Monday, September 30, 2019

Wounded Platoon

REACTION PAPER THE WOUNDED PLATOON Kevin Shields, a 24-year old Army Soldier, went out drinking with three Army buddies on November 30, 2007, from Fort Carson, Colorado, a base close to Colorado Springs. A few hours later, he was dead. He was shot twice in the head at close range and left by the side of the road by his army buddies. Shields' violent murder accentuated one of many violent attacks committed by the three Army buddies, who are now serving time in prison for Shield’s death and other crimes as well.Since the Iraq war began, a total of 18 soldiers from Fort Carson have been charged with or convicted of murder, manslaughter or attempted murder committed at home in the United States, and 36 Army soldiers have committed suicide. In the movie The Wounded Platoon, FRONTLINE investigate a single Fort Carson platoon of infantrymen, the 3rd Platoon, â€Å"Charlie Company† 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, and finds that after a long period time away from home, serving th eir country, a group of young men changed by the war in Iraq and suffering from a range of psychiatric disorders that many blame for their violent and self-destructive behaviors.Since returning from Iraq, three members of the 3rd Platoon have been convicted on murder or attempted murder charges; one was jailed for drunk driving and another for assaulting his spouse; and the other one has attempted suicide. They could not stop bragging about the amount of innocent people they have murdered and they have gotten away with it. â€Å"There's a whole bunch of people in the unit that killed people they weren't supposed to,† according to Bruce Bastien, who, along with Louis Bressler and Kenny Eastridge, is now serving time for the murder of Kevin Shields.In a stunning confession recorded by police interviewers and shown for the first time on television, Mr. Bastien admits to his role in the murder of two U. S. soldiers and the stabbing of a young woman during a robbery in Colorado Sp rings, thefts and murders are being committed in our own backyard by our own Army soldiers whose work is to protect us and our country. Mr. Bastien also makes claims about more murders committed in Iraq during the surge. â€Å"It's easy to get away with that kind of s**t over there. You can just do it and be like, ‘Oh, he had a gun,' and nobody really looks into it. ‘F*** it, it's just another deadHaji. ‘† But that excuse did not go too well for them here. While the Army has concluded that there is no evidence to back up Bastien's allegations of soldiers killing innocent Iraqis, PBS, Fontline also speaks with platoon member Jose Barco, who makes a similar claim. â€Å"We were pretty trigger-happy,† he says of the soldiers' time in Iraq. â€Å"We'd open up on anything. We usually rolled three or four trucks, and if one of them got hit and there was any males around, we'd open up, and we'd shoot at them. They even didn't have to be armed. † They have extended their behaviors here at home and even turned on their own Army buddies.ScienceDaily (Sept. 15, 209) The Veterans’ Administration should expect a high volume of Iraq veterans seeking treatment of post traumatic stress disorder, with researchers anticipating that the rate among armed forces will be as high as 35%, according to the Management Insights feature in the current issue of Management Science, the flagship journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS ®). 35% of our soldiers suffer from PTSD. The VA system which is already experiencing significant delays for PTSD treatment provision, urgently needs to vamp up its mental health resource capacity.Our soldiers are becoming mass murderers abroad and at home. Is it PTSD, boredom or just because they can get away with it? Anything less than manditory PTSD therapy upon return should be considered less than acceptable to the American public. We ask these personnel to put t heir ordinary lives on hold, commit unspeakable acts of valor and return to America without support and understanding. We can not begin to imagine the horrors these people have witnessed or experienced. With manitory treatment by psychotherapists, the stigma would be removed and maybe they would have a regained sense of morality. Being from N.C. and witnessing the struggles of returning military personnel from wartime, we need to do so much more for them. This was an excellent film and is exactly what I expected from Frontline. No opinions or hidden agendas. Just the facts and the room for us to interpret. I think we need to step back and remove the original problem, which is waging illegal wars in other countries. We are sending our people in there to be damaged, then trying to â€Å"fix† them, most of the time so they can become functional enough to go back on a deployment and do violence upon others and be re-traumatized. That is insanity.Did you notice how the assistant c hief of staff to the army talks about the soldiers as though they are products or commodities to be shipped to the front based on â€Å"supply and demand? † That is, indeed, exactly what they are. Just another pair of boots on the ground, just like any iraqi is â€Å"just another haji, like cattle or a dog. † These soldiers are de-humanized in the same way they have de-humanized the alleged â€Å"enemy† and that may be the moral lesson for them all. This should give any person a lot of pause before they voluntarily (and remember everyone, it is voluntary) signs up for this irrational, cowardly work. This should give any person a lot of pause before they voluntarily (and remember everyone, it is voluntary) signs up for this irrational,cowardly work. † You need to jump back with your bad self,you and like minded others are as much to blame as the incompetent system I've had to deal with because of my own issues,you reek of the snide arrogant sort who spend t he day blaming America for every wrong in the world before going home to sleep at night under that blanket of safety provided by better men than you,the same men you call cowards.You're not fit to lick the mud off any of my brother's boots What ‘blanket of safety' did the War in Iraq provide for anyone? It was and is a complete disaster that has cost us over 4,000 soldiers lives and $1 trillion to US taxpayers. It was waged based on lies by ‘chicken hawks', men like Dick Cheney who got 5 deferments when it was his turn to fight in Vietnam yet has no problem sending young American men and women to die for ‘weapons of mass destruction and liberating the Iraqi people. What a joke. The ‘support the troops' campaign is nothing but a Pentagon marketing strategy to take the onus off of the government's awful policies. If you really want to support the troops, look at the policies themselves and the terrible decision making that when into waging them and make sure it never happens again. We can support the troops by avoiding the needless deaths of 4,000 soldiers and the countless wounded. Thats real patriotism, saving American lives from needless death.I’m sure many Americans are scared of the same thing happening to their soldiers coming home in their hometown who are now in Afghanistan. So far our media has not really made any connections between crimes at home and PTSD. It will only be time. I’m also sure that our Military is keeping quiet. Sending our young men into combat result to PTSD, Madness, and violence backhome. The VA will ne er have enough resources to take care of the broken minds and bodies that wars have created.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Technical Data Corporation

