Thursday, August 27, 2020

Nonplussed

Confused Baffled Confounded By Maeve Maddox The Latin expression non additionally, â€Å"not more, no further,† entered English as a thing with the accompanying significance: A state wherein no more can be said or done; powerlessness to continue in discourse or activity; a condition of perplexity or puzzlement; a stop. As an action word, to baffle implies, â€Å"to bring to a puzzle or stop; to bewilder, confound.† In present day discourse, the action word is most normally found in the participle structure puzzled. Until about the 1960s, bewildered was utilized with just one importance: Brought to an astound or stop; at a baffle; confused, bewildered. Since the 1960s, perplexed has taken on another significance for some English speakers: Not ruffled; unperturbed, resolute. The OED makes reference to this second significance in its entrance for baffled, naming it â€Å"chiefly American.† The perceived expert for American use, be that as it may, doesn't list this second significance of confounded. It doesn’t even have a section for confused. The action word confuse is characterized thusly: â€Å"to cause to be at a misfortune concerning what to state, think, or do; decrease to a condition of complete inadequacy to act or decide.† Merriam-Webster gives three models: this new development nonplusses me puzzled by the exposure for a second the young lady was puzzled The inversion of importance from irritated to unperturbed has emerged from the mixed up thought that the non-in perplexed is a prefix, similar to the non-in nontoxic. A few speakers assume that bewildered is framed by adding non-to the theoretical root plussed. US speakers do utilize astounded with the first importance: May 16, 2015  When welcome to come here I was complimented, butâ a bit baffled.- Charles Gibson, US columnist, 2015. Numerous customers baffled, mistook for most recent tech, study finds-Automotive News, (distributed in Michigan), 2015. In any case, the greater part of the ongoing instances of perplexed that I have found in US sources use it in the feeling of undeterred, neutral, or unaffected. For instance: Uber Driver Nonplussed After Giving Jeb Bush Ride in San Francisco-NBC News. (As indicated by the article, the driver was neutral.) â€Å"I’m in the lead position by a ton, it appears, as indicated by all the polls,† Trump says, in his New York highlight, with his standard outward appearance: a kind of interminably bewildered duckface, similar to he is constantly being dazzled with himself once more.- Atlantic Monthly, 2015. Confounded, Colbert has kept up his standard shenanigans.- CBS News, 2015. Dissimilar to self-antonyms like residue and authorization, whose implications are generally obvious from setting, bewildered is a wellspring of uncertainty. The expressions â€Å"dusting the furniture† and â€Å"dusting the crops† require no extra capability; the various implications are quickly clear. An announcement like â€Å"the respondent was nonplussed,† be that as it may, implies one thing to one English speaker and the inverse to another. Take, for instance, this announcement in the clinical investigation of an upset adolescent: He seemed baffled whenâ the issue of the family feline was raised.- Francis D. Kelly, The Assessment of Object Relations Phenomena in Adolescents, Routledge, 2014. The kid was in treatment on the grounds that, among other upsetting conduct, he had slaughtered the family feline. At the point when I read the sentence, I comprehended it to imply that the notice of the feline made the kid display indications of disarray. Well actually, I understood that the creator may have planned bewildered to mean unaffected. Creators of genuine works can't bear to utilize bewildered without giving setting insights to show which importance is proposed. The accompanying models give such insights: In an interviewâ with the CBS news magazine â€Å"60 Minutes,† Steve Schmidt depicted Palin as â€Å"very quiet - nonplussed† after McCain met with her at his Arizona farm not long before putting her on the Republican ticket.â (nonplussed=unperturbed) Vanceâ appeared nonplussedâ and truly astounded that such enormous political inquiries had been raised by the reminder. (nonplussed=agitated) ODonnell seemed, by all accounts, to be puzzled by the wording of the main alteration, over and again coming back to the subject and sounding suspicious after her Democratic rival Chris Coons endeavored to disclose it to her. (nonplussed=confused) Since confounded no longer passes on a similar significance to all perusers, essayists must be insightful in its utilization. Going with the word with setting pieces of information is one alternative. Picking an alternate word completely is another. A few choices for the significance initially passed on by confused: baffled, perplexed, vexed, irritated, upset. A few alternatives for the turned around significance of baffled: not unsettled, unperturbed, determined. Need to improve your English in a short time a day? Get a membership and begin accepting our composing tips and activities day by day! Continue learning! Peruse the Vocabulary classification, check our well known posts, or pick a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'tsFive Spelling Rules for Quiet Final EHow Do You Pronounce Frequently?

Friday, August 21, 2020

Mistakes To Avoid While Promoting Your Blog (Trust Me, Theyre Silly)

Mistakes To Avoid While Promoting Your Blog (Trust Me, Theyre Silly) Make Money Online Queries? Struggling To Get Traffic To Your Blog? Sign Up On (HBB) Forum Now! Mistakes To Avoid While Promoting Your Blog (Trust Me, Theyre Silly) Updated On 23/04/2017 Author : Jane Topic : Blogging Short URL : http://bit.ly/2ozkLaF CONNECT WITH HBB ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow @HellBoundBlog To tell the truth, there are various mistakes, which a blogger can make. However, not all of these mistakes are related to the content or the management of your blog. In fact, just like any other venture, you need some good game in order to promote your blog, which attracts traffic. Of course, the whole matter is quite relative. If you are just a blogger who wants to kill some time for yourself, then you might just ignore every piece that has ever been written down for the benefit of bloggers. Nevertheless, if you want people to visit your blog and maintain a steady flow, you will have to put in more effort that just being whimsical. In case you are thinking of getting some cash out of it in the bargain, you have to be smart and poke unless you get a good traffic. More importantly, getting the desired traffic will add value to your endeavor. Before I begin, you would also want to read this post: 15+ Silly yet simple ways to promote your blog offline Things to avoid The first thing you should remember is to be regular with your posts. Look, your readers read your posts because they like them.  There are hundreds of bloggers who will uncannily cover the same subject of your choice. Not posting regularly will just keep your fans stranded and we all know that is not wise. Be it monthly, daily or weekly, just make sure that you follow a pattern and watch how you always end up having a healthy traffic in your blog. The second point of stupidity would be to be too pushy with your views. You see, the point is simple. None of us likes people who are self-centered pieces of crap. Of course, you are writing your blog because you want to express your thoughts and concerns. However, coming on too strongly on your readers will just piss them off and not generate traffic. Another point which will hinder your progress will of course be not including your readers into you blog. See blogger, just turn the tables on to yourself and you will know the feeling. Your readers like your posts, even if they hate your posts, you can count on numerous discussions about it. Not interacting with them will be a big mistake; either way you look at it. .IRPP_button , .IRPP_button .postImageUrl , .IRPP_button .centered-text-area { min-height: 86px; position: relative; } .IRPP_button , .IRPP_button:hover , .IRPP_button:visited , .IRPP_button:active { border:0!important; } .IRPP_button { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #3498DB; } .IRPP_button:active , .IRPP_button:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .IRPP_button .postImageUrl { background-position: center; background-size: cover; float: right; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 30%; } .IRPP_button .centered-text-area { float: left; width: 70%; padding:0; margin:0; } .IRPP_button .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: .125em; margin: 0; padding: 0; } .IRPP_button .postTitle { color: #ECF0F1; font-size: 16px; fon t-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .IRPP_button .ctaButton { background: #ECF0F1; color: inherit; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; margin: 18px 14px 18px 14px; moz-border-radius: 3px; padding: 12px 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; webkit-border-radius: 3px; width: 80px; position: absolute; } .IRPP_button:hover .ctaButton { background: #e6e6e6; } .IRPP_button .centered-text { display: table; height: 86px; padding:0; margin:0; padding-left: 108px!important; top: 0; } .IRPP_button .IRPP_button-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 10px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .IRPP_button:after { content: "; display: block; clear: both; } READThe Best Browsers For Windows Mobile PhonesHowever, some of your readers may be nice enough to take the pains to write some post, which adds value to your content. The guest p ost may also be something totally negative. Nevertheless, just make sure that you publish them anyway. This participatory-based communication will certainly give way to more word of mouth and thus end up increasing your traffic. The act of modesty Presenting your content in the wrong manner will inevitably convert to your blog hitting the bottom. Look, unless people know your blog exists, nobody will take the pains to seek them out and then read them. So be wise and make sure to arrange for killer posts. The best way to do the same is to make sure that you have enough keywords, which will be visible in the search engines. Trust me fellas, nothing works like Search Engine Optimization does. It is similar to exams. You write an answer and are marked according to what kind of relevant words and phrases you have packed in, which will please your teacher. So, go ahead and make your content and blog SEO rich for attracting traffic. Another mistake that bloggers keep making is promoting their blog to the wrong public. Target readers who are interested in your posts and yes, who would like to add value to it as well. Your blogs are mostly read by people who have some manner of problem or interest. Unless you prepare content according to your audience, no traffic can be generated. Moreover, be prepared to accept your mistakes, if you make any that is. Your act of modestly accepting your faults will take you and your blog a long way into being successful with your readers. Mistakes at a glance To summarize the whole thing, it is really not that hard if you are serious about your blog. Just take a look. Be regular with your posts. Avoid being pushy with your readers. Include guests posts into your blog. Make your blog’s content SEO rich. Promote your blog to the right people (targeted promotion). Once you address these, be ready to fly high. Happy blogging! This article is written by Jane Sheeba. She shares cutting-edge success blogging strategies, social media and blog promotion strategies at her blog Problogging Success. If you wish to write for HBB, kindly check this.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Understand the Difference Between Organic and Inorganic

