Introduction to Nanotechnology free essay sample

Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale. There has been much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted. We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Nanotechnology or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The first use of the concepts found in nano-technology (but pre-dating use of that name) was in Theres Plenty of Room at the Bottom, a talk given by physicist Richard Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at Caltech on December 29, 1959. Feynman described a process by which the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules might be developed, using one set of precise tools to build and operate another proportionally smaller set, and so on down to the needed scale. In the course of this, he noted, scaling issues would arise from the changing magnitude of various physical phenomena: gravity would become less important, surface tension and vander Waals attraction would become increasingly more significant, etc. Name – Swarnalipi Behera Regd. no – 0601211053 Roll. no – 106321 Branch – IT 1. Introduction Nanotechnology is an essentially modern scientific field that is constantly evolving as commercial and academic interest continues to increase and as new research is presented to the scientific community. The field’s simplest roots can be traced, albeit arguably, to 1959 but its primary development occurred in both the eighties and the early nineties. In addition to specific scientific achievements such as the invention of the STM, this early history is most importantly reflected in the initial vision of molecular manufacturing as it is outlined in three important works. Overall, an understanding of development and the criticism of this vision is integral for comprehending the realities and potential of nanotechnology today. Nanotechnology, shortened to nanotech, is the study of the controlling of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally nanotechnology deals with structures of the size 100 nanometers or smaller in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology is very diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to investigating whether we can directly control matter on the atomic scale. There has been much debate on the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted.

Chinese Cinema essays

Chinese Cinema essays The history of film is an important one today. Many people in our society today may see film as simply a form of entertainment, but it is indeed more than that. Film is a medium of expression that is unlike no other. It can tell many tales of many different types of people throughout history. Film is also a good reflection of culture. The art of film can often be seen imitating life and telling the story of a nation and their peoples. China is one such country with a celebrated history of film. Chinese cinema is often divided into six generations. The term generations is used to make it easier to group the different phases of Chinese film history, but they are not completely different from one another. A particular generation may share something in common with the previous generation, while also passing something onto the next generation. In a sense, the history of Chinese film can be said to have gone through a sort of evolution from its beginnings to the present. The first and second generations of film began during the 1890s and continued through the beginning part of the early 1900s. These two generations of Chinese film are often seen as the pioneers for Chinese cinema. Many of these films consisted of operatic shorts and short comic skits. Eventually the Chinese would go on to make full length film features. The first film length Chinese film ever made was created in 1921 and was entitled Yan Ruishe. Some years later a new trend in film began. Many dancers ad stage performers began to move from the stage to the screen. This may have seemed like a good fit at the time, but many of the dancers-turned-actors were not successful. One actress who was successful was Ruan Lingyu. Unfortunately she committed suicide in 1935. Stephanie Donald tells us that in her suicide note, she was in despair at gossip about her private life (4). Its interesting to see that even in the early stages of...

Assessments for the English Language Learner Research Paper

Assessments for the English Language Learner - Research Paper Example â€Å"The present culture of testing has placed an increased amount of emphasis on the development of state standards, high-stakes testing, and the use of rigid curricular programs† (Brantley, 2007, p. 28). Therefore, an educational assessment is mandatory in today’s highly competitive world. There are three types of assessments; formal, alternative and informal. The purpose of implementing a classroom assessment system is to improve instruction and student achievement. The English language learners are rapidly growing in the population of the U.S classroom. As such, considerate amount of thoughts and training need to be implemented when designing and administering educational assessments. There are many factors that need to be kept in mind while selecting educational assessments for students. Language barriers and educational background factors are the main factors. In the first factors, language barrier factors, different issue like different linguistics background, L evels of proficiency in English, and levels of proficiency of native languages are the three main barriers that should be addressed in the assessment. In the educational background factors issues such as degrees of formal schooling in native languages, degrees of formal schoolings in English language, and exposure to standardized testing should be addressed in the assessment. While administering an educational assessment, it crucial for the classroom teacher to provide the English Language Learning students with fair and appropriate assessments while keeping in mind the various factors that could hamper their academic growth. It is pivotal for the teachers to be knowledgeable about the different assessment types as to provide adequate and fair assess of their students’ progress as well as achievements in the class. As mentioned before, there are three types of assessments; formal, alternative and informal. The formal assessment is mainly based in the results of the standardiz ed tests and other formal exams regulated under the test- taking guidelines. In Formal assessment students are assessed on the basis of their written document, test, quiz or essays. The student’s progress is determined based on the data collected on the student’s performance on the tests. Formal Tests are usually used to assess the overall achievement of the student and compare his/ her intelligence with other students as well as to find a student’s strength or weaknesses in a particular topic. The formal assessment test has its own purposes, advantages and disadvantages. Formal assessment is a good assessment to be implemented to the student to determine their strength and weaknesses. It also evaluates the student’s achievement by comparing their progress with other students. It is appropriate to use the formal assessment to indentify the student’s special needs and it can also improve learning at an individual level for young English language lea rners. Formal assessments are categorized into separate groups such as norm referenced tests and criterion referenced tests. The Norm references tests are characterized by strict rules and implementations. These types of tests are mainly used to compare one student to another, one group of students to another group as well as schools. When implementing a norm reference test teachers should implement the test under specific and similar circumstances.

Choose from the book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Choose from the book - Essay Example Third, has there been feedback to this research. And, forth, what are the establishments and/or findings of this research. Parenthetically, researchers normally distinguish young as being between the ages of 18-29 (Zukin et al 11-12). However there is a prior issue: Why is civic engagement essential and, parenthetically, what is civic engagement? Well, this is the key of the Presidential Citizens Scholar Plan, something an individual will discuss, assess and examine as course participants so it would inappropriate for us to answer these questions for them. The extensive social importance, nevertheless, lie in the social contact and even intermittently civic discussions over pizza and beer that many people forgo. Some onlookers assert that an essential concept, or theory, that this reduction in engagement, disengagement, could be generations, that is, younger cohorts are less involved or engaged than older generations. If this is authentic and if the reduction in engagements perpetuat es then total disengagement is in the offing, that is, it is predisposed to the very near future. This particular issue is why researchers concentrating on young adult and civic engagement is now all the rage (Zukin at al 15-19). The public opinion polls indicate that young people do not comprehend the notions of citizenship, they are disconnected from the political process, and they are short of knowledge necessary for effectual self-government. This public opinion survey also shows that these young people support and appreciation of American democracy is restricted. The older generations have been doing so little to impart the standards of citizenship on to the next generation. But there is optimism. The account offers new proof that civic engagement makes a huge difference in the attitudes towards citizenship, understanding engagement of young people. The report is pegged on a countrywide opinion analysis devised to estimate how the civic attitudes, understanding and engagement o f young people: The DotNet generation between 16 and 26 years of age compare to those of older generations. The survey was carried out by Knowledge Networks: an investigative organization that implements scientifically bases Internet Polls (Zukin et al 20-34). A lot has been talked about generational differences in voting models during the 2008 election. An analysis of generation differences sheds some light into how social meanings of civic engagement and social liability have transformed in due course. In effect, a lot has made of what earlier generations have done in terms of service to American culture. Many issues about how to expand political engagement have also been raised in the academic dominion. University/college student political engagement could be increased by actively engaging the=m in service learning experiences. Though service learning is a didactic and learning program that incorporates meaningful community service with pedagogical instruction and reflection, the re has not been concerted endeavor to enhance service learning courses that decisively prepare young people for enthusiastically engaging in the political system. Generation is a practical concept as it facilitates researchers to assess political actions in terms of how different age groups, formed at unusual times and by special experiences, respond to political occurrences. Particularly, (Zukin et al 35-46) are interested in the degree to which dissimilar generations, have undergone different political and cultural happenings in their seminal and

Evidence of a Glass Ceiling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evidence of a Glass Ceiling - Assignment Example It would send a very positive message throughout the organization and externally if the company affirmatively recruited a pool of candidates in which there is adequate representation by women and minorities. This does not mean that a woman must be selected if she is not most qualified, but rather than an effort must be made to bring in qualified female candidates. The next time there is an opening within the senior leadership, the employees at large should draft a petition demanding this kind of affirmative action. If women and minorities had access to equal pay and opportunities for advancement, everyone would benefit in some way primarily because it would be truly just. When people are treated differently because of their gender or skin color, it sets up a severely unethical system that ultimately harms everyone in an organization, and contributes to the harm of society at large. Even if white men currently earn more on average than women and minorities, they are not really benefiting, particularly since the expectation is not that their pay would be reduced, but rather that the pay of women and minorities be increased in order to achieve equality. Real justice ultimately benefits everyone, and so there are no stakeholders who would not benefit. I once attended a business lunch with clients from the Far East.