Harvard Business School 9-283-072 Rev. December 1, 1987 Th Jeff Parker was 38 years old, and held BS (1965), Master of Engineering (1966) and MBA (1969) degrees from Cornell University. After receiving his MBA, Parker had been employed in a number of positions in the investment industry. From 1969 to 1971, he worked for Smith Barney is m This case was prepared as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright  © 1983 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise — without the permission of Harvard Business School. Distributed by HBS Case Services, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA 02163. Printed In U. S. A. 1 at er ia Jeff Parker lc an Since it was founded, TDC had proved t o be a more successful venture than Parker had thought probable when he started the company. By mid-1982, the company's revenues were running at an annual rate in excess of $1,000,000 and net profits after taxes were at a $270,000 annual rate. o tb e re Technical Data had been established in November of 1980. The necessary funds for starting the company had been raised by selling a package of debentures and stock representing 10% of the equity in the company to outside investors for $100,000. Parker retained 85% of the company. The outside investors were all active participants in the bond market. pr od uc ed Interdata Corporation supplied a wide variety of economic data and information services to a broad spectrum of firms. Interdata was a privately-held company with 1981 revenues of approximately $83 million. w ith u tp Technical Data was a supplier of data analysis services to the financial community specifically, to participants in the bond market, including bond traders, bond s alesmen, pension fund managers and bankers. er m is si on Technical Data Corporation fro m Scribbled at the bottom of the last worksheet was Parker's initial estimate of the value of his company. His calculations indicated a range of reasonable values from $5 to 10 million. Parker was somewhat aghast at the magnitude of this amount, given the firm's somewhat modest start only one and one-half years previously.When TDC was created in November, 1980 the total capitalization of the company was under $200,000. LA D C us to Jeff Parker, President of Technical Data Corporation (TDC), was going over some worksheets he had recently prepared. He was scheduled to meet the next day with Will Hollister, Chairman of Interdata Corporation. Hollister had asked Parker to discuss a possible investment by Interdata in TDC. Eventually, Hollister had said, Interdata was interested in buying the whole company. m Pu b lis h in g Technical Data Corporation . 283-072 Technical Data CorporationHarris Upham as a fixed income securities salesman. From 1972 to 1975, he was Vice President and Manager of the Corporate Bond Department of A. G. Becker. From 1975 to mid-1977, Parker helped develop a west-coast based bond operation for Loeb Rhoades. In mid-1977, Parker left San Francisco to come to Boston to work for Fidelity Management as a senior, fixed income portfolio manager. At Fidelity, Parker was responsible for managing the fixed income portion of a number of large pension fund portfolios. Th is Virtually all of the data analysis services embodied in TDC's product had been developed by Jeff Parker.During the period he had been employed as a bond trader and as a portfolio manager, he had written a number of proprietary programs to analyze bond data. In 1980, Parker had purchased an APPLE II micro-computer. He transferred all the programs he had developed over the years on large time-sharing systems so that they would run on the APPLE. The process of producing the â€Å"pages† to be sent out over the Telerate system was fairly simple. The requisite data were typed into the APPLE by a clerical worker. Then, the individual 2 m Also, TDC had introduced a number of new analytical services for use by traders of longterm bonds.By April of 1982, the company had expanded the number of pages of information offered from 19 to 40. There were always new ways to analyze or present data on yields and prices. at er ia lc Over the year and a half that the business had been in existence, a number of improvements had been made in the basic product. For example, when first introduced, the analysis of bond prices, yields and futures prices was updated only once a day. However, Technical Data had recently hired someone to update the data and analysis more frequently, in some cases as often as hourly. In the longer run, plans called for continuous updating by computer. n no tb e re pr TDC charged approximately $150. 00 per month per customer for access to its services. This fee was extremely modest in comparison to the other costs incurred by bond market professionals. By mid-1982, the company had over 500 paying subscribers, slightly under 10% of all the Telerate screens in existence. A representative list of customers is provided in Exhibit 2. od uc ed w Technical Data had the right to send out up to 40 â€Å"pages† of information over the Telerate system. Then, Telerate customers could contract separately with TDC to buy access to the TDC pages.Otherwise, the Telerate user could not gain access to the information. ith ou tp er The method of distributing the product was somewhat unusual. The data analysis was sent out over a computer network known as Telerate, the dominant distributor of fundamental data (e. g. , prices and volumes) in the bond business. By mid-1982, Telerate had over 6,000 customers, each of whom had a computer terminal linked electronically to Telerate's central computer. m is si on fro m The product had several components, all designed to provide information useful to bond market traders.For example, one service provided by TDC was an analysis of yield spreads on government securities of different maturities (e. g. , the difference between the yield available on a short-term treasury bill and the yield to maturity on a long-term government bond). A description of the basic product is contained in Exhibit 1. LA D C us to Parker left Fidelity in late 1980 to form TDC. The business plan called for the company to develop an information analysis system for sale to participants in the fixed-income securities business. The latter group would include bond traders, fixed-income salesmen, bankers and pension fund managers. Pu b lis h A Brief History of Technical Data Corporation in g . Technical Data Corporation 283-072 analysis programs were run to create summary reports useful to traders in the bond market. These reports were in turn transmitted directly to the Telerate central computer for transmission over the Telerate system. By mid-1982, TDC had 6 employees, including Parker. Parker was responsible for generating most of the ideas about product enhancements or new product introductions. Jody Morse, a Vice President of the firm, was in charge of office operations.Marketing of TDC's products was done on three levels. First, the Telerate system had certain pages set aside for advertisements. Also, advertisements were placed directly in relevant trade journals. The second level of marketing entailed direct contact by an employee of TDC on the phone. Possible users were identified and a phone call was placed to describe the product in some depth. Parker employed two people in this capacity. He called them â€Å"smilers and dialers. † The third level of marketing was done by Parker. Parker actively sought national exposure in the media.He made numerous presentations during meetings of bond market professionals. And, he made himself easily available to reporters for comments on current conditions in the bond markets. By mid-1982, Technical Data had an excellent reputation for delivering a high quality yet inexpensive product which was useful to investors in fixed income securities. Th Telerate had experienced tremendous growth over the past few years. The number of terminals in place was expected to reach 7,000 over the next year and a half. The company was just beginning to expand into the European market.A further complication in defining the size of the potential market for TDC was that there were suppliers of financial data other than Telerate. It was entirely feasible to provide the basic TDC services over other networks. And, perhaps even more importantly, the scope of TDC's product line could easily be expanded so that the potential market would be very large. In the last decade, there had been an 3 is m at er This list shows the approximate distribution of the existing Telerate customer base. However, Telerate had not come close to capturing 100% of all th e possible consumers of financial data on fixed-income securities. a lc an Total no Customer Type -U. S. Banks Brokers Mortgage Bankers Savings & Loans Insurance Companies Trading Operations and Money Managers Miscellaneous w ith Defining the market to which TDC's products were directed was somewhat difficult. A narrow definition suggested that the current subscribers to the Telerate system were the market. In turn, the distribution of Telerate's customers by type of business is given below: ou Telerate Systems, Inc. Approximate % of Total U. S. 20 % 25 20 7 2 20 6 100 % tb e re pr od uc ed tp er m The Market is si on fro m LA D C us to m Pu b lis h in g . 283-072Technical Data Corporation explosion in the number of types of securities in which money could be invested: stock options, financial futures, bond options, futures contracts on stock market indices were all relatively new investment media. Investors were hungry for information which would help them deal with the myriad choi ces among securities, and it was to this market that TDC would provide its services. For example, the company could provide a service similar to its bond market service to investors in common stocks. The dominant supplier of data in the stock market was a company called Quotron.Quotron had over 50,000 terminals around the world as compared with the 6,000 Telerate terminals. TDC could arrange to distribute a stock analysis service over the Quotron system on terms similar to those governing TDC's relationship with Telerate. It was also possible that TDC could deliver its current bond-based product to Quotron subscribers. To give some idea of the scope of possible products and distribution media, a copy of the Technical Data corporate charter is provided as Exhibit 3. The Competition Th is The company intended in the Fall of 1982 to introduce a brand new service over the Telerate system.Whereas the existing product provided data analysis of longer-term government securities and the rel ated financial futures, the new product would provide similar analysis for short-term financial securities (e. g. , U. S. Treasury Bills, certificates of deposit, and bankers's acceptances). Specialization by investors in the long-term or short-term end of the market suggested that there would not be much overlap in the client base. Both sets of customers, however, were very likely to have Telerate screens already installed as Telerate supplied raw data on securities of all maturities. m Parker had developed a strategic plan for the next several years which called for continued expansion and refinement of the company's current Telerate-based product. at er ia lc Future Plans and Projections an no Parker believed he had a significant advantage over other competitors, given his substantial knowledge of the market. His experience as a bond trader and as portfolio manager was an important asset. tb e re pr However, at least with respect to TDC's existing market niche, TDC's market penet ration was limited more by the ability of the company to contact otential customers and to sign them up than it was by direct competition. od uc ed Also, one of the reasons Interdata had contacted Parker was that the company was interested in expanding its data analysis capabilities. Like Telerate, Interdata was known principally as a supplier of raw data. w ith ou tp Indeed, Parker had discovered that Telerate was interested in developing its own analytical products to transmit over its system. It was possible that such products might be directly competitive to those offered by TDC.Parker knew, however, that Telerate would have to build a completely new department to produce analytical programs. Telerate had traditionally only provided raw financial data to the bond market. er m is si on fro m There were many current and possible competitors in the business of supplying data and analysis to the financial community. Some of these competitors were substantially larger in size than Te chnical Data. LA D C us to m Pu b lis h in g . Technical Data Corporation 283-072 Additionally, TDC planned to diversify away from Telerate as the sole distribution medium for its products.Specifically, the company was discussing arrangements with Quotron and Radiodata. As noted above, Quotron was the dominant supplier of financial information pertaining to the stock market. They were very much interested in performing a similar role in the fixed income markets. And, Parker's firm could provide services to stock investors similar to those provided for bond investors. In particular, Parker and TDC had expertise in some of the recently introduced financial securities – options and futures contracts on stock market indices such as the Standard & Poors 500. Th s m Financial Performance In November of 1980, when the company was formed, sales were zero. By mid-1982, sales were running at an annual rate of slightly over $1,000,000. From the day the company was formed to the end of A pril, 1982, the increment to retained earnings was $179,335. At that date, cash and marketable securities were slightly less than $400,000. Some recent financial statements and the associated notes to the financial statements are included as Exhibit 5. at er ia Current plans called for the introduction of two new software programs by the Fall of 1982.Parker hoped that introducing a complete line of programs with a common user interface would preempt the market, and would effectively create a barrier to entry. lc an no tb At Technical Data, Huebscher was in charge of overseeing the complete process of developing new stand-alone software programs. He would write some of the software himself, and he would assess the attractiveness of programs offered to TDC for resale by outside programmers. e re pr od Parker had recently hired a graduating MBA from Harvard Business School to be a product manager for the software series.Bob Huebscher had been a project manager for a software firm in Bo ston before entering business school. uc ed w In the last three years, the number of micro-computers being used by investment professionals had expanded dramatically. More generally, during this time period, over 1. 5 million so-called personal computers had been sold which could conceivably run software created by TDC. The introduction in late 1981 of a personal computer by IBM was an important event from TDC's perspective because its customer base was more likely to buy personal computers from IBM than from some of the other firms active in the industry. th ou tp er m is si on TDC was scheduled to introduce in July, 1982 the first of what was intended to be a broad line of financial software. The initial product was a yield calculator, and is described in Exhibit 4. The preliminary response in the market to pre-released versions of this product had been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. fro m LA Finally, TDC was in the process of introducing several stand-alone software products. These products were intended to be used by professional participants in the investment community on a personal computer. D C us to Radiodata was a relatively new company.They intended to supply information over the middle part of the FM radio band. The middle part was not used for radio transmission, but could provide a reliable means for transmitting data to specially equipped terminals. m Pu b lis h in g 5 . 283-072 Technical Data Corporation The asset requirements of TDC were minimal. In addition to normal office furniture, the company owned a number of personal computers. A fully equipped APPLE II computer, however, only cost $4,000. 