Monday, September 30, 2019

Business: Organise and report data Essay

Knowledge and Understanding Describe different ways of organising data that has been researchedData is a group of information that is used for lots of different purposes. Data reporting is when data is extracted form of source or many sources and then converted into a certain format which then can be used for a certain purpose. There are lots of different ways to organise data such as tables, charts, graphs, statistics or spread sheets. This data can be used to come to lots of conclusions and make important decisions in the business. So because the data is so important it must be produced in a clear way that meets the objectives and targets of the organisation. Describe different ways of reporting dataThere are lots of different ways of reporting data. Good examples of it being shown is in spread sheets, bar charts etc. When delivering data to other members of staff it can be done verbally or via emails or sit with them face to face and have a one to one meeting. In my work place I only work in the office with one other person (Tracy) so we talk all day and I update her on all my emails etc. Describe the purpose of presenting data to the agreed format and within the agreed timescaleWhen presenting data, it must be presented in a agreed format and must be also within the agreed timescale, this is so then the person that is waiting on it gets it the way that they would like it. For example they might need it in a spread sheet as they might not be able to see any other document. I do a e-shot list of all customers emails and I put them into a spread sheet format on Microsoft excel. I put all the names and emails of customers in a list and once I have completed this I check it over and send it via email over to our marketing manager Stewart. Who then will email all our customers our latest offers and deals.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Buyer behavior Essay

Blackwell, Miniard and Engel have proposed a very generic model of consumer problem solving in their text. The authors have related consumer decision making process as a goal directed problem solving process for consumers. By this we mean that when going for a decision or selecting between choices, a consumer is first exposed to a problem that creates confusion in his mind that what to think. This confusion and problem arises because there is a gap between his goals and the available services and products. In order to bridge this gap the consumer then takes help from the consumer decision making model and thus solves this problem by following a defined process. First of all the consumer recognizes a process and identifies for the differences between his ideal expectations and the situation and state of the product market. By using this problem solving process, Lamborghini can look into what are the main problems faced by consumers and potential customers in the market. Then it can come up with solutions in order to relate with the product, for example those customers who want speed with safety because they use this car for both family and status thus, Lamborghini can market this car as may be ‘safety with speed and status’ (Woodside 1992). After recognizing the problem the consumer then searches for a solution and thus he tends to seek information about substitutes. This is the time when the organization is expected to provide the customers with the information they need and thus leaving an image for them as the perfect solution to think upon. Lamborghini can also target these customers by providing its promotional material and text to corporate heads, business executives and people with heavy bank accounts in order to be the first to be in their mind. As the product is quite expensive, thus there is very less chance that any consumer would avoid considering the alternatives that are available in the market. This is the fourth stage of the consumer problem solving process where Lamborghini can provide the consumers with text and promotional material giving them a detailed overview of their product, its competitiveness and its edge over the other products. Then in the fifth stage the consumer buys the product and then makes further evaluation of the company and the product after the use of the product. By getting consumer feedback and providing after sales services, Lamborghini can come up with new strategies and ways in order to please its customers. As the product is designed for a very narrow based market, thus identifying different tastes, wants and preferences of consumers is very because they can subdivide under different categories. Each potential customer can be provided with information according to the subdivision he belongs to and thus more customers can be satisfied (Bettman 1975). There are a lot of levels in which problems are solved by the consumers depending on the effort they put in while deciding for a product that range from low involvement / low knowledge to high involvement/ high knowledge. There are 2 more levels in between these extremes. However in case of Lamborghini, as this product is a luxury item with a heavy price tag thus the consumers are highly involved. However as far as knowledge is concerned, there can be two cases, high or low, due to the two different target markets that we have already discussed. This is because corporate and status conscious customers want the best without having much knowledge about the performance about the running and speed of the car. The price tag and the brand does it all for them where as sports car lovers do take information into account to a great extent. Here below is a table that shows the difference in problem solving effectiveness of both the target markets. End Goal Considerations Decision Process Using a decision sequence model, such as SOSTAC, develop an appropriate communications strategy (including media and message) for this target market. A decision making model is a model that manufacturers use in order to devise a marketing plan that is strategically designed for ensuring maximum communication with the consumers which will in the end help in attracting more customers for the company. The decision making model that has been discussed in the research paper is known as the Sostac business model which stands for Current situation, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Actions and lastly the control of the firm over its operations in order to market its product in the most efficient way(Moner 1973). This model is closely related with the consumer buying and purchasing behavior because the methods of information collection and generating of information are designed in such a way they can be used to promote and market for the consumers, according to their tastes and preferences. This model also helps an organization to realize its own position in the market and identifies the weaknesses and strengths of the firm. Basically the main function of this model is communication. The company first acquires information from the consumers that includes their intentions, attitudes, objectives and behavior towards a certain product, and then the company communicates comes up with a market strategy and plan in order to highlight these demands of consumers in their product. The company has to gather information regarding itself as well in order to see what actually is the current position of the company in the market so that the strategies it comes up with can be designed in the similar manner? A small developing business cannot claim and adopt strategies of a well established running business. In the case of Lamborghini, we will conduct a SOSTAC analysis in order to analyze its true position in the market as well the strategies it can use to market its products. Situation: In this subhead, the company first analyses where it is now. Lamborghini has to analyze itself in the automobile in order to see how the industry, competitors and the consumers look up to it. For this the company should take into account three further concepts that include the Swot analysis, the pet analysis and its competitive position in order to construct the negative and positive side of the companies’ actual position. In the Swot analysis Lamborghini analyzes its strengths weaknesses threats and opportunities in the automobile industry and the consumer market. The strengths of the company are that it has been providing quality sports cars from a number of years and is known in the sports car industry in the world. Lamborghini is a brand name and it has many loyal rich customers who came back again and again for newer models. As the SUV that the company is producing is a very luxurious car and also very happy on products, thus it is easy for the company to target its potential market with few other sports car manufacturers. Competition in the sports car industry between these few players is quite intense because every company tries to focus on the small potential market for sports cars (Dhar 1997). This can be looked upon as weakness of the company from the external side because companies like Ferrari BMW and AUDI are also producing and marketing quality sports cars like Lamborghini. Also as the company is marketing a branded and a luxurious expensive car, it cannot flood the market by mass production and reduced prices. The reason behind this is that along with marketing for the SUV, the company also has to maintain its luxury brand image and the status of producing ‘A’ class cars. Thus they cannot fall below a certain standard to attract more customers. Opportunities for the company in this case are that more and more credit facilitation programs are being launched by banks and financial institutions as known as auto loans and thus the company can target even those customers who have recently been promoted to high salary jobs and thus have the ability to pay for the installments. Lamborghini is also providing such auto loans to customers as well in order to make availability of funds to them. Private franchise owners are also coming into the scene even from the developing countries and thus the company also sees great opportunities and potential in the markets of these countries, again targeting the top notch people of their society. TV shows like Top Gear and Red Line have also aired entire episodes on the performance and the characteristics of the car and has helped in educating them well about the car. Lastly, in the SWOT analysis, Lamborghini also faces threats from the external side as the industry is coming up with new technology in racing and there has been a race going in this regard. Also there is a huge cost of business also involved in research and development because the research and development going on in this field are one of the most advanced levels of researches ever.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Psychological Association Essay

The code, first published in 1953, is applicable to psychologists of all categories though various principles are mostly relevant to clinical psychologists in their activities of research, teaching, assessment and therapy. The objective of these codes is to instill ethical behavior among psychologists. The code is categorized into two groups namely: Ethical standards; It encompasses rules that are enforceable and specific covering a great deal of activities performed by psychologists. Ethical standards are further categorized into 10 groups with a sum total of 89 standards. They include; Impact of the APA code of ethics to psychology The field has mostly committed people who have a far greater motivation for doing their work other than material wellbeing. This stems from observing the virtue that proclaims that psychologists should not harm clients but strive to benefit them. Keenness and high levels of professionalism are more pronounced in the field due to the fact that accuracy and truthfulness is one of the guiding principles for psychologists. The principle stressing for forging of close friendships between psychologists and their clients has the likely effect of speeding up the recovery of clients. This is because one major reason why clients see psychologists is due to problems associated with neglect and loneliness (Lane, Meisels, 1994, p. 34). The public has more trust in psychologists because they are assured of the fact that their confidential information is safely guarded. The chances of a client opening up to a psychologist are therefore high. This in turn makes diagnosis and therapy more effective due to the availability of accurate information. The fact that psychologists happen to be calm and composed people makes the atmosphere around an examination room relaxing. This in turn makes the client who might be inclined to overexcitement also composed. Therapy and examination is thus greatly simplified. The existence of a universally accepted code for the discipline makes it easier to compare notes among scholars from different backgrounds. This in turn makes the synchronization of activities easier and hence connecting of scholars from different parts of the globe. Sharing of ideas is thus enhanced with the ultimate result of improving the quality of content in the discipline (Lane, Meisels, 1994, p. 56) Reference MchWhirter Darien (1995) Equal Protection. New York: Oryx Press, pp. 23, 78 Lane Robert & Meisels Murray (1994) A History of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 34, 56 .

