Internal Analysis

06 Internal Analysis In this part, the report will briefly illustrate the result from analysing the internal environment of CEMEX by supply chain analysis and resources and competences framework and VRIO model. 6. 1 Value Chain Analysis Activities| Resources| Competencies|PrimaryActivities| Supply chain management| | * Good relationships with products suppliers and transportation companies| | Operations| – Internal design| – Import products from Vietnam| | Distribution| – Indirectly: wholesalers, retailers – Stylist packaging| * Knowledgeable salespersons| | Sales and marketing| – Advertising campaigns focus mainly on B2B websites and trade fair| – Effective marketing strategy to differentiate from competitors | | Service| Good relationships with suppliers of different products in Vietnam. Support team for developing new products and help wholesalers to finding new suppliers for other products in Vietnam, India†¦| SupportActivities| Prod uct R&D, Technology and system development| – Market Research and developing new design. | – Rights to copyrights and patents of weaving and designs of carpets/rugs| | Human Resources Management| – 10 employees| * Excellent executive team * Highly skilled employees | | | | |According to threshold/distinctive resources and competencies framework, the defined resources and competencies can be categorized as following: Threshold resources – Distribution system – Opponents’ suppliers – Internal design – Research and development team Threshold resources – Distribution system – Opponents’ suppliers – Internal design – Research and development team Threshold competences * Knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff, especially salespersons – Effective and trusted wholesalers/importers Threshold competences Knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff, especially salespersons – Effective and trusted wh olesalers/importers Distinctive resources – Excellent managing team – Sale and marketing team – Strong cash position Distinctive resources – Excellent managing team – Sale and marketing team – Strong cash position Distinctive competences – Strong brand name – Customer loyalty – Good quality and competitive price products Distinctive competences – Strong brand name – Customer loyalty – Good quality and competitive price products . 2 VRIO Framework Resource/ competency| Valuable? | Rare? | Difficult to imitate? | Exploitable? | Competitive implication| Excellent managing team| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes| Sustained competitive advantage| Distribution system to wholesalers/retailers| Yes| No| No| Yes| Competitive Parity| Brand/name| Yes| Yes| No| Yes| Temporary competitive advantage| Sales and marketing team| Yes| Yes| No | Yes| Temporary competitive advantage| Customer loyalty| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes| Sustained com petitive advantage|

Is Tourism the Best Way For Kenya To Develop?