00. When TDC had been formed, Parker had arranged to use the office space of a company active in the bond business.In return for free rent, Parker provided the company with the use of his programs. However, in the Spring of 1982, the company had signed a five year lease on new space in a downtown Boston building. The annual rent on the new office was $45 ,000. In March of 1982, Technical Data had entered into preliminary negotiations with Telerate to extend its contract to distribute its product. The company was attempting to sign a five year contract which would involve TDC paying Telerate a royalty of its Telerate-based revenues. It was very likely that these negotiations would be successfully concluded in the near future.Proforma Revenues and Expenses Th is Parker was in somewhat of a quandry as to how to value the company. Although TDC had been very successful from the start, a great deal of the potential value from operating the company came from future profits. In order to maintain the high rate of growth, the company would have to develop and introduce new products and sustain a strong marketing program. Parker decided that the best way to arrive at an appropriate price for the company was to obtain data on price earnings ratios being accorded in the stock market to comparable companies.Then, these multiples could be applied to the expected earnings of TDC over the next 12 months to arrive at a price. There were several sources of information on price earnings multiples. Parker had found a report which contained data on companies in the computer services industry. The list was compiled by an investment banking firm called Alex Brown & Sons. 6 m at er ia lc an Valuation no tb The three sets of revenue and expense forecasts are provided in Exhibits 6, 7 and 8.Attached to Exhibit 6 are estimates of the market shares necessary to achieve the customer and revenue targets in the base case forecast. e re pr od With respect to expense forecasts, Parker took the approach that at most expenses would be 50% of revenues. Assuming for simplicity an effective tax rate of 50%, the net margin on sales was expected to be 25%. uc ed w The revenue projections were broken down into a number of categories representing specific product line forecasts. In the first year of the forecast period, the bulk of the revenues were ex pected to come from the current Telerate business. th ou tp er Parker had developed three different forecasts for the revenues and expenses of the firm over the next three fiscal years ending October 31: expected values (base case); optimistic (best case) values; and, pessimistic (worst case) values. m is si on fro m LA D C us to The salary levels of the TDC employees depended in part on the level of profitability of the firm. As of April 30, 1982, Jeff Parker was receiving an annualized salary of $125,000. For the six months ended April 30, 1982, the total salary payments of TDC were $126,000. m Pu b lis h in g . Technical Data Corporation 83-072 There were two parts of the report which were of interest to Parker. The first was a list of some financial data on firms in the computer services industry for the period ending March 9, 1982. The list showed prices, dividend yields and price earnings ratios as well as other related data. The list is attached as Exhibit 9. The second part of the Alex Brown report was a graph showing the relationship between the price earnings ratios accorded firms in the sample and the expected long term growth rates of earnings for each. The graph is reproduced as Exhibit 10.Parker had also compiled a list of data on recent initial public offerings. That is, the data described the financial characteristics of companies issuing stock for the first time. These data are attached as Exhibit 11. Finally, Parker had gathered some more detailed information about some companies in businesses not disimilar to that of Technical Data. Some summarized data on Management Science of America, Quotron, Cullinane Data Base and Monchik Webber are shown in Exhibit 12. Th is m at er ia lc an no On the other hand, Parker didn't want to give away the company.He had worked hard for years, and this was the big payoff. He and his family had a lot at stake in the negotiations. This was one of the most important decisions he had ever had to make. tb e re pr T he final issue confronting Parker was how to negotiate with Hollister and Interdata. He knew Hollister well, and wanted to stay on good terms with him, regardless of the outcome of the negotiations. Therefore, he thought he would have to be reasonable in his demands. od uc ed For the purposes of estimating a reasonable discount rate, Parker had gathered some information on the financial markets in April of 1982.These data are provided in Exhibit 13. w ith ou With respect to alternative valuation methods, Parker was interested in seeing if he would arrive at a value different from those estimated by using price earnings ratios if he used discounted cash flow techniques. The questions here involved what the cash flows would be for Technical Data, what the appropriate time horizon for forecasting should be, and what discount rate to use. tp er m is si on There were several issues facing Parker. The first was how to use the information he had gathered above to arrive at a fair price for his company.A second issue was whether or not there was some other way to approach the valuation issue. fro m LA The Meeting with Hollister of Interdata Corporation D C us to m Pu b lis h in g 7 . 8 Th Exhibit 1 is at er ia lc an no tb e re pr od uc ed w ith ou tp er m is si on fro m 283-072 m LA D C us Technical Data Corporation to m Pu b lis h in g . Th at er ia lc an no tb e re pr od uc ed w ith ou tp er m is si on fro m Exhibit 1 (Continued) is m Technical Data Corporation LA D C us to m Pu b lis h 283-072 9 in g . 283-072 Technical Data Corporation Exhibit 2 Technical Data One Federal Street Boston, Massachusetts 02110 617 482 3341Th is 10 m at ACLI Government Securities Aetna Life Insurance Alex Brown & Sons Alliance Capital Management Allied Corporation American General Armco Bache Halsey Stuart Bankers Trust Bank of America Bear Stearns A. G. Becker Brown Brothers Harriman Cargill Investment Services Chase Manhattan Bank Chemical Bank Chicago Corporation Clayton Brokerage C OMARK Conti Commodities Continental Bank Connecticut General Dean Witter Reynolds Discount Corporation Donaldson Lufkin Jenrette Drexel Burnham Lambert Dry Dock Savings Drysdale Securities Ehrlich-Bober & Company Federal Home Loan Bank Federal National Mortgage Assoc.Fidelity Management & Research First Boston First City National Bank, Houston First National Bank of Boston Ford Motor Company Forstmann Leff Associates G. E. Pension GNP Commodities Goldman Sachs E. F. Hutton REPRESENTATIVE SUBSCRIBER LIST Harvard Management Heinold Commodities International Business Machines International Monetary Market Jennison Associates Kidder Peabody Lehman Bros. , Kuhn Loeb Lloyds Bank Mark Twain National Bank Mass. Financial Services MEG Asset Management Mercantile Bank of Canada Merrill Lynch Mobil Oil Morgan Guaranty Moseley Hallgarten Neuberger Berman Norton Simon Paine Webber Wm.E. Pollock T. Rowe Price Putnam Advisory Refco Partners Richardson Securities Scudder Stevens & Clark The Securit ies Group Shearson/American Express Smith Barney Standard Oil of Ohio State of California State of Illinois State of Minnesota State of Wisconsin Thompson McKinnon Travelers Insurance The Treasury Group Tucker Anthony Union Carbide Wertheim & Co. Wheat First Securities The World Bank er ia lc an no tb e re pr od uc ed w ith ou tp er m is si on fro m LA D C us to m Pu b lis h in g . Technical Data Corporation 283-072 Exhibit 3 TECHNICAL DATA CORPORATION CORPORATE CHARTERTechnical Data is in the business of providing decision support systems to the professional investment community. Essentially, the company provides products which enable investors to analyze data in order to make better investment decisions. The data which can be analyzed using Technical Data's products are those pertaining to virtually all publicly traded securities. Examples of securities would include U. S. Government bonds, commodity futures, common stocks and options on stocks. For each possible security, the rel evant data set would include current and historical prices, volume and open interest. Th is m at r ia lc an no tb e re Correspondingly, there are two methods of distributing Technical Data's products to the final customer. The first is over some electronic communications medium. An example would be the Telerate system. Technical Data's customers gain access to the data and analysis by subscribing to certain pages on the Telerate system. There are a number of other competing communications systems, including Quotron and Radiodata. The other distribution method for Technical Data is direct sales of products to consumers. An example would be a software package to be used on a microcomputer to analyze data. r od uc ed w ith ou There are essentially two modes in which the analysis of data can be done using Technical Data products. The first is what can best be described as â€Å"on-line:† that is, the data are analyzed as they are (continuously or periodically) updated on the rele vant securities market. The second mode of analysis is one in which the data are analyzed without immediate, computerized access to updated information. An example of the latter mode would be an analytical package provided to an investor in the form of a stand-alone software routine.The user of such a package would normally be responsible for entering the relevant data. tp er m is si on fro m The analytical tools provided by Technical Data are designed to provide information deemed useful to investors in making investment decisions in an easily understood format. With regard to format, both numerical and graphical displays are employed. LA D C us There are a number of ways in which these data can be analyzed. These include: price or volume trend analysis (so called technical analysis); fundamental analysis (e. g. , the pricing of options); and, relative pricing analysis (e. . , the spreads between the yields on various fixed income instruments). to m Pu b lis h in g 11 . 12 Th Exhib it 4 is at er ia lc an no tb e re pr od uc ed w ith ou tp er m is si on fro m 283-072 m LA D C us Technical Data Corporation to m Pu b lis h in g . Technical Data Corporation 283-072 Exhibit 5 Income Statements* Year October 31 1981 371,557 20,216 17,139 8,240 417,152 391,773 3 Months January 31 1982 201,304 6,262 8,637 655 216,858 207,566 3 Months April 30 1982 241,568 4,557 10,957 1,138 258,220 246,125 6 Months April 30 1982 442,872 10,819 19,594 1,793 475,078 453,691Revenues: Subscription Income Equipment Sales Interest Other Total Revenues Note: Operating Revenues Costs and Expenses: Cost of Equipment Sales Salaries and Wages Other Operating Expenses Rent Interest Total Expenses Pre-Tax Income Taxes: Th is m at er ia lc an no tb e re pr od Current 23,025 39,866 Deferred 2,275 10,224 Total Taxes 25,300 50,090 Net Income 58,124 59,364 Earnings Before Interest & Taxes 78,660 104,192 Note: Depreciation & Amortization 9,154 2,724 Note: Telerate Royalty 74,598 26,911 Note: Rent 0 0 *S ee the summary of accounting principles at the end of this exhibit. s si on 13,984 145,719 161,650 0 12,375 333,728 83,424 3,818 46,325 53,886 0 3,375 107,404 109,454 C us 3,432 60,551 72,492 0 3,375 139,850 118,370 to m fro m LA D uc 45,123 11,410 56,533 61,837 110,788 2,724 26,927 0 ed w ith ou tp er m Pu b lis h 7,250 106,876 126,378 0 6,750 247,254 227,824 84,989 21,634 106,623 121,201 214,980 5,448 53,838 0 in g 13 . 283-072 Technical Data Corporation Exhibit 5 (Continued)Assets: Current Assets: Cash Marketable Securities Accounts Receivable Prepaid Expenses Other Total Current Assets Property & Equipment: Computer Equipment Office Equipment Motor Vehicles Total Property Less Accumulated Depreciation Net Property and Equipment Other Long-Term Assets TOTAL ASSETS Liabilities: Current Liabilities: Accounts Payable Accrued Liabilities Taxes Payable Deferred Subscription Income Total Current Liabilities Long-Term Debt Deferred Income Shareholders Equity: Common Stock Retained Earni ngs 67,927 3,886 20,107 91,920 8,876 83,044 1,238 422,734 73,174 3,886 20,107 97,167 11,525 85,642 1,163 559,953 150,199 49,941 138,041 271 0 338,452 233,048 49,941 187,112 1,476 1,571 473,148 174,384 224,197 217,804 1,135 3,425 620,945 October 31 1981 January 31 1982 April 30 1982 m is si on fro m LA D C us to uc ed w 13,984 56,412 23,025 113,747 207,168 90,000 2,275 19,110 11,625 55,336 198,951 285,022 90,000 2,275 ith ou tp er m Th is 14 m at er ia lc an no tb e re TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY pr od 65,167 58,124 123,291 65,167 117,487 182,654 Pu b 75,566 3,886 20,107 99,559 14,174 85,385 1,088 707,418 15,022 27,583 95,740 232,295 370,640 90,000 2,275 65,167 179,335 244,502 lis h in g . Technical Data Corporation 283-072 Exhibit 5 (Continued) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies The Company bills subscription income in advance on an annual or monthly basis.Such billings are recorded as a liability (deferred subscription income) and taken into income ratably over the period tha t they are earned. Marketable securities are recorded at cost, which approximates market value. Th is m at er ia lc an no tb e re pr od uc ed w ith ou tp er m is si on Deferred income taxes relate to timing differences in the recognition of certain expenses for income tax purposes, principally depreciation. fro m Investment tax credits are accounted for on the flow-through method as a reduction of income taxes in the year in which the credits are available for tax purposes. LA D Organizational expenses are being amortized over a period of sixty months. C us Property and equipment are recorded at cost.Depreciation is computed on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets for financial statement purposes, and principally accelerated methods for tax purposes. Costs of maintenance and repairs are charged to expense and significant renewals and betterments are capitalized. to m Pu b lis h 15 in g . 283-072 Technical Data Corporation Exhibit 6 Proforma Profit P rojections Expected Values Actual May/1982 Fiscal '82–'83 Fiscal '83–'84 Fiscal '84–'85 Growth Rates REVENUE SOURCE: Telerate: Customers $ Per Month Revenues Quotron: Customers $ Per Month Revenues Radiodata: Customers $ Per Month Revenues Newsletter: Customers $ Per Year Revenues Software: Customers Products $ Per Product Revenues New Bill Product:+ Customers $ Per Month Revenues See Assumptions Below) 553 156 1035216* 750 165 1485000 150 170 306000 250 100 300000 300 100 30000 200 10 250 500000 350 100 420000 0 3041000 760250 900 190 2052000 300 187 673200 500 110 660000 500 125 62500 1000 210 2520000 450 206 1110780 700 125 1050000 15. 47 12. 82 30. 27 C us to m fro m LA D tp er m 700 125 87500 200 30 250 1500000 700 125 1050000 400000 7718280 1929570 is si on uc ed w 200 20 250 1000000 500 125 750000 250000 5447700 1361925 ith ou TOTAL REVENUES no tb Other New Products: Stocks & For. Exchange e re pr od _______ 1035216 Th is Assumptions: 1. Expense Ratio (%) 2. Tax Rate (%) m at er *Annualized ia lc NET PROFIT an 50. 00 50. 00 The â€Å"Bill† Product was the data analysis service focusing on short-term financial securities (e. g. , Treasury Bills) which TDC intended to distribute over Telerate. 16 Pu b 73. 21 10. 00 90. 53 67. 33 11. 80 87. 08 52. 75 11. 80 70. 78 0. 00 73. 21 0. 00 73. 21 41. 42 11. 80 58. 11 NA 59. 31 59. 31 lis h in g . Technical Data Corporation 283-072 Exhibit 6 (Continued) Actual May/1982 ESTIMATED MARKET SHARES: Telerate (Bonds): Total Market TDI Customers Share Quotron: Total Market TDI Customers % Share Radiodata: Total Market TDI Customers % Share Telerate (Bills): Total Market TDI Customers % Share 7000 750 10. 71 24000 150 0. 63 2500 250 10. 0 7000 350 5. 00 8000 900 11. 25 48000 300 0. 63 3700 500 13. 51 8000 500 6. 25 9000 1000 11. 11 60000 450 0. 75 4900 700 14. 29 9000 700 7. 78 13. 39 15. 47 1. 84 58. 11 73. 21 9. 54 40. 00 67. 33 19. 52 13. 39 41. 42 24. 72 Fiscal '82–'83 Fiscal '83†“'84 Fiscal '84–'85 Growth Rates Th is m at er ia lc an no tb e re pr od uc ed w ith ou tp er Note: The other market share figures are not meaningful because TDC's expected share is very small. m is si on fro m LA D C us to m Pu b lis h in g 17 . 283-072 Technical Data Corporation Exhibit 7 Proforma Profit Projections Best Case Values Actual May/1982 Fiscal '82–'83 Fiscal '83–'84 Fiscal '84–'85 Growth RatesREVENUE SOURCE: Telerate: Customers $ Per Month Revenues Quotron: Customers $ Per Month Revenues Radiodata: Customers $ Per Month Revenues Newsletter: Customers $ Per Year Revenues Software: Customers Products $ Per Product Revenues New Bill Product: Customers $ Per Month Revenues Other New Products: Stocks & For. Exchange (See Assumptions Below) 553 156 1035216* 800 165 1584000 300 170 612000 400 100 480000 400 125 50000 1000 190 2280000 500 187 1122000 600 125 900000 600 150 90000 1200 210 3024000 600 206 1481040 22. 47 12. 82 38. 17 41. 42 10. 00 5 5. 56 50. 00 22. 47 83. 71 41. 42 9. 54 54. 92 41. 42 73. 21 9. 54 168. 33 41. 42 11. 80 58. 11 123. 61 73. 70 73. 70 si on fro m tp er uc ed 200 10 250 500000 500 100 600000 100000 m is 300 20 275 1650000 700 125 1050000 400000 7492000 1873000 w

