Tariffs and the War on Terrorism :: Terrorists Terror September 11 Essays

Tariffs and the War on Terrorism In March 2002, the Administration of the President of the United States under George W. Bush placed a rigorous tariff on imported steel. The United States uses the protective tariffs important for two reasons, according to a press release by the Administration1. One reason is to expand the domestic economy that has, according to some experts been in a â€Å"slump† or â€Å"retraction† since spring 2001. (It was even more â€Å"aggravated† by the events of September 11) Second, to protect important-Union based steelworker jobs in the United States. The steelworker jobs are key to the â€Å"National Security of the United States†2, according to the Bush Administration. Despite Federal Reserve Chairman of the Board, Alan Greenspan, stating later in the month that the US economy was â€Å"well under way into expansion†3, the Bush Administration saw an absolute need to put into action the tariffs. The steel tariffs are going to largely affe ct many nations that are supporting the US in the â€Å"War against Terrorism†, as well as the US relations in these nations. By taking into account historical occurrences, expert analysis based on economics, and scholarly study it can be concluded that these tariffs have the potential to encompass diverse effects on the US and the alliance it has in the â€Å"War against Terrorism†. History has witnessed tariffs to have varied affects on the events that are associated with conflicts and wars. Tariffs are designed to â€Å"protect domestically made products and for the state that uses them to collect specific commodities† 4. M.J Daunton, in a The English Historical Review article5, points to the conflict amongst the European alliances and the reasons for the First World War being indirectly based on tariffs. The pre-First World War alliances were based on both security and industrial purposes. When the alliance that was set up amongst the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, it was largely because of the resources of production and the agreements that were arranged between corporations and industries in the countries. Germany, for example, had a highly advanced steel industry and used many resources that came from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire as well as the Asian-Mediterranean Ottoman Empire. Rivaled by the Britis h and the France to their west, these countries saw â€Å"open-trade† with these competing countries as being harmful to their domestic economies and industries.

Jones Blair Case Analysis Essay

Decide where and how to deploy corporate marketing efforts among the various architectural painting coatings markets serviced by the company in the southwestern United States. Situation Assessment The US paint industry is a very mature market. The case goes as far to say that paint is can now be considered a commodity. There are 3 main sectors of the paint industry with 2, Architectural coatings and OEM coatings, holding more then 3 quarters of the market and Special purpose paints at 22% Being a mature industry they are not expecting any growth in sales figures except for the growth to stay inline with inflation. It would be useful to know where the 3 segments are at now in 2012 after the financial crisis hit and use for paint materials must have declined when housing construction (architectural) car manufacturing (OEM) and state budgets (special purpose coatings) saw a large decline. Also with customers wanting a thicker coating with less paint at a cheaper cost and strict EPA guidelines; balancing R&D cost and maintaining a strong contribution margin is becoming increasingly difficult. Jones Blair is particularly concerned with how to grow their market share in the Architectural Paint coatings segment. This is the largest of the 3 segments at 43% of the market with minimal expected future growth. The success of this industry is tied to the housing market as most of the materials sold in this segment are used in relation with construction and residential and commercial property remodeling. It would be useful to know much of a hit this segment took with the recent housing crisis. For a while there was no new lending or construction so this segment must have been hit hard. Now that the economy is starting to grow again and people/business are starting to take on improvement projects and buy new properties It would be interested to see what kind of growth is expected over the next few years and if it is considered to be sustainable growth. The competition in the Architectural Coatings market follows the industry standard as being a mature market and there is minimal organic growth within companies. Since R&D costs are high and market segments are well developed most growth is seen with the acquisitions of competitors. The number of paint companies has almost been cut in half since the 1980’s as companies continue to merge together. The paint itself is sold with a 50/50 mix between consumer store fronts and specialty yards. I have a feeling this may also be changing as stores like The Home Depot and Lowe’s cater to the do it