Loving In Truth Creating A Society Of free essay sample

Loving In Truth: Making A Society Of Populating In Harmony In The twenty-first Century Essay, Research Paper Loving in Truth: Making a Society of Populating in Harmony in the twenty-first Century In the class of one # 8217 ; s being, one is invariably endeavoring to accomplish the pinnacle of their abilities, a certain excellence within themselves, and a balance between themselves and their society. Unfortunately, as we near the terminal of the millenium, society is neglecting to supply us with the appropriate agencies in order to recognize that end. So as we prepare for the following century, we must acknowledge that there are many jobs that we must relieve before this universe can go a better topographic point. It may good be that the state can non last # 8211 ; as a nice topographic point to populate, as a first power or even as a democracy # 8211 ; with such high rates of kids turning into maturity unprepared to parent, unprepared to be fruitfully employed and unprepared to portion in the mainstream aspirations. We will write a custom essay sample on Loving In Truth Creating A Society Of or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Assorted plans are jumping up to assist kids. However, like the public assistance plan, for the most portion these plans are aimed at relieving symptoms instead than rectifying the cause of the jobs. More prisons, more police officers, gun control, the FBI, and V-chips to barricade violent plans on Television will neer halt offense and force. When we devote clip, money and attempt toward jobs and symptoms # 8212 ; without rectifying the cause # 8212 ; the jobs and symptoms grow and spread like crawling crab grass. But as an person, what can one make? The reply is simple. All one has to make is love. Love is the s olution to all of the societal jobs in our society. Adequate love will extinguish immoralities, offense, force, mental agony, the agony of guiltless kids, dysfunctional households, the break-up of households, restlessness, discontent, unhappiness # 8211 ; all that is ugly, distressing, and destructive. But before one can love others, one must larn to love himself. One can non love himself until he frees himself from fright and false beliefs. One is non free until he discovers that is truth that sets us free from those frights and false beliefs. And it is that truth that has the power to render our households loving, happy, harmonious, functional and stable. Truth has the power to kill all societal jobs? offense, force, spousal maltreatment, kid maltreatment, drug maltreatment, etc. Love and truth are intertwined. We can non populate in harmoniousness with truth without being loving, and we can non love unconditionally without being in understanding with truth. To detect truth, one needs non larn anything new. One needs merely to unlearn obscure, fearful false beliefs. Truth remains when one frees himself from frights and false beliefs. To set it another manner, when we rid ourselves of false beliefs, what we believe is true. When adequate people learn how and where to detect truth, in due clip, love, joy, peace and harmoniousness will reign on this planet. Crime, force, mental agony, the break-up of households, kid maltreatment, spousal maltreatment, drug maltreatment # 8211 ; all that is ugly and distressing # 8212 ; will discontinue, and this planet will be the utopia it was ever meant to be.

Crack Cocaine Facts

Crack Cocaine Facts Crack or crack cocaine is a form of cocaine. It has not been neutralized by an acid to make cocaine hydrochloride, the pure form of the chemical. Crack comes in a rock crystal form that can be heated and inhaled or smoked. It is called crack in reference to the cracking sound it makes when it is heated. Crack cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant. What Does Crack Look Like? Crack looks like irregularly-shaped off-white or white rocks. How Is Crack Cocaine Used? Crack cocaine is almost always smoked or freebased. Freebasing involves heating the crack until it liquefies and inhaling the vapors through a pipe. The vapors are absorbed by the lungs, producing an immediate euphoric high. Why Do People Use Crack Cocaine? Crack is a readily available form of cocaine. Cocaine is used because it produces euphoria, is a stimulant, suppresses appetite, and can be used as a pain reliever. What Are the Effects of Crack Cocaine Use? Users typically feel a rush followed by a sense of alertness and well-being. Cocaine increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is associated with pleasure and increased movement. The pleasant effects of crack wear off quickly (5-10 minutes), causing users to feel down or depressed, more than before taking the drug. Some users report being unable to duplicate the intensity of the first exposure with subsequent use. What Are the Risks of Using Crack? Crack is highly addictive, possibly even more than other forms of cocaine. Crack users are at risk for the usual effects of cocaine (dangerously elevated blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature, as well as the risk of seizure and cardiac arrest). They are also at increased risk of  respiratory disorders, such as coughing, bleeding, shortness of breath, and lung trauma. Crack use can cause paranoia and aggressiveness. Where Does Crack Cocaine Come From? Crack cocaine is made by dissolving powdered cocaine in a mixture of water and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or ammonia. This mixture is boiled, dried, and broken into rock-like chunks. The original cocaine comes from a paste made from the leaves of the South American coca plant. Street Names for Crack Cocaine 24-7BadrockBeat CandyChemical CloudCookies CrumbsCrunch MunchDevil Drug DiceElectric Kool-AidFat BagsFrench FriesGlo GravelGrit HailHardballHard RockHotcakesIce CubeJellybeansNuggetsPastePiecePrime Time ProductRaw Rock(s)ScrabbleSleetSnowCokeTornadoTroop

