Saturday, August 31, 2019

Aztecs Incas and Spanish Empires

During the creation of the Spanish empire, very many native tribes were destroyed.   They destroyed the people alongside their culture and in the case of the Incas and the Aztecs tried to eliminate every trace of these people because they were pagans.The first attraction they had to these peoples lives were the treasure that they possessed.   The Spaniards lusted after these treasures and this led them to conquer various groups of people so that they may own what they had.   All these people were civilized when the Spaniards met them but were non -Christians.   The Spaniards greed and their devotion to Christianity let the led them to wipe out any trace of those civilizations and especially that of the Incas who were completely annihilated but some Aztecs are still around the maintain their culture.The Aztec civilization started off as far back as the 12th and 13th century AD.   They migrated to the valley of Mexico around this time under the leadership of their chief named Tenoch.   Their god was Huitzilopochtli and he was the one who instructed the chief to lead to Aztec people to the valley of Mexico. They were to go Lake Texcoco and inhabit an island that was to be found there.They were to build a city there and name it Tenochtitlan also as to hour their and they did this.   This city later became their capital city once they formed an empire.   The valley of Mexico therefore became the centre of their civilization since the capital city was based there.Once they established the city, they were supposed to provide gifts to their god in form of human sacrifices. By the time they arrived in the swampy areas, they were destitute who were hired, poor and with no wealth or means to survival.To make matters worse, they inhabited a swamp in a lake that was seen by others to be a waste that would not produce anything.   Due to the hardships that they faced, they were forced to use all means to get nutrition for themselves.   This meant they stol e food from their neighbours used snakes and vermin for their meals and this did not in any way endear them to their neighbors.This intense dislike by their neighbours was compounded by their practice of offering human sacrifices to their god Huitzilopochtli.   They were therefore segregated and no one wanted to be associated with them.   With so many odds against them and with no help, they had to come up with a way of improving their lives.They built mud and batch houses in the swamp supported by strong poles.   They then transformed the uninhabitable land into a fertile productive land that provided them with more than enough through their mode of agriculture called chinampas. The city of Tenochtitlan grew and by using skilled craftsmen and common laborers, it expanded more.There was need to gain respect from the neighbours and therefore in 1376, Acamapichli was made emperor because he was related to the last rulers of Culhuacan and also the Quetzalcoatl who was a great Tol tec ruler.   In the 15th century, the tribe grew into a strong and disciplined military force and they formed the Triple Alliance with Texcoco and the Tacuba.They conquered around 38 provinces which paid taxes to Tenochtitlan by the time the empire ended in 1520.   The Spaniards were able to conquer them easily because some of the boarder provinces maintained their independence.Montezuma who was the ruler, than thought that Cortez the Spanish captain was a god returning.   He therefore offered golden presents which ignited Cortez’s lust for wealth.   The Aztecan priests tried to worn Montezuma but he did not heed their warning. The Spaniards conquered the Aztecs and wiped out traces of their existence and civilization because they were Catholics.   However, some survived and have maintained their culture up to date.In 1527, Bartolome Ruiz on board his ship met a raft filled with expensive ornaments and textiles and realized need to establish contact with those who o wned the treasure.   He left 3 men to become translators.   Francisco Pizarro was the leader of the group.   He and his men spent the winter in an uninhabited island and many died before spring.   From here they met therapist Inca city Tumbes where they found out that, these people were very wealthy and highly civilized.   Francisco then managed to convince the royal court in 15 months, the need to conquer the Incas and his idea was supported by Cortez, the â€Å"conquer† of the Aztecs.Francisco and his men left Spain in January 1530 and marched his men along the Ecuador coast which was full of hardships and tightened their journey. While in the northern part of Peru, they established san Miguel which is near Piura.   In September 1532, they attacked the Inca and were lucky to have some events precipitate their attack.Although their number was little, they found divisions caused by civil war by factions aligning themselves to either of two sons of the dead ruler.à ‚   Atahualpa who ruled the northern half of empire won but the Cuzco the capital city supported the other brother.   Since the Spaniards entered Inca from the north, they first met Atahualpa in his territory.Atahualpa was attracted by the Spaniards horses and did not consider them to be any threat. He was invited by Pizarro to pay him a visit where he was based in Cajamarca. Atahualpa went on this visit with the intention of capturing the Spaniards but Pizarro had the same intention concerning him. It is in this place that the Indians were massacred.Pizarro’s priest met them and explained the Christian doctrines to Atahualpa who did not heed them and instead threw the priests prayer book on to the ground. The priest was infuriated and it was on this pretext that the Spaniards attacked the Indians. They made it seem as if this was the reason but it had been an ambush that was clearly planned.On this day, thousands of Indians died yet none of the Spaniards was hurt apart fro m a cut on Pizarro’s hand.   He intended to use Atahualpa to rule the Incas just as Cortes had done with the Aztecs so he made sure he did not die. He instead held him prisoner and this led to the Incas proposal to pay ransom for his release.They offered to give a room full pf gold and this was to take them two months to do. This was to the advantage of Pizarro because he could now get additional troops from Spain. In March 1533, the artifacts from the temples started being melted down and this took around three months.During this time, Diego de Almago arrived with troops in April the Spaniards did not release Atahualpa and instead charged him with treason in July the same year and was sentenced to die by being burned alive. Before his death, they managed to convert him to a Christian and his sentence was ‘reduced’ to die by garrote.Through the destruction of artifacts and the killing of the rulers, the Spaniards ensured that the Incas of Peru were completely f orgotten by the rest of society. They had nothing to show for the great civilization that they had been. Their empire was destroyed completely and up to date there is little to show for their existence.Reference1. History of the Incas a Glimpse of Inca Treasure: AD 1527-1532 24TH September 2007

