Original Course work †Urban Myths Essay

The scream rang through the trees. Pounding footsteps thudded their way through the wood. Twigs snapped and cracked like brittle bones. She slowed down to a trot, trying to make sense of where she was. Her ears pricked. Listening for following footsteps. Realising she had been holding her breath, she gasped and air flooded her body. Only half an hour before she had been sat perfectly happy with her boyfriend. Her vision glazed over as silent drops fell to the ground, remembering how Josh had got out of the car to investigate a noise they had heard. She sank down to the bottom of the tree, as she recalled how ten minutes later, when he hadn’t returned, she had got out, only to find his pale form hanging from the tree above. Blood stained the top of the car where it had spilt from his neck, draping down over his shoulder like a carpet of scarlet. Whoever done this mustn’t be too far away. They could be watching her, waiting for her†¦ â€Å"The bodies of two teenagers have been found in Thornby Woods early this morning by a local dog walker. The bodies have been described as horrifically mutilated and the result of a brutal murder. At the moment police are investigating leads including the name â€Å"Aidan† spelt in blood on the roof of the car. Hopefully this will bring the monster to justice.† â€Å"I can’t believe something like that could happen here, it’s just so unbelievable†, said Diana. The others nodded in agreement. The four were sat around a table in their local cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. There was Diana, Jack and the twins, Kerry and Kevin. The twins with their unique coppery red hair and blue startling eyes, stood out from Diana and Jack with his plain name, and fairly plain features. â€Å"You know what this sounds like†, said Jack then hesitated, â€Å"the urban legend about the guy in the car with his girlfriend†. The others looked at him. â€Å"But they’re made up stories, they would never come true†, argued Diana. The twins, who had a habit of speaking in unison, started speaking but then fell silent, as the television in the corner of the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ flashed on again and more about the murders was broadcast. Later that night, Kerry was sat in the library. The essay she was trying to write was starting to give her a headache. The ticking clock, mounted on the wall, showed her it was nearly midnight. As she stifled a yawn, she pulled the books shut and gathered up her stuff. Silently, she made her way down the deserted corridors and up the stairs to her room. When she arrived she turned the key slowly in the lock, so as not to wake her roommate, Stacie. She climbed into bed and her eyes shut as her head rested on the pillow. The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows. It was a Monday morning and everyone was trying to stay in bed as long as possible. Suddenly, the silence was broken as a scream rose from Kerry’s room. Kevin and Diana were first there. As they pushed the door open, they saw Stacie’s dead body surrounded by bloodstained sheets. Kerry was whimpering softly, slouched against the bed. Kevin noticed the mirror out of the corner of his eye. Smeared across the glass in blood-red lipstick were the words, â€Å"Bet you’re glad you didn’t turn on the light†. It was signed ‘Aidan’. Kevin rushed over to Kerry, trying to comfort her, glancing over his shoulder at Diana. She stood like a statue, a shocked expression spreading across her face. Jack came rushing into the room. â€Å"What’s happened†¦?†, he broke off. He had seen the body. The four friends sat bewildered, silently hugging each other. Kerry couldn’t concentrate. Everyone had thought it best if she went to her lessons and tried to forget about it, but she couldn’t. Her mind kept going back to that morning when she had opened her eyes. The first thing she had seen was the body. The bloody image flashed before her. Finally, after what had seemed like hours, the end of college bell rang. Kerry slowly made her way over to the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ where she was going to meet Jack and Kevin. When she arrived, no one else was there, so she pulled a magazine out of her bag. As she did so, a plain envelope came with it and dropped to the floor. Curiously, she tore it open and jerked the paper out. â€Å"You’re next†, it spelt out, in carefully cut out letters from a newspaper headline. Kerry crammed the paper back in the envelope, as Jack and Kevin came through the door. â€Å"You feeling any better?† asked Jack, concerned. Kerry nodded her head and had to force a smile. â€Å"You know, this murder also sounds like an urban legend, don’t you think?† Jack continued, ignoring Kevin’s warning look. â€Å"Who do you suppose is behind it?† Drew, the class swot, came over. â€Å"Have you not heard? The police are looking for a man with the name Aidan, round about 20 years old†, he recited, sounding like a news reporter. â€Å"Why?† asked Kerry, turning her head towards Drew. â€Å"The name has been found at both the murder scenes, so it’s likely it was left by the killer† â€Å"But I don’t know anyone called Aidan†, said Kerry puzzled. â€Å"Could be an outside job, it doesn’t have to be anyone on campus. Do you know anyone that would do something that sick?† â€Å"I suppose it makes it more likely to be some lunatic,† half-whispered Kerry, but Drew had already turned away and had started telling the news to the table next to them. â€Å"Hey guys.† Their conversation was interrupted by Diana’s arrival, which was always noticeable. Her slim figure and blonde hair made her popular with the boys. She joined them at the table. â€Å"So has everyone has a nice day?† she said with a smile. The others just looked at her. Kerry looked as though she was about to cry. â€Å"Oh sorry, I forgot about this morning,† she answered cheerfully. Kerry’s chair scraped back as she got up to go. She pulled her bag onto her shoulder and left without saying a word. â€Å"What’s up with her today?† questioned Diana. â€Å"Well maybe she’s upset ‘cos one of her friends was murdered right underneath her nose and she found the body!† exclaimed Jack. Kerry had gone to the library. She couldn’t stand being in her room after what had happened. As she sat, staring at the open book infront of her, but not taking one word in, a voice called out her name. Turning sharply around, thinking it could easily be the killer, she saw, to her relief, it was Jack. â€Å"I just came to see if you were all right.† He muttered his apology for scaring her. â€Å"Yeah. I’m okay†¦ well sort of,† she smiled back. â€Å"I just thought, well Diana wasn’t exactly being sympathetic before and when you walked out, you looked upset to me. I though someone had better come after you.† He paused and looked at her, â€Å"You sure you’re all right?† Kerry looked away and sighed. â€Å"Well not exactly, I got this letter, someone must have planted it in my bag.† She handed over the letter to Jack. His eyes scanned the letter and his expression turned into that of alarm. â€Å"You really should take this to the police,† he said, his eyes piercing her own with serious anxiety. She turned her head so she wouldn’t have to stare into his hazel eyes, so caring, so tender, so†¦ â€Å"What’s the point?† her voice shuddered, â€Å"It doesn’t mean its necessarily from him. It’s probably some dumb kid playing a sick joke to upset me† â€Å"Well, if you’re sure. But come on, don’t you think you should call it a day?† Jack said, standing up and taking Kerry’s bag. â€Å"Where am I going to sleep? I mean, I don’t want to sleep in my room tonight,† she shivered. â€Å"I’m sure you can share Diana’s room. Come on we’ll go up there now.† Kerry followed Jack and together they walked up the three flights of stairs to Diana’s room. Ten minutes later, Kerry sat on the spare bed, while Jack said his good byes. Finally they were left alone. â€Å"Look I’m really sorry about before you know. I really shouldn’t have said that,† apologised Diana, humbly. â€Å"Its okay,† said Kerry smiling at her friend and laying back on the bed. A large sigh rose from her chest. She looked around the room, so much different from her own. The walls were a soft shade of purple with various famous prints dotted around. Cream curtains hung at the windows, drawn back gracefully, allowing the orange, golden sunlight to stream in. Her eyes moved around the room and stopped at the desk placed in the corner. There, lying on a pile of schoolbooks, was a newspaper, maybe a day or two old. Kerry could clearly see off-cuts and torn pages nestled on top. â€Å"Have you been working on a project?† she asked, the sarcasm stung her words. â€Å"What do you mean, project†¦?† Diana’s eyes followed her gaze. Her laugh rang through the room. â€Å"Yeah, it’s a project all right.† Kerry instantly sat up on the bed and turned to face Diana. â€Å"You†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she spat accusingly. Diana let out a jeering laugh. â€Å"I wondered how long it would take you to realise,† she half laughed, half spoke. â€Å"Realise what exactly? That you sent me that letter? How could you be so cruel?† cried Kerry, scrambling off the bed and onto her feet to face Diana. â€Å"Cruel? You don’t even know the meaning of the word, cruel!† â€Å"What†¦What precisely do you mean?† questioned Kerry, her throat tightening. â€Å"When I saw that girl and boy in the car, I though that it was you and Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You mean, you†¦you didn’t, did you?† Kerry stared in disbelief. â€Å"Yeah, I followed them, then killed them, if that’s what you’re trying to say. The stupid thing was, I didn’t realise it wasn’t Jack until he was dead. And of course the girl had to go in case she saw anything,† sneered Diana, boasting about her serial killing. She quickly strode to the door and locked it before Kerry even had a chance to move. Kerry noticed for the first time, that even though Diana was pretty, she was tall, fit and could probably easily manage to hold someone in a struggle. Kerry caught her breath and inhaled deeply. â€Å"But why did you kill them because you thought they were Jack and I? Why did you want to kill us?† Diana hesitated. â€Å"You don’t understand anything? Do you? Well†¦ I suppose we have a few minutes before I have to kill you.† Her hand rose from behind her back. The sharp point of the knife sparkled in the autumn light, sending spears of the reflected spark, dancing on the walls. With the knife poised, ready for action, she continued. â€Å"I thought I could have anyone I wanted. But I didn’t want anyone I wanted Jack.† Her eyes flashed, dangerously. The knife still held, it’s flickering gleam reflected into Kerry’s eyes, dazzling her. Kerry swallowed, her heart beating faster, yearning to escape this torture. â€Å"I wanted Jack badly,† Diana continued, walking in circles around Kerry, as though she the predator and Kerry the prey. â€Å"But, he didn’t want me, did he? Oh no, he wanted you!† she hissed. â€Å"Me?† stammered Kerry, â€Å"I didn’t know.† â€Å"Of course, you, wouldn’t, spat Diana, â€Å"so I thought, well if I can’t have him, no one can. Especially you! So I came up with a nice, simple plan to kill you both. You could rot in hell together for all I cared.† â€Å"So when you killed Stacie, you thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I was killing you,† Diana finished. â€Å"Yeah! Stupid mistake really, but I made up for it by making it look like it was to scare you. Funny really how urban legends can come true, isn’t it.† By now Diana was stood face to face with Kerry. â€Å"Anyway, enough talk! Now you get what’s been coming to you.† She laughed and thrust the knife down infront of her, ripping the air apart. Kerry stumbled backwards to the other side of the room. Her sweaty palms clambered at the door handle. â€Å"Looking for this?† taunted Diana holding the key out. Staring blindly around, Kerry picked up a chair and threw it at Diana. It narrowly missed her and smashed into the wall. Diana was moving forward, knowing that Kerry didn’t have anywhere to go. Only the bed stood between Kerry and her attacker. Diana drove the knife into the bed, ripping the duvet and shredding the sheets. In the commotion of feathers from the pillow, Kerry ran to the door and started banging and shouting for help. Surely someone would hear. In the meantime, Diana continued to pursue her. Kerry grabbed at anything; books, furniture, pens went flying. Some managed to hit Diana, obstructing her. Trying not to get injured by the knife, Kerry attempted to take it off Diana. Diana stood up, her eyes blazing like the fires of hell. â€Å"One thing I don’t understand,† said Kerry, trying to buy more time, â€Å"is why the name ‘Aidan’ was found at the murder scenes.† â€Å"Ever though of rearranging my name?† panted Diana, â€Å"Diana spells ‘Aidan’. No one was clever enough to guess that. It even managed to put the police off. Now stop this idle chit-chat and let me kill you, nice and slowly,† her voice cackled as she flew at Kerry, the knife close to her throat. Kerry tried to push her arm away. She couldn’t keep her off for much longer. She battled with Diana and they both lost their balance. Tumbling over Diana had the better position, holding the knife inches away from Kerry’s neck. â€Å"Goodbye Kerry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The door to the room flew open. The surprise stopped Diana as she looked up. Jack and Kevin stood gaping in horror at the scene. Rapidly, they ran over and pulled Diana off Kerry. The knife dropped to the floor with a clang. Five policemen were standing in the entrance and with Kevin’s help, carried the screaming Diana away. Jack was left helping a very shaky Kerry to her feet. â€Å"I heard screaming,† he mumbled, â€Å"I rushed to help with Kevin.† Kerry didn’t say a word. Tears swept from her eyes, as she realised the terror was over, and she was still alive. A far away shriek disturbed the comforting silence surrounding Kerry and Jack. The wail of sirens echoed into the distance. â€Å"It’s all over now, I promise you,† Jack, holding Kerry, â€Å"I promise†

