Book Review Imperial Germany

Date: April 18, 2012 Subject: Book Review The book â€Å"Imperial Germany 1871-1918† by Volker R. Berghahn has the under title Economy, Society, Culture and Politics and was first published in 1994 by Berghahn books. The used edition is the revised and expanded edition published in 2005 and summarizes the events in the ‘Kaiserreich’ (1871-1918). Furthermore, the book has 388 pages and is divided in five parts which are Economy, Society, Culture, the Realm of Politics, and World War I. Each part has numerous under parts giving the reader detailed information about each part.In addition, the author did tremendous research on the German Empire, founded by Otto von Bismarck in 1871 and lasting until the end of World War I, to clarify the broader outlines of the development between 1871 and 1918 and to explain why Germany went to war in 1914 and lost that conflict four years later. Volker Berghahn, born 15 February 1938 in Berlin, studied jurisprudence at the Universit y of Gottingen in the first place and then history and politics at the University of North Carolina.He taught in England and Germany before coming to Brown University in 1988 and to Columbia ten years later since then, he is Seth Low Professor of History at Columbia University. Moreover, he has published widely on modern German history and European-American relations. The book â€Å"Imperial Germany† is a comprehensive history of Germany and is thematically organized to provide data and information about major developments and the Bismarckian and Wilhelmine eras. The author expresses his theses and opinions in this book.Firstly, Berghahn? s position regarding the debates over the Deutschen Sonderweg is balanced and his main view about the German population is that it was characterized by pluralization and polarization. In particular, the society became more pluralistic after 1871 demonstrated by a more colorful and dynamic Kaiserreich. Berghahn demonstrated this richness and diverseness of the German population by looking at German? s society and culture. Polarization also played a main role in the Imperial Germany. In Berghahn? opinion, polarization is connected with another controversial which is whether or not the Kaissereich was in a deep crisis before World War I. His first evidence is that the economy was not in a good shape (tax conflicts, armament expenditures) followed by evidences such as that the society had difficulties to integrate industrial workers and minorities, the cultural view was pessimistic and the political realm came in a stage of stagnation. He also argues that the Kaissereich is a class society and analyzes who classes/groups/people are the â€Å"losers† of the society development.Furthermore, he points out the impact of gender, minorities, generations and religion but makes clear that these are only under topics of analyzing Germany. Moreover, the author was driven by his interest in major related issue in the Kaiserrei ch. The issue is that he wants to explain why Germany ended up in World War I. His thesis is that the catastrophe was triggered by Vienna? s and Berlin? s decision makers. Berghahn does a pretty good job in backing up his theses. The reason is that he uses other historians? opinions to support the written. For example, in the 1st part, ?Economy`, (Page 13) he writes that the economy experienced an upswing that lasted until 1913 and backs up this statement by providing a footnote which can be find at the end of the book. In addition, he provides the reader with tables to support his data and information. The tables are good because they make it easier to understand the data and summarize the written perfectly. Additionally, he cites other people who are mainly historians as well and have published famous and generally accepted writings such as M. Kaplan, The Jewish Feminist Movement in Germany.Moreover, Berghahn also refers to researches by mention them after his thesis or/and statem ent. Another notable characteristic of Berghahn? s book is that he mentions counter theses. By mention them; the reader gets to know the different historical views and what diverse and numerous opinions historians have about the development of Germany (1871-1914). Additionally, to support his theses, Berghahn confutes counter theses by giving data, information and arguments which show that the other historians? theses are wrong. In other words, Berghahn uses other (â€Å"wrong†) theses to support his theses.The author also uses counter theses to introduce a new theme and to make the reader think about the argument more deeply. In addition, he uses a research and/or historian thesis which is from the past or only the beginning of a thesis to further develop his thesis up on the other thesis. Furthermore, Berghahn sometimes writes what a specific historian thinks about a topic without commenting it. In comparison to the other books? authors we have read so far, the author of th e book â€Å"Imperial Germany; Economy, Society, Culture and Politics† writes differently. Firstly, he states his wn opinions and theses, whereas the other authors mainly provide information. Additionally, Berghahn provides a lot of tables at the end of the book as compared to no tables in the previous books. In contrast to some use of footnotes (other writers? publications) in previous books, in Berghahn? s book, you find footnotes everywhere and the book has 32 pages only for footnotes. Additionally, Berghahn writes not chronologically like Blackbourn for example, he divides the part thematically. In conclusion, on one hand, the book was informative and I like that Berghahn mentions other historians opinions as well.In addition, the use of tables makes it easier to understand the data and he handles counter theses well. On the other hand, the book was hard to read and protracted because his sentences are not straight forward and clear and he uses a lot of numbers in his wri tings making it hard to follow. Additionally, I don? t like how the book is organized (thematically) because for me, I prefer reading of all the developments happened in one time period. However, it shouldn? t be forgotten that the book is a very useful source and provides the reader with tones of information about the developments in the ? Kaiserreich`.