Friday, August 30, 2019

Health Organization Case Study Research Essay

Health Organization Case Study Research a health Health Organization Case Study Research a health care organization or a network that spans several states within the U.S. (Example: United Healthcare, Vanguard, Banner Healthcare, etc.). Harvard Business Review Online and Hoover’s Company Records, found in the GCU Library, are useful sources. You may also find pertinent information on your organization’s webpage. Review â€Å"Singapore Airlines Case Study.† Prepare a 1,000-1,250-word paper that focuses on the organization or network you have selected. Your essay should assess the readiness of the health care organization or network in addressing the health care needs of citizens in the next decade, and include a strategic plan that addresses issues pertaining to network growth, nurse staffing, resource management, and patient satisfaction. Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. Only Word documents can be submitted to Turnitin. Singapore Airlines Case Study (student paper) Singapore Airlines was created in 1972 following a separation from Malaysian Airlines. In the wake of reorganization, Singapore Airlines undertook aggressive growth, investing and trading to maximize profitability and expand market share. Through this change, a new company philosophy emerged, â€Å"Success or failure is largely dictated by the quality of service it provides† (Wyckoff, 1989). By reinventing the company infrastructure and introducing new initiatives focused on excellence in customer service, Singapore Airlines became a global leader in the service industry, elevating existing standards among competitors. Evaluation of Workforce Management Program The strategy widely utilized by Singapore Airlines to ensure differentiation in an increasingly competitive market was its attention to in-flight service. â€Å"Good flight service [was] important in its own right and is a reflection of attention to detail throughout the airline† (Wyckoff, 1989). This statement perpetuated the belief that excellence in service was directly tied to the careful selection and individual performance of in-flight crews charged with the responsibility of fulfilling the needs of individual passengers and exuding the levels of service demanded by the organization. Applicants destined to work as flight stewards were drawn from a very young population, typically spanning the ages of 18-25 years of age with high school equivalency against the English system of education. Selection of applications was competitive largely due to the degree of skill, poise, and experience required of its candidates. These policies led to the on-boarding of a highly skilled and youthful workforce with positive attitudes and a willingness to be trained. Critique of this approach revealed several disadvantages. The most significant being the potential for greater turnover when hiring a younger population as opposed to an older, more experienced crew. Experience alone would play some role in the development of new employees, as greater experience would bring greater poise and confidence. However, in light of the predominant population Singapore Airlines catered to, a younger in-flight crew would remedy the awkwardness likely to be encountered by older clients being served by older crew members. In addition, a younger crew would likely be more accepting of new procedures and less cynical of the requirements of employment. In light of the young demographic most desired in this role, recruitment, training and â€Å"conversion† processes were both stringent and comprehensive. All aspects of in-flight service, including training related to terminology, amenities and food preparation were provided in great detail, as were training for emergency preparedness and response to every potential s cenario encountered in the air and on the ground. Formalized on-boarding, training and continued development were the hallmarks of the comprehensive workforce program. Even well into a crew member’s employment, on-going training and cyclical evaluation provided a mechanism for employees to be aware of individual performance and gain exposure to methods of continuous  improvement. With an on-going plan of evaluation, communication, and development, the workforce was well-positioned for high levels of performance and quality improvements. Though it would seem that Singapore Airlines’ work management program suited the organization well, it greatly narrowed the pool of applicants and kept many, well-qualified and experienced candidates from positions that would create diversity among the largely homogeneous workforce and place the organization in a better position to serve populations whose ethnic origins were not of Asian descent. If the organization aims to be the leader in an increasingly global marketplace, the workforce must mirror the diverse needs and perceptions of the greater population. Advertising Campaign Singapore Airlines is known in the airline industry for its quality of service. This emphasis on customer service and customer satisfaction is largely reflective of the Asian culture for which the company embodies. Attention to detail, impeccable presentation, and care for others are traits synonymous with countries of Asian heritage. Similarly, Asian countries revere conservatism, organization and hierarchy (Allik, n.d.) so, it would follow that young Asian individuals demonstrate the same gracious, caring behaviors to others. The expectation of â€Å"gentle, courteous service† is consistent with these norms and with the approaches taken by the organization. So much are these standards and stereotypes linked to Asian culture and the epitome of service, that the symbol applied to the airline is that of a young Asian woman. This image is resoundingly more beguiling and traditional, recognized by nearly 50% of consumers over typical marketing imparted by competitors, with a marginal recognition of 9.6%. In light of the positive impact and recognition of the existing marketing campaign, it was considered advisable to retain the current marketing strategy. Systems for Measuring Service Quality Singapore Airlines has two primary components involved in measuring service quality. The first is a system to measure customer complaints and compliments for every 10,000 passengers. The second measurement is a  comparative rating of airline services prepared by the International Research Associates (INRA). The first component, customers’ complaints and compliments, stayed relatively the same despite rapid organizational expansion. This type of analysis has shown a generally high satisfaction level, but could be skewed due to the vast areas the complaints and compliments could cover; from ticket sales and baggage areas to in-flight crews. To address this concern the complaints were split between the areas. However, to get an accurate barometer of customer satisfaction, it was recommended that the airline conduct routine surveys of customers. Often, customers submitting comments fell into one of two categories; those having complaints or those having compliments. The second component to gauge customer satisfaction involved the INRA surveys. The airline executives paid particular attention to these scores as they indicated levels of satisfaction among the general consumer population and identified areas requiring continuous improvement. In 1973 Singapore Airlines scored 68, in 1974 the company scored 74 and in 1979 they scored 78. The scores of 39 other airlines demonstrated that two other competitors, Cathy Pacific and Thai International, were improving rapidly. This provided one indicator of competitive advantage. In order for Singapore Airlines to stay ahead of their competitors they would need to evaluate their position against industry leaders and determine if changes would be needed to stay competitive, particularly with respect to customer service and customer satisfaction (Wyckoff, 1989). Plan to Introduce Slot Machines Singapore Airlines has responded to many changes in order to differentiate itself within an increasingly competitive market place. One responsive action was to remove sleepers, replacing them with a business class section. Reactions from consumers were less than favorable. The move strayed from what consumers came to expect of elite levels of customer service, which were in large part, due to the attention paid to the personal needs of its elite customers. Although intended to be innovative and distinctive, the inclusion of slot machines on transatlantic flights was another idea met with considerable consumer dissatisfaction. While potentially generating a new stream of revenue, the idea only worked to incite passengers with a new category of charges. In addition to generating cost for the consumer, the  machines took valuable space away from seats and posed problems in light of weight restrictions (Time, 1981). These changes only compounded issues and introduced new problems such as the potential for in-flight injury, rather than improving in-flight services. While there was some opportunity for revenue, initially, the gains would last for a season and were not expected to extend out into the long-term. Conclusion The Singapore Airlines Case Study highlights both effective as well as ineffective management approaches within the company. The subsequent analysis and evaluation of company operations and strategies offer a compelling glimpse of organizational design and leadership amid change, as well as provide a platform for future discussions of organizational development and change management. Group evaluation of organizational design, organizational decision-making, and organizational process at Singapore Airlines yielded some recommendations for new approaches to address complaints, become more mainstream in an increasingly diverse market space, and become more innovative without losing sight of the customer service focus that has made Singapore Airlines so successful.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Scientist max planck Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Scientist max planck - Research Paper Example heoretical research, Planck revealed a quite extraordinary breakthrough: ‘the law of radiation of bodies as a function of temperature could not be derived solely from the Laws of Maxwellian electrodynamics’ (Einstein 1995, 106). To reach findings in agreement with the related trials, a particular frequency’s radiation had to be dealt with as if it is composed of photons of the ‘individual energy hf’(Weast 1973, 44) in which h is the universal constant of Planck. This breakthrough became the foundation of all experiments and studies in physics in the twentieth century and has almost completely directed its progress from then on. Without this breakthrough it would have been impossible to formulate a feasible theory of energy and atomic and molecular dynamics that direct their transformations (Jammer 2000). Furthermore, it has ruined the entire structure of orthodox mechanics and electrodynamics and creates a new mission for science that is, looking for a new theoretical foundation for the whole of physics. In spite of substantial incomplete achievements, the question remains far from an agreeable answer (Einstein 1995). However, it is still impossible to dispute the fact that the quanta of Max Planck revolutionized twentieth century physics. The efforts of Max Planck in thermodynamics resulted in the development of the quantum theory. To give explanation of the shades of hot lustrous matter, Planck suggested that energy is emitted in incredibly miniscule and isolated quantized quantities or packs, rather than in an endless and steady wave (Weir 2009). He coined the term ‘quanta’ to refer to these packs of energy and he was successful in establishing that each quantum’s energy is equivalent to the radiation’s frequency multiplied by h (Hoffman 2008). This figure, shown in the form of erg-seconds, quantifies each quantum’s energy (Weast 1973). An erg ‘is the amount of energy needed to raise a milligram of mass by a distance of 1 centimeter’

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

A topic from one of the four articles Annotated Bibliography

A topic from one of the four articles - Annotated Bibliography Example Anna Lappà © looks into the past of corporate renaming operations to realize the clear use of approaches that confound the community and immunize the industries at the start of legal attacks. Within the article, Anna Lappà © refers to Philip Morris, a legal activist who was not simply exhausted with the old title of the corn syrup processing company the moment it spent millions of dollars attempting to retrofit its stand. Even though the company has been constantly associated with unselfishness, the company ought to process such foods under amplifying pressure from its rivals. Habitual products have been compared with the operations of the organization. Anna Lappà © uses tobacco to show the extent at which civic heath lawyers can go to tarnish the names of the companies. Another basis of the writer’s argument is behind the cause for the trade alliance pooling millions worth of funds into its messaging with the support of legal health publicists. Through the public advocates , Anna Lappà © has managed to make the society question the fast foods addiction rate (Lappà ©, 2010). The summer of 2002 saw the fling of three lawsuits against the QSR (Quick Service Restaurants), asserting that a variety of criteria of petitioners had suffered injuries caused by consuming â€Å"fast foods† (Davis, Driscoll and Schwartz 121). Plaintiff’s advocate and the concealed consumer counsel holding him up, and stated publicly that the lawsuits emerged from numerous similar tobacco proceedings strategies from the tobacco industry’s plaintiff. These lawsuits reflected suing strategies that were previously used by other counsels against cigarette manufacturing corporations. The tobacco plaintiff’s bar has consistently attempted using such strategies to their advantage. Such a situation would be very difficult to come around. Advocate counsels trying to provide

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Youth Offending Essay Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Youth Offending Essay - Literature review Example Social exclusion refers to the lack of acceptance, belonging and recognition of an individual or a community by others despite the fact that they may be neighbours in a city or a country (Friedman, 1993). Studies have shown that Black and Ethnic Minority (BEM) youths are the most affected by social exclusion in Wales and England. Interestingly, socially exclude youth are often found to be socially and economically vulnerable and have higher risks of living diminished lives in the eyes of the advantaged as well as in their own eyes (Applebaum et al., 2010). The social and economic changes in the free-market economies have been cited as the main causes of social exclusion of minority youths, more so in the Western countries. In addition, weaknesses and inequalities in government service provision have made socially excluded people rather vulnerable in many ways (Coker, 2003). For instance, in England and Wales, the socioeconomically deprived and socially exclude ethnic minority youths have been found to be at higher risks of being crime victims or offenders given their propensity towards committing crimes (CRC, 2008a). This paper thus explores the reasons youths from ethnic minority groups are over-represented in the criminal justice system of Wales and England and the possible approaches with which this trend may be addressed. The Criminal Justice System and Black Minority Youths Perhaps one of the most regrettable and enduring characteristic of the criminal justice systems is racial profiling and stereotyping of youths from minority ethnic groups (CRC, 2008b). Fortunately, there has been a considerable increase in the galvanisation of the link between minority ethnic groups and crime (University of Georgia, 2006). In worse cases, there have been so much racial stereotyping and crime profiling that black youths are referred to as ‘criminal predators’ (Silver, 1994). According to the Youth Justice Board (YJB), which reported that 1,822 young offender s were in custody in the 2010/2011 period, it is this profiling of minority youths that has subtly justified the over-representation of youths from minority ethnic groups and races in the criminal justice systems (BBC, 2011). Out of this population, minority ethnic youths constituted 39%, a 6% increase over the 2009/2010 period. However, the general figures of youth offenders dropped from 1977 of the 2009/2010 period (BBC, 2011). The Guardian also reported similar trends in both Wales and England, reporting that young black men accounted for nearly 40% of the population of youth jails in the two countries. Comparing the 2006 and the 2009/2010 period, the joint report with the Youth Justice Board (YJB) indicated an increase from 23% to 39% by young black youth composition (The Guardian, 2011). This over-representation is not only evident at the trial stages/courts but also in the correctional facilities such as prisons. Although, an unofficial policy, the tendency to racially and eth nically profile minority youths is so rampant that criminal justice practitioners openly practice it. Certain elements have been identified to be core to the culture of racial profiling and the emergence and practice of minority youth typification in the criminal justice system (Walker, 1977). While the number of minority youths incarcerated in the UK and Wales in the last three decades increased, the number of incarcerated white/majority has considerably gone down. Since historical times, youths from minority groups have consistently been over-represented at all the stages in the criminal justice system in the UK and Wales, the senior and the juvenile justice systems (Walker, 1992). In fact, this

