MMB Case Study for Ecommerce Essay

1. The first 5 stages of customer loyalty: MMB’s customers are 80% repeat customers so it would make sense that most of the customers are at the commitment stage. They come back every year. I would say that %5 are in the separation stage because of losing interest in the activity, finding a different company, etc. %80 are in the commitment stage. %1-5 are in the familiarity stage that are repeat customers but haven’t committed to the company. %10 in the exploration stage because I think this is a bigger part of gaining customers, you find a lot of customers feeling a new hobby or company out and want to try something new, in this case it’s mountain biking. Also, because the case study said that MMB gets quite a few e-mails from the website. %1-5 of customers I would guess is in the awareness stage. 2. E-mail Marketing Strategy: MMB could implement a e-newsletter or a promotional email listing. Could MMB e-mail that list of 60k instead of mailing print? It would cut costs but still bring awareness to new customers. MMB could also sale some of those pictures with their logo on them via e-mail since there have been inquires for them. 3. Viral Marketing: The pictures that were put on the web site were popular. I would tell Jerry to convince Robin to take more and sale them on his website with MMB’s logo on them. Promotional posters could be sold too. I think the idea with the hats and jackets was a great idea maybe not so much to make a profit but to at least get customers wearing the gear to get the brand more recognition since so many customers are repeat customers getting them to wear the logo will bring awareness to new customers. Let the repeat customers be walking billboards. Maybe offer the caps and jackets to repeat customers to gain loyalty for every year they return. 4. Outline affiliate marketing strategy and 5 websites: Using Amazon.com is a good start. Almost everyone is on Amazon and it almost seems like a mandatory requirement for any company. I don’t know if MMB could sale something to bigger stores like Big 5 and Dick’s Sporting Goods even if it’s just a cap on their companies websites. Since Jerry doesn’t know a lot about photography getting an affiliate to sale those photos and manage the retail of the jackets and caps could help him. IStockPhoto.com is one of the top stock photo selling companies on the Internet. Getting an ad on Big5.com would reach some athletes looking to venture into biking. Another great and necessary way to gain customers is by social media. It’d be great for MMB to get a Facebook. Let the customers tag themselves, upload pictures, and comment on the explorations that MMB is doing. Pay Facebook.com to put ads on their website. MMB tried promoting it’s name in a sporting magazine but why not a specific mountain biking magazine? Or website. Mbaction.com is Mountain Biking Action Magazine’s website and advertising on there could be more beneficial to MMB’s advertising efforts than just a general sporting magazine.

Higher Education Essay

Higher education is the key to new worlds. In past decades, college education was seen as a privilege which few had access to. Nowadays, it has become a culminating stage in people’s life. Higher education has proved that it has a monetary value, as the salary of a person with a college education is higher than that of a person with a high school education. Some people have sold the idea that a higher education is a waste of time and money, and that such education should only be offered to a limited group of people. However, what make these people believe they have the power to decide what others should do or not do with their lives? In my opinion, everyone should pursue a higher education because it would help to reduce monopolization of wealth and power, it would allow people to exercise their freedom and create more opportunities in their lives. Monopolization of wealth and power could be reduced by higher education. As long as the wealthy and powerful people keep the knowledge from those who are hungry of it, the economy will remain the same. As Linda Lee recalls from Caroline Bird: â€Å"College doesn’t make people intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal or quick to learn new things. It’s the other way around. Intelligent, †¦people are attracted to college in the first place† (671). I believe higher education enables people to acquire new skills and develop their intellectual capacities and grow as individuals, and of course this represents a danger for those who prefer to maintain a monopolized power and wealth from others. On the other hand, I do agree at some point with Lee that college education is being wasted on today’s youth. I have seen how here in America people are more interest in the â€Å"college experience† than focus on their education. It might also be true that the rate of lack of interest in a college education nowadays is higher than those who attended college fifty years ago. However, I do believe that fifty years ago there were also people who went to college for other reasons than learning; who can as sures us that Lee at some point of her years as a college student was not immersed in the â€Å"college experience†. Even when there are cases where people do not have a choice whether go to college or not, for the rest of the people go to college is a decision that resides within themselves. I disagree with Lee that college should not be offer for everyone. She even attacked people with learning disabilities, people who might do their best to be at the same level than the rest of us. It is usually these types of people who achieve more goals than those with not learning disabilities. Coupled with Lee’s perspective, there are also people who see college as something out of their reach. As David Leonhardt said: â€Å"†¦.For those families on the fence-often deciding whether a student will be the first to attend-the skepticism becomes one more reason to stop at high school† (646). For many families with low incomes, a higher education for their children can be the key for a better future, an even when most of the college can be expensive, there are many other college that can allow these young people to achieve a scholarship and even a four years degree without spending a penny. Thus, there are also thousands of students who do not have clear which career they should pursue. It is not a surprise that many of them decided to change careers after one of two semesters or even a coupled years. I think that as long as they are doing what they feel passion for, there should be allow changing their minds. After all, we are humans and change and mistakes are part of our nature. A higher education can create more opportunities for people. College allows students gain experiences that will help them in and out of the classroom. In college there are no more teachers trying to help them to get a decent grade, students are expose to the real world were things come to those who seek them instead of waiting for things to come to them. Gary Gutting said:† â€Å"Students, in turn, need to recognize that their college education is above all a matter of opening themselves up to new dimensions of knowledge and understanding†(628). I believe that higher education not only allows the possibility of a better future, also allows the person to develop personal, intellectual and social skills that can be used in daily life. Among with this, a higher education can enable people to get better jobs and create a better life for themselves and their families. Those who obtained a bachelor’s degree can find better jobs than those who only have a high  school degree. Perhaps the economic situation does not change much for them but it can mean a significant change for future generations. Moreover, the opportunities can be better for people with a higher education. Trying to decide what people want for their future may be uncertain when they do not have idea of ​​what they want. However, a simple way to find the right path is by making mistakes and learning from them. Whether people abandon the medical school to become engineers, as long as they do what is right for them, this decision should not become an obstacle for others. We live in a free country and no one can stop us to be who we are meant to be.

Civil disobedience Essay

In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay â€Å"Self Reliance† and Henry David Thoreau’s essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† both transcendentalist thinkers speak about being individual and what reforms and changes need to be made in a conformist society. Thoreau elaborates more on the relationship between individuality and society and to break free from conformity. Meaning to take a stance and influence man to make a social change. Emerson leans more towards nature and the connection to spirituality. He exclaims that for individuality there has to be some sort of understanding of oneself to make an impact – which is the basic nature. He believes that man’s connection to nature is the most valuable source of life because nature is what links man to God, â€Å"the divine providence.† Both authors express the need for individuality in order to possess a strong moral and become whole through their transcendentalist ideals. In Emerson’s â€Å"Self-Reliance,† social responsibility is important. The meaning behind this is that there is a time in man’s life when he will finally realize that he has a purpose, a destiny, and the responsibility to achieve goals as long as there is a tap into spiritual nature. Emerson states, â€Å"The strongest man in the world is he who stands alone,† which references the belief of individualism. Emerson notes that famous men and women are often misunderstood simply because of their opinion, ideas, and thoughts; however, this misunderstanding is why they are so respected. One large point in â€Å"Self Reliance† is that humans should not conform to society but to be independent in mind. Emerson stresses that one should connect with nature to maintain peace of mind and individual mentality. In â€Å"Civil Disobedience,† Thoreau meets a man while serving time in prison who has been locked away for burning down a barn. Even so, Thoreau sees his cellmate as an honest man by simply trusting his own intuition. Furthermore, Thoreau writes, â€Å"The government is best which governs least,† in lines 2-3, which is based on the belief that people should not conform to society but stay independent and embrace their own beliefs, goals, values, and morals. Both â€Å"Self Reliance† and â€Å"Civil Disobedience† are relevant in modern society because they discourage conformity, which is a big problem in the world today. Humans tend to lean with the majority, but should be taught to stand their ground. Both essays also mention the government and the problems involved in it. Since they were written, government has not improved; it may have even worsened. Government is best when it governs least- that perspective should still be applied to today’s government. Now, the government tries to constantly control every aspect in everyone’s life, but like Thoreau states, it should allow its people to decide major issues.

Understaning Reliogn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understaning Reliogn - Essay Example They all want to be happy and can not think about anything else, but worshiping his planes and waiting for the destiny to be fulfilled. In addition to that, the movement urges people to surrender their activities to the needs of it. Thus, since the locals are not able to directly influence the coming of the planes, the best activity that they could think of was to build the copies of airplanes and airports. Other than that they do not do anything. Finally, by following the rules of the movement, the locals know that they ultimately will have all their desires fulfilled. Indeed, there is no doubt that what this people want the most is material goods: they are in need of good clothes, food, tools and other things that would make their life better. The planes are known to carry all of that. That is why they wait for their paradise. As for the Secular Humanism, one also may say that it should be seen as a religion, according to the view of Paul Tilich. First of all, it represents the ultimate concern of its follows which is to become a happy as well as fully developed human being. In other words, that is the only thing they want in terms of spirituality. No matter how surprising it may see, but Secular Humanism also requires people to surrender to its goals. Unlike the previously mentioned Prince Phillip Movement, it encourages people to carry on the quest of their inner development and try to become a better human being every day. So, surrendering to it does not mean being passive, but being quite active in terms of personal evolution. Finally, Secular Humanism also promises that all the desires of its followers will be fulfilled. There is no doubt that those who position themselves as such want to achieve happiness, a stead moral code and harmony in the world. Secular Humanism is thought to bring all this to the people who follow the path and put genuine effort. Having examined the two examples, one is able to come to a

