Money Matters

Money Matters Money is desired by everyone, but the majority of wealth is held by only a small percentage of people in society. Is this minority of the rich as happy as we think they should be with all that money? Two songs regarding currency will help answer this; Pink Floyd’s song, â€Å"Money†, from the album The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and AC/DC’s song, â€Å"Money Talks†, from the album The Razors Edge (1990). â€Å"Money† presents the idea that money allows the individual to get what they want. Money Talks† presents the idea that money allows the individual to get whomever they want. At the heart of both of these songs it is evident that the song writers wanted the listener to know the cycle of money and obtaining materialistic things which suggest that the key point being conveyed by these songs is that money enables greed which can lead to negative behavior. People often want money to make them feel happier; this is accomplished b y buying materialistic things or by trying to buy an individual’s affection or approval.But do these things really make us happy, or do they just give us more problems like greed and physical conflicts? According to Sonja Lyubomirsky , from The Scientific American, â€Å"The single biggest culprit, I argue, is that having money raises our aspirations about the happiness that we expect in our daily lives, and these raised aspirations can be toxic. † (Lyumbomirsky). The more one achieves, the more one wants, is the definition of greed.This is a viscous cycle that, if fueled by enough money, can end in bad decisions or negative behavior. For example, if you are conditioned to eating at nice restaurants, and then you go to a fast food chain, you wouldn’t be as satisfied in comparison to always going to fast food restaurants and not knowing the luxurious pleasure of dining at a fancy establishment. (Lyumbomirsky) Money can buy nice things and services, but it will no t always eliminate stress and bad moods.A Princeton University Study published in 2010 concluded that income is directly proportional to emotional experiences up to about $75,000 a year where it plateaus. (Staff) This study analyzed over 450,000 responses from over 1,000 test subjects on a daily basis asking questions about the previous day’s emotional experiences. These results are quite interesting but throughout the whole study it was evident that there were still daily stresses and depressing times regardless of your social and economical status. Staff) Instead of contentment and happiness, too much money can just lead to greed. Both songs, â€Å"Money† and â€Å"Money Talks† have the same social issue at their core, money. According to both songs if money allows you to get everything you desire, then ultimately it will cause greed and result in immoral decisions. The key difference in the songs is that in â€Å"Money† they want to get materialistic t hings and in â€Å"Money Talks† they money to buy materialistic things to attract the individuals they want.This is shown when Pink Floyd says â€Å"Money, it’s a gas Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash New car, caviar, four star daydream Think I’ll buy me a football team† in â€Å"Money,† and when AC/DC says â€Å"Hey little girl, you want it all The furs, the diamonds, the painting on the wall come on come on lovin’ for the money† in â€Å"Money Talks. † Both songs describe individuals using money to reach their aspirations, possessions or people. After using money to obtain their wants, each song describes the resulting negative consequences.By using money to attract a female mate, â€Å"Money Talks† describes the kind of immoral tendencies of a woman who is attracted by money. This effect is shown in the lyric â€Å"Hey little girl, you broke the laws You hustle, you deal, you steal from us all. † In â€Å"Money†, Pink Floyd plainly states â€Å"Money, so they say Is the root of all evil today. † Then the song describes a dispute over wanting more money, beginning with the lyric â€Å"But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that they’re giving none away. † Both songs depict the negative results created from too much money by describing greedy and immoral behavior based around wanting more. Money† is a story of the natural progression of money and greed. The song starts with a man who gets a good job, then buys expensive things, and then the greed of the money causes him to make a physical dispute started by asking for more money. The grooving beat starts with the sounds of a cash register, coins, and money to let the audience conform to the subject. When the instruments join the materialistic set groove, the piano, bass, and drums create a walking feeling to simulate someone on the move spending money.When the singer starts the first verse , he immediately talks about making money and spending money, which perfectly matches the sound effects and walking groove set up by the instrumental intro. The second verse describes the next stage of money and greed, which is using money for the rush like a drug. This connection is shown in the lyric â€Å"money, it’s a hit,† so spending money is like taking a hit of a mind altering substance. Just like drug use, money use can lead to bad judgment and skewed values.After the last line of the second verse, â€Å"And I think I need a Lear jet,† the guitarists and piano take turns to create a three minute psychedelic solo. The solo is very relaxing and enjoyable, simulating the early stages of drug use, or in this case, money use. The last sung verse describes the obsession of money leading to negative things such as crime and fights. The verse ends with the line â€Å"But if you ask for a raise it’s no surprise that they’re giving none away. † This line shows the subject needing more money to fuel his expensive spending addiction.The verse shows greed on both ends of the interaction, because the subject wants more money and the employer does not want to share any money. After this verse, the background tells a story of an argument which ended in a fist fight. Though not specifically stated, the listener can conclude from the reoccurrence of the music from the intro that the dispute started from spending too much money. â€Å"Money Talks† starts out with a twenty second instrumental introduction that has an upbeat tempo and really makes the listener want to tap their feet and nod their head .The fast happy mood directly contradicts the subject matter, which is closely related to prostitution. This kind of contradiction is known as musical irony. After ACDC sets the foundation for a happy and energetic song, the singer dives right into what money can do for you, â€Å"Tailored suits, chauffeured cars, Fine hotels and big cigars†. The singer has a natural energetic growl sound, but he will slightly change the volume or intensity of his tone depending on what the lyrics are saying. Every line that deals with negative behavior due to spending, the singer will mark it by adding slight emphasis to his voice.The first verse is sung with a pretty consistent tone until he introduces his female target by stating â€Å"Hey little girl, you want it all,† then he adds slightly more growl to his voice. After the first chorus, the subject takes a turn almost into a business proposition as the man asks what services she offers and how much she would like to be paid evidenced by these lyrics â€Å"So what do you do that’s guaranteed †¦ love me for the money Come on, come on, listen to the money talk†. During this line, the singer raises his volume, as well as his energy to show the decline of moral behavior with the increase of spending.The last line of this verse, â€Å"Yo u hustle, you deal, you steal from us all† is sung with more edge and energy than any other line of the song. This lyric directly shows how someone could be stuck in the cycle of compromising morals for money. Even though the music has little to do with the subject, the singer makes the lyric music connection by adding slightly more energy to the lines depicting negative behavior in relation to spending and making money. Money or wealth is an attribute of daily life for everyone. Unfortunately, having too much money can cause problems for the user and recipient in the form of greed.Pink Floyd’s song â€Å"Money† goes through the cycle of wealth by starting with making the money and then ends by describing a dispute driven by greed. ACDC depicts their view of the corruption of money by telling the story of a man who uses money to get women, also known as prostitution. Both songs accurately portray the negative connotations attached to wealth in today’s soci ety by ending their songs on greedy behavior started by obtaining and spending too much money. ? Bibliography Lyumbomirsky, Sonja. Scientific American. 10 August 2010. 15 April 2012. . Staff, PNAS and World Science. World Science. 8 September 2010. 14 April 2012. .

