What Does Enlightened Self-Interest Involve?

Enlightened self interest is actually a viewpoint in principles which states that people who act to advance the interest of others eventually they provide their own self interest. It is simply articulated by the certainty that a person, group and even business entity will at all times do well through the doing good. Enlightened self interest in one way or the other is considered to be so unrealistic. Enlightened self-interest as well it has implications for long-term reimbursements as opposed to short-term reimbursements to oneself. When a person pursues enlightened self-interest the individual possibly will surrender short-term interests so as to take full advantage of long-term interests. A person might sacrifice his instant self-interest for the purpose of an affirmative relationship towards a group of people to which he relates (Robert, 45). Enlightened self interest is totally different from pure altruism which calls for individuals to perform in the concern of others frequently at the expense of their own welfare and with no hope of gain for themselves in the prospect. Some supporters of progressive self-interest may argue that pure unselfishness tends to promote inefficiency also. Some people may benefit materially from philosophy of greed but it is supposed by proponents of progressive self awareness that these people constitute a small minority and that the great number of people can be expecting to experience a net individual failure from a philosophy of uncomplicated unenlightened selfishness. Enlightened self interest clearly states that a big business is in due course assisting itself through helping to resolve communal problems. Advocates challenge that social dependability expenditures by business are motivated through the profit that they make.

P1 describe the type of business, purpose and ownership of two contrasting businesses. Essay

P1 describe the type of business, purpose and ownership of two contrasting businesses. For this assignment I am going to select two businesses, one which will be local and not-for-profit organization and the second will be an international business and for profit. The two businesses I have chosen to use for this task are Asda Stores Ltd. and Welcare, Reigate. Type of Business: Asda Stores Limited, commonly known as ASDA, is the second largest retail store and a national public limited company. It is a profitable business and it is the subsidiary of American company Wal-Mart. It was founded in 1949. Furthermore as Asda is a profitable business it is also in the private sector. Welcare is a local charitable, non-profit organization. They earn no profit out of their work however do accept forms of donations and fundraisers. The charity was set up by a church over 100 years ago. It was originally founded in 1894. Furthermore as it a nonprofit business and is giving service it is in the public sector. Purpose of the business: A charity is a group of profitable people whose aim is to give a service and help those in need. Welcare charity provides services which include social work and family support, support groups and life skill workshops and also a children’s health clinic. They work to keep families together, and encourage parents to give their children a happier childhood. Asda is a retail supermarket and the purposed of Asda is to make profit and to supply goods to customers. It sells general merchandise such as food, drink, clothing and various other items. It also has services such as insurance, financial services and a mobile telephone network. Business Ownership and level of liability: Asda was founded by Associated Dairies & Farm Stores Limited in 1949. This is situated in Leeds. The company has limited liability, therefore any debts within the company are paid by shareholders investment and this means the owner wouldn’t have to sell their assets and belonging to pay the debt. Being a shareholding company you can freely sell shares, this is an easy way to have money contributed to the company. Welcare was founded in 1894, and was originally called The Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless  Girls. This company has limited liability, this means any debt is paid for and the owners do not have to sell any assets.

Fast Food and Obesity Essay

People know that fast food is not good for them, but how bad is really and how much do people really know about the bad effects of fast food on their bodies? Most people have seen the â€Å"Super Size Me† documentary; yes Morgan Spurlock ate McDonalds for every meal for 30 days. Most people would gain weight from eating McDonalds for 30 days in a row, but even just eating McDonalds three times a week can have an impact on the body without people realizing it. And today according to The Center for Disease Control the childhood obesity rate grows every day from lack of exercising and a poor diet which leads to other health risks as well (Center for Disease Control, Atlanta 2010-2012). When Morgan Spurlock did the â€Å"Super Size Me† documentary, here he planned to eat at McDonalds for every meal for 30 days in a row and then would go to the physician periodically throughout the 30 days to see the side effects of eating fast food. Now given he did eat it for every meal for 30 days, most people figured there would be major side effects, but he wanted to prove to the public that even eating fast food a few times a week will make a difference on the body. And he proved that quite easily. Morgan Spurlock found many interesting facts about how bad fast food is on the body. Here are curios few: â€Å"McDonald’s feeds more than 46 million people a day – more than the entire population of Spain† there is no reason any fast food company should be feeding more people than the entire population of a country. In 1972, we spent 3 billion a year on fast food – today we spend more than $110 billion† if people spent the amount of money they do on other things besides fast food less people would be in debt. That money spent on fast food adds up quicker than people think. â€Å"Left unabated, obesity will surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in America† and there is no reason that an obesity rate should pass preventable death by smoking. All of these facts as well as many others should be enough warning about how bad fast food really is, unfortunately it’s not. (Spurlock 2011. Childhood obesity these days has become somewhat the norm. People look around and see all of these overweight children and wonder how they got like that. Fast food and lack of exercise is more than likely to blame. When children become obese early in life that puts them at risk for health problems like diabetes, heart problems, bone loss, and many other health risks that children should not have at an early age. If parents helped them become more educated about the benefits of exercising regularly and eating right, the obesity rate in children might not be as high. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA says that â€Å"Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years (CDC Atlanta 2010-2012). This alone should be a wakeup call to parents about educating their children on the bad effects of fast food and the benefits of regular exercise. No parent should ever want a child to be a statistic. There are so many benefits to regular exercise, like looking good and feeling good about the way the body feels after exercising. It can make a great start to the day, it builds healthy muscle and builds strong bones and it is also burning all those calories from one too many fast food restaurant visits. If people eat fast food even just one to three times a week, regular exercise might also be a good idea to consider doing one to three times a week. When eating unhealthy food and not exercising, the body just holds onto all of the unhealthy fat, calories and carbohydrates, which is why exercising is so important when people eat fast food on a regular basis. The Mayo Clinic says that â€Å"Many fast food menu items are extremely high in calories and would take lengthy and intense sessions of physical exercise to burn off. When you want to lose weight, eliminate fast food and eat a low-calorie diet made up of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and fat-free dairy products† (Wood 2011). Several fast food items can go well over 1,000 calories. Like Big Mac meals and Quarter Pounder meals. That many calories in one item is never good for the body. Studies say that the body would have to run for 7 hours to burn off one double cheese burger from a local fast food restaurant, those 7 hours do not even include the fries that were ordered, or that super-sized soft drink, and then the possible dessert snack that was ordered as well. So in reality the body would be running for over 10 hours. If the body is exercising regularly (more that 1-3 times a week) then yes, the occasional cheese burger is okay. Eating fast food is never a healthy option. Even the healthy looking salad on the menu at Chik-Fil-A is not healthy, it has more than over 800 calories. There are short term and long term health effects from eating fast food and not exercising along with it. Some short term effects are fatigue, a suppressed immune system, weight gain, skin problems and dehydration. Some long term effects are when the body eats fast food most of it contains antibiotics, hormones and steroids, consuming these things over a long period of time can cause a boost in weight gain and make the body more prone to consuming bacteria that can be harmful to the body (Snider 2012). The antibiotics the body consumes in fast food will make the body resistant to antibiotics when it is sick. Antibiotics being in the fast food will also cause obesity, and intestinal discomfort happening more often than it should. Fast food also contains polyunsaturated vegetable oils Consuming this over a long period of time has been linked to cancer, blood clots, inflammation, elevated blood pressure, digestion problems, compromised immunity, reproductive damage, and weight gain, and can lead to an imbalance of essential fatty acids that the body needs. Eating fast food can cause high cholesterol which leads to a higher risk for stroke or heart attack. It can also cause the body to have a clogged colon, and processed meats have been proven at the Live Strong health facilities to increase the risk of colon cancer by 36% if the body is consuming fast food 3-5 times a week. There are always healthier choices than fast food, but if the body is craving fast food keep in mind possible things to stay away from like heavy salad dressings, breaded or fried meat, french fries, mayonnaise, large portions, double meat, white bread, thick crusts and low fat desserts. Remember these things and when the body is craving that fast food it now has a more educated view on what to eat. Snider 2012) If all Americans could somehow be educated on the bad side effects of fast food and the benefits of regular exercise, I think that the obesity epidemic could diminish tremendously. I know from experience that it feels so good to be healthy. Working out at the gym or taking a walk in the park makes me feel so good about myself and makes my body healthier and eating right does the same thing. Instead of having that greasy biscuit at the local fast food restaurant, try trading it for a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit and a glass of orange juice in the morning. The body will notice differences like not aving to feel bad for that biscuit it ate, it is also going to feel more awake and have more energy, rather than feeling tired from eating that greasy breakfast. Just remember exercise is always important, whether the body consumes fast food or not, exercise is always good for anyone and everyone. Moderation is key. If the body must have that fast food try limiting the fast food to once or twice a month, rather than once or twice a week like most people are used to. The best part in my opinion of not eating fast food as often or not at all is it saves me a ton of money!

International Financial Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Financial Management - Assignment Example S. dollar. If the same mobile phone cost 1000 dollars in U.S., American consumers would buy it from India. When large volumes of such mobile phones were purchased from India by American customers, the price of rupee will go up until one dollar equals 25 Indian rupees. Purchasing power parity (PPP) theory can be divided into two different categories; absolute PPP and relative PPP. Absolute PPP is based on the belief that without international barriers, consumers will shift their demand to wherever prices are lower whereas relative PPP is based on the notion that market imperfections (tariffs, transportation costs, etc), prices of the same products need not be same in different countries when measured in a common currency Madura, 2009, p. 214-215) In economics inflation refers to the rise of prices of all the goods except the money. The values of the currencies of countries with higher inflation would be less compared to the values of countries with lower inflation as the purchasing power of the consumers will be lessened by the increase in prices in countries with higher inflation. The rationale behind PPP theory is that when inflation occurs at a higher level in a particular country, foreign demand for goods from that country would be decreased whereas demand for foreign goods from that country should increase and subsequently, the home currency of that country will weaken. The currency depreciation will continue till the foreign country’s goods are no more attractive than the domestic goods (Relationships Among Inflation, Interest Rates, and Exchange Rates, n. d, p.107) In order to check whether PPP exists, it is better to choose two countries and compare the differences in inflation and the exchange rate change different periods. If the exchange rate changes are in accordance with the PPP theory, then we can safely conclude that PPP exists. The major limitation in testing PPP is that based on the periods chosen, results can vary. The periods