Health Promotion Teaching Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Promotion Teaching Plan - Research Paper Example et al., 2000). This paper seeks to develop, perform, and evaluate a teaching plan centered on overall health and wellness through diet, exercise and stress reduction strategies for women, between the ages of 30-50, utilizing various different teaching strategies and techniques in a group setting. Assessment of Learning Needs ?The learning group, which consisted of five members, was taught as a one group due to their small number. The very first pretest was based on â€Å"Fact versus Fiction, What are the myths about overall health and wellness through diet, exercise and stress reduction strategies?† was completed by all the members in order to assess their knowledge before the commencement of the seminar. There was a median score was 49% which showed that the awareness of the study group was adequately lacking. The level of development of the group members showed 50% of the group at a high school diploma level, 25% at a Bachelor’s Degree level, and 25% at an Associateâ €™s Degree level. Even though the majority of the participants had corrective vision, one particular member stated challenges in hearing. Gender, religion and race were diversity in the group, two younger members tended to have a more holistic viewpoint seeking alternatives to taking stress strategies. The others showed preference to a more medicinal interventions (Loyd, Lake, & Greenberg, 2004). The learning styles and strategies The strategies and styles of learning that was preferred by the group include: question and answer, explanation and demonstration, and group discussion. Learner Objectives ? The learning objectives for the health promotion teaching plan include:? Affective Domain: the group members are willing to listen actively to presentation given by their instructor on overall health and wellness through diet, exercise and stress reduction strategies as they engage in a group project; Cognitive Domain: every group member will be able to state five facts on overall health and wellness through diet, exercise and stress reduction strategies following the completion of the seminar; Psychomotor Domain: By the end of training, group members will be able to appropriately measure their own stress levels and document the possible stress strategies preferred. Teaching Plan The teaching instructor needs to exhibit flexibility always with respect to, not only the teaching plan in an effort to meet the individual needs of the learner, but also to the learning objectives. Teaching Plan The teaching plan that will be implemented will include the following aspects: Written Pretest â€Å"Fact versus Fiction, What are the myths about overall health and wellness through diet, exercise and stress reduction strategies?† guidelines on healthy lifestyle guidelines for all the participants relayed through explanation and answering questions, such as eat a healthy balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and high fiber foods; eat fish at least twice per week; limit sodium intake; and drink no more than one alcoholic drink per day, and getting about 200 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. Evaluation of Teaching and Learning A critical evaluation of all the contents in the last phase of the health promotion teaching plan will be carried out. The teaching plan was precise, clear, and focused on the members in the targeted age group. All the registered nurse, who adheres to the format of the teaching plan, would have the

Sickle cell anemia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sickle cell anemia - Research Paper Example However, prior to their early age, functional asplenia commonly increases and it may cause death to children. This is due to septicemia or some other issues. This is except if SCA is immediately diagnosed, and is broadly cared for in a medical and home environment, creating maternity nursing an important factor of knowledge of the Sickle cell anemia for neonatal health care (Silverstein & Silverstein, 2007). As stated by Bloom (2001), research tool will explore all areas of research where it will compare and analyze the present and data from the research which will be carried out. The research tool always promotes more accurate findings by providing the expected findings. The research would intend to explore some of the effects and medical interventions to the patients experiencing Sickle cell anemia. Some research tools will be employed to assist in providing effective and reliable data and information. Qualitative and quantitative analysis would be used throughout the research. Some research questionnaires would be used, and patients and doctors would be asked to answer some questions which will be provided to them by a research team. Bibliometrics will also be used as it uses mathematical and statistical modes to examine and evaluate the finding of the scientific publications (Peterson, 2008). Particularly, this research is intended to support collaborations and innovation which will result to scientific advances. The research questions are listed below: As per reports from several studies, SCA is an inherited disease which affects mostly the Black population. In relation to the intensive studies, it affects around one person in every 400 people who are of African origin. As said by Peterson (2008), Sickle Cell genes are as well present in people from Mediterranean countries, for instance, Italy and Turkey. The first sign of SCA was reported in 1910 by some

The Financial Perspective bus 499 case 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Financial Perspective bus 499 case 3 - Essay Example As an initial step to solve the issue, new personnel were appointed at the top level of the organization. The newly appointed chairman, Bob Sleelert put forth the new strategy to be followed whereas the new Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Roberts played the crucial role of implementing the new strategy. The balanced scorecard was set up which was led by the CompaSS director, Paul Melter. The goals were set up by the new management team with a finance perspective. The main objective was to grow the revenue base better than the market. Target was also set to convert 30 percent of that increase as the operating profit and to increase the earnings per share. A detailed strategy was set up by the management in order to achieve the goals and objectives. Though the company was working efficiently, the different business units were not adding value to the company from the finance perspective. Hence a vision for the new strategy was set up that the company has to be creatively brilliant and financially secure. But the management also knew that the company has to give careful consideration to the needs of its client base, both new and existing, as it was impossible to achieve the targets without the continued support from the customers. A ‘lead’, ‘drive’ and ‘prosper’ strategy was applied to segregate the business units based on the value of the units to the company on the whole. The ‘lead’ group was the leading revenue and value generators for the company, followed by drive and prosper in that order. This was mainly in the finance perspective, as identifying the lead business units will enable the company to focus on these units. The management can then aggressively look for investment opportunities in these business units. As these were the main revenue generating units and had high potential for growth, the management believed that focusing and investing in these territories will help attain the company’s financial

Argument about abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argument about abortion - Essay Example Some of the people believe in abortion while others are against abortion. From the video discussion between Gyan and Biden shows how people differ in their thoughts in regards to abortion. Gyan believes that the abortion should be illegal and should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances like the case of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger. Additionally, according to Gyan he respects other people religion and opinion concerning abortion. Gyan is deeply concerned about the Obamacare on how it is handling the issue of abortion. Since this is a controversial topic, Gyan proposes that it needs more mind and more stakeholders to handle this matter through their elective posts (WSJ, 2008). According to him, life begins at conception. He reveals how using the ultrasound technology saw the tiny life in the shape of a bean in the womb of the mother. As a result, Gyan proposes that everybody should be given a chance in life and that life begins with conception. Gyan is critical with the Obamacare because, the insurance scheme is taxing the taxpayers to fund abortion related cases. The issue becomes even more controversial in that the vice president Mr. Biden had travelled to China to see how the one child policy works with forced sterility. He was critical to that issue that the Obama administration wanted to borrow the same policy into the United States of America. On the other hand, Biden differs with Gyan on the issue of abortion in that the democratic government respects the views of all religions concerning abortion. He further emphasizes that the issue of abortion should be left to the judges and the doctors as the one who have the final say (WSJ, 2008). He also notes that no religion that has given contraception a priority. He says that birth controls are not an issue on various religions, and the matter should be left to judges and any representatives that may be appointed by the president to work on it. Additionally, the

Compare the nature and impact of nationalism in India and in Essay - 1

Compare the nature and impact of nationalism in India and in sub-Saharan Africa in the 20th century - Essay Example Cultural identities vanished, political identities and political discrimination done by governing body and economic deprivation are the problems faced greatly by these people. These people make different small social groups which result ultimately in the development of ideas providing basis for nationalism. Many movements which contain ideas based on the concept of nationalism (Pamir). British Empire ruled was ruling all over the world in the twentieth century. The main goals ought to be achieved by these rules were the total use of natural and human resources of the occupied countries. Sub-continent is still considered as â€Å"golden bird† by world was conquered by British Empire in 1857. British enter the sub-continent for trade. At that time the whole area of subcontinent was lacking in a strong centralized government. All regions of sub-continent consisted of small empires of different people and continuously fighting with each other. Trade factor used by the British†™s East India Company, acted as a good recon for British. Due to this recon British know nearly all about the strengths and weaknesses of the rulers of the area aiding in capturing of whole region. On the other hand in sub-continent rulers were engaged in mutual disputes and at the time of invasion did not helped each other, in-fact aided British in order to capture the land of enemies (Ganguly, 11-25.). Last rebellion movement that failed in 1857 the whole rule of the sub-continent was fallen into the hands of British. If we compare India with other colonies of British Empire at that time; there is a major difference between other freedom movements and movement that resulted in the independence of sub-continental region from British. Other freedom movements going on around the world were violent in nature (Ganguly, 11-25.). In sub-continent liberalization and democratic institutions were present in even at that time. Other movements of the world contained a considerable amount of violence in them while movement in sub-continent was based on laws and democratic ways. There was an agreed constitution of 1935 implemented all over the region. Yet social and economic discrimination was still faced by most of the part of sub-continent. The major cause of increase in amplitude of the independence movement happened due a small incident that happened in 1853. Cow was considered as a sacred element for both Muslim and Hindu soldiers; (in-fact some of the sectors in Hindu religion consider cow as goddess). Muslim and Hindu soldiers refused to use the skin of cow as a part of greasing material used for tearing off of the cartridge. All those soldiers were ordered to be killed by commanding officer on that place. At the start of 20th century nationalist parties gathered on a single platform in order to provide political impedance to already present movement of independence. At start of the 20th century both Hindus and Muslims were on a single platform regarding the issu e of getting independence of freedom from British Empire. Both big leaders of Hindus (Gandhi) and Muslims (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) now known as founders of independent states of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and biggest claimed democracy Republic of India respectively (Ganguly). But history repeated itself conflicts raised between Hindus and Muslims

