Saturday, August 31, 2019

Othello and Race Essay

In Shakespeare’s literary creation â€Å"Othello,† the protagonist, Othello, is a high ranking black soldier in a community of white people. Though he had gained his high marks by sheer perseverance and dedication, as it is in the old times, there are the people’s doubts. He was, after all, still a black man. Shakespeare, through this tragedy had shown the stereotypes of our modern times; that being white presents superiority or a sense of control over people of a different race, specifically those of a darker color. Shakespeare, however, did not mean to degrade or discriminate but rather, he seemed to point out the common mistakes of people that ultimately caused racism. Othello’s race and basically his skin color had played a major factor in the story’s main theme, progress and twists. The story mainly revolve on the struggle of a black man and how he found his happiness, but was cut short by other people’s jealousy and deceit. In his fight for love, the fact that he was black was used against him. It was presented to the woman’s father in a sense that generalizes black people as untrustworthy. It was also the main reason Iago used to point out that his wife Desdemona betrayed him for the love of another man, a man who happens to be of pure white ancestry.

Xox Supply Chain

Answer the following questions in relation to Xbox case: Lee, Hau; Hoyt David W. and Holloway, Chuck, â€Å"Evolution of the Xbox Supply Chain† * Who are the various stakeholders for Xbox that formed the Microsoft ecosystem while developing the supply chain business strategy for Xbox? * What were the challenges faced by Xbox when it first launched Xbox? * How did this compare to the launch of Xbox 360? * Did they consider any changes in the supply chain? Essay: Xbox StakeholdersMicrosoft’s Xbox project was started by a group of gamers in 1999 so that they can also develop a gaming console which threatened the performance of the home PC market. The Xbox project consisted of both internal and external stakeholders who had either a direct or indirect â€Å"stake† in the project. These stakeholders include the Microsoft employees (i. e. , Xbox project team, Microsoft executives), shareholders, suppliers (e. g. , Intel, Nvidia), contract manufacturers (i. e. , Flextro nics, Wistron Corp, Celestica), game developers, designers (i. , Astro Studios), distributors, broadband providers, retailers and customers. The stakeholders of the Xbox project can be visualized in terms of their position in Microsoft’s extended supply chain, shown in Figure 1. 0 below. Figure 1. 0 Microsoft’s Xbox supply chain Challenges with Original Xbox Microsoft encountered many challenges when launching the original Xbox in 2001. To better understand the challenges in the original Xbox, we can adopt the SOSTAC (Situation analysis, Objective Setting, Strategy, Tactics, Actions and Control) approach.Situation Analysis. Microsoft did not have a presence in the gaming console market and was up against strong competitors which already had established markets such as Sony (Playstation) and Nintendo (GameCube). This competitive landscape put them in a position wherein they needed to develop a product that offered features that were comparable to existing products in th e marketplace which was perfectly priced to establish themselves in the market. Moreover, Microsoft recognized that it was critical to launch in time for the 2001 holiday eason to allow them to have a presence in the marketplace before they became up against the â€Å"next-generation product†. Thus, Microsoft’s early challenges came at a price of high production ramp up costs, where they needed to produce 100,000 consoles in a week in order to launch the new Xbox in time for the Christmas. Objective. The short-term objectives of developing the original Xbox was primarily aimed at entering the gaming console market, learning from the experience and paving way for the next generation of products. Strategy. Microsoft adapted a push supply chain strategy using an extended supply chain.They developed their products based on existing game consoles with added features, most of which were built to compete against Sony PS2. In addition to a having features similar to other gami ng consoles available in the market, the Xbox had other features such as allowing Xbox to play DVDs, and a built-in modem which in 2002 was used to launch Xbox live. Tactics. Microsoft lacked the competency in building hardware –neither did it have exposure to designing and manufacturing hardware that can be used as a game console nor did it have any experience with the game console market.Hence, Microsoft decided to form strategic partnerships with preferred contract manufacturers who can deliver the products for them because they did not have the time to deal with unproven vendors and risky designs. Actions. Microsoft also took into account the location of manufacturing facilities in their selection of contract manufacturers to allow to take into account the logistics of to shipping products quickly to the US and European markets and decided to find plants in Mexico and Hungary.Logistics is the time-related positioning or resource, or the strategic management of the total s upply chain. The supply chain is a sequence of events intended to satisfy a customer: It can include procurement, manufacture, distribution, and waste disposal, together with associated transport, storage and information technology(Chaffey, 2002). Microsoft’s Xbox had over one thousand (1000) components and forty-five (45) of which were critical components that was only available from a single supplier. The Xbox also required several parts with high technical performance requirements (e. . , processing speed, graphics resolution, memory requirement and internet access). The high dependence on Microsoft’s suppliers made it necessary to integrate the information exchange with its key suppliers. Thus, Microsoft decided to require co-investments from its suppliers and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) to improve the coordination among the various groups. This suggests that Microsoft recognized the need for using technology to improve the flow of information and adap ted some form of technology to manage the relationship with various intermediaries.Control. While the case did not provide enough data to see how Microsoft measured the outcome, it can be inferred from the changes they made to the launch Xbox 360 that they did some reviews internally so that they can make the necessary changes. Unfortunately, Microsoft had very little time to learn to how to manage the supply networks — â€Å"[t]he coordination of all supply activities of an organization from its suppliers and partners to its customers†(Chaffey, 2002, p. 335).While they adopted a push approach to supply chain management, which is typically suggests that the production processes are aimed at cost and efficiency, Microsoft was up against significant challenges that made it difficult to be cost effective. In the end, Microsoft’s investment in the Xbox is higher than the expected sale price of the product — i. e. , the costs for producing the Xbox hardware we re estimated to be at $450, when retail price for the Xbox was only at $299. 00. Profitability was therefore dependent on driving the costs down for the Xbox console and sales from selling games.Differences between Original Xbox and Xbox 360 and Supply Chain Changes Situation. When Microsoft launched Xbox 360, gaming had already become a big part of the home entertainment and broadband access was substantially higher. Microsoft also had a better understanding of what games were needed in each country because they had already established a presence in the market. Objective. Microsoft’s decisions on developing the Xbox 360 was no longer based on their desire to get into selling hardware and simply offering a gaming console, but more on their goal of increasing software sales.So, Microsoft developed the new system in such a way that can be a central part of home entertainment thereby incorporating other features such as internet access. Strategy. In launching Xbox 360, Microsoft planned a global launch, which no other company had done before, so that Xbox 360 can be made available in all major markets before Sony would have a chance to launch PS3. Implementing a global strategy posed two large risks for Microsoft. To mitigate this risk, Microsoft also implemented some risk management techniques. Risk management is intended to identify potential risks in a range of situations and then take actions to minimize risk† (Chaffey, 2002, p. 599). It involves several stages which include the identification of risks, possible solutions, implementing the solutions that target high-impact risks and monitoring them for the future. First, was related to the fact that the Xbox required complementary products for it to be enjoyed and their biggest concern was whether there would be sufficient game titles available at the same time. Thus, Microsoft lined up game developers who could develop new games.For this task, Microsoft had a better appreciation of game types ne eded in each country based on the original Xbox experience, nonetheless ensuring that the games were ready had various timing issues. The unavailability of games in a particular country would mean a decrease of sales of consoles and would have a significant impact on the profitability of Microsoft. Second, Microsoft faced the risk of success where the supply of gaming consoles would not be sufficient to keep up with demand. Foreseeable, this can manifest itself in different ways but both negatively impacting their ability to acquire new customers.This suggests that Microsoft recognized the implication of complementary products to allow them to take advantage of the network effects. For Microsoft, the worse case scenario is for Microsoft to miss customer expectations and put them at risk for losing their customers. Another scenario is if their demand calculations were off and end up with an over/under supply of gaming consoles in one area. Tactics. As soon as the original Xbox was la unched, Microsoft started working on the next generation of Xbox and required the new model to have high definition capability, high storage capacity and access to the internet.Unlike the earlier launch of the Xbox, where Microsoft delivered a superior product whose features that came at the expense of cost, Microsoft included cost considerations as part of their new strategy. This time, Microsoft also wanted to take advantage of the timing, pricing and exploiting the relationships with complementary product. Actions. Microsoft made three changes in its supply chain management to drive down costs: (1) change the location of its manufacturing facilities; (2) increase the number of EMS suppliers; and (3) chip contracting.First, when launching the original Xbox, Microsoft decided to select manufacturing facilities that were geographically near the customers in order to quickly deliver the products to facilitate fast product introduction. However, in launching Xbox 360, Microsoft decide d to take advantage of a less expensive option by switching the facility location from Mexico and Hungary to China. While this meant an increased risk in fulfilling orders in time for a global launch, the firm was able to leverage lower labor rates from a place where the infrastructure was already available for electronic manufacturing.Second, by permitting multiple EMS suppliers, Microsoft was able to ensure that they had enough manufacturers who would be able to fulfill the orders. This also provided the ability to negotiate as compared with being dependent on a single supplier at Xbox launch. This helped Microsoft manage the supplier vender lock-in that they had originally and arrest the possible increase in switching costs such as search costs, specialized suppliers, contractual commitment (Shapiro & Varian, 1998).Third, Microsoft decided that it was best to take ownership of the design of the chip (which was previously owned and designed by Nvidia and Intel) and source