buy custom The Road by Cormac Mcarthy essay

buy custom The Road by Cormac Mcarthy essay Nothing could have been timelier than Comarc McCarthys novel The Road. The novel is not only interesting to read but also relevant of our society today. Though he has not used charts, graphs and statistical data to explain his point he has succeeded in using art to portray his message. No wonder the many awards the book has scooped since its publishing in 2006. This paper seeks to explain how McCarthy has used symbolism as a literature tool to pass his message to the world. Symbolism by way of definition is the practice of representing real things or happenings using events, objects or relationships. The objects and events carry meaning in the happenings of the earth. These objects and events represent others by convention, association or resemblance. In the novel the The Road Cormac has used a number of symbolisms (McCarthy 45). The main reason McCarthy used symbolism is to show the current position concerning various aspects of life including environment, humanity and effects of untamed civilization. He wanted to inform his audience the need for change and the looming danger if we do not embrace change of attitude and behavior. Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable and to ensure that it meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The story happens after a great cataclysm wipes out most of the life on earth and its civilization. In the story we are told that of the general environment after the cataclysm. The ground is filled with ash. It is cold and dark. No vegetation covers the ground and therere very few living organism if any. The area experiences electric storms and gray snow (McCarthy 45). The events and happenings in this scene symbolize what is to be fall the world very soon if precautions are not taken. This is a true reflection of our world owing to the current data and situation at hand. According to this data the world has undergone habitat destruction since man first set his foot on planet earth. But what is habitat destruction? This is the process of tearing down the natural environment making it unable to sustain the living things living there. When this is done it leads to depletion of the natural resources and extinction of living organisms. When evironmental degradation occurs no life remains on earth just as in the case of the setting of Comarcs novel. Man has destroyed most of its areas rich in biodiversity (Berbault 201). Most of tropical regions and islands such as Philippines, New Zealand, Japan and Madagascar have been destroyed by human activities. Globally only 9 million kilometers squared of the tropical rainforest exist currently out of a total of 16 million kilometers squared that initially existed. Marine areas have also suffered due to environmental degradation (Barbault 90). The places which have suffered extreme effects include the northern coastal areas of Caribbean Sea, eastern coastal areas of Africa and Asia. The northern coastal areas of South America have also suffered from environmental degradation. These coastal areas have suffered in that their coral reefs are undergoing destruction by human activities. In the United States of America not more than 25 percent of the vegetation remaining is natural. Furthermore more than a greater percentage of more than 50% of its wetlands has been destroyed in the last two centuries. If this trend continues then what comarc speaks of in his book The road about lack of vegetation is unavoidable. Destruction of the areas with rich in biodiversity does not only lead to killing of the organisms present in the habitat. It also leads to reduction of the carrying capacity of these areas (Barbault 97) Furthermore the range of organisms existing in a certain habitat decreases. These increases the chances of the organisms mating with their related species hence decrease in diversification of genetics and therefore low chances of disease resistance and high chances of infertile offspring. Another symbol that has been used in the book is the road. The writer uses the road as the title of his book. Its also clear from the unfolding of events in the novel that a lot of time is spent on the road by characters (McCarthy 67). From the novel the road used by the characters is not a smooth one. It is a dangerous road as seen by dead bodies lying on it. The road is also deserted. These may symbolize that the process to bringing sanity and ending the evils in the society is a journey. The journey is not an easy one and only few people have embarked on it owing to the desolate state of the roads. There is high possibbility of people losing their lives in the course of their journey and only few people survive. This road may also symbolize a life that people decided to live whose end claims many lives. Another symbol that has been used in this novel is the killing of snakes. The father in the novel returns home with a high fever and also experiences nightmares. At the same time the father remembers what happened one time during his youthful life (McCarthy 61). Here members how many snakes were killed during his youthful life. In many communities snakes symbolizes evil. The burning of these snakes symbolizes the destruction of evil. But what are these evils in this society. The novel demonstrates evil in that community when the boy realizes a headless burnt infant body along the road. This shows the extent of rot and violence in the community. These scenes clearly demonstrate the rot in our current community. These are seen by civil wars, coups and border wars in many countries of the world today. Human life is not respected in the world today. Even the weakest and the innocent like infants are not spared this evil. Burning the snakes may only symbolize that the rot or the actual evil was not destroyed but just temporarily dealt with. Evil or the real problem still lives with and in us. No wonder evil has not ceased in our society long after the bill of right s and much other legislation to protect mankind have been instituted (Wannebo 94). Conclusion It is therefore clear that more has to be done to save humanity or else our current behaviors will lead to extinction of humanity. Governments must therefore step up their mandate and save this endangered generation of human beings and animals. Some of the policies these governments can put into consideration include enhancing family planning especially in high populated areas. This will avoid destroying more forests for settlement which is a major cause for environmental degradation. Legislations should be made to protect the natural environment from human destruction. Ways to increase agricultural output without putting more land under cultivation should be promoted. People should also be taught on the importance of protecting biodiversity and natural environment. Finally good and democratic governments should be instituted (Wannebo 97). Buy custom "The Road" by Cormac Mcarthy essay