The word organic means something very different in chemistry than it does when youre talking about produce and food. Organic compounds and inorganic compounds form the basis of  chemistry.  The primary difference between organic compounds and inorganic compounds is that organic compounds always contain carbon while most inorganic compounds do not contain carbon. Also, nearly all organic compounds contain carbon-hydrogen or C-H bonds. Note, containing carbon is not sufficient for a compound to be considered organic! Look for both carbon and hydrogen. Did You Know? Organic and inorganic chemistry are two of the main disciplines of chemistry. An organic chemist studies organic molecules and reactions, while an inorganic chemistry focuses on inorganic reactions. Examples of Organic Compounds or Molecules Molecules associated with living organisms are organic. These include nucleic acids, fats, sugars, proteins, enzymes, and hydrocarbon fuels. All organic molecules contain carbon, nearly all contain hydrogen, and many also contain oxygen. DNAtable sugar or sucrose, C12H22O11benzene, C6H6methane, CH4ethanol or grain alcohol, C2H6O Examples of Inorganic Compounds Inorganics include salts, metals, substances made from single elements and any other compounds that dont contain carbon bonded to hydrogen. Some inorganic molecules do, in fact, contain carbon. table salt or sodium chloride, NaClcarbon dioxide, CO2diamond (pure carbon)silversulfur Organic Compounds Without  C-H Bonds Few organic compounds dont contain carbon-hydrogen bonds. Examples of these exceptions include: carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)urea [CO(NH2)2] Organic Compounds and Life While most organic compounds encountered in chemistry are produced by living organisms, its possible for the molecules to form through other processes. For example, when scientists talk about organic molecules discovered on Pluto, this doesnt mean there are aliens on the world. Solar radiation can provide energy to produce organic compounds from inorganic carbon compounds.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

How to Safely Remove Photos From Sticky Photo Albums

Many of us are in possession of one or more magnetic photo albums. These albums, which first achieved popularity in the 1960s and 70s, were made from a thick paper stock coated with glue strips and included a thick Mylar plastic covering for each page. Conservators have discovered, however, that the glue used in those albums had a very high acidic content which can eat through the backs of the photographs. The Mylar plastic seals in the acidic fumes, causing deterioration to the image side of the photos as well. In some cases, the plastic covering used wasnt even Mylar, but PVC (Poly-Vinyl Chloride), a plastic that further accelerates deterioration. If you do own one of these older magnetic photo albums full of precious family pictures then we advise you to do something to try and prevent further deterioration. Try one of these tips for removing the photos. Tips for Removing Photos From Old Sticky Albums Dental floss can work wonders. Use a piece of unwaxed dental floss and run it between the picture and the album page with a gentle sawing motion.Un-du, a product commonly used by scrapbookers, is an adhesive remover that may help safely remove the photos. It comes with an attached tool to help you get the Un-du solution safely under the photo to help release it. It is safe for use on the back of the photos, but be careful not to get it on the images themselves.Slide a thin metal spatula (a micro spatula is preferred) gently under the edge of a photo and then use a hairdryer to heat the spatula as you slide it slowly under the photo. This may heat the glue enough to help you remove the photo safely from the album. Be careful to keep the hairdryer pointed away from the photo itself.Try putting the album in the freezer for a few minutes. This can make the glue brittle and make it easier to remove the photos. Be careful not to leave the album in for too long, however, as it may cause con densation to build ​upon the photos as the album comes back to room temperature.Some photo experts recommend using the microwave to try and loosen the adhesive. Place a page into a microwave oven and turn it on for five seconds.  Wait five to ten seconds and then turn it on for another five seconds.  Follow this procedure for several cycles - being careful to check the adhesive each time.  Do NOT try to hurry the process and turn on the microwave  for thirty seconds, or the glue will become so hot it will probably burn the print.  Once the glue is dissolved, then you can try again to lift up the corner of one of the photos or try the dental floss trick. If the photos still dont come out easily, then dont force them! If the photos are very precious, then take them to one of the self-help photo kiosks, or use a digital camera or digital flatbed scanner to make copies of the photos right on the album page. You can also have a photo store to make negatives from the photos, but this can be more expensive. To prevent further deterioration, remove the Mylar or plastic sleeves and insert pieces of acid-free tissue between the pages instead. This will keep the photos from touching each other or the remaining glue. You should also be aware that any or all of these techniques may damage any writing which may exist on the back of the photos. Experiment first with the photos which means the least to you and see what works best for your particular album and photos.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Black And The State Of North Carolina Essay - 977 Words

The data that I chose to examine is black population in the year 2010 and income in the past 12 months below poverty level. I obtained these tabular data from the North Carolina Linc website (http://linc.state.nc.us/). The data for the black population in the state of North Carolina is the official record of Census Bureau. The Census Bureau gathered this data through people who associated themselves as being â€Å"black or African American† (NC LINC- Data definition). The second variable that I chose to examine is the North Carolina counties where the income in the past 12 months falls below the poverty level. According to the Institute for Research on Poverty, the U.S. Census Bureau measure the poverty level by â€Å"comparing pretax income to the three times the cost of minimum food diet† (How is poverty measured in the United States?). Unlike some people, my prior knowledge on these subjects was very minimal until I read the article â€Å"The Case for Reparationsâ⠂¬  by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates article focuses on stratification, social class and class system in the American society. The article had very interesting and shocking point which made me measure them first hand through the use of NC LINK and ArcGIS online mapping software. The variables that chose to study were the black population that the North Carolina counties reported in census year of 2010. I normalized that data by dividing the number of black population for specific county by the total population of the county to get aShow MoreRelated The Fight for Racial Equality In North Carolina Essay1718 Words   |  7 Pagessegregation which greatly lessened the rights of all minorities especially in public education. The fight for educational equality made public schools in North Carolina and other states in the south a major area of conflict. 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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Social Media Marketing