Globalization and Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Globalization and Economy - Essay Example What is Globalization? Globalization means that the market goes beyond national borders, thus integrating world trade and financial markets (Czenter, 2002, p. 8). Globalization is the result of countries reducing their barriers for other countries to trade with them or directly investment in the country’s industries. These barriers were traditionally erected, so that each country had a buffer between all other countries, and globalization dismantles them (O’Riain, 2000, p. 2). This integration of world systems is accomplished in one of three major ways, according to O’Raiain (2000). The first way is through an integration of markets through the process of international trade and production. The second way is that states compete with one another to attract foreign capital and also compete with one another for the right to organize the global economy. Third, â€Å"models of state market interaction may diffuse through the world-system through the interaction of th e states and particularly through the influence of transnational organizational actors† (O’Riain, 2000, p. 3). That said, 70% of trade occurs between the triad of North America, Western Europe and East Asia (Ostry, 2005). Multinational companies are the drivers for free trade. However, Ostry (2005) argues that these companies really are not globalizers, as much of their trade and investments are regional. For instance, multinational companies in Western Europe tend to trade to other countries in Western Europe, while American firms by and large invest in their neighboring countries of Canada, Mexico and South America. Meanwhile, Japanese firms tend to trade and invest with South Korea, China and Southeast Asia (Ostry, 2005). Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalism Globalization may be either advantageous or disadvantageous, and whether it is one or the other depends upon different factors. For instance, globalization might break down the economic backbone of some coun tries that are still developing (Czenter, 2002, p. 14). Some countries that were considered to be developing as of 2002 were China, Malaysia, the Phillipines and India, and the effects of globalization on these countries’ labour markets were studied by Frenkel & Kuruvilla (2002). Frenkel & Kuruvilla note that there were two competing schools of thought on how globalization would affect labour markets and employment relations in developing countries. One school of thought was that free trade and foreign direct investment can only help developing countries, as these countries should experience job growth and increased wages due to there being an increase of industrial activity in these countries. The other school of thought was that free trade and foreign direct investment would have a negative effect on labour markets and employment relations in these developing countries. This is because of increased competition from the foreign firms, so that domestic goods are replaced by t hose made abroad; a displacement of domestic workers due to the fact that multinationals export jobs to these countries; and increased technology means fewer jobs for workers (International Labour Organization, 2011). This is also because some international markets are only open to the stronger countries, closing the door to countries that do not have a strong international portfolio (Frenkel & Kuruvilla, 2002, p. 3). Dries & Swinnen (2003) found that globalization is often advantageous for

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING - Essay Example However, adopting IFRS itself may not always result in increasing the quality of financial information. In addition to adopting IFRS several relevant changes in the overall economic and institutional framework need to be implemented to achieve the enhanced quality financial reporting. Further, before implementing IFRS fully to all countries, an international consensus taking into account of the country specificities needs to be obtained regarding the treatment of various financial instruments and various accounting procedures .This is needed to implement IFRS without affecting the information provided by the financial statements of enterprises Financial Statements of an enterprise are intended to give valuable information about the financial health of the company to its owner investors and lenders (Tracy, 2004).In other words, they are supposed to give information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of the enterprise. These are a major source of financial information that helps the users in making decisions about economic activities. Thus according to IASC(1989,paragraph 12), â€Å"The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of an enterprise that is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions.† On the other hand, it is argued that the preparers of the financial statements can manipulate the financial statements by the transformation of financial accounting figures from what they actually are to what preparers desire by taking advantage of the existing rules and/or ignoring some or all of them (Nasar, 1993:2). It may not be illegal in all cases but they are considered as unethical (Amt et al, 1999). This process is called creative accounting. The inappropriate use of creative accounting has resulted into financial statement frauds in many cases, which has been an issue of

Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Audit - Essay Example Auditing procedure is also applicable in case of stock and inventory management because this is also an area where high chances of corruption take place. Many organization has own internal audit department by which the company can control and monitor business activities after certain period or as and when necessary. External auditors will generally visit any company once in a year to provide more biased free judgment about the financial position of the company. Independent reports are required by auditor to increase the faith of stake holders on the company’s activities and attract more amount of capital for the purpose of business. For the above mentioned reasons rotation of auditors are also important which is recognized as precaution to save the interests of all the parties who are related in the business activities. Auditor rotation also can be said as independence of auditor and this method can be applied on both internal and external auditors. At the time of conducting audit of any particular company day after day or year after year then he will get information about all the strategies the company has taken or will going to take. They can make friendly relationship with the management and employees of the organization which will affect to provide unbiased opinion about the current condition of the company (Loughran, 2010). So this is clear that auditor rotation is required for the independent opinion of auditors. There are generally 3 types auditor can be observed. These are external audit, internal audit and audit committee. In case of internal auditor independence means bias free opinion from those parties whose interests may be affected by the audit operation or the disclosure of auditor’s report (Clayman, Fridson and Troughton, 2012). Poor governance, inadequate risk management, inadequate internal control etc. are few reasons where

Journal of Clinical Nursing FOLLOW-UP CARE An exploratory study of the Assignment

Journal of Clinical Nursing FOLLOW-UP CARE An exploratory study of the follow-up care needs of patients treated for colorect - Assignment Example This is in line with the assertions of Alasuutari, P. et al. (2008); Balsley (2007) that a document abstract should in brief present the researcher’s proposed objectives and whether they were met; how he/she had proposed to carry out the research-the research paper design; the reasons for choosing such a design given there are so many design methodologies citing the advantages and disadvantages and comparing the shortcomings with those of other potential design methods; perceived outcomes citing the actual and the expected impacts. Further, the abstract should clearly give the research methodology including the research tools giving reasons of their choice, the data collection methods, , how the data will be analyzed and including the software to be used (SPSS, STATA, EnVivo, GenStat etc) in addition to research schedule and envisaged budget. As Alasuutari, P. et al. (2008) puts it, all the above are meant to present the research protocol in an easier manner to comprehend. The authors of the research paper article have taken all the above into consideration while writing the paper. One important aspect included in the research paper it background, which gives a foundation for the paper citing the existing information gap to form a sound justification for current and future research works in the area. Further, relevance of the research work in the provision of health services is well articulated and sound well for a research work findings which are expected to be generalized and replicated. Evaluation In any research work, the research design and methodology which form the research protocol are entirely based on proposed research objectives. Research objectives guide the researcher in the formulation of specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time bound activities which guide the researcher in avoiding those that are likely to interfere with the research timelines and budget. According to Kinta, B. et al. (2010), the research objective was to exp lore patient perceptions of their experiences of follow-up care after treatment for colorectal cancer. The research objective is supported by the formulated questions which the research aims at answering and which are disaggregate into a level which is easily manageable. In this case the null hypothesis assumed that the traditional method of routine hospital follow-up may be effective in the surveillance of disease recurrence, but does not always address patients’ psycho-social and information needs adequately (Kinta, B. et al. 2010). The null hypothesis assumed none effect of follow-up of cancer patients. The formulated hypothesis formed the basis for the development of research tools, data collection protocol, determination of the analysis methods and the way to report the findings. Hypothesis formulation is very important in that, they are integral parts which guide the readers on what to expect, what the research paper aimed at in addition to reducing the research questio ns into manageable components (Babbie 2007). The importance of a research article is clearly captured by the authors stating that nurse-led clinics and/or telephone follow-up by specialist nurses may be effective models of care for this particular patient group, providing appropriate access for meeting clinical, psycho-social and

The closing reading of Diving into Wreck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The closing reading of Diving into Wreck - Essay Example During this time, the women’s movement was increasing in momentum, as it influences American literature and other fields, as well as society in general (Milne 1). Rich showed interest in feminism in the 1970s, and saw it as a â€Å"heroic quest,† similar to plunging into the wreck of an old sunken ship (Milne 1). She wanted to oppose and question traditional beliefs and values about gender and sexuality through an inner exploration (Milne 1). Since the publication â€Å"Diving into the Wreck, † Rich showed her search for the truth about gender and the widespread activities of second-wave feminism (Milne 1). The poem is an example of free verse writing that has no evident rhymes, which is significant in narrating the journey through a firsthand account and helping readers focus more on the subtle structure of the poem and its meaning. The poem follows a conversation style. Rich does want to alienate anyone, so she talks as if she would in real life: â€Å"I put o n/ the body-armor of black rubber/ the absurd flippers† (4-6). Her words portray the process of what is happening, so that readers will feel like the poem is an ordinary conversation. In addition, the poem’s free verse enables readers to emphasize the subtle structure of the poem. ... Stanzas are also broken to indicate changes in the perspective of the speaker. An example is the shift of perspective from stanza 7 to stanza 8. The speaker ends stanza 7 with: â€Å"among the tentative haunters† (70). She is only one of the many who dive into the wreck. Stanza 8, however, merges the speaker and the mermaid: â€Å"We circle silently/ about the wreck/ we dive into the hold† (74-76). The merging of two identities signifies the unity of the writer with her inner self. Furthermore, the free verse writing helps stress enjambment in the poem. The pauses in these lines say something about the actions of the speaker: â€Å"Rung after rung and still / the oxygen immerses me† (23-24). The speaker seems to be nervous as she slowly goes down the boat, where the enjambment creates a sense of both preparation for the next stage of exploration and the need to reflect on every stage. Thus, the free verse has significance to emphasizing the meaning of the structu re of the poem and its narrative style. The poem has numerous enjambments that aim for structural purposes of helping readers visualize the poem. The speaker says: â€Å"I put on/ the body-armor of black rubber/ the absurd flippers† (4-6). The speaker uses enjambment to put emphasis on her actions. The readers can better understand what is happening if the sentence is broken down to images and action words. In addition, the speaker uses enjambment to introduce changes in experiences and to sharpen their visual images. She says: â€Å"Rung after rung and still/ the oxygen immerses me/ the blue light/ the clear atoms/ of our human air† (23-27). The enjambment is a way of putting the reader into these experiences slowly, as if they are going down the ladder

1987 Constitution Interpretation Essay Example for Free

1987 Constitution Interpretation Essay By the 1850’s The Constitution, originally framed as an instrument of national unity, had become a source of sectional discord and tension and ultimately contributed to the failure of the union it had created. This is all shown by the misinterpretations of the Constitution and documents that followed on many occasions and topics. The Constitution was never explained to how it was meant to be interpreted, which cause many disagreements, which ultimately started sectionalism, which is the loyalty to interests or views in one’s region of a country rather than the views or interests of the country as a whole. Sectionalism kick started the idea of sucession from the union, which started the bloodiest war on american soil, the Civil War. The misinterpretation on the views of slavery was the biggest argument as shown in multiple documents, (Document E), â€Å"To the Argument, that the word ‘slaves’ and ‘slavery’ are not to be found in the Constitution, and therefore it was never intended to give any protection or countenance to the slave system, it is sufficient to reply, that no such words are continued in the instrument, other words were used, intelligently and specifically, to meet the necessities of slavery.† This basically means that the constitution could have many interpretations on the basis that no â€Å"right† interpretation was ever stated.There were many feuds between documents following the Constitution such as the Compromise of 1850 as show in in the map of (Document A) where the country is broken into 2 parts, not unified because of slavery, along with the Fugitive Slave Law, (Document D)