Michael Jackson Research Essay

An Icon Never Forgotten The world of pop culture would never be the same. His voice was harmonious, his moves earth shattering and his actions unequivocally eccentric. The whole world could only watch in astonishment as the â€Å"King of Pop† altered lives and established himself as the juggernaut of the music industry. Having been born in 1993, did not give me the opportunity to anxiously stay up until midnight, December 2, 1983 and witness the world premiere of Michael Jackson’s pinnacle, the hit, Thriller.Though my life began as the height of his career began to taper off, his music, actions and appeal is as much a part of my generation as it was then. Michael Jackson is the world's greatest entertainer. His body of work, likeness and story has had a profound influence on popular music today, and will continue to have a resounding impact for generations to come. It was the early morning of August 29, 1958, in the blue-collar town, Gary, Indiana, when Katherine and Jo seph Jackson welcomed their eighth child, Michael Joseph Jackson into the world he would forever change.Joseph Jackson was quick to realize his children had an unnatural talent, a divine gift of song and dance. He became eager, if not obsessive to profit from these talents. Michael was pushed towards stardom at a very early age. In 1962, his father formed the group The Jackson Five, consisting of Michael and his brothers. Every aspect of their domestic and now professional lives where micromanaged by Joe. He parented and managed them with a strong, often cruel unyielding hand. The wrong dance step could easily result in a beating one day and a barrage of verbal battery the next, â€Å"There is a lot of sadness in my past life.My father beat me. It was difficult to take being beaten and then going on stage. He was strict; very hard and stern† (Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). Their childhoods were pretty much taken away due to the rigorous work schedule, † I remember going to th e record studio and there was a park across the street and I'd see all the children playing and I would cry because it would make me sad that I would have to work instead† (Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). When this was discovered, he was one of the first to be shown as a product of abuse by parents to further their own selfish ventures.His story would be related to various young entertainers of today. Questions will be asked such as, â€Å"Are parents pushing their children to hard? † In terms of his musicality, Michael was the lead singer and his immense talent was already evident at this young age. His voice is like an angel, a sound so seducing and his myriad of effortless gravity defying dance moves, he was a natural. By 1969 The Jackson Five were the first group to appeal to black and white audiences. The crossover success was evident by the record breaking, four number one singles in 1970.The Jackson Five had become worldwide superstars, constantly performing to sell out concerts in global venues. The Jackson five was universally popular on all broadcasting networking appealing to all audiences black and white. Hits such as â€Å"ABC†, and â€Å"I'll Be There† are instantly recognized even today. In 1971, they were named one of the most influential groups and were given an animated series based on the lives of the Jackson Family. It was a drastically fictional portrayal of their true reality. Even through the young Jackson’s success, the torment from their father was constant.Joseph would continue his physical abuse of Michael throughout his adolescence and the mental cruelty would last throughout his life. Yet somehow, Michael kept singing and the hits kept coming. Michael Jackson had become a star, one that could not be contained by the Jackson 5. It was the first time the world had seen young black child reach that level of success. The world would become in tune with his life. They would share his pain upon news of his abus e. They too would revel in all his success as his talents consumed the world over.Michael’s early life helped pave the way for his influential career. The Jackson Five were a big influence on future boy bands including New Edition, New Kids on the Block, and The Jonas Brothers. When the group New Edition met with their manager and creator, Travis Gresham, he suggested to name the group New Edition to signify that they were the ‘new edition' of the Jackson Five. When producer Maurice Starr created the group, New Kids on the Block, he was in search for a new version of Michael Jackson to take on the lead vocals.Starr came across the high note hitter and dancing machine, Joey McIntyre. The more current version of an all brother group, The Jonas Brothers, were also significantly influenced by the Jackson Five, â€Å"The first time we heard Michael's voice was when our dad played the Jackson Five's hit, I'll Be There. We were amazed by the way that he and his brothers came together to entertain the world has been an obvious influence on us. Michael Jackson influenced every listener and every future performer with a talent the world had never seen before† (Joe Jonas. MTV Awards).Furthermore, various R&B groups like Boyz 2 Men and All 4 One have sampled their songs countless times. Even today’s big stars like Chris Brown copied a track from Michael in his song â€Å"She Aint You†. The fact of the matter is the Jackson 5, a product of Michael’s talent, was bigger than most groups could ever hope to be and is universally recognized as one of the biggest groups of all time. In Michael’s young adulthood, he made the decision to break away from his brothers, as his talent could not be limited to his family. A decision fueled by his desire to further explore his talent and be in charge of his own career.Michael influenced many other artists, including Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, to take the chance and break away from the g roup that they were engaged in. When most artists leave an extremely prosperous and established band to start their own solo career, the odds of success are dismal. Michael Jackson defied that statistic, far surpassing anything the Jackson Five had previously accomplished. Michael's major breakthrough as a solo artist came when he released his first album, â€Å"Off The Wall†, which was co-produced by the legendary Quincy Jones. The album was released in 1979, and its success was exceptional.The album produced four United States top hits on the charts, a first for any US album, and won Michael Jackson three Billboard Music Awards: Top Black Artist, Top Black Album, and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Imagine that dance from his song â€Å" I Want to Rock with You† is known by anyone who has sat in front of a TV. These awards and self-advertisement practically made the name Michael Jackson a household name and helped his career flourish in the 1980s. Even with the grea t success of his first single, Michael was still not satisfied, â€Å"I'm never pleased with anything, I'm a perfectionist, it's part of who I am† (Jackson.Oprah Winfrey). Again, Michael and Quincy collaborated and created three-hundred songs for his new album, Thriller. Hard to decide, they cut it down to their nine favorite songs and the album was released in 1982. Thriller had an astonishing seven hit singles and it was selling one million albums per week. There was no one in the United States who did not hear the song. The music video is so popular that there are events around the world to re-enact the dance. It spent 80 consecutive weeks in the top ten albums, and 37 weeks of those in the number one spot. Don’t think for a moment that it was a one hit album though.His hit Billie Jean features an even more memorable dance featuring a move at a concert that shook the world in which he effortlessly glided across the dance floor. That dance is often imitated and that â€Å"Moonwalk† is a term that permeates pop culture. At the Grammy Awards, Thriller won Michael Jackson a record-breaking seven Grammy awards and, what he wanted the most, Album of the Year. Blending pop, R&B, soul, dance, and disco, Michael brought a new sound to the population. All Grammy hopefuls compare their success to Michael Jacksons sweeping of the awardsThe Thriller album not only created history, it also become a milestone for racial equality in music. Music Television, MTV, was against playing African American R&B music video; however, eventually, they agreed to air Michael Jackson's hit video, Billie Jean. MTV had been previously dominated by rock music videos and denied videos from black artists like Rick James, but once they recognized the popularity of Michael Jackson’s songs, they evolved more towards pop and R;B, which helped future black artists like Prince. Before Michael Jackson's video aired, MTV was struggling to become a top television channel.W hen they aired Michael's videos, MTV became the hottest channel to watch. When the video for Thriller debuted, the demand to play it was so high that MTV had to play it twice an hour to meet demand for it. Thriller was said to be the best and most prominent music video ever created. MTV owes it's over one hundred million viewers to Michael Jackson. In fact a video that insulted him was removed at his requests. His songs are still asked for to this day. Michael Jackson's videos were not popular just because of the catchy, upbeat rhythms, but, because they were different. He was all substance.He is the definition of a true performer. As mentioned before, the video Billie Jean was first debuted on MTV, viewers watched something they have never seen before. Dressed in a glittering black jacket and wearing one white glove, Michael jumped, spun, and slid all over the video's surrealistic city street set. Viewers could not take their eyes off of him. Michael Jackson made music videos an ar t form instead of having the singer stand there in front of a band lip synching the song. He incorporated special effects, storylines, dance routines, and cameo appearances into them.This started the epidemic of music videos. Every music dance video played today, has Michael Jackson to thank for that. Recording artist Ne-Yo remembers that when when Michael Jackson, â€Å"dropped a video, it was an event. † (Ne-Yo. MTV). He was one of the first to spend a million on a music video. A model that is copied today buy the biggest stars. Michael Jackson is not only a brilliant singer/songwriter, but also a skilled dancer. In 1983, on the TV special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, Michael Jackson debuted his iconic dance move, the moonwalk.Unlike anything that had ever been seen before, the moonwalk proved Michael Jackson’s staying power and influence on popular culture. Everyone was trying to master the dance moves they had seen Michael do in his videos and on stage. W ho didn't want to glide across the stage in a perfect floating moonwalk? Besides the moonwalk, his other famous dance was the choreographed routine in the video Thriller. Michael knew that he wanted the video to, â€Å"take [dance] to another level†(Michael Jackson. Barbra Walters).The dance has been used in many Hollywood movies including the 2004 Blockbuster hit, 13 Going on 30. If you ask people to do the Thriller dance, nine out of ten will be able to demonstrate it. Michael Jackson's dance moves has inspired many current artists today including Justin Timberlake and Usher. A former teen sensation himself, Usher is probably the closest current performer to Michael Jackson in terms of singing style and album anticipation. Usher is the primary reason for the return of the popularity of choreographed dancing with current R&B acts.Usher states that ,†[Michael Jackson] influenced me in so many ways, more than just music †¦ as a humanitarian, as a philanthropist, as an artist, as an individual who transcended culture. I wouldn't be who I am today without Michael Jackson† (Usher Raymond. MTV). With his outstanding talent as a dancer and a high-range vocals, Justin Timberlake has been honored in being compared to Michael Jackson ever since his former N*Sync days. 2006, at the Video Music Awards, the curtain rises as seven time Grammy winner, Justin Timberlake, stands, silhouetted with the stages lights.With his neck tilted down, hand on head, and spinning around, the crowd goes wild. Not because it is Justin Timberlake about to perform, but because he has just immortalized the one and only Michael Jackson. Timberlake expresses that, â€Å"No one presented a song onstage like Michael. To create the things that he created with his music, it's really untouchable† (Justin Timberlake. MTV). Being one of the most influential artists, if not the most, is not always as exhilarating as it seems. With fame and fortune comes pain and despair.Fr om skin bleaching to the dangling of his child off the balcony, there has always controversy surrounding his life. In 2002 Michael was in a hotel with his family and wanted to show off his new born baby to the paparazzi. He dangled the child over a fourth floor balcony. Michael stated that, â€Å"I love my children. I was holding my son tight. Why would I throw a baby off the balcony? That`s the dumbest, stupidest story I ever heard† (Michael Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). A lot of rumors got around that Michael Jackson was bleaching his skin because he wanted to become Caucasian.Michael Jackson said that he had a skin pigmentation; however, a lot of people did not believe this. There were many hurtful comments about him bleaching his skin and he was very offended by them, â€Å"I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of my skin, it's something that I cannot help, OK? † (Michael Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). With all these controversies, Michael was given a nickname , â€Å"Yeah, Wacko Jacko, where did that come from? Some English tabloid. I have a heart and I have feelings. I feel that when you do that to me. It's not nice† (Michael Jackson.Barbra Walters). With all of these controversies, Michael was still a charitable man with a big heart, † I've helped many, many, many children, thousands of children, cancer kids, leukemia kids† (Michael Jackson). In 1984, Jackson bought all new equipment for a unit at Mount Senai New York Medical Center, which is part of the T. J. Martell-Foundation for leukemia and cancer research. Later that year, he visited the Brotman Memorial Hospital, and donated all the money he received from a Pepsi commercial that he was in, $1. 5 million, to the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children.Michael also created one of the largest charity events, the recording of â€Å"We are the World†, to help raise money for kids in Africa in 1985. Artists like Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Bruce Springstein, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner and many more, helped with this recording. This charity was so influential that in 2010, over one hundred of today’s biggest artist including Justin Bieber, Fergie, Lil Wayne, Adam Levine and Pink re-sang the song for Haiti, raising an immense amount of money. Even with the rumors going on, Michael was said to have donated over three-hundred million dollars to different charities throughout his life.With Michael Jackson being big on charities and helping kids in need, he created an amusement park in his backyard for kids who are disadvantaged or have medical conditions. Michael named the park Neverland, same as the fantasy island in the story Peter Pan, which is about boy that never grows older, â€Å"I'll always be Peter Pan in my heart† (Michael Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). The 3000 acre land is filled with rides, animals, a train and many more attractions, â€Å"We have elephants, and giraffes, and crocodiles, and every kind of tigers and lion s.And – and we have bus loads of kids, who don't get to see those things. They come up, sick children, and enjoy it† (Michael Jackson. Ed Bradley). Neverland was intended to bring happiness to everyone; however, it brought a horrific result to Michael. In 1993, Michael Jackson was accused of molesting a thirteen year old boy at his Neverland Ranch. Michael had met the boy in 1992 and they soon became friends. The child had become a regular guest and started staying the night at the residence, which was not uncommon.Michael gave the boy gifts and paid for several family vacation trips around the world. The father of the boy, Evan Chandler, stated that, â€Å"[Michael Jackson] was part of our family† (Chandler. Vindicating Michael). According to the allegations, for four months, Michael had been kissing and fondling with the boy when they were alone. These allegations became the main topic on all news stations. While Michael said he was innocent, many believed the news articles that stated he was a child molester, â€Å"It's a complete lie, why do people buy these papers? It's not the truth I'm here to say.You know, don't judge a person, do not pass judgment, unless you have talked to them one on one. I don't care what the story is, do not judge them because it is a lie† (Michael Jackson). In 1994, Michael Jackson settled the civil lawsuit paying an undisclosed amount to the boy’s family. Many believe that he paid between 15 and 20 million dollars. After receiving the money, the boy refused to testify in any criminal matters. Therefore, the prosecution was not able to pursue a criminal case. Michael was accused again of child molestation in 2005, but was also found not guilty.These accusations did not fully ruin Michael's career, but they did impact it. The media began to impair the career of Michael Jackson with ridiculous tabloid stories and false allegations, using wrong information to convince them. Society started to see hi m in a different light, giving him a poor reputation, â€Å"The press has made up so much†¦ God†¦ awful, horrifying stories†¦ it has made me realize the more often you hear a lie, I mean, you begin to believe it† (Michael Jackson. Oprah Winfrey). Sadly, his fans began to separate Michael from his music.The music was still prodigious; however, Michael, was seen as a predator. Artist Lil Wayne is going through the same thing with fans, but he went to jail for drugs. Lil Wayne’s music is still heard on the radio; however, the media on him is not respectable. After the allegations, the majority of people did not consider Michael as the influential pop star he once was, nor gave him recognition for his notable charity work and contributions in society; however, Michael tried to better his career; however is was never at the same magnitude as his â€Å"Thriller† album.From experiencing fame at such a young age, fighting lawsuits, paparazzi scandals, con tinuous plastic surgery, extreme tabloid stories, and false allegations, Michael Jackson never fully recovered. These struggles lead Michael into a deep depression, which subsequently resulted in an accidental overdose that cost him his life. People around the world were taken back by his sudden death in 2009. Through the comments all over the Internet, persistent updates on the television, the massive increase of albums sold on ITunes, and the misinterpretations of the way his death occurred, it was vident that the death of the King of Pop had a large impact on the nation. Rarely does any album get a 25th anniversary celebration, but Thriller did. Without a doubt, Thriller was a milestone for an entire generation. With singles at the top of the charts, changing MTV, and credit for breaking the color barrier and making way for a new generation of black artists, Michael Jackson truly exceeded what anyone could have expected. His unprecedented success is still resounding in popular cu lture today.Televison shows such as X Factor, Glee, America’s Next Top Model and American Idol have all had â€Å"Let’s give thanks to Michael Jackson† episodes. There is even a dance game called â€Å"The Michael Jackson Experience† that lets people learn his dance moves and perform with him. Michael Jackson’s iconic dances, vocals, and blending of genres continue to inspire new artists and captivate audiences worldwide. There is no doubt in my mind that twenty years from now, everyone will still know who the â€Å"King of Pop† was and how he has influenced almost every artist today. Works CitedGoh, Dion Hoe-Lian, and Chei Sian Lee. â€Å"An Analysis Of Tweets In Response To The Death Of Michael Jackson. † Aslib Proceedings 63. 5 (2011): 432-444. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. Fast, Susan. â€Å"Difference That Exceeded Understanding: Remembering Michael Jackson (1958-2009). † Popular Music ; Society 33. 2 (2010): 259-266. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. Jackson, Michael. Moonwalk. New York: Doubleday, 1988. Print. Krohn, Katherine. Michael Jackson. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2010. Print. Halperin, Ian. Unmasked: The Final Years.New York: Pocket Books, 2009. Print. Taraborrelli, Randy. Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958-2009. New York: Hachette Digital, Inc, 2009. Print. â€Å"Vindicating Michael. † HIStory vs EVANstory: The 1993 Allegations Part 1. 20 Apr. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. ;http://vindicatemj. wordpress. com/2011/04/20/history-vs-evanstory-the-1993-allegations-part-1/;. Interview by Barbra Walters. 20/20. ABC. 12 Sept. 1997. Television. Interview by Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey Show. KFMB. 1993. Television. Interview by Ed Bradley. 60 Minutes. CBS. 1993.