What Introvert and Extrovert Really Mean

What Introvert and Extrovert Really Mean Think about what an ideal evening for you might look like. Do you imagine yourself going out to dinner with a large group of friends, attending a concert, or going to a club? Or would you prefer to spend the evening catching up with a close friend or getting lost in a good book? Psychologists consider our responses to questions such as these our levels of  introversion  and  extroversion:  personality traits that relate to our preferences for how we interact with others. Below, well discuss what introversion and extroversion are and how they impact our well-being. The Five-Factor Model   Introversion and extroversion have been the subject of psychological theories for decades. Today, psychologists who study personality often see introversion and extroversion as part of what is known as the  five-factor model  of personality. According to this theory, peoples personalities can be described based on their levels of five personality traits:  extroversion  (of which introversion is the opposite),  agreeableness  (altruism and concern for others),  conscientiousness  (how organized and responsible someone is),  neuroticism  (how much someone experiences negative emotions), and  openness to experience  (which includes traits such as imagination and curiosity). In this theory, personality traits range along a spectrum. Psychologists who use the five-factor model see the trait of extroversion as having multiple components. Those who are more extroverted tend to be more social, more talkative, more assertive, more likely to seek out excitement, and are thought to experience more positive emotions. People who are more introverted, on the other hand, tend to be quieter and more reserved during social interactions. Importantly, shyness isnt the same thing as introversion: introverts can be shy or anxious in social situations, but this isnt always the case. Additionally, being an introvert doesnt mean that someone is antisocial. As Susan Cain, bestselling author and introvert herself, explains in an interview with  Scientific American, Were not anti-social; were differently social. I cant live without my family and close friends, but I also crave solitude.   The 4 Different Types of Introverts   In 2011, psychologists at  Wellesley College suggested that there may actually be several different kinds of introverts.  Since introversion and extroversion are broad categories, the authors suggested that not all extroverts and introverts are the same. The authors suggest that there are four categories of introversion:  social  introversion,  thinking  introversion,  anxious  introversion, and inhibited/restrained introversion.  In this theory, a social introvert is someone who enjoys spending time alone or in small groups. A thinking introvert is someone who tends to be introspective and thoughtful. Anxious introverts are those who tend to be shy, sensitive, and self-conscious in social situations. Inhibited/restrained introverts tend not to seek out excitement and prefer more relaxed activities.   Is it better to be an introvert or an extrovert?   Psychologists have suggested that extroversion is correlated with positive emotions; that is, people who are more extroverted tend to be happier than introverts... but is this actually the case? Psychologists who studied this question found that extroverts often do experience more positive emotions than introverts. Researchers have also found evidence that there are indeed  Ã¢â‚¬Å"happy introverts†: when researchers looked at happy participants in a study, they found that about one-third of these participants were also introverts. In other words, more extroverted people may experience positive emotions slightly more often on average, but many happy people are actually introverts. Writer Susan Cain, author  of the bestselling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts points out that, in American society, extroversion is often seen as a good thing. For example, workplaces and classrooms often encourage group work, an activity that comes more naturally to extroverts. In an interview with  Scientific American, Cain points out that we are neglecting the potential contributions of introverts when we do this. Cain explains that being an introvert actually has some advantages. For example, she suggests that introversion may be related to creativity. Additionally, she suggests that introverts can make good managers in workplaces, because they may give their employees more freedom to pursue projects independently and may be more focused on the organizations goals than their individual success. In other words, even though extroversion is often valued in our current society, being an introvert has benefits as well. That is, it isnt necessarily better to be either an introvert or an extrovert. These two ways of relating to others each have their own unique advantages, and understanding our personality traits can help us  study and work with others more effectively. Introvert  and  extrovert  are terms that psychologists have used for decades to explain personality. Most recently, psychologists have considered these traits to be part of the five-factor model, widely used to measure personality. Researchers who study introversion and extroversion have found that these categories have important consequences for our well-being and behavior. Importantly, research suggests that each way of relating to others has its own advantages; in other words, its not possible to say that one is better than the other. Sources McCrae, R. R., John, O. P. (1992). An introduction to the five†factor model and its applications. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 175-215. http://psych.colorado.edu/~carey/courses/psyc5112/readings/psnbig5_mccrae03.pdfTen-item personality inventory. https://gosling.psy.utexas.edu/scales-weve-developed/ten-item-personality-measure-tipi/ten-item-personality-inventory-tipi/Cook, Gareth (2012, January 24). The power of introverts: A manifesto for quiet brilliance. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-power-of-introverts/Grimes, J.O., Cheek, J.M., Norem, J.K. (2011, January). Four meanings of introversion: Social, thinking, anxious, and inhibited introversion. Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Antonio, TX. academia.edu/7353616/Four_Meanings_of_Introversion_Social_Thinking_Anxious_and_Inhibited_IntroversionDiener, E., Oishi, S., Lucas, R. E. (2003). Personality, culture, and subjective well-being : Emotional and cognitive evaluations of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 54(1), 403-425. http://people.virginia.edu/~so5x/Diener,%20Oishi,%20%20Lucas%202003%20Ann.%20Review.pdf Hills, P., Argyle, M. (2001). Happiness, introversion–extraversion and happy introverts. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(4), 595-608. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886900000581Cain, S. (2013). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that cant stop talking. Broadway Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Quiet.html?idDc3T6Y7g7LQCFleming, Grace. How does personality affect study habits? ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-personality-affects-study-habits-1857077

