Individual write up of Quails Gate Winery Experience Essay

Individual write up of Quails Gate Winery Experience - Essay Example From the vine restaurant the exotic view of hills, lakes and plain fields are available, which sets a delightful atmosphere for visitors (Figure 1). Moreover, the traditional style of the restaurant attracts customers because of the classic difference of the beauty of this restaurant compared to other restaurants in the region. Apart from the sight of the restaurant there is another feature, which attracts visitors towards it. The food is an important component in every restaurant but when it comes to the Quails Gate, the availability of fresh vegetables and cereals make the food healthy and tasty. The smell and taste of food available in the restaurant is fabulous. Most people believe that the combination of high quality wine and fresh food has been the main reason for tourist attraction towards the winery. Another reason for tourist attraction towards Quails Gate is the peaceful location of the winery. The restaurant and winery is located far from city and away from busy roads. Visitors can enjoy the peaceful environment for some time and relax. The place has natural beauty within itself because it is located in the middle of an agricultural land (Figure 2). The most interesting point is that children can have fun in places like Quails Gate because there is almost no risk of accidents. Parents can allow their children to play while they enjoy the delightful food and rich quality wine. Quails Gate is mainly famous for its winery because it is one of the oldest and recognized wineries in the world. Wines are exported to many places including United States from Quails Gate. Visitors say that â€Å"it is always awesome to come to a place that is located in the middle of no-where.† Truly the restaurant and the winery of Quails Gate are incredible because it has the potential to prov ide people the amount of peace and relaxation required for them.

Steps to Writing a Grant Proposal Essay Example for Free

Steps to Writing a Grant Proposal Essay A grant proposal for human services is a written presentation of a program plan. This plan details how the applicant will approach the identified needs or problem with their proposed course of actions. The narrative section of a grant proposal usually includes the following sections: abstract, table of contents, specific aims/background and significance/needs and problem statement, target populations, approaches and methods, long- and short-term goals, process, outcome, and impact objectives, activity plans and scheduling (timeline), evaluation plan, agency capacity and project management and budget and budget justifications. Grant writing involves lots of planning, organizing, integrating, evaluating and critical thinking. The quality of grant proposal is one of the most important factors in funding decisions. The city of Portland is similar to many other communities throughout the country. As a large metropolitan city, the region has experienced increasing reports of domestic and youth violence, spousal and child abuse, assault, and incidents of road rage over the last 5 years. The PEACE Domestic Violence Agency has a mission to reduce victim trauma, empower survivors, and promote recovery through direct services. PEACE is committed to reducing the incidence of sexual assault and domestic violence through education and strives to challenge societal norms and beliefs that condone and perpetuate violence in the community. In the case of the PEACE Domestic Violence Agency, the grant starts by identifying the program’s critical needs within the targeted community. The city of Portland has been experiencing an increase of domestic violence and youth violence, spousal and child abuse, assault and reports of incidences of road rage over the past five years. The abstract is the shortest section of the proposal, however it is the most important and most read section of the proposal. The abstract typically includes: the name of agency, type of organization, purpose and objectives of the project, specific interventions for the project, target population: demographic, age, race, gender, special needs, location and setting of project and relevance of the proposed project to the funding intentions. There is then usually a table of contents developed, which will also be one of the last parts to finish. It is a guide to what is in the proposal and tells you where information is located. The table of contents serves as a checklist during the writing process as well. The next section that should be completed is specific aims. This section is where the statement of problems and the issues to be addressed by the project go. This section will also include the working hypothesis for the project. The PEACE has a particular belief that is motivating them and guiding them through the development of the program. In this section, the PEACE organization will also describe the expected outcomes, and interventions proposed to achieve these outcomes. When it comes to writing target populations, the PEACE organization will want to describe the target environment such as the community, neighborhood, city and district as well as the population being served. This section will include who and how many people will participate or be served through the PEACE organization. The organization’s mission statement is a permanent expression of the reason for existence of the organization. But in order to bring the PEACE organization’s mission statement into a more manageable level, there needs to be a list of goals created that are appropriate for the organization. Objectives should be included as well, which are a statement of measurable and directional change for a specific population in a specific time period. A time line should be created which is an expected schedule for activities by each component. A time line helps the writer to realize the program’s time limitations and the need to plan well for the distribution and implementation of program activities. Program evaluation is a type of evaluation research that systematically assessed the achievement of a specific program, in this case the PEACE organization. An evaluation plan is a design that the program’s staff and evaluators will follow to assess the progress and results of the PEACE organization programs. A program evaluation plan should be developed along with the formulation of program goals, objectives and activities at the beginning of the program. The program evaluation will achieve some basic objectives such as: documentation of program implementation strategies, intervention models, and other process information. It also is a measurement of the PEACE program outcomes and results and an assessment of overall impact and success of the program. The agency capacity is associated with how much trust others put in the PEACE organization. It is important that the PEACE organization convinces the funding sources that it is uniquely qualified and competent and they can entrust it with funding. The budget is a financial plan that estimates the cost for implementing a program and the allocation of these costs. There are many costs to consider in the PEACE organization budget such as: salaries for employees including payroll tax, health insurance, life insurance, rent, utilities, furniture, supplies, travel expenses, materials, trainings, etc. The PEACE Domestic Violence Agency is a great agency with the goal in mind of reducing the rates and incidences of domestic violence, through the process of education, as well as providing assistance to people who have been hurt or mistreated. This organization has programs put in place to help the men, women and children regardless of their ages and personal background who have undergone some sort of abuse or mistreatment and are in need of assistance. This program is very important for a number of reasons, but mainly for the much needed help it would provide for those persons who have been involved in such a terrible situation like domestic violence. There are many financial needs that arise with any organization, but especially in a situation such as a domestic violence situation because the people in need of assistance may not have the funding to afford the help he/she will need to be safe. Depending on the situation at hand, the people seeking assistance from the domestic violence program may be looking for shelter from a loved one who has hurt them. If this is the case he/she would most likely be without much funding and would need a place to live as well food and clothing. These are things that could be provided with ease if the grant was approved. Domestic violence is a very serious situation that is important for people to escape from while they can. They need all the help and assistance they can get and it is important that there is an organization willing and ready to help with this transition.

