International Oil and National Security Essay

When oil fueled the navies of both Britain and the United States in World War I, it began the tremendous impact oil would have on the world. When British and French forces were threatened with oil shortages, the US gave the much needed help. Without the same assistance, Germany had to shorten critical operations. Since military hardware were all dependent on oil for power it became important that their countries have access to oil. Britain had access to Middle East oil and the United States had the oil from the Caribbean. After the war, Britain and the United States continued to dominate the oil industry of the world. The US has 4 large oil companies and Britain has 2. From the experience of World War II, control of the oil production for use in the military explains the success of the US and the defeat of Germany and Japan. The US rebuilt Europe and Japan with the assurance of oil supply. US had enough Venezuelan oil for its needs, set its eyes on the oil-rich Middle East. Oil is also seen as an important commodity for industries. To ensure its access Britain acquired concession rights on the oil of Iran, but it was not enough. The governments of Latin America refused to allow foreign government’s participation in their oil industries. Excessive supply had to be jointly managed which paved the way for developing oil sources in Iraq, Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as Mexico and Venezuela. The threat of war with Mexico and a crisis in Venezuela was defused with settlements and concessions. The lesson for the British was not ownership of oil reserves but control of sea routes that had more impact. A growing concern that US oil reserves are nearing depletion prompted oil companies to seek additional sources in order to serve domestic demand and supply foreign markets. They shifted their attention from the Caribbean to the Middle East. There has been a noted change in the structure of the global oil industry as well as in the triggers of consumption. The oil industry is important to national security, comes from non-renewable sources and oil reserves is dependent on the demand and supply of the commodity. The seven oil majors control 90% of oil reserves, produce 90% of oil, have a 75% refining capacity, and trade 90% of oil in the global market. In the middle of the 1950s there were small entrants, who challenged the majors, and who sold their oil at low prices. These pushed the world prices of oil downward. Oil consumption is a big part of the economy. Construction of highways and railways, purchase and registration of cars and trucks make America a great motoring nation and consequently a high gas-consuming public. Ever conscious of maintaining reserves the US relied heavily on oil imports to sustain its energy needs. As the Middle East has become its largest energy source, the US government is much concerned with maintaining the security and stability in the Middle East. Policy makers are looking for alternative, diversified and renewable fuel sources, efficient utilization and conservation measures to reduce the country’s dependence on oil imports taking into account their costs and benefits.

Advertising for Kids

No matter what children are doing, they are always surrounded by advertisements. Whether it is watching television, Reading a book/magazine, or browsing the internet; advertisements are everywhere. Eric Schlosser has a good point when he argues in his essay â€Å"Kid Kustomers† that more advertisements are being directed towards children each day. It is not only directed toward children, but influencing children to beg their parents for products they do not need or even want. As in, the stuff they see on television are not essentials for life. Children want them simply because they â€Å"look cool. Schlosser explains how in the 1980’s parents felt bad for leaving their children at home all day without spending any quality time with them, so they started buying them good toys, clothes, or whatever else they wanted to make up for this (519). Prior to this, there were only a handful of companies that targeted children, and now almost every company is. For example, Schloss er describes a study published in 1991 from the Journal of the American Medical Association stating, â€Å"nearly all of America’s six-year-olds could identify Joe Camel, who was just as familiar to them as Mickey Mouse† (520).Schlosser later explains one-third of the illegal cigarettes sold to minors were Camel. However, more recently, there have been surveys conducted throughout the malls of America asking children to describe every detail they could about their favorite advertisements. One marketer explained, â€Å"It’s not just getting the kids to whine, it’s giving them a specific reason to ask for the product† (520). The marketer simply means, the advertisers goal is to make children to want the product. The product has to be loud, colorful, and interesting or they need to be able to do something with it to make them want it.For example, the study concluded the talking Chihuahua in the Taco Bell ads were the most popular out of the fast food ads, but the most popular out of all the ads was the ad for Budweiser. To add to the idea of marketers surveying children in the study in the previous paragraph, Schlosser uses the book Kids as Costumers by James U. McNeal as a source. McNeal describes the different ways of nagging children will do towards their parents in order to get what they want or to get their way.In order for children to do so, advertisers found a way to learn the children’s interest: by studying their lives, then putting the information into the advertisements (521-522). For instance, imagine a marketer discovered children who are girls enjoy watching television shows about fairies and/or play computer games that involve a cute animal mascot; the marketer will then somehow to put those subjects in an advertisement, young girls would want that product. After mentioning the different studies, Schlosser then explains how improving advertisements are more directed towards children.He ends the essay on a s trong not by explaining how the Walt Disney Company signed a contract with McDonalds. Schlosser states, â€Å"Now you can buy a Happy Meal at the Happiest Place on Earth† (526). By McDonalds and Disney combining, children are more likely to beg to their parents to go to Disney World. Eric Schlosser mentions some interesting points in the essay. He is correct when he states that advertisements are harshly aimed toward children. Reviewing back at the advertisements I remember seeing as a kid, when I about 10 years old, I remember looking at the advertisements and seeing amny items that caught my attention and interests.These interests were the following: drinks, toys, movies, new TV shows, and clothes. It makes me reflect on my behavior towards my parents when seeing such ads. While I currently have a younger sister, who watches cartoons, I have noticed the advertisements have declined from their original purposes. One of the declines that advertisements are played on the incor rect TV channels. For example, commercials for a rated PG-13 (or a higher rating movie) should not be played on a TV channel that little children watch.Today a great number of little kids have cellphones, laptops, expensive clothes, and so many more things children should not have, simply because they are not old enough. Cell phones are mainly used for when a person is not around anybody else; young children are always around an adult and if something were to go wrong, the adult would know who to call. According to James U. McNeal, there are seven types of â€Å"nags†: the pleading nag, persistent nag, forceful nag, demonstrative nag, sugarcoated nag, threatening nags, and pity nags. Then he describes his research discovered, â€Å"kids tend to stick to one or two of each that prove most effective . . for their own parents† (521). For example, a child could start crying in the middle of the store repeatedly saying â€Å"please mom/dad† until the parent either gi ves in. The same goes for a child whom could tell their parents they are going to run away if they do not give them a certain product, but either way, it is up to the parent on whether or not they will give in to the nags. Some children perform well at figuring out which nag works best. Everybody knows children (particularly small children) love all kinds of animals. However, do we know exactly how much? A study done by Dan S.Acuff, the author of the book What Kids Buy and Why, suggests that about 80% of children’s dreams are about animals until they are the age of six (522). Also it suggests the reason why so many characters in children’s TV shows and movies have animals as their mascots. Having so, helped the advertisement groups realize they needed new mascots. There is a Character Lab that helps companies make these new mascots, the Youth Market System Consulting that uses, â€Å"technique purports to create imaginary characters who perfectly fit the targeted age group’s level of cognitive and neurological development† (522).However, one flaw in Schlosser’s argument is he does not reflect on the positive advertisements children are watching every day. He mainly mentions how children want their parents to buy them fast food and cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Though many advertisements are attempting to get children to buy healthy products. For example, I have seen from the TV my younger sister watches, some commercials are about getting out of the house and playing outside with friends. With this commercial, children will get excited to get out of the house and play with outdoor toys, getting exercise, and interacting with other children.Another commercial on the Disney Channel there was an advisement with Michelle Obama telling children to eat healthier and she while gave diet tips. Not only does this advertisement have a popular person in it, but that popular person is the President’s wife. Having her in the ad influences the children to have excitement because they are doing something the President’s wife wants. In addition, this advertisement has children asking their parents for healthier food choices around the house and they will rely the diet tips to their parents.In addition, there are many other commercials on Disney Channel about â€Å"going green† and recycling. On the other hand, there are â€Å"Above the Influence† commercials that express to children that drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and doing drugs are a bad habit, but they always have the option to say â€Å"no. † Without advertisements like these, children would not be as well educated as they are about it now. These types of advertisements make children ask questions to parents, teachers, and older siblings about what is considered right and wrong and the different types of foods that should be in the house.This also helps children focus on more than the TV or computer. In all, sever al points can be made about whether or not advertisements positively or negatively affect kids, or if they are making people buy more products. I believe most advertisements do have a negative effect on children and there should be laws in place to keep this from getting worse. However, in the end Eric Schlosser has declared many points to suggest that his study is correct. He has many sources which proves his knowledge about this topic prior to writing about it.In addition, he orders the essay really well by stating his opinion then backing it up with facts. The only thing he does not preform do in his essay, is explaining and expanding on the other side. Other than that, the essay is good and has made myself pay more attention to whom the advertisement is aimed toward. Works Cited Schlosser, Eric. â€Å"Kid Kustomers. † From Inquiry to Academic Writing. 2nd ed. Ed. Stuart Green and April Lidinsky. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2012. 519-527. Print.