Theories of Gender and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theories of Gender and development - Essay Example Emphasis will also be made to shade light on some of the critiquing approaches to development. This will be done in comparison to the effect of colonial masters in their application of mode of production as a bench mark to the contemporary culture. â€Å"†¦revealing the workings of power and the capitalist mode of production† (Smith 84). Women have for a long time been undermined in most nations. The gender discrimination has been felt by most women in the society with severity varying from country to country and from time to time. For instance, in India, according to the census conducted in 1972, about 94% of women were either employed in the informal sectors working in farms and handicrafts or remained at home taking care of the family. Because early crusaders for women equality were not vocal enough in ensuring that women were given equal opportunity in matters of employment, women accepted the existence of the initial development initiative without question. Therefore , the WID approach did little to improve the social and economic status of women. The situation has however improved given the fact that society has began to recognize women in matters development. In its approach, the WID has very much concentrated on working with women by empowering them by offering development opportunities to them through work related approaches so that women can concentrate less on home based economic activities and concentrate more on income generating activities (D'Agostino and Levine 34). Whereas Women in Development approach focuses on empowering women through self reliance projects and gender identity, Gender Development draws its focus on the gender perspective where the social and economic roles are looked at from the gender perspective rather than from the sexist approach. Gender analysis approach with respect to Gender and Development, however, explains how development projects can be pushed in the society so that focus is not placed on women alone but rather on the relationships between men and women. This approach is however not very much different from the initial WID approach, the difference lies in the integration of women in development projects without isolation. This incorporation of women and men in economic development is essential to ensure that as men make yards of progress in their areas of income, women also do the same. This focus in relationship between men and women is useful at the family level. For example, if I am married and own a handcart that I use for transportation, I shall have relieved my wife of the cost, energy and time for transporting, say her goo ds to the market. This is what Gender Development advocates for. In totality, I believe the Gender Development approach has advantage over the WID approach because of the pattern it follows in the integration of women in activities that are male dominated so that both can help in matters of national development instead of putting much weight on women alone. It is the Gender Development that has gained recognition worldwide and most nations are enthusiastic in adopting it so as to improve on the per capita income of the citizen. WID has rather decided to remain relevant by advocating for what women can do in order to promote development (Razavi and Miller 19). However, there have emerged various critiques to the GAD and the WID approaches by various scholars

Climate Change Essay Example for Free

Climate Change Essay Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processes (such as oceanic circulation), variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions, and human-induced alterations of the natural world; these latter effects are currently causing global warming, and climate change is often used to describe human-specific impacts. Causes of climate change Natural causes Continental drift You may have noticed something peculiar about South America and Africa on a map of the world dont they seem to fit into each other like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle? About 200 million years ago they were joined together! Scientists believe that back then, the earth was not as we see it today, but the continents were all part of one large landmass. Proof of this comes from the similarity between plant and animal fossils and broad belts of rocks found on the eastern coastline of South America and western coastline of Africa, which are now widely separated by the Atlantic Ocean. The discovery of fossils of tropical plants (in the form of coal deposits) in Antarctica has led to the conclusion that this frozen land at some time in the past, must have been situated closer to the equator, where the climate was tropical, with swamps and plenty of lush vegetation. The continents that we are familiar with today were formed when the landmass began gradually drifting apart, millions of years back. This drift also had an impact on the climate because it changed the physical features of the landmass, their position and the position of water bodies. The separation of the landmasses changed the flow of ocean currents and winds, which affected the climate. This drift of the continents continues even today; the Himalayan range is rising by about 1 mm (millimeter) every year because the Indian land mass is moving towards the Asian land mass, slowly but steadily. Volcanoes When a volcano erupts it throws out large volumes of sulphur dioxide (SO2), water vapor, dust, and ash into the atmosphere. Although the volcanic activity may last only a few days, yet the large volumes of gases and ash can influence climatic patterns for years. Millions of tons of sulphur dioxide gas can reach the upper levels of the atmosphere (called the stratosphere) from a major eruption. The gases and dust particles partially block the incoming rays of the sun, leading to cooling. Sulphur dioxide combines with water to form tiny droplets of sulphuric acid. These droplets are so small that many of them can stay aloft for several years. The earths tilt The earth makes one full orbit around the sun each year. It is tilted at an angle of 23.5 ° to the perpendicular plane of its orbital path. For one half of the year when it is summer, the northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun. In the other half when it is winter, the earth is tilted away from the sun. If there was no tilt we would not have experienced seasons. Changes in the tilt of the earth can affect the severity of the seasons more tilt means warmer summers and colder winters; less tilt means cooler summers and milder winters. The Earths orbit is somewhat elliptical, which means that the distance between the earth and the Sun varies over the course of a year. We usually think of the earths axis as being fixed, after all, it always seems to point toward Polaris (also known as the Pole Star and the North Star). Actually, it is not quite constant: the axis does move, at the rate of a little more than a half-degree each century. So Polaris has not always been, and will not always be, the star pointing to the North. When the pyramids were built, around 2500 BC, the pole was near the star Thuban (Alpha Draconis). This gradual change in the direction of the earths axis, called precession is responsible for changes in the climate. Ocean currents The oceans are a major component of the climate system. They cover about 71% of the Earth and absorb about twice as much of the suns radiation as the atmosphere or the land surface. Ocean currents move vast amounts of heat across the planet roughly the same amount as the atmosphere does. But the oceans are surrounded by land masses, so heat transport through the water is through channels. Ocean currents have been known to change direction or slow down. Much of the heat that escapes from the oceans is in the form of water vapour, the most abundant greenhouse gas on Earth. Yet, water vapor also contributes to the formation of clouds, which shade the surface and have a net cooling effect. Any or all of these phenomena can have an impact on the climate, as is believed to have happened at the end of the last Ice Age, about 14,000 years ago. Human causes Greenhouse gases and their sources Carbon dioxide is undoubtedly, the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Changes in land use pattern, deforestation, land clearing, agriculture, and other activities have all led to a rise in the emission of carbon dioxide. Methane is another important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. About  ¼ of all methane emissions are said to come from domesticated animals such as dairy cows, goats, pigs, buffaloes, camels, horses, and sheep. These animals produce methane during the cud-chewing process Methane is also emitted from landfills and other waste dumps. If the waste is put into an incinerator or burnt in the open, carbon dioxide is emitted. Methane is also emitted during the process of oil drilling, coal mining and also from leaking gas pipelines (due to accidents and poor maintenance of sites). A large amount of nitrous oxide emission has been attributed to fertilizer application. This in turn depends on the type of fertilizer that is used, how and when it is used and the methods of tilling that are followed. Contributions are also made by leguminous plants, such as beans and pulses that add nitrogen to the soil. How we all contribute every day All of us in our daily lives contribute our bit to this change in the climate. Give these points a good, serious thought: Electricity is the main source of power in urban areas. All our gadgets run on electricity generated mainly from thermal power plants. These thermal power plants are run on fossil fuels (mostly coal) and are responsible for the emission of huge amounts of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Cars, buses, and trucks are the principal ways by which goods and people are transported in most of our cities. These are run mainly on petrol or diesel, both fossil fuels. We generate large quantities of waste in the form of plastics that remain in the environment for many years and cause damage. We use a huge quantity of paper in our work at schools and in offices. Have we ever thought about the number of trees that we use in a day? Timber is used in large quantities for construction of houses, which means that large areas of forest have to be cut down. A growing population has meant more and more mouths to feed. Because the land area available for agriculture is limited (and in fact, is actually shrinking as a result of ecological degradation!), high-yielding varieties of crop are being grown to increase the agricultural output from a given area of land. However, such high-yielding varieties of crops require large quantities of fertilizers; and more fertilizer means more emissions of nitrous oxide, both from the field into which it is put and the fertilizer industry that makes it. Pollution also results from the run-off of fertilizer into water bodies. Effects of Climate Change Today Over 100 years ago, people worldwide began burning more coal and oil for homes, factories, and transportation. Burning these fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These added greenhouses gases have caused Earth to warm more quickly than it has in the past. Sea level is rising. During the 20th century, sea level rose about 15 cm (6 inches) due to melting glacier ice and expansion of warmer seawater. Models predict that sea level may rise as much as 59 cm (23 inches) during the 21st Century, threatening coastal communities, wetlands, and coral reefs. Arctic sea ice is melting. The summer thickness of sea ice is about half of what it was in 1950. Melting ice may lead to changes in ocean circulation. Plus melting sea ice is speeding up warming in the Arctic. Glaciers and permafrost are melting. Over the past 100 years, mountain glaciers in all areas of the world have decreased in size and so has the amount of permafrost in the Arctic. Greenlands ice sheet is melting faster too. Sea-surface temperatures are warming. Warmer waters in the shallow oceans have contributed to the death of about a quarter of the worlds coral reefs in the last few decades. Many of the coral animals died after weakened by bleaching, a process tied to warmed waters. The temperatures of large lakes are warming. The temperatures of large lakes world-wide have risen dramatically. Temperature rises have increased algal blooms in lakes, favor invasive species, increase stratification in lakes and lower lake levels. Heavier rainfall cause flooding in many regions. Warmer temperatures have led to more intense rainfall events in some areas. This can cause flooding. Extreme drought is increasing. Higher temperatures cause a higher rate of evaporation and more drought in some areas of the world. Crops are withering. Increased temperatures and extreme drought are causing a decline in crop productivity around the world. Decreased crop productivity can mean food shortages which have many social implications. Ecosystems are changing. As temperatures warm, species may either move to a cooler habitat or die. Species that are particularly vulnerable include endangered species, coral reefs, and polar animals. Warming has also caused changes in the timing of spring events and the length of the growing season. Hurricanes have changed in frequency and strength. There is evidence that the number of intense hurricanes has increased in the Atlantic since 1970. Scientists continue to study whether climate is the cause. More frequent heat waves. It is likely that heat waves have become more common in more areas of the world. Warmer temperatures affect human health. There have been more deaths due to heat waves and more allergy attacks as the pollen season grows longer. There have also been some changes in the ranges of animals that carry disease like mosquitoes. Seawater is becoming more acidic. Carbon dioxide dissolving into the oceans, is making seawater more acidic. There could be impacts on coral reefs and other marine life.