Impact of Corruption in Nigeria

Impact of Corruption in Nigeria CORRUPTION AND ITS IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY) (FEBRUARY 2014) Abstract Corruption is no news in the world today. We can see corruption in our daily lives, let alone in our businesses and the way economies as a whole deal with corruption every day. That is why discussing corruption and seeking ways on how to deal with it in International business is inevitable. I chose Nigeria as a case study for obvious reasons; I am Nigerian and unarguably Nigeria is the Giant of Africa vast in its natural resources but unfortunately Nigeria is still battling with corruption which is crumbling our already poor nation and taken a toll on our International Business relations pushing potential business and development further away. This paper seeks to attempt to show why corruption is predominant in developing countries, its impact on International Business in developing economies and possible recommendations. I will first start by giving you a brief picture into Nigeria’s biggest export and make an attempt to analyze corruption itself. Introduction International Business is all commercial transaction between two or more countries and the goal of the private business is to make profits while the government is motivated by profit or political reasons (Daniels, Radebaugh, and Sullivan 2007). Business has become more global, trading has become easier with different regional trading blocs. This only encourages companies and economies to engage in International Business to boost its economy. Several economic theories show how countries’ competitiveness with other and Nigeria certainly has an Absolute Advantage in the Oil sector. Nigeria is a country with diverse and enormous mineral resources like crude oil, coal, zinc, semi-precious stone and gold to name but a few. Nigeria exports petroleum, petroleum products, cocoa and rubber. Nigeria is also rich with great human resources hence a great destination for business. The sudden growth of Oil in the 1970s led Nigeria to the abandonment of its strong agricultural and light manufacturing bases in favor of an unhealthy dependence on crude oil. Oil and gas exports account for more than 95% of export earnings and over 80% of federal government revenue. However, the success story in the sector has lead it thus far making Nigeria, the United States largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, supplying 8% of U.S. oil imports which is half of Nigerias daily oil production .The country is also the fifth-largest exporter of oil to the United States. Nigeria is a member of the functional Commodity Agreements in the world; Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and its current crude oil production averages over 1 million barrels per day with oil reserves are estimated to be 36 billion barrels; natural gas reserves are over 100 trillion cubic feet. (Source 21 Feb 2012: http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/index.php/2012-10-29-11-05-46/economy) Table 1.1 Nigeria Economic Overview 2014 Nigeria Economy Overview Region Sub-Saharan Africa Income Category Lower middle income Population 168,833,776 GNI Per Capita (US$) 1,430 City covered Lagos Doing Business 2014 Rank Doing Business 2013 Rank Change in Rank 147 138 -9 Doing Business 2014 DTF(% points) Doing Business 2013 DTF(% points) Improvement in DTF(% points) 46.62 46.33 0.29 (Source 21 Feb 2014: http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/nigeria/ ) Corruption â€Å"The world is a chain, one link to another† Maltese Proverb, and with the rapid pace of globalization and the increase in the volume of International trade and investment , coupled with ongoing corporate scandals, has escalated the importance of issues relating to Corruption, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Politics (Rodriguez et al, 2006). As foreign firms expanded into, and new firms were born within, developing and transition economies governments, managers and scholars grew more aware of the magnitude of corruption and the need to understand and address it. Corruption has been described by several authors using very fancy words but keeping it simple; it is a wrongful act that affects the well-being of the society. Corruption abuses power for private gain and it affects everyone who depends on the integrity of people in a leadership position. It can be manifested through bribery, illegal gratuity, extortion, conflicts of interest, kickback, and corporate espionage and through commissions/fees (Source 21 Feb 2014: http://www.sfo.gov.uk/briberycorruption/briberycorruption.aspx) In public offices several ardent writers relate corruption with the continuous malicious use for self-financial gain but this is not exclusively the case because corruption also exists in both (small and large) private enterprises and their gains arise because of embezzlement, conflicts of interest, abuse of power, exploitation, bribery and fraud. (Sikka, 2008). Corruption in Developing Countries Unfortunately, it is not news to our ears that Nigeria is headed to being completely destroyed by corruption if continuous effort to curb it is not pursued vigorously. Well, I’m of the opinion the root cause of the present Nigerian corruption problem is the overarching crude oil economy and politics over the years. Transparency International is has efficiently made available a Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) which ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. The scale of 0 100, in the CPI is a s follows; 0 indicating that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 100 indicating it is perceived as very clean. Please note the countries perceived as very clean and where those countries originate from compared to those perceived as highly corrupt further stressing my view that developing countries are highly corrupt due to the economic conditions thus affecting business. (Source 21 Feb 2014: http//www.transparency.org). Copy of CPI2013_GLOBAL_WithDataSourceScores.xls Nigeria is at 144, alarming! looking past tables in the Transparency International website in 2004, Nigeria was at 90. The last country on the list is an African one, Somalia. This goes without saying. If you look at the economic situation in Somalia, it is obvious. The poorer the nation the higher the corruption. But how can there be a balance? A nation needs Foreign Direct Investment to boost its economy. The Porter Diamond Theory (Daniels et al 2007) which naturally should help boost a nation may not work in a developing country like Nigeria, according to this theory companies’ development of international competitive product depends on their success in their home country, this theory is not feasible in most developing economies, these countries need foreign investors to set companies to harness the demands of the nation but with corruption as one of the factors affecting International Business, how will be nation grow strong enough to combat it? Sadly, Nigeria has no excuse for its failure so far, at present the problem of corruption issues has been saddled in into the laps of three government bodies: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), with little or no success considering Nigeria is still falling below the world’s Confidence Interval year on year, so how can International Business be seamless? You can also find current shocking details about bribery/corruption in Nigeria on bribenigeria.com. Won’t a corporation or nation rather deal with another continent with a lower corruption issue than invest or trade with a nation who is known for corruption? If I were to answer, my answer will be no. I believe that developed countries in the world have a better advantage over the fight against corruption because developed countries do not face the several challenges that developed countries face, so third world countries or developing countries like Nigeria, still have a long way to go. Multinational Corporation’s interest in fighting Corruption in International Business It has been argued that governments and host communities  may be interested in eradicating poverty, promoting education, health care and  human rights, but corporations may not necessarily share such goals. They are  essentially ‘private’ organisation and are required by law to prioritise the welfare of  the shareholders (capital) above other stakeholders (Sikka, 2008). Corporations’ today  should to conduct their operations responsibly with accountability to wider  society and legitimise their social power corporations may acknowledge some social  responsibilities, but they most often times can’t buck the systemic requirement to increase profits  and dividends to the benefit of capital. Businesses and organizations are set up to create wealth, and so far it is a very highly  effective tool for doing so. No limitations, whether legal, ethical or moral limit  are set to what or whom corporations can exploit to create wealth for themselves and their  owners. According to Sikka (2008), ‘such practices seems to be part  of the ‘enterprise culture’ that persuades many to believe that ‘bending the rules’ for  personal gain is a sign of business acumen’ (pg. 270). Competitive  advantages is considered to be an entrepreneurial skill, especially when competitive  business environment link profit and market shares with meeting global business  target. We see that the use of bribery and inducement to secure competitive advantages is primarily a  matter of executive discretion rather than any legal or moral compulsion. It has been  argued that this discretion may be used to enrich directors since their remuneration  is influenced by the level of profits and return to capital. Markets therefore exert  pressure on companies to generate ever increasing profits and returns as capitalism  does not provide any guide to upper limits of accumulation (Sikka, 2010). Companies  can generate additional returns for finance capital, not only through competitive  advantages on products and services, but also through bribery and other  inducements to secure government contracts which are the big and guaranteed revenue even though payments are delayed .In an attempt to satisfy the corporate  goal unfortunately everybody else is put at risk. Generally, the codes of business conduct include statements rejecting the payment or  acceptance of bribes, collusion, pressure or illegitimate favour, either directly or  through third parties whether public officers or private individuals but are often not respected. Y their involvement in corrupt practices and other anti-social practices cannot therefore be  reconciled with their business codes of conduct (Sikka, 2008, 2010; Otusanya, 2012). Environmental turbulence and threats to their reputation are managed by publishing corporate social responsibility (CSR) statements and code of conduct that promise ethical behaviour, improvement of economic and social infrastructure and quality of life of all stakeholders (Phillips, 2003; Sikka, 2010). Looking at it critically even if one organization restrains itself, the superior profits of competitors and business environment exert pressure to explore ways of matching or exceeding that,  thus the tendency to increase profits through corrupt practices as a means of gaining competitive advantages remains embedded within the corporate enterprise culture. In the end, it is a â€Å"means† to an â€Å"end† or â€Å"we all want to make money† some would say. Impact of Corruption in the International Business world Without a doubt corrupt activity hinders development, contributes to the depletion of the public purse and distorts markets, furthering hindering local and Foreign Direct Investment. The growth of a nation depends on the redistribution of its wealth since the middle class and poor benefit is much greater than the affluent, who loss out of the re-distributional process. Countries suffering from corruption cannot implement sound re-distributional policies and are not expected to take benefit from sustainable economic development despite engaging upon economic growth from time to time for some reason or the other. No country or company would like to engage in business with falling economies. Another pitfall is it becomes a way of life. Corruption is like a way of life in Nigeria, from the secretary that sits at the office expecting to receive a â€Å"gift† before passing the cheque for signature to our leaders who can only award contracts by our wonderful saying â€Å" if you help me, I go help you† ( *pidgin English which means if you scratch my back, I scratch yours). There are other things to consider, for instance the level of poverty. Nigerians do not know any way out. Word on the street, is you have to be smart, so you can survive. And survival here is relative. The danger of this is that is rubs off on the nation as a whole. Our image and reputation is constantly taunted. Business people need to find out if they need to cut corners before making an investment in Nigeria and need to know the â€Å"Man at the top† before the contract is awarded It ridicule’s the concept of open and fair competition; hence the continual decline of the economy. *â€Å"Pidgin English† is the low class English spoken on the streets in Nigeria† Summary International Business as stated earlier involves all commercial transactions, private and governmental, sales, investment, transportation that takes place between two or more countries for developing countries to find a way to curb corruption to its minimum; it must first start from the sectors and the leadership. Not forgetting that the various modes of entry ranging from Imports and Exports, Tourism Transportation, Licensing and Franchising, Turnkey Operations, Management Contracts, Direct and Foreign investments need to be rid of corruption (Daniel et al 2007). In the case of Nigeria, it makes sense that any effort to eradicate corruption in must start with the oil sector, because of its all-encompassing effects on other sectors of the economy and move immediately to harnessing other natural resources, focus on production of resources that the economy has demand for thus providing job opportunities for several people. Secondly, the law enforcement would need to sanitize its own department because it is a pity that in developing countries they are the most corrupt. I’m not confident of the efficacy of the sanctions and restitution imposed and how is it been effective handled, however if sanctions from those found guilty of corruption can also be re enforced. Finally, as also noted earlier, unfortunately it has become a way of life. The biggest step will be sensitization. The media and institutions of learning will have to collaborate to ensure these morals are instilled. A full blast media campaign on the effects, combined with tutorials in classes will surely make an impact. The earlier an individual realizes that it is not a norm, the better. People should not accept or give bribe and not cut corners the better for the whole society. Corruption can be tackled, it may take forever but with collaboration and eyes on the bigger picture; when purely looking at it from a business perspective, it is indeed wiser to build a good reputation that bring a lifelong investment than engage in activities that will only provide solutions for short term needs. References/Bibliography Daniels, Radebaugh and Sullivan (2007) ‘International Business Environments and Operations’, 11th Edition. Olatunde Julius Otusanya, Sarah Lauwo, Gbadegesin Babatunde Adeyeye (2012)  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Critical Examination of the Multinational Companies’ Anti-Corruption Policy  in Nigeria† (Accountancy and Public Interest 2012). (Online journal 9th Feb 2014: http://visar.csustan.edu/aaba/Otusanya2012.pdf) Otusanya, O. J. (2011b) ‘Corruption as an Obstacle for Development in Developing  Countries: A Review of Literature’, Journal of Money Laundering Control, 14 (4):  387-422. Phillips, R. (2003) Stakeholder Theory and Organisational Ethics, San Francisco:  Berrett Koehler. Rodriguez et al (2006) ‘Three Lenses on the Multinational Enterprise: Politics,  Corruption, and Corporate Social Responsibility’, Rensselaer Working Papers in  Economics, No. 0608 New York. Sam Ejike Okoye. How to tackle corruption Effectively in Nigeria:  http://www.gamji.com/article4000/NEWS4930.htm (9 Feb 2014) Sikka, P. (2008a) ‘Enterprise Culture and Accountancy Firms: The New Master of  Universe’, Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 21(2): 268-295. Sikka, P. (2010) ‘Smoke and Mirrors: Corporate Social Responsibility and Tax  Avoidance’, Being Paper Presented at Essex Accounting Centre, Essex Business  School, University of Essex, UK http://www.essex.ac.uk/ebs/research/working_papers/WP2010-5%20PS%20CSR%20and%20Tax%20Avoidance%20Revised%20April%202010.pdf. (9 Feb 2014) Udelove (2010) ‘Why Nigeria Is Referred to as the Giant of Africa’. StudyMode.com: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Why-Nigeria-Is-Referred-To-As-449209.htm (21 Feb.2014) Yima Sen ‘Political Economy of Corruption in Nigeria’:  http://www.gamji.com/article9000/NEWS9136.htm(9 Feb 2014) Web. 9 Feb 2014 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/nigeria/energy.htm> Web. 21st Feb .2014 http://www.transparency.org > Web .21 Feb.2014 http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/index.php/2012-10-29-11-05-46/economy> Web. 21 Feb 2014 http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/nigeria/> Web. 21 Feb 2014 http://www.sfo.gov.uk/briberycorruption/briberycorruption.aspx>

