Essay about J.D. Salingers Development of Holden Caulfield

Many authors put their own life as inspiration towards their works and characters. J.D. Salinger’s character development of Holden Caulfield has been affected by Salinger’s complications in his school life, devastating past relationships, and overwhelming traumatic events during his pre-The Catcher in the Rye adulthood. J.D. Salinger’s school life had many significant events that are shown through Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. In the novel, the 17-year-old Holden Caulfield leaves Pencey Prep. In chapter one, Holden states â€Å"...I’d just got back from New York with the fencing team. I was the goddam manager of the fencing team. Very big deal. We’d gone in to New York that morning for this fencing meet with McBurney†¦show more content†¦When Salinger attended McBurney School, he tried to conform so he can fit (one way was calling himself Jerry). While at this school, he also acted in plays and wrote the school’ s newspaper. This is shown through Holden as he doesn’t try to conform (which could be representing Salinger’s regret to try and conform), hates phoniness (as acting as a character [for example: in a play] is considered being phony), and likes writing (as shown in the beginning of chapter one as he tells the audience his story and how he admires his writer-brother, D.B.). Salinger himself stated, â€Å"My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book, and it was a great relief telling people about it† (interview by Shirlie Blaney). Salinger’s many failed relationships in his lives, from his parents to love interests, are hinted throughout Holden’s life and his character. Salinger’s father was from a Jewish descent while his mother was from a Catholic descent; however Salinger didn’t know about this until his bar mitzvah. Salinger had problematic issues with his father like how his father basically disapproved of hi s son in general (for example: participation in plays). It was even described that â€Å"J.D. skipped his father’s funeral and later stopped eating meat† (stated by www.nndb.com). Salinger’s relationship with his parents were broken because of the trust broken by his mother and theShow MoreRelatedHolden Caulfield of Catcher In the Rye, the equivalent portrayal of J.D Salinger1734 Words   |  7 PagesHolden Caulfield of Catcher In the Rye, the equivalent portrayal of J.D Salinger Jerome David â€Å"J.D† Salinger’s masterpiece, The Catcher in the Rye, is a world to the disillusioned protagonist Holden Caulfield. The story follows Holden Caulfield following his eviction from his private school, Holden leaves school two days early to travel New York before returning home. He interconnected with many different folks along the way and fascinatingly, the character of Holden Caulfield holds a remarkableRead MoreAngel Simon. Mrs Kehrmeyer. Ap English. 2 March 2017. The1086 Words   |  5 PagesAngel Simon Mrs Kehrmeyer AP English 2 March 2017 The Island of Isolation Holden Caulfield, the main protagonist in J.D. Salinger s The Catcher in the Rye, illustrates the endless struggle of becoming an adult, without actually growing up. Psychoanalytical theory provides a closer lense into the character development of sixteen year Holden Caulfield, a six foot two grey haired child who’s afraid to grow up and face the problems of an inevitable reality. There’s many factors that contribute toRead MoreThe Importance of Censoring in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger1145 Words   |  5 PagesJ.D. Salinger was an American author well known for his best seller The Catcher in the Rye, a considerably influential novel that portrayed the feelings of alienation that were experienced by adolescents in North America after World War II (J.D. Salinger Biography). Salinger’s work appeared in many magazines, including a series of short stories which inspired many new authors (J.D. Salinger Biography). His inspiration for Pencey Prep boarding school in The Catcher in the Rye stemmed from hisRead MoreCharacter Development Of Holden Caulfield1105 Words   |  5 PagesRushil Asudani Mr. Bazinet ENG3UN 11 July 2015 Character Development of Holden Caulfield Change is an essential component in the continued success of the human race and thus important in the development of society. As such, society expects people to constantly change and adapt. Readers typically expect to see the development of characters throughout novels, or other pieces of literature. In the novel, â€Å"The Catcher in the Rye†, J. D. Salinger deviates from the normal progression followed by mostRead MoreCatcher in the Rye Essay837 Words   |  4 PagesJ.D Salinger’s fictional novel ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ explores ideas of coming of age and challenging society’s morals through the life of Holden Caulfield, the young protagonist of the novel. The term ‘coming of age’ can be defined as when someone reaches an important stage in development and is accepted by a large number of people. The word ‘morals’ is concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction of right and wrong. Themes su ch as innocence, isolation and youth resideRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye: Holden Caulfields Phony Phobia Essay1825 Words   |  8 Pagesfrom around the year 1945 to the present day is called Postmodernism. Postmodernism is difficult to define since there are not so many agreement on certain characteristics, and importance of the postmodern literature. This period consists on a development or departure from the modernism. Postmodern literature is much well characterized by the fragmented collection of high and lows in culture that represents the absence of tradition in the world of consumerism. Postmodernism is a time in which authorsRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye vs. Looking For Alaska1807 Words   |  8 Pagesbetween the main protagonists in John Greens Looking for Alaska, and J.D. Salingers Catcher in the Rye. Although these two coming of age novels differ greatly in setting and in circumstance, many of the broader, more fundamental themes in each are actually quite simila r. John Green was very much influenced by J.D. Salinger, and even admitted that Miles Pudge Halter in Looking For Alaska, was based largely off of Holden Caulfield, the main character in Catcher in the Rye. In reading the two booksRead MoreAn Analysis of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye1223 Words   |  5 PagesIn J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is portrayed as a young, troubled individual. He tells us his story from the mental institution where he is currently residing. Holden is a 16 year old going through many different adolescent changes. He is expelled from his prep school for flunking too many subjects. He drinks, smokes, sees a prostitute, is punched by her pimp, goes on dates, spends a great deal of time in the park, and really does not do a great deal else. Holden isRead MorePsychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield1173 Words   |  5 Pagessilently directs the thoughts and behavior of the individual† (Freud 95). Holden Cau lfield, the main character in J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is sixteen years old and does not act his own age for he is stuck in his own private world, filled with pain and suffering. In the novel, Holden can be observed through a psychoanalytical view, which provides the reader a clear understanding of his unconscious mind. Holden is displayed as a troubled and foolish teenager who is flunking from anotherRead MoreInto the Wild vs. Catcher in the Rye1479 Words   |  6 PagesESSENTIAL TO LIFE: â€Å"Happiness is not something already made. It comes from your actions† –Dalai Lama J.D. Salinger’s world-renowned book The Catcher in the Rye and director Sean Penn’s dramatic feature film Into the Wild both give us a unique perspective of society through a collection of descriptive imagery and riveting plot development. Both materials present us with protagonists Holden Caulfield and Chris McCandless, whom are deeply encompassed by self-introspection and who seem to be on a quest

Autonomous Vehicles and Software Architectures Free Essays

Author: Anonymous Date: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 10:07:54 AM EDT Subject:Week 1 Discussion 2 â€Å"Autonomous Vehicles and Software Architectures † Please respond to the following: * Autonomous vehicles utilize integrated imaging and vision systems, sensor systems, and control systems to â€Å"drive a car†. Determine what you believe are the top-five challenges of integrating these systems. Provide one example for each challenge and explain why you believe it is a challenge. We will write a custom essay sample on Autonomous Vehicles and Software Architectures or any similar topic only for you Order Now * Explain whether you believe there is a difference between designing and developing software for distributed architectures and stand-alone essay writer help, non-distributed systems. Provide at least five reasons to support your position. Autonomous Vehicles and Top-Five Challenges 1. ) Just for starters, who would be responsible for accidents? Software used in such cars would have to have the same basic reactions as humans, and if there is a computational fault that causes a crash, would the driver or the software-making firm be at fault? Not only this, but vehicle safety standards would have to be assessed and potentially rewritten to account for electronics as well as mechanics — and knowing how governments work, this could take a while. . ) No system is faultless, and everything has a chance of failure. But if a computer system fails when you’re on the highway, not only could it prove more dangerous than usual — as your attention is unlikely to be fully on the road if something else is in control — and so a self-driving car would have to come with a plethora of safety mechanisms in place to cater for these issues. Not only this, bu t such a system would have to be able to react to unexpected situations. For example, how would an autonomous car react if a child ran out into a road? The technology may be shiny and new, but safety will prove a massive challenge before this kind of technology will be allowed to see the light of day when it comes down to the general public. Specifically, driving in snow is proving challenging because the snow covers the markers and visual cues that the autonomous sensor technology relies on to pilot a vehicle on its own. 3. ) There also may be problems with new roads or changes in street names as well as with situations in which police are manually directing traffic. 4. Another challenge is driving through construction zones, accident zones, or other situations in which a human is directing traffic with hand signals. The cars are excellent at observing stop signs, traffic lights, speed limits, the behavior of other cars, and other common cues that human drivers use to figure out how fast to go and where and when to turn. But when a human is directing traffic with hand signals–and especially when these hand signals conflict w ith a traffic light or stop sign–the cars get confused. 5. Data Challenges: An enormous amount of data will become available for alternative usage, which is likely to present challenges and opportunities pertaining to data security, privacy concerns, and data analytics and aggregation. Privacy concerns must be resolved to enable the deployment of integrated sensor-based and cooperative vehicle technologies. A balance between privacy protection interests and other affected interests is essential to resolve conflicts between the stakeholders who will make decisions about how information is collected, archived, and distributed. Potential stakeholder concerns are numerous: disclosure of vehicle data could reveal trade secrets; public personalities, such as politicians and celebrities, could be connected to potentially embarrassing locations or routes; and ordinary citizens could find themselves spammed or stalked as the data enables a variety of harmful applications such a as commercial misuse, public corruption, and identity theft. And what’s to prevent nefarious governments from using the expanded surveillance capabilities to spy on their citizens? Data Security: Numerous security threats will arise once personal mobility is dominated by self-driving vehicles. Unauthorized parties, hackers, or even terrorists could capture data, alter records, instigate attacks on systems, compromise driver privacy by tracking individual vehicles, or identify residences. They could provide bogus information to drivers, masquerade as a different vehicle, or use denial-of-service attacks to bring down the network. The nefarious possibilities are mind-boggling—the stuff of sci-fi thrillers. But system security will undoubtedly become a paramount issue for transportation systems with the successful deployment of integrated sensor based and cooperative vehicles. Difference Between Distributed and Non-Distributed Systems A distributed system is a computing system in which a number of components cooperate by communicating over a network. Computer software traditionally ran in stand-alone systems, where the user interface, application ‘business’ processing, and persistent data resided in one computer, with peripherals attached to it by buses or cables. Inherent complexities, which arise from fundamental domain challenges: E. g. , components of a distributed system often reside in separate address spaces on separate nodes, so inter-node communication needs different mechanisms, policies, and protocols than those used for intra-node communication in a stand-alone systems. Likewise, synchronization and coordination is more complicated in a distributed system since components may run in parallel and network communication can be asynchronous and non-deterministic. The networks that connect components in distributed systems introduce additional forces, such as latency, jitter, transient failures, and overload, with corresponding impact on system efficiency, predictability, and availability [VKZ04]. †¢ Accidental complexities, which arise from limitations with software tools and development techniques, such as non-portable programming APIs and poor distributed debuggers. Ironically, many accidental complexities stem from deliberate choices made by developers who favor low-level languages and platforms, such as C and C-based operating system APIs and libraries, that scale up poorly when applied to distributed systems. As the complexity of application requirements increases, moreover, new layers of distributed infrastructure are conceived and released, not all of which are equally mature or capable, which complicates development, integration, and evolution of working systems. †¢ Inadequate methods and techniques. Popular software analysis methods and design techniques have focused on constructing single-process, single-threaded applications with ‘best-effort’ quality of service (QoS) requirements. The development of high-quality distributed systems—particularly those with stringent performance requirements, such as video-conferencing or air traffic control systems—has been left to the expertise of skilled software architects and engineers. Moreover, it has been hard to gain experience with software techniques for distributed systems without spending much time wrestling with platform-specific details and fixing mistakes by costly trial and error. Continuous re-invention and re-discovery of core concepts and techniques. The software industry has a long history of recreating incompatible solutions to problems that have already been solved. There are dozens of general-purpose and real-time operating systems that manage the same hardware resources. Similarly, there are d ozens of incompatible operating system encapsulation libraries, virtual machines, and middleware that provide slightly different APIs that implement essentially the same features and services. If effort had instead been focused on rapidly by reusing common tools and standard platforms and components. Distributed Systems Therefore, distributed and non-distributed computer system are different in these ways. * Distributed architecture has the ability to scale out and load balance business logic independently. * Distributed architecture has separate server resources that are available for separate layers. * Distributed architecture is flexible. * Distributed architecture has additional serialization and network latency overheads due to remote calls. * Distributed architecture is potentially more complex and more expensive in terms of total cost of ownership. Non-Distributed Systems Non-distributed architecture is less complex than distributed architecture. * Non-distributed architecture has performance advantages gained through local calls. * With non-distributed architecture, it is difficult to share business logic with other applications. * With non-distributed architecture, server resources are shared across layers. This can be good or bad — layers may work well together a nd result in optimized usage because one of them is always busy. However, if one layer requires disproportionately more resources, another layer may be starved of resources. How to cite Autonomous Vehicles and Software Architectures, Papers