its parts from the supply chain. This disintermediation strategy in their supply chain made it possible for Microsoft to be in a better position to control costs over the product’s lifetime. Moreover, this strategy is consistent with what is usually referred to as an outside-in outsourcing activity so that they can build up skills internally and manage this area.Microsoft was also able to compress the design cycle by engaging in concurrent design development activities which included a closer link between and manufacturing, continuous testing and iterative redesign. This was a change from Microsoft’s original Xbox strategy which had significant system and supplier level lock-in effects for Microsoft because Nvidia and Intel owned and designed the chips. While the dual sourcing strategy minimized the risks of lock-in at the supplier level, they were still locked-in at the system level where Microsoft had to contend with any enhancements or changes in the design of the chips .Microsoft also used HDTV technologies that was available in the market, while Sony (being a hardware company) decided to bet on Blu-Ray to allow it to establish it as the new DVD standard for high-definition. In hindsight, Microsoft’s decision provided them a one-year head start in third generation consoles because Sony’s Blu-Ray decision caused a significant delay in Sony’s PS3 launch. By betting on Blu-Ray, Sony was betting on standards change to increase their competitive advantage. Control.As discussed previously, the case did not provide enough data to see how Microsoft measured control. Japanese Automakers’ Supply Chain Structures The disintermediation strategy that Microsoft took gives some insight to classic â€Å"make or buy† arguments that companies make in determining where to source their supplies. In contrast to Microsoft’s decision to do things themselves, â€Å"Japanese automakers apparently assume that quality, delivery, in ventories, and related costs can be better governed by the purchasing department in a buy situation, than by making it yourself. † (Deming, 1982, p. 7). However, for them to control the quality they require invariably have demanding expectations from their suppliers. The expectations include: (1) exceptional quality requirements; (2) reliable just-in-time deliver; (3) exact quantities – no over- or under-runs; and (4) continuously improving productivity resulting in long-term cost reductions (Deming, 1982, p. 48). In return for the high investments on the part of their suppliers, they have production contracts that are usually long-term (as long as six years), and may include requirements for product design and testing.For the Japanese automakers, they have â€Å"arms around relationship† where they embrace the lock-in effects with their suppliers instead of â€Å"arms-length transactions† which rely on the spot-market. The Japanese auto manufacturers are more likely to engage in vertical disintegration and outsourcing of processes to a network of suppliers. For example, in the case of Honda, they engage in strategic alliances with first tier suppliers whom they are said to have a strong â€Å"close relationship through shared history† (Choi & Hong, 2002, p. 78). They are said to have approximately 400 â€Å"core† suppliers and a number of indirect suppliers which all contribute to the production of 400,000 units of Accord models each year (Choi & Hong, 2002). Another example is Acura, where the structure of their network is very complex with 76 entities in the supply network (i. e. , 1 first-tier, 20, second-tier, 28 third-tier, 17 fourth-tier, 9 fifth-tier, and 1 six-tier) to produce their Acura CL/TL center console alone (Choi & Hong, 2002).Another example is Toyota, a company that is recognized worldwide for adopting lean management principles in its supply chain. Toyota has various stakeholders that con tribute to the success of the supply chain namely: Domestic Suppliers; Overseas suppliers; Parts Centers; Toyota Plants; Distributors; Kyohans; Dealers; Repair Shops; Parts Jobbers; Customers. SOSTAC Analysis of Toyota To better appreciate how supply chain strategies differ, we can also adopt the SOSTAC model to explain Toyota’s strategy. Situation Analysis. Toyota is an established car manufacturer that has been in existence since 1937.Toyota offers a full range of models – from mini-vehicles to trucks. Toyota believes that their long-term success is based on loyal customers. Toyota manages using the Toyota Way, which is underpinned by two pillars, continuous improvement and respect for people. Toyota believes that the Toyota Way should be used in interactions because they believe that their success is not created by individual efforts but rather as a team. Objective. Toyota’s supply chain objective is to establish strong links to its customers, dealers and cha nnels. Strategy.Toyota created an efficient network so that it can deliver excellent service to its customers. Their close interrelationship between various parts of the chain suggests that they engage in a pull strategy and their supply chain can be viewed in terms of Figure 2. 0 below. Figure 2. 0 Toyota’s supply chain Tactics. Toyota developed its own Toyota Production System where they introduced various manufacturing techniques such as Just-In-Time, Kaizen (continuous improvement). Toyota makes strategic alliance with its partners and puts an emphasis on long-term relationships.Toyota’s manufacturing processes is also developed so that each plant serves a local market and at least another market across the world. While this tactic can be seen as a logistical decision, it is also driven by various risk considerations. It is driven by a financial consideration so that it can hedge exchange-rate risks and shift production when exchange rates increase (Chopra & So dhi, 2004, p. 345). It is also driven by capacity considerations so that idle capacity is mitigated by ensuring that more than one market are supported by the plants to deal with demand fluctuations(Chopra & Sodhi, 2004).Action. Toyota ensures that both the upstream and downstream supply chains are highly efficient networks. For its upstream supply chain, Toyota not only engages in activities that ensure that information flows across its suppliers, but also engages in various activities geared toward promoting a shared network identity among its suppliers. More specifically, Toyota created network-level processes to ensure that they share a social community, network norms and knowledge (Dyer & Nobeoka, 2000, p. 352).To implement this, Toyota has established various supplier associations (kyohokai) since 1943 so that they can have â€Å"(1) information exchange between member companies and Toyota, (2) mutual development and training among member companies, and (3) socializin g events†(Dyer & Nobeoka, 2000). † For its downstream supply chain, Toyota is dependent on its dealers to distribute new and used vehicles, as well as servicing for its profitability. Toyota manages its dealers with three principles: (1) Independence of dealers as outside investors; (2) Winning jointly; (3) Encouraging competition among channels.This approach encourages their dealers to make independent decisions and be proactive in making improvements. Toyota help the dealers make decisions toward investing in areas necessary to improve so that they can be both successful. Toyota embraced lean manufacturing techniques to keep costs down. Not only do they apply these principles in their manufacturing of cars, but they also apply this in other areas of their supply chain. For example, they use kyohans to allow their dealers to maintain a low level of parts supply.The use of an intermediary to have a central control of parts allows the network some flexibility so that parts do not sit idly at dealers at the same time allow Toyota to move the parts to dealers that need them. Kyohans can order supplies of stocks once a day, and supplies them to the dealers 3-4 times a day. In case the stock is unavailable, kyohans can put in an emergency stock request which can be fulfilled by a domestic distributor within half a day to a day or an international distributor in under 5 days. Toyota also promotes continuous improvement through a concept they refer to as kaizen.This process allows them to improve their operations through innovation, organizational learning and standardization of processes. For example, a mandatory bi-annual inspections of cars for registration at the service facilities usually takes 2-3 hours. The length of time it took was largely dependent on skills and experiences of the service technician in charge of the inspection. After applying kaizen principles, Toyota was able to streamline and standardize the inspection process so that insp ections would only take 45 minutes. Control.Toyota conducts performance measurements at predetermined timeframes. For instance they do annual reviews wherein they apply some ranking and rating mechanism to evaluate their dealers. The dealers are measured in terms of sales volume of new and used cars, after-service sales service, customer satisfaction, number of showrooms, number of service centers, number of staff, and profitability. Discussion There are various approaches to managing the supply chain of a firm. The decision to adopt one over another is highly depended on the long-term strategic goals of the corporation.From the Microsoft’s Xbox case, we can see that sometimes firm make costly decisions in the process of launching a product to gain foothold in the market place. It is then ultimately up to the firm to learn form the process and as an organization learn from the experience and make the necessary changes. Microsoft adopted two distinct approaches in managing the ir supply chain based on their short- and long-term objectives. In the launching Xbox, they were highly dependent on the expertise of their suppliers so that they can launch the Xbox in time for the 2001 holiday sales.This enabled the firm to learn from their experience so that they can come up with a new strategy to launch the next generation gaming console. Microsoft’s disintermediation strategy appears to minimize lock-in effects with suppliers so that they can take advantage of spot-markets and ultimately lower their costs. Interestingly, in the case of Toyota, they took a very different approach from Microsoft even when their objective was also to minimize production costs. Instead of relying on spot-markets, they embraced lock-in and invested in long-term relationships with its suppliers.This approach allowed them to make continuous improvements across multiple suppliers by sharing knowledge and information among the upstream and downstream processes. The increased info rmation flows across the network was made possible by the use of various e-supply and e-demand applications. From the Toyota case, it can also be seen that a highly integrated supply chain that shares information, expertise across the firm can take advantage of minimized costs and profitability.It can also be gleaned from this case the importance of trust and respect because the members of the supply chain has access to critical information that can be detrimental to the other partners if opportunistic behavior arises. Chaffey, D. (2002). E-business and E-commerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Choi, T. Y. , & Hong, Y. (2002). Unveiling the structure of supply networks: case studies in Honda Acura, and Daimler Chrysler. Journal of Operations Management, 20, 469-493. Chopra, S. , & Sodhi, M. S. (2004).Managing Risk To Avoid Supply-Chain Breakdown. MIT Sloan Management Review(Fall 2004), 53-61. Deming, W. E. (1982). Out of the crisis: Quality Productivity and Competitive Position. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dyer, J. H. , & Nobeoka, K. (2000). Creating and Manageing a High-Performance Knowledge-Sharing Network: The Toyota Case. Strategic Management Journal, 21, 345-367. Shapiro, C. , & Varian, H. (1998). Network and positive feedback – How to exploit Network effects. In H. B. S. Press (Ed. ), Information rules – A strategic guide to the network economy. (pp. 1-56).