Constitution Comparison Essay -- essays research papers

Constitution Comparison   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By AntiYuke I compared the U.S.A. constitution and the Australian constitution. Their differences are as abundant as their similarities. The Australian constitution is extremely long and drawn out, where as the United States constitution sticks right to the point. All in all, the two constitutions have the same goal in that they wish to bestow the same basic rights to each person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two constitutions both have a preamble, however the Australian constitution is many more times greater in length. They both state how the power is bestowed on the federal government, but the power from each comes from different places. Australian takes it from the Queen, where USA takes it from the people, displaying how the separation from the British Empire by the Australians was more peace oriented than the rebellion of the United States. The Australian preamble doesn’t deal with legitimacy to USA standards because it doesn’t state the reasons for its creation where USA simply states, â€Å"in order to form a more perfect union.† The Australian preamble sis redundant in that it states things in it that are restated later in the body of the constitution. Both constitutions are segmented into powers bestowed upon branches or states and o...

North Korean Authoritative Government Essay

In this paper, I will attempt to explain why authoritarianism regimes such as the one in North Korea, still continues to govern even though the government is one of the more corrupted types of government still in existence today. The word authoritarianism is defined as, â€Å"a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc. )†(Word Net) There are currently many countries in our world that are not democratic societies. There are authoritarian regimes that still exist today. Probably one of the more well known authoritarian regimes is the government in North Korea. North Korea gained its independence from Japan in the year 1945. Kim Jong Il is currently the leader of North Korea. The mismanagement of economics through the 1990’s has made North Korea rely heavily on international aid to feed its population. North Korea has expanded their resources to help develop a military of about one million soldiers. Central Intelligence Agency) â€Å"North Korea’s long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. † (Central Intelligence Agency) The government in North Korea is a big part to blame for the economic struggles. In President Bush’s first State of the Union Speech he declared North Korea as part of the â€Å"Axis of Evil. † Presi dent Bush also went on to say his goal was, â€Å"†to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends with weapons of mass destruction. He singled out Iraq, Iran and North Korea, claiming these states â€Å"and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil arming to threaten the peace of the world. † (Fact Sheet) â€Å"The United States must act against these regimes by denying them the â€Å"materials, technology and expertise† to make nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and provide them to terrorists, Bush said. † (Fact Sheet) North Korea is currently a communist-state one-man dictatorship. Under a communist-state one-man dictatorship elections are held but there is nobody to run against the leader. For instance in September of 2003 there was an election held in North Korea. Kim Jong Il and Kim Yong Nam were the only nominees for the positions and nobody opposed them. (Central Intelligence Agency) The government controls the people. The government rules a lot of what the people of North Korea can do or say. For the executive branch in this country, Kim Jong Il has been the ruler since July of 1994. Kim Yong Nam is the president of its Presidium and he also has the responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials. Central Intelligence Agency) As for the legislative branch, the ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition, but some seats are held by minor parties. (Central Intelligence Agency) The judicial branch of North Korea consists of a central court, and the judges are elected by the Supreme People’s Assembly. The way this government is set up is very different than the way the democratic states are set up. In a democratic society the people get to vote for leaders and high ranking officials. While in these authoritarianistic regimes, the people have no say in who is going to run their country. There have been many North Koreans that have tried to escape either to China or South Korea. Few people have made it across the boarders safely. However, if they fail to escape and they are captured by the North Korean military they will be tortured or even executed in some cases. (Pearson Education) â€Å"North Korea, one of the world’s most secretive societies, has been accused of egregious human-rights violations, including summary executions, torture, inhumane conditions in prison camps, which hold up to 200,000 prisoners, and denial of freedom of expression and movement. Access to the country is strictly limited and North Korea’s domestic media is tightly controlled, making it difficult to substantiate the accusations. † (Pearson Education) I believe a huge part of why North Korea is actually still in existence is because the military has so much control on the people. Of course no country wants to start a war with North Korea because of their military strength and their nuclear weapons. â€Å"A number of stabilizing elements assist the regime’s efforts to maintain internal order. The society seems united in popular support for the party, and the people have a strong sense of national pride. Kim Il Sung, by all indications, truly is admired and supported by the general population. † (Federal Research Division Library of Congress: Pg 275) It is difficult for people that are from a democratic government to actually understand why authoritarianism governments work. Most all of the authoritarianism governments that I know have a strong following from their people. Whether the masses like the leader because he is helping the economy or helping a food shortage situation is another story. Personally I think these people in these countries are so afraid of what the leader might do to them or their family that they just do what they are told. Of course these people have never had it any other way. They don’t know what it is like to have a democracy. They don’t know what it is like to voice their opinion. The people in North Korea didn’t get to choose where they wanted to be born. If we had a free world I’m sure when some of those people realized that there are better governments in the world that won’t control your every move then they would leave the country. It is just not that easy for anyone to just get up and go to China or South Korea. People born into democratic societies should be thankful that they can enjoy the freedoms that they have, because there are other parts of the world where the idea of having rights is completely out of their control. There is no possible way the people can over throw the government in North Korea. North Korea has too strong of a military. One way the government will get overthrown is if it is done internally. The second way it will get overthrown is if they go to war with another country and they lose their power. â€Å"Indeed, research on Korean communism has become the pursuit of an avocation, meandering off the mainstream of contemporary social science. Most students of Korean communism have come under the influence, in varying degrees, of the lingering legacy of Kremlinology and the advancing model of Chinese studies. Following the general lines of development in Chinese studies in the 1960s and 1970s, research on Korean communism has shown an uneven advancement. On balance, research and knowledge concerning North Korea’s domestic politics and economy have developed more rapidly and significantly than the study of its foreign policy, which has remained neglected and underdeveloped. (Kim Pg:282) The economy in North Korea is struggling. Due to flooding and the lack of arable land, the people in North Korea are at a food shortage. Massive amounts of international food aid have allowed people of North Korea not to starve. Central Intelligence Agency) Mal-nutrition and poor living conditions still exist heavily in North Korea. As with everything else in the country, the government has the right to control the food and economic conditions. The religions that are practiced in this authoritarianism government are traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, with some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way. ) â€Å"Autonomous religions activities now are almost nonexistent; government sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom. (Central Intelligence Agency) Like other authoritarianistic governments such as Cuba, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq until not to long ago, the regimes will last until somebody does something about it. The United States ended the authoritarianism regime in Iraq because we had enough military power to overtake Sadaam Hussein. The U. S. troops are still over in Iraq trying to force the Iraqi people into having a democracy. The Iraqi people that have voted so far on the new leader of their country is not a man that the United States wants to have them run their country. Sadaam Hussein would still be in power and have complete control of Iraq if the United States didn’t take him out of power. The military balance in South Korea is much stronger then North Korea. In case of another North Korean invasion, the South Korean military only has about 600,000 people while the north has around one million. However these numbers are misleading because of the fact that these numbers don’t include the superior training, equipment, and logistical support that the south has. Kang: Pg 262) â€Å"The South has outspent the North on defense in the last 15 years, if not longer. † (Kang: Pg 262) North Korea’s nuclear threats are a grave concern for South Korea and the rest of the world. The Soviets were building bombs in the 1950’s and China developed a nuclear bomb in the early 1960’s. North Korea didn’t start trying to assemble nuclear weapons until South Korea became a threat to them because they were overtaking North Korea in a lot of areas during the 1970’s. Kang: Pg 266) â€Å"North Korea’s significance to the world with a bomb is much greater than without a bomb. † (Kang: Pg 266)In conclusion, there are many reasons why the authoritarianism regime in North Korea is still up and running to this day. There is simply no way that anyone can overthrow the government unless it is done internally. The people located in these authoritarianism regimes usually like the leader, and agree to what he says. These people didn’t choose where they wanted to be born just like nobody in a democratic state had an opinion as to where they would like to be born. It is sad that most all of the money spent in North Korea is aimed toward building up a better military and not helping out with the economy or the food shortages. The only way these people know how to live is to be ruled by a dictator. Until the United States or some other world power takes down North Korea, the authoritarianism regime will continue to govern.