Research about managing the lablour costs of food production Speech or Presentation

Research about managing the lablour costs of food production - Speech or Presentation Example It is important to note that a restaurant operating on a labor cost which is as low as 20 percent has a promising future. If levels of labor cost begin to rise, the company should begin to seek on ways of lowering lest it cause a sham to the business. During my work experience at Royal restaurant, if the restaurant made a total daily sales of $10 000, then it had to spend no more than $2 000 paying for labor. Although employees’ salaries which match the volume of sales may help ease the labor costs, key issues such as improvement of productivity at workplace and wise roster plan of employees yield marvelous results. While working at Royal star restaurant, it was a common rule that if the number of customers visiting the restaurant was below 200 per day, the daily sales were over $8000.This also meant that the hotel spends less than $1500 on labor cost. Rostering allowed the hotel to know the working hours of part time workers while comparing it with the sales made during the t ime. If for instance the sales reduce, the number of part time workers was reduced to cut the cost of labor. Other issues that help control labor costs include, cross-training employees, performing frequent staff audits and reviews, employing adequate employees among other measures. Championing Labor Cost Awareness This is normally calculated from the volume of sales made. Labor costs percentage can be calculated as follows: A restaurant that hopes to run successfully must seek to operate at a minimum labor cost percentage that is below 20 percent. At Royal Hotel for instance the labor cost was normally 10 to 16 percent. Cross-Training staff Employee training is vital in any business venture. It is therefore important to cross train employees and the business with a view of equipping workers with vast skills necessary in restaurant service. This is important because the management can schedule fewer workers to various sectors of the restaurant while still being in a position to achi eve same results in the level of production as well as service delivery standards. Cross training can be done by training prep cooks to perform food grilling, training hostess on the work done by the servers and busses to serve food. At Royal hotel, the receptionists were often taken to seminars on public relations and customer satisfaction. Superannuation and Retirement Superannuation is a way of gathering for the retirement of your employees. This is done by making contributions to the super funds of each employee. In Australia for instance, an average of 9% of the employee’s salary is paid into the employee’s super fund. At Royal Star restaurant, the fund is awarded upon retirement or demise of any staff. Conducting Frequent Staff Audits and Reviews The cost of labor depends on a large extent to improvement and level of productivity. Therefore, it is important to perform regular audits. This can be done by assessing the performance of employees. The assessment shoul d focus on working days and hours of employees. If found that a substantial amount of time is lost through long breaks or down time, a review should be done to adjust the time accordingly. Care must be taken to aid in proper communication among the employees in helping communicating concerns and ideas. An audit was done after every three months at Royal Hotel. Control Labor Cost With

Information Technology & Communication Coursework

Information Technology & Communication - Coursework Example Be it Americans or Asians, White or Black, human nature almost responds to the same way. For instance, if one receives an uninvited ad(s) on his/her mobile, most probably it would cause not only irritation but also discourage him/her to pay attention to other valuable messages/information. Let me clarify the situation by giving my own example. I keep on receiving Call/SMS package offers from the Cellular Company but I never bother to read such messages and delete them right away. Why? Because I am not interested in. Thus, in my case I would term it as a failed marketing. So I am trying to convey is that mobile marketing can surely drive better results provided if it is going to be a â€Å"Permission-Based Advertising† – i.e. with user’s prior permission to receive such ads. Lih-Bin Oh and Heng Xu (2003) stated, â€Å"Advertising researchers have devoted much attention to the study of irritation arising from advertisements such as TV commercials and Web pop-up ad vertisements. For the case of permission-based location-aware advertisements, the level of irritation should be rather low since messages are delivered with the receiver’s prior consent†.

Critical Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Appraisal - Essay Example This is attributed to how knowledge and attitude of oncologists had an effect on fertility preservation in cancer treatment. This forms a foundation of the research question used in the study. In addition, the age and sex of the physicians were incorporated as independent variables to evaluate if they affected the oncologists’ knowledge and attitude towards fertility preservation. This would identify the need for further education among oncologists about fertility preservation. The analysis of this study and reveals that it tests a prior hypothesis made before the commencement of measurement phase. That is, there is a general conclusion and predictions about cancer and the oncologists current know how, attitude, perception, practices and barriers in relation to the preservation of fertility among the child bearing age populace in the UK. This course satisfies its design as confirmatory with oncologists perception of fertility as a women issue as another extraneous variable. This was however well controlled by re-accounting the study thesis. The study’s design was influenced by the pilot findings (Adams, et al., 2013). The pilot entailed an online survey of a few doctors via MedeConnect Company. The main adjustment done in the final study is increment of the allocated finance due to the pilots’ insight that the prior allocated one would not last the project to completion. The inclusion/exclusion or eligibility criterion for the study was that the oncologist doctors had to be registered members of the GMC doctor’s corporation and had the link of MedeConnect Company. The method used is probability sampling and mainly cluster sampling. The survey had to be carried out through UK in eternity that was the study’s sampling frame. Due to insufficient resources, only a few online oncologists had been chosen (Adams, et al., 2013). The sample size was 100 online oncologists. The

Composer- John Cage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Composer- John Cage - Research Paper Example He dropped out from college in his second year and sailed to Europe where he wrote his first pieces of music, but not liking them, he left them behind on his return to America, after being in Europe for 18 months. Cage was tutored by Schoenberg for free on the condition he â€Å"devoted his life to music†, which Cage readily agreed, but after two years he stopped his lessons because of the fact that he had no feeling for harmony. After that, he began to experiment with percussion instruments and gradually made the rhythm the basis of his music instead of harmony, structuring pieces according to the duration of sections. He went to the Cornish School of Arts in Seattle, Washington in the late 1930’s where he found a job as an accompanist for dancers and was asked to write music to accompany a dance by Syvilla Fort called Bacchanale. He wanted to write a percussion piece but had to write for a piano because there was no pit at the performance venue for a percussion ensemb le.While working on the piece, Cage experimented by placing a metal plate on top of the strings of the instrument. He liked the produced sound and eventually he invented the prepared piano with screws, bolts, strips of rubber and other objects placed between the strings of the piano to change the instrument’s character. It may be that Cage was influenced by his old teacher Henry Cowell who also treated the piano in a non-standard way. For example, asking the performers to strum the strings with their fingers. Widely seen to be his greatest work for prepared piano are The Sonatas and Interludes of 1946-48. Pierre Boulez organized the European premiere of the work and the two composers struck up a correspondence. Unfortunately, this correspondence stopped with a disagreement over Cage’s use of chance in his music. While being at Cornish, Cage also founded a percussion orchestra for which he wrote his First Construction (In Metal) in 1939, a piece in which loud rhythmic m usic is created by metal percussion instruments, and the Imaginary Landscape No. 1, which is the first example of using record players as instruments. In later years, Cage wrote a number of other Imaginary Landscape pieces. In order to introduce an element of chance over which he would have no control, Cage began to use the I Ching in the composition of his music. In the Music of Changes for solo piano in 1951, he used it to determine which notes should be used and when they should be heard. He used chance in Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (1951) as well. This peace was written for twelve radio receivers. Each radio has two players- one that controls the frequency and the other that controls the volume. â€Å"Cage wrote very precise instructions in the score about how the performers should set their radios and change them over time, but he could not control the actual sound coming out of them, which was dependent on whatever radio shows were playing at that particular place and time of performance.†( http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Aleatoric_music) Cage’s friend and colleague from Black Mountain college had produced a series of white paintings while working at the college. These paintings, apparently blank canvases, changed according to varying light conditions in the rooms in which they were hung, the shadows of people in

Playing by Heart Movie. Relations Between Paul And Hannah Essay

Playing by Heart Movie. Relations Between Paul And Hannah - Essay Example Theirs is a case of true love that conquered all and is the kind of marriage that is permanent and not fleeting. Gracie and Hugh’s marriage was on the rocks because boredom set in and Gracie did not think Hugh had enough imagination to make their marriage more exciting, that is why Hugh kept trying to invent stories and sell these to women in bars to prove to himself that he is still an interesting man. Gracie, however, goes off to have a physical affair with a man he thought was exciting. Their marriage was not built on a strong foundation because the commitment to each other was flimsy and consistently needed concrete proof that they were worthy of each other. Meredith and Trent’s relationship is new, thanks to Trent’s devotion and persistence in breaking down the high wall that Meredith had built around herself. Being able to get through to her was a major breakthrough that both he and Meredith had a great chance of a successful relationship. The same is true of Joan and Keenan who met casually at a bar. Although their lives seem to be shallow, once they opened up to each other and decided to become vulnerable, they discovered what love was. The movie seemed to point out that once walls are broken down and the person inside agrees to be exposed until another person gets to love him or her for what he or she is, then the love that will grow from it is true. The couples Meredith and Trent and Joan and Keenan have chances to have happy marriages and probably children to complete their families. This is because they have made a decision to be honest with each other and to live without pretenses. 2. Discuss and evaluate the primary relationship between Paul and Hannah. Explain how they deal with intimacy, power, and love and how they understand marriage. Give examples of how their behaviors express their hopes and aspirations about love, marriage, children, and family. Paul and Hannah had very different philosophies with regards to relationsh ips. Paul was in love with Wendy 25 years ago but he chose to stay with his wife and children when Wendy moved away. Hannah took everything in just to save the family from breaking apart until both of them reconciled without talking about issues that bothered them. It was only until later when they discovered how ill Paul was that they endeavoured to be open to each other. Paul revealed that he fell in love with another woman because he wanted to feel again what made Hannah fall in love with him. With Wendy, he felt great and â€Å"vindicated† as a man who had a successful wife and left in the shadows. However, no matter how he felt for Wendy, he still knew that he was committed to his family. On they both journeyed through life as marriage partners, and have now reached a milestone, celebrating 40 years of marital togetherness and raised three lovely and loving daughters who had lives of their own. 3. Did Paul have an â€Å"affair† with Wendy? Is this kind of relation ship wrong for a marriage? How do you understand the explanation that Paul gives to Hannah about his relationship with Wendy? How would you compare Paul’s relationship with Wendy and Gracie’s relationship with Roger? Paul had an emotional affair with Wendy however, they never engaged in

