Monday, December 30, 2019

Factors Influencing the Commercial Real Estate Development and Regeneration in London Free Essay Example, 3000 words

In the 1990s many changes were seen in the UK standard institutional leases. The lease normally had the lengthy-term, ranging from 20-25 years or more; the landlord had more control over the disposal of the lease by the tenant, lease payments were subjected to upward revisions on a periodic basis depending on how the open market rents moved. Earlier responsibilities vested with the landlord were transferred to tenants either in physical form or via monetary charges. These included insurance, repairs, and maintenance, or any other replacements. These changing trends led to larger developments in the area. But today, the trends are largely changing modern businesses no more have huge planning horizons, in fact, these have shortened to three to five years. Thus, the increase in lease terms for twenty to twenty-five years brings in huge costs and ties the business for a very long time and brings in larger inflexibility. This nature of lease diverts attention from the main business oper ations and the clause for one direction (only upwards) was in favor of landlord whereas, the tenant was devoid of taking any advantage in times of falling market prices; highly affecting the business profitability. We will write a custom essay sample on Factors Influencing the Commercial Real Estate Development and Regeneration in London or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The three office buildings, retail space and car parking at Canary Wharf were structured from this huge financing.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Time Management Case Study Final - 954 Words

TIME MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY FINAL (Q1)There is never enough time in the day. There are so many things to be done. We all live extremely busy lives with kids sports practice, time to exercise, fix dinner, and work all day long†¦..our days are so packed most of the time it is difficult to get anything extra done or worked in. In order to be organized and effective, we must practice and plan time management. With time management, we are able to use it as a skill or process of planning in order to make our limited amount of time best used. I chose this topic because of it’s versatility and one of the most important over-looked issues we face day to day. Everyone is always talking about how valuable their time is. We think of time in†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Bain Company is the management consulting firm the world s business leaders come to when they want enduring results. Together, we find value across boundaries, develop insights to act on, and energize teams to sustain success. We re passionate about always doing the right thing for our clients, our people and our communities, even if it isn t easy.† (Q3) Bain Company speak a lot about Organizational Time Management and it’s effectiveness towards the amount of time spent on a task. They not only look at the time spent, but also who they spent that time with, and the type of interaction or engagement during that time. By digging deeper into the issue, they have established new capabilities in efforts to boost productivity, tracking of priorities, channels of communication and overall performance improvement. This company is able to evaluate and recognize weak areas of various businesses and help them improve in areas such as: measurement of employee time usage, eliminating unproductive meetings, reduce dysfunctional behaviors, and freeing up time for value creation. (Q4) Through my research I have come across the company of JCPenney multiple times. In recent months, the company’s CEO Ron Johnson has been under fire for his ideas and actions. After taking over JCPenney, he was quick to hire a team of outsiders like himself , costing over $170 million. He used this expenditure as â€Å"executive transition costs† as he would fly to corporate. Ron