Article Comparison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article Comparison - Research Paper Example but their approaches markedly differ from each other; the first article to be mentioned here more or less is theoretical in its treatment of the subject while the second article is more on application. Along this vein, I find the article written by Professor Barry Boehm to be complete and comprehensive on this topic. It presents a solid background on the underpinnings and history on the progressive development of software engineering over the years. The said article presents the subject matter in a clear, precise and simple way for both experts and non-experts to understand. The methodology is better and the conclusion sounder compared to the next article in this paper. This is because the writing style appeals to a much broader audience of readers but still was able to present enough technical details for people to grasp the significance of future developments. People are rightly concerned what effects if ever a large-scale malfunction or a system collapse that is software-induced will have on the entire world (Barry, 2006, p. 20) between now and the year 2025. Utter chaos will surely ensue and the consequences border on the nightmarish. Barry has very wide views of the entire hi story and the theory behind each major milestone in software development; solid grounding in theory is a prerequisite before one attempts something. It is like how the atomic bomb got invented from the earlier theories developed by theoretical physicists. Prof. Barry further enlivened his essay with a prognosis of a world â€Å"flattened† by software. On the other hand, the second article by authors M. Brambilla et al. would appeal more to the technically-oriented people like software engineers and software programmers than ordinary people. It is an excellent paper but is highly technical; it can be compared to looking at the trees rather than the forest and concerned more with the aspect of practical applications. In a sense, the article by M. Brambilla et al. is written in a more

Effects of smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effects of smoking - Essay Example The doctors of today are more conversant with the effects of smoking more than ever before. Cigarettes and tobaccos have high concentrations of nicotine. They have over 4000 chemicals, which are harmful to one’s body. One of the fatal cases recorded is lung cancer. In fact, over ninety percent of all cases of lungs complications are blamed on smoking. Heavy smokers are the most affected and end up contracting chronic cancer, which is difficult to treat, not to mention the medical expenses inherent. In addition, smokers are more likely to develop laryngeal cancer as compared to nonsmokers (Hanson, et al, 2006). In recent years, cases of heart diseases have been on the increase and according to research; smoking is a major contributor to the defect in question. Similarly, high blood pressure is common among smokers since cigarettes lead to increased heart rate by a good percentage. On the other hand, blood flow to body extremities including fingers and toes is reduced greatly, a condition that many people have ignored. The implications of these conditions may not be felt immediately but they may surface at a later stage, making treatment quite a task (Institute of medicine, 2010). We cannot talk about smoking effects without mentioning respiratory complications. These account for a large number of deaths every year. Statistics show that most of respiratory conditions have been associated with smokers than with non-smokers. Other effects associated with smoking include chronic coughing, impotence among men, shortness of breath, reduced fitness, early wrinkles formation, loss of appetite, among others (Owing, 2005). One of the most disturbing issues on smoking is that it affects even non-smokers. Second hand smoke is detrimental and has same implications as those of real smokers. Similarly, in pregnant women, cigarettes’ smoke may complicate the growth of the baby in the womb. Stillbirth, premature

Dynamics of multinational enterprises (Economics) Essay - 1

Dynamics of multinational enterprises (Economics) - Essay Example China tends to favor FDI through JV route because this gives them the opportunity to boost domestic industries, post high GDP numbers and maintain a perfect competition in the economy. China as an economy has always welcomed Foreign Investments but through Joint Ventures. The report will discuss the rationale behind such policy of China and how the country has benefited with this policy along with providing market advantage to incoming companies. In the recent past FISC approach have been prevent in entering new markets and company like Kotak has used this to a full effect. The report will also analyze benefits of using the FISC approach to market entry for China and Overseas. China has favoured FDI through joint venture route because they wanted all the industries and strategies to be tightly regulated under government supervision. This can only be done if strategies are local in nature and are made by local people. These local companies have been strongly ruled and regulated by Chinese Government. The republic of China Government doesn’t want to lose this control and want it to be tightly regulated (Berger & Udell, 2002). This analysis suggests that exports level from China towards America have risen again. This is resulting in huge balance of trade payment situation towards China. With this balance of payment situation the Chinese reminibi should appreciate against US dollars. But china follow a fixed currency regime, this is done to keep Chinese export competitive. With revaluation of Chinese currency the trade deficit will not narrow US trade deficit against China. The levels would be similar but it would make Chinese exports less competitive and hence will have an indirect impact on US trade deficit (Berger & Udell, 2002). The exports that Chinese make towards are funded indirectly by Chinese government. This is done by investing in Government of USA Securities by Chinese Govt. Hence

