The New Intelligence Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The New Intelligence Community - Essay Example Critics of the new intelligence community set up maintained that the system is so complex that it became hard to manage; hence doubts on its effectiveness continue to spread. According to an article by Priest and Arkin (2010) in the Washington Post, the intelligence community is enormous, with redundant agencies and tons of reports generated every day that many end up being ignored, resulting to waste of resources and effort. Consequently, the complexity of the intelligence community only causes the ODNI to lack focus on it various agencies. In addition, the President’s Intelligence Advisory Boards stressed that the ODNI must be â€Å"downsized but strengthen by transferring certain functions to other agencies† (Best, 2010, p. 6) because it cannot supervise and assume responsibility to the massive department on its own. The support of the Congress to the development of ODNI is also essential in strengthening the role of the latter, its functions and extent of authority in order to effectively lead the different intelligence agencies under its wing. Nevertheless, the new role of the ODNI is still being developed. With just a few years of operation, the new intelligence system continues to face challenges in cooperating among agencies while sorting out critical reports on terrorism. It is too early to claim that the ODNI is a failure. Given the support of the Congress in defining its role, power and responsibilities, the ODNI can eventually learn how to manage its agencies more successfully. It should also consider reviewing the agencies doing the same work and identify critical reports to efficiently use its resources and

International Human Resource Management Essay Example for Free

International Human Resource Management Essay Discuss and analysis the impact of Chinese culture and traditions upon adopted human resource management and strategic human resource management in multinational companies. ?Analysis the external factors that shape human resource activities will be social, economic, political and legal. 1. 2 Introduce the international human resource management The 80% of the world’s industrial output are produced by the 1000 largest companies in the world. That point out that the world is becoming more international. In all of the international companies international human resource management is a key to get success. The international human resource management (IHRM) is the way in which international organizations manage their human resource across different national contexts. These international organizations’ human resource manger must address on the culture and external factors. For example the HR manger must find out the way can make HRM is conducted in other countries—the laws, culture, labour market and so on. China is developing very rapid, owing to the rapid growth of internationalization of Chinese, more and more multinational enterprises (MNEs) have put interest in IHRM. Chapter 2 the impact of national culture As we all know, different countries have different cultures. Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another. (Hofstede, 1991) In all of the international organizations or multinational enterprises (MNEs) and many small medium-size enterprises (SMEs) are inevitable that the cultural difference has impact on business. For example, when a company having meeting, the word ‘table’ in American English it means to put something on the agenda. But in British English it means to put something off the agenda. This example indicated how the culture affects the business. Chinese culture has much different from the west countries. For example the language, architecture, relationship to environment and so on. 2. 1 What is culture? [1] Hodgetts and Luthans (1994) argue that culture is: acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and to generate social behavior. This knowledge form values, creates attitudes and influences behaviour. They further suggest that culture can be characterized using the following terms. ?Learned. Culture is acquired by us all as we grow and as we experience, it is acquired through the process of socialization. ?Shared. Culture is a group phenomenon and the group varies. For example, it may be members of a nation, an organization or a sex. ?Transgenerational. It is passed down from one generation to the next. ?Patterned and structured. ?Adaptive. It changes over time and in response to many stimulate. 1 Mike Leat, Human Resource Management Issues of the European Union, 1998, P4 From Hodgetts and Luthans said we know that culture can be characterized using the following figure: Figure 1 Module of Organizational culture 2. 2 National culture The most influential pieces of research in relation to national culture are the work of Hofstede. There are four cultural dimensions that were defined in Hifstede’s research: ? Power distance ?Uncertainty avoidance ?Individualism v collectivism ?Masculinity v femininity The writer will use Higsted’s research to analysis Chinese culture and enable a clearer view in how the cultures affect the IHRM in China. Power distance I think the power distance is the most important influence in cultural. The power distance is the distance between a manager and employee. In another word the power distance is how much employee can consent or dissent with bosses or managers. A high power distance indicates that the employee is likely to expect and accept inequality in this power distribution. Like in China the power distance is a high power distance culture. In China the managers or boss always have more privileges to make the decision and superiors. The managers’ decisions always close supervision positively evaluated by employee.

Insulin and Predicting Clinical Outcome

Insulin and Predicting Clinical Outcome A. To identify predicting clinical outcome: Predicting clinical outcome in patients with incessant hepatitis C is testing. We utilized the hepatitis C long-term treatment against cirrhosis trial database to create two models, utilizing pattern estimations of routinely accessible research facility tests together with changes in these qualities amid follow-up to foresee clinical decompensation and liver-related demise transplant in patients with cutting edge hepatitis C. b. Identify the inhaled insulin: Inhaled insulin is a type of insulin that can be inhaled into the lungs through utilization of an exceptional inhaler. Breathed in insulin may in some cases be utilized to treat diabetes mellitus. Insulin treatment has advanced since its initiation. At first, we saw changes in its immaculateness, and new details to expand activity time and decline recurrence of infusions. With time and a further comprehension of the need to supplant insulin in a way that imitated ordinary physiology, more current insulins were composed that could achieve this objective all the more viable (Moshe Phillip, 2012). Simultaneously, strategies for insulin conveyance have likewise enhanced, including dispensable syringes, insulin pens, and insulin pumps, all of which have made insulin organization more sensible and more agreeable. c. To identify long-term insulin: Long-acting insulins dont top like short-acting insulins they can control glucose for a whole day. This is like the activity of insulin ordinarily delivered by your pancreas to help control glucose levels between dinners. Long-acting insulins are likewise called basal or foundation insulins. They continue working out of sight to monitor your glucose all through your day by day schedule. d. To identify Diabetes type 1: The more extreme type of diabetes is sort 1, or insulin-subordinate diabetes. Its occasionally called adolescent diabetes, since Type 1 diabetes more often than not creates in kids and young people, however, it can create at any age (Richard I. G. Holt, 2011). With type 1 diabetes, the bodys resistant framework assaults some portion of its pancreas. Researchers dont know why. In any case, the invulnerable framework erroneously observes the insulin-delivering cells in the pancreas as outside and annihilates them. This assault is known as immune system sickness. Conceptual model: Conceptual models in wellbeing training research have been characterized as outlines of proposed causal linkages among an arrangement of ideas accepted to be identified with a specific general medical issue. The calculated models appear the little piece of the causal web chose for study. They frequently are educated by more than one hypothesis, and additionally by exact discoveries. A reasonable model gives a visual picture that speaks to the exploration address which is to be researched. The best models pass on complex data in a way that is miserly as well as grants a speedy handle of confounded connections (Kane, 2006). For instance, a theoretical model can be utilized to portray the different ideas that are important in a specific infection or condition and the speculated interfaces between the ideas, or to give a structure from which potential focuses for treatment can be chosen. A theoretical model can manage our decision of what to quantify and how to gauge it and give a settin g to translating the discoveries. In 1995 Wilson and Cleary distributed a calculated model for wellbeing related personal satisfaction which coordinated both organic and mental parts of wellbeing results. They proposed five unique levels in their model, to be specific physiological elements, side effect status, utilitarian wellbeing, general wellbeing recognitions and general personal satisfaction. They characterized their calculated model as a scientific categorization of patient results as indicated by the fundamental wellbeing ideas they speak to and proposes particular causal connections between various wellbeing ideas. The Wilson-Cleary Conceptual Model of HRQoL is caught in figure 1. As the per user moves from left to right of the model, the nature of the ideas shifts from the cell toward the individual, and afterward to the communication of the person as an individual from society. A conceptual model can be utilized to investigate the patient point of view of a sickness and can help recognize the viewpoints that should be tended. Such theoretical models could be utilized to show the significance and seriousness of patient-focused results for measuring treatment benefits in a particular infection or condition. They would be particularly valuable for exchanges with administrative organizations about treatment advantage claims given patient, detailed results. Conceptual model for Clinical Outcomes and Response to combination of rapid-acting inhaled insulin with long-acting injectable insulin in patients with diabetes type 1.   Ã‚   Key dependent and independent variables: Variable is a term as often as possible utilized as a part of research activities. It is applicable to characterize and recognize the factors while outlining quantitative research ventures. A variable induces fervor in any explore than constants. It is in this way basic for amateurs in research to have lucidity about this term and the related ideas. Independent variable: The independent variable is the forunner while the destitute variable is the resulting. In case the self-governing variable is a dynamic variable then we control the estimations of the variable to study its impact on another variable. In the above case, we change pressure level to check whether responsiveness to torment diminishes medication is updated. Uneasiness level is the self-sufficient element variable. Dependent variable: The dependent changeable is the variable that is partial through the free factor. Receptiveness to anguish lessening drug is the district changeable in the beyond illustration. The area changeable is dependent on the autonomous variable. The operational definition of the key variable: An operational definition, when associated with data social occasion, is an unmistakable, compact point by point significance of a measure. The prerequisite for operational definitions is significant when assembling an extensive variety of data. It is particularly basic when a decision is being made about whether something is correct or off course, or when a visual check is being made where there is space for perplexity (Tracey D. Matthews, 2011). Clearly, the operational meaning of the reliant variable is an essential stride in the outline of the review. Some other wellbeing related applied factors that have numerous operational definitions: insight, wellness, wellbeing, personal satisfaction. A few polls have been produced to quantify these theoretical factors. In an exploration article, the operational definition is typically found in the strategies section. Operational definition in the variable table it is used in health research. Analyze the threats for research: In medical studies, viability thinks about in test settings are directed to address the issue of inward legitimacy while adequacy ponders in naturalistic settings are utilized to look at the outer legitimacy of the claim. Normally patients in experimentation are exceptionally chosen though patients in this present reality are most certainly not. For instance, subjects in clinical trials, for the most part, have quite recently the sickness under review. Patients who have various wellbeing conditions are rejected from the review because those uncontrolled factors could jumble the research result. In the research of Predicting Clinical Outcomes and Response to a combination of rapid-acting inhaled insulin with long-acting injectable insulin in patients with diabetes type 1 two types of threats are produced one is internal threats, and other is external threats. Internal legitimacy implies especially to whether an exploratory treatment/condition has any impact on the outcome or not, and whether there is satisfactory confirmation to substantiate the claim. Outer legitimacy insinuates the generalizability of the treatment/condition comes about across over various settings (STEVEN TAYLOR, 2007). Internal legitimacy is how much changes in a dependent variable can be attributed to changes in a self-sufficient variable. In this manner, inward legitimacy involves degree instead of one of nearness or nonappearance. The scientists trust in his or her discoveries is proportionate to the quality of inward legitimacy of the examination plan . Genuine tests are outlines that have solid inward legitimacy. That is individuals are randomized to test conditions, and distinctive means are used to ensure that changes in the Reliant variable can be credited to the trial control of the self-sufficient variable. Eight dangers to inward legitimacy have been descri bed:history, development, test, instrumentation, relapse, determination, exploratory mortality, and a cooperation of dangers. History: History turns into hazard when dissimilar basics external to the subject happen by uprightness of the series of time. Development: The advancement hazard can work when natural or mental changes occur inside subjects, and these movements may record to some degree or all together for effects saw in the survey. For example, a point by point decreasing in emergency room visits in a whole deal examination of pediatric patients with asthma may be a direct result of surpassing youth asthma rather than any treatment regimen constrained. Testing: The testing danger may happen when changes in test scores happen not therefore of the intervention yet rather in light of reiterated testing. This is of particular concern when examiners coordinate vague pretests and posttests. Regression: The regression hazard can occur when the outrageous score has selected subject since extraordinary scores inside a conveyance tend toward sketch earlier to the mean in rehash test. Differential Selection: The assurance hazard is of most extraordinary concern when subjects cant be subjectively doled out to treatment groups, particularly if social events are unequal inapplicable elements before treatment intervention. Diffusion or Imitation of Treatments: When members in the diverse exploratory conditions can speak with each other, to such an extent that members in one condition find out about what occurs in the other condition. This can undermine the contrasts between the exploratory controls in each condition. Example. In an investigation of the impacts of weight on snake fears, wind frightful undergrad brain research understudies were haphazardly relegated to one of two groups. Testing: The reactive impacts of testing where the very demonstration of appraisal impacts the variable under scrutiny. A few measures are exceedingly receptive, while different measures are inert. Likewise, rehashed testing can increment recognition with the test, which may predisposition scores. This risk can be managed in different courses, for example, by choosing inert measures or, on the other hand by counting a control aggregate. Selection: When the effects on the dependent variable emerge from contrasts in the sorts of individuals in the test bunches. Choice impacts are unavoidable in semi-exploratory outlines. These are among the most broadly utilized plans in clinical brain science, in which an objective gathering is thought about with at least one control bunches. Endeavors are made to coordinate the bunches on foundation factors, and after that, they are looked at on the factors of intrigue. External validity needs to do with the generalizability of the examination discoveries; to what degree can the discoveries of analysis or quasiexperimental be summed up to and crosswise over different populaces, settings, and ages? In the accompanying segments, we look at, in further detail, the significant sorts of dangers to outside legitimacy, the connection amongst inside and outer legitimacy, and the circumstances in which we ought to be worried about dangers to outer legitimacy. Dangers to outer legitimacy are assessed by the trial of the degree to which one can sum up crosswise over different sorts of individuals, settings, whats more, times and are, fundamentally, the trial of factual cooperations. Analysis plan of the research project: An analysis plan helps you thoroughly consider the information you will gather, what you will utilize it for, and how you will examine it. Making an investigation plan is a vital approach to guarantee that you gather every one of the information you require and that you utilize every one of the information you gather. Investigation arranging can be a precious speculation of time. It can help you select the most suitable research techniques and measurable instruments. It will guarantee that the way you gather your information and structure your database will help you get a solid analytic result. In this research paper, many people include in the research project. In this research project, different types of diseases include such as diabetes, insulin, and long term insulin and so on. In this paper, many people are injected with diabetes, and some individuals are injected with insulin. We find that diabetes is two types type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. We find the data of patients which is injected to this problem. Data collection is a very important step for this research paper. Firstly we collect the data and after that take steps to control it. In this research for diseases use the conceptual model. Conceptual models in wellbeing training research have been characterized as outlines of proposed causal linkages among an arrangement of ideas accepted to be identified with a specific general medical issue. The calculated models appear the little piece of the causal web chose for study. The research project includes the operational definition for prevention the diseases. It connected to information gathering, is an unmistakable, succinct point by point meaning of a measure. The requirement for operational definitions is major when gathering a wide range of information. This is the research project paper for Predicting Clinical Outcomes and Response to a combination of rapid-acting inhaled insulin with long-acting injectable insulin in patients with diabetes type 1. References Kane, R. L. (Ed.). (2006). Understanding Health Care Outcomes Research. Jones Bartlett Learning. Moshe Phillip, T. B. (2012). ATTD 2011 Year Book: Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes. John Wiley Sons. Richard I. G. Holt, C. C. (Ed.). (2011). Textbook of Diabetes. John Wiley Sons. STEVEN TAYLOR, G. J. (2007). INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL VALIDITY IN CLINICAL RESEARCH. 12. Tracey D. Matthews, K. T. (2011). Designing and Conducting Research in Health and Human Performance. John Wiley Sons.