Meaning and Origin of the Surname Duda

Meaning and Origin of the Surname Duda From the Polish noun duda, meaning bagpipes or bad musician, the common Polish surname Duda is most likely an occupational surname for one who played the bagpipes or, possibly, one who played them badly.  A dudy  is a form of bagpipe with a single reed in the chanter, common in the southern and western areas of Bohemia in the Czech Republic, and in  parts of Poland and Austria.   Another possible meaning, suggested by Polish name expert Prof. Kazimierz Rymut in his book Nazwiska Polakow (The Surnames of Poles), is one who made a lot of needless noise. Duda is among the 50 most common Polish surnames.   Surname Origin: Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Slovak Alternate Surname Spellings:  DUDDA, DADA Where do People with the Surname DUDA Live? According to Slownik nazwisk wspolczesnie w Polsce uzywanych, Directory of Surnames in Current Use in Poland, which covers about 94% of the population of Poland, there were 38,290 Polish citizens with the Duda surname living in Poland in 1990.   Famous People with the Surname DUDA Lucas Duda - American professional MLB baseball playerAndrzej Sebastian Duda - Polish lawyer and politician; sixth President of Poland Genealogy Resources for the Surname DUDA Duda Family Tree DNA Surname ProjectMale individuals with the Duda or Dudda surname can come together with other Duda researchers interested in using a combination of Y-DNA testing and traditional genealogical research to connect Duda families back to common ancestors. Duda Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Duda surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Duda surname query. DistantCousin.com - DUDA Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Duda. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name MeaningsCant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. Sources Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Bergenfield, NJ:  Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Hoffman, William F. Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings. Chicago:  Polish Genealogical Society, 1993. Rymut, Kazimierz. Nazwiska Polakow. Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy im. Ossolinskich - Wydawnictwo, 1991. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

The car planned by the company Essays

The car planned by the company Essays The car planned by the company Essay The car planned by the company Essay BMW production is committed to fulfilling premium demands related to product quality and to meeting deadlines. Some 70,000 employees in 23 locations ensure that every customer receives his or her tailor-made vehicle on time throughout the world. We do this with our Customer-oriented Sales and Production Process, or COSP for short. The principle behind COSP is that the car ordered by the customer defines the production process not the car planned by the company. In this way, the customer can make last-minute changes to the equipment and accessories theyve ordered shortly before the vehicle goes to assembly without delaying the date of delivery. The goal of BMW Group Production is to deliver the customers custom-tailored premium automobile or motorcycle by the agreed-upon deadline in our customary high quality. This claim requires us to continually develop our processes and structures further, and thus, to adapt regularly to new situations. (BMW Group, 2005) As a learning organization, the BMW Group must recognize changing demands at an early stage and orient itself rapidly and flexibly to new conditions. One example of this is our Customer-oriented sales and production process,(or KOVP as it is abbreviated in German), gives customers new dimensions of service: simple, online ordering processes at the dealers, immediate, binding order confirmation and delivery date, flexibility when changes are desired, information on order status, and on-time delivery. (BMW Group, 2005) One of KOVPs most remarkable features is its high flexibility for customers. Requests for chassis changes (including motor, color, and equipment) can be handled up until circa one week before assembly without affecting the agreed-upon delivery date. Today, up to 120,000 BMW change requests are realized per month. The tradition of quality at the BMW Group permeates all work processes of the worldwide production network. A comprehensive, multi-level quality management system ensures quality in all work processes as well as components and materials, and ultimately products. But above all, the BMW Group orients its quality management system to the needs of its customers. One foundation of Made by BMW Group is their employees. Customer-oriented thought and action abbreviated in German as KDH is part of corporation philosophy and anchors their goal of achieving perfect results in all manufacturing areas. The BMWs employees attitude to quality from the very beginning, continuing along the entire process chain, prevents mistakes and ensures continual improvement. To fulfill their customers desires as well as their demands on automobiles and motorcycles as rapidly and flexibly as possible, they continually develop and refine all processes, structures, and systems in our entire production network. Digital Manufacturing simulation technology for planning tomorrows factories has become a very important tool. The BMW group is using it intensively, for example, to design the new BMW plant in Leipzig. (BMW Group, 2005) The increasing significance of intelligent lightweight construction is causing a dramatic transformation in production technology. The BMW Groups technology centers are already developing manufacturing processes for die-cast magnesium automobile components. The centers are evaluating such components for their suitability in series production, as well as working on uses for metal foams. Early involvement in these fields enables rapid integration of new, innovative technologies in series processes. The BMW Group does not only gauge the plant of the future on its productivity and flexibility, however. It must just as equally reflect our responsibility for people and the environment. (BMW Group, 2005) The performance capability of the BMW Groups production network depends on the special commitment, identification, and know-how of its employees. In addition to future-oriented technologies and the most modern equipment, the employees are the central element in the manufacture of premium products. Systematic linking of internal and external partners as well as targeted knowledge transfer ensures both today and in the future that the customer will obtain his dream automobile by the agreed-upon delivery date and in the high quality expected of all made by BMW Group vehicles. The over 70,000 employees of the worldwide production network are united in their common enthusiasm for all of the concerns vehicles, their quest to achieve highest quality results in all working processes, and their will to make a significant contribution to the BMW Groups success now and in the future. Innovative forms of work are important factors for stimulating performance, creativity, and gratification in the workplace. The BMW Group uses over 300 successful work-schedule models. These enable the corporation to utilize its plants flexibly and react to customer as well as market demands and at the same time, to respond to the needs of its employees. (BMW Group, 2005) To improve efficient use of resources (material, energy, water) by products as well as during production, a precise balance between ecological and economical issues must be sought after. In addition to the BMW Groups recycling strategy with its core elements RDZ (German: Recycling und Demontagezentrum; English: Recycling and Disassembly Center), Design-for-Recycling, and Material Labeling, the BMW Group focuses primarily on the most efficient possible use of resources in intelligent systems. Water is the basis of all life. In production where almost one-third of all waste water accumulates they have succeeded in promoting exceptionally frugal use of water. This has been made possible by closed cooling cycles, closed-circulation water usage and waste water treatment equipment, and the use of future-oriented technologies such as powdered clear varnish as well. (BMW Group, 2005) To save energy, production uses sophisticated central routing technology, for example. This enables energy-using components to be turned on and off precisely when needed. In addition, the use of heat reclamation equipment, use of industrial waste heat, and cold generation in absorption equipment supports the development of circulation systems. This makes it possible to exploit primary energy to a high degree, ensuring an energy supply which is also environmentally friendly. (BMW Group, 2005) The BMW Group places great value on designing products which are optimized for recycling as well as separating and utilizing waste materials which accrue during production; care is taken, for example, only to transfer waste materials to recovery and cleanup partners who have passed the BMW Groups recovery audit. Our uppermost goal, however, is to not accrue waste materials in the first place. Each location has responsible employees who use a waste material information system to optimize processes and procedures. This system enables a precise overview of the flow of waste materials. This enables the continual development of further strategies for waste reduction and avoidance. (BMW Group, 2005) A sophisticated transportation logistics concept ensures optimum utilization of sea, rail and truck containers. The BMW Group also uses reusable packaging and cases to make transportation as environmentally-friendly as possible. Transport agents receive orders bundled according to volume and in most cases they are paid only for the volume transported. As a result they automatically have an incentive to organize transport services in a more efficient and environmentally-friendly manner and empty runs are avoided. Furthermore, all transport agents are bound by contract to use only trucks which comply with the latest European emissions standard. When it comes to overland transportation, the BMW Group tries to keep road haulage to a minimum and to use rail transportation where possible. Overall, more than half of all new vehicles left the plants by rail in 2007. Individual plants, such as Magna Steyr in Austria dispatch almost 90% of new vehicles to their destination by rail; in Dingolfing (Germany) and Rosslyn (South Africa) around 70% of all vehicles leave the plants by trucks. BMW plants in southern Germany receive materials from their German suppliers on logistics trains linked via five rail connections. (BMW Group, 2005) Up until now, new vehicles were protected from the elements and damage during transit by adhesive film, protective covers or wax. To establish whether this was absolutely necessary and determine the environmental impact, the BMW Group conducted an environmental performance evaluation. The study concluded that closed transport, as in covered freight cars, or open transport with subsequent cleaning of the vehicles is much better for the environment. Up to 80% of the CO2 emissions generated by application and disposal of surface protection can be prevented this way. In 2007, 72% of all vehicles were shipped without surface protection. This has dramatically reduced the use of solvents and chemicals. In the future, the BMW Group will manage with even less packaging and also further reduce the number of vehicles shipped with surface protection. (BMW Group, 2005) As far as the actual shipments are concerned, the BMW Group selects the method of transportation which produces the lowest emissions. Consequently, the shipment of goods via air freight is avoided wherever possible. Instead, the BMW Group prefers to use sea freight: In 2007, seaborne transportation made up 76. 8% of the total transportation capacity, while air freight accounted for just 0. 2%. (BMW Group, 2005) BMW recently reengineered its distribution process to reduce costs and improve response time for dealers and parts vendors. The company had used two private facilities for the distribution of new parts, motorcycles and core-parts returns. When new-parts sales began to expand, BMW sought a third-party logistics partner with the expertise and resources to manage domestic distribution of motorcycles and returns of core parts such as engines and alternators. The company chose Kuehne + Nagel, which leveraged its nationwide warehouse network to implement an efficient, cost-effective solution. (Kuehne + Nagel Contract Logistics, 2009) BMWs are distributed from two Kuehne + Nagel locations in New Jersey and California to cars, motorcycles and parts coming from Germany. Each facility inspects all the cargo for damage upon receipt. Kuehne + Nagel then store by model number, color and vehicle identification number, and ships 99 percent of all orders same-day to dealers nationwide. Access to BMWs electronic inventory system enables Kuehne + Nagel to check status of inbound shipments and report dealer deliveries. BMW core-part returns are managed by five Kuehne + Nagel multi-client facilities in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Jersey City, N. J. , and Cerritos, California. Each facility processes inbound core-part shipments from dealers, and distributes returns to vendors in the U. S. and Germany. (Kuehne + Nagel Contract Logistics, 2009) For dealers, working with five centralized warehouses, instead of two, has reduced freight costs and expedited credit processing. Kuehne + Nagel maintain strict compliance with individual vendor regulations for parts and delivery. Kuehne + Nagel are now supporting record sales for BMW vehicles. Its resources and expertise in distribution have enabled BMW to: Achieve same-day turnaround on 99 percent of all orders; Reduce dealer freight costs for core-parts returns; Dedicate its private facilities to new-parts distribution; Better respond to seasonal peaks and new-product introductions (Kuehne + Nagel Contract Logistics, 2009) These resources are a big asset to BMW, says Basan, because they allow us to address issues more quickly and cost-effectively than if we were managing the jobs internally. (Fleischmann, 2006) Two automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) act as a buffer to make the delayed assignment possible. One AS/RS holds 220 car bodies while the other holds 230. As vehicles exit the paint shop, they go into the AS/RS where they are held until the assembly line is ready for them. The combination of staging in the AS/RS and delayed assignment actually increases production flexibility. BMW can now alter the build sequence until nearly the last moment to accommodate any supply chain bottlenecks. (Modern Materials Handling Staff, 2004) Another important contributor to that flexibility is the highly automated parts warehouse known as the Sequence Center adjacent to the plant. This facility receives and temporarily stages parts coming from suppliers. When the parts are needed for production, they are kitted in a specific build order, and transported by pallet conveyor through a connecting tunnel to the plant. (Modern Materials Handling Staff, 2004)

