Science fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Science fiction - Essay Example However there was one catch, the replicants had a four year life span. But in that four year life span some of the replicants were beginning to develop underlying human emotions. It is these human emotions which led to the revolts of many a replicants making them illegal to be on Earth. Thus, special replicants hunter units, called Blade Runners, were formed to eliminate the illegal replicants. â€Å"Burning Chrome† by William Gibson is a predecessor to many novels he wrote characters from this short story mad their way into other sci-fi novels written by Gibson, such as Neuromancer and the Sprawl series of novels. â€Å"Burning Chrome† shows a computer cowboy, named Bobby Quine jacking into cyberspace, reminiscent of the movie Johnny Mnemonic, based on one of Gibson’s short stories of the same name, and his partner, Automatic Jack. The story is set in the point of view of Automatic Jack. This part of the paper will compare the tone and the settings of the movie Blade Runner with the cyberpunk short story, â€Å"Burning Chrome.† Both are set within the city in which they inhabit, but both there is a time in each story where one loft is the center of attention. Both â€Å"Burning Chrome† and Blade Runner are set in the future with technological advancements beyond our wildest dreams. Furthermore, both are set in differing urban settings, in the streets of a city. However, where the setting in Blade Runner shows are more even playing field for the inhabitants of the city of Los Angeles, â€Å"Burning Chrome† shows that the city, in which the story is set, has a very big discrepancy on those who have it and those who don’t. Blade Runner is set in the city of Los Angeles in the year 2019. The setting allows the viewer to see that this is a bustling metropolis with millions of different things going on all the time. There are several specific

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay Our country has gone through many changes and development for the past few years. The continuous process made great impacts in the lives of millions of Filipinos. There are many aspects concerning the issues and problems in the Philippine Educational System as to how we can resolve it the best way we could to attain that kind of quality of education we have been searching and longing for. The researcher found out that the educational system is complicated because (1) it does notprescribe the national development (2) it is not responsive to the basic needs of the country (3) the implementation of programs are not properly monitored (4) it does not suite the educational globalization and (5) there is too much politics in education. We all know that all of these are due to population explosion, globalization and of course, the fault of the government in the system. Another problem is that the gap existing between the private and the public school systems. In addition, the students in the Philippines cannot be considered competent due to different matters. Another thing is the recent statement of the Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. that students in the Philippines cannot pass the global standards of education. Therefore, there is a need for the reform of the entire educational system in the Philippines especially in the public school system because Public schools are the building blocks of our societies. They can be considered our foundational instruments. Although these venues of learning play significant roles, they are unable to provide the best they can, due to their numerous flaws and faults. Generally, Philippine Education aims to provide quality and free education both for the elementary and secondary public schools but again this have not been observed and understood well causing it to be a burden most especially to the students and parents. Declining standards in public schools is one of the most controversial education issues today is the continuing decline in student learning.

Hamlet: Hamlet Defeated By His Own Flaws :: essays research papers

Hamlet: Hamlet Defeated By His Own Flaws In William Shakespeare's well known tragic play, Hamlet, the main character Hamlet is defeated by his own flaws. These flaws are the killing of Polonius, the killing of Claudius, and most of all by Hamlet being misled by the Ghost. The killing of Polonius is a major flaw of Hamlets because it got him killed by Laertes. Also the killing of his uncle Claudius was tragic, since he was his uncle and he made Hamlet very angry towards his mother. The last and most noted flaw of Hamlet's was him being misled by the Ghost and engaging in his plan of madness. The first of Hamlets flaws is the killing of Polonius. The death of Polonius was an accident that shouldn't have happened. Hamlet believed the person behind the drapery was indeed Claudius. After Hamlet draws his rapier, runs it through the drapes, and kills Polonius. He asks? "Is it the King?" He then he is drawn into a heated conversation with his mother, Gertrude, over the short wait after old king Hamlets death for her to remarry. He says "Almost as bad, good mother, As kill a king, and marry his brother". The major effect of his killing of, Polonius, was indeed his death. This ignited Laertes' revenge on Hamlet which resulted in Hamlet's death. Just as the killing of Polonious was a tragic flaw of Hamlets, so was the killing of Claudius. This flaw of Hamlets which was to be the solo revenge of Claudius brought upon the death of Gertrude, Polonius, and Laertes. The madness in Hamlet was to be unleashed only on Claudius. Yet Hamlet's path of destruction killed his mother, she was killed by the poison meant for Hamlet by Claudius. Laertes death was brought on by the killing of Polonius. The duel between Hamlet and Laertes, which was the arranged revenge on Hamlet, was the final stand of each. Although the killings Hamlet carried out were flaws he possessed, another major flaw was his ignorance in following the Ghost. Hamlet was warned not to follow the Ghost that there must be some evil in him, but he didn't listen. Both Horatio and Marcellus forcefully try to hold back the prince, but he will not be restrained.

Free Essays - Analysis of I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud :: Wandered Lonely

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud – An Analysis I chose the poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth because I like the imagery in it of dancing daffodils. Upon closer examination, I realized that most of this imagery is created by the many metaphors and similes Wordsworth uses. In the first line, Wordsworth says "I wandered lonely as a cloud." This is a simile comparing the wondering of a man to a cloud drifting through the sky. I suppose the wandering cloud is lonely because there is nothing up there that high in the sky besides it. It can pass by unnoticed, touching nothing. Also, the image of a cloud brings to mind a light, carefree sort of wandering. The cloud is not bound by any obstacle, but can go wherever the whim of the wind takes it. The next line of poem says "I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils." Here Wordsworth is using a metaphor to compare the daffodils to a crowd of people and a host of angels. The word crowd brings to mind an image of the daffodils chattering amongst one another, leaning t heir heads near each other in the wind. The word host makes them seem like their golden petals are shimmering like golden halos on angels. It is interesting to note that daffodils do have a circular rim of petals in the middle that could look like a halo. Later in the poem Wordsworth uses another simile, saying the dancing of daffodils in the wind is "continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the milky way." This line creates the image of the wind blowing the tops of random daffodils up and down in a haphazard matter, so they appear to glint momentarily as their faces catch the sun. This goes along with the next metaphor of the daffodils "tossing their heads in sprightly dance." Comparing their movement to a dance also makes me think of swirling, swishing yellow skirts moving in harmony. It is also interesting how the first image of the wandering cloud contrasts sharply with the second image of the dancing daffodils.

Positioning Statement Essay

â€Å"To busy, career oriented professionals who need convenient car services, Pate Car Service is a mobile car service company that specializes in servicing your vehicle at your place of employment or residence, giving you the ability to spend more time being productive at work or spending time with your family.† My target segments would be men and woman who work a full time job because they are extremely busy and would not have enough time to get their car serviced. Another segment would be to high end neighborhoods, because most people who can afford nice homes work a lot of hours. Often times those whom reside in high scale neighborhoods have two working adults in the household. This would mean they do not have a lot of time on their hands and would want to maximize their down time with their families. I would also target people who were making high salaries. People making high salaries are great at time management and would realize it is not cost effective to take time off work to get their car serviced. If someone could come to their place of employment and service their vehicle, it would be more practical. My value proposition would be more for more. I believe this would be good because of the target market. By targeting those individuals who have high salaries and work full time jobs, they would pay a little more money for the convenience. They would have the most need for a mobile car service company and could afford it.

Role of Law essays

Role of Law essays Over time man has evolved from an uncivilized primates to a technological driven working machine, but that evolution could not have occurred without law. Law gives the backbone a society needs to flourish in a civilized and more or less positive way. Although laws in most societies are not perfect, they keep society members in check and prevent chaos from running amok. In this paper the six major roles and functions of law will be discussed including peacekeeping, checking government power, facilitating planning, promoting economic growth, promoting social justice, and finally protecting the environment. (Mallor, Barnes, Bowers, Peacekeeping is the centerpiece of law through criminal and civil law branches. When people think of law they typically think of the criminal case side, which has the government as the prosecutor and another entity as the defendant. It involves the defendant being charged with breaking a law predefined by the controlling society. This is an important part of law, as the society must provide a safe environment for its citizens, so those found breaking accepted laws of the society must be punished accordingly. Without this process citizens would be overly concerned (quite possibly warranted) about their personal safety or the safety of their business. The civil section of peacekeeping is a conflict between two private citizens, whereas the citizens can be businesses or people. The citizens can use the court forum to settle disputes that they cannot overcome without intervention. Although these disputes may not be violent in context it is still a method of peacekeeping that would not be possible without law. Checking governmental power is a complicated yet important matter for law. Lord Acton had it right when he said, Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely and keeping that in mind a society must have checks and balances on its l ...

The Mountain Expedition

The Mountain Expedition The Mountain Expedition This is going to be awesome! I thought grabbing my jacket and heading to the door. Come on guys, we are going to be late! my dad shouted. Will be down in a minute dad, my younger brother Ali said. It was finally Saturday 28th June last year. My dad and my younger brother had planned for this day for months. It was the day we were going to hike up Mt.Kenya for the first time. I had been bragging to my friends online about it since we arrived in Kenya for our annual vacation. We had everything needed for the hike up the tough mountain. We were on a 3 weeks holiday in Kenya and this was part of our itinerary. It was said to be the God Mountain by the locals because its the only Mountain on the equator to have snow on its peaks. Okay guys, this is going to be a tough one but we will take it slow. Our guide, James said as we entered the forest. I always wondered what it would be like to experience a real jungle and here with us was on. Trees, as high as 20 meters, stood on each side of the track. Birds flew happily around this magnificent forest. There was elephant dung all over the track. At some point, I wished they would appear from the bamboo thickets for us to see. But I was also afraid of meeting untamed elephants, unlike the tamed ones in the zoo back home. Hey Abdy, look down at that scene my dad said. Wow! I exclaimed. The plains below looked very beautiful. The track behind us meandered its way downhill and we could see the base town far behind it. I thought the people down there didnt know what they were missing. Grab your rain jackets everyone. The storm is approaching. James advised. He did not seem to be afraid of the downpour that fall on us. I cursed and almost wished I hadnt taken the hike. The rain was so cold, almost ice cold. Maybe the locals are doing great down there than we are I thought. After about an hour of ice-cold rain and mud, we reached the first camp, Met Station. It is short for Meteorological Station for the mountain and the surrounding areas. We were so cold I could only think of lighting a fire. Too bad Hajji, Fires are not allowed in the park. James pointed out. Youve got to be kidding!! I said. We had no option other than light our stoves, prepare dinner and slip into our sleeping bags in our tents. We were all so tired from the trek we slept almost immediately. About 6 hours said James, answering my dad about how long it was going to take us to the next camp. It was the second day and the sun was up and shining. I thought this was going to be better than the previous day, at least it seemed. The vegetation was changing as we continued to hike uphill. We had cleared off the forest and bamboo zone and now there was elephant tussock and lobelia everywhere. Well its not by my knowledge I knew that, I asked James of course. We could now see the ice-capped peaks from about 3750 meters above sea level, according to the altimeter we had. They looked awesome and tough at the same time. So how come its the God mountain? I asked James. He explained that the locals believed that the white snow on the peaks looked like the white feathers of an ostrich. You are probably thinking what an ostrich has to do with God. The locals call God Mwenenyaga. That translates to the Owner of The Ostrich. Now you know. We ate our cold sandwiches at a point called Picnic Rock. It was a transition between the not-so short hard climb we had done and long but easy trek ahead. From this point, I was able to have a clear view of the base towns on the south-west, west and north-west of the mountain. Thats the Mackinders Camp over there. Our good guide told us. We made it!! my younger brother could not hide his joy. He was only 9 years old and I have got to say he was really doing great on this hike. The guide said the youngest kid to ever hike the mountain was 6 years old but he only reached Old Moses camp, 3010m above sea level, just like Met Station. In fact, Ali was the first kid at his age to reach an altitude of 4300m on the mountain. Thats quite an achievement, I thought. It was a long 13 miles worth of acute altitude climb and although James advised for an early bedtime, we stayed awake for a little longer to chat with other tourists that had arrived earlier. There was this 78-year old American who really inspired me with his courage and determination to overcome his age and hike up Mt.Kenya. I wish I make it to 70, leave alone climb a mountain at the age I though. Only a few minutes guys and you will be at the top of Point Lenana James told us. It was 6 am on the third day, the summit day. We had covered over 700 meters worth of altitude change for the last 3 hours. It is always good to climb slowly so that you get acclimatized with the altitude as James had put it. The sky was turning orange with the sunrise. I was sweating because of the tones of warm clothes I had on, but also knew I would freeze if I didnt have as much. A few minutes later, we were taking photos on the third highest point on Mt.Kenya. Yeah! We made it! I shouted, with the echo following shortly. The sun raised on the eastern horizon a couple of minutes later. That was the most beautiful scene I had scene on that trip. As a matter of fact I dont think there is any other scene more beautiful than that I had ever laid my eyes on. The forest cover could be seen all round the mountain. There was a faint view of cars far down in the roads below. All the towns around the mountain could be seen laying lazily in the horizon. The Aberdares in the west seemed like a hill from up this gigantic mountain. More tourists followed and after a couple of minutes, the place was flooded with people, all taking photographs. On the western side of the peak lay the highest points, Batian and Nelion. These needed technical rock and ice climbing skills to be tackled. Between them lay the Darwins Glacier with smoothly stretched downhill to the base of the giant peaks. Thats for another day I said to myself. The journey downhill was by far much easier than the uphill climb. It took us about 6 hours to reach Met Station and after a lunch bite we proceeded downhill for another two and half hours to the parks entrance. We were so tired but happy at the same time. The car ride to the hotel was all we needed. Our clothes were covered with mud and for the first time I thought dirt is good, for the experience up there was one to last for a lifetime, unless I hit my head and suffer from amnesia that is. We thanked James for his guidance and support all through the 3 days of hiking. He was full of knowledge and information about the mountain and life in general. He could be a cool teacher, just like mine back home I thought. Teacher or not, it would have been hell if he wasnt around especially the third summit day. Well as we relaxed in the hotel swimming pool the next day, I had time to view the whole trip up the mountain. Achievement comes with a price, pain and determination. It was through those two that I made it up there. It was trough the same that my younger brother carries a record of the youngest Mt. Kenya hiker to make it to 4970 meters above sea level. Thats quite something.