Tesco Plc: Business and Financial Performance Analysis

Tesco Plc: Business and Financial Performance Analysis This Research and Analysis Project report concentrated on the Business and Financial performance of Tesco Plc over a three year period from 2008 to 2010. The analysis report throws more lights on the operational and financial performance of Tesco Plc by having regard to its business strategy. One of its major rivals in the industry which is J. Sainsburys Plc has been used as a benchmark in order to compare Tesco plc performance. REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS TOPIC This topic was selected because there has been much and extreme competition in the retail supermarket industry in recent times. With most of these businesses having to compete for their share of the market. Most them are thinking and aiming of becoming a market leader one. But at the heat of this competition is the issue of survival and going concern which is at the centre of every these retail businesses since failure to consider them could result to total collapse of their entire operations. To this end I decided to investigate Tesco which is one of the UKs most successful and also one of the worlds biggest retail supermarkets to find out how it has operated so far and to see the level of it business and financial success over the last three year period. REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS ORGANISATION Tesco plc was chosen because it has become one of the worlds biggest retail supermarkets in recent times. Considering the size of its market share compare to most of its major competitors, the company has grown so rapidly thereby increasing in profitability. Therefore I wanted to find out whether or not the profitability levels have come as a result of its rapid and consistent growth, since growth and profitability do not always move hand in hand. I also wanted to know more about the companys strategy which has seen it expand so quickly and rapidly than its rivals do. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT The main aims and objectives of this project are to analyse the business and financial performance of Tesco plc. It should be noted that most companies are not managed and directed by their owners (shareholders) but rather appoint Directors and entrust in their hands with stewardship of their investments. Therefore it is appropriate for these Directors to account to these owners the stewardship of those investments entrusted in their care. Shareholders and stakeholders of every company including Tesco plc will like to know whether or not their investments and interest are been managed properly since this will help them decide whether to sell off their shares or keep them and even invest more. Stakeholders alike may also want to know the companys performance, progress and its success in order to take an informed decisions. The project will find out whether Tesco plcs shareholders are properly rewarded for their investments and risks they have taken or not. And also to ascertain how satisfactory Tesco plc stakeholders are. To achieve this, ratio analysis was employed to analyse the companys last three years financial statements (2008, 2009, 2010) and this was compared with the rivals three results in order to obtain objectivity and fairness. There was also a consideration regarding the going concern status of the business as it is central to the companys long term survival. As a consequence, tools such as SWOT and 5 Forces analysis were considered to assess its non financial information in order to establish Tesco plcs current competitive position in the market, any strengths and weaknesses they have as well as opportunities and threats they are faced with. RESEARCH QUESTIONS As part of this project the following research question were generated in order to respond to them in the analysis: Has the shareholders investment managed properly? How well have Tesco plc shareholders are been rewarded for risks taken? Have stakeholders interest been kept satisfied? Is the companys current business strategy sustainable? What is the companys long term survival strategy? Will the company be able to continue to enjoy rapid increase and expansion? 2. INFORMATION GATHERING Sources and their reasons Tesco Plcs 2008, 2009, 2010 Annual reports These individual annual reports provided me with detailed and adequate information which I used for analysing the business and financial performance of the company. The annual reports were very useful in calculating and analysing since they were the most current results. J. Sainsburys Plc Annual Reports for 2008, 2009, 2010 Like the Tesco Plc annual reports, these ones from J. Sainsburys Plc also assisted me in analysing the business and financial performance of the company and again the most recent financial reports. The Chairmen and the Chief Executives statements from both companies These were useful in that they provided me with the companies operational highlights which helped my analysis to reflect those highlights Quarterly Reports on their trading activates There were vital information that I gathered from these quarterly reports as well, which aided my analysis. Unaudited interim company financial Reports Even though these reports were unaudited and may not provide much positive signs, however they supplied me with trends on these companies operations to establish its performance and also to see if there was the need for issuance of profit warning. News papers Information gathered from the news paper publications included experts opinions, comments and suggestions which could affect the share price of the company on the market. And as such was useful to the shareholders and potential shareholders. Expert Reports These were other independent expert views gathered apart from the news papers which throw much more lights on the future and potential prospects of the company by showing trends, projections, forecast, diagnosis, etc. Libraries Continuous visit to libraries such as the Woolwich library, British library, white chapel, etc. These libraries gave me the chance to have access to the data bases of all the listed companies information. Books and journals Most of the ACCA text books such as Paper F2, F7, P3, ACCA students magazines, Financial accounting books, etc were all useful in this exercise in getting a deeper understanding of the financial analysis. 2.2 Method used in information gathering The secondary data were gathered and used for the conduct of this report which was collected through the following means: Libraries Libraries attendance was used to collect data from sources such as articles, News papers, Textbooks, journals, magazines, CD ROM, etc. Search engines (Websites) Websites that were considered important were visited to collect data including that of Tesco Plc website, J. Sainsburys Plc and others. They are (www.tesco.com), (www.j-sainsbury.co.uk), http://www.emeraldinsight.com, http://www.ssrn.com, http://search.ebscohost.com, etc. Request Letter A formal written letter was sent to both the secretaries of Tesco Plc and J. Sainsburys Plc to request a copy of their 2008, 2009, 2010 annual reports which helped in the analysis. Marketlineinfo.com/ Datamonitor.com Specialised information were sort from these sources to help analyse the non- financial information such as SWOT AND 5 Forces analyses techniques. Financial Analysis Made Easy (FAME) This source gave me financial information including Tesco Plc and J. Sainsburys Plc and contained ratios analysis for companies. There was also non- financial information such as the employees numbers, structure of company ownership, issues relating to corporate governance. Accounting techniques used The under-listed techniques were used for the conduct of this research in order to arrive at a reasonable and an objective conclusions which helped to give recommendations Profitability ratios Liquidity ratios Efficiency and solvency Investor ratios/ Stock market ratios As part of the conduct of this research these financial ratios were computed in understanding of the company performance in answering the research questions mentioned in 1.5 above were. They included: Revenue Growth ratio: this showed the movement of growth in revenue for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 for both Tesco Plc and J. Sainsbury Plc. Profitability and returns ratios: These ratios indicated well Tesco Plc has superiority in terms of Profit generation for the three years as oppose to its rival J. Sainsbury Plc. Working capital ratios: these ratios are pointers of short-term financial standing of both companies. The idea was to establish these companies ability to remain in business by been able to finance its short term debts with short term sources of finance without having to result to the use of long term finance (fixed assets). Efficiency ratios like the profit per employee and turnover per employee were all considered. This was able to show how efficient Primark has been managed in relation to its workers. Investor ratios: the investor ratios measured how well have the shareholders been adequately rewarded for the risk taken. And also these ratios could assist potential shareholders to take any informed decision (s). 3. ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION 3.1 OVERVIEW OF TESCO PLC Tesco is one of the largest food retailers in the world, operating around 2,318 stores and employing over 326,000 people. As well as operating in the UK, it has stores in the rest of Europe and Asia. It also provides online services through its subsidiary, Tesco.com. The UK is the companys largest market operating under four banners: Extra, Superstore, Metro and Express. Tesco sells approximately 40,000 food products in its superstores, as well as clothing and other non-food lines. The companys own-label products are at three levels, value, normal and finest. Tesco Plc own brand accounts for approximately 50% of sales. As well as convenience produce, many stores have gas stations. The company has become one of Britains largest petrol independent retailers. Other retailing services offered in the UK include Tesco Personal Finance and Tesco.com. Tesco Personal Finance is a joint venture with the Royal Bank of Scotland. It has over 3.4 million customers, and provides various financial p roducts and services. The company has operations in the rest of Europe, including the Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Tescos Republic of Ireland business operates in the region of 82 stores, and around 60 stores in the Hungarian market. Tescos Polish operations include former HIT operated stores. It operates around 66 hypermarkets and supermarkets in this country. In the Czech Republic and Slovakian markets, Tesco operates 22 and 23 hypermarkets respectively. Tesco also operates stores in Asia, including Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan. The company operates 64 stores in Thailand and 28 stores in the South Korean Market, while in the Taiwanese and Malaysian markets it has three stores in each nation. www.datamonitor.com 3.2 OVERVIEW OF J. SAINSBURYS PLC J. Sainsbury plc operates a total of 890 stores comprising 547 supermarkets and 343 convenience stores. It jointly owns Sainsburys Bank with Lloyds Banking Group and has two property joint ventures with Land Securities Group PLC and The British Land Company PLC. The Group also holds 294 freehold and long leasehold stores. It employs approximately 150,000 staff. The companys stores offer a range of food, and complementary non-food products and services primarily under the Sainsburys brand. It also provides an Internet-based home delivery shopping service. In addition, it provides insurance, credit cards, savings products, and loans. The Sainsburys brand is built upon a heritage of providing customers with healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food. Quality and fair prices go hand-in-hand with a responsible approach to business. Sainsburys stores have a particular emphasis on fresh food and strive to innovate continuously and improve products in line with their customer needs (http://www.j-sa insbury.co.uk). Its businesses are organized into three operating segments: Retailing (Supermarkets and Convenience); Financial services (Sainsburys Bank joint venture), and Property investment (British Land joint venture and Land Securities joint venture) (http://uk.reuters.com). Companies Strategy 3.2.1 Tesco Plc business strategy Tesco Plc has a well-established and steady strategy for growth that has assisted in strengthening its core activities in the UK and its further expansion in to new markets (abroad). The basis for the strategy is to widen the scale of it operations to enable it deliver well-built sustainable long-term growth by way of pursuing the customer into large growing markets at home. By that it offers customers with products including financial services, telecoms and non-food and new markets abroad, originally in Central Europe and Asia, and  more lately  in the US. The companys 1997 diversification strategy lunched has successful become its foundation in recent times. The company has become market leader in most of the markets that saw the creation and development of their new businesses out the UK for the last twelve years since these businesses are highly competitive and profitable. Tesco plc strategy has shown a massive progress consistently. The strategy has five essential