Consumer Attitude Towards Organic Food

Pro cloning essays

Pro cloning essays Ever since the duplication of Dolly, an adult sheep, the entire idea has become an extremely controversial debate, containing religious, ethical, and legal issues. Adoring the dispute, the media has portrayed only the disadvantages and "cruelties" of cloning. However, if deeper research and perception is "put to work", you will soon discover that this process can and will amplify society, advance our technology, and perhaps even salvage our diminishing Earth. There's no doubt that children enhance civilization, bring delight and fulfillment, and are spontaneous and creative. For some, they are the precious bond that holds families together, for others they are a source of frustration; nevertheless, we are lovable. Yet what of a couple that cannot reproduce? Should the government deprive them of such a wonderful gift that was meant for all? Of course, adoption is an option, but you wouldn't feel the same compassion that you would toward your own biological child, because they are your own flesh and blood. The clone would not be a "carbon copy", as some pessimists like to believe, but rather a "delayed identical twin". To believe otherwise is to accept the theory of genetic determinism, which has been proven incorrect by biologists as they increase their knowledge of genes by further examination. Your genes only play a very simple role, perhaps your eye color and height; the environmental factor however, has an immense influence on our pe rsonality, so the clone would be an individual, and not an automaton. Afflictions have affected much of our population, and for most diseases, we have no antidote. Say that you needed a bone marrow transplant, without it, you'd die, and there are no donors available. Why not extract some of your cells and create a clone? As Cassie brought out in our discussion group, "it's just like abortion. If there's a doctor willing to perform the operation, then what's stopping them? Many groups are protestin...

Psychosocial Needs of Patients Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Psychosocial Needs of Patients - Essay Example This means the illness-associated events that create problem through the patient's perception and responses may lead to care needs of addressing unmet psychosocial needs in order to ensure healing. In this assignment, I will discuss and critically analyse a care incident delivered by me to a patient. I was assigned the care of the patient in my placement in a hospital ward. This assignment will frequently refer to this patient, whose identity will remain undisclosed throughout this work. Thus, this patient will be referred to anonymously, although to facilitate ease of discussion, a pseudonym, Mrs. Jennings, will be used to address her. This requirement of confidentiality and identity nondisclosure is an ethical requirement in healthcare associated professional and academic documentation as prescribed and required by NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) guidelines, competency standards, and practice ethical standpoints to respect the client confidentiality (NMC, 2008). As suggested this assignment would very closely examine the episode of care provided by me from the psychosocial angles, mainly to see if the care provided by me during her hospitalization took adequate care of t he psychological and social needs of this patient. These can be examined more closely from the policy perspectives of the need for adding psychosocial elements in care. Therefore, relevant policy will also be examined in order to justify conformity in practice. Definitions Haralambose and Holborn (2008) defined sociology to be a science involving study of human being in the context of society where impact of relevant economics, psychology, and demography is given due consideration in the endeavour to explain and understand the human behaviour in the societal scenario. From that point of view, sociology is a broad discipline where various methods of empirical investigations and critical analyses are deployed to define a body of knowledge and theory about human and social activities, with a goal often being application of such knowledge in the pursuit of social welfare (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008). On the other hand, psychology has been defined by Michael (1998) to be a discipline that studies mind and behaviour of individuals in different life contexts which also seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion and behaviour (Michael, 1998) in response to different experiences that they encounter. Main Body Psychological and social factors have been known to play important roles in initiation and progression of any disease process. As a care provider, the nurse must understand their nature and intensity. Since these are known to affect motivation, these will affect the outcome of care. Longstanding suffering or advanced illnesses disturb the psychosocial milieu sufficiently so the patient may be disturbed motivationally. These could cause psychological maladjustment and affect the course of the disease in a profoundly negative way. A thorough assessment of these situations and the factors is therefore necessary, and being in a position of provider of care the nurse must assess these factors keeping the

Organizational Behavior - The Vancouver 2011 Stanley Cup Riots Research Paper

Organizational Behavior - The Vancouver 2011 Stanley Cup Riots - Research Paper Example Organizational theories at play One of the organization’s theories that were applicable in the case is the McCleland’s need theory. This is a motivation theory that explains behavior at individual level and reviews â€Å"personality and learnt needs† (Nelson and Quick, 2010, p. 156). McCleland’s theory argues that people’s behaviors and efforts towards achievement are driven by three major needs, â€Å"need for achievement, for power and for affiliation† (Nelson and Quick, 2010, p. 156). The need for achievement relates to individual’s focus to embrace difficulties towards successful realization of objectives. People who are driven by the need to achieve persevere conditions, plan, and influence to make sure that their expectations are met. The need for power on the other hand relates to the need and capacity to influence an individual’s immediate environment. It involves influencing other people to an individual’s contro l. This need is particularly exhibited in planning and running of an event that involve a group’s participation. The need for affiliation is on the other hand concerned with interpersonal relationships among people and entails emotional expressions and interactions among people in a set up (Nelson and Quick, 2010). ... Similarly, the attendants need to achieve their objective of being part of the game witnessed their early and general turn up for the event. Need for power is also explained through the influence that resulted into the riots. This is because only a small number of individuals started the idea of rioting and influenced others into it. Similarly, the need for affiliation is exhibited by the initiatives of the individual attendants to be involved in the social event, the hokey game. The need was further manifested in the association with the individuals who caused the riots. The other individuals must have been driven by the need to be part of the already rioting group (Nelson and Quick, 2010; Furlong and Keefe, 2011). Abraham Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs is also directly applicable to the event. According to the theory, human needs are hierarchical and are satisfied in order of priority. At the basic level of the Maslow’s hierarchy is a set of physiological needs that are prioritized. These include basic needs for survival and are followed by security needs. Subsequently, â€Å"belongingness needs and esteem needs† follow (Daft and Lane, 2007, p. 230). The need for belongingness drives people to being part of groups while the need for self esteem facilitate strife for recognized status of influence in the society. While the need for belongingness was exhibited by the crowds who turned up for the sports event and those that later joined in the riots, either actively as demonstrators or partially as spectators, the need for self esteem was registered among the individuals who organized and fuelled the riots. The latter group must have had a combination of needs to be recognized by the peers as influential and need to achieve (Daft and