Monday, August 26, 2019

How has the solicitor's regulation changed in the UK Essay

How has the solicitor's regulation changed in the UK - Essay Example In this paper, a position is taken that the most effective form of change to regulation relating to solicitors can only achieve its intended purposes if the changes are comprehensive and holistic enough. In the light of this, changes that have taken place over the years by way of training system as well as regulatory structure governing solicitors are all subjected to critical review. There will also be a special review of the Human Rights Act 1998 to examine how it has impacted on the regulation of solicitors. The issue of self-regulation by the solicitors’ profession will also be reviewed. Training and ethics are two important phenomena in ensuring quality standard of practice by solicitors everywhere across the globe (Cooper, 2013). This is because through training, prospective lawyers are given the kind of education and professional nurturing, needed to ensure that they go about their duties as exceptional professionals. Meanwhile, a person’s individual ethical standards can also be a determining factor as to whether or not the person would heed to training instructions and practice professionally (Boon, 2014). To reconcile these two positions therefore, it is important that the training system for solicitors in UK will be structured in a way that ensures that only people who can be deemed as ethical individuals are admitted. Indeed many have questioned the importance of ensuring that admission for training for solicitors is based on only people who can be considered as ethical individuals. In response to this, Case (2013) observed that the law profession is a highly sensitive one, requiring strong and high standards of practice to ensure that a practitioner will hold fast to doing what is right. What this means is that lawyers have a lot of discretion in their practice as far as their actions are based on law. For this reason, it is

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Morality of Euthanasia Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Morality of Euthanasia - Case Study Example She now lies in her ICU bed surviving the travails of her illness with the hospital's modern life support mechanisms. Both the physician and the priest knew that very soon their Mom will inevitably leave them. Meanwhile, the enormous hospital bills and other medical expenses are understandably being shouldered by the elder one, but with much difficulty as he has five children enrolled in the university and his wife is likewise sickly and could no longer work. The physician, an agnostic and a non-believer in any type of faith or religion, and who does not have any moral scruples, tells his younger brother, the priest, that perhaps it is only practical and it is also high time that they accept the fact that it was needless for their Mom to be in the expensive care of the ICU. Even whilst she is able to survive, it appears that with the other health complications, their Mom would most likely lead a vegetable life afterwards. The doctor also tells his brother that he can no longer afford to continue supporting their Mom and that for all practical purposes it is perhaps timely to give her the rest that she finally needs. The priest in a most calm spirit, reacts by way of directly asking his elder brother if what he meant was using euthanasia to end the sufferings of ... When the elder brother silently nodded yes, some little tears started to fall on both their saddened faces.From all vantage points of view, it would seem that it was the most practical thing that could be done for someone so dearly loved to end all physical pain. However, the priest reflecting on such an inhumane and morally unacceptable act tells his brother that in the book he often reads To Live in Jesus Christ, it is extensively discussed that under the doctrines of the Church, the Ten Commandments most specifically, it is so provided in the 5th commandment that "Thou shalt not kill" (Santos 143), and to commit such an act is to commit a mortal sin. This book further discusses that "Human life is sacred, (explains the Catechism of the Catholic Church), because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can un der any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being" (144). Hence, the priest tells his brother that it is for him a condemnable and unthinkable act.The physician, basically an unbeliever, reasons that the treatment and the preservation of life is imperative only if the quality of life can be sustained. However, if for medical reasons, it is taken as a given that a patient can no longer continue to live a normal life, despite all the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Blood Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Blood - Assignment Example He also proved that some people’s red blood cells agglutinated. Landsteiner also came up with 3 new ways of thinking and identified existence 3 kinds of cells A, B, as well as C (Daniels, 2013). Thus, the determinant gene of ABO blood type for instance is found on chromosome 9 and is referred to as glycosyltransferase .In addition, the ABO locus is made of 3 key allelic kinds: A, B and O as discussed above and every one of them was responsible for the production of its glycoprotein better known as antigens which are always found in the blood cells of an individual and thus their ABO blood group. Therefore the A as well as B blood types are due to various antigens (they provoke immune responses) on the red blood cells’ surface. The production of antigens is usually under the DNA. Thus antigens emanate from a red blood cell surface precursor known as H substance-common to A,B as well as O. Placement of N-acetylgalactosesamine results in type A enzyme which is transferase on the H kind of substance. The attachment of galactose to H by group B transferase resulted in the formation of group B (Daniels, 2013). On the other hand, type O comes about from a basic joint mutation that adversely destroyed or reduced the potential of Type A transferase to attach the mandatory N-acetylgalactosesamine to H substance. As studies have shown on monkeys, human blood types are very archaic genetic indicators which have been evolving for several million years ago. On the basis of primary races thesis hypothesis. In addition, it has always been held that the 3 main races of man, Europe blood group A, Asian blood type B and eventually blood group O in South America. These 3 groups have been emerging gradually because of the mixing and migration of the races leading to the current situation (Daniels, 2013). Another postulation about the origin of blood types is that emergence of every blood group A and b as well as their subgroups was as a result of successive

Monetary policy in china Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Monetary policy in china - Coursework Example The money market of China is considered as an indicator for funding to the financial institutions and to the smaller banks existing in the economy. The financial system plays an important role in the growth and expansion of China. The economy of china is being considered as the second largest economy of the world. The financial system of China is mainly dominated by the banking sector. The banking sector contributes more than three fifth of its credit to the private sector. The main source of the economic growth of China is from the banking sector. The financial system of China has also undergone modifications with the end of monopoly in the banking sector of the country. The banking system of China mainly constitutes two third of the financial asset of the financial system. The financial intermediaries’ plays a crucial role in the financial system of the country. The four state owned banks of China mainly dominate the market. The household savings are conducted by the financial intermediaries under the pressure of the government of China. The monetary policy of China is very complex. In order to facilitate the growth an d development in the economy, the Central bank of china has invested cash in the financial system. The interest rates this country are almost zero therefore the central bank of the country has to switch to lower funding cost. The article reflects on the economic growth of China. China is experiencing a slowdown in the economic growth and development in the recent years. The growth has decreased to more than 7% in the first quarter. China has been experiencing a slowdown in its economy since 2009. But it has gained momentum in the recent years. This situation has created more pressure on the Central bank of the country to ease its fiscal and monetary policy. The cut in the interest rate has affected the liquidity position of the economy which has

Friday, August 23, 2019

The Global Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Global Economy - Essay Example (Sriram 2010). Whereas foreign investors to the US are profiting by loaning ‘devalued dollars’ to purchase government bonds and industrial securities and invest in foreign exchange and credit markets, foreign central banks, on the other hand, collect below 1% on the international treasury bills and bank securities (Hudson 2010). In 2011, Bernanke’s recommendation of another quantitative easing (QE II) is an additional $1 trillion liquidity in the Federal Reserve credit, aside from the $2 trillion reserve credits made in 2009 and 2010 would help the financial sector; solve the unemployment crisis and consumer expenditures; and revitalise the US economy. However, this second quantitative easing is not free of associated risks. Federal Reserve, treasury assistance and liquidity have been used by banks to maximise returns and disburse on high wages and bonuses. Capital lending has increased asset costs but decreased the production and employment. Inflation in asset co sts has placed the FIRE sector (finance, insurance and real estate) beyond the true economic status of the country (Hudson 2010). Anchored in the wrong assumption that the QE policy of granting liquidity will be an opening for the banks to profit from loans, thus freeing them from debts, Bernanke failed to consider that almost 80 percent of US bank lendings are mortgage loans and that around 30 percent of the US real estate is experiencing economic inequities due to asset prices that have failed to keep up with mortgage liabilities. The collateral loaned for these mortgages do not cover the principal cost and property titles seem to lose protection as the real estate sector is sometimes managed in fraud (Hudson 2010). US Treasury Secretary Geithner (2010) explains that reviving the credit flow would only create more debts. The credit flow would allow real estate buyers and stock market financiers to employ further control over debts to propose asset costs back up to save the banking system against the previously negative equity it has befallen. Geithner describes it as steadying the failing banking system. The Fed hypothesises that for the country to regain its high economic status, the national banking system would loan out the almost-free limitless liquidity at a markup. Such recuperation would be generating more debts. Bankers, businesses and homeowners would be liberated from their negative equities and the corporate sector and housing market would likely boost again. However, since 2007, the banks have implemented high restriction standards in loaning out to businesses, homeowners and consumers. The increased rate from zero to 3% has been crippling these debtors with liabilities in their credit cards, mortgage and bank loans (Hudson 2010). The US quantitative easing is diminishing the dollar value against foreign currencies with floating trade rates whilst increasing the dollar supply. The impact of the policy on exchange rates between the US currency and the floating-rate currencies is not surprising. It is the obvious outcome of the dollar devaluation from the excess flow of dollars. Moreover, foreign investors tend to purchase other currencies not prone to volatility and inflation (Feldstein 2011). One of the objectives of Bernanke’s QE schema is the encouragement of domestic activity within the US and the lessening of further depreciation, however, the generated surpluses on

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Classes in the Kite Runner Essay Example for Free

