Monday, December 30, 2019

Facts and Figures About Plesiosaurus, the Long-Necked Marine Reptile

As you may already have surmised from its name, Plesiosaurus is the eponymous member of the family of marine reptiles known as plesiosaurs, which were characterized by their sleek bodies, wide flippers, and relatively small heads set at the end of long necks. These Mesozoic reptiles were once famously described as looking like a snake threaded through the shell of a turtle, although it was quickly established that they didnt have shells and were only distantly related to modern testudines. Plesiosaurs were closely related to, but distinct from, pliosaurs, contemporary marine reptiles possessing thicker torsos, shorter necks, and longer heads. The eponymous member of the pliosaur family was – you guessed it  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Pliosaurus. Like all marine reptiles, Plesiosaurus was not technically a dinosaur, having evolved from different antecedents in the reptile family tree. Theres a lot we still dont know about Plesiosaurus, which, like many name brand prehistoric reptiles, is much less well understood than the family to which it gave its name. (For a terrestrial parallel, think of the enigmatic Hadrosaurus and the well-known family of dinosaurs to which it belonged, the hadrosaurs, or duck-billed dinosaurs). Discovered very early in paleontological history by the pioneering English fossil hunter Mary Anning in 1823, Plesiosaurus created a sensation back in the early 19th century. Scientists at the time didnt quite know what to make of this 15-foot-long, 120-million-year-old beast. However, Plesiosaurus wasnt the first marine reptile to be discovered in England; that honor belongs to the distantly related Ichthyosaurus. The Lifestyle of Plesiosaurus Plesiosaurs in general, and Plesiosaurus in particular, werent the most accomplished swimmers, ​since they lacked the hydrodynamic builds of their bigger, meaner and more streamlined cousins, the pliosaurs. To date, its unknown whether Plesiosaurus and its ilk lumbered onto dry land to lay their eggs or gave birth to live young while still swimming (though the latter is the increasingly favored possibility). We do know, however, that plesiosaurs went extinct along with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and have not left any living descendants. (Why is this important? Well, many otherwise well-meaning people insist that the putative Loch Ness Monster is actually a plesiosaur that survived extinction!) The heyday of the plesiosaurs and pliosaurs was the middle-to-late Mesozoic Era, especially the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous period; by the end of the Mesozoic Era, these marine reptiles had been widely supplanted by even more vicious mosasaurs, which likewise succumbed to the K/T Extinction 65 million years ago. The big fish/bigger fish template applies throughout evolutionary history; an argument has been made that mosasaurs partly went extinct because of the increasing diversity and dominance of sharks, the best-equipped marine predators yet evolved by Mother Nature. Name: Plesiosaurus (Greek for almost lizard); pronounced PLEH-see-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Oceans worldwide Historical Period: Early-Middle Jurassic (135-120 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 15 feet long and 1,000 pounds Diet: Fish and mollusks Distinguishing Characteristics: Long neck; tapered body; blunt flippers; small head with sharp teeth

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Border Security - 1320 Words

Running head: Has Technology Improved Border Security Operations 1 Border Security Technology HAS TECHNOLOGY IMPROVED BORDER SECURITY OPERATIONS 2 Border Security Technology Border security is paramount to the security of the United States of America. There are 7,000 miles of land border with Canada and Mexico as well as numerous lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. These areas are the entry and exit to our nation and an economic gateway for the world. In today’s world, extremist organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) pose many†¦show more content†¦Throughout the past two decades the Border Patrol has developed an extensive Strategic Plan that has identified high risk traffic areas that are going to require more support both in technology but personnel. The evolution of the Border Patrol as a risk-based, intelligence-driven law enforcement organization is part of the transition following September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The continued transition is key to the success of not only the CBP but the Department of H omeland Security; while maintaining a positive relationship with Canada and Mexico to ensure international bond. The cooperation was nonexistent a few years ago with Mexico, but with the focus on the borders between these two nations a safe and successful operation will occur. Funding will be key to ensure that the goals between Federal, state, local, tribal, and international partners is met. The end result is obviously a secure border but technology and personnel are essential factors to meet the needs of the goals outlined in the Department of Homeland Security. An investment must be made in the organizational capabilities and personnel to ensure border-security operations continue to facilitate at a level which supersedes previous years. The tools available to CBP agents vary by location and have been detrimental to the success thus far in border security operations. 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The city sits right next to Juarez, Mexico with a population of over 2 million. As stated in the Debate.org article, â€Å"Border Fence†, El Paso, San Diego, and McAllen are the epicenter for cartel violence, hub for drug trafficking, and illegal immigration. There is a border fence that stretches over 30 miles in and around the El Paso area, with a border patrol agent stationed every 300 yards o ver the same spanRead MoreBorder and Coastal Security2925 Words   |  12 PagesUNITED STATES AND CANADA AND MEXICO BORDER Border Patrol focus has been detection, apprehension and/or deterrence of terrorists and terrorist weapons (Securing America’s Borders). 2011). The duties and responsibilities of the Border Patrol is one of the most important jobs and it is to detect and prevent the entry of illegal immigrants, terrorists, and smugglers into the United States. 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Since the inception of the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) in 1924, enormous changes have affected almost every aspect of its operation, thus, their main mission remain the same â€Å"To Protect our Borders†. Despite a big increase on the amount of money, manpower, and new strategies the security of our country by the U.S. Border Patrol has proven to be a difficult task. Weakness in our borders allows terrorist and smugglers, as well as thousands of illegalRead MoreA Study on Border Security876 Words   |  4 PagesBorder security The border control has policies set to particularly stop illegal immigrants into the U.S.A. The official mission of this border control is to ensure that the boundaries of the United States are protected through prevention of illegal entry and through the detection, interdicting as well as apprehending illegal entrants, smugglers and contraband. The protection of the borders of the U.S.A; land, sea and air is vital for the homeland security as well as economic prosperity. BorderRead MoreSecurity On The Southern Border1246 Words   |  5 Pages Security on the Southern Border Jaden Truxal ENGL 1101 Ms. Floyd 8 November 2016 Outline: Security on the Southern Border I. Increased security along the southern border is vitally needed to protect America from foreign threats. A. Purpose: To persuade the audience that increasing the security on the United States’ southern border is essential for this nation. B. The U.S. needs and must have more border security, but not the kind that President- elect, Donald Trump, is thinkingRead MoreU.s. Immigration And Border Security1007 Words   |  5 PagesKiana Thiesfeld Professor June Trudel Political Science 102 9 July 2015 U.S. Immigration; Border Security This research will address U.S. immigration, specifically border security. I will evaluate liberal and conservative views on this issue and then present my own ideas. The main view for liberals on border security is to pardon those who enter the U.S. illegally, including undocumented immigrants. This view believes that regardless of a person’s status in the U.S., they should have the same rights

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Japanese Society Yakuza Free Essays