yourself market along with contractors. Mom and Pop hardware stores, and Paint Brand (I. E. Sherman Williams) store fronts are starting to diminish. The direct to consumer sales are taking place in super centers like Wal-Mart, Sears and Lowe’s, while contract and industrial sales are primarily seen in specialty stores and Lumber yards. The case says the sales are split between private brands and specialty stores, but I have a feeling as these â€Å"Super Stores† become more prevalent and more people looking to the internet to learn how to do the jobs themselves that sales would shift towards these larger stores. A trending report over the past 10 years with the sales dollars in Architectural paint sales I think would help show this shift. I think it would also be beneficial to see just how many people are painting their homes. It say roughly the average painter will spend $86 on paint and sundries, but I wonder just how many homes are taking on improvement projects. Jones Blair is primarily based in the in the South West Market primarily around the Dallas Fort Worth Area. With growing competition it’s harder to standout in the DFW area as brands battle with in Super Stores due to the number of stores merging or going out of business. The competition is cutting their prices to gain market share making sure you are in as many stores as possible has become a key factor to success. Full product penetration in all areas of the market will be key to ensure strong sales figures and growth. The distribution of sales in this area are relatively split between mass merchandisers and the specialty stores. I think a population analysis of the area would be beneficial to see what areas have a growing population as this would have focus sales efforts for not only contractors developing land but also DIYers who are moving out of the metropolitan area. Over all the sales are relatively split relatively even between the DFW metropolitan areas and the surrounding counties.

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau (BBB), founded in 1912, is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing marketplace trust, consisting of 113 independently incorporated local BBB organizations in the United States and Canada, coordinated under the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) in Washington, D.C.The BBB collects and provides free business reliability reviews on more than 4 million businesses to over 100 million requests from consumers in 2012, helping make the BBB's website rank among the top 500 most-visited websites in the United States. The BBB serves as an intermediary between consumers and businesses, handling nearly 1 million consumer disputes against businesses in 2012. The BBB also alerts the public to scams, reviews advertising, and assists when donating to charity.â€Å"Medical quackery and the promotions of nostrums and worthless drugs were among the most prominent abuses which led to the establishment of formal self-regulation in business and, in turn, to the crea tion of the NBBB.†BBB's concept has been credited to several court cases, such as United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, initiated by the government against a number of firms, including the Coca-Cola Company, in 1906 after the Pure Food and Drug Act had become law. Samuel Candler Dobbs, sales manager of Coca-Cola and later its president, took up the cause of truth in advertising in the wake of those judgements.In 1909 Dobbs became president of the Associated Advertising Clubs of America, now the American Advertising Federation (AAF), and began to make speeches on the subject. In 1911 he was involved in the adoption of the â€Å"Ten Commandments of Advertising†, one of the first codes of advertising developed by groups of advertising firms and individual businesses.Similar organizations in succeeding decades, such as the National Better Business Commission, Inc. of the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World (1921), and the National Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. (1933) merged to become the Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., in 1946. In 1970 the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) was established. Better Business Bureau The better business bureau has been able to perform its business operation more efficiently because of its strong financial base. The company has 380,000 business members that range in size from local enterprises to multinational corporations. To be able to serve all this businesses efficiently means that this company is strong financially. Also the company because of its strong financial background runs many other projects like giving donations to needy students in the form of scholarships. Large number of working staff: The better business bureau has many workers.It has people involved in international organizations for the 133 better business bureaus that are located in North America. Because of its large number of employees, it is in a better position of competing with its competitors. Qualified and competent employees: The better business bureau has qualified and competent employees who are capable