Charles-Edouard Jeanneret Le Corbusier - 865 Words

His career spanned over five decades, beginning in 1907 working for Auguste Perret, the French architect who pioneered the use of reinforced concrete. He then studied architecture for a year in Vienna before working for Peter Behrnes between 1910-1911, the renowned German advocate for ‘industrial design’. It is believed it was here he met Ludwig Miles van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, the founder and developers of the Bauhaus School of Design. Behrens admired Corbusier’s ethic of mass production and function over style. During World War I, (1914 – 1918) Le Corbusier returned home to teach in his old school. He used this time to work on new theoretical architectural studies. Bringing both of his early influences from his travels together, Le Corbusier designed the ‘Dom-ino House’ 1914-1915 (a combination of the words domicile and innovation). His model proposed an open floor plan detailing concrete slabs supported by a minimal number of thin, reinforced concrete pillars around the edges with a stairway providing  ¬access to each level. This house was intended for mass production, but was also flexible: none of the walls were load-bearing and so the interior could be re-arranged to the occupant’s specifications. This became the foundation for most of Le Corbusier’s work; instead of building horizontally, he built vertically. It could house more residents, and lower the impact on natural areas. It is easy to believe that this idea of ‘open plan living’ has been revolutionary.Show MoreRelatedLa Roche House, By Le Corusier And Pierre Jeanneret2143 Words   |  9 Pagesconstructed from 1923 to 1925 by Le Corusier and Pierre Jeanneret. The originality lies in the linkage of two separate spaces, both operating different activities : an art gallery and private apartment of the householder and painting collector, Raoul Le Rouche. The La Roche House occupies the end of the Docteur Blanche cul-de-sac in Paris s 16th arrondissement, a neighborhood under development at the time. The use of new construction materials allowed Le Corbusier to put into practice here what heRead MoreLe Corbusier s Influence On The Modern Era789 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Architecture or Revolution,† in Le Corbusier belief the only way to avoid class-based revolution is industrialized architecture (Quirk, 2012). Le Corbusier (Charles Édouard Jeanneret) was born in an artistic family in 1877 in a small village in the Swiss. His mother was a pianist and his father was a designer of watch dials. He learned piano and father’s trade, however the man brought him to architecture was his teacher in La Chaaux-de-Fund. When he was thirteen, his teacher, L’Eplatenier, who openedRead MoreBiography Of Charles Edouard Jeanneret, The French Architect, Designer And Writer1748 Words   |  7 Pages Le Corbusier Student: Siena Geddes, 7693990 Class: 20th Century Design Lecturer: Manfred Huber Date: 1st September 2014 Word Count: 1921â€Æ' Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, better known as Le Corbusier, was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner and writer, active predominately in France, during the first half of the 20th century. Today, he is widely regarded to have been the most immensely influential architect, in terms of town planning and the architectural surroundingsRead More Le Corbusier Essay2772 Words   |  12 PagesLe Corbusier Charles-Edouard Jeanneret is an internationally known influential Swiss architect and city planner, whose designs combine the functionalism of the modern movement with a bold, sculptural expressionism. He belonged to the first generation of the so-called International school of architecture and was their most able propagandist in his numerous writings. In his architecture he joined the functionalist aspirations of his generation with a strong sense of expressionism. He was the firstRead MoreLe Corbusier s View Of Architecture Or Revolution?1572 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Architecture or Revolution?† in Le Corbusier’s belief was the only way to avoid class-based revolution in industrialized architecture (Quirk, 2012). Le Corbusier, born Charles Édouard Jeanneret, was born into an artistic family in 1877 in a small village in Switzerland. His mother was a pianist and his father was a designer of watch dials. Even though he learned piano and father’s trade he g ot interested in the architecture when he was 13 years old. He learned from L’Eplatenier, a teacher in LaRead More Le Corbusier Essay1559 Words   |  7 PagesLe Corbusier Architecture is the design of individual building and garden projects that make the realm of the voids visible, memorable and ultimately, useful. Crucial to the making of any city is the clear distinction of such projects by scale and character. Firstly, the definition of buildings and landscape that builds an urban collective form, a fabric. And secondly, civic and community buildings and gardens, physically distinguishable by their institutional purpose. Architecture and UrbanismRead MoreLe Corbusier s Theory Of Architecture Or Revolution?1643 Words   |  7 Pagesfeelings. Sign designed in branches and vines: Just like making wreath from forest vines, we had made signs from branch and vines of forests. â€Å"Architecture or Revolution?† in Le Corbusier’s belief was the only way to avoid class-based revolution in industrialized architecture (Quirk, 2012). Le Corbusier, born Charles Édouard Jeanneret, was born into an artistic family in 1877 in a small village in Switzerland. His mother was a pianist and his father was a designer of watch dials. Even though he learnedRead MoreUnitÃÆ' © DHabitation, Marseille, France by Le Corbusier.1434 Words   |  6 PagesUnità © dHabitation, Marseille, France by Le Corbusier. Subject – History. By - Kalyani Kharade. Date- /01/2013 Abstract: The report gives a brief overview about the housing project by Le Corbusier. Unità © dHabitation designed by Le Corbusier introduced the concept of â€Å" vertical garden city†Read MoreThe Photographic Representation Of One Building1549 Words   |  7 PagesMany famous architects have had their architecture promoted using photographs carefully constructed by a favourite photographer of theirs. Le Corbusier had Lucien Hervà ©. The well-known American photographer, Julius Shulman produced iconic photography of the Stahl house or Case Study House #22 by Pierre Koenig. Choose Le Corbusier, Koenig or another famous modern architect (It need not be an architect mentioned in the lecture course) and their photographer. Explain how they met, the architect’s philosophyRead MoreBiography Of Charles Edouard Jeanneret Gris1489 Words   |  6 Pagesin his field alongside him. Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris was the target of global frustration, for his enlightened views on a new age of architecture were not ones that the early 20th century was willing to embrace. However, there were several voices that spanned from the decades of his life to the present day today, who uncovered the man, the artist, the human being underneath the pseudonym of ‘Le Corbuiser’. Evidently, the voices that uncovered the workings of Le Corbuiser chose not to portray

The African World-view in Soyinkas Death and the Kings...

The African world-view in Soyinkas Death and the Kings Horsemannbsp;nbsp;nbsp; In his play, Death and the Kings Horseman, Wole Soyinka uses certain literary forms and devices to intermix Yoruba culture and a predominantly European dramatic form to create a play easily understood by the audience, but that allows the introduction of a foreign influence. These devices include the use of a songlike quality in dialogue and the telling of stories, the use of personification and metaphor to give an exotic quality to the play, and the use of certain elements to provide the reader with a sense of the mystic traditions that are Africa. These Yoruban elements are best explained by the character Jane with You talk! Your people with your†¦show more content†¦Elesin: (Executes a brief, half-taunting dance . . . as he chants the story of the Not-I bird, his voice changing dexterously to mimic his characters . . . ) Death came calling. Who does not know his rasp of reeds? nbsp; A twilight whisper in the leaves before The great araba falls? Did you hear it? Not I! Swears the farmer. He snaps His fingers round his head, abandons A hard-worn harvest and begins A rapid dialogue with his legs. (1158) Soyinka uses personification and metaphor to lend an exotic, poetic quality to the play. In this excerpt from page 1159, Elesin personifies envy, symbolizing its attacking quality, uses houseposts as a metaphor to symbolize the building of trust, and termites as a metaphor to symbolize the way in which time eats at all things. Elesin also uses the twilight hour, or the coming of the end of the day, to symbolize the approaching of the end of his life, and bats and rodents as symbols of things that might tarnish the honor given him because of his duty to his king and the trust built with his king. Line 213 begins: Elesin: The world was mine. Our joint hands Raised houseposts of trust that withstood The siege of envy and the termites of time. But the twilight hour brings bats and rodents-- Should I yield them cause to foul the rafters? (1159) Soyinka uses mystic elements to provide the reader with a sense of the Africa of tradition. The religious traditions of Africa are rifeShow MoreRelatedA Dance of the Forest4738 Words   |  19 Pagesof Existence: Myths and Rituals in Wole Soyinka’s Theatre Rosa Figueiredo, Polytecnic of Guarda, Portugal Abstract: The citation for Soyinka’s 1986 Nobel prize for literature reads: â€Å"Who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones, fashions the drama of existence†. The â€Å"wide cultural perspective† mentioned refers to the fact that Soyinka’s writings, especially the dramas for which he is best known, are at once deeply rooted in traditional African expressive and performance forms likeRead More Conrads Heart of Darkness and the Dehumanization of Africans2989 Words   |  12 PagesHeart of Darkness and the Dehumanization of Africans      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Western world, generally speaking, is not kind to Africa and its native inhabitants. We acknowledge Africas existence, but we do not want to see or understand anything about it beyond the obvious: overt things that are open to criticism like Apartheid (a European invention). The occasional praiseworthy entity is given momentary applause, but felicitations are short-lived and quickly forgotten. These statements refer just to politics