Questions: Regardless of intent, should SMM be considered unethical? What are the ethical considerations that should be taken with SMM? 1. Should SMM have regulations put in place on its usage? 2. When would something that appears on social media be considered as manipulative? 3. Are there any ways to detect the validity of information on social media? Answers: Introduction Online conduct of business has become a common phenomenon in the 21st century. But there are certain ethical considerations associated with Social Media Marketing. The first and foremost threat which it causes is to the privacy of individuals; secondly, the information which is given to the consumers through social media may be not so reliable. Thus, consumers may get deceived in this way. These are serious ethical concerns entangling SMM. (1). There have to be some regulations on the usage of social media marketing. First of all, the social media platform should not be allowed to be used by a brand which does not have a good reputation in the community. Brands which have either caused harm to the community in the past or which have indulged in unethical practices should be restricted from the social media. Secondly, the brands which are allowed to use the social media have to comply with certain regulations. Few of such regulations may be as follows: Reveal of Identity: The brand which promotes its products online has to reveal its true identity. Hiding behind a veil in order to deceive the customers should not be allowed in the social media market (Xuand Whinston 2014). Appropriate use of the market: The brands should not be allowed from running a promotion which would require a user to open a new tab or interact with a story or become a fan in order to enter (Saravanakumar and SuganthaLakshmi 2012). Cyber security and fraud: The users of the social media shares a lot of their private information with many brands. These information are private and should not be allowed to be shared by a brand without the permission of the users. Many brands also use the social media market to cause fraud upon the customers. Many companies run false promotions and a customer without verifying the authenticity of such promotions shares crucial information including their bank details, address, etc. There have to be regulations on cyber fraud and cyber security (Von and Van 2013). Regulation on One-way dialogue: Customers get satisfied when they are indulged in conversation in the social media. A brand must give ample opportunity to the customers to give their feedbacks and let them correct any mistake done by the Company (Saravanakumar and SuganthaLakshmi 2012). (2). Social media has tremendous potential to manipulate the feelings of a community. Most of the users of social media form an opinion or a perception of the things which are shown in the social media. It is not true that every story shown in the social media is manipulative. Some stories are true, and they can be relied upon for formulating a perception, or those stories may be used in various studies and research. But there are certain things which reach the users through social media marketing which have the potential to mislead and manipulate the users in different directions. Few of such examples are as follows: Propagandising: When an advertisement tends to influence the public or tends to draw the attention of a public towards a position or cause by showing only one side an argument, the advertisement is said to have created a propaganda. These propagandas have the potential to manipulate the users to a great extent sometimes these also create hatred among the minds of the users which consequently ends up in causing violence in the society (Svec 2015). Psychological warfare: Some advertisements have the potential to target various organisations, governments, and groups. These forms of communications may alter the entire ideology of the users of the social media and lead the users to form a negative opinion about a nation or a particular group or organisation (Klausen2015). Hoaxing: A hoax can be explained as something which intends to deceive the public. Whenever a false story is shown to defraud the public, it is known as a hoax. A false bomb threat, a false story of business scams, misleading public stunts are all examples of hoaxes. These hoaxes have the potential to manipulate the thinking, attitude, and behavior of the users who go through these false stories in the social media (Ting 2015). (3). Validity and accuracy of information are important for every user. False information has the possibility to mislead the users and leads them towards forming wrong opinions and perceptions. Therefore, it is important to check the accuracy and validity of the information available in the social media. There are certain steps which need to be followed for checking the validity of information and all the users of the social media should be aware of these steps. The first step is to check the sources location and verify whether they are really in the place from where they are posting or tweeting. The second step is to check out their networks i.e. the persons who are in their account and their followers. It makes it easier for the users to identify whether he knows the account or not. The third step is to check the contents of the information which was posted or tweeted. The contents can be corroborated from other sources. The fourth step which a user must take to ensure the validity of i nformation posted by a person is to check whether the person often posts or tweets on such kind of informative topic or not. If a person tweets or posts on any other social media on an informative topic for the first time, it is more likely that the information is misleading and should be immediately corroborated from other sources. The fifth step would be to check the age of the accounts. Information emanating from the newly and recently created accounts are more likely to be misleading and deceiving. The last step to ensure the validity of information would be to check whether the source from which the information has emanated is reliable or not (Bakshy et al. 2012). Conclusion Social media has become a part of life in the 21st century. Almost everyone in today's world has an account on social media. There is no doubt that using social media adds knowledge and information to an individual but at the same time, the users need to be extremely careful and cautious while surfing the social media because of the risk associated with the use of the social media. Reference List Bakshy, E., Rosenn, I., Marlow, C. and Adamic, L., 2012, April. The role of social networks in information diffusion. InProceedings of the 21st international conference on World Wide Web(pp. 519-528). ACM. Freedman, K. and Wertheim, G., Freedman and Kobi, 2015.COLLABORATIVE SYSTEM FOR CYBER SECURITY ANALYSIS. U.S. Patent 20,150,172,311. Klausen, J., 2015. Tweeting the jihad: Social media networks of Western foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq.Studies in Conflict Terrorism,38(1), pp.1-22. Saravanakumar, M. and SuganthaLakshmi, T., 2012. Social media marketing.Life Science Journal,9(4), pp.4444-4451. Svec, H.A., 2015. FCJ-183 iHootenanny: A Folk Archeology of Social Media.The Fibreculture Journal, (25 2015: Apps and Affect). Ting, T.Y., 2015. DIY Citizenship: Critical Making and Social Media, edited by Matt Ratto and Megan Boler. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2014. 450 pp. $30.00 paper. ISBN 9780262525527 (paper).The Information Society,31(3), pp.294-295. Von Solms, R. and Van Niekerk, J., 2013. From information security to cyber security.computers security,38, pp.97-102. Xu, L., Duan, J.A. and Whinston, A., 2014. Path to purchase: A mutually exciting point process model for online advertising and conversion.Management Science,60(6), pp.1392-1412.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Battle of Hattin in the Crusades

