Using GIS Profiling to Solve Serial Burglaries Research Paper

Using GIS Profiling to Solve Serial Burglaries - Research Paper Example It then elaborates on GIS tool and its appropriateness in solving serial crime using geographic profiling. More significantly, the paper relates geographic profiling to solving serial burglaries. Serial crimes are illegal acts that warrant punishment based on criminal law. They are crime defined by repetitive nature. Serial crimes include murder, rape, arson, bombing, and robbery. Serial criminals frequently develop behaviors of committing the same type of crime in a similar manner. Sequence of crimes committed by the same lawbreaker constitutes serial crimes that law enforcement agencies files. Studies relate serial criminals to immoral upbringing or environment. Advancements in technology have contributed to increased serial crimes around the globe. Criminals are highly innovative and frequently adopt emerging technology advancements before criminal agencies acquire such technologies. Such innovative criminals have also acquired similar crime tracking devices used by law enforcement agencies. For instance, innovative criminals have encrypted radio communication networks of state agencies.’ Insecurity cases have increased around the globe because of innovativeness of criminals. Criminals have devised advanced systems of committing a crime and escaping from law enforcement agencies. For instance, Serial killers and terrorists use modern communication technologies such as satellite imagery, night vision goggles and smart phones in locating their targets and enemies. Evidence also exists of terrorists who have formed operations centers for monitoring social networks, videos, and global news broadcasts. Serial killers such as the 2008 Mumbai terrorists used modern weapons such as AK-47s, hand grenades, and explosives (Goodman, 2014, p. 1). The terrorists employed use of search engines in planning the attacks and in identifying specific hostages.

Externality Definition Essay Example for Free

Externality Definition Essay 1. An externality is defined as a benefit or cost that is imposed on a third party, such as society, other than the producer or consumer of a good or service, or, more simply, an economic side effect. The more of a product that is consumed or produced, the more of an externality that results. When discussing externalities in general terms, positive externalities refer to the benefits and negative externalities refer to the costs associated with the production or consumption of a good or service. Public goods are one of the more common examples of positive externalities. Public goods are goods which are difficult to exclude people from benefiting from or from getting a free ride. Public goods, such as national defence, clean water, clean air, law enforcement, etc., are generally good for most, if not all of society. Negative externalities exist in many situations. One of the most common examples is that of pollution. In these situations, the producer and consumer finance the goods produced but society must bear the cost of pollution that is introduced into the environment as a by-product and is thus a negative externality. Using the above mentioned example of negative externality, pollution, a steel producing firm might pump pollutants into the air. While the firm has to pay for electricity, materials, etc., the individuals living around the factory will pay for the pollution since it will cause them to have higher medical expenses, poorer quality of life, reduced aesthetic appeal of the air, etc. Thus the production of steel by the firm has a negative cost to the people surrounding the factory-a cost that the steel firm doesnt have to pay. 2. Negative externalities are a property rights problem. Who owns the air that the steel mill pollutes? Ronald Coase put forth the solution which is known as the Coase Theorem: Under perfect competition, once government has assigned clearly defined property rights in contested resources and as long as transactions costs are negligible, private parties that generate or are affected by externalities will negotiate voluntary agreements that lead to the socially optimal resource allocation and output mix regardless of how the property rights are assigned (Ronald H. Coase, The Problem of Social Cost, The Journal of Law and Economics, October 1960). In other words, if there are negligible transactions costs, as long as someone owns the rights to the air around the steel mill, the efficient outcome will prevail. For example, if the steel mill owns the rights, then the individuals that live around the mill will be willing to pay the steel mill not to produceup to the cost that they are incurring from health care, reduced aesthetic appeal of the air, etc. This amount that they are willing to pay becomes an opportunity cost for the steel mill if they produce. Thus they will cut production to the optimal level. On the other hand, if the people own the air, then the steel mill would have to pay them that same amount for the right to produce. Thus the negative externality is directly added to the steel mills marginal cost. 3. Based on experience, this theorem would not apply to the steel industry case discussed above. For example, with a steel factory that trespasses on the lungs of a large number of individuals with pollution, it is difficult if not impossible for any one person to negotiate with the producer, and there are large transaction costs. Hence the most common approach may be to regulate the firm (by imposing limits on the amount of pollution considered acceptable) while paying for the regulation and enforcement with taxes. This adds to the producers marginal cost and will cause them to reduce output.

Essay on China :: essays research papers

China is a geographical region in East Asia. It holds over one-fifth of the world’s population. Most of it is now known as the People’s Republic of China, but the name of the region refers to one of the world’s longest standing civilizations, which dates back almost 5,000 years. Because the length of China’s history, it has been characterized by repeated overthrowings and reestablishments of the government, and many civil wars. China was governed as an empire until 1912, when the Republic Of China, or the ROC, was established under Sun Yat-sen. China was the world’s technological leader for centuries, credited with the invention of paper, rockets, and other things. However, by the 19th and 20th centuries, China was losing political and economical power. Japan and the Western Powers were gaining influence, which eventually led to the evolution of the PRC, or the Peoples Republic of China. China has the world’s fastest growing economy, but it’s an unstable state underneath. It has the biggest rich/poor urban/rural divide, which means that the farmers are poor, and the people who have city jobs are rich. China is also hugely overpopulated, so as a population control method families can have only one child. Because of traditional honor, everybody wants male children instead of female ones so that they can carry on the family name. This has led to an imbalance between genders in China, so the government has established a program to compensate families for having female children. China has been working to reform its economy from a centrally planned economy to a market oriented economy. A centrally planned economy is where decisions about production, consumption, and allocation of goods is managed by a central power. This basically means that the government has complete control over what’s made, where it goes, how it’s made, and how it’s used.

Language Experience

1. Write about your past formal or informal language learning experiences. Would you consider them effective or ineffective? Learning foreign languages is a real challenge to everyone and a lot of people have their own successful and unsuccessful experiences. As for me, I’d like to tell about a negative one because, unfortunately, I had it more than positive. I’ve been learning English since I was 10 years old. At first, it was at school. Those lessons left much to be desired. We had a middle-aged teacher who used to have favourite students and showed her attitude, inhibitions cast aside. We didn’t have speaking tasks at all. She gave us different texts and we read, translated and learnt them by heart. Sometimes we even didn’t understand what we were speaking about which made it more difficult to answer. She didn’t use any communicative approaches. What is more, we weren’t interested and motivated. At the age of 15 I nearly decided to give up learning it. Needless to say, it was a real shock to everyone when I announced my decision to enter Pedagogical University, the department of foreign languages. I was sure that I would learn it there. I had a private teacher to prepare for entrance exams. At that time I thought she gave me a lot knowledge, but being a teacher now I can judge those lessons as a waste of time and money. Frankly speaking, it was self-studying. I was given 5 unites of grammar to do at home. Nobody explained any rules to me and we just checked exercises. Fortunately, at university I had a lot of different teachers. Some of them tried to use communicative tasks, such as role plays. But it was still academic studying. Teachers didn’t need to motivate us as we all wanted to pass exams and get a diploma. However ridiculous it may seem, I learnt English at work, being teacher is the best way to study. If I need to know something, I try to teach my students and after preparations for lessons and loads of explanations to them I get to know a lot. So joining TESOL course is another opportunity to learn the language and ways of teaching . 2. Why do you think the CLT has gained popularity in the language classroom? Our understanding of the processes of second language learning has changed considerably in the last 30 years and CLT is partly a response to these changes in understanding. Earlier views of language learning focused primary on the mastery of grammatical competence. Language learning was viewed as a process of mechanical formation. Good habits are formed by having students produce correct sentences. Errors were to be avoided through controlled opportunities for production. In recent years language learning has been viewed from a very different perspective. Communicative teaching emphasis on â€Å"task-oriented, student-centered† language teaching practice, asked to show the life of the actual needs of the English language to simulate a variety of life contexts, emotional, and to provide students with comprehensive use of English language, for communication of opportunities, its focus is not only a language in the form, grammatical accuracy, more emphasis on the appropriateness of language use, feasibility, communication skills, as well as training students in communicative activities in the strain and problem-solving ability. There are advantages and disadvantages of this approach. The pros are: – Language is acquired through communication – CLT allows learners to use the target language in meaningful context – CLT can be adapted to any level The cons are: -Student may not see the value in learning English through group work, games, and activities. – CLT does not focus on error correction. – Students don’t feel challenged Taking everything into consideration, I should say that the good thing about the communicative approach is that it makes students speak the language even at a beginner level and they are usually enthusiastic about this. . How would you approach a class with true and false beginners? I got used to having mixed-ability classes and the mixture of false beginners (they have had some English training at some point in the past) and true beginners ( these are learners who have had no contact with English at all) is a common situation. I consider such cl asses a real advantage as it helps to avoid boring lessons and I always have some students to rely on. I try to pair a true beginner with a false one while doing some activities and it helps to create an interaction between students which means a student-centred style of teaching. There are some drawbacks, of course. The false ones are faster to do exercises so I need to provide them with extra work which means more careful preparation for the lesson. Another problem is a demotivation of both kinds of students. There are some classroom management techniques which can help to avoid it. I should say it is a widely-spread situation but it can be successfully solved by using different methods of teaching.