Academic performance and technology Essay

Space exploration is the discovery and exploration of outer space by means of space technology. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft. While the observation of objects in space, known as astronomy, predates reliable recorded history, it was the development of large and relatively efficient rockets during the early 20th century that allowed physical space exploration to become a reality. Common rationales for exploring space include advancing scientific research, uniting different nations, ensuring the future survival of humanity and developing military and strategic advantages against other countries. Space exploration has often been used as a proxy competition for geopolitical rivalries such as the Cold War. The early era of space exploration was driven by a â€Å"Space Race† between the Soviet Union and the United States, the launch of the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, the USSR’s Sputnik 1, on 4 October 1957, and the first Moon landing by the American Apollo 11 craft on 20 July 1969 are often taken as the boundaries for this initial period. See more: Recruitment and selection process essay The Soviet space program achieved many of the first milestones, including the first living being in orbit in 1957, the first human spaceflight (Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1) in 1961, the first spacewalk (by Aleksei Leonov) on 18 March 1965, the first automatic landing on another celestial body in 1966, and the launch of the first space station (Salyut 1) in 1971. After the first 20 years of exploration, focus shifted from one-off flights to renewable hardware, such as the Space Shuttle program, and from competition to cooperation as with the International Space Station (ISS). With the substantial completion of the ISS following STS-133 in March 2011, plans for space exploration by the USA remain in flux. Constellation, a Bush Administration program for a return to the Moon by 2020 was judged inadequately funded and unrealistic by an expert review panel reporting in 2009. The Obama Administration proposed a revision of Constellation in 2010 to focus on the development of the capability for crewed missions beyond low earth orbit (LEO), envisioning extending the operation of the ISS beyond 2020, transferring the development of launch vehicles for human crews from NASA to the private sector, and developing technology to enable missions to beyond LEO, such as Earth/Moon L1, the Moon, Earth/Sun L2, near-earth asteroids, and Phobos or Mars orbit.[5] As of March 2011, the US Senate and House of Representatives are still working towards a compromise NASA funding bill, which will probably terminate Constellation and fund development of a heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV).[6] In the 2000s, the People’s Republic of China initiated a successful manned spaceflight program, while the European Union, Japan, and India have also planned future manned space missions. China, Russia, Japan, and India have advocated manned missions to the Moon during the 21st century, while the European Union has advocated manned missions to both the Moon and Mars during the 21st century. From the 1990s onwards, private interests began promoting space tourism and then private space exploration of the Moon (see Google Lunar X Prize). Benefits of this to Mankind There are critics who disagree with the expenditure on space exploration, which they claim can better be used to solve earthly problems. However, they seem to forget that this is one of the fields which tests a man’s intellect. But, how does a common man draw benefits of space exploration? The advances made in field of space exploration can be well used in other fields such as medicine, agriculture, etc. The following is the list of benefits of space exploration to mankind: Global Positioning System: The mankind depends on the sea trade for transportation of food grains, fossil fuels, metal ores, etc. Global navigation system, GPS helps in timely delivery of these essential goods by providing the ships with essential navigation information. The GNS services are made available using networks of satellites which also enables satellite Internet and satellite phones. Weather Forecast and Agriculture: Gone are the days, when we used to take an umbrella with us while going out if there were black clouds in the sky. Now we can rely on the weather reports updated on an hourly basis. The accurate weather forecast is possible only because of the satellites in the space. The satellites also help us in predicting the crop yields, pest infestation and the area under cultivation. Natural Calamities: It is easy to predict natural calamities such as floods, storms, tornadoes, hurricanes and to locate wildfires and their extent with the help of satellites. Minerals and Mining: Minerals buried deep under the Earth’s surface can be located using satellites. Precious fossil fuels can be found with the help of satellites. Electronics: The field of electronics and computers have also benefited from the space exploration. The astronauts have manufactured miniature electronic parts that could only be produced in the space during their experiments in the space stations and space shuttles. Asteroids: It is believed that an asteroid strike eliminated the dinosaurs on the Earth. One of the benefits of space exploration is that we know about the thousands of asteroids and we can also be vigilant about their â€Å"drifts†. May be we could prevent ‘dinosaurian death of mankind’, if and when an asteroid is positioned to repeat history. If it happens, it would be because of the knowledge which is the direct benefit of space exploration. Energy Source: The scientists and researchers all over the world are attempting to harness the power of nuclear fusion. The process which enables the Sun to produce energy in abundance. It is believed that quantity of electricity generated using 1kg of hydrogen would be equivalent to that of 11,000 metric tons of coal. Medicine: Another field to glean the benefits of the satellite exploration is that of medicine. Metal alloys that are manufactured to be used in spacecraft and space shuttles are also used in the health care industry. Nitinol, an alloy is used to make braces. The miniature electronic components which were developed for the space program can be used in electronic pain-control device that some patients need to use. The implantable insulin pump is based on the mechanical robot arm developed for the Mars Voyager probe. The space exploration benefits also encompasses the field of communication which needs no explanation. The applications of knowledge and the technologies, that are the outcome of the man’s efforts to explore space, are making his life easier indeed! Academic performance and technology Essay Space exploration is the discovery and exploration of outer space by means of space technology. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft. While the observation of objects in space, known as astronomy, predates reliable recorded history, it was the development of large and relatively efficient rockets during the early 20th century that allowed physical space exploration to become a reality. Common rationales for exploring space include advancing scientific research, uniting different nations, ensuring the future survival of humanity and developing military and strategic advantages against other countries. Space exploration has often been used as a proxy competition for geopolitical rivalries such as the Cold War. The early era of space exploration was driven by a â€Å"Space Race† between the Soviet Union and the United States, the launch of the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, the USSR’s Sputnik 1, on 4 October 1957, and the first Moon landing by the American Apollo 11 craft on 20 July 1969 are often taken as the boundaries for this initial period. See more: The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay The Soviet space program achieved many of the first milestones, including the first living being in orbit in 1957, the first human spaceflight (Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1) in 1961, the first spacewalk (by Aleksei Leonov) on 18 March 1965, the first automatic landing on another celestial body in 1966, and the launch of the first space station (Salyut 1) in 1971. After the first 20 years of exploration, focus shifted from one-off flights to renewable hardware, such as the Space Shuttle program, and from competition to cooperation as with the International Space Station (ISS). With the substantial completion of the ISS following STS-133 in March 2011, plans for space exploration by the USA remain in flux. Constellation, a Bush Administration program for a return to the Moon by 2020 was judged inadequately funded and unrealistic by an expert review panel reporting in 2009. The Obama Administration proposed a revision of Constellation in 2010 to focus on the development of the capability for crewed missions beyond low earth orbit (LEO), envisioning extending the operation of the ISS beyond 2020, transferring the development of launch vehicles for human crews from NASA to the private sector, and developing technology to enable missions to beyond LEO, such as Earth/Moon L1, the Moon, Earth/Sun L2, near-earth  asteroids, and Phobos or Mars orbit. [5] As of March 2011, the US Senate and House of Representatives are still working towards a compromise NASA funding bill, which will probably terminate Constellation and fund development of a heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV).[6] In the 2000s, the People’s Republic of China initiated a successful manned spaceflight program, while the European Union, Japan, and India have also planned future manned space missions. China, Russia, Japan, and India have advocated manned missions to the Moon during the 21st century, while the European Union has advocated manned missions to both the Moon and Mars during the 21st century. From the 1990s onwards, private interests began promoting space tourism and then private space exploration of the Moon (see Google Lunar X Prize). Benefits of this to Mankind There are critics who disagree with the expenditure on space exploration, which they claim can better be used to solve earthly problems. However, they seem to forget that this is one of the fields which tests a man’s intellect. But, how does a common man draw benefits of space exploration? The advances made in field of space exploration can be well used in other fields such as medicine, agriculture, etc. The following is the list of benefits of space exploration to mankind: Global Positioning System: The mankind depends on the sea trade for transportation of food grains, fossil fuels, metal ores, etc. Global navigation system, GPS helps in timely delivery of these essential goods by providing the ships with essential navigation information. The GNS services are made available using networks of satellites which also enables satellite Internet and satellite phones. Weather Forecast and Agriculture: Gone are the days, when we used to take an umbrella with us while going out if there were black clouds in the sky. Now we can rely on the weather reports updated on an hourly basis. The accurate weather forecast is possible only because of the satellites in the space. The satellites also help us in predicting the crop yields, pest infestation and the area under cultivation. Natural Calamities: It is easy to predict natural calamities such as floods, storms, tornadoes, hurricanes and to locate wildfires and their extent with the help of satellites. Minerals and Mining: Minerals buried deep under the Earth’s surface can be located using  satellites. Precious fossil fuels can be found with the help of satellites. Electronics: The field of electronics and computers have also benefited from the space exploration. The astronauts have manufactured miniature electronic parts that could only be produced in the space during their experiments in the space stations and space shuttles. Asteroids: It is believed that an asteroid strike eliminated the dinosaurs on the Earth. One of the benefits of space exploration is that we know about the thousands of asteroids and we can also be vigilant about their â€Å"drifts†. May be we could prevent ‘dinosaurian death of mankind’, if and when an asteroid is positioned to repeat history. If it happens, it would be because of the knowledge which is the direct benefit of space exploration. Energy Source: The scientists and researchers all over the world are attempting to harness the power of nuclear fusion. The process which enables the Sun to produce energy in abundance. It is believed that quantity of electricity generated using 1kg of hydrogen would be equivalent to that of 11,000 metric tons of coal. Medicine: Another field to glean the benefits of the satellite exploration is that of medicine. Metal alloys that are manufactured to be used in spacecraft and space shuttles are also used in the health care industry. Nitinol, an alloy is used to make braces. The miniature electronic components which were developed for the space program can be used in electronic pain-control device that some patients need to use. The implantable insulin pump is based on the mechanical robot arm developed for the Mars Voyager probe. The space exploration benefits also encompasses the field of communication which needs no explanation. The applications of knowledge and the technologies, that are the outcome of the man’s efforts to explore space, are making his life easier indeed!

Construction - Contemporary studies (sustainability, legislation, Essay

Construction - Contemporary studies (sustainability, legislation, built enviroment, protect plant and wildlife) - Essay Example Also, this would also help the public to understand the penalty applicable if any blatant violations of the regulations are made. European Commission in its sixth and the present action plan for the environmental management termed as â€Å"Environment : 2010 Our future Our Choice† has identified nature and the biodiversity as two priority areas that need to be given proper attention to ensure sustainable development in a region. In this connection various action plans in the form of regulations and community participative strategies are being formulated and put these ideas into practice. As builders and construction contractors are the most involved group with the nature and biodiversity , an awareness on the acts relating to the legislations and regulations would help the plan the development process without infringing the prevailing regulations and norms (Begon et al, 1996, Ratcliffe, 1977). The significant legislations by the UK government to manage construction while preserving the wildlife are as follows. This legislation is exclusive to England and Wales inorder to strengthen the protection given to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and other wildlife locations. The duty of its strict enforcement is rested with the government ministers and officials of both England and Wales. This is the important legislation that has strong implication on construction contractors. It is now considered as criminal offence to disturb and damage those nesting birds and species which is protected under various schedules. The legislation have been brought into force for England and Wales inorder to protect various species of the trees. The local planning authority would place a order on the protection of certain trees or their group for the proper conservation of these biomass for the purpose of better living environment. This regulation is applicable in England and Wales and provides adequate protection to

Nutrition-Food Intake-1 Day Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nutrition-Food Intake-1 Day - Assignment Example To better understand how I arrived at this statement, it would be best to break down my DRI for each food group. The first group that I want to analyze is the vitamin and minerals group. My spreadsheet shows that I have a consumed a variety of fruits and vegetables that can be considered healthy such as banana, broccoli, asparagus, and Greek salad. This definitely enhanced the percentage for vitamins and minerals which was even boosted by consuming yogurt and shrimp. It could be said then that my food choice for this food group is healthy because the sources are quite varied. I did surpass the DRI for each Vitamin and Mineral very well. However, I should also be cautious of sodium intake which was twice the amount recommended. High-sodium intake especially on a daily basis is a precursor for certain diseases such as hypertension and kidney problems ( Sodium:How To Tame Your Diet Now, Mayo Clinic website ). Food that is processed or preserved (canned food) often contains high levels o f sodium. The next group to be analyzed is fat. I was not able to determine the target DRI for fat; instead, I only recorded my consumption of monounsaturated and poly unsaturated fat. Nevertheless, there was minimal consumption of food that contained trans-fatty acid. If my only basis was fat, it could be said that I consumed 92% less than what was required which is not bad. Regrettably, the cholesterol consumed is 1,287% which is an indicator of a poor diet. Cholesterol leads to atherosclerotic heart disease (Freeman and Junge, 2005) which is why a high cholesterol diet should be avoided as much as possible. Indeed, people should pay attention their dietary intake because their health is at risk. As for carbohydrates, I have consumed less than what was required; however, much sugar consumption was undetermined. Carbohydrate is necessary for supplying energy for the body; yet, the source must not come from simple sugars. This is another issue that must be emphasized because too muc h sugar consumption could also lead to diabetes. I also included fiber in the diet since I am aware of the health benefits of this food type. As for protein, I consumed twice as much as the DRI. When it came to drinking water, I only consumed 70% of DRI which is really not healthy. It can be observed that there are some food groups that are over represented such as vitamins and minerals. In the case of carbohydrates, I really do not prefer eating bread or pasta which explains the result. In a way, I was trying to go on a diet by just eating chicken, fruits and vegetables. I also observed that I did not hydrate myself well which can lead to constipation later. There are several reasons behind these results. The first limitation I had is the variety of food choice presented to me. The canteen does not present much variety and food at home is quite simple because everyone is too busy to prepare a full meal. However, this is not an excuse because I can choose to buy and prepare my own f ood. I should introduce more variety by adding more fruits and carbohydrate sources. A hearty whole wheat sandwich can be easily prepared for snack time. The lesson here is that individuals must put a conscious effort to achieve a healthy diet. This requires careful planning to achieve a balanced meal. There is also a need to discuss people close to me that I have decided to change my eating habits. My parents could support me in this endeavor and may even take part in preparing meals that contains all the food types in the food pyramid. In fact, having

Taxation System in the New York Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Taxation System in the New York - Assignment Example Since his daughter furnished the apartment using his property, he would have to pay all the property taxes for the furniture. In 2009, the taxpayer also visited his regular doctor and traveled by taxi to and from JFK airport. The hotel expenses would also add to the amount of money he would have had to pay as taxation. In 2010, the taxpayer was in New York for an additional 47 days but returned home in September that year. For the time up to September, his salary would be subject to taxation in New York as a person working abroad. When he came back home, he would go back to being taxed as a local resident since he was no longer working abroad. He would also continue being on his daughter’s apartment lease as the guarantor and therefore pay all the subsequent taxes related to the lease. The taxpayer’s taxable income would be $150,000 from the sale of stock of a California corporation which only held New York real property + $4,000 in NY State lottery winnings + $50,000 distribution from his pension plan + $1000 interest income from his savings account from ING + $100,000 in gains from the sale of a painting located in Connecticut but sold while temporarily at a museum located in New York. The cost of the painting was $20,000. To make a total of $305,000 The amount of the taxpayer’s income that would be subject to New York taxation would be around 100/365 x 100,000. The time he spent working in the company’s out-of-state field offices would not be liable to taxation in New York. The allocation formula would be simply dividing the number of days spent in New York with a total number of days in a year and multiply with his total wages from the company for a year. There are around 155 days that the taxpayer cannot account for in terms of where he was working. Since there is no way of determining this, there would be no taxes calculated for these days.  

