Starbucks Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Starbucks Case Analysis - Essay Example The firm that is analyzed in the paper is Starbucks coffee company that ventured into the market in 1971 because of three business people who had love for coffee and tea. They felt it was important for the people of Seattle, Washington to have access to their coffee. They organized themselves, and ten years later this company had four retail stores and a roasting plant selling genuine bean coffee within Seattle only. As time went by, this company expanded to other cities like Vancouver, Portland, and Chicago, and by 1991 Starbucks had more openings within airports. It had also expanded into the mail-order catalogue, then further to the state of California. Having grown this far, the company initiated distribution of successful products and brand extensions that included offering coffee to passengers on United Airlines flights. This boosted their potential that later witnessed them start offering people the option to purchase the company’s products at the comfort of their homes through Starbucks’ online services. Currently, Starbucks strategic position is to provide premier purveyor of the finest coffee around the world while at the same time maintaining its uncompromising principles as the company continues to grow. Its efforts generated by sound decision-making are helping the company attain the best quality of the products. Their main product, which is coffee, has always been of the best quality and above all made by employees who are passionate about coffee. They maintain ethical standards as they source for the finest coffee beans that are they then roast it with great care2. Regarding their market, this company has a great strategic position when dealing with their clients as they promise a perfectly made beverage that they deliver at a human connection level. Starbucks treats its stakeholders with respect and dignity hence creates a profitable place for each other. External Analysis Starbucks is facing challenges just like any other company. The most of all challenges that this company is battling now is the current financial crisis that is affecting America. Due to funds turmoil that the current state of economy is posing to companies, Starbucks has not only reduced its total expenditure, but also forced to close most of its stores. In 2008, the company announced that it was going to close six hundred stores in different parts of United States of America3. Financial based reasons like income tax, risks related to third party finalization agreements, and benefits associated with the closure of stores within the anticipated period as well as cost of saving expected led to this fatal draw to the company’s expansion plans. Additional challenges facing Starbucks comprise of dealing with competitors. Currently, there are numerous coffee shops within major cities across around the globe and are posing total threats to Starbucks, as they are all competing for the same customers. 2. Flamholtz, E. & Randle, Y. Corporate Culture: The Ultimate Strategic Asset, (California:Stanford University Press), 20. 3. Thompson, J., et. al., Strategic Management 6th. (California:Cengage Learning EMEA, 2010), 382. Some of these competitors include: Nestle, McDonalds, and Dunkin Donuts. Standing out to generate customers is important yet a hard task to perform. Therefore, in order for Starbucks to alleviate competition wisely, it is of great importance for this company to identify their competitors and know what they are currently doing and how they can be at the top of the game despite stiff competition. Internal Analysis Starbucks has internal capabilities that make its operations smooth. For instance, due to Howard Schultz’s efforts to make Starbucks a better working place, Starbucks now has knowledgeable employees who are conversant with the company’s products, prepare the company’s espresso drinks without missing any detail, motivated, skilled, deliver consistent and

Major World War I Battles Essay Example for Free

Major World War I Battles Essay 1914- The First Battle of the Marne. Up until September of 1914, the German army had steadily advanced through Belgium and France and was nearing the capital of France, Paris. Luckily, in the First Battle of the Marne, six French armies and one British army were able to stave off the German advance and set the stage for trench warfare for the next four years. 1915- Second Battle of Ypres- This was the second battle for the city of Ypres, which was located in western Belgium. For the Germans, this marked their first widespread usage of poison gas during the war. At Gravenstafl, Canadian troops were able to hold off the Germans by urinating into cloths and covering their faces with it. 1916- Battle of Verdun. The Battle of Verdun was meant to be Germany’s final push to break through French lines. A common expression was â€Å"to bleed the French white†. Both sides suffered immense casualties; however there was no clear victor even though the Germans were forced to withdraw. 1917- Battle of Caporetto. In this battle, otherwise known as the 12th Battle of Isonzo, Austro-Hungarian forces reinforced by German infantry finally broke through the Italian front line and routed the entire Italian army. Poison gas and storm troopers effectively contributed to the massive collapse of the Italian army. 1918- Battle of Cantigny. This was the first major battle involving U.S. forces up until that point in World War I. While, Cantigny was a relatively easy objective and was overshadowed by larger battles occurring elsewhere on the front, this battle was significant in demonstrating that the U.S. forces could be trusted to hold their own. 1. Up until the U.S. entrance into the war, the U.S. had already been providing massive amounts of supplies to the French and British, despite their claims of neutrality. This one-sided trading led to German attacks on U.S. merchant vessels and was one of the reasons the U.S. entered the war. The American Expeditionary Force did not actually face many battles as they arrived in Germany in early 1918. They did prove their worth and strength however in the Battle of Cantigny, where solely U.S. troops were able to capture the town of Cantigny and repulse several fierce German counterattacks. 2. Women had a huge role in the war effort at home, while African Americans directly contributed to the war effort. Women filled many of the jobs men left behind, especially in factories that were now facing huge demands for war supplies and low numbers of workers. Without women rising to fill these ranks, the American war effort would have been severely hindered. African Americans, although still discriminated and segregated in units, fought bravely and fiercely in World War I and earned the respect of many soldiers around them. 3. U.S. society

Interactive Hypertext for Interactive Readers :: Hypertext Internet Reading Essays

Interactive Hypertext for Interactive Readers With every new advancement in technology the roles of the writer and the roles of the reader are changed; sometimes it is a small change and other times it can be a drastic transformation. In this modern age it seems the role that the reader or the audience plays is shifting significantly. I don’t think there has ever been a point in history where there was as much interactivity as there is currently. The main reason for this change in the reader’s role is the rapidly growing amount of hypertext being used. In the 1960’s, Ted Nelson was the first person to coin this popular term â€Å"hypertext† but I prefer to reference Bolter’s description. Hypertext, as described by Jay Bolter in Writing Space, is layered writing and reading, where you can click on links within a narrative or article. These links work as reference points and can work as footnotes or as references to what you were reading. They can also take you to an entirely different type of webpage all together. Bolter also points out that it is important to realize that the second webpage you are linked to is not always subordinate to the first. On page 33, Bolter describes hypertext as being similar to â€Å"prewriting† which kids learn to do in school. I think prewriting is what I’ve always called a mind map, which is just a map drawn out like a spider web to show how each idea is interconnected to all the other ideas. Hypertext can be related to, but is not the same as, intertextualit y(178). Intertextuality is the interrelation of all text on the same topic, language or culture, while hypertext is references within a text and allusions between texts. I think it is important to see the changes in the role of reader in hypertext fiction and reference web pages that incorporate hypertext. The reference web pages that use hypertext give the reader more interaction and power, and which in turn, gives the author much less supremacy. Hypertext in reference websites can be very helpful, it enables someone to click on one website and have numerous links to an unlimited amount of information and knowledge. This makes me wonder if the people who have ready access to the internet will become smarter, over time, due to the accessibility of hypertext.

Jewish Ghettos Essay -- essays research papers

Jewish ghettos: The basic history of the formation of the Jewish ghettos, including the everyday life and economic hardships faced by the communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By definition, a ghetto is an area, usually characterized by poverty and poor living conditions, which houses many people of a similar religion, race or nationality. They served to confine these groups of people and isolate them from the rest of the community because of political or social differences. However, the Jewish ghettos established throughout Europe were more than just a way for the Germans to isolate the Jewish community. They were the first step in making Hitler’s final solution possible. The ghettos were the means of organizing all of the Jews together and preparing them to be shipped to concentration camps. However, these ghettos soon evolved into political, religious and social entities that served the community and began to resemble a form of self-ruling government. Furthermore, many of these ghettos were different from one another because of different internal structures of the Jewish community or the diversity of the personalities of the l eaders of the council in the Jewish community. However, the ghettos must be analyzed as if they are all â€Å"one history.†(Holocaust) In fact, many of the communities were the same with regards to Jewish perceptions and reactions concerning life and the difficulties being faced by each community in its occupied territory. This research paper discusses the common everyday trials and tribulations faced by all the ghettos and looks at the ghettos from a political and socio-economic point of view. (Holocaust)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, it is important to understand the history behind the ghettos and discuss their centralization in Poland. Hitler incorporated the western part of Poland into Germany according to race doctrine. He intended that Poles were to become the slaves of Germany and that the two million Jews therein were to be concentrated in ghettos in Poland's larger cities. Later this would simplify transport to the death camps. Nazi occupation authorities officially told the story that Jews were natural carriers of all types of diseases, especially typhus, and that it was necessary to isolate Jews from the Polish community. Jewish neighborhoods thus were transformed into prisons. The five major ghettos were located... ... not go far enough to commit acts of terrorism simply because of Faith. Jihad, or holy war, is the sole emotion, not act, which strengthens the will to perform horrible crimes on humanity. Simply saying that a faith-based idea can go as far as the perpetrator is willing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, we have studied the history and present events surrounding the Holocaust. We have studied the ideology and the reasons behind both the Jewish and the German involvement. In the end, I found that I still feel the same way about the Holocaust that I did before taking this class. I think that it takes a certain kind of person to commit those murderous acts and the idea of â€Å"just following orders† is ridiculous because it assumes that free will is no longer considered strong enough to prevent the ordered killing of millions of people. The important aspects of today’s society in relation to the existence of God in our lives are disturbed by the lack of faith in God for not being around when his people are suffering the most. How can these acts, like the Holocaust and the genocidal feud in Rwanda, be analyzed without accepting the absence of God in relation to these events?

Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau Essay

Henry David Thoreau was little known outside his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts, where he was much admired for his passionate stance on social issues, his deep knowledge of natural history, and the originality of his lectures, essays, and books. He was also maligned as a crank and malingerer who never held a steady job and whose philosophy was but a pale imitation of Ralph Waldo Emerson ‘s. Thoreau was a man of ideas who struggled all his life to create a path that would refuse compromise. â€Å"All his activities–teaching, pencil-making, surveying, and, above all, writing–were grounded in his faith in a higher moral law that could be discovered and practiced through the unremitting discipline of living ever in the present moment† (Walls 1). For Thoreau this belief meant living â€Å"in each season as it passes,† fully attuned to the rhythms and phenomena of nature. His art, as it matured, became a way both to keep his own perceptions alert to all the potential of the present and to incite his readers to discover their own mode of attentiveness to life beyond the â€Å"mud and slush of opinion.† â€Å"In the century after his death, the admiration of his few followers snowballed, and he is now recognized as one of the greatest writers in the United States† (Walls 1). After presentation at the Concord Lyceum on January 26, 1848, Thoreau’s essay â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† was published the following spring in Aesthetic Papers, edited by Elizabeth Peabody. â€Å"The title â€Å"Civil Disobedience† was first attached to a reprint of essay after Thoreau’s death, and although it is the more widely known title, it does not reflect the author’s intention† (crf-usa.org). That Thoreau’s text is an explicit refutation of William Paley’s essay on â€Å"The Duty of Submission t o Civil Government† is emphasized not only by the original title but by the author’s citation of Paley in the text. â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† is a highly polemical piece, aiming to move the reader to more than mere aesthetic or moral appreciation: it contains a clear call to action in the service of principle, and indeed argues that mere conviction without action is worthless. The contemporary issues that engaged Thoreau’s moral outrage at the time were American military aggression in Mexico and the legality of slavery in the United States. In seeking a way for the conscientious individual to deal with such issues, Thoreau offers a meditation on timeless and absolute principles  that, he feels, should guide the moral person. The substance of the author’s argument is that each person has a duty to follow conscience rather than law when the two are in conflict, and further has a duty to oppose unjust laws by taking action against them. This book, or rather pamphlet, thus had its decisive place in the greatest revolution of modern times, and in the mind of one of th e half-dozen supreme historical figures of all times. Gandhi extended and deepened Thoreau’s gospel into the potent weapon of soul-force, which achieved Indian independence. He made it not the lone protest against tyranny of the single individual, but the massed revolt of disciplined multitudes of men. But the seed was of Thoreau’s planting (Holmes 1). The argument is developed through a set of assertions describing the individual’s relation to the state in terms of mutually exclusive oppositions. One of the main sets of contrasting terms is principle or conscience opposed to expediency. â€Å"Thoreau repeatedly characterizes government as operating according to expediency, whereas the individual citizen is capable of acting according to a higher principle, that of morality or conscience† (Cain 14). In advising that the individual has not merely the right but the duty to resist unjust laws, Thoreau postulates a higher, spiritual, law that supersedes civil or constitutional law. â€Å"Conscience instructs the individual in this higher law, according to Thoreau, and must be obeyed even at the cost of sacrificing material possessions or liberty† (Jaskoski 1). Underlying and supporting this abstract opposition of conscience versus expediency is a metaphor that repeatedly characterizes the individual as animate and the state as inanimate. Thoreau’s consistent figure for government or the state is a machine, while the citizen is always a living being. The trope supports the contention explicitly stated in Thoreau’s argument that the individual is superior to the state both in moral character and in actual strength. The individual who has the courage to act on principle can overcome the tyranny of the majority. At the heart of the essay is an anecdote Thoreau relates of his own experience in resisting the state. About two-thirds of the way through his discussion he narrates a brief account of his arrest and night spent in Concord jail because of his refusal to pay a poll tax. Thoreau felt that the tax supported armed aggression in Mexico and followed his conscience in refusing to pay it. â€Å"He was arrested but spent only a s ingle  night in jail, as another person (who has never been definitively identified) paid the tax for him and secured his release (Walls 1). The anecdote does not dwell on the details of Thoreau’s arrest nor the actual refusal to the tax collector, but rather on the memorable night spent in the jail. The experience was not particularly unpleasant: his cellmate was affable and kind, the quarters were spartan but clean, and the ambience seems to have been that of a family visit almost as much as an incarceration (Jaskoski 1). During the night, Thoreau relates, his mind was given over to a rather extravagant flight of fancy, in which he imagined himself in a medieval lock-up, and the town of Concord a village on the Rhine peopled with knights and burghers. The experience also afforded him a paradoxical, unprecedented intimacy with the town, as he was made an involuntary eavesdropper on all the business in the kitchen of the inn next door to the jail. This new view of his townspeople contrasts with the narrator’s attitude in the first part of the essay, in which Thoreau sets the conscientious person apart from the â€Å"mass of men† who share the inanimacy of the state they compliantly serve: the majority are â€Å"wooden men† who serve the state â€Å"as machines† with their bodies only, as contrasted with the man of character who lives a spiritual life. After his night in jail, Thoreau offers a mellower view of his neighbors, along with a more optimistic vision of the possibilities of government. â€Å"Whereas the opening paragraphs of the essay contain the famous dictums regarding the superiority of no government at all to an improved government, at the end of the essay, after telling the story of his night in jail, the author resumes his argument but allows for a vision of an ideal state, supportive of the highest aspirations of its citizens† (Holmes 1). â€Å"Resistance to Civil Governmentà ¢â‚¬  draws on several sources in Thoreau’s reading and in turn has been influential on following thinkers. The Bible, of course, is an inspiration for this New England heir of the puritans. There is also a suggestion that Thoreau developed the idea of a higher law with superior claims on conscience from his reading of Sophocles’ play Antigone, in which the heroine resists the law of the land and obeys the command of the gods to bury her traitorous brother in opposition to the authority of the state (Jaskoski 1). Thoreau also quotes Confucius in his essay and, like fellow transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, was influenced by the spirituality of Eastern thought. A  series of important writers and activists have been influenced by â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government,† applying its principles to similar situations. Notable among these are Gandhi, who first read the essay while a young man in South Africa and who published an analysis of it early in his career, and Martin Luther King, Jr., who drew on both Thoreau and Gandhi in developing principles of nonviolent resistance to unjust laws. In the century that has passed since the publication of â€Å"Civ il Disobedience,† conditions of life have vastly changed. Especially has government been transformed, or rather the relation of government to its citizens. â€Å"Democracy at the start meant deliverance from the undue intrusion of society upon the individual† (Cain 11). This was freedom! Thoreau dramatized the idea in his retreat to Walden. But today we think of democracy in terms of cooperation–the joining together of many free men in some common enterprise for the common good. â€Å"Society enters into the lives of men in a way and to a degree which would horrify Thoreau were he still alive. We justify this change of relationship between man and the state by emphasizing that government in this new function is accepted not as a rod to subdue the people, but as an instrument to equip them for the work they have to do together (Holmes 1). Government in this sense is an indispensable tool to achieve for society as a whole what could be done by no one man or group of men. But in this very process, government takes on power, and is thus ever tempted to use this power at the expense of the people and in its own corporate inter est. Bureaucracy, red tape, rule from above rather than from below, dictatorship, tyranny–all these are perils in waiting for a socialized democracy. At the end of this dangerous road, in other words, if we take the wrong turn, lies totalitarianism of left or right (Jaskoski 1). In other words, when a sixth of the population of a nation, which has undertaken to be the refuge of liberty, are slaves, and a whole country [Mexico] is unjustly overrun and conquered by a foreign army, and subjected to military law, I think that it is not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize. Thoreau argued that the government must end its unjust actions to earn the right to collect taxes from its citizens. As long as the government commits unjust actions, he continued, conscientious individuals must choose whether to pay their taxes or to refuse to pay them and defy the government (crf-usa.org). Thoreau declared that if the government required  people to participate in injustice by obeying â€Å"unjust laws,† then people should â€Å"break the laws† even if they ended up in prison. â€Å"Under a government which imprisons any unjustly,† he asserted, â€Å"the true place for a just man is also a prison.† By not paying his taxes, Thoreau explained, he was refusing his allegiance to the government. â€Å"In fact,† he wrote, â€Å"I quietly declare war with the State†¦.† Unlike some later advocates of civil disobedience like Martin Luther King, Thoreau did not rule out using violence against an unjust government. â€Å"In 1859, Thoreau defended John Brown’s bloody attack on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, during his failed attempt to spark a slave revolt† (Walls 1). It is this fact, now inwrought in a world situation, which makes the revival of Thoreau’s essay so timely. Woe to the soci ety which forgets that the state was made for man, and not man for the state (Jaskoski 1). And double and treble woe to the society which no longer breeds men to rise up, at the cost of their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor, to resent and rebel against any attempt to subordinate them as individuals to the dominance of the state! The individual must at all times and in all places be the very core of social being. â€Å"This is the principle which is in such danger at the present hour. We thought that we had won the battle for liberty. But this ideal was never as firmly established in men’s minds as we had so fondly imagined. The blast of war has shaken it loose, and in some cases swept it away. We must build anew the rights of man. And in this task there can be no more useful aid than Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience.†Ã¢â‚¬  (crf-usa.org). I heartily accept the motto, â€Å"That government is best which governs least†; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe, â€Å"That government is best which governs not at all†; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act  through it. â€Å"Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for, in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure (crf-usa.org). This American government–what is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity? It has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single man can bend it to his will. It is a sort of wooden gun to the people themselves; and, if ever they should use it in earnest as a real one against each other, it will surely split. â€Å"But it is not the less necessary for this; for the people must have some complicated machinery or other, and hear its din, to satisfy that idea of government which they have. Governments show thus how successfully men can be imposed on, even impose on themselves, for their own advantage† (Cain 24). It is excellent, we must all allow; yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way. â€Å"For government is an expedient by which men would fain succeed in letting one another alone; and, as has been said, when it is most expedient, the governed are most let alone by it (crf-usa.org). Trade and commerce, if they were not made of Indian rubber, would never manage to bounce over the obstacles which legislators are continually putting in their way; and, if one were to judge these men wholly by the effects of their actions, and not partly by their intentions, they would deserve to be classed and punished with those mischievous persons who put obstructions on the railroads. To speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it. After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest. â€Å"But a government in which the majority  rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it. Can there not be a government in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience?–in which majorities decide only those questions to which the rule of expediency is applicable? Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then?† (Thoreau). I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right. It is truly enough said, that a corporation has no conscience; but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience. Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice (Thoreau).

