How Ballast Water Systems Work

How Ballast Water Systems Work A ballast water system is essential for the safe operation of a ship, but the operation of these systems causes significant threats to the environment and local economy. What Is a Ballast Water System? A ballast water system allows a ship to pump water in and out of very large tanks to compensate for a change in cargo load, shallow draft conditions, or weather. The capacity of ballast water tanks might be millions of gallons on a large vessel. This allows vessels to carry a light or heavy load while maintaining ideal buoyancy and handling conditions in all situations.A ship might discharge all ballast water tanks to pass a shallow area or forward tanks only to raise the bow in rough open seas.Physical components of the system include; raw water intakes, large and small strainers, pumps, distribution pipes, ballast water tanks, treatment system, discharge system, and all the valves, sensors, and controls to run the equipment. Invasive Species in Ballast Water Invasive species are a significant threat to ecosystems and the economies of the affected areas. Researchers think that about one-third of all documented invasive plants and animals are able to travel in the ballast water tanks of ships. Zebra Mussels were introduced into Lake Saint Clair in 1988 when a ship emptied ballast water into the Great Lakes System. The Great Lakes hold nearly twenty percent of the earth’s fresh surface water in a watershed system. The non-native mussels eliminated native varieties once used by industry and have caused an estimated 7 billion dollars (US) in damage by encrusting or clogging underwater equipment essential to industrial and recreational activities.Sea Lamprey and ​Spiny Water Fleas are organisms which feed off of host fish or compete with young fish for food. Many species of fish impacted by these invasive species have significant commercial or sporting value. These animals and others can live in fresh or salt water and may spread into inland waterways from saline ports and harbors.Plants can also travel long distances in ballast water. Eurasian Milfoil is a surface plant which can clog equipment and deter recreation where it forms thick mats. Eurasian Milfoil was introduced to the United States in the 1940s. Because the plant can produce large colonies from only one small fragment it is likely the plant was introduced in the ballast water of a ship. Resolving Ballast Water Issues For years amateurs and professional researchers have experimented with a huge array of weapons to combat invasive species in a ship’s ballast water. Most of the difficulty is due to the fact that huge volumes of water must be treated in a reasonably short period of time. Many land-based systems for treating public supplies takes many hours or days to pass water through their treatment systems. A ship, on the other hand, must be able to discharge ballast water as quickly as cargo is loaded. In emergency situations, ballast tanks need to empty as quickly as possible. A quick pass through most ballast water treatment systems is not enough to kill all the organisms that may be present. Ballast Water Treatment Solutions and Shortcomings No Discharge or Ballast Exchange Rules: International, National, and Local law govern ballast water discharge. Some areas require ballast tanks to be sealed while others allow ballast to be exchanged. Ballast exchange allows tanks to be filled with local waters. Sealed ballast tanks may need to be emptied in an emergency situation and exchange is hindered by the fact that foreign waters must be discharged in close proximity to ​the sensitive area for vessels to operate safely.Mechanical Filters: Filters which are fine enough to remove the small immature young and eggs of invasive species clog quickly and require constant maintenance.Thermal Treatment: The idea is to heat ballast water to kill any unwanted organisms. Unfortunately heating such a huge volume of water is impractical due to time and energy constraints.Other Energy Treatments: Ultraviolet, sonic, and other radiation have all been tried but have similar problems to a thermal treatment; limits on time and energy.Chem ical Treatments: One of the earliest and most dangerous of all the methods used to control invasive species in ballast water. Chlorine bleach and other toxic chemicals will kill existing organisms but the release of these chemicals on the scale necessary to treat every ship would reach toxic levels for all aquatic life near the discharge points. The Future of Ballast Water Treatment Researchers are pursuing this difficult and financially lucrative goal at institutions around the world. In 2011, a team announced their successful small-scale test of a two-phase ballast treatment system which eliminates unwanted organisms and produces sodium bicarbonate as a byproduct. The system is undergoing full-size tests in the Great Lakes. The test for a scalable system is expected to perform well. It is not clear how regulatory agencies around the world will respond to the potential discharge of industrial amounts of sodium bicarbonate into their waters. Sodium bicarbonate is a common and safe chemical in small amounts, but studies must be conducted to assure this method is safe for long term use.

Top Ten Words Confused Words [Q-R]

