stock time – Currently the existing distribution model for Ezra means that they can only ship to 1 geographical region per ay. By including a distribution center in Asia, it means that stores within the growing market can be restocked much more effectively to better satisfy consumer needs 3.Allows the introduction of e-commerce in Asia -? with a distr ibution center in Asia, this allows for the possibility of establishing e- commerce in China ahead of Sara's competition. This can also be used to further gather consumer insight into preferences. By operating as a joint- venture, risks will be shared with the partner organization, not only this, but resources can be shared to achieve maximum efficiency. However, by opening a distribution center in China, it will start to dissolve the existing centralized structure that Ezra has created.But to expand overseas, Ezra cannot rely on company-centered extant knowledge for expansion and understanding of new customers, as seen through their existing differentiated positioning in Americas and Spain. Ezra must start to take a more decentralized approach in terms of global expansion. The notion of decentralization may come with hesitance from Ezra stakeholders due to Bonnet's failure with a decentralized business model, however as Ezra loud maintain and own a large stake in the joint venture, they would still maintain a large control.With greater network insight, this provides a pathway for Ezra to Open design and production facilities in Asia to improve operational efficiency in the long-term; 1 . Economies of Scale – despite the current centralized distribution model not effecting gross profit growth (exhibit 4), the rapid expansion into Asia can cause discomposes of scale through higher transportation costs. By having design and production local, this will reduce transportation costs to ship to Asian regions, this can Hereford be beneficial in further reducing Sara's carbon footprint and improving CARS 2.Efficient Amalgamation of Consumer Feedback – With rapid expansion, there will be greater consumer feedback. By opening up design and production in China, it allows for efficient and focused amalgamation of Asian consumer perceptions through having an established network insight. This will allow both faster response time to customer feedback and potenti al for exchange of designs between Asian and European markets to expand Sara's product portfolio. 3.Closer to Fabric Suppliers – Currently, Ezra arches fabric from their Hong Kong office, this office could be used to further utilize Asian suppliers to supply fabric for Asian production facilities, therefore reducing costs in importing fabric from overseas suppliers. Overall this solution aims to provide sustainability to Ezra for future growth in Asia. Application of Concepts From the available case study, we can see the 3 components of a Market; the suppliers, product and customer come into play.For suppliers, we can see that suppliers such as H and Inedited offer a large variety of product entries, whilst Fast Retailing offer product specialization and have a small reduce portfolio. However the most important component within this case is the customer aspect, due to the large influence that customers have on product portfolios of Inedited and H. Fast retailing unique has ad opted an undifferentiated approach by treating consumers as a homogeneous segment.Therefore they attempt to reach a large customer base through a single marketing strategy of offering a large variety of basics in a large array of colors. This is different to the approach made by and Inedited, who utilize a differentiated marketing approach. Inedited has multiple brands such s Ezra and Berserk utilizing different Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. This similar concept is used by in which sub-brands are marketed to different segment groups.This therefore means that Inedited and H aim to have a full-market coverage by offering a wide variety of offerings to different segments. However, as Unique is the largest retailer to use a undifferentiated marketing approach, it has successfully differentiated itself from Inedited and Ezra by implementing product specialization, therefore Fast Retailing have benefited from rising revenue growth comparable to H and Inedited (Exhibit 5). Zara Case Study Despite the current centralized distribution model working well and at below capacity, continuous rapid expansion outside of Spain for Inedited brands (exhibit 8) would bring problems of; larger amalgamation of dispersed network pictures, rater demand and customization for Ezra offerings from consumers. This would further bring the effects of discomposes of scale; increased transportation costs, top heavy Organization, potentially exceeding working capacity, increased risk if central distribution centre fails.No standardized market position – Sara's expansion approach have led them to be positioned differently in each geographical market despite targeting the same consumer segment, Ezra currently use company-centered knowledge to determine price and positioning strategies for different geographical segments. This has caused inconsistent consumer perception of their brand e. . Americas and Spain. Being in a globalizes marketplace, this poses a problem to the global perception a nd position of the Ezra brand.Competitive Environment -? Ezra is competing in a competitive market where the competition are seeing similar growth in stock prices and revenue (Exhibit 3, Exhibit 5). Competitors such as have already achieved similar competencies to Ezra in terms of variety and stock refresh, and have obtained more advanced competencies such as localization of distribution centers, reducing the competitive advantage that Ezra has in terms of flexibility in their products array and enabling the threat f substitution.Other competitors such as Unique have further gained competitive advantage by differentiating themselves in the saturated market of fast retailing by using an undifferentiated marketing approach targeting a larger customer base, leading to a revenue growth rate greater than Ezra from 2009-2010 (Exhibit 5). Potential Solutions A potential solution for Ezra is the possibility of forming a joint-venture distribution centre in China as a precursor for localizat ion of design and production in Asia.This joint-venture promotes multilateral exchanges with other economic actors within the network. Helping Ezra maintain a competitive advantage over competition by allowing for Ezra to assess their ‘STEP based on network insight to better standardize their market positioning. However, internal clashes can arise from a shift from a centralized to decentralized distribution business model. Also both organization can clash due to the rejection Of the partner-organization's underlying logic, objectives and business culture.Another potential solution is for Ezra to expand their e- commerce presence in Asia and America to gain competitive advantage, such as the growing market of e-commerce in America. This allows for Ezra to extend their reach to customers, and further gives them a competitive advantage over competitors such as who have yet to setup an e- commerce presence in Asia. This would also compliment the rapid expansion into the Asia regi on specifically targeted at India and China.However, this method would entail higher outbound shipment costs as individual items will have to be shipped from the central distribution center in Spain to the consumer in Asia or America. This leads to another potential solution on focusing on their existing supply chain competency in Europe to further expand e-commerce presence beyond the 8 countries that use a Ezra online store. This would utilize Sara's existing centralized supply chain in Europe to expand reach to the existing customer base.However, this would give Ezra little long term competitive advantages over competition as competitor brands can easily implement the same marketing approach. Ezra may also want to consider adopting an undifferentiated approach by expanding their basic line to further compete with a larger customer base as Unique have done with a large amount of success (exhibit 5). This solution however would to be a viable long term solution and has the possibil ity of affecting their overall brand perception if less fashionable items of clothing were being pushed to the consumer.Best Solution The best solution for Ezra would be to open a joint-venture distribution centre in China as a precursor to opening localized design and production facilities in Asia, this fits into Sara's objective to expand rapidly in a very competitive landscape (Exhibit 5). This is also consistent with their joint- venture with Data group in opening up Ezra stores in India with the potential for Network Insight. The overall issue to this solution is that Ezra will need to find a partner to form a joint venture with, this may also require exchanges with local economic actors in China to gain insight.China is a rapid growing market for Ezra with 71 stores opening in 4 years and on target to becoming Sara's 2nd largest market. Opening a distribution center in China entails the following; 1 . Network Insight for ‘STEP' Competitive advantage – Whilst openi ng a distribution centre in China itself is not a major competitive competency in comparison to R&M's localized distribution centers, by operating a joint- entire in China and through the recursive exchange in the joint-venture structure along with exchanges with other economic actors, this promotes multilateral exchanges which will lead to a realistic and better understanding of the market.This can be used by Ezra to help better periodically evaluate their ‘STEP' due to changes in consumer needs, this ensures maximized long term success and competitiveness by assessing actions against modern network insights 2. Reduced re-stock time – Currently the existing distribution model for Ezra means that they can only ship to 1 geographical region per ay. By including a distribution center in Asia, it means that stores within the growing market can be restocked much more effectively to better satisfy consumer needs 3.Allows the introduction of e-commerce in Asia -? with a distr ibution center in Asia, this allows for the possibility of establishing e- commerce in China ahead of Sara's competition. This can also be used to further gather consumer insight into preferences. By operating as a joint- venture, risks will be shared with the partner organization, not only this, but resources can be shared to achieve maximum efficiency. However, by opening a distribution center in China, it will start to dissolve the existing centralized structure that Ezra has created.But to expand overseas, Ezra cannot rely on company-centered extant knowledge for expansion and understanding of new customers, as seen through their existing differentiated positioning in Americas and Spain. Ezra must start to take a more decentralized approach in terms of global expansion. The notion of decentralization may come with hesitance from Ezra stakeholders due to Bonnet's failure with a decentralized business model, however as Ezra loud maintain and own a large stake in the joint venture, they would still maintain a large control.With greater network insight, this provides a pathway for Ezra to Open design and production facilities in Asia to improve operational efficiency in the long-term; 1 . Economies of Scale – despite the current centralized distribution model not effecting gross profit growth (exhibit 4), the rapid expansion into Asia can cause discomposes of scale through higher transportation costs. By having design and production local, this will reduce transportation costs to ship to Asian regions, this can Hereford be beneficial in further reducing Sara's carbon footprint and improving CARS 2.Efficient Amalgamation of Consumer Feedback – With rapid expansion, there will be greater consumer feedback. By opening up design and production in China, it allows for efficient and focused amalgamation of Asian consumer perceptions through having an established network insight. This will allow both faster response time to customer feedback and potenti al for exchange of designs between Asian and European markets to expand Sara's product portfolio. 3.Closer to Fabric Suppliers – Currently, Ezra arches fabric from their Hong Kong office, this office could be used to further utilize Asian suppliers to supply fabric for Asian production facilities, therefore reducing costs in importing fabric from overseas suppliers. Overall this solution aims to provide sustainability to Ezra for future growth in Asia. Application of Concepts From the available case study, we can see the 3 components of a Market; the suppliers, product and customer come into play.For suppliers, we can see that suppliers such as H and Inedited offer a large variety of product entries, whilst Fast Retailing offer product specialization and have a small reduce portfolio. However the most important component within this case is the customer aspect, due to the large influence that customers have on product portfolios of Inedited and H. Fast retailing unique has ad opted an undifferentiated approach by treating consumers as a homogeneous segment.Therefore they attempt to reach a large customer base through a single marketing strategy of offering a large variety of basics in a large array of colors. This is different to the approach made by and Inedited, who utilize a differentiated marketing approach. Inedited has multiple brands such s Ezra and Berserk utilizing different Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. This similar concept is used by in which sub-brands are marketed to different segment groups.This therefore means that Inedited and H aim to have a full-market coverage by offering a wide variety of offerings to different segments. However, as Unique is the largest retailer to use a undifferentiated marketing approach, it has successfully differentiated itself from Inedited and Ezra by implementing product specialization, therefore Fast Retailing have benefited from rising revenue growth comparable to H and Inedited (Exhibit 5). Zara Case Study MGMT 6620: Operations & SCM HBS Case Study Zara: IT for Fast Fashion 4/9/2013 1. What is the Zara â€Å"business model†? What weaknesses, if any, do you seen in this business model? The value propositions offered by Zara to its main customers who are young, fashion conscious city-dwellers is offering new styles within the time-frame of several weeks as well as providing assortment of choices for customers and the uniqueness of clothing styles fitting individual customer needs. To achieve this Zara’s business model had the following: 1.Incorporating the horizontal structure for placing orders and deciding which items to push aggressively by delegating decision making responsibilities to store managers; 2. Low volume production of any item and high inventory turnover, which secured better tracking of â€Å"hot† items, which can be sold well; 3. Reduction of losses on items which are not selling well- Company was eliminating inventory build-up by managing low invent ories and by their frequent updates company achieved high foot traffic in its stores and used the stores as focal points of its marketing campaigns.Weakness in Zara’s business model is that each store is highly dependent on decision making capabilities of store managers, which might cause the problem if many of them decide to leave. Moreover, since company relying on small shops scattered throughout Spain and Portugal for its production any economic downturn in those countries can cause the increase the cost of manufacturing or COGS. 2. In your opinion, what are the most important aspects of Zara’s approach to IT? Are these approaches applicable and appropriate anywhere? If not, where would they not work well?The Most important aspect of Zara’s approach to Information technology is the use of DOS-POS in its current store to track customers demand quickly, decentralize the company and provide customer with trendy clothing options. Yes these approaches are essenti ally applicable starting from production till distribution, but Zara’s current IT is outdated and needs to be upgraded from future sustainability point of view to network with various retailors and distribution centers. Zara could face challenges in longer run from operation front with new technology.Zara must keep upgrading them with the latest technology to beat the competitors that might cost high. New technology demands training on usage to employee that again involve cost. 3. Should the company build in-store networks? In our group’s opinion, Zara should build in-store networks. First of all, the store manager has difficulties in ordering without in-store networks. Aim of Zara is to provide its clothes quickly while the system which Zara currently has cannot reach this requirement.The store personnel could not look up their inventory through in-store computer; they need to talk to salespeople to determine the quantities, which is time-consuming. Secondly, for the fulfillment process, the level of the SKU is hard to determine without in-store networks. More importantly, if in-store networks would not be built, the infrastructure that Zara stores currently have cannot provide information among stores about the SKU. Store personnel have to use obsolete methods such as having telephone call or carrying disks to report the inventory or calculate the total sales.Last but not the least, the low cost wireless networks help and favor the building up of in-store networks. Zara, as a company, which has a promising future, should also update its network infrastructure, as its business scope will grow bigger. 4. How would you advise Salgado to proceed on upgrading Zara’s POS system? The POS terminals using DOS has been unchanged for over a decade, which made Zara difficult to manage the daily operation effectively. Upgrading Zara’s POS system would utilize the large screen, keyboard and mouse to quickly provide service to customers.It is ve ry important because time is money. Customers are now very busy with their daily schedule; faster service will attract more customers. Furthermore, the modern POS terminals would be able to execute more sophisticated capabilities such as sharing with other stores the inventory. This is essential for the company to manage the inventory and promote the brand network. It shows to the customers that Zara store is a global network and has the same value of providing the best service to customer anywhere. It will reduce the cost of phone call by using the communication inside the company’s online network.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Investigatory Project Homemade Bouncy Polymer Essays

