The Significance of Technology Depicted in Bradburys...

Ray Bradburys novel, Fahrenheit 451, is based in a futuristic time where technology rules our everyday lives and books are viewed as a bad thing because it brews free thought. Although today’s technological advances haven’t caught up with Bradbury’s F451, there is a very real danger that society might end up relying on technology at the price of intellectual development. Fahrenheit 451 is based in a futuristic time period and takes place in a large American City on the Eastern Coast. The futuristic world in which Bradbury describes is chilling, a future where all known books are burned by so called firemen. Our main character in Fahrenheit 451 is a fireman known as Guy Montag, he has the visual characteristics of the average†¦show more content†¦She sits home all day and watches her three walls in the living room, that they had equipped with giant TV’s. Mildred bugs Montag for a fourth TV wall. She thinks it would be necessary to achieve th e full effect of her TV programs, but Montag refuses knowing that it is a useless and expensive investment. Montag finds Clarisse waiting at the bus stop the next day. She then informs him that she doesn’t go to school because she’s been labeled anti-social by her teachers. Montag and Clarisse continue to carry on a conversation for a while before he eventually had to go and head off to work. Once he arrives at the fire station an alarm sounds to notify the firemen that someone is in the procession of books and that it is time to perform their duty of burning the house of books. Before the firemen begin to incinerate the house, Montag snatches two of the criminal’s books, and when the old lady who owns the houses refuses to leave her personal possessions to be burned the fireman are ordered to burn the house and its books along with her. This act dwells on Montag to the point where is makes him feel sick and very depressed about the inhumane actions he had performed. Later Captain Beatty, Montag’s captain, stops by Montag’s house to talk to him. While Beatty is there Montag just lies in bed trying to conceal one of the books he took from the houseShow MoreRelated Analysis of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Essay3557 Words   |  15 PagesAnalysis of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Imagine living in a world where you are not in control of your own thoughts. Imagine living in a world in which all the great thinkers of the past have been blurred from existence. Imagine living in a world where life no longer involves beauty, but instead a controlled system that the government is capable of manipulating. In Ray Bradburys Fahrenheit 451, such a world is brought to the awareness of the reader through a description of the impactsRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 Essay2089 Words   |  9 Pagesanalysis of Ray Bradbury s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, shows that literature as books, education and alike is abused and criminalized in the hero’s reality, who is Guy Montag. The novel’s setting is when new things seem to have totally replaced literature, fire fighters set flames instead of putting them out, the ownership of books is deserving of the law and to restrict the standard is to court demise. The oppression of literature thro ugh innovation and technology can be analyzed through various

Americas The Victim Advocates - 1131 Words

Americas Victim Advocates Victim advocates and handlers have been around for many years and are entrusted with the responsibility and power to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of American victims. It is true that most people can relate to victims and help them to an extent. However, a Victim Advocate s sole purpose is to serve those in need which makes them the backbone of most departments. It can also be said that victim advocates are an underrated part of law enforcement because while most people idolize detectives and their seemingly glamorous lifestyle against criminals, the men and women that call themselves Victim Advocates protect and serve those in need on an unmatchable level. First, it is important to understand what†¦show more content†¦Along with these responsibilities there are many other requirements to become an advocate of this magnitude. Most professional victim advocates have an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in psychology, criminal justice, social work, or education and some organizations require a master’s degree of some type. Unlike other careers, coursework is frequently coupled with intense practical training in social work. This is done because Victim Advocates must hone their listening skills and the teamwork-oriented methods of problem-solving to work effectively with their clients. Advocates generally work with individuals who are emotionally fragile and, as a result, the victims advocate must possess empathy, the ability to listen, and a desire to help others. This position came to be for many different reasons and is a close cousin to the witness protection program. The