The hydration step Essay Example for Free

The hydration step Essay Oxidation is the major pathway for the catabolism of saturated fatty acids. It involves the successive removal of two-carbon fragments from the carboxyl end of the fatty acyl CoA (Champe, Harvey, Ferrier, 2005). The first three steps of this ? -oxidation spiral are the following (Murray, Granner, Mayes, Rodwell, 2000): Dehydrogenation or oxidation – the removal of two hydrogen atoms from the 2(? )- and 3(? )-carbon atoms, catalyzed by acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, yielding 1 FADH2; Hydration – the addition of water to saturate the double bond, forming 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA, catalyzed by ? 2-enoyl-CoA hydrase (also known as enoyl-CoA hydratase); and Dehydrogenation or oxidation – a further dehydrogenation on the 3-carbon, catalyzed by the enzyme L(+)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, producing 1 NADH. The end-products of this pathway, after a few more steps and successive reentry of acyl-CoA into the cycle, are acetyl CoA, NADH and FADH2. The citric acid cycle is the energy-producing pathway â€Å"where the oxidative metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and fatty acids converge, their carbon skeletons being converted to CO2 and H2O† (Champe, Harvey, Ferrier, 2005). Although it is technically a cycle, the â€Å"last† three steps are identified as follows (Murray, Granner, Mayes, Rodwell, 2000): Dehydrogenation or oxidation – succinate, in the presence of FAD, is converted by the enzyme succinate dehydrogenase into fumarate and FADH2; Hydration – the addition of water to fumarate to produce L-malate, catalyzed by fumarate hydratase (also known as fumarase); and Dehydrogenation or oxidation – the conversion of malate and NAD+ by the enzyme malate dehydrogenase to oxaloacetate, NADH and H+. The chemical conversions involved in the citric acid cycle that eventually produce carbon dioxide and water generate a form of energy that is usable by aerobic organisms (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle). Obviously, the first three steps of the ? -oxidation pathway and the last three steps of the citric acid cycle involve the same reactions. Both occur in the mitochondria of the cell. In both cycles, the first dehydrogenation (also called oxidation, depending on the source) involves a flavoprotein coenzyme with a FAD prosthetic group, and FADH2 is thus yielded. The hydration step in ? -oxidation and the citric acid cycle involve hydratase enzymes. The second dehydrogenation step in both cycles require the NAD+ coenzyme and produce NADH + H+. That having been said, the main difference between these otherwise similar reactions is that they have different substrates and yield different products. The last step in the ? -oxidation pathway is the splitting of ? -ketoacyl-CoA by the enzyme ? -ketothiolase (http://themedicalbiochemistrypage. org/fatty-acid-oxidation. html). This reaction produces an acyl-CoA derivative that contains two carbons less than the original acyl-CoA molecule that that underwent oxidation, as well as acetyl-CoA. The acyl-CoA thus formed reenters the ? -oxidation spiral, while the acetyl-CoA is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water through the citric acid cycle. The first step of the citric acid cycle is the initial condensation of acetyl-CoA with oxaloacetate to form citrate, in a reaction catalyzed by citrate synthase (Murray, Granner, Mayes, Rodwell, 2000). A carbon-to-carbon bond is created between the methyl group of acetyl-CoA and the carbonyl carbon of oxaloacetate. Acetyl-CoA transfers its two-carbon acetyl group to oxaloacetate, which initially contains four carbons, and a six-carbon molecule is then formed as citrate (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle). Both reactions involve acetyl-CoA. However, acetyl-CoA is the product in ? -oxidation, whereas it is one of the substrates in the citric acid cycle. Coenzyme A is required in the last step of ? -oxidation, whereas it is one of the by-products in the first step of the citric acid cycle. Finally, in ? -oxidation, two carbons are removed per cycle, whereas the citric acid cycle involves the addition of two carbons. References Champe, P. C. , Harvey, R. A. , Ferrier, D. R. (2005). Lippincott’s Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry. Philadelphia: Lippincott Wiliams Wilkins. Citric Acid Cycle. (2008). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle Fatty Acid Oxidation. (2008). In The Medical Biochemistry Page. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from: http://themedicalbiochemistrypage. org/fatty-acid-oxidation. html Murray, R. K. , Granner, D. K. , Mayes, P. A. , Rodwell, V. W. (2000). Harper’s Biochemistry (25th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Traditional Adventure Stories in the Modern World

Traditional Adventure Stories in the Modern World This essay will critically examine the question What is the place of adventure stories such as Treasure Island in the modern childs world. This essay aims to discuss about the literature of adventures stories and how it could impact childrens life. ?   This essay will discuss the ideology of modern childs fiction and the boundary between the imaginary and real life of children Treasure Island is a captivating tale about complexities of good and evil, adventures at sea and pirates. Treasure Island is written story for boys in which girls are mainly absent. As Stevenson novel combines a familiar search plan structure and as young male hero. This enables to explore a cabin boys identification from being a young innocent boy to an absence of females and family which enabled him to grow with emphasis on independence , physical strength and bravery. Peter Huntdemonstrate that Treasure Island contain a form of social control , As this adventure story shows the desired control of the author and   the ethic of this aspect of childrens fiction conviction that the English were the best race in the world as this may have contributed to the causes of the first world war. As Peter argued that childrens writes must carefully consider the effect their stories have on young readers. I believe that Treasure Island is modern childrens book especially written for younger boys , in which it is purely obvious that girls are not every bit as adventurous as boy that clearly shows the ideologies concerning gender construction.   However adventure stories convey themes of voyages, danger and terror were aimed at boys and men. Such books have been recognised as forms of social control and ways of impact and creating a constructed masculine and feminine identity and cultural norms as well as upgrade ideals of how society should be agreed. Treasure Island deals with survival as ones life from pirates as the environment which makes the innocent cabin boy to become mature throughout his adventure journey. This will impact and teach children the ideas on how to survive on ones own instinct and training. Martin Green describes Treasure Island as deeply the fantasy of men-being-boys, it also describes the fantasy of how boys turn out to be men but as this identification takes place is not morally fantasy but rather divided and marked by class. Stevenson suggests that the purpose of romance is to allow one to escape creatively into a fictive regeneration of the world of his boyhood fantasies, and Treasure Island demonstrates this purpose as the novel call the attention of the children that appeals to their imagination and adventurous side of life. The most remarkable feature of the novel is its insistence on the continuity and similarity of boyish and adult experience, on the submergence of adult moral perspective in a boys point of view. Doyne Farmer defines Adventure fiction is the form of literature most directly connected to storytelling, an art form Adventures fiction has a huge impact of childrens life ethics as well as social morals. The modern childrens adventure novel sometimes deals with controversial issues like terrorism. Jacqueline Rose claims that innocent is not propert of childhood but a portion of adult desire as she explains Peter pan novel contains full of adventures, romance and fiction. She also portrays that adult who publish childrens books are nearly always conscious of conveying morals and values to their young audience, who want to ensure that those morals and values are culturally acceptable. The story start and ends as recollection he modern childrens adventure novel sometimes deals with controversial issues like terrorism we can, perhaps, make pragmatic guesses about what a child can understand, or what is irrelevant to the child and might thus be ignored but these are only guesses. And if one is prepared simply to believe that books do not have the potential to pass on subliminal messages, then why are we as a culture so concerned with the infl uence of advertising or propaganda on the young? Is it because with childrens literature we are dealing with stories, and that stories are, by defi nition, fi ction, untrue and therefore not infl uential? Surely not, when we acknowledge that stories are so powerful throughout the culture. On top of that is the whole question of literacy and understanding. How we measure who understands what is endlessly diffi cult: as Michael Benton, a distinguished educationalist, has observed: There are †¦ few of us who have not felt unnerved at some time by the fact that when children read stories there is no observable outcome †¦ The story has happened inside th e childs head (in Fox, 1983: 19). The awesome complexity of how children learn to read, and then how they negotiate longer texts denotation, connotation, genre, intertextual meanings and all the rest should make us extremely careful about applying the curious formulae that occur so often in literary criticism: the reader sees, we see, and so on (or the equivalent phrases of childrens-book reviewing: children will like, girls will love). The most common, and commonly unchallenged, oddity about all literary criticism is the assumption that all readers will read the same thing from a text: the same images, the same emotions, the same allusions. This is diffi cult enough to imagine among adults even of the same class and same generation in the same country: to imagine that it is possible with inexperienced readers is absurd. If we are engaging with   texts for children we need to see that our motivation does not entitle us to make assumptions about what any reader but ourselves perc eives presented in the novel call the attention of the kids that appeals to their imagination and adventurous side of life The main message of the novel is: the ethics and morality, the values of good and evil are intrinsically ambiguous, so that in the end all choices are to be taken individually as personal acts of assuming ones responsibility in life, towards all others who surround us. So, this novel has everything to be successful between the young and teenagers for the next generations, as it is an up to date novel, that will always serve as an escape from these childrens reality The boundary between the imaginary and the real in the lives of children and the uncertainties openness surrounding both make children especially capable of being moved by stories which give form to the experience of their inner world. When children read fiction they are exposed to the beliefs which inform and structure their society. The books encourage child readers to internalise particular ways of seeing the world and help shape their development as individuals. Although this process forms a key part of their education, it remains largely invisible. As well as a story, fictions impart a significance to readers often without revealing its presence or ground and therefore have considerable potential to socialize their audience. John Stephens analyses this process and shows how fictions can work to constrain or liberate audience responses. He explores picture books as well as historical, realistic and fantastic fictions to show how both a character within the narrative and the implied reader are positioned within ideology. The author considers areas of ideology not previously examined and offers new perspectives on realism and fantasy. The book will be of interest to linguists and teachers as well as to the gene ral reader. This perception is mirrored in the fiction itself in tendency for childrens fiction to focus attention predominantly on the individual psyche. Arguably the most pervasive theme in childrens fiction is the transition with in the individual from infantile solipsism to maturing social awareness. Fiction allows a child to work on a variety of concerns, fears and problems. More often children tend to fantasise being in an imaginary world simply because some of the children cannot differentiate fiction and real life. The experience of childhood can be quite different in cultures in which Fiction has often been used quite consciously as a form of social control, reflecting and endorsing patriarchal societal norms. Damaging and opposing constructions of masculinity and femininity remain pervasive in fiction both influencing and endorsing such dangerous ideals in wider culture.

