10 Fascinating Facts About Spiders

10 Fascinating Facts About Spiders Spiders: some people love them, some people hate them. Regardless of if youre an arachnophile or an arachnophobe, youll find these 10 facts about spiders fascinating. 1. Spider Bodies Have Two Parts: A Cephalothorax and an Abdomen All spiders, from tarantulas to jumping spiders, share this common trait. The simple eyes, fangs, palps, and legs are all found on the anterior body region, called the cephalothorax. The spinnerets reside on the posterior region, called the abdomen. The unsegmented abdomen attaches to the cephalothorax by means of a narrow pedicel, giving the spider the appearance of having a waist. 2. With the Exception of One Family, All Spiders Are Venomous Spiders use venom to subdue their prey. The venom glands reside near the chelicerae, or fangs, and are connected to the fangs by ducts. When a spider bites its prey, muscles around the venom glands contract, pushing venom through the fangs and into the animal. Most spider venom paralyzes the prey. The spider family Uloboridae is the only known  exception to this rule. Its members do not possess venom glands. 3. All Spiders Are Predators Spiders hunt and capture prey. The majority feed on other insects and other invertebrates, but some of the largest spiders may prey on vertebrates such as birds. The true spiders of the order Araneae comprise the largest group of carnivorous animals on Earth. 4. Spiders Can't Digest Solid Foods Before a spider can eat its prey, it must turn the meal into a liquid form. The spider exudes digestive enzymes from its sucking stomach onto the victims body. Once the enzymes break down the tissues of the prey, it sucks up the liquefied remains, along with the digestive enzymes. The meal then passes to the spiders midgut, where nutrient absorption occurs. 5. All Spiders Produce Silk Not only can all spiders make silk, but they can do so throughout their life cycles. Spiders use silk for many purposes: to capture prey, to protect their offspring, to assist them as they move, for shelter, and to reproduce (more on that in a moment). Not all spiders use silk the same way. 6. Not All Spiders Spin Webs Most people associate spiders with webs, but some spiders dont construct webs at all. Wolf spiders, for example, stalk and overtake their prey, without the aid of a web. Jumping spiders, which have remarkably good eyesight and move quickly, have no need for webs, either. They simply pounce on their prey! 7. Male Spiders Use Modified Appendages Called Pedipalps to Mate Spiders reproduce sexually, but males use an unusual method to transfer their sperm to a mate. The male first prepares a silk bed or web, onto which he deposits sperm. He then draws the sperm into his pedipalps, a pair of appendages near his mouth, and stores the semen in a sperm duct. Once he finds a mate, he inserts his pedipalp into her genital opening and releases his sperm. 8. Males Risk Being Eaten by Their Female Mates Females are typically larger than their male counterparts. A hungry female may consume any invertebrate that comes along, including her suitors. Male spiders sometimes  use courtship rituals to identify themselves as mates and not meals. Jumping spiders, for example, perform elaborate dances from a safe distance and wait for the females approval before approaching. Male orb weavers (and other web-building species) position themselves on the outer edge of the females web, and gently pluck a thread to transmit a vibration. They wait for a sign that the female is receptive before venturing closer. 9. Spiders Use Silk to Protect Their Eggs Female spiders deposit their eggs on a bed of silk, which they prepare just after mating. Once a female produces the eggs, she covers them with more silk. Egg sacs vary greatly, depending on the type of spider. Cobweb spiders make thick, watertight egg sacs, while cellar spiders use a minimum of silk to encase their eggs. Some spiders produce silk that mimics the texture and color of the substrate on which the eggs are laid, effectively camouflaging the offspring. 10. Spiders Don't Move by Muscle Alone Spiders rely on a combination of muscle and hemolymph (blood) pressure to move their legs. Some joints in spider legs lack extensor muscles entirely. By contracting muscles in the cephalothorax, a spider can increase the hemolymph pressure in the legs, and effectively extend their legs at these joints. Jumping spiders jump using a sudden increase in hemolymph pressure that snaps the legs out and launches them into the air.

A Rose Growing From The Concrete

A Rose Growing From The Concrete Free Online Research Papers I always told myself I was going to be something in life no matter how many obstacles came my way. Some people asked me where I get my strength, I say I get my strength from within always having a hunger to succeed. I broke through the lies I told myself that I will never overcome my situation. I also believe that I get my strength from my nieces because they look up to me and I want be a good example. So when they plan for college I will be right there guiding them, telling them to never give up and keep trying. Being one of the first in my family to seek higher education at a four year University is very exciting for me because I know I’m planning for my future. At an early age I had to adapt to being placed in different homes and different schools. This made my grades shift a lot from good, to average, and sometimes below average. I never had a chance to build relationships with friends or my biological parents. My biological parents weren’t in my life because they weren’t mentally or financially stable to take care of me. So I had to live with different family members that could take care of me so I wouldn’t be placed in foster care. Currently, I attend an AP Psychology course, I mime dance at my church, played tennis in the spring, intern for Motivos magazine, attend S.T.A.R (students talking about relationships), Im on the schools year book committee, and will be on the track team after Thanks giving break. Yes I am very active, I like doing new things and doing well at them. The major I plan on looking into is Psychology. I choose Psychology because I love interacting with people, always being a listener, and giving good advice from my own experiences. I’m a creative, enthusiastic, and a goal oriented person that sees a future full of greatness ahead of me. I also am a fluent reader and writer specifically poetry. I can say that I’m not a product of my environment because my goals are higher then what’s expected. Overall, my life has taught me to never let someone determine who I am or who I want to be. I can also say that I’m truly a rose growing from the concrete because even though my life experiences have been hard I still grow and persevere. So I leave you with poem: A Rose Growing From The Concrete I see me growing stronger through all the trials I face I see a bright future ahead of me even though my petals fall I grow erupting beauty from where I’m from busting out of my generational curse becoming someone that will someday make a difference Research Papers on A Rose Growing From The ConcreteStandardized TestingTrailblazing by Eric AndersonBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtThree Concepts of Psychodynamic