Bullies :: Free Essay Writer

Bullies Upon reading last Sunday’s issue of the newspaper, then scanning the Editorial Pages my eyes were drawn to thick black letters entitling a column â€Å"Time to pick on bullies†. This editorial of Bill Thompson immediately laid claim that after a school shooting, news follows that the shooter was â€Å"bullied† by fellow students. Seeing where this topic was headed, I was intrigued to read on. After a short reminiscent review of how kids used to either tolerate the ridiculer, or as Mr. Thompson wrote, resort to an â€Å"old fashioned schoolyard fist fight.† He then began fortifying his stand on the issue. Three schools, which, fell victim to such a crime as a school shooting were used as examples. The first, Santana High School in Santee, California. Secondly he mentioned a Catholic school in Williamsport, Pa. And finally, the school which broke in this sick trend, Columbine High school in Colorado. Now, by this point I was wondering if I had picked the wrong columnist, but out of nowhere I saw his whole case fall apart. He writes, and I quote, â€Å"We are ready, willing, and able to blame the epidemic of school shootings on the right to bare arms, on the shooters parents, on violent music, video games and TV shows. Why don’t we want to place some blame on the bullies who drive these kids to murder?† It was after reading that statement that I knew I’d picked a winner. I mean, was this guy serious? To place blame on our right to bare arms makes for good sense because it answers the question of how these kids are arming themselves. As for blaming the shooters parents, that topic alone spans the spectrum of parented morality. Our environment growing up whether it is where we live, to how our parents cared for us, all aspects of our childhood good or bad carry with us through life eventually molding us into adults. And when it comes to the level of violence in music, video games, and television that simply boils down to parental decision. The entertainment industry rarely slows its money machine to consider the welfare of its listeners and viewers. To be perfectly honest, I don’t feel it should have to. These quotes left me even more aggravated at how society is viewing this problem. It’s as though they’re reaching for explanations as to why. Well how will we ever be able to answer that? Bullies :: Free Essay Writer Bullies Upon reading last Sunday’s issue of the newspaper, then scanning the Editorial Pages my eyes were drawn to thick black letters entitling a column â€Å"Time to pick on bullies†. This editorial of Bill Thompson immediately laid claim that after a school shooting, news follows that the shooter was â€Å"bullied† by fellow students. Seeing where this topic was headed, I was intrigued to read on. After a short reminiscent review of how kids used to either tolerate the ridiculer, or as Mr. Thompson wrote, resort to an â€Å"old fashioned schoolyard fist fight.† He then began fortifying his stand on the issue. Three schools, which, fell victim to such a crime as a school shooting were used as examples. The first, Santana High School in Santee, California. Secondly he mentioned a Catholic school in Williamsport, Pa. And finally, the school which broke in this sick trend, Columbine High school in Colorado. Now, by this point I was wondering if I had picked the wrong columnist, but out of nowhere I saw his whole case fall apart. He writes, and I quote, â€Å"We are ready, willing, and able to blame the epidemic of school shootings on the right to bare arms, on the shooters parents, on violent music, video games and TV shows. Why don’t we want to place some blame on the bullies who drive these kids to murder?† It was after reading that statement that I knew I’d picked a winner. I mean, was this guy serious? To place blame on our right to bare arms makes for good sense because it answers the question of how these kids are arming themselves. As for blaming the shooters parents, that topic alone spans the spectrum of parented morality. Our environment growing up whether it is where we live, to how our parents cared for us, all aspects of our childhood good or bad carry with us through life eventually molding us into adults. And when it comes to the level of violence in music, video games, and television that simply boils down to parental decision. The entertainment industry rarely slows its money machine to consider the welfare of its listeners and viewers. To be perfectly honest, I don’t feel it should have to. These quotes left me even more aggravated at how society is viewing this problem. It’s as though they’re reaching for explanations as to why. Well how will we ever be able to answer that?