The Life and Accomplishments of Sir Walter Ralegh Essay -- American Am

The Life and Accomplishments of Sir Walter Ralegh Sir Walter Ralegh, unlike his Spanish counterparts, lusted for land not precious metals. Ralegh used the promise of gold to entice his investors and hire his crews, but his real goal was English colonization in the New World. He experimented first in Ireland with his brand of colonization which brutalized the existing inhabitance and exploited the natural resources. He wanted to establish English colonies in order to cultivate new products (tobacco, potato), to increase the power and prestige of the crown (Queen Elizabeth) and to spread the Protestant doctrine to the New World or at least export the unwanted English Catholics and other religious rogues from English soil. Ralegh achieved his goals by his political activity, military escapades and poetic writings. Ralegh's desire for land stems from his aristocratic background. Although his father was a squire in the sea side town of East Budleigh, Ralegh's immediate family owned no land. The estate that his father farmed, Hayes Barton, was leased. Ralegh's vantage point was one of privilege without the common commodity to support it: land ownership. He was a Renaissance man without the money to live like one. This duality between his heritage and his financial situation created, in Ralegh, a desire to own land.(Lacey, 16) His desire for the sea may have come from his half brothers John, Adrian and Humphrey Gilbert who were "sea-crazy youths".(Lacey, 17) His father, in addition to being a squire, was a religious leader for the devout Protestants in East Budleigh. This factor of Ralegh's upbringing may have contributed to his ideas of implanting Protestant people into new lands and shipping the unwanted Catholics out of Engla... ...thrown into the fire before your eyes; then your head to be strucken off from your body, and your body shall be divided into four quarters, to be disposed of at the King's pleasure; and God have mercy upon your soul." (Sale,245) Ralegh had died as he had lived: in a violent world where religion was an excuse for any action. Ralegh left his mark on history and on the worlds in which he collided. Bibliography 1. Lacey, Robert, Sir Walter Ralegh, Atheneum, New York, 1974 2. Pollard, A.F., The Political History of England, Greenwood Press Publishers, New York,1969 3. Rodriguez-Salgado, M.J., England, Spain and The Gran Armada, Barnes and Nobel Books,Savage Maryland, 1990 4. www.devon-cc.gov.uk/tourism/pages/woodbury/raleigh.html Sir Walter Raleigh, of Hayes Barton 5. Sale, Kirkpatrick, The Conquest of Paradise, First Plume Printing, New York, 1990

A View from the Bridge Essay -- English Literature

A View from the Bridge. 'Justice is very important here' is spoken by Alfieri in his opening speech. Alfieri is a lawyer representing the official legal system of America. He also acts as a narrator, commentator who is almost like a bystander watching the events but remains powerless to have any impact on them. This is very similar to the chorus, featured in tragedies from ancient Greek playwright, who are a group of on lookers watching and commenting on events but are unable to act upon any of the incidents. Alfieri describes his neighbourhood of Red Hook as a 'slum' area of Brooklyn inhabited by Italians, who bring to America their own sense of justice which they find outside the law. This is because the law can not dispense total justice. Justice is one of the main themes in the play because all the characters feel some sense of injustice for one reason or another for example Eddie, the main character endures the greatest sense of injustice none of which can be solved by the law. Most characters in 'A View from the Bridge' are poor and have to struggle which in itself is a form of social injustice which radiates unfair exploitation of dock workers. They all have an innate sense of injustice. Each house hold has only one of everything for example the 'tablecloth' mentioned at the beginning of Act I, Beatrice wanted the house to be perfect for when the guests arrived and she needed a new table cloth. All the shops where closed so Catherine suggested 'Mrs Dondero upstairs' may be able to lend them hers but it was obvious from Beatrice's reply that it had seen better days. It becomes apparent their poverty stricken neighbourhood was located near the docks when Beatrice said 'I smelled coffee all day today... ...an do is give advice and hope that it will be used. It is extremely important he does what is right because of his key position. It becomes apparent at the end of the play that Alfieri has some compassion and veneration towards Eddie as he 'allowed himself to be wholly known' Alfieri places events within the drama in context and explains conflicts related to the play which occurred in Italian history. He knows the law is incapable of satisfying everybody and that it contains many boundaries. Alfieri is able to reflect on matters and diffuse widespread concepts. The Immigration Officers are direct and uncompromising the law is the law and this transcends any patriotic feelings. The officers speak Italian, 'andiamo, andiamo' which may mean they have Italian connections, but this Italian background does not affect them as they are there to do their job.

Fraud, Waste and Abuse Research Project Essay -- Government Business A

Fraud, Waste and Abuse Research Project Combating fraud in the private sector is a difficult task. Trying to combat fraud in the public sector is daunting. In 1999 15.7% of the American workforce were employed by a government entity (federal, state, and local).[1] Mirroring society, government will have its share of perpetrators. The difference from the private sector is in the scope of the fraud committed, the loss of the public trust, the blaring headlines from news media, and difficulty in making necessary changes to combat the problems. A good definition of Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) can be found in U.S. Air Force Regulations and can be applied to any government (or private) organization, it states: Fraud—â€Å"Any intentional deception designed to unlawfully deprive the Air Force of something of value or to secure from the Air Force for an individual a benefit, privilege, allowance, or consideration to which he or she is not entitled. Waste—‘The extravagant, careless, or needless expenditure of Air Force funds or the consumption of Air Force property that results from deficient practices, systems, controls, or decisions. The term also includes improper practices not involving prosecutable fraud. Abuse—‘Intentional, wrongful, or improper use of Air Force resources.†[2] Fighting abuse is not an easy prospect. Elected officials, executives, managers, staff, and the public must be vigilant and thorough. In this project we will review some specific cases of FWA. We will also explore why enacting laws and regulations isn’t enough to stop people from committing fraud. Educating people about what FWA is and why they should not commit these crimes should be an integral part of any FWA program. The Department... ...ublic Management class, CSU Dominguez Hills, April 24, 2001. [10] Project on Government Oversight. http://www.pogo.org/ [11] â€Å"Special Investigations Unit Report Regarding The Composite Center, Inc.† Texas State Auditor’s Office, Special Investigations Unit. Report Number 01-004, October 2000. [12] â€Å"Program Fraud†. The Last Word. November 2000, Volume 3, Number 4. [13] 9/2000 Major Criminal Tax Conviction in Trust Scam Case http://www.taxhound.com/ [14] â€Å"Union county woman convicted for Health Insurance Fraud.† Office of the Attorney General news release, March 22, 2000. [15] The False Claims Legal Act Center. http://www.taf.org/ [16] The Bauman & Rasor Group, Inc. http://www.quitam.com/ [17] Robert K. Elliot, CPA and John J. Willingham PhD, CPA, Management Fraud: Detection and Deterrence. New York: Petrocelli Books, Inc., 1980, pp. vii. Fraud, Waste and Abuse Research Project Essay -- Government Business A Fraud, Waste and Abuse Research Project Combating fraud in the private sector is a difficult task. Trying to combat fraud in the public sector is daunting. In 1999 15.7% of the American workforce were employed by a government entity (federal, state, and local).[1] Mirroring society, government will have its share of perpetrators. The difference from the private sector is in the scope of the fraud committed, the loss of the public trust, the blaring headlines from news media, and difficulty in making necessary changes to combat the problems. A good definition of Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) can be found in U.S. Air Force Regulations and can be applied to any government (or private) organization, it states: Fraud—â€Å"Any intentional deception designed to unlawfully deprive the Air Force of something of value or to secure from the Air Force for an individual a benefit, privilege, allowance, or consideration to which he or she is not entitled. Waste—‘The extravagant, careless, or needless expenditure of Air Force funds or the consumption of Air Force property that results from deficient practices, systems, controls, or decisions. The term also includes improper practices not involving prosecutable fraud. Abuse—‘Intentional, wrongful, or improper use of Air Force resources.†[2] Fighting abuse is not an easy prospect. Elected officials, executives, managers, staff, and the public must be vigilant and thorough. In this project we will review some specific cases of FWA. We will also explore why enacting laws and regulations isn’t enough to stop people from committing fraud. Educating people about what FWA is and why they should not commit these crimes should be an integral part of any FWA program. The Department... ...ublic Management class, CSU Dominguez Hills, April 24, 2001. [10] Project on Government Oversight. http://www.pogo.org/ [11] â€Å"Special Investigations Unit Report Regarding The Composite Center, Inc.† Texas State Auditor’s Office, Special Investigations Unit. Report Number 01-004, October 2000. [12] â€Å"Program Fraud†. The Last Word. November 2000, Volume 3, Number 4. [13] 9/2000 Major Criminal Tax Conviction in Trust Scam Case http://www.taxhound.com/ [14] â€Å"Union county woman convicted for Health Insurance Fraud.† Office of the Attorney General news release, March 22, 2000. [15] The False Claims Legal Act Center. http://www.taf.org/ [16] The Bauman & Rasor Group, Inc. http://www.quitam.com/ [17] Robert K. Elliot, CPA and John J. Willingham PhD, CPA, Management Fraud: Detection and Deterrence. New York: Petrocelli Books, Inc., 1980, pp. vii.