In this report, I will be investigating how tourism is increasing Kenya's income and world standing. I will also, however, be investigating the positive and negative repercussions of tourism on Kenya's people, wildlife and landscape, before coming to my own conclusion on whether tourism should be encouraged as a source of income. Why might the government want to encourage tourism in Kenya? In comparison with other more economically developed countries (MEDC's) such as the UK, it can be seen that Kenya cannot be classed under the title MEDC as the country lacks certain characteristics necessary for the title. In comparison, however, with less economically developed countries such as India, it can be seen that Kenya does fit the criteria for a LEDC more convincingly. This is shown in the table below. If we look at this table, you can see clear contrasts between the figures for each country. On examining population, for example, it can be seen that the population of Kenya is just 28.8 million. This is less than half that of Britain, an MEDC which has a population of 59 million, and only just over 10% of that of the USA, also a MEDC with a population of 267.7 million. What this trend would suggest is that the higher the population, the more economically developed the country. India, however, an LEDC disproves this theory, with a population of 969.7 million. Usually, population is an indication of development, as a larger population would suggest a higher life expectancy rate, and higher GNP. Although this is true for some examples, there are always some countries which break the rule. When you compare the USA and Kenya, you will see that Kenya an LEDC has a low life expectancy of just 54 years and so in turn has relatively low population. Similarly if you look at the USA, you will see it has a very high population generated by its high life expectancy of 76 years. In India, however, quite a different trend is apparent, as even though it has a population approaching a billion, it has a very poor life expectancy of just 59 years. This is an example of an extreme, where too many people are flooding the limited resources available. The life expectancies of the LEDC's and MEDC's do have a clear trend, with few LEDCS having one over 60, (India is the highest above with 59) and few MEDC's having one below 76, (USA, being the lowest above with 76). As I began to explain, the reasons for these differences in life expectancy are due to the GNP of a country as the more money that a country has, the more money can be spent on improving living conditions. Providing a country is not at war, when the money is usually spent on arms etc, the money a nation earns is usually spent on improving education, infrastructure and health care. Naturally then, as is illustrated above, the more money (GNP) a nation has, the more it spends on such facilities so its people are healthier and live longer. Although this is not a problem for MEDC's such as USA and UK as they both have high GNPs, for LEDC's such as Kenya there are difficulties. Due to national debts, lack of resources and few developed businesses, LEDC's do not have the income required to improve living conditions to a satisfactory level, thus people living in LEDC's have less access to healthcare etc. and so are more susceptible to disease, thus they have lower life expectancies. We can now understand why Kenya faces these problems, as if we compare its GNP with the USA's, we see that on average a Kenyan person earns just $280 a year, compared with $26980 of the average American. Having less money to pay for education etc, Kenya is seemingly trapped in a spiral of poverty, as money is needed for education, but education is needed to make money. It is for this reason that the Kenyan government may want to embrace tourism as a source of income. Tourism is seemingly an ideal solution to Kenya's problem, as due to its many gam reserves and golden coastlines, it attracts millions of tourists every year. Tourism does not rely on the development of high tech businesses or the training of the population, it simply relies on using the nations resources, which in the case of Kenya are in the form of natural reserves and tropical conditions. When tourist visit Kenya they bring with them money on which many Kenyans rely. For Kenya, tourism is the key source of income, making more money than any exports, such as tea and coffee. The reason for this is that although 78% of Kenya's population are employed in agriculture, due to national debt and unfair trading conditions, the nations agricultural products are sold for pittance to large western corporations. With tourism, however, there is no middleman, the money goes straight from the tourists to the people, thus the government sees tourism as a more efficient means by which to increase their countries GNP than agriculture. The reason why this increase in GNP is important, is as with it will come an increase in education, health care and improvements in infrastructure. These three things are the basis of development from which Kenya can build a stronger economy and rise in the development ladder. In this way the increase in tourism can be directly linked to the increase in Kenya's GNP and in turn development level. Why are tourists attracted to Kenya? As you can see from the climate graph of Nairobi, the annual temperature in Kenya varies very little, it is consistently warm all year through, not dropping below 17 degrees even in winter. Being just in the Southern Hemisphere, Nairobi's summer begins about the same time as our autumn. From October the temperature begins to rise, eventually peaking in February and March, the summer months of Kenya, before dropping steadily by 1 degree a month back down to 17 degrees in July. As is the equator splits Kenya almost in two, there are several different weather systems in operation in different regions of Kenya. In the North the climate is hot with little rain, where as in the south, the coast is humid, the highlands are temperate and the lake Victoria region is considered tropical. Being situated midway between the coast and lake Victoria, Nairobi's wettest of months are in summer, as the increase in heat leads to an increase in evaporation, resulting in the moderate rainfall it experiences. From the graph we can see that just as Nairobi's temperature has two apparent peaks, in October and then in February and March, so too its rainfall follows the same trend. Beginning to rise at the start of these hot months, the rainfall peaks a month or so after the temperature, the highest amounts being 153mm in April and 132 in November. The rainfall then, however, drops with the temperature, falling to just 13mm in July. As I mentioned earlier the rainfall in Kenya is very varied. The wettest areas of Kenya are located in the East of the country and on the coast. On the coast the wet areas are spread in an even band along the sea front about 50 km in land. The reason for these heavy coastal rains is that due to the high temperatures, there are also high amounts of evaporation of sea water along the coast. Clouds are then formed when the vapour rises to a sufficient height for the air to cool enough to result in the condensation of the vapour. Blown from the sea, water vapour travels inland into Kenya. As the vapour approach the shorelines, the relief begins to increase, with the average land height increasing to about 100m above sea level, this increase in height in turn causes the air to rise, thus it becomes cooler and condenses to form the clouds which lead to precipitation. Inland in the East there is also a water source, lake Victoria which also supplies water vapour. Yet as we can see from the map, the wet areas venture far inland, hundreds of miles from any water. The reason for this is due to two key factors, the relief and the equator. As the wet area to the east lies on the equator, the air pressure in that region is considerably less than else where in the continent. This low air pressure encourages rainfall as it allows the water vapour to rise higher and so become cooler and condense into the clouds which produce precipitation. This low air pressure works together with the relief of the area, as from the eastern border of Kenya, reaching in to the source of the river Tana, there is a very mountainous area, with an average height of 3000 meters in places. This mountainous region also contributes to the low air pressure necessary for rain, as by rising 3000meters into the air, the mountains force the clouds of water vapour to rise as they pass over them. As I have mention previously, by rising the clouds become cold enough to turn into precipitation, thus the east of Kenya is more prone to rainfall. These weather conditions have had a knock on effect on the wildlife of the area also, there are thousands of different plant and animal species in the country. In lake Nakuru, for example, over 450 different species of birds exist in the ecosystem. The reason why the lake is so perfect for these birds is due to three main factors. Firstly, the water is very shallow across the lake, the average depth being just 2 meters, this allows birds such as flamingos to wade far out in search of food etc. It also allows fish hunting birds greater access to the fish, as they can't hide deep in the bottom of the lake. The second key reason why so many birds can live in the lake ecosystem is that as the water is alkaline, it is ideal for algae growth which thrive in such conditions. These vast supplies of algae are in turn eaten by vast supplies of fish, which along with their predators, provide ample food supply for the thousands of birds that feed on them. The third reason for the vast numbers of birds is that the water is clear and has very little sediment. This quality means that not only does the algae grow better as more sunlight gets to them (more photosynthesis) leading to more fish and so more food for the birds, but also it makes it easier for fisher-birds to see their prey so more food is available to them. As you can see from fig. 3, the Kenyan Savanna is also home to a multitude of animal species, all coexisting in one of the largest ecosystems on earth. Due to the amount of animals in the ecosystem, however, it is very sensitive to the slightest change in population in the various stages. If the number of leopards were reduced due to poaching, for example, then their could be far reaching consequences. Firstly, the decrease in leopards would lead to an increase in their prey, impalas and gazelles, as fewer are now being eaten. Reducing this control on the impala and gazelle numbers would allow more to mate, and so, within a few years, there would be a notable increase in their numbers. This increase, would in turn trigger a decrease in the Savanna grasses, as their would now be larger numbers of gazelle and impala eating them. With the decrease in grass there would in turn be a decrease in other animals which rely on it for food as there would no longer be enough to support them. These animals, buffalo rhinos and warthogs, would either leave the area or die off. This in turn would reduce the food available for large predators such as lions etc. so they too would begin to die out. The cycle has now come full circle with the reduction in the number of teritary predators thus the whole of the consequence chain would begin again. This example, shows just how fragile the ecosystem is and so should make us more concerned with the way we treat it. All the natural qualities I have mentioned above are key factors in Kenya's appeal in the eyes of the tourist that visit the country each year. The environment is one of these factors, being consistently hot all year through and having virtually no rain during the tourist season, thousands of tourists from Western Europe are attracted to Kenya's golden and unspoilt beaches each year. The vast tropical coastline is also accompanied by a large coral reef, boasting a wide variety of marine species. This therefore also contributes to Kenya's appeal. The main attraction of Kenya for most tourists, however, is the vast variety of wildlife that can be found in the game reserves there. For many tourists, being able to see wild animals in their natural habitat is more than a good reason to visit the country. The popularity of these parks is reflected by the fact that now over 40 of them exist in the country. Additional natural attractions include the physical features of Kenya, such as Mount Kilamanjaro, located on the border between Kenya and Tanzania, and Lake Victoria, located on Kenya's eastern border. Both of these sites are beautiful and attract millions of tourists. Does tourism bring more problems than benefits? Economic Effects Tourism is undoubtedly beneficial for the Kenyan economy, as over the last 35 years, it has grown into Kenya's largest source of income, overtaking tea and coffee in 1989 with 22% of the nations income. Tourism also supplies jobs for the local people, providing positions in hotels and also allowing the creation of small private businesses, such as tour van companies and cafes.. For these reasons tourism should, and will be encouraged. The controversy comes, however, when we take into account, just how much of the income from tourism Kenya actually receives. It can be argued that Kenya is being exploited by the larger holiday companies who operate there. Professional Kenyans, skilled in careers such as carpentry etc. are giving up their jobs to join tourism-related careers such as waiters. Figures show that the money coming in from tourism is increasing each year. The problem occurs, however, as this increase is followed by a decrease in other sources of income. Kenya is now running t he risk of becoming too dependant on tourism as a source of income. There is also the issue of just how much of the money generated by tourism goes to the Kenyan people, as figures show that in fact large overseas corporations are taking most of the money. For all of the money coming into Kenya, there is also vast amounts going out as a result of tourism. The Kenyan government for example has had to take out large loans from other countries in order to pay for the development of it tourist facilities. There are also goods that have to be imported for tourists and other amounts of money going out of Kenya as a direct result of tourism. I did mention that tourism creates jobs for locals, but how many companies will actually employ these natives? In many instances the foreign tour operators at work in Kenya, will use foreign air lines, import foreign food, build with foreign building materials and employ foreign tour guides. Some jobs are created for Kenyan workers, however, in the construction of the hotels, for example, employing a Kenyan work force is much cheaper than bringing in foreign labourers. Yet for any job with any technical skill foreigners are still drafted in, with the result that few Kenyans will ever be able to advance career wise higher than farmers or tour guides. In this way, it could be argued that tourism is weakening Kenya's economy, as the development of tourist orientated businesses are replacing that of more high tech developments that would raise Kenya's economic standing in the world economy. Although tourism is a quick way of earning money, it is not one that allows much room for development, as it will always rely on foreign money as opposed to investing in Kenyan business. What are the social effects of tourism in Kenya? The social effects of tourism on Kenya are probably the furthest reaching of all. Tourism permeates every aspect of Kenyan society, from the Savanna dwelling natives to the Muslims of the coastal regions. Similarly opinions of tourism are just as diverse, with some welcoming the ethnic mix while others despise it. The benefits of tourism on the Kenyan populations are clear. Tourism brings with it increased understanding between peoples of different nations and cultures. It also brings the money with which new developments, such as improvements to Kenya's infrastructure, are bought. Another key argument for tourism is that the money it brings, pays to help preserve Kenyan heritage, in renovating buildings and giving money to the natives. Some Kenyan, however, argue quite the opposite, claiming that tourism is a direct route to the decline of the Kenyan culture. Sacred rituals once performed by the Massi people, now become quaint stage shows and people are driven from traditional indus tries into degrading tourist serving jobs. Kenyans are becoming second class citizens in their own country, unable to go to the beach in case they spoil the scenery and forced to undertake degrading roles, it easy to see why the anti-tourism feeling exists. Some people promote tourism as a healthy mix of different cultures, yet it is apparent that this is not always the case. With them tourists have also brought drugs, fornication and alcohol to Kenya. The influx of white tourists has lead to thousands of Kenyans turning to prostitution for money. Kenyan men known as ‘Beach-boys' have also begun to operate, seducing rich white women in order to return to Europe with them when they leave Kenya. This interracial fornication is in turn contributing to a much larger problem. Due to the poverty in the country, 14% of the Kenyan population has aids, by having numerous sexual encounters while on holiday, white tourists are not only opening themselves up to infection, but they are also spreading it further through the Kenyan population. In certain areas, tourism shows blatant disregard for the local customs and culture. In the coastal regions of Kenya, for example, there is high Muslim population. In the Islam religion, women have to wear long black garments covering all of their body, except the eyes, as it is a sin to advertise themselves to men. When tourists walk through these settlements, however, women often wear bikinis or even go topless, this is a great disrespect and insult to the Muslim inhabitants. If this weren't bad enough, tourism has also lead to the opening of many bars and nigh clubs in Muslim areas. This again is a disregard for their culture as alcohol is strictly prohibited. Other positive repercussions of tourism, though, include a decrease in death rate by 5% in 20 years, as the improvement of services for tourists also benefit natives and the money the tourists bring is spent on health care and infra structures. A negative statistic, however, is a fall in birth rate by 3% in 20 years, already a low populated country it is worrying to think that many Kenyan youths are leaving for Europe with the tourists. This is yet again another example of the direct loss of Kenyan culture through tourism. On the other hand, though, the question must be asked whether without the money brought by tourism, Kenyan culture would be able to survive at all. What are the environmental effects of tourism in Kenya? The environmental effects of tourism in Kenya are perhaps the most obvious and worrying of them all, as the current way in which tourists and locals alike exploit the natural Kenya could prove to be the root to Kenya's down fall. As I have mentioned previously, Kenya has over 40 game reserves which are home to the variety of plant life and animal species that make Kenya so appealing. The problem that is arising, however, is that instead of preserving the reserves, locals and tourists are physically destroying them. The largest game reserve in Kenya is the Massi Mara, receiving millions of visitors a year. Due to its popularity, large amounts of locals are employed in transporting the tourists around the park in minibuses, which does not affect the park, were they to keep to the roads built for them. The problem occurs, however, as these minibuses go off road, into the heart of the reserve in search of animals. Showing total disregard for the animals, these bus drives drive within feet of them. Sometimes there can be as many as twenty buses on one animal so the tourists can get photographs. This armada of minibuses has had numerous effects on the environments of the large game parks. The most obvious being the traumatising of the animals. In the Massi Mara there have been notable decreases in the mating of animals as a direct result of the buses. In fact the constant intrusion, has lead many tourists to describe the Massi Mara as a zoo but on a larger scale. Another problem the buses cause is the compacting of the soil. By driving off road, the busses crush plants and compact the soil. This results in a lack of plant growth, which in turn means bare surfaces and thus more soil erosion so in the future there won't be enough soil left for plants to grow at all. Another popular way to view the animals of the Massi Mara is by Hot air balloon, as they do not crush the plants or ruin the soil, they appear to be the perfect alternative to minibuses. The problem still remains, however, that the balloons, like the minibuses still disturb the animals, the noise of a balloons burners can be heard for miles around and in one instance in the Massi Mara, a herd of rhinos were driven from the area by the noise. Another way in which tourism has negatively contributed to the Massi Mara, socially as well as environmentally, has been in the case of the Massi people. Living in the area for centuries, the Massi people were forced to move out without compensation when the parks open. Due to the influence of tourists, the Massi people now have to live on the very outskirts of the parks, where try to regain their normal, agricultural way of life. With this, however, another problem occurs, as in order to contain their animals the Massi build fences, the problem is these fences block animal migration roots and so kill the animals of the park. The Massi people's philosophy is that of, why should we conserve the animals, when we get no benefit from it. Despite these negative impacts of tourism, there have also been positive repercussions. The money earnt from tourism, for example, is reinvested into the park and the preservation of the wildlife within it. One use is payment of local guards, who patrol the park in order to prevent drivers breaking the law by going off road. Yet despite these preliminary measures, stricter guidelines will need to be enforced if the parks are going to remain a source of income for the future. It is not only the inland environments which are being affected, however, as the coastal regions are also being overwhelmed by tourism. As inland, tourism here has far reaching effects. One of the largest problems due to tourism is coastal erosion, as in order to build the hotels and other resorts, large areas of mangrove forests were felled. By felling these forests, the rain which falls on the coast has little interception, so it can run off rapidly towards the sea, eroding the land as it goes. Erosion is not only threatening fishing grounds, ports and farmland on the Kenyan coast, it is also threatens the large tourist hotels which bring millions of pounds into Kenya each year. If the coastal areas became unsafe, it would devastate Kenya's economy. Another worrying repercussion of tourism on the coast is on the famous coral reef situated off the coast. Like the game reserves, locals also have been exploiting the coral reef, providing boat trips to it for the tourists. The problem that is arising, however, is that the tourists and locals who visit it are in fact destroying the coral. Being one of the most beautiful and delicate ecosystems on the planet, coral can die just by being touched, and yet off the coast of Kenya the boat trips allow the tourist to walk on top of the coral and take souvenirs of their visit home. These souvenirs take the form of marine life such as starfish and in a year tourists can remove up to 141 tonnes of it. One of the worst culprits for the decline of the reefs are the local boat owners themselves, as they drop anchor in the middle of the reef and then drag it through the coral. All of these actions are turning Kenya's coral reef into a baron waste land of dead coral which will not regrow for hundre ds of years. It is therefore imperative that something is done to combat this problem. Conclusion As I have shown in my report, tourism is a double bladed sword for Kenya. The economy has become so dependant on the industry that it could not do without it and yet, at the same time tourism is destroying the very environmental qualities of Kenya that the tourist are coming to see. There is also of course the social effects which I have also mentioned, where the rush to make money from tourism has lead to a decline in national heritage. For example hotels etc. ruin historical landscapes of the area and ancient peoples such as the Massi abandon the life style they have led for centuries in order to make money from the tourists, by selling necklaces etc. It is surely clear then that something must be done in order to preserve Kenya, and this is down to you, the Kenyan government. The reason for most of these problems can be traced down to the government and their headlong leap into tourism without fully surveying what consequences would result. Similarly it has to be the government who correct these errors before it is too late. As I have mentioned, the government's current approach to tourism seems to be one of complacency. You have adopted the attitude that anything is viable, as long as it brings in money, but the question is just how much of that money you are receiving. At the moment, thousands of foreigners are being employed in Kenya as a result of the tourism industry, and there are thousands more people employed in companies abroad which make the goods these tourist complexes buy. I see these as thousands of potential jobs for Kenyans which are being given away. In many other tourist destinations, the government has introduced laws, allowing the construction of hotels etc. only by national unions and making it so that a certain number of native people have to be employed in the tourist complexes. Another option open to you is the investment in Kenyan industry. Rather than allowing goods to be bought from abroad, force these travel companies to buy Kenyan products by increasing tax on foreign imports. All these are ways of strengthening the Kenyan economy whilst maximising profits. Another law, which could be introduced in order to make tourism in Kenya more sustainable, is a building legislation specifying that hotels have to built in the traditional building style so as not to ruin the landscape and culture of the area. Not only would this then provide more jobs for Kenyan builders who specialise in traditional building techniques, but it would also remedy much of the over crowding and loss in environmental quality created by the large multi-storey eye sores currently being built. These are not just ideas that I am putting forward, however, as in some areas such as Lamu these techniques are being put into practice successfully. In Lamu the hotels are built to a traditional style, they are also built below the tree line so as not to spoil the landscape. The locals who stay in these venues also show more respect for the local Muslim culture there, wearing clothes which cover most of their body and only one bar is built in the area. On top of these improvements, the money earned by the hotels is invested back into the town of Lamu, paying for renovations etc. If this technique were to be applied else where in Kenya, I think it would meet with the approval of many of the anti-tourism residents who feel their culture is being destroyed. As well as restrictions on the building of tourist resorts in Kenya, there should also be restrictions on the way in which Kenya's natural habitats are exploited. On the Mombado coast, for example, laws should be made and enforced so that tourists can only see the coral reef through licensed boat trip operators. These boat trips would continue to employ locals, but through the use of glass bottomed boats etc. the way in which the coral is viewed would be limited so as not to cause damage. Similar measures also need to be implemented in the game reserves if the animals are to be preserved. Currently the laws there are not enforced. Firstly this could be done with the creation of more ranger jobs. Secondly, as with reef trips, the tours of the parks could be limited to licensed local drives who respect the parks environment by stealthily following animals and keeping to the paths with a trained local guide. Again such measures as these are already being implemented with success in areas like the Tsavo game reserve, where only one or two trips are made every hour, and the tourists stay out in the Savanna camped in tents etc. so as not to disturb the animals. On being interviewed after experiencing both forms of safari, tourist in fact preferred the Tsavo way, saying that if they returned it would be on the strength of their Tsavo experience. So, as you can see in many cases the restrictions that must be implemented will increase tourism as well as national income. Tourism should be encouraged in Kenya, but at the same time it must be remembered that unless it is sustainable, it will inevitably lead to a decline in the Kenyan culture as well as income. After all tourists will not want to come to a Kenya full of dwindling game reserves, baron seas and decayed culture.

