Battle of Blenheim in the War of Spanish Succession

Skirmish of Blenheim in the War of Spanish Succession Skirmish of Blenheim - Conflict Date: The Battle of Blenheim was battled August 13, 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). Commandants Armies: Amazing Alliance John Churchill, Duke of MarlboroughPrince Eugã ¨ne of Savoy52,000 men, 60 weapons France Bavaria Duc de TallardMaximilian II EmanuelFerdinand de Marsin56,000 men, 90 weapons Skirmish of Blenheim - Background: In 1704, King Louis XIV of France looked to take the Holy Roman Empire out of the War of Spanish Succession by catching its capital, Vienna. Anxious to keep the Empire in the Grand Alliance (England, Habsburg Empire, Dutch Republic, Portugal, Spain, the Duchy of Savoy), the Duke of Marlborough made arrangements to catch the French and Bavarian powers before they could arrive at Vienna. Executing a splendid crusade of disinformation and development, Marlborough had the option to move his military from the Low Countries to the Danube in just five weeks, setting himself between the foe and the Imperial capital. Fortified by Prince Eugã ¨ne of Savoy, Marlborough experienced the joined French and Bavarian armed force of Marshall Tallard along the banks of the Danube close to the town of Blenheim. Isolated from the Allies by a little stream and swamp known as the Nebel, Tallard showed his powers in a four mile-long queue from the Danube north towards the slopes and woods of the Swabian Jura. Tying down the line were the towns of Lutzingen (left), Oberglau (focus), and Blenheim (right). On the Allied side, Marlborough and Eugã ¨ne had chosen to assault Tallard on August 13. Skirmish of Blenheim - Marlborough Attacks: Allotting Prince Eugã ¨ne to take Lutzingen, Marlborough requested Lord John Cutts to assault Blenheim at 1:00 PM. Cutts over and again ambushed the town, however couldn't make sure about it. In spite of the fact that the assaults were not fruitful, they caused the French authority, Clã ©rambault, to frenzy and request the stores into the town. This slip-up denied Tallard of his hold power and nullified the slight numerical favorable position he had over Marlborough. Seeing this blunder, Marlborough adjusted his requests to Cutts, teaching him to just contain the French in the town. At the far edge of the line, Prince Eugã ¨ne was having little accomplishment against the Bavarian powers protecting Lutzingen, regardless of having propelled different attacks. With Tallards powers nailed down on the flanks, Marlborough pushed forward an assault on the French place. After substantial starting battling, Marlborough had the option to vanquish Tallards rangers and directed the staying French infantry. Without any stores, Tallards line broke and his soldiers started escaping towards Hã ¶chstdt. They were participated in their trip by the Bavarians from Lutzingen. Caught in Blenheim, Clã ©rambaults men proceeded with the battle until 9:00 PM when more than 10,000 of them gave up. As the French fled southwest, a gathering of Hessian troops figured out how to catch Marshall Tallard, who was to go through the following seven years in bondage in England. Clash of Blenheim - Aftermath Impact: In the battling at Blenheim, the Allies lost 4,542 executed and 7,942 injured, while the French and Bavarians endured around 20,000 slaughtered and injured just as 14,190 caught. The Duke of Marlboroughs triumph at Blenheim finished the French danger to Vienna and evacuated the air of power that encompassed the armed forces of Louis XIV. The fight was a defining moment in the War of Spanish Succession, at last prompting the Grand Alliances triumph and a finish of French authority over Europe.

Techniques of Comedy Free Essays

Alex Moreno Theater 208 Comedy: Techniques behind the Laughter Comedy is the class of film that makes even the saddest occasions endurable and increased a great deal of prominence in when individuals required a lift. Parody is a special type of film in its wide scope of strategies, and in these techniques there is probably a portion of a select gathering of approaches. The genuine enchantment that satire has emerges from these chosen few strategies, that, when utilized appropriately, will never neglect to create a giggle. We will compose a custom exposition test on Procedures of Comedy or then again any comparative theme just for you Request Now Satire arrives in a wide scope of structures, all of which acquire a giggle various ways. There are in any case, a couple of explicit classifications of satire which become works of art. The best of these incorporate; screwball, running stiflers, mind, set-up and turn of phrase, and droll. While these are independent classifications of parody, they are frequently utilized together or in different sorts, to effectively create a snicker. The inquiry is, the thing that makes them work again and again, and the appropriate response lies in like manner elements of every strategy. A significant factor in parody is the content and utilization of discourse. While exchange isn't similarly significant in a wide range of parody, it is as yet an extremely compelling device in delivering an incredible satire. The discourse must tie in quick pacing, mind, and satire so as to keep a crowd of people engaged, all while following the content so as to attract the crowd to the film, and keep them snared. Extraordinary comedies consistently have excellent discourse that can make even the most conventional scene, completely amusing. At the point when exchange is utilized appropriately, it very well may be parody in itself, or add to another joke. A case of this is the point at which a fundamental character offers an interesting remark about the foe or another character. The activities of the other character may not be entertaining alone, yet include some discourse and it turns out to be amazingly interesting. In general, exchange isn't the principle drive behind all comedic structures, as observed in quiet movies, however it is as yet critical to present day satire in its capacity to make standard things entertaining. The following significant factor of a fruitful satire is the pacing. Quick pacing is the main fruitful method of making a parody; the crowd should consistently have something to produce a giggle. Crowds are flighty, and making them trust that something will happen will just purpose them to lose intrigue. The pace must be sufficiently quick to keep individuals intrigued, yet it should likewise be at a pace where the crowd can stay aware of the activity. A parody won't be clever if the following joke begins before the crowd even chuckles at the last one. An incredible satire must discover the perfect parity that won't lose the crowd to weariness, or in a surge. Give the crowd sufficient opportunity to chuckle, yet don’t let them quit giggling. Another basic factor in creating a fruitful satire is in the utilization of montage. Cutting shots between various points assists with keeping the crowd intrigued by including new viewpoint, the film should consistently be moving, thus should the camera. This is utilized notwithstanding close-ups and foundation shots during significant groupings. A successful strategy for doing this is exchanging shots between characters during significant comedic groupings. A case of this would be a fundamental character intended to be interesting conversing with one of the stale characters, hostile to lighthearted element, and demonstrating their absence of response to something clever done by the principle character. Another strategy is changing the camera edges while a character experiences issues playing out an undertaking. A character battling to help a case through an entryway is clever, however gets old except if you continually montage so as to keep the scene crisp, adding to the pace. Montage is a significant factor in fruitful parody on the grounds that a joke needs to remain new so as to be entertaining, as does a satire. The throwing in a film is absolutely critical, as not all individuals are interesting in similar circumstances. On-screen characters all have certain comedic jobs, which they best fit into. A genuine looking entertainer with a harsh voice would not make a decent blockhead character. In the event that that equivalent on-screen character is put into the job of a hoodlum with the mentality of a kid, he turns into an incredible comic figure. Throwing is absolutely critical as entertainers must accommodate their jobs, while they have more range in parody, they despite everything must be authentic somewhat. This can be seen by the incredible number of comedies where individuals exit saying; it would have been amusing or more clever with another person. Throwing must be done cautiously all together likewise safeguard that the characters play well against one another. While a developed man acting like a youngster is clever now and again, it turns out to be incredibly successful when there is another character inciting them to act that way. At long last, throwing decides how the crowd will respond to the story, and whether jokes will be entertaining when originating from the chose cast. At long last these things attach in to make a comedic film entertaining. In the event that the methods are utilized appropriately you will make a high vitality parody that will keep the crowd engaged. Genuine works of art have everything that a parody could require, extraordinary exchange, quick pacing, montage, and incredible throwing. At the point when these strategies are utilized together appropriately, a satire can't come up short. The essential objective of a parody is to remain new, and by using these strategies, even the most played out situation can get interesting once more. Parody has made us snicker for about a century, and it will keep on inasmuch as it is kept new, new, and energizing. Step by step instructions to refer to Techniques of Comedy, Essay models

MIA and MPA Concentration Choice COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

MIA and MPA Concentration Choice COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog One of the questions that has been popping up in our email in box from MIA and MPA admitted applicants has to do with the choice of concentration at SIPA.   You can think of your concentration as your major field of study.   Many applicants are worried that they must stick with the concentration selected when the admission application was filled out.   This is not the case.   As a reminder, our six concentrations are: Economic and Political Development Energy and the Environment Human Rights International Finance and Economic Policy International Security Policy Urban and Social Policy We do look for focus in an admission application and the concentration choice often will influence how a file is read.   For example, if someone selects International Finance and Economic Policy on the admission application we do look for evidence of some pretty serious quantitative study and/or work experience due to the fact that this concentration is quantitatively heavy. However, we also realize that when admitted applicants enroll and speak with faculty, take some classes, interact with second year students, and attend events, one’s career or academic focus might shift and we want to be flexible and allow students to choose the pathway that is best for their professional goals.   Often this insight only comes after actually enrolling and spending time at SIPA. Thus it is perfectly acceptable to change your concentration when you register for classes in the fall.   There is no formal process, you simply must choose a concentration when you register.   There is also no firm time line to finalize your choice, however the longer you wait, the more precarious completing the requirements becomes. The counseling students receive will thus encourage you to be firm with your concentration choice sometime during your first year, and the sooner the better so that you may shape your class schedule and internships.   All of our program requirements must be completed in four semesters and deciding early will help alleviate pressure over time by narrowing your class choices. So there is no need to worry about sticking to the concentration selected on the admission application.   During Orienation in August new students will have the opportunity to hear faculty speak about the different options and the concentration choice will be made when you register.   If you need to change again when you register for the second semester you may, but again the more focused and certain you are, the more you will be able to gain from the program.