Kashmir Floods and Disaster Management †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Kashmir Floods and Disaster Management. Answer: Introduction: The Kashmir Flood, India that occurred in the year of 2014, after five consecutive days of rain, had a disastrous impact on the lives leaving approximately 400 people dead, approximately six lakh people stranded as well as schools and other large buildings destroyed (Shah 2015). Considered to be the worst flood in the last hundred years, the natural disaster has clearly pointed out that lack of disaster preparedness on part of the government is primarily responsible for the catastrophe. The national government agency had been blamed largely owing to its callousness in dealing with natural disasters. Not only, is the government entrusted with implementing a variety of preventive measures so as to eliminate the potential risks involved, but it is also expected to raise the public awareness about the causes of flood, and the risks involved. As far as the preparedness of the risk Management authority was concerned, a striking lack of voluntary activists aggravated the problem. The state did not have enough boats in order to rescue the victims in proper time, and hence new boats had to be ferried from other states, ultimately leading to further delay in the rescue problem and aggravation of the problem . Further, despite the presence of various volunteers, the state had a huge dearth of trained, professional volunteers, or adequate staffs who could be actively engaged in eliminating the risks involved in the disaster. The absence of skilled manpower along with the lack o f advanced technology, employed by the government had failed to mitigate the impact of the disaster on the lives of the people (Gogoi 2014). Further, a large number of people had to seek shelter in different community run relief centers, and yet the volunteers or the government agencies were unable to get a consolidated list of rescued people. Hence, it became even difficult to identify the people who were being involved in the disaster as well. As far as the government of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the government did have a highly inefficient and outdated disaster and calamity Management policy, as a result of which once the disaster occurred, shortage of boats and bad weather kept many people stranded. Besides, it is not sufficient for the government to formulate and implement risk preventive measures, as it is equally important to engage the common people in research and development activities for the mitigation of the impacts of the disasters. However, in case of India, IGNOU is the only state that has been offering disaster management courses, as a result of which very few people are engaging in the research and development activities for mitigating the impact of flood here. Further, it is equally important to mention here that the Union Ministry of Water Resources of India does have a flood forecast system with more than 157 centers in India and yet there is no forecast system for one of the most flood prone state s of India- Jammu and Kashmir (Kumar 2017). As far as the US jurisdiction regarding the workplace safety is concerned, the Occupational Safety and Health Acts of 1970, has mandated that it is the responsibility of the employers to offer a safe environment to the employees. The FLSA Act of the USA clearly states that the employees working in an organization must be at least 18 years of age, and not below that. Similarly, the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 protects and safeguards the health and well-being of all the workers, engaged in mining and mineral processing activities. However, in order to avert the risks, the government acts do not incorporate any form of technological innovation to protect the lives of the employees. The employers under the OSH Act are directed to protect the employees from serious, recognized hazards and risks. However, while serious risks imply fatal accidents that can take a toll on the life of an employee, the recognized hazards may imply the risk of an employee of getting heavily injured. Howe ver, minor injuries caused by trip and fall, that can completely or partially disable and hurt the employer or occupational stress are not being covered under the OSHA Act. The issue of cockpit intrusion is indeed an odd case, and it cannot be predicted easily by the Management authority that a deranged man might barge in the pilots room, and intervene with the operational activity of the pilot. However, since in 2011 four similar incidents had occurred, the management must become doubly cautious regarding the safety of the cockpit door. Since similar incidents have already occurred before, the aircraft organizations must foresee the risks associated with the issue of cockpit intrusion, and should accordingly introduce reinforced, bullet proof doors, in order to prevent the intruders from barging in the cockpit. However, back in 2000, it might have seemed to be unlikely to expect a deranged man barging in the cockpit without any reason, Although the argument of foresee-ability can be justified to a considerable extent, for overall safety of the passengers, rules should have been imposed to ensure that the cockpit doors remain locked during the flight. A s far as the controllability of the issue is concerned, the management authority can easily control the risks involved. The pilots could be summoned and asked about their experiences regarding cockpit intrusion and accordingly feasible solutions could be implemented. Since a single co-pilot finds it difficult to get rid of the intruder, the provision of more than two co-pilots within the cockpit can also be highly effective. Since the cockpit door is the only barrier existing between the passenger and a pilot, at least one more security door can be installed, that can act as a fortification against the determined intruders. Besides, rules should also have been imposed to ensure that the cockpit doors remain locked during the flight. However, it was very reasonable for British Airways Boeing 747, that it was unable to predict and foresee the risks involved in keeping its door unlocked. The human made disaster that took place lives of four people created major question on the viability of the risk management that would have been the primary concern of the management of the park and the negligence of which has resulted in the massacre. Accidents are unnatural aspect of life on earth. There are certain desired and perfect circumstances that are rather regarded normal if we consider the damage and the ill effect that the particular accident might cause (Koubaridis et al. 2016). In case if the cause is behind normality, there raise the question on managing the risk factors and the ultimate situation that has lead to the disaster. The incident or rather the negligence of the authority of the park has ultimately leaded to the situation that took lives of the visitors. If the legal framework and the jurisdiction is taken into consideration, it has to be said that it falls under the responsibility of the management to undertake the safety measures at the workplace. Thus, the accident that occurred at Dreamworld could have easily been avoided in case proper precaution was undertaken. In case of an amusement park, the authorities should have undertaken proper approach and shall have conducted regular checks on the rides that the disaster could have been restricted (McKeith 2016). The common law says that an organization should provide a safe system to work and should also have a well trained supervisor who shall be responsible for the overall safety and regulation of the particular place. In addition to this, the Statute law also establishes the functions and rules to draw and maintain a comprehensive measure to take necessary precaution against any kind of faulty measure. The police after investigation had presented their view point and have claimed that the parks authority is completely responsible for the disaster that took place there and killed four. The park was shut down for a number of days as investigation was going on but soon within a span of one month, the park was reopened and it started operating like the same way as before. As evident from the reports, the experts have claimed that the disaster that took place in the park is indeed due to the negligence of the workers and authorities at the park. The accident could have been prevented if they were careful enough and had the basic instinct of understanding the importance of live that the accident has taken away. The risks to employees act, also states that for any kind of engineering bodies like cranes, vessels and other equipment, should be under the regulations in the Queensland, under the registration of professional engineers (Murray 2016). Therefore, it can be clearly claimed that the authorities of the part were much responsible for the accident that took place at the place. The experience of the Family ride would have been better and everyone would have been saved if the authority had performed their duties and had taken the necessary steps at the right time. The Dream world Disaster is one of the largest man-made disasters that had shocked everyone by the tragic, catastrophic death of the four members of a family, owing to the accident that happened on the Thunder River Rapids Ride. While a theme park is meant to amuse the visitors, the malfunctioning of the rides had led to the question that to what extent these rides are safe. The four members of the family were flipped out of the raft as the family ride got plagued by technical problems, ultimately taking a tool on the lives of the four members of the same family. There is no point denying the fact that the risk assessment methods would be of great use while managing the risks involved in case of the theme parks. First of all, it is important to assess and critically analyze the risks that can be involved in the rides, considering the design and structure and layout of the park as well as the rides, and accordingly the construction safety requirements must be evaluated. At present, the Australian government has introduced the Amusement Rides and Devices Australian Standard that lays out the mandatory rules and safety laws which each amusement ride operator must abide by. While assessing the risks involved in the theme park rides, the management authority must ensure that all the laws and rules are being conformed to. Each ride should be identified, and the risk involved should be evaluated, and accordingly the solutions or the preventive measures should be implemented (Withey 2016). Each risk factor should be identified and analyzed against ea ch ride, risks should range from intense physical injury risks, to minor risks such as nausea from jerks and accelerations should be identified. Special attention has to be provided to the design of locks and restraints or else unplanned release of locks can easily lead to unplanned release of locks ultimately leading to fatal accidents. Next, a risk assessment report would be used for identifying the risks according to the gravity of the risks involved, such as minor risks might include light injury risks, while moderate risks might include serious risk that would lead to hospital admission, and major risks would include fatalities. In order to address the risk matters in an effective way, it is highly important to hire at least two or three risk experts who would identify the risks and accordingly offer preventive measures for the same (Hanrahan 2016). At the same time, it is equally important to engage each ride owner in the risk assessment programs, so that they can be doubly cautious about the potential risks involved. Further, the consumers should be offered risk handouts before they avail the rides, that have been asse ssed to have risks ranging from moderate to severe levels. Reference List: Gogoi, E. 2014.Kashmir Flood Disaster How the Next One Could Be Avoided. [online] Available at: https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/09/12/kashmir-flood-disaster-how-the-next-one-could-be-avoided/ [Accessed 29 Apr. 2017]. Hanrahan, J. 2016.From a near miss 30 years ago to a similar capsizing just months before fatal accident: Horror stories from Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride revealed Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3878712/Dreamworld-disaster-Horror-stories-revealed-doomed-Thunder-Rapids-Ride.html#ixzz4fdU9qdru Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3878712/Dreamworld-disaster-Horror-stories-revealed-doomed-Thunder-Rapids-Ride.html [Accessed 29 Apr. 2017]. Koubaridis, A., Burke, L., and Willis, C., 2016 Couple missed Dreamworld disaster when they let others go ahead of them Available at: https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/whole-family-wiped-out-in-dreamworld-tragedy/news-story/8d482a62c29ac586cb6faf31e2218bf2 [Accessed on: 29-4-2017] Kumar, R. 2017.Flood hazard and risk assessment of 2014 floods in Kashmir Valley: a space-based multisensor approach. [online] Springer Link. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-016-2428-4 [Accessed 29 Apr. 2017]. McKeith, S., 2016 Dreamworld Disaster: Police Complete Analysis Of Theme Park Site Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/11/06/dreamworld-disaster-police-complete-analysis-of-theme-park-site/ [Accessed on: 29-4-2017] Murray, W., 2016 Dreamworld: four confirmed dead at Australian theme park as it happened Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/oct/25/dreamworld-four-people-critically-injured-at-australian-theme-park-live-updates [Accessed on: 29-4-2017] Shah, A. 2015.Kashmir Floods And Disaster Management OpEd. [online] Eurasia Review. Available at: https://www.eurasiareview.com/14102015-kashmir-floods-and-disaster-management-oped/ [Accessed 29 Apr. 2017]. The Conversation. (2017).Deaths at Dreamworld theme park could lead to safety changes for amusement rides. [online] Available at: https://theconversation.com/deaths-at-dreamworld-theme-park-could-lead-to-safety-changes-for-amusement-rides-67701 [Accessed 29 Apr. 2017]. Withey, A. 2016.Dreamworld deaths: Expert believes maintenance issue, not ride's age, as reason for deadly accident. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-26/dreamworld-accident-expert-points-to-maintenance-issues/7967020 [Accessed 29 Apr. 2017].