Voting Rights Background for Students

Voting Rights Background for Students In any presidential election year, the months before the election afford middle and high school teachers a great opportunity to engage students in the new  The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards  (C3s)These new frameworks  center on guiding students in activities so that they can see how citizens apply civic virtues and democratic principles and have the opportunity to see actual civic engagement in the democratic process. Principles such as equality, freedom, liberty, respect for individual rights, and deliberation [that] apply to both official institutions and informal interactions among citizens. What Do Students Already Know About Voting in the United States? Before launching an election unit, poll students to see what they already know about the voting process. This can be done as a KWL,  or a chart that outlines what students already Know, Want to know, and what they Learned  after the unit is completed. Using this outline,  students can prepare to research a topic and use it to track information gathered along the way: â€Å"What do you already ‘know’ about this topic?†Ã‚   â€Å"What things do you ‘want’ to learn about the topic, so you can focus your research?† and   â€Å"What did you ‘learn’ from doing your research?† An Overview of K-W-L This KWL begins as a brainstorming activity. This can be done individually or in groups of three to five students. Generally, 5 to 10 minutes individually or 10 to 15 minutes for group work is appropriate. In asking for responses, set aside enough time to hear all responses. Some questions could be (answers below): How old must you be to vote?  What requirements are there for voting other than age?  When did citizens get the right to voteWhat are your state’s voting requirements?  Why do you think people vote?  Why do you think people choose not to vote? Teachers should not correct the responses if they are wrong; include any conflicting or multiple responses.  Review the list of responses and note any discrepancies which will let the teacher know where more information is needed. Tell the class that they will be referring back to their responses later in this and in upcoming lessons. History of Voting Timeline: Pre-Constitution Inform students that the highest law of the land, the Constitution, mentioned nothing about voting qualifications at the time of its adoption. This omission left voting qualifications up to each individual state and resulted in widely varying voting qualifications. In studying the election, students should learn the definition of the word  suffrage: Suffrage (n) the  right  to  vote,  especially  in  a  political  election. A timeline  of the history of voting rights is also helpful to share with students in explaining how the right to vote has been connected to citizenship and civil rights in America. For example: 1776: Only people who own land can vote when the Declaration of Independence signed.1787: No federal voting standard states decide who can vote when the U.S. Constitution is adopted. Voting Rights Timeline: Constitutional Amendments In preparation for any presidential election, students can review the following highlights that show how voting rights have been extended to different groups of citizens through six (6) suffrage amendments to the Constitution: 1868: 14th Amendment:  Citizenship is defined and granted to former slaves, but voters are explicitly defined as male.1870: 15th Amendment:  The right to vote cannot be denied by the federal or state governments based on race.1920: 19th Amendment:  Women have the right to vote in both state and federal elections.  1961: 23rd Amendment:  Citizens of Washington, D.C. have the right to vote for U.S. president.  1964: 24th Amendment:  The right to vote in federal elections will not be denied for failure to pay any tax.1971: 26th Amendment:  18-year-olds are allowed to vote. Timeline for Laws on Voting Rights 1857: In the landmark case Dred Scott v. Sandford, the US Supreme Court rules that â€Å"a black man has no rights a white man is bound to respect.† African Americans are further deprived of the right to citizenship and, by extension, the right to vote.1882: Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, which establishes restrictions and quotas on Chinese immigration while legally excluding Chinese persons from citizenship and voting.  1924: The Indian Citizenship Act declares all non-citizen Native Americans born in the USA to be citizens with the right to vote.1965: The Voting Rights Act is signed into law, prohibiting any election practice that denies the right to vote to citizens on the basis of race and forces jurisdictions with histories of voter discrimination to  submit any changes to its election laws to the government for federal approval prior to taking effect.1993: The National Voter Registration Act requires states to permit mail-in registration, and make registr ation services available at DMVs, unemployment offices, and other state agencies. Questions About Researching Voting Rights Once students are familiar with the timeline of the Constitutional Amendments and the laws that provided the right to vote to different citizens, students can research the following questions: What were ways states denied certain people the right to vote?Why was each of the different laws on voting rights created?Why were specific Constitutional Amendments on voting necessary?Why do you think it took so many years for women to attain the right to vote?Which historical events contributed to each of the Constitutional Amendments?Are there any other qualifications necessary to vote?Are there citizens today that are denied the right to vote? Terms Associated With Voting Rights Students should become familiar with some of the terms associated with the history of voting rights and the language of the Constitutional Amendments: poll tax:  A poll or head tax is one imposed equally on all adults at the time of voting and is not affected by property ownership or income.literacy test: Literacy tests were used to keep people of color and, sometimes, poor whites from voting, and they were administered at the discretion of the officials in charge of voter registration.grandfather clause:  (or grandfather policy) A provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases.  residency: Voting residence is within the state of legal residence or domicile. It is the true, fixed address that is considered a permanent home and a physical presence.  Jim Crow Laws:  The segregation and disenfranchisement laws known as Jim Crow represented a formal, codified system of racial apartheid that dominated the American South for three-quarters of a century beginning in the 1890s.  Equal Rights Amendment: (ERA) a proposed amendment to  the  United   States  Constitution  designed to guarantee  equal rights for women.   In 1978, a joint resolution of Congress extended the ratification deadline to June 30, 1982, but no further states ratified the amendment. Several organizations continue to work for the adoption of the ERA. New Questions for Students Teachers should have students return to their KWL charts and make any necessary corrections. Teachers can then have students use their research on laws and specific Constitutional Amendments to answer the following new questions: How does your new knowledge of suffrage amendments change or support your earlier answers?After nearly 150 years of voting rights being added to the Constitution, can you think of any other group that has not been considered?What questions do you still have about voting? Review Founding Documents The new C3 Frameworks encourage teachers to look for civic principles in texts such as the founding documents of the United States. In reading these important documents, teachers can help students understand different interpretations of these documents and their meanings: What claims are made?What evidence is used?  What language (words, phrases, images,  Ã‚  symbols) is used to persuade  the documents audienceHow does the documents language indicate  a particular point of view?   The following links will take students to founding documents associated with voting and citizenship. Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776.  Ã‚  The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall), approved this document  severing the colonies ties to the British Crown. United States Constitution: The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the source of all government powers, and also provides important limitations on the government that protect the fundamental rights of United States citizens.  Delaware was the first state to ratify, December 7, 1787; the Confederation Congress established March 9, 1789, as the date to begin operating under the Constitution.   14th Amendment:  Passed by Congress June 13, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868,   extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to former slaves. 15th Amendment:  Passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified February 3, 1870,   granted African American men the right to vote. 19th Amendment:  Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920,   granted women the right to vote. Voting Rights Act:  This act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson. It outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting. 23th Amendment:  Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961;  giving residents of the District of Columbia (DC) the right to have their votes counted in presidential elections. 24th Amendment:  ratified on January 23, 1964, was passed to address the poll tax, a state fee on voting. Student Answers to Questions Above How old must you be to vote?   In the United States,  twenty-one states permit 17-year-olds to vote in  primary elections  and caucuses if they will be 18 by election day.   What  requirements  are there for voting other than age?   You are a U.S. citizen.You meet your state’s residency requirements. When did citizens get the right to vote? The  United States Constitution  did not originally define who was eligible to vote; Amendments have extended rights to various groups. Student answers will vary on the following questions: What are your state’s voting requirements?  Why do you think people vote?  Why do you think people choose not to vote?

Coca Cola's Supply Network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coca Cola's Supply Network - Essay Example Spain is a country in which over 21,000 fires happening every year and â€Å"coke recently helped to restore some of the forests around Madrid that have suffered badly from forest fires, planting indigenous species and building dams† (The Coca Cola Company: Spain, 2009). Moreover, Coke helps the countries to develop new environmental legislation and protection with its waste recovery or recycling operations. There are no other companies in the world which can claim the same popularity and wider supply chain networks than Coke. In short, the same popularity of Coca Cola products cannot be claimed by any other products, which is the reason why I chose this organization in order to analyse the supply network. The growth of Coke is phenomenal in some parts of the world and it is necessary to assist the growth prospects with the help of an updated logistics or supply chain management system. Keeping in mind that, Coca Cola is constantly updating their logistics channels, to enhance the capabilities of their distribution system. Route optimization, route planning and load building are some of the strategies adopted by Coke to improve their delivery system. Because of the developments in the infrastructure facilities, new and easy routes might be developed at different areas. Coke explores all such possibilities periodically so that they select the cheapest routes for distributing their products. Coca Cola is keen in incorporating new technologies into their logistics and supply chain operations in order to improve the services of their distribution channels. Recently, they combined their logistics and retail expertise with SAPs software-development talent to create applications to improve delivery to stores (Foley & Kontzer, 2004). The arrival of SAP software enhanced the capabilities of the account managers, delivery drivers, and

Understanding Challenges In The Third Sector Essay - 5

Understanding Challenges In The Third Sector - Essay Example Gettler (2007) suggests that voluntary organizations play a role in increasing public service delivery but the role of developing volunteer skills is a challenge to many of these organizations. Measurement of potential leaders in these organizations lies in the level of education they hold and not the skills they have acquired over time. Nurturing volunteer skills to produce skilled leaders is a good thing since it will make the provision of services to be efficient due to the involvement of highly skilled personnel. The public should realize that leaders in voluntary organizations do not have to have achieved MBAs to acquire leadership skills. The public has little knowledge on how modern charities work because of the ignorance and assumptions that we create for ourselves. The public should get more information concerning the organizational services offered, the people who work in these organizations and those who are paid and those who are not so as to know the organizational budgets (Gettler, 2007). Reducing the charities’ perception to the public based on warm feelings rather than evidence of good work will help us to understand more on the kind of services provided by the third sector. According to Gettler (2007) charities have a role to play in the public service delivery but not all public services and people need to have a good understanding of where the charities can deliver better services than the public sector and where it cannot. â€Å"It does not matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches the mouse† Deng Xiao Ping (Evers and Laville, 2004). A leaf should be borrowed from this sayi ng to suggest that it does not matter who delivers the service as long as it is effectively delivered. Growing income and raising funds is one of the major challenges facing the third sector as a whole due to the fact that most organizations want to grow in their incomes since they tend to do

The Effects of Mass Media on Modern Youth Essay

The Effects of Mass Media on Modern Youth - Essay Example Youths’ view on things, opinions as well as attitudes change so much too. They have a tendency of copying styles of famous people leading to them forgetting who they really are. They try their best to look like celebrities and forget to work hard in school for good marks. The internet enhances a mode of style, behavior and fashion that leads to youths looking alike and behave similarly. This internet influence leads to social segregations; rich youths of the age between 15 and 18 slur poor ones. Unfortunately, this leads to crop of uncouth social practices. The negatives portrayed by the youths in the society are a result of the willingness to awaken people about them. For instance, the negative effects of addiction are spread through advertisements. Newspapers, internet and TV are used to pass social messages. But sorry to say sometimes, the message conveyed is misconstrued. The ‘awakening often does not reach everyone as intended or it reaches the public in the wrong way (Jacobs, 1992). As such, there are a proportion of youths that is influenced by media while there is another proportion that takes the message in the wrong way. Media overloads youths with lots of information. It is so addictive that once a person is glued to it, he or she tends to forget everything else. In most occasions, when youths are not watching television, they are surfing the internet, when they are not on the web, they are probably reading newspapers, and when they are not reading anything, they are likely listening to something.

