Strategic Analysis of Amazon.com Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Analysis of Amazon.com - Essay Example Amazon.com is an on-line retail company established in 1994 by Jeff Bezos and based in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. The company, ranked 273 last year amongst Fortune 500 companies in America, began as a seller of books through the Internet but has grown into what is essentially a technology and logistics business enterprise, selling services such as Web hosting and supply chain management, and brand new and used products purchased from distributors, manufacturers, and publishers. The company operates seven retail Web sites, two search and navigation sites, and a movie database site (Amazon.com, 2006a). As of December 13, 2006 the company had annual revenues of $9.7 billion, EBITDA of $567 million, net income of $292 million, and some 12,000 employees worldwide. Table 1 shows a summary of how NASDAQ-listed Amazon.com compares with its competitors in the Internet Software and Services such as e-Bay and Barnes and Noble (Yahoo.com, 2006). Amongst the various manners of conducting a strategic analysis, this paper will focus on popular techniques such as SWOT (Ansoff, 1965; Chandler, 1962), PESTEL (Andrews, 1987), and Porter’s Five Forces model and Generic Strategies (Porter, 1980 and 1985). SWOT-PESTEL For this first part, we combine the SWOT-PESTEL approach. The SWOT analysis is so-called because of the acronym of four factors required for assessing the organisation’s internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external (Opportunities and Threats) environments. The PESTEL analysis considers six environmental factors that affect the enterprise and its business: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal. The strengths of Amazon.com are its customer-centred focus, the quality of its technology infrastructure, supply chain management experience, its brand name, and its huge database of global customers. Amongst its major weaknesses are product innovation (it sells for others), technology infrastructure utilisation, and a sagging stock price (down 22.3% in the last year) that opens it to takeover risk from other Internet (e-Bay and Google) or software (Microsoft) giants. The more important opportunities are the growth of on-line shopping and the need to innovate products and services to continue growing sales to generating higher margins and profits. These would address the threat from an increasing number of competitors that are eating into the business activity (on-line shopping) it used to dominate. The following PESTEL factors affect the industry and Amazon.com: Political: American legislation on taxation of on-line transactions threatens to reduce usage and margins. Economic: Slowdown in consumer spending in countries with high Internet penetration would drag down profits and margins. Retail giants (Wal-Mart and Tesco) would compete with Internet service providers. Social: Potential backlash from Internet users and competing brick-and-mortar retail shops that discover the anti-social effects of on-line transactions. Technological: Web 2.0 Internet technology is deemed to have a different set of users and protocols that may attract new upstart dotcoms as competitors. The fast obsolescence of the company's technology needs to be utilised and depreciated quickly. Security concerns of on-line transactions remain. Environmental: Server farms are ugly and consume huge amounts of energy. Legal: The risk of identity theft opens Internet companies to

Jesus and Mohammad Essay Example for Free

Jesus and Mohammad Essay Religion is the food for the soul, a type of food that never spoils or depreciates. It is the vessel of life, a vessel that is unbreakable and never shudders even from the most destructive outside force. It is the cup of morality, the one that shapes our character and personality. With these different views, one can say that religion is an important aspect of one’s life. It constitutes and contributes to the spiritual well-being of an individual, which is faced today with different options regarding their religion of choice. There are Methodists, Protestants, Muslims, Roman Catholics, and more. However, the two most influential and widespread religion are Islam and Christianity. Christianity is believed to be founded by Jesus Christ, the redeemer of humanity. The beliefs of Christians, which are also shared by Roman Catholics, are summarized in a doctrine called the Nicene Creed. In general, Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, that there are three superior beings: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Believers of this religion grew up with teachings about the creation of the world by God in seven days, the fall of Adam and Eve, the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, and the redemption of mankind (Walsh, 2005). On the other hand, Islam is considered to be founded by Mohammad or Muhammad. Its followers are called Muslims and they believe in only one God, Allah. They believe that Muhammad is the last prophet and Jesus is only one of them. Just like in Christianity, they also believe in the final judgment to be passed on to the blessed and the damned (Braswell, 2000). To know better the concept of these two religions, it may be helpful if one will look at the historical background of the prominent personalities of Christianity and Islam. Jesus Christ, also known as Jesus of Nazareth and the Messiah, was the child of Mary and Joseph and born in the humble stable of Bethlehem during the reign of Augustus. The famous Nativity is described as the birth of Jesus where he was visited by the shepherds and the three kings to give their offerings. He is said to be born without original sin and is said to save humankind from sins. One of the most prominent incidences during his childhood years is when he and his parents visited Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. It was during this time that he was lost for several days and nights, and was found by his parents in the temple teaching about the Word of God. After the incident, Jesus made subsequent visits to Jerusalem allowing him to see how corrupted religion was and the need to reform both its doctrine and practice during that time. He performed miracles and taught the Word of God through fables. Most of his teachings focused on the kingdom of God, how God loves mankind, and how God forgives people when they ask. He became well known and was praised by many people. This caught the attention of the Roman governors and the scribes, who ordered his execution when Jesus claimed that he was God. He was tortured, crucified, and died on the cross. After three days, he resurrected from the dead and ascended to heaven. Thus, it marks the start of the salvation of humankind (Stalker, 2009). Conversely, Mohammad is the most prominent personality in Islam. Mohammad or Mahomet was born in Mecca in 571 during the reign of Khusro Anosharwan. His father was named Abdallah while his mother was named Amina. His father died several days before his birth. He became an orphan when he was six years old. It was during this time that his mother died while they were in a journey to Medina. Abdl al-Muttalib, his grandfather, took care of him but died when he was eight years old. Finally, he was taken care of by his father’s brother, Abd Manaf, who joined Muhammad on a caravan to Syria (Rodinson, 2002). He became a camel driver on their journey from Syria to Arabia but soon established his career as manager of caravans together with the merchants. On his travel, he met numerous people with various nationalities such as Christians, pagans, and Jews. At the age of 25, he married Khadija whose age is 15 years older than him. Throughout his life, he sought for contemplation and solitude by visiting Mecca and the caves in Mount Hira. On one of his visits, he was visited by Angel Gabriel and asked him to proclaim the Word of God. He was reluctant at first but later accepted that he was the messenger of God after receiving support from Khadija and subsequent visitations of angel. His teachings include worshipping Allah, repenting from evil, and truth about materialism and immortality. He did not perform miracles but only taught what he received. At the start of his struggle as a prophet, he had only 40 followers, who experienced prosecution because his teachings were said to be a great threat to the Meccan life. However, good news came that there was a small group of people supporting his movement in Yathrib, later called Medina. He established his teachings in Medina and began a movement to reclaim his former land, Mecca. After several battles, he regained Mecca and the entire Meccan population was converted to Islam. He returned to Medina in 632 where he died but Islam had already conquered most of Arabia (â€Å"Life†, 2010). The death of both personalities brought immense impact in their respective religion. Without the death of Jesus, Christianity will not be born. It was through his death that Christianity flourished as his apostles began to preach his word across the nation (Ermatinger, 2007). His death became the heart of Christian faith as it became a proof of God’s love for mankind. â€Å"For God so loved the world that He gave us his one and only son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life† (John 3:16 New King James Version, 1985). His death allowed people to become closer to God. In addition, his death followed by his resurrection allowed man to have new hope. The first book of Peter stated that: â€Å"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you† (1 Peter 1:3-4 New King James Version, 1985). The death of Muhammad also allowed Islam to spread. It now extends on both sides of the earth reaching the Atlantic on the other side then reaching the borders of China on the other. The success of the spread of Islam can be attributed to the works of the caliphs, Muhammad’s successor with great political and military abilities (â€Å"Life†, 2010). However, the death of Muhammad brought conflict to the Muslims. Debates conjured and are present up to these days whether leadership must be placed upon Muhammad’s direct descendants (according to Shia) or upon the caliphs (according to Sunni) (â€Å"Comparison†, n. . ). In Christianity, the life of Jesus was celebrated starting from his birth up to his death and resurrection. The birth of Jesus is commemorated by Christians every 25 December and is marked by the giving of gifts and sharing of love. Before this day comes, Christians celebrate the season of Advent to prepare their hearts for his coming. His death and suffering are also commemorated by Christians through the season of Lent. During this season, people subject themselves to fasting and reconciliation of their sins. Moreover, Jesus, which is one of the Holy Trinity, is worshipped by most people through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist every Sunday. Unlike Christians, Muslims do not worship Muhammad. They only view him as the last messenger of God but worship Allah alone (â€Å"Comparison†, n. d. ). Even after the death of Jesus and Muhammad, their words and preaching continuously spread. In Christianity, there is the Bible. Bible comes from the word â€Å"biblos† which means book. It is the compilation of the works of prophets recounting the good deeds and mercy of God on humankind. The bible is also divided into two testaments: the Old and the New. The Old Testament, which consists of 39 books, contains the writings of the Jewish people that reflect their philosophy through literary compositions such as hymns and songs (Weatherall, 2009). The New Testament, on the other hand, is a collection of 27 books that provide a significant influence on Christianity and is recognized as a Sacred Scripture by the Christian Church. Included in this part of the bible is the so-called â€Å"Fourfold Gospels† written by Gospel writers with the books of Mathew and Mark recounting the biographies of Jesus Christ (Achtemeier, Green and Thompson, 2001). In Islam, the means of spreading the word of Muhammad is through the Qur’an or Koran. Its contents are revealed to Muhammad in stages for 23 years. It is considered as the holy book of the Muslims where the revelation part is intended to correct the error found in the Old and New Testaments. It has 114 chapters but is divided into 30 parts called juz. During Ramadan, the Muslims read one juz per day until they complete the whole month celebration (â€Å"Qur’an†, 2009). In conclusion, the two most influential religions in the present society have their own similarities and differences. Despite these, what is more important is how people respect and follow the doctrines of their religions. It does not matter whether he or she is a Christian or a Muslim. What matters most is how that people work themselves to build a life of morality and treasures in heaven and not on earth.

