Ethical Lens

In reviewing my ethical lens inventory I have many faults and many advantages when it comes to the way I learn. My personal preferred lens is rights and responsibility, which means I use rationality to determine my duties as well as the rules that each person should follow. There were many results of my ethical lens inventory. The results of my classical values are temperance. I value individual balance and restraint in the want for pleasure that I seek to fulfill my duties. My key phrase is â€Å"I am responsible†, because of this I assume that what I think is responsible should apply to everyone.My definition of ethical behavior is â€Å"fulfilling duties†, I feel an ethical person would be one who fulfills their duties and does the right thing. The tools I use to analyze problems are reason. I tend to think about problems carefully and research them so I am receiving the fullest and accurate data. My blind spot would be that â€Å"Belief that motive justifies method †. This means that I could unknowingly cause people upset and pain because I am focused on good motives. It also means I believe that there is a set of individual rules that everyone should follow, it also means that I follow the rules.My seeing clearly is listening to my heart, I always follow my heart about everything before my head and that could also be a downfall. Sometimes I put my belief above others because it is what I think is right, but what I think is right is not always right. My personal lens could affect my academic behavior by my crisis which is becoming exhausted. Being exhausted and not pacing myself could definitely direct my academic behavior. It could direct it by being tired and exhausted therefore not being able to perform academically to the best of my abilities.My ethical lens influences my critical thinking because it means that I am responsible. By being responsible and wanting to fulfill my duties to the best of my ability it means I ask questions a nd research everything, therefore increasing my critical thinking skills. The results of my career building activity aptitude showed that I am focused. Being focused means that I would be better suited for a career that involved me using and applying practical skills. It says that I am likely to be attracted to very practical jobs and careers. I personally think this is false because my career choice is to be a social worker.Being a social worker seems to be a really exciting and it involves you to always have to be thinking outside the box, the complete opposite of a practical job. There are many ways I can use my career aptitude results and competencies and my personal ethical lens to help me in the classroom and the workplace. One way it these results can help is it shows me my strengths and weaknesses. Another way is the give me advice about the way my thinking works and how to apply it. These surveys have been very helpful to my academics and workplace decisions.

William Shakespeares Sonnet 18

William Shakespeares Sonnet 18 is part of a group of 126 sonnets Shakespeare wrote that are addressed to a young man of great beauty and promise. In this group of sonnets, the speaker urges the young man to marry and perpetuate his virtues through children, and warns him about the destructive power of time, age, and moral weakness. Sonnet 18 focuses on the beauty of the young man, and how beauty fades, but his beauty will not because it will be remembered by everyone who reads this poem. Shakespeare starts the poem with a metaphoric question in line one asking if e should compare the man to a summers day. This asks if he should compare the beauty of a summers day to the beauty of the young man about whom Shakespeare is writing. Line two of this poem states Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Temperate is used as a synonym for moderate by the author. In line two the speaker is describing the man as more lovely and more moderate than a summers day. This emphasizes the mans beauty and how the man is viewed by the speaker. Line three, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, tells hy the mans beauty is greater than that of a summers day. Shakespeare uses rough winds to symbolize imperfections. The speaker is implying that there are no imperfections in the young man, but there are in the summer, so the man cannot be compared to a summers day. In line four the speaker adds to this thought by saying that the summer also does not last as long as the mans beauty therefore it cannot be compared to it. Line five states another imperfection of the summer. Shakespeare uses the eye of heaven as a metaphor in this line to describe the un. In line six Shakespeare uses the phrase gold complexion dimmed to describe the sun again which means that sometimes the sun is not hot enough, and that, as said in line five, sometimes the sun is too hot. In lines seven and eight the speaker ends the complication by describing how nature is never perfect. Line nine starts the resolution of the poem by using the conjunction but.. Eternal summer in line nine is referring back to the mans eternal beauty, using summer to symbolize beauty, and saying that the mans beauty will never fail like he summers beauty. In lines ten, eleven, and twelve the speaker says that the man, When in eternal lines to time thou growst (line 12) or when he grows old, will not lose possession of what is fair to him, and Nor shall Death brag thou wanderst in his shade (line 11) or he will not be poor in health and close to dying. Lines thirteen and fourteen say that as long as this poem is read, the mans beauty will never go away, because every time someone reads the poem they will be reminded of his beauty. This poem that Shakespeare wrote, in the octave, describes how all beauty fades except for the man about whom Shakespeare is writing. The octave also tells of how great the mans beauty is compared to everything else that is beautiful. In the sestet, the poem tells about how the mans beauty stays alive and out lives all other beauty. The poem is written in iambic pentameter. Shakespeare makes use of much symbolism and many other figurative devices in this poem that contribute and emphasize to the overall theme of the poem.

Anatomy of Taste Buds

Anatomy of Taste Buds The oral cavity and its anatomy play a key role in understanding taste and its biological function in the human body. The oral cavity consists of your lips, cheeks, teeth, tongue and throat. The taste buds are the chemoreceptors that detect and relay taste stimuli. In order for the taste buds to detect the taste of food or drink, the molecule must be suspended in an aqueous solution, otherwise known as saliva. Most taste buds are found within specialized projections on the tongue called papillae (Seeley, Stephens, they do not house taste buds but they do provide the rough surface on the tongue that allows for easier manipulation of food (Seeley, Stephens, â€Å"Eight to 12 of these papillae form a V-shaped row along the border between the anterior and posterior parts of the tongue† (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008). Each person has roughly 10,000 taste buds on their tongue, and each taste bud contains three distinct types of specialized epithelial cells within them. â€Å"T he sensory cells of each taste bud consist of about 50 taste, or gustatory cells. The remaining two cell types, which are nonsensory cells, are basal cells and supporting cells† (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008). Each taste cell has gustatory hairs, which are specialized microvilli, that help direct the tastants, or substances dissolved in saliva, into the taste, or gustatory, pore (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008). Several secondary sensory neurons connect to each taste bud and release neurotransmitters when stimulated. Sensory information from the oral cavity can travel to the brain in three different ways. The tongue itself is broken down into thirds. Sensory information from the anterior, or front, two-thirds of the tongue is transmitted to the brain via a branch of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) called the chorda tympani (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008). Information from the posterior, or back, one-third of the tongue, the circumvallate papillae, and the superior phar ynx is carried by the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX) (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008). The vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) transmits information from the epiglottis, which is located in the back of the throat (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008). The olfactory region also has a substantial role in taste so it warrants a brief anatomical discussion as well. Olfaction is our sense of smell and it is a response to odorants that stimulate sensory receptors that are located in the extreme superior region of the nasal cavity (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008). The ten million olfactory neurons that are located in the olfactory region of the nasal cavity then travel through foramen in the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone in the bottom of the skull and terminate into the olfactory bulb that’s just above the cribriform plate (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008). The olfactory tract then takes the signal from the olfactory bulb to the cerebral cortex (Seeley, Stephens, & Tate, 2008) . This is a simplified version of the much more complex biological process that is olfaction, but it is sufficient for the depth of this paper.

Law and the Constitution in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Law and the Constitution in Canada - Essay Example Legal reasoning is essential in explaining the inherent difference between partisan and impartial legal decisions. Legal reasoning remains indispensable in arbitration of varied beliefs and values of the Canadian society towards acceptance of legal decisions2. Moreover, legal reasoning is domineering in harmonizing Canadian society perspectives about legal integrity. Furthermore, it enables the Canadian society to comply with SCC legal decisions over varied cases even though they may seem to disagree. Similarly, legal scholarship has had notable contributions to realization of a more acceptable Canadian legal system through establishment of doctrinal scholarship and creation of linkage with other disciplines. Through legal scholarship, legal scholars established a doctrinal analysis system that explains, criticizes, and analyses Canadian judicial decisions. In addition, legal scholars have created brilliant doctrinal scholarship proposals methods of decision making within judicial systems especially in constitutional law. Besides doctrinal analysis, legal scholarship has ensured incorporation of other discipline concepts such as economics, philosophy, and literary theory in making legal decisions3 (Bourne 2011). Due to the aforementioned concepts and functions of legal reasoning and scholarship, the Canadian society have accepted Aboriginals rights and title as outlined in section 35 (1). SCC have the legal rights to interpret s35 (1) to the Canadian society, a responsibility that they have achieved through legal reasoning (Turner 2006). In addition, legal scholarship and reasoning remains imperative in explaining the inherent judicial process in making decision relating to acceptance of aboriginals rights. Acceptance and affirmation of aboriginal rights required doctrinal scholarship analysis and legal reasoning of several cases including the Delgamuukw

From the precpective of the human cognitive abilitis are current Essay

From the precpective of the human cognitive abilitis are current computer well designed - Essay Example Here, according to Zaphiris and Ang (2009), human perception, memory, and attention are important because these are crucial in ensuring the minimal use of their efforts and interaction with technology in the ultimate aim of enhanced human-computer interaction –. (p. 2550) In the context of human-centered design, it is posited that there should be a convergence of the content information, the user, the designer, and infrastructure along with the enhancement of communication effectiveness. Norman suggested three requirements for a computer design that effectively addresses the human cognitive abilities. These are: 1) conceptual models which make invisible functions visible by using feedback, as the effect of an interaction, and explanations of its use; 2) constraints which are proactive measure to limit the choices of interaction and reduce human errors; and, 3) affordance is the perception and actual properties of the thing. It suggests how the device can be possibly operated. (cited in Zaphiris and Ang 2550) With these variables in mind, it is easy to understand how the current computing technologies are well designed. Computers are currently designed after through analysis and synthesis of individual needs, cultural practice, preferences, and, yes, cognitive ability of its users. A specific demonstration of this is computer developers’ preoccupation with usability, visibility and functionality. In developing a computer operating system, for example, companies such as Microsoft and Apple are bent on reducing errors of everyday life by designing systems that feature easy navigation system, user-friendly environments, functional interface, memorability, lack of errors and user satisfaction, among other variables. This is also shown in the way designers create interaction tasks, techniques, devices and applications. The input-output relationship that characterize