Battle of Hattin in the Crusades The Battle of Hattin was fought July 4, 1187, during the Crusades. In 1187, after a series of disputes, the Ayyubid armies of Saladin commenced moving against the Crusader states including the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Meeting the Crusader army west of Tiberias on July 3, Saladin engaged in a running battle as it moved towards the town. Surrounded during the night, the Crusaders, who were short on water, were unable to break out. In the resulting fight, the bulk of their army was destroyed or captured. Saladins victory opened the way for the recapture of Jerusalem later that year. Fast Facts: Battle of Hattin Conflict: The CrusadesDates: July 4, 1187Armies Commanders:CrusadersGuy of LusignanRaymond III of TripoliGerard de RidefordBalian of IbelinRaynald of Chatillonapprox. 20,000 menAyyubidsSaladinapprox. 20,000-30,000 men Background During the 1170s, Saladin began expanding his power from Egypt and worked to unite the Muslim states surrounding the Holy Land. This resulted in the Kingdom of Jerusalem being encircled by a unified enemy for the first time in its history. Attacking the Crusader state in 1177, Saladin was engaged by Baldwin IV at the Battle of Montgisard. The resulting fight saw Baldwin, who was suffering from leprosy, lead a charge that shattered Saladins center and put the Ayyubids to rout. In the wake of the battle, an uneasy truce existed between the two sides. Succession Issues Following Baldwins death in 1185, his nephew Baldwin V assumed the throne.  Only a child, his reign proved brief as he died a year later. As the Muslim states in the region were uniting, there was increasing dissension in Jerusalem with the elevation of Guy of Lusignan to the throne. Claiming the throne through his marriage to Sibylla, mother of the late child-king Baldwin V, Guys ascension was supported by Raynald of Chatillon and the military orders such as the Knights Templar.   Known as the court faction, they were opposed by the nobles faction. This group was led by Raymond III of Tripoli, who had been Baldwin Vs regent,  and who were angered by the move. Tensions quickly escalated between the two parties and civil war loomed as Raymond left the city and rode to Tiberias.  Civil war loomed as Guy considered besieging Tiberias and  was only avoided through mediation by Balian of Ibelin. Despite this, Guys situation remained tenuous as Raynald repeatedly violated the truce with Saladin by attacking Muslim trade caravans in Oultrejordain and threatening to march on Mecca. This came to a head when his men assaulted a large caravan traveling north from Cairo. In the fighting, his troops killed many of the guards, captured the merchants, and stole the goods. Operating within in the terms of the truce, Saladin sent envoys to Guy seeking compensation and redress. Reliant on Raynald to maintain his power, Guy, who conceded that they were in the right, was forced to send them away unsatisfied, despite knowing that it would mean war. To the north, Raymond elected to conclude a separate peace with Saladin to protect his lands. Saladin on the Move This deal backfired when Saladin requested permission for his son, Al-Afdal, to lead a force through Raymonds lands. Compelled to allow this, Raymond saw Al-Afdals men enter Galilee and meet a Crusader force at Cresson on May 1. In the battle that ensured, the outnumbered Crusader force, led by  Gerard de Ridefort, was effectively destroyed with only three men surviving.  In the wake of the defeat, Raymond left Tiberias and rode to Jerusalem. Calling his allies to assemble, Guy hoped to strike before Saladin could invade in force. Renouncing his treaty with Saladin, Raymond fully reconciled with Guy and a Crusader army of around 20,000 men formed near Acre. This included a mix a of knights and light cavalry as well as around 10,000 infantry along with mercenaries and crossbowmen from the Italian merchant fleet. Advancing, they occupied a strong position near the springs at Sephoria. Possessing a force nearly the size of Saladins, the Crusaders had defeated earlier invasions by holding strong positions with reliable water sources while allowing the heat to cripple the enemy (Map). Saladins Plan Aware of past failings, Saladin sought to lure Guys army away from Sephoria so that it could be defeated in open battle. To accomplish this, he personally led an attack against Raymonds fortress at Tiberias on July 2 while his main army remained at Kafr Sabt. This saw his men quickly penetrate the fortress and trap Raymonds wife, Eschiva, in the citadel. That night, the Crusader leaders held a war council to determine their course of action. While the majority was for pressing on to Tiberias, Raymond argued for remaining in the position at Sephoria, even if it meant losing his fortress. Though the precise details of this meeting are not known, it is believed that Gerard and Raynald argued strenuously for an advance and indicated that Raymonds suggestion that they hold their position was cowardly. Guy elected to push on in the morning. Marching out on July 3, the vanguard was led by Raymond, the main army by Guy, and the rearguard by Balian, Raynald, and the military orders. Moving slowly and under constant harassment by Saladins cavalry, they reached the springs at Turan (six miles away) around noon. Concentrating around the spring, the Crusaders eagerly took water. The Armies Meet Though Tiberias was still nine miles away, with no reliable water en route, Guy insisted on pressing on that afternoon. Under increasing attacks from Saladins men, the Crusaders reached a plain by the twin hills of the Horns of Hattin by mid-afternoon. Advancing with his main body, Saladin began attacking in force and ordered the wings of his army to sweep around the Crusaders. Attacking, they surrounded Guys thirsty men and cut off their line of retreat back to the springs at Turan. Realizing that it would be difficult to reach Tiberias, the Crusaders shifted their line of advance in an attempt to reach the springs at Hattin which were around six miles away. Under increasing pressure, the Crusader rearguard was forced to halt and give battle near the village of Meskana, stopping the entire armys advance. Though advised to fight on to reach water, Guy elected to halt the advance for the night. Surrounded by the enemy, the Crusader camp possessed a well but it was dry. Disaster Throughout the night, Saladins men taunted the Crusaders and set fire to the dry grass on the plain. The next morning, Guys army awoke to blinding smoke. This came from fires set by Saladins men to screen their actions and increase the Crusaders misery. With his men weakened and thirsty, Guy broke camp and ordered an advance towards the springs of Hattin. Despite having sufficient numbers to break through the Muslim lines, fatigue and thirst badly weakened the cohesion of the Crusader army. Advancing, the Crusaders were effectively counterattacked by Saladin. Two charges by Raymond saw him break through the enemy lines, but once outside the Muslim perimeter, he lacked enough men to influence the battle. As a result, he retreated from the field. Desperate for water, much of Guys infantry attempted a similar breakout, but failed. Forced onto the Horns of Hattin, the majority of this force was destroyed. Without infantry support, Guys trapped knights were unhorsed by Muslim archers and forced to fight on foot. Though fighting with determination, they were driven onto the Horns. After three charges against the Muslim lines failed, the survivors were forced to surrender. Aftermath Precise casualties for the battle are not known, but it resulted in the destruction of the majority of the Crusader army. Among those captured were Guy and Raynald. While the former was treated well, the latter was personally executed by Saladin for his past transgressions. Also lost in the fighting was a relic of the True Cross which was sent to Damascus. Quickly advancing in the wake of his victory, Saladin captured Acre, Nablus, Jaffa, Toron, Sidon, Beirut, and Ascalon in rapid succession. Moving against Jerusalem that September, it was surrendered by Balian on October 2. The defeat at Hattin and subsequent loss of Jerusalem led to the Third Crusade. Beginning in 1189, it saw troops under Richard the Lionheart, Frederick I Barbarossa, and Philip Augustus advance on the Holy Land.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Free Essays on Cognitive Therapy For Depression