Brittany essays

Brittany essays The particular significance of Brittany lies in its transformation from a region marginal to the rest of France, both culturally and economically, to a leading agricultural area of the country (Roger Dalton Brittany has traditionally suffered out migration, particularly of the younger population. So much so that the area was still under demographic pressure immediately after the end of the Second World War. Increases in farm sizes have reduced labour needs over the years. 235,000 farms in 1955, reduced to 175,000 in 1970 and to less than 80,000 in 1994 (Canevet, 1994). Four or five people per sq km were the areas worst recorded levels of population density within central Brittany. Low incomes and poverty increased emigration as over 1 million people left Brittany between 1860 and 1960. The possibilities of industries and increases in tertiary sectors looked bleak. So small peasant farms had no real choice but to try and intensify their crops and livestock. MAP showing agricultural region in need of aid. Brittany is an agricultural area, which had a very agricultural landscape. Substantial removal of Bocage, changed the landscape in preparation for the intensification of the agricultural economy in Brittany. Bocage is 'a chess board of little fields and meadows surrounded by hedgerow trees' (de Martonne, 1933) Losses of 7% of land to urban growth since 1970, and elevated areas in central Brittany have also been abandoned. This has resulted in a decline in land area, yet a greater usage of existing land. Area accounts for over one third of feedstuffs within France, and that is the reason why the large market within Brittany itself allows locals to get it for 10-12% less in value, thus allowing the agricultural and livestock sectors to thrive. Growing competition from abroad in the fishing industry has resulted in Brittany becoming an expensive place to fish. Breton's parliament was ...

Cultural Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cultural Imperialism - Essay Example Since media plays a vital role in the cultural lives of millions of people and the fact that media sector is by and large controlled by Western interests, there have been arguments in favor of the idea ‘cultural imperialism’. Although the central postulate of cultural imperialism thesis remains valid due to the lopsidedness in the global media market, the so-called cultural imperialism through the Western cultural products cannot be seen as one sided as the theorists of cultural imperialism perspective understood it to be. In the light of the recent developments taking place in the media sector, especially the regional media in the developing countries and the changes bought by the new media technologies, this paper intends to present the basic theoretical tenets of cultural imperialism and the challenges to it from various perspectives. The core concern of the essay is to examine what is remaining relevant with the arguments and concerns regarding cultural imperialism a nd the criticisms provided by the contesting theoretical doctrines from the vantage point of the tremendous transformations occurring with the global media culture from the very beginning of twenty first century. Explaining Cultural Imperialism The widespread availability of American cultural products such as music, television channels, entertainment and informational commodities is one of the important factors that enable the lopsided influence of American culture over the rest of the world. Therefore, Schiller famously defines cultural imperialism as "the sum of processes by which a society is brought into the modern world system and how its dominating stratum is attracted, pressured, forced, and sometimes bribed into shaping social institutions to correspond to, or even promote, the values and structures of the dominating centre of the system" (Schiller, 1976: 9). Importantly, Schiller (1969) has found a common ground between the study of media dominance and theories of economic imperialism. For him, it is necessary to look at theories such as world systems and dependency theories in order to explore the dynamics of domination in the sphere of communication. For Schiller, it is nothing but the viability of American indu strial economy that furthers "the movements towards international commercialization of broadcasting" (Schiller, 1969: 9). And, hence, the enhanced spread of cultural imperialism. On the economic realm, the proliferation of American products has a penetrating impact over the determination of the cultural aspects of the lives of millions of people from outside the United States. Many theorists have almost equated cultural imperialism with American cultural imperialism as if the United States alone is the conductor of the concert of global cultural imperialism. What is important to note that there is no single culture that alone oppresses other cultures. With reference to the nation state as the overwhelming reality in the modern world, it is possible to classify cultural imperialism as cultural imperia

How important is the Constitution of Qatar for you Essay

How important is the Constitution of Qatar for you - Essay Example The constitution guarantees certain rights for all citizens and confirms in writing all details surrounding government and citizen responsibilities. This is very good because it prevents conflict when people disagree about tenure of office, or the rules for different government systems. I like this written constitution because it explains complicated relationships between the Emir, the politicians, and the leaders and citizens in my country. The constitution is important to me for another reason, and this is the fact that it helps other countries to see what Qatar is like: a modern, Islamic state with a fair and just legal system. The constitution combines the traditional values of Islam with modern democratic processes, such as elections, an Advisory Council, Cabinet and various rules for emergency situations, State Budget, etc. Qatar needs these systems to be clear so that Qatar can join in with other countries on an equal and respected basis. We have a very long history, going back to the Stone Age, but other countries may not know how Qatari society has evolved. This constitution shows people what Qatar has achieved, and how it organizes things in society. If, in the future, Qatar wants to develop or change any systems, then it has a good basis for that now, and Article 144 provides a mechanism for suggesting and approving amendments to any of the articles. I think there will be changes to the constitution in the future, but the constitution ensures that any changes will be carefully discussed by the government. It would be dangerous to have too much power in the hands of just a few people, and the constitution guarantees a balance between different groups in society. The judges are independent, (Qatari Constitution, Article 131) and this is very important to me because if I have a business there, or own some land, or have any problems with a neighbour, for example, then I can turn to the