Economic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic - Research Paper Example In this paper, we will look at the inflation of house prices in the United Kingdom and the variations in price from 2006 to 2012 as documented at http://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Competitive_markets/House_prices.html). According to the above mentioned website, inflation is the overall rise in price levels of goods in the economy over a period of time. The inflation of house prices has consequently reflected erosion in the money purchasing power. The website indicates that housing prices exhibit features such as rising price average in the long run, medium term volatility, dramatic price crashes and bubbles, and considerable price variations in different UK regions. The prices of houses has inflated from 2006 to 2012, for example, the house prices were as follows; 185.1K, 205.3K, 218K, 195K, 207.5K, 216.1K, 229.1K in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively. The house prices crushed in the earlier years and recently between 2007 and 2009. The website has also detailed some of the reasons for this inflation as high demands and low supply of houses (http://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Competitive_markets/House_prices.html) According to the website, the crushing prices can be solved through increasing the supply and regulating demands which are the major causes of the inflationary prices. In order to increase the supply, the following are adopted: subsidies to private house constructors, public house building, relax house regulations, and tax and grant concessions. Demand on the other hand may be regulated through; altering deposit requirements, altering interest rates, and encouraging variations in mortgage

Pros and Cons of the U.S. Governments Recent Passage of Affordable Essay

Pros and Cons of the U.S. Governments Recent Passage of Affordable Health Care Act - Essay Example The working Americans will pay more: Most of the middle-class Americans work full-time jobs and receive health insurance through their employers. The healthcare cost that existed before the Affordable Care Act became law and this law made the employers re-evaluate the insurance policies they offered (Skousen n.p.). As the employers tried to reduce the cost of providing coverage for the employees, the employed Americans paid more for their work-based health insurance while the citizens with high-cost work base insurance saw their benefits decline to avoid the taxes that will be incurred in the beginning of 2018. Some of the coverage is against the moral values of the employers: The law stated that contraception was to be offered free of charge to patients. This law caused a lot of issues especially for employers whose moral rules state that they don’t support any kind of contraception. This brought about a lot of lawsuits because the Americans are allowed to have freedom of rel igion; for some, the health issue was against their religious beliefs (Skousen n.p.). Adding additional health care expenses will impact workers: The employers were against the Affordable Care Act because they were already offering health care insurance to their employees. With the introduction of Obama Care, they felt that there was going to be another increase due to the law. In some cases, there was an increase in the amount employees pay for the health insurance to offset the high premiums from insurance companies. America is already very far in debt: As a country, America is facing big debt. With the additional Government program, this only causes more debts. The Affordable Care Act has had the potential to save money, but since it is over their budget, it will cost the taxpayer more money.

SLP 2 TUX 101 INFORMATION LITERACY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Essay

SLP 2 TUX 101 INFORMATION LITERACY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY - Essay Example Unfortunately, owing to the dynamics in the contemporary society where both parents need to work in an effort to support each other in providing the demands of the family, there is limited time that parents spend with their children. Establishment of a balance amid work-family life becomes a difficult undertaking for many parents as most tend to focus on one and in most cases the work side. Caring for children and ensuring that all their demands are met, in most cases becomes the duty of the house helps, baby care centers and teachers (Gottschalg & Meier, 2005). The limited time that parents spent with their children exposes them to stress, and many develop depressive symptoms, which worsen the situation, as these parents increase the gap amid them and their children. Conversely, this is not the case for good parents, who have the capacity to balance their work and family life, and thereby manage to deal with the probable stress that emanates from the same. These parents engage with their children in all aspects, and regardless of being busy at work, they ensure that they learn how their children spent their day and whether they have completed their school work. These parents are always in close contact with teachers; house helps and baby care centers caregivers as they attempt to learn and comprehend the developments that their children are making. Another strategy that good parents adopt in order to eradicate stress and the development of depressive symptoms is by creating time to have fun with their children and spouses. Family outings help relieve stress and strengthen the bond amid parents and children are they interact from a friendly point of view, meaning children managed to express themselves easily, present their concerns and offer comm ents and insights on areas they believe need consideration, either at home or in school (Gottschalg &