Investigatory Project Homemade Bouncy Polymer Essays Investigatory Project Homemade Bouncy Polymer Paper Investigatory Project Homemade Bouncy Polymer Paper after being release at a starting position of 77 cm. Polymer 3, 4 and 5 did not bounce at all. LENGTH OF STRETCH The 5 Polymers were pulled to test its ability to be stretched. The following figures were recorded: Trials Polymer 1 30 54 59 35 40 43. 6 Polymer 2 46 36 34 29 29 34. Polymer 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Polymer 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 Polymer 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 Average Standard 11. 11 6. 24 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 Deviation Table 4. 5 Comparison of the Length of Stretch of the Polymers 25 45 40 Distance (in cm. ) 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 Polymer 4 5 Graph 4. 5 Comparison of the Length of Stretch of the Polymers Polymer 1 has an average stretch distance of 43. 6 cm before it breaks. Polymer 2 broke at an average stretch distance of 34. 8 cm. Polymer 3, 4 and 5 was not possible to be stretch. DISTANCE OF ROLL In a 45Â ° inclined plane, each Polymer was allowed to roll.The following data were collected: Trials Polymer 1 84 46 119 58 117 84. 8 Polymer 2 26 36 40 38 43 36. 6 Polymer 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Polymer 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 Polymer 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 Average Standard 29. 77 5. 78 0. 00 0. 00 0. 00 Deviation Table 4. 6 Comparison of the Distance of Stretch of the Polymers 26 90 80 Distance (in cm. ) 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 Polymer 4 5 Graph 4. 6 Comparison of the Distance of Stretch of the Polymers Polymer 1 traveled an average roll distance of 84. 8 cm while Polymer 2 had an average roll distance of 36. 6. Polymer 3, 4 and 5 did not roll at all.OBSERVABLE CHARACTERISTICS Polymer 1 2 3 4 5 Characteristics White in color, rubbery, easy to mold into a ball, smooth, soft White in color, rubbery, easy to mold into a ball but it is also easily can loose its shape, smooth, soft White in color, slimy, not too easy to mole into a ball White in color, some small formation of ‘gooey’ substance can be observe White in color, watery Table 4. 7 Observable Characteristics of the Polymers 27 COST ANALYSIS The follow ing were the cost made in this project study. Total Amount Cost per unit Units used Expenses for the setup 30 P 11. 7 10 10 0 5 P 0. 42 0. 93 0. 00 14. 71 27. 82 5 5. 56 Material Glue Borax Corn starch Water Zip-lock baggie Cost 130 P 51. 00 P 0. 39 1000 200 360 30 42. 00 18. 50 0. 00 88. 25 0. 04 0. 09 0. 00 2. 94 Total expenses Polymer products Cost per Polymer product P Table 4. 8 Cost Analysis of the Research Project The amount of each material was divided by the cost of the material to get the cost per unit. Then the cost per unit was multiplied to the amount of units used to enable the researchers to get the expenses based on the setup of the project study.The total cost of the five (5) polymer products amounted to P27. 82. The cost of each polymer product was P 5. 56. 28 CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Based on the observation, homemade bouncy polymer can be created by mixing Borax dissolved in water, glue diluted in water an d cornstarch. The characteristics of the polymer depend on the amount or ratio of the solution. The more glue solution is added the more elastic the polymer is while the more Borax solution is added the more watery it is. All the Polymers weighted the same, 40 grams.Polymer 1 has the highest volume with 90 ml. Polymer 5 has the highest density with 0. 53 g/ml. Polymer 1 has an average bounce/return height of 6. 4 cm; an average stretch distance of 43. 6 cm; and, an average roll distance of 84. 8 cm. Polymer 2 has an average bounce/return height of 5. 0 cm; an average stretch distance of 34. 8 cm; and, average roll distance of 36. 6. Polymer 3, 4 and 5 did not bounce at all; was not possible to be stretch; and, did not roll at all. The total cost of the five (5) polymer products amounted to P27. 82. The cost of each polymer product was P 5. 56.CONCLUSION Based on the results and findings of the project study, the following conclusions were obtained: 1. It is possible to make a homema de bouncy polymer using PVA glue and cornstarch with the addition of Borax dissolved in water. 29 2. Polymer 1 with the ratio of 1:5:1 (Borax solution:glue solution:cornstarch) produced the best homemade bouncy polymer. It has the highest average bounce/return, highest average stretch distance and highest average roll distance. 3. Varying ratio of the ingredients, Borax solution and glue solution, affect the physical characteristics of the homemade bouncy polymer.Using less borax will produce a goopier type of ball while adding more glue for a slimier ball. RECOMMENDATIONS Making a homemade bouncy polymer produced a positive result. With this basis, the researchers recommend the adaptation of this homemade bouncy polymer on the teaching-learning process which can be used by both teachers and students specifically in representing chemical reactions in Chemistry and demonstration of some laws in Physics. To further improve the project study, the researcher would also like to recommend the following: 1. Experiment with the ratio between the amounts of glue, cornstarch, and borax; 2.Experiment on the floor where the homemade bouncy polymer will bounce the highest, on a wood, on a glass or on a concrete floor; 3. Experiment if temperature will affect the characteristics of the homemade bouncy polymer; 4. Experiment if the size will affect the height of bounce/return, length of stretch and distance of roll; and, 30 5. Experiment if the homemade polymer can be used as an alternative on some rubber products. Moreover, other investigators are encouraged similar project to improve the quality and provide homemade bouncy polymer.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Dr. Megele essays