Friday, August 30, 2019

Africa During Colonialism

Africa of course, would be colonized by the many Europeans. However, a lot of African groups/colonization would start too. They would start and older ones would be expanded. The slave trade had decreased due to British pressures and so Africa started trading more of other items with the rest of the world. This same thing was happening in Asia and the Middle East too. In South Africa, the Zulu kingdom would be formed, and in Western Africa, an Islamic caliphate, Sotto Caliphate would be formed. Many of these civilizations were being formed by a bunch of African peoples around the continent.At first, In Southern Africa, there were the Unsung people, Just farmers and cattle herders that existed for a very long time. Soon, however, a drought would strike, hurting their agriculture. This caused the end of the Unsung people. A military genius and leader, Shake Zulu would take control and create a new civilization, the Zulu people, who, compared to all other tribes In Southern Africa, was t he most powerful and formidable, because of its strict military drills and practice and they even used ox-hide shields. The Zulu warriors expanded their kingdom, by attacking many other tribes andInvading them, taking their cattle, children and women. Parts of the Zulu, they split off making their own military bands and they too did the same thing as the Zulu. Soon, this made so many new kingdoms going up all the way to Lake Victoria. As this increased, so did the number of refugees and terrified, depressed people from these To stop the Zulu tribe's growth and power, two kingdoms formed, Swaziland to the north and Lesotho to the east, which was made up of many refugees who came to those mountains there. Both Lesotho and Swaziland exist today.Shake successfully made a national identity and a nation in just 10 years of rule. He took all the young people in the nation and split them into deferent groups, called regiments, based on age. These people of the regiment lived with each other and they all celebrated Shake. Etc. They celebrated his rule and they were all heavily disciplined. Cow herds were a measure of wealth in this kingdom. Meanwhile, in the Western Savannah of Africa, there was a big religious struggle. Islam was prevalent over there. However, that was only In the cities and trade areas, ND not in the rural areas.The rural areas still followed regular customs. At first, Islam allowed people to mix their older beliefs with Islam. Now however, Psalmists started denying this idea of allowing them to have their customs and wanted them to follow pure Islam. They made a â€Å"holy war†, called Jihad, which made Assaults take over many rural and other new lands where they enforced Islamic laws and spread the religion. These Islamic retorts first took place in the Hausa states to northern Nigeria. A leader in the Hausa states, Susann Dan Food, called a lot of the kings there, unbelievers of religion or Islam and led people away from god.He led a Jihad on the King of Gobi, overthrowing him. A lot o f Muslims Joined to gather to spread Islam and spread it all around Hausa. All this Islam would come together to make a caliph under the capital city of Sotto, called the Sotto Caliphate. The Sotto Caliphate became a center for teaching Islam and reform. It added many new centers, quickly, to teach Curtain and Islamic subjects to boys. Many people were attracted to it because of the Sotto library, which was pretty huge. Muslims ere allowed people to follow their own religion but had to pay a special tax.They were not allowed to do their tribal dances and rituals and any who opposed the spread of the Jihad were killed, slaved or converted. The Sotto caliphate sent off tons of slaves for the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, mainly women and children. Slaves mainly farmed, and so this allowed women to actually leave the home this time. Sotto not only sent a lot of slaves, but it also had a lot of slaves in itself too. In fact, it had more slave s than any other American commonly. Napoleon would come and fight in Egypt. This would last in Egypt as a great triumph for the Europeans and a great loss for the Egyptians.After Napoleon left Egypt from his losses, Muhammad All took rule. Muhammad All took rule of Egypt. He modernized and industrialized Egypt, making it follow a lot of the Western styles. He increased trade of Egypt. He brought a lot of education to Egyptians, and allowing them to replace the old aristocracy. He replaced all the European experts and sellers of products with Egyptians. However, one bad thing was, that he made a burden on the peasants to give military and labor service. The army and Egypt was making its own textiles, paper, weapons, military uniforms.Seeing this western movement, many groups in Egypt, of Islam mixed with this Western Culture. For example, European technical manuals were translated to Arabic. Small was the grandson of Muhammad All. He was more keen on westernizes than All. But his eff orts, in the end, would Just create a bunch of Egyptian debt to French and British banks. At first, in his first 10 years of rule, it was all good with a lot of wealth thanks to increased trade, more exports, new irrigation annals, railroads 800 miles, postal service and Cairo.However, after the American Civil War, exports went down again and debt would be one of the reasons for French and British partial occupation of Egypt. Ethiopia was Christian for 1 500 years. They too were trying to modernize themselves. Ethiopians Emperor, Terrors II of Ethiopia was the one who first started Westernizes and ordered a lot of weapon purchases from Europe and also encouraged some local maturating. One time, they even made cannon that could shoot a half ton shell with the help of Protestant missionaries.However, they tried to get some more weapons by holding British officials hostage and demanding for weapons, but the British would end up actually invading Ethiopia. Terrors would commit suicide t o prevent capture. Then the British would withdraw, and then King Haynes would take the throne. King Haynes took over a lot of the lost land of Ethiopia, except for one major land part, Shoo Kingdom, ruled by King Moonlike. The beginning events of Rupee's scramble for Africa were when France took over Algeria. Algeria originally was a major supplier of olive oil and grain to France.They even gave them grain to Napoleon to take over Egypt. Now, France still owed them for this and several disputes took place. The new French government wanted to show nationalism with an easy overseas victory. However, the struggle for Algeria would go on for 18 years, even after French government would be overthrown again. Bad al- Qatar was an Algerian holy man who led them against France but he would die, weakening and nearly ending their 18 year struggle. However, conflict in the mountains would take place for 30 years. Settlers would then come in and kill off 140,000 people.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Experience with leadership issues at work as a nurse Essay

Experience with leadership issues at work as a nurse - Essay Example Creativity in nurse leadership: With the changing environmental trends, there has been a need for the nursing profession and leadership to rethink their strategy in operation, and adopt advanced practices to embrace technology. According to Clark, a nurse leader is expected to use all her knowledge and problem solving skills to offer a creative solution to healthcare situations (4). Meaning, the holding on to former knowledge could not be relevant to the certain problems that exist in line with duty. Creativity comes in when the nurse leadership is well equipped with leadership skills whether one is an inborn leader or achieved it by learning. Female nurse leaders have to be recommended in their majority in the profession, but they have to make efforts to integrate most of the medical nursing theories into practice to make work easier for the few/ diverse staff available. Remember their functions matter a lot to attract client services into their organizations and sometimes, patients judge an institution based on the service being offered and the leadership available. Female nurse leaders have been keen to offer quality service by embracing information technology, coordinating the staff, and communicating efficiently, thereby adjusting with the health care trend and generally improving the practice. Creativity is very essential to manage tumultuous situations in healthcare; that is where they are challenged and seek to employ flexibility and collaborative approaches, which reinforce creativity and better yet improve the safety of their patients with speed. Perception of women nursing leadership as inferior: Although women are the majority in nursing, as leaders, they at times experience hostility and lack of support to boost their morale in their new roles. Surprisingly, one would think such a conduct arises with men in the profession alone, but other previous peer nurses also contribute to such discriminative view. Daly, Speedy, and Jackson (57), mention how w omen’s nursing leadership skills are devalued, since the female gender is implied to be frivolous and unfit to lead. This is a stereotype that is always there for most women leadership, even in other organizations and existing in a female dominated profession (nursing) is rather awkward though a reality. Even if a female nurse could be an excellent clinician and possessing innate leadership acumen, struggles of adopting the informal leadership capability in the formal role once she attains a leadership position, creates room for her peers to criticize her leadership (Sanford 6-7). Their leadership is always under scrutiny; this makes most of them to be frustrated very young in their leadership, which could lead to failure in their new appointed nursing leadership. However, critics and misjudgment never lack; even though their integrity, behavior, and personality get to be scrutinized, the success in the position surpasses all after the adjustment, countering the inferiority s tereotype with confidence and demonstrating the leadership by practice no matter the misaligned expectations. Dealing with ethical issues: In their roles in healthcare, the nurse leaders experience certain ethical conflicts dealing with the profession, organization and even at their interpersonal level, but in the end have to rely on justice brought forth by the established rules and care,

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The United States and World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The United States and World War II - Essay Example Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities† (Washington). When German submarines attacked American ships during World War I (WWI), the U.S. was forced to abandon its isolationist policy in order to defend its territories. After the war, however, the US was quick to repudiate the Treaty of Versailles and declined to become a member of the League of Nations and the article from the National Bureau of Economic Research (Lozada) provided the answer. The United States was in recession before the war and, since economic activities centered on providing war needs, the economy benefited. For one, unemployment declined from 7.9% to 1.4% because most unemployed men were recruited by the military (Lozada). Meanwhile, tax income increased from 1.5% in 1915 to 18% in 1918. The US was back on its feet again and it did not need assistance from other countries. And yet, because most production in the US at the time was directed towards the provision of war supplies, when the war ended, production led to a halt. Forced to face its own distress, the country turned inward and refused to be sucked into the war again, particularly because there have been claims that the U.S. involvement in WWI was due to the â€Å"machinations of arms merchants or Wall Street bankers† (â€Å"The return of U.S. isolationism†) aiming to recover their losses. Aside from this, Germany was funding isolationist statesmen in order to ensure US neutrality in World War II (WWII). To prevent the country from engaging in another war, the Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1936 were passed which prohibited the â€Å"sale of war material to belligerents and forbade any exports to belligerents not paid for with cash and carried in their own ships† (â€Å"The return of U.S. isolationism†). To counter the Neutrality Acts, President Frank Delano Roosevelt urged Americans to become good neighbors and to lend their arms to the British. Through this new policy, the US did not need to send in troops, but they were allowed to aid the Allied forces by lending them the arms they needed to fight against the Axis forces. Hence, it meant that the US would only be loaning previously created armaments and no soldiers would be sent out. While U.S. position was isolationist, the Democrats knew that the country would be a target of attack because it had no real allies. True enough, in just a few months after the Lend-Lease Act was passed, the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, hence, pitching the United States into another battle. Because of the long regime of isolationism policy, many soldiers were unprepared for the war. Moreover, the country did not have adequate equipments it could use to launch large scale campaigns. To address its war-time needs, the President Roosevelt created the War Production Board in 1942 ( â€Å"United States†). Because of the increase in demand for war supplies, the United States found itself earning and recovering. Unemployment has dropped. Though many were employed in the military, civilian employment rose from 46,000,000 in 1940 to 53,000,000 in 1945 ( â€Å"

