Choice Costing Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choice Costing Systems - Assignment Example From the article, Dream Chocolate Company in their process of choosing a costing system they are considering the key activities of job order costing, accounting for the costs, costing process, operation costing, information of accounting systems and their activities based on cost. By considering these activities, D.C has been able to follow the flow of costs in every stage of production. However, costing system in the company has been a challenge and, therefore; it requires a new costing system that will provide an estimate of costs that are accurate. The company needs a costing system that will make sense to its business that is small but needs to grow, (Kip Krumwiede and Darrell 2013).The sales of D.C Company depend much on the availability of events that vary with time. Special events vary normally with months, and this has not been easy for the company in choosing its costing system. On the other hand, Ruger Corporation has been able to analyze its production activities with thei r corresponding costs. The costs are recorded into the rightful accounts, which help in describing the costing system. In the costing system of Ruger Corporation, job order costing has been used to show a conceptual overview of the flow of costs. The cost of raw materials, for example, is recorded in the asset account and not in the overhead costs account. The purchase and issue of raw materials are recorded every month and any additional or reduction of the raw materials is easily noticeable. This indicates that there is a change in the production output volume in either an increase or a reduction depending on the raw materials’ volume purchased. Their job order costing system involved considering the labor costs, manufacturing overhead costs and the nonmanufacturing costs.

The Book a Christmas Carol Essay Example for Free

The Book a Christmas Carol Essay In the book A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, the main character, Scrooge, has many experiences with new emotions throughout the book. These new emotions are fear, sadness and happiness. Scrooge gets scared when Marley, his old business partner, who has been dead for seven years, appears as a ghost at his door. Scrooge got so frightened the he slammed his door shut and double locked it. Scrooge was also visited by the ghost of Christmas past and Scrooge is sad to see his childhood. He saw how he was neglected as a child in the past and this contrasted to his new emotional experience. After being visited by three ghosts, Scrooge becomes a very happy man. He instantly becomes a man of joy and changes the ways that he acts about Christmas. Throughout the book, Scrooge feels many emotions, some new and some old emotions. Scrooge gets scared during multiple occasions throughout the book when he see’s Marley’s ghost and his future. Marley’s ghost appears at Scrooge’s door, Scrooge gets very frightened and double locks the door shut. Marley says to Scrooge, â€Å"‘You will be haunted,’ resumed the Ghost, ‘by Three Spirits’â€Å"(Page 18). Scrooge cannot believe what he is seeing and hearing. Marley goes on to say that tomorrow the first spirit will come to visit him. Scrooge meets the ghost of Christmas yet to come and he fears the ghost very much. The ghost shows Scrooge his grave and is very frightened and he also sees how the people react to his death, and nobody cares. Next the ghost shows him how he dies in his future and he is immensely scared of his future. Scrooge is feared by his future that the ghost showed him and he changes his attitude and become a man full of joy. Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Christmas past and he is sad to look back on his childhood. Scrooge awakes in a dark and dismissal room and he believes that he has slept through the day. He counts down to minutes and  then he sees a super natural figure with the body of a child but the face and hair of a man. Scrooge meets the ghost of Christmas past and the ghost says to Scrooge, â€Å"Rise! And walk with me!†(Page 24). The ghost of Christmas past wants him to rise up with him and the ghost will show him his past. The ghost shows Scrooge his childhood and he sees how he was neglected as a child by his friends. Scrooge is very sad to look back on his childhood and to see how he was treated. Scrooge remembers a young boy who came caroling to his door and he never made a donation. Scrooge mutters, â€Å"I wish†(Page 28), putting his hand in his pocket, and looking about him, after drying his eyes with his cuff, â€Å"but it is too late now†(Page 28). Scrooge is very sad that he did not make a donation to the young boy. â€Å"One more shadow!† exclaimed the ghost (Page 36). Scrooge cried, â€Å"No more!†(Page 36), but the ghost forced him to observe what happened next, scrooge was again saddened about what he had seen and told the spirit he could not take it no longer. The ghost of Christmas past showed Scrooge different parts of his past that made Scrooge feel very sad which was a new emotion to Scrooge. After being visited by the three ghost of Christmas, Scrooge becomes a very happy man. Scrooge awakes in his bed after he has seen the last spirit and the three spirits are gone. He awakes very happy on Christmas day full of Christmas spirit. Scrooge runs out to the street and asks a young boy to find him the biggest turkey possible. Then he asked the boy to send it to Bob Cratchits house. Later Scrooge sees a man from his accounting house that he refused to make a donation to. Scrooge then makes a donation to the man because of his new joyful attitude. Scrooge goes to visit his nephew Fred, and he knocks on his door and a very nice girl lets him in. Scrooge yelled, â€Å"Fred/ it’s I. Your Uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner, will you let me in, Fred† (Page 83-84). After dinner Scrooge went to see Bob Cratchit to raise his salary. Scrooge questioned Bob about why he was there at that time of day. Bob thought he was going to get yelled at by Scrooge but Scrooge said to Bob, â€Å"/I am about to raise your salary!†(Page 84). Bob was shocked to hear Scrooge say that to him, and Bob was extremely happy. After being visited by the three ghost of Christmas, Scrooge turned out to be an amazing man full of joy and Christmas spirit. In the book A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, the main character, Scrooge, has many experiences throughout the play with new emotions such as fear, sadness and happiness. Scrooge becomes very scared when he sees Marley’s ghost, who has been dead for seven years, when he meets the first ghost of Christmas and when the ghost of Christmas yet to come shows him his future. Scrooge was visited by the ghost of Christmas past and Scrooge was extremely sad to look back on his childhood and that he did not make a donation the young boy who was caroling. After being visited by three ghost of Christmas, Scrooge becomes a very happy man full of Christmas spirit. Scrooge feels many new emotions throughout the book and they all lead up to one very good emotion, happiness.

E-commerce :: essays research papers

E-commerce. Does this sounds familiar to you? Of course it does but most of us doesn’t really know and understand what is all about. We know that everything today is growing ‘e’ now but we really don’t know what does it mean by that. E-commerce means electronic commerce, which means that commerce, is now electronic. In general term, trading electronically or you can say trade on the internet is called e-commerce. This concept has been widely used in the market now, since last 2 years and almost each and every company is coming out with this new formula to stay in the market. Almost each and every superstore has their web site and facility to their customers to buy products online. In the 21st century each and every individual among us will be running out of time and nobody wants to go out to shop and waste 4 to 5 hours rather every one of us would prefer to shop online at the same price and get delivered at our door step. The electronic retail marketplace dema nds the highest attention to visual graphic design quality, coupled with the ability to construct an electronic catalog. This catalog must support multiple layouts and instant credit card transaction processing. There are certain advantages and disadvantages of trading on the net. Advantages ? One can buy each and every product sitting at home. ? It saves lot of time. ? Sometimes it saves lots of money too. For example, “ when I registered for this fall term I visited the book store and figured out that the total cost including all the books was $ 390 and when I surfed on the net, the same books I bought on the net for $ 320 including shipping and it was at my doorstep in two days. Thus, I saved 70 bucks sitting at home and saving my time.'; ? Also when the companies start their business they give lots of gifts and promotions for the customers who buy from their web site which one cannot find in stores at all the times. ? Even each and every newspaper in the market is now online so you don’t need to buy from the newstand and save the same money which you can use for different purpose. ? These shopping web sites also offer points towards everything that you purchase online and later on you can redeem this points to shop something free or use it towards your sky miles and fly free around the world. E-commerce :: essays research papers E-commerce. Does this sounds familiar to you? Of course it does but most of us doesn’t really know and understand what is all about. We know that everything today is growing ‘e’ now but we really don’t know what does it mean by that. E-commerce means electronic commerce, which means that commerce, is now electronic. In general term, trading electronically or you can say trade on the internet is called e-commerce. This concept has been widely used in the market now, since last 2 years and almost each and every company is coming out with this new formula to stay in the market. Almost each and every superstore has their web site and facility to their customers to buy products online. In the 21st century each and every individual among us will be running out of time and nobody wants to go out to shop and waste 4 to 5 hours rather every one of us would prefer to shop online at the same price and get delivered at our door step. The electronic retail marketplace dema nds the highest attention to visual graphic design quality, coupled with the ability to construct an electronic catalog. This catalog must support multiple layouts and instant credit card transaction processing. There are certain advantages and disadvantages of trading on the net. Advantages ? One can buy each and every product sitting at home. ? It saves lot of time. ? Sometimes it saves lots of money too. For example, “ when I registered for this fall term I visited the book store and figured out that the total cost including all the books was $ 390 and when I surfed on the net, the same books I bought on the net for $ 320 including shipping and it was at my doorstep in two days. Thus, I saved 70 bucks sitting at home and saving my time.'; ? Also when the companies start their business they give lots of gifts and promotions for the customers who buy from their web site which one cannot find in stores at all the times. ? Even each and every newspaper in the market is now online so you don’t need to buy from the newstand and save the same money which you can use for different purpose. ? These shopping web sites also offer points towards everything that you purchase online and later on you can redeem this points to shop something free or use it towards your sky miles and fly free around the world.