What Education Means to Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What Education Means to Me - Essay Example Most students in high school are not sure what they want to be when they grow up. Often the lack of surety results in poor decisions and choices. In order to perform well in any job, it is critical to be passionate about it. One cannot be a good doctor if he really wants to be a writer. In my case, I always had a direction about what I wanted to pursue as my career although I did work in the marine infantry. In the marine, I was responsible for guarding the nuclear weapons which are amongst the most significant weapons. I always welcome the opportunity to learn as I believe one learns at every stage of his life. While working at the marine infantry I took the chance to learn more about the workings of the infantry. The experience proved to be invaluable although I showed more inclination towards radiation therapy. I did realize throughout school that education was of vital importance for my academic and professional development. It was my pathway to success. Although I found examinations to be intimidating I acknowledged that they were part of my educational development. But this did not mean that my view of education was limited to school, classes, and examinations. Education for me was beyond examinations and just school. The role of my teachers in motivating me has been great. This resulted in me looking at the world in a new perspective, one that was not confined to the classroom. Perhaps my teachers have had the greatest influence on my life in terms of education in school. They made me realize the importance of learning outside of the class. The ability to observe and apply knowledge to real situations was extremely helpful in building myself academically. Education is definitely beyond the usual textbook for me. It includes just about any knowledge or learning that results in a new perspective of viewing the world.  

Family in Europe History Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Family in Europe History - Coursework Example legends as women seemed to have enjoyed a certain degree of freedom in deciding their own futures, in owning property and in bringing honor and wealth to the family through marriage and children. This gave her stronger power within her own household as well, including the power to divorce if she so desired. Part of the woman’s value probably stemmed from the great amount of sexual promiscuity that took place during these times. Although it could never be entirely certain that the children of a son were direct blood descendents of a particular line, it was a certainty that children born of a daughter were. The confusion caused by this acceptance of sexual infidelity made for tense households as the children and mothers tended to fight against each other for inheritance rights. To protect the children from their half-siblings and other lovers of their parents, it became common practice to send the children away to be raised by foster parents. It is also probable that lower class es, lived entirely different lives. Women in the lower classes could be sold into slavery, either for sexual favors or for household services, while men in the lower classes were most often pressed into service for wealthier men as shepherds, farmers or in other vocations. However, it also seems clear that education, including literacy, was practiced in most homes and was made available to girls as well as boys. The Germanic Sippe was a form of kinship group that seems to have been very similar to the Irish sept. While the Irish sept was clearly a blending of patrilineal and matrilineal lines, it is more difficult to trace these relations within the Germanic texts. However, there is evidence that the Sippe followed at least the bloodlines of the male. Also unlike the Irish, there seems to have been a closer connection between the Sippe and the land that they settled on. Although family groups seem to have settled the land, they are also like the Irish sept in that they probably

What Education Means to Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What Education Means to Me - Essay Example Most students in high school are not sure what they want to be when they grow up. Often the lack of surety results in poor decisions and choices. In order to perform well in any job, it is critical to be passionate about it. One cannot be a good doctor if he really wants to be a writer. In my case, I always had a direction about what I wanted to pursue as my career although I did work in the marine infantry. In the marine, I was responsible for guarding the nuclear weapons which are amongst the most significant weapons. I always welcome the opportunity to learn as I believe one learns at every stage of his life. While working at the marine infantry I took the chance to learn more about the workings of the infantry. The experience proved to be invaluable although I showed more inclination towards radiation therapy. I did realize throughout school that education was of vital importance for my academic and professional development. It was my pathway to success. Although I found examinations to be intimidating I acknowledged that they were part of my educational development. But this did not mean that my view of education was limited to school, classes, and examinations. Education for me was beyond examinations and just school. The role of my teachers in motivating me has been great. This resulted in me looking at the world in a new perspective, one that was not confined to the classroom. Perhaps my teachers have had the greatest influence on my life in terms of education in school. They made me realize the importance of learning outside of the class. The ability to observe and apply knowledge to real situations was extremely helpful in building myself academically. Education is definitely beyond the usual textbook for me. It includes just about any knowledge or learning that results in a new perspective of viewing the world.  

The Islamic Conquests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Islamic Conquests - Essay Example In Empire to Commonwealth (12-19), historian Garth Fowden has delineated three separate geographical, cultural, and political spheres in Eurasia: China, India, and the Near East (the Fertile Crescent and the adjacent Mediterranean coast). These areas were all ancient centers of civilization and because of the distances and geographical barriers involved, had little interaction with each other. This is why China, India, and the Near East/Mediterranean can be thought of as continuous discrete civilizations even though throughout much of their history they lacked the political unity to provide full national identity. Although Islam eventually spread to all three areas, it origin and center lay in the Near East and it was only there that it became fully dominant. The Near East is unique among the three in having close interaction with a wide variety of surrounding areas. The Fertile Crescent is "a vortex that pulls inward and fuses what lies around it. So not only can the Fertile Crescent never enjoy long-term autonomy, but its unity can only be realized on a secure bases as part of a wider unification of the Iranian Plateau with the Mediterranean" (Fowden, 18). This unity was only achieved twice, in the first instance by the Achaemenid Empire (Alexander's fleeting unification of an even larger territory was based on Achaemenid Iran) in the sixth to fourth centuries BC, and in the seventh century by the Umayyad Caliphate. The initial Arab conquests unified the entire Fertile Crescent region with Iran for the first time in centuries, providing a secure economic, political, and geographical base fo r further conquests, for instance by allowing the Islamic state to compete on an even footing with the Byzantine navy (Fowden, 140). It may well be that the impetus to sustain large scale conquests into the eighth century came from the Islamic practice of providing for the army from the income of conquered lands collectively, rather than distributing the lands. This tended to keep the army in being (Karsh, 24). How did the initial Arab conquest succeed so well The Arabs' opponents in the area, the Byzantine and Sassanian Empires, were exhausted after a generation of fruitless war with each other over the Fertile Crescent and were in internal states of near collapse. In Iran, ultimately the loosing party in this conflict, on which the pressure was increased by Turkish invasions from the north (Christian, 260-285), the aftermath of defeat had led to assassination, civil war, and by 633 a state of anarchy in the empire (Nafziger and Walton, 18). Rome was also riven with internal dissensions (see below). So, to a large degree from a military perspective, the rapid Arab conquest of the Iranian state and of nearly half the territory of the Byzantine state, is to be attributed to the internal weakness of the defeated Empires rather to any special qualities of Islam. Other possible purely military factors to explain the Islamic conquests have been proposed, though with less plausibility. In Islam at War, Nafziger and Walton suggest a 'great man' solution to the problem of the Arab conquest, arguing that Khalid ibn al Waleed was "one of the great [sic] natural military leaders in all of human history" (16-17). But this hardly seems plausible. However remarkable Khalid's successes were on an operation level, and as astounding as his victories were, the were (as above) due more to the

Video-based training programs Essay Example for Free

Video-based training programs Essay Video-based training programs are being implemented at an ever-increasing rate across the country. While this type of training should certainly not be the only method that is used to train your employees, it is very effective and can offer significant advantages over other training methods. ADVANTAGES There are many advantages to video-based training. However, only the most significant ones are discussed here. Save Development Time. You can shorten your training cycle because you will have the ability to deliver â€Å"just-in-time† training where and when you need it. Facilitation materials with activities and discussion points can be used in whole or in part to create training events that run anywhere from one to four hours. Add Variety to the Delivery Mix. Workshops and lectures can become routine and boring. Video provides a change of pace and can add an entertainment factor that is not possible in a live presentation. Videos can also be used to supplement a face-to-face workshop to stimulate discussion, demonstrate concepts that could not otherwise be presented, and provide meaningful examples of the topic at hand. The more the senses are engaged in the content, the more the participants will learn. Build a Resource Library. Building a video and/or DVD library allows you to offer a broader range of training. You will no longer be limited to custom in-house development or scheduled classroom events. Trainees can check out a DVD or access video training online. RECOMMENDATION Video-based training materials save your organization time and money, and they make your business look progressive. Because they help build learning retention, they can also improve the return on your training investment. The next step should be a formal review of your training needs and an evaluation report to be completed by a professional video-based training firm with a proven track record.