string(25) " after they were banned\." It is said quite often that Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, what I comparing to Germany or other countries can confirm from my own experiences. With only 19. 177 per 1,000 people got Japan #34 in a world crime ranking, while Dominica rates #1, United Kingdom #6, USA # 8 and Germany #11. We will write a custom essay sample on Japanese Society Yakuza or any similar topic only for you Order Now (United Nations, 2000) Nevertheless japanese families, in our case homestay families, are all the time in my view exageratedly concerned about safety, wherefore you could think, that this is just useless talk. But the Yakuza , the japanese Mafia is famous all over the world with Kobe and Osaka having the highest crime rate in Japan. Especially in movies, the Yakuza are shown as the japanese equivalent to the italian Mafia, but in personal interviews with my former hostmother and other japanese colleagues Yakuza were often played down and even portrayed as nice and helpful. In the city i live – Kobe – is the headquarterof the Yamaguchi – gang (), the largest Yakuza group with over 20000 members. They acutally control a large part of Japan and other countries. (Blathwayt, 2008, p. 41) Sometimes i see them when i go shopping or to the Kobe’s Mosque, because the headquarter of a gumi is around this area and I as well as other japanese people got used to them. It is quite easy to recognize them, because they stick out as buffed, tattooed (sometimes you can see that it is protrude from the shirt), wearing sunglasses (even at night) and having expensive cars. But of course like every other Mafia, they control popular, semi-legal or illegal businesses like prostitution, drugs, protection racket and gambling. However there seems to be a big influence by the Yakuza on Japanese society. In this report, i will examine, what kind of influence the Yakuza have on the Japanese society. In doing so i will take a look at parts of the sex industry, daily and business life, as well as in other areas like random smaller criminals as for example japanese biker gangs called Bosozoku and even normal teenagers next door. First of all i will start with the history of the Yakuza, why and how they developed and try to find here possible parallels of a influences on the modern society. Furthermore in the third part of the report, i will write about my personal experiences and experiences of friends and acquaintances, because such statement often say more than just â€Å"dry facts†. I will close my essay with a conclusion and try to give a forecast about whether the Yakuza will continue to exist the way it does today or whether it will change, as every society developes dynamically and continuesly. a. Origin of the Yakuza The word â€Å"Yakuza† means eight (â€Å"ya†), nine (â€Å"ku†) and three (â€Å"za†) and allegorizes a combination of numbers, that is considered to be the worst hand at a Japanese card game called â€Å"Oicho-Kabu† and though is worthless. (Parkanian, 2010,p. 15) The origin of the Yakuza is not clearly to allocate. Some people say that they are descendents of crazy outlandish samurai called kabuki-mono in the 17th-century, who were very conspicuous because of their outlandish clothes and hair styles. They also spoke a luxuriant slang and carried long swords in their belts. Those servants of the shogun, became leaderless ronin (wave men) and eventually rather thieves and gangsters during the Tokugawa era, an long period of peace in Japan. (Hill,2003,P. 37-40) Others claim their origin to be the gambling syndicates called â€Å"Bakuto† in the Edo period. They were people of humble birth, too, like farmers, craftmen or merchants, who lost their jobs and then had no other choice than entering the gambling syndicates. As mentioned before there was an extended time of peace during the Tokugawa Period in which almost all policemen were former samurai. Therefore there was a high tension between both parties, for example the Yakuza were called â€Å"wannabe samurai† without glorifying the way of the warrior (â€Å"Bushido†) and treated very condescending. Thus a kind of â€Å"Robin-Hood-Image† came up and that was the first steps into a solid influence on Japanese Society. During the Meiji Period their importance increased when a national hero called Jichiro, the boss of a gambling organization, got high merits because of his alignment to the emperor during the conflicts of the Meiji Restoration. After the end of the occupation period and the appreciativeness of Japan as sovereign state in 1952, a rebuild of the Japanese economy and national structures began, so the Yakuza reacted with a buildup of their own economic activities tool, focusing especially in gambling and the construction industry. The consequence was gang fights between the different Yakuza gangs. The state answered with a persecution, which led into a higher concentration of power on the three main Yakuza gangs : Inagawa-kai, Sumiyoshi-kai and Yamaguchi-gumi. In the 70’s and 80’s, when Japan got into a recession because of the famous â€Å"bubble economy†, the Yakuza took advantage of the situation to get access into the financial sector. Protection money extortion of stock corporations followed. In addition to that, there was a change of generations in the big syndicates during in the 80’s, thus again bloody gang fights were the consequences, but the situations changed as well. Blathwayt,2008,p. 36-41) For example younger Yakuza tended to break the old rules and standards by using fire arms and being more violent; Being one reason, why Yakuza organizations were banned by the government. In 90’s the Yakuza were still legal and their headquarters could be easily find. It was even possible to recognize the group those headquarters offices belo nged to and their position in the structure of the group. Yakuza bosses were at news conferences and on TV, they had their own newspapers and even visited the police for congratulations at New Year. Gunther, 1999) It was easy to recognize an influence of the Yakuza on Japanese society, especially in the financial or construction sector in earlier times. But how is the situation today, about 10 years after they were banned. You read "Japanese Society Yakuza" in category "Papers" How are they structured today, if as mentioned before a kind of development, respectively change, were coming up? And what are Japanese people thinking about them? b. Their role in today’s Japanese society First of all Yakuza look different from the average Japanese guy. One sign are the tattoos, which is a taboo in Japanese Society. For me it was not really possible to wear a tank top during the summer without catching everybody’s attention. Referring to Bruno(2007) the â€Å"Yakuza members also favor tattoos, but theirs are elaborate body murals that often cover the entire torso, front and back, as well the arms to below the elbow and the legs to mid-calf. Dragons, flowers, mountainous landscapes, turbulent seascapes, gang insignias and abstract designs are typical images used for yakuza body art. The application of these extensive tattoos is painful and can take hundreds of hours, but the process is considered a test of a man’s mettle. Another sign is the famous â€Å"yubizume†, the amputation of the last joint of the little finger, if a yakuza severely disappoints his boss. The next mistake would lead into an amputation of the second joint of the little finger and later moving on to the next finger. Beyond all, a yakuza knows what to do if his boss gives him a knife. (Kaplan and Dubro,20 03,p. 14) As a Yakuza there is also no space in Japanese Society, but the mafia is quite more accepted as in other countries like for example United States. Yakuza have an increasingly influence on politics and politicians by supporting them financially or with â€Å"services† like extort people to vote for them. For the Yakuza corporate extortion is a very profitable business and the shareholders’ meeting men called â€Å"Sokaiya† are highly involved. Bruno(2007) describes it as follows:† Sokaiya will buy a small number of shares in a company so that they can attend shareholders’ meetings. In preparation for the meeting, the sokaiya gather damaging information about the company and its officers; secret mistresses, tax evasion, unsafe factory conditions, and pollution are all fodder for the sokaiya. They will then contact the company’s management and threaten to disclose whatever embarrassing information they have at the shareholders’ meeting unless they are â€Å"compensated. † If management does not give in to their demands, the sokaiya go to the shareholders’ meeting and raise hell, shouting down anyone who dares to speak, making a boisterous display of their presence, and shouting out their damaging revelations. In Japan, where people fear embarrassment and shame much more than physical threats, executives usually give the sokaiya whatever they want. But Japan is also a society where directness is considered rude, and even the criminals make their threats known in a circuitous, outwardly polite manner. Threats come in many disguises. Some sokaiya pose as business magazine publishers who encourage their targets to take out ads or buy subscriptions in exchange for favorable reporting about the company. Since these sokaiya will follow through on their threats and print a magazine or newsletter filled with condemning articles, company executives usually pay up rather than face the bad press. Another sokaiya scam is to set up booster clubs that solicit donations for non-existent causes. They also throw gala events to which the invited businessmen are expected to bring cash gifts for their hosts. Such events have been known to net more than $100,000 in a single night. The sokaiya have also organized beauty pageants for the purpose of shaking down corporate â€Å"sponsors,† and sokaiya golf tournaments come with pricey entrance fees for their corporate players. These corporate racketeers have also been known to sell blocks of tickets to theater events at grossly inflated prices. Anything to extort money out of legitimate companies in the most polite and indirect way possible. The intention is therefore to control them after the vote and to avoid a minding in their business by the state. They are often right wing nationalistic and even the cars with big loudspeakers of right parties are often driven by Yakuza members. With prohibition of the Yakuza, the conspicuous behavior alleviated. Former offices are now placements for loans or jobs and although the Yakuza a re officially called â€Å"Boryokudan† (violent groups), violence is usually the last resort regardless of whether legal businesses like loan lending or placement services or illegal businesses like drugs, prostitution or gambling. Takahashi,2009,p. 40-43) Certainly the yakuza’s standards decreased when recruiting new members. While about 60 % of all Yakuza descend by â€Å"Burakumin†, offspring of the â€Å"impure† people of the feudal age of Japan, most new members currently come from the bosozuku (speed tribes), known for their love of motorbikes. (Takashi,2009,P. 43) Yakuza, who treasure their ancestral ties to the old samurai reject the term and consider it an insult. So the Yakuza remain the â€Å"shadow of Japanese society†, while their image are getting worse. When I asked surrounding people only two of them had contact with them and described them as very olite but arrogant as well. Their friends are Yakuza and studied Law in an university, but then started a career at a Yakuza organization after graduation. They said that Yakuza are very friendly especially to foreigners, except you are getting involved into their business. Two Mongolian guys, who I met, told me that one of them kicked a Yakuza mem ber during a quarrel in an izakaya. When the police and other Yakuza member arrived later, they said to the Mongolians that if they wouldn’t pay 50000 yen, they would find and kill them. And that in front of the police men, who didn’t want to get involved in this business. This kind of controversy mixture of gratefulness (when the Yakuza helped Japanese people after the big earthquake in 1995 earlier than the Japanese government) and fear, tolerance but no acceptance is a very interesting situation in Japan. But situations are changing. While in other Mafias, in which a member is a member for life and this short-term career can have severe repercussions, former Yakuza are becoming now salary men. There are even companies who offer jobs and rehabilitation programs for former Yakuza, who want to change their life. (Bruno,2007) Conclusion As we could see, there is an influence as well as transition of the Yakuza to Japanese Society. Complaints of Japanese citizens about Yakuza activities increased considerably, although there are still feared, the acceptance is getting lower and lower. Some people are fighting back by banishing yakuza social clubs from their neighborhoods or forbidding Yakuza to enter local â€Å"Onzens† (public hot springs or spas) or gyms. In addition to that, yakuza organizations are haveing serious problems to recruit new members, because a Japanese boy from a well-protected good family doesn’t tend to start working at an underground organization. The author Bruno (2007) described the situation with much apropos: â€Å" Today they could be more active—and more careful—than ever, broadening their bases, infiltrating new territories and working new scams. Like the fabled ninjas of ancient Japan, they can be everywhere and nowhere, but they’re always lethal. † References: Blathwayt, W.,2008, Yakuza bared – The changing face of Japanese organised crime. Bruno, 2007, The Yakuza, [online] Available at: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/gang/yakuza/1.html [Accessed 21 January 2011] Gà ¼nther, H., 1999, Yakuza â€Å"die Japanische Mafia?†, [online] Available at: http://www.japonet.de/j-impressionen/yakuza.html [Accessed 21 January 2011] Hill, P., 2003, The Japanese Mafia: Yakuza, Law, and the State Kaplan, D. and Dubro, A., 2003, Yakuza Japan’s Criminal Underworld Parkanian, J. 2010, Game Boy: Glossary of Japanese Gambling Games Takahashi, K. 2009, Capital punishment – Japan’s yakuza vie for control of Tokyo. United Nations, 2000, Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems [online] Available at: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita [Accessed 21 January 2011] How to cite Japanese Society Yakuza, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Marketing Management in Australia