Foundation Certificate in Human Resource Practice Essay

1. Collecting and recording HR data is vitally important to an organisation. The collecting of the data could be to monitor that laws and regulations are being adhered to for example the Health and Safety at work act 1974, ensuring that all staff are maintaining high health and safety awareness and complying to the law. The data would need to be collected to enable the organisation to prove that it is adhering to current law and legislation. Another example could also be to monitor employee absence levels across the organisation and looking for any pattern or trend relating to individual absences. This data could be used in Absence review meetings and having all the correct and accurate data could be vital in a dispute with an employee. It could highlight issues with employee welfare and enable the company to offer support in order to support the employee back to work. 2. Storing Records There are many methods of storing records, an example is: Electronic which includes hard disks drive – PC, CD – recorder, DVD, databases and spreadsheets, internet or intranet, USB devices, emails and virtual learning environments. Electronic storage can have pros and cons. Advantages can be the speed and accuracy that it provides, spellcheckers etc can all help the documents to be stored accurately. Vast amounts of data can be stored on a computer software system and therefore not take up and physical office space. The electronic way of storing data can also be protected by a password meaning that it is secure and accurate at the same time and protected from anyone outside the HR function, and it means that a variety of colleagues can have access to update and amend the records at the same time, even updating at the same time as colleagues. Manual Storage. Manual storage can be personnel files, absence forms, reports, filing cabinets etc There are lots of benefits to manual storage including having documents which need a physical signature and provide proof of identity like bank details etc. Also should a computer system crash or wipe the documents the paper copy is always accessible. Manual storage is easy to move around and is easy to keep protected and confidential via a lock/key etc although staff with access must ensure it is securely locked away. 3. UK Legislation The Data Protection Act 1998 is about respecting individual rights when processing/collecting and storing their personal information. This is achievable for the company by being honest with employees about the use of their information and by following good data handling procedures. The act is compulsory and all organisations that hold or process personal data must adhere to this. Personal data should be processed fairly and lawfully, the data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive, it should be accurate and where necessary kept up to date, any data should not be kept for longer than necessary, data should be kept secure. All staff has responsibilities under the Act to ensure that their activities comply with the Data Protection Principles Employees do have a right legally to access information that an organisation may hold on them. This could include information regarding any grievances or disciplinary action, or information obtained through performance monitoring processes. Processes should be in place to deal with a data request from an employee as a 40 day time limit is compulsory. The health and safety at work at 1974 is legislation relating to protecting employees from injury or illness as a direct result of their job. All data relating to health and safety must be recorded and stored securely, including accident books. This data may be called upon many years after an employee has left the organisation so staff should ensure documents and information are kept in a secure adequate accessible place. The Freedom of Information Act which came into force in 2000 gives you the right to ask any public sector organisation for all the recorded information they have on any subject. Anyone can make a request for information – there are no restrictions on your age, nationality or where you live. If you ask for information about yourself, then your request will be handled under the Data Protection Act 1998. Recording, Analysing and using Human Resources information is highly important and ensuring it is accurate and efficient will support the organisation strategy in many ways. The Analysis can change the way the organisation moves forward and affect future plans/decisions.

Mitigating Market Entry Barriers

Introduction Porter’s (1979) five forces theory highlights market entry barriers as one of constraints in establishing a new business. Investigating market entry barriers for McLaren enables us to assess the level of competition and the possible barriers hindering the progress of McLaren in the mass car industry. As McLaren began diversification in the 1960’s it helped them greatly in averting market entry barriers to through economies of scale. By branching out into different industries such as McLaren racing and McLaren automotive, McLaren was able to benefit greatly from economies of scale. This has aided McLaren with their high capital investment requirement for establishing a mass car producing company. As a high value vehicle, to purchase the parts and have the McLaren consumer car manufactured would be extremely expensive. However, Mclaren entered the mass car market as part of its diversification strategy which has allowed the company to utilized same value chain for its consumer car equipment. Therefore, the initial high investment capital barrier required for the market entry was successfully mitigated by McLaren. Apart from the huge capital investment requirement, product differentiation is also one of the market entry barriers in the mass car market. McLaren overcame this barrier quite easily because it already had established brand equity and a loyal clientele. McLaren is a known worldwide for its formula one racing team in high regards so establishing new businesses under its brand name wasn’t difficult. McLaren’s cars were easily differentiated from other high end car producers due to the company’s already established brand image. (Fahri, K & Michael, J. 1989) Another barrier to market entry within the car industry is the distribution channels. McLaren was not required to establish its distribution channel for consumer cars because it did not produce them in large numbers and most of its cars were purchased by car enthusiasts who keenly south after the brand. The strategic ‘pull’ strategy for marketing its small number of high end consumer cars averted its needs to establish a distribution and sales channel (Terpstra, 1994). Another entry barrier to the mass car market and an important one is the requirement of consumer cars to adhere to safety specification and environment epscification. . The automotive industry is subject to government rules and regulations that include the vehicle safety and environmental matters. Vehicle safety is to ensure that each car that is supplied is safe for the driver and its passengers at all times. Environmental matters include emission levels to reduce the damage each vehicle creates to destroy our environment. McLaren has its own research and development centres and state of art test facilities and production plant where it could develop, implement and monitor its car performance in accordance with the legal requirements. The Level of Diversification Achieved by McLaren According to Ansoff (1957), there are four basic corporate strategies for growth. These are market penetration; market development; product development and diversification (see fig1). Fig.1 The first three growth strategies require a firm to change its product and/or market structure. Unlike these three, the forth growth strategy i.e. diversification requires a change in the characteristics of a company’s product line and/or market. Diversification â€Å"calls for a simultaneous departure from the present product line and the present market structure† (Ansoff, 1957, p.114). Pertaining to this growth strategy classification, venturing of McLaren into several distinct businesses can be classified as its diversification strategy. Over the years, McLaren has ventured into several distinct businesses. These are: McLaren Racing involves formula one racing team that competes in formula one racing. This business focuses mainly on the racing team of the company. McLaren Racing sets out to be one of the best known formula one team in the world. McLaren Racing has established its brand by pocketing 181 Grand Prix victories (William, 2009). McLaren Automotive is a business that designs and builds super cars made for the mass consumers. McLaren road cars are designed to meet the high expectations in terms of speed, performance and endurance. As a worldwide brand, McLaren Automotive aims to not only produce the best automotive vehicles but to continuously ‘raise the benchmark in automotive design’ (McLaren, 2013). McLaren Electronic Systems (MES) creates electronic control systems for the McLaren Racing team. The company’s electronic systems are used in formula one vehicle for various telemetry and sensory systems. The company also creates electronic control units for other teams in the motorsport industry to use across Europe and North America. (McLaren, 2013) McLaren Applied Technologies (MAT) focuses on supplying the best technology to boost the technical support in world of sports and to enhance the performance of McLaren’s formula one vehicles. McLaren Applied Technologies has continued to boost McLaren’s reputation as the ‘forefront of British engineering and technology’ (McLaren, 2013). MAT has helped worldwide sports by providing technology to help improve the efficiency of the participant’s performance in the best way possible. This could be something as simple as providing mountain bikes that weigh less without hindering the efficiency of the bike. Absolute Taste is engaged in hospitality and event management business. It serves food to McLaren’s customers and fans at formula one race. Absolute Taste also provides a catering service and hospitality to upper class customers around the world. They also organise events and the serve various cuisines to cater its global customers (McLaren, 2013).McLaren’s Horizontal DiversificationThe aforementioned diversification strategies of McLaren can be categorized as either related or un-related diversification strategies. Related diversification strategies can be further divided into three categories as horizontal, vertical and cross-sector diversification (Charles et. al, 2010). These related diversification strategies differ due to their different combination of industry similarity and value chain similarity (see fig 2). Horizontal diversification pertains to a business’s venturing into a new field which uses the same value chain as its core business and falls withi n the same industry. Considering this definition, McLaren has not diversified horizontally as it has not acquired any other formula one racing teams. Fig.2 (Source: Charles et, al. 2010, p. 296)McLaren’s Vertical DiversificationVertical diversification refers to a diversification initiative within the same industry, but one which uses a different value chain than that of the company’s core business. (Charles et, al. 2010). McLaren diversified vertically through its automotive business as it operates within the same industry but has different customers and marketing channels. Likewise, McLaren’s electronic systems and applied technology business can be termed as vertical diversification as it operates within the same (formula one racing) industry, but it requires a distinct value chain i.e. production, distribution and customer network (McLaren, 2013).McLaren’s Cross Sector DiversificationCross sector diversification occurs refers to diversification within a different industry, but one which has a same value chain (Charles et, al. 2010). McLaren’s venturing into the catering, hospitality and event mana gement business (Absolute Taste) can be classified as cross-sector diversification. Absolute Taste share’s the same value chain as McLaren’s core business as it is an extension of the company’s own marketing activities and thus uses the same managerial and other resources. However, Absolute Taste also operates in a complete different hospitality industry; a field completely different from car racing business. Similalry, McLaren’s applied technologies can be termed as cross-sector diversification in that it also operates in other industries such as medical science apart and sports (other than car racing).McLaren’s Unrelated DiversificationUnrelated diversification is referred to a firm’s engagement in a completely un-related business (Charles et, al. 2010). McLaren, diversification strategies so far do not include any un-related diversification as the company achieves economies of scale and synergies through all of its diversification strateg ies. McLaren has developed this portfolio of companies to boost the Group’s reputation and to expand. The development of the production centre improved McLaren’s chances of increasing economies of scale. By having so many of the McLaren companies being managed under the same roof, it allows each company to make the most of tangible and intangible resources and materials that wouldn’t have been used otherwise (McLaren, 2013). The joint use of inputs means that different McLaren subsidiaries share the transaction cost of machinery and other possible production costs for the vehicles that are produced. Once the McLaren production centre was built, it meant that the internal process of vehicle production would change. Within the production centre research is continuously gathered on how to improve the general performance of McLaren’s Racing and Automotive vehicles. As the car is built they can then send it off to be spray painted by hand within the same facility which not only saves time but reduces errors that may have been made on the paint work by machines. Managerial ambition is the drive of many businesses. McLaren has a reputation to withhold as the ‘forefront of British engineering’ (McLaren, 2013). McLaren are always attempting to produce the best. By diversifying into so many subsidiaries it creates new targets for the groups as a whole. The diversification strategy allows the company to increase its business profile and spread risks accordingly. McLaren’s Diversification strategy as a Reflection of Historical Trends in Corporate Strategy Throughout the midst of 20th century till the early 1990s, there were several dominant logics of strategic management. During 1950s, there was an emphasis on general management skills, along with widespread un-related diversification moves by corporates. It was followed by the prevalence of requiring specific management skills for different industries in the 1970s and 1980s. This was coincided with the requirement of portfolio planning. It was not until 1990s, that the focus of management practitioners and academics was led to prevailing themes of core competencies and dominant management logic view to achieve synergies through growth and diversification strategies (Goold and Luchs, 1993). During this time (i.e. 1990s) McLaren embarked upon its diversification initiative as part of its growth strategy. McLaren’s growth strategy precisely coincided with the prevailing business view of achieving synergies through diversification. Once the new McLaren production centre was built it allowed McLaren Automotive to increase their daily production and enabled them to introduce new road cars such as the MP4-12C sports car. The production centre has not only boosted the production rates but has also got a production line which allows McLaren to test its vehicles (Fosters plus partners, 2013). The production centre is also connected to the McLaren technology centre which is ‘connected by a subterranean walkway, lined with interactive exhibition spaces’ (Fosters plus partners, 2013). This connection allows the technology centre to provide for the McLaren Automotive department by coming up with new McLaren electronic systems for their vehicles. With the producti on centre in place it allows the diversification of the McLaren industries to take advantage of the ability to share machinery. With the connection of the Production centre and the Technology centre it allows McLaren to develop new technology to be used by MES for McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing to use in their formula one vehicle. To either improve the vehicle performance in some way or to generally improve the safety of the racing car. Absolute taste provides food for the McLaren racing team and other clients such as Mercedes-Benz at all grand Prix races worldwide (McLaren, 2013). Igor Ansoff defined synergy as ‘Exploitation of similarities between different lines. Two plus two equals five’ (Ansoff, 1957). This analogy is saying that when similar industries combine such as McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive it increases the production levels beyond the predicted rate. This synergy was improved greatly once McLaren has built the new Production centre. It allow ed the McLaren group to all operate in the same vicinity roof which inevitably improves synergy amongst the different industries. All of each other’s resources are at the disposal of whoever wishes to use it. References Ansoff, I. (1957) Strategies for Diversification. Harvard Business Review. Vol. 35 Issue 5. Charles E., Bamford, G. and West, P (2010). Strategic Management. Cengage Learning. Fostering plus Partners, (2013) Projects:McLaren Technology Center Available from http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/mclaren-technology-centre/ (cited on 5th, March, 2013) Goold, M. and Luchs, K. (1993) Why Diversify: Four Decades of Management Thinking. Academic of Management Executive. Vol. 7 No. 3 McLaren (2013) Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Available from http://www.mclaren.com/formula1/page/mclaren-group (cited on 5th, March, 2013) Nye, D. (1988) McLaren: The Grand Prix, Can-Am and Indy Cars. Guild Publishing. Porter, M.E. (1979) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, March/April 1979. Terpstra, V. (1994). International Marketing, USA: The Dryden Press William, T. (2009). McLaren – The Cars 1964–2008. Coterie Press.