Accounting and Finance for Managers Coca Cola Amatil Limited

Question: Describe about the Accounting and Finance for Managers for Coca Cola Amatil Limited. Answer: Introduction: Coca Cola Amatil Limited (Food, Beverage and Tobacco) company is one of the largest bottlers of non-alcoholic beverages in Asia Pacific region and its among the worlds five major Coca-Cola bottlers. It has 29% share of total Coca Cola Company. This Australian beverage and tobacco company was established in the year of 1904. At the beginning of its journey, Coca cola AMATIL LIMITED, was a tobacco company. With time being this company got changed and in the year 1964 it presents a soft drinks to the consumers. In the recent decades this company has huge demand in the Australian market. In the year 1972 the company enlisted in the Australian Stock Exchange (Andini Simatupang, 2014). This company operates in Non-alcoholic beverages, food and tobacco. Company portfolio includes following brands like Coca-Cola varieties, Lift, Sprite, Fanta, Mount Franklin, Jim bean, SPC and many more. In this following report, by considering to make a brief discussion about the financial statements from June 2014 to July 2015 of CCA will come to a conclusion about the financial growth during this period of this company (Rosli, 2012). Discussion: Current financial statement: Mainly there are three financial statements which are being discussed in this context. At first lets consider the income statement of the company. From the income statement of the respective company here, we can state that trading revenue from non-alcohol beverages, Alcohol Coffee and Corporate, food services, in 2015 is 5093.6 million Australian dollars whereas in 2014 the revenue was 4942.8 million dollar. Which denotes that companys trade progressed 3.1 % totally in the year 2015 as compared to the same time of last year 2014(Johnston Sidaway, 2015). Trade is a major part of every business therefore trading revenue significantly shows the performance and growth of the respective company. Moreover, Earning before Interest, tax (EBIT) and significant items was 660.6 in 2015 and 651.5 in 2014. In that case EBIT is also higher at the end of 2015, with an increase of 1.4% totally. There is a significant decrease of net financial cost in the year of 2015, of 35.7 million which also help the company to gain an overall profit of 393.4 million in Australian market. It shows an increment of huge 44.6 % compared to previous year June 2014 (Horng Tsai, 2012). The first part of the financial statement consists current asset. According to this statement the cash asset of the company was 1012.4 million dollar in June, 2014 whereas in December of 2014 the total cash asset turned down to 818.2 million dollar. In 2015 the amount of cash asset increases to 1138.2 million dollar (Huyue, 2012). Thus, there arises a volatility in this cash asset statement. Although volatility is not good for any company but the Coca Cola Amatil Limited increases its cash asset in 2015 that means it increases its asset from the past few years. There are various components in the current asset of a company among them payments, current tax asset, derivatives and inventories are most important part in overall (Nobes, 2012). Asset is mainly the resources of the company. In the balance there are two main components, one is asset and another is liability. If asset of any company increases over time then it meant that the respective company is doing well in respective to its objective or goal of the business. Here the total asset is 2854.0 million dollar in 2015 which is more than the amount 2580.1 (December) and 2574.1(June) in the year 2014. Thus the financial report delivered that the asset of the company is continuously over time. There are exist two types of asset in every firm, one is current asset and another is non-current asset. As there exist derivatives in the current asset, the con current asset is also consists some derivatives. These derivatives may influence the asset. It depends of the type of derivatives that how it will influence on asset of the company (Rae, 2012). Here by, the investments in bottlers agreements is very important issue in this financial data, in this case the amount of investment is 926.0 million dollar in 2015 which is lower than the amount 942.5 million dollar in 2014. It reflects that the investment was not going well in these two years. Moreover, the amount of intangible asset(nonphysical asset : it may be goodwill of the company, copyright, trade names or many other nonphysical asset) is 324.0 in 2015 which is also lower than the amount which stand in the June in 2014and in December in 2014. As long as the tangible asset or physical asset like property, plant and equipment is 1977.7 million dollar in the year 2015 which is also lower than the amount 2031.2 resulted in December 2014 and 2007.5 million dollar in June 2014 (Boulos et al. 2012). Although, the total noncurrent amount was 6322.1 million dollar in end of July 2015 which is more than the amount 3446.3 resulted in December, 2014 but not more than 3502.2 which has been resulted in June 2014. Therefore, the amount of total asset of the company was $2854.0 + $3468.1 = $ 6322.1 million at the end of last financial year. The amount of the total asset is massively higher than the both of the amount in June and December 2014. As the current asset is massively higher than the past records therefore as the amount of noncurrent asset is low the there is a state of balancing by which the total asset has been balanced. Here the derivatives also played an important role (Hattersley Isaacs Burch, 2013). The condition of derivatives in both of the cases current and non-current asset is much higher than past records. In case of noncurrent asset the proportion of derivatives is $95.3 million whereas in current asset it was $46.2 million. After discussion the asset of the company coca cola now lets consider the next part that is liability of the company. According to the accountant if the liability is higher than it reflects badly in its financial statement. Liability can be said as a responsibility, it may be the loans taken from a particular bank or may be the tax liability. There are two parts of liability, first part is the current liabilities and the second one is noncurrent liabilities. The current liability consists trade and other payments, derivatives, current tax liabilities, interest bearing liabilities, provision and trade and other payables (Healy Palepu, 2012). If a company increases its asset then significantly good for the company but in case of liability it is reverse. As much as the liability is will badly affect the company (Beekes, Brown Zhang, 2015). In 2015 the total amount of current liabilities is 1924.1 million dollar which is deliberately higher than the current liabilities in 2014 (1680.8 million dollar in December and 1567.6 million dollar in June). Along with the asset the liabilities was also going to be higher in 2015 which is not good for the company. In this segment the trade and payables which massively fall down from 1182.4 million dollar to 996.3 million dollar that means the companys liability towards trade is lower than before but in case of interesting bearing liabilities it reflects that in 2015 the interest bearing liabilities is more than double of the amount in December, 2014(325.3). Interest bearing liabilities denote the coca cola has taken loan to some financial institution or banks, therefore, over time it has to pay interest against to this loan. This amount of loan significantly increases from 2014 to 2015 (Fre Grosskopf, 2012). Similarly, considering the non-current liabilities then it can be stated that the total noncurrent liabilities is lower than the past record of 2014. The figure was 2100.1 million dollar in 2015 which is much lower than the amount 2658.9 million dollar and 2832.3 million dollar respectively in December in 2014 and July in 2014. Therefore, the total liabilities is = $2100.1 + $1924.1 = $4024.2 million which is lower compare to $4339.7 million and $4399.9 million. Thus, it can be stated from this figure that companys liabilities is going to be lower in 2015 rather than in 2014. Therefore net asset of the company will be the amount of total asset after deducting the total liabilities. Hence, in this financial statement of Coca Cola Amatil Limited the total asset in the 015 is $6322.1 million whereas, the total liabilities is $4024.2. Then the net asset amount is = $6322.1-$4024.2 = $2297.9 million. The amount of net asset is also higher than the last year amount which is $1686.7. Equity is the percentage of share of the respective company which it sell in the market. As Coca Cola is listed in the Australian Stock Exchange it has 29% per of total share in the open market. Now if the company want to rise its proportion of share which is holds by the shareholders in the market then it has to get permission from the state authority. Authority attentively goes through the performance of the respective company and then gives permission if it deserves. In the financial statement of 2015 it has been declared that the total equity of the company is 2297.9 million dollar. In the year 2014 the total equity share of the company was 1686.7 million dollar at the end of December and 1676.4 million dollar in June 2014.(Appendix1) As the equity is much higher in last financial year so it can be said that the performance of Coca Cola is well in last year. The proportion of share capital is 2271.7 million dollar which is same in three quarters as well but share held by equity is 17.4 million dollar in 2015. Other hand the non-controlling interest is 3.6.6 which is ten times than the interest in December, 2014 in June, 2014. Hereby, the performance of the company is repetitively going well. Statement of Cash Flow: Among the three financial statements, cash flow is significantly shows the amount of Net cash flow from operating activities and net cash flow used in investing activities. Net cash flows from operating activities includes all cost which are related to all activities in the factory, like wages, depreciation, other payments related to the production procedure. Thus, the cost of operating activities is 161.2 million dollar whereas, in the year 2014 the operating cost of coca cola was 256.6 million dollar. Compare these two figure it can be stated that as the cost of operating activity is much lower in last financial year so it will oil the revenue figure of the respective company (Goldberg, 2012). Now in the second part of the cash flow statement net cash flow in investing activities are considered. It mainly includes the cash flow of the investment required for the business. Invest in long term deposit is 67.7 million dollar which is lower than 100 million dollar in 2014. Moreover, the addition of property is 85.7 million dollar, which is also lower in 2015 rather than 2014. In objective to run, a business there requires an adequate amount of financial support. Therefore, financing activities is also a part of cash flow statement, which should be considered as net cash flow from financing activities (Van Uytsel, 2012). Apart from this three part in cash flow statement, the cash and cash equivalents are also played a major role to influence the whole strategy of business. In the year 2015 the cash equivalent amount is 1,132.9 million dollar but in case of 2014 the amount is little bit low and the figure was around 1009.9 million dollar. Analysis of current competitors strength: There is a huge demand of beverage business overall Australian market. There exist many other beverages company which are running their business. But, Coca-Cola Amatil Company faces a price pressure from other big brand like Golden Circle, PepsiCo, Kriks. All these companies are in the field of competitor market in Australian Supermarket business. According to an article published in the Sydney Morning, the Woolworth and Coal who has maximum 80% of total market share continuously throw the challenges to the Coca-Cola Amatil company (Taylor, 2012). Moreover, because of this price pressure, CCA has been pressured by those competitors to lower its product price in Australian market. The main competition CCA is getting in Australia is its Supermarket business, price reduction pressure from the other competitor in the market and at last the labels that is owned by the chain of supermarket in recent years. This Supermarkets took an uphold in the Australian market which causing CCA a tough competition to stay and grow in market. Some other big brand like Pepsico and few other soft drinks and beverages company reduced their product price by giving discount on the. As a result the earning of the CCA Company reduced a lot (Taplin, 2012). The Managing director Mr. Terry Davis commented on this matter that, the company has no other option other than reducing the price of the product to sustain in Australian food and beverage market due to the discounting strategy of other rivals in supermarkets like Pepsico. He also added that its affecting the customer confidence on brand and its mainly affecting the areas which are socioeconomic ally lower sided. But he also thinks that the price set by the Pepsico is not sustainable for long term as it will fall into financial loss. The main strength of CCA from its most rival company Pepsi is that, Pepsi operate in Australia through Pepsico and Schweppes and the main bottling process is done in India, which gives Pepsi an advantage in pricing. CCA bottling is done in Sydney which can never compete in price as compare to the bottling done for Pepsi in India, which is main reason for low price of Pepsi (Horng, Jeouà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Shyan Chenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Tsang Simon Tsai, 2012). Day by day the imported brand in supermarkets with lower price taking attention in consumers. The premium pricing of CCA also affecting their market as consumers are getting a cheaper one from Pepsi or other brand may be in little different taste but same type of beverages (Xiao, O'Neill Mattila, 2012). The competitors of CCA is producing the more or less same type of beverages, so there are less unique product company have to offer o consumers like Vanilla Coke. This making the competitor stronger in the Australian market. Although, CCA also improving with the consumer preference by introducing product like Coke life as compared with the Pepsi next.(Appendix2) Financial Analysis The current ratio of the company is 1.48 which can be considered healthy when compared to the industry standards. Similarly, the quick ratio of the company is 1.081 which reflects the actual financial condution of the company . The asset turover ratio is 0.81 which can be stated as substantial in the existing market conditions. However, the days creditiors is 71 days when compared to 58 days of days of debtors. The company has to take appropriate measures to rectify this situation . Recommendation: As a recommendation, it can be said that some business strategies should be maintained tactfully to capture the market share and increase demand. Customer care: Customer is the term, which mean a proper care of customer. The respective company should be promising to its customers that mean the quality of the product should be maintained properly. There are some other strategies like labelling, attractive container, decorative colours by which they can grab the customers. Improve the quality of product and maintain the quality: There needs a continuous up gradation of the quality of the product as the respective customers dont want to take other option instead of that product. Moreover, in competitive market as there are many other competitors of Coca Cola Amatil Limited so it is necessary to maintain good quality of product in existing market. Market participation should be improved: Market participation is another factor which should be keep in mind when a businessman run a business. To improve market Participation Company should promote their business in different areas of a state. As they grab their market participation and able to improve it then automatically the demand of that product will increase. More strengthen marketing strategy: Those market strategies taken by Coca Cola Company should be more strong and suitable to its present condition. Company should take advice of senior accounts of the company as they can give a overall scenario to the company. Therefore in that context the company should have some experienced advisers. More efficient marketing employee: The employer of the company should be efficient in order to meet the goal and objective of the company. Mainly the workers who are involved in the production procedure should be loyal and efficient in manner. If the employer of Coca Cola Company may successively efficient then the company will be carry a good will. Emphasize in advertisement: To promote their coca cola company should be more focused on advertising part. Moreover, in competitive market structure advertising plays an important role on behalf of the company. Therefore, to emphasize in advertising as a strategy will obviously benefited for the respective company. In international market, advertisement is the only procedure to make the customers known about the product. Maintain Research Development: Todays corporate industry became continuous changing industry. To compete in this sector one firm has to focus in the research and development of that respective product. Therefore, to upgrade new technologies Coca cola company should maintain RD department in its own. By upgrading new technologies and innovative ideas company maintain a god quality product and may be able to keep promise to their customers. As this are big challenges to the Coca cola Company to reduce the price of its product by maintaining or upgrading its quality. The challenges accepted if the research and development department of the company will focus in new invention. Conclusion: As a conclusion it can be stated the report is all about discussed the three financial statements Budget statement, Income statement and cash flow of Coca Cola Amatil Limited. The repot sated the Coca cola company has 29% of total share in the market of food beverage and tobacco in Australia moreover, it a leading company in Australian market. According to the summarization of the financial statement one can easily understand or notify that Coca Cola Company has been doing well in last few years. In the year 2015 Companys performance was very and appreciable and company was continuously doing progress in the year 2015 to 2016. The CEO of the Coca Cola Company announced to focus on research and development part of the company and the company also willing to increase its market share in the current financial year. References Andini, R. A., Simatupang, T. M. (2014). A process simulation of inventory planning and control for Minute Maid Pulpy at Coca-Cola. International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 17(1), 66-82. Astami, E. W., Tower, G. (2006). Accounting-policy choice and firm characteristics in the Asia Pacific region: An international empirical test of costly contracting theory. The International Journal of Accounting, 41(1), 1-21. Barton, A. (2009). The use and abuse of accounting in the public sector financial management reform program in Australia. Abacus, 45(2), 221-248. Beekes, W., Brown, P., Zhang, Q. (2015). Corporate governance and the informativeness of disclosures in Australia: a reà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ examination. Accounting Finance, 55(4), 931-963. Boulos, R., Vikre, E. K., Oppenheimer, S., Chang, H., Kanarek, R. B. (2012). ObesiTV: how television is influencing the obesity epidemic.Physiology behavior, 107(1), 146-153. Carins, J. E., Rundle-Thiele, S. R. (2014). Eating for the better: A social marketing review (20002012). Public Health Nutrition, 17(07), 1628-1639. Fre, R., Grosskopf, S. (2012). Cost and revenue constrained production. Springer Science Business Media. Goldberg, I. (2012). Functional foods: designer foods, pharmafoods, nutraceuticals. Springer Science Business Media. Goodwin, J., Ahmed, K. (2006). Longitudinal value relevance of earnings and intangible assets: Evidence from Australian firms. Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, 15(1), 72-91. Hattersley, L., Isaacs, B., Burch, D. (2013). Supermarket power, own-labels, and manufacturer counterstrategies: international relations of cooperation and competition in the fruit canning industry. Agriculture and human values, 30(2), 225-233. Healy, P. M., Palepu, K. G. (2012). Business Analysis Valuation: Using Financial Statements. Cengage Learning. Henderson, S., Peirson, G., Herbohn, K., Howieson, B. (2015). Issues in financial accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Horng, J. S., Tsai, C. T. S. (2012). Culinary tourism strategic development: An Asiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Pacific perspective. International Journal of Tourism Research,14(1), 40-55. Horng, Jeouà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Shyan, Chenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Tsang Simon Tsai. "Culinary tourism strategic development: An Asiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Pacific perspective." International Journal of Tourism Research 14, no. 1 (2012): 40-55. Huyue, Z. (2012). Problems in following EU Competition Law: A Case Study of Coca-Cola/Huiyuan. Peking UJ Legal Stud., 3, 96. Johnston, R., Sidaway, J. D. (2015). Geography and geographers: Anglo-American human geography since 1945. Routledge. Kumarasiri, J. (2012). Management Accounting Practices for Sustainability. In Best Practices in Management Accounting (pp. 101-114). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Moher, D., Shamseer, L., Clarke, M., Ghersi, D., Liberati, A., Petticrew, M., ... Stewart, L. A. (2015). Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Systematic reviews, 4(1), 1. Nobes, C. (2012). On the Definitions of Income and Revenue in IFRS. Accounting in Europe, 9(1), 85-94. Quazi, A. M. (1997). Corporate social responsibility in diverse environments: A comparative study of managerial attitudes in Australia and Bangladesh.Business Professional Ethics Journal, 16(4), 67-84. Rae, J. G. L., Aalgeirsdttir, G., Edwards, T. L., Fettweis, X., Gregory, J. M., Hewitt, H. T., Ridley, J. K. (2012). Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance: evaluating simulations and making projections with regional climate models. The Cryosphere, 6, 1275-1294. Rosli, M. M. (2012). Competitive strategy of Malaysian small and medium enterprises: an exploratory investigation. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 2(1), 93-105. Taplin, R. H. (2012). Competitive importance-performance analysis of an Australian wildlife park. Tourism Management, 33(1), 29-37. Taylor, B. (2012). All in good faith'-developments in good faith bargaining requirements under the Fair Work Act. Keeping Good Companies, 64(7), 417. Van Uytsel, S. (2012). Chinas Antimonopoly Law and Its Recurrence to Standards: Economic Development or Rent-Seeking?. LAW AND DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA, McAlinn Pejovic, eds., London: Routledge. Weisser, R. (2015). Budgets, BoreCons and the doctrine of dullness.Quadrant, 59(5), 24. Xiao, Q., O'Neill, J. W., Mattila, A. S. (2012). The role of hotel owners: the influence of corporate strategies on hotel performance. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(1), 122-139.