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Explain why inventory costs and inventory levels have declined Essay

Explain why inventory costs and inventory levels have declined relative to GDP over the last twenty years. Is this beneficial to the economy Why or why not - Essay Example ments have reduced, and in some cases eliminated, inventory carrying costs, in-transit inventory carrying cost and order cost, thus an overall reduction in inventory cost. According to Coyle et al. (2012), inventory is an asset because in measuring gross domestic product, GDP, the value of goods and services an economy produces would be considered. Thus, a reduction in this asset reduces the return on assets, ROA which in essence means a reduction in the GDP. As such, as inventory costs and levels have declined over the past twenty years, so has the GDP. No, this is not beneficial to the economy. As noted by Coyle et al. (2012), GDP is a critical factor of the wellbeing of an economy. This is directly dependent on the level of spending in the economy. With the advancements in technology that has cut on inventory costs and generally on costs in supply chain, the level of spending by logistics organizations, and ultimately on consumers, has decreased. The resultant decrease in GDP has negatively impacted on the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Conflict in Darfur Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Conflict in Darfur - Research Paper Example The armed forces of the government and the Janjaweed have responded to the growing fight of the rebels with crushing violence. They have killed a large number of people in and around the ethnic tribes who are supporting the rebel groups. Most of the countries around the world, particularly the US, have recognized this killing as genocide and have been forcing the Sudanese government to stop these atrocities. UN Security Council has passed a resolution, deploying UN Peace Keeping Forces to Darfur. This is the situation under which this research is being conducted. The primary question in front of us now is whether the Darfur situation will affect efforts in the global war on terrorism. With the known support for Al-Qaeda by the Sudanese Government and the Janjaweed, it is not a surprise that the Al-Qaeda has an on going interest in the happenings at Darfur. At the same time, the rest of world is also interested because of the large support that Al-Qaeda enjoys and its close link with the world terrorism. To identify the various possibilities of the research question, consequently its impact on the hypothesis, a survey will be conducted with the interested parties. This will comprise of people who are directly involved and people who are knowledgeable on the said issues. Twenty people who are resident or were residents of Darfur will be picked up for the purpose of this survey. In addition to this, similar opinion will be elicited from twenty other people who are interested in the making of a solution for Darfur. Another ten people who are from the general public who are not directly or indirectly involved in Darfur will also be queried to identify the right kind of an impact that they have all had on the topic. The entire process will be completed in a month's time and this would involve traveling to the relevant locations. Since this involves meeting some of the people who are directly involved in the fight at Darfur, there is a mild risk for the interviewer and for the participant too. But the impact is very minor. The survey will make use of a questionnaire that will have a Likert Scale in place. This would make comparison easy. However, there will also be five numbers of open ended questions posed to the participants which will bring out their thoughts on the subject. Participating in this study is not a risk for the participants. However, safety precautions should be taken up. If the subject or the participant has to travel and incur expenses for participating in this survey, then the same is refunded to the person. However, the researcher will be keen to avoid disturbing the life of the subject; instead, he or she will travel down to the location of the subject to interview him / her. Quantitative and Qualitative analysis methods will be adopted to make use of the data

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Discussion board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Discussion board - Essay Example Factors such as socio-emotional, cultural, personality, family background and learning environment are some of those that can largely change a learner’s attitude towards education. A study done in South Australia as reported by Hattie, indicated that learning is much more pleasurable when the social upbringing of a child is effective and enriched such that values, social skills, confidence and self-esteem among other are built early enough through right healthy nurturing. As the school system emphasizes the spirit of responsibility, the family socialization puts a strong foundation to it such that when these children go to school these virtues automatically synchronize without much struggle. It is worth pointing out that humans need to be reinforced to make most of the moves in the real world contrary to Willingham’s conception that they are naturally predisposed to automatic functioning. It is my stance that not all learners hate school or that they undergo through the process through coercion. It is, however, notable that owing to above-mentioned factors, a child may develop hatred for education. Scientific research has proved that to hold that all students hate school is a flawed premise as there are clear

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Strengths and Weaknesses of Genetic Testing Term Paper

Strengths and Weaknesses of Genetic Testing - Term Paper Example It has the ability to detect the problem precisely and bears a huge potential. Advancements in the field would bring a great future in the medical care. However, some societal responses towards the genetic testing are not entertaining. Genetic testing is basically a most modern technique of checking genetic disorders in which direct enzymes and other proteins have been taken. Genetic testing is used for various reasons that are career screening, pre implantation genetic diagnosis, prenatal diagnostic testing, newborn screening, genealogical DNA test, predictive and pre symptomatic testing, forensic testing and parental testing. There are various types of genetic testing that are newborn screening, diagnostic testing, carrier testing, prenatal testing, pre implantation genetic diagnosis, predictive and pre symptomatic test, forensic testing, parental testing, research testing and pharmacogenomics. Newborn screening test is done just inspection of DNA molecule, proteins and definite metabolites have been taken for the detection of hereditary diseases such as genotypes, mutation and phenotypes. Biochemical tests are also included in genetic testing in which microscopic testing of stained or fluorescent chromosomes and gene product as after the birth of baby for checking genetic disorder phenylketonuria (mental illness) and congenital hypothyroidism (disorder of thyroid gland). Diagnostic test is a genetic testing can be done in a whole life of a person. It is done when physical mutation and its symptoms appear. Carrier testing is done to check in both of the parents who carry genetic mutation and after checking that the tests give information regarding the risk of having a child with the same genetic mutation. Prenatal testing is done before the birth of child. It detects transformations in fetus genes before the birth of child. After this test people gets information regarding the risk to having baby. In addition, after that test they decide whether to give birth to baby or abort. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis is done on human embryos in vitro fertilization process. Predictive and presymptomatic testing is done to check that type of genetic mutations that appear after birth such as cancer (Sequeiros and Guimaraes, 2008). In predictive testing, the tests give information regarding the developing chances of the same mutation, which your ancestors (genes) have but not find in you while testing. In presymptomatic test, the test give information that genetic mutation will appear in the person or not. Forensic tests are done for recognizing the person uses DNA sequences such as for catching the thief and for creating relationships among people e.g. paternity. Parental testing is used for recognizing the similar inheritance pattern among related individual by using DNA markers. Moreover, through these DNA markers u can easily test the parent individually. Re search testing is done to know that how genes work. Pharmacognomics test is done for checking the changing in genes after using drugs. A normal human may have 20,000 to 25,000 genes in their genomes. A little mutation in the genes may result in cancer or could be as little as retardation (Imgargano, 2009). Genetic testing has many types. Among these types, the commonly known is the parental genetic testing, which involves the detection of any genetic mutation before the birth of the child. However, the detection method is quite risky and can be a reason for the miscarriage. Introduction: Genetic testing is the possible future tool for the medical care. If advantages are considered, the genetic testing may be a helpful tool in recognizing a person’

Friday, August 23, 2019

Research Methods in the Social Sciences Assignment - 2

Research Methods in the Social Sciences - Assignment Example The organization first gives the eligibility information. If eligible, one is required to submit an electronic proposal or download the required forms through the website address given (NCEE, nd). After submission of the proposals, the organization evaluates each eligible proposal. They are ranked by reviewers and submitted to the EPA Approving Official. Selected candidates are given instructions concerning submission of the final grant application. The proposals are ranked based on scores. The highest ranked applicant is selected for the award of the grant. The applicants may also be required to modify their work before giving final funding recommendations. They are notified about the evaluation decisions and possibilities of getting the grant via e-mail. Those recommended are required to give additional certifications and a revised project abstract in electronic form. Official announcement of the award is given by the Agency’s Grants and Interagency Agreement Management Division. The announcement is finally posted in the organization’s website. The deadline for submission of the proposal by the applicant is given. The date for award of the grant is also given. There are no opportunities at present

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Project Management(file one) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Project Management(file one) - Essay Example The activity is determined by Mean = (o + 4m + p)/6. Its variance will be given by activity (Variance) = ((p - o)/6)2. The value attained is the z-value which can be related in the z-tables to give the probability of completing the project in time (Phillips, 2004). The CPM/PERT technique were used alongside the base lines for cost, work and schedule variances. The assumption taken was that the duration of activities was established with certainty. The realistic duration will make up to precisely as estimated (Oduwole, 2002). Nonetheless, in actual activities, this is impossible and several projects entail variability in activity times owing to factors like lack of previous experience, breakdown of equipment, erratic weather conditions. Besides, late supply of deliveries is an impediment. PERT analysis is applicable when activity durations are not known with precision. It constitutes three estimates of the activity duration as opposed to the single value analysis identified with CPM: The base line conditions for this report assessed and evaluated the situation of work considering the baseline and actual reporting. For instance, a deviation in the original budget is captured and observed in the percentage of work covered, the budget allocation and the amount of work remaining. This is a useful piece to learn from since the project manager can read the variance with ease and try to correct any change in project scope (Oduwole, 2002). This is the significance of using project management techniques to monitor and evaluate work progress. Any work related delays will be easily identified and correction made by observing the cause of such changes (Heerkens, 2007). Similarly, the schedule can be monitored for deviation. The possible correction to schedule is to check on the capability of the manpower or work force (Cleland, & Ireland, 2006). If work is going slowly than expected, it may mean that