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps improve people’s moods and behavior by changing their way thinking; also, how they interpret events and talk to themselves. This form of psychotherapy helps guide people into thinking more realistically and teaches them coping strategies to deal with their depression. Cognitive therapy is in most cases a short- term treatment that can have long-term results. I will discuss depression in adolescence and how it effects personal adjustments, which may often continue into adulthood. I will also discuss depression in the elderly. There are different approaches to treating depression, the main approach that will be discussed is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a way to break the cycle for depression. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? Cognitive behavior therapy helps people break the connections between difficult situations and their habitual reactions to them. This can be reactions such as fear, rage or depression, and self-defeating or self-damaging behavior. It also teaches people how to calm their mind and body, so they can feel better, think more clearly, and make better decisions. Cognitive therapy also teaches people how certain thinking patterns are causing their symptoms. This is accomplished by giving people a distorted picture of what's going on in their life, and making them feel anxious, depressed or angry for no good reason.(Francis, 2000) When people are in behavior therapy and cognitive therapy, it provides them with various tools for stopping their symptoms and getting their life on a more satisfying track. In cognitive therapy, the therapist takes an active part in solving a patient’s problems. He or she doesn't settle for just nodding wisely while the patient carries the whole burden of finding the answers they came to therapy for initially. Cognitive therapists teach patients to identify their negative thoughts, recognize their erroneous nature ... Free Essays on Cognitive Therapy For Depression Free Essays on Cognitive Therapy For Depression Cognitive behavioral therapy helps improve people’s moods and behavior by changing their way thinking; also, how they interpret events and talk to themselves. This form of psychotherapy helps guide people into thinking more realistically and teaches them coping strategies to deal with their depression. Cognitive therapy is in most cases a short- term treatment that can have long-term results. I will discuss depression in adolescence and how it effects personal adjustments, which may often continue into adulthood. I will also discuss depression in the elderly. There are different approaches to treating depression, the main approach that will be discussed is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a way to break the cycle for depression. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? Cognitive behavior therapy helps people break the connections between difficult situations and their habitual reactions to them. This can be reactions such as fear, rage or depression, and self-defeating or self-damaging behavior. It also teaches people how to calm their mind and body, so they can feel better, think more clearly, and make better decisions. Cognitive therapy also teaches people how certain thinking patterns are causing their symptoms. This is accomplished by giving people a distorted picture of what's going on in their life, and making them feel anxious, depressed or angry for no good reason.(Francis, 2000) When people are in behavior therapy and cognitive therapy, it provides them with various tools for stopping their symptoms and getting their life on a more satisfying track. In cognitive therapy, the therapist takes an active part in solving a patient’s problems. He or she doesn't settle for just nodding wisely while the patient carries the whole burden of finding the answers they came to therapy for initially. Cognitive therapists teach patients to identify their negative thoughts, recognize their erroneous nature ...

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Developments of DNA profiles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Developments of DNA profiles - Essay Example g of the PCR primers are efficient and reliable forensic DNA analysis techniques as there is a inverse correlation between the number of polymorphic loci examined and the probability of identical alleles in two individuals. Developing DNA profiles for the identification of individuals who are unknown or identifiable or victims of accidents, calamities, crimes, and disasters using automated STR multiplex kits that rely on spectral resolution using different colored fluorescent dyes to label the overlapping loci due the presence of alleles that fall in the same size range has proven to be one of the most innovative methods. In fact, the polyacrylamide gels that are used in STR can resolve DNA fragments that differ by as little as 1 nucleotide in length and this precise allele designation eliminates the need for match guidelines and continuous allele distribution models that are usually needed in conventional DNA profiling methods The genes are the smaller portions of the DNA that produce a particular product, such as protein. They are particularly useful in the process for profiling. Other portions of the DNA whose functions are not determined yet are called â€Å"spacer or packer DNA between the genes† (DNA Profiling n.d., p. 2). These areas are called minisatellites while the smaller repetitive sequences are called as microsatellites (e.g. 4 base pairs). Short Tandem Repeats or STRs determine the number of times the sequence is repeated. Though identification is prohibitive in developing countries where the technology is quite expensive due to extensive processing, these countries usually send DNA samples to developed countries for analysis and profiling. (Lehman & Criscuolo 2009, p. 1). The Short Tandem Repeat or STR process of identification is said to be the new methodology is DNA profiling (DNA Profiling n.d., p. 3). The STR loci are said to be the â€Å"informative genetic markers† for DNA profiling currently in use, even for the degraded samples (Budowlea,

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Fair Trade Brands - Secrets of the Worldwide Popularity Coursework

Fair Trade Brands - Secrets of the Worldwide Popularity - Coursework Example Fairtrade mainly exists in developing countries and it targets specific areas, for instance, the Handicrafts, Coffee Industry, Tea Industry etc, it does so in order to make sure that the workers and the producers are benefitted and their economic stature improves by participating in Fairtrade. To understand the concept better, its principles should be well understood and they are as follows: â€Å"Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers, Fairtrade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system.† The most important principle of Fairtrade is to ensure that there are ample opportunities provided to the producer, the sole aim of Fairtrade is to ensure the well being of the workers and the producers and in this process the first is to provide opportunities to the producer because only when the producer has opportunities, it can be passed on to the workers. â€Å"Transparency and accountability, Fairtrade involves transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners.† Another important principle of Fairtrade is to make sure transparency exists in every activity initiated by it, in the sense that every activity initiated by Fair trade should be without any fusses and problems, fair rules and policies are followed hence ensuring the economic and financial safety of the producer. Another important principle is to make sure that the producer gets complete independence, in the sense that he/she shouldn’t have restrictions hampering their growth, it provides a very good platform for the growth of the producers and it also improves their marketing skills by giving them access to the market where they get to know so many things which they wouldn’t have learned had they not participated in Fairtrade.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Analysing the strategy of IKEA