Improving Poor Quality and Performance Case Study

Improving Poor Quality and Performance - Case Study Example This will be tackled through a systematic plan aimed at refining its work station system with the help of scientific management basically aimed at the productivity of line managers. This is due to the fact that the company is basically a factory that depends on the effectiveness of its line managers. The company that will be dealt with in this paper is the Anukul Group. This company basically manufactures exclusive designer furniture, stained glass and patchwork linen. It is a company owned by Dipti Mahapatra in India and has been in the business for close to two decades. Having started in the year 1988, this company started out as a small unit with four tailors and has now gone ahead to become one of the most prestigious names in interior decoration in the state of Orissa. The demand for Dipti's products grew and there was a market for interior decoration. By 1993, Dipti was busy undertaking several turnkey projects for complete furnishing of guest houses, hotels, as well as the Governor's residences in the state of Orissa. Developed by Frederick W Taylor in the early 20th century, Scientific Management is a science based system of organizing the operational areas of the organization so as to ensure the existence of and implement the following elements: (Wrege, 1995) To create room for four to eight functional foremen who will take care of various aspects of the overall task, so as to ensure that each sub task is carried out as regards minimum motion and cost per worker. (Taylor, 1947) These were the broad underlying principles upon which F W Taylor fashioned scientific management. This school of management thought followed experimentation and scientific rigor to demonstrate various findings. One of these, as will be tested below, adheres to the fact that through mediums like assembly line, it is possible for a group of people doing a few tasks, to out produce those doing all the tasks. Improvement of Quality and Performance Anukul Designs is a company that has been in the business of manufacturing exclusive patchwork linen, for the last 20 years. The assembly line followed in this

The European Occupation of the Middle East Literature review

The European Occupation of the Middle East - Literature review Example The problems which had begun with the European occupation continued to increase after independence to such an extent that they led to the Arab Spring between 2011 and 2012. Despite the fact that these countries were given independence, the western powers have continued to exert their influence on the region to such an extent that they have come to inspire the hostility of the Middle Eastern population. During the European occupation of the Middle East, the population in the occupied territories was denied any political freedoms. They could not directly elect their representatives, and where they were allowed to do so, these representatives did not have enough power to effectively represent their people. Many in the Middle East, therefore, agitated for the independence of their countries in order to regain the political freedoms that they had lost. They felt that it was their right to have self-determination, and not have their future decided for them by the European colonial powers. When the occupied territories in the Middle East were finally given independence, there was a high expectation among the populace that it was the start of a new age of freedoms (Cleveland 2010, p.408). This, however, turned out not to be the case because the governments which came to power tended to be autocratic which worked towards further denying their people their basic freedoms so that they could remain in power. The failure to deliver on their promises at independence led to their lack of legitimacy among the populace and the only way that they could legitimately remain in power was through the use of force. The vast oil reserves that were discovered in the Middle Eastern countries were used by these regimes to gain the necessary financial power to retain their authority (Cleveland 2010, p.514). It is the lack of political freedom in their countries which led the populations of various Middle Eastern nations to recently stage demonstrations against their governments, and it is these demonstrations, and at times military conflict, which came to be termed as the Arab Spring. One of the means through which the European powers established their dominance in the region was the favoring of the Christian population over the Muslim one. Since the European powers were Christian, they chose to strengthen the influence of their fellow Christians in the Middle East as well as to protect them from what they perceived to be a threat from the Muslim population.

Racial Profiling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Racial Profiling - Research Paper Example It should be noted that there are many organizations which advocate for human rights and all individuals must be respected whether they come from a minority group or a dominant group. The idea that an arrest is made based race or ethnicity is only an indication that those countries or people in that nation still practice racial discrimination which is a bad concept. When the law is being implemented it must be implemented equally on all people in the society and should not be seen to lie on one side. People or different races have rights and when their rights are violated it becomes not only an issue in that country but also raises international concerns. Racial profiling as a problem It has been seen that racial profiling is any action initiated by the law enforcement agencies whether the police or any other group that is mandated with the authority to enforce the law that is based on race or ethnicity or even the nationality of an individual rather than by looking at the behavior o f that individual or any other information that may lead to the suspect who committed a crime or offence. The idea that because a given race is present in a given place means that they are the ones engaged in criminal activity is rather absurd and should not be tolerated (Tomaskovic-devey, 2009). ... George Bush once said in 2001 in his address that racial profiling is a bad idea and America will work to ensure that it is stopped. He noted that though there are many good police officers out there are a few who are still practicing the vice and they will not be tolerated and measures will be put in place to stop these abuses (Ryberg, 2011). Racial profiling is still a huge problem in the United States law enforcement agencies and especially the police. The police have said that racial profiling is a good concept. That it is both effective and necessary. They say that crime is higher in some communities and not in others especially those that have a minority population existing among them. They argue that the minority population is the one that engages in crimes and that to ignore that fact just because of the moral implications behind it is unprofessional and morally wrong. (Glover, 2007) Many other scholars have argued against this saying that the presence of a minority group in the population does not necessarily mean that they are the ones engaged in the criminal activity. The dominant group may also be responsible for the criminal activity and because they know that the minority group will be accused they hide and only perfect their plans making it even harder to recognize them. The causes of racial profiling are very clear. Scholars argue that the prevalence of this issue is based on poor reasoning from the police officer. They argue that because the cock crows every morning and we see the sun rise does not mean that there is a correlation between the two. Thus because there is crime in a given area and there is the presence of a minority group does not

Clinical Psychology Paper Essay Example for Free

Clinical Psychology Paper Essay The great evangelist D.T. Niles once said, â€Å"Christianity is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread† (Niles, 2010). At its most basic level, clinical psychology is the enterprise of one educated, licensed person using his or her knowledge of human behavior to address, assuage, or otherwise moderate the troubles and concerns of another person’s life—whether they be relational, affective, or physiological. Strictly speaking, clinical psychology is, â€Å"the assessment, treatment, and understanding of psychological and behavioral problems and disorders† (Plante, 2011, p. 5). Clinical psychology is a scientific endeavor, utilizing the instrument of the scientific method to inform the practice, procedures, and treatments used to address human problems. There is an interplay that exists between treatment outcome research and psychotherapy in clinical psychology—the science informs the art and the art informs the science (Plante, 2011). The point of this paper is to catalogue and compare the history and evolving nature of clinical psychology as well as to consider the specific case of counseling within the framework of clinical psychology. History Hippocrates—the original author of the Hippocratic Oath—formed the first complete, if naà ¯ve, physiological explanation of disease and dysfunction (Plante, 2011). He proposed that imbalances in the mixture and quantity of four fluids: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood, caused several emotions and psychological maladjustment, such as sadness, irritability, and anger. It was not until the advents of Plato that it was conceived that the metaphysical realm of the soul could have an effect on the corporeal domain. However, it was to Galen that a holistic theory of medicine was formed that incorporated the physiological explanations of Hippocrates with the metaphysical explanations of Plato. Even though Galen’s ideas of bloodletting were flawed, it was a step in the direction of objective explanations of illness and disease. During the middle ages the work of Thomas Aquinas, Paracelsus, and Weyer shifted the discussion of psychology away from the metaphysical and toward physical explanations of mental illness, such as bodily causes, movements of the stars, and behavior. Furthermore, at the dawn of the Renaissance and into the nineteenth century the veil of shadow and secrecy behind the inner workings of the mind, body, and cell were ripped from his or her places and the mediums of scientific observation and laboratory investigation were instituted in the place of religion and mysticism as the sole explanation of illness. The works of Rush, Bernard, and Pinel during this period of history paved the way for more humane approaches to the abnormal and deviant—approaches that sought to alleviate psychological dysfunction rather than simply separate and restrain the dysfunctional. The birth of psychology proper came on the heels of the publishing of Wundt’s The Elements of Psychophysics in 1850 and James’ Principles of Psychology in 1890 (Plante, 2011). These publications, along with the institution of the first psychological laboratory by Wundt, culminated in the founding of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1892. The main drive behind the fledgling field of psychology was to measure empirically behavior to the end of understanding the subsidiary components of the mind itself. Hence, when clinical psychology first got on its feet four years later (1896), through the opening of the first clinic by Witmer, many psychologists frowned upon the application of the principles of human behavior to clinical situations. This was seen as a step away from a general understanding of human behavior and toward abnormal or dysfunctional psychology. Despite the initial tension between clinical psychology and mainstream psychology, the first formal classes in clinical psychology began in 1904 at the University of Pennsylvania and the first edition of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology was published in 1907. Evolving Nature Despite the disinclination of the APA to embrace an applied approach to psychology, clinical psychology grew rapidly in the beginning of the twentieth century (Plante, 2011). Going back to Plato’s contention of the metaphysical affecting the corporeal, Sigmund Freud postulated that unconscious conflict and strife could have a direct outcome on mental and physical illness. The work of Freud shaped and molded the direction of clinical psychology for many decades after his death. Even though it was not until the Boulder Conference of 1949 that the training guidelines for clinical psychology were mapped out and etched in stone, so to speak. One of the main tenets of these guidelines was that clinical psychologists should have a firm understanding of both psychological research and psychotherapy. It was not until the 1950s and on that Freud’s ideas of human psychology were exchanged for the alternatives of humanism, cognitive-behaviorism, and family systems approaches (Plante, 2011). The changes in psychological perspective were precipitated by the establishment of community mental health facilities and the introduction of psychotropic drugs as a treatment of abnormal psychology. Even though these advancements in conception and treatment offered alternatives to the traditional ideas of psychodynamics and behaviorism, no one theory of human psychology proved to explain the entirety of behavior, dysfunction, and cognition. To that end, parsimoniously eclectic approaches to psychology were adopted—such as the biopsychosocial theory—that incorporated many of the ideas and practices from the abovementioned perspectives. Current Issues The last century of clinical psychology has been characterized by an illness ideology that emphasizes the treatment or preventions of disorders (Maddux, 2008). Even though this approach has utility in the realm of psychotherapy it lacks the ability to enhance the quality of life for people who do not suffer from some type of mental illness. Maddux (2008) proposes that a shift toward positive psychology—a perspective that stresses human strengths and mental health—should be pursued. Positive psychology aims to, â€Å"†¦promote health, happiness, physical fitness, and pleasure, and personal fulfillment through the free pursuit of chosen and valued goals† (Maddux, 2008, p. 68). By shifting toward positive psychology the strengths of people can be used to promote mental health preemptively as well as combat mental illness. At the forefront of the implementation of positive psychology is the innovation of virtual reality (VR) as a means to allow patients to manipulate problematic situations related to his or her mental illness without the use of psychotherapy (Riva, 2009). By creating a safe and comfortable virtual environment patients can explore proactive ways to adapt and mediate his or her mental health problems. Research and Statistics in Clinical Counseling Psychology Rather than approach this section from a structuralist approach (e.g. the ancillary parts of clinical counseling psychology), it seems prudent to offer a specific example of how research and statistics are used and effect clinical counseling psychology. Bakar, Jaafar, Mohamed Tarmizi (2009) sought to establish a correlation between counseling self-efficacy and trainee counselor performance. Their research found that indeed there is a positive relationship (r(100)=.312p.05) and furthermore that a general tendency exists whereby self-efficacy predicts future performance. As Plante (2011) put it, â€Å"The science of clinical psychology informs the art while the art also informs the science† (p. 6). In the case of Bakar’s et al. (2009) research, by using the statistical data collected in their study the art of counseling can be influenced and adapted by the science of research and statistics. Specifically Bakars et al. suggested that the training of supervisors is of paramount importance to trainee self-efficacy, because high competence in the supervisor encourages high competence in the trainee. Conclusion In sum, from the first theory of interplay between the metaphysical and the corporeal to the first postulations of a biological basis for mental illness, the investigation of the human condition has sought an explanation for the relationship between psychology and physiology. As the history of psychology in general progressed there was a tendency to seek out more empirical, scientifically ascertainable explanations of human behavior. However, as clinical psychology rose in the late 19th century and early 20th century an applied approach to mental illness was adopted that emphasized a hands-on method to treatment. Currently there is a shift in clinical psychology toward prevention and human strengths and away from the illness ideology of the past century. This can be seen most readily in the institution of VR as a preemptive approach to mental illness. Research and statistics act for clinical counseling psychology as a compass or corrective instrument to inform the practice and training of clinical counseling psychologists. References Bakar, A.R., Jaafar, W.M., Mohamed, O., Tarmizi, R.A. (2009). The influence of counseling self-efficacy toward trainee counselor performance. International Journal of Learning, 16(8), 247-260. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from Education Research Complete database. Maddux, J. E. (2008). Positive psychology and the illness ideology: Toward a positive clinical psychology. Applied Psychology, 57(1), 54-70. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from Business Source Complete database. Niles, D.T. (2010). Retrieved April 22, 2011, from Thinkexist.com web site: http://thinkexist.com/quotation/christianity_is_one_beggar_telling_another_beggar/203369.html Plante, T. G. (2011). Contemporary clinical psychology (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons Riva, G. (2009). Virtual reality: An experiential tool for clinical psychology. British Journal of Guidance Counselling, 37(3), 337-345. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from Education Research Complete database.