Friday, December 13, 2019

Drive Free Essays

In the film Drive directed by Nicolas Winding Refn a sudden act of violence by protagonist, Driver, is an interesting surprise. The build-up, kiss, bashing and exit involved in the scene of the incident help us to understand the character of Driver. The visual and oral features of camera shots, dialogue and lighting are used to create a surrealist incident. We will write a custom essay sample on Drive or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Driver’s romantic love affair with Irene and his care for her young child sets the film as a romance and a drama, as the love he experiences for the two, both Platonic and Eros, ultimately leads him to unleash his true beast though he attempts so hard to hide it in everyday life. The lifestyle he has chosen for himself prior to Irene inevitably arises once the mafia he crosses paths with leads to violence of the most cinematic type while invoking elements of suspense within each beat. In the film we see four key elevator scenes that display the development of the bond between Driver (Ryan Gosling) and Irene (Carey Mulligan), his innocent looking neighbour. The build-up to the incident is where Irene slaps Driver after his pathetic attempt to communicate. They then both enter the elevator where a man in a tan suit stands. Frequently used in this scene are over the shoulder shots and close ups. Very rarely are there cuts to mid-shots which would break continuity. When Irene slaps Driver; the camera cuts to a mid-shot to show the momentum of the action. The second time this happens is when the man in the tan suit is introduced into the scene. The mid-shot reveals the character to the audience and states his importance. Once in the elevator, low angle shots are used. These create a claustrophobic atmosphere for the audience. It also allows the suspicion Driver has towards the man in the tan suit to be built up. Close ups are used to show the raw emotion between the two characters as well as creating tension when Driver notices the gun the man is carrying, hidden under his jacket. This is a cinematic technique where props are exaggerated by the shot type. When Irene steps into the elevator, Driver first left to stare at the man in the tan suit. This makes the audience feel uncomfortable as the empty space is awkward and implies something bad is going to happen. The immediate suspicion Driver has towards the man in the suit leads him to be wary over him. Driver’s ability to place this suspicion we can assume has most likely stemmed from his past which is unknown to the audience as nothing about Driver’s past is revealed. However, we can assume that this The build-up to the entrance of the elevator is then followed by the kiss between Driver and Irene. While the elevator descends, Driver notices the gun in the jacket pocket of the man in the tan suit. All sound ceases as Driver reaches his hand behind him to where Irene stands and pushes her back. As he does the lights dim and focus between Driver’s face and Irene’s face. The dark and light shading on their heads is reminiscent of French poetic-realism and is used to show the audience that Driver has both a good and bad side. This scene is also shot in slow motion which not only adds a sense of surrealism to the scene but also shows how both characters savour the kiss. Both the pacing and the lighting shift gears as Driver realizes the potential danger her and Irene are in. The average elevator lighting changes to a dark-lit environment which spotlights Driver and Irene specifically, isolating them almost completely from the rest of reality. The sound is back and we’re in the midst of some raucous violence: a pair of hollow, crashing sounds as Driver smashes the hit man’s head into the elevator walls; then more clunking as he falls to the ground and Driver starts stomping on his head, once, twice, three times, with his boot. The sound of leather on skin shifts as the assault goes on toward a blend of moisture and crunch. At the 12th stomp, it’s clear from the audio that bones are breaking, and by the end of the sequence, after 15 seconds and 17 stomps, the dry and featureless thud has been transformed into a deathly squish. The elevator doors slide open again, with the same faint squeak they did before—Bender calls this a â€Å"sonic signature†Ã¢â‚¬â€and Irene flees into the garage. The incident ends with a close-up of Driver’s jacket with the gold scorpion on the back. A scorpion is seen as dangerous and deadly. However, in the same way that a scorpion in the wild remains hidden from view and only attacks when threatened, the same can be said for Driver. Driver worked in a garage, lived alone in a small, dingy apartment, but attacked violently when he felt himself or those he cared for were threatened. The twist to this is that it is in fact the man in the tan suit is killed in a brutal way by Driver. This shock factor makes the audience question their sympathy towards our protagonist. The next semiotic we see is the elevator door shutting on Driver separating him from Irene. This representation shows the closure of their relationship indicating that there is no going back, the rupture between the two of them is final. We realise that the kiss between Driver and Irene had taken place as more of a goodbye kiss. This is because Driver is aware of the harm he could potentially bring to Irene and Benicio if her were to stay with them. His ability to suddenly act with rage and violence proves that he is uncontrollable and unstable. Conclusion In conclusion the surprising incident in the elevator helps us learn more about the character Driver. The build-up, kiss, bashing and exit scenes of the incident result in the audience being able to see into the real Driver. The two elements of sound and colour work coherently with each other in exhibiting a scene which imitates a heaven-like landscape turned dark alley way. The approach of not only the lighting, but also the spatial distance between non-diegetic sound and diegetic sound as the latter starts to take prominence after Driver shows his romantic side. How to cite Drive, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Impact of Globalization on Child Labor-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Impact of globalization on child labor. Answer: Introduction The phenomenon of child labor has been seen in all regions of many parts in the world. It is a common practice that is observed in almost all parts of the world especially in the developing nations. However, the rate of the practice of child labor has decreased with the growing world. The rates of child labor participation have decreased and this has been explained with the rate of economic growth. Many researchers have argued that the economic growth of a region has increased the amount of child labor in a region. The demand of child labor has increased in many countries. It mainly happened during the lack of the government. It has been seen in many regions that the labor markets served as a common reason of child labor. This report studies the link between the practice of child labor and globalization. The report puts forward the theory of the fact that globalization lead to the practice of child labor and more employment. The theoretical frame and the literature review are the mai n aspects of the study and that are included in the report. To explain the point in a more detailed form the report focuses on the cost model and the cross country effects of the impact of globalization. The report includes the findings of some issues related to child labor and addresses them in an effective manner. The report ends with a conclusion and effective recommendations that can be brought in order to improve the worst situation of child labor and the effects of the same. Child labor as an issue Child labor has remained a serious issue since a longer period of time in many places. It is considered as a difficult issue to resolve. It has been observed that in many factories and industries a huge amount of child has been appointed as labor. The child belonged to the poor and to resolve the issues of poverty at their own household the children had to work in many factors and other work places as labors. They were deprived from good education. The child working in many places work mainly to support their family or to pay for their own education. Depriving them from good income has led to some children seeking different, lower paid work and even the case of prostitutes comes to the forefront. The most usual factor of child labor is poverty. It had a global impact(Simas, Golsteijn, Huijbregts, Wood, Hertwich, 2014). There were many global movements that were arranged in order to eliminate the practice of child labor from the society. One of the most remarkable movements was the G lobal March Child Labor which included marches in many major cities around the world drawing the attention of the mass on a global ground. The main purpose of the movement was to grab the attention of the mass towards the evil effects of the practice of child labor and child slavery. It was referred to as the violation of one of the most important human rights(Wickramage, Weerawarna, Jayasekara, Pannala, Sumathipala, 2015). The theoretical frame and literature According to(Tuttle, 2015) this particular frame has been an attempt to portray the possibility of the reason behind the child labor with the reasons related to economicms. It has been