Correctional System and the Rehabilitating Offenders

The correctional system has a way of punishing offenders in this country unlike in different countries where you might get a harsher punishment for a crime that might seem more, petty and a lesser punishment for a crime that one would consider more of a harsher crime. In our system however not only are you innocent until proven guilty but you are also allowed to have a trial that can prove otherwise. The system might not always work out how we want it to, or expect it to but it is definitely a fair way of going about it. Offenders in this country get punished on the basis of how horrible the prosecutors think that your crime was and they are the ones that for the most part dictate the form of punishment you will receive. Now in this process the family may also have a say that is considered in all of this, then a jury listens to a trial and decide for themselves the extremity of the crime and what the punishment should be. There are also different levels of correctional facilities that you can wind up in you have the local, state, federal levels. The local level is for more of your petty crimes such as DUI, shop lifting, etc. The state level is for felony level offenders and the federal level is for big time and repeat offenders for crimes like bank robbery and arson. In some cases I personally think that some of the punishments could be a little harsher, it seems like a lot of these offenders get off a little easier than they should. There are definitely times though where someone does get screwed and they get a harsh punishment for something that should’ve been a case of self defense or some other form of defense. For the most part I think that if you believe in our system that it actually really can work to your benefit. If you are in the right than the majority of the time it will prove that. If you are in the wrong than it will eventually prove that as well. Our corrections system tries to rehabilitate offenders by several different means you have imprisonment which most of the serious crimes or repeat offenders get this. The length of imprisonment is decided by a judge and the length of the sentence is decided by the nature of the crime. There is also supervised probation. Which only about twenty-five percent of offenders are sentenced to some form of probation. This punishment means that you are under specific rules by a judge to be under direct supervision while maintain a somewhat normal lifestyle. The offender is also assigned to a probation officer where they required to meet with, to make sure that they are maintaining the standards set forth by the judge. Any violation of the rules and guidelines may send the offender back to jail without a second chance of probation. The next form of rehabilitation is house arrest, which allows you to live in your own house without going to prison but it enables the police to ensure that you are in your house because they administer an electronic bracelet that you must wear around your ankle until the completion of you r sentence. With the electronic bracelet you are only able to go a certain distance away from the box that they put inside your house which links to the police system. Parole, which is the smallest of the rehabilitation system and is very similar to probation where if you don’t follow the exact guidelines set forth by the judge and the court system then you are going to end up back in jail. One of the best ways that we can help offenders rehabilitate is by severe counseling. If we can send these offenders through extreme physciatric counseling and get them to let someone know why they are the way they are I think that could make a huge difference. Another way of helping offenders to rehabilitate is by letting them further their education, a lot of these offenders probably don’t have a great education at all and if we let them continue with higher learning then maybe it well give them a better sense of belonging to society or a sense of right and wrong. From there they might be able to help in programs that talk to other people such as youth or other offenders and help them to straighten their lives out. Although both punishment and rehabilitation can be effective in reducing crime, I think that punishment is the more effective route in reducing crime, and the reason I say this is because rehabilitating isn’t always going to work with certain offenders and then you have just wasted even more money by not only housing them but also treating them. I am a firm believer that if we had harsher punishments for things in this country than we would have less offenders. If we started handing out the death penalty a little more, and when we did if we didn’t let offenders sit in a cell for ten years before they got executed then I think more people would see that we were making an example out of these offenders and they would be more likely to do it. I also think that if we brought back some of the punishments they used in the older days, that they say are cruel and unusual that we wouldn’t have as big of a problem. I think that if we stoned people, or cut off a limb when they commit a crime of greater statute than some of these people would wake up and see that this is not a form of punishment that they would like. If we keep giving offenders three meals a day and we keep giving them a place to sleep they are not going to care and they are not going to stop committing crimes. If we go back to the days of the chain gang and put offenders on the side of the road to clean up trash. What I have been saying all along is that we need to send them through a certain training course and then send them overseas to fight for our country. Obviously what they want is to fight and hurt people so let them do it where it needs to be done and that is on the battlefield. If we did that I think that there is a lot of these hardened criminals that would curl up in the fetal position and cry for their moms.

Affordable Care Act and Its Controversies

On March 23, 2010 President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA); this date is when the growing debate began. The Affordable Care Act is also commonly known as Obamacare. A large issue between the opposing sides is the future of small business under this bill. â€Å"Many small businesses are going to be absolutely crushed by the provisions in Obamacare that require them to provide expensive health insurance coverage for their employees.† (Snyder, Michael) â€Å"3.2 million small businesses — employing 19.3 million workers nationwide — were eligible last year for tax credits worth $15.4 billion or $800 per employee.† (LOLGOP)These separate articles counteract each other, one claiming that small business is doomed while the other promises a happy future for small business. Another issue between the sides is the fact that neither has a full grasp of the bill and therefore only builds their opinions upon what they like versus dislike of the provisions. T his debate seems to be based between Republicans, who are stereotypically anti-Obamacare and Democrats, who are stereotypically pro-Obamacare. This essay will use different sources to describe the largest provisions and the varying stances on these provisions between the two sides.In Snyder’s article he destroys the ACA and shouts the predetermined catastrophic problems America faces with the ACA. His article is entitled â€Å"15 Reasons Why The Obamacare Decision Is A Mind Blowing Disaster For America.† Through this article, Snyder lists reasons as to why the ACA is a poor decision. Quotes from this article include the likes of, â€Å"It is hard to have any faith in the U.S. Supreme Court,† and â€Å"Supreme Court that is dominated by judges that have very little respect for the U.S. Constitution.†Snyder’s article lists reasons ranging from governmental power, new taxes, and possibly most extreme: decrease in life expectancy in the United States. Finally, this article ends on the note that â€Å"Obamacare will add more than a trillion dollars to government spending over the next decade. Considering the fact that the U.S. government is already drowning in debt, how in the world can we afford this?† The largest issue that people have with the bill is the mandate, which was described by Reddit poster CaspianX2 in a comment thread.The rough description of the mandate is that  it requires a person to have healthcare, and if any person who can afford healthcare chooses not to have it, they can be fined. The Supreme Court tested the constitutionality and through changing the words around a bit, the Court declared it constitutional. (CaspianX2) The biggest anti-Obamacare points include: the increase in governmental strength, the new taxes upon the American people it will impose, the mandate, and governmental spending.â€Å"A Harvard study found that 45,000 Americans die every year for lack of insurance.† (LOLGOP) Thi s shows that though the individual mandate is debated, it shows the pro-ACA viewpoint saves American lives. This article on eclectablog.com gave 18 reasons as to why the ACA is an achievement for the middle class. The healthcare reform puts a vast construct on the changes of insurance companies themselves. â€Å"Insurance companies can no longer cap the dollar amount of care you can receive in a lifetime,† and, â€Å"Health care insurers will no longer be allowed to charge women more than men for their coverage,† are two examples of the changes insurance companies will be facing with this bill.This bill makes insurance more accessible for more people, as the same eclectablog.com article states, â€Å"Up to 30 million Americans who are currently not insured will be covered, saving thousands of American lives.† (LOLGOP) A different article by Joshua Holland, titled â€Å"Up to 30 million Americans who are currently not insured will be covered, saving thousands of American lives,† highlights the concept that people can build different opinions of the bill, depending on how much they know about it. This article offers 10 things the common person may not know about the Affordable Care Act ranging from, the richest Americans will be paying more taxes, to how this bill benefits women, to people getting checks to help pay for their insurance. This article offers these points in a positive-bias perspective.Holland discusses how people with an income over a certain amount will be having a higher tax rate, rather than the lower-than-average rate they have now. This bill, similarly to the article by LOLGOP on eclectablog.com speaks to the idea that insurers can no longer charge women higher than men. Those with an income lower than a certain mark will be getting tax credits and subsidies to help pay for their insurance, is another point of Holland’s in this article. The largest pro-Obamacare points include: the newly regulated equality b etween insurers charging men and  women the same price, the raising or lowering of taxes depending on income, and how much more accessible healthcare is going to be with this bill.Many of the controversies between the sides seem to cancel each other out, where one side says something, and the other says something that directly refutes it. An example of this is with the effect the bill will have on young people. In an article by Brian Klonoski entitled, â€Å"13 Reasons Why Obamacare Sucks So Far,† he states, â€Å"Obamacare is more formally known as The Affordable Care Act, so it should make healthcare more affordable, right? Well, sorta. It definitely makes healthcare more affordable for some people, but it also raises premiums for others — most notably, young, healthy Americans.†In a different article, by Todd Essig, he discusses why Obamacare is good for the young and healthy. The three reasons he lists are as follows: they will have health insurance should catastrophe strike, they’ll get prescriptions for routine care, and they’ll have more skin in the game of self-care. (Essig)Both sides of healthcare reform has extremist opinions, one being that of the tea-party conservatives and the other that of the radical liberals. However, not republicans are anti-ACA and not all democrats are pro-ACA; though, most do fit the stereotype. Whether a person is anti-ACA or pro-ACA, they should learn the in-and-out of the bill, and not just pick and choose which issues to argue and make decisions about. Doing that will lead to well-rounded opinions and eventually, decisions made on this largely debated healthcare reform.