Classes in the Kite Runner Essay â€Å"Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here. † This is the start of the tension between the two distinct social classes on pages 40-43 within the novel, The Kite Runner. The author’s purpose for placing this scene within the novel is to show the relationship held between the Hazara Tribe, and the Pashtun tribe, within Afghanistan. The scene in the book allows the reader to begin to understand the tension between the tribes, which fuels the story. Due to the research I completed on the tribes within Afghanistan, I can sharpen my knowledge and interpret the scene in the novel better. While researching, I discovered that the Hazaras have Mongol Characteristics. As a result of this, I was able to understand the scene better, when Assef called Hassan a â€Å"Flat-Nose. † The reason that Assef Called Hassan this, was to poke fun at his Mongol Characteristics, such as having a flat nose. In the same manner, Assef states, â€Å"how can you talk to him, play with him, let him touch you? † Through my research, I was able to learn that it was rare for Pashtuns to play with Hazaras. Hazaras are of a much lower class than Pashtuns, and are treated poorly. Within the scene, there are three apparent literary terms—parallel, imagery and diction. Parallel is used when â€Å"Hasan [holds] the slinghshot pointed directly at Assef’s face. † Hassan uses his slingshot in this scene, to fight Assef, and Hassan’s son uses a slingshot to hurt Assef towards the end of the book. Additionally, the author uses imagery, to show the intense tension between the boys. When Hassan pulls the slingshot, â€Å"his hand [trembles] with the strain of the pulled elastic band and beads of sweat [erupt] on his brow. † This imagery allows you to realize the amount of stress, and tension Hassan must undergo. Finally, the author uses diction, when he describes the actions of the characters, including when he states, â€Å"he made a sweeping, grandiose gesture with his hands. † The diction such as sweeping, and grandiose, allows the reader to fully understand what Assef is trying to convey. There are two main ideas within the scene; they are the ideas of Assef hating Amir and Hassan, and Hassan protecting Amir. Based on the key idea of Hassan protecting Amir, the theme of love appears. Amir uses his slingshot, and does everything that he can to protect Amir, display his love towards him.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Creativity Can Be Nurtured And Developed Education Essay

Creativity Can Be Nurtured And Developed Education Essay A creative process could be defined as an unexpected combination of elements which provides a surprising solution to a problem. (Biltion, 2007) With the development of modem society, especially the emergence of the knowledge economy, poses a new requirement to education. It requires the education, especially the elementary education, to focus on the creativity of students. However, there is a great contradiction between the requirement of the time and the reality, which makes the task more and more essential and urgent to develop creativity. On the task of nurturing creativity, there are diverging points. Some hold on that elementary education could not develop creativity for students, neither is it necessary. Others opposed that the development of creativity is a kind of training to the thinking skill of the students. Both of them might be the wrong cognition after wrong understanding of creativity. In addition, the creativity of students in elementary educational stage is the creativity in the sense of individual, and the importance of the development of creativity should be attached on the creativity of the whole. Meanwhile, creativity is a complex capability which consists of knowledge skills, thinking, as well as personality, and they interact with each other. (Sternberg, 1999) The development of creativity in elementary stage while is a process from low to high is helpful for the development of higher standard creativity of students in future. Thus, not only that elementary education could develop the creativity fo r students, but also that should it attach more importance to the development of students creativity. The responsibilities in creativity development that the elementary education should assume are making students master knowledge skills which are necessary for creating as much as possible, forming the characteristics which are beneficial for creating, and developing personalities which are helpful for creating. 1.2 Essay structure This essay is going to discuss that creativity can be nurtured and developed in three following aspects. Firstly, it will generally discuss whether the factor of elementary education could take the responsibility of creative cultivation. Secondly, whether subject curriculum is the necessity in developing creativity will be debated. Next, it will prove that study evaluation is also an important indicator for creative abilities. At last, this essay will end up with a conclusion. 2. Elementary education 2.1 Suspicions of elementary education There are differences of understanding that elementary education can cultivate creativity for students. There is a view that: creativity is not a training of specific skills so that creative abilities are impossible to foster. (Downing, 1997) This cognition mainly came from the practice of creative capacity building in elementary education. The practice through thinking trainings to cultivate students creativity is subject to a number of queries by Downing. He opposed that it would simplify the development of creativity. It is also found in practice that due to the learning of creative thinking techniques are often highly situated. In fact, setting up to foster innovative thinking is lack of ecological validity, which is difficult to reconcile with real life. Furthermore Weisberg (1997) pointed out: some creative thinking training can indeed improve test scores of individuals in specific tasks. But few studies have shown that such these trainings of nurturing creativity are persisten t or stable and they can be extended beyond the specific test. It is recognized that creative capacity is not skill training in fixed steps so that creativity absolutely cannot be nurtured in this way. Consequently, elementary education is questioned that it cannot cultivate creative ability. There is another view that elementary education lays on the foundation education to future creativities for students. Therefore, the task of higher education is building and shaping creativity so that the stage of elementary education does not need to cultivate creativity for students. (Craft, 2002) The formation of this view, which has two potential logics, is still related to both understanding of students creative ability and the right understanding of the innovative capacity development. On one hand, students will naturally develop their creativity if they have the foundation knowledge and skills. The basic education is mainly for students to construct a good foundation of knowledge and skills, which are primarily based on the results of human knowledge and cultural heritage. Moreover, students would naturally start developing their creativity after they obtain these knowledge and skills. As a result, elementary education does not need to emphasize the development of creative cap acity. On the other hand, there is no significance of individual creativity for students that it is not too late to foster creativity when they finish their elementary education. What students create mainly based on the re-discovery of yielded or former research results. Creativity in students has less social significance so that elementary education would not emphasize the cultivation of creativity as long as they master a solid foundation of various knowledge and skills. As a result, creativity cannot be cultivated in elementary education. 2.2 Arguments of Suspicions In fact, most creativity of students belongs to individual senses of creativity while there are a small number of students who could carry out significant creativities to the whole society. But it will promote creative capability of the social significance. From learned knowledge, creative thinking and personality characteristics, which are conducive to foster creativity in elementary education, students would get innovative knowledge and skills which will become useful basis for the development of creativity in a high level. (Meador, 1997) At the same time, from the acquisition of knowledge and skills students will be inevitably accompanied by a certain quality of thinking as well as the formation of personality characteristics in educational and teaching activities. On the contrary, rigid and systematic ways of thinking as well as blind obedience or conformity to authority of personality characteristics are not conducive to the development of innovative ability for students. Theref ore, creative ability of students in the stage of elementary education is a foundation in high level of creativity development. At the same time, researches of psychology, philosophy and pedagogy also show that there is a crucial period to nurture creative capability. Only seizing that period to train students will better promote their creativity and creative capacity development. Moreover, Eysenck and Keane (2000) noted that learning ability is not an infinite and squander resource for children. If students curiosity as well as their innate senses of questioning have not been awakened or protected but rather severely repressed and obstructed, they would eventually lose out and disappear. Furthermore, the intellectual flexibility, spirit of adventure and self-confidence are very necessary and valuable qualities to explore new things. If they were abused or non-used in a long time, the above qualities will lose their original roles. Although there is less creative capability which co uld own social significance in the lower phase of education, elementary education can still provide good conditions for the development of future innovative abilities in an advanced stage. As a result, it cannot be negated the importance of creativity and creative capacity-building in stage of elementary education let alone as specific tasks in a higher education. 