of dealing with matters of customers and consumers. To be involved in programs li ke Better Business Bureau Auto line and the National advertising division in America means that the company has qualified and competent workers. The company is utilizing modern technology in its operations:The better business bureau company utilizes modern computer programs and internet in ensuring that it offers its services efficiently. Through the use of modern technology the company is able to serve all its 380,000 business members ranging in size from local enterprises to multinational corporations. The company benefits from its good brand name: The better business bureau has been able to create a good image to its customers hence the company benefits from its good brand name. The company covers America and many other parts of the world: The better business bureau enjoys having many customers within America and in other parts of the world.Within North America the better business bureau serves international organizations for 133 better business bureaus. It also serves 380,000 bu siness members ranging in size from local to multinational corporations. They appeal to the needs of the community: The better business bureau has joined new programs like better business bureau auto line, national advertising division. Through this programs the company gives training on how to maintain there own vehicles and on how to improve on their advertisements. The company also gives scholarships to deserving students, this shows that the better business bureau takes care of the community.Weaknesses: 1. Too many competitors 2. The company should improve on its networking, coordination and record keeping Too many competitors The better business bureau has started facing competition from new other companies that also offer similar services. Networking, coordination and record keeping For the better business bureau to continue being a market leader in serving its customers it should improve on its networking. Its workers should coordinate properly and the company should also imp rove its record keeping systems. Opportunities 1.Meeting the needs of corporate business members who want to do business overseas, and fulfilling the needs of the industry and consumers in other countries. 2. Enlarging of their target market. 3. Creating a community of trustworthy businesses 4. Encouraging and supporting best practices within customers and consumers. The better business bureau has a number of opportunities to exploit. Among them are:- Meeting the needs of corporate business members who want to do business overseas. The better business bureau has met the needs of many corporate business members who want to expand their business overseas.This is an opportunity that the company should exploit. Enlarging of their target market. The better business bureau is promoting charity accountability, it is also promoting public trust in advertising, it also offers Better Business Bureu international student Ethic award further still the company can enlarging its target market by serving more organizations. Creating a community of trustworthy business. The main aim of the better business bureau is creating a community of trustworthy business. The company is after encouraging good business practices among its customers and consumers.Threats Maintaining online programs: – it is expensive to maintain a website and this will require a lot of money. The company will need to hire qualified personnel to be regularly maintaining it. †¢ Higher costs: since the cost of oil, food and other necessities has increased the company will get it hard in performing its operations because the cost of leaning businesses will be high. †¢ Reaching all its customers within and overseas and competing favorably with its competitors: the better business bureau faces a major threat of constantly being in contact with its customers and consumers.The company should also ensure that it offers quality services than those of its competitors. External analysis Some external factors that pose opportunities and threats to the organization include demographics factors, economic factors, social-cultural factors, and political-legal and technology factors. Demographics The better business bureau has created a good business atmosphere where many buyers and sellers meet each other. The better business bureau is an international organization for 133 better business bureaus across North America.In North America the company has met the needs of many businesses. The company has 380,000 business members ranging in size from local enterprises to multinational corporations. Therefore the company is serving many business members globally. For the company to serve the 133 better business bureaus and 380,000 business members world wide, it offer a range of quality services. First the company is promoting public trust in advertising. The company promotes public trust in advertising in order to foster truth and accuracy while making its advertisements.The company is also promoting charity accountability. The company uses modern technology by enabling local charities to use their online reporting and