Hawley Harvey Crippen Case Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hawley Harvey Crippen Case - Research Paper Example This is also considered as the first case Bernard Spilsbury, the renowned pathologist investigated. Radio was used for the tracking of the criminals; this was strange in that period. Advocates who cry for the abolition of death penalty gives the case of Crippen as an example for the wrongfully convicted cases. However, Dr Crippen’s conviction is not considered false by many people. The wife of Doctor Hawley Crippen was found missing when Crippen maintained affair with another woman. As in most wife death cases, when adultery is traced, spouse and his mistress were suspected. Hawley Harvey Crippen, an American citizen, who had worked as a homeopathic doctor in a pharmaceutical company lived with his second wife Cora. She became an Opera singer, with the name Belle Elmore. Belle was a pleasant and vivacious woman who was interested in dressing and make up. She liked displaying herself. She had dark hair and a New York accent of speech. She was a Roman Catholic. She changed her h usband to her faith. Unlike his wife Crippen was a small man. He did not have an appealing appearance. He had a bald forehead and a thick, sandy moustache. He was an insignificant figure with sharp eyes, behind the gold-rimmed spectacles. During the trial he was seen as a gentle, kind, well-mannered man. Rumor says that Elmore controlled everything in their house while she had several affairs with other men. Though this information was not verified, Crippen and Cora, for sure, remained not committed to each other. In the year 1900, the couple moved to England from the United States. Crippen’s medical qualifications did not permit him to practice him in England as he had to work in homeopathic medicine preparation. They changed places several times and finally settled in Holloway London. They had paying boarders in their house which supplemented their income. Certain people considered this as the beginning of the problem between wife and husband. Things went terribly wrong as wife loved flirting with other men and husband started relationship with another woman. The relationship between Crippen and his wife worsened as the days go. Belle was tired of her husband. She was aware of his relationship with Ethel le Neve. She threatened that she would leave Crippen. This news must have been happy for him. But she wanted their joint savings to be taken with her. As per the records, on in December 1909, she submitted notice for the withdrawal of the money in the bank. Crippen must have been furious over this. Dr Crippen, deciding to kill his wife, ordered the poison hyoscine, from a New Oxford Street chemist. According to the records the collected the poison from the chemist and signed the chemist’s register. The couple invited few close friends of Belle and had dinner and drinks on January 31 1910. Paul Martinetti and his wife Clara who attended the dinner stayed until late night. They were the last people to see Belle. According to their neighbors, the couple had a long argument in the morning hours. Some cries for help were also reported to hear. A few days Dr. Crippen ordered some of his wife’s theatrical weakly subscriptions to be cancelled. He reasoned that his wife had returned to America and it will take few months for her return. To those who enquired Crippen said that his wife had visited California on a family emergency, and she died later being infected with pneumonia. Dr Crippen’s lover Ethel le Neve moved to the house after few days.

Drawing on a range of scholarly articles, critically examine the Essay

Drawing on a range of scholarly articles, critically examine the relation between leadership and organizational citizenship b - Essay Example This behaviour is not part of the expected conduct that an individual is expected to portray prior to employment; thus, it is difficult to detect, as they are a result of the personal choice of the individual in question. This implies that organizational citizenship behavior is controlled and determined by an individual who exhibits it out of at his or her own decision and choice. The other important point about organizational citizenship behavior is that it is an effort from the employees to benefit the organization without expecting any form of reward (Shweta and Jha 2009, p.33). In spite of the definitions and explanations that label organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), there have been challenges attempting to prove that OCB is not a discretionary form of behavior, but rather can be influenced by other factors both within the organization and outside it. While evaluating the relationship between the OCB and leadership in an organization, it is crucial to avoid confounding by looking at all the other factors, other than leadership, that influence OCB and their impact on it as well. Firstly, organizational leadership shares a close relationship with OCB based on a number of leadership styles used in an organization, as well as efficiency of leadership in an organization (Lian and Tui 2012, p.60). In addition, there exist a relationship between leadership and OCB, which is based on the relationships found between leaders in an organization and their exchanges with their managers and subordinates in the organization. With this in mind, the Leader-Member exchange determines the relationship between employees, their superiors, and their employers. This is to mean that leadership styles that involve role modelling and communicating high levels of performance, as well as envisioning and invigorating employees intellectually affect organizational citizenship behaviour among the employees (Lian and Tui 2012, p.36). In such a case, the leadership style affect the ways in which employees interact with management to create an improved or poor performance willpower amongst the employees. As a result, employees OCB is affected negatively to an almost bare minimum, such that employees exercise their discretionary to flunk the organization. Therefore, the relationship between OCB and organizational leadership can be described as dependent on the state of leadership or style of leadership to influence how employees’ covert behaviour. In addition, transformational leadership behaviour is one that is known to influence this behaviour in employees as it involves direct contact between employees and management. It is through communication and motivation found in the transformational leadership style that contributes to improved OCB. This is because of the conduct of the leaders towards the employees, where they express satisfaction and appreciation for good performance. In addition, employers and leaders who have shared resources with the emplo yees, bring out the relationship between OCB and leadership. This is due to the level of personal support that employees share with the leaders, as well as time and information, which draw employees to engage in OCB readily. Studies indicate that leaders with defined job roles or

Iran's Military Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Iran's Military Assessment - Essay Example As discussed above that the Iranian Military strategy has changed since the revolution of 1979 and as such its overall focus in on maintaining the regime and strengthening its hold over the power. 2In order to secure the regime, Iranian military is therefore focused upon the deterrence strategy. Further, the strategy is also focused upon surviving against hard military threats from US and Israel and as Iran continue to hold a military and foreign policy in a manner which is targeted at US and Israel. (Eisenstadt 2001) Iran’s overall composition of forces is based upon holding more than 2 different military build-ups which are focused upon overseeing different strategic objectives of the country. The military as such comprised of Army, Navy and Air force however, it is also supported by the Army of the Guardians of Islamic Revolution. The Army of Guardians of Islamic Revolution has its own factions of air, sea and ground forces. Iran has more than 500,000 ground forces which form the part of Iranian Military whereas the Army of the Guardians of Islamic Revolution has estimated to have more 120,000 personnel. Iran also has a separate paramilitary force which has approximately 100,000 personnel. The paramilitary force is also believed to have more than a million reserve personnel who can be called upon if needed.3 Iran’s naval force, its overall composition as well as proficiency is based upon Islamic Revolution, Iran’s overall relationships with its neighbors and to some extent Petroleum too. Iran’s Navy is also split into two parts i.e. the one which existed during Shah Era and the one which was created after revolution. Iran’s Naval force is mainly based in it’s the Strait of Hormuz which is only 90 nautical miles long and 35 nautical miles wide.4 Iran’s naval proficiency is based upon its doctrine of asymmetric war which Iran

How are the issues presented in Barn Burning still relevant in the Research Paper

How are the issues presented in Barn Burning still relevant in the recent history of the United States - Research Paper Example There was a time when the African Americans had not been granted the human rights equivalent to their white counterparts. This segregation prevailed in every department and even in public places including hospitals, parks, railway stations and in public transport, where the Blacks were bound to vacant the seats in the buses for the whites as a token of their so called superiority. The Blacks were not allowed to even sit in buses and other public places alongside the white people, and even had to vacant their seats at buses provided any white person entered in a bus with no seat to sit in. (Parks, 1992) However, time turned drastic change, and the movements of the Black community to win equal rights for them turned out successful, and the segregation of the races at schools, public places and even public offices observed complete and unconditional eradication. The African American students used to seek education at segregated schools separate from the whites. Somehow, the ethnic and r acial discrimination witnessed the gradual eradication from the very face of the US society, where the individuals belonging to every races and ethnic group observed social justice and equality in the country. Consequently, the door of opportunities looked wide open for all and sundry in the country, and the Black could study, play, work, travel and dine along with the white people in the aftermath of the human rights movement launched by Martin Luther, Malcolm X, Rosa Park and several other Black leaders. However, according to Faulkner, the white maintained serious reservations about the attitude and behavior of the African Americans due to the very reality that they appeared to be far more aggressive, antagonist and revengeful during their conflict with the whites, and leave no stone unturned to take revenge of their humiliation particularly at the hands of the members of white Anglo Saxon Population (WASP). The same happened in the story under analysis where Abner Snopes, the mem ber of Black community, always underwent humiliation at the hands of his master(s) because of his extremely sluggish and laggard nature. Instead of complying with the orders of his master, and paying due heed to his professional responsibilities of looking after the barn, crops and cattle, Abner appears to be spending most of his time in taking rest as well as getting involved in chit chat with family members and friends. Thus, he transfers the duties assigned to him to his daughters, which are not in a position to perform the same in a proper manner. It not only infuriates the masters, but also paves the way towards Abner’s insult and humiliation. Somehow, instead to mending his ways, Abner turns reactionary and conspiringly set the barns under his supervision to fire before leaving the place he has been working. Answer 2: Since Faulkner has observed several incidents regarding the Black people’s turning out reactionary, the writer is of the view that such an irrespon sible attitude of the African Americans not only frightens the white community, but also they are reluctant to hire the services of the Blacks for any purpose. Actually the white community had displayed their hatred for the Blacks in all social institutions provided they considered them as their slaves and the progeny of their old slaves, which should be treated keeping in mind their old past. It is therefore

Tourism and Western Influence on the Sherpa Culture in Nepal. A brief Research Paper

Tourism and Western Influence on the Sherpa Culture in Nepal. A brief history of Sherpa society and how today's tourism to Mount Everest affects and influences their culture - Research Paper Example They practiced high attitude farming in a region known as Khumbu. This was home for the Sherpa who practiced subsistence farming and animal herding in high attitude, for example, raising yak for their products such as hides, dairy and wool. The children would be sent to collects yak dung that would be used as a source of fuel. Women dug potatoes in the snow and this could be due to peaks could not be of interest to them apart from the few sacred mountains (Furze 24). The Sherpa became involved in climbing at around 1020s. This could be due to the mountain climbing expeditions planned by the British. This led to the involvement of the Sherpa in mountain climbing as they would be hired as porters. Mountaineering became the Sherpa’s culture around 1950 during the time Nepal could be exposed. Countless climbers began flocking at the Khumbu Village which was the Sherpa home and together with Mount Everest; it later became the Sagarmatha National Park (Haimendorf 72). Mountaineering and trekking business became the cultural phenomena of the Sherpa community. The Sherpa themselves acted as a tourist guide for Westerners and also as cooks and base camp staff. They would be referred to as porters which resulted from their ability to climb and assist the westerner in climbing the tallest peaks in the world (Furze 68). This became part of their culture as many of them welcomed the changes as it provided employment opportunities, which led to the increased standards of living and comfortable lifestyles. The transformation of Sherpa’s culture led to the development of the region such that they shifted from the previous harsh life to the prosperous one. This could be brought by the establishment of trekking and mountain climbing. Trekkers brought steady income, which could sustain shops and guesthouses owned by the Sherpa along the route, the porters, guides and cooks who assisted