Emerald Energy Plc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Emerald Energy Plc - Case Study Example The revenue earnings of Emerald Energy have shown a sharp increase during the year 2008 as compared to the previous year. The increase is significant to the extent of 94% over the sales revenue for the year 2008. The change in the sales revenue during the year 2007 as compared with 2006 is showing a decline of 3.38% over 2006 figures. This trend is depicted in the following graph. The ability of a firm to generate profits can be assessed by working out the profitability ratios for a historical period and by analyzing the sources of income. The gross profit margin, operating profit margin and net income as a percentage of total turnover presents a realistic view of the firm's ability to generate profits. "Profitability ratios offer several different measures of the success of the firm at generating profits." (NetMBA, 2007) The ratios worked out for the Company and the ratio derived for the industry from the published sources are presented below: The above table indicates that the profitability o... The gross margin has increased mainly because of the increase in the sales revenue due to higher prices of petroleum products during early 2008. The increase in gross margin can be traced to the lower cost of sales. The cost of sales for the year 2008 was 29.25% as against 69.92% for the year 2007. This accounts for the steep increase in the gross margin as well as the increase in the operating and net margins. The increase in the profitability can be observed from the following graph. Return on Shareholder's Equity (ROE) The return on shareholder's equity ratio is another important investment valuation ratio used by the investors to evaluate the profitability of the company and its ability to generate earnings by utilizing the capital invested by the equity shareholders. This ratio is considered as more meaningful to the investors. The return on shareholder's equity has increased significantly over the three year period. Presently as per the latest financial information available on the company, the return on shareholder's equity ratio is stated as 28.45% while the ratio for the industry stands at 17.53 (Reuters, 2009). Analysis of Operating Efficiency The working Capital ratios indicate how well the company is able to manage its working capital. "The asset management ratios are also known as working capital ratios or the efficiency ratios. The aim is to measure how effectively the firm is managing its assets." (NetTom, n.d.) The efficiency ratios for Emerald Energy are exhibited below: 2006 2007 2008 Industry Receivables Turnover (Times) 12.06 9.41 5.76 12.26 Total Assets Turnover

Design a compnt IP network and equipment need, and subnet ip using Case Study

Design a compnt IP network and equipment need, and subnet ip using vlsm - Case Study Example The requirement and the budget are large since they depend on the large number of employees in every office. Requirement and Cost The project will require Web Development Company (WDC) to provide a list of items in two categories, hardware and software. The software includes original licensed applications and programs. The hardware in this context includes high quality workstation terminals. The Web Development Company (WDC) will require server systems with capacity for data storage and high-speed processor for the purpose of high performance. In the market, the cost depends on the decisions of the vendor. The budget of the project will be determined by the average costs after doing detailed market survey. The budget is as shown below: ITEM NUMBER PRICE FOR ONE ITEM TOTAL COST       US $ US $ Workstation 200 1500 300,000 Windows Server 7 1800 12,600 Unix Server 7 42000 294,000 Color Printer 100 300 30,000 Color Printers (High Volume) 7 500 3,500 Switch 7 300 2,100 Router 5 350 1, 750 Windows XP SP 3 200 100 20,000 Linux Red Hat  Release 3 7 18000 126,000 Windows Server 2012 8 500 4,000 Patch channel 5 300 1,500 NOD 32 Internet Security Antivirus 10 200 2,000 Firewall system 1 200 200 Installation Costs 1 150000 150,000 Total       947,650 The budget is within the provision of US $ 1,000,000, which the Web Development Company has set aside for the project. ... The IP address range applies to all hosts within the network. In the process of allocation of addresses, there has to be an allowance for enough IP addresses to enable the network to expand as the Web Design Company desires for the future. Each branch will have to provide additional host together with a new hosts whenever a new branch is being established. At the same time, each new branch will require point-to-point addresses. The architecture and the topology have to be designed in such a way that they support the mobile workers since they communicate through the Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections (Moussavi, 2011, p.56). Further to that, there is need to have additional IP addresses allocated to the other components of the network, for example, network photocopiers, scanners and printers. In every department, the average number of employees who will require using the printers, scanners and cameras is about 50. A minimum of one printer is required for every 50 employees in a department. Alternatively, the printers will be allocated to different web sites for each subnet. Some sites are extremely very small. It therefore means that they can only have one printer to serve the number of staff in that department. Such small sites include Hornsby and Penrith, which require just one printer and one photocopier. Some versions of photocopiers are of combined functions, having photocopier, with an inbuilt printer and scanner of high qualities. As required by the subnet naming, each printer and photocopier will get the last available number in the subnet range to which it belongs. Bandwidth Optimization Subnets will be used to separate the

Legalize Google Glasses while Driving Assignment

Legalize Google Glasses while Driving - Assignment Example They are efficient in enabling a driver to check on literally all features of a vehicle such as fuel levels, the GPS, weather and temperatures and such other features that normally require one to make eye contact from the road to the dashboard of the vehicle or on phone. There are thus profound advantages while using the glasses but critiques argue that the use is equally as dangerous as the concentration of a person definitely shifts from the road to the features on display on the glasses. Proponents of the legalization of the glasses argue that they are covered in the legislation on support to use of hands-free gadget while driving to minimize the likelihood of accidents. Fact: The head-mounted technology in use with the Google glasses are a great revolution in modern day but lawmakers are increasingly getting disturbed by the use of such computerized technology. In fact, the legislature in West Virginia is in the process of amending existing legal infrastructure to get the offense in use of Google glasses while driving. Cause: As many get disturbed with increased rates of accidents through use of cell phones while driving the support of such measures to ban completely the use of the phones while one drive would be instrumental in addressing the issue. Effect: It is likely to produce positive effects as required in reducing rates of road accidents by banning the use of the phones while on road. This would encourage the use of hands-free communication devices while driving. Summary: Melnick Meredith, â€Å"NTSB Calls for a National Ban on Cell Phones Behind the Wheel† 2011. Web. 26 March 2014. Melnick shows that risks of car crash increase greatly by the use of cell phones while driving.  

Should the Drinking Age be 18 Years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Should the Drinking Age be 18 Years - Essay Example The push would even be more for an adult, at 18, who would be allowed all other privileges of an adult apart from alcohol consumption. It would cause a feeling of being unjustly targeted resulting in resistance to the implied injustice in an attempt to regain control. (2012). Therefore, such persons would be driven more to drinking, referred to as reactance motivation by Hanson (2012). Since these persons are already adults, they should be allowed to drink to avoid such eventualities. Such a viewpoint is useful to examine due to the fact that as long as the crimes associated with alcohol are limited to the actual age of consumption; very little positive effects to society are instigated. On the flip side, if the bulk of the crime that is a function of alcohol consumption can be linked to those crimes committed under its influence (which has been proven to be the case), then such crimes should be treated distinctly separately from those associated with merely imbibing alcohol while un derage. Moreover, due to the fact that research indicates that reducing the drinking age would have minimal behavioral change, it is not really a contributing factor to modifying the behavior of the target demographic. Such a change would only be achieved through proper training, giving responsibilities and holding one accountable for whatever actions. Therefore, with all these benefits attached to the raised drinking age, it would be beneficial to reduce the drinking age to 18. Hanson, D. J. (2012).