Friday, September 27, 2019

Evaluate the extend to which Altman's Z Score and Argenti's A Score Essay

Evaluate the extend to which Altman's Z Score and Argenti's A Score become useful to different groups in the society and also comment on the extend to which the - Essay Example Ratio between 1.8 and 3.0 are considered in the gray area of the scale, the closer it gets to the 1.8 barrier the greater the risk of the company going bankrupt. The Z Score model which was created by Edward Altman in the 1960s is pretty accurate in real world application the model was able to successfully predict 72% of corporate bankruptcies two years prior to the companies filing for chapter 7 (Investopedia, 2008). The Altman Z Score tool integrates know financial ratios into the equation whose utilization in the equation give the predictor credibility among the financial industry users. Professor Altman used the Z-score tool he created to develop a model differentiating companies with high probabilities of bankruptcy from companies that are not prone to this type of hazard. Altman’s Z Score determines the likelihood of bankruptcy by utilizing five metrics commonly used by financial analyst to determine five particular financial ratios. The data to the financial ratios is directly extracted from the financial statements of a company. The five variables composed of financial ratios that make up the formula are illustrated below: The metrics involved in the formula are derived from the Income Statement and Balance Sheet financial statements of a company. The tool is both applicable to financial statements of manufacturing and non-manufacturing corporations. The Z-score model substitutes the book value of equity (owner equity) for market value in X and thus it can be used to evaluate privately and publicly held firms on an equal basis (EPA, 2000) The Altman’s Z score is a useful tool for the banking industry. Banks have to make decision on the credit worthiness of corporation in order to determine if a company is eligible for bank loans, credit lines or vehicle financing among others. By utilizing the Z Score tool the bank would know that if a company scores in the low 2 the enterprise is high risk type endeavor.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Principles of Organization and Management Essay - 1

Principles of Organization and Management - Essay Example Two major sub-groups of the classical theory are scientific management by Taylor and bureaucracy by Weber. Taylor’s (F.W.Taylor) scientific management theory thoroughly evaluated the attitude of the employees from the starting of operations, the introduction of action decomposition, and the core concept of division of labor, job standardization, and strict management control. In the  "factory management†, he summed up the four principles to improve work efficiency: 1. Everyone should have clear working days; 2. To complete the work required to provide a standardized work environment, equipment and tools; 3. Where a person has a high score should give a higher remuneration; 4. Where the loser will lose pay and job status. According to Frederick Winslow Taylor who is regarded as the Father of Scientific Management, the management of the firm should organize the work in a manner which will make optimum use of the workers, by dividing the work and introducing efficient met hods for making a product. Taylor’s concept focused mainly on hierarchic organization structures and task specialization. Taylorism states that there is a best way for each task and it can be learnt through proper training and development. In the domain of "Principles of Scientific Management,"  Taylor further proposed the following principles: 1. The study of each unit of work a worker should be treated with the scientific method; 2. Workers should use scientific methods in the selection, training and education; 3. Should be sincere cooperation between workers to ensure that all work can be handled in accordance with scientific principles to; 4. Between managers and workers, to implement the division responsible for the manager's job at not to workers. Taylor advocated piecework system, requiring workers to work within a fixed unit of time to complete, according to the low-paid piecework, and the excess workload, follow-paid piece work.  Taylor believes there is a differ ence this reward system can maximize their people's enthusiasm for work.  In order to ensure the implementation of this scientific management, Taylor considers it necessary to strengthen the management and control of operations.  Undoubtedly, Taylorism pursuit of efficiency, operating decomposition, standardized management, performance rewards and other measures are designed to increase output efficiency.  Together these management tools are the "pipeline operations," which provides a way for large-scale scientific management standardized production.  Taylor's scientific management ideas were accepted and the use of public management, because it is the bureaucracy of philosophy coincide.  Division, classification, standardization, processes, performance pay, strict management control, but also the value of the traditional concept of public administration pursued.  Scientific management has played a dominant role in public administration for the period 1910 to 1940, so th at the field of public administration to become an academic study.  So, people use "Taylorism" to describe the impact of scientific management generated. Moreover, this effect has been extended to today's very popular new public management, as Taylor emphasized incentives or performance-based pay and other management tools, now turned into a broader connotation of performance management (Smith & et.al,

Introduction to Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Introduction to Business - Essay Example This is indicated as improved performance of the organization. Internal communication channels such as face-to-face communication are essential in maintaining employee relationship. For instance, face-to-face communication enables managers to build corporate teams within an organization. However, this is possible when an organization has effective communication channels. Positive attitude and effective corporate relations promote effective face-to-face communication. Effective communication channels ensure sustainability of business in the modern competitive world. This is because communication stands out as a significant competitive advantage that businesses can use to enhance their sustainability. Effective communication channels within an organization ensure that it benefits from a piece of information before its competitors take advantage of the information. This relates to effective internal and external communication. In this case, effective internal communication enables employees to respond to certain business information within minimal time. On the other hand, effective external communication channels enable businesses to have a significant influence on the market. This effectiveness builds the competitive advantage of a business. The growth of a business depends on effective communication channels. Organizational growth is both a strategic management and an objective aspect. Organization growth enables a business to withstand changes affecting its business environment. This includes changes that affect its market and production units. Effective communication channels create links between an organization and its environment. This enables organizations to have timely response to changes within its business environment. Timely responses towards a business environment enable a business to withstand competitiveness within an industry. For instances producers of mobile phones requires an

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Can a machine have a conscience Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Can a machine have a conscience - Research Paper Example Computers have failed to exhibit creativity, free will or emotions. Most machines operate by their components. Therefore, machines have zero consciousness. Despite the argument that computers, for example, have the ability of performing computation roles and are sufficient in possessing conscious mind, computers have no conscience. It is quite evident that computations have the ability of capturing other systems causal organizations. However, computers have no mental properties within them. In most cases, machines operate under instructions (Hall, 45). Running the right computations kinds does not instantiate mental properties in the computers. There is more to mental properties and consciousness than simply operating a computer. There are various consciousness aspects, which are deemed necessary for anything to be artificially conscious. Such aspects are not available in machines. However, with technological progress in the future, the possibility of machine conscience is still open. This will, however, require aspects such as awareness, learning and anticipation. In this case, anticipation would mean that the computers have the predicting ability something, which makes the whole, process

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

My Bus Tour from South Dakota, Pierre and to Mount Rushmore Essay - 9

My Bus Tour from South Dakota, Pierre and to Mount Rushmore - Essay Example The bus trip set off from South Dakota. Driving along the main road in South Dakota graced the cruise with the beautiful scenery of the Mythic Mount Rushmore. Driving across South Dakota to its outskirts covered over 200 miles across what was nothing less than jaw-dropping and cool scenery. The day-long drive took us to Pierre. As the bus cruised in the main road, we ogled at the beautiful sight of the mountain ranges cascading over each other, throughout the entire stretch. The green leafy vegetation and forest overgrowth complemented the beauty of the mountains and serve as homes of reindeers which occasionally leaped out and into the road. We could not be any closer to nature and its captivating beauty. In instances where the manmade activities interfered with the end trail of natural vegetation, we cited an array of dining joints, small-scale and large-scale casino saloons and lodging which testified of the industriousness of the people of South Dakota. From Pierre, we followed the US Route 83 to get across the Missouri River. As we turned westwards, the striking beauty of grasslands that accompanied us to Interstate 90 appeared to dance beautifully against the gentle breeze. From this juncture, we turned off to Murdo for tantalizing buffalo burgers. From Murdo, we drove to the Badlands National Park. One of the most memorable encounters in Badlands National Park was the dusty canyons therein. The Rapid City for dead American presidents also clearly served as another feather in Badlands National Park’s cap. The images of the dead American presidents are carved into the Black Hills and its high aesthetic presentation of America’s four great men and founding fathers served as the trip’s denouement.  Ã‚  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Is European foreign policy workable Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Is European foreign policy workable - Essay Example Other civilizations were characterized as having achieved the phase of development which Europe itself had already passed - for instance, hunting-gathering; farming; early civilization; feudalism; contemporary liberal-capitalism. Europe was the only part of the world which had reached the last phase. Hence, Europe was always believed to be responsible for technological, cultural and scientific progress which are the parts of the contemporary world. Moreover, scientific principles developed for better understanding the world were thought to have replaced certain religious doctrines with respect to the pure logic of European science. The degree to which the world science 'belongs' to Europe is still debated. Furthermore, it would be important to refer to Marx (Smith, Sandholtz, 1995), who studied the issue carefully. In his opinion, European hadn't had any innate superiority, but he nonetheless claimed that European model of the world is followed in many other countries and is characterized as a pattern of scientific attitude towards the world in whole. Europe was the place, where the world 'policy' emerged - in particular, the Ancient Greece, where policy was a main model of governing. Other writers explored certain issues and aspects of European hegemony, for instance, the development of trade and the issue of imperialism. "By the late 19th Century the theory that European achievements arose from innate racial superiority became widespread: justifying slavery and other forms of political and economic exploitation, even being used to validate genocide" (Ginsberg and Smith, 2005, p.41). Europe, where the phenomenon of policy emerged, is probably the conceptual political center of the world - this fact can be exemplified by a number of international organizations, which determine European foreign policy and influence each European country in pacrticular. Nowadays, European foreign policy is a subject of numerous discussions, since it seems controversial due to the number of organizations created in Europe over the last few decades. The greatest and most influential international political organization is European Union. The main values of European Union were clarified by Michael Emerson, who influenced the upgrade of European Constitutional Treaty. The treaty is directed to achieving a stronger position in the European Union with respect to the 'high' world politics. European Constitutional Treaty has already been ratified by twenty-five member states of the union.According to the Constitutional Treaty, Emerson draws out the ten standards of European Union. The great est values include the domination of democracy, rule of law and human rights; the 'four freedoms' (basic human freedoms) (Smith, Crowe, 2006). Furthermore, Emerson highlights the importance of social cohesion, the abhorrence of nationalism, multi-tier governance, stable economic growth, multiculturalism, multilateralism and secularity of governance (IGCC Policy Paper No. 52, 2000). Among the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Standalone vs networked computers Essay Example for Free