The Ravenmaster’s Secret Essay Example for Free

The Ravenmaster’s Secret Essay The Ravenmaster’s Secret is one of Woodruff’s interesting books about friendship.   As what we commonly say, true friends are known during times of troubles.   This book is but just one of the many books that showcases the story of friendship in a time of war.   The Ravenmaster’s Secret is a story about love and hate relationship and a friendship bridged over war.   In this story, the author narrated the life of a young boy named Forrest Harper who lived and grew up in the middle of the Tower of London sometime in the year 1735. In this time of trouble and as a young boy, he passed the test of friendship and courage.   Forrest has a pet raven named Tuck and at a young age, he already shows genuine care for ravens especially those who are caged.   Although Forrest lived with his family, he was lonely; and that loneliness was taken away by a friend named Rat, a local boy with whom Forrest would imagine things and scenes, and telling their fantasies.   They would sketch their stories and their fantasies and drew pictures of horses and dragons.   After which, another friend though initially presented as an enemy came.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this tower, he met whom, the author referred to as his enemy, a young girl, Scottish and a prisoner named Maddy.   Forrest guards the tower along with his father to watch the prisoners.   Maddy is a daughter of a rebel and so he is an enemy. She was the prisoner and the young boy was his jailer.   At age eleven, both of them experienced an adventure together as they discover the tower known as a place of horrifying terror.   However, as the story progressed, they turn out to be very god friends and together they overcame terror, a horrifying challenge that could have cost their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One day, a bad news arrived stating that Maddy is to be executed.   Intending to help their friend, Forrest and Rat, now named Ned devised a plan on how to free her.   Risking their lives and their loved ones as well, they pursued the plan and freed Maddy. As a young boy, this is already a huge test for Forrest who is caught between his feelings for Maddy and his desire to free him; and his allegiance to his country with whom he and his family serve. However, believing that helping Maddy is the right thing to do; he faced the challenges and the possible consequences of his actions. The story continued as the three friends fulfill their dreams together in friendship wherein Forrest became the Ravenmaster at the tower like his father.   This is the secret world of the Ravenmaster.   Ã‚  The story ended showing how the children achieved their goals realizing their fantasies (Shafer, n.d.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book is a very nice fictional story that cultivates creativity and has strong appeal to the imagination.   Like the characters in the book, readers are also confined to their secret, fictitious world.   I special liked the book because it is a story about friendship and how friendship can survive the test of troubles especially in the eyes of the young characters.   It is amazing how the author used the characters of Maddy, Forrest and Ned (Rat) to emphasize the fictitious part of the story. Normally children are very imaginative and fascinating fantasies that somehow have been emphasized in the story but vividly narrating a realistic lesson to the readers-friendship.   This is what the author, Elvira Woodruff achieved because although his work is basically fictitious, she never tried to romanticize the setting of the story which gave it a realistic appeal especially with the fact that the Tower of London is an important historical venue. Reference Shafer, S.   (n.d.).   That’s Cheeky!   Retrieved January 28, 2008, from http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=2955

Cost Estimation for Meeting Perths Water Needs

Cost Estimation for Meeting Perths Water Needs (a) Introduction 2.1 This career episode is based on my engineering activity at the University of Western Australia. It is about an assignment I carried out during the second semester of my masters degree in the unit Process synthesis and design, worth 25 % of the overall grade. The assignment was released on 11 August 2015 and was due on the 18 September 2015.Thus the entire task was completed in just five weeks time. (b) Background 2.2. The project on Cost Estimation for Meeting Perths Water Needs was carried out as an assignment for the unit Process Synthesis and Design. I was part of a group of six people. The project required the calculation of CAPEX and OPEX for two different scenarios and comparison of both to determine the suitable one for real life implementation. This assignment involved several design stages along with the study of flow in a pipeline in order to select the appropriate piping and the length required to meet the water requirement over a 50 year lifetime. The project was completed successfully under the guidance of Prof. Mike Johns, School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering at the University of Western Australia. 2.3 Decreasing annual rainfall and subsequent decrease in water supply had become the talk of media and local government in Perth. This has caused an interest in techniques to supply fresh water to Perth. The project aimed at evaluating two different scenarios to meet with Perths increasing water demands. The first scenario considered in the project was a two stage RO Desalination plant that would intake seawater and produce fresh water at 1000 à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦. The second scenario was the design construction of a 2435 km Kimberly pipeline from Argyle dam to Perth capable of meeting the same fresh water requirement per day. 2.4 Some of the core duties I was involved in are as follows: I performed literature reviews and referred several materials to understand various prospects of the project. I divided the task among my team members and ensured that they accomplished their assigned tasks effectively. I estimated the CAPEX and OPEX for two different scenarios. I contributed to the discussion with the members of my team on the merits and demerits of each case of the project. I attended meetings with my supervisor and team members to discuss the progress of the project and to exchange our contributions. I also compared and validated certain theoretical results with that of my calculated ones using appropriate approaches to suit the requirements of the project. I welcomed the challenge in completing a cost breakdown analysis by selecting the appropriate material based on its mechanical properties, pressure head, volumetric flow rate, velocity and followed by certain significant assumptions throughout the project. I prepared charts and tabulations of selection and cost analysis for different equipment and materials. I also prepared a report on the comparison of CAPEX and OPEX of two different scenarios and contributed more towards the design of reverse osmosis desalination plant and its functions. (c) Personal Engineering Activity The assignment required the comparison of CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) and OPEX (Operational Expenditure) for two scenarios. The first scenario given was the reverse osmosis desalination plant. This process consists of several stages. I analyzed the process to determine the amount of feed required to produce 1000 à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦ of fresh water. I discovered that from the 45% recovery of the RO membrane system, a 2222.2 à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦ of salt water feed will provide the required 1000 à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â€š ¬Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦ of fresh water to Perth. Figure 1: Reverse Osmosis design selection block diagram 2.6 In order to determine the OPEX, all the steps involved in the process had to be accounted. In order to do so, I broke down the process into independent steps. The first step was the pre-treatment of feed water to avoid fouling in the membrane system. Managing membrane fouling with pre-treatment methods reduces the replacement rate of membranes and lowers the ongoing OPEX costs. The next step involved in the process was coagulation. I chose Ferric Salts as a coagulant because of its tendency to disinfect microorganisms, partially degrade and oxidize the organic and inorganic impurities, and remove suspended particulate materials in a single dosing and mixing unit process. The next step in the process was the passage of feed water through Dual-filters. After extensive research, I decided that the Anthracite bed on silica sand was best suited to remove suspended solids and colloids formed in the ferric salt treatment. Lastly the feed was passed through micron cartridge filters to re move fine particles and bacterial matter before it was processed through a high pressure pump to the membranes. 2.7 The final and the most important step of the process was the selection of membrane. Referring to a number of papers, I found out that the best suited membrane for the specific purpose was the Toray TM820-440 membranes. These membrane elements had a high salt rejection percentage, large flux, low cost and are efficient on energy use to minimize OPEX costs. Before distribution, the permeate needs to be treated to maintain pH and remove corrosion potential. Lime contactors can increase hardness, alkalinity and pH while preventing calcium to leech from pipes into the distribution system. 2.8 I prepared the CAPEX by scaling up the capacity of an existing desalination plant to match the desired capacity. I considered The Perth Seawater Desalination Plant in Kwinana which has a capacity of 45à °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ºÃƒ °Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ ¿/à °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¦Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ¢â‚¬â„¢Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ½Ãƒ °Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ… ¸ and incurred a capital cost of $387 million AUD. I also took Southern Seawater Desalination Plant into consideration in Binningup which had a capital cost of $1400 million AUD and produces 100 GL/year. Of the two, I selected the Binningup desalination plant as it was built much more recently compared to that of kwinana. From calculations, I found that the proposed plant is 3.65 times larger than the Binningup plant and as such, the CAPEX could be approximated to $5110 million AUD. 2.9 Operating Costs can be classified as fixed or variable. Figure 2: Operating expenditure classification used in the project The table below summarizes the OPEX estimation for the Desalination plant. Table 1: Summary of RO Desalination OPEX Cost Components 2.10 The second scenario to be considered was the Argyle Dam Pipeline. The solution costs were based on quotes from two Australian companies:   Steel Mains and Flowserve. I selected these two companies based on a background study that I carried out. From the research, I learnt that these companies have been involved in numerous Australian water transport projects and abide by Australian standards. The final solution that I selected was based on Steel Mains cement mortar lined pipe model DN2200 and custom made pumps designed by Flowserve with an operating head value of 250 metres with inlet and outlet valves equal to the diameter needed. The 250 metres operating head was chosen as the pipes are designed to work at 2.7MPa. After discussion with the team members, two solutions were proposed: a real pipeline with outer diameter of 2159mm, 3 pipelines with 3 pumps per pipeline, and the other one having theoretical pipelines with outer diameter 2520mm, 2 pipelines with 3 pumps. The CAPEX estimation for the proposals is as follows: Table 2: Summary of Pipeline CAPEX Cost Components The OPEX estimation has been limited to the power requirements of the pumping stations and the personnel required to run the pipeline. Table 3: Summary of Pipeline OPEX Cost Components I compared the CAPEX and OPEX along with the advantages and disadvantages of both the scenarios to determine which of the two would be more suitable for real life application. For the Kimberley pipeline, the CAPEX cost ($36.6 billion AUD) heavily exceeds the desalination plant. This large CAPEX cost comes from the cost of purchasing DN2200 pipes which have an estimated lifetime of 100 years. The major factor contributing to the OPEX value from the pipeline is maintenance (77.7%). On the proposed desalination plant solution, the CAPEX cost is relatively low compared to the pipeline ($6.275 billion AUD). The majority of this cost comes from the installation of high pressure pumping station, and a seawater desalination system with energy recovery devices which are a long term investment to save on high energy costs of up to 50-60% associated with desalination. The majority of OPEX estimates come from the cost of power to run the plant (81%). Considering all the facts, I decided that the desalination plant should be selected over the Kimberley project. This is because the desalination plant is more economically feasible over a large time span. Even though the pipeline has been designed to facilitate this increase in demand, CAPEX estimates are too expensive to justify this project. I also carried out several calculations to determine the velocity of water running through the selected pipelines and was found to be 1.08 m/s. Table 4: Information summary of real (calculated values) and theoretical pipeline options Parameters such as Reynolds number, relative roughness, pressure drop, volumetric flow rate and pipeline elevation were also determined when selecting the appropriate pipeline for this project. Estimating the appropriate number of pumping stations at remote areas along the length of the pipeline was one of the tedious task in the project as it involved a lot calculations and literature reviews. A different approach to this project was the consideration of solar technology over wave supply to be the best present day strategy at remote areas as the supply of power to pumping stations was not be a viable option by the latter. Unfortunately, these winds are not a reliable option in the interior parts of Western Australia and so would not be a feasible selection for power supply to a potential pipeline. Overall, I was able to achieve all the objectives of the project successfully within the specified time and prepared a final report incorporating all the necessary design calculations, ide as and suggestions which could have improved the overall outcome of the project. A peer review was also submitted at the end of the project as a reflection on how each team member contributed individually for the project. (d) Summary 2.15 This project provided me with a valuable experience and great insight into an industrial project. I gained profound knowledge on process economics and also helped boost my confidence. During the course of the project, I understood the importance of team work and team management. I utilized my engineering knowledge for the successful completion of the project and as a whole, this project served as a stepping stone into the industrial world.