Free Essays on The Future Of Project Management

The Canadian construction industry is one of the most substantial establishments in the Canadian business industry, and with many other partners, is responsible for the prosperous growth of the Canadian economy. It not only provides many jobs in Canada but also overseas, creating construction jobs for members of other countries. Though the past and the present of the Canadian construction industry have proved to be prosperous, an absence of investment in the future of the Industry will prove to be the industries downfall. When traditional resources run out, Canada will be left behind because it has relied so heavily on existing technologies geared to these natural resources and does not have readily available new procedures and materials to replace old technologies. â€Å"Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.† – Kahlil Gilbran (Quoteland.) And unless the Canadian construction industry is willing to start investing in the construct ion technologies of tomorrow, the now prosperous industry will ultimately lose its reputation and see its own downfall. The Canadian construction industry made a name for itself in the past based on its innovative ways of dealing with its vast terrain, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and from the Arctic Ocean to the Great Lakes. (Industry Canada) While the Canadian construction industry is ninety-four percent Canadian owned, it is made up of ninety to ninety-five percent of firms operating with 20 or fewer employees. (Poh, S.H.) Even though Canada is not named one of the top five growing countries in the construction industry, (Poh, S.H.) Canadians are known world wide for having carved a highly developed and connected nation out of its huge and rugged geographic area. To do this, they built railroads by tunneling through the Rocky Mountains, linked the Great Lakes in a navigable St. Lawrence Seaway, and constructed mammoth hydroelectric dams in the ... Free Essays on The Future Of Project Management Free Essays on The Future Of Project Management The Canadian construction industry is one of the most substantial establishments in the Canadian business industry, and with many other partners, is responsible for the prosperous growth of the Canadian economy. It not only provides many jobs in Canada but also overseas, creating construction jobs for members of other countries. Though the past and the present of the Canadian construction industry have proved to be prosperous, an absence of investment in the future of the Industry will prove to be the industries downfall. When traditional resources run out, Canada will be left behind because it has relied so heavily on existing technologies geared to these natural resources and does not have readily available new procedures and materials to replace old technologies. â€Å"Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.† – Kahlil Gilbran (Quoteland.) And unless the Canadian construction industry is willing to start investing in the construct ion technologies of tomorrow, the now prosperous industry will ultimately lose its reputation and see its own downfall. The Canadian construction industry made a name for itself in the past based on its innovative ways of dealing with its vast terrain, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and from the Arctic Ocean to the Great Lakes. (Industry Canada) While the Canadian construction industry is ninety-four percent Canadian owned, it is made up of ninety to ninety-five percent of firms operating with 20 or fewer employees. (Poh, S.H.) Even though Canada is not named one of the top five growing countries in the construction industry, (Poh, S.H.) Canadians are known world wide for having carved a highly developed and connected nation out of its huge and rugged geographic area. To do this, they built railroads by tunneling through the Rocky Mountains, linked the Great Lakes in a navigable St. Lawrence Seaway, and constructed mammoth hydroelectric dams in the ...

Rocking-Horse Winner essays

Rocking-Horse Winner essays The Rocking-Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence is a story of a boy named Paul who grows up in a family that is down on its luck and haunted by an unspoken phrase There must be more money! After a talk with his mother, he becomes convinced that he can become lucky, and not only end the haunting phrase, but also gain the love from his mother that is missing. He begins to bet on horse races and picks a winner by riding on an old rocking horse intensely for hours until he gets there. It is then when he knows who the winner of the horse race will be. Paul then partners up with the gardener and his uncle and soon begins winning a lot of money. He decides to give his mother a thousand pounds every birthday for five years, but upon seeing this she decides that she wants it all now. She spends all the money and the voices in the house only grow louder and more intense. Paul is even more determined now and his last shot at winning money is at the Derby. As the Derby grows closer, he grows more and more tense and rides his rocking horse non-stop. His mother starts to worry about him, and when she goes to check in on him, he gets there and blurts out the winner. His mother has just become richer than she could ever imagine, though her son is passed out from exhaustion and later dies. What is the meaning of greed for an understanding of this story? These "unspoken" haunted words may very well be a representation of the great sense of greed that has made its presence throughout the house, especially within the mother. What it does, is it causes Paul to experience a great sense of frustration. Therefore, he feels it is necessary to help his mother retrieve more money and put an end to this unexplainable madness. Paul is determined to become lucky, and feels that he can pick a winner every time by riding his rocking horse extremely hard until he gets there. But Even after Pa ...