Firearms at a Crime Scene Essay

After a firearm has been photographed at the scene, it will be necessary to be rendered safe. An automatic pistol will require its magazine to be removed and the round extracted from the chamber. When removing the magazine it will need to be handled carefully in order to preserve potential fingerprint evidence and be placed in a paper or plastic evidence bag. The round from the chamber should be placed in a plastic vial or paper envelope. A revolver will need to have the rounds taken from the chambers within the cylinder. The chamber that is on top and in line with the barrel will need to be marked. The cylinder and chambers should be sketched and assigned numbers. As the rounds are removed from the chambers, they need to be placed in individual plastic vials or paper envelopes with a corresponding chamber number indicated. Regardless of type, automatic or revolver, each firearm will need to have an identification tag affixed to its trigger guard. The identification tag needs to contain the hammer position, caliber, make, model and serial number of the firearm, the investigators name, date, time, and location of collection. An additional identifier can be scratched on to the firearm, in an inconspicuous location, and in a manner that will not damage potential evidence. If the firearm was recovered from under the water’s surface, it will need to be cleared as mentioned previously, pertinent details recorded, and placed in an evidence container that will allow it to remain covered in the same water that it was found. The firearm should not be cleaned or allowed to dry. The rounds recovered from either type of weapon will need to be packaged individually, preferably in plastic vials or paper envelopes. Each vial or envelop will need to be accompanied by the following information: date, time and location of recovery, caliber, and investigators name. If a bullet is found at the scene it should be handled carefully in order to protect the striation marks. Bullets should not be pulled out of materials that they are lodged in; the surrounding materials should be broken or chiseled away. The bullet should be marked either on the point or the base, wrapped in tissue paper, placed in a plastic vial or envelope, and the afore mentioned information attached to the applicable evidence container. Spent shell casings, if found, should be picked up with tweezers or forceps, marked with an identifier near the mouth of the casing, packaged individually in plastic vials or envelopes, and be accompanied by the previously mentioned pertinent information. It is imperative that the chain of custody reflects the change of possession when any item is handed over to a laboratory or testing facility.