identified that there are two dimensions of creating the child labor mechanism as both demand and supply side. The first and foremost dimension consists of reason that determine the child labor supply and it is defined as the result of the household decisions, sometimes it is the lack of the check of the government and sometimes it because of poverty. The second dimension consists of the factors that affect the want of the child labors and it involves the development of the economic growth dynamics. It has integration with the global economy. The duration of change of these factors serves as an important factor for the development of the effects of economic growth on the supply of child labor. (Laws, 2016). On the other hand(Kamata, 2016) argued that the level of income plays an important role in the factor of practicing child labor. There is a close relation between the practice of the child labor and the income of the household. It has been agued by many critics that the poverty of a household is one of the most factors in determining the child labor. The other set of critics argue that poverty forces the parents to send their children to work. The parents have no other alternative choice and this is the reason they force their child to go to work. It has been observed that whenever the society has been observed to be poor and of inequality there has been rise of child labor. The incidences of child seem to increase while the society is full of inequality and poverty. Therefore, the child labor has a negative relation with the economic development. It has been observed that the governments of developed countries who had good economic conditions had strict way of controlling the child labor. The government of developing nations often lacks resources to enforce the ban of child labor(Meardi Marginson, 2014). It has been observed that the concept of globalization might result in changing the duration of the decision of the factors which determines the supply of the children intending to be labors. The social and cultural norms turned to be more traditional in developing countries which turned to lead to a higher social acceptability of the child labor(Rauscher, Myers, Miller, 2016). In spite of this the consciousness level of parents inevitably converges to the global norms and global set of rules(Almeida Kassouf, 2016). As a result the parents would prefer to send their children to a school and education sectors rather than sending them to work. Therefore, the globalization has proved to be more effective in the regulations of the child labor and maintain the standards in the developing nations(Edward, 2017). Literature review According to(Cho, Fang, Tayur, Xu, 2014) the existing literature on the relationship between the globalization and child labor has focused on the economic aspects of globalization which includes the international trade. It can be argued that if an increase in international trade increases per capita income then in that case it is expected that the amount of child labor would decrease. There is a gap in such thought as there is an adverse situation that can arise due to this. It can be assumed that the international trade may also increase the demand for the unskilled labor which would tend to increase the practice of child labor(Islam Choe, 2013). Apart from the economic factor there is social globalization has an effect in the practice of the child labor. It majorly includes the social integration aspect of globalization(Locke, 2013). This is the transfer of information and personal contacts across national borders. While discussing about the child labor it can be mentioned that the social norms affect how acceptable the child labor is considered in order to explore the case where the parents might even have a positive attitude towards child labor. The critics thought that the social globalization had a great amount of role to play in order to reduce the incidents of child labor if the norms are against the child labor or in the other case it should be in favor of schooling and it is transmitted with greater amount of international integration and transactions. On the contrary the other critics like(Masten, 2014) argued that the social globalizations are however highly correlated with other economic variables which require to be more accounted for. The factor that is important to the critics in both empirical and theoretical research on child labor is the level of poverty. The increase in the economy tends to decrease the child labor. However, the researchers have mentioned that the social regulations and outrights bans of the practice of child labor are only successful in eradicating child labor if they are enforced in reality. The enforceability would be low if the socio-economic incentives for the child labor are strong enough(Jariego, 2017). It happens when there is not the case which might not be enforced. This particularly happens in the developing countries where the capacity of the state is comparatively low the priorities are on elsewhere. This is true in the case of the child labor as well(Kail, 2015). Models The following part of the paper argues the variables explaining the rates of the participation of the child labor in different countries and it argues for a reduced form of econometric equation to question the validity of the following relation. The report has included a table which shows the child labor participating rates of the developing countries and different factors that affects the child labor. As mentioned in the literature review of the report the most common measure of the child labor is the labor force participation of the children aged between the years 5 to 14 years. According to (Cuadros-Menaca, 2017) Child labor is one of the major issues in the developing countries because of the immense economic problems that cause hindrance to the socio cultural aspects of these countries. The strong association between income and trade is not uncommon and thus different sources indicate the key to the relation between income and child labor. The following association can also lead to a relation between trade and child labor. Figure 1 clearly shows the relationship between child labor and income. The strong co relation of these two different variables can be the cause of the endogeneity between income and child labor. (OKeefe, 2016) Figure 1- Relation between Child Labor and Trade Source-(Bah, 2014) Figure 2- Relation between Child Labor and Income Source- (Johnson Jr, 2014) Cross Country Evidence The proper exposure to international competition can result in more children going to school rather than participating in work. The following condition can be created only when a country opens itself up to such a competition. This will result in the creation of a large number of educated workers. The guidelines that have an aim to lower the mortality are most likely to reduce the problem of child labor (Bah, 2014). The researcher has impact of trade on child labor to get an idea of developing countries opening its doors to education for all. Some of the other variables that were considered in the research are skills of the labor force, health and income. Child labor is also measured by the rate of the participation of the labor force and the attendance rate of the children at the school. The open trade is determined by the ratio of the trade which is the amount of exports plus the amount of imports divided by the total gross domestic production. The health policy in the research is c onsidered to be the share of the public health expense in the gross domestic production of the country. The skill composition of the country is measured between the ages 15-65 years of the total workforce that have completed their secondary education. On the other hand skill composition factors are the result of the overall effects of the early educational policies of the government of the different countries that are considered in this report. Table 1 of the report has shown the fixed effects and the OSL estimates of the developing countries and the relation that is established between the conventional measure of trade and the other two alternative measures of child labor (Tsuyuhara, 2014). The skill composition rate has to be controlled in the report or else it could have no effect on the effective calculation of the child labor. The proportion of workers with completed primary as well as secondary education reflects a negative impact on the child labor. The more the share of the workers in the category of 10-14 labor participation rate the more is the higher percentage of people who received secondary education. This completely reduces the significance of the workers who have completed the primary education just because secondary education forms the basic criterion att the given point of time. Thus when the opposite happens in case the secondary education system of the country is not so developed, thus reducing its effec t. The following example is thus somewhat more favorable to globalization only if the ratio of the trade is replaced by the Sachs-Warner measure of openness. The open education policy of the governments in these countries reduces child labor drastically and helps in the overall development of the skilled workforce. The share of the working population with at least the primary education has less impact as because the dependent variable in such case is the primary school noon attendance rate (OKeefe, 2016). The following