Sirius Satellite Radio Marketing Plan Essay Example For Students

Sirius Satellite Radio Marketing Plan Essay Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. SITUATION ANALYSISCOMPANY BACKGROUNDSIRIUS Satellite Radio was incorporated on May 17, 1990 as Satellite CD Radio Inc. On November 18th 1999 the company changed their name to SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc, which is the name under which the FCC license to distribute satellite radio was given to. SIRIUS Satellite radio currently offers over 100 of music, news, sports, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather, and childrens programming to subscribers throughout the United States. Their primary source of revenue is through subscription fees, with most of their customers subscribing to SIRIUS Satellite Radio on either a monthly or a yearly basis. They also derive revenue from activation fees, advertising sales on non-music channels and the direct sale of SIRIUS radios, which are currently sold in over 6,500 retail locations around the nation. As of December 31, 2004, SIRIUS has had over 1.2 million subscribers and 375 employees. MARKETSThe overall market for Sirius is any consumer that listens to the radio. The target market that Sirius is aiming for is the 100 million automobiles currently on the road today. Sirius only has to gain a small portion of this market to become a profitable company. COMPETITIONSirius faces competition for both listeners and advertising dollars. In addition to pre-recorded entertainment purchased or paying in cars, homes and using portable players, Sirius competes most directly with the following providers of radio or other audio services:XM Radio. Siriuss direct competitor in satellite radio service is XM Radio, the only other FCC licensee for satellite radio service in the United States. XM Radio broadcasts certain programming that we do not offer. XM Radio service is also offered as an option on various car model brands, certain of which do not also offer SIRIUS radios. Traditional AM/FM Radio. Siriuss competition also includes traditional AM/FM radio. Unlike SIRIUS radio, traditional AM/FM radio has had a well established market for its services for many years and generally offers free broadcast reception paid for by commercial advertising rather than by a subscription fee. Also, many radio stations offer information programming of a local na ture, such as local news and sports, which Sirius does not offer as effectively as local radio. Some radio stations also have begun reducing the number of commercials per hour, expanding the range of music played on the air and experimenting with new formats in order to compete more directly with satellite radio services. Internet Radio and Downloading Devices. Internet radio broadcasts have no geographic limitations and can provide listeners with radio programming from around the country and the world. Although Sirius believes that the current sound quality of Internet radio is below standard and may vary depending on factors that can distort or interrupt the broadcast, such as network traffic, Sirius expects that improvements from higher bandwidths, faster modems and wider programming selections may make Internet radio a more significant competitor in the future. Direct Broadcast Satellite and Cable Audio. A number of companies provide specialized audio services through either dir ect broadcast satellite or cable audio systems. These services are targeted to fixed locations, mostly in-home. The radio service offered by direct broadcast satellite and cable audio is often included as part of a package of digital services with video service, and video customers therefore generally do not pay an additional monthly charge for the audio service. PRODUCTSSiriuss music channels offer nearly every genre in music from heavy metal and hip-hop to country, dance, jazz, Latin and classical. Each of their 65 music channels is programmed and hosted by a team of experts in their field, including musical performers and other unique personalities. Siriuss programming is dynamic, fluid and changes from time to time. In addition to their music channels, Sirius currently offers over 55 channels of news, sports, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather programming, most of which includes commercial advertising. Sirius continuously evaluates their news, sports, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather programming, and regularly implements changes designed to improve and enhance their service. Live play-by-play sports is an important part of Their programming strategy. Sirius is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, with exclusive rights to use the NFL shield logo and collective NFL team trademarks. CHANNELSSiriuss primary emphasis is on the retail channel, specifically electronics, car and home audio, specialty, and department stores. The company sells plug-n-play receivers which are portable units that have the capability of being used in a house, car, boat, pretty much anywhere you have access to a base unit for it whether it be an FM modulated in car base or a home stereo unit base or even a standalone boom box. Sirius also sells standalone home audio receivers and in dash car receivers. Disability in The Workplace EssayObsolete Service: Both the satellite industry and the audio entertainment industry are characterized by rapid technological changes and frequent new product innovation. If SIRIUS is unable to evolve with these changes in a way that customers require and expect, the business could very well fail. Satellite radio is a very new service. Who knows how long it will be the latest in audio technology, and how long customers demand it before the next best thing comes on the market?Mission and ObjectivesSirius is changing the way America listens to music, sports, news, and entertainment. Sirius wants to provide quality, premium entertainment to everyone. MARKETING OBJECTIVESTo increase the number of outlet where Sirius is being sold by 50% over the next 2 years. To introduce a new product, streaming video, through its satellite radio service within the next 12 months. To gain approval to and begin to sell Sirius satellite radio in Canada under the Brand name Sirius Canada. SALES OBJECTIVESTo increase total number of subscribers to 15 million by 2010. To maintain sales growth over the next year regardless of the world economy. To reach the breakeven point and begin to make a profit. TARGET MARKETS AND POSITIONINGSirius is using a target market strategy to focus on selected consumer and auto maker segments. Sirius has segmented the consumer market based on lifestyle, hobbies, interests, and beliefs. Consumer Segments. Sirius is marketing to everyone. Sirius has gained exclusive contracts with most major sporting organizations. Sirius also has the only national gay and lesbian talk channel available on radio. To top it all off Sirius offers a music selection that anyone would enjoy and in 2006 will have the top radio entertainer joining their lineup, shock jock Howard Stern. Organizational Segments. To reach targeted consumers Sirius uses retail outlets across the country and has contracts with many major auto manufacturers to factory install Sirius into new autos. Siriuss plans to get maximum exposure through this segment increasing brand awareness and subscriber numbers. PRODUCT STRATEGIESSirius has realized that not all consumers are alike there for they offer a diverse selection of receivers. Currently there are four different types of SIRIUS radios: Plug and Play Radios, FM Modulated Radios, Three Band Radios and Home and commercial units. The radios are manufactured by several well known names including Kenwood, JVC, Clarion, Audiovox and the Brix Streamer (for Trucks). At the moment, SIRIUS radios can be bought at RadioShack and through EchoStars Dish Network. From 2004 onward, the radios will be available at more than 20,000 retail locations nationwide in order to offer maximum exposure. PRICING STRATEGIESSirius offers pricing structures for everyone. Sirius offers monthly service plans at a flat rate of 12.95 per month and cheaper rates on additional receivers on the same account. Also Sirius offers cheaper rates for a 1 year subscription and on a lifetime of the receiver. CONTROLSSirius will use several tools to evaluate and control activities implemented under this marketing plan. First Sirius will use monthly trend analyses to examine sales by channel, type of reseller, and by geographical area. This information will be used to make changes in advertising revenue where needed. Second, Sirius will use consumer feedback as a means of quality control. Customer feedback will be monitored for any potential problem areas, If any are discovered this information will be used for future changes. Third, Sirius will conduct a marketing audit in midyear and again at years end to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the marketing programs. In this way, Sirius will be able to pinpoint areas for improvement and prepare a contingency plan for emerging problems.

New Ordering System for Girl Scout Cookies

Before the implementation of a new ordering system, Girl Scout Cookies faced several challenges. In particular, they had to cope with an excessive amount of paperwork (Laudon Laudon, 2007). For example, the employees had to mark their sales on individual order cards that were later transferred to the troop leaders. In turn, these cards had to be delivered to local headquarters and only then these data had to be provided to manufacturers.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on New Ordering System for Girl Scout Cookies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, one can say that this process was very time-consuming. Moreover, it involved a great number of steps. Furthermore, such an approach did have any safeguards against the individual mistakes of workers. For instance, one can mention calculation errors (Laudon Laudon, 2007). Thus, the new ordering system had to address these problems; otherwise the performance of t he company could decline. In order to respond to these issues the management of Girl Scout Cookies adopted a computerized system called QuickBase. It is a Web-based software solution that is specifically designed for the needs of small businesses. This program enables companies to create various database applications that are used to transfer various kinds of data between different departments. The main advantage of this solution is that it is very inexpensive and user-friendly (Laudon Laudon, 2007). It should be noted that other many businesses pay attention to user-friendliness of software solutions, because they do want to spend money on the training of employees (Vaman, 2007, p. 95). These examples indicate that management should pay attention to the skills of their workers and their needs. Overall, the adoption of this system brought several changes to the company. First of all, it reduced the time that company needed to processes each of its orders placed by the clients. As s oon as they received a request from the customer, they could start working on the order almost immediately. Moreover, computerized order tracking system enabled the company to reduce the calculation errors of the employees by more 90 percent (Laudon Laudon, 2007). Finally, the adoption of this software helped them develop shipment schedules (Laudon Laudon, 2007). Thus, one can argue that the new system greatly increased the efficiency of the company. This is the main benefit brought by the new system. This case illustrates several challenges faced by businesses, especially when they want to implement new software solutions. First of all, the development of an ordering system is a time-consuming and expensive process. Therefore, not every organization can afford such a solution and the management should determine which application best suits the interests of a company.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, companies should remember that their workers may not necessarily know how to use new programs. So, companies should choose such applications that offer a good ratio of efficiency and user-friendliness. This is another issue that should be overlooked. Nevertheless, the case of Girl Scout Cookies shows that these challenges can be overcome. On the whole, businesses are greatly dependent on their ability to incorporate new technologies. These tools are essential for remaining competitive and satisfying the needs of the clients. Businesses should be able to identify their needs and understand the expectations of customers. Only in this way, companies can better implement information technologies. The case of Girl Scout Cookies shows how small businesses can improve their performance. Reference List Laudon, K. Laudon J. (2007). Essentials of business information systems. Philadelphia: Pennsylvania State University. Vaman, J. (2007). ERP in Practice: ERP Strategies for Steering Organizational  Competence and Competitive Advantage. New York: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. This case study on New Ordering System for Girl Scout Cookies was written and submitted by user Lia Jordan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Nucor Competitive Strategy Essays