Funding for Emergency Operations

Funding for Emergency Operations Jenalyn L. Brock EMC/330 March 19, 2013 Robert E. Wynne Funding for Emergency Operations Government funding for emergency medical services (EMS) operations and training comes from many different resources. Government also oversees contract options for funding Medicaid, Medicare, insurance, and private providers. The Taylor Ambulance Company in the University of Phoenix scenario has its own contract with the City of Kelsey. This contract should meet some meet some general contract principles. Emergency managers need to understand the effect that legislation has on funding and operations.Government Options for Funding EMS operations and training receive funding from the public and fee-for-service reimbursement (Brennan, 2006, p. 93). How an EMS organization is configured determines how the EMS services are funded. Traditionally, private EMS providers rely on fee-for-service funding, while public service providers rely on public funding. According to Bre nnan (2006), both providers are billing for services and private EMS companies are more and more dependent on public funding. In 1966, the National Highway Safety Act created a grant program that provided funding for equipment and personnel.In order to receive money for grants, EMS organizations have to write grant proposals to the government. In the grant proposals, managers have to explain exactly how the funds will be used, who will benefit from the funds, and prove that they will not abuse the funds (FEMA, 2012). Local organizations also see revenue from funding alternatives such as taxes, user fees, fines, forfeitures, citations, enterprise funds, utility rates, sales of organizational assets, benefit assessments, and borrowing revenue (FEMA, 2012). These funding alternatives are acquired through government processes.In 1973, Congress passed the Emergency Medical Systems Act that provided further guidance and funding for EMS systems (Brennan, 2006, p. 94). Private EMS organizat ions like American Medical Response and Rural/Metro Corporation are mostly supported by user fees, unless they are patients covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Each of these government funding choices has its own implications and comes with restraints, as in restricting the way the money is used. Contract Options for Funding EMS organizations also have their contract options for funding.According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2013), they developed a fee schedule for ambulance services, in order to contain costs. This schedule is written into a contract. Many patients that are transported by ambulance are Medicare beneficiaries. The government will only reimburse the companies for services rendered during transport, unless contraindicated by the patient’s medical condition. There are codes associated with treatment that either replace or supplement ICD-9 codes. The fee schedule also corresponds with BLS and ALS levels of care, rating treatment from routine to complex (Brennan, 2012).Private insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield include ambulance services for their patients when other transportation would otherwise harm the patient. Cities and hospitals create contract agreements with private ambulance companies for services. Taylor Ambulance Company Service Contracts Generally in contract writing, there are six basic contract elements (The Law Handbook, 2010). The first is that both parties must have the capacity to enter a contract. There must be an offer and then acceptance. There needs to be intention to create legal relations. Considerations are made regarding as far as the value of what is being exchanged.There is also consideration for what will happen if the other party fails to follow through with their portion of the contract. The considerations must not be illegal in nature, or the contract is not valid. The Taylor Ambulance Company has a General Services Agreement with the City of Kelsey. The two parties are capable of entering the contract. The contract clearly states that both parties agree that Taylor Ambulance Services will provide emergency transport for the city, through 911-dispatch. The contract also clearly states that Taylor Ambulance Company will provide appropriately trained personnel and its own equipment.The contract also delineates how many ambulances will be running, staffed, and stocked during the contract. It also identifies Taylor Ambulance Company as the primary provider of emergency transport services for the City of Kelsey. The ambulances must be in good working order and staff must be trained according to all applicable laws. The contract states exactly how much Taylor Ambulance Company will be paid for each patient that it transports. The total of $829. 40 will be the price. For the rest of the costs associated with the transport, like medical supplies, blankets, and other equipment, must be provided by Taylor Ambulance Company.At the end of each month, Taylor Ambulance Company must total the ambulance transports. The City of Kelsey will send them an accounting report and Taylor Ambulance Company must approve the statement. If both parties still disagree, they will seek further counsel. These elements of the contract cover the consideration elements of a contract. The contract has an exact start and stop time, and is signed by the Mayor of the City of Kelsey and the Owner of Taylor Ambulance Company. Effect of Legislation on Funding and Operations Federal and local legislation can have significant effects on funding and operations.Depending on the type of organization, it could be dependent on Federal funding. Mercer (2013) reported that the South Dakota state Senate rejected an attempt to change financial agreements between insurance companies and ambulance services. A Senator wanted to allow ambulance services to be paid directly by insurance providers, as opposed to sending checks to patients. There are times when the ambulance companies were n ot receiving payments. The interruption in the payment cycle can have a direct effect on the company’s funding and operations. On a Federal level, financial stability can have a great overall impact on ambulance companies.Fortunately, in January 2013, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act. It reauthorized the Fire and SAFER grant programs and called to reform the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program. The act also extends Medicare bonus payments for ambulance services. Ambulance companies will receive an extra two percent for urban transports, three percent for rural transports, and 22. 6% for super-rural transports (Fire Chief, 2013). Conclusion Government funding for EMS operations and training comes from several different resources. Ambulance companies rely on both public and private funding.Government also oversees contract options for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service providers like Medicaid and Medicare. Insurance companies and private providers also adhere to contracts. The Taylor Ambulance Company in the University of Phoenix scenario has its own contract with the City of Kelsey. This contract meets the general contract principles and clearly outlines the terms of the deal between Taylor Ambulance Company and the City of Kelsey. Emergency managers who understand legislation and how it effects funding will be able to anticipate changes and effectively manage their organizations. References Brennan, J.A. (2006). Principles of EMS systems. (3rd ed. ). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2013). Financial alignment initiatives. Retrieved from http://www. cms. gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-and-Medicaid- Coordination/Medicare-Medicaid-CoordinationOffice/ FinancialModelstoSupportStatesEffortsinCareCoordination. html FEMA. (2012). Funding alternatives for emergency medical and fire services. Retrieved from http://www. usfa. fema. gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa_331 . pdf Fire Chief. (2013). Obama signs bills to re-fund USFA, FIRE grants, extend Medicare ambulance payments.Retrieved from http://firechief. com/legislation-amp regulations/obama-signs-bills-re-fund-usfa-fire-grants-extend-medicare-ambulance-pa Mercer. (2013). Rapid City Journal. Senate blocks changes to ambulance service payments. Retrieved from http://rapidcityjournal. com/news/senate-blocks-changes-to-ambulance-service-payments/article_880d2ee4-ef1f-54dd-a98a-0c6e81ef95e7. html National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. (1996). Emergency medical services agenda for the future. Retrieved from http://www. nremt. org/nremt/ downloads/EMS%20Agenda%20for%20the%20Future. pdf Funding for Emergency Operations Funding for Emergency Operations Jenalyn L. Brock EMC/330 March 19, 2013 Robert E. Wynne Funding for Emergency Operations Government funding for emergency medical services (EMS) operations and training comes from many different resources. Government also oversees contract options for funding Medicaid, Medicare, insurance, and private providers. The Taylor Ambulance Company in the University of Phoenix scenario has its own contract with the City of Kelsey. This contract should meet some meet some general contract principles. Emergency managers need to understand the effect that legislation has on funding and operations.Government Options for Funding EMS operations and training receive funding from the public and fee-for-service reimbursement (Brennan, 2006, p. 93). How an EMS organization is configured determines how the EMS services are funded. Traditionally, private EMS providers rely on fee-for-service funding, while public service providers rely on public funding. According to Bre nnan (2006), both providers are billing for services and private EMS companies are more and more dependent on public funding. In 1966, the National Highway Safety Act created a grant program that provided funding for equipment and personnel.In order to receive money for grants, EMS organizations have to write grant proposals to the government. In the grant proposals, managers have to explain exactly how the funds will be used, who will benefit from the funds, and prove that they will not abuse the funds (FEMA, 2012). Local organizations also see revenue from funding alternatives such as taxes, user fees, fines, forfeitures, citations, enterprise funds, utility rates, sales of organizational assets, benefit assessments, and borrowing revenue (FEMA, 2012). These funding alternatives are acquired through government processes.In 1973, Congress passed the Emergency Medical Systems Act that provided further guidance and funding for EMS systems (Brennan, 2006, p. 94). Private EMS organizat ions like American Medical Response and Rural/Metro Corporation are mostly supported by user fees, unless they are patients covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Each of these government funding choices has its own implications and comes with restraints, as in restricting the way the money is used. Contract Options for Funding EMS organizations also have their contract options for funding.According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2013), they developed a fee schedule for ambulance services, in order to contain costs. This schedule is written into a contract. Many patients that are transported by ambulance are Medicare beneficiaries. The government will only reimburse the companies for services rendered during transport, unless contraindicated by the patient’s medical condition. There are codes associated with treatment that either replace or supplement ICD-9 codes. The fee schedule also corresponds with BLS and ALS levels of care, rating treatment from routine to complex (Brennan, 2012).Private insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield include ambulance services for their patients when other transportation would otherwise harm the patient. Cities and hospitals create contract agreements with private ambulance companies for services. Taylor Ambulance Company Service Contracts Generally in contract writing, there are six basic contract elements (The Law Handbook, 2010). The first is that both parties must have the capacity to enter a contract. There must be an offer and then acceptance. There needs to be intention to create legal relations. Considerations are made regarding as far as the value of what is being exchanged.There is also consideration for what will happen if the other party fails to follow through with their portion of the contract. The considerations must not be illegal in nature, or the contract is not valid. The Taylor Ambulance Company has a General Services Agreement with the City of Kelsey. The two parties are capable of entering the contract. The contract clearly states that both parties agree that Taylor Ambulance Services will provide emergency transport for the city, through 911-dispatch. The contract also clearly states that Taylor Ambulance Company will provide appropriately trained personnel and its own equipment.The contract also delineates how many ambulances will be running, staffed, and stocked during the contract. It also identifies Taylor Ambulance Company as the primary provider of emergency transport services for the City of Kelsey. The ambulances must be in good working order and staff must be trained according to all applicable laws. The contract states exactly how much Taylor Ambulance Company will be paid for each patient that it transports. The total of $829. 40 will be the price. For the rest of the costs associated with the transport, like medical supplies, blankets, and other equipment, must be provided by Taylor Ambulance Company.At the end of each month, Taylor Ambulance Company must total the ambulance transports. The City of Kelsey will send them an accounting report and Taylor Ambulance Company must approve the statement. If both parties still disagree, they will seek further counsel. These elements of the contract cover the consideration elements of a contract. The contract has an exact start and stop time, and is signed by the Mayor of the City of Kelsey and the Owner of Taylor Ambulance Company. Effect of Legislation on Funding and Operations Federal and local legislation can have significant effects on funding and operations.Depending on the type of organization, it could be dependent on Federal funding. Mercer (2013) reported that the South Dakota state Senate rejected an attempt to change financial agreements between insurance companies and ambulance services. A Senator wanted to allow ambulance services to be paid directly by insurance providers, as opposed to sending checks to patients. There are times when the ambulance companies were n ot receiving payments. The interruption in the payment cycle can have a direct effect on the company’s funding and operations. On a Federal level, financial stability can have a great overall impact on ambulance companies.Fortunately, in January 2013, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act. It reauthorized the Fire and SAFER grant programs and called to reform the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program. The act also extends Medicare bonus payments for ambulance services. Ambulance companies will receive an extra two percent for urban transports, three percent for rural transports, and 22. 6% for super-rural transports (Fire Chief, 2013). Conclusion Government funding for EMS operations and training comes from several different resources. Ambulance companies rely on both public and private funding.Government also oversees contract options for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service providers like Medicaid and Medicare. Insurance companies and private providers also adhere to contracts. The Taylor Ambulance Company in the University of Phoenix scenario has its own contract with the City of Kelsey. This contract meets the general contract principles and clearly outlines the terms of the deal between Taylor Ambulance Company and the City of Kelsey. Emergency managers who understand legislation and how it effects funding will be able to anticipate changes and effectively manage their organizations. References Brennan, J.A. (2006). Principles of EMS systems. (3rd ed. ). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2013). Financial alignment initiatives. Retrieved from http://www. cms. gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-and-Medicaid- Coordination/Medicare-Medicaid-CoordinationOffice/ FinancialModelstoSupportStatesEffortsinCareCoordination. html FEMA. (2012). Funding alternatives for emergency medical and fire services. Retrieved from http://www. usfa. fema. gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa_331 . pdf Fire Chief. (2013). Obama signs bills to re-fund USFA, FIRE grants, extend Medicare ambulance payments.Retrieved from http://firechief. com/legislation-amp regulations/obama-signs-bills-re-fund-usfa-fire-grants-extend-medicare-ambulance-pa Mercer. (2013). Rapid City Journal. Senate blocks changes to ambulance service payments. Retrieved from http://rapidcityjournal. com/news/senate-blocks-changes-to-ambulance-service-payments/article_880d2ee4-ef1f-54dd-a98a-0c6e81ef95e7. html National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. (1996). Emergency medical services agenda for the future. Retrieved from http://www. nremt. org/nremt/ downloads/EMS%20Agenda%20for%20the%20Future. pdf