results are consistent with the theoretical considerations. The last section revolves around the other things or factors being all equal, international competitions reduce or at worst has no such key significance to child labor. However the most optimistic scenario of child labor is related to a more stringent policy of open education in the developing countries, the one that takes into consideration the factors which have a direct impact on the ways by which trade takes place rather than the original amount or the actual volume of the trade that takes place in these countries. As because the beneficial effects of trade and exposure comes through difference in relative price changes, it is not irrelevant whether or not the prices of the internal goods are under the control of the government or they are free to adjust themselves according to the international standards. The following is also not dependent on whether or not they are distorted by the quotas or the state monopolies or not (McQuade, 2014). Table 1- Developing Countries Dependents Source- (Bah, 2014) Table 2- Dependent Variables Source- (McQuade, 2014) Findings and Arguments Figure 3- Dependent and Independent Variables Source- (Johnson Jr, 2014) In table 1 given above the descriptive variables of the model discussed in this report is clearly highlighted. It is seen that the dependent variables of the child labor participation rate changes from 1% to 53%, the explanatory variable PCGDP changes in between 89 US dollars and 13989 US Dollars. On the other hand FDI changes in between 0.05% and 29.15% trade between 25% and 204% in the rural areas. While it changes from 7% to 93% in the developing countries (Ali, 2017). The calculation has been done using the estimation of OSL. In the initial step the researcher considered the straight model for calculation. There was negative linear relationship between child labor and the participation rate suggested as a sign of the parameter that calculated the income. The e-statistics in the calculation are significant at 0.01 levels. It can be seen that the FDI has a positive relation to child labor and trade which is stagnant at 0.01 levels (Ali, 2017). Conclusion There is no such empirical evidence on whether globalization increases the incidence of child labor. The different data as recorded in this report and the cross country evidence clearly shows that globalization can reduce child labor. However health policies and educational policies of the government of the developing countries can have a serious toll on the effect of child labor in these countries. The economic condition of these developing countries has a serious impact on child labor as because such a condition renders many families to engage their children to forced child labors to earn their living (McQuade, 2014). There are many cases where the family wanted to send their child to school but the disparity in income, health, social conditions and huge educational expense have tied up their hands to send their children to schools. Capital market imperfections and parental investments are thus limited by liquidity constraints. However exposure to trade can change the situation bec ause of the increase in the comparatively larger skill group. For a country that starts with a largely uneducated workforce, globalization raises the wage rate of the uneducated relative to the other educated workers. Recommendations The policies of the different countries that suffer due to such problems can be changed drastically. Some of the provisions in the policies can include the educational subsidies, school provisions, providing food to the poor children, exposure to world class education and many more as such. The following policies can also include public health expenditure which can help increase the incentives to the educational investments on a child. The government has to formulate the policy in such a way so that it can address all the concerns related to such problems and also address different other issues. The developed countries as well as UNICEF can play a major role too reduce the impact of child labor in developing and under developed countries. The most basic thing which can be done by them is to finance different educational initiatives or educational grants. They can also contribute to the health policies of the government which will surely make a huge difference. The countries with a la rgely uneducated labors educational and technical assistance of any kind can be quite beneficial. These countries must be compensated on a short term basis to save them from the effects of international competition. UNICEF has different programs under its belt that is aimed at providing quality education in different rural areas of these countries with the largest amount of child labor participation. The educational initiatives of these organizations can be of real help for the countries with a world class exposure to modern form of education. The scenario is changing slowly and in a short time from now the world can be free from the curse of child labor. Bibliography Almeida, B. d., Kassouf, . (2016). VThe effect of labor inspections on reducing child labor in BrazilV. UCW working paper. VThe effect of labor inspections on reducing child labor in BrazilV. UCW working paper. Cho, Fang, Tayur, Xu, . (2014). Combating child labor: Incentives and information transparency in global supply chains. Combating child labor: Incentives and information transparency in global supply chains. Cummings. (2016). Child Labor and Household Composition: Determinants of Child Labor in Mexico. Asian Journal of Latin American Studies, 29(3), 29-54. Child Labor and Household Composition: Determinants of Child Labor in Mexico. Asian Journal of Latin American Studies, 29(3), 29-54. Edward. (2017). Beyond Child's Play: Sustainable Product Design in the Global Doll-making Industry. Taylor Francis. Islam, Choe, . (2013). Child labor and schooling responses to access to microcredit in rural Bangladesh. Economic Inquiry, 51(1), 46-61. Child labor and schooling responses to access to microcredit in rural Bangladesh. Economic Inquiry, 51(1), 46-61. Jariego, M. (2017). But We Want to Work: The Movement of Child Workers in Peru and the Actions for Reducing Child Labor. American Journal of Community Psychology. But We Want to Work: The Movement of Child Workers in Peru and the Actions for Reducing Child Labor. American Journal of Community Psychology. Kail. (2015). Children and their development. Pearson Higher Ed. Kamata. (2016). Labor clauses in regional trade agreements and effects on labor conditions: an empirical analysis (No. 609). Institute of Developing Economies,. Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Laws. (2016). What Constitutes Effective Child Labor Laws. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 29(18_suppl), 44-46. What Constitutes Effective Child Labor Laws. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 29(18_suppl), 44-46. Locke. (2013). The promise and limits of private power: Promoting labor standards in a global economy. Cambridge University Press. Masten. (2014). Global perspectives on resilience in children and youth. Child development, 85(1), 6-20. Global perspectives on resilience in children and youth. Child development, 85(1), 6-20. Meardi, Marginson, . (2014). Global labour governance: potential and limits of an emerging perspective. Work, employment and society, 28(4), 651-662. Global labour governance: potential and limits of an emerging perspective. Work, employment and society, 28(4), 651-662. Rauscher, Myers, Miller, . (2016). Work?related deaths among youth: Understanding the contribution of US child labor violations. American journal of industrial medicine, 59(11), 959-968. Work?related deaths among youth: Understanding the contribution of US child labor violations. American journal of industrial medicine, 59(11), 959-968. Simas, Golsteijn, Huijbregts, Wood, Hertwich, . (2014). The Bad Labor footprint: quantifying the social impacts of globalization. Sustainability, 6(11), 7514-7540. The Bad Labor footprint: quantifying the social impacts of globalization. Sustainability, 6(11), 7514-7540. Tuttle. (2015). Child labor during the British industrial revolution. Wickramage, K. S., Weerawarna, Jayasekara, Pannala, Sumathipala, . (2015). Risk of mental health and nutritional problems for left-behind children of international labor migrants. BMC psychiatry, 15(1), 39. Risk of mental health and nutritional problems for left-behind children of international labor migrants. BMC psychiatry, 15(1), 39. Johnson Jr, E. C. (2014). Business lawyers are in a unique position to help their clients identify supply-chain risks involving labor trafficking and child labor. Bus. Law., 70, 1083. Ali, M. A., Ali, M. V., Abbas, F. (2017). Hidden hazardous child labor as a complex human rights phenomenon: A case study of child labor in Pakistans brick-making industry. Cogent Social Sciences, 3(1), 1369486. McQuade, A. (2014). Bolvias Child Labor Law Shames Us All. The Guardian, 25. Bah, M. (2016). Y.Child Labor in the Gambia,. Global Journal of Human-Social Science: Sociology and Culture. Cuadros-Menaca, A., Gaduh, A. (2017). Remittances, Child Labor, and Schooling: Evidence from Colombia. OKeefe, B. (2016). Inside big chocolates child labor problem. Fortune. Tsuyuhara, K. (2014). A welfare analysis of child labor restriction: Intergenerational perspectives. Journal of Economic Development, 39(3), 15