How the American Society Changed during the Revolutionary War

November 7, 2011 Americans owe the French a debt of gratitude because without them, they would either; still be fighting the British for their freedom, or lose their freedom altogether. Americans have gained their independence but changes occur after the war. American society changed politically, socially, and economically during and after the Revolutionary War. Because majority of the men were at war, the women had to step up and take charge or how society was ran, or the American economy would be ruined. The political aspect of American society changed greatly after the war; â€Å"†¦no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever†¦ but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion. † (Document D). This explicates the beginning of America losing its religion-based societies, and becoming more diverse to more religions and cultures. Unfortunately, Indians were still excluded from political decisions, and since they made alliances with the British, and not Americans, westward expansionism was unable to be stopped; â€Å"†¦It is now more than three years since peace was made between the King of Great Britain and you [Americans], but, we, the Indians, were disappointed, finding ourselves not included in that peace†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document E). Indians are seeking peace with the Americans because they are destroying their lands. Socially, American society changed significantly. Document A shows a woman as a woodcut worker. Before the war, women were stuck in the house, having no input in how their life was run; during the war, they were running society and maintaining the economy. Women also began to libel for their freedom after the war; â€Å"What then must my situation be, when my sex, my youth and inexperience all conspire to make me tremble at the task which I have undertaken? But the friendly encouragement, which I behold in almost every countenance, enables me to overcome difficulties, that would otherwise be insurmountable. (Document J). Furthermore, Molly Wallace is saying that when the men where away, the women were able to run society, so they should be included more. The American economic society depleted immensely because they owed a lot of money for the war. Although after the war, people were suppose to be freed from slavery and indentured servitude, even though they weren’t; â€Å"†¦There shall be neither slavery nor involuntar y servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duty convicted†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document H). The economy became stronger as well because the states were becoming more united, trying to establish one currency; â€Å"†¦Some of them were crying out for a paper currency, some for an equal distribution of property. † (Document G). Abigail Adam’s letter suggests how the economy should work, either to establish a currency, or distribute land. Furthermore, during and after the Revolutionary War the American society changed a great deal. Society changed with the Articles of Confederations, the first American government; â€Å"†¦If men were angels, no government would be necessary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document I). After the Article of Confederation was discovered to be too weak, the bicameral government we have today was established. The Virginia Plan and the Jersey Plan allowed the Senate and House of Representatives. The American Revolution was significant to the molding of today’s government.

Carbene Addition Lab

Synthesis of 7, 7- dichloronorcarane in Carbon Addition Reaction CHM 337 | Dr. Pettit Abstract: A solution of cyclohexene, aqueous sodium hydroxide, and benzyltriethylammonium was used to synthesize 7,7 – dichloronorcarane by the following reaction: + CHCl3 + OH – H2O + + Cl – After completion of the experiment, the percent recovery was calculated to be 46. 21% Introduction The purpose of this experiment was to form 7,7-dichloronorcarane by means of carbene trapping.Cyclohexene, aqueous sodium hydroxide, and benzyltriethylammonium chloride were used to synthesize 7,7 – dichloronorcarane by the following reaction: + CHCl3 + OH- H2O + + Cl- In order to carry out this reaction in reasonable time, a two phase reaction was used, avoiding the lengthy requirements to carry out the experiment as a single phase reaction, as well as the risk of undesirable products due to the presence of water. The components of the two stage reaction were as follows: An organic pha se containing the alkene and CHCl2; and an aqueous phase containing the base OH –.Since the reactants, CHCl2 and OH – would separate into different phases, benzyltriethylammonium chloride was added as a phase-transfer catalyst. Because the benzyltriethylammonium chloride has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, it could cross the phase boundary and facilitated the transport of the hydroxide ion from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. Expected spectral changes in IR and 13C-NMR Procedure To begin, 0. 324g of cyclohexene was mixed with 1 ml of 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide, 1ml of chloroform and 0. 040g of the phase transfer catalyst benzyltriethylammonium chloride.The reaction was stirred and heated at 40 degrees Celsius for an hour before extracting the 7,7 dichloronorcarane through 2 methyl chloride extraction processes (1ml methylene chloride). The product was then air dried until no more liquid would evaporate, and weighed giving a percent recovery of 43 %. The substance was then used to conduct an IR and 13C-NMR spectra test giving the results. Results and Calculations Calculating moles of cyclohexene (81g cyclohexene/1ml) * (0. 40ml cyclohexene) = 0. 324g cyclohexene 0. 324g cyclohexene*(1mol cyclohexene/82. g cyclohexene) = 3. 95 * 10^-3 mol cyclohexene Calculating moles of chloroform 1. 49g/ml chloroform * 1ml of chloroform = 1. 49g of chloroform 1. 49g of chloroform * (1mol of chloroform/119. 4g chloroform)= 1. 25 * 10^-2 moles chloroform. Calculating moles of benzyltriethylammonium chloride (1. 08g benzyltriethylammonium chloride/ml) * 0. 040ml of benzyltriethylammonium chloride = 0. 0432 grams benzyltriethylammonium chloride * 1mol/227.8g benzyltriethylammonium chloride = 1. 896 * 10^-4 moles benzyltriethylammonium chloride Finding the limiting reagent CHCl3 +OH- H2O + Cl- (balanced as is with catalyst in rxn) 3. 95 * 10^-3 mol cyclohexene 1. 25 * 10^-2 moles chloroform 0. 058 moles of sodium hydroxide * Cyclohexane has the l owest amount on reactant side and is the limiting reagent. Amount of 7,7 dichloronorcarane= 3. 95*10^-3 moles * 165. 06g 7,7dichloronorcarane/mol= 0. 652g 7,7 dichloronorcarane theoretical yield Experimental yield of dichloronorcarane= test tube with – test tube without (27. 159grams – 26. 890grams)= 0. 269grams dichloronorcarane Percent recovery (Actual mass yield/ theoretical mass yield) * 100%= percent recovery (0. 69grams/0. 652grams) *100%= 41. 26% yield recovery Formation of 7,7 dichloronorcarane + CHCl3 + OH- H2O + Cl – Discussion and Conclusions Discussion Topics and Questions a. Compare IR and 13C-NMR spectra of cyclohexene and 7,7-dichloronorcarane and point out changes in IR vibrational frequencies and 13C-NMR resonances that support the formation of 7,7-dicholoronorcarane. Be sure to identify the C-H stretch of the cyclopropane ring hydrogens. b. Why did you need to stir the mixture vigorously during the reaction?Since the reactants are in different phases, stirring vigorously allowed the catalyst to transfer a hydroxide ion from the aqueous phase to the organic phase, allowing the reaction to proceed as desired. c. Why did you wash the organic phase with saturated sodium chloride solution? The saturated sodium chloride was important for the removal of water. If the water was not removed from solution, it could react and create undesirable reactions, such as those described in Pavia: (4) (5) d. Describe two chemical tests and the visual results that would indicate whether cyclohexene is present or absent.Bromine in methylene chloride – If the addition of bromide (red liquid) results in a colorless solution, cyclohexene is present. Potassium Permanganate (Baeyer test) – This reaction depends on the color change from purple MnO4- ion into a brown precipitate of MnO2 e. Draw the structures of the products that you would expect from the reactions of cis and trans-2-butene. Be sure to comment on the stereochemistry of the products (enantiomers and meso forms). f. Provide a mechanism for the formation of the following products of a carbine addition reaction