MIA and MPA Concentration Choice COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

MIA and MPA Concentration Choice COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog One of the questions that has been popping up in our email in box from MIA and MPA admitted applicants has to do with the choice of concentration at SIPA.   You can think of your concentration as your major field of study.   Many applicants are worried that they must stick with the concentration selected when the admission application was filled out.   This is not the case.   As a reminder, our six concentrations are: Economic and Political Development Energy and the Environment Human Rights International Finance and Economic Policy International Security Policy Urban and Social Policy We do look for focus in an admission application and the concentration choice often will influence how a file is read.   For example, if someone selects International Finance and Economic Policy on the admission application we do look for evidence of some pretty serious quantitative study and/or work experience due to the fact that this concentration is quantitatively heavy. However, we also realize that when admitted applicants enroll and speak with faculty, take some classes, interact with second year students, and attend events, one’s career or academic focus might shift and we want to be flexible and allow students to choose the pathway that is best for their professional goals.   Often this insight only comes after actually enrolling and spending time at SIPA. Thus it is perfectly acceptable to change your concentration when you register for classes in the fall.   There is no formal process, you simply must choose a concentration when you register.   There is also no firm time line to finalize your choice, however the longer you wait, the more precarious completing the requirements becomes. The counseling students receive will thus encourage you to be firm with your concentration choice sometime during your first year, and the sooner the better so that you may shape your class schedule and internships.   All of our program requirements must be completed in four semesters and deciding early will help alleviate pressure over time by narrowing your class choices. So there is no need to worry about sticking to the concentration selected on the admission application.   During Orienation in August new students will have the opportunity to hear faculty speak about the different options and the concentration choice will be made when you register.   If you need to change again when you register for the second semester you may, but again the more focused and certain you are, the more you will be able to gain from the program.

Cheating in Education Today

On the last day of the term, I needed to grade a set of papers while my class was taking the same test in order to distribute exam waivers by the end of the day. Suspecting that students coming to my desk might accidentally see answers on the key for the one multiple choice page, I coded the answers on my answer key the multiple choice responses so that I AB, BC and so on and proceeded to grade papers. My suspicions were correct: Of the fifteen or so students in the room, six came to my desk once or twice, returning to his seat with a smug smile. I felt a twinge of guilt as I watched them quickly scribbling answers, considering the situation had a flavor of entrapment, but decided these students might learn an unexpected lesson. The slickness of their moves was dismaying, but I felt worse seeing which students were cheating-- only those I had held in highest regard. When all papers finally were in, I said I had bad news for all those people who had cheated. Innocent cries of Who cheated, ensued, loudest from those who had. But they ceased when I said the cheaters had reproduced a perfect pattern of wrong answers. I had believed cheating in my classes was tightly controlled. I rarely gave credit for rechecked answers, I kept assignments until students can no longer get credit for turning in copied work, and I rarely gave multiple choice tests. Nevertheless, during final exam week I found a little crib sheet stuck on a shelf and another lying on the floor. Perhaps more telling, a few students who rarely complete their work left the room once they realized cheating on the essay exam would be impossible. Apparently, their experience had given them confidence that they can get away with cheating. I wondered if this confidence made studying seem a waste of time. A Nationwide Problem Survey results about the prevalence of cheating in high school taken by Whos Who Among American High School Students in 1993 revealed that an alarming 89% of high school students thought cheating was common and 78% had cheated.It seems logical to assume that successful cheating in high school inspires cheating at the college level, for surveys taken in 1990 indicate as many as 45% college students cheated in one or two courses and 33%, in eight or more courses. The problem, however, is not just with the students themselves, in a recent U.S. News Poll 20% of adults felt there was nothing wrong with parents completing their childs homework. Resources That Help Detect Cheating and Plagiarism While, discouragingly, there are many internet sites that give examples of slick cheating techniques and sell pre-written term papers, there are many other online resources to help teachers catch cheaters. One of the best is Grammerly, which has a plagiarism checker as well as providing strong grammar checking tools.

The Media Of Body Image - 2000 Words

Once upon a time, you probably liked your body and appreciated the many things it could do, but the route to adulthood, doubts and insecurities may have crept in. The images the media exposures the society to are of thin and beautiful women and extremely muscular men. There are negative affects to what the media is showing the body image and mood states of young women and men. The mass media is designed to reach large audiences through the use of technology. From the moment nations wakes up until they fall asleep they are confronted with media. Every home in America has at least one or more of these things a TV, the internet, and cell phones. When driving down the highway it is almost impossible not to see some type of advertisement. What the media portrays of body image affects teens negatively through using stereotypes, and promoting unnecessary products. The media uses stereotypes to portray what a normal body should look like. Women are often shown unrealistically thin and men w ith abnormally great muscle tone. These advertisements are damaging the youths mental health but also the physical state. When the youth gets too damaged it could lead to eating disorders and other not so healthy things. Never fear though if they develop a eating disorder there are many places to seek help. Thesis: Although accepting more normal body types has become a recent trend, the mass media should not have such a big effect on the society’s body image. Thousands of advertisementsShow MoreRelatedThe Media And Body Image1453 Words   |  6 Pagesknow that the media and body image are closely related. Particularly, how the body image advertising portrays affects our own body image. Research documented adolescents as they are more at risk for developing unhealthy attitudes toward their bodies. They are at a time where they re focused on developing their individual identities, making them susceptible to social pressure and media images. A major reason many people have a negative body image is because of the impact that the media has had on ourRead MoreMedia and Body Image1118 Words   |  4 PagesThe media has become a powerful source for changes in our society. There are so many factors and reasons for our society changing. Today I find most people obsessively worried about their body image. We all have a body and at one time or another, we worry about it. Women and men are both being affected by media sources such as television, ad vertising, magazines, music, and video games; not to mention the photo manipulation that goes along with it all. Questions can be asked; such as, â€Å"Is this theRead MoreMedia and Body Image729 Words   |  3 PagesEver wonder why more and more teenagers are having issues with their body image? As society grows, more and more young adults are becoming self-conscious about their bodies and how they look. Girls and boys alike are taught, though not verbally how they should look, from celebrities they see on TV to toys they used to play with and magazines they read on a daily basis. Media make being satisfied with how your body looks extremely difficult and it is getting out of hand. More and more young adultsRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On Body Image1538 Words   |  7 Pagesthe concept of body image is influenced by external factors as culture, society norms, especially with the development of modern social media, it has grown up to be an important element in affecting the perc eption of body image to shape the body image. The influence of mass media may be related to the social comparison process of appearance in female and male. The ideal media body image, it is easy to compare in everyday life, and that will result to dissatisfaction with people s body size. On theRead MoreMedia Vs. Body Image1374 Words   |  6 Pages029 October 17, 2015 Media vs. the body Image Body image remains to be a very controversial topic in today’s society, because of how easy it is to become a hate crime over a small comment on how small or big someone’s body is. Today, it is unavoidable to see the look that it seems society wants us to look. Professor Susan Bordo writes the article, â€Å"Never Just Pictures†, describing her investigation between the media and its effects on how people view their bodies. She uses ethos, logos, andRead MoreMedia Impact On Body Image1254 Words   |  6 Pagesimpact of media models on children’s and adolescents’ body image? Over recent times, the media has become a prominent part in the upbringing of young people. In particular the manner by which the media portrays body image has changed in numerous ways. Body image is defined as â€Å"a person’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about his or her body† by Grogan (as cited in Zaccagni, Masotti, Donati Gualdi-Russo, 2014). There is a stronger focus of what is considered to be the perfect body type andRead MoreThe Media and Body Image Essay990 Words   |  4 PagesMass media is designed to reach large audiences with technology. Its purpose is meant to give us entertainment and information we need to act as a society. Media is everywhere; there is no escaping from it. Almost every home in America has at least one TV, the internet, and a cell phone. You cannot drive down the street without seeing billboard signs. Checking out at the grocery store can be tricky if trying to avoid magazines. There are more forms of media available today the n ever before; consequentlyRead MoreMedia Effects On Body Image Essay1648 Words   |  7 PagesSpecific age groups and mostly women have been studied regarding media effects on body image. These studies did not test the external stimuli created by peer groups that have an impact on a person’s self-idealization. This study addressed individual age groups divided by gender in order to determine how much media effects body idealization and if gender peer group opinions impact self-idealization when viewing media models. Methods The methods used in this study incorporated individuals into groupsRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Body Image1484 Words   |  6 Pages Media has developed to become omnipresent in the day to day lives of the westernized societies. The media is considered a gigantic umbrella that houses a plethora of different outlets underneath it such as television, music videos, magazines, commercials, video games and social media. In this paper, the effects of media and various media types are examined to understand their potential outcomes. Focusing on how and if media affects body image in girls and women, the themes of dieting awarenessRead MoreMedia Effects Body Image1656 Words   |  7 PagesApril 6, 2014 The Effects of Mass Media on African American Women Body Images Over the past 10 years, mass media and the access to social networks has evolved substantially causing the effects of negative self-image and what is considered beautiful. Body image expectations for both African-American male and female share the battles of society’s expectations, yet African American women body images come with a stricter and more unhealthy stigma; growth of social media such as Facebook, Instagram and