Service Operations Management Team Project Essay

Service Operations Management Team Project - Essay Example The third member will be given the task of both internal and external communication and the identifying of new service opportunities for the organization. The member will be engaged on mobile communications and the linkages to the social sites including Facebook and Twitter. The fourth member, will be responsible for marketing, and will have to work together with the third member to leverage on the communication capabilities. The project will majorly pursue Mobile marketing because it has been realized that majority of the target customers are on mobile communication platforms. Every organization and project team requires a decision on the appropriate timings in order to realize the strategic plan. Since this project involves consultancy, it is easier for the project management process to run by dividing the tasks into four subtasks, logistics, co-ordination, communication and marketing. For example, the coordinator will only be concentrating on the decision on the timings of event. When a client needs to be attended to by the organization, the coordinator will decide on the timing of when the client will be attended to depending on the available work force and other resources. The member in charge of logistics will therefore be of great significance when the resources are required, for example, transporting the staff members to the site to offer the consultancy services. In order to get information from or pass information to the clients, suppliers and other service providers, the member in charge of communications does the communication on the various ch annels to present the consultancy services to them and offer necessary information. During the service delivery, the person will maintain the contact with the client until the service is completely delivered. There will be need for the person to collect the opinions of the clients from the communication channels concerning the quality of services they receive from

Fashion Cultures- Future Catwalk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fashion Cultures- Future Catwalk - Essay Example The essay "Fashion Cultures- Future Catwalk" discovers the future catwalk in fashion. The social dynamics that prevails in every human population presents subsequent changes in cultural values like practices and beliefs. Dynamics in the ancient societies depicted changes in typical values like beliefs and medieval practices. However, the modern and the postmodern societies go through dynamics in the aspect of fashion and life styles. The shift in fashion pillars in the social scene signifies the changes in practices and values of generations. It is important to note that, we can evaluate the aspect of fashion as a mark of social dynamic and the elements involved during social dynamics in the road of fashion. Fashion is the basic element of lifestyle in every society. In the social context, fashion means the latest trends in the cultural values and practices prevailing in any given social setting. Fashion marks the evolution and changes of the society in conformity with the prevailing trends and life styles postulated by the reference groups. Reference groups in the society tend to set new or modified standards that define the appropriate styles and fashion values. These trends are meant to be adopted by members of any society at any given time. The actual aspect of fashion materializes in the society through clothing items used by people in that society. These clothing items include foot ware, body accessories, and clothes. In the modern world, the aspect of fashion has been implicitly incorporated.

Journalists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Journalists - Essay Example However, we can see that sometimes journalist are provided with instances which are unethical and distasteful. A journalism as a profession has ethics and standards and on that basis we can see that they have an obligation to protect the rights and morals of a society. The journalist being responsible for what they convey to the people they must be allowed not to cover a story they find unethical or distasteful. (Thesis) It is noticeable that most of the news content in the media is not suitable to all viewers and are malicious. Violence, abuse and vulgarity have become a common scene of news channels. As a journalist, people come across many kinds of situation in their professional life. But at times their morality and ethics would not allow them to cover such news. So they should be allowed not to cover such instances. This is about the freedom in work as the journalist must have right to work in his manner in his space. As a professional they completely understand what is instance s has the potentiality for news coverage. The journalist while doing his job also is doing a humanizing process. Journalist brings news from around the world to us. But sometimes Journalist may be forced to cover instances and events which go against the ethics like murdering situations, sexually exploiting instance and inhumane behaviors. The journalist might be unwilling to cover such situations but many be intimidated by the news channels to report it. Such conditions must not exist as it may be an invasion in to their professional conduct. A journalist can be comfortable if he is allowed to do his work in alliance with his ethical and moral perspective. They need to be given freedom to choose what they opt to cover or omit. Journalists are professional people and they have a code of ethics on which they work. Journalist is always under pressure from various sources which would make them work with much less freedom. News media is also a sort business and sometimes they are forced to cover matter which can be often unethical or distasteful to the journalist. The media channel may want to promote a particular even which may give benefits for them. A journalist should be fair and courageous in covering news and should be given choice to cover or not to cover a story. If they are allowed not to cover unethical and distasteful things then they feel content about their profession. The main issue here is every journalist has a mind of their own while they works on their story. The journalist understand the news converge makes a large impact on the audience and the society or may be world as a whole. The journalist needs to keep in consideration the emotional, ethical, religious and cultural value of people around the world. Sometimes their own religion or culture may prevent them from covering a certain event or happening. So the journalist should be allowed what he might prefer to cover. If he feels insecure and restricted the journalist might lose the creativity and interest in his work. The journalists can feel that they have no role in his job. Every story covered by a journalist is their freedom of expression. If one cannot express then one cannot be a good journalist. It is also essential to understand that unethical reports can damage the reputation of the journalist as well as the media. According to Grynko ( 2012,pg 259 -274)â€Å"As truth seekers and truth presenters, the journalists must be open and honest with their audiences†. Truthiness to the facts he is presenting and covering reports that are ethical and suitable to audience should be in the parameters of the job responsibility and obligation of journalists. The journalist shou

Writing Exercise #3(Critical Evaluation) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing Exercise #3(Critical Evaluation) - Essay Example The presence of the two serves as documents of giving historical evidence of significance in Venetian saint. In early literature, the cycle scholars identified these two canvases as the only works of ground cycle left unrecorded in the history of documents. However, in 1920, Rudolf Berliner published documents based on Sala Terrene cycle, which became the point of departure in the consideration of dating and documentation of paintings cycles. In contrast, the works of Berliner in the interpretation of the documents did not include any references of Mary Magdalene or Mary of Egypt, contributing to questions on the originality of the series by Hans Tietze. Therefore, the paintings’ cycle of documentations dates back in the times of Mary Magdalene and Mary of Egypt. Moreover, it is important to record documentations of history as it contributes to learning materials from the past times to the present periods with critical evidences as it depicted in the paintings’ cycles o f Sala Terrena. Three paintings of Mary Magdalene and Mary of Egypt are undocumented. Valentina Sapienza suggests that the two documents from 1582 and 1583 comprise payment evidence of several canvases that completes in Sala Terrena. This was contrary to Berliner’s assumption that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Egypt were left undocumented. Sapienza suggests that the payment of sixteen-azurite pigment lead to the indirect documentation of these paintings. Therefore, the works of paintings in Caravaggio and religion was a vital operation that earned a lot of attention in the past. It enabled many people in the past to earn good money and even promote different ideas in paintings to different parts of the areas. The paintings’ created changes in counter- reformation theology have different people perceived the paintings differently in more broad and diverse ways considering the presence of Mary Magdalene and Mary of Egypt in the paintings. It also earned a

American Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Marriage - Essay Example American families are just changing as the society around them changes. Initially, marriage was believed to be challenging commitments for both the man and the woman. The man had to work hard in providing for his family, as the woman remained behind to care for both residence and the kids. However, due to apparent global economic crisis that has filtered into American marriage, women no longer remain at home due to the economic demands for their families. Women also strive to provide for their families by going to work just as their husbands. Children too are taken to baby care centers at tender age to keep them busy and away from their parents who are ever busy to make end meet especially during the day. Indeed, this can be seen as an adjustment to the changes in the modern society. It has been argued that marriages are experiencing stress in regard to socialization and communication between spouses and the children as well (Popenoe and Whitehead 146-148). However, there is an emerg ing divergence from traditional face-to-face communication to technologically supported social platforms. Most couples maintain distant relationship where, for instance, a man works in one state and the wife works in another state. The presence of various communication methods such as the social media and mobile phones has, however, improved communication between the two. Therefore, this shift in socialization is just a way of family adaptation and not as a result of stressed marriages (Schwartz and Scott 156-159). Although financial soundness was not valued in the past, it greatly influences marriage in the current society. For instance, the economic status of an individual would greatly affect the quality of the relationship. Financially stable individuals are likely to succeed in a marriage relationship. Arguably, according to Popenoe and Whitehead (146-148), families need to make extra coins today than earlier days. Although this can be viewed as a marriage stressor, it can be a rgued that input of both partners towards the economic prowess is actually an adaptation to the modern challenges. Therefore, marriages are much more likely to survive the test of the financial stressor. Marriage is no longer based on community but solely depend on individuality. However, the modern society has certainly set high standards especially in social, economic, and educational aspects. This causes American families to go an extra mile in meeting these apparent standards. Whereas this could be seen as an overwhelming challenge to the family, societal standards also act as a motivation towards a better family. Therefore, American marriages, in their endeavor to meet these standards, will come out stronger than weak (Graham 9-10). Another important factor affecting modern marriages is the issue of religion. Whereas traditional marriages were largely based on traditional religion, modernity has changed the religious aspect of marriage (Schwartz and Scott 156-159; Graham 8-11). With the uprising of many religious denominations, families experience apparent conflict of religious belief in regard to marriage and family values. However, the fact that modern religion appreciates and upholds the role of the marriage institution is actually a bonus to American marriages. Teachings and trainings on marriages boosts marriages hence making them last longer. Therefore, despite the conflicts acting as a stressing