evaluation system. Economic: The better business bureau company will be greatly affected by the increasing prices of oil and food. As the prices of the common necessities increase the general and overall performance of its member businesses are also affected. In response to the general increase of prices of commodities the company is offering advice and training on proper business management.The company offers affordable education to its members on how to manage their businesses. Technological The better business bureau is employing new technology that has enabled local charities to be using an online reporting and evaluating system. Through the use of internet the better business bureau has created more awareness about the services it’s offering to its customers. Also through the internet its international organizations for 133 better business b ureaus across North America communicate with ease. Through the internet many interested business can contact the company.Through the internet also the company has been able to achieve more like denouncing substandard market place behavior and by also ensuring that high standards are set and maintained. Through the internet also many customers are able to join the company. Political-legal The better business bureau is a company with an American origin; it’s likely to face challenges in offering its services to countries that are having poor relationships with America. This is a global company that is addressing the needs and requirements of all customers and consumers in the world.It is going to face major challenges in countries like Iran and Iraq that have been having bad relationships with America. The company will also get difficulties in serving its customers found in war torn areas like Zimbabwe, Somalia and other countries in war torn Ares. Since there is no peace in th ese countries, the company will face some challenges when addressing the needs of its customers from these countries. This company is promoting public trust in advertising in order to foster truth and accuracy of all its operations. Social-culturalThis company has earned a very good reputation offer the past. Here in America buyers and sellers have been able to trust each other through the services offered by this company. Many businesses have preferred this company because it denounces substandard behaviors within business setups. This company has also been liked because it encourages and supports best practices. The better business bureau ensures that high standards are set and maintained within business setups. This is a business trait that most business men prefer while running their businesses.Most businesses are performing to the expectations of the better business bureau company. They are following the teaching of the company. Buyers and sellers especially in America and Euro pe have started having trust of each other. These businesses have attained the standards set by the company. This has shown that this company is attaining its main vision of forming an ethical market place where buyers and sellers can trust each other. Hence this company has a good future; it stands a better change of attracting more business members and international organization to join it.Further still some factors in the industry’s environment like customer’s competitors and suppliers also affect the operation of business. Customers The customers of better business bureau have rated the company highly. Due to this the company is enjoying a good reputation. The company offers best and quality services that can not be matched by any other company under this industry. The better business bureau company is seen as a market leader under this industry with a very good image to its customers. The company leads in quality of its services to customers in many aspects.The be tter business bureau has ensured that its business members attain high standards and maintain them. The company offer teachings on how to improve performance in businesses to its 380,000 business member and 133 international organizations that are found in different parts of the world. The customers of the company are proud of its performance since the company is involved in solving a series of cross-border disputes. Customers in countries like Japan, Israel, Taiwan and UK have benefited from this cross-border dispute resolution agreements.The business members to the better business bureau have benefited from its international torch award for market place ethics. This has benefitted them because this system measures how business people treat their customers, competitors and employees. This encourages good and acceptable business traits that benefit the customers of the company. The customers of better business bureau are enjoying its services because by the clicks of a button one is able to access all the information that he needs. Through the internet customers of the company get all the necessary information without travelling their.The company has benefited many groups of People in the community. The company has promoted charity accountability, though the company many donors respond wisely to charity appeals. Some deserving