FINANCIAL PLANNING AND WEALTH MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

FINANCIAL PLANNING AND WEALTH MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Investing the entire sum of money in a single stock exposes the investor to the risk of that asset. So, in case when the price of that security falls in the market due to any reason, the investor will suffer huge losses. This, risk of concentration of money in a single stock is mitigated through diversification. As per the preliminary interview conducted with a married couple named Kevin and Katia we came to know the following details: Katia aged 43, is a primary school teacher earning ?35,000 per annum and contributes 7.6% of her gross annual salary to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Kevin aged 45, is a construction site project manager earning ?80,000 per annum and contributes 6% of his gross annual salary to a defined contribution scheme. The couple has two children – Tilly and Jemima aged 7 and 9 years. The couple seeks advice for their retirement planning that is after 17 years when Katia is 60. The couple would like to achieve a combined retirement income of approxi mately ?45,000 in today’s terms. ... Kevin has identified a range of investments that the couple might consider to help achieve their retirement planning objectives (including index-linked gilts, corporate bond funds, authorised investment funds and offshore equity funds) but is not sure about the option to choose. With an investment of ?10,000 annually a target of 7% is required to achieve their target objectives. Therefore, in this paper we would analyze and evaluate the various parameters to achieve the desired objectives and return. Part 1: Identification of Appropriate Investment Options Portfolio management is the fundamental work of investment management. It can be done by minimizing the risk through diversification. In order to manage an investment portfolio, three steps are considered by portfolio manager i.e. planning to execution to feedback. In the planning step, the objectives and policies of investment are formulated, strategic asset allocations are ascertained and capital market expectations are formed. I n the execution step, a portfolio is constructed by portfolio manager. And, in the feedback step, the portfolio manager examines and assesses the portfolio compared with the plan (Villanova, No Date, p.5). The steps discussed here were in the short form. Taking in account the large form, the portfolio manager have to consider the following steps in order to manage his investment portfolio. The steps are as follows: Specification of investment objectives: In order to manage an investment portfolio, the usual objectives sought by investors are capital appreciation, current income and safety of principals. Choice of asset mix: Asset mix decision is the most

Time Magazine Essay Example for Free

Time Magazine Essay Before the history of TIME, the news has served knowledgeable, comical and critical, ‘hot off the press’ information to countless human beings. However, it was when two journalists decided to contribute a twist. Their impartial views on the latest reports allured those hungry knowledge, and satisfied the literate audience. TIME magazine was founded by Mr. Britton Hadden and Mr. Henry Luce in the 1920’s. Both founders first became close companions by writing and editing the school paper at Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. The two eventually enrolled into Yale University, enlisted in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, and became, â€Å"[†¦] reporters for The Baltimore News† (time. com). Having raised enough money, Hadden and Luce resigned from their job and invested in making their own iconic periodical. On March 3, 1923, the first TIME magazine published. It used to be â€Å"[†¦] summarized and organized the news so that â€Å"busy men could stay informed† (time. com). The magazine’s typical content used to expose topic ranging from heated court cases to business and leisure. Modern day TIME delivers the latest current events from entertainment to world happenings, suitable for all genders, ages of eighteen and up. TIME magazine has currently reached an estimate of 3,286,314 paid American subscribers (timemediakit. com). That impressive number does not to amount to how many are purchased on magazine stands, coffee shops, as well as those sold internationally. With each weekly publication, TIME magazine depicts its own touch to stand out amongst the rest. The fifth edition of the year 1927 was where it all commenced. The iconic red line that borders the front cover â€Å"symbolizes a bold, even arrogant idea. Everything inside that red border is worth knowing, and whatever is outside of it, well, not so much† (Stengel). TIME magazine portrays their pictures on almost the entire 64-paged periodical as well. The quality and detail of each gives knowledge and understanding to its audience. Each image carries a different perspective which draws the reader’s attention and interests completely. The 26th of November 2012’s cover issue illustrated Peatrus’ formal uniform attire, along with his badges of high rankings and honor. Significantly, the picture by Marco Grob put shame in the once respected Central Intelligence Agency director. Within the identical issue, photographs by Stephen Wilkes reveal the reality of Hurricane Sandy. Upon her vigor arrival, left broken homes and lives in the Northeast region of the United States. He illustrated the atrocity of the storm through images that released a similar attitude with those physically and emotionally affected. Nevertheless, Wilkes engages the reader to see the outcome of an underrated aftermath. The benefit of these concepts is to keep the young and older adults who read TIME magazine, briefed yet aware of the battle their nation faced. The latest scandal of David Petraeus’ affair was what left the nation of America drooling over. The article â€Å"Skyfall† by Barton Gellman fed shocking, humorous, and insightful facts of the impropriety. His affair with liaison, Paula Broadwell forked up more than two relationships. Ms. Broadwell worked as an army reserve lieutenant colonel and biographer for Petraeus. With confirmed data, â€Å"Tampa socialite Jill Kelley, alarmed by series of disturbing e-mails from someone self-identifying as â€Å"kelleypartol,† has filed an FBI complaint† (Gellman). Federal Bureau of Investigation agents later discovered it was Broadwell. That connection later linked to the scandalous messages Broadwell and Petraeus exchanged. Over 3 million Americans continue to hunger for the knowledge that TIME magazine serves. With its bright red iconic border, TIME captures the eloquent insight of advancing weekly affairs. The periodical has changed massively over the 89 years of expansion as newsfeeds and trends evolve. Nevertheless, the ambition and commitment to give open-minded and unbiased information to their audience will always be fed through the hands of TIME.

Batteries :: essays research papers

BATTERIES There are many kinds of batteries which consist of different materials in order to produce an electric charge. Here are some of the most common batteries, what they consist of and how they work. Bichromate Cell (see picture # 1) A battery is a device which converts chemical energy into electrical energy. A battery usually consists of two or more cells connected in series or parallel, you can also have a single cell battery. All cells consist of a positive electrode, and a negative electrode. An electrolyte is a liquid substance capable of conducting electricity. In this substance one of the electrodes will react producing electrons, while the other will except electrons. When the electrodes are connected to a device to be powered, called a load, an electrical current flows. Batteries where the chemicals cannot be returned to their original form once the energy has been converted (that is, batteries that have been discharged) are called primary cells or voltaic cells. Batteries in which the chemicals can be returned to its original form by passing an electric current through them in the direction opposite that of normal cell operation are called secondary cells, rechargeable cells, storage cells, or accumulators. Dry Cell Battery(see picture # 2) This is the most common battery that people use today like Energizer or Duracle batteries. The most common form of a primary cell is the Leclanche cell, invented by a French chemist Georges Leclanche in the 1860s. The electrolyte for this battery consisted of a mixture of ammonium chloride and zinc chloride made into a paste. The negative electrode is zinc, and is the outside shell of the cell, and the positive electrode is a carbon rod that runs through the center of the cell. This rod is surrounded by a mixture of carbon and manganese dioxide. This battery produces about 1.5 volts. Another widely used primary cell is the zinc-mercuric-oxide cell, more commonly called a mercury battery. It can be made in the shape of a small flat disk and is used in this form in hearing aids, and electric wristwatches. The negative electrode consists of zinc, the positive electrode is of mercuric oxide, and the electrolyte is a solution of potassium hydroxide. The mercury battery produces about 1.34 volts. The fuel cell is another type of primary cell. It is unique in that the chemicals aren't contained within the cell but are supplied from outside of the cell.

Binary Oppositions in Leda and the Swan Essays -- Leda and the Swan Es

Binary Oppositions in Leda and the Swan Yeats' "Leda and the Swan" uses the binary oppositions of the beauty and viciousness of Zeus as a swan and the helplessness and eventual strength of Leda, Yeats reveals that even the mightiest entities may suffer the consequences of their misuse of power. In "Leda and the Swan," the beauty of the swan is contrasted with the physical attributes of a swan who acts out his male animalistic power over his female prey, demonstrating the raw male and female relationships in nature. Swan are huge birds, and as pointed out in the Internet site "The Swan and Leda" (a poem on the same subject as "Leda and the Swan") "Swans, unlike most birds, have external genitals" (1). Thus, the swan is a perfect animal for such a hideous crime as Zeus performs on Leda. In further developing the underlying repercussion theme, the basis of the poem must be analyzed. In Greek Mythology, Zeus disguises himself as a swan in order to lure the pure and sexually ripe Leda into violence. Critical Survey of Poetry, edited by Frank N. Magill, says, "In the tale from antiquity, a Spartan Queen, Leda, was so beautiful that Zeus, ruler of the Gods, decided that he must have her. Since the immortals usually did not present themselves to humankind in their divine forms, Zeus changed himself into a great swan and in that shape ravished the helpless girl" (3716). Zeus as the swan is described as being "great" and of "feathered glory" (lines 1-6). He is a terrific product of nature, yet his male sexual tendencies get the better of him, and he gives into his uncontrollable lust for Leda. Zeus is a selfish male who uses his superhuman powers to exploit an innocent human. Clearly, the oppositions Yeats uses provoke intrig... ...Literary Criticism. Ed. Dennis Poupard. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1989. 397. Hathorn, Richmond Y. Greek Mythology. Lebanon: The American University of Beirut, 1977. Johnsen, William. Yeats and Postmodernism. New York: Syracuse University Press, 1991. Kuehn, Robert E. "Yeats." Contemporary Literature Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfronski. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1979. 284. Lucas, John. "Yeats." World Literature Criticism. Ed. James P. Draper. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1992. 4110. Magill, Frank N. ed. Critical Survey of Poetry. Pasedena: Salem Press, 1992. "The Swan and Leda." On-line. Internet. July, 1996. Available Netscape Navigator: http://charm.physics.ucsb.edu/people/hart/poem/swan.html Yeats, William Butler.   "Leda and the Swan." Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense.   4th ed.   Ed. Laurence Perrine.   New York: Harcourt.   1983.   636