Database Optimization Saving Time and CPU Usage Essay

Database optimization is something, that while may go unnoticed, is very important a very important for saving time and CPU usage. In attempting queries on the math database downloaded form stackexchange. A query is an expression written in a programming language, in this case SQL, that is used for data look up in a database. Stackexchange is a large compressed file that contains a record of all the forums from the website stackoverflow.com. I specifically used the math files since they are one of the largest files in size and serve as a perfect example for why database optimization, and finding efficient SQL queries is important. I have noticed that complicated queries can be optimized to make for faster, more complete results. With the†¦show more content†¦( Query Optimization in Database Systems) To sum it up query optimization is important so that these costs can be reduced as much as possible even as the amount of data increases. Using the schema: users id integer, name text, rep, integer, about text) posts( id integer, title text, owner_id text, post_id, created text) com(comment_id integer, post_id integer, comment_text text, user_id integer), I ran a query â€Å"SELECT COUNT(post_id), created FROM posts GROUP BY created† to get a count of how many posts were made and on what days. This took anywhere from five to ten seconds to run which is a pretty good amount of time. The problem with the query is that it is too simple. Every time it is run it is searching the entire database and printing everything out. For one thing this is not ideal since it is not very readable and the information is not very specific. To make this query better I added on â€Å"WHERE† clauses to give it a specific target. If looking for a how many posts where created on 2010-03-27 14:53:20.727 then run query â€Å"SELECT count(post_id) FROM posts WHERE created = 2010-03-27 14:53:20.727. While that seems simplistic for the topic, it is worth noting since a bi g part of optimizing queries is knowing what you want and specificallyShow MoreRelatedThe Performance Of Database Management1189 Words   |  5 Pagesmetrics regarding the performance of database management components and the overall database management system. As a process, performance measurement is not just collecting data associated with a predefined performance goal or standard. Performance measurement is an overall management system involving prevention and detection aimed at achieving conformance of the database management process to an established target. Additionally, it is concerned with process optimization through increased efficiency andRead MoreWindows Sql Server Database Design Essay3374 Words   |  14 PagesTasman Interna tional Academies Diploma in Information Technology (Level 7) Assessment: Windows SQL Server Database Design and Optimization Subject Code: WD 602 Purpose: People credited with this unit standard are able to: Explain purpose designing hardware and software in database. Gain knowledge of server administration, designing physical storage, designing server-level security, data recovery solutions and object-level security. Aim: The assessmentRead MoreSap Han An Effortless Winner Over Oracle3506 Words   |  15 PagesCarolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC asridha3@uncc.edu Abstract—SAP HANA (â€Å"High Performance Analytic Appliance†) is doubtlessly a hands’ down winner over Oracle. SAP created Hana for real-time analytics and applications. Oracle released Exadata Database Machine in 2010 to deliver the highest levels of database performance available. Though Oracle claimed that it wants to be the leading applications vendor in the world, it failed to openly accept SAP HANA as its competitor. While HANA is also an in-memoryRead MoreWindows Sql Server Database Design And Optimization Essay5564 Words   |  23 PagesInternational Academies NAME : K.Nagarjuna SUBJECT : Assessment: Windows SQL Server Database Design and Optimization ID NO : 14091138 SUBMITTED TO : Imran Sidqque SUBMITTED DATE: /july/2015 Diploma in Information Technology (Level 7) Assessment: Windows SQL Server Database Design and Optimization Subject Code: WD 602 Assessment: Task One Theoretical Questions Outcome 1 (1.1)Read MoreEssay NCE Informational System Proposal Summary2500 Words   |  10 Pagesthe solution being considered ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NCE will save time in that we will not ?reinvent the wheel? ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NCE provided solutions will be more standardized ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Using the same solution repeatedly simplifies supporting our solutions ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Allows our NCEs to be able to provide backup to one another ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With standard solutions we increase the probability that we will continually improve the solution. User Requirements The IT team spent time interviewing and observing the NCE team using the currentRead MoreDigging Information From A Database2549 Words   |  11 PagesDigging information from a database sometimes requires creating complicated queries. Often a simple select * from . . . is nested into another one and both into another one and so forth until the result becomes a very complicated query containing scalar queries (subqueries in the select clause) and in-line views (subqueries in the from clause). Such queries are difficult to read, hard to maintain, and a nightmare to optimize. Fortunately there is a WITH clause defined in SQL-99 and implemented inRead MoreWindows Sql Server Database Design And Optimization Essay4185 Words   |  17 PagesName :-------- Sukhdeep Singh Mann ID NO. :--------- 14110738 SUB DATE:------- 21-07-2015 Assessment----windows SQL server database design and optimization.. Subject code---WD 602 Outcome 1 (1.1) Q.1 Briefly explain following designing requirements that are required when designing the hardware and software infrastructure: a) Storage requirements Plan your data storage configuration carefully. There are significant cost and performance tradeoffs to consider when planning for data storageRead MoreWindows Sql Server Database Design Essay8605 Words   |  35 PagesTasman International Academies Diploma in Information Technology (Level 7) ASSESSMENT: Windows SQL Server Database Design and Optimization STUDENT NAME:: RANJIT SINGH STUDENT ID :: 14112532 ASSESSOR NAME:: IMRAN SIDDIQUE DATE SUBMITTED:: 20/07/2015 SUBJECT:: ASSESSMENT (THEORY) Assessment:Read MoreCloud Based Storage : A Model Of Data Storage6901 Words   |  28 Pagesidentify the applications and their dependencies on other components and services. For a Web-based application or Software as a Service (SaaS) application, the dependency tree will consist of logical components (features) of the website such as the database, search and indexer, login and authentication service, billing or payments, and so on. For backend processing pipeline, there will be different interconnected processes like workflow systems, logging and reporting systems. The Cloud Front would supportRead MoreWhat s The Real Role Of Your Network?1967 Words   |  8 Pagesovercome issues found when monitoring With an organized, highly effective approach to application performance management, any organization can achieve the type of visibility that s needed to meet business goals and drive growth. IT can spend more time where it matters — on strategic decision-making and technology implementation — rather than firefighting application issues. With visibility comes the power to streamline IT operations. [p. 2: Applications and productivity] Driving the Business Few