South America vs. North America free essay sample

Their respective societies were also diverse. The period between 1800 and 1850 brought rapid population growth throughout the United States. In the North the overall population rose from about 5 million to 31 million during this time. Part of this increase was due to massive immigration. Between 1830 and 1850 over 2 million Irish, German, and other northern Europeans arrived in the United States. Most of them settled in the North. The population of the South was made up of white Americans and enslaved Africans. By 1800 there were about 4 million slaves in America and the United States was the largest slaveholding republic. The total population of the South reached 12 million. The South was an overwhelmingly agricultural region of mostly farmers. Most farmers lived in the backcountry on medium sized farms, while a small number of planters ran large farms, or plantations. The South was ideal for agriculture and had the ability to grow crops in large amounts. However, only one-fourth of the Southern population owned slaves, and most of these were the planters. We will write a custom essay sample on South America vs. North America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The rest of the population was made up of white independent farmers, tenant farmers (who rented land and paid the landowners in crops or money), laborers, or frontier families. Most Southerners lived on farms, scattered along the coastal plains and the small farmers in the backcountry. Since the economy was based on agriculture, industries and towns developed at a slower pace than in the North. There were many small towns along the banks of rivers and the coasts. Only a few large cities developed as trading centers in the South. Plantations were so large and so distant from each other that they became almost self-sufficient, like small towns. Cities in the North thrived as centers of commerce. They were set up along the Atlantic coast and served as centers of trade between the North and Europe. They were hubs of manufacturing of textiles (cloth goods) and other products. Many people from rural New England moved to the cities looking for employment opportunities. In 1800 about 5 percent of the population lived in cities, but by 1850 nearly 15 percent did. Increased trade and manufacturing drew many laborers to town to work. Cities were often crowded and dirty. Not until after 1830’s were harbors and streets improved, sanitation systems were started, and police forces were created. Public services such as education began to take root. The Southern economy was based on agriculture. Crops such as cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar cane and indigo were grown in great quantities. They were raised on large farms, known as plantations, which were supported by slave labor. After Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793, cotton took over as â€Å"king† of the southern economy. Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine that separated the seed from the cotton fiber much faster than could be done by hand. This caused a rapid growth and expansion of cotton production. In 1793 Southern farmers produced about 10,000 bales of cotton. By 1835, they were growing over 1 million bales a year. Cotton exports made up two-thirds of the total value of American exports. To clear land and grow cotton, Southerners used slave labor. Slavery was essential for the South’s prosperity. The South had little manufacturing, and Southerners wanted cheap imports. Since they exported most of their cotton and tobacco, they believed that high tariffs-–taxes on imported goods—would scare away the foreign markets that bought their goods. For these reasons the South was against tariffs. The North, however, favored high tariffs to protect its industries from foreign competition. The Northern economy was based on many different industries. These included shipping, textiles, lumber, furs, and mining. The majority of people lived on small farms and found that much of the land was suited for subsistence farming—raising food crops and livestock for family use—rather than producing goods to export, or send to other countries. Northerners stated to use their â€Å"ingenuity† to manufacture all kinds of goods. With the use of waterpower and coal for steam plants, manufacturing developed quickly. People realized that the many surrounding waterfalls were cheap source of energy, and the waterpower began to be used to run the factories. Items such as textiles, iron, and ships were manufactured in great quantities. These goods were traded for foreign products, as well as transported to and from all continents by trading ships. The growth of trade, manufacturing and transportation brought many changes to cities in the North. Cities took on an increasi ngly important role in determining the culture of the North. Merchants, manufacturers, wage earners, and new business owners brought new ideas to the North. The majority of Northerners were Protestant believers. Villages became strong centers of community activities. Cities were important centers of art, culture, and education. Most cities printed newspapers and books and provided many forms of recreation, such as dancing, card playing, and theatre. Both religion and education were organized institutes. Most towns had both schools and churches. Public education grew in the north after the 1830s, but few boys went to secondary school, and college was reserved mostly for the wealthy. There were few schools or churches in the South, since neither education nor religion were very organized. The best educated were the sons of planters. On plantations there were sometimes small schools, and often planters hired private tutors to teach their children until they could be sent off to private schools. Small farmers had little or no education. Life in the South revolved around the small, wealthy class of planters and the agricultural system they controlled. Planters were the aristocracy—the upper class—of the South. They lived like country gentleman of England and ran the political and economic life. Plantations were far apart and developed their own communities. Recreational activities included such things as fox hunting, dancing, horseracing, and watching cockfights. During the first half of the 1800s transportation vastly improved, and the size of the United States more than doubled. Methods of long-distance transports, such as steamships and railroads, affected the South because products could more easily be sold to more distant markets. By 1850 about 9,000 miles of railroad spread across the Southern states. Meanwhile, hundreds of steamboats moved Southern crops to the North and to European markets. Still, this was not nearly as vast a railroad system as the North. Most of the new rail lines were in the North, spanning out to the west. By 1850, 30,000 miles of railroad tracks connected distant parts of the United States. . Canals, mostly built in the North, were also a cheap source of transportation. The Erie Canal was clearly a success for New York commercial activities. Many other cities began to follow suit and within a decade a system of over 3,000 canals provided water transportation between the Eastern seaboard and rivers in the West. By 1850 there were over 88,000 miles of surfaced roads. Although the Northern and Southern states shared many things, in the period of 1800-1850, their disparities began to outshine what they had in common, which helped to lead into the Civil War. Their economies were polar opposites, with the Northern industrializing and the South farming and exporting; their societies were based on two diverse things, the South being an almost aristocratic system and the North focusing on factory work and industrializing. Their governmental ideals differed, especially and so blatantly emphasized in their opinions on tariffs.

Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is one of the most quoted speeches in American history. The  text is brief, just three paragraphs amounting to less than 300 words. It only took Lincoln a few minutes to read it, but his words resonate to the present day. It’s unclear how much time Lincoln spent writing the speech, but analysis by scholars over the years indicates  that Lincoln used extreme care. It was a heartfelt and precise message he very much wanted to deliver at a moment of national crisis. The dedication of a cemetery at the site of the Civil Wars most pivotal battle was a solemn event. And when Lincoln was invited to speak, he recognized that the moment required him to make a major statement. Lincoln Intended a Major Statement The Battle of Gettysburg had taken place in rural Pennsylvania for the first three days of July in 1863. Thousands of men, both Union and Confederate, had been killed. The magnitude of the battle stunned the nation. As the summer of 1863 turned into fall, the Civil War entered a fairly slow period with no major battles being fought. Lincoln, very concerned that the nation was growing weary of a long and very costly war, was thinking of making a public statement affirming the country’s need to continue fighting. Immediately following the Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in July, Lincoln had said the occasion called for a speech but he was not yet prepared to give one equal to the occasion. And even before the Battle of Gettysburg, famed newspaper editor, Horace Greeley had written to Lincoln’s secretary John Nicolay in late June 1863 to urge Lincoln to write a letter on the â€Å"causes of the war and the necessary conditions of peace.† Lincoln Accepted an Invitation to Speak at Gettysburg At that time, presidents did not often have the opportunity to give speeches. But the opportunity for Lincoln to express his thoughts on the war appeared in November. Thousands of Union dead at Gettysburg had been hastily buried after the battle months earlier and were finally being properly reburied. A ceremony was to be held to dedicate the new cemetery and Lincoln was invited to offer remarks. The main speaker at the ceremony was to be Edward Everett, a distinguished New Englander who had been a U.S. Senator, Secretary of State, and president of Harvard College as well as a professor of Greek. Everett, who was famed for his orations, would talk at length about the great battle the previous summer. Lincoln’s remarks were always intended to be far briefer. His role would be to provide a proper and elegant closing to the ceremony. How the Speech Was Written Lincoln approached the task of writing the speech seriously. But unlike his speech at Cooper Union nearly four years earlier, he did not need to undertake extensive research. His thoughts about how the war was being fought for a just cause had already been set firmly in his mind. A persistent myth is that Lincoln wrote the speech on the back of an envelope while riding the train to Gettysburg, as he didn’t think the speech was anything serious. The opposite is true. A draft of the speech had been written by Lincoln in the White House. And it’s known that he also refined the speech the night before he delivered it, at the house where he spent the night in Gettysburg. Lincoln put considerable care into what he was about to say. November 19, 1863, the Day of the Gettysburg Address Another common myth about the ceremony at Gettysburg is that Lincoln was only invited as an afterthought and that the brief address he gave was nearly overlooked at the time. In fact, Lincoln’s involvement was always considered a vital part of the program, and the letter inviting him to participate makes that evident. The official invitation explained to Lincoln that the idea was always to have a featured orator and that it would be meaningful for the chief executive to then offer remarks. David Willis, a local attorney who was organizing the event, wrote: It is the desire that, after the Oration, you, as Chief Executive of the Nation, formally set apart these grounds to their Sacred use by a few appropriate remarks. It will be a source of great gratification to the many widows and orphans that have been made almost friendless by the Great Battle here, to have you here personally; and it will kindle anew in the breasts of the Comrades of these brave dead, who are now in the tented field or nobly meeting the foe in the front, a confidence that they who sleep in death on the Battle Field are not forgotten by those highest in Authority; and they will feel that, should their fate be the same, their remains will not be uncared for. The program that day began with a procession from the town of Gettysburg to the site of the new cemetery. Abraham Lincoln, in a new black suit, white gloves, and stovepipe hat, rode a horse in the procession, which also contained four military bands and other dignitaries on horseback. During the ceremony, Edward Everett spoke for two hours, delivering a detailed account of the great battle which had been fought on the ground four months earlier. Crowds at that time expected long orations, and Everett’s was well received. As Lincoln rose to give his address, the crowd listened intently. Some accounts describe the crowd applauding at points in the speech, so it seems that it was well-received. The brevity of the speech may have surprised some, but it seems that those who heard the speech realized they had witnessed something important. Newspapers carried accounts of the speech and it began to be praised throughout the north. Edward Everett arranged for his oration and Lincoln’s speech to be published in early 1864 as a book (which also included other material related to the ceremony on November 19, 1863). What Was the Purpose of the Gettysburg Address? In the famous opening words, Four score and seven years ago, Lincoln does not refer to the United States Constitution, but to the Declaration of Independence. That is important, as Lincoln was invoking Jeffersons phrase that all men are created equal as being central to the American government. In Lincolns view, the Constitution was an imperfect and always evolving document. And it had, in its original form, established the legality of slavery. By invoking the earlier document, the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln was able to make his argument about equality, and the purpose of the war being a new birth of freedom. Legacy of the Gettysburg Address The text of the Gettysburg address was widely circulated following the event at Gettysburg, and with Lincolns assassination less than a year and a half later, Lincolns words began to assume iconic status. It has never fallen out of favor and has been reprinted countless times. When President-elect Barack Obama spoke on election night, November 4, 2008, he quoted from the Gettysburg Address. And a phrase from the speech, A New Birth of Freedom, was adopted as the theme of his inaugural celebrations in January 2009. Of the People, By the People, and For the People Lincolns lines at the conclusion, that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the Earth has been extensively quoted and cited as the essence of the American system of government. Sources Everett, Edward. Address of Hon. Edward Everett, at the Consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, 19Th November, 1863: With the Dedicatory Speech of ... by an Account of the Origin of the Under. Abraham Lincoln, Paperback, Ulan Press, August 31, 2012. Santoro, Nicholas J. Malvern Hill, Run Up To Gettysburg: The Tragic Struggle. Paperback, iUniverse, July 23, 2014. Willis, David. Gettysburg Address: The Formal Invitation. Library of Congress, November 2, 1863.

Biography of Kurt Schwitters, German Collage Artist

Biography of Kurt Schwitters, German Collage Artist Kurt Schwitters (June 20, 1887 - January 8, 1948) was a German collage artist who anticipated many later movements in modernist art, including the use of found objects, Pop Art, and art installations. Initially influenced by Dadaism, he created his own style, which he called Merz. He used found objects and items others considered garbage to create aesthetically appealing works of art. Fast Facts: Kurt Schwitters Full Name: Kurt Hermann Eduard Karl Julius SchwittersOccupation: Collage artist and painterBorn: June 20, 1887 in Hanover, GermanyDied: January 8, 1948 in Kendal, EnglandParents: Eduard Schwitters and Henriette BeckemeyerSpouse: Helma FischerChild: Ernst SchwittersSelected Works: Revolving (1919), Construction for Noble Ladies (1919), The Merzbau (1923-1937)Notable Quote: The picture is a self-sufficient work of art. It is not connected to anything outside. Early Life and Career Kurt Schwitters was born into a middle-class family in Hanover, Germany. At age 14, he suffered an epileptic seizure, a condition that recurred throughout much of his life and had a significant impact on the way he looked at the world. Schwitters began studying art at the Dresden Academy in 1909 seeking a traditional career as a painter. In 1915, when he returned to Hanover, his work reflected a post-impressionist style, showing no impact from modernist movements such as cubism. In October 1915, he married Helma Fischer. They had one son who died as an infant and a second son, Ernst, born in 1918. Initially, Kurt Schwitters epilepsy exempted him from military service in World War I, but as conscription expanded late in the war, he faced enlistment. Schwitters didnt serve in battle, but he spent the last 18 months of the war serving as a technical draftsman in a factory. Genja Jonas / Public Domain First Collages The economic and political collapse of the German government at the end of World War I had a profound impact on Karl Schwitters art. His painting turned toward Expressionist ideas, and he began picking up litter in the streets as found objects to incorporate into works of art. Schwitters gained the attention of other artists in postwar Berlin with his first one-person exhibition at Der Sturm Gallery. He created a non-sensical Dada-influenced poem, An Anna Blume, for the event and displayed his first collage works. Through the use of items that others would consider garbage, Schwitters illustrated his idea that art could emerge from destruction. Construction for Noble Ladies (1919). Kurt Schwitters / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Kurt Schwitters was suddenly a respected member of the Berlin avant-garde. Two of his closest contemporaries were Austrian artist and writer Raoul Hausmann and German-French artist Hans Arp. Merz or Psychological Collage While he engaged directly with many artists in the Dada movement, Kurt Schwitters devoted himself to the development of his own style that he labeled Merz. He adopted the name when he found a piece of an advertisement from the local bank or kommerz that contained only the last four letters. The Merz magazine first appeared in 1923. It helped solidify Schwitters place in the European art world. He supported lectures and performances by a wide range of Dada artists, musicians, and dancers. He often created collages to help advertise the events. The Merz collage style is also often called psychological collage. Kurt Schwitters work avoids non-sensical construction by trying to make sense of the world with a harmonious juxtaposition of found objects. The materials included sometimes made witty references to current events, and other times were autobiographical including bus tickets and items given to the artist by friends. In 1923, Kurt Schwitters began the construction of the Merzbau, one of the most ambitious of his Merz projects. He ultimately transformed six rooms of his familys house in Hanover. The process was a gradual one and involved contributions of art and objects from Schwitters ever-expanding network of friends. He completed the first room in 1933 and expanded from there into other parts of the house until fleeing to Norway in 1937. A bombing raid destroyed the building in 1943. Merzbau. Sprengel Museum / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain In the 1930s, Kurt Schwitters reputation spread internationally. His work appeared in two landmark 1936 exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in 1936. One show was titled Cubism and Abstract Art and the other Fantastic Art, Dada, and Surrealism. Exile from Germany In 1937, the Nazi government in Germany labeled Kurt Schwitters work degenerate and confiscated it from museums. On January 2, 1937, after finding out that he was wanted for an interview with the Gestapo, Schwitters fled to Norway to join his son who left a week earlier. His wife, Helma, stayed behind in Germany to manage their property. She visited Norway regularly until the outbreak of World War II in September 1939. The last time Kurt and Helma saw each other was a family celebration in Oslo, Norway in June 1939. Helma died in 1944 of cancer before World War II ended. After Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Norway in 1940, Schwitters escaped to Scotland with his son and daughter-in-law. As a German national, he was subject to a series of interments by the U.K. authorities in Scotland and England until he eventually arrived at Hutchinson Square in Douglas on the Isle of Man on July 17, 1940. Dadaists in Germany including Kurt Schwitters. Apic / Getty Images A collection of terraced houses around Hutchinson Square served as an internment camp. Most of those in residence were German or Austrian. It soon became known as an artists camp since so many internees were artists, writers, and other intellectuals. Kurt Schwitters soon became one of the most prominent residents of the camp. He soon opened up studio space and took on art students, many of whom later became successful artists. Schwitters earned release from the camp in November 1941, and he moved to London. There he met Edith Thomas, the companion of his last years. Kurt Schwitters met a number of other artists in London including British abstract artist Ben Nicholson and Hungarian modernist pioneer Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Later Life In 1945, Kurt Schwitters moved to the Lake District of England with Edith Thomas for the last stage of his life. He moved into new territory in his painting creating what are considered precursors to the later Pop Art movement in a series titled For Kate after his friend, art historian Kate Steinitz. Schwitters spent many of his last days working on what he called the Merzbarn in Elterwater, England. It was a recreation of the spirit of the destroyed Merzbau. To maintain his income, he was forced to paint portraits and landscape pictures that could be sold easily to residents and tourists. These show a heavy influence from his Post-Impressionist past. Kurt Schwitters died on January 8, 1948, from chronic heart and lung disease. This is a cover of a book of 8 lithographs entitled Die Kathedrale, published in Hanover in 1920. This publication was created as response to the Dadaism included in the periodical Dada: Receuil litteraire et artistique by Tristan Tzara. Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images Legacy and Influence Whether intentional or not, Kurt Schwitters was a pioneer anticipating many later developments in modernist art. His use of found materials anticipated the later collage work of artists like Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. He believed that art couldnt be and shouldnt be restricted to a frame on a wall. That point of view impacted the later development of installation and performance art. The series For Kate is considered proto-pop art through its use of a comic book art style. Merzzeichnung 47 (1920). Kurt Schwitters / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Arguably, the most complete representation of Schwitters artistic point of view was his beloved Merzbau. It allowed those in the building to immerse themselves in an aesthetic environment composed of found objects, autobiographical references, and the contributions of friends and acquaintances. Sources Schulz, Isabel. Kurt Schwitters: Color and Collage. The Merrill Collection, 2010.