Nucor Competitive Strategy Essays Nucor Competitive Strategy Paper Nucor Competitive Strategy Paper NUCOR COMPETITIVE STRATEGY ANALYSIS CONTENTS 1. Case Profile 2. Situational Analysis 2. 1General External Environment (PESTLE model) 2. 1. 1 Political/Legal 2. 1. 2 Economic 2. 1. 3 Sociocultural 2. 1. 4 Technological 2. 1. 5 Environmental 2. 1. 6 Demographic 2. 1. 7 Global 2. 1 Industry Analysis (Porter 5 Forces) 2. 2. 1 Threat of new entrants 2. 2. 2 Bargaining power of suppliers 2. 2. 3 Bargaining power of buyers 2. 2. 4 Threat of substitute products 2. 2. 5 Intensity of rivalry 2. 3 Competitive Environment Analysis 2. 3. Future objectives 2. 3. 2 Current strategy 2. 3. 3 Assumptions 2. 3. 4 Capabilities 3. Strategic Analysis 3. 1 Strategies 3. 1. 1Operational level 3. 1. 2Business level 3. 1. 3Competitive level 3. 1. 4 Corporate level 4. Core Competencies 4. 1Tangible resources 4. 2Intangible resources 4. 3Capabilities 5. Value Chain 6. Sustainable Competitive Advantage 7. Performance Appraisal 8. SWOT Analysis 8. 1 Strengths 8. 2 Weaknesses 8. 3 Opportuni ties 8. 4 Threats 9. Strategy Formulation and Implementation 9. 1 New Initiatives to Sustain Growth APPENDIX 1: Top-30 producers by International Iron Steel Institute APPENDIX 2: Top Competitors Key Measures: NUCOR APPENDIX 3: FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL REVIEW FOR NUCOR (2002-2006) Case Study Analysis: NUCOR 1. Case Profile Nucor Corp. , the U. S largest mini-mill operator1 and largest steel manufacturer by tons produced2, continues to lead the industry in efficiency, technological innovation, profitability and delivery of high quality products at low cost structure, after a record of more than 16 years of rapid growth in a declining industry3. And with a strong relationship with its workers without unionization, Nucor’s employees claimed to be the industry’s most satisfied, most motivated and most productive, making them a formidable workforce. This case considers how Nucor has achieved its success and how to sustain it. 2. Situational Analysis 2. 1. General External Environment (PESTLE model4) 2. 1. 1. Political/legal. The steel industry has seen rocky labour relations since the late 19th century with fatalities to striking workers4. Majority of workers are represented by the United Steel Workers of America. Another issue is the integrated steel producers have filed charges against importers of dumping steel prices, blaming them especially Japan, for declining market shares. Nucor’s plant in Hertford County was located on the banks of a fishery that required restoration in a law passed in 1997. 2. 1. 2 Economic. Steel industry is a cyclical business, subject to economic fluctuations since it depended on durable and capital goods (car, building). The industry does well during economic expansion and suffers losses and even bankruptcies during economic downturn. . 1. 3. Sociocultural. The industry became a source of employment, symbolizes American economic power and pride during good times and symbolizes economic decline and source of shame when foreign companies took over market shares5. 2. 1. 4. Technological. Technology drives major changes in the production process to increase flexibility, efficiencies and allowed automation which include the continuous casting technology, blast oxygen furnace and electric arc furnace. 2. 1. 5. Environmental. Nucor’s mill in Crawfordsville, Indianna was alleged to have violated federal and state clean air rules and discharge of 6,720 tons of pollutants into the air each year by U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2. 1. 6. Demographic. Mini-mills which are located close to customer base has moved as population of U. S. moved to south and west. Demographic shifts affect the industry since construction utilizes a significant amount of steel. 2. 1. 7. Global. U. S. steel exports were negligible although it had grown to 3% to 5% by the 1990s6. The U. S. teel industry has benefited greatly from the Japanese mill from their large investments in U. S. joint venture projects, new technologies, high productivity and quality product7. Globalization will subject U. S. steel makers to vulnerable changes. 2. 2. Industry Analysis Porter’s Five Forces Analysis 2. 2. 1) Threat of new entrants. For mature integrated steel industry, threat is low due to economies of scale, high capital inje ction, cyclical nature of business and difficult access to supply and distribution; but slightly higher for mini-mill because of lower capital commitment and scale. . 2. 2) Bargaining power of suppliers. For integrated steel makers, they have effectively neutralized the suppliers’ bargaining power by backward integration (steel makers acquiring coal/coke mines and transportation facilities). For mini-mill, their reliability on scrap metal has given supplier moderate to high bargaining power. Higher cost of scrap metal due to limited supply has forced mini-mill to more costly materials like iron carbide. Nucor reduced the bargaining power of steel scrap supplier by backward integration. 8 2. 2. ) Bargaining power of buyers. It is weak to moderate since producers can threaten major distributors and wholesalers with forward integration (taking over direct distribution). But the large buyers (e. g. car makers) have more bargaining power. For example, the U. S. steel producers had to fulfill Japanese automakers’ quality and standards before they were allowed to supply the Japanese auto plants in the U. S. 9 2. 2. 4) Threat of substitute products. The threat is high in applications where strength is a not crucial concern but cost is (e. g. lastic, wood, synthetic materials, fiberglass); low for applications that require strength since substitute materials are just not strong enough10. Also, the many composition steel can be produced reduce the threat. 2. 2. 5) Intensity of rivalry. It is a highly competitive market with high exit barriers since assets are specialized, increase of mini-mill competitors taking on production of steel sheets and other steel products, stagnant demand, many global competitors, commodity-like products that minimizes switching costs and customer loyalty and excess capacity11. 2. 3. Competitive Environment Analysis Nucor has grown to become the largest steelmaker in the US by tonnage2. To have a sustainable market leader position, it must continue to compete for more market share from the large, integrated steelmakers. Although Nucor is the first mover in the mini-mill sector, it must also compete against second movers. 2. 3. 1) Future objectives. Nucor’s primary objective is â€Å"the production of high volumes of quality, low-cost steel. †12 It has an ambitious annual earnings growth of 10-15%. Nucor’s competitors would have the same objective, but unlikely the same high annual growth. Nucor’s competitors will be less risk-taking, giving Nucor a distinct advantage since a risk-aversive approach produces lower returns. 2. 3. 2) Current strategy. Nucor’s strategy is cost leadership. Even if there are changes in the competitive environment, this strategy is preferred since steel is a commodity-like product. While some mini-mill competitors follow a differentiation strategy, most follow a cost leadership strategy, though not very successfully. 2. 3. 3) Assumptions. It is a general assumption for all competitors that cyclical fluctuations are continuous. Nucor’s competitors often looked like operating under a status quo while Nucor has grown to produce sheet-fed steel and stainless steel in its mini-mills, a seemingly impossible task. 2. 3. 4) Capabilities. Nucor’s strengths include highest productivity, lowest cost structure and a high profitability (30 years of continuous profits)13 in the industry and excellent labour-management relations. Nucor’s weakness, comparing to its competitors, is more exposure to short-term losses and temporary setbacks resulting from risk-taking. The large integrated steel producers are comparatively strong in terms of size, established customer base and economies of scale. In terms of tonnage produced, Nucor ranked 8th globally with 20. 3 tons in 2006 (Appendix 1). Nucor could further strengthen its position as it is not far from the world’s 2nd largest steelmaker (Nippon Steel, Japan) of 34. 7 tons. ROE wise (Appendix 2), Nucor is much stronger than its competitors with 29. 38 as compared to Commercial Metals Co’s 22. 63 and U. S Steel’s 17. 79. ROA wise, Nucor is also much stronger than its competitors with 15. 6 as compared to 8. 33 and 7. 13. Nucor is more financially sound than its competitors with a current ratio of 2. 06 as compared to 1. 69 and 1. 59. 3. Strategic Analysis 3. 1 Strategies 3. 1. 1) Operational level. Nucor’s operational level strategy is core process re-engineering. This includes pre-heating the ladles allowing for faster flow of steel into the caster, continuous casters and a processes design that limit work-in-progress inventory, limit space and increase flexibility. . 1. 2) Business level. Nucor’s business level strategy is low cost leadership, keeping with its primary objective of the production of high volumes of quality, low-cost steel. 3. 1. 3) Competitive strategy. Nucor is the industry’s catalyst for technology innovation. It pioneered and took lead of the mini-mill concept, which later produce sheet steel and thin slab stainless steel. Also taking risk with a focus on lon g-term gains (versus short term risks). 3. 1. 4) Corporate level. To achieve its goal, Nucor diversify throughout the steel business. Nucor ventured into traditional bastions of integrated steelmakers (sheet steel, stainless steel), not constrained by the mini-mill format. Nucor has engaged in numerous upstream and downstream diversification. 4. Core Competencies Core competencies are special capabilities that are critical to a business achieving competitive edge. It is harmonizing of diverse production skills integrated with technological development. 19 4. 1) Tangible resources. Nucor’s tangible resources include strong financial resources with a proven ability to generate internal funds and a track profitability record that gives it enormous borrowing power. Organizational resources appear slim without formal planning, coordinating or controlling systems. Physical resources include 8 high-performing mini-mills strategically located to customer base and good access to raw materials with the company’s new iron carbide plant. Nucor has considerable technological resources, mainly involving process. 4. 2) Intangible resources. Many innovative ideas come from its human resources. Human resources include knowledge of the business know-how, motivation to perform and strong worker-management trust and co-operation. . 3) Capabilities. This includes the capability to produce high volumes of quality low-cost steel, innovative technology, continuous process refinement, continuous productivity improvement, motivated workforce, strong corporate culture. Employees are encouraged to take risk and a high tolerance for failure is given. Employees have a sense of ownership, exceedingly loyal and share a common goal of ensuring Nucor’s meets i ts primary objective. These give Nucor a competitive edge that is costly and difficult to imitate17. And the costly duplication suggests that the resource or capability is inelastic in supply, earning the firm who possess it an economic rent. 18 5. Value chain analysis i. Support Activities Firm InfrastructureWith no formal planning or formal mission, possess a strong culture Human Resource ManagementNot unionized, rewards risk-taking, high tolerance for failure, performance based bonus plans, encourage employee suggestions Technology Developmentcontinuous process refinement, continuous improvement, licensing/buying technology ProcurementUpstream diversification, process innovation i. Primary Activities Inbound LogisticsOperationsOutbound LogisticsMarketing SalesService cost focused, coordinated with operational needsEfficient, low cost, high productivity, meeting or exceeding quality requirements, continuous improvementafter-sale support 6. Sustainable Competitive Advantage Sustainable competitive advantage is derived from the trust-based working relationships along with a high to lerance for failure, would allow Nucor to take the risk needed to produce sustainable growth. The source of this trust is in Nucor’s distinctive human resources strategy, which is characterized by informality, ad hoc planning, pay for performance, and employee empowerment. 