Impacts of Automatic Cars

Question: Explain about the how automatic cars have affected the financial structure of the country but it has some good impacts on the society as well. Answer: Introduction: Two organizations have merged together and implemented a new innovative car which is to be operated without drivers. Google has developed a robotic programming and has implemented this as futuristic driver less cars. The organization has taken the full responsibility of the passengers. It has been observed that it is white technology that has supported such an auto pilot system and has increased the awareness of the drivers in controlling the vehicle in emergency situation (Stanton, 2015). The organization has not changed the basic design of the cars such as steering wheel, pedals, clutch and break. The organization has named the new vehicle Catch 22 (Litman, 2014). The organization has already implemented driverless cars and is continuing the research process. The organization expects that this product will be released in the market within a couple of years . Main body: Article 1: It has been observed the utopian vision of the motor vehicle has helped the organization in implementing the auto driving facility in the cars. Therefore, the drivers can work or take rest while driving the cars. The organization has claimed that it is the highest technological achievements till now (Fagnant Kockelman, 2014). However, the organization has not changed the basic settings of the mechanical parts of the cars because with these the drivers can control the vehicle in case of an emergency. The necessary parts of the cars such as steering wheel, pedal, clutch and break remain same so that the drivers can drive the cars smoothly. The organization has renamed this as Catch 22 (Burns, 2013). The organization has claimed that the drivers will not require to drive the computer drive cars. As stated by Le, Zolfaghari and Polak (2015), sometimes the computer driven cars are reliable but the reliability cannot be guaranteed. As argued by Verberne, Ham and Midden (2012), the drivers can understand the road conditions better than the programmers and engineers. It has been observed that customers are often facing regarding reading, working, internet and email usage and other such facilities in these driverless cars. However, nobody is aware about the facilities of these driverless cars (Merat et al., 2012). According to the 20 Years research report it has been found that drivers are far more necessary than an automatic system(Firnkorn Mller, 2015). As stated by Firnkorn and Mller (2015), the human drivers fail to intervene when these automatic driving systems. According to Litman, (2014), the organization needs to develop a new system which delivers continuous information to the drivers. On the other hand, it has been found the automated braking system is 5 times slower than the manual braking system (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). The organization has observed such robotic cars reduce the responsibility of the drivers as they have little or no control on the vehicle. Article 2: Google has already released footage of the prototype of the driverless cars. On the other hand, the organization has already influenced people about the potential of the self-driving cars. This idea may not be new, but the implemented excellent technological innovation is. It has been observed that large car manufacturers have already installed the old 1920s autonomous car programming system named as magic highway (theconversation.com, 2014). Customers seem to extremely be confused about their choice because most of the cars have a bad impact on the environment. It is understood that often such specific cars face difficulty in sustaining themselves in the market due to the presence of stiff competition. As stated by Verberne, Ham and Midden (2012), customers seem to be perplexed about more than one million car models present in the market (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). The numbers of car owners have increased in the rapidly developing economical countries such as Brazil, China and India (M erat et al., 2012). Moreover an increase in emissions has also resulted in the oil crisis and loss of sustainability. Therefore, it has been observed that such a disruptive trend cannot be sustained for long term without compromising on future generations. It has been observed that companies have implemented electric cars to decrease the dependency on fuel. As stated by Verberne, Ham and Midden (2012), the manufacturers have implemented various electric operated vehicles to the market. However, maximum customers prefer fuel powered vehicles to electric cars (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). Therefore the electric cars cannot be considered as a substitute for the fuel cars. As argued by Le, Zolfaghari and Polak (2015), the self driven cars are safe for the people who cycle or walk on the road. It has been observed that self driven cars have been programmed to avoid any kind of obstacles. Google on the other hand has decided to implement the self driven cars as a replacement for the taxi (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). The organization is hopeful that the cars will beneficial for short distances. The driverless cars also require a strong internet connection. It has been observed that more than 87% of people in the UK have a driving license (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). Therefore the self driving cars would not be beneficial for the professional drivers. Article 3: Uber has declared that their autonomous cars will be complete by 2025 and they will finally swap the autonomous cars by 2030 with the normal cars. As stated by Narla (2013), the environmental problem will make a fundamental restructuring economy. It has been observed that Tesla Motors has already implemented the self driven electric cars in 2015 (businessinsider.com, 2015). On the other hand the General Motors (GM) has planned to launch their self driven electric cars by 2017 (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). The CEO of GM has remarked that the smart monitoring and controlling system will control the steering, acceleration and breaking in self driving condition. It has been observed that Google and Tesla Motors have planned to implement a fully autonomous car (Merat et al., 2012). It is believed by these organizations that such cars will be publicly available by 2020 (Litman, 2014). According to the experts review, the customers will be slow to purchase the autonomous cars. The organization has observed that the cost of the ownership is nearly $US 9, 000 per year (businessinsider.com, 2015). However the automobile industry is hopeful that many people will buy automated cars. On the other hand, the ride sharing service like Uber and Zipcar will gain the popularity as an alternative to car ownership. As stated by Le Vine, Zolfaghari and Polak (2015), the autonomous car movement will reduce the vehicle population by 99%. This may also affect the insurance market, automotive finance market, parking industry and automotive aftermarket. Conclusion: It has been observed that the automated cars have affected the financial structure of the country but it has some good impacts on the society as well. The self driven cars will reduce 90% crashes and save approximately 30,000 lives every year. On the other hand, the automated cars will prevent more than 2.12 million injuries every year. It has been observed that 30% city traffic will reduce. The parking place, bus terminus and garages become obsolete. Therefore ample free space will available for real estate and metropolitan development. Reference list: Burns, L. D. (2013). Sustainable mobility: a vision of our transport future.Nature,497(7448), 181-182. businessinsider.com, (2015).How Uber's autonomous cars will destroy 10 million jobs and reshape the economy by 2025. Fagnant, D. J., Kockelman, K. (2014). PREPARING A NATION FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES: 1 OPPORTUNITIES, BARRIERS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2 CAPITALIZING ON SELF-DRIVEN VEHICLES 3.Transportation Research,20. Firnkorn, J., Mller, M. (2015). Free-floating electric carsharing-fleets in smart cities: The dawning of a post-private car era in urban environments?.Environmental Science Policy,45, 30-40. Le Vine, S., Zolfaghari, A., Polak, J. (2015). Autonomous cars: The tension between occupant experience and intersection capacity.Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies,52, 1-14. Litman, T. (2014). Autonomous Vehicle Implementation Predictions.Victoria Transport Policy Institute,28. Merat, N., Jamson, A. H., Lai, F. C., Carsten, O. (2012). Highly automated driving, secondary task performance, and driver state.Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,54(5), 762-771. Narla, S. R. (2013). The Evolution of Connected Vehicle Technology: From Smart Drivers to Smart Cars to... Self-Driving Cars.Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal,83(7), 22. Stanton, N,.(2015).Driverless cars are a catch 22: we do none of the driving, but take all of theresponsibility. theconversation.com,. (2014).Google's robotic, driverless cars may be futuristic, but they're not the droids we're looking for. Verberne, F. M., Ham, J., Midden, C. J. (2012). Trust in smart systems sharing driving goals and giving information to increase trustworthiness and acceptability of smart systems in cars.Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,54(5), 799-810.

Claudio Monteverdi His Life And Contributions Essays -

Claudio Monteverdi: His Life And Contributions A comparison of two major Baroque composers: Claudio Monteverdi and Domenico Scarlatti The purpose of this paper is to analyze two psalms by Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (1567-1643) and Giovanni Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) and compare and contrast the two pieces to find out how music changed throughout the Baroque period. While historians grouped music of the Baroque period together based on certain characteristics, the music did not remain the same throughout the period, as it would not for any other musical time period. Composers from different points in the Baroque period were chosen, but the things the two composers had in common were the country of residence and their nationality. Special care was taken to chose composers from the same country so that differences could not be accounted as being because of different nationalistic styles. The piece by Monteverdi, Confitebor tibi, Domine (Psalm 110), was a psalm that was used as part of the vespers on Sundays. This particular psalm is found in varied forms in the publication Selva morale et spirituale, published around 1640. This setting is set for four voices and solo soprano voice, and is accompianed by continuo. The piece begins and ends in C major, with use of very few accidentals. The accidentals in this piece were used to create a leading tone to the fifth or tonic. The piece is mostly homorhythmic and has a combination of polyphony and homophony. Occasionally there is a duet with the soprano and solo soprano lines. The piece is written in Latin, which was common practice for the time. There are no indicated dynamics, and there is use of musica ficta. In the transcription used in this paper, bar lines were added since almost none existed in the actual manuscript, and some corrections were made in the number of rests in some places in the score. The psalm composed by Scarlatti, called Laetatus sum (Psalm 121), is set for four voices (SATB), continuo, and solo soprano and alto lines. This piece is also a part of the vesper psalms used in church. There is use of imitative polyphony within the chorus parts and within the solo lines, but the chorus lines and solo lines did not imitate eachother so in essence, the piece is a duet and a chorus piece put together. There is figured bass present throughout the psalm setting. The text is actually the text to psalm 122. There is octave doubling in the bass, and the fifth occurs often since it was considered to be perfect or somehow godly. What makes this psalm different from Scarlatti's other psalms is that it is the only psalm that exhibits an organized concerto style. This psalm is also written in Latin, and has no indicated dynamics. It begins in D major, and switches to A and E major, and b and a minor throughout the setting, and ends back on D major. The piece does have some ornam entation, consisting of argued trills. The argument comes from odd markings on the original manuscript. Some people feel that the markings were just hastily drawn trills, while others feel they may actually be mordants. In the transcription listed here, they are all listed as trills. There probably was not a lot of ornamentation put into the music because there was an idea that if the music became too frilly it took away from the sacred message it was supposed to send. While both pieces are a part of each composer's library of sacred music, they are in some respects not very much alike and in others they are very similar. There are the obvious things they have in common such as the fact that they are written in Latin. That is not too suprising considering some churches still used Latin as the primary language in their services, even though in the Baroque period many churches began using the vernacular so the patrons would understand the services. Aside from that, Monteverdi, being more influenced by the Renaissance due to his time of birth, demonstrates music practices that are more indicative of the early Baroque with his use of homophony throughout his setting of Psalm 110. It is obvious that Monteverdi used