Emotion language term paper Essay Example for Free

Emotion language term paper Essay The differences between happiness, joy and gladness1.IntroductionThe concept of happiness can be characterized by three separate prototypes, which all refer to happiness but each approaches the concept of happiness from a slightly different meaning. The differences reveal mainly in the intensity of the emotion. Therefore it is very interesting how these differences appear in the English language. It is important to see these differences because our society is based on happiness and to reach the main goal of ones life it is good to understand the differences in the conceptualizations of happiness. 2.The three prototypesThe source domain of the three prototypes are taken from the class notes of Emotion Language, from the study of Zoltà ¡n Kà ¶vecses: Emotion concepts: from happiness to guiltA cognitive semantic perspective and definitions form answers.com. The first prototype is called joy which according to answers.com is an intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness and the expression or manifestation of such feeling. In other words, joy covers an immediate response of happiness. This means that this word is used to represent a sudden feeling that is self-enabling and comes from within . The next type is called the existential happiness which is a major value in life that people want to reach. This is a general feeling about being happy, therefore it is expressed by the word happiness. In Answers.com this word is described as an agreeable feeling or condition of the soul arising from good fortune or propitious happening of any kind; the possession of those circumstances or that state of being which is attended with enjoyment; the state of being happy; contentment; joyful satisfaction; felicity; blessedness. The last type of happiness is gladness, which is the less intense out of the three types. According to answers.com the word glad is experiencing or exhibiting joy and pleasure. This feeling can be explained in other words like gratifying, pleasurable, very willing, bright and cheerful. 3.The major differences in meaningAccording to the Internet joy and happiness are more commonly occur in the same context than joy and glad or happiness and glad so there are a number of studies and articles about happiness versus joy. The reason for this on the one part is that they have a close relation in meaning so it is not as univocal therefore many people does not recognize the differences or has improper thoughts about it. On the other part glad seems to be clearly terminated in meaning in the usage of the English language. Accordingly, there are many conceptualizations about the differences between joy and happiness on the Internet. On the one hand, in a forum about happiness, the opinion of a person named Suviko was: joy is something you feel shortly, temporary moment, a passing good feeling. Happiness is having that for longer period of time and it is more general, not as much targeted feeling . This explanation perfectly reflects the differences between joy and the existential happiness according to the study of Kà ¶vecses. But as it appears in some articles on the internet, this is not the only realization that is considered as the concept of happiness and joy. On the other hand, there is an essay about happiness versus joy which claims that happiness is fleeting and it comes from the fulfillment of ones desires, therefore happiness is dependent upon something while joy can be continuous and it comes from within . The main difference between the two conceptualization is the quantity of the feeling. In the first statement the duration of the feeling of joy takes less time than happiness while in the second statement joy lasts for longer. This proves that there are some differences in the conceptualization of the first two prototypes of happiness. Besides the differences the main idea about the intensity of the two prototypes reflects everywhere that happiness is more intense. In his study Vic Lebouthillier writes that happiness comes from circumstances like buying a new car or passing an exam while joy is rather appears as inner thankfulness for the constants of life such as nature, freedom, relationships with people, or through having faith in something larger than ourselves . It is also mentioned that happiness is an automatic reaction of people for the happenings of the outside world. In contrast, joy does not  come automatically, it is a learned reaction that people have to practice to live a complete emotional life. This points to the fact that the main point in most of the articles on the internet is based on this idea: It is important to understand that joy is an emotion that arises from within us and is not affected by the things that happen to us. Instead of looking for external things to provide happiness in our lives, we must strive to find the joy within. We must educate ourselves about joy and work to enhance it in our lives.Gladness is the less intense emotional feeling from the three prototypes of happiness. In The Free Dictionary webpage it is pointed out that Glad often refers to the feeling that results from the gratification of a wish or from satisfaction with immediate circumstances: Some folks rail against other folks, because other folks have what some folks would be glad of Henry Fielding . In another conceptualization gladness is rarely or never equivalent to mirth, merriment, gayety, and triumph, and it usually expresses less than delight . According to these statements, it can be asserted that gladness is not only the less intense but it also lasts for the less period of time. Another proof for this can be found in an essay of Margaret Paul where she discusses the differences between happiness and pleasure, and where pleasure is a synonym for gladness. She points out that pleasurable experiences can give us momentary feelings of happiness, but this happiness does not last long because it is dependent upon external events and experiences . 4.Differences in language usageThe English language is rich in the metaphors and metonymies about the three prototypes of happiness. The source domain of this section is from Zoltan Kà ¶vecses: Emotion concepts: from happiness to guilt A cognitive semantic perspective. Happiness (existential happiness)Most of the happiness metaphors found on the internet come from quotations, poems and a lower percent can be found in non literary texts. Using the mappings of Kà ¶vecses I listed some of the metaphors that I found with the help of Google:1. Happiness is a fluid in a  container: Happiness is a positive cash flow. Fred Adler2. Happiness is warm: Happiness is a warm gun The Beatles3. Happiness is insanity: Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination. Mark Twain4. Happiness is light: Happiness is a Swedish sunset it is there for all, but most of us look the other way and lose it. Mark Twain5. Happiness is up: trying to bump up our happiness Steven Winn6. Happiness is an animal: Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you Nathanial Hawthorne7. Happiness is a rapture: We pretended we could get drunk on root beer, and sometimes on those July nights, I think we were. Drunk with happiness. Lisa LibowitzJoyInterestingly I could find a larger number of metaphors or metonymies on the internet than about joy in non literary articles rater than literary texts. Therefore, in contrast to happiness, it was harder to find metaphors that could belong to the list of Zoltà ¡n Kà ¶vecses. 1.Joy is fluid in a container: then you will look and be radiant,your heart will throb and swell with joy The Holly Bible (Isaiah 60:5-11)a place of joy and peace so full that you need nothing else2.Joy is being off the ground: Now I know when your house gets destroyed you wont be jumping for joy.3.Joy is warm: A blush of joy mantled on Lizzies face, and her heart swelled with happiness John Quine (The Captain of the Parish)4.Joy is vitality: As I watch my grandmother tickle and play with the kids, I see her eyes light up with joy. Jennifer Mallett5.Joy is opponent in a struggle: When her sick friend saw her, she was overcome with joy.6. Joy is a natural force: Ill flood your soul with the joy of cleanliness and the joy of discipline, which will redound to your good forever.7.Joy is a rapture: Inner success: Freedom from the identification with the mind and movement towards the ecstasy of the Truth . This will lead us towards our inner joy8.Joy is up: He who kisses the joy as it flies. Lives in Eternitys sunrise. William BlakeOne of the greatest joys known to man is to take a flight into ignorance in search of knowledge Robert Lynd9.Joy is light: The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide worlds joy. Henry Ward BeecherGladnessIt was the hardest to find metaphors or metonymies on gladness. I found that the word glad is often used in religious terms on the internet but these were not expressed by metaphors or  metonymies rather it refers to the loving of God and it follows that it is expressed on a very simple way. 1.Gladness is light: Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks. Samuel JohnsonLight up your face with gladness Judy Garland2.Gladness is fluid in a container: A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles. Washington IrvingMay God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. Irish Blessing3.Gladness is being in haven: Nations and men are only the best when they are the gladdest, and deserve heaven when they enjoy it. Jean Paul Friedrich Richter5.ConclusionSumming up the above, there are differences between the three conceptualizations of happiness in meaning and it also turned out that people are interested in these questions because it is important to understand these to live a happy life. We also saw that the linguistic usage of happiness and joy are very similar to each other they still have that slight difference in meaning. From this point of view gladness metaphors were less frequent and were not as similar to the other two. BIBLIOGRAPHY Zoltà ¡n Kà ¶vecses: Emotion concepts: from happiness to guilt A cognitive semantic perspectivewww.answers.comhttp://www.kjmaclean.com/HappinessvsJoy.htmlhttp://www.tfproject.org/tfp/archive/index.php/t-7099.htmlhttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/07/DDGLBOFSL11.DTLhttp://thinkexist.com/quotation/happiness_is_a_butterfly-which_when_pursued-is/169068.htmlhttp://www.tiny-lights.com/flash.html?id=20http://www.calvin.edu/admin/chapel/worship/chapel/Isaiah60/wealth.htmhttp://www.light-up-your-life.com/http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/cp1897/chap104.htmhttp://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?gladnesshttp://www.entplaza.com/cgi-bin/create/quotes.pl?cat=Happinesshttp://www.entplaza.com/cgi-bin/create/quotes.pl?cat=Happinesshttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/gladnesshttp://www.caringtoday.com/node/296http://www.4to40.com/story/index.asp?id=480#tophttp://www.timesandseasons.org/index.php?p=2582http://www.meditationerfan.com/Happiness_vs.htmlhttp://www.dai lycelebrations.com/joy.htmhttp://www.dailycelebrations.com/joy.htmhttp://www.dailycelebrations.com/jo