Being A Good Second Language Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Being A Good Second Language Teacher - Essay Example As for academic studying a foreign language can improve cognitive and critical thinking abilities. Knowledge of a foreign language gives an advantage in every career. Foreign language study provides the ability to gain an understanding of the country's trading partners. Many multinational corporations and nongovernmental organizations need people with foreign language abilities. Learning a language is not just learning about its pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, it is learning to see the world as the other culture sees it. To study a language well, the teacher must have professional skills and have perfect knowledge in language. Also it is important to involve students in studying and to make the subject interesting. For language teacher is obligatory to be a good trainer in speaking and writing and know how to make his lessons easy for understanding and for learning. In order to have good knowledge in language it is necessary to understand all sciences that are connected with language studying. These are all sciences that are called Linguistics sciences and of course Country study. Language learners must acquire a language's components such as its sound system, basic lexicon, and grammatical structure, all of which takes time and practice. Students that study modern languages need great opportunities to speak, listen, read, and write in order to develop communicative fluency, understanding of how the language is constructed, and understanding of culturally-appropriate interactions. The most important and the most interesting branch of Linguistics is Communicative Linguistics. This branch works not only with text but also with its elements and their roles and with their functions. While studying language main practical aims are to speak fluently and to write correctly. It is impossible without learning of sound system (Phonetics). Different groups of languages have different sound systems and very often they differs a much. For example, we can take English language. There are three types of Phonetics: Acoustic Phonetics is the study of the physical properties of sounds, Auditory Phonetics is the study of the way listeners perceive sounds and Articulatory Phonetics. Several different combinations of letters can represent one sound. For example, he, believe, Lee, Caesar, key, amoeba, loudly, machine, people, and sea. Also a great role has different factors that have influence on sounds. For example, duration is very important. Let's take duration of the sound [i] in words sea [si:] and see [si] where it gives the meaning to the word. The ways in which sounds and meanings are related is called Semantics. Lexical semantics is concerned with the meanings of words and the meaning of relationships among words, while phrasal semantics is concerned with the meaning of syntactic units larger than the word. Semantic properties are the components of meanings of words. For example, the semantic property "human" can be found in many words such as parent, doctor, baby, professor, widow, and aunt. Other semantic properties include animate objects, male, female, countable items and non-countable items. Also Semantics contains such parts as homonyms (different words that are pronounced the same, but may or may not be spelled the same (to, two, and too), polysemous

Real Estate Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real Estate Sustainability - Essay Example Therefore, the elevated performance by the standard chartered bank has resulted from its investments in energy proficient technologies that are within its buildings, inclusive of the smart lighting, the photovoltaic panels, effective cooling systems and water recycling among others. Standard chartered approaches the issue of sustainability of the real estate portfolio using four elements that include planet, profit, people and project ((Siemens, 2012). The methods that are employed in improving the sustainability of the real estate portfolio by the bank usually require a number of tools to support the improvements and deliver the major indicators such as access to energy and sanitation. The existing tools and management systems employed currently by the Bank include sustainable foot printing, LEED, BREEAM, and the IPD Environment code. These are the key assessment tools used by the bank for evaluating sustainable real estate portfolio. These tools normally go beyond measuring the efficiency of energy on a building and incorporate the spatial, economical and social aspects enabling the approach on planet people profit and project to be an extremely sustainable approach on real estate. BREEAM, which is one of the available tools at SCB (Standard Chattered Bank) for improving the sustainable real estate portfolio, is an environmental profiling type that assesses the environmental performance and construction material of a portfolio. The tool assesses transport, waste, water, heath, and energy among other things. The tool, which allows for a stimulation of demand for sustainable buildings and mitigation of the influences of a building on the environment, has been employed by the Bank and key indicators achieved in its implementation. Standard Chattered Bank recently secured an improved tool referred to as BREEAM

Discovering Art, Design and Cultural Movement Essay

Discovering Art, Design and Cultural Movement - Essay Example Through intensified interaction especially with the advanced telecommunication, technologies in the contemporary society the world became a global village in which people freely share cultural values. The manifestation of a culture is in its art, arts represent the society as the people observe their actions and relations and capture such in such works of arts as music, paintings and sculptures among others. Cultural movement on the other hand refers to the distinctive change in the way in which the different disciplines in the society approached their work. With time, the human societies developed thus adopted newer mindsets. With every progressive development, the cultures of the societies changed thus compelling great changes in the manner in which the people approached their works and formulated their relations. Among the great tenets of the cultural movements were arts. Throughout the history of humans, art has often exhibited great intellectual prowess among the people. In such different times, leading artists used distinct technologies to influence the development of the art thus portraying the society more evidently to their diverse audiences. The development of art and its manifestation in the representation of the society was always a representation of the developments in the society. ... The period was marked with great religious influence of the early Christian society. The church wanted to use art as a means to increase its spread and influence. To achieve such, the Roman Catholic employed the great minds in arts such as Michelangelo and used their minds to influence the consumption of products of arts by the common public. During this definitive period, arts targeted the common public and the artists provided as much information about their work as possible. Unlike in the renaissance period in which artists such as Leonardo concealed their messages in artistic sophistication, the baroque period was characterized with detail and provision of as much information about the artifact as possible. Michelangelo as the epitome of arts at the time sought to gain more relevance with the masses. His choice of models was specific, as urbanization had just began in the early Roman society. He used street models such as prostitutes who posed for him in his paintings. One of his greatest paintings for the Roman Catholic was the death of Marry, which just as most of his works he uses the locals as models and employs the commonly available features of the population to influence the population’s understanding of the church and its teachings. In the painting, Marry, Jesus’ mother is a depiction of a local prostitute in the street who models to him. The woman is dressed in normal clothes used by the poor who lived in the neighborhood and targeted by the church in their campaign in an attempt to regain the confidence and sympathy of the people. The tactic worked as the church received more sympathy from the populace. While the Roman Catholic achieved their primary

A research paper about Toni Morrison's novel Beloved Essay

A research paper about Toni Morrison's novel Beloved - Essay Example Besides, Morrison also foregrounds the significance of storytelling and employs different narrative voices to reflect Sethe’s fragmented stories. This form of narration allows her to keep the reader interested and eager to know the unfolding of the story. Morrison’s allusion to â€Å"Sixty million and more† represents not only an acknowledgement but also a tribute to the millions of Africans that had to go through the Middle passage. The exact number of these people who underwent much suffering and pain will never be known; however, their memory will survive through their experiences and writings like Morrison’s and others that strive to keep the memory alive. This statement reveals: â€Å"Let us turn to Beloved, a Pulitzer Prize winning book set in antebellum America. Usually classified as a neo-slave narrative, it deals with slavery and the myriads of traumas inflicted by such a horrifying institution on the survivors† (Palladino 54). Through Seth e’s and her fellow slaves’ experiences, Morrison portrays the atrocities and evil these millions of slaves had to go through. Besides, this homage to those who experienced slavery has a deep connection with another number that begins the novel: â€Å"124 WAS SPITEFUL. Full of a baby's venom. ... Therefore, 124 has a special link with slavery not only because it was a house that offered refuge to runaway slaves but it also symbolizes the brutalities of slavery through the painful murder of Sethe’s baby. In fact, the missing figure (3) in the number represents Beloved, Sethe’s third child sacrificed through the devastation of slavery, but it also symbolizes all the victims who died in the sea or through of the atrocities of their enslavement. This critic informs: â€Å"The sequence 1 2 4 that misses the third figure, signifies the absence of Sethe’s third child: Sethe has four children, Howard, Buglar, the little killed baby, and Denver. Beloved has been excluded from the family, from life and from being enumerated among Sethe’s children; she has been left out and consciously forgotten for being a heavy and unbearable memory†(Palladino 57). Thus, this deliberate effort to forget Beloved represents an attempt to ignore the pain and suffering r elated to slavery. Moreover, Morrison uses an efficient writing strategy in order to expose the destructive nature of slavery. She carefully combines form and content in an attempt to foreground the brutalities of slavery and the trauma it caused its victims. Indeed, the first paragraph sets the tone of the story without telling explicitly what the real problem is. This style reflects Morrison’s effort to keep the reader interested and waiting. The narrator introduces the ghost without naming it: â€Å"As soon as two tiny hand prints appeared in the cake (that was it for Howard). Neither boy waited to see more; another kettleful of chickpeas smoking in a heap on the floor; soda crackers crumbled and strewn in a line next to the door sill. Nor did they wait

Real Estate Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real Estate Sustainability - Essay Example Therefore, the elevated performance by the standard chartered bank has resulted from its investments in energy proficient technologies that are within its buildings, inclusive of the smart lighting, the photovoltaic panels, effective cooling systems and water recycling among others. Standard chartered approaches the issue of sustainability of the real estate portfolio using four elements that include planet, profit, people and project ((Siemens, 2012). The methods that are employed in improving the sustainability of the real estate portfolio by the bank usually require a number of tools to support the improvements and deliver the major indicators such as access to energy and sanitation. The existing tools and management systems employed currently by the Bank include sustainable foot printing, LEED, BREEAM, and the IPD Environment code. These are the key assessment tools used by the bank for evaluating sustainable real estate portfolio. These tools normally go beyond measuring the efficiency of energy on a building and incorporate the spatial, economical and social aspects enabling the approach on planet people profit and project to be an extremely sustainable approach on real estate. BREEAM, which is one of the available tools at SCB (Standard Chattered Bank) for improving the sustainable real estate portfolio, is an environmental profiling type that assesses the environmental performance and construction material of a portfolio. The tool assesses transport, waste, water, heath, and energy among other things. The tool, which allows for a stimulation of demand for sustainable buildings and mitigation of the influences of a building on the environment, has been employed by the Bank and key indicators achieved in its implementation. Standard Chattered Bank recently secured an improved tool referred to as BREEAM