Questions: The final stage of the marketing audit is for you to evaluate how well the marketing mix of the organisation is performing for your chosen organisation. NB: as before, if you have a large range of product offerings, it is a good idea to focus on just one. Incorporating theoretical concepts into your discussion from chapters 7-14 and with the use of other theoretical sources and secondary research, please discuss the following: 1. Outline and describe the 8 marketing mix concepts theoretically and apply the components to one of your products offerings. As part of your application be sure to explain and evaluate all of the 8ps of marketing (product, prices, promotion, distribution, partnerships, people, processes and physical evidence). 2. Given your evaluation of your overall marketing strategies, the competition and broader contemporary issues facing marketers today, provide recommendations for your organisation. Your recommendations should focus on each of the 8ps and illustrate how contemporary issues may impact on your organisation and its marketing strategy. Answers: Introduction In Australia, Ford has more than 80 years of automotive manufacturing history in Australia. Their journey started when they the Ford vehicle was manufactured in the year of 1925. Among all other cars, Ford Falcon was continuously manufactured in Australia since its introduction in 1960 and became one of the leading cars of Australia (Ford.com.au2016). However, the scenario changed when Ford Territory won the Wheel Magazines car of the year of Australia and became the most popular SUV in the country. At that time, Ford was the leading car manufacturing organization in the country. However, according to Cavanaghand Freeman (2012), in the year of 2015, Ford lost its ground in the Australian vehicle industry as Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Toyota HiLux became the top three models of the country with 42,073, 38,644 and 35,161 selling sales records (Gmehlichand Jones2013). Only Ford vehicle that could make its presence in the top ten was Ford Ranger. However, as mentioned by Jrvinenet al. (201 2), Ford was considered as the biggest losers in the Australian vehicle industry after their sales went down to 11.6 percent in the year of 2016. However, the authority of the Ford is planning to gain their lost position with the help of Ranger as slowly, but steadily it is helping the organization to win back its popularity among the Australian consumers. This study will mainly focus on Ford Ranger and the marketing mix related to it. In spite of being the most modern Ford vehicle in Australia, the marketing mix strategies of the company still include some challenges and issues that is preventing the organization from defeating its rivals which are Isuzu, Lexus, Honda and Audi as per sales report and Toyota, Mazda, Holden and Hyundai as per overall popularity report (Gmehlichand Jones2013). 8ps of Marketing Mix of Ford Ranger Ford Ranger is the Ford's one of the most famous vehicles that fall under the light trucks category that helped the organization to gain a pre-tax profit of $US10.8billion from its global operations (Bopageand Sharma2014). However, in 2015, Ford Australia posted a loss of $191 million after sales plunged to a 48 years low (Crosbyet al. 2012). However, chief executive of Ford said that they are expecting to improve their sales based on Ford Ranger and its marketing mix strategies. Price Ford being one of the largest automakers in the world, has developed pricing strategy in a way that has played an important port in their objective of acquiring a superior position in the global vehicle industry. In order to make their organization hugely profitable company, Ford management decided to develop their pricing strategy based on the rival companys products that are in competition with Ford in the market. In Australia, under the Ford's competition pricing policy, it has taken sponsorship contracts without changing the selling prices of Ford Ranger (Ford.com.au2016). Average price of a Ford Ranger is $50,000; however, the cost entirely depends on the different models of the car as Ford Ranger XLS PX MkII has a price of $50,290, Ford Ranger XLT PX MkII has a price of $54,000, and Ford Ranger XL Hi-Rider PX has a price of $36,000 (Abetz2014). However, the issue that is faced by Ford Ranger is the comparatively low price offered by Toyota Corolla that gained the top position in Australian car market in the year of 2015. The highest price of a Toyota Corolla is $31,000 (Toyota Corolla ZR ZRE172R) and the lowest price is $19,000 (Toyota Corolla Ascent ZRE182R)(Ford.com.au2016). Another rival of Ford that is Mazda also offers cars at a price, which is lower than any model of Ford Ranger. Therefore, it can be said that the pricing strategy of Ford is currently not helping the organization to better its market position. On the other hand, Ford Ranger on which the organization is depending had already faced controversies in Australia when after promising that the car will be available at a price of $50,000, the organization released the car at a driving price of $57,000 (Weiss2014). Therefore, it is important that Ford must make changes in their pricing strategy; however, they will have to keep the quality same. Product All the Ford products are localized and are developed with a concept to match the local conditions that depend on durability and less maintenance cost. In Australia, fuel prices are at record highs, which have increased the total amount that is, spend by the customers in the transportation system. Total expenditure rose 3.3 percent and it is expected that it will rise to 59 percent (Dyrud2016). That is the reason that consumers are Australia now prefers to select smaller vehicles rather than SUVs and light trucks. However, an interesting exception is noticed in the automotive industry of Australia which states that in spite of this increasing cost, the sales of luxury SUVs and light trucks were up by 62 percent (Weiss2014). Therefore, it can be said that the decision of Ford management to launch Ford Ranger in the country was a perfect decision as they are trying to gain their position in the Australian market. However, as a product, Ford has received several complaints against their Ford Ranger model. One of the major problems of Ford Ranger is its variable pressure on oil pump in the 3.2-turbo diesel engines (Zaheeruddin2015). Those engines are unable to re-prime themselves and distribute oil pressure if they are left to drain for more than 10 minutes during the time of oil change. This causes engine failure and the engineers of Ford still do not know how to solve this problem. On the other hand, the car also has problems of uneven braking, indigent traction and transmission problems (Wuet al. 2015). Place As an industry, Australian automotive industry is quite productive for can manufacturing organizations after internationals manufacturers opened their plants in the country since the 20th century (Emmons2015). However, recently some external factors are creating an impact on the competitiveness of the Automotive Manufacturing Industry of Australia. Some of those factors are mentioned below, A significant strength of Australian currency has led to a reduction of in the cost of imported vehicles. This has contributed to weakening in the relative cost of competitiveness of a locally developed vehicle of approximately $5000 versus an imported vehicle (CarAdvice.com.au2016). On the other hand, local manufacturers are also sustaining increased cost for purchases of their raw materials such as steel, aluminum and petrochemical based products because of the resources boom. Another major factor that is creating a negative impact on the automotive industry of Australia is the increase in oil prices over the past 18 months (Dowling2016). This has affected the consumer confidence and as a result, they are shifting away from larger size vehicle products of Australia, which might affect the sales of Ford Ranger. Australian vehicle industry is one of the most competitive markets in the world with more than 50 well-known brands that are offering over 350 models (Weiss2014). This is the reason that each brand can only claim a lower average volume regarding sales. The critical part for Ford is this situation will stay in the Australian vehicle industry, as new models and brands including some models from China are ready to enter the market. On the other hand, brands such as Tesla that manufacture environment-friendly electric cars is also planning to enter the Australian market, which would possess the biggest threat for Ford Ranger. Promotion In order to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals, Ford has implemented an aggressive marketing strategy with the objective to build a long-lasting relationship with its previous and loyal customers as well as new potential customers (Ford.com.au2016). Fords primary promotional strategy related to Ford Ranger entirely depends on the activity of the management, which is sponsoring various sporting events to highlight the brand (Weiss2014). This marketing strategy of Ford is however not new as they were seen to sponsor UEFA Champions League and soared its brand name and image high in the eyes of fans. In Australia, the organization is sponsoring the local league to exhibit their model Ranger in the country. This strategy of Ford has helped them to an extent as slowly but steadily the organization is improving their sales in the country. In spite of focusing on sponsorship strategies, Ford has never overlooked the advantages of visual media such as internet and television. The organization has successfully promoted their vehicle Ford Ranger on various social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Agents or sales personnel are used to persuade buyers at Ford dealership and other venues of Australia. In some cases, Ford also uses direct selling strategies to communicate with the corporate clients who lease vehicles from the firm. Distribution strategy A large network of Original Equipment (OE) supplies that includes more than 1000 suppliers across Australia supports Ford Australia. The organization is assumed to invest more than $545 million to purchase components, materials, and services from its local suppliers (Ford.com.au2016). A table is mentioned below to exhibit some key local component suppliers for Ford Ranger, Primary Suppliers for Ford Australia EGR Plastics External decoration of the vehicle Futuris Internal decoration of the vehicle Robert Bosch Braking system and chassis Walker Emission controller and exhaust Continental Panel of instruments Sumitomo Aust Electrical equipment and components Dana Chassis Table 1: Distributors of Ford in Australia (Sources: Dyrud2016) According to Dyrud (2016), the distribution of vehicles, replacement parts and technical and service equipment of Ford is done by a network of more than 200 independently owned dealerships that are located in 286 locations around Australia. More than 7,000 people are employed in those dealerships (Jainand Roy2016). The organization has also implemented web-based video communication methods to interact with employees regarding employee training sessions. Physical Evidence of Ford Australia The scientists once said that after the event of Armageddon, the only thing that will survive in the world would be cockroaches. However, according to Jainand Roy (2016), the chances are high that some of Ford Rangers would survive too. Especially in Australia, people are swapping their big sedans and wagons for SUVs and big 4x4 Utes (Deliaand Newstead2015). Dual can Utes are capable of serving as a workhorse during the week and a family freighter on the weekend. In this scenario, Toyota's Hilux has topped the sales charts several number of times; however, Ford's Ranger is slowly but steadily gained its position in the market. The interior design of the Ranger got four and a half star from the users because of its standard equipment, infotainment, and cargo volume. The vehicle includes cloth seat trim, radar cruise control, limiters regarding speed, parental lock system by MyKey, leather steering wheel and gear knob with a double reconfigurable 4.2-inch instrument cluster that makes the vehicle quite attractive for the customers (Zaheeruddin2015). In infotainment system, the vehicle includes 8.0-inch sync two touch screen that also has voice control, AM/FM/DAB radio, audio with six speakers, Aus and USB input and satellite navigation (Ford.com.au2016). Ford Ranger also got good ratings because of its on road performances because of its superior engine and transmission. The vehicle includes a 1467kW/470 Nm 3.2 liter five-cylinder turbo diesel. Six-speed automatic dual range 4x4 equipment handle its communication (Ford.com.au2016). Its suspension has double wishbone front with leaf spring rear. The steering system is assisted electrically with a turning circle of 12.7m (Dowling2016). Besides these facilities, Ranger has the biggest engine it its class. This engine also has more than four cylinders that make it one of the unique engines in its class. It provides 148kW at 3000 rpm and 480 Nm between 1750 and 2500 rpm (Emmons2015). However, it is already mentioned that some of the customers revealed some issues in its transmission and braking capabilities. It is said that the car is unable to stay under control while running on wet roads which are a risk for the customers. Partnership Recently, one of the leading internet radio services organization which is Pandora Internet Radio has developed a collaboration with Ford Australia. This step is described as a key milestone, which will help the vehicle organization to expand its business across the local automotive market of Australia. Right after the partnership, the system provided by Pandora is available in the models of Ford such as Fiesta, Focus, Ranger and Transit (Jrvinenet al. 2012). The Director of Business Development Rick Gleave said that by adding Pandora is Ford Ranger; the customers will be able to continue enjoying the services of Pandora no matter where they are traveling. Pandora is an application that will allow the drivers to use a voice-activated technology to connect with their favorite smartphone applicants while driving (Roosand O'Connor2015). The Pandora system will allow the drivers to reply entirely on voice, as the system will lock the phone automatically. Before this, Mazda had a partnership with Ford, who acquired a stake of 7% in the year of 1979. Until 1996, the organization claimed almost 34% of Mazda (Cavanaghand Freeman2012). Currently, Ford has 2.1% of Mazda's stock and severing most production as well as development ties (Wuet al. 2015). The reason behind this partnership is different for the two companies. For Mazda, they can access advanced technologies from Toyota and Ford has deep pockets, it will also help Mazda to fund its products. On the other hand, Ford has signed this partnership to access the team of Mazda engineers who are exceptionally talented and gave an underpowered car such Mazda 6 an excellent dynamics and surprising elegance. Process The process of Ford's customer care services mostly depends on its customersaskford.com. Therefore, they are planning to make the website more visible and user-friendly (Ford.com.au2016). Currently, the website offers a form to the visitors that the organization is planning to change. The authority of Ford is going to implement a click-to-call feature that will allow the visitors to click a button on the website, type in their phone number and receive a call from an agent within 30 seconds (Dowling2016). Through this method, the organization is also planning to educate the customers so that they can find information on the website on their own every time they visit it. The primary reason behind this is to reduce the number of incoming calls from the customers, which will reduce their call center costs. Recommendation Currently, Ford is offering quite high prices for its models in Australia. However, the price of Ranger is high as the vehicle is equipped with high quality accessories including an engine of four cylinders. The car has also equipped with Pandora, which allows the drivers to listen to anything they like by using voice-activated procedures. In spite of having these features, if the customers think that the car is over price then it is because of the faulty advertisement strategy of the company. Ford must advertise its vehicle in a way so that customers can understand that the organization gives value to their money and is selling something better than other vehicles, which is leading them to charge a high price. Some Chinese vehicles such as Cherry are planning to enter the Australian market with superior quality and low prices. On the other hand, Tesla is also planning to enter the Australian market with their fully electric vehicles. Therefore, it is recommended that Ford will have to either reduced the prices of their vehicles or will have to start manufacturing electric vehicles. However, it will not be easy for Ford to reduce the prices of its vehicles, especially for Ford Ranger it is nearly impossible to the cut the prices. The vehicle organization can only reduce the prices if they can reduce the number of distributors. Currently, Ford collects different parts from different organizations which are a cost effective process. If the organization can share hands with one organization that will provide more than one parts for the cars of Ford, it is expected that they will gain more discount from the organization which will help them to reduce the drive away price of their vehicles. According to the engineers at Ford, Ranger is one of the unique cars in its class and is manufactured to provide great driving performances. However, some of the customers are severely unsatisfied with the services of the vehicles as it contents transmission problems including braking issues and engine breakdown problems. In a competitive market of Australia, if Ford does not take proper steps to enhance their vehicle, the chances are high that they will lose more market share in 2016. The authority of Ford successfully implemented most of the advertising strategies in Australia in order to gain customer attention. However, they have neglected one of the most productive advertisement strategies which are celebrity endorsement. In recent years, celebrity endorsement has become very popular strategy as people have adopted a characteristic of following the lifestyles of the celebrities without even reviewing the capability of the products. Therefore, it is highly recommended that Ford can use famous movie launches and celebrity endorsement strategies to improve the brand image among the customers. The organization has implemented a customer service strategy which will help the customers to learn and to operate customer service website without seeking help from the support agents. This strategy is stated as a productive strategy as the company will be able to reduce their costs related to call center if the number of calls is kept to a minimum. However, none of the customers will be happy to operate a site on their own when they are here to discuss a problem they are facing in their vehicles. Therefore, the chances are medium that customers will be offended for this strategy. It is recommended that organization must help the customers by appointing an agent for them every time they ask for help. Conclusion Ford Australia was known as one of the most iconic and vintage vehicle organization in the country. However, it has lost its market position as companies like Toyota and Mazda has attracted more customers through their low pricing strategy. After describing the 8Ps of marketing of Ford, it is found that the management of Ford has successfully implemented most of the strategies in the market of Australia. Only the pricing strategy, distributor strategy and product quality strategies are causing problems for the vehicle organization. Therefore, the authority must focus on these factors immediately if they want to win back their lost market position the high time. References Abetz, P., 2014. Australian manufacturing: How Australia can rebuild its car industry.News Weekly, (2929), p.7. Acharya, V.V., Schaefer, S. and Zhang, Y., 2015. Liquidity risk and correlation risk: A clinical study of the General Motors and Ford downgrade of May 2005.Quarterly Journal of Finance,5(02), p.1550006. Bopage, L. and Sharma, K., 2014. An Analysis of Trade Performance of the Australian Passenger Motor Vehicle Industry: Trends, Patterns, and Determinants.Journal of Asia-Pacific Business,15(3), pp.197-210. Bopage, L. and Sharma, K., 2014. An Analysis of Trade Performance of the Australian Passenger Motor Vehicle Industry: Trends, Patterns, and Determinants.Journal of Asia-Pacific Business,15(3), pp.197-210. CarAdvice.com.au, 2016.Ford Australia apologises for $7000 Ranger pricing mix-up | CarAdvice. Cavanagh, A. and Freeman, S., 2012. The development of subsidiary roles in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry.International Business Review,21(4), pp.602-617. Crosby, L.A., Evans, K.R. and Cowles, D., 2012. Customer Relationship Initiatives at Ford.CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: CONCEPTS AND CASES, p.23. Delia, A. and Newstead, S., 2015. Pedestrian injury outcome as a function of vehicle market group in Victoria, Australia.Traffic injury prevention,16(7), pp.709-714. Dowling, J. 2016.The future of the Australian car industry - once the factories close. [online] CarsGuide. Dyrud, M.A., 2016. The Case of Ford Motor Company.Journal of Engineering Technology,33(1), p.10. El Halabi, E. and Doolan, M., 2012. New insights into the Australian automotive recycling business. InSustainable Automotive Technologies 2012(pp. 325-329). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Emmons, C., 2015. Regaining Organizational Health and Vitality: Ford Motor Company's positive adaption to the challenges of the automotive industry crisis.People Strategy,38(1), pp.46-51. Ford.com.au, 2016.Ford Australia - New Cars, SUVs, Utes Commercial vehicles. Fraser, K., Watanabe, C. and Hvolby, H.H., 2013. Commitment to service quality in automotive dealerships: Results from an Australian pilot study.Journal of Services Research,13(1), p.7. Gmehlich, R. and Jones, C., 2013. Experience of Deployment in the Automotive Industry. InIndustrial Deployment of System Engineering Methods(pp. 13-26). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Gonzlez-Benito, J., Lannelongue, G. and Alfaro-Tanco, J.A., 2013. Study of supply-chain management in the automotive industry: a bibliometric analysis.International Journal of Production Research,51(13), pp.3849-3863. Jain, V. and Roy, S., 2016. Understanding meaning transfer in celebrity endorsements: a qualitative exploration.Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal,19(3). Jrvinen, J., Orton, F. and Nelson, T., 2012. Electric vehicles in Australia's national electricity market: energy market and policy implications.The Electricity Journal,25(2), pp.63-87. Kannegiesser, M., Gnther, H.O. and Gylfason, ., 2014. Sustainable development of global supply chainspart 2: investigation of the European automotive industry.Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal,26(1-2), pp.48-68. Roos, G. and O'Connor, A., 2015. Government policy implications of intellectual capital: an Australian manufacturing case study.Journal of Intellectual Capital,16(2), pp.364-389. Weiss, R.P., 2014. Corporate Security at Ford Motor Company: From the Great War to the Cold War. InCorporate Security in the 21st Century(pp. 17-38). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Wiengarten, F., Humphreys, P., McKittrick, A. and Fynes, B., 2013. Investigating the impact of e-business applications on supply chain collaboration in the German automotive industry.International Journal of Operations Production Management,33(1), pp.25-48. Wu, Y., Stewart, M. and Liu, R., 2015. Social Networking Sites and Marketing Strategies.Handbook of Research on Integrating Social Media into Strategic Marketing, p.207. Zaheeruddin, M., 2015. Customer Retention Management and Strategies with Reference to Ford Motors.The International Journal of Business Management,3(1), p.67.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Money Cannot Bring Happiness free essay sample