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Blue Whales Essays (1729 words) - Baleen Whales, Megafauna

Blue Whales Abstract The Blue whale is the largest creature of the sea, in fact, it is the largest creature known to man. Contrary to what most people think, even though Blue whales live in the sea, they are mammals. They breathe air, have their babies born alive and can live anywhere from 30 to 70 years. The Blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, Blue whales have around 300-400 baleen plates in their mouths. They fall under the category of the rorquals, which are the largest of the baleen family. The scientific name of the Blue whale is, Balsenoptera musculus. Key Words: Balaenoptera musculus, Suborder Mysticeti, balaenoptera intermedia, balaenoptera brevicauds, baleen whale, rorqual, calf, sulfur bottom, Sibbald's Rorqual, Great Northern Rorqual, gulpers, blowholes, blubber, oil, keratin, krill, copepods, plankton, orcas, endangered Introduction Whales are separated into two groups, the baleen and the toothed whales. The blue whale is the largest baleen whale and the largest animal that ever lived on Earth, including the largest dinosaurs. Baleen are rows of coarse, bristle-like fibers used to strain plankton from the water. Baleen is made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. They live in pods, the have two blowholes. The blue whale has a 2-14 inch (5-30cm) thick layer of blubber. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti). They are one of 76 species and are marine mammals. Background The Blue whale is called a ?rorqual?, a Norwegian word for ?furrow? referring to the pleated grooves running from its chin to its naval. The pleated throat grooves allow the Blue whale's throat to expand during the huge intake of water during filter feeding; they can ?hold 1,000 tons or more of food and water when fully expanded? (Small 1971). Blue whales have 50-70 throat grooves. Blue whales grow up to about 80 feet (25m) long on average, weighing about 120 tons. The females are generally larger than the males, this is the case for all baleen whales. ?The largest specimen found was a female 94 feet (29m) long weighing more than 174 tons? (Satchell 1998). The head of the Blue whale forms up to a quarter of the total body length. Compared with other rorquals, the head is very broad. The blue whale heart is the size of a small car and can pump almost 10 tons of blood throughout the body. They have a very small, falcate (sickle-shaped) dorsal fin that is located near the fluke, or tail. Blue whales have long, thin flippers 8 feet (2.4m) long and flukes that are 25feet (7.6m) wide. The blue whale's skin is usually blue-gray with white-gray spots. The underbelly has brown, yellow, or gray specks. During the winter, in cold waters, diatoms stick to the underbelly, giving it a yellow to silver- to sulfur-colored sheen; giving the blue whale its nick-name of ?sulfur bottoms?. Other names include Sibbald's Rorqual and Great Northern Rorqual. Blue whales (like all baleen whales) are seasonal feeders and carnivores that filter feed tiny crustaceans (krill, copepods, etc), plankton, and small fish from the water. Krill, or shrimp-like euphasiids are no longer than 3 inches. It is amazing that the world's largest animals feed on the smallest marine life. Blue whales are gulpers, filter feeders that alternatively swim then gulp a mouthful of plankton or fish. ?An average-sized blue whale will eat 2,000-9,000 pounds (900-4100kg) of plankton each day during the summer feeding season in cold, arctic waters (120 days)? (Hasley 1984). The blue whale has twin blowholes with exceptionally large fleshy splashguards to the front and sides. It has about 320 pairs of black baleen plates with dark gray bristles in the blue whale's jaws. These plates can be 35-39 inches (90cm-1m) long, 21 inches (53cm) wide, and weigh 200 pounds (90kg). This is the largest of all the rorquals, but not the largest of all the whales. The tongue weighs 4 tons. Blue whales live individually or in very small pods (groups). They frequently swim in pairs. When the whale comes to the surface of the water, he takes a large breath of air. Then he dives back into the water, going to a depth of 350 feet (105m). Diving is also the way in which whales catch most of their food. Whales