Importance of Space Exploration

Space exploration is the discovery and exploration of outer space by means of space technology. [1] Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft. While the observation of objects in space, known as astronomy, predates reliable recorded history, it was the development of large and relatively efficient rockets during the early 20th century that allowed physical space exploration to become a reality. Common rationales for exploring space include advancing scientific research, uniting different nations, ensuring the future survival of humanity and developing military and strategic advantages against other countries. Various criticisms of space exploration are sometimes made. The Importance of Space Exploration Outer space is the provider of an endless source of questions for scientists. Its enormous proportions are seemingly endless and interesting, and the knowledge garnered on the subject is very commonly well received by the supporting public. Nowadays in a time where economic recession is threatening to cut the funding necessary for space travel, how can we justify it? On the positive side of things, space exploration helps scientists answer a lot of earths' questions. That is a definite pro. Space exploration has proven immensely helpful in determining the theories of where earth came from, like the Big Bang. It also helped scientists single out what elements need to be present for an environment to sustain life. This can prove invaluable, especially if humans do end up completely destroying earth. We need that knowledge in order to find a new planet, right? Hopefully it won't come to that. Space explorations' biggest pro is that it has given scientists content and examples to compare our earth to. This makes it easier to answer questions that would prove to be almost undecipherable otherwise, without thousands if not millions of years of study. Also, the invention of technology used in space exploration was essential for the advancement and development of many helpful technologies widely used today. In other words, without space exploration we would know a lot less. Now, on the other side of the argument, a con of space exploration is that while being focused on the far reaches of the galaxy scientists neglect what we should be studying right here on earth. Oceans make up the largest percentage of our planet yet we know less about the deep sea than we do about stars thousands of miles away. Space exploration has produced technology which can take humans to the inhospitable vacuum on the moon, yet there is not too much thought or effort going into exploring the deepest sea trenches, even though there is now proof that life exists down there. All this fascination and funding going to finding life in outer space while the actual life on the darkest corners of our own planet goes unstudied. Space exploration is also responsible for producing thousands of jobs. There are people needed for all sorts of tasks involving the complicated process of exploring the galaxies. Of course, those jobs would probably exist too if the preferred field of exploration were to be the oceans. This brings about the money issue, which might be its biggest con. Space exploration and all its technological advances come at a very high price. However, it was money well spent until now that government is undergoing major budget cuts to abate financial crisis. Which is more important, knowledge or health care? This is unarguably a big concern. When weighing the pros and cons of space exploration, it is all a matter of relativity. Science should pay more attention to our own planet before focusing on others, but it is undeniably a fact that focusing on those others through space exploration has helped us understand earth a whole lot better.

Corporate reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate reporting - Essay Example Accountants use corporate reports to check on the firm’s activities in line with the management’s transparency and accountability. On the other hand, other external users such as banks use corporate reports to establish the firm’s ability to repay loans. Corporate reports indicate the profitability of a firm on a periodic basis. Corporate reports are through three different sources such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the respective company and other federal regulators (DiPiazzaJr and Eccles, 1997). Benefits of corporate reporting include provision of reliable information, flexibility and accountability. On the other hand, corporate reporting improves accuracy, diversity, corporate governance, ease of communication, transparency and attainment of company targets. Corporate reporting promotes flexibility through the directors’ ability to break down any key financial changes hence making it less complicated to achieve. The corporate report’s accuracy and validity are through an auditors’ letter. Since auditors also use corporate reporting, this improves transparency as well as attainment of a firm’s objectives. Diversity and ease of communication are through the use of IFRS and IABS requires a company to produce different types of reports including equity statement, cash flow and income statements respectively. Additionally, the ease of comparison and its usefulness to different users makes it an efficient tool for communicating Easy jet’s progr ess (Hooghiemstra, 2000). The primary disadvantages of corporate reporting include excessive information hence making it difficult to analyse the information since the information has not been two different users. On the other hand, there is over emphasis on the primary users (investors) instead of focusing on the real company events, as well as other users. In some instances, the information used may have been prepared using out-dated accounting methods hence useless for the business

Midterm Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Midterm - Term Paper Example We expect the mean, mode and median for this group to be centered close together. Diagram 2 is the histogram of learn2_4. A glance at it shows extreme skewness to the left. Most of the data points fall left of the mean. Therefore the respondents’ distribution on the opinion that† they should understand some real world applications of statistics, such as in marketing research in order to be properly educated† is representative of a majority of ‘strongly agrees’. Learn2-3 has a higher standard deviation, implying that it also has a higher standard error. More precisely, the deviation from the mean is higher than that of respondents who answered to the ‘attendance as a necessity’ question. It lies in the Agreement region. The mean respondent score lies close to the most frequent answer to the question, that the respondent strongly agrees they are learning statistics for proper education and understanding of statistical

Luxottica's internationalisatoin and globalisation strategy Essay

Luxottica's internationalisatoin and globalisation strategy - Essay Example The researcher of the paper will examine the elements of the gradualist approach used by the company in its globalisation strategy. It will examine the competitive strengths of Luxottica. This will be followed by a critical view of the distribution strategy used by the company to capture the markets in the various countries it operates within. Corporate strategy refers to the long term, company wide plans instituted and implemented by top level management. Luxottica began in 1961 as a small obscure Italian optical manufacturer. It was originally set up to provide spectacles for the local markets and this was the main strategy employed in the first first decade of operations. Within this time period, the strategy was focused on establishment of the brand in Italy. This means that the owners just sought to provide for the local customer base in the home country. Within the first decade, the company grew sufficient competency and skills in the manufacture of spectacles. Whilst the compe tencies increased, the brand became admirable overseas. In 1971, the company made major contacts outside Italy and began to export. This strategy was simply based on the production for a larger customer base who dwelt outside Italy. The corporate vision was still local in nature. The only variation was the increase in demand caused by the introduction of new customers outside the borders of Italy. In the early 1970s, the plan was simply to manufacture and sell to wholesalers in foreign countries. The wholesalers in these foreign companies had to find ways of selling the Luxottica products. Luxottica remained Italian in outlook. In the 1980s, the focus changed. Luxottica decided to pursue an international corporate strategy. In this drive, they quit the strategy of just producing for wholesalers. They rather sought to produce the spectacles and get some control in the sales and distribution of the product in foreign markets. This led to the growth in international distribution networ ks and channels. In the 1990s, the Luxottica went public. It floated shares on the New York Stock Exchange and later the Milan Stock Exchange. This led to a solid capital base which provided the funding to expand and capture a larger market share in foreign countries. The strategy again changed in the mid-1990s where the company focused on the acquisition of new brands in the spectacles industry. This complemented the expansion of the distribution channel which led to the acquisition of more retail outlets in USA, Asia Pacific and the Rest of the World. International Marketing Strategy In 2007, there were over Luxottica centers around the world. This was made up of over 6,400 outlets globally. Luxottica's international strategy brings the firm a sales of over $6.4 billion each year. This is quite large and can be credited to the marketing strategy that it has developed over the past years. The international marketing strategy used by Luxottica is similar to what Professor Piercy wil l call 'the process of going to the market' (Piercy 13). It involves three steps: value definition, value creation and value deliver to customers (Piercy 14). In this process, the company's top level management examines international demands and expectations. This normally involves the critical examination of marketing trends and other financial indicators

Recruitment, Training and Selection Questionnaire Essay

Recruitment, Training and Selection Questionnaire - Essay Example This section therefore seeks to create a questionnaire based on all the objectives as was mentioned in chapter 1. In light of that, the section will come up with a collection of 10-15 questions in a questionnaire specified to highlight the company position on selection, training and recruitment. The content of the questions will seek to exploit the three aims and objectives as stipulated earlier on as well as verifying the statement of purpose. There will also be an analytical look at the questionnaire through a discussion and relation to the obtained objectives and discussions. Variables of success will be discussed based on the analysis as obtained from the analysis and in relationship with the universal conducts as stipulated in Human Resource management. This will give rise to the findings that are supposed to be implemented by the company. Questionnaire-The Recruitment, Selection and Training of LVMH As stated, the questionnaire will make a focus on the important areas of study. The questionnaire will gauge whether the employees were recruited through a competitive selection process or whether there were any intermediaries in the whole process. After being hired, what specific types of training are done, if any and what values are added to the employees in these trainings. There is also a test on the effects of new technology on the employees in improving the productivity of the company. The employee response to the satisfaction achieved as a result of adapting the trainings received as well as the motivation that is added to their valuable human resource ability (Jeffrey, 2011 ). As a result of the data collected from such surveys, the human resource department is able to collect information that will be used in the formulation of policies. These policies will be used to rectify the weaknesses that may be involved in low performance at that stage in the company. This questionnaire is based on an interview carried out on a sample of 30 employees of LVMH Co mpany representation. The same questionnaire was administered on employees from the different departments and the aim was to get the effectiveness of the process of recruitment, training and selection of all employees regardless of the company position. The questionnaire was carried out in France, headquarter of the company. This is because of the high representation of employees in the country. The country does not also have a uniform human resource endowment based on the classes of people and the results will therefore be a possible representation of all the regions of presence. Based on the information needed, the focus was both on primary and secondary data. The secondary data was collected from academic journals, books and other online sources that were relevant to the study. The primary data was collected from direct association with employees and they were to answer closed ended questions (Jeffrey, 2011 ). A collection of 14 questions collected from 30 respondents therefore b ecomes the basis of this chapter. The questionnaire that was conducted took the form of the questions below: 1. How was your potentiality and eventual recruitment to this company generated? Through; a) Direct applications b) Placement consultants c) Job portals d) Employee referrals e) Head hunting f) Any other (please specify) 2. How many rounds of technical interviews were carried out on you? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) More than 3 3. Did you get any buddy mentor who helped you adapt

International Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Organizations - Essay Example The lack of transparency in its procedures and the tendency for some or all of the permanent five to caucus in private are cause for concern. A more serious concern is the composition of the Council. It is not reasonable to suggest that the five winners of the Second World War, with the assistance of ten additional rotating member states, comprise a representative, legitimate or authoritative voice for a UN membership of 185. While certainly it would be good to have more representation where decision-making and policy-crafting in the UN is concerned, so as to accommodate the interests of developing countries, such moves might smack of tokenism if the single biggest roadblock is removed: the veto power. Historically, the veto power has been wielded to promote the partisan interests of superpower nations. It is obsolete and should be phased out. Second, more political will is needed on this issue of human rights. When the United Nations was created in 1948 by a world still reeling from the ravages of the Second World War and intent on healing the wounds wrought by it, it was tasked to become the primary agency in defining and advancing human rights. From then on, various other agencies were created, addressing specific human rights concerns. Notable examples of this are the International Labor Organization and the UNICEF. However, despite the complex structure and wo... Two good examples are the genocide in Rwanda in the early 90's, and the current conflict and suffering of people in Darfur, Sudan. There must be a mechanism to ensure that the UN will quickly respond and intervene. 2. How relevant is the experience of the concept of Europe to contemporary problems of management in international affairs Indeed, the European model has been helpful in addressing some problems in management of international affairs. However, a predominant problem in the management of international affairs is the accommodation of diversity and pluralism that certainly cannot be addressed solely by reliance on an intrinsically homogeneous model. Even on the issue of human rights, there are conflicting paradigms. The universality of human rights has oftentimes been challenged by critics on the allegation that the Western bias is very much evident, and that the popularity of it in recent times is nothing more than the remnants of a neocolonial attitude purveyed by the crafty and bought by the undiscerning. A refutation of this was attempted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1968 through a study that demonstrated that "the profound aspirations underlying human rights correspond to concepts - the concepts of justice, an individual's integrity and dignity, fre edom from oppression and persecution, and individual participation in collective endeavors - that are encountered in all civilizations and periods." Some Islamic scholars like Safi (2000, page 1) remain unconvinced: The pragmatic arguments for the universality of human rights are problematic, because they either completely overlook the significant impact cultural

The Bible and Catholic Hermeneutics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Bible and Catholic Hermeneutics - Essay Example Catholic hermeneutics might be confused with the theory and practice of Catholic Biblical interpritation. But Catholic hermeneutics marks the appropriation by Catholic theology of philosophic hermeneutics. The latter can be called the study of humanity's participation in the truth and the knowledge mediated by history. So Catholic hermeneutics is the understanding of Cristian truth and knowledge within the Catholic tradition. Catholic hermeneutics is not just a philosophy of interpretation. It is an example of the general philosophical thesis that interpritation always exists within a tradition. The Catholic grasp of Christianity growing out of and expressing a theological tradition examplifies what Heidegger has called the historicality of understanding. The Catholic interpreter, educated within the Church, understands things according to what can only be called a Catholic interpretation of reality. Concrete acts of understanding refine and transmit that interpretation. Thus Catholic hermeneutics is no exception to the universality of hermeneutics, but an illustration of it. Catholic hermeneutics is not thereby curtailed in scientific value. ... It revealed the authoritative role of the magisterium as judge in case of Scriptual and dogmatic dispute, the irreducibility of dogmatic tradition to a historical analysis of first-century documents, and the inadequacy of Scriptural interpretation uninformed by Church tradition. These aspects of the theology of tradition contradict a particular notion of science. According to this notion, the scientific enterprise is wholly emancipated from authority, documentary evidence is the only admissible historical proof of a tradition's anticuity, and independence from tradition is the only guarantor of the truth (i.e., objectivity) of interpritation. If this notion of science were canonical, then Catholic hermeneutics would be unscientific (Hick, 1980). The development of the Catholic hermeneutics clousely connected with the development of historical consciousness. Ancient people didn't have the historical consciousness, because they lived in sincere world and tried to survive in it. Then terrors, death, hunger, destruction and catastrophes made a psychological change in their attitude to the reality. The ancient people really wanted to know about their origin. That's why they appealed to religious myths and legends. Some of them told about a "golden age" when people lived in harmony with each other and nature. The other story showed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Some of legends depicted the relationships with gods and goddesses, which possessed human appearance and characters. According to the myth the gods could fight with each other for love and power and even organize wars. We could see numerous examples in Greek Mythology. When misfortunes, wars and catastrophes happened in reality people thought that gods or supernatural powers were against them.

New Zealand's Building Industry and the Climate Change Essay

New Zealand's Building Industry and the Climate Change - Essay Example Former U.S. vice president and Senator Al Gore (1992) relate how his former college professor, Roger Revelle, initiated sampling and research on the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere in 1958. Revelle showed in 1960 that the increase in the level of CO2 in the atmosphere contributes to the Greenhouse effect. These series of studies by Revelle sparked awareness among people about the dangers of global warming and since then it has been quite an issue among environmentalists, scientists and common people alike. Â  According to The Earth Works Group (1989), The Greenhouse Effect is not all that destructive. In fact, it is a natural, beneficial process that prevents the Earth from freezing. The natural greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere prevent heat from escaping into space thus warming the Earth. However, throughout the years, industry and other human activities have increased the volume of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, resulting into the destruction of the ozone layer and the eventual superheating of the Earth's surface. Â  There are many variants of the modern global warming theory; among these is the theory that states that the so-called global warming that the Earth is experiencing right now is within tolerable boundaries. ... Â  and for fossil fuels and the increased rate of industrialization has accelerated the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The office also noted that due to these circumstances, the Earth's surface temperatures predicted to rise anywhere from 1.4 to 5.8 C, which could lead to other drastic climatic changes such as droughts, sea level rise, great variances in temperature, flash floods etc. Climate Change Group, on the other hand, states that in New Zealand, temperatures are likely to increase faster in the Northern parts than those in the South through the increase in temperature is less than in other parts of the Earth. Other climate changes that are predicted by the group are increased the volume of rainfall, fewer cold days in the winter and hotter days during the summer. The Climate Change Group has also noted the direct impacts of agricultural practices on climate changes. As new concepts in agricultu re are introduced, the risk of flood, droughts and pestilence increase leading to more agricultural loses. Gore (1992) elaborated the effects of agriculture on the climate, claiming that although the world's population has increased in direct proportion to the rate of increase in the development of agriculture. In 1992 for example, the world's population has ballooned to 5.5 billion people in that year alone and is expected to grow to up to 9 billion in the year 2032. More people equal more food and another resource would have to be consumed and by this, some do equate resource acquisition with resource abuse and environmental degradation. Â  

Managerial Economics Week 6 Individual Work 2 Assignment

Managerial Economics Week 6 Individual Work 2 - Assignment Example This is because as the output increase at one point, it does not necessarily increase at another point and the inverse is true. The increase in the operating expenditures per student does not bring out a large decrease to enrollment but rather there is an explicit nature of the function. Apart from enrollment, the other important variable in explaining the variations in operating expenditures per student is the teacher salary variable. This teacher salary variable is significant in the sense that it promotes a higher level of motivation thus the operating expenditure per student will decrease. A decrease in teacher salary brings about an increase in the operating expenditure per student. When there is a higher rise in teacher salary, the operating expenditure per student will also rise significantly. Minimization is always ideal achieving the best of benefits in every institution. In this case, expenditures reduce and at the same time, there is a reduction in the enrollment level. Barriers towards enrollment also do not exist and it is a case of unconstrained optimization. To minimize on the operating expenditure per student the calculation takes the derivative of the operating expenditure with respect to enrollment. 30.9 is the reduction level towards the operating expenditure per student that will occur upon adding one more student. This is because at this point (500) there are economies of scale and there are positive externalities. The regression value does not show a good fit value since it is less than 0.75. This is because the right hand side variables also do not fully explain most of the variations or changes. There is an inverse relationship between enrollment level and expenditure whereby the enrollment level increases as the operating expenditure declines. Economies of enrollment that can also show the size can decrease whenever the expenditures reduce as the enrollment