Studies on the Production of Fruits in India

Studies on the Production of Fruits in India Studies on the production of fruits in India with special reference to Jammu and Kashmir Abstract Fruits provide desirable health benefits besides nutrition due to presence of various essential vitamins and minerals. Many important antioxidants are present in fruits that help the body to constantly clean up the toxic wastes. They boost the immunity and provide resistance against various ailments and certain chronic diseases. They have cracking potential to increase the economic impact of the state, country at local, national and international level. India is the second largest producer of fruits in the world with production of 81.29 million metric tonnes from an area of 6.98 million hectares for the year 2012-13. Jammu and Kashmir, the northern most state of India have different environmental and topographical conditions than rest of the country, produces many horticultural products. It is the largest producer of apples in India, 77% of apple production in India belongs to Jammu and Kashmir. After harvest considerable losses occur due to ignorance, method of storage, postharvest handling and absence of postharvest processing. Awareness about nutritional, environment and economic valves, improved cultivation, use of appropriate postharvest handling strategies are important to minimize the losses. Keywords: antioxidant, area, production, postharvest, horticulture Introduction Nutritional importance of fruits Fruits contain a number of essential minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers and play essential role in human nutrition especially as a source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), folacin (vitamin B9), tocopherol (vitamin E), riboflavin (vitamin A), calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, potassium (Wargovich, 2000). There contribution is estimated at 91% of vitamin C, 48% of thiamine, 30% of folacin, 27% of pyridoxine, 17% of vitamin B1, 15% of vitamin B3, 19% of Iron, 16% of magnesium, 9% of calories (Quebedeaux and Elis, 1990; Kader, 2001). Fruits and vegetables in human diet are strongly associated with the reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’ disease, cataracts, strokes and other chronic diseases (Prior and Cao, 2000; Southon, 2000; Liu, 2003). Some components of fruits and vegetables are strong antioxidants and function in metabolic activation and detoxification of various carcinogens (Kader, 2001). Economic importance of fruits India comprises several agro-ecological regions with diverse soil and climate types, which provide an ample opportunity to grow variety of crops. A considerable degree of crop diversification has been experienced since the green revolution. The change in cropping pattern is towards the horticultural and commercial crops (Mittal, 2007). Horticultural crops form significant part of total agricultural production of the country and are key drivers of economic development. In India 65-70% of the population earns their livelihood through agriculture (Economic survey, 2007-08). Fruits contribute around 31% of horticultural production (Vedamurthy and Pandey, 2010). The increase in domestic and international demand for fruits in increasing day by day thereby increasing the economic importance of fruits. Contribution of horticultural crops towards agricultural GDP was about 29.5% for the year 2007-08 (Economic survey, 2007-08). Fruit Production in India India is the world’s second largest producer of fruits after Brazil that contributes 11.80% of the total world’s fruit production with a production of 68.46 million tonnes from an area of 6.10 million hectares annually (Kumar and Singh, 2010). In India the major fruit producing states are Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, Orissa and Utter Pradesh Factors leading to decrease in fruit production The major losses of fruits are estimated at 35-40% due to improper post harvest management that is about 40,000 crores per year. It so causes the wastage of energy, labour and inputs involved in horticultural production (Nayak and Mukhopadhyay, 2008). So there is a strong need for the post harvest management of these perishable fruits. Post harvest management strategies are applied to the horticultural produce after harvest to increase their shelf life during storage, processing, packaging and marketing to meet the nutritional requirements of the people. Majors that can be taken to overcome the losses Table 1: World fruit production in metric tonnes Fruit 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Afghanistan 794,600 816,730 645,870 706,224 847,900 Albania 118,400 151,400 167,782 141,489 370,192 Algeria 1,995,071 1,201,968 978,664 1,428,102 3,535,544 American Samoa 3,850 1,642 1,463 1,982 1,440 Angola 430,000 427,000 405,000 447,000 608,100 Antigua and Barbuda 6,749 8,540 8,511 9,518 8,570 Argentina 5,217,423 6,353,140 5,881,204 7,174,114 7,445,843 Armenia .. .. .. 244,352 351,405 Australia 2,114,328 2,168,155 2,384,181 3,084,329 3,312,766 Austria 1,096,963 1,082,399 964,144 1,091,955 734,800 Azerbaijan .. .. .. 553,959 891,021 Bahamas 9,175 12,409 11,077 26,312 37,000 Bahrain 17,580 42,000 10,150 21,465 22,090 Bangladesh 1,407,439 1,304,358 1,332,490 1,361,000 3,954,957 Barbados 2,490 2,610 2,850 2,560 4,090 Belarus .. .. .. 299,100 790,071 Belgium .. .. .. 786,210 571,630 Belize 35,405 83,428 141,662 381,421 376,790 Benin 121,300 142,300 180,662 163,023 398,700 Bermuda 565 500 300 336 370 Bhutan 23,350 29,450 64,535 64,710 60,900 Bolivia 469,540 555,635 783,195 999,658 944,470 Bosnia and Herzegovina .. .. .. 80,273 321,265 Botswana 6,318 9,150 11,545 10,600 5,920 Brazil 11,465,728 19,473,797 29,823,592 36,986,742 39,286,781 British Virgin Islands 309 550 180 440 520 Brunei Darussalam 3,445 4,810 5,024 6,133 7,535 Bulgaria 2,300,776 1,897,597 1,649,569 739,549 396,332 Burkina Faso 41,600 55,200 69,831 90,954 96,450 Burundi 1,247,000 1,168,000 1,633,000 1,598,146 238,464 Cambodia 270,050 122,340 239,050 321,700 355,900 Cameroon 983,457 1,713,340 1,756,896 1,994,151 3,878,820 Canada 628,394 795,589 772,777 823,210 668,968 Cape Verde 13,824 12,600 14,615 16,778 20,800 Cayman Islands 516 583 314 558 325 Central African Republic 129,820 168,800 201,900 259,399 274,550 Chad 83,000 92,000 106,423 98,068 117,500 Chile 1,061,240 1,633,588 2,638,980 3,890,170 5,673,600 China 4,973,710 8,416,030 20,952,155 64,503,111 122,184,944 Colombia 2,761,100 3,897,150 4,676,996 6,851,039 7,989,940 Comoros 28,000 35,600 51,132 62,615 47,800 Congo 68,700 113,070 135,844 222,622 263,800 Congo, DR 2,134,500 2,627,600 3,450,844 2,426,781 2,540,724 Cook Islands 15,850 12,525 4,782 3,677 1,526 Costa Rica 1,299,210 1,337,764 2,410,266 3,810,786 4,620,366 Croatia .. .. .. 540,881 458,235 Cuba 306,012 853,467 1,535,526 2,251,114 1,794,869 Cyprus 432,319 344,802 393,246 282,984 185,661 Czech Republic .. .. .. 562,195 181,221 CÃ ´te dIvoire 1,001,352 1,464,548 1,569,720 2,347,117 2,187,000 Denmark 163,961 146,608 102,268 54,840 68,500 Djibouti 0 0 1,956 3,457 3,185 Dominica 63,100 35,760 96,771 69,805 53,830 Dominican Republic 1,169,659 1,340,100 1,599,980 1,032,324 2,196,055 Ecuador 3,781,542 3,966,510 4,524,825 7,670,506 9,292,075 Egypt 1,450,330 2,284,135 4,617,539 6,966,124 9,581,146 El Salvador 194,450 251,282 291,084 302,098 439,319 Equatorial Guinea 13,500 10,500 40,600 51,039 69,200 Eritrea .. .. .. 3,800 4,400 Estonia .. .. .. 26,538 5,071 Ethiopia .. .. .. 703,202 683,500 Fiji 8,612 10,685 12,846 18,006 18,628 Finland 62,700 104,000 21,092 18,661 16,793 France 17,040,995 14,601,267 11,942,965 11,265,355 8,691,815 French Guiana 4,540 2,021 6,763 15,707 17,610 French Polynesia 2,544 3,171 7,741 9,728 15,483 Gabon 123,300 190,900 240,001 294,226 324,710 Gambia 3,000 3,500 3,517 5,607 8,600 Georgia .. .. .. 471,917 260,000 Germany 5,367,781 4,750,807 4,854,934 5,290,538 2,200,529 Ghana 1,034,097 978,300 923,900 2,391,420 4,363,630 Greece 3,003,094 3,519,917 3,922,607 4,151,486 3,230,090 Grenada 34,255 27,518 25,811 16,631 14,600 Guadeloupe 132,280 88,577 116,416 142,661 87,390 Guam 747 1,089 1,873 2,380 3,220 Guatemala 659,100 753,791 1,150,517 1,973,393 3,951,700 Guinea 545,000 673,100 855,803 997,310 1,218,700 Guinea-Bissau 36,700 46,750 61,403 79,888 87,050 Guyana 42,167 32,710 50,249 73,963 33,615 Haiti 799,800 1,003,600 1,016,171 1,005,481 976,660 Honduras 1,499,923 1,646,227 1,388,235 783,281 1,357,185 Hungary 2,030,432 2,531,215 2,306,901 1,726,674 1,124,272 Iceland 13 10 11 17 30 India 15,786,680 20,357,397 27,717,104 43,000,880 84,791,100 Indonesia 3,576,000 4,268,214 5,973,043 8,412,930 14,867,762 Iran 1,784,725 3,144,125 7,163,554 12,287,684 12,126,041 Iraq 542,880 1,155,020 1,523,030 1,739,200 1,094,014 Ireland 32,500 23,200 23,000 26,334 48,170 Israel 1,548,475 1,926,160 2,002,746 1,263,269 1,278,486 Italy 19,349,138 21,429,443 17,112,381 17,989,619 16,907,895 Jamaica 396,869 332,255 360,046 425,044 363,608 Japan 5,552,900 6,227,900 4,905,691 3,820,890 2,898,550 Jordan 61,370 86,155 255,408 238,727 279,918 Kazakhstan .. .. .. 263,490 222,110 Kenya 534,110 1,126,610 1,303,636 2,148,118 2,933,336 Kiribati 3,370 4,530 5,000 5,649 9,400 Korea, North 218,000 848,000 1,305,000 1,333,157 1,559,200 Korea, South 429,259 933,406 1,917,459 2,625,572 2,733,554 Kuwait 470 1,113 1,933 11,250 18,353 Kyrgyzstan .. .. .. 188,139 197,601 Laos 75,650 90,300 128,500 192,967 238,200 Latvia .. .. .. 53,992 14,608 Lebanon 561,776 721,100 1,185,000 845,600 976,290 Lesotho 14,000 15,000 17,709 14,500 14,700 Liberia 98,020 120,200 106,779 170,662 208,700 Libya 82,132 179,145 311,644 314,710 386,050 Liechtenstein 120 70 130 156 180 Lithuania .. .. .. 112,500 47,719 Luxembourg .. .. .. 33,632 26,652 Macedonia .. .. .. 407,811 452,643 Madagascar 623,775 733,033 796,700 890,600 941,460 Malawi 260,000 374,950 481,428 755,498 1,032,600 Malaysia 865,300 938,073 1,108,638 1,210,733 1,144,862 Maldives 6,050 7,900 6,350 9,560 10,051 Mali 98,100 124,800 155,060 251,993 814,100 Malta 11,871 10,563 13,729 6,457 10,085 Martinique 184,928 116,929 284,295 355,478 208,860 Mauritania 17,300 15,200 12,087 24,900 23,000 Mauritius 8,948 3,583 8,370 13,076 21,285 Mexico 4,478,970 7,617,469 9,371,183 13,306,460 15,255,598 Micronesia, FM .. .. .. 3,088 3,830 Moldova .. .. .. 953,163 792,435 Mongolia 2,250 3,200 400 255 578 Montenegro .. .. .. .. 74,338 Montserrat 1,129 800 629 880 830 Morocco 1,466,620 1,670,800 2,008,842 2,680,770 3,292,411 Mozambique 304,470 322,500 381,400 290,768 368,810 Myanmar 707,502 806,590 950,342 1,416,000 2,135,100 Namibia 6,500 8,000 9,839 16,413 42,225 Nauru 140 200 255 336 340 Nepal 112,000 135,000 413,310 844,633 1,276,791 Netherlands 678,466 618,730 561,700 710,936 671,390 New Caledonia 9,000 11,634 2,576 3,723 3,733 New Zealand 241,574 356,774