Standalone vs networked computers Essay This report will clearly explain the differences between standalone and networked machines, as well as give a brief insight into the basic components of the network. Also, it will state the possible advantages and disadvantages to keeping the current standalone set up opposed to the idea of creating a network. A synopsis shall be included to summarise your options, and give a professional opinion on what would be the most beneficial for your small furniture business. STANDALONE ENVIRONMENT WHAT IS IT? A standalone environment is when a computer is used independently without connection to any communication devices. Each computer will need a copy of the operating system and software being used. If you need to transfer data between departments, it will have to be done manually. They vary from networked computers which are able to communicate to other computers because as soon as a computer is attached to a communication device, it instantly becomes in a network. The main characteristics of a standalone computer are: * It has no connection to any other computers * It does not have an internet connection * Data would need to be manually transferred via CDs, etc COMPUTER NETWORK WHAT IS IT? A basic network consists of several computers and hardware devices such as printers and scanners that are linked together so that they can communicate with each other. It features four distinct elements in addition to the computers themselves. These are: * Communication devices * Networking Software * Data transfer media * Standards and procedures Communication devices are pieces of hardware that are needed to turn standalone computers into networked computers. Before a computer can be connected to a network it must have a network interface card (NIC). This is a card that contains essential circuitry and a plug-in socket that allows a connection between the computer and the cabling. The NIC basically prepares and convert data to a form that can be transmitted through media (such as a metal cable or fibre optic cable). Networking software varies dependent on the size of the network. Because your furniture firm is only a small business, the networking software on Windows XP shall suffice, but take note of this information in case the business planning future expansion. Specialised network operating systems coordinate the activities of all the computers and other devices connected to a network. Popular network operating systems include: UNIX owned by the SCO group as 2000, Linux and Novell Netware, a popular client-server network operating system. Data transfer media is the physical material through which data travels from one computer to another. The main data transfer media an offer in todays market are metal wires, and fibre optic cable which add the cost of creating/installing a network, or alternatively wireless. Standards and procedures are important because without them one device in your network could be sending data to another device in a form that the other device may not be able to interpret. In order for a network to run properly it must adopt certain procedures. Without procedures the security of the network might be comprised, as well as the health of the employees. Legislation such as the Data Protection Act and Computer Misuse Act may accidently be disobeyed. ADVANTAGES OF STAYING STANDALONE The advantages to keeping the current 5 machines set up as they are, as standalone machines are: * It would be a cheaper option in terms of hardware and software. The cables, especially high speed fibre optic cables can be money consuming, as well this NIC and data transmission media can be costly * Less ICT knowledge is needed to keep the systems running efficiently, hence qualified network managers/administrators do not need to be employed * Training costs (such as money and time) on how to maintain/operate a network are unneeded if every member of staff knows how to use a basic standalone machine * The spread of viruses and bugs can be keep minimal as each of the computers arent communicate, meaning the virus cannot be transferred from computer to computer * Hard is less of a necessity, as servers arent needed. This is beneficial in two ways: * If a piece of hardware malfunctions, it doesnt affect every machine whereas, say, if a file server crashed the whole network would be sabotaged * Initially purchasing costs and maintenance costs do not need to be funded if the complex hardware for a network isnt needed * Standalone machines can operate a lot faster as if they are only need for a specific task (e.g. Word processing) other software doesnt need to installed on the hard drive, hence making the machine more efficient ADVANTAGES OF CREATING A NETWORK The advantages of setting up a network far outweigh the advantages of staying standalone. There are however disadvantages which will be covered on the next page of this report: * Manual file transfer is rendered inept if the network operates using a file server, which holds all the important documents an organization needs, where every computer has access to instantly * Hardware such as printers can be shared between multiple computers, meaning a separate printer doesnt need to be purchased/installed to every machine * Software such as application are shared, meaning its easier to control software maintenance and making sure the software is up-to-date is easier and more efficient * Costs of purchasing software is reduced as you can purchase a single copy which can then be installed the server so every machine has access, which would be cheaper than the alternative of purchasing the software multiple times * Network managers can control what websites employees do and do not have access to, so distracting game websites can be blocked from every computer * Downloaded material can be checked with the latest virus checking software universally, so individual scans do not need to take place * Backing up files to save loosing valuable documents can be done automatically or by the network manager so less responsibility is placed upon the work force and the likelihood of lose is reduced * Internal business communication can be made easier throughout the means of e-mail, which will improve communication between workers DISADVANTAGES OF STAYING STANDALONE When there are advantages, there are usually disadvantages to go with it. The disadvantages of keeping the current layout format are as follows: * File transfer is time consuming and frustrating, as documents cannot be directly sent to each computer, hence file transfer media such as USB memory sticks or CDs need to be purchased * Communication when working on a joint computer project can be fussy, as e-mails cannot be sent, so the employees will have to engage in face-to-face communication * Information is hard to keep up-to-date as two or more users could be updating the same piece of information unaware the other is doing so, hence two or more documents will be produced causing confusion * Software needs to be installed individually on each of the 5 machines, which can be costly as the software needs to be replicated enough times and wasteful of businesses time * Back-up of files isnt centrally done, hence each machine need to be backed up and checked regularly to ensure to lose of data * The internet or intranet cannot be accessed by employees, meaning topics cannot be research, information cannot be posted in a bulletin, etc, hindering employees efforts DISADVANTAGES OF CREATING A NETWORK The disadvantages of creating a network are scarce as networks are beneficial to almost every organisation in todays society. However, they include: * The task of running and maintaining a network, ensuring that it is fully functional requires expertise, so a professional shall need to be hired * If hardware fails or malfunctions, every computer is faced with the inconvenience. For example if the network file server goes down, no computer can gain access to the shared files * The initial costs involved in setting up a network are high as all the hardware and software need to purchased, although a network will save money in the long run, in the short run it is costly * Viruses can be spread more easily and quickly to every computer on the network, whereas if it happened to a standalone computer only one would be affected SYNOPSIS Overall, the advantages to your small business of creating a network far outweigh the advantages of keeping the machines standalone. The ability to share files such as orders, receipts, etc would be drastically improved as a file server could be emplaced for ease of access. Providing you have the funds to invest in the highly priced equipment, the option of setting up a network would be beneficial in the long term for the business especially in major growth happens which can be foresaw with the increasing mass of technology used. You could use the internet research competitors prices, to offer your customer the best quality service available and even start trading online using e-commerce. Make sure sufficient antivirus software is in place to protect from the risk of hackers or viruses; this may cost extra money, as it needs to be updated. The ICT department may need to consider employing highly qualified employees to run and maintain the network to make sure its operational on a day to day basis. So the options are to keep the 5 standalone machines and be faced with the disadvantages of them, or set up a network of computers and experience the change.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