Natufian Period - Hunter-Gatherer Ancestors of the PPN

Natufian Period - Hunter-Gatherer Ancestors of the PPN The Natufian culture is the name given to the sedentary Late Epi-Paleolithic hunter-gatherers living in the Levant region of the near east between about 12,500 and 10,200 years ago. The Natufians foraged for food such as emmer wheat, barley, and almonds, and hunted gazelle, deer, cattle, horse, and wild boar. The direct descendants of the Natufian (known as the pre-pottery Neolithic or PPN) were among the earliest farmers on the planet. Natufian Communities For at least part of the year, Natufian people lived in communities, some quite large, of semi-subterranean houses. These semi-circular one-room structures were excavated partly into the soil and built of stone, wood and perhaps brush roofs. The largest Natufian communities (called base camps) found to date include Jericho, Ain Mallaha, and Wadi Hammeh 27. Smaller, short-range dry season foraging camps may have been part of the settlement pattern, although evidence for them is scarce. The Natufians located their settlements at the boundaries between coastal plains and hill country, to maximize their access to a wide variety of food. They buried their dead in cemeteries, with grave goods including stone bowls and dentalium shell. Some Natufian groups were seasonally mobile, while some sites show evidence of multiple-season occupation, along with long-term reoccupation, long-distance travel, and exchange. Nastasic / Getty Images Natufian Artifacts Artifacts found at Natufian sites include grinding stones, which were used to process seeds, dried meats, and fish for planned meals and to process ochre for likely ritual practices. Flint and bone tools and dentalium shell ornaments are also part of Natufian cultural material. Over 1,000 pierced marine shells have been recovered from Epipaleolithic sites in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea region. Specific tools such as stone sickles created for harvesting various crops are also a hallmark of Natufian assemblages. Large middens (organic rubbish dumps) are known at Natufian sites, located where they were created (rather than recycled and placed in secondary refuse pits). Dealing with refuse is one defining characteristics of the descendants of the Natufians, the Pre-Pottery Neolithic. Grains and Beer Making in the Natufian Some fairly rare evidence suggests that that the Natufian people may have cultivated barley and wheat. The line between horticulture (tending wild stands of crops) and agriculture (planting new specific stands) is a fuzzy one and difficult to discern in the archaeological record. Most scholars believe that moving to agriculture was not a one-time decision, but rather a series of experiments that may well have taken place during the Natufian or other hunter-gatherer subsistence regimes. Researchers Hayden et al. (2013) compiled circumstantial evidence that the Natufians brewed beer and used it in the context of feasting. They argue that production of beverages from fermented barley, wheat, and/or rye may well have been an impetus for early agriculture, for assuring that a ready source of barley was available. Getty Images / Getty Images Natufian Archaeological Sites Natufian sites are located in the Fertile Crescent region of western Asia. Some of the important ones include: Israel: Mt. Carmel, Ain Mallaha (Eynan), Hayonim Cave, Nahal Oren, Rosh Zin, Rosh Horesha, Skhul Cave, Hilazon Tachtit, Kebara Cave, Raqefet CaveJordan: Wadi Hammeh, Wadi Judayid, Kharaneh IV, Jilat 6Syria: Abu HureyraPalestine: JerichoTurkey: Gobekli Tepe Sources This article is part of the About.com guide to the Origins of Agriculture, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology Bar-Yosef O. 2008. ASIA, WEST: Palaeolithic Cultures. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 865-875. Grosman L, and Munro ND. 2016. A Natufian Ritual Event. Current Anthropology 57(3):311-331. Grosman L, Munro ND, and Belfer-Cohen A. 2008. A 12,000-year-old burial from the southern Levant (Israel) – A case for early Shamanism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(46):17665–17669. Hayden, Brian. What Was Brewing in the Natufian? An Archaeological Assessment of Brewing Technology in the Epipaleolithic. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Neil Canuel, Jennifer Shanse, Volume 20, Issue 1, SpringerLink, January 31, 2012. Hayden BD. 2008. AGRICULTURE: Social Consequences. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 123-131. Lengyel G, Nadel D, and Bocquentin F. 2013. The Natufian at Raqefet Cave. In: Bar-Yosef O, and Valla FR, editors. Natufian Foragers in the Levant: Terminal Pleistocene Social Changes in Western Asia. Ann Arbor, Michigan: International Monographs in Prehistory. p 478-504. Maher LA, Richter T, Macdonald D, Jones MD, Martin L, and Stock JT. 2012. Twenty Thousand-Year-Old Huts at a Hunter-Gatherer Settlement in Eastern Jordan. PLoS ONE 7(2):e31447. Maher LA, Richter T, and Stock JT. 2012. The Pre-Natufian Epipaleolithic: Long-term Behavioral Trends in the Levant. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews 21(2):69-81. Maher LA, Stock JT, Finney S, Heywood JJN, Miracle PT, and Banning EB. 2011. A Unique Human-Fox Burial from a Pre-Natufian Cemetery in the Levant (Jordan). PLoS ONE 6(1):e15815. March RJ. 2013. Searching fro the functions of fire structures in Eynan (Mallaha) and their formation processes: a Geochemical approach. In: Bar-Yosef O, and Valla FR, editors. Natufian Foragers in the Levant: Terminal Pleistocene Social Changes in Western Asia. Ann Arbor, Michigan: International Monographs in Prehistory. p 227-283. Nadel D, Danin A, Power RC, Rosen AM, Bocquentin F, Tsatskin A, Rosenberg D, Yeshurun R, Weissbrod L, Rebollo NR et al. 2013. Earliest floral grave lining from 13,700–11,700-y-old Natufian burials at Raqefet Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110(29):11774-11778. Rosen AM, and Rivera-Collazo I. 2012. Climate change, adaptive cycles, and the persistence of foraging economies during the late Pleistocene/Holocene transition in the Levant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(10):3640-3645. Yeshurun R, Bar-Oz G, Kaufman D, and Weinstein-Evron M. 2013. Domestic refuse maintenance in the Natufian: Faunal evidence from el-Wad terrace, Mount Carmel. In: Bar-Yosef O, and Valla FR, editors. Natufian Foragers in the Levant: Terminal Pleistocene Social Changes in Western Asia. Ann Arbor, Michigan: International Monographs in Prehistory. p 118-138. Yeshurun R, Bar-Oz G, Kaufman D, and Weinstein-Evron M. 2014. Purpose, permanence, and perception of 14,000-year-old architecture: Contextual taphony of food refuse. Current Anthropology 55(5):591-618. Yeshurun R, Bar-Oz G, and Nadel D. 2013. The social role of food in the Natufian cemetery of Raqefet Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 32(4):511-526.

Insurance Risk Securilization Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Insurance Risk Securilization - Thesis Example The insured part of the contract is to promise to pay an amount of money, known as the premium, either once or regular intervals." "Insurance is a device to share the financial losses which might befall on an individual or his family on the happening of special event" (Kaur n.d. p.4). The event can be death of a bread-winner to the family in the case of life insurance, marine-perils in marine insurance, fire in fire insurance and other certain events in general insurance, e.g, theft in burglary insurance, accident in motor insurance, etc. These events may occur any time within the insured period. The insurer has to provide a fixed amount or indemnify the amount of occurred due to the insured perils. Hence, insurers bear a great risk of paying huge amount of fund at any time if the insured peril is occurred. As large as the insured amount and the probability of happening insured peril, the Insurance Risk for insurers is large. Reinsurance is an arrangement whereby an original insurer who has insured a risk insures a part of that risk again with another insurer, that is to say, reinsures a part of the risk in order to diminish his own liability. ... The policyholder is usually not aware that reinsurance has been arranged as no mention is made of it on the policy." Advantages of Reinsurance 1. The original insurer can accept the risk to the extent of his limit. In absence of reinsurance, a person desiring a large amount of insurance will have to take a number of policies from several insurers. The reinsurance contract makes it possible to purchase only one policy from an insurer. 2. Reinsurance makes it possible to accept each risk for the very amount desired by the proposer and to transfer the excess above the 'retention limit' to another insurer. 3. The reinsurance gives the benefit of the greater stability resulting from a widespread of business. By accepting many risks and scaling down, by reinsurance, all those that are larger than the normal carrying capacity of the insurer justifies, certainly in business is substituted for uncertainty through the better application of the law of average. 4. The insurance makes stability in underwriting and consistency in underwriting results over a period. 5. It provides a safeguard against serious effects of conflagration. 6. The reinsurance has the effect of stabilizing income and losses over a period of years. Capital Market The capital markets consist of the markets in which the intermediate and long-term securities of individuals, business firms, and governmental units are issued and traded. Capital markets are frequently subdivided into three parts-the bond market, the mortgage market, and the stock market. On the other word, capital market is the market where "long-term capital is raised by industry and commerce, the government, and local authorities" (Barclays Capital-Campus Recruitment, n.d.). The Glossary of Capital Market states that