Oryx & Crake Summary Essay

Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another such as from pigs to humans ( Medical grafting). Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or xenotransplants. The term allotransplantation refers to a same-species transplant. Human xenotransplantation offers a potential treatment for end-stage organ failure, a significant health problem in parts of the industrialized world and worldwide shortage of organs for clinical implantation. It also raises many novel medical, legal and ethical issues. A continuing concern is that pigs have different lifespans than humans and their tissues age at a different rate. Disease transmission (xenozoonosis) and permanent alteration to the genetic code of animals are a cause for concern. Genetic engineering, recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/ manipulation (GM) and gene splicing are terms that are applied to the manipulation of genes. It involves the isolation, manipulation and reintroduction of DNA into cells or model organisms, usually express a protein to reach desired effects. Cloning is the process of creating an identical copy of something. Genetic recombination is the process by which a strand of DNA is broken and then joined to the end of a different DNA molecule. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using the genetic engineering techniques generally known as recombinant DNA technology. Why Oryx and Crake Was Written â€Å"Every novel begins with a what if and then sets forth its axiom. The what if of Oryx and Crake is simply What if we continue down the road we’re already on? How slippery is the slope? What is our saving graces? Who’s got the will to stop us?† –Margaret Atwood Settings in Oryx and Crake Pre-Catastrophic Society: Games With Virtual Reality And Virtual Violence Society Fixated on Physical Perfection and Longevity, Virtual Elimination Of The Middle Class (produced a gap between rich and poor), Disappearance Of Safe Public Space, People Live In Either Tightly Controlled Compounds Of The Elites Or Dangerous Pleebands, Almost Everything Is For Sale, Medical Advancements, Life Is In The Hands Of Large Corporations, Private Security Forces, Scientific Advancements: Genetic Engineering & Xenotransplant, Technologically Driven, Extreme commercialization and commodification of life and the commodification of human life and sexuality in prostitution and online child pornography. Jimmy and Crake spend a lot of their free time playing online computer games such as Kwiktime Osama (a reference to Osama bin Laden) and Blood and Roses, or watching live executions, Noodie News, frog squashing, graphic surgery and child pornography. Post-Catastrophic Society: Naturalistic society Science vs. Anti-Science â€Å"Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that Oryx and Crake is anti-science. Science is a way of knowing, and a tool. Like all ways of knowing and tools, it can be turned to bad uses. And it can be bought and sold, and it often is. But it is not in itself bad. Like electricity, it’s neutral. The driving force in the world today is the human heart – that is, human emotions. (Yeats, Blake – every poet, come to think of it – has always told us that.) Our tools have become very powerful. Hate, not bombs, destroys cities. Desire, not bricks, rebuilds them.† –Margaret Atwood Plot Summary of Oryx and Crake The protagonist of Oryx and Crake is Snowman, clad only in a bed sheet and a Red Sox cap, who appears to be the last human being on Earth. He’s not entirely alone, however; strange hybrid beasts such as wolvogs, pigoons and rakunks are roaming freely. As well, a group of what he calls Crakers—strange human-like creatures—lives nearby. They bring Snowman food and consult him on matters that surpass their understanding; thus, Snowman comes across as a post-apocalyptic hermit guru. As the story develops, these assorted lifeforms are revealed to be the products of genetic engineering. In flashbacks, we learn that Snowman was once a young boy named Jimmy, who grew up in the early 21st century. His world was dominated by multinational corporations which kept their employees’ families in privileged compounds separated from a global lower moiety of pleeblands. Shortly after Jimmy’s family moved to the HelthWyzer corporate compound (where his father worked a s a genographer) Jimmy met and befriended Glenn (later known as Crake), a brilliant science student. Atwood’s satirical take on current society is presented most pointedly in the jaded activities of these two youths. Jimmy and Crake spend a lot of their free time playing online computer games such as Kwiktime Osama (a reference to Osama bin Laden) and Blood and Roses, or watching live executions, Noodie News, frog squashing, graphic surgery and child pornography. One of Glenn’s favourite pastimes is an online game called Extinctathon, a trivia game which requires immense knowledge of extinct animal and plant species. Using the codenames Thickney (Jimmy) and Crake (Glenn), they both play as teenagers. It is not until they are both in university that Jimmy discovers that Crake has worked his way up to become a Grandmaster. On another trip through the dark underbelly of the Web, they come across an Asian child pornography site, where Jimmy is struck and haunted by the eyes of a young girl. Unknown to Jimmy, Crake is similarly affected by the sig ht of this young girl. Crake eventually finds this girl (or a woman who could be her) and hires her, as both a prostitute and a teacher of the Crakers. Her name is Oryx. Jimmy identifies the haunting memory of the young girl with Oryx, though it is never made clear as to whether or not the two are the same person. Oryx eventually becomes intimately involved in the lives of Jimmy and Crake, and both fall in love with her. Oryx, however, views their relationship as strictly professional and only admires Crake as a scientist and â€Å"great man†. For fun and affection she turns to Jimmy, though her feelings for him are not as clear. The two hide their relationship from Crake, and Jimmy is often plagued with the thought of Crake finding out about his betrayal. Crake uses his prominent position at a biotech corporation to launch a project to create the Crakers. His goal is to create a peaceful society that will live harmoniously with each other and nature. These genetically engine ered humans are leaf-eating herbivores and they only have sexual intercourse during limited breeding seasons when they are polyandrous. Thus, many of the apparent conflicts in human culture are replaced with a mockery of intelligent design. At the same time, Crake creates a virulent genetic pandemic that, apparently, killed off all humans except for Jimmy. Jimmy was unknowingly vaccinated with the intention of acting as a guardian for the Crakers. Thus, Crake represents a mad scientist; he is maddened by the troubled society that he lives in. His rationale is that he is heroically saving intelligent life from an inevitably dying society. In the story’s climax, Crake’s perfected â€Å"hot bioform,† present in one of his company’s products, is activated and spreads throughout the world. When called to account for his actions by Jimmy, Crake kills Oryx by slitting her throat. In rage and panic, Jimmy shoots Crake, resulting in his being left to obsess over his vanished world and unanswered questions. Jimmy contemplates abandoning the Crakers but is constantly haunted by the voice of Oryx, and reminded of his promise to her to watch over them. Though Crake opposed and belittled human religion, Sn owman instills the Crakers with his own invented religion revolving around Crake and Oryx. Oryx becomes the guardian of the animals and Crake the creator god. Crake suffers from unremembered night terrors. During visits, Jimmy hears Crake screaming in his sleep. Crake claims to not remember them. This forms one of the book’s most profound ironies. Crake is a leader in the most advanced (and corrupt) health care system in human history, and Jimmy is unable to save humanity by simply getting Crake’s head examined. At the same time, however, Crake attends a university referred to as Asperger’s U, referring to the university’s high population of incredibly intelligent, socially awkward people, which might suggest that his idea was not the product of insanity or something ‘wrong’ with him, but rather the knowledge that everything else around him was wrong. During Snowman’s journey to scavenge supplies, he is uncomfortable wearing shoes now that his feet have become toughened without them. He cuts his foot on a tiny sliver of glass. Infected by who-knows-what descendant of transgenic experiments, his body cannot fight back, and his leg becomes inflamed.Returning to the Crakers, he learns that three ragged true humans have camped nearby. He follows the smoke from the fire and watches as they cook a rakunk. Uncertain of how he should approach them (Blast them to bits to protect the Crakers? Approach with open arms?) he checks his now unworking watch and thinks, â€Å"Time to go,† leaving the reader to speculate as to what his actions and future will be. Literay Works Coral Ann Howells argues that Oryx and Crake is in some ways a sequel to Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale in that it carries the national catastrophe in the earlier novel to global level[5]. A major reference seems to be to the â€Å"Last Man† topos in science fiction, which was inaugurated by Mary Shelley’s The Last Man, also a post-apocalyptic novel, whose main character is the only survivor of a plague that has killed off all other humans. George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) had a working title that relates it to Shelley’s book: â€Å"The Last Man in Europe†[6]. Other references, of course, include Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818/1831) as well as Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels[7] (1626/1635). Gulliver’s Travels is also the source of one of the two epigraphs and puts emphasis on the claim that the speculation about the near future in Oryx and Crake serves to make a point about the present state of the world. Swift’s speaker as quoted by Atwood says: â€Å"my principal design was to inform you, and not to amuse you† (Oryx and Crake, Epigraph). The second quotation from Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse (1927) refers to the absence of safety in the word, pointing to Snowman’s existence in the world af ter Crake’s catastrophe.

Evolving Experiment in Democracy essays

Evolving Experiment in Democracy essays Many historians have described the United States as an evolving experiment in democracy. This statement especially holds true during the time period of 1828-1844. During the time period of 1828-1844, under the rule of Jacksonian Democracy, several political, social, and economic changes occurred in the United States that clearly define the country as an evolving experiment in democracy. First of all, during the time period of 1828-1844 several political changes occurred that structured and expanded the government. Jackson set up a Spoils System, in which he gave his political supporters public office. Every man is as good as his neighbor, Jackson proclaimed. The aristocratic and bureaucratic officeholding class was eliminated. More ordinary citizens were involved in politics to give the ordinary citizen more say in the government. The Spoils System shaped the way the Democratic Party was organized. Slowly but surely the Democratic Party under the time period of 1828-1844 was organized to give more opportunities to the common person. Jacksonian ideas were incorporated in one manner by the elimination of property qualifications. By this elimination, any free white male could vote and hold office. As a result of the elimination of property qualifications came the redefining of the chosen class. Planters, urban workers, and factory laborers were included in the new cho sen class. The idea that the poorer citizen was just as important as a rich citizen came about. In addition, those united under Jacksons banner of democracy believed in more rights for the states. Eventually, a two-party system emerged, the Whigs and the Democrats. As a result of dislike for the American System and corrupt bargain under the rule of John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson united many people under a banner of democracy. The idea of public education for all citizens was promoted, which ...