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Dixons Takeover of Elkjøp

Dixons Takeover of Elkjà ¸p The agreed takeover of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons Contents (Jump to) Abstract Chapter 2 – Literature Review Chapter 3 Sources of Data Chapter 4 Research Design, and Statistical Analysis Chapter 5 Conclusion Bibliography Abstract The roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors, Chief Operating Officer, or Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer and the remainder of upper management of a listed company, as stated by Jayne Mammatt, Senior Manager at Ernst and Young, â€Å"†¦ have become increasingly onerous in recent years† (Ernst Young, 2006). The key purpose of the Board of Directors is â€Å"†¦ to ensure the †¦Ã¢â‚¬  prosperity of a company by â€Å"†¦ directing the company’s affairs whilst meeting the appropriate interests of its shareholders †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (BREFI group, 2006). The role of the Board of Directors is to (BREFI group, 2006): Establish vision, mission and values, Set strategy and structure, Delegate to management, and Exercise accountability to shareholders and be responsible to relevant stakeholders. The preceding statement bears particular relevance concerning the subject of the acquisition of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons and whether said acquisition will result in a gain in shareholder wealth. The question posed as to the fact that there is evidence that domestic acquisitions do not lead to shareholder wealth gains is borne out in studies conducted by Doukas and Travlos (1988, pp. 1161-1175) and Markides and Ittner (1994, pp. 343-366). Thus, in the case of the acquisition of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons the question to be examined is, if there is any reason to suppose that a cross-border acquisition would be different in terms of leading to shareholder wealth gains? Dixons is one of the largest retailers of electronic products in the Europe, operating in over 12 countries (DSG International plc, 2006a). The company, Dixons Group plc, is presently known as DSG International (UK Business Park, 1999), however it shall be referred to as Dixons in this examination. The company operates in the following sectors under a number of brand names which the company has acquired or set up operations under its own brand (DSG International plc, 2006b): Electricals Currys Electro World Elkjà ¸p Kotsovolos Partmaster Direct UniEuro DSG Insurance Services Computing DSG Business Services Genesis PC City PC World PC World Business The TechGuys e-commerce Dixons.co.uk Pixmania.com The company earned  £7,072,000,000 during 1005 – 2006 and generated  £317,600,000 in profits before tax (DSG International plc, 2006). Elkjà ¸p ASA is the largest wholesale and retail seller of electronic equipment in the Nordic Region with outlets located in Norway, Sweden and Denmark (Business.com, 2006) generating approximately  £475 million in sales in 1999 (Dixons Group plc, 2000/02, p. 3). Dixons has been an acquisition minded company, utilizing this technique to expand into new markets as well as broaden its base of operations in the same mode as Wal-Mart which utilizes the buy in approach to enter markets as opposed to setting up new operations from scratch. The foregoing is evidenced by its acquisition of ASDA in the United Kingdom and planned acquisition of Taiwanese retail Trust-Mart in China (Barboza and Barbaro, 2006). In 1999 Dixons acquired the Norwegian electrical retailer Elkjà ¸p for  £444 million to establish a significant foothold in the markets o f Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as well as a platform for the launch of other branded stores in its portfolio (UK Business Park, 1999). The expansion represents a long standing policy of the company which has acquired (UK Business Park, 1999): 1996, DN Computer Services, a mail order computer company for  £9.7 million 1998, Byte, a computer retailing business acquired from Specialist Computer Holdings for  £7 million to add its 16 outlets to the chain of 50 PC World stores 1999, a chain of 39 electronic retail stores from Seeboard for  £20 million 1998, a stake in with Planet Online to aid in Internet computer sales 1999, an investment in U.S. based Telepost Holdings for  £6 million to expand its Internet based business services 1999, acquisition of Elkjà ¸p for  £444 million 2000, acquisition of Ei System Computer in Spain for  £16 million to add 12 stores to its business line 2000, a 15% stake in Greek electronics retailer P. Kotsovolos for  £44 million 2001, the acquisition of the Danish company SuperRadio, a chain of electronics superstores 2001, the acquisition of a 24% stake in the Italian electrical retailer UniEuro for  £64 million, 2002, the acquisition of Direct Telephone Services, a mobile phone provider for  £31 million 2002, the acquisition of the remaining shares of UniEuro’s 88 stores for an additional  £231 million 2004, the acquisition of WHSU, known as Micro Warehouse, to expand its PC World operations 2005, Dixons changed its name to DSG International The indicated deals point to the management strategy of expansion through acquisition as a long term business plan, of which Elkjà ¸p was another link in that process. This examination shall seek to examine the statement as to whether the instance of the cross border acquisition of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons has lead to a gain in shareholder wealth in light of the statement that there is a sufficient body of evidence in domestic acquisitions that such transactions do not, in most instances, lead to gains in this area. The foregoing question shall be examined through research conducted into the pre and post merger standings of Dixons, as well as other indicators of shareholder values as represented by stock prices, assets, and revenue growth. As stated by Broxterman and Murad (1999, p. 3) the objective and concern of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer and upper management staff is to â€Å"†¦ increase shareholder value†. They state that this is measurable through the following means (Broxterman and Murad (1999, p. 3): Return on Capital Invested, or EVA (Economic Value Added) This term has become a popular metric that measures the trend of an improvement or a decline in shareholder value, and in the instance of public companies this is reflected in the stock price. Accordingly, an increase in shareholder value moves stock prices upward, whereas a decline in this metric sends them downward. Groves (2006) states that in simple terms, a company increases shareholder value through either a reduction in â€Å"†¦ its cost base whilst maintaining revenue †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and or through increasing â€Å"†¦ its revenue whilst maintaining or reducing its cost base†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Bierman (2006, pp. 1-2) makes the same argument, stating that â€Å"Business corporations attempt to make profits and increase the value of the stockholder’s position†. These theories apply to acquisition activity as well, as these transactions represent a facet of corporate strategy to expand their operations and to increase their profit Rappaport, 1997, pp. 14-29). Such can also result, increased profits, from economies of scale, which is the reduction of duplicate operations that thus lowers costs in administration, warehousing, manufacturing, delivery, supply chains and allied functions. Utilizing the foregoing as a guide, research into these aspects will provide definitive in formation to equate whether an acquisition has met these conditions as indicated above. Dixons’ management strategies have functioned in much the same manner as the fabled John F. Welch, Jr., the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Electric during their storied years in that â€Å"Who knows what they’ll buy or sell next?† (Higgins, 2000, p. 10). This illustration has been utilized because between 1987 and 1988 General Electric’s â€Å"†¦ return on shareholders equity increased from 17.6 percent in 1986 to 18.5 percent in 1987 and to 19.4 percent in 1888 †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Higgins, 2000, p. 9). Furthermore â€Å"†¦ the company’s balance sheet and cash flow remained strong during this period †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Higgins, 2000, p. 9). Despite the foregoing the company’s share price did not reflect this performance as a result of the â€Å"†¦ perception of outsiders †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Higgins, 2000, p. 9). The foresight of Welsh and General Electric was acknowledged nearly a decade later when Noel Tichy, a corporate analyst said â€Å"The two greatest corporate leaders of this century are Alfred Sloan of General Motors and Jack Welsh of GE† (Higgins, 2000, p. 10). The preceding represents the spirit of the examination of Dixons, in that their acquisition minded strategy is seemingly challenged in the same manner. Chapter 2 – Literature Review In researching the subject as to whether there is any reason to believe that the cross border acquisition, as represented by Dixons of Elkjà ¸p, should or does represent a difference between domestic acquisitions which by and large have proven not to lead to an increase in shareholder wealth, there is evidence to prove such is not necessarily the case. Jarrel and Poulsen (1889, pp. 12-19) support the analysis that domestic acquisitions do not generally lead to shareholder increases in their analysis as reported in â€Å"The Returns to Acquiring Firms in Tender Offers: Evidence from Three Decades.