3-Year Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

3-Year Marketing Plan Essay Introduction In order that we continue our company’s financial growth, we need to branch out into new product lines. A study was performed to consider our entrance into the pet supply market. We have developed a new single product for that purpose. It is a Cordless Automatic Nail Trimmer for dogs and cats. The findings of this study are in this presentation. Our numbers are conservative. The potential for success is high. We are Company G are always looking forward to find and implement new lines that will complement our Mission statement, and our bottom line. This is our next opportunity introduces Company G and the product or product line that you are writing this marketing plan about. Mission Statement â€Å"We enable consumers to improve the quality and convenience of their lives by providing innovative electronics solutions.† See more:  Masters of Satire: John Dryden and Jonathan Swift Essay Product Description and Classification The Cordless Automatic Nail Trimmer for Dogs and cats will be our first entry into the world of pets. This product uses a sensor to find the quick (the bundle of nerves and blood vessels) on a pets nail, then adjusts to a spot just below it. It trims the nail, rotates to the next nail, and repeats the process, until trimming each nail on the paw. Simply remove the paw, and continue on each paw until done. Our trimmer will avoid the pain of cutting the quick with bleeding. It will not cause discomfort for the animal associated heat build up from electric nail trimmers. This product will allow anyone from novice to professional to trim a dog or cats nails to perfection. Rather than making an appointment, going to the local pet groomer, paying $7 to $25 (before tip), or big box, a pet owner can trim their pet’s nails at home. If the owner would rather have the nails done, they can have their groomer use our tool, giving the pet owner peace of mind, knowing their pet will not suff er any pain. Consumer Product Classification Consumer Factors Planning time involved in purchase Purchase frequency Importance of convenient location Comparison of price and quality Considerable Infrequent Important Considerable Shopping Products Specialty Products Shopping Products Shopping Products Marketing Mix Factors Price Importance of seller’s image Distribution channel length Number of sales outlets Promotion Relatively high Very important Relatively short Few Personal selling and advertising by producer and seller Shopping Products Shopping Products Shopping Products Shopping Products Shopping Products Target Market The target market is between the ages of 30 and 45 with busy lives, looking to save time and money. Their incomes would be greater than $60K. This will include professionals, as well as working couples. We will target both existing dog or cat owners, as well as new entrants to pet ownership. Competitive Situation Analysis Analysis of Competition using Porter’s 5 Forces Model Competitive Rivalry Today are no direct competitors. We are entering an existing market, with a completely new technology. The closet rivalry is the electric trimmer, produced by Dremel Tools and Oster Company. These products do NOT have the features we have. They do not compare in experience. There is no threat at this time. Threat from New Entrants We have the threat from two outside entrants to create a knock off version of our automatic nail trimmer. The two companies that could attempt to enter the market are Dremel Tools and Oster Company. The threat to us is medium for a few reasons. We will patent our trimmer, which means that they will have to start with our product, and then develop modifications, to avoid patent infringement. Both companies’ current products use a different kind of technology. They are grinders and do not have any quick detection apparatus’. While Dremel Tools has been in the pet trimming market for some time, they only modified the grinder used for woodworking and other craft projects. This would be a departure from their core competency. This is the only venture by Oster Company. They a relatively new to the market, It isn’t likely that they will put more R and D dollars into a second pet product at this time. Threat from Buyers There is no threat to us from buyers. Pets must have their nails trimmed on a regular basis, or they can suffer pain and / or health issue. The owners of these pets are responsible to maintain their pets’ nails. With the addition of our safe, reliable, easy to use product added to the market, buyers have all of the options they could want. At our price point, they would not consider creating a similar product. It is an infrequent purchase for them. We will also establish a blog site to give our customers an opportunity to help us determine if they desire any additional features. Threat from Suppliers There is very little threat to us from our two suppliers. Vendor A is supplying us with the heat-sensing component to our trimmer. The device they are producing for us helps to expand their bottom end line of heat sensors. This represents a 10 percent addition to their offering. The main customers for Vendor A is the Armed forces, who buy heat sensing devices for airplanes, tanks, and vision goggles for ground troops. They do not have the infrastructure to build a product such as ours. They would not take on the capital expense to enter this type of manufacturing. They do not have any retail, on-line, distribution experience, or presence. Vendor B who supplies us with the stainless steel blades are in a similar situation. Their main customer is the medical, surgical industry. Vendor B manufacturers high end surgical blades, knives, as well as blades for men’s razor blades. Our product represents a new product in between in quality. It is not significant enough for Vendor B to start an entirely new type of product for them Threat from Substitutes In the current market, there are threats from substitutes.  People not using our product can use manual nail clippers, grinders, or pay someone else to trim their pets’ nails. The threat to us does not exist. All pet owners are currently using one of these venues today. With the quality, ease of use, time and money savings, and cruelty free aspect of our trimmer, virtually nobody will revert to these substitutes. SWOT Analysis Before we risk our profits or our brand value, we took a critical look both internally, and externally. The intent is to consider how we can leverage the positives, improve on our weaknesses and prepare for outside threats. Here are the findings. STRENGTHS *indicates core competency Financial health* Efficient manufacturing Brand Reputation* WEAKNESSES Lack of training Lack of Distribution network Never advertised pet products OPPORTUNITIES Pet ownership on steady rise Personal time on decrease Economy is increasing expendable income THREATS Possible newer technology Economic downturn Heat sensor supply issue Strengths Financial health is one of our core competencies. We have a very low debt-to-equity ratio, combined with a credit rating. This gives us the flexibility to create initial inventory and cover the typical start-up costs related to a new product line. Brand reputation, another core competency, means that we are already in the homes of many of our targeted customers. They know we produce high quality, well designed, products. Our brand is a trusted name nationally. Efficient manufacturing is another of our strengths. It allows up to produce our goods at a lower total cost compared with competitors. We run our production lines quickly, with little waste, or re-work. This helps for reliable batch production, and very few quality / defects issues in the field. Weaknesses Lack of training for our production line associates is a potential issue. Production will be slower, risks quality compliance, and will cost more per unit compared to our established lines. Lack of advertising relationships within the pet market is another weakness. We do not advertise at all aimed at pet owners. We do not understand what the costs are, compared to our other product lines. We will not be able to bundle the new lines advertising with our other lines, for a volume discount. Our sales force is not equipped to demonstrate our new product line. We will need to higher trainers, and new sales people that are specialists specific to the new line. Opportunities The economy is on an upward trend. As wages increase, so does expendable  income. This allows people to purchase pets, supplies, and services. This applies for either new or existing pets in the household. Personal time is on the decrease. Wage earners are spending more time working. Parents are spending more time driving their school-aged children to sports, music lessons, and dance classes, etc. These parents will also attend the events surrounding the activities. Taking Fido to the groomer and picking him up later is another time eater. Being able to trim nails effortlessly, in your own home, on your own schedule has a good deal of appeal. Pet ownership is on the rise. In 2013, there were 82.5 million pet owners in the United States. This number is expected to rise to 92 million by 2018. In 2013 $4.4 billion dollars were spend on grooming and boarding. In 2014 sales rose to $4.7 billion, a 7% increase. This is a growth industry. Threats Economic downturn could become a possible threat. As expendable income dwindles, pet owners could potentially purchase less expensive nail trimmers. They could also choose to go to a groomer, but do so less often as a money saver. A supply issue could threaten our ability to produce our product. A shortage of the heat sensors could become an issue. If our vendor chooses to increase the price of the sensors could become an issue as well, reducing our margin to an unacceptable level. Development of a newer technology is a threat. A competitor, on a new company could start making the next generation of automatic trimmers. Dependent on the features, or price, we could lose market share. Market Objectives Product Objective Sell 100K units by 12/31/2016. Price Objective Achieve a profit of $500K by 12/31/2016. Place Objective Have our product on the shelves of 2 national chains, and in 200 independent retail pet supply stores by 9/15/2015. Have an on-line presence by 9/1/2015. Promotion Objective Our objective is to have 250K hits on you-tube demonstration by 1/1/2016 and 100K hits on our website specific to the new product line by 6/1/2016. Marketing Strategies This section will introduce you to the particular strategies, which will assure that we achieve our objectives. You will find them well thought out and comprehensive. We took the necessary time to be confident that they are inter-related and logical, using previous tactics which have been successful here at Company G. Product Strategies Packaging – use our trusted XG logo and recognized style of packaging. Great Warranty – offering a two-year warranty, this is better than current electric trimmers in the market. This is in line with our warranty for other product lines in our assortment. Dedicated Help Line – have a 24/7 help line specific to this product line. It will give advice, answer questions, and take care of issues that arise for customers. Price Strategies Market Pricing Skimming pricing of $89.99. Good Terms – we will give 2% net 30 days pricing to our distributers. Advertising Allowances – $5 per unit sold for preapproved advertising campaigns. We will require proof of sales and give credit within 30 days of campaign end date/ Place Strategies Retail Stores – 2 National chain stores and 200 local pet stores based on their sales. Web presence – We will sell through Amazon.com, as well as on our web site. Quick shipping – We are going to use Amazon’s distribution Centers to ship to retail stores and directly to customers. This will be the most efficient use of our finished goods inventory. Promotion Strategies Personal selling – We will provide demonstrations at dog shows. Social media – We will have a You-tube presence, and a Face book presence. Discount / Donation – We will give customers a $5 discount and donate $5 to the Humane Society for the first 50K units sold. Explanation of Strategies These strategies are a combination of approaches. We are going to use our strong brand name and recognition to take advantage to the consumers’ trust.  If they compare our product to Dremel or Oster’s trimmer, they will see we give them a superior warranty. We will get our product in front of millions of potential customers at dog shows. There are dog shows of various types happening every week across the United States. The retailers that we target will get good financial terms, along with our strong brand name. Our you-tube presentation will prove to customers just how easy and safe our trimmer is. We will also appeal to the good nature of pet owners will our donation to the Humane Society. Tactics and Action Plan In order to assure our success we need to put specific tactics in place. They need a due date and responsible party, so anyone in the process can see if we are adhering to our timeline. We know whom to ask about any given tactic as well.