Impact of Air Power Theory in WW2

Impact of Air Power Theory in WW2 Did â€Å"air power theory† do more harm than good before the outbreak of â€Å"and during† the Second World War? This essay will examine the meaning and impact of â€Å"air power theory†, a theory which took shape after World War One, which predicted that air power would be the single most important factor in the outcome of future wars. We will briefly examine the impact this theory had on the interwar Military planning and strategies of the major powers, as well as the influence of air power theory during the Second World War itself. The first part of our essay looks at what â€Å"air power theory† is, we shall look at the two major air power theorists, Giulio Douhet[1] and Billy Mitchell[2] and examine the differences and similarities between the two. Secondly we shall examine the negative impact of the â€Å"air power theory†, both in its implementation by the US and Britain and the shortcomings of the theory as demonstrated during the Second World War. The third part is concerned with the successful implementation of air power theory by the US and Britain before and dur ing the Second World War which led to positive military outcomes for the respective nations during the War. Finally we will attempt to conclude on whether the overall impact of â€Å"air power theory† during this time period can be judged positively or negatively. The most famous of the air power theorists, General Giulio Douhet was a passionate advocate on the fundamental importance and potentially revolutionary application of air power, specifically strategic bombing, as the most important means to win future wars. Douhet served with the Italian armed forces in Libya during the Italy – Turkey war of 1911 and during World War One, during which time aircraft were being used for the first time in military engagements. In 1921 he published â€Å"The Command of the Air† , arguably one of the most important works in air power theory and a endorsement of the power of precision bombing to win quick, decisive but devastating future wars. â€Å"I have maintained, and continue to do so, that in the wars to come the decisive field of action will be the aerial field†[3] It is not necessary to go into complex detail regarding Douhet’s theories of war, as we may summarise them into five key points. Firstly Douhet stated that modern and future warfare would give no distinction between civilian and combatant, that the previously taboo targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure would be a thing of the past. Secondly, Douhet believed, no doubt influenced by his experiences from the First World War, that a quick, decisive victory using purely ground forces was no longer possible. Thirdly, that there was at the time, and most importantly for Douhet, would never be an effective anti aircraft measure that could prevent heavy strategic bombing from destroying its target. â€Å"Consequently I say, no aerial defence, because it is practically useless†[4] . Following on from this point, and arguably the most controversial in terms of the suffering it was seen to have led to, Douhet stated that the only way to defend against an enemy strategic bombing and to ultimately win a war was to launch a massive bombing campaign that would devastate the target’s government, industrial infrastructure and ability to make war, as well as so demoralising the enemy population that the shattered civilian population would force their Government to sue for peace or surrender unconditionally. Finally, and sharing a similar viewpoint with Mitchell, [5] there was a need for a nation’s air force to be completely independent of both the army and navy, and to constantly maintain a state of readiness in the event of needing to deal the knockout blow to the enemy. [6] Although borrowing many of his ideas from Douhet and others, American General Billy Mitchell did combine many air power theories at the time to create a structured, well thought air power theory which some might argue was more comprehensive and realistic than the ideas of Douhet.[7] Like Douhet, Mitchell wanted a centralised, independent air force, but unlike Douhet Mitchell wanted a centralised structure for all types of airpower, each given equal importance, whereas Douhet was concerned primarily with strategic bombers, any other type of aircraft was for him possibly useful but certainly secondary to the importance of the bombers. Mitchell also did not share Douhet’s view of strategic bombing being impossible to defend against. Mitchell wanted equal resources dedicated to both offensive and defensive air capabilities, and envisioned a wider role for ground attack and fighter aircraft that could be used as bomber escorts.[8] What both theories have in common however is their firm belief that air power would be absolutely vital, indeed the most important factor, in any future wars. Both men died before seeing that in the awful carnage of the Second World War, their theories were far from entirely accurate. When looking at the use of air power in the Second World War, it is clear that air power, in particular strategic bombing, did not make land and navy forces obsolete, and that both Douhet and Mitchell had both overestimated the destructive and defensive capabilities of strategic bomber aircraft. â€Å"Successful warfare still depended upon the movement of armies to occupy land, and the movement of ships to provide supplies and men,†[9] Although it played an important role throughout the War, the majority of fighting in Europe, in particular on the Eastern front was done with conventional land armies. Douhet had predicted that Britain’s mighty navy would be useless against a co-ordinated air assault, yet the British navy and merchant fleet was the lifeline supported the war effort with supplies from America and beyond. And certainly Douhet’s assertion that land forces were no longer capable of achieving quick, decisive victories does not stand up when looking at t he German Blitzkrieg campaigns between 1939-1941. In the 1930s Britain had slashed military spending, partly as a result of having to support the mass of unemployed during the great depression and partly due to an increasing anti war feeling in some parts of British Society. The exception to this was spending on Bomber Command, the part of the RAF responsible for strategic bombing. Strategic bombing offered a solution to the horrors of the First World War’s trench warfare, a decisive, relatively humane way in which to fight and end a war. Before the beginning of the war the emphasis was fortunately shifted to air defence, investing in innovations such as radar and fighter interceptors to shoot down German bombers. Following through with Douhet’s theories, as Bomber Command wished to, could have been a disaster for the defence of the British Isles, leaving them literally defenceless in the face of the Luftwaffe. [10] Both the USAF and Bomber Command continued throughout the war, as well the interwar period, to seriously miscalculate both the destructive capabilities and accuracy of strategic bombing. Technology had not solved the problems that both Douhet and Mitchell had overlooked in their theories, which failed to seriously take into account weather conditions, inaccurate targeting of enemy targets, as well as being able to ascertain which type of industrial targets would cause the most damage to the enemy’s war making capabilities. Air power theory also seriously overestimated the ease to which Bombers could make their targets without being shot down. Even after Bombers were given fighter escorts, the losses to Bomber crews were horrific. â€Å"The night bombing offensive against German cities and transportation targets between 3 September 1943 and 2 September 1944 cost the command 17,479 flying personnel killed in action or dead of wounds†[11] When considering the harm inflicted by air power theories, undoubtedly we cannot ignore the huge loss of civilian life lost in strategic bombing raids, committed by German, British and American Bomber crews against civilian targets during the Second World War. It is estimated that more German civilians were killed by allied bombing, than the combined casualty rate of British servicemen during the war, a staggering 543,000 dead.