Measure the Current Understanding of Chlamydia in the UK Essay

Measure the Current Understanding of Chlamydia in the UK - Essay Example Chlamydia is very common in western countries. â€Å"Chlamydia is the most common STI in the UK. It affects both sexes, although young women are more at risk. In 2009, 216,000 people were treated at genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics for Chlamydia. Of these, 130,000 were women, and 86,000 were men. Many more cases were treated by GPs or by private doctors. And it’s thought that tens of thousands of other people have caught the infection, but they are unaware that they’ve got it. Screening has recently shown that in some parts of Britain, 10 per cent to 20 per cent young adults have Chlamydia† (Okkhattak 2012). Chlamydia is known as a silent disease, because in most cases Chlamydia doesn’t show any symptoms. â€Å"Around 70-80% of women with Chlamydia don't notice any symptoms. If women do get symptoms, the most common  include:   Pain when urinating (peeing) A change in vaginal discharge Pain in the lower abdomen Pain and/or bleeding during sex Blee ding after sex Bleeding between periods Heavier periods than usual† (Symptoms of Chlamydia 2011). As many as 1 in 4 men with Chlamydia have no symptoms. In men, Chlamydia may produce symptoms similar to gonorrhea. Symptoms may include: Burning sensation during urination Discharge from the penis or rectum Testicular tenderness  or pain Rectal discharge or pain† (Chlamydia 2010). 1. Prevalence of STIs in England then lead to the prevalence of STIs in London, then link it to Chlamydia. There has been a substantial increase in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases in the United Kingdom, especially among the young. â€Å"In 2009 there were 482, 696 new STI diagnoses in the UK, 3 per cent more than in 2008. Young people aged between 15 and 24 continue to be the group most affected by STIs in the UK. In 2009, around two thirds of new STI diagnoses in women were in those aged under 25, and over half of the new diagnoses in men were in under 25s† (Sexually Trans mitted Infections Fact sheet (November 2010)). The residents of urban areas in London are more affected with acute STIs. There can be many reasons for that, like increased population, more people having sex with infected people etc. Chlamydia is the most common STI, diagnosed in the United Kingdom. â€Å"Since 1999 the number of annual cases of Chlamydia has more than doubled. In 2008 there were 123,018 new diagnoses of Chlamydia in GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinics, which was a record number. Between 2008 and 2009, an estimated 16 percent of young people aged between 15 and 24 in England were tested for Chlamydia at a community setting (outside GUM clinics).By 2009, an estimated 1.5 million Chlamydia tests performed under the programme† (STD Statistics and STDs in the UK n.d.). The rate of Chlamydia infection will be much larger, since Chlamydia remains undetected, and also because people don’t come forward for testing. But Chlamydia can be easily diagnosed and if diagnosed, and treated, it is easily curable. 2. What are the modes of transmission of STI’s especially Chlamydia? In gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis, HIV, hepatitis, STI is transmitted by vaginal, anal or oral sex, in which exchange of body fluids takes place. It can also be transmitted through skin to skin contact, like genital warts, herpes, scabies, and pubic lice. Some are transmitted thro

The Behavior of the Marketer Both Before and After the Purchase Research Paper

The Behavior of the Marketer Both Before and After the Purchase - Research Paper Example Purchasing was not a big task around two-three decades before. The only thing the consumers thought before purchasing a product earlier was about the necessity of the product and the financial abilities of the consumer. But at present, the consumer needs and the behaviours have changed a lot. The living,g standards and the levels are changed a lot and based on that the consumer behaviours also changed. Moreover, the competition is so stiff nowadays that even for a particular product, dozens of options are available for the consumers. Because of this increased availability of different brands of products, consumers are more selective nowadays. They compare the features of a product with competing products before taking their purchasing decisions. Marketers found it extremely difficult to convince the current consumers. Current Consumers consider so many factors before making a purchasing decision. Two of my neighbours recently purchased two cars from different suppliers. I have interv iewed them to learn more about the current trends in the consumer behaviours before the purchasing. I have asked the same questions to both of them their responses taken as the base for writing this paper. For convenience, I call them consumer A and consumer B in this paper. Consume,r A was richer and more educated than Consumer B. Moreover, consumer A was working in the city as a system analyst in a multinational company whereas consumer B was a teacher in a rural school. For convenience, I have used the responses of both the consumers to each question alternatively to get a good comparison about the different purchasing behaviours of people.