It is truly undeniable that in this science and technology millennium, we can hardly live without money. Even buying something small such as sweet will cost you some money. However, this does not mean that money can buy happiness, unlike the misconception of most people in the world. In fact, wealth is a far cry from happiness. If you disagree with me, lets look at the reasons for my stand. Firstly, one of the main gates to happiness is to stay healthy. Maybe some people think that when one is rich, he can be healthy or it does not matter even if they have diseases because these rich men have lots of money to pay their medication. This is totally wrong. Good health is acquired from a healthy lifestyle progressively and not in a day. With lots of money we are tend to temp ourselves to exotic, luxurious food. If this food is taken excessively, it will let to obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension and other serious illness. We will write a custom essay sample on Money Cannot Bring Happiness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Moreover, rich people are probably lack of exercise as they hardly walk outdoor due to 24 hours-service debar fetching them about causing them to be at a higher risk of getting these unnecessarily health problems. How a person can enjoys his life and feels happy when he is confined to a wheelchair or bed-ridden. He would not even be glad spending his money and time curing his sickness. Therefore, wealth cannot bring happiness. Professionals like doctor, nurse, lawyer, engineer, food technologist and accountant earn a lot of money per month. They are considered the high class citizens who can afford large, expensive house with huge beautiful gardens. But do they really enjoy the pleasures of life? Most probably not because they are simply too busy with their work. They frequently burnt the midnight oil in their work place. It is even more miserable if they have to turn their home into a working place. Most specialists have to stand-by 24 hours in case of emergency calls from the hospitals. Hence, they can hardly spend any relax, restful night at their home even if they posse a huge two and a half storey bungalow with a beautiful garden and artificial waterfall. Successful businessmen may always have a chance of flying to all parts of the world when they go out station to make business. However, very few of them can really take it as a holiday as a treat for themselves for their schedules are always full and they are so stressful with their works. Even fewer businessmen can ignore urgent, pursuing calls from their clients or office when they are going for holidays or resting. In other words, one can make lots of money but he may not enjoy even the beauty of nature around them or the branded, expensive things with them. So what is the use of money when we do not even enjoy a meal properly and discontented with lives. One with a moderate income can feels happier if he leads a simple life and be grateful with what he has. Finally, a children or a teenage brought in moderate family is better than in a rich family. As the sons or daughters of billionaires, their parents will give them whatever that they want in material. These children or teenagers get a lot of pocket money from their parents and can afford to buy many expensive things like branded, latest handset, expensive clothes and branded sport shoes. But the question is, are they happy if their parents are always working with only an Indonesian maid to accompany them. If they are asked to choose between wealth and love from their parents, I believe that they were undoubtedly choose love. A healthy family is not created for the children. These children mentally are not as healthy as those being cared and loved by their parents. Children need parents who can listen to their problems and give them words of wisdom, teaching then day by day. Parents who are not rich may not be able to buy branded things to satisfy their children but with more communication and understanding, these teenagers will understand the difficulty of their parents in earning money, learning to be thrifty. In short, money does not promise a happy, caring family. Money may be able to buy a lot of things but not love, friendship, health and others. These are the main ‘ingredients’ for a happy life. Thus, it is a controversy if money can bring happiness. Even, if we can afford many things we desired with lots of money, we may not be happy and enjoy our lives if we are always dissatisfied with what we had, yearning for more. Thus, I stand firm that money cannot bring happiness.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Contrasting Forces In Frosts“Mending Wall“