Design Factors Affecting Building Maintenance

Design Factors Affecting Building Maintenance The factors of design which will influence the levels of future maintenance of public buildings and works. 1.  Introduction Maintenance of public buildings is concern for the continuous development and preservation of the major infrastructure systems such as public and private-owned buildings within the county which includes janitorial services, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, electrical, landscaping, and lawn care services. Public works, on the other hand, deals with safeguarding of sewer, solid waste, drainage and parks, etc. Both public buildings and works are grouped together and represented by the County Administrator. Their activities are inter-connected and require cross-departmental and pre-maintenance coordination. As the community grows constantly with time, the challenge facing the public buildings and works department at the County Council is to provide and maintain the above adequate infrastructure and facilities regularly. Assuring and completing maintenance to keep pace with concurrency requirements for a variety of works continues to be a huge problem for the County. The County has historically been unable to keep up with the need of society within its premises. Although the public works is still partially funded by the UK Government, the County’s Public Works Trust Fund (PWTF) loans remained at near high record levels. In this report, we will be discussing the design factors influencing the levels of maintenance of public buildings and works. 2.  Different levels of maintenance for public works at different zones The County has tried to maintain a uniform and consistent level of maintenance throughout, for example, the more important and prominent landscaped areas and parks around public and private-owned buildings. Under County Council regulations, it can only use funds collected from neighbourhood property owners and private agencies within a zone for costs associated directly and within that specified zone. In some zone areas, the evaluations allowed by law have not been sufficient to pay for basic maintenance costs, so essentially, some zones have been less funded for maintenance coverage. This is especially true when considering the costs necessary to replace dying plants and trees, replace or repair vandalized equipment or renovate older parks and irrigation systems [1] Decisions for funding in certain zones were based on mailed ballots while others were not in favour of paying for extra maintenance and repair covers. Therefore, in order to keep the maintenance budget balanced, cuts and reductions have been made in the frequency and type of maintenance being performed in each of the under-funded zones. Essentially, the maintenance levels (or standards) are different as a result of the variance in available funds. Property owners and agencies will continue to see a difference in the levels of maintenance being provided throughout the various zones in the County. The Council has developed priorities for services that most affect the community, particularly when budgets are tight. In those zones where funding is not sufficient to pay for all of the maintenance required, the County Council has set the following levels of maintenance: low, medium and high, based on maintenance priorities: (i) safety items considered first and primary, (ii) keeping parks safe, open and available to the public, (ii) responding to vandalism, (iii) keeping turf and plant materials in healthy condition and (iv) removing, but not replacing, dead and dying plant materials and (v) thinning and scaling back landscaping to lower maintenance requirements [2]. The County will also be making some enhancements to a number of median landscaped areas. The aim is to make a one-time improvement, such as the installation of low-maintenance ground covering. These efforts will eventually reduce future maintenance costs and help all zones to remain within their own budgets. 3.  Factors of design for public buildings: A Case-Study Approach Successfully designing, constructing and operating high-performance buildings requires the building owner and all members of the design team to set goals to minimize future levels of maintenance via minimization of energy consumption and environmental impact. The team should establish these goals as early as possible in the design process and maintain them through the building occupation. One method for achieving high-performance building goals is to follow the energy design process. This process begins in the pre-design phase and continues after the building is commissioned and occupied. Understanding which strategies are best suited for the building site and function, setting aggressive energy targets early and relying on advanced computer simulations to evaluate building design options are essential to the overall reliability process. The building envelope is designed first to minimize energy consumption. The mechanical, electrical and control systems are designed after optimizing the envelope design. Detailed specifications must accurately reflect the design intent. After construction, the building is commissioned, the owner and operators are instructed on the optimal operation of the building and building operation documents are provided for future maintenance reference. A case-study on an actual high-performance building demonstrates how to apply the design process to all public buildings of the future This building incorporates energy-efficient and renewable energy design features including day-lighting, passive heating and cooling and improved thermal envelope. All this energy saving considerations is being intentionally put in place to significantly reduce future maintenance needs and increase reliability of building functionalities [5] In a traditional design process, the architectural team determines the building form and articulation of the faà §ade, including orientation, colour, window area and window placement. This architectural design is then handed off to the engineering team, who designs the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, ensures compliance with applicable energy codes, and ensures acceptable levels of environmental comfort for building occupants. From an engineers point of view, energy dependability occurs by improving the design of the HVAC system. It is then the engineers goal to create an efficient system within the context of the building envelope that has been previously designed—the architectural decisions have been finalized and few changes can be made to the envelope design [4] For successful realization of low-energy buildings which are less susceptible to failures, an efficient design team must establish a cost-effective energy goal. Once a commitment to energy minimization has been made, the energy-design process can be used to guide the team towards good decision making and trade-off analysis without sacrificing the building’s programmatic requirements. The building must incorporate disaster resistant (e.g., able to function if no grid-power is available). The design should meet or exceed all the functional and comfort requirements of the building. Low-energy design does not imply that building occupants endure conditions that are considered unacceptable in traditional buildings. The design team develops a thorough understanding of the building site and building functional requirements. A qualitative evaluation of these issues early in the design process often leads to later solutions for minimizing potential building maintenance needs Many design strategies are applicable to most buildings however, each building is unique, and thus, will have unique reliability design solutions [9]. Simulation of a base-case model of the building is done to identify maintenance minimization opportunities via low energy consumption using an hourly building simulation computer tool. This computer model simulates annual loads and peak demands for heating, cooling, lighting, plug loads and for HVAC system fans and pumps to determine the energy-use profile and the likelihood of possible failures of the base-case building. The design team brainstorms possible solutions to dependability problems. At this stage, the emphasis is on solutions relating to building geometry. Simulations are performed on variants of the base-case building relating to the list of possible solutions. Issues that will have a profound influence on the architectural aspects of the building are quantitatively explored prior to the conceptual design phase. The energy impact of each variant is determined by comparison to the original base-case building and to the other variants. Computerized design tools bring all the architectural and engineering pieces together to predict how the building’s components will interact. In other words, day-lighting systems, thermal issues and building control strategies may be addressed by different building disciplines but successful integrated building performance can only be achieved by examining the interrelation between these components. The conceptual design is the most difficult part of the building design process. It is essential that the dependability features be integrated into the architecture of the building. The objective is to use the architectural and envelope features to minimize energy costs for heating, cooling, and lighting. Often, energy features that effect the visual impact of the building can also serve as the main architectural aesthetic features, thereby saving costs. If the addition of an energy feature substantially increases the building cost, it is evaluated with the cost-effectiveness criteria already established [6] After the architectural features impacting energy use have been determined, the computer model simulating the performance of the proposed building is updated to reflect those decisions. A set of simulations is then performed to guide decisions regarding the HVAC system and associated controls. These simulations are primarily to optimize annual dependability of building lighting functions and the occupant comfort. The simulations can also be used to help properly size the equipment. Low-energy buildings defy the industry norms used for equipment sizing. First cost savings in substantially downsized equipment can often be used to pay for improved envelope energy features. At this point, there will be some iteration or trade-off between mechanical system decisions and architectural features; however, it is best to optimize the architectural features first. Although the energy design process may increase the cost to design the building compared to the traditional design process, the incr eased design cost is often offset by reductions in errors and decreased mechanical system cost. Fewer errors occur because careful attention was paid throughout the design process and more effort is placed on checking and review. Also, small mechanical systems require less space in the building (requiring less building to be built), and therefore, lower capital costs. Once the simulation work has been completed, occasional simulations will need to be performed as needed in response to unanticipated circumstances. This might include the need to determine if a substitute component really meets the energy related specifications or review of a construction detail that must be modified because of a problem on the construction site. Scheduled plan reviews and site inspections are crucial to ensure that specified details omitted from the plans do not compromise the energy design. A clear communication path between the constructor, building operator and the design team will help ensure that components are installed properly [10] In many cases, once construction on a particular area is incorrectly completed, it cannot be reinstalled and the building owner is forced to live with the reliability performance consequences. The commissioning process includes testing all subsystems in the building to ensure that they operate as intended. For example, poorly calibrated economizer controls can bring in excess air or poorly calibrated daylight sensors may not turn off the lights, thus causing failure to the equipments. Occasional simulations will be required to help solve problems that emerge during this final phase and to respond to changes in building use that may occur once the building is occupied. The key is that the controls function with the design intent of the building. A good building quickly becomes a bad building with improper control strategies. In addition, it is important to educate the building owner, occupants and the maintenance staff to properly use the building systems as conceived by the design team. The building’s performance can only be optimized if the people running the systems understand how the systems interact. This would save cost of system errors leading to malfunctions and would eventually reduce the need for future building maintenance. 4.  Conclusion Good construction practices provide protection and minimum maintenance required for existing high-tech buildings and other features. Continued good appearance of these buildings depends upon the extent and quality of maintenance. The choice of materials and their use, together with the types of finishes and other protective measures should be conducive to easy maintenance and upkeep. An integrated design approach for private high performance buildings have been discussed from construction to commission. A low energy cost reduction was ideally established early and maintained throughout the design process. An integrated set of solutions for architectural design and energy efficiency was determined, including extensive day-lighting, natural ventilation, evaporative cooling and passive solar radiant heating. It is important to design a building that works with the environment in which it is located to minimize the need for maintenance in the long run. The building architecture was formed based on the programmatic and energy goals for the project. Tall vertical elements are naturally preferred to harmonize the building with the surrounding natural environment. The towers were also used to passively cool the building. An HVAC system was designed to work with the building. A PV system was installed to provide emergency power and supplemental power when utility power is available. The building construction and energy costs was significantly less and more reliable than a conventional one. This shows that sustainable buildings need not cost more with no level maintenance requirements REFERENCES [1] A. H. Molof, C. J. Turkstra (1984). Infrastructure, maintenance and repair of public works. New York Academy of Sciences. [2] A. P. Chrest (2001). Parking Structures: Planning, design, construction, maintenance and repair. Kluwer Academic Publishers. [3] Aia Pr (1993). Confronting the changes: New considerations in the design and management of public-sector facilities. [4] B. Chanter and P. Swallow (2000). Building Maintenance Management. Blackwell Science. [5] D. Hunns (1986). Human Factors in Reliability and the Psychology of Communications. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, pp 22-37. [6] E. D. Mills (1980). Building maintenance and preservation: a guide for design and management. Boston, Butterworths. [7] E. Teicholz (2001). Facility Design and Management Handbook. Mc-Graw Hill Companies. [8] M. Ruff (1998). Sewer, gas and electric: The Public Works trilogy. Grove/Atlantic Press [9] R. Lee and P. Wordsworth (2000). Lee’s Building Maintenance Management. Blackwell Publishers. [10] S. B. Birch, Jr, Craftsman Book Co, R. Price and L. Nicholson (2001). Public Works Inspector Manual. Building News.

Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay -- essays research papers

Defining a True Hero Is a hero the one who decides to stand up when everyone else is only thinking about it? Is a hero the one who retains integrity rather than give in to the world’s everyday temptations? Is a hero the picture of courage, or an example of morals? These are the questions that arise after reading the epic story of Beowulf by an anonymous author, and the romantic tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, also written by an anonymous author. The stories describe two very different heroes. Beowulf was undoubtedly a hero, but as time advanced and the world became more complicated, what constituted a hero became more shady; therefore, while he is not anything like Beowulf, Sir Gawain is also in fact a true hero. Beowulf is a hero. That is an undeniable fact. His heroic image stands out notably because Beowulf is what could be called an active hero while Sir Gawain plays the part of a passive hero, but still a hero nonetheless. Beowulf has one duty: he must fight and win. If he succeeds, he is a hero; if he fails he is simply a failure (except when he fails at defeating the dragon because he has already proved himself and goes with honor, which is different from initially failing). In the last lines of the story the author clearly acknowledges Beowulf’s overall triumph, "Telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name." Sir Gawain on the other hand ...

The Development of the Torpedo during World War I :: Torpedoes Torpedo Research Papers

The Development of the Torpedo during World War I The year is 1942, and German U-boats are wreaking havoc on allied shipping to Britain; the vital lifeline which allows the island nation to survive. Unchallenged, they sink hundreds of the merchant vessels which carry the desperately needed food, arms, and other equipment that is necessary for Britain's survival. They are silent and deadly; undetected until it is too late. With a loud deafening blast, a torpedo impacts the center of a ship, breaking its back. The other ships try to run, as their crews search for the unseen attacker by the glow of the ship slipping under the water to her final resting place. Cries of terror pierce the sky, as a ghostly shadow is seen heading for the flagship. The ship rolls to the side as it turns as hard as it can. The torpedo misses, but a second blast pierces the sky, disabling the ship's rudder and propellers. Tracking the submarine with its sonar, a destroyer escort moves at full steam to counter the threat. Once over the spot where the submarine lurks, depth charges are shot over the railing, and they sink quietly in the water to bring the fight back to the concealed enemy. As each detonates, the water bulges over top of where they were dropped. Knowing when it has met its match, the German U-boat retreats and the battle is over until another day. The histories of many weapons of World War II are well known, such as that of the tank and the airplane. However the torpedo is one that is often talked about, yet its history remains in the shadow of these other well known weapons. In an effort to learn more about this topic, I interviewed my grandfather. During the war, he worked in a group developing the sonic controlled torpedo. For many years, he was not able to tell anyone what he did, including his parents. It was not until several years ago when he saw a documentary on the television which had a segment that described the development of the torpedo did he feel that he could talk about what he really did during the war. I first began by asking him what he did during the war. He told me that he led a group who was developing sonic controlled torpedoes, which were designed to follow sound made by a ship or a submarine's propeller.

Free Essay - Setting in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily :: A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner

Importance of Setting in William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily Setting is place and time, and often provides more than a mere backdrop for the action of a story. William Faulkner uses this device in his complex short story "A Rose for Emily" to give insight into the lonely world of Miss Emily Grierson. Faulkner portrays the townspeople and Emily in the southern town of Jefferson during the late 1800's to early 1900's. The town is more than just the setting in the story; it takes on its own characterization alongside Emily the main character. It is the main reasoning behind Emily's attitude and actions. It gives the reader an easier understanding into why Emily makes the decisions she does as the story unwinds. The town of Jefferson was deeply indirectly involved in the life of Emily Grierson. They watched and debated her every move, being her analyst, they wondering why she did certain things. They had their own idea of who she was and what they wanted her to be. The reason being was that the aristocratic Grierson family that her father headed was very highly recognized in the past era of the Confederacy. Her father had much power and was close to a very popular mayor named Colonel Sartoris. The power Emily's father has over Emily can be seen in a portrait of the two that the narrator describes: "Emily a slender woman in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip." (141) He does in fact control her like a horse, never allowing her to date anyone. And until his death she indeed does not. After Emily's father dies, we find her becoming involved with a gay man named Homer Baron who she probably believes she will eventually marry. It is her continual relying on a male figure that gets Emily into this situation. It is the setting in which she lye that has this impact on her thought and understanding. We eventually find out in the end that Emily kills Homer. She does this not do this out anger or hatred toward this man. It is the belief on her part, that a man has to play a significant role in her life that drives Emily to do this unbelievable act of violence. In her mind this was not a crazy thing to do.

My Antonia by Willa Cather Essay

Based on the novel, Jim Burden’s observation of Antonia and even the way he looks at her and interacts with her, it seems clear that he loved Antonia. He did not pursue her, however. Jim spent his childhood in his grandfather’s house in the prairie and spent a lot of time with Antonia. Eventually, in the second book, he spends more time with Antonia and also with the girls working in town. It is at this time that he notices the sexuality of Antonia. Hence, his descriptions of Antonia, and later of Lena, become charged with sexuality. Jim Burden’s relationship with Antonia remained platonic first, because Antonia put emphasis on the four years difference they had and looked down at Jim as her junior. Hence, Jim felt that Antonia looked down on him as a child. When he turned his attention to Lena Lingard, she decided to toy with the young man’s feelings. Antonia had to intervene to prevent Jim from being heartbroken. The relationship between Antonia and Jim remained platonic, at least on the surface. Jim did not see through the defenses set up by Antonia to prevent their being linked romantically together. But since Jim turned his attention to Lena, Antonia felt that she should protect the emotions of Jim. Jim and Antonia are connected with the threads of childhood and of the friendship of growing up together. But Jim, being an orphan and a man, has to study and pursue his dreams for himself. His education and the very act of pursuing his dreams stand in the way between him and Antonia. Years later when he goes back and finds Antonia with her husband and her ten children, he feels affectionate to them yet he adds a wistful longing by saying that Antonia and he â€Å"possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past. † In the end, that was what they shared together. Works Cited Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954.

My Information Technology Job Interests

During my research for this paper I have learned quite a bit about myself. This assignment forced me to look at what my strengths and preferences are. Coupled with the information I have learned about the job market, I know have some direction. This paper will explain what I have chosen. My Information Technology Job Interests As a 42 year old married mother of two, I have recognized that my profession as an Administrative Assistant is no longer sufficient. It is lacking in challenge and financial stability. This is all I have ever worked as since I started college in 1984. I was a Computer Science major that never obtained a Bachelor’s degree. Working a full time job, usually as an Administrative Assistant, I deduced two things. One was that programming was too time consuming and the second thing was that I really loved computers. Now that I have children preparing for college I know I need a more acceptable income in order to afford them the type of education they will need to succeed in life. The Information Technology field has many different directions you can choose to take. Which direction should I go? First I needed to find out if the IT field would continue to grow. After checking the Career Cluster publication it stated â€Å"Over 216,000 jobs in Information Support and Services are projected immediately. Expect 21 to 35 percent job growth to 2012. † With this forecast it seems the IT Support field is wide open. There are still many types of Information Support and Services positions. Some of these positions include Computer Support Specialist, Technical Support Specialist, and Help Desk Technicians. Computer support specialists provide technical assistance, support, and advice to customers and other users. This occupational group includes technical support specialists and help-desk technicians. These troubleshooters interpret problems and provide technical support for hardware, software, and systems. They answer telephone calls, analyze problems by using automated diagnostic programs, and resolve recurring difficulties. Support specialists work either within a company that uses computer systems or directly for a computer hardware or software vendor. Increasingly, these specialists work for help-desk or support services firms, for which they provide computer support to clients on a contract basis. Technical support specialists respond to inquiries from their organizations’ computer users and may run automatic diagnostics programs to resolve problems. They also install, modify, clean, and repair computer hardware and software. In addition, they may write training manuals and train computer users in how to use new computer hardware and software. These workers also oversee the daily performance of their company’s computer systems and evaluate how useful software programs are. Help-desk technicians respond to telephone calls and e-mail messages from customers looking for help with computer problems. In responding to these inquiries, help-desk technicians must listen carefully to the customer, ask questions to diagnose the nature of the problem, and then patiently walk the customer through the problem-solving steps. Help-desk technicians deal directly with customer issues and companies value them as a source of feedback on their products. They are consulted for information about what gives customers the most trouble, as well as other customer concerns. Most computer support specialists start out at the help desk. In researching Computer support specials and system administrators I have learned that they normally work in well-lighted, comfortable offices or computer laboratories. They usually work about 40 hours a week, but are sometimes required to provide computer support over extended hours, they may be â€Å"on call† for rotating evening or weekend work. Overtime may be necessary when unexpected technical problems arise. Like other workers who type on a keyboard for long periods, computer support specialists and systems administrators are susceptible to eyestrain, back discomfort, and hand and wrist problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Computer support specialists and systems administrators constantly interact with customers and fellow employees as they answer questions and give advice. This is why I feel I would well suited for this field. I have always enjoyed fixing things and helping people solve problems. I tend to be very patient and have always enjoyed teaching. And in considering my family and how important my time is with them the normal hours of work per week make Technical Support and Help Desk Technician my top picks for possible careers. Reference Career Cluster –Focusing Education on the Future – Information Technology http://www.careerclusters.org/resources/ClusterDocuments/itdocuments/brochure.pdf Technology in Action, Introductory 4rd Edition, Author: Evans, Martin and Poatsy, Prentice Hall, Bundled ISBN: 0536073546 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialist and System Administrators http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos268.htm#nature