Top Ten Words Confused Words [Q-R] Top Ten Words Confused Words [Q-R] Top Ten Words Confused Words [Q-R] By Maeve Maddox My cumulative list of â€Å"words commonly confused† continues with ten that begin with the letters Q and R. The confusion relates to spelling or meaning. 1. quote / quotation Traditionally, quote is a verb and quotation is a noun: May I quote you on that? (verb) I used a quotation from Dr. Johnson as an epigraph. (noun) The Chicago Manual of Style includes a note on these words in the â€Å"Good usage versus common usage section,† apparently preferring to preserve the distinction in formal writing. The CMS note also suggests that a difference may exist in the minds of some writers between quote as a noun and quotation as a noun: quotes: contemporary remarks usable in their writing. quotations: wisdom of the ages expressed pithily. 2. quiet / quite This is a spelling problem for speakers who aren’t in the habit of looking closely at words. Quiet functions as noun, adjective, and verb: In the old days, librarians insisted on absolute quiet from the patrons. (noun) Parents often worry when their children are excessively quiet. (adjective) Susan is known as the quiet sister. (adjective) Please do something to quiet that barking dog. (verb) The most common use of quite is as a synonym for the adverb very: They say that Bill Gates is quite rich. (adverb) 3. reign / rein The noun reign refers to the period of rule of a monarch. The verb reign means to exercise sovereign power or authority. The noun rein refers to a strap, usually of leather, that is used to control a horse. The verb rein means to control a horse. Figuratively, rein means to put a restraint on something. For example, â€Å"to rein† or â€Å"rein in† one’s impulses. The most common confusion between these words is with the idiom â€Å"free rein.† The figurative expression derives from horseback riding. To give a horse â€Å"free rein† is to hold the reins loosely and allow the horse a certain amount of free movement. 4. raise / raze The verb raise has many meanings, but the meaning in contrast to raze is â€Å"build up† or â€Å"construct.† The pioneer raised a rudimentary cabin to house his family.† The verb raze means â€Å"tear down† or â€Å"destroy.† â€Å"The historic opera house was razed to make room for a parking deck.† 5. real / really Common in colloquial speech, real is often substituted for the intensifying adverb really. The adjective real means â€Å"actually existing, not imaginary.† This is a real denarius from Roman times. Used as an intensifier, really means very, or thoroughly. Casablanca is a really memorable movie. 6. rebate / refund A rebate is a discount collectible after a purchase. I paid $50 for the headphones, but the rebate was $10, so the final cost was $40. A refund is the full amount of a purchase returned to a customer. The spaghetti-maker didn’t work, so I asked for a refund. 7. regardless / irregardless The adverb regardless means â€Å"without regard to.† Charles intends to buy a herd of llamas, regardless of my objections. The soldier tackled the bomber, regardless of his own safety. Nonstandard irregardless is used by some speakers as either a deliberately humorous portmanteau word or a confused collision of regardless and irrespective. Here’s a serious use of the word from a community non-profit agency in New Jersey: Schools walk a delicate balance. Some schools that have tried to discipline a student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours have been sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student’s free speech right. Irregardless, parents should inform the school if they become aware of any cyberbullying issue. 8. restive / restful Both words are adjectives. Restive means unsettled, restless. Ex. â€Å"Speaking softly, Nancy calmed the restive horse.† Restful means â€Å"full of rest.† Anything that bestows a feeling of calm and invites relaxation is restful. â€Å"Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ is a restful piece.† 9. retch / wretch The verb retch may be defined as â€Å"vomiting or trying to.† â€Å"She retched driblets of green bile.† â€Å"The smell of the Dumpster caused him to retch.† Wretch is a noun. It can mean â€Å"a pitiable person† or â€Å"a vile person.† â€Å"The poor wretch has lost all in the fire.† â€Å"Anyone who would deliberately profit from another’s illness is a miserable, rotten wretch.† 10. rise / raise Used as verbs, rise and raise are often misused. Rise is intransitive. Ex. Here comes the Judge; all rise! The candidate says those things in the hope that his poll numbers will rise. Raise is transitive. It takes an object. Ex. Let us raise a toast to departed friends. Does anyone wish to raise a question? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Bare or Bear With Me?Best Websites to Learn English20 Ways to Cry

Punishment Philosophy in the Criminal Justice System Essay

Punishment Philosophy in the Criminal Justice System - Essay Example Lawyers sometimes argue that punishment should depend on the magnitude of the destruction. However, cases may be similar but their severities differ (Weisberg, 2012). The incapacitation principle proposes strategies put in place to help eliminate the level of crime through various physical restraints of the actions. The principle insinuates that individuals’ confinement to specific areas may help them to avoid a criminal act. The community may restrict the movement of their people to different places to preserve their cultural ties. The most practical example in the society today is the restriction of the children moving to some places like bars and clubs, would reduce the chances of children involving in drinking alcohols and the like. The deterrence principle raises fundamental concerns on the connection between sanctions and human behavior. Punishment is a tool of reward to offenders. The deterrent effect of the punishment may lead to conformity. Severe punishment for a particular crime may deter an individual with an intention to commit an offense to abstain. The principle of deterrence relates to the freedom of choice for an individual. Most individuals would choose to maximize their pleasures at minimum risk. The UN and the World Bank, for instance, may choose to impose serious economic sanction on some countries because of their misconduct. This imposition of the sanction may deter other countries which would otherwise involve in similar misconduct because of the fear of conviction. The type of punishment applied to the offenders injects fear in other parties hence deterring them from committing an offense. Rehabilitation is a strategy for correcting the victims as discussed by Muhlhausen (2010). The principle focuses on restoring and reforming an offender. It may look ambiguous because it is a punishment coupled with treatment. The correctional centers are increasing all over the world because the punishment for the offenders