Process and Change Management DUCAB Manufacturing Company

The six-sigma technique as applied by DUCAB Company The six-sigma methodology is a structured procedure for change management that leads to the improvement of activities. It entails approaches of Define-Measure-Analyse-Design-Verify (DMADV) (Linderman 2006). The DUCAB Manufacturing Company is well known for its cable material manufacturing in the UAE region.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Process and Change Management: DUCAB Manufacturing Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company has been implementing the six-sigma technique in its change management and process. A six-sigma model is a system that is comprehensively used by most management to ensure sustainability and maximisation of operations. The primary aim of using the six-sigma model is to ensure the improvement of manufacturing quality for consumer satisfaction and reduction of the overall production costs. It also ensures that a company ga ins a competitive advantage in the market. The Phases of the Implementation of the six-Sigma Technique in DUCAB The DUCAB Company implements the six-sigma technique mainly in two phases. The first phase involves the training of the techniques and procedures that are required for the ‘black belts’. Another activity that is carried out in this phase is project improvement that can combine several projects at the same time. The definition of the project activities and identification of goals are also accomplished. The need for change is explained to the staff. Phase 2 involves the controlling and maintenance of the improvement levels that have been achieved in the first phase. Training is also done in details to ensure accuracy and quality improvement (Linderman 2006). The DUCAB Company’s management has ensured a twelve-stage procedure of the six-sigma approaches to ensure efficient implementation of the technique.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The first stage is the development and composition of various teams of five or seven competent employees (Linderman 2006). The selected teams are trained in the second stage to master the Deming Circle of development methods, analysis procedures, and relevant tools that are required. The analysis tools are used for gathering information and bringing about solutions to any change issues that arise. The third stage is the identification of an opportunity for improvement. The opportunities are identified by determining the customer needs and preferences. Upon identification of such needs, the management ensures that the customer expectations are exceeded to ensure a repeat business. The fourth stage entails gathering information on the process that is to be accomplished. The company ensures that it establishes particular metrics to be used for obtaining the baseline information on the perfor mance of the process and problem identification. Next is the analysis stage. It clearly identifies the cause of an issue. The causes are then confirmed statistically to provide concrete evidences for the changes to be effected. In the sixth stage, the problems are brainstormed in details after which solutions are executed in the next stage. From the several solutions and interventions, the management ensures that a best option is adopted through efficient leadership practices and change guidelines. In stage nine, the management determines the suitable mechanisms and procedures for implementing the best option for change. If such option is applicable, the employees are trained thoroughly to ensure its effective implementation. The solution procedures are executed and documented for future reference.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Process and Change Management: DUCAB Manufacturing Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A follow-up is also done to ensure the sustainability of the process. To ensure that the company delivers products of greater value to customers, the value chain is organised critically in manner that underpins the implementation process. Figure 1: The Company’s Value Chain The figure clear depicts that the process involved in the production and service delivery is longer and cumbersome. As a result, a straight process that is easier to handle is required to manage the company’s value chain efficiently. Problems and Weaknesses exhibited using the Six-Sigma Technique in the DUCAB Company Inadequate Technical Capacities The technical capacities that are implemented in the six-sigma technique are not up-to-date; hence, the strategy is seen as ineffective to execute change management successfully. This situation perceived in terms of the wastages that are incurred during training and delivery of products among others. Most researchers also attest that more t ime is spent in processes that bear insignificant profits. Employee Reliance on Reward System A gap is exhibited in the six-sigma methodology whereby employees’ motivation and promotion are done based on their hard work. The employees are motivated to work extra hard to meet their targets.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A problem of misunderstanding the six-sigma concept can arise amongst the employees. Some employees fail to deliver quality outcomes; hence, their promotion chances diminish (Linderman et al. 2006). Lack of Innovation The six-sigma methodology is viewed as simply a repackaging of the obvious quality management (QM) methods. This process normally leaves most managers in a dilemma. Upon failure to adopt the six-sigma model, the company risks losing the opportunity to gain more benefits and market shares. On the other side, if the six-sigma method is not considered in the QM technique, there will be absence of new practices that should be implemented by the DUCAB Company to improve the change processes and systems (NÃ ¤slund 2008). Addressing the Gaps that exist in the Six-Sigma Methodology Most managers need to understand the various techniques and procedures that are entailed in the six-sigma methodology deeply. Change management and processes need two major constructive decisions t o be in place. The first decision entails what is supposed to be done while the second encompasses what should be carried out (NÃ ¤slund 2008). The report outlines three crucial assumptions that should be implemented in the QM and change management processes. The first approach to the six-sigma model is that the methodology should be treated as a control program that has a wider base. The system is far greater than the mere traditional approaches of QM where the internal teams are used to solve daily problems within a department that solve single problems at a time. The methodology embraces the overhaul change of the entire process that covers productivity, communication, external services, and staff involvement. The second approach should be the combination of the six-sigma methodology with other approaches such as lean six-sigma and/or lean manufacturing techniques. The processes will ensure the effective reduction of wastages in terms of time and other resources. The combination also brings about improvement in the various processes (Arnheiter Maleyeff 2005). Many companies currently embrace the lean six-sigma approach to change management to ensure continuous improvement. Managers should further understand the interactions that exist between the six-sigma methodology and other techniques with a view of ensuring excellence (Davison Al-Shaghan 2007). Lastly, the methodology should be viewed as an approach to change management rather than the traditional approach to QM. This viewpoint can help managers ensure improved ways of its implementation and analysis of the necessities for change management processes (Zu, Fredendall, Douglas 2008). Although the company uses twelve stages to implement the six-sigma methodology efficiently, a proper four-step summary should be embraced as explained below. Creation of Awareness and Desire for Change The company should also offer training to the employees. The management should clearly define the objectives of the trai ning and reasons for such changes. It should further clarify the competencies that are required for the success of the change (Peppard 1995). To manage this stage effectively, the DUCAB Company should ensure the availability of an adequate budget and time for the implementation of the change process. Furthermore, the management should ensure that enough resources such as finance and human resources are in place (Zu, Fredendall, Douglas 2008). Development of Skills The company must constantly manage the training of employees to ensure learning processes in seminars, on-job training, and issuance of tutorials among others (Zu, Fredendall, Douglas 2008). Embracing Practices in the Premise Offering theoretical knowledge about the procedures and practices for change is not enough. Therefore, the company has to embrace practical techniques in the change processes. The management should also encourage the management and training of people in the usage of information technology among othe rs (Anupindi 2006). Reinforcement of change competencies within the group teams The DUCAB Company management should practice motivational leadership. The employees should be rewarded through recognition of their actions and valuable contributions towards change management (Al Sharif 2011). Impacts of the Changes that should be made in the Six-Sigma Methodology The processes implemented by the DUCAB Company in embracing change management by use of the six sigma methodology is cumbersome and leads to time wastages. Integrating lean manufacturing into the lean six-sigma approach will ensure the reduction of lead-time in the process of change management (Laguna 2004). This situation ensures an improvement in cash flows and time of delivery. It also reduces wastage of resources (Al Sharif 2011). In the processing companies, for instance, the lean manufacturing techniques ensures reduction of set-up time that ensures running of small batches, changes that are more and frequent as well as improvement of maintenance of the various appliances in the entity (Al Sharif 2011). The six-sigma methodology should also be implemented with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle to ensure a thorough check on QM technique. Lean manufacturing is majorly based on the speed, efficiency reduction of delivery and waste reduction while six sigma methodologies is based on continuous improvement and effectiveness. Combining the two approaches leads to improved performance of an organisation (Al Sharif 2011). Lean manufacturing also ensures a closure of gaps that exist between strategies laid down and performance. This situation brings about improved performance. The combination also minimises variations in processes and techniques and ensures that value addition is factored in the process of production (Al Sharif 2011). Factors that the management of DUCAB Company must consider in ensuring sustainability of the changes include continuous support by the top leadership from top to down levels, resource dedication, giving incentives, taking advantage of the nature of the premise that suits the six sigma methodology, quality in training, and proper alignment of projects (Al Sharif 2011). The Key Performance Indicators of Six-Sigma Methodology and Lean Manufacturing The DUCAB company is mainly manufacturing cables to the consumers thus its main KPI for the various processes it implements includes the efficiency of the processes, the resource allocation, effective methods of handling complaints, cost reduction, cycle time, and the overall quality outputs to the consumers among others (Al Sharif 2011). The recommended value chain that should be implemented mainly composes of four main stages that include order-taking, specification, scheduling of activities, delivery, and payment (see figure 2 below). Major resistance that can be encountered Rigidity of the Technique The six-sigma methodology clings on the rigid processes that contradict skills, innovation, and creativity th at are achieved due to technological advancements (Clifford 2001). A combination of both the manufacturing and six-sigma methodology can be difficult. Issues that pertain to production, studies, and other solutions and approaches cannot be factored in the six-sigma methodology because of its rigid nature. Most managers only have a tendency of rebranding products and outsourcing projects for improvements. Accounting for such practices can be clumsy (Clifford 2001). Executing the lean manufacturing technique will ensure flexibility. However, the employees will need thorough training in the application of the technique (Harmon 2007). Resistance to Change by Employees Most employees who are fond of the six-sigma methodology are trained inadequately. This state of affairs leads to difficulty in controlling such employees to ensure that they are dedicated to the full task. The accomplishment of the objectives is sometimes lengthy and intricate (Linderman 2006; Tan 2007). To manage such a problem efficiently, proper training that is frequent should be done to the employees to learn the lean manufacturing approach. Employees’ engagement should also be enhanced through proper motivation (Hammer 1995). Conclusion Proper change management requires pertinent understanding of the goal of change and methodologies that are executed for its implementation. The procedure for implementing the given technique should also be properly understood to avoid loss. It is clearly indicated that the DUCAB Company uses the six-sigma methodology to manage organisational change efficiently. Management dilemmas have been reported to arise due to the misunderstanding of the concept as a traditional QM technique. The six-sigma technique should be treated as a methodology that should only be applied to change management of every unit of the organisation. Further, the technique should be combined with other change management approaches such as the lean manufacturing methodology for its ef ficient application. However, the management must consider the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the processes to ensure the realisation of customer satisfaction and improved overall productivity. References Al Sharif, A 2011, Exploring the critical factors of the successful implementation of Six Sigma approach: a case study of Ducab, UAE’, Doctoral dissertation, Bournemouth University, vol. 1 no. 1, pp. 1-236. Anupindi, R 2006, Managing Business Process Flows: Principles of Operations Management, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. Arnheiter, E Maleyeff, J 2005, ‘The integration of lean management and Six Sigma’, The TQM magazine, vol. 17 no. 1, pp.5-18. Clifford, L 2001, ‘Why you can safely ignore Six Sigma’, Fortune, vol. 143 no. 2, pp.140. Davison, L Al-Shaghana, K 2007, ‘The link between Six Sigma and quality culture: An empirical study’, Total Quality Management Business Excellence, vol. 18 no. 3, pp.249-265. Hammer, M 1995, T he Reengineering Revolution: The Handbook, HarperCollins, New York, NY. Harmon, P 2007, Business Process Change: A Guide for Business Managers and BPM and Six Sigma Professionals, Elsevier, New York, NY. Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Sigma: fads or real process improvement methods?’, Business Process Management Journal, vol. 14 no. 3, pp. 269-287. Laguna, M 2004, Business Process Modelling, Simulation, and Design, Pearson, London. Linderman, K, Schroeder, R Choo, A 2006, ‘Six Sigma: the role of goals in improvement teams’, Journal of Operations Management, vol. 24 no. 6, pp.779-790. NÃ ¤slund, D 2008, ‘Lean, six sigma and lean sigma: fads or real process Peppard, J 1995, The Essence of Business Reengineering, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. Tan, A 2007, Business Process Reengineering, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. Zu, X, Fredendall, L Douglas, T 2008, ‘The evolving theory of quality management: the role of Six Sigma’, Journal of operation s Management, vol. 26 no. 5, pp.630-650. This assessment on Process and Change Management: DUCAB Manufacturing Company was written and submitted by user Zackery Acosta to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Historical Art Periods A Critical Evaluation of Baroque and Rococo Artistic Styles