[12] At the heart of this bombing campaign against civilians was one of the most important aspects of air power theory. The theory that a targeted bombing campaign designed to kill civilians and spread terror amongst a population that would then force its Government to capitulate. The theory was fatally flawed against a totalitarian regime where citizens knew that talk of surrender was likely to get one shot. The campaign undoubtedly affected German civilian morale, yet unlike the targeted bombing against industrial infrastructure it did not significantly affec t the Nazi war making capabilities nor convince them to consider surrender whilst Hitler was in power. [13] Despite many aspects of air power theory being flawed and causing what many consider a waste of lives and resources; I believe that the broad application of air power theory by both the British and the Americans played a serious impact in their final victory over the axis powers. Both Douhet and Mitchell believed that in order to maximise the potential of air power, a nation’s air force must be independent of both the army and navy. Williams in particular promoted the idea of a centralised, independent air command for all types of air power, equal in importance and as independent as the army and navy. Despite the near legendary status of the Luftwaffe, it was primarily meant and used as a support for the army, both in the interwar period and throughout the Second World War. The Germans had a limited air strategy, the Luftwaffe lacked complete independence and was not always given the same amount of resources as the army and navy. The British and the Americans both before and during the War placed a huge emphasis on a general air power strategy, giving the RAF and the USAF operational independence to formulate an independent strategy and the huge amount of investment, personnel and resources necessary to carry out that strategy successfully. [14] The comprehensive general air strategy that Britain possessed during the Battle of Britain, with equal emphasis on offence and defence, allowed it to resist the strategically limited Luftwaffe which from the beginning lacked the scientific air power knowledge of the better supported, more independent, RAF. When the allies went on the offensive, gaining air superiority over Europe was vital in both protecting allied land forces and speeding up the advance by inflicting serious damage on German forces of any kind. Once Germany lost control of the skies they were forced back onto the defensive, unable to effectively counter attack without sufficient air cover and with in adequate defence against air power. Although we have previously criticised the civilian bombing of German cities, strategic bombing of German industrial targets undoubtedly slowed down their ability to rebuild their forces and severely hampered the Nazi war economy. [15]Although enthusiastic advocates of air power, by not following through with the main principles of air power theory, the German war machine found itself at a distinct disadvantage against the Western allies. Once USA and Britain had gained domination of the skies, as Douhet and Mitchell had insisted was vital, it was never in doubt that the defeat of Nazi Germany was inevitable. â€Å"The influence of air power on the ability of one nation to impress its will on another in armed contest will be decisive.†[16] During the final stages of the War in the Pacific, the USAF demonstrated that one of Douhet’s most controversial theories, the use of strategic bombing to target not only military and industrial infrastructure but also civilians, could effectively bring a war to an end without the need for military conquest on land. Although the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were credited for ending the war, the conventional heavy bombing of Japan actually inflicted more casualties on Japanese civilians, and played a greater part in destroying Japan’s war making capabilities.[17] Undoubtedly the effect of heavy bombing and dropping of the atomic bombs was the single most important factor in forcing political pressure inside Japan to convince the leadership that surrender was the only option, Japan could simply not continue to fight the war.[18] The atomic bombs were the only time that the Douhet and Williams theories of the destructive potential of a short, decisive ove rwhelming bombing raid that could bring an enemy to its knees proved accurate. For many academics and observers, the strategic bombing of Japan is still considered one of the greatest crimes of the Second World War. Despite the awful suffering it caused however, I would argue that it ultimately did more good than harm, preventing a military land assault on Japan that would have cost potentially the lives of hundreds of thousands of American Soldiers and millions of Japanese citizens. Even without an invasion, conventional heavy bombing would have soon equalled then surpassed the amount killed in Nagasaki and Hiroshima in a relatively short space of time, so devastating was its effectiveness. The unconditional surrender was without doubt the best thing for both Japan and America, and it might never have happened if the atomic bombs had not been dropped. In conclusion then, I believe that ultimately, for the allies, the adoption of the broader aspects of air power theory was a positive thing. Many of what Douhet and Williams said about air power did not come true in the Second World War. It did not replace armies and navies as the pre-eminent factor in warfare. It did not lead to wars being settled in a matter of days with a short, destructive bombing campaign and their predictions of the destructive capabilities and accuracy of conventional strategic bombing, with the possible exception of Japan, were to prove ludicrously optimistic. Undoubtedly however, by adopting Mitchell’s theory of creating a centralised, independent air force that was given the necessary resources to achieve its strategic goals, the United States and Britain had a massive advantage over Nazi Germany’s more limited air strategy. This advantage allowed them to eventually gain air dominance, put the German forces on the back foot and never allow them to re-gain the initiative. Strategic bombing, although causing huge civilian casualties in both Germany and Japan, played a crucial role in crippling the German war machine, and the most important part in forcing an unconditional Japanese surrender. It is for these reasons that I believe that air power theory was overall, a positive and important body of work. Bibliography Collier, Basil – â€Å"A History of Air Power† – Wilmer Brothers (1974) DeSeversky, Alexander – â€Å"Victory Through Air Power† – New York, Simon and Schuster, (1942) Douhet, Giulio – â€Å"The Command of the Air†. – Faber and Faber (1927) Hurley, Alfred – Billy Mitchell, Crusader for Air Power – Bloomington IN: Indiana University Press, (1964). Lee, Asher – â€Å"Goering – Air Leader† Duckworth (1972) MacIsaac, David – â€Å"Voices from the central blue: The Air Power Theorists† In Paret, Peter â€Å"Makers of Modern Strategy- From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age†. – Clarendon Press – Oxford (1986) Mitchell, Billy – Winged Defence – Dover Publications (1989) Murray, Williamson – â€Å"Strategic Bombing: The British, American and German experiences. In Murray, Williamson â€Å"Military Innovation in the Interwar Period.† Cambridge University Press (1998) Overy, R.J. – â€Å"The Air War 1939 – 1945† – Europa Publications Limited (1980) Warner, Edward – â€Å"Douhet, Mitchell, Seversky: Theories of Air Warfare† in â€Å"Makers of Modern Strategy† Princeton University Press (1952) 1 Footnotes [1] Douhet, G – â€Å" (1927) [2] Mitchell, B – (1989) [3] Douhet (ibid) p.199 [4] Douhet (ibid) p.157 [5] Mitchell, (ibid) [6] Warner, E – â€Å" (1952) p.630 [7] MacIsaac, D (1986) p .631 [8] Collier, B (1974) p.93 [9] Overy, R.J (1980) p203 [10] MacIsaac, D (ibid) p.633 [11] Murray, W (1998) p.99 [12] Overy, R.J. (ibid) p.207 [13] MacIsaac, D (ibid) p.637 [14] Overy, R.J. (ibid) p.204 [15] Overy, R.J. (ibid) p208 [16] Mitchell, B (ibid) p.7 [17] Overy, R.J (ibid) p.100 [18] Overy, R.J. (ibid) p.93