Recommendation of Ambercrombie & Fitch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Recommendation of Ambercrombie & Fitch - Essay Example Due to the experience, the company will have a benchmark of success for what is achievable. CEO from outside will bring a new perspective and cutting-edge approach. It has been proven through research that outside CEOs with new ideas spend more resources on research and development, and their decisions shows commitment to innovation. Outside talent is necessary so as to breathe fresh life into the firm (Blumberg, et al. 2013). By going outside for a new CEO, the company will send a strong message to its entire workforce and the board that the company recognizes the importance of change, and is ready to invest in its future. A new CEO with new ideas isn’t burdened by the past and is able quickly make a big impact to the company. Hiring a new CEO from outside is what the company requires so as to reach the desired growth. Companies’ changes are ever constant in recent times, as accelerating technology, economic volatility, and globalization are indicators that times for business as usual are long gone. As a result, a lot of companies have been compelled to innovate, pivot, or rethink their strategies entirely. Ambercrombie & Fitch can also go the same route by changing its cultures. Leaders have discovered that in some situations, these steps are challenging and some are even impossible to perform without altering the culture that is associated with the company. A different strategy may call upon the change of the entire culture mind-set of the organization; ‘the way we do things around here’. It is necessary for the leadership of the company to own and be engaged in the process. Only through ownership and engagement can the leadership ensure that Ambercrombie & Fitch is fully aligned and there is the right organizational structure in place, a system that is relevant, the correct management practices, and the required talent in place so as to grow in the desired direction. The

Business Enviroment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Enviroment - Essay Example Environmental scanning drives an organization's strategic planning process-the quality of the planning depends on the quality of the scan. The scanning manager faces a lot of challenges because the external environment is changing rapidly in complex ways; there are numerous sources of information and this information is often ambiguous. (Auster and Choo, 1994). The organisation has to use this information to make consequential decisions or long-term commitments by the organisation. Scanning involves several modes of information seeking. Aguilar (1967) usefully differentiates between searching for information about a specific question, and viewing information or being exposed to information without a specific information need in mind. According to Auster and Choo (1994). Scanning could range from a casual conversation at the lunch table or a chance observation of an angry customer dumping a product, to an extensive market research programme to identify business opportunities. At a conceptual level then, environmental scanning may be seen as an extended case of information seeking, in that scanning not only includes searching for particular information, but also simply being exposed to information that could impact the firm. (Auster and Choo, 1994). Duncan (1972) defines the environment as "the totality of physical and social factors that are taken directly into consideration in the decision-making behavior of individuals in the organization" (p. 314). Draft et al. (1988) suggest that a firm's external environment can be divided into six environmental sectors including: 1. Customer sector refers to those companies or individuals that purchase the products made by the respondent's firm, and includes companies that acquire the products for resale, as well as final customers. 2. Competition sector includes the companies, products, and competitive tactics: companies that make substitute products; products that compete with the respondent firm's products; and competitive actions between the respondent's firm and other companies in the same industry. 3. Technological sector includes the development of new production techniques and methods, innovation in materials and products, and general trends in research and science relevant to the respondent's firm. 4. Regulatory sector includes federal and provincial legislation and regulations, city or community policies, and political developments at all levels of government. 5. Economic sector includes economic factors such as stock markets, rate of inflation, foreign trade balance, federal and provincial budgets, interest rates, unemployment,and economic growth rate. 6. Socio-cultural sector comprises social values in the general population, the work ethic, and demographic trends such as an increasing number of women in the work force (Daft et al., 1988, pp. 137-38). By understanding the above environmental sector a company can better understand how to deal with the requirements of each sector. There is a general model proposed by Mintzberg (1973) which deals with managerial use of information acquired from the external environment. According to this framework, a manager's interpersonal roles provide access and exposure to

Forever 21 & Bebe stores Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Forever 21 & Bebe stores - Essay Example (Hoovers.com) ". . .the best companies create value for their customers in five interlocking ways . . . solutions to their needs, respect, and connect . . . on an emotional level . . . set prices fairly [not necessarily cheaply] . . . easy for people to find what they need, pay for it quickly, and then move on . . . sounds exceedingly simple . . . surprisingly difficult." (Harvard Business Press, 1). Bebe's definitely creates value for their customers in all 5 areas. When I visited the store, a black and white, polka-dot handbag ($130.00) caught my eye. The price was more than I wanted to pay, but definitely worth it (genuine leather). I interviewed a loyal customer who said she started shopping at Bebe's in West Palm Beach. She said that the prices "were reasonable." Her 7 items ranged from $59.00 to $100.00 each. (Rosebud) The store image is sleek, sophisticated, clean, and urbane. The manager definitely has achieved the goal of making the internal and external image draw traffic. There was signage throughout the store. No stockouts. The environment was clean and organized. The employees, who were attentive and knowledgeable, wore attire that reflected the store's image. Although I thought the target market was for twenty-one year olds, one of the employees correct my preconceived ideas by telling me that "my mom shops here and she is over 50." (Braswell).

E- Commerce application for Computer hardware Sale Essay

E- Commerce application for Computer hardware Sale - Essay Example Thomas asserts that, The main stages in the development of a good interface involves conducting a detailed requirement analysis which aids in establishing the goals to be achieved by the website, outlining the site design and architecture details and performing a task analysis, prototyping, creating, testing and launching the site. After launching the site, analysis of the feedback messages is necessary to improve the site. Dix et al (pg 84) ascertains that, the use of HCI increases the productivity and reduces costs. Saving results due to few errors, reduced user interruption, reduced support staff workload, elimination of maintenance, redesign and training costs. HCI involves the design, implementation, analysis and evaluation of computer systems in relation to the user, the work and tasks. According to Dix et al (94), for an effective HCI design and implementation, the skills of sociology, psychology, computer engineering, ergonomics, sales and marketing, graphic design and technical knowledge are necessary in order to archive a high quality and effective site. HCI design must emphasize on efficient methods of communication between the users. Usability engineering is necessary in the interface design which comprises half of the software work, done on the site. Models must be formulated to help solve solution and allow the designer visualize the situation at hand says, Cooper & Riemann (pg 231). For a successful HCI design, both the user model and the implementation model are important. Most software developers concentrate on the complex software design limiting the functionality and ergonomics of the site from the user's side. Newmann and L amming, (pg 163) asserts that, conceptual design assist the user understand the system through the development of the user model. According to Newmann and Lamming, (pg 163-231), developments in the HCI field have lead to invention and use of different site enhancement techniques. These include text to speech technology which allows the synthesis of text to speech which greatly helps the visionary impaired people access the website and the use of multi modal interfaces which allow for auditory and visual interfaces creating a conducive environment for the users. These aspects of HCI greatly boost the universality of the system, says Cooper & Riemann, (pg 301). Other barriers that HCI overcomes include; colour blindness, tunnel vision, physically disability which results in the user being unable to manipulate the input devices and storage devices, age barriers and cognitive barriers. Eric (pg, 76), asserts that the security of any website is paramount especially when payments will be made using a computers and the internet. It is necessary to design an elaborate security system that prevents loss and malicious damage or access of information. There are many internet security systems that are used for enhancing security but Stephen (pg 98) argues that The SSL system or the secure socket layer is effective software for website protection. According to Stephen (pg 106), there are two major problems that occur in any network, these problems include not connecting to the right computer and loss of information/ malicious access to information when transferring information from one computer to another in a given network. The SSL system was developed by Netscape and is used for

Instrumentation principles for media technology microphone technology Essay

Instrumentation principles for media technology microphone technology - Essay Example According to Snoman, a microphone, casually referred to as mic or mike, is a device that â€Å"converts sound into an electrical current that is then transformed into an audio signal at the end of the chain† (152). How well the sound gets captured by the microphone and un-obstructively reproduced and transmitted to the audience, and how well the microphone meets the live or studio requirements of sound, is the main concern. There is no doubt that when you go for a high quality microphone, you are ultimately ensuring excellence of the sound; however, every microphone has its own tonal quality that is different from other microphones. Thus, choosing the right microphone is what requires good sensible knowledge about the microphone technology and some basic tips and tricks of utilizing this technology. â€Å"Microphones are a key factor in achieving high quality recordings and sound reproduction†, says Peterson. The first microphone ever developed consisted of a metal diaphragm connected to a needle which was further connected to a metal foil. When the diaphragm would catch differences in air pressure, it would cause the needle to move which would scratch out specific patterns onto the metal foil. When these scratches were later run by the needle, they would cause the diaphragm to move which reproduced the recorded sound (How Stuff Works). The latest microphone technology, however sophisticated, works on the same principle that is, converting air pressure waves into electrical current. Whatever the type of the microphone is, all have one thing is common. That is the diaphragm which is actually a thin paper or a thin piece of aluminum or plastic, located in the head of a typical microphone, and vibrates when it catches sound waves produced by differences in air pressure (see Fig. 1). Vibrations in this diaphragm cause vibrations in other modules of the microphone as well