Apacolypse Now :: essays research papers

The movie â€Å"Apocalypse Now†, directed by Francis Coppola, is based on Conrad’s novel The Heart of Darkness. The movie has to do with survival, obsession, and finding ones self. The inclination of this paper is to let the reader get a better understanding of how Captain Willard (the main character) goes through survival, obsession, and courage while trying to hunt down Kurtz.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard is on a mission into Cambodia during the Vietnam War to find and kill an insane Colonel Kurtz, as he experiences his journey of horror. In the past, Kurtz was an officer and a sane, successful, brilliant leader. Now he is insane after being corrupted by the horror of war and the cultures he met. People used to look up to him and speak highly of him. Now everyone knows he is just a man who after fighting for his country became a crazed lunatic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard is constantly trying to survive throughout this mission. He has to float in a boat through Cambodia during the Vietnam War. He runs into some natives along the way and has some encounters with them. For example, the captain of the boat is killed by a spear, which is thrown, by a native. When he reaches the land that Kurtz has taken over, he strives very hard to survive. The fist images that you see are hanging dead bodies over the water, dead bodies along the shoreline. It is an island filled with mass murderers and cold-blooded natives. The natives there are so very much under Kurtz’s power that they are willing to kill Willard in a heartbeat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Captain Willard develops an obsession for trying to find Kurtz. It is not only a mission anymore, it is more of something that Willard must do for himself. Willard is stalking Kurtz in the movie, this kind of portrays Coppola stalking himself, raising questions which he feels compelled to answer but cannot. Because of his passion to find and kill Kurtz he becomes a marvelous leader. Everyone aboard listens, and goes to him. They are all risking their lives for Willard to get where he has to go.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurtz is another example of leadership. He is obsessed with the power and leadership he has over the natives. You have never seen such stronger leadership over an entire population, as you see in this movie. Kurtz reigns over these people as if he is God.

Parents Importance to A Childs Life

Parents play a very important role in the lives of their children. They have to build a solid foundation for their kids in order for them to have a successful and rewarding life. The foundation needs to be built at an early age, and needs to keep being built throughout the child†s early adolescence. The foundation of an individual can be broken down into several different parts, such as morals, religious beliefs, political standpoints, and education, to name a few. Morals are probably the most import part in an individual†s life. They define right from wrong and good from bad. Crime is often times attributed to the lack of morals that a person has. Criminals are, in many cases, results of broken homes or families, where morals where not properly taught by the parents. When this particular part of the foundation is missing, a person can become corrupt. The parents really need to focus in on teaching their children morals, because it will shape the character of the individual and help him to become a better person. These morals will help guide the child throughout their lifetime. The crime rate would be considerably lower in the world if this crucial piece of the foundation is properly assembled. Parents can also influence the religious beliefs of the child. This is also another very important thing for a child to understand and learn. Religion may give the child someone or something to pray to when in a time of need. It also will give the child a sense of hope and faith. Without hope and faith, the child may find himself to be lost and confused, and religion will hopefully shed light on the right path and help to make better life decisions. Political standpoints are often times influenced by the child†s parents. For example, if both parents are democrats, there is a likely chance that when the child grows old enough to vote and participate in the political aspects of his country, that he will become a democratic voter. This is more of an example of an influence that parents have on their children. Early childhood education is an excellent opportunity for the child to build his character and present himself as an intelligent person. Knowledge will help the child in the future in many ways, including job interviews. When applying for a job, the employer can usually tell if the person has been well educated and has a good personality; this early education will really help the child to shine in the work force and give him an upper-hand on another person who may have received less education. A solid and strong foundation is such an important part of and individual. If a person was brought up under good conditions and taught manners and morals, then he will grow to be a well-respected gentleman. The life he will lead will be much more enjoyable and successful if the parents do their part in helping him build this foundation to success.(506)

Explorer Persuasive Research Essay Essay

The world is full of many explorers, much of many who honestly are unqualified and are worthless, as explorers. In contrast, once they do a single thing that is miraculous and they change the entire perspective of who they are and what they are really capable of. Out of any explorer out there my explorer is beyond the best explorer, not only for what he has done, but for his very own name. My explorers name is Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca, which in contrast from every other explorer has the coolest and weirdest name out there. For many of you who don’t necessarily know what Cabeza de Vaca means, it means Cow head. Although his name was weird and funny catching, he also was the first to do much of many things, like being the first European to describe America from Florida through Arizona. His writing is the oldest out of any other about history we have of the Native Americans, and he set out the stage for the conquest of this continent. Many people wonder how come he got the name of Cabeza de Vaca, or Head of a Cow. It’s strange to have a name like that because there is no reflection and there is no moral behind it, and no one can ever imagine having a name like that. The way he got his name, just shows how much of a cool explorer he really was. He was born in 1490 into Spanish nobility. His ancestors had long been warriors, which continued for generations. One of his ancestors got that name after he was victorious in a battle after following a trail marked with cow skulls. This name stuck with him and continued on to Alvar Nunez. This name distinguished him as a fine officer in battles. He was immune to suffering. This gave him his popularity and a name to be known as, which unlike any other explorer is something not many others have thus making him the best. Cow Head, was the first European to describe America from Florida through Arizona. In June 17, 1527: He leaves Spain with 299 other men and his captain, where he was appointed crown treasurer of the expedition, which was an important position. During this exploration, Vaca lived various events, which led to the description of it in its own. He described villages he saw, how he survived and what America’s Natives told him at various places along his way. This description influenced Coronado and DeSoto: two men who changed this continent forever. An explorer who lives extreme adventures, describes and influences men who changed this continent, is one amazing thing that not all explorers did, which further more proves that this Cow Head guy is the best without doubt. If he hadn’t influenced anyone, these changes on the continent wouldn’t have happened, and whether that could have been a good thing or not, it changed our way of life now. His writings were the oldest, but had the most meaningful information on the Indians. These were people who the Spanish had to defeat or make peace with to conquer this new world of the Americas. Vaca’s writing gave new explorers detailed information, about who the Indians were and how to live among them. This gave a great advantage to the Spanish, because Vaca set the stage or mood to conquer these people. His explorations and discoveries led to the defeat and birth of a new world that wasn’t yet known. Other people may have discovered the Americas, but they didn’t conquer it, and although Vaca didn’t do it physically, he did it through the course of his time there, because he analyzed, composed, and delivered. Cabeza de Vaca, the man who inherited the name of Head of a Cow, was the best explorer. He made possible everything that is today, for his adventure changed the continent through his writing and the people who he influenced. He experienced many triumphs and amazing occasions, in which he is well known to this day for. So the next time you think of a great explorer, don’t think about someone who just got lucky, but think of Vaca and all of the great, historical achievements he still leads on to this day.