A Dolls House: Appearance vs Reality

A Dolls House: Appearance vs Reality Choosing to live your life independently or dependently is a life changing moment: it comes without warning, and can turn your whole life upside down. Either way, nothing will ever be the same. The book, A Dolls House, by Henrik Ibsen, is about characters who are all dealing with the transition of becoming either dependent or independent. They may seem happy to other people and to the readers at first, but their appearances are really a lie. Appearance and reality are often misunderstood; just because someone may seem happy, this does not mean they lead a rich and more compelling life in comparison to someone else. Mrs. Lindes journey from independence to marriage is a foil to Noras life. At the beginning of the play Nora may seem dependant but she is actually just as independent as Mrs. Linde claims to be. In order for Nora to pay the loan that she owed Krogstad, Nora saved money that Torvald gave her for dresses, and she also found a little job. Nora says, [she] was lucky enough to get a lot of copying [done and] to do so, (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) [she] locked [her]self up and sat writing every evening until quite late at night. Many a time [she] was desperately tired, but all was the same it was a tremendous pleasure to sit there working and earning money. It was like being a man (Ibsen 13). When Nora says she felt like a man it meant she felt like she was taking on responsibilities, and having a sense of purpose in life. In other words to feel like a man in the eighteen-hundreds it must have meant you were more independent. In Noras mind she must have thought she was just as self-ruling as Mrs. Linde. Although Mrs. Linde may work, she dislikes it, and it has also aged her terribly. Mrs. Linde says she needs someone to depend on because she is quite alone in the world-[her] life is so dreadfully empty and [she] feel[s] so forsaken. There is not the least pleasure in working for ones self. Niles, give me someone and something to work for (53). Mrs. Linde may seem to be a strong willed women, but in reality she needs someone to provide for her and depend on. At the end of the play Nora chooses a life of independence by leaving Torvald while Mrs. Linde reunites with her long love Mr. Krogstad, and chooses a life of dependence. Although Mrs. Linde and Nora may have lived their lives in an opposite direction; Mrs. Linde and Nora Helmer both started a life of marriage without true love for their husbands. Mrs Linde married her ex-husband because her father passed away and she had to raise her younger brothers. She married him primarily for financial stability because her mother was alive then [but] was bedridden and helpless, and [she] had to provide for my two younger brothers; so [she] did not think [she] was justified in refusing his offer (9). The fact that Mrs. Linde refers to her ex-husbands proposal as an offer means she saw it as a business transaction. In other words this is a symbiotic relationship. Mrs. Linde needed financial stability and her ex-husband needed a wife. On the other hand Nora married Mr. Helmer even though she didnt love him. It seems as though she was influenced by her fathers opinions: when I was at home with Papa he told me his opinion about everything, and so I had the same opinions; and if I differed from him I concealed the fact, because he would not have liked it. And when I came to live with you I simply transferred from Papas hands to yours. You arranged everything according to your own taste, and so I got the same taste as you-or else I pretended to (66). Noras father had brainwashed Nora to such a point that she took on the same beliefs as him with out even noticing it. Nora then married Torvald and became even more oblivious to fact that she was being controlled. It is quite stumbling how life has forced both Nora Helmer and Mrs. Linde to start a life of marriage without true love for their husbands. As the play progresses we see how Nora is actually more independent then we expected her to be. We also find out that although Mrs. Linde works for herself, she needs a purpose in life, which to her means having a family. Although we only discover that Nora never loved Mr. Helmer at the end of a Dolls House, throughout the whole play there have been small amounts rebellious behavior from Nora towards Mr Helmer. Although Mr. Helmer had forbidden Nora from eating macaroons, she still does it anyways: What, macaroons? I thought they were forbidden here. Yes, but theses are some Christine gave me. (17). Throughout the play Nora has shown signs of independence even though the readers were to believe she was not. Also Nora was forbidden to take out a loan by Torvald and by the law. Nora had taken out the loan despite the laws and Torvalds wishes. Appearances can be deceiving; just because a person may appear to be content, and carefree with their life, it does not necessarily mean they actually life a life of glamour. In the book A Dolls House Mrs Linde is the force of truth in Noras life. Although Mrs. Linde may not be the person to ask for marital advice she has lived a life similar to Noras just backwards. At the beginning of A Dolls House readers believe Nora is just a silly, selfish and spoiled character, but later readers find out that she is actually a strong willed and intelligent woman. Just like Mrs. Linde Nora proves she is able to work for herself, and that she understands business transactions without a males approval. On the other hand Mrs. Linde feels she needs a husband and children to have a purpose in life. In other words Mrs. Linde has chosen a life of dependence with Mr. Krogstand while Nora prefers to live her life independently and liberal minded. Clearly Mrs. Lindes and Noras appearances at the beginnin g of the play do not reflect their reality. Sadly as in the play this may be a reality for many people today. Does your appearance to others also reflect your reality? Work Cited Ibsen, Henrik, A Dolls House. New York: Dover, 1992. Print