Famous People Who Have Experienced an Anxiety Disorder

Famous People Who Have Experienced an Anxiety Disorder Free Online Research Papers I have chosen to give an overview of several famous and influential people who have suffered from various forms of anxiety disorders, in order to show not only the prevalence of the disorder, but also to illustrate that it is possible for those who suffer from these disorders to be valuable members of society. If not for the presence of these conditions, these individuals would have led otherwise happy and extremely productive lives, and obviously they have enriched our lives despite these difficulties. Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 1892) A poet of the highest distinction, he was a Poet Laureate and an inspiration to others. The years 1840-1845 were in many ways the most challenging in his life. He was separated from his wife; he had lost his money; he felt more nervously ill than ever, and he could not write. So severe was his nervous illness that his friends despaired of his life. I have, he wrote, drunk one of the most bitter draughts out of the cup of life, which go near to make men hate the world they move in. In 1843, he wrote to a friend the perpetual panic and horror of the last two years had steeped my nerves in poison: now I am left a beggar but am or shall be shortly somewhat better off in nerves. He was undertaking Hydropaths treatment, which includes no reading, no going near a fire, no coffee, a perpetual wet sheet and cold bath, and alternation from hot to cold. It did not work. In 1848 he went to a new doctor who gave him iron pills. It was commented ..this really great man thinks more about his bowels and nerves than about the laureate wreath he was born to inherit... Many of his friends thought him a hypochondriac. He never received appropriate treatment for his condition and so experienced nervous illness through his life. He was also a brilliant poet and writer of the first order. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Freud developed and taught psychoanalysis, which is a form of psychotherapy. Psychoanalysis is associated with the couch, the note pad and the silent listener. Contrary to popular belief, Freud was not the father of psychiatry. Sigmund Freud suffered from Panic Disorder at the time when he wrote his famous papers on anxiety neurosis. He had symptoms of an Anxiety Disorder and worried a great deal about his spells. He had many medical evaluations for them. Nothing of a serious medical nature could be found wrong with him. He was told that his symptoms were nervous in origin. Freud was not satisfied with what he was told. In his quest for a fuller explanation, he searched for a psychological cause. He built an elaborate model based on psychology of the mind and the role of internal conflicts in causing and maintaining anxiety. This model has preoccupied everyone studying anxiety for most of the century. Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) Tesla was a genius and perhaps the greatest inventor the world has ever known. He invented a device to harness alternating electrical current, radio, fluorescent lighting, the bladeless turbine, developed the fundamentals of robotics, computers and missile science. Many of the â€Å"modern conveniences of life† are a result of Teslas inventions. At 5 years of age, following death of his older brother, he developed many phobias and compulsions and in general became a â€Å"perfectionist† subjecting himself to iron discipline in order to excel. He was also plagued by panic attack like symptoms; strong flashes of light that marred the sight of real objects and â€Å"shooting flames† through the body. The intensity seemed to increase as he got older. â€Å"This caused me great discomfort and anxiety†, said Tesla, â€Å"none of the students of psychology or physiology whom I have consulted could ever explain satisfactorily these phenomena † Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) A physicist, mathematician and genius, he was the most original influential theorist in history of science. He co-invented calculus, discovered the laws of physics, the law of gravity, the composition of light, and planetary motion. He had a nervous breakdown in 1677, and again in 1693. He underwent a period of severe emotional disturbances including severe insomnia, loss of appetite, loss of concentration, extreme sensitivity and a decrease in mental acuity. He withdrew from society until 1684. Factors involved around this were the shock of his mothers death, a fire that destroyed some important papers, exhaustion following the writing of his Principia, local problems with the university at Cambridge. And we thought we had it bad, he hasnt received an accurate diagnosis for a couple of centuries! Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) An American poet, her poems were published soon after her death. They met with instant success, and unpublished poems continue to appear. Emily gradually withdrew herself physically from the world, confining herself to her own room, and, as her verse reveals, withdrew mentally and psychologically as well. In correspondence she stated I had a terror since September, I could tell to none; and so I sing because I am afraid While my thought is undressed, I can make the distinction; but when I put them in the gown, they look alike and numb. Her poetry was her way of expressing the inexpressible. A friend described her as follows: The impression made on me was that of an excess of tension, and of an abnormal life. She was much too enigmatical a being for me to solve in an hours interview, and an instinct told me that the slightest attempt at direct cross-examination would make her withdraw into her shell; I could only sit still and watch Robert Burns (1759 1796) Robert Burns is regarded as Scotlands National Poet. Debts, chronic physical illness, and domestic troubles led to Burns nervous disease and he addressed Alexander Cunningham thus: Canst thou minister to a mind diseased? Canst thou speak peace and rest to a soul tost on a sea of troubles without one friendly star to guide her course, and dreading that the next surge may overwhelm her? Canst thou give a frame, trembling alive as the tortures , the stability and hardihood of the rock that braves the blast? If thou canst not do the least of these, why wouldst thou disturb me in my miseries with thy inquiries after me? For these two months I have not been able to lift a pen. My constitution were, ab origin, blasted with a deep incurable taint of hypochondria, which poisons my existence. Of late a number of domestic vexations; losses which, though trifling, were yet what I could ill bear, have so irritated me, that my feelings at time could only be envied by a reprobate spirit listening to the sentence that dooms it to perdition. Are you deep in the language of consolation? I have exhausted in reflection every topic of comfort. A heart at ease would have been charmed with my sentiments and reasoning; but as to myself I was like Judas Iscariot preaching the gospel; he might melt and mould the hearts of those around him, but his own kept its native incorrigibility. Still, there are pillars that bear us up, amid the wreck of misfortune and misery. The ONE is composed of the different modifications of a certain noble, stubborn something in man, known by the names of courage, fortitude, magnanimity.. gives the nerve of combat, while a ray of hope beams on the field (25 February 1794). Robert Burns bathed in the freezing waters of the Solway Firth as part of what seems like a kill or cure remedy by his friend Dr Maxwell. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) The following is a story of one mans life.His mother died when he was 9 years old. He was born the son of a farmer and therefore received very little education. He failed in business at the age of 21. He was defeated in a legislative race at the age of 22, and failed again in business at 24. He was devastated by the death of a sweetheart when he was 26, and subsequently had a nervous breakdown when he was 27. At 34 he lost a congressional race, and lost it again two years later. He lost a senatorial race at the age of 45. After another two years, he failed in an effort to become vice president. He then went on to lose another senatorial race at the age of 49. He was often described as insecure, shy, depressed, melancholy, secretive, non-confrontational, self-doubting and preoccupied with the idea of premature death and even the possibility that he might go mad. He was uncomfortable in high-society gatherings, and his etiquette was often considered substandard. At the age of 52 he bec ame the sixteenth president of the United States. The man was Abraham Lincoln. Once Lincoln mentioned to an old friend that â€Å"all the troubles and anxieties of his life†, could not equal the opposition and criticism he received during the Civil War. They were so great, Lincoln said, that he did not think he could possibly survive them. From all over America came cries that he was too stupid and unfit to be president or to reunite the country. But, a great man such as Abraham Lincoln is a gift to his time. He drew strength from his personal history of tragedies. He had endured the unendurable from childhood to adulthood. Thus, anchored on his personal strength, he led an entire nation through its John Steinbeck (1902 1968) Part of a great generation of American writers, he won the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize for Literature. The author of The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Cannery Row, Of Men and Mice, The Winter of our Discontent, Tortilla Flat, Viva Zapata plus many others. I remember the sorrow at not being part of things in my childhood Steinbeck, Journal of a Novel. John Steinbecks life was influenced most importantly by his childhood, a legacy he would carry with him throughout his life. One of the great problems for John Steinbeck was that his father had put up a thick wall between himself and his children. He was a distant sort of man, Johns sister says. A neighbor recalls Johns father stayed in the background. He didnt play with John or the girls. He seemed always in the shadows in the house, at the edge of things, lonely and depressed. I think John was very angry with him. This anger makes sense: his father did not shield him, even slightly from the intense, even domineering, scrutiny of his mother. Mrs Steinbeck, says the neighbor, was stern, even a little cold. John was a little afraid of getting on the wrong side of her. He could never do anything right as far as she was concerned. She was always trying to get him to achieve more than he did. Taking into account his childhood environment, one important feature of Steinbecks character was his sense of himself as someone who never quite achieved enough. Every book he wrote felt to him like a failure, and he never thought he was going to summon the energy and imagination to complete the project at hand. In his later years, the situation worsened, and in the end he found himself terrified of failure, unable to complete his work. He reacted badly to criticism (and there was a lot of it) and was often plunged into dark moods and acute anxiety. Alcohol was a vent he often used to take his mind off his problems or to alter his anxiety and depression. He was consistently self-castigating. The birth of John had been difficult for his mother and his features had been distorted by the harshness of the delivery. By the age of three, however, he had come back to normal. His mother called him my little squirrel through much of his childhood, while his sisters, somewhat less affectionately called him muskrat and mouse. He did not enjoy any of these nicknames, and he became very self-conscious about his looks. To the end he retained a sense of himself as being somebody unpleasant to look at. Another childhood memory was of sitting with his mother while she taught him to read. It was not an easy task for him, especially with his mother hovering beside him as he tried to make sense of the marks on the page that supposedly contained meaning. You can imagine his mother coaching her nervous, frightened child, urging him on yet always disappointed by the results. This is a memory that remained with him. When John was 16 he came down with a deadly flu that quickly turned into pneumonia. He was dangerously close to death. I went down and down, Steinbeck later remembered, until the wingtips of angels brushed my eyes. Despite this physically and emotionally traumatic incident, Steinbeck recovered well enough. The psychological damage inflicted by this illness was considerable. It seems to have given him a sense of someone on the edge of life, reinforcing a vulnerability which had its psychological roots in his troubled childhood. Not surprisingly, in later life Steinbeck would find himself physically ill when under severe psychological stress. Entering University, John started his long and troubled relationship with alcohol. He was a man who suffered regular bouts of intense anxiety and deep depression. He turned to alcohol, a mood-altering substance, as a way of digging himself out of a trough which, of course, perpetually backfired and sent him deeper into the depths as soon as the temporary high had worn off. Having not completed University successfully he retreated from the world. He stayed in a cabin in the mountains for two years . He was frightened, darting this way and that in search of a safe place to stand. His mother wrote to him constantly, and wanted him to make something of himself, as she frequently said. She would allude sarcastically to his failure at Stanford University, always hinting that he might yet succeed if he returned. He was â€Å"an artist†, he told her, â€Å"an artist does nothing other than create†. Steinbeck discovered during this period of self-imposed isolation that his artistic nature was such that he could create only in solitude; indeed, whenever he listened too much to the voices that crowded around him, he became distracted, depressed, uncomfortable, anxious and artistically barren. His later life is marked by serial retreats which were creatively strategic. When Steinbeck became famous for his masterful writing he was torn within himself. He was now famous and was expected to be a public person, a guest at numerous functions. He was, however, intensely shy and self-conscious in social situations. He would give all sorts of excuses to not attend. He would protest that he didnt have a suit or necktie, but his worries would usually be brushed aside by the social director. It was not uncommon for him to rush out of the social gathering and head for the nearest bar to order a drink. People started to canonize him. He was a brilliant writer. He would say You say you are afraid of me. Im afraid of myself. I mean the creature that has been built up. Especially after the publication of The Grapes of Wrath, he was an international star. More than half a century after its publication, The Grapes of Wrath remains one of the permanent masterpieces of American literature. Steinbecks personal life was one emotional trauma after another. He was married three times. His first two marriages were a disaster. His second marriage ended after the release of The Grapes of Wrath. John felt the pressure of having to write another big novel. Americans wanted, demanded, the great American novel. As his second marriage slid away he was frightened by the problems which would follow from yet another divorce. Where would he live? Would he survive another round of deep emotional turmoil. He was like a zombie, one friend recalls. The second marriage failure hit him very hard.Im pretty banged up. In fact I have been for quite a long time as you know. Ive got to build back up and at the same time I have a lot of work to do, John wrote to a friend. He was referring to his anxiety and depression that seemed to rise and fall constantly. The emotional pain of his second marriage failing proved to deepen this suffering. Trying to deal with what he was experiencing he decided t o go to Mexico to finish Viva Zapata. A friend flew down to visit him and was appalled by the condition in which he found Steinbeck, who understood very well the fragility of his condition. The sickness has been worse than I have been able to admit even to myself, he said. Unable to shake his anxiety and depression he was forced to return to California. All he wanted to do is curl up in front of the fireplace. It took months for him to feel less unwell. He took long walks on the beach and spent time in nature with his sons, camping and teaching them about the natural world. He erected a kind of emotional scaffolding to hold himself up. His creative energy returned, the first in a long time I have so much work to do, he exclaimed. He continued his writing life, creating more masterpieces in literature. His third wife started to realize that his personal illness was more psychological than physical. He was really sick, I knew that, but he was also creating the sickness from mental pain she said. She persuaded him to sign on with a psychologist who helped ease him through this period of anxiety and depression. His wife was pleased he was seeing someone. Steinbeck immersed himself in the life around him, painting and fixing things. The alternating black moods and periods of high anxiety passed; Steinbeck wrote to friends about his sense of well-being. John sailed through life for a while, writing more world acclaimed novels and plays. However, the old demons from childhood arose. His sense of self was precarious at best. It seemed that he couldnt take success well. He didnt believe what others wrote glorifying his books. He despaired that he would ever be able to write again. He would exhaust himself with anxiety. He seemed fragile, especially after he had a few drinks in him, wrote the son of his publisher. His health is really the issue now, though it is not something he liked to discuss. John felt everything he did was inherently flawed and caused him much inner pain and anxiety. He would say As you may know, Ive been having a bad time work unacceptable, to me, and a strong feeling that my time is over. In another period of anxiety and depression, he was watching TV, not doing anything. A news flash came on saying John Steinbeck had just been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He danced around the lounge room with his wife. When Steinbeck died he had completed a huge mountain of work some 26 volumes of fiction and non-fiction. There isnt a night when one of Johns plays isnt produced somewhere in the world from Peking to Peoria, says his last wife. Hundreds of thousands of copies of his work are sold each year, while every single book that he wrote remains in print: a version of eternal life granted to very few authors. He did find periods of happiness in his life, although plagued by anxiety and depression. It seems the huge weight of his early childhood remained with him his whole life, never being resolved. No matter how he felt within himself, he never wavered from his pursuit of the creative. He stayed true to his craft. William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) An Irish poet and dramatist, and Nobel laureate, he was a leader of the Irish Renaissance and one of the foremost writers of the 20th century. Since his death there have been numerous biographies written about him. It has been stated the more that has been written, the more elusive he has become. This is true of a man who hid behind masks to defend his own inner reality. He spent much of his life attempting to understand the deep contradictions within his mind and working on his inner self. Yeats was reared in the time of pedagogy. That is, strict moralistic discipline to train children. He sent them to a school kept by a Scotsman whose floggings were famous. He later said, When I left that school for good, I felt myself to be empty, there was a void within. His personal appearance was out of the ordinary, almost foreign looking. He felt extremely self-conscious and his inadequacies were constantly criticized. He was called mentally and physically defective. His father resorted to boxing his ears to teach him and terrorizing him by references to his moral degradation and likeness to disagreeable people. Yeats was in a constant state of terror. He became extremely timid. Seeking refuge from this environment, Yeats found what he wanted in daydreaming and solitude. He had a poets heart. Reaching manhood, he was described as gentle.. but within grew the need for self-assertion and the need to break away from my fathers influence. He was besieged internally by uncertainties that were difficult to control. He felt the need to Create yourself; be yourself your poem. He felt divided within himself, he had a continual battle with his senses and was filled with self-loathing at what he thought was an unnatural and horrible state of mind. Painfully turned inwards, he was too shy to accept invitations and hid his timidity under arrogance. He was totally self-conscious of his own clumsiness and remembered all his life how he felt when Oscar Wilde disapproved of the color of his shoes. He felt he was constantly committing gaffes. I was always conscious of something helpless in my self. I could not hold my opinions among people who would make light of them He was extremely unhappy and made frequent mention in his letters of his dreadful despondent moods. He often referred to his bad health and even to physical breakdown. In this state he found writing difficult. A deep thinker, he realized that he comprised of different aspects. That the conflict within himself was amplified by his sense of disconnection from himself, a divided self. He realized the seen and unseen part of himself, the defenses within he had constructed to defend himself from external reality. His masks that he presented to the world to prevent others from knowing his true inner self. He spent his life working on resolving this inner conflict. I pray That I, all foliage gone, May shoot into my joy -YEATS, The Herness Egg Yeats succeeded in changing his personality and life. His inner and outer suffering encouraged him to nourish his imagination on heroic self-projections until his dreams far exceeded reality. With great courage and will, he become the hero of whom he had dreamed of being. His aim was inner mastery. To follow him from the beginning to the end of his life is to conclude that he was one of the true heroes of literature, who fought past inner conflict and conventionality. His life was a continual combat, and he chose the hardest battles when he might have chosen easier ones. As he himself remarked Why should we honor those that die upon the field of battle? A man may show as reckless a courage in entering into the abyss Conclusion As anyone can see this is a rather impressive list of individuals with impressive and valuable accomplishments. This should serve as an example of the fact that people who suffer from anxiety disorders and panic disorders need to be treated as best as possible so that they may make their own contribution to society with less discomfort and distress. Research Papers on Famous People Who Have Experienced an Anxiety DisorderThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital PunishmentEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenQuebec and CanadaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andBringing Democracy to AfricaPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