Why Brainstorming Doesnt Work

Why Brainstorming Doesnt Work Brainstorming doesnt work. It leads to ideas that conform to each other, and not to novel new ways of thinking.  The idea of brainstorming in a group seems to make sense, but the end result, the final product, is less than it could have been if group brainstorming could have been avoided. Sounds sacrilegious to say that, doesnt it? Why Do We Brainstorm? You have a blank screen in front of you. Youre pretty  desperate for an idea. Youre not sure about where to  find something to write about. Your project or product is in need of something and youre not sure where to go. It seems that you cant come up with the idea on your own, so you turn to the group and brainstorm. Brainstorming originates from Alex F. Osborn who, in the 1940s, wrote a book sharing the creative secrets he used at his advertising agency, Batten, Barton, Durstine Osborn. He called his book Your Creative Power and it became a runaway success. His idea of   getting a group together and storming the problem with your brain caught on and pretty soon the idea of brainstorming was the standard way for business, education, government, and the military to solve problems. The concept behind Osborns idea is that brainstorming was a method that would free participants from inhibition, self-criticism, and criticism by others so that a specific problem might receive the maximum ideas possible. For years, no one questioned the validity of the concept.  Brainstorming seems like the best way to apply the idea that we are stronger as a group than we are if we are alone. It seems logical to bring in your whole team, start throwing around ideas, and building on them. The best will rise to the top and youll get ideas that one person alone could not have come up with. We assumed that the group, and not the individual, can achieve more success with each persons creativity springboarding off of anothers. We were wrong. Brainstorming is where the ideas are born before reality sets in.In A Brainstorming Group, We Think Alike Strong personalities rule the show. Leadership unconsciously steers ideas towards preferred conclusions, or asks questions that beg a specific kind of answer. Team members fear negative evaluation from those higher up and their input is limited and the ideas they share are only the ones they deem reasonable. Why does group brainstorming so consistently fail despite the protestations of those who swear by it? How could they miss seeing whats happening? 1. We see what we expect to see. The end of a brainstorming session will leave us with exactly what we intended it to: lots of ideas to choose from.  From all appearances, it looks like a success. Clearly, the group can come up with more ideas in total than an individual person can. (Taylor, Berry, Block; Administrative Science Quarterly 1958, PDF) But mere quantity doesnt answer the question: does group participation help or hurt creative thinking? You dont know about all the ideas that were stifled in the process. In fact, if youve ever heard a team member say, weeks or months down the road of a project when something needs changing, I thought of that but didnt want to say anything you can bet your brainstorming session didnt work. A full whiteboard doesnt mean your brainstorming session gave you the best possible results. It might have only given you lots of output. 2. Personalities that dont mix. Any time you get a group of people together, you quickly see who is dominant, who is vocal, who is quiet, who is meek, who is extroverted, who is introverted, who is passive, and who is aggressive. To expect this group to provide creative ideas unfettered and freely is a foolish assumption. Personalities are always at work (and sometimes at war) in a group. Our ideas are a personal thing. We all naturally have a tendency to both want to get along with others, and to not appear foolish in front of others. Asking certain personality types to be willing to temporarily throw these driving forces to the wind is asking too much. Consider the introvert, whose creative energy is derived by not being around other people. Putting him or her in a group with extroverts and expecting a great performance is asking too much. The introverts best ideas often come when people are not around to distract and wear on them. A passive person might prefer to not have conflict, while an aggressive person requires it as fuel for their engine. Who do you think will speak up and who will quietly acquiesce to the popular idea? 3. The rise of the lowest common denominator. Brainstorming curtails creativity unconsciously. We all want to get along. Few people actually like conflict (though some do). A kind of equilibrium is reached, to the detriment of the group. Brainstorming also makes us lazy. When in a group focused on being creative, the idea is that you will feed off of each other, and springboard even further with the help of ideas that you would not have come up with.  The reality is that brainstorming allows for social loafing, a term used in a 2010 Applied Cognitive Psychology study by Nicholas W. Kohn and Steven M. Smith. According to Kohn and Smith, group brainstorming means that the participants compare themselves to the others, leading to social loafing and social matching. Social loafing occurs when individuals give less effort in a group because responsibility is diffused. Social matching is a tendency to conform to peers. According to Latanà ©s (1981) social impact theory, larger groups lead to greater conformity and greater downward performance matching. The larger the group, the more they conform to each other and actually match their input and performance to the lowest common denominator. In other words, group brainstorming participants are less productive than they would be on their own. 4. Idea plagiarism and fixation is rampant. Kohn and Smith continued their exploration of groups and the creation of ideas, explaining that we are unconsciously influenced by the ideas around us. Using Dunckers candle problem as an example, they showed how the ideas of others infect our own ideas in such a way that we cannot even discern when flaws that were present in the original idea are carried over into our own ideas. We create a solution built on the flaws of another. If we are left to come up with ideas without the input of others, our ideas tend to truly be unique and not merely derivative. The moment we are surrounded by the ideas of others, we absorb them as our own. Sometimes the idea of another unconsciously becomes our idea. This ties into fixation, or how, in a group, we become fixated on a solution and though we might generate many ideas, they are all fixated on a relatively narrow set. In other words: you might end up with lots of quantity after a brainstorming session, but did you ever have that feeling that not a single idea even came close? That they were all off in the same way? You had a group of people who absorbed each others ideas, flaws and all, and the solution became a too-narrow one despite the number of ideas that surrounded it. Brainstorming works best on your own. A group weakens the results.Solving The Group Brainstorming Problem Re-injecting anonymity to the procedure will directly reduce several of the barriers that make group brainstorming fail. It removes the fear of being judged by fellow team members and by leaders for possible silly ideas or suggestions. It allows voices to be heard that would otherwise be drowned out by others in a verbal-dominant meeting. These methods dont, however, address the social loafing aspect and the problem that comes with wanting our ideas to fit together and conform to levels perceived as appropriate or acceptable. Brainstorming, One Person At A Time The idea of brainstorming, a no-holds creative attack at a problem, isnt wrong. We cant rely purely on passive luck and gestalt to solve all of our problems. There are times we have to run hard at a problem from any and all directions to find a chip in its armor. Its when we mix this brainstorming with a group that those group dynamics are put into play and the creative power of individuals is actually lessened. Thats where singular brainstorming comes into play.  You can brainstorm on your own, as one person, without a group. The same rules apply regarding the removal of inhibition and self-criticism.  When brainstorming on my own, I use a few basic techniques as I attack a problem: 1. Get The Obvious Out Of The Way There will always be one or two ideas that immediately pop into your head. Just write them down. Get the obvious solutions out of the way so you can move on from them. I find that I free up thinking space once I write down all of the obvious solutions and ideas. Its one way I get past the self-criticism and inhibition problem that brainstorming is meant to avoid.  I tell myself that, if all else fails, I can always come back and revisit those initial sensible solutions.

Free MCSE Practice Test 70-290

Free MCSE Practice Test 70-290 Read the question and then click on the checkbox that contains the correct answer. Some questions may have multiple answers, in which case you can place a check in the box next to each correct answer. The small field to the immediate right of the question will display Yes if you are correct or No  if you have selected the wrong answer. Click on the Explanation button to find out more about the answer. This is really helpful if you get the answer wrong because it can give you more detail on what the answer pertains to. Therefore, this isnt just a test, necessarily, but also a type of study guide. Choosing the Next Question   button lets you move through the MCSE Practice test. There is a poll and additional MCSE resources on the final page of the MCSE Practice test, so be sure to follow through with all the questions.   Your answers are not graded, so you cant see which topics you struggled with. Therefore, keep track of the difficult ones yourself so you can read up on where you need to improve. Good luck! More Information on the MCSE Test According to Microsoft, the MCSE 70-290 test examines your skills when it comes to managing and maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment. These are the main topics discussed in the  test: Create and manage user, group, and computer accountsManage file and share permissionsHelp control Web server access and manage sites with Internet Information Services (IIS)Manage hardware devices, disk storage, software, and print servicesImplement backup procedures and perform system recovery The link at the top of this page is for a free MCSE 70-290 test, but some study material comes at a cost. This may be a good thing if youve exhausted all the free study tests you can find because the ones that cost are typically full of lots of useful information.