rudiments which reflect on the companys four conventional areas of concentration and the business long-term commitments regarding the society as well as the environment. The objectives of the Tesco Plc strategy focus on: To become a successful global retailer To develop its core business in the UK To become as strong in non-food as in food. To build up retailing services such as Tesco Personal Finance, Telecoms and Tesco.com To put the community at the heart of what it does (http://www.tescoplc.com) 3.2.2 J. Sainsburys Plc business strategy J. Sainsburys Plc strategy focuses on five main areas which are underpinned by the companys strong heritage and brand which consistently sets it apart from its main rivals. One of such strategies is great quality products at fair prices the company with its consistent innovation provides its customers with healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food that are also sourced with integrity. With over 19 million customers been served every week and increase in market indicate how successful the strategy has been. The companys second strategy is on the acceleration of the growth of its complementary non-food and services through its philosophy of quality and value, and to offer a broader shopping experience for consumers. The company opened 51 convenient stores during 2009/10 as part of its strategy of reaching as many customers as possible with it brand. I also expanded its groceries online business to reach almost 90% households with non food products lunched in July 2009 making 8,000 products now available nationwide. J. Sainsbury Plc plan to open 75 to 100 more in convenient stores in 2010/11. Since operational flexibility can be improved by property/ assets ownership and even further exploitation of potential development opportunities, J. Sainsbury Plc increased the value of it freehold property portfolio to  £9.8 billion (http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk) In a highly competitive marketplace in which all UK retailers are fighting to sustain their sales against a slowdown in consumer spending, Primark is doing remarkably well. The UK high streets and malls are packed with no-frills fashion retailers. That means that Primark has plenty of competitors all aiming at the same type of customers. It is not easy to sell cheap fashion. Well-established rivals such as BHS and Matalan are struggling, while results at Primark are booming. The market segment targeted by Primark is the fashion conscious under-35s with the slogan Look good pay less. It offers fashionable clothes at very competitive prices (for example, jeans for  £4) and reasonable quality: in other words, a value for money strategy. In competitive strategy terms, Primark is a pursuing a classic focus cost leadership strategy. The American management professor Michael Porter of Harvard University developed a well-known approach to the competitive strategy of firms. He argued that companies could achieve a higher rate of profit (or at least potential profit) in one of two ways: they could either provide a product or service that is identical to that provided by rival companies, but at a lower cost than rival firms, or they could provide a product or service that is differentiated from that of rival firms such that customers would be prepared to pay more for their product than for a rival firms product. (R. M Grant (2005)). The first approach would mean that the firm has a  cost advantage over rival firms, allowing it to pursue a Cost Leadership strategy; the second approach would mean that they had a  differentiation  advantage, allowing it to pursue a Differentiation strategy. Firms selling a no-frills product are usually attempting a cost leadership strategy, such as Easyjet (UK) or SouthWest (USA) airlines. The focus part of Primarks strategy is the specific customer segment it focuses on i.e. that of the under-35s. It is not attempting to sell to everybody. It has selected a particular customer segment, just as the 18-30 holiday company has selected a clear market segment based on age group within the leisure industry. In the last three years Primark has got a lot of things right. Some of its strongest successful competitors are BHS, TK Maxx and George at ASDA. However, although all three are in the value segment and therefore have similar market positioning, the other three have different strategies to that of Primark. TK Maxx sells heavily-discounted prestige brands and George at Asda has created its own private-label brand mostly at out-of town stores. Primark is a high street retailer which has a family of brands and focuses much more on buying, logistics and supply chain management rather than branding. In its pursuit of ever-lower costs, teams of buyers in UK and Ireland travel internationally both to identify fashion trends and to seek out the most competitive suppliers. The company uses computerised customs clearance (speed to market) and dedicated warehousing and distribution facilities, such as the giant warehouse owned and run by the logistics company TNT but dedicated solely to Primark stock distribution. This one warehouse is centrally located for the whole UK market, near a junction of the M1 motorway and it houses 50% of Primarks UK stock, receiving 30 lorry loads each day. (This warehouse was destroyed by fire in November 2005). Computerised warehousing and distribution systems are linked to computerised daily sales and stock information (rapid restocking of fast-selling items) by size and colour for each item in every store to optimise turnover. (www.open2.net) THE PEST ANALYSIS James and Akharaserani (1988) indicated that external phenomena have impact on internal ones. By PEST, attention is paid to Political, Economic, Social and Technological (PEST) factors which could influence positively or negatively on the growth or otherwise of the organisation. The discussion below throws more light on these external issues of the organisation. (P)olitical According to Lancaster et al (2002 p. 55) The political environment is the starting point from which many other macro-environment forces originate. Tesco operates in a variety of political environments; the head office being in the UK. The UK has a functional democracy with elections and multi-party political system. The USA has a similar democratic setup. The political factors in both countries are stable and promote the growth of private enterprise. Most of the European markets are situated in Eastern part and the markets are Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia and Turkey. The political factors here are not as stable as UK or USA. Asia is the largest market outside of the UK. It has presence in Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, China, and Japan. Of these Japan is quite stable. The most political problems are from Thailand where there is opposition from local businesses and so Tesco faces the biggest problems here. (E)conomic The UK and the US are both rich countries even though faced with a recession at present. The East European markets are much poorer in comparison, but Lancaster et al (2002) indicate that there is a massive improvement in the economic environment of the Far East with the likes of Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and China. To prevail in the economic condition of the Far East, Tesco has lowered its prices which are welcomed by the local population there. (S)ocial The social structure in USA and UK are quite akin where shopping in supermarkets has existed for a long time. But for the Asian countries, the concept is relatively new. Turkey and Malaysia are both Muslim countries; hence their religious laws have to be taken into consideration by Tesco. (T)echnological Assessing todays technology, Headrick (2009) says, it has brought the world to a stunning advancement. It is in the light of this that Lancaster et al (2002) establish that technology is a very important tool which has a huge impact on the marketing firm. By technology, Japan, US, UK and Malaysia have similar facilities. South Korea is also strong in this regard. Thailand might be the least technologically advanced of the markets. This is also the case with the East European markets. China has technical capability, but is mainly limited to its cities. But it can be said that the level of technology needed by Tesco in all these markets are available and hence not much obstacles in this area are anticipated. THE VALUE CHAIN The concept of value chain has been widely and intensively spoken about by astute authors. The concept was propounded by Michael Porter. Explaining the value chain concept, Porter (1985) describes it as, A general framework for thinking strategically about the activities involved in any business and assessing their relative cost and role in differentiation. Writing on the same concept, Longbottom (2006) intimated that information dissemination across the value chain has increasingly become indispensable to organisations which want to stay in competition. To support Longbottoms assertion, Dekker (2003) expressed that the importance of the value chain cannot be over-emphasised as it grants the organisation an opportunity to achieve the maximum. According to Porter (1985) the value chain has two major parts, namely; Primary and Support activities. He says the Primary activities are those directly linked with production. They are: Inbound logistics, Operations, Outbound logistics, Marketing and Sales and Service. The Support or the Secondary activities he identified as: Procurement, Human Resources Management, Technology Development and the Firms Infrastructure. Below is a demonstration of how Tesco applies the value chain in its activities. 4.1 Primary Activities: Inbound logistics Tesco gets its materials from the suppliers who are mostly the producers and stores them in its depot. Operations Those that need to be turned into finished products are processed as such Outbound logistics Tesco has trucks of different types which supply the various stores. Marketing and Sales Tesco has various means of marketing its products which include the application of the promotional mix producing to meet the needs of the customer Service Tesco has a track record of providing an outstanding service to customers, especially after sales. This is to find out the impression of the customer after the usage of the product. 4.2 Support Activities: Procurement Tesco has been getting in touch with its suppliers without middlemen, hence minimising procurement cost in its purchases. Human Resources Management Tesco employs people who have the expertise and the commitment to serve the company with all the loyalty. Mention could be made of Terry who committed his business acumen to Tesco for fourteen years as Chief Executive Officer. Technology Development This is an area Tesco cannot be beaten to it, as it has created a formidable e-commerce for its activities through Tesco.com The Firms Infrastructure In terms of infrastructure, Tesco has high class modern facilities for its stores and spacious parking places in most of its stores. INFORMATION SYSTEM/IT AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE TOOL FOR TESCO Speaking on the advent of technology, Goessi (2008) expressed that Technology has taken the business environment by storm. Throwing more light on that, Headrick (2009) intimated that due to technology, there has been an excessive threat to the business environement. Gone are the days when every single activity that was done in organisations was manual. In recent years, automation has taken business to another level and those organisations wishing to stay and aspire ought to follow suit. The points discussed below would afford Tesco, the opportunity to gain competitive advantage. Strategic Differentiation According to Hitt et al (2009) a good IS would afford the organisation to strategically differentiate itself to be competitively ahead. In line with this, Tesco differentiates itself and gain competitive advantage by offering special services like club cards to the customer. Integration of Supply and Distribution Tesco could apply IS as a tool to assess and track inventory. By that the supply chain could be monitored with minor problems detected before they become major ones. Communication The Information System being practised in the organisation would determine how expeditious information would be disseminated. A communication system which is automated in nature would minimise cost and improve the image of Tesco as an organisation. Quick Decision Making Information System paves way for important information to be delivered at the right time. Any manager who wants to make a quick decision in the current business dispensation should find IS as an indispensable tool. This will provide the manager to do a quick assessment on a bordering issue and find a solution. CONCLUSION Tesco as an organisation has made a tremendous impact on the business landscape. Even though it had gone through rough times and still faces some competition which is inevitable in contemporary business circles, Tesco has become a household name. With its performance in both the local and the international scenes, couple with the vast technological incorporation, the sky could still be its limit as Goessi (2008) expressed, Many businesses today are still realizing the power their technology possesses, but once strategic knowledge is realised, the potential is endless.