Social Learning Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Social Learning Theory - Essay Example This is the focus of Bandura's social learning theory. It is already noted that Bandura was responsible for the bobo doll studies, where an egg-shape balloon with a weight in the bottom was used, which bobbed up once knocked down (Rosenstock, et al., 1988). The experiment suggests that children imitated what was done on the doll (hitting, punching, and shouting at it) without waiting for any reward. This is where social learning theory is based, an observational learning or modeling (ibid). It suggests that both the environment and psychological factors create a kind of behavior that an individual acts upon. It states that individuals, especially children, learn and act according to what they see in the environment, which are based on imitation. They become socialized within such environment, pursuing a modeled behavior. It is then significant to point out that since children imitate values, actions, and social behavior modeled to them, it is thus, better that these actions and values are good and correct in order for them to act as val uable social beings. The social learning theory has a continuous reciprocal interaction among behavioral, cognitive, and environmental influences. It points to us the relevance of observing and modeling in order for an individual to imitate a perceived appropriate social behavior. It has extensively been applied to understanding aggressive behaviors and how an individual may be influenced to trail the path of aggression. The two teens who have shot and killed a tourist at an interstate rest area are said to have modeled a behavior on their environment, which is aggressive and geared toward taking the act lightly. Hence, the two teens have certainly seen this action as "cool" and "not a big deal," which likely emphasizes the same environment in which they function. It was not an overnight behavioral learning, but did require certain forms of modeling, which they perhaps acquired from watching violent television shows, playing violent computer games, being engaged in gang riots, reinforced by frequent liquor intake and prohibited drugs. Their environment signifies that such action may be committed and gotten over with quickly, in which they are unconscious of the consequences. The two youngsters themselves are representations of their own environment in which they model violent and decadent behaviors. Just like the bobo doll experiment in which the children who participated did the same unlikely acts d emonstrated to them on the doll without thinking if the act is correct or otherwise, the two teens did the act out of a modeled behavior. This modeled behavior was not just simply acquired from a pigment of imagination, or out of a queer idea, but from the same modeling, which they have been seeing around and in which they were frequently exposed to. Moreover, they are active players in this environment. The imitated behavior may in fact did not allow the teens to analyze if the act of killing the tourist was right or wrong, having internalized the behavior in their own confederates and even the mass media - which support the behavior and which they perceive as normal (if not bad) and "cool" among adventurous people. Television commercials and computer games are few of the most pervasive examples of social learning situations nowadays.

Food as Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Food as Culture - Essay Example Whether on the basis of taste, price or nutrition, people are driven by the values they place on food as well as by individual social standing, or current events or social conditions (xi-xii). The food industry through the media makes use of these factors to popularize a certain food. Take for instance the cover images of popular food magazines Gourmet, Good Food, and Cooking Light. A 2009 starter edition of the now-defunct Gourmet, which was part of the year-end collection, sported an image of a less Italianized spaghetti and meatballs. The edition included other Italian-style recipes as a tribute to American Italians. Good Food’s issue this Christmas Season promotes â€Å"Festive Cooking† with a matching picture of a roasted chicken soaked in spices and garnished with what looked like potatoes around the sidelines. Cooking Light, was all for the sweet tooth this Holidays and showed an image of a glass vessel full of various sweets. Though the magazines considered the Holiday Season, summer vacations, and American Italians, they all promoted recipes that do not necessarily sustain life. Not only do they appear complicated to regular persons, these recipes take time to prepare, and are not practical to eat in day-to-day meals. Desserts, for example, have high sugar content and too much intake of sugar could raise blood sugar levels, a condition called hyperglycemia which could lead to kidney failure or other health problems. Judging from the headings, these magazines have not emphasized on nutrition but on how quickly the recipes are prepared and how they appear to the consumers. Gourmet focused speed and being economical as evidence by one of its article entitled â€Å"Ten-Minute Mains,† which listed down all fast-cooking affordable foods like hamburgers (Knauer 52). Good Food was more on the aesthetic aspect of the food, which has to be as â€Å"festive† as Christmas like the thoroughly garnished roasted chicken. The heading â€Å"So Easy, So Elegant: Secret Shortcuts for Spectacular Desserts† suggests that Cooking Light compromised fast preparation and food appearance.

Alternatives to both criminal and civil court actions in Scotland Essay

Alternatives to both criminal and civil court actions in Scotland - Essay Example Look at the Asylum and the Immigration laws; both are applicable in the whole territory of England (Miller, Richard & Sarat 1980, p. 531). The Employment Tribunals in England have the same jurisdiction as the other courts. Such tribunals are functional within the territory of Northern Ireland. In addition, Military Courts are operating as independent courts in the United Kingdom to deal with the issues of military offences. In Scotland, the Supreme Court is restricted to hear civil cases, appeals of Scottish cases and to determine the violation of human rights (Newburn 2007, p. 159). Courts and the Legal System of Scotland In every democratic state, modern legal framework reflects the confidence of its citizens, which protects them from unfair treatment of State, business entities and people in all fields of life (Miller, Richard & Sarat 1980, p. 534). The legal system of Scotland is based upon its strong traditional values and fairness. With the passage of time, the norms of society have changed radically over the last two decades. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to introduce modern legal institutions, which have the capability and the capacity to deliver in line with the requirement of modern legal framework of justice besides retaining its traditional values (Galanter & Cahill 1994, p. 1339). ... Initially, the procurator conducts preliminary investigations about the issues highlighted in criminal cases and obtains written statements of the witnesses as important ingredients for the prosecution. The procurator may seek assistance of the police to complete investigation where need arises. However, in murder cases, the police officers complete the investigation without involving procurator (Galanter 1985, p. 16). According to High Court procedure, once a person is found guilty of an offence and remanded in custody, he becomes the responsibility of the Crown to bring the case of accused for a preliminary hearing within the specified time. Under the mentioned set up, defendant and petitioner have no right to take a decision on whether to try him by jury or on the summary of procurator. The Criminal Justice Act 1987 delegated power to procurator to offer determinable penalties instead of prosecution. Initially, the maximum amount of penalty was GBP 25, which later on increased to GBP 300 in phases (Bottomley & Bronitt 2012, p. 183). The curator can issue warning, impose penalties, award compensation to the aggrieved party, provide counselling to psychological patients and give them treatment according to the advice of psychiatrist. A fiscal procurator is a part of Court of Lord Lyon. The court in question hears the cases of criminal and civil law. The cited Court is unique in terms of Scottish culture. The court under reference plays a pivotal role regarding to the clan system. If any of the rules related to coat of arms are not adhered, the procurator as an independent official of the court may decide to initiate criminal proceedings against the defaulter (Galanter & Cahill 1994, p. 1345). Judicial

Compare and contrast discontinuous change Research Paper - 1

Compare and contrast discontinuous change - Research Paper Example Factors causing the discontinuous change in business can be grounded in different fields that may include but are not limited to politics, religion, technological advancement, and literacy rate. Discontinuous change affects family-businesses more as compared to other types of businesses primarily because the former are less formal in terms of system and organization, and accordingly less likely to increase the resources to help the business sustain as compared to the latter (Kumar, 2012). End of the cinemas and entertainment industry in a region because of a strong religious movement, closure of projects started by the previous government by the new government after it takes the charge, drastic reduction in the scope of manual sewing and embroidery of clothing because of the use of machines for the same purposes, rapid decline in the market value of palmists and magicians with the rise of people’s belief in science and technology as a result of more education and improved literacy rate, and decline in the readership of books with the availability of online reading sources on the

INTERCULTURAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

INTERCULTURAL - Essay Example Rules of Social Interaction The rules of interaction among the deaf include maintaining eye contact in order for effective communication. The deaf usually use attention getting mechanisms such as turning the lights on and off, stamping on the floor, tapping on the shoulder, or waving. It is important to hug when greeting or leaving. Pointing to give direction is polite among the deaf. It is important to touch during communication. It is also not important to say â€Å"excuse me† when passing between people using the sign language (Lane, 2005). Language The deaf usually communicate using the sign language. This is a visual-gesture language. It encompasses movement, placement, and expression of body and language. Sign language represents the language among the deaf community. This is a complete language that is able to express humor, emotion, and abstract thoughts. The language has its own language principles and grammatical structure. Whiteness Culture Whiteness culture treats those of the white color as more superior than the others. Racism lies at the heart of that culture. Segregation and discrimination is common among the people of this culture (Warren, 1999). This is normally towards the people who are not of the white origin. Those who ascribe to the whiteness culture do not freely inter mingle with those of other races. They greatly value their race and language. They have racial pride and see others as underdogs. They are conservative and do not freely interact with people of other races. They believe that they should not attend similar institutions as other races. This has led many people especially in America to be discriminated. However, with the advancement of the human rights all races are seen to be equal. Therefore, they are entitled to similar rights and privileges. This culture is slowly fading in America and all citizens are seen as Americans and not as white, Mexican or black. They attend similar institutions where there is free inter r acial interaction. Language Most of the people who subscribe to this culture use a variety of languages in communication; the main ones include English, Germany, Spanish and French. Chinese Culture While there are differences in terms of economic, social and political dimensions between different people of Chinese origin, there are certain core cultural values that are common to all Chinese people. These values are unique and consistently held together by several years and similar language. There is only a single set of core values in China that distinguish their culture from western cultures and Eastern cultures. The Chinese culture has three major element; communist ideology, western values and traditional culture. The traditional culture is diverse and includes several schools of thought such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and religious cultures (Fan, 2000). Confucianism forms the foundation of the Chinese tradition. In this case rules are outlined of the social behavior of e ach individual, governing all the interactions in the society. There are five virtues outlined here faithfulness, propriety, righteousness, humanity and wisdom. There are several values and rules of interaction in Chinese culture. Some of them include bearing hardship, governing should be done by leaders rather than the law, egalitarianism /equality, people being naturally good, veneration for the old in the