Advertising Victorias Secret Essay Example for Free

Advertising Victorias Secret Essay Victorias Secret is a retail seller of womens clothing and beauty goods, but is most familiar as a dealer of lingerie. Victorias Secret had retailing of more than US$ 2.6 billion through their over 900 retail stores in the U.S. in 2005. In Joseph Jaffes Life After the 30-Second Spot,† he looks at how the mode that most companies and organizations believe is the best way to get their point crosswise to customers and projection television advertisements. It is significant to note that its not that the ads arent imaginative, inventive, or are not talking the verbal communication of the spectator no less than for the most part that has sourced the need for a life after this type of marketing, its the empowerment of all of us in the marketplace, letting the people call the shots for maybe the first time in a long, long while. Victorias Secret was six money losing lingerie stores and a successful catalog when Wexner bought the company in 1982. It was a business aimed at making men comfortable buying lingerie. But what Wexner saw was an essential appeal to women. From its inception, Victorias Secrets telephone operators were trained to be soothingly supportive when embarrassed males called. You dont know your ladys bra size? No problem. Do you know where she keeps them? Okay, look on the edge of the strap and it will tell you the size. Today almost exclusively women for women who are mainly buying to please themselves run Victoria’s Secret. Doing only $7 million when Wexner bought it, the business grossed nearly $1.8 billion in 2003, two-thirds from the stores. Wexner was at his best, grasping the potential of Victorias Secret and then realizing that potential. He created stores that enhanced a mood: pretty but not overtly sexy, with satin nightgowns hung on the walls, a color-coordinated spread of undergarments on tables and plenty of room to mill about on thick carpeting. Thus coddled, the Victorias Secret customer buys eight to ten bras a year; the typical American woman buys two. Weve made women consider the bra and panty part of their fashion wardrobe, says Grace Nichols, 48, chief executive of Victorias Secret stores. A woman buys an aqua satin bra from Victorias Secret in the same way she buys a new lipstick color, to cheer up, to feel better or to indulge herself. Narcissism is real, says Wexner. Its the key to the business. The stores and catalog arc now run separately and carry mostly different goods, with only about 5% overlap. But they reinforce each other. FORBES estimates between 200 million and 240 million catalogs are mailed to 10 million peoplewith some getting as many as 45 catalogs a year. As much as generating mail-order and 800-number business, the catalogs stimulate women to visit the stores. Were in the customers face on a regular basis, Nichols says. She has plans to go from 600 Victorias Secret stores to as many as 1,000 stores, adding 50 a year, even without expanding abroad. Six years ago Victorias Secret introduced a line of scented bath gels, soaps and lotions. These products are indulgence-oriented, so we saw a great emotional marriage between the two products, says Nichols. The line now constitutes $180 million in revenues and 15% of sales, with better than 50% gross margins. Not rock music but Vivaldi and Beethoven pour softly from the loud-speakers in Victorias Secret stores. Customers started requesting tapes and CDs. Why not? Since 1989 the stores have sold more than 10 million tapes and CDs, recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra for the Victorias Secret label. Cynthia Fedus, chief executive of the catalog operation since 1988, also made major changes. Out went the steamy shots of scantily dad males and females grappling, ogling or embracing each other that were common under her male predecessor. In came a mannered, aristocratic look with British affectations. Though headquartered in New York, the catalog first listed a London address on the cover. But when people started showing up at that address, an administrative office, it was dropped. The catalog still states a price in pounds. It became aspirational, with older models posing in rich-looking, lovely settings, she says. Sales doubled her first year, to more than $100 million. Fedus also added to the lingerie a line of sportswear and evening wear, which has become 60% of sales. A supplemental swimwear issue debuted, bringing in $12 million in sales. There followed a country issue with rustic clothing and Timberland shoes. Leslie Wexner has always understood that retailing and show business are first cousins. Victorias Secret has become a powerful mainstream retailing brand image. Why. Those with a taste for pop psychology speculate that professional women, denied highly feminine clothes at the office, want to wear ultra-feminine garments underneath. Such talk bores pragmatic Nichols. I could tell you any bullshit you want to hear, she snaps, but youll find the [lingerie] category hasnt grown; weve just grabbed market share. Victorias Secret has aided; perchance more than any other product attract notice to the lingerie industry. Their advertising operations, together with the Victorias Secret Lingerie Catalog and Victorias Secret Fashion Show are visually attractive and contentious. The notice received by Victorias Secret for their violent advertising campaigns has produced invaluable rumor and media bytes to further augment the Victorias Secret brand. References Joseph Jaffe, 2005, Life After the 30-Second Spot: Energize Your Brand With a Bold Mix of Alternatives to Traditional, Publisher: John Wiley ; Sons Inc

The Customer Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay

The Customer Driven Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay The marketing strategy explains the companys overall mission statement and future goals. Mostly marketing strategies are set with careful consideration by senior management. Marketing strategy must in cooperate the mission statement of the business. Shankar and Carpenter (2012, p.2) views marketing strategy as a broad plan of managerial initiatives and actions relating an organization to its customers and markets. Further states that there are three key aspects of marketing strategy as follows: Marketing strategy focuses on the strategic decisions necessary to allocate resources. It concerns managerial actions that have long-term effects. Decisions relating to marketing strategy are made by marketing executives in an organization and implemented by many others through the organization and beyond. Following are the four major activities involved in managing a customer-driven marketing strategy and the marketing mix are, i.e. Segmentation Targeting Differentiation Positioning Consumers are the centre of all marketing activity. The basic goals for all businesses are to create value for customers and build a strong profitable customer relationship. As stated by Kotler and Armstrong (2008, p.45) The marketing logic by which the company hopes to create this customer value and achieve these profitable relationships. Since the company owns the means of production it has the overall power to decide which customer to serve (segmentation and targeting) and how it will serve them (differentiation and Positioning). The business identifies the total market, then divides it into smaller segments, selects the most promising segments, and focuses on serving and satisfying customers in these segments in order to secure maximum profit. Using the market strategy the company then designs an integrated marketing mix made of factors under its control .i.e. Product , Place, Price, Promotion The four Ps. In order to find the best marketing strategy the company then uses market analysis, planning, implementation, and control. Through these activities fulfills the changes in demand from consumer behavior and adopts to the marketing environment. As stated by Mullins and Larreche (2006, p.3) IBMs competitive strategy was also quite consistent over the years, Given that the firm was never the lowest-cost producer in the industry, it did not try to compete with low prices. Instead, the firm pursued a quality differentiation strategy by offering superior products backed up by excellent technical service and selling them at premium prices. Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy In order to succeed in the modern competitive marketplace companies need to be customer centered, .i.e. they must fulfill the rapidly changing demands of the customer. Companies must draw the customer from competitor business, make them brand loyal and grow them by delivering greater value. Before anything a company must understand the needs and wants of its customers, only then it can fulfill by using the marketing strategy. Thus the company must use a careful market analysis. Market Segmentation The modern market is full of many types customers, products and needs. The company then determines which demand it can fulfill best and gain maximum benefits. Consumers are grouped in various ways geographic, demographic, psychographic, and products are made to fulfill their needs and wants. As stated by Kotler and Armstrong (2008, p.46) The process of dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers who have different needs, characteristics, or behaviors, who might require separate products or marketing programs is called market segmentation. Market segmentation consists of consumers who adopt in a similar way to different marketing efforts. In the car market for example wealthy consumers own the top notch cars but still make up only one segment of the market. Then we consumers who are price conscious and make up another market segment. It would difficult to fulfill needs of both segmentations so companies focus on the needs of one segment. Market Targeting After a company has defined one of its market segments it can target different segments of consumers. Market targeting involves information of each market segment and then selecting one or more segments to enter. The company must target segments in which it can best fulfill the needs of consumers. Wise companies enter into a segment from which they can achieve success in gaining customer loyalty and sustain it over time. A company might use the strategy niche marketing and target only a few segments from which the major competitor over looked. Alternatively companies might serve different kinds of customers but with the same wants, .i.e. Coca Cola. Multi nationals may serve the needs of all market segments. Most companies enter the market serving only segment of the market but as they gain success they grow and target a range of segments. Companies that attain the most success will eventually have the means necessary to serve all segments of the market; these leading companies have the different product design for each different market segment. Market Differentiation and Positioning After a company has chosen its market segment to enter, it must be decide how it will differentiate its market offering from competitors and must have unique way of serving its chosen target segment in order to secure maximum profits. A products position is the place it has in place of its competitor in the minds of consumers. The position of the product is one of the most crucial things in order to get consumers to buy it and attain brand loyalty from them. If products were similar consumers would have no way of differentiating between products and thus there would be no need to buy it. Positioning is the business securing a unique space in the minds of consumers in comparison to competitors products. When positioning its products the company identifies the plus points it has in that segment that provides competitive advantage over competitor. The company can give greater value to customers at low prices in comparison to competitors and attain a unique position in the market and win consumer brand loyalty. If a company promises greater value then it must differentiate its product from competitors and must deliver greater value in order for the product to maintain position in minds of the consumers. Thus effective positioning begins with differentiation, actually differentiating the product so that it gives consumers more value. When a company has achieved a successful position it must make strong steps to deliver and communicate that position to target consumers. The entire marketing program of a company appreciates the chosen position strategy. Developing an integrated Marketing Mix After developing the market strategy the company begins to plan the details of the marketing mix. The marketing mix a set of controllable marketing tools that the firm uses to produce the response it wants to get back from the target market. The marketing mix is whatever a firm has the power to do in order to influence demand on its product. The marketing mix consists of the four Ps Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. Product means the goods and services combination the company the target market. Price is the amount of money customers would have to pay to obtain the product. Different companies target different range of customers i.e. luxury car makers target the wealthy consumers. Place includes the different locations the companys product is available to target consumers. Promotion means attract consumers and persuades them to buy the product. Ferrell and Hartline (2011, p.17) explains, The role of social responsibility and ethics in marketing strategy has come to the forefront of important business issues in todays economy. Our society still reverberates from the effects of corporate scandals at Enron, WorldCom, and ImClone, among others. Although these scandals make for interesting reading, many innocent individuals have suffered the consequences from these companies unethical behavior.