Friday, September 20, 2019

Understanding Inventory Management And Its Theories

Understanding Inventory Management And Its Theories Inventory management or inventory control is an attempt to balance inventory needs and requirements with the need to minimize costs resulting from obtaining and holding inventory. There are several schools of thought that view inventory and its function differently. These will be addressed later but first we present a foundation to facilitate the readers understanding of inventory and its function. Inventory Definition Inventory is a quantity or store of goods that is held for some purpose or use (the term may also be used as a verb meaning to take inventory or to count all goods held in inventory). Inventory may be kept in house meaning on the premises or nearby for immediate use or it may be held in a distant warehouse or distribution center for future use. With the exception of firms utilizing just in time methods more often than not the term inventory implies a stored quantity of goods that exceeds what is needed for the firm to function at the current time (e.g., within the next few hours). Why we should keep inventory Why would a firm hold more inventory than is currently necessary to ensure the firms operation? The following is a list of reasons for maintaining what would appear to be excess inventory. MEET DEMAND. In order for a retailer to stay in business it must have the products that the customer wants on hand when the customer wants them? If not the retailer will have to back order the product. If the customer can get the good from some other source he or she may choose to do so rather than electing to allow the original retailer to meet demand later (through back order). Hence, in many instances if a good is not in inventory a sale is lost forever. KEEP OPERATIONS RUNNING. A manufacturer must have certain purchased items (raw materials components or subassemblies) in order to manufacture its product. Running out of only one item can prevent a manufacturer from completing the production of its finished goods. Inventory between successive dependent operations also serves to decouple the dependency of the operations. A machine or work center is often dependent upon the previous operation to provide it with parts to work on. If work ceases at a work center then all subsequent centers will shut down for lack of work. If a supply of work in process inventory is kept between each work center then each machine can maintain its operations for a limited time hopefully until operations resume the original center. LEAD TIME. Lead time is the time that elapses between the placing of an order (either a purchase order or a production order issued to the shop or the factory floor) and actually receiving the goods ordered. If a supplier (an external firm or an internal department or plant) cannot supply the required goods on demand then the client firm must keep an inventory of the needed goods. The longer the lead time the larger the quantity of goods the firm must carry in inventory. A just in time (JIT) manufacturing firm such as Nissan in Smyrna Tennessee can maintain extremely low levels of inventory. Nissan takes delivery on truck seats as many as 18 times per day. However steel mills may have a lead time of up to three months. That means that a firm that uses steel produced at the mill must place orders at least three months in advance of their need. In order to keep their operations running in the meantime an on hand inventory of three months steel requirements would be necessary. HEDGE. Inventory can also be used as a hedge against price increases and inflation. Salesmen routinely call purchasing agents shortly before a price increase goes into effect. This gives the buyer a chance to purchase material in excess of current need at a price that is lower than it would be if the buyer waited until after the price increase occurs. QUANTITY DISCOUNT. Often firms are given a price discount when purchasing large quantities of a good. This also frequently results in inventory in excess of what is currently needed to meet demand. However if the discount is sufficient to offset the extra holding cost incurred as a result of the excess inventory the decision to buy the large quantity is justified. SMOOTHING REQUIREMENTS. Sometimes inventory is used to smooth demand requirements in a market where demand is somewhat erratic. Consider the demand forecast and production schedule outlined in Table 1. Notice how the use of inventory has allowed the firm to maintain a steady rate of output thus avoiding the cost of hiring and training new personnel while building up inventory in anticipation of an increase in demand. In fact this is often called anticipation inventory. In essence the use of inventory has allowed the firm to move demand requirements to earlier periods thus smoothing the demand. Controlling Inventory Firms that carry hundreds or even thousands of different part numbers can be faced with the impossible task of monitoring the inventory levels of each part number. In order to facilitate this many firms use an ABC approach. ABC analysis is based on Pareto Analysis also known as the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 comes from Paretos finding that 20 percent of the populace possessed 80 percent of the wealth. From an inventory perspective it can restated thusly: approximately 20 percent of all inventory items represent 80 percent of inventory costs. Therefore a firm can control 80 percent of its inventory costs by monitoring and controlling 20 percent of its inventory. But it has to be the correct 20 percent. The top 20 percent of the firms most costly items are termed An items (this should approximately represent 80 percent of total inventory costs). Items that are extremely inexpensive or have low demand are termed C items with B items falling in between A and C items. The percentages may vary with each firm but B items usually represent about 30 percent of the total inventory items and 15 percent of the costs. C items generally constitute 50 percent of all inventory items but only around 5 percent of the c By classifying each inventory item as an A B or C the firm can determine the resources (time effort and money) to dedicate to each item. Usually this means that the firm monitors A items very closely but can check on B and C items on a periodic basis (for example monthly for B items and quarterly for C items). Another control method related to the ABC concept is cycle counting. Cycle counting is used instead of the traditional once a year inventory count where firms shut down for a short period of time and physically count all inventory assets in an attempt to reconcile any possible discrepancies in their inventory records. When cycle counting is used the firm is continually taking a physical count but not of total inventory. A firm may physically count a certain section of the plant or warehouse moving on to other sections upon completion until the entire facility is counted. Then the process starts all over again. The firm may also choose to count all the A items then the B items and finally the C items. Certainly the counting frequency will vary with the classification of each item. In other words an item may be counted monthly B items quarterly and C items yearly. In addition the required accuracy of inventory records may vary according to classification with A items requiring the most accurate record keeping. Balancing Inventory and Cost As stated earlier inventory management is an attempt to maintain an adequate supply of goods while minimizing inventory costs. We saw a variety of reasons companies hold inventory and these reasons dictate what is deemed to be an adequate supply of inventory. Now how do we balance this supply with its costs? First lets look at what kind of costs we are talking about. There are three types of costs that together constitute total inventory costs: holding costs set up costs and purchasing costs. Holding Costs. Holding costs also called carrying costs are the costs that result from maintaining the inventory. Inventory in excess of current demand frequently means that its holder must provide a place for its storage when not in use. This could range from a small storage area near the production line to a huge warehouse or distribution center. A storage facility requires personnel to move the inventory when needed and to keep track of what is stored and where it is stored. If the inventory is heavy or bulky forklifts may be necessary to move it around. Storage facilities also require heating cooling, lighting and water. The firm must pay taxes on the inventory and opportunity costs occur from the lost use of the funds that were spent on the inventory. Also obsolescence pilferage (theft) and shrinkage are problems. All of these things add cost to holding or carrying inventory. If the firm can determine the cost of holding one unit of inventory for one year (H) it can determine its annual holding cost by multiplying the cost of holding one unit by the average inventory held for a one year period. Average inventory can be computed by dividing the amount of goods that are ordered every time an order is placed (Q) by two. Thus average inventory is expressed asQ/2. Annual holding cost then can be expressed asH(Q/2). Set Up Cost Set up costs are the costs incurred from getting a machine ready to produce the desired good. In a manufacturing setting this would require the use of a skilled technician (a cost) who disassembles the tooling that is currently in use on the machine. The disassembled tooling is then taken to a tool room or tool shop for maintenance or possible repair (another cost). The technician then takes the currently needed tooling from the tool room (where it has been maintained another cost) and brings it to the machine in question. There the technician has to assemble the tooling on the machine in the manner required for the good to be produced (this is known as a set up). Then the technician has to calibrate the machine and probably will run a number of parts that will have to be scrapped (a cost) in order to get the machine correctly calibrated and running. All the while the machine has been idle and not producing any parts (opportunity cost). As one can see there is considerable cost involved in set up. If the firm purchases the part or raw material then an order cost rather than a set up cost is incurred. Ordering costs include the purchasing agents salary and travel entertainment budget administrative and secretarial support office space copiers and office supplies forms and documents long distance telephone bills and computer systems and support. Also some firms include the cost of shipping the purchased goods in the order cost. If the firm can determine the cost of one set up (S) or one order it can determine its annual setup order cost by multiplying the cost of one set up by the number of set ups made or orders placed annually. Suppose a firm has an annual demand (D) of 1,000 units. If the firm orders 100 units (Q) every time it places and order the firm will obviously place 10 orders per year (D/Q). Hence, annual set up order cost can be expressed asS (D/Q). Purchasing Cost Purchasing cost is simply the cost of the purchased item itself. If the firm purchases a part that goes into its finished product the firm can determine its annual purchasing cost by multiplying the cost of one purchased unit (P) by the number of finished products demanded in a year (D). Hence, purchasing cost is expressed asPD. Now total inventory cost can be expressed as: Total = Holding cost + Set-up/Order cost + Purchasing cost or Total =H(Q/2) +S(D/Q) +PD If holding costs and set-up costs were plotted as lines on a graph the point at which they intersect (that is the point at which they are equal) would indicate the lowest total inventory cost. Therefore if we want to minimize total inventory cost every time we place an order, we should order the quantity (Q) that corresponds to the point where the two values are equal. If we set the two costs equal and solve forQwe get: H(Q/2) =S(D/Q) Q= 2DS/H The quantity is known as the economic order quantity (EOQ). In order to minimize total inventory cost, the firm will order every time it places an order. For example, a firm with an annual demand of 12,000 units (at a purchase price of $25 each), annual holding cost of $10 per unit and an order cost of $150 per order (with orders placed once a month) could save $800 annually by utilizing the EOQ. First, we determine the total costs without using the EOQ method: Q= $10(1000/2) + $150(12,000/1000) + $25(12,000) = $306,800 Then we calculate EOQ: EOQ = 2(12,000)($150)/$10= 600 And we calculate total costs at the EOQ of 600: Q= $10(600/2) + $150(12,000/600) + $25(12,000) = $306,000 Finally, we subtract the total cost ofQfromQto determine the savings: $306,800 à ¢Ãƒâ€¹Ã¢â‚¬   306,000 = $800 Notice that if you remove purchasing cost from the equation the savings is still $800. We might assume this means that purchasing cost is not relevant to our order decision and can be eliminated from the equation. It must be noted that this is true only as long as no quantity discount exists. If a quantity discount is available the firm must determine whether the savings of the quantity discount are sufficient to offset the loss of the savings resulting from the use of the EOQ. There are a number of assumptions that must be made with the use of the EOQ. These include: Only one product is involved. Deterministic demand (demand is known with certainty). Constant demand (demand is stable through-out the year). No quantity discounts. Constant costs (no price increases or inflation) While these assumptions would seem to make EOQ irrelevant for use in a realistic situation it is relevant for items that have independent demand. This means that the demand for the item is not derived from the demand for something else usually a parent item for which the unit in question is a component. For example the demand for steering wheels would be derived from the demand for automobiles dependent demand but the demand for purses is not derived from anything else purses have independent demand. Other Lot Sizing Techniques There are a number of other lot sizing techniques available in addition to EOQ. These include the fixed order quantity fixed order interval model the single period model and part period balancing. Fixed Order Quantity Model EOQ is an example of the fixed order quantity model since the same quantity is ordered every time an order is placed. A firm might also use a fixed order quantity when it is captive to packaging situations. If you were to walk into an office supply store and ask to buy 22 paper clips chances are you would walk out with 100 paper clips. You were captive to the packaging requirements of paper clips i.e. they come 100 to a box and you cannot purchase a partial box. It works the same way for other purchasing situations. A supplier may package their goods in certain quantities so that their customers must buy that quantity or a multiple of that quantity. FIXED ORDER INTERVAL MODEL. The fixed order interval model is used when orders have to be placed at fixed time intervals such as weekly biweekly or monthly. The lot size is dependent upon how much inventory is needed from the time of order until the next order must be placed order cycle. This system requires periodic checks of inventory levels and is used by many retail firms such as drug stores and small grocery stores. SINGLE-PERIOD MODEL. The single period model is used in ordering perishables such as food and flowers and items with a limited life such as newspapers. Unsold or unused goods are not typically carried over from one period to another and there may even be some disposal costs involved. This model tries to balance the cost of lost customer goodwill and opportunity cost that is incurred from not having enough inventory with the cost of having excess inventory left at the end of a period. PART-PERIOD BALANCING. Part period balancing attempts to select the number of periods covered by the inventory order that will make total carrying costs as close as possible to the set up order cost. When a proper lot size has been determined utilizing one of the above techniques the reorder point or point at which an order should be placed can be determined by the rate of demand and the lead time. If safety stock is necessary it would be added to the reorder point quantity. Reorder point =Expected demand during lead time + Safety stock Thus an inventory item with a demand of 100 per month a two month lead time and a desired safety stock of two weeks would have reorder point of 250. In other words an order would be placed whenever the inventory level for that good reached 250 units. Reorder point =100/month ÃÆ'- 2 months + 2 weeks safety stock = 250 Other thoughts in Inventory Management There are a number of techniques and philosophies that view inventory management from different perspectives. MRP AND MRP II. MRP and MRP II are computer based resource management systems designed for items that have dependent demand. MRP and MRP II look at order quantities period by period and as such allow discrete ordering only what is currently needed. In this way inventory levels can be kept at a very low level a necessity for a complex item with dependent demand. JUST-IN-TIME (JIT). Just in time (JIT) is a philosophy that advocates the lowest possible levels of inventory. JIT espouses that firms need only keep inventory in the right quantity at the right time with the right quality. The ideal lot size for JIT is one even though one hears the term zero inventory used. Theory of Constraints Theory of constraints (TOC) is a philosophy which emphasizes that all management actions should center about the firms constraints. While it agrees with JIT that inventory should be at the lowest level possible in most instances it advocates that there be some buffer inventory around any capacity constraint e.g. the slowest machine and before finished goods. Future of Inventory Management The advent through altruism or legislation of environmental management has added a new dimension to inventory management reverse supply chain logistics. Environmental management has expanded the number of inventory types that firms have to coordinate. In addition to raw materials work in process finished goods and MRO goods firms now have to deal with post consumer items such as scrap returned goods reusable or recyclable containers and any number of items that require repair reuse recycling or secondary use in another product. Retailers have the same type problems dealing with inventory that has been returned due to defective material or manufacture poor fit finish or color or outright I changed my mind responses from customers. Finally supply chain management has had a considerable impact on inventory management. Instead of managing ones inventory to maximize profit and minimize cost for the individual firm todays firm has to make inventory decisions that benefit the entire supply chain.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Impact Evaluation of Three Social Programs Essay -- Evaluating Three S

You are to identify a social issue and research on at least 3 social programs or efforts that try/tried to address this issue. For each program, you should look at: - Facts of the program (NPO, beneficiaries, country or region of efforts) - Objective(s) of program - Whether the program has meet its objective(s), and how far are they away from it - Evaluation of the success of the program According to the 2013 factsheet for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG), enrolment in primary education in developing regions reached 90 per cent in 2010, up from 82 per cent in 1999, which means more kids than ever are attending primary school. ("Goal 2: Achieve," n.d.) However, 57 million children of primary school education age were out of school. Globally, 123 million youths aged 15 to 24 were lack of basic reading and writing skills and 61 per cent of them are young women. ("Goal 2: Achieve," n.d.) Gender gaps in youth literacy rates are improving, from 90 literate young women for every 100 young men in 1990 to 95 women in 2010. ("Goal 2: Achieve," n.d.) In Singapore, primary education was made compulsory for all children who are above the age of 6 years and who has not yet reach the age of 15 years. ("Compulsory education," n.d.) Factors that are associated to poverty such as unemployment, physical health conditions and the illiteracy of parents increases the risk of children unable to attend school and drop-out from school. ("Right to education," n.d.) Due to the lack of access to education, adults are unable to get a stable job to generate income for the family. The poverty cycle continues when parents could not afford to send their children to school. Undeniably, many children who were living in poverty ... ...nistry of Education Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/committee-of-supply-debate/files/supporting-singaporean-students.pdf Financial assistance and bursary schemes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/initiatives/financial-assistance/ Female secondary school assistance project, bangladesh. In Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEMPOWERMENT/Resources/14828_Bangladesh-web.pdf Stipends triple girls access to school. (2009, October). Retrieved from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/IDA/0,,contentMDK:21227882~menuPK:3266877~pagePK:51236175~piPK:437394~theSitePK:73154,00.html What is ida?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/ida/what-is-ida.html Quality primary education in bangladesh In United Nations Children's Fund. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/Quality_Primary_Education(1).pdf