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Critically Evaluate how Theories of Leadership Define and Explain how Essay

Critically Evaluate how Theories of Leadership Define and Explain how to Identify and Create Effective Leaders - Essay Example However, recently there has been increasing emphasis or recognition of dispersed leadership. This approach, having its foundation in psychology, sociology and politics rather than the management sciences considers leadership to be a process which is diffused through the organization instead of lying with the designated leader. The present project seeks to make a critical evaluation of the various definitions of leadership. It then goes on to explain how to identify and create effective leaders in the organization. It focuses on the traditional and individualistic views of leadership as these are considered to have the greatest relevance to the field of management development and leadership standards in organizations. Critical Analysis Leadership is an extremely high valued and highly sought after commodity. It is a common question for people to ask what make for the good leaders. Moreover leadership has attracted attention of the researchers all across the world and a review of the s cholarly articles on the subject reveals that there are numerous theoretical approaches for explaining the complexities of the process of leadership (Northouse, 2009, p.1). Some researchers have considered leadership as behaviour or trait while others have viewed the same from a relational standpoint or an information processing perspective (Northouse, 2009, p.1). Leadership Defined Stogdill (1974) brought forth through a series of research that there are as many different definitions of leadership as there are people trying to define it. Although each one knows intuitively about the meaning of the term, it appears mean differently to different individuals. The mere attempt to give a definition to leadership creates the discovery that it has numerous different meanings (Northouse, 2009, p.2). Certain components have been identified as being central to the conceptualization of leadership. Firstly leadership is considered to be a process; it includes a certain amount of influence; it occurs in groups and finally it involves common goals. Considering the above components the most common definition of leadership has evolved. Leadership has been defined as a process in which a single individual has influence over a group of individuals in order to attain a common goal (Northouse, 2009, p.2). The definition of leadership as a process means that it is neither a characteristic nor a trait residing in the leader; it is rather a transactional event occurring between the leaders and the followers. The term process implies that it is not a one way event; both leaders and followers get affected in the process. They need each other mutually. According to the views of Burns (1978), although there is a close link between the leaders and the followers, generally leaders are more associated with the initiation of the relationship, the creation of communication linkages and carrying the responsibility or burden of maintaining the relationship (Northouse, 2009, p.4). Theories of Leadership Researchers are of the opinion that a difference exists between the trait and process theory of leadership. It is common for people to think that people are born to be leaders or that people make leaders naturally. These are some statements which are generally expressed by people who consider the trait perspective towards leadership. The perspective suggests that

Friday, September 27, 2019

Communicating effectively in obstetric emergencies Essay

Communicating effectively in obstetric emergencies - Essay Example The incompetent midwifery and lack of awareness can also contribute to the inadequate maternal facilities to the mother and the baby (Aljunid & Zwi, pp. 426-36, 1996). In many countries, specifically the Middle East and South Asian countries like India, Nepal, and Srilanka have low mortality rate that contributes to women preferring to give deliver in private or home by unofficial nurses or midwifery. The lack of awareness and proper maternal education can even result in serious healthcare problems to the mother and the child (Walsh, pp. 1-5, 2001). The intensive prenatal care facilitation in obstetric emergencies is highly regulated factor and there should be specific paramedical facilities available to manage such interventions such as forced or unwanted abortions complications, prolonged labor deliver, blood transfusion, and cesarean section. According to the estimates, 585,000 women die due to lack of effective communication by the skilled attendants and midwifery in pregnancy an d labor complications (WHO, pp. 20-42, 1996). The functional referral system of transporting midwifery services across the rural areas for stabilizing the obstetric emergencies and early diagnosis of complication in labor or pregnancies can resolve the mortality issues (O'Driscoll, pp. 39-41, 1994). The training of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and midwives can effectively contribute to the immense action in the state of emergency as professional health armors to the delivering woman (Foord, pp. 10-29, 1995). Role of Midwife in Obstetric Emergencies as an Effective Communicator A person who has specific training and skills to work with the paramedical staff in obstetric emergencies during pregnancy and labor is termed as midwife. They have responsibility to provide utmost care to the newborn infants and detection of complications in case of emergent labor, eradicate the barrier in communication between the patient and the medical staff, and educate the mother for any preventiv e measures in case of any complications (ICM, pp. 56-79, 2005). The midwifery is a significant key player in reducing the risk of maternal death and immediate postpartum period. The appropriate facilitation of midwifery education and training, referral system, and positive support system to maternity care have regulated the expertise areas of midwifery profession in effective and immediate actions during the labor and pregnancy emergencies (Hogan et al., pp. 1609-23, 2010). The striking death toll for maternal death is due to in effective life saving techniques particularly in hemorrhage, obstructed labor, unsafe caesarian section, and abortions. The skilled midwives can provide utmost diligent care in the absence of a medical practitioner particularly in rural areas or private births. It could also accommodate to sufficient medical environmental care to the mother and the baby before and after the labor (Ronsmans & Graham, pp. 1189-1200, 2006). The literature revealed that lack of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Human Civilization in Greco-Roman Ancient Times and Medieval Europe Essay

Human Civilization in Greco-Roman Ancient Times and Medieval Europe - Essay Example The architecture of medieval Europe should be associated with genius. Matter of factly, people of medieval Europe and the Romans were exceptional builders. Their architecture was both tremendous and restrained. The Romans and the people of medieval Europe constructed superior and better buildings than any civilization in the classical era could rival. Tourist by the suck load today still give special and pure regard to the ruins in Rome. The buildings that were constructed at ancient and medieval times have lasted and passed the test of time. It ought to be noted that these buildings still possess the intricate talent of the builders’ skill to date. In Medieval Europe around 1000-1300 A.D., however, the architectures and builders adapted the ancient Roman art and architecture, which they used in building historical landmarks (Barlett 15-18). During the time of Constantinian basilicas saw a frenzy of construction of fortified residence and monasteries. The relative political stability led to the development of a type of architecture slackly inspired by the Roman forms. Consequently, the classical Roman brick and stone houses were reused for their materials. This style expanded throughout Europe in an amazingly homogenous form. The exceptional relics of the medieval period are the castles that are scattered all over Western Europe. The idea behind the building of castles is informed in the Geo-Roman era, where castles were mainly built for the nobles and the elite. Ideally, the castles were also built with a view to heightening security of the monarchy. On the same, the technology of building castles was always developing from the ancient Roman times to the medieval era (Canter 270-288). Medieval theatre can be seen as the main contributor in helping maintain certain characteristics of the Geo- Roman theatre. The church, however, was responsible for restoring the ancient aspects of classical drama. For instance, the dramatization of the passion of Christ shows how ancient  drama and medieval plays are closely inter-linked (Hill 1).