Qualities of Ratan Tata Essay

PERSONAL POWER —-Krishna Kumar, in an internal interview published on the group’s website in March, had also praised Ratan Tata for his contributions to not only the group, but the business and industry as a whole and called him a ‘born leader’. Visionary—Good Communicator–A visionary leader has good communication skills. She knows how to verbalize her dreams and goals and can explain them to his team. For the leader, communication isn’t just one-sided. In addition to sharing her vision for the future, a visionary leader is also an active listener. As more people â€Å"catch the vision,† leaders listen to their ideas and thoughts, incorporating them into the larger goal. Visionaries involve others in reaching their milestones and help the team members meet their personal goals.Charismatic Leader–Visionary leaders also have charisma. Merriam-Webster defines charisma as a â€Å"personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty.† Not everyone is born with this â€Å"personal magic,† but they can learn and cultivate it. Charisma is a natural attraction that draws people to the leader and the leader’s enthusiasm.Chief Organizer–Visionary leaders also are chief organizers. While many leaders have administrators that manage the processes, the leader often sets up the organization by establishing key departments or functions. As the organizer-in-chief, the visionary directs, develops and conducts meetings until reliable help is found. During the initial organization, a leader will take the time build a solid foundation through establishing boards, councils or a company hierarchy. Strategic Planner–Visionary leaders are strategic planners. Like a chess player, these leaders plan ahead to make the best business moves. Strategic planning involves creating an action plan with a particular strategy in mind. The leader’s vision defines what the organization will look like in the future and how it will function. His strategies are designed to take him toward his ultimate vision. COURAGEOUS Risk-taker–Visionary leaders, like Washington, are notable risk-takers. These leaders are willing to gamble on something they believe in, but the gamble is often a measured one. Visionaries are creative people that take the initiative with the appropriate action. Visionaries take intelligent risks that capitalize on prime conditions. This kind of leader starts small by taking measured steps than later bigger risks.INSPIRING Passionate—-He was the chairman of the group from 1991-2012. He stepped down as the  chairman on 28 December 2012 and now holds the position of Chairman Emeritus of the group which is an honorary and advisory position. He will continue as the chairman of the groups charitable trusts.Even at this age he is able to work for his company showing loyality, respectiv eness and passion towards his work which is definetly an inspiration for young leaders. There are three characteristics that I have noticed among leaders that make them conscious, responsible and effective leaders — Tata demonstrates all the three.One: Leader has a bigger, higher purpose for you and your organization that expresses responsiveness to community. While some organizations do create the higher purpose, they do not operationalise that. In the absence of translating the higher purpose into actions, these statements become static and meaningless, limited to websites and decorating boardrooms. Individuals and organizations that have imbibed their higher purpose experience more meaning in their life and fulfillment. An organisation that has a well-articulated and an operationalised higher purpose would create sustainable business success, employee loyalty, satisfaction and a sense of pride. Tata group is an ideal example of all that. CREATIVE Two: Leader uses creative rather than reactive tendencies to get results. Some people achieve it using reactive com petencies and tendencies like controlling, manipulating, pleasing and complying. While some others achieve similar or better results using creative tendencies like relating, self awareness, purposeful actions, and authenticity. If an organisation is only interested in driving financial results, they might be doing this by using reactive competencies. Results can be achieved using multiple motivational drivers. Someone who is extremely insecure and controlling will use those tendencies to drive results. Tata used more creative competencies to lead the organization. INNOVATIVE IMAGINATIVE EXPERIMENTAL INITIATES CHANGE— His imagination ability inovated lots of ideas which were on the side of company’s growth which were both experimented and executed with a positive result creating a change in the history of reputation of company by building a base of company’s growth Three: Leaders operate from higher order values. Robert Kegan, a professor at Harvard Graduate School, proposed the need for leaders to scale their abilities to the higher orders so that they can solve complex problems and create personal transformation. Richard Barret, author and expert on values, talks about seven levels of consciousness. While  survival, selfish wealth creation, power, greed, status and being liked can be considered as lower order values, self actualisation, service, trust, honesty and Integrity can be considered as higher end-values. Ratan Tata was a ‘terrific combination’ of the four necessary leadership characteristics — character, commitment, competence and courage. ï‚ · Leaders inspire others because they are inspired themselves. They are excited about the possibility of creating an exciting future for themselves. They get up every morning and they see every effort they make as part of a great plan to accomplish something wonderful with their lives.ï‚ · Leaders are optimistic. They see opportunities in everything that happens, positive or negative. They look for the good in every situation and in every person. They seek the valuable lessons contained in every problem or setback. They never experience â€Å"failures;† instead, they write them off as â€Å"learn ing experiences.†Ã¯â€š · Leaders have a sense of meaning and purpose in each area of their lives. They have clear, written goals and plans they work on every day. Leaders are clear about where they are going and what they will have to do to get there. Their behavior is purposeful and goal-directed. As a result, they accomplish five and ten times as much as the average person who operates from day to day with little concern about the future.ï‚ · Leaders accept personal responsibility. Leaders never complain, never explain. Instead of making excuses, they make progress. Whenever they have a set-back or difficulty, they repeat to themselves, â€Å"I am responsible! I am responsible! I am responsible!†Ã¯â€š · Leaders see themselves as victors over circumstances rather than victims of circumstances. They don’t criticize or blame others when something goes wrong. Instead, they focus on the solution.ï‚ · Leaders are action-oriented. They are constantly in motion. They try something, and then som ething else, and then something else again. They never give up.ï‚ · Leaders have integrity. They tell the truth at all times. They live in truth with themselves, and they live in truth with others.