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

1.1 Background history Composite material is a multiphase materials which can be obtained through the artificial combination of two or more different materials to attain the properties that the individual components by themselves cannot attain. Composite materials can modify for many properties by appropriately choosing their components, proportions, distributions, morphologies and degrees of crystallinity, crystallographic textures, structure and the composition of the interface between components. Due to this properties the composite materials can be designed to satisfy the needs of technologies relating to the aerospace, automobile, electronics, construction, energy, biomedical and other industries. Therefore, composite materials has been used most as a commercial engineering materials [1]. There are some type of composites that can be classified according to the matrix material such as a polymer matrix composite (PMC), a metal matrix composite (MMC), and a ceramic matrix composite (CMC). Besides that, the composite also can be categorized according to the shape of the filler or the reinforcement for example a composite that has a particles as a filler is called a particulate composite and a composite with fibers is called fibrous composite [1]. Metal matrix composite (MMC) is a composite that contains continuous metallic matrix and a few percent of the material by volume represent the reinforcement [2]. The MMC offers some unique mechanical properties such as low density, high strength, and high stiffness, high wear resistance and other attractive properties. It also can offers the properties that are exceptional compared with those of any unreinforced alloys [2]. The metal matrix composites also can be classified in diffe... ...Al2O3 particles uniformly in aluminum matrix and for its ability to fabricate the material into almost any shape [3]. 1.3 Objectives 1.3.1 To fabricate alumina particle reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite by using powder metallurgy technique. 1.3.2 To investigate the effect of different weight percentage of alumina particle on physical and mechanical properties of aluminum metal matrix composite. 1.4 Scope of study The aim of this project is to investigate the effect of different reinforcement weight percentage (0wt%, 5wt%, 10wt%, 20wt% and 30wt%) of alumina particle on aluminum metal matrix composite. The composite will fabricate by using powder metallurgy technique which include mixing, compaction and sintering process. The testing involves in this project is microstructural analysis, density, porosity, hardness and coefficient thermal expansion (CTE).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Obligation Definition Essay

The question presented in this discussion is definitely one that has no easy answer. I will start by saying, a obligation is defined by what a person is bound to from either tradition or law. If I took a relative approach I would say that morals and ethical obligation are subjective. I personally believe that to a extent humans do have a obligation to animals. To go out of your way to depict cruelty to any creature illustrates a flaw in your own character. However, humans don’t have to have a diet that includes meat but most do. Even in these cases the way that the livestock is going to be treated does not have to be treated cruelly, or put in discomfort. I remember watching a show in which the farmer said, that his cows tasted so good because they lived a happy life. In many ways he treated the cows akin to a pet, by feeding them properly, making sure their living quarters are clean, and showing them affection. His belief was that by doing this his cow’s meat was more tender, then if he hadn’t done these practices. Do I believe this maybe, maybe not. However, this does illustrate that the livestock that we consume does not have to be treated in a cruel manner. Yet, in theory in our society animals do not perform any function but companionship and food, which means humans really don’t have a obligation to them. However, I feel it is boorish to depict cruelty to any creature or anyone.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Are Hybrid Cars Becoming Safer or More Harmful to the Environment?