Chapter 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chapter 6 - Essay Example The author has also inquired into the situation of both groups of primates not inter breeding yet sharing the food and other resources of the forests. Therefore the author believes that biological and behavioural behaviour of these two species of primates is worth re-examination . The author goes on to study their dietary habits and role of protein based food on their evolution. According to Craig B,this may actually "offer clues to aspects of ecological divergence among early members of the hominid phylogeny" and this is indeed the primary aim of his research. The reason this paper is addressing an important issue of physical/biological anthropology is that it shows how all primates have different dietary, sexual and behavioural habits based on their gene structure and habitat adaptation. On the basis of the study of these two species the writer has been able to draw conclusions on how the hominoids who were some kind of ancestors to these primates(although not entirely genetically) might have lived once upon a time . Based on these conclusions Craig then sums up that given that Miocene apes or Pliocene hominids had lived sympatric lives as well just like the apes and gorillas then they would have probably shared the food and environment in the same ways as well. It would be possible to discern their dietary and sexual patterns from the study of these much evolved apes . 3.What specific evidence, facts and/or examples did the author(s) offer to support their argument The author has included the statistics from his research in the form of tables and charts to show the numerical and empirical evidence collected from his findings and he made certain conclusions as to the range, diet and sexual habits of these two kinds of primates. His argument that the study of these more evolved primates will give an insight into the habits of the Hominoids and the extinct apes ,supported by evidence from other scholars and his own research. For example he points out that Chimpanzees and gorillas in sympatric are confronted with the same available resource bas, (yet)..Chimpanzees make intensive use of this prey base, but gorillas do not.. And then he goes on to link this with his finding about the dietary methods of Hominoids by saying that "An adaptation to meat-eating may have characterized the hominid adaptation during the divergence of the hominoid lineages. ancestral apes made the transition to greater body size and social complexity only because of the Added nutritional profile provided by a meatier diet." In this way he compares And provides evidence to show how the behaviour of the modern apes can help study the behaviour of the extinct species. 4.Did the author address any contrary evidence or the opinions/work of others that run counter the author(s) claims The author has not exactly addressed any contrary evidence which may possibly be a weakness of his argument. He has quoted many writers to go with his research and made a very strong connection between the two species in the modern and pre-historic settings. However he does

The Disaster Management in India Has Become an Issue of Ridicule Essay Example for Free

The Disaster Management in India Has Become an Issue of Ridicule Essay With being the world’s second most populous country, India faces a lot of challenges in tackling the disasters that might strike her. India was expected to have learnt from the mistakes in her past. But the case isn’t so. Till date the Disaster Management of India is not as effective as it should have been for a huge country like India. All these ineffectiveness in technology has made Disaster Management in India an issue of ridicule. Earlier in the late 20th century due to lack of technology various disasters couldn’t be predicted in time, thus the people who were affected didn’t get any information about the disaster till they were struck by it. We can see the examples of floods across various states in India the cyclones in Odisha. Had been there any modern weather forecasting and prediction systems, the people would have got knowledge about the cyclones and effective plans could have been placed for minimising the effect of disaster. But even till the date the country hasn’t progressed. The lack of technology has led the country being unable to predict the heavy rains that caused the floods and landslides in Uttarakhand. Even because of lack of trust on the weathermen because of the past failures in forecasting by weathermen the state administration didn’t issue any warnings to people about the rains. Technology also consists of latest machinery and cutting edge tools which India doesn’t pose. The govt. said in it’s budget about assigning 100 thousand crores for disaster management and mitigation purpose. This amount might seem to be very large but it is very small if we consider the whole country which has about 1.6 billion citizens living in it. Even the amount used for disaster management would be quite less because of the politics and corruption. So one can easily imagine what would be the impact when a disaster strikes India. Now even NDMA has no strategies for disaster management. After the rains and the series of cloud bursts in Uttarakha nd, the Uttarakhand govt. declared that its state disaster management team didn’t have plan how to execute the rescue operation .If this is the case then there is no use of NDMA which said that it was not prepared to handle such huge disaster. Now back to technology. At the same time when India was busy in recovery of Uttarakhand, a similar disaster struck some European countries. But there the impact of disaster was quite less because of better planning efficient disaster management. The damage due to the floods cloud bursts in those countries was very less. This show  the ineffectiveness of India in tackling disasters. Now let’s shift our focus to the relief rehabilitation in India. As compared to disaster management the relief rehabilitation is better but not at par with other countries. Let us take an example. In 2011 Japan was struck with severe earthquakes, tsunamis finally a nuclear crisis, but in Japan the relief and rehabilitation work was quite instant and the country came back to normal life within a month or so. Meanwhile, In India the series of floods cloud bursts have disturbed Uttarakhand and even till today after 2 months relief work is going on. Who should be blamed for this? Only and only our govt. should be blamed. Had the govt. had been prepared for tackling this issue , today Uttarakhand wouldn’t have such devastation. Even the hand of politics cannot be neglected in Disaster Relief rehabilitation. Parties often adopt str ategies which would benefit them in next elections. They only think of their future thus this leads to failure in disaster management. Had it been japan, life would have sprung back in a single week. With cities expanding and developing in an unplanned manner, there would be a great loss in case of a disaster striking such cities. For example unsafe building practices in rapidly growing urban settlements constitute one of India’s greatest challenges for disaster management. A major earthquake in any of India’s densely and heavily populated cities in seismic zones would be catastrophic in terms of fatalities. Government of India has also launched various policies the implementation of NDMA under the Disaster Management Act of 2005. The objective of the authority has been to lay down policies and guidelines for effective management, risk mitigation and prevention of disasters in the country. However, in Uttarakhand, people were caught unawares by the series of flash floods and landslides in the absence of any mitigation measure or early warning despite the state having a history of such disasters and the weathermen predicting about it. The post disaster relief response has been equally poor—more than 70,000 people are reported missing. NDMA was constituted under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 to draft policies and guidelines on disaster management, approve and coordinate the implementation of plans for disaster preparedness and manageme nt at the Central, state and ministerial levels. The authority is headed by the prime minister. However, in the past seven years, the authority has been ineffective in carrying out most of its functions. NDMA had initiated  projects for flood mitigation and landslide mitigation at the national level in 2008. However, those projects have either been abandoned midway or are being redesigned because of poor planning. The projects to prepare national vulnerability atlases of landslides, floods and earthquake are also incomplete. Experts feel if such projects would have been implemented properly the damage in Uttarakhand could have been much less. The CAG report also highlighted several other loopholes in the functioning of NDMA. It said none of the major projects taken up by NDMA was complete even after seven years of its functioning. The projects were either abandoned midway or were being redesigned because of initial poor planning. The major projects include producing vulnerability atlases for floods, earthquakes and landslides, national landslide risk mitigation project, national flood risk mitigation project and national disaster management information system. As per the CAG report, NDMA has also not been performing several functions as prescribed in the Disaster Management Act. These include recommending provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation and recommending relief in repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans. Besides, several critical posts in NDMA are vacant and consultants were used for day to day working. One can then easily say what would happen if India is struck by a major disaster. In layman’s language one can say that all these things have one message in common – THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT OF INDIA HAS BECOME AN ISSUE OF RIDICULE. The time has come for the citizens to take action in their hands and perform their duties . If not now it’s never and in future India’s disaster management will always remain an issue of ridicule among the people of he world because of it’s inability to tackle issues perform necessary actions.