3. Subject curriculum 3.1 Criticism of Subject curriculum However, it is accompanied by obstacles that subject curriculum will inevitably hinder and even stifle creative capability of students. Subject knowledge omitted many areas of exploration while knowledge-oriented presentation is simple. Therefore knowledge of subject curriculum is simplicity of logical links in concepts, facts and principles. It is also believed that the teaching of subject curriculum deviate from experiences of students, which may inevitably lead students to study without motivation. (Ansubel, 2002) Acceptance of learning refers to a phenomenon that main contents which students learned were found by themselves. During the period of learning, which is mainly a process of assimilation of knowledge, how much of the main content is presented to students in a shaped form. Study found the opposite. On the contrary, learning discovery is that the main content in study process is not given but they determined by their own before they internalized the knowledge and skills. T he difference between the two learning styles is whether there is a substantive link between the old and new knowledge. In Ausubels opinion, a meaningful learning process has three conditions: In the first place, students have meaningful learning mindsets in actively psychological preparations for the establishment of substantive combination of the new knowledge with their own cognitive structure of former knowledge. In the second place, there is an appropriate basis for students to assimilate new knowledge in their cognitive structures. Finally, learned new knowledge itself has a logical meaning while there is a clear connection with the relevant knowledge and their cognitive structures in order to be assimilated in appropriate conditions. In other words, as long as students are in active learning states, besides there is an organic link between the acquisition of new knowledge and established experience of old knowledge, it is a meaningful learning. In contrast, rote acceptance of learning is a situation that students are forced to internalize relevant knowledge without the corresponding experience in subject curriculum teaching. Consequently subject curriculum may lead students rottenly accepting study. Moreover, during learning activities the way of thinking could be relatively passive and rigid so that students might be subject to distortions in the development of personality. As a result, subject teaching activities are not conducive to the development of creative ability for students. 3.2 Approvals of subject curriculum Despite there is a phenomenon that students knowledge divorced from their experience in the teaching of subject curriculum so that students accepted rote study. However, this is not a pedagogical necessity to hinder the development of creativity. Students who engage in the combination of experience and academic knowledge would be in meaningful learning that discovery can be carried out. The development of students creative capacity is based on certain knowledge and skills in the stage of elementary education. They are comprehensive so that a certain amount and wide range of knowledge and skills can form a reasonable knowledge structure. Moreover, mastery of knowledge and skills implies that there must be a logical link which is able to achieve a structure, especially an aspect of connected network within knowledge and skill mastery. The characteristic of subject curriculum determined that curriculum study would help students to master and systematically form a comprehensive and struc tured knowledge and skills in a short period. In Kliebards (2004) research, the development of American society required obvious demands of peoples innovative ability in the early 20th century. Therefore most American schools canceled the subject curriculum in teaching activities because the application of knowledge and skills cannot solve real problems and new issues in actual works and life, which is not useful for cultivating students creativity. According to ideas of Rousseaus natural thinking in principles of education, they claimed that the development of creativity should be focus on students interests and needs. Therefore, subject curriculum was replaced by activity curriculum which was divided into nature, Labor and sociality three aspects. However, the education of canceling or seriously neglecting subject curriculum revealed handicaps soon. It was found that activity curriculum easily resulted in one-sided interests and needs for students. Furthermore, the lack of rigorous teaching and learning activities in school education programs may make students not grasp systematically knowledge and skills. In this regard, Klein (1991) pointed out those factors such as: progressive education movement of overlooking traditional curriculum reflected on various embarrassing situations of American education. For instance, academic standards of elementary education were fallen behind other countries. A growing number of college students are inadequate in basic knowledge. In fact some of them were unable to read. Undue emphasis on activity curriculum had been widely criticized. In 1957 the first satellite was successfully launched in the Soviet Union, which has greatly shocked the United States. From the above historical review it can be seen that cancellation or neglect of the subject curriculum is not conducive to systematically master a variety of cultural and scientific knowledge for students, which is an important foundation of solving problems and creativity cultivating. Meanwhile, subject curriculum is the key to academic creativity and personnel training. Why United States emphasis on strengthening the subject curriculum, especially in science, mathematics and foreign language, is to train and develop creative people in high-level scientific and technological areas. Therefore, the cultivation of creative ability cannot neglect subject curriculum teaching, which is an essential component of nurturing creativity. 4. Study evaluation 4.1 negative factors  of academic evaluation Examination is an academic and summative evaluation, which is just an identification and selection of concerned students. Besides, this evaluation is aimed at selecting appropriate education for students, thus it may prematurely differentiate grades of students creativity. (Eikleberry, 1999) As a result, academic evaluation will hinder the future development of creative ability. For example, the development of creativity is also required to focus on the evaluation of students which an important component of academic achievement. It is a process that appropriate and effective methods are applied to judge the value of the study level for students. In other words, it is designed to measure or diagnose whether students have achieved the educational objectives and goals. Examination is one test to evaluate academic achievement. According to Sriramans (2008) research, the outcome of each question is objective. Therefore, the examination is also characterized by only a certain set of evalua tion criteria, which is able to smoothly ensure progress of tests in order to reach the achievement of the tests purpose. Like 3+5=8, 8-2=6. However, only one model answer would hinder creative ability of students because not every student is good at the mastery of math knowledge. Students have to correctly answer questions in only one way of expression in vast majority of the questions in the evaluation. Consequently, examinations necessarily constrain students thinking. In that case, rigid minds are unable to promote the cultivation of creativity so that creative capacities of students would be limited. 4.2 Benefits of academic assessment A single evaluation of academic achievement is not beneficial to the cultivation of creativity for students. A new method is authentic assessment, which is defined as a proper evaluation of performances and manifestations during the learning activities (Villa and Thousand, 2005) There are three factors to reasonable evaluation in the combination of academic and authentic assessment. Firstly, from records and data collection of students personality characteristics which are reflected in the process of learning activities, there could be an obvious evaluation that students are in positive statement or they complete assignments on time. Secondly, to the mastery of sophisticated skills which are generally integrated multi-disciplinary in the use of complex situations, authentic assessment could affirm advantages of the students in study process. Besides, problems which came across can be timely fed back to students, which may overcome existing difficulties and improve creative skills. Fi nally, it can access a mastery and understanding of comprehensive knowledge in addressing real-life problems in the community for students. Through the evaluation of academic achievement which is difficult to measure investigation, their creative abilities and performance will reasonably evaluated. It can be shown that a reasonable evaluation has its own advantages which can identify different personality and characteristics for different students, including creative abilities in various aspects of knowledge learning. Students could also find their insufficiencies through an objective evaluation so that the result could more or less motivate their interests, which is a significant indicator for developing creativity. Meanwhile, creativity located in the intersection of individual, discipline, and field. (Gardner, 1993) At the same time, the evaluation knowledge, skills and personality is a significant expression to the cultivation of innovative capability, which would recover the inefficiency of a single evaluation in academic achievement and promote the development of creativity. 5. Conclusion To sum up, the essay just from a starting point does a research of the creativity development of students in the elementary educational stage. Creativity development should focus on teaching contents, teaching methods, and teaching assessment in the school teaching activities, which is decided by the main tasks of elementary education. Nevertheless, there are different views on these factors. For one thing, it is generally believed that what are helpful for creativity development are activity curriculum, discovery study and authentic assessment. Subject curriculum and study achievement assessment in the old days not only are harmful for development of creativity, but also do block the way for students to create and discover new things. For another, it is also considered that it would be in a difficulty for the totally negating subject curriculum and study achievement assessment. Moreover, this essay takes the divergence of the cognition as the key points, basing on the research of teaching practice and summarization of the practical experience, to express and settle the personal view points by analyzing and clarifying some cognition. It perhaps clearly points on the teaching contents that subject curriculum is necessary for creativity developing rather than that it will baffle students on creativity development. However, single subject curriculum can create the phenomenon of high marks, low ability. On school teaching, it should arrange activity curriculum because these two curriculums joined with each other would be an advantage complementary on creativity development. For teaching method, elementary education does not necessarily baffle students on creativity development. Consequently, the teaching of subject curriculum is mainly objective and useful, but single subject curriculum is not helpful for students creativity development. In addition, creative de velopment needs discovery study while mechanic discovery study is not helpful for creativity development. On teaching assessment, study achievement assessment is necessary for creativity development. On the contrary, unscientific study achievement assessment is handful for creativity development. At last, creativity can be developed and nurtured within the responsibility of elementary education while creativity development should combine subject curriculum and activity curriculum as well as achievement assessment and authentic assessment in a comprehensive and objective method.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