Battle Of The Bulge

Since the time that war, military and military men have existed, there has also existed a parallel class of strategist, philosophers, military, practitioners, philosophers and historians who have invested their lifetime of effort comprehending the complexities of warfare.These efforts have produced both long, complicated documents that have looked in entire social and economic aspects associated with warfare, and also condensed records and quick lessons into strategy of war that practitioners of the military art could use to guide the conduct of warfare (Johnsen et al.1995). The efforts to chronicle war details and related documents is also taken in earnest effort by every nation, in order to create a perspective on war and establish a set of workable principles that can be followed in the course of any armed struggle. However, mere compilation and study of principles would certainly account as a very limited effort in evolving a contemporary and updated approach towards warfare.Whil e the principles may have been thoroughly scrutinized at the tactical and operational levels of warfare, their applicability and suitability at the practical level of implementation may be less than exhaustive. For examples, the principle and lessons of war from Napoleonic warfare, although revealing from the strategic point of view, may have little operational significance from the standpoint of 20th century techniques and necessities (Reid, 1993).It is important therefore for these principles to apply at the strategic level of war under the conditions of rapid technological change, and remain in accordance of military needs of the time. Contrary to ocular perception that associates war as purely a military enterprise, one that is conducted entirely on battlefields, the reality is that war is an intellectual accomplishment and creative exercise, and hence many of its finer details are perfected at the strategic board and discussion rooms.The intellectual framework required to accom plish this complex procedure requires a theoretical structure that is provided by Principle of war (Johnsen et al. 1995). Meanwhile, theories and principles are just one of the side of a full-fledged war, as they have their own limits and it’s the balanced of combination of principles along with ability to transform them in practice that ensures victories in armed engagements.It is also important to remember that war strategies and principles applied in a particular battle essentially bear the stamp of their time. Although they may appear out of place, or seem overtly simple from vantage point of time, they reflect the best wisdom and experience of the age (Murdock, 2002). It is from this understanding and insight that this paper looks into the important Battle of Bulge, fought between German and US forces towards end of the Second World War and that is universally recognized as the bloodiest battle faced by US in the War.Modern Principles of War The two world events that hav e profoundly affected war strategies and principles have been the First and Second World War. The scale and range of military strategy and operations seen in each of the war had been hitherto unprecedented, and with introduction of motorized units, battletanks and aircrafts, the very core of military strategy changed for forever (Johnsen et al. 1995).The lead military thinkers and strategists of the day were forced to undergo a total revision of their approach towards conducting battles that no longer comprised of charging cavalrymen and open field combat, and brought in their consideration the role of bombers and fighter aircrafts- such modern tools of warfare that had never been used by any army through the course of human history (Reid, 1993).However, though acutely aware of the fact that pre-World War I operational strategies and principles of battles no longer hold any applicability or relevance for modern context, the strategists included some cardinal ethics in revising and p reparing the new principles of war. Some of the outstanding principles of war, as promulgated from time to time by lead military thinkers and strategists have been Originality, Economy of Force, Strategy of Indirect Approach, Objective, Offensive, Military Security, Concentration, and Co-Operation (Reid, 1993; Murdock, 2002).The first among these was Originality. By its very definition, originality does not conform to any specified set of rules, procedures or antecedent governing conduct of war. It is always a fresh take on situation, borne purely out of context of the battle. Military strategists attributes following characteristics to originality (Reid, 1993): 1. Originality is the product of an original mind. 2 An original idea or plan, by its definition, presents novel insights and its not an obvious one; further it can not be known in advance to originator themselves.Original ideas are likely to be unconventional and they happen to be product of an unorthodox approach. 3 Origin al approach and ideas generated will posses varying degree of originality and situation specific approach that may come with built in elements of context based improvisation and ideas. However, the ability to conceive original ideas does not translate to ability of selecting the most appropriate course of action. 4 Originality comes from active imagination. 5. Every one participating in an action is capable of coming out with original ideas.There are several noted contributions of originality in military field that are historically famous and have been marked as legend. The use of elephants by Hannibal, the retreat plot deployed by Normans at the battle of Hastings, and the spectacular success achieved by German Blitzkrieg are all too famous and taught across all the military schools in world (Reid, 1993). Surprise, as it can be noted, formed the crux of the originality and with further maturation of military doctrine, surprise and initial advance emerged as separate principles of w ar that were followed to the hilt by many military leaders.The remarkable successes of Germany in the initial period of the Second World War and in the Operation Barbarossa against Russia and the deadly Japanese strike at Pearl Harbor were all result of a military strategy strictly woven around the cardinal principle of surprise and initial advance(Reid, 1993). Despite the obvious advantage of originality and the elements of surprise, flexibility and initiative introduced by it, the stress on originality alone do not form the full crux of war principles.Economy of Force: Economy of Force, as a military principle was a central theme of British Military Doctrine post World War I. Economy of Force is traditionally defined as a commander’s ability to identify the area to concentrate the main thrust of the force for decisive result corollary of concentration of force (Murdock, 2002). It is well recognized that it impossible to be strong everywhere and if decisive victory is to be achieved then it is imperative that strength is directed at the critical time and place, while ensuring that reduce the wasteful expenditure of effort.It also involves a commander’s ability to take calculated risk, planning for balanced development and providential deployment of available resources (Murdock, 2002). Strategy of Indirect Approach: Strategy of Indirect Approach is aimed at minimizing blood loss at battlefronts, both in friendly and enemy’s camp. Developed as opposite to war of attrition, it is a purely philosophical approach that is aims to strike strategically at enemy’s point of weakness instead of the main force. The areas identified for this purpose are lines of supply, lines of communication, factory and industrial installations and power centers (Murdock, 2002).Strategic bombing against these vulnerable but highly sensitive channels is likely to effectively cripple enemy’s ability to conduct warfare, leading to capitulation by its main body with minimum of blood loss. Battle of Bulge The Battle of Bulge, known in Army circles as Battle of Ardennes, resulted from German offensive in the last phase of the World War II and it took place from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. After the Normandy Landing of 6th June, 1944, Allied forces had liberated almost whole of the Europe from Nazi occupation and cornered German forces to their own territories (Astor, 1999).Allied Forces had taken the strategic position in the rough terrains of Ardennes, that occupied areas of Belgium and France. Although the forests and hills of the region made it an apparently impregnable region, the history defied this notion as the region constituted the main path taken by German forces in both 1st and 2nd World War to mount surprise attack on Belgium and France (Astor, 1999). The region had already seen a major confrontation in the beginning of Second World War when German forces launched their blitzkrieg on France using the same path.Now, with tides of battle turned, Allied forces had parked themselves in the same region, preparing to use it against launching their major offensive against German mainland. The emotions in Allied Armies ran high at this juncture. They had successfully liberated almost all of the Western Europe from Nazi occupation and at the beginning of December, 1944 they were standing at the threshold of the door of Nazi regime, the cause of momentous suffering and unparalleled loss of life for millions of people.The heavy Nazi defeat in USSR, resulting in almost total decimation of over half a million Nazi force had further created a positive mood of victory. It was not surprising that many of the army men and military officers were looking forward to end of War by 1st January, 1945. However, hopes of a quick victory took a setback as US intelligence gathered rumors mentioning a massive German counter attack. Prisoners captured and deserters from German army mentioned of large scale congregation o f German military machine and personnel.By 9th December, there were unconfirmed reports in Allied camps of an impending German maneuver, but there was hardly any decisive or concrete information available on which to base the response. For a short time the Army generals believed the military amassment to be of defensive in nature, aimed at protecting German borders (Astor, 1999). Meanwhile, around 12th of December, in several cases of interrogation of bordering civilians, Allied soldiers learned of heavy movement of military equipments as well as arrival of hardcore Nazi troops –Wafen SS from Italy (Astor, 1999).The reports created a scene of impending offensive assault. However, the report took more than a day in making its way to Army headquarters. As a matter of fact, riding on their feats of victory over Nazi Army in recent battles, American army had dangerously dropped its guard and slumbered in a zone of complacency. German spies reported that American guards manned the ir post for an hour after dark and then returned to base to emerge at the dawn.This was in total disregard to the alert and caution required at the time of ongoing war situation. As confirmed by American commander of 106 division, before bulge, they were a nine to five army in Ardennes. The Nazi Ardennes offensive was prepared by Hitler himself and it was based on standard German strategy of achieving maximum damage through surprise. Towards this purpose, German forces maintained total radio silence, putting Allied forces completely in dark on the movements and intentions of their enemies.While Allied armies rested through first half of December, German panzer divisions, supported by large number of infantry troops were stealthily filtering through forests of Ardennes to catch Americans unprepared and off guard (Astor, 1999). Germany had indeed the plan well laid out for they had deliberately selected the most vulnerable section of American division for the first salvo. German batte ries opened fire on the early morning of 16th December, 1945. The sixth panzer division showered 99th division with heavy mortars and shells, severely destroying Allied communication lines (Astor, 1999).The Fifth Panzer division, supported by Seventh Army, tore into Allied forces, virtually annihilating the opposition out of way. The attack was so intense that it literally cut down large number of trees surrounding the Allied camps, and falling tree trunks became another mortal hazard for the soldiers scrambling for cover and their life. Allied forces soon galvanized their response and within an hour of initiating attack, the 277th division found itself facing a barrage of shots and ammunition from Allied forces, and especially American soldiers.In fact at many places German forces suffered heavy casualty. However, German preparations were fairly elaborate and troops stationed near Sauer River and Sauer town witnessed the amazing scene of searchlights reflected through low hanging c louds, illuminating long stretches of path for German forces while providing little guidance to Allied troops of the location or position of their formidable adversaries (Astor, 1999). The adversaries indeed proved too formidable and they incessantly and mercilessly poured down heavy shells, bombs and fire on a force caught completely off balance.The impact of the German affront forced American divisions to move back; they hoped to assemble at a safe place and then mount an effective counter strike. But the rapidly advancing tanks units of German Army stripped the retreating American troops of any assemblage point inflicting waves after waves of massive casualty. To support the army motorized units, approximately thousand planes of Luftwaffe hovered over the scene, dropping paratroopers, reconnaissance and when the opportunity presented, strike the visible American targets.The swift German attack had also been successful in creating wedge between First and Third Army, and separated British forces from American units. The German armies continued their rampant attack for three full days, causing heavy casualties on Allied forces. Meanwhile, the Allied generals, under leadership of General Eisenhower and command of General Patton were already planning counteroffensive against German divisions. Eisenhower and the Allied command well understood the fact that German were counting on their success upon same speed and thrust that had achieved in the initial years of wars (Astor, 1999).However, Ardennes presented a different topography that was too rough and too uneven for quick, breezy movements. Further, the time of year being December, the entire area was covered with snow and it considerably slowed down German Operations. The principle aim of advancing German army was to cross the Meuse River, using the cover of surprise and stealth for their infantry to cut through Allied lines. Behind them Panzer divisions would coast easily, mowing down remaining resistance and cross the River.Once across the river, they would turn and head for the crucial port of Antwerp that they aimed to capture in order to cut off Allied supplies and force them to capitulation. However, German forces, in all their haste to advance, could not discount the natural adversities of fog, snow, inclement weather and hostile terrain. The Allied armies used these natural disadvantages well against advancing German battalions to halt them in their track and in the process cause severe damage to their resources. The Allied high command also sent quick reinforcement to flanks under pressure of heavy enemy fire thereby negating the German success.The resolute stand by Allied armies and their refusal to submit to overwhelming German armor virtually stalled the German advances (Astor, 1999). By December 18, from the strategy point of view the German High Command had known that their operation was destined towards failure. If they continued to pursue it, it was done with the hope to i nflict heavy damage on allied force and seize the initiative from them. The German fought desperately more because they knew that Antwerp presented them their only chance of survival, however slim it may be. In defense lay their total ruin (Astor, 1999; Smith, 1995)).However, as US generals later estimated, Germany faced total ruin in either of the situation. It was essentially stripped of the substance to reverse balance of power in Europe. With Allied forces pressing it from the West, and Russian forces blowing it from East, the German defeat had become a certainty that even most optimistic of Nazi generals knew. If anything, the battle of Bulge brought their ruin sooner than later. By 20th of December, Allied generals had taken complete stock of the situation and prepared their counter plan with the aim to completely neutralize the Nazi striking potential (Smith, 1995;Cooper, 1998).By 22nd of December, Allied airplanes, comprising of bombers and fighters, started to wreck havoc o n German armored units. Although Luftwaffe tried to counter the Allied airplanes, but it was outnumbered and beaten out of contest. By December 24, Allied bombing of German rail movements, their communication line, their armored divisions and their supply lines created a condition of virtual siege for German army, that starved in absence of supplies, ammunition and fuel (Smith, 1995). Nazi units were severely short of fuel, that had, for all the practical purpose, rendered them cripple and worthless from battle point of view (Smith, 1995).From Christmas of 1944, the definitive allied ground counterstrike began against defeated and retreating German armies. German encirclement of town of Bastogne was broken down by January 3 and by January 10 the two division of advancing Allied forces from two directions were at a distance of mere 10 km from each other, allowing the Nazi forces a very narrow corridor to ensure their escape (Smith, 1995). It had taken exactly a month to turn German p osition into a hopeless one, from where almost no escape was possible. By January 16 the combined allied forces were rapidly closing down on them.The severe damages suffered by Nazi forces that included 1,20,000 casualties (wounded and dead), loss of 600 tanks, 1600 planes, complete disruption of their communication lines and exhaustion of their fuel supply, had irrevocably broke their back. The offensive came to an end by January 25, resulting in an another major and decisive allied victory (Smith, 1995). Reference Cooper, B. Y. 1998. Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II. Presidio Press, Astor, G. 1999. The Greatest War: Americans in Combat, 1941-1945; Presidio Press.Smith, W. B. 1995. Eisenhower's Six Great Decisions: Europe, 1944-1945; Longmans, Green. Houston, D. E. 1995. Hell on Wheels: The 2d Armored Division;; Presidio Press, 1995 Johnsen, W. T. , Johnson, D. V. , Kievit, J. O, Lovelace Jr. D. C. Metz, S. 1995. The Principles of War in the 21st Century: Strategic Considerations; Strategic Studies Institute, 1995 Reid, B. R. 1993. The Science of War: Back to First Principles. Routledge, Murdock, P. 2002. Principles of War on the Network-Centric Battlefield: Mass and Economy of Force; Parameters, Vol. 32, 2002

