Fibonacci, Mathematician of the Middle Ages Essay

Fibonacci, Mathematician of the Middle Ages - Essay Example Camposanto was mostly got ruined in 1944 and had to be expansively repaired. After a few years, revelation to the waterside climate started to take its charge on the sculpture and finally it was taken away, reinstated, cleaned and then returned to its old position next to Pisa's other memorable people, a place where it fits in. Leonardo was an Italian mathematician who was the initial brilliant Western mathematician right after the turn down of the Greek science. (Britannica Online Encyclopedia, 2008). Leonardo was born in 1170, Pisa, Italy. His father namely Guglielmo, was also call by the name Bonaccio. Leonardo's mother, Alessandra, passed away when he was nine years old. He was one of the leading and talented mathematicians of his time. At his time, performing even the easiest arithmetical problems with a non positional detail was a hard endeavor. For solving a particular problem, the merchants were strained to resort to the abacus. Fibonacci showed the new alternate computing technique which was based on printed algorithms somewhat better than on counting bits and pieces. Fibonacci traveled extensively in Barbary together with his father and was shortly derived on to the business tours to Egypt, Syria, Greece, Sicily and Provencal. He appears to have educated a good deal of his arithmetic in Barbary. All through the Mediterranean globe to learned Hindu and Arabic math under the most important Arab mathematicians of that era. He identified that arithmetic with Hindu figures is uncomplicated and more proficient than with Roman figures. However, Leonardo came back from his journey in 1200. Leonardo became a harmonious guest of the Emperor Frederick II who has the benefit of understanding arithmetic and science. Though, in 1240, the Republic of Pisa privileged Leonardo by giving him the name as Leonardo Bigollo and giving him his first pay. (Grimm, R. E., 1973). He wrote numerous important books which played a significant part in revitalizing prehistoric mathematical proficiency and he made noteworthy contributions of his own by himself. At the age of 32, in 1202, Leonardo wrote his first book namely Liber Abaci, which means "the book of abacus or book of calculation." After his first book got published, he wrote various books, therefore, Practica Geometriae in 1220, Flos and Liber Quadratorum published in 1225. Though, he wrote some other books as well, which regrettably, are lost. However, his work in number theory was totally ignored and almost unidentified all through in the Middle Ages. (Charles Burnett. January 14, 2005). Liber Abaci - 1202 Liber Abaci is also pronounced as Liber Abbaci. Its label has two familiar conversions, The Book of the Abacus or The Book of Calculation. In this book, Fibonacci brought in to Europe the Arabic figures, a most important part of our decimal structure, which he had studied by learning with Arabs at the same time when he was living in North Africa with his father. In interpretation of Liber Abaci, it is useful to be aware of Fibonacci's information for rational figures, a data that is intermediary in figure amid the Egyptian fractions, which was normally applied until

Hear My Cry Essay Example for Free

Hear My Cry Essay Big Ma took Stacey, T. J. and Cassie to Strawberry to the market and also to take T. J. to the Barnetts Mercantile. While they were in the market field Cassie pointed out to Big Ma that they were all the way at the end of the field and no-one would be able to see them. The white peoples wagons were right at the front and if anyone wanted to come to the Logans wagon, by the time they got there they would have bunions on their soles and corns on their toes. Additionally in Strawberry, when Cassie was in the Barnetts Mercantile Mr Barnett was taking a long time to see to T. J. s list. He kept on going to help white people and then came back and didnt even put in another item when he started to help a little white girl. When Cassie saw this she became slightly angry and thought Mr. Barnett had forgotten about T. J. s list. Cassie went to tell Mr. Barnett of T. J. s list and tugged at his sleeve. He recoiled and told her to wait. Then she got even angrier and told him that he had taken ages for their turn. Thats when Mr Barnett screamed, Whose little nigger is this? Stacey dragged Cassie out of the store and told her to shush. Mr Barnett was not being fair to the children and was treating them horribly. Once Cassie was outside she accidently bumped into Lillian Jean. She didnt want to create a fuss so when Lillian Jean asked her to apologize she did. But Lillian Jean wanted more; so she ordered Cassie into the road. Of course Cassie wasnt going to do that. When Lillian Jean went to grab Cassies arm, Cassie pulled it back but someone caught it and held it tight so it hurt. This was Mr Simms. He shoved her into the road and Cassie fell on her bottom. He told her to listen to Lillian Jean when she asked Cassie to get in the road. He asked her to apologize and Cassie said she had. When Mr Simms jumped into the road Cassie got really scared and thought her would hit her but he didnt. Then she got up and ran to the wagon but somebody caught her, it was Big Ma. Then Big Ma told Cassie to apologize but Cassie still argued. Once again Big Ma told her and this time Cassie did. But Mr Simms demanded her to say Miz before his daughters name. And with a painful tear Cassie did. You can tell how upset she was because in the book it says; No day in all my life had been as cruel as this one. Lastly, in the final chapters T. J. had become friends with R. W. and Melvin. But the Simms boys used this to their advantage. They would laugh behind T. J. s back but not in front of him. Then one day they forced him to break into the Barnetts Mercantile and stole the pearl handle pistol. Also Mr and Mrs Barnett were left for dead. T. J. got all the blame and the Simms stood there watching when the Wallaces came for T. J. , T. J. got sent to jail and was to go to court while the Simms boys were left free. In conclusion, all white people had superiority over the black community. They didnt treat them with respect, except a few (example; Jeremy and Mr Jamison). Blacks had to call white people Miss or Mr. And white people made the law not blacks. They could hang a black for any reason, or no reason at all and no questions were asked. Black people were treated unfairly and unjustly. Saimah Sarwar 10a English GCSE Coursework Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our  GCSE Mildred Taylor  section.