†, as does Loder and Martin (1990, pp. 17-33) in â€Å"Corporate Acquisitions by Listed Firms: The Experience of a Comprehensive Sample†. Doukas and Travlos (1988, pp. 1161-1175) in â€Å"The Effects of Corporate Multinationalism on Shareholders’ Wealth†, Markides and Ittner’s (1994, pp. 343-366) Shareholder Benefits from Corporate International Diversifica tion:† as well as Yeung and Morck (1992, pp. 41-56) in â€Å"Internationalization: An Event Study Test† point to evidence that companies in comparison achieved better result from international acquisitions. The preceding authors explain the improved results concerning gains as being a factor of market synergies. A review of the Annual Reports of Dixons and Elkjà ¸p for the periods between 1999 through 2005-2006 represented a key source of direct information concerning the earnings of the firms which in term could be correlated against the stock prices for said periods. As stated by Higgins (2000, p. 9) in his book â€Å"Best Practices in Global Investor Relations: The Creation of Shareholder Value†, the activity registered by stock prices might not accurately reflect the performance of the company, however, the preceding analogy referred to the inception of diversified merger and acquisition strategy in the 1980’s by Jack Welsh of General Electric, whose principle are understood now. Chapter 3 – Sources of Data In equating whether Dixons management strategy in the acquisition of Elkjà ¸p has added to shareholder value, the analysis of a number of sources shall be utilized to bring forth data to enable a determination to be reached. Past history as represented in the Annual Reports for both companies represents the most relevant data concerning revenues, profit and related data. Internet sources present the opportunity to examine stock prices from a present day and historical basis to correlate against the revenue result achieved in various years to reach a determination of the preceding in generating shareholder wealth. The utilization of books and journal articles represent sources that will aid in reviewing theory as well as foundational and theoretical information on shareholder wealth as well as the duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors and upper management in this regard. Internet sources represent the means to seek information not only on theoretical aspects as mentioned previously, but information on company activities as reported in various newspapers and press releases. The combinations of these sources will permit a balanced view as to equating the examination of the question, thus all shall be utilized. Chapter 4 – Research Design, and Statistical Analysis The design of the research is to present the factual accounting and stock share price data as the conclusive means via which to reach a determination as to if the acquisition of Elkjà ¸p by Dixons has or has not resulted in gains to shareholder wealth. This approach has been taken as a result of studies and information as provided by Doukas and Travlos (1988, pp. 1161-1175) and Markides and Ittner (1994, pp. 343-366) on international acquisitions, as well as the internet source of BREFI (2006) that outlined the roll of the Board of Directors, along with Broxterman and Murad’s (1999, p. 3) insights into ‘return on capital invested, or EVA (Economic Value Added). The summary of financial activity with respect to Dixon’s acquisition of Elkjà ¸p is contained in the following Table: Table 1 – Dixons Acquisition of Elkjà ¸p Financial Summary 1998 through 2006 (in  £millions) (Dixons Annual Reports, 1999 through 2005/06) The foregoing statistical figures have been compiled in keeping with the stated aims and objectives of this examination as well as to present the actual results of operations. This Table effectively indicates that Dixons share prices have increased since its acquisition of Elkjà ¸p, as have revenues. Chapter 5 Conclusion Dixons acquisition of Elkjob represents one of a string of acquisitions performed by the company since 1999. Elkjà ¸p’s revenues during the period 2004/05 were  £1,003m (Dixons, 2004/05) with 2005/06 sales registering in excess of 1,500m (contentmanager.net, 2006). Considering that Dixsons paid  £444 for Elkjà ¸p in 1999, the earnings clearly indicate that Dixons has received more than its money’s worth in return. The stock price and revenues figures clearly prove that in this instance Elkjà ¸p’s as well as Dixons shareholders have benefited from this acquisition, as well as the other acquisitions and company actions since 1999. Given that Economic Value Added, as stated by Broxterman and Murad (1999, p. 3) is the key determinant of shareholder vale, Dixons has demonstrated that their concern for shareholder value has been met. The dramatic gains made by the company are a result of its overall approach to management of the firm’s resources, as well as continued expansion and growth. These principles have boded well for Elkjà ¸p’s shareholders, as well as Dixons. Bibliography Barboza, D., Barbaro, M. (2006) Wal-Mart said to be acquiring chain in China. 16 October 2006. The New York Times Bierman, H. (2006) Increasing Shareholder Value. Springer Publications BREFI group (2006) The Board of Directors – roles and responsibilities. Retrieved ion 22 November 2006 from http://www.brefigroup.co.uk/resources/board_roles.html Broxterman, W., Murad, D. (1999) Enhancing Shareholder Value. 23 September 1999. FEICA 1999 Conference, Lucerne, Switzerland Business.com (2006) Elkjà ¸p Asa. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.business.com/directory/retail_and_consumer_services/consumer_electronics/Elkjà ¸p_asa/profile/ CNN Money (1999) Freeserve IPO: Get on line. Retrieved 25 November 2006 from http://money.cnn.com/1999/07/23/europe/freeserve/ CNN Money (2000) Wanadoo buys Freeserve. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://money.cnn.com/2000/12/06/europe/wanadoo_freeserve/index.htm Contentmanager.net (2006) Intershop Successful in Scandinavia. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.contentmanager.net/magazine/news_h13704_intershop_successful_in_scandinavia.html Dixons Group plc (2000/01) Annual Report Accounts. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/Uploads/{2d89b6c1-29a2-4221-a5de-d6aff784de21}/annual report 2000_2001.pdf Dixon (2003) Annual Report. Retrieved on 23 November 2006 from http://images.dixons.com/corporate_new/images/annual_reports/Annual03_04/Elkjà ¸p.htm Dixons (2004/05) Annual Report. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/Uploads/{2fbeed95-0410-4b7c-b306-d433c8d5424b}/Annual report 2004 05.pdf Doukas, J., Travlos, N. (1988) The Effects of Corporate Multinationlism on Shareholders’ Wealth: Evidence from International Acquisitions. Vol. 43. Journal of Finance DSG International plc (2006) Annual Report and Accounts 2005/06. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/Uploads/{b1ce5112-673c-45f2-a4cd-989bab7feda2}/fv ar0506.pdf DGS international plc (2006) Our Brands. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/Layout.aspx?CatID=9c8bcdca-948a-44e5-b7a7-60bd761d7017ID=7df99862-91cb-490d-ad89-38ac1764e880 DSG international plc (2006a) Our History. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.dsgiplc.com/layout.aspx?ID=6568d063-24f8-4c3d-a7b7-6aa675e64775CatID=86e81cbe-a91d-4490-8726-5d37e765e6c2 Ernest Young (2006) Ernst Young Launches Company Director’s Handbook. 24 March 2004. Retrieved on 22 November 2006 from http://www.ey.com/global/content.nsf/South_Africa/Governance__Sustainability_-_Company_Directors Google (2006) DSG International plc. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://google.com/finance?cid=3785532 Groves, J. (2006) Maximizing Shareholder Value. Retrieved on 24 November 2006 from http://www.captive.com/service/marsh/shareholder_value.html Higgins, R. (2000) Best Practices in Global Investor Relations: The Creation of Shareholder Value. Quorum Books Jarrell, G., Poulsen, A. (1989) The Returns to Acquiring Firms in Tender Offers: Evidence from Three Decades. Vol. 18. Financial Management Loderer, C., Martin, K. (1990) Corporate Acquisitions by Listed Firms: The Experience of a Comprehensive Sample. Vol. 19. Financial Management Markides, C., Ittner, C. (1994) Shareholder Benefits from Corporate International Diversification:: Evidence from U.S. International Acquisitions. Vol. 25, Issue 2. Journal of International Business Studies Rappaport, A. (1997) Creating Shareholder Value: A Guide for Managers and Investors. Free Press UK Business Park (1999) Dixons. Retrieved on 23 November 2006 from http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/dixonsaa.htm VNU Network (2006) EB Beats Dixons to make bid for Game. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.vnunet.com/articles/print/2005144 Yeung, B., Morck, R. (1992) Internationalization: An Event Study Test. August 1992. Journal of International Economics