Ward Management And Leadership Pressure

Ward Management And Leadership Pressure Reflective practice is a key aspect of Nursing Management and is guided by specific models of reflection. These models act as a framework within which nursing professionals can work. Additionally, it can also be considered as a learning model that serves the rationale of a profession and is predominantly linked to the field of health sciences. The practices based on Reflective approaches emphasize on the importance of learning through experiences following the thinking process and correlates the realistic experiences with the speculative learning approaches. Among the various different models of reflection, Gibbs Model strengthens upon the event and includes a critical description of situational happenings together with a reflection of perceptions and feelings persisted at that time upon being in to the state or situation. Subsequently, the nursing professional personally evaluates the nature of experience in a way that was been good or bad and thereby analyses if she can create any sense to the situation (Atkins, Murphy 1994). Within this essay, the described case study reflects on the ward manager who possessed minimal confidence at the time of assessment owing to the internal anxiety as well as the leadership pressure and lack of knowledge. In addition, this essay discusses several concerns pertaining to nursing practice and provides an insight to the potential importance of like history taking process and physical assessment. The Ward manager must understand the following principles of history taking process: Obtaining a history about health is a conversation that underlines a specific purpose. Unlike social discussions where in which we express the needs and interests with a responsibility only for ourselves, the primary goal of a nursing professional is the patient interview (carried out for the well-being of the patient) (Bickley, 2009). The underpinning ideology of history taking process is to establish a supportive and trust worthy relationship, gather and to offer information. It must be understood that the basic communication skills are essentially needed in order to maintain an effective rapport between the patient and therapist. The specific communication strategy of maintaining an open, reverent and inquisitive attitude (in questioning pattern) play a crucial role in enhancing the communication process, establishing trust and rapport together with the willingness of the patient in teaching to the history taker. But these strategies tend to exhibit difficulties during the coding process, especially when numerous answers were provided. The strategy of collaborative partnerships with the communication that is dependent on trust, respect and a willingness to reconsider assumptions assist in enabling patients to express concerns that run oppositely to the dominant culture. But these approaches cannot be applied to the limited number of population and it completely depends upon the interest of the patient. Nevertheless, the principles laid down by Tavistock (Rights, Balance, Comprehensiveness, Cooperation, Improvement, Safety and Openness) including other communication strategies guide the behaviour of individuals and the questioning patterns within healthcare. The critical knowledge about anatomical landmarks is definitely needed for any Ward Manager, prior to physical assessment process. These landmarks include hair (surface, allocation, scalp and critters), Nails and Skin (the assessor must know the terminology, diagrams and pictures of various layers). The HEENT (Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouse and Throat) system, Thorax and Lung portions, the BREEK that involves breathe sounds, respiratory warning signs and terminologies as well as the video graphical picture of lungs and breast region to analyse the alveolar and blood vessel distribution (Hopcroft, Forte 2007). Additionally, the physical assessment skills play a crucial role identification and management of actual and potential health problems, evaluating the efficacy of nursing care, promoting the nurse patient relationships, making clinical judgements and developing, establishing the data that aid in the evolution of future nursing phases and practices (Jarvis, 2007). Though patient h istory is subjective, the physical assessment process is an objective study that starts with a general survey. Each part of the body that was reviewed has a nursing history during the initiation of objective exam procedure (Bickley, 2009). However, the ward manager must develop following strategies to ensure the quality within the physical assessment process. These comprise of asking open ended questions, listening cautiously and unwearyingly to the patient story, keeping an eye on physical findings, patients story, designing a methodical and organized sequence of physical examination and history taking process, evaluating mistakes in data compilation and construal techniques, conferring with the ward colleagues and reviewing the medical literature to clarify the potential uncertainties and finally applying principles of evidence based data analysis and practice within patient information and setting (Clark, Walsh 1999). On the other hand, the Ward manager must understand certain principles that govern the physical assessment. The selected assessments have to be valid, reliable and consistent. It must be highly specific and should identify the percentage of people who assessed negative among the group of people with no -diseased conditions (Cross, Rimmer 2002). Additionally, the principle of predictive value that indicates the reliability of the symptom (in examining the presence or absence of the disease) must also be conferred and the probability of true negatives out of the total population count need to be tested (Johns, 1995). Lastly, the test processes have to maintain sensitivity in a way by analysing the proportion of people with true positives and false negatives among the various groups of people under study (Higgins, 2007). Within the occupational health environments, tests are generally performed to minimise the work risks and to control the identified health complexities. The performed diagnostic tests include blood tests (Complete Blood Picture), breathing tests, heart rate and blood pressure monitoring, genetic and AIDS testing through specimen analysis (examples include stool test for occult blood, Tuberculosis testing and collecting blood samples for HIV and other sexual disease screening) (Higgins, 2007; Johns 1995). Furthermore, numerous diagnostic tests may be carried out on a regular basis depending upon the diseased condition of the patient. It is very important for the Ward Manager (who is carrying out the assessment) to understand the reference and the normal values of these diagnostic tests (Thibodeau, Patton 2006). The process of interpretation must be performed within the state of patient well being context and assessor must understand that specific circumstances like hydration, mental s tatus, fasting, nutrition and flexibility with the test etiquettes are the some of the influential factors that affect the test outcomes. The interferences due to alcohol and drug consumption, physical exercise, foods and beverages including diurnal and other cyclic variations must be analysed by the Ward Manager. This can seem to be possible only when he/she possess profound knowledge about pharmacology and physiology of the patient and exhibition of such knowledge is definitely needed to identify the patients state and condition (Bickley, 2009). In addition, the issues of Nonmaleficence (considered as not doing any harm or stated as First, do no harm). Beneficence that dictates the assessor in doing good for the patient must be followed. The specific actions of the clinicians need to be encouraged by what is within the patients best interest (Thibodeau, Patton 2006). Autonomy where in which the patients possess a right to choose their own best interest must be governed by the Ward Manager as a part of professionalism. The patient data must be maintained in a high confidential manner and should not be disclosed to anyone unless specific circumstances persist. The assessor need to enable the patient in explaining openly about his condition and should not be interrupted. In diagnosing mentally challenged patients, the ward manager need to give prime importance to the Informed Consent, an essential legal, professional and ethical issue that exercise the decision making capacity and treatment procedures (Fairley, 2005). During em ergency situations, where consent cannot be acquired, the treatment must be provided for any patient who need it and such treatment must be limited in a way that is instantaneously necessary to protect life and to prevent deterioration in patients health. This is the principle of necessity and it must be executed as a part of nursing profession (Higgins, 2007). In carrying out a physical assessment to the patient, the Ward Manager utilizes two different approaches, Head to Toe assessment (also called as Cephalocaudal approach) and Body systems approach. The first strategy involves examining the patient from top of the body to the toe portion (Schon, 1993). This type of assessment used in data collection aids to thwart overlooking of certain aspects in data collection process, minimizes the positional changes required and consumes less time as the nurse avoids periodical movements around the client. But this strategy may not ease the problem identification process. Towards the other side, the body system strategy includes collection of relevant data in accordance to the well-designed systems of the body. Further, it involves structural examination of each system with an aim to obtain clustered findings and disease identification (Bickley, 2009). Nevertheless, this approach may create tiresomeness to the patient and nurse owing to frequent po sitional changes. Additionally, this approach enables the nurse or the assessor in examining the body parts repeatedly and thereby devour more time. With relation to the present case study, it is highly necessary for the ward manager to gain sufficient knowledge on underlying principles of two strategies and I suggest he/she should implement the specific approach depending upon the patient condition, time and the proposed treatment (Bickley, 2009). If I was given a role in performing physical assessment, I would divide the patient body in to six general areas: head and neck, chest, abdomen, extremities, genitalia, anus and rectum. The findings obtained will be conferred for high accuracy as they critically depend upon specific techniques employed as well as on the structures identified (Jarvis, 2007). Additionally, the mental status assessment will be performed as a part of my role as this help would me in obtaining information about the level of patients organic functioning, attention, memory, abstract thinking ability. Each patient is assessed in a Cephalocaudal manner and the data obtained was documented carefully as it is important in the objective assessment (physical assessment) process (Cross, Rimmer 2002). Additionally, I will correlate the information present in preliminary test reports with the objective assessment data to identify the exact aetiology of the disease. The knowledge gained with relation to the reference and normal values will be applied within the treatment practice to understand the critical effect of prevailing imbalances. The patient will be assessed in a confident manner without any interference of anxiety and depression. The knowledge gained through the pharmacological and physiological perspectives was utilised to evaluate the disease and its deleterious effects on body systems. Following the analytical interpretations, the patient is then prescribed with the medication that suits with the disease condition. The total patient report signifying his name, identified medical problem, tests, findings and the treatment plan proposed will be documented for future reference (Bickley, 2009). Apart from these, various inter professional working barriers optimise the health care profession as well as the assessment process. These include professional jealousies, impractical expectations of others, confusion ambiguity about the role, professional attitudes towards one another, leadership responsibilities, anxiety, depression and lack of knowledge and several others. To enable an effective working relationship in nursing practice, it is very important to address these issues (Gustafsson, Fagerberg 2004). Among various factors depicted above, Leadership is the important issue and good leadership is essentially needed to enable efficient and effective decision making processes and assessments. The study by Clouder and Sellars (2004) identified that there may be nervousness for nurses and ward managers between their traditional role of care and rehabilitation therapy that demands standing back and encouraging independence. Introducing sudden responsibilities upon the nurses in a way by moving them from comfort zone (of taking care of patients) may increase their work load and this eventually leads in inappropriate assessment (Clouder, Sellars 2004). In order to demonstrate high expertise within the health care practice, nurses must possess essential skills related to therapeutic practice, coordination, empowerment and advocacy, education, clinical reasoning and governance, political awareness and advice or counselling techniques (Clouder, Sellars 2004). Today, the National and International Organisations in various countries have recognised the health promotional strategies for physical assessment process. Current concepts of these strategies include detection and prevention of disease through active promotion of well-being and quality of life, in-depth understanding of physical, cognitive, emotional and social factors that underline the disease process and addressing such factors with the use of sophisticated methodologies. Additionally, the patients must be advised about the various developmental strategies and an integrated explanation should be provided on the physical findings with health promotion (Somerville, Keeling 2004). When diagnosing children, the nurse must advise their parents about various developmental strategies, immunisation schedules, screening procedures that aid in their child development process. It must be understood that in order to achieve a healthier world, every health care professional must broadly empha sise on comprehensive health promotional strategies during childhood as their ultimate future depends upon the implementation of these approaches. Conclusion The present case study upon the Ward manager who was ineffective in carrying out assessment owing to depression, anxiety and leadership was effectively demonstrated along with the strategies that are needed to be followed to tackle such conditions. The manager was recommended to gain knowledge about pharmacological, physiological and anatomical perspectives. Lastly, I would advise the Ward manager to repeatedly practice Gibbs model of reflection, in a way by completing an exercise that provide an elaborate description of events, feelings, good and bad experiences and thereby analysing the responses practically to the situation under study.

Internal Combustion Engines Essay -- Engine Cars Mechanics Essays

Internal Combustion Engines An internal-combustion engine is a heat engine that burns fuel and air inside a combustion chamber located within the engine proper. Simply stated, a heat engine is an engine that converts heat energy to mechanical energy. The internal- combustion engine should be distinguished from the external- combustion engine, for example, the steam engine and the Stirling engine, which burns fuel outside the prime mover, that is, the device that actually produces mechanical motion. Both basic types produce hot, expanding gases, which may then be employed to move pistons, turn turbine rotors, or cause locomotion through the reaction principle as they escape through the nozzle. Most people are familiar with the internal-combustion reciprocating engine, which is used to power most automobiles, boats, lawn mowers, and home generators. Based on the means of ignition, two types of internal-combustion reciprocating engines can be distinguished: spark-ignition engines and compression-ignition engines. In the former, a spark ignites a combustible mixture of air and fuel; in the latter, high compression raises the temperature of the air in the chamber and ignites the injected fuel without a spark. The diesel engine is a compression-ignition engine. This article emphasizes the spark-ignition engine. The invention and early development of internal-combustion engines are usually credited to three Germans. Nikolaus Otto patented and built (1876) the first such engine; Karl Benz built the first automobile to be powered by such an engine (1885); and Gottlieb Daimler designed the first high-speed internal- combustion engine (1885) and carburetor. Rudolf Diesel invented a successful compression-ignition engine (the diesel engine) in 1892. The operation of the internal-combustion reciprocating engine employs either a four-stroke cycle or a two-stroke cycle. A stroke is one continuous movement of the piston within the cylinder. In the four-stroke cycle, also known as the Otto cycle, the downward movement of a piston located within a cylinder creates a partial vacuum. Valves located inside the combustion chamber are controlled by the motion of a camshaft connected to the crankshaft. The four strokes are called, in order of sequence, intake, compression, power, and exhaust. On the first stroke the intake valve is opened w... ... energy within the muffler before the exhaust gases are permitted to escape. The power capacity of an engine depends on a number of characteristics, including the volume of the combustion chamber. The volume can be increased by increasing the size of the piston and cylinder and by increasing the number of cylinders. The cylinder configuration, or arrangement of cylinders, can be straight, or in-line (one cylinder located behind the other); radial (cylinders located around a circle); in a V (cylinders located in a V configuration); or opposed (cylinders located opposite each other). Another type of internal- combustion engine, the Wankel engine, has no cylinders; instead, it has a rotor that moves through a combustion chamber. An internal-combustion engine must also have some kind of transmission system to control and direct the mechanical energy where it is needed; for example, in an automobile the energy must be directed to the driving wheels. Since these engines are not able to start under a load, a transmission system must be used to "disengage" the engine from the load during starting and then to apply the load when the engine reaches its operating speed.

gatdream Death of the American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Death of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby The American Dream embodies the belief that each person can succeed in life on the basis of his own skills and effort. This idea awakes and develops during the 18th and 19th centuries - a period of fast development in the United States. The issues of growth, progress and money become a major theme in American society, which is why Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby focuses on this problem. Through the characters Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, the author impressively presents a failure in achieving this dream. The collapse of Gatsby's attempt to win Daisy proves that dreams, money and blind faith in life's possibilities, are not enough for a man to reach his goals. Gatsby perceives Daisy as a rich, beautiful and charming young lady, who represents the perfect woman. This ideal inspires his love and evokes his dream to reach her. He is a poor and uneducated young man, without any past. This is why Gatsby is impressed by the glamour and careless gayety that surrounds Daisy. That veneration is expressed in his words: "I was flattered that she wanted to speak to me, because of all the other girls I admired her most." The beauty of her life, fill Gatsby's mind with passionate sense of mystery and love. He sees Daisy as an "excitingly desirable" woman, which makes him thrilled, but at the same time unsure about the future. Even though he feels she is unreachable, he keeps his hope, which inspires him to fight for her. Gatsby's ambition represents the American Dream. He believes that despite his empty past and lack of education, he can succeed on the basis of his abilities, hard work and money. Gatsby does everything - legal and illegal in order to gain the wealth and property that will win him Daisy. The source of his money is unclear, and as Tom Buchanan suggests he is a "bootlegger". This denotes that Gatsby is determined to achieve his goal and is ready to put all the efforts needed to accomplish his high set aim. He has a blind hope in the abilities of life - he trusts that money can buy him Daisy's love.

The Lord of the Flies Journal Entry Chapter 2

Entry II: Day 1 Today’s events have left me thinking a bit. After we got back from exploring the island, Ralph assembled another meeting to spread our new discoveries. We realized everyone would not stop talking at once, so Ralph decided that whoever holds the conch has the right to talk and can only be interrupted by Ralph himself. Great idea at first, until that fat, useless oaf Piggy took it. He wouldn’t stop worrying and whining about getting rescued. Ralph said it himself, his dad’s a navy commander and will probably have us rescued in a few days.I don’t understand why he doesn’t have faith in Ralph like the others. After a while, Ralph brought up the great idea of making a fire in order to signal the rescuers we would be on the island. I knew there was little time to waste just sitting around, so I led the group into the forest to gather firewood. Upon gathering wood, I was the one who came up with the idea of using Fatty’s specs as bur ning glasses. Still, I had never imagined that keeping a fire burning would be so hard! Later, I humbly offered the choir to maintain the fire in shifts. Everything went well until that swine Piggy decided to speak out again.He kept repeating himself about how building a fire was a bad choice, even though he didn’t contribute squat to anything to begin with. Still, bigger problems arose to overshadow his stupidity. The fire we thought had been put out actually spread and began burning down a chunk of the forest. To top it off, we are now missing a little shrimp with a mulberry-colored scar on his face. I remember him as the one who wouldn’t stop scaring others by talking about the â€Å"beasties in the forest†. Stupid kids always getting themselves into trouble. As the leader of the hunters, I will definitely find him.