Data Warehouse Characteristics And Definition Information Technology Essay

Data Warehouse Characteristics And Definition Information Technology Essay A data warehouse provides an integrated view of the customer and their relationship with the organisation by bringing together the data from a number of operational systems. A data warehouse provides a complete picture of the enterprise by focusing on its enterprise-wide components like profits, sales and customers by looking beyond the traditional information view structure. These components require information from various sources as they have both organisational and process boundaries. The data warehouses are made up of large databases. These databases store the integrated data of the enterprise. This data may be obtained from both, internal as well as external sources. Internal sources of data refer to the data that is obtained from the operational systems of the enterprise. External data sources are the government bodies, third party organisations, business partners, customers etc. These databases also store the metadata that gives a description of the content of data that is st ored in the data warehouse. The data warehouses are designed and constructed in a denormalized manner. This is done to replicate the dimensional view of the business by the user. This makes it possible to better analyze, examine and summarize the data. This can be done over different periods of time and at different levels of detail when the data structure is denormalized. The data warehouses have a time dimension where all the data is time stamped. This is done so that the data can support the reports that are used to compare the figures from the earlier months or years. It is helpful for the decision takers of the organisation to better understand the trends and patters of the market and customer behaviour over the period of time. The data warehouses contain both atomic as well as summarised data. The atomic data is the data that provides a great level of detail. This makes responding to queries a faster process when the tasks are at the highest level of detail. As the name sugges ts, the summarised data provides a quick summary of data and does not go much into detail. Thus only storing summarised data is not an option. However, the storage of atomic data requires much larger space. 2.2 Purpose Previously, the data was not easily accessible because it was stored in environments which were unfriendly and not easy to access. The data warehouses solve this problem by providing access to the integrated organisational data that was stored in such environments. The data warehouses provide security either by their front-end applications or from the database servers. As a result, the users can now have a secure connection to the warehouse from their personal computers. Because the data warehouses provide integrated data, the need for users to understand and access operational data is greatly reduced. The information provided by the data warehouses is consistent and is of high quality. They are the common source of information for the organisation. Due to this there is consistency in the data and the organisations decision making process becomes much easier. They are also used to store historical data. Actual historical data is not stored on operational systems but is simply loaded and integrated with the other data in the warehouse so that it can be accessed quickly. Data warehouses provide the ability to their users to view the data at different levels of detail and go through it as and how they require. Such freedom to view the data from different angles improves the analysis process by reducing the time and effort required to collect, format and present the information from the data. To make the information technology infrastructure of the organisation stronger, the data warehouses distinguish between analytical and operational processes. They provide additional system archite cture to execute the decisions. With the focus of the data warehouses on achieving the requirements for business decisions, they are the best suited systems for the redesigned decision-making business processes. 2.3 Trends in data warehousing Data warehousing is no longer just a concept or used for educational purposes only. It has become mainstream. Almost 90% of the multinational corporations either use data warehousing or are planning to implement it. Data warehousing has transformed the way business analysis and decision making takes place. The organisations that already use it have witnessed the enormous benefits that it has to offer. Web technologies have only added to the benefits provided by data warehousing and has paved the way for easy delivery of critical information. There have been many changing trends in the field of data warehousing since its evolution. Scientists have always felt that technology has been the driving force behind data warehousing. But now, the softwares being used have had a significant progress rate and in the years to come, we can expect data warehousing to take a major leap not only in software but also in optimising queries, indexing big tables, improved data compression and expanding dimensional modelling. Real-time warehousing Real -time data warehousing is increasingly becoming the focus of top executives in the organisations. As compared to conventional data warehousing, real-time data warehouses provide the most recent views of the business and are dynamic in nature. A conventional data warehouse is more passive in nature and provides historical trends. The tools of business intelligence along with the data warehouse have been mainly used to make strategic decisions. But now they are required more for making tactical decisions on a day to day basis. There is a lot of pressure in the companies as they are expected to come up with real-time information with everyone connected to important business processes. Providing real-time information has increased the productivity of the companies tremendously. However, there a number of challenges that the company has to face while trying to do so. Data types Previously the companies included mostly numeric structured data in their data warehouses. This divided the decision support systems in to two parts, one that worked with structured data and the other one that worked with knowledge management involving unstructured data. Most of the structured data is numeric and most of the unstructured data is in the form of images. Now, if we were to consider a situation where the decision maker of the company has to perform an analysis in order to find out about the top-selling products, where he/she would like to take a look at the images of the products for further decisions, then this wouldnt have been possible. This fact has been realised by the organisations and therefore the need is felt to integrate both the structured as well as the unstructured data in the data warehouses. In order to include the unstructured data in the data warehouses, the vendors are considering multimedia like images and texts as just another data type. They are stor ed as binary large objects and are considered to be a part of the relational data. They are defined as user-defined-types by the user-defined-functions. But it is not possible to simply consider all binary large objects as relational data type. That is because, if we were to consider video clips, there would be a need for a server that is able to support delivery of multiple video streams at a given rate along with audio synchronisation. After having included unstructured data in the data warehouses, there should also be a way to search for this data. Without proper ways to search for this data, the integration of unstructured data will prove rather useless. Vendors have now started providing search engines so that the user is able to search for all the information that he/she requires. The example of such a mechanism would be the query by images mechanism. Its purpose is to let the user search for pre-indexed images on the basis of their shape, size and colour. For text-data, the s earch engine retrieves the documents based on words, characters, phrases etc. The use of search mechanisms for audio and video data is still in the research stages. Another data-type would be the spatial data. Including the spatial data-type in the data warehouses adds a great deal of value to the data warehousing systems. Spatial data answers questions like average income of the people living near the store, average driving distance for the people coming to the store etc. Examples of spatial data include address, city, county, state etc. The database vendors do realise the importance of this type of data and some of them do add special SQL extensions to their products in order to include such data. Data visualisation Data visualization is necessary to improve the performance of the user in terms of analysis. The users expect to see the query results in the form of charts or graphics. If the query results are in the form of spread sheets, it affects the quickness and ease by which the users can carry out the analysis. It also means that the data warehouse is outdated. If we consider the last few years, there have been many trends in the way the data visualization softwares work. Now, the variety of charts to view different types of data has increased. For example, there are pie charts available to view the numerical results. Dynamic charts are available which allow the users to see the results, manipulate it and check for the new views online. The newer versions of the data visualization softwares make it possible to see a large number of results at once and complex data structures. Some of the more advanced visualization techniques available today are the chart manipulation technique, drill down technique and the advanced iteration technique. Companies have also started adopting scorecards and dashboards as a means to view the performance. Different types of users have different needs. The business users require bar charts, the scientific users require constellation graphs, and the analysts require three dimensional views and so on. The latest trends in the softwares have made it possible to fulfil the ever changing needs of the current users of the data warehousing systems. Parallel processing One of the most important aspects of data warehousing is delivering top-quality performance. The users of the data warehouses are constantly performing large complex queries. These queries read enormous amounts of data to give out the results. Again, to analyse these results, a large number of queries are executed one after the other by individual users. Some of the other functions involved are the loading of data and creating indexes for the data. Both the processes can be slow because of the huge amounts of data and large number of indexes. For the data warehouses to give out quality performance, it is necessary to speed up these processes like query processing, data loading and indexing. An efficient way to do this is to achieve parallel processing. This is done by utilising both hardware options as well as software techniques together. For parallel processing, the hardware options may include multiple CPUs, many server nodes, memory modules, high speed links between interconnecte d nodes etc. In the software implementation of parallel processing, the hardware configuration needs to be chosen properly. The reason for this is that if the hardware configuration is not proper, then the operating systems and the databases will be unable to use the hardwares parallel features. Parallel server and parallel query are the two options that the database vendors generally provide for parallel processing. The parallel server option makes it possible to have separate database instances for each of the hardware nodes. The database instances are also allowed to access a common set of database files. On the other hand, the parallel query option supports the important functions like query processing, data loading and index creation. Considering the current technology, executing the data warehouse without parallel processing is not at all an option to be considered. Tools for query processing The tools that are required for query processing are the most important set of tools in data warehousing. The success of a data warehouse is not possible without them. Because of this, the vendors have started coming out with new and improved query tools since the past few years. Some of the query tools that are of most importance and have undergone significant changes by the vendors are flexible representation, aggregate awareness, crossing subject areas, multiple heterogeneous sources, overcoming SQL limitations etc. Browser tools Here the term browser is not restricted to the use of web browsers alone. One of the major advantages of data warehousing is that the users are able to execute queries in the data warehouse that generate reports without any help or assistance from someone who is in the I.T. field. Here, the browser tools come in handy when the users want to go through the metadata and search for specific chunks of information. This allows the users to directly go to the data warehouse. Their need is also felt when a data warehouse for the company is being developed and the I.T. team has to go through all the data structures, data sources and business rules. Some of the major improvements that the browser tools have gone through in the past few years are: extensible tools that allow to define any type of data or information objects, open APIs, navigation through hierarchical groupings, web browsing and search techniques to go through information catalogues etc. Data Fusion In order to provide an integrated view of the enterprise, the data warehouse stores data collected from a number of sources. The data may be taken from different operational systems running on different platforms, each using a different DBMS. Data may also be taken from a number of external sources. Data fusion is the technology that fuses together all this different types of data from multiple sources and stores it in the data warehouse. It provides a wider scope and the real-time integration of data from the monitoring systems. A vast amount of research is being carried on in order to improve this technology as it has a direct application in the field of data warehousing. Apart from the integration of data from multiple sources, the data fusion technology is also expected to address the problem of finding the right information at the right time as it can be a difficult task due to the vast amounts of data that is stored. The data fusion technology as for now is still in its researc h phase and therefore the vendors are not hurrying to develop the tools for data fusion. Integrating ERP and Data Warehouses Enterprise resource planning was introduced in the markets in the 1990s. The goal of ERP was to help in the decision making as well as the taking of necessary actions from one integrated environment. It was also supposed to provide the companies with the integrated corporate data repositories. For this, the data was cleansed, transformed and integrated in one place. But soon, the companies that implemented these systems realised that the relational databases that were designed and normalised to carry out the business operations were not able to provide the necessary strategic information. Also the data from the external sources and the operational systems was not included in the ERP data repositories. As a result, the companies that were planning to acquire the ERP systems started to consider the integration of ERP systems with data warehousing. There are three major options that are available that allow the companies to do so. They are the ERP data warehouse, the custom developed data warehouse and the hybrid ERP data warehouse enhanced with third party tools. The ERP data warehouse option allows the companies to implement data warehousing with the current available functionality and wait for further enhancements. But the only negative about this option is that the enhancements may take a long time to come. The 2nd option that is the custom-developed data warehouse allows the companies to have a customized data warehouse along with the use of 3rd party tools to get the data from the ERP datasets. Although reclaiming and loading the data from the ERP datasets is not an easy task. The 3rd option that is the hybrid ERP data warehouse enhanced with 3rd party tools allows the combination of the functionalities of the existing data warehouse with the additional functionalities from the third party tools. The companies need to sel ect the option that will be most suitable for their corporation. Data Warehousing and CRM The benefits of having a CRM-ready data warehouse are substantial. Now-a-days, there is an increasing competition among the companies and also, there is a need to retain the existing customers and attract new ones. The companies have now started targeting individual customers and fulfilling their needs instead of having a mass focus group. To achieve this, the companies have adopted customer relationship management. To build a data warehouse that is customer ready, there is a need to develop CRM-ready data warehouses. But, doing so is by no means an easy task. The data warehouses need to have all the information of every transaction with every individual customer. What this means is that each unit of each sale of every product to each customer must be recorded in the data warehouse. Not only the sales data, but also, information regarding every other type of interaction with the customer needs to be recorded. The CRM-ready data warehouse becomes flexible with such detailed recording of data. There is a huge amount of increase in the volumes of data. These large amounts of data can be stored across multiple storage management devices. They are accessed by using common data warehouse tools. Also, there is a need to improve functions like cleansing and transformation functions that are more complex in nature. These are some of the major efforts to achieve a CRM-ready data warehouse. Although, the previous tools of data warehousing are not quite capable of adopting the specialized requirements of customer-focused applications. The Web and Data warehouse The introduction of internet has deeply affected the way in which computing and communication has been taking place previously. From its start in 1969 with only four host computers, it has come a long way with a huge amount of increase in the host computers, almost up to 95 million hosts by 2000. And it still continues to grow with exponential speeds. In the year 2000, there were almost 26 million web-sites and 150 million users using the available web technologies for one reason or the other. Now, the companies have come up with intranets (private networks) and extranets (public networks) in order to properly communicate with their employees, customers and business partners. The web has transformed itself in to a universal information delivery system. Today, there is no business that can survive without making use of the available web technologies. E-commerce has now become the main focus of the businesses and there is an annual investment of 300 billion dollars which is soon expected to cross the 1 trillion mark. Therefore, it has become extremely important for the companies to transform their data warehouses to make them web-enabled in order to make use of the tremendous potential that the web technologies have to offer. But while doing so, the companies need to bring the data warehouses to the web and also bring the web to the data warehouses. Bringing the warehouse to the web: During the early times of the evolution of data warehousing, the data warehouses were developed only for the top-level management such as the managers, analysts and a few others to help them with critical analysis and decision making. The necessary information was delivered to this user group by making use of the client/server environment. But today, the needs of the businesses have increased tremendously. The warehousing technology has been made available to all the members included in the corporations value chain. It is not just confined to a select group of people. Important information is not only provided to employees alone but also to the customers, business partners and the suppliers. In todays highly competitive times, these changes are necessary to increase the productivity of all the members of the company. This can only be possible with the help of internet along with web technology. The way the users of the data warehouse retrieve, analyse and share the information is changed drastically with the help of the new information delivery mechanism that is the web technology. The information delivery will be a little different having new components and the internet interface will provide a browser, search engine, a homepage, hypertext links, downloadable Java etc. The important requirements of the users while bringing the data warehouse to the web are strict security, self data access, unified metadata, high performance etc. Bringing the web to the warehouse: In order to bring the web to the warehouse, the company needs to collect the number of clicks the company website gets from all the visitors and then perform the traditional data warehousing functions. This must be accomplished in real-time and involves extraction, transformation and loading of the number of clicks to the data warehouse. Dimensional schemas are then developed from this data and the information delivery systems are launched. The click data helps in analysing how exactly the visitors went about through the company web-site. Also important information like what made the visitors purchase the company product, how they were attracted and what made the visitors come back to the web-site can also be recorded. The web-house as it is known has become an extremely important tool for retaining, identifying and prioritising the e-commerce customers. The combination of data warehousing and web technology has become very important to all the businesses in the 21st century. Using web technologies for information delivery and integrating the click data from the company web-sites for analysis has become the need of the day.