Contradicting Forces in Frost’s â€Å"Mending Wall† In examining the literary career of Robert Frost, one is able to recognize reoccurring themes that appear throughout many of his poems. Frequently, each individual statement corresponds to a designated time period of personal discovery in the life of the poet. While writing his second book, When North of Boston, during the sensitive WW1 era, Frost found solace in writing about a certain human condition. According to Elaine Barry, his work â€Å"focus[ed] [on] the constant tension of opposing elements, which Frost saw as the essence of the human condition† (Barry 1). It is certainly realistic to assume that the reason why Frost wrote using this particular theme is because it comforted him to believe that there are natural contradicting forces in all life experiences. The poem â€Å"Mending Wall† is open for discussion on many levels of interpretation. To the negligent reader, the poem primarily represents the opposing arguments of two farmers on the subject of property boundaries. Underneath the shallow surface, the poem emerges as a statement about contradictions of human relations through which attitude toward community, property barriers, and wisdom are explained (Meyer 2). Frost’s statement about the differences between the two men is humorous because he makes it possible for the reader to find disagreement between the actions and intentions of the men involved in this relatively trivial incident (Meyer 3). In the end, Frost leaves the conflict unresolved. He neither provides outward moral to the reader nor insight into the â€Å"something there is that doesn’t love a wall.† By doing this, his effect on the reader evokes deeper contemplation because the situation is a realistic human experience (Barry 4). In analyzing the socially cooperative effort of repairing the weather torn wall, the first contradiction found in the beliefs of the two farmers is on the subj... Free Essays on Contrasting Forces In Frost'sâ€Å"Mending Wallâ€Å" Free Essays on Contrasting Forces In Frost'sâ€Å"Mending Wallâ€Å" Contradicting Forces in Frost’s â€Å"Mending Wall† In examining the literary career of Robert Frost, one is able to recognize reoccurring themes that appear throughout many of his poems. Frequently, each individual statement corresponds to a designated time period of personal discovery in the life of the poet. While writing his second book, When North of Boston, during the sensitive WW1 era, Frost found solace in writing about a certain human condition. According to Elaine Barry, his work â€Å"focus[ed] [on] the constant tension of opposing elements, which Frost saw as the essence of the human condition† (Barry 1). It is certainly realistic to assume that the reason why Frost wrote using this particular theme is because it comforted him to believe that there are natural contradicting forces in all life experiences. The poem â€Å"Mending Wall† is open for discussion on many levels of interpretation. To the negligent reader, the poem primarily represents the opposing arguments of two farmers on the subject of property boundaries. Underneath the shallow surface, the poem emerges as a statement about contradictions of human relations through which attitude toward community, property barriers, and wisdom are explained (Meyer 2). Frost’s statement about the differences between the two men is humorous because he makes it possible for the reader to find disagreement between the actions and intentions of the men involved in this relatively trivial incident (Meyer 3). In the end, Frost leaves the conflict unresolved. He neither provides outward moral to the reader nor insight into the â€Å"something there is that doesn’t love a wall.† By doing this, his effect on the reader evokes deeper contemplation because the situation is a realistic human experience (Barry 4). In analyzing the socially cooperative effort of repairing the weather torn wall, the first contradiction found in the beliefs of the two farmers is on the subj...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