Parking management system Essay

Globalization of the world’s industrial economies greatly enhances the value information to the ï ¬ rm and offers new opportunities to businesses. Today,information systems provide the communication and analytic power that ï ¬ rms need for conducting trade and managing businesses on a global scale. According to Kenneth and Jane (1998) [11], new kinds of knowledge and information-intense organizations have emerged that are devoted entirely to the production,processing,and distribution of information. In knowledge-and information-based economy,information technology and systems take on great importance. Knowledge-based products and services of great economic value such as credit cards,overnight package delivery,worldwide package delivery and worldwide reservation systems are based on new information technologies. Information technology constitutes more than 70 percent of the invested capital in service industries such as ï ¬ nance,insurance,and real estate. Across all industries,information and the technology that delivers it have become critical and strategic assets for the business ï ¬ rms and their managers. Information systems are needed to optimize the ï ¬â€šow of information and knowledge within the organization and to help management maximize the ï ¬ rm’s knowledge resources.Because the productivity of employees will depend on the quality of the systems serving them,management decisions about information technology are critically important to the prosperity and survival of a ï ¬ rm. Public utilities need a parking infrastructure that can function efï ¬ ciently and be integrated with the other urban city utilities. Economic development sees parking as a tool to support current economic activity and as incentive to attract new businesses. Safety and security departments see parking and its prerequisite enforcement as, just that, a requirement, albeit it is a low priority requirement that can divert that department from its higher priority function. Many parking facilities in Uganda are not effectively managed,take an example of the parking at Mulago Hospital were parking spaces are sufï ¬ cient to cater for the motorists that visit the hospital at a given time,but because of haphazard method of parking adopted by motorists that park according to convenience rather than utilizing bays systematically. This has caused jams at busy spots of the hospital leaving other parking spaces free.This calls for a Parking Management System that can be used assign bays to the motorists in a systematic and consistent manner so as to avoid trafï ¬ c jams at busy spots. The inability of motorists to identify parking bays at a speciï ¬ c facility in the shortest time possible would, signiï ¬ cantly, contribute to fatigue in operating the vehicle. Moreover, some motorists that fail to ï ¬ nd parking space tend to park vehicles illegally on shoulders or pavements which would likely result in unsafe conditions to highway trafï ¬ c, such as: †¢ Limiting the ability of parked vehicles to accelerate safely into trafï ¬ c steam. †¢ Conï ¬â€šicts between exiting and parked vehicles. †¢ Restriction of sign distance. †¢ Obstacles in clear recovery zone for errant vehicles. According to Trombly, (2003) [12], there is an existing phenomenon that truck drivers tend to use speciï ¬ c truck stops or rest areas along a speciï ¬ c route. It was found in Maryland that some drivers would give up seeking parking availability further and park on ramps and shoulders even when there are parking spaces available nearby . Thus,sometimes full occupancy exists at some locations, while parking spaces at other locations may not be fully utilized due to the unawareness of parking availabilities. Information technologies have been introduced into vehicles parking management system for decades. Providing real-time or near real-time parking guidance information to drivers is one important aspect and has emerged for more than twenty years. The general concept of this kind of system consists of mainly these components. Firstly, parking management centers collect parking arrival data by using sensors or detectors. Secondly, parking data collected is processed into parking availability information, and thirdly, this information is disseminated via all kinds of information media, such as radio, message signs, telephone and so on. Under the guidance of this information, drivers are supposed to reduce on-road searching time for parking spaces, which can consequently release the trafï ¬ c congestion during peak hours. Nowadays, parking information and guidance systems have been put into practice in tens of cities or airports in Europe, America, and Japan. However, very limited practice on parking information systems speciï ¬ cally for trucks on interstate highways have been put so far. In some states in US, advisory parking information 3 has been provided to truck drivers on signs along interstate highways, but currently there are few systematic descriptions on the implementation of this system. Garden City is one of the biggest shopping malls in Kampala City,located along Yusuf Lule Road. It has become a popular shopping anchor in Uganda with numerous number of shops dealing in a variety of goods. These range from home-use products to recreation facilities available at the mall. The Shopping complex was designed in such a way that it can accommodate parking for the clientele’s motor-vehicles.There are two levels of parking. Level I parking is on ï ¬â€šoor one of the shopping mall with a capacity of 110 motor vehicles whereas Level II parking is at the basement stretching to the complex’s yard has a capacity 240 motor-vehicles. The parking bays are clearly marked and can accommodate up to 350 motor-vehicles on a busy working day. The entire complex is secured with a wall fence and access to the shopping mall is through one entrance for motor-vehicles coming in and at the same time acts as an exit for motorists that are leaving the premises. At the moment,no charges are levied to the motorists that occupy the parking zones,this was identiï ¬ ed by the writer as good source of revenue for the owners of the shopping mall by charging a fee for all the motorists that utilize the parking bays. The kinds of systems built today are very important for the overall performance of the organization,especially in today’s highly globalized economy.Information systems are driving both daily operations and organizational strategy. Powerful computers,software,and networks have helped organizations become more ï ¬â€šexible,eliminate layers of management,separate work from location,and restructure work ï ¬â€šows,giving new powers both to line workers and management. The Internet and other networks have redeï ¬ ned organization boundaries,opening new opportunities for electronic markets and electronic commerce. To maximize the advantages of information technology,there is a much greater need to plan for the overall information architecture of the organization. 1.2 Statement of the problem There is no systematic method for the allocation of parking bays and management lacks coordinated and centralized information for the effective management and control of the parking facility. 1.3 Objectives 1.3.1 General Objective The goal of this research is to develop a Parking Management System for Garden City Complex which will manage the parking facility more efï ¬ ciently.The management system will involve the development and application of a variety of advanced technology and automated control strategies to achieve signiï ¬ cant parking improvements resulting in maximum utilization of the available parking areas. 1.3.2 The speciï ¬ c objectives include: 1. Optimizing use of limited parking spaces to ensure that the motorists are assigned bays in the shortest time possible. 2. Revenue generation and accountability, management will be in position to determine revenue realized from motorists utilizing the parking bays by querying the system. 3. Customer satisfaction: Motorists will be alloted parking bays systematically by the parking management system, this will ease on the congestion brought about by motorists scrambling for speciï ¬ c parking bays for convenience. 1.4 Scope The project will realize its achievements based on the parking management of garden city complex. The scope of this study is a short term project level,therefore it weights towards getting a system fully implemented. 1.5 Justiï ¬ cation Findings of the study will be useful in the efï ¬ cient utilization of limited available Parking space supply at Garden City Complex and other institutions within the city . The ï ¬ ndings will also help Kampala City Council (KCC)in formulating policies with regard to parking control and management for shopping malls,for example making it obligatory for all those intending to put up structures in the city to make provisions for parking in the basements. This proposal suggests a parking information system that will serve the customer and the management of parking at the Shopping mall. Parking services will enable the customer to locate available parking,get directions,and make payment. CHAPTER TWO 2 LITERATURE REVIEW An extensive review of the literature related to parking systems was conducted by the researcher. The review seeks to survey available parking management systems and to understand their potential. The types of technologies included in th review are Parking Guidance Information (PGI), transit based information,smart payment systems, and e-parking. This section documents the major ï ¬ nding of the literature review. 2.1 The need for a Parking Management System According to Caroline,Rodier and Amanda (2004)[5],Early examples of smart parking management were Parking Guidance Information (PGI) systems that attempt to minimize parking search trafï ¬ c in large parking facilities and central cities by dynamically monitoring available parking,and directing motorists with Changeable Message Signs (CMS). The ï ¬ rst Parking Guidance Information (PGI) systems were installed in Achen,Germany,in the early 1970s. It is now estimated that more than 100 parking guidance information systems have been installed in cities throughout the world with the greatest concentration in Europe and Japan. In the United States,city center Parking Guidance Information (PGI) systems exist in St. Paul,Minnesota,and Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. Large airport parking garage PGI systems have been installed in: Baltimore,Maryland; Houston,Texas; Orlando,Florida; and Minneapolis/St. Paul,Minnesota. Empirical and simulation studies of selected systems indicate that awareness and understanding of PGI signs can be relatively high,but in order to be effective,messages must display accurate information that meets travelers needs . Interestingly,visitors are more likely than resident commuters to use city center Parking Guidance Information (PGI) systems. Parking Guidance Information (PGI) systems were found to reduce parking facility queue lengths; however,system-wide reductions in travel time and vehicle travel,and economic beneï ¬ ts may be relatively small. Uganda as a developing country has not yet embraced such systems in its capital’s Central Business District (CBD),however the need for such systems is increasingly becoming inevitable because the demand for parking bays has tremendously shot up surpassing the supply especially at busy shopping malls. The only way the limited parking bays can be put to effective use is by employing a parking management system. According to Chopper (2005) [6],Parking in the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter is a very stressful activity for visitors. Visitors must circulate through the Gaslamp Quarter searching for parking on the street curb,in ï ¬â€šat lots and parking structures. The circulating trafï ¬ c is a signiï ¬ cant nuisance to foot trafï ¬ c,contributes air and noise pollution and adds to already congested trafï ¬ c ï ¬â€šow. Fundamentally,studies have shown that there is a sufï ¬ cient number of parking spaces,but the drivers spend a considerable amount of time searching for an empty spot. Existing parking control is serving the enforcement function,but provides little service to the customer. According to Axhausen and Polak (1995)[2],Building upon the objectives of Parking Guidance Information (PGI) systems,transit-based smart parking systems seek to increase transit use and revenues,reduce vehicle travel,lower fuel use,and reduce air pollution. These systems provide motorists with information via Changeable Message Signs (CMS) about spaces in park and ride lots,transit schedules and downstream trafï ¬ c conditions. The literature suggests that parking shortages at suburban rail stations may signiï ¬ cantly constrain transit ridership,thus more effective use of station parking may increase transit use and revenues . In addition, motorists may respond to pre-trip and en-route information on parking availability at transit stations by increasing their use of transit . Finally,regular commuters are more responsive to information about parking in conjunction with transit than more basic Parking Guidance Information (PGI) systems,because this information may be essential to catching a train during peak hours . Transit-based systems are concentrated in Europe and Japan however,at least two have been initiated in the United States in conjunction with Chicagos Metra System and San Joses Valley Transit Authority. Trafï ¬ c congestion is a problem that appears to be increasing in a worldwide context. In recent years considerable effort has been paid to the investigation of methods to reduce such congestion and the accidents and hazards that are usually associated with it. Collectively these efforts come under the aegis of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). A critical part of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are the Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). Essentially these consist of in-vehicle information and guidance systems which help the driver to select routes which will reduce congestion,to ï ¬ nd parking in areas where it is sparse,and to facilitate rescheduling of