King of the castle tension Essay Example for Free

King of the castle tension Essay ?â€Å"I’m the King of the Castle†: Literature Coursework Investigate the ways in which Susan Hill uses language to create tension and a sense of foreboding in â€Å"I’m the King of the Castle† Susan Hill implements several writing techniques to create tension in the novel. Tension in this sense simply means mental strain or excitement in the readers. One of the techniques used is shown when she uses a third-person narration to narrate the story. This narrator is omniscient and implies that he/ she is not one of the characters in the novel, and yet at the same time knows everything that is running through the characters minds. Hill uses this technique to bring the readers on a journey of moving freely in time and space to allow them to know what any character is doing or thinking at any one point of time. This is only possible because the narrator is not a character in the novel and is allowed to be anywhere, anytime. Susan Hill uses many different techniques to put a point across, the most important being her use of imagery. However her writing also has many other qualities such as good structure and her ability to think like her characters. In addition she manages to build up tension and uses different ways of emphasising words or phrases. All of these factors contribute to her unique evocative style and add to her reputation of being a very talented writer. In chapter eleven, she describes vividly how Kingshaw feels sick with fright when Hooper locks him in the shed. He retched, and then began to vomit, all over the sacks, the sick coming down his nose and choking him. It tasted bitter. He bent forwards, holding his stomach. When it finished he wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. He was shivering again. This passage is an example of her excellent use of imagery. She conjures up a picture of the scene as well as expressing Kingshaws fears and senses in an evocative style by using a scene that we can all relate to and understand. An example of Susan Hills good structure is at the very beginning of the novel, when Hooper and Kingshaw first meet, Hooper sends Kingshaw a note saying I didnt want you to come here. This sets up the story line from the beginning, leading us to expect events to come. Then at the very end of the novel before Kingshaw commits suicide, Hopper sends him a final note saying Something will happen to you Kingshaw. She shows the ability to be able to think like a child, which adds to the overall affect of the book because the main character is Kingshaw who is a child. This process of her thoughts gives us a wider understanding of Kingshaws character and his thoughts. Examples of her thinking like a child appear in many forms in the novel. One of them is her use of childish language and grammar. Now, he thought, I know what Hooper is really like. Hes a baby. And stupid. And a bully. Notice in this particular phrase that she uses childish words like baby, stupid and bully. The use of short abrupt sentences emphasise the words and adds to the childish theme, because it is grammatically incorrect to start a sentence with a conjunction, which is what a child may do). Another form of her childish thinking is how she shows an understanding of childrens fears and their reactions. An example of this is Kingshaws fear of moths. There are a lot of moths, Hooper said softly, there always are, in woods. Pretty big ones, as well. Kingshaws stomach clenched. In his nostrils, he could smell the mustiness of the Red Room. This passage shows how Hooper taunts Kingshaw with his fear (childishly). She shows Kingshaws reaction to his fear by saying his stomach clenched. She then continues with his memory of the Red Room, where he had been scared by the death moths, using her evocative style to describe how he associates moths with the musty smell of the Red Room. She uses the example of moths throughout the book, along with Kingshaws other fears such as birds. To keep the reader alert Susan Hill tended to change from one scene to another very abruptly. A Classic example is in chapter sixteen, when every one was in the Breakfast room on the day of Mrs. Helena Kingshaw and Mr. Hoopers wedding announcement. Suddenly the scene changes to them being in a muddy field. This can be quite confusing for the reader but it does keep them alert. It was also in this scene where Susan Hill showed her ability to build up tension. This was done by Kingshaw expressing his fears about something that we do not know about, and Mrs. Helena Kingshaw talking about how he was scared by this thing when he was little. As the passage continues the writer gives us a clue that the unknown fear is of a certain place and finally (after a page of writing) she tells us that the place in question is a circus. Susan Hill uses many different techniques to build up an atmosphere. In my opinion the most effective atmosphere that she created was in chapters twelve and thirteen, when Hooper falls off the castle wall. When Kingshaw reaches the top of the castle (without Hooper) he feels a sense of power. He shouts out â€Å"Im the King of the castle† which relates to the title of the book. To make us understand how Kingshaw really does feel King, she repeats the phrase I am the King thrice. He felt so powerful that he thought he could kill Hooper. When Kingshaw is in a rage with Hopper, telling him to come down, he swears at him, this shocks the reader, as he is only a child. When Hooper is falling off the castle wall Kingshaw commands TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WALL, HOOPER. The use of capital letter creates the effect that what he is saying is important. When Hooper falls and is carried off on a stretcher, thunder rumbles in the back ground which gives the ironic affect that it is not going to be a good thing for Kingshaw. Kingshaw is then made to get down from the castle, which can be classed as an example of his life. Every time he reaches the top he is always forced to go back down which is, once again, ironic. The whole book gives an immense sense of tension to the reader. The atmosphere is one of suspense and danger. The overall use of abrupt, simple dialogue accentuates the feeling of incoming peril. Susan Hill writes the novel in a way which causes the reader to constantly be alert, and to expect the sinister and foreboding to occur. Arsalan Abdullah

Cell Migration And Cell Cytoskeleton Biology Essay

Cell Migration And Cell Cytoskeleton Biology Essay The cytoskeleton of a cell plays a vital role in controlling the movements of the cell. 3 types of fibres form this structure; microtubules, microfilaments and intermediate filaments. Microtubules are large hollow fibres, microfilaments are the smallest at only 6nm in diameter (1) and intermediate filaments are in between. Microtubules are formed from the subunits ÃŽ ± tubulin and ÃŽ ² tubulin, which form dimers. Each tubulin dimer contains 1 ÃŽ ± tubulin subunit and 1 ÃŽ ² tubulin subunit. These then polymerise to form long protofilaments, which join together into sheets. Once a sheet of 13 protofilaments has been formed, they then fold over to produce a hollow microtubule, which continues to elongate from the +ve end where only ÃŽ ² tubulin subunits are showing. Microfilaments are made of a protein subunit called actin. There are two types; G actin and F actin. G actin is turned in to F actin by the hydrolysis of ATP, forming a fibrous filament. The actin filament continues to elongate from the -ve barbed end. There are several types of Intermediate filaments, each made of different proteins depending on the function of the cell in which they are contained. Type I Keratins acidic and Type II Keratins basic are found in epithelial cells and in the hair and nails. Nuclear lamins are found in the nuclear lamina and type III vimentin/desmin/peripherin are found in muscle cells, some neurones and stem cells (2). The monomers form dimers by coiling. Tetramers are then formed from dimers arranged in staggered formation with opposite domains together. These then arrange together forming strong coiled filaments. Many cells move by crawling over surfaces (3). Of the three fibrous structures, explained previously that make up a cell, the microfilaments play the largest part in the movement and migration of a cell. This means that actin is the vital component for cell movement. A fibroblast crawls by a leading protrusion, called a lamellipodium, which is where most of the cells actin is located. The actin is extremely flexible due its twisted, linked structure. The filaments clump / bundle together near the cell membrane, particularly at the protrusions such as the microvilli in an intestine lining epithelial cell. The actin penetrates in to the cytoplasm, where they become cross linked in to a three dimensional meshwork, governing the shape and mechanical properties of the plasma membrane and the cell surface. (4) . This means that the actin provides structural support, as well as movement potential for the cell. Filopodia are very similar to lamellipodia. They also protrude out from the mai n body of the cells like lamellipodia, and act like fingers for the cell to feel the environment around it and also to aid the detection of where the cell is supposed to migrate to. Filopodia have almost the exact same structure as lemellipodia, however have smaller protrusions and therefore contain less actin. They are about 0.1 Â µm wide and between 5 10 Â µm long, and each contains a loose bundle of 10 20 actin filaments, orientated with their positive ends pointing outward'(5), exactly like the orientation of the actin filaments in lamellipodia. However, filopodia are present around the whole circumference of the cell, not just protruding from the lamellipodium, which creates an even larger surface area for the cell to detect its surroundings. The protrusions grow by the growth of the actin filaments, where dimers are added to the positive terminals of the filaments. Although dimers are removed from both terminals, particularly the negative end, this is outweighed by the mor e rapid addition of actin at the positive end. The growth is a very quick process, which therefore allows the cells to move around the body at a fairly fast pace. Once the lamellipodium is protruded from the main structural shape of the cell, the newly produced bottom section of the cell then adheres to the surface it is moving along, hence pulling the rest of the cell along with it. At the same time, contraction occurs at the rear of the cell, then draws the body of the cell forward, in the direction the lamellipodium is protruding, in a process called traction. (6) Cell migration is extremely important to an organisms survival. It is essential for the movement of cells in the immune system, an example of which is a macrophage, which finds destructive cells and eats them. This is because it is vital for cells to be able to travel to the site of an infection in order to fight it and clear it up or to communicate with other cells, to let them know that there is a problem, which they can then sort out. Cells that can do this are called fibroblasts, which migrate through connective tissue, remodelling them where necessary and helping to rebuild damaged structures. (7). If this was not possible, the organism would be in serious trouble and could die or be badly damaged by very superficial wounds and mild diseases which are overlooked as non-serious in humans due to cells being able to migrate. The cell migration mechanism is vital to a macrophage, as its job is to move around the body, detecting and destroying harmful cells. If movement was not possi ble, the macrophage would only be able to detect destructive cells that were situated in the immediate vicinity, which means to successfully remove all harmful pathogens would be impossible. This would mean the organism would have very little protection against disease. Cells are also able to migrate by means other than by lamellipodium protrusions. Cilia are one example, as well as a male humans sperm, which moves by a tail like structure called a flagellum. The sperm is able to beat the flagellum, which is designed to move the entire cell, and instead of generating a current, they propagate regular waves along their length that propel and drive the cell through liquid (8). Unlike most other migrating cells in the human body as described above, the main component for movement in flagella is tubulin. Microtubules span the whole length of the flagellum in an axoneme, which contains two central microtubules that are surrounded by an outer ring of nine pairs of microtubules. (9). The movement is enabled by molecules of ciliary dyenin that form bridges between neighbouring microtubules around the circumference of the axoneme. (10) The end tail of one molecule attaches to a microtubule, while its other end, the head of the molecule attaches to another m icrotubule. This promotes a sliding mechanism similar to that of actin in the migration of cells with lamellipodium protrusions. Bacteria and cilia also have flagella, made of flagellin and dynein. The bacterial flagellum has a similar structure to a microtubule in the way that it is a hollow, tube like shape. Ciliary beating can either propel single cells through a fluid or can move fluid over the surface of a group of cells in a tissue (11). The second is apparent in the human respiratory system, where ciliated respiratory epithelium cells in the trachea prevent any foreign, potentially harmful particles such as dust and bacteria in the air from entering the bronchioles and lungs. They do this by acting like tiny hairs and by beating the saliva containing the harmful particles back up the trachea to exit the nasal cavities by coughing. If the cilia are unable to beat, it causes problems such as Kartageners syndrome or primary ciliary dyskinesia. Although this syndrome is extremely rare, it is a genetic disorder, meaning it is hereditary. Due to the respiratory system having little to no defence against dust and pathogens which enter the nasal cavities and then travel down the trachea and bronchi, harmful particles may enter the lungs. This causes infection and disease of the lungs, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. In conclusion, the presence of cell migration mechanisms in organisms as small as bacteria to the large, multi cellular organisms such as humans is extremely vital to their individual survival. Without such an important ability, cells would not be able to detect or fight disease, from minor superficial impediments to very serious illnesses. Reproduction in humans would not be possible and bacteria would find it extremely difficult to invade host cells for reproduction. Without cell migration, the whole human immune system would not be able to function correctly. Although the movement of cells is quite complex, it is only the beginning of a massive sequence of mechanisms in which cells can communicate with each other to orchestrate the correct workings of the human body.