Causes of the Second Punic War Essay Essay Example

Causes of the Second Punic War Essay Essay Example Causes of the Second Punic War Essay Paper Causes of the Second Punic War Essay Paper The Second Punic war â€Å"was the greatest and most unsafe one Rome was compelled to contend on their manner to the conquering of the Mediterranean. † With 17 old ages of conflict doing heavy casualties to be suffered on both sides. the Second Punic War has proven to be an of import clip period in the Roman and Punic imperiums. For Rome. the terminal of the war meant â€Å"the desertion of most Southern Italy† ( Kagan 232. 1995 ) and many economic jobs. For Carthage this meant the terminal of their rise to power. and the realisation that the thought of Mediterranean control being based in Africa instead than Europe was no longer a possibility ( Kagan 233. 1995 ) . Both imperiums had a batch at interest upon come ining the war. but as will be discussed. many historiographers believe that eventual struggle was inevitable. Past grudges and conflicts pitted the Romans and Carthaginians against one another finally taking to the Second Punic War and the ensuing ruin of Carthage. The ancient beginnings written by Livy. Polybius Dio Cassius and Appian topographic point a great trade of incrimination on Hannibal in get downing the Second Punic War. Though some of the writers warrant his actions to an extent. Hannibal’s invasion of Saguntum is pinpointed as the immediate cause of the Second Punic War. Dio Cassius and Appian find small understanding in the motivations behind Hannibal’s actions. As discussed by each of the authors. Hannibal’s male parent. after the loss of Sicily. harbored utmost hatred toward the Romans and transfuse these feelings into Hannibal from a really immature age. All four writers mention an curse taken by Hannibal at age nine in which he vowed retaliation against the Romans for their unfair actions. Livy writes that this curse â€Å"bound Hannibal to turn out himself. every bit shortly as he could. an enemy to the Roman people† ( Kagan 93-94. 1975 ) . Certain plenty. upon go uping to power. â€Å"as if Italy had been decreed to him as his state. and the war with Rome committed to him. † ( Kagan 95. 1975 ) Hannibal marched toward Saguntum with the cognition that this would acquire a rise out of the Romans. Ultimately. Livy asserts that the incrimination is dependent on â€Å"whether it was allowed to be done by the treaty† ( Kagan 103. 1975 ) . Polybius outlines three clear causes of the Second Punic war. First. as other ancient writers. Polybius points to Hannibal’s curse and longstanding score against the Romans. However. he continues to explicate the grounds for Hannibal’s fury. the First Punic War. which Polybius calls â€Å"the most of import cause of the subsequent war† ( Kagan106. 1975 ) . At the stopping point of the materialistic war. Carthage did all it could to avoid struggle with Rome. finally bing them Sardinia and big insurances that were to paid to the Romans both instantly and over clip. This unequal pact on the portion of the Romans is the taking factor in Carthage’s hatred toward Rome. Third. Polybius credits the Punic successes in Ibera as the 3rd prima cause of the Second Punic war. Having secured a great trade of district and farther motivated by triumphs. Carthage felt that they were strong and powerful plenty to take on Rome. It is for this ground that Hannibal chose to assail Saguntum at this clip to arouse a response from the great imperium. Upon being confronted by the Romans. Hannibal does non profess the existent implicit in causes for his onslaught. but insists alternatively that it is revenge for the Punic leaders put to decease by Roman arbiters in Saguntum. Polybius makes an interesting point that this failure to unwrap his true motivations may hold caused more blasted to fall on Hannibal’s shoulders. Polybius writes. â€Å"he had non said a word of the existent cause. but alleged the fabricated one of the affair of Saguntum ; and so travel the recognition of get downing the war† ( Kagan 107. 1975 ) This averment is of import to see in analysing the antediluvian beginnings. as many contain a pro-Roman prejudice. Polybius recognizes that the immediate action that brought the war was that of Hannibal. but besides that â€Å"we must admit that the Carthaginians had good ground for set abouting the Hannibalian war. † ( Kagan 109. 1975 ) . In his essay â€Å"The Case for Rome. † Frank argues that â€Å"the states came to blows because the Barcid household were able to maintain alive the acrimonious feelings aroused by former defeats† ( Kagan 118. 1975 ) . As with Polybius. Frank discusses the true nature of the onslaught versus the alibi for conflict Hannibal was saying. Throughout the exchange of embassies and the lead-up to the Roman and Punic conflicts. Hannibal neer wavered from his averment that Carthage was seeking retaliation for those functionaries who had been executed in Saguntum. Frank continues on to province his sentiment that the war between the two imperiums was non inevitable. but instead a affair of Hannibal and the Carthaginians desiring to reconstruct their pride. In comparing Frank to other modern writers. he is much less sensitive to the errors on the portion of Rome. Frank mistakes Hannibal for the beginning of the war. warranting the confederation with Saguntum and impeaching Hannibal of get downing a war based on bastard scores. In his essay. Frank claims that â€Å"an unwelcome war had been thrust† ( Kagan 119. 1975 ) upon Rome. In analysing the other modern beginnings. it is apparent that Frank’s position is the uncommon one and that Rome was in fact an provoker in the Second Punic war. While Hallward acknowledges the choler of Carthage as a factor in Hannibal’s actions. he is besides rather difficult on the Romans for their unfair actions following the First Punic War. â€Å"In 237 B. C. . the Romans. with no shadow of right. had forced Carthage to give up Sardinia and to pay an extra insurance of 1200 talents† ( Kagan 120. 1975 ) . Hallward acknowledges that it was outside the moral and legal kingdom of Rome to prehend Sardinia and coerce the payment of such steep insurances. He continues to discourse the restrictions imposed on Carthage with the Ebro pact. As Rome grew more concerned with Carthage’s promotions in Spain. they took advantage of the times to enforce the pact and restrict Carthage from progressing past the Ebro River. An of import facet of the Ebro pact is the deductions that came with it. This pact implies that Rome would non impede Punic enlargement up to the River. Though day of the months are ill-defined. had the confederation with Saguntum already existed. it was an â€Å"implied duty on Rome non to utilize the town [ Saguntum ] as an instrument to impede Punic enlargement within the sphere recognized as unfastened to her† ( Kagan 120. 1975 ) . Rome failed to remain out of Carthage’s manner and became a fuss and a hinderance in their pursuit for enlargement. In Saguntum. Rome â€Å"intervened to convey into power. non without bloodshed. a party hostile to Carthage and to advance clash with the neighbouring folk of the Torboletae. who were topics of the Carthaginians† ( Kagan 120. 1975 ) . Not merely was this confederation against unfair in that it was against the spirit of the pact. but it was besides vindictive on Rome’s portion. In the eight months in which Saguntum and Carthage were combating. Rome was hesitating to direct support. Saguntum was â€Å"unimportant and distant. and the stuff involvements of Rome were protected in the Ebro treaty† ( Kagan 121. 1975 ) . However. in malice of holding so small to derive. Rome pursued an confederation with this state to impede Carthage and enforce themselves in the Punic kingdom. All of these actions on Rome’s portion were rough reminders of the unjust intervention Carthage had received since the First Punic war. Though past scores played a cardinal function. Rome’s continued belligerencies and instigatory actions gave good cause for the hateful feelings to go on. and finally led Carthage. under Hannibal’s bid. to prehending Saguntum as a manner of conveying Forth a response from Rome. Throughout his essay. Scullard asserts that Hannibal and Carthage were within their legal and moral right in prehending Saguntum. Scullard bases this decision on his analysis of the pacts that existed between Rome and Carthage at that clip. He foremost addresses the pact made with Lutatius in 241. He states that Carthage was within their rights because â€Å"Rome’s confederation with Saguntum was later than the pact of Lutatius. so that the town was non included in the list of Rome’s Alliess whom the Carthaginians had promised to respect† ( Kagan 123. 1975 ) In respects to the Treaty of Ebro. he points to the simple geographical fact that Saguntum was located 100 stat mis south of the Ebro River. good in the sphere which Carthage had been promised. Besides in respects to this pact. Scullard mentions a similar point to Hallward in that Saguntum â€Å"could non in equity be used by the Romans as a grip to look into Punic enlargement in the south† ( Kagan 124. 1975 ) . Scullard besides addresses Hannibal’s hatred of Rome which is discussed in so many other beginnings. Scullard asserts that though there is grounds and cause for the hate. Hamilcar moved into Spain with â€Å"the purpose of re-establishing his country’s lost imperium. † non seeking retaliation. Based on the pacts which had been made. and the unfair actions of Rome. Scullard states â€Å"Rome had no legal land to keep Hannibal from assailing Saguntum. he was within his legal rights and was no pact breaker† ( Kagan 124. 1975 ) . As with the other modern authors. Errington acknowledges the choler of Hannibal but does non indicate to these emotions as the cause for war. Alternatively. Errington recognizes the incorrect making of Rome in the events taking up to the Second Punic war. It is critical to understand that â€Å"the peace of 241 and Rome’s subsequent appropriation of Sardinia were presented as the acrimonious Barcid letdown which precipitated another war 23 old ages later† ( Errington. 53 ) . It is important to understand the logical thinking behind Hannibal’s choler. instead than reprobate him as a treated. vindictive leader. Errington continues to compose about the â€Å"unwarranted intervention with Carthage’s friends in Saguntum. † This arbitration and newfound friendly relationship with Saguntum reminded Carthage excessively much of the convenient alliances Rome had made in the yesteryear with the Mamerties and the Sardinian soldier of fortunes. Errington 55-56 ) . In reasoning. he addresses the â€Å"Roman traditions† sing the Punic war. which steadfastly blamed Hannibal for the beginning of the war. He evaluates these claims as simplified and â€Å"grotesquely wrong† ( Scullard. 60 ) asserting that the Romans played a portion in ask foring the war through their actions against Carthage. In Kagan’s chapter on the Second War. he gives an in deepness background which allows the reader to to the full hold on and understand the fortunes which led to the actions and emotions of both imperiums. The peacetime between the two wars was important in taking up to the 2nd Punic war. During this clip. Romans involved themselves in a war in Sardinia at the petition of the soldier of fortunes. This engagement against Carthage â€Å"was a clear misdemeanor of the pact of 241 and without any respectable pretext† ( Kagan 253 ) . The Romans wittingly and blatantly broke the pact which had been formed between the two states. Once involved. Rome took advantage of their state of affairs and demanded Sardinia and monolithic insurances from Carthage. The Carthaginians were forced to reluctantly accept. but they resented that their pact had been violated and that they taken advantage of. This declaration â€Å"reflected the relationship of power between Rome and Carthage at a clip when Carthage was unnaturally weak† ( Kagan 255 ) . As the imperium gained it’s power back through Spain. they became more confident in their abilities to fit up against Rome. and Rome became more nervous sing their ability to make so. Kagan discusses the confederation made between Saguntum and Rome and concludes that either manner. Rome was in the incorrect. Had the confederation occurred beforehand. it should hold been included in the pact. but had it been subsequently. so it was a direct misdemeanor of the Ebro pact. Either manner. Rome was in the incorrect to seek to forestall Carthage from taking Saguntum. a metropolis of small importance or value to the Roman imperium. Kagan. like other writers. addresses the Roman tradition of faulting Hannibal’s curse and choler. Kagan argues â€Å"the rejection of the wrath and the curse leads to a decline in the duty of Carthage. It is possible to see its behaviour as wholly reactive and defensive† ( Kagan 270. 1995 ) . In Hannibal’s quest to reconstruct the imperium which had been taken fro him. Carthage pushed through Spain in the district they were permitted. In this position. Hannibal’s onslaught on Saguntum broke no pact and was justified by any just apprehension of the Ebro treaty† ( Kagan 270. 1995 ) . Each of the writers offered a similar narrative. but the prejudice and incrimination was placed otherwise in each piece. The ancient authors seem to fall into the trap of the â€Å"Roman traditions. † blaming H annibal to a great extent for the retribution he felt toward Rome throughout his life. However. as we move to the more modern writers. it is evident that Carthage’s actions were merely a effect and answer to those of Rome. Hannibal was within his rights of both pacts when he attacked Saguntum. and it was non the right of Rome to go involved. Carthage had been undermined by Rome on several occasions. and they were right to stand up against Rome in the eyes of farther unfairness. While the immediate incrimination for the Second Punic war may fall on Hannibal and his invasion of Saguntum based on Roman hatred. it is of import to recognize that the implicit in causes of the war were in fact instigated by Rome and their policies in the preceding decennaries.