Nike ERP Implementation

What are the failure factors for the first NIKE-12 ERP-SCM implementation? All ERP implementations have risks associated that can lead to failure situations. The complexity of ERP systems together with demanding business environment, represent big challenges for companies when implementing an ERP. In the case of Nike, the situation is even more challenging because of the worldwide ERP deployment, and the large and complex scope of the project.Inevitably, and like all ERP implementations, Nike-i2's project faced complications at the different stages of he implementation cycle but those complications could have been minimized if the so called â€Å"Critical Success Factors† (CSF)I had been planned and managed properly. Using the 5 stages structure proposed in the report â€Å"Drawing Competitive Advantage through Successful ERP Implementation Projects†2, the failure factors are analyzed in detail in the following sections.First stage of implementation (project preparation ): One of the failures in the Nike-i2 ERP implementation was the lack of Formalized project plan/schedule. Feeling the market pressures, Nike did not commit to a isciplined plan and rushed up ERRS implementation, by â€Å"began to input data for its forthcoming Spring 2001 line when the system was still to stabilize†3 , giving reason to the opinions that projects cannot be driven by external deadlines4.Industry experts also warned about the boomerang effect (tight and unrealistic deadlines would come back in low quality results in the future) but Nike felt â€Å"12 technology was smaller and therefore easier to implement†. The result was the project failure and a financial storm (reduced profits) in the following financial periods. The executive eam as the responsibility to define the mission and scope of the project by analyzing the project business benefits and goals, and aligning them with strategic business goals.It is clear that in this case, Nike's executives wer e too ambitious by trusting blindly in a forecast system that was not completely adequate to Nike's business model (model was order based and not demand forecast oriented). As stated in Cnet â€Å"12 had past success projects with big clients such as Boeing, Nortel Networks, Raytheon and WalMart.. proving that 12 software is not perfect, but if implementation s done correctly, with proper planning, investment and scheduling, it will work well. â€Å"5 Implementing software is not a goal by it itself, remaking the business with the help of software is.Nike business goal was to create an efficient global supply chain by reducing inventory and manufacturing cycle, and this was a large and complex goal, thus, the software implementation could not be taken as simple and easy as Nike's executives toke it, failing to give Sustained management support to the project. In the second stage of implementation (Business Blueprint) the failures were: Nike elied too much in the (supposed) power o f the forecasting technology and underestimated its impact on the business processes changes such as orders processing, raw materials purchasing, fabric production, and demand management.That impact also affected the way employees and partners used to work. Anytime companies changes employee's working habits, it can get difficult to them to adapt to the new reality, thus, an Effective organizational change management is critical. Nike tailed ensuring that this complex change got the right results by not integrating properly people, process and technology. Nike's business context was very complex (120000 SKUs, operations in all continents, four seasons product turn over and product life cycle very short), thus, a deep knowledge of this industry was critical when implementing new business processes and ERP systems.Despite previous supply chain applications were troublesome Nike hired 12 that was inexperienced in the footwear industry. This situation could have been avoided if Nike had appropriately used consultants by integrating third-party specialists with industry experience in the project's team. By not managing this factor, Nike took a big risk and ncreased the probabilities of failure. Nike's business requirements were too complex and over detailed (like footwear's forecasting for styles, colors, sizes).If Nike had appropriately used consultants and also had promoted User involvement and participation, those experts could had shared their know-how in the definition of business requirements more realistic and aligned with the real organizational needs. The failures in the third stage of implementation (Realization) were: â€Å"i2's software did not offer all the required functionalities†6. Usually, ERP systems do not provide all the functional requirements nd 12 system is not an exception. That's why, ERP vendors offer interfaces to communicate with third-party products.The problem with Nike implementation was that there was not an Critical Success F actors is a concept presented in the report â€Å"Drawing Competitive Advantage through Successful ERP Implementation Projects†, by Jos © Esteves – Instituto de Empresa (Spain) and Joan Pastor Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain) 2 ibid 3 SCM and ERP Software Implementation at Nike – From failure to success 4 http://www. cio. com/article/32335/Five_Lessons_Learned_from_Nike_s_i2_Debacle 5 ttp://news. cnet. om/i2-Nike-fallout-a-cautionary-tale/2100-1017_3-253829. html 6 SCM and ERP Software Implementation at Nike – From failure to success 1 adequate infrastructure and interfaces prepared in advance and tested before going live. The result was that the â€Å"Demand application and its planner did not integrate easily†¦ â€Å"7. Nike's demand for high customization was one of the main failures in this project. To Avoid ERP customization, Nike could have appropriately used consultants to reduce the need of very detail level forec asting (style, color, size).Consultants ould have brought also an experienced business vision, focus on ERP processes really needed to run Nike's business, alignment between Nike's requirements and ERP functionalities, and ERP best practices (including ‘2's recommendations and methodology) Forth stage (final preparation) is critically important to ensure the quality of the results, Nike's tailures were: To ensure that the ERP accomplishes the business requirements defined at the beginning of the project a Formalized testing plan is mandatory.In theory, this test plan should cover functional tests, data flow between ystems, user testing and performance tests. Nike did not perform any of those tests activities and the catastrophic results were: â€Å"System could not process large amounts of info. It was very slow and crashed†, â€Å"System could not handle thousands of variables to generate forecasts†, â€Å"Demand application and its planner did not integrate ea sily because different data formats. , â€Å"System sent inaccurate orders to manufactures and errors were not detected†8 In this phase, User involvement and participation, Adequate training program and Preventive troubleshooting are critical to guarantee that: the technical staff and end- sers know how to use the system; to prepare users to perform tests; and to prevent unexpected situations.These activities were not performed and under-evaluated by Nike as confirmed in the case: â€Å"it would work with requiring a pilot test†; â€Å"12 application was smaller†9; No communication between forecasting and inputs from sales and marketing; and no super users used in training. Data migration and data testing are crucial activities before system go-live because data is what really gives competitive advantage to a company and data is the core foundation for all business decisions, thus, an Adequate data migration process s essential. Analysts raised questions about a dequacy of information that Nike input into the system. â€Å"10, this means that Nike did not planned in advance the data activities (migration, conversion, cleaning, etc. ) and in the end the result was â€Å"Input data was estimated and didn't reflect the business reality, thus, forecasts could never be accurate†ll For the final stage (go live) Nike failed in: 0 Not giving sustained management support since â€Å"Executives did not hold review meetings, neither analyzed forecasting results†12.This transmitted a sense of no wnership and no own involvement to employees, resulting in no encouragement of system usage. From other point view, Nike also failed on the study of vendor's evaluation criteria: 0 According to the â€Å"six-stage model of the buying process for ERP software†13, one evaluation criteria is â€Å"Association with or the availability of third party vendor/ partners† and other criteria is â€Å"Qualifications, experience, and success i n delivering solutions to organizations of a similar size, complexity, and geographic scope†.It was clear that 12 did not had experience on the footwear industry and was not prepared or Nike's business complexity, so Nike should had decided for another vendor with industry knowledge or as an alternative to integrate 12 with a specialized third-party. 0 Nike seemed to desire the best-of-breed for each application area, ex: SAP for ERP, 12 for planning SCM, Siebel for CRM, etc. , which is not always the best option.As for 12, Nike knew that there were many disadvantages to choose this vendor, such as: 12 technology could not met all business requirements; data models were different between i2's demand and planner application raising integration problems with egacy systems; high effort was necessary to customization; there were 2 development and delivery cycles at the same time (one for 12 and other for SAP); and 12 had no experience in industry. A better option would have been t o integrate planning SCM with SAP from the very beginning, which turned out be what exactly happened atter the 12 Conclusion M project tailure.Nike-i2's ERP implementation failed in all stages of implementation on several CSF and also on the evaluation of the vendor. The failures were related mainly to project management and organizational factors proving that success is much related to eople and process and not Just technology. 7 SCM and ERP Software Implementation at Nike 10 11 12 13 – From failure to success ibid â€Å"A six-stage model of the buying process for ERP software† by Jacques Verville and Alannah Halingten 8 9 2.How do you evaluate the role of 12 in this process? Many factors which Nike failed to manage can also be applied for 12, resulting in a shared responsibility for the project failure. 0 12 did actually recommended Nike to â€Å"minimize customization to 10-15% of the software†14 but at the same â€Å"Nike and 12 worked together to incorpora te the desired hanges†. 1 5 This means, 12 agreed to do the changes when Nike insisted on high level of customization, thus, 12 also has responsibilities on the high customization failure.Responsibility could be different if the level of customization was written in the contract to be limited by 10%, and above that, 12 would not offer product guarantee. 0 The project did not have formal plan and no realistic deadlines. 12 as company, cannot be Just a software vendor, it must participate on the plan definition and monitoring. By accepting Nike's deadlines, 12 was also responsible for the delays nd for the low quality of the delivered software. 0 Nike began to input data while the system was not yet stable but 12 did not force Nike to stop this.A vendor must deliver his product when it is ready and according to negotiated deadlines. 0 12 did not have footwear industry knowledge but accepted to be part of the project, taking a big risk and being too ambitious like Nike was. The r esult was that 12 became overwhelmed with the business complexity and in the end the forecasts did not worked out as expected. 12 should had analyzed better Nike's business and industry, nd sub-contracted a third-party specialist in that industry. Nike did not use ‘2's implementation methodology; executives did not hold review meetings, neither analyzed forecasting results; there was no pilot test and no training. A vendor must also be part of the project management team to: define and negotiate formal deadlines, implementation phases, methodologies, tasks, roles, test plans, risk management plans, performance goals, etc. A vendor must assure that the contract is clear about: who owns the project; who is responsible for what; what resources will e available during the project; what are the expected benefits and results. 3.Describe the main problems associated with ERP software modification (short-term and long-term) Short-term 0 More time to implement a modified ERP compared w ith the time to implement an original ERP. 0 Higher costs during project's implementation to pay analysts to define customized business processes and to pay programmers to customize the new functionalities on the system. 0 Higher costs to run additional tests to guarantee customized functionalities work as expected and do not affect the original system apabilities. 0 Additional costs to train end-users on the customized functionalities.