Living With Endometriosis Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological disorders which affect 5.5 million women in the U.S. and 176 million women worldwide. It is a chronic disorder found within the pelvic area of women. This disease is found to affect women of all ethnic and social backgrounds. While it has not yet been determines exactly what causes endometriosis there seems to be certain trends that may contribute to this disease. There also seems to be a link this being a hereditary disease. Symptoms can vary widely from case to case which can sometimes make it hard to diagnose endometriosis in the beginning. Endometriosis has 4 stages or classifications which are minimal, mild, moderate and severe which are used to describe the anatomic location and the severity of the disorder. Symptoms can be as minimal as mild cramping and be as devastating as infertility. There is no known cure for endometriosis but women do have treatment options to relieve the pain and to help with fertility problems tha t may be a result of endometriosis. The only true way to diagnose endometriosis is by performing a pelvic laparoscopy. But ultrasound is a way to pick up on signs of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a chronic, progressive disorder in which tissue resembling the inner lining of the uterus known as endometrium grows and appears at unusual locations in the lower abdominal cavity. It is a condition that occurs when the endometrium, tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, grows outside of the uterus. During your menstrual cycle the endometrium thickens to get ready for the egg. If the egg is fertilized, it will attach to the endometrium and begin to grow. If the egg is not fertilized, the endometrium breaks down and is flushed from your body as blood ... ...unction. St. Louis: Saunders, 2004. Depot, Lupron. Endometriosis Treatment. Abbott Park: Abbott, 2010. Kowalczyk, Nina, and James Mace. Radiographic Pathology for Technologists. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 2009. Kurjak, Asim, and Frank Chervenak. Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Panama City: Jaypee, 2004. Metzger, Deborah, and Howard Reisman, and Stuart Schultz. Managing Endometriosis. San Bruno: StayWell, 2000. Mosbys Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 2009. S, Kennedy . Endometriosis Global Forum for News and Information. 23 Jan. 2011. 11 Feb. 2012. . Storck, Susan. "Endometriosis." PubMed Health. 25 Jul. 2011. . Trivedi, Dr. Ravi K. Personal interview. 11 Feb. 2012.

Business Research Ethics Essay

  Joseph J.C. DiCarlo was found guilty of embezzling $40,000 from a consulting firm in New York for suppressing a legislative report. This report unfavorably criticized the firm’s construction contracts. Joseph J.C. DiCarlo already had a tarnished reputation of a corrupt official, and unethical practices. Based on Josephs actions the state senators were the affected parties in this case study. As Joseph was found guilty the state senators at that time felt relieved that a person with his unethical practices would no longer have the power entrusted in him. The manner in which DiCarlo extorted money for the construction of the University of Massachusetts in Boston, and tried to sabotage a legislative report was all for personal gain. Joseph was voted in to seat by the public and entrusted to make ethical actions that would be in the best interest of the organization and the public. This case study, shows how greed and selfishness played a major role in the choices DiCarlo made , he however did not for see the investigation that led to his conviction. This conviction put an end to his career and was expelled as a senate in 1977. Although Joseph DiCarlo sealed his own fate, his actions were illegal, and unethical. With such a thin line between what is unethical and illegal it is usually up to the organization or research firms to determine if any research or action is would be characterized as unethical or illegal. Most businesses or and organizations strive themselves to instil ethical practices to their employees, it is unfortunately that Joseph DiCarlo was placed in a seat of power where some of these practices are not followed by the people who put them in place. Some organizations go as far as conducting yearly or even monthly trainings, to keep employees up to date with current policies and procedures. In any case an organization conducts these trainings to protect themselves from any liability, due to the employee’s unethical practices. In this case Joseph’s unethical practices resulted in his conviction, and liability to pay fines based on his actions. His unethical actions resulted in a $5,000 fine and one year in prison. Although, he did steal $40,000, but only paid back $5,000, the University of Massachusetts students.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Facts

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Facts The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the only known species of hummingbird to breed or even regularly reside in eastern North America. The breeding range of ruby-throated hummingbirds is the largest of all the species of hummingbirds in North America. Fast Facts: Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Scientific Name: Archilochus colubrisCommon Name: Ruby-throated hummingbirdBasic Animal Group: BirdSize:  2.8–3.5 inches in lengthWeight: 0.1–0.2 ouncesLifespan: 5.3 yearsDiet:  OmnivoreHabitat: Summers in eastern North America; winters in Central AmericaPopulation: Estimated 7 millionConservation Status: Least Concern Description Male and female ruby-throated hummingbirds differ in their appearance in several ways. Males are more vibrantly colored than females. Males have metallic emerald-green plumage on their back and metallic red feathers on their throat (this patch of feathers is referred to as a gorget). Females are duller in color, with less vibrant green feathers on their back and no red gorget, their throat and belly plumage is a dull grey or white. Young ruby-throated hummingbirds of both sexes resemble the plumage of adult females. Like all hummingbirds, ruby-throated hummingbirds have small feet that are not well suited to perching or hopping from branch to branch. For this reason, ruby-throated hummingbirds use flight as their primary means of locomotion. They are superb aerialists and are capable of hovering with wingbeat frequencies of up to 53 beats per second. They can fly in a straight line, up, down, backward, or hover in place. The flight feathers of ruby-throated hummingbirds include 10 full-length primary feathers, six secondary feathers, and 10 rectrices (the largest feathers used for flight). Ruby-throated hummingbirds are tiny birds, they weigh between about 0.1 and 0.2 ounces and measure between 2.8 to 3.5 inches in length. Their wingspan is about 3.1 to 4.3 inches wide. Larry Keller, Lititz Pa.  / Getty Images Habitat and Range This hummer breeds in the summertime, throughout the eastern United States and Canada. In the autumn, the birds migrate to their wintering grounds in Central America from northern Panama to southern Mexico, although some winter in parts of South Florida, the Carolinas, and along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. They prefer habitats which have lots of flowers, such as fields, parks, backyards, and open clearings in forests. Migration round-trips can be as long as 1,000 miles. Migration patterns of ruby-throated hummingbirds vary: Some migrate between their breeding and wintering grounds by flying across the Gulf of Mexico while others follow the Mexican gulf coastline. Males start their migration before females and juveniles (males and females) follow on after the females. They migrate south between August and November, and north again between March and May. Diet and Behavior Ruby-throated hummingbirds feed primarily on nectar and small insects. They occasionally supplement their diet with tree sap if nectar is not readily available. When gathering nectar, ruby-throated hummingbirds prefer to feed on red or orange flowers such as red buckeye, trumpet creeper, and red morning glory. They often feed while hovering at the flower but also land to drink nectar from a conveniently located perch. Scientists have long been fascinated by the hummingbirds hovering flight. Unlike larger birds, they can perform sustained hovering as well as regular cruise flight and maneuvering. Like insects, they use a leading edge vortex over their wing surfaces to gain lift in the flight, but unlike insects, they can invert their wings at the wrist joint (insects do that with a pulse of muscles).   Reproduction and Offspring During the June–July breeding season, ruby-throated hummingbirds are highly territorial, behavior which is reduced during other times of the year. The size of the territories that males establish during the breeding season varies based on the availability of food. Males and females do not form a pair bond and remain together only during courtship and mating. Female ruby-throated hummers lay up to three broods a year, in groups of one–three eggs, most typically two, which hatch after 10–14 days. The mother continues to feed the chicks for another four to seven days, and the chicks fledge and leave the nest 18–22 days after hatching. Hummingbirds become sexually mature the next season about one year of age. Studio One-One/Getty Images Threats There are an estimated 7 million ruby-throated hummingbirds in the world, and they are classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System does not list them as endangered at all. However, continuing climate change affecting their migration patterns and those of related species may have impacts that are as yet unclear. Northern migration dates of ruby-throated hummingbirds have already been measurably impacted by global climate change, with warmer winter and spring temperatures correlating with earlier arrivals, especially at lower latitudes (below 41 degrees north, or generally south of Pennsylvania). In a 10-year study (2001–2010), the differences ranged from 11.4 to 18.2 days earlier in warmer years, leading to concerns about competition for food resources going forward. Sources Bertin, Robert I. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird and Its Major Food Plants: Ranges, Flowering Phenology, and Migration. Canadian Journal of Zoology 60.2 (1982): 210–19. Print.BirdLife International. Archilochus colubris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22688193A93186255, 2016.Courter, Jason R., et al. Assessing Migration of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus Colubris) at Broad Spatial and Temporal Scales. The Auk: Ornithological Advances 130.1 (2013): 107–17. Print.Hilton, Bill, Jr., and Mark W. Miller. Annual Survival and Recruitment in a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Population, Excluding the Effect of Transient Individuals. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 105.1 (2003): 54–62. Print.Kirschbaum, Kari, Marie S. Harris. and Robert Naumann. Archilochus colubris (ruby-throated hummingbird). Animal Diversity Web, 2000.  Leberman, Robert C., Robert S. Mulvihill, and D. Scott Wood. A Possible Relationship between Reversed Sexual Size Dimorphism an d Reduced Male Survivorship in the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 94.2 (1992): 480–89. Print. Song, Jialei, Haoxiang Luo, and L. Hedrick Tyson. Three-Dimensional Flow and Lift Characteristics of a Hovering Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 11.98 (2014): 20140541. Print.Weidensaul, Scot et al. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). The Birds of North America Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2013.