Base properties of an antimicrobial agent Essays

Acid/ Base properties of an antimicrobial agent Essays Acid/ Base properties of an antimicrobial agent Essay Acid/ Base properties of an antimicrobial agent Essay Chem. 253 Lab 1: Acid/Base Properties of an Antimicrobial Agent 09/03/13 Purpose The purpose was to determine the acid and base properties of the antimicrobial agent sodium beneath. Theory Sodium has mainly been used in food processing to avoid growth of bacteria and harmful microorganisms. It is commonly used to preserve foods and beverages that have an acidic PH. Rather than benzene acid, sodium beneath is used because it is generally soluble in most aqueous solutions but benzene acid is not. Reaction Sodium beneath mixed with water, dissociates into beneath and sodium ions. Hydrogen chloride, which is a gas, will exist in unionized form when combined with water to form hydrochloric acid. Then when the two solutions are combined, HUH+ transfers electrons to beneath ions, which act as the base to form benzene acid as a solid precipitate. The overall balanced equation is as follows. Yield Calculations: Sodium Beneath: Theoretical: The theoretical yield of Benzene Acid is 1. Egg. The actual yield of Benzene Acid is 1. Egg. The percent yield of this experiment is: Methods/Procedures 1) Weigh and tare a 50 ml beaker, then place about 1. G of sodium beneath into the beaker. Record the actual mass of sodium beneath used. 2) Measure about 10 ml of distilled water with a graduated cylinder and pour it into the beaker with the sodium beneath. Use a glass-stirring rod to dissolve the sodium beneath in the water. 3) Measure about 4 ml of 3. 0 M HCI and add it slowly, with stirring, to the sodium beneath solution until the pH of the solution is 2. Use pH paper to test the solution each time by using your stirring rod to place a drop of the solution on the pH paper. Adding excess HCI to the solution will not affect yield of product. 4) To induce crystallization of product, cool the solution to 10 degrees Celsius or below. Place your 50 ml beaker in a large beaker containing cracked ice with a little water to reduce the temperature. 5) Clamp a 250 ml filtering flask to a ring stand and place the Boucher funnel on top with an appropriately sized filter paper (be sure to pre-weigh the filter paper). Moisten the filter paper in the funnel with a little distilled water, and make sure that the moist filter paper fits snugly in the bottom of the Boucher funnel with no folds or bends in the filter paper visible. Use the thick rubber tubing from your drawer to provide vacuum from the aspirator to your filter flask. Be sure you are connecting the tubing to the aspirator, not to the water or gas outlet. Turn on the water to a low volume to create a vacuum in the filter flask but not so much that you flood the sink. Transfer the crystals (quantitatively) from Step 4 to the funnel. Use about 5 ml of distilled water to rinse any solid that remains in the beaker onto the filter paper. Let the solid air-dry with the aspirator running for a few minutes. 7) Place the filter paper with solid in the oven for about 15 minutes to dry. Weigh and then dry again for 5 minutes. Weigh again. If your second weight differs from the first weight by more than 0. 5%, dry again for 10 minutes. Continue this process until successive weighing are within 0. 5%. For this lab, we must be sure to always wear our safety glasses whenever we are in the laboratory and wear gloves when we are conducting an experiment. Benzene acid and sodium beneath used in this experiment can be mild irritants to the skin. We must be careful not to get them on Observations/Results The mixture began clear but once we added the HCI the substance was white and odorless. Our precipitate was solid and white. For the numbers, sodium beneath was the limiting reagent because it had 0. 01063 moles whereas hydrochloric acid had 0. 012 moles. The theoretical yield was 1. Egg and the actual yield was 1. 51 g. With these numbers the percent yield turned out to be 96. 37%. Discussion/Conclusion Throughout the experiment I felt as though there were some errors. Also, I feel as though I may have lost amounts of the mixture and precipitate through transfers that affected our final weight. I could tell that the pH had an effect because we know that if there is a decrease in pH a pr ecipitate starts to form. Exercises 1) In a solution containing aqueous sodium beneath, a decrease in pH usually results in the formation of a precipitate. A.

How to Amend the Constitutionâ€About the Process

How to Amend the Constitution- About the Process Amending the Constitution was never meant to be simple. Although thousands of amendments have been discussed since the original document was approved in 1788, there are now only 27 amendments in the Constitution. Though its framers knew the Constitution would have to be amended, they also knew it should never be amended frivolously or haphazardly. Clearly, their process for amending the Constitution has succeeded in meeting that goal. Constitutional amendments are intended to improve, correct, or otherwise revise the original document. The framers knew it would be impossible for the Constitution they were writing to address every situation that might come along in the future. Ratified in December 1791, the first 10 amendments- The Bill of Rights- list and vow to protect certain rights and freedoms granted to the American people and speak to the demands of the Anti-Federalists among the Founding Fathers by limiting the power of the national government. Ratified 201 years later, in May 1992, the most recent amendment- the 27th Amendment- prohibited members of Congress from raising their own salaries.   The Two Methods for Amending the Constitution Article V of the Constitution itself establishes the two ways in which it may be amended: The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate. In simple terms, Article V prescribes that amendments may be proposed either by the U.S. Congress or by a constitutional convention when and if demanded by two-thirds of the legislatures of the states. Method 1: Congress Proposes an Amendment An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate and will be considered under the standard legislative process in the form of a joint resolution.  In addition, as ensured by the First Amendment, all American citizens are free to petition Congress or their state legislatures to amend the Constitution. To be approved, the amending resolution must be passed by a two-thirds supermajority vote in both the House and the Senate. Given no official role in the amendment process by Article V, the President of the United States is not required to sign or otherwise approve the amending resolution. Presidents, however, typically express their opinion of proposed amendments and may attempt to persuade Congress to vote for or against them. States Ratify the Amendment If approved by Congress, the proposed amendment is sent to the governors of all 50 states for their approval, called â€Å"ratification.† Congress will have specified one of two ways by which the states should consider ratification: The governor submits the amendment to the state legislature for its consideration; orThe governor convenes a state ratifying convention. If the amendment is ratified by three-fourths (currently 38) of the state legislatures or ratifying conventions, it becomes part of the Constitution. Resurrecting ERA? Clearly, this method of amending the Constitution can be lengthy and time-consuming.  However, the U.S. Supreme Court has stated that ratification must be completed within â€Å"some reasonable time after the proposal.† Beginning with the 18th Amendment granting women the right to vote, it has been customary for Congress to set a maximum time period for ratification. This is why many have felt the Equal Rights Amendment is dead, even though it now needs only one more state to ratify it to achieve the required 38 states. The ERA amendment was passed by Congress in 1972; 35 had ratified it by its extended deadline of 1985. However, in 2017 and 2018, two more states ratified it, concerned about the constitutionality of setting those deadlines. If Virginia would ratify it in 2019, people expected a battle to ensue in Congress over whether to accept the late ratifications. Method 2: The States Demand a Constitutional Convention Under the second method of amending the Constitution prescribed by Article V, if two-thirds (currently 34) of the state legislatures vote to demand it, Congress is required to convene a full constitutional convention. Just as in the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from every state would attend this so-called â€Å"Article V Convention† for the purpose of proposing one or more amendments. Though this more momentous method has never been used, the number of states voting to demand a constitutional amending convention has come close to the required two-thirds on several occasions. Indeed, the mere threat of being forced to surrender its control of the constitutional amendment process to the states has often prompted Congress to preemptively propose amendments itself. Although not specifically mentioned in the document, there are five unofficial yet legal ways of changing the Constitution  used more often- and sometimes even more controversially- than the Article V amendment process. These include legislation, presidential actions, federal court rulings, actions of the political parties, and simple custom. Can Amendments Be Repealed? Any existing constitutional amendment can be repealed but only by the ratification of another amendment. Because repealing amendments must be proposed and ratified by one of the same two methods of regular amendments, they are very rare. In the history of the United States, only one constitutional amendment has been repealed. In 1933, the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment- better known as â€Å"prohibition†- banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the United States. Though neither has ever come close to happening, two other amendments have been the subject of repeal discussion over the years: the 16th Amendment establishing the federal income tax and the 22nd Amendment limiting the president to serving only two terms. Most recently, the 2nd Amendment has come under critical scrutiny. In his editorial appearing in the New York Times on March 27, 2018, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens controversially called for the repeal of the Bill of Rights amendment, which guarantees â€Å"the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† He argues that it would give more power to peoples desire to stop gun violence than the National Rifle Association. Sources The Constitutional Amendment Process. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. November 17, 2015.Huckabee, David C. .Ratification of Amendments to the U.S. Constitution  Congressional Research Service reports. Washington D.C.: Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress.Neale, Thomas H. .The Article V Convention to Propose Constitutional Amendments: Contemporary Issues for Congress  Congressional Research Service.