Document Based Quesiton (AP World History) Essay

Document Based Quesiton (AP World History) - Essay Example In 2002, then US Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill claims that the World Bank gave Africa $300 million in loans (as reported by BBC news, 28 May 2002). This staggering amount is just part of the reason why the countries of South Africa have accumulated so much debt. One should simply realize that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while being international financial institutions, are actually largely controlled by the government of rich countries, like US and Britain (Africa Action website, 2005). While these creditors do provide aid and new loans to Africa, the hapless people of the region are forced to pay more money to them in a vicious cycle of debt. Thus, these creditors are able to wield significant influences over Africa’s economy and the region’s future. It is thus no great wonder why, despite these huge foreign debt, Africa barely has enough to properly supply its people with basic commodities such as food and clean water (O’Neill, 2002). To add insult to obvious injury, Africa is simply up to its neck in epidemic diseases, with AIDS being a major health concern of many countries in the continent. Information from UNAIDS (2000) signify that a great majority of the country is infected, thus resulting to more than 11 million children orphaned by AIDS and an equally significant amount being infected by the disease (UN, 2004). Perhaps the saddest point of this issue is the fact that amidst all these problems, civil unrest still pervade the region (Copson, Africa’s Wars and Prospects for Peace). While children are being orphaned by AIDS, parents lose their children to the never ending wars in the continent, as children are being recruited to serve either as soldiers or perform noncombatant roles both for the government and for the rebels (Amnesty International, 2005). The good thing that may be coming out of all these is that the rest of the world does not just sit back and watch Africa suffer