activities when congestion makes this a feasible alternative. It is argued that such assistive information will beneï ¬ t individual drivers in terms of helping to achieve their scheduled behaviors and activities as well as beneï ¬ ting the system by improving trafï ¬ c ï ¬â€šow. Axhausen (1994) [2] carried out three waves of surveys (one before wave and two after waves) to compare the reduction in parking search time after implementation of the parking information system in Frankfurt am Main,Germany. A non-linear model was developed to relate the parking 10 search time to the estimated occupancy of off-street parking facilities before and after installation of parking guidance and information system. Smart parking systems can also take advantage of innovative technologies to improve the ease and convenience of paying for parking. Smart cards can minimize transaction time by allowing a user to simply wave their card in front of a reader,and contact less cards with wireless communication capabilities can further reduce delays. Mobile communication devices can also be used in smart payment transactions. Smart parking payment systems are now being developed and implemented worldwide by cell phone developers,credit card companies,and other technology and service providers. Smart payment systems were found to reduce operation,maintenance and enforcement costs as well as improve collection rates . When transit agencies attempt to induce drivers off of highways to take transit into a city center,time saving. Hester(2002) [9] designed two experiments in a visualized driving simulator to test alternative models of drivers parking decision with the parking availability and guidance information displayed on Variable Message Signs (VMS). In Experiment 1,three different versions of the expected utility theory were tested. In these three hypotheses,one might assume that drivers attempt to:- †¢ minimize the expected travel time, †¢ minimize the walking distance,and †¢ minimize the time spent on waiting for a lot for a parking space or, †¢ equivalently,maximize the parking availability. The results in Experiment 1 showed that participants responses were more often consistent with the decision to minimize the expected travel time than they were either with the decision to minimize the walking distance or to maximize the parking availability. However,a further study in Experiment 2 suggested that the strategies that most test drivers used is a lexicographic decision strategy,in which drivers decided to park in a lot if the number of open spaces was greater than or equal to some criteria number. Such a strategy is more simple cognitively than the previous one,and thereby greatly reduces the cognitive load on the drivers. Asakura (1994) [3] developed a computer simulation model to evaluate the effects of parking information. The simulation model consists of three sub-models: a demand model based on multinomial logic model,a performance model to describe the car parking status,and an information service model. The messages shown on signs in the simulation were in three types of legends: waiting time,FULL/SPACES,and number of vacancies. Simulation results were for different scenarios with regard to different ratios of system users among all drivers and different congestion levels. It was found that the average waiting time decreases with the increasing proportion of informed drivers, especially when the proportion changes from 0 to 10 percent. The FULL/SPACES type is the most effective in reducing average waiting time at higher congestion levels; the waiting time information is the most effective at low congestion level,and the number of vacancies information is the least one in both cases. Polak (1995)[3] stresses that in recent years,however,there has been an increasing effort to focus on the driver as a recipient of advanced traveler information by developing a series of simulators,which allow manipulation of environments and observation of different driver behaviors . The use of such simulators is most helpful when attempting to decide the likelihood that drivers will accept information dispensed through their in vehicle guidance system. The development 12 of driver simulators and the consequent modeling of driver behavior has been an attempt to enrich the potential of Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) methodology. Of signiï ¬ cant importance,however,is the increased acknowledgment that these simulations work best if the environment is designed to have as many important real-world features as possible (e.g.,trafï ¬ c lanes instead of undifferentiated network arcs; signalized or otherwise controlled intersections instead of unconstrained nodes in a graph theoretic representation of a system; indicators of trafï ¬ c speed and driving headway; etc.). According to Havinoviski,(2000) [8]In Chicago,real-time parking management systems for parkingand-ride facilities along transit corridors were proposed . The systems will display or broadcast overall and speciï ¬ c parking lot information,next train arrival information,expressway or tollway incident and travel time information. Infrared detection,inductive loop detection,video image processing were considered the most practical techniques for measurement of parking availability. Four technologies,namely Internet,telephone,Variable message signs,highway advisory radio,were considered for information dissemination. Allen (1993) [1] studied the impacts of a parking guidance and information system on drivers behaviors at a disaggregated level in Kingston-up-Thames,London,United Kingdom. An attitude questionnaire and a Stated Preference (SP) experiment were employed in the study. The results of the attitude questionnaire showed a low level of system usage. 4 percent of all respondents were totally unaware of the system; 47 percent were aware of,but had never used it; 49 percent had used the system. In the Stated Preference experiment,parking price,walking time,and content of Variable Message Signs (VMS) were included. As the results suggested,the occupancy information of parking lots shown on Variable Message Signs (VMS) has a signiï ¬ cant effect on car-park choice 13 probability. When contents of Variable Message Signs (VMS) change from SPACE to FULL,a dramatic instantaneous impact on driver behavior resulted. Polak (1990) [2] summarized the basic technologies of Parking Guidance and Information (PGI) systems in the European and Japanese cities and the approaches adopted to system design and operation before 1990s. In reviewing the effectiveness of these systems,it was noted that Variable Message Signs (VMS) was a relatively mature technology for PGI systems,and two main technologies: rotating prisms and ï ¬ ber-optics were of proven reliability Basically,all those studies were based on the naive comparisons of before-and-after car parks usage patterns,arrival proï ¬ les at the facilities,and trafï ¬ c volumes,where before-and-after drivers surveys were mostly conducted. Those studies showed that parking guidance systems could have an impact on trafï ¬ c and parking patterns by redistributing parking demand between car parks,and by alleviating queues at the most popular car parks. Little evidence showed that those systems had given rise to any substantial changes in trafï ¬ c vol umes,arrival patterns and congestion. Edwards and Kelcey,(1997) [7] assert that,Variable Message Signs (VMS) and static signs were used in the operation to present parking availability information to drivers in the urban area. Loop detectors were used as the counting equipment at off-street parking facilities. Controller interface units then automatically calculates the number of available spaces in real time using pulse from the detectors each time a vehicle arrived or left the parking facility. The data were transmitted to central computers via dedicated phone line and T1 line,and were processed by parking management software. The central computers then sent the parking information to Variable message signs via Radio Frequency (RF) cellular communications. An Advanced Parking Information (API) system was designed and put into test operations in Saint Paul,Minnesota in late 1995 and early 1996 (Edwards and Kelcey Inc.,1997; HNTB,(1997). Variable Message Signs (VMS) and static signs were used in the operation to present parking availability information to drivers in the urban area. Loop detectors were used as the counting equipment at off-street parking facilities. Controller interface units then automatically calculates the number of available spaces in real time using pulse from the detectors each time a vehicle arrived or left the parking facility. The data were transmitted to central computers via dedicated phone line and T1 line,and were processed by parking management software. The central computers then sent the parking information to Variable message signs via radio frequency (RF) cellular communications. According to Road Bureau Ministry of Land,(2002) [9],parking guidance systems already had been implemented in 40 cities by the year of 1995in Japan (Toyama,1995). Most of them were based on Variable Message Signs (VMS) and static signs for display parking information at that time. The effects of these systems include: leveled utilization factor,less parking search time,and reduced on-road parking and smoother trafï ¬ c. In recent years,new technologies were introduced to parking systems. Since 1999,Internet web sites have been served for providing parking information in many Japanese cities. Other services such as cellular phone,Community Antenna Television (CATV),information service terminals at airports and bus terminals have also been included as parts of parking guidance systems in Japan to make more efï ¬ cient use of parking facilities and making parking facilities more convenient. Burdette (1999; 2001) [4] investigated advanced parking information systems at airports. In the research,a variety of Intelligent Traveler Systems (ITS) technologies applicable to Advanced Parking Information (API) at airports were investigated. A nine-step guideline was developed for imple menting an advanced parking information system at airports. According to a small sample survey conducted in the study,Variable Message Signs (VMS),static signs,radio,in-vehicle navigation system,and Internet are the most users preferred Intelligence Traveler Systems (ITS) technologies for this system. Parking information systems have been in practice for nearly 30 years,mainly serving for urban off-street,airport,and transit/bus parking facilities. In this information age,a number of new technologies are used in this kind of system. Variable Message Signs (VMS),static signs, Internet web site,telephone,and Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) are the most commonly used and acceptable technologies for disseminating parking information. The most commonly used data collection technologies include: loop detector,infrared detector, radar or sonic detector,video image processing,and so on. 2.2 Chapter Summary In an increasingly digital and wireless age,parking managers can take advantage of available technology to reduce operation,maintenance,and enforcement costs as well as to improve ease and convenience for motorists. Smart parking can make efï ¬ cient use of existing parking spaces and to make reserving and paying for parking,fast, convenient,and reliable. CHAPTER THREE 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Data Collection This chapter presents the data collection methods that were used by the researcher in exercising the study,tools that were used in the analysis and design of the system and also the tools used to develop and implement the system.The various data or requirements gathering techniques that were used included the following: 1. Interviews: An interview is a conversation in which the researcher tries to get information from the interviewer. The method assumes that the respondents to be interviewed have the information required; they can understand questions,which are put to them and will be willing to give answers while they are face-to-face. The researcher was able to interview some of the Garden City complex staff members and parking users who were utilizing the parking facility at that particular time and this helped the researcher to get ï ¬ rst-hand information on the operations of the parking facility. . 2. Questionnaires: Questionnaires were used by the researcher to gather facts about the parking behaviour of motorists and payment methods,questionnaires were aimed at getting information about the time spent in parking , and the mode of payment motorists would prefer for the utilization of parking bays.(Questionnaires appear in the appendix part of this report. It was established from the questionnaires and interviews conducted that some motorists prefered to pay in advance for use the parking facility for a given period to on-spot payment. The argument raised was that they at times run out of cash after shopping. On the other hand, it was also established that other motorists do rarely visit the shopping mall and as such they were willing to pay on spot for use of the parking facility. From the two arguments raised,it was concluded that the system to be built would accommodate both parties by making provisions for advance payments and on-spot payments. 3. Observation: The purpose of observation was to determine the measurements, types, numbers,objectives and so on. The process of observation is not conï ¬ ned to seeing only. We can observe by hearing,smelling,teaching,and tasting. The method was mainly used in viewing the set up of available parking bays,viewing for example the security cards given to the entrance as evidence that they are utilizing parking bays. It was observed that each saloon car is slated to occupy one parking bay at a given time. This method was also used to get information about the structure of the organization and any relevant background information about the organization that proved relevant to the study. I went further to look through some of transactions and this later helped in determining the data stored per entity involved in the designed system.