Washington Square (Henry James)

Washington Square  is a short novel by  Henry James. Originally published in 1880 as a serial in Cornhill Magazine  and  Harper's New Monthly Magazine, it is a structurally simple  tragicomedy  that recounts the conflict between a dull but sweet daughter and her brilliant, domineering father. The plot of the novel is based upon a true story told to James by his close friend, British actress  Fanny Kemble. [1]  The book is often compared to  Jane Austen's work for the clarity and grace of its  prose and its intense focus on family relationships.James was hardly a great admirer of Jane Austen, so he might not have regarded the comparison as flattering. In fact, James was not a great fan of Washington Square  itself. He tried to read it over for inclusion in the  New York Edition  of his fiction (1907–1909) but found that he couldn't, and the novel was not included. Other readers, though, have sufficiently enjoyed the book to make it one of the more popu lar works of the Jamesian canon. ————————————————- Structure The novel is told from a  third-person omniscient  point of view, although we don't know anything about the narrator.The narrator often offers his comments directly to the reader. The novella begins at a distance from the characters, describing the background of the Sloper family. It then recounts in detail the story of Catherine's romance with Morris Townsend. When Morris jilts her, the focus shifts back to a long view. As James puts it: â€Å"Our story has hitherto moved with very short steps, but as it approaches its termination it must take a long stride. † The final few chapters are taken once more in short steps, ending with the striking vignette of Catherine's refusal of Morris. ——————————————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€ Major themes The bitterest irony in the story is that Dr Sloper, a brilliant and successful physician, is exactly right about Morris Townsend, and yet he shows cruelty to his defenseless and loving daughter. If the doctor had been incorrect in his appraisal of the worthless Townsend, he would only be a stock villain. As it is, the doctor's head works perfectly but his heart has grown cold after the death of his beautiful and gifted wife. Catherine gradually grows throughout the story into right judgment of her situation.As James puts it: â€Å"From her point of view the great facts of her career were that Morris Townsend had trifled with her affection, and that her father had broken its spring. Nothing could ever alter these facts; they were always there, like her name, her age, her plain face. Nothing could ever undo the wrong or cure the pain that Morris had inflicted on her, and nothing could ever make her feel towards her father as she felt in her younger years. â₠¬  Catherine will never be brilliant, but she learns to be clear-sighted. ————————————————-Literary significance ; criticism â€Å"Everybody likes  Washington Square, even the denigrators of Henry James†, wrote  critic  Donald Hall, and most other commentators have echoed the sentiment. Although James himself regarded the novel with near contempt, readers have enjoyed its linear  narrative  technique, its straightforward prose (far removed from the convoluted language of James's later career), and the sharply etched portraits of the four main characters. Even the rusty plot revolving around â€Å"the will† has charmed many critics with its old-fashioned simplicity.Catherine's slow but unmistakable development into independence and wisdom is a notable success for James and has been much appreciated by critics and readers in general. Henry James,   OM  (15 April 1843  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 28 February 1916) was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century  literary realism. James alternated between America and Europe for the first 20 years of his life, after which he settled in England, becoming a  British subject  in 1915, one year before his death.He is primarily known for the series of novels in which he portrays the encounter of Americans with Europe and Europeans. His method of writing from the point of view of a character within a tale allows him to explore issues related to  consciousness  and  perception, and his style in later works has been compared to  impressionist painting. James contributed significantly to  literary criticism, particularly in his insistence that writers be allowed the greatest possible freedom in presenting their view of the world.James was born in New York City into a wealthy family. His father, Henry James Sr. , was one of the best-known intellectuals in m id-19th-century America. In his youth James travelled back and forth between Europe and America. He studied with tutors in Geneva, London, Paris, Bologna, and Bonn. At the age of 19 he briefly attended  Harvard Law School, but preferred reading literature to studying law. James published his first short story,  A Tragedy of Error, at age 21, and devoted himself to literature.James is one of the major figures of  trans-Atlantic  literature. His works frequently juxtapose characters from the  Old World  (Europe), embodying a feudal civilization that is beautiful, often corrupt, and alluring, and from the  New World  (United States), where people are often brash, open, and  assertive  and embody the virtues—freedom and a more highly evolved moral character—of the new American society. James explores this clash of personalities and cultures, in stories of personal relationships in which power is exercised well or badly.His protagonists were often young American women facing oppression or abuse. Novels * Watch and Ward  (1871) * Roderick Hudson  (1875) * The American  (1877) * The Europeans  (1878) * Confidence  (1879) * Washington Square  (1880) * The Portrait of a Lady(1881) * The Bostonians  (1886)| * The Princess Casamassima(1886) * The Reverberator  (1888) * The Tragic Muse  (1890) * The Other House  (1896) * The Spoils of Poynton  (1897) * What Maisie Knew  (1897) * The Awkward Age  (1899) * The Sacred Fount  (1901)|Short stories and novellas * A Tragedy of Error  (1864) My Friend Bingham * Poor Richard A Day of Days * The Story of a Masterpiece The Story of a Year * A Most Extraordinary Case A Landscape Painter

Exploring the Yellowstone Supervolcano

Exploring the Yellowstone Supervolcano Theres a powerful and violent  menace lurking under northwestern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, one that has reshaped the landscape several times over the last several million years. Its called the Yellowstone Supervolcano and  the resulting geysers, bubbling mudpots, hot springs, and evidence of long-gone  volcanoes  make  Yellowstone National Park  a fascinating geologic wonderland. The official name for this region is the Yellowstone Caldera, and it spans an area about 72 by 55 kilometers (35 to 44 miles)  in the Rocky Mountains. The caldera has been  geologically active for  2.1 million years, periodically sending  lava  and  clouds of gas and dust into the atmosphere, and reshaping the landscape for hundreds of kilometers.   Yellowstone Caldera is among the  worlds largest such calderas. The caldera, its supervolcano, and the underlying magma chamber help geologists understand volcanism and is a prime place  to study first-hand the effects of hot-spot geology on the Earths surface. The History and Migration of the Yellowstone Caldera The Yellowstone Caldera is really the vent for a large plume of hot material that extends hundreds of kilometers down through Earths crust. The plume has persisted for at least 18 million years and is a region where molten rock from Earths mantle rises to the surface. The plume has remained relatively stable while the North American continent has passed over it. Geologists track  a series of calderas created by the plume. These calderas run from the east to northeast and follow the motion of the plate moves to the southwest. Yellowstone Park lies right in the middle of the modern caldera. The caldera experienced super-eruptions 2.1 and 1.3 million years ago, and then again about 630,000 years ago. Super-eruptions are massive ones, spreading clouds of ash and rock over thousands of square kilometers of the landscape. Compared to those, smaller eruptions and the hot-spot activity Yellowstone exhibits  today are relatively minor. The Yellowstone Caldera Magma Chamber The plume that feeds the Yellowstone Caldera moves through a magma chamber some 80 kilometers (47 miles) long and 20 km (12 miles) wide. It is filled with molten rock that, for the moment, lies fairly quietly below Earths surface, although from time to time, the movement of the lava inside the chamber triggers earthquakes. Heat from the plume creates  the geysers (which shoot superheated water into the air from underground), hot springs, and mudpots scattered throughout the region. Heat and pressure from the magma chamber is slowly increasing the height of the Yellowstone Plateau, which has been rising more rapidly in recent times. So far, however, there is no indication that a volcanic eruption is about to occur. Of more concern to scientists studying the region is the danger of hydrothermal explosions in between major super-eruptions. These are outbursts caused when underground systems of superheated water are disturbed by earthquakes. Even earthquakes at a great distance can affect the magma chamber.   Will Yellowstone Erupt Again? Sensational stories crop up every few years suggesting that Yellowstone is about to blow again. Based on detailed observations of the earthquakes that occur locally, geologists are sure that it will erupt again, but probably not  anytime soon. The region  has been fairly inactive for the past 70,000 years and the best guess is that  will remain quiet for thousands more.  But make no mistake about it, a Yellowstone super-eruption will happen again, and when it does, it will be a catastrophic mess. What Happens During a Super-Eruption? Within the park itself, lava flows from one or more volcanic sites would likely cover  much of the landscape, but the bigger worry is ash clouds blowing away from the site of the eruption. Wind would blow the ash as far as 800 kilometers (497 miles), eventually blanketing the mid-section of the U.S. with layers of ash and devastating the nations central breadbasket region. Other states would see a dusting of ash, depending on their proximity to the eruption. While its not likely that all life on earth would be destroyed, it would definitely be affected by the clouds of ash and the massive release of  greenhouse gases. On a planet where the climate is already altering rapidly, a additional discharge would likely change growing patterns, shorten growing seasons, and lead to fewer sources of food for all of Earths life. The U.S. Geological Survey maintains a close watch on the Yellowstone Caldera. Earthquakes, small hydrothermal events, even a slight change in the eruptions of Old Faithful (Yellowstones famous geyser), provide clues to changes deep underground. If magma starts to move in ways that indicate an eruption, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory will be the first to alert surrounding populations.