Identity in Tender is the Night and Appointment in Samarra Essay

According to the Merriam Webster, identity is the â€Å"sameness of essential or generic character in different instances† (Merriam Webster). An identity can be the qualities or beliefs that make a person different from another, but it is also the thing that connects them. A man’s identity stays with him â€Å"for the rest of his life† and is something that â€Å"[can] not change much† (O’Hara 202, 193). Identity is who one is born to, what one thinks, what one says, and what one does; John O’Hara and F. Scott Fitzgerald both utilize the theme of identity in describing the lives and actions of the central characters Julian English and Dick Diver in their novels, Appointment in Samarra and Tender is the Night. Discovering their individual identities is a journey for both men, and on their journey to self-discovery the men believe that by fixing their lives they will discover their identity. Both Julian and Dick struggle to maintain perfect or der in their lives by controlling fate, but their ancestral obligations lead to self-destruction and inevitable downfall. While Diver commits social suicide, English commits actual suicide, and the two seal their fates the second they try to change their journey. Sigmund Freud’s Oedipus complex is a feeling of sexual attracting of a child toward their parent; the fixation towards one’s father or mother can lead to choices of sexual partners or spouses that resemble the parent. The wives of Julian English and Dick Diver, Caroline and Nicole, marry their husbands because of their fatherly personas, and Caroline and Nicole’s own incestuous pasts shape and control their relationships with Julian and Dick. The superficiality of English and Diver and their inability to realize who they are lead to a need to contro... ... Is the Night." Modern Fiction Studies 4.2 (Summer 1958): 136-142. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Oct. 2013. Tate, Mary Jo. "John O'Hara and F. Scott Fitzgerald." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. "The Identity of the Fathers." Tender is the Night: The Broken Universe. Milton R. Stern. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994. 102-107. Twayne's Masterwork Studies 137. Twayne's Authors on GVRL. Web. 3 Oct. 2013. Tomkins, David. "Appointment in Samarra." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 21 Oct. 2013 "War and Grace: The Importance of Tender is the Night." Tender is the Night: The Broken Universe. Milton R. Stern. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994. 3-13. Twayne's Masterwork Studies 137. Twayne's Authors on GVRL. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.

Defining Respect :: Definition Respect Respecting Essays

"(What you want Baby, I got What you need Do you know I got it? All I'm askin' Is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit) Hey baby (just a little bit) when you get home (just a little bit) mister (just a little bit) " Lyrics from the song, "Respect" by Aretha Franklin In three seperate dictionaries, respect is defined as a regard for or appreciation of the worth or value of someone or something. In my opinion, respect goes far beyond this definition. Respect is the cornerstone of the society in which we live. Although many look at respect as simply treating another person or thing with kindness, this word has many different aspects. For instance, I would not give an elder the same type of respect that I would give my peers or myself. Respect is not considered a neccessity in this world but, I can’t imagine a person getting very far in life without this virtue. Self-respect is probably the most important value for a person. It is said that in order to earn the respect of others, a person needs to learn to treat oneself with respect. I think that self-respect has a lot to do with one’s self-esteem. Self-esteem is an opinion of one’s own worth. For example, a girl that sleeps around will probably earn the reputation of a slut or a tramp. In reality, she is coping with the stresses of a low self-esteem.

Essay examples --

Shale Gas refers to natural gas trapped within sedimentary shale rock formations and is found abundantly in many regions of the world. Recent advances in technology such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) have meant that access to this valuable resource is now viable. Onshore oil and gas exploration is the best, most transformative energy story since the transition from coal to oil a century ago. This is because what we are getting is a far cleaner and more economic source of energy than its predecessors or competitors. Even though gas is a fossil fuel in replacing coal for electricity - which is the global goal - it means that we can reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50 per cent. It is also a secure source of energy because it is globally ubiquitous. On the subject of resources, this is not a short-term solution. It is probably correct that we should try to avoid fossil use going out into a 30 or 40-year timeframe. But on the other hand the glo bal prevalence and ubiquity of natural gas shows us that there is at least 200 years’ worth of supply and is therefore a mammoth resource. Hydraulic fracturing has provided major technological boost to the industry in efforts to obtain larger amounts of natural gas from unconventional (tougher to reach) sources. According to Peter Saundry (2009), fracking is the process of placing high-pressurized water underground along with other fluids and chemicals into gas bearing rock to form fractures that are propped open with sand. When the formation is fractured, natural gas can then flow out of the crevices where it is then pumped out of the ground. Earlier forms of fracking by the United States can be traced back to the late 1940’s. the recent upsurge is caused by the ... ...he state of Colorado houses a fast growing and bankable energy market in the United States. With the nation carrying 100 natural fields of gas, containing three of the largest oil fields, Colorado has manifested itself to be a suited producer and competitor. Colorado doesn’t need any alternatives to its fracking policy. COGA’s (2012) study suggested that Colorado’s towns such as Garfield, Weld, La Plata, Rio Blanco, and Las Animas brought the state $8.1 billion and it directly brought 43,800 jobs with wages being 51 percent higher than states average. It clearly cannot be contradicted that the natural gas industry has a noteworthy influence on the states economy. Considering the tens of thousands of Coloradans employed to the colossal contributions of gas. As Colorado continues this path on energy, this foundation will promote further economic growth and diversity. Essay examples -- Shale Gas refers to natural gas trapped within sedimentary shale rock formations and is found abundantly in many regions of the world. Recent advances in technology such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) have meant that access to this valuable resource is now viable. Onshore oil and gas exploration is the best, most transformative energy story since the transition from coal to oil a century ago. This is because what we are getting is a far cleaner and more economic source of energy than its predecessors or competitors. Even though gas is a fossil fuel in replacing coal for electricity - which is the global goal - it means that we can reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50 per cent. It is also a secure source of energy because it is globally ubiquitous. On the subject of resources, this is not a short-term solution. It is probably correct that we should try to avoid fossil use going out into a 30 or 40-year timeframe. But on the other hand the glo bal prevalence and ubiquity of natural gas shows us that there is at least 200 years’ worth of supply and is therefore a mammoth resource. Hydraulic fracturing has provided major technological boost to the industry in efforts to obtain larger amounts of natural gas from unconventional (tougher to reach) sources. According to Peter Saundry (2009), fracking is the process of placing high-pressurized water underground along with other fluids and chemicals into gas bearing rock to form fractures that are propped open with sand. When the formation is fractured, natural gas can then flow out of the crevices where it is then pumped out of the ground. Earlier forms of fracking by the United States can be traced back to the late 1940’s. the recent upsurge is caused by the ... ...he state of Colorado houses a fast growing and bankable energy market in the United States. With the nation carrying 100 natural fields of gas, containing three of the largest oil fields, Colorado has manifested itself to be a suited producer and competitor. Colorado doesn’t need any alternatives to its fracking policy. COGA’s (2012) study suggested that Colorado’s towns such as Garfield, Weld, La Plata, Rio Blanco, and Las Animas brought the state $8.1 billion and it directly brought 43,800 jobs with wages being 51 percent higher than states average. It clearly cannot be contradicted that the natural gas industry has a noteworthy influence on the states economy. Considering the tens of thousands of Coloradans employed to the colossal contributions of gas. As Colorado continues this path on energy, this foundation will promote further economic growth and diversity.