Dr. Megele essays The doctor that everyone would hate to have as their family doctor! This doctor was Dr. Josef Mengele, also know to many as the Angel of Death. Dr. Josef Mengele was born on March 16, 1911 in Gunzberg, Germany to Karl and Walburga Mengele. Josef also had two younger brothers named Karl and Alois. While Josef was younger, he was very intelligent and popular in his town (Lifton). While Josef was in school he studied many different topics, such as: philosophy, medicine, gymnasium, biology and many more. Josef joined the SA in 1923 and he applied and was accepted to the Nazis in 1937, and joined with the SS in 1938 (Candles). Josef Mengele first started out as a soldier for the Nazis. He was wounded in battle on the Russian front and was pronounced unfit for battle. Josef was afraid of getting kicked out of the Nazi party and killed, so he asked to volunteer at a concentration camp in Auschwitz. He was sent to Auschwitz to be a guard in 1939 (Candles). In Auschwitz is where Mengele was nicknamed Angel of Death and was the main symbol for Adolf Hitlers Final Solution (Best). Mengele was happy to go to Auschwitz because there he the chance to finish conducting his experiments for the Final Solution and get rid of all the people who were not blonde haired and blue eyed (Lifton). While Josef Mengele attended college, he learned much about the human body and how it works. Mengele tried to use his knowledge of the body and put it in his experiment to produce only his kind of people (Lifton). Josef Mengele at age 32 had all the power to the prisoners lives. He could decide who he wanted to live, and who he would kill. A survivor once said, He had the look that said I have all power (Nyiszi). Once there was a block that was found with lice, Mengele quickly solved his problem by gassing all 750 women that were assigned to it. He was the most wel...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Lystrosaurus Facts and Figures

Lystrosaurus Facts and Figures Name: Lystrosaurus (Greek for shovel lizard); pronounced LISS-tro-SORE-us Habitat: Plains (or swamps) of Antarctica, South Africa, and Asia Historical Period: Late Permian-Early Triassic (260-240 million years ago) Size and Weight: About three feet long and 100-200 pounds Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Short legs; barrel-shaped body; relatively large lungs; narrow nostrils About Lystrosaurus About the size and weight of a smallish pig, Lystrosaurus was a classic example of a dicynodont (two dog toothed) therapsid- that is, one of the mammal-like reptiles of the late Permian and early Triassic periods that preceded the dinosaurs, lived alongside the archosaurs (the dinosaurs true ancestors), and eventually evolved into the earliest mammals of the Mesozoic Era. As therapsids go, though, Lystrosaurus was on the much less mammal-like end of the scale: its unlikely that this reptile possessed either fur or a warm-blooded metabolism, putting it in stark contrast to near contemporaries like Cynognathus and Thrinaxodon. The most impressive thing about Lystrosaurus is how widespread it was. The remains of this Triassic reptile have been unearthed in India, South Africa and even Antarctica (these three continents were once merged together into the giant continent of Pangea), and its fossils are so numerous that they account for a whopping 95 percent of the bones recovered at some fossil beds. No less an authority than the famous evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has called Lystrosaurus the Noah of the Permian/Triassic boundary, being one of the few creatures to survive this little-known global extinction event 250 million years ago that killed 95 percent of marine animals and 70 percent of terrestrial ones. Why was Lystrosaurus so successful when so many other genera went extinct? No one knows for sure, but there are a few theories. Perhaps the unusually large lungs of Lystrosaurus allowed it to cope with plunging oxygen levels at the Permian-Triassic boundary; perhaps Lystrosaurus was somehow spared thanks to its presumed semi-aquatic lifestyle (the same way crocodiles managed to survive the K/T Extinction tens of millions of years later); or perhaps Lystrosaurus was so plain vanilla and unspecialized compared to other therapsids (not to mention so petitely built) that it managed to endure environmental stresses that rendered its fellow reptiles kaput. (Refusing to subscribe to the second theory, some paleontologists believe that Lystrosaurus actually thrived in the hot, arid, oxygen-starved environments that prevailed during the first few million years of the Triassic period.) There are over 20 identified species of Lystrosaurus, four of them from the Karoo Basin in South Africa, the most productive source of Lystrosaurus fossils in the entire world. By the way, this unprepossessing reptile made a cameo appearance in the late 19th century Bone Wars: an amateur fossil-hunter described a skull to the American paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh, but when Marsh didnt express any interest, the skull was forwarded instead to his arch-rival Edward Drinker Cope, who coined the name Lystrosaurus. Oddly, a short time later, Marsh purchased the skull for his own collection, perhaps wishing to examine it more closely for any mistakes Cope may have made!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

PERSPECTIVE PAPER MEXICAN WAR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PERSPECTIVE PAPER MEXICAN WAR - Essay Example The population nearly tripled in less than half a century! And, with the high volume of immigration coupled with the need for larger families to sustain farms, this trend will likely continue at a more rapid pace. Acquiring land from Mexico would greatly help with this problem, by giving more land for our growing population to live in. Secondly, because of the harsh economic conditions that many in this country have faced, frontier land offers new possibilities. The economic depressions suffered by this country in 1819 and again in 1837 left many with next to nothing. Westward expansion offers a fresh start for such people. The reason for this is that frontier land costs very little, and in some cases, is free. This means that many people who could never have the means to become landowners presently may now have the chance. This is important, since landownership signifies wealth, power, and independence. At the same time, westward expansion opens the opportunity for new forms of commerce. A struggling craftsman on the East coast must deal with the competition of other craftsmen of the same trade. Place this same craftsman out west, and he may find that while need for his craft has not changed, he is experiencing little to no competition from rival craftsmen. He may even end up with more customers than he can handl e. Imagine the riches! Also, merchants who relocated out West will open West coast ports. This will allow trade between the United States and Pacific countries, making our nation even more prosperous. Lastly, it is our duty to spread democracy to the world. Democracy is God's plan for the world. And, seeing as how the United States is the perfect embodiment of God's plan, who better than us to spread democracy far and wide To not spread democracy to these unfortunate people who no nothing of the joys of democracy would be a sin. We must open their eyes and show them that this is the best way of life. We can begin to fill this duty by acquiring Mexican land and extending democracy to those who happen to inhabit it. As you can see, the desire of land acquisition is not solely a selfish one. I hope I have done my part to persuade you. We must declare war on Mexico in order to further the prosperity of this great country. I am afraid that without expansion, this country will never recognize its full potential. And, in the end, the acquisition of Mexican territory is what's best for everyone involved, both Americans and Mexicans. Thank you for your time, Sincerely, Good job of giving three reasons for the importance of territorial expansion - Might have specifically mentioned California and its potential May 2, 1846 Mr. President, I am writing you in hopes that this letter will aid you in your decision as to whether or not to declare war on Mexico. This is something that I believe very strongly in. I feel that a declaration of war is entirely unnecessary, and in fact could prove disastrous for this nation. First of all, I believe that expanding this nation would prove to weaken democracy. Ours is an experimental government and therefore, its boundaries are unknown. Our nation seems to be running smoothly at its present state, so why tempt fate It is my strong belief that the reason our government works so well is because this country is relatively small and the government is close to the people.