Term paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Term Paper Example These two distinctive and great philosophers of their time has critically analyzed the sources of morality and the way it affects humans in conducting various actions or making different decisions. Introduction Ethics covers wide areas of human life similarly it has great significance in the overall societal boundaries and social welfare. Morality and ethics are often used interchangeably because on the communal level they both represent the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. Morals actually directs minor to major human actions, motives and desires. It often happens that you want to do something really crazy; however, you stop yourself from committing any offense just because of social morals or ethical conduct. This happens with almost everyone in the world and therefore we must pay tribute to ethics and moral principles which actually alleviate evil human desires and taught us the just way of living a life. Morals are not only limited to the difference and recognitio n of good and bad deeds rather they have a very broad spectrum which widens through the social justice to the animal rights. Obligations towards the poor, declination of suicidal activities, preservation of natural environment, protection of government assets and above all paying respect to every individual comes under the ethical and moral principles (Singer). In the contemporary world people often believe that morality and ethics have gone out of date and that these vague ideas actually stop humans from effusively enjoying life or fulfilling the human desires in whatever way they like. However, reality is far different from the common perception. Ethics are required by humans in order to live a peaceful and contented life. They are responsible to limit the evil desires and also to confront common societal issues. Though humans have made great advancements in last few centuries still their evil side needs to be limited by some effective and efficient moral principles so as to safeg uard the human civilization. Furthermore, morals are wrongly considered as the list of prohibitions rather they should be better understood as a set of considerations regarding our natural environment, social set up and overall human development (Singer). Peter Singer has presented a substantial form of moral sphere which is commonly associated with the theory of Utilitarianism. This moral sphere has primarily two distinctive parts which provides a better understanding of the overall concept of ethics and morals. Peter Singer has made a greater emphasis over the application of morals in human lives since people especially philosophers frequently talk about the importance of ethics but they hardly emphasize upon its application in personal and collective lives. In broader terms Utilitarianism is a complex combination of two doctrines namely; theory of what is good and the theory of what is right. Things which appear correct are often regarded as unethical due to the bad aspects attac hed to them similarly things which seem good are again rejected by the morality principles because of their association to some wrong actions (Singer). However, the moral sphere of Singer is closely related to the consequences of deeds and actions. For instance, things which are categorized as right would always bring good or positive consequences. As mentioned previously that Singer’