Historical Art Periods A Critical Evaluation of Baroque and Rococo Artistic Styles It is of fundamental importance that the essential elements and characteristics of art periods be understood especially after the noteworthy realization that these periods marked or were caused by important social conditions and events in historical context.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Art Periods: A Critical Evaluation of Baroque and Rococo Artistic Styles specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There exists numerous art periods in the history of civilization, with some evolving as a continuation of earlier art periods while others evolved as a response to preceding art periods (Minor, 1999). It is the purpose of this essay to compare two such art periods, namely Baroque and Rococo, with a view of establishing their characteristics, social triggers and the relationship between the two. Although no major contemporary books on the baroque artistic style and period has been released in the recent past, it still remains an important era in the historical calendar of art. Conceived in Italy in the late 16th century, the style was adopted by other European countries such as France, Germany, and Spain, culminating to its replacement by a subsequent art period in early 18th Century (Laurie, 2001). Baroque covers a broad spectrum of styles and artists. According to Minor (1999), Baroque art period was characterized by intrinsic artistic consistency, grandeur, and distinctiveness. It is imperative to note that the demands for new forms of art in 1600 led to what is now identified as the Baroque. As such, the Baroque artistic style and period was a reaction to previous artistic styles, specifically the Mannerist art of the 16th century, which appealed to the witty and intellectual qualities only (Laurie, 2001). Unlike its predecessor, the application of Baroque artistic style turned deliberately to an intuitive appeal designed for the senses. According to Laurie (2001), although Baroque artistic styles bears the characteristics of simplicity, sensuous richness, and obviousness on the outside, it is powerful, direct, awe inspiring, resplendent, and dramatic within. The art and architecture of this particular period echo an often peculiar style characterized by ornamental decorations and flamboyant concepts especially in churches and palaces. During the Baroque era, the aesthetic ideal penetrated practically all facets of the European way of life – from architecture to music, furniture designs and fashion (Laurie, 2001).Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Baroque artistic works generate a sentiment of movement, energy and tension. According to Palmisano (n.d.), the arts present strong contrasts of both light and silhouette, with an immeasurable amount of space being clearly manifest. In addition, Baroque art is characterized by passionate spirituality and realism. Paint ers during this art period used monochromatic color to draw paintings with an infinite distance to represent eternity. The Baroque period of art was initiated by a multiplicity of social conditions, namely â€Å"†¦the Protestant Reformation, the rise of the Mercantile System, absolutism or imperialism in government and advances in science (Palmisano, n.d., para. 1). The Baroque art faded out in late 1700 as it progressed into a more delicate Rococo artistic style. The superseding of Baroque by Rococo art began in France in the late 1720’s, particularly for interior decorations, paintings, and other forms of decorative arts (Laurie, 2001). Rococo period is thought to be one of the shortest in the history of art periods as it faded away in the late 1750’s, giving way to the neoclassic style. The short lifespan not withstanding, Rococo is broadly recognized a key period in the development of European art. This art style was particularly spread by French artists and imprinted publications, and readily found acceptance in catholic-dominated regions in countries such as Germany and Austria. The Rococo art period is characterized by many artistic styles and forms. Generally, â€Å"Rococo art and architecture are characterized by very ornate, fanciful themes and a light air†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Smith, 2010, para. 1).it is also characterized by the use seashells, fussy detail, whimsical scrolls, complex compositions, playfulness and certain superficiality to generate a flowing artistic design. This particular style utilizes pastel colors to generate a light but decorative complexion. In addition, the Rococo artwork and style is characterized by shell-like shapes on a variety of architectural and artistic designs ranging from hotel suites to ballrooms and typical side tables (Laurie, 2001). Rococo art is known to incorporate the symbolic nature of plants, animals, and other related themes in its design. The social conditions prevalent in France during the 1720s, namely the rise of the middle class, deep consciousness for fashion, and the sudden death of Louis XIV initiated the Rococo art period There exist several similarities and differences between the two artworks. First, it is worth noting that Rococo art period came as a reaction to the Baroque art rather than a continuation of the former period. Other art historians view Rococo art as the degeneration of Baroque artistic period (Laurie, 2001).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Art Periods: A Critical Evaluation of Baroque and Rococo Artistic Styles specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Both artistic styles attempted to express some form of authority or power, with Baroque art being used by the aristocracy to express imperialist orientations while Rococo was used by the French aristocracy and elite as a fashion statement. According to Marquit (2006), both styles were also characterized with elaborate design , more color and more feelings than preceding styles. There are, however, broad differences in the two art styles. First, while Baroque art works were both heavy and ornate, Rococo’s artistic designs were characteristically ornate, fanciful and light (Smith, 2010). Rococo art was known to utilize pastels and other elements to make the artworks extremely light and lacy while Baroque art employed dark, heavy colors. Second, Rococo art refers to capricious rounded lines that countered the heavy, straight lines prevalent during the Baroque period. Third, the Baroque art is much more religiously oriented than Rococo art owing to the social conditions prevalent during its initiation. Forth, â€Å"†¦Rococo art was on a whole more frivolous and optimistic than Baroque art† (Marquit, 2006, p. 2). Lastly, the Baroque artistic style was mainly focused in Europe while rococo art easily blend with other exotic artistic styles prevalent during the period. It is imperative to no te that social, political, economic and artistic factors informs the decision on whether to continue with a particular art period or deviate from it. The Baroque period evolved because of the existing social conditions especially in the Catholic Church and the Italian aristocracy. The church felt particularly threatened by advances in science that often contradicted its teachings. As Such, Baroque art was used by the church to reach out to the unintelligent masses in the hope of convincing them about Christianity (Laurie, 2001). But there was need to deviate from this form of art when attempts to convince the masses on Christianity were no longer tenable. There exists numerous works of art for each of the historical art period discussed above. For instance, Giovanni Bernini, undoubtedly the most outstanding sculptor of the Baroque era, came up with the famous sculpture known as the Ecstasy of St. Teresa (Marquit, 2006; Economic Expert.com, n.d.). His sculpted art pieces combined bot h the physical and the spiritual. This piece portrayed a religious theme as a direct result of both the inquisition and the Catholic Church spirited attempt to maintain its immense influence in the face of rapidly increasing scientific advances that seemed to contradict some of the teachings offered by the church.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Jean-Antoine Watteau was perhaps the most prolific painters of the Rococo art period. His ‘fete galante’ painting, depicting delightfully dressed young individuals idling away their free time in a wonderful, idealistic, pastoral setting attracted many in the French aristocracy (Laurie, 2001). The relationship that exists between the two pieces of art discussed above is that of appeal to a certain group or class of people. The later piece of artwork follows in the footsteps of its predecessor in attempting to communicate the feelings and statuses of the French aristocracy. It should be remembered that the Ecstasy of St Teresa sculpture attempted to reach out to the uneducated masses during the reformation period (Laurie, 2001). As such, the relationship present is that of trying to communicate certain ideas, concepts, and world views as demanded by the existing social conditions. The Rococo art period had great historical significance although it was characterized by a v ery short tenure in the calendar of art periods. Rococo architecture, decorations, and designs are still used today, thousands of years after it was supplanted by neoclassic art period (Laurie, 2001). The physically lighthearted furniture, decorations and use of pastels that evolved during this particular art period changed the course of art in ways that had not been previously witnessed (Minor, 1999). Although Rococo art was received with skepticism in Britain due to the fact that it was largely French, it found its way into other civilizations where it was uniquely used or blended with other forms of art to produce masterpieces that were and still are major centers of attraction. In Germany, the Rococo designed Sanssouci Palace built in 1747 still remains a major attraction for tourists (Laurie, 2001). All in all, it can now be revealed that Baroque and Rococo are two distinct art styles even though former scholars believed that the latter was a refinement of the former. While the re exist several similarities as discussed in this essay, the themes and general perceptions of Rococo art style seems to insinuate that it is, indeed, independent of Baroque art (Marquit, 2006). However, both periods of art are important milestones in historical context since through them; art has been able to evolve to its present day state. Reference List Economic Expert.com. (n.d.). Baroque. Web. Laurie, S.A. (2001). A History of Modern Art. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Marquit, J. (2006). Style differences between Baroque and Rococo art. Web. Minor, V.H. (1999). Baroque and Rococo: Art and Culture, 1st Ed. Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0810941082 Palmisano, B (n.d.). The Baroque period of art. Web. Smith, S.E. (2010). What is Rococo Art? WiseGeek. Web.