Chemistry and Element Jokes and Puns

Chemistry and Element Jokes and Puns You dont hear a lot of jokes, puns, or riddles in physics and biology, but chemistry is full of them. Here is a collection of reader-submitted chemistry jokes and puns. Some of them are groaners, but some are quite funny. Two guys walk into a restaurant. One guy says I would like some H2O. The other guy says I would like some H2O too (H2O2). The waiter delivers the drinks and the second guy dies after imbibing his. (H2O is water, while H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide.) I told a chemistry joke... There was no reaction.Why are helium, curium, and barium the three main medical elements? If you cant curium or helium, you barium!Are you  hydrogen? Why? Because I cant live without you.Are you 11 protons? Cause you are sodium fine.What did the chemist say to motivate his team? We ARGON to BARIUM.What dont you understand about copper? It makes perfect CENTS!A good way to remember gold is Au gimme that gold.What do you do with a dead scientist? You barium. Thats if you cant helium or curium.A wrestler holding down an opponent may have a NEON him.Two chemists walk into a bar, the first says I will have some H2O and the second one says I will have some H2O too and the second one dies! Hahaha (get it... H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide and you cant drink it or you will die)What happened to the chemist in the cave - Berkelium (bear kill him)Hey want to hear a joke about potassium?... KYou must be ethidium bromide, because Im tangled in your double helix.Are you made out of beryllium, ununtrium, and titanium ? Cause youre a BeUTi ( beauty) Do particles with multiple helium isotopes have mass? Only the Catholic ones!Are you feeling under the weather today? Because you look like youre Na fine.Sooo I was gonna tell you a joke about sodium and hydrogen......but NaH.So an atom walks into a bar with a gun and the bartender says Who are you and what do you want? to which the atom replies The names Bond, Ionic Bond, and I want an electron taken, not shared.What do you do to dead elements? You barium.I was looking for sodium on the periodic table, but then it told me it was not available!  (Na)What do you say when: oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur, sodium and phosphorous walk into a bar? OH SNaP!Knock Knock, Whos There? Beryl.  Beryl who?  Beryl and LiumAre you made of fluorine, iodine, and neon? Because youre so fine! F is fluorine, I is iodine, and Ne is the element symbol for neon.What did the chemist do when he cut his leg? He put his neon (knee on) a table to bandage it up.Chemistry jokes are sodium funny! Hah... say it out loud. sodium sodium sodium sodium sodium sodium sodium sodium BATMAN!Argon walks into a bar. Bar man says, We dont serve noble gases. Argon doesnt react. (Noble gases are unreactive.)I am a superhero Fe Iron Male man Therefore I am iron man.What is the elements favorite carnival ride? The Ferrous Wheel, of course!Forget hydrogen youre my number one element.When someone I dont like asks me to hang out I tell them sodium hydrogen. (NaH)Did you hear Oxygen and Potassium went on a date? Yeah, it went OK. (O is the symbol for oxygen, while K is the symbol for potassium.)Did you hear that Oxygen and Magnesium hooked up last night? OMgAre you a mixture of Fluoride, Iodine, and Nitrogen cause you are fine.You wanna hear a joke about potassium?.......K ?  You wanna hear a joke about sodium?.......Na You wanna hear a joke about silicon?........Si  You wanna hear a joke about nitrogen and oxygen?.......NO You wanna hear a joke about tungsten?........WTeacher: Do you know your elements? Student: y eah, maybe... Teacher: isotope so. Are you made of copper and tellurium Because youre pretty CuTe!Q: Why does helium laugh so much? A: Because it goes HeHe (Which is actually a pretty poor joke because helium is monatomic.)Chemist 1: do you have any sodium bromate? Chemist 2: NaBrOWhat does a metal miner write home in a letter to his girlfriend? I am zincing of you all the time!What does Uranium, Nickel, Cobalt, and Radon spell? UNiCoRn!Guys, stop it with the puns. Weve all sulfured enough.My jokes are kinda boron.. but a lot of the good ones argon. Id pay a nickel to hear another joke. These are comedy gold.I was going to tell a periodic table joke but all them argon.They were standing in their yards. Pop the Cd In neighbor!Come on guys, these chemistry jokes are getting a bit boron.Q: What did the chemist say when he found two isotopes of Helium? A: HeHeWhat do you say when someone takes your gold watch? Au come back with my watch!What did the elements say to hydrogen? What a loner!Billy was a chemists son but now h e is no more. What he thought was H2O was H2SO4! Q: What did one ion say to another? A: Ive got my ion you.My dog died so I had to barium.Protons have mass? I didnt know they were Catholic?Youre so boron Im going to go find a krypton to barium in.A neutron went to buy a drink. He asked the employee how much it is. Employee: For you, no charge! Proton 1: Hey, that man just got a free drink! Proton 2: Are you sure? Proton 1: Im positive!Obama is giving his speech. Joe Wilson says: U Li!!This joke is sodium good. (You have to hear it to get it.)How did the boss speak to the very lazy employee? Fermium, of course!What do you get when you mix helium with steel? flying carsA teacher asks their class what the molecular formula for water is. A student replies HijklmnO. The teacher says no youre wrong. Then the student says didnt you say the formula was H to OAll the elements are sitting at the dinner table and neon says Helium dont eat too much! Youre gonna get fat! Helium says No Im not, Im the second lightest here!First person: Do I hav e a joke on sodium Answer: Na What element did the dinosaurs say killed them? ArgonJoke: what does the chemist tell his friends when he goes into an eatery? When I go into a restaurant, iodine.What is uranium fluorine oxygen? Answer: UFOWe should just find all the bad chemistry jokes and just barium.Teacher: Whats the molecular formula of water? Student: HIJKLMNO Teacher: No, thats wrong. Student: But didnt you say water is H to O?Carbon was saying to oxygen hey did you hear about the new phone company O2? And then oxygen said yeah they named it after me. HAHAHAHAHelium walks into a store and asks for his nickel but the manager said, Your brother? Get it? They are both on the periodic table!1st Person: Do you like Iron man, coz I do! 2nd Person: No, he just a big Fe Male!What is a house cats favorite chemical compound? MoUSeI would tell you a good element joke, but they ARGON!!!What do you call iron blowing in the breeze? FebreezeSilicon jokes: Q: Is silicon the same in Spanish? | A: SiQ.Why do chems call Heliu m, Curium and Barium, phenetical elements? A. coz if you cant Helium or Curium, YOU BARIUM Person 1: Does anyone know any good jokes about sodium? Person 2: Na  Anyone know any sodium, bromine, or Oxygen jokes? Na BrOChemistry jokes are sodium funny. Hahahahahaahaha  Argon walks into a bar, the bartender says We dont serve nobles gasses here. Argon doesnt react.Lets head on down to the cemetery and get our Krypton.Ii would say a good chem joke but all the good ones ARGONDid you hear? Oxygen and magnesium got together OMg!!Why did the scientist want carbon, Arsenic, and Hydrogen? It makes CAsHSo some helium walks into the bar and says lets Barium!!! everyone screamed. why are you screaming? Asked helium  Cause you want to bury um!!A man walks into a bar and asks for H2O then a 2nd man comes in and asks for H2O too. The second man died. (The 2nd man asked for H2O2, which is liquid poison.)A neutron walks into a bar and says How much for a beer? The barman says For you NO CHARGE  Q: If H2O is the formula for ice, what is the formula for ice? A: H2O cubed.These element jokes are so dead, we should barium. Hydrogen and Oxygen walk into a bar and see Gold... they say Au, get outta the bar!Q: What did the copper say to the steel-er? A: CesiumWhat does a good doctor do for his patients? HeliumWhats the best formula for breakfast? Barium, Cobalt, and Nitrogen (BaCoN)What did the bar-tender say when Oxygen, Hydrogen, Sulfur, Sodium, and Phosphorus walked into his bar? OH SNaP!What song starts with Oxygen Hydrogen Sodium Sodium? Oh Na Na, whats my name.A proton and a neutron are walking down the street. The proton says, Wait, I dropped an electron help me look for it. The neutron says Are you sure? The proton replies Im positive.So one guy says to another Wanna hear a potassium joke? KWhat did two scientists do when their test subject died? BariumWhat animal do you get when you take out the T, A and I in the word Potassium. Possum.If Fe is Iron, then does that mean that a Female is Iron Man?Sodium Bromate Joke: Want some sodium bromate? Na BrO!I would tell you a chemistry joke but all the go od ones Argon! Want me to tell a potassium joke? K.... Will you accept a sodium joke? Na, im fineI dont want to tell jokes in class because I might get NO REACTIONWhat do tomb robbers do to pyramids? -Radium What did the king say to the guard when the prisoner escaped? -Cesium!Susan was in chemistry. Susan is no more, for what she thought was H2O was H2SO4How did Arsenals become a strong club in English premier league? Because they are bronzed with Arsenic.What will happen if you get into water and cant zwim? Zinc!What sharp object do you get when you combine potassium, nickel, and iron? KNiFeCarbon! - The happy Frenchmans opinion after buying his new automobile.When my wealthy old aunt passed away I got all the antimony!Whats the name of the element that comes after nine? TinWhats the first thing a teenager does after school? Radon food in the fridgeWhat did the cowboy do with his horse? Rhodium Where did he do it? Holmium on the RangeWhat do you do with a dead chemist? Barium. (Explanation: bury em, bury them sounds like barium) Zinc Element Joke: Where do you put dirty dishes? In the zinc.

Andreas Gursky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Andreas Gursky - Essay Example Over time, Gursky has made tremendous achievements in the global art scene. He is well-known for his big, bold, colorful and detailed photographs that have defined the contemporary art. His large-format photographs are a reflection and exploration of the natural environment and globalization effects on the modern life of capitalism (Famous photographers, n.d). Several of his artistic works have been presented in several exhibitions in major museums around the world. For instance, the most recent major exhibition "Werke-Works 80-08† has found its way in many exhibitions such as the Kunstmuseen Krefeld, Kunstmuseum Basel in Switzerland, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is also found in much important public and private collections throughout the world. Moreover, Gursky’s 3m wide photograph of â€Å"Rhine II River† holds the record for the most expensive photograph in the art history. In 2011, it was selling at  £ 2.7m at Christie’s New York â₠¬â€œ a price higher than Cindy Sherman’s  £2.4m in May.Gursky’s exemplary works and desires for photography have also seen him traveling beyond Germany and the Europe Continent as a whole. He has gone to international cities of Tokyo, Singapore, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and Cairo among others taking a wide range of images of buildings, hotels, offices, events, and nature.Brought up by successful commercial photographer parents owning a photography studio, Gursky started learning photography even before finishing high school

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Marketing - Essay Example For this reason, brands must select celebrity endorsements very carefully because the expense needed for celebrity endorsement is large yet there are many risks involved simply due to the fact that a brand cannot control a celebrity's actions in either their professional or personal lives. For brands that are looking to be successful, the easiest way to do this is by associating the brand with a celebrity that already has success. The hope is that consumers will associate the success of the celebrity with the brand they are supporting. The reality is that this is very often not the case, yet it is human nature to link one success with another. The trick that marketers have is trying to convince the target market that the celebrity really does support the brand and stands for the values of the brand. Celebrity often have their own fan bases, usually in the entertainment and sporting industries, so a key reason why marketers want to use celebrities to endorse a product is to have acces s to these loyal groups of fans. Some high-profile companies are willing to spend millions of dollars in order to attract celebrities that are well-known. One such example occurred in January of 2013 when Nike signed world number one golfer Rory McIlroy to be its major celebrity icon. Although the terms of the deal were never released, many insiders to the deal estimate that McIlroy will make $100 million over the next five years or up to $250 million over 10 years (Crouse 2013). While this may seem like crazy money, Nike is betting on the fact that McIlroy will remain a force in the golfing world for some time yet. Because of his relatively young age, 23, he has the potential to dominate the golfing world over the next decade. When McIlroy steps up for the winning putt at some of golf's major events, Nike wants the world to see McIlroy with his Nike cap on, the Nike swoosh on his shirt, and the Nike golf club that he is using. However, if a celebrity does something that brings sham e to a brand, then it may have a long-term effect on the brand. Just recently, the well-known Paralympian Oscar Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend in his South African home. Although the details of his actions are still to be determined in a court of law, some of Pistorius' main sponsors were quick to distance themselves from the controversy (Davis 2013). One popular new ad was a Nike ad in which Pistorius starred in. The tagline of the ad was that Pistorius was "the bullet in the chamber" (Davis 2013). The ad was quickly pulled by Nike when it realized how ironic this advertisement was considering the circumstances. Celebrity endorsements will continue to be lucrative for brands that are looking to increase their reach to consumers, but there are also some downsides involved if that celebrity falls from the public eye. If celebrities are used to help market products and services, then a brand needs to be very selective and only select celebrities that stand for the values of the br and. Bibliography Crouse, Karen. "McIlroy's Well-Remunerated Risk." NYTimes.com. Jan. 14, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/sports/golf/rory-mcilroy-announces-deal- with-nike-golf.html?_r=0 (accessed Feb. 20, 2013). Davis, Rebecca. "Oscar Pistorius dropped by sponsors." The Guardian. Feb. 20, 2013.

Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Answers - Essay Example way of learning people from different perspectives; thus, it could also be used in nursing perspectives as they get to know more about their patients. According to the grounded theory, ethnographic enquiry is fit to the reality. It involves every day activities which are geared towards positively influencing human life. In making this a strong point, the theory is gathered from wide and diverse area of data. The nursing profession experiences a large inflow of patients, which can be used as a data source (Polit 21). Secondly, the theory has relevance, especially to human life. It is relevant because it helps in finding out core problems and how they can be solved. If the problems are not uncovered, then it will not be easy to find an amicable solution. Lastly, the theories under study have been known to work. Studying these theories has developed various ways of solving situations surrounding human life. In phenomenological view, the inquiry is based on reality in human aspects. The data is collected from real people for study in the stated areas. Similarly, the events and objects of study are fully understood by these

Critical contexts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical contexts - Essay Example e principles of EU law within its borders and since there is no distinction between citizens and non-citizens in its provisions, then UK is bound to apply all EU laws without discrimination on all persons subject to its jurisdiction. Under international law, a state has prescriptive jurisdiction or authority to apply its national laws on all persons within its jurisdiction, regardless of the nationality of persons. The application of this authority within its territory is exclusive and absolute but may be subject to such concept as exterritoriality, usually in the form of diplomatic immunity. This authority may also be extended outside of its territory under the extraterritoriality principle subject to the grant of authority by another state (Dixon 143-144, 146). Since Gabrielle was a worker in UK prior to her death with a valid working visa, she was subject to its jurisdiction. Thus, under the EU law she was supposed to be subject to its protection by implication and extension. Her mere presence within the UK jurisdiction entitled her to the rights reserved under the EU law. The same was true in the case of Karl while he was temporarily in UK under a tourist visa. His presence within the country’s jurisd iction had entitled him to protection under the EU law. In the event of failure of the UK government to protect them as provided by the terms of the EU Charter, gives them the right to file a complaint before the European Court of Justice. The usual procedure is for individual litigants to challenge in the country’s courts the failure of the State to apply Community law and if the court needs assistance to rule on the issue before it, it may refer the matter to the European Court of Justice under Article 234 of the EC Treaty (Weatherill 2007 95). In line with the above, Gabrielle could have gone to a UK court to file a complaint against her employers for their discriminatory treatment re her salary. Under the Article 15 of the European Charter, â€Å"nationals

Communication Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Theory - Assignment Example And I find this approach professional and reasonable as well. Relational Dialectics Theory elaborates how personal and social relationships are maintained despite interpersonal and social differences (Harvey and Housel 56). For example, Mr. David is an introvert person wants to maintain his privacy whereas his friend Mr. Frank, who has an extrovert personality, prefers to openness about issues. In their relationship, this theory proposes that both should understand their internal conflicting views besides maintaining their relationship amicably. From another perspective, it is important to understand the word â€Å"dialectics.† According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, dialectics refers to a process through which two opponent forces attempt to resolve their conflict amicably. In a deeper analysis, it can also be argued that this theory maintains that it is difficult to understand openness without understanding closeness; the comprehension of openness relies on the inbuilt concept of closeness. And the same is applicable for comprehending the concept of closeness through understanding openness as well. In this regard, Sahlstein mentions that social relationships are important for people as they want to retain them but simultaneously they are also inclined to maintain their personal integrity, values inbuilt to their personality and that is obtained through defining oneself particularly in relation to others (p.693). This statement needs further elaboration. For example, if two friends have a divergent opinion about an issue. In that situation, both have two options either to reject each other’s opinion and break their social relationship or sit together, understand the issue and retain the relationship as well. If they opt for the second option, they will have an opportunity to understand the inbuilt differences in the issue and evaluate each other’s point of view. In that situation, it is not necessary

Technology and HRM Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Technology and HRM - Research Paper Example Completion of this paper is made successful due to immense contribution made by Mr. Smith Zaid who is the HR manager at SEHA. SEHA Hospital is located in Abu Dhabi. Never before in SEHA hospital’s history has any manager or leader tried to implement the tool of HIT to improve the performance of HRM like Mr. Zaid has. It was the interview conducted with Mr. Zaid which helped to clarify how HIT can be used to solve many challenges encountered by HRM department in the healthcare facilities. He first mentioned several issues which were plaguing the reputation of his organization in the past. Then, he went on to explain how he used innovation technology-based solutions to address each of those issues. Following discussion aims to establish how technology and HRM are inextricably linked to each other in the light of knowledge shared by Mr. Zaid, the HR manager at SEHA hospital. Patient care delivery operations form an important part of those services in the healthcare field. Mr. Smith was having a lot of trouble in this particular area prior to depending on technology. As he became interested in new horizons introduced by technology, he came across the idea of HIT. He thought that it would be best to use technology to answer the puzzling questions and improve the quality of patient care delivery operations. Another problem encountered by SEHA was that medical information which used to be delivered to patients often lacked propriety and credibility. The patient records held by HRM often used to be breached which generated the problem of patient trust and privacy. HIT helps to ensure that all medical information is absolutely trustworthy and clear. This requires many imaginative innovations in information-sharing technology, but it also ensures security to patients and takes care of their concerns in an optimally effective manner. Securing patients’ records is a

Communication Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Theory - Assignment Example And I find this approach professional and reasonable as well. Relational Dialectics Theory elaborates how personal and social relationships are maintained despite interpersonal and social differences (Harvey and Housel 56). For example, Mr. David is an introvert person wants to maintain his privacy whereas his friend Mr. Frank, who has an extrovert personality, prefers to openness about issues. In their relationship, this theory proposes that both should understand their internal conflicting views besides maintaining their relationship amicably. From another perspective, it is important to understand the word â€Å"dialectics.† According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, dialectics refers to a process through which two opponent forces attempt to resolve their conflict amicably. In a deeper analysis, it can also be argued that this theory maintains that it is difficult to understand openness without understanding closeness; the comprehension of openness relies on the inbuilt concept of closeness. And the same is applicable for comprehending the concept of closeness through understanding openness as well. In this regard, Sahlstein mentions that social relationships are important for people as they want to retain them but simultaneously they are also inclined to maintain their personal integrity, values inbuilt to their personality and that is obtained through defining oneself particularly in relation to others (p.693). This statement needs further elaboration. For example, if two friends have a divergent opinion about an issue. In that situation, both have two options either to reject each other’s opinion and break their social relationship or sit together, understand the issue and retain the relationship as well. If they opt for the second option, they will have an opportunity to understand the inbuilt differences in the issue and evaluate each other’s point of view. In that situation, it is not necessary

Marketing Plan for Masters Home Improvement Stores in Australia Assignment

Marketing Plan for Masters Home Improvement Stores in Australia - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the microenvironmental factors comprise of all the elements that are closely linked with the company and has a positive or negative effect on the business operations of the company and hence ultimately has an impact on building relationships with customers and creating value. The various microenvironmental factors comprise of suppliers, marketing intermediaries, public, competitors, and customers. Amongst the above-stated factors two of which would create the major impact on the operations of Master’s Home Improvement are suppliers and competitors. The other factors can be easily managed by the company only when these two selected elements are effectively managed by the company. Suppliers play a very important part in retail business and in such home improvement business the availability of pre-packaged goods as it is offered by Master’s solely depends on the quality level maintained by the suppliers an d even on-time delivery from the suppliers so that the demand of the consumers are met without losing on any customer in such highly competitive market. Master’s also needs to develop very strong relationships with their suppliers and offer them good incentives so that they do not shift to their competitors as that would have a drastic impact on their business operations. In a market where competition is high bargaining power of suppliers is high due to the availability of more number of operations. The Master’s brand is owned by Woolworth limited and has faced a second mover advantage as well as a disadvantage in the retail business. The major competitors of the brand are Bunnings, Mitre 10, and Home Timber and Hardware. The competitors greatly have an impact on an organization such as if the competitors have set attractive prices with innovative product line then it can affect other players who have set higher prices as per the market demand. In the industry that Mas ter’s operates there are well-established players such as Bunnings which causes the company to constantly update its services so as to sustain in the market.