REPORT-Telsa Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

REPORT-Telsa Motors - Essay Example It must also look for strategies that are sustainable, acceptable and feasible when seeking to maintain a competitive edge in the industry. Other companies are also making good use of the stable social attributes that meet the core demands of the society through the development of new strategies while reinforcing the present one. Franchising would be a good idea for its new European market as well as using stability strategies in the new markets. Diversification will provide Tesla with the needed understanding of the market and an opportunity to come up with new means of creating a stable cash flow. The automotive industry has been growing at an exponential rate given the increased globalisation. Financial developments have also made it easier for people to afford cars from different dealers. This has allowed them to make better choices in meeting their main demands, as well as allow the growth of the society based on their purchasing power. Ideally, the industry has also been a big boost to the growth of the economy. This means it has had different encounters with a variety of forces such as the political, social, economic, legal, technological and the main attributes that assist the companies to develop better from a global perspective. Of greater importance in this report is the Tesla motor company. This will be reviewed based on its external and internal environments, strategic positioning and PR. Any company that wishes to grow its profitability and market share must be willing to conduct an audit of its services in a variety of departments to effect changes where need be. It is important to note that the automotive industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Globalisation has played a key role in making companies expand their reach across the globe. The aspect of outsourcing has also played a huge role in meeting the main demands of these

QUANTITATIVE DECISION MAKING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

QUANTITATIVE DECISION MAKING - Essay Example The catastrophe had halted its domestic production and suspended its manufacturing operation because two of its refinery and assembly plants near the epicenter of the earthquake had been burned (â€Å"Japan Earthquake†). Due to this event, Toyota had experienced a decline in their monthly sales and reported the biggest lost in the company’s history. Forecasting underlying demand for steel in Japan is made to be difficult, â€Å"since substantial part of Japanese domestic steel consumption depends on exports of products containing steel, such as the automobile and consumer durables sectors† (Old et al., 92). In addition, the event is difficult to forecast for it is critical for the company to evaluate the impact of the natural disaster to worldsteel demand. However, the worldsteel Economics Committee forecasted that â€Å"apparent steel use will increase by 5.9% to 1,359 mmt for 2011, following 13.2% growth in 2010. In 2012, it is forecast that world steel demand will grow further by 6.0% to reach a new record of 1,441 mmt† (â€Å"Worldsteel†). But the forecast is said to be biased for it is prepared before the occurrence of the natural disaster. It is illustrated in figure 1, the historical relationship of global GDP and steel industry from 2009 to 2010.

Letters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letters - Essay Example This draws reference to the way they have mistreated the Negro population at the time they pray. Freedom has been denied and this is what disappoints King. Ethical argument: By informing his audience that he is not unmindful of the fact that a number of them have taken steps in handling the issue amicably, he implies that he is sensitive. This wins the clergymen’s love after he has admonished their poor leadership. He finds it important to appreciate the efforts sop far involved so that they can keep on improving. King decides to speak this way after realizing that most black people were being discriminated in church matters and therefore it is imperative that this kind of attitude is discouraged among the clergymen. The church essentially should unit people. Their grievances were not being put forward. He realized that demonstrations had increased among the African American populace following the bad treatment they received from other white people in the United States of