A research paper about Toni Morrison's novel Beloved Essay

A research paper about Toni Morrison's novel Beloved - Essay Example Besides, Morrison also foregrounds the significance of storytelling and employs different narrative voices to reflect Sethe’s fragmented stories. This form of narration allows her to keep the reader interested and eager to know the unfolding of the story. Morrison’s allusion to â€Å"Sixty million and more† represents not only an acknowledgement but also a tribute to the millions of Africans that had to go through the Middle passage. The exact number of these people who underwent much suffering and pain will never be known; however, their memory will survive through their experiences and writings like Morrison’s and others that strive to keep the memory alive. This statement reveals: â€Å"Let us turn to Beloved, a Pulitzer Prize winning book set in antebellum America. Usually classified as a neo-slave narrative, it deals with slavery and the myriads of traumas inflicted by such a horrifying institution on the survivors† (Palladino 54). Through Seth e’s and her fellow slaves’ experiences, Morrison portrays the atrocities and evil these millions of slaves had to go through. Besides, this homage to those who experienced slavery has a deep connection with another number that begins the novel: â€Å"124 WAS SPITEFUL. Full of a baby's venom. ... Therefore, 124 has a special link with slavery not only because it was a house that offered refuge to runaway slaves but it also symbolizes the brutalities of slavery through the painful murder of Sethe’s baby. In fact, the missing figure (3) in the number represents Beloved, Sethe’s third child sacrificed through the devastation of slavery, but it also symbolizes all the victims who died in the sea or through of the atrocities of their enslavement. This critic informs: â€Å"The sequence 1 2 4 that misses the third figure, signifies the absence of Sethe’s third child: Sethe has four children, Howard, Buglar, the little killed baby, and Denver. Beloved has been excluded from the family, from life and from being enumerated among Sethe’s children; she has been left out and consciously forgotten for being a heavy and unbearable memory†(Palladino 57). Thus, this deliberate effort to forget Beloved represents an attempt to ignore the pain and suffering r elated to slavery. Moreover, Morrison uses an efficient writing strategy in order to expose the destructive nature of slavery. She carefully combines form and content in an attempt to foreground the brutalities of slavery and the trauma it caused its victims. Indeed, the first paragraph sets the tone of the story without telling explicitly what the real problem is. This style reflects Morrison’s effort to keep the reader interested and waiting. The narrator introduces the ghost without naming it: â€Å"As soon as two tiny hand prints appeared in the cake (that was it for Howard). Neither boy waited to see more; another kettleful of chickpeas smoking in a heap on the floor; soda crackers crumbled and strewn in a line next to the door sill. Nor did they wait

Left In The Lurch Essay Example for Free

Left In The Lurch Essay Jim showed up at work today and found out that Sara called in sick but Jim thought he saw Sara at the gas station on his way to work this morning. It was a car like hers and he’s pretty sure that it was her license plate. Jim and Sara were supposed to give a big presentation to the CEO today and Sara never sent him her slides for the PowerPoint show. What are Jim’s options? Jim should call Sara to see if she would answer the phone to check on her. If she answers he could then ask if she would send the power point slides by email. Or Jim could try to postpone the meeting to a later time until he can get the power point slides from Sara or she could be there for the presentation. What does he actually know and what does he think he knows? Does it matter? Jim knows that Sara called in sick and they were to give a big presentation to the CEO and he also knows he doesn’t have her slides for the Power Point show. Jim thinks he saw Sara at the gas station because he saw a car that looked like hers and he thought the license plate was her number. It doesn’t matter why she called in sick or if it was her at the gas station. Jim still needs to find a solution to his problem before the presentation. How could he apply the character qualities you’ve learned about so far (persistence, enthusiasm, optimism, and self-control) in this situation? Being positive in this state of affairs and having the determination to get through this presentation. Being optimistic will help him give the performance without Sara. Jim can exhibit self-control by not getting upset and blaming everything on Sara, when he should be focusing on the presentation. Jim exhibiting self-control, being optimistic, being persistent and enthusiastic all plays a major role in the way he is going handle this problem. These qualities will help Jim to make new slides for his presentation and overcome the urge to be upset with Sara. His ability to show enthusiasm will help him to deliver his presentation to the CEO. What should he do? Jim should try and call Sara to see if she can email the slides. If he can’t get a hold of Sara, Jim can do the slides himself and go into the meeting with confidence and enthusiasm. Jim should focus on getting through the meeting by doing the best that he can do in this type of situation by, showing that he can overcome and adapt to the situation he is facing.