Logistic

1. Consider the supply chain for a domestic automobile. a. What are the components of the supply chain for the automobile? b. What are the different firms involved in the supply chain? c. What are the objectives of these firms? d. Provide examples of conflicting objectives in this supply chain. e. What are the risks that rare or unexpected events pose to this supply chain? a. b. c. d. e. Pick any car model manufactured by a domestic auto maker.For example, consider the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. a. The supply chain for a car typically includes the following components:: 1. Suppliers for raw materials 2. Suppliers for parts and subsystems 3. Automobile manufacturer (Ford, in the example). Within a company, there are also different departments, which constitute the internal supply chain: i. Purchasing and material handling ii. Manufacturing iii. Marketing, etc. 4. Transportation providers 5. Automobile dealers b. Many firms are involved in the supply chain. 1. Raw material suppliers. For instance, suppliers for steel, rubber, plastics, etc. 2. Parts suppliers. For instance, suppliers for engines, steering wheels, seats, and electronic components, etc. 3. Automobile manufacturer. For instance, Ford. 4. Transportation providers. For instance, shippers, trucking companies, railroads, etc. 5. Automobile dealers. For instance, Hayward Ford. c. All companies involved in the supply chain want to maximize their respective profits by increasing revenue and decreasing cost. However, companies may employ different strategies in order to achieve this goal.Some of them focus on customer satisfaction and quick delivery, while others may be more concerned about minimizing inventory holding costs. d. In general, different parts of the supply chain have objectives that are not aligned with each other. 1. Purchasing: Stable order quantities, flexible delivery lead times and little variation in mix. 2. Manufacturing: Long production runs, high quality, high productivity and low pr oduction costs. 3. Warehousing: Low inventory, reduced transportation costs and quick replenishment capability. 4. Customers: Short order lead times, a large variety of products and low prices. e.Typically, the automobile dealer would like to offer a variety of car colors and configurations to accommodate different customer preferences, and meanwhile have a short delivery lead time from the manufacturer. However, in order to maximize the length of production runs, and utilize resources more efficiently, the manufacturer would like to aggregate orders from different dealers and offer less variety in car configurations. This is a clear example of conflicting marketing and manufacturing goals. ———————– 2. Consider a consumer mortgage offered by a bank. a. What are the components of the supply chain for the mortgage? . Is there more than one firm involved in the supply chain? What are the objectives of the firm or firms? c. What ar e the similarities between product and service supply chains? What are the differences? a. b. c. a. The supply chain for a consumer mortgage offered by a bank may involve various components. 1. Marketing companies that handle solicitation to potential customers. 2. Credit reporting agencies that evaluate potential customers. 3. The bank that extends the mortgage loans. 4. Mortgage brokers through which the loans are distributed. . The marketing companies strive to increase the response rate from homebuyers in order to maximize their returns. Banks aim at a customer portfolio with a relatively low risk, healthy flow of payments and low average loan maturity date. The brokers would like to maximize their sales commissions. c. Similar to product supply chains, the objective of a service supply chain is to provide what is needed (in this case, a particular type of service, rather than a physical product) at the right location, at the right time, and in a form that conforms to custom er requirements while minimizing system wide costs.However, there are a number of differences between the two types of supply chains. For instance: 1. In a product supply chain, there is both a flow of information and physical products. In a service supply chain, it is primarily information. 2. Contrary to a service supply chain, transportation and inventory are major cost components in a product supply chain. 3. Services typically cannot be held in inventory, so matching capacity with demand is frequently more important in a service supply chain. 4.In a service supply chain, the (explicit) cost of information is higher than in a product supply chain. Note that in the mortgage example above, the bank has to compensate the credit reporting agency for each credit report it obtains. ——————————————————- 3. What is an example of a supply chain that has evolved ove r time? Many supply chains evolve over time. For example, consider a memory chip supply chain. Production strategies may change during different stages of the product life cycle.When a new memory chip is introduced, price is high, yield is low, and production capacity is tight, and the availability of the product is important. Consequently, production is usually done at plants close to markets, and the management focuses on increasing yield, reducing the number of production disruptions, and fully utilizing capacity. When the product matures, however, its price drops and demand is stabilized for a period of time, so minimizing production cost moves to center stage. To reduce costs, production may be outsourced to overseas foundries, where labor and materials are much cheaper.

Competitive advantage of IKEA Essay

INTRODUCTION In this modern hypercompetitive marketplace, a company must be a powerful competitor to survive. A company must possess a powerful strategy in order to become a powerful competitor. But what makes a good strategy for the company? A good business strategy would be that to attain a competitive advantage over other competitors. So what is a competitive advantage? And how company can be able to have a competitive advantage over other competitors? This essay would now discuss what a competitive advantage is and how a company can build a competitive advantage over other competitors in the same industry by using two furnishing stores, Ikea and Courts as examples. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Definition A company is said have competitive advantage over its competitors when the company earns profits that are above the normal average in the industry where it competes. Types of competitive advantages According to Michael Porter, there are two basic types of competitive advantage, namely: Cost Advantage- A cost advantage is the ability of the firm to deliver the same product or services at lower cost than competitors. This can be achieved through using economies of scale, production efficiencies, low labor cost or better access to raw material and etc. Differentiation advantage- A differentiation advantage is the ability of the firm to deliver products or services that are different from the product mix of competitors. Due to the added costs in achieving differentiation for the  product or services, differentiated products or services are often marketed at premium prices. Model of Competitive Advantage Source: www.quickmba.com Competitive advantage derives out of value a firm is able to create for its buyers that exceeds the firm’s cost of creating it. Value is what buyers are willing to pay, and superior value stems from offering lower prices than competitors for equivalent benefits or providing unique benefits that reduce the price sensitivity of the buyer. Value can be achieved though utilizing the firm resources and capabilities that would then become core competencies of the particular firm. The core competencies created will allow the firm to position either as a cost leader or differentiation leader in the industry and this will in turn create value for the buyers which will become the firm competitive advantage in the industry. Resources and capabilities A firm needs to possess resources and capabilities that are better than its competitors in order to develop a competitive advantage over them. Any competitive advantage will disappear if the competitors can easily imitate what the firm was doing. Resources are assets of the company that its competitors cannot easily acquire. Some examples of a firm resource include the firm’s reputation, loyal customer base, patent and trademarks and strong branding. Capabilities refer to the ability of the firm to make the most of its resources. One good example of the capabilities of a firm is the ability to carry out a successful marketing campaign. The combination of both capabilities and resource will become the distinctive competencies of the firm. The competencies will allow the firm to achieve  innovation, efficiency, quality and customer responsiveness. The core competencies created will allowed the firm to position either as a cost leader or differentiation leader in the industry Cost advantage and differentiation advantage A firm will position itself as a cost leader or differentiation leader in the industry based on the distinctive competencies formed using its resources and capabilities which become the firm competitive advantage against other competitors. Value creation Value is created by firm through performing a series of value creating activities that Porter identified as the value chain. The value chain comprises 4 supporting activities (procurement, technology development, human resource and firm infrastructure) and 5 primary activities (inbound logistics, operation, outbound logistics, marketing as well as sales and service). On top of the firm own value creating activities, the firm operates in a value system of vertical activities including those of upstream suppliers and downstream channel members. In order to achieve competitive advantage, a firm must perform one or more value-creating activity that is more superior compared to other competitors. Superior value is created through lower costs or superior benefits to the buyers. IKEA Profile Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant was founded in 1943. It is the world’s largest furniture retailer that sells stylish but inexpensive Scandinavian designed furniture. It has outlets in 35 countries, including Singapore. The company is, perhaps, one of the World’s most successful multinational retailing firms operating as a global organization based on its unique concept that the furniture is sold in knock down form that are to be  assembled by the customer at home. Ikea mission statement Ikea’s mission is to offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, excellent quality and durability, at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford to buy them (www.ikea.com) Ikea competitive advantage Ikea’s success in the retail furniture industry can be attributed to its vast experience in the retail market and its ability to integrate both product differentiation and cost leadership strategies successfully. As pointed out in Ikea’s mission statement, the company is in business to produce high quality products at a low cost. This would support a cost leadership strategy. However, the company is also applying differentiation strategy due to its unique way of incorporating the customer in the value chain and unique marketing strategies Cost advantage Ikea cost leadership strategy allowed it to have a competitive edge over other competitors in term of pricing. Ikea achieved this through tight cost control and production efficiencies. Under Ikea’s global strategy, suppliers are usually located in low-cost nations, with close proximity to raw material and reliable access to distribution channels. These suppliers produce highly standardized products intended for the global market, including Ikea. This allows Ikea to take advantage of economies of scale. Ikea also practice tight cost control in order to keeps its product price low and affordable. Some key cost control measures undertaken by Ikea includes: * Locating their outlet outside the city area on places where the lease or the cost of the land is cheaper * Flat packaging of its product allows Ikea to transport its goods from suppliers to its outlet at low cost as it efficiently maximizes the space during transportation. Flat packaging also means lower warehousing costs for them. * â€Å"No waste† policy when Ikea develops product. For example, the remnants of fabrics that are left over the heart shaped FAMNIG cushion, one of Ikea product, are used to make smaller FAMNIG cushion. Door manufacturer are used by Ikea to make their table-top with the leftover raw material thus reducing production cost. In addition to tight cost control and production efficiencies, Ikea also incorporate customer into the value chain approach as a mean of reducing costs. Customers are to use the information on the product price tag to collect from the racks in the store self-service area, transport the items themselves back home and to assemble by themselves. The costs saved are passed back to the consumer in term of charging lower price for their product rather then including the labor costs and delivery costs into the selling price, a usual practice of other furniture stores. Differentiation advantage Ikea had also successfully integrated its cost leadership strategy with differentiation strategy that allowed it to further distinguish itself from other furniture stores and develop a strong branding for the firm. Ikea differentiate itself from other competitors by performing the following: * As mentioned earlier in page 6, Ikea incorporate customer into the value chain approach to reduce cost. Customers are to use the information on the product price tag to collect from the racks in the store self-service area, transport the items themselves back home and to do assembling of the  furniture. Ikea is the only furniture store that adopts this practice in Singapore and it is accepted by all Ikea customers as they understood it as a cost saving method through education by Ikea to the customer on their catalogues. * Ikea adopted different marketing communication strategy from the rest of its competitors. Instead of choosing to advertise every weekend in the newspaper to reach out to consumer, which is the norm of most of the popular furniture stores in Singapore, Ikea main communication strategy lies in the complimentary catalogue mail to every household in Singapore annually. This allowed customer to read the catalogue at the comfort of their home. Furthermore, the dimensions of the furnitures are indicates in the catalogue that allowed the customer to measure up their place for the furniture and come up with a systematic shopping list. Thus, the catalogue is the best way to prepare the customer for a visit to Ikea compare to newspaper advertisement used by other competitors. * Ikea provides child care services and supervised play area in their outlets to ensure parents can focus on their shopping in Ikea store without having any worries for their children. * In-store restaurant (Rare among furniture stores), Burger King as in the case of Singapore, offer a chance for shoppers to take meal breaks without the hassle of leaving the store. Summary The cost leadership strategy adopted by Ikea allows it to set attractive price for their product compare to other competitors in the same industry. By setting attractive price, it also reduces the price sensitivity of the consumer. The cost advantage is achieved by Ikea through tight cost control and production efficiencies. The differentiation strategy approach such as the Ikea catalogue, in-store restaurant, the incorporation of customer in the value chain and providing of child care services undertaken by Ikea helps to create a highly differentiated picture of Ikea in the target  market’s mind. Ikea through successfully integrating cost leadership and differentiation strategy had become one of the most successful international furniture retailers.