History And Overview Of The Horse Breeds History Essay

History And Overview Of The Horse Breeds History Essay Horse is a majestic animal which has been domesticated more than 7000 years ago and has spread all over the word during the last 5000 years. It is an animal loved by every human being without an exception for its majestic look and the ability that the horse could be easily trained for various purposes of mankind due to the creatures intelligence and docility when compared with other animals. Due to its reliability people have used this animal as a widely accepted land transport method with mobility and speed until the horse got replaced in the recent past with the dawn of motoring age. The different roles it had played in war as war mounts, chargers, gun draughts in the armies of renowned emperors like Alexander, Napoleon and Genghis khan and the role that horse played in World War I could never be matched. Still most of all the countries in the world use this animal for ceremonial purposes, for sports activities and some still utilize it for heavy work and agricultural purposes as w ell. Evolution of this mammal that belongs to the family of Equidae and biologically known as Equus ferus caballus at present, has taken place for more than 45 million years. There have been mainly three types of wild horses, namely Feral, Tarpan and the Przewalskis horse from which the modern day variants have developed. The Feral horses are still in existence while Tarpan horse is extinct where the last animal has died in captivity at a Russian zoo in 1909. Przewalskis horses which were also thought to have become extinct from the world were rediscovered in the remote parts of Mongolia. With the help of the science and the conservation efforts taken by the animal lovers, it still roams in the prairies of Mongolia and Russia. In the modern horse family there are seven family members other than the horse, namely Ass or the Donkey, Mountain zebra, Plains zebra, Grevys zebra, Kiang and the Onager. Most importantly and interestingly, these types can be crossbred with each other to develop new types though some are sexually infertile (although the result of crossbreeding a donkey and a horse is a mule, two mules cannot reproduce another mule). Another interesting point is the difference between the horse and the pony; though people have a common belief that they belong to different species, they dont and the only difference is based on the height of the animal. The standard unit of measurement for the height of horse is known as Hands  [1]  (4 inch). If the height of the animal is above 14.5 hands it is known as a horse and animals below this height are known as ponies. However there are few breeds that measure below 14.5 hands and still called as horses than ponies despite the international standard being 14.5 hands. There are many types (more than 300) of modern horses and ponies available in the world according to the general stud book of horses but they belong to three groups based on the ancestral blood lines; the benchmark quality considered for breeding and upgrading. Hot blood These were the horses that evolved in the Middle East and Far East towards Mongolia, adopted to live under hot climates. They are small built with shiny coats and are widely renowned for their speed and endurance. They are also called the oriental horses. Cold blood These horses got evolved in the cold climes in the northern highlands in Europe and Scandinavia adopted to the cold weather conditions with a heavy build and thick coats and were generally used for farm and draught work. Warm blood When Europeans and the easterners started to interact through war, trade and diplomacy, hot blooded and cold blooded horses too interacted with each other, resulting in the development of the warm blooded horses suitable for riding purposes. This new breed led the process of developing the dominant thoroughbred horse. During the renaissance in Europe, equestrian sports became the popular leisure time of royals, regents and nobles creating the need and urge of demand to have horses with agility, speed and sprinting capabilities to win competition races. The breeders in England developed the Thoroughbred by crossbreeding the European breeds with oriental Arab horses. Thoroughbred is considered the hallmark of all horse breeds right around the world for the last couple of centuries. Though there are thousands of thoroughbreds round the world, interestingly their ancestry could be traced back to three Arab stallions called Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian and the Byrely Turk, thoroughbred horses belong to the category of hot blood type. Most of the warm blood breeds could be upgraded to thoroughbreds which will be the core of this research paper as well. Picture Although the presences of horses have been reported in Sri Lanka since the Vijayan times, the existences of horses were more prominent after the arrival of Europeans to Sri Lanka. In 1505AD when the Portuguese arrived, they found that their native horses were not much adopted to the tropical environment prevailed in Sri Lanka, hence they started developing a new breed using Indian and Middle East horses that could fare well in the existing environment. But they had only a limited area of control within the country and by 1600 AD they utilized the Delft Island to breed horses, since it was an island, remote from the main Island and they had easy access to India to bring horses, the breeding of horses took place very easily and effectively while the island won the title Ilha Das Cavallas or Island of the horses. Delft_Horse.jpg After the arrival of Dutch, they took over control of the coastal areas of Sri Lanka and further developed the Delft horse breeding facility by introducing new blood lines in to Delft from Far East. Picture During the early British time they used the same facility much more effectively by appointing a subaltern superintendent for the purpose, subsequently when the entire country was conquered, they abandoned the facility at Delft and utilized Nuwara Eliya and Diyathalawa as their new breeding grounds marking the golden era of equestrian sports in the country. British colonists were able to construct and have racing in Race courses at Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Avissawella and Boossa in Galle and had a much prestigious polo grounds at Diyatalawa. Their control over the country for a longer time invariably had a positive impact in developing good breeds for their day to day requirements and leisure.DSCN4327.jpg CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY AIM The aim of the research paper is to study, analyze and prove the possibility of breeding native thoroughbred horses. Statement OF PROBLEM It is evident that we have used horses since very ancient times and the history proves that horses are brought here from India and Arabia. The Mahawansa says in 236 BC two tradesmen Sena and Guthika who came to Sri Lanka for the trading of horses took the control of the Anuradhapura city and ruled the country for 22 years. There are some older records in Mahawansa about the horses at the period of King Pandukabhaya (436BC-367BC). The existences and breeding of horses were more prominent after the arrival of Europeans to Sri Lanka in 1505BC. However after the colonial era this majestic animal had been neglected by the people and the breeds which were available got deteriorate in terms of quality with time, limiting the entire breed to a pony in the island of Delft and to a negligible number of horses with few private owners. Horses have been recorded in Sri Lankan history for more than 2000 years; however we have been unable to establish a thorough bred horse breed presently in Sri La nka unlike other countries in our region and world over. JUSTIFICATION Although this research is limited to five thousand words and for a period of little over two months which places lot of implications on the outcome of such a vast topic, considering the fact that Sri Lanka Air Force have initiated in setting up of an equestrian sport unit, this research can be reasonably justified based on the impact that could be made on this majestic field as a capable public organization through a collective effort with Mounted Police division, Sri Lanka Army and other relevant and interested agencies to add a sense of glamour and pride by replacing foreign horses with our own, that are being used during major state functions such as Independents day parade, Victory day parade and introduce them in military parades. Further if the objectives of this research could be achieved. At the end of the day it would save exorbitant amounts of money spent on importing horses and enable to introduce and revive horse riding, Polo and other equestrian sports and make a massive contribution to the inflow of tourism and foreign currency. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study will be based mainly on documentary sources. It is intended to gather primary and secondary data information as follows. Primary source of collection of information are based on documentary sources including publications, Newspaper articles, private horse breeding organizations and government organizations. Secondary source will be interviews conducted with the professionals of the veterinary science and experts on horse breeding in the country. OBJECTIVES General Objective. Analyze the possibility of breeding native thoroughbred horses. Specific Objectives. The specific objectives of the research are as follows. The background of horse breeding in the world. The background of horse breeding in Sri Lanka. Study about breeding and developing native thoroughbred horses in Sri Lanka. Study about the problems faced in breeding horses in Sri Lanka. Analysis on breeding native thoroughbred horses and the advantages of having such a breed in Sri Lanka. Hypothesis It is possible to develop and establish a native thoroughbred horse in Sri Lanka. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION The data collection has planned to carry out based on documentary sources including publications, browsing the Internet, private horse breeding organizations and government organizations. Information will be collected from interviews of the professionals of the veterinary science and experts in horse breeding. DATA ANALYSE TECHNIQUES The most part of the data analysis will be Predictive analytics. The collected data from different sources such as professionals and experts in the field will be taken in to consideration. CHAPTER ORGANIZATION Chapters will be organized on following manner Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Methodology Chapter 3 Back ground Chapter 4 Data Chapter 5 Analysis Chapter 6 Conclusion and Recommendation LIMITATIONS The time available to conduct this research will be approximately 3 months which does not permit a biological analysis with the help of the experts using the Delft ponies or to do a test breeding of a native horse practically by using Delft pony. The length of the paper will be limited to about 5000 words, and it will not be possible to collect data from all the reliable sources. CHAPTER 3 THE BACKGROUND Once the British rule in Sri Lanka ended in 1948, breeding of horses died a natural death with time due many reasons. Non availability of qualified veterinary surgeons in the country became the top most and there were only a handful of elite locals who had the capacity and influence to maintain their animals. Apart from that the Europeans during their time never let the horses in to the wild for natural breeding. Some religious beliefs against animal cruelty and gambling also contributed towards the downfall. After the existing numbers dwindled, people had to buy them from the other countries paying a large amount of money. Picture Though there are no native horses within the country, as mentioned in Para 9 after abandoning of the Delft Island stud, few horses left in the Island (Picture 1, 2 3) did survive and the reproduction has taken place naturally. But due to poor natural resources they have adopted well to the harsh environment of the Delft Island.DSCN4328.jpg As a result, the quality of the animal deteriorated in terms of height and athletic ability thus reducing the entire standard from horses to hard adopted ponies. The Delft Island was not in the proper control of the Sri Lankan government for thirty years due to the war, but as a result of timely action that included the Delft pony in 1970 in to the schedule iii of the fauna and flora protection ordinance that covers the list of Absolutely Protected Species we are still lucky to know a herd of more than 500 wild ponies are in the Island at the moment  [2]  . According to the Director (operations) Wild life Sri Lanka, a programme with the help of the Sri Lanka Navy to protect the wild ponies existing in the Island is under way. No proper veterinary research has been done to identify the type of the ponies available and their adoptability and however, Dr. Sampath Lokugalappathi an enthusiast at the Veterinary faculty of Peradeniya believes that the Delft pony descends from hot blood lines and Warm blood lines taking in to account the recorded ancestry. A proper analysis using the DNA technology could resolve the mystery and according to him since the Delft stud was maintained by Portuguese, Dutch and English, the ponies might carry quality genes of their European ancestors. HORSE BREEDING IN THE WORLD AND IN SRI LANKA The earliest people who recorded the breeding of horses are known to be from the Middle East since 1330 AD. Even Europeans started horse breeding many long years back. And further its believed that the nomads of the Mongolian steps have bred horses for several thousand years. In the modern day world, many of the countries breed horses on their own for many purpose but Americans Arabians and Europeans mainly breed horses now for equestrian sports. Also many of the western countries breed horses for commercial purposes. Considering the horse breeding in post independence era in Sri Lanka, most significant developments came as the horse lover cum business tycoon Mr Upali Wijewardane started breeding horses and it is said that he had upgraded the delft blood lines to a certain extent by the time of his untimely death. Then in the mid eighties, the Government of Sri Lanka started the much awaited project of upgrading the delft blood lines in to the Sri Lankan thoroughbred horse with introducing Australian thoroughbred blood lines by importing a white stallion named Sydney through the mount police division. The first official half bred of this project was a grey stallion named Super Charger that stole the hearts of local horse lovers. Later the project was expanded through the Mahaweli scheme by establishing an official breeding farm at Kalawewa with the horses owned early by Mr Upali Wijewardane and the new Australian influenced local blood lines, success went to the extent of being able to breed a thr ee quarter bred horse. But during the insurrection in 1988, the facility was destroyed unluckily and all the horses and some pregnant mares carrying the embryos of the upgraded horses were killed by the insurgents. Picture Although some efforts made to revive the project using Pakistani blood lines in early nineties had not flourished due to various constrains including health complications. Since then no government projects were conducted for breeding of horses. But some of the animal lovers started breeding horses in private capacity. And they were not much interested in breeding a native thoroughbred since it was time and resource consuming and the inability of access to use the new technology. But a horse lover named Mr Ajit Chitty who is a very enthusiastic still do horse breeding in his farm at Galewela. He has started breeding horses using Delft ponies and according to Mr Chitty they have bred up to three quarter bred level by cross breeding with an Indian thoroughbred (Picture 4). 