Effects of the Black Death Essay

Imagine one half of the world’s population by wiped out in a space of less than a ten years. You probably cannot imagine such an event occurring; it seems unreal. Yet, this very thing happened in the between the years 1347 and 1351 in Europe. This massive destruction of human life was known as the Black Death. This Black Death was an ecological disaster on a global scale. The effects of the plague on human and certain animal populations from East Asia to as far west as Greenland were catastrophic. All facets of society, from peasant to king were affected; no one was safe. All of society was affected; nothing would ever be the same. Thus, there were many economic, social, and political effects of the Black Death. Before one can understand the effects of the Black Death, one must understand precisely what is and what it did. The Black Death was the common name for what is now known today to be three different diseases. The first, and most common of these was Bubonic Plague. The Bubonic Plague lasts for approximately six days. The early symptoms include hemorrhaging and splotches on the skin. Later on, various neurological and psychological disorders can occur. Bubonic Plague is fatal fifty to sixty percent of the time. The other two forms of the Plague, Septicaemic and Pneumonic were both much more rare, but much deadly, killing ninety-five a hundred percent of the time. The Black Death did not originate in Europe, however. It originated in Central Asia, far away from Europe. So how did it get to Europe, and why during the Late Middle Ages? Before the time of the Late Middle Ages, infrastructure was vastly underdeveloped. Thus, diseases spread by humans could not possibly spread far, as most humans did not move too far from their homeland. By the time of the Late Middle Ages, trade and infrastructure had evolved into an advanced state. Trade routes connected all the main cities of Europe to the far away lands of Asia. Now, as the Black Death epidemic began in Asia, it began to slaughter and spread immediately. By the 1350s, two-thirds of China’s population lay dead, but this was just the beginning. The Black Death quickly spread across Central Asia, following the route of the Silk Road. Soon it reached the Middle East, where Italian merchants proceeded to spread it to Europe via their trading  ships. At the time the Black Death reached Europe, the population was in full swing. Population numbers, due to new agricultural methods and other means, were at all time highs. The Black Death would quickly change that. The Black Death, traveling quickly across trading routes covered Europe in the brief span between the years 1347 and 1351. Everywhere from Ireland to Scandinavia to Spain was hit. Once the Black Death hit a town only some were spared. Anywhere from twenty-five to seventy-five percent of a town’s population would perish. And once a town would begin to recover, the Black Death would strike again and again, relentlessly slaughtering thousands. For an event as destructive as the Black Death, the economic effects are vast. After the plague had swept through Europe and reduced the population by a third, a sudden surplus of all items and food drove prices down drastically. In reply to this people began to wildly overspend what was not worth that much. However, after the excess amount of food had been used up, the insufficiency of labor began to make an impact. Prices rapidly shot up, way beyond pre-plague rates. In addition, those laborers who remained soon were in high demand. They realized that their services were rare, and thus they could charge any rate they wanted. In response to this, governments created laws limiting wages. This in turn would later cause peasant revolts in the later 14th Century. However, Some places experienced economic prosperity as a long term consequence of the plague. In addition to the effects on wages, there were other economic effects as well. Towns in the Late Middle Ages were slowly becoming important centers of trade. Towns were the center of commerce, and places were markets were. The Black Death struck these very towns the hardest. Towns, being crowded and infested by rats, were more susceptible to the plague than rural areas. Thus, people abandoned many towns for the safety of the countryside. This heavily stunted trade, as now towns were abandoned, and there was no central location for people to meet and trade. Furthermore, there were many social effects as well. Middle Age culture  became a culture of death and decay. Life became cheap. The stench of death became unavoidable when entering towns and cities. Everywhere there were the dead and the dying. Bodies were literally piled up outside in wheelbarrows, waiting to be dumped. The dead were not treated with respect or dignity. Fear was so great of infection that bodies were simply piled up and dumped in mass graves. People, ignorant of what was causing this terrible catastrophe, blamed those on the margins of society. Others questioned the Church. Why would God inflict such suffering? The Church had no answers, so people began to question it more and more. Some took matters into their own hands. Groups of people, known as flagellants began to go through towns and cities, wiping themselves to appease God. They believed that if they caused enough pain to themselves, then perhaps God would ease their suffering. In addition, the new devaluing of life and questioning of the Church, the fabric that held society together society was ripped. The plague affected everyone from kings to peasants. Soldiers who once protected peasants were no longer there, and survivors were vulnerable to looters and highwaymen. Nobility who once guided society were now deceased, and people could no longer count on them to run manors and provide for general protection against enemies. Nobles could no longer rely on peasants, as they quickly became scarce. In short, the Black Death caused a violent upheaval on society as death became common, and nothing could be trusted. In addition to the many social and economic effects, there were also many political effects of the Black Plague. As stated before, the Black Plague affected virtually all facets of society, including the nobility. The nobility’s ability to effectively assert their power became extremely limited due to the rapid decline of feudalism that occurred due to the plague. The main source of the power of the nobility came from their feudal powers, and once these powers became limited, the ability of the nobles to effect political change also became limited. Before the Black Plague, kings had to take into account the nobles and their ideas. Following the Black Plague, nobles became helpless, unless they agreed to further the kings’ claims and demands. This in turn further centralized power, which was a trend of the 14th Century. The main political effect of the Black Death was  the further loss of power of the nobles in government. The Black Death was the terror of the Middle Ages. Serf and king alike feared it. And where the plague struck, nothing could be the same. Overpopulated towns suddenly became deserted. Flourishing commerce suddenly became dead and empty. Whereas the dead were once respected and taken care of, now they were devalued and thrown in piles. The kings continued to gain in power, due to the weakening of the feudal system. In retrospect, the Black Death was, perhaps, one of the most transforming events in human history. The economy, society, and politics of the time were transformed forever.

Business and Society Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business and Society - Case Study Example From this study it is clear that Warhead cables were used in missiles and to prove its quality, it underwent a series of tests. It was tested using an elevated heat test where it was bent at a ninety degree angle and placed in an oven at approximately 105 degrees for seven hours. If the seal did not delaminate, then the cables passed the test. Then Stanton could prepare a detailed report of the test results. In the previous week, a large order came by with a short time period.   On Friday, Stanton tested the batch of cables and two out of the ten tested had a problem. He immediately reported this to Harry who directed him to wait and see if the source inspector could note the problem. Stanton did not like this directive at all as he thought of all innocent civilians out there who would suffer form this unethical behavior. These cables were used in missiles fuses and Stanton was worried sick of a problem arising if these cables were to be used. What if a missile was to fire itself a nd harm innocent civilians? He thought of anyone in the parent corporation that he could contact but to no avail.According to the discussion  Bryson corporation should act ethically due to the dangers they would be exposing civilians into if they failed to act ethically. Considering the warhead cables are used to manufacture switches used in missiles unethical behavior could cost innocent lives in the case of such missiles firing themselves.

Discourse-Specific Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discourse-Specific Narrative - Essay Example This essay discusses my literacy history and how it has been developed as a scholar through discourse communities and sponsors during my past and present experiences in reading, writing, research, and critical thinking experiences that await you in the discourse community particular to your major or career. Research demonstrates accounts of literacy attainment as well as language learning, also shows literacy teaching practices, development processes and writing struggles among scholars (Casanave and Vandrick 17). Such philosophical studies have resulted in creating considerable benefits to interested parties by permitting them to explore the scholar’s experiences in some detail (Bruner 105). The relationship between learning and literacy has been highlighted by many researchers. (Devereux and Wilson 124) affirm that the development of an array of literacy practices necessary for a particular discourse community, for example teachers, is crucial because of the close relationship between learning and literacy since scholars need to be able interpret a text, create meaning from it, know the relationships between text structure and function, draw conclusions, and develop the ability to critically think. According to these authors (Devereaux and Wilson) one of the most significant challenges for educators in is to develop forms of learning support that will present students with opportunities to develop their understanding of relevant concepts through literacy. My literacy experience started back at home. Most of my foundation literacy skills came from my family and close friends. My parents instructed me at home during my early schooling years. I remember my parents holding up using a portable blackboard to write simple vowels. I can memorize her voice repeatedly saying A, E, I, O, U. putting all this information in my head was boring and recurring at the time and that memory of boredom is fixed in my mind permanently. Although I struggled with

Xerox Corporation Case Study 03066 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Xerox Corporation Case Study 03066 - Essay Example One of the major and unexpected cases was of Xerox Inc., a huge reputed global technology entity. It was reported that the company practiced creative accounting techniques to manipulate its performance during the period from 1997 to 2000. Considering the case, below presented is a critical review of the case via investigating the underlying matter deeply with its circumstances and consequences. The discussion will be an effort of aligning and comparing case evidences with the defined code of conduct in the regard by authorities and authentic literature of the underlying discipline. Being a global entity in document technology business, Xerox inc., is known for quality and innovation in the field (Mui, 2012). Founded in 1906, Xerox is currently working with around 140000 employees, 12000 active patents and reported $19.5 Billion revenue for the year 2014 (Xerox, 2015). The company got entangled in an accounting scandal for the period of 1997-2000 by SEC. At that time, company’s worth was 92,500 employees, 87th rank in Fortune 500 and reported $18.7 billion sales for the year 2000 (Jessup, & Nance, 2011). Known for innovation in document technology, Xerox deals in a variety of products and services related to the digital documentation measures (Xerox, 2014). The portfolio of the company holds mainly ranges of printing devices, scanning machines, communication devices, publishing systems (Jessup, & Nance, 2011) and a wide range of offered outsource services as well (Girod, Alter, Harris and Junglas, 2011). Claiming to be the leader in document technology, Xerox admits the volatile nature of its business due to the association with the ever-changing technology. Girod, Alter, Harris, and Junglas, (2011) suggest that technology businesses work under high pressures of current competitive scenario. Slow paced innovation, technologically outdated products,

The Canadian Legal System vs. The United States Legal System Research Paper

The Canadian Legal System vs. The United States Legal System - Research Paper Example The abortion law was found to violate the rights of women when it comes to their â€Å"freedom of conscience† and â€Å"liberty†. Women’s rights are protected in the Canadian constitution that’s the reason why the government is reluctant to touch the topic regarding the unborn since it would be a violation of the women’s constitutional rights to do so. In Canada, women are given the power of choice. The government funds abortion through the Canadian Medicare except for two provinces which refuses to grant it full funding even if it is required by law. This refusal is because of two reasons; one is because of politically motivated anti-choice biases and the discrimination of private clinics which are operating outside of the Canadian healthcare system. Most of the abortion procedures are done in public hospitals but most of the hospitals do not perform the surgery. Having access to the procedure is a major problem for women in major places. This predicament leads women to travel distances (Arthur, 2011). In America, the abortion law has lots of restrictions even if it is legal. The American court ruled a â€Å"trimester framework† for abortion. On the first trimester, the law allows doctors to perform the procedure regardless of reason disregarding the right of the woman to choose. On the second trimester, a state could regulate the abortion only if it is for the woman’s health. In the third trimester, which is after viability, states could protect the unborn life except if it is necessary to protect the well-being of the mother (Monahan, 2006). Parental consent is needed for teenagers seeking an abortion. In contrast to Canada allowing the use of public funds, the use of public funds and facilities for abortion in America is not allowed. Viability tests are also required after 20 weeks. And women are forced to have a waiting period and visit the clinic at least two times. Monahan, Michael ( 2006). Planned

Developing a Shared Vision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Developing a Shared Vision - Essay Example g the healthcare industry, healthcare leaders are changing and adjusting to new measures to enable them lead the healthcare organizations they are leading. Healthcare leaders in the modern healthcare industry face a vast array of challenges, from layoffs because of reducing revenues, staff shortages, re - organization in response to merging of consolidation services, poor job satisfaction rates resulting in Turnover to poor performance outcomes leading to a reduction in Medicare Reimbursement Dollars. In the past, healthcare leaders have not faced so many issues as now. Due to these issues, healthcare leaders have resulted to certain skills, individual features and leadership features to enable them mitigate the challenges faced. As the manger of an ancillary service department at a large, 500 + bed hospital, several challenges have affected the ancillary service department. These challenges include staff shortage and layoffs due to declining revenues. This paper describes a proposal directed to staff to address the two issues. Staffs are a vital component of a healthcare’s system unit. Hence, it is important to keep them informed regarding issues that are affecting the hospital so that they are not caught off guard on mitigation measures put in place by the hospital’s management to solve the challenges. Informing staff makes them feel part of the hospital. It boosts their morale in spite of the challenges. The hospital faces two challenges that are staff shortage and layoffs due to reducing revenues. These challenges are not a call to panic or give up. However, they are a call to unity, cohesiveness and adaptation in order to overcome them as valuable contributors to the day-to-day running of the hospital and healthcare in the country. As you all know, both of these challenges are not unique to the hospital. They are nationwide issues. However, as a hospital, the management would like to take its own initiative to mitigate these issues. Staff shortage in