Literature on Working Capital Management and Profitability

Literature on Working Capital Management and Profitability Regarding the research of working capital management and profitability. This chapter consists of literature review of different researchers and their studies findings in accordance to the region their studies are based on. I will start with the region of United States of American and followed by the European countries. Studies from other countries not included in the aforementioned regions will be described in the following topic. This chapter ends with a table summarizing the findings of different authors from this literature review. Variables Description Average Collection Period on Profitability In an article wrote by Milling (1991, p. 48), he mentioned that: Average collection period measures the time that a firms average sales dollar remains outstanding as an account receivable. Average collection period is formulated by dividing accounts receivable by sales and multiplying by the number of days in a year (365). It is the average number of days which a firm manages to collect its outstanding debts from customers (Garcia-Teruel Martinez-Solano, 2007). According to Lazaridis and Tryfonidis (2006), acerage collection period is one of the components to measure the cash conversion cycle which is manageable to maximize the profitability and improve firms growth. In Raheman and Nasr (2007) research adaptation, the correlation analysis between average collection period and net operating profitability shows a negative coefficient. This means that if the average collection period increases, it will lower the profits in return. However, the Pearsons correlation proved there is a strong positive relationship between average collection period and cash conversion cycle. Most profitable firms are observed to have a shorter period of collection period (Deloof, 2003). These same firms a re also larger in size, have higher sales growth and lower debt fin ancing. Further research done by Garcia-Teruel and Martinez-Solano (2007) had its result consistent with Deloof (2003) finding. They had agreed that elongate the deadlines for customers to repay their payments may project greater payment facilities, but would negatively affect the profitability of a firm. Sales may also be increased due to the leniency of firms collection policy. To increase corporate value, a high quality accounts receivable portfolio could be created, safeguarded and realized through effective credit management. This is due to heavy investments in accounts receivable by larger corporations. Hence, Pike and Cheng (2001) felt it is important to control the credit management policy and practices choices in order to maximize value. The lower the investments placed on accounts receivable, the more reduction in interest costs, hence, a respectable increase in earnings (Milling, 1991). Besides that, there is a close relationship between sales growth and the level of current assets (Kim, Rowland Kim, 1992). The example given was that the increment in credit sales will lead to higher inventories and accounts receivable. It is unavoidable to invest in current assets in that matter. According to Deloof (2003, p.584): An alternative explanation for the negative relation between accounts receivable and profitability could be that customers want more time to assess the quality of products they buy from firms with declining profitability. Schwartz (1974) debated that firms that are able to obtain funds at lower cost would offer trade credit to firms facing higher financing cost through finance-based models. Emery (1984) was able to conclude that investments in trade credit are a much better option for short-term investment than market securities. The advantage of trade credit can be spontaneous and exist without formalities, but the limitation is that it is available for goods and services only (Hossain Akon, 1997). Inventory Turnover on Profitability Zero inventory and Just-in-time manufacturing had been a popular inventory management practices (Reynolds, 1999). In much simpler terminology, inventory turnover means the cycle of using and replenishing goods. According to Reynolds (1999), inventory turnover analysis has major importance because inventory management directly impact operations profitability. This analysis serves as a measure of firms efficiency and profitability. Inventory turnover analysis can assist financial managers in recognizing problems and can help reduce associated costs. Average Payment Period on Profitability Companies of different sizes (small, medium and large) are now taking longer time period to repay their debts (Anonymous, 2005). The same author also mentioned that was affected due to larger companies imposing longer payment terms on their suppliers, who are usually not in a position to choose. Companies in a lower part of the chain would face cash flow problems as companies on the upper chain wait for payment before they pay their suppliers. Cash Conversion Cycle on Profitability The cash conversion cycle is able to capture the impact of an effective working capital management policy, which are due to the effects from turnover of receivables, inventories and payables. The function of cash conversion cycle is defined by Jose, Lancaster and Stevens (1996, p.34): The CCC measures the time between cash outlays for resources and cash receipts from product sales. The CCC is dynamic in the sense it combines both balance sheet and income statement data to create a measure with a time dimension. Richards and Laughlin (1980) consequently operated this concept by measuring the number of days funds are committed to receivables and inventories and less the number of days payments are deferred to suppliers. Shin and Soenan (1998) are able to prove a strong correlation between cash conversion cycle and profitability. Even so, they used a substitute of cash conversion cycle called the net trading cycle. Using this cash conversion cycle, also known as cash-to-cash (C2C), companies could establish a point of reference for inter-firm comparisons. Besides improving profits earned, companies could obtain overall efficiencies and balance supply chain operations (Hutchison, Farris II Anders, 2007). Regional United States of America According to a research done by Kim, Rowland and Kim (1992), it was about the implications of working capital management practices by Japanese manufacturers in the US. This study is to determine the objectives of working capital management by Japanese manufacturers in US and to identify options for funding. As Japans foreign direct investment in the business expansion of US has increased rapidly, therefore, it is important to manage the firms working capital well. International working capital management has significant importance as total assets and liabilities of multinational corporations consist of current assets and short-term liabilities. There are few differences in financial structure between the US companies and Japanese manufacturers: Japanese firms rely more on banks short-term debt. Japanese firms project a lower level of net working capital. Japanese firms operate with about half as much equity as US firms. Japanese firms hold twice as much in long-term investments as US firms. Japanese firms reported lower inventory level; more accounts receivables and twice as much cash as US firms. Questionnaires were sent out to Japanese manufacturing companies operating in US. Executives from these Japanese-owned firms perform this survey to determine the companys working capital policies and practices. The data reverted back to researchers show that Japanese firms rated the most important objective of working capital management is to be providing current assets and liabilities in support of anticipated sales, while minimizing investments in current assets being the least important. Moreover, most of their short-term financing were sources from Japanese banks. In 1996, Jose, Lancaster and Stevens performed a research on the relationship of corporate returns and cash conversion cycle. This study examined the long-run equilibrium relationship between a measure of ongoing liquidity needs (cash conversion cycle) and measures of profitability. Data collected were from the annual Compustat tapes, which covers the twenty-year period starting from year 1974 to 1993. There are altogether 2,718 firms which have complete data required. The variables were tested using nonparametric and multiple regression analysis, with the industry and size variable controlled. Richards and Laughlin (1980) and Emery (1984) had noted the constraints of using traditional financial ratios and believed in the liquidity management measures to reflect the ability of firms meeting their short-term financial obligations. Return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) measures are also included in this study to separate asset management and financing influence. Jose, Lancaster and Stevens concluded that there are key findings for ROA and ROE. These ass et management returns and levered returns revealed an increase in performance and benefits. Shin and Soenan (1998) did