There Are Jews in My House Essay -- Literary Analysis, Lara Vapnyar

There Are Jews in My House Lara Vapnyar, in There Are Jews in My House, ingeniously shows her wisdom about life by exploring humanity and human frailty. Remarkably adept at portraying characters, Vapnyar, a recent Russian immigrant herself, vividly depicts the struggles and adventures, dilemmas and unexpected turns in small people's world, with delicate humor and incredible emotional honesty. It is her deft and vivid portraits of different main characters in each of the six stories that successfully develop her main theme: human beings should always stay on their way of pursuing spiritual sustenance, regardless of the adversity they face. In the title story, "There Are Jews in My House," Vapnyar reveals that morals and faith are two important forms of spiritual sustenance. The emotional transition of the only three-dimensional character, Galina, towards her Jewish friend, Raya, is the main thread of this story. At first, Galina decides to save Raya and Leeza although she somehow knows the danger inherent in harboring Jews. "But the thought of the danger [does not] dampen Galina's ardor; on the contrary, it [makes] her all the more enthusiastic" (28). However, the external conflicts, which arise under the law against Jews, cause the internal conflicts in Galina's mind. Ambivalence comes up inevitably and her hypocrisy slowly outweighs her generosity. Holding two lives in her hand while risking her own life, Galina "desperately [wants] to back out" and to tell Raya, "'No, no, you can't stay here. It's not for me. I am the wrong type of person. I am not prepared'" (30). Furthermore, Galina's negative attitudes towards Raya, deeply buried in her mind, are unearthed and magnified. On the one hand, Galina still hides Raya in her ... ... lessons anymore" (138). At the end of the story, her confession about her ignorance in front of her students finally releases her from solving the burdens of sex as well as of exile. â€Å"'I don't know!'† she says, â€Å"I enjoyed saying these words so much that it made me light-headed. I felt like hopping on one foot around the classroom singing, ‘I don't know! I don't know! I don't know!’† (149). By creating all these characters, Vapnyar successfully conveys to people the importance of adhering to their morals and opening their hearts, facing the present and relinquishing the past, experiencing the need for confirmation and feeling the desire for shared hesitancy, maintaining their faith and pursuing true love, or admitting their ignorance and confronting their fears. Only when people begin to seek these objectives, can they finally achieve their spiritual sustenance.