Impressionist Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impressionist Art - Essay Example While other movement before Impressionism attempted to capture reality as static images, the Impressionist painters, and later the composers, tried to show the nature of reality through the fluctuation and change in light, tone and color. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries a group of artists united in an attempt to create a new style and technique of art based on direct observation of reality and to a subjective impression or mood of reality. This is evident from the emotional moods that are so eloquently captured in this exhibition. Many of the paintings reveal the success of their attempts and the resulting masterpieces of Impressionism. For example, Claude Monet's Haystacks is a work that no student or lover of modern art should miss. During the 1870's Monet developed his unique technique for painting atmospheric light rendered by means of rhythmic and broken brush strokes. This painting is an example of the impressionist aim of capturing transitory nature by means of direct observation. In Haystacks (1891) Monet succeeds in creating solid geometric shapes with nuances of light and color. The presentation of light and color is one of the most beautiful things about this type of art, and demonstrates the overall beauty behind this movement. Emotion in art was not a focus; rather the atmosphere and look of the painting expressed the beauty of the picture overall. Music is another medium where the beauty behind this period truly stands out. During this time period, classical music as mostly influenced in France toward the end of the nineteenth and through the twentieth century. The focus within the music was on both atmosphere and suggestion, and not necessarily on strong emotion or the presentation of a story, generally presented in program music. Much of this music, like the art, was a reaction against Romanticism, and the focus of Impressionist music was to use a sort of dissonance as well as uncommon scales. This is comparable to the impressionist style of painting, in which, when one stands close up, one sees the dissonance of the picture. However, the dissonance and difference is what creates the general attraction and beauty in the music itself. Claude DeBussy is an example of a successful Impressionist composer. His music in The Three Nocturnes includes characteristic studies in veiled harmony and texture, creating an overall atmospher e of difference, but this difference creates a feeling of respect and beauty. The work itself is not a usual nocturne, but is given to create the impression of the effects light would suggest. This includes the motion of the clouds as well, as they fade away with the sound of the music. The background of the piece remains consistent, thus blending music into a kind of cosmic rhythm. Therefore, both the works of DeBussy and Monet present the beauty behind this time period. Although this movement had its focus on creating "impressions" of the real thing, there was a great deal of beauty and talent that went into creating those impressions. The result in the case of art is a beautiful combination and focus on light within one's visual aspect, and within music, one is able to experience the feeling and movement of life by listening to music. Therefore, both of these concepts present

Importance of quality of services and customer satisfaction in the Dissertation

Importance of quality of services and customer satisfaction in the telecommunication sector in developed and emerging economies - Dissertation Example The data so collected are complied and put to statistical analysis and presented in the form of graphs and charts. This is in the form of both qualitative and quantitative findings. Based on the findings, suitable recommendations are developed for businesses. Finally a brief summary of the project is provided in the form of conclusion which highlights the crucial and critical factors analysed in the study. Introduction Quality is regarded as one of the key factors in creating worth and also in influencing the satisfaction of customers. This is particularly true for the telecommunications sector. Faced with cut throat competition, the telecommunications industry has been regarding customer satisfaction as a necessity for surviving in the market. With the dramatic entry of a large number of new service providers in this sector offering a wide variety of product and services the need to compete with each other have caused them to ensure optimal satisfaction of customers in terms of thei r products and services. It is also seen that at the same time consumers have also become well equipped with the necessary knowledge regarding quality of services provided by service providers. Awareness among customers, coupled with stiff competition in the telecom industry has emerged as the most crucial factors for the provision of superior quality of services towards customers. According to the words of Philip Kotler, the level of satisfaction bears a direct relation between the perceived and expected performance of the product. If the performance of the product matches with the expectation of customers, customers are said to remain satisfied. When the product’s performance exceeds the... This research will begin with the statement that quality is regarded as one of the key factors in creating worth and also in influencing the satisfaction of customers. This is particularly true for the telecommunications sector. Faced with cut throat competition, the telecommunications industry has been regarding customer satisfaction as a necessity for surviving in the market. With the dramatic entry of a large number of new service providers in this sector offering a wide variety of product and services the need to compete with each other have caused them to ensure optimal satisfaction of customers in terms of their products and services. It is also seen that at the same time consumers have also become well equipped with the necessary knowledge regarding quality of services provided by service providers. Awareness among customers, coupled with stiff competition in the telecom industry has emerged as the most crucial factors for the provision of superior quality of services towards customers. According to the words of Philip Kotler, the level of satisfaction bears a direct relation between the perceived and expected performance of the product. If the performance of the product matches with the expectation of customers, customers are said to remain satisfied. When the product’s performance exceeds the expectation of customers, they remain highly delighted or satisfied; while, on the other hand a products’ performance falling short of customer’s expectations creates a highly dissatisfied customer.

Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communications - Essay Example However, from a communication perspective managing a virtual team can pose problems in maintaining rapport among members, bridging cultural gaps, and orchestrating for them to do their designated tasks at specified dates. As opposed to members who meet face to face, virtual teams have yet to build a strong relationship through virtual interactions in order to maintain the efficiency and accuracy of the work which the company wants each member to undertake. The initial meeting of the virtual team should be designed in order to overcome the distrust and anxiety that the members feel toward each other. Thus, in order to facilitate this meeting, it is recommended that teleconferencing be used in order to develop a warm and more social atmosphere. This get-to-know-each-other stage should not be a venue to tackle serious and formal matters but should be designed in order for team members to feel at ease with the prospect of working together in the future. Thus, teleconferencing will allow each other to talk and view each other while the first meeting is conducted. The first meeting should be facilitated by someone from the headquarters of SWC. At first, there should be an ice breaker by allowing members to introduce themselves and communicate casually with each others. The latter portion will be more serious by as it will be on the establishment of the team's goal and clarification of the roles and responsibilities of each team member. Before this discussion, an overview of how things work in the company should be presented in order for members to know how their different tasks can contribute to the overall process taken to attain corporate goals. Special discussions should also be conducted to tackle the following questions within the group: agreement on team ground rules, turnaround time of emails, calls, etc; information sharing; giving and receiving feedback; using media effectively; conflict management; and stakeholder satisfaction (Jude et al 2000). The facilitator should give each member pitch in his or her ideas in these situations in order to avoid further conflict in the future. Key Interactions Key interactions in the company will be facilitated through different communication channels. Conference calls should be used in order to conduct the needed trainings. As each member will be closely working hand in hand, training them together through conference calls will be beneficial in further defining their tasks and specific responsibilities. The use of email will be to facilitate sending large files and documents to the members as well as different questions and clarification on everyday communication. Emails will therefore be the primary means of communication. NetMeeting will also be used in order to facilitate the periodic meeting of each team member. Aside from these work related communications, SWC should also look into conducting team building strategies in order to solidify team relationship. If possible, it can set up a face-to-face meeting with its team members in an annual basis in order for them to further get acquainted with each other as well as instill

Chinese Artist Gu Kaizhi and some of his artwork mainly Nymph of the Research Paper

Chinese Artist Gu Kaizhi and some of his artwork mainly Nymph of the Luo River - Research Paper Example One such popular artist was Gu Kaizhi who  was born in c. 344 at Wuxi, Jiangsu province in China and died in the year c. 406. As a native of Jiangsu, Wuxi province, Gu whose origin was from an Eastern dynasty elite family grew up and became a fantastic painter and writer. From his bibliography, it is clear that during the jin shu (Jin) history, Gu paintings were successful (Suzuki 6). He is noted to have paid high attention to identifying the figures’ eyes so as to obtain the spiritual communion effect. His successive dynasties’ famous paintings imply that Gu’s explored his talent while using his brush and when the painting was complete the actual conception had been embroidered. Some of the books that Gu authored include the introducing famous Jin Dynasties and Wei Paintings, On painting, and Record on the Yuntai mountain painting. It has been noted that theories that were documented in these books still affect the Chinese painters generation. He is among the earliest many-faceted China artists who came up with new standards for figure painting. As widely noted, Gu Kaizhi was one of the most popular eccentric courtier commonly known for being a figure subject and a painter of portraits. His art has been known for both paintings and written records and recorded as being one among the many who painted the representation of the Vimalakirti. The hand scroll popularly referred to as the nymph of the Luo River, which illustrates a Daoist poem and his essay often referred to as on the painting the Cloud Terrace Mountain are the two versions of paintings recorded as his painting (Yang 19). The popular hand scroll that bears the title The Admonitions of Court Instructress has his signature although it has not been recorded as his own original painting (Yang 29). However, one thing to content with is that it accurately maintains its Pre-Tang dynasty style with the scroll illustrating a series of scenes often separated by texts of didactic Confucia n poem with a proper character for court ladies. It also has a line carefully controlled with a composition that highlights the selected details which illustrate and expand effectively on the nature of the text. This paper seeks to discuss one of the works of Gu Kaizhi paintings, commonly referred to as The Nymph of the Luo River. Certainly, The Nymph of the Luo River is one of the most likeable Gu Kaizhi’s paintings. The work was painted by Cao Zhi and inspired by Ode. It existed in three copies closely related to the Sing dynasty. One of the copies is held in the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C. while the other is in the Beijing’s Palace Museum, and the last copy was in Manchuria. This was brought to that place by Pu Yi who was the last emperor. He did this while operating as the Manchukuo’s puppet emperor under the rule of the Japanese. However, after the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the painting disappeared and was brought back after ten years to the provi ncial Museum at Liaoning. Historically, Cao Zhi was a poet in a period of three kingdoms (McCausland 10). The poem narrates a story of love between a woman referred to as Zhen and the poet. The woman later marred the elder brother of Cao Zhi who was known as Cao Pei. The poem describes the romantic encounter at the nymph and the lingering love experience of Cao Pei towards the wife of his brother. It captures the first