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay Every piece of literature created is influenced by the time in which it was written. A particular text is a reflection of the era or period in which it was born. An author is contained within a specific time in history, and his writing becomes the result of the social, economic or political milieu of that time. This is the reason why it is extremely important for a reader to determine the context of the story in order to fully understand a piece of literature. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a great example of how a text reflects a particular era. It is a novel written in the 1930s and revealed what was happening during that time in California. Hence, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a reflection of California during the 1930s. Of Mice and Men is a story about the friendship between George Milton and Lennie Small. The two men are remarkably different from each other. Steinbeck (1994) described George as â€Å"small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features† (p. 4). He depicted Lennie as the opposite of his companion; he was â€Å"a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders† (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 4). However, their differences were not limited to physical appearances. George is intelligent, but his friend Lennie is mentally challenged (Steinbeck, 1994). The mental condition of the latter forced him to depend solely on the former. While George often expressed displeasure about the burden of being Lennie’s companion, he proved to be a dedicated friend. He served as Lennie’s guardian. Unfortunately, Lennie’s disability caused him to be involved in great trouble. He was unable to discern his own strength, accidentally harming and killing others in the process. In the end, George continues to fulfill his role as Lennie’s protector; he killed Lennie himself to spare him from death in the hands of Curley (Steinbeck, 1994). While the friendship between George and Lenny is the main focus of the story, the history of California plays a bigger and more significant role in the novel. Of Mice and Men is also a story about California and the problems which plagued it during the 1930s. John Steinbeck wrote three books which delved into the situation in California in 1930s; Of Mice and Men is the second book in the trilogy. The other two novels were In Dubious Battle and The Grapes of Wrath. In On Mice and Men, the relationship between George and Lennie is set against the backdrop of 1930s California. Both men are migrant workers with a single dream: they wanted to own a piece of land and farm it themselves. George said, â€Å"Someday—we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs† (Steinbeck, 1994). This dream was influenced, if not completely defined, by the problems of the state at that particular time. In the Introduction of the On Mice and Men, Shillinglaw (1994) described California in the 1930s. During the 1930s, the main problem in California was agricultural labor. Since the 1900s, most of the agriculturally abundant valleys were located in California. Produce such as broccoli, lettuce, sugar beets and strawberries were only some of those harvested in plenitude. The vast farms in California required many laborers for its harvest. Meanwhile, the Southwest region of America suffered from drought. Due to the drought, the once bountiful lands became similar to deserts. As a result, laborers left what was known as the Dust Bowl to try their luck in California. Since 1935, an estimated 350,000 people from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas stormed the Golden State in hopes of finding jobs in the farms. While it was true that California had enormous agricultural fields which supplied most of the country’s produce, the employment of workers were still a problem. There were too many people to accommodate for jobs in these farms. Workers from the Dust Bowl wandered throughout the state in search of crops to farm, as they were desperate for work. By 1936, California was faced with a major problem: the constant flow of poor and hungry migrants from the Southwest. The situation of wandering farm workers was illustrated in Of Mice and Men. The novel began with the arrival of George and Lennie in the Salinas River. George was upset that the bus driver did not drop them off at the proper location. He said, â€Å"Didn’t wanta stop at the ranch gate, that’s what† (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 6). The two men exemplified the situation of all the other migrant workers in California during the 1930s. Agricultural laborers such as George and Lennie were directed from one ranch to another, in search for work. George asked Lennie, â€Å"You remember about us goin’ into Murray and Ready’s, and they give us work cards and bus tickets? † (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 7). Murray and Ready had provided both men with the cards and tickets, then sent them to the next ranch. According to the novel, the last ranch they worked for was called Weed. The plight of the itinerant laborers was best expressed by George’s words: â€Å"They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch† (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 15). The novel also portrayed the difficult life of male migrant workers and their need for human company. It was said that majority of the migrant agricultural workers in California were single men. Since the 1870s until 1930, the fruit and wheat crops of the Golden State were harvested by single men. These men were modern day nomads, for they constantly moved from one place to another. They carried bindles whenever they went. George confirmed the situation of male farm workers in California: â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place† (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 15). The solitude of the farm workers resulted in the constant need for companionship. In the absence of wives and families, the male itinerant laborers develop friendships instead. The friendship between George and Lennie was the kind of relationship created due to the circumstances of the migrant workers. Despite his complaints about having Lennie around, it was apparent that George was just as dependent on Lennie as Lennie was dependent on him. Whenever Lennie threatened to leave, George told him that he wanted his friend to stay. Their bond was so strong that they did not consider themselves as similar to the aforementioned lonely guys. George said: â€Å"With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us† (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 15). The novel revealed how agricultural laborers were marginalized in California society. All of them were misplaced and lived on dire conditions. Despite the unfortunate circumstances which befell them, there are those who remained optimistic and ambitious. However, even the ambitious laborers also fail. They would simply leave the ranch and proceed to another place. In the novel, George and Lennie went to the bunk house of the next ranch they were supposed to work for. When George asked Candy why the former occupant of his new bed quit, this was the response: â€Å"He†¦just quit, the way a guy will. Says it was the food. Just wanted to move† (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 20). George and Lennie were also ambitious. They have grown weary of working from one ranch to another, and working for people like Curley. They dreamt of having a piece of land they can personally attend to. The dream was revealed early on in the novel, and was continuously mentioned throughout the story. Candy overheard the two taking about their desire for their own (Steinbeck, 1994). He responded positively, and even offered his savings to both men so that he could also live on their land. Crooks also learned about the plan to buy land. During one night, Lennie spoke to Crooks about his plan to own land with George. Unlike Candy, Crooks had a different response to the plan. He discouraged Lennie by insinuating that his dream will never come true. Crooks said: â€Å"I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads†¦every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it† (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 75). The character of Crooks was right; in 1930s California, many workers did not achieve the success they originally hoped to find there. By the end of the novel, George and Lennie proved to be unsuccessful as well. The dream of George and Lennie to obtain their own land did not come true. Lennie has a fondness for petting things which are soft; it was this fondness which guaranteed his demise (Steinbeck, 1994). Lennie and George were forced to leave the ranch in Weed because Lennie’s petting had gotten them in trouble. In the ranch in Soledad, Lennie accidentally killed a puppy because he was too strong. By accident, he pulled the hair of Curley’s wife and also broke her neck, causing her to die. When Curley and the rest of the men in the ranch found out that Lennie killed the wife, they form a mob and went to search for Lennie. Before they arrived at the ranch, George told Lennie to return to the Salinas River in case he got in trouble. George told his friend, â€Å"Lennie—if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush† (Steinbeck, 1994, p. 17). After he killed Curley’s wife, Lennie proceed to the brush and George met him there. George began to speak of the land they would own together and the rabbits that Lennie would take care of. Afterwards, he shot Lennie on the back of his head (Steinbeck, 1994). The farm was a representation of every migrant worker’s dream: to own a piece of land and be in control of their own lives. The farm served as a symbol of freedom and independence. For George, the death of his friend was also the end of their dream. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was truly a representation of California during the 1930s. Through the story of George, Lennie and the other characters, Steinbeck was able to illustrate the agricultural labor problem that existed in the Golden State during that decade. The novel revealed the displacement of workers, the harsh realities of living as a nomad in California, their isolation and need for companionship and the broken dreams that come with the journey. By reading this novel, one is given a glimpse of California in the 1930s. Reference Steinbeck, J. (1994). Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Classics.