Ford Case Study Essay

Executive Summary Ford is one of the leading companies in the auto industry. The director of Supply Chain Systems at Ford was put in a tough position to make recommendations with regards to the company’s supply chain strategy. There are two groups within Ford that have two different opinions on how Ford should be using emerging information technologies and ideas from high tech industries, such as Dell, to change the way it interacts with suppliers. The first group argued that Ford should adopt Dell’s business model to improve efficiency and increase profits. This group emphasizes that Ford’s virtual integration should be the blueprint for what ford should attempt. On the other end, the second group believes that Ford and Dell operate in two different industries and it is not feasible to adopt Dell’s business model. This case study will demonstrate the toot causes of the problem and will present the reason why Ford should pursue with the mixed approach. Some of the solutions in the mixed approach are based on Dell’s business model, while the rest are not. These solutions are costly and time consuming, but Ford will eventually harvest the benefits of this approach. Issue Identification Teri Takai, Director of Supply Chain Systems, is about to make critical recommendations to senior executives on Ford’s usage of emerging information technologies and ideas from high tech industries to alter the methods Ford interacted with suppliers. There are two different views on this matter. The first view, which is in favor of virtual integration, argues that technology became a major player in supply chain, and Ford needs to redesign its supply chain by adopting new technologies to prosper. Supporters of this view used Dell as an example of virtual integration. Dell utilized new technologies to cut down working capital and risk of inventory obsolescence. The other view was more conservative. Supporters of this view argued that the auto industry is much different the computer industry with regards to layers of suppliers, complexity of parts, and history. Ford supplier network is massive and has many layers and a lot of companies. The growth of Ford resulted in growing the supply base to reach several thousands of suppliers in the 1980s. Even though Ford started reducing its supply base in the 1990s, there were still too many suppliers. In comparison to Dell, Ford needed thousands of parts to manufacture a vehicle, whereas Dell need few hundreds to manufacture a computer. This shows how complicated Ford’s supply chain versus Dell’s. Ford also has to controls the supply chain for its dealerships that are spread around the globe. The longer the supply chain is, the more problems would arise. For Dell, the supply chain is shorter and customers buy directly from Dell without going through dealerships or retail stores. Ford has no direct feedback from customers due to the fact that many of the dealerships were independent and not owned by Ford. Many Ford dealers were competing against each other’s instead of the real competition. For Dell, the situation was vice versa, Dell dealt and interacted directly with customers with no dealership involvement. While Ford’s first tier supplie r has moderately developed IT infrastructure, they cannot afford to invest in new technologies to keep up with Ford’s pace. The lower tiers of suppliers have very weak IT infrastructure and technological advancements, which would limit Ford’s supply chain and increase lead time and cost. In Dell processes, demand forecasting is important, where changes are shared with suppliers instantly. This is not the case for Ford. Before the Order to Delivery project, Ford never involved dealers in the forecasting process. Environmental & Root Cause Analysis: With returns of $144 billion, and 370,000 employees in 200 countries, Ford became the second largest industrial corporation worldwide. Ford’s main business is design and manufacturing of automobiles. Since 1903, Ford had produced more than 260 vehicles. The auto industry has been growing, at the same time some of the international automakers entered the US market and are competing fiercely with the US automakers: Ford, GM & Chrysler. With this tight competition, Ford and many automakers felt the need to move industry consolidation to reduce cost and improve quality. In 1998, Ford had profits $6.9 billion, and 3.9% return on sale. Ford has a huge supply based which was picked primarily based on cost. A lot of these suppliers lacked the IT infrastructure. Although Ford has good relationships with some of its suppliers, they aren’t treated as a part of Ford. On the other side, Dell’s suppliers have a very developed IT infrastructure and they are treated as part of Dell, and they acted like one. Ford’s suppliers are unique with nature and complexity. For Dell, suppliers own inventory until it is used in production, whereas the situation is opposite for Ford. This affects Ford’s cash flow and turnover rate and puts a lot of pressure on Ford’s production facilities. It also makes Ford hold the risk of holding sizable inventories to produce end products. Ford is lacking on demand forecasting, changes are not shared with the supply base immediately. Dell utilizes new technologies to share changes with its suppliers. Ford’s organizational structure is another challenge, where Ford’s purchasing is independent of product development, even engineers cannot discuss pricing with suppliers. At Dell, the purchasing function works collaboratively with the product development team. With all these challenges in the US market, Ford initiated a restructuring plan called Ford 2000. This plan was aimed to reduce costs by reengineering and globalizing organizations and techniques. Ford introduced the Order to Delivery (OTD) where it aimed to reduce the cycle time from 60 days to 15 days. Ford also created the Ford Production System (FPS) which is similar to the Toyota Production System, and it was intended to streamline Ford’s operations and make it more productive. Another initiative Ford took was the Ford Retail Network (FRN), and the goal was to deliver a high level of customer service and maintain customer satisfaction. Alternatives & Options Ford has some options with regards to using emerging information technologies and ideas from high-tech industries to change the way it interacts with suppliers. The first Alternatives to adopt Dell’s business model of virtual integration, where Ford would share information and systems with its supply base to coordinate inventory and streamline production. Ford would promote online customer shopping experience to receive orders and feedbacks and integrate them into Ford systems and its suppliers. This option has some advantages and disadvantages. It would improve the relationship between Ford and its suppliers, where information are communicated instantly between both of them. It would help in forecasting demand based on the information received and shared. It would also connects Ford directly to its suppliers and customers. This virtual integration would help Ford reduce its cycle time and costs dramatically, which would be reflected on the end products prices. The major disadvantage of this option is the high cost and lengthy process to execute it. It does not involve Ford only, but its suppliers as well. Ford and Dell operates in two different industries, and each industry has its own features. There is a big chance that virtual integration might not work as well as it does in the auto industry due to the complexity of manufacturing process, consumer behaviour, and history. The second alternative is to maintain the status quo and wait for the new Ford 2000 plan to start giving results. This recent initiative proposed solutions for a lot of Ford problems including suppliers and usage of new technologies. The advantages of this alternative are that Ford has already in the middle of executing the Ford 2000, and it should be long enough until the results are revealed. It is a comprehensive plan where there was an initiative for almost every aspect of the supply chain. The main disadvantage of this alternative is that it overlooks the instant communication between Ford and its suppliers. The third alternative is the mixed approach. Ford would adopt some of Dell’s business Model, at the same time introduce other changes. Ford would pick the feasible and applicable operations of virtual integration that best fit the automobile industry. On the other side Ford would narrow down its supply base and increase tier 1 suppliers. Ford would encourage and coordinate with suppliers of sub-system components. This alternative would allow Ford to tailor the best practices for its needs, but it would be costly, time consuming, and changes would affect different parties of the supply chain. Recommendations & Implementation Ford and Dell operate in two different industries that have different characteristics. Ford cannot copy Dell’s business model and expect positive results, but Ford can benefit from Dell’s experience. Based on the analysis of the above information and the study of this case, I would recommend to proceed with the third alternative. Ford has the organizational infrastructure to adopt and execute this alternative. Ford has a very well developed IT system and the resources to move on with these changes. Ford would update its IT system to share information with its supply base including tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers, where supplier would have access to Ford’s central data. Ford might have to team up with some of these supplier to develop their IT systems to ease the transformation and synchronization of information. Ford would reduce its supply base as much as it could, by short-listing suppliers and encouraging sub-systems suppliers through incentives. Ford would re-discuss terms with its suppliers to pay for inventory only when parts are used in production. Ford would adopt new technologies to share real-time information with all its supply chain members. Ford cannot skip dealerships before reaching end users, but can use dealership as a demand forecast channel and to deliver high customer service. These changes would ensure the smooth flow production and eliminate bottlenecks , which would in turn increase efficiencies and revenues and reduce lead times. Monitor & Control Ford must monitor that actions that it would take to measure the success of changes. Ford would have to assign a team of IT specialists to monitor the transition of suppliers IT systems and to help with any challenges. Ford would monitor lead times for customer orders regularly to see if lead times are improving and to check for bottlenecks. Ford to create an interactive website to answer and address customers concerns and suggestions. Form to create a committee of different supply chain members to lead these changes and direct them. This committee would meet semi-annually to discuss the changes and to address any problems or concerns. Conclusion Ford is one of the biggest car companies in the world. To overcome the challenges and to enjoy continuous success , Ford must adopt the above recommendations. The process is costly and time consuming, but it would pay off on the long run.