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Can We Control Global Warming?

Can We Control Global Warming? Earth has a natural system of balancing the absorption and release the heat, which it absorbs from the sunlight, but for the last few years, the balance seems to be under severe threat. There has been enormous increase in gases like Carbon -dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc. As the temperature rises, there is rise in sea level, due to melting of glaciers and the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. While sea level is expected to rise almost every year but a considerable variation is seen now-a-days. In some regions, the rise in sea level may be almost nil, but the other might experience a rise of as much as twice the global average. The predictions are that the rise in sea level in some parts of north Pacific and to the west of Greenland may be comparatively more and it can spoil the ecological balance of the respective region. As per the latest reports of U.K. Met offices Hadley centre for climate prediction and research, global warming over the next century might turn out to be much worse than estimated. If the green house gas emissions are stabilised, which means immediate cut of 60-70% emission of carbon dioxide globally, even then the rise of atmospheric temperature would be 1Ãâ€"   C and the rise in would be approximately 1 metre. Based on the finding of the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change, the centre predicted that warming overland could lead to a 6Ãâ€"   C rise in temperature by 2100, which is 2Ãâ€"   C higher than the earlier estimates. As per the findings of the joint study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology New Delhi and Hadley Centre, the global warming may cause a good increase in rainfall in western coastline. GREENHOUSE EFFECT: Greenhouse effect is an effect caused when there is rise in temperature due to trapping of Suns rays in the Earths atmosphere. The heat and light coming from the sun can get through the atmosphere, but it cannot escape out. Due to this, the temperature of Earths surface rises. As we know that the greenhouse effect help to make the people to live on this Earth. These gases help to keep the atmosphere of earth warmer, but too many gases will make the Earth unusually hot, making the survival difficult here. All the living species would die because there will be no much food. Greenhouse Gases: The role of Greenhouse gases is to the heat and light that is emitted from the sun. When amount of gases in the Earths atmosphere will increase as a result they will larger amount of heat and light and the Earths surface will go warmer. It will be difficult to live in these conditions for humans, animals and plants. These greenhouse gases help in contributing greenhouse effect. Though green house gases are essential as there role is to allow the sunlight to enter the Earths atmosphere and to radiate it back after making the Earths atmosphere warmer. Thus greenhouse gases absorb this heat and trap it in Earths lower atmosphere. First, sunlight shines onto the Earths surface, where it is absorbed and then radiates back into the atmosphere as heat. In the atmosphere, greenhouse gases trap some of this heat, and the rest escapes into space. The more greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere, the more heat gets trapped. Causes of Global Warming on our Environment: While arguments persist, there is a little doubt that human-produced greenhouse gas emissions play a major role in the current warming trend. Nature has a role, but it pales in the face of increasing emissions from human activity. Global warming means that the overall temperature of the earth is changing and getting to be warmer than it was before. The change in temperature can be a result of natural causes of global warming and those which are caused by humans. The gases that are natural causes of global warming are also called greenhouse gases. Although the gases are one of the natural causes of global warming, humans add to them by deteriorating the ozone layer and burning too many fossil fuels. NATURAL CAUSES: Along with human activities natural activities also emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Some of the natural occurrences which cause CO2 emissions include: Volcanic eruptions: Large amount of carbon dioxide is released from the volcanic eruptions. But the amount of CO2 released is much less from the amount emitted by human activities. Solar cycles and cosmic rays: A recent study released by a group of European scientists concluded that The chance of the natural cosmic-ray or solar irradiance explanation being responsible for more than 14% of the observed warming is quite negligible. Gases emitted from a volcano HUMAN CAUSES: 1. Carbon Dioxide From power Plants emission of carbon dioxide from the power plants is one of the most contributing factor for global warming. Large amount of CO2 is released in to the atmosphere from the power plants. According to recent researches, almost half of the carbon dioxide emission comes form the power plants. Natural gas, coal, and oil are the types of polluting power plants. Coal is the biggest contributor out of the 3 because of it releases more carbon than the rest of them. Power plants releasing CO2 2. Pollution emitted from vehicles There are almost, 3 billion vehicles being used today. Vehicles also emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Vehicles emit millions of tons of harmful gases into the air. In some populated cities of the world, this causes some of the smog that is mixture of fog and smoke and also causes ozone problems. Thousands of cases of cancer are reported each year from pollution. 3. Deforestation Deforestation means cutting of trees. Trees help in balancing the ecological system as they absorb carbon dioxide. The more trees that are lost, especially in temperate forest zones, the less carbon dioxide that is recycled into oxygen. 4. Use of Fertilizers With the increase in population the requirement for food has also increased. So to increase the productivity of the food fertilizers are used. The use of large amounts of fertilizers also contributes in global warming. Fertilizers emit large amount of greenhouse gas such as nitrous oxide, which also play a major role in global warming. 5. Methane Methane gas is released into the atmosphere the cattle and the rice fields. After carbon dioxide methane is the second largest contributor to the global warming. EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING: For a long time now the effect of mans industrialization and technological progress has quietly yet continuously eked away at the delicate balance of the planets atmosphere and ecosystem, but within the last 30 or so years the pace of this damage has markedly accelerated. Green house gases stay can stay in the atmosphere for an amount of years ranging from decades to hundreds and thousands of years. No matter what we do, global warming is going to have some effect on Earth. Here are some effects of global warming:- 1. Melting of Polar Ice Caps As expected, rising global temperatures are causing the glaciers to recede. It will raise the sea level. There are 5773000 cubic miles of water in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow. If all glaciers melt today the seas will rise about 230 feet. Luckily, thats not going to happen in a single day. But the sea level will rise, which will affect 3 billion of our population. Some of the glaciers have totally disappeared 2. Increased probability of heat waves and droughts Although some areas of Earth will become wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffer serious droughts and heat waves. Africa will receive the worst of it, with more severe droughts also expected in Europe. Water is already a dangerously rare commodity in Africa, and according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global warming will exacerbate the conditions and could lead to conflicts and war. 3. Economic consequences Most of the effects of anthropogenic global warming wont be good. And these effects spell one thing for the countries of the world: economic consequences. Hurricanes cause do billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these. 4. Diseases caused by increasing of earths temperature Thirty of the new diseases that emerged in the last 20 years, many thrive in warmer and wetter weather. Malaria one of its example which kills about 1 to 2 million people a year worldwide. About 90 % of new cases occur in Africa and Southeast Asia. Although the disease is almost rare in developed countries, that could change with global warming. As soon as 50 years from now, malaria could spread to parts of the world that are too cold to support life cycle of the mosquitoes and their parasites that transmit disease. 5. Warmer waters and more hurricanes As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes. It appears that global warming already has increased the frequency of heavy rains in the United States. Which is caused by warmer air can hold more water vapours than cooler air can, so when it rains it really pours. Preventive Measures: Never before in the history, global warming has drawn such attention of policymakers, academicians and the court at least in India. A lot of research has been done in the last a few years to find the suitable linkage between economic activities and global warming and a need for new technologies has felt in order to save our environment. We can reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which in turn reduces global warming. ROLE OE PEOPLE 1. Reduce, Reuse and recycle People must do their bit to reduce wastes by choosing reusable products over of disposables. Buying products with minimum packing will help to reduce wastes. If half of our household waste is recycled then we can save 1000 kg of carbon dioxide annually. 2. Using less heat and Air Conditioning Adding proper insulation to our walls of the house and applying weather stripping around doors and windows can result in lowering our heating expenditure more than 25%, by reducing the amount of energy we need to heat or cool our homes. While sleeping at night or away during the day we must turn off the heating appliances. We must keep temperatures moderate while using AC. 3. Drive less and Drive smart Global warming can be reduced by not using vehicles for every purpose. By not using vehicle for 25km for a week we can save 30kg of carbon dioxide emission to the air. Use of petrol and diesel must be reduced. Also while driving, make sure that the car is running efficiently. For example, keeping the tyres properly inflated can improve the mileage by more than 3%. 4. Afforestation It is assumed that planting more trees will solve the problem as the trees absorb more carbon dioxide, but is a wrong presumption. Planting more trees will absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in some parts of the world, but in the other parts, global warming may hamper the growth of trees or even may cause their destruction. Therefore, afforestation may not be a perfect solution to this problem. ROLE OF GOVERNMENT The government is doing many things to help stop global warming. The government made a law called The Clean Air Act so there is less air pollution. Global warming is making people get very bad illness that could make them disabled, very sick and sometimes even die. The Clean Air Act is making many companies to change product production to decline the problems. The laws made give the information that no one is allowed to put much pollutants into the air. The Clean Air Act has also made car companies to change something to reduce the amount of pollution caused by them. Also many schemes and co-operations are made by the government has been successful to some extent. Facts about global warming: 1. Antarctica home of thousands of penguins is getting hotter slowly and gradually. In Antarctica the annual melt season has increased up to three weeks in the last twenty years. 2. Mount Kili Manjaro has lost 75% of its ice cap since 1912. The ice on the Africas highest peak could vanish totally within next 15 years if no remedial measures are taken. 3. Venezuelan mountain peaks had only two glaciers today out of six. 4. Indias worst heat stroke killed more than 2500 people in 1998. 5. Polar Bears in Hudson Bay are having fewer cubes, possibly as a result of earlier spring ice break up. 6. Since 1950s, Arctic ice has declined by 15%. 7. Coral reefs suffer from the loss of algae that colour and nourish them. The process called bleaching is caused by Warmer Ocean. 8. Florida farmland up to 300 meters inland from Biscayne Bay is being in filtered by salt water rendering the land too toxic for crops. Salt water is also nibbling at the edge of the farms on Marylands eastern shore. Conclusion: The bottom line is coming and we have to figure out what can we do. Waters rising will be disaster, food will be affected and we need to plan for the catastrophies. This will affect every one of us and we all are in the heap of trouble and will soon accepting this fact. We should put serious effort to overcome the problems and strive as much as possible to reinstate our earth for the sake of our future generations. In the nutshell the global warming has become a grave threat to the ecological balance of the Earth. The civilization is slowly moving towards the doomsday. All the nations, particularly the most industrialized, developed countries have to be active to take immediate action on the matter, otherwise, the human race has to face an unimaginable peril and the day is not too far. MOTHER EARTH MAKES A CALL PRESERVE OR DESTROY ALL

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Powerful Effect of Fake News Essay -- Media Today News TV Essays P

The Powerful Effect of â€Å"Fake News† Introduction From the beginning days of the printing press to the always evolving internet of present day, the media has greatly evolved and changed over the years. No one can possibly overstate the influential power of the new media of television on the rest of the industry. Television continues to influence the media, which recently an era of comedic television shows that specialize in providing â€Å"fake news† has captivated. The groundbreaking The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and its spin-off The Colbert Report have successfully attracted the youth demographic and have become the new era’s leading political news source. By parodying news companies and satirizing the government, â€Å"fake news† has affected the media, the government, and its audience in such a way that Bill Moyers has claimed â€Å"you simply can’t understand American politics in the new millennium without The Daily Show,† that started it all (PBS). Old Media In order to understand new media, one must first have a solid background of the old media. The old media traces its origins back to the â€Å"elite or partisan press [that] dominated American journalism in the early days of the republic† (Davis 29). With the advent of the penny press around 1833, the press changed its basic purpose and function from obtaining voters for its affiliated political party to making profit (Davis 29). With more available papers, individual companies competed with each other with â€Å"muckraking journalism†Ã¢â‚¬â€investigative journalism exposing corruption—and â€Å"yellow journalism†Ã¢â‚¬â€sensationalist journalism that completely disregarded the facts (Davis 30). The press continued to evolve its journalistic approaches and next shifted to â€Å"lapdog journalism,† r... ...l Moyers. Originally broadcast July 11, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_stewart.html. Peyser, Marc. â€Å"The Truthiness Teller; Stephen Colbert Loves This Country Like he Loves Himself. Comedy Central’s Hot News Anchor is a Goofy Caricature of Our Blustery Culture. But he’s Starting to Make Sense.† Newsweek 13 February 2006: 50 Sabato, Larry J. Feeding Frenzy: Attack Journalism and American Politics. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers, Inc., 1991. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. â€Å"Laugh, and the Voters Laugh With You, or at Least at You.† New York Times 26 February 2006, New England ed.: Week in Review 1, 14. Wasserman, Edward. â€Å"Murder by Media: The Dean Scream.† Knight Ridder Newspapers 23 February 2005. Wolper, Allan. â€Å"Ethics Corner: Did Critical Media Send Dean Packing?† Editor & Publisher March 2004: 25.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Mafia During the 1920s :: Al Capone

Alphonse Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York, January 17, 1899. Al, as most people knew him as, was perhaps the most famous of all American mobsters. Growing up in Brooklyn, Al acquired "an education in petty crime and the name of "Scarface Al" because of a razor slash across his face."(Grolier, Capone) Capone later moved to Chicago and survived the gang wars of the 1920's by having his rivals killed. In 1929 Capone's gang dreesed as policemen, and executed seven members of the "Bugs" Morgan gang; this was later known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. By the end of the 1920's he dominated the bootlegging of liquior, which brought him an inncome of more than $20 million a year.(Grolier, Capone) The federal authorities finally suceeded in capturing Capone where the Chicago police had failed. Capone was so good at covering his tracks that the federal authorities could only get him on income-tax evasion. In October 1931, Capone was fined $80,000 and sentanced to 11 years in prision. (Grolier, Capone) Al Capones life has been portrayed on film several times due to his popularitym as a mobster. When he was released in November 1939 he was terminaly ill with syphillis, and died on his Flordia estate January 25, 1947. St. Valentine Massacre At 10:20 a.m. on Saint Valentine's Day in 1929, Chicago was brimming with sunshine. Even the George ("Bugs") Moran booze-peddling depot on North Clark Street was peaceful. This depot was marked as a garage for the S.M.C. Cartage Co. On this morning, six underworld figures presided, waiting for coffee. Another man, wearing overalls, tinkered with a beer vat on a truck, completing the total to seven men. Just ten minutes later, the men glanced at each other, alarmed. A fast blue car eased into the curb outside the depot. The car produced four men. Two, dressed as police, held sub-machine guns. The other two, shabbily dressed, carried shotguns. All the gangsters raised their hands over their heads. The four visitors marched them to the back of the garage and lined them up against the far wall. They were frisked for weapons. One of the men inquired as to what was happening, and one of the four new men shouted, "give it to 'em!" From the four guns streamed 100 bullets, of which only eight reached the wall behind the victims. One man tried to escape, but a bullet shot at nearly point blank range ripped through his head.