Lehrack, Otto. First Battle Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA Casemate, 2004

Lehrack, Otto. First Battle Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA Casemate, 2004 The topic of this book was the very first battle in the Viet Nam conflict, as fought by the American marines against the North Vietnamese. The actual thesis was that the Viet Congs underestimation of the United States military forces ability to rapidly and effectively deploy and fight, pretty much lost the North Vietnamese the battle, despite the fact that their intelligence was detailed and available early. The evidence that supported the books thesis was borne out by many eye-witness accounts, on both sides of the conflict.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Lehrack, Otto. First Battle: Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2004 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The overall quality of this work was superior as it appeared very thorough and well-researched. It also was an interesting read. The value of this work could be considered to be of both historical and milita ry benefit, in terms of actual recorded events and military tactics and strategy. Battle planners and historians may also enjoy and benefit from reading this book. Even, for those who lost family members in this battle, it could prove to be a worthwhile read. Further, most exemplary was the authors research, including evaluation and review of command logs, along with perusal and analysis of the various interrogation and after-action reports. Then, too, the author spent much time on the actual battlefield, and also conducted interviews with various families and combatants on either side, from members of the Marine unit to the VC 1st Regiment. Lastly, his personal conversations with the participants at all levels, on both sides. Finally, his own Marine combat experience as an infantry company commander at that time speaks for itself. The quality of these sources were adequate and in some cases, superior. Everything appeared to corroborate the authors writing. This account is based upo n actual primary and some secondary research but also personal experience, of course, as mentioned earlier. Thus, the authors argument that the Viet Congs previous intelligence did not account for the rapid capability for the US marines to spearhead a most devastating and useful attack against them was quite creditable. Lehracks writing style and ability was such that the book was written clearly, and easy to read and follow, with plenty of action included, and sufficient background knowledge as gleaned from himself and his sources. As compared to our class activities, this student has observed that this reading was easier to get through than some others, and appeared to have adequate primary sources, as well as being sufficiently documented. A significant part of the appeal of this noteworthy book is due in part to its methodical you are there focus. The author places his audience right there in the geographical locale, at the particular time period, within the first two chapters. He therefore makes his point that the US slid right into this war, in increments, without much forethought, perhaps basing much action on current Cold War fears.Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The highlights in the books account consist of the following events. A teen age North Vietnamese deserter informed the United States Marine commander that right near the village of Van Tuong, also located near another new US base, was in danger. For, encamped nearby was the 1st Viet Cong Regiment. Soon, intercepted radio chatter confirmed this fact. Since this situation was a direct threat to the base and, also presented the chance to decimate this slippery VC organization. So Lt Gen Walt determined to take the battle right to the enemy. His subordinate leader was named and it was the notable Colonel Oscar F. Peatross. The battalions to be employed were those at Chu Lai, the 3d Bn, Thi rd Marine Regiment, and the 2d Bn, 4th Marines. For reinforcements, Walt also requisitioned the amphibious 3d Bn, 7th Marines to join them, from the Philippines. A combined helicopter and amphibious assault was then employed. Secrecy and speed were and proved vital for success. So, in just three days, Starlite commenced. The Viet Cong then hurried to catch up and deployed anti-personnel mines, but these had no measurable effect. The battalions were able to land, leaving one unit in reserve. Tanks and UH-1 Huey gunships assisted in securing the hill off the beach, the first objective. Then, an enemy battalion had to be quickly routed, and additional assaults were launched. Corporal Robert OMalley, one of the primary heroes in the conflict, led his squad across a crucial trench and secured it, while fighting against scores of enemy. Although OMalley suffered numerous wounds, refused to stop and leave the battle. He managed to retrieve a number of his wounded troops. Then, the remainde r of India Company secured the village of An Cuong 2, which had been aiding and abetting the enemy. At about the same time, in the Hotel, 2/4, 1stLt Jenkins Marines managed to overcome an attack coming from the village of Nam Yen 3. LCpl Ernie Wallace cleverly and bravely discriminated the camouflaged enemy out from the local terrain, and dispatched at least 25 of them with his M60.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Lehrack, Otto. First Battle: Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2004 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another menacing machine gun nest was taken out by Cpl Dick Tonucci and one of his riflemen, PFC Ron Centers. They then proceeded to take out a second one, and also an enemy bunker. Then, a rifleman, LCpl J. C. Paul, provided covering fire for the wounded out in the open. He himself had been shot but had refused the medevac chopper. Unfortunately, he was hit with mortar rounds and small-arms fire, and eventually passed away, defending his men. There was significant collateral damage on another assault on Nam Yen 3, although the enemy themselves suffered significant casualties. Further Marine casualties took place as a supply convoy was ambushed. This happened again with yet another convoy. Choppers came to the rescue, but also came under heavy fire. Some friendly air fire support proved to provide some valuable support. With 200 or so wounded, the Marines suffered 54 mortal casualties. Nevertheless, all their forces- ground, air, ship, and artillery- managed to cause almost 700 dead Vietcong, the better part of several battalions. Both aviation and ground personnel had managed to dig in adequately, although much damage was suffered. Certainly, there were many heroes and military honors that day, for this first momentous battle. Thus, these Marines ended the Starlite Operation successfully and proved that they could fight guerri lla style, on yet another type of terrain, that of the jungle-heavy and swamp-laden vista of Viet Nam. And so began that lengthy and controversial conflict. Bibliography Lehrack, Otto. First Battle: Operation Starlite and the Beginning of the Blood Debt in Vietnam Havertown, PA: Casemate, 2004.

Pick One By Yourself Example

Pick One By Yourself Example Pick One By Yourself – Book Report/Review Example number 24 March Article Review: As Pollution Worsens in China, Solutions Succumb to Infighting In this short article review I will dwell on the environmental problems in China covered by New York Times reporter, Edward Wong, in his article titled As Pollution Worsens in China, Solutions Succumb to Infighting. This New York Times article is focused on the air pollution issues in China and investigates obstacles that stand on the way of solving the problem of the unbearable level of sulfur and carbon dioxide emissions, which has become one of the most burning issues in contemporary China over the past decade. A couple of photos, which show thick smog that veils downtown Beijing, illustrate the article that offers a reader an utterly painstaking research of the problem. According to the article, the air pollution hit record levels in north China in February, 2013. The point is that the biggest coal-firing plants and state-owned oil refinery factories are located in this very region of t he country. The situation with air pollution in China has worsened drastically over the past years. In fact, the deterioration of the air quality in big cities and huge industrial regions has gone so bad that the highest government officials who used to overlook the problem in the past cannot help but acknowledge the alarming level of the environmental threat. For instance, the sulfur levels of diesel are more 20 times as high as that in the United States of America, which are way far from being the flagship of elaborated environmental policy themselves. According to the statistics published in the article by the Edward Wong, the author of this New York Times expose, vehicle emissions are responsible for 22 per cent of the deadly particulate matter in the air, while around 40 per cent come from the coal-fire factories in the capital of China and its nearby provinces (Wong). Unfortunately, while the Ministry of Environmental protection of China push through higher fuel standards, th e biggest state-owned companies, such as Sinopec and PetroChina, as well as the coal-firing factories do their best to lobby just the opposite measures or simply sabotage the implementation of the stricter emission standards. Unfortunately, in the future the situation with air pollution in China is going to worsen even more as the number of cars is increasing rapidly and the solutions succumb to infighting.Work CitedWong, Edward. "As Pollution Worsens in China, Solutions Succumb to Infighting." New York Times. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example The workforces of firms are seen as the main resources that enable competitive advantage. The practices of Human Resource Management (HRM) have led to dramatic developments in developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as many developing economies such as India (Budhwar and Khatri, 2001). The Indian economy is characterized by huge growth in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) made by multinational corporations entering different sectors of the economy. This economic status requires companies that tend to invest in the Indian economy to have special and modernized people management practices. Human Resource Management (HRM) systems and practices may vary from one country to another, as cultural and national factors influence the ways that human resources are managed across the globe. In this paper I will illustrate the distinguishing features of various HRM systems that Indian people practice in their organizations in terms of recruitment an d retention, training and development, and performance and reward management. Challenges facing Indian HR practices will also be examined. 2. Culture in India Culture in India is predominantly affected by the following factors: 2.1 Power distance Many Indians believe that power and wealth are unequally distributed within the country and that this situation is badly in need of change. Strong organizational hierarchy leads to the occurrence of both respected and disregarded positions among employees. The caste system, which is largely accepted in India, cannot be changed, although barriers between castes are shrinking and ‘untouchability’ was declared illegal in 1949. Caste is thought to be determined by behavior in former lives and is therefore accepted as fate. This affects the entire life of Indians, including their social status and profession (Khan-Panni and Swallow, 2009 {in Hollinshead 2009}). 2.2 Uncertainty avoidance In India there is a relatively low level of un certainty compared to other countries. Structures and traditions play key roles in reducing uncertainty, as Indians respect traditions, caste and heritage; elements that determine their role in society (Khan- Panni and Swallow, ibid {in Hollinshead 2