Analysing the strategy of IKEA IKEA, has operations in as many as 41 countries with 29 trading service office in 25 countries along with 27 Distribution Centres plus 11 Customer Distribution Centres in 16 countries Since 1997, Ikea has more than 300 Stores in 35 countries and it has further plans to expand in Russia and China and to Start in India. Inspite of IKEA brand expanding across the world and Sales growth increasing the rise has been moderate considering the economical slum across the world since 2009 and still expected to be around for financial year 2010-2011 Economical uncertainty around people tend to invest less in leisure and comfort and prefer to save for the rainy day , based on this factor , In order to sustain current Sales growth and to improve performance , expanding into new territory and opening new stores wont help the model. Instead, Ikea in order to maintain the Top brand status in its segment must pursue the model of Cost Effectiveness by assessing the Competitors and External environment , track the key Opportunities and read the Threats which it can affect their Sales growth and business as a whole , study its Strengths and Weaknesses that affects or could affect for current and future fincancial year to get the best out of the current weak consumer market. The base of this report is to forcast Strategies for improving the performance of the IKEA in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and returns to investors this we will be doing by assessing IKEA s External environment with the help of PESTLE analysis to track the Political, Economical, Social, Technological, legal and Environmental situtions along with the Industrial environment using the Portals five forces model to analyse the core business segment of IKEA. Report will also cover the SWOT analysis to analyse the companys Internal performance to track the Opportunities and Threats it faces and could be facing in future. Introduction. IKEA, the Swedish privately owned chain established in 1943 is a International retailer of home products that ranges from furniture, bathroom and kitchen accessories. Brand name IKEA is derived from the initials of its founder owner Ingvar Kamprad, the farm Elmtaryd where Ingvar grew up in the village called Agunnaryd. IKEA blue and yellow logo represts the color of the Swedish National Flag,. IKEA since its inception in 1943, has established its presence and operational base in many countries across continents in Europe, USA, Canada, Asia and Australia. The IKEA group also has expanded the IKEA brand in Russia ,China East Europe and Middle East and is looking for a partner to make their presence in India. IKEA started with selling products like picture frames, wallets, tablerunners before moving to the core main business line Furniture in the year 1948 and year 1955 IKEA started manufacturing its own furniture ranges with were innovative , low cost and yet attractive and that could be self assembled. IKEA collects Franchise fees in form of 3% sales from each of its stores , In 2004 IKEA group made à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬631m in franchise fees and after deducation of operational charges made à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬225m pre tax profits. IKEA brand is managed and operated by INGKA Holding company which is associated with INGKA Foundation registered as a Charity organisation registed under Dutch law which implies that IKEAs entire asset and earning TAX exempted and with Kampard family controlling the INGKA foundation makes IKEA a tightly controlled family enterprise keeping it safe from hostile takeovers. IKEA management as part of its Social and Environment committment have taken to Green initiative to reduce Carbon footprint across its worldwide chains of stores have invested into renewable source of power like Wind and Solor based power Utilization for its electricity needs and as part of this IKEA in 2010 brought Six wind farms in Germany with capacity of 45MW generating enough power to run 17 IKEA stores and Four wind farms in France taking the total of wind turbines owned by IKEA to 52 covering 10% of power needs of the IKEA. IKEAs Charitable initiative includes working in close association with various groups like UNCEF in programs suchs as Save the children to help fight child labour problem in north India,works with American Forest , works with organisation that deals in causes such as violence against Women and children in Uganda and played important role in helping American victims of Hurrican Katrina. IKEA having establised its brand name in Western Europe where IKEA is short name for home appliances that comes with latest designs and at a affordable price for the working class, In UK and Ireland IKEA made Sales of  £1.2 bn with 6% market rise. In France which is the third largest market for IKEA, company has around 28 stores and IKEA had around 17% market share and accounted for 10% of overall IKEA Global growth. Germany has around 45 IKEA stores and it was the biggest market for IKEA in 2009 accounting for 16% of overall Global growth. IKEA ventured into new horizons particularly in America ,Australia , Russia, China and Japan and its employee base in Year 2010 touched 127,000, number of IKEA stores grew at rate of 10% annually, IKEA has around 12 Stores in Russia and the sales from Russia was expected to grown in range of around 15.5 % annually China which has around 8 stores the sales for IKEA in around 2004 to 2006 was around $120m, Australia has around 5 stores the total sales from Asia and Australia contributed around 6% of global sales and the profits for year 2009-2010 jumped from $434,000 to $4.9 million. IKEA had in around 2004 set the target for US to have around 50 outlets by 2010 and is second biggest market by sales, IKEA modelled their stores as not just a place strickly for one time shoppers but as a family outing, this model arounds the concept of having wacky promotions and having one Stop Sancture for which their stores have recreational facilities like baby centres and restaurants so that shopper s can take a break ,as a breather and fresh mind would always encourage the shoppers to keep going, US and JAPAN venture was a learning curve for IKEA as the sales initially didnt touched the expected level in around the 90s era, inspite of their products being competitive in the price segment IKEA sales were down and hence there was the bottleneck which latter was found out to be matching the phrase When in Rome , do what the Romans do, IKEA designers found that in order to increase their sales they had suit to everyones need based on the community day to day following in this IKEAs US based designers analysed the home appliance needs of the Hispanic communities which normally have large family hence for example a European styled table for two would have not been a good bargin for the large family , IKEA used this learning curve in US to design their product to match the needs of the local community and used this as a benchmark across the world which helped IKEA brand become a hous ehold name outside the Western European zone as well. The European Market accounted for 82% of Sales with revenue reaching $27 billion by 2007 and in 2008 its websites had touched around 450 million hits. Current Macro level Study. PESTEL Analyis Political Factors: IKEA started with a family business model expanding itself across the world , same way in many countries wood craft business has been main source of Income for many since generations and to protect the locals community and their main source of Income,Local Government takes to Protectionism so that their business can sustain and also help boast local Production and under Protectionists policies local government can put certain restriction like high tariffs on imports and have a fix celling price for the products . IKEA main selling concept was that its product were low in comparision however IKEA have always taken note of Local Government policies and worked within the legal frame work on all fronts including the pricing. The recent Economic downturn did help IKEA to sustain without needing to increase the price of its product as many of the local government had reduced the taxes and on provided subsidies to firms on account of the global economic crisis. Economic Factors: The current economical downturn has had its affect on the IKEAs over all Profitibility with reduced margins as consumers tend to save more and spend less on consumer goods because of the reduced purchasing power for many have been made redundant ,working at reduced salary and or freeze on the annual increments and in the environment where you dont know if you will have the job next day. The constant fluctuation of exchange rates and price of fuels and raw materials that is being used by IKEA have gone up around the world resulting in increased purchasing price and increase in distribution costs which makes it difficult to sell finished products at low price and due to economical crisis many local retailers have reduced their tariffs there by bringing down the profit margin of IKEA.IKEA have to therefore take steps accordingly to adjust to this economical uncertainty to maintain its brand image and sales. Social Factors: Social factors plays a very important role in growth of a brand and on Sales that variably decides the profit margins in new territories, for example for the Hispanic community based in USA which normally have large family hence for large family a European styled table for two-four would have not been a good bargin for the large family of say Six, likewise Japanese people who are brand conscious are ready to buy products at high price would think twice to buy IKEA products that are sold as low price products on same line the social following in China and India would differ from the Japanese following as In India and China communities follow the concept of Saving rather than going by the western lifesytle of living life on Credits so they may prefer IKEA brand which are marketed as best product at low price. Technological Factors: In order to attrack a new customer and please the existing customers, tested product delivered ontime and easy to use does the trick and in this mode business to sustain must take to latest technology and systems, IKEA have always taken to modernation model which helped shorter at their walk in stores , on time scheduling and dispatching of goods to trading partners and end online customers using Radio Frequency Identification device(RFID) which have helped the supply chain following of IKEA , proper training to labour force within production line and at stores have also helped IKEA streamline their business model. Legal Factors: IKEA follows legal parameters down right to the last point as in evry country they have their businesses, In some countries logging is illegal and in some countries locals along with international peace organisation protest against wood based Industries , IKEA keeps all these government law, regulations and local concerns in mind and takes to fair business trading, Environmental Factors: IKEA maintains and sticks to International stated standards across the global when it comes to Enviornment , IKEA follows that to present a positive corporate Image they have to keep note of local and