The Reality of Chinas Growth

The Reality of Chinas Growth China’s continuous double digit economic growth may not be sustainable in the long term. The Chinese economy has consistently posted high growth figures even as the rest of the major world economy giants undergo recession. Though probable, such a trend is unlikely to last long and will likely stall in the near future.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Reality of China’s Growth specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the reasons postulated for the eventual decline in the Chinese economic growth is that the Chinese economy is highly dependent on foreign demand. Although many Chinese officials try to downplay this interconnectedness with other world economies, the evidence is clear (Breslin 1180). Chinese officials go as far as to manipulate international trade figures in order to downplay the emerging fact that, the projected growth may be partly a function of manipulated figures. At the beginning of t his year (2011), analysts and critics reported that some Chinese officials had the figures in copper trade altered in order to inflate the import numbers. Furthermore, as the European and American economies struggle with the mounting debt and perpetual economic crises, China, on the other hand, as the biggest foreign exchange holder of American and European debt, is bound to be drawn into the arising economic uncertainties. Another reason that analysts believe that the sustained growth of the Chinese economy is impossible is because it defies basic economic growth cycle patterns. Cycles of economic boom and recession are inevitable in any economy. The reason why the Chinese people have been able to experience the continuous and sustained growth is that, the Chinese government intervenes to cushion its markets from recession. The heavy presence of government in nearly all spheres of the economy also paints a negative picture of the Chinese economy and its long-term prognosis. The Chinese economy is also heavily industrial and manufacture oriented, pointing to an unwieldy economy that needs to adapt and be nimble in order to survive an uncertain future.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, although the Chinese are famed for their entrepreneurial spirit, the policies of the Chinese government sometimes stifle the enterprising pursuits of the Chinese. Many dynamic businesses and firms that mushroom are sometimes quickly ‘swallowed’ or muscled out of business by the major firms that may enjoy the support of the state. Such practices tend to erode the spirit of entrepreneurship in the long term. China also has a huge labor force that sometimes poses a challenge to the government (Shuanglin and Song 2254). Ingeniously, the Chinese government absorbs the mass labor force into the huge and expanding Chinese service industry, w ith many hotels employing as many workers as possible. Many of these laborers are usually workers from other sectors of the economy that may have collapsed previously. Therefore, in conclusion, the continued high growth rate of the Chinese thriftiness is unsustainable in the end. The sustained growth, as has been discussed, is more a function of government policy and interference than a result of exclusive market dynamics at play. Inevitably, the Chinese economy will soon experience recession that is common to all economies. To what extent the government can cushion its citizens when this happens is an open question. However, in the end, the Chinese are better of preparing for such an eventuality than denying it. The economic stability of China is tied to its political stability, and when the markets eventually experience a recession, many analysts believe that political instability may ensue, and such an occurrence would unnecessarily erode the decades of political and economic p rogress. Breslin, Shaun. The politics of Chinese trade and the Asian financial crises: questioning the wisdom of export-led growth. Third World Quarterly 20.6 (1999): 1179-1199.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Reality of China’s Growth specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Shuanglin, Lin, and Shunfeng Song. Urban Economic Growth in China: Theory and Evidence. Urban Studies 39.12 (2002): 2251-2266.

Life Under Hammurabis Rule in Ancient Babylonian Cities

Life Under Hammurabi's Rule in Ancient Babylonian Cities Babylonian cities during Hammurabis day were made up of royal compounds with palaces, gardens, cemeteries, and Mesopotamian temples known as ziggurats. Residential areas in cities such as Ur consisted of ordinary houses on winding streets, dotted with elite housing, shops, and shrines. Some of the cities were quite large, reaching their maximum size in the late 3rd or early 2nd millennium BCE. Ur, for example, measured 60 hectares in size during the Isin-Larsa period, with additional suburbs outside the city walls. Urs population at that time has been estimated at 12,000. Babylonia was a kingdom in ancient Mesopotamia, located to the west of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq. Although famous in the West for its cultural advances- including the legal code of its greatest ruler, Hammurabi- the city of Babylon itself was of minor importance throughout much of Mesopotamian history. Far more significant was the city of Ur and its rivals (at various times) for regional power: Isin, Lagash, Larga, Nippur, and Kish. Ordinary and Elite Residences Ordinary houses in Babylon and Ur were house complexes rather like a Roman villa, consisting of a rectangular internal courtyard open to the air or partially roofed, surrounded by blocks of rooms opening up on to it. The streets were curving and generally unplanned. Cuneiform texts from the period tell us that private householders were responsible for taking care of the public streets and were at the risk of death for not doing so, but archaeologists have found trash deposits in those streets. Simple house plans without internal courtyards and single-roomed structures probably representing shops were scattered throughout the residential quarters. There were small shrines located at street crossings. The grandest houses at Ur were two stories high, with rooms around the central courtyard again open to the air. The walls facing the street were unadorned, but the internal walls were sometimes decorated. Some people were buried in the floors beneath the rooms, but there were separate cemetery areas as well. Palaces The palaces were, in comparison to even the grandest of regular houses, extraordinary. The Palace of Zimri-Lim at Ur was built of mud brick walls, preserved to heights as much as 4 meters (13 feet). It was a complex of over 260 rooms on the ground floor, with separate quarters for the receiving rooms and the kings residence. The palace covered an area of about 200 by 120 meters, or about 3 hectares (7 acres). The exterior walls were up to 4 meters in thickness and were protected with a coat of clay plaster. The main entrance to the palace lay off a paved street; it had two large courtyards, an antechamber and an audience hall thought to be the throne room. Surviving polychrome murals on Zimri-Lim show the events of the kings investiture. Near life-size statues of goddesses graced the courtyard. Below is a list of some of Babylonias most significant cities at the height of Hammurabis empire. Agade (Akkad): exact location between the Tigris and Euphrates is not known. They spoke Akkadian.BabylonEridu (Eridug/Urudug): Site of the temple of EnkiEshnunna: Located in the Diyala Valley, gateway to the kingdom of ElamKish: Symbolic center of northern MesopotamiaUr: Biblical home of the Hebrew forefather Abram, later AbrahamUruk: Seat of the legendary king GilgameshNippur: Symbolic center of southern MesopotamiaSippar: Sun-cult center on the banks of the EuphratesUmma: Rival to LagashLarsa: Another center of a sun cultAdab: A vassal of KishLagash: Especially ancient city and center of artistic developmentIsin: Important city to the Third Dynasty of Ur, ca. 2000 BCE, and thereafter

Locating Historical U.S. Deeds Online

Locating Historical U.S. Deeds Online The Bureau of Land Managements General Land Office records are a great online resource for U.S. genealogists researching homestead records, bounty land grants, and other records for ancestors who purchased or received land in the thirty federal or public land states. In the eastern United States, many state archives have made available at least a portion of original grants and patents online. These online land records are all wonderful resources, however they generally only provide information on first owners or purchasers of the land. The bulk of American land records are found in the form of deeds, or private land/property transfers between individuals and corporations (non-governments). The vast majority of deeds in the United States are recorded and maintained by the county, parish (Louisiana), or district (Alaska). In the New England states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont, deeds are recorded at the town level. Due primarily to increased interest by title searchers for online access, as well as to help cut access/personnel costs in the future, many U.S. counties, especially in the eastern part of the country, have started putting their historical deed records online. The best place to begin your search for online historical deed records is the website of the Register of Deeds, or Clerk of Court, or whoever is in charge of recording deeds and other real estate records for your county/locality of interest. Salem, Massachusetts historic deed books 1-20 (1641-1709), for example, are available online from the Essex County Registry of Deeds. Thirty Pennsylvania counties have deeds available online (several going back to the time of county formation) through a system called Landex (fee for access). There are also other online sources for historical deed records, such as state archives and local historical societies. The Maryland State Archives is especially notable for its cooperative project to provide access to deeds and other land record instruments from across the state. Check out MDLandRec.net with searchable indexes and viewable volumes from Maryland counties dating back to the 1600s. The Georgia Virtual Vault, hosted by the Georgia State Archives, includes Chatham County, Georgia Deed Books 1785-1806. How to Find Historical Deeds Online Locate and browse the website of the local office in charge of recording property deeds. This might be the Register of Deeds, Recorder, Auditor, or County Clerk, depending on the particular locality. You can often locate these offices through a Google search ([county name] state deeds, or by going directly to the county government site and then drilling down to the appropriate department. If the county uses a third-party service to provide online access to historical deeds, they will generally include access information on the home page of the Register of Deeds. Explore FamilySearch. Search the user-supported FamilySearch Research Wiki for your locality of interest, preferably the government level at which deeds are recorded, to learn what deeds might be available and whether they may be available either online or on microfilm from FamilySearch. The FamilySearch Research Wiki often includes links to external resources with online records as well, and may include details on any poten tial loss of deed records due to fire, flood, etc. If FamilySearch has deed or other land records for your locality online, you can find this by browsing FamilySearch Historical Records. The Family History Library Catalog (browse this by location as well) includes information on any microfilmed deed records, and may link to the record set online at FamilySearch, if it has also been digitized. Investigate the holdings of state archives, local historical society and other historical repositories. In some areas, the state archives or other historical records repository hold either the originals or copies of older deed records, and some have placed these online. U.S. State Archives Online includes links to each U.S. State Archives website, along with information on digitized online records. Or try a Google search such as locality name historical deeds. Look for state-level finding aids. A Google search such as digital deeds [state name] or historical deeds [state name] may turn up helpful finding aids such as this collection on North Carolina Digital Records, which brings together information and links for each North Carolina county deeds office, including dates and coverage for available online digital deed records. Tips for Researching Historical Deeds Online Once you locate a deeds collection of interest, explore it thoroughly to be sure the actual records available match the stated description. County record offices are putting digitized deeds online so fast that the available online documents sometimes exceed the text description. For example, the online Document Retrieval System for Martin County, North Carolina, states that it includes Old Deed Books U (08/26/1866) thru XXXXX, however, if you manually enter the book and page numbers from the older books in the search box, you will find that the digitized deed books available online actually go back to 1774, the date of county formation. Understand what you are looking at before you give up. Researchers new to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, research might move on after entering their ancestors name in the search box for Historical Deeds 1792–1857 and receiving no results. What they might not realize, however, is that this database, despite its misleading name, is a collection of documents recorded in deed books that described people who were involved in the slave trade in the early days of Allegheny County, and does not include all deeds recorded between 1792 and 1857. Take advantage of current property records, tax maps and plat maps. Edgecombe County, North Carolina, has their historical deed indexes online, but the actual deed books are available online only back to September 1973. However, in some cases the deeds of current property owners include information on previous owners going back several generations, including deed book and page references. This type of online research can be especially helpful when platting historical deeds or conducting other types of historical neighborhood reconstruction. The Edgecombe County GIS Maps database, for example, lets you select parcel locations on a map and view information on the neighbors, along with digital copies of the most recent deed record for that parcel.