Definition of terrorism in United States Research Paper

Definition of terrorism in United States - Research Paper Example United States Security Agencies define terrorism as the predetermined use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to infiltrate fear. Such acts are intended to intimidate or threaten governments or societies to bend towards the perpetrators goals that are generally ideological, political, and religious. Inside the above definition, three key elements are evident —violence, fear, and intimidation— with each element intended to produce terror in its victims. The United State Intelligence defines "Terrorism as unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any part thereof, in advancing of political or social demands† (Hoffman 37).Terrorism has ever been evolving. Its evolution should be closely monitored so that the means of countering it should be developed and made robust. The administration of the day has come with more effective and novel means of countering the vice th at pose a monumental threat to the citizen of United State both in the country and abroad. The intelligence, policy makers and political advisers come up with a for fold strategy of dealing with the menace. The strategy includes the following that apply to all citizens of the America: adhering to United States of America core Values, building security partnership, Applying CT tools, and capability appropriately and building a culture of resilience.

Research & Analysis Study of Balfour Beatty plc Business and Essay

Research & Analysis Study of Balfour Beatty plc Business and Competitive Environment - Essay Example The company made good progress in the building sector in 2006. Heery, a leading architectural, engineering and programme management business, represents Balfour Beatty's business interests in USA. Balfour Beatty's Civil and Specialist Engineering and Services division, with revenues of 1,920m and 10,455 employees, specializes in engineering, design and management services provider in civil, transport, energy and water sectors in UK, USA, Hong Kong and Middle East. It has a leading market presence in specialised engineering services like overhead transmission lines, gas and water utility contracting and in road management and maintenance resulting in profit from operations tripled to 49m in 2005. The company with strong orders and a number of large contracts under their belt gained growth momentum in 2006 in the engineering sector. Balfour Beatty's Rail Engineering and Services division, with revenues of 766m and 5,922 employees, specializes in designing, constructing, equipping, maintaining and renewal of rail assets and systems in UK, USA, Germany, Italy and Portugal. The profit from operations in these services fell by 27% to 32m in 2005. This was a result of full year without maintenance and tighter market in UK and some losses in the US. 2006 saw some progress due to increase in efficiency and improving project volume in London Underground, Germany and Italy. Balfour Beatty Rail Inc has been restructured into a single organisation, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. The organisation has shown substantial growth in recent years with strategic acquisitions in the US and Germany. Balfour Beatty's Investments and Developments division, with revenues of 465m and only 136 employees promotes, manages and invests in privately funded infrastructure projects and developments in selected sectors in the UK and overseas, through its operating company Balfour Beatty Capital, established in 1997. Balfour Beatty's is currently conducting PPP/PFI projects in two principal sectors such as infrastructure (comprising transportation, power and waste water treatment) and accommodation (including health and education). It showed 20m profit from operations in 2005. Balfour Beatty's Other Service Segments Balfour Beatty holds 20% share in the Metronet consortium, a 30-year PPP project responsible for upgrading and maintaining two thirds of London Underground's infrastructure like trains, stations, signalling, track, tunnels and bridges. Balfour Beatty also has four DBFO (design-build-finance-operate) road concessions. Balfour Beatty is provider of a range of Healthcare services to major UK hospital schemes in London, Edinburgh, Durham and Blackburn providing a total of over 2,500 beds. Through Consort Healthcare, Balfour Beatty is also appointed preferred bidder for 521m PPP contracts in Birmingham Acute and Adult Psychiatric Hospitals and 250m Pinderfields and Pontefract hospitals. Balfour Beatty operates the largest grouped schools scheme in England called the Transform Schools' Stoke concession covering 98 schools since 2000. The Rotherham Schools started in 2003, was awarded "Best Community Use Project" in 2005 in the PPP/PFI Journal Awards. The Transform scheme built and maintained 21