Two Spins on the US “War on Terror” Essay Example for Free

Two Spins on the US â€Å"War on Terror† Essay The September 11 tragedy has engendered the US â€Å"war on terrorism† that was launched to restore peace and world order. This, of course, echoes the side of the Bush administration. Other groups have argued that the war on terror failed to remedy terrorism since it has proven to be an act of terror itself. Instead of bringing peace, numerous individuals have analyzed the war on terror as an attempt of the US to re-establish itself as Empire. The long competing discourses for and against the US attack of Iraq have often left the common citizen confused and apathetic regarding the issue. This paper argues in the concluding part that it is not enough to be trapped in the various â€Å"spins† relating to the war on terror. More than ever, the times necessitate for individuals to speak up and make a political stand. Introduction After the September 11 tragedy, the US has taken on a role to defend its nation – even the world – from what it perceives as â€Å"terrorists. † This maneuver is grounded on various political and economic policies that have been championed and criticized by different peoples all over. The eventual result of this global campaign to â€Å"curb the spread of terrorism† is the US invasion of Iraq. Four years after the US, United Kingdom and the coalition made their move to crush the â€Å"enemy,† numerous groups and individuals contend that the situation has only gone worse. The US State department, on the other hand, lauds the measures being taken up to now, arguing that peace can only be achieved through a sustained and protracted â€Å"war on terrorism. † Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on which side one is from), the US war on terror is still very much at work today, making it a pressing issue gripping our nation and the world. This paper re-constructs the two â€Å"spins† surrounding the issue of the US war on terror by assuming the side of the US government and the opposition. The question of the hour would thus be: Did the US war on terror prove beneficial or detrimental? By â€Å"spin,† I am borrowing Bill Maher’s elementary definition of the term: â€Å"a lie communicated through the veneer of vague truth† (Press, 2002, xi). According to Bill Press, spin has a vital role in the way political campaigns are arranged today (Press, 2002, xiii). Taken from a ball sport which is cricket, the meaning of spin has then on evolved to connote highly manipulative and deceptive techniques that are selective in vision and interpretation of facts, values and statements. One of the most popular strategies used for spin is non-denial denial. It is much related to the way of talking in which the statements are constructed to assume unproven truths. Ambiguity and skirting, rejecting validity of hypothetical values, and appealing to internal policies – these constitute the strategy and method of spinning. Those who are skilled in spinning have developed a keen sense of timing that allows them to manipulate the people especially during tragic times like the September 11 tragedy. For instance, when British political advisor and press officer Jo Moore sent an email to her department stating that â€Å"It’s now a very good day to get out everything we want to bury,† the statement was manipulated to mean that Moore was insulting those who died and got buried during the September 11 tragedy (Watt, 2001). The trouble, apparently caused by spin, forced Jo Moore to resign. An individual skilled at spinning truths are called â€Å"spin doctors. † Today, the term spin doctor interestingly connotes nearly all politicians and bureaucrats. People from the government have often been vilified for their supposed attempts to conceal the truth from the people. From comedy shows to news editorial, government officials have now become popular figures to be poked at. Spin’s definition as false discourses implies that it is propagated in order to make the people believe a particular political agenda. However, this operative definition doesn’t suggest that the two competing sides regarding the US war on terror are both false. On the contrary, moments of truth are revealed by the very act of critically examining whatever is being handed to us whether by those protecting the status quo or those who oppose it. Therefore, at the offset, the this paper’s disclaimer is that it is impossible to assume the two sides of the issue as if an individual is ideology-free and bias-free. For the purposes of this exercise, however, this paper will attempt to present the arguments by positioning the author in the shoes of each side’s defenders. This paper will first do a spin of the pro- War side followed by a negative spin launched by the anti-war side. In the concluding part, the author will make his own stand and forward his own recommendations. War as path to world peace Ever since the US has been attacked by terrorists, it has become a necessity to protect the country from possible future attacks. The collapse of Word Trade Center, the mark of economic prosperity in the world, left a deep wound that gave President Bush no other choice but to fight back. According to President Bush, the death of thousands of Americans, generated by Islamic fundamentalists, must be avenged (â€Å"Bush defends†, 2005). The US war on terror is thus the answer for the restoration of peace. One of the measures undertaken by the resilient US government was the passage of Patriot Act. Now, any suspected terrorist may be searched and arrested without warrant (USA Patriot Act, 2001). The opposition would say that this law tramps down the right of the people. Apparently, the opposition does not see the bigger picture. It is better to sacrifice a bit of our liberties in order for our country to be protecting itself. Those opposing the efforts made by the Bush administration prove guilty of not wanting the US to recover from the devastating September 11 attacks. Thus, it is important, more than ever, that the measures the Bush administration has initiated be reasserted for the sake of national unity and progress. Securing US borders One painful lesson Americans have learned from the September 11 attacks is that the country’s borders should now be strongly secured from terrorists and other possible threats. The boundaries are regularly crossed by 330 million non-American citizens. It does not come as a surprise then that terrorists were able to gain easy access to the US (US Patriot Act, 2001). Not only terrorists but also criminals, illegal immigrants, drug addicts, and smugglers enter the US and threaten US security. The changing and quickly developing atmosphere of terror allows new chances for another attack. The US Patriot Act (2001) therefore asserts that border control must be strengthened. President George Bush points out two main principles of border control: 1) Americas state boundaries must contribute to the lawful trade and travel in the most efficient way 2) Border control must provide reliable protection against all possible threatening factors like terrorism, drug traffic, epidemics, arms traffic and others (Guild, 2003). In the 2003 Budget, $11 billion was allotted for boundaries security and $380 million for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The plan is to build a modern entry-exit visa system that would surely secure the US from terrorists and other threats. This additional financing allows the border agencies to bring into effect reliable measures that would protect the US from foreign menaces, while at the same time letting legitimate goods and travelers cross the boundaries easily (Guild, 2003). An amount of $619 million was also given to the inspection budget of the Customs Service. This additional financing allows the Customs Service to fulfill its role to thwart dangerous goods like weapons of mass destruction. Particularly, the extra funding allows the Customs Service to hire about 800 new inspectors and make use of the most advanced technologies that will protect the US from harmful foreign goods (Guild, 2003). The 2003 Budget also increased by $1. 2 billion the financing of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The amount of money which totals to $5. 3 billion includes appropriate funding for constructing the entry-exit visa system. (Patel, 2003) The increase of funding is bound to help the INS have more patrol agents and inspectors in the northern boundary and to install integrated information systems providing efficient and precise data-sharing among the security agents. The entry-exit tracking system will help improve the flow of legitimate human influx while preventing dangerous or illegal individuals from getting across the state boundaries (Patel, 2003). The increased budget for border security therefore showcases the sincere efforts of President Bush to protect the American people. Although the budget is a bit expensive, it cannot be denied that the reward of security and safety remains inestimable.