Art History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art History - Research Paper Example What world did they see in the early 1860s, when Impressionism stormed into their lives as the wind of change? Social disruptions at the end of the 18th century, revolutions in France and America, transformed the very essence of Western culture, which cannot but affect the role of art in a rapidly changing society. Accustomed to some social orders from the ruling dynasties or the church, artists suddenly found that all the customers left them. The nobility and clergy experienced serious financial and social troubles. The era of capitalism came, which changed the art rules and priorities totally. Gradually established republics and democratic powers witnessed the growth of the middle class and this growth caused the development of the new art market. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs and traders usually lacked hereditary culture and education, without which it was impossible to understand the diversity of allegories or skillful mastery, which charmed the aristocracy. Without any aristocratic upbringing and education, the middle-class representatives, who suddenly became the art consumers, had to rely on the opinion of professionals - newspaper critics and official experts. The artistic academies, the watchers of the classical canons, became the central arbiters in the issue of artistic preferences. So, it’s not a paradox that some young and talented artists rebelled against the conformity and dominance of the formal academism in art. The major strongholds of the academicism at that time were state patronized exhibitions of contemporary art – the Salons. Participation in the Salon was the only chance to attract attention of the press and customers. The Salon was a unique opportunity to acquire a customer, to build a career in art. Auguste Renoir, in his letter to his dealer Durand-Ruel, criticizes status quo: â€Å"In Paris there are scarcely fifteen people who capable of liking a painter who doesn’t show at

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Research Paper

Clinical Mental Health Counseling - Research Paper Example Many of the mental health conditions are diagnosed when a person is either a teenager or a young adult. During this period one is undergoing many changes such as graduating from high school, choosing a college to attend to and starting romantic relationships.   These changes can be confusing and people in this age bracket can start having mental challenges. The challenges faced by this population can be said to be constant as they are almost similar across patients in this population.   It has been proven that the earlier this group receives treatment through counseling the more likely they are going to persevere.  This career dates way back the 1900s, where it has made numerous strides over time. Back in the year 1907, it was suggested that tutors should also be providing lessons on problem-solving, prevention and character (Erford, 2014). This led to the beginning of canceling lessons in schools.   Many students who were teenagers at that time started benefiting from these services. Counseling services were also developed in the year 1908 through the assistance of the mental hygiene movement.   The mentality shift of society is also important in ensuring that patients receive much-needed support.   This was the case as people started believing that the mentally ill are not irrevocably sick and they need help, (Erford, 2014). During the Second World War, many young men could not join the forces as they were not mentally stable.   Due to the rampant increase of mental problems in the society, the government through a push by the public recognized the need for preventing and treating mental health disorders as soon as possible, (Erford, 2014).  The national mental health act enacted in 1946 was instituted and led to the provision of funds so as to research and train towards prevention,   diagnosis, and treatment of disorders relating to mental health, (Erford, 2014). Teens and young adults were the big beneficiaries of this act as they were now able to obtain services early enough so as to stop complicated mental health disorders. In the year 1963, another act of parliament was passed, it was known as the community mental health centers act which seeks to grow counseling services.   This act sought to address the major issues that were facing the community which included drug abuse family crisis and alcoholism. Through this act of 1963 funds were provisioned to help in financing community based mental health programs thereby increasing prevention and which lead to decreased hospitalizations, (Erford, 2014).   Due to this clinical mental health counseling increased during this period (Neukrug, 2011). Hospitalizations reduced since this was not their main emphasis.   Other organizations such as outpatient clinics and crisis centers were also developed as a result of these changes.   Mental health care services became easily accessible to anyone who needed to access them. Education institutions had to increase traini ng for counselors as community needs were increasing day by day.  As time progressed there was more awareness about the need for prevention and treatment of mental health problems. The 1980s can be said to be the peak season when there was more awareness for the need of the services (Erford, 2014).   This went on till the 2000s When it became important for counselors to be licensed and accredited. This helped unify mental health counseling into a profession. Through the definition of a counselor clients were able to understand the services that they are to receive from a counselor.   Through the creation of clinical mental health counseling many populations have benefited over time.

Wk5 Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans Essay

Wk5 Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans - Essay Example One of the noted weaknesses of Apple is its poor relationship with the market than Microsoft (Iftikhar, 2013). This means that for many years, Apple has the consensus of specifying its own standards, rather than the standards of customers. This could mean more of a production-centred management strategy of products, rather than market or customer-centred approach. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that Apple will take seriously the necessity of ensuring the voices of the customers are constantly heard in its production setting. On the other hand, Iftikhar noted that the products of Apple have very short life cycle, implying that constant maintenance of the research and development department has to be initiated. This prevailing management system has to be changed for good. Thus, the research and development department has to be dynamic, but on the other side, should also be one of the most expensive departments at Apple. Thus, it is necessary to ensure huge capital for this reason. The management therefore, in order to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage should further double its effort in research and development, primarily for the associated expenses of its actual operation. This is to suggest that point that Apple should primarily put the context of adjusting its budget for research and development much more than what is has tried so far from the past until recently. In addition, Apple according to Iftikhar has very low presence in the advertisement. The marketing department should therefore try to improve its strategic approach in communicating its product offerings. This means that in order to ensure a sustainable growth for its offerings and retention in the market, Apple should ensure constant communication and a wide coverage of its message to its market. Finally, Iftikhar also pointed out that Apple has very small market occupation. This issue is one pertaining to organizational

Manifest Destiny & Frederick Jackson Turners frontier thesis Essay

Manifest Destiny & Frederick Jackson Turners frontier thesis - Essay Example On the other hand, the Frontier Thesis as released by Frederick Jackson Turner in 1893 asserted that American development was explicated by the existence of a free land, its constant recession, as well as westward advancement of the American settlement (Turner 56). This concept was said to depend on Darwinism concept of survival for the fittest, where primitive political and economic conditions of the frontier shad to evolve into complex city life. Frederick Turner’s American identity epitomizes Manifest Destiny from the perspective of Anglo-Americans. This is attributed to the fact that Turner describes Americans as strong in individualism and selfishness, with nervous energy, coarseness and strength, and inherent expansive power. In his research, Turner established that the selfish and individual qualities characteristic of Anglo-Americans forced them to push westward; thus, claiming land and expanding democracy. The terms are extremely important in the US history. This is attributed to the fact that they give historians apparatuses that facilitate the using of social history as the basis for all economic, social and economic developments in the American history. Additionally, they give guidelines on the path American democracy has followed in its creation and