All My Life for Sale Essays

All My Life for Sale Essays All My Life for Sale Essay All My Life for Sale Essay The Life of EBay In the essay â€Å"All My Life for Sale†, John Freyer explained how he sold all of his possessions in his apartment to move out for college. Those items had some sort of sentimental value to people who purchased them and gained a vague relationship with them. One way he expressed himself, is when he sold his first wave of objects on eBay. He asked the highest bidders if they could update him on how his things were doing. He wondered if his buyers were taking good care of his things. Freyer is the type of person who would hold on to things hoping they would get used or fixed one day. He got a community started on his website allmylifeforsale. com. Over time, Freyer started to receive messages containing photographs about the stories from people who were a part of the project. He also requested if people could send him their address so he could come and visit. Not too long after, an invitation from the person who purchased Freyer’s salt shaker invited him to their house in Portland, Maine. The six thousand dollars that Freyer made from his selling his things helped him start his journey to visit people all over the country by car. â€Å"As I met more people, the awkwardness of meeting strangers started to wear off†¦ Some may say too comfortable†¦ I would help myself to food in the high bidder’s refrigerator without a second thought† (85) He started to think they were more than just strangers. For example, he acted like a kid who walks into his parent’s fridge to get something to drink. Soon after September 11, Freyer starts to mature. I stopped caring so much about the objects that I was visiting and started caring more about the people who invited me†(86). This personifies that he is growing up in a sense that he is paying attention to the things that really matter in this world. â€Å"Although I hadn’t made it to everyone who had invited me to visit, I knew that it was time to stop driving. †(86) Freyer started to realize that everything was in good hands and he should start worrying about himself. He wanted to set his priorities straight. He had to graduate college.

Gun Rights Under President George W. Bush

Gun Rights Under President George W. Bush After a series of new laws under the administration of President Bill Clinton instituted background checks for handgun purchases and banned assault weapons, gun rights took a significant step forward during the eight years of the George W. Bush administration that followed. Although Bush himself supported several mild gun control measures and vowed to sign a renewal of the Assault Weapons Ban if it reached his desk, his administration saw several advancements of gun rights on the federal level, especially in the courts. A Supporter of ‘Common Sense’ Gun Control In debates during both the 2000 and the 2004 presidential campaign, Bush stated his support for background checks for gun buyers and for trigger locks. Additionally, he said on multiple occasions that the minimum age for carrying a handgun should be 21, not 18. However, Bush’s support for background checks stopped at instant checks that did not require waiting periods of three or five days. And his push for trigger locks extended only to voluntary programs. During his administration as governor of Texas, Bush implemented a program that provided voluntary trigger locks through police stations and fire departments. During the 2000 campaign, he called for Congress to spend $325 million in matching funds to enable state and local governments across the country to set up similar voluntary trigger lock programs. While his advocacy was for voluntary trigger locks, Bush said at one point during the 2000 campaign that he would sign a law requiring trigger locks for all handguns. On the other hand, Bush was an opponent of state and federal lawsuits against firearms manufacturers. An 11th-hour victory of the Clinton administration was a landmark deal with firearms manufacturer Smith Wesson that would see lawsuits cease in exchange for the company including trigger locks with gun sales and implementing a smart gun technology. Early in his presidency, Bush’s stance on gun industry lawsuits led to Smith Wesson withdrawing from its promises made to the Clinton White House. In 2005, Bush signed legislation providing the gun industry federal protection against lawsuits. The Assault Weapons Ban With the Assault Weapons Ban set to expire before the next presidential term was complete, Bush stated his support for the ban during the 2000 presidential campaign but stopped short of pledging to sign an extension. As the 2004 expiration date neared, however, the Bush administration signaled its willingness to sign legislation that either extended the ban or made it permanent. â€Å"[Bush] supports reauthorization of the current law,† White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters in 2003, as the debate over the gun ban began to heat up. Bush’s position on the ban represented a break from the National Rifle Association, which had been one of his administration’s staunchest allies. But the September 2004 deadline for renewing the ban came and went without an extension making it to the president’s desk, as the Republican-led Congress declined to take up the matter. The result was criticism on Bush from both sides: the gun owners who felt betrayed and the gun ban proponents who felt he did not do enough to pressure Congress into passing the AWB extension. â€Å"There are a lot of gun owners who worked hard to put President Bush into office, and there are a lot of gun owners who feel betrayed by him,† keepandbeararms.com publisher Angel Shamaya told the New York Times. â€Å"In a secret deal, [Bush] chose his powerful friends in the gun lobby over the police officers and families he promised to protect,† said U.S. Sen. John Kerry, Bush’s opponent in the looming 2004 presidential election. Supreme Court Appointments Despite a cloudy picture on his overall stance on gun rights, the lasting legacy of the Bush administration will be his appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. John Roberts was nominated by Bush to replace William Rehnquist in 2005. Later that same year, Bush nominated Samuel Alito to replace Sandra Day O’Connor on the high court. Three years later, the court took up arguments in District of Columbia v. Heller, a critical case revolving around the District’s 25-year handgun ban. In a landmark ruling, the court knocked down the ban as unconstitutional and ruled for the first time that the Second Amendment applies to individuals, providing a right to own guns for self-defense inside the home. Both Roberts and Alito ruled with the majority in a narrow 5-4 decision. Just 12 months after the Heller decision, another monumental gun rights case made its way before the court. In McDonald v. Chicago, the court struck down a gun ban in the city of Chicago as unconstitutional, ruling for the first time that the gun owner protections of the Second Amendment apply to states as well as to the federal government. Again, Roberts and Alito sided with the majority in a 5-4 decision.