14 7. Performance Appraisal For the last five years, Nucor’s sales have increased over 240% from $4. 33 billion (2001) to $14. 75 billion (2006). Average sales price per ton has increased 88% from $354 (2001) to $667 (2006). Total tons sold to external customers have increased 81% from 12,237,000 tons (2001) to 22,118,000 tons (2006) (Appendix 3) (Figure 1). This rapid growth has been derived from acquisitions, optimizing existing operations and developing traditional greenfield projects using innovative technologies. Nucor achieved record sales and net earnings in 2006 for the 3rd consecutive year due to historically high selling prices, margins and shipments. Nucor was strengthened as North America’s most diversified steel producer. With this diverse product line, Nucor’s short-term performance which is not dependant on any single market has been able to maintain profitability every year and every quarter since 1966. (Figure 2). Figure 1: Nucor’s Average Sales Price Per Ton Total Tons Sold Figure 2: Nucor’s Diversified Product Mix 8. SWOT Analysis 8. 1. Strengths 1. Strong financial resources (profits, returns) 2. Industry leading low cost structure 3. Motivated workforce 4. Strong corporate culture 5. Innovation resources 6. Trust-based relationships 7. Technological expertise 8. Strong physical resources 9. Strategic management leadership style 8. 2. Weaknesses 1. Vulnerable to losses and setbacks from risk-taking 2. Lack of formal organizational systems may reduce efficiency 3. High tolerance for failure risks potential loss 4. Vague marketing structure or strategy 8. 3. Opportunities 1. Expand into additional specialty products 2. Downstream diversification 3. Directly produce steel from iron carbide, eliminating the need for electric furnaces. 4. Growth and innovation through joint venture projects 5. Maintaining market leadership position 6. Exporting 7. Soaring global steel prices15 8. 4. Threats 1. Substitute products 2. Second mover mini-mill competitors 3. Integrated steelmaker competitors 4. Economic downturn 5. Sub-prime crisis in property industry 6. Globalization with consolidating competitors 7. Global oversupply (China slowed down by December 2004 and became net exporter) 8. A new technology called Finex (by Posco in South Korea) Weaknesses and Threats- Nucor does not have serious weakness but only unused production capacity and a non-differentiated product. Serious threats from foreign competitors (e. g. Acelor Mittal) consolidating could affect Nucor’s growth. Such intense rivalry may also lead to price wars. Weaknesses and Opportunities- With soaring steel prices, expansion and vertical integration would give a better return. Strengths and Threats- Expanding its product line could mitigate the threats from foreign and local competitors, given soaring steel prices will give better return. Consolidate with other steelmakers would make Nucor a bigger player globally. Using its market dominance, Nucor could negotiate with the government for better regulations against the foreign competitors. With its financial and leadership resources, Nucor should secure more backward integration into scrap steel market. Joint venture with Posco (South Korean steelmaker) to leverage new technology. Strengths and Opportunities- Nucor has the financial, human and technological resources to penetrate new market, to expand product range, to compete in the stainless steel market and to joint with Japan to open new market in the Asian region. . Strategy Formulation Implementation Nucor’s current strategy is working. Its unique corporate culture and distinctive human resources strategy which produced a non-substitutable trust-based relationship, give Nucor a sustainable competitive advantage, contrasting the antagonistic relations in the steel industry. This trust enables Nucor to take risk which facilitates its growth. As an engineer from a major integrated mill said upon visiting a Nucor plant, that Nucor’s culture were such that everyone work hard and help each other, collectively survive and meet with success. But theirs is one of aggression, confrontation and lack of trust. 16 9. 1. New Initiatives to Sustain Growth Nucor should further leverage its sustainable competitive advantage by expanding more aggressively, taking the following steps: 1. To build an additional iron carbide plant to increase the availability of low-cost raw materials. 2. To carry out market research to ascertain: a) Expand product line and downstream steel business (e. g. steel for building, bridges, highways, roof decking, flooring); b)Export market; c) Competitors’ current strategies, weaknesses and strengths; d) Joint venture partners and projects ) Expand domestic markets f) Backward integration (e. g. scrap brokerages) 3. To develop strategic marketing program 4. Add an employee stock ownership program to further reinforce employees’ sense of ownership and loyalty. REFERENCES 1. bizjournals. com/charlotte/stories/2008/04/21/daily34. html 2. anbhf. org/laureates/keniversen. htm 3. Johnson, G. Sc holes, K. (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases, Prentice Hall, London 4. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/U. S. _Steel_Recognition_Strike_of_1901 5. John H. Sheridan, 1996 â€Å"New Era – Or Breather? Industry Week, 5 February, pp 49 6. Brian K. Boyd Steve Gove, â€Å"Nucor Corp. And the U. S. Steel Industry,† In: Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization by Michael A. Hitt, R, Duane Ireland, Robert E. Hoskisson (Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing, 2001), pp C479 7. Bryan Berry, (1996) â€Å"World Steel: Competing Strategies in Metallics, Melting, and Casting,† Iron Age New Steel, 12(4), April, pp 74. 8. Bryan Berry, (1996) â€Å"World Steel: Competing Strategies in Metallics, Melting, and Casting,† Iron Age New Steel, 12(4), April, pp 76. 9. Bryan Berry, (1996) â€Å"World Steel: Competing Strategies in Metallics, Melting, and Casting,† Iron Age New Steel, 12(4), April, pp 76. 10. Brian K. Boyd Steve Gove, â€Å"Nucor Corp. And the U. S. Steel Industry,† In: Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization by Michael A. Hitt, R, Duane Ireland, Robert E. Hoskisson (Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing, 2001), p. C483 11. Brian K. Boyd Steve Gove, â€Å"Nucor Corp. And the U. S. Steel Industry,† In: Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization by Michael A. Hitt, R, Duane Ireland, Robert E. Hoskisson (Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing, 2001), p. C480 12. Brian K. Boyd Steve Gove, â€Å"Nucor Corp. And the U. S. Steel Industry,† In: Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization by Michael A. Hitt, R, Duane Ireland, Robert E. Hoskisson (Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing, 2001), p. C498 13. Brian K. Boyd Steve Gove, â€Å"Nucor Corp. And the U. S. Steel Industry,† In: Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization by Michael A. Hitt, R, Duane Ireland, Robert E. Hoskisson (Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing, 2001), p. C477-C507 14. Ted Kuster (1995) â€Å"How Nucor Crawfordsville Works,† Iron Age New Steel, 11(12), December, pp 36-47 15. usatoday. com/money/autos/2004-10-13-steel-prices_x. htm taipeitimes. com/News/worldbiz/archives/2004/03/26/2003107844 16. Bryan Berry (1996) â€Å"The Importance of Nucor,† Iron Age New Steel, 12(7), July, pp 2. 17. Barney, J. B. (1997) Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, Wesley Publishing, Addison 18. McTaggart, D and Findlay, C and Parkin, M (2006) Economic, Wesley Publishing, Addison 19. Prahalad, C. K. and Hamel G (1990) The Core Competence of the Corporation, Harvard Business Review, Mar, 1979 APPENDIX 1: Top-30 producers by International Iron Steel Institute MtonSteelmaker 1117. 2ArcelorMittal (Global) 234. 7Nippon Steel (Japan) 332. 0JFE (Japan) 430. 1POSCO (South Korea) 528. 2Tata Steel (India) Including Corus Group 622. 5Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation (China) 721. 2United States Steel Corporation (United States) 820. 3Nucor Corporation (United States) 919. 1Tangshan (China) 1018. 2Gruppo Riva (Italy) 1117. 5Severstal (Russia) 1216. 8ThyssenKrupp (Germany) 1316. 1EvrazHolding (Russia) 1415. 6Gerdau (Brazil) 1515. 3Anshan (China) 1614. 6Shagang Group (China) 1714. 6Steel Authority of India Limited (India) 813. 8Wuhan Iron and Steel (China) 1913. 6Sumitomo Metal Industries (Japan) 2012. 8Techint (Argentina) 2112. 5Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (Russia) 2211. 5Jinan (China) 2310. 9Magang Group (China) 2410. 8Laiwu Steel (China) 2510. 7China Steel (Taiwan) 2610. 5Shougang (China) 279. 9Valin Steel Group (China) 289. 8Imidro (Iran) 299. 5Industrial Union of Donbas (Ukraine) 309. 1Novolipetsk (Russia) Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_steel_producers This is a list of the largest steel-producing companies in the world according to the International Iron and Steel Institute. The list is compiled from its page Top Steel Producers 2006, but updated below from other sources. (Output in million metric tons crude steel; the country/region of producers basing specified in brackets) Total world steel output in 2005: 1,131. 8 million metric tons (mmt) Total world steel output in 2006: 1,239. 5 million metric tons (mmt) APPENDIX 2: NUCOR’S TOP COMPETITORS KEY MEASURES NUCORCOMERCIAL METALS CO U. S. STEEL- VALUATION PRICE/EARNINGS (TTM)11. 9910. 5616. 34- PRICE/CASH FLOW9. 9610. 7617. 40- PRICE/SALES (TTM)1. 060. 430. 85- PRICE/BOOK3. 672. 222. 59- PER SHARE DATA LAST DIVIDEND36. 4719. 512. 71- BOOK VALUE18. 7714. 2948. 33- EPS (TTM)5. 092. 277. 08- REVENUE16. 59 B8. 32 B16. 87 B- PROFITABILITY EBIDTA3. 02 B684. 52 M1. 72 B- OPERATING MARGIN15. 38%6. 93%6. 79%- PROFIT MARGIN8. 87%4. 27%5. 21%- GROSS PROFIT MARGIN18. 86%13. 94%10. 28%- DIVIDEND DIVIDEND YIELD2. 77%1. 26%0. 55%- PAYOUT RATIO36. 4719. 6512. 71- ANNUAL DIVIDEND (TTM)176. 5 M- - - DIVIDEND YIELD 5 YEAR AVERAGE3. 17%0. 90%0. 66%- GROWTH NET INCOME1. 47 B355. 43 M879 M- EPS (TTM)5. 09%2. 27%7. 08%- REVENUE16. 59 B8. 32 B16. 87 B- PEG1. 24%1. 58%0. 71%- FINANCIAL STRENGTH QUICK RATIO (MRQ)8. 874. 275. 21- CURRENT RATIO (MRQ)2. 61. 691. 59- LT DEBT TO EQUITY RATIO (MRQ)45. 9239. 0854. 38- TOTAL DEBT TO CAPITAL (MRQ)29. 6231. 4437. 07- ROE29. 3822. 6317. 79- ROA15. 608. 337. 13- ROIC (RETURN ON INVESTED CAPITAL)22. 0419. 0213. 41- ASSETS ASSET TURNOVER1. 692. 401. 08- ASSET PER EMPLOYEE545,895. 66667272,793. 63708557,714. 28571- INVENTORY TURNOVER9. 518. 637. 54 SOURCE: HTTP://FINANCE. AOL. COM/COMPANY/NUCOR-CORPORATION/NUE/NYS/TOP-COMPETITORS APPENDIX 3: FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL REVIEW FOR NUCOR (2002-2006) FOR THE YEAR20062005200420032002 Net sales14,751,27012,700,99911,376,8286,265,8234,801,777 Costs, expenses and other: Cost of products sold11,284,60610,108,8059,174,6115,993,4924,335,409 Marketing, administrative and other expenses592,473459,460374,730165,369175,589 Interest (income) expense, net(37,365 4,20122,35224,62714,286 Minority interests219,121110,65080,84023,90479,408 Other income- (9,200 (1,596 (11,547 (29,900 12,058,83510,673,9169,650,9376,195,8454,574,792 Earnings before income taxes2,692,4352,027,0831,725,89169,978226,985 Provision for income taxes935,653709,834607,9065,18166,899 Net earnings1,756,7821,317,2491,117,98564,797160,086 Net earnings per share: Basic (1)5. 734. 193. 530. 210. 51 Diluted (1)5. 684. 153. 00. 210. 51 Dividends declared per share (1)2. 150. 930. 240. 200. 19 Percentage of net earnings to net sales11. 9 10. 4 9. 8 1. 0 3. 3 Return on average equity38. 3 33. 8 38. 2 2. 7 7. 0 Capital expenditures338,404331,466285,925215,408243,598 Depreciation363,936375,054383,305364,112307,101 Sales per employee1,2731,1591,107637528 AT YEAR END Current assets4,683,0654,081,6113,1 82,1321,639,7841,429,305 Current liabilities1,421,9171,228,6181,042,776615,067573,697 Working capital3,261,1482,852,9932,139,3561,024,717855,608 Cash provided by operating activities2,251,2332,136,6151,024,756493,801497,220 Current ratio3. 3. 33. 12. 72. 5 Property, plant and equipment, net2,856,4152,855,7172,818,3072,817,1352,932,058 Total assets7,893,0187,148,8456,140,3914,511,5774,394,944 Long-term debt922,300923,550923,550903,550894,550 Percentage of debt to capital15. 3 17. 0 20. 2 26. 1 25. 8 Stockholders’ equity4,857,3514,312,0493,481,2812,370,8732,349,770 Per share16. 1413. 9010. 917. 547. 51 Shares outstanding300,949310,220319,024314,361312,720 Employees11,90011,30010,6009,9009,800 Source: secinfo. com/d14D5a. u7c82. c. htm#1stPage