students have been receiving scholarships. This company has greatly assisted many students who could not afford paying for their school fee. The better bureau has been a key advisor to its customers relating to teamwork, respect, trust, excellent and integrity thus making its customers to have great confidence on the company.Competitors Within America this company is facing competition from a few companies. But these companies are not well established. They lack funds so as to compete favorably with the better business bureau. These companies also lack a good business base so as to compete with the better business bureau. They lack enoug h and qualified staff so that they will compete properly with the better business bureau. Suppliers The better business bureau has many employees that are also competent.The company as been able to introduce many programs like better business bureau online, better business military line, better business international torch award for market place ethics because it has a well trained workforce. The company is also introducing other program like the better business bureau auto line, and the national advertising division that are geared towards appealing to the daily needs of its customers. Through the auto line teachings proper vehicle maintenance skills are offered, and also though advertising division the company is promoting good advertisements within the industry.REFERENCES Armstrong G. & Kotler P. (2007). Consumer Markets: Influences on consumer behavior, Principles of Marketing. ICMR Case Studies and Management Resources. (2007). Consumer Behavior. Retrieved January 20, 2008 from http://www. icmrindia. org/courseware/Consumer%20Behavior/CBC03. htlm Kotler, P. (2005) Principles of Marketing. New York. Melbourne Press Schaik J. L. , (2002); The Task of Marketing Management; J. L. van Schaik (Pity) ltd Winer, R. S. (2007). Marketing Management, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat

A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat Background This extract comes from a book which was written as a spin-off from Emma Levine’s television series about strange and unusual sports. It is a travelogue (a book which describes travel in a foreign country) in which she describes these sports, the people involved and her experiences of filming them. In doing so, she gives an insight not just into the sports themselves, but into the lives and culture of the people who take part in (and watch) them. Understanding the text Emma Levine’s purpose in writing her book was to describe and inform. She obviously has to engage and hold the reader’s interest. As you study this text, you need to think about how she does this. On the surface the passage seems a straightforward description and narrative of the race, but it isn’t. First of all, there is not just one race happening, but three: ? The donkey race ? The spectators’ race ? The writer’s race to get the best pictures Emma – a jornalist – wanting to capture the epic moment of the race Yaqoob – a unskilled driver (danger) – he love the risk that donkey race give him Iqbal – partner/ helper – was send to find our who was the winner of this race Plot During a seven-year journey around India spent immersing herself in the cricket subculture, author Emma Levine heard about the wonderful game of buzkashi, a kind of anarchic rugby on horseback where teams of men wrestle and race to grab a headless goat and propel it towards goal. This sparked a desire to explore Asia's unique traditional sports. A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat is Emma Levine's absorbing account of her epic adventure, which took her from camel wrestling in Turkey through bull racing in India to traditional gymnastics in Iran, performed to poetry and the beat of a drum. Sometimes she travelled so far off the beaten track that her journeys sometimes took days and she discovered places where western women are such a rare sight that she was mobbed ( ) by onlookers. And everywhere she went she met people who act as the guardians of their ancient sports, protecting the traditions that have evolved over generations. While they recount the folklore that surrounds their local pastimes, Emma Levine examines the status of indigenous sports in a world dominated by satellite TV, the web and the likes of Manchester United. Are they sports of the past or sports of the future? Illustrated with stunning photography, A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat evocatively portrays sporting ways of life rarely seen in the western world in such a way as to reveal what it is about sport that makes it so universally inspiring. What can I say about language? Most newspaper reports of sports races are serious in tone, and try to give the facts of the race and what it was like. Emma Levine’s purpose is much more complicated. In this passage there is a real mixture of the comic and the serious, with a lot of information given as well. You need to consider each part of it carefully. The passage can be defined as a series of linked paragraphs, describing events in a sequence of time and concluding with the end of the race and the writer’s