Intro Logic and Academic Writing Essay

Intro Logic and Academic Writing Essay Intro: Logic and Academic Writing Essay INTRODUCTION SUMMARY: The introduction of â€Å"They Say, I Say† discusses Entering the Conversation Often without consciously realizing it, accomplished writers rely on a stock of established moves that are crucial for communicating sophisticated ideas. This inventory of basic moves is probably picked up by reading a wide range of other accomplished writers. Less experienced writers, by contrast, are often unfamiliar with these basic moves, and unsure how to make them in their own writing. These basic moves are so common that they can be represented in templates that you can use right away to structure and even generate your own writing. It is true, of course, that critical thinking and writing go deeper than any set of linguistic formulas, requiring that you question assumptions, develop strong claims, offer supporting reasons and evidence, consider opposing arguments, and so on. But these deeper habits of thought cannot be put into practice unless you have a language for expressing them in clear, organized ways. STATE YOUR OWN IDEAS AS A RESPONSE TO OTHERS It is important not only to express your ideas (â€Å"I say†), but to present those ideas as a response to some other person or group ("they say"). The underlying structure of effective academic writing is not just in stating our own ideas, but in listening closely to others around us, summarizing their views in a way that they will recognize, and responding with our own ideas in kind. Broadly speaking, academic writing is argumentative writing, and we believe that to argue well you need to do more than assert your own ideas. You need to enter a conversati on, using what others say (or might say) as a launching pad or sounding board for your own ideas. For this reason, you need to write the voices of others into your text. The best academic writing has one underlying feature: it is deeply engaged in some way with other people’s views. Too often, however, academic writing is taught as a process of saying â€Å"true† or â€Å"smart† things in a vacuum, as if it were possible to argue

Modern Tragedy

Modern Tragedy Tragedy is a type of drama or literature that shows the downfall or destruction of a noble or outstanding person (Miller 222). Such a character is one who possesses a character weakness known as a tragic flaw (Thompson and Bowler 934). The authors present Macbeth, for example, a brave and noble figure whose downfall is attributable to ambition. After a prediction is made that he will one day become king, Macbeth plots to murder Duncan with the consent of his wife.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Tragedy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He kills the guards who discover Duncan’s body and becomes king. Unfortunately, the ghost of Banquo eats at Lady Macbeth’s conscience until she commits suicide. Finally, Macduff who had discovered Duncan’s body kills Macbeth and becomes king. Thompson and Bowler point out that the tragic hero, through â€Å"choice or circumstance, is caught up in a series o f events that result in an inevitable disaster† (936). In such a disaster, Aristotle observed that the audience experiences emotional cleansing after identifying with what the protagonist like Macbeth goes through. In Oedipus Rex, ill-fated Oedipus kills his father and engages his mother in an incestuous relationship (Thompson and Bowler 944). Tragedy has undergone development just like other literary genres. An analysis of trends in tragedy from the time of Sophocles and Euripides to modern times is therefore important. Aristotle conceived tragedy as the imitation of imperfect men, written dramatically and aimed at arousing pity and fear in the audience so as to purge their emotions (Miller 235). His definition must have been made with the plays of Euripides and Sophocles in mind, since those plays featured men of noble but imperfect character. As far as form was concerned, Greek tragedy had what he called â€Å"language made beautiful in different ways† (Miller 238), specifically by rendering it poetically and dramatically. Tragedy underwent a remarkable transformation through the ages. As seen above, tragedy originally revolved around the case of man who fell from happiness to misery, usually to death due to an error. Through time, the determining factor and consequences of such errors evolved remarkably (Montague and Henshlaw 230). Montague and Henshlaw demonstrate this change by noting that modern tragedy for instance, moved away from errors to evil acts as determinants of protagonist’s predicaments (389). Modern tragedy, the authors note, depicts middle and lower class protagonists unlike the nobility of ancient times; protagonists are victims of modern society and do not have errors in judgement and most importantly the tragedy is based on issues of â€Å"domestic and private nature† (Montague and Henshlaw 399).Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Shakespeare’s plays for instance, feature ghosts and graveyards while later ones like Henrick Ibsen’s Doll’s House depicts an ordinary housewife whose husband makes her disillusioned since he looks down upon her (Montague and Henshlaw 402). Further development took place on the side of delivery. Ancient tragedies were enacted in front of audiences, replete with masked men and choruses who narrated all actions. Modern tragedy on the other hand found its way in prose and poetry (Miller 436). Verse has therefore given place to prose. It can be argued that modern tragedy does not spring from beliefs that are universally held but usually arises from social or personal conditions which vary from society to society. It need not end in death like the ancient Greek, Roman and English ones, but any downfall resulting from the struggle between the individual and some unalterable conditions of life. Montague and Henshlaw point that tragedy, in its purest Aristotelian sense has suffered from the advent of Christianity and growth of scientific knowledge. This could explain the absence of features such as oracles and ghosts in modern tragedy (241). Thus, it is not to be misconstrued to mean that writers, since Aristotle, have not been writing tragedy; it is what they have been writing that deviates from traditional versions. That is why the form of ancient tragedy could not be retained; it keeps evolving. Miller, Jordan. The Heath Introduction to Drama. Toronto: D.C. Heath Company, 1992. Print. Montague, Gene and Henshlaw Marjorie. The Experiences of Literature. Engelwood Cliff, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1990. Print. Thompson, Eileen and Ellen Bowler. Eds. Prentice Hall Literature. London: International Learning systems Corporation ltd. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Tragedy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Business Plan Essays - Retail, Free Essays, Term Papers

Business Plan Essays - Retail, Free Essays, Term Papers Business Plan BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Oak Furniture Warehouse, is a furniture store specializing in the selling of furnishings constructed hardwoods, the bulk of which will be oak, to Coeur dAlene area customers. The store will be a show floor/warehouse, with 85 percent of the available space open to the customers. The merchandise has been carefully selected to be affordable to the majority of consumers along with higher line items for upgrades and future purchases. Oak Furniture Warehouse, plans to open for business during January, 2000. The store will be open Monday thru Friday, from 10:00 am till 8:00 pm and Saturday, from 10:00 am till 6:00 pm. In the strong and stable furniture sales market, Oak Furniture Warehouse will stand out as a leader in customer service and quality craftsmanship. A strong customer focus, an accessible location and a broad product line will enable the establishment to slowly and steadily develop a loyal customer base. The retail demand for home and office furnishings is seasonal and business in Coeur dAlene fluctuates according to the seasons. Primarily, the Oak Furniture Warehouse, will attract business during seasonally slow months through a comprehensive marketing and promotional strategy to generate additional revenues in these slack periods. Secondly, by directing attention to the business and home office markets, which budget more on a fiscal basis. Finally, there is no direct competition in the area giving The Oak Furniture Warehouse an advantage in the lack of competition. MARKET PROFILE Oak Furniture Warehouse, will provide quality, competitively priced specialty furniture not yet available from a single source in the Coeur dAlene metro area. The goal is to sell solid, well built furniture through a knowledgeable and professional sales staff in an inviting atmosphere, that will encourage customers to return to the Oak Furniture Warehouse for all their home furniture needs. The well crafted quality of our product. The affordable pricing and group discounts. Convenience of a local location. Our convenient location, where ample parking is available. Word of mouth advertising from past customers. CUSTOMER PROFILE The 4 major categories of customers are: First time buyers, recently out on their own Young families - renting or purchasing a home Families updating their existing furnishings General population fulfilling a need for furniture Younger family being our largest market target. According to research (Washington State Business Journal, 1990 US Census, and area statistics) the target customer for home furnishings is as follows: Educated female Twenty two to thirty two years old Lives with her family in a home Family income of $30,000 to $45,000. Experience has shown that on the average, customers are ready to update their furniture every six years and this would translate into a stable source of future sales. DESCRIPTION OF COMPETITION Black Canyon Oak Originals - 901 N. 3rd, Coeur dAlene, ID A high end, specialized furniture store with limited floor space and inventory. Targets the more affluent homeowners and resort area tastes. 4 years in business 3 sales persons, 1 warehouse person no delivery The Furniture Broker - 609 W. Appleway, Coeur dAlene, ID A large franchise furniture showroom specializing in upholstered lower quality furniture located north central Coeur dAlene. The furniture broker is well-financed and uses extensive advertising campaign. They offer a large array of mass produced accessories for sale from its retail floor. 2 years in business 3 sales persons, 2 warehouse persons, area delivery Runge Furniture Co. - 303 E. Spokane Ave., Coeur dAlene, ID A large store that has a good reputation and has been in the area for many years. They offer all home furniture, of all hardwood types and are priced high for the market. They only carry expensive, well known makers of furniture. Their staff is friendly and knowledgeable. 43 years in business 3 sales persons, 1 warehouse person, area delivery MARKETING STRATEGIES Being a new store the primary plan is to have a grand opening sale, lasting 9 days (over two weekends). Advertising will be through the local newspaper, flyers will be sent out to all new home buyers within the last 6 months, renting of a balloon for location exposure, having a clown on the first two weekends and to give away one bedroom set as prize for visiting the new Oak Furniture Warehouse. Ongoing advertising will be shared with the Spokane stores, which consists of Yellow Pages

Application for a Business University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Application for a Business University - Essay Example Waking up in the morning and realizing that I have done great things is what I always want to achieve. My family owns the biggest ceramics manufacturer in ABCDEFG. At our company, we ensure that our products are satisfactory to our customers. As the company is still expanding, I am aware that XXX MBA would help and guide me to be a better businessperson and take my family business to the next level, especially in the fast-growing market. XXX offers small-personalized classes which allow more interactions among the students. Teamwork is very crucial in the business world, and effective teamwork requires effective and consistent commitment and communication efforts. Hence, XXX program will greatly improve my leadership skills as I would be required to demonstrate strategic thinking, excellent collaborative skills, and self-awareness. These are the important characteristic of a successful businessperson or entrepreneur. In my undergraduate studies, I was required to take YYY, which was a blend of academic study with community service and it played an important role in developing my leadership skills. I learned a lot from this experience, as it required the development of effective communication skills among team members. I also realized that teamwork is the key to success for any project. In addition, I also learned how to apply business concepts that I had learned from my previous business classes to a real-world business situation. This experience is helpful when doing my current MBA program at ZZZ. In my marketing class at ZZZ, I gained a lot of experience working in a team. There were five members of our team and we collaborated with each other to utilize our strengths while converting weaknesses into strengths. Each person played a complementary role to other members of our team. We all worked and contributed effectively due to our great team leadership skills.