Problems of global waste

Problems of global waste The caring for and management of global waste is a global concern for the Earth as the population of Earth grows, and places where waste is deposited becomes a problem. Waste of various kinds is a danger to human health, wildlife preservation, and the environment in a broad range of aspects including how waste affects water supplies, soil contamination, and hazardous environments that remain or become uninhabitable. As the human population grows, so does consumption, and with that consumption huge amounts of waste are formed. concerning the management and the future of how waste is handled locally and globally, as it is a global problem not just local. How people and wildlife can cope with or without a world filled with hazardous material left over from various human activities caused from their disposal of waste. municipal solid waste of most human households affect how we live and how we affect the environment. How medical waste that is thrown in places where it may come into conta ct with the human population and how it can spread disease. How hazardous waste that is perceived by the public as the most potentially dangerous waste, can prove to be fatal if left untreated in populated areas . Is the future of waste management that of recycling or turning waste into usable energy such as electricity and other powered devices. Waste problems do not only affect local environments but the global environments as a whole. Unfortunately when waste is put into landfills the waste does not disappear just because the human eye can no longer see it does not mean the earth and global habitats dont feel the consequences. There are many kinds of waste that effect the world. they are classified by their physical, chemical and biological characteristics of their compounds . Solid waste materials can contain less than 70% water. Solid waste can be materials as household garbage, industrial wastes, mining wastes, and oilfield wastes. Liquid wastes contain less than 1% solids. Liquid waste can contain high concentrations of salts and metals. Sludge is whats in between liquid and solid. Sludge is usually made up of 3% and 25% solids, everything else is water dissolved materials. Landfills affect pollution levels of the environment the contamination of groundwater and aquifers that are used for consumption by humans and anim als the leakage of waste and soil contamination methane gas caused by decaying organic wastes methane which is a greenhouse gas more potent and deadly than carbon dioxide it can cause severe problems for the local environment around the waste site they can also be disease zones can cause outbreaks of certain diseases to the surrounding area and problems of annoyance and health risks such as dust, pests, bad odor, and other problems. Alternative methods can help the environment such as waste reduction and recycling incineration of waste can also reduce waste problems but when waste is burned harmful substances affect our air quality and health. When Waste is burned in incinerators It is a more expensive alternative way of disposal than landfills. In the united states the EPA reported 118.5 million tons or 57 percent of the united states total waste were managed in landfills. Todays incinerators are capable of destroying around 99.9% of the organic waste material that are put into the furnaces. Also this can produce a form of usable energy for Numerous thermal processes that recover energy from the burnt solid waste. waste organizations burn wastes in incinerators to produce steam for energy and is cleaner. Garbage as plastic and other non organic substances burned in incinerators poisons water soil and the air. Areas of life that are near incinerators have objected to them because of fears of harmful pollution. There are drawbacks to the use of incinerators but it is one of the measures that can reduce organic waste problems. In the United states 33.5 million tons of waste or 16 percent total were combusted at high temperatures. Recycling methods are becoming more popular worldwide. Recycling can also be a way to gather energy through thermal treatment from using waste as a way to use for appliances, and too make boilers to produce steam and electricity in a turbine. When items that would be waste if not recycled can be reused and prevent waste of reusable mate rials, lowers the need to keep making more items that would be more waste, and keeps the environment safer than use of other waste management methods like incineration and to prevent water pollution from landfills. recycling has also lower greenhouse gas that is a major concern for our planet. Recyclable products are many items from glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics that are refurbished cleaned and gone through different checks to make sure they are safe for re-consumption. unfortunately recycling methods tend to be very expensive alternatives to traditional waste management and for this reason they are turned away for much more environmental damaging solutions. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that 56 million tons or 27 percent of Americas total waste were recovered by recycling. The EPA is encouraging recycling and that recycling in the united states has reduced the countrys total carbon emissions. Recycling has caused some controversy by critics as they often say that the practice is too expensive and not as effective as other methods as incineration which produces energy that is used more than the reused products that are saved from recycling and how landfills are becoming more organized and more environmentally friendly than in the past. To Methods to turn waste into energy as discussed with how incinerators create energy are called Waste-to-energy and is becoming increasingly popular as it turns harmful waste into energy in the form of heat of electricity from the incineration of the waste materials. This form of waste management produce electricity in the form of combustion or produce a combustible fuel in the form of ethane methanol methane and also synthetic fuels that can power various equipments. There are also some very new and developing technologies that produce energy from waste and other fuels without direct combustion like that of incinerators. These new forms of energy producing waste deduction have the poten tial to produce more electric power amount of fuel than would be by direct combustion. The converted fuel produce a higher combustion temperatures. A modern form of waste management is Plasma arc gasification it uses a very high electrical energy and the extreme temperatures created by an electrical arc gasifies. The arc converts waste into elemental gas and solid waste in a plasma converter. this method has been intended to be a generator of electricity, depending what the composition of input wastes are and to reduce the volumes of waste being sent to landfill mounds. Another method of making waste or other products into energy is gasification which converts carbon materials like coal and petroleum into carbon monoxide and hydrogen by placing the materials in a high temperature within a controlled setting of oxygen and steam. This forms synthesis gas and is a fuel. mechanical biological treatment system facilities is a sorting facility that takes care of biological treatment such as anaerobic digestion and composting . mechanical biological treatment facilities are designed to process household wastes along with commercial and industrial wastes.

Student Motivation Essay -- essays research papers fc

Motivation in Schools   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The topic I originally planned to look into for my Action Research Paper was the affect of reward systems on a student’s academic performance. My idea was that a student’s performance could be influenced by the presence of a reward system. I was interested in seeing if certain subject areas were more likely to use such systems than other subject areas. I strived to see if a student’s academic performance could mean more than just their exam scores and ability to complete assignments. I wished to see if a reward system could change the way a student was motivated in the classroom; to see if their overall attitude could be changed. I also thought to look into their attendance in classes where motivation was present. I wanted to see if they were less frequently absent and if they participated more. And lastly, I thought it would be interesting to see if students felt they could in turn change their â€Å"destiny† in education, or if they s imply believed they are predestined for something else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I was looking further into my topic at hand, I decided to go a different way with my paper. I got away from the â€Å"reward system† and decided to look into student motivation as my topic, focusing on the teacher-student relationship. In high school, I can remember one teacher that changed the way I saw science and it affected me greatly. Before this teacher, although I was always in advanced science classes, I never achieved high grades. I always struggled to keep up with other students, and when I performed poorly on exams, my previous teachers never thought to why I had done so. She approached science in a way I had never seen before, and she offered recognition and praise. She set up the classroom in such a way that I never felt I was being left behind, and she encouraged us always to work up to our potential, and then some. I was motivated to do well and in a way I had never cared for before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I chose to look from the student’s point of view, instead of talking only to teachers. I thought it would be more useful to see what the students thought, as I am pursuing my graduate education in Secondary Education. My ultimate goal, to be a teacher, could only benefit from the research I was setting out to collect. I wanted to know what circumstances student’s felt most... ...ving them the option to say what they feel a teacher should be could be a positive growing experience for both them and myself. Each class could want different things, and I feel it is my job to realize their needs and try to address them as best I can.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I know it sounds corny, but I truly feel that education in the classroom is a two way street. Teachers and students can only flourish when able to both get to where they are going by removing obstacles that would limit their driving experience. I look forward to my teaching career, and although I know I’m bound to have a few fender benders along the way, I hope the journey as a whole is a productive one. Works Cited Daniels, H. & Bizar, M. (1998). Methods that Matter. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Ryan, K. & Cooper, J. (2004). Kaleidoscope: Readings in Education (10th Ed.). Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Michie, G. (1999). Holler if you hear me. New York: Teachers College Press. McDevitt, T. & Ormrod, J. (2002) Child Development (2nd Ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson Prentice Hall. http://216.239.57.104/u/nydoe?q=cache:OaYbZiCK2GkJ:www.emsc.nysed.gov/repcrd20 http://www.alfiekohn.org

Temptation in the Fellowship of the Ring Essay -- literary Analysis, J

â€Å"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them,† (55). The One Ring controls Gollum, Bilbo, Boromir, and Frodo in attempts to return to Sauron, Its Creator, the Lord of the Rings, and the utmost evil present in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels. But the Ring never achieves Its goal because each character possesses a unique set of skills which resist the evil temptations of the Ring. Gollum is the first victim of the Ring, with no knowledge of Its powers or guidance away from Its control. Bilbo is the second ring bearer, with an almost complete knowledge of the Ring’s power still has difficulty resisting the Ring’s temptation. Gandalf guides Bilbo to constantly resist the evil of the Ring. Boromir never gets his hands on the Ring but craves Its power thinking he can use it for good, ignoring the guidance offered to him at the Council of Elrond. Frodo has the most knowledge and guidance of all the char acters but also seems to have the strongest temptations. J.R.R. Tolkien uses characterization in the Fellowship of the Ring to prove that people without a longing for power resist temptation through knowledge, good habits, and guidance. Gollum cannot resist the Ring’s temptation because he has no knowledge of the Ring and no guidance to form good habits and prevent addiction to the Ring. Gollum, originally, Smà ©agol wanted the Ring because of Its beauty but his friend, Dà ©agol found it first. After Dà ©agol refused to just give the Ring to Smà ©agol because it was his birthday, â€Å"†¦he [Smà ©agol] caught Dà ©agol by the throat and strangled him, because the gold looked so bright and beautiful. Then he put the ring on his finger,† (58). But after he found the Ring, he had no guidance to form good ... ...; and if by life or death I can save you, I will,† (194). Aragorn, also known as Strider, accompanied the hobbits from the Prancing Pony Inn all the way to the Council of Elrond. Gandalf was also a guiding path for Frodo keeping him updated on the evils of the Ring. I CAN’T FIND A QUOTE. But even with all his guidance Frodo still feels temptation from this Ring of power. â€Å"A sudden unreasoning fear of discovery laid hold of Frodo, and he thought of his Ring. He hardly dared to breathe, and yet the desire to get it out of his pocket became so strong that he began slowly to move his hand. He felt that he had only to slip it on, and then he would be safe,† (83). Frodo Baggins with knowledge and guidance was able to make good choices throughout his journey to Mordor in the Fellowship of the Ring because of his knowledge of the Ring and the guidance that surrounded him.