256729-horsesthe-farm-dambulla-sri-lanka.jpg Further Gamini Jayarathne Stables are also pioneers on horse breeding in Sri Lanka. They have tried to breed thoroughbred horses in 2005 but had failed due to lack of qualified veterinary staff specialized in horse breeding  [3]  . Premadasa Riding School is also another famous equestrian sports establishment in Sri Lanka. They have number of horses in their inventory, they are mainly Indian thoroughbreds. Though they use the term Sri Lankan thoroughbreds  [4]  for some samples the breed has not been registered in the general stud book for horse breeds in the world. The Mount police division mainly participate and hold dominance in equestrian activities in all the major national ceremonies, they are mainly the experts on horse handling and horse training, and to a certain extent have the know how to deal with horse health. They have done horse breeding during early period but not in resent past. They mainly import castrated horses rather than breeding them for their purpose. CHAPTER 4 DATA USING DELFT PONIES TO DEVELOP A NATIVE THOROUGHBRED HORSE AND PROBLEMS FACED IN BREEDING HORSES IN SRI LANKA Selecting a location for breeding. Before selection of the sample it has to be confirmed that the type of the ponies (Hot, Warm, Cold blood) and the quality of the genus. This will be a main concern before starting the project. It is very much important to locate a site closer to the Peradeniya since there are no any other veterinary experts on horse breeding within the country other than the experts at the Veterinary Faculty of Peradeniya. Space of the location should be sufficient enough to cater more than 20 horses with an area for their activities. This facility should have sufficient number of stables for the horses. Selection and transporting of Delft ponies. Authority should be obtained from the Wild life Conservation to capture wild ponies from Delft Island. Veterinary expertise should be taken when selecting of ponies at Delft with the help of the Veterinary Faculty of Peradeniya to select healthy and adequately grown samples. It will be ideal to obtain 5 or more mares as well as stallions. Transporting the animals from the island to the mainland will need expertise support and they will be needed to be transport by road to the location taking time and giving adequate rest to the animals. Special protection will be needed to take care of their health during transportation. Breeding methods. There are several methods used to breed horses in the world and each technique has advantages and disadvantages. They are as follows Normal mating of the stallion and the mares. This will be the easiest method of reproduction of horses. All the stables in Sri Lanka use this method since it doesnt need any special tools, techniques or training. But this method has disadvantages such as requirement of a healthy good quality stallion and accidents during contact (kicking by the mare). Artificial insemination. This is known to be as a much more secure method. It will emit the risk of having reproduction disabilities of the stallion. And this will allow transferring quality genes from a required type of a stallion. Embryo Transfer. Flushing out the mares fertilized embryo a few days after the insemination, and transferring to a substitute mare. This method will require qualified veterinary surgeons with the technology, proper equipments and a proper facility. Egg Transfer. Egg is removed from the mare and transferred in to a second mare, which is then bred. This method will also require qualified veterinary surgeons with the technology, proper equipments and a proper facility. Breeding techniques. There are mainly three techniques used during breeding this will enable to transfer required qualities of a particular horse to the new generations. Inbreeding. It is a way of mating two genetically related animals (horse). This can result the offspring to be effected with unwanted (deleterious) traits. Linebreeding. It is a way of inbreeding, to fix desirable traits of one particular animal (horse) to the next generation. Outcrossing. This technique is used to introduce unrelated genetics in to a breeding line. Selection of the Breeding Method and the technique. Since it is much costly to buy a thoroughbred stallion and considering the risk of failing, the normal mating will not be considered. The Embryo Transfer and Egg Transfer methods require the technology and the qualified veterinary surgeons; therefore Artificial insemination method will be selected to fertilize the mares.E:No 35 JC SCDelft pic2000px-Intense_inbreeding_-_Continuous_sire_to_daughter_mating.svg.png Figure 1The requirement of developing a new thoroughbred with the genetic traits of the delft ponies will require using Linebreeding technique. The requirement of transferring genetics of the delft ponies with a thoroughbred will be full filed by using this technique, it will transfer genetic traits of delft ponies and thoroughbred to the next generation. The basic concept of the linebreeding is using high quality desirable traits in animal (thoroughbred) (S) to its daughter (D) and again to her daughter (D1) and so on (Figure 1). This will increase the presence of the genes of the father in the offspring. At the level of the fourth generation offspring will carry more than 93% of genes of the father (Table 1). Further linebreeding will create a near clone of a desirable individual. Table This technique is commonly used by the horse breeders to rare high quality horses by mixing the genes. Also this method will allow having a clear trace by the comparison with the parents about genes transfer rate and the improvement of the quality of the offspring. Hence it is recommended to use linebreeding with artificial insemination for the beginning of the breeding. Veterinary surgeon Dr Somarathne highlighted the advantages of using linebreeding with artificial insemination which is very much cost effective and much more reliable method for a country like ours. Breeding the mares. Horse semen  [5]  is available in the international market. America, Arabia, Australia and United Kingdom are the main and most reliable and good quality horse semen producers to the international market. Horse semen can be selected by checking quality of the pedigree of the donor stallion. Figure 2The most important thing which will need the veterinary expertise support to carry out will be the artificial insemination. During this process the sperms of a thoroughbred horse will be placed in to a reproductive tract of a Delft pony. The knowledge of the oestrous cycle (Figure 2) of the mare will indicate when the mare is ready for breeding. Normally ovulate every 3 weeks during the natural breeding season. To do the artificial insemination successfully one must identify the fertilizing period of the mare accurately. Picture 5This cycle will be control by the hormones released by the pituitary glands. Mares will start its oestrous cycle at the puberty, which is normally 1 ½ years from birth. After that they are suitable for use for the reproduction. During the artificial insemination process (Picture 5) more than one mare has to be bred to increase the next generation live stock. Artificial insemination will be done by a veterinary surgeon and all the required veterinary procedures will be adopted.E:No 35 JC SCDelft picai.jpg The Pregnancy. This will be the period that the foetus  [6]  is developing within the mares uterus. Special requirement to care for the mare during this period is essential specially giving the proper nutrition. The period from the fertilization to birth is known as gestation period. This period is normally 333 to 336 days (11 calendar months) for a mare but it may vary for thoroughbreds as 310 to 374 days. Also environmental factors and nutrition of the foetus may change the length of the pregnancy. Figure 3The pregnant mare will have to be checked periodically by a veterinary surgeon to asses and to check the proper growth of the foetus. This will enable to identify disorders of the foetus if any. The development of the foetus during the pregnancy is given in the following diagram (Table 2). It elaborates how the foetuses develop inside the womb with the time up to the birth. Day of Pregnancy Primary Development 1 24 hours after conception, the conceptus, i.e. the combination of egg and sperm, start to divide into two cells. This cell division continues into 4,16,32,64, ect. 6 The dividing cell bundle arrives in the uterus and at the same time breaks open its outer layer and hatches 18 Fetus now takes on C shape. Gut tube developing and umbilical cord is identifiable 23 All the basic body structures, neural tube (central nervous system and brain), pharynx, gut tube and major muscle block are present in a basic from 26 Forelimb bud and eye now evident 40 Nostrils seen, ears forming, all limbs are present, and elbow and stifle joints are discernible 45 External genitalia present 63 Eyelids fused while eye development continues. Sole and frog areas of hoof evident 120 Chin hair and eyelashes growing 180 Tail and mane present 320- 355 Birth of a well developed foal that is capable of walking 20 minutes after birth Table Birth of the foal. Before the foaling process the mare will be separated from the other ponies in order to ensure the safety of the foal  [7]  . Delivery will be encouraged naturally under supervision of a veterinary surgeon. A healthy foal can walk within 20 minutes after the birth and it has to be cared and kept separate from the other ponies for safety until it grows 4 weeks. After 4 weeks it will start to eat hay, grass and grain. After 10 weeks it needs more nutrition than the mares milk. When the foal completes one year it is called as a Yearling  [8]  and sometimes called as colt for male horses and filly for female horses who are from one to four years of age. Though the filly is suitable for use for the reproduction after 1 ½ years, due to abnormalities that can occur in mares animals at the age of four or more will be used for the reproduction in upgrading process. This same process has to be done to few other ponies to get maximum number of  ½ bred horses to be used for the next generation reproduction. Mainly the fillies have to be taken care of for the next generation reproduction and they have to be kept away from other stallions to avoid unnecessary pregnancies. Continuing this process for three generations will allow to rare 7/8 breed as given in the figure 4. The fourth generation of breeding will be a thoroughbred with Delft pony genes. The total of average reproduction time and the time the fillies utilized for the next generation reproduction is given in the following diagram (Table 3). Time Reproduction process 1 Year 1 Month To transfer from fillies to mare 4 Years Total 5 Years 1 Month Table Problems faced. The main problem that can face is the time duration that will take place for the linebreeding with artificial insemination. As per the Table 3, it will take more than 5 years to complete the first step up to the half bred horse. To achieve 7/8 bred stage will take 15 years and the thoroughbred more than 20 years. Problems may arise during obtaining authority for such a project from the relevant authorities since the wild ponies belong to the wild life department and to obtain and transport them for breeding has to be done with their authority. And the breeding process will be required to have the patronage of a permanent or a frequent visiting veterinary surgeon which will incur a very high cost. Unavailability of the qualified horse handlers in the country will be another serious problem. To care off more than 10-15 horses will require a staff of nearly 5 men who are trained on the subject. Although Artificial insemination is a proven technique in the world for breeding, this method will be used for the first time in the country for this particular animal. There are no references on artificial insemination for horse breeding in the country to refer during this project.  ½ Bred 3/4 Bred 7/8 Bred Figure 4 CHAPTER 5 ANALYSIS Since the only major project which was done in 80s was destroyed completely and not any private horse breeder have done this project properly according to the scientific requirements, there are no proof to be shown as the project can be really succeed. According to the horse breeding manuals  [9]  and as per the veterinary experts it is possible to develop a new breed using Delft pony and thoroughbred horse. The mixing of genes with a thoroughbred will increase the height of the new offspring and by the fourth generation they will grow beyond 14.5 Hands and will changed the category from pony to horse. The whole programme will be dependent on the blood type of the Delft pony. If it carry cold blood, the expectation on developing a thoroughbred will be much more difficult, time consuming and more costly. But as per the expertise such as Mr Ajith Chitty confirm that they do not belong to cold blood type (No any scientific proof). As per the table 3 it will take more than 20 years to complete four reproduction steps to achieve the thoroughbred horse with Delft pony genes. And since it is done through line breeding, during the third and fourth breeding it will not be practical to find out semen (sperms) of same donor stallion. But during third and fourth breeding using another stallion that is related to the first donor stallion will help out to increase the gene pool of the offspring. As the equestrian activities are very limited among the Sri Lankans the sample taken for the questionnaire was very narrow, but the qualifications, experience and the knowledge on the subject of the sample taken was very high. According to the questionnaire (Annex A) distributed among the sample the following results were obtained. Table Table Table CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION Since there are no any past records of a project of this nature, this proje