Rogers Chocolate Essay Example for Free

Rogers Chocolate Essay Introduction Rogers’ Chocolate is on a mission to have the company double or triple its size within 10 years. An analysis will be performed to figure out a strategic plan where Rogers’ Chocolate will be able to grow, and maintain their image of providing premium chocolates. The issue facing Rogers’ Chocolate is how they will be able to gain new customers and sustain their current customers. To give a thorough analysis, I will identify and explain the strategic issue, present the results of the analysis, and present alternative strategies. Finally, I will present my recommendation and conclude the analysis. Strategic Issue The strategic issue facing Roger’s Chocolate is how to grow the company by being able to gain new customers and still maintain their current customer base. The objective of Rogers’ Chocolate is to double or triple the size of the company within 10 years. By growing, this means that they will need more production, more employees, and more customers. Rogers’ Chocolate will need a strategy that will help position them to be able to grow the way they want it to. Analysis After reviewing Rogers’ Chocolates finances, they are good shape and have improved from 2005 to 2006. This improvement shows opportunity for the company to reach its objective of growing. According to their balance sheet, their current ratio for 2006 is 1. 366 (2,330,241/1,705,132) and 1. 245 (2,896,842/2,326,966) for 2005. These numbers show that they are able to continue to pay off their obligations. This means they are in a position where they shouldn’t go bankrupt. It also shows that Rogers’ Chocolate are just efficient enough in the sense of turning their product into cash. The company’s cash available for next year, 2007, is $74,744. This is down from what they had at the beginning of the year, $151,802. This may hurt them when trying to invest into new areas. The external environment of Rogers’ Chocolate looks very promising. Godiva and Bernard Callebaut are the only ones that seem to threaten Rogers’ Chocolate position in the market. The other chocolate companies are of lower quality and price but still compete with Rogers’ Chocolate. Godiva’s chocolates are priced higher but lower quality. Bernard Callebaut’s chocolate are similar to Godiva’s in price, are in similar locations as Rogers’ and are also good in new introductions and seasonal products. They are also superior to Rogers’ when it comes to their packaging. The internal environment doesn’t look well for Rogers’ Chocolate. With very few employees who do multiple jobs, Rogers’ seems like they are not able to handle their demand for their product. Also their issue with out of stock product causes many problems when trying to keep up with other demands. Strengths for Rogers’ Chocolates include liquidity and their differentiation from other competitors. Roger’s is in a good position financially. They are not in the best position but are in a good enough position to make changes and improvements. Rogers’ is also efficient. Once, again they are not at their best, but are efficient enough to be a successful competitor. They are also very strong in their image. They are able to differ from their competitors with high quality chocolate and an image that is known locally. Rogers’ weaknesses are cash flow and production. Although Roger’s Chocolate is not in a position to go bankrupt, they have limited cash to invest into improving their operations. With the low amount of cash they have, they may have to borrow in the future. Another weakness is their production efficiency. A low number of employees and bad planning causes their production to be slow and inefficient. Inventory management and out of stock problems cannot continue if Rogers’ want to be able to grow into the company they want it to become. Rogers’ Chocolates has several opportunities. One opportunity is to maintain their current image to introduce new products to compete with Bernard Callebaut. Having a new product to compete can help can new customers and new market share. Another opportunity is to provide lower quality chocolates to reach a new target market. Being able to acquire a new market may bring those new customers to their current market. The main threat to Rogers’ chocolate is the competition. Not being able to keep up with the competition or current trends can lead to lost market share. With Godiva having superior packaging, distribution, and price points, and Bernard Callebaut having superior packaging and seasonal influence, Rogers’ Chocolate could be falling behind soon if they do not join the ranks. Rogers’ must find their niche in order to be able to compete not just locally, but globally. Alternative Strategies Rogers’ Chocolates will need to gain new customers if they want to grow the company. To gain new customers, Rogers’ must take a risk a re-brand themselves with a new packaging design to create a new image. Implementing a new brand image will gather a new crowd of consumers that Rogers’ did not reach with its current image. To be able to do so, Rogers’ will need some financial help in order to invest money into the new packaging design and image that they want to create. They will also need new store displays and marketing tools to be able to push the image to customers. By creating this new image, they run the risk of losing their current customers. The new image that Rogers’ creates will grab the attention of a new market that will help gain market share that they currently do not have to aid in the growth of the company. For growth to happen, Rogers’ must be more efficient in production. The problems caused by out of stocks and bad planning are causing Rogers’ to not be as successful. When production plans are put on hold to finish special orders, it is not a good sign. Production should be a continuous flow. To change the production efficiency, Rogers’ will have to hire more employees so their current ones are not doing multiple functions. They will also need to use the correct data when planning production and forecasting next year’s sales. Once again, money will be needed to hire and train new employees, as well as changing the planning method. Rogers’ risk is that the employees may not be as happy when new hires come, since a lot of the employees are third generation employees. Also, another risk is that the new planning may cause the same problems such as discounting products or even wrong forecasting. Another way for Rogers’ to grow is to boost their online presence. Since social media is growing, Rogers’ could take advantage of it to gain traffic to their website. By doing so, not only will sales go up, but they will also be able to reach a new age group of 18-34, who use online shopping. This will give them new customers that will start to aid in replacing the aging customers that Rogers’ currently have. Since social media is a low cost, not a lot of money will be needed, although it may be a good idea to hire a social media consultant to handle all the work. The only risk that I see Rogers’ facing is throwing away money if sales do not increase. If social media and a larger online presence are not working, Rogers’ could face a situation where they are not on the receiving end. They will need to research who the online customer base really is to gain information on how to market to that segment. Not only will a larger online presence grow the company, but also moving business to the United States will help in the growth as well. Opening up retail stores in the US will help Rogers’ to start to gain a global presence. The way that Rogers’ retails their products shows that they know how to do it locally. To be able to reach the US, they will need to put a lot of effort into research the market on how to market to US customers. In their current retail stores, they display their products to suit the season with a Victorian theme. Rogers’ will need to do the same for the US, but use the information gathered to create displays and marketing tools that will gain a following. By changing to fit and gain sales in the US, Rogers’ has the risk of losing their current image as well as spending a lot of money just to gain customers that they may not get. This is the riskiest strategy. They will spend a lot of money by building retail stores and staffing them and marketing to a new segment. The risk of having their image ruined is also a risk. Since Rogers’ is well rooted in tradition, this may cause a stir among employees and their customers. Recommendation After reviewing the analysis and the alternative strategies, Rogers’ has several ways to achieve growth. I recommend that Rogers’ re-brand themselves with new packaging and marketing tools. Although there is a risk of losing current customers, I believe that is a very small risk. People who buy Rogers’ Chocolates are very loyal customers and have been buying them for years. Rogers’ is a company based of providing premium chocolate with high quality. Changing the image will not affect the quality of their chocolates, but rather gain new customers they don’t currently have and be able to compete against Godiva and Bernard Callebaut. The image that Rogers’ needs to create is an image that will still hold its tradition, but at the same time be edgy enough to strengthen its packaging, advertising, and distribution. This will allow new customers to get to know what Rogers’ Chocolates is and be able to keep the current ones coming back. Conclusion As you can see, Rogers’ chocolates objective is growth for the company. An analysis was performed to show the current financial and environmental state Rogers’ is currently in. after reviewing the analysis, I found that Rogers’ is in a good position to grow and again market share using their current products. I recommended that Rogers’ Chocolates create a new, edgy brand image to gain a new customer base. This will keep their current, loyal customers and help gain new customers who are soon to be loyal as well. Rogers’ has put themselves in a position to make this strategic decision in order to grow the company into a market leader.