Confession of Moral Bankruptcy Essay -- Sex Offenders Crime Essays

Confession of Moral Bankruptcy State and local governments are both challenged by the problems of sexual predators. This issue has been addressed at the federal level for many years, but now state and local governments are being given the responsibility to change policy. What this paper will examine are three major issues. This paper will examine what state and local governments are doing in context to the civil commitment issue. Secondly, once sexual predators are given the opportunity to return to society there is always the fear that they will commit crimes again. Therefore, all fifty states have some form of a sexual predator registry. Third, states and communities are beginning to prevent sexual predators from moving into areas where they are not identified by community notification laws, more commonly known as Megan’s Law. In order to address these problems, state and local governments are passing new legislation to help deal with these issues. In the last ten years, state and local governments have begun to legislate policy changes on the issue of sexual predators and most are still deciding how to make it work within their own locality. Once sexual predators have served their time in prison, there remains the daunting question of will they relapse back to their former state, or even a more fearful question of have they even been cured of this illness? According to John Leo of the US News and World Report, â€Å"The state has an obligation to defend the public from dangerous criminals. Is it really helpless to act if a violent inmate with a long record says he plans to mutilate and kill children when released? To say authorities can’t do anything but wait for a child to be murdered is a confession of moral bankruptcy.... ...iminary Report.† International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparitive Criminology. Galveston: Sage Publications, 2003. Office of the Attroney General, 2003, â€Å"Kilgore Files Richard Ausley Civil Commitment Petition - Convicted Pedophile Faces Criminal Trial Prior to Civil Commitment Hearing -† Retrieved on 4-25-04. http://www.oag.state.va.us/media%20center/Current%20AG%20News%20 Releases/080503_ PrimeTime, 2001, â€Å"Predators Among Us: PrimeTime Investigates Release of Dangerous Sexual Offenders† Retrived on 4-25-04. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/primetime/2020/PRIMETIME_010621_classof91_featur e.html Roberts, Julian V., et al. Penal Populism and Public Opinion. New York: Oxford Press, 2003. Teir, Robert and Kevin Coy. Approaches to Sexual Predators: Community Notification and Civil Commitment. New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement 1997.

Evolution Essays - Is There a Conspiracy to Suppress Creation Science?

Is There a Conspiracy to Suppress "Creation Science"? Two Works Cited A frequent claim in creationist literature is that there is a wealth of scientific evidence to support creationism, but that secular, mainstream scientists are suppressing its publication in peer-reviewed journals. They are not giving creation-scientists a fair shake, they claim; they are being censored. The fact is that creation scientists are not even submitting scientific theories on creation for publication. Needless to say, mainstream scientists cannot censor what is not being submitted One can begin to investigate this issue by examining what the creation-scientists are submitting for publication. One of the easiest, freest and most uncensored publishing mediums is the Internet. People can post any message they desire to talk.origins, the newsgroup devoted to spirited debate between evolutionists and creationists. So do creationists submit their scientific evidence there? The welcome page for talk.origins contains the following special plea to creationists: "To re...