Asian American Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Asian American Arts - Essay Example Before one can analyze Jang's contribution, it is necessary to understand his background; this facilitates an appreciation of his influences. Jang began his musical journey one year before he turned twenty. At that time, he was trying to familiarize himself with basic piano skills. Shortly after, he joined a Music School called Oberlin Conservatory where he sharpened his piano skills and learnt how to compose songs. This artist completed his studies after three years and received a degree in music. It is also worth noting that the artist was born in America; specifically in Los Angeles and was subsequently raised in California. However, Jang still stayed in touch with his Chinese roots. He draws from his experiences as an immigrant Asian American but at the same time acknowledges the issues addressed in other forms of music such as social injustice in African American musical expressions. (Jon Jang, 2002) During his performances in San Francisco, Jang highlights some of the hidden facts about China town. This was especially because the Festival had been organized as a way of paying homage to the efforts made by Alice Yu in China town. Jang has an amazing way of showing his appreciation and respect for historical times that may have been forgotten or those ones which had never been mentioned before. This is because he unearthed some songs like Reparations now and Tiananmen at a Jazz Orchestra. (Jon Jang, 2002) Despite intensive tu... Some enthusiasts have called Jang's music 'two flowers on a stem' because they believe he has stayed true to his traditions yet at the same time has encouraged creativity through improvising his dual cultural identities. (Jon Jang, 2002) Jang's creativity has been employed by numerous entities in the world of classical music. For instance he did some work for The Library Congress, thereafter; he did some compositions for Chanticleer and Kronos quartet. Some of his compositions have also been presented in theatres; he wrote a composition for 'The Woman Warrior'. (Jon Jang, 2002) In an effort to complement his contributions to the Asian American musical scene, Jang has received an award from his former conservatory. He has also received a Golden ring award and has also been nominated severally by Cal Arts. Furthermore, Jang has been appreciated by the Ford Foundation for the immense contributions he made to American music. One cannot cover all the events that Jang has participated; in his capacity as a pianist, Jang has been to; -Europe -Canada -South Africa -The US One of the major highlights of these tours was his performance at the Arts Alive Festival in South Africa. While performing, Jang collaborated with Max Roach. Jang has also had the pleasure of performing in the London Royal Festival. Additionally, he has been to Berlin, Zurich and Milan in his capacity as an artist. Paul Robeson has appreciated Jang's work and so did the president of the Republic of China. There are also numerous collaborations done by this highly versatile artist. The major artist he has worked with is Max Roach. He has also joined forces with David Murray, James Newton and Maxine Hong. (Jon Jang, 2002) Not only has Jang done some

Distorting the Truth About Crime and Race Assignment

Distorting the Truth About Crime and Race - Assignment Example However, the role of NYPD is to strictly keep an eye on African Americans for the sake of crime prevention and mitigation program that they should employ for the public safety. For this reason, no unjustified racial tactics may be necessary on the part of NYPD, but a strong action of priority to look out for the violent ones, which would allow us to see Mac Donald so convincing with his claim if we try to figure out this way. The strong stand of Mac Donald (2010) is to disclose the crime rates before we could actually conclude that the New York Police Department (NYPD) may have actually oppressed the city’s black population or the minority with their so-called unjustified racial tactics. It is on this ground that in his article entitled â€Å"Distorting the Truth About Crime and Race: The New York Times Is At It Again† published in the City Journal he strongly disagreed the way how the New York Times may have falsely accused the NYPD of its ‘racist stop-and-frisk practices’ that was allegedly employed on the minority of the population, consisting the Blacks, Hispanic and other nationalities. Keywords: race, crime, racial discrimination, African Americans, NYPD, justice The strong stand of Mac Donald (2010) is to disclose the crime rates before we could actually conclude that the New York Police Department (NYPD) may have actually oppressed the city’s black population or the minority with their so-called unjustified racial tactics. It is on this ground that in his article entitled â€Å"Distorting the Truth About Crime and Race: The New York Times Is At It Again† published in the City Journal Mac Donald strongly opposed the way New York Times may have falsely accused the NYPD of its ‘racist stop-and-frisk practices’ that was allegedly employed on the minority of the population, consisting the Blacks, Hispanic and other nationalities. Mac Donald (2010) said, â€Å"You cannot properly analyze police behavior w ithout analyzing crime†. Will this lead us to understanding why, as the Times claimed that in 2009 Blacks made up 55 percent of all stops even though they were only 23 percent of the city’s total population compared to the 10 percent of all stops for the Whites consisting the highest percentage of the population which was 35 percent by that time? Mac Donald has the answer. He presented the evidence that in the first half of 2009 in New York, Blacks already committed 66 percent of all the reported cases of violent crimes compared to the 5 percent among Whites by contrast. In addition, he added that Blacks committed 80 percent of all shootings in the first half of 2009 and 70 percent of all reported cases of robberies compared to the 1.8 percent for shootings and 5 percent robberies that whites committed, by contrast. This therefore according to Mac Donald should justify further why Blacks and Latinos were nine times as likely as whites to be stopped. Mac Donald suggested that the above facts should have been included in the report of Times in order to justify the truth behind why the cops are most likely to stop the minority of the population who were most of the time involved in the proliferation of crimes. In this tone of argument, Mac Donald is trying to convey the idea that Blacks could be more violent than Whites, which could further justify why the cops may have placed them as a higher priority for various crime-related investigations. Here where the actual issue of public policing may come in, which Mac Donald has also deliberately included in his argument. In line with his actual reasoning, it could be that the ultimate way to justify the action of the NYPD is to investigate the rate of crimes at present when police officers are active in mitigating the occurrence of crime especially that a significant number

Asian American Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Asian American Arts - Essay Example Before one can analyze Jang's contribution, it is necessary to understand his background; this facilitates an appreciation of his influences. Jang began his musical journey one year before he turned twenty. At that time, he was trying to familiarize himself with basic piano skills. Shortly after, he joined a Music School called Oberlin Conservatory where he sharpened his piano skills and learnt how to compose songs. This artist completed his studies after three years and received a degree in music. It is also worth noting that the artist was born in America; specifically in Los Angeles and was subsequently raised in California. However, Jang still stayed in touch with his Chinese roots. He draws from his experiences as an immigrant Asian American but at the same time acknowledges the issues addressed in other forms of music such as social injustice in African American musical expressions. (Jon Jang, 2002) During his performances in San Francisco, Jang highlights some of the hidden facts about China town. This was especially because the Festival had been organized as a way of paying homage to the efforts made by Alice Yu in China town. Jang has an amazing way of showing his appreciation and respect for historical times that may have been forgotten or those ones which had never been mentioned before. This is because he unearthed some songs like Reparations now and Tiananmen at a Jazz Orchestra. (Jon Jang, 2002) Despite intensive tu... Some enthusiasts have called Jang's music 'two flowers on a stem' because they believe he has stayed true to his traditions yet at the same time has encouraged creativity through improvising his dual cultural identities. (Jon Jang, 2002) Jang's creativity has been employed by numerous entities in the world of classical music. For instance he did some work for The Library Congress, thereafter; he did some compositions for Chanticleer and Kronos quartet. Some of his compositions have also been presented in theatres; he wrote a composition for 'The Woman Warrior'. (Jon Jang, 2002) In an effort to complement his contributions to the Asian American musical scene, Jang has received an award from his former conservatory. He has also received a Golden ring award and has also been nominated severally by Cal Arts. Furthermore, Jang has been appreciated by the Ford Foundation for the immense contributions he made to American music. One cannot cover all the events that Jang has participated; in his capacity as a pianist, Jang has been to; -Europe -Canada -South Africa -The US One of the major highlights of these tours was his performance at the Arts Alive Festival in South Africa. While performing, Jang collaborated with Max Roach. Jang has also had the pleasure of performing in the London Royal Festival. Additionally, he has been to Berlin, Zurich and Milan in his capacity as an artist. Paul Robeson has appreciated Jang's work and so did the president of the Republic of China. There are also numerous collaborations done by this highly versatile artist. The major artist he has worked with is Max Roach. He has also joined forces with David Murray, James Newton and Maxine Hong. (Jon Jang, 2002) Not only has Jang done some

Paper on the modern prison system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper on the modern prison system - Essay Example Contemporary research has shown a very high rate of changes in the prison system and it is well to inquire whether this is a consequence of various factors or it is just a mere coincidence. Going through the various factors in the contemporary prison system assists in understanding the changes that have taken place in the system over time and this is best done by using reports from Virginia that has a high number of prisons. The prison system that the country uses today and in the 20th century is the same. In the 20th century, the prisons experienced major reforms in terms of the structure and the staffing. However, one major aspect that the system did not accommodate was the technological characteristic (Wilson). Technology in major institutions is one very important characteristic as in the 21st century; most of the education relayed to students is through technology. For example, calculators have come in as a great deal to serve the contemporary students with faster ways of calculating in fields such as chemistry, physics and mathematics. The fact that there has not been any introduction of the new technology devices in the prison system is a factor showing that it is not a coincidence that there is a lack of literacy in the prison system. Where there are these gadgets in the prison system, many inmates would develop professional knowledge that would assist them in the advancements of a career. Upon release from the system, they would get proper jobs that would help them shun all criminal activities thus making the environment a safer place. Lack of the gadgets in the prisons encourages the prisoners to engage in or form illegal groups in prisons The contemporary days, the economic condition in the outside world is one other factor linked to the high amount of crime in the prisons as compared to older times. In the contemporary times, the rates of recession have been steadily on the rise and thus making people engage in activities that