Food hunger and Reducing food waste Research Paper

Food hunger and Reducing food waste - Research Paper Example Considering this as the major reason, hunger and malnutrition are regarded as the leading risks towards health worldwide. The positive aspect of this problem is that there is enough food available in the world for feeding everyone. Moreover there is no need of doing any special scientific research or breakthroughs. The only thing which is required is application of knowledge along with the tools in hand; once these are combined with political policies the complete problem can be solved (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Solving the problem of hunger can be termed as the best strategy in today’s tough economy. Once individuals from different nations will come forward to solve this dilemma then eventually it will increase productivity. Opening new channel of communication will also create economic opportunities. However the controversies have revealed that the countries have lost millions of dollars in their efforts towards economic output and the effects of child under nutrition program. The best factor towards contribution of peace and stability is problem of hunger resolve. If a certain government is not able to deal properly with this problem then states are prone to fall. Volatility related with food market is translated quickly into the volatility on the streets. Once the problem of hunger is solved it will become the foundation towards other areas of development which comprises of health and education too. If women are well-nourished then they will have healthier babies who will be born with an immune system which is strong and healthy as required for leading a strong and healthy life. A healthy and well-fed child is definite to attend school in future. The head of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have asked their team members to look for innovative measures for cutting down global food loss and waste. Once the food wastage is reduced all nations will be able to fight for elimination of hunger. At a

Ford Focus Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ford Focus - Term Paper Example Further, different marketing strategies have been adopted by the company in order to meet the Ford’s objectives in promoting this new brand of car in the market. The company had used several promotional campaigns in order to create brand awareness to its target market around the world, such as print and digital ad campaigns. Moreover, it continues to evolve itself in order to meet the high demands of customers and keep track of technological advancements in the business world. In order to achieve excellence, Ford has laid out its set of objectives to lead their workforce in realizing the company’s goal. II. Company Description and Input from Corporate Strategies â€Å"Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903† and become one of the top carmakers across the globe (â€Å"Heritage†). Ford had partnered with various businessmen to form the company. The first three cars, namely, the Models A, C, K, and T were done by three workers, and in order to in crease their production of cars, Ford introduced the assembly line in 1913. Since then, the company had a high demand for its Model T cars because it was sold at a cheaper price. In 1920, the company became the top carmaker in the world. After the company had befallen during the World War I and II, the company picked up its pace and became successful in the production of cars like the Thunderbird and Mustang. In 2006, the company had undergone reconstruction with the hope of producing more cars that attract consumers (Wilson). During the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009, Ford had maintained its composure, and it never asked for government financial assistance to continue its operations in comparison with its other competitors, such as Chrysler and GM. Also, the company relied its financial capability by focusing its strategy on the Ford car brand. The market share of the brand had increased as a result from the implementation of the strategy (Ferrel and Hartline 3l). Lately, the c ompany had created cars that answered to the needs of people, as well as integrated the latest technologies on their designs. In 2013, Several Ford car models are made available, including the Hybrid, Edge, and Escape, which feature the latest technology and consume less fuel as compared with other cars in the market (â€Å"Product Information: Ford 2013 Product Guide†). The company’s mission and vision statement emphasizes the importance of a unified team, plan, and goal to position itself as a leading company in the automotive industry. In order to achieve a unified team, Ford urges its workforce to uphold cooperation and create a team with a common objective so that it will remain or maintain as the best automotive company in the world. The company’s cooperation and teamwork can be accessed through bringing out the satisfaction of customers, employees, and business partners. It has also laid out its unified plan for the future, which includes: (1) a constant evolution of its operations that conform to the present demand and demographic behavior of the market; (2) speed up the creation of new products that conform with the preferences and desired needs of customers; (3) improve the financial environment of the company and; (4) work like a team in an effective manner. The main goal of Ford is â€Å"delivering profitable growth for all† (â€Å"Our Company: One Ford Mission and Vision†). Jackson, Sawyers, and Jenkins also cited one of the

Week 6 discussion and participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 6 discussion and participation - Essay Example The auditor must accurately access whether the inventory counting process the company is using is adequate. The most important and valuable account in the balance sheets of companies is the cash account. A company can have millions of dollars in assets, but if the firm runs out of cash they run a high risk of going out of business. An important aspect of the cash in the bank and transaction cycles is to have clear separation of duties. Tests of controls and substantive tests of transactions are required to have an effective audit of the cash balance of a company. Cash is an account that is included in several cycles with the exception of inventory and warehousing. Cash is also one of the last cycles audited because the evidence accumulated of cash balances is dependent on the other cycles. Some of the cycles that are correlated to the activities of the cash cycle are: I agree with you that the most important phase for designing tests of inventory balances is the actual observation of the inventory count. A lot of theft and fraud often occurs in this cycle because companies have inventory balances worth millions of dollars. A simple way in which a company can cheat an audit is by including in its inventory goods that have become obsolete. This often occurs in technological industries such as the computer industry. As you mentioned in your response it is important for auditors to pay close attention to the internal controls that were established by the management of the company. If a company has weak internal controls the auditors have to pay closer attention to the inventory cycle to rule out the potential of fraudulent activity. In my response to this question I also argued that designing tests of inventory balance was the most crucial phase of the audit inventory cycle. I did not know about the existence of SAS 1. It makes a lot of sense to me that auditors should be present during the physical inventory

View of the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

View of the world - Essay Example minates new transformed understanding of people’s overcoming of human nature and becoming â€Å"overmans†, people who have new visionary capacities and perspectives concerning the world. The first stage of the world view is Plato’s philosophy. Plato claims that the true world is attainable here and now, but only for virtuous men. There is only one world. Supersensuous world is the true one and true things emerge in the world of ideas as far as there is a division between pure essence and appearance. This true world is attainable for temperate soul only. Temperance is the virtue of soul, so it must deny the sensuous things and desire supersensuous. If you have a temperate soul and desire to acquire the truth, you will see the true being of subjects and notice a non-sensuous world. If you have a wanton soul and desire bodily pleasure only, you will only see the â€Å"here† world and will only be present in the apparent world. Nietzsche claims that philosophy begins with the discipline of temperate soul to look. According to the text â€Å"The implication is that virtue consists in repudiation of the sensuous, since denial of the world that is closest to us, the sensuous world, is proper to the Being of beings†. Here the â€Å"true world† is not yet anything â€Å"Platonic,† that is, not something unattainable, merely desirable, and merely â€Å"ideal.† Plato himself is who he is by virtue of the fact that he unquestioningly and straightforwardly functions on the basis of the world of Ideas as the essence of Being. The supersensuous is the idea.† The ideas do not exist in this world according to Plato; they exist without color and shape. Thus, Plato is not nihilist. Second view on the world is not Plato’s, it is Platonism. It is also a Christian view. The relationship between true world and apparent world are broken. Essence and existence are separated into two different worlds. The true world is not attainable in this world. According to the text â€Å"The

The topics are two big to write over here so i will upload the Essay

The topics are two big to write over here so i will upload the possible topics after finishing the checkout - Essay Example On the other hand, the year 2000 elections gave mesmerizing chances to the dwellers of the four major counties of Florida to influence the result of the election with a relatively greater margin. However, you got to multiply these probable conditions by a minute probability through acknowledging yourself as a voter in a major county and you can be easily stunned to see the end result which is way smaller than 0.00000843355 with the exception that the triumphant contestant received less popular votes. Body Regardless of the above surprising figures that strike the ardent voters with awe, voting appears to be entirely irrational. It is time to realize that a single person’s vote does not have the power to change the outcome of the elections. You got to accept the reality that if your favorite candidate is going to lose or win, your so-called precious vote has got no part to play in his success or failure. The question remains unanswered that why do millions of people across the world take out time from their busy schedules to cast vote. I was too restless to know the strong desire of people for voting and a smart family member of mine expressed his views as, ‘what would happen if every one thought the way..? He further argued that democracy could be endangered if the masses of a country quit taking part in voting. To enlighten the dear readers with an important expression, this particular way of thinking is called ‘magical thinking’ I must add that it is a very mistaken belief when people start to develop strong, but unsound thoughts that their actions could have major influence on the life of others and others too will start behaving like they do. The power of magical thinking forces such individuals to participate in voting in order to evoke other individuals to do the same so that democracy can flourish (Howe 140). This appears to me very illogical and pathetic fallacy. You certainly should follow the path of magical thinking, but onl y if you are a very influential personality who can drive great traffic towards the polling stations otherwise you must refrain from adopting such a fallacious way of thinking. A close friend of mine who happens to be a political scientist believes that it is obligatory on every citizen to thrive democracy by using the power of voting. It is not just the case with the political scientists, but couple of friends of mine also believes that voting does not merely mean to influence the results of the elections. They say that voting is all about fulfilling your duty of a democrartic citizen (Roberts 18). Well, I would like to give greater knowledge to these obedient citizens that your reasoning fails on two solid grounds. First of all, a single citizen cannot contribute in the establishment of a thriving democracy as it is a matter of collective efforts. Failure in a democratic system is not prone to participation of citizens in voting, but there a combination of factors due to which dem ocracy could collapse. Besides, if it is only a matter of fulfilling one’s civic duty as a democratic citizen then why do people not vote randomly? We see people rushing to the polling stations to vote for their favorite candidate with the strong desire to snub the opponent, but no one really recognizes voting as a part of