Ethics of the Sale of Body Parts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics of the Sale of Body Parts - Essay Example The National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 outlaws remittances and compensations to individuals who provide body parts for transplantation. This legislation was prompted by the need to curb the sale of body parts from living individuals, as well as by the need to prevent the likelihood of people selling rights for the removal of their body parts upon death. Even though remittances to donors are prohibited, organ procurement agencies are however allowed by the act to receive payment for the removal and shipping of organs. The revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 1987, is however categorical that the sale of human organs is illegal within the United States. In section 10, the revised version states that, individuals should not intentionally for valuable reasons, sell or purchase human organs for therapy or transplantation, if the removal of such organ is meant to be carried out after the demise of the decedent. But valuable reasons in this case do not include realistic payment for dis posal, removal, preservation, storage, quality control, shipping and implantation of an organ. Prohibition of human organs trade in the U.S was necessitated by the emergence of kidney markets in the early 1980’s. Such kidneys were being obtained from living individuals in exchange for a fee, with most of those kidneys being acquired from poor members in the society (Browning, 2001). There are various sources of ethics that apply to the sale of body parts. The following section of this paper addresses five of such ethical issues, but in this case, the biomedical products are not addressed. The sale of human organs raises various ethical arguments both in support and against such undertaking. There are two main arguments that are regularly advanced is support of organ sale. First is the rationale that an individual’s organs belong solely to them and therefore everyone is at liberty to do anything with their body organs. Second is the argument that the scarcity of organs is so severe such that extreme measures are required in the acquisition of additional organs – and that if trade in human organs would avail more body parts, then the trade is justified. There are also various arguments that have been put forth against the sale of organs and three of those are concerned with commodification of human anatomy, exploitation of the poor and the unjustifiable pressure endured by potential donors. In regard to commodification, it is often argued that selling one’s organs is synonymous with debasing oneself and equating a human’s worth to that of ordinary commodities. Therefore whereas one has the right to use their body for one’s own benefit, they cannot permanently avail their bodies or part of their anatomy to others (Burd & Kerbeshian, 1998). Another argument raised against the sale of human organs is that it inherently leads to the exploitation of the poor by the rich. Generally, it is the poor who sell their organ to the r ich and not the other way round. Thirdly, individuals who sell parts of their bodies may be put under pressure to perish by those people who at the benefiting end of the subsequent organ harvest. Every so often, concerns have been raised that some doctors are keen to have life support