The Impact of the Increasing Number of Individuals with Dementia Coursework

The Impact of the Increasing Number of Individuals with Dementia - Coursework Example According to the last audit report, about 560,000 people in England are suffering from dementia, and from the steeply rising trend, it is expected that in the coming 5 years, this number would escalate to a far higher range leading to an enormous burden on the NHS economy. It is unfortunate that despite the critical nature of this problem, dementia care is not an NHS priority, and consequently, most of the problem now is handled by social care. Therefore, as a social care professional, this ever-increasing incidence of dementia will have an impact on practice.   A focus group study reveals that the trend of having more and more affected individuals is clear. With the advance of medicine, the society of the country is primarily an aged society due to the change in longevity and public health. Although often told about the elderly, it must be remembered that in some cases, the disease arises at the age of 45 or so, where the impact of the problem may be severe and particularly devast ating due to impact on employment, income, and expected life course. With an individual with a diagnosis of dementia, at least initially, the family provides the majority of care, and they are bound to be burdened increasingly as the life course of the disease become progressive. In many cases, the health system forces indirectly the caregivers at home to utilize their own funds for different supports available leading to increased financial costs for care. Social work where the focus and skills of the profession related directly to the individual, his environment, and the interactions between these two could be the best profession to serve this growing population of dementia individuals and their caregivers (Department of Health, 2006).Although historically, dementia care began as a part of psychiatric nursing, it was gradually and increasingly being understood that care of these older people with dementia involving the network of their family members was a different work, which ma y aptly be called psychogeriatric. The early role description from research indicated some unique features, which are "the value of experience in working with people with dementia and their families; a knowledge of dementia and its likely course; attention to the personal care needs of people with dementia; information-sharing with families; promotion of autonomy for people with dementia; maintaining regular visits and contact; establishing trust with both the person with dementia and their family; and service coordination".

To the board of the Renaissance University Essay Example for Free

To the board of the Renaissance University Essay I am writing this recommendation letter on behalf of Adam Levine. Adam’s life revolves around his band and music. The experience and passion Adam holds are powerful qualities in his favor. He is a zealous music coach and musician. He helps his students and team on The Voice by inspiring them and pushing them to sing outside of their comfort zone and to explore different genres. He challenges young musicians and singers to grow as artists and helps them explore who they are as performers. Adam is young and talented himself, and because of that he communicates well with younger students. Adam Levine is a well-rounded, independent person. Not only is Adam famous for his musical talents he has branched out into television, starting from a comedic role on Saturday Night Live to his fulltime role as a judge on the reality show The Voice. Adam has struggled his whole life with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He started a world-wide project known as â€Å"The Own It Project†, which is his way of encouraging young adults and adults to tell their story about how they deal with ADHD. Adam also is a big supporter of lesbian and gay rights (LGBT) and strongly believes it is something you are born with. His brother, Michael, is openly gay which the family has known about since Michael was two years old. Adam Levine has worked hard to gain confidence and overcome an in-born shyness he had since he was a little boy. His love of music, family, and friends has shaped him to be the man he is today. Adam now exhibits a personality so lively and outgoing that people are enamored by his entertaining qualities. In my eyes Adam has a very gentle personality. People are drawn to him, because he radiates warmth and a caring nature. Adam is the peacemaker on The Voice, always making an effort to find the good in the contestant’s performances, rather than being too critical of their mistakes. People sense Adams desire for a loving and spiritual environment. Adam may not have had strength when he was younger for the music business, but he has proved himself to be able to do anything he sets his mind to. Yours truly, ______________

Reflective evaluation of the skills of counselling

Reflective evaluation of the skills of counselling This essay is a reflective evaluation of the skills of counselling applied to loss and grief in a students process of learning how to travel the journey of the therapeutic relationship with the client. The essay will contain reflections of verbatim examples from during the practice session in which Steven Felice is the client, and Caroline Roberts the counsellor. The essay will also discuss via relevant literature the process of person-centred counselling in the focus of loss through bonds of attachment and continuing bonds. The practice session took place in counselling room two, at ACAP on the 21st of April 2010, between Steven Felice and Caroline Roberts. Steven wanted to discuss the loss of a friendship. This friendship for Steven was a friendship that had begun in early childhood and carried a deep bond of attachment, for which Steven is finding the loss hard to accept. During the session I spent the majority of the time listening to Steven and reflecting as best I could the content and emotion of his experience. When dealing with loss in relation to friendships it is important to offer the client the same respect to emotional depth of expression as that of a person experiencing loss from a death. For Steven the loss of significance surrounded his childhood friend no longer wishing to be as close as usual due to her recent change of religious affiliation. For Steven this seems difficult to accept, as he was willing to try to understand and acknowledge her needs and she seems to have rejected him. He also seems to feel loss around his confidence with how he relates and interacts with people, which appears to be trust related issues. Almost a loss of innocence has been triggered by the loss of this important attachment bond. Loss is such an immense part of living and loving that it would be difficult to counsel without an understanding of the theory of attachment. Mallon (2008) suggests understanding attachment in grief and loss counselling is essential due to the basis that all human relationships are based in attachment, from the first attachment to ones mother, extending through lifes interactions to include those called friends and lovers. Neimeyer, Baldwin, Gillies (2006) discuss how with the loss of a loved one, people tend to keep the attachment alive and well within their memories, stories, dreams, images, and even music or ornaments. When a loved one is no longer in presence, then the attachment and relationship changes but it does not cease to exist, the relationship is merely rewritten or shifted to another reality or perception. As is the case with Stevens relationship, at 16:04 Steven says, he fights in his own head when asked about the whether he is still maintaining the relationship, which would seem to indicate quite clearly that he is continuing the bond and relationship even though she is unaware of this. During the session I felt I established rapport, and was present with Steven, as well as using active listening, reflection, and questions, although I could have phrased these more appropriately, I also used silence to allow Steven his thoughts. I dont know that I was able to apply a structured assessment during the session, as in trying to purposely work on coping skills, support systems, and spiritual or cultural dimensions. However I feel that we talked about these issues in the course of the session as reflection, active listening and questioning allowed these issues to come into play, especially when silence was used, allowing Steven to process and actualise his sense of spiritual connection and personal experiences and expectations. I would like to reflect on my skills as an awaking, a process of realisation about how one is appropriate in being curious, respectful, congruent, empathic, and present simultaneously, without getting in ones own way. Rogers (1942-2008) suggests that the counselling relationship provides a safe respectful environment in which the client feels comfortable and accepted enough to express their feelings knowing that the counsellor will not judge them, but will listen and support them. As a grief, loss and bereavement counsellor I feel it would be very beneficial to hone my skills around person-centred counselling, with particular focus on attachment theory and continuing bonds. Person-centred counselling is such a great grounding for doing no harm, as it is based in Rogerss core conditions. Tolan (2003) describes the core conditions as requiring the counsellor to be mentally and emotionally present and remove themselves from the clients story by simply listening without judgment or bias, with respect, congruence, and empathy, no forgetting unconditional positive regard. Bryant-Jefferies (2006) explains presence as a line of communication whereby both client and counsellor are empathically aware of eac h other. With the felt presence, the most significant element would be whether or not the client feels they are being understood, which can be demonstrated with appropriate reflection. During the session I felt that Steven and I were in a place of empathic contact, established through good rapport, and staying as present as possible. I feel I can improve my sense of presence as time allows skills to become second nature, as right now I often get in my own way by worrying about whether or not I am demonstrating all the necessary skills. For example my art of reflection still needs to develop as shown with these examples; C: 06:27; so youre missing the previous style of relationship and interaction that you had from. S: yeah, yeah I need that Some of my language could probably be improved by saying; I sense you are missing the closeness of your relationship. Also I need to be mindful of using words like so, as it can carry a feeling of judgement if the tone is not just right. Another example; C: 09:47; so you just said that, if I go back to you saying, that you are asking yourself about the relevance of keeping someone, now youre sort of talking about the boundaries and stuff, is that related. S: ah, by keeping someone and having boundaries as such, I feel like it, like when I meet a new person now.. Again I begin with so, I think I actually begin nearly every reflection with so. Note to self do not say so. The reflection would be better if I phrased it; I hear you questioning your feelings towards getting close to another affects you, which seems to be bring up the need for boundaries, could you tell me more about that. Around 08:45: I ask; so was she an intimate friend or I made Steven uncomfortable as you can see by his body language, where instead I could have asked; could you tell me more about that, or what did that childhood friendship mean for you. The art of the question is another skill I need to practice, especially with careful open questions instead of closed blunt or, the too intrusive kind of questions. Nelson-Jones (2009) suggests that even though some background information can help the counsellor understand the clients background, open questions allow the client to express their story how they wish to, instead of the counsellor meeting their agenda. Respect is the underlying need in all questions with open questions such as, what does that mean for you, being a respectfully gentle asking for the clients meaning, and also another way to monitor counsellor curiosity with respect to the client. I could really hear that Steven attaches to people very deeply and quickly or easily, and I wanted to explore that with him, but alas my skills in how to achieve that need practise. Attachment is such a deep seated need and reflex that helps one find and express love that I feel its importance cannot be overlooked. Russell-Chapin and Smith (2008) talk about the undeniable reality that love and loss are part of the whole experience of human attachment, with the point being that the more attached the relationship the more the loss may be felt and experienced. In addition they discuss how beneficial it can be to tell stories, and share our losses, as a way of continuing the life of ones loved one, for which the word anamnesis is used to describe the experience of remembering and representing our recollections and experiences of shared living with our lost loved one in the present moment. Here I relate to continuing bonds as there is sometimes no escaping the thoughts that float through ones consciousness and replay events, conversations, images, and special moments. Attig (2000) summed up the experience as the continuing of ones connection with those one loved when he stated; the richness of lasting love consoles us (p283). Such words truly express how much sense it makes to keep on loving, keep remembering, keep dreaming, and keep sharing the memories of those we love, whose bodily presence is no longer tangible. Continuing bonds wi th ones loved ones also brings up how much attachment plays in relationships, for if no attachment is felt, no meaningful relationship exists, and therefore no need to miss or remember. Around 14:10; Steven begins telling me how his friend is involved in certain religious practices. At 14:22; I reflect C: So youre worried about her. Steven continues his story and I feel it is important to listen and use silence here as I sense he might need to hear his thoughts process this. Geldard Geldard (2008) express how new counsellors often find silence difficult because they are worried about appearing to demonstrate the skills required. However once the silence has become a comfortable reflex the counsellor can allow the client the precious moments of reflection often needed to mentally sit in a thought and own the feeling. Palmer Milner (2003) suggest that silence can be a very supportive space for the client to contemplate their thoughts when used appropriately and respectfully in a comfortable measure. Silence is a skill that requires self acceptance and a certain measure of self-assured comfort to be able to sit with the client when they require a moment to contemplate. Steven, given a moment to silently think then begins to reflect on his own spirituality in connection with the reactions he is experiencing. Walsh (2004) suggests that in some cases a person may be grieving their spiritual connection to self, brought into awareness by an experience of loss. As does feeling the loss of physical, emotional, or relational, connections, this could in turn affect ones ability to find some resolution within ones life. This is not surprising considering spirituality is one of the concepts that give life meaning in death as it does in life. Walsh (2004b) goes on to explain that peoples spiritual beliefs cross generations and evolve and develop, as family cultures evolve and develop, embedding and adjusting values and beliefs that surround not only life and love but also death. When I look at the experience of loss Steven has shared with me, and consider how I could have explored this more to address his coping style, support system, spiritual or religious beliefs, as well as his cultural influences, I am not sure at my level of competency in twenty minutes how to achieve all of that whilst respectfully listening to his story and allowing the client to lead and own the session. Johns (2005) cites Rogerss who states The degree to which I can create relationships which facilitate the growth of others as separate persons is a measure of the growth I have achieved in myself (p5). This statement is a very powerful truth to which I feel as a counsellor is the aim of self development and a very necessary goal to practice and reflect constantly on the skills. Johns (2005b) explores some of the ways in which counsellor skills can be practiced, including personal counselling, doing practice sessions, keeping diary of skills development, taking risks when practicing t o develop confidence, thereby, learning to relax and own the space of self within the counselling dynamic. Personally I have volunteered at my local church to get actual practice and develop my confidence as well as my skills. I also believe that going through the process of being a volunteer within the counselling realm will also help me to understand more about myself and where I wish to focus my future as a counsellor. So here in lies how I intend to move forward to becoming a better counsellor and person. To conclude this wonderful and challenging self reflection, I would like to acknowledge that I am growing as a counsellor. I am learning how important the theories and models associated with bereavement are vital to allow a counsellor to be of actual assistance to a person suffering. I am confirmed through my research of the theories and models, that love and attachment are vital in life, death, and counselling. Being able to workshop my faults and successes is also a vital process in the development of my use and understanding of not just the skills but why they are so important, particularly in the field of counselling in loss.