PPDB1Kan I qabu san Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PPDB1Kan I qabu san - Article Example My main focus will be on bipolar disorder; hence an important part of my goal is to clearly understand bipolar disorder, policy issues related to this condition as well as identify the role of nurses in advocacy and in addressing the various policy issues related to bipolar disorder. Through this course, I wish to clearly understand my expected role as a nurse and to be able to assess how successful I have been in playing each of the expected roles. I especially need to identify my role as an advocate and as an active player in policy promotion and formulation. With my interest being on bipolar disorder, assessing my political involvement in addressing the illness and its various issues is one way through which I have been able to understand my major strengths and weaknesses with regard to advocacy and contribution made towards the successful address of this condition (Jansen & Zwygart-Stauffacher, 2009), and in turn been able to identify the various areas that I need to improve on to ensure that I effectively take up an active role as a nurse and advocate, and in the promotion and implementation of existing and new policies related to bipolar disorder. My case study is that related to bipolar disorder, a mental disorder that leads to changes in a person’s moods, ability to work or undertake numerous activities as well as shifts in energy (Goodwin & Sachs, 2010). The illness is mainly characterized by numerous mood swings, irritability, feelings of hopelessness and sadness and suicidal thoughts and attempts (NIMH, 2012). The case study relates to a bipolar disorder patient once brought under my care. The patient, Paul (name changed for confidentiality), had been brought into the hospital showing a number of behaviors that led to the diagnosis of the disorder. The abnormal behaviors were characterized by pacing up and down, incoherent fast speech, suicidal thoughts and increased irritability. Further inquiries from his sister indicated that Paul was

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

International Logistics Road Transportation Industry in Turkey Essay

International Logistics Road Transportation Industry in Turkey - Essay Example The Turkish Highways Directorate belongs to Ministry of Public Works and Settlements (Bayindirlik Bakanligi). It is responsible for construction, maintenance and operation of the highway network in Turkey, but it is not autonomous since revenues come from the general budget.It is responsible for 63 000 kilometers of roads of which 31 000 are State roads, 1897 are toll roads, and the rest are provincial (vilayet) roads.Village roads belong to the MoT.The Highway’s Directorate includes 18 Regional Offices of which one is in Ankara. All roads are realized with public funds.The Turkish General Directorate of Highways, KGM, has an annual estimated budget of about EUR 1 billion. The investment budget, amounting to approx. 60% of KGM's total budget is thinly spread over numerous projects with an average completion time of nine years.Investments are dominated by works on an over-designed motorway program. Total expenditures on the program reached about EUR 10.4 billion in 2001 with an nual allocations in the last few years of about EUR 468 million. The operational budget, on the other hand, is mostly consumed by wages, with minimal allocations for maintaining existing assets.Turkey's road/traffic accident rates are 3-6 times above those of EU countries. About 7 000 people die each year in road accidents and the losses due to injuries and property damages are estimated to be in the order of 2% of GDP. â€Å"The state in Turkey still plays a major role in basic industry, banking, and transportation†, ( CIA world factbook, 2007).... Issue The Turksih Highways Directorate belongs to Ministry of Public Works and Settlements (Bayindirlik Bakanligi). It is responsible for construction,maintenance and operation of highway network in Turkey, but it is not autonomous since revenues come from general budget.It is responsible for 63 000 kilometres of roads of which 31 000 are State roads, 1897 are toll roads, and the rest are provincial (villayet) roads.Village roads belong to the MoT.The Highway's Directorate includes 18 Regional Offices of which one is in Ankara. All roads arerealized with public funds.The Turkish General Directorate of Highways,KGM, has annual estimated budget of about EUR 1 billion. The investment budget,amounting to approx. 60% of KGM's totalbudget is thinly spread over numerous projects with an average completion time of nine years.Investments are dominated by works on an overdesignedmotorway programme. Totalexpenditures on the programme reached about EUR 10.4 billion in 2001 with annual allocations in t he last few years of about EUR 468 million. The operational budget, on theother hand, is mostly consumed by wages, with minimal allocations for maintaining existingassets.Turkey's road / traffic accident rates are 3-6 times above those of EU countries. About 7 000 people die each year in road accidents and the losses due to injuries and property damages are estimated to be in the order of 2% of GDP. "The state in Turkey still plays a major role in basic industry, banking and transportation", ( CIA world factbook, 2007) Every two years the number of fatalities on the roads equals the death toll of the tragic Marmara earthquake in 1999. 8.2.2. Highways Since