Using Tight-Binding Model Essay Example for Free

Using Tight-Binding Model Essay Abstract— In this study, using tight binding model a simple analytical approach has been proposed to investigate the energy dispersion of graphene under the conditions of different planner strain distribution. Here the change in the angle between the primitive unit vectors due to application of external strain has been taken into consideration to propose the approach. From our proposed model it is found that graphene under relaxed or symmetrical strain distribution is a zero bandgap semiconductor. However a band gap is opened as the asymmetrical strain is applied to it. It is seen that upto a certain level of strain (i.e. 12.2 % parallel to carbon-carbon bond and 7.3% perpendicular to carbon-carbon bond) the band gap of graphene increases and then begin to fall . So, four different assumptions have been made for angular change of primitive unit vectors for four different regions of applied strain (i.e. before and after the strain of 12.2 % parallel to carbon-carbon bond before and after the strain of 7.3% perpendicular to carbon-carbon bond). The result obtained in the present study are compared and found an excellent agreement, with more or less 96% accuracy with that of determined from first principle technique. Keywords—Graphene, planner strain, tight binding model, energy dispersion, band-gap. I. INTRODUCTION Graphene, a strictly two-dimensional material having unusual and interesting properties [1] is a rapidly rising star on the horizon of material science and condensed matter physics. It is a material of interest in semiconductor industry because of its exceptionally high crystal and electronic quality, excellent transport properties (i.e. high electron mobility [2] and high thermal conductivity), and as it is planner, it is capable of extreme device scaling comparing with silicon technology. However these excellent properties are associated with a major drawback; graphene is a zero bandgap semiconductor or semimetal [3]-[4]. For large scale manufacturing, the absence of bandgap is the most difficult engineering issue to solve. The zero bandgap revels that it is impossible to switch graphene based device from the conductive to the nonconductive state. So it can not be used in the logic circuit. As the zero bandgap property of graphene limits its application in practical fields, scientists are working to find out the methods to open the bandgap in graphene. To solve this problem several methods have been proposed, such as graphene nanoribbin using quantum confinement effect in its transverse direction [5]-[8], bilayer graphene introducing symmetry breaking between two carbon layers via an external electric field [9],[10] , by the process of doping [11]-[13] and by the process of external strain [14],[15]. To investigate the bandgap opening by the above methods, several techniques have been applied for calculating the band structure of graphene such as first principal calculation, tight binding modeling, k.p method etc. All of them are performed earlier using the software simulation or numerical techniques, which require a huge computational complexity and time consuming and need high capacity super computer. In our study we have proposed a simple analytical approach to investigate the energy dispersion of graphene under different planner strain condition. Using the proposed method the bandgap opening is calculated under the application of asymmetrical strain parallel and perpendicular to the carbon-carbon bond in graphene. The results obtained from the proposed method is compared with the result published by the first principle method and found to be in good agreement with more or less 96 % accuracy. II. METHOD Graphene is a honeycomb lattice of regular hexagonal structure. But it loses its regular hexagonal structural symmetry under uniaxial/shear strain. When planar stress is applied to graphene, the position of carbon atoms shift relative to each other. As a result the vector position of lattice point changes. To explain this, the angle between a1 and a2 is considered here as ÃŽ ¸ instead of assuming 60o which is true for ideal or relaxed graphene structure. The eï ¬â‚¬ect in the tight-binding Hamiltonian is that the parameters of tight-binding scales changes accordingly. The strained lattice structure of graphene is shown in Fig.1. We have used the simple nearest Neighbor tight binding model. Here each Carbon atom is ÏÆ' bonded with three of its nearest neighbor Carbon atoms. Fig.1 : The direct lattice structure of graphene under strained condition The primitive unit vectors can be represented by where The separation of the carbon atoms (A and B) can be represented by three vectors R1, R2, R3 From Tight-binding energy dispersion model the formula of energy dispersion is given by [13] (1) Where Here is a fitting parameter which is often called the nearest neighbor overlap energy or hopping integral. The value of varies from 2.7eV to 3.3eV. (2) This is the generalized equation for the energy dispersion of graphene. Here is the angle between the primitive unit vectors. For the unstrained or relaxed condition, the value of the angle = 60o. In this case the Ï€ bands overlap at direct point or K point of the two dimensional brillouin zone. (a) (b) Fig.2(a) energy dispersion of relaxed graphene and (b) the corresponding brillouin zone. We have investigated the electronic structure of graphene under different planar strain distributions by the tight-binding (TB) approach. The graphene has been strained in three different ways [12]. These are : (i) symmetrical strain distribution (keeping the hexagonal symmetry unchanged) as shown in fig. 3.1(a) , (ii) asymmetrical strain distribution parallel to C-C bonds as shown in Fig. 3.1(b) , (iii) asymmetrical distribution perpendicular to C-C bonds as shown in Fig.3.1(c). Fig 3(a) Graphene system with symmetrical strain distribution, (b) asymmetrical strain distribution perpendicular to C-C bonds, and (c) asymmetrical strain distribution parallel to C-C bonds. Corresponding primitive cells in black, reciprocal lattices in green dashed and Brillouin zones in green grey are illustrated below the deformed lattices. Γ, K, M, R and S are the high symmetrical points. Lx and Ly are the half of the diagonal lengths of the primitive cells in parallel and perpendicular direction of the carbon-carbon bond. As the strain is applied to the graphene, it causes the deformation of the regular hexagonal structure of it . It also causes the deformation in the primitive unit cell. If the strain is symmetric then the band property of the system does not change but for asymmetrical strain , the band property of the system changes due to symmetry breaking. When an asymmetrical strain parallel to C-C bond is applied, it causes a deformation in the primitive unit cell. This deformation is taken as a change in angle between the primitive unit vectors. Here the strain is applied upto 12.2 % and it is seen that with the increase in strain the angle between the primitive unit vectors is reduced by following a 3 degree polynomial with respect to Lx and Ly(where Lx and Ly are in nanometer). The equation of is (3) This value of is then put in equation (2) to calculate the band gap under different strain distribution . It is seen that up to Ly =0.2396 nm band gap of graphene increases then the bandgap begin to fall . For this region the assumption of is different and it is, (4) In case asymmetrical applied strain perpendicular to C-C bond , up to 7.3 % strain the angle between the primitive unit vectors is increased by following a 2 degree polynomial with respect Lx and Ly. The equation of is, (5) Now up to Lx = 0.1323 nm band gap of graphene increases and then the bandgap begins to fall. For this region the assumption of is, (6) III.RESULT Asymmetrical strain distribution results in the opening of the bandgap between the maximum of the valance band and the minimum of the conduction band in graphene. When an asymmetrical strain parallel to carbon-carbon bond is applied, Ly increases. Then for the system in order to come back to its lowest energy, Lx decreases during the structural relaxation. Due to change of Lx and Ly, the angle between the primitive unit vectors decreases and causes the symmetry breaking. This angular change is taken as the parameter of deformed primitive cell to calculate the electronic structure of graphene. For example, for Ly = 0.2196, 0.2236, 0.2396, and 0.2436 nm the corresponding optimized values of Lx are Lx= 0.1228, 0.1224, 0.1217 and 0.1216 nm. Then from our proposed model the corresponding angle between the primitive unit vectors are =59.47o, 58.91o, 54.79o and 57.75o. The corresponding electronic structure or band diagrams are shown in fig.4 with the extended view at K point (a) (b) (c) (d) Fig.4 Extended view of bandgap opening for (a) Ly=0.2196 nm and Lx=0.1228 nm (b) Ly=0.2236 nm and Lx=0.1224 nm (c) Ly=0.2396 nm and Lx=0.1217 nm (d) Ly=0.2436 nm and Lx=0.1216 nm. Similar behavior is obtained in the graphene system, when asymmetrical strain perpendicular to carbon-carbon bond is applied. In this case for example for Lx =0.1268, 0.1292, 0.1353 nm the corresponding optimized Ly are Ly=0.2126, 0.2120 and 0.2105 nm and the corresponding deformed angle are = 60.52o, 61.05oand 60.38o. The opening of bandgap corresponding to these deformed angle are shown in fig.5 (a) (b) (c) FIG.4 EXTENDED VIEW OF BANDGAP OPENING FOR (A) LX=0.1268 NM AND LY= 0.2126 NM (B) LX= 0.1292 NM AND LY=0.2120 NM (C) LY=0.1353 NM AND LX= 0.2105 NM . These results revels that the zero bandgap or semi-metallic behavior of graphene sheet gets modified or a bandgap is opened when asymmetrical strain is applied to it. Now the question is what is the reason behind this? We know that planner graphene consists of strong bonds and delocalized pz electrons. Here orbitals are formed by overlapping the pz orbitals of the carbon atoms in the hexagonal lattice. These and bands touches each other at the K point causing zero bandgap. When the strain is applied the carbon-carbon bonds of graphene get elongated. Due to this elongation of carbon-carbon bonds, the electron clouds get localized on the corresponding carbon atoms. Therefore a restriction is imposed on movement of the electrons which causes the opening the bandgap at the K point. In this way, under strained condition, graphene loses its semimetal characteristics and turns into a direct bandgap semiconductor. IV.COMPARISON WITH ESTABLISHED METHOD: In this study, we have calculated the band gap of graphene under the application of asymmetrical strain by an analytical approach. The calculated value is found to be in great agreement with the measured value obtained by first principle calculation [14]. It is found that in case of asymmetrical strain distribution parallel and perpendicular to C-C bond, the percentage of error is more or less 4 % for most of the data which is shown In this study an analytical model has been proposed for investigating the energy dispersion of strained graphene under the distribution of the planner strain in parallel and perpendicular to carbon-carbon bond. Using the proposed model the energy dispersion for different planner strain has been calculated. From our study it is seen that for relaxed or symmetrically strained graphene, the band gap of the system is zero. When asymmetrical strain parallel or perpendicular to carbon-carbon bond is applied then a finite bandgap is opened. And it is also seen that tuning the percentage strain, the band gap can also be tuned. Here it is also seen that comparing the perpendicular strain, parallel strain parallel to the carbon -carbon bond more induces more bandgap. Finally we have compared our results with the results obtained from the established method and found good agreement with around 96 % accuracy. References [1]A.K. Geim and K.S. Novoselov, â€Å"The rise of graphene ,† Nat. Mater, vol.6, pp.183-191, 2007. [2]Ryutaro Sako, Hideaki Tsuchiyaand Matsuto Ogawa, â€Å"Influence of bandgap opening on ballistic electron transport in bilayer graphene and graphene nanoribbon FETs,† IEEE Trans. Electronic Devices., vol. 58, no. 10, pp. 3300–3306, Oct. 2011. [3]K.S. Novoselov, A.K. Geim, S.V. Morozov, D. Jiang, Y. Zhang, S.V. Dubonos, I.V. Grigorieva and A.A. Firsov, Science 306, 666 (2004). [4]K.S. Novoselov, D. Jiang, F.Schedin, T.J. Bhoot, V.V. Khot-kevich, S.V. Morozov and A.K Geim, Proc.Natl.Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102,10451 (2005). [5]M.Y. Han, B. Ozylmaz, Y. Zhang, and P. Kim, â€Å"Energy band gap engineering of grapheme nanoribbons,† Phys. Rev. Lett. ,vol. 98, no. 20, P. 206805, May 2007. [6]G. Liang, N. Neophytou, D.E. Nikonov, and M.S. Lundstrom, â€Å" Performance projections for ballistic graphene nanoribbon ï ¬ eld-effect transistors,† IEEE Trans. Electr on Devices, vol. 54, no. 4, pp. 677–682, Apr. 2007. [7]Y. W. Son, M. L. Cohen, and S. G. Louie, â€Å"Energy gaps in graphene nanoribbons,† Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 97, no. 21, p. 216803, Nov. 2006. [8]X. Li, X. Wang, L. Zhang, S. Lee, and H. Dai, â€Å"Chemically derived, ultrasmooth graphene nanoribbon semiconductors,† Science, vol. 319, no. 5867, pp. 1229–1232, Feb. 2008. [9]T. Ohta, A. Bostwick, T. Seyller, K. Horn, and E. Rotenberg, â€Å"Controlling the electronic structure of bilayer graphene,† Science, vol. 313, no. 5789, pp. 951–954, Aug. 2006. [10]Y. Zhang, T.-T. Tang, C. Girit, Z. Hao, M. C. Martin, A. Zettl, M. F. Crommie, Y. R. Shen, and F. Wang, â€Å"Direct observation of a widely tunable bandgap in bilayer graphene,† Nature, vol. 459, no. 7248, pp. 820–823, Jun. 2009. [11]Jun Ito, Jun Nakamura, and Akiko Natori, â€Å"Semiconducting nature of the oxygen-adsorbed graphene sheet ,† Journal of applied phys. 103,113712 (2008). [12]Paolo Marconcini, Gianluca Fiori, Alessandro Ferretti, Giuseppe Iannaccone, and Massimo Macucci, â€Å"Numerical analysis of transport properties ofboron-doped graphene FETs†. [13]Zhipping Xu and Kun Xue, â€Å"Engeneering grap hene by oxidation: a first principle study,† Nanotechnology 21 (2010) 045704 [14]Gui Gui, Jin Li, and Jianxin Zhong ‘Band structure engineering of graphene by strain: First-principles calculations’, PHYSICAL REVIEW B 78, 075435 2008. [15]V.J. Surya, K. Iyakutti, H. Mizuseki, and Y. Kawazoe, â€Å"Tuning electronic structure of Graphene: A first-principle calculation,† IEEE Trans. Nanotechnology, vol.11, No.3,pp.534-541, May 2012.