Case Study Templeton hardware

Case Study Templeton hardware Executive Summary This report provides an analysis on the case study of Templeton hardware and its acquisition of the two companies, namely lodestone landscapes and the great outdoors. Through this case study of Templeton hardware, it can be seen that the acquisition of this two companies have had its detrimental effects, therefore requiring the need to accurately identify the source problems. Three toolkits are used in this report to diagnose the issues that are present. They are namely SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), six thinking hats and brainstorming. These toolkits help to remove the communication barriers and organisational conflicts which are present. Adding to the toolkits, interventions could be used together with the toolkits to ease the change process in the organisation. The report proceeds on to provide further recommendation which could be used as a platform to make necessary changes to curb the economic downfall of Templeton Hardware. The recommendation s thus aim to aid in the recovery process. It is recommended that Templeton Hardware should set goals and targets with their employees which are both challenging and achievable. This would enhance cooperation and cohesiveness among the employees in the company. Intervention strategies can also be used to achieve the organizations overall effectiveness. 1. Introduction This report recommends measures and solutions to Templeton Hardware on improving business prospects and helping the organization restructure in the best approach to enhance its performance. The toolkits that have been used to diagnose and identify key issues are the SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), six thinking hats and brainstorming. 1.1 Case Overview and Key Issues Templeton Hardware was Australias leading hardware chain. It acquired The Great Outdoors and Lodestone Landscapes to cement its place as the leading retailer of â€Å"all things outdoor†. Its CEO, Jacquie Todori overconfidence had drove what was later discovered as a poor business decision with detrimental effects for the organisation. The Difference in management styles caused organisational conflicts and problems started to arise one at a time. Expectations were not met and the business as a whole was spiralling downwards at an alarming rate. The board was not happy with Jacquies decision and was anticipating changes to the company. 2. Diagnosis 2.1 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is employed at a management level to evaluate the current position of the business and determine future management strategies by putting problems into perspective. It also helps to uncover opportunities that can be exploited, manage and minimise threats, understand business weaknesses and capatalise on company strengths (Clark, 2008). 2.1.1 Strengths Strengths are the internal characteristics of the business that give it a competitive edge over others(Marketing Teacher, 2000). Templeton Hardware was recognised as Australias biggest hardware chain which shows its position as a market leader. They secured a significant portion of the market share and had the capability to acquire two established companies. Templeton Hardware had a constant growth vision to expand and diversify its companys products and to enter different market segments to make it more profitable. Part of its growth vision required decisions which had adverse effects and Templeton Hardwares willingness to take the risk to acquire the two companies can be considered a strength. Templeton Hardwares decision to offer jobs to the franchisees shows the necessary measures taken to retain employees and keep them in employment without retrenching them. 2.1.2 Weaknesses Weaknesses are internal aspects that could possibly endanger the business or obstruct further economic growth (Mindtools, 1996). Insufficient market research and lack of foresight led to a decline in sales targets and failing to achieve its profit expectations. The loss of product exclusivity resulted in Templeton Caravans not being able to attract its primary target audience, essentially the baby boomers, whom were perceived as having the capital and mindset to purchase caravans. Templeton Caravans had clearly failed to understand the trends, mindset and spending patterns of baby boomers and that led to dissatisfaction and avoidance. The change in management style saw few franchisees from Lodestone Landscapes accept offers in the new organisation, namely Templeton Landscape Solutions, and even they decided to leave after a period of time. The acquisition of The Great Outdoors led to generic products being produced. Products were generally seen as being mass produced and not client s pecific. By outsourcing the projects it had received, Templeton Landscape Solutions managed its talents poorly and overall service standards dropped. The company as a whole saw negative survey comments and this poor feedback started to feed its growing unfavourable reputation. The organisation also had ineffective management of its resources and had not been hiring enough staff to ensure work ran efficiently in the optimum manner. 2.1.3 Opportunities Opportunities are external aspects that an organisation can use to its advantage to improve existing conditions (The Economic Times, 2014). Templeton Hardware should first look into achieving a good financial position which would improve its declining reputation and would enable it to secure bank loans for future investments. It should also look into sending its employees and management executives for team building activities and to increase the cohesiveness among them. By providing its staff with the relevant skills, its workforce can be effectively managed and relevant departments could have job specialists who have broad knowledge on their job scope. This helps to reduce the role ambiguity among its staff since an employee is assigned to few specific tasks and not many interdepartmental roles. Templeton Hardware could also invest in technological infrastructure to improve its customer management system. Employees can then follow up with clients in a more efficient manner and this removes the need for clients to repeat themselves which dealing with different. This system could also record a history of transactions to facilitate future purchases or warranty conditions. Templeton Hardware could move into creating a conglomerate-like business model by having unrelated businesses running under one roof, move its existing products into new market sectors or seek takeover opportunities from competitors whom are on the verge of bankruptcy. 2.1.4 Threats Threats are components in the business environment that could cause potentially cause trouble for the organisation (The Economic Times, 2014). The large and increasing number of competitors could give potential choices to its customers and could deter them from purchasing at Templeton Hardware. This could lead to loss of market share and revenue and pave further downfall. Continuous usage of outsourcing its projects can result in its outsourcing companies becoming competitors in the future as they will now have direct contact with the clients. With respect to its employees, the companys inability to retain existing employees would cause a loss in tacit knowledge and staffs years of experience and it may have to consume time and resources to train new employees. The rising cost of wages and higher employer to employee contributions could affect the profitability of the business. Also, if Templetons existing products lines become unpopular or not needed in large quantities, downsizing of the organisation would be a looming possibility. The SWOT analysis diagnoses in a prioritised manner and actions can be taken accordingly. The SWOT analysis offers a way of collecting data but can sometimes be used as an overview of the situation. 2.2 Six Thinking Hats The Six Thinking Hats is used in business settings by various organizations. During meetings, everyone present would have to put on different hats and approach the problems from different perspectives. This notion allows organizations to diagnose issues effectively, make better decisions and come up with creative ideas (De Bono Consulting, 2000). There is no one best approach to using the six thinking hats with reference to which hat should be used first. 2.2.1 White Thinking Hat This hat is used to gather information that is required to address the issue at hand. Data is presented objectively without the presence of arguments and beliefs. (Volunteering North Queensland Inc, 2003) In the case of Templeton Hardware, it can be seen that it is currently facing an economic downfall and the presence of a new competitor in the market added pressure. Templeton Hardware had acquired two reputable companies, namely The Great Outdoors and Lodestone Landscapes. After the acquisitions, the franchisees were offered jobs but they were rejected. The centralized outlook was seen by the baby boomers as a big generic business which impacted the exclusivity of the caravans. Feedback from customers projected poor customer follow-up, constant rotation of sales persons and poor time management. The customers also disliked the impersonal approach of Templeton Hardware and outsourcing. Lastly, the board was unhappy as the business was declining. 2.2.2 Red Thinking Hat Feelings and emotions are addressed when using this hat. (De Bono Thinking Systems, 1992). The red hat identified the boards unhappiness and frustrations with the company’s performance. In addition, the franchisees who were offered jobs after Templeton Hardwares acquisition left after sometime due to conflicting management styles. The board was also fearful of losing the companys image and reputation to a competitor. The annoyance and dissatisfaction among customers was evident through the feedback received and the baby boomers were disappointed with the lack of exclusivity of the caravans. 2.2.3 Black Thinking Hat This hat helps to identify complications and limitations in a situation and helps to steer the organization into the right path. (Mercier Associates, 2012). The lack of market research conducted prior to the two acquisitions and the overconfidence of the board led to the downfall of Templeton Hardware. The board was not prepared for failure and there was no contingency plans in the event of a failure. Templeton Hardware did not understand the spending trends and mindset of their target audience, namely the baby-boomers, which led to the outlook of low brand exclusivity. This resulted in declining sales and possible bankruptcy. Poor customer service was evident from the customer feedback. Clients were unhappy that Templeton Hardware outsourced their projects instead of getting it done on their own. However, the shortage of manpower could be one of the factors why it had done so. It may be necessary for Templeton Hardware to increase their expenditure with regards to hiring new staff and training them. 2.2.4 Yellow Thinking Hat This hat signifies positive thinking, new possibilities and advantages. (Volunteering North Queensland Inc, 2003). The acquisitions of the two companies showed Templeton Hardwares plans to enter a new market segment and increase its profits. By increasing its staff, its efficiency can improve and can lead to a positive impact on sales targets and customer satisfaction. Better sales numbers can also increase the long-term sustainability of the organization and market share with the possibility of overthrowing its competitor. 2.2.5 Green Thinking Hat This hat helps individuals to come up with new recommendations and alternatives to solve the company’s problems through creative thinking (Marissa Martinez, 2009). Templeton Hardwares board could restructure the organization into a more de-centralized one and re-brand its products to increase its exclusivity. Templeton Hardware can improve productivity and time management standards by looking at how other companies operate. Advertisements can be placed in the media for job positions and opportunities to bring in an influx of employees to solve the shortage of staff. Employees should be given opportunities to voice out their concerns and put through special programs to enhance their level of service orientation and communication skills when handling customers. Job scopes can also be better enlarged and enriched in order to improve performance standards. 2.2.6 Blue Thinking Hat This hat sets the agenda for meetings, manages the processes and helps to reach productive conclusions (De Bono Consulting, 2000). There is a primary need to identify the issues, analyse them and solve the problems. Some of the key objectives would be to ensure the long-term sustainability of the company, improving the job security of employees so as to prevent the shortage of manpower, improving customer satisfaction by sending the employees for training and lastly to regain a bigger piece of the market share in order to have a competitive edge over the new competitor. Templeton Hardware can reach these objectives by adopting a change in management. The staff should also be briefed about the challenges during and after the change (Holley et al, 2011). In addition, the creation of a clear company vision would better inform its employees of the company’s core values. It is also imperative that the transition is managed effectively and a momentum is sustained after this transiti on. After the transition period is over, the team can strategise to increase the profitability of the organization. 2.3 Brainstorming Brainstorming is often used as an effective tool to come up with innovative solutions for problems which may exist internally or externally in an organisation. A general process can be used to create an outline of the issues and solutions to the key problems (Oslapas, 1993). 2.3.1 Problem Definition The main problem to be addressed would be the declining yields and returns in Templeton Hardwares business model. The customers, the companys board and management and organisations circumstances are established criterias to be used to convene the brainstorming. 2.3.2 Collating Data Creating Solutions The management decision to acquire two new companies without enough market research and its lack of foresight is evident. It failed to foresee all the outcomes that may arise from the acquistion and was overconfident that the outcome would be a positive one. The solution would simply be to conduct more extensive research on market conditions and develop products according to the market needs and requirements. Templeton Hardware should also look into enhancing its brand value and exclusivity. The companys board should take a more proactive role in making major decisions from a broader perspective and contingency plans can be drawn up in the event of an adverse outcome. The change in management styles and poor employee management led to high job dissatisfaction levels. This impacted employee retention numbers and the employees willingness to remain at the organisation as they did not feel appreciated. The employees felt overworked and were unsure of their own job scope as they had been tasked with interdepartmental duties. Team building and bonding enables each of their staff to get to know one another better and increases the staff unity and morale (Spaho, 2013). To prevent the staff from feeling stagnant in their job, they should implement job enlargement measures by retaining its existing staff and retraining them with the necessary skills (Cloke et al, 2000). Employees can also be more involved in decision making as this would give them a sense of responsibility and make them feel valued in the company. A flatter organisation structure would bridge the gap between the management and the employees and help the management to get a bottom up persp ective from ground zero. Customer service declined as employees were usually engaged in multiple responsibilities. This made customers dissatisfied and sales targets were not achieved. Previously, it was perceived that if a customer had patronised the store and purchased something, he/she would return to make future transactions. However, this is a wrong perspective and Templeton Hardware should look into providing something which surpasses its competitors marketing strategies. This could be customer service or the use of an â€Å"no frills, rock bottom pricing† marketing strategy. By adopting a customer centric structure, they need to train staff to have higher service standards (Pathak, 2010). The staff should understand customer needs and should be rewarded accordingly using performance appraisals or awards as a form of recognition (Lucas, 2009). 3. Recommendations Templeton Hardware should look into team building and team bonding activities to enhance cohesiveness while increasing its autonomy to involved more employees in the decision making. It should retain and retrain existing staff to increase job productivity and specialisation. Temporary downsizing should be implemented if the situation calls for. Through investments in technological infrastructure and by adopting a customer centric structure, it can enhance its customer management system. Templeton Hardware can also create a RD department to conduct extensive market and product research. The board should also contribute by increasing its pro-activeness in making decisions and contingency planning. It can also look into potentially enhancing the brand value and image through marketing campaigns or word of mouth. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, by using the appropriate Organization Development Consultant’s Toolkits such as SWOT Analysis, Six Thinking Hats and brainstorming, a deeper perspective of the companys situation has been attained. The main problems have been identified and a constructive approach can be taken towards resolving the problems. From the diagnosis conducted using these toolkits, enhancing Templeton Hardwares overall cohesiveness while maintaining the level of employee performance and management is a realistic target. Furthermore, implementing structural change strategies during organization change would further enhance organization effectiveness and better facilitate the transition period.

Decision Support Systems :: essays research papers

Decision Support Systems (DSS) A Decision Support System (DSS) is an information system at the management level of an organization that combines data, analytical tools, and models to support semistructured and unstructured decision-making. A DSS can handle low volume or massive databases optimized for data analysis. DSS has more power than other systems. They are built explicitly with a variety of models to analyze data or they condense large amounts of data into a form where they can be analyzed by decision-makers. DSS are designed so that the user can work with them directly. In the proceeding paragraphs I will give examples of some decision support systems and how they are being used. Integrated Decision Support Corporation (IDSC) is a company that provides decision support software to the truckload transportation industry. IDSC focuses on providing superior decision making software by creating state of the art optimization algorithms. IDSC released a product called NETWISE 3.0 in response to shippers requesting packaged and conditional bids, carriers having a difficult time selecting the lanes that compliment their current network, and determining the dedicated opportunities within a bid. NETWISE 3.0 are a decision support tool used in the analysis of profitability, pricing, and network balance. Companies were having a problem of having their carriers spend countless hours of manpower responding to single bid. NETWISE 3.0 addresses this issue by providing them with an enterprise software package that provides the with the same opportunities as the shipper. IDSC solved the problem of having the carrier determine how to price a lane so that it appears attractive to the shipper and yet still be profitable. During the bid preparation process, NETWISE utilizes a data correction engine that provides an intelligent search for city names and postal codes. Overall NETWISE provides users with a tool that significantly reduces the amount of time required to process a shipper bid. This allows item to be spent on the strategic issues instead of the monotonous details. NETWISE provides an intelligently discipline to the pricing process, resulting in a excellent solution for responding to shippers bids, or determining appropriate annual or daily pricing action. Innovative Systems Techniques (Insyte) designs and installs database management and decision support systems using Vision, their object oriented database technology. As both a technology developer and systems implementers, they uniquely offer clients access to their Vision technology and the direct involvement of their Vision TECNOLOGY and the direct involvement of their Vision Vision TECNOLOGY nad of their highly capable staff.