Letter to the Instructor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Letter to the Instructor - Essay Example The lessons have taught us that the writing process involves the conversion of ideas, thoughts and objectives to writings on paper with the audience in mind. One of my biggest challenges was to transform ideas into logical events when writing. Having mentioned one of the strengths I have discovered about myself which is the transformation of ideas and arranging them in some sensible order as in the Bus Stop essay I wrote during the semester. This is one of the ways your essay lessons have enabled me to transform my challenges into strengths. In the beginning focusing on the subject to write about was one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish as I always found my mind drifting away from the main subject. The other problem was that I kept worrying about my sentence structures and grammar and lacked the confidence to be creative in my writing. I managed to overcome all these problems through the lessons I learnt from you. I learned that the lack of confidence in my writing could be easily overcome by sharpening my writing skills and investing more time in thinking and drafting my ideas before beginning to write. I further improved my writing by setting certain standards with timelines to meet these goals such as reducing grammar mistakes in each subsequent essay and improving on the logical sequence of ideas in my writing. In the Bus Stop essay, the first sentence as mentioned earlier gives the reader an idea of what the rest of the paragraph is all about. The first statement on how I find myself in the middle of beauty of sunset which is a positive impression dictates the form that the rest of the paragraph will take. The paragraph underscores the beauty of the place. I have improved my confidence and use of similes and metaphors. For instance, in ‘Bus stop’ I use the simile as â€Å"nimbly as a squirrel† to portray the distinction between the

The Evolution of Juvenile Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Evolution of Juvenile Justice - Essay Example Progressive era reforms had major contributions in the framing of the modern juvenile justice system. In the period from 1900- 1920s the nation witnessed various campaigns including suffrage movement, and campaign against child labor. Laborers fought for their rights and demanded eight-hour workday. Before the progressive era, children who commit crime were also imprisoned like adults. Child offenders were punished like adults. However, the voice of social and political reformers demanded a change in the society’s views about minor offenders. The psychologists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries who came up with new psychological theories cried against the hard punishment given for minor offenders. Reformers wanted a change in society’s views on juvenile delinquents. They put the idea of rehabilitating children offenders rather than punishing them like adults. In 1824 reformers set up the New York House of Refuge. Juveniles who commit crime were placed in the juv enile homes instead of adult jails. By 1899, individual states began considering the problem of youth incarceration and setting up youth reform homes. These reforms initiated the notion of juvenile justice system. These early changes were because of the conviction that society should not abandon young offenders, but should recover their lives by redirecting them in a different way. Keeping offenders in reform houses helped them severe their relationship with the world of crime. The juvenile justice system is rooted in this very concept of rehabilitation of young criminals. The juvenile justice system began acquiring the authority of a parent. The state takes the responsibility as a parent and keeps the children with them until they show some positive changes or grow up as adults. Youth were not treated as adults. The cases involving youths were considered in a special informal court meant for juveniles. The procedure did not include the assistance of attorneys. Extenuating evidence, beyond the legal elements related to the crime was considered by the judge. These initiatives paved the way for the current juvenile justice system. In the year 1967 a decision by the Supreme Court confirmed the need of juvenile courts to consider the law rights of minors in the court proceedings. The decision was caused by a case that involves a juvenile. The court’s decision was to confine Gerald Gault, the juvenile who was accused of making an obscene call, when being under probation. According to the Arizona juvenile court, the minor should be placed in the State Industrial School till he turns 21. He should otherwise be discharged by law. However, the Supreme Court decision came up with the rights of minors. According to the Supreme Court, the minor has the right to get notice of charges and receive proper legal counsel. The minor holds the right for confrontation and cross-examination. Furthermore, he has the privilege against self-incrimination. The minor can rightful ly get a transcript of the court proceedings and take an appellate review. The dissenting party however came up with the idea that the courts decision would only take the case to a criminal prosecution. According to them, the minor’s case should be done as per the original goal of the juvenile justice system. The juvenile justice system is not intended to prosecute and punish minors who commit crimes. The system rather recommends correcting them. This is the society’

Report on Teaching and Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Report on Teaching and Learning - Essay Example All these multiply the need for the inclusion of cooperation, encouragement and commitment towards the profession of teaching. In the context of teaching, ‘effective teaching’ is a much debated topic. As the very name indicates, effective teaching means and includes all the methods and efforts undertaken by teachers to make the students think and learn the world around them in a comprehensive manner. As remarked by Jerome Brunner in his book ‘The Relevance of Education’, â€Å"to instruct someone... is not a matter of getting him to commit results to mind. Rather, it is to teach him to participate in the process that makes possible the establishment of knowledge. We teach a subject not to produce little living libraries on that subject, but rather to get a student to think mathematically for himself, to consider matters as an historian does, to take part in the process of knowledge-getting† (Brunner 1971 ). Renowned researchers and teachers (Abrami & d ApolIonia, 1991; Cashin & Downey, 1992; Feldman, 1997; Marsh & Roche, 1993) observe that teaching involves many complex elements such as clarity, organization, enthusiasm, teachers’ interaction with students. In the efforts to make teaching effective and useful to students, teachers make use of multitudinous methods and strategies which have been developed by researchers as well as practitioners over the years. Some of the methods include evaluation by current students, the teacher himself or herself, administrators, colleagues, trained observes, or former students. Among them, the most simple and practically appropriate method is the Students’ Evaluation of Teaching (SET). It involves the assessment of teaching effectiveness of one with the feedback or evaluation provided by students. It is being used internationally as one of the easy and workable method of evaluating teaching

Space and Place Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Space and Place - Assignment Example However, the visit was different as we had to travel to China for the amazing experience. I was excited about this trip as it would give me an opportunity to experience a skywalk or a glass trail that was elevated at four thousand seven hundred feet above sea level. I had imagined a similar experience to that of the Grand Canyon skywalk, but the walk on the glass trail was fascinating, breathtaking and frightening at the same time. Every step that I took on the breathtaking glass walkway reminded me that my life was held by three inches of glass suspended over hundreds of metres from the bottom of the mountain. This trail was unique in that it excited and scared me, therefore, captivated all my senses at the same time. It is one of the greatest places that I have ever visited and it created a lasting impression on my mind. The glass trail is located high on the Tianmen Mountain in the Hunan province of mainland China. The area is famous with tourists for its beautiful national parks, mountain sceneries, the Chinese culture and a wide range of animal and plant species. In order to access the glass walkway, one has to use cable cars provided at the bottom of the mountain. Tianmen Mountain has the longest passenger cableway that allows the rider to get a clear complete view of the beautiful landscape, valleys and the vegetation around the area. The high elevation of the mountain leaves a lasting impression on an individual’s mind as one travels in the cable car (Darrall). The two hundred feet glass walkway is built on a cliff on the Tianmen Mountain. It is three feet wide and has a steel rail on the open side protecting the site observers from toppling over. Watching the view of the landscape from the skywalk is breathtaking as it provides a different panorama of the mountain. It provides a clear view of the moist, misty landscape. The roads, the rivers and other physical features seem minute from this view and

Economics 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economics 2 - Essay Example Recognizing that economies are fast becoming more integrated and consolidated through the number of transactions conducted within borders, our company has started to look at the events in the global market which could affect our operations. It has began to recognize that the competition is global and that competitiveness should be enhanced in order to be at par with larger global players. This called for the installment of world best practices. How does a government budget surplus affect the economy? How does a government budget deficit affect the economy? During what periods in recent history have the U.S. run budget deficits and budget surpluses? A budget surplus indicates that a company is spending less than what it earns while a budget deficit represents the opposite. In the condition of a budget surplus, the economy is affected as consumption is seen to be lower than expected and the government often needs to stimulate spending by allowing consumers to have lesser taxes. On the other hand, a budget deficit implies that the government will need to borrow money in order to fund its expenditures. The government also often levies tax increase in order to finance its projects. In the United States, budget deficit have been observed from 1993 to 1996 while budget surplus occurs in 1998. Argue in favor of deficit spending on the part of the federal government. Then argue in favor of running government budget surpluses. List the positive and negative aspects of each. Then indicate which policy would be best at this time. A budget deficit is a very potent way in allowing consumers to save. It should be noted that during a budget deficit, customers anticipate that debt will be paid off through additional taxes in the future. Thus, in order to be able to pay these off, they will be motivated to save. On the other hand, budget surplus is recommended because the government will not need additional fund which is often acquired through borrowing from the

Space and Place Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Space and Place - Assignment Example However, the visit was different as we had to travel to China for the amazing experience. I was excited about this trip as it would give me an opportunity to experience a skywalk or a glass trail that was elevated at four thousand seven hundred feet above sea level. I had imagined a similar experience to that of the Grand Canyon skywalk, but the walk on the glass trail was fascinating, breathtaking and frightening at the same time. Every step that I took on the breathtaking glass walkway reminded me that my life was held by three inches of glass suspended over hundreds of metres from the bottom of the mountain. This trail was unique in that it excited and scared me, therefore, captivated all my senses at the same time. It is one of the greatest places that I have ever visited and it created a lasting impression on my mind. The glass trail is located high on the Tianmen Mountain in the Hunan province of mainland China. The area is famous with tourists for its beautiful national parks, mountain sceneries, the Chinese culture and a wide range of animal and plant species. In order to access the glass walkway, one has to use cable cars provided at the bottom of the mountain. Tianmen Mountain has the longest passenger cableway that allows the rider to get a clear complete view of the beautiful landscape, valleys and the vegetation around the area. The high elevation of the mountain leaves a lasting impression on an individual’s mind as one travels in the cable car (Darrall). The two hundred feet glass walkway is built on a cliff on the Tianmen Mountain. It is three feet wide and has a steel rail on the open side protecting the site observers from toppling over. Watching the view of the landscape from the skywalk is breathtaking as it provides a different panorama of the mountain. It provides a clear view of the moist, misty landscape. The roads, the rivers and other physical features seem minute from this view and

Return on Investment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Return on Investment - Assignment Example It is highly essential that trainers are able to estimate the ROI, cost benefit analysis and break even analysis as they need all these to assess the financial viability of training projects. A high ROI project may definitely be worth it but computing the cost benefit analysis side by side would also enable a trainer to estimate how much benefit can be obtained per unit of cost and decide if the project is even worth entering into (Powell, 2008). As for breakeven analysis, trainers need to use this measure to figure out when exactly will they be able to cover the costs they have spent in training and then start making profits as they might need this information for project budgeting and planning needs. Further on if a choice is to be made between mutually exclusive projects, than these measures would aid trainers in deciding what’s the best project to go ahead with. Thirdly and finally, the computation of these measures will aid training endeavors when they alter/re-plan their training projects to achieve the maximum benefit out of it or to cut down on their costs (Young and Aitken,

Idea of Progress Essay Example for Free

Idea of Progress Essay Im going to talk about the notion Idea of progress. To begin with, Id like to give a definition of progress. The idea of progress basically consists in believing that the world can become better in terms of art, science, technology, liberty, and quality of life. However, sometimes progress causes more problems than it solves . Consequently, we are going to weigh the positive and negatives aspects of progress, in science , in medicine and in new technologies. The idea of progress basically consists in believing that the world can become better in terms of art, science, technology, liberty and quality of life and has shaped most of Western civilisations vision of history . Progress implies change, some evolution from an old order with old traditions to a new order which is not necessarily embraced by all . Its at the heart oh a heated debate between those who approve of these changes and those who resist and criticize them in the name of tradition . As the rythm of progress seems to have accelerated these last few decades with an ever faster increase of major technological and scientific breakthroughs, the cult of novelty and progress is now being questioned . Indeed, a growing number of people voice their concern about the ethical, social and environmental consequences of such development and about the excesses of todays consumer society .