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Essay

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - Essay Example Decontamination ensures that there are no medical or health implications in the treatment process with regard to renal medicine. This is due to the possibility of infections that could hinder or act as counteractive measures towards the entire of treating renal diseases. Moreover, cleaning and decontamination alleviates all forms of erroneous diagnosis and reinfections with unknown pathogens, as well as conditions that are not part of the patients’ original condition. In addition, decontamination and cleaning keeps the conditions of renal medicine and the facilities hosting it hygienic and clean for the benefit of the staff assigned to work in the facilities. As a result, the conditions of work should be widely favourable and to accommodate the needs of the staff. This is in relation to productivity and lack of infections and unfavourable working conditions for the members of staff. This works through elimination of risk factors that may distract members of staff from the duti es and tasks or create an inconducive atmosphere. Health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient units, play host to a wide variety of microorganisms that prey on patients undergoing treatment. Healthcare-associated infections, also referred to as nosocomial infections, are defined as those that are associated with medical or surgical intervention within the healthcare facility. For an infection to be described as nosocomial, it has to occur following 48 hours of hospitalisation or surgery or 3 days after discharge (Inweregbu, et al 2005, p.1). Such infections are often caused by breaches in control practices and procedures, which have to be met to ensure patient safety. Such breaches include the use of non-sterile environment during medical intervention, resulting in an infection. Healthcare associated infections are caused by a variety of common bacteria, fungi and viruses, which are introduced in a patient during medical intervention in non-sterile conditi ons (Memarzadeh n.d, p.10). Despite marked medical advances in the recent years, most patients are always at risk of developing nosocomial infections. In industrialised countries, healthcare-associated infections have a significant impact on public health by contributing to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Similarly, as healthcare facilities stretch their budgets to facilitate the extended care to the affected patients. It is estimated that such infections occur in every 1of 10 patients who are admitted to the hospital, which accounts for about 5000 deaths. Consequently, financial repercussions felt are enormous and translate to billions of pounds for the National Health Service. The relatively high prevalence of nosocomial infections has seen patients extend their stay in hospitals; incurring additional costs compared to uninfected patients. A study conducted by the European Prevalence of Infection in Intensive Care indicated that the prevalence rate in ICU has steeply decli ned from 1.8% in 2006 to 0.1% in 2012 (NHS Choices 2012). Patients under intensive care units are particularly at risk of hospital-acquired infections owing to the invasive procedures accorded to them. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites are the main causative agents of hospital-acquired infections in most healthcare facilities, where the pathogens may be present in the patient’s body, the environment, contaminated hospital equipment or the medical professionals. The most common types of healthcare-associated infections are urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and surgical wound infections (Pennsylvania Department of Health n.d, p.1). For instance, following surgery, the patient may develop an infection around the surgical wound

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Summary of television and news media article Essay

Summary of television and news media article - Essay Example This paper will summarize the article in its entirety, highlighting the relevancies and succinctly summarizing the content. The summary will conclude by illustrating how news broadcasts do follow the Bakhtinian description through the use of word inflections (Druick 294). The article describes the context of genre in television as a basis for the classification of types of shows and indicates how these categories are used by producers and audiences (Druick 295). News caricatures have become a typical television form disallowing the democratic reflection of current standards, which was the original intention of this forum and self-reflexive comedy has replaced the meaningfulness of the original broadcasting process (Druick 295). The classification of television shows into genre schemes allows the broadcasting networks to offer advertisers specific market audiences and Bakhtin’s concept of genre emphasizes the physical manifestation of societal styles of communication that intercede between the humanity and the social world, which enables individual expression while simultaneously restricting it (Druick 295). This has a distinct effect on the creation of dialogue and the relation of every word spoken to the works that precede them (Druick 296). The Bakhtinian assessment offers a connection between art and life, literature, and politics (Druick 297). This aspect of dialogue in relation to language and speech associates’ expression in what Bakhtin referred to as the center of monologist propensities designed to create social homogeneity (Druick 297). When Bakhtin’s literary analyses are applied to multimedia settings, it expresses how film mocks and undermines the textual intent to convey truth (Druick 299). The author also indicates how other analysts, like Stamm and Fiske, have applied the Bakhtin’s

Monday, September 23, 2019

Non hodgkins lymphoma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Non hodgkins lymphoma - Essay Example These cancerous cells multiply and completely destroy the lymph nodes, tissues and vessels and later spreading (metastasizing) to other organs of the body. Lymphatic system of our bodies consists of many different parts. These are the lymph vessels, the lymph fluid and the lymph nodes. The entire lymphatic system consists of a large network of the lymph vessels that spread to all parts of the body tissues by branching and forming a network. These vessels carry the clear lymph fluid, chyle, white blood cells (mainly the smaller lymphocytes comprising of the T cells and the B cells) and also other blood cells to various parts of the body. Lymph nodes are the small pea shaped globular bodies found mainly along the way of the large blood vessels in the neck region, the chest, underarms, the abdomen and pelvis region and also in the groins. Lymph vessels are connected to these nodes and they act as filter removing harmful substances (if any) like the bacteria, from the lymph fluid. The lymphatic fluids along the lymphocytes re enter the circulatory system via the upper left part of the chest. The lymphatic system also consists of the spleen , the tonsils and the thymus gland. As the lymphatic tissue is present in many parts of the body including the bone marrow, the stomach and the small intestine, the non Hodgkins lymphoma can occur almost anywhere anytime. Though, it has been noticed that, the first to get affected are generally the lymph nodes which get enlarged when affected by the lymphoma. There are many types of non Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) that are generally seen but all can be grouped under two main types. These are the slow growing or the indolent type and the second is the fast growing or the aggressive lymphoma variety. There is also a third variety which is the intermediate type. The NHL most often than not, form from the T cells or the B cells of the lymphocytes. The lymphocytes which form a part of the white

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Liberalization of International Currency Mobility Essay

Liberalization of International Currency Mobility - Essay Example These factors include; the removal of credit limitations, privatization of majority of banks previously owned by governments and lower interest rates for borrowers (Quiggin, 2005). The banking sector has also experienced reduced or total withdrawal of entry barriers, liberalization of the security market and capital account. This free-flow of currency across borders has been facilitated by worldwide free-trade, occasioned by globalization. The privatization of capital flows has also seen a surge of capital movement within and across borders. Private organizations have been in a rush to provide financial assistance to people in need of money for business, investment, or otherwise. When the liberalization of capital movement was starting off, it seemed like a most lucrative idea that would see the soaring of economies in different countries. However, over the years, different financial crises have made a lot of people have a different opinion regarding free capital mobility. This essay is going to discuss the positives and negatives of capital flows in the international arena in regard to economic augmentation. In the field of free capital flow, it is hard to distinguish a certain factor as being advantageous and another as a limitation. All aspects have a positive and a negative side. Accordingly, the essay will focus at a factor at a time and weigh its benefits against its cons. Since the 1980’s neo-liberalists have been very strong proponents of liberalized currency mobility in the international field. Proponents of the neoliberal theory are of the opinion that only free markets can help achieve international economic growth. According to Grabel &Chang (2004) neoliberal theorists place prime importance on the function of markets in enhancing easy movement of currency and goods. Advocates of the neoliberal theory also hold that privatization of state-owned organizations is of prime importance to free capital mobility. Neoliberal ideas have proved to be v iable to some extent, based on the results of the past twenty years. Globalization in the 1970s brought about transformations in the international financial system in terms of increased capital mobility and international trade. The advent of globalization made most countries to relax limitations to free flow of capital in the international field. Globalization means the opening up of borders to both goods and capital flows for the purpose of foreign investment. Private Banks Among the achievements of neoliberal ideas is the promotion of the private sector in both developing and developed countries. Private capital flows has over the years come to overtake public mobility of capital. Public movement of currency consists of governments exchanging capital, either through direct lending or through multilateral corporations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (Grabel & Chang, 2004). Rise in loaning institutions, foreign investment and portfolio capital mobility h ave all led to the promotion of private currency mobility. National banks cannot accommodate the high demands of local and overseas investors. Accordingly, many foreign classified banks have sprung up in order to facilitate borrowing and loaning of capital, especially to domestic investors (Frank, 1990). Considering that most governments do not have adequate lending power, these alien private banks source for finances in international lenders.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Chinese Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Chinese Starbucks Essay Starbucks has found success in the USA because of marketing towards â€Å"20-40 year old men and women who are concerned with social welfare† thus creating the coffee house atmosphere-Heather Karr Employee of Starbucks in Madison, WI. The coffee house in the US includes college students studying, young professionals having casual meetings, â€Å"Soccer Moms† grabbing a cup of Joe after dropping the kids off at school, etc. All-in-all Starbucks is selling not coffee but the idea of a â€Å"coffee break†, a time during the day that one can sit back, relax, and forget about the daily grind. Starbucks had to consider this as part of their main success and research China’s culture to see this same possibility existed for them there. Luckily they found that it did. Due to China’s communistic government implementing a â€Å"One Child Law† the same age demographic surprisingly existed: 20-40 year old men and women who want a place to socialize and take a break from their lives. The Family Planning Law in China was implemented to control the growing population in China, has many exceptions, and began in 1978 (enforced in 1979). Learning about this law in a history class previously, I never considered it in a marketing aspect. These individuals have grown up as single children and may have a sense of entitlement. They are well educated as the US media is always reporting on their countries’ amazing international grade reports. So, this group of â€Å"Little Emperors† are more aware of western culture than generations previous and Starbucks had to of discovered that they could give these people a taste of the western world. Lastly, Starbucks had to consider China’s tea consumption before expanding. While the US likes their coffee, China prefers tea in their social events. How could Starbucks take their signature product of coffee and still be successful? They had to sell the coffee house experience and that’s exactly what they did. 2. Discuss the key political and legal factors Starbucks had to consider in the Chinese marketplace. What are the risks of entering a country with these factors? What changes have occurred in China’s polit- ical and legal structure to the advantage of foreign companies? The standout political/legal factor for Starbucks expanding into China is Communism. Starbucks company originated in a democratic capitalistic country where it became successful. Expanding into China requires a lot of research into not just foreign laws but a very strict and controlling government that frowns on western practices. In 1999 when Starbucks began its expansion they did it with joint ventures meaning they licensed the right for Chinese citizens to sell Starbucks coffee and use their logo. Joint ventures and dictatorship are risky ideas and Starbucks could have easily failed. They made their risk minimal by only receiving royalty fees for the license to use their logo. China became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2001 thus opening the ability for American companies to freely participate in their market. Starbucks took this opportunity buy out is partners and take control over the 60 stores in existence in 2006. From 1999-2006, Starbucks had plenty of time to learn about Chinese culture and educate themselves in Chinese business that allowed them to feel confident about expanding in the future. 3. What demographic factors were important for Starbucks to understand in China? What were the demographics they decided to target? As I stated in my answer to question one, Starbucks had to understand their own target demographic in the successful US market and see if they could replicate that in China. Luckily for them it did. Political factors like the â€Å"One Child Law† gave way to a culture shift among previous generations that allowed for the 20-40 year old demographic to thrive. These citizens are independent, educated, and desire to socialize amongst their peers with no where to feel at home in. Starbucks, by â€Å"tweeking† their menu slightly and adding more dining space than other shops in other countries, adapted to these Chuppy† demands and found success. 4. What was the initial global-market strategy Starbucks employed to enter China? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to this early strategy. How has their strategy changed since then and why? Initially Starbucks implemented a joint venture strategy. Meaning, they licensed their company for use in China believing that Chinese business individuals could have a better chance at success than they could. They also took that opportunity to learn and educate themselves about Chinese culture and business all the while receiving royalties for the licenses. This was a minimal risk for them as China was not a country that allowed a global market place to exist until its membership in the WTO in 2001. Their membership created an opportunity for Starbucks to take control of its licenses and eventually to expand further into the country.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Role Of Climate In The Classic Maya Collapse History Essay