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Process Of Cell Division In Animals Coursework

The Process Of Cell Division In Animals - Coursework Example The cell cycle comprises of four important stages. S stage is for synthesis and DNA replication occurs in this stage. G2 comes after and S phase and is the phase of DNA repair and correction of any mistakes made during DNA replication. Only the cells with repaired DNA are allowed to enter the M phase. M phase or mitosis is when nuclear and cytoplasmic division occurs culminating in the formation of daughter cells. Cytokinesis is the cytoplasmic division of the parent cells. When a fibrin ring called actin contracts around the center of the cell, it leads to pinching of the cell into two daughter cells, each containing one nucleus. Interphase is not technically a part of mitosis as it is the phase in which the cell is metabolically prepared for mitosis. Chromosomes are not clearly distinguished and the pair of centrioles starts appearing. 5. Suppose someone presented data from their research that showed the DNA of a newly discovered species was composed of: 30% adenine, 30% guanine, 2 0% thymine, 20% cytosine. Based on what you know about DNA structure, explain why these data do not make sense. The Chargaff’s rules indicate that the amount of adenosine equals the amount of Thymine and the amount of Guanine equals the amount of Cytosine. Therefore, the total purines equal the total pyrimidines. However, the rules only apply on double-stranded DNA or double stranded RNA and single stranded nucleic acids such as in viruses do not follow the Chargaff’s rule. The data presented shows 30% adenosine and 20% thymine, and 30% guanine in comparison to 20% cytosine. This data contradicts the Chargaff’s rule, indicating that it is not a double-stranded nucleic acid and most likely represents the base pairing of single-stranded nucleic acid, maybe in viruses. 6. What are the differences between a covalent bond and an ionic bond? In a covalent bond, the atoms are bound by the sharing of electrons. The electrons are shared either equally or unequally betwee n the two atoms. If the electrons are shared equally between the two atoms, the covalent bond is said to be non-polar. If the electron is attracted more towards one atom than another, it leads to the formation of a polar covalent bond, for example the molecule of water H2O. In contrast, the ionic bond of two atoms is formed by the forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions. For example, NaCl is formed by the positively charged Sodium (Na) atom and the negatively charged Chloride (Cl) atom. 7. Water is crucial for life as we know it. One of the most important characteristics of water is its ability to act as a solvent. Explain why water is such a good solvent for polar and charged molecules. The physical and chemical composition of water makes it a very good solvent for polar and charged molecules. Water molecule is made up of positive electrical charge of Hydrogen atoms and the negative charge of Oxygen atom. This forms a very strong polar covalent bond and contributes it a property of being a good solvent, by disrupting the attractive forced between other charged molecules. The polar molecules are easily dissolved in water because the forces of attraction are disrupted between the solute. The positive charges are attracted towards the negative Oxygen pole of water and the negative charges of the solute are attracted towards the positive Hydrogen pole of water. The atoms of solute are then surrounded by water molecules, making it a good solvent for charged and polar molecules. 8. Suppose you are taking a cruise from California to Hawaii. About halfway there, the ship begins to sink. You are able to board a lifeboat, but now you are floating in the ocean waiting to be rescued. After several days, you are so thirsty that you bend over the side of the boat and drink

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Impeachment Of President Bill Clinton