Direct Manipulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Direct Manipulation - Essay Example The direct manipulation interface is a more efficient mode of interaction where the user points at metaphors on the computer and the commands given on their behalf, unlike the line command that requires them to key in the commands by themselves. Direct manipulation, being easier and faster at executing commands, is a preference of majority computer users today, especially designers and gamers as it supports the creation of virtual environments. A virtual environment is a simulation by means of a computer that creates a false or aped environment in which a computer user can perceive themselves in, and interact with objects in it (Montfort, Nick, & Noah 485). The direct manipulation interface has three main principles that make it a preference for a larger cross-section of computer users today. The first principle is the ability to virtually represent the objects of interest continuously in graphic forms and in almost real appearances. The other principle is the support of fast, revers ible actions that are immediate and the last principle is the ability to directly manipulate a command on an object after using a pointing device to locate it. These principles are universal in that they are almost similar from system to system, therefore allowing frequent users to familiarize with, and use them anywhere. Application of direct manipulation interface in games Direct manipulation supports graphical representation of objects, an application extended and put to use in games, as they require simulation to create virtual environments that enable the user to perceive of them being in them. 3D renderings of virtual environments of action excite the user, further engaging them and letting them take roles and control avatars in games. The user interacts with virtual characters who act as drivers, players, dragons and so on in virtual environments with highways, hills, water, and fire. In order for the user to interact with the virtual characters and environments, they require game controls to direct their subjects. Direct manipulation enables the user to use buttons or other game controls and not type lengthy syntax commands. This makes the user enjoy the game without much cramming of commands. The game controls in the games give instructions or commands to the virtual objects or characters that result in rapid responses that prompt the user to correct their moves or perform moves that are more complex thus actively engaging in the virtual gaming (Montfort, Nick, & Noah 499). Types of game interfaces There are two types of game interfaces: three-dimensional and two-dimensional. 3-D game interface is the representation of geometric data in a form that has length, width, and height (has x, y and z-axes) such that it is visible from all perspectives and has the perception to hold mass. 2-D interface is a representation that displays graphics on a screen by use of pixel arrays. It has an X and Y-axis only (Cellary, Wojciech & Krzysztof 279). These two inter faces apply in gaming and computer aided design but are largely inapplicable in real life applications for several reasons. An example is in word processing or spreadsheet applications where using a 3-D interface will make it impossible or very hard to write and annotate. Another reason is that that due to the additional axis in 3-D

Comparing and contrasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Comparing and contrasting - Essay Example More specifically, the paper will focus on separation of powers, federalism, parliamentary sovereignty, bicameralism, bill of rights, heads of power, control of finances, and power of the electorate among others. One of the most crucial aspect of both the United States and Australian Constitution is Federalism. This aspect refers to the sharing of powers between the state and national governments. In the United States, state have existed for a long time. They were formed before the national government and it is their union that led to the creation of the federal government. Under the federal system of governance, the United States Constitution holds that the federal government has the power to oversee issues that affect America as a nation. Thus, national issues are dealt with by the federal government. The state governments only deal with issues within their jurisdiction. Under the constitution, the federal government has powers to make laws that affect the entire nation. However, the constitution limits these powers. For example, trading activities between states can be regulated by the federal government, but it has no powers to influence trade occurring within a state (Zines, 2008). The United States Constitution is similar to the Australian Constitution, which is also based on the federal system. Power is divided between the state and Federal government. The federation was formed in 1901. In Australia, there are six states. Since Australia is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth, the government is also referred as the Commonwealth government. The powers of the Federal government in Australia have been clearly indicated in Section 51 of the Australian Constitution. Most financial decisions, including those affecting the individual states, are made by the central government. Although the federal structure makes the United States Constitution similar to the Australian Constitution, there are differences in that the United States has more

Health & Social Care Essay Example for Free

Health Social Care Essay Ai) What is meant by ‘duty of care’. Health and social care organisations have what is called a duty of care towards the people they look after. That means that they must do everything they can to keep the people in their care safe from harm. It is not only the care establishment that needs to prioritise the safety, welfare and interests of the people using its services, but also the care workers of the establishment. My employer also has a duty of care for staff members, to ensure that working conditions are safe, and suitable to deliver the service. Aii) How the duty of care affects the work of a social care worker. It means the duty of care you have in your job is to keep yourself safe and your service user safe. Keep up to date on your training. All ways wash your hands before attending a service user before and after, and wear the protective aprons and gloves that are supplied by your work the duty is in exercising caution and to refrain from causing another person injury or loss. In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeable harm others. Aiii) What having a duty of care means for a care giving organisation. When an employer adheres to the duty of care in a setting such as a residential care home it protects residents as well as the staff. This is because all codes of practice are carried out and makes the home a safer environment, e.g. equipment is regularly checked, chemicals are stored correctly staff trained regularly Aiv) How the duty of care contributes to safeguarding individuals. In my role I have a duty of care to raise any concerns I may have about any aspect of my work. These can range from inadequate working conditions, poor equipment, and poor practice by other staff; to raising concerns about potential abuse cases and situations of neglect. It is my duty of care to safeguard individuals from harm. All employees should report any concerns of abuse they have. These might include evidence or suspicions of bad practice by colleagues and managers, or abuse by another individual, another worker or an individual’s family or friends. If I do not work in this way, I could be considered negligent or incompetent. If I am in any doubt at any time, I must discuss any issues I have with my supervisor / manager.

Civil War Essay -- essays research papers

If I were Abraham Lincoln during the US Civil War, there would few things if any that I would change. I would try to do anything to avoid a war between our own country. I would try to settle the territory disputes and the slavery disputes with an orderly fashion. But if none of that works and we tried our absolute best, then I would say go to war to end the conflicts. After the war the slavery issue of the Emancipation Proclamation did not work as well as they hoped. They had no place to go after they were free and no one wanted to help them or even live with them or near them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since there was nothing that Abraham Lincoln could do to settle the disputes in an orderly conduct, the only this was to go to war. I am not for that at all because some of the people were fighting against their friends and even against their family. Especially at the battle of Gettysburg where 53,000 Americans were killing there own people. Many people think that the whole reason for the Civil War was because of slavery. But later on in the years, the people would rather have â€Å"free soil† than to keep the slaves working for them. What that means is that the people in the South were more concentrated on the amount of territory they could get, the North as well, then to then to give up slavery. The cotton manufacturing and the manufacturing of other goods was also a key aspect to the war. The South had all the cotton but that was the only manufacturing good. Meanwhile, the...