Structuralist theories of crime and deviance Essay Example for Free

Structuralist theories of crime and deviance Essay All Structuralist theories of crime and deviance seem to suggest that crime is socially constructed rather than focused on the individual. Albert Cohen, combining Structuralist and sub cultural theories drew on Mertons idea of strain but criticized Mertons ideas of crime being an individual response and believed that he ignored non-utilitarian crimes such as vandalism and joy-riding. Cohen was particularly interested in deviance which was not economically motivated but done simply for the thrill of the act. Cohen believed that many lower-class boys aspired to the values of middle-class society but lacked the means to obtain anysuch success, thus leading to status frustration. Therefore many reject the rules of acceptable norms and behaviour as they cannot be successful within those rules. They turn to a delinquent subculture, where there are alternative norms and values and through committing crime status can be gained. Box, however, argues that Cohens theory only applies to the minority. Most he believes accept mainstream values although feeling resentful of being seen as failures. Cloward and Ohlin were also greatly influenced by Merton and accepted his explanation of deviance in terms of the legitimate oppurtunity structure. However they also explored a parallel, the illegitimate oppurtunity structure. They realised that within certain subcultures it was possible to make a career out of crime, which allowed criminals to obtain mainstream societies goals. According to Cloward and Ohlin there were three possible categories. Firstly a criminal subculture, where there is oppurtunity to become involved in a thriving world of crime, where there are successful role models who have used crime as a means to succeed, and youngsters who can work their way up the ladder in the criminal hierarchy. Where there is no local criminal subculture, conflict subculture can emerge. This is when there is no access to the legitimate or illegitemate means of success and anger and frustration is vented through violence, usually to other groups of similar status. Finally Cloward and Ohlin thought there was the retreatist subculture which was centered mainly on illegal drug use and alcohol. This occured as members often failed to fit into the other two subcultures. Cloward and Ohlins theory has faced some criticism. Similarly to Cohen they failed to mention female delinquancy. It is also difficult to believe that all criminals and deviants fit into three neat categories. Taylor, Walton and Young criticize both Cohens and Cloward and Ohlins assumption that everyone is asspiring to achieve wealth. They point out that there are certain groups in society such as Hippies that make conscious decisions to reject such conventions. In the 1950s Miller developed a rather different approach. He suggested that deviancywas linked to the lowerclass males who had their own distinctive values whic had been passed on from generation to generation. These values, he believed, actually encouraged criminal behaviour. He identified various focal concerns of the lower class male, such as, toughness- a respect for courage, smartness- the ability to outsmart others and excitment- the search for thrills. Miller believed that delinquencywasd a result of conformity to these focal concerns. Gills study supports Miller in that he discovered some residants of a working class area did not believe it was wrong to commit some crimes, suchaas stealing from an unoccupied house. Other sociologists however such as Braithwaite, argue against Millers theory, believing that crimes that involved causing direct harm to somebody are seen as wrong by all classes in our society.

Social networking sites in the work place

Social networking sites in the work place Benefits and problems of social networking sites in the work place â€Å"In the early 1990s, websites were used to share information with other people, though many people felt that this was not personal enough, since it lacked the sense of togetherness. This led to the development of social networking and social networking sites in the early 2000s. This concept was embraced and readily accepted by many people who felt the need for a more personalized way of communicating through the web†. (Sharpened.com, November 2009) Between 2007 and 2009, the craze about social networking and especially social networking sites has grown rapidly and is continuing to grow at a very rapid rate. Accodring to Owyang, social networking sites like Facebook has a high growth rate with more than 60million active users, an average of 250,000 new registrations every day since January 2007 and with an average 3% weekly growth rate since January 2007.(2008)Smith(2008) also states that the number of people using social networking sites has grown by 12% in the last six months from June 2008. The most popular social networking sites include the likes of Facebook and HI5, which according to Smith(2008), together have 59million users(see figure 1); they can also include internal social sites for people working in the same enterprise. Social networking sites are popular because anyone who has access to the internet can join any social networking site seeing as they are free and easy to join. This makes people spend most of their t ime on these social networking sites chatting with friends or just updating their information. This craze has also affected those in the workplace and they find themselves spending a lot of company time on these social sites (some of which are also internal social networking sites) and forget to work. The amount of time employees spend using social networking applications is a major reason why many enterprises do not like their employees using the social networking applications during office hours. I believe that social networking and social networking sites do have their advantages that can be of great benefit to an enterprise; but they can also cause problems for an enterprise. In this paper, I am going to discuss the benefits/advantages and problems/disadvantages of social networking and find out if it is worth having social networking and social networking sites in the work place. Keywords: social networking, social networking sites, social networking applications, Social networking can be broadly defined as a social structure made of people who may or may not have a common interest. WhatisSocialnetworking.com(2009) agrees with this definition by defining social networking as the grouping of individuals into specific groups,although social networking is possible in person, especially in the workplace, universities and high school, it is most popular online. I can define a social networking site as an internet site where people go to communicate and keep in touch with their friends and family. But according to Boyd and Ellison(2007), the terms social networking and social network should not be used interchangeably seeing as they do not mean the same. They(Boyd and Ellison,2007) decided to use the term â€Å"social network† which they define as, â€Å"[a] web-based service that allows individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bound system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. Social networking has many benefits to both individuals and enterprises. However many enterprises today are still sceptical about whether or not to permit their employees access to social networking sites and their applications; and if they do grant access, they worry about the implications of allowing them to access these sites and applications, in terms of time spent on these social networking sites and using the applications. However, such enterprises should understand that there are benefits to using social networking sites and applications in the workplace that not only benefit the employees but also the enterprise as a whole. Some of the benefits have been discussed below. Benefits of social networking in the workplace There are various benefits of social networking in the workplace and these include: firstly, social networking and social networking sites can be used to enhance the enterprises image. If an enterprise has access to social networks, this can improve its image. According to Kelleher(2009), building [a] strong social network can help a business to improve its reputationand that social networks can boost the image of an enterprise as thought leaders in the field and customers start to acknowledge the enterprise as reliable and excellent source of information/products that meet their[customers] requirements. Also a social network can help an enterprise expand its market research. Social networking sites can be used by an enterprise to increase its customer base. This is true because an enterprise can advertise its products/services to the users of these sites; the enterprise can also use these social networking sites to get new users for its products/services seeing as through the social sites, the enterprise can do a survey of those people who know/use their product/service and then target those who do not know about their Kelleher(2009) agrees with this for he says that using a social networking site like facebook can help a small business target a large audience without having to do much advertising. In addition, social networking sites can be used as a low-cost marketing tool. An enterprise can use social networking sites to advertise itself and its products and services. This is because in most social networking sites, advertising of products/services is done for free and hence the enterprise saves the expenses it would have used on advertising. By having an internal social network an enterprise can keep records of the employees more easily. According to DiMicco et al(2008), a social network can be a new source of information for the enterprise, and new possibilities for understanding the workforce. This can enable the managers at the enterprise to better understand its workforce. Furthermore, social networking sites can help an enterprise to increase its customer base. An enterprise can mine its employees friends on social networking sites and target them as new customers for its products/services. Laudon and Laudon(2007) agree by saying that social networking can be used to expand the number of an enterprises business and social networks/contacts and also to link people through mutual business thereby enabling them to mine their friends for sales leads.This is an effective way for an enterprise to increase its customer base because it may be easier to convince people who have a mutual relationship with your employees to use your product/service than it is to convince people who have no relationship with the enterprise at all. Lastly, social networking can enable the enterprise to reach its target market/customers. an enterprise can use social networking sites to find out who their target customers are. According to Ladoun and Laudon(2007), an enterprise can do this seeing as users of social networking sites reveal a lot of information about themselves when signing up and using these sites and this information can be used to create advertisements that will appeal to their desired target customers/audience. An enterprise can further use social networking sites to have a closer relationship with its customers. An enterprise can form its own group in a social network where all its present and potential customers can join and gain access to the offers and deals that the enterprise has to offer for members of its group only. Kelleher (2009) agrees with this in that he says that social networks provide an opportunity for businesses to reach out and target groups of customers; he also agrees that businesses can encourage customers to join their network of friends in the social networking site in order to access special discounts given only to those customers who are online contacts to the business. Problems of social networking in the workplace The major problem most enterprises have with allowing their employees access to social networking sites is employees spending too much time on the social networking sites thus affecting their(the employees) productivity. Keller (2009) agrees with this as he also says that organizations do not like having social networking in the workplace since most employees spend most of their time on these sites updating their profiles instead of doing their work. Laudon and Laudon(2007) also share the same view as they say, â€Å"members of social networking sites spend hours surfing pages, checking out other members and exchanging messages† To support his argument, Keller uses the example that if every employee in an enterprise comprising of 50 employees spent 30 minutes a day on a social networking site per day, the enterprise would lose 6,500hours of productivity in a year! This is a great amount of time that could have been used to do company work and be productive. Social networking can also lead to tension in the workplace. This is in terms of the relationships in the office. This is because some employees will feel that their colleagues are spending too much time on social networking sites while they are working to cover the workload for those who are on the social networking sites. This causes tension especially if those employees who spend a lot of time on the social networking sites are known by the other Another problem can be that of wastage of companys resources. This is in terms of bandwidth. Most of the social networking site have some content that takes up a lot of bandwidth and if employees access these contents, they use up all the bandwidth making it impossible for other internet users to access the internet. This can also make the enterprise incur more costs because it will have to use more money to create more bandwidth that an support both the social networks content and those of the enterprise(Kelleher, 2009). The third problem of social networking in the workplace, according to Kelleher (2009), is the threat of viruses and malware: â€Å"Hackers are attracted to social networking sites because they see the potential to commit fraud and launch spam and malware attacks. There are more than 50,000 applications available for FacebookSome have the potential to be used to infect computers with malicious code, which in turn can be used to collect data from that users site. Messaging on social networking sites is also a concern, and the Koobface worm is just one example of how messages are used to spread malicious code and worms.† A further problem may be that of social engineering. Social engineering has been defined by*** as Reputation and legal liability Employees may post information that may damage the companys image To prohibit or not to prohibit There is no one solution to the problem of employees abusing their access to social networking sites. Some enterprises have tried using technology and internal controls to control the amount of time employees spend on these sites and the content that they can access. Though this seems to fail seeing as employees are devious people and will always get other ways of accessing these social networking sites wither by bypassing the security measures put by the enterprise or by accessing the sites from elsewhere. This causes a dilemma for the management of enterprises because they know that the world is moving towards social networking as the new mode of communication with customers and the outside world and they also know the benefits their business will accrue due to the use of social networking sites; and they also know the implications they have when they (managers) allow employees free access to these sites. So what options does the enterprise have in its reach? According to Kelleher (2009), an enterprise has three options it can use when dealing with the issue of social networking in the workplace. That is: ban access to social networking sites, set limits and restrictions to use, and allow unmonitored access. i) The first option an enterprise has is total ban on access of social networking sites. This simply means that the enterprise does not allow employees to access any social networking sites from the workplace computers. This option is mainly used by organizations that want to keep the status quo. However most enterprises do not seem to opt for this option because they see it as a sign of no trust in the employees causing them to rebel against the enterprise and be less productive. ii) The next option is setting limits and restrictions for use. This simple means allowing employees access to some of the applications available on the social networking sites. Some enterprises may even go to the extent of only allowing certain employees access to the social networking sites for a limited amount of time. This strategy may not be total useful for an enterprise in that if some employees are granted access to the social networking sites while others are not, it may bring about hatred and jealousy in the workplace making the work environment tense and unfriendly. iii) Allowing unmonitored access. This is when the enterprise allows its employees to access social networking sites at any time and for whatever duration of time. This is the worst strategy of the three in that the employees will now be even more unproductive seeing that they have access to these sites without anybody monitoring what they are doing. This can also turn to be detrimental to the enterprise in that it has no control over the content the employees are posting and passing through the sites since the enterprise does not monitor what the employees are sending. Of the three options, the best would be to setting limits and restrictions for use. However, whichever option an enterprise chooses to use, it must ensure that the enterprises vital and critical information is protected from viruses and malware and from hackers. This can be achieved by having updates anti-viruses, a firewall to monitor and restrict access to certain internet applications, and social networking sites.(Kelleher, 2009) Conclusion Social networking is a concept that is quickly gaining acceptance from everyone in all walks of life from students to CEOs and senior managers of big enterprises. They see social networking as a quick, cheap and effective way to keep in touch and communicate with their friends and family; and customers and employees, in the case of CEOs and senior managers. Social networking sites are both beneficial and risky to an enterprise. The major thing that perturbs most enterprises of today about allowing employees access to social networking sites is that they have no control over the information being passed by the employees. Most social networking sites ask for so much information when one is joining and at times, this information can be used against the individual and may eventually be used against the enterprise. Kelleher(2009) suggests some tips for an enterprise should follow when allowing access to social networking sites; these are:- i) Restrict access. An enterprise can achieve this by controlling the amount of time employees spend on the social sites. One enterprise may allow employees to access these sites during their breaks or before/after office hours. While another may allow its employees to access only certain social sites and only certain applications in those sites that do not take up the enterprises bandwidth. ii) Educate and train employees. Employees should be educated on the implications their activities on the social sites may have on the enterprise because most employees do not know that their actions on social sites can have a great impact on the enterprise. Employees should also be trained on how to recognise suspicious links that may be connected to viruses and malware that could damage the machines and the enterprise network, and that they should not just click nay link they find on social sites. They should also be made conscious of the information they give on these sites and how this information can be used against them and the enterprise. iii) Set security and usage policies. June 2008 December 2008 Total unique total unique visitors(000) visitors(0000 1H08 growth Total internet: total audience 860,511 815,797 5.5% 44.716 Social Networking: Total audience 580,510 516,318 12.4% 64,102 Facebook 132,105 97,792 35.1% 34,313 Myspace 117,582 107,167 9.7% 10,415 hi5 56,367 31,428 79.4% 24,939 Friendstar 37,080 29,735 24.7% 7,345 Orkut 34,028 25,138 35.4% 8,891 Bebo 24,017 21,282 12.9% 2,736 Other 179,330 203,776 -12% -24,447 Sorce: comScore.Inc cited in Smith(2008) Geography: Worldwide References Social Networking, accessed from http://www.sharpened.net/glossary/definition.php?socialnetworking, accessed on 4th November 2009 What is social networking?, accessed from http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com/ accessed on 23rd November 2009 Boyd D. M., and Ellison N.B., Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship, Michigan State University, (2007), accessed from http://consommacteurs.blogs.com/files/socialnetworksites_boyd-ellision_2007.pdf , accessed on 23rd November 2009 DiMicco J., Millen D. R., Geyer W., Dugan C., Brownholtz B. and Muller M., Motivations for Social Networking at work, CSCW, (2008), accessed from http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/1470000/1460674/p711-dimicco.pdf?key1=1460674key2=0634998521coll=GUIDEdl=GUIDECFID=64533696CFTOKEN=15961752 , accessed on 23rd November 2009 Kelleher D., 5 Problems with social networking in the workplace, Information Management Special Reports, October 2009, accessed from http://www.information-management.com/specialreports/2009_165/social_networking_media-10016208-1.html , accessed on 7th November 2009 Laudon K.C. and Laudon J.P., Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 10th Edition, Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. ISBN: 0-13-120681-8 Owyang J., Social Network Stats: Facebook, MySpace, Reunion (Jan, 2008), Weekly Digest of the Social Networking Space, (January 2008), accessed from http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/09/social-network-stats-facebook-myspace-reunion-jan-2008/ ,accesed on 3rd December 2009 Sinrod E. J., Can social networking co-exist with the workplace?, December 2007, accessed from http://news.cnet.com/Can-social-networking-co-exist-with-the-workplace/2010-1030_3-6223458.html , accessed on 7th November 2009 Smith J., Intriguing trends in Social Networking Growth during 1H 2008, (July, 2008), accessed from http://www.insidefacebook.com/2008/07/27/intriguing-trends-in-social-networking-growth-during-1h-2008/ , accessed on 3rd December 2009