The Countries Involved in World War I

The Countries Involved in World War I The relevance of world in the term World War I  is often difficult to see, because books, articles, and documentaries generally concentrate on Europe and America; even the Middle East and Anzac forces (Australian and New Zealand) are often glossed over. The use of world isnt, as non-Europeans might suspect, the result of self-important bias toward the West, because a full list of the countries involved in WWI reveals a picture of global activity. Between 1914 and 1918, more than 100 countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australasia,  and Europe were part of the conflict. Key Takeaways: Countries Involved in World War I Although most of the battles of World War I occurred in western Europe, many other countries were involved in the events.  Some, like Canada and the U.S., declared war, sent troops, and manufactured armaments.Other countries kept prisoner of war camps or sent infrastructure workers.  Many countries in Africa and Asia were colonies of the large empires and were coerced to help with the war effort.   How Involved Were Countries? The levels of  involvement differed hugely. Some countries mobilized millions of troops and fought hard for more than four years; some were used as reservoirs of goods and manpower by their colonial rulers, while others simply declared war later on and contributed only moral support. Many were drawn in by colonial links: When Britain, France, and Germany declared war, they also committed their empires, involving most of Africa, India, and Australasia, while the 1917 entry of the U.S. prompted much of central America to follow. Consequently, the countries in the following list didnt necessarily send troops, and few saw fighting on their own soil; they either declared war or were considered involved in the conflict, such as being invaded before they could declare anything. Its important to remember, though, that the effects of WWI went beyond this global list. Even countries that remained neutral felt the economic and political effects of a conflict that shattered the established global order. Africa In 1914, 90 percent of the continent of Africa were colonies of the European powers, with only Liberia and Ethiopia retaining independence, and so much of Africas participation was enforced or conscripted. All told, about two million Africans served as soldiers or laborers, and half that total was coercively recruited as carriers or other workers, used to build transportation and other infrastructure projects or perform auxiliary services. The only regions to remain neutral in Africa were Ethiopia and the four small Spanish colonies of Rio de Oro (Spanish Sahara), Rio Muni, Ifni, and Spanish Morocco. Colonies in Africa that were involved in some manner included: AlgeriaAngolaAnglo-Egyptian SudanBasutolandBechuanalandBelgian CongoBritish East Africa (Kenya)British Gold CoastBritish SomalilandCameroonCabindaEgyptEritreaFrench Equatorial AfricaGabonMiddle CongoUbangi-SchariFrench SomalilandFrench West AfricaDahomeyGuineaIvory CoastMauretaniaSenegalUpper Senegal and NigerThe GambiaGerman East AfricaItalian SomalilandLiberiaMadagascarMoroccoPortuguese East Africa (Mozambique)NigeriaNorthern RhodesiaNyasalandSierra LeoneSouth AfricaSouth West Africa (Namibia)Southern RhodesiaTogolandTripoliTunisiaUganda and Zanzibar Americas When they finally joined the war effort in 1917, the United States sent four million men to the Allies. As a dominion of the United Kingdom, Canada sent 400,000 enlisted men, and, like the United States, manufactured armaments, aircraft, and ships. Latin American governments seesawed between neutrality and entry into the war, and Brazil was the only independent South American country to declare war in WWI; it joined the Entente countries- Great Britain, France, and Russia- against Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1917. Other South American nations severed their relations with Germany but did not declare war: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay, all in 1917. BahamasBarbadosBrazilBritish GuianaBritish HondurasCanadaCosta RicaCubaFalkland IslandsFrench GuianaGrenadaGuatemalaHaitiHondurasGuadeloupeJamaicaLeeward IslandsNewfoundlandNicaraguaPanamaSt. LuciaSt. VincentTrinidad and TobagoU.S.AWest Indies Asia Of all the Asian countries involved in World War I in some manner, India, a colony of the British Empire at the time, sent the most: 1.3 million troops and laborers went to the imperial war effort. China was officially neutral but provided about 200,000 laborers to the Allied forces to repair tanks. Japan sent 14 destroyers and a flagship cruiser to assist British ships in the Mediterranean Sea. Tiny Siam stayed neutral until mid-1917 and then sent about 1,500 men as pilots, aircraft mechanics, automobile drivers and mechanics, and medical and support staff. Regions in Asia contributing to the war effort were: AdenArabiaBahrainEl QatarKuwaitTrucial OmanBorneoCeylonChinaIndiaJapanPersiaPhilippinesRussiaSiamSingaporeTranscaucasiaTurkey Australasia and Pacific Islands The largest contributors to the war efforts were the large Australian Imperial Force (Australia still being a colony of England at the time), 330,000 soldiers sent to aid the Allies in the Middle East and Germany. Other contributing countries included: AntipodesAucklandAustral IslandsAustraliaBismarck ArchipelagoBountyCampbellCaroline IslandsChatham IslandsChristmasCook IslandsDucieElice IslandsFanningFlintFiji IslandsGilbert IslandsKermadec IslandsMacquarieMaldenMariana IslandsMarquesas IslandsMarshal IslandsNew GuineaNew CaledoniaNew HebridesNew ZealandNorfolkPalau IslandsPalmyraPaumoto IslandsPitcairnPhilippinesPhoenix IslandsSamoa IslandsSolomon IslandsTokelau IslandsTonga Europe Map of military alliances of Europe in 1914. historicair Most of the battles of World War I took place in Europe, and willingly or not, the people of most of the countries were somehow active in the conflict. For the Allies, 5.2 million British men served in the conflict, just under half of the available pool of men aged 18-51; 7.9 million French citizens were called to serve. A total of 13 million German citizens fought in the war between 1914 and 1918.  In the occupied territories, Germany and its allies also coerced civilians into labor: citizens from Italy, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania, and Russian Poland all had conscripts fighting or assisting with the Entente efforts. AlbaniaAustria-HungaryBelgiumBulgariaCzechoslovakiaEstoniaFinlandFranceGreat BritainGermanyGreeceItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaMontenegroPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaTurkey Atlantic Islands AscensionSandwich IslandsSouth GeorgiaSt. HelenaTristan da Cunha Indian Ocean Islands Andaman IslandsCocos IslandsMauritiusNicobar IslandsReunionSeychelles Sources Beauprà ©, Nicolas. France.  International Encylopedia of the First World War. Eds. Daniel, Ute, et al. Berlin: Freie Universitt Berlin, 2014. Web.Badsey, Stephen. Great Britain.  International Encylopedia of the First World War. Eds. Daniel, Ute, et al. Berlin: Freie Universitt Berlin, 2017. Web.Boissoneault, Lorraine. The Surprisingly Important Role China Played in WWI. World War I: 100 Years Later. Smithsonian.  2017. Web.Granatstein, J.L. Canada. International Encylopedia of the First World War. Eds. Daniel, Ute, et al. Berlin: Freie Universitt Berlin, 2018. Web.Johnston, Eric. Japans Little-Known, but Significant, Role in World War I. The Japan Times  (2017). Web.Koller, Christian. Colonial Military Participation in Europe (Africa). International Encylopedia of the First World War. Eds. Daniel, Ute, et al. Berlin: Freie Universitt Berlin, 2014. Web.Rinke, Stefan and Karina Kriegsmann. Latin America.  International Encylopedia of the First World War. Eds. Daniel, Ute, et al. Berlin: Freie Universitt Berlin, 2017. Web. Strahan, Hew. The First World War in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print.