Rise of modern Chinese Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Rise of modern Chinese Nationalism - Essay Example In one of its earliest forms during the early twentieth century, Chinese movement led by the Han majority began to overthrow the Qing dynasty under which China was ruled by the Manchu .Ethnic nationalism views the nation as politicized ethnic group and often produces a state -seeking movement to create an ethnic nation-state. After the fall of the Qing in 19121, the Kuomintang (KMT) and the CCP in 1949 defined as a multi ethnic political community. In general the rise of modern nationalism in China has played a great role in the contemporary China. Therefore the nature and role of this Nationalism can be assessed in terms of economical aspects, political conditions, military developments and enhancement of foreign relations as explained below:- Prior to 1978, the Chinese economy was centrally planned. However, after this period the Chinese leadership, started moving the economy to a more market oriented system .The system still works under the control of the communist, but the economic influence as non-state managers and enterprises has been increasing steadily. The Chinese authorities have adopted a system of household responsibility in agriculture instead of the old collectivization, increased the authority of local officials and plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety of small scale enterprise in services and manufacturing, as well as opened the economy of increased foreign trade and investment. The developments of economic growth in china can be assessed in the the following sectors. b) Agriculture. China is the largest producer and consumer of agricultural products. Half of China's labor force is engaged in agriculture, even though only 10% of the land is suitable for cultivation and agriculture contribute only 13% of china's GDP. China produces about 30% more crops and livestock than U.S. because of intensive cultivation. Largely china produces rice, wheat, Soya beans, vegetables, tea and pork. Major food crops include cotton, fibers and oil seeds. c) Industry. Industry has posted major gains especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong and opposite Taiwan where foreign investment helped spurs output of both domestic and export goods. Major industries are mining or processing, steel, aluminum, coal, machinery, textile, Petroleum, cement, fertilizers, toys, electronics, automobiles and telecommunications. d) Science and Technology. China's political leadership comes almost from technical background and has a high regard for science. Chinese science strategists see China's greatest opportunities in newly emerging fields such as biotechnology and computers. Further US-China science and technology has remained the framework for bilateral cooperation. Recently technology agreement was to extend science and technology. Agreement was signed the agreement. The agreement covers cooperation in areas such as Marine conservation, renewable energy and health. e) Trade: China has advanced in Trade. China's primary trading

The Valuation of Real Option in the Corporate Finance Assignment

The Valuation of Real Option in the Corporate Finance - Assignment Example Due to the flexibilities viewed in management, actual real options are quite to relate properly to the size of the project, the operation of the project and the timing of the project once it has been established. In all cases used, every upfront expenditure that has not been recovered yet and related to this type of flexibility refers to the option premium. Additionally, real options apply in the valuation of the stock. There are different types of real options. The first one is options that relate to the size of the project (Angelis, 2002). This is whereby the scope of the project is not certain, constitutes are optional and the flexibility of the size of various facilities is valuable. In real options to expand, the project is designed with capability in excess of the output levels that are expected for it to give a high rate. The management gets the option of expansion that is exercising the options in case the given conditions go out to be favorable. Projects having expansion options cost more in establishing, the excess referred to as the option premium. In real options to contract, the project is designed in a way that the given output may be contracted in the future in case the conditions become unfavorable. Option exercise consists of one forgoing these future expenses. According to Angelis (2002), this is the same as put option and the excess upfront expense is the option premium. In real options to expand, projects are developed in a way that it can operate dynamically. The second type of real option is options that relate to timing and the project life. In this type of category, growth options are the most generic because they have options of exercising the projects that are profitable when initiated. When initiating the project, the management has the flexibility at the time the project needs to start.  Ã‚  

Critical Appraisal of a Piece of Research Essay - 2

Critical Appraisal of a Piece of Research - Essay Example The issue of defibrillation by specially trained lay persons is not new to the medical literature though Colquhoun and colleagues provide only a brief insight into the existing research in the field. For example, there is substantial amount of past studies exploring the potential of PAD on survival and other outcomes of PAD (Pell et al, 2002; Culley et al, 2004; Engdahl, 2002), potential locations of AEDs (Becker et al, 1998), cost-effectiveness of different PAD strategies (Nichol, 2003), etc. The studies employed both qualitative (interviewing, observations) and quantitative (prospective randomized trials, surveys) methodologies to reveal comprehensive and multifaceted data on virtually every aspect of PAD. However, the authors provided a very concise review of prior studies, and instead of analyzing and synthesizing the most credible research in the field they only briefly stated the results of some surveys and analytical works. Therefore, the declaration made by Colquhoun and colleagues that the PAD project launched in the UK many years ago relied on next to no published evidence of PAD strategies’ potential effectiveness seems to be an intentional understatement meant to place extra emphasis on the importance of Colquhoun’s study. At the same time, there are really very few studies that seek to compare the effects of different PAD strategies within the framework of one study and particularly on the national scale in the UK. In this regard, the study can really be referred to as â€Å"†¦the first report of a national scheme that has incorporated PAD into mainstream health care provision† (p.279). Besides, expanding the body of knowledge and evidence pertaining to still developing PAD approach remains an important task in terms of resuscitation effectiveness improvement. The main source of data was standard report forms

IFRS and GAAP Convergence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IFRS and GAAP Convergence - Research Paper Example The company has two main investments in Shanghai, China, and its Onstar branch gives the company safety, information services and security (Chandler, 1964). 2.0 The SEC’s Position on Convergence of GAAP and IFRS The main purpose of the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) is to safeguard the investors and sustain the integrity of the securities markets. The SEC stipulates that publicly traded firms in the United States should report important financial and other facts to the general public, which gives a universal set of information, on the basis of which investors can make decisions whether the securities of the firm are a viable source of venture. The firms must follow the IFRS procedures of accounting, which are beneficial to different firms in unique ways. Even though the schedule for the US firms to shift from GAAP to IFRS is not yet set, such a move, through convergence or conversion, is largely appreciated and accepted by majority of the multinational corporations. Genera l Motors has made some steps in relation to the convergence of GAAP to IFRS though other firms hesitated. International Financial Reporting Standards as they are commonly known are beneficial to the General Motors Company given that they provide principles for financial reporting. IFRS ensures the requirements and provisions under them are followed to the letter by the firm and its subsidiaries to ensure uniformity in reporting and production of financial statements. IFRS were adopted by the International Accounting Standard Boards to ensure transparency in the manner in which the financial statements are prepared and presented to the stakeholders. IFRS replicates a dominantly regulation-based approach to building accounting standards as opposed to the GAAP, which was based principally on rules approach. 3.0 IFRS for the financial statements Balance sheet After the IFRS in the balance sheet are adopted, the guidelines stipulated under the standards will enable General Motors to have a uniform method of reporting the assets, liabilities and the equities of the firm in all the subsidiaries and the parent company. Notably the guidelines are provided by the International Accounting Standards Committee, which is currently known as the International Accounting Standards Board. According to the guidelines, the balance sheet names and utilization rely upon the US policies and the type of organization. General Motors follows the standards set by the board, which enables the business to provide a summary of values for all the items included in the balance sheet. Cash Flow Statement There are various differences that come out under the US GAAP and IAS 7 principles for the cash flow statements. The IAS 7 stipulates that the cash flow statement must comprise of both cash and cash equivalents. The United States GAAP allows use of only cash or cash equivalents. IAS 7 allows bank overdraft in particular nations to be put in the cash equivalents as opposed to being taken as a section of financing activities. IAS 7 permits interests paid to be considered as an operating activity or financing activity. The United States GAAP stipulates that interest paid be considered as operating activity. Moreover, the US GAAP (FAS 95) provides that when the direct method is applied to project the operating activities of the statement of cash flow, an additional schedule must also project the statement of

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

Goverance - Essay Example s and responsibilities of senior management, the crucial problems that affect success in the total enterprise, and the decisions that determine the direction of the organization and shape its function†. Policies and strategic management are responsibilities of the chief executive officer (CEO). A major task under these responsibilities is corporate governance which is simply defined as â€Å"controlling, restraining and directing the making and administration of these policies† (Webster 1997). In health care, like in any other enterprise, administrative issues that affect the relevant structures of the health institution are ultimately governed by the CEO or the board of directors. It is in this regard that this paper aims to examine a specific administrative issue that required the skills and professional expertise of the CEO to steer the health organization’s direction towards the attainment of its goals. The mission of one of the top ten hospitals in Asia is to improve the delivery of quality health care conforming to the strict standards of the Joint Accreditation Commission of Health Organizations (JACHO). It came to the attention of the Vice President for Nursing that their Nurse Managers are torn between prioritizing functions which are administrative in nature vis-à  -vis functions that cater to the delivery of patient care. Due to the Nurse Managers’ theoretical orientation for health care, the administrative tasks such as completion of reportorial requirements, monitoring and upkeep of equipment and supplies, staff requirements and budgeting are frequently neglected or seconded with priorities being focused to patient care. Every nursing unit in the hospital is headed by a nurse manager who is assigned as the chief head nurse on duty. Her job responsibilities entail patient care as the primary task and managerial functions such as planning, directing, staffing and control. These multi-task functions coupled with low pay contributed to low

Critical Appraisal of a Piece of Research Essay - 2

Critical Appraisal of a Piece of Research - Essay Example The issue of defibrillation by specially trained lay persons is not new to the medical literature though Colquhoun and colleagues provide only a brief insight into the existing research in the field. For example, there is substantial amount of past studies exploring the potential of PAD on survival and other outcomes of PAD (Pell et al, 2002; Culley et al, 2004; Engdahl, 2002), potential locations of AEDs (Becker et al, 1998), cost-effectiveness of different PAD strategies (Nichol, 2003), etc. The studies employed both qualitative (interviewing, observations) and quantitative (prospective randomized trials, surveys) methodologies to reveal comprehensive and multifaceted data on virtually every aspect of PAD. However, the authors provided a very concise review of prior studies, and instead of analyzing and synthesizing the most credible research in the field they only briefly stated the results of some surveys and analytical works. Therefore, the declaration made by Colquhoun and colleagues that the PAD project launched in the UK many years ago relied on next to no published evidence of PAD strategies’ potential effectiveness seems to be an intentional understatement meant to place extra emphasis on the importance of Colquhoun’s study. At the same time, there are really very few studies that seek to compare the effects of different PAD strategies within the framework of one study and particularly on the national scale in the UK. In this regard, the study can really be referred to as â€Å"†¦the first report of a national scheme that has incorporated PAD into mainstream health care provision† (p.279). Besides, expanding the body of knowledge and evidence pertaining to still developing PAD approach remains an important task in terms of resuscitation effectiveness improvement. The main source of data was standard report forms

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

Goverance - Essay Example s and responsibilities of senior management, the crucial problems that affect success in the total enterprise, and the decisions that determine the direction of the organization and shape its function†. Policies and strategic management are responsibilities of the chief executive officer (CEO). A major task under these responsibilities is corporate governance which is simply defined as â€Å"controlling, restraining and directing the making and administration of these policies† (Webster 1997). In health care, like in any other enterprise, administrative issues that affect the relevant structures of the health institution are ultimately governed by the CEO or the board of directors. It is in this regard that this paper aims to examine a specific administrative issue that required the skills and professional expertise of the CEO to steer the health organization’s direction towards the attainment of its goals. The mission of one of the top ten hospitals in Asia is to improve the delivery of quality health care conforming to the strict standards of the Joint Accreditation Commission of Health Organizations (JACHO). It came to the attention of the Vice President for Nursing that their Nurse Managers are torn between prioritizing functions which are administrative in nature vis-à  -vis functions that cater to the delivery of patient care. Due to the Nurse Managers’ theoretical orientation for health care, the administrative tasks such as completion of reportorial requirements, monitoring and upkeep of equipment and supplies, staff requirements and budgeting are frequently neglected or seconded with priorities being focused to patient care. Every nursing unit in the hospital is headed by a nurse manager who is assigned as the chief head nurse on duty. Her job responsibilities entail patient care as the primary task and managerial functions such as planning, directing, staffing and control. These multi-task functions coupled with low pay contributed to low

Education Reform Essay Example for Free

Education Reform Essay Education reform has been a heavily debated topic over the past several decades. This dispute, over education standards, peaked my interest due to my belief that the majority of students in public schools across the United States are underperforming in comparison to other first world countries. On the other hand some teachers and education professionals consider the existing policies adequate in teaching students, and they oppose any new regulations bestowed on by the federal government. These professionals fear that the outcome of increased government action will only result in further standardized testing. There are a plethora of aspects pertaining to education reform, I will just be focusing on a few, including; whether additional schooling controls economic prosperity, if written exams indicate the knowledge a student retains from a particular course, and should the federal government regulate the education system? By beginning some perfunctory research I quickly decided that the United States was in fact in dire need for reform. I chose to investigate further into the issue to find a clearer understanding of what schools and faculty can do to better assist their students. The process of establishing and supporting my thesis was a culmination of multiple components. My Ultimate goal is for the reader to fully comprehend the impurities of public education. My research began with determining a topic, then the research portion of the assignment commenced. Research was not as easy as entering your topic in on a search engine, the sources had to be specific to your topic, from a trustworthy publisher, and factual. Additionally there were requirement as to the medium of sources we needed to incorporate, such as a book, an interview, and a periodical.