Sustainability Essay -- Sociology Third World Economy Essays

Sustainability Max Weber believed in the power of an idea. This political theorist discussed how Calvinism was one idea that perpetuated the rise of capitalism. Few people ever examine the power of an idea, but if one examines and contemplates this theory, a realization comes across: that ideas drive society. The key premise is that some values of our society must be altered in order to avert catastrophic consequences. The way of life in developed countries is "the origin of many of our most serious problems"(Trainer, 1985). Because developed countries have high material living standards and consume massive quantities of all resources, "hundreds of millions of people in desperate need must go without the materials and energy that could improve their conditions while these resources flow into developed countries, often to produce frivolous luxuries"(Trainer, 1985). People's way of life seems to be a glaring example of values leading to high rates of personal consumption of resources and the waste of these same materials. In addition to overconsumption, the services used to supply our society with goods, (examples of these goods would be food, water, energy, and sewage services.) tends to be wasteful and expensive. Production is organized in such a way, (usually highly centralized) that travel becomes an enormous burden. Another consideration is that our population is expected to increase to rise to eleven billion within the next half century. Considering the mineral and energy resources needed in the future, these estimates must also include the consumption of a population almost doubled from its current status and these same figures must include an expected increase in the affluence of developed countries. "If we are willin... ...st be adopted by every person on the planet, (starting in the developed world), otherwise the world will cease to support life. Bibliography Holdgate, Martin. From Care to Action. 1996. Earthscan Publications Ltd, London. Trainer, F.E. Abandon Affluence. 1985. Zed Books Ltd, London. Von Tunzelmann, G. N. Technology and industrial progress : the foundations of economic growth. Aldershot, Hants, England ; Brookfield, Vt., 1995. Adams, W. M. Green development : environment and sustainability in the Third World , W.M. Adams. London ; New York : Routledge, 1990. 5. Anderson, Anthony, B. Alternatives to deforestation : steps toward sustainable use of the Amazon rain forest , editor. New York : Columbia University Press, 1990. 6. Auty, Richard, M. Approaches to sustainable development , edited by Katrina Brown. London ; New York : Pinter, 1997.

Essay --

Climate change which is attributed to global warming caused by fossil fuels is, perhaps, one of the most important concerns in the world. Owing to the tremendous increase in polluting gaseous which are sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) and greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) developing countries, such as UK, are working on new technologies to meet the limits that have been established under Kyoto protocol (Roskilly, A.P., Nanda, S.K., Wang, Y.D., Chirkowski, J., 2007; Center for Electromechanics, 2014; Fernandez Soto, J.L., Garay Seijo, R., Fraguela Formoso, J.A., Gregorio Iglesias, G., Carral Zouce, L., 2010; Jayaram, V., Agrawal, H., Welch, W.A., Miller, J.W. & Cocker, D.R., 2011) . Although land transportation, such as cars, trains and trucks, contributes to emitted gaseous, marine vessels play a significant role in air pollution. According to Fernandez Soto et al., 2010, approximately 42% of the European Union’s (EU) domestic transportation and 90 % of trade with non-European countries are done by sea. The EU is trying to encourage the use of marine vessels for transportation of goods to reduce the polluting gaseous and greenhouse gas emissions over land transportation. Even though the regulations of emitted gaseous by the legislation of Annex VI of the MARPOL, Fernandez Soto et al., 2010 claimed that emissions from marine vessels, SOx, NOx and PM, would increase by 40%, 50% and 55%, respectively, by 2020. Apart from the destructive effects of fossil fuels on environment, high costs and limited reserves of them force ship owners and transportation companies to seek for alternative sources (Roskilly et al., 2007). Fernandez Soto et. al., 2010 assessed the types of alternative en... ...al., 2007). Both a heating line preventing condensation and a conditioning unit keeping the temperature of the gas below 40 0C and the saturation level is correct are essential. The whole exhaust computation system is shown in Fig. 5 (Roskilly et al., 2007).The analysis of trial fuel Lloyds Register FOBAS fuel analysis service examined the biodiesel from recycled cooking fat and vegetable oil and fossil diesel for elemental constitution and other properties and prepared a robust report shown in Table 3 (Roskilly et al., 2007). Table 3. The analysis results of fuels The experimental procedures for the trails Roskilly et al., 2007 followed the ISO 8178 test procedure and the test cycle E5 used for marine crafts less than 24 m in length to receive a standardized set of data. Besides, to calculate specific exhaust emissions the weighting factor is used (Table 4).