Learning Coaching Supporting Young people Essay Example for Free

Learning Coaching Supporting Young people Essay 1. Understand and implement the mentoring process My experience as a Learning Coach has led my sessions to move on from one to one with each student and can now include Group sessions. Group sessions involving a small group can be as effective when compared to one to one interaction. Before the group is brought together I can decide on which students might interact better with each other, for example a group I have worked with included 2 boys and 2 girls who didn’t know each other well in the school but were all studying the same subject, I considered if any prejudgement would prevent the group from bonding so chose this setup. The first session involved planning the steps that would be involved and purpose for having them in a group environment. I set goal deadline to meet within the group so they were aware of how long the time period would be, in this case 4 sessions over 4 weeks. The goal I had set was to discuss revision techniques and different Learning styles with, by the fourth week I hoped to have achieved an understanding for how they can motivate each other while learning from each other. As a group they had all been properly introduced to one another and indentified key areas they were struggling in with the particular subject they had in common. I used a group exercise where they created two spider diagrams labelling the parts they like and didn’t like in the subject, they were quick to indentify similar areas they were either stronger or weaker in as a group. Following the previous session I had each member of the group complete a VAK (Visual Auditory Kinesthetic) Questionnaire to indentify their own Learning Style. They all came out stronger in the Visual/Auditory side of learning and I showed them techniques such as using diagrams and bright colours, discussing topics as a group and making short notes that can be revisited. Each member of the group seemed keen to get involved and contribute their own ideas as we went along. To keep motivation high I always used positive comments as they worked, having the understanding and deadline established at the beginning helped them reach the goal and work together As the group reached the final session we reviewed the work involved and how they had achieved the understanding of what was set out. I asked them to explain by each of them writing 3 key points they had learned that could involve either what they had learnt about Learning styles or about the subject they had applied them in. Although each member had remembered a different point they realised the potential in working as a group. 2. Be able to organise and initiate mentoring support in group settings For a group to come together efficiently you have to consider how they will function as a whole. Will the members of the group bond immediately or will it take some time to reach a normality. You can help this process come together by developing techniques such as creating a Poster or Spider Diagram together about something in common. This will help ease any tension and allow you to see the more dominant members in the group and who might sit back during the process. Bruce Tuckman developed a model that looks at the stages of group development (Web Ref 1) 1. Forming: The group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group. Can be a very important stage as it allows the group to see who is more dominant and how they will work together. 2. Storming: A chaotic Vying for leadership and trialling of group processes This can lead to confrontation in the group if somebody is seen not to get along with the others. Problems in this area would arise from individuals giving a different opinion or idea on how to do the task set before them. 3. Norming: Eventually agreement is reached on how the group operates (norming) Possibly a leader in the group is set out who takes charge. The group might have specific tasks that each of them are focusing on. 4. Performing: The group practices its craft and becomes effective in meeting its objectives. Now that the group can work together they focus on the tasks and perform what they grouped together to achieve. 5. Adjourning: The process of â€Å"unforming† the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on. As it was important for each of them to get together and understand it’s important to leave the process effectively. They each need to recognise what they have done and hopefully be proud of their achievements. Coming away from a group badly can affect future group processes. (Web Ref 1) This model of how a group evolves with each other briefly describes how they operate from the beginning to the end of the group process. Being the Learning Coach allows you to have a unique position in the group allowing you to take on any position you see suitable. It’s advisable to set ground rules for them to follow, these could be to be open and honest, keeping confidentiality within the group, not letting each other down or just respecting each other. With these sort of ground rules in place you can take a position of just watching the group or be a member of the group, if you feel they need some guidance raise the issue they are concerned with and put them on the right path. It is important to consider what differences might be there for the group, so with the ground rules and having them focus on themselves as a whole and trust and respect each other can be a main focus. With some students coming from different backgrounds and diversity’s or having issues they might not want to talk about in a group environment can put a block on the groups progress. Don’t pressure them into these kind of topics and let the group flow naturally. 3. Analyse the mentoring skills, experience and qualities you used in this group setting. When I deal with any students I always try to be friendly and make them feel comfortable to talk in front of me while being professional. I understand that the students will often look to me for guidance so I make sure not to be judgemental towards any of the group members and give everyone a fair chance. Hopefully this will promote them in doing the same to each other. While my role in the group was more observational I did question them from time to time, making sure they were on the right path and understood what they had said. While talking with them I did try and avoid using questions that lead to a yes or no answer, asking them to explain, once they explained it to me I would try and relate to them personally. My observation in the group kept them disciplined and focused more on the task. I didn’t have to be talking for them to know I was there. I didn’t want to be intimidating them either, I would occasionally agree and give my opinion on something they said to see if I was following correctly and more importantly they knew I wasn’t ignoring them. At the beginning of the time together we set out a goal that they all had in common. Something they all felt they could benefit from. I picked them all for this group originally because of that reason. The goal deadline was set out from the start for them to know when it would definitely be coming to an end. I hoped that from the sessions they would have learned everything they needed to and not need to come back to me. I have always said I keep an open door policy and if they needed to see me individually I would open it up as a new session time and new goal, this way they can understand that it’s not being dragged on from the previous time. 4. Be able to review the outcomes of the mentoring process With my Learning Coach group sessions what went well was discussing the matters with them and being a guide to keep them on the right track. The discipline was always fair and I never had to take any real precautions just focus them on the goal in sight. With future groups I will try to focus more on achieving a greater goal. I possibly set the goal to easily for them to achieve but this is hard to see when you don’t know how the group will work with each other. I would also try and give some kind of reward incentive to give them more of a morale boost throughout the sessions. I didn’t present them with anything that could give them real pride in what they did other than knowing themselves what they achieved. I will consider giving them achievement points on the school system to acknowledge how well they have done. My overall support I felt was just the right amount. I didn’t want to take total control of the group so I focused more on guidance to push them in the right direction. I may possibly in the future take more control of a group if I feel they are not going to achieve their goal within the deadline or not focusing on the task in hand. I would like to involve a different group activity for them to start with. The activity I have given them may not appeal to everyone. I would like to arrange a few activity’s they could pick from. I asked the group afterwards how they felt the process went. They were generally happy with the result but were not sure if they would bother to use it when not in these group sessions. One individual was not happy with not being listened to and felt she would have directed her time in a different area to what the group decided on. I might consider making the groups smaller so that others get a chance to say something rather then just listening to others.