The Evaluate Current Strategic Choice And Implications Management Essay

The Evaluate Current Strategic Choice And Implications Management Essay Strategic Management is a term that is not new, first used in the 1970s it was conceived that a team of strategic planners would come up with strategic ideas to sell to decision makers. It is all about identification and guideline used by the managers in order for the company to have a competitive edge over the competition. Joel Ross Michael Kami(Fred 2011, 35) mentioned that; Without Strategy, an organization is like a ship without a rudder, going round in circles. Its like a tramp; it has no place to go. According to Wheelen and Hunger(2006,3) A set of decisions and actions that are used to charter the performance of a corporation can be defined as Strategic management. The process of this would take into account the scanning of external and internal environmental factors, long term and strategic planning for strategy formulation as well as the implementation and evaluation and control process. Wheelen Hunger(2006,3) strongly focused on the analyzing and evaluating of external opportunities and threats compared to the companys strengths and weaknesses. A SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is an ideal tool for strategic managers to plan for both predictable and unfeasible contingencies. In the point of Dess and Miller(1993), the combination of three major interrelated activities; strategic analysis, strategic formulation and strategy implementation can be called strategic management. These activities are a continuous process that helps evaluates and controls the company and the industry it is in, benchmarks the competition and set realistic targets and strategies to meet its existing and potential competition. Lamb(1984) states that strategic management is a continuous process that evaluates and controls the business and industries the company is in; it also assesses the competitors to set goals and strategies then reevaluates them every quarterly or annually to decide on the implementation of the strategy is successful. It then reevaluates the if there is any new factors such as technology, competition, economic market, social, financial and even political environment that can be used to create a new strategy. As a summary, Strategic Management and Planning is the understanding of the process of strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation. For company an organization to gain the edge over its competition regardless of size, scale; each organization needs to have a well planned strategic management in order to strive and compete in the market while optimizing its potential for tomorrows trends of today. Background of company The birth of Singapore Airlines was from Malaysian Air Limited where it first started in 1947, because of political reasons, the company was renamed to Malaysia-Singapore Airlines and finally the company split its shares to Malaysian Airlines System and Singapore Airlines in 1972 on which Singapore Airlines is owned by Singapore state owned investment house; Tamasek Holdings Singapore Airlines was forced to focus on the international market that was subjected to intense competition because there was no domestic route available to after the separation. The difficult start of was one of the factors that drove Singapore Airlines driving spirit to compete and dedication to branding. It started the branding strategy by engaging a French haute-couture designer in 1972 to come up with a special version of the Malay Sarong Kebaya for the airline stewardess uniform and adopting a branding Singapore Girls that provide top quality in-flight hospitality. This feature became one of the most recognized signatures for Singapore Airlines. The marketing strategy was accompany by background lobbying effort to talk country in granting access to its airport and dedication to its human resource management by investing 20million on training facilities. This was paid off at 1973 when the airline was ranked third in the Far East Asian region. The company then are force to conduct cost cutting program to struggle with surge of oil price on 1973~1977. Surviving this, in 1977 the airlines joint operation with British Airway to provide Concord jet service between Singapore and London, the service was terminated in 1980. This however was deem a marketing success as Singapore Airline were make famous around the globe with this achievement. At the same period, new Changi Airport was constructed, leading to a higher service standard being provided by Singapore Airline. This has paid off and Singapore Airlines were the top preference in Asia-Pacific Region in 1981. The airline follows a steady internal growth strategy in the 1980s, expanding its size, renewing fleet and adding route. SIA was privatised on 1985, listing on Singapore stock exchange with Temasek Holding owning a 63% initially and gradually reduced to 54% in 2008. During 1990s, the company follows a more aggressive growth pattern, two subsidiaries were form in 1992, Silk Air to close the gap between its route networks and cater to a lower cost market segment, SIA Engineering is form to increase productivity and pursuit better business opportunity. Globalisation in the 1990s have also prompt the airline to expand overseas, invest in other airline company and forming new subsidiary in other country to provide better support on is airlines. The Asia financial crises at the end of 1990s prompt the airline to review its operation cost again, cutting down on not profitable route. [St James Press, 1999]. Against conventional wisdom, the company have utilized its strong financial resources during financial crisis to make capital investment, spending 300million to renovate cabins of its aircraft. This had benefit the airlines as the price level during the crisis is low and the airlines have more bargaining power over its supplier [Scott, 2008]. Till date, Singapore Airlines group of companies provide passenger and cargo air transportation, airport terminal services, aviation engineering services, training of pilots, air charters and tour wholesales and related activities. As of March 2009, the group have 31,834 employee, posted a revenue of SGD 15,996 million. The airlines also operate route on 36 countries with 66 destinations and 726 weekly flights. The performance of Singapore Airlines at the beginning of year 2009 was severely hit by the economic downturn and pre-purchase fuel priced hedge at high level before the financial crisis [SIA annual report 08/09]. Recent health crisis like bird flu, H1N1 had also affected the travel industry which the airline is operating in. Organisational structure SIAs organisation is divided primarily by function and has disadvantages of low responsibility at bottom level staff and compartmentalize on manager. To tackle this, SIA have a flatten organisation chart with few level of hierarchy within the organisation, this allows autonomy and create a more flexible and dynamic business that empower people to make decision and leads to job enrichment. The company also promotes independences and encourage senior staff to train and allow junior staff to made decision. To tackle problem of job compartmentalize, non technical manager are rotated on jobs and allows them to have a broader picture. The management of SIA also stress on importance of maintaining good and healthy work culture inside the organisation. Team works is place on high importance by the company. As the company have established sales office in over 80 countries, it had divided the sales operation by geographical area. To tackle problem on management control, the company had placed the focus point on end results objective allowing site manager to exercise flexibility and made adjustment based on situation. Full authorities had been given to its overseas regional general manager allowing decision to make quickly in respond to local issue and customize business operation to suit local climate [Times 100, undated.]. The company used organic growth strategy and stress on profitability rather than size, this allow slow and steady growth and leader to be groom properly. In general, the organisational structure of SIA is decentralise encourages autonomy allowing quick response to business treat and opportunity which is crucial in the airline industry which are very fast and dynamics. 4.0 Analysis of External Environment 4.1 Political The political environment of Singapore is stable with its dominant political party Peoples Action Party (PAP) controlling the government since the independence. Singapore government has allowed the freedom in corporate governance and has little set restrictions to the industry. Singapore Airlines make 90% of the decision on its own and has only influence the appointment of the director over the company (Sikorski, 1995). Singapore Airlines was allowed to stress on profit in comparison with public or social responsibility and was even backed by the government during its retrenchment practice during the economical crisis. (Sikorski, 1995) With a strong foreign policy that maintains good relationship with 175 countries, Singapore has a particular good relationship with huge economical countries such as France, United Kingdom, and Germany. It also has a mutual free trade agreement between Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, United States of America and recently with China in 2008. With Singapore signing the Gulf Cooperation Council-Singapore Free Trade Agreement in December 2008, it embarks to build strong ties with the middle east countries as well. Singapore is a stable base for the operations for SIA comparing itself to other regions in the Asia Pacific that have seen unrest over the recent years. Terrorism alerts affected some countries in the Asia region with India(2008) and Pakistan(2009) hit with the lost of hundreds of life. The tourism industry for Thailand was affected in 2008 during the protest and heavy floods as well as the Tsunami event that happened in Langkawi, Malaysia as well as Thailand that affected the influx of tourist there. There was also the riots in China and the Korean Missile crisis that effect the Singapore Airlines to re-route its flight to other locations. 4.2 Economic Financial Crisis in 2007 affected many countries over the world that brought recessions to most of the affected countries. This slum lasted through 2008 that made the global financial institutions very cautions on its loans of money and many companies had to underwent a cost cutting measure to stay afloat. The IMF predicted the regeneration of the world wide economy by 2009 and it the up market trend has steadily grown from there. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) also contributed to promote Singapore as a destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions). In SGD 90 Million BOOST (Building on Opportunity to Strengthen Tourism) program was launched in February 2009 and was followed up in October with an announcement for a new Tourism Compass 2020 roadmap to grow tourism 2015, with the goal to set Singapore as the leading city for MICE (STB,12 Oct2009). The growth was further spurred by the building of two integrated resort projects, Marina Bay Sand and Resort World at Sentosa. Singapore has also continued to host the Formula One Night Race and with all this factors surely has a positive impact for the travel and tourism sector for the country. 4.3 Social Cultural Singapores population comprises of more then 75% Chinese, followed by Malay and Indian; the main religion of the country is Buddhism, Islam, Christian, Taoism and Hinduism. Having a rich Asian culture in the country, Singapore is one of the most westernized countries within Asia. With the growing China economy and its open door policy; Singapore has landed a great pool of foreign labor arriving from China. This in return has created a cultural conflict among many Singaporeans. With a highly diversified culture with close to 35% of its population is non citizen residing in the country, (25% of is foreigner and 10% are permanent resident); Singapore can be considered as an immigrant country. Although having high non-citizen to citizen ratio, the country never stops to promote foreign talent and believes that if the immigrant policy were to be stopped, Singapore would face a shortage of quality labor. Having a strong Chinese influence over its working culture that has made it a culture of high in power distance with the lower employees accepting the subordinates positions that seldom questions the managements decisions. The working culture also stresses on good team work and maintaining group harmonies. (Warnstam,2007). This has made Singapore to become a very cooperative employee to employer relationship and its labor union is in good terms with companies throughout. 4.4 Technology The growth in the usage if Internet around the globe has prompted the growth of customized web addresses to be used around the world. This has also given the potential for the usage of Chinese characters to form the web address (Choe,Oct 2009). With the emergence of such technological advancement, the electronic devices has also evolved to become more portable with increased performance and now almost every household in Singapore would have a portable laptop, hand phone and digital cameras loaded with personalized music, games , photo and video. The growth of such technology has prompt an expansion of innovation over the past decade. The development of high speed networks and compression has allowed faster transfer of data and transfer rate, resulting in the availability to have high quality real time video conferencing with people around the globe from the office or even without leaving the house. This has made it a very good substitute for companies to use instead of having to send its employees for business travelling. (Yu, 23 Jun 2009). 5.0 Evaluate Current Strategic choice and implications 5.1 Analysis of Current Strategic Position 5.1.1 Financial position Singapore Airlines has maintained its profit over the years, the group has maintained its profit even through the 2008 financial crisis. After the growth in 2009 the group assets are worth SGD 22.04 million and debt of SGD 1.077million with an equity debt ratio of 0.08. With a general reserve of SGD 11.264 million the company is poised to be able to sustain its operations in any case of crisis. (SIA, Annual report 2012) 5.1.2 Product position Carrier RPK (Million) SIA 90,128 Cathay Pacific 90,975 Qantas 99,176 Total of   AAPA member 550,014 Table 1 Comparison of RPK Airlines market size can be measure by Revenue Passenger-Kilometer (RPK). Having based in Asia Pacific region, SIA, Cathay Pacific and Qantas all falls into the same category of medium cost, developed airlines. These airlines have similar offering and price level. It can be seen that SIA, Cathay and Qantas have market share of similar size [AAPA, 2009]. The company is ranked number two in Skytrax Best airline award; the airline is in the top five ranking for 10 out of the 12 award Skytrax have. The airline has the Best 1st Class and best in-flight catering award in 2009. The only part the company dont have a ranking is on the airport lounge service [Skytrax, 2009]. 