Energy Flow Systems :: essays research papers

Energy Flow Systems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Richard White's Organic Machine, and William Cronon's Changes in the Land, both examine environments as energy flow systems. The energy flow model was utilized by the authors to explain relationships within ecosystems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Richard White's thesis is to examine the river as an organic machine, as an energy system that, although modified by human intervention, maintains it's natural, its â€Å"unmade† qualities. White emphasizes on energy because it is a useful concept that can be easily understood. He says, â€Å"the flow of the river is energy, so is the electricity that comes from the dams that block that flow. Human labor is energy; so are the calories that are stored as fat by salmon for their journey upstream.† White notes that energy is as concrete as salmon, human bodies, and the Grand Coulee Dam. White wants his readers to think about nature and its relationship with humanity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White explains how the river is energy. The Columbia River works as gravity pulls it to the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia is continuously cutting into the terrain that it flows through. Over millions of years water rushed through the Columbia Basin to form the Columbia River. Water carries soil, silt, and debris downstream. The constant movement of material in the river cuts and shapes the river basin into the land. This movement is a slow and inefficient use of energy. According to White, only two percent of water's potential energy results in the work of erosion. The other ninety-eight percent of water's energy was lost as water molecules rub against themselves, the river bed, and the river banks. This energy was released as heat into the river.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often the energy of flowing water was not recognized. There are occasions when rivers do show their power is destructive ways. Power was usually demonstrated through floods, and more so in flash floods. Thousands of years ago, an ice dam in the Columbia River, holding the glacial lake Missoula, broke and created the largest known freshwater flood in earth's history. The flood rushed into the Columbia Channel and created the Grand Coulee and other rock channels that would have taken the Mississippi River three hundred years at full flood to create.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Salmon are also a part of the Colombian energy model. As the river works its way downward to the Pacific Ocean, the salmon work their way up the Columbia to spawn. The energy in salmon can be measured by their body fat and caloric value. Salmon start their run upstream prepared for the long hard run. Their bodies have stored fat and oil after a year worth of feeding at sea.