a study to test the efficiency of working capital management to create profitability. They used a Compustat sample of 58,985 firms covering the period 1975 1994. The relationship between the length of net trading cycle, corporate profitability and risk-adjusted stock return was examined. Net trading cycle could be computed as below: Net Trading Cycle = (Inventory Turnover + Average Collection Period Average Payment Period) x (365 / Sales) The outcome of the study shows strong negative relation between the length of firms net trade cycle and profitability. They also considered that working capital efficiency increases profitability; there will be a negative relationship between net trading cycle and stock return. The examination of this relationship is done using the correlation and regression analysis, by industry and working capital intensity. In their study, it is mentioned that working capital is a result of the cash conversion cycle. Gentry, Vaidyanathan and Lee (1990) developed the weighted cash conversion cycle, which scales the timing by the amount of funds in each step of the cycle. On the other hand, Deloof (2003) said that this method could not be used due to incompleteness of information available for calculation. Liquidity ratios, such as current ratio and acid-test ratio, could not measure the working capital management efficiently due to reasons that these ratios include calculation of assets which are n ot readily available to be converted into cash and the ratios ignored the timing of cash conversion (Shin Soenan, 1998). In all, maximum working capital efficiency is an essential factor of total corporate strategy to create shareholders value. A research was done on the international working capital of multinational corporations by Dr. Hadley Leavell from Sam Houston State University. His journal was published in 2006. To enhance profitability of multinational corporations, Ricci and Di Vito (2000) suggested reducing the floating costs of time value, losses on outstanding accounts receivables, transaction costs and foreign exchange conversion costs when moving cash between countries. However, the difficulty to overcome regulatory and geographical barriers may lead to a loss of control and payment regulations placed on cross-border cash concentration to maximize profitability. Regional Europe In year 2003, Deloof investigated the relation between working capital management and profitability of a sample 1,009 large Belgian non-financial firms between years 1992 1996. The cash conversion cycle was considered as the comprehensive measure for working capital, whereas gross operating income is the measurement for profits. There is the weighted cash conversion cycle modified by Gentry, Vaidyanathan and Lee in 1990, but was not applied by Deloof because of the limited information availability. Deloof related the correlation and regression analysis to his research to prove that there is a relationship between working capital management and profitability. Another research done in Europe is by Lazaridis and Tryfonidis in year 2006. They investigated the relationship between working capital management and corporate profitability of a sample of 131 companies listed in the Athens Stock Exchange. Data was collected from year 2001 2004. In this research, profitability was measured through gross operating profit and cash conversion cycle. Lazaridis and Tryfonidiss research also established that larger companies are cash-management-focused with more credit sales, which led to cash flow problems. Smaller scale firms are more focused on stock management and credit management. Similar to Deloofs (2003) research, the cash conversion cycle is used to describe the effectiveness of working capital management in this study. Regression analysis used in this research showed a negative relationship between cash conversion cycle and profitability. Garcia-Teruel and Martinez-Solano (2007) were involved in a research to provide evidence about the effects of working capital management towards to profitability of Spanish small and medium-sized (SME) enterprises. Many previous researches are focused on larger form of firms. They collected a sample of over 8, 800 SMEs which covers the year 1996 2002 from the AMADEUS database. The selection was done in accordance to the requirements by Europeans Commissions recommendation on the definition of SMEs. In fact, the current assets and current liabilities of their sample of SMEs proportion is the majority of total assets and liabilities available to the firms. They used the cash conversion cycle to measure the profitability of the firms on their research sample. Their study was supported by Deloof (2003), confirmed that firms can improve profitability by lowering outstanding accounts receivables and payables and inventories. A univariate analysis was conducted to determine differences in variables, followed by a multivariate analysis to determine working capi tal management on corporate profitability. Return on Assets ratio was set as the dependent variable to establish profitability. In the correlation matrix used, they found a negative relationship between their dependent variable (return on assets) with the number of days accounts receivables, days of inventory and days accounts payable. They confirmed that by shortening the cash conversion cycle, firms could improve profitability. Regional Others Hossain and Akon (1997) did a case study on financing working capital of Bangladesh textile mills corporations. This case study covers 40 public sector textile units under the ownership and administration of Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporations. The study covered a period of twelve years from 1982 1993. According to Hossain and Akon, well-known economists believed that current assets should be considered as working capital as the whole of it helps to generate profits. In their study, it shows that a vast amount of short-term finance was used in financing fixed and current assets to the extent of 100 percent. This caused a lower capability to earn profits, but increases the risk of insolvency. The aggressive working capital financing (using short-term funds to finance fixed assets) should be tamed in Bangladesh textile mills corporations to maximize profits, by resorting to long-term funds which are less costly. Methods used to test their hypothesis are through regression analysis and comparing the calculation of financial ratios. Raheman and Nasr (2007) had done a research to prove the relationship between working capital management and profitability of Pakistani firms. A sample of 94 firms listed on Karachi Stock Exchange was selected. Firms are listed for a period of 6 years from 1999 2004. It was mentioned that an excess of current assets could lead to a firm realizing its return on investment. However, it was proven otherwise if firms have a shortage of current assets (Horne Wachowicz, 2000). The measurement of profitability used by Raheman and Nasr is the Net Operating Profitability. They used the regression analysis to assess their hypothesis. Their study includes data of regression analysis of cross-sectional and time-series data. The pooled-regression (constant coefficient models) type of panel data analysis was applied. They believe that increase in the cash conversion cycle would lead to lower profit generation (Shin Soenan, 1998; Deloof, 2003; Lazaridis Tryfonidis, 2006; Garcia-Teruel Martinez-Solano, 2007). Summary of Literature Review Author (Year) Market (Region) Evidence of Findings Kim, Rowland and Kim (1992) Japanese Manufacturers in US (USA) Objective of working capital management is to be providing current assets and liabilities in support of anticipated sales. Jose, Lancaster and Stevens (1996) Compustat (USA) Key findings in asset management returns and levered returns. Shin and Soenan (1998) Compustat (USA) Relationship between the length of net trading cycle, corporate profitability and risk-adjusted stock return. Leavell (2006) Multinational corporations (USA) International working capital and multinational corporations. Deloof (2003) Belgian non-financial firms (Europe) Application of cash conversion cycle. Lazaridis and Tryfonidis (2006) Companies listed on Athens Stock Exchange (Europe) Larger companies are cash-management-focused, Smaller firms are more focused on stock management and credit management. Garcia-Teruel and Martinez-Solano (2007) Spanish SMEs (Europe) Effects of SMEs working capital management towards its profitability. Hossain and Akon (1997) Bangladesh (Asia) Financing Bangladesh textile mills corporations. Raheman and Nasr (2007) Karachi Stock Exchange (Asia) Working capital management of Pakistani firms and its profitability. Table 2.1 Summary of Literature Review Conclusion Working capital is about establishing optimum liquidity position by effectively managing resources invested in day-to-day operations of the business. After studying the journals and researches done, it can be concluded that liquidity and profitability of firms was affected by the components and working capital management measures (accounts receivable, inventory and accounts payable).