Order and Good vs Chaos and Evil in a Moral Perceptive Assignment

Order and Good vs Chaos and Evil in a Moral Perceptive - Assignment Example These two types of alignments give the extremities for every society. This is why each society must have a set of rules to govern the code of conduct. Law in a society is an indication that everything should follow a specific order and the opposite of this is chaos. G- The Station, February 20, 2003, West Warwick, Rhode Island is regarded as one of the deadliest nightclub fires that killed about 100 people. The fire was caused by pyrotechnics that ignited flammable sound insulation foam in the ceilings and walls. C- The first 72 hours following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is regarded as the deadliest and destructive Atlantic hurricane. At least 1,833 people died and property worth $ 81 million was destroyed. D -New Year’s Eve, Times Square, New York City, New York. This is a date where people all over the world to admire the dazzling lights from the Times Square. It is a symbolic center of this city and regarded as a global tradition. H- Kiss, January 27, 2013, Santa Maria, Brazil this was a fire that started between 2:00 and 2:30 that killed at least 239 and injured 169. It is regarded as the most devastating fire disaster in the history of Brazil. A- The execution of Timothy Mc Veigh – Timothy Mc Veigh was a domestic terrorist who detonated a truck bomb in Oklahoma city that killed 168 people and injured over 800. It is one of the deadliest act of terrorism within the United  States.

Article 2 (Economics) Why Knockoffs Can Help a Strong Brand

2 (Economics) Why Knockoffs Can Help a Strong Brand - Article Example o the article has been provided by Renee Gosline’s study in Massachusetts Institute of Technology and also by Yi Qian of the National Bureau of Economic Research. According to the research findings of the two above mentioned researchers, counterfeits serve as a passage to the original products and have positive effects on the sales of the original brand products. The counterfeits brands therefore according to the article can be said to have more advertising effect than substitution effects and therefore pose no much danger to the original brands. They actually save them from more advertisement charges since sooner or later the consumers realize the difference between the original and the counterfeit and move to the original. This knockoff effect does not however affect only the formal brands which have trademarks and are protected by law. The article further explains that even individual creators with their own unique line of designs and creativity can have copies of their work being reproduced. The overall effect and outcome is however the same as that of the formal brands since the consumers will realize the difference of the original and the counterfeit and move to the original. Raustiala, Karl and Springman, Chris. â€Å"Why Knockoffs Can Help Build a Strong Brand.† Freakonomics 9/5/2012. Retrieved from:

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn touches upon controversial racial issues that many people believe are not appropriate for young children. Understanding the novel’s satirical aspects requires a certain amount of intellectual maturity. Students below this level of aptitude may misconstrue the novel’s vulgar comments as racist, rather than an ironic portrayal of slavery. Some people feel that the elementary and secondary school students that read the book will only recognize the prominent issues of the novel and will overlook Mark Twain’s depiction that slavery is morally wrong. It is a fallacy that junior high students would be blind to Twain’s underlying references. The renowned literary work should be used as a way to educate students about the cruelty that occurred in our nation’s past. Confronting these deep racial issues could enlighten students and ease existing race relations. Huckleberry Finn should be read in schools prior to high school to familiarize students with important social issues. Those that oppose Huckleberry Finn’s presence in elementary and secondary school curricula claim that its advanced material is not suitable for children of those ages. At this point, they argue, students have not matured enough to form their own views and are susceptible to negative influences. Reading Huckleberry Finn would expose students to acts of prejudice and belittlement of the black population. For example, the repeated use of the word â€Å"nigger† is disrespectful and students should not hear it used so frivolously. This word not only has a negative connotation, but it is a reminder of the inequality that once existed and alienates blacks. Furthermore, Jim, the black protagonist of the novel, is ridiculed and reduced to less than human by the novel’s conclusion. Jim’s character starts out as an enslaved black man oppressed by the white population. As he and Huck travel down the river, Jim gains confidence and the reader sees his true intelligence and compassion for Huck. Only shortly later, Jim gets drawn into Tom Sawyer’s extravagant plan to â€Å"free† him, where he is once again at the mercy of others’ cruelty. This vicious degradation of a human being far too advanced for young children to comprehend. Black students specifically may find this material embarrassing and discomforting. Young students of other ethnicities may have not yet had experiences that teach them the effects of this chauvinistic mentality and may see this behavior as acceptable. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn uses language that is offensive and contains subject matter that illuminates the separation between races. Twain purposely shares these truths in order to denounce and ironize the entire institution of slavery. The belief that elementary and secondary school students cannot understand Twain’s underlying intentions completely underestimates their mental capacity. Discussing these issues could shape students’ ideas and thwart any preconceived derogatory notions. Leslie Fiedler, an advocate of Huck Finn praises the novel for, â€Å"enabling us finally—without denying our horror and guilt—to laugh therapeutically at the ‘peculiar institution’ of slavery† (Fiedler, 1984, Huckleberry Finn: The Book We Love to Hate, p. 6). He sees the novel as a way to objectively address slavery and free our nation of its lasting burden. In a classroom setting with the help of an instructor, every element of the story would be explained. Teachers are important mentors that can guide each student to an understanding of the evolution and importance of human rights. Descriptive Outline Proposition: Huckleberry Finn should be read in schools prior to high school because it is informative about important social issues. Plan: Present the argument. Take a position. Provide a concession to my position. Confirm my position with specific reasons. Paragraph 1: Says: Huckleberry Finn is a complex novel, yet young children would be able to understand and benefit from reading it in a classroom setting. Does: Sentences 1 introduces the topic. Sentences 2 and 3 further develop the issue. Sentence 4 gives one view of the argument. Sentence 5 disproves the previous sentence. Sentences 6 and 7 support the latter side of the argument. Sentence 8 is the proposition of the essay. Paragraph 2: Says: Elementary and secondary school students will misinterpret the purpose of the racial slurs in Huckleberry Finn. Does: Sentence 1 states the topic of the paragraph. Sentence 2 supports clarifies the preceding sentence. Sentences 3 says the ultimate reason for this position. Sentences 4 and 5 state one reason that backs up this claim. Sentences 6, 7 and 8 state another reason for this claim with specific evidence from the novel. Sentence 9 connects these reasons to the proposition. Sentences 10 and 11 explain further the effects of this side of the argument. Paragraph 3: Says: Students are entirely capable and should read Huckleberry Finn in schools at an age before high school. Does: Sentences 1 and 2 acknowledges the opinion in the former paragraph as a transition into the opposing view point. Sentence 3 challenges the concession in the preceding paragraph. Sentence 4 gives a general reason supporting the first sentence. Sentence 5 is a direct quote from an advocate of Huck Finn that supports the proposition. Sentence 6 explains the quotation. Sentences 7 and 8 state two benefits of adhering to the proposition. Kaila McDonnell Concession Essay Second Draft February 19, 2010 Moral Education through Literature The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn touches upon controversial racial issues that many people believe are not appropriate for young children. Understanding the satirical aspects of the novel require a certain level of intellectual maturity. While the book is read in many elementary and secondary school classrooms, some people feel that these students will only recognize the prominent issues of the novel and will overlook the inherent moral value that Mark Twain wishes to convey. If only the immediate context of the novel is interpreted, the book could be perceived as a sanction of racism. Students should be aware of the cruelty that occurred in our nation’s past. It is a fallacy that students in junior high would be blind to Twain’s underlying references that denounce slavery and discrimination. Confronting these deep racial issues could enlighten students and ease existing race relations. Huckleberry Finn should be read in schools prior to high school because it educates students about important social issues. Those that oppose Huckleberry Finn’s presence in elementary and secondary school curricula claim that the advanced material in the novel is not suitable for children of those ages. At this point, students have not matured enough to form their own views and are susceptible to negative influences. Reading Huckleberry Finn would expose students to acts of prejudice and belittlement of the black population. For example, the repeated use of the word â€Å"nigger† is disrespectful and is not something students should hear used so frivolously. This word not only beholds a negative connotation, but it is representative of blacks’ entire brutal struggle with inequality. Further, Jim, the black protagonist of the novel, is ridiculed and reduced to less than human by the end of the novel. Jim’s character starts out as a typical enslaved black man oppressed by the white population. As he and Huck travel down the river, Jim loses his slave persona as he gains confidence and the reader sees his true intelligence and compassion for Huck. Shortly after, Jim is involved in Tom Sawyer’s extravagant plan to â€Å"free† him, where he is once again at the mercy of others’ cruelty. This vicious degradation of a human being is far too advanced for children of a young age to comprehend. Black students specifically may find this material embarrassing and discomforting. Young students of other races may have not yet had experiences that taught them the effects of this chauvinistic mentality and may see this behavior as acceptable. The belief that students in elementary and secondary schools cannot handle the messages present in Huckleberry Finn is a complete underestimation of their mental capacity. Discussing these issues could shape students’ ideas and thwart any preconceived derogatory notions. Leslie Fiedler, an advocate of Huck Finn praises the novel for, â€Å"enabling us finally—without denying our horror and guilt—to laugh therapeutically at the ‘peculiar institution’ of slavery† (Fiedler, 1984, Huckleberry Finn: The Book We Love to Hate, p. 6). He sees the novel as a way to objectively address slavery and free our nation of its lasting burden. In a classroom setting with the help of an instructor, every element of the story would be explained. Teachers are important mentors with their guidance each student could reach a full understanding of the evolution and importance of human rights. Descriptive Outline PROPOSITION: Huckleberry Finn should be read in schools prior to high school because it is informative about important social issues. PLAN: Present the argument. Take a position. Provide a concession to my position. Confirm my position with specific reasons. PARAGRAPH 1: Says: Huckleberry Finn is a complex novel, yet young children would be able to understand and benefit from reading it in a classroom setting. Does: Sentences 1 and 2 introduce the topic. Sentences 3 and 4 give one view of the argument. Sentence 5 serves as the link to the next idea. Sentences 6 and 7 state the other side of the argument. Sentence 8 is the proposition of the essay. PARAGRAPH 2: Says: Some believe that students are not mature enough at an elementary or secondary school level to see Huckleberry Finn for what it’s worth. Does: Sentence 1 states the topic of the paragraph. Sentence 2 supports clarifies the preceding sentence. Sentences 3 says the ultimate reason for this position. Sentences 4 and 5 state one reason that backs up this claim. Sentences 6, 7 and 8 state another reason for this claim with specific evidence from the novel. Sentence 9 connects these reasons to the proposition. Sentences 10 and 11 explain further the effects of this side of the argument. PARAGRAPH 3: Says: Students are entirely capable and should read Huckleberry Finn in schools at an age before high school. Does: Sentence 1 disproves the concession in the preceding paragraph. Sentence 2 gives a general reason supporting the first sentence. Sentence 3 is a direct quote from an advocate of Huck Finn that supports the proposition. Sentence 4 explains the quotation. Sentences 5 and 6 say exactly why the proposition is true. Kaila McDonnell Concession Essay Draft February 16, 2010 Moral Education through Literature The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn touches upon many racial issues that many people believe is not appropriate for young children. Understanding the satirical aspects of the novel require a certain level of intellectual maturity. While the book is read in many elementary and secondary school classrooms, some people feel that these students will only recognize the prominent issues of the novel and will overlook the inherent subject matter that Mark Twain wishes to convey. If only the immediate context of the novel is interpreted, the book could be perceived as a sanction of racism. However, now over a century since the first emancipation of slaves, the enactment of slavery should not be forgotten. Students should be aware of the cruelty that occurred in our nation’s past. It is a fallacy that students in junior high would be blind to Twain’s underlying references that denounce slavery and discrimination. Confronting these deep racial issues could enlighten students and ease existing race relations. Huckleberry Finn should be read in schools prior to high school because it is informative about important social issues. Those that oppose Huckleberry Finn’s presence in elementary and secondary school curriculums claim that the advanced material in the novel is not suitable for children of those ages. At this point, students have not matured enough to form their own views and are still susceptible to negative influences. Reading Huckleberry Finn would expose students to situations that are prejudice and belittling to the black population; for example, the repeated use of the word â€Å"nigger† in reference to blacks. This word not only beholds a negative connotation, but it is representative of blacks’ entire brutal struggle with inequality. Further, Jim, the symbol of the black community in the novel, is ridiculed and reduced to less than human by the end of the novel. This subject matter is far too advanced for children of a young age to understand its significance. Black students specifically may find this material embarrassing and discomforting, while students of other races may see this chauvinistic behavior as acceptable. The belief that students in elementary and secondary schools cannot handle the messages present in Huckleberry Finn is a complete underestimation of their mental capacity. At a young age, students should not learn to be blind to important issues, such as race relations. Leslie Fiedler, an advocate of Huck Finn says that he would have parents, â€Å"prize Twain’s dangerous and equivocal novel not in spite of its use of that wicked epithet, but for the way in which he manages to ironize it; enabling us finally—without denying our horror and guilt—to laugh therapeutically at the ‘peculiar institution’ of slavery. † Prior to high school is when students are developing their own opinions and need to be guided to proper moral judgment. Huckleberry Finn addresses many relevant moral issues. In a classroom setting with the help of an instructor, every element of the story would be explained and each student could reach a full understanding of the evolution and importance of human rights. Descriptive Outline PROPOSITION: Huckleberry Finn should be read in schools prior to high school because it is informative about important social issues. PLAN: Present the argument. Take a position. Provide a concession to my position. Confirm my position with specific reasons. PARAGRAPH 1: Says: Huckleberry Finn is a complex novel, yet young children would be able to understand and benefit from reading it in a classroom setting. Does: Sentences 1 and 2 introduce the topic. Sentences 3 and 4 give one view of the argument. Sentence 5 serves as the link to the next idea. Sentence 6 states the other side of the argument. Sentences 7 and 8 state and verify the proposition of the essay. PARAGRAPH 2: Says: Some believe that students are not mature enough at an elementary or secondary school level to see Huckleberry Finn for what its worth. Does: Sentence 1 states the topic of the paragraph. Sentence 2 supports clarifies the preceding sentence. Sentences 3, 4 and 5 say why this position is plausible with specific evidence from the novel. Sentences 6 and 7 state the importance and relevance of the prior examples. PARAGRAPH 3: Says: Students are entirely capable and should read Huckleberry Finn in schools at an age before high school. Does: Sentence 1 disproves the concession in the preceding paragraph. Sentence 2 expands upon the first sentence. Sentence 3 is a direct quote from an advocate of Huck Finn that supports the proposition. Sentences 4, 5, and 6 say why in fact the proposition is true.