Cell Biology Meiosis and Mitosis

Cell Biology (CP8121) Experiment 2: Observing Mitosis and Meiosis on cell specimens (Formal report) Name: Wong Chung An Class: DMLS/FT/1B/02 Admin number: P1138687 Summary This experiment aims to observe mitosis and meiosis on cell specimens. It involves the modelling of the stages of meiosis and also the staining procedures to identify mitosis in onion root tip. There are two parts to the procedure of the experiment whereby the first is staining and observing mitosis in onion root tips and the second being observing and comparing mitosis between whitefish blastula and onion root tip. The results are that the five stages of mitosis have been observed and sketched, together with a comparison of telophase in plant and animal cells. The difference between the two types of cell division mitosis and meiosis has also been recorded. The conclusion is that all the objectives of the experiment have been met and it is recommended that the mitotic spindle be stained for a more complete picture of the various stages of mitosis. 1) Introduction It is important that the experiment is carried out so as to differentiate between the two types of nuclear division, mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis is a process mainly for the growth and replacement of somatic cells and it involves the replication of chromosomes which results in having two daughter cells each same as the parent nucleus. On the contrary, meiosis is for the production of gametes which is essential for an organism’s reproduction and it comprises of two successive nuclear divisions which results in the production of four haploid cells. Mitosis: A process which replicates chromosomes exactly so that each of the daughter cells contains identical information. The process of mitosis involves five stages. The five stages are: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase and Telophase respectively. Meiosis: A process whereby two successive nuclear divisions will produce four haploid cells. There are two rounds of cell division in meiosis, mainly meiosis I and meiosis II. Meiosis I is identical to that of mitosis whereas meiosis II is a round of reductional division. The process of meiosis has allowed for an escalation of genetic variations because of the crossing over of the genes. This process is crucial as it produces half the number of chromosomes as per the human sex cells. For humans, every gamete contains 23 chromosomes and fertilisation of an egg by a sperm will restitute the diploid number of 46 chromosomes 2) Objectives * Learn a staining procedure to identify mitosis using onion root tip. * Compare and contrast mitosis in plants and animals. * Compare and contrast stages of mitosis and meiosis * Model stages of meiosis. 3) Procedures (a) Preparation and observation of onion root tip slide ) An onion root tip was obtained and the first 1-3mm of its root tip was cut off using a scalpel. The root tip was then placed at the centre of a clean slide using a forceps. 2) Then, the root tip was covered with 2-3 drops of 1N HCL solution and then placed over the hot plate for 3-5 seconds using a slide holder. 3) Without touching the root tip, the excess acid was then blotted off using a paper towel. 4) After which, the root tip was then covered once again, this time in 3-4 drops of 0. 5% Toluidine Blue solution. 5) The excess stain was blotted off and a cover slip was added. ) To spread out the stained root tip for visualisation, the slide was placed in the middle of a folded paper towel and applied pressure upon by placing the thumb directly above the cover slip and having it gently pressed on against a lab bench. 7) The slide was examined on low power on the microscope and embryonic cells which are square-like were looked for. 8) Once the mitotic figures were found, the microscope was switched to a higher power. 9) The phases that were seen were sketched on the datasheet. (b) Observation of prepared slides: Mitosis in Onion root tip & Whitefish blastula ) The prepared slides provided were reviewed by using a low power (10x) to locate the cells and high power (40x) to change the focus. 2) This time, instead of sketching the different phases of mitosis in onion root tip, the differences in mitosis between the plant and animal cells were re corded. 4) Results and Discussion *For the results, refer to the datasheet archived under appendix at the end of the report. 5. 1 Explanation and reasons for results The results of the datasheet have shown that all the five main phases of mitosis can be observed. This can because of several reasons such as the choice of use of onion root tips, flattening of the onion root tips, addition of hydrochloric acid and 0. 5% Toluidine Blue solution. Onion root tips are easy to grow in large numbers and the cells at its tips are actively dividing, thus many of its cells will be in different stages of mitosis. The reason for using the last 1-3mm of the root tip is because it is where the region of cell division (meristem) is located. This is the region whereby cells are dividing but not significantly increasing in size. The flattening of the onion root tips allows the chromosomes of each individual cell to be observed. The hydrochloric acid added, plays a part in fragmenting the root tissues by weakening and removing the bonds between cells so that each cell will not be attached to the other cell, obstructing the observation. Toluidine Blue solution acts as a colorant, giving a blue colour to the chromosomes and so that it is more easily spotted and examined. 5. 2 Evaluation of the results achieved Interphase: The interphase is the phase in which the cell is involved in metabolic activity and fulfilling its role as part of a tissue in the body. During this phase, the DNA duplicates as it is preparing for mitosis and the chromosomes are cannot be easily distinguished. However, the nucleolus, a dark spot may be visible instead. Prophase: During the prophase, the chromatin within the nucleus will begin to condense and become visible in the microscope as chromosomes. Then the nuclear membrane will dissolve, signalling the start of Prometaphase. After which, proteins would then attach to the centromeres, creating kinetochores in which the microtubules will attached to. The chromosomes would then start moving. Metaphase: The chromosomes would then be aligned by the spindle fibres at the equator of the spindle. This alignment helps to ensure that in the anaphase, when the chromosomes are separated, each of the new nucleuses will receive a copy of each of the chromosomes. Anaphase: In the anaphase, the two sister chromatids of each chromosome at the centromeres would start to separate. This movement is due to the shortening of the kinetochore microtubules. Telophase: The two sets of daughter chromosomes would arrive at the two poles and the mitotic spindle would disappear. A nuclear envelope would start to form around each set of daughter chromosomes at both ends of the poles. Cytokinesis may have also begun during this phase depending on each individual cell. 5. 3 Descriptions of problems encountered The problem that we have encountered during this experiment was during the preparation of the first slide of onion root tip. The amount of toluidine blue solution may not be enough as only a few of the cell nucleus have been stained. This makes it difficult for us trace the various stages of mitosis. This problem is resolved however by making a new set of the onion root tip slide. 5) Conclusions and Recommendations In conclusion, the experiment was a success and all of the objectives of the experiments were met. All five stages of mitosis have been observed and a comparison of mitosis between plant and animal cells has been made. Although we did not get to observe the stages of meiosis, we have modelled the stages of meiosis and acquired knowledge of it. In my opinion, I would recommend that the mitotic spindles of the onion root tip cells be stained as well. This would allow a more in depth observation of mitosis and instead of solely looking at the movement of the chromosomes and the nucleus, we could observe the reason behind the movement of the chromosomes. 6) Appendix http://www. marietta. edu/~biol/introlab/Onion%20root%20mitosis. pdf Clark, D. C. and P. M. Mathis. (2000). Modeling mitosis and meiosis: a problem-solving activity. The American Biology Teacher Mickle, J. E. 1990. A model for teaching mitosis and meiosis. The American Biology Teacher Carmen Chan Yuen Man (2011). Cell Biology lecture notes (CP8121). Singapore Polytechnic.