Afghanistan :: essays research papers

Afghanistan BACKGROUND:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Afghanistan was subdued and occupied by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (U.S.S.R. i.e. Russia) in 1979. Subsequently in ten years, anti-communist forces provided and trained by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan assisted in the removal of the Soviet power. As the fighting resumed, a fundamentalist Islamic movement referred to as the Taliban managed to seize most of the country. Under their ascendancy, the country of Afghanistan became extremely improvished and suffered from a fallen governmental infrastructure. GEOGRAPHY:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Afghanistan is situated in southern Asia, northwest of Pakistan; east of Iran. It possesses a total land area of 647,500 sq. km. In it’s comparative aspect, Afghanistan is slightly smaller than Texas. Bordering countries such as China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan surrounds it. The land is less than 12% arable. 46% of the land consists of permanent pastures and 3% are occupied with forests and woodlands. Mostly rugged mountains and plains in the north and southwest portion of the country make up it’s terrain. Afghanistan is susceptible to natural hazards such as damaging earthquakes, floods, and droughts. This country has a seasonal climate of arid and semiarid air. They experience cold winters and hot summers. Current environmental issues involve soil degradation, overgrazing, deforestation (much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials), and desertification. This country has e stablished international environment agreements to deter marine dumping and nuclear testing, in addition to the implementation of environmental modification and preservation of it’s endangered species. PEOPLE:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Afghanistan possess a population of 26,818,057 (July 2001 est.) This number consists of 42% under the age of 14, 55% classified between the ages of 15 and 64, and 3% over the age of 65. As of 2001, this country has seen a population growth rate of 3.5%, but this rate exhibits the continuous return of refugees from Iran. The life expectancy of the Afghan people is about 46 years of existence. Afghanistan occupies a multitude of ethnic cultures and groups such as Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek. Most people of this country adopt the religion of Islam with 84% practicing as Sunni Muslims and 15% as Shi’a Muslims. The languages of this country are in a variation of Pashtu, Afghan Persian, Turkic, and much of them in bilingualism. Illiteracy is the prevalent impediment among the Afghan people with only 31% of the population capable of reading and writing.

Social Work Theme

Dave was viciously trampled and famished by his biological mother who is psychologically unsound and always intoxicated (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169). He is treated by his mother as a slave, instead of a young boy or instead of a son (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169).Referred to by his mother as an â€Å"it†, he is made to sleep in the basement where it is extremely cold (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169). In addition to that, the clothes he wears were torn and dirty (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169). He was also usually not given permission to eat; in case his mother feels like feeding him, he will be provided with â€Å"scraps which came from the dog’s bowl† (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169). His condition was noticed by some of the school authorities and later a police came over to help end his dilemma (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169).Social Work Themeâ€Å"A Child Called It’s† social work theme is centered generally on â€Å"problems on living† specifically â€Å"child abuse† (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169). He usually goes hungry when he goes to school; he isn’t provided with breakfast and the same thing happens at home (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169).Dave is allowed to eat so seldom that he usually feels weak working or going to school with an empty stomach (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169). The main character is smacked in the face whenever he forgets what his mother asks him to find (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 31 – 32).He usually is not provided with food; it is fortunate if there would be â€Å"leftovers from one of his brothers’ cereal bowls† and if he was behaved enough for such a reward since usually those would be given to the dog (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 4). When he is caught stealing from the garbage can, he will be slapped; any form of punishment is given to him as long as it is exceedingly agonizing (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 4).He is made to accomplish multiple chores at ho me as well instead of allowing him to play outside with his brother who enjoys the sun so much (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169).His mother was so mad at Dave that she always threatens to kill him (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 83 – 84). There was a time when Dave was stabbed on the chest by his mother (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 83 – 84). However, his mother did not acknowledge that just like what she did when she broke his shoulders (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 83 – 84).Principles in Human ServiceWith â€Å"Dave Pelzer’s† case, I believe that the principle applicable in human service delivery would be â€Å"case management† (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169). This is because in a â€Å"case management†, it is possible to carry out a â€Å"face-to-face comprehensive assessment† (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169).A â€Å"face-to-face comprehensive assessment† is appropriate for â€Å"Dave Pelzer† since he is not really willing to tell the whol e story especially if his mother will eventually be held accountable and sent to jail (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169).Through a one-on-one with the social worker, his strengths and weaknesses will be analyzed by the social worker which will help the latter come up with an â€Å"individualized service plan† in consideration of what the client acknowledges as â€Å"main concerns, desired result, as well as, interventions to be utilized (Pelzer, 1995, pp. 1 – 169).