View of the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

View of the world - Essay Example minates new transformed understanding of people’s overcoming of human nature and becoming â€Å"overmans†, people who have new visionary capacities and perspectives concerning the world. The first stage of the world view is Plato’s philosophy. Plato claims that the true world is attainable here and now, but only for virtuous men. There is only one world. Supersensuous world is the true one and true things emerge in the world of ideas as far as there is a division between pure essence and appearance. This true world is attainable for temperate soul only. Temperance is the virtue of soul, so it must deny the sensuous things and desire supersensuous. If you have a temperate soul and desire to acquire the truth, you will see the true being of subjects and notice a non-sensuous world. If you have a wanton soul and desire bodily pleasure only, you will only see the â€Å"here† world and will only be present in the apparent world. Nietzsche claims that philosophy begins with the discipline of temperate soul to look. According to the text â€Å"The implication is that virtue consists in repudiation of the sensuous, since denial of the world that is closest to us, the sensuous world, is proper to the Being of beings†. Here the â€Å"true world† is not yet anything â€Å"Platonic,† that is, not something unattainable, merely desirable, and merely â€Å"ideal.† Plato himself is who he is by virtue of the fact that he unquestioningly and straightforwardly functions on the basis of the world of Ideas as the essence of Being. The supersensuous is the idea.† The ideas do not exist in this world according to Plato; they exist without color and shape. Thus, Plato is not nihilist. Second view on the world is not Plato’s, it is Platonism. It is also a Christian view. The relationship between true world and apparent world are broken. Essence and existence are separated into two different worlds. The true world is not attainable in this world. According to the text â€Å"The

The Effects of Time, Distance, And Shielding in the Chernobyl Nuclear Research Paper

The Effects of Time, Distance, And Shielding in the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident - Research Paper Example The fight to contain the effects and ward off a bigger catastrophe eventually involved more than 500,000 employees and a cost estimated to be in the region of 18 billion rubles. At the time of the disaster itself, 31 people died, and it had short and long term effects (Mara, 2011). One of the short term effect was the immediate hospitalization of 203 people and 31 of them died, 28 of those who died was because of being exposed to acute radiation. Most of them were the fire and rescue workers who were trying to contain the disaster to have it under control. They did not know the danger of being exposed to the radiation (coming from the smoke). Another short term effect was on the workers who were involved in the cleanup and recovery after the disaster (Mara, 2011). They picked up doses of radiation in high quantities. Mostly, they were not armed with personal dosimeters to ascertain the amount of radiation they received leaving experts with the only option of estimating their doses. People were also evacuated around the area of Chernobyl by the Soviet authorities after the second day of the disaster. A month later, everybody who was living inside the range of 30 km radius of the plant had been moved to a new place. Zone of alienation is the name given to the area. However, the environment over a wider scale than the enclosed 30 km radius area was affected by significant radiation (Lüsted, 2011). Some children in the affected regions were unprotected from the great amount of the doses, mainly because on taking of radioactive contaminated milk that was produced locally. Research has shown that thyroid cancer suffered by children in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine has increased greatly since the disaster. A big forest of swath of pine was killed by the radiation. Farm animals were also taken away at the time of human evacuation. Levels of radioactivity have been observed in different

Love, Death and Fascist Iconography Essay Example for Free

Love, Death and Fascist Iconography Essay To the fascist artist, his or her own art is merely a vessel that encapsulates his or her own socially-motivated beliefs. The works of Yukio Mishima and Leni Riefenstahl, for instance, embody the essence of their individual nationalities at the height of their individual careers—nationalities that might transcend origin and geography, yet extol   culture, tradition, ritual and society.   Mishima and Riefenstahl exhibit incredible parallelism in their works. Mishima, in his short story Patriotism, describe the human form with such detail and meticulousness reminiscent of Riefenstahl’s style in her 1930’s films. Much like Riefenstahl’s The Last of the Nuba, the naked body is depicted as a means of fascist iconography—the body, perfect and pure in its own way, merges with a bigger community of bodies of like characteristics (Evans 31). Susan Sontag’s treatise on the works of Riefenstahl, Fascinating Fascism, breaks down the latter’s appreciation and fascination of the strong and beautiful Nuba figure as examples of Nazi ideology corresponding to the idea of aesthetics for fascists. Sontag writes, â€Å"Riefenstahl’s portrait of them evokes some of the larger themes of Nazi ideology: the contrast between the clean and the impure, the incorruptible and the defiled, the physical and the mental, the joyful and the critical (par. 27).† This description is echoed in Mishima’s Patriotism, when the lead character Takeyama decides to commit seppuku—ritual suicide by disembowelment—as an act of redemption from the dishonor incurred when his comrades formed alliances with the mutineers.   Mishima’s imagery of Takeyama and his wife Reiko’s preparations for the ritual, as well as the metaphors he uses in describing the couple’s physical forms conveys a fascination for perfection and beauty a la Riefenstahl—remarkable symbols of fascist iconography, as Sontag would consider. In its own effect, Takeyama, Reiko and the Nuba become examples of the â€Å"master race†, where everyone is beautiful, strong, and does not age (Trimborn McCown 256). Mishima and Riefenstahl’s works are also parallel in such that their depictions of death are detailed, beautiful and almost enthralling.     In Patriotism, death in is portrayed as a reward, a happy and celebrated ceremony that requires the utmost preparation. In the Nuba culture, death is a central event, along with fighting. In the Japanese culture, as evidenced by Mishima’s paramount detail in describing Takeyama’s death, death is a way for one to demonstrate his or her enduring loyalty and nationalism to the Imperial system. Death in both Mishima and Riefenstahl’s works surpass life’s merriest events—birth, marriage, love—at times besting even life itself. Mishima writes, â€Å"All around, vastly and untidily, stretched the country for which he grieved. He was to give his life for it. But would that great country, which he was prepared to remonstrate to the extent of destroying himself take the slightest heed of his death? He did not know; and not matter (par. 63).† Takeyama’s examination of self not only mirrors the authors suggestions of his own death wish, it also echoes the sentiments of those under the spell of a fascist ideology—their so-called patriotism—that converts their idea of nationhood as something not only territorial, but equally and incredibly spiritual. The young lieutenant and his bride chose their own death by seppuku, which may be seen as either an honorable and extremely devout approach, or as a self-destructive and deadly consequence of their fanaticism. Mishima unintentionally diverts the reader’s attention from this concept with his alluring illustrations of fascist ideals and concepts, again reminiscent of Riefenstahl’s imagery in her Nazi films. Sontag would consider it an absolute expression of fascist art, in the sense that it â€Å"glorifies surrender, exalts mindlessness, and glamorizes death (par. 36).† Above everything, Mishima verifies in his work and own life the burden that comes with the duty to abide by cultural tradition—duty can be all in one beautiful or ugly, life or death. Works Cited Evans, Mark. Movement Training for the Modern Actor. London, UK: Taylor and Francis,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2008. Mishima, Yushio. â€Å"Patriotism.† Trans. Geoffrey W. Sargent. Mutantfrog Travelogue. 27   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   June 2009. http://www.mutantfrog.com/patriotism-by-yukio-mishima/ Sontag, Susan. â€Å"Fascinating Fascism. â€Å" University of California Santa Barbara. 27 June 2009.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/33dTexts/SontagFascinFas  Ã‚  Ã‚   cism75.htm Trimborn, Jurgen McCown, Edna. Leni Riefenstahl: A Life. New York: MacMillan, 2007.

Academic and professional work experience goal statement

Academic and professional work experience goal statement ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL GOAL STATEMENT Valuable work experience has helped me to develop strong qualitative architectural expertise along with good leadership and communication skills. This has helped me to tackle complex issues in my field of work and gives me the confidence to pursue post graduate studies. I am Sruthi Maria George, currently working in an architectural consultants firm as a Junior Architect. With a strong desire to create artistic, creative and imaginative building structures, I chose Bachelor of Architecture for my under graduate studies. After completing my bachelors, my next step was to get a job in a challenging and dynamic environment and so I did find one as soon as I returned to my parents residing in United Arab Emirates. Throughout my work tenure so far, I have been working on challenging design projects which emphasized on creating healthy and eco-friendly buildings and environment. One of the major requirements to be fulfilled while planning and designing of the projects was the attainment of a ‘PEARL 2 rating, a class of sustainable approach known as ‘ESTIDAMA which consists of sustainable planning strategies. This field influenced me to know more about the environmental aspects in order to widen my knowledge and career skills. With the rise of disasters occurring around the world, we as humans need to be aware of the factors that lead to these natural calamities. A few environmental issues identified would be as follows: Global warming Climate change being recently observed is the main result of this global warming. The ozone layer of the earth being depleted with the increased use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigerants, propellants and solvents, emission of carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels (petrol, diesel, kerosene) and other greenhouse gases. This degradation of the ozone layer affects the ultraviolet filtration of the suns radiation, causing the earths temperature to rise and having negative impacts on the living beings on earth. Energy exhaustion Tremendous use of non renewable sources such as fossil fuels, natural gas and coals over the years are being depleting and adverse effects on air quality causing human and environmental problems. These needs to be replaced with renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass energies etc. Landfill waste With the increase in population and their activities, waste disposal is taking place on a higher rate. The adverse effects of this landfill wastes are pollution of the environment, emission of methane gases which is a greenhouse gas leading to the depletion of the ozone layer and other hazardous impact on the livings things and   the environment. This needs to be reduced by incorporating waste reduction and recycling strategies. Threat to ecosystems and endangered species Biodiversity enhances the productivity of the ecosystems. Threat to biodiversity leads to the destruction of the ecosystem, thus affecting the ecological pyramid and the food web. A recent article which caught my eyes, a killing game of dolphins and whales which takes place in Denmark by the local teens to show that they adults. These creatures have become near to extinction due to this. Deforestation Due to the increase in human population and their activities, conversion of forests to non- forest areas for development purpose is on a rise. This contributes to the increase of carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere, loss of biodiversity and soil erosion leading to natural calamities. Pollution Air pollution resulting from the burning of fossil fuels from vehicles and industries, hence affecting the environment and the health of humans. Contaminating water bodies by disposal of wastes leads to degradation of the ecosystem and human health issues. A masters degree in environmental studies would help me to become personally aware of the existing and future environmental issues arising in todays world. It would help me to understand the issues on a broader aspect of view and to resolve them by creating environmental friendly designs contributing to the wellness of the social economy and for the beneficial use of the future generations. The main environmental specialization that I would like to do is the studies on sustainable development as this combines the social, economic and environmental aspects. As this field, is going global and is one of the major considerations in todays world, specializing in this field would be of international standards and quality. University of Illinois is one of the few and reputable institutions in the world to offer an innovative course which combines environmental studies and sustainable development as a joint online program without having me to compromise on my current working status. Hence I sought to pursue my higher education here. If given a chance to pursue my post graduate studies in University of Illinois for Masters of Environmental studies specializing in sustainable development and policy, I would prove myself to be an asset by my hard work and dedication to the department and the university. Thanking you. Sincerely, Sruthi Maria George

censorhf We Should Not Ban the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