5.1.3 Marketing capability The initial distribution of SIA is mainly by the travel agents or through internet bookings, SIA has come a long way by providing a ticketless system for its passengers that even allows boarding as well even for connecting flights with its partner airlines (SIA,2009). SIA also engages social networking website in Facebook though quite limited in its presence. This is a drawback with the current trend of younger generation who associates more with social networking sites. Another factor that is a slight disadvantages for Singapore Airlines is that the domain www.sia.com and www.sia.com.sg is not owned by Singapore Airlines, but to counteract this, they company has engaged to actively publish itself as the preferred search referee if anyone searches for SIA online. SIA has also made good placement in the search engine for using the key world Singapore airlines and Air Ticket Singapore which prompts SIA at the top of the search list. 5.1.4 Organizational structure The organization is divided by function and the disadvantages of low responsibility for the employees at the bottom as well as the compartmentalization on the managers. To overcome this, SIA has flat organization chart with few hierarchical levels for its organizations, this enables autonomy and create a more flexible but yet dynamic business that empowers its people to make decisions and lead to better job satisfaction. The promotion of independence and encouraging its senior employees to train and give chances to the junior personnel to make decisions are a key factor for SIA. Non technical management personnel are rotated on jobs and this gives them to have a broader perspective for the job. This is further strengthening by the stress on the importance of having a good and healthy work culture for the company. Great importance is stressed on having good team spirit. To overcome sales operation issue, SIA has focused on end results while giving its site managers to exercise flexibility to make necessary changes based on the situations. The full power is given to its overseas regional general manager to ensure fast response time for local issues and a more localized business operation to site the climate. The company focuses on the growth strategy that focuses more on profitability rather than size, thus allowing slow and steady growth with chances for leaders to be groomed properly. In general, the organisational structure of SIA is decentralise encourages autonomy allowing quick response to business treat and opportunity which is crucial in the airline industry which are very fast and dynamics. 5.1.5 Human Resources SIA has a strong emphasis on human resources. The requirements for entry level to the company is only for diploma holders are accepted, these employee would then go through the recruitment process. After the appointment, these cabin crew is trained for 15 weeks, 2 times longer the industrial standards. The SIA employees have a 6 month probation that needs to be reported continuously by their supervisor with a confirmation rate of 75% while 20% will be on extension. These trainings are changed periodically to adjust to show the customers expectations. While on the job, the employees are also required to engage in various voluntary community services, arts and cultural activities. Refresher courses will be available for employees allowing 3 to 4 days per year, this is a form of motivation for the employees to engage in self learning and the employees will be accountable for their own growth and development. Results from these stringent training has been obvious by producing Stewardess that have high esteem, motivated and capable in handling the customers in the companys best interest (Heracleous and Wirtz. 2009). The focus on talent form within the company, the company focuses on development of the human capita given training spending of SGD100million for its employees. The company also offers scholarship programs for recruiting management trainees from the universities. 5.1.6 Condition of facilities and equipment Having one of the newest fleets in the world, with an average age of 6 years, Singapore Airlines is one of the most updated planes compared to the worldwide average of 15 years (Prystay, 28 Aug 2009). By adopting the newest planes and technology this impacts in the reduction of maintenance and petrol cost. Other than that, SIA also went through an upgrading of its plane cabins to provide customers with the most updated entertainment systems and a better seating arrangement. Training equipment for its pilots is also provided from the SGD 1 million flight simulator that is capable of simulating the high altitude scenario. SIA also updated its training center in 1999 to ensure the recruitment is capable to facilitate a better and efficient training environment. Overall the airlines does have a great training faclilities for its personnel as well as their commitment to bringing top quality service with a strong financial background but because of the financial crisis in 2008 and the lack of demand over supply, SIA is laden with excess aircraft that has not been utilized. 5.1.7 Past objective and strategies SIA corporate level uses a diversified strategy whereby it expands its business to airline catering, airport terminal services as well as into aircraft maintenance. These dual strategy in cost leadership and differentiation enables SIA to have excellent cost efficient service through high business efficiency. SIA has secured its high business competence through the execution of five organizational systems. The first is the structured service development and design that allocates dedicated departments for its enhancement of service and thorough testing to ensure that there will be a quality service that will be able to meet the latest customers expectations. Second is the focus on consumer trends over the years, with a specific department that monitors closely to ensure that innovation is tailor to focus on improving and enabling a cost effective and highly productive service innovation. The focus will also be on the companys weak point, adapting the best practices from other successful developments while reducing the cost and risk involved for the innovation. The third set is the focus on a profit conscious culture, with the education of its personnel on the priority of profit and customer satisfaction. SIA also focuses on a reward based system that gives proper recognition to employees based on their performance to encourage team work and productivity while reducing wastage. The fourth is the goal for the organization to achieve success through the diversification and infrastructure of its subsidiaries. These integration allows the focus and control that will enhance the knowledge while reduction of cost at the same time. The management of its subsidiaries is based on a clear expectation that enables the subsidiaries to be subjected to market discipline. The last focus for the company is the development of its personnel through training and development while encouraging the development of a direct self continuous learning system to boost their self esteem. The overall strategies that SIA has adopted has made the company to have a high competence core with the overall ability to achieve a differential offering through exceptional levels of efficiency (Heracleous et al 2009) 6.0 Strategic Potential Justifications Choices for strategy for SIA should be based on the logical elements for the process and have a central role. The company should focus their choices of strategy through based on the internal and external factors while taking into account its core competency to strive for profitability and service excellence of its personnel. Strategic Choices for Singapore Airlines Business Level Strategy Corporate Level Strategy Direction and Method of Development Strategy for competitive advantage Adhere to government regulation and satisfaction Internal training and development Profit measurable success for strategies Diversification in market Creation of value added services to gain competitive advantage 6.1 Business Level Strategy Price Based Strategy This strategy takes into consideration of the product to price to gain a competitive advantage. There are many low cost airlines company as of this moment that is conducting business in the Asia region. This causes the market to be very competitive and Singapore Airlines is one of such company that faces challenges. Low cost airline companies such as Air Asia is one of the competitors that are focusing on the usage of price based strategy to capture a market share in the current market. Justification: Acceptable and feasible pricing strategy: The focus for the price based strategy is important as the current completion from the low cost airlines also focuses on the same routes of travel while providing a lower air fare. One of such routes traveled is from Singapore to Bangkok, from this example, Air Asia is selling its seats for a round trip for a price of $150 while compared to SIA that cost $500. Because of this the company is losing money as customer trends are now slowly switching over the low cost seats. http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/4abs74bzsw9yk25/images/16-b0f782e011.jpg 4.2 Corporate Strategy Direction Policy Matrix Used to measure the health of the industry for the Asian regions and the capabilities of Singapore Airlines. Below is the representation of Singapore Airlines in comparative to Air Asia ad MAS in the Asian Region. http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/4abs74bzsw9yk25/images/17-978ec5a00e.jpg Source: Johnson G, Scholes K. 2005. P 320 Justification: Acceptability Feasibility of Directional Policy Matrix From the analysis it can be seen that the market positing of Singapore Airlines is aimed towards the middle business class strength that offers a highly attractive market. The bargaining power, threats for substitute and competitive rivalry is high for the Singapore Airlines. In the event of a cost increase for jet fuel to USD 115/barrel, the supplier has the upper hand the the treat of substitute is potentially high for the market. For this the feasibility and acceptance of a directional policy matrix for Singapore Airlines is High. 6.3 Directional and Method of Development TOWS Matrix Through the analysis of the internal and external environment, the generation of a TOWS based matrix. This will enable Singapore Airlines to focus on the strategic options available to cater for any potential changes or adapt strategies to further strengthen its market share while limiting its weakness. http://htmlimg2.scribdassets.com/4abs74bzsw9yk25/images/18-6f7d0e3282.jpg Suing the strength and opportunity for Singapore Airlines, there is potential for market diversification. To overcome the potential treats, SIA can have a merger or acquisition with certain airline companies. Avoidance of weakness for Singapore Airlines can adopt a cost leadership strategy. The airlines can develop their internal factors to avoid the treats and weaknesses. Justification Diversification: The current airline industry for the Asian region is highly competitive. There are many airline operations in the region and one of such competition comes from the low cost airline Air Asia. Air Asia flies twice daily from Malaysia to Guangzhou. Currently Air Asia has 86 routes that offers no frills service and has garnered wide recognition from the china market comparing to Singapore Airlines which has 88 destinations in 38 countries. Singapore Airlines would need to strengthen and diversify its market by planning out more feasible routes to high business locations and take a competitive advantage though expansion of the Asian market. Merger and Acquisition: Singapore Airlines needs to have a strong understanding on its competition and to avoid the treats they possess. With their strong financial background, the potential for merger and acquisition is a great choice for Singapore Airlines. Currently there are two national carriers that are seeking to limit Singapore Airlines to access their home market thus slowing down the growth for the airline. Because of this Singapore airlines joined the Star Alliance to take advantage of its international strategy. This is also boosted by the investment of SIA groups into China and India to ensure strategic alliances with the local organizations for their cargo divisions, airport services, enginnering and catering. Internal Development During the previous years, Singapore Airlines recorded a low asset turnover ration in comparison with its competitors. Because of this, the weaker asset turnover ratio has a potential to show that the companies ineffectiveness to utilize the assets to generate profit and will eventually lead to the decline in the groups growth. Singapore Airlines can adapt to this by using better use of information technology to enhance its services to the customers and gain back better response and efficiency. Singapore Airlines website is now one of the most advance and user friendly in the industry that offers the customers to check their schedules, buy tickets, check in and manage their accounts as well as even choosing the meal for their flights. Because of this value added service, the company is able to further maintain its market share and slowly cover up the losses by creating a portal for customers and potential clients to interact with Singapore Airlines. The efficient use of IT has proven to significantly reduce the cost and enhance service levels for Singapore Airlines. Conclusion Singapore Airlines is the national carrier for Singapore and is one of the industry leaders in Asia. Currently the operations route carries Singapore Airlines to South East Asia, East Asia, Europe, Middle East and the Australia. The analysis for the external factors indicates that Singapore Airlines does face some barriers due to the international economic and political sector. The prices of oil over the years have been very volatile and would play a major impact on the profitability of the airline industry. Other than that with some ups and downs in the economy and the growth of high speed networks through the usage of information technology has played an impact for the overall performance in the airline industry in general with people become less mobile while still being able to work with their counterparts across the globe. The internal factors with the successful branding of Singapore Airlines is one of the drawing factors that is able to sustain its competitive edge as well as w ith strong management background that ensure a quality of service for its customers gives the company its core competencies. For Singapore Airlines to keep evolving towards the new market trends, the company should take into account the internal and external surroundings.