overview of what happened. The internal structure is much more complex than this simple outline suggests Pharagraph by pharagreph Paragraph 1-3 / Build up Paragraph 1 – Optimism, author promotes her own, Yaqoob and Iqbal’s excitement. ‘We’ll open the car boot †¦ we’ll join the cars. ’  ? Brief description of what will happen and Levine’s expectations. Builds immediate excitement and enthusiasm for race and the reader’s expectation of instant action. Works effectively with Paragraph 2 – Contrast in tone between â€Å"The two lads†¦suddenly fired up with enthusiasm† in which Levine narrates the creation of new enthusiasm within locals (her guides) to reflect on the reader and the rest of the paragraph Use of â€Å"eternity† – hyperbole to exaggerate impatience and derived emotions such as boredom â€Å"the only action was †¦ gazed around at us. † Hopeless tone, at the point of giving up, is a let down to the reader The contrast emphasises the climax in paragraph 7 Paragraph 3 – Alternatively, Levine builds hope and optimism in paragraph three, â€Å"coming, coming† the locals replied Line 12: â€Å"I was beginning to lose faith†¦ lads remained confident† holds elements of first hand pessimism/ loss in faith and witnessed optimism in the form of reassurance. The effect creates suspense further building the impact of the Climax. Paragraph 4 & 5 / Climactic Beginning Paragraph 4 – Climax appears as an explosion of activity Choice of diction  Ã¢â‚¬Å"revved† prominent v sound creates imagery and the impression of speed. Develops the moment of frisson  () Change in tone from  narrative to informative and factual, now not narrating their journey but provoking the reader’s interest. â€Å"The Kibla donkey is said to reach speeds of up to 40kph† â€Å"Although not cruelly† at the end of paragraph four seems out of place, this is where Levine reveals that she is conscious of her effect on travelers and corrects the imagery she has introduced. She protects the culture and the tradition in order to promote () the sport and the traditions. Paragraph 5 –  Change in punctuation to speed up the pace of Levine’s writing, overall generating excitement. She begins to use lists and triads (â€Å"horns tooting, bells ringing, and the special rattles used just for this purpose†) and again incorporates an informative tone in order to introduce different aspects of culture. Long, disjointed sentences imitate the excitement, pace and disorder of the event: â€Å"men standing on top of their cars and vans† Paragraph 6 / Levine Enters Race Use of analogies like â€Å"Formula One† (fast-paced, seemingly chaotic), â€Å"City center rush hour† relates to reader and creates understanding of speed and â€Å"anarchic† disorder. Paragraph 7 Illustrates danger in order to provoke different kind of excitement,   â€Å"Survival of the fittest†Ã‚  ? Creates a life and death situation, introduces the  animal, hunt theme. Choice of diction creates a sense of importance, desperation and danger. e. g. â€Å"Depended† creates a sense of necessity Animal theme:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"sharp flicks† â€Å"quick reflexes† â€Å"nerves of steel† all phrases associate with an animal during a chase or a hunt. All instinctive. â€Å"Horn† could be interpreted as a pun – car horn or animal horn/ impression of danger, competition, tension even battle â€Å"Yaqoob loved it. Tone is enthusiastic, describing the fun, excitement. Link to ending. â€Å"Growing more colourful† Euphemistic impression of tension Paragraph 8 / End of Race Levine describes scenery() to reflect the atmosphere. â€Å"Road straightened and leveled† Tone is calmer, pace has been slowed, longer sentences, wider distr ibution of punctuation. Effective ending â€Å"The race was over. † Mixture of long sentences with short blunt ending implies immediate end of race and excitement. Paragraph 9 / Another Beginning â€Å"I assumed the winner was the one who completed the race but it was not seen that way by everyone. Emphasis on alien culture and traditions, so exotic that even common reasoning differs. â€Å"Voices were raised, fists were out and tempers rising† Levine reuses lists and triads to speed up the pace, rebuild the excitement lost at the end of the race. Ending Irony, incorporated humour to reflect on the reality of the danger. Links back to â€Å"Yaqoob loved it. † Where the tone was still expressing shared enjoyment and fun, new realization and understanding is born to recreate an adapted impression of the entire extract

“Travel Broadens the Mind” – or Does It?