Platos the Republic Essay Example for Free

Platos the Republic Essay By the beginning of Book II of Plato’s The Republic, many questions have been brought upon the table involving the definition of justice. Polemarchus argues that justice is doing good to your friends and harm to your enemies. Thrasymachus argues that justice is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates finds flaws in both of these definitions, but discovers another important question about the nature of justice. Socrates wants to know whether the just life or the unjust life is better, or happier, but all arguments thus far have proved unsatisfactory. Book II aims to further outline this complicated question, and hopefully lead them closer to an answer. Glaucon isn’t satisfied by the previous explanations on the nature of justice and injustice. To satisfy his hunger for knowledge, he proposes a challenge to Socrates. Glaucon wants Socrates to explain how justice could be intrinsically good, or, in other words, how justice could be welcomed for its own sake, such as we welcome joy for its own sake. Glaucon expresses this challenge by defining to Socrates the three kinds of goods. Intrinsic goods, he says, are those that are welcomed for their own sake, and not for what rewards could possibly come from them. Mixed goods are those that we welcome for their own sake, but also for what possible rewards could come from them. Instrumental goods are those that we only welcome for the rewards that come from them. Glaucon believes that Socrates could prove that justice is a mixed good by proving exactly how it is instrinsic. Glaucon, in an attempt to reiterate Thrasymachus’s argument in Book I, goes on to present a three-part argument proving that injustice is better than justice. In his first point, Glaucon explains the common conception of justice and it’s origins. Essentially, the natural origin of justice comes from the fact that people like doing injustice, but it is worse to endure justice. Because of this, everyone comes to an agreement not to do injustice so they don’t have to suffer it. Since this story of the origins proves that justice is purely instrumental, if one was to accept this story they would also accept the next two points and, ultimately, accept Thrasymachus’s position. Glaucon’s second point is that justice is purely instrumental. He illustrates this point by using the example of the ring of Gyges. If two people both had the power to do whatever they wanted with no repercussions, as the ring of Gyges would allow them to do, Glaucon thinks that both would end up following the path of the unjust, and be better and happier for it. The just person wearing the ring could do unjust acts but still keep his reputation for justice. Glaucon says, â€Å"No one believes justice to be a good when it is kept private, since, wherever either person thinks he can do injustice with imputiny, he does it† (360c). This leads to his third point. Glaucon thinks that the completely unjust person is much happier than the just person. The ideal unjust person is able to attain everything they could ever want and need, while being honored and praised by those around him for seeming like a just person. Oppositely, the ideal just person is just but doesn’t care about seeming just, thus leading others to believe he is unjust, possibly for his whole life. When the two are compared side by side, it is clear how the unjust person is happy, but not how the just person is happy. Socrates must take certain steps to disprove Thrasymachus’s position on justice. Because the origin story is the key point of Glaucon’s argument, Socrates must show why this origin story seems right but is not. In order to do this, he needs to present a new origin story that shows exactly how justice is instrinsic. Socrates decides that in order to do this he must start by looking at justice in a large sense, then narrow it down to a smaller sense. To outline this process, he states, â€Å"We say, don’t we, that there is the justice of a single man and also the justice of a whole city? And a city is larger than a single man? Perhaps, then there is more justice in the larger thing, and it will be easier to learn what it is. So, if you’re willing, let’s first find out what sort of thing justice is in a city and afterwards look for it in the individual observing the ways in which the smaller is similar to the larger† (368d-369a). In order to look for justice in the city, Socrates must map out an ideal and perfectly just city. By showing the exact specifications of this perfect city, including the classes, functions, and virtues of the people, Socrates can undermine Thrasymachus’s argument and answer Glaucon’s challenge. To define justice and to answer the many questions surrounding justice is one of the main topics of Plato’s The Republic, and Socrates sets out to find these answers for the remainder of the book.

Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe

Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe The theme of "man’s relationship to God and the universe" presented in Epistle 1 of Alexander Pope’s "An Essay on Man" complements Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe is an inconsistent character who turns to God whenever he is in need, yet fails to maintain respect for nature and for his fellow man. In the first year of Robinson Crusoe’s solitary life on the island, he falls ill and has a terrifying dream that alters his awareness of his place in the universe and God’s control of it. This experience leads him to contemplate his past ingratitude and to embark on a life of piety, reading the Bible daily, though without a drastic or permanent change in his character. Throughout his adventures in the novel, Crusoe has moments of awareness and appreciation of God, yet each moment of faith fades as he regains control over his situation. The ideals presented in the last three sections of Epistle 1 — that life exists in a "chain of being" and is interdependent, that the spirit of God exists in all things, and that man should accept existence as good — speak directly to the understanding that Crusoe comes to as a result of his illness and the life he leads throughout the novel. Crusoe wakes up from the nightmare that he has during his illness and realizes that surviving each of his adventures has been in the hands of God, and that he has been ungrateful and unaware of this power. Section 8 of Epistle 1 in the "Essay on Man" states that all things in the chain of being are interdependent and that man in his pride should not strive to break this order. Robinson Crusoe is a very independent character and has traveled for eight years without "having the least sens... ...rly in his life, he claims Friday as a servant rather than a companion; and he is as materialistic after he is marooned on the island as he was before this misfortune. Pope and Crusoe both feel that God is in control of what happens in life and of what they understand of their experiences, although Crusoe does not maintain an awareness of God unless he is, or has recently been, in danger or in need. The relationship with God, nature, and fellow man that Pope describes in his essay powerfully articulates the weakness, pride, and independence that Crusoe grapples with throughout his narration. Works Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Ed. Michael Shinagel. Norton: New York, 1975. Pope, Alexander. "An Essay on Man." in Eighteenth-Century English Literature. Eds. Geoffrey Tillotson, Paul Fussell, Jr. and Marshall Waingrow. New York: Harcourt, 1969. 635-51. Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe The theme of "man’s relationship to God and the universe" presented in Epistle 1 of Alexander Pope’s "An Essay on Man" complements Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe is an inconsistent character who turns to God whenever he is in need, yet fails to maintain respect for nature and for his fellow man. In the first year of Robinson Crusoe’s solitary life on the island, he falls ill and has a terrifying dream that alters his awareness of his place in the universe and God’s control of it. This experience leads him to contemplate his past ingratitude and to embark on a life of piety, reading the Bible daily, though without a drastic or permanent change in his character. Throughout his adventures in the novel, Crusoe has moments of awareness and appreciation of God, yet each moment of faith fades as he regains control over his situation. The ideals presented in the last three sections of Epistle 1 — that life exists in a "chain of being" and is interdependent, that the spirit of God exists in all things, and that man should accept existence as good — speak directly to the understanding that Crusoe comes to as a result of his illness and the life he leads throughout the novel. Crusoe wakes up from the nightmare that he has during his illness and realizes that surviving each of his adventures has been in the hands of God, and that he has been ungrateful and unaware of this power. Section 8 of Epistle 1 in the "Essay on Man" states that all things in the chain of being are interdependent and that man in his pride should not strive to break this order. Robinson Crusoe is a very independent character and has traveled for eight years without "having the least sens... ...rly in his life, he claims Friday as a servant rather than a companion; and he is as materialistic after he is marooned on the island as he was before this misfortune. Pope and Crusoe both feel that God is in control of what happens in life and of what they understand of their experiences, although Crusoe does not maintain an awareness of God unless he is, or has recently been, in danger or in need. The relationship with God, nature, and fellow man that Pope describes in his essay powerfully articulates the weakness, pride, and independence that Crusoe grapples with throughout his narration. Works Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Ed. Michael Shinagel. Norton: New York, 1975. Pope, Alexander. "An Essay on Man." in Eighteenth-Century English Literature. Eds. Geoffrey Tillotson, Paul Fussell, Jr. and Marshall Waingrow. New York: Harcourt, 1969. 635-51.

Effective Leadership and Social Identity Theory Essay -- Leadership

There are many definitions with regards to leadership, but what defines 'effective leadership' and how is it evaluated? Chemers (2000) explained that effective leadership is "follower satisfaction and group performance." (p. 28) G. Yukl expalined "there is no correct definition of leadership; it is only a matter of how useful it is increasing our understanding of effective leadership."(Yukl) How does an organization establish effective leadership? While some leaders of organizations direct considerable resources to find, train, and mentor managers to be effective leaders, many leaders of organizations put little research into the subject of effective leadership. Whatever the organization's policy on selecting the leadership group is, such as to promote from within or to hire from outside, most organization's leaders make decisions without a full understanding of leadership theories. The missing aspect that many leaders and developers of leaders ignore is that the construct of lead ership is not an individual endeavor, but rather one that must include the organization as a whole. Leadership is not just the sum characteristics of an individual (leader) but should include the leaders, the followers, dyadic relationships, and group relationships. Hogg and Terry (2000) explained that "organizations are internally structured groups that are located in complex networks of intergroup relations..." (p. 121). Leadership directly impacts an organization's bottom line, employee satisfaction, and turnover; it can impact how the organization is viewed by society and in particular its marketing audience. This is particularly significant during a downturn in economic markets. Organizations must meet budgetary controls, and need to communicate... ... M. & Terry, D. (2000). Social identity and self-categorization processes in organizational contexts. Academy of Management Review, 25, 121-140. Lord, R. (2000). Leadership. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of psychology, vol. 4. (pp. 499-505). Doi:10.1037/10519-216 Reicher, S., Haslam, S., & Hopkins, N. (2005). Social identity and the dynamics of leadership: Leaders and followers as collaborative agents in the transformation of social reality. Leadership Quarterly, 16, 547-568. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.06.007 Hogg, M., & van Knippenberg D. (2003). Social identity  and  leadership processes  in groups. Advances in Experimental  Social  Psychology,  Volume 35,  1-52. Yukl, G. (2002). Leadership in organizations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. p. 1-19. Retrieved from http://www.blackdiamond.dk/HDO/Organisation_Gary_Yukl_Leadership_in_Organizations.pdf