Hamlet and Particular Attention Essay

1. Think about Hamlet’s relationship with Ophelia. Does he love her? Does he stop loving her? Did he ever love her? What evidence can you find in the play to support your opinion? 2. Consider Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s role in the play. Why might Shakespeare have created characters like this? Are they there for comic relief, or do they serve a more serious purpose? Why does the news of their deaths come only after the deaths of the royal family in Act V, as if this news were not anticlimactic? Is it acceptable for Hamlet to treat them as he does? Why or why not? 3. Analyze the use of descriptions and images in Hamlet. How does Shakespeare use descriptive language to enhance the visual possibilities of a stage production? How does he use imagery to create a mood of tension, suspense, fear, and despair? 4. Analyze the use of comedy in Hamlet, paying particular attention to the gravediggers, Osric, and Polonius. Does comedy serve merely to relieve the tension of the tragedy, or do the comic scenes serve a more serious thematic purpose as well? 5. Suicide is an important theme in Hamlet. Discuss how the play treats the idea of suicide morally, religiously, and aesthetically, with particular attention to Hamlet’s two important statements about suicide: the â€Å"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt† soliloquy (I.ii.129–158) and the â€Å"To be, or not to be† soliloquy (III.i.56–88). Why does Hamlet believe that, although capable of suicide, most human beings choose to live, despite the cruelty, pain, and injustice of the world?

Frost and Farley’s “The Road/Lover Not Taken” Essay

One of the most renowned American poets of his century, and of our generation still, Robert Frost – evident in his perhaps most widely recognized poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† (1915) – is able to effectively relate the inherent and quintessential condundrum existent in humanity which plagues the greater part of every human being’s existence. Conversely, the poet Blanche Farley, in a similar poem entitled â€Å"The Lover Not Taken† (1984) is able to afford readers more than a brief glimpse, and perhaps, reflection, of the inner workings of the human psyche, and its complexities; however much verging on a lampoon or parody of Frost’s work it may appear to be. Both writers are able to convey an aspect of humanity through their poetry. Apart from the glaring similarity which exists in the title of Frost and Farley’s poem, â€Å"The Road†¦ † and â€Å"The Lover†¦ † share another familiar element. Both are fraught with the inherent human agony and reality of choice. The need to choose between two roads to tread by, or lovers to take for one’s own; and the possibility of being at an advantage or disadvantage for choosing or dismissing a lover or proverbial road over the other is explicitly voiced in both poems. Both Frost and Farley are able to communicate the exquisite agony which is necessarily attached to the act of choosing, and perhaps even mourning the fact that one doesn’t have the capacity to venture and experience both undertaking. Frost’s â€Å"The Road Not Taken† begins with the famous lines affirming the previously mentioned sentiment when he pronounces, â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / And sorry I could not travel both†¦ † (1-2). In case readers were unable to exact this particular ideology from the title yet, the aforementioned quoted lines are able to firmly establish and affirm it. The extent of Robert Frost’s poem proceeds to relate how he chose one road over the other, one that appeared less than pleasant, but that which he proceeded to tread along in nonetheless. And despite already treading along in it, Frost briefly thought of returning and walking the other road instead, but he resolves to continue on the road he’s chosen, pronouncing, â€Å"Yet knowing how way leads to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back. † (14-15). The poem aptly culminates under a tiresome, but hopeful and optimistic note in which the poet looks back on the journey he’s taken, and relates: â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence: / Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– / I took the ones less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference. † (16-20). The proverbial road and journey which the poet took, and which every man and woman, at one point or another, is inevitably bound to undertake is highlighted in the poem. Frost stresses the weight or impact that every individual’s choice contributes in the shaping of his or her life. The concluding line in the poem speaks to readers on a visceral level because it encompasses an inherent and significant aspect of every individual’s humanity. In â€Å"The Lover Not Taken,† Blanche Farley addresses this similar aspect of humanity – the perennial agony associated with choice – albeit rooted in parody, and perhaps even comedy. Farley relates the age-old torment of being torn between lovers, playfully relating, at times subtly, and sometimes crudely, in a fashion almost identical to Frost’s previous poem, â€Å"Committed to one, she wanted both / And, mulling it over, long she stood†¦ This new guy, smooth as a yellow wood / Really turned her on. † (1-2, 5-6) Farley proceeds to relate what she finds attractive in both men, almost in a manner which appears achingly juvenile, but the poet redeems herself with traces of wit and humor which â€Å"The Lover Not Taken† is not without. The narrator troubles herself with a view of the consequences and ramifications that could possibly ensue if she was to pick one lover over the other; but like Frost, the narrator is able to arrive at a firm decision. Farley concludes the protagonist’s particular condundrum in comedic triumphance by expressing, â€Å"With that in mind, she took the fast way home, / The road by the pond, and phone the blond. † (21-22) Blanche Farley’s â€Å"The Lover Not Taken† may be different compared to Robert Frost’s classic â€Å"The Road Not Taken† in terms of the gravity of choices being discussed, but it nonetheless presents readers a reality which applies in the extent of human existence. It affirms the idea that the perennial agony which exists alongside mankind’s inherent need to choose is very much present, be it in something as arcane and immensely significant as the journey every individual is supposed to undertake which will alter their entire being, to something as seemingly banal, trite and even juvenile as ambivalent love. Ultimately,â€Å"The Road Not Taken† and â€Å"The Lover Not Taken, are both able to evoke the agony which lies in choices, however disparate the weight of the concerns addressed in each poem may be, and in essence, both are able to reflect humanity. Works Cited â€Å"The Road Not Taken. † Anthology Of Poetry. 27 February 2008. â€Å"The Lover Not Taken. † Anthology Of Poetry. 27 February 2008.