Diseconomies of Scale, and the Law of Diminishing Return

Diseconomies of Scale, and the Law of Diminishing Return Compared to other markets, why do economists consider perfect competition to be the most efficient market structure? Perfect competition is the most efficient market structure because, in the long run, each firm in the market will be producing at its minimum average cost, or per-unit. This means that consumers get desired goods and services at the lowest possible prices, and also that the firms are economizing on societys scarce resources to the greatest extent possible. What is the difference between the concepts of diseconomies of scale, and the law of diminishing return? (4 marks) Law of diminishing return occurs in the short-run when one factor is fixed. If the variable factor of production is increased, there comes a point where it will become less productive and therefore there will eventually be a decreasing marginal and then average product. When long-run average total cost rises as output increases, there are said to be diseconomies of scale. a. Sally owns a ceiling fan company. Last year, she sold 1000 ceiling fans at $50 each, and each fan cost her $20. Before going into the ceiling fan business, she worked as a fan-dancer at $25,000 a year. She used her own money to buy the fans by withdrawing the money from her savings account where it was earning five percent annual interest. Calculate Sallys economic profit and her accounting profit. Should Sally continue with her ceiling fan business? Explain. (6 marks) If her economic profit is at least zero, Sally should stay in business. Her TR = $50,000 and her total accounting cost is $20,000, for an accounting profit of $30,000. She forgoes interest on savings of $20,000 (.05) = $1,000 as well as forgone earnings of $25,000. This leaves $4,000 in economic profit, so she should stay in business. Bob Edwards owns a bagel shop. Bob hires an economist who assesses the shape of the bagel shops average total cost (ATC) curve as a function of the number of bagels produced. The results indicate a U-shaped average total cost curve. Bobs economist explains that ATC is U-shaped for two reasons. The first reason is the existence of diminishing marginal product, which causes it to rise. What is the second reason? Explain your answer. Assume that the marginal cost curve is linear. (4 marks) Average fixed cost always declines as output rises because fixed cost is being spread over a larger number of units, thus causing the average total cost curve to fall. a. Provide two circumstances in which monopoly may offer efficiency advantages over competition. (4 marks) A monopolist might be better positioned to exploit economies of scale leasing to an equilibrium which gives a higher output and a lower price than under competitive conditions. As firms are able to earn abnormal profits in the long run there may be a faster rate of technological development that will reduce costs and produce better quality products for consumers. This is because the monopolist will invest profits into research and development to promote dynamic efficiency. Explain the practice of tying and discuss why it is controversial. (5 marks) Tying is the practice of bundling goods for sale. It is controversial because it is perceived as a tool for expanding the market power of firms by forcing consumers to purchase additional products. However, economists are skeptical that a buyers willingness to pay increases just because to products are bundled together. In other words, simply bundling two products together doesnt necessarily add any value. It is more accurately believed to be a form of price discrimination. Describe the source of tension between cooperation and self-interest in a market characterized by oligopoly. Use an example of an actual cartel arrangement to demonstrate why this tension creates instability in cartels. (5 marks) The source of the tension exists because total profits are maximized when oligopolists cooperate on price and quantity by operating as a monopolist. However, individual profits can be gained by individuals cheating on their cooperative agreement. This is why cooperative agreements among members of a cartel are inherently unstable. a. If the average total cost curve is falling, what is necessarily true of the marginal cost curve? If the average total cost curve is rising, what is necessarily true of the marginal cost curve? (5 marks) When average total cost curve is falling it is necessarily above the marginal cost curve. If the average total cost curve is rising, it is necessarily below the marginal cost curve. Describe the difference between average revenue and marginal revenue. Why are both of these revenue measures important to a profit-maximizing firm? (5 marks) Average revenue is total revenue divided by the amount of output. Marginal revenue is the change in total revenue from the sale of each additional unit of output. Marginal revenue is used to determine the profit-maximizing level of production and average revenue is used to help determine the level of profits. Describe the process by which the market for capital and the market for land reach equilibrium. As part of your description, elaborate on the role of the stock of the resource versus the flow of services from the resource. (6 marks) Equilibrium in the markets for land and capital are governed by the value of marginal product for these factors relative to their supply. One difference between these markets and the market for labor is the distinction between rental value (flow) and purchase price (stock). This difference is reconciled by noting that in efficient markets, the purchase price should reflect the value of the stream of services provided by the land or capital (or the sum of rental values appropriately discounted). a. List and explain two conditions necessary for firms to be able to successfully practice price discrimination. (2 marks) Differences in price elasticity of demand between markets: There must be a different price elasticity of demand from each group of consumers. The firm is then able to charge a higher price to the group with a more price inelastic demand and a relatively lower price to the group with a more elastic demand. By adopting such a strategy, the firm can increase its total revenue and profits. To profit maximize, the firm will seek to set marginal revenue = to marginal cost in each separate (segmented) market. Barriers to prevent consumers switching from one supplier to another: The firm must be able to prevent market seepage or consumer switching defined as a process whereby consumers who have purchased a good or service at a lower price are able to re-sell it to those consumers who would have normally paid the expensive price. This can be done in a number of ways, and is probably easier to achieve with the provision of a unique service such as a haircut rather than with the exchange of tangible goods. Seepage might be prevented by selling a product to consumers at unique and different points in time for example with the use of time specific airline tickets that cannot be resold under any circumstances. Explain how each of the following industries practices price discrimination: (6 marks) restaurant Restaurants sometimes have childrens menus. It can be profitable if adults who come to restaurants with children are, on the average, more sensitive to prices on menus than adults who come to restaurants without children. Children often do not value restaurant food and service, and often waste a large part of their food. Parents know this and do not want to pay a lot for their childs meal. If restaurants treat children like adults, the restaurants may lose customers as families switch to fast-food restaurants. If this explanation is correct, then restaurants price discriminate. airline Airlines charge different prices for seats on the same plane, depending on when the ticket was purchased, how long the traveler will be staying at the destination, etc. Of course, the cost of operating the plane is independent of these variables. Hairdresser A hairdresser may charge a lower price to children than to adults. The reason they do this is that they believe children to have a differing elasticity of demand to adults. In other words, the price needed to maximize revenue from children is not the same as the price needed to maximize revenue from adults. By charging different prices they will maximize revenue from both groups Calculate the total revenue without price discrimination as well as with price discrimination, and complete the table with your calculations. (4 marks) Price Qd TR TR (with perfect price discrimination) 30 0 22 10 220 220 14 16 224 304 10 24 240 464 7 38 266 562 Briefly describe the characteristics of each of the following market types. Give an example of each market type. (8 marks) pure competition The goods being offered for sale must all be the same. The buyers and sellers must be so numerous that no single buyer or seller influences the market price. Buyers and sellers are price takers. An example would be the wheat market. Monopoly A monopoly is a market in which there is only one seller and the seller sets the price of the product, given the demand curve for that product. An example would be a local cable television company. Oligopoly An oligopoly is a market in which there are only a few sellers, and the sellers do not always compete aggressively. An example would be airline routes. monopolistic competition Monopolistic competition is a market containing many sellers offering slightly different products. Because the products are not the same, sellers have some ability to set price. An example would be the software industry. Use the graph below to explain why a profit-maximizing monopolistically competitive firm must operate at excess capacity. Why is a perfectly competitive firm not subject to the same constraint? (6 marks) Competitive firms do not face downward-sloping demand. The graph shows the firm choosing a level of production in which the intersection of marginal revenue and marginal cost occurs at an output level where average total cost is decreasing. This profit-maximizing output level is less than the efficient scale (minimum of average total cost) and therefore the firm is said to be operating at excess capacity. If the monopolist depicted in the graph below sets a price of $10 and sells 100 units, the corresponding marginal revenue is $5 and marginal cost $3. What recommendation regarding price and quantity would you give this monopolist? Explain your answer. (6 marks) Since MR exceeds MC, recommend an increase in output. Greater sales will require a price reduction. So reduce P below $10 and increase Q above 100. The marketing division of a firm has measured demand for its product and reports that it is Q = 24 P, where Q is units and P is price per unit in dollars. The cost is given in the table below. Complete the table and determine the profit-maximizing level of output for this firm. (6 marks) As indicated in the table below, the optimal output is Q = 5, where MR = MC = 5.80. Output Total Cost Price Revenue Profit 0 10 24 0 -10 1 18 22 22 4 2 20 20 40 20 3 22 18 54 32 4 25 16 64 30 5 29 14 70 41 6 34 12 72 38 7 40 10 70 30 8 48 8 64 16 Define the following terms and explain their importance to the study of economics. (9 marks) barriers to entry Barriers to entry make it difficult or impossible for other firms to enter an industry, thus allowing monopoly to continue to exist. Some examples of barriers include legal restriction on entry, patents, control of scarce resources, large sunk costs, technical superiority, and economies of scale. Patent A patent is a government-granted legal monopoly given to the inventor of a new product or process. During the life of the patent, the firm has a protected monopoly position. Thus, it serves as a barrier to entry. natural monopoly A natural monopoly is an industry in which advantages of large-scale production make it possible for a single firm to produce the entire output of the market at lower average cost than a number of firms each producing a smaller quantity. Most natural monopolies are regulated utilities.