Friday, October 18, 2019

International Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

International Business Management - Essay Example It would use it to provide insight into how the concept can be used and a critical example of how the theory can be invoked. In his book, Competitive Strategy, Porter identifies some important elements that are necessary for the attainment of competitive advantage. Porter stated that competitive advantage arises when a firm provides the highest level of value to consumers, and hence attract the highest prices from them. Porter argues that this can only be internalised if a firm identifies some external elements in the business environment and internalize them in order to form a strategy based on them. In order to attain competitive advantage, a business needs to examine the unique positions and capabilities of competitors and players in an industry. When this is done, a firm can identify a business strategy and after that, designs its functional systems. Industry analysis involves the examination of the key players and the key threats to a given firms quest to attain competitive advantage. This is done by examining five main forces of the industry. These elements are: Every industry exists to produce some kind of value to the wider society. The industry would always exist and there is some kind of balance and stability that comes up naturally as the industry thrives and grows. The risk of entry of potential competitors refers to the situation whereby some third party businesses can enter the industry and produce services that can change the dynamics. The risk of potential competitors entering a given industry is strongly related to the presence or absence of barriers in a given industry. If there are no barriers in the industry and new entrants can easily enter, and this would make the sector extremely problematic. This is because a firms competitive advantage can be easily threatened. However, if there are high barriers like high capital requirement and other regulations, then an

Discussion Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Discussion - Article Example terest groups should only be a particular group that feels it has been neglected but instead American society should consider each and every individual as worthy of special interest (Bartleby.com 1). One of the most interesting aspects in Marc Cooper and Greg Goldin’s article â€Å"Some People Don’t Count’ is the racial aspect that the authors brought out. The two argue that the Los Angeles riots were largely the fault of Chief Daryl Gates who did little to put in place fair measures to ensure that the riots did not occur in the first place (Cooper & Goldin 1). Arrests were distinctly racial in nature as evidenced by the fact that the large majority of men who were arrested were from the Black and Latino community. The media did little to calm racial tensions constantly referring to these communities as violent. Another interesting aspect is the fact that the black leadership also did not do their part to provide support to the black community leaving gay organisations to do the large amount of encouraging activism (Cooper & Goldin

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Protections and issues surronding the 4th amendement Essay

Protections and issues surronding the 4th amendement - Essay Example These questions will be answered and explained in detail. The Fourth Amendment states, â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.† (Anonymous 1) Since the ratification of the Fourth Amendment we have had many court rulings directly applying to the use of the Fourth Amendment and its limits and allowances. The amendment itself states emphatically that people must be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures. It also clearly states that their security is in their homes, persons and especially their papers and effects. The use of the word effects is based on 18th century English the definition of which at the time meant specifically, movable property. A primary modern legal precedent can be found in Mapp versus Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961). This case specifically decided that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment cannot be used in a criminal prosecution in state or federal courts. (Mapp v. Ohio 1) An interesting aspect of this case came in the dissenting opinion from Justice Harlan who believed that the wrong questions had been asked and that proper information had not been given. The exclusionary rule had also been brought up with this decision as before this decision there had never been a widely applied enforcement of the exclusionary rule. The exclusionary rule is the legal approach that holds that evidence wrongly acquired should be dismissed and is a support for the Fourth Amendment. The exclusionary rule does not however, apply in civil cases, grand jury proceedings or a parole revocation hearing. Some believe that the exclusionary rule causes more negative than positive. Socially this may be the case in that as a result of the exclusionary rule and by default the Fourth Amendment guilty individuals may go free, there is the greater need for justice to be fair and the exclusionary rule ensures that this can happen. The exclusionary rule is the only agreed upon solution for the Supreme Court to assure the effectiveness of the Fourth Amendment. Another case that set legal precedent was Katz versus United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967). This case set the precedent for technology and privacy, specifically; one has an expected privacy when making a call from a telephone booth. The decision made it clear that a person could make a private call in a public area. The dissenting opinion from Justice Black said that the Fourth Amendment was meant to protect items from physical search and seizure. (Katz v. United States 1) There have been new approaches to this issue due to the use of the internet and cellular phones which do not necessarily call for a phone booth; however, it has been upheld as case law. Among the modern issues pre sented by adherence to the protections of the Fourth Amendment come as a result of recent terrorist activity within the United States. The Patriot Act or public law 107-56 has been the center of much controversy with its wide reaching allowances especially regarding the protections of the Fourth Amendment. The Patriot Act allows federal and state law enforcement agents to commit searches if a suspect is understood to be a threat to national security. Specifically Title II

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7

Philosophy - Essay Example It can be studied as a property of brain. All the human activities are controlled by the instructions from the brain. Cognitive capacities include; the ability to analyze a situation, the ability to evaluate the do’s and don’ts, implementation of actions, understanding and analysis of ideas to form clear pictures about an incident, hypothesis formations, generalizations, anticipation of new possibilities, ability to understand the cause-and-effect linkages among a system etc. The intellectual levels of different human beings are different and hence the cognitive capacities also will be different from person to person. â€Å"According to the computational theory of mind (CTM), mental capacities are explained by inner computations, which in biological organisms are realized in the brain† (Gualtiero Piccinini). Human mind activities are more or less similar to that of a computer. A computer is providing us the output after a lot of computations. Whatever the instructions supplied to a computer is been processed inside the Central Processing Similarly our mind also will undergo lot of computing process before taking a decision. The instructions to the computer is been supplied through the keyboard or mouse while in the case of human being the instructions are obtained through the senses, ear, eyes, nose, tongue and skin. In the case of a computer the information will be processed in the CPU while in the case of human it is processed in the brain. For computers the instructions supplied from the keyboard or mouse will reach the CPU through address buses while in the case of human the instructions from the senses reaches the brain through nerves associated with the senses. Consider the case of a purchasing decision of a car by a person. He will decide about the car to be purchased only after lot of computations such as analyzing the data about different models of cars, evaluation of price factors, fuel economy, maintenance costs, resale value, his

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Protections and issues surronding the 4th amendement Essay

Protections and issues surronding the 4th amendement - Essay Example These questions will be answered and explained in detail. The Fourth Amendment states, â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.† (Anonymous 1) Since the ratification of the Fourth Amendment we have had many court rulings directly applying to the use of the Fourth Amendment and its limits and allowances. The amendment itself states emphatically that people must be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures. It also clearly states that their security is in their homes, persons and especially their papers and effects. The use of the word effects is based on 18th century English the definition of which at the time meant specifically, movable property. A primary modern legal precedent can be found in Mapp versus Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961). This case specifically decided that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment cannot be used in a criminal prosecution in state or federal courts. (Mapp v. Ohio 1) An interesting aspect of this case came in the dissenting opinion from Justice Harlan who believed that the wrong questions had been asked and that proper information had not been given. The exclusionary rule had also been brought up with this decision as before this decision there had never been a widely applied enforcement of the exclusionary rule. The exclusionary rule is the legal approach that holds that evidence wrongly acquired should be dismissed and is a support for the Fourth Amendment. The exclusionary rule does not however, apply in civil cases, grand jury proceedings or a parole revocation hearing. Some believe that the exclusionary rule causes more negative than positive. Socially this may be the case in that as a result of the exclusionary rule and by default the Fourth Amendment guilty individuals may go free, there is the greater need for justice to be fair and the exclusionary rule ensures that this can happen. The exclusionary rule is the only agreed upon solution for the Supreme Court to assure the effectiveness of the Fourth Amendment. Another case that set legal precedent was Katz versus United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967). This case set the precedent for technology and privacy, specifically; one has an expected privacy when making a call from a telephone booth. The decision made it clear that a person could make a private call in a public area. The dissenting opinion from Justice Black said that the Fourth Amendment was meant to protect items from physical search and seizure. (Katz v. United States 1) There have been new approaches to this issue due to the use of the internet and cellular phones which do not necessarily call for a phone booth; however, it has been upheld as case law. Among the modern issues pre sented by adherence to the protections of the Fourth Amendment come as a result of recent terrorist activity within the United States. The Patriot Act or public law 107-56 has been the center of much controversy with its wide reaching allowances especially regarding the protections of the Fourth Amendment. The Patriot Act allows federal and state law enforcement agents to commit searches if a suspect is understood to be a threat to national security. Specifically Title II