Teacher and Student Relationships :: Education Discipline Essays

The teacher student relationship is very important for children. Children spend approximately 5 to 7 hours a day with a teacher for almost 10 months. We ask ourselves what is considered a good teacher? All of us have gone through schooling, and if fortunate had a favorite teacher. A positive relationship between the student and the teacher is difficult to establish, but can be found for both individuals at either end. The qualities for a positive relationship can vary to set a learning experience approachable and inviting the students to learn. A teacher and student who have the qualities of good communications, respect in a classroom, and show interest in teaching from the point of view of the teacher and learning from a student will establish a positive relationship in the classroom. I will be focusing on the relationship between the student and teacher, involving a setting in the primary grades, which I have found second grade to be extremely important for the student to gain a po sitive attitude for their future education. Children have different strategies for learning and achieving their goals. A few students in a classroom will grasp and learn quickly, but at the same time there will be those who have to be repeatedly taught using different techniques for the student to be able to understand the lesson. On the other hand, there are those students who fool around and use school as entertainment. Teaching then becomes difficult, especially if there is no proper communication. Yet, teachers, creating a positive relationship with their students, will not necessarily control of all the disruptive students. The book, Responsible Classroom Discipline written by Vernon F. Jones and Louise Jones discuss how to create a learning environment approachable for children in the elementary schools. According to the Jones, â€Å" Student disruptions will occur frequently in classes that are poorly organized and managed where students are not provided with appropriate and interesting instructional tasks† (101) . The key is, teachers need to continuously monitor the student in order for him or her to be aware of any difficulties the student is having. Understanding the child’s problem, fear, or confusion will give the teacher a better understanding the child’s learning difficulties. Once the teacher becomes aware of the problems, he or she will have more patience with the student, thus making the child feel secure or less confused when learning is taking place in the classroom.

Creation of LEGO

With fourteen and a half billion dollars one may consider to purchase the Lego company right now. The Lego company has played a measure role in the toy industry for about one hundred years. Its innovations include famous playsets, minifigures, video games, and world renown stores located all over the world. Those thing would never have been fathomable without the famous Lego creator Ole Kirk Christiansen who born in the remote town of Filskovand, Denmark. Ole Kirk Christiansen came into this world during the year of 1891 and was the tenth child of the family. He had completed high school education even though he grew up moderately poor. When he was 14 he became an understudy to his brother in Denmark. This background had made Ole Kirk Christiansen a modest and determined individual who found that his idea was destined for greatness. The word â€Å"LEGO† means to play well. He started to call his company â€Å"LEGO† in nineteen thirty-four after he began making wooden toys in nineteen thirty-four. He officially started to make its plastic interlocking blocks in nineteen forty-nine. It is still possible that a 1958 Lego piece are still compatible with today's pieces. Over the past fifty years the Lego company has created over 400 billion blocks and the company was inducted in the National Toy Hall of Fame. These awards has made the Lego company a prestigious brand.Since plastic is a non-renewable resource and a major economic friendly agenda was being pushed in the mid two-thousands, the Lego group was forced to reduce the percentage of plastic used in their product and their carbon footprint. It is well know that the famous company almost went bankrupt due to their wasteful habits. The concept of lean manufacturing and a special software connected all of their factories around the world and helped the company achieve their slogan.†Only the best is good enough† is a slogan created by the founder Ole Kirk Christiansen. This motto came to fruition in nineteen thirty-six when he only had approximately ten employees. This motto is still used today and a significant impact on the way the company runs to this day. During the nineteen forties the Lego company was relatively small but showed minor improvements such as the introduction to colored blocks. Ole Kirk Christiansen had introduced the company to his son at the age of twelve. During this time, Lego had improved the amount of employees to fifty, introduced the game of tiddlywinks, and he bought the revolution plastic injection molding machine.During the fifties the company tried to push its products out to young children which was their target sales group. Ole Kirk Christiansen promoted his son the Vice President when he turned thirty. The company promoted their first major playset that consisted of eight creatable vehicles. The company also showed some signs of innovation by using wood and plastic as a basis of all of their products.The nineteen sixties was the coming out moment coming out moment for the company. Legoland was introduced and the production of wooden toys was dismantled due to massive fire that destroyed the company's toys. Legoland promoted three thousand visiter on the first day. In nineteen sixty-nine Lego cars were being made with a small amount of polyvinyl chloride along with plastic. The famous company started to expand globally to countries such as Italy, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Morocco. During this time, between eighteen and nineteen millions toy sets were currently being sold per year.During the seventies the company had almost one thousand employees. Lego promoted its toys exclusively to girls with their renown playhouses. Still to this day Lego tries to incorporate female characteristics to influence girls to purchase Lego products. The company's banner transformed their logo from an older to a more modern banner. Many of the customers can also see that the seventies are the first decade that directly relates to the companies expansion globally.Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was appointed to be the Chief Executive Officer and the company's president during nineteen seventy-nine. He is the grandson of Ole Kirk Christiansen and is worth five point five billion dollars. He led the company into its â€Å"golden age†. You may ask why I called this time period a golden age. The answer can be explained as quite simple. This time period had created approximately five thousand employees and promoted a great amount of collaboration of many universities such as M.I.T. This time period was also important because Ole Kirk Christiansen was inducted in the forever-famous National Toy Hall of Fame. In Europe the massive boom of Legos was proven true when a survey of the traditional household proved that seventy percent of households with a child less than fourteen years old owned a Lego playset.Nineteen nineties was a decade of reconstruction throughout the whole company. Officially eight thousand eight hundred and eighty people are employed under the companies record. The world renown company was officially labeled a top ten company during this decade. I believe that the real reason why this company underwent reconstruction is because of the fact that this is the first digital decade. The nineties promoted technological advancement towards the youth since smartphone were being used more and more often. Kids had other opportunities than to stay at home and play with their toys. This decade also proved that the toys were a choking hazard after a major recall of their toys since it was possible for it to get lodged in ones throat if they were incompetent. A positive benefit of the digital age is the idea of online shopping. This idea is capitalized in nineteen ninety-nine. The two-thousands were crucial to the history of the Lego company. In two thousand and nine the company celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen was introduced into the renown National Toy Hall of Fame. Two thousand and seventeen was a challenging year for the famous company. They did not experience a lot of growth as a company and lost revenue in North America and Europe. This could be a major warning sign that the Lego company may need to adapt to the ever changing technological change. Many kids are now playing on their smartphones instead of building or playing with toys. The Chief Executive Officer of the Lego Group has inferred that there is a possibility that the company may tap into the virtual world of artificial gaming and artificial intelligence The Lego company also expanded their outreach on kids with televisions shows, series, and movies. The Lego Movie, the first-ever, full-length theatrical Lego adventure, directed by Phil Lord ; Christopher Miller is an 3D computer animated story that follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared. (Warner) Many famous historical interpretations have been recreated by the use of Lego blocks. Events such as the cherry blossoming in Japan have arranged so that many pieces are used to create that. The Lego company has massively evolved from dealing with a few section of colors, to being able to maximize the whole color spectrum in order to capture their true excellence in toy manufacturing.

Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Explorer and Cartographer

Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Explorer and Cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1454–February 22, 1512) was an Italian explorer and cartographer. In the early 16th century, he showed that the New World was not part of Asia but was, in fact, its own distinct area. The Americas take their name from the Latin form of Amerigo. Fast Facts: Amerigo Vespucci Known For: Vespuccis expeditions led him to the realization that the New World was distinct from Asia; the Americas were named after him.Born: March 9, 1454 in Florence, ItalyParents: Ser Nastagio Vespucci and Lisabetta MiniDied: February 22, 1512 in Seville, SpainSpouse: Maria Cerezo Early Life Amerigo Vespucci was born on March 9, 1454, to a prominent family in Florence, Italy. As a young man, he read widely and collected books and maps. He eventually began working for local bankers and was sent to Spain in 1492 to look after his employers business interests. While he was in Spain, Vespucci had the chance to meet Christopher Columbus, who had just returned from his voyage to America; the meeting increased Vespuccis interest in taking a journey across the Atlantic. He soon began working on ships, and he went on his first expedition in 1497. The Spanish ships passed through the West Indies, reached South America, and returned to Spain the following year. In 1499, Vespucci went on his second voyage, this time as an official navigator. The expedition reached the mouth of the Amazon River and explored the coast of South America. Vespucci was able to calculate how far west he had traveled by observing the conjunction of Mars and the Moon. The New World On his third voyage in 1501, Vespucci sailed under the Portuguese flag. After leaving Lisbon, it took Vespucci 64 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean due to light winds. His ships followed the South American coast to within 400 miles of the southern tip, Tierra del Fuego. Along the way, the Portuguese sailors in charge of the voyage asked Vespucci to take over as commander. While he was on this expedition, Vespucci wrote two letters to a friend in Europe. He described his travels and was the first to identify the New World of North and South America as a separate landmass from Asia. (Christopher Columbus mistakenly believed he had reached Asia.) In one letter, dated March (or April) 1503, Vespucci described the diversity of life on the new continent: We knew that land to be a continent, and not an island, from its long beaches extending without trending round, the infinite number of inhabitants, the numerous tribes and peoples, the numerous kinds of wild animals unknown in our country, and many others never seen before by us, touching which it would take long to make reference. In his writings, Vespucci also described the culture of the indigenous people, focusing on their diet, religion, and- what made these letters very popular- their sexual, marriage, and childbirth practices. The letters were published in many languages and were distributed across Europe (they sold much better than Columbuss own diaries). Vespuccis descriptions of the natives were vivid and frank: They are people gentle and tractable, and all of both sexes go naked, not covering any part of their bodies, just as they came from their mothers’ wombs, and so they go until their deaths...They are of a free and good-looking expression of countenance, which they themselves destroy by boring the nostrils and lips, the nose and ears...They stop up these perforations with blue stones, bits of marble, of crystal, or very fine alabaster, also with very white bones and other things. Vespucci also described the richness of the land, and hinted that the region could be easily exploited for its valuable raw materials, including gold and pearls: The land is very fertile, abounding in many hills and valleys, and in large rivers, and is irrigated by very refreshing springs. It is covered with extensive and dense forests...No kind of metal has been found except gold, in which the country abounds, though we have brought none back in this our first navigation. The natives, however, assured us that there was an immense quantity of gold underground, and nothing was to be had from them for a price. Pearls abound, as I wrote to you. Scholars are not certain whether or not Vespucci participated in a fourth voyage to the Americas in 1503. If he did, there is little record of it, and we can assume the expedition was not very successful. Nevertheless, Vespucci did assist in the planning of other voyages to the New World. European colonization of this region accelerated in the years after Vespuccis voyages, resulting in settlements in Mexico, the West Indies, and South America. The Italian explorers work played an important role in helping colonizers navigate the territory. Death Vespucci was named pilot-major of Spain in 1508. He was proud of this accomplishment, writing that I was more skillful than all the shipmates of the whole world. Vespucci contracted malaria and died in Spain in 1512 at the age of 57. Legacy The German clergyman-scholar Martin Waldseemà ¼ller liked to make up names. He even created his own last name by combining the words for wood, lake, and mill. Waldseemà ¼ller was working on a contemporary world map in 1507, based on the Greek geography of Ptolemy, and he had read of Vespuccis travels and knew that the New World was indeed two continents. In honor of Vespuccis discovery of this portion of the world, Waldseemà ¼ller printed a wood block map (called Carta Mariana) with the name America spread across the southern continent of the New World. Waldseemà ¼ller sold 1,000 copies of the map across Europe. Within a few years, Waldseemà ¼ller had changed his mind about the name for the New World- but it was too late. The name America had stuck. Gerardus Mercators world map of 1538 was the first to include North America and South America. Vespuccis legacy lives on through the continents named in his honor. Sources Fernndez-Armesto Felipe. Amerigo: the Man Who Gave His Name to America. Random House, 2008.Vespucci, Amerigo. â€Å"The Letters of Amerigo Vespucci.† Early Americas Digital Archive (EADA).