International concerns on environment, keeping these factors IKEA have taken to sustainable business practices format in relation to air,water and noise pollutions in terms of their finished products. IKEA forest practise is encompassed within their IWAY which specifies labour ,environment and forest management for itself and its suppliers Internal Analysis IKEA since its inception with its vast experience in the Furniture segment and Cost management, best business practice and product differentiation have turned the brand into a International name in the Home appliance retail business , IKEA with its Strengths and different Opportunities have its own Weaknesses and faces Threats from certain determined and some unforeseen conditions. SWOT analysis for IKEA: Strengths: IKEA have over the years able to place themself as a household brand in the Home appliances segment across continents across communities and across the Economical class. IKEA vast network of stores,malls ,partners and supplies along with their Customer and market based pricing model keeps the Sales growth not to fall down below a level even in tough economical crisis. IKEA with years load of experience in the Home Applicance business have Product specialists who comes handy to design sleek attractive product at affordable prices for the end user. Weaknesses: IKEA believes in following Strick Labour and Environment policies set by local government , however due to their sheer volume of Global Business it might happen that in some countries local partners may not be following all the policies to the full spirit which might bring down the Image of IKEA in the eyes of the end Consumers who are conscious and concern for these Issues. IKEA even thou is a Established across continents the bulk of the Revenue comes from european market where 90% of its Stores are based. IKEA even thou employes latest technology right from purchasing of raw material to the despatching of the finished product , their Customer service model is still contact based and in this day and night age of having 24*7 voice based customer service some customer may get swayed across by competitors advertising their customer service as being best to current world following. Opportunity: IKEA pricing model have attracted people from all Income groups in Europe and America and since IKEA is concentrating on Asian market specially India and China with such a large middle class population that are cost conscious , IKEA business model will be best suited for growth in these price conscious based market. IKEAs vast years of experience in this segment helps them to design products as per local community and changing market needs. Threats: IKEA since is spread worldwide any Change in Political and economical needs due to religious, cultural and political uprising for example the current situation in the middle east where locals are up against Administration for seeking implementation of democracy could affect the overall business model in short and the long term plans in-terms of Sales growth and revenue generations. Uprising in terms of political,cultural and religious Issues which could lead to rise in fuel price which in turn could lead to increase in distribution cost affecting the supply chain link and the pricing model of IKEA. IKEA Partners who have been given franchisees rights could suddenly put in new conditions to the central IKEA management. IKEA main suppliers of raw material may run into problem again due to political,Cultural or religious uprising in the local government zone which could affect the overall supply chain link of IKEA. Porters five forces model for IKEA Power of the Buyers: Economical situations do alter the buying pattern across the globe however IKEA has a edge over its competitors as IKEA have always followed the a pricing model that is flexible to change in situation and caters to all class of customers to fit the buyers need. Power of Supplier: IKEA Utilizes the service of several third party suppliers for its product line who have to follow strick International standards laid down by IKEA. Normally suppliers try to set in conditions in midst of their business relationship however uptill now IKEA have not faced such situation as IKEA have business relationship with several suppliers who competete with each other. Rivalry: Furniture brands cater to special styles and functionality for example Cratel Barrel have their product in a box format and is priced at a high end same goes for brand Wal-mat which again comes in box format even thou prices are at affordable range but they lack the style appeal.IKEA has very strong hold in the home appliance market and has become a house hold name across the world and their product line come in complete package and at a attractive price which keeps no scope for rival firms to adversely effect the Sales growth of IKEA. New Entrants: IKEA which is a established brand world wide there is little scope for new entrant to affect IKEA business in cities and towns where IKEA have a hold for their best pricing model , good supply chain link and their advertisement so it is difficult for new entrant to take on such a big brand name to have affect on growth sales of IKEA. Substitutes: IKEA have vast experience in the home appliance segment and have designers who have expertise in this segment and use latest technology and development in the home appliances segment so even if there is any new trend or development on the product line technology and style IKEA have resources who can come up their own to be in line with the needs of current trends. FUTURE: Strategic Direction for the future. All established Business enterprises have suffered on the profit margin charts since 2009 todate due to the economical turmoil that has hit across the world, IKEA in order to sustain the profit margins in future have to plan keeping current market situation in which many numbers have been made redundant, retained by employers at a reduced pay package and or their Increment have been freezed, IKEA have always attracted customers because of their attractive product which are priced at low end and IKEA which have their own research and design team who have years load of experience in this field will have to come out with products that are Multi-purpose, cost effective , cuts production costs and can appeal to large section of the society in midst of the economical recession. Some of the IKEA suppliers for example Shaw Wood at their Nova scotia plant took to Lean Management which goes on the concept of Faster, Better, Cheaper which helped Shaw Wood reduce production time,reduced production costs and reduced nonessential activities in the product line as everything happened as planned this helped IKEA directly , IKEA taking lessons from Shaw Wood supplier could seek to implement the same Lean management concept at its own production plants across the globe and also suggest its other suppliers to take to this route as production cost saved can partly offset rise in raw materials and fuel prices and this inturn will help IKEA in their low pricing model which can increase the Sales growth . Most of the business have moved major chunk of their selling directly to the customer via telephone booking and on-line booking , IKEA have always had a sucessful online selling model with nearly 450 million hits for FY 2007, IKEA should carry forward with their good advertisement concepts that capatures the local community and how IKEA product fits into the daily needs of their life plus IKEA could promote online Advertisements on different networking sites like Orkut and facebook as most of the end consumers have moved their shopping needs online and constant promotional based advertisements can tempt the online implusive shopper into going for the deal bargin. IKEA even thou employes latest technology right from purchasing of raw material to the despatching of the finished product , their Customer service model is still contact based and voice recorded based in this day and night age of having 24*7 live voice based customer service some customer may get swayed across by competitors advertising their customer service as being best to current world following IKEA have managed to sustain Sales growth inspite of the recession and their low price model by having good supply chain link, to continue further on this growth path IKEA should associate with local established suppliers on a long term basis and contracts that tides away uncertainities like fluctation of exchange rates ,increase in fuel costs or turmoil in the region of distribution by political or social uprising, to have good supply chain link IKEA needs to have a robost logistic system at their distribution centre which cuts costs as for moving the products around IKEA would need the use of trucks and trains, IKEA can go for cost effective by renting trucks instead of owning trucks from local established vehicle rental companies on a long term agreement contract as this would save IKEA distribution centres costs of vehicle Insurance, Vehicle breakdown , on Vehicle services and MOT as most of the vehicle rental companies include these as a package for their exclusive long term big customers. IKEA has a strong brand presence across the world in order to retain their brand Image specially taking legal,labour and environment concerns as there is large number of customers that are emotional over these Issues and going on wrong side could bring down the Image, IKEA will have to keep going with their ethical and moral following which they have been following and insisting their partners as well as suppliers to follow on the same track that is on complying with legal ,labour and environmental standards as laid by the government. Reference : Executive Summary http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/pdf/yearly_summary/Welcome_inside_2010_update.pdf http://franchisor.ikea.com/showContent.asp?swfId=store9 Recent Past. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/01/ikea-profits-increase http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/IKEA-sets-growth-course-in-France-2010-09-28T093729Z-INTERVIEW-UPDATE-1 http://yourbusinessinrussia.blogspot.com/2010/10/ikea-publish-its-financial-reports.html http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b5b6ce42-bb68-11df-a136-00144feab49a.html#axzz1GRTmr3OZ http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/store/croydon/environment http://www.economist.com/node/6919139?story_id=6919139 http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/pdf/yearly_summary/Welcome_inside_2010_update.pdf http://franchisor.ikea.com/showContent.asp?swfId=store9 http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/01/ikea-profits-increase http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/IKEA-sets-growth-course-in-France-2010-09-28T093729Z-INTERVIEW-UPDATE-1 http://yourbusinessinrussia.blogspot.com/2010/10/ikea-publish-its-financial-reports.html http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/store/croydon/environment http://www.economist.com/node/6919139?story_id=6919139 Future growth http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/jobs/business_types/distribution_logistics/index.html IKEA Lean Management. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3156/is_13_106/ai_n25038763/