Important Symbols in The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Glass Menagerie essa

Important Symbols in The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his play The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams uses a multitude of symbols. From these symbols, there comes a deeper understanding of the relationships between the play's four characters. The most obvious symbol in this play is Laura's glass menagerie, representing the world she lives in. Another recurring symbol is that of the fire escape. Outside the fire escape is the dance hall, a symbol for the reality of the outside world. Candles and rainbows are often mentioned in the play and carry a variety of meanings. Each symbol is a concrete substitution used to express a particular theme, idea, or character. One of the most obvious symbols in this play is Laura's glass menagerie. The glass menagerie is what keeps Laura occupied; it's the world she lives in. It is a representation of Laura's family, a representation of their isolation from the rest of the world. The Wingfields exist in a separate world, Tom lives in his dreams, Amanda lives in the past and Laura lives in her world of glass animals. When Jim enters the illusory world of the Wingfields, he is able to relive parts of his high school glory. However he can onl... ...5 March 2000. 15 March 2000 *http://hipp.gator.net/glass_alligator_review.html*. Kahn, Sy. Modern American Drama: Essays in Criticism. Edited by Willima E. Taylor. Deland, Florida. Everette/Edwards Inc., 1968. 71-88 Kapcsos, Kristal. "The Glass Menagerie." Online posting. 13 Nov. 2000. The Glass Menagerie 21 Nov. 2000 *http://www.mccnic.mohave.az.us/wcb/schools/NMC/dl/dtimpson/1/forums/forum12/me.../26.html*. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Writing, Thinking. 5th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford, 1999. 1865-1900   

Countries at Low Levels of Development Face Such Huge Challenges That They Cannot Hope to Address Them Without the Assistance of the Rest of the World