Role Of Climate In The Classic Maya Collapse History Essay In this paper, the impacts of climate change on the Maya will be examined. It is likely that a number of factors combined to produce the collapse for which the civilisation is well known. With this in mind, the extent to which climate itself played a role will be particularly looked into. Defining the Collapse Before the role of climate can be looked into, it first needs to be established what the Maya collapse actually was. Popular media has often portrayed the collapse as something that happened simultaneously across the Mayan region, resulting in the abrupt and complete destruction of the entire Mayan civilisation. However this was not the case. The collapse mainly refers to the drastic decline of the cities of the southern Maya Lowlands. Many of these cities had been extremely powerful in the Classic period (AD 250-900), the so called pinnacle of Mayan civilisation, and had dominated the entire Maya region (Sharer and Traxler 2006: 287). It is the fall of these city states that defines the Terminal Classic (AD 790-900), but this period also saw many sites, particularly in the north and east, continue to flourish and in some cases even grow, supporting large populations into the Postclassic (AD 900- c.1542) long after the collapse. Sharer and Traxler therefore define the collapse as a p rocess of transformation that saw the end of Classic states and the rise of new states that dominated the Postclassic period (2006: 503). Identifying the Collapse It has been seen that the collapse of Classic Maya sites was focussed within the southern Maya Lowlands, but what were the changes in the archaeological record that signal collapse in this region? A major factor suggesting collapse was the decrease in the number of carved stone stelae and altars dedicated over the course of the 9th century, with the last known dated stela having been erected at Tonina in AD 909. The cessation of erecting monuments varied between sites, with inscribed stelae ceasing at Dos Pilas as early as AD 760 and Tikal at AD 889, suggesting that the collapse was not a sudden, simultaneous event, but was an ongoing process that affected different cities at different times; although ultimately the outcome was the same (Chase and Chase 2006: 169). Drastic depopulation of the region is also identifiable. This can be seen in a decline of domestic activity in palaces and common houses alike. The cities of Tikal, Calakmul, Copan and Palenque, among others, had reached peak population in the Late Classic and so their subsequent decline is particularly noticeable (Sharer and Traxler 2006: 500). There have been various estimates as to the maximum population of the southern and central Lowlands during the Classic period, ranging from 3 to 14 million people, but it is seemingly agreed that this had dropped to around only 1 million by the start of the Postclassic. This suggests a depopulation rate in the range of 53-90%, a level unprecedented prior to European arrival in the New World (Gill 2000: 351). So although limited to the Maya Lowlands, the collapse was a significant event, leaving once powerful cities deserted within the space of 150 years. What made the Mayan civilisation different from others that suffered a drastic collapse was that it was not a single, unified society, but was instead a collection of individual city states and their hinterlands, each controlled by a king. This would seem to suggest that there must have been external pressures that, at the very least, triggered and compounded existing problems within these city states, rather than internal problems that somehow all resulted in collapse. So what had caused these once great cities to be abandoned? Causes of the Collapse Many different arguments have been put forward to explain the Maya collapse. In the past a single cause had been sought, and natural disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes were considered. It is now generally agreed however, that there was likely no single cause, but an interplay of factors (McNeil et al. 2010: 1017). For the purpose of this paper however I shall focus on drought and warfare, which are two of the most commonly debated theories. Drought Fluctuation in rainfall was common to the Maya area and there was precedent for drought, although evidence suggests that the Classic droughts lasted longer and were more intense than any previously experienced by the Maya (Gill et al. 2007). Lake sediment cores from Lake Chichancanab in the Eastern Yucatan Peninsula show that there was a period of drought lasting around 150-200 years, with three peak phases of severe drought within this. This is supported by evidence from marine sediments of the Cariaco Basin off the coast of Venezuela, which show that, in this particular region, the drought lasted from AD 760-930. Four periods of intense drought are identifiable from these samples, centring on the years AD760, 810, 860 and 910 (Gill et al. 2007). The correlation between the periods of severe drought and the collapse of Classic Maya civilisation in the Lowlands, surely suggests it had a critical impact on those polities, such as Tikal, Calakmul, Naranjo and Palenque, that were not we ll served by rivers. Lucero suggests that the Classic Maya elite based their power on the control of water. Many of the regional centres of the Maya Lowlands did not have access to natural water sources and relied on artificial reservoirs which were under the control of the rulers. As a result they were dependent on seasonal rainfall for water, and Maya royalty would have also used their special connections to the gods, specifically Chac the rain god, to guarantee enough water through rituals and ceremonies. It was upon this basis that Maya rulers exacted tribute and labour from their subjects (Lucero 2002). Decreasing rainfall and long term drought would have undermined the foundation on which the Mayan elite drew their power, resulting in political collapse. The diminishing power of the elite can be seen archaeologically through a reduction in the manufacture and distribution of prestige and ritual goods at many centres during the Terminal Classic (Sharer and Traxler 2006: 499-500). The production of p olychrome pottery and ornately carved items of jade, wood, bone and shell, was controlled by the elite and used to reinforce status (Demarest 2004: 213). The increasing absence of such items in the archaeological record therefore suggests rulers no longer had the same level of support from their subjects. Their power was waning, as also reflected in fewer dynastic stelae, used to legitimise power, and the end of monumental construction projects such as ball courts, temples and causeways. The decline of the elite and, as a result, centralised political organisation was a major feature of the Mayan collapse. It is Luceros argument that drought was the main reason behind this. It was only able to inflict such damaging change because water control was inherent to the institution of Kingship within Mayan society. Drought would have also had the obvious consequences of a lack of drinking water and severe decrease in agricultural production. Warfare Conversely it has also been suggested that rather than drought, it was endemic warfare and competition amongst the various city states that led to the weaker polities being overpowered, causing the breakdown of dynastic power in these defeated polities. The cities of the Petexbatun region of present day Guatemala, in particular, are argued to have collapsed while trapped in a state of siege and fortification warfare (Demarest et al. 1997). This constant state of war is believed to have destabilised the political and economic structures, resulting in political devolution and eventual failure in the early 9th century. Interestingly the Petexbatun region had good river access, making it unlikely that drought was a major factor in the collapse of this area (Sharer and Traxler 2006: 515-17). It is on this basis that Demarest disputes an ecological model, pointing out that political disintegration had already begun in the Petexbatun by the time drought occurred, the last inscription at the earliest known city to fall, Dos Pilas, dated to AD760 (Demarest cited in McKillop 2004: 99). Zooarchaeological evidence from this region also suggests there was no danger of famine, or nutritional stress through protein deficiency, in the Classic or Terminal Classic (Emery cited in Demarest 2006: 105). The violence prevalent in this region was seemingly independent of an environmental impetus. Common Ground? There is a convincing amount of evidence in support of each of both drought and warfare, suggesting that they both likely played some role. The nature of Maya society however, being a collection of city states, means that evidence of warfare in one region, for instance, does not necessarily mean that it can be inferred elsewhere. As mentioned, it was in the cities of the Petexbatun where evidence shows endemic violence caused the abandonment of the region. It has often been the mistake to imply that this then must surely have been the cause for collapse across the entire Maya lowlands, or at least present in a wider area, but the evidence does not support this. The same goes for drought. Although this may have been noticeable over much of the Maya lowlands, the affects were surely most closely felt by those cities without access to natural water sources and dependent on rainfall for agriculture. Instead the evidence appears to suggest that different regions likely had a different trigger cause or combination of causes (Sharer and Traxler 2006: 514). It seems hard to believe that such catastrophic events could have occurred within a similar timeframe, yet independently of each other, but have the same result. This does suggest however that Mayan civilisation had reached a point where it was extremely vulnerable to the slightest variation, with location playing a large part in deciding the factor that would tip a particular city over the edge, towards collapse. Manmade or Natural Occurrence? Drought appears to have played a relatively large, although joint, role in the collapse of the Classic Mayan civilisation. But was this environmental change anthropogenic or a natural occurrence? The answer to this relates closely to the argument over the level of deforestation carried out by the Maya. It has long been argued by many of those supporting the theory that drought was at least in part responsible for the Maya collapse, that the Maya themselves were to blame for the environmental degradation, due to deforestation. Shaw believes that the varying fate of the different city states during the Terminal Classic was a result of the level of deforestation in their particular region. She argues that, as deforestation raises temperatures and decreases evapotranspiration at a local or regional level only, the varying extent of tree removal explains the irregularity that the North and East of the Yucatan Peninsula continued to support a thriving population, while the heartland collapsed under severe drought (Shaw 2003). Studies into 20th century droughts in the United States and Mexico, however, show that over large areas they are hardly ever uniform, and so it is actually normal for certain areas to be affected more, or less at different times (Gill et al. 2007: 287). This provide s another explanation for the asymmetrical effects of drought in the Maya area, disputing the idea that deforestation was responsible for the irregularities. The Maya would have cleared sections of forest to make room for farming and agriculture. Wood was also used as domestic fuel, and was needed for the high temperature fires used to make lime mortar from limestone, a key component in Maya construction (Demarest 2004: 145). That the Maya made use of their forest environment is therefore known, but it is Shaws argument that they exploited it through conscious overuse (Shaw 2003). Diamond is another advocate of the deforestation model as a cause of collapse, arguing that deforestation would have made the soil much less fertile at a time when more agricultural land was needed, due to population pressure. He also agrees with Shaw that another of the consequences would have been manmade drought, and he uses the example of Copan, in present day Honduras, in particular (Diamond 2005: 168-70). That deforestation was widespread, and a human induced cause of drought, is a plausible theory, and in Copan, is supported by a core sample from Petapilla Swamp, a peat bog 4.5km north of the city itself (Rue 1987). Pollen retrieved from the core showed a much lower representation of tropical and deciduous forest trees than previously known, and less variation in the palynoflora. The cores showed no suggestion of significant climatic change from the palynological evidence, and led Rue to conclude that the vegetational changes were human induced through deforestation, with increased activity in the Late Classic (Rue 1987). New evidence has recently been put forward however, that disputes deforestation as the cause of environmental degradation. This new research particularly focuses on the polity of Copan where, as touched on above, it had previously been asserted that by AD800, not a single tree remained from the deciduous, or pine forest on the slope above the city (Abrams and Rue 1988, Diamond 2005: 169). McNeill et al. argue that Rues Petapilla Swamp core, upon which much of the deforestation theory has been based, only dates back to AD1010 with its oldest sediment, 100 years after Copans collapse (2010). Therefore it could not possibly have bearing on the Classic period population and their affect on the environment. The new data comes from another core from the same swamp, of which the earliest sediments this time date to 900-790 cal BC, providing data over a much longer range. It provided an interesting pollen profile, with the most pronounced deforestation apparent at the earliest stage of 900-7 90BC, with another later surge in the 5th century AD. Very much in contrast to the earlier core, it also shows an increase in arboreal pollen in the Late Classic, particularly that of pine. This data allowed McNeill et al. to surmise that: At the close of the citys Classic period, the hills above Copan were more densely forested than when the Maya first built their polity centre. (2010: 1021) This therefore suggests that rather than destroying their environment, the Maya were actually managing and cultivating it. Even though Copan was situated on a river, it received much less rainfall than other river centres at around 130 centimetres a year; so was likely at the mercy of changing rainfall patterns and drought. But if drought in this region was not caused by deforestation as the latest evidence suggests, then climate change was likely behind it. Palaeoclimatic records from North America, Europe and the Arctic indicate that the 9th and 10th centuries AD were as cold as during the Little Ice Age. Tree rings from the White Mountains of California show a steep decline in temperatures from AD790-950 and glacial advances in Alaska have been dated to AD700-900. In Sweden also, a number of glacial advances are known from this period, dated to AD800-910 (Gill 2000: 287-88, 385). Severe cold in the Northern Hemisphere can indicate a south-westward displacement of the North Atlantic High and a southward shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) which would have caused summer rains to fail in the Maya Lowlands. The failure of the ITCZ to move north in the summer at this time, is evidenced by a drop in sea surface salinity in a marine sediment core from the north-eastern Caribbean, coinciding with the period of collapse (AD 760-930) (Gill et al. 2007). As a result, all this evidence points to the climatic conditions as having been conducive of drought at the time of the Maya collapse. Avoidable Climate Change? It seems apparent that climate change was responsible for the drought that affected much of the Maya Lowlands. In some places this may have been exacerbated by deforestation, but on the whole it seems more likely that it was not anthropogenic. As discussed previously, drought was one of the main factors to influence and perhaps even trigger the Maya collapse in some regions. If the drought was not induced by human action or inaction, is it possible to learn from the mistakes of the Maya as Diamond asserts in his book? Diamond bases much, if not all, of his argument on the belief that the Maya had a choice, but their refusal to change led to their downfall. He more or less suggests that the Maya of Copan, which he uses as an example, stood back and watched as the last tree fell. But his argument is based on flawed evidence. This is easy to say with hindsight, in the light of recent publications, but he also ignored existing evidence, seemingly because it did not support his position. He comments: Maya kings sought to outdo each other with more and more impressive temples, covered with thicker and thicker plaster- reminiscent in turn of the extravagant conspicuous consumption by modern American CEOs. (Diamond 2005: 177) As previously mentioned, lime plaster required extreme heat to create and for this reason much wood was required in its production. If deforestation was causing problems for their society, which is now believed to be false in any case, then to continue to create vast quantities of plaster for nothing but aesthetic reasons would have been ignorant and stupid. This is seemingly what Diamond is suggesting, despite research published in 1996 that showed that sculptures dating to the Late Classic at Copan used much thinner layers of plaster than those of an earlier date. Implying the Maya were taking measures to prevent unnecessary tree loss (Fash and Fash 1996). Diamond focuses on the implications for our present society, which is a good reason for studying past collapse, but he seems to oversimplify the problems of the Maya. Under the heading The Maya Message he identifies the various strands that he believes led to the collapse, but in a way that makes it seem like they are a checklist to avoid if we do not want our present society to fail. He does not give the Maya any credit for having attempted to change their society in any way. But he would likely not have wished to do so; acknowledging that the Maya understood the precarious ecological situation they found themselves in and made attempts to counter this, but still failed, does not bode well for our current society, where short term benefit, at seemingly any cost, is most often preferred over long term solutions. Conclusion To come to the conclusion that the Maya did not shape their own downfall, in as much they did not create drought through deforestation, apparently leaves the almost equally unwelcoming alternative that borders on environmental determinism. This argument implies that the Lowlands were not conducive to complex and advanced civilisation; the Mayan cities were destined to collapse, it was an inevitable event that could only be put off not overcome. I feel there is, however, a middle ground between the two. I would agree that the drought was likely not the result of the Maya being irresponsible and overusing their natural resources. On the contrary it seems more likely that the Maya, at least at Copan, had become well adapted to their environment and were using it sustainably. They were at their peak florescence in the Classic period, when both environmental and climatic conditions were relatively constant. As a result of this stability though, they were increasingly becoming part of a ri gidity trap, mastering their environment of relatively low level, but predictable rainfall by growing water-efficient maize, and utilising reservoirs in order to build cities on fertile land far from a permanent water source. They had made themselves highly vulnerable to drought and in the terminal classic were faced with the worst droughts the region had seen for 7000 years. It was not the carrying capacity of the region however, but the nature of Mayan society that reduced their ability to change, as it must also be remembered that warfare was as important a cause of the collapse as drought in some regions. Although the Maya showed some adaptability at Copan in maintaining the forest, factors other than land use were much harder to change. Another society without a ruling system based on the control of water for example, would perhaps have fared better in the same circumstances, as drought would likely not have brought down their political system as easily. But this method of control was inherent to Mayan society, allowing for such things as monumental construction and the exacting of tribute. The Maya way of life had evolved to meet their circumstances and their environment, but in the end they had become fixed in these ways and were unable to modify their society enough when their situation changed. Even if the elite had foreseen drought and wished to change the basis of their power, it is unlikely they could have even done so without collapse remaining the end result; it was such a fundamental component of their society. It can therefore be seen that the Maya collapse was an extremely complex event that was the result of multiple factors, of which warfare and drought were dominant. In an attempt to focus more on the role of climate, I have neglected some of the other factors such as weakening economy through loss of trade and overpopulation among others, but have attempted to emphasize the multi faceted nature of the collapse in the hope of avoiding oversimplification. Climate change and the resulting drought played a large, albeit joint role in the collapse of the Lowland Classic Maya. A long period of relative stability had made the Maya culture fragile and inflexible, so that when faced by changes to this constancy, a precarious balance between the various elements of their society was revealed; ultimately they proved unsuccessful in maintaining this in a time of stress.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Media Violence and the Violent Male Adolescent Essay -- Argumentative