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Harmful Effect of Feminism Essay -- Papers Feminism Argumentative

The Harmful Effect of Feminism Feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. It began as an organized activity on behalf of women?s rights and interests. This concept was developed to help women earn a place in a predominantly male society. Unfortunately over the years, the intentions of feminism have become distorted, not only by anti-feminists, but also by the feminists themselves. The principle of equality for women and men has turned into a fight in which feminists wish to be better than men. Feminism has been twisted and misunderstood so much that it has become a harmful idea. Michael Levin, a professor of philosophy and author of the book Feminism and Freedom, faults feminism for trying to impose an inappropriate equality on men and women that conflicts basic biological differences between the sexes (Levin, Taking Sides, 42). Women are not the same as men, neither physically nor psychologically. In the past, men tended to be the stronger more powerful gender, while women have traditionally been viewed as the weaker, more feeble one. The untrue assumption that men and women are the same in their ways of thinking and physical capabilities leads to the failure of the feminist message. Their agenda of eliminating all observable differences between men and women is doomed to fail and will inflict more pain than gain in the process. Recognizing the differences between the sexes and allowing each to do what they are strongest at will in the long run make society stronger, more efficient, and more effective. The first problem Levin tackles is the one of socioeconomic inequalities; simply said, the pay and job position differences between men and women. Levin... ...sensitive interaction. Even though society has distorted the ideals feminism was founded upon, some of the remaining true roots still hold true. While women are gaining equal opportunities in society, they need to not diminish the importance of working together with men to form a functional society. The widespread idea of quotas needs to be analyzed. People should be accepted into college or hired for a job because they are the most qualified, not because of their sex. Society has demented feminism as a harmful dogma because it has been an excuse, almost a cop-out by women who do not want to work for their acceptance. Both men and women need to realize the necessity that exists for each other to make society work. Bibliography: Works Cited Levin, M. ?Feminism and Freedom? Transaction Books, 1987. Excerpt form Taking Sides, 44-50.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Influence and Creativity Essay -- Individuality Culture Media Essays

Influence and Creativity I have a habit of noticing redundancies in other people. Their personalities and their thoughts just seem so similar: daughters trying to be like mothers, or sons trying to be like fathers, or friends trying to be like each other. In my mind the sense of "self" that we as human beings have is more of a delusion than a reality, where we are nothing but the products of a multitude of influences throughout our lives. Did I ever have an original thought in my life? Or is it always someone else's idea that I am only repeating? What does it mean to be a human being without original thought and creativity? I talk like my friends do. I learned body language from my parents, stories from movies and books, perspectives on life from parents or philosophers or friends or teachers. Despite the myriad of thoughts that make up my personality, I feel as if I only absorbed my surroundings with no real personal creation. My parents keep asking me: "Who have you been hanging out with? Why do you a ct like this?" as if they already know that the comments I make, or the movies I enjoy or any of my other sudden preferences and mannerisms are not my own. When we are young, the adults tell us that "everyone is `special,' but how could I believe in this idea of personal creativity and uniqueness when there are so many influences that I copy in my life? Of course, the term "creativity" is almost inherently ambiguous. What do I hope to achieve, or more specifically, what do I feel that I lack because of this supposed lack of personal creativity? When I think of creative minds, I imagine Pablo Picasso or Thomas Edison and the contributions they have made to society or the impact on our emotions. But fame or critical acclaim a... ...y mine. I don't see creativity as being some sort of individual contest that must be won as an indication of my uniqueness and verification of my or anyone's human value. And although I don't think I fully understand the greater picture regarding the role of influence of creativity in my life and society, maybe the answer is not nearly as complex as it seems. Maybe creativity is a societal, collective process in which everyone has a role. I like to think that the point of creativity and the creative process is not to individually labor over the seminal work of the century, or to painstakingly differentiate one's self from others. Creativity should be about the pure enjoyment of having been involved, influencing others and being influenced, combining ideas and preserving those that speak to us, discovering and appreciating all that which is greater than ourselves.

Alcohol Consumption Essay -- Social Issues, Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol consumption poses a threat for many public health harms. Impaired driving is one of the largest contributors to motor vehicle crashes (Burris, Grunwald, Anderson, & Filippoli, 2011). In the United States each year roughly 13,400 people die and an additional 255,500 are injured in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver according to Burris et al., 2011. In 2006, these crashes accounted for almost a third of all U.S. traffic-related deaths (Burris et al., 2011). Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the United States according to Pandrea, Happel, Amedee, Bagby, & Nelson, 2010, and studies show that reducing alcohol consumption can lead to public health improvements such as decreased incidence of â€Å"liver cirrhosis, delirium tremens, male suicide, criminality, hospitalizations, alcohol-related disease mortality, workplace injuries, STDs, IPV, rape, robbery, and severe violence towards children† (Jernigan). Public heath deals with many other issues that cause burdens to individuals and society alike such as obesity and gun use. Over the past several months, headlines in the news have been echoing â€Å"Chocolate Milk Removed from School Lunches,† and â€Å"Senate Considers Federal Tax on Soda.† While the removal of chocolate milk from school menus has actually happened in certain school districts across the country, federal tax on sodas has only been a proposal at this point. However, both echoes resounding through the news originated from escalating research that America’s twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity are due to diets high in sugar. The end result is that the actions taken to fight obesity have not been classified as either effective, uncertain, or harmful consistently through studies and ... ...twice and as a result, tax revenues that accounted for 12 percent of the sales of alcohol in 1980 now amount to only 7 percent of total sales. The result is a de facto subsidy on drinking and extra profits for alcohol manufacturers at the expense of taxpayers (Alcohol Taxes on the Federal Front, 2005). CONCLUSION: The beer industry has long opposed raising taxes on its products, even maintaining that they should be lowered. However, lower beer taxes would only add to the deficit, cater to a prosperous industry, reward and encourage heavy drinking, and attract more young drinkers, fueling increased alcohol problems and increasing public costs. The best interests of consumers, young people, the U.S. Treasury, and the public health and safety of America would be better served by raising, not lowering beer taxes. (Alcohol Taxes on the Federal Front, 2005)

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Computer Information Systems Brief Essay

In order for the company to continue to thrive, consideration of growth opportunities will also be analyzed. In addition, the threats that Kudler may encounter if changes are not implemented will also be discussed throughout this evaluation. The owner of Kudler Fine Food stores offer gourmet foods and fine wines all within one location. All store locations offer baked goods, meat, seafood, produce, cheese, dairy products, and wine with little or no preservatives added. The success of Kudler Fine Foods is in part from the systems that the stores have in place. For example, the current computer system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the owner provides training to all employees and is, therefore, understood by all employees. This understanding of the computer system enables the daily operations of the business to thrive as sales increase. As the company moves forward and introduces changes with technological advances, continued employee training is a must with the installation of new hardware and software programs. The number of products that must be accounted for, on a daily basis, at the Kudler locations is extensive. Presently, Kudler’s accounting data is collected by point-of-sale (POS) terminals in each store. The terminals are used as cash registers when customers check-out. The POS system records all sales, items, quantities, prices, taxes and totals for all transactions. â€Å"These intelligent terminals use keypads, touch screens, bar code scanners, and other input methods to capture data and interact with end users during a transaction, while relying on servers or other computers in the network for further transaction processing† (O’Brien & Marakas, 2008, p. 81). Furthermore, functions are available for various types of sales reports to be created with the current system. However, the current system does not meet the needs of the business as the computer system is outdated. Furthermore, the founder of the company, Kathy Kudler, is having great difficulty with monitoring the needs of the three stores and the situation will soon become overwhelming with further expansion. Ms. Kudler needs a computer system that will accommodate her current and future needs for her growing gourmet food business. Currently, each of locations operates with a stand-alone POS system. Ms. Kudler must travel between stores to ensure the managers are meeting her high standards and creates a substantial loss in productivity. The lack of remote access also presents an issue for the future expansion plans for the business. With no way to access accounting, inventory, and sales information, successful expansion will not be possible. Ms. Kudler’s presence is a daily requirement at each location to manage the operations, inventory, sales, etc. and without updated computer technology the company cannot see any further growth. Not only is the company facing limited expansion possibilities, but current security measures are not sufficient. Although Kudler’s present system is password protected and has backup capability, financial information may be in jeopardy. With the implementation of a new system can easily remedy this situation giving added security to the company. In addition to the company’s financial information, protection to the company’s customer base should also be of great concern. In particular, the customer’s credit card information is at high risk. Additional security measures addressing such concerns as passwords, employee identification numbers, and restricting employee personal use must be applied. For example, a proxy server can limit the employee’s internet access to approved websites (Bargranoff, Simkin, & Strand, 2008). Not only will a proxy server prevent counterproductive activity from employees, but it will also limit the exposure to threats from viruses, theft, and internet hackers. There are both strengths and weaknesses with Kudler’s Fine Foods current computer technology practices. Kudler Fine Foods uses the POS system to record sales, items, quantities, prices, taxes and totals for all transactions. However a continuous challenge Ms. Kudler faces is the purchasing of additional inventory. The company uses forecasting, which allows the company to replenish its inventory based upon historical sales information. For the company to monitor its supply, a system must be implemented that will track individual items and allow managers to re-order necessary inventory from this information. The issue with a forecasting inventory system is that the decisions are based upon past performance, 2 to 3 years old. Unfortunately, sales do not follow the same pattern from year to year. In addition, sales from holidays, birthdays, weddings, and the like are not accounted for under the forecasting system. Every year orders will continue to change depending on the economic stability of the state. Furthermore, holidays will not always be on the same day and will subsequently affect the forecasting information. In the event that too much inventory is order, the excess is donated to charity if in good condition, if not the excess is thrown away. Inventory management is crucial due to the perishing potential of the inventory items. It is a delicate balance because to satisfy customers, there must be enough on hand merchandise to avoid sales losses. It is imperative that Kudler Fine Foods increase the use of technology, if the company is to continue to grow and thrive. Most importantly that is a definite need for a network to assist Ms. Kudler with her communication needs between her stores and add updated software to handle the company’s inventory needs. To implement the new technology, funding and training will be required. The procurement of new software will be required for Ms. Kudler and her employees to run effectively and efficiently.