Horizontal Integration And Conglomerate Diversification Marketing Essay

Horizontal Integration And Conglomerate Diversification Marketing Essay 1: Define and distinguish between the following pairs of grand strategies: Horizontal integration is a grand strategy based on growth the acquisition of similar firms operating at the same stage of the production-marketing chain. (Pearce, p. 218) Vertical integration is the grand strategy based on the acquisition of firms that supply the acquiring firm with inputs or new customers for its outputs. (Pearce, p. 220) Horizontal integration acquires more entities within the same level of the supply chain where vertical integration acquires entities up and down the supply chain to control the entire production and distribution process from raw materials to final consumer. Conglomerate diversification is the grand strategy that involves the acquisition of a business because it presents the most promising investment opportunity available. (Pearce, p. 221) Concentric diversification involves the acquisition of a second business that benefits from access to the first firms core competencies. (Pearce, 221) Concentric diversification seeks synergies between its acquisitions where conglomerate diversification does not. Newell Rubbermaid is an example of a large conglomerate that has begun to look for more concentric diversifications in the last 10 years divesting businesses that are not good fits for the overall portfolio. Product development is the growth strategy that involves the substantial modification of existing products that can be marketed to current customers. (Pearce, p. 216) Innovation is a grand strategy that seeks to reap the premium margins associated with creation and customer acceptance of a new product or service. (Pearce, p. 216) Innovation is truly difficult to make profitable. It requires a significant amount of research, time, and financial resources. Many more companies practice product development and use the term innovation. Joint venture is a grand strategy in which companies create a co-owned business that operates for their mutual benefit. (Pearce, p. 230) Strategic alliances are contractual partnerships where the companies involved do not take an equity position in one another. (Pearce, p. 232) Strategic alliances can be between companies with similar customer bases that can benefit from each others resources such as a distribution network. Joint ventures are much more complicated and longer term. Each entity has rights and ownership into one common business. This is much more common when US firms begin to do business in countries like China and Mexico. 2: What are three ways a firm can incorporate the advantage of speed in its business? Speed to market, or rapid response to customer requests has become a major source of competitive advantage in the global market. We live and work in an environment where everyone wants everything now. The customer has an unmet need and does not want to wait for your firm to provide a product that meets their need. This can be an important market strategy if the firm in question can quickly adjust products or processes to meet the customers needs fast. First, customer responsiveness. All customers have dealt with frustrations related to delays or slow service. The same holds true from business to business. Quick response with useful solutions, information, and products can become the basis of a competitive advantage especially if the firm can consistently deliver faster than the competition. Second, product development cycles. There are automotive companies that have worked to streamline product development taking a new product from concept to production within less than 9 months. Todays marketplace thrives on newness, and products may only last for a year or two from launch to grave. Being efficient at product development is a key strategy. Third, speed in delivery or distribution. Firms that can get you what you need, when you need it (even when its tomorrow) will have a competitive advantage. A key example of this is the Batesville Casket Company. Funeral homes across the country do not stock all designs and styles of caskets, yet they can meet with a client at 5pm on one day and have their exact custom order delivered before noon the next day anywhere in the country. This is done through an intricate network of distribution centers that stock one of everything. When one item is pulled from the distribution center, manufacturing begins to make the replacement. 3: How does market focus help a business create competitive advantage? What risks accompany such a posture? Market focus allows some businesses to compete on the basis of low cost, differentiation, and rapid response against much larger businesses with greater resources. Focus lets a business learn its target customer in greater detail and develop personal relationships that will differentiate the smaller firm or make it more valuable to the target customer. Market focus may also be an advantage because it will reduce the number of competitors in a market. For example, if your firm sells and delivers floral bouquets, you may compete with large global firms like 1800Flowers or FTD. By focusing on the needs of the local market that the large firms have ignored, your firm may be able to gain an advantage over the larger firms. The risk of market focus is that you attract major competitors that have waited for your business to prove the market. They let you be the guinea pig, and now that the market seems to be agreeable, they will swoop in and begin taking customers and market share. Your firm may also risk being bought out or taken over by a larger firm that wants to expand and fill out its portfolio. The greatest risk is assuming that it is focus alone, and not some combination of price, differentiation, or rapid response that is creating the businesses success. 4: When would multi-industry companies find the portfolio approach to strategic analysis and choice useful? Portfolio approaches provide several contributions to strategic analysis by corporate managers. First, they allow for the transfer of competitive advantage of professional management across a broad array of businesses. They help convey large amounts of information about diverse business units and corporate plans in a simplified format. They illuminate similarities and differences between business units and help convey the logic of corporate strategies for each business with a common vocabulary. The portfolio approach simplifies priorities for sharing corporate resources across diverse business units that generated and used those resources. They provide a simple prescription that gives corporate managers a sense of what they should accomplish and a way to control and allocate resources between them. (Pearce, p. 283) Multi-industry companies would find this approach useful when it is not clear which business provides the greatest revenue or generates the largest market share or financial gains for the company. The portfolio approach is a systematic way to compare common criteria across all businesses in the portfolio. Case Study Exercises: 1: How would you describe VWs new advertising strategy? Volkswagens new advertising strategy is to regain American interest in the Volkswagen brand. Volkswagen held strong market position in the 1970s based on the success of the VW Beetle and Transporter. Sales were strong until the introduction of the VW Rabbit in the US in the early 1980s. The Rabbit was popular but known to catch fire or have other mechanical problems, giving the Rabbit and VW a reputation for poor quality. After severely declining sales in the 1990s, Volkswagen hired Crispin Porter and Bogusky to completely rebrand the Volkswagen in 2006. Crispin had a strong history of creating memorable marketing and advertising campaigns that turned around several major US brands like Burger King and MINI. Crispin started the strategy by defining the new target market, and determining what the perception was in the 18-30 yr old male audience. Crispin Porter and Bogusky used a strong web based campaign to attract the target audience, and added enough edge and controversy to get people of all demographics talking about Volkswagen. The strategy of using the web and a German dominatrix type blonde named Helga that the user could interact with on the GTI website, gained in popularity but offended and alienated woman who were also VW customers. Many believed the campaign degraded or looked over women as a target market. The strategy worked for a short period of time but was unable to overcome the mixed product message that Volkswagen was sending with offerings ranging from expensive luxury cars to econo-friendly hatchbacks. Now, four years later, VW Americas is still struggling to improve sales and gain market share. 2: What appear to be DHLs most important competitive advantages? Are they best suited to a mature industry or a growth industry? Which way would you characterize the U.S. parcel market and the global parcel market? DHLs most important competitive advantages are its global presence, strong parent company financial support, and willingness to have face to face relationships with its customers. DHL holds a commanding 40% market share in Europe and Asia, but struggles to gain over a 7% market share in the US. This is primarily because the competition, FedEx and UPS, have spent decades and billions of dollars building delivery networks and infrastructures and huge economies of scale. DHL wants to become the next FedEx or UPS in the United States in order to further strengthen their overall global footprint. In order for DHL to continue to be successful in the future, they have to be successful in the US. DHL has a strong global delivery system but lacks in US domestic delivery. This became most evident in November 2008 when DHL ceased all US domestic shipping operations. The US parcel market is a mature market because over the past 40 years the market has developed a structure and market leaders that are serving the needs of nearly all customer groups. This market saturation and duration do not leave a lot of room for a new start up to gain any ground. The US geographic is much more spread out than DHL is use to dealing with in Europe. This dynamic adds complexity and requires a larger structure to manage. DHL is much better suited to a growth industry than a mature industry. A growth industry has the opportunity for many competitors to develop the market at the same rate without one being at a disadvantage over any others. DHL has a strength in developing relationship with customers that works well in a growth market, where relationships are key to expanding the market. 3: What does eBays corporate or multi-business strategy for the twenty-first century appear to be? Ebays corporate business strategy is to be a company that provides services for all the kinds of activities that people perform on the internet: trade, communicate, shop, search, and entertain. (Pearce, p. 299) Investors, however, are struggling to see Ebay as more than an online auction site. Over the past 5 years, Ebay has purchased what seems to be a hodge podge of companies with little common connection. PayPal seemed to be a logical fit, as a means to facilitate buyers and sellers on the Ebay auction site. But, Skype and others seem to be farther stretches for the investment community to understand. If you look at ebay as a company that is in business to facilitate trade then the acquisitions make more sense. Time will tell if the online auction giant can gain the trust of the investment world and change their mind about who Ebay is and what it does. Strategic Management Plan: 1: Using one (or a combination) of the 15 grand strategies outlined in the text, write long-term objectives for your selected company that exhibit the seven qualities of long-term objectives: Acceptable Flexible Measurable Motivating Suitable Understandable Achievable. In order to increase value creation for shareholders, Cooper Tire and Rubber Company will improve global cost structure and increase targeted profitable growth. Global Cost Structure Sourcing and LCC Manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 35 45 % of Manufacturing in LCC à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meet Demand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lower Global Cost Structure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduce Complexity Short Term Goals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ramp Up CKT 6 million tires (China) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expand at CCT +2 million tires (China) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Offtake agreement with Mexico à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Offtake agreements at other locations Long Term Goals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analyze expansion of existing LCC facilities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Identify and evaluate potential JV partners à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analyze Greenfield options in LCC Manufacturing Cost Reductions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 10 15 % reduction in addressable cost base à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue with high quality manufacturing Programs to achieve à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Process efficiency improvements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Complexity reduction and management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Automation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distribution Targeted Profitable Growth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Total Company = 6 to 7% CAGR à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Net Sales = > $3.6 billion > 60.9 million units Programs to achieve North America Channel Alignment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Grow in all Channels, Growth not equal in all channels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Continue Support of Independent Dealers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Align organization and strategy to each channels needs Asia Grow TBR and PCR Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Focus TBR on Tier 2 and 3 Products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue to develop retail sales à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Focused growth in fleet sales Passenger Car Radial (PCR) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build in areas with greatest car parks (east coast) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shift production used for export sales to domestic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Elevate the brand à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue to develop retail sales Europe Focused Growth Targeted approach with resources geared toward priorities Existing Cooper Strengths PLUS Brand focus Highly focused sales by product segment Greater channel focus 2: In 2 pages or less, describe the grand business strategy or strategies that you will select to seek sustained competitive advantage. Why did you select this strategy or strategies? Cooper Tire Rubber Company has chosen to use new product development and joint venture as grand strategies to seek competitive advantage in the global replacement tire industry. Product Development is used to prolong the product lifecycle or build on the reputation of the brand. Cooper Tire plans to do strengthen this as a strategy by adding resources and enhancing regional technology centers in Asia and Europe. Additional organization of resources into continuous product and process improvement teams through the use of LEAN and Six Sigma techniques will aid the product development process. Cooper must also modify the research structure to improve research knowledge base. Advanced Technology and Shelf Technology combined with computer modeling and simulation will help with a focused development effort leading to fewer iterations and faster product development. Cooper can also utilize external resources by leveraging vendors and academic institutions to provide innovations and technological advancements in tire construction and materials. By applying a stage gate process, Cooper will enhance decision making process, and align it with global goals. Joint Ventures occur when two or more capable firms lack a necessary component for success in a particular competitive environment. Cooper Tire has a strong market share in the US and looks to continually expand into new global markets. Cooper Tire has two active joint ventures in China. Coopers joint venture allows them easier entry into the Chinese domestic market while creating a supply in a low cost country. The Chinese replacement tire market is increasing at a 17% year over year rate, which is a great expansion opportunity for Cooper. As Cooper uses the joint ventures for the production of tires, they are also focusing on building retail distribution in areas with greatest car park (along Eastern coast). These strategies will help to expand the Cooper business and global market share.

Fuel Cell Technology :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Fuel Cell Technology Fuel Cells are a hot topic these days between the soon to come fuel cell cars that Toyota and Honda plan on unveiling this year and the $1.2 billion president Bush announced he would dedicate to fuel cell research during his State of the Union address. The least efficient of these electrochemical energy converters are at least as efficient as internal combustion engines and many are doubly as efficient when using special techniques. Exhaust from fuel cells is extremely clean, often consisting only of water. Although some use hydrocarbons, fuel cells give off around one one-hundredth of the pollutants given off by an internal combustion engine using the same amount of fuel (Fuel Cell Technology Handbook). Unfortunately some engineering and infrastructure problems, especially costs, are keeping fuel cells from commercial viability right now. A Brief History of Fuel Cell Technology The ideas behind fuel cells have existed for around one hundred and sixty years. Sir William Grove is cited as the first person to think that one could produce a current by reversing the electrolysis of water (SAE.org). However, it was until fifty years later that the term ‘fuel cell’ was coined by two researchers, Charles Langer and Ludwig Mond, trying to invent the first viable fuel cell fueled by coal gas (SAE.org). The technology lay dormant for most of the early twentieth century because of great advances in the use of internal combustion engines. It wasn’t until 1959 that practical fuel cells were first demonstrated. NASA quickly took interest in the technology for the Apollo missions and since there has been a renaissance in research and development of fuel cells. Currently, there are on the order of hundreds of fuel cell generators in operation world wide, cities such as L.A., Chicago, and New York, own fuel cell powered public transit vehicles, and both Honda and Toyota plan on making fuel cell powered car commercially available within one year (fuelcells.org). How a Fuel Cell Works A fuel cell is an energy converter that uses electrochemical energy to create an electric current. Because they use electrochemistry for power, fuel cells are often likened to batteries that run on fuel. This description is not a bad one, but to be more precise, a fuel cell creates direct current by ionizing a fuel and then moving those ions through a circuit. The three main components are the anode (negatively charged piece), cathode (positively charge piece), and electrolyte (medium for the transfer of ions). Fuel, typically hydrogen, is ionized at the anode by a catalyst (substance that can change an interaction, but does not change the chemistry of it).