Out, Out

Questions from pg 495 1. How does Frost make the buzz-saw appear sinister? How does he make it seem, in another way, like a friend? a. The first line, â€Å"The buzz-saw snarled and rattled in the yard† and the seventh line â€Å"And the saw snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled† both emit a sense of darkness, as if having a â€Å"personality† of its own. b. When the sister came out and told the brother that supper was ready and the saw looked as if it â€Å"leaped† out of the boys hand, it seemed as if the saw was a friend of the boy that did not want to be abandoned, so it pulled away from the boy in anger, causing injury to the boy.The saw and the boy were in essence â€Å"friends† because of the time they spent together sawing firewood, and when faced with the boy leaving was upset. 2. What do you make of the people who surround the boy—the â€Å"they† of the poem. Who might they be? Do they seem to you concerned and compassiona te, cruel, indifferent, or what? a. The â€Å"they† of the poem appear to be his family, possibly his uncles, aunts, or cousins. They could be neighborhood friends of the boys. b.Whoever they were, they did not seem to be very concerned that the boy was injured, let alone dead. They seemed uncompassionate and unconcerned about what they had witnessed. 3. What does Frost’s reverence to Macbeth contribute to your understanding of â€Å" ‘Out, Out—’ †? How would you state the theme of Frost’s poem? a. It seems to me that Macbeth’s verse is about how short life is, that life is just a shadow, a player, in the game of life, that walks around on a stage, then one day is over.Frost uses part of the first line of Macbeth’s verse â€Å"Out, out† as his title as a way to agree with and reference Macbeth as one of his role models in poetry. b. I feel that Frost uses the theme â€Å"life and death† as the main concept o f â€Å"Out, out. † 4. Set this poem side by side with â€Å"Sir Patrick Spence. † How does â€Å" ‘Out, Out—’ † resemble that medieval folk ballad in the subject, or does it differ from it? How is Frost’s poem similar or different in its way of telling a story? a. To me, the common thread of the two poems is life and eath. Day to day, you live your life, never knowing when your last day on earth will be, and when it comes, it is sudden. b. I think they are both similar it its way of telling a story in the sense that you got pulled into the poem, hanging on its every word. Both poems begin with telling the readers what the characters were doing and continue in detail about what happens. Though short, Frost succeeded at his readers gaining an attachment to the day in the life of his character.

Expenditures and Revenues Summary: Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office Essay

The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, a statutory government agency, is responsible for providing services to three mandated programs in Palm Beach County, Florida (PBSO.org, 2013). Those programs are Law Enforcement, Corrections Services throughout Palm Beach County’s jails, and finally Bailiff and Court staff. Palm Beach Sheriff’s office is required to respond to law enforcement calls throughout the county and all unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County. Palm Beach Sheriff’s office is also responsible for providing services to certain municipalities throughout Palm Beach County, if a contract exists between the municipality and the Sheriff’s office. The municipality must come to a fee agreement with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s office before a contract is established. The following will elaborate on the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office revenue and expenditures and the impact of the expenditures on the revenue source. The following will also elaborate on who the key players are in terms of making budget decisions and whether or not there is any influence of political and public policies on the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office. Finally, recommended organizational financial analysis alternatives for the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office will be researched. The Impact of the Expenditures on the Revenue Source Palm Beach County is located in South Florida and is the largest county in square mileage in Florida at 2,268 square miles. Palm Beach County is Florida’s third largest populated county with just under 1.4 million residents (PBSO.org, 2014).The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office maintains 3,949 allocations throughout Palm Beach County and boasts 1,333 sworn law enforcement officers, 7,757 civilian support staff, 689 sworn Corrections officers and 170 sworn Court services and Bailiff; therefore a large portion of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office budget is allocated to programs. Personal services, according to the Sheriff’s Office (2014) means this part of the budget is considered to pay employee wages and benefits. This program is divided in to thee parts, Law Enforcement, Corrections and Court Services  and Bailiff, which in turns means three different expenditures. A total of $510,102,878.00 for the Sheriff’s was requested for the 2014 fiscal year in order to support the three programs. This amount is an increase of about 5.8% from the 2013 fiscal year (PBSO.org, 2014). The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office is funded through various revenues generated from Law Enforcement services, ad-valorem taxes and utility taxes. The Sheriff’s Office collects 15% of all revenues collected through adult entertainment and revenue is also received by the State of Florida for Crime Laboratory Operations. Funds are established by the Florida Crime Laboratory Council. Safety services also generate revenue for the Sheriff’s Office. The charges and fees are ultimately determined by the Statute and fee schedule approved by the Sheriff. These contracts include airport security, Private and Governmental Off-Duty permits and other law enforcement contract. The Safety Service fees make up a large portion of the Sheriff’s revenues (PBSO. org, 2014). Other revenues include fines and forfeitures, commission on coin telephones used by the county’s inmates, taxes levied on assessed properties in Palm Beach County and utility tax. According to Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (2014), each program is divided in to three expenditures. Those expenditures are Law Enforcement, Corrections and Court Services and Bailiff. Each of the three program categories is broken down even further. Those parts are listed as Personal Services, Operating and Capital Outlay. Each variable requires funds in order to operate; for example, the Law Enforcement Program was budgeted for a total budget of $347,035,274.00 out of the $510,102,878.00. As stated this program is further broken down in to three variables, Personal Services, Operating and Capital Outlay. A total of $276,397,453.00 is budgeted for personal services. $60,185,099 is budgeted for Operating and $10,452,722.00 is budgeted for Capital Outlay. This brings the total to $347,035,274.00 dollars budgeted for the Law Enforcement Program. This total is about 60% of the total budget for 2014. It is important to understand that 81% of the operating budget consists of wages, overtime and employee benefits. These are items which are set through collective bargaining, policy, contracts and also receive protection under to Career Service Bill (PBSO.org, 2014). Key  Players Involved in Deciding on a Budget Because the Sheriff’s Office is large and requires time to create a reasonable budget, the budgeting process begins in December of the preceding year (PBSO.org, 2014). In January, the Palm Beach Sheriff discusses the philosophy for the approaching fiscal year. The Sheriff’s Office had an established budget staff which provides an overview of the budget process and provides details regarding the upcoming budget preparation and procedures. Executives and Senior Staff conduct a series of internal reviews before the proposed budget is presented the Sheriff. The Sheriff then reviews the proposed budget and either accepts or denies the budget. Once the Sheriff approves the budget a signed copy is sent to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioner by May 1. The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners Office of Finance Management and Budget would then schedule a number of workshops for the County’s proposed budget. It is during these workshops that modifications to the Sheriff’s budget can be presented. Budgets may be modified based on the receipt of grant funds, donations or other sources outside of the Sheriff’s adopted budget. In September, there are two public hearing scheduled during which the final budget is adopted. The budget must be adopted for October 1, the start of the new fiscal year. The Influence of Politics and Public Policies on the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners Office of Finance Management and Budget is a governmental organization which oversees the Sheriff’s proposed budget on a yearly basis. The Constitutional Officers who oversee the budget include Clerk and Comptroller Office, Tax Collector and Property Appraiser (Palm Beach County, 2014). All three entities are those of local government. These three organizations are responsible for reviewing not only the Sheriff’s budget, but all other budgets relating to cities in Palm Beach County who provide public assistance. Politics can play a huge role when considering a budget proposal. In this case, these three entities know what funding is available as they are responsible for collecting different revenues. If the money is not available to fund the entire budget request, then cuts will be made to the budget; furthermore, because budgets are able to be accessed by  the public, is important to ensure that all decisions regarding the budget are ethical decisions. Financial Analysis Alternatives In the event that there is a loss of revenue source, there are many other options the Sheriff’s Office can explore in order to obtain funding. The Sheriff’s Office, like any other police department, has many departments which are responsible for investigating certain crimes; for example, the Sheriff’s Office created a department specifically for tracking online sexual predators. The United States Department of Justice provides funding to the Sheriff’s Office for strategically targeting online predators. The Sheriff’s office would be able to continue funding this department and maintaining its multidisciplinary team to assist in the development and implementation of the strategy. The COPS hiring Program (CHP) is dedicated to enhancing community policing by addressing the needs of a state, local or tribal law enforcement agency. The COPS Hiring Program (CHP) provides funding so that law enforcement agencies are able to hire new or career law enforcement officers. Employing more officers would increase crime prevention efforts in a given district (U.S. Department of Justice, 2014). The COPS Hiring Program (CHP) will provide up to 75% of any approved entry-level salary and fringe benefits. The officers must be hired as full-time officers for the length of grant period, which is 36 months. A minimum of 25% of the officer’s salary must be matched by the hiring agency and a maximum federal share of $125,000 per officer. Under the COPS Hiring Program, the agency is only able to hire up to 5% of the agency’s sworn police officers (U.S Department of Justice, 2014). According to the Sheriff’s Office (2014), there are two other sources of alternative funding. Alternative funding can be obtained through forfeiture funds which are obtained from cases which assets and cash are seized and eventually released to the law enforcement agency. Forfeiture funds may come from state and federal governments and ought to be used to purchase equipment which was unable to be funded. Secondly, alternative funds may come from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office grant program. This program  generates millions of dollars annually. In the past, grant funding has enabled the Sheriff’s Office to purchase patrol boats; additionally, the grant funding, the Sheriff’s Office has also purchased 245 square miles of waterway in Palm Beach County and 45 miles of shoreline (PBSO.org, 2014). Conclusion In conclusion, The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office is large law enforcement agency within Palm Beach County which provides law enforcement, corrections and court services to Palm Beach County. The Sheriff’s office is also contracted by a number of cities within Palm Beach County to perform law enforcement duties within that area. Drafting a budget proposal can be challenging and difficult for such a large organization. Upon completing this research, one can easily see the much thought and preparation is needed to complete a budget which will allow the Sheriff’s Office to continuously provide services to those within the jurisdictions. The preceding elaborated on the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office revenue and expenditures and the impact of the expenditures on the revenue source. The preceding also elaborated on who the key players are in terms of making budget decisions and whether or not there is any influence of political and public policies on the Palm Beach Sh eriff’s Office. Finally, the organizational financial analysis alternatives for the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office were discussed. References Palm Beach County (2014). Preparing for Budgets. Retrieved from website http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=2367 PBSO.org, (2014). Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office Budget. Retrieved from website http://pbso.org/index.cfm?fa=budget U.S. Department of Justice (2014). COPS Hiring Program. Retrieved from website http://www.pbcgov.com/ofmb/budget/