Service Oriented Architecture And What Advantages Information Technology Essay

Service Oriented Architecture And What Advantages Information Technology Essay The project aims to clearly define SOA, definition SOA, history overview, characteristics, SWOT analysis, and importance of SOA now-a-days, advantages and disadvantages of SOA as compared with other architecture. The project clearly defines the reader the clear overview of SOA which can help them to understand SOA and the comparison with other architecture. In these days SOA is well known and well discussed topic by IT vendors all over the world. IBM, HP, Microsoft, SAP and many other major IT companies use SOA and some of them amending SOA and represent into new tune. SOA is the group of new software bind together to allow IT vendors to produce something else which is latest and flexible. SOA has special and unique characteristics. For effective use of SOA the developers and designer need to understand the characteristics and SOA concepts. (Hurwitz, Judith, et al, 2007) History of SOA It was a big challenge in IT and business to find the service which can make integration between IT and business for achieving business objectives. As it seems that it is very easy but in reality it is very complex. In the past computer applications were developed for specific particular task without integration to other system. In the modern computing the applications are much more distributed. Now a single application shared into several components like emails, DNS services etc. it is more practical to use components based computing rather than using one application for one task. (Service-Oriented Architecture, 2010) In the past if the account holder needs the information about the account then the customer service representative has to go to one terminal and enter the account number. If the customer needs the saving account information then the representative has to enter the account number in the different terminal. The problem was that each account type has different interfaces. Now-a-days with the successful implementation of SOA and distributed systems banks are now interconnected which improved customer services and customer satisfaction. It also reduced the cost and time.(Rosen,Boris Smith, 2008) Before explaining SOA the software architecture needs to be explained. Software architecture is a new field in the software engineering. Software architecture highlighted the components of the system and how they interact with each other. The interaction between these components is called connectors. (Stevens, 2002) The definition of Software architecture is as followed The software architecture of a program or computing system is the structure or structures of the system, which comprise software components, the externally visible properties of those components, and the relationships among them. (Bass, Clements, and Kazman 1997) Figure 2.1 Components and connectors of system software architecture What is SOA? On the basis of software engineering SOA is an IT architecture which is based on the delivery of reusability of well-defined business. The IT components are under pinned in such a way that the consumer (customer) and provider (business) are loosely coupled. SOA give the independence to enable components to be implemented in different platforms and computer languages. SOA give the great flexibility to re-assemble the existing IT components to build a new solution. There is no restriction in SOA that where there components resides and how things will create. The big misconception about SOA is that most people think that SOA is a technology. However, SOA is not a technology it is the approach to software design that assemble systems from a reusable components and services may originated from different resources and different technology environment. The services provided by SOA can be distributed across heterogeneous platforms which maximize the business and IT agility. (Introduction-to- Service-Oriented-Architecture-SOA, 2010) There are many definitions of SOA. The definition of SOA which can be more likely to understand is as followed: A service oriented architecture is a framework for integrating business processes and supporting IT as secure, standardized components service that can be reused and combined to address changing priorities (Bieberstein, Norbert, et al, 2010) SOA is flexible architecture design. SOA is not only simple architecture it builds architecture on the basis of existing architecture and build more advance software architecture. (Oasis, 2006) According to Jamil SOA is a design pattern which is composed of loosely coupled, discoverable, reusable, inter-operable platform agnostic services in which each of these services follow a well-defined standard. Each of these services can be bound or unbound at any time and as needed. (Jamil, 2010) In this definition it did not indicate any service that what service is being provided in this architecture. It did not describe about software. On the basis of SOA the hardware architecture can be designed effectively. Basically SOA architecture plays the role of bridge between embedded systems and enterprise software. Many companies are making integrated systems now-a-days and SOA is playing a very important role in the integrated systems for integration. SOA makes changes easier SOA makes changes easier in the business and IT environment. IT Systems are the collection of software, hardware and networks. These IT components (software, hardware and networks) are integrated with each other. For making change between them is very difficult. It is very easy to reuse and assemble the components with the help of SOA. For example if a business provides some services to customer like checking credits, checking shipping status and inventory. With the help of SOA we can assemble components in any way as required by the business. When a business needs to be changed then instead of doing work from the beginning we have to reuse and re-arrange the components and services to make something new. SOA help us to save the time and money. We can add new components or someone elses components to make the IT to build something new. SOA helps to grow the business. It gave the flexibility to make change in our business easily which helps business to innovate new. (Rosen Michael, Lu blinsky Boris Smith Kevin T., 2008). The base of SOA is based on loosely coupled services in which software components can easily communicate with each other. These components do not have to know their technical details. (Service-Oriented Architecture, 2010) SOA Model Registry Publish Find Service Provider Service Customer Service Consumer Service consumer executes the service by sending it a request formatted according to the contract. Service Provider Service provider publishes its contract in the registry for access by service consumers. Service Registry Service registry is a network-based directory that contains available services. It is an entity that accepts and stores contracts from service providers and provides those contracts to interested service consumers. Advantages and Disadvantages of Service-Oriented Architecture Advantages of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) This section shows the advantages of SOA in the following aspects. SOA benefits to distributed computing SOA short term benefits SOA long term benefits SOA benefits from the business prospective SOA benefits t to distributed computing Location independence SOA is loosely coupled architecture and location is important factor for loosely coupled architecture. Loosely coupled architecture like SOA provides many requests of the same service from the different location. SOA provides location independence. In SOA architecture services does not need a particular network or specific system.(Bieberstein, 2006) Completely loosely coupled SOA has loosely coupled approach and the quality of this service is that if you want to change the service in one location then it does not need to change linked services. Dynamic search and  connectivity to other services SOA short term benefits SOA has many short term benefits like Enhancing reliability Reducing hardware acquisition costs Leverages existing development skills Providing data bridge between business and IT (Introduction-to-Service-Oriented-Architecture-SOA, 2010) SOA long term benefits SOA provides the following long term benefits Ability to build composite  compatible applications Reducing management costs Real-time decision making applications (Introduction-to-Service-Oriented-Architecture-SOA, 2010) SOA benefits from the business prospective Change more quickly according to the customer Low cost of maintenance technology Leverages existing investments in technology Reduces expensive custom development cost (Introduction-to-Service-Oriented-Architecture-SOA, 2010) The main advantage of SOA is that it fits in business and IT gaps. In the recent world there are many forces contributing in business environement like competition, new products and other endless factors. In the past, IT groups were struggling for fill out this IT and business gap. SOA filled this gap by building an integration between IT and business. One thing which we have to keep in our minds while implementing SOA in the organizations that SOA is not a complete success it is based on how SOA is being designed?. For example, if anyone wants to replace the AVsystem they can replace it with better DVD player. So, they can buy DVD player and replace AV system quickly. Similarly if an organization wants to replace old CRM with new CRM they can easily buy one and integrate with existing system with the help of SOA. But the success of SOA is that how it is designed?. (Barry, 2003) SOA services are used by multiple clients. So, SOA has their own security systemsalso. Multiple level security increased the security of the system. SOA architecture integrate application with each other which solved the problem of software incompatibility and as a result it has low integration cost. SOA facilitate the organization to adapt change quikly. With the help of SOA organizations can adapt change according to market situation. (Barry, 2003) Disadvantages of Service-Oriented Architecture Although there are many advantages of SOA but there are some disadvantages also. SOA is based on loosely coupled architecture thats why SOA has no synchronization element. In SOA process there are some illogical steps followed which are not the part of the SOA model. SOA is not recommended for the following applications. SOA is not for the systems which are stand alone or non-distributed e.g. word processor does not has request and respond based calls. SOA is not suitable for applications which are short term and those applications which have no attention of reusability in the future. Applications which have lots of data of geographical manipulation data are also not suitable with SOA. (Disadvantages of SOA , 2010) Comparison with other architectures SOA vs. Components based architecture If we compare SOA and component based architecture then there is no clear line between them. The main difference between them is connection between and the possibilities offer single service for third party. Conclusion In the conclusion SOA is not the aver night architecture that happens suddenly or overnight. To implement SOA it needs patience consistency and right way of implementation. SOA has many advantages and disadvantages. SOA by itself does not have major problem but the way of implementation is the key point of success. SOA has many challenges but the challenges are more likely relevant to business rather than IT. It is also considered that SOA is not the solution for all the software development problems. SOA has too many problems like the required service according to circumstances, acceptable performance and security. Although there are many advantages and disadvantages of implementing SOA but the key success of implementing of SOA is the way of implementation SOA. How SOA is being implemented in the organization? References Bass, L., Clements, P., and Kazman, R. Software Architecture in Practice. Addison- Wesley, 1997. Bieberstein, Norbert, et al. Chapter 1 Introducing SOA.Executing SOA: A Practical Guide for the Service-Oriented Architect.  IBM Press,  Ã‚ © 2008.  Books24x7. Web.  Nov. 16, 2010.http://common.books24x7.com.librouter.hud.ac.uk/book/id_27520/book.asp Barry, D. K. (2003). Web services and service-oriented architecture: the savvy managers guide. San Francisco,CA: Morgan Kaufmann Publisher. Bieberstein Norbert, Marc Fiammante, Keith Jones, Rawn Shah . (2006). Service-oriented architecture compass: business value, planning. US: Pearson Plc. Ejaz Jamil, What really is SOA. A comparison with Cloud Computing, Web 2.0, SaaS, WOA, Web Services, PaaS and others. Web.Nov.17,2010.http://soalib.com/doc/whitepaper/SoalibWhitePaper_SOAJargon.pdf Hurwitz, Judith, et al. Service Oriented Architecture for Dummies.  Service Oriented Architecture For Dummies.  John Wiley Sons,  Ã‚ © 2007.  Books24x7. Web.  Nov. 16, 2010. Juneja, Girish, et al. Chapter 1 Introduction.  Service Oriented Architecture Demystified.  Intel Press,  Ã‚ © 2007.Books24x7. Web.  Nov. 16, 2010. Marks, Eric A., and  Michael Bell. Chapter 1 Introduction to the SOA Business Model.  Service-Oriented Architecture: A Planning and Implementation Guide for Business and Technology.  John Wiley Sons,  Ã‚ © 2006.  Books24x7. Web.Nov. 16, 2010. Rosen Michael, Lublinsky Boris Smith Kevin T. (2008). Applied SOA : Service-Oriented Architecture and Design Strategies. John Wiley Sons. Stevens, Michael. Service-Oriented Architecture Introduction.web. Nov.16,2010.http://www.developer.com/services/article.php/1010451 Schmutz, Guido,  Daniel Liebhart, and  Peter Welkenbach. Chapter 1 Basic Principles.  Service Oriented Architecture: An Integration Blueprint: A Real-world SOA Strategy for the Integration of Heterogeneous Enterprise Systems.  Packt Publishing,  Ã‚ © 2010.  Books24x7. Web.  Nov. 16, 2010.http://common.books24x7.com.librouter.hud.ac.uk/book/id_35815/book.asp Service-Oriented Architecture. (2010). Retrieved 11 22, 2010, from What is Service-Oriented Architecture?: http://www.bestpricecomputers.co.uk/glossary/service-oriented-architecture.htm Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form