Tendering and Contracts Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Tendering and Contracts Topics - Essay Example Lump sum contracts are the simplest type of contracts used in engineering and construction. They are also called stipulated sum, as this is the simplest type of an agreement among the supplier of services and a customer (Oklahoma State University, n.d., p.1). The customer pays the price upon completion of the agreed work, or as agreed. The price offered by the supplier of services is based on estimation of the costs of labour and materials, and a standard amount for overhead and the desired amount of profit (Oklahoma State University, n.d., p.1). Profit and overhead are usually estimated to the total of about 12-16 percent of the project cost (Oklahoma State University, n.d., p.1). This share increases with risk (Oklahoma State University, n.d., p.1). In case the final costs of labour and materials are higher than the builder's estimate, the profit is reduced (Oklahoma State University, n.d., p.1). When final costs are lower, profit increases. However, the price of the project remain s the same. Though there are advantages of this contract, problems might arise as well. In cases where costs turn out to be higher than first estimated, the provider of services might attempt to substitute cheaper materials for those first specified (Oklahoma State University, n.d., p.1). ... ed plan of activities must be defined ahead of time; owner’s financial risk must be low and fixed at the beginning; there must be sufficient time to design the project properly and bid (Oklahoma State University, n.d., p.1). Unless these requirements are met, this type of a contract should not be used. This contract is thus usually used with â€Å"Design-Bid-Build method of project procurement† (Oklahoma State University, n.d., p.1). In this method, project planning is outsourced and separated from project execution (AECOM CONSULT, 2006, p.i ). Transportation companies have traditionally used it. Another type of contracts is the measures and value contract. Unlike in the lump sum contract, here the final cost of the project is established upon completion. Before the outset, costs are estimated. Upon completion, costs are re – measured in order to establish the actual cost (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 2012). Instead of receiving one final bill, the o wner receives â€Å"the bill of quantities,† which is composed of a schedule of rates for each unit or item (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 2012). This type of contracts is best suited for projects where the initial design cannot be completed ahead of time. Drawings and a bill of approximate quantities is usually produced (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 2012). They are recommended for the residential projects (Georgie P Landscape Architecture Ltd, n.d., p.1). The advantage of this contract over the lump sum is that the program for design, tendering and construction is shortened (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 2012). However, here the owner of the project suffers the unexpected costs of the project. This type of a contract is also used in the design – bid – build method of

User Frustration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

User Frustration - Assignment Example The other frustration is related to users’ emotional reaction to computing technology; in fact, studies have been conducted on analysis of the effects related to computer systems response time. On the other hand, the slow response time leads to increased frustration and impatient compared to fast response time. There are problem associated with mood disturbances and somatic discomfort, which raises linearity based on the amount of duration spent in the process of undertaking the procedure of data entry. Nevertheless, frustrations arising from the independence of system response duration can be solved through use of method involved in pay knowledge bases of fast web-based databases (Lazar, 2001). On the other hand, the users can consider using technical information for optimization of information collection, organization and retrieving of data. Besides, they can consider using alternative support mechanisms, which involve helpdesks service lines, which offer access to complete solutions. User Satisfaction and Frustration There are frustrations, which arise from use of lack user satisfaction; in fact, different studies have suggested that there are dependent variables that are applied for assessing the prosperity of technology. In this case, satisfaction is refers to accomplishment of an objective or a task, which is by directed behaviors that are aimed at achieving satisfaction associated with a form of need, desire or want (Jacko, Sears, & Borella, 2000). In this case, frustration emanates for interruptions, which hiders achievement of a given objective. Besides, this refers barriers that are in the path of achieving a given objective. There are both external and internal causes of frustrations through hindrances of achieving a given objective. Therefore, this can be expressed in terms of the frustration which arises when a user is prevented from achieving their anticipated result, which would have led to a satisfaction (Lazar & Norcio, 2002). Nevertheless, this is a problem that can be solved in fo cusing on ways to achieve satisfaction in the task involved despite presence of frustration. For instance, this is a problem that can be solved by seeking assistance from a help desk, which is a department that is established in a company or institution with an aim of responding to technical questions. In this case, they can handle problems, which are

Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Immigration - Essay Example However, in the pursuit of the freedom and success that people dream about, many migrate to foreign countries, risking so many things and achieving nothing but being trapped in similar or even worse situations than those which they have left at home. This paper will look deeper into the political and economic issues which are the issues people leave home and the same problems which they face in their new residents as well as possible remedies for such situations. In Flight from Oaxaca, the author shares why Luz Dominguez, Marcela Melquiades and other Mexican immigrants have left their homes. It is revealed that the primary reason for their flights is poverty. They all agree that life in their country of origin is difficult where the minimum wage cannot even be enough to feed their families. Their poverty, though, is not because they are lazy. Instead there are forces that are out of their control. For instance, the political situation in Oaxaca, a state of Mexico, brought about too many difficulties to the citizens. In 2006, there had been so many protests because of the belief that there was fraud in the July presidential election. This led to the paralysis of major businesses. In addition, other grievances came out due to the situation. For instance, citizens claim that Mexico is not a poor country but it has become one because the oil which is being exported does not go back to the people which, they have now questioned. Mexicans say that if the government will only do its job well, the people will not suffer and will not have to choose moving out of the country. For reasons of poverty and political issues, Dominguez and other Mexicans crossed the borders to the United States. However, they seem to have forgotten to consider that even in the United States, there are political issues and poverty is also a common problem to the residents. It may be true that

Managing people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Managing people - Essay Example will require people’s perspective and behaviour to change bringing in the human impact into the change and making the change strategy more complex (Anderson & Anderson, 2001). Now let’s analyse the change in particular. The first reaction of the employees to this change is that of dissatisfaction and anger. The employees will view this decision as the company’s greed for making money through parking charges. To them this change will not just burn a hole in their pockets but also cause a lot of inconvenience as their commuting time will increase and their personal time will take a hit if they decide to commute by public transport. The quality of their life can change drastically as a result of this change. Therefore, a widespread opposition should be expected and the organizational change must be planned accordingly. Most models of organizational change involve the entire process of identifying the problem, finding a solution, developing a strategy and then implementing it. In the current context, the problem and the solution have already been identified. Hence, it is now up to designing and implementing a successful strategy to carry out the change. Three key strategies to managing organizational change are communication, participation and support. It is through these three the current change can be effectively managed. For employees to adjust effectively to change, it is essential to communicate the reason, purpose and need behind the change (Walker, 2010). In the current context, it is highly essential to communicate that the main reason behind the change. It must be made clear to all the employees that this is not a money making initiative but an imitative to play by the rules and ensure that there would be no discomfort caused to others due to the negligence of the few. Also it must be communicated that the initiative would result in positive effects of the environment by bringing down the carbon footprint of the company. It is only when this is

The Sole Purpose of The One Percent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Sole Purpose of The One Percent - Essay Example Once this occurs, it will be very difficult for equality to ever exist in the United States again, since the rich will never give these democratic rights back to the poor once they have taken them. The one percent is based on the idea that one percent of the American population controls the majority of the country's wealth. This leaves the other 99 percent of people to fight over whatever money is left over. Capitalism is based on the idea of a free market, where individuals can make as much money as they want under the system. Those who are successful within the system become rich, while those who are unable to succeed are forced under the rich. The idea is also that a trickledown effect will occur, since the rich will pay the rest of society for services that are needed. This is quickly disappearing from society, however, since the rich are becoming greedier than ever before. They want to make much more money than they will ever need, which causes problems for the poor because this money comes out of their pockets. In previous generations, the middle class made up the majority of American society, since corporations were forced to pay their workers a fair wage. Today, however, much of this work can be outsourced to other countries at lower wages, which has left many Americans without jobs. Under a democratic system, the people should hold the majority of the power. Unfortunately, the current system has been influenced the presence of these major corporations. These corporate interests are able to make donations to political campaigns and the politicians respond by passing legislation that makes it easier for these corporations to capitalize on the average citizen. The country’s political system is based on money and if the average person does not have any money, it is almost impossible for that individual to make a difference. The goal of these corporations is to make it even easier on themselves to make money and, eventually, the 99 percent will no lo nger have a voice. If you look at what a company like Wal-Mart has done over the years, it makes sense. Wal-Mart pays its employees minimum wage and, therefore, it is able to offer products for a lower price than competitors. The company will then go into an area and put all of its competitors out of business very quickly, since consumers are attracted to low prices. This takes money away from the small business owners who owned the competitor stores and takes money away from the community as a whole because all of the profits from Wal-Mart head to the corporate offices. Unless something is done in the near future, it will be almost impossible for the United States to regain its place as a democratic union and the land of opportunity. Today’s opportunities are mostly working for the one percent for whatever wage the employer decides to pay. If you do not want that job, someone else will surely take it, since jobs are becoming more scarce. Unfortunately, the power than these c orporations have over the political spectrum are making it much more difficult. If Wal-Mart is donating large amounts of money to the Republican Party, that party will do whatever it can to keep that stream of revenue, since it can help the party get into power. Therefore, the corporation that donates this money has a major influence over the party’