Internet has made classroom-based lessons redundant Essay

Ever since the creation of the internet in 1990, the applications on this 21st century program have grown exponentially, ranging from study tools to online markets. With such tools, schools and institutions are unnecessary. In a recent survey conducted by Babson Survey Research Group, it was found that 77 percent of the academic leaders agreed that the rate of learning outcomes via online education is superior to classroom education. One might say that the internet has a wide range of information, but with such a diverse spectrum, it would be tough to have a fixed course. This would cause students the deviate from original objectives, and hinder the learning process. However, critics fail to consider that this would allow students to plan their own preferred course. A preferred course would enhance a student’s education as they will only study topics or courses which they are interested in. Furthermore, educational websites such as Khan Academy provides students with a course outline and would also show their progress over the years. Thus, students would have a course outline to follow and keep track of their learning. In contrary to popular belief, educational platforms have multiple users and these sites allows students to chat online on forums and chats, several even have notes and lectures created by students to enlighten others. Such functions would grant students a chance to exchange knowledge and improve both parties’ proficiency. P2PU — Peer-to-Peer University is one such MOOC –massive online open course which incorporated these functions. More than 50 percent of the responses from a MOOC survey have agreed that MOOCs have helped them in their work or studies. Not only did MOOCs help academically, they helped decrease the gender gap by 20 per cent as compared to traditional education. As such, MOOCs can benefit the education both academically and socially. MOOCs also provide an informal setting for students to study in. In a classroom environment, there are strict rules and etiquette. With several dozens of students in a class, students may not feel comfortable to ask questions and would have to consult the teacher after the lesson. Without such regulations, students can openly ask questions and would not feel uncomfortable. In addition, unlike traditional schooling, MOOCs can be accessed 24/7, regardless of location. This would surpass time differences and geographical boundaries. Participants can learn anytime they are  comfortable to. Eventhough students may be travelling, they can still learn and make full use of their time, instead of killing time by playing games or listening to music. Therefore, MOOCs can help students by allowing them to harness their time well and giving them the courage to ask questions. Traditional schools limit their student intake by restricting them by their age, gender, highest qualification achieved, and their grades. Online schools currently do not reject or classify students according to measures mentioned above. This allows people of all demographic backgrounds to participate and learn as long as they have a stable internet connection. By nullifying these domains, not only would there be a larger number of students, the both sides can have a broader perspective of situations around the world. Lecturers on MOOCs are world-class academics, achieving degrees from top colleges and institutions all over the world. As compared to teachers in conventional schools, these lecturers would have a more diverse and deep knowledge. They would be able to better ‘inculcate’ students and conduct the tutorial more efficiently. After completing courses, students would be given certificates of accomplishment. Almost 80% of the universities in USA accept such certificates and can be used for admission to old-school learning modules. Students of all backgrounds would hence have an opportunity to excel and have an internationally-recognised certificate. Although many of these MOOCs and other platforms have not gained worldwide recognition yet, it would, in the near future, being proportional to the proliferation of the internet and smart phones. Online education will become a significant chapter in the history of mankind, due to helping millions with a single video. Despite being effective, traditional learning styles would have to be phased out with the coming of this phenomenon. 1. Do you agree that city life is becoming increasingly unattractive? (YES) (CP + CA) Ever since the proliferation of heavy machinery, a growing figure of people are being irritated by the noise pollution of cities. City dwellers have to endure the daily, unceasing annoyance from shrill sound of all sorts. The cacophonous sound of colliding metals from ongoing construction, the piercing blare of horns from vehicles or even the accumulating talking between people have gradually made most cities become less attractive days by days. Because of these factors, it is easy to  understand why most retirees are moving to the outskirt of their cities to enjoy the rest of their lives. 90 percent of elderly in the USA are trying to save their money daily in order to move to the peaceful coast which is surrounded by the deep blue sea with breaking sound waves. Even in less developed countries like Vietnam, places which give people the most pleasure are still villages with ultimate green paddy fields. All over the world, cities are about to be places to work only, not for living. The excessive urban noise that is only going to increase in the coming years will continue to eat away at the urban fantasy.1 One might say that cities are becoming safer from crime. With a more efficient police and advanced technology, syndicates would be discouraged to commit crime due to its high hey risks. However, critics fail to consider that attractions would be a ‘honeypot’ to syndicates. An increasing number of tourists visiting a city, would equate to crime rates growing exponentially. This is caused by the large numbers of tourists who flock to attractions, causing guards to be unable to have a overview of the actions of people. Residents of the city would therefore have to take precautions against such crime, rendering the city’s residents to be . The Louvre in Paris has an annual average of 8.9 million tourists visiting. Despite the fact that an adequate force of over a thousand security officers are hired in the museum, crime rates are high and constantly growing in the cosmopolitan. Cities are thus getting more vulnerable to crime and its attraction to mankind is constantly decreasing.2

A Complete Fall Color and Autumn Leaf Viewing Guide

One of natures grandest color displays — the autumn tree leaf color change — will develop as early as mid-September in the northern latitudes of North America. This annual autumn tree leaf change will manifest itself in living fall color through most of October, then wane toward the end of November in the southern part of the United States. You will have at least two months of quality autumn leaf viewing somewhere in North America. The best part about viewing the fall color is, it wont cost one red cent to enjoy — that is if you are lucky enough to live in or near a deciduous forest or have trees in your yard that express fall color. All others better get ready to pay for the experience. City escapees spend over one billion dollars each season taking in what many consider the splashiest show in nature. Autumn leaf viewing is a major vacation attraction — especially throughout New England, the central Northwoods and the Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States.  No forestry site would be complete without some mention of the October tree viewing pilgrimage — and how people can better enjoy viewing the autumn foliage. This quick leaf-viewing reference includes some basic tree leaf science and leaf viewing tips, along with enough information to enhance your next autumn leaf viewing trip. Use this guide as a starting point for your next leaf-viewing vacation. Starting Tips for Viewing Leaves Review the most beautiful trees naturally on display during fall leaf viewing season.Review these leaf silhouettes of common tree species.Get a recommended field guide to enhance the trip.Learn how to organize, build and display an autumn leaf collection.Use this field guide and key  to identify an autumn leaf by tree species. The Science of Leaf Change Fall leaf color change starts very subtly late in September and early October in temperate North America. Trees respond to such factors as autumn drying conditions, temperature change, altered sun position, and light. It takes approximately two weeks to begin and complete the fall color change so timing and a little luck are essential for the perfect view. Fall color change and flow take place as three primary waves in mixed hardwood forests. A simple flow and wave model was designed at the University of Georgia to illustrate what leaf experts call the fall color wave.   Autumn Leaf Color Change, The Anatomy of a Fall Leaf The major factor influencing autumn leaf color change is the lack of water. Not a lack of water to the entire tree, but a purposeful weaning of water from each leaf. Every leaf is affected by colder, drier, and breezy conditions and begins a process which results in its own demise and removal from the tree. The ultimate sacrifice of a leaf-bearing tree is the ultimate in visual pleasure for us. The broadleaf tree goes through a process of sealing off the leaves from the stem (called abscission). This halts the flow of all internal water to the leaf and causes a color change. It also seals the spot of leaf attachment and prevents precious moisture from escaping during winter dormancy. Fall Leaf Color Change Follows a Predictable Process of Chemical Leaf Change This lack of water to each leaf causes a very important chemical reaction to stop.  Photosynthesis, or the food-producing combination of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, is eliminated. Chlorophyll must be renewed (by photosynthesis) or be taken in by the tree along with photosynthetic sugar. Thus chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. Chlorophyll is the green you see in the leaf. Once the overwhelming chlorophyll color is removed, true leaf colors will dominate over the receding green pigment. True leaf pigments vary with the species of tree and thus the different characteristic leaf colors. And because true leaf colors are water-soluble, that makes the color disappear very quickly after drying out. Carotene (the pigment found in carrots and corn) causes maples, birches, and poplars to turn yellow. The brilliant reds and oranges in this fall landscape are due to  anthocyanins. Tannins give the oak a distinctively brown color and are the final persistent color most leaves turn before becoming part of the forest floor.   The  Virginia Tech Dendrology  department has two fascinating time-lapse films, one on a leaf turning color and one on a forest turning into autumn gold.   Viewing the Autumn Leaves University of Georgia silvics professor, Dr. Kim Coder, suggests there are ways you can predict how  beautiful a fall leaf color display will be. These simple predictors use known information and apply some common sense to forecast a season with surprising accuracy. By reviewing Dr. Coders key predictors, you will increase your chances of seeing the best leaves at just the right time.   TheFall Color Hotline Probably one of the best resources available online for leaf viewing information is the National Forest Fall Foliage Hotline, though you shouldnt expect to find up to date information until late September of the current leaf season. This federal phone hotline offers you information on viewing leaves in and around the U.S. National Forests and Parks. It is brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and is updated every year to reflect changing conditions and new sites.