Southwest Airlines Corporations

Southwest Airlines Corporations In year of 2006, Southwest Airlines celebrated its 34th consecutive year of profitability. While other airlines paces of profitability appear to be stagnant; Southwest Airlines was announced as one of the most admired corporations by Fortune 500 Magazine (Southwest 2006). Southwests success is deeply related to the new strategies that other airlines dont even dare to consider. The corporate culture and strategic philosophy stands out, making Southwest the leader in the whole airline industry. Southwest Airlines strategy can be described as â€Å"short-haul, low-fare, high-frequency, and point-to-point carrier (Fortune Magazine 2006)†. A lot of people consider that the marketing strategy that Southwest Airlines currently using is the low cost provider strategy. Low cost provider strategy is a strategy which is committed to driving down the cost through its value chain system (Broydrick 1995)†. This strategy allows companies to compete aggressively on price earning high pr ofit margins than rivals. But the low cost provider strategy is not the cure-all prescription for all the problems. If the quality of a product or service is not guaranteed, the low cost provider strategy is not likely to work. From a macro perspective, it seems that Southwest Airlines is using the low cost provider strategy to stand out among all other airlines. Rather, it is using the best cost provider strategy because from a competitive positioning standpoint, best cost strategies are a â€Å"hybrid, balancing a strategic emphasis on low cost against a strategic emphasis on differentiation (supervalue) (Entrepreneur 1995).† In order to analyze the factors which contributed to the success of Southwest Airline Corporation more efficiently, we can use the McKinsey 7-S Model. In Peter and Watermans masterpiece â€Å"In Search of Excellence†, the book summarized that in order for a corporation to be successful; there are factors which it must acquire. The reason why that they are considering the success in this way was because that successful corporations they picked from the top list of the Fortune Magazine all possessed seven criterion. That is the famous McKinsey 7-S framework that Southwest Airline based its strategies on, which guarantees that â€Å"any intelligent approach to eventual success of organizing had to encompass (Peters and Waterman, 1982)†. The McKinsey framework includes eight attributes: 1) A Bias for Action. This attribute is based on the principle of â€Å"can do, let try.† This means that the principle favors experimentation. Southwest often goes out of its way to â€Å"amuse, surprise and entertain† its passengers (Peters and Waterman, 1982).† 2) Close to the Customer. This implies that the closeness to customers are expressed as an attitude concentrating on â€Å"valued clients† rather than valued employees of Southwest Airlines treat the customers as â€Å"valued clients† rather than â€Å"valued wallets.† They care about the customers not only just for one trip, but their futures as well. Moreover, the letters from customers are answered personally rather than using a standardized formula. Southwests CEO Kelleher actively supported that because he declared that there are three advantages which could be drawn from the service. First, it is the employee performance. Kelleher considers it the best way to value its employees. Second, the inputs from the letters which are authentically wrote indicates the real deficiencies that Southwest might encounter. Third, there is no worry about the letters because if cu stomers are willing to spend time on writing it, there is a great possibility that their concern shown on the letters are true and realistic. Southwest rarely uses survey questions to test its customers to test customer satisfaction. Because most surveys are made up of multiple choices from scales such as from 1 to 10, or from excellent to bad. It is hard from customers to think that the corporation belongs to which category. The difference between scales 5 and 7 might be real close which confuse the customers (Dauble 2005). As a result, some customers filled up the answers in guessing way that they dont even know what they are doing. They just want to get over with it. 3) Autonomy and Entrepreneurship. This indicates that in the whole corporation, every employee is a leader. They are respected just like any top managers. Everyone is welcome to submit new ideas or weakness of the corporation, and it has no hierarchy. Moreover, their will be competition within the corporation, but not suppression. Every competition is conducted in friendly manners. Unlike other corporations that the CEOs rarely allows themselves to meet the employees, the employees of Southwest can have lunch with Kelleher any day at any time (Marcial 2005). All the departments often shower free ice creams, pizza and other good stuffs to celebrate for each other when an assignment gets well done. Some employees from different departments in other corporations dont even know each other. All they do is doing their own work. Therefore, once there is a problem, it is extremely difficult for departments to work as a whole to solve the problem because they hardly know each other. This will wastes a lot of time, have the possibility of leading the corporation into the wrong direction, and intensifies the relationship of managers between departments in the situation that when they are unable to reach consensus (Lynch 2005). Furthermore, Southwest welcomes failures as well as successes because it firmly believes that failure is the mother of success. When a failure appears, it means that the success is coming down the road. 4) Productivity through People. This strategy implies that there is no existence of personality tests. Sense of humor and an outgoing attitude is a must. At Southwest, communications are frequent and concerns of old people and young people are treated by old employees and young employees with outgoing attitudes and personalities. In this way, the negative effects and misunderstandings due to generation ga ps can be avoided. 5) Hand-on, Value-Driven. At Southwest, there is a policy that in every quarter, the top managers and executives must spend one day experiencing the jobs of their employees. By working on positions such as ticket agents, baggage handlers, or janitors, people from the top level will have an authentic feel of whats going on and where are difficulties and deficiencies (Bunz 1998). 6) Stick to the Knitting. This theory indicates that corporations should never expand too fast just because their financial results in the short run show success. Southwest will not expand recently because it follows the strategy and every move it makes is conducted in an extremely careful way. Southwest understands that if â€Å"hot meat appears, your eating it fast strategy probably will burn your mouth (McNerney 1996)†. 7) Simple Form and Lean Staff. This strategy means that â€Å"keeping an organizational staff lean simplifies channels of communication in an organization (Peters and Waterman, 1982).† The reason of this is because that the more layers a hierarch has in a corporation, the longer it makes to make a decision which could result in wasting time and resources. At Southwest, it is not the janitors clean up the airlines. Rather, flight attendants and top managers are people who do the cleanings. In this way, Southwest can save both money and time. Moreover, Southwest is always loyal to its employees as they are to the Southwest. Southwest uses the â€Å"always hire and rarely fire† principle when dealing with human resources (Peters and Waterman, 1982).† It never fires its employees just because of external factors such as the stagnant of economy or internal factors such as financial loss. 8) Simultaneous loose-tight properties. This means that the corporation has both a centralized and decentralized system which de-emphasizes hierarchy. Southwest has a democratic style of corporation culture with autonomy and a tight control of finance by the CEO to make sure that money and resources are not wasted. Besides the above-mentioned eight crucial strategies that successful corporations must acquire, Southwest has two more strategies that other successful corporations do not possess. One is the University of People, and the other one is its CEO Kelleher (BusinessWeek 2005). University of People is a program established by Southwest for training new emplo yees. The trainees treat rookies just like the way they treat customers with great respect. Southwest firmly believes that the way it treats its employees will be an indicator of standards and positive motivation for employees to treat customers in same manners in the way which they are treated, or even better. As the CEO of Southwest, Kelleher is a successful executive with great responsibilities. He is also looked upon as a person with great sense of humor. An employee described that â€Å"wherever Mr. Kelleher goes, you will always hear sounds of laughs and feel an atmosphere of harmony (Gavinderajan 2002).† The successful corporation structure and philosophy of centralized and decentralized differentiation of the â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy brings a change, as well as a revolution of corporate structure innovations from old styles to the new ones. The â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy is very successful currently. Southwest is successful not only because of the â€Å"Short-Hauls† strategy. Southwests corporate strategy in areas of human resources, financial control, employee motivation and promotion, frequent communications between different levels, and the hardness for other airlines to duplicate are also factors which go with the â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy, differentiating Southwest from the rest of airlines, and therefore ensuring the success of such great achievement. However, huge problems are likely to take place in the long run. Just like Darwins Theory â€Å"survival of the fittest† indicates that every element is on its way of evolving, being unchanged will eventually be discarded by time and success in the long run. It is true that Kellehers â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy is extremely successful at present, but it will never guarantee that depending solely on this strategy will still be succes sful in the future. Looking into the history of the human kind, and look at ourselves now, how is it different from the past and the present? If all human beings have not evolved, if the science in every field has not changed, will we still have the same outlooks as what we are having now? I dont think so. Without the evolving of human kind and the improvements in scientific field, we will be no different compared with the primary humans in the early stages. Dont even mention about watching television, taking shower, surfing on the internet, flying in the airplane, or even having delicious meals. Without changes and improvements, we will still be in the primary forests where once we belonged, eating raw meat like barbarians and sharing room with animals. There is no government, business entity or element which is able to stay unchanged forever. During the medieval period, the Roman Empire was the most powerful nation in the entire world. But it collapsed. The British once said that â€Å"the sun will never set on Great Britain†! It also collapsed. China invented three of the four ancient miracles, the method of printing, compass and gunpowder more than 3,000 years ago. It was also the center of power and civilization during the Tang Dynasty which lasted for more than 800 years. China also paved the way for the first international business that never had happened between the east and the west. When Marco Polo traveled to China during the peak of its prosperity, he was shocked and thrilled to see that difference between the east and the west. When the European were sharing rooms with animals, China already had palaces made out of gold, even the miracle of Great Wall which is the only manmade mark that can be seen from space. The dynasty also collapsed. From all the examples that I mentioned above, you can clearly see t hat every nation has its ups and downs. Forever power never exists. This is exactly the same as business. I will be astonished if you can tell me a business entity which has lasted for 500 years. Many people believe that Wal-Mart is unstoppable, and unfortunately, they are absolutely wrong. Decades ago, Sears was the â€Å"Wal-Mart† at that time. Look at Sears now, how different it is between the past and present. Who can guarantee decades later, there will be no corporations replacing Wal-Mart? If Kelleher has the same concerns as I do, it is possible that he will be worried about Southwest in the future. What if the â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy stopped working? What if an underdog suddenly comes out, making Southwest stand on the border of failure? The situation for Southwest in the future is not as optimistic as it seems. However, it does not mean that Southwest is meant to be a failure. All roads lead to Rome, and whenever there is a will, there is a way. Kelleher can still use the â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy to succeed. But the strategy must be converted from a micro-perspective to a macro-perspective. In order for a company to be successful in the long run, it must expand. Kelleher said that Southwest has not made any decision to expand at present. But it does not mean that Southwest will never expand. As a business entity, corporations must expand globally to obtain more profits. Look at Wal-Mart, how many stores does it own worldwide? Need I say more? This also reminds me of an old saying which has it that â€Å"the largest fish in the river is never a big fish in the ocean†. If Southwest is satisfied just because of current profits and competitive advantages it has in the short run, it will not be Southwest anymore. I think that Southwest is on its way of planning its expansions, but with a very careful and conscientious attitude. It wants to make sure that the new strategy will work when the decision of expanding is made. There might be countless strategies for Kelleher to come up with. I know one strategy which I consider the best strategy because using this new strategy, Southwest can be very successful in the long run. It can also save time and resources. So what is this so-called strategy? I consider it the most successful not because of my arbitrary standing point of â€Å"pride and prejudice.