Synthesis and Purification of Nitrophenols

Synthesis and Purification of Nitrophenols Abstract Ortho and para-nitrophenol was synthesized using an electrophilic aromatic substitution of phenol and dilute nitric acid. Isolation of the crude product used a dichloromethane followed by a short vortex and sodium sulfate for water removal. Separation of the ortho and para products was completed using column chromatography to collect the eluent in ten vials; vials #1-5 collected o- and vials #6-10 collected p-nitrophenol. Thin layer chromatography confirmed synthesis of o-nitrophenol collected in vial #3, 4 and 5 and p-nitrophenol in vial #7.1H NMR showed o-nitrophenol being the spectrum with more peaks, due to the asymmetric structural difference creating more nuclear environments for the proton to participate in. Introduction Phenols, due to their rich electron density, are highly susceptible to undergo electrophilic substitution reactions. The hydroxyl group on the aromatic ring of the phenol promotes charge delocalization; thus, allowing for stabilization through resonance.   One such electrophilic substitution reaction is that of nitration. First, an electrophilic attack of the phenol takes place, resulting in a carbocation intermediate stabilized by resonance1. Next, the nitronium ion nitrates the phenol ring, producing p-nitrophenol and o-nitrophenol (Figure 1). The hydroxyl group of the phenol is an ortho para director; therefore, the meta isomer is not produced. However, by products such as 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,4,6,-trinitrophenol may be present in excess amounts of nitric acid. Once nitration is complete, the crude product can be purified through column chromatography and monitored through TLC. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a chromatographic technique used to separate the components of a mixture using a thin stationary phase. TLC functions on the same principle as all chromatography: a compound will have different affinities for the mobile and stationary phases and this affects the speed at which migrates2. After a separation is complete, individual compounds appear as spots separated vertically. Each spot has a retention factor (Rf) which is equal to the distance migrated over the total distance covered by the solvent. The Rf formula is2 In this experiment the difference in Rf values will allow for identification between o- and p-nitrophenol. When comparing two different compounds under the same conditions, the compound with the larger Rf value is less polar because it does not stick to the stationary phase as long as the polar compound, which would have a lower Rf value2. Column chromatography is a useful analytical technique for small-scale separation and purification using similar principles as TLC3. The polar, stationary phase remains either silica gel or alumina and the mobile phase can be dichloromethane (DCM)/hexane or DCM/ethyl acetate depending on the polarity of the sample. Therefore, the more polar isomers will adsorb to the silica gel and take longer to elute than the less polar isomers3. In the above reaction, the ortho product should elute first as it is less polar than the para product. Results Total percent yield using mass values Table 1 Table 1: Mass of fractions #1-10 Vial Number Empty Clean Vial (g) Dry Vial Weight (g) Product only (g) 1 13.3497 13.4663 0.1166 2 13.3357 13.337 0.0013 3 13.1605 13.1608 0.0003 4 13.0819 13.3543 0.2724 5 13.2054 13.3147 0.1093 6 13.2838 13.6743 0.3905 7 13.2007 13.5176 0.3169 8 13.0464 13.0977 0.0513 9 13.3157 13.4682 0.1225 10 13.5818 13.8376 0.2558 Table 2. 1H NMR spectrum of o-nitrophenol Atom Atom is part of a group Peak multiplicity Peak observed (ppm) Peak calculated (ppm) A Hydroxyl Singlet 10.7 10.84 B Arene Doublet 7.15 7.07 C Arene Triplet 7.0 6.59 D Arene Doublet 8.2 8.00 E Arene Triplet 7.6 7.22 Table 3: 1H NMR spectrum of p-nitrophenol Atom Atom is part of a group Peak multiplicity Peak observed (ppm) Peak calculated (ppm) A Arene Doublet 8.15 8.24 B Arene Doublet 6.8 7.0 C Hydroxyl Singlet 5.45 6.0 Table 4: IR spectrum of o-nitrophenol Functional Group Molecular Motion Observed Wavenumber (cm-1) Literature Value Range2-4 (cm-1) Peak Intensity Peak Shape Aromatic alcohol O-H Stretch 3240.31 3550-3500 Weak Broad Aromatic C=C C=C Stretch 1613.37 1600-1430 Medium Sharp Aromatic nitro NO2 Asymmetric Stretch 1530.13 1540-1500 Medium Sharp   Ã‚   Aromatic nitro NO2 symmetric Stretch 1471.31 1370-1330 Medium Sharp Table 5: IR spectrum of p-nitrophenol Functional Group Molecular Motion Observed Wavenumber (cm-1) Literature Value Range2-4 (cm-1) Peak Intensity Peak Shape Aromatic alcohol O-H Stretch 2999.35 3550-3500 Weak Broad Aromatic C-H In plane C-H   bending 1259.93 1275-1000 Medium Sharp Aromatic nitro NO2 Asymmetric Stretch 1517.92 1540-1500 Medium Sharp Aromatic nitro NO2 Symmetric Stretch 1326.38 1370-1330 Strong Sharp Aromatic C=C C=C Stretch 1600 1600-1430 Medium Sharp Figure 2: TLC plate A  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‚  Ã‚   Figure 3: TLC plate B Table 6: Rf values Compound Retention Factor (Rf) Relative Polarity o-nitrophenol 0.93 Less polar p-nitrophenol 0.07 More polar Discussion In this experiment a nitrophenol synthesis was carried out. The total percent yield is 42.7% as evident in Equation 2. Equations 2 and 3 show o-nitrophenol yield being 54.66% and p-nitrophenol being 45.34%. It could be assumed that not all of the organic matter was collected during the crude isolation phase. Two TLC analyses were performed to further determine the identity of o- and p- nitrophenols. The analysis on plate A determined that the fractions collected correspond to o-nitrophenol. This was concluded based on the distance the spots traveled up the plate. The o-nitrophenol complex is less polar than both the silica gel on the TLC plate and the p-nitrophenol complex. Therefore, it was expected to travel further up the plate. The fractions collected on TLC plate B correspond to p-nitrophenol; this complex is polar and adheres to the polar silica gel of the plate. The Rf value (retention factor) obtained for o-nitrophenol is 0.93. The Rf value obtained for p-nitrophenol is 0.07. Compounds with larger retention factors are less polar as they do not stick to the polar solvent. The fractions collected on plate A are all pure as only one spot is observed per lane. Lanes 1 and 2 do not show any spots because the fractions were collected too early and no product exists. The only pure frac tion collected on plate B is the one in lane 7. Lanes 8, 9, and 10 each have multiple spots suggesting that by-products are present. Lane 6 does not have any spots meaning that only solvent, not product exists. To confirm the identity of the product, 1 H NMR spectroscopy were used. The 1 H NMR spectrum of p-nitrophenol it is easily distinguishable because it contains only 3 observed peaks- A, B and C at 8.15 ppm, 6.8 ppm and 5.45 ppm accordingly. Peak A is a doublet and belongs to the protons adjacent to the deshielding nitro group. The proton pair adjacent to the hydroxyl group show a doublet signal at 6.8 ppm on the spectrum. The singlet showing lack of splitting must belong to the hydroxyl group, but it is far below expected values of around 10 ppm4. This is due to the intermolecular hydrogen bonding in this compound. The spectrum for o-nitrophenol has five observed peaks. The hydroxyl group is just above 10.5 ppm, which is in normal range. Peak D which is a doublet belongs to the proton closest to the nitro group at 8.2 ppm. The triplet directly across the nitro group peak E has a values of 7.6 ppm. This value generally would be expected at 7.0 ppm, but the ortho and para positions are more deshielded