Central Asias Water Resources: Country Comparison

Central Asias Water Resources: Country Comparison Chapter 3 Population of Central Asia: Central Asia is the land of many languages, ethnic groups, religions, and tribes. In 2000, an estimated 55.9 million people lived in Central Asia. Today there are about 65.7 million (ICG, 2014). The below table show the population of Central Asia from 1992 to 2013 Total population of Central Asia (1000 inhab) Source: FAO The table shows the population of central Asian countries from 1992 to 2013. According to this table in 1992 the population of Kazakhstan is 16070, which start decreasing from that year. In 1997, the population of Kazakhstan decreased to 15086 and in 2002 it decreased to the level of 146623. This trends show that after independence from former Soviet Union, the population of Kazakhstan start declining; this is due to the migration of Russian and other Soviet Union member’s countries ethnic people from Kazakhstan. This factor is and push factor for growing population. But after the year 2002, it start growing, in 2007, it became 15396, 16271 in 2012 and 16441 in 2013. Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world[1], its density of population is very low and lowest among Central Asian republics. Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country, but, the population of Kyrgyzstan grows at a fast rate. In 1992, the population of Kyrgyzstan is 4476, in 2007 it crossed the 5 million mark an d in 2012 it became over 5.5 million and grows day by day. This put number of impact on the development of the country, availability of natural resources, water recourses and it became difficult for government to providing basic amenities to the people. Tajikistan is the smallest country from all five republics of central Asia. It is also one of the poorest republics in the world. Tajikistan caught in civil war just after the independence, in this civil war in five years over 50,000 killed and over 10% population of the country runaway to neighboring countries.[2] But beside all of this the population of Tajikistan is grow at a very rapid rate. In 1992, the population of Tajikistan is 5523 which became 6204 in 2002 and crossed 7 million marks in 2007 and 8 million mark in 2012. In 2013, the population of Tajikistan became 8208 and the population in Tajikistan grows very fast in all central Asian republics. Turkmenistan is a very low density country; due to most of the area of the co untry is desert. So, population in Turkmenistan is very low. In 1992, the population of Turkmenistan is 3882, which became 4600 in 2002 and crossed 5 million marks in 2012. In 2013, it became 5240. Total Renewal water resource per capita (actual) (m3/inhab/yr) Source: FAO The above table shows that total water resources per capita (actual) in all central Asian countries decreasing year by year. In Kazakhstan per capita water resources that was 7351 m3 in 2002, decreased to 6607 m3 in 2012 and 6539 m3 in 2014. In Kyrgyzstan the renewal water resources per capita are decreased from 5277 m3 in 1992 to 4721 m3 in 2002, 4315 m3 in 2012 and 4257 m3 in the year of 2014.In Tajikistan, also the trends of declining of water per capita. In 1992 the per capita renewal water recourses availability was 3967 m3 that was declining to 2669 m3 in 2014. In the Turkmenistan the same trend of decreasing renewal water per capita continues. In 1992, the availability of renewal water resources per capita is 6381 m3 that was decline to 4727 m3 in 2014. When we talk about Uzbekistan the situation is worst. Over half of population of whole central Asian region is lived in Uzbekistan and also increased rapidly. So, the situation becomes critical day by day. The availability of p er capita renewal water resources, that was 2269 m3 in 1992 declined to 1832 m3 in 2007 and 1689 m3 in 2014. Water withdrawal by sectors: -The water withdrawals means withdrawn of the gross quantity of water by different sectors annually for given proposes (FAO, 2012). There are three sectors of water withdrawal these sectors are: agriculture, municipalities, and industry. In the agriculture sector included irrigation, aquaculture, watering and livestock cleaning, the municipalities sector included use of water in houses, villages, towns and cities by population for their domestic proposes. The industrial sector includes the water used in thermal plants for cooling, for dying in leather industry etc. the data related to water withdrawal is taken from the national statics of the countries for most countries, but there is uncertainty in methods that are used for obtaining data (FAO, 2005). Water withdrawal by sectors in Kazakhstan Source: FAO The above table shows that the withdrawal by sector in Kazakhstan changed rapidly from agriculture sector to other sector like industrial and municipal. In 1995, agriculture sector withdrawal over 80% of the country. But in 2002, the situation is changed, the share of water withdrawal by agriculture sector decline from 81% to 75% and the share of industrial sector increased from 1.73% to 4.21%. The share of Municipal sector also changed from 16.86 to 20.66 in 2002. In 2007, the share of agriculture again decline, but industrial sector’s share remains shame as 2002. The big change comes in share of municipal sector, which’s share is increased very rapidly after 2002. Its share is increased from 20.66% in 2002 to 28.18% in 2007 and 29.63% in 2010. These trends will continue in country because of high growth in urbanization and industrial sector. Water withdrawal by sectors (in Percentage) in Kyrgyzstan Source: FAO When we see the table of water withdrawal by sector in Kyrgyzstan then we find out that there is very little changes in water withdrawal by sector. The share of agriculture is biggest from all the sectors in 1994, that was over 94% in 1994 and only 1% declined in its share in 2006. The other two sector’s share is almost 3% each 1994 that remained 3% also in 2006. Water withdrawal by sectors (in Percentage) in Tajikistan Source: FAO The water withdrawal in Tajikistan is similar with Kyrgyzstan. Agriculture is the main sector, withdrawal over 90% water of the country. There are many reasons for this because agriculture is the main sector of the economy of the country and biggest employment provider to the people, and industrial sector is not developed in the country because of mineral recourses and energy recourses and due to the increase in population and urbanization the share of municipal sector is increased very at a very slow rate. Water withdrawal by sectors (in Percentage) in Turkmenistan Source: FAO In Turkmenistan agriculture is the main stay of the employment of the people and also the biggest water withdrawal sector. Its share in 1994 is over 97% in total water withdrawal by the all the sectors of the country, that changed very slowly from other sector like industrial sector and municipal sector. The share of industrial sector was almost half percent in 1994, that increased 1.08% in 2000 and almost two and half percent in 2004 and increased year by year but at a very slow rate. The share of municipal sector increased but at a very slow rate. Water withdrawal by sectors (in Percentage) in Uzbekistan Source: FAO In Uzbekistan the agriculture sector remains the biggest water consumer from the Soviet time. It is also one of the biggest cotton producers in the world and cotton crop is the biggest water consumer of the country. Agriculture is the main stay of the people of the country. In 1994, agriculture sector withdrawal over 93% of the total water withdrawal by the country. The industrial sector withdrawal almost 2% and municipal sector 4% of water in the year 1994. In 2001, the agriculture sector withdrawal 90% , industrial sector almost 4% and municipal sector withdrawal almost five and half percent of water. In these years, the share of agriculture is decline and the share of others sector increased. In 2005, the share of agriculture sector remains same but the share of industrial sector declined almost 1%. On the other hand the share of municipal sector increased from five and half to over 7%. This is due to the increase in population and urbanization. Total Renewal water resource per capita (actual) (m3/inhab/yr) Source: FAO The above table shows that total water resources per capita (actual) in all central Asian countries decreasing year by year. In Kazakhstan per capita water resources that was 7351 m3 in 2002, decreased to 6607 m3 in 2012 and 6539 m3 in 2014. In Kyrgyzstan the renewal water resources per capita are decreased from 5277m3 in 1992 to 4721m3 in 2002, 4315 m3 in 2012 and 4257 in the year of 2014.In Tajikistan, also the trends of declining of water per capita. In 1992 the per capita renewal water recourses availability was 3967m3 that was declining to 2669 m3 in 2014. In the Turkmenistan the same trend of decreasing renewal water per capita continues. In 1992, the availability of renewal water resources per capita is 6381m3 that was decline to 4727 m3 in 2014. When we talk about Uzbekistan the situation is worst. Over half of population of whole central Asian region is lived in Uzbekistan and also increased rapidly. So, the situation becomes critical day by day. The availability of per capi ta renewal water resources, that was 2269 m3 in 1992 declined to 1832 m3 in 2007 and 1689 m3 in 2014. Dams in Central Asia Source: FAO The water system in central Asia region is mange by large numbers of canals, dams and reservoirs etc. there is large trap of canals, which was made in the times of Former Soviet Union all over central Asia, many dams like world’s tallest dam Nurek dam etc and many big reservoir like Andijan, Toktogul, Tyuyamunym and Kairakkum etc are in central Asia to manage water resources of the region (UNECE, 2007). The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), classified the dams into two categories according to their height, the first category include the dams with the height of 15 meters or above, second category include the dams of between the height of 5 to 15 meters and the storage capacity is more than 3 million m3,[3]. There are over 1200 dams in central Asia region and 110 dams are large dams from these dams. Many of them have inter-state significance because many of them located on the Transboundary rivers like Amu Darya River, Syr Darya River etc. (UNECE, 2007). The total capacity of dams in central Asian countries is 176.8 km3. From which, 95.5 km3 only in Kazakhstan, that is 54% of the total dam’s capacity of the region. Kyrgyzstan accounts 13% dams of the region with the capacity of 23.5 km3. Kambarta and Toktogul are major dams in Kyrgyzstan. There are 17% dams’ of central Asia is in Tajikistan, with the capability of 29.5 km3. Nurek Dam with the height of 300 meters, is world’s tallest dam is located in Tajikistan on Vakhsh River.[4]. Sangtuda-1 and 2 are also very important dams in Tajikistan and country also proposed a dam named Rogan dam on Naryn River, which become world’s highest dam after the completion of construction[5]. Uzbekistan with the capacity of 22.2 km3 is account 13% of the total dams of the region and with the capacity of 6.2 km3 Turkmenistan accounts only 3% dams of the region [1] http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/countries_by_area.htm [2] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16201032 [3] https://www.adaptation-fund.org/sites/default/files/ilovepdf.com-7.pdf [4] http://www.briskinfo.com/extreme/tallest-dam-in-world-nurek-dam.html [5] http://www.briskinfo.com/extreme/tallest-dam-in-world-nurek-dam.html Germanys Political System | Summary Germanys Political System | Summary German Political System Chandra Chapagai Introduction Political system is basically a structure to decide, govern, implement, and authorize policies and procedures to the citizens of a country. Each country has their own political system developed or designed under which policies, procedures, and legislations to run the country and the citizens. Each nation has some sort of uniqueness in formation of the political system and how to form policies, procedures, and govern the nation. Unlike US, Germany has its own political system to run the country. Germany is a federal parliamentary system country. It has different components of political system and they are constitution, the executive, legislature, judiciary, different states, composed of different political parties. Like all other political system, parliamentary system also has its own strengths and weaknesses. Constitution The basic law of the land in Germany is the constitution. The constitution of Federal Republic of Germany was passed after World War II in 1949. Germany is a social Democratic country. In the constitution, the basic rights of German citizens are guaranteed. All federal and state authorities are bound by the constitution. They cannot do anything that is against what is written in the constitution. It was the constitution that has established democratic parliamentary system in Germany. After the constitution was written it helped to separate powers of German into executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. This constitution helps all these branches to maintain checks and balances to run the country. The Executive The executive branch basically consists of the head of the state, and head of the government. The head of the state is the president and this president is mostly ceremonial but the ceremonial president is also responsible in representing the state, states’ existence, and their legitimate causes, and overall unity of the states in the country. The president also has the power to practice politics and implement laws and order in the country when there are crisis in the parliament and their cabinet members, and is also responsible to handle international issues, sign treaties in the situation when the parliamentary system is in unstable state, and these are all written in the constitution. The president is elected by the legislative team members. The president is elected for two five year terms for maximum time frame. The head of the government is the federal chancellor. In Germany, the federal chancellor is responsible person to run the government and the overall country polices and politics. The chancellor of the federal republic of Germany is responsible for the parliament of the country. It is the responsibility of the chancellor to select the members of the cabinet for the government. Legislature Legislature is another branch of the federal parliamentarian government of Germany. Legislature assembly is divided into two champers and they are Bundestag, and Bundesrat and its bicameral system. The Bundestag and Bundesrat are lower house and upper house of German political system. The Bundestag members are elected for four year terms in the government. Bundestag will have more than 598 members of representations. Current lower house of chamber has 622 members. It is required by the party to have at least five percent of the national vote in the Bundestag to have the seats. Upper house of the German parliament is called Bundesrat. Bundesrat is a representation from all other states in the country. They are appointed by the state cabinets and can remove them any time if they want to. States selects the representatives to serve in the Bundesrat. The number of house members in Bundesrat is smaller than Bundestag. The lower house of the parliament has the power and authority to veto state level legislation and that will ultimately affect the governing power on the state level. Judiciary The judiciary system of federal republic of Germany is responsible to interpret, explain, and apply the law to the country and other states. German judiciary system practices civil law. The judiciary system of German has three court system and they are ordinary courts, specialized courts, and federal constitutional courts. Ordinary courts basically are responsible to dealing with criminal and civil cases. The federal court of justice of Germany is the highest ordinary court in the country. It is also the highest court of appeals that most of the cases go there for the highest appeals to be heard by the federal judges. Specialized court systems in Germany deals with issues that are related to administration, labor laws, social laws, budget and financial laws, and the patent laws. Any cases related to these issues are directed to the specialized courts in Germany. The highest federal Germany court is called as the constitutional courts and this court focuses on judiciary system and any constitutional issues. If there are any issues related to the constitution of the federal government, the Federal Constitutional court will be involved. The States Germany is divided into sixteen states. It is also called Landers. The government of Germany has federal constitution, all the sovereignty are given to the state and they manage and govern the state level affairs abide by the federal constitution. Since the population on these states are not same and can vary therefore, the size and territory of these states also vary. Each state has its own capital and has their own local and regional government to govern the people of the state. Political parties In democratic countries there will be political parties to run for the government. In the federal parliament government of Germany there are two major political parties and they are Center-Right and Center-Left. The Center-Right has two other parties and they are Christian Democratic Union, and Christian Social Union. These two parties operate differently and they operate thought the country. The Centre-Left Party is the Social Democratic Party. There are other parties as well and they are named as The Left Party, and the German Green Party. The current political party in the government now is Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Angela Merkel is the present head of the government of Federal Republic of Germany. Currently Joachim Gauck is serving as the head of the states in Germany. Strengths and Weakness of Parliament System Any political system has strengths and weaknesses. Political system in federal parliamentary system also has strengths and weakness. One advantage of parliamentary political system is that the executive branch is dependent on Bundestag and Bundesrat and its easy and fast to pass the legislation that was proposed. Strength is that the executive power is divided into states and is not fully concentrated to the head of the federal government. The most significant strength I like is based on the series of debates, it can change the power without election and then allow election to be held at any time, so there is flexibility if need be. One weakness of the parliamentary system is that the head of the government, the chancellor is not directly elected. Also, there is no any group or body that they oppose the legislation that is passed by the parliament. Executive branch and legislative branches are closely connected and the checks and balances between them are poor. There are possibilities of having informal constitutions Sometimes reserve powers are used which are not democratic and can cause crisis in the constitution. It is also possible that the parliamentary system can develop political authority from the executive branch. Conclusion The political system of Republic of Germany is very interesting. The political system of Germany is fairly decentralized system in which the system is categorized into executive, legislative, judiciary, and cabinets. In this system, the people will elect legislation, the legislation body elect executive, and the executive body produces public policy. There are both good side and bad side of parliamentary political system. The judiciary system of German is called the basic law of the land. There are different political parties in the Republic of Germany and all can participate in the political process and involve in the election processes. In Germany, chancellor is the head of the government, and the president is the head of the sixteen states. References Caramani, D. (2011). Comparative politics (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. German political system. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2015, from http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Germanpoliticalsystem.html Neil, P. (2007). States. In Essentials of comparative politics (2nd ed.). New York, N.Y.: W.W. Norton .