Monday, January 20, 2020

Yahoo! - The Internet Search Engine Essay -- Expository Essays Researc

Yahoo! - The Internet Search Engine Yahoo! is my search engine of choice. In this paper I will discuss why I personally choose Yahoo! as my search engine and what I found out about the company. First, I choose Yahoo! for several reasons. The first reason being that is my laptops' home page. I find it a lot easier to search for something without searching for a different search engine. Second, I have heard good things about Yahoo! and I know that many of my classmates also use Yahoo!. The results that I get back when doing a search are usually adequate and I will ultimately use the results. I did however, compare this search engine with MSN. I found that Yahoo! was much better in presenting facts about their company in a user friendly manner. For MSN it was difficult to even find the information requested in this assignment. For this assignment finding how the company acquires information was rather easy although it never came right out and stated how. How it organizes the information when putting in a search request was never found but I do have some...

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Infrastructure

Is infrastructure a key factor to the growth and stability of the economy? or is it a non-factor and needs not to be maintained and improved to better serve and help improve the economy. Infrastructure in general is the system of transport and communication in a state, region or country. A famous Canadian geographer was once quoted saying, â€Å"†¦ any region which has a well-developed transportation and communication network also enjoys a high degree of economic prosperity†¦ This statement has sparked much controversy between geographers, Politicians, as well as conomists. Question is, is there a link between a well-developed infrastructure and economy prosperity (economy growth)? Without a doubt, there is a direct link. Infrastructure facilitates the basic functions of a society that are necessary to transport resources and people, produce and trade goods, provide essential services and ultimately reduce poverty.The direct link can be understood better by looking at the effects of infrastructure. The drawbacks of poor infrastructure lead to high transport cost especially in landlocked areas, thus the economy gets affected. Employment is low where there is poor infrastructure. Lack of adequate infrastructure perpetuates poverty, because it denies possibilities. Affordability, it is relatively expensive to maintain and build.Due to this factors and the analyses from the department of treasury know is an ideal time to increase our investment because, infrastructure investments have long-term economic benefits and create Jobs in the short run, there is currently a high level of underutilized resources that can be used to improve and expand our infrastructure. The cost of transportation is lowered for American households, there is a strong demand by the public and businesses for dditional transport infrastructure capacity.Long-term economic benefits from infrastructure create Jobs in the short run and this is a crucial and important aspect of growth and economic stability in a country. As much as the infrastructure is important and maintaining it being so expensive, if the economy is not good it is hard to have a developed and well maintained infrastructure system. Research has shown that well-designed infrastructure investments can raise economic growth, productivity, and land values, while also providing significant spillovers to areas such as energy efficiency, public health and manufacturing.Thus to say both infrastructure and economy go hand in hand. They affect each other both negatively and positively. On June 29, 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 â€Å"The national system of interstate and defense highways† according to Eisenhower the purpose of this was to eliminate unsafe roads, inefficient routes, traffic Jams and all of the other things that got in the way of â€Å"speedy, safe transcontinental travel. † for all these reasons the 1956 law declared that the constru ction of an elaborate expressway system was essential to the national interest and growth of the economy.Todays Interstate System is what our suburban lifestyle and caused the vast proliferation of businesses from HoJos to Holiday Inns. And if you order something online, most likely it's a truck barreling along an interstate that gets the product to your door. there are a lot of undiscovered materials that we could use not only that we have all the man power and technology we need to build whatever we need to improve our infrastructure Among those who gain employment as a result of additional infrastructure investment, the average unemployment rate has averaged approximately 13 percent over the past 12 months.This is more than one and one- half times the current national unemployment rate. Within the construction sector, which accounts for the majority of direct employment resulting from infrastructure investment, the unemployment rate has averaged 15. 6 percent over the past 12 mon ths. Construction costs and other costs associated with building projects are especially low in the current environment. As a result, the President has taken decisive action to accelerate project permitting and environmental review.In the President's August 31, 2011, memorandum, he directed the heads of all executive epartments and agencies to: (1) identify and work to expedite permitting and environmental reviews for high-priority infrastructure projects with significant potential for Job creation; and (2) implement new measures designed to improve accountability, transparency, and efficiency through the use of modern information technology.Relevant agencies should monitor the progress of priority projects; coordinate and resolve issues arising during permitting and environmental review; and develop best practices for expediting these decisions that may be instituted on a ider scale, consistent with applicable law. In addition, in this year's State of the Union address, the Preside nt announced his intention to â€Å"sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. † Investing in transportation infrastructure creates middleclass Jobs.Analysis suggests that 61 percent of the Jobs directly created by investing in infrastructure would be in the construction sector, 12 percent would be in the manufacturing sector, and 7 percent would be in the retail and wholesale trade sectors, for a total of 80 percent in hese three sectors. Nearly 90 percent of the Jobs in these three sectors most affected by infrastructure spending are middleclass Jobs, defined as those paying between the 25th and 75th percentile of the national distribution of wages.The President's proposal emphasizes transportation choices, including mass transit and high-speed rail, to deliver the greatest long-term benefits to those who need it most: middle-class families. The average American family spends more than $7,600 a year on transportation, which is more than they spend on food and twice what they spend n out-of-pocket health care costs. For 90 percent of Americans, transportation costs absorb one out of every seven dollars of income. This burden is due in large and this calls for better infrastructure and investing more in it to make progress.Multi-modal transportation investments are critical to making sure that American families can travel without wasting time and money stuck in traffic. A more efficient transportation money. Traffic congestion on our roads results in 1. 9 billion gallons of gas wasted per year, and costs drivers over $100 billion in wasted fuel and lost time. More efficient ir traffic control systems would save 3 billion gallons of Jet fuel a year, translating into lower costs for consumers.Finally, new research indicates that Americans who were able to live in housing were able to save $200 per month in lower costs over the past decade. Americans want more transportation investment. After years of underinvestment in our transportation system, Americans' satisfaction with our public transit system s middling when compared to public satisfaction with highways and public transit systems around the world. the Global competitiveness report for 2012-13, published arlier this month by the world economic forum showed that U.S infrastructure was ranked 7th in 2008, but has dropped to 14 in the world this year. The U. S. score dropped from 6. 10 in 2008 to 5. 7 this year (7 is the top score, and 1 is the worst score). One of the main reasons for the deterioration of U. S. infrastructure in the last five years, a deterioration which is reflected in the drop in ranking, is the economic downturn which began in 2008. Funding for roads, bridges, highways, and other critical infrastructure is largely dependent on state revenues, and as states ook less money in, they were forced to spend less on infrastructure maintenance and improvements.Passing the MAP-21 bill was an accomplishment for a d o-little Congress, but serious issues about how to pay for transportation in the future have yet to be resolved. The recent highway bill, MAP-21 replaces SAFETEA-LU, the last long-term federal transportation bill, which expired in 2009 for example, it did not increase spending on transportation, even though lawmakers were aware of the need to do so. The 2009 stimulus package did help shore up some infrastructure, but was not nearly sufficient to meet the countrys needs.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

The Liberties Of The Aclu - 1639 Words

Dear [Inside Salutation], This has been a truly exciting year for the ACLU. Whether we’re talking about national wins, like winning the freedom to marry at the Supreme Court, or state-level wins, like California’s groundbreaking reforms to protect digital privacy and fight racial profiling, we have a lot to be proud of. As our closest allies and stalwarts for civil liberties, we would not have such cause for celebration without your vital partnership. But we both know that the work of defending freedom is unending. As today’s generation of civil liberties advocates, we have inherited the hard-won freedoms that our predecessors fought for in courts, legislatures, and communities across the nation. With those freedoms, we have also†¦show more content†¦The ACLU has a long history of fighting police misconduct. From our landmark litigation in the 1940s and 50s establishing that police conduct which â€Å"shocks the conscience† is unconstitutional, to our current advocacy efforts against the targeted surveillance of Black Lives Matter activists, we are well-positioned to push for critical police reforms. With national advocacy efforts, state-level litigation and legislative work, and local grassroots organizing, we are more active than ever in demanding critical and long-overdue reform. The police brutality, racial profiling, and excessive force practices that plague police departments around the country also infect the San Francisco Police Department. Just this year, the department investigated four of its officers after dozens of racist and homophobic text messages between officers were disclosed in federal court. A third party report confirms the pervasive racial bias in the department, finding that Black adults in San Francisco are seven times as likely as white adults to be arrested. We recently filed a lawsuit against the San Francisco Police Department and several individual officers on behalf of Travis Hall, a 23-year old Black college student who was unlawfully detained, arrested, and beaten by SFPD officers. After suffering multiple injuries, Travis was held