How to Promote Tourism in Malaysia Essay

In comparison to other sectors of Industry, the tourism industry is well developed at Malaysia. This industry effects in a positive manner in giving a boost to the Malaysian economy with a rapid increase in the earnings, of foreign exchange along with good employment opportunities. In the year 2005, it was declared by the World Tourism Organization that Malaysia stands 14th in the overall ranking based on the international tourism arrivals. Among the 53 different common wealth countries Malaysia ranks 3rd next to Britain and Canada. A wide increase in the foreign revenue generation was noticed in the year 2006 and the tourism sector generated about US$18. 1 billion through export revenue, which is almost 10% of the total foreign revenue earned by the country. Different efforts were taken by the government of Malaysia, to make the country more developed and a prime place of attraction for tourist from all parts of Asia and world. You can notice a huge infrastructure and physical development was given due priority by the government of Malaysia along with the established projects of tourism with good attraction of tourism for the prospect of the country (Jamil. J, 2007). After the independence of Malaysia, the Malaysian people put their concern on the western influences on the tourism development (Din, 1982). The tourism development continued its journey with a vision for the national development, the civilization of Islam, with a great progress in the parallel with the teachings of Islam (Islam,H, 2005). Out of the world’s 57 Muslim countries, only four countries manage to earn 17. 5 million tourists in 2004. The countries are Malaysia, Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey (Islamic countries Seek Bigger Piece of Tourism Pie, 2005). The tourism policy and its implementation in Malaysia As per as the overall development of Malaysia is concerned, NEP directly influenced it from 1971 to 1990. In later part NEP was replaced with the introduction of New Development Policy from the period 1991 to 2000. Several objectives of NEP were included in New Development Policy. Like various other industries and sectors of the economy of Malaysia, focus was also given towards the development of tourism industry by NEP. Depending on that, a federal form of constitution was adopted by Malaysia. Under this constitution come all the thirteen states and all the federal territory. The central government of Malaysia designed the policies keeping in mind a linear path with regard to their implementation on the state level. But in real terms it seemed like quite difficult to centralize the flow of the process, particularly due to the involvement of each state with own legislative style. Many of the state participated in the argument to oppose some of the policies of tourism as they feel that goes against the local norms of the state. Institutionalization of the industry of tourism in Malaysia The year 1995, marked the beginning of tourism as a new force of the economic sector of Malaysia with the setting up of the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Trade of Malaysia. It clearly justifies that the industry of tourism is a late arriver in comparison to any other sector of industries in Malaysia (Tan, W. H 1991). The involvement of Malaysian government was in a slow pace towards the tourism industry, while most of the developing countries concentrate on the tourism industry to follow the path of growth in the economic front. A sudden fall in the commodity prices inspired Malaysian government to give new life to the industry of tourism, in order to sustain the growth of economy principle objectives of tourism, was included in the tourism master plan of Malaysia, which was the country’s 2nd Malaysia Plan 1971-75, marked the new beginning of the tourism sector as the contributing force for the economic development of Malaysia. In the year 1972, a dedicated agency was established known as the Tourist Development Corporation by the parliament of Malaysia. It is established with the mission to promote tourism of Malaysia. A new phase is marked with the involvement of the government in this sector. An international bench mark was achieved by the tourism industry in the year 1972 when Malaysia hosted the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA) 21st conference, which resulted in the gradual increase in the number and percentage of the international tourist into Malaysia. A rapid increase is noticed also in the number of inbound tourist with the availability of the facility of regional airports and that too of an international standard. In the year 1986, the PATA 35th conference was held at Malaysia, which enhances the tourist attraction of the place in the subsequent years with the highlighting of the facilities and services offered to the delegates (Tan,W. H, 1991). A grand event was organized in the year 1990 on tourism . The event was named the Visit Malaysia Year 1990. In that very year a record visit of almost seven million international tourists was marked, which is a growth of almost 53. 6% from the previous year. The grand success of this event gave a targeted increase of almost 10% for each coming year. The Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism was introduced in the year 1992 to coordinate and plan the tourism activities of the country with close monitoring of the activities too. The inceptions of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB), in the same year establish Malaysian tourism as one of the major force of the economic sectors of Malaysia. Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board took the initiative to promote Malaysia as the world tourism destination in order to enhance the socio economic well being of the country of Malaysia. On the other hand the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism were entrusted with the responsibility to formulate the policies for tourism industry of the country. MTPB get the advantage to promote Malaysia on the international level with about 29 offices on worldwide basis. The domestic destinations were marked and then it was matched with various selected international markets. Keeping this concept of promotion eight destinations were marked with another four additional sites in each subsequent year. The destinations of Sabah, Langkawi, and Sarawak were promoted in high level especially to the European market, especially due to the appeal of the nature along with the sand and beaches. The development authority of the Langkawi targets the tourist from the Western Europe, area as the tourist from there do possess the capacity to avail and enjoy the facilities of the four to five star hotels located on the Langkawi Island. The above discussion on the Institutionalization of the industry of tourism in Malaysia clearly depicts how the development of the tourism industry take place in different stages to establish the country as one of the attractive destination for the tourist specially on the international level.