General Principles of Good Governance

General Principles of Good Governance 1. Service to Others Service to others allows us to practice doing what Jesus would do and it connects us to those we serve and give us a kind of satisfaction that self-interest can never offer. When we serve others we are reminded that nothing in this life lasts as long as the bonds we form with other people, and there's no better way to connect ourselves to others than by working together for our common good and because everything we have comes from God, we should be willing to share it all. Think how much those talents mean when you share them with someone who needs your particular brand of expertise. Even the little things we do, like helping someone to transfer or positioning them or even feeding them, can make life a little easier for someone else. 2. Professional Competence When we talk of professional competence, we refer to patients' expectations that the professional they come into contact with will be up to the job. Professionals should be able to do that which they profess they can do. The patient simply expects that the healthcare professional has up-to-date knowledge and skills. Professional competence requires a firm educational grounding, followed by a period of formal training to acquire the relevant knowledge and skills in the workplace. Thereafter, continued competence rests on a combination of education, continuous development, confidence and experience. Professionals' competence also depends upon professionals themselves having an honest understanding of their abilities. It is crucial that errors in practice, or gaps in skill or knowledge, are acknowledged as early as possible and used as an opportunity for learning, rather than being suppressed or hidden out of fear of blame or sanction. Learning through mistakes can often be a very effective way of improving competence and understanding. 3. Solidarity and Teamwork Teams work together to problem solve more efficiently, with each team member offering a unique perspective to complex issues. Members recognize a need for each other's expertise, talents and commitment to achieve their goals. For this reason, effective teams value open communication, treat each others as equals, and keep collaboration at the forefront by sharing information. Conflicts are resolved quickly within the group.

Case History on Best Buy

Best Buy, Inc. Case Study: Case History Clayton Bender, Justin Swanson, Kaitlyn Krause, Michelle Chambers, Elmon Tanielian Company Background: Best Buy Co. , Inc. operates as a multinational retailer of consumer electronics within the services industry. Founded in 1966 under the name Sound of Music, Inc. , Best Buy underwent a name change in 1988. It was founded by Mr. Richard M. Schulze and is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Best Buy operates under a Board of Directors but is a publicly traded company owned by stockholders.The company operates retail stores and call centers and conducts online retail operations under a range of brand names such as Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, The CarPhone Warehouse, Five Star, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales and The Phone House. Best Buy is the 11th largest online retailer worldwide and ranks #468 on the Forbes Global 2000 (Global 2000 Leading Companies, 2012). The mission of Best Buy, though not directly outlined a s such, can be summed up by a quote from the CEO. Our formula is simple: we’re a growth company focused on better solving the unmet needs of our customers—and we rely on our employees to solve those puzzles. Thanks for stopping† (About. com). Best Buy’s vision is, â€Å"To make a meaningful and lasting impact on the quality of life in the countries and communities we serve. † Best Buy has four primary values that govern decision-making processes; unleash the power of our people, learn from challenges and change, show respect, humility and integrity, and have fun while being the best (Code of Business Ethics, 2013).Best Buy’s Market Philosophy: Best Buy operates in all 50 states, districts and territories within the United States. Various brand names under the Best Buy Inc. umbrella exist throughout the geographic area including Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video and Pacific Sales (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). In the US alone, Best Buy reaches nearly 1 billion consumers each year in stores, on BestBuy. com and on m. BestBuy. com or the mobile shopping website. Out of the $165 billion per year spent on electronics in the U. S. , more than 6% of that is at Best Buy —ahead of Wal-Mart Stores (12%), Amazon. com (5%), Costco (3. 5), and Target (2. 5%) (On Best Buy Media Network, 2011). Within the domestic market, store development is aimed at multi-channel retail points of presence that focus on a given local environment, while simultaneously decreasing overall store square footage. To do this, the company anticipates closing approximately 50 large format U. S. Best Buy branded stores in fiscal year 2013 to explore other options, as well as downsizing to appeal to increasingly popular online shopping trends.They have also decided to close all Best Buy branded stores in the UK, Turkey, and China. They instead chose to focus their attention on their Five Star branded stores in China, and their Car Phone Warehouse, and Phone House stores in Europe. Best Buy’s international market is comprised of operations in Canada (Best  Buy, Best  Buy Mobile, Cell Shop, Connect Pro, Future Shop and Geek Squad), Europe (The CarPhone Warehouse, The Phone House and Geek Squad), China (Five Star), and Mexico (Best Buy and Geek Squad) (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012).These varied brands allow the company to include several lines of consumer retail products such as mobile phone products, entertainment products, appliances and related services that are tailored to appeal to each niche market. In 2012, international markets generated 26% of Best Buy’s revenue (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). In the Canadian market, Best Buy is the fastest-growing specialty retailer and â€Å"e-tailer† of consumer electronics, PCs, and entertainment software.Best Buy focuses on children and communities, attempting to â€Å"help youth develop their skill set, discover their talents, and sustain a las ting interest in education† (About Us, 2013). Best Buy has decided to close their large-format Best Buy branded stores in China, Turkey, and the United Kingdom in order to reach areas that offer the best growth opportunity to particular locations (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Competitive Environment: Best Buy’s competitors range between online retailers (Amazon), big box retailers (Target and Wal-Mart), club stores (Sam’s Club and Costco), pecialty electronic retailers (Apple), and home improvement stores (Home Depot and Lowes). Some Best Buy rivals compete purely on price, while others compete on experience. Best Buy believes that online retailers will have their price advantage reduced as state governments around the country re-evaluate sales tax laws that allow some online competitors to offer lower prices. Additionally to combat price wars Best Buy also has price matching policies for other brick and mortar retailers and during this last holiday shopping seaso n even matched some online retailers’ prices (Best Buy to Match Online Prices, 2012).With the elimination of Best Buy’s biggest rival, Circuit City, they are left to focus on competitors such as Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Home Depot. None of these stores compete directly with Best Buy in every segment, but each of them offers products that compete directly with Best Buy. As shown in Exhibit 1, while Best Buy does compete with Home Depot and Lowes, the effect of appliances on Best Buy’s sales is quite small, accounting for only 5% of sales in 2011.Because there are no stores which offer a value proposition exactly like Best Buy, it presents a problem when analyzing financial statements of Best Buy’s main competitors (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). See Exhibits 2-5 for detailed copies of Amazon and Wal-Mart financial statements. Trends- Best Buy competes in the electronics stores and consumer electronics industries. The industry overall is heading into new territor y as online shopping continues to take over the market. Recently, traditional big box stores such as Best Buy have been threatened by an increase in online consumption tendencies.Often, consumers will use stores such as Best Buy as a showroom to test new products, make a purchase decision, but then go home and find a cheaper price online. With many established, online retailers of consumer electronics on the web, retailers must find a new way to attract customers. The various methods of promotional channels such as large and small structured stores, websites, and kiosks, are all ways the company is tailoring to the market they are attempting to reach. Marketing: Products and Services- Best Buy specializes in technological goods and services.This includes home office, consumer electronics, appliances, and entertainment software. Best Buy is an ideally suited ‘one-stop-shop’. Best Buy offers Geek Squad Technical Support to consumers to aid with any difficulties or defects , to ensure customer happiness, and build loyalty. Also offered is a low-price-guarantee, where Best Buy will match the price if you find a lower price on an identical available product at a local retail competitor's store, a local Best Buy retail store or BestBuy. com (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012).As Best Buy is not a manufacturer of unique products, the main differentiating factors would be their low-price-guarantee and the in-home service â€Å"The Geek Squad†, which offers personalized technical support. In addition, there are many products that are exclusive to Best Buy, such as certain televisions, video games, and computer devices. Distribution- Best Buy sells products through both its 1,103 retail locations and their website bestbuy. com. Domestic Distribution- Inside the U. S. , most Best Buy products are shipped directly from the manufacturers to the regional distribution centers.The exceptions to this method are large TV’s and appliances which are shipped from producers to specific satellite warehouses in each major market. In certain cases, where release dates play a large role in a product, the item will go directly from the producer to individual Best Buy stores (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Products purchased online are either picked up in store, or shipped directly to consumers via the same regional distribution centers the stores receive their products from. International Distribution-In Europe, Best Buy’s two small cell phone stores have their products shipped from manufacturers to regional distribution centers and then to the stores. Individual stores hold only immediate stock requirements while distribution centers hold additional merchandise. Best Buy stores in Canada and Mexico follow the distribution method used in the U. S. (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Promotion- The customer base is primarily centered on high income earners (75,000+), 24-54 aged males who have children (ad example targeting this listed in exhibit 6).B est Buy shoppers are viewed as mobile, technically savvy, advanced digital users, who are highly engaged in learning about technology as well as encourage their children to learn about technology, too (On Best Buy Media Network, 2011) (promotion example targeting this listed in exhibit 7). Including selling, general and administrative expenses, promotional costs were $995,000,000 in fiscal year 2012, $862,000,000 in 2011, and $709,000,000 in 2010 (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012).Best Buy has traditionally focused on media involving print, television, large-scale events, and is now shifting gears more towards digital advertising for promotional efforts due to consumer changes in shopping habits. Best Buy spends most of the promotional budget during the holiday season in response to high sales during Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). A detailed list of quarterly expenses can be found in exhibit 8. One of the largest and most expensive prom otional efforts undertaken by Best Buy is the commercial segments aired during the Super Bowl.Best Buy has utilized this tactic for the past three years. In 2011, the commercial featured the celebrities Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne. In 2012, it featured mobile innovations such as Instagram and the popular game, Angry Birds. For this upcoming Super Bowl, Best Buy will feature the comedian Amy Poehler. These are significant decisions considering this year’s thirty-second ad placement cost $4 million and is projected to reach over 100 million viewers (The Associated Press, 2013). Leadership:Best Buy’s Board of Directors, elected by the shareholders, is responsible for overseeing the business and affairs in order to manage the long-term interests of the company (Best Buy, Inc. , 2013). The Board of Directors is in charge of selecting and evaluating the performance of senior executives. There are four distinct committees structured within the Board: Audit Committee, Comp ensation and Human Resources Committee, Finance and Investment Policy Committee, and Nominating, Corporate Governance, and Public Policy Committee.A detailed visual of the organizational structure can be viewed in exhibit 9. Organizational Culture: Traditionally, Best Buy has been known for enforcing strict policies and encouraging employees to work overtime. In 2003, however, the corporate culture was radically changed to a system designed by two of the company’s own human resource department employees, Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson (Brandon, 2007). This system, known as ROWE or the results-only-work-environment, allows personnel to come and go as they please.Many corporate employees have no official office or work schedule. Similar systems have become popular in the advanced technical industry, including companies such as IBM, but no such corporate culture existed in a large retail company before Best Buy. The system is working to meet their goals, as employee turnover dec reased drastically after implementation. However, recently, employee satisfaction has suffered as a result of a decrease in company profitability (Conlin, 2006). Stakeholders:The primary stakeholders are the stockholders; the individuals that have an active interest in the company’s successes and failures because their personal investments are directly impacted. Additional stakeholders include employees (who rely on the company to stay in business and guarantee their employment), consumers (who depend on the products and services of the company), and the surrounding community which Best Buy is committed to serving in their values. Currently, a general concern of stakeholders is the increasingly competitive nature of the of the electronic retail market.With e-retail and internet stores becoming more significant players in the market place, Best Buy seems to have become a place of research and testing by the consumer, rather than actual purchasing. Stakeholders are calling for innovative and differentiating factors to emerge for Best Buy to remain a key player in the consumer electronic market. In addition, as typical of most companies, the stakeholders of Best Buy want increased sales and profit margins, to hopefully lead to increased stock prices as well. Financials: Balance Sheet-Best Buy currently has approximately $16 Billion in assets, $12 Billion in liabilities, and $3 Billion in stockholder equity. Over the past three years, total assets and stockholder equity have been decreasing while total liabilities have been increasing. (Best Buy Balance Sheet) A detailed balance sheet can be found in exhibit 10. Income Statements- Best Buy had a loss in net income during FY 2012 of $1. 2 billion compared to net earnings of $1. 3 billion in 2011. A detailed balance sheet can be found in exhibit 11. Objectives ; Performance Strategy:Best Buy competes in a competitive retail industry constantly affected by the current state of the economy and consumer confiden ce. Such an industry presents difficulty in predicting consumer behaviors and corresponding sales. These tough times have forced Best Buy to begin transforming the company and hone in on strategies they believe will â€Å"offer the best opportunities to improve returns† (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Best Buy has committed to focusing on four main initiatives all revolving around that transformation and improving financial performance. Multi-year Cost Reductions-Best Buy aims to lower the cost structure of various areas of their business through improvements in efficiency as well as current investments designed to provide long term earnings benefits. These changes will include closing 50 of their large, brick-and-mortar stores within fiscal year 2013. In addition they aim to decrease the costs of goods sold as well as reduction in corporate and support structures (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). U. S. Store Format Improvements- Best Buy will be revising their store formats in order to â€Å"increase points of presence, while decreasing overall square footage†.These changes will occur through increasing the number of their Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores, decreasing their large-format stores, and to remodel key market Best Buy stores into their smaller, leaner, â€Å"Connected Stores (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Growth Initiatives- Best Buy will execute growth initiatives in e-commerce, connections, services, and China. They will approach growth in e-commerce with â€Å"more competitive online pricing, broader use of free shipping, the expansion of our online assortment, and further development of Best Buy Marketplace†.There will be a focus on increasing all mobile connection expertise, all product services, and store locations in China. Improved Customer Experience- Best Buy believes that they differentiate themselves from competitors through careful and persistent attention to the experiences their customers have. Through programs such as t heir â€Å"Perfect Match Promise† which provides customers with a 30 day period of full technical support, hassle-free returns, and competitor price matching as well as their Reward Zone loyalty programs, they desire to provide their customers with an incomparable experience as they shop at Best Buy.Finally, Best Buy aims to increase their enhanced training for employees in order to meet these customer service goals (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012). Works Cited Global 2000 Leading Companies. (2012, April). Retrieved from Forbes: http://www. forbes. com/companies/best-buy/ Best Buy Balance Sheet. (n. d. ). Retrieved from Yahoo Finance: http://finance. yahoo. com/q/bs? s=BBY+Balance+Sheet;annual Best Buy Income Statement. (n. d. ). Retrieved from Yahoo Finance: http://finance. yahoo. com/q/is? s=BBY+Income+Statement;annual Best Buy, Inc. (2011, January 23).On Best Buy Media Network. Retrieved from Best Buy Media Kit: http://www. bestbuymediakit. com/assets/files/Media_Kit_Presentati on. pdf Best Buy, Inc. (2012). Best Buy 10k Report. Richfield: Best Buy. Best Buy, Inc. (2013, January 22). About Us. Retrieved from Best Buy Canada: http://www. bestbuy. ca/en-CA/about-best-buy-canada. aspx? path=9825360f7559258208ae2438cb28c580en99 Best Buy, Inc. (2013, January 22). Code of Business Ethics. Retrieved from Ethics Point: https://secure. ethicspoint. com/domain/media/en/gui/32565/code. html? 3 Brandon, J. (2007, April 4).Rethinking the Time Clock. Retrieved from CNN Money: http://money. cnn. com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/03/01/8401022/index. htm Conlin, M. (2006, December 10). Smashing the Clock. Retrieved from Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine: http://www. businessweek. com/stories/2006-12-10/smashing-the-clock Kerrigan, H. (2012, April). Results-Only Work Environment Goes Public Sector. Retrieved from Governing: http://www. governing. com/topics/public-workforce/gov-results-only-work-environment-goes-public-sector. html The Associated Press. (2013, J anuary 22).Best Buy Super Bowl branding spot will focus on humor, enlists Amy Poehler. The Washington Post, p. 1. Zimmerman, A. (2012, 10 12). Best Buy to Match Online Prices. Wall Street Journal. Exhibit 1: Best Buy’s Domestic Sales Allocation (Best Buy 10k Report, 2012) Exhibit 2: AMZN Income Statement Exhibit 3: AMZN Balance Sheet Exhibit 4: WMT Income Statement Exhibit 5: WMT Balance Sheet Exhibit 6: Promotional Ad Example Promotional Ad Source Exhibit 7: Promotion Example-Scholarship Program Promotion Example-Scholarship Program Source Exhibit 8: US Promotional Focuses Broken Down in Quarters On Best Buy Media Network, 2011) Exhibit 9: Organizational Chart Exhibit 10: BBY Balance Sheet Exhibit 11: BBY Income Statement Here are my thoughts†¦ The purpose of this Case History is to provide data for the next document, the Case Analysis. You should examine your Case History to ensure that it contains sufficient data for a complete Strategic Analysis—an Environment Analysis and a Company Analysis. For example, do you have sufficient data to conduct a PEST Analysis? Do you have sufficient data for conducting a complete Competitive Forces Analysis?On page 5, you do not provide data under the heading of â€Å"Leadership†. On a more comprehensive scale, does the Case History tell the story of Best Buy, or is the Case History a collection of different pieces of data? Does the sequence of the data facilitate a story? From the Heading â€Å"Balance Sheet Analysis† to the end of the document’s text, you seem to be presenting an analysis. The purpose of the Case History, though, is to present data. The analysis should be saved for the next document, the Case Analysis. Midnight- Sunday, February 3rd Other points to Add: 5 Forces Model Highlights: Risk of Entry by competitors- * Low everyone is in that wants to be * Intensity of Rivalry * High * Bargaining power of buyers * High price and experience dictate where we go * Bargaining power of suppliers * Low buyers took control * Closeness of substitutes * No idea what a substitute would be †¦ * Power of complement providers * †¦ PEST Analysis: * Political * * Economic * disposable income levels affect the amount people want to spend on these goods * Social * Trending products * Technological * whoever continues to provide/produce the newest gadgets