† Rather, I recognized its importance and advantages because I have done a lot of research to make sure that this approach makes sense. The strategy I am using now is one strategy from the masterpiece called â€Å"The Art of War†, written by the greatest military strategist ever in history more than 3,000 years ago. The authors name is Sun Zi. What is so great and amazing about this book is that it has listed all the strategies which can be applied and used in all scientific fields, such as military, business, geometry and all other natural sciences. Japan is renowned for its management which almost cracked down the American automobile industry, and every top manager in Japan always makes sure they the book ‘The Art of War† lays on his desk. India is renowned for its financial system which also takes some strategies fr om â€Å"The Art of War†. United States Department of Defense and its military also adopted the strategies from the masterpiece of â€Å"The Art of War†, and manipulate them from a military science standing point (The Spread and popularity of the Art of War). In order to implement these strategies appropriately, one requirement must be met. The prerequisite is that the user must have a good understanding of military science built on the views that can be related and flexibly applied and manipulated from a perspective which solves problems based on methods of essence indirectly related from all other sciences. Knowledge is similar to a big family in that every element from every field mutually supports each other. For instance, when in process of establishing a military strategy, the person responsible for it must have good understandings of sciences such as geology, meteorology, physics, chemistry and even languages as well. In order for the strategy to operate well to the fullest extent of its capacity, the central strategist must have a good command of what geological area is the enemy in; what weapons has the enemy obtained; is it possible to use the scientific competitive advantage from a military perspective; what will the weather be like when the battle takes place; what mathematical calculation is needed for the army to defeat the enemy in a timely, resource-saving and casualty-reducing standpoint; after invading the area, what language and culture pattern that the enemy uses and has, etc. For geography, it is crucial for the strategist to decide which altitudes in the region would likely to be an advantage when fighting the battle. For weapons, the strategist must know whether the wea pons invented through the methods and formulas of physics and chemistry is a helping factor, and the basic laws and functions of the scientific principles in which the weapons are made based on knowledge of physics and chemistry. For meteorology, the strategist must have a good command of whats the weather would be like when the battle takes places because fighting on a sunny day and rainy day will have different results which could be the factors leading to either the victory or failure of the battle. For mathematics, the strategist must be pretty clear that why way is actually the nearest way offering competitive advantage for his troops. For linguistics, people who speak the enemys language and understand their cultural patterns will be a good indicator to lead the way. Ignorance of these necessary elements that eventually leads to failures is countless. In the Korean War, both sides have tried everything to keep control of the highest geographic positions; the first Russian space shuttle to the moon would provide Russia with a competitive technological advantage on weapons based on the same laws of sciences that were applied to the shuttle; the shuttle never comes back because the Russian scientists ignor ed one hundredth of a decimal point, and it resulted in deaths of all its excellent astronauts; the lost of the space shuttle which the government had supported financially, the time Russian scientists had devoted themselves to, and suspicions of scientific laws; all the hard work, the money and resources was wasted, and the laws of science were meant to be retested; the American troops in Iraq resulted in more casualties as expected because the strategist ignored the power of language, and hiring locals who hate Americans as translators who intentionally led Americans to opposite and wrong directions which resulted in lost of many lives which can possibly be saved if language and cultural pattern were considered. Finally, the reason that George Bush still could not find Bin Laden is because that he has no idea of the Iraqi landforms. If he knew that well, Bin Laden should already be caught and Saddam Hussein will not be the scapegoat. The strategy that Southwest Airlines should use in order to continue its success is also based on the â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy. The difference is that the strategy must be inter-converted. Southwest can try its best to duplicate its â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy globally. For instance, it can do exactly the same business with the same strategy once again. But this time, Southwest has to do it in every part of the world. For instance, Southwest can expand its business in France, Germany, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, Poland, Greece, etc. All Southwest has to do is doing â€Å"Short-Haul† business in all the countries. Once the â€Å"Short-Haul† strategy has spread to almost all the nations with economic prosperity, Southwest can start its â€Å"Long-Haul† strategy. Its global network will be linked like the solid structure of an atom, from Russia to Germany, Germany to France, France to Australia, Australia to China, and China to Switzerland, etc. By doing this, Southwest will have an extremely solid structure of global airline network that is likely to be very durable. The structure is similar to that of an atom. The structure of an atom can be described as one of the most solid structure among all other solid elements. This strategy adopted from â€Å"The Art of War† is based on the theory of strategic transformation, especially from a micro-perspective to a macro-perspective (Chapter IV, Art of War). By duplicating its successful strategy of â€Å"Short-Haul†, Southwest will have the capabilities of accumulating more strengths little by little. When Southwest considers it the right time to transform the â€Å"Short-Hauls† strategy to â€Å"Long-Hauls†, it can connect its business in every corner of the world. Each business in a certain place can be regard as a dot; there will an enormous amount of dots that Southwest has worked on. Therefore, connections of all the dots will change the network s imilar to that of an atom. Atom is said to have the toughest element structure on earth. One atom does not mean anything; two atoms only make a molecule. But through countless chemical reactions of nuclear fissions, millions and billions of atoms will have the energy as powerful as that of the atomic bomb. This strategy is also flexible. When Southwest considers itself too hard to manage all its subdivisions, it can back up its structures to original format, transforming from a macro-perspective to a micro-perspective. It can also change some parts to macro and other parts to micro. Whenever it is needed, Southwest is capable of interchanging its structure into different forms that best fits can be calculated according to different situations. The huge advantage of this strategic has three crucial characteristics: First, all Southwest has to do to force other airlines out of business just by doing a slight shift. Once the headquarter take the move, every connections of the network over the world can either do the same as a whole or a slightly different according to its own situation. The reason that Southwest is able to do this is because it possesses both a centralized and decentralized structure which can choose the best outfits. Second, once the network is complete, it will be very durable. It can last for a very last period until the strategies made by other airlines are superior. As I mentioned above, every element is on the way of changing so that there is no forever monopoly. But when Southwest has the ability to applied the â€Å"Long-Hauls† strategy, it will already have obtained the role as the leader in the industry. It will then be extremely difficult for other airlines to innovate new ideas expecting to replace the Southwest because under that situation, Southwest have the power to make sure that other airlines do not have chances. I dont mean that there is no possibility another innovation of internal structure of corporations. But the probability is not likely because at that time, Southwest will have the possibility with a confidence interval of at least 90%. Finally, I will be thrilled and stunned if other corporations are able to come up with better strategies under such a suppressed atmosphere. In order for other airlines to jump out from the â€Å"vicious cycle†, they must have the ability to obtain two important factors, which are financial resources and time. The network at least will take Southwest ten years to complete with financing of trillions of dollars. It is not likely for other airlines to come up with trillions of dollars at once, and even Wal-Mart does not know if it possesses the ability. Moreover, there is another requirement of more importance. That i s the time. The most valuable thing in the entire world is time. There is no opportunity cost for time because time is always moving on and it is eternal. It can never stop. As a result, do those airlines have time to do it? How long do they need in order to come up with a better strategy, replacing that of the Southwests? Therefore, the possibility is extremely slight. Southwest has this advantage. It is only a matter of time! Its about how long Southwest can last! Bibliographies â€Å"Americas Most Admired Companies 2006†, Wall Street Journal, available @ http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/snapshots/1253.html Dauble, Jennifer, â€Å"Top Fifty Companies to Watch, October 31, 2005†. Wall Street Journal, available @ http://www.dowjones.com/Pressroom/PressReleases/Other/US/2005.html._ Marcial, Gene, â€Å"Southwest Airlines Wings North†, November 7, 2005. BusinessWeek, available @ http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_45/b3958118.htm Lynch, Pat â€Å"Southwest Airlines†, Online Blogs From Google, April 5, 2005. Available @ http://finance.google.com/finance?q=luvhl=en â€Å"Southwest Fact Sheet†, March 28, 2006. Southwest Airlines Corporation, available @ http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/factsheet.html Bunz Ulla, â€Å"Learning Excellence, Southwest Airlines approach†, Volume 8, 1998. Available @ http://bunz.comm.fsu.edu/southwest.pdf Peter, TJ. And Waterman, R.H. (1982), In Search of Excellence: Lessons from Americas Best Run Companies, Harper Row, New York, NY. McNerney, D.J. (1996), â€Å"Employee motivation: creating a motivated workforce†, HR Focus, Vol.73 No.8, pp.1, 4-6. Gavinderajan Vijay, â€Å"Southwest Airline Corporation†, 2002, no. 20012. Trip Tracy, March 2006. â€Å"Best Practices Case Study: Best Perks, Southwest Airlines†, available @ http://vault.com/nr/newsmain.jsp?nr_page=3ch_id=402article_id=19258