Methods of Research

Price Scientist conducts research on a daily basis. The purpose of this research is exploration, description, explanation, and application. In the area of criminal Justice things are getting researched all of the time. Take murder for example, the police have to explore to find out what actually happened. They have to describe the events leading up the the murder. They have to explain the facts to try and come up with a suspect. Finally, they have to use the process of application to put it all together so they can make an arrest.When using the different purposes of research it Is important to examine each purpose by Itself because each purpose has Its own different aspect when It comes to research design. The exploration stage Is the first stage that researchers begin with when using research methods. â€Å"This stage is typically done for three purposes: to satisfy the researcher does curiosity and desires for better understand, to test the feasibility of undertaking a more extens ive study, and to develop the methods to be employed in any subsequent studies. (Grossman, 2014) A researcher will use the exploration take of research when they want to find out about something that there is little known about. Take drugs for example; let's say a researcher wants to find out how bad the drug problem is in the United States. There are a couple categories that a researcher may want to explore. Such as; â€Å"how many were arrested for drug sales or possession each year and how many hours per day do drug dealers work and how much do they make? † (Misfield & Babble, 2009) The next purpose of research is description. The researcher explores and then describes what they explored.For example; the U. S. Census, â€Å"the goal of the census Is to describe accurately and precisely several characteristics of the U. S. Population, including race/ethnicity, age, sex, household size, and income. † (Grossman, 2014) The description stage is widely used in the crimina l Justice field. For example; it is used to describe a certain crime problem that a certain city or state may be having. It can be used to measure how much burglary is committed in the city of Joplin, Missouri. The descriptive stage is used to answer the questions what, when, where, and how something happened.The third stage of research is the explanation stage. The explanation stage attempts to describe why something happened. The description and the explanation stages work together. The descriptive stage explains what happened the explanation stage explains why It happened. Take the burglary rate In Joplin the descriptive stage tells you how much burglary Is committed and the explanation stage will tell you why burglary is committed in Joplin. Application research: evaluation and policy and problem analysis. An example would be â€Å"determining whether a program designed to reduce burglary actually had the intended effect. (Maxwell & Babble, 2009) Criminal Justice organizations gather all their research from exploration, description, and explanation in the application process to come up with a conclusion for all their research. There are four different stages of research that the criminal Justice organizations use to find answers to things that are unknown and also to find out the what, where, when how, and why things happen. Most researches that are done contain all four stages of research. For example take auto theft. A researcher would use the exploration stage to learn about the case.

Diet Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diet Program - Research Paper Example The body burns both fats and carbohydrates, therefore, if carbohydrates are reduced or eliminated the body will start burning fat. On this diet, the amount of food consumed is limitless. The restriction is on the type of food: no refined sugar; milk; white rice; pasta/white flour; and white potato. All the foods rich in fats are allowed to be eaten: meat; eggs; cheese/spread; red meat, fish (including shellfish); fowl; one may cook with butter; use mayo; and olive oil. This is diet of almost pure protein and fats. This diet is divided into four stages; phase one, two, there, and four. The first phase, phase one, lasts two weeks, the dieter eats only proteins and fats. three cups of loosely packed salad, or two cups of salad with two-thirds cup of certain cooked vegetables per day. For phases two, three, and four, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables are added gradually, and limitedly. The objective of this is more fats and protein. Dieters must keep checking their weight and decrease their carbohydrate intake if they begin to gain weight. This is a diet that also requires the dieter to take vitamins supplements (WebMD). Obviously this is not a practical diet. A diet with an intake of more protein than carbohydrates ; and is going to last a lifetime, can never be healthy. Exerciser seems to be the only good thing that this diet promotes. The diet is a life sentence; and the dieter can never touch the restricted food again; who wants to be held hostage to a diet for life? Robert H. Nickel, MD, director of the general clinical research center at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, tells WebMD: "Our worries over the Atkins diet go way past the question of whether it is effective for losing weight or even for keeping weight off. We worry that the diet promotes heart disease ... We have concerns over whether this is a healthy diet for preventing heart disease,

What are the roots of the present crisis of the euro Essay

What are the roots of the present crisis of the euro - Essay Example There are good promises about integrating the euro zone into one currency policy. One of the reasons why there are many countries engaged themselves into this one-currency policy is to substantially address the need of their economy to rise up above any other. However, behind all of these promises are some limitations that need to be taken into consideration (Provopoulos, 2010). One of the limitations is the substantial loss of the ability of a participating nation to set its individual domestic monetary policy. Another is losing its ability to change the nominal exchange rate of its currency. It is therefore clear that with the optimum currency area policy; there could be no significant contribution of uniting the euro especially with the presence of weaker economies because the euro’s market strength would eventually be dragged down (McGuinness, 2010). Another main reason why the euro crisis comes into a significant issue in the euro zone is the failure of Stability and Grow th Pact to ensure fiscal discipline (Provolous, 2010). This is clear in the case of Greece in which its debt to GDP ratio had risen to 12.6 per cent which is extremely above the required maximum of only 3 per cent. This resulted to the bail-outs of Greece and Irish Republic which has become the major topic in the recent euro crisis (BBC News, 2011). The Greek government is promising a good opportunity for everyone. This entices investors to invest in its economy and in return the government substantially does its best in the process. However, this led to increase in government spending which made it highly covered with debt. Tax is an important financial source of the government. However, it would be impractical to increase tax rate because this would only encourage investors to go to countries with low taxation rate. The worst case scenario is that this would just only encourage investors to falsify financial information just to save them from paying high tax rate. This is the reas on why the Government especially in the case of Greece to result to borrowing just to meet its obligation. In reality, it is hard to redistribute wealth by increasing tax. This would only result to other complex problems that would help aggravate the situation. However, in reality it is not only Greece doing this same strategy but it includes Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain. These countries are also known for overspending and borrowing for many decades just like Greece. Considering that these countries would be unable to pay their debt, and then the present crisis of the euro will be persistent and could hardly challenge the US dollar as the leading currency in the world. Government expenditure therefore is the leading driving force allowing the rise in the share of government spending. This is evident in the case of some European countries in which government spending increased from 43 percent to 50 percent (Provolous, 2010). It is therefore important that investments in high-va lue added sectors should be maintained and this can only be realised by the reduction of bureaucracy and rigidities in the labour, product and service markets (Provolous, 2010). Another root cause can be traced to the problems underlying a one-size-fits-all monetary policy. One significant problem is the issue of political and cultural differences among participating European countries (Hughes, 2010; Provolous). Unlike with the United States, there is no central fiscal authority in the euro area. This central fiscal authority is viewed to significantly contribute to redistribute fiscal resources. Furthermore, unlike in the United States, cultural differences particularly in the language make labour a less mobile in euro area. Labour is particularly important in the euro area. However, this is continuously challenged by the cheap labour in China. This significantly increases the chance of investors to gain more in China. Thus, this leaves behind the euro area. Specifically, it was ve ry clear that it reduced its employment

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 14

Strategic Management - Essay Example The company’s mission statement claims, â€Å"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.† In a statement, Bill Bowerman, who is among the founders of the company, states, "if you have a body, you are an athlete† (Nike 2014). Nike integrates Bowerman’s statement as part of the company’s mission statement. Among the key values of the company is its aspiration â€Å"to deliver growth in the right way† through the development of sustainable strategies that are capital-efficient, profitable, and enhance the company’s brands(Nike 2014). These are among the company’s core values of developing brand-enhancing initiatives. Despite Nike’s stand on brand-enhancing initiatives, its production and growth strategies were harming the company’s image. The labor crisis in Indonesia almost destroyed Nike’s corporate image (Braddock 2011) The company’s use of contracted sweatshops was among the issues that contributed towards the development of a negative image towards the company. Nike took measures aimed at enhancing the company’s brands and its market sustainability including aiding the creation of the Fair Labor Association (Nike 2008). Consequently, the emergence of issues concerning practices in its affiliates factories led to comprehensive audits of its factories across the world. Though various issues emerged after the audit, Nike has since taken measures to prevent the recurrence of such issues in the future. Rindova & Kotha (2001) contend that firms co-evolve their organizational form and function to maintain a competitive edge in a dynamic environment.Nike’s competitive strategy is the unique differentiation of its products and focuses on sustaining the brand to grow its operations across the world markets. The organization’s growth depends on strategies that focus on enhancing the core competencies in

Psychological Route to War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Psychological Route to War - Essay Example The act of war is a decision with the ultimate consequence. With such magnitude that comes with the declaration of war, it becomes imperative to understand the political and historical context that comes with such a decision. "The constitution makes the President Commander in chief of the armed forces but requires that Congress appropriate all money for the military. The president appoints ambassadors, but the Senate must confirm them. The president can sign treaties, but they have no meaning unless the Senate, by a two-thirds vote, ratifies them. Congress must 'declare' war, but the United States has often gone to war without any formal declaration. The reason is simple: America backs its fighting forces, and when they are put in harm's way, Congress pays their bills," (Wilson p.348). With such insurmountable risks at hand, the psychological reasoning behind resorting to a declaration of war to resolve conflict is an imperative idea to assess and analyze. To have one person be given the Godly role of placing people in a perilous situation, the psychology of what leads them there is tantalizing to contemplate. Humans by nature find themselves at one point in their lives being in the position of having to make a decision that has ramifications of monumental proportion. Psychology Today writes that, "War is probably the second most popular activity with the human race," says psychologist Lawrence LeShan, Ph.D., author of the recently published book, The Psychology of War (Helios Press, 2002). "Making love," he concedes, "is the first." In his book, LeShan argues that war's popularity stems from its unique ability to resolve two major psychological needs. It fulfills our sense of independence by assigning it a purpose, and it fulfills our need for community by establishing boundaries between 'us' and 'them,'" Adding that, "We say we love peace, but it doesn't actually excite us," says LeShan. "Even pacifists talk more about the horrors of war than the glories of peace." Battle generates perceptions so attractive that they can shift people from a rational perspective to one of "war mode," the idealized perception of crusading against evil. But as LeShan notes, After it's all over, you might have solved one problem, but you won't have solved all of the m," (Allen p.1). Humans, as a sign of their nature, can find themselves letting their subconscious desires filter into the decision making capabilities of their logical mindset on the outside. It is those unspoken desires which can lead the person into the most dangerous situations, with the direst of conclusions, or lead them into the most amazing of successes. In the end, as it comes down to it, the chips ultimately fall wherever they may and it is up to whomever is at the helm to make the important decisions with only their natural resolve, as well as the conviction of their psyches, to guide them as best as they see fit at the present time. To assess the psychological reasoning behind the act of declaring war, one must