Hitlers Mistakes essays

Hitler's Mistakes essays The true nature of a mans ability and worthiness is assessed not only by his triumphs but also his failures. Quite often all that is achieved may suddenly be overshadowed by dark clouds of fallacy, occurring lightning fast, and having thunderous repercussions. Through either ineptness, deficiency in character, or just plain bad luck stemming from uncontrollable events, failure is as inevitable as death and occasionally may lead to this unfortunate ending. Adolf Hitler regarded as a man who almost had world domination in the grasp of his ironclad fist, let it slip through his fingers with a compound of irreparable and unjustifiable mistakes which ultimately cost him the war and his life. Within various arenas around the world, he continuously obliterated all hope the Third Reich had on winning the war and expanding its empire permanently. Key blunders, which were detrimental and caused Hitlers downfall, include the hesitation at Dunkirk, the indecision to wage against Great Brita in, and the betrayal of Russia. The disappointment at Dunkirk, although its affects were not felt suddenly, was distinctly the afternoon that Hitler lost the war. British and French officials noticing the devastating force Germany was becoming after recent victories in Poland and the mutual non-aggression pact signed with military mass Russia, proclaimed war against their sworn enemy. France was amply prepared for their neighbouring rival, protecting their borders with the Maginot Line a series of concrete structures costing France $ 1 billion and consuming over 26 million cubic feet of cement. In an outstanding strategic move, the German generals anticipated the resistance that would be encountered in a foreshadowed attack, and made their way through the Ardennes Forest, thought by the French to be impenetrable, especially by armour units. The swift declaration of B...