Free Essays on Marijuana

Marijuana Marijuana (pot,) is one of the most widely used recreational drugs. The legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial debates in today’s government. For years the debate to legalize this drug has grown stronger and stronger. There are various arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana. Those who are for legalization argue that marijuana is a stress reliever, it enhances creativity, and can be used for medicinal purposes. On the contrary, those who are against the legalization of marijuana argue that marijuana is a doorway drug to harsher more dangerous drugs, pot makes you stupid, and will make drugs readily available to our nation’s youth. Until its ban, pot was used for over 50,000 non-drug commercial uses including paper, textiles, fuels, food and sealants. Marijuana is also a medical herb that has hundreds of proven, valuable therapeutic uses- from stress reduction, to glaucoma to asthma to cancer therapy, etc. THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, can be extracted and made into pill form for medical purposes. Marijuana was a major active ingredient in 40-50% of patent medicines before its ban. During the 1930’s the American media spread false stories about marijuana facts and depicted pot as an extremely dangerous drug. This caused marijuana and hemp to be effectively banned in 1938. Many say that by legalizing marijuana it will cause the crime rate to increase. In actuality legalizing marijuana would decrease the crime rate if the herb is readily available. It would eliminate the need of an underground subculture. For example, during the prohibition when alcohol was banned, the only way to obtain alcohol was through the black market. Once alcohol was legalized, distributors sold alcohol at a cheaper price, therefore driving bootleggers out of business. The same thing would happen if marijuana was legalized. Distributors would sell pot at a cheaper price and w... Free Essays on Marijuana Free Essays on Marijuana â€Å"Marijuana prohibition applies to everyone, including the sick and dying† (NORML). Marijuana has been illegal in the United States since 1937. In 1937 the United States of America passed the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, this made it illegal for anyone to possess, sell, or manufacture marijuana (Whitbread). There are many different views today on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Many people support the idea of medicinal marijuana, the legalization of marijuana for chronically ill people. Others feel that legalizing marijuana will lead to the use of other â€Å"harder† drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, because it is viewed by many as a â€Å"gateway† drug. Since marijuana was made illegal there has been the creation of many different organizations to try to decriminalize marijuana. One major organization known as NORML, The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, â€Å"supports the removal of all penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults, including cultivation for personal use, and casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts† (NORML). This policy is known as decriminalization. If marijuana were decriminalized it would mean that the marijuana smoker could no longer be charged by the criminal justice system. Today in Missouri, if caught in possession with thirty-five grams or less of marijuana it is considered a misdemeanor and punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine up to one thousand dollars. Possession of greater than thirty-five grams of marijuana it is considered a felony and is punishable up to seven years in prison and a fine up to five thousand dollars. Possession of greater than thirty kilograms is considered trafficking and the penalty is five to fifteen years in prison and a fine up to twenty thousand dollars. Possession of one hundred kilograms or more carries a penalty of ten years to life in prison and a fine up to twenty thousand do... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana Hemp is the plant called "cannabis sativa" which is more commonly called marijuana. Marijuana has been illegal in the U.S.. ever since the Great Depression. The question we must ask ourselves is "why?" Why is a drug that has so many beneficial uses illegal? Is it because its poisoning the youth of today? Is it because it leads to harder drugs, the health problems, the addictiveness, the short-term memory impairment, the auto accidents, or is it simply because politicians tell us it is for "our own good?" We have grown up learning that marijuana is a terrible drug, and that using it gives us brain damage, kill all of our brain cells, and makes us lose our memory. The fact is though, that marijuana does not effect us in any of the ways listed above. The idea that marijuana impairs short-term memory is true, but misleading. Any signs of short-term memory impairment vanish once the user is no longer intoxicated. Mainly the reason we think marijuana is bad is because that is what the Partnership for a Drug-Free America wants us to believe. They tell us that marijuana will cause brain damage and memory impairment, it will kill brain cells, and lead to more crime. But what they forget to mention is all the benefits we can receive from legalizing marijuana. For example, the medicinal uses, and the textile and construction uses. It is very likely that legalizing marijuana would decrease the crime rate, and by legalizing marijuana we will save a lot of money because we won't have to spend it on fighting marijuana as part of the War on Drugs. There are many habits much worse than marijuana, one example being cigarette smoking. "Tobacco smoking kills more people each year than AIDS, heroin, crack, cocaine, alcohol, car accidents, fire and murder combined. Tobacco smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the US. Tobacco smokers have 10 times the lung cancer of nonsmokers, twice the... Free Essays on Marijuana â€Å"Just say no to drugs,† a phrase we were all brought up with. It’s everywhere from our parent’s mouths to every kids love, candy boxes. Marijuana, one of the most common illegal drugs smuggled and used in the United States, is every parents nightmare. Since I can remember I was always told â€Å"drugs are bad,† and â€Å"never get mixed up with them.† At the time I was young and that was more than enough information for me so I never once questioned it, but as I grew older my curiosity began to grow along with me. I wanted to know â€Å"Why is this drug so bad?† and â€Å"What exactly are its effects on the human body?† My questions began to expand over time. â€Å"If this drug is so bad, how come almost half of America is on it, well at least that’s what it seems like in my neighborhood.† With all these unanswered questions roaming around in my head there was no question that this was the topic I was going to write my I-search paper on. I began investigating the issue at home online. I started by searching various search engines such as yahoo, excite and dogpile. The one I found to be the most resourceful was dogpile. â€Å"Marijuana: facts for teens,† was one of the web pages that contained an abundant amount of useful facts. I found it very easy to use because of its format. It contained frequently asked questions about marijuana along with scientific answers. The second step I took in locating my information was visiting the Mastic-Shirley Community Library, located in my town. In the library I stumbled upon books such as The Residual Cognitive Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use in College Students, by H.G Pope and Clinical Relevance Of Cannabis Tolerance and Dependents, by Ralph Jones These books also contained useful, relevant information such as the long term effects of marijuana. The first thing I researched was what marijuana exactly was. â€Å"Marijuana is a a green, brown or gray mixture of shredded leav... Free Essays on Marijuana Why should marijuana be legalized? Many people, old and young, everywhere in the world, partake in the activity of smoking this plant and buying paraphernalia. There are many substantial reasons to use this plant, besides for extra-curricular purposes. Marijuana should be legalized because it’s the holder of many beneficial uses including suppressing pain, raising the United States out of debt, saving millions of acres of forests, and creating jobs for many people. Through the legalization of marijuana, the U.S. could benefit immensely. Marijuana is the most widely used controlled substance in the United States. Since it is used so often, why not take the money it could create by selling it and help the economy. For every 1/8 ounce sold, the U.S. government could take 40% of the $40 or $45 with the other 60% going to the seller. The seller would have to be monitored by the government and would have to have licenses and have their crops tested for harmful fertilizers. Crime would also be affected in a positive way. Illegal drug crimes would drop, allowing the police to turn their attention to more serious problems. There is a marijuana smoker arrested every 45 seconds in the United States. Normally, they receive large fines and small jail time but repeat offenders can get up to five years. Sadly, rapists and murderers are able to get only one year. Do you really think smoking a joint is worse that raping and killing someone If marijuana were to be legalized, the jail would have room for criminals that deserve jail time for their crimes. Tax dollars that go to prosecuting and jailing these so called ‘criminals’ could go towards programs in helping inform smokers of how to do it responsibility. Drug dealers that dealt illegally would soon go out of business and drug smuggling would drop to a low. They would still sell cocaine and PCP and the other illegal drugs but they wouldn’t have the same profit that they got prior becaus... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana Marijuana (pot,) is one of the most widely used recreational drugs. The legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial debates in today’s government. For years the debate to legalize this drug has grown stronger and stronger. There are various arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana. Those who are for legalization argue that marijuana is a stress reliever, it enhances creativity, and can be used for medicinal purposes. On the contrary, those who are against the legalization of marijuana argue that marijuana is a doorway drug to harsher more dangerous drugs, pot makes you stupid, and will make drugs readily available to our nation’s youth. Until its ban, pot was used for over 50,000 non-drug commercial uses including paper, textiles, fuels, food and sealants. Marijuana is also a medical herb that has hundreds of proven, valuable therapeutic uses- from stress reduction, to glaucoma to asthma to cancer therapy, etc. THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, can be extracted and made into pill form for medical purposes. Marijuana was a major active ingredient in 40-50% of patent medicines before its ban. During the 1930’s the American media spread false stories about marijuana facts and depicted pot as an extremely dangerous drug. This caused marijuana and hemp to be effectively banned in 1938. Many say that by legalizing marijuana it will cause the crime rate to increase. In actuality legalizing marijuana would decrease the crime rate if the herb is readily available. It would eliminate the need of an underground subculture. For example, during the prohibition when alcohol was banned, the only way to obtain alcohol was through the black market. Once alcohol was legalized, distributors sold alcohol at a cheaper price, therefore driving bootleggers out of business. The same thing would happen if marijuana was legalized. Distributors would sell pot at a cheaper price and w... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana also reduces pain caused by AIDS and cancer and helps cure glaucoma’s. According to the National Cancer Institute, marijuana is used in alleviating side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite of chemotherapy patients. Marijuana reduces intraocular pressure in the eye for relieve from glaucoma’s. Marijuana can also ease muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. If it’s the only drug that effectively camouflages pain, then it should be used. No person should have a say in this matter unless they have experienced the pain and suffering that these people with cancer and AIDS have encountered due to their illness. Marijuana has been made out by many people to be harmful, but that is not the case. Over 2000 people die each year from the toxic effects of aspirin, and it is legal to anyone. Marijuana has never killed anyone, but yet it is not legal. Marijuana has many benefits; therefore it needs to be legal. It helps curb pain, saves forests, and would be much safer to its smokers if it were to be legalized. Alternative medicines are becoming more and more popular these days. I believe that holistic and herbal medicines are a great alternative for people who are allergic to traditional medicines. Along with safe use, people can better themselves with this secondary way of healing. I happen to use many herbal cures for everyday stressors, which over- the- counter drugs cannot help with. There is a great debate right now, concerning marijuana use for medical purposes. Before I came to the US, I have always believed that marijuana was something that people experimented with as a way to deal with their daily stress. I also felt that the use of marijuana was the harmful to a person physical and mental health. –The view in my country (Cyprus) is that marijuana is as detrimental as any other hard core drug-. However, my view about marijuana has changed dramatically over the years, not just because... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana†¦Legalize it? One question that has haunted Americans for a long time is â€Å"Should the use of marijuana be legalized?† Some say, â€Å"Yes†, while others say, â€Å"No†. Owning marijuana was made a criminal offence in 1937 when Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act. Even with this new law, people continued to use the drug. Here we are years later, still without a satisfactory answer to the question. There are many reasons that marijuana should be made legal, but there are also reasons that it should not. Through out this essay, I am going to compare and contrast some of the pros and cons of the legalizing of marijuana. Many people think that the legalization of cannabis would lead to health problems, such as, the use of a harsher drug and to psychological and personality problems that can come from using marijuana. These individuals feel that the negatives of marijuana use far outweigh the positives, and feel that the use of marijuana should remain illegal. To some people marijuana is considered a â€Å"gateway† drug. Legalizing marijuana may lead to the use of much more harsh drugs. I know someone who is currently sitting in a prison on multiple drug charges. He is sentenced to eight years in a minimum-security prison. When my friends and I think back about how his life got so messed up, it’s weird to think that it started out as simple as smoking pot. Once someone experiences a â€Å"high†, they may want to experience it again, and when pot does not do the trick anymore, they may turn to stronger drugs. Many people out there have no idea what it is like to be â€Å"highâ⠂¬  so to speak. If marijuana were legalized, those people would try the drug, like it, and then perhaps move on to much more damaging drugs. Legalizing marijuana could very well cause Americans to suffer from psychological and personality problems. THC is the active chemical in marijuana that causes the user to feel â€Å"high†. This chemical is most... Free Essays on Marijuana I believe that the government cannot intervene to forbid such practices in these states, because the Constitution does not state that the states couldn’t do it. The government does not have the power to take away the states right. If it doesn’t state that the government can intervene with a state decision, then the state can do whatever it wants. Unless, the government tries to bribe them to change there ways. For example, if the government said that the state wasn’t going to get 10 million in federal funds unless the state forbids prostitution and marijuana. Of course the state would stop permitting prostitution and marijuana and take the 10 million in federal funds. It states in the 10 Amendment any power not given to the national government is then reserved to the states. Which means if there is no statement about forbidding usage of marijuana, then Alaska is free to do whatever. The national government cannot stop Alaska for permitting marijuana. If the states believe permitting marijuana is the right thing, then the state will stand by its decision. In my opinion, I believe permitting marijuana to try to cure certain diseases is a good thing. I believe if a drug had potential in curing any disease then we should allow it or try it. At least we are trying to make a difference. Instead of us just sitting there and watching people die. The bad side of the situation of the drug is that it does have side affects and people can get addicted. There are two sides of the usage of the drug. I still think it is a good idea and we should allow it. The state of Nevada should not allow prostitution. I think that is wrong and unethical. The prostitutes could be carrying a disease and infecting everyone. That type of â€Å"business† can plague the whole state. I believe the government should have the right to stop prostitution. The government should have some say so about prostitution. A state law passed in 1971 ma... Free Essays on Marijuana Daniel Chaney The people who oppose legalizing marijuana feel that marijuana is morally wrong. They feel that legalizing another drug to get high America high isn’t the answer to our drug problem. This could make our drug problem spiral out of control some law makers feel. While others feel that it could improve our drug problem. The views of how to control America’s drug problem conflicts. Both groups those for legalizing marijuana and those against it are trying to achieve the same goal. Both sides want to improve America’s drug problem, the chief impediment between the people is the way they want to do it. The groups aren’t likely to agree on a compromise because each group represents a totally opposite way to reach the goal than the other. This issue will be written in black and white with no grey area. Marijuana will be made legal or it will remain illegal. The people who want marijuana to remain illegal feel that it will add to our problem. It will make it ok to use another dangerous drug legal and easily accessible. Those who feel that marijuana should be legal, look at it as legalizing a helpful drug with untapped potential. This is why each group is so far apart, because of the differences in the definitions of the issue. I see no foreseeable agreement between the sides. Whatever the decision is made, one of the groups will be strongly opposed to the choice.... Free Essays on Marijuana Marijuana: The Friendly Weed â€Å"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Contrary to what you may think it was not a user of the friendly weed marijuana who said this. Just the opposite; it was the (Drug Enforcement Administration) DEA’s chief administrative law judge, Francis L. Young in 1988. People around the world have been brought up to think that marijuana is this deadly, addictive, harmful drug that will turn you into a stoner at first puff. Of course, this is not true. Marijuana is a very beneficial substance that has been used to treat serious ailments for thousands of years. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, was the first law that prohibited marijuana. Some protested it then and many more do now. Then, decades later, the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 placed all illegal and prescription drugs into five â€Å"schedules† or categories. Marijuana ended up in Schedule I, defining the substance as having: a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medicinal use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of safety for use under medical supervision. This does not apply to marijuana at all. Unfortunately, at the time the act was put into action, marijuana had been prohibited for more than thirty years. Its medical aspects put aside, marijuana was considered dangerous and addictive. However, in the 1970’s, a considerable increase in recreational users helped rediscover the medicinal purposes of marijuana. Scientists studied the health effects of marijuana and uncovered its history of helping people. Also, those who used it for simple enjoym ent, who had illnesses, discovered it’s therapeutic purposes. When word got out, people started to self-medicate. Distressingly with its Schedule I status, doctors cannot prescribe it, and medical research is severely hindered. In 1972, a petition was made to legalize marijuana for medical patients. After sixteen years of c... Free Essays on Marijuana Daily across the world millions of people are smoking marijuana. In some places this is an illegal activity, but in other places it is very acceptable. The New Encyclopedia Britannica explains, â€Å"Marijuana, also spelled Marihuana the Indian plant hemp plant, Cannabis Sativa, or the crude drug composed of its leaves and flower, usually crushed and put into pipes or formed into cigarettes for smoking†(Encyclopedia Britannica). The intoxicating chemical in pot is THC or Tetrahydrocannabinal. The use of marijuana has been practiced for thousands of years. Numerous different cultures have had their own different uses for the drug. Snyder explains, â€Å"Marihuana was probably first used as an intoxicant in India around 1000 B.C. and soon became an integral part of the Hindu culture†(www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/nc1b.htm). Today, the intoxicating drug marijuana is filled in our nation’s streets and homes. The majority of the pot, which co mes into the United Stat! es, comes from Mexico. But that does not mean that the drug is not grown here in the states. Rolling Stone Magazine writes that behind tobacco, Kentucky’s second biggest cash crop is marijuana. The cultivators will grow their plants throughout the year starting in spring and harvesting in the fall seasons. The plants are then cut down and hung upside down to dry. The buds off of the plant are then picked off and ready to be sold on the streets to our nation’s kids. Even though there are severe consequences for practicing this act in America, people still make a living doing it every year. These same people along with many other followers want this drug to be legalized in America today. Marijuana cannot be legalized in America for medical or social purposes. Smoking marijuana is not a safe or effective medicine. The use of any drug whether it be legal or not is not healthy for one’s body to smoke. A human body lives off of breathing o...