The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong

The memoirs of Lady Hyegyong Lady Hyegyong * Wife of the crown prince Sado (1735-1762) * Daughter-in-law of King Yongjo (1724-1776) * Mother of King Chongjo (1776-1800) * The crown princess and mother and grandmother of the kings in the late eighteenth century Korea * Choson women (women in Choson Korea 1392-1910) – three lords: father, husband, and son * Patrilocal marriage * Woman writer The Memoirs * Hanjongnok: Record Written in Silence * A series of autobiographical narratives by Lady Hyegyong * 4 memoirs: 1795, 1801, 1802, 1805 The first 3 memoirs: story of her earlier life and her marriage into the royal family, and championing (in some cases â€Å"defending† her natal family. ) These memoirs are more personal, and overall three hangs a shadow: the fate of her husband, Crown Prince Sado, who was executed in 1762. His reputation after his death threatens the position of her offspring. **The fourth memoir: story of her husband Sado, the most important piece The mem oir of 1795 * Genre: Family injunction The first memoir was written for the benefit of her nephew, in conformity with the tradition of a family elder writing an injunction for the instruction of the younger members of the family, exhorting them to follow in the footsteps of honorable family elders. It contains a most poignant and endearing account of how the author, an innocent child of nine, was suddenly wrenched from her loving home and put in a strange and awesome court. It is also gives an intimate view of the princess's natal home, which was that of an exemplary Korean scholar. Defend the integrity of her natal family, reclaim the honorable family tradition * The unspoken subjects of the first memoir: â€Å"With his exceptional talent and superior scholarship, Prince Sado would surely have achieved greatness. Of its own record, however, illness seeped into his remarkable nature and†¦began to manifest itself in strange symptoms. † 1. Her husband’s insanity 2. Her husband’s execution in the rice chest â€Å"â€Å"On the thirteenth day, Heaven and Earth clashed and the sun and moon turned black.When this calamity happened, how could I desire to live even one second longer! † 3. The loss of her son * Silence The memoir of 1805: breaking the silence * Chronicle the death of her husband at the hands of her father-in-law * Audience: her grandson King Sunjo * Reason: false versions has proliferated. She felt the need to inform her grandson, the new king, the exact truth of the incident â€Å"feeling that my descriptions might cast a blemish on their virtue. But I cannot withhold the truth. † * Genre: writing a history * Seed of Trouble Absence of love and guidance from the father 1. Model child in infancy 2. Live in a separate palace from his parents * Influence of servants * Sado’s interest in the occult and martial games As a heir to the throne, Shado was put under immense pressure to achieve and learn conformity by the stifling educational rituals of the royal family – while, simultaneously, he was neglected by his coldly formal father, Yongjo, to such an extent that even an inside observer like Lady Hyegyong, steeped in the customs of the time, cannot hide her shock in the retelling.â€Å"Let the ruler be a ruler, the subject a subject, the father a father, the son a son. † * Father-son relationship is at the core of tragedy * â€Å"some unknown forces seem to have been driving father and son apart. †¦ What can I attribute this to but Heaven? Oh! Cruelty! † * The coldness between them is beyond her comprehension * Father’s faults? * Favoritism * Not paying attention to his son * Humiliating his son in public * Using Sado to wash away inauspicious events * Sado’s insanity * Clothing Phobia For him to get dressed, I had to have ten, twenty, or even thirty sets of clothes laid out. He would then burn some, supposedly on behalf of some ghost or other. Ev en after this, if he managed to get into a suit of clothes without incident, one had to count it as great luck. If, however, those serving him were to make the slightest error, he would not be able to put his clothes on, no matter how hard he tried. In the process, people were hurt, even killed. † —-Paralyzing terror of being able to live up to the expectations of propriety A serial killer â€Å"When anger grips me, I cannot contain myself. Only after I kill something–a person, perhaps an animal, even a chicken–can I calm down. † â€Å"Why is that so? † â€Å"Because I am deeply hurt. † â€Å"Why are you so hurt? † â€Å"I am sad that your Majesty does not love me and terrified when you criticize me. All this turns to anger. † —- Sado’s madness became such a threat to the royal family that he had to be eliminated * Mother’s choice * Lady Sonhui urged the King to eliminate Sado -â€Å"Sundering her ma ternal love and crushing her parental attachment for the sake of great principle, Lady Sonhui had brought herself to inform his Majesty . † – The duty over private emotion * Father’s side * Political concerns 1. His own problem with legitimacy 2. Factional conflicts 3. Constant threat of rebellion 4. High hopes for his heir * The execution * â€Å"In the royal audience chamber, meanwhile, father and son faced each other. In between them there stood a wooden rice chest (measuring 4ft x 4ft x 4ft, we are told). It was opened, and Yongjo ordered his son to climb inside.Undoubtedly aware of what this meant, Sado did as his father told him. It was then sealed up. Eight days later, he died, still inside it. † * Rationalizing the brutal execution —-Concerns over bodily dismemberment —-Not to give the appearance of criminal execution * Lady Hyegyong’s two traumas On her husband’s execution: * Inevitable and justified * Public duty > private feelings On the king’s decree of making her son an adopted son of the late prince: * Unnecessary and mind-baffling * Private feelings > public duty