We Should Not Ban the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn There is a current debate that the description of Jim in the novel "Huckleberry Finn" is racist leading to some schools banning it from their libraries. Jim's character is described as an uneducated and simple sounding; illiterate slave and some people have looked upon this characterization as racist. Jim is depicted as a slave in the south during a period when slavery was common place and widely accepted as the way of life. Slaves of this time period were not provided any formal education; never allowed any independent thought and were constantly mistreated and abused. The author in my opinion is merely describing how a slave spoke in those days and was trying to give you the true feeling behind his thought, while writing this tale. Despite a few instances in which Jim's description might be misconstrued as being racist, such as the use of the word "nigger", the reader should be able to understand that this is a fictional portrayal of two boys, one white and one black, d uring a time when slavery was common place. There is an obvious contrast of the mind set depicted in Twain's novel compared to then and now. The use of the word "nigger" is most certainly a very slanderous slang term that is not socially acceptable in present times. The dialect in which Jim is speaking indicates how Jim spoke do to his lack of education and refinement that white people refused to provide to slaves. This provision was not permitted as white slave owners viewed blacks as property and as being unable to learn proper grammar and structure of the English language. Some historians have stated that this was also so because it allowed the white's to maintain control over their slaves in order to "keep the upper hand", so to speak. We as a modern society should maintain an open mind when dealing with literary works such as Huckleberry Finn and bare in mind that novels such as these are written during socially diverse and sometimes opposite ways of thinking. We should not ban a literary work such as Huckleberry Finn simply because it is not accepted by modern day standards.

St. Pauls Cathedral in London, England Essay -- Saint Paul Architectu

St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London, England, was designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren. Approval of this most significant architectural project took six years just for the plan. Construction, which began in 1675, took thirty-five years until finally complete in 1710. It was built to replace a church that had been leveled by the Great Fire of 1666. St. Paul's is the largest cathedral in England, and said to be Wren's masterpiece. He brought a range of new forms, and architectural combination into English architecture. Masonry, brick, timber, and cut stone were used to form the structure of the cathedral. St. Paul’s Cathedral has been one of the main socially significant buildings in London. Cathedrals all around, have always played a large role in the communities they serve. Their fundamental purpose is to bring people closer to God, but over the centuries they have served as a focal point for trade, as a stronghold and a place of safety in times of war, and as immense status symbols. The functions, of a cathedral, take on an additional significance for St Paul's, because it’s known as the cathedral of the capital city and, of the nation. The present building is also the first cathedral to have been built since the creation of the Church of England in 1534, when religion was brought under the direct control of the monarch. This quote from Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage really shows the significance the Church has made in England. â€Å"St Paul's Cathedral is the internationally recognized signature of London and the capital's most important historic and architectural focal point. Only St Paul's and the Palace of Westminster are protected by strategic views but the proposed tower disregards this legal protection and the significance of the Cathedral as the icon of London.† The West Front, which faces the heart of the City of London, is an iconic image with great national significance. It is through the famous West Doors that so many British monarchs and distinguished figures have entered the Cathedral. The nation’s â€Å"best-loved† church, St Paul’s has hosted some of the most important commemorative events in British history. In recent years the memorial service for the victims of 9/11, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday. Also, it was where the funeral services of Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Winston Churchi... ...rchitecture into the early neo-classical/ baroque style. Wren’s style was one of simple magnificence. His style was composed more of in agreeable proportions rather than glorious decoration. Wren was believed to have contributed design ideas for many buildings for which he did not do final designs. Wren’s design concepts were carried into the early years of the eighteenth century by fellow architects, Hawksmoor, and his partner Vanbrugh. However, Wren’s relative simplicity, and his â€Å"Protestant plainness† in comparison with European â€Å"Popish† richness, was dominated in their designs by superimpose of rich applied decoration and a more complex and extravagant style. His greatest renown was for St. Paul’s Cathedral, but his major public buildings, and the delicacy and variety displayed in the fifty-or-so parish churches, also contribute to his enduring influence in architecture down to the present day. Until the arrival of the modern skyscraper, St. Paul's dominated the London skyline as a symbol of the stability of the Church of England and English government and society. When Sir Christopher Wren died in 1723 he became the first person to be buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Fast Food Contain Harmful Food Additives Essay

In America, fast food chains are a significant symbol of the American traditional food trends which expand widely and grow fast all over the world. Thus, a large number of Americans eat fast food as their daily diet. However, these tasty fast foods are highly processed foods which are filled with plenty of chemicals, additives and preservatives. By adding these additives and artificial flavorings into fast foods, so the food is attractive and also tasty. Fast food companies, like McDonald, attract customers’ attention by using various advertisements to make their products look good and also selling these delicious foods at low prices. Many people do not realize the negative side of those unhealthy and processed fast food meals that contain lots of unsafe additives, which can lead to bad health effects and shorter life. For instance, all the burgers and beverages that people consume in the fast food restaurant are risky to people’s health because of food additives. According to Fast Food Nation, â€Å"Without this flavor industry, today’s fast food industry could not exist† (Schlosser 120). It is significant that artificial flavor is one essential element which use in the fast food industry and helps to operate fast food business successfully and permanently. After World War II, a vast flavor industry invented processed food that was popular and widely used by American. The flavor additives create more demand since it benefits both consumer and businessman in some ways. For example, most food additives are cheap and functional so that companies are willing to buy and add it into food to reduce the cost of product and gain more business benefit. Because of the low cost, the company is able to lower the price of fast food in order to appeal more customers to buy. As a result, many customers choose to consume more fast food in order to save money; Fast food companies added various chemical flavors and manufactured coloring additives into diverse foods and beverages. Chicken McNugget is one of the popular foods serviced in the McDonald meal. The fair outward appearance, crispy skin and tender meat of Chicken McNuggets are a big part of what makes people feel more enjoyable to eat it. The chicken nugget is not simply a piece of fried chicken but more than that. So what is really in the chicken nuggets in McDonald? To answer this question, we might look at the great amount of ingredients of chicken nuggets. It is surprising to see that there are not only chicken but numerous other components which are almost unfamiliar with us, such as sodium aluminum phosphate, TBHQ and bleaching wheat flour. Basically, this small piece of Chicken McNugget only has 50% of what is called the real chicken, and chemical and additives make up the other half. Many additional additives are used in Chicken McNuggets’ ingredient now, and I would show only a few of the most common ones here. First of all, sodium aluminum phosphate and sodium acid pyrophosphate are the primary components of a baking power as chemical leavening agents. They are food additives that are mostly and widely used in food industry for many baked products. It accelerates food to yeast faster in order to save time, as well as affects the final texture, flavor and moisture of food. (Longe P43) Sodium aluminum phosphate is released slowly during the fermentation period, which â€Å"enhancing the properties of the formula ingredients†. (Leavening Agents) â€Å"Sodium acid pyrophosphate is also a slower reacting acid and is used in refrigerated biscuit dough recipe. † (Longe P45) As a result, the product will have a crispy taste and fine texture. Likewise, McDonald Company adds these chemical materials into Chicken McNugget to make it taste better. However, both of these agents are harmful to people’s health. For instance, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate is a toxic drug that could cause people’s mental problem, such as memory loss, and confusion. A direct possible consequence of eating these additive-containing foods frequently may lead to Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis. Second, â€Å"the most alarming ingredient in a Chicken McNugget is TBHQ, which is an anti-oxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on the nugget for keeping its shelf time longer. (Pollan P113) Moreover, TBHQ helps the food to â€Å"maintain its freshness, minimize nutritional losses in edible oils, and preserve the present color of iron and metal complexes†. (Shree Additives) Obviously, the effective functions of TBHQ makes fast food industry often use this artificial additive in thousand food products. Chicken McNuggets are just one of the fast foods that contain TBHQ. The result from consuming processing foods with TBHQ can lightly cause â€Å"nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse. (Pollan P114) It can even lead to death if you ingest too much fast food with TBHQ. Last but not least, McNuggets also contain bleaching wheat flour which is one of the ingredients often used in McNugget and other productions. As we know, flour is used to improve the gluten baking quality. The food industry adds flour bleaching agent in order to make the product appear whiter and fresher. Also, the function of this agent is to maintain the foods’ stability, food color and improve the structure forming capacity, allowing the product produce higher proportions of gluten and sugar. Flour Bleaching Agent) During the bleaching processing, most nutrients are destroyed and removed from the grain, and then produce amounts of alloxan. â€Å"The fact of alloxan is a product of the decomposition of uric acid which is used to produce diabetes in healthy experimental animals, so as to help researchers to study diabetes treatments in the lab. † (The Little-Known Secrets about Bleaching Flour†¦ ) It turns out that the nutritional value of food has been lost and we are actually eating the sugar what cause us fat and led to diabetes. According to recent research, alloxan is also a poison which may lead to the country’s diabetes epidemic and other chronic diseases in America. Even though this bleaching agent has a great impact on food industry, we still cannot neglect the negative effect of this additive. Base on the ingredients in McNugget I mentioned above, it would be easy to think that McNugget as final product has been processed through many chemical mechanics and scientific methods which change the actual â€Å"meaning† of the chicken nugget. In other words, it is hard to tell how much actual chicken goes into a real nugget. We have such tasty chicken nuggets available for us anytime because of these food additives. These nasty ingredients and harmful chemicals make people fat and cause serious illness or even death. Imagine how much chemicals and additives are contained in a little piece of Chicken McNugget that could easily endanger people’s health. So I wonder if other fast foods may contain the same dangerous or more harmful additives in its ingredient which lead to more health problems. In conclusion, fast food chains play a vital role in the U. S’s health problems, people should to be up in arms with our government in order to fight against these hazardous chemicals to be used in fast food restaurants. Fast foods are rich in food additives that can badly affect people’s health as it cause cancer, nervous system damage, birth defects, and much more. From my point view, I think that we should avoid the fast food, and especially the overconsumption of fast food, in order to pursue a healthy life style.