I could never believe in the rule of law again Essay

â€Å"I could never believe in the rule of law again.† Says David, reflecting on the events of 1948. Why does he come to this conclusion? Larry Watson’s Montana 1948 is a story set at Bentrock, Montanan focuses on the family struggles of the Haydens between loyalty and justice. David Hayden, the adult narrator, looks back at the summer when he was twelve years old, and recalls all the life-changing events which completely lead to his disbelief of the rule of law. Young David once believed in the rule of law, and believed the adult is righteous to uphold justice, but on the contrary, what unveiled before him is how the Hayden family neglect the law and abuse power, is how his grandfather attempts to protect his criminal son, is how uncle Frank’s misdeeds is covered throughout. David’s perspectives on the rule of law is initially influenced by the way the members of his family abuse their powers. In the position of sheriff in generation, the Hayden family is the one enforce the law all the time, even above the law. Knowing â€Å"when to look and when to look away† is the principle of grandfather Julian, as a former sheriff, who ‘was a dominating man who drew sustenance and strength from controlling others’. It is a sign of corruption as law is not taking seriously. As for Wesley, although he seems not â€Å"get a hang of it†, he actually lived happily and proudly under Julian’s power at the start. This is evident when David recounts his drunken father said to Gail â€Å"They couldn’t arrest us-we are the law. †after Julian intimidate back the cowboys at a bar. With power in their hands, they are able to do whatever they want against the law without being punished. David was shocked when he discovered that both of his father and grandfather were in conspiracy of knowledge about Frank raping Indian girls, but just indulged it. Before reaching the central climax, David already finds out that people are not equal in front of the law, powerful people is always dominant. The light of justice is getting dim and dim in response to the two main characters’ action. Naà ¯ve as David, could originally believe his grandfather will take care of everything, if Wes chose to tell on Frank. â€Å"He’ll shake him up and shout in Frank’s face that he’d better straighten up  and fly right or there’ll be hell to pay.† However the reality is that neither Wes nor Julian brings about justice at first. Wes doesn’t want to breach family loyalty, so he claimed he â€Å"won’t do anything to arrange it†, despite of ultimately overcoming his moral dilemma and standing up to Julian. Julian’s confrontation to Wes that â€Å"You don’t lock up your brother† for raping Indians is evidence of inequality before law based on racism. His following action on setting Frank free by attacking David’s house is even more lawless. After stumble into these disturbing events, David realizes that th e one who should be the representative of law, ironically, is the one break the law first. If there is the rule of law, then â€Å"sins-crimes-are not supposed to go unpunished†. Frank did pay his life for the bill eventually, but it didn’t undergo the ways in law. In order to preserve the family reputation, all the family members are in agreement of concealing the truth of Frank’s death and all his crimes. Thus, justice is not achieved for dead Marie and those Indian patients. At that time, David senses how powerless the law is, so he can’t help but ask â€Å"How many secrets had our town agreed to keep?† And since â€Å"any human community might omit stories of sexual abuse, murder, suicide†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he no longer holds his childhood faith in the rule of law again. All these encounters in David’s younger days, make him aware of the human intervention of law. The rule of law can be alternated by human, the rule of law can be rewritten by human, the rule of law doesn’t always deliver justice. When the family loyalty clashes with justice, the rule of law has to compromise.

Stress in American Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stress in American Society - Essay Example They are simply mirroring their parents' struggle for cars, boats, and bigger houses. Still, there is little compassion for the overloaded 15 year old. Stress is expected. Time is money. Americans too readily sacrifice quality family time in an effort to generate the success they need to buy their family quality things. If America really wants to pay more than just intellectual homage and lip service to the concept of 'family first' then they must take a good hard look at their real system of values. The postmodern world of technology has made American teenagers the most stressed out and overloaded generation in history. Students are groomed for success in a competitive world with everything from school to extra-curricular activities, and "staying up all night to finish routine assignments, to agonizing over falling grades because jobs crowd out homework" (Shellenbarger1). When work takes priority over grades, it brings on an additional source of stress. A recent study reported that the number of hours a student works is directly related to their "emotional exhaustion and psychological strain" (de man, Harvey, Ward, and Benoit 248). These tensions are a reflection of the seventy percent of parents who don't have time for their children, and the untold children who don't have time for their parents. ... in a hectic schedule, peers into the future and predicts, "We're moving fast as it is, and you know our kids are going to be moving even faster" (Shellenbarger 2). These children naively look to jobs and technology to save them, as if the problem will also provide the solution (Shellenbarger2). One 16-year-old boy is already plotting his future, isolated from his family, where they respect him for his money and little else (Shellenbarger2). Other than being wealthy the teen doesn't know what he wants to be. These are the children that America is producing in its rush to compete and produce. These are the children that are bombarded by a pop culture that idolizes wealth and has disdain for the real and mundane. These are the children that are raised by a generation of parents where average is not an option and failure is for losers. The solution to this national madness will only be accepted when America takes an honest inventory of their needs, and makes a real commitment to 'family values'. There is plenty of support for altering our schedules, slowing down, and making a decision whether to keep the BMW or the family. High school students overwhelmingly want to spend more time with their children than their parents did (Shellenbarger3). Parents need to reassess their priorities and make more time and 'mental space' for their children. It requires more than simply being present, and may not involve a super-sacrifice of time. Parents need to provide "a variety of behaviours that the child values: for example, closeness, warmth and being ready to defend the child's interests" (Lewis 297). This is not merely quantity time, but is the quality time that has been a time-honored goal of all parents. Students and institutions need to make a realistic evaluation of what is

Lines Written a few miles above Tintern Abbey Essay

Lines Written a few miles above Tintern Abbey - Essay Example Characteristics of the genre identified by Welleck (2003) include a â€Å"revolt against the principles of neo-classicism criticism, the rediscovery of older English literature, the turn toward subjectivity and the worship of external nature slowly prepared during the eighteenth century and stated boldly in Wordsworth and Shelley† (196). The period idolized the imagination as the highest of human capacities due largely in part to its creative abilities and as a means of reacting to sweeping change in every aspect of life. It also esteemed nature not only because of the creative element inherent in it, but also because of the manifestation of the imagination that could be found within it in the sense that we create what we see. The world was full of symbols and signs that would portend future events and actions which were knowable through their relationship to the myths and legends of antiquity. The work of William Wordsworth epitomizes this period in the style and content of h is writing as is seen in his poem â€Å"Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey† (â€Å"Tintern Abbey†). The poem is structured in what is termed free verse and relates the thoughts and impressions of the poet as he revisits a place in the country he once knew quite well. In the poem, Wordsworth describes his impressions of returning to Tintern Abbey after a five year absence. Although his life has changed a great deal in the intervening years, he continues to point to areas in which nature demonstrates her constancy, such as in the flowing of the Wye and the presence of the old abbey. Wordsworth uses nature to establish a connection between himself and his understanding by using the ‘language of the senses’ to stabilize his thoughts. This language specifically names the objects seen in nature, therefore rendering it understandable by those who are not male, not educated and not fully

African American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

African American History - Essay Example Due to industrialization, the north comprised of educated people both blacks and whites (Morgan, 68). As a result of the differences in northern and southern economies, perceptions about slavery also differed between the two economies. According to Morgan (68), the northern whites worked alongside the blacks in the industries and the blacks were not subjected to degradation. Some whites owned slaves who worked in farms and houses and one could buy his/her freedom. On contrary, the southern slaves did not mix with whites; they were slave societies. The African-American slaves were considered inferior to the whites hence subjected to hard work under poor working conditions. The northern was religious and believed in the unalienable rights of all human beings. Slavery was thus abolished in the north and all slaves freed. However, even after the emancipation proclamation by Lincoln, the south used Ku Klux Klan to maintain white supremacy; the blacks were denied the right to vote as they were inferior race. However, both the south and the north agreed that they were more superior since t hey were more educated and due to their color (Duiker & Spielvogel, 497-498). Frederick Douglass is considered the father of integration. He advocated for the abolition of slavery in America and believed in the virtues entailed in the declaration of independence; right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness (Myers, 2011). He also believed that the blacks could enjoy the rights, privileges and immunities that were enjoyed by the whites. He advocated for self-elevation or self-sufficiency to be able to acquire the same status as the whites. For him, dependency on the whites was out of question. The blacks needed education in order to be at the same level as the whites hence he advocated for removal of segregation in schools. All human beings are equal, hence the whites and the blacks could perform same tasks, have same rights of voting

Management Information and Communication Systems (MICS) Assignment

Management Information and Communication Systems (MICS) - Assignment Example This is because it helps in the management of resources that is at the disposal of the organisation in such as way that a little resource can be used to achieve several constitute components of the organisational processes. By extension, any organisation that is implementing MICS must be in a position to do things right and in the best approach to achieve needed results. There are times that organisations may be found to be in very good positions to execute IT and e-commerce for themselves. There are other times that doing this for themselves simply do not seem the best way out. In such instance where going about IT and e-commerce does not seem the best way out for an organisation, it tends to resort to the outsourcing of IT and e-commerce. Given the important role that MICS plays in organisation and the fact that it is not always that organisations will be in a position to undertake such IT processes for themselves, the paper seeks to critically discuss reason why organisations outsource IT and e-commerce. IT and e-commerce outsourcing will thus be treated as constitute components of the larger concept of MICS in this paper. To this better, the nature of MICS as a collective concept in organisational management shall be reviewed. This will lead up to an understanding of how MICS helps organisations to improve their management decision making, noting that the outcome of the organisation’s processes is largely dependent on its management decision making (quote). After noting the nature of MICS and how it improves management decision making, the various strategies of MICS in different organisations shall be examined. More particularly, the researcher will be looking into the case of small and medium scale enterpri ses (SMEs) and large multinational companies (MNC). As these different organisations engage in MICS strategies, the factors they consider to yield innovation and some of the key limitations

Google in China Analysis 2 Pham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Google in China Analysis 2 Pham - Essay Example filtering laws and processes of the Chinese government that is not aligned with the firm’s motto, â€Å"Don’t be evil.† It also experiences challenges in brand positioning in China. Baidu is the most popular search engine in China because it is perceived as a â€Å"Chinese brand with good technology† (Lawrence, 2009, p.266). Baidu also provides added services that Google does not offer, such as messaging, entertainment, news, and email. If Google can change brand associations that will make it more competitive, it can oust Baidu from its market leadership. Google can also have an opportunity to test and boost its expertise in global technology by serving the Chinese market inside China, thereby expanding its technology’s economies of scope and scale. Google can leverage its superior global technology that is built on its efficient search engine, and change its brand personality, so that it can be more Chinese. Right now, Google uses umbrella brands for its brand name Google, but it should consider a House-of-Brands approach. For its Chinese brand, it should expand its Internet services, by offering services such as: online chatting; downloading music, TV shows, and movies; and playing online games, since these are the most popular Internet activities for Chinese users, according to latest surveys. About 46 million users in China are connected to the Web, and a rapidly growing population has DSL/cable access (Lawrence, 2009, p.266). In 2005, as seen in Exhibit B, more than 50% of all Web users had a high-speed Internet connection. Usage rates also indicated that sixty-nine per cent of users use Internet at home, while 38% use the Internet at work (Lawrence, 2009, p.266). Exhibit B also provides evidence that from 2002 to 2005, users with broadband access grew from less than 10 million to 50 million, or around 80% growth in five years. Other estimates showed that there were 134 million Internet users in China in 2005 (Lawrence, 2009, p.257). This means that the