Discuss the influence of the Mongol Rule on Russia in the 13-15th Essay

Discuss the influence of the Mongol Rule on Russia in the 13-15th centuries - Essay Example Russia before the Mongol invasion The 12th century became known as the peak of a period of feudal disunity in Russian and Soviet historiography. While there existed 15 quasi-independent principalities in the Russian lands of the mid-12th century, their numbers swelled to more than 50 on the eve of Mongol invasion (Vernadsky, 1973). The largest of these principalities included the Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal that dominated the North-East Rus, the mercantile Republic of Novgorod that was practically independent from the Riurikid dynasty due to its custom of electing its princes, and the Principality of Halych in the South-West that became a basis for Dual Principality of Halych-Volyn’ after the unification of Halych and Volyn’ under Volynian prince Roman Rostislavich (ruled 1189-1205) in 1199 (Martin, 2003, pp.97). The other principalities, including Ryazan, Smolensk, Chernigov and Polotsk, were generally weak and dependent on their larger neighbors. The political fra gmentation of Kievan Rus was accompanied by bitter infighting between various principal cliques for the domination over Kiev, which, while having lost its previous political and economic importance, still remained a lucrative prize for an ambitious prince. The most important feudal wars in the 12th to 13th century included the warfare between princely clans of Monomashichi and Ol’govichi in 1146-1154, the raid of north-eastern princes led by Andrey Bogolubsky against Kiev in 1169, and the war between Roman of Volyn’ and Suzdalian Grand Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest (ruled in 1154-1212) in 1202-1203 (Martin 2003; Vernadsky 1973). While the separation of Rus’ lands into distinct polities allowed rapid economic development at the local level and facilitated the formation of cultural centers independent from Kiev, it undermined the potential for joint struggle of different principalities against the Great Steppe nomads. The failure of the raid of Igor Prince of Novgo rod-Siversky against the Polovtsy (Cumans) in 1185 (Martin, 2003, p.146) and especially the first disastrous encounter between the united hosts of the Rus’ princes and the vanguard Mongol troops in the Battle of Kalka River in 1223 (Fennell, 1983, pp.66-68) showed that Kievan Rus’ was unprepared for the Mongol onslaught. Positive and negative influences on the development of Russia under Mongol rule After the subjugation of Volga Bulgarians in 1236, the Mongol armies led by Batu Khan and Subutai attacked the territories of Grand Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal in November 1237. The fall of Ryazan and Vladimir signified the end of organized resistance by north-eastern princes, while the death of grand prince Yuri Vsevolodovich in the Battle of the Sit River in March 1238 (Fennell, 1983, p.81) left the Rus’ princes without their formal sovereign, making any coordinated counterattack unlikely. The only territories of the North left independent were Novgorod and its vassal principality of Pskov. In 1239-1240 Batu Khan attacked the South-Western Rus, destroying Chernigov and taking Kiev in December 1240 (Fennell,1983, p.83). Finally, in 1241 the Mongols managed to capture and ransack Halych and Vladimir-in-Volyn’, the capital of Volynian lands. From that time on, the majority of Rus’ principalities was unable to resist the Mongols and

Evaluating the Business Impact, Operations Management Issues and Term Paper

Evaluating the Business Impact, Operations Management Issues and Effectiveness of Business Decision-Making Relations to Recent Natural Disaster Events - Term Paper Example The paper tells that the problems and issues that have been identified with BMW Manufacturing Company, one of the biggest car producing corporation, is that the materials it is using to build cars that must be transported to South Carolina, the United States from its European   manufacturing plant are: 1) supply of car parts has been temporarily disabled because of the eruption from an Icelandic volcano that grounded most outbound and inbound air flights since the ash cloud reduced visibility, which may cause accidents if flights continue with normal operations; 2) how to get or secure critically needed car parts from other suppliers; 3) how to reroute and ship the car parts needed to South Carolina; and 4) how to keep the plant in South Carolina operational in the meantime until the natural disaster has been overcome. The response of the company regarding the natural disaster that affected their operations is first to find alternate shipping routes so that the parts needed in Sout h Carolina can be flown in. BMW Manufacturing Company also contacted its other suppliers if they can fill the supply requirements until the situation in Europe goes back to normal. And while the company is waiting for that to happen it will reduce its normal daily production as well as shorten the working shifts of its employees so that the company is still running and its workers will still have a job to go to everyday. In considering the events that happened with BMW, I can say that in making business decisions, any business company must understand that customers, investors, and business partners remain the same. And that the company is expected to deliver what it must deliver no matter what happens because of commitments and agreements that were made before the disaster happened. Therefore, BMW Manufacturing Company is expected to make good on every delivery that was promised and should see to it that necessary people, as well as the equipment to make good on that promise, are av ailable Lynch. In this particular business sense, BMW is doing its best to find a solution to the problem it is currently encountering so that the negative effect, financial and otherwise, it may have on the company, in the long run, will not be very overwhelming. Taking into great consideration that the car manufacturing industry has just started to recover and grow again, which is putting heavy pressure on every manufacturer and supplier across the whole industry. Although BMW is doing making the correct decision by trying to find other ways on how to transport the much-needed supplies from their European manufacturing plant and making some adjustments in the local daily production and working shifts of its employees. It can also avoid encountering such problems again in the near future by trying to make appropriate changes in its business priorities and objectives. While the monitoring of the company’s survival on a daily basis is being done without lapses, short-term solu tions are only good for a particular span of time. But since times are changing environmentally and economically, BMW must acknowledge that the way that things may have been done yesterday may no longer be how they should be done tomorrow. It may be difficult to try and make changes where long-term solutions are interlinked with the company’s short-term goals, but this will make the company more flexible in times when unforeseen events arise and when the company’s usual method of dealing with business must be made so it can easily adjust to the necessary change.