Multinational Corporation (Mnc) or Multinational Enterprise (Mne)

A  multinational corporation  (MNC) or  multinational enterprise  (MNE)[1]  is a  corporation  enterprise that manages  production  or deliversservices  in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an  international corporation. The  International Labour Organization  (ILO) has defined[citation needed]  an MNC as a corporation that has its management headquarters in one country, known as the  home country, and operates in several other countries, known as  host countries. Some multinational corporations are very big, with budgets that exceed some nations'  gross domestic products  (GDPs). Multinational corporations can have a powerful influence in local economies, and even the  world economy, and play an important role in  international relations  and  globalization. Apple Inc. formerly  Apple Computer, Inc. is an American  multinational corporation  that designs and sells  consumer electronics,  computer software, and  personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products are the  Macintosh  line of computers, the  iPod, the  iPhone  and the  iPad. Its software includes the  Mac OS X  operating system; the  iTunes  media browser; the  iLife  suite of multimedia and creativity software; the iWork  suite of productivity software;  Aperture, a professional photography package;  Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio and film-industry software products;  Logic Studio, a suite of music production tools; the  Safari  web browser; and  iOS, a mobile operating system. As of July 2011, Apple has 357  retail stores  in ten countries, and an  online store. It has been the  largest publicly traded company in the world by market capitalization,[7][8]  swapping spots with  ExxonMobil, and the largest technology company in the world by revenue and profit. [9]  As of September 24, 2011, the company had 60,400 permanent full-time employees and 2,900 temporary full-time employees worldwide; its worldwide annual sales totalled $65. 23 billion, growing to $108. 249 billion in 2011. Fortune  magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2011. 10][11][12][13]  However, the company has received  widespread criticism  for its contractors' labor, and for its environmental and business practices. [14][15] Established on April 1, 1976 in  Cupertino, California, and incorporated January 3, 1977,[16]  the company was named Apple Computer, Inc. for its first 30 years. The word â€Å"Computer† was removed from its name on January 9, 2007,[17]  as its traditional focus on personal computers shifted towards  consumer electronics. [18] 1976–1980: The early years Apple was established on April 1, 1976 by  Steve Jobs,  Steve Wozniak, and  Ronald Wayne,[1]  to sell the  Apple I  personal computer kit. They were hand-built by Wozniak[19][20]  and first shown to the public at the  Homebrew Computer Club. [21]  The Apple I was sold as a  motherboard  (with  CPU,RAM, and basic textual-video chips)—less than what is today considered a complete personal computer. [22]  The Apple I went on sale in July 1976 and was market-priced at $666. 66 Apple was incorporated January 3, 1977[16]  without Wayne, who sold his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800. Multi-millionaire  Mike Markkula  provided essential business expertise and funding of $250,000 during the incorporation of Apple. [ By the end of the 1970s, Apple had a staff of computer designers and a production line. The company introduced the ill-fated  Apple III  in May 1980 in an attempt to compete with  IBM  and  Microsoft  in the business and corporate computing market. [35] Jobs and several Apple employees including  Jef Raskin  visited  Xerox PARC  in December 1979 to see the  Xerox Alto. Xerox granted Apple engineers three days of access to the PARC facilities in return for the option to buy 100,000 shares (800,000 split-adjusted shares) of Apple at the pre-IPO price of $10 a share. [36]  Jobs was immediately convinced that all future computers would use a graphical user interface (GUI), and development of a GUI began for the  Apple Lisa. [37] When Apple went public, it generated more capital than any IPO since  Ford Motor Company  in 1956 and instantly created more millionaires (about 300) than any company in history. In 1984, Apple next launched the Macintosh. Its debut was announced by the now famous $1. 5 milliontelevision commercial â€Å"1984†. It was directed by  Ridley Scott, aired during the third quarter of  Super Bowl XVIIIon January 22, 1984,[39]  and is now considered a watershed event for Apple's success[40]  and a â€Å"masterpiece†. [41][42] In 1985 a power struggle developed between Jobs and CEO  John Sculley, who had been hired two years earlier. [45]  The Apple board of directors instructed Sculley to â€Å"contain† Jobs and limit his ability to launch expensive forays into untested products. Jobs resigned from Apple and founded  NeXT Inc. the same year. [46] 1986–1993: Rise and fall Having learned several painful lessons after introducing the bulky  Macintosh Portable  in 1989, Apple introduced the  PowerBook  in 1991. The Macintosh Portable was designed to be just as powerful as a desktop Macintosh, but weighed 7. 5 kilograms (17  lb) with a 12-hour battery life. The same year, Apple introduced  System 7, a major upgrade to the operating system, which added color to the interface and introduced new networking capabilities. It remained the architectural basis for  Mac OS  until 2001. During this time Apple experimented with a number of other failed consumer targeted products including  digital cameras,  portable CD audio players,  speakers,  video consoles, and  TV appliances. Enormous resources were also invested in the problem-plagued  Newton divisionbased on John Sculley's unrealistic market forecasts. [citation needed]  Ultimately, all of this proved too-little-too-late for Apple as their market share and stock prices continued to slide. [citation needed] 1994–1997: Attempts at reinvention In 1996, Michael Spindler was replaced by  Gil Amelio  as CEO. Gil Amelio made many changes at Apple, including extensive layoffs. [54]  After multiple failed attempts to improve Mac OS, first with the  Taligent  project, then later with  Copland  and  Gershwin, Amelio chose to purchase  NeXT  and its  NeXTSTEP  operating system, bringing Steve Jobs back to Apple as an advisor. [55]  On July 9, 1997, Gil Amelio was ousted by the board of directors after overseeing a three-year record-low stock price and crippling financial losses. Jobs became the interim CEO and began restructuring the company's product line. 1998–2005: Return to profitability On August 15, 1998, Apple introduced a new all-in-one computer reminiscent of the  Macintosh 128K: the  iMac. The iMac design team was led by  Jonathan Ive, who would later design the  iPod  and the  iPhone. [59][60]  The iMac featured modern technology and a unique design, and sold almost 800,000 units in its first five months. [61] On May 19, 2001, Apple opened the first official  Apple Retail Stores  in Virginia and California. 69]Later on July 9 they bought Spruce Technologies, a  DVD authoring  company. On October 23 of the same year, Apple announced the  iPod  portable  digital audio player, and started selling it on November 10. The product was phenomenally successful  Ã¢â‚¬â€ over 100 million units were sold within six years. [70][71 2007–2011: iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Delivering his keynote speech at the  Macworl d Expo  on January 9, 2007, Jobs announced that Apple Computer, Inc. would from that point on be known as Apple Inc. because computers were no longer the main focus of the company, which had shifted its emphasis to mobile electronic devices. The event also saw the announcement of the  iPhone  and the  Apple TV. [83]  The following day, Apple shares hit $97. 80, an all-time high at that point. In May, Apple's share price passed the $100 mark. [84] In October 2010, Apple shares hit an all-time high, eclipsing $300. [98]  Additionally, on October 20, Apple updated their  MacBook Air  laptop,iLife  suite of applications, and unveiled  Mac OS X Lion, the latest installment in  their Mac OS X operating system. 99]  On January 6, 2011, the company opened their  Mac App Store, a digital software distribution platform, similar to the existing iOS App Store. [100]  Apple was featured in the documentary  Something Ventured  which premiered in 2011. 2011–p resent: Post–Steve Jobs era On January 17, 2011, Jobs announced in an internal Apple memo that he would take another medical leave of absence, for an indefinite period, to allow him to focus on his health. Chief operating officer  Tim Cook  took up Jobs' day-to-day operations at Apple, although Jobs would still remain â€Å"involved in major strategic decisions for the company. [101]  Apple became the most valuable consumer-facing brand in the world. [102] On October 4, 2011, Apple announced the  iPhone 4S, which includes an improved camera with 1080p video recording, a dual core A5 chip capable of 7 times faster graphics than the A4, an â€Å"intelligent software assistant† named  Siri, and cloud-sourced data with  iCloud. [110][111]One day later, on October 5, 2011, Apple announced that Jobs had died, marking the end of an era for Apple Inc. [ —————————————— ——- Culture Corporate Apple was one of several highly successful companies founded in the 1970s that bucked the traditional notions of what a  corporate cultureshould look like in organizational hierarchy (flat versus tall, casual versus formal attire, etc. ). Other highly successful firms with similar cultural aspects from the same period include  Southwest Airlines  and  Microsoft. Originally, the company stood in opposition to staid competitors like  IBM  by default, thanks to the influence of its founders; Steve Jobs often walked around the office barefoot even after Apple was a  Fortune 500  company. By the time of the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"1984† TV ad, this trait had become a key way the company attempted to differentiate itself from its competitors. [142] Users Apple's brand's loyalty is considered unusual for any product. At one time,  Apple evangelists  were actively engaged by the company, but this was after the phenomenon was already firmly established. Apple evangelist  Guy Kawasaki  has called the brand fanaticism â€Å"something that was stumbled upon†. [154]  Apple has, however, supported the continuing existence of a network of  Mac User Groups  in most major and many minor centers of population where Mac computers are available. Mac users would meet at the European  Apple Expo  and the San Francisco  Macworld Conference & Expo  trade shows where Apple traditionally introduced new products each year to the industry and public until Apple pulled out of both events. While the conferences continue, Apple does not have official representation there. Mac developers, in turn, continue to gather at the annual AppleWorldwide Developers Conference. ————————————————- Corporate affairs During the Mac's early history Apple generally refused to adopt prevailing industry standards for hardware, instead creating their own. [161]This trend was largely reversed in the late 1990s beginning with Apple's adoption of the  PCI  bus in the  7500/8500/9500  Power Macs. Apple has since adopted  USB,  AGP,  HyperTransport,  Wi-Fi, and other industry standards in its computers and was in some cases a leader in the adoption of standards such as USB. [162]  FireWire  is an Apple-originated standard that has seen widespread industry adoption after it was standardized as  IEEE 1394. [163] Headquarters Apple Inc. s world corporate headquarters are located in the middle of  Silicon Valley, at 1-6  Infinite Loop,  Cupertino, California. This Apple campus has six buildings that total 850,000 square feet (79,000 m2) and was built in 1993 by Sobrato Development Cos. [167] ———————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Finance In its fiscal year ending in September 2011, Apple Inc. hit new heights financially with $108 billion in revenues increased significantly from $65 billion in 2010 and nearly $82 billion available in cash reserve, but the market share decreased to 15 percent from 16. 6 percent. [219]