John Wesley and the Methodist Church- Analysis of “Methodism and the Ch

I have been a firm believer that if one does not understand where you come from you can have little understanding of where your heading. The first thirty-two pages of the book on â€Å"Methodism and the Christian Heritage in England† gave a background as to Wesley’s foundation that so many authors overlook. The first page summed it up best in: â€Å"The long course of English ecclesiastical history met the force of a new concern for renewal, both individual and institutional. A long tradition of propositional certainty of faith met the power of a personal experience of faith. An institution built by and for the establishment met a concern for the souls and bodies of the disenfranchised† (p.1, Heitzenrater). This explained the transformation of both individuals and the Church at this moment in history. Of how a small congregation in Stanton Harcourt would be the starting point for a â€Å"guest preacher, would shortly become the leader of an evangelical revival that would, during his lifetime, spread across the lands and become a trans-Atlantic movement† (p. 1, Heitzenrater). How many present at St. Michael’s on that June 11 Sunday morning in 1738 realized just how important this day would be in the history of the Church in the British Isle, America and throughout the world. How the step taken by the monarch’s of England influenced the Church in England to be transformed into the Church of England. The struggle in the theology of Lutheran, Calvinist, Catholicism, and Moravianism, to name just a few, would all have an influence in the foundation of the Methodist movement. Of how â€Å"John Wesley, paternal grandfather was brought before the Bishop of Bristol, Gilbert Ironside, to answer charges of nonconforming to the Thirty-Nine Articles† (p. 1... ...day: how do we make the church relevant to a society that see’s it was being a product of a long past believe system. How do we allow people to explore their faith question and at the same time provide a firm foundation? The influence of Calvinist, Mystics, New Age, Atheisms, and other religious faith has caused confusion among our cognation as to what they believe in. By studying this text with our congregations we can provide them with an understanding of where Methodism came from and where we are heading. I am looking forward in gaining a better understanding of where we came from to become Methodist so that I can better chart a course of where we are heading as a congregation, denomination and a people of faith. Let the journey begin. Works Cited 1. Heitzenrater, Richard P. 1995, Wesley and the People Called Methodist. Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN.

Use Electronic Message Systems

Please find below some guide questions to help you when writing a statement for this unit, (if you would prefer, you can make notes on these points and we can have a taped discussion at our next visit)General Knowledge for using electronic message systems:Describe what the main types of electronic message systems are (for example, emails, instant messaging, text messaging etc) In our company we are using two of the main types of electronic message systems are as follows: †¢E-mails, these work by the message leaving your inbox, it is then transferred to a number of servers before it reaches the other persons inbox. During this time it passes through a few servers, some of which save the email for future reference.†¢Faxes are another type of electrical message system, this works by drawing the documents through it, scanning them and saving digital images into memory. The machine dials the number, waits for acknowledgment from the fax machine on the other end then transfers th e images using different frequency tones to translate varying shades of dark and light.Describe what the different features of electronic message systems are Emails are more superior then Faxes as you can attach things, and they can be used for a variety of things. Signing up to websites, they can also be used for video conferencing. You are not limited to how long the email is you are sending, however when you are using a fax machine you are charged by how many pages you send. This can be costly if it is used on a regular basis, whereas emails are free and readily available.Explain the purpose of keeping an electronic message system up to date The purpose of keeping an electronic message system up to date is that I know which messages I dealt with also to avoid miscommunication. It also allows me to have more clear view at other messages. For example every day when I’m coming to work first what I do is checking my email to find what task I have  to do. As soon as I replay I am moving them to folders or delete if are not important.Describe how to use an electronic message system to check and delete or discard messages On our computers we are using Microsoft Outlook.   First what I need to do is log in to my account by using login and password then I can see all emails what been send to me directly or to address group where I’m included. When I get an email, my computer displays an envelope in the task bar area, plays a sound and also pops up on my screen to let me know that I have mail.All new massages are bold font so are easy to spot. Enough if I click on message it will show on right site of my desktop and automatically sender will receive message that I have read his email. After read and respond I moving massages to adequate folder to keep information for case I’ll need it (for example attached forms) or delete if are finish and not needed any more. To delete message I need highlight message and click â€Å"Delete† button w hat move the message to â€Å"Delete items† then if I want remove permanently I need right click and choose â€Å"Empty bin†Explain the purpose of leaving clear messages for othersThe purpose of leaving clear messages for others is that we can make sure that the point we want to get across is received and hopefully understood. This can also minimize potential conflict that could come from misunderstanding.Now show me how you use electronic message systems and give me some examples of the following (you can use screen shots and explanations to illustrate your answers)Give me an example of a message that you have responded to within suitable timescale, show the message from someone and your message that you sent backTwice a week we send packaging to Spain.First what we receiving are details about transport from trays control department: Who, when and what will be collected.Then we are receiving a list of packaging from packaging planers:When everything is ready I sending back list with quantities prepared to let know planers what exactly was send and what left in our stores.Show me how you delete messages once they have been dealt withNext click on â€Å"Delete Items† folder by right click open menu and chose â€Å"Empty folder†.

The casino industry in Australia

The casino industry in Australia operates under an environment of uncertainty. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Australia†s 13 casinos recorded a total operating loss of $288 million in 97-98. Outsiders predict a gloomy future for the casino industry in the next few years due to the reduction in international high rollers and the low level of management talent in Australia†s young casino industry. In this business environment Crown must implement business strategies will carry it into the next century as one of the worlds most successful casino complexes. The Crown was set up as a multimillion-dollar establishment in order to attract international gamblers especially the Asian junket gamblers. However with the economic meltdown of countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia Asian gamblers are fewer and have less money to gamble. The present focus of Crown casino towards the Asian market is fruitless as its competing in a highly saturated international market. International casinos have a much better operational efficiency compared to Crown due to the high levels of tax and intense monitoring experienced by Australian casinos. Nevertheless this excessive regulation reduces the perception of corruption which can be used to market Crown as a reputable operator in the world stage. Its current strategy of focusing on the Asian market is an inefficient management of resources. Crown should focus on the growing local market, which would stabilise the balancesheet, as the focus should be on maintaining a high volume of local gamblers as opposed to a small number of high rollers. The current volatile earning figures for Crown are caused due its reliance on Asian junket gamblers. In the current business environment buyer power is high as Crown focuses on few high volume gamblers this should be reduced, as it should concentrate on a higher numbers of smaller gamblers. The recent increases in the gambling to HDI ratio as a result of better domestic economic conditions should be exploited by Crown. In order to broaden its local market advertising campaigns to lure the suburban poker machine players towards the city and away from RSL clubs and bars should be undertaken. The recent acquisition of Crown by the media giant PBL should ensure that Crown promotions reach a wider audience through the magazine/television business with little cost. The main issue for Crown in the future is to maintain a consistent rate of turn over in slot machines and tables. This should be achieved not only through advertising moreover by offering patrons the latest technologies and gaming programs. Once the parton numbers are increased loyalty schemes targeting the lower end of the gaming market should be under taken to maintain the flow of customers. Crown should better take advantage of it regional monopoly and reputation for offering ‘ world of entertainment† by hiring top rating international performers. This would not only boost revenue to the Crown entertainment complex but to the casino as well. Online gambling is luring more and more customers away from physical casinos. This new frontier of gaming is thriving due to its ease of access to customers and many online operators are benefiting from the lack of regulatory and tax burdens. This industry is expected to grow from $US5 billion to $US25.4 billion by next year. In Crown ‘s strategic outlook it should attempt to tap into this booming market. Crown would be able to use its globally recognised name and add credibility to this undisciplined market. With the cooperation of PBL namely ECORP its Internet Company Crown would be able to offer unrivalled Internet gambling services which are regulated by the Australian government. At present US based enterprises are unable to provide Internet gaming which would provide Crown with an opportune time to enter into this market and gain a foothold. (an operational efficiency.) The capacity exists for Crown to from strategic alliances with other off shore gambling facilities overseas in the hope of attracting more international gamblers. Such a venture could offer joint accommodation deals more lucrative jackpots and discounts to valued customers in reciprocal venues. This should compensate for Melbourne†s low level of International tourism. In addition relationships should be built up between Crown and the Victorian Tourism board to induce tourism into Melbourne. Michel Porter suggested that the ‘essence of strategy is choosing to perform activities differently than rivals do† in the current competitive environment Crown is able to do this by offering a complete package of entertainment and gaming which is unparalleled in Australia.