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Ideal Education in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ideal Education in America - Essay Example Based on the paper, education represents one of the fundamental backbones of contemporary social organization. While there are many aspects of the ideal education in America, one of the most important aspects is that education function to aid an individual to discover what is inside of them. One of the important considerations in these regards was raised by education theorist Sydney Harris in her essay ‘What true education should do’. In this essay, Harris states, â€Å"genuine education†¦is not inserting the stuffings of information into a person, but rather eliciting knowledge from him; it is the drawing out of what is in the mind† (Harris). This view of education considers that while ostensibly education is the process of learning this does not necessitate that the individual simply learns ‘things’. Instead, the ideal education must consider the process of education. Harris further notes, â€Å"The job of teaching is not to stuff them and the n seal them up, but to help them open and reveal the riches within. There are pearls in each of us† (Harris). In this context of understanding, it’s clear that instead of simply educating the student in a series of objective facts as much of America education does, the ideal education must be a fluid process that considers the subjective perspectives and abilities of each student. This ideal education then aids the student in discovering their abilities and reaching their full potential. Another prominent aspect of the ideal education in America is that education develops creative and critical thinking skills. Within this context of understanding, one considers many aspects of the American educational system that fail to accomplish these elements. Uninspired teachers in all departments too frequently resort to strictly following proscribed curriculum measures and treating students as receptacles of knowledge.  

Video game and primary online games Essay Example for Free

Video game and primary online games Essay Computer game addiction is a worrying aspect of the modern-day technologically able youth. Many children spend hours a day on computers, so much so that computers have become a primary source of entertainment for them , as well as a convenient baby-sitter for parents. Throughout this guide, the details of computer game addiction will be discussed, such as addiction signs, solutions to the problems and alternatives to computers for entertainment. Here are the Famous or most played online games. * 3 Primary Online Games: * World of Warcraft * Final Fantasy XI Online * EverQuest * These are called MMORPGs – Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games * MMORPGs never end, there isn’t a final goal state which you can achieve. You ultimately strive to be the best of the best within the game. II. Statement of the problem Computer Addiction is an ongoing problem for youths to adults everywhere. It involves the person spending time on the computer for hours more than necessary. The problem with Computer Addiction is that as more youths are logging onto the computer, they are spending more time online than doing another things. They become addicted to the computer, and use their time on the computer instead of doing other things, like spending time with the family or doing homework. This causes strange and irrational behaviour, turning these people into computer addicts. 5 Question about Computer Gaming Addiction 1. What is the effect of being Computer Addicted? 2. How do people become addicted to Computer Games ? 3. Doe`s computer addiction affect our health? 4. What symptoms can you find in people who is addicted to online games? 5. How can we say that the people or person is already addicted to computer games ?

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Most Famous Online Shopping Website In China Marketing Essay

The Most Famous Online Shopping Website In China Marketing Essay Abstract Taobao is the most famous online shopping website in China. It was launched in 2003 and within two years it became the leader of Chinas online shopping market. In order to keep the leadership position in increasingly intense competition and sustain its development, Taobao needs to modify and better its strategies for future development. Furthermore, its marketing strategies can also provide a good example for other online shopping companies. This essay is going to make an overall analysis on Taobaos business strategies by SWOT. Key words: Taobao; marketing strategies; SWOT analysis Content 1. Introduction 3 2.1 Leading position in Chinas online shopping market 4 2.2 Effective combination of diversified offerings 4 2.3 Precise market positioning 5 3.1 Limiting itself to local market 6 3.2 Insufficient screen process to control counterfeit products 6 4. Opportunities 7 4.1 Growing demand for online shopping in China 7 4.2 Government support 7 4.3 Safer payment systems for online transactions 7 5. Threats 8 5.1 Low entry barrier leads to fierce competition 8 5.2 Strict policy for third parties payment license 8 5.3 Higher logistics costs 8 6 Conclusions 9 Bibliography 10 1. Introduction Taobao operates a website, Taobao.com which is the largest Internet retail website in China. According to its website the transaction volume on Taobao (gross merchandise volume or GMV) exceeded RMB200 billion (US$29 billion) in 2009. Taobao launched in 2003, is owned by Alibaba Group, which is a family of Internet-based businesses. (Taobao, n.d.) Taobao provides not only online platforms but also third-party online payment services (Alipay) and instant messaging services (Aliwangwang) Platforms within Taobao include Alimama (alimama.com), an online advertising exchange and affiliate network for publishers in China. In addition, there is also a classified listing website Koubei.com. (ibid.) SWOT analysis, according to Philip Kolter, is an overall evaluation of a companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. (Kolter, 2003) As the competition in the online shopping market is becoming increasingly fierce, Taobao faces some problems as well. The purpose of this SWOT analysis is to provide a critical review of key factors that may slow down Taobaos future development. 2. Strengths 2.1 Leading position in Chinas online shopping market Taobao is an acknowledged leader in both B2C (business to consumer) and C2C (consumer to consumer) online shopping market in China. Taobao has (should be: had) more than 190 million registered users by (could use: at) the end of April, 2010. (Taobao, n.d.) It has built a strong brand and is recognised by more Netizen (which is defined as the Chinese population who have accessed the Internet in the past 6 months by China Internet Network Information Centre) (CNNIC. 2008, January 15th). The company is well-thought-of by customers which gives Taobao more advantages in competition. 2.2 Effective combination of diversified offerings Taobao combines its three segment businesses effectively to enlarge its customer base. Take Alipay as an example, it is a third-party online payment platform, provides a simpler, efficient and safe payment service for both customers and sellers. This service not only ensure (should be: ensures) the transaction security but also reduces the transaction risk for online consumers, as it enables buyers to confirm the quality of goods before releasing funds to sellers. For example, if goods are found (to be) broken or fake, customers can request Alipay to postpone the release of funds to sellers. (Taobao, n.d.) This service help (should be: helps) Taobao (to) attract more customers. In addition, an instant message (could use: messaging) service called Aliwangwang make (should be: makes) the communication between (the) buyer and seller easier. Moreover, this service enables (the) buyer and seller (to) have a directly private bargain during the transactions, which is the preference of Chinese customers. 2.3 Precise market positioning Taobao analyzed Chinas online shopping market at the beginning of its business. Different from other online shopping websites which prefer older white-collar worker(s) with higher salaries or people who like collecting and sharing, Taobao chose fashionable younger females as the target customer. This market positioning proved more suitable for Chinas market compared to other websites (apostrophe not needed) . This is one of the reasons that the growth rate of Taobao is much higher than other competitors. 3. Weaknesses 3.1 Limiting itself to local market The design of Taobao website and other supporting services were based on Chinas local market. This localisation strategy made Taobao grew (should be: grow) fast at the beginning. However, with the development of the website, this strategy limits Taobao to the Chinese market and (, therefore resulting in a) lack of presence in (the) global market. 3.2 Insufficient screen process to control counterfeit products Although Taobao has taken some measures to control the sale of fake goods, such as rating the sellers by credit value, the result was not as expected. Because of the free strategy that Taobao used, individuals can establish an online shop easily without charge and requirement. This makes it even hard to monitor and select sellers that commit fraud. Lack of effective screening processes to control the sale of counterfeit products has had a negative influence on customers confidence in Taobao. It could also affect Taobaos brand image and sales. 4. Opportunities 4.1 Growing demand for online shopping in China According to CNNIC, the number of online buyers reached 87.9 million by June 2009, increasing from 74 million in 2008 and 46 million in 2007. The online shopping penetration rate achieved 24.8% by June 2009. (CNNIC. 2010, January 15th; 2010, July 15th) As the data above shows, more people in China prefer to buy products online. Convenience and various choices could be two main reasons. This increasingly growing demand for online shopping contributed to the growth of Taobao. 4.2 Government support After the global financial crisis, (the) Chinese government provided a RMB 4 trillion stimulus package in order to boost the domestic economic growth through 2010. (the) IT industry received around 0.5% to 1% of the cash injection. (Xinhua, 2008). This gave online shopping companies strong support for future developments. 4.3 Safer payment systems for online transactions The improved online payment systems play an important role in the growth of Chinese online shopping markets. There are more flexible payment systems for customers to choose. For example, a third-party online payment system ensures the security of transaction(s) and enables customers to get their refunds easily. A simpler and safer payment for online transaction(s) attracts (should be: attract) more customers. 5. Threats 5.1 Low entry barrier leads to fierce competition Because of the low entry barrier and fast growing market, Taobao meets many challenges, particularly in the face of increased competition from new market entrants. In addition, without many technical difficulties, it is easy for other competitors to copy Taobaos business pattern. Therefore, Taobao will be forced to increase investments on advertising or technological innovation. 5.2 Strict policy for third parties payment license Recently, Peoples Bank of China issued an Administrative Measures for the Payment Services Provided by Non-financial Institutions which has raised the entry standard for third payment party. In order to get (could use: obtain) and keep the license, Taobao has to increase its expenditure on online payment. 5.3 Higher logistics costs Taobao will give customers suggestions about the logistic companies which are mostly local third party logistics providers and customers usually take the suggestions because of the lower delivery prices these companies offered, compared to other international express companies, such as DHL and UPS. However, local third party logistics recently announced that they would raise the price. As most online customers are highly prices sensitive, this will have a negative effect on Taobaos sale. 6 Conclusions According to the SWOT analysis, although there are some drawbacks which have negative effects on Taobaos future development, the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages. In addition, there are many opportunities for Taobaos further growth. This conclusion will give some suggestions for Taobaos future business expansion. First of all, in order to keep the leadership position, technological innovation is crucial for Taobao. Taobao may focus on continuous improvement of its online payment system, which is also one of its strengths, particularly in the aspect of transactions (should be transactions, without apostrophe) reliability and security. Moreover, website functions, Internet stability and high-speed access to websites are also important in providing a better user experience, which may help to attract more customers. Secondly, as Taobao has the advantage of large scale consumers and sellers, Taobao may segment its market to provide more specialized services based on different demands so that it can meet customers requirements more effectively. To sum up, it is undeniable that the future of (the) online shopping market in China is promising. Based on the statistics by CNNIC, It is in a steadily (should be: steady) development stage. In this attractive online shopping market, more complete logistics providers and payment systems will appear. These will provide Taobao more opportunities to develop in the future.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Abuse in Government Care Essay example -- Childcare Foster Adoption Ab