Hybrid cars have a very special technology because they boast two power sources: a regular gasoline engine and an electric motor powered by a huge battery unlike conventional cars which have only regular gasoline engine. These components generally work in tandem, though the exact mechanism varies depending on the car. When the car is at stop, the engine shuts off. While you push the accelerator, the electric motor turns on to drive the car forward. When you need the power such as for climbing a hill, the gas engine gets a boost from the electric motor. The electric motor normally recharges itself by censoring the heat energy generated as you brake (Brown, 2008). Hybrid cars also help to reduce the amount of smog emission because of less working of gasoline engine. This does not mean that hybrid cars help the environment because they still have the issue of their batteries about being extremely harmful to the environment. Nowadays, there are more than 5 million hybrid cars around the world but this means that there will be also 5 million batteries from these hybrid cars. What would happen in the next few years if these batteries end up in landfills? According to environmental researchers, 90% of 1 million metric tons of lead which is produced every year is used for vehicle batteries (â€Å"Hybrid Battery Toxicity†, 2006). These batteries still have issues even though they are more environmentally friendly than the standard batteries. Nickel may cause cancer in human body because it is considered as a human carcinogen (Olberding, 2010). Therefore, many people are concerned about nickel mining as one kind of misuse of natural resources. According to the Environmental Defense, there are three main battery types such as lead, nickel, and lithium. The worst thing that harmful to the environment is lead battery, followed by nickel, and lithium (Banas, 2010). By the way, the rechargeable hybrid cars can force power plants to produce excessive amounts of electricity; therefore, power plant emissions can be just as harmful as exhaust pipe emissions. Running hybrid cars on the street can also contribute the amounts of greenhouse gases as same as running normal vehicles because hybrid system works effectively only on heavily congested streets (â€Å"Hybrid Cars Negative Environmental Impact†, 2007). Even though hybrid cars help the environment, they are still harmful to the environment due to battery use, use of natural resources, and ineffective use of motor systems. II. Opposing Arguments A. Batteries The batteries in hybrid cars give a better choice for the fuel economy and environment that have been becoming to the next generation of car’s technology. They provide the electricity for electric motor; hence, the motor uses less gasoline when they are working in an urban area. Hybrid cars are able to provide more than 35% in fuel economy (â€Å"Facts on Hybrid Cars†, 2012). The nickel metal hydride batteries have been using in every hybrid car since the first hybrid car was produced. Both lead battery and nickel hydride batteries are rechargeable batteries, but the environment impact of nickel is much lower than lead acid which are used in conventional vehicles. According to the article â€Å"Nickel-Metal Hydride† (2006), the nickel-Metal Hydride is a solid battery; more energy can be given for the amount of space. Density is an essential concern, as weight is a severe wall to efficiency. Hybrid cars are still sold in lowered numbers; therefore, the negative effects of hybrid batteries are not instant. B. Natural resources Today's hybrid cars are shown up by many benefits; increasing fuel economy, and saving the fuel. Even though it is true that hybrid cars can save lots of gasoline, and we can get our tax back from them, the best thing of these benefits is the very less produced amount of gas emissions. Hybrid cars emit 80% less greenhouse gases than conventional cars (â€Å"Hybrid Cars Emissions Information†, 2012). This translates to less airborne pollutants and a cleaner earth. The important factor of negative effects of vehicles on the environment is greenhouse gasses. As a result, most of greenhouse gasses are from human activities and cause the temperature in the air and ocean to rise (Hybrid Cars and Pollution, 2012). In fact, the temperatures are increasing. The changes have observed over the last few decades are mainly because of human activities, but we cannot refuse that the important part of these changes is also a mirror of natural changeableness (Hybrid Cars and Pollution, 2012). Large metropolitan areas around the world are widely covered by this smog while many millions of cars are concentrated. This smog is made of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and many evaporating organic compounds. Hybrid cars produce a much lower these gases than conventional vehicles. However, the size of the car can be a great different in emissions between the hybrid and conventional vehicles. According to Banas (2010), the average of compact hybrid cars emits 10% lower smog than their conventional counterparts. This means that the models of hybrid cars such as mid-size cars, mid-size sport-utility vehicles, and full-size SUVs help to reduce smog-producing gas emissions by 15%, 19% and 21%, respectively, more than their conventional counterparts. Hybrid cars are esteemed as being fuel efficient, and good for the environment. C. The efficiency of hybrid cars Nowadays, hybrid cars have been building to be more efficient than conventional cars; as we known, small cars could be run more efficient than big cars. According to the article â€Å"An Introduction to Efficiency† (2006), one of the easiest ways to show efficiency is to get your amount of work with regard to how much energy was taken in the initial place. The efficiency of conventional cars can be described as how much the power of the engine is producing and divide by the amount of energy that was produced by gasoline when it was consuming. The energy of one gallon in gasoline is 115,000 British Thermal Units (Btu), and one Btu can increase the temperature of one cubic foot of air 55 degrees F (â€Å"An Introduction to Efficiency†, 2006). Therefore, if a hybrid car’s engine had a 100 percent of efficiency about burning gasoline, then every single Btu worth of energy carried inside the gasoline would be used only to move the car onward. However, today, the best using of efficient gasoline engines is 30 to 35 percent. This is almost the same kind as the efficiency of a common light bulb, which uses the energy to produce light but gains more heat. If you touch the dense fluorescent bulb by your hand, you can feel why it is so effective: it produces abundance of light and less wasted heat. Conventional cars are comparatively inefficient at using the all amount of energy which stored in gasoline, and it is because of the engine’s mistake. Automatic transmissions can be infamously inefficient component in a car’s power train. Conventional cars are inefficient using of gasoline. Both aerodynamic and the engines utilize use very little of the energy contained in all gallon of gas when they are burning because they are too heavy. So, hybrid cars can rip out the less using of gasoline than conventional cars; as a result, they have designed to help increase the using amount of energy efficiency. Hybrid cars use electric motors to provide some portion of their driving force. Unlike gasoline engines, electric motors can be greater than 90 percent efficient at using electrical energy (â€Å"An Introduction to Efficiency†, 2006). As a result, if an electric motor consumed 100 kW/hrs of energy from the battery, 90 kW/hrs of energy would be turned into beneficial work. Some hybrid cars use manual transmissions, which they are much more efficient than automatic transmissions. As a result, hybrid cars do not have big electric motors and small conventional engines because electric motors are so much more efficient than conventional engines. This means that gasoline engines are the strongest point because they are completely developed and presently cost of efficient energy alternation device from a manufacturer’s standard system. However, big electric motors require huge energy storage like batteries. Big batteries are extremely expensive but that could be lower price if hybrid batteries are widespread to the world’s market, and being used by consumers as common as hybrid cars in today (â€Å"An Introduction to Efficiency†, 2006). The efficiency of hybrid cars is much more than conventional car due to the use of batteries and the transmission systems. On the other hand, hybrid cars are not good for all aspects of the environment. III. Why They Are Wrong The chemical material, which uses in whether hybrid car batteries or conventional cars’ batteries, is toxicity. There are three main battery types that many hybrid car’ companies are using or considering for using in hybrid cars such as lead-acid, nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), and lithium-ion (Li-ion). However, lead-acid is the worst toxic of the three, and it's very bad to the environment (Fuller, 2012; Banas, 2010; Olberding, 2010). Nickel is better than lead, but it still have a big problem because it is potentially carcinogenic and the mining process is considered hazardous (Fuller, 2012). We should be concerned about the environmental impacts of nickel mining, and decomposition of the batteries. The types of power plants are the most serious cause of the environmental impact of hybrid cars that depend on where they are charged. California, for example, obtains 80% of electric power in its cities from pure sources, such as hydroelectric plants. Charging a plug-in hybrid vehicle in California cannot be good for the environment, since both the cars and the power plants produce harmful emissions (Banas, 2010). However, most states use coal burning power plants to generate electricity; therefore, charging a plug-in hybrid vehicle produces power-plant emissions that can be just as harmful as tailpipe emissions, according to an Ohio State University study (Banas, 2010). Not only hybrid cars but also the power plants are bad for the environment. An important issue is the process of production as it could be a somber side of hybrid cars. One thing that many people don't usually think about consuming products is how much energy is expended to actually make them and move them around. For example, when people buy food from long distance, it requires burning lots of gasoline or diesel fuel to transport that food. If more people bought local food, it could reduce wasting fuel in progress (Fuller, 2012). This can ensure that, the process takes a lot of natural resources and energy to build a car and that include hybrid cars too. Every material that were used or parts of the car have to be make up and forged; therefore, it uses a lot of amount of electricity and the natural resources to make it. The issue of hybrid cars has caught the interest of the media and the public in 2007, CNW Marketing Research, Inc. reported that Dust to Dust: The Energy Cost of New Vehicles from Concept to Disposal. The article claimed that it is necessary to create the calculation of a dollar value for all energy, build the operation of a vehicle, and there is the surprising claim that the Toyota Prius costs more over the course of its lifetime than a Hummer H3 (Fuller, 2012). This made the Prius drivers become discomposed, since Toyota marketed hybrid cars and accentuated fuel efficiency and economic friendly driving. After many media and internet newspapers started mentioning about the paper and disseminating the information, many publications speedily criticized the information from CNW for ambiguous information and lack of evidence. Most of the energy used by a vehicle came from its design and production, several other studies have found that 80 to 90 percent of a vehicle's energy is used during operation — in other words, when you're driving it (Gleick, 2007). The most important thing is; it probably uses 13 % of their lifetime energy to become a car. Even though hybrid cars save the environment, but before they become a car, they have to pass many processes which are harmful to the environment. How hybrid car motor could be work effectively; they depend on the driver behaviors and driving styles and geographic areas. If drivers drive very fast, busy driver that commute to and have to go to work every day on long distances of highway, this does not help anything about saving the fuel. The Hybrid car motors only work in the startup. However, It is going to be fine even if you want to burn more fuel at times as when you are driving on the highway, the gas can be used to recharge your battery system (â€Å"All About Hybrid Cars†, 2012). This is a big concern about hybrid cars. If the drivers drive very long distances, they will not get the benefit from their hybrid cars. If they drive in the city; therefore, this process will be changed. Gasoline assisted hybrids are often started by the electric motor, so the stop or go of your commuting will largely depend on electric as opposed to gas. You can even expect to save about 15% in gas this way. However, you must be mindful that typically the electric motor will only run up to about 15-25mph before the gas engine kicks in (â€Å"All About Hybrid Cars†, 2012). If the drivers decrease the speed of their cars many times or rapidly, the gas will kick inattentively. However, the function of electric motor will not be work better on the highway and up hills and down hills areas. The electric motor typically assists in startup, but will kick in areas of high speed or when the engine needs run on the very fast speed (â€Å"All About Hybrid Cars†, 2012). Hybrid cars could be worked effectively in the urban area or city commuter. IV. Arguments for hybrid cars A. Batteries toxicity When these hybrid car batteries are dead, where will they end up? When batteries are disposed of improperly these metals can be detrimental to the environment. Lead and nickel sitting in a landfill can cause pollution to the groundwater causing acid rain and making it unsafe for drinking and also harmful to plant life (Bova, Goodwin, Marrs, Oliva, 2010). The effects of these toxicity batteries are human carcinogen, causing many diseases and reathing problem in humans. According to a study done by Environmental Defense, the more popular lithium-ion batteries found in most hybrids and electric vehicles are not as toxic as their lead and nickel counterparts, but still have negative effects on the environment (Bova, Marrs, Goodwin, Oliva, 2010). The big car companies such as General Motors and Toyota claim that hybrid car batteries can be 100% recyclable but the processes are too expensive. However, many companies are promoting the recycling of hybrid car batteries by motivating their customers. For example Toyota offers a $200 stipend and even provides a number to call printed on the battery itself. Even with these incentives there is no way to guarantee that owners will in fact recycle the batteries; leaving the window open for batteries to end up in the landfills causing further destruction of the environment (Bova, Goodwin, Marrs, Oliva, 2010). However, nowadays the numbers of hybrid cars around the world is still lower than conventional cars. If the number of hybrid cars is increasing over the year, landfills all around the world will be full of toxicity batteries, corrosive materials, and carcinogenic B. Overconsumption of natural resources Nowadays, the most essential problems in the world are global warming and rising oil prices; therefore, we should concern about the alternative energy, and especially friendly environment, which focus on hybrid car designs. The most accessible of these designs was the hybrid car, with working models already on the road. With their highly fuel efficient design, they deliver much of what they promise, but the hybrid picture is not entirely problem free (â€Å"Hybrid Cars Negative Environmental Impact†, 2007). Many hybrid car companies did a big problem because before they were going to be batteries and electric motors, they are very rare elements and don’t exist that much around the world, which go a long way to explaining their expense. Most of these elements currently come from China, and the supply as it exists today is not expected to last more than several years under even the most generous estimates (â€Å"Hybrid Cars Negative Environmental Impact†, 2007). Many efforts are going to find a new resource for these rare elements, but they will not be produced that much until they are becoming less and cause a shortage. Hybrid cars are complex vehicles and full of new technologies and high end technology; therefore, these make hybrid cars to be hard to build which use lots of energy to build hybrid cars. Some hybrids can charge their batteries from mains power, and this could be generated by a dirty’ technologies such as coal fired power stations or nuclear power (â€Å"Hybrid Cars Negative Environmental Impact†, 2007). This is the fact about hybrid cars on the market, and it means that different types of hybrid cars can use different types of power to produce electricity which affects the environment. C. Inefficiency of hybrid cars Once hybrid cars are built and spreading everywhere on the road, the important thing that will come up on drivers mind is, they are doing good for the environment. This is the fact because hybrid cars use less fuel than conventional cars but it depends on how they drive. Remember that a hybrid will probably never match the listed fuel efficiency because of the way the efficiency test is done, and because unless you only ever drive on heavily congested streets you won’t be utilizing the hybrid system effectively (â€Å"Hybrid Cars Negative Environmental Impact†, 2007). If hybrid cars are running on the high way, there will be only the gasoline’s engines that are working on the time and neglecting the effective of hybrid system. Even though hybrid cars regard as green environmental cars, hybrid cars with an internal combustion engine will still emit smog. Catalytic converters handle most of the contamination, but there’s still that good old greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. Even hybrids pump this out, they just pump lower amounts of it, and mostly because most hybrids have engines that stop when the vehicle comes to a halt (â€Å"Hybrid Cars Negative Environmental Impact†, 2007). However, driving hybrid cars is not saving the world but you have just been retarding your harmful to the environment. V. Conclusion Hybrid cars are not good for the environment at all. They are still bad to the environment. Even though hybrid car batteries are good for the environment right now but what if they end up in the landfills when they are expired in the future; therefore, our landfills will be full of toxicity. Many people think that hybrid cars are green environmental cars but they didn’t think about the process of building hybrid cars. Every process of making hybrid cars is bad for the environment due to the use of natural resources. However, when hybrid cars are shown up on the road, hybrid car motors sometimes cannot work effectively because they are working well only on the congested areas. The effective of hybrid car motors are also due to the behavior of drivers because if they always step on the accelerator, they will negate the efficiency on hybrid system. The price difference of a hybrid might not always benefit the gas deductions. Depending on how you drive, hybrids might not always be a match for your lifestyle. There is always the issue of the toxicity of the battery, even though they are not as harmful as standard car batteries to the environment. It is also beneficial to keep in mind that today’s EPA standards are slightly outdated. They will normally be on the lower end of what EPA estimates are, due to differing factors such as driver lifestyle, location, and the type of car it is. I strongly believe that hybrid cars are not that save the environment at all but they have just slowed down the impact on the environmental; therefore, do your researches before you buy a hybrid car.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Japanese economic history