Darfur: International Conflict |Location of Darfur: Dafur is a desert region in the far west of northern Sudan. Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It borders the Red Sea and 9 other African nations. | |Brief background: The population is 42. 2 million, capital city is Kartoum, life expectancy of 56 yrs for males and 60 years for females. The GNI per capita is US $1,130. Population of about 6 million | |people. The North/south civil war lasted for 2 decades before the Dafur crisis killed over 2 million people. Decades of fighting have left Sudan's infrastructure devastated.Arabic is the offical | |language of Sudan, and Islam is the religion of the state. Large non- Arabic speaking and non-muslim population which has rejected attempts by the government to impose Islamic Sharia law on the country | |as a whole. | | |Economic |Social |Environmental |Political | |Causes of |The African rebel groups (SLA and JEM) |Refugees from Darfur say air raids by |Dafur- which means land of the Fur, many |Fighting in Dafur started in early 2003.The Sudan | |conflict: |wanted greater representation for their |government aircrafts were followed by attacks |years of tension over land and grazing rights|Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice Equality Movement (| | |communities in the Arab-dominated national|from Janjaweed, who would ride into villages on|between nomadic Arabs, and farmers from the |JEM) began attacking government targets, accusing | | |government and wanted increased funding |horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping |Fur. Khartoum of oppressing black Africans in favour of | | |for Darfur schools, hospitals, public |women and stealing. |long history of cooperation between Darfur |Arabs. | | |services and a share of Sudan's oil | |Arabs and Africans The main conflicts have |Pro-government Arab militias are accused of | | |revenue. | been over access to water and farmland. |campaigning ethnic cleansing against non-Arab groups. | | | | |Droughts in 1984 intensified struggles over |President Bashir took power in June 1989 in a | | | | |resources. military coup against the elected government | | | | | | | |Impact of |Sudan has large areas of cultivable land, |UN estimate more than 2. 7 million people fled |Janjaweed have campaigned to drive African |In March 2009, the International Criminal Court | |conflict: |gold and cotton.Its oil reserves are ripe|their homes ( refugees) and more than 300 000 |farmers off fertile lands in Darfur, have |issued an arrest warrant for President Omar al- | | |for exploitation. The conflict has held |have been killed in the conflict from a |burned African villages and deliberately |Bashir, on the charges of war in Dafur. | | |back economic progress. |combined effect of war, famine and disease. |contaminated water sources. For years after independence, all Dafuris- Arabs and | | | |Some human rights groups have said genocide is | |Africans alike- tended to view the Sudanese | | | |taking place- UN investigations in 2005 | |government in Khartoum as corrupt and biased towards | | | |concluded that war crimes had been committed | |Darfur. | | |but there had been no intent to commit | | | | | |genocide. | | | |International impacts: Strained relations with neighbouring Chad to the west.Both countries accuse |Conflict resolution: President Bashir won re-election in 2000. The opposition boycotted the poll, | |each other of supporting each other's rebel groups. Dafur conflict could lead to a wider, regional war. |accusing him of vote-rigging. | |There are over 200 000 refugees in Chad, many camped along the 600 km stretch of corder and who remain | | |vulnerable to attack. Political: After the UK ( colonial rulers until 1956) introduced democratic councils, there was | |The implications of ongoing violence could further destabilise the region and this could have a knock |competition between Darfur Arabs and Africans for political offices. After independence, this | |on effect on the world's oi l supply for countries such as the US, who are attempting to reduce their |competition increased and Darfur Arabs sought to undo centuries of African dominance in Darfur | |independence on oil from the Middle East. |government. | | | | | | |Other information: | | | | | |Location of Afghanistan: Landlocked mountainous sovereign state forming part of South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and the east, Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the| |north, and China in the far northeast. | |Brief background: | | | | | |Economic |Social |Environmental |Political | |Causes of conflict: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Impact of conflict: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |International impacts: |Conflict resolution: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Other information: | | | | | Afghanistan: International Conflict

Patagonia Essays - Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, Climbing Equipment

Patagonia Essays - Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, Climbing Equipment Patagonia Abstract Patagonias mission statement is, To use business to inspire and implement solutions to environmental crisis. Patagonia is a clothing company thats focus is on selling environmentally safe outdoor apparel. This papers focus is on the history of Patagonia their environmental marketing strategies and their competition. There has also been some outside research done to see what the publics perception of Patagonia is. Introduction Patagonia's History In 1957 a young climber named Yvon Chouinard could not find pitons (a form of climbing protection) that he liked. So he began to make his own climbing gear. Chouinard was a self-educated blacksmith. He took his knowledge and began to build his own pitons. Of the pitons he made, Chouinard would keep what he needed and started selling the rest to his friends. Shortly after, Chouinard began building carabiners in addition to his production of the pitons. Up until this point, he had been working out of his parents' back yard and selling equipment out of his car. He moved his business in 1959 to an industrial yard in Burbank California and again in 1966 to a tin shed behind an abandoned slaughterhouse in Ventura California. In 1966, Tom Frost was recruited to help make the transition from handmade to machine made products. Chouinard and Frost founded Chouinard Equipment, Ltd. Everything about the operations focused on building the best quality climbing gear in the worldThe companies genui ne and relentless pursuit of quality was matched by its reputation for it (Defining Quality, 2). Chouinard and Frost remained partners until 1975. During this time the two managed to redesign, hence improve, almost every tool used on a climber's rack. Their production also tried to minimize the use of materials. By 1970 Chouinard Equipment was the largest supplier of climbing equipment in the United States. Although this seemed positive from a business standpoint, Chouinard and Frost realized that they were contributing to environmental deterioration. Pitons require repetitive hammering for placement and removal. Because rock climbing was becoming popular the amount of destruction increased. Chouinard and Frost took a stand and decided to discontinue their production of pitons. This decision initiated a blind devotion that ultimately led to Patagonia's Statement of Purpose: To use business to inspire and implement solutions to environmental crisis. An environmental safe alternative to pitons was found in aluminum chocks. As before Chouinard Equipment designed and produced their own version of the chocks. Sales were slow until their showing in the first Chouinard Equipment catalog in 1972. The first pages of the catalog featured A Word from the owners on the environmental hazards of pitons. The ethical stand taken by Chouinard Equipment dramatically effected the climbing community. Things began to change for the better. Within just a few months of the release of their first catalog, piton sales were severely stunted. In 1973 Patagonia the company was incorporated. Around this same time, Chouinard became interested in the profit potential of soft goods. He pursued his interest by introducing rugby shirts into their line. Frost and others opposed this decision and left the partnership in 1975. In the mid-seventies clothing was introduced under the name 'Patagonia'. Shortly after, in 1979, Patagonia Clothing Corporation was established. Patagonia was incorporated in 1984. Patagonia followed Chouinard's original intentions of developing goods that could easily be described as ridiculously overbuilt (Defining Quality, 5). Chouinard began technical product development in 1973, which continued and intensified under the Patagonia name. Patagonia continually improved on the amount of environmental impact as well as the quality of their materials. Pile lead to Bunting, which lead to Synchilla, which eventually changed the industry. Patagonia also introduced polypropylene underwear, which was replaced by Capilene in 1985. Although competition became fierce, Patagonia's attention to the details and construction of their products kept them ahead of the others. Throughout the years there has always been one constant in Patagonia's design and philosophy- a sense that there is in the products, or should be, more than meets the eye. Quality. Superb functionality. Environmental concern. A Killer warranty and service to match (Defining Quality, 9). Patagonia's Environmental History As you can see in the above text, Patagonias founder Yvon Chouinard has always put the environment first in his business plans. But Patagonia has done more for