A World Without Art :: Music Senses Hearing Essays

A World Without Art Periodically, the question will come up, â€Å" If you had to give up one of your senses, which one would you select?† Which one, the question implies, could you best do without? I ruminate on this question occasionally, wondering what it would be like to be without something that that is so taken for granted that I don’t even really think about it at all. What, I ask myself, would I miss the most? These questions come to mind when I watch a little girl in one of my kindergarten classes who is profoundly deaf. She wears massive hearing aids, and is able to understand much of what goes on around her, but I wonder, when the children are singing the little songs they learn to help them remember their counting or alphabet skills, or any of the myriad of other songs they learn, what does she hear then? She maintains of look of puzzlement on her face, as if she can’t quite figure out what the rest of the children are doing. Does she hear the music? Does it make any sense to her? Or is it just a bit of confusing noise that she can’t decipher? I wonder again when I watch a blind man navigate through the campus library, cane held out in front of him, following the textured path laid out to make his journey easier, unaware of the student art which adorns the walls next to him. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s wretched, mostly it’s indifferent, but he will never know as he maneuvers his way past this month’s offerings. The vivid slashes of color, the layers of texture, the intricate detail of the artistic renderings will never pierce the darkness of his world. What does he think when he hears conversations about art, about color. Does he paint visual pictures in his mind? Or do the words we use to describe things visually take on a completely different meaning for him? These thoughts take on a personal significance as I think about living a life without art. As a cook, the thought of being unable to taste the chocolate mousse, or the hollandaise sauce is a distressing notion, to put it mildly. Good food brings great joy to my life, and I would hate having to give up that part of my life. I am after all, the woman who trekked all the way from San Francisco to Vienna in search of the perfect Doboschtorte.The holidays see me virtually chained to my butcher-block worktable, turning out dozens of tins of cookies, A World Without Art :: Music Senses Hearing Essays A World Without Art Periodically, the question will come up, â€Å" If you had to give up one of your senses, which one would you select?† Which one, the question implies, could you best do without? I ruminate on this question occasionally, wondering what it would be like to be without something that that is so taken for granted that I don’t even really think about it at all. What, I ask myself, would I miss the most? These questions come to mind when I watch a little girl in one of my kindergarten classes who is profoundly deaf. She wears massive hearing aids, and is able to understand much of what goes on around her, but I wonder, when the children are singing the little songs they learn to help them remember their counting or alphabet skills, or any of the myriad of other songs they learn, what does she hear then? She maintains of look of puzzlement on her face, as if she can’t quite figure out what the rest of the children are doing. Does she hear the music? Does it make any sense to her? Or is it just a bit of confusing noise that she can’t decipher? I wonder again when I watch a blind man navigate through the campus library, cane held out in front of him, following the textured path laid out to make his journey easier, unaware of the student art which adorns the walls next to him. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s wretched, mostly it’s indifferent, but he will never know as he maneuvers his way past this month’s offerings. The vivid slashes of color, the layers of texture, the intricate detail of the artistic renderings will never pierce the darkness of his world. What does he think when he hears conversations about art, about color. Does he paint visual pictures in his mind? Or do the words we use to describe things visually take on a completely different meaning for him? These thoughts take on a personal significance as I think about living a life without art. As a cook, the thought of being unable to taste the chocolate mousse, or the hollandaise sauce is a distressing notion, to put it mildly. Good food brings great joy to my life, and I would hate having to give up that part of my life. I am after all, the woman who trekked all the way from San Francisco to Vienna in search of the perfect Doboschtorte.The holidays see me virtually chained to my butcher-block worktable, turning out dozens of tins of cookies,

The Role of Mass-Media in the Contemporary World Essay -- essays resea

The Role of Mass-Media in the Contemporary World The power of the mass media has once become so powerful that its undoubtedly significant role in the world today stays beyond any questions. It is so strong that even politics uses it as a means of governing in any country around the world. The mass media has not only political meaning but also it conveys wide knowledge concerning all possible aspects of human beings’ lives and, what is utterly true, influences on people’s points of view and their attitude to the surrounding environment. It is completely agreeable about what kind of virtues the mass media is supposed to accent. Nevertheless, it is not frequent at all that the media provides societies with such a content, which is doubtful in terms of the role consigned to it. Presenting violence and intolerance as well as shaping and manipulating public are only a few examples of how the role of mass media is misunderstood by those who define themselves as leading media makers. As long as violent programmes are shown on TV, the role of the mass media becomes completely different from how it was originally treated. Violence is socially harmful and especially the youth are very prone to such scenes that may strongly affect their psyches. It is true that programmes featuring cruel pictures are marked as ‘only for adults’ but the time when they are emitted is relatively early and the access to them seems to be rather unlimited to young people. Another matter that is very fre...

Life Choices and Consequences Essay

My Grandfather always said to me â€Å" s3 wo si as3 Ny3 wo d3 a 3h) na wo tafiri† –â€Å"Even if you don’t like the taste in your mouth that is where you will always lick† The diversity of life impinges on us to make a choice in every single decision. Whatever you have done in your life and whatever you will do is simple a bundle of choices you have made or will make. And every single one of these choices serves as a foundation for another choice. But the more fascinating thing about choices is that every single one of our choices reduces the probability of options that are readily available to us . And this is extremely important because the surprising number of us do not realized that all that we are and everything we have are the results of choices . We are in control of our choices and thus our life’s direction and destiny. Our choices and our life go hand in hand . the life you are living is simply a cumulative series of choices you have made. We have gotten used to making choices that we scarcely think of it as the means that unfolds our life before our eyes. Choices are about yielding and resisting. They are about reflections and impulsiveness. They are about the present and future and it is a yes and no affair and a now later business but whatever it is the laws of living demands that we make one in every circumstance in other to live. But every single choice we make comes along with a shadow . This shadow is generally referred as consequence . It is very easy in the choice making decision to conjure our best planning skills to navigate the maze of options that covers the path to wherever we want to go and whatever we want to achieve. However, we scarcely make provisions for dealing with the consequences of our choices . And so consequences of our choices have become more or less a headache in society. More often than not, the consequences of our choices open our eyes to the glitter of all the other options we pushed aside. And then we start to think that the choices we made were poor ones . Sometimes we feel like turning back the clock and rewinding the tape in other to make a better choice. Truth is, it does not matter how hard or how badly you want to change the choice. A choice made is a choice made. The best that you can do about it is to develop a positive attitude about it and face the consequences. The bottom line is this: regardless of the consequences that we are going through now, we are all trying to accomplish increasingly more out of the choices we made with increasingly less resources –whether these resources are money, time, focus or energy. The challenge is not that we do not make rational choices, rather, our refusal to focus and work hard at the choices we have made, make those options we left behind glitter like the twinkling stars. Instead of constantly looking over your shoulder at the glittering options you left behind, your best bet is to live positively with your choices and look towards the future . Looking back means you are dwelling on the past instead of living in the present and being stuck in the past does not help you make any better choices in the future. We can all look at our circumstances and point out instances where different choices could have given us a different way of life . But it only sounds easy in words. In action, they are difficult . For the surprising majority of us, when the consequences of our choices rear its ugly head, we respond in a very predictable way. We turn in the opposite direction and try to outrun it . The only problem is that, before long the consequences catches up with us. And so instead of outrunning the consequences, we actually run into it , maximizing our exposure to it. Or like we say,† Challenges and problems compound when we ignore them , and we end up being exposed to something longer and or worse than what might have been. Our best bet is to wait for the consequences to come right at us and as it arrives, we must charge directly into them. By charging at the consequences of our choices, we run straight through it, which minimizes the amount of negative effect we experience . And why not, in life most of the brilliant options are about doing the hard things you know you should do, even when you do not feel like doing them, but doing as early on as possible. As long as we live, we are going to make a lot of choices. And if we do not want negative consequences, then we have to think about and evaluate our choices differently than we have been doing. It is about giving a lot of forethought to the consequences of the choices we are faced with. And it is about being ready to deal positively with whatever consequences that materializes out of the choices we make.