Business

Business Introduction There has been an increased level of business competition in the business environment as a result of the highly dynamic nature of the current world, as well as the rapidly changing customer needs. The advancement in technology has also been a factor that has contributed to the increase in the level of competition.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business-Level Strategy: Alibaba specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organizations find themselves under pressure because they need to maintain their high performance, despite the stiff competition facing them (Hill and Jones 10). They strive to emerge the most competitive or get the highest share of the market to maximize their sales and profitability. A business organization that needs to be in a position to compete favorably is required to have a strategic plan that is usually developed by the strategic managers. Strategic management usually constitutes the formu lation of the primary objectives that a company wants to achieve in a specified period (Hill and Jones 11). The plan outlines how the objectives are to be achieved, given the available resources, internal, as well as the external environment in which the business is operating. Strategic management typically provides direction on how the organizational goals will be achieved. It also generates policies and guidelines on how the available resources should be allocated to maximize the company’s potential. In business, there could be business level strategies that generally guide the operations of that specific company. This essay will focus on the business level strategies of Alibaba. Alibaba is a company that is based in China, and it provides online business services to its clients. E-commerce has become increasingly common in organizations following the current advancements in technology. Technology has led to the establishment of organizations like Alibaba, whose core busine ss is e-commerce. The company has adopted a generic strategy, as well as a grand strategy that has been guiding its business activities.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Alibaba’s Generic Strategy The generic strategy that the company has adopted is cost leadership. It is a strategy whereby the company sells its goods at a low price. It is also a strategy that normally targets the mass market. Most customers are willing to buy goods at the lowest possible price, but they want quality products at the same time (Kozami 32). Alibaba has been able to lower its costs of operation through the use of technology. As mentioned earlier, the company’s core business is based on e-commerce. It means that technology is the major factor towards the success of Alibaba’s business. It is imperative to note that technology has been essential in the cost reduction of many organizations across the world. Alibaba is a company that sells goods at a relatively small price. First, it has been able to reduce its operations costs because the costs that are related to stock are either not incurred, or they are very low. The company does not need to have warehouses for storing finished goods. Instead, the goods are displayed on the website, whereby the customers can view them online and make the purchases through the online purchase methods that have been provided on the Internet by Alibaba. Operating as an online business contributes to huge reductions in the cost of holding stock, ordering costs, and other stock related costs. Secondly, the company does not have physical shops or outlet stores. It means that Alibaba does not incur costs like rent for the stores or lease costs. Therefore, Alibaba can cut down its operation costs significantly, as well as other expenses that the company is either able to eradicate or reduce significantly by virtue of being an online business. The benefits are reflected in the selling price of goods and services that the company offers. One important point that should be noted is that the primary objective of the company is to provide a basis through which the Chinese manufacturers can link up with customers from overseas. It means that Alibaba does not actually have its stock, which reduces the operational costs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business-Level Strategy: Alibaba specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The buyers from the international market can search for goods manufactured in China through the help of the shopping search engine that is provided by Alibaba. They also can make orders online from the Alibaba website. From the other end, the manufacturers can see the orders and organize deliveries. However, Alibaba charges a small fee for the service. Alibaba enables the manufacturers’ goods to be viewed by many peo ple, thereby increasing the chances of making high sales for the manufacturers. The costs are, therefore, low on the side of the customer. It should be noted that the customers of Alibaba are the manufacturers or companies whose goods are available on the website, as well as the overseas buyers. The international customer does not have to travel all the way to China to make a purchase or view the goods. Therefore, the buyer can reduce costs significantly. On the other hand, the manufacturer does not have to open stores overseas for displaying goods. Therefore, the manufacturer can reduce the operations costs because they are not necessarily required to open stores. The reduction of costs reflects on the selling price of the company’s goods because they are relatively low-priced. Alibabas strategy is based on cost leadership; therefore, it aims to lower the operating costs as much as possible. It also targets the mass market where many people can access the website. Alibabaâ⠂¬â„¢s Grand Strategy The grand strategy is more or less the same as the corporate strategy of a business. It is a strategy that guides the operations of an enterprise organization and shapes the business, in general. Grand strategies help a business to achieve its long-term goals and objectives.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, in its grand strategy, a business organization should plan all its operations right from its product design and development to liquidation. Different business organizations have different grand strategies, based on the nature of the business and their surrounding situations. The major factors that are notable in grand strategic planning are market growth, product development, strategic alliances, organization development, and turnaround strategies, among others (Kozami 169). The grand strategy of Alibaba is market growth. The company looks into a future whereby it will have more people seeking its services. It wants to expand its services such that users will be in a position to find whatever they want in the website. According to Mr. Joe Tsai, who is the executive vice chairman of the organization, Alibaba wishes to stretch its services to banking, entertainment, education, and travel, among other areas of operations (Carsten and Miller par. 3). The company also wishes t o develop a mobile application whereby customers will be able to purchase mutual funds from Alibaba using their phones. In addition, the company aims to offer insurance services whereby customers will be able to safeguard their homes using insurance cover that will be referred to as the Alibaba Insurance. It will also create an Alibaba credit card that will facilitate the ordering process and speed up delivery of the ordered goods. Alibaba wishes to reach as many customers as possible in the future. It wants to expand its market in any area that will be effective in increasing the number of users that will be visiting the website in the search for various services. Once the company can expand its market, it will be in a position to increase the sales and revenue it gets from the services it offers. There are a number of advantages that are associated with the grand strategy that Alibaba has sought to adapt. The market growth strategy is a strategy whereby the company bears a very lo w risk in relation to other grand strategies. The company can decide to expand its market through expanding the market niche of its products. It means that Alibaba will not have to invest in research and development or create new products; this lowers risks significantly. On the other hand, the company can decide to develop new products with the aim of expanding its market. Expansion should come after a comprehensive market feasibility study to determine what the market needs. If the company conducts the market feasibility study, then it lowers the risks as it is sure of what the market needs before developing or producing the same. In the case of Alibaba, it does not need to establish links with various manufacturing and service companies. Consequently, it will be able to provide the various services to the different customers and expand its market growth. The company will face very small or no risks in executing this strategy. How Well Alibaba’s Current Strategy is working and the Major Strategic Issues that Management Needs to Address Having been established in the year 1999 and grown to become one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world, it is an indication that Alibaba’s strategy is working in its favor. It is an approach that has enabled Alibaba to achieve its objectives, both in the short-run and in the long-run. The cost-leadership generic strategy has helped Alibaba acquire many customers, thereby maximizing its sales and revenues. Alibaba helps in simplifying the process of buying goods sold through its website without compromising the quality. The simple process of purchasing items on the website could, probably, be the major factor that has led to the company achieving the success it has acquired today. It is expected that pursuing this strategy will lead to more success in the future. On the other hand, the grand strategy of Alibaba is to expand its market in the future and get as many users as it can. It is also a strategy that is highly viable. It puts Alibaba in a prime position for success in the future by the virtue of it being a low-risk strategy. It is important to note that managers of organizations are always looking for ways that can increase the business performance, but maintain as little risk as possible at the same time. Managers aim to maximize returns at the lowest risk possible (Kozami 34). Through its current grand strategy, Alibaba will be able to reduce the risk and at the same time increase its users and its performance. The strategy is working for the company, as Alibaba has been engaged in various additional services, such as the venture into the entertainment industry, among others. The only major strategic issue that the management of Alibaba should, probably, address is the market growth strategy. In the growth strategy, Alibaba’s management might need to invest in more research and development. The company may need to understand the current market trends, the changing needs of customers, and the varying demands of goods and services. In doing so, it will be in a position to offer products and services that the market needs, rather than offering many services that may not be required by the customers. The market research should consider the fact that the needs of clients are changing rapidly, thereby calling for organizations to be highly dynamic. Organizations that fail to evolve with the needs of the clients stand a high chance of being rivaled. Strategic Options that Seem Viable for Alibaba First, it should be noted that the current generic strategy best fits Alibaba. Moreover, it may not be feasible to adopt other generic strategies. For instance, it might be difficult to adopt the differentiation strategy, given the fact that Alibaba does not produce goods on its own. Moreover, it would be difficult to influence the quality of products. In addition, it would not be easy to limit the availability of the website to specific classes of customers . Therefore, the cost-leadership strategy could be the only viable generic strategy for Alibaba to adopt. On the other hand, Alibaba has a viable option in its grand strategy. It can opt to adopt strategic alliances as a grand strategy. This is a strategy that will more or less serve a similar purpose as the current market growth strategy. In the strategic alliance strategy, the company will seek to collaborate with other organizations that have goods or services that will boost its operations. Strategic Recommendation(s)/Conclusion Alibaba has been able to achieve great success in its operations over the years. It is an indication that Alibaba has a strategy that has been working well. The cost leadership strategy has been highly successful for the company. In fact, this could be the only viable generic strategy that the company has because the others, differentiation and focus strategies, might difficult to even integrate or establish in its operations. The grand strategy has also been successful and helped the company achieve its objectives. However, I would recommend that the company should combine its market growth strategy with the strategic alliance strategy. Although either of the two strategies would achieve good results, a combination of the two would increase the magnitude of success because the company would be able to expand its market growth. At the same time, it would also be able to create alliances with other business organizations that would boost it in its strategizing activities. Alibaba would collaborate with organizations that would complement its operations. This would have an enormous impact in terms of organizational growth and development, as well as goal achievement. Alibaba, therefore, does not need to change its current strategy, but it may opt to combine the two strategies, which are market growth strategy and strategic alliances for better results. Carsten, Paul, and Matthew Miller. Alibaba’s Grand Vision for E-Commerce E mpire Includes Insurance Wells Media Group, 2014. Web. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2014/04/03/325351.htm Hill, Charles W. L., and Gareth R. Jones. Strategic Management. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Kozami, Azhar. Business Policy and Strategic Management. New-Delhi: McGraw-Hill Published, 2005. Print.