Love in twelfth night Essay -- essays research papers

Love in twelfth night In the play twelfth night, Shakespeare covered three types of love : Lust, true love and brotherly love. Love is one of the most confusing and most misunderstood emotions that we as humans posses. Love is an extremely diverse emotion which is why it was used as the main topic in twelfth night. Lust, which is probably one of the most confusing types of love was an apparent subject in twelfth night.There are many reasons why one would lust, one could be because you are attracted to a specific quality of a person or could maybe only like there looks or even just thing like there charisma. Shakespeare showed lust between Orsino and Olivia. Even though Orsino had not met or even seen Olivia, he was still madly in love with her. Lust is defined as an intense but temporary wanting of a persons attention or love. Orsino tried to capture the heart of Olivia through out the play, and lusted for her because he was attracted by her grieving for her family. It was thought by Orsino that She would have an intense love for him if she loved her family so much. As the play moves forward, Orsino actually meets Olivia but he loses his lust for her, and instead loves Viola ( formerly Cesario). Shakespeare also used lust between Malvolio and Olivia. Malvolio thought that Olivia had fallen in l ove with him (as the reader knows this was a joke being played on Malvolio). This grew a larger ego bubble on Malvolio. He thought that she truly wanted his love, and thusly his ego ...

Avons Marketing Strategy in International Markets Essay -- Internatio

Avon's Marketing Strategy in International Markets 1/ Which actors in Avon's microenvironment and forces in the macro environment have been important in shaping its marketing strategies? We can explain what is exactly microenvironment and macro environment. Micro-environment is the factors in a firm's immediate environment which affect its performance and decision-making; these elements include the firm's suppliers, competitors, marketing intermediaries, customers and publics. Macro-environment is the major uncontrollable, external forces (economic, demographic, technological, natural, social and cultural, legal and political) which influence a firm's decision making and have an impact upon its performance. Macroenvironment forces include the increasing mobility of the U.S. population (demographic change), which meant that both customers and salespeople were moving. This made it difficult for salespeople to establish loyal, stable customer bases. In order to define what influenced the Avon's marketing strategy: ACTORS in Avon's MICRO ENVIRONMENT FORCES in Avon's MACRO ENVIRONMENT ïÆ'Ëœ Sales force: homemakers who needed extra money but didn't want a full time job outside the home. ïÆ'Ëœ Recruiting salespeople was easy ïÆ'Ëœ An army of women selling products = Avon ladies ïÆ'Ëœ Direct Saling ïÆ'Ëœ Convenience for the customer ïÆ'Ëœ They develop clients lists of friend or neighbours ïÆ'Ëœ More women found that they needed to work outside the home ïÆ'Ëœ Salaries needed more than part-time Job ïÆ'Ëœ When Avon ladies rang the doorbell, often no one answered. ïÆ'Ëœ More competitor were competing for the pool of people interested in full or part time direct selling jobs. ïÆ'Ëœ Increasing mobility of the US population : both customers... ...ust its marketing strategies. Avon had successfully negotiated with the Chinese government to restart its business. Avon agreed to operate as a wholesaler, selling its products to retail stores and converting its 75 branch centers into retail outlets. The new arrangement meant that Avon's 50,000 sales representatives would lose their jobs. Avon should not view a whole country as a single market and always bear in mind that there is a strong purchasing power in the hands of many urban communities in these countries. This is particularly true for China where the stereotype of 1.3 billion, low-income people living in rural areas is simply not true. China has the largest urban population in the world with 400 million consumers living in a set of urban centers along the Chinese coast. There should be a concerted marketing effort to targets this huge untapped market.

Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space

The Benefits of Parks: Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space BY Paul M. Sheerer Published by: 116 New Montgomery Street Fourth Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 495-4014 www. Tip. Org 02006 the Trust for Public Land – Reprint of â€Å"Parks for People† white paper, published In 2003. Table of Contents Forward: Will Rogers, President, Trust for Public Land 5 Executive Summary 6 America Needs More City Parks U. S. Cities Are Park-Poor Low-Income Neighborhoods Are Desperately Short of Park Space Case Study: New Parks for Los Angles The Public Wants More Parks 8History of America's City Parks: Inspiration, Abandonment, Revival The Decline of City Parks A Revival Begins Budget Crises Threaten City Parks 10 Public Health Benefits of City Parks and Open Space America's Twin Plagues: Physical Inactivity and Obesity Access to Parks Increases Frequency of Exercise Exposure to Nature and Greenery Makes People Healthier 12 Economic Benefits of Parks 14 Increased Proper ty Values Property Values in Low-Income Urban Areas Property Values at the Edges of Urban Areas Effects on Commercial Property Values Economic Revitalization: Attracting and Retaining Businesses and Residents TourismBenefits Environmental Benefits of Parks Pollution Abatement and Cooling Controlling Stemware Runoff 17 Social Benefits of Parks Reducing Crime Recreation Opportunities: The Importance of Play Creating Stable Neighborhoods with Strong Community 18 Conclusion 20 Notes 21 Bibliography 24 3 Forward At the turn of the 20th century, the majority of Americans lived in rural areas and small towns, relatively close to the land. At the beginning of the 21st century, 85 desperate need of places to experience nature and refresh ourselves in the out-of- doors.The emergence of America as an urban nation was anticipated by Frederick Law Limited and other 19th-century park visionaries, who gave us New Work's Central Park, San Franciscans Golden Gate Park, and similar grand parks in cit ies across the nation. They were gardeners and designers-but also preachers for the power of parks, fired from within by the understanding that they were shaping the quality of American lives for generations to come. In the view of these park visionaries, parks were not â€Å"amenities. They were necessities, providing recreation, inspiration, and essential respite from the city blare and bustle. And the visionaries were particularly concerned that parks be available to all of a city residents-especially those who did not have the resources to escape to the countryside. As population shifted to the suburbs after World War II, this vision of parks for all faded. Many cities lost the resources to create new parks. And in the new suburbs, the sprawling landscapes of curving CUL-De-sacs were broken mostly by boxy shopping centers and concrete parking lots.The time has come for Americans to rededicate themselves to the vision of parks for all the nation's people. As the action's leading conservation group creating parks in and around cities, the Trust for Public Land (TIP) has launched its Parks for People initiative in the belief that every American child should enjoy convenient access to a nearby park or playground. This white paper outlines how desperate the need is for city parks-especially in inner-city neighborhoods. And it goes on to describe the social, environmental, economic, and health benefits parks bring to a city and its people.TIP hopes this paper will generate discussion about the need for parks, prompt new research on the benefits f parks to cities, and serve as a reference for government leaders and volunteers as they make the case that parks are essential to the health and well-being of all Americans. You will find more information about the need for city parks and their benefits in the Parks for People section of Tap's Web site (www. Tip. Org/poor) where you can also sign-up for Parks for People information and support Tap's Parks for People wo rk.TIP is proud to be highlighting the need for parks in America's cities. Thanks for Joining our effort to ensure a park within reach of every American home. Will Rogers President, the Trust for Public Land City parks and open space improve our physical and psychological health, strengthen our communities, and make our cities and neighborhoods more attractive places to live and work. But too few Americans are able to enjoy these benefits. Eighty percent of Americans live in metropolitan areas, and many of these areas are severely lacking in park space.Only 30 percent of Los Angles residents live within walking distance mile. Low-income neighborhoods populated by minorities and recent immigrants are especially short of park space. From an equity standpoint, there is a strong need to redress this imbalance. In Los Angles, white neighborhoods enjoy 31. 8 acres of park space for every 1,000 people, compared with 1. 7 acres in African-American neighborhoods and 0. 6 acres in Latino neig hborhoods. This inequitable distribution of park space harms the residents of these communities and creates substantial costs for the nation as a whole.U. S. Voters have repeatedly shown their willingness to raise their own taxes to pay for new or improved parks. In 2002, 189 conservation funding measures appeared on ballots in 28 states. Voters approved three-quarters of these, generating $10 billion in conservation-related funding. Many of the nation's great city parks were built in the second half of the 19th century. Urban planners believed the parks would improve public health, relieve the stresses of urban life, and create a demonstrating public space where rich and poor would mix on equal terms.By the mid-20th century, city parks fell into decline as people fled inner cities for the suburbs. The suburbs fared no better, as people believed that backyards would meet the requirement for public open space. Over the past couple of decades, interest in city parks has revived. Gover nments and civic groups around the country have revalidated run-down city parks, built greengages along rivers, converted abandoned railroad lines to trails, and planted community gardens in vacant lots.But with the current economic downturn, states and cities facing severe budget crises are slashing their park spending, threatening the health of existing parks, and curtailing the creation of new parks. Strong evidence shows that when people have access to parks, they exercise more. Regular physical activity as been shown to increase health and reduce the risk of a wide range of diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes. Physical activity also relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety, improves mood, and enhances psychological well-being.Beyond the benefits of exercise, a growing body of research shows that contact with the natural world improves physical and psychological health. Despite the importance of exercise, only 25 percent of American adu lts engage in the recommended levels of physical activity, and 29 percent engage in no leisure-time physical activity. The sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet of Americans have produced an epidemic of obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called for the creation of more parks and playgrounds to help fight this epidemic.Numerous studies have shown that parks and open space increase the value of neighboring residential property. Growing evidence points to a similar benefit on commercial property value. The availability of park and recreation facilities is an important quality-of-life factor for corporations choosing where to locate facilities and for well-educated individuals choosing a place to live. City parks such as San Notation's Riverview Park often become important tourism draws, contributing heavily Green space in urban areas provides substantial environmental benefits.Trees reduce air pollution and water pollution, they help keep cities cooler, and th ey are a more effective and less expensive way to manage stemware runoff than building systems of concrete sewers and drainage ditches. City parks also produce important social and community development benefits. They make inner-city neighborhoods more livable; they offer recreational opportunities for at-risk youth, low-income children, and low-income families; and they provide places n low-income neighborhoods where people can feel a sense of community.Access to public parks and recreational facilities has been strongly linked to reductions in crime and in particular to reduced Juvenile delinquency. Community gardens increase residents' sense of community ownership and stewardship, provide a focus for neighborhood activities, expose inner-city youth to nature, connect people from diverse cultures, reduce crime by cleaning up vacant lots, and build community leaders. In light of these benefits, the Trust for Public Land calls for a revival of the city parks movement of the late 19t h century.We invite all Americans to Join the effort to bring parks, open spaces, and greengages into the nation's neighborhoods where everyone can benefit from them. 7 The residents of many U. S. Cities lack adequate access to parks and open space near their homes. In 2000, 80 percent of Americans were living in metropolitan areas, up from 48 percent in 1940. 1 The park space in many of these metropolitan areas is grossly inadequate. In Atlanta, for example, parkland covers only 3. 8 percent of the city area.Atlanta has no public green space larger than one-third of a square mile. 2 The city has only 7. Acres of park space for every 1,000 residents, compared with a 19. 1 acre average for other medium-low population density cities. 3 The story is much the same in Los Angles, San Jose, New Orleans, and Dallas. Even in cities that have substantial park space as a whole, the residents of many neighborhoods lack access to nearby parks. In New York City, for example, nearly half of the c ity 59 community board districts have less than 1. 5 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Low-Income Neighborhoods Are Desperately Short of Park Space Low-income neighborhoods populated by minorities and recent immigrants are especially short f park space. Minorities and the poor have historically been shunted off to live on the wrong side of the tracks, in paved-over, industrialized areas with few public amenities. From an equity standpoint, there is a strong need to redress this imbalance. In Los Angles, white neighborhoods (where whites make up 75 percent or more of the residents) boast 31. 8 acres of park space for every 1,000 people, compared with 1. 7 acres in African-American neighborhoods and 0. Acres in Latino neighborhoods. 5 This inequitable distribution of park space harms the residents of are costs alone are potentially enormous. Lacking places for recreation, minorities and low-income individuals are significantly less likely than whites and high-income individuals t o engage in the regular physical activity that is crucial to good health. Among non-Hispanic white adults in the United States, 34. 9 percent engage in regular leisure-time physical activity, compared with only 25. 4 percent of non- Hispanic black adults and 22. 7 percent of Hispanic adults. And adults with incomes below the poverty level are three times as likely as high-income adults to never be physically active. Even where the government or voters have allocated new money for park acquisition, there is significant risk that wealthier and better-organized districts will grab more than their fair share. The Los Angles neighborhood of South Central-with the city second-highest prove- The Trust for Public Land TTY rate, highest share of children, and lowest access to nearby park space-received only about half as much per-child parks funding as affluent West Los Angles from Proposition K between 1998 and 2000. Case Study: New Parks for Los Angles With 28,000 people crammed into its o ne square mile of low-rise buildings, the city f Manhood in Los Angles County is the most densely populated U. S. City outside the New York City metropolitan area. 10 Its residents-96 percent are Hispanic and 37 percent are children-are often packed five to a bedroom, with entire families living in garages and beds being used on a time-share basis. The Trust for Public Land (TIP) has been working in Manhood since 1996 to purchase, assemble, and convert six separate former industrial sites into a seven-acre riverside park.The project will double Manhood's park space. 11 Before TIP began its work, the future park site was occupied by abandoned arouses and industrial buildings, covered in garbage, graffiti, rusted metal, and barrels of industrial waste. Until the late asses, the parcels contained a glue factory, a transfer facility for solvents, and a truck service facility; one parcel was designated an Environmental Protection Agency Superfine site. 12 TIP is preparing to acquire the final parcel and has developed preliminary designs for the site.The completed park will invite Manhood's residents to gather at its picnic benches, stroll its walking trails, relax on its lawns, and play with their children in its tot lot. The Manhood project is a precursor of Tap's Parks for People-Los Angles program, an ambitious new effort to create parks where they are most desperately needed. The case for more parks in Los Angles is among the most compelling of any American city today. Only 30 percent of its residents live within a quarter mile of a park, compared with between 80 percent and 90 percent in Boston and New York, respectively. 3 If these residents are Latino, African American, or Asian Pacific, they have even less access to green space. TIP has set a goal of creating 25 new open space projects in Los Angles over the would be invested in undeserved minority communities. To accomplish this goal, TIP will help these communities through the gauntlets of public and priv ate fundraising, real estate transactions, strategic planning, and stewardship issues. Los Angles is also the site of Tap's first application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to assess the need for parks.TIP launched the GIS program in late 2001 in Los 9 O The Trust for Public Land Angles and has since expanded the program to New York, Lass Vegas, Boston, Charlotte, Miami, and Camden and Newark, New Jersey. Tap's GIS system uses census, anemographic and other data to map out areas of high population, concentrated poverty, and lack of access to park space. With GIS technology, TIP can now pinpoint the areas of fastest population growth, study landownership patterns, and acquire key parcels before development demand drives up property prices or destroys open space.Further, GIS helps TIP create contiguous park space, protecting natural habitats and connecting larger parks with linear greengages, rather than create a patchwork quilt of open space. 14 Voters have repeatedly show n their willingness to raise their own taxes to pay for new or improved parks. In the November 2002 elections, voters in 93 communities in 22 states approved ballot measures that committed $2. 9 billion to acquire and restore land for parks and open space.Voters approved 85 percent of such referendums in these elections. 1 5 Voter support in 2002 increased from the already strong 75 percent approval rate for similar measures in November 2001. 16 History of America's City Parks: Inspiration, Abandonment, Revival During the second half of the 19th century, American cities built grand city parks to improve their residents' quality of life. Dubbed 19th-century pleasure grounds by ark historians, the parks include New Work's Central Park and San Franciscans Golden Gate Park.Municipal officials of the time saw these parks as a refuge from the crowded, polluted, stressful cities-places where citizens could experience fresh air, sunshine, and the spiritually transforming power of nature; a place for recreation; and a demonstrating public space where rich and poor would mix on equal terms. The new parks were inspired by â€Å"an anti-urban ideal that dwelt on the traditional prescription for relief from the evils of the city-to escape to the country,† Galen Crane writes.The new American parks thus were conceived as great pleasure grounds meant to be pieces of the country, with fresh air, meadows, lakes, and sunshine right in the city. † 17 The Decline of City Parks spending on city parks declined. The well-to-do and white abandoned the cities for the suburbs, taking public funding with them. Cities and their parks fell into a spiral of decay. Cities cut park maintenance funds, parks deteriorated, and crime rose; many city dwellers came to view places like Central Park as too dangerous to visit. 18 The suburbs that mushroomed at the edges of major cities were often built with little public park space.For residents of these areas, a trip out of the house mea ns a drive to the shopping mall. Beginning around 1990, many city and town councils began forcing developers to add open space to their projects. Still, these open spaces are often effectively off-limits to the general public; in the vast sprawl around Lass Vegas, for example, the newer subdivisions often have open space at their centers, but these spaces are hidden inside a labyrinth of winding streets. Residents of older, low- and middle-income neighborhoods have to get in their cars (if they have one) and drive to find recreation space. 9 More recently, city parks have experienced something of a renaissance which has benefited cities unequally. The trend began in the asses and flourished in the asses as part of a general renewal of urban areas funded by a strong economy. It coincided with a philosophical shift in urban planning away from designing around the automobile and a backlash against the alienating modernism of mid-20th-century public architecture, in favor of public spac es that welcome and engage the community in general and the pedestrian in particular.Government authorities, civic groups, and private agencies around the country have worked together to revivalist UN-down city parks, build greengages along formerly polluted rivers, convert abandoned railroad lines to trails, and plant community gardens in vacant lots. The Park at Post Office Square in Boston shows how even a small but well-designed open space can transform its surroundings. Before work on the park began in the late asses, the square was filled by an exceptionally ugly concrete parking garage, blighting an important part of the financial district.Many buildings on the square shifted their entrances and addresses to other streets not facing the square. 20 Completed in 1992, the 1. -acre park is considered one of the most beautiful city parks in the United States. Its immaculate landscaping-with 125 species of plants, flowers, bushes, and trees-its half-acre lawn, its fountains, and i ts teak and granite benches lure throngs of workers during lunchtime on warm days.Hidden underneath is a seven-floor parking garage for 1,400 cars, which provides financial support for the park. 21 â€Å"It clearly, without any question, has enhanced and changed the entire neighborhood,† says Serge Denis, managing director of Lee Meridian Hotel Boston, which borders the park. â€Å"It's absolutely gorgeous. Not surprisingly, rooms 11 Yet despite such success stories, local communities often lack the transactional and development skills to effectively acquire property and convert it into park space.TIP serves a vital role in this capacity, working closely with local governments and community residents to determine where parks are needed; to help develop funding strategies; to negotiate and acquire property; to plan the park and develop it; and finally, to turn it over to the public. Between 1971 and 2002, the Trust for Public Land's work in cities resulted in the acquisition of 532 properties totaling 40,754 cress. In the nation's 50 largest cities TIP acquired 138 properties totaling 7,640 acres. 3 In the wake of the bursting of the economic bubble of the late asses, states and cities facing severe budget crises are slashing their park spending. With a projected $2. 4 billion budget shortfall in the two-year period beginning July 2003, Minnesota has cut its aid to local governments, hurting city park systems across the state. The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, confronting a 20 percent cut in its funding through 2004, has been forced to respond by deferring maintenance, closing wading lolls and beaches, providing fewer portable toilets, and reducing its mounted police patrol program.The required program cuts â€Å"represent a huge loss to the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and to the children of Minneapolis,† says Park Board Superintendent Mary Merrill Anderson. 24 When Georgians state legislature went into session in January 2003, law makers found themselves grappling with a $650 million budget shortfall. Part of their response was to eliminate the planned $30 million in fiscal 2003 funding for the Georgia Community Greengages Program, after appropriating $30 million per fiscal year in 001 and 2002.The legislature also cut the 2004 budget from $30 million to $10 million. The program helps the state's fastest-growing counties set aside adequate green space-at least 20 percent of their land-amid all the new subdivisions and strip malls. Most of the affected counties are around Atlanta, among the nation's worst examples of urban sprawl. For legislators hunting for budget-cutting targets, Georgians $30 million Community Greengages Program â€Å"was like a buffalo in the middle of a group of chickens,† says David Swan, program director for Tap's Atlanta office.The cut â€Å"makes a compelling argument that we need a dedicated funding source, so that green space acquisition isn't depending on fiscal cycles and the legislature. â€Å"25 The federal government has also cut its city parks spending. In 1978, the federal government established the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery (PARR) program to help urban areas rehabilitate their recreational facilities. The program received no funding in fiscal year 2003, down from $28. 9 million in both 2001 and 2002. 26 President Bush's budget proposal for fiscal 2004 also allocates no PARR funding.