Why Autumn Skies Are So Blue

Why Autumn Skies Are So Blue Have you ever noticed that fall skies appear to be a deeper, more saturated blue than normal?   What sorts of things can make the sky appear bluer, specifically during the fall season? Here are a few contributing factors: Falls Lower Humidity Fall is notorious for its pleasant weathernamely, its cooler temperatures and lower  relative humidity. As air temperatures cool, the amount of moisture that the air can hold  lessens. Less moisture means fewer clouds and haze occupying skies in September, October, and November. With little to no clouds or haze to veil the sky, its blue hue appears purer, and the sky itself, more open and vast. Falls Lower Sun Position As we progress  through autumn, the sun sits lower and lower in the sky. With the sun no longer directly overhead, you could say that more of the sky is significantly angled away from the sun. The Rayleigh scattering directs more blue light towards your eyes, while the indirect sunlight decreases the incoming levels of red and greenthe result of which is a more intense blue sky. Falls Foliage Believe it or not,  the very presence of  falls red, orange, and gold leaves actually  help give the skys blueness  a color boost. According to color theory, primary colors appear more brilliant when theyre  in contrast with their complementary colors.  Looking at a color wheel, you can see that  violet and blue (which are the two wavelengths of sunlight that are scattered for us to see and thus give the sky its characteristic blue hue) correspond to the  complementary colors of yellow, yellow-orange, and orange. Seeing any one of these leaf  colors against the backdrop of a clear blue sky makes the blue of the sky pop  that much more.

The Nature of he Hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Nature of he Hero - Essay Example Homer creates a certain cult of the hero who should be physically strong and heroic. Beowulf possesses similar features depicted as a warrior and fighter. He describes: "My father was known, a noble head-warrior" (Beowulf). In epic, the cult of the hero is established not to benefit the hero but to punish his enemies. There are many unique qualities that make up the hero and the stories have been told time and time again. The hero's moodiness inhibits exploration of human behavior. Some heroes are disobedient fellows who committed a wrong in the past. The most vivid example of an evil hero is Hector who is described as "The Hero-slaughtering Hector!" (Homer). Youth of heroes tells against them-it is part of the theme that heroes have been molded into the settled prejudices of the world. Any attempt to allegories human nature without paying due attention to our sexual responses must appear to be incomplete. It is possible to say that a journey symbolizes important life stages as the p rocess of becoming an 'adult' and new perception of self (in Inferno). A man becomes a hero coming through different stages of moral and physical development. Some heroes show a social fanaticism rather than an actual bravery, for instance Dante in Inferno.

Sources of Power in an Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sources of Power in an Organization - Essay Example He asserts that many researchers have been struggling to come up with more sources but â€Å"For the most part, French and Raven’s list remains intact†. Therefore, we keep our discussion restricted to these five sources of power of which the first three are about power that the person receives from the organization because of his position, and the last two are about power that a person brings to the organization. 1) Legitimate Power It is that power which is given to the members from the organization with the help of which they can demand certain behaviors from other members. Members of one position can ask members of other positions to do a task for them, for example, employees may be empowered to ask for customer information from the database if need be. This legitimate power involves mutual agreement between employees with which they are able to respond to each other. If a project manager demands that his subordinate should spend extra hours on the module, his power can be restricted if the latter has not signed the mutual agreement. 2) Reward Power It is the power that an employee enjoys when he has â€Å"to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove negative sanctions (i.e., negative reinforcement)† (Alexandrou). Managers have the power to decide which employees are liable for rewards like bonuses, vacations, promotions and allowances. Employees also have the power to influence the promotions of their supervisors through 360 degree feedback system. 3) Coercive Power This power enables employees to ask their authorities to punish other employees like firing or demoting them. Team members have the power of, for example, sarcasm to make the team members work efficiently and conform to the norms. The main aim of coercive power is to control the negative behavior shown by employees in an organization so that overall wellness of the organizational culture is achieved. This way, the overall co-worker performance is also enhanced. Hence, this source is considered as a beneficial aspect of power. 4) Expert Power This power comes from within the person, with which he is able to influence others through his skills, capabilities and knowledge. Military persons can be helpful in organizations due to their military capabilities. Doctors can bring their expertise to the organizations and can help others with their doctoral capabilities and power. Lawyers can be helpful to organizations because they provide their expert advice in many situations. This is all expert power that enables them to bring changes to the organization through their informed decisions and expertise. Expert power has gained significance since the concept of knowledge based organizations have arise where different sorts of expertise group together to form a powerful union. 5) Referent Power This power enables an individual to inspire others so much that others start following them and referring them to others. People start liking and re specting these persons and talk about their charisma. My Organization My hospital setting mostly enjoys legitimate power. Here, I give examples from my organizational environment to make my point clear. Employees in my organization are required to sign a mutual agreement according to which they give their consent whether they are ready to provide their services when they are required by employees belonging to any other position. A resident physician can ask the authorities to assign him an internee physician to

Providing Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Providing Care - Essay Example However, there are still some important issues that need to be addressed. All users must be widely educated about this activity in order for the entire system to work out well for the patients. This system needs to have feedback mechanism. This in general will get all the necessary information from the people so as to correct the system or know how exactly to expand or improve necessary health reforms to work effectively for the people (Begley et al., 2002). The integration of information technology with the health care system has already been practiced in the US. However, the feedback mechanism system needs to be highly improved the soonest possible. This is to further ensure that clinical and cost effectiveness is achieved at its maximum level. The US has to allocate budget for this. The budget must come from its allocation to technology and research and development activities. In line with this, the government must have to consider adding significant increase for its budget on res earch and development activities. References Begley, C. E., Aday, L. A., Lairson, D. R., and Slater, C. H. (2002). Expanding the scope of health reform: application in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 55, 1213-1229. Tunis, S. R., & Gelband, H. (1994).

The simplest form of bridge the beam bridges

The simplest form of bridge the beam bridges Beam Bridges The beam type of bridge is by far the simplest and the beam type of bridge is also the most common. You probably see beam bridges often. A beam bridge is just a beam supported by pillars or columns. Materials and Construction Beam bridges are commonly built from concrete. Beam bridges are also made of steel, or a mixture of steel and concrete. They often are made in sections, or boxes, where they are attached at the site of the bridge. The boxes are made out of steel and concrete or just concrete. Arch Bridge: In this type of bridge, the weight is carried outward along two curving paths. The points where the arch reaches the ground keep the bridge up by resisting the outward thrust. The roadway is located on top of the arch. Suspension Bridges: Suspension bridges bridge the unbridgeable. In a suspension bridge, cables which are suspended via towers which support them hold up the road deck. The weight is transferred by the cables to the towers, which then in turn transfer the weight to the ground. Materials and Construction The amount of towers on suspension bridges can vary, but a suspension bridge MUST have at least two towers. When possible, these towers are built on ground. However, there are methods for making floating towers that are secured. Towers are usually built with hollow steel boxes, but some are built with concrete. Cantilever Bridge: Cantilever bridges depend on counterbalances. Counterbalances are weights used to balance another weight. They consist of two or more (which many cantilever bridges have at least four) arms that equally balance each other, almost like a perfectly balanced see-saw. Often, the part of the bridge that leads to the first cantilever is just a beam bridge. Materials and Construction Some use one arch to connect (and essentially act as) the arm. Others just have arms and a roadway, or arms, a roadway, and cables that work like a cable-stayed bridge. Cantilever bridges are built in a way similar to beam and arch bridges, depending on how the bridge is designed. Truss Bridge: A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements (typically straight) which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges. The basic types of truss bridges shown in this article have simple designs which could be easily analysed by nineteenth and early twentieth century engineers. A truss bridge is economical to construct owing to its efficient use of materials. Our bridge design: Our bridge design is modelled after the Warren truss bridge design. The project has a light weight design; this is to ensure not to go over the weight requirement. This structure is easy to construct and, shown by the force analysis, can distribute loads efficiently.

Blacks, Prison, Prejudice, and Institutional Racism :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

Blacks, Prison, and Institutional Racism    Introduction Criminal justice and security is one of the largest industries in the United States. Such a statistic is (and rightly so) of great concern to Afro-Americans because a disproportionate percentage of individuals under the control of the US Criminal Justice System are from the Black community. This paper will look at the alarming statistics and attempt to trace the roots of the disparity. It will then consider the affects and explore possible solutions to the expanding problem.    The Imprisoned Black Youth Black communities throughout the U.S. are witnessing the institutionalization of their youth. Of course institutionalization is nothing new to Afro-Americans, it is something Blacks have faced since their existence in this country. In the beginning Blacks were forced into the institution of slavery. After the abolition of slavery Blacks faced institutional racism, that is, racism legitimated by the whole of society directed against the few of society. As a facet of that institutional racism Blacks are now forced to persevere the increasing trend of control by the US Criminal Justice System. Control by the USCJS includes the probation, parole, imprisonment, and death of Blacks. A study conducted by the Sentencing Project in 1989 found tat more than one-fourth of all Blacks between the age of 20 and 29 are under the control of the USCJS . This alarming figure becomes more so when you consider their are more Blacks in prison in this age group than their are all Blacks in college . This clearly reveals what is meant by the institutionalization of our Black youth. Black communities are being legally robbed of their youth by a system that locks up those who pose a threat to the status quo of institutional racism. The consequences of this are detrimental indeed. The children are the future, but what future does a community have whose children are all locked up. By virtue of robbing the Black community of their youth, the USCJS robs Black communities of their future leaders and role models . With such a condition at hand entire communities are lost and the ills of the urban ghettos are augmented. To help explain why Blacks are being locked up, and what part of imprisonment plays in institutional racism it would be helpful to first look at the roots of institutional racism.    Institutional Racism And It's Roots Institutional racism was a term first coined by Stokley Carmichael in his book Black Power. Concerning racism, Carmichael and co-author Charles V. Hamilton made the following observation:    Racism is both overt and covert. It takes two, closely related forms; individual