How does Shakespeare present the relationship between ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in the early part of the play Essays

How does Shakespeare present the relationship between ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in the early part of the play Essays How does Shakespeare present the relationship between ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in the early part of the play Paper How does Shakespeare present the relationship between ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in the early part of the play Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet In the 16th century a patriarchal society, where men dominated women, meant that women had very little say in marriages. When Shakespeare first introduced ‘Romeo and Juliet’ for the first time their type of relationship was unheard of and controversial. Arranged marriages were very common at the time depending on your social status and love had no meaning. Women had no rights and were viewed as the ‘property’ of the husband. Men also had no respect for women and often raided other villages for wives. At the time marrying at the age of 12 appeared to be normal, however now is frowned at, yet viewing this from an undeveloped, cultural country would still appear to be normal. Shakespeare presented relationships by the way the characters interacted, using dramatic devices and also further enhanced it with the backdrop feud. The males in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ are usually portrayed as aggressive, competitive and violent; on the other hand women being the weaker and subordinate sex are dominated by the male. ‘Tis true; and therefore women being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall;† From this scene you can see that women are being seen as weak and are not worth the males time so will be pushed up against the wall. Women are perceived as the males ‘property’ and are expected to listen to them without question. Also the males are the more dominant gender throughout the play. Shakespeare was presenting the play as it was; the stereotypical image of men being boisterous and women who had no right or owned anything. Shakespeare portrayed Romeo and Juliet as equal instead of the stereotypical imbalance of equality of the 16th century. At the beginning of the play you can see a disheartened Romeo. He thinks he has fallen in love with Rosaline when in actual fact he hasn’t. â€Å"Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! † Romeo is depicted as a ‘typical Petrarchan lover’ where he loves Rosaline but she doesn’t love him back because she wanted to remain a celibate. Romeo does not actually love Rosaline as when he later meets Juliet he forgets Rosaline very quickly and shows a more passionate love towards Juliet. Shakespeare emphasises Romeo’s love by using an oxymoron, which creates a paradoxical image in the readers mind confusing them and generates a new concept or meaning. Romeo’s relationship with Juliet was love at first sight. Their love for each other was passionate instead of being forced like it usually was at the time. â€Å"If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this†. The social context at the time meant that love marriage wasn’t common however Romeo and Juliet immediately fall in love when they first meet each other. Juliets love for Romeo is innocent as she is inexperienced in the topic of love, whereas Romeo falls in and out of love easily and immediately wants to marry her. Romeo compares Juliet to a holy shrine and offers his lips as pilgrims to kiss her. Here, Shakespeare is using religious imagery to show that their love for each other is pure and good. He is also subverting the gender roles, undermining the established social context, where the male is dominant but here Juliet is the more dominant character. The famous balcony scene from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is one of the most romantic scenes in the play. â€Å"It is the east and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon†. Here Romeo is comparing Juliet to a sun; he is saying that she is a bright angel and more beautiful than the moon. Previously Juliet was compared to a shrine and now to a sun portraying how Romeo feels for Juliet and how what position he has for Juliet in his heart. Furthermore, Shakespeare is using a metaphor to portray that everything revolves around Juliet and she is a life-force. Again, Shakespeare is subverting the gender roles; he is making Juliet the powerful character. You can see this by the positioning of Romeo, on the ground, and Juliet higher up than him, in the balcony, symbolising she is more dominant. Further proof of this is Juliet making daring actions, such as asking Romeo to marry her. To conclude the significant thing I notice is the context during which the play was written. It was ground-breaking in the sense of how Shakespeare presented relationships and gender roles and portrayed them so realistically. It was rare for such a play to be released with such passionate romance. Personally, this play has highlighted how lucky we are in the modern society, to be able to have the freedom to fall in love with who we want. However, the fact remains that this still is an on-going problem in third world countries where they are retaining the tradition of arranged marriages. So this cannot come as a shock because gender stereotypes still exist in cultural families, even though we are unaware of it living in a developed modern society.