Course evaluation paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Course evaluation paper - Essay Example (AHRQ, 2007) (See Table I – Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 0 – 6 Years in the United States on page 6) As part of delivering good quality service to selected patients, segmenting the patient population is necessary to enable the community nurses to provide effective health care strategies in delivering a safe, efficient, effective, timely, patient centered, and equitable health care to patients. (Lynn et al., 2007; Institute of Medicine, 2001) The expected outcome for the community health care that focuses on immunization is to ensure that there will be a reduction of morbidity and mortality among the infants and children throughout the community. (Zimmerman et al., 1987) The intended target population for rendering the community health care which focuses on immunization is patients below six (6) years of age and below. In order for nurses to accurately identify the target patient population within a selected community, nurses will have to study the existing computerized patient record (CPR) within the community health care computer system. (Rivo, 1998) Adding the total number of children below six years of age plus the patients who are currently pregnant, the nurses could easily determine the total number of additional babies each month. In the absence of CPR system, nurses should ask the pregnant women to fill out a simple survey form which will be used in determining the size of target population for immunization and health care education for expectant mothers. Considering that there are some babies born within the community each month and the fact that the immunization schedule for new born infants up to six (6) years old is more likely to overlap at the time the schedule is due, the implementation of community health care immunization program should be continuously offered to the community at least once or

The controversies over stem cell research Paper

The controversies over stem cell - Research Paper Example Stem cell research is particularly useful for patients suffering from hemophilia. Hemophilia is very complicated and stem cell research helps in curing it, there are other blood related diseases which can also be cured using stem cells this goes to show that we have made tremendous progress in the field of science and research. The research was initially conducted in mice and it was found that their blood problems had been cured because of stem cells and the same has been found to be true in case of human beings. It is very fair to say that stem cell research has been really useful when it comes to treating diseases like hemophilia, stem cells can also cure several other blood diseases which were previously incurable and many more such advancements are expected to be made in the near future. The diseases that are incurable today may not be incurable tomorrow such is the power of science and research. Stem Cell Research- a clash of Science vs. Ethics, could well be a debate that might go on for generations as every individual has a different opinion about the subject. Should we allow doctors to play God and reverse our own destiny? Should we strive to provide cures that reverse the processes of injury and death? Or do we hold strong on our religious and moral aspects? These are the sorts of questions that have sparked the massive debate we have today. This field of science particularly deals with factors like cell plasticity and its capacity for â€Å"trans-differentiation† and â€Å"de-differentiation† in forming particular tissue types (Stojanoski et al, 2009). The clinical application of this property has been of much interest to biomedical researchers in the recent years. Though the potential of stem cell research has been confirmed to have much clinical relevance, many social and spiritual controversies have been raised due to the developments in this field. Pierret and Friedrichsen (2009) have analyzed the sociological aspects of stem cell re search. Their study has urged serious discussion, both among college students and other social elements, on the ethical issues pertaining to stem cell research (Pierret & Friedrichsen, 2009). The authors have developed a new course termed ‘Stem cells and Society’ to attract the attention of students towards scientific realities in the research and also to the moral issues related to it. (Pierret & Friedrichsen, 2009). The study has also critically analyzed the ethical controversies that had erupted in relation to similar scientific innovations (Pierret & Friedrichsen, 2009). The purpose of our study, though, is not to argue about one particular stand point but to discuss both the view points and finally to allow readers to draw their own opinions and conclusions. In addition the process has been facilitated by providing an integrative review that details previous research, theories, explanations and answers and then counteracting them with questions and objections so th at at the end of our research readers can make their own rationalistic conclusion. First Article: Introduction This particular article talks about Embryonic stem cells and how they can be used for the best. Stem cells can be crucial in reconstructive surgeries and it has proved extremely helpful in many cases. In this method the micromass technique is used and this technique is extremely useful

Course evaluation paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Course evaluation paper - Essay Example (AHRQ, 2007) (See Table I – Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 0 – 6 Years in the United States on page 6) As part of delivering good quality service to selected patients, segmenting the patient population is necessary to enable the community nurses to provide effective health care strategies in delivering a safe, efficient, effective, timely, patient centered, and equitable health care to patients. (Lynn et al., 2007; Institute of Medicine, 2001) The expected outcome for the community health care that focuses on immunization is to ensure that there will be a reduction of morbidity and mortality among the infants and children throughout the community. (Zimmerman et al., 1987) The intended target population for rendering the community health care which focuses on immunization is patients below six (6) years of age and below. In order for nurses to accurately identify the target patient population within a selected community, nurses will have to study the existing computerized patient record (CPR) within the community health care computer system. (Rivo, 1998) Adding the total number of children below six years of age plus the patients who are currently pregnant, the nurses could easily determine the total number of additional babies each month. In the absence of CPR system, nurses should ask the pregnant women to fill out a simple survey form which will be used in determining the size of target population for immunization and health care education for expectant mothers. Considering that there are some babies born within the community each month and the fact that the immunization schedule for new born infants up to six (6) years old is more likely to overlap at the time the schedule is due, the implementation of community health care immunization program should be continuously offered to the community at least once or

Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] Essay Example for Free

Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] Essay Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] is considered the biggest advancement in supply chain management since the first barcode was scanned in 1971 (Waters). RDIF is based on technology that has been in used since the 1940s and World War II. More recently, RDIF tags have been used to track wildlife and to allow speeding cars with Smart Pass stickers to breeze through toll booths without having   to stop (Enhance Your Supply Chain with RFID). Only within the past few years has RFID been considered for supply chain applications (Kirk). RFID tags are already being used on shipping pallets, conveyor bins and totes, and packing cartons (Logimax). RFID tags have been embedded in the ears of pets, livestock, and wildlife (Walton), to track school children (Best), and for vehicle tracking systems (WhereNet). Currently, the most common use of RFID technology is to track assets such as desks, office equipment, and other inventory items. About 73 percent of all RFID chips are currently used to track assets (Logimax). That percentage, however, may eventually change. Kirk noted, Every industry will eventually identify a practical application for RFID, but prices will need to come down in order for many industries to consider the technology for enterprise-wide development. The technology received a big boost towards universal acceptance when it was adopted by Wal-Mart, Inc., the worlds largest company. Wal-Mart will require its major suppliers to include RFID tags on their products beginning January 1, 2005 (Barlas). For the end user, the concept behind RFID is the same as the concept behind the barcode. Information is recorded onto an RFID tag that is either attached to or embedded into an item. The recorded information may then be retrieved when the tag is scanned. For end users, the most significant differences between RFID and barcodes will be ease of scanning and the ability to update information. The workhorse of the RFID system is the small radio transponder, called a tag, that is either embedded in or attached to an object. The tag consists of a microchip attached to an antenna. The RFID tag transmits a low-power radio signal that is picked up by the scanner, which is essentially a radio transceiver. RFID is a new technology of storage of identified information about commodity, cargo, product or, for example, participant of some conference. Information is recorder on a micro scheme and together with miniature antenna is placed at/inside of some material. As a result, some token, label, tag appears, which is able to transfer recorder information for a small distance. It is natural that to read information from RFID-bearer we need reading or, as it is called, interrogatory device. This device has an antenna and can be fixed or portable like scanner for reading of bar-codes. Actually, RFID is a further development of technology of marking with help of code-bars.   The advantage is that radio allows reading information in conditions of absence of direct visibility between devices of reading and transferring of information. It means that reading of information with the help of RFID technology can be automated and to take place without direct participation of people. RFID is integrated with any system of coordination, and read information can be recorder into database. You can place inside of RFID-bearers any data, they can be mediators for transfer (synchronization) of information between different information systems. RFID-bearers can keep in memory the history of origin (genealogy) of the product, what allows using them together with other devices in order to increase automation level of manufacture and to preserve from mistakes in this process. There are several types of RFID-bearers. Before you choose any, you need to compare basic technical characteristics of RFID system and standards, which exist in the government regarding frequency regulation. There are two types of RFID-bearers: active and passive. Active RFID tags contain a small battery that is good for about 20 hours of transmission time. Active tags have a longer transmission range than passive tags. They are used when the tag will only be needed for a limited amount of time and/or there is a limited amount of data to store and pass. Active tags are available in read-only or read-write versions. The main characteristics of active tags are: accumulator power supply; data transfer for distance of 8-30 meters; the cost is approximately $20-70 per each; possibility to find its location in the system of two coordinates; the example of usage are cashier posts in supermarkets. The characteristics of passive RFID-bearers are: power supply from reading device; data transfer for distance from several inches to 7,00 meters; the cost is approximately $1 per each; identification of separate products; the example of usage is system of stock-taking. Passive RFID tags wake up when they are scanned. Because they have no battery to wear out, passive tags will last for the life of the object to which they are attached. Passive tags come with either read/write or read-only capabilities. Mostly all the readers follow the basic architecture as shown below. RFID systems are proposed to be used mainly in frequency ranges which don’t need to get a license, so it helps to decrease the cost for their application. There are several radio ranges like these: 125/134, 2 kHz, 13, 56 MHz, 900 MHz and 2, 4 GHz. The distance to read information from the bearer is mainly determined by area where it is used. Nevertheless, bearers which work at long and short waves, can transfer data at distances from 2,5 till 50 sm; passive bearers in frequency range of 900 MHz, work at distance till 7 meters, and in frequency rages – from 30 sm till 2 meters. The 13.56-MHz tags hold as much as 2,000 bits of data, or roughly 30 times the information of 125-KHz tags (Brewin). There is currently no FCC standard for RFID tag frequencies, although manufacturers are working towards developing standards that could be universally accepted. Sony and Philips have agreed to develop technology operating at 13.56 MHz. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Chinas State Radio Regulatory Commission have agreed to support the 434 MHz radio-frequency band (Spiegel Supply Chain Management Review) We need to take into account that distance of action in many respects depends of material in which RFID-micro scheme is placed. Micro scheme is â€Å"tuned† for a certain material. In case you’ll put micro scheme for car windscreen, working at radio range 900 MHz, in a wooden box, there will be some difficulties to read information. Radio-specialists know also that any radio range correspond to certain antennas. RFID just stared to be used in the modern society, mainly in retail trade and storage service for automatic stock-taking. On every interesting story took place in 2003 with a famous electronic manufacturer Philips Electronics and manufacturer of clothes Benetton. In the end of March one of directors of Philips Semiconductor gave information regarding their plans for the nearest future. Particularly, he told that Philips will supply 15 millions of RFID chips to Italian company Benetton, which, in its turn, will use them in their production, selling in their own trading network consisting of five thousand shops over the world. They told that any kind of clothes which costs more then 15 dollars will have RFID chip, realized on basis of tiny micro scheme Philips I.CODE. Although RFID chips are widely used in manufacture processes of Dell computers or automobile giants like Toyota and Ford, new initiative for fashion industry is the large-scale operation. Many famous firms like Prada, Wal-Mart, Tesco already use RFID technology but in smaller quantities. The micro scheme I.CODE will be pressed into â€Å"smart teg† in the process of clothes manufacture. Benetton wanted to put information about a model type , size, color and destination in order to watch the way of every piece from manufacture and storage till retail. I.CODE chip has 1024 bytes of re-writing information (EEPROM) and works at frequency range 13,56 MHz. One can read information from micro scheme at distance till 1,5 meters (conditions of direct visibility are not obligatory). For the moment of 2003 Philips sold approximately more then half a milliard of such micro chips to different customers. The wholesale price is less then 20 cents per each (Richard W. Boss). Naturally, new initiative of Benetton aroused aversion from people who considered it a violation of privacy. The company agreed that there is not much use from such tags, and tried to find a way to deactivate chip at the moment of commodity sale, in case there will be a lot of protesting customers. For the moment, the only way out to get rid of â€Å"tag at your neck† is to cut it off from the product. What are advantages of using RFID tags? Let’s imagine that such tags will be inside of any product which is in supermarket: you just take the necessary thing and go out – without long queers to cashier and other â€Å"benefits† of modern trading system. When you go out from the shop, there is a device, which makes reading of information regarding the price of your shopping from commodity tag and from tag which is in your credit card or passport, and the bill they will send you directly home. It is very convenient to the seller as well, because it helps to simplify the process of trading. This example is the simplest one. They plan to use RFID tags almost everywhere – starting from books and clothes and finishing with money bills (European Union, 2005). Their usage will help to simplify and automate many routine operations, which we make every day. Besides, RFID tags usage will help to increase effectiveness of many processes. Let’s imagine that the buyer of clothes with such tag will come, wearing these clothes, to another shop of the same company (remember Benetton with its trading network): computer will scan it, read the tag and will get the information from internet from central database regarding what this man have bought last time and what they can offer him in first turn. But, as think numerous members of societies for human rights defense, RFID tags in clothes of human being can be used incorrectly: the government will be able to watch dislocation of people (RFID scanners will be added to places where there are a lot of people such like metro stations, squares, crossroads, etc), as well as hackers, freackers and others can use the tags with bad intentions. Access to databases will allow, without any doubt, to identify personality by tags, and this is loss of privacy. Still, it will take time to make the usage of RFID tags in such a way: nowadays RFID tags and equipment are quite expensive and not so popular. There is possibility to put inside the chip a device or program, which will deactivate tag by customer’s wish.   Ã‚  Ã‚   By information of CNET agency, aviation company Delta Air Line invests 15-25 million dollars in integration of RFID technology in its system of luggage processing, After the system will be installed, operator will be able to control dislocation and motion of passenger luggage from terminal of company, where they will put a radio tag â€Å"Destination point – (name of airport)†. The only difference of this new technology is that passenger at least, will know where is his luggage. Now the systems is as follows: radio scanners read information from tiny RFID tags, are installed in zone of passport control, along the belt of transporter which moves the luggage to cargo airliner, and finally, near the doors of cargo liner. Preliminary tests made by Delta Airlines by route Atlanta-Jacksonville, have shown that operator is able to follow up the cargo almost all the time, when the cargo is at zone of his responsibility. Quite possible, that in the nearest future this possibility will have passengers as well (Richard W. Boss). Nowadays, Delta Airlines looses four suitcases from every thousand, which costs more then one hundred million dollars per each year, spent for search of suitcases and compensation of lost things. Considering the fact that Delta, like many of American air companies experiences some financial problems, possibility to cancel these expenses from their budget was the main factor for management of company for such innovations. RFID is often used in circumstances, which can be called unusual. For example, not long time ago identification of animals and putting tags at them was considered to be a novelty. Tradition of such â€Å"strange usage† is increasing. In Las Vegas were held tests for electronic management and identification of value in BlackJack games. All chips-stakes in system â€Å"Safe Jack† contain components Hitag from Micron Identification – Austrian company, belonging to Philips. When the player puts tag in the field of stake, they are recognized and the stake is taken. Several chips can be recognized even if they are put into pile. Given cards are recognized automatically, so every game is under control. Increasing of safety and protection from cheating, collection of statistic data as well made a number of casino owners to show interest to such an interesting system. Because â€Å"Safe Jack† doesn’t prevent a usual way of game, players adopted new system and moreover, novice usage of technology in this field added to the game attraction. These RFID tags will help also to avoid false casino dibs. Usually owners of casino used colors luminescent in ultraviolet. Such protection wasn’t effective enough, so from time to time they were forced to change all the casino dibs, and this procedure not only costs a lot of money, but irritates casino players as well. This idea will prevent robberies from side of stuff as well and owners of casino will get opportunity to watch players which squander money and will have a chance to work with them in order to force them spend more money, for example, proposing them a room in hotel or free drink. Nowadays, the researchers develop works, which will allow finding out if this system will be also good for other games (Richard W. Boss). German company Metro Group also starts RFID identification at chain of supply of its production. Twenty suppliers of company will deliver identification tags to their distribution centers. Company declared that will start to use new technologies on computer basis and information technologies of IBM corporation, which will be used in order to provide standard infrastructure of deliveries in process of manufacture and delivery during collecting, analysis and management of information regarding supplies, received with the help of identification tags and reading devices. â€Å"Means of identification will lift up the industry of retail to a new level†, these are words of Gerd Wolfram, manager of project Metro Group Future Store Initiative. Taking into account Metro, this system will provide constant control under the process of delivery in internet, which will allow the sellers to determine exact dislocation of commodity at any stage of delivery process from supplier to distributor storage facilities and centers. The Metro supermarket in Reinberg is full of technical novelties, which make contact of shop with the customers more personalized. The customer can take in the entrance to the shop a small computer, a personal helper. Gerd Wolfram enters code of his loyalty card inside the computer. We can see personified greeting note and proposition of special individual discounts. â€Å"Really, I buy this kind of bread very often, tells Gerd, the technology allows us to give personal promo-offers, which the customers like very much† (Richard W. Boss). The clever court has other functions as well. For example, we can send from home computer a list of products (About 61,3% of customers in Germany prefer make shopping in accordance with a list), and when you’ll authorize your loyalty card, the list will appear at the monitor. The computer will play a role of navigation system then – it will show direction to the noted product. All shelves in supermarket are supplied with electronic prices (there is about 37  000 of prices). Some of them contain two prices: usual and with discount. â€Å"You can refresh information for prices very quickly†, notes Wolfram and goes to information desk. There are 16 such desks in supermarket. Wolfram puts to scanning device of terminal a bottle of wine. The monitor displays information about manufacturer – region, recommended temperature of storage, etc. If we put there meat, monitor displays schematic picture of caw, and the back flashes. The screen offers to look through and to print the recipes. All these 16 RFID terminals give the managers an opportunity to watch all dislocations of people inside the supermarket. People, who took the commodity with RFID chip. It shows how many minutes he spends, how he is going, what is he interested in. Advertising displays react to this customer as well – when he approaches, different advertisings are been played – but they consist of information that interests the customer. RFID helps against thefts as well. â€Å"Within 10 years RFID system will appear on all commodities†, optimistically notes Wolfram. We go to cashiers. You can pay with a help of cashier or scan the commodity by yourself with the help of interactive sensor monitor. The buyer scans commodity and puts it into a plastic bag, which is located on a special device – controller. â€Å"In case somebody forgot to scan a commodity and put it into the bag, the system will remind him. Besides, the process is controlled with help of video cameras, notes Wolfram.    