In the history of Japanese economy is for 17 years from 1920 to 1937. Japanese economy will be hit by three big depressions, reactionary depression (1920 depression), ? Financial crisis, and ? Shows Depression, after the war [ ? ], and will experience long-term depression in this period. The one-eyed postwar reactionary depression which occurred for 1920 (Taoist 9) years Is the depression which made the cause the economical gap of during the war and the postwar period.As for the Japanese economy of the ass, a protracted economic slump will continue starting with this depression. The global supply shortage of 1920 previous World War I (1914 o 18 years) made Japan's export expand, and It led It to prosperity. Expansion of demand changed Japan from the agricultural country of prewar days to the Industrialized country. Moreover, the labor shortage by expanding demand moved the farmer to the city, and supported city development greatly.However, when World War I held the end of the war and It entered In the ass, Western countries reorganized domestic production and It reduced the demand to Japan. In Dalton to the reduced demand from Western countries, an excess of imports by resumption of import decreased the Japanese specie, and caused the fall of a money order and outstations on commodities. In this way, Japanese economy will fall into a protracted economic slump. Moreover, this depression will deal a blow to many companies, and will drive them in to a breakdown.Moreover, although a return of the gold standard by the lifting of the gold embargo was desired as a measure against reactionary depression, a ban was not removed on the bank or foreign trade business which were faced with the dormant capital at this time. (After World War l, the countries of many including the united States returned to the gold standard one after another, and formed the axis of new international finance. Then, the Great Kant Earthquake occurred for 1923 (Taoist 12) years, and an excess of imports became increasingly large so that this might be attacked.The government proclaimed the Bank of Japan earthquake bill discount-lost â€Å"the government compensates a loss of the Bank of Japan for less than 100 million yen at the same time the Bank of Japan does rediscover influence of the note (earthquake bill) whose earthquake disaster victim is an obligator and it postpones collection† as a measure to the company which suffered the serious damage caused by an earthquake disaster. However, the earthquake bill recessing problem arose by this Imperial edict.In the note processed as this earthquake note, many notes of the company and the manager who became bad loans under the influence of reactionary depression were Intermingled. It Is [ In / In order to prevent the breakdown of the company by this, or a bank / an every place considered as 2 million yen or more In the case of the bank which has a head office In a big city these standards It cannot fill, either a duty of a bank was Imposed so that capital Increase and a merger might be performed wealth five years and the standard might be reached † It went Into effect and Inland banks were cut down.However, by Improper language disturbance of Finance Minister Kate after the Tokyo Waterman bank is actually closed, the bank commission by the depositor banks were obliged to closure and also had the bank which results even in a breakdown. This depression that occurred for 1927 (Shows 2) years is the second financial crisis. It was continuously hit by two depressions after the war with reactionary depression and a financial crisis, and in order to reorganize the Japanese economy which the foreign outflow of the specie was aggravating, Minister-of-FinanceJunketed Onion of the Coach's Humanistic civil administration intermarry big building pushed the lifting of the gold embargo. It is ordered in the basis of Junketed Onion who performs a tight financing policy, and 1929 in the lifting of the gold em bargo (â€Å"Finance Ministry Ordinance of the purport that a ban is removed on gold export from January [ next year ] 1 1 and Japan also makes the gold standard return at last after the war.However, the business of the United States which began to lead the world instead of Britain retreated, and when the New York Stock Exchange slumped n connection with it, the global Great Depression occurred after the war. In this way, Japan will be involved in the global Great Depression simultaneously with the lifting of the gold embargo. This is Shows Depression which occurred for the third 1930 (Shows 5) year. Moreover, in industry, the silk industry in which the demand from the United States occupied most suffered the damage caused by this Shows Depression most.Then, social problems, such as unemployment, selling themselves, and an undernourished schoolchild, also occurred, and the Japanese held economical / social uneasiness and were troubled with poverty. Aiming at escape from this Great Depression, Minister-of-Finance Kookier Dashiki of the Toughs Incubi Friends of Constitutional Government Party Cabinet starts an expansionist fiscal policy. First, Dashiki re-forbade export of gold in 1931, after Britain stopped the gold standard.The managed currency system and red-ink bond which were newly introduced instead of the gold standard and which are not bound by the quantity possessed of a specie enabled reservation of the source of revenue stabilized for performing an expansionist fiscal policy. Dashiki performs the â€Å"spending policy† which plans economic recovery by expanding annual expenditure based on these goods. The war expenditure expanded by the Manchuria Incident which broke out in Shows Depression in 1931 made the annual expenditure by the government increase.This annual expenditure that increased, I. E. , an effective demand, increased the demand for fund of private enterprises, and it led Japanese economy to inflation. The demand for fund of privat e enterprises is connected to the employment to Jobless people, and Japanese economy began to incline to prosperity. However, superfluous circulation of the inconvertible paper money by the red-ink bond and managed currency system which continue increasing will depreciate the exchange rate of the yen, and we will be anxious about a vicious inflation.To this, although Dashiki aimed at reduction of a red-ink bond and a war expenditure, he was assassinated. Although Minister-of-Finance riding ground ? 1 of the successor Koki Horror new Cabinet performed reduction of the public loan, expansion of the war expenditure was continued. Although the demand to heavy and chemical industries also increases with war expenditure expansion, since it did not catch up with it, the controlled economy (â€Å"direct intervention to a governmental economic process†) will start.In this way, the Japanese economy in accomplished high including a spending policy, though the blow was received in three big depressions.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Research Proposal On Us Agricultural Crisis

I intend to write my paper about the persisting agricultural problems that United States farmers are facing today, and how these problems are deeply rooted to the lack of radical, government-initiated change despite legislations which are publicized as farmer-friendly government initiatives and how the past and present problems compounded into a dilemma that presents the probability of large scale farm business collapse and agricultural apocalypse, what Ikerd describes as â€Å"the end of agriculture, as we remember it, in America† (2002).Thesis Farmers working in US farms like John Reifsteck are providing very encouraging assessment of the year's yields, ‘It’s been a good harvest on my farm, and my neighbors have also done well' (2007). Others may provide the same identical appraisal when asked the same question.But contrary to the sporadic and random claims of stabilized and/or improving farming revenues across the country and promising turnout of both crops and sales in the market, the US agriculture as a whole has been consistently barraged by economic and financial concerns which are cause primarily by the lack of government action that can protect the farmers, their farms and their general business interests from external factors beyond their control.At the end of 2007, the 2007 United States Farm Bill, which proposes among others the continued subsidizing of local farmers and their business ventures, faced many critics and criticisms over what seems to be protracted impact that eventually leads away from the general interests of farmers because of internal politics and the subsidy dispensing nature of the bill which is similar to previously legislated bills.With critics on one side and influential power players on the other side, ordinary farmers are left unaffected and unaided by the US government, abandoned to suffer the same set of farming-related problems that middle-class farmers are burdened with for nearly a century now.The veh icle that is designed to funnel government resources towards the needs of farmers in the US should be re-evaluated to see if real actions are being done to answer farm and farming-related problems and at the same time if the channels go straight towards its intended target or pour in somewhere else so that the government can have a full assessment of the scope of the problem and from there take constructive actions to repair the deteriorating US agricultural pipe line. Supporting Arguments I. Failure of farmers to experience economic improvement during the 20th century A.The economic depression of American farmers occurring from 1920 to 1940 and repeating on 1952 until 1972. B. The end of the Golden Age of Agriculture in 1900. C. The food boycotts during 1973 II. Limited Government action on agricultural and farm-related problems A. Slow enactment of agriculture-related legislation B. Huge gaps in years to amend existing agriculture laws C. Limited resources allotted by the governme nt for food and agriculture III. Controversies surrounding the 2002 US Farm Bill A. Perceived characteristics that go against World Trade Organization agreements. B.Threat of overproduction as a result of the enactment of the legislation into law. C. Impact of Subsidy on market prices D. Role of overproduced corn in the spread of e coli IV. Roadblocks of 2007 US Farm Bill A. Alleged by WTO as preventing fair competition B. Impact results to billions worth of trade sanctions from other countries C. Under threat of veto from the US president D. Entails high costs Bibliography Bjerga, Alan. Senate Approves Farm Bill Over Bush Veto Threat. Bloomberg. com. December 14, 2007. http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=20601103&sid=aWIfSjtJmPgE&refer=us Farm Economic and Financial Crisis.The Economic Crisis: Finances on the Farm. World Crisis in Agriculture. Ambassador Agricultural Research Department. Serf Publishing, Inc. 2001 http://cgca. net/serf-publishing/economiccrisis. htm Funding f or Farmers. EconSouth, 2003 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0KXG/is_1_5/ai_100962424 Hedges, Stephen J. Panel OKs farm bill that keeps subsidies. Chicago Tribune. October 26, 2007 http://www. chicagotribune. com/news/nationworld/chifarm_frioct26,1,3300139. story? ctrack=1&cset=true Ikerd, John. Why Farming is Important in America. Fourth Annual Rural Development Conference.North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Mandan, North Dakota, February 5-7, 2002. http://web. missouri. edu/~ikerdj/papers/WhyFarming. html#_ftnref1 Panares, JOyce Pangco. UN pushes abolition of farm trade subsidies. Manila Standard Today. http://www. manilastandardtoday. com/? page=politics2_oct19_2007 Reifsteck, John. Food and Fuel Truth About Trade and Technology Board Commentary, November 9, 2007. http://www. truthabouttrade. org/article. asp? id=8489 USDA Budget Summary 2006. Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services. http://www. usda. gov/agency/obpa/Budget-Summary/2006/06. FFAS. htm