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Controversy

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Controversy No matter what school may teach, honesty is something that could be abused or even betrayed by ones friends, coworkers, and even various people involved in politics. Sometimes when people get appointed at such a high level within a government and presented with such fame, the power could go to their heads causing them to make decisions that could not only be irrational but also easily avoidable bonehead moves. In one particular scenario, there was a time when former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales misused his power to his advantage. The Senate had reauthorized a law where it permitted the Attorney General to appoint interim U.S. Attorneys without a term limit in office, and avoid a confirmation vote. The change gave the Attorney General greater recruiting or hiring powers than the President, in terms of hiring attorneys for the states. Since the Presidents U.S. Attorney appointees are required to be confirmed to work in office by the Senate. By April 2007, there was some speculatio n that the dismissal of the U.S. attorneys might affect cases of public corruption and voter fraud. First, generally speaking, there was a large amount of people involved in this matter. However, the center point is around Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Gonzales was born on Aug. 4, 1955, in San Antonio, Texas, and his parents were Mexican immigrants (Holscher). Gonzales served in the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1975 and studied at the U.S. Air Force Academy from 1975 to 1977. He earned a bachelors degree from Rice University in 1979 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1982. After graduation, he joined a law firm in Houston (Holscher). He is a hard worker nonetheless; he will continue to strive for success throughout his entire life. Furthermore continuing with Gonzales, he remained with the Houston firm, specializing in corporate law, until 1995. That year, Bush, then governor of Texas, selected Gonzales to be his general counsel-that is, chief legal adviser. Gonzales served in that position until 1997, when he became Texass secretary of state (Holscher). This alone is a very remarkable achievement for anyone; he is on his way to something bigger, according to the trend of his rise in his career rankings. However, just like when everyone becomes a politician during some point of his or her life if they do make that choice, people will always try to find out info about them to find out if they were involved in any wrongdoings. In 2001, after Bush had been elected president of the United States, Gonzales left the court to become counsel to the president. He remained in that position until Bush named him to the Cabinet in 2005 (Holscher). He became the 80th United States Attorney General. In addition to that, he was also the first Hispanic American to hold the office (Holscher). However, here on out a series of events would begin to unfold to be controversial for Mr. Gonzales. One of the people affected by the actions of Alberto Gonzales is Michael A. Battle. Mr. Battle has held several distinguished public service posts, including serving as directo r of the U.S. Department of Justices Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, where he oversaw all 93 U.S. Attorneys and acted as a liaison with other federal agencies (Michael A. Battle). He is one who is very well involved with law, and in doing so someone typically wants to have an open-minded mentality with no judgmental bias when dealing with particular cases or scenarios. Mr. Battle was a U.S. Attorney he à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦sat on the Attorney Generals Subcommittee on Civil Rights, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and White Collar Fraud, and helped create a U.S. task force to prosecute fraud in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (Michael A. Battle). During his several years of service, he is/was definitely an asset for the American people. However, in relation to this mess of a situation he was the one who informed the seven attorneys of their initial dismissal on the date December 7, 2006. That was his main part during this whole thing. Whether the firings were with good reason, one would think he would question whether it was ethical to just release those people from their jobs all on the same day, even when there was mild speculation regarding if it was all for political reasons? Given if someone has a job/career and a boss tells them to do something they would typically do it, in this scenario someone would have at least given some thought on if it was okay or not. Alas, Michael Battle did what he had to do. The seven attorneys released that day include David Iglesias, Kevin V. Ryan, John McKay, Paul K. Charlton, Carol Lam, Daniel Bogden, and finally Margaret Chiara. Each one of these people played a part, minor rather, in this scandal. First, David Iglesias was initially recruited over the summer of 2001 by former President George W. Bush, in which he served as an attorney for the U.S. for the district of New Mexico. However just like several of his colleagues he was fired in 2006, describing the matter as a performance related issue. It was speculated of course that that was not the case whatsoever. Next is Kevin V. Ryan, another person related to the dismissal of the U.S. attorneys. He was the former attorney for the northern part of California. He was confirmed of his position by nomination of again, George W. Bush in 2002; he announced his resignation in early 2007. He was actually fired leading to his resignation for the same reason of poor performance and how it could be a problem in various ways including how it would be a public relations issue. John McKay, former attorney for the western part of Washington State, comes from a well-known background of being a republican. Of course, just as if everyone else was given the description of his dismissal/resignation to be performance related, worried about his leadership and how he managed priorities. Paul K. Charlton was until his release in 2006, a U.S. attorney for the state of Arizona but now serves as a partner at a law firm in Phoenix Arizona called, Steptoe Johnson. The disclosure of his release is also regarding how poor his performance was while he was serving as a U.S. attorney. Next is Carol Lam, and she was the southern U.S. attorney for the district of California. However, her good service in terms of her job still caused accusations of corruption and poor work related moves, or performance. Thus ultimately leading to her resignation from her duties. Daniel Bogden was another victim of these sudden firings in 2006; his services were for the state of Nevada as well. He is a republican, thus leading to speculation for his, among other people, dismissal of their position at the time. However, President Barack Obama offered him a position in 2009. Lastly, Margaret Chiara, former and first female attorney for the state of Michigan. She was told that she was going to be removed and havea successor take her spot. She was quoted saying, To say it was about politics may not be pleasant, but at least it is truthful and went on to say that poor performance was no t truthful nor possible as an explanation on her firing. Many of the facts of the scandal are repetitive and recurring on how the attorneys were fired, the most common is the disconnect between the actual truth on how and why they were all released. All of them just so happen to be performance related when really it seemed to be, as the scandal broke out and was much more widely inspected by others, to be for political reasons for why they were fired. It being on the date of December 7, in an episode that some of its victims have already taken to calling the Pearl Harbor Day Massacre' (Zagorin). It was said that when the attorneys were hired that they can be replaced, at least theoretically, at any time for any reason (Zagorin). However what can be called into question is the ethics on why they were all truly fired, given the situation there is not any doubt that there could be some sort of wrongdoing. Of course Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is the main pinpoint of the whole controversy, as it turns out in a twist it seems that it is h im that has performance related issues in his work as well, except his in this case he had actual issues. Every one of the U.S. attorneys seemed to have a hunch that all of the allegations that were being thrown at Gonzales direction were going to be true, and that one day the truth will come out. Finally, as a result Gonzales ethics came into play. In addition to that, It was also unclear how directly involved Gonzales and the White House were in the decision (Gonzales, Alberto R.). He actually had quite some history with his controversial career that he has had, dating even to the start of the Bush administration in 2001. He was a somewhat controversial figure for having provided legal justification while White House counsel for the brutal treatment of prisoners and detainees held during the U.S. battle against terrorism (Gonzales, Alberto R.). He subsequently resigned during the year of 2007 from his position as U.S. attorney general. Following his resignation as attorney general in 2007, Gonzales worked as a consultant and public speaker. In 2009, Texas Tech University hired Gonzales as a recruiter and instructor (Holscher). His former chief of staff Kyle Sampson did not help Gonzales much either. Even was said to say, The decision-makers in this case were the attorney gen eral and counsel to the president (Akron Beacon Journal). This is a direct blow at the attorney general depicting his direct general involvement in the matter while at the same time this increased the concern of a growing scandal. In conclusion, to all of this, the scandal of the U.S. attorneys being fired for political reason proved to be a diminishing setback on former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales career. It is safe to say that the lives of the people he had effected/been involved with his actions and changed their way of life. In the end, any negativity is eventually resolved and this can pertain in real life. Time help in the general healing of issues with people, groups, or even the U.S. government.

The Turing Test Essay -- essays research papers fc

One of the hottest topics that modern science has been focusing on for a long time is the field of artificial intelligence, the study of intelligence in machines or, according to Minsky, â€Å"the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by men†.(qtd in Copeland 1). Artificial Intelligence has a lot of applications and is used in many areas. â€Å"We often don’t notice it but AI is all around us. It is present in computer games, in the cruise control in our cars and the servers that route our email.† (BBC 1). Different goals have been set for the science of Artificial Intelligence, but according to Whitby the most mentioned idea about the goal of AI is provided by the Turing Test. This test is also called the imitation game, since it is basically a game in which a computer imitates a conversating human. In an analysis of the Turing Test I will focus on its features, its historical background and the evaluation of its validity a nd importance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, the Test itself doesn’t really have any complex features. As described by Haugeland, the procedure of the game is simple. Suppose that we have a person, a machine, and an interrogator. The interrogator is in a room separated from the other person and the machine. The participants in this game use teletypewriter to communicate with one another -- to avoid clues that might be offered by tone of voice, etc.The object of the game is for the interrogator to determine which of the other two is the person, and which is the machine. The interrogator knows the other person and the machine by the labels ‘X’ and ‘Y’ -- but, at least at the beginning of the game, does not know which of the other person and the machine is ‘X’ -- and at the end of the game says either ‘X is the person and Y is the machine’ or ‘X is the machine and Y is the person’.(29-30) The object of the machine is to try to cause the interrogator to mistakenly conclude that the machine is the other person; the object of the other person is to try to help the interrogator to correctly identify the machine. If a machine passes the test, then it is clear that for many ordinary people it would be a sufficient reason to say that that is a thinking machine. And, in fact, since it is able to conversate with a human and to actually fool him and convince him that the machine is human, this would seem t... ...ing Test and scientists of AI have different opinions about it. However there are some facts of which we can be sure of. The Turing Test was invented by a great scientist, it has had a long and rich history of 55 years and has played an important role in the science of Artificial Intelligence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Artificial Intelligence. BBC. Mar. 3, 2005 Copeland, Jack. Artificial Intelligence: A philosophical introduction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oxford: Blackwell, 1993. Floridi, Luciano. Philosophy and Computing: An introduction. London: Routledge, 1999. Haugeland, John, ed. Mind Design II: Philosophy, Psychology, Artificial Intelligence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  USA: MIT Press, 2000. Hodges, Andrew. Alan Turing and the Turing Test Mar. 15 2005 < http://www.turing.org.uk/turing/scrapbook/test.html> Millar P. H. â€Å"On the point of the Imitation Game.† Mind, New Series, Vol. 82, No 328 (Oct. 1973): 595 par1. Mar. 20, 2005 Oppy, Graham, Dowe, David, The Turing Test, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2003 Edition), Mar. 10, 2005 . Whitby, Blay. Artificial Intelligence: a beginner’s guide. Oxford: Oneworld, 2004.