THE IMF AND WORLD BANK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE IMF AND WORLD BANK - Essay Example 1). With such goals and objectives of civilization’s best interest and financial well-being, the IMF’s and World Bank’s humanistic visions should be at the top of the list of the most essential and necessary financial institutions. It becomes somewhat anti-productive and fatalistic to envision ongoing threats against the IMF and World Bank’s purpose and comprehensive strategic plans. Is terrorism the eminent threat? However, appropriate checks and balances are part of strategic planning definitions and comprehensive operations. Who and what is the IMF? The IMF (known as the ‘Fund’) was created/constructed at a United Nations Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA in July 1944. Forty-four representative governments (The Governances) were in attendance at this conference. The visionary goal, purpose, and function were to construct a comprehensive strategic plan – a framework – for â€Å"economic cooperation that would avoid repetition of the vicious circle of competitive devaluations that have contributed to the Great Depression of the 1930s† (IMF, 2012, p. 1). IMF Activities and Public Goods The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approximately 188 countries that participate in its global membership. The IMF manages the challenges and opportunities that are results of â€Å"globalization and economic development† concerning public goods. ... ncil (July 2, 1997), â€Å"†¦Good governance is important for countries at all stages of development†¦our approach is to concentrate on aspects of good governance related to macroeconomic policies – namely the transparency of government accounts, the effectiveness of public resource (public goods) management, and the stability and transparency of the economic and regulatory environment for private sector activity† (IMF, 2012, p. 2). The IMF’s role of governance and management of public resources or public goods during global economic crisis has been focused on restoration of growth and jobs. In doing this, the IMF has emerged as a public goods and resources management institution. The IMF is referred to an institution. By definition, institution means â€Å"†¦an organization, one dedicated to public service† (Webster’s College Dictionary, 1996, p. 360). In â€Å"Interview with Joseph Stiglitz (2000)†, by Lucy Komisar, Joseph St iglitz – member and chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors – â€Å"cautioned against free market ‘shock therapy’ (Komisar, 2000, p. 1). In 1997, he became chief economist of the World Bank and often criticized the IMF and US economic politics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ peers assumed he will win a Nobel Prize† (p. 1). â€Å"I spoke with Stiglitz several times in April. He was generous with his time, unpretentious, and genial†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 1). Stiglitz purposively states, â€Å"†¦The world needs an international development agency – the World Bank. There’s the view that it represents a form of corporate welfare that is counter to the IMFs own ideology markets. But anybody who watched government from the inside recognizes that governments need institutions, need ways to respond to crisis† (Komsisar, Stiglitz, 2000, p. 1). This is in response

The Sole Purpose of The One Percent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Sole Purpose of The One Percent - Essay Example Once this occurs, it will be very difficult for equality to ever exist in the United States again, since the rich will never give these democratic rights back to the poor once they have taken them. The one percent is based on the idea that one percent of the American population controls the majority of the country's wealth. This leaves the other 99 percent of people to fight over whatever money is left over. Capitalism is based on the idea of a free market, where individuals can make as much money as they want under the system. Those who are successful within the system become rich, while those who are unable to succeed are forced under the rich. The idea is also that a trickledown effect will occur, since the rich will pay the rest of society for services that are needed. This is quickly disappearing from society, however, since the rich are becoming greedier than ever before. They want to make much more money than they will ever need, which causes problems for the poor because this money comes out of their pockets. In previous generations, the middle class made up the majority of American society, since corporations were forced to pay their workers a fair wage. Today, however, much of this work can be outsourced to other countries at lower wages, which has left many Americans without jobs. Under a democratic system, the people should hold the majority of the power. Unfortunately, the current system has been influenced the presence of these major corporations. These corporate interests are able to make donations to political campaigns and the politicians respond by passing legislation that makes it easier for these corporations to capitalize on the average citizen. The country’s political system is based on money and if the average person does not have any money, it is almost impossible for that individual to make a difference. The goal of these corporations is to make it even easier on themselves to make money and, eventually, the 99 percent will no lo nger have a voice. If you look at what a company like Wal-Mart has done over the years, it makes sense. Wal-Mart pays its employees minimum wage and, therefore, it is able to offer products for a lower price than competitors. The company will then go into an area and put all of its competitors out of business very quickly, since consumers are attracted to low prices. This takes money away from the small business owners who owned the competitor stores and takes money away from the community as a whole because all of the profits from Wal-Mart head to the corporate offices. Unless something is done in the near future, it will be almost impossible for the United States to regain its place as a democratic union and the land of opportunity. Today’s opportunities are mostly working for the one percent for whatever wage the employer decides to pay. If you do not want that job, someone else will surely take it, since jobs are becoming more scarce. Unfortunately, the power than these c orporations have over the political spectrum are making it much more difficult. If Wal-Mart is donating large amounts of money to the Republican Party, that party will do whatever it can to keep that stream of revenue, since it can help the party get into power. Therefore, the corporation that donates this money has a major influence over the party’

Plot Summary Essay Example for Free

Plot Summary Essay The play is set in the Dublin slums or tenements in the years of the Iris Civil War 1922 and 1923. The whole play centers on the Boyle family. Juno Boyle is married to Boyle who calls himself Captain Boyle. Boyle is a useless and irresponsible drunkard who shuns the reality of work at every stage in the play, and spends his time in the pub drinking with his friend Joxer Daly. The Boyles have two children Johnny and Mary. Johnny is a sickly individual who has been involved in the Republican movement but he ended up betraying a comrade by the name of Tancred. Johnny spends his days locked up in the house fearful of his life. His mother Juno is a selfless character who is concerned all the time about other people. Juno’s daughter Mary is deeply concerned about appearances. She is a shallow character who seems to judge people and things from the outside. When we meet her at the beginning of the play, we learn she is on strike because of the dismissal of a young girl called Jenny Claffey. Yet we are told from Juno how Mary never had a good word to say about Jenny Claffey in her whole life. The family are told that they will inherit money from a distant relative who has died. Bentham is the solicitor who informs them of this fact. He begins to have a relationship with Mary and she becomes pregnant. Bentham shortly after this abandons her. The Boyles begin to borrow money and accumulate a great deal of debts. The legacy never materializes, and the Boyles are forced to return the borrowed goods. Johnny is dragged off to be shot for the betrayal of Tancred. Juno finally realizes that Boyle will never take on his responsibilities as father and breadwinner and so she leaves him and sets up home with Mary. Themes/Issues Poverty This theme dominates the play at every level. The whole play highlights the cruel irony that while many people were fighting for ideals and principles there were others who were suffering from the debilitating effects of the poverty. Because of the negative effects generated by poverty escapism assumes a major and dramatic element in the lives of characters. Mary’s tragic situation occurs because of poverty. When it becomes clear that the Boyles will not inherit any legacy, Bentham disappears forever abandoning Mary alone to have her baby. Jerry Devine standards of what are essential features in a husband are set out in terms of money. At one stage he tells Mary how the job is worth 3 50. Juno who is the only character rooted in the harsh practical everyday world of necessity realizes that money, hard work, and responsible social commitment are stronger and more realistic values in this world than principles and ideals. Her pragmatic stance on how principles won’t pay butchers is in striking contrast to the incessant evasion from reality inherent in all of the other characters. Religion The theme of Religion is also a dominant feature in the play. The play is set against a strong Catholic background. O Casey makes frequent use of images of Our Lady and the votive light to project an air of realism and authenticity in the play. There are also a variety of different religions, and attitudes expressed throughout the play. One of O Casey’s chief mottos in the play seems to show the co- existence of strong religious convictions, together with a sincere and humane commitment to one’s fellowman. Juno’s faith is sincere, authentic, and traditional. She believes on Johnny’s death that God can do nothing against the stupidity of men, that her husband should be praying novenas for a job, and that what Ireland needs is more piety. On the other hand, Bentham espouses a religion by the name of Theosophy. This is projected as vague and abstract and certainly seems to be compatible with his own shallow commitment to people. Reality and Fantasy The play dramatizes the conflict between the dream world and the world of reality and shows what happens when a character is stripped of his illusions and forced to face reality. Boyle the ‘poseur’ or Paycock struts throughout the world of the play on a false and imaginary sense of his own self- importance. His whole life and career consist in fabricating dreams of his gallant years as a captain fighting heroic feats and sailing the oceans of the world. The news of the legacy provides another outlet to Boyle’s habitual evasion of reality, he sees himself as a potential investor on the Stock Exchange. His whole life is a lie. His pains, which are invented for the sake of shirking and avoiding work, become real to him. His refuses to face up to the truth and reality about Bentham and the deception surrounding the news of the will. When reality invades at the conclusion of the play in the form of Mary’s pregnancy and the actual removal of his material possessions, Boyle is unable to cope. His final entrance dramatized in a drunken fragmentary soliloquy is tragic. His habitual escape into fantasy is pathetically expressed through his drunken pose – ‘ Commandant Kelly died†¦. in them arms†¦.. Tell me Volunteer Bullies says he that I died for Ireland’. Mary who represents the younger generation also falls victim to illusion. On her first appearance in the play, she is shown to be on strike for a principle. The oppressive and stifling atmosphere generated by the tenement life forces her to seek escape through Bentham. For her he represents another way of life and values outside the restricting and debilitating atmosphere within the two- roomed tenement. She falls victim to the subtle deception of Bentham’ middle-class gentility. She is blinded by external appearances and ends up a tragic victim of Bentham’s hypocrisy and selfishness At the conclusion of the play, she is forced to return to the reality of the slum life with Juno in spite of all her attempts to escape through learning and books. Answer Juno and the Paycock is a play that was written by Sean OCasey. It is one of the most often performed and highly regarded plays in Ireland. Juno and the Paycock was first staged at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin in 1924. Juno and the Paycock: Tragoi-comedy. Tragi-comedy is a kind of writing in which comedy is hovering on the brinks of tragedy. OCasey’s â€Å"Juno and the Paycock† is a tragi-comedy although, on the whole, it is a serious and somber play having much destruction and violence. But there are a number of comic elements in the play which would not fit into the pattern of a tragedy. On the other hand, as the comic elements do not outweigh the tragic ones, it would be inappropriate to label the play as a comedy. It means there is a co-existence in the play of tragic and comic elements and so, the best course is to treat it as a tragi-comedy. Trade Union. JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK Sean O Casey ACT 1 (in a labour family house, not very well furnished) Johnny and Mary Boyle are siblings and members of a Trade Union. Mary is 22 and Johnny is her younger brother. He was injured at the hip by a bullet and at the arm by a bomb: he is an activist. One of Mary’s friend, Jennie Claffey has been fired so Mary wants to demonstrate (Union Trade). Mrs Boyle doesn’t support those behaviours on the part of her Children. Mrs Tancred son was killed during a an armed fight. The Boyle family is poor and Mrs Boyle borrows money. She doesn’t want her husband to come at home with his friend, Joxer, and to spoil all the coal and the food. Johnny is crippled and relies much on others. Jerry Devine has found a Job for the Captain (Juno’s Husband), but the latter pretends the pain is his legs prevents him from working. Jerry Devine is in Love with Mary, but she hangs out with another guy. Jerry Devine saw them together. Jerry devine is a very polite and a very correct guy. Juno makes Joxer go and goes to work. Then Joxer comes again. He is much afraid of Juno. He and the Captain have a conversation. The captain doesn’t want to work. He doesn’t like clergymen. Then Joxer has a quick leave as Juno comes back with Mary and Mr Bentham (the other guy Mary sees). He is 25 and seems to be rich. He has great news for the captain. Benthan says Ellison of Santry, a relative of John Boyle the captain) is dead and he will receive half of his belongings. Then John Boyle get angry with Jox. Things now goes well between he and his wife though. ACT 2 (two days later + the pace is full of belongings and adornments of all sorts) Boyle is friend again with Jox and spend is money joyfully. As he is rich, he seem to have changed views about clergyman. Father Farell (the one proposing him the job in particular). Charles and Mary seem to appreciate each other much. Boyle and the former are having a conversation. As Bentham speaks about spirits Johnny sees the phantom of Robbie Tancred in the left room. The captain is sometimes called Jack. Mrs madigan (a woman to whom the captain owes a few pounds) comes in. They sing. Then Mrs Tancred is heard in the street, going to the burial of her son. Nugent (tailor + he talked with the captain about his job and the Father) comes and asks them to shut the gramophone down. They all go out except John, to see the burial procession. The mobilizer comes and asks John to take part in a meeting of the militia. ACT 3 (two months later+ same setting) Bentham hasn’t been seen for a month. He has given up on Mary. Mrs Boyle brings her to the doctor’s. The captain has borrowed much money to all his neighbours but it seems he won’t get it. Nugent, the tailor comes and takes back a suit he had made for Jack. Mrs Madigan, who wants to be repaid, comes and takes the gramophone for which the captain hasn’t paid yet. The captain and Joxer quarrel about the rumours and the girls come back from the doctror’s. Marry is pregnant, Bentham is the father. Bentham also misinterpreted the will and the Captain won’t have his share. People come to remove the furniture that hasn’t been paid for. Two irregulars (from the militia) take hold of Johnny (called Sean) to take him by force. He is accused of having killed Tancred. One hour later the house is completely empty. Johnny was killed. Two policemen come for Mrs Boyle to check up the corpse. The girls will live together and take care of the baby. Until Mary drops they will live at Juno’s sister. Joxer and Boyle come back completely drunk. Boyle says the whole world is in a state of crisis.