Bitwise Operations in VB.NET

Bitwise Operations in VB.NET VB.NET doesnt support bit level operations directly. Framework 1.1 (VB.NET 2003) introduced bit shift operators ( and ), but no general purpose way to manipulate individual bits is available. Bit operations can be very useful. For example, your program might have to interface with another system that requires bit manipulation. But in addition, there are a lot of tricks that can be done using individual bits. This article surveys what can be done with bit manipulation using VB.NET. You need to understand bitwise operators before anything else. In VB.NET, these are: And Or Xor Not Bitwise simply means that the operations can be performed on two binary numbers bit by bit. Microsoft uses truth tables to document bitwise operations. The truth table for And is: 1st Bit  Ã‚  Ã‚  2nd Bit  Ã‚  Ã‚  Result  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0 In my school, they taught Karnaugh maps instead. The Karnaugh map for all four operations are shown in the illustration below. Click Here to display the illustrationClick the Back button on your browser to return Heres a simple example using the And operation with two, four bit binary numbers: The result of 1100 And 1010 is 1000. Thats because 1 And 1 is 1 (the first bit) and the rest are 0. To begin with, lets take a look at the bit operations that are directly supported in VB.NET: bit shifting. Although both left shift and right shift are available, they work the same way so only left shift will be discussed. Bit shifting is most often used in cryptography, image processing and communications. VB.NETs bit shifting operations ... Only work with the four types of integers: Byte, Short, Integer, and Long Are arithmetic shifting operations. That means that bits shifted past the end of the result are thrown away, and the bit positions opened up on the other end are set to zero. The alternative is called circular bit shifting and the bits shifted past one end are simply added to the other. VB.NET doesnt support circular bit shifting directly. If you need it, youll have to code it the old fashioned way: multiplying or dividing by 2. Never generate an overflow exception. VB.NET takes care of any possible problems and Ill show you what that means. As noted, you can code your own bit shifting by multiplying or dividing by 2, but if you use the code your own approach, you have to test for overflow exceptions that can cause your program to crash. A standard bit shifting operation would look something like this: Dim StartingValue As Integer 14913080Dim ValueAfterShifting As IntegerValueAfterShifting StartingValue 50 In words, this operation takes the binary value 0000 0000 1110 0011 1000 1110 0011 1000 (14913080 is the equivalent decimal value - notice that its just a series of 3 0s and 3 1s repeated a few times) and shifts it 50 places left. But since an Integer is only 32 bits long, shifting it 50 places is meaningless. VB.NET solves this problem by masking the shift count with a standard value that matches the data type being used. In this case, ValueAfterShifting is an Integer so the maximum that can be shifted is 32 bits. The standard mask value that works is 31 decimal or 11111. Masking means that the value, in this case 50, is Anded with the mask. This gives the maximum number of bits that can actually be shifted for that data type. In decimal: 50 And 31 is 18 - The maximum number of bits that can be shifted It actually makes more sense in binary. The high order bits that cant be used for the shifting operation are simply stripped away. 110010 And 11111 is 10010 When the code snippet is executed, the result is 954204160 or, in binary, 0011 1000 1110 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000. The 18 bits on the left side of the first binary number are shifted off and the 14 bits on the right side are shifted left. The other big problem with shifting bits is what happens when the number of places to shift is a negative number. Lets use -50 as the number of bits to shift and see what happens. ValueAfterShifting StartingValue -50 When this code snippet is executed, we get -477233152 or 1110 0011 1000 1110 0000 0000 0000 0000 in binary. The number has been shifted 14 places left. Why 14? VB.NET assumes that the number of places is an unsigned integer and does an And operation with the same mask (31 for Integers). 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1100 11100000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0001 1111(And)0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1110 1110 in binary is 14 decimal. Notice that this is the reverse of shifting a positive 50 places. On the next page, we move on to some other bit operations, starting with Xor Encryption! I mentioned that one use of bit operations is encryption. Xor encryption is a popular and simple way to encrypt a file. In my article, Very Simple Encryption using VB.NET, I show you a better way using string manipulation instead. But Xor encryption is so common that it deserves to at least be explained. Encrypting a text string means translating it into another text string that doesnt have an obvious relationship to the first one. You also need a way to decrypt it again. Xor encryption translates the binary ASCII code for each character in the string into another character using the Xor operation. In order to do this translation, you need another number to use in the Xor. This second number is called the key. Xor encryption is called a symmetric algorithm. This means that we can use the encryption key as the decryption key too. Lets use A as the key and encrypt the word Basic. The ASCII code for A is: 0100 0001 (decimal 65) The ASCII code for Basic is: B - 0100 0010a - 0110 0001s - 0111 0011i - 0110 1001c - 0110 0011 The Xor of each of these is: 0000 0011 - decimal 30010 0000 - decimal 320011 0010 - decimal 500010 1000 - decimal 400010 0010 - decimal 34 This little routine does the trick: Xor Encryption Dim i As ShortResultString.Text Dim KeyChar As IntegerKeyChar Asc(EncryptionKey.Text)For i 1 To Len(InputString.Text)  Ã‚  Ã‚  ResultString.Text _  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chr(KeyChar Xor _  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Asc(Mid(InputString.Text, i, 1)))Next The result can be seen in this illustration: Click Here to display the illustrationClick the Back button on your browser to return