Media Violence and the Violent Male Adolescent      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My research led me to form some new hypotheses on the correlation of violence in the media, namely television, movies, and video games, to the rise in violent behavior in adolescents. For this essay, I will focus on male adolescents. I will use multiple lenses for my research to (1) establish the increase in violent acts by adolescents in the past two decades; (2) use proven research to show the impact of media violence on the individual; and (3) to illustrate my "recipe for disaster," four correlations that contribute to the effects of media violence on male adolescents.    Rise in Youth Violence According to the United States Department of Justice ("DOJ"), (1999) in a committee report, "The number of juvenile violent crime arrests in 1997 exceeded the 1988 level by 49%. Of that number, 2,500 were arrested for murder and 121,000 for other violent crimes. Eighteen percent of high school students now carry a knife, razor, firearm, or other weapon on a regular basis, and 9% of them take a weapon to school." The Committee report noted that a principal cause for the increase was media violence. " Eighty-seven percent of American households have more than one television, and 88.7% of homes with children have home video game equipment, a personal computer, or both. An average teenager listens to 10,500 hours of rock music during the years between the 7th and 12th grades. By age 18 an American child will have seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence. Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence. A preference for heavy metal music may be a significant marker for alienation, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, suicide ris... ...f, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Children, Violence, and The Media,' (online document) A Report for Parents and Policy Makers. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Utah, Chairman, 1999, Sept. 14, Available  Ã‚   (http://www.senate.gov/~judiciary/mediavio.htm)    Mediascope Press, "How Violence Manipulates Viewers." Issue Briefs. Studio City, Calif.: 1997 Available: (http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/ibriefs/hvmv.htm)    Putnam, Robert,   "Bowling Alone" America's Declining Social Capital, Journal of Democracy; 1995, Jan., (pp. 65-68)    Strasburger, Victor C. M.D. Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine, "How much influence do the media have?" Adolescent Medicine; State of the Art Reviews--Vol. 4, No. 3, October 1993 Philadelphia, Hanley & Belfus, Inc. Available online: http://www.cyfc.umn.edu/Documents/C/B/CB1030.html   