Ready For New Achievements Essay

To begin with, through all the writing assignments that I have written so far, I have showed to have the capacity to come out with good ideas. Thinking about possible reasons of the problem, consequences or even solutions to the topic, are all very important as the first step to begin. For instance, while writing assignment number two, I started with questions to make us think how armed guards may not be prepared to work with children, and I listed detailed examples on how its consequences can affect the kids’ welfare. In doing so, it can make the readers think profoundly, and realize that there is more to worry about over its negative consequences. In other words, deeply comprehending the topic helps to increase my and the readers’ critical thinking and develop better viewpoints and conclusions. Having good concepts, motivated me to write well-developed writings. At the same time, profound thoughts lead me to overthink about the topic and make me spend more time on my writings. Having a lot of ideas to write about are sometimes not necessary. An example of this situation is my â€Å"Kids With Better Futures† midterm writing assignment. Since this was an in class paper, I had to come out with strong and good ideas quicker than usual, but I tend to write some run-on sentences. Moreover, I couldn’t show all the ideas I had in that specific moment; because of the time I spent thinking about my main ideas. For example, I could also have written about my own experience as a child and how my parents have been a huge influence in my academic life, or how my environment and life style might affect the way â€Å"The Western† and â€Å"Chinese† parenting styles work. Lacking several ideas made me feel that I did not completely show my thoughts or even feelings about the topic, which I think is one of my biggest weaknesses. Nevertheless, this 263 ESL class has helped me to learn how I can organize my ideas in each paragraph and create good topic sentences. For instance, at the beginning of the course I did not know the correct order in which I had to write out my main ideas. I used to just write what I had in my mind, without taking into account that I was missing the organization of each paragraph, starting from the main idea, the controlling idea, paraphrase, and examples in the conclusion. As a result, my first writing assignment did not turn out that strong. But now, I know how to properly and correctly construct my paragraphs, and how to focus on each paragraph’s structure to make them look precise and clear. I took advantage of this class, learned as much as possible and I am completely prepared for the following levels.

Laws of Exponents

Laws of Exponent Lesson 1 Rules of 1 Any number raised to 1 is equal to the number itself x? =x Examples: Common Error: 1. ) 4? = 4 1. ) 4? =4 2. ) 5? = 5 2. ) 5? =5 3. ) 146? =146 3. ) 146? =146 Practice Your Skill! 1. ) 391? = 2. ) 45? = 3. ) 678? = 4. ) 99? = 5. ) 34? = Lesson 2 Product RuleTo multiply two powers having the same base, add their exponents. x? * x? = x Examples: Common Error: 1. )a? * a? = a? 1. ) a? * a? = 2a? 2. ) 5x? yz? * 4xy? z? = 5*4x + y + z = 20x? y? z? 2. ) 5x? yz? * 4xy? z? = 9x? y? z? Practice Your Skill! Simplify the following expressions: 1. ) 3y? *4y*3y? = 2. ) 78x? y * -9y? = 3. ) 45b? *11b? = Lesson 3 Power Rule To raise a power, multiply the exponents (x? )? =x Examples: Common Error: 1. (ab)? = a? b? 1. ) (ab)? = a b = a? b? 2. ) (3m? n)? = 3? m n = 9m? n? 2. ) (3m? n)? =3 m n = 27m? n? Practice Your Skill! 1. ) (-3pr? )? = 2. ) (2a? b? )? = 3. ) (6z? t? )? = 4. ) (16c? g? )? = Lesson 4 Quotient Rule If x ? 0 ; m and n are positive integers. Ca se 1: x? x? = x where m > n Examples: Common Error: 1. ) a? a? = a = a? 1. ) a? a? = a = a? 2. ) a? b? a? b? = a b = a? b? 2. ) a? b? a? b? = a b = a13b? Case 2: x? x? 1 where m = n Examples: Common Error: 1. ) a? b? a? b? = 1 1. ) a? b? a? b? = ab 2. ) 3a? *2b? 6a? b? = 6a? b? 6a? b? = 1 2. ) 3a? *2b? 6a? b? = ab Case 3: x? x? = 1x where m < n Examples: Common Error: 1. ) a? a? = 1a = 1a? 1. ) a? a? = a 2. ) 8a? b? 2a? b? =4*1a b = 4ab? . ) 8a? b? 2a? b? = 4a b Practice Your Skill! Divide the following monomials using the Quotient Rule. 1. ) a6b3ab2= 2. ) 25x3y45x2y= 3. ) 15a4x5y415a4x5y4= 4. ) m6n4p2m9n3p7= 5. ) k? j? c? k j? c? = Lesson 5 Power of a Quotient Rule When a quotient is raised to a power, each number is raised to the same power. xy2= x? y? where y ? 0 Examples: Common Error: 1. ) ab 3= a3b3 1. ) ab 3= a3b3=1 2. ) 2x23y42= 2? x 3? y =4x? 9y? 2. ) 2x23y42= 4x? 9y? Practice Your Skills! 1. ) m2n34= 2. x7y3z5x2yz45= 3. ) s8f2a7s4fa57= Lesson 6 Zero Exponent Rule Any value, except 0 , raised to zero is equal to 1. x? = 1 Examples: 1. ) 10y? = 10 2. ) f? = 1 Practice Your Skills! 1. ) 110? = 2. ) 74h? = 3. ) c? = Lesson 7 Negative Exponent Rule A number raised to a negative exponent is equal to its reciprocal raised to the opposite positive exponent. x-? =1x? if x ? 0 Examples: Common Error: 1. ) x-7= 1x? 1. ) x-7=x? 2. ) y = 1y? 2. ) y = y? Practice Your Skills! 1. ) x = 2. ) r = 3. ) dt =