To reverse the encryption, just copy and paste the string from the Result TextBox back into the String TextBox and click the button again. Another example of something you can do with bitwise operators is to swap two Integers without declaring a third variable for temporary storage. This is the kind of thing they used to do in assembly language programs years ago. Its not too useful now, but you might win a bet someday if you can find someone who doesnt believe you can do it. In any case, if you still have questions about how Xor works, working through this should put them to rest. Heres the code: Dim FirstInt As IntegerDim SecondInt As IntegerFirstInt CInt(FirstIntBox.Text)SecondInt CInt(SecondIntBox.Text)FirstInt FirstInt Xor SecondIntSecondInt FirstInt Xor SecondIntFirstInt FirstInt Xor SecondIntResultBox.Text First Integer: _  Ã‚  Ã‚  FirstInt.ToString - _  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second Integer: _  Ã‚  Ã‚  SecondInt.ToString And heres the code in action: Click Here to display the illustrationClick the Back button on your browser to return Figuring out exactly why this works will be left as as an exercise for the student. On the next page, we reach the goal: General Bit Manipulation Although these tricks are fun and educational, theyre still no substitute for general bit manipulation. If you really get down to the level of bits, what you want is a way to examine individual bits, set them, or change them. Thats the real code that is missing from .NET. Perhaps the reason its missing is that its not that hard to write subroutines that accomplish the same thing. A typical reason you might want to do this is to maintain what is sometimes called a flag byte. Some applications, especially those written in low level languages like assembler, will maintain eight boolean flags in a single byte. For example, a 6502 processor chips status register holds this information in a single 8 bit byte: Bit 7. Negative flagBit 6. Overflow flagBit 5. UnusedBit 4. Break flagBit 3. Decimal flagBit 2. Interrupt-disable flagBit 1. Zero flagBit 0. Carry flag (from Wikipedia) If your code has to work with this kind of data, you need general purpose bit manipulation code. This code will do the job! The ClearBit Sub clears the 1 based, nth bit (MyBit) of an integer (MyByte).Sub ClearBit(ByRef MyByte, ByVal MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim BitMask As Int16  Ã‚  Ã‚   Create a bitmask with the 2 to the nth power bit set:  Ã‚  Ã‚  BitMask 2 ^ (MyBit - 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clear the nth Bit:  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyByte MyByte And Not BitMaskEnd Sub The ExamineBit function will return True or False depending on the value of the 1 based, nth bit (MyBit) of an integer (MyByte).Function ExamineBit(ByVal MyByte, ByVal MyBit) As Boolean  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim BitMask As Int16  Ã‚  Ã‚  BitMask 2 ^ (MyBit - 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  ExamineBit ((MyByte And BitMask) 0)End Function The SetBit Sub will set the 1 based, nth bit (MyBit) of an integer (MyByte).Sub SetBit(ByRef MyByte, ByVal MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim BitMask As Int16  Ã‚  Ã‚  BitMask 2 ^ (MyBit - 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyByte MyByte Or BitMaskEnd Sub The ToggleBit Sub will change the state of the 1 based, nth bit (MyBit) of an integer (MyByte).Sub ToggleBit(ByRef MyByte, ByV al MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim BitMask As Int16  Ã‚  Ã‚  BitMask 2 ^ (MyBit - 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyByte MyByte Xor BitMaskEnd Sub To demonstrate the code, this routine calls it (parameters not coded on Click Sub): Private Sub ExBitCode_Click( ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim Byte1, Byte2 As Byte  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim MyByte, MyBit  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim StatusOfBit As Boolean  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim SelectedRB As String  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text   Ã‚  Ã‚  SelectedRB GetCheckedRadioButton(Me).Name  Ã‚  Ã‚  Byte1 ByteNum.Text Number to be converted into Bit Flags  Ã‚  Ã‚  Byte2 BitNum.Text Bit to be toggled  Ã‚  Ã‚   The following clears the high-order byte returns only the  Ã‚  Ã‚   low order byte:  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyByte Byte1 And HFF  Ã‚  Ã‚  MyBit Byte2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Select Case SelectedRB  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case ClearBitButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ClearBit(MyByte, MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text New Byte: MyByte  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case ExamineBitButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusOfBit ExamineBit(MyByte, MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text Bit MyBit _  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   is StatusOfBit  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case SetBitButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  SetBit(MyByte, MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text New Byte: MyByte  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Case ToggleBitButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ToggleBit(MyByte, MyBit)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  StatusLine.Text New Byte: MyByte  Ã‚  Ã‚  End SelectEnd SubPrivate Function GetCheckedRadioButton( _  Ã‚  Ã‚  ByVal Parent As Control) _  Ã‚  Ã‚  As RadioButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim FormControl As Control  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim RB As RadioButton  Ã‚  Ã‚  For Each FormControl In Parent.Controls  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If FormControl.GetType() Is GetType(RadioButton) Then  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RB DirectCast(FormControl, RadioButton)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If RB.Checked Then Return RB  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  End If  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next  Ã‚  Ã‚  Return NothingEnd Function The code in action looks like this: Click Here to display the illustrationClick the Back button on your browser to return