Schweppes Company Analysis

Schweppes Company Analysis According to the case, Cadbury Schweppes are focusing on acquisition strategy in order to complement its portfolio of chocolate, soft drinks, sugar confectionary (candy) and gum. Since its first acquisition on gum businesses which is Hollywood, Cadbury went on to bid Adams another gum business. This is because Cadbury sees that chewing gum as a very attractive category to be included into their confectionary strategy. By acquiring Adams, they will have big chances of becoming leading company in the confectionary industries. Thus, Cadbury had implemented several strategies to bid Adams from Pfizer which may lead to the sustainable competitive advantage to the company itself. The following are several strategies that Cadbury had used to bid and acquire Adams into its confectionary business. Cadbury had created a dedicated M A team, which is under Stitzers strategy group, at corporate headquarters to replace autonomous and dispersed work by local businesses. Besides that, Cadbury Schweppes brought in nearly 100 managers from divisions around the world to Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City for a two week workshop to refine the model and build commitment to the deal and the planned synergy numbers. Thirdly, Cadbury Schweppes had indentified the top tier of Adams management and began making determinations as to who they would like to keep in the event of successful acquisitions. Next strategy is the mantra Best person, right to take the most qualified candidate to match the job that best suited him or her. They also assumed the merger as the potentially transformative event. Cadbury Schweppes had developed an exhaustive integration plan in the event of a successful bid for Adams. A steering committee would be set up with integration management team, and enable teams to achieve the full potential of the merger. Each of this strategies will be evaluated with 4 variables which are value added, rare, hard to imitate, and not easily substitutable. Any of these strategies which had fulfilled all of the four criteria will lead to the sustainable competitive advantage in order to bid Adams successfully from other potential bidders like Nestle, Wrigley, Kraft, Pepsico, Mars, Hershey and Pharma companies. According to the case, Cadbury is estimated ranked as the fifth in the line of potential bidders which is behind Nestle, Kraft, Mars and Hersheys. The first strategy is creating a dedicated merger and acquisition team to replace autonomous and dispersed work by local businesses. We evaluated it as rare because not many companies would spend so many times and human capital to build a comprehensive business model of Adams and also human resources just to make one acquisitions. Besides that, there is a added value behind the team, whereby a team of talented people were gathered to make a strategic business model to bid Adams as they could see the future of Adams which can make Cadbury a leading confectionary company in the industry. It is also rather hard to imitate because the strategy of mergers and acquisitions were planned by whole department rather than just 5 people unit. This 5 people unit team is non-substitutable, as Cadbury is the first company with the team that already begun a comprehensive of Adams model of businesses which include detailed information about marketing and sales, list of potential cost and revenue syne rgies for each of 50 countries and etc. This strategy had proven how well that Cadbury analyzed on Adams before they make decisions to acquire a company. Moreover, Cadbury Schweppes brought in nearly 100 managers from divisions around the world to Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City for a two week workshop to refine the model and build commitment to the deal and the planned synergy numbers. We do not see this as rare because according to the case, competitors would have higher cost. This strategy has value creations because it has brought in the value of team work and stimulates closer relationship between managers from division of around the world. It is rather hard to imitate by many of the companies because, such strategy may require a very large cost by having two week workshop the synergy numbers that they planned in this strategy are easy to substitute because in the case, Stitzer claimed that the synergies were not large enough to support the price necessary to win the deal. Third strategy whom Cadbury Schweppes had indentified the top tier of Adams management and began making determinations as to who they would like to keep in the event of successful acquisitions. This strategy has value creation because, before Cadbury identified and analyzed their organizational culture and its top management team whether it is suitable with Cadburys corporate culture to make a successful joint business in future or not. Furthermore, this strategy is considered as rare as it will help increase possibility of becoming the preferred purchaser for Adams as well Pfizer who is currently the CEO of Adams. It is also not easy to imitate by competitors, as not many top executives can win the chance to know Adams detailed corporate information as what Cadburys do. This strategy would be difficult to substitute by other competitors. For example Nestle, as they do not have much information about Adam especially regarding their corporate culture whether it would culturally fit wi th them or not, although they have large capitals to bid Adams over Cadbury. The fourth strategy with the mantra Best person, right job which means human resources will take the best qualified candidate to match the job that best suited him or her. Added value created by having the most qualified and talented employee to produce the best quality job for the company. Besides that, it is rare, because every company is unsure that it had any of their employees who could lead the large American divisions if Adams is successfully acquired. It is also hard to substitute as many managers did not have the experience to run an integrated business on a global scale. However, the mantra or slogan that Cadbury carry with them are easily imitated by others as every company have the same objectives to employ the best employee in order to help the company to achieve the utmost results as well as to improve productivity. They assume the merger as the potentially transformative event. This strategy has value added element where it is an opportunity to centralize, transform practices and create more shared services. Besides that, it is also rare that only Stitzer believed that this kind of acquisition may motivate others to accept changes towards better improvement. Furthermore, acquisition on Adams is something new on both cultural and social on the company itself. With such strategy in mind of every executives is hard and difficult to adapt my every organizations, as not everyone especially the senior executives will accept new changes or new cultural when a company are merged and have to change their rules and organizations which has caused this strategy hard to imitate. However, Cadburys senior managers foresee the merger and acquisition as an opportunity to restructure a new business model for Cadbury towards achieving leading confectionary company. There is very less substitute as Cadbury who wil l have a very motivating thinking towards accepting new changes which help the company to achieve sustainable advantage. Cadbury Schweppes had developed an exhaustive integration plan in the event of a successful bid for Adams. Such plan is rare because, within 90 days, all validation and planning of the synergies has to be complete and new synergy projects that needed to Beat the Model to be identified and mapped out. In addition, the plan is quite hard to imitate, as all the bidding preparation are required to work out within a short time and period whereby there is no other teams or competitors that could work out a successful integration plan in such a short period. Furthermore, we find out that it is quite hard to find another similar merger that could implement an integration will all the detailed work plan as well as synergy projects to be done within 60 days. Within the first 90 days monthly, all the monthly status report about merger integration and applicable synergies will begin in each department of the company itself, which indicated that the Cadbury has added value in terms of building st rategic plan to acquire Adams compared to other competitors. A steering committee would be set up with integration management team and enabler teams to achieve the full potential of the merger. This strategy contains regional value capture teams as well as functional value capture teams which are important to drive the company towards achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This is also rare because it is necessary to prepare huge amount of human resources to manage several teams in carrying out the integration plan. Furthermore, it is not easily imitated by competitors as not many companies would have interest to focus and spend time to organize a huge number of human capital to implement an integration plan just on the acquisition strategy which the company that acquired are not 100 percent would bring profits for the company itself. Besides that, Adams will also find hard to find other bidders like Cadbury whom had been making deep analysis and study about the corporate detailed information and there are some business similarities betw een Cadbury and Adams. In conclusion, out of so many strategies that Cadbury had implemented, only some of the strategies can lead to sustainable competitive advantage as they had fulfilled 4 criteria, namely added value, rare, hard to imitate and hard to substitute. The strategies are: (1) creating dedicated merger and acquisition team to replace autonomous and dispersed work by local businesses; (2) indentifying the top tier of Adams management and begin making determinations as to who they would like to keep in the event of successful acquisitions; (3) assume the merger as the potentially transformative event; (4) developed an exhaustive integration plan in the event of a successful bid for Adams; and (5) setting up steering committee with integration management team, and enabler teams to achieve the full potential of the merger