The Geology of Bricks

The Geology of Bricks The common brick is one of our greatest inventions, an artificial stone. Brickmaking transforms low-strength mud into strong materials that can endure for centuries when properly cared for. Clay Bricks The main ingredient of bricks is clay, a group of surface minerals that arise from the weathering of igneous rocks. By itself, clay is not useless- making bricks of plain clay and drying them in the sun makes a sturdy building stone. Having some sand in the mix helps keep these bricks from cracking. Sundried clay is little different from soft shale. Many of the most ancient buildings in the early Middle East were made of sun-dried bricks. These generally lasted about a generation before the bricks deteriorated from neglect, earthquakes or the weather. With old buildings melted into piles of clay, the ancient cities were periodically levelled and new cities built on top. Over the centuries these city mounds, called tells, grew to considerable size. Making sun-dried bricks with a little straw or dung helps bind the clay and yields the equally ancient product called adobe. Fired Bricks The ancient Persians and Assyrians made stronger bricks by roasting them in kilns. The process takes several days, raising the temperature above 1000 Â °C for a day or so, then cooling gradually. (This is much hotter than the mild roasting or calcination used to make top dressing for baseball fields.) The Romans advanced the technology, as they did with concrete and metallurgy, and spread fired brick to every part of their empire. Brickmaking has been basically the same ever since. Until the 19th century, every locality with a clay deposit built its own brickworks because transport was so expensive. With the rise of chemistry and the Industrial Revolution, bricks joined steel, glass and concrete as sophisticated building materials. Today brick is made in many formulations and colors for a variety of demanding structural and cosmetic applications. Chemistry of Brick Firing Over the period of firing, brick clay becomes a metamorphic rock. Clay minerals break down, release chemically bound water, and change into a mixture of two minerals, quartz and mullite. The quartz crystallizes very little in that time, remaining in a glassy state. The key mineral is mullite (3AlO3 Â · 2SiO2), a blended compound of silica and alumina that is quite rare in nature. It is named for its occurrence on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Not only is mullite hard and tough, but it also grows in long, thin crystals that function like the straw in adobe, binding the mix in an interlocking grip. Iron is a lesser ingredient that oxidizes into hematite, accounting for the red color of most bricks. Other elements including sodium, calcium and potassium help the silica melt more easily- that is, they act as a flux. All of these are natural parts of many clay deposits. Is There Natural Brick? Earth is full of surprises- consider the natural nuclear reactors that once existed in Africa- but could it naturally produce true brick? There are two kinds of contact metamorphism to consider. First, what if very hot magma or erupted lava engulfed a body of dried clay in a way that allows the moisture to escape? I would give three reasons that rule this out: 1. Lavas are rarely as hot as 1100 Â °C.2. Lavas would cool quickly once they engulf surface rocks.3. Natural clays and buried shales are wet, which would draw even more heat from lava. The only igneous rock with enough energy to even have a chance to fire proper brick would be the superhot lava known as komatiite, thought to have reached 1600 Â °C. But the Earths interior has not reached that temperature since the Early Proterozoic Era more than 2 billion years ago. And at that time there was no oxygen in the air, making the chemistry even more unlikely. On the Isle of Mull, mullite appears in mudstones that have been baked in lava flows. (It also has been found in pseudotachylites, where friction on faults heats dry rock to melting.) These are probably a far cry from real brick, but you should go there yourself to make sure. Second, what if an actual fire could bake the right kind of sandy shale? In fact, that does happen in coal country. Forest fires can start coal beds burning, and once started these coal-seam fires may go on for centuries. Sure enough, shale overlying coal fires can turn into a red clinkery rock thats close enough to true brick. Unfortunately, this occurrence has become common as human-caused fires start in coal mines and culm piles. A significant fraction of global greenhouse-gas emissions arises from coal fires. Today we outdo nature in this obscure geochemical stunt.

An Overview of the Sunbelt in the U.S.