Attributes in Mathematics

Attributes in Mathematics In mathematics, the word attribute is used to describe a characteristic or feature of an object- usually within a pattern- that allows for grouping of it with other similar objects and is typically used to describe size, shape, or color of objects in a group. The term attribute is taught as early as kindergarten where children are often given a set of attribute blocks of differing colors, sizes, and shapes which the children are asked to sort according to a specific attribute, such as by size, color or shape, then asked to sort again by more than one attribute. In summary, the attribute in math is usually used to describe a geometric pattern  and is used generally throughout the course of mathematic study to define certain traits or characteristics of a group of objects in any given scenario, including the area and measurements of a square or the shape of a football. Common Attributes in Elementary Mathematics When students are introduced to mathematical attributes in kindergarten and first grade, they are primarily expected to understand the concept as it applies to physical objects and the basic physical descriptions of these objects, meaning that size, shape, and color are the most common attributes of early mathematics. Although these basic concepts are later expanded upon in higher mathematics, especially geometry and trigonometry, its important for young mathematicians to grasp the notion that objects can share similar traits and features that can help them sort large groups of objects into smaller, more manageable groupings of objects. Later, especially in higher mathematics, this same principle will be applied to calculating totals of quantifiable attributes between groups of objects like in the example below. Using Attributes to Compare and Group Objects Attributes are especially important in early childhood math lessons, where students must grasp a core understanding of how similar shapes and patterns can help group objects together, where they can then be counted and combined or divided equally into different groups. These core concepts are essential to understanding higher maths, especially in that they provide a basis for simplifying complex equations- from multiplication and division to algebraic and calculus formulas- by observing the patterns and similarities of attributes of particular groups of objects.   Say, for instance, a person had 10 rectangular flower planters that had each had attributes of 12 inches long by 10 inches wide and 5 inches deep. A person would be able to determine that combined surface area of the planters (the length times the width times the number of planters) would equal 600 square inches. On the other hand, if a person had 10 planters that were 12 inches by 10 inches and 20 planters that were 7 inches by 10 inches, the person would have to group the two different sizes of planters by these attributes in order to quickly determine how much surface area all the planters have between them. The formula, therefore, would read (10 X 12 inches X 10 inches) (20 X 7 inches X 10 inches) because the two groups total surface area must be calculated separately since their quantities and sizes differ.