The Law of the UK and the US on Assisted Death Essay

The Law of the UK and the US on Assisted Death - Essay Example In the present day there have been attempts to legalize assisted suicide. This attempt has met strong opposition from human rights activists citing issues of right to life. However some states in the United States have legalized assisted dying while it remains illegal in other states. In the United Kingdom assisted death is still illegal despite the many efforts by the parliament to pass a bill in its support. Legal Concerns Three American states namely Washington, Montana and Oregon have legalized assisted suicide. Oregon has enacted the Oregon Death with Dignity Act which has legalized assisted death. Washington too has enacted its own law namely the Washington Death with Dignity Act which too has legalized assisted suicide. In Montana assisted death was legalized via a ruling in the case of Baxter v Montana 20091. However, there are many barriers to use of these provisions considering the fact that the right to life which is a constitutional right guaranteed by the constitution of the United States. An instance where the use of the provisions of the enactments has been limited is in Oregon where a physician may prescribe a medication which however must be self-administered. The person is required to be a resident of Oregon. To escape criminal liability two oral requests from the patient and a written request for prescription are a requirement. The doctor must also give a written confirmation that the act by the patient was informed and voluntary. All these limitations to these provisions check the balance between the constitutional rights to life. In some states there are enacted laws which specifically prohibit assisted suicide. For example in Alaska, Statute 11.41.120(a) (2) specifically prohibits assisted dying2. The supreme court of Alaska declared unanimously in the case of Sampson V. Alaska, that the right to assisted suicide was unconstitutional and upheld the Alaska law that prohibits the assisted suicide3. Florida State’s Statute 782.08 and e uthanasia law specifically prohibit assisted dying. In Krischer v Mclver, the supreme court of Florida ruled that under the constitution of Florida the right to assisted suicide was prohibited4. The Oregon state legalized assisted dying after November the year 1994 when Oregon citizens voted for a physician assisted suicide by their vote of 51% to 49%. Later in the year 1997, the citizens rejected an attempt to overturn this law by a majority of 60%5. The Michigan law expressly prohibits assisted suicide. The law provides that a person is guilty of criminal offence if he or she knows that another person intends to commits suicide and with the intention to assist that person himself or herself provides a means or means through which that individuals kills himself or herself6. The person is also guilty where he or she directly participates in the act of killing the person committing suicide. Thus it’s still an offence in instance of attempted suicide. In most of the States of U nited States, it is a criminal offence to assist someone to commit suicide. Alpers and Benard affirm that churches and human rights activist have strongly fought against any attempt to enact laws that allow assisted dying7. This has been a bone of contention for a long period. Humanitarian groups now feel that the law is oppressive to the extent that it deprives an individual their right of being autonomous beings. Thus there have been debates that the law allowing attempted suicide is incompatible with the

Curriculum Planning-Alignment Assignment Research Paper

Curriculum Planning-Alignment Assignment - Research Paper Example Mathematics presents low records in successive tests for the 9th, 10th and 11th. For instance, the subject recorded the lowest scores of 3% and 17% in the Grade 9 and 10 respectively (USA, 2012). As such, this plan observes that in terms of subjects, improvement strategies should target Mathematics. In terms of grades, the 11th grade presented the best performance followed by the 10th grade and the 9th grade comes last with the lowest performance. This states that the 9th grade demand improvements; thus, the action plan should focus on such a group. According to the TAKS statistics, the performance increases up the grade levels. An objective that seems not to be met includes the need for students to comprehend the functional relationships. This means that students may get the answer but fail to highlight the procedures, which were instrumental in obtaining such answers. The objective 10 equally seems not to have been met since students show lessening knowledge in understanding and ut ilization of mathematical tools and processes. Students’ Problems on TAKS A major problem associated with the TAKS is the requirement that demands students to show how they arrived at each answer; thus, meeting the objective of comprehending functional relationships. Most students find this challenging since putting such an explanation on the paper is strenuous. As such, a student who obtains an answer but fails to justify his procedure scores poorly. According to Perna & Davis (2007), most TAKS tests provide vague questions with authentic answers not provided as one of the alternative of the multiple answers. Interestingly, students who fail such tests cannot proceed to the next grade level. Such questions come as a surprise and disappointment to most students who fail to comprehend the context of the test (Parkay, Anctil & Hass, 2006). Indeed, the test does not have an effective way of measuring students’ ability; hence, students who have sufficient knowledge may fai l the test. Notably, most students find the broad curriculum provided by the TAKS quite challenging since they fail to comprehend the objective of the subject clearly. This indicates that objective 10, which necessitates persons to utilize tools and methodologies, has not been addressed. In fact, the program outlines numerous objectives, which confuse the students in the end (Perna & Davis, 2007). Subpopulation that has poor performance According to Statistics, the subpopulation of males performs poorly in Social Studies, and the subpopulation performance varies with subjects. The performance of males in the social studies subject may be attributable to the attitude of the group. Perna & Davis (2007) observes that most males have low interests on the subject. Indeed, males’ interest tends to decline towards science subjects. Importantly, the female subpopulation presents considerable interest on social subjects hence grasp social concepts easily. In fact, this position is sup ported by the high performances realized in mathematics and science subjects by the male subpopulations (USA, 2012). An Action Plan for improving student scores Addressing objective 1: Improving the understanding of functional relationships Initially, the structure should entail examination of the lesson plans and program

Special Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Special Education - Essay Example The parents of these children have conflicting needs, because one group of parents offers the view that their children are not being included in the mainstream and are thus being treated as pariahs, while the other half feels that the disabilities of their children are not being given an adequate amount of attention. The following ten questions are posed, which are addressed in the context of the literature review that follows. These questions are answered below under the following section titled â€Å"Literature Review.† The major source of this information is an assessment through a literature review or an examination of the views of experts, which is then assessed in the context of the researcher’s observations at the school, based upon conversations and interviews with parents, students and teachers. â€Å"†¦..everyone belongs and is accepted and is supported by his or her peers and other members of the school community in the course of having his or her educational needs met.† Inclusive education is therefore based on the premise that each individual is unique and valued and does belong within the general community, whether disabled or not. Bateman and Bateman (2002) have pointed out that inclusion as such, means that all students will be taught within the general education classroom and will be pulled out of that classroom to be taught in an outside classroom only in the event that all other available methods have been tried with the students and have failed to meet their needs. Moreover, such outside classrooms are viewed as a strictly temporary measure and the focus of educator efforts is to get the child back into the general education classroom as soon as possible. In reference to the state of Florida, Manten (2003) reports that the majority of schools have participated in the All Students All Schools (ASAS) five year program that is targeted to achieve higher degrees of inclusion of disabled students in mainstream schools, with