Device takes credit cards and cash. With the help of this system we managed to make process of client servicing faster† (Richard W. Boss). In the middle of November the biggest world trading network Wal-Mart and manufacturer of cosmetics Procter Gamble were in the centre of scandal as a result of high-tech. They put in one of supermarkets in Tals as experiment, a shelf with lipstick Max Factor LipFinity, each package of which had RFID tag. Besides, they put a web-camera, which allowed specialists of company-manufacturer to watch the process of trading. The representative of lipstick manufacturer explained: â€Å"We wanted to understand, if this technology will help to provide availability of our production on shelves. We know tat our clients are irritated when they cannot find necessary product which is absent or isn’t in the right place†. Control of commodity in real time almost without participation of human is able to influence the volumes of trading and concurrent struggle, simultaneously decreasing the manufacturer’s expenses. The customer who bought a lipstick with RFID tag and who has it in her bag, will be noticed during her next visit to the shop. This scandal, possibly, will be an obstacle in the way of usage of RFID technologies in retail networks, but RFID tags are already used where the defenders of private life don’t have access. First of all, RFID technologies are used in non-contact access cards and tickets. Here is used a high principle of high-tech application â€Å"don’t want – don’t use†. Sure, you can refuse from high-tech access card or a ticket, but at the same time you’ll loose work or discounts for travel. The manufacturer of domestic electric appliances company Merloni is ready to supply washing machines with system of support of RFID tags – because tags can contain coded recommendations for washing. Company Goodyear plans to supply with RFID tags tires, which it produces. Here tag should reflect their basic features, as well as height of protector and pressure. Quite probably this will be for tires for commercial transport (trucks). Russian company Luxsoft develops connections between RFID tags and sensor networks (networks of miniature sensors, possessing calculation possibilities, means of wireless connection and number of sensors) – it will allow in perspective to add into tags additional information, for example, about temperature or humidity at separate stages of transporting. The Ministry of Defense of the United States, which is known for its love to new technologies, announced that till year 2005 all suppliers of USA army should put on commodity, except of friable products and big volumes of liquids, by RFID tags. By opinion of military, this approach will allow to improve control for commodity presence and for its supply. Still, don’t forget the fact that spies will have possibility to watch the dislocation of military supplies and separate subdivisions. Basic tasks in library business are to prevent robberies, to make a database for books and cd-s, and search some definite books with certain criteria. All these tasks cannot be fully realized with help of barcodes and usual means of theft prevention. The French company Tagsys offers specialized decision for libraries. RFID tag realizes simultaneously all these functions and allows keeping information regarding definite book or CD, for example, place where it should be kept. The system consists of the following parts: Terminal for reading of barcodes and reading/writing of radio tags. It allows connecting a usual scanner of barcodes and presents convenient and quick transfer of information from barcodes to RFID tags. Scanning of barcode, recording of RFID tag and activation of safety function is made within one second. With the help of terminal we are able to read and program new RFID tags by any kind of data. Terminal for simultaneous reading of several tags (till 16) This is terminal for table of registration. Is has more functions than the previous one. It consists of separate control block and one or two antenna. It allows scanning till 16 RFID tags at the same time, what allows fastening in dozens of time work with clients. System of safety. System of safety in order to prevent theft of books, which don’t have activation of safety in RFID tags. This is an independent device, consisting of two posts, which is able to produce controlling signals to close the doors, recording of camera or give siren signal. It can be put on any surface, which doesn’t conduct current. Barcodes can only hold a relatively small amount of information. RFID tags can hold much more information, including serial numbers, shipping information, name, price, and any other information that might be useful for a specific purpose. Unlike barcodes, which cannot be updated as the product moves from place to place, the information on RFID read/write tags may be updated as the product passes through the supply chain. Updates may include logging the time of receipt, sales order numbers, quality control information, or even data that would allow the tag to serve as a bill of lading for shipping (Logimax). Proponents of RFID point out that the system boosts productivity and is cost-effective, eliminating scanning times required by barcodes and reducing paperwork. RDIF is fast, although not as fast as some may believe. Current RFID readers are reported to read up to 150 tags per second, not thousands (Kirk). Still, scanning 150 tags per second with RFID is much faster than the time required to scan 150 barcoded items. In inventory management alone, Logimax estimates productivity gains in the 5 to 10 percent range. Additional time would also be saved by being able to know exactly where product is along the supply chain: on the shop floor, in the warehouse, or in the store. WhereNet estimates that RFID can reduce the delivery chain by 1 to 3 days. If companies deploy RFID and data synchronization, the total savings on improved information can reach $200 to $400 billion (Spiegel,RFID and data sync seen delivering billions in savings.). Kirk is more conservative with his estimates, noting that early adopters of RFID technology have seen 3 percent to 5 percent reduction in overall supply chain costs and 2 percent to 7 percent increases in revenue from inventory visibility (Kirk). Kirk lists five ways by which RFID improves productivity and increases profits: Reduced labor in high-volume product identification Reduced labor in lot tracking Increased information accuracy throughout the supply chain Automated proof of delivery Real-time inventory levels The power of RFID could increase exponentially when the tags are linked to the Internet. A article from Sun notes that information on RFID tags could be hyperlinked to additional information, including manufacturing batch and production history, product handling instructions, storage or delivery instructions, expiration dates, and other details. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination. (Enhance Your Supply Chain with RFID). Kirk, however, points out what RFID is not capable of doing. RFID can tell the distributor if the product is in the warehouse, what time it arrived, and when it is expected to leave, but it cannot locate an item. RFID is not a Global Positioning System [GPS] (Kirk, emphasis as it appears in the original). RFID may, however, be used along with a GPS system to locate items with an accuracy of 10 feet. RFID radio waves cannot penetrate liquids, may have trouble penetrating metal, and may pick up interference from electric motors and other electromagnetic devices. These potential limitations could affect how RFID will be used in some production facilities and warehouses. The benefits of RFID come at some price. Spiegel reports that suppliers to Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense and their customers will need to spend $3 million to $35 million implementing RFID in 2004 (Spiegel, R. RFID and data sync seen delivering billions in savings). Per unit costs decrease with volume, which is why Wal-Mart can afford to implement the system. Smaller businesses might not be able to afford the upgrade to RFID. For those who will not be buying literally billions of RFID tags at a time, the low-end cost is about 30 cents per tag, depending on the type of the chip, how it is housed, and the volume purchased. More durable tags that are designed to withstand the harsh environments found in manufacturing applications can cost between $2 -$4 each at volumes of tens of thousands (Kirk). Prices for tags and other RFID technology will no doubt drop over time. Early cell phones and Palm Pilots were much more expensive and did much less than models that are sold today. Eventually, prices for RFID tags and systems will almost certainly drop as use of the technology becomes more widespread. As with any new technology, there are some concerns regarding issues surrounding security and abuse. RFID tags can carry a lot of information, including an items manufacturing and distribution history. Tags could also record credit card information, which presents another potential security risks. In order to be able to meet the demands of industry, RFID tags must transmit indiscriminately to any scanner that is in the area. Tags and scanners could be misused to gain unauthorized information. There are also concerns about privacy. Actually, all rumors regarding unsanctioned usage of RFID tags are a result of ignorance of different things about RFID technology. It is not a secret that practice to implant tags to people in USA and Mexico.   In 2002 company Applied Digital Solutions got right to sell microchips VeryChip, which are implanted to people and containing his identification code. This code can be connected with database, where any kind of information can be contained, as well as any medical data. The matter is that such chip is a possibility to get medical help in time for many families, who have ill people at home, or for example, to find a person until he gets into trouble. From the other side, and this information can be confirmed by any expert in this field,- it is possible to defend from RFID tags. The idea is to make a â€Å"jammer† which will be able to oppose the reading device. Sure, the best way is to make it in the image and likeness of RFID tags. The â€Å"jammer† should present a device, copying work of radio-identifying micro schemes, with the only difference that it should present as a reply for requests of scanners not correct information, but some accidental garbage. Two moments are important in work of such device. First of all, it should understand requests of different scanners. Second of all, the best way is to give as answer for one request a lot of answers simultaneously. This is supposition that in such situation scanner will simply confuse. This idea belongs to company RSA Security, which for the present moment is researching it in its laboratories and plans to make test micro schemes in the nearest future. So, actually, strugglers for freedom can sleep with calm. At least, this not so revolutionary technology will not bereave them of freedom. Rumors about RFID technology being used to track products to the homes of individuals are probably exaggerated. The limited transmission range of the chips and the lack of GPS capabilities rules out any feasible use of RFID as a system for tracking individual items beyond the store or warehouse. Wal-Mart will be using RFID to track pallets and other shipping containers and not to track individual items. Wal-Mart had explored the possibility of using Smart Shelves equipped with RFID to indicate when inventory was running low or to detect the possibility of theft. Gillette announced that it would work with Wal-Mart to develop packaging that was compatible with the Smart Shelf system. However, the project was deferred after concerns over consumer privacy were raised by consumer groups (Gilbert). Organizations that use RFID will save money in the long-term through increased productivity, decreased inventory loss, and more reliable tracking of inventory. However, these long-term benefits will only be reaped by those who can afford the high start up costs of the technology. There is currently no race to the bottom for RFID technology. Although the price of tags may have dropped since the first tags were introduced, these savings are typically realized only by those organizations that are large enough to buy large quantities of tags – literally billions – at a time. Smaller firms will continue to pay higher prices for RFID tags. High cost of implementation combined with the tendency of some organizations to stick with proven technologies until all the kinks are worked out of the latest generation of products means that barcodes will continue to be in use for some time. It is unlikely that the barcode scanner at the supermarket will be replaced with an RDIF scanner in the near future, although RFID could easily be used for that application. It is more likely that the two systems will exist side-by-side for some time to come, with RFID being used for manufacturing, shipping, and other large-scale business purposes and barcodes being used for smaller, more individual applications, such as pricing individual items. So, a short summary for usage of RFID tags will be as follows: By some forecasts, year 2005 will be decisive for RFID technologies: we expect decrease of prices – XEROX announced the new method of jet-print of RFID tags. Till 2007 market of equipment and service for RFID will be more then 4 milliard dollars. This fact proves the concept that RFID technology is very perspective and has numerous variants of usage. Data of RFID tag can be re-writed and added, it can be classified; tags are more long-termed; the location of tag isn’t of any importance for tag reader; the tag is better protected from influence of environment. In case the RFID scanners will be systematized and work in all used frequencies, the usage will be simpler and more effective. So, finally, we can conclude that RFID technology has a great future. Works Cited Barlas, Demir. Wal-Marts RFID Mandate Line56.com June 04, 2003. Online. 13 August 2004 http://www.line56.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=4710 Best, Jo. Schoolchildren to be RFID-chipped Slicon.com 8 July 2004. Online. 13 August 2004 http://networks.silicon.com/lans/0,39024663,39122042,00.htm Brewin, B. Radio Frequency Identification Computer World. 16 December 2002. Online 13 August 2004 http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/technology/story/0,10801,76682,00.html Enhance Your Supply Chain with RFID. Sun. Online 13 August 2004 http://www.sun.com/br/manufacturing_1120/feature_rfid.html Gilbert, A. Major retailers to test smart shelves' CNET News.com 8 January 2003. Online: 14 August 2004 http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-979710.html Kirk, Julie. 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