Monday, November 25, 2019

A Failure to Respond essays

A Failure to Respond essays Between June 1941 and May 1945, six million Jews were systematically annihilated under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. However, because of Germany's firm control over most of Europe, information about theFinal Solution? wasn't leaked to the presses until a year later. In June 1942, the Daily Telegraph was the first to report that 700,000 Jews had been gassed (Laqueur, 261). The United States had already declared war against the Axis powers following Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. One would then assume that after reading this published report that the United States, as a world power, would have jumped in and taken immediate action to halt the atrocities that were being committed by the Nazis. However, the United States? response was quite the opposite. As a world power, the United States could have and should have put forth a sizeable effort towards assisting the European Jewry, without compromising its war efforts against the Axis powe rs. The American government chose to sit on the information of the mass genocide of the European Jewry. It wasn't until November 24, 1942 that information about the genocide of the European Jewry was published in non-prominent U.S. newspapers. However, at that point, two million European Jews had already been murdered. To make matters even worse, the American State Department actively blocked information about the Nazi's persecution of the European Jewry for eleven weeks. The despicable actions of the American government didn't stop there as United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ignored spies who had personally witnessed the atrocities that were occurring in the Nazi death camps. President Roosevelt even went as far as claiming that he was 'too busy? when 400 Rabbis from around the U.S. came to the White House, a day before the most holy Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, with a petition to form a council for rescue in hopes of saving 70,000 Rom...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Marketing Management Examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Marketing Management Examination - Essay Example Product 20 B. Price 21 C. Promotion 22 D. Place 23 References 25 1a. Internal environment of Nokia The following points represents internal environment of Nokia’ 1. Place for Product based Innovation 2. Demand for craftsmanship within the company 3. Demand for high product design 4. Declining market share 5. Lack of brand identity for Nokia Talking on the above mentioned points, there can be a broad array of issues that can be highlighted in this case. 1. Place for product based innovation: It can be said Nokia, being a company that has technology based offering in its product portfolio always realizes the need to create value on a regular manner for its customers. The company believes that since they are in the technology industry, the product life cycle is very small. In an attempt to generate value for the customers, they will have to keep on producing high level of innovative features and new products, so that they can retain the interest of the consumers to their products . As a result, Nokia has developed itself as a hub of product innovation 2. Demand for craftsmanship: The Company Nokia has identified the fact that in an attempt to create value for the customers, they have to focus on the process of creating products of luxury status, which will create a tremendous level of appeal to the customers belonging to the wealthy as well as upper class people of the society. As a result of this, during the process of production of the luxury status phones like Vertu, the company focused on developing mobile phones that requires high level of craftsmanship that will provide an excellent appeal of the company’s products to the elite category customers. 3. Demand for high product design: Nokia has realized that since they cater to the technological sector, hence the demand for providing highly innovative product design is typically high. In order to provide innovative products, the company keeps on providing product that have been designed on the basi s of new product design. 4. Declining market share: It can be said that the company has faced a decline in the market share as a result of various internal issues ranging from the lack of accountability as well as inefficiency arising out of incompatibility in the leadership styles. The company’s representative from the top level management also highlighted that the issues related to the lack of synchronization among various divisions of the company has automatically taken its toll in the process of delivering products of innovative nature on a regular basis. 5. Lack of brand identity: It needs to be mentioned that the entire product offering of the company lacks a factor related to brand equity. Though the company has attained high level of consumer popularity in the previous years’ among a wide range of customers, it can be said that the popularity was mostly related to the luxury category mobile phones named Vertu. So, naturally, it can be said that the company lack s a proper and original brand identity in the market in the recent times. General trends Points: 1. New operating structure 2. Shift to touch screen phones 3. Value added services 4. Counterfeiting issues Talking in broad manner, the following can be mentioned 1. New operating structure: Nokia’s luxury division, Vertu was operating on its own through effective decision making processes. The change that have been initiated as a part of strategic restructuring might hamper the company luxury division’

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Environmental Leaders and Laggards in the European Union Essay

Environmental Leaders and Laggards in the European Union - Essay Example Moreover, the author also argued that the problem took place due to shortage in the administrative capacities for effectually implementing EU based environmental policies. It has been viewed in the article that the southern member provinces of EU did not possess adequate technical know-how, potential working staffs and well-structured infrastructures for applying as well as enforcing EU environmental based legislative policies. The author suggested that the southern member provinces belonging to EU should implement environmental policies competently for the purpose of developing their financial progression, increasing economic interests and most significantly generating employment. The effective execution of the EU environmental schemes or policies would ultimately promote the economic advancement of the different southern member provinces belonging to EU as well as enhance their environmental quality level by a greater extent. The author identified a significant reason which eventua lly restricted the southern member provinces of EU to implement EU environmental based policies effectively. The significant reason was that the southern member provinces belonging to EU possessed the political systems which were conventionally dominated by clientelism, disrespect and patronage for the public authority. On the basis of the article, the author argued that there lays significant disparities in meeting with the EU environmental laws throughout the different European member provinces which cannot be escorted.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Character Analysis of A Mid Summer Nights Dream Term Paper

Character Analysis of A Mid Summer Nights Dream - Term Paper Example A Round character is defined as three dimensional, complex and life like. The round character grows as the story progresses. The main character in the play is called a round character as it shows a degree of character development. In terms of this definition Puck can be called round as he is the creator of major actions in the play. Though he does not show development in his qualities as the play progresses but brings twists and turns in the life of other characters. He is not the main character or the protagonist yet his character makes the entire play lively and sets the characters in action. Puck is an Individualized character in the sense that he embodies and exhibits the traits of a particular class or group of people. They are also called Type characters and are very unpredictable in their actions and are representative of their class and group to which they belong. Puck is a fairy and is called Robin Good fellow. He is portrayed a bit bizarre, by the master crafts man Shakespe are where as the other fairies are ethereal and beautiful. As the other fairy describes him, â€Å"I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Called Robin Good fellow. Are not you he that frights the maidens of the villager, Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern And bootless make the breathless housewife churn†. ... The character of Puck in the play is Symbolic in nature .As all the plays of Shakespeare confirms the presence of a world outside this world, the beings of that world control the destinies of the poor mortals. They love to play prank on the human beings and laugh at their distress and predicaments. Whether it is fate or destiny in some plays or it could be witches as in Macbeth or Puck, a hobgoblin in Mid Summer Night’s Dream. He is Oberon’s jester and introduce himself as, â€Å"I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon and make him smile...† and delights playing pranks on the mortals. He is swift and willing to please his master, Oberon. When Oberon tells him to bring the potion from the flowers ,he says, â€Å" I’ll put a girdle round the Earth in forty minutes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ His willingness to serve Oberon and please him always, appear in this expression, â€Å"fear not, my lord ,your servant shall do†. In Mid Summer’s Night Dream, Puck’s capricious nature and fun loving humor, evocative language permeates the entire play. By means of his deliberate pranks, this mysterious spirit enjoys his superiority over the humans who are puppets in his hands. He is capricious and fun loving, full of humor and life. These airy creatures are not diminutive human beings with supernatural powers, as quoted in Shakespeare's Fairies: the Triumph of Dramatic Art; they are like young human children and are able to differentiate between right and wrong. They love and quarrel like kids and use tricksters like Puck to avenge themselves. The tricks these Ariel creatures play on the human lovers are like those that children play on one another, without any thought of the suffering they may cause the