Ethical Issues Surrounding Gay Marriage Essay

When I think of Ethical issues in the world today, Gay Marriage seems to hits me the hardest. Now Maybe it is the fact that I am bisexual myself or that I have a homosexual uncle who has been married for 2 years. Either way, I am a strong supporter of the entire marriage institution, especially gay marriage. In this paper I will first indentify the ethical issue of gay marriage and specifically explore the ethical problems gay marriage presents including their pros and cons. I will then explain the classical theory of and determine how it would resolve the problems at hand. Next I will continue by contrasting the theoretical solution with perspective of towards gay marriage. Lastly, I will go over which view is the closest to my own personal outlook of gay marriage. Let’s begin with the ethical issue at hand, Gay Marriage. The right for homosexual couples to become married is frowned upon in most of the world. In fact, Gay Marriage is and has been one of the greatest ethical issues in the United States since Slavery and Women Rights. In my own personal opinion, I believe Same-sex Marriage should not be an ethical issue. What is unethical, is how A person may lie, cheat, or fornicate, and still experience the grace of God; but if they are in a gay relationship they are somehow socially damned. I believe by denying any one person their constitution rights to equality is wrong. If a person is homosexual and they choose to marry their significant other, they have the civil right to do so under the constitution as a U. S. citizen. By denying any one person the right to marry whomever they choose, that is a violation of said persons civil rights, because marriage holds legal civil status. We all are Americans who have the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. How can anyone deny Americans this right primarily because of their sexual orientation? People pride themselves on being law abiding citizens, but choose to discriminate against homosexual person’s lifestyle and love interest based on the so called facts written many years ago in a â€Å"religious† book. The Bible is not the law! That is one thing that most religious groups have not yet grasped. No matter what any one person’s religious beliefs are, there is no law, power, or authority that gives them the right to push their religious beliefs onto another’s life. I do not nor have I ever thought religion should ever be the deciding factor in the worlds verdict about gay marriage? Today the growing acceptance of homosexuality is a direct threat to the domination of traditional Christian norms. According to the Christian Bible and many other religions texts, there is the believe that marriage is meant solely between a man and women, anything else is considered a act of sin. However, due to the bible stating that one should not pass judgment on another, many churches are more recently accepting same-sex couples. Personally speaking, many religious â€Å"church goers† use the bible as a means to attack others. They walk around presenting this holier than thou appearance, but neglect to follow all of the teachings their bible possesses. It is funny how those same religious groups that try to argue that gay marriage is a sin are the same people that are protesting to band their children’s public schools of religious content and practices. The separation of Church and State has been put into place in many U. S. cities. Knowing this, I do not understand how any government is to follow the rules on the separation of church and state, but then be given the right to place laws against gay marriage solely based of the Bibles written word. Homosexuals do not spend time going around telling heterosexual people that they are not allowed to engage in intercourse until marriage, while that’s in the bible. The Bible vs. The Constitution seems to play the biggest role in the argument against gay marriage. People have stated, â€Å"the constitution should be changed, its outdated. † However, their entire argument is incorporating the first amendment right of freedom of speech. before the constitution was written, going against the government was unlawful. No one was allowed to speak their minds. I know that even in the bible when one went against what god said they were punished or put to death. Heterosexuals don’t like certain rights in the constitution that go against their own personal beliefs, but will turn and cater to others, like freedom of speech. Without some of those rights it would be unlawful for me to write this paper. Plus, I would have been murdered some time ago for being a white and black, bisexual man. what most fail to realize is that yes the bible thought of gays as a sin but it also listed a number of other acts as sin. If our lives were truly run solely by the Bible’s scriptures, Gay marriage would be the last of the heterosexuals problems. Especially when most of the worlds murders are committed by heterosexuals. I personally do not like to base my arguments off a source unless I plan to use the entire source as foundation. I cannot say the constitution is wrong solely off on right I do not agree with. But turn around and accept the others that cater to my better living. That would label me as a hypocrite. Just like how many people use their religious beliefs to fight gay rights, but fail to follow other aspects of the bibles teachings. I am just human, who am I to judge anyone. This is just one of the many reasons why I can argue that many of the firm believers against gay marriage are set in hypocritical views. People against gay marriage claim that marriage is dedicated to starting a family. They argue that with marriage you have children and build a happy home. However, for many people, marriage is more about love and mutual trust than about starting a family, and so they would say that gay marriage is not an issue. So for those who say it’s only to start a family, I would call this a delusional fantasy. For one there are more broken homes in the world now than anything. Now yes, Homosexual couples cannot physically reproduce on their own. However, this does not give reasonability to deny the couple the right to marry. There are heterosexual couples that cannot physically have children of their own as well. There are many women out in the world that cannot bear children due to a numerous amount of health issues. My own aunt Kelly was told that she can never have children of her own. Her body just doesn’t have the strength and or properly functioning organs to create life. The same goes for many men. I have a neighbor that recently told me that he has a condition that denies him the ability to produce reproductive sperm. As he likes to say, â€Å"he is shooting blanks. † Knowing this I didn’t see any government laws stopping them from getting married. My aunt was told about her inabilities to birth, over 20 years ago. Today she has been married twice. May I remind you that she is a heterosexual woman that cannot have children of her own and is still legally allowed to marry. In today’s world, there are many alternative options for couples to start a family. The most popular way is adoption. Also, there is much more controversy no-a-days regarding adoption . It has become apparent that more and more Homosexual couples are going outside of the United States to adopt children. They are forced to go outside of the United states due to the fact that they are not legally allowed to adopt here in the states. Lesbian and gay-parented families may be more likely than others to include members from more than one ethnic group . So because the government wants to discriminate against the homosexual lifestyles, there are more and more American children left without a home. No one that can legally adopt them is stepping up for the responsibility. It is true that you truly respect something more that you have to fight for. My grandmother used to tell me this since I was really young. There are so many heterosexuals out there that are â€Å"horrible parents† or that take the gift of parenting for granted. They do drugs and make extreme decisions that break up their families or make the decision to rid themselves of the responsibility of parenting all together. I speak from person experience. As a young boy at the age of 5, my mother gave me and my 5 younger siblings up to child protective services. At the time she chose her friends and her drug abuse over her children and family. She did not care whether we would be okay or not, she dropped me off with only 1 shoe. All my mother cared about was being able to get high without the guilt of us seeing her do it. I ended up back in the family, but my siblings were all separated some are still in the system. Now I personally have never seen a homosexual couple that are bad parents. It is usually the exact opposite. Homosexual couples have to fight in order to build their families so they try not to do anything to mess that chance up. I have also never met a homosexual couple that didn’t want children. Along with starting families, those against gay marriage also argue that children brought up in a same-sex marriage household are taught morals and beliefs. Some say that this type of household is poisonous to the child, that it teaches them to go against â€Å"our creator†. what if their families do not share in the same religious beliefs as others. Contrary to what most assume, there are many people that do not believe in God. Just like there are many cultures that believe in gay rights. So no one can make the basis of their argument on â€Å"the creator† when not everyone believes in him. Also, they like to say that by growing up in a gay household, the child is going to turn gay. the association between religious attendance and attitudes toward gay marriage is mediated by a belief that sexual orientation is a choice rather than innate & . This is so ridiculous in so many ways. For one being gay is not a disease, you can’t just catch it. Being gay is not something you inhabit like a accent. People are not made gay they are born gay; its just a matter of when they decide to accept it. I was raised in a house with a male and female parenting role, and I still knew I was different. I am a bisexual male and so are many of my friends. These friends of mine were raised in all types of different households, but known were raised in same-sex households. At the same time I have 3 friends that were adopted and raised by two homosexual men and not a single one of them are gay. They are all in heterosexual relationships and never once thought of being with the same-sex. These are a few examples of discrimination against gay marriage. Another major problem with gay marriage that people are beginning to argue is the affect of heterosexual couples. Many people argue that the world will change for heterosexual couples if same-sex marriages were allowed. Income taxes is one on the many reasons they have behind this outrages claim. Many people are in the belief that income taxes will be increased. Also, the IRS gives certain credits and benefits to those individuals that have children and other dependants. Heterosexuals believe that the government will be forced to apply the same financial benefits and credits on income taxes towards homosexual couples which they believe will lower everyone’s benefits. Along with their income taxes, they’re under the assumption that social security taxes will increased and the benefits decrease if the government has to provide accommodation for these same-sex married couples. One of the more common ignorant claims is regarding heath care. People are arguing that their medical insurance premiums will rise based on these stereotypical images of homosexual lifestyles. They have always believed that homosexuals get diseases and illnesses like Aids or HIV easier than heterosexuals. Based on this belief they think that there will be a higher health care needs associated to the treatment of these more at risk diseases. These potential changes in circumstances do not hold enough credibility to deny a person the right to join the institution of marriage. It is unethical to claim the power to control if someone can get married. Most of the world believes Gay marriage is unethical. I have to disagree with that assumption. This is another way that heterosexuals choose to be hypocrites. Using Arranged marriage as an example, I prove my case. Mostly everyone in the world, whether homosexual or heterosexual, can agree that arranged marriage is unethical. Many people believe that all want arranged marriage is wrong because you should have the right to choose whom you marry. So how is that any different than what homosexuals want. Homosexuals are also being denied the chance to marry who they choose. Again being hypocritical! People believe Marriage is about love and commitment. Both homosexuals and those forced into arranged marriages are victims. Neither gets to decide what they want to do, how to live, who to love. The only difference between the two is that at least arranged marriage is marriage. The couple that is actually in love cannot be married. When two people fall in love, they all want the same thing. They dream of this life together, married, with a family, and more. Why should homosexuals be revoked that reality. It should not matter if you are gay or straight, you should be able to get married if you want. On another note I also, do not believe that anyone should have to travel away from home to legally get married. Some people have to travel multiple states away, because none of the states near them allow same-sex marriage. The day that all 50 states come to the same decision accepting gay marriage will not come anytime soon, but I do hope I am still alive to see a good size amount of them jump the bandwagon. This is one way that would begin to solve the issue. When it comes to gay marriage, I believe the classical theory of Utilitarianism would help solve many of the problems. Utilitarianism is a consequential theory. It is the view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good . The Utilitarian view seeks to maximize the overall good in a situation. In other words, one should always act in a way that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is proven that there are fewer people against same-sex marriage, than for it. So the theory of Utilitarianism is the best resolution to the issue the ethical problems of gay marriage. If the government acted with utilitarian views, then we would have less anger, debate, spend less money on a unnecessary battle. Along with this view one would also need a clear perspective of the issue. A clear perspective of the issue of same-sex marriage would be relativism. Relativism is the idea that one’s beliefs and values are understood in terms of one’s society, culture, or even one’s own individual values . It is the philosophical concept that all points of view are equally valid, and that all truth is relative to the individual . Both sides that are involved realize that neither side will ever agree nor neither side is right or wrong. Each Society, culture or religious group is formed by its own ethical values and beliefs, with how they see things to be right and wrong. I believe that when it comes to gay marriage everyone is going to have to agree to disagree. Religion is the top reason to why people are against same-sex marriage. What church goers fail to realize is that they are forcing their religious beliefs onto not only the homosexuals but to all. Everyone has their own views and when Homosexuals try to voice theirs, they are attacked, (metaphorically). The only way that this problem is ever going to get anywhere is if both sides try to understand that just because everyone doesn’t share your same views and beliefs, that doesn’t make them wrong. The cannot ignorantly believe that everyone automatically shares their beliefs. Homosexuals are already at this point, they are the hypocrites in this situation. All they want is equality, the same equality that everyone else has been fighting for all these years. In conclusion, I have indentified the ethical issue of gay marriage and explored the ethical problems gay marriage presents including the pros and cons. I then explained how the classical theory of Utilitarianism would resolve those problems. I continued by contrasting the theoretical solution with perspective of relativism towards gay marriage. Lastly, I went over which view is the closest to my own personal outlook of gay marriage. I do not believe that there should even be such a thing as â€Å"gay marriage†. The title itself is discriminatory. Gay people do not go around referring to a heterosexual couple’s marriage as straight marriage. So why should a society filled with diverse lifestyles be allowed to refer to homosexual marriages as â€Å"gay marriage†. Marriage is marriage, either way. It should not be labeled as any other. Whether, heterosexual or Homosexual, it’s the same institution and should hold the same rights. At the end of the day I am a firm believer that the discrimination against gay marriage should be outlawed. Gay people do value the institution of marriage, therefore their relationship and want to marry is ethical in my eyes. References Driver, J. (2009, June 21). The History of Utilitarianism. Retrieved from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato. stanford. edu/archives/sum2009/entries/utilitarianism-history/ Haider-Markel, D. P. (2008). Beliefs about the origins of homosexuality and support for gay rights. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72, pp. 291–310. doi:10. 1093/poq/nfn015 Mosser, K. (2010). Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Patterson, C. J. (2013). Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents: Psychology, Law, and Policy. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(S), 27–34. Rosenfeld, M. J. (2007). The age of independence: Interracial Unions, Same-sex Unions, and the Changing American Family. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. Swoyer, C. (2010, December 21). Relativism. Retrieved from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/relativism/ Todd, N. R. , & Ong, K. S. (2012). Political and Theological Orientation as Moderators for the Association Between Religious Attendance and Attitudes Toward Gay Marriage for White Christians. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 4(1), 56–70.