The 1800s and the U.S. Claim essays

The 1800s and the U.S. Claim essays In the 1800s, many countries were competing for ownership of the Pacific Northwest region, between Canada and the Oregon territories. Among these were Spain, Britain, the U.S., and Russia. They all wanted land, because with land came money, and with money came to power. The United States had the best claim to the Pacific Northwest region in the 1800's because of their attempts at the exploration of the entire area, the settlement that occurred because of this exploration, and the fur traders who were the first American residents of this area. There were many explorers and many exploratory attempts which helped to strengthen the claims of the U.S through the passing of information. One of the most famous of these was the Lewis and Clark expeditions. Lewis and Clark helped lay claim to the area through the knowledge passed on from the journals and records they kept. The knowledge that was gained from their explorations provided Americans with a fuller account of the potential and opportunity available in the Pacific Northwest. Robert Gray also helped to lay claim to the area with his discovery of the Columbia River. This attracted fur traders who came into this area and sealed the presence of the United States. These expeditions allowed the U.S. to find out what was in the area and gave them a chance to settle, improve the land, and produce from the land. The exploration of the Pacific Northwest led to settlements such as missions and residential land which was improved and produced from, further strengthening the U.S claim. The pioneers came to settle and improve the land. These pioneers came running because of the Oregon promoters. These people encouraged residence in this area through glittering articles in magazines and newspapers. Fur traders and early explorers told of scenic beauty and ideal climates luring many people towards the Pacific Northwest region. There were also the Homestead and Donation Land Acts which gave peop...

The Correctional System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Correctional System - Essay Example So the problem of the overcrowding should be corrected at an early date. One of the best solutions to reduce the overcrowding in the correctional system is to give age limit to the offenders to have their punishment called "Aging out of crime". This age limit should be restricted to sixty (Territo, Halsted, & Bromley, 2004). The most imperative advantage of "Aging out of crime" is to save money in the expenditure of maintenance of the aged offenders in the correctional system. This overcrowding in the prison gives nothing beneficial to the system, as they are not able to do any constructive work, which are being done by prisoners. But their maintenance has to bear by the system up to their final ride. This saved money may efficiently be used by the system in nabbing another culprits who are active in doing various offences including the drug trafficking and human trafficking. Due to the overcrowding in the system a lot of offenders are released on the spot by taking bribe by the comp etent authority.

Interview Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interview Assignment - Essay Example Obviously, a lot of other applicants already have uttered these words which do not at all make me stand out from the rest. Aside from that, sincerity is not achieved. Thus, if I were to assess myself as a candidate employee, I would so easily look to others who might have a more personal story, something that would include personal experiences of how one was able to overcome a pressuring situation before or how one was able to handle difference of opinions without causing a fight. With this said, I would say that I would change the manner of telling about myself in a manner by which I would focus not on what I wish to do in the future, instead, how I would use my experiences to nurture good working relationships and maintain a good performance in their company. This is because of the fact that, in this manner, I would not be making up stories which appears to be obviously made up or idealistic. On the other hand, my second video was very attractive to employers because how I told about myself and my experiences were now hinged on how these will benefit the company if they hire me. With much thought about what a certain company I am applying for would need and want, I am able to choose relevant experiences of mine to tell them instead of just going around a bush and not really connecting to what the interviewer is looking for. Aside from that, showing willingness to learn from the experience the company will give me, should they hire me, instead of pretending like you know it all, is the time when I start to not stutter and not feel uncomfortable. In this activity, I have learned that being truly yourself is indeed very helpful in landing for a job that you like because it avoids one to sound superficial or trying too hard, which is a common trait of all other applicants. However, being truly yourself should also be accompanied with knowing the background, purpose, and goal of the company you are aspiring to be a part of because it shows that you

Three Values to a Better Country Essay Example for Free

Three Values to a Better Country Essay It is so outstanding because it is the only developed country in the Asia. It has many strongpoints which other countries should learn from it. However, just like an old English proverb saying-there is no perfect thing in the world. Even though Japan is a very strong country, it still has many aspects which should be improved. In my opinion, there are three values which would help make Japan a better country. They are open-minded, responsibility and humor. First is open-minded. Although Japan has been influenced a lot by western culture, most people still stick to the conservative concept-female should stay at home, not go outside to work. In 2007, Japans GEM(United Nations Development Programs Gender Empowerment Measure, which gauges equality by tracking womans participation in politics and business) was ranked 54th out of 93 countries. Japanese should be open-minded and encourage female to work. If female work, their talent and education can be best made use of. What is more, since males and females are complementary in many aspects, their cooperations with males can propel economic development more effectively. Second is responsibility. According to a survey conducted by Japanese Youth Institute, about 59. 7% American teenagers and 46. 9% Chinese teenagers can be responsible for themselves, but for Japanese teenagers, only 25. %. Because of the lack of responsibility, they do not care about anything, no matter their families or their country; when they meet problems, what they think is not how to solve them, but how to put off their liabilities. We can imagine what awful situation Japan will be if one day this generation takes over it. How can the people without responsibilities be able to develop a country? Therefore responsibility is a very important value if Japan wants to improve. The third one is humor. As we all know, Japan is a country with the highest suicide rate. There are very severe competitions in Japan and Japanese live in a fast-tempo lifestyle. Theyre under much pressure everyday and these pressure lead to suicide. So how to relieve pressure is very crucial. According to scientific research, humor can help people relax themselves, relieve their life pressures and keep their mental healthy. In short, humor can make people have a positive life attitude. Only when people are happy, can they contribute to countrys development. So humor is another value which would help make Japan a better country. When Japanese are more open-minded, they can improve themselves and develop their country; when more Japanese have responsibilities, their society can be more harmonious; when Japanese have more humor, their lives can be more interesting. All in all, if Japan wants to become a better country, open-minded, responsibility and humor would help make it.

Making the World Safe for Baseball :: Sports History Athletics Essays

Making the World Safe for Baseball The national pastime, organized baseball’s self-proclaimed moniker, represented an important American institution as the Great War began to enmesh Europe. The game’s association with democracy bred a poignant sense of patriotism among the players, fans, and other baseball aficionados as the conflict slowly ensnared the United States. Around the country, reporters emphasized baseball’s important role in the impending European conflict: in the New York Times, Benjamin DeCasseres wrote, â€Å"the world ought to be made safe for baseball,† since, as long as baseball embodied American democracy, â€Å"the Kaisers and the Trotskys would strike out.†[1] Accordingly, notes Richard Crepeau, the game â€Å"took its role in the First World War quite seriously,† identifying itself as the â€Å"game of democracy.†[2] In his analysis, Crepeau stresses the sport’s willingness to accept the Great War and the government’s mobilizatio n efforts as both â€Å"good for America†¦and good for baseball.†[3] Harold Seymour, on the other hand, claims organized baseball demanded special favors and considerations from the government while maintaining an air of allegiance and patriotism.[4] An examination of Baseball Magazine, a premier baseball publication during this period, validates the latter argument, revealing the sport’s simultaneous claims of support for and exemption from the war effort. Up until President Woodrow Wilson’s declaration of war, organized baseball remained rather detached from the European situation. Despite the war’s emerging influence on the affairs of the country, the World Series of 1915, columnist F.C. Lane reported, represented a week in which the â€Å"united American people† could â€Å"forget the war†¦and talk and eat and dream of baseball and who will win the all important series.†[5] As the baseball season reopened the following April, the sport possessed an aloofness not uncommon throughout the rest of American society. An interview with Detroit Tigers star Ty Cobb demonstrates this position. Refusing to take sides in the European conflict while placing blame for belligerency on the continent’s imperial heritage, Cobb states, â€Å"No, I haven’t any decided notions in favor of either side. I believe the conflict was inevitable, according to the system followed by both parties in Europe.†[6] The editors of the publication seemed to agree with such detachment by proclaiming a moral supremacy reminiscent of President Wilson’s own rhetoric. While Europe impeded civilization’s progress, according to one columnist, America’s growing acceptance of Sunday baseball represented a most telling and â€Å"hopeful sign of that progress.