Verbs Followed by Infinitive

Verbs Followed by Infinitive Many verbs are followed immediately by the infinitive form of the verb. Other verbs are followed by the gerund form of the verb. Finally, other verbs are followed by a noun, noun phrase or pronoun and then the infinitive. All of these verbs follow no specific rules and must be memorized. You can practice your knowledge once youve reviewed this sheet, as well as the other verb pattern reference lists by taking these quizzes: Verb Form - Gerund or Infinitive Quiz 1 Verb Form - Gerund or Infinitive Quiz 2 Gerund or Infinitive? An Interactive Reference Chart and Quiz The following list provides verbs that are immediately followed by the infinitive form of another verb (verb to do). Each verb followed by the infinitive is followed by two example sentences to provide context. affordI cant afford to go on vacation this summer.Can you afford to buy that sweater?agreeI agreed to help him with the problem.Do you think he would agree to take the test again?appearHe appears to think Im crazy!They appear to be available tomorrow.arrangeI arranged to spend the week in New York.Mary arranges to meet everyone each time.askShe asked to do the job.Franklin will ask to be promoted.begShelley begged to be released as soon as possible.The minister begged to donate as much as possible.careDo you care to spend some time with me?Tom doesnt care to ask any more questions.claimconsentWe consented to adopt the measure in the next year.Sherry will consent to marry you. Im sure!dareThose kids wont dare to break into that house.She often dares to break convention.decideIm going to decide to appoint the teacher next week.Mary and Jennifer decided to purchase an old house to fix up.demandThe protesters demanded to see the president about the economy.The client demanded to speak wi th his lawyer before making a statement. deserveI think Jane deserves to get the promotion.Our boss deserves to be fired!expectTom expects to finish the job soon.The students expect to receive their grades before the end of the day.failSusan never fails to mention that she knows the president personally.You shouldnt fail to mail in the form by the end of the week.forget - NOTE: This verb can also be followed by the gerund with a change in meaning.I think Peter forgot to lock the door before he left home.We seldom forget to do our homework, but last week was an exception.hesitateI hesitate to mention this, but dont you think ...Doug hesitated to tell us about his plan.hopeI hope to see you soon!He had hoped to have more success before he lost the election.learnHave you ever learned to speak another language?Our cousins are going to learn to mountain climb on vacation.manageTed managed to get his work done on time.Do you think well manage to persuade Susan to come with us?meanTim certainly meant to finish the job on time.They mean to do business here in town. needMy daughter needs to finish her homework before she can come out and play.They needed to fill out a number of forms in order to purchase the house.offerJason offered to give Tim a hand with his homework.She offers to help students whenever they have a question.planOur class plans to put on a play next semester.Im planning to visit you when Im in New York next month.prepareOur teachers are preparing to give us a test today.The politicians prepared to debate the issues on television.pretendI think he is pretending to be interested in the subject.She pretended to enjoy the meal, even though she didnt think it was good.promiseYes, I promise to marry you!Our coach promised to give us next Friday off if we win the game.refuseThe students refused to quiet down at the assembly.I think you should refuse to do that job.regret - NOTE: This verb can also be followed by the gerund with a change in meaning.I regret to tell you that it is not possible.The officer regretted to inform the citizen s of the horrific facts about the case. remember - NOTE: This verb can also be followed by the gerund with a change in meaning.Did you remember to lock the doors?I hope Frank remembered to telephone Peter about the appointment.seemIt seems to be a beautiful day outside!Did he seem to be nervous?struggleThe boys struggled to understand the concepts presented in the lesson.I sometimes struggle to stay concentrated when Im on the job.swearDo you swear, to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?Alice swore to help in any way possible.threatenChris threatened to call the police.The owner will threaten to kick you out if you dont stop making noise.volunteerId like to volunteer to judge the competition.Sarah volunteered to take Jim to the piano lesson.waitIm waiting to hear from Tom.She waited to eat until he arrived.wantJack wants to help everyone with the new concepts.The principal wanted to put on a teacher workshop.wishI wish to see you soon.Franklin wished to come and visit last month. More Verb Pattern Reference Lists: Verbs followed by the gerund - Verb Ing Verbs followed by a (pro)noun plus the infinitive - Verb (Pro)Noun Infinitive Verbs followed by the infinitive - Verb Infinitive

Incremental analysis + decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Incremental analysis + decision making - Essay Example According to the article, the company has decided to focus on the key geographical areas such as Canada where it has brand recognition. This is a desperate move for the company to help get customers to jump-start its handset business (Rao et al 2008). The report aims at establishing key internal factors as well as external factors that are likely to pose the strongest impact on the course of actions of Blackberry Ltd. It then provides a recommendation based on the SWOT and PESTEL analyses and central issues in the article. The company is likely to succeed in the Canadian market because it has positioned itself well. It has targeted a market for which it still strong brand recognition (Ligaya, 2014). The relatively friendly political climate in Canada and other surrounding North American countries have helped the Smartphone industry to flourish (Rao et al 2008). The Smartphone users have been on the increased, and it is believed that they are soon going to overtake feature phone user. Such a situation is likely to contribute to the success of the new product launch. The company is likely to face a difficulty in adhering to strict regulations regarding hygiene and safety standards in the country. It will have to spend a substantial amount of money to ensure that they limit the usage of toxic contents, recycling and energy usage. In addition, the country has high tax rate levels which are likely to reduce the profits of the company (Ligaya, 2014). The strategies adopted by BlackBerry Ltd. in the launch of its Passport Smartphone in Toronto have positioned it well to tackle both the internal and external factors on the horizon. First, the company has a target a geographical location where it has strong brand recognition. This is likely to help it attract more customers considering that it is moving out of restructuring phase. Secondly, the company is also planning to introduce Classic so as to be able to appeal to masses in order