Auctioning Personal Property :: essays research papers

The sale at public auction of personal property in the United States has a rich history and has been successfully used for three centuries. Auctions are one of the best businesses and are ranked in the top ten businesses in the world to sell personal property. Auctions are the best way to liquidate your property, sell your personal property and to get cash in your pocket.First of all, auctions can help you liquidate or downsize personal property, such as furniture, clothes, automobile and jewelry. Instead of throwing unwanted goods away call an auction house to sell it for you. You never know what you might be throwing away that can be turn into cash. Another good reason to auction is personal property will bring the highest market price at the auction through competitive bidding. This is when two or more persons who want the same item and keeps bidding the price up until it reaches a fair market value. By law you most have a least two persons present to conduct an auction. Then the highest bidder buys it for the final bided price.In advertisement for auction houses that catches must people eyes is to get fast cash selling personal property. The advertisement means just that you can get money within fourteen days or less after the auction house sells your personal property.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The auction business has been around for a long time with a good track record for selling anything that has a price or doesn't have a price. Through statistics, the price of all property is set from a fair market value in which auctions control sixty five percent of today's prices on all property. So why not get the most out of personal property by selling it at the auction? An individual has to read the contract that the auction house writes because it could read that they might not get paid until the last item of their personal property gets sold. Some auctioneers are known for keeping back one of two items from an individuals personal property back until they have their next sale. This way an auction doesn't have to pay the individual until the following sale or when the last piece off property was sold. Make sure in the contract that it has a date that all personal property will be sold by.

Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc Company Overview Essay -- essays papers

Bridgestone/Firestone Company Overview Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, was formed in 1990 when Bridgestone U.S.A. merged with The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. In addition to manufacturing tires, Bridgestone/Firestone produces a variety of products including air springs, building materials, synthetic and natural rubber, and industrial fibers and textiles. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company has over 38 QS9000/ISO9000 Certified production facilities throughout the Americas, along with numerous international facilities throughout the world. Firestone's company philosophy is derived from a blend of Japanese and Americans methods, with a focus on providing quality products. In the words of the former leaders of Bridgestone and Firestone, Bridgestone/Firestone strives to "Serve Society with Products of Superior Quality" and to be the "Best Today ? Still Better Tomorrow." Bridgestone/Firestone is best known for it's production of tires (more than 8,000 different types and sizes), which account for more than 75 percent of its annual revenues. As a leader in world tire technology, Firestone utilizes research and development centers in three countries and testing centers around the world to help develop, manufacture and market tires for almost every kind of vehicle. (Bridgestone/Firestone Profile) Strengths Bridgestone/Firestone finds much of its strength in having "one of the richest tire makers in the world as its parent" (Chappell, 09/11/00). Bridgestone Corporation has been around since 1931 and has established itself as a well-known international manufacturer of tires, rubber products, automotive products, chemical products, sporting goods, and other products (Bridgestone Annual Report, 1999). The resources and prestige of having Bridgestone as a parent gives Firestone an extra edge in the market. One of Firestone's biggest strengths is the fact that Firestone's passenger vehicle trade is not the critical part of Bridgestone Corp's world profit picture. Roughly 60% of Bridgestone's North American profits came from the sale of heavy-duty truck tires. Firestone has a 16% share of that market, and the Bridgestone brand holds another 6.5 percent share. Another strength for Firestone is its well-established brand name. According to an Automotive News reporter, the Firestone brand is "posi... ...ndsay. Automotive News, September 11, 2000 v75 i5893 p47. "Firestone's Non-Ford Customers Show Little Concern Over Recall." Chappell, Lindsay. Automotive News, September 25, 2000 v75 i5895 p8. "More Firestones for Honda Civic" "3 suppliers may sell tires for next Explorer." Automotive News, Sept 4, 2000 v75 i5892 p8. "The tire flap: behind the feeding frenzy." Business Week, October 16, 2000 i3703 p126. Firestone Tire Recall Legal Information Center, http://www.firestone-tire-recall.com Grimaldi, James V. and Caroline Mayer, Washington Post, "4 Former Firestone Workers Deposed," August 24, 2000, pE01. Hess, David. National Journal, September 16, 2000 v32 i38 p2896. "Firestone's Other Tire Debacle." "A Company Under Fire: Did Firestone do Enough to Protect Its Own Workers?," Newsweek, September 18, 2000 p30. "Ford, Fireston knew of tire problems for years." United Press International, September 29, 2000 p1008271u8435. "Testimony Indicates Abuse at Firestone," United Press International, August 14, 2000 p1008226u6557. Wilson, Amy. Automotive News, September 4, 2000 v75 i5892 p8. "Labor Unions Unrest Adds to Bridgestone/Firestone's Problems" Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc Company Overview Essay -- essays papers Bridgestone/Firestone Company Overview Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, was formed in 1990 when Bridgestone U.S.A. merged with The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. In addition to manufacturing tires, Bridgestone/Firestone produces a variety of products including air springs, building materials, synthetic and natural rubber, and industrial fibers and textiles. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company has over 38 QS9000/ISO9000 Certified production facilities throughout the Americas, along with numerous international facilities throughout the world. Firestone's company philosophy is derived from a blend of Japanese and Americans methods, with a focus on providing quality products. In the words of the former leaders of Bridgestone and Firestone, Bridgestone/Firestone strives to "Serve Society with Products of Superior Quality" and to be the "Best Today ? Still Better Tomorrow." Bridgestone/Firestone is best known for it's production of tires (more than 8,000 different types and sizes), which account for more than 75 percent of its annual revenues. As a leader in world tire technology, Firestone utilizes research and development centers in three countries and testing centers around the world to help develop, manufacture and market tires for almost every kind of vehicle. (Bridgestone/Firestone Profile) Strengths Bridgestone/Firestone finds much of its strength in having "one of the richest tire makers in the world as its parent" (Chappell, 09/11/00). Bridgestone Corporation has been around since 1931 and has established itself as a well-known international manufacturer of tires, rubber products, automotive products, chemical products, sporting goods, and other products (Bridgestone Annual Report, 1999). The resources and prestige of having Bridgestone as a parent gives Firestone an extra edge in the market. One of Firestone's biggest strengths is the fact that Firestone's passenger vehicle trade is not the critical part of Bridgestone Corp's world profit picture. Roughly 60% of Bridgestone's North American profits came from the sale of heavy-duty truck tires. Firestone has a 16% share of that market, and the Bridgestone brand holds another 6.5 percent share. Another strength for Firestone is its well-established brand name. According to an Automotive News reporter, the Firestone brand is "posi... ...ndsay. Automotive News, September 11, 2000 v75 i5893 p47. "Firestone's Non-Ford Customers Show Little Concern Over Recall." Chappell, Lindsay. Automotive News, September 25, 2000 v75 i5895 p8. "More Firestones for Honda Civic" "3 suppliers may sell tires for next Explorer." Automotive News, Sept 4, 2000 v75 i5892 p8. "The tire flap: behind the feeding frenzy." Business Week, October 16, 2000 i3703 p126. Firestone Tire Recall Legal Information Center, http://www.firestone-tire-recall.com Grimaldi, James V. and Caroline Mayer, Washington Post, "4 Former Firestone Workers Deposed," August 24, 2000, pE01. Hess, David. National Journal, September 16, 2000 v32 i38 p2896. "Firestone's Other Tire Debacle." "A Company Under Fire: Did Firestone do Enough to Protect Its Own Workers?," Newsweek, September 18, 2000 p30. "Ford, Fireston knew of tire problems for years." United Press International, September 29, 2000 p1008271u8435. "Testimony Indicates Abuse at Firestone," United Press International, August 14, 2000 p1008226u6557. Wilson, Amy. Automotive News, September 4, 2000 v75 i5892 p8. "Labor Unions Unrest Adds to Bridgestone/Firestone's Problems"