Cultural antropology Essay

Judith M. Fitzpatrick has worked in the Pacific for the last 25 years investigating health and environment issues from a cultural perspective. Her book â€Å"Endangered Peoples of Oceania: Struggles to Survive and Thrive† presents a unique opportunity to discover how the peoples of Oceania are struggling to be economically independent and autonomous while maintaining their distinctive cultural traditions. This book introduces a wide range of Pacific Islanders and indigenous and migrant cultures in Australia and New Zealand and the challenges they face today. This volume focuses on 16 endangered peoples, from Micronesians and Melanesians to Samoans in New Zealand. One can find out about the contemporary impacts and responses to such factors as nuclear testing, migration for jobs and uncontrolled development. The chapters are written by different anthropologists based on their recent fieldwork. This is a well-researched book is packed with information that is unavailable elsewhere. It is an invaluable source that moves beyond its useful overview to provide the details of individual cultural struggles. This book is a good introduction to the Pacific and Australia. It gives wide, comprehensive view of the many challenges faced by contemporary Pacific and Australian Koori peoples. It provides thought provoking issues that engages and encourages one to think about communities outside of his locality. Each chapter is written by a different scholar, introducing the cultural area, the people and their interaction with foreign forces. It frames up the most obstinate issues and the people’s reactions and solutions to the foreign influences. Each chapter provides a series of questions to provoke reflective thought, a list of websites and related videos. It is a very useful and informative resource. The peoples of Oceania are struggling to be economically independent and autonomous while maintaining their distinctive cultural traditions. Each chapter in Endangered Peoples of Oceania: Struggles to Survive and Thrive is devoted to a specific people, including a cultural overview of their history, subsistence strategies, social and political organization, and religion and world view; threats to their survival; and their response to these threats. A section entitled â€Å"Food for Thought† poses questions that encourage a personal engagement with the experience of these peoples. For example, the adverse environmental impact of mining in Papua New Guinea has generated major social disruption in several areas of Papua New Guinea where mining has taken place. On Bougainville, the site of the CRA/RTZ Panguna Copper mine, battles over benefits, compensation and environmental degradation eventually led to the abandonment of the mine by the company, claims for secession by some Bougainvilleans and a decade-long civil war. It has also occasioned litigation by, or on behalf of, affected communities that has been very expensive for the companies concerned. In 1996 BHP was forced to pay K150 million as compensation to communities of the Ok Tedi and Fly Rivers (Politicized Ecology: Local Responses to Mining in Papua New Guinea, Macintyre M. , Oceania, 2004). Another problem to raise is the problem resulting from the ongoing effects of global warming. The low-lying atoll nations of Tuvalu and Kiribati have lost already a number of their beautiful islets and the infringement of rising water levels are becoming apparent on many of the main islands and atolls. Indeed, this is a widespread problem throughout Oceania with other atoll nations such as the Marshall Islands and Tokelau Islands also in imminent danger from rising water levels. It is indeed rather disappointing that the world’s major industrial countries have taken no action on the serious problem of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. In this respect, one can only assume that these nations are not prepared to impose a financial cost on their industries to clean up – rather they are prepared to sacrifice the people of the world’s low-lying atoll nations. The options available to both these countries are quite limited. In Tuvalu, all the islands are low-lying coral atolls and one can only assume that all these islands may well be lost over the next 40-50 years. In saying this, it is recognized that an island becomes â€Å"lost† long before the water level covers the island but rather at the point where the rising water level gets into the food chain rendering the traditional crops such as babai or taro, breadfruit, bananas, etc. inedible. Tuvalu would appear to have repatriation as its primary option although some form of retaining walls around the capital, Funafuti, had been mooted. In this respect, one has to consider the possibility that New Zealand who has, to her credit, accepted many island people will, in due course, not be able to accept further migration from island countries. It can only be assumed that there is a possibility that the Tuvaluan people will have to look at further destinations rather than New Zealand. References: 1. Fitzpatrick, Judith M. , Edi. , 2001, Endangered Peoples of Oceania: Struggles to Survive and Thrive, West port, CT: Greenwood Press.

Finding Nemo

â€Å"Finding Nemo† (2003) written and directed by Andrew Stanton, and Lee Unkrich, is the story of a father-son underwater adventure featuring Nemo, a boy clownfish, stolen from his coral reef home. His timid father must then travel to Sydney and search Sydney Harbour to find Nemo. Animated feature-length films have carved a niche in American culture as a viable and enduring art form. Animated films have offered a glimpse into another world that often could not be shown by any other filmmaking means.Finding Nemo's computer-generated ocean is full of animated characters that are an absolute blast. There is some real-world scenery, but the incredible graphics make it hard to tell what's real and what's not. Disney/Pixar brings to life an ocean full of funny marine life, like forgetful Dory, and Bruce the shark with his buddies, Chum and Anchor. There are these, like, totally cool hang ten turtles that are the raddest bunch of surfer dudes in the ocean. The animation in Finding Nemo is excellent; you would expect nothing less from Pixar.The scenery is dominated by bright blue ocean colors and colourful fish. The animation used cutting edge technology in the production of the movie, which was released in 2003 and the results still delight to this day. Even now when you look back at it, it is still of a very high standard. The animators at Pixar Animation Studios were expected to scuba dive as part of the preparation and production. This enabled them to understand how light is reflected underwater, and to see the interaction of the ocean's inhabitants for themselves.The experience then translated beautifully onto the screen through their realistic portrayal of Nemo's world. Nemo’s underwater masterpieces in my opinion are the greatest achievement in animation. During Marlin’s journey we see one of animation’s most visibly stunning scenes ever, the Jellyfish. As Marlin and Dory approach the trench, Marlin decides to swim over to it agains t the advice Dory shared and quickly forgot. As they swim over the trench, thousands of jellyfish descend into the shot. I was blown away.I found myself staring at what appeared to be a Discovery Channel special on underwater life. (To think I was playing Frogger just 20 years ago and computers can now do this! ) The visual design is a wonder. It's absolutely astonishing how the folks at Pixar are able to top themselves with each new movie. This is an excellent achievement in computer animation. While Disney/Pixar has redefined animation in the past with Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, and Monsters, Inc. Now, Pixar is just showing off with Nemo.

Trojan Asteroids and their Places in the Solar System

Trojan Asteroids and their Places in the Solar System Asteroids are hot properties of the solar system these days. Space agencies are interested in exploring them, mining companies may soon be taking them apart for their minerals, and planetary scientists are interested in the role they played in the early solar system. It turns out that Earth and nearly all the other planets owe a large part of their existence to asteroids, which contributed to the process of planetary formation. Understanding Asteroids Asteroids are rocky objects too small to be planets or moons, but orbit in various parts of the solar system. When astronomers or planetary scientists discuss ​asteroids, they usually think about the region in the solar system where many of them exist; its called the Asteroid Belt and  lies  between Mars and Jupiter. While the majority of the asteroids in our solar system seem to orbit in the Asteroid Belt, there are other groups that orbit the Sun at various distances in both the inner and outer solar system. Among these are the so-called Trojan Asteroids, which are individually named after figures in the legendary Trojan Wars from Greek myths. Nowadays, planetary scientists simply refer to them as trojans.   The Trojan Asteroids First discovered in 1906, the Trojan asteroids orbit the Sun along the same orbital path of a planet or a  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹moon. Specifically, they either lead or follow the planet or moon by 60 degrees. These positions are known as the L4 and L5 Lagrange points. (LaGrange points are positions where the gravitational effects from two larger objects, the Sun and a planet, in this case, will hold a small object like an asteroid in a stable orbit.)  There are Trojans orbiting Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.   Jupiters Trojans Trojan asteroids were suspected to exist as far back as 1772 but werent observed for some time. The mathematical justification for the existence of Trojan asteroids was developed in 1772 by Joseph-Louis Lagrange. The  application of the theory he developed led to his name being attached to it.   However, it was not until 1906 that asteroids were found at the L4 and L5 Lagrange points along Jupiters orbit.  Recently, researchers have found that there may be a very large number of Trojan asteroids around Jupiter. This makes sense since Jupiter has a very strong gravitational pull and likely captured more asteroids into its area of influence.  Some say there are could be as many around Jupiter as there are in the Asteroid Belt. However, recent studies have found that there may be systems of Trojan asteroids elsewhere in our solar system. These may actually outnumber the asteroids in both the Asteroid Belt and Jupiters Lagrange points by an order of magnitude (i.e. there could be at least more than 10 times more). Additional Trojan Asteroids In one sense, Trojan asteroids should be easy to find. After all, if they orbit at the L4 and L5 Lagrange points around planets, so observers know exactly where to look for them. However, since most of the planets in our solar system are very far away from Earth and because asteroids can be very tiny and incredibly hard to detect, the process of finding them, and then measuring their orbits, is not very simple. In fact, it can be very difficult!   As evidence of this, consider that the ONLY Trojan asteroid is known to orbit along Earths path - 60 degrees in front of us - was just  confirmed to exist in 2011!  There are also seven confirmed Mars Trojan asteroids. So, the process of finding these objects in their predicted orbits around other worlds requires painstaking work and a great many observations at different times of the year to get a direct and accurate measure of their orbital periods.   Most interesting though is the presence of Neptunian Trojan asteroids. While there around a dozen confirmed, there are many more candidates. If confirmed, they would significantly outnumber the combined asteroid count of the Asteroid Belt and Jupiter Trojans. This is a very good reason for continuing to study this distant region of the solar system.   There still could be additional groups of Trojan asteroids orbiting various objects in our solar system, but as yet these are the sum total of what we have found. More surveys of the solar system, particularly using infrared observatories, could turn up many additional Trojans orbiting among the planets.   Edited and revised by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Narrative Essay Trip to 6 Flags Essays

Narrative Essay Trip to 6 Flags Essays Narrative Essay Trip to 6 Flags Essay Narrative Essay Trip to 6 Flags Essay Shemp D. Howard Writin clas 9/21/112 Since my friends and I were seniors this year we decided that we needed to do something to celebrate us leaving Catskill. We spent many lunches at Subways trying to decide what we should do. We started out wanting to go to Cape Cod for the weekend. Then it went from Cape Cod to Boston, Massachusetts. Finally it ended up a day at Six Flags, New England. We decided that the best time to do this was on a Monday morning when everyone else is in school. That way their wouldn’t be as many people there and we could get to the lines quicker. We made a list of all the best rides that we wanted to go on. On June 8th I left my house around seven A. M. in the morning to go pick up my friend Jim from his house we went to Tim’s house to pick Tim up. Then we arrived at Brent’s house, we left my car there and took his. Once we got to I-90 we stopped at a rest stop to get some food. After we all ate we headed straight over to Six Flags. On the way there we talked about a lot of random things. Once we got to Six flags we already had our season passes so we headed to the main ride that we wanted to go on, â€Å"The Superman. There was no line there so we headed straight to the first cars. I sat next to Jim. Ben was behind me and next to Tim. The first drop was 220 feet straight down. On the left side I was right next to the river, on other side Jim was facing the park. For about ten seconds we were all weightless. At the bottom of the drop we were going 75 miles per hour. It was the best roller coaster I have ever be en on. We all decided to go on it two more times in a row before we finally decided to go find another ride. After â€Å"The Superman† we decided the next ride we should go to is the â€Å"Mind Eraser. On this roller coaster our feet were hanging beneath us. This ride had the most twist and flips in it that I have ever been on. With one part that goes into a double loop. I was impressed but it wasn’t as good as â€Å"The Superman. † I started to get hungry after that coaster so we decided that we might as well get some food before we went on the next ride. After eating some food, we decided to go over to the â€Å"Batman. † In the middle of the ride it started to sprinkle. I thought they were gonna close down some of the rides after we got off. The ain stopped though very quick so we got to keep going on rides. Even though the rain stopped, me and Ben and Tim didn’t feel like going on any more roller coaster right then since we just got done eatin g. We went walking around for a bit before we found something to do. They had these old bumper cars, we went over to them figuring it wouldn’t make anyone else sick. Since there was no line the guy let us keep going on. After seven times on we decided that it was finally time to get off and go do something else. When we were walking to the next ride on our list we saw there new thrill ride. Its called â€Å"The Catapult. † Ben and Tim still didn’t feel like going on a ride yet so Jim and I went. This ride flung us all over the place. First it goes in a clock wise motion spinning faster and faster. Then it goes in counter clockwise, flipping us upside down. After â€Å"The Catapult† Tom and Brent finally felt like going on some more rides. So we went to their very first roller coaster. This was the worst roller coaster because the whole ride was so jerky and sketchy. At some points it felt like the train actually went off the tracks. I decided that we weren’t going to go on any other older rides. It started to get hot and I still wanted to go on a water ride so we started to head over the â€Å"Blizzard River. † This is a huge raft ride that we actually had to wait in line for about 30 minutes. This was one of the best raft rides that I have been on as long for as I can remember. After the water ride it started to get late and I wanted to do other things that night. So we decided to go on â€Å"The Superman† one final time before heading out . Once again we had to wait in line for 30 minutes before we got to go on. I didn’t think it was as good this time because we were sitting near the middle of the train before we were in either the first car or the second. After this final ride we started to make our way out of the park. Before we go back on the thruway I was hungry again. So we went to a Friendly’s for the final part of our trip. After relaxing for awhile and eating we figured it was finally time to go home. So we go back in the car and headed home. Before we even got to the thruway Jim was asleep in the back seat. I fell asleep right after we got our toll ticket.

Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budgeting - Essay Example (Klammer, 1999) A financial reporting system should have several components including assets, which refer to resource primarily controlled by an enterprise. Assets are ownership of a company and should be well recorded in the financial statements to be clearly reflected. Liabilities should also be clearly recorded and equity as well included in the financial statements. Equity is residual interest in assets after all liabilities have been taken care of and is also called owner’s equity. Operating budget versus activity based budget An operating budget refers to a yearly budget presented in terms of cost accounts, functional categories and budget classification code among others. It consists of estimates of total value of resources needed in operation. It is used to track operations in maintenance, wages as well as dividend payments among others. An activity based budget is one in which activities happening in a specific organisation are recorded and costs associated to them ar e recorded as well. (Cokins, 2006) This is followed by act of associating these costs with a company’s goals and hence from this, an activity based budget is developed. ... Though goals are set, both budgets have little or no control at all on whether or not the goals will be achieved. Both activity based budget and operating budget engage all stakeholders hence success or failure is attributed to all. Activity based budgeting and operating budget display some differences. Activity based budget is majorly based operating activities and costs as opposed to operating budget which is based on budget classification codes and cost accounts. Operating budget keeps track of maintenance operations, salaries and wages, and interest payments. Activity based budget on the contrary mainly focuses on a company’s goals and how much has been achieved. (Proctor, 2009) Management of ICBI should adapt activity based budget. It is not hard to come up with and it is rather cheap since it avoids a bloated budget by making sure that relevant activities are recorded and costs associated to them. ICBI management should be sure of goals of the company, activities and res ources required to run these activities. These activities should be recorded and tied with codes. Having recorded all activities required for performance, every cost code should then be associated with costs relevant to them and with special attention to goals of ICBI. Budget guidelines for ICBI There has to be a plan before any budget is made and this plan has some guidelines to help develop it. A budget cannot be made by one mind but requires to have a group of individuals that will work together to help develop a comprehensive budget. It should be prepared within the generally accepted principles and procedures of accounting. A budget should incorporate

Annotated Bibliography of 5 different online sources

Of 5 different online sources - Annotated Bibliography Example In this article, Cary reflects back in history when the legal drinking age was 18. With regular patrols by the university police, students drank responsibly. Being among the 7 minority countries with a high legal drinking age of 21, task forces aimed at solving the problems of alcohol and drug abuse in colleges would not bear fruit; lowering the drinking age would. The writer concludes with remarks of preference of seeing her child drink in a well-patrolled environment than letting the child drink in secret ending up binge drinking and drug-overdosing among other vices. Supported by evidence from research conducted for over twenty years, Engs in this article argues for the lowering of the legal drinking age to 18. Engs attributes the irresponsible drinking among many of the college students to the perception of drinking as â€Å"adulthood† and â€Å"rebellion against authority.† Similar prohibition laws failed twice in the 1920s and 1850s, hence no need to go back to them again. Citing the examples of Greeks, Italians, Chinese and Jews, the drinking age should be lowered, accompanied by appropriate education, so as to quash the notion of alcohol as poison and promote responsible drinking behaviors across all age groups. In support of lowering the legal drinking age, Griggs reports on the argument by Professor Dwight B. Health of Brown University that the younger the people start drinking, the safer they become, citing cultural models of countries like Italy and France. Through this, parents get to educate their children on alcohol and deter children from irresponsible drinking behaviors. According to Griggs, Professor Heath argues that the â€Å"’forbidden fruit’ syndrome† promotes irresponsible drinking with the drinking age banned to 21. Therefore, the US should opt out of the minority countries with higher drinking age and join the majority who have the drinking age as low as 16 and promote

Is the Quality Old Design Methods Better than Today's Essay

Is the Quality Old Design Methods Better than Today's - Essay Example This is because; the problems experienced today are by far too complex such that they can neither be solved by intuition nor can they be solved using traditional wisdom (Brand, 2005). Since design involves different tasks, it is necessary that different methods be incorporated. In earlier days before technology was incorporated in architectural design field, the industry practitioners used some elementary methods to facilitate the design process. As technology was adopted, these methods slowly faded away and as time went by, every practitioner became conversant with the new methods and from there henceforth, the new technological methods started dominating over the old methods (Brand, 2005). However, from the recent developments attributable to the new technological methods in design, a question tends to arise. Are they better in quality as compared to the preceding old methods? Therefore, this paper will aim at trying to answer the question concerning the quality of the old methods in design as compared to the current design methods, which have a technological aspect. Despite the fact the technology is ideal in every aspect of life if adopted, the older design methods, which did not entail technology, were meaningful and as such, they can be said to be of good quality than the contemporary methods (Brand, 2005). ... This method can be said of great quality as compared to the new technological design methods because, the knowledge obtained in such methods of design were practical (Hillis, 2008). Most of the contemporary design methods are largely theoretical and employ the practical notion very limitedly. For instance, in great cathedrals, the drawings therein were full size and as such, large sets of dividers used in older days design were widely used in setting out the masonry. Moreover, forms as well as shapes were psychologically developed in the minds of the craftsmen in a gradual way. Later, just before technology took reign, older designers were also making use small scale drawing. All these practical aspects of older design methods are used less in the contemporary design and this proves that the older methods are of more quality than the new (Hillis, 2008). In regard to the master as well as the apprentice system, the decisions concerning the design methods were based on the traditional grounds. As such, the design process was therefore done in special ways. The most precise reason for this is because; the processes had always been done within such ways. This is indeed absent in the new technological design methods. The older design methods such as apprenticeship could be used for anything, from building to ships. Today, there is a range of design methods and each method is used for a particular product (Hillis, 2008). Even today, admiration for the traditional products attributable to the old methods used in design can still be depicted from the people and as such, the admiration continues growing. This therefore is supposed to mean that the quality attributable to