Sainsbury Marketing Mix

INTRODUCTION OF COMPANY J Sainsbury’s is the third largest grocery retailer in the UK. The company was leading grocery retailer in UK from the late 1980 to 1995. The company opened their first store in 1869. Sainsbury’s has 504 supermarkets and 319 convenience stores in UK. Company’s turnover is over ? 17. 4 billion and profit of ? 289 million. Asda and Tesco has overtaken Sainsbury’s recently. Sainsbury’s market share gradually decreased to just over 16%. Sainsbury’s growth has suddenly fallen down. In terms of local sourcing, Sainsbury’s is higher than other competitors. Sainsbury’s provides products like milk, pre-packed cheese, fresh lamb etc to the customer. Sainsbury’s is only food retailer to enter in global 100 index. Sainsbury’s sell over 4000 products. Company has been positioned under FTSE4 and Dow Jones Index. Sainsbury’s main responsibility is to provide best food and health, make relationship with community, to provide good place of work and save environment. The main objective of Sainsbury’s is to make growth in both sales and customers. Sainsbury’s continuously growing like-for-like sales by 3. %, increase the product range, improving services and operational saving. Sainsbury’s brand represents quality and value for money and customer service. Company’s brand name is ‘so organic’ related to food. The company objective is to provide high product in low fair price and provide good service to people like give information to choose product. The subsidiaries of Sainsburyâ €™s are Sainsbury’s Bank Ltd; Sainsbury’s Supermarket Ltd and Sainsbury’s Convenience Stores Ltd. (Source: www. sainsburys. co. uk) The supermarket chain operates three main store formats; regular Sainsbury's stores (‘Main Mission'), Sainsbury's Local and Sainsbury's Central (convenience stores and smaller supermarkets in urban locations – ‘Mixed Mission') and Sainsbury's ‘Main Plus' (hypermarket) stores. Unlike Tesco (Tesco Extra) and Asda (Asda Wal-Mart Supercentre), Sainsbury's does not employ a separate brand for its hypermarkets, having phased out the ‘Savacentre' fascia several years ago. At the end of its 2008/09 financial year Sainsbury's store portfolio was as follows. |Format |Number |Area (ft? |Area (m? ) |Percentage of space | |Supermarkets |502 |15,974,000 |1,484,000 |95. 6% | |Convenience stores |290 |729,000 |67,700 |4. 4% | |Total |792 |16,703,000 |1,551,700 |100. 0% | TOTAL MARKET SHARE: The total market share of Sainsbury’s is 16. 5%. Their market share has grown over last year and in current period they are serving over 18. 5 million customers each week. TRENDS AND ISSUES PREVALENT IN RETAIL INDUSTRY: The recent trends that are prevalent in Retail industry are as under: i. Fashion of creating one’s own brand: These days it has become a fashion to use own brand name by retail companies on packing of products. The companies are doing so because on order to increase consumer loyalty. Major retail giants Tesco, Sainsbury’s use their brand name on the products in order to promote their brand name and gain consumer loyalty as well. Eg: Sainsbury’s is selling organic food under the name of ‘Sainsbury’s So Fresh’. The trends of own brand name is increasing. i. Availability of all continental and regional type of food at any period of time: Earlier the foods of winter were not available in summer. But now due to improved storage systems and new trends of eating off seasonal foods as well, the consumers can have grapes in winter as well. Now any body can eat off seasonal food at any point of time. iii. Demand for convenience food: The increased competitive world has made both males and females to work in order to earn their livings. Nobody has any time to cook food. As both partners are busy in their jobs, so they don’t get much time to cook food. But the recent retail trend is of eating cereals and cooked food. The consumers can eat the ready mix food at any point of time without even cooking it. iv. More attraction towards discounted items: The consumers, these days prefer the discounted products. Discounted products are in trend nowadays. The recent trend is that more the discount, the more the customers. The sales also get increased by providing more discounts. v. Direct marketing: It is a type of retailing in which consumers are exposed to goods & services through a non-personal medium. They can order & purchase the products by mail or telephone. vi. Online technology: The technology has made it easier for retailers to sell products online. The consumers can order and purchase the products online. The company can deliver products to consumers on a single click. Online sales are a great source of income to retailers as well. Issues in Retail industry: Following are the main issues that are prevalent in retail industry: i. Rising health awareness amongst public. The UK government is spreading awareness about healthier and fresh food in UK. The customers are told to not to eat sweeteners. The government is making people aware about use of organic food and low fat food. Thus the consumers have started shifting towards fresh and healthier food. ii. Low disposable income: Due to recession, the disposable income of people have fall. This has effected the spending capacity of people. Now people have decreased their buying ability. iii. Recession gave rise to unemployment and inflation which affect the market directly or indirectly. iv. Consumers have perception that recession is long term so they are spending less and saving more. The consumers believe that due to recession they are unable to save more and are having only expenses. COMPETITORS: †¢ In the supermarket business Sainsbury's main competitors are Tesco, Asda and Safeway. †¢ In retail banking the main competition comes from Tesco Financial Services, M & S Financial Services, the traditional high street banks, Egg, Halifax and Abbey National mortgages. PRODUCTS: The major products of Sainsbury’s are as follows: †¢ Supermarket/Grocery goods; †¢ Retail banking services; †¢ Retail property development services In Sainsbury’s, a large store typically stocks around 50,000 lines of which round 20% are â€Å"own-label† goods. These own-brand lines include: †¢ Basics: mainly food, toiletries and stationery. †¢ Taste the Difference (TTD): around 1100 premium food lines i. e. processed foods such as ready made meals and premium bakery lines. †¢ Freefrom: It was launched in February 2010, it has over 7 5 product lines. These products are suitable for those allergic to dairy products. †¢ Sainsbury's Organic (SO Organic): Around 500 lines of food / drink which is not derived from food stuffs treated with fertilizer or pesticides. †¢ Different by Design: a smaller range of premium non-food lines, including flowers. Kids: these lines are for children. †¢ Be Good To Yourself (BGTY): products with reduced calorific and/or fat content. All BGTY packaging was relaunched in January 2010. †¢ Fair Trade: Over 100 fair trade products. All bananas sold at Sainsbury's are now fair trade. †¢ Super Naturals: A range of ready meals with healthy ingredients. †¢ TU – own brand clothing range. †¢ TU Home – a range of home products, such as lighting, rugs, and kitchen products. PORTER'S FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS 1. Competitive rivalry †¢ The retail market is extremely competitive with a very crowded market. More companies are trying to get into non food sectors which leads to increase in competition. 2. Barriers for entry in food category Firstly, organised retail is amongst the most sophisticated sectors within the UK and needs a lot of investment. Secondly, retail is also at an advanced stage within the UK and most of the western world. 3. Threats of Substitutes †¢ The threat of substitutes in the food category is a low one because consumers view it as a necessity, especially in the developed world and increasingly in the emerging markets. The only major threat of substitute is an internal industry threat whereby one supermarket can lap up the business of other supermarkets. 4. Buyer power †¢ Buyer power is high due to the presence of so many competitors selling the same products. †¢ As the economy goes further towards recession, consumers' needs are likely to be given more weight, increasing their power considerably. 5. Supplier power †¢ Supplier power is usually more complicated as it is difficult to categorise it. Supplier power of smaller suppliers will not be considerable because of their sales volumes on dependence on these supermarkets. PEST ANALYSIS Political factors †¢Increasing globalization, presents a challenge as well as an opportunity to Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's can enter the markets of emerging companies through joint ventures or partnerships to explore these new markets, although it does not have any plans on the horizon to do so. †¢ The ongoing investigation of price fixing amongst the big four retailers within the UK can have some negative impact to the industry in general and Sainsbury's in particular. In the UK, the Government is to decrease the rate of corporation tax from 30% to 28%, which will save big companies like Sainsbury's significant sums of money (HM Treasury 2008). Economic factors †¢ The rapidly increasing global food crisis has increased food prices all over the world, which will result in risi ng purchasing costs for Sainsbury's. †¢ The credit crunch might decrease the purchasing power of consumers and though they will still buy the essentials they may be more cautious. Social factors: Nowadays there seems to be more emphasis on fresh, easy style cooking. This serves an opportunity for Sainsbury's to encourage new recipes and unfussy eating. †¢ There has been a huge emphasis by the government to promote healthy eating, primarily due to the increasing level of obesity within the UK. This has lead to many consumers to shift towards healthier food. This presents an opportunity to Sainsbury's to stock up with more healthy food or create healthier foods at a cheaper price than other manufacturers so as to benefit from this new trend. Technological †¢ The Internet phenomenon seems to be ever growing within western countries. †¢ One of the downsides of supermarket shopping is the queuing system customers often find themselves in at the checkout. †¢ RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) technology can be used for significant benefits to the supply chain of Sainsbury's. If adopted, this technology will lead to less inventory for the supermarket firms leading to a leaner, more profitable organisation. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Weakness some implications as people are gravitating towards British companies and the prospect of Sainsbury's being governed by a foreign firm can lead to consumers switching loyalties. †¢ Alternative business presents a great opportunity to Sainsbury for future growth. †¢ Online sales are a great opportunity as well, since online margins are higher and investments are not huge. Threats †¢ There needs to be continuous heavy investment in environmental and green issues without immediate benefits. Sainsbury's operations are subject to a broad spectrum of regulatory requirements particularly in relation to planning, competition and environmental issues, employment, pensions and tax laws and in terms of regulations over the group's products and services WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? Ansoff Matrix To portray alternative corporate growth strategies, Igor Ansoff presented a matrix that focused on the firm's present and potential products and markets (customers). By considering way s to grow via existing products and new products, and in existing markets and new markets, there are four possible product-market combinations. Ansoff's matrix is shown below: Ansoff Matrix |   |Existing Products |New Products | |Existing | | | |Markets | | | | |Market Penetration |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Product Development  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   | |New | | |Markets | | | | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Market Development  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   |Diversification | Ansoff's matrix provides four different growth strategies: †¢ Market Penetration – the firm seeks to achieve growth with existing products in their current market segments, aiming to increase its market share. †¢ Market Development – the firm seeks growth by targeting its existing products to new market segments. †¢ Product Development – the firms develops new products targeted to its existing market segments. Diversification – the firm grows by diversifying into new businesses by developing new products for new markets. Selecting a Product-Market Growth Strategy The market penetration strategy is the least risky since it leverages many of the firm's e xisting resources and capabilities. In a growing market, simply maintaining market share will result in growth, and there may exist opportunities to increase market share if competitors reach capacity limits. However, market penetration has limits, and once the market approaches saturation another strategy must be pursued if the firm is to continue to grow. Market development: The development of new markets for the product may be a good strategy if the firm's core competencies are related more to the specific product than to its experience with a specific market segment. Because the firm is expanding into a new market, a market development strategy typically has more risk than a market penetration strategy. A product development strategy may be appropriate if the firm's strengths are related to its specific customers rather than to the specific product itself. New product development carries more risk than simply attempting to increase market share. Diversification is the most risky of the four growth strategies since it requires both product and market development and may be outside the core competencies of the firm. Diversification may be a reasonable choice if the high risk is compensated by the chance of a high rate of return. Sainsbury’s has also diversified into banking, financial services, petrol pumps etc. HOW DO WE GET THERE? MARKETING OBJECTIVES: To be consumer’s first choice for food delivering products of outstanding quality and great service at a competitive cost through working faster, simpler and together. Positioning: This means process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. Sainsbury’s has increased its private brand product portfolio. Under food category, company offers organic food under name ‘Sainsbury’s SO organic’ range and it comprises of 450 products. (www. sainsburys. co. uk) Competitive advantage: According to its chief executive Justin King Fairtrade gives Sainsbury’s the edge over its competitors, as well as being an ethical way to trade. MARKETING MIX: It is referred to as the set of controllable tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market, so it consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its product (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). The major function of marketing mix strategy of any company is the strategic communication of the organization with its customers (Proctor, 2000). Marketing Mix is also referred to as â€Å"4 Ps of Marketing†. The classification of four Ps of marketing was first introduced and suggested by McCarthy (1960), and includes marketing strategies of product, price, placement and promotion. According to Borden (1964), the elements of the marketing mix includes product planning; pricing; branding; distribution channels; promotions; product packaging; advertisements; services; packaging handling; and re-order, etc. The purpose of using a marketing mix is to target the market in order to increase sales and profits. [pic] (Source: www. marketingteacher. com) The 4 Ps of Marketing Mix can be explained as below: 1. Product: A product includes all features and combination of goods and related services that a company offers to its customers. The product or service offer needs to be able to meet a specific, existing market demand. The companies that are operating in service sector and provide intangible products are very much criticized by the customers. The companies can use the terminology of â€Å"service products† under marketing mix strategy making (Kotler & Armstrong, 2004). Sainsbury’s is applying this strategy according to consumer preferences and changes in the market. i. Positioning: This means process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. Sainsbury’s has increased its private brand product portfolio. Under food category, company offers organic food under name ‘Sainsbury’s SO organic’ range and it comprises of 450 products. (www. sainsburys. co. uk) ii. Quality: The products offered by Sainsbury’s are quality products. There is a wide range of great quality products at fair prices. The main emphasis of quality is on fresh food, organic food and private label brands. The company’s commitment of offering quality products has increased the brand image of the company. iii. Product Packaging: Sainsbury’s has improved its packaging. The company offers the products in self branded packages. The various discounts and slogans are mentioned on the packaging. The company is using eco-friendly bags for packaging and carrier bags called ‘Bags for life’. (Source: www. sainsburys. co. uk). iv. Branding : Sainsbury’s uses self labelled branded products. The company offers nearly 20% out of its 50,000 product range, which uses self label brands. v. Varieties. vi. Taste the different: Also known as ‘Ttd’, it is the company’s biggest sub brand which comprises of 1300 products. It was Sainsbury’s first own brand range to be free of artificial colors, flavors and hydrogenated fats. 2. Pricing: It is setting up a price for a product or service offered. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2004) price is the amount of money that customers have to pay to obtain the product. It is not simple to set a price. The customers not only view the lower price of product, but they respond to value so a lower price does not necessarily mean expanded sales if the product is not fulfilling the expectation of the customers (Lazer, 1971). Pricing strategy is divided into two parts: price determination and price administration. The different types of price are Market led pricing (Competitive pricing), Cost based pricing, penetration pricing, destruction pricing, price wards, EDLP (Every day low price). The pricing strategy of Sainsbury’s is that it should be able to provide profits. The pricing strategy of Sainsbury’s is as follows: a. Lower pricing strategy: Sainsbury’s use lower price or economy pricing strategy at the time of launching or selling a new product. The marketing and manufacturing costs are kept at minimum. Sainsbury’s offer economy prices for its products like soups, beans, tomato puree, etc. which can be compared very easily with its competitor TESCO (Source: http://www. sainsburys. co. uk & http://www. tesco. com). b. Discount price: Sainsbury’s offer discounts to the consumers. This is done in order to increase the bucket size. The discount offered by Sainsbury’s has resulted in increase in sales volume. c. Meal Deals: Sainsbury’s offer meal deals for families. It offers a meal, a soft drink in just ? 5 to family of 3 members. This kind of meal deals are making it popular among the food sections in retail market. . Credit terms. 3. Place: It involves all activities used by company in order to make the product available to the targeted customer (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). It refers to different ways by which a customer can obtain a product or receive a service. A product or a service can be received through a number of distribution channels, such as in a retail store, through the mail, via downloadable files, on a cruise ship, in a hair salon, etc. The products can be made available to customers depending upon different factors like sales, communications and contractual considerations (Lazer, 1971). The ease with which the products or services are made available to customers has a significant effect on sales volume. Sainsbury’s has been using the perfect blend of the time, quantity and place concept in order to serve its customers. a. Website: Sainsbury’s has its corporate website i. e. www. sainsburys. co. uk. The company has made quite a good use of technology and the customers can purchase the products and services at just one go through internet or online. Sainsbury’s has its online section showing groceries online at internet. The consumers can easily choose among various products available online. This saves a lot much time of the customer and also home delivery by Sainsbury’s made it more convenient for the consumers to buy a product. b. Convenience Stores: These are the stores which are opened upon locally in smaller area. The consumers can have fresh food and other quality products close to their home. Sainsbury’s has also introduced a series of operational changes to improve cost efficiency, such as night-shift improvements and introducing further shelf-ready packaging. . Supermarkets: Sainsbury’s has increased its no. of stores to 792 out of which 164 stores are more than 4000 square ft. area. The supermarkets are large and big stores that are open for 24 hours a day and offer full range of products and services to the customers. d. Banks: Sainsbury’s Bank provides insurance, credit cards, loans and travel money. The consumers can access it online as well on its corporate website www. sainsburysbank. co. uk. It can also be accessed in convenience stores. e. Home Delivery: The Company is also having 169 stores that provide home delivery service to customers. f. Filling Stations. g. Cafe. 4. Promotion: Promotional strategies means the different means through which a company communicates the benefits and values of its products and encourages customers to buy them (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). It is the process by which the businesses informs the customers about their products and encourage them to buy their products. The best way to understand promotion is through the concept of the marketing communication process. Promotion is the company strategy to cater for the marketing communication process that requires interaction between two or more people or groups, encompassing senders, messages, media and receivers (Lazer, 1971). For example, if Nokia wants to promote its product then, Nokia is sender and an advertising agency as well; the media used in the process can be salesmen, newspapers, magazines, radio, billboards, television etc and the message will be the advertisement or sales presentation and the final destination is the potential consumer or customer which will be mobile phone users. . Nectar Card: offers customers to gain points through shopping. They can earn money to exchange point. The company offer loyalty cards to its customers which has points based system. It can be collected on every purchase made in Sainsbury’s. (Source: http://www. nectar. com) b. Active Kids: promises to donate sporting equipment and coaching to primary and secondary schools in exchange for vouchers c ollected by customers. c. TV Ads: Jamie Oliver is the representative of Sainsbury’s. d. Advertising: Sainsbury’s uses media as an effective tool for promoting the products. The company is making use of television and radio for promoting its brand. e. Sales promotion: The company also offer schemes like buy 1 get 1 free. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES IN THE MARKETING MIX STRATEGY: In today’s competitive world consumer’s shopping behaviour changes significantly with fluctuations in the macroeconomic environment. Retailers can maximize the returns by effectively altering the marketing mix strategies. Consumer goods manufacturers and retailers have to make regular critical decisions around the pricing, product, distribution, and promotion that best communicates their firm’s value to consumers. Thus Sainsbury’s in order to be at a top position in the food retailer’s market needs to apply some changes to its marketing mix strategy. Product: †¢ Sainsbury’s should diversify its product line to even more variety of products like petrol. †¢ It should concentrate more on its own-brand products as now the customers are getting more attracted towards own-label products of the retailers as they offer quality products at cheap prices. †¢ Sainsbury’s should also try to products in smaller quantities or in small packets. That will bring an edge to Sainsbury’s. Price: †¢ Sainsbury’s should try to increase production of their own brand products can help them reduce cost and offer better prices. †¢ Sainsbury’s should keep its price in competition to its competitors like Tesco. †¢ It should use the penetrating pricing strategy for its new products along with the on going economy pricing strategy which will reduce the profit margin of the company a bit but will give them opportunity to gain economies of scale. Place: Sainsbury’s should concentrate more on internet sales by offering its customers schemes like vouchers when they spend online. †¢ Instead of opening up new stores, Sainsbury’s should concentrate on its existing stores. It should try to bring all its stores in profit. †¢ The Internet is a new marketing tool which means that the aim should be innovation, developing new programs and features that will attract the clientele so as to capit alize on this tool and stand out among the rest. Promotion: †¢ New schemes for collective buying and online buying, online vouchers should be introduced. As today is the price war but due to its brand image it can also advertising which not just concentrates on the price but on the main aim of the company like healthy food and life style to attract the customers or with the emotional connection of the particular brand with the consumers. Internet malls i. e. e-malls can be created to increase the sales and to reach more customers than by personal selling. CONCLUSION The retailer industry is very competitive. Although SAINSBURY’S retailing position is still very strong, TESCO and ASDA are strong competitors. Sainsbury’s strategic marketing mix needs to be improved. It needs carefully designed. Hence, more market researches are needed to develop an effective strategic marketing mix. To answer the research question, Sainsbury’s needs to implement an appropriate marketing mix to become a more successful company REFERENCES Blattberg R C and Hoch S J (1990). `Database models and export intuition: 50% model . 50% manager', Management Science, vol. 36, p. 887-889. D’Esopo M and Almquist E (2007). â€Å"An approach to mastering the marketing†, mix, Business Strategy Series, vol. , no. 2, p. 122-131 Kotler, P (1988). Marketing Management Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Control, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc. Marketing Analytics Inc. (2010). â€Å"Marketing Modeling Mix†, http://www. marketinganalytics. com/Solutions/MarketingMixModeling. aspx. Retrieved on 20th April 2010 Verdict (2007) â€Å"UK Grocery Retailers, 2007, http://www. verdict. co. uk/ Marke ting/dmvt0365m. pdf. Retrieved on 20th April 2010 http://www. j-sainsbury. co. uk/ar07/businessreview/corporateobjectives. shtml[pic]