Memoir of American Sniper Essay

Growing up in a small southern town, Kyle always loved the thrill of hunting, the adrenaline of a rodeo and the adventures of cowboys. Little did he know that his career would include each of these elements. Through his four tours of duty, Kyle served in many major battles of the Iraqi war and ranked over 160 confirmed kills. His first kill came in late March 2003. His Seal Team was tasked to assist the marines as they marched toward Baghdad. Set up on the roof of a run down building, he observed through his scope a woman yank a Chinese grenade from beneath her clothes. As ordered to, he opened fire and consequently saved several Americans’ lives. Over time he increased his accuracy and lethality. One day, he spotted a group of three insurgents 1,600 yards away. Though they believed they were a safe distance away, Kyle incredibly dialed up his own solution, and killed one of them; that shot resulted in his longest confirmed kill in Iraq. I liked this memoir because Kyle demons trates his patriotism and his selflessness through his perilous adventures. Kyle enlisted in the Seals to honor America, and to protect her people. Chris â€Å"risked [his] life for [his] buddies, to protect [his] friends and fellow countrymen† (267). Furthermore, even though he had a newborn baby, he sacrificed his responsibility as a father in order to serve his country. His extreme patriotism and selflessness allowed him to become a legend.

Convicting, Convincing, and Converting Essay

The argument most reliable is convicting, converting, and convincing. Many denominational Churches and spiritual beliefs have conflicting feelings around this issue. Many feel that they can take in their rules or pick and choice the Scriptures (cherry-cream) and translate to accommodate their demands. â€Å"The Bible is supernatural in focus† (Towns, 2007 p. 19). Now by doing such blasphemy activities, one is defying God’s authority. That sort of behavior only leads to wicked spirits. Most importantly, we should not pick and choose Bible verses to suit our situations. God has laid out all of His commands systematically, and no short cuts. I have come across this dilemma in several churches. You see, when I became born again, The Holy Spirit condemned me of my past and enable me to see God through His eyes. The Word convinced me. I empowered the Almighty to be my Redeemer; God worked in me. Today, The Almighty God has granted me the pass for everlasting life and supply me with a passport of Heaven. In conclusion, Elmer Towns states the Bible is an awesome comforter and provider. â€Å" Perhaps the greatest influence of the Bible is its convicting, convincing, converting power to all who honestly accept its message and believe in Jesus Christ† (Towns, 2007 p. 24). The Word provides the reading audience a powerful belief of God being the real and a big deal. He is not the Author of confusion. (1 Corinthians 14: 33) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints (KJV). We must be aware that God comes to make peace with us. Once one has agreed to accept a spiritual relationship with God, you adopt off the former and bring on a new. Why not test Him and partake of the promise He has put aside for you to experience eternal life by keeping His commandments.

Leontief Input-Output Model in the Real World

IntroductionWassily Leontief's name is associated with a particular type of quantitative economics: input-output analysis (The New School, Profile of Wassily Leontief). The application of the dynamic input-output analysis serves as a guide in reviewing Leontief s contributions in two of the most important aspects of economic development and structural change: the raising of standards of living and the effects of the mechanization of production processes on labor. The purpose of this work is to familiarize the reader with the theoretical framework, construction and use of regional input-output models in the real world.The description of the analytical framework of an input-output model includes a discussion of the components of the model, an analytic measures derived from the model, and the assumptions of the model. The work presents the phases of model planning, construction and use, including some of the inherent limitations and problems. Finally, some suggestions for effective use of the model will be provided.Leontief went to Harvard in 1937, where, with the help of a few graduate student assistants, he completed the construction of the first input/output model for the 1939 U.S. economy, which, despite its primitive nature, proved to be an important planning tool during World War II. For example, it showed that President Roosevelt's rash promise to deliver 50,000 planes to the Allied forces was unrealistic, and the model indicated the bottleneck obstacles that must be first overcome.The Leontief input-output systems takes the form 3.1-1 (I – A) X = F where F is the vector of final demand by sector, I is an identity matrix, A is the matrix of technical coefficients, and X is the vector of gross output by sector. The main purpose of the input-output model is to explain the magnitudes of the interindustry flows in terms of the levels of production in each sector. The Leontief input-output model also makes several special assumptions which are not necessa rily made in other interindustry models. The most important of these are (1) that a given product is only supplied by one sector; (2) that there are no joint products; and (3) that the quantity of each input used in production by any sector is determined entirely by the level of output of that sector (Leontief Input Output Model 2000).The integration of the input-output model based on equation 3.1-1 with the final demand model based on national income accounting poses three problems immediately. First, the input-output accounting involves gross output concepts, while the national account data published for most developing countries deals with value added concepts. The second problem in the transformation, is the lack of time series data on final demand deliveries by each sector unless input-output tables exist for all years. Third, it is not to be expected that such a simple system will prove useful for all kinds of problems. A given aggregation into sectors may be valid for one pur pose but not for another.The dynamic input-output analysis allows economists to develop a general equilibrium system that, moving from the known economic conditions of the base year, traces different possible development paths of the economy, depending on the assumptions made on the proportions in which the national product is divided into consumption and investment, and on the investment coefficients in each sector. In his Nobel lecture, Leontief asserted: â€Å"The subject of this lecture is the elucidation of a particular input-output view of the world economy.This formulation should provide a framework for assembling and organizing the mass of factual data needed to describe the world economy. Such a system is essential for a concrete understanding of the world economy as well as for a systematic mapping of the alternative paths along which it could move in the future† (Leontief1973). Leontief s analysis focused on the consistency between the targets and the distribution of resources around the world. Among the most important conclusions and policy implications of the analysis are the necessity to increase the target rates of growth of gross products in the less developed countries, if the objective of increasingly closing the gap between North and South has to be fulfilled; the identification of political, social and institutional, more than physical, limits to sustained growth for the developing world; and the important indication that the costs of pollution abatement do not necessarily represent a threat for economic development.Input-output analysis is a useful and productive tool for regional analysis. It can provide important and timely information on the interrelationships in a regional economy and the impacts of changes on that economy. Thus, it can provide pertinent information about the impacts of economic growth and/or decline and the relative benefits and costs of alternative development strategies. Recently, the combination of a wealth of economic development issues to which input-output analysis can be applied and increased availability of computerized input-output models have led to an increased interest in this technique. The major contribution that input-output concepts and data have made to the analysis of economic development was reflected both in the large number of Conference participants from developing countries and in the generous sponsorship provided by UNIDO. Jacob Kol considers the probable effects on employment in the European Community and a group of (relatively industrialized) developing countries of a balanced increase in trade in manufactures (McKinley 2000).ConclusionLeontief is one of the first economists who was deeply concerned about the impact of unabated economic activities on the global environment. In his Nobel lecture, he outlined a simple input-output model where pollution was treated explicitly as a separate sector. His input-output analysis has become a classic technique of economic behavior, and some go as far as comparing him with John Maynard Keynes. One would never want to conclude a review of the contributions that Leontief offered to economic science, any possible list would always fall short of the overall message to the reader, a message of search, even more than research, for some pattern, some code hidden behind the surface of social and economic appearances, able to explain what happened and why, and what to expect, a message that springs from the synthesis of an immense and reasoned background which melts history, anthropology, philosophy, and certainly all the possible economic knowledge at the service of the humanity.Works Cited â€Å"Leontief Input Output Model† 17 January 2006. 19 September 2000 http://media.pearsoncmg.com/aw/aw_lay_linearalg_3/cs_apps/leontief.pdf â€Å"Leontief Input-Output Model† 18 January 2006 http://math.carleton.ca/~vdabbagh/leontief.pdf McKinley, Turi. â€Å"Wassily Leontief.† 17 January 2006. August 21-25, 2000 http://www.iioa.org/leontief/links.html â€Å"The New School, Profile of Wassily Leontief.† 18 January 2006 http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/profiles/leontief.htm Wassily Leontief â€Å"Structure of the World Economy: Outline of the Simple Input-Output Formulation.† 17 January 2006. 11 December 1973 http://nobelprize.org/economics/laureates/1973/leontief-lecture.pdf