Learn Ten Facts About Washington, D.C.

Learn Ten Facts About Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., officially called the District of Columbia, is the capital of the United States. It was founded on July 16, 1790, and today has a city population of 599,657 (2009 estimate) and an area of 68 square miles (177 sq km). It should be noted, however, that during the week, Washington, D.C.s population rises to well over one million people due to suburban commuters. The population of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area was 5.4 million people as of 2009. Washington, D.C. is home to all three branches of the U.S. government as well as many international organizations and the embassies of 174 foreign nations. In addition to being the center of U.S. government, Washington, D.C. is known for its history, many historic national monuments and famous museums like the Smithsonian Institution. The following is a list of ten important things to know about Washington, D.C. Inhabited by the Nacotchtank Tribe of Native Americans When Europeans first arrived in what is present-day Washington, D.C. in the 17th century the area was inhabited by the Nacotchtank tribe of Native Americans. By the 18th century though, Europeans had relocated the tribe and the region was becoming developed. In 1749, Alexandria, Virginia was founded and in 1751, the Province of Maryland chartered Georgetown along the Potomac River. Eventually, both were included in the original Washington, D.C. District. The Residence Act In 1788, James Madison stated that the new U.S. nation would need a capital that was distinct from the states. Shortly thereafter, Article I of the U.S Constitution stated that a district, separate from the states, would become the seat of government. On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act established that this capital district would be located along the Potomac River and President George Washington would decide exactly where. The Organic Act Officially Organized the District of Columbia Initially, Washington, D.C. was a square and measured ten miles (16 km) on each side. First, a federal city was constructed near Georgetown and on September 9, 1791, the city was named Washington and the newly established federal district was named Columbia. In 1801, the Organic Act officially organized the District of Columbia and it was expanded to include Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria. The War of 1812 In August 1814, Washington, D.C. was attacked by British forces during the War of 1812 and the Capitol, Treasury and White House were all burned. They were quickly repaired however and governmental operations resumed. In 1846, Washington, D.C. lost some of its area when Congress returned all District territory south of the Potomac back to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Organic Act of 1871 then combined the City of Washington, Georgetown and Washington County into a single entity known as the District of Columbia. This is the region that became known as todays Washington, D.C. Washington D.C. Is Still Considered Separate Today, Washington, D.C. is still considered separate from its neighboring states (Virginia and Maryland) and it is governed by a mayor and a city council. The U.S. Congress, however, has the highest authority over the area and it can overturn local laws if necessary. In addition, residents of Washington, D.C. were not allowed to vote in presidential elections until 1961. Washington, D.C. also has a non-voting Congressional delegate but it does not have any senators. Economy Focused on Service and Government Jobs Washington, D.C. currently has a large growing economy that is mainly focused on the service sector and government jobs. According to Wikipedia, in 2008, federal government jobs made up 27% of the jobs in Washington, D.C. In addition to government jobs, Washington, D.C. also has industries related to education, finance, and research. D.C. Is 68 Square Miles The total area of Washington, D.C. today is 68 square miles (177 sq km) - all of which formerly belonged to Maryland. The area is surrounded by Maryland on three sides and Virginia to the south. The highest point in Washington, D.C. is Point Reno at 409 feet (125 m) and it is located in the Tenleytown neighborhood. Much of Washington, D.C. is parkland and the district was highly planned during its initial construction. Washington, D.C. is divided into four quadrants: the Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest. Each quadrant radiates out from the Capitol building. The Climate Is Humid Subtropical The climate of Washington, D.C. is considered humid subtropical. It has cold winters with average snowfall at about 14.7 inches (37 cm) and hot, humid summers. The average January low temperature is 27.3ËšF (-3ËšC) while the average July high is 88ËšF (31ËšC). The Population Distribution As of 2007, Washington, D.C. had a population distribution of 56% African American, 36% White, 3% Asian and 5% other. The district has had a significant population of African Americans since its founding largely because of the freeing of slaves in the southern states following the American Revolution. Recently, however, the percentage of African Americans has been declining in Washington, D.C. as more of the population moves to the suburbs. Cultural Center of the U.S. Washington, D.C. is considered a cultural center of the U.S. because of its many National Historic Landmarks, museums and historic places such as the Capitol and White House. Washington, D.C. is home to the National Mall which is a large park within the city and it contains museums like the Smithsonian and the National Museum of Natural History. The Washington Monument is located on the west end of the National Mall. Sources: Wikipedia.org. (5 October 2010). Washington Monument - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_MonumentWikipedia.org. (30 September 2010). Washington, D.C. - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.