Palm oil biodiesel: A source of renewable fuel

Palm oil biodiesel: A source of renewable fuel The demand of increasing price in fossil fuel has prompted the global oil industry to look at the alternative sources of fuel from renewable energy source which is biodiesel. Biodiesel is considered as better option because of its environmental friendly characteristics while giving almost the same functional properties like fossil fuels. This paper will focus on the biodiesel produced in Malaysia. Since Malaysia is one of the leading palm oil producers in the world with palm oil was chosen as the raw stock for the palm oil biodiesel production. There are many advantages and disadvantages in palm oil biodiesel industry in Malaysia from the economy, social and environmental aspect. The aim of this paper is to analyze the past, current and future of palm oil biodiesel industry in Malaysia. This paper will include the technology aspect used in the palm oil biodiesel production and characteristics of pure palm oil biodiesel to meet the international market standard. Malaysia faces tough competition from other biodiesel producers like Indonesia and Brazil. The scope of this study covers the worldwide biodiesel development in brief in continuation with the challenges faced by Malaysia in becoming the top biodiesel exporter in the world with the advantages disadvantage of using palm oil as the feedstock. . Keywords: Alternative, renewable energy, palm oil biodiesel, technology, exporter List of Abbreviations ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials CPO Crude Palm Oil DBKL Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid EU European Union IFC International Finance Corporation ISO International Standards Organization MPOB Malaysian Palm Oil Board MPOC Malaysian Palm Oil Council MYR Malaysia Ringgits NGO Non Government Organization OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration POIC Palm Oil Industrial Cluster POME Palm Oil Methyl Ester PRIME Rebuilding and Improving Malaysias Export of Palm Oil RSPO Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil UK United Kingdom UNFCC United Natons Framework Convention on Climate Change US United States USA United States of America List of Symbols CO2 Carbon dioxide ml milliliter NOx Nitrogen Oxide INTRODUCTION All energy used by humans originates from one of the following sources: radiant energy emitted by the sun (solar energy); geothermal energy from the interior of the earth; tidal energy originating from the gravitational pull of the moon; and nuclear energy. By far the largest source is solar energy, thousands of times larger than all the others and inexhaustible for as long the sun shines (approximately 4.5 billion years). Present energy system, especially based on the use of fossil fuels (not renewable), cannot handle the problem of guaranteeing energy security and that increasing the share of renewable energies is one of the best ways to addressing them. Increasingly, renewable energy in the form of biodiesel is getting attention from the world countries due to the environment friendly characteristics, while still be able to be used in diesel engine without any major modifications. Biodiesel also has its advantage of abundance of raw stock which confirms continuous raw material supply. Biodiesel is an environmentally-friendly, renewable energy source that could also produce cost savings for taxpayers and private businesses which is produced from farmers that grow various fuel crops. Given high gasoline prices and the negative environmental effects of burning fossil fuels, there is intense research on the alternative energy sources, including biofuel. Brazil and the US have been leading the way with ethanol production derived from sugar cane and corn. Recently, there has been increased interest in another biofuel (biodiesel) particularly in Europe (the leading producer). Biodiesel, a non-petroleum-based diesel fuel, can be produced from the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats. In the US, most biodiesel is made from rapeseed (canola) or soybeans. Other producers have different biodiesel feedstock such as palm oil and jatropha that have great potential as renewable fuels. Malaysia is a leading palm oil producer, therefore Malaysia in the past have focused on palm oil as raw stock used for biodiesel production. This paper takes an in depth look at the palm oil used for the production of biodiesel. 2.1 SCOPE OF THE PAPER Biodiesel production is facing several issues and challenges like tough global competition, feedstock issue, food versus fuel war, sustainability, and limited land for use deforestation. The scope of this paper is to collect and analyze the data of palm oil biodiesel in Malaysia to determine their performance and their position in the world biodiesel industry, the advantage disadvantage of using palm oil as the main feedstock for production, political economic barriers which needs to be overcome, competition between the major producers technological aspects. This study covers the biodiesel technology that is currently being used in Malaysia to produce pure biodiesel that meets international criteria, suggestions for improvements in implementing better method and technologies to be used in Indonesia and Malaysia. Overall, this paper analyzes the past, current and future trend of the palm oil biodiesel industry in Malaysia among world biodiesel industry. 2.2 BACKGROUND 2.2.1 Raw Stock for Biodiesel There are several sources used as feedstock for biodiesel production such as rapeseed and soybean oil. However, compared with other vegetable oil, palm oil has far better advantage and potential as feedstock for biodiesel production. Palm oil is a perennial crop, unlike soybean and rapeseed. Perennial crop means the production of oil is continuous and uninterrupted, though annual production has its seasonal peak and down cycle [6]. In terms of oil production per hectare of plantation, palm oil is the most produced oil seed. The yield of palm oil from palm is a factor of ten higher than oil yields from soybeans, sunflower or rapeseeds [17]. Palm oil production has higher production yield compared to soybean, sunflower seed and rapeseed as shown in Figure 1. Palm oil imports from Malaysia into EU are equivalent to having 4.9 million hectares of soybeans or 1.7 million hectares of rapeseed [17]. 2.2.2 Palm Oil as Raw Stock Palm oil is the most prospective biodiesel feedstock compared to other oilseeds. As discussed earlier, palm oil has higher production yield, low fertilizer, water and pesticide needed for the plantation. Palm oil production takes less sunlight in terms of energy balance to produce a unit of oil as it produces more oil per hectare. However, in terms of the basis of palm oil yield per man in a day, it is not as competitive as other oilseeds because of the difficulty of labor plantation management and harvesting of the fruit. Comparatively in Indonesia, it is less an issue because the extensive labor market readily available in Indonesia compared to Malaysia. Crude Palm Oil and Refined Palm Oil are the most traded vegetable oil in the world today [14]. Palm oils have been established as a dietary nutrient for nearly five thousand years. Palm oils are harvested from the mesocarp of the Elaeis Guineensis fruit, through a refining process that includes; cooking, mashing and pressing. In this process, the seeds are separated and after cracking and removing the shell, the kernel can be processed to yield palm kernel oil and palm kernel cake. Crude palm oil also referred as CPO comes from the mesocarp which is the fleshy portion of the fruit wall. Mesocarp is processed into CPO through refining and kernel processing in steps shown in Figure 2. CPO depends on the variety of the palm tree and the age of the palm. The CPO to bunch ratio is approximately 25 to 28 percentages. 2.2.3 Palm Oil Biodiesel The palm oil harvested and produced from palm trees is referred to as CPO. The crude palm oil is the transported to palm oil refinery to be refined. The factory output is the Refined Palm Oil which is suitable to be used as biodiesel fuel or blended with petroleum diesel. Palm oil converted into methyl ester which then can be used as fuel is called the bio diesel. Blending certain percentage of petroleum diesel with palm diesel is called Envo Diesel. Methyl ester from palm oil has low engine emissions, high oxidation stability apart from the high nitrogen oxide emission which is higher [2]. Refined palm oil; after crude palm oil is refined is referred as Refined Palm Oil and can be used for number of applications including as a substitute for petroleum diesel which is known as Palm Oil Biodiesel. Palm oil is processed into CPO, then into refined oil before being processed into palm oil biodiesel as shown in Figure 3. Palm Oil biodiesel can be blended with petroleum diesel. This type of diesel is known as Envo Diesel. This paper will discuss in detail the Palm Oil Biodiesel. 3. Analysis 3.1 Perspective on Indonesian versus Malaysian Palm Oil A significant change took place in palm oil industry in the year 2006 when Indonesia surpassed Malaysia in production of the palm oil as shown in Figure 4. Malaysia is currently worlds second largest producer of palm oil [6]. Looking at the Indonesias palm oil production rate compared to Malaysia in Table 1, there are high chances of Indonesia surpassing Malaysia and continue to be leading producer for the foreseeable future. In Malaysia, palm oil exports amount to 16.5 million tonnes, representing an increase of near 11 percent in year 2007. The total palm oil planted area in the country increased by 4.3 percent to 4.48 million hectares in 2008 [16]. The expansion in planted area in the country occurred mainly in Sabah and Sarawak with a combined growth of 7 percent compared to 2 percent in Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah remained as the largest palm oil planted state, accounting for 1.33 million hectares of 30 percent of the total planted area in the country. 3.2 Palm Oil Biodiesel vs. Other Feedstock In the year 2008, the government of Malaysia was looking at the possibility of using jatropha oil the raw material for the production of biodiesel in the future. However, this was still at the research and development stage and it has not reached the commercialization stage [2]. The government looked at other potential feedstock for biodiesel production due to the competition on the use of the palm oil either as food sources as fuel. Around the world biodiesel producers are now focusing on using non food based raw materials for the biofuel production. Currently, all the biodiesel projects in Malaysia are based on the use of palm oil as the raw material. During the surface of the reports indicating that EU might ban biofuel derived from crops grown on some sensitive ecosystems, Malaysian palm oil industry feared the worst. Malaysia; as the second largest palm oil producer in the world after Indonesia is the potentially largest palm oil biodiesel producer. Countries like Brazil and the US; biodiesel producer from ethanol are eyeing the EU market giving heavy competition to palm oil biodiesel producers. Biodiesel market are having large market competition after the 27 nation bloc suggested for biofuel to be used at least 10 percentage in transportation by year 2020 [17]. Jatropha is a promising second generation biodiesel feedstock. The government publicity on Jatropha as next potential biodiesel feedstock at the Sabah Development Corridor launch in the year 2008 gave competition to existing palm oil biodiesel. However, the use of Jatropha as biodiesel feedstock requires more research to develop its properties to acceptable level for mass commercial usage [2]. And currently, the research is still ongoing. 3.3 Palm Oil and Malaysia The palm oil industry is an important pillar of Malaysia economy. The palm oil sector have contributed significantly towards providing a continuous flow of foreign investments and earnings through the export of palm oil and its value added products to the global market. In the year 2008, palm oil industry contributed MYR 65.2 billion or equivalent USD 18.1 billion in the export earnings which proves to be a significant contribution from the palm oil industry to the economy [16]. The contribution of Malaysian palm oil to the worlds oils and fats market was very significant in the year 2008, where the palm oil production of 17.73 million tonnes was 11.1 percent of the global production of 160 million tonnes of oils and fats. The sustainable production of palm oil in Malaysia is overseen by the Malaysian Palm Oil Association. Malaysia palm oil production is estimated 18.3 million tonnes in 2009 compared to 17.73 million tonnes in year 2008 [17]. The global demand for palm oil has increased significantly over the last two decades, first for the use in food industry, consumer products and the most recent application for biodiesel. The growing market in India and China; which is the top two important nations, increases the demand for edible vegetable oil [14]. Another major factor in growth of palm oil production is its role in sustainable energy campaign around the world [14]. European countries have promoted the use of palm oil by investing hundreds of millions dollars into the national subsidies towards biodiesel. European countries are major importer of palm oil; subsidization of biodiesels by the European governments has accelerated the demand for the palm oil in Europe and as a consequence, this has increased the conversion of large areas of rainforest in South East Asia. Palm oil plantations are often built after clearing large area of forest land and draining peat swamps. As of the year 2009, the Malaysia palm oil had 26 percent share in the export of oils and fats. The palm oil also comprised 46 percent share of global palm oil and is being consumed in more than 150 countries worldwide [16]. All these were achieved by using 4.5 million hectares of land which is far more less than 1.9 percent of total area in the world utilized for oilseeds. The total area in the world used for oilseeds is 233 million hectares. Malaysia is currently focusing on increasing the productivity by increasing the oil yields from the current average of four tonnes per hectare to eight tonnes per hectare by using genome sequencing. Genome sequencing is a laboratory process that determines the complete DNA sequence of an organism [16]. Using this technique, scientific process and procedures can be done to the palm oil plant to produce more outputs. Using this technique, Malaysia is hoping to continue as the major supplier to global palm oil needs without the necessity to open n ew areas for plantation. The EU need a company to be legally certified to produce palm oil that can be used as an alternative fuel in a sustainable manner before the commodity can be shipped and used in the 27 member bloc countries. Restrictive policies implemented by EU created differences in the marketing of vegetables and grains oil that caused the decrease of the palm oil prices compared to soybean and rapeseed oil. Indonesia and Malaysia, the worlds two biggest producers of palm oil teamed up in November 2008 to reduce the output of the edible oil after he prices slumped. The two countries agreed to replant old plantation, cutting yearly production of approximately 800000 tonnes. In the year of 2009, during the global economic slowdown, Malaysia palm oil industry was facing issue of oversupply. To reduce the oversupply of palm oil and at the same time to support the palm oil prices, Malaysia launched the Palm Oil Replanting Incentive Scheme worth of MYR 200 million to reduce the nations high palm oil stock to ensure the stability of palm oil prices. The objective of this scheme is to chop 200000 hectare of palm oil trees aged 25 years and above, which will reduce the palm oil supply by 700000 tonnes per year in the short term. The government had approved 63000 hectare under this scheme which was closed in June 2009 [16]. Strategies like replanting palm oil tree schemes and impose of the mandate for the palm oil biodiesel use reduces the CPO inventory and helped to sustain its price at MYR 1400 per tonne in the year 2009 [14]. It is important to reduce the oversupply and maintain the CPO price above RM 1400 tonne as the producers will not be profitable in the trade below this price. In March 2008, the CPO prices soared up till MYR 4180 but the price plummeted to low MYR 1403 per tonne in November 2008 [16]. The inventory for palm oil rose to significantly high amount of 2.3 million in November 2008 but reduced to slightly more than 1.8 million tonnes in January 2009 as shown in the Figure 5. Palm oil is the major oil produced in the world; this indirectly helps to lower price of palm oil biodiesel but not significantly. The CPO price range between MYR 1400 and MYR 1900 per tonne in year 2009 was sufficient to sustain the export earnings. However, the earnings from palm oil exports in the year 2009 dropped compared to MYR 65.8 billion in the year 2008 because of the lower prices as well as lower exports. Late in the year 2008, MPOC launched PRIME program. This program is one of the MPOCs palm oil export promotion strategies to encourage exporters to explore new markets and introduce new products in order to develop new areas of business [22]. 3.4 Biodiesel Production Technology Before analyzing the infrastructure and technology required in converting Palm oil into biodiesel, the production process must be understood first. There are three general ways to convert vegetable oils and fats into biodiesel; base catalyzed transesterification of the oil, direct acid catalyzed transesterification of the oil or conversion of the oil to its fatty acid then to biodiesel [12]. Biodiesel producers opt for the option 1 which is the base catalyzed reaction because it is a low temperature and pressure. This method also yields high conversion ration of almost 98 percentages with minimal side effects and reaction time. Another advantage of this method is that it is a direct conversion to biodiesel with no intermediate compounds required and no exotic materials of construction are needed [18]. The chemical reaction for base catalyzed palm oil biodiesel production is shown in the chemical equation shown in Figure 6. Chemical Equation above shows transformation of palm oil into biodiesel which also gives another output; glycerin. The conclusion from the above chemical equation is that when one hundred pounds of fat or palm oil reacted with 10 pounds of short chain alcohol in the presence of a catalyst that has already been mixed with methanol, 10 pounds of glycerin and 100 pounds of biodiesel produced as output. The short alcohol chain is represented by ROH which means methanol or in some cases, ethanol that is used to quicken the conversion process. The catalysts usually are mixed with the methanol. R, R and R represents the fatty acid chains of the palmitic oil or fat [12]. The catalyst mixed with alcohol. The catalyst usually dissolved in the alcohol using a standard mixing machine. The mix is then put into a closed reaction vessel and the palm oil or fat is added. A closed system is done in the process to prevent the loss of alcohol to the atmosphere. The mix is kept at the temperature above the boiling point of alcohol at about 70 degree Celsius so that the reaction takes place. The reaction time varies from 1 to 8 hours and excess alcohol usually used to ensure complete conversion of palm oil into methyl esters. Once the reaction have completed, there will be two outputs which are glycerin and biodiesel. Glycerin and biodiesel output will not be in their purest form. Each has significant amount of excess methanol that was used earlier in the reaction. This is where the neutralization step takes place. The glycerin has more density compared to biodiesel and the two outputs can be separated using gravity by drawing off the bottom of the settling vessel. After the glycerin and biodiesel have been separated, the excess alcohol in each of them will be removed and the mix will be neutralized. The alcohol will be recovered in methanol recovery step using distillation equipment and it will be re-used. After separation from the glycerin, the biodiesel is purified by washing gently with warm water to remove the residual catalyst or soaps, dried and sent to storage. This step may be skipped when the output of the production process is a clear amber yellow liquid with viscosity similar to petrodiesel. Colorless biodiesel is obtained in an additional step of distillation to remove small amount of color bodies. For usage as an automotive fuel, the end product of biodiesel must be analyzed using international standard analytical equipment to ensure it meets specifications. For global biodiesel marketing, it is important for a biodiesel manufacturer to register the biodiesel product with the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency under 40 CFR Part 79 [18]. 