Friday, November 15, 2019

Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis

Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis – A Case Study Abstract- Earned Value management (EVM) is a well-known project management tool that uses information on cost, schedule and work performance to track the current status of the project. It uses information on cost, schedule and work performance to establish the current status of the project. The calculation of earned value is a very effective tool in measuring the progress of contractors in external projects. Computation of earned value can be part of an audit activity, or it can be integrated into the progress monitoring system. The concept of earned value is generally used in the context of fixed price contracts where the objective is to calculate the amount of payment that is due to the contractor. Keywords- Project Performance Evaluation, Earned Value, Cost Control, Forecasting INTRODUCTION Earned value analysis is a project control technique which provides cost and schedule performance measurements of the project. It is a frequently used method of performance measurement for projects. It integrates the project scope baseline and the cost baseline, along with the schedule baseline, to form the performance baseline, which helps the project management team assess and measure project performance and progress. EVM provides project managers and the organization with triggers or early warning signals that allow them to take timely actions in response to indicators of poor performance and enhance the opportunities for project success. Better planning and resource allocation associated with the early periods of a project might be the cause of this reliability. EVM IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS EVM can be used for progress payments to contractors based on the earned value (EV) of contracted or outsourced work. Since such contractual arrangements create legal and financial obligations, it is important to consider the method specified for evaluating progress. These methods and tools for the determination of progress should be carefully considered and negotiated to achieve a fair and equitable environment that encourages successful accomplishment of contracted or outsourced project items. Once a project has advanced to a stage of performance, the consistent and constant flow of information on the true status of the project is essential. EVM is a methodology that associates project scope, schedule, and resource measurements to analyse project performance and progress. The fundamental principle of EVM is that the patterns and trends of performance, when compared against a soundly developed baseline, can be excellent predictors of the future project performance. Feedback is critical to the success of any project. Getting the relevant feedback in time enables project managers to identify problems early and make adjustments that keeps a project on time and on budget. EVM is considered by many to be one of the most effective performance measurement and feedback tools for managing construction projects. In EVM system, the three parameters that influence the project performance control are: Planned Value (PV) Planned value (PV) is the sanctioned budget assigned to a scheduled work. It may also be known as the Budgeted Cost for Work Scheduled (BCWS). This budget is allocated by phases over the life of the project, but at a given moment, planned value outlines the physical work that should have been accomplished. The overall PV is sometimes referred to as the performance measurement baseline (PMB). The total planned value for the project is also known as budget at completion (BAC) [1]. Earned Value (EV) Earned value (EV) is the measure of work performed at a specific point in time, expressed in terms of the authorized budget for that work. The EV being measured needs to be related to the PMB, and it cannot be greater than the authorized PV budget for a component. The EV is often used to calculate the percentage completion of a project. Progress evaluation criteria should be established for each work breakdown structure (WBS) component to measure work in progress. The earned value methodology used to plan the baseline should be used consistently to determine the earned value. Project managers monitor EV, both incrementally to determine current status and cumulatively to determine the long-term performance trends [2], [1]. Actual Cost (AC) Actual cost (AC) is the realized cost incurred for the work performed during a specific time period. It is the total cost incurred in achieving the work that the EV measured. In order for EVM analysis to be reliable, AC must be recorded in the same time period as EV and for the same activity or work breakdown structure component as EV. Fig. 1 shows the actual cost at time now, and indicates that the organization has spent more than it planned to spend in order to achieve the work performed to date. Fig. 1 Earned Value curve for a project over budget and behind schedule LITERATURE REVIEW Previous researches done on the EVM indicate that it is definitely one of the better practice to monitor a project. Therefore in this project we will be considering Earned Value Analysis for research purpose. Pramod M et al. (2014), recognise that the absence of an effective system for monitoring and controlling project cost is the main reason for cost escalation and delays in the project. Their study considers Earned Value analysis and Earned Schedule concept as the two monitoring systems which can be used to monitor a construction project. The study was done on a residential apartment in Bangalore. They concluded their research by saying, Earned Value Analysis is a great monitoring system for project cost control when the required information are cost oriented [3]. Jose Angelo Valle and Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares (2012), did a critical review of the application of EVA for the Amusement Park named Monica Park in Brazil, which was is documented with reports, graphs, analyses and comments. EVA had a relevant role in the integrated management of the project scope, time, progress, cost and risks and the procurement. Because of the implementation of EVA, the project finished on time and on budget. The findings of the case study are analysed and concluded with 10 recommended steps for future implementation of the EVA process [4]. Antony Prasanth M A and K Thirumalai Raja (2014), selected Integrated housing and slum development program (IHSDP) located in Mattampuram, Thrissur, Kerala, for case study. Budgeted cost of work performed was compared against actual cost of work performed and budgeted cost of work scheduled to assess cost and schedule variances, respectively. Based on the collected data, schedule of the project and cost for individual activities had prepared. It gave an idea of cost and time required for individual activities and for the entire construction. S-Curve was drawn showing the relationship between duration and cost of the project. From the calculation of various project performance indicators, they arrived at conclusion that the project has an unfavourable schedule variance of 9.5 which meant the project was behind schedule. A SPI of .62 and a CPI of 0.82 was obtained. EAC of 411.20 lakhs was obtained which is 74.02 lakhs more than the BAC at 337.18 lakhs [5]. EVM PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND FORECASTING PARAMETER Calculating Project Performance EVA analyses project performance by calculating performance variances and performance indices. Common variances include: Schedule Variance (SV):Schedule variance (SV) is the amount by which the project is ahead or behind the planned delivery date, at a given point in time. It is a measure of schedule performance on a project. It is equal to the earned value (EV) minus the planned value (PV). The EVM schedule variance is a useful metric which can indicate when a project is falling behind or is ahead of its baseline schedule. The EVM schedule variance will ultimately equal zero when the project is completed because all of the planned values will have been earned. Cost variance (CV):Cost variance (CV) is the amount of budget deficit or surplus at a given point in time. It is a measure of cost performance on a project. It is equal to the earned value (EV) minus the actual cost (AC). The cost variance at the end of the project will be the difference between the budget at completion (BAC) and the actual amount spent. Schedule performance index (SPI):The schedule performance index (SPI) is a measure of schedule efficiency expressed as the ratio of earned value to planned value. SPI indicates the rate at which the project is progressing. It is sometimes used in conjunction with the cost performance index (CPI) to forecast the final project completion estimates. An SPI value less than 1.0 indicates less work was completed than was planned. An SPI greater than 1.0 indicates that more work was completed than was planned. Cost performance index (CPI):The cost performance index (CPI) is a measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources, expressed as a ratio of earned value to actual cost. It is considered the most critical EVM metric and measures the cost efficiency for the work completed. A CPI value of less than 1.0 indicates a cost overrun for work completed and greater than 1.0 indicates a cost underrun of performance to date. Performance Forecasting As the project progresses, forecasts can be developed for cost and schedule performance. Common forecasting data includes: Estimate to Complete (ETC):The estimate to complete (ETC) is the expected cost needed to complete all of the remaining work for a control account, work package, or the project. The most accurate method is to develop a new, detailed, bottom-up estimate based on an analysis of the remaining work. Estimate at Completion (EAC):Estimate at completion (EAC), is the expected total cost of a control account, work package, or the project when the defined scope of work will be completed. The EAC is typically based on the actual cost incurred for work completed (AC), plus an estimate to complete (ETC) for the remaining work. Variance at Completion (VAC):The cost variance at completion (VAC), derived by subtracting the EAC from the BAC, forecasts the amount of budget deficit or surplus at the end of the project. The VAC shows the team whether the project is forecasted to finish under or over budget. This can be expressed as a percentage by dividing VAC by BAC. To complete performance index (TCPI):The TCPI is a comparative measure. It compares work completed to date with budget required to complete the remaining work. The TCPI data can be used as the basis for a discussion which explores whether the performance required is realistically achievable. It is the ratio of remaining work to the remaining budget. TABLE I EVM AS IT RELATES TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT SITUATIONS Project Management Questions EVM Performance Measures Formula Schedule Analysis Forecasting: To know the status of project Time-Wise. Are we ahead or behind schedule? Schedule Variance (SV) SV = EV/PV How efficiency are we using time? Schedule Performance Index (SPI) SPI = EV/PV Cost Analysis Forecasting: To know the status of project Cost-Wise. Are we under or over our budget? Cost Variance (CV) CV = EV-AC How efficiently are we using our resources? Cost Performance Index (CPI) CPI = EV/AC How efficiently must we use our remaining resources? To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) TCPI = (BAC – EV)/(BAC – AC ) What is the project likely to cost? Estimate at Completion (EAC) EAC = BAC/CPI Will we be under or over budget? Variance at Completion (VAC) VAC = BAC-EAC What will the remaining work cost? Estimate to Complete (EAC) ETC = (BAC-EV)/CPI CONCLUSIONS The study of various research works and case studies give an idea that Earned Value Analysis is a great monitoring system for project cost control. Therefore, in this paper I will be making an attempt to apply and analyse the use of EVM on a live project based on the findings and guidelines of the references. REFERENCES [1] PMI, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 4th Edition, Project Management Institute, USA, 2008. [2] PMI, Practice Standard for Earned Value Management, 2nd Edition, Project Management Institute, USA, 2005. [3] Pramod M, K. Phaniraj and V. Srinivasan, â€Å"Monitoring System for Project Cost Control in Construction Industry†, in International Journal of Engineering Research Technology (IJERT), Vol. 3, Issue 7, pp. 1487-1491, July 2014. [4] Jose Angelo Valle and Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares, â€Å"The Use of Earned Value Analysis (EVA) in the Cost Management of Construction Projects†, International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology, pp1-11, Mar 2011. [5] Antony Prasanth M A and K Thirumalai Raja, â€Å"Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Method†, International Conference on Engineering Technology and Science, Volume 3, Special Issue 1, Feb. 2014.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Shakespeare in my World Essay -- Personal Narrative William Shakespear