Abuse in Government Care   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is unfortunate that in our society some children grow up without the opportunity of having a loving family to raise them. More unimaginable is children growing up with parents or family members that are abusive. Children raised in abusive environments that are reported to social services and removed from their home are placed into foster care. Foster care is defined supervised care for delinquent or neglected children usually in an institution or substitute home set up by the government. Some advocates claim that the government child care system is adequate, but others like David Van Biema of Time Magazine state that, â€Å"foster care is intended to protect children from neglect and abuse at the hands of parents and other family members, yet all too often it becomes an equally cruel form of neglect and abuse by the state (Biema).† There is substantial research that looks deeper into the foster care system. It reveals that abuse in foster care is a big e nough problem that it needs to be addressed, but what changes can or should be made?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Government statistics, newspaper articles, and thorough research projects have been completed to answer the question, â€Å"is there a problem in the foster care system?† The results have revealed that a serious problem exist within foster care in the United States. At any given time there are approximately 542,000 children in the foster care system (Dept of Health). This number continues to rise each year. In 2001, 290,000 children entered into foster care, while only 263,000 children left the system (Dept of Health). Of the 263,000 children that left foster care in the year 2001, 31% were in care for over two years (Dept of Health). Nineteen percent of those children were in foster care for one to two years (Dept of Health). Two years is an unacceptable amount of time when taken into consideration that between the ages of 8 and ten are critical developmental years in a child’s life. The average age of the a child leaving the foster care system in 2 001 was 10.2 years old (Dept of Health). The amount of children per foster home at any given time is another problem. The average number of children per home in the foster care system is 3.7, which is up from 1.4 in 1983. Although 3.7 children is an average per home, there are claims that tens of thousands of homes have 5 – 8 children at once (C... ... we can ask for is that they come out alive (Thoma 8).† Work Cited: Biema, David Van. â€Å"The Storm Over Orphanages.† Time Magazine, p. 144   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 Dec. 1994. Cohen, Deborah L. â€Å"Foster-Care Reforms Often Ignore Problems Children Face in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  School.† Education Weekly 15 June 1991. Maier, Timothy W. â€Å"Suffer the Children.† Insight on the News 24 Nov. 1997: Pg. 11. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. â€Å"Public records and confidentiality laws.† Jan. 2004 http://emanuals.odjfs.state.oh.us/emanuals/legal/pubrec/@Generic__BookTextVie w/3;cs=default;ts=default;pt=23. Ritchotte, William. â€Å"Foster Care Reform.† Adoption.com   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://library.adoption.com/Advocacy/Foster-Care-Reform/article/5053/1.html. Thoma, Rick. â€Å"How Widwspread a Problem? A Critical Look at the Foster Care System† Liftingtheveil.org 24 June 2003 http://www.liftingtheveil.org/foster04.htm. Thoma, Rick. â€Å"A Critical Look at the Foster Care System: How Safe the Service?† Liftingtheveil.org 15 Nov. 2002 http://www.liftingtheveil.org/foster03.htm. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. â€Å"Foster Care National Statistics.† 2003   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/factsheets/foster.cfm.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Dangerous Dogs

Exercise A Dangerous dogs 1. Give an outline of the various views on dangerous dogs presented in text 1, 2 and 3. There are different opinions in the three texts. In text 1, â€Å"Police bask new law on killer dogs† by Jamie Doward, the police officer, Bernard Hogan-Howe has demanded a change to the law on dangerous dogs so children are better protected and so the new rules will target the owners of dangerous dogs, rather than the animals themselves. That happens after five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson was mauled by a pit bull and died.Four breeds were banned as followed by the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. That led to hundreds of people handing in their dogs to the police in the Merseyside area, because they were afraid they might be prosecuted. Bernard Hogan-Howe says that there are now 200 fewer illegal dogs in Merseyside. In text 2, â€Å"Jail owners of killer dogs† by Victoria Stilwell has another view. She is against breed-specific legislation. She means that you should fa ce jail if your dog kills someone, and it is time owners take responsibility when they mix kids and pets.The death of 13-month-old Archie-Lee Hirst – mauled by his family’s rottweiler – has started a tighter control on dangerous dogs. But Victoria Stilwell says that people should not start thinking that all rottweilers are killers, because they certainly are not. Instead she recommend people to consider which breed that fit into their home, and not to buy a dog on the net or from a backyard breeder. In text 3, â€Å"If the dog is dangerous, the owner will be, too† by Simon Heffer, Simon Heffer himself means that the Dangerous Dogs Act is a pointless piece of legislation, because many pit bulls are still to be found.He also writes that the owner of the dog, who killed five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson, Kiel Simpson was a drug dealer and was jailed for possessing 44Ib of cannabis. Simon Heffer thinks that this underlines that if you meet a dangerous dog, a dang erous human is not far away. Both Jamie Doward and Simon Heffer find a change in the legislation necessary after a pit bull mauled five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson. They both blame the owners to the dogs and see it as a big problem that irresponsible people has it bulls. Victoria Stilwell is opposite the to men against breed-specific legislation. She also blame the owners and says â€Å"you would not leave your baby alone with a stranger – so why a dog†? 2. Characterize the tone used by Simon Heffer in text 3. Illustrate your answer with examples from the text. Simon Heffer uses a readable language and do already catch the reader in the headline. Simon Heffer use a little Ethos and a little pathos when he writes about dangerous dogs and their owners.He explains his points in shortly sentence and he is easy to understand; â€Å"(†¦) 1057 of these repulsive animals are â€Å"legally† owned in this country†¦Ã¢â‚¬  After reading the text we can see that Sim on Heffer is very subjective when he writes about the owners of dogs; not only the owner in the Story of Ellie Lawrenson, but every owner of a dog; â€Å"And it underlines the point that wherever one finds a dangerous dog, there is normally a dangerous human lurking not far away†. It is like he also indicates that he find it more necessary to take control of all the dangerous human, like drug dealers (Kiel Simpson) and so on.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

History of Non Profit Horse Rescue Essay

At present, there are plentiful of non profit organizations for horse rescue and all of them share the same goals and objectives. These organizations’ main goal and mission is to provide rescue, rehabilitation, foster care, and have a positive environment for those horses and equines that have either been abandoned, abused, unwanted, mistreated, neglected, tortured, retired, or are at risk of going to slaughter. Each non profit organization for horse rescue has its own history. Before long, horses and equines were used for transportation. In 1950’s when motorized vehicles were becoming more practical and affordable, horses were replaced as means of transportation by these lower maintenance and faster vehicles. Because of this, many horses were abandoned and neglected and were being sent to slaughter. Thus in 1952, a non profit horse rescue organization called HorseWorld was established to take care of the many working horses whose jobs were taken away and replaced by the motorized vehicles (HorseWorld, 2008). May wild horses or mustangs or more accurately termed as feral horses freely roam on public lands in several states of America like Arizona, California, Idaho, and Wyoming. But the numbers of mustangs were declining as time passes. Mustangs are horses whose ancestors were domestic horses that first arrived in America with Christopher Columbus on his voyage in 1493 (Lifesavers Inc. , 1997). Many of these domestic horses were freed or escaped from early explorers, native tribes, etc. to become free-roaming horses all across America. In order to protect and rescue these horses, the Wild Free-roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed by Congress in 1971 and many non profit horse rescue organizations have come out to protect, manage, and control wild free-roaming horses on public lands. One of these organizations is the Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue. There are many other non profit organizations that protect and rescue not only horses but also dogs and cats from dangerous situations. The important thing is that these organizations give a chance for these animals to have a better life. This reflects how these animal rescue organizations give value to the rights of animals to safety and just treatment.