History of Gaming Essay Example for Free

History of Gaming Essay Gaming has been around since the late 1960’s far later than I had thought, for me I had always thought that the Atari 2600 was the first gaming system known to mankind, and after starting my research I found out how wrong I was. In this part of the teams paper I will discuss the different types of this technology thought it history. In 1967 the first gaming console ever was created and was named the â€Å"Brown Box.† A German born television engineer Ralph Baer and his colleagues created the Brown Box which worked on your basic standard television set. Working with a firm called Sanders Associates, Baer along with co-workers drew up schematics for a game which was called the chase game, and they built a vacuum tube circuit that connected to the television. Two players controlled two squares that basically chased each other on the screen, at that point in time gaming was born. Baer and his associates later added a light fun and developed a total of 12 games for the Brown Box. Fast forward five years after Baer and his associates created the Brown Box, Magnavox began production of the Magnavox Odyssey. The Odyssey was called the first commercial video-game console and was marketed in Magnavox TV dealerships. The Odyssey used six cartridges to play up to twelve games. The Odyssey downfall is that many TV dealers didn’t see any potential in it and along with the false rumor that it only worked in Magnavox televisions hurt the popularity of the gaming systems. In 1972 Nolan Bushnell founded Atari and three years later in 1975, they had their first smash hit with an arcade game called Pong. Atari sold a home version of the game Pong through Sears under the Sears Tele-games label. What made Pong unique was that it produced an on-screen score and sound all by single chip. With his first system Nolan Bushnell and Atari shot to the top of household gaming. Knowing that some of not anything last forever especially a single game system popularity, Nolan Bushnell and Atari started working on a cartridge based system, one that could play multiple games. In 1976 Bushnell Sold Atari to Warner Communications, and Warner immediately backed the Atari project, and the Atari VCS later renamed the Atari 2600 was introduced. The Atari was a big hit and had multiple game hits to go along with it, hits like the ever popular Spaced Invaders, Breakout, Missile Command, and Combat just to name a few. Atari was the first ever massed produced home video gaming system, selling 400,000 systems and hitting sales figures of $120 million dollars during the first Christmas season in 1977. In 1980 Mattel released Intellivision, and was the first to take a run at Atari’s gamming thrown. This sparked what some would like to call a console war between Atari and Mattel. Intellivision featured better game graphics and synthesized voices in video games. Both systems brought on other game developers like Coleco and Activision, but with so many of the games being unlicensed games and no household system lead to gaming industry crash in 1983-84 cause in many companies to file bankruptcy. Nintendo, a Japanese based company became part of the gaming industry in 1985 with its release of the Nintendo Entertainment System. With some of the most popular titles ever like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and Legend of Zelda and that of third party games like Tecmo Bowl and RBI baseball, the NES turned the non-believers that didn’t think it was a good idea to get into gaming after a crash, into believers. In 1987 Sega released its gaming system which dwarfed the capabilities that its predecessor, the NES, had offered. It was called the MasterSystem but it didn’t make the splash that many in the Sega camp had thought it would make, due to its lack of third-party games and other things it was the demise of the MasterSystem and the first failing of Sega. Sega went directly back to the drawing board and soon after released its first hit the Sega Genesis in 1989. Backed by many game developers like Electronic Arts, the Sega Genesis opened the door for the first ever battle for supremacy for gaming dominance. Four years after the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo released its second smash hit, with the Gameboy. Gameboy was dubbed the as the first ever handheld gaming console and had a black and white screen. Tetris one of the most popular Gameboy games ran the Gameboy sales through the roof. With many make-overs throughout the course of history Gameboy continued to stay relevant in gaming. 1990 was the release of SNK’s Neo-Geo a 24 bit home gaming system that was said to be many years ahead of its competitors and its time. The Neo-Geo had one problem, it wasn’t 2-D graphics those were great, it wasn’t its arcade level quality that was what everyone wanted, it was neither of those two things that helped the Neo-Geo fail it was its $650.00 price tag and its $200.00 games that took the Neo-Geo from great innovation to under achiever. In 1991 Nintendo releases the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Beaten to the punch by Sega with its gaming system the Sega Genesis, the 16 bit SNES had some catching up to do. It wasn’t long before the SNES thanks to its technological superiority, had overtaken the Sega Genesis thanks to its big name games like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and Zelda. By the end of the 90’s Sega Genesis was no more than an afterthought for SNES who had taken over the 16 bit era and the gaming industry. It wasn’t till the year 1995 that Nintendo again was challenged for its gaming dominance. Sony introduced the Sony PlayStation a 32 bit CD-ROM based technology and has been said to be the most popular gaming system ever. The games had three dimensional gameplay much better than the 2-D of the past. What was the most attraction to any gamer was the price of the games which dramatically dropped compared to those of cartridge based games. It was also in 1995 the second day of September that the Sega franchise basically started its demise. This day marked the release of the Sega Saturn, which was dubbed the best worst system, according to many. Because it was pushed up to get out ahead of the newly announced PlayStation 2, it gave the Sony corporation time to sit back and polish the upcoming PlayStation 2 and learn from the mistakes that the Sega Saturn was making. In 1996 the Nintendo franchise countered the PlayStation with the Nintendo64, the last cartridge based system. Although the cartridges loaded faster than the CD-ROMS of PlayStation the Nintendo64 couldn’t even keep up with the amount of games that were released for the PlayStation, leaving the PlayStation on top of the gaming for the time being. It was in 1998 when Sega made its final push as a contender in the world of gaming with its release of the CD-based system Dreamcast, which incorporated a 128-bit processing system. The Dreamcast was the first system that had a modem which allowed for internet connectivity that brought on the ability to play online, download extra content and updated to the system itself. This would be the last time that anyone would here from the Sega franchise in the console industry. In 2001 Sega discontinued the Dreamcast and announced that it would be leaving the console market for good and taking its Sonic franchise with them. Four years after the release of the Nintendo64 and five years after the first initial PlayStation, Sony releases its second version of the PlayStation 2. The first 128 bit system featured backwards compatibility allowing the PS2 to play the older PlayStations games, and also could be used as a DVD player. Not only was the PS2 named most popular 128 bit system but with its release it marked the rise of console popularity played over the internet. 2001 was the introduction of the old guy with a new system and the new kid on the block in gaming. Nintendo hit the gaming market again going away from its usual cartridge based systems and introducing its first ever CD based system. The GameCube was marketed more for the younger demographics and is said to be what made the system flop and sell short. Along with the inability to connect to the internet it was called a one trick pony and was behind in the gaming world and home entertainment systems. The now new kid on the block Microsoft introduced its own gaming system the X-box. The PC giant used PC technology when building the X-Box which allowed for greater performance. Although the X-Box’s technology proved greater performance when compared to that of the 128 bit PS2 it still remained behind the number of sales that the PS2 had leaving Sony alone at that top of the gaming world. In 2002 Nintendo stepped back in with the Gameboy Advance and again in 2004 with the Nintendo DS. Some would argue and go as far as to say that all Nintendo did was step on its on toes with how they released the two versions so closely together. By doing so experts say that they made the Gameboy obsolete by releasing the DS so soon. Playstation soon joined Nintendo in the hand held gaming evolution, challenging Nintendo’s dominance. The PlayStation Portable like the Gameboy and DS featured wireless capability, high graphics and non-gaming functions mimicking PC-based devices. 2005 also marked the release of the Microsoft X-Box 360. The processing power of the X-Box 360 was said to be unrivaled, and all came with an internal hard drive, played DVDs and had the ability to connect four controllers at one time wirelessly, as well as connecting to the internet. The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006 and featured a built in WiFi for online game play, wireless controllers and Bluetooth. The wireless controllers weren’t new to gaming but what Nintendo did bring to the table with their wireless controllers was the motion sensor technology, allowing the game to mimic the performance of the actual player. 2006 is also when the Sony franchise again exerted its dominance and rivaled back against Microsoft X-Box 360 with the PlayStation 3. The PS3 came with an internal hard drive as well and the ability not only to play DVD’s but also Blue Ray DVD, along with its ability to connect to the internet wirelessly and connect multiple controllers wirelessly, it is said to be still atop the gaming industry, but again that’s all in who you ask. These two systems, PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360, along with the Nintendo Wii brings us to where we are now with gaming in what is called the 8th Generation of gaming. Every year the three gaming giants Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo continue to wow us with different and greater gaming innovation that keeps the rivalry for gaming dominance going on and going strong. In the last few years the X-Box 360 stepped up the gaming war and has released technology that gets rid of the hand held controllers all together! The Kinect from Microsoft has really stepped up its technology and has gotten rid of the controller period. The Kinect set the Guinness Book of World Record for the fastest gaming system ever and comes highly recommended by many consumers and game developers. Recently it was reported that Microsoft X-Box 360 is looking to compete with cable television providers announcing that its consoles will allow the gamer to watch television through it. All of the consoles allow you to watch things like Net Flicks and get on the internet and surf the net, but rivaling cable providers that’s a big step. I look for Sony and Nintendo to sit back and wait to see where this goes before they follow in the footsteps of Microsoft, as they have previously done, but I don’t think they will jump right on board with this because of fear of failure and losing money. If you are a gamer a hardcore gamer you have to be excited for the future of gaming, from a standpoint it looks bright and exciting. With rumors of Sony releasing the Playstation 4 and the system having touch screen technology; it has all the gamers grinning from ear to ear about what the future of gaming actually may be. Gaming has already developed full 3D gaming technology and 3D moti on sensors and powerful graphics and they look to continue to improve upon these technologies. Many have argued that consoles in the future will eventually fall by the wayside making way for hand held portable gaming to be the dominate gaming systems in the future. Of course this upsets many hardcore gamers because they don’t see that as being a plus since many like to play their games on a larger scaled screen. With that being said many say the IPhone 8 will probably be the future of gaming and going as far as to say it although it is a hand held device it will be able to plug into a television set or even connect wirelessly to continue to give that big game experience. Many say that the future of gaming is mobile, digital, and cloud gaming. The better gaming system is said to be one that you can take anywhere and everywhere. Most of the time even of if home many gamers are even using mobile gaming at home, some experts say up to 47% of gamers are mobile gaming even at home. Mobile gaming is not just the casual gaming it used to be and has changed the way all gamers vi ew games. Spending approximately 16 hours a week compared to that of the 18 hours of traditional gaming some say digital is the way of the future and hardware doesn’t matter anymore. The type of hardware you use never really ever did matter, it has always been about the software. Hardware will be less and less relevant in the future and it will be more about the software. With cloud gaming it is becoming more and more of a reality and with two client services already launched it is coming along full circle. The angle of cloud gaming is to offer high definition gaming on any television or device that can receive a broadband signal with even high-end games that can be played on devices that get low power. In a CNNTech report back in September of 2008 had reported that a future release of the Emotiv EPOC headset. The Emotiv EPOC headset is said to be the first Brain Computer Interface and would be able to pick up on over 30 different expressions all by processing real time brain activity. With this technology many enthusiast say that this type of technology makes movies like The Matrix and the Star Trek Holodeck more of a reality in the future. Me personally I am kind of skeptical about that type of technology, and even though experts say that being able to control a computer with your mind is the ultimate quest of human to machine interaction, I still don’t feel any better. In those movies, well all except Star Trek, the machine had a way to take over. So all I see is me playing the video game and the machine taking over my mind and it controlling me and then the earth being run by machines. Well that is how it works in the movies hopefully this won’t be the case. The goal of this though is for the interactions of machines to mimic the way interaction with humans and they say it will ultimately bring communities closer together, so I guess that is one thing we will have to wait to see in the future. So with that being said there is no clear cut way to know which way the future of gaming is actually going, but seeing how far it has come since the Brown Box it is very interesting to sit back and see what the technology produces. At one point in time it was all about transistors and diodes and now it’s about multiple processors, internal memory, and real life graphics. What’s more gaming consoles are no longer just gaming consoles they are now the full true definition of Home Entertainment, with internet connection, streaming music and video and HDD, it is truly a new age for gaming. Social media and social networks has become a big part of many of our lives, well I really should say all of our lives. With that gaming has also being a part of that as it is being input into the Social Medias like Facebook. Many game makers look to theses Social Medias to see exactly what the gamers are taking to and what they are not taking to. World of Warcraft is one of those who uses social media to help them develop more of what they think users want to see and how they want the game to operate and it is actually one of the largest virtual game worlds due to just that along with Second Life which heralds itself as a virtual social world. Social Medias focus on building blocks, identity, conversation, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, and groups, and many gaming systems that can connect to the World Wide Web can do just that. These gaming technologies give you the opportunity to engage with others from around the world no matter where they may be. Facebook has gaming that lets you connect with others and build a farm or a city and share with each other and allows you to help keep up someone else’s farm, building relationships with people anywhere anytime. No matter what you think about gaming and the gaming technology it has come a long way from where it started and there is no telling where it will go. It is a mainstay in the lives of many of people and I am sure that the technology will only get better or more interesting from here into the future. I do myself wonder what is next will the whole computer to brain interaction ever come full circle or is it just a past thought. Will Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo continue to stay on top or will a unknown company come along and knock all of them off the throne. I guess all we can do is sit back watch wait and see what that next big technology is and who will be the first to come out with it. Right now it’s more or less of a waiting game, the Kinect was a big jump and gaming technology and, I love to sit and watch my kids play on it, I have even been known to play on it myself, gaming technology is what keeps many of us known and connected so there is nothing wrong with that. Works Cited Admin. (2012). The History of Video Game Consoles. computergameoffer.com. Bellis, M. (n.d.). Computer and Video Game History. About.com. Edwards, B. (2009). 30 Years of Handheld Game Systems. PC World. Johnson, J. (2008). From Atari Joy Board to Wii fit. BBG. Melanson, D. (2006). A Brief History of Handheld Video games. engadget.