Barilla Spa (a)

BARILLA SpA (A) Table of Contents Part One: Executive Summary3 Part Two: Immediate Issue4 Part Three: Systemic Issues4 Part Four: Qualitative Analysis5 Part Five: Alternatives6 Part Six: Recommendation8 Part Seven: Recommendations Implementation Plan9 Part Eight: Monitor and Control10 Part One: Executive Summary In order to respond to extreme demand variability and incidents of high stock out rates Barilla is currently applying pressure to both its’ manufacturing and logistics departments to restock distribution centres as quickly as possible. This is resulting in high distribution costs and a reduction in overall profits.In the long term I am recommending that Barilla SpA implement a Just in Time Distribution (JITD) system to reduce excess inventory and eliminate stock outs at the distributor to market level of the distribution chain. The new system will include a forecasting and planning system based on information provided by the distributors on a day-to-day basis. The JITD will reduce inventory to acceptable levels and will reduce inventory carrying cots. It will also flatten demand resulting in cost savings at the manufacturing and shipping levels. It will also provide an opportunity for new sales promotion types and levels.Initially the new system will be implemented on a trial basis and at the end of the trial with successful performance indicated; the system will be presented to internal departments as well as distributors. This report will be used as a basis for discussion in our production meeting at the end of the week. Giorgio Maggiali Director of Logistics Barilla SpA (A) December 4, 2012 Part Two: Immediate Issue Barilla SpA is experiencing difficulty in the manufacturing and logistics sectors of their operation because of an extreme variability in demand of their pasta products.Though demand for pasta in Italy is flat Barilla has been experiencing sudden spikes in demand for varying types of pasta from different areas. Because of rigid man ufacturing requirements and lengthy lead times from placement of order to delivery, stock outs have been experienced between the distributors and retail stores. Part Three: Systemic Issues Sales Operations: Nature: Tactical Timing: Short Term Distributors are encouraged to purchase product based on discounts rather than product demand at their customer’s locations.The sales representatives are given specific sales targets to meet and are conceivably focusing on the discounted products because they are an easier sell to the distributors. Distribution: Nature: Tactical Timing: Short Term and Long Term Lead time from placement of order to delivery ranges anywhere from eight days to fourteen days, though the average is ten calendar days. This includes production and shipment of the product. Most distributors do not rely on forecasting systems to place their orders; they simply count stock on a cycle and place orders to refill to the previous level.There is no analysis based on pr oduct type, time of year etc. Stock outs are happening between the distributors and the stores; the lead time to fill the product gap is too long. Manufacturing Process: Nature: Strategic Timing: Short Term and Long Term The pasta production process (particular sizes and types of pasta require fixed heat and humidity settings in the kiln) makes it difficult to replace a specific type of pasta that has sold out at a vendor’s store because of unusually high demand. The production process cannot be changed or sped up without risking a decline in quality of the product. Part Four: Qualitative AnalysisBarilla SpA is the largest pasta producer in the world. They offer both dry and fresh pasta as well as a variety of other products including cookies, cakes and breads. Currently, the demand for pasta in Italy is flat with only an approximate increase in demand of 1% per year. Barilla competes with other pasta providers (approximately 2,000) by utilizing innovative advertising techniq ues and by using high quality raw materials in their products. In order to compete in the Italian market they utilize the traditional method of distribution to their customers via their own distribution center as well as a number of independent distributors.Distributors may place orders when they choose; each year is sectioned off (referred to as canvass periods) and specific products are offered at discounted rates in an assigned period. The type of product that is offered in each canvass period is decided by the sales department. There are also volume discounts offered on certain products which may be specialized by the Barilla sales personnel (i. e. free shipping for full truckload orders). Sales staff has set sales targets for each canvass period which results in pressure sales to the distributors.The distributors will purchase more of the discounted products in order that they can pass the savings to their customers to achieve higher sales. The majority of distributor’s periodically review their stock of Barilla products and place orders with Barilla based on re-stocking to the previous level they had of each product type. Input from the store level is not considered as the main factor in ordering. There are no set minimum or maximum levels for types of pasta or for size of distributor. Pasta production is time consuming; a series of steps are involved that must be followed to produce the quality of pasta that is Barilla’s trademark.The drying process alone takes approximately four hours; the settings of the kiln are specific to the size and type of pasta being produced. In addition to production time there is shipping time which varies dependent on the proximity of the manufacturing plant to the distribution center. Shipping encompasses the availability of vehicles and the cost of shipping. The current method of ordering means that there are less-than-truckload or LTL shipments taking place which are more expensive than full-truckload or FT L shipments. Part Five: Alternatives Alternative One: Sales ControlsThe Barilla sales department will offer product promotions based on product movement at the region/store level. Volume discounts will be discontinued. Pros: Promotions based on sales data from the individual stores will reduce stock outs and will maintain the sales department’s relationship with the customer. Cons: Distributors lose control over the stock and stock levels that they are carrying. Sales of other product lines that Barilla produces will decline and some customers will change to other suppliers for their variety of product. Alternative Two: Inventory ControlsBarilla will set minimum/maximum inventory levels for each SKU based on historical sales data. Safety stock will be produced of the pasta types that regularly stock out at the distributor locations. Pros: Instituting set inventory levels for each SKU will ensure a more realistic supply of product for each location. Producing safety stock for the pasta types that spike will reduce restock time and mitigate market share loss. Cons: Historic data is inherently flawed because of trade promotions and volume discounts; minimum/maximum levels would be skewed.Excess stock would take up a significant amount of space and extra storage space would need to be obtained. There will be conflict with distributors because of their loss of control and with sales because of the loss of promotional opportunities. Alternative Three: Just in Time Distribution (JITD) Product will not be ordered by the distributor but will be supplied by the manufacturer to the distributor based on data provided about the previous day’s shipments from the distributor to the customers as well as their current stock levels of Barilla product.Pros: Barilla would ship product only as it was needed rather than having large amounts of excess stock. Information regarding supplies at the distributor’s warehouses would aid Barilla in improving their forec asting system. Barilla would have more control over the distribution process. Cons: Distributors do not want Barilla interfering with their inventory. The sales staff is reluctant to lose their opportunity to meet and exceed sales targets through their promotions. Part Six: RecommendationWe recommend the implementation of Alternative Three, the JITD model. JITD will enable Barilla to cut current distribution costs and stabilize supply to the customers. JITD is based on real time data and inventory specific information. Rather than basing product supply on current promotions or volume discounts, product supply is based on historical demand at the specific distributor locations. * This will ensure that customers receive product that they can move rather than being supplied product that will sit on their shelves for extended periods of time. Barilla will be able to reduce inventory levels at their locations because demand will be stabilized and as a result carrying costs will be reduce d. * Transportation can be regulated as product delivery is regulated and cost savings can be found through possible transportation discounts (FTL vs. LTL shipments). * Promotions can be tailored to individual products at individual locations. Barilla can manage inventory levels more effectively than the distributors because we have an understanding of all facets of distribution.The distributors do not have a clear understanding of the manufacturing process and the reason for lengthy lead times. Traditional trade promotion and volume discounts will be eliminated by the implementation of JITD. A new promotion structure will be implemented to maintain market competitiveness. Part Seven: Recommendations Implementation Plan We believe that to encourage both internal and external partners to embrace the JITD system, Barilla should introduce JITD as a pilot project at one of the distribution facilities that has experienced extreme demand variability.Customers are resistant to the change b ecause they will lose control over product type that will be carried. They do not want Barilla to push product through their centres to reduce their costs while restricting the distributor’s role in the delivery system. Barilla can present the data from the pilot project to the other distributors. The data will prove to distributors that implementing the JITD system will be of benefit to them as well as to Barilla. When proposing the JITD system to customers Barilla has to explain that it will: * Reduce Costs * Reduce Inventory Levels Improve Fill Rate to their Stores Implementing JITD is in the best interests of Barilla, the distributors and their customers. There is internal resistance, primarily from the marketing and sales group, because there is a lack of understanding about the effects that implementing the system would have on the various departments and their functions and duties. The sales department, in particular, is concerned that a JITD system would reduce their duties and impedes their ability to sell product by removing the current trade and volume purchasing promotions.In order to get buy in from each department I need to have the support of management including DiMaria, the manager of the sales department. Support for the changeover has to be top down as the current problem is not just a logistics issue but is a supply chain issue. Part Eight: Monitor and Control The pilot project will be implemented within two months and will be take place over the course of three months. The Key Performance Indicators and measurements are: * Customer Demand Levels – Success is flat demand or less than 1% variability in demand. Stock Out Levels – Success is stock out levels at less than 2% per order cycle. * Inventory Levels – Success is less than or equal to 90,000 kilograms of pasta/day at the manufacturing facility and less than 4% excess inventory total at the distributor’s warehouse. At the end of the three month trial the Barilla management team will review the data and prepare a report to present to individual departments within Barilla and to distributors. If figures, as laid out above, have not been met then Barilla will continue to maintain the current distribution process.