I do agree, but I also disagree with this axiom, this self evident truth. What is â€Å"broadening one ;s mind†? What is â€Å"traveling†? â€Å"Travel broadens the mind†, at least according to an axiom that is very well known, as well as used. I am not quite sure that this particular axiom still holds true. At least not for me. But then again, maybe it does. And this, exactly, is my point. First of all, the ever expanding international tourism makes the world smaller.Not in actual size as a planet, of course, but people (and peoples) get ever more closer to ACH other, and have now, more than ever, probably, an amazing ability and opportunity to go and see new places; distant and exciting destinations are suddenly â€Å"available† to them, places people only dreamed about and was â€Å"out of their reach† only a few decades ago. Now, It's all there – cheap, fast, exciting†¦ Nearly everyone Is â€Å"golf abroad† these days. Going a broad can, and does, broaden your mind. I ; m sometimes Just not sure about the travelers awareness, or â€Å"motivation†, If you will, for his or her or their traveling.So, why do we travel? To get away from home. To get that perfect tan we missed because of the rainy Norwegian summer of 2011. To visit a friend. To see the Seven Wonders Of The 10 go snooping canapà ©, expensive stun. 10 see Tanat Tavern Dana AT ours Tanat din ;t come to Norway because they only toured Canada this year.. L could go on and on, and on†¦ There are as many reasons for traveling as there are travelers, I suppose. Or even more. In one way or the other, the traveling around is bound to have at least a minimum of effect on the â€Å"mind-broadening†.Even though, in some cases, you aloud ‘t necessarily be aware of this – you Just (at least) feel some kind of satisfaction from the fact that you really have â€Å"done something for yourself†. Well done! Traveling exposes us to a huge variety of NEW sensations; there are sights to be seen, sounds to be heard, food to taste, and wine, and there are smells and beliefs and cultures and rituals†¦. All of which are, or can be, new to us. It's right there. One click away. If, or rather when, I go too place where I have or haven ;t been before, I always look forward to these things, these new sensations.. SST of all, the food, I must admit, but every single discovery and new experience is heartily welcomed. One of the very best memories I have from traveling around the world, is one from Mexico around ten years ago†¦.. L sat all the way out on the tip of the YuccaГn Peninsula, all by myself, with my left foot in the see-through blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and my right foot in the Caribbean Sea. In that particular situation, I know for a self-established fact, that my mind was broadened. Not intellectually, I'd say, rather more in a spiritual way. It was awesome.This brings me to a poin t where I'd like to stress something quite important, more or less my topic sentences for this essay: What exactly does â€Å"broadening one's mind† mean? .. And what exactly is â€Å"traveling†? I dare say that this could, and probably will be, discussed, forever. Talking with other people's, surfing the internet, reading books, cartoons, texts, watching TV-shows about The Great White Sharks in the Pacific Ocean†¦. This is also part of the whole aspect of traveling, and it also hopefully does, broaden peoples ‘ minds. You can maybe even learn a few new words!So, the mission of your (or my) traveling is an aspect that is quite interesting†¦ Why do we do it? What do we want to achieve? What's out there that's not here? Let's face it. Some, or many of us, are lazy. We sit at home, right in the midst of summer, watching â€Å"Characterize† . We laugh at, not with, the television personalities that at least actually got their bottoms out of their cou ches, to go on vacation. To have fun. And we feel that we are better people than them. I know at least I do. And a few toners. I guess It always apneas on ten traveler s â€Å"mission†, or goal, Tort ten trap.Is It the tan? Is it to learn Hieroglyphs? To walk the mountains around Everest? Or is it something completely different? Is Charter-tourism broadening one's mind? Going â€Å"All Inclusive†, with everything paid for and made out for you beforehand.. You don ‘t actually do anything but follow the orders that you ordered online? It can be. But you could also stay at home, get a housekeeper for a few weeks, go to the tanning studio and maybe save a couple of pennies for the piggy-bank†¦. And rent some movies, and surf the internet and listen to good music.That probably would be cheaper, and as I see it, much more mind- broadening. But then again, if you chose the charter-way, you would have the opportunity to see Grand Canadian ‘s beautiful countrys ide, the mountains, the small towns, the local fishermen.. Outside of Lass palms and all the other tourist-traps. You would ‘t have that opportunity if you stayed home, obviously. Conclusion: â€Å"Travel broadens the mind†. Yes it does, and no, it doses ;t. But then again, it does. And so it goes. It all depends on the â€Å"Whoso†, the â€Å"What's†, the â€Å"Whereas† – the definition f â€Å"broadening one's mind† and â€Å"traveling†.Also, it depends on the purpose of the traveling, if there is one. But, I presume that one can say that there always is. And, of course, the WAY you re traveling. Are you actually, physically on Flight 943 to New York, sitting in seat F in row 34? Or are you perhaps reading a book about it? Or are you dreaming about doing so? Maybe you're already in Lass Palms, physically, in the Magnolias desert, rambling around having the time of your life in a dune-buggy†¦. Or, as the flogger â€Å"Kan ata† insightfully states : â€Å"l am reminded of E. M. Forester's A Room with a View.