due to the resonance structure observed in Figure 4 and 5. Comparing resonance structures of p-nitrophenol and phenol explains why pnitrophenol is more acidic (Figure 4, Figure 5). Phenol can donate an electron pair to the aromatic system from the hydroxide group. P-nitrophenol has a ring deactivating nitro group that withdraws electron density from the aromatic system. This allows the hydroxyl proton to be removed because of the partial positive charge on that side of the system. The conjugate base is then stabilized by the nitro group taking away an electron pair from the negatively charged oxygen to form a double bond with the ring system. The stable conjugate base means that it cant form a new bond with the free proton, thus making p-nitrophenol more acidic than phenol. However with phenol, there is no electron withdrawing group, allowing oxygen to retain its negative charge. The conjugate base formed is very unstable and will immediately bond with any available proton. Also, o-nitrophenol has the nitro group in close proximity to the hy droxyl, thus allowing for intramolecular hydrogen bonding to occur. This slightly lowers the acidity of o-nitrophenol compared to pnitrophenol because the hydroxyl proton is made unavailable by the negative oxygen on the nitro substituent. Whereas in p-nitrophenol, intermolecular bonding occurs between other p-nitrophenols contributing to the overall stability of the compound. The IR spectrum of o-nitrophenol was given; however, the IR spectrum of p-nitrophenol was obtained experimentally. The IR spectrum for o-nitrophenol shows the following stretches: O-H stretch; C=C stretch; aromatic NO2 asymmetric stretch; and an aromatic NO2 symmetric stretch. The O-H stretch is caused by the hydroxyl group on the phenol ring. The observed value is 3240.31 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 3550-3500 cm-1. The peak was broad and exhibited strong intensity. The C=C stretch is caused by the aromatic ring of the phenol. The observed value is 1613.37 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 1370-13130 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited medium intensity. The aromatic NO2 asymmetric stretch is caused by a nitro group. The observed value is 1530.13 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 1540-1500 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited smedium intensity. The aromatic NO2 symmetric stretch is also caused by the nitro gr oup. The p-nitrophenol IR spectrum exhibited many of the same peaks. The observed peaks are as follows: O-H stretch; C-H bending; aromatic NO2 asymmetric stretch; aromatic NO2 symmetric stretch and C=C stretch. The O-H stretch is caused by the hydroxyl group on the phenol ring. The observed value is between 3726.38 and 2999.35 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 3550-3500 cm-1. The peak was broad and exhibited weak intensity. The C-H in plane bend is caused by the aromatic ring of the phenol. The observed value is 1259.93 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 1275-1000 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited medium intensity. The aromatic NO2 asymmetric stretch is caused by a nitro group. The observed value is 1517.92 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 1540-1500 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited strong intensity. The aromatic NO2 symmetric stretch is also caused by the nitro group. The observed value is 1326.38 cm-1; this corr esponds to the literature value range of 1540-1500 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited medium intensity. Conclusion The synthesis of o- and p-nitrophenol was performed using an electrophilic aromatic substitution of a nitro group in dilute acidic conditions. This was followed by column chromatography to separate the o- and p forms and TLC to confirm that the synthesis and purification was successful. The capture of o-nitrophenol and of p-nitrophenol was successful due to having product in vials #3,4,5 and 7 as seen on the TLC plates (Figure 2 nand 3). IR spectra of o- and p-nitrophenol also confirm a successful synthesis due to the differences in the aromatic OH streches (Table 4, Table 5). The experiment may be considered a success because of the differences between the IR spectra confirming the synthesis of o- and p-nitrophenol. The IR spectra may be improved by more homogenous packing of the column. Also, waiting to collect a darker yellow elute may have increased yield of o-nitrophenol due to not capturing only solvent in vials #3-4. References Stawikowski, M. Experiment 5: Synthesis and Purification of Nitrophenols; BlackBoard. Touchstone, Joseph C. Practice of thin layer chromatography. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1983.Print Smiley RA Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. John Wiley and Sons . Richards, S. A., and Hollerton, J. C.. Essential Practical NMR for Organic Chemistry (1). Hoboken, GB: Wiley, 2010, 2.

? TERROR-ISM ? :: essays research papers

A difference of ideas, opinions is opposition. When attempted to thwart the opposite opinion, and disappointed by existing set up opposition seeks public support as no objective of fight back is achieved without mass support. Normally In order to achieve public support two different types of methods are adopted. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This method generally a fight for the society’s causes that is unrecognized by existing set up. In order to get the causes recognized peaceful disobedience is observed. Best example, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela took a step, which was positive revolution, though, uncomfortable for then British regime. Most of their life made jails as their homes self-persecution and sacrifice but momentum of society support was immense as cause was for major percentage of society that created one of the highest revolutions. This method is weapon of word and disobedience though is slow yet very effective to interact with masses, inspires masses to support revolt. I call positive revolution. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand negative methods are used to terrorize society in order to gain support are for causes which opposition feels is cause that society should accept and follow. This type of revolt comes into existence when both category accepter and non-accepters comprise the society. Rather support from limited members, which are to be forced on society to follow. Certain sections they choose by inspiring them to join by their teaching and other incentives, this section is normally poor and uneducated class. Terrorizing methods are used to make non-accepters to agree if not die or leave. In this case major percentage of non-accepters leave the society in fear of terror and opposition gets full support from remaining members of society. Sacrificing and persecuting others achieve this objective. To my opinion this is TERROR-ISM and negative revolution. Who create to achieve objective and gather mass support by terror are terrorists. Intensity of terrorisms and their activities succeed in the countries, which have high rate of poverty, high percentage of illiteracy and unemployment. Poor needs food and clothing, illiterate and unemployed needs source of income and terrorisms need support from deprived mass and people for sourcing income (through illegal sources as legal source is not open for them) to spread campaign. For an unemployed poor legal or illegal employment is no issue his/her issue is food and life. These illegal activities give birth to criminal objects and corruption in the countries. Nearly 60% or more poor live in human world and Asia dominates in this most.