Business Law - Case Study Essay Example for Free

Business Law Case Study Essay A.Known Facts John wanted to extend his house and built an office from there. He approached Sue after locating an advertisement from the Yellow Pages. As Sue’s price did not seem reasonable, John then approached Drawit Pty Ltd, which charged a hundred dollar less. John paid a deposit. Later, John went to Franks Hardware and Timber Yard. He made known to Frank, the sole proprietor, the purpose and requirement of the materials and placed an order. John signed a standard form contract and paid a deposit. Two months later, problems arose which caused John to delay his business. John incurred financial losses. B.IDENTIFYING THE ISSUES 1.0CONTRACT BETWEEN JOHN FRANK. It is obvious that there is a contract for the sales of goods between Frank and John. Therefore, terms implied by statute into the sales of goods will only be relevant here. 1.1Is it a consumer or non-consumer contract? Here, we need to consider the definitions of consumer both under Trade Practices Act (TPA) and Goods Act Part IV (GA-IV). As the total price of the goods is $20,500, it is under the TPA s4B(1) (a)(i) prescribed limit. Having satisfied this, we need to consider s4B(1) (a)(iii). There is no evidence showing that John had acquired the goods for the purpose of re-supply or transform them. It might be a consumer contract under TPA. $20,500 exceeds the threshold amount under GA-IV s85(1) (a). John then needs to satisfy s85(1) (b). His materials were of a kind that is ordinarily  acquired for personal consumption. Moreover, s85(1) (c) and (d) did not apply. Therefore, it might also be a consumer contract within s85 of the GA. A consumer contract subjects either to TPA or GA-IV means that Goods Act Part I do not apply. 1.2 TPA or GA-IV? A seller must be a corporation to be under the TPA. As Frank Hardware is a sole proprietor, it therefore is not subjected to the TPA. It then must fall under GA-IV. GA-IV applies to all consumer contracts for the sale of goods that take place in the course of business, irrespective of whether the seller is a corporation, a partnership or a sole trader. 1.3What are the Implied terms that are breached? (i)GA-IV s(90) Fitness for particular purposes John had a contract with Frank for the supply of materials and the sale took place in the course of a business. John made known the purpose for which the goods were required and had relied on his skill and judgement in choosing the appropriate materials. It was also reasonable for John to rely on Frank. Therefore, there is an implied condition that the materials supplied be fit for that particular purpose. However, the materials were not of the purpose for which it was supplied. This implied term had been breached. (ii)GA-IV s(89) Merchantable quality As the materials were sold in the course of a business, there is an implied condition that the materials be fit for their normal purpose(s) having regarded the price. When the materials were delivered, the pine is not limed and the oregon beams  have unsightly knots. John was not aware of the defect before the sale and if John had inspected the materials before sale it would not have revealed the defect. This is because John did not know that he actually had to lime the pine himself and the knots on the beams might not be easily seen. Therefore, there is evidence that this implied term had been breached. 1.4What is the effect of exclusion clause? As the materials bought by John is a kind normally acquired for personal consumption, Frank cannot rely on the exclusion clause to exclude his liability. This is evidenced by GA-IV s95(1). 1.5What are the remedies available? John can terminate the contract and sue for damages. This means that he may return the materials and receive a refund. However, the goods must be returned as provided by s99 that as long as the defect becomes apparent within a reasonable time after delivery, the goods may be returned within reasonable time after discovering the defect. John may also receive compensation for losses caused by the breach of implied terms. 2.0CONTRACT BETWEEN JOHN SUE. 2.1Offer or Invitation to Treat? First, we need to distinguish offer from invitation to treat. An invitation to treat is an invitation to others to make an offer. Generally, an advertisement amounts to an invitation to treat. This is held in Partridge V Crittenden [1968] 2 All ER 421, where Sue will be inviting John to make an offer. However, there is an exception. An advertisement can also be an offer. This can be illustrated in Carlill V Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256 in which Sue might probably argue that it was an offer. This being the case, Sue is the offeror will stressed that the offer was assumed to be accepted  by John upon saying â€Å" I think that’ll be okay †. An offer, once accepted, cannot be revoked. Therefore there will be a binding contract. Assuming that it is an offer, it can either be a counter offer or a mere request for more information. 2.2Counter Offer or Mere Request for More Information? An offer will be rejected if there is a counter offer. A counter offer tampers with the original condition of the offer, it rejects the original offer and can no longer be accepted at later date. Looking at the words used in John’s reply â€Å" I hadn’t expect it to be so high †, it is possible that this was either an acceptance with a request for more information, or a counter-offer. If the court found the facts here sufficiently similar to those in Stevenson Jacques V McLean (1880) 5 QBD 346, it could hold that the words were a mere request for information. This being the case, the offer remains open and can be accepted. Another alternative is that the court might hold that John’s reply amounts to a counter offer as it seems to add new terms to the offer. This would be similar to Hyde V Wrench (1840) 3 Beav 334, in which the counter offer involved a reduction in price. As in that case, the counter offer made by John had the effect of destroying the original offer made by Sue. Sue is then free to accept or reject this counter offer. Sue, by quoting the price of $1500, clearly shows that she had accepted the counter offer and made a new offer. It is now up to John, the offeree, to accept or reject the offer. 2.3Acceptance or Rejection? Sue could rely on the fact that the mode of communication is instantaneous, i.e. a telephone conversation. She will argue that John’s response over the phone is assumed to be an acceptance to the new offer. This forms a contract in which she can argue that it had been breached. REMEDIES FOR SUE (Damages) However, John can argue that there was no contract because his response failed to satisfy the rule that an acceptance must be absolute and unqualified. In fact, it’s a statement of his opinion of what he thought and therefore he reserved the right to change his mind. An offer, which had not been accepted, does not form a contract. Therefore there is no breach of contract and that he did not have to pay the pro rata amount requested by Sue. REMEDIES FOR JOHN (Do not have to pay) Having considered both sides of the argument, it is more likely that there is a contract between John and Sue. And that it is a breach in which John had to pay. 3.0 CONTRACT BETWEEN JOHN AND DRAWIT. It is clear that there is a service contract in which Drawit is to provide a plan for John. Due to the fact that terms implied under Statute only apply to consumer contracts, we need to determine if one exists in order to enforce the implied terms. 3.1Is it a consumer contract? To illustrate whether it is a consumer contract, we need to compare the definition of consumer under Trade Practices Act (TPA) and Goods Act Part IV (GA-IV). s4B(b) (i) of the TPA required that price of the service be less that $40,000. If it exceeds that amount, it must be a kind ordinary acquired for personal use. s85(a) of the GA-IV restricted that amount to be under $20,000. Similarly, if exceeds that prescribed amount, it must be for  personal consumption. Given the service price of $1,400 and that John had acquired it for personal use, it is obvious that it falls under both the TPA and GA-IV. Therefore we know that there is a consumer contract. We then need to identify which of the Acts it falls into. 3.2TPA or GA-IV? TPA probably applies because there is evidence that Drawit is a corporation. This can be recognised by the ‘Pty Ltd’ in Drawits’s company name. Having recognised that it subjects to TPA, it is obvious that GA-IV does not apply. 3.3What are the Implied Warranties that have been breached? As Drawit provide the similar service as Sue, we assumed that John had also made know the purpose for which the plan was required and that relied on the seller’s skills to perform the service. (i)TPA s74(1) Due and skills Drawit supplied the services in the course of a business, so there is an implied warranty that the service will be rendered with due care and skill. The material supplied (plan) in connection with the service must also be fit for the purpose for which they are supplied. It is obvious that Drawit had breached this implied warranty because the material supplied was not fit for the purpose, i.e. it did not meet the Council’s standards. (ii)TPA s74(2) Fitness for particular purposes Applying our assumption that John had made known to Drawit his requirements for which the services were required and that Drawit had supplied the service in the course of a business. There is an implied warranty that the  service and the materials supplied in connection of the service will be reasonably fit for that purpose and that it is reasonable for John in that circumstances to rely on Drawit’s skill. The plan did not meet the Council’s requirement. This shows that it did not fit the purpose for which the services were required. Therefore there is a breach of this warranty. 3.4Can the implied terms be excluded? As the service provided is of a type ordinarily acquired for personal domestic or household use. Under s68 of TPA, Drawit cannot exclude or limit the implied warranties. 3.5What are the remedies that are available? John can terminate the contract and sue for damages. This means that he could get a refund for the services and also receive compensation for the losses caused by the breached of the implied terms.

Getting Out Of Reach :: essays research papers

Getting Out of Reach Prescription drug prices are rising much faster than the rate of general consumer inflation. The most heavily affected are those who can least afford it, like older Americans living on fixed incomes, and the working poor with inadequate or no health insurance. The rise in drug prices is causing the public to ask why. The reasons include the immense research costs, consumer advertising and the growth of managed care. The continue rise in prescription drugs costs has touched off intense public debate on how best people can get some relief. Some politicians and consumer groups have pushed for some form of price controls. Drug companies oppose price regulations. They contend it would restrain innovation in an industry that invests billions of dollars annually on research. Joe Madera, a retired man in his late 60s living in Pomona, CA, pays more than $250 a month out of pocket for prescription drugs to maintain his diabetes under control. Medicare covers his doctor bi lls and any hospital visits, but the federal health program does not cover prescription. While this man’s household income is fixed, the cost of his medication just keeps going up. Most Americans do not feel the increase in drug prices directly because they purchase prescription medicines through their employee health plans or their HMOs, where they do not pay the full price, often making only a $10 or $20 co-payments. The rise in drug prices does hit this group indirectly. Many health insures have blamed higher drug cost as the reason behind hikes in medical premiums or restriction of benefits. One reason why retail prices are going up is hat the new generation of drugs is expensive to produce. The cost of research and developments are high. Creating a complex, genetically engineered drug versus producing a conventional drug is like the difference between manufacturing a Ford Escort car and designing a fine German Mercedes-Benz. Indeed, the process of taking a drug from the laboratory to the patient is a lengthy one, requiring years and costing millions of dollars. And success is not guaranteed. Often there is a huge difference between how a drug behaves in the test tube and how it acts on humans. New drugs typically require several phases of tests on humans to demonstrate that they work and do not produce serious side effects. Only one medicine out of five makes it through human clinical tests, a representative for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America argue.

Diary of a Mad Black Woman

The film Diary of a Mad Black Woman depicts a situation that many people find themselves in every day. Helen McCarter is a successful wife who has everything it seems she could possibly ever want- a fantastically beautiful home and a well-off husband.Her husband literally throws her out of the house when he admits to having an affair so that his mistress and her children can move in. She relies on her family, close friends, and God to help her through the ordeal. When Helen’s husband is ironically maimed in a car accident, she cruelly torments him, the way that he abusively tormented her throughout their marriage.In one scene, Helen torments her husband because he can not bathe himself, and then literally throws him into a bathtub, rescuing him only seconds before he would have drowned. The film Diary of a Mad Black Woman depicts a fair amount of spousal abuse. In one of the opening scenes of the film, the husband (Charles) throws his wife out of the car and tells her that he hates her. Not only is this an extreme example of physical abuse, it is also an excellent example of the lesser known, and therefore lesser addressed, verbal and emotional abuse.However, Helen is for some reason completely blindsided by this turn of events, although it seems as if she has been enduring this abuse for the past eighteen years of their marriage. It certainly seems as though her sense of self worth has reached such a low that she could not even see how her husband leaving her was a possibility. I felt that there were many mixed messages showcased throughout this film. That is not to say it was not a good movie-I believe that it was. Diary of a Mad Black Woman took on a ridiculously Christian, preachy tone.When Helen begins dating a new man, she claims that he’s a â€Å"good Christian man,† as if this were a deal breaker. Helen apparently finds Jesus, become a devout Christian, and attends church religiously. Once her husband is injured in a gun fight, not only does she refuse to turn the other cheek, the audience is left to feel as if they should be cheering on her decidedly unchristian values. Helen takes advantage of her husband, which seems to be the farthest thing a true Christian would do. I think that there certainly was a lesson and a moral to this film, although I’m not sure that it came across in the correct way.The director was obviously trying to show that regardless of one’s past, it is possible to overcome horrific tragedy. Was this done about in the correct way? I believe not. I feel as if the writer and director of this film used â€Å"Christian values† as a crutch in order to get away with both a mediocre storyline and directing. Obviously, this was not an accurate portrayal of this specific type of phenomenon. It would take much more than â€Å"the power of Jesus† to restore one’s psyche after eighteen years worth of abuse.In addition, the fact that any behavior is alright, as long as it’s done in the name of Jesus, is completely disgusting, but this is how the film seems to justify Helen’s quick recovery. But, there certainly is something to be said for such strong message. Although the heroine’s plight was filmed as if she were extremely naà ¯ve in the first place, ultimately, the audience is left to assume that Helen has overcome the abuse she was dealing with. This film was, in my opinion, a good example of something that could happen in anyone’s life. It reminds me of a woman that used to attend our church with her family.The relationship she had with her husband was obviously strange, but no one could quite decide what was wrong with it. The husband was the associate pastor, and the wife volunteered in the church nursery almost every Sunday. Therefore, it seemed as if this couple could do no harm.Suddenly, one day she left her husband, and took her kids with her. People within the church immediately began blaming her for the abuse, claiming that she obviously did something wrong, and that she hadn’t â€Å"submitted to her husband† as the Bible demands. Later, people said that the only way she could be healed was through Jesus.Of course, this is ridiculous. Not to take anything away from religion, but most would agree that overcoming abuse requires therapy in different forms, and this is assuming that no other psychological disorders have stemmed from the abuse, such as depression, anxiety disorders, of post-traumatic stress disorder.Ultimately, I feel that this was a very strong movie, and that it depicted what abuse and its effects have on a person. While it was grossly understated, the audience certainly had a very good idea of what an abused person, especially an abused wife goes through during a recovery process.