Meditations

SoP†A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions.† When I read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius little did I know the impact it would have on me while choosing my career path. At a very young age, I began to be fascinated by the role of money in our day today lives, this allure grew and it influenced my goals. It's with great deliberation that I have decided to pursue the Master of Finance course in your esteemed institution, since it is harmonious with my goal of being a Financial Analyst. This course appealed to me, due to its compelling curriculum. As I read through the syllabus I realised the foundations of the challenging course work would give me an in-depth understanding of concepts such as corporate finance, a subject which has always fascinated me. The convergence of each and every subject offered in the coursework during the two-year period shall not only provide the exposure I desire from the Master's program but will also allow me to lay the foundation to pursue my aspiration of Chartered Financial Analyst – a professional degree that one can aim to actualize since it will be in perfect synchronisation with the university's course program. Australia is also the choicest of countries to pursue my Graduate studies. Since I have always the admired their hospitable approach to international students, and the balanced and cultured perspective it imparts to the students who study there. I also believe pursuing my graduate degree there will not only improve my knowledge but will also help in my holistic development.My family has always inculcated in me the need for education and the value of hard work. All through my life, my parents would show me all their values not in words but in their actions. My mother who is an educator taught me that a good education is the profoundest of accomplishments. My father imparted to me the attitude of working with meticulousness and going the extra mile to succeed in my endeavours. They supported and encouraged my intellectual curiosity, and fostered my fledging interest in finance. They would patiently field my questions on the basics of economy and gave me the leeway to understand how they would budget our household expenses. With this strong backing I decided to attempt one of the most challenging exams in India, the Chartered Accountancy Exams. While preparing for this exam, I came to realise the complexities involved in accounting. The real learning began when I cleared the first level of the exam and started preparing for the Intermediary level. I was exposed to a variety of subjects including concepts of financial management, information technology and management principles. The core focus however, remained on accounts, finance, auditing, corporate and tax laws.As I studied I began to understand that the course of work I had chosen was challenging as well pushed me out of my comfort zone. I decided to complete my graduation in Bachelors in Commerce, to further enhance my understanding. After which I began work as an intern to get an incisive glimpse into the workings of an accounting firm. I got an opportunity to intern with Transaction Advisory Services at BDO India (erstwhile MZSK and Associates). The department specialised in valuation services, due diligences, other structuring options. As I started to get involved in various projects I began to find myself progressively drawn towards finance. As my work progressed, I soon began to immerse myself heavily into assignments, which made me understand that finance is indeed one of the key pillars of the business world. The end of the internship period bridged the gap between my ideals and real life, and clinched my dream of delving into the world of finance. This led to my decision to pursue Masters of Finance as against a Management degree since I was looking for something more niche and specialized. The job market in India provides plenty opportunities to those with skills in the field of finance including corporate finance and personal finance, however, the management programs here that are excellent in its own entirety do not allow a student seeking expertise in a distinct arena to flourish. India is now an emerging economy, the need for more specific expertise is on the rise, with the help of this program it would be an incredible contribution on my behalf to be able to apply the knowledge and exposure I receive at your revered university towards my ambition as well as the prove to be a contributing asset in the company of my choice in India. Therefore, this degree would be compelling factor that would decide my future career prospects. I would advance tremendously since your syllabus involves all the requisite skills that I would need to work with top tier firms. It would also be remiss if I fail to mention the advantages of being in a vibrant and vivacious environment that characterizes university life at ANU. I would like to further assert that this program would provide invaluable significance to my life and academic career. This program will give me opportunity to study with like minded individuals and the fortuity to collaborate with premier faculty both of which would impact my person greatly. Therefore, it would be an absolute pleasure to be admitted as a part of this program.

Rhetorical Analysis on JFK’s Inaugural Address Essay

Majority of the people know the eminent line â€Å"ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country† (Kennedy). That is indubitably one of the most well known segments of his speech, however, there are other parts that made it memorable. He knew he was not only speaking to America, but other countries as well. His speech keeps the audience both focused on what is important and understanding of the point he is trying to make. He sought to send a message to the nation about the Cold War and his hope for peace along with his desire to inspire the nation. Throughout his speech, President John F. Kennedy uses parallelism, ellipsis, and antithesis to display to the audience that he was ready to be president and take on its challenges. Of the many rhetorical devices that President JFK used in his speech, parallelism was perhaps the most effective. The repetition of â€Å"Let both sides† amplifies his wants for unity and peace. His first use of â€Å"Let both sides† begins with talking about unity not division. As Kennedy repeats this for the second and third time, he includes how all countries should come together rather than to stand alone and take part in wars against each other. The world should succeed and prosper as one. President John F. Kennedy focuses on the idea of unity and peace throughout his speech. With those two factors, the world can undertake great things without the need for war, tension, or other harmful actions towards opposing countries. In the beginning of his speech Kennedy is willing to â€Å"pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardships, support any friend, oppose any foe†. This shows his willingness to fight for what he wants for the country: liberty, peace, unity. There are numerous forms of parallelism in JFK’s speech; however, there are few which have become infamou s and recognizable immediately. Kennedy’s speech is short and to the point, making it very effective. JFK had moral intentions and wanted to help his nation along with the rest of the world. This is clear by his use of ellipsis when he says â€Å"This much we pledge- and more† (Kennedy). By saying â€Å"and more†, President Kennedy expects the people to accomplish and partake in more than the ideas that were listed. Not listing numerous ideas made his point clear and effective. It allows his audience to think about what else can be done for the country. Kennedy makes it clear that he intends to do anything and everything in his power for peace and liberty. He is telling the audience  that what he said was not all that can be done, and that they were just examples of what should be done to reach that goal. Kennedy uses ellipsis when he mentions â€Å"a celebration of freedom- symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning- signifying renewal, as well as change† (Kennedy). By strengthening his statement on the celebration of freedom, it confirms that with this freedom comes a new beginning alongside change. President Kennedy states this in the first sentence of his speech, which fortifies the idea of freedom and what needs to be done in order to attain it. By the use of antithesis, JFK makes his speech memorable by inverting his sentences. Kennedy goes on to say that America should â€Å"never negotiate out of fear. But let us ever fear to negotiate† (Kennedy). This statement outlines the entire purpose of President Kennedy’s speech-spreading peace and assuring the success and survival of liberty. Kennedy’s most famous line â€Å"ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country† (Kennedy) creates an idea that is still used tod ay. The idea it generates is that citizens should be giving more to the country than they expect to receive in return. It incorporates the audience into his speech, which makes the listener feel as if they can also make a great impact on the world. It shows that America is not afraid to fight for what is right and the country is not afraid of working for what the entire world should be aiming for. Most inaugural addresses are quickly forgotten, but using the correct rhetorical devices in a proper and effective way can make any speech memorable. President John F. Kennedy’s speech is a prime example of a speech that stuck with people and is still be referred to time to time. Kennedy’s speech has stuck with the country for over four decades and will continue to have a great impact on the world. Kennedy knew what to say and when to say it through his own style and grandiloquence. He uses many different rhetorical devices to achieve the main goal of his speech. That being America is not afraid to fight for what is right and let the enemies know that America is not afraid of its enemies. Pres ident Kennedy uses parallelism to emphasize the key points and make sure that his message is given clearly.