Fiber Optic Connector Assembly Essay

The three fiber geometry parameters that have the greatest impact on splicing performance include the following: Cladding diameter—the outside diameter of the cladding glass region. core/clad concentricity (or core-to-cladding offset)—how well the core is centered in the cladding glass region fiber curl—the amount of curvature over a fixed length of fiber These parameters are determined and controlled during the fiber-manufacturing process. As fiber is cut and spliced according to system needs, it is important to be able to count on consistent geometry along the entire length of the fiber and between fibers and not to rely solely on measurements made. The cladding diameter tolerance controls the outer diameter of the fiber, with tighter tolerances ensuring that fibers are almost exactly the same size. During splicing, inconsistent cladding diameters can cause cores to misalign where the fibers join, leading to higher splice losses. The drawing process controls cladding diameter tolerance, and depending on the manufacturer’s skill level, can be very tightly controlled. Tighter core/clad concentricity tolerances help ensure that the fiber core is centered in relation to the cladding. This reduces the chance of ending up with cores that do not match up precisely when two fibers are spliced together. A core that is precisely centered in the fiber yields lower-loss splices more often. Core/clad concentricity is determined during the first stages of the manufacturing process, when the fiber design and resulting characteristics are created. During these lay down and consolidation processes, the dopant chemicals that make up the fiber must be deposited with precise control and symmetry to maintain consistent core/clad concentricity performance throughout the entire length of fiber. Fiber curl is the inherent curvature along a specific length of optical fiber that is exhibited to some degree by all fibers. It is a result of thermal stresses that occur during the manufacturing process. Therefore, these factors must be rigorously monitored and controlled during fiber manufacture. Tighter fiber-curl tolerances reduce the possibility that fiber cores will be misaligned during splicing, thereby impacting splice loss. Some mass fusion splicers use fixed v-grooves for fiber alignment, where the effect of fiber curl is most noticeable. When fibers are manufactured within specified tolerances, there are still slight variations from one optical fiber to another. These variations can affect the performance of the splice even though the optical fibers are perfectly aligned when mated. The variations between two optical fibers that affect splice performance are referred to as intrinsic factors. One factor is the Numerical aperture mismatch this occurs when the NA of one optical fiber is different from the NA of the other optical fiber. If the NA of the transmitting fiber is larger than the NA of the receiving optical fiber a loss may occur. The exact loss from an NA mismatch is difficult to calculate. Factors such as light source type, light source launch condition and optical fiber length, and bends in the optical fiber all affect the potential loss. Another factor could be a core diameter mismatch this occurs when there is a difference in the core diameters of the two opticasl fibers. A core diameter mismatch loss results when the core diameter of the transmitting optical fiber is greater than the core diameter of the receiving optical fiber. You can calculate the worst case loss percentage for a splice that joins different diameter fiber with a formula. You then can also use another formula to calculate the decibel loss. There is also noncercularity that is a intrinsic factor that causes loss. The noncircularity of the core will cause a loss when light from the core of the transmitting optical fiber enters the cladding of the receiving optical fiber. A way to make sure that connections are not lost when splicing is make sure the alignment of the ellipticities of the two cores. Some of the extrinsic factors that affect optical fiber splice performance are factors related to the condition of the splice itself. One of the factors is lateral misalignment this occurs when the two optical fibers are offset. Lateral misalignment loss occurs when light from the core of the transmitting optical fiber enters the cladding of the receiving optical fiber. This can be avoided by paying close attention when connecting the two sections together. If the optical fibers in a splice meet each other at an angle a loss from angular misalignment may occur. The amount of loss depends the severity of the angular misalignment and the acceptance cones of the transmitting and receiving optical fibers. The best way to avoid this is to  make sure each end is touching completely before spliced together.

Packaging and Pricing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Packaging and Pricing Strategy - Essay Example One firm that has successfully integrated into the Lowes paradigm is Green Fiber. I.-Introduction Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse is an American-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. The Mooresville, North Carolina-based chain has grown from a tiny hardware store into the world’s second-largest home improvement retailer. (Fortune, 2008) Lowe’s is ranked 48 in the 2008 Fortune 500 Largest Corporations in America. (Fortune, 2008) The company has grown nationwide and today, its stores offer around 40,000 products in stock and even more products are available through their Special Order Service. (Lowes, 2013) One of the most unique branding success stories within the Lowes family is Green Fiber. Green Fiber has developed the capacity to turn what has previously been an environmental "problem" into a major commodity in the building products industry. Green Fiber's natural fiber insulation offers a substantial environmental benefit: made from 8 5 percent recycled paper fiber, Green Fiber insulation products divert millions of tons of paper from landfill each year. (Green Fiber, 2013) As a natural fiber blow-in insulation made with no harmful chemicals, Green Fiber insulation products provide a safe option for builders and DIY homeowners that wish to improve the efficiency of their home insulation without introducing chemically treated materials. (Green Fiber, 2013) Product Description: Green Fiber Cellulose Insulation provides a smart environmentally-friendly choice for home upgrades and new construction. Cellulose insulation is a cost-effective alternative to conventional fiberglass insulation. It provides a green, efficient, non-toxic, affordable thermal solution that increases any homes efficiency and thermal qualities. Blow In Natural Fiber Insulation acts as a thermal blanket in the attic space of a home by increasing the insulation R-values and making homes more energy efficient. (Green Fiber, 2013) II. Current Produ ct Analysis: Green Fiber Insulation is currently the only cellulose-based insulation material offered by Lowes Home Improvement Warehouses. (Lowes, 2013) The main product competitor found on the shelves of Lowes is conventional pink fiberglass insulation that is sold in rolls and bundles. The established presentation of the product is adequate but not dazzling. The simple fact is that Green Fiber Insulation is treated just like its Fiber Glass insulation competitors. In Lowes Home Improvement Stores it is sold as a bulk basic material with limited product information beyond R-Value properties and quick installation guides. The Product Life Cycle of Green Fiber Insulation is at an intersection point. Since the product’s introduction in 2000 cellulose insulation product sales have grown by over 57%. (Green Fiber, 2013) Cost of Green Fiber Insulation is declining on a per unit basis because of increased sales. As profitability for Green Fiber has increased direct competitors (ce llulose insulation manufacturers) and indirect competitors (fiberglass insulation manufacturer’s) have regressed into the market and are attempting to challenge Green Fibers position.

Merger between the United and US Airways Term Paper

Merger between the United and US Airways - Term Paper Example (Continental, 2012). Under the United Continental Holdings – the parent company of Continental and United, its 4th quarter 2011 revenue was increased by 5.5% with annual profit of $840 million (Omaha World-Herald, 2012). The US Airways is â€Å"the 6th largest U.S. airline by traffic and 8th largest by market value in the United States† (Nolan, 2011; Fenske, 2008). Marketed under the brand name of US Airways Express, the PSA Airlines and Piedmont Airlines are two of US Airways’ wholly-owned subsidiaries on top of its other four airline subsidiaries (Polek, 2008). The US Airways has 341 mainline and 319 regional aircrafts across 200 destinations around North- and South America, Europe and the Middle East. The company is operating 629 daily flights throughout its 133 non-stop destinations (Portillo, 2011). Its annual net profit excluding net special charges was $111 million as compared to $447 million in the previous year (PRNewswire, 2012). After deducting the net special charges, the company’s net profit was $0.68 million as compared to $2.34 million during the previous year (BusinessWeek, 2012). Incentives to Consolidate Although the merger plan between the United and the US Airways has not been successful ever since the United decided to merge with the Continental last July 2010 (Breaking Travel News, 2010), potential merger between the United and the US Airways never died (Portillo, 2011). In fact, Derek Kerr – the Chief Financial Officer of US Airways stated that â€Å"consolidation is one of the major ways this industry can become profitable† (Chakravorty, 2010). Aside from economies of scale, most of the existing airline companies are merging to expand or dominate a busy hub. In other words, merger enables these airline companies to have a competitive advantage by investing on geographically differentiated routes. This explains why other major airline carriers such as Delta was eager to merge with Northwest wherea s the United with Continental (Portillo, 2011). Furthermore, Portillo (2011) explained that the hub of US Airways is the key to 90% of the airport’s flights. This aspect will give the United the incentive to decide and consider consolidating with the US Airways in the near future. Analyzing Firms within the Industry Strategies made by the firms within the U.S. airline industry can be well understood by conducting an industry analyzing using the Porter’s five forces framework. Based on this framework, it makes sense that the U.S. airline industry has a low barrier due to the increasing threat of new entrants (Ramon-Rodriguez, Moreno-Izquierdo and Perles-Ribes 2011). Ever since the Airline Deregulation Act was implemented in 1978, firms within the U.S. airline industry started experiencing the business consequences of a tight market competition. Even though the U.S. government removed the political restrictions over the U.S. domestic routes, schedules and domestic fares, some of the airport regulations, limited takeoff and landing slots and airline