Inflation in Zimbabwe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Inflation in Zimbabwe - Essay Example These are permanent dollarization, joining the Common Monetary Area membership, usage of its dollar as the only legal tender and employment of variable regimes. However, in its conclusion and recommendation, the brief singles out joining of the CMA as the best choice for Zimbabwe to permanently curb its inflation. Situation brief When Zimbabwe attained independence in 1980, its dollar’s worth averaged $1.25 (Kramarenko et al. 2010). Over time, inflation rose steadily under the presidency of Robert Mugabe until towards the end of the 1990s when the confiscation of land from White settlers had negatively affected food production (Coomer & Gstraunthaler 2011). With the seizing of these commercial farms, foreign investors fled away leading to halting of manufacturing and reducing the supply of foreign currency needed for importation of goods. Tax revenue also reduced drastically. In order to ensure that the government funded its debts, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe increased its pr inting of currency causing a rise in inflation to triple digits as of 2001. ... Wines (2006) referred to this as one of the world’s highest inflation. As of July 2008, Zimbabwe was suffering a high inflation at 231 million percent per year. President Robert Mugabe employed various strategies so as to bring this inflation into control. The economy was turned over to the president’s closest allies in the National Security Council. Intelligence officers and loyal army officers were used in controlling key functions including tax collection and food security. Key supporters of the president had their salaries increased drastically to cushion them from the effects of the inflation with the central bank printing more notes. This instead led to hyperinflation due to the circulation of too many worthless Zimbabwean dollars. By November 2005, the inflation stood at 400% which edged in January 2006 to over 600% (Wines 2006). By June 2008, this was at 11.2 million percent per year and kept increasing in the subsequent months to over 231 million percent in 200 8 (Berger 2008). In January 2009, the 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollar note worth $30 was introduced into the circulation (Pindiriri 2012). The US dollar exchanged for Z$180 officially but fetched Z$8,000 in the black market. This was further worsened by the deadlock that existed between the Zanu-PF party of Robert Mugabe and the Movement for Democratic Change, the opposition. The closest Zimbabwe came to finding a solution was with the dollarization in February 2009 where authorities allowed for trade with five different currencies, though the US dollar became the principal (Pindiriri 2012). The use of the Zimbabwean dollar was discontinued. But this was considered as a short term measure that would not give a permanent solution to the problem of inflation in Zimbabwe. Therefore, the

Community Corrections and Re-entry Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Community Corrections and Re-entry - Article Example The article identifies the two crucial labels of community corrections as parole and probation.  As one reads through the article, he,  or she gets to know that parole originated in Europe while probation originated in America in the mid-19th century.  However, these community-based sanctions became assimilated in the U.S. criminal justice system, in the  early  20th century, thanks to the medical model in correctional discourse. Despite all the criticisms, parole and  probation  became rooted in the  country’s correctional system, and by the end of the 20th century, their  growth  was  immeasurable. The failure of the rehabilitation  concept  did not go unnoticed because it  was followed  by the introduction of the new  penal  policy. This  penal  policy contributed to  low  performance  of community corrections  thus, an increase in prison capacity ant the need to reinvent community corrections. Finally, the authors of the articl e took a look at the future of community corrections and the prison  influence  with regards to serving all aspects of community needs and their relationship with  prison  institutions. Questions 1. What is the relationship between prisons and community corrections and how does this relationship influence community corrections? 2. ... However, no  recognizable  attempts  are being made  to reduce prison populations; or rather decarceration is still virgin territory. This article focuses on ways in which prison population in California can be reduced. As such, it concentrates on research on the causes of increased imprisonment during the last 30 years, and recent discussions of and efforts to reduce  imprisonment  in other states. There was a time when California’s prison population reduced. This was in the last two years of  governor  Reagan’s first  term, and the first two years of his second term(1968-1972). During this time, the rate of  imprisonment  in the rest the U.S. increased while that of California dropped. The authors of the  article  came up with  contemporary  explanations of the  imprisonment  reduction which included; the Reagan factor, and  multiple  factors (probation subsidies and changes in parole procedures). To explain the causes of the Reag an-Era Reduction in Imprisonment, they insisted on a drop in crime rates, a  reduction  in arrests, sending offenders to jail and not  prison, fewer admissions to prison, more releases from prison, and fewer parole suspensions. With the increasing population in prisons, the authors delve on the possibility that California can reduce its prison population  again. They  come  up with some of the reasons that make it  hard  for decarceration and they include; impediments to reform, the disappearing public  purse, the reduction in state-level authority, the perils of high visibility, the vanishing  influence  of governmental expertise and the growing influence of direct democracy, and the belief in the efficacy of imprisonment. The article also mentions