Zeno of Elea :: essays research papers

Zeno of Elea Zeno of Elea was born in Elea, Italy, in 490 B.C. He died there in 430 B.C., in an attempt to oust the city's tyrant. He was a noted pupil of Parmenides, from whom he learned most of his doctrines and political ideas. He believed that what exists is one, permanent, and unchanging. Zeno argued against multiplicity and motion. He did so by showing the contradictions that result from assuming that they were real. His argument against multiplicity stated that if the many exists, it must be both infinitely large and infinitely small, and it must be both limited and unlimited in number. His argument against motion is characterized by two famous illustrations: the flying arrow, and the runner in the race. It is the illustration with the runner that is associated the first part of the assignment. In this illustration, Zeno argued that a runner can never reach the end of a race course. He stated that the runner first completes half of the race course, and then half of the remaining distance, and will continue to do so for infinity. In this way, the runner can never reach the end of the course, as it would be infinitely long, much as the semester would be infinitely long if we completed half, and then half the remainder, ad infinitum. This interval will shrink infinitely, but never quite disappear. This type of argument may be called the antinonomy of infinite divisibilty, and was part of the dialectic which Zeno invented. These are only a small part of Zeno's arguments, however. He is believed to have devised at least forty arguments, eight of which have survived until the present. While these arguments seems simple, they have managed to raise a number of profound philosophical and scientific questions about space, time, and infinity, throughout history. These issues still interest philosophers and scientists today. The problem with both Zeno's argument and yours is that neither of you deal with adding the infinite. Your argument suggests that if one adds the infinite, the sum will be infinity, which is not the case.

Art Tatum Essay

From the time Tatum was born on Oct. 13, 1909 in Toledo, Ohio, he was destined for revolutionizing jazz. He was born with a blind eye and the other partially blind, but his ears were his way of seeing the world. He could sit down and play the same music meant for four hands. He was unbeatable at any piano competition. His influence on jazz will be forever respected by jazz pianists (and non-pianists) worldwide. As a child, Art received a little formal training for piano at Toledo School of Music, but he mainly just taught himself. By the age of 18, he was already playing for radio broadcasts and even had his own show at one point. By age 24, he wrote and released â€Å"Tiger Rag,† a song fully equipped with fast beats, incredibly technical rhythms, and the need for skill. As he continued in his musical career, his articulation, style, and individuality only got better. Art changed the entire face of jazz music. He helped lead the next generation into the bebop era. He was the musician that started to change the chord progressions, fingered with the harmonics, and tried new inversions of different chords (to get a more â€Å"jazzy† sound). Tatum was able to use his classical background and his jazzy style to create his own type of music. It was technical and complex, but still full of the freestyle that jazz so easily expresses. He used his left-handedness to create extreme bass parts and his right hand to create beautiful runs up and down the entire piano. Art had incredible ears. Although he was nearly blind in one eye and completely blind in the other, he could see perfectly when it came to music. It was said that Tatum could find the dominant note in a flushing toilet. He had incredible pitch, so he knew exactly which notes would sound perfect with the others. In regard to his piano, they called him, â€Å"God† because he was so good. Tatum never stopped playing piano. It was his life. As one man said, â€Å"Tatum played so brilliantly and so much†¦that I thought the piano was gonna break. My mother left the room†¦so I said ‘What’s wrong, Mama?’ And she said ‘Oh, that man plays too much piano.'† Even extremely critical people would compliment him for his piano skills. Whenever he ever entered a competition for piano, he never lost. Art’s style of music was not the simple, easy music that anybody could play. His technique was mastered. He had the most intricate ornamentation in every line of a song he played. Not only that, but he didn’t even seem like he was trying. As he pounded away at the keys, it didn’t seem like pounding but more floating. It seemed so effortless to him. Hank Jones said, â€Å"When I finally met him and got a chance to hear him play in person, it seemed as if he wasn’t really exerting much effort, he had an effortless way of playing. It was deceptive. You’d watch him and you couldn’t believe what was coming out, what was reaching your ears. He didn’t have that much motion at the piano. He didn’t make a big show of moving around and waving his hands and going through all sorts of physical gyrations to produce the music that he produced, so that in itself is amazing. There had to be intense concentration there, but you couldn’t tell by just looking at him play.† Tatum was revolutionary. He led future jazz musicians into the next era of jazz. He had the skill and the mind of a genius, and for that, he will never be forgotten. Resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Tatum#Style http://www.duke.edu/~njh3/biography.html

The Waste Land

Eliot expressed tout ensemble of these feelings In his poem. In circumstance. The turn back sphere soon became kn de failr as the wee that best expressed the mood of a postwar generation disillusi aced by the loss of ideals and faith in improvement (Duper 7). The Waste Land does non, however, express all despair in the condition of redbrick fellowship. Conscious of its actual degradation, Eliot sought a meaner to lam it. He did a not bad(p) deal of research c at one timerning fertility rituals and myths and indicated that his recitation In these and akin studies revived a style of seeing behind presenters actions a substratum of past beliefs and practices that. Hough now addled to consciousness, continue to Inform our daily lives In hidden wholly signifi shadowt ship modality (Duper 8). As Dolmen Schwartz states, Elites theme is the renewal of a system of beliefs, known but now discredited (209). Eliot felt that adult male unavoidablenessed to be brought back to t hese older beliefs, but was wary of stating this openly, fearing a exact approach would prevent the poem from cosmos read. The modern world had become in handle manner hardened to accept Christian principles right off and, Instead, moldiness gradually be make aware of his condition.In order to achieve this, Eliot chronicled his 1 Nihilism (from the Latin nil, nothing) a philosophical position which argues that the world, especially past and electric current human existence, is without meaning. voyage of realization and divine revelation in the form of The Waste Land, exploitation the takeoff booster of the poem to represent his own passing to eldritch awareness and to impel man of the degradation of community and the need for reform. The poem begins with the hero mu sinningg on spring April is the cruelest calendar month, breedingLilacs out of the asleep(predicate) land, admixture Memory and desire, stirring Dull root with spring rain. Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in fatuous snow, feeding A little smell with dried tubers. (1, 1-7)2 This passage is an indication of the point of the degradation of man. He has sunken so low Into subversion that he prefers to live a life of ignorance and to disregard the fact that he Is living a half-life. April, the month In which spring begins, is no long-lived a joyous while in which new life is celebrated, but a cruel time of rebirth that reminds man that his own life is terribly empty.The assistant and then addresses man directly, stating, you know only / a heap of broken images, where the sun beats, / and the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, / and the ironical stone no sound of water (l, 21-24). He then invites us into the shadow of this red an allusion to the got Isaiah, in which the Messiahs torture coming is likened to an hiding office staff from the wind, and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a spacious rock in a grind lan d (KAVA Bible, Sis. 322).Under this red rock, he will show the way to escape the mundane life man has roughs upon himself. The loudspeaker then recalls the time he head start realized the emptiness of his life. In the 2 Citations from the poem are taken from The Waste Land, De. Michael North (New York Norton, 2001) springtime, he says, he gave his buffer hyacinths. Looking at her, with her arms intact of flowers and her hair dripping wet, he expect to see happiness and fulfillment, but dictum nothing. At this point, he realizes that true enjoyment fuelnot be found in fugacious things.The world holds nothing for him- Ode undo sneer ads Mere (1, 42)-desolate and empty is the sea. It is possible that Eliot came to this alike(p) realization through a similar cause, as he and his wife had a very unhappy relationship. The genius then takes us on a Journey through society, a Journey that illustrates the full phase of the moon fulfilment of human degradation and spiritual empti ness. In the first scene of A Game of Chess, a wealthy duet is shown at home, living meaningless lives collected of dull routines. Their relationship is forced and artificial, steally so self-absorbed that neither can communicate with the other.In the second scene of this section, the extent of gradation is further revealed. A adult female is in a pub discussing with a group of friends the advice she gave her friend Ill when Oils husband, Alfred, was action from military dish. She says she pointed out that Alfred, having been in the service for four years, wants a good time and told Ill, if you dont give it to him, theres others 148-149). She then rebuked Ill for look so antique (II, 156), and Ill replied that it was because she had an abortion. She had already given birth to five children and did not want more(prenominal).In this scene, sex is reduced to a duty a wife must reform to please her husband, and children are an obligation, not a Joy. In The usher out Sermon, th e depravity of man is further illustrated. A cleaning woman is shown in her apartment eating dinner with her lover. Their encounter after dinner is exposit thusly The time is now propitious, as he guesses, The meal is ended, she is bored and tired, Endeavourers to work her in caresses Which exempt are unimproved, if unsought Flushed and decided, he assaults at once Exploring hands encounter no falsification His vanity requires no response, And makes a delightful of indifference. Ill, 235-242) When he leaves, her brain allows one half-formed public opinion to pass Well now thats through and Im glad its 252) This positioning of indifference can be seen as even more depraved than lust and expresses the apathetic attitude of many after the war. However, there is still hope. Sometimes, the protagonist can hear the grateful whining of a mandolins (Ill, 261) near the walls of Magnums Martyr, a perform where fishermen lounge at noon (Ill, 263). This design glimpse of hope is an indication of the tooth root of a meaningful life. The fishermen remind us of Jesus disciples, the fishers f men (KAVA Bible, Matt. 19), who were exhorted to Journey throughout the earth, telling men tot the creed o t Christ and the way to salvation. In Death by Water, TN way of escape from the degradation of society is revealed. The protagonist tells us of Please the Phoenician, who baffled end by water, which can be seen as a representation of baptism, the shedding of the arch nature, and the acceptance of the maintenance Water (KAVA Bible, tail 738) of Christ. Please is now dead to the world. He has forgotten the cry of gulls, and the recently sea swell / and the profit and the joss (V, 313-314).He is no longer affected by the sin of modern society but lives separate from it. The narrator then addresses the reader non-Jew or Jew / O you who turn the drift and look to windward, / Consider Please, who was once comely and tall as you (V, 319-321). With this address, the narrator reminds us that we are as mortal as Please, and we also require this Living Water. This passage is a direct contrast to The Fire Sermon quelling the fires of lust with the Living Water that provides spiritual cleansing. To truly experience life, our sinful nature must die.The protagonist concludes by explaining his own realization that, like Jerusalem Athens Alexandria (V, 374), modern society is deteriorating London Bridge is falling take down (V, 426). At this time, he has a ratiocination to make Shall I at least set my lands in order? (V, 425) testament he avoid the decay of society and abandon his meaningless life for one with significance? His decision is evident in the last stanza of the poem. Amid the madness of the ruin of society, the protagonist finds Shanties shanties shanties (V, 433)-a peace that passes intellectual.Like Please, he has chosen to program line farewell to his dishonest, worldly self and extradite to the Living Water that has the power to quench the fires of corruption. It is through this passage that Eliot suggests his own find and his decision to experience the peace that passes understanding by surrendering the corrupt part of himself. The poem, placid of seemingly fragmented ideas and stream-of-consciousness thoughts, ends on a note of peace, a peace that Eliot has deliver the goods and wishes modern man to experience. Works Cited Duper, Robert S.