An Overview of the Sunbelt in the U.S. The Sun Belt is the region in the United States that stretches across the Southern and Southwestern portions of the country from Florida to California. The Sunbelt typically includes the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California. Major U.S. cities placed within the Sun Belt according to every definition include Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, and Phoenix. However, some extend the definition of Sun Belt as far north as the cities Denver, Raleigh-Durham, Memphis, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco. Throughout U.S. history, especially after World War II, the Sun Belt saw abundant population growth in these cities as well as many others and has been an important area socially, politically, and economically. History of Sun Belt Growth The term Sun Belt is said to have been coined in 1969 by writer and political analyst Kevin Phillips in his book The Emerging Republican Majority to describe the area of the U.S. that encompassed the region from Florida to California and included industries like oil, military, and aerospace but also many retirement communities. Following Phillips introduction of the term, it became widely used in the 1970s and beyond. Although the term Sun Belt was not used until 1969, growth had been occurring in the southern U.S. since World War II. This is because, at the time, many military manufacturing jobs were moving from the Northeast U.S. (the region known as the Rust Belt) to the South and the West. Growth in the South and West then further continued after the war and later grew substantially near the U.S./Mexico border in the late 1960s when Mexican and other Latin American immigrants began to move north. In the 1970s, Sun Belt became the official term to describe the area and growth continued even further as the U.S. South and West became more important economically than the Northeast. Part of the regions growth was a direct result of increasing agriculture and the earlier green revolution which introduced new farming technologies. In addition, because of the prevalence of agriculture and related jobs in the region, immigration in the area continued to grow as immigrants from neighboring Mexico and other areas were looking for jobs in the U.S. On top of immigration from areas outside the U.S., the Sun Belts population also grew via migration from other parts of the U.S. in the 1970s. This was due to the invention of affordable and effective air conditioning. It additionally involved the movement of retirees from Northern states to the South, especially Florida and Arizona. Air conditioning played an especially significant role in the growth of many Southern cities like those in Arizona where temperatures can sometimes exceed 100 F (37 C). For example, the average temperature in July in Phoenix, Arizona is 90 F (32 C), while it is just over 70 F (21 C) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Milder winters in the Sun Belt also made the region attractive to retirees as much of it is relatively comfortable year-round and it allows them to escape cold winters. In Minneapolis, the average temperature in January is just over 10 F (-12 C) while in Phoenix it is 55 F (12 C). Additionally, new types of businesses and industries like aerospace, defense and military, and oil moved from the North to the Sun Belt as the region was cheaper and there were fewer labor unions. This further added to the Sun Belts growth and importance economically. Oil, for example, helped Texas grow economically, while military installations drew people, defense industries, and aerospace firms to the desert Southwest and California, and favorable weather led to increased tourism in places like Southern California, Las Vegas, and Florida. By 1990, Sun Belt cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio were among the ten largest in the U.S. In addition, because of the Sun Belts relatively high proportion of immigrants in its population, its overall birth rate was higher than the rest of the U.S. Despite this growth, however, the Sun Belt did experience its share of problems in the 1980s and 1990s. For example, the regions economic prosperity has been uneven and at one point 23 out of the 25 largest metropolitan regions with the lowest per capita incomes in the U.S. were in the Sun Belt. In addition, the rapid growth in places like Los Angeles caused various environmental problems, one of the most significant of which was and still is air pollution. The Sun Belt Today Today, growth in the Sun Belt has slowed, but its larger cities still remain as some of the largest and fastest-growing in the U.S. Nevada, for example, is among the nations fastest-growing states due to its high immigration. Between 1990 and 2008, the states population increased by a whopping 216% (from 1,201,833 in 1990 to 2,600,167 in 2008). Also seeing dramatic growth, Arizona saw a population increase of 177% and Utah grew by 159% between 1990 and 2008. The San Francisco Bay Area in California with the major cities of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose still also remains a growing area, while growth in outlying areas like Nevada has decreased significantly due to nationwide economic problems. With this decrease in growth and outmigration, housing prices in cities like Las Vegas have plummeted in recent years. Despite recent economic problems, the U.S. South and West (the areas that comprise the Sun Belt) still remain the fastest growing regions in the country. Between 2000 and 2008, the number one fastest growing area, the West, saw a population change of 12.1% while the second, the South, saw a change of 11.5%, making the Sun Belt still, as it has been since the 1960s, one of the most important growth regions in the U.S.

Supply chain management definition Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Supply chain management definition - Case Study Example The service industry relies heavily on the customer experience as it is subjective and therefore introduces complexities into the supply chain. These complexities arise from the variety of goods and services demand from the customer, as they are not uniform in their demand. Therefore the value of the supply chain always starts with customer, as they want shorter times to market for new goods and services. The customer also wants some level of customisation and personalisation to their circumstances which means the service organisation has to reduce its inventories and keep lower stock to prevent losses from unsold stock. Lower unit costs allow the service organisation to pass on a cost advantage to the customer, and this involves improving its use of existing assets in the first instance to reduce disruption to its quality advantage. This essay will analyse a case study of Marks and Spencer and their management of the supply chain. ... Marks and Spencer (M&S) was established in an era where public opinion was still conservative and fashion dictated to the public. This was reflected in its styles and clothing lines, and its dated methods of supply chain management. M&S had two seasons which meant they had a large inventory and profits were dependent on the ability of the stores to clear this stock. This practice was significantly different to that of its competitors, who had realised that restructuring the supply chain process was the only way to meet the unstable customer demand. M&S had also failed to analyse its external environment, which led to its competitors gaining a competitive edge. For instance, Zara, a Spanish clothing retailer, had created its target market and its stock was only available in store for a maximum of 4 weeks, compared to 9 months for M&S. Zara was able to achieve this turnaround by managing its supply chain, which enabled it to be flexible to cope with fluctuating demands. The limited time for stock availability also meant that customers were exposed to more fashion ranges and designs and this created the perception of personalisation. So whilst Zara and other competitors were focussing their efforts on a niche market, M&S was still marketing to a non-descript market and not offering the choice, flexibility and speed demanded by the customer. M&S had failed to act on falling customer satisfaction ratings by simply ignoring them and not realising that part of this dissatisfaction lay in its earlier decision to withdraw the children's clothing range. By the time M&S had reached this realisation, profits had halved and the forecast was not promising. As they had not sold any of their stock, their warehouses were still filled with the previous