Assignment Financial Accounting and Reporting Essay

Assignment Financial Accounting and Reporting - Essay Example The creditors assess the ability of a company to repay their loan. Hence, ratios pertaining to leverage and cash flows are essential for the company’s creditors and bondholders. Existing and potential Shareholders: Existing shareholders need the financial accounts to assess the long term viability of their investment whereas potential shareholders also require financial information to decide the future prospects of the company (Porter & Norton, 2012). This aids in deciding whether the investor should invest in the company or not. Shareholders generally look at the company’s ratios such as return on equity, dividend yield and price to earnings ratio to assess whether to invest or to not invest in company. Governmental Agencies: Tax collection agencies are interested in a company’s financial accounts to ascertain the tax that a corporation must pay to the government. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) prescribes the manner in which financial statements are pr esented and hence effectively is a user of company’s financial accounts (Sofat & Hiro, 2006). Stock brokers and financial analysts: Financial analysts use a company’s financial counts to prepare financial reports advising their clients to invest in a particular stock. Supplier: Suppliers of a company also use financial accounts to assess whether the company would be able to honour its payments. Suppliers look at a company’s accounts payable and if the accounts payable are very high, it indicates that the company’s creditworthiness is low. Suppliers are also concerned with liquidity ratios such as current ratio and acid test ratio to ascertain a company’s ability to meet short term commitments. 2. Financial Accounts are prepared by a company itself and the information presented in the financial accounts is only available with the internal sources of a company. Hence a company can twist the factual information to present a glossy picture of the compa ny in order to entice investors to invest in the company. This is why the role of auditors and regulators is very important in the presentation of financial accounts. Regulations safeguard the interests of external user of financial accounts so that the information presented by the company is free of any bias and errors. The regulations require that the companies present the financial information accurately on an annual basis and the statements should be duly audited by an external auditor. Moreover, the financial accounts should give a true and fair picture of the company and the company should not attempt to misrepresent any information. Moreover, the requirements differ if a company is a sole proprietorship, partnership or a public limited company. A company also needs to adopt accounting standards based on the location it operates in. International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is an independent standard setting body of IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) foun dation (IFRS, 2013). A company has to claim compliance with IFRS and present its account on the basis to IFRS. This helps in comparing the financial statements of various companies across an industry and helps in deciding whether the company’s performance has improved or worsened compared t the overall industry’s performance. On the other hand, FASB (Financial Accounting Standards Board) also establish accounting standards in the United States and the companies operating in the US have to

Importance of Good Communication Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 22

Importance of Good Communication Skills - Essay Example Huge tasks were easily achieved through team work proper cooperation amongst individuals. Lack of teamwork resulted into a series of disagreements and the struggle for superiority which slowed down progress. In addition to the two lessons I have mentioned above, I also learnt on the importance of proper leadership skills especially for the managers of the organization. Poor leadership skills, such as lack of rules and regulations in the organization can sink down an organization like it attempted to in this organization. Personally, I have added value to my organization through learning the foreign language Spanish for 60 hours in three months, hence enabling me to communicate effectively with Spanish speaking clients. Many Spanish speakers therefore feel a sense of belonging to the organization (Tovey, 1998). My professional development as a sales agent through the learning of Spanish has spiraled me to higher levels. I was, six months ago appointed to be the regional supervisor for sales agent for six states with a major on the states populated with Mexicans, with a salary that is twice what I got as a sales agent. Besides my organization and my clients gaining from my development, my family has also gained. This is because, my monthly income has improved, and I can afford a better house, and a better school for my children. To identify my learning and professional needs, I look at the needs of the clients and the organization at large. For example I identified the need to study Spanish to communicate with the increasing number of clients of Mexican Origin. In the next one year, I seek to advance my skills in the sales industry by acquiring a Masters degree in Sales and Marketing. Secondly, I would also like to develop my team functioning skills by enrolling for classes with the human resource department.