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Marijuana Legalization Essay -- Legal Illegal Marijuana Pot Law Weed

Marijuana Legalization As defined by The New American Webster Dictionary, marijuana is a hemp-like plant whose leaves are smoked in a cigarette as a narcotic. HOWEVER: Other than just an illict drug used for getting "high", Marijuana can also be viewed as: * A pain reliever * A stress reliever * A medicinal alternative to over-used processed drugs * An untapped source of income for the United States Government * A prohibited substance with many misconceptions Smoking marijuana has long been viewed as something that only produces negative outcomes. New studies are quickly changing these views. The following are some new results found on the true influence of marijuana ingestion. * "According to clinical trial data pulbished this past spring in the American Journal of Addictions, cannabis use- including heavy, long-term use of the drug- has, at most, only a negligible impact on cognition and memory" (Armentano, "Cannabis and"). * "Canadian researchers found that experiments on rats which were given a potent cannabinoid, showed the drug stimulates the growth of new brain cells. It appears that the drug caused neurons to regenerate in the hippocampus, an area that controls mood and emotions, after one month of treatment" ("Cannabis Boosts"). * "The Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, say that most drugs, including alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine, have been shown to destroy nerve cells in the hippocampus. This study suggests that cannabinoids are the only illicit drug that can promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis following chronic administration" ("Cannabis Boosts"). * An analysis of previous experiments as pre... ...na>. McVay, D. (1991). Marijuana Legalization: The Time Is Now. SAGE Publications Inc. 22 Apr 2006. "Medical Marijuana." 2006. Drug Policy Alliance. 7 Mar 2006. "Medicinal Marijuana Posters." No Date. Online Image. Wo/Mens Alliance for Medical Marijuana. 1 Apr 2006. . "Medical Marijuana Reports." 6 Sep 2005. NORML Foundation. 7 Mar 2006. "Small Marijuana Leaf." No Date. Online Image. Alexabebe.com. 1 Apr 2006. . Stimeling, Gary. "Straight Dope: The Research on Marijuana Safety." 2005. Psychotropics Cornucopia Inc. 7 Mar 2006.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Child Abuse and Neglect :: Violence Against Children

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many children suffer at the hands of adults - often their own parents. They are beaten, kicked, thrown into walls, and burned with cigarettes. They have their heads held under the water of toilet bowls, are scalded by hot water or they are forced to stand in freezing showers until they pass out. A child could be stuffed into running washing machines or sexually molested, suffer from neglect in the forms of starvation and lack of medical attention, and still go unnoticed by outsiders. In fact, it is estimated that about five children die every day in the U.S. from some form of child abuse. It is a sickening practice that has no set standard of rules to finish off the persisting problem. Different states have different methods and agencies to help prevent abuse in the home, some work quite well while others bomb - a dangerous gamble when it comes to the life or mental state of a child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The precise number of deaths each year is not known because of the extent of most fatality investigations that could be suspected as child abuse but are seen as open and shut death cases. A report from the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, however, depicts more than three million reports of alleged child maltreatment practices in the year of 1995 alone. Many more children are living with abuse rather than dying from it, too. So what steps are being taken to protect our nation's children?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All states have a Child Protective Services (or CPS) system. This is the governmental system responsible for investigating reports of child abuse or neglect. In state after state, the CPS agency lacks the resources to respond adequately to the overwhelming number of reports it is legislatively mandated to investigate. All fifty states have child abuse reporting laws requiring reports of suspected abuse to be made by specified professionals and others whose work brings them into regular contact with children. Any citizen may report suspected abuse as state laws provide for reports to be made to the CPS agency or its equivalent, or to a law enforcement agency. In most states, investigations are conducted by CPS personnel, although law enforcement officers may also be involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic concern of child welfare workers is for the safety of the child. Assessment of the risks involved in leaving a child with its family must be made quickly because children cannot be removed from their families arbitrarily. Child Abuse and Neglect :: Violence Against Children   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many children suffer at the hands of adults - often their own parents. They are beaten, kicked, thrown into walls, and burned with cigarettes. They have their heads held under the water of toilet bowls, are scalded by hot water or they are forced to stand in freezing showers until they pass out. A child could be stuffed into running washing machines or sexually molested, suffer from neglect in the forms of starvation and lack of medical attention, and still go unnoticed by outsiders. In fact, it is estimated that about five children die every day in the U.S. from some form of child abuse. It is a sickening practice that has no set standard of rules to finish off the persisting problem. Different states have different methods and agencies to help prevent abuse in the home, some work quite well while others bomb - a dangerous gamble when it comes to the life or mental state of a child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The precise number of deaths each year is not known because of the extent of most fatality investigations that could be suspected as child abuse but are seen as open and shut death cases. A report from the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, however, depicts more than three million reports of alleged child maltreatment practices in the year of 1995 alone. Many more children are living with abuse rather than dying from it, too. So what steps are being taken to protect our nation's children?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All states have a Child Protective Services (or CPS) system. This is the governmental system responsible for investigating reports of child abuse or neglect. In state after state, the CPS agency lacks the resources to respond adequately to the overwhelming number of reports it is legislatively mandated to investigate. All fifty states have child abuse reporting laws requiring reports of suspected abuse to be made by specified professionals and others whose work brings them into regular contact with children. Any citizen may report suspected abuse as state laws provide for reports to be made to the CPS agency or its equivalent, or to a law enforcement agency. In most states, investigations are conducted by CPS personnel, although law enforcement officers may also be involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic concern of child welfare workers is for the safety of the child. Assessment of the risks involved in leaving a child with its family must be made quickly because children cannot be removed from their families arbitrarily.

Brrokstone’s business Essay

Brookstone is a nationwide specialty retailer that sells a variety of consumer products with distinctive function, excellent quality and design, which are not available in other retailers. The company develops strong positioning as a specialty retailer selling the â€Å"hard-to-find tools† in Popular Mechanics Magazine in 1965. The main concerns of Brookstone is to provide customers with the quality of products and quality of services, which served by the quality of people. The company first catalog is printed in black-and-white in the 24 pages that present the detailed and no-nonsense information regarding the product features, materials, measurements, capabilities, and any other useful information to guide customers in buying the suitable products for them (Brookstone, 2009). The successful catalog-type company has encouraged Brookstone to open their first retail store in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Right now, the company is headquartered in Merrimack, New Hampshire, which backed up by vast distribution center and customer service department that handle mail and telephone orders that located in Mexico, Missouri (Brookstone, 2009). The company also has over 305 retail stores within the United States and Puerto Rico. Mostly, the retail stores are located in leading shopping malls, the nation’s busiest airport, and lifestyle center. In order to cope with the demands, the company, on average, opens 10 to 15 new stores each year (Brookstone, 2009). As a catalog company, Brookstone employ a multifaceted Direct-Marketing approach by using two catalogs and Internet operation (www. brookstone. com) to help boosting the orders. The two catalogs are Brookstone catalog and the Hard-to-Find Tools catalog. The Brookstone catalog presents the branded products that available at stores and merchandise from key vendors of Brookstone. Meanwhile, the Hard to Find Tools catalog features customers with high-quality and unique solutions for the home. In addition, the corporate website (www. brookstone. com) acts as the combine catalogs that features all offering that placed in the two printed catalogs. Figure 1 shows the current offering in the corporate website. Figure 1 Brookstone corporate website Source: www. brookstone. com 1. Market Attractiveness Assessment 1. 1. Environment Overview Qatar is actually the country who has the highest per-capita income in 2007. This however, was effect of its overwhelming petroleum resources. Its high level of income nevertheless, has been influencing other aspects of people’s lives also. In this chapter, I will display short elaboration on several aspects of Qatar’s environment. 1. 1. 1. Political Environment Qatar is a politically active nation. The country is home to many Islamic activist and pro-Islamic views. Country officials however, refused to the confirmed of any connections with terrorist groups. Nevertheless, the country maintained very good relationship with the US government. The country is home to the largest US airbase in Middle East, outside of Iraq and it also support a US Naval base. The country has a large magnitude of gas projects, converging with Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch/Shell. These businesses significantly enhanced Qatar’s importance to the vital Western Political interests and also economic interests. Many have said that Qatar’s ‘balancing’ political and economic programs are actually quite difficult to understand. However, analysts have also understood that this willingness to court both sides aggressively has given the country such a high political and economic profile compared to other nations in the Middle East. Despite the bomb attack that happened in 2005, Qatar’s political atmosphere is actually conducive for business. It is revealed that there are no ruling families holding control of the political activities, even though conservative elements of the society are still unease with recent foreign policy changes which have brought thousands of foreigners into the country. We should hold in our understanding however, that Qatar is still a eforming country. One of the good signs of positive developments is that the ruler of the country has been actively encouraging education and open political debates as key elements of his reform strategy. The latest banking environment also reveals that the country in overall, enjoy stable political conditions.