Essay --

â€Å"Please don’t kill me!† No, No don’t hurt me! Ahhhhhhhh ! â€Å"Someone help me!† I quickly jumped up out of my bed as my alarm almost gave me a mild heart- attack. I was drenched in sweat. It looked as if I had been running a marathon. â€Å"Good Morning sunshine, wake up sleepy head,† my Aunt Erica announced, waking me up. My Aunt Erica and Uncle Freddie took me in because my parents,younger brother and sister were killed in an accident. The autopsy showed that the Porsche they were riding in burst into flames. I find the accident quite odd, because my Dad always took care and monitored his car. The detectives said it was an accident but I believe someone had something to do with it. My Dad owned one of the largest companies in Los Angeles. We were well known in California. The night my parents died, I was at home studying for my mid-term, with my boyfriend. They left to go attend a press conference and my brother Dylan and sister Marissa went with them. A few hours later, the police showed up at my house three hours later and broke the news to me. I was devastated for weeks. I would cry every second of the day. It was really hard, I still don’t think I will ever get over it. The adoption case was very short. Because my father was such a wealthy man, his half his fortune would pass down to me when I turn 16†¦ The adoption process went by rapidly. In the spam of two weeks, I lived with my aunt and uncle. I was a nervous wreck to go back to school. I haven’t been since my parents died. Everyone in the world heard about my dad’s death, so I know that the kids in my new school have. I rolled out of bed to endure my delicious breakfast that mu uncle made. I glanced at my face as I passed by the mirror. My eyes were swollen... ...o a man and Jason was coming to his office. I sent the notes to my email address and hurried out his office. I ran to Nicole’s car and she sped off. â€Å"What happened?† It was him he did it. I can’t go to the police. I want to have my party before my life gets worse. I will do it tomorrow, I promise. I went home and went straight to sleep. My aunt and uncle woke me up with a huge cake that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY in white sweet frosting. I woke got out of bed around 10:00 am. My party started around 8:30 so I needed to go, because I had a lot of stuff to do. My old and new friends came over my house and we all got our hair, nails, eyebrows, and hair done. We got to my party and there he was trying to kill me. That was the tragedy of my sweet 16. The man that my family trusted was the same one that killed my parents, brother and sister just for my dad’s inheritance.

Development as a Dynamic System

The dynamic systems theory in development explicated by Thelen and Smith conceptualized the process of development as a process of change. In the theory, the authors explained how the development of human occurred. The concept of the theory greatly uses the experiments and study on motor, perceptual and cognitive development. The dynamic system theory is considered as a new scientific paradigm that is continuously evolving from the concept of development as a dynamic, non-linear, self-organizing or even chaotic system.The dynamic system theory of development encompasses different principle widely used and accepted in different fields such as in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. (Stolorow, 1997) Thelen and Smith concerned with the explanation as to how development occurs in humans proposed a radical alternative to the exiting cognitive theory. (Storolow, 1997) Their emphasis on dynamic representation of the process and the process evoking the concept of change is also stressed.As a n alternative to the traditional cognitive theory existing at the time the theory was developed, it attempt to apply the complexity theory to psychology as they reinterpret several traditional concepts used in the cognitive development theory in psychology. In this approach, the theory started with fundamental questions with regards to the cognitive theory.As the new theory of dynamic system of development revealed, it is regarded as a theory of development of cognition and action, at the same time unifying the recent advances in their conceptualized theory and the current research findings and analysis in the neuroscience and neural development field. The dynamic system of development theory shows how the processes governed by principles of exploration and selection and multimodal experiences form the bases for self-organizing perception and action categories. (Thelen, 1994) The theory became a powerful source of new metaphors for the field of psychoanalysis.The theory includes ana lysis of phenomena like conflict, transference, resistance and the unconscious intertwined with the perspective of the development process as dynamically emergent properties that elucidate the process of pattern formation and the process of change. The theory is useful in understanding the complexity of the development process. As a function of the theory, it permits theoretical statements about development of societies and groups but also the individuals within the societies and the entities that govern the group.The dynamic system approach attempts to answer the different levels of problems and at some point avoids it by defining the process of development being multilayered. The theoretical assumptions of the dynamic system theory tries to avoid the concept of stages in outward behavior because the concept of the theory acknowledges the fact that outward behaviors that appears to be staged-like is or can be explained through the occurring continuous changes in the components gove rning those behaviors.  (Thelen, 1994)The theory stresses the importance of the concept of change and transition, and attributes the process of development in the mechanisms of change that has a process of the first step towards the last. The theory focuses on the concept of change, and limits its regards to change being time-bounded or as a series of stages with transitions. Dynamic systems being self-organizing are a consequence for the idea that development is a result of spontaneous emergence of higher-order structure.The emergence of higher-order structures contributes to the recursive interactions among the simple components included in the process. Essentially connected with human development is the concept of human individuals being developing organisms having continuous and numerous genetic, physiological and psychological attributes. In turn this results to behavioral changes which include the interaction between the individual and its environment. In turn the dynamic sy stem theory of development is given less of the credit it deserves as a theory that explains further the human development of an individual.The concern of the theory is to stress the value of the concept of change and how it is important in the understanding of development and other factors that surrounds the concept of development. The dynamic system of development in humans greatly contributes to the fact that behavior is the outcome of the interaction between the individual and its environment. Thelen and Smith objectively presented a new theory that governs the principle of development being a process of change, which includes the transitory and stages in resulting to development. Reference: Stolorow, R. D. (1997). A Dynamic System Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action: By Esther Thelen and Linda Smith. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis 1(78), 620-622. Storolow, R. D. (1997). Dynamic, Dyadic, Intersubjective Systems: An Evolving Paradigm for Psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytical Psychology, 1(14), 337-346. Thelen, E., & Smith, L. B. (1994). A dynamic systems approach to the development of cognition and action. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.   