How to Train to Run a Half-Marathon Essay

I. Step 1 Preparing the Mind Visualization- picture in your mind the runner you want to be. Picture yourself making a great training run. Affirmation- flood your mind with positive thoughts by talking to yourself every day. Tell yourself that you are a marathon runner. Our minds operate in the present so the more we tell ourselves something, even if it is not yet true, the faster our mind believe it. Also, put an affirmation, race brochure, or inspiring quote somewhere you will see it every day! Block the Negative thinking- Be aware of negative thoughts creeping into your mind. Stop them in their tracks by telling yourself the opposite. If you catch yourself thinking you are tired during a run, tell yourself several times that you feel great and strong! Think about why you have set this monster goal for yourself and see yourself enjoying the benefits you expect to have once you accomplish your goal. Motivation- Building mental stamina is essential. Staying motivation and developing the prope r mindset is key to enjoying training and crossing the finish line! Goals- You must have the right goals and reasons for running in order to be successful. Finishing time goals is a good way to start. II. Planning a Strategy Wear the right gear- Buy a good pair of running shoes. These will be the most important piece of gear. There are sold at specialty running stores that help you get fitted. Nutrition- Carbohydrates provide the fuel runners need. During training 65% of your total calories should come from complex carbohydrates, 10% should come from protein, 25% should come from unsaturated fats. Hydration- Consume 6 – 8 ounces of fluids every 20 minutes. During pre-training and marathon training this is of the upmost importance to help keep you going. Recovery- is an important part of training. You should not run every day. Your body needs to rest between runs so it can recover from one run to the next, getting stronger between each run. Avoiding Injury- Use the non-running days to rest and recover. Ice-down any soreness. Injuries often sneak up without warning. Doing all the right things will minimize your chances of injury. I. Executing the Plan Pre-training- Before beginning half marathon training you should be able to run for at least 30 minutes without stopping. Distance is not important right now. You just need to get your body used to running. Combinations of run/walks are great to use. It’s also a good idea at this point to go ahead and sign up for a half marathon! Training- Your mileage should gradually increase each week. Total weekly mileage should not increase by more than 10% from week to week. Completing a run of 10-12 miles about 3 weeks before the race will be enough to prepare you for the finish. Then taper off in the final weeks leading up to the half marathon to allow your body to recover from the training. Half Marathon Day- The big day! You will be full of adrenaline after leaving the starting line. Remember though, distance running is about endurance and pace is critical. Maintain pace to save everything you have left for your big finish!

Domin Sizzles with Pizza Tracker Essay

This paper explores the different kind of Information System, Domino’s Sizzles used to avoid losing its market share. The Transaction Processing System, Management Information System, and the Decision Support System. Each of this Information System has been proved very useful in increasing the customer’s satisfaction towards Domino’s Sizzles service. Along with these systems, they also have software named â€Å"Pulse† which helps them to increase their sales. This software maintains and manages functions in each of the restaurant of the Domino. Another strategy Domino did is by developing Online Tracking System with an Online Ordering System in it. DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 3 DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER This case study discuss about Domino’s pizza and how information systems have helped in development of its business. Many pizza shops have introduced home  delivery system and Domino’s pizza. When a survey was conducted about home delivery system, Domino’s pizza home delivery was considered the worst among all others. Domino has had the largest market share of pizza in any U.S chains, so it was worried about losing its market share due to its competitors. Therefore, it has planned various strategies to improve its business. It has used different kinds of information systems as follows:- 1) Transaction processing system: †¢The point of sales system captures purchases and payment at a location where goods and services are bought and sold using computers and other digital devices. The customers’ order is the input, it is stored in the database, and size, order of pizza, and delivery information and customer information are the outputs. 2) Management information system:- †¢Input is from TPS and its processed and the output is amount of ingredients used, time taken to make a pizza, delivery distances, customer demographic data and employee performance etc. DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 4 3) Decision support system †¢Input is from TPS and external sources, it analyzed, and output is sales data per menu item and analyzing the past sales data to the present one. OBJECTIVES AND ITS USES These systems have helped Dominos in increasing its sales. Pulse is software developed for this purpose was an important asset in maintaining consistent and efficient management functions in each of its restaurants. It has proved clear and analysts’ accept the fact that technology is working to cut costs and improve customers’ satisfaction. Dominos’ has also developed online tracking system, which also includes an online ordering system in it. The system allows customers to watch a stimulated photographic version (graphically also) of pizza with size and toppings and sauces used of their desire. Once customer places an order, he can track its delivery using online tracker. As dominos’ completes each step of its order fulfillment a section of its bar becomes red. Even customers who placed order through can track their pizza using the tracker online. In 2010 dominos’ has introduced  an online polling system to get feedback from its customers regarding pizza and employee services provided and many other things from its stores. DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 5 CONCLUSION Finally, these systems have proven to be useful in increasing customer’s satisfaction and business too. These systems have improved to execute its operations faster than its rivals in the market. Even though pizza hut and papa johns have online ordering system they lack in online pizza trackers and simulated pizza tracker system which dominos’ has implemented successfully. Today online ordering in dominos account for 20% which shows an increase compared to less than 15% in 2008. This shows that the information systems implanted in dominos has led to development and sustainability among its rivals in the market. DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 6 References †¢http://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CEEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.sta.uwi.edu%2F~anikov%2Finfo1500%2Ftutorials%2F02-IITF-interactive-session-Domino%27s-Sizzles-with-Pizza-Tracker.pdf&ei=da4QUq_kEMiHrgf9o4DABQ&usg=AFQjCNE4RLiUp__XKUY2VNACrnRABuTwdg&sig2=lMglI0CO8OZo671hwB2T_w †¢http://share.pdfonline.com/025da56a16c44e53a700535781d1fced/ISM%20CASE%20STUDY%28DOMINOS%20AND%20MERU%29%20SUMMARY.htm †¢http://www.sefmd.org/Abstracts/SampleAbstracts.htm †¢http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/presentations_abstracts_examples.html DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 7 Appendix Founded in 1960, Tom Monaghan together with his brother started the company by purchasing a single store in Ypsilanti Michigan. The company slowly grow,  and by 1978, Domino’s had 200 stores. Today, the company is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and operates almost 9,000 stores located in all 50 U.S states and across the world in 60 international markets. In 2009, Domino’s had $1.5 billion in sales and earned $80 million in profit. With its great progress, Domino’s was involved in a heated battle among prominent pizza chains, including Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and Little Caesar. Pizza Hut is the only chain larger than Domino’s in the U.S., but each of the four has significant market share. Domino’s also competes with local pizza stores throughout the U.S. To gain a competitive advantage, Domino’s needs to deliver excellent customer service, and most importantly, good pizza.