A report on dry bulk shipping

A report on dry bulk shipping Shipping is indubitably one of the fascinating industries in the world. It requires vast knowledge and skill to cop up with the day to day operations because of the complexity of the industry and its dependence on world economics. Dry Bulk ships carry dry cargoes in bulk from one port to another and can be categorised into handysize,  handymax,  panamax,  capesize, and very large bulk and ore carriers according to their sizes. The performance of the bulk shipping market depends on the demand for and supply of bulk shipping services, as well as the characteristics of the market structure. The importance of shipping cycle in case of dry bulk carrier is that they plays a vital part in the economics of shipping industry by managing the investment risk in an industry ,where there is large uncertainty about the future (Stopford,2009) Section 1 Literature Review One of the major aspects affecting the future of dry bulk shipping is the quality and the safety perspective. Nominal freig ht differentiation between ‘quality’ and ‘other’ tonnage has been observed occasionally and much services has been paid to promoting the need for younger and safer ships (Tamvakis  and Thanopoulou,2000) Another factor that can influence maritime flows of dry bulk commodity is seasonality patterns .Spot rates for bigger vessels shows higher seasonal variations compared to smaller vessels, although differences in seasonal fluctuations between sectors are removed as the contract duration increases.   (Kavussanos and Alizadeh,2001) Investing in shipping industry has an entirely new aspect by the introduction of private equity and the development of a hedging strategy, now this can be treated as a portfolio optimization problem. The freight futures provide a comparatively novel medium for hedging risk in  dry bulk  shipping markets. New uprising financial strategies in dry bulk shipping in future can revolutionize the entire market.( Cullinane,1995) Dura tion analysis done by Bijwaard G.E and Knapp.S provides an insight to the effectiveness of prolonging ship lives and the empirical data solidifies the idea about the life span of dry bulk carrier. Life span is an important aspect in predicting the ship cycle(Bijwaard and Knapp,2009)Scrapping of ship is done at a particular time and this is done when the ship is retired from the current use or when shipping cycle demands it. Gain and losses after the scrapping of a ship . entirely depends on the market condition. Demand of Dry bulk shipping is always related to the scrapping industry.(Knapp,2008) The Government is proposing that the UK’s CO2 emissions should fall by at least 80% by 2050 . Release of exhaust gases and particles from oceangoing  ships is an important and growing provider to the total emissions from the transportation sector. New strategies like slow steam, alternate fuel and new logistic approach like jumbo ore carriers etc will be used in future to make the s hipping sector more eco friendly(Eyring et al,2010) Research Hypothesis Marine flow of dry bulk goods in 2050 will be largely influenced on numerous factors and the background study done above concretes this statement. From the background study done above following hypothesis are made.

Decision making and problem solving concepts and principles Research Paper

Decision making and problem solving concepts and principles - Research Paper Example Principles and concepts create a plat form whereby solutions and remedies to problems are attained and are a basic requirement to enhance fairness in decision making and problem solving (Metcalfe, 2014). Another principle is that decision making should be a continuous process which is usually a five step process. The five steps involve defining a problem or situation, analyzing the problem, finding the alternative courses of action, analyzing the different alternatives and finally selecting the best alternative and solving the problem. The principles and concepts are applied in law, during decision making and problem solving. The decision making process is applied, whereby five steps are followed. The first step is the definition of a problem. The step involves identifying the problem, listing down the causes and what led to the problem. The second step is analyzing the problem, whereby the current problem is analyzed on the basis of what led to the specific problem and the criteria to evaluate the problem is outlined. The third stage involves coming up with alternatives that may be applied in solving the problem. Different alternatives are derived at this stage and information relating to them is analyzed. The alternatives are then evaluated using the information (Alvord, 2010). The fourth stage involves analyzing the alternatives. The result of this stage is the coming up with the best alternative to be applied in problem solving. The final stage is selecting and implementing of the best alternative. This alternative is then applied for the purpose of solving the problem (Alvord, 2010). In addition to the process, decision making in the law profession calls for other principles that include being purpose driven, since the decision making is usually aimed at achieving some goals and objectives, being inclusive in that it involves the participation of all the involved parties, for