The Impeachment Of President Bill Clinton In 1992, Bill Clinton became the 42nd president of the United States, defeating George Bush. Bill Clinton was the first President born after World War II and the youngest since John F. Kennedy. He is the second president in United States history to be impeached. His impeachment was the consequence of his indiscretions. The impeachment hearing and all the evidence was publicized and often imitated to make fun, but his impeachment was no laughing matter. President Clinton had serious allegations against him that were continuously denied until the evidence was too incriminating that he could no longer cover the truth. Bill Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas in 1946. While attending high school he traveled to Washington D.C. with the Boys Nation to attend a leadership conference. He and others in the group were invited to White House. During his visit he shook hands with President John F. Kennedy, an event that became one of the most memorable of his youth and which sparked an early interest in entering politics. Clinton attended Georgetown University, earning a degree in International Affairs. He then attended Oxford University to study Government and later onto Yale Law School. He met his wife, Hillary, during this time. In 1972, they both worked for presidential candidate, George McGovern. After completing law school he returned to his home, Arkansas, to teach law at the University of Arkansas. During this time he was contemplating his political career. In 1974, he ran for U.S. Congress but lost in a close race. In 1976, he became the Attorney General of Arkansas. He proceeded to become the youngest Governor in the U.S. and then served as the Chairman of the National Governors Association. Clinton continued his political career and in the 1991-1992 presidential election he became President of the United States. He defeated the allegations of marital infidelity, pot smoking, and draft dodging but the turmoil was just beginning. Widely considered the most investigated President ever, the Clinton administration had been dogged by controversy from the very beginning. Shortly after Clinton was elected president, more allegations began to surface. The first major Clinton scandal involved the White House travel office and came to be popularly known as Travelgate. Whitewater began back in 1978 when Bill and Hillary Clinton along with two Arkansas acquaintances, James B. and Susan McDougal, borrowed $203,000 to purchase 220 acres of riverfront land in Arkansas Ozark Mountains, then formed the Whitewater Development Corporation with the intention of building vacation homes (History Place, 2000). In 1982, McDougal purchased Madison Guaranty, a small saving and loan company that was shut down in 1989 after several failed loans. In 1992, the Federal Resolution Trust Corporation, during its investigation into the causes of its failure, named both Bill and Hillary Clinton as potential beneficiaries of alleged illegal activities at Madison Guaranty. A referral was then sent to the U.S. Justice Department (History Place, 2000). There was said to be illegal dealings and but by late 1997, the Whitewater investigation came to a close. The Office of Independent Counsel failed to produce the necessary substantial and credible evidence of an impeachable offense that would justify referring the matter to Congress for further action (Linder, 2005). After this investigation, Clinton personal affairs were being watched closely by Kenneth W. Starr, a former Justice Department official in the Reagan administration, and federal appeals court judge and solicitor general in the Bush administration. He began investigating the Clintons to matters that were personal unrelated to the Whitehouse-Travelgate case. The second allegation began to surface, the Paula Jones case. Paula was a former Arkansas state employee. In 1994, Paula alleged that in 1991, she was summoned by Clintons bodyguard to go his hotel room. She claimed that Clinton committed sexual harassment by dropping his trousers in a Little Rock hotel room and asking her to perform a sex act. She filed a civil lawsuit against the President in federal district court in Arkansas, seeking $700,000 in damages along with a personal apology from Clinton (History Place, 2000). When the alleged event occurred Clinton was not yet the president but when the allegations were made his lawyers advised him to postpone the case. Clintons plan to postpone the case didnt last long before the case reached the United States Supreme Court. For the first time in U.S. history, a sitting President was subjected to a civil lawsuit for actions that occurred before he became President (History Place, 2000). During the Paula Jones controversy Clinton gets involved with Monica Lewinsky. Monica Lewinsky was an intern that came to work at the White house in 1995. During her internship she was assigned to the West Wing of the White House and met Clinton. This was the start of there sexual encounters and secret meetings. She was transferred to the Pentagon and became friends with Linda Tripp. Linda Tripp, a Defense Department employee and friend of Monica Lewinsky. Lewinsky confided in Tripp and began telling her stories about the affair that she had with Clinton. Tripp began secretly tape-recording her conversations with Lewinsky, which included discussions of Lewinskys affair with Clinton. Tripp began to share information with Joness lawyers, and Starr. These findings were building a strong case against Clinton. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 on May, 27 1997 for the Jones case and it proceeded. Joness legal team was in search of more dirt on Clinton. The information from Tripp was just the break that they needed to proceed towards the impeachment of Clinton. Clinton found out that Lewinsky was on the list of witnesses in the Jones case. A close friend on Clintons, Vernon Jordan, assisted Lewinsky in finding another job and also found her a lawyer. The lawyer provided help with an affidavit in the Jones case in which she would deny having a sexual relationship with the President. In 1998, Clinton testified in the Jones case. He was caught off guard because for the first time he was questioned about his sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton denied under oath having any sexual relations with Lewinsky. Clintons denials would be used as the basis of an article of impeachment. Internet sites, news reporters, and magazines began to publically reveal the Lewinsky affair for the first time. Clinton continued to deny the allegations. He made a televised appearance to attempt to end the speculation. Clinton stated, But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. Im going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people (History Place, 2000). This was his first speech but not his last he continued to deny the existence of the relationship. In April 1998, the Paula Jones sexual harassment case was dismissed. It was dismissed on the grounds that the alleged act was not considered sexual harassment under federal law. Starr and his team were still in pursuit of Clinton. Lewinsky declined to testify against Clinton until July. She hired lawyers and met with Starrs staff for the first time. She presented the details of her relationship with Clinton. Starr granted her immunity. Lewinsky also turned over a dress that was stained with semen, the DNA from which proved that Clinton and Lewinsky had been intimate. The next day, Clinton, whom Starr had subpoenaed to come before the grand jury, agreed to appear (Greenburg, 2003). She testified before Starrs federal grand jury. She gave explicit details about the sexual encounters but also told the jury that no one told her to lie or offered her a job in lieu of not telling. In August 1998, Clinton testified and admitted the affair with Lewinsky but continued to deny the Joness allegations. He also gave a televised apology for the relationship with Lewinsky that he described as, wrong. Clinton thus became the first President ever to testify in a grand jury criminal investigation concerning his own actions. Some thought his apology was enough but others thought it was inadequate. Clintons testimony would later be used as the basis of an article of impeachment. In September, Starr charged Clinton with impeachable offenses including perjury, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. Starr disclosed the information to the public and America was flooded with explicit details. President Clinton was in jeopardy of loosing his position in office, something that he worked so hard for. The public began to make mockery of the acts, especially Clinton. The press had called on Clinton to resign and others were deeply concerned about the impact on the nation. In October 1998, the impeachment hearing began. The Democrats, in defense of Clinton, produced an array of scholars asserting that the charges against Clinton did not rise to the level of high Crimes and Misdemeanors mentioned, but not specifically defined, in the U.S. Constitution as grounds for impeachment, and therefore did not warrant removal of the President from office (History Place, 2000). Clinton was given 81 written questions that asked him to admit or deny allegations in Starrs report. His answers to the questions will be basis of an article of impeachment. In December 1998, the Judiciary Committee voted mainly along party lines to approve the first three articles of impeachment, accusing Clinton of committing perjury before Starrs grand jury and in the Jones case, and with obstruction of justice in the Jones case. The next day, the fourth article was approved, accusing Clinton of making false statements in his answers to the 81 written questions (History Place, 2000). Most people in America did not approve of an impeachment. Democrats wanted an alternative or a possibly reprimand but the majority wanted him to stay in the office. During this time Clinton had ordered military strike against Iraq because Iraqi leader did not comply with U.N. weapons inspection. Some say that his action was an attempt to prolong the impeachment but others say such allegations are absurd. The impeachment proceedings were delayed twenty-four hours. On December 19, 1998, President Clinton fate was decided before the full House of Representatives. They voted on the four articles on impeachment: Article 1- perjury before Independent Counsel Ken Starrs grand jury, Article 2- perjury in the Paula Jones civil case, Article 3- obstruction of justice related to the Jones case, Article 4- abuse of power by making perjurious statements to Congress in his answers to the 81 questions posed by the Judiciary Committee. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives brought two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with perjury and obstruction of justice (Greenburg, 2003). The impeachment trial began January 7, 1999. Although this was the second impeachment trial in U.S. history, it would possible be the first for a president to be removed from office. On February 12, 1999, as the whole world watched as Senate voted. On Article 1, the charge of perjury, 55 senators, including 10 Republicans and all 45 Democrats voted not guilty. On Article 3, obstruction of justice, the Senate split evenly, 50 for and 50 against the President (History Place, 2000). A two-thirds majority was needed as stated by the Constitution. President Clinton was found not guilty on both charges and was allowed to serve the reminder of his term in office. President Clinton concludes by saying, Now that the Senate has fulfilled its constitutional responsibility, bringing this process to a conclusion, I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did to trigger these events and the great burden they have imposed on the Congress and on the American people (History Place, 2000). The allegations that led to the impeachment hearing were indeed immoral actions but did they warrant grounds for impeachment. Many will argue that Clinton was trying to protect his privacy by not disclosing all the facts before the court and others would say that he outright lied to cover the truth. He persuaded Lewinsky and other key witnesses into giving false testimony about the affair. In the case of the court when you swear under oath you are entitled to tell the truth but Clinton did not. In doing this, William Jefferson Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States (Hall, Finkelman Ely, 2005). Was justice served? I will say, yes it was. Clinton was wrong for a lot of different reasons but no one other than our God is void of making mistakes. He was humiliated in the public eye and humbly admitted his untrue nature. It is often hard to disclose your own wrong doings to one person but to the whole world that is big. In realizing that he did not have much choice or look like a complete fool he still did the right thing. The trial was needed because there was wrongdoing but the judicial system did not fail the American people. Despite the whole ordeal, I feel that Clinton was one of the best Presidents during my time. Do we judge a person from there wrongdoings or do we look at the bigger picture? I look at the big picture and I stand behind my view, justice was served.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Hiroshima and Nagasaki Essay -- History, Atomic Bomb

With the approval of American President Harry S. Truman, the fates of two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were sealed. This decision came with heavy hearts, as the United States attempted to end their involvement in World War II by using nuclear power against the nation of Japan. Truman’s primary goal in this form of attack was to discontinue the war as quickly as possible, while also sending a message to the enemy and establish the United States as the leader in atomic energy. Beginning as a secret operation labeled the Manhattan Project, atomic bombs became the new weapons of mass destruction. The evident frontrunner in nuclear technology, the United States was the first country to release atomic bombs on another nation for war purposes (not including testing), eventually creating a window for today’s modern combat. Even though it was common knowledge between scientists since 1939 that nuclear warfare was a possibility, no specialists understood the process of inventing the explosive devices. The United States, along with the United Kingdom, underhandedly worked on the Manhattan project, doling out and collaborating information until the atom bomb was completed. It was a necessity for this international government project to remain a secret, in order to make sure that Germany did not make any atomic discoveries before the Allied powers, and to surprise the Japanese with the bombings. With this goal in mind, it was essential that information would not Due to this cloak-and-dagger secrecy, the attacks were unexpected to the inhabitants of Japan, especially the residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With specific objectives, the United States’ decision to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima required extensive research lea... ...tops within ten miles of the city there came unofficial and confused reports of a terrible explosion in Hiroshima. All of these reports were transmitted to the Headquarters of the Japanese General Staff† (Avalon Project: Chapter 7, par. 3) .Upon a staff officer’s flight survey of Hiroshima, â€Å" after flying for about three hours, while still nearly 100 miles from Hiroshima, he and his pilot saw a great cloud of smoke from the bomb. In the bright afternoon, the remains of Hiroshima were burning† (Avalon Project: Chapter 7, par. 4-5). While the damage was being observed, â€Å"a great scar on the land, still burning, and covered by a heavy cloud of smoke, was all that was left of a great city. They landed south of the city, and the staff officer immediately began to organize relief measures, after reporting to Tokyo† (Avalon Project: Chapter 7, par. 6).