Artificial Intelligence and the Modern Military

Artificial Intelligence and the Modern Military Wayne K Sullivan Saint Leo University MGT 327, CA01, Management Information Systems Professor Lawrence Mister November 26, 2011 Purpose: In today's military, leaders are continuously seeking ways to incorporate new technology to take the place of human soldiers. It has long been an important goal to be able to remove the human element from the modern battlefield, thus enabling high risk or sensitive political operations to be conducted without the fear of capture or exploitation of US military personnel.One such incident occurred during the Cold War, on May 1, 1960, during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower and during the leadership of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, when a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down over the airspace of the Soviet Union. The United States government at first denied the plane's purpose and mission, but then was forced to admit its role as a covert surveillance aircraft when the Soviet government pro duced its intact remains and surviving pilot, Francis Gary Powers, as well as photos of military bases in Russia taken by Gary Powers.Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been fully integrated within all levels within the Department of Defense (DOD), from software programs designed to efficiently data mine the vast amounts of intelligence collected to complex quantum computing design to monitor and direct operational units in real time on the modern battlefield. This paper will focus only on a few Real world Combat systems currently utilized within the Department of Defense (DOD). Within the Department of Defense (DOD), the word autonomous is equivalent to and often substituted for the term Artificial Intelligence (AI).Autonomous is defined by Webster’s dictionary as; â€Å"Having independent existence or laws† (Webster, 2011) , where as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica as â€Å"the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. † (Britannica, 2011), both definitions define the overall goal of the DOD, Independent combat systems that increase soldier survivability and become a force multiplier in the combat theater of operations. And is being explored for all branches of the service for uses on land, sea, and air. Background:In today's modern combat arenas, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, the desire for autonomous vehicles and intelligent combat systems is higher than ever. Currently within our armed forces there are numerous combat systems that are experimenting with artificial intelligence, designed to reduce or eliminate the need for combat soldiers on missions or tasks that are considered to dangerous for human operators. These missions or task include Biological or Chemical detection, Explosive Ordinance Detection and Demolition (EOD), High value target identification and covert tracking, and Treat Detection and Neutralization.Art ificial Intelligence (AI) is finally reaching the point where it is now feasible, and is starting to demonstrate its capabilities in the combat environment. AI techniques are becoming so ubiquitous that the computers that now bear the label â€Å"Intel inside† could well be labeled â€Å"AI inside,† says Alan Meyrowitz, director of the Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington (Rhea, 2000).Now, with a combination of military-funded development programs and the availability of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology, the military services are beginning real world implementation. AI methods in such new generations of weapons platforms as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), autonomous submersibles to perform unmanned counter terrorism and surveillance operations in shallow water areas, and Fully Autonomous Land Vehicles designed for soldier support as well as search and destroy (Rhea, 2000).United Stat es Army, which is the largest arm of the military by far, in a recent report, has laid out its plans to introduce an upgrade artificial intelligence within its ranks, via a plan integration plan/roadmap from present-day through 2035. Currently the key areas the Army is looking to artificial intelligence are chemical biological detection, counter explosive hazards, security, interdiction attack, and long-range strike capabilities (US Army, 2010).Deployed soldiers have dozens of pounds of batteries, ammo, communications equipment and other Items such as food and water they have to carry on their backs, on top of heavy body armor, encumbering solders with up to 100lbs of additional weight. While this large amount of technology, is useful in combat, it can greatly fatigue solders prior to engagements and can render soldiers severely limited or even ineffective during sustained engagements with the enemy (Knapik, 1989). It is this reason that the U. S. Army is experimenting with a variet y of remotely controlled and even wearable machines to lighten this load.Some are deeply quirky, designed to resemble a headless dog. The spooky Big Dog quadruped robot, which is being developed by robotics company Boston Dynamics, has some of the most advanced artificial intelligence and navigation systems in the planet. In fact, US Army officials are stunned by its programmed behaviors, which make Big Dog extremely helpful in the battlefield. Big Dog can run along soldiers, walk slowly, or lay down to be loaded or unloaded with up to 400 lbs of gear, equivalent to one full squads (6 men) backpacks, all while being aware of the terrain around it.No matter what happens, or how hard it's hit, the robot maintains its course without falling on the ground under any circumstances. The only way to get him off its path is by a major direct hit, which could mean a rocket. U. S. Army Officials are optimistic for this beast. They see it as the most effective way to carry all kinds of material , reducing the weight that soldiers have to tug along, freeing them to move faster and be safer (Diaz, 2009). Another area the U. S.Army is excited about is the compact surveillance platforms that are now available, such as the Skylark I, advanced mini -UAV system, a unique man-pack configuration designed for day and night observation and data collection up to distances of 10-15 km. The mini -UAV system is equipped with an exceptionally quiet electric motor, totally autonomous flight, and outstanding observation capabilities allowing for easy operation and orientation (Keren, 2004). Soldiers can launch the state-of-the-art AI flight system, after a brief training period, usually only one week of computer software training, no pilot skills are required.It features a gyroscopic-stabilized gimbaled payload and a high degree of autonomous flight from take-off to precise recovery, yielding real-time intelligence, the operator simply points the camera to where he wishes to look and the Sk ylark flies there. The Skylark I system has proven itself in cloudy, rainy and windy weather conditions, the Skylark I has demonstrated excellent optical survey, target identification and surveillance capabilities. This configuration, equipped with algorithms derived from larger Hermes UAVs, can track fixed and moving targets, an impressive capability for a hand launched UAV.Skylark I can be used for both defense and homeland security applications including perimeter security, border and coastal surveillance, anti-terrorism surveillance and a variety of law enforcement missions. Skylark I has already accumulated more than 3000 successful operational sorties and is currently operationally active in several theatres of the global war on terror. Skylark I set a new world record in high altitude flights, climbing to an altitude exceeding 16,000 feet and has demonstrated outstanding performance in weather conditions ranging from arctic to equatorial weather.Skylark I is equipped with Elb it Systems' new-generation night payload. Weighing only 700 grams, the thermal payload is the lightest in its class. The payload’s capabilities include very wide area coverage, continuous tracking of moving targets and a higher resolution rate than any of its predecessors (Keren, 2004). Lastly we will examine two of the U. S. Army’s Unmaned Vehicle programs , first the Squad Mission Support System it looks as conventional as any six wheeled hauler you’d see on an admittedly large loading dock, the size of a car with a flat back, readying it to strap up to 600 lbs. worth of equipment onboard.It uses ladar, or laser radar, to identify the unit it needs to follow and drives off autonomously behind (Ackerman, 2011). Secondly is the Crusher, All branches of the United States military services are actively seeking new technology and programs that will limit or eliminate the need to place service personnel in harm's way. And operating and weapon systems become more adv anced, it appears inevitable that someday in the not so distant future, autonomous machines will be performing a large majority of mundane and repetitive task as well as tearing out specialized operations on the battlefield of the future.It is through organizations such as Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), whose mission is to maintain the technological superiority of the U. S. military and prevent technological surprise from harming our national security by sponsoring revolutionary, high-payoff research bridging the gap between fundamental discoveries and their military use (DARPA, 2011). Unlike conventional bits or transistors, which can be in one of only two states at any one time (1 or 0), a qubit can be in several states at the same time and can therefore be used to hold and process a much larger amount of information at a greater rate.A major obstacle for realizing a quantum computer is the complexity of the quantum circuits required. As with conventional compu ters, quantum algorithms are constructed from a small number of elementary logic operations. Controlled operations are at the heart of the majority of important quantum algorithms. The traditional method to realize controlled operations is to decompose them into the elementary logic gate set. However, this decomposition is very complex and prohibits the realization of even small-scale quantum circuits. The researchers now show a completely new way to approach this problem. By using an extra degree of freedom of quantum particles, we can realize the control operation in a novel way. We have constructed several controlled operations using this method,† said Dr Xiao-Qi Zhou, research fellow working on this project, â€Å"This will significantly reduce the complexity of the circuits for quantum computing. † The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system with an integrated sensor suite that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissa nce, or ISR, capability worldwide.Global Hawk's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of ISR collection capability to support joint combatant forces in worldwide peacetime, contingency and wartime operations. The Global Hawk complements manned and space reconnaissance systems by providing near-real-time coverage using imagery intelligence or IMINT, sensors. Once mission parameters are programmed into a Global Hawk, the UAS can autonomously taxi, take off, fly, remain on station capturing imagery, return and land. Ground-based operators monitor the UAS's status, and can change navigation and sensor plans during flight as necessary. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jason Tudor Think the U. S. military has a lot of drones now? Just you wait. The Pentagon has just released its 30-year plan for buying and developing warplanes. And in a development that should come as no surprise, the future the military anticipates for its Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps air fleets — toge ther numbering more than 5,500 warplanes — is more robotic than ever. The congressionally mandated Aircraft Procurement Plan 2012-2041 is, of course, filled with conjecture. Any number of factors — fiscal, strategic, industrial or technological — could change nexpectedly, sending ripples through the Pentagon’s carefully-laid plans, currently projected to cost around $25 billion per year. But based on current tech trends (everything always gets more expensive), anticipated (that is to say, flat) budgets and projected threats (China and terrorists, as usual), the military believes it can make do for the next three decades with air fleets roughly the same size as today’s — with just one big exception. The robot air force will double in just the next nine years. The Avenger, or Predator C, is a major upgrade from the earlier versions.With a 41-foot long fuselage and 66-foot wingspan, the Avenger is capable of staying in the air for up to 20 hour s, and operating at up to 60,000 feet. Powered by a 4,800-lb. thrust Pratt & Whitney PW545B jet engine, it can fly at over 400 knots — 50 percent faster than the turboprop-powered Reaper unmanned plane, and more than three times as quick as the Predator. The Avenger should also be much harder to spot – with wings, tails, weapons bays, and sides are all designed to reduce its radar signature. (General Atomics won’t say if it used any of its specialized radar-absorbent materials in the drone, but it’s a fair bet. The new plane might not just take off from land. Designed with folding wings and a tailhook, the latest killer drone could wind up launching from an aircraft carrier, before it attacks it foes. SAN DIEGO, April 12, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)-built MQ-8B Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle marked a new single-day flight record of 18 hours. U. S. Navy operators achie ved the record using a single aircraft in a series of endurance flights Feb. 25 from the USS Halyburton (FFG 40).Fire Scout is providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data to support anti-piracy missions while deployed on the ship for the Navy's 5th Fleet. â€Å"We've continually worked with the Navy to enhance Fire Scout since its last deployment to meet these types of operational needs,† said George Vardoulakis, vice president for tactical unmanned systems for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. â€Å"These flights not only demonstrated Fire Scout's maturity, it showed how the system provides a much-needed extension for gathering crucial information during peacekeeping or wartime missions. In April 2010, Fire Scout concluded a military utility assessment on board the USS McInerney (FFG 8), a frigate similar to the USS Halyburton. Fire Scout has flown twice as much in the first two months on board the USS Halyburton than the entire USS McInerney dep loyment. The system also completed initial flight tests on board the USS Freedom (LCS 1) in November. Fire Scout features a modular architecture that accommodates a variety of electro-optical/infrared and communications payloads. These payloads provide ground and ship-based commanders with high levels of situational awareness and precision targeting support.Fire Scout's ability to operate at low ground speeds makes it particularly well suited for supporting littoral missions such as drug interdiction, search and rescue, reconnaissance and port security. Intelligent unmanned autonomous systems includes the multi-role Talisman family of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which provide a flexible surveillance and protection capability for key facilities and assets, including harbours, inshore mine countermeasures and a range of oceanographic missions.The latest generation Talisman L uses the mission system, proven on the larger Talisman M, and re-packages it into a two man portable s ystem for port and harbor protection and inshore mine counter measures (MCM). It can be deployed from the shore, rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) or any platform of opportunity with either low freeboard or a small crane or davit. The system utilises the same control interface as other vehicles in the Talisman family. Talisman L can be operated using a ruggedized laptop or similar portable device.Its open architecture command system also allows its integration with command & information systems aboard naval vessels or land-based vehicles. Data storage on the vehicle is arranged to facilitate rapid mission turnaround and analysis to maintain the tempo of operations. To fly the military's baddest, most technologically advanced planes, you once had to have what Tom Wolfe called â€Å"that righteous stuff† — the willingness to strap yourself to a jet-fuel laden machine and push it to the very limits of its mechanical capabilities.Nowadays, unmanned systems have taken the human danger out of some combat missions, though human pilots remain at the sticks. But not for long. The Navy's experimental X-47B combat system won't be remotely piloted, but almost completely autonomous. Human involvement won't be of the stick-and-rudder variety, but handled with simple mouse clicks. Speaking to reporters at the Sea Air Space convention near Washington, reps from both Northrop Grumman (maker of the X-47B) and the Navy said the X-47B would be piloted not by human handlers in some steel box in Nevada, but by 3. million lines of software code. The rest of its functions will be able to be handled by non-pilot personnel (or your average child), as they will only require clicks of the mouse; a click to turn on the engines, a click to taxi, a click to initiate takeoff, etc. For flyboys proudly boasting their nighttime carrier landing cred, the idea is anathema. But given the difficulty and danger of carrier takeoffs and landings, automating them is one way to ensure saf ety–provided the systems work the way they are supposed to.The X-47B has already taken to the skies from Edwards AFB earlier this year, but this is a Navy plane. As such, it will begin â€Å"learning† the ins and outs of carrier operations via simulated takeoffs and landings starting in 2013. If all goes well, the X-47B could be autonomously showing Navy pilots how to put a multimillion aircraft down on a sea-tossed carrier deck by 2014. Those carrier landings, of course, take a certain kind of touch. Specifically, that of an index finger on a standard issue mouse (Dillow, 2011). On August 11, 2011, DARPA attempted to fly the fastest aircraft ever built.The Agency’s Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) is designed to fly anywhere in the world in less than 60 minutes. This capability requires an aircraft that can fly at 13,000 mph, while experiencing temperatures in excess of 3500F. The second test flight began with launch at 0745 Pacific Time. The Mino taur IV vehicle successfully inserted the aircraft into the desired trajectory. Separation of the vehicle was confirmed by rocket cam and the aircraft transitioned to Mach 20 aerodynamic flight. At HTV-2 speeds, flight time between New York City and Los Angeles would be less than 12 minutes.Cited works: University of California – Santa Barbara. â€Å"Physicists demonstrate quantum integrated circuit that implements quantum von Neumann architecture. † ScienceDaily, 1 Sep. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. University of Bristol. â€Å"Dramatic simplification paves the way for building a quantum computer. † ScienceDaily, 2 Aug. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. United States Airforce. WWW. AF. MIL. United States Airforce, 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. . Axe, David. â€Å"post Next post Pentagon Looks to Double Its Unmanned Air Force. † Wired Magazine. United States Airforce, 31 May 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 011. . Shachtman, Noah. â€Å"Tiny Weapons, Jet Engines in Killer Drone Upgrades. † Wired Magazine. United States Airforce, 20 Apr. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. . Dillow, Clay. â€Å"The Navy's X-47B Will Be So Autonomous, You Can Steer It With Mouse Clicks. † Popular Science. N. p. , 12 Apr. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. . Diaz, Jesus. â€Å"Big Dog Army Robot Will Change the Face of War Forever. † Gizmo. com. N. p. , 26 Feb. 2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . Knapik, Joseph. â€Å"LOADS CARRIED BY SOLDIERS:HISTORICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL,BIOMECHANICAL AND MEDICAL ASPECTS. † The Defense Technical Information Center .U S ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MED, June 1989. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . Autonomous. † 1. Merriam-Webster. 2011. N. pag. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . â€Å"artificial intelligence (AI). † Encyclop? dia Britannica. Encyclop? dia Britannica Online. Encyclop? dia Britannica Inc. , 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . Keren, Yarin. www. Israili. Weapons. com. Elbit Systems , 4 Feb. 2004. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. . Rhea, J. (2000, November 1). The next ‘new frontier' of artificial intelligence. In Military Aerospace. com. Retrieved November 7, 2011, . US Army UAS Center of Excellence. 2010, April). Eyes of the Army US Army roadmap for UAS 2010 -2035. In FAS. org. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://www. fas. org/irp/program/collect/uas-army. pdf. Ackerman, S. (2011, July 25). Army Preps Robot Mule for Afghan Action. In Wired. Com. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://www. wired. com/dangerroom/2011/07/army-preps-robot-mule-for-afghan-action/#more-52823. DARPA. (2011). Army Preps Robot Mule for Afghan Action. In Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://www. darpa. mil/About. aspx. [pic]