Modern Gadgets Have Made Us Slaves

Disaster Mitigation of Debris Flows, Slope Failures and Landslides 727 Development of Earthquake- and Landslide-Proof Public Buildings and their Transformation into Shelters in Case of Emergency Emmerich Simoncsics Institute for Architecture and Design, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria ([email  protected] ac. at) Abstract Due to the occurrences of the Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake 2004, last October the Vienna University of Technology already delivered proposals concerning the reconstruction and future disaster mitigation for the protection of the people in the Niigata prefecture.Humane accommodation for the victims should be provided in public buildings, which are earthquake- and landslide-resistant, as well. Last year a selection of earthquake and landslide resistant public buildings have been designed in interdisciplinary cooperation between students of architecture and experts for structural engineers, dealing with projects of tourist facilities , schools, sports and health centers, buildings for research, congress and administration centers with exhibition areas.The buildings have a regular function in â€Å"normal case†, but each of them can be converted within 6 (six) hours into a shelter for 2,000 victims in case of emergency, providing humane accommodation and board for several months. Integrated are emergency hospitals, storages, water reservoir and energy supply. So-called â€Å"familystands† (3 ? 3m), which can be easily assembled, can accommodate six persons each (in three levels, like in a train for overnight trip). The experiences show that emergency accommodations should be made possible in all kinds of public buildings in hazard-prone countries like Japan.Regarding the â€Å"Reconstruction Activities†, according to the future demands, the economical development of the Niigata prefecture shall be enhanced by the above proposed buildings. This year, therefore, covering the topic of â€Å"Str ategy for Disaster Mitigation†, additional public facilities with various functions will be developed and concerning the theme of â€Å"Risk Management† the organization of immediate medical aid (emergency hospitals) and the procedure of quick ccommodation (transformation of the buildings and transportation of victims) will be treated. It is intended to show the research results in the framework of a poster exhibition. Keywords: Niigata, earthquake, landslide, reconstruction, disaster mitigation, Introduction The engineer has the task to do research in the ? eld of natural sciences and to ? nd the truth about the violating forces of Nature. He has to detect the danger for human beings and call the society’s attention to the risks.Moreover, the engineer (including the architect) is supposed to propose practice oriented solutions in order to reduce the hazards and the politicians together with the engineers are responsible to realize the relevant countermeasures in order to protect the population from catastrophes. However, close cooperation with the public is necessary, as well. The truth is that no engineer can stop earthquake and they will occur also in the future. Therefore, necessary preparations have to be done. Expectancy of life may increase in the future. After forty years it might be even 90 years.The last repeat of an earthquake in Niigata was after 40 years (1964–2004). It is not impossible, that an earthquake may happen after 40 years again. Considering the life expectancy, people of even 50 years old today, living in Niigata, may once more experience an earthquake. Based on this awareness, â€Å"middle-aged† and younger engineers and politicians are responsible for the protection of human life and property. In the framework of this symposium we exchange our experiences and thoughts about possible improvements of the present situation.How does future look like? â€Å"Future† is a very important concept in thi s connection. We cannot create improvements for the future with our present attitude toward our present situation. With our present attitude no change into a more safe life in future can be achieved. We cannot in? uence the laws of Nature: violating forces will always threaten our population. In order to protect our lives against hazards, we have to detect the truth and change our mind accordingly. In order to be able to work e? iently and in a practice-oriented way, in 2002 (after a severe disaster in Austria caused by ? ood) the â€Å"VUT (Vienna University of Technology) Cooperation Center for pp. 727–732 c 2006 by Universal Academy Press, Inc. / Tokyo, Japan 728 Disaster Mitigation and Security in Buildings† was founded. It is a platform and network to foster meetings of several institutes, in order to exchange and coordinate their research activities and form groups to continue their research topics in interdisciplinary cooperation.The most important events are th e yearly arranged public exhibitions, in which the research results are presented. Basically it consists of two sections — the â€Å"Section for Fundamental Research† and the â€Å"Section for Objectoriented Research†. Whereas the â€Å"Section of Fundamental Research† elaborates the basic theories by means of the data and facts about natural hazards (case studies), the â€Å"Section for Object-oriented Research† aims at the practical application of this knowledge to buildings, in order to mitigate or even prevent structural damages and the loss of human life.The proposals are developed by means of â€Å"Research Driven Education Programs†, involving interested and talented students in the design procedure of buildings for concretely de? ned hazard-prone areas, under the constant surveillance of consulting engineers and experts. The Vienna University of Technology has been conducting research activities on the topic of â€Å"Disaster Mitiga tion† already since the year 2000 in cooperation with the University of Tokyo and other related institutes and universities.The method of interdisciplinary cooperation became the basis for the research principles of the above described â€Å"VUT (Vienna University of Technology) Cooperation Center for Disaster Mitigation and Security in Buildings†. As most of the damages caused by natural hazards concern buildings and consequently the people within them, the main focus is placed on the development of hazard-proof construction techniques for public and residential buildings, as well. Method The subject of investigation is ? exibility in public buildings. There are di? erent types of buildings with di? erent functions. There are buildings with several functions (e. . o? ce building mixed with hotel and exhibition hall) and others with one main function (school, exhibition hall, theater, sports facilities, congress center, museum, library, cultural center, hotel, hospital, health center, etc. ). These buildings are very di? erent in their operation, as well. A comparative method helps to investigate the degree of ?exibility in each type of building, which shows the e? ciency of these buildings as a shelter for the accommodation of victims in case of emergency. The ? rst target is to develop some public building types and investigate the possibilities of ? exibility.Within a building there are spaces, which 1) fully can be evacuated to give place for another function (e. g. seminary rooms, exhibition hall, gym, stadium, etc. ) provided there are su? cient storages available, 2) can be rearranged, e. g. : a) hotel rooms, by additional bunk beds in order to increase the capacity of accommodation or b) a banquet hall, in order to enlarge the capacity of a restaurant also for victims, or c) a foyer / lobby to provide space for organization and discussions between the victims and the crisis managers or d) a wellness center / swimming pool, to use them for sanitary purposes, etc.Function of crisis management 1) Public buildings usually lack some special facilities for the case of emergency (e. g. ?rst aid, smaller scale medical center or clinic, su? cient storage area for food, drinking water, clothes and family stands, water reservoir also for cleaning, sanitary and catering facilities, energy supply, etc. ) These facilities are supposed to be planned in addition, in order to achieve a humane environment for the victims. 2) In those buildings, which serve as a shelter, transportation of persons (victims) and necessary objects (blankets, food, etc. temporarily increases. Heliports near to these buildings are required because the access roads might be destroyed after a disaster. Family stands 1) are equipments, which in normal case are mainly used in exhibition buildings / halls or international fairs. However, nowadays, many other public buildings (schools, universities, museums, o? ce buildings, hotels, department stores, etc. ) also o? er exhibition areas and use stands to display the relevant exhibits. 729 2) By means of a very simple additional device these stands can be equipped with attachable â€Å"beds† (max. ix in each family stand of 3 ? 3 m). The goal of these stands is to achieve privacy for each family and to increase the capacity of a ? oor for accommodation purposes. In order to reach an economical arrangement of the family stands, the newly designed buildings have to take the size and layout of the family stands into consideration. Projects, Examples Some architectural projects carried out in the last years shall demonstrate the methods and aims of our interdisciplinary research cooperation. â€Å"Sports hotel and Bull? ght Arena†, Design: R.Malinov This project considers a local attraction — the bull? ght — for the design of a hotel building in combination with sports- and training-facilities. Additionally, the structure provides a medical center and can be transforme d into a shelter for up to 2000 victims within 6 hours. â€Å"Theatre in landslide-prone Area† in Niigata, Design: I. Mach This project takes the risks of a landslide-prone area into consideration. The structure is ? xed in the ? rm ground by anchor-foundations and the access way protected by a wall. â€Å"High-rise building in Tokyo†, Design: A.Gr? nanger u In cooperation with Dr. M. Hochrainer (Assistant, Institute for Structural Engineering and Technology) the application of a so called â€Å"Tuned Liquid Column Damper† was tested on a high-rise building. By means of an experiment on the shaking table the functionality of the proposed construction was proved. The facility is very economical and can be installed even on the top of existing buildings. Tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) are passive energy absorbing substructures to control vibrations of buildings when e. g. exposed to earthquake or wind loads.They can be used to prevent structural Fig. 1. Earth quake-proof Sports Hotel and Bull? ght Arena, model and section Fig. 2. Sports Hotel and Bull? ght Arena — ? oor plans: equipment with family stands in case of emergency 730 Fig. 3. Landslide-proof Theatre and Exhibition Hall for Niigata Fig. 4. Increase of the capacity of hotel rooms in case of emergency by bunk beds and family stands Fig. 5. Earthquake-proof high rise building: model+shaking-table-experiment with tuned liquid column damper 731 Fig. 6. Detail: TLCD — Tuned Liquid Column Damper lements from damage (earthquake load) or increase human comfort due to reduced ? oor accelerations (strong wind load). The actual implementation of a TLCD is uncomplicated, since it only consists of a rigid piping system, partially ?lled with water, allowing the water column to move inside the piping system. A movement of the TLCD housing induces a motion of the water column, and vibrational energy is transferred to the TLCD in a desired way. The energy dissipation of a TLCD is caused by viscous and turbulent ? uid damping, which can be regulated by the insertion of hydraulic resistances (ori? e plates) to obtain a required damping characteristics. In addition to the plane TLCD already established in literature, an entirely new arrangement, called the torsional TLCD (TTLCD) has been proposed. Plane TLCDs are very promising in mitigating ? exural vibrations whereas TTLCDs are used to reduce torsional or coupled ? exural torsional vibrations. Although the construction of a tuned liquid column damper is quite di? erent from the well known tuned mass damper (TMD), a TMD-TLCD analogy has been found, which allows to use design guidelines of the extensively researched TMD.The conventional TLCD is a purely passive energy absorbing device, and its application reduces the steady state dynamic response of vibrating structures substantially. However, especially during the strong motion phase of earthquakes several response peaks remain, which can be eliminated by the application of an actively controlled air-spring setup integrated into the TLCD. This extended hybrid TLCD concept combined with an energy saving control design preserves the salient features of TLCDs: cheap and easy implementation into civil engineering structures, little maintenance costs and a performance comparable to TMD.Considerable vibration reduction has been shown in extended numerical simulations for both, wind and ground excitation. Existing buildings 1) In 2004 around 100. 000 people needed temporary accommodation. As newly built buildings will not cover the required space completely, it will be necessary to investigate the possibilities in existing buildings (gyms, exhibition areas, sports stadiums, etc. ) as well, whether appropriate areas can be converted into a shelter in case of emergency. 2) In this connection the students’ help is absolutely necessary.In the framework of the general education program, students could carry out analyses on the above theme, as king for the cooperation of the managers of some existing buildings. Future development 1) A part of the public buildings may serve in the most attractive mountainous areas of the Niigata Prefecture to enhance the interest of tourists and last but not least of the young generation to ? nd a job in the ? eld of tourism and resort facilities. This could become also a countermeasure against the aging society in the mountainous areas.Also for this purpose the investigation of the geological quality of possible sites is necessary. 2) In this connection the feasibility of this idea has to be investigated. However, simultaneously a realistic project has to be developed and announced among the population (questionnaire). 732 Conclusions 1) According to the experiences of the Chuetsu Earthquake the value of the lost property (including private houses) should be compared with the possible sum of future investments. The horrible amount of the lost value should make us conscious that investment s are worth making before a disaster ccurs again. 2) In the framework of this symposium we exchange our experiences and thoughts about possible improvements. Therefore, I suggest ? nishing this symposium with a RESOLUTION on immediate measures to be proposed to the government. 3) In order to achieve an e? cient international cooperation, based on the experiences of the â€Å"VUT (Vienna University of Technology) Cooperation Center for Disaster Mitigation and Security in Buildings† the principles should be extended also in other universities.It is not enough to meet every 4th year, the research and realization activities must be done uninterruptedly.References Catalogues of the exhibitions — 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005: Vienna University of Technology (2001), Disaster Mitigation — Catalogue Exhibition 2001 Vienna University of Technology (2002), Architecture and Disaster Vienna University of Technology (2003), Innovations for Disaster Mitigation and Security in Buildings Vienna University of Technology (2004), Disaster Prevention and Security in Buildings Vienna University of Technology (2005), The Niigata Project