Physics of Volcanoes :: physics volcano volcanic eruption

Volcanoes are one of natures most interesting and dangerous phenomenons. The way volcanoes operate can be understood, on a basic level, by just some simple physics and chemistry, this paper will investigate and explain some of the basic physics that govern the behavior of volcanoes. Magma is composed of three main components * viscous silicate melt * crystals * volatiles (gases) The way that these three components interact is one of the main focuses of petrologists and volcanologists. Also, the way that these components interact is govered by some of the basic laws of physics. Viscosity In layman's terms viscosity is a fluids resistance to flow and is important in many volcanic processes. Viscosity is defined as the internal resistance to flow by a substance when a shear stress is applied. Many factors affect a magma's viscosity. Temperature is one of them, as a with all fluids as a the temperature increases the viscosity also increases. This example can be seen when examining a rhyolitic melt, when the temperature decreases from 1300Â °C to 600Â °C the viscosity increases by more than eight orders of magnitude. The silica content and the water content also affect a magmas viscosity. The more silica is in a magma the more viscous the magma will be due to the strong silica-oxygen bonds. When water is added to a magma it has the ability to break the silica-oxygen bonds and therfore, the viscosity decreases. Rheology Rheology is the study of how materials flow and it is very important when examining volcanogenic processes. Two main types of flows can be defined: laminar and turbulent. Laminar flow occurs when the motion of the particles of fluid is very orderly with all particles moving in straight lines parallel to the walls. Turbulent flow occurs when the streamlines or flow patterns of a fluid are disorganized and there is an exchange of fluid between these areas. The Reynolds number (Re) can be calculated to determine whether a fluid is turbulent or laminar. When the Reynolds number is less than 10 .... it is considered laminar, when it is greater than 100 it is considered turbulent. The areas in between are defined as transitional and can go either way. Rheology and viscosity are imporatnat to volcanologists because it will determine if Magma Chambers will convect and overturn. When the Rayleigh's and Reynolds numbers are high enough it is possible for these chambers to over turn which can lead to volcanic eruptions.

Extraterrestrials Essay -- Aliens Science Essays

Extraterrestrials Can the Earth be the only place in the Universe that harbors life? Most astronomers don't believe this is true. Certain statistics in the Universe provide evidence that living beings may be common place through out the universe, on planets of other stars besides the sun. In this paper I plan to discuss the various viewpoints of those that believe that extraterrestrials exist and have even been visiting Earth, and the viewpoints of skpetics that believe that aliens don't exist and have not been visiting Earth. To get into the topic we must first start at the base of the subject. First the question must be dealt with of life being only indigenous to planet Earth. One of the most basic materials that are essential to form life are basic carbon compounds. These carbon compounds are very abundant throughout the Universe. Carbon compounds exist not only on planets but on comets and free floating asteroids and gas clouds in space. Although, even with the abundance of all these compunds in the Universe the chances of these compounds forming into living beings aren't so great, however it is true that the odds of carbon forming into life sustaining compounds is greatly increased with an increase in time. The Universe works on a basis backward to the human way of thinking. The Universe becomes more orderly with time while we would tend to think that time breaks down structures. This means to us that the chances of life evolving on any part of the Universe increases as time moves forward . Another factor that is necessary for life evolving is a Star's size. Our Sun is a very ordinary star in terms of it size and temperature. Statistics show that there are billions of stars like the sun in our galaxy alone. ( Henbest & Couper, 1989, paragraph 5 ) Life evolving in one of these star systems may have developed in the same way humans have. Philosophers have argued for centures about how to define life. " If we study living things on the Earth, we find that there are some very basic characteristics that will guide us when we consider life elsewhere in the Universe." ( Henbest & Couper, 1989, paragraph 7 ) Life on Earth shows immense diversity. From organisms such as sea slugs to the human being. All life on Earth are made up of the same basic units, cells. Each cell is built up from chains of carbon, the most importan... ... existance of extraterrestrials. It remains a mystery to many though whether they exist on Earth or even at all. To say that extraterrestrials don't exist throughout the Universe is not a valid belief. There are simply too many ways or forms of which to find life throughout the Universe, intelligent or not. The odds of life on an intelligent or non intelligent scale in our own Milky way are pretty good on their own. To my belief, the Universe is teaming with life, I cannot say for sure whether we have been visited by any but this is all plausible. I remain captivated at the thought of an advanced civilization aiding mankind in advancement of our species. I hope one day we as a race will become one advanced enough morally socially and politically that war of any kind is non-existant and we will live in a world in which we get along with one another regardless of petty differences. To an advanced civilization, we must all seem just the same to each other , they would probably have compassion to the human ways and this is why they may have taken on the responsibility of helping us advance as a civilization so that we may create a bond with beings of another origin. Extraterrestrials Essay -- Aliens Science Essays Extraterrestrials Can the Earth be the only place in the Universe that harbors life? Most astronomers don't believe this is true. Certain statistics in the Universe provide evidence that living beings may be common place through out the universe, on planets of other stars besides the sun. In this paper I plan to discuss the various viewpoints of those that believe that extraterrestrials exist and have even been visiting Earth, and the viewpoints of skpetics that believe that aliens don't exist and have not been visiting Earth. To get into the topic we must first start at the base of the subject. First the question must be dealt with of life being only indigenous to planet Earth. One of the most basic materials that are essential to form life are basic carbon compounds. These carbon compounds are very abundant throughout the Universe. Carbon compounds exist not only on planets but on comets and free floating asteroids and gas clouds in space. Although, even with the abundance of all these compunds in the Universe the chances of these compounds forming into living beings aren't so great, however it is true that the odds of carbon forming into life sustaining compounds is greatly increased with an increase in time. The Universe works on a basis backward to the human way of thinking. The Universe becomes more orderly with time while we would tend to think that time breaks down structures. This means to us that the chances of life evolving on any part of the Universe increases as time moves forward . Another factor that is necessary for life evolving is a Star's size. Our Sun is a very ordinary star in terms of it size and temperature. Statistics show that there are billions of stars like the sun in our galaxy alone. ( Henbest & Couper, 1989, paragraph 5 ) Life evolving in one of these star systems may have developed in the same way humans have. Philosophers have argued for centures about how to define life. " If we study living things on the Earth, we find that there are some very basic characteristics that will guide us when we consider life elsewhere in the Universe." ( Henbest & Couper, 1989, paragraph 7 ) Life on Earth shows immense diversity. From organisms such as sea slugs to the human being. All life on Earth are made up of the same basic units, cells. Each cell is built up from chains of carbon, the most importan... ... existance of extraterrestrials. It remains a mystery to many though whether they exist on Earth or even at all. To say that extraterrestrials don't exist throughout the Universe is not a valid belief. There are simply too many ways or forms of which to find life throughout the Universe, intelligent or not. The odds of life on an intelligent or non intelligent scale in our own Milky way are pretty good on their own. To my belief, the Universe is teaming with life, I cannot say for sure whether we have been visited by any but this is all plausible. I remain captivated at the thought of an advanced civilization aiding mankind in advancement of our species. I hope one day we as a race will become one advanced enough morally socially and politically that war of any kind is non-existant and we will live in a world in which we get along with one another regardless of petty differences. To an advanced civilization, we must all seem just the same to each other , they would probably have compassion to the human ways and this is why they may have taken on the responsibility of helping us advance as a civilization so that we may create a bond with beings of another origin.

Describe and Explain the Violence of WW2 on the Eastern Front Essay

Describe and explain the violence of WW2 on the Eastern Front War on the Eastern Front was merciless and ruthless. It was fuelled by both racism and ideology, and driven by two dictators Hitler and Stalin. The Nazis wanted to extend their territory at the expense of the Russian citizens, abolish communism and exterminate Jews. In this essay I will describe and explain the violence on the eastern Front, the extreme violence during the war such as the siege of Stalingrad and the violence against civilians, for example massacres, burning of lands, attacking of villages, etc†¦ Hitler wanted to expand the German territory, therefore in June 1941, he invaded the Soviet Union in an attack names Operation Barbarossa. He was expecting the Russians to give in and to have a Blitzkrieg (Lightning war). He had not anticipated the Russian resistance and the winter, which was very harsh), and that Stalin’s regime was brutal and efficient. Moreover, the USA sent money and supplies to the Russian army to help. In May 1941, an order was issued to the German army to kill all political leaders and officials without any process or consideration. After the advance of the operation Barbarossa an operations group named Einsatzgruppen, consisting of police launched a crusade against all Jews and communists. Due to the Nazi ideology their goal was to exterminate them. Hitler succeeded in killing 2 million people, including women and children in this way. In June 1941, Stalin gave orders to fight to the last drop of blood. He wanted his people to fight and resist or if they could not, then to destroy all of their food and goods. This left the Germans (and left over civilians) starving as they advanced. In December 1941, the soviets launched a counter-attack on Stalingrad and the Germans found themselves besieged in the freezing cold winter. Neither Hitler not Stalin wanted to give in as their hatred for each other was so strong and their ideologies completely opposed. As a result 300000 German solders got trapped in the ruined city of Stalingrad, in a siege that lasted 163 days. Most froze or starved to death. By the end of January 1943 the Germans could do nothing else but surrender. World War 2 was a very violent war, especially on the Eastern Front where the Nazis confronted the Soviets from 1941 to 1945. It was so bloody and cruel because of the absolute power that both Stalin and Hitler held, and their ideological positions.