Acid Rain: the Southern Company (a) Case Analysis Essay

Acid Rain: The Southern Company (A) Case Analysis | Production Processes and Costs| Executive Summary In the year 1992, the Southern Company that held the Bowen plant, a coal-fired steam electric plant had to decide on the various options available to comply with the amendments in the Clean Air Act, effective 1995. The Bowen plant was an unusually large plant with a capacity to serve the residential, commercial and industrial demands of 1 million people. The Bowen generators consumed 8.338 million tons of coal and generated 21,551 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. During 1990, Bowen plant emitted over 30 tons of sulfur dioxide per hour, an important precursor of acid rain. In 1990, Congress passes the Clean Air Act that aimed at controlling acid rain. As per the Clean Air Act, beginning 1995 (Phase 1) all the coal-fired utility plants would be receiving allowances to emit 2.5 pounds of sulfur dioxide per million British Thermal Units (MMBtu) of coal consumed. In the year 2000 (Phase 2), all coal-fired utility plants, would get allowances worth 1.2 pounds per MMBtu of coal. The plants either had to reduce their emissions or purchase additional allowances from other firms. The Bowen plant received allowances for 254,580 tons of sulfur dioxide for each if the five years, from 1995 till 1999. From year 2000, it would receive allowances worth 122,198 tons per year. To comply with this new law, Southern Company had the following options: * Burn high sulfur Kentucky coal without scrubbing the exhaust gases, as in past, and buy the allowances from other firms. * Install scrubbers to remove sulfur dioxide from the exhaust gases of the generators. There were further two options available to be considered * Scrubbers could be installed from 1992 to 1994, to be ready for Phase one. * Install scrubbers from 1997-1999 and be ready for Phase 2. * Switch to low-sulfur coal from Kentucky or West Virginia. The emissions would be lower than the amount permi tted in Phase One, but in  Phase Two they would have to buy allowances. As a result of the analyses, Option 3 : burning low-sulfur coal seem to be the best fit in this situation, because it has the minimum cost involved and thereby, generates the maximum profits for the company. PROBLEM STATEMENT The Southern Company, is trying to figure out the best option available, the one with the minimum costs involved, to comply with the amendments in the Clean Air Act, effective 1995. The main issue was the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted each hour by the plant, which was 30 tons in year 1990. As per the amendments in the Clean Air Act, the amount of sulfur dioxide was regulated to 2.5 pounds per MMBTu of coal from year 1995 and further reduced to 1.2 pounds per MMBtu of coal from year 2000. The regulated amount was the total emission allowed by all the coal-fired utility plants in the country. As a result, Bowen plant would receive an allowance for 254,580 tons for each of five years beginning 1995 and 122,198 tons per year starting 2000. The company could either buy extra allowances from other firms or reduce the emission amount by either scrubbing off the sulfur dioxide from exhausted gases or use low-sulfur coal. METHODOLOGY The case presents three main options which were analyzed to make an informed decision about the choice to be made. I have calculated the net present value of the costs involved in each of the three methods and recommend the option one with minimum net present value of cost to be used for complying with the Clean Air Act amendment. The three available options are: * Burn high sulfur Kentucky coal without scrubbing the exhaust gases, as in past, and buy the allowances from other firms. * Install scrubbers to remove sulfur dioxide from the exhaust gases of the generators. There were further two options available to be considered * Scrubbers could be installed from 1992 to 1994, to be ready for Phase one. The Bowen plant would then be generating lower sulfur dioxide emissions that could be sold to other firms * Install scrubbers from 1997-1999 and be ready for Phase 2. In this, they will be generating excess of allowed emission level  in Phase 1 (1995-1999) and would have to buy those allowances. Starting Phase 2 (year 2000), they would be in a state to sell the allowances. * Switch to low-sulfur coal from Kentucky or West Virginia. The emissions would be lower than the amount permitted in Phase One, but in Phase Two they would have to buy allowances. To calculate the total costs involved for each of the three options, I have considered only those factors that are not common in all. I have calculated only the excess of cost that might be required to deploy an option. The current operating costs and all costs that do not change amongst the options have been left out as these costs would remain same and will have no effect on the decision. Data Requirement or Sources The data used to perform analysis has been taken from the case study only. The factors available are: * Switching cost of coal: switching from high sulfur to low sulfur. * Costs or revenue involved with buying or selling, respectively, the sulfur dioxide emission allowances. * Depreciation on capital costs * Capital costs involved to upgrade the plant with scrubbers or existing machinery. * Additional operating costs * Energy consumptions (Revenue lost) when using scrubbers. * Federal and state taxes involved * Discount rate used by the company to evaluate investment opportunities. Key Assumptions To determine the costs involved in the given three options, following assumptions have been made: * There is no available evidence that the cost of coal may deviate from the given amounts, or the company seems to have contracts with the coal vendors and so the values are constant. * The electricity generated by the plant remains constant throughout the operation of the plant, that is, amount of electricity generated is 21,551 million kilowatt hours every year. * The amount of coal required to  generate the electricity amount remains fixed to 8.338 million tons when high-sulfur coal is used and 8.391 million when low-sulfur coal is used. * In 1990, the revenue generated by electricity is $5.6 cents per kilowatt hour on an average, and will more or less the same. * The rate of buying or selling allowances is estimated to be $250 in year 1995 and will increase at a rate of 10% every year till 2010. After 2010, the rates will remain constant. * As per the amendments in the Clean Air Act, in Phase One, Bowen plant will be allowed to emit 254580 tons of sulfur dioxide and in Phase Two, 122198 tons of sulfur dioxide. * There are firms ready to sell or buy the allowances for sulfur dioxide emissions. Analysis Option 1: Burning High-Sulfur Coal without Scrubbers; Purchase Allowances In this option, we consider using the existing infrastructure. Since, the companies are allowed to buy extra emissions from some other firms, we will consider that. The information that is available to analyze is: * Cost of coal from 1992-1995 is $41.46 per ton and is expected to fall down to $29.82 per ton from 1996. * The amount of sulfur dioxide emitted is 266550 tons for burning 8.338 million of high-sulfur coal. * The first and only cost in this method will be the cost to buy emission allowances for sulfur dioxide from other firms. The costs will vary every year because of the difference in allowance prices as shown in Exhibit â€Å"Option1†1. * There is no capital costs involved in this method as there we are not investing in machinery required. Also, since there is no capital costs involved, there is no depreciation. * The additional operating costs are also zero. After, adding the tax benefits to the total cost, the net present value of cost in this method is $266,379,610. The advantages of using this approach are that there will be no costs to add or upgrade machinery. Also, since the plant will be operating as it currently is, there are least chances of unexpected malfunctioning of the plant. The issue with this approach is that we are assuming that there are firms willing to sell their allowances. But, since it is known that the Bowen plant is comparatively cleaner than  the other coal-fired steam electric plant, finding the firms willing to sell involves risk. And in-case, if we are not able to find firms ready to sell allowances, it will put the plant into a risk of shutting the operations and pay fines, or decrease the amount of electricity generation to emit the allowed sulfur dioxide levels. Also, it is a greater threat to the environment to emit such large numbers of sulfur dioxide when there are methods available to decrease those numbers. Option 2: Burning High-Sulfur Coal with Scrubbers; Sell Allowances In this option, we consider adding scrubbers to the plant. Scrubbers will help reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide emissions by 90%. In this option, the plant will be able to sell allowances as very low amounts of sulfur dioxide will be emitted by the plant. The information that is available to analyze this option is: * Cost of coal from 1992-1995 is $41.46 per ton and is expected to fall down to $29.82 per ton from 1996. * The amount of sulfur dioxide emitted is 26655 tons for burning 8.338 million of high-sulfur coal, once the scrubbers are installed * The first cost in this method will be the cost of installing scrubbers. The scrubbers are highly expensive and so can be considered to be installed and ready to use either by the beginning of Phase 1 (year 1995) or by the starting of Phase 2 (year 2000). The total capital costs including the 10% capital interest for installing scrubbers is $719,430,000. The cost is spread over three years, $143,850,000; $503,610,000; $71,970,000. * There is depreciation amounts involved for the investments in installing scrubbers. * The additional operating cost is $0.0013 per kilowatt hour that amounts to a total cost of $28,016,300 per kilowatt hour for each year * Also, the operation of Scrubbers uses 2% of the total electricity generated, which means 2% of the total revenue generated every year which has the value of $24,137,120. After adding the benefits of tax deductible expenses and depreciation values, the net present value of cost in this option is $451,531,619 if the Scrubbers are ready to be used in Phase 1 (as shown in Exhibit â€Å"Option2A†). If the Scrubbers are ready to be used in Phase 2 the net present value comes out to be $293,959,184 (shown in Exhibit â€Å"Option2B†). The advantages of using this approach are that there is a very low emission level of sulfur dioxide, and we can earn revenue by selling allowances. Also, we are sure that there will  be firms ready to buy those allowances. This option also is beneficial for the environment. The issue with this approach is that we are the net present value of the cost is high. Also, we will be investing atleast $293,959,184 in the plant which we are sure will be operational for only a few more years, till 2016. With the advancement in technology, there are higher chances of new more efficient plants to come on stream even earlier. Option 3: Burning Low-Sulfur Coal In this option, we consider changing the type of coal that is burnt in the plant. We can switch to low sulfur coal which contains 1% sulfur by weight and so will reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide in the environment. The information that is available to analyze this option is: * Cost of low- sulfur coal from 1996 is $30.37 per ton and is expected to rise to $34.92 per ton from 2000. In years 1992-1995, coal used in the plant will be high-sulfur coal which has the cost of $41.46 per ton * The amount of sulfur dioxide emitted is 16750 tons for burning 8.391 million of low-sulfur coal starting 1996 and so we would have to buy emission allowances for the years 1995, 2000-2016 and we will generate revenue in years 1996-1999 by selling the excess of emission allowance. * The first cost in this method will be the cost of switching from high-sulfur coal to low-sulfur coal. The amount and cost of high-sulfur coal required to generate 21,551 million kilowatt hours every year is different from the low-sulfur coal rate and quantity. There is an overall increase in the cost when operations are switched from high-sulfur coal to low-sulfur coal as shown in Exhibit â€Å"Option3†. * Switching to low-sulfur coals also need changes in the existing electrostatic precipitators used to control airborne particulate matter as it is currently designed for operating with high-sulfur coal. The costs for upgrading the electrostatic precipitators for low-sulfur coal is $22.1 million * There is depreciation amounts involved for the investments for upgrading electrostatic precipitators. After adding the benefits of tax deductible expenses and depreciation values, the net present value of cost in this option is $176,919,328 (as shown in Exhibit â€Å"Option3†). The advantages of using this approach are that the net present value of the costs is the lowest and so is most beneficial for the  Southern Company. There is relatively lower emission level of sulfur dioxide. Although we have to buy allowances in most of the years, still the lower levels are better for the environment. The issue with this approach is that we are the investing a $22.1 million in the plant and we are depending on the new type of coal whose cost is expected to rise over the years. Conclusions and Concerns: After analyzing all the three available options, I would conclude that the best option to be deployed is Option 3: Burn low-sulfur coal. This option does not only have the least cost but is also beneficial for the environment. The option will generate higher profits for the company and we can have even a lower cost, if the price of the low sulfur coal does not rise and is negotiable. Also, there can be a possibility that the changes in the electricity precipitator for low-sulfur coal could decrease the emission levels. The major concern with this option is that we have to either find firms willing to sell their allowances (although a small amount) or would have to decrease the amount of electricity generated to adjust the sulfur dioxide emissions which will impact the revenues but since the amounts are low, the revenues will not be affected adversely.