3.5 Pure palm oil biodiesel characteristics Biodiesel is a biodegradable and non toxic fuel; free from sulfur. It is produced by transesterification reaction of vegetable oil with low molecular weight alcohol, such as ethanol or methanol. In the industry, biodiesel is produced using homogeneous reaction [10]. Important characteristic of oil to be used as fuel is the solubility of the oil in petroleum. Another way is to emulsify the oil or fat with the ethanol. Most of the vegetable oils are a mixture of different esters such as oleic acid (main portion from olive oil), ricinoeleic (main portion from castor oil) , linoleic acid )main portion from linseed oil), palmitic acid (main portion from the palm oil kernel) and many other oils. Palm crude oil is refined to make a useable automotive fuel that is useable in unmodified diesel engines. As discussed in earlier topics, biodiesel is a clean burning alternative to petroleum based fuel made from renewable energy source which is biodegradable and non-toxic. In recent times, biodiesel issues have drawn lot of interest as increase of depletion of petroleum source in near future is predicted. Biodiesel market is booming in Europe as fuel or fuel additive for most of the diesel internal combustion engines and turbine in Europe as fuel or fuel additive for most diesel internal combustion engines and turbine engines, and it is also available in the US and Asia, as well as in Canada, where it is in its early stages of development. Biodiesel is derived mainly from the byproducts of soybean and other oils, such virgin and recycled vegetable oils derived from crops such as canola, corn and sunflowers and animal fats or spent cooking greases, although it may be obtained from ethanol. Soy-based fuel is the most common used biodiesel in its pure form or mixed with a petroleum-based diesel as an additive to improve the otherwise low lubricity of pure ultra low sulfur petrodiesel fuel. Research was done in Bangkok where palm biodiesel was used for a motorcycle, the emission and engine performance was tested. Research found there was no significant difference in emissions between the biodegradable and the fossil fuel. Comparison of the engine performance and fuel consumption for both lubricants showed no significant difference either [8]. However, since palm biodiesel is a renewable source, it is a lower carbon source and that it offers superior tribological properties (wear scar, viscosity index, etc.) [8]. This is a promising alternative to fossil fuels. This fuel is also important from the economic point of view, considered as one of the possible candidates to replace petrodiesel as the worlds primary transport energy source thanks to its renewable condition and the fact that it can be transported and sold using todays infrastructure instead of old fossil fuels ducts. In fact, it is available to consumers in a growing number of fuel stations, but still makes up a small percentage of fuel sold. Biodiesel has been classified as a non-flammable liquid by the OSHA, although as with most fuels, it may burn if heated to a high enough temperature, but significantly reduced in toxic and other emissions when burned as a fuel. [20] 4. DISCUSSION 4.1. Past and Current Market trend of Palm oil Biodiesel The production of palm oil biodiesel in Malaysia is overwhelming. There are initial researches conducted for the production of biodiesel from waste materials including palm oil. However, this is still in early stage of research and development and so far; the researches shows that the production of biodiesel from waste materials is still very high and not viable for commercial use. Till the year 2008, Malaysia had about 91 percent of palm oil biodiesel projects approved with a total production capacity of 10.2 million tonnes a year [16]. Total of 12 biodiesel plants have been fully completed and are in operation with production capacity of one million tonnes a year [16]. Another two biodiesel plants have been also completed but the operations have not started. These two plants have production capacity of 160000 tonnes a year. According to MPOB, the existing biodiesel plants produces approximately 196363 tonnes for the period of August 2006 till March 2008 while 154791 tonnes were valued at MYR 411 million for the export to US, Europe, Singapore and Australia. Recently, the production cost at biodiesel plants have increased with the rising price of crude palm oil. The average cost of CPO in the year 2006 was MYR 1502.50 per tonne. This price has increased significantly within two years; in the year 2007, the price was MYR 2516.50 per tonne while in the early of 2008, the price was MYR 3433.50 per tonne. This has caused the cost to exceed the profit margin. In March 2008, production cost for palm oil biodiesel was MYR 4330 per tonne; whereas the market price for the palm oil biodiesel was MYR 3632 per tonne. The CPO prices are increasing rapidly as shown in Figure 8. The rising cost of biodiesel have prompted several palm oil biodiesel producers to temporarily stop producing biodiesel as the high producton cost has left an negative impat on their profit margin and the development and growth of the biodiesel industry. Till to date, the Malaysian government has given more than 90 biodiesel licences to various organization and companies which has production capacity of 10 million tonnes per year. However, it is reported in the Reuters survey that on seven biodiesel plants are currently running and most of them are operating well below the capacity. The survey also showed that there were 14 projects with their combined biodiesel production capacity of more than two million tonnes were shelved or delayed. The main reason for the delay is the high CPO prices, which encourages the palm oil industry to produce palm oil for more profitable business or industries instead of the biodiesel which has higher production cost compared to profit. The high cost of investment to setup the biodiesel facilities does not encourage the palm oil industry. It is said that for the priceof biodiesel at MYR 4000 per tonne, even conglomerates in Malaysia such as Sime Darby is not keen to plunge into the biodiesel industry currently [16]. Currently, the company is focusing on the palm oil downstream activities such as bulking and refinery process to be exported [16]. A report by Frost and Sullivan regarding biodiesel showed that the demand for biodiesel has increased in the Asia region over the past few years. For Malaysia, the demand for palm oil biodiesel would increase from current 110000 tonnes to 563000 tonnes in the year 2013. Asia region has a booming market for biodiesel as there are several strong drivers of growth; increased supply and increased demand. Many countries in the Asia region developed domestic markets and at the same time,producers like Malaysia and Indonesia targeted export markets. In several countries in the Asia region, the government introduced mandates for biofuels to develop the domestic market. On March 22, 2006, Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched biodiesel called Envo Diesel. This type of biodiesel blends 5 percent of proccessed palm oil with 95 percent petrodiesel. In EU, there are B5 type of biodiesel that blends 5 percent methyl ester with 95 percent petrodesel. The manufacturers for diesel engine prefer the use of palm oil methyl ester blends as diesel engines are designed to handle 5 percent methyl ester meeting the EN14214 biodiesel standard [16]. In the year 2009, the Malaysian government reassured that there are no plans to remove the current biodiesel mandate of five percent despite high CPO cost. The government encourages the use of biodiesel in the country, although it is not have been mandatory use [5]. Malaysian government are encouraging the use of palm oil biodiesel as they are obliging to Kyoto Protocol. The use of palm oil biodiesel have not been made mandatory due to the fact that at the present,the raw material price is very high . Kyoto Protocol is a protocol of the UNFCC , an international environmental organization. This organization is trying to achieve the stabilisation of the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent the degradation caused by human that would disturb the ecosystem and the climate system. In October 2008, Malaysia put into practice the mandate of five percent biodiesel will be used in vehicles starting with the government vehicles in the year 2009 and planning to implement extensively to industrial and transportation sector in the year 2010. By early 2010, Malaysia is expected to consume 500000 tonnes of palm oil which is 3 percent of national CPO production. This will happen when Malaysia fully implements the blended biodiesel programme where B5 diesel will be made available througout the country through 36 depots [5]. The use of blended biodiesel has started with government agencies and will be extended to industrial and transportation industry in the future. The Malaysian government is working with nations biggest petroleum company; Petronas to enable some retail station to supply B5 to the agencies. I February 2009, Malaysia started the biodiesel programme with Kuala Lumpur City Council and the Armed Forces in the country [5]. The biodiesel producers and the petroleum companies are currently discussing the important aspects and critical issues to the implementation such as logistics and finance. As of the year 2009, the main challenges facing the biodiesel industry in Malaysia are the exports of subsidised US biodiesel to EU that is distrubing the prices and trade, the EU energy directive and overall global economic slowdown. The global economic crisis have caused a sharp drop in the CPO prices, together with global financial crisis had led the develoment of the biodiesel industry to slow down or to be exact halt new investments. The Malaysian biodiesel industry has the production capacity of 1.67 million and feedstock available to satisfy the demand in the domestic and world market. Malaysia and Indonesia has expressed concern over a plan by the EU countries to impose taxes on US biodiesel which potentially might slowdown the outlook for alternative fuels made from vegetable oils and grains. Almost half of Europes biodiesel Apple: A Multinational Corporation Apple: A Multinational Corporation Introduction Apple Inc. it is a well known American multinational corporation that designs most of the famous consumer electronics and widely used softwares. It was established on 1st April, 1976 at that time the company was known as Apple computer, Inc. the word computer was dropped after 30 years of its establishment on 9th Jan, 2007.To mark its expansion in consumer electronic market. Apple nearly has 35,000 employees worldwide and its sales recording nearly US$42.90 billion by 26th September, 2009. It came in a magazine named Fortune that Apple had been most appreciated company in United States in 2008 and worldwide in 2009. Objectives Apples motto, â€Å"Think differently†, a concept which Apple has been following since it started by creating state of the art products that. Other computer manufacturers have tried hard for decades to copy the ideas but none had succeeded as Apple did. It has always manufactured and designed products which no one has even imagined of. They provided the first ever user-friendly laptops and computers. Apple introduced iMac and iBook for the basic computer users such as students etc and Power Book and G series for advanced computer users for graphic designers, business man etc . Ownership Of Business As it is public owned company so it sells its shares. Currently there are around 1,441 shareholders, with total shares held are 652,325,642 and the total value of their holdings is around $134,501,972,866. The top 5 holders are: TOP 5 HOLDERS Shares held FMR LLC 45,173,344 STATE STREET COMPNY 31,980,670 Vanguard Group 31,216,671 Barclays Global 26,449,599 PRICE T ROWE 24,545,605 Board Of Directors: Steven P. Jobs Chief Executive Officer, Director Timothy D. Cook Peter Oppenheimer Chief Operating Officer Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President Philip W. Schiller D. Bruce Sewell Senior Vice President Worldwide Product Marketing Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary Ronald B. Johnson Senior Vice President Retail Bertrand Serlet Senior Vice President Software Engineering Robert J. Mansfield Mark Papermaster Scott J. Forstall Senior Vice President Mac Hardware Engineering Senior Vice President Devices Hardware Engineering Senior Vice President iPhone Software Engineering and Platform Experience Stakeholders Consumers As there will be any kind of changes in Apple company itself consumers will be affected, as the price increases consumer wont be willing to buy apple products or if the price increases consumers will be buying to buy apple products Competitor The biggest example of competitors can be Microsoft, whatever Apple does directly or indirectly affect Microsoft or vice versa. For example if Apple releases any kind of new computer regarding business the result is some new firms might opt to adapt that new system or might go along with Microsoft, thus effecting each other by every means. Steve Jobs Apples CEO He is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple. He was the only one who introduced the bright idea to Apple e.g. iPod, iPhone etc. The whole company is affected by his decisions, as his health was affected the companys share lost its value. Stakeholders had a fear that if Steve Job isnt there it will cause Apples downturn causing a great loss. Apples SWOT Analysis Strengths Sales of its notebooks are very strong which represents a large portion of Apples income Apple is considered as one of the most established IT brand in the world. It not only attracts new customers but existing customers also come back for latest products as well as to take advantage of the services they are offering. Weakness Apple is making an end with IBM who was among Apples main chip supplier and switching to Intel for supplying chip which is thought to make consumers confuse as most of consumers have tend to use IBM chips which existed before Intel. It has its own software platform which doesnt allows users to have any kind of flexibility or to run Microsoft softwares on Apple OS which discourages consumers to buy Apple OS based consumer electronic. Opportunities Can offer some software flexibility by open source operating system so it would attract more consumers and making it more user-friendly thus increasing sales. Apple can step ahead by horizontal integration with some other major IT Company like Microsoft to expand its business to a completely new level. Offer Apple OSX to non Apple hardware which can turnout out to be a great advantage as more people will tend to use Apples OS as it is a completely different experience. Threats The biggest threat to Apple is its competitor Microsoft around 90% of the world-wide computers have Microsoft OS installed on them. This in long run can be very dangerous for Apples business. Global recession can likely reduce the sale of high priced consumer electronic; since apple is offering no cheap alternatives the consumer itself tend to switch to other manufactures for cheap prices. Market Research The most shocking thing about Apple Inc is that it never does any kind market research; they never hired any kind of consultants. They hired once in a decade which they considered later as there mistake. Apple itself figures out what people want and then work on it at the end the whole world is just amazed by that work and wants to include it in daily lifestyle. Marketing The marketing concept which Apple Inc uses and has been successful in long run can be divided into 3 categories customer oriented, organization objectives and coordinated market activities. The customer attraction is done by advertising through different media which is appealing to customers, moreover they provide good delivery services all this steps taken is to reach customer orientation concept. For organization objectives concept they set a target for its employees to reach, with that to even move closer to their ultimate goal they improve their quality of product. Apple does marketing management by acknowledging customers needs and wants. Market Mix Product Apple basically sells laptops, iPods, mobiles etc here we are going g to concentrate on their laptops. Apple has different kinds of laptops for different uses. They are quite light, slimmer and highly advanced which can make anyone stand alone in a crowd. It is mostly preferred due to its uniqueness and brand name. In their product range Mac book, Mac book pro which comes in different sizes 13†, 15† and 17† depending on users usage. As student s will prefer small n compact were as a graphic designer will prefer large screen display. Price The prices differs according to how basic or powerful laptop you are purchasing as for students small and compact can be bought cheaper ranging from $999-$1699, where as for high end user is around $2499 above depending on specification Place Apple has very good delivery service so you just buy it online from anywhere in the world the laptop will be delivered right at your door step which encourages most of the people to buy laptop with quality services. Else all famous electronic retailers sell Apple laptops around the world. Promotions Apple promotions are the best deals that can be found anywhere. Apple provides special student concessions and even low interest rate installment so that it is reliable from every aspect. Sometimes free deliveries offers are also available. External Factors That Can Impact The Business Activities: Economic: The economic factor plays an important role in the normal functioning of the business. The fluctuations in the economy directly affect the budget and Apple being a public business entity may face challenges to cope with the fluctuations. Social: Society also plays a major in the flow of the business activities. The customs and trends of a society do affect the way the business is functioning although these customs might be favorable to the businesses. Technological: Apple being major IT Company, has to provide the best services so it has to constantly upgrade its infrastructure and has to bring changes in its technologies.