The aspects of sports merchandising and marketing Essay

The aspects of sports merchandising and marketing - Essay Example By combining the aspects of merchandising and marketing into a sports range, sports merchandising is the way expert sports teams and organizations market and distribute their products to the purchaser. The vast preponderance of the marketing attempt for sports team is accomplished throughout the playing of the teams' games. Professional sports are able to create an implausible amount of experience throughout their games since their uniforms, team colors, and logos are on exhibit for the course of the game to both those in attendance, and the people inspection the game on television. Teams use dissimilar tactics and marketing maneuvers to augment attention and sales in their apparel. We will spotlight on the merchandising efforts of the Wanderer Football Club (WFC), the leader in expert sports organizations in merchandising. I will look at the largely merchandising effort as well as how the league markets itself through a variety of dissimilar avenues (Stephens, Tim. 2002). Sports and the mass media enjoy a symbiotic relationship. On one hand, the mass media, more than anything else, were responsible for turning organized sports from a relatively minor element of culture into a full-blown social institution. On the other hand, sports has been the vehicle for bringing dramatic attention to new mass media forms, which in turn have brought new sporting experiences to the public. This marriage of sports and the mass media has enabled each to flourish. Sports marketers are interested in the relationship between sports and the mass media and in how to use the media to target their messages at sports consumers. In a sense, sport marketing offers a form of narrowcasting, whereby a large group of consumers with common interests is brought together through sports events and programming. The more specific the analysis of the sports-media relationship, the more targeted is the message, and the more effective and powerful is the sports marketing strategy (Buccaneer s Online). 3. Methodology Marketing Strategy What strategic issues confront the sports marketer The list is endless, and this section deals with three of the entries on the list. Licensing products has generated vast amounts of revenue for some teams as marketers take advantage of brand equity in teams and properties. In a sense, the majority marketing engages segmentation of one sort or another. This section examines one method of segmentation and in the process provides a great deal of high-quality advice about segmentation plan. When looking at the merchandising effort of professional sports teams, you must look at the top dog in this, the Wanderer Football Club (WFC). Football is king in the industry for a lot of reasons, none larger than the vast attractiveness and viewing of the sport. In a survey by ESPN/Chilton sports, two-thirds of all Americans consider themselves to be football fans. Maybe even more shocking is the fact that forty-three percent

The Ways in Which Strategy Implementation Can Be Achieved Assignment - 2

The Ways in Which Strategy Implementation Can Be Achieved - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that strategic planning for the medium and long-term objectives of a company is a key way to achieve the overall goals of an organization. Medium term strategies aim to provide long-term solutions to the problems of an organization, while long-term strategies aim to provide permanent solutions to the problems. There are five types of market entry strategies that can be used by organizations namely organic growth, mergers or acquisitions, franchising, licensing and strategic alliances. Acquisitions are likely to occur when an organization wants to increase its market share in any new market. Mergers are more likely to occur when companies have comparable financial capital and resources. Franchising is more likely to occur when a particular organization wants to create a positive brand image in the minds of the consumers by providing them with the products and services of the company. Licensing is more likely to occur when an organization wan ts to enter a country in a quick manner to deal with legal issues relating to trade barriers. Organic entry is a form of entry where the profits from the existing business are used to channel growth into new activities. Substantive growth strategies are related to vertical and horizontal integration. Vertical integration is related to increasing the ownership of the value chain to take better control over marketing operations. Horizontal integration is, on the other hand, related to the collaboration between two similar companies which belongs to the same stage of production. This type of an arrangement helps in closing down of less efficient units by taking advantage of economies of scale.The limited growth strategy has four major components namely market penetration, product development, market development, and innovation.