Shakespeare in my World These are the forgeries of jealousy: And never, since middle summer's spring, Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead, By paved fountain or by rushy brook, Or in the beached margent of the sea, To dance our ringlets to the whisteling wind, But with thy brawls thou hast disturbed our sport. ~ Titania A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1 I first truly gazed upon William Shakespeare during college. I had to do a monologue of Joan of Arc from Henry VI part I. I remember wrapping my mouth around his words, tasting him for the first time. This had not been our first introduction, but it was the real beginning to the ebb and flow of our dance. I absorbed that monologue, like faint strains of music, growing and spreading through my body. It seeped into my pores, flowed through my veins, and buried itself deep within the endless confines of my vast imagination. I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again: Mine ear is much enamored of thy note. So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee. ~ Titania A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.1 He drew me to the Catskills when I was accepted into the National Shakespeare Conservatory the following summer. Alone for the first time, seven miles from the nearest village, I devoured him. His presence was everywhere. I could taste him in the oatmeal for breakfast, I could see him in the early morning fog, I could hear him coaxing me into the secluded woods all around, and I could feel him move over my spirit, coaxing me out of myself and into immortality. What angel wakes me from my flow'ry bed? The summer still doth tend upon my state; And I do love thee. Therefore, go with m... ...y immortal counterpart erased all my imperfections and gave rise to a being whom I never knew lived inside of me. I had been ripped apart to bring forth new life, creating in a way that Shakespeare could never dream of. My capacity for love, life, and lust knew no bounds. Bringing Shakespeare into my world has been incredible and awful, joyful and sorrowful, empowering and demolishing. What I have taken from our union is my own quiet sense of survival. I stood against the forces of my choices and endured. Shakespeare continues to pour into my essence, but I have created who I am. He is a part of me but not the whole of me. Our blessed dance will ever go on, changing and growing as I do. First, rehearse your song by rote, To each word a warbling note: Hand in hand, with fairy grace, We will sing and bless this place. ~Titania A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1