Why Expand Breadtalk in Japan Essay Example for Free

Why Expand Breadtalk in Japan Essay * Executive summary In this assignment The focus would be on why I would suggest BreadTalk to have its presence in Japan along with supporting sources and references broken down into introduction, market trend, environment analysis, marketing mix with 4ps and competitors analysis, implementation, evaluation and control, overall report, justification and references. * Introduction The first flagship store that BreadTalk started from was from a little humble store in Bugis Juction located in the City of Singapore. It was in July 2000 started with a dream fuelled by the desire to bring a new concept of bread making to a whole new level by introducing their signature see thru kitchens which allow their chefs to showcase their expertise upfront, sharing the preparation of the freshly browned breads. ( BreadTalk, 2012)  BreadTalks mission is to be Leading a new lifestyle culture with new, innovative changes and creative differentiation to craft products with passion and vibrancy (BreadTalk,2009) BreadTalks Vision Establish BreadTalk as the foremost international, trend-setting lifestyle bakery brand (BreadTalk,2009) In 2012 their vision statement changed to We have a shared vision to be an international trend-setting lifestyle brand. To this end, we have taken bold strides in introducing new food culture with revolutionary changes and ingenious differentiation. Our products are also crafted with passion and vibrancy to the highest quality. We are confident that our strategies will lend us a distinct competitive advantage and a platform for continued growth. (BreadTalk, 2012) * Market Trend environment analysis(Macro Analysis) eating habits Why Japan Why? It is long known that Japan is a fast pace city filled with convenient store popping up almost every corner of the street in Japan by taking an example of the success of 7-11 in Japan which is now own by Seven I Holdings Co., Ltd. 7-11 in Japan have 14005 stores based on 29 February 2012 as compared to North America which have only 7149 stores based on 31 December 2011.(7i 2012) Its sale of food items make up of 64.9% of total sales. (7i 2012) Based on an article publish on 2 April 2012 titled Wave of Grain by slate.com have suggested that wheat based products like bread and noodles are more popular then rice products in Japan Adding on to the trend of demand for bread, in 28 September 2010 an article written by Juniper Foo for CNet with the title of Make bread out of rice with Sanyos Gopan noted that bread is such a popular consumed product in Japan that Japanese inventor manage to turned rice into flour that is suitable to make rice breads and the machine was sold out despite its high cost of about 50,000 Yen. Western influence on Japanese have more Japanese choosing to dine out rather than the old tradition of eating at home and have chosen more American food over Japanese food. Food such as Beef are constantly becoming a primary diet for Japanese to eat. (CafeTerra, 2008) In an old article called Sweets in disguise back in 2005, It was suggested that Japan consumer like things that are sweet especially to the younger generation of women in Japan. (Trends in Japan 2005) When it comes to behaviour trends, Japanese  consumer are seen to be cutting on spending and like dinning out and holidays and shown an increase on instant food consumption as shown in Research done by 500 consumer both genders nationwide, aged 16 and above (Research Panel Asia May 2011) On top of that, Japanese consumer are also seen to be hunting for the cheapest deal and flocking online to cut cost (Brian Salsberg, March 2010) Green tea culture is still strong in Japan based on a research data realise in 2009 shows that Japanese consume about 80000 tons of green tea yearly (S.C August 2009) Other trends on Japanese eating habit includes a shift to healthier more organic food as mention in this article called just what the doctor ordered. (Trends in Japan August 2008) adding onto both eating habit and organic food, in another report done by Oceanus, titled Japan’s Consumer Trends and Opportunities have suggested that mother play a big role in deciding what food is for the family and with the continues scare of disaster and radiation leak etc, they become really particular with what inside the food contain. (Oceanus Marketing March 2012) Last of all, there is a growing trend of families in Japan becoming smaller with the increase of singlehood and people living alone or with a friend/etc over the past few years. base on the figure taken from Euromonitor This suggest more people would eat out in Japan instead (gov.mb.ca, March 2010) Base on http://data.worldbank.org, it stated that Japans average annual income per person is about $45,180 USD for 2011 which translate into about 3.53161885 million Yen Base on japan-guide.com, an average meal price can range from 500 yen to 1000 yen and more expansive meals can cost 1000 Yen 3000 Yen. (do note as of 30 july 2012 exchange rate is 1000 yen to $15.96) * Marketing Mix 4Ps with competitor analyzes Place When it comes to location, BreadTalk is known to set up its stores in high human traffic location and its concept of enable customer to pick and purchase fresh ready to eat bread conveniently within a very short time is what pulls customers to their shop taking example from Singapore outlets like 313 Somerset shopping mall which is high in human traffic and strategically place near the entrance of Somerset MRT also known to be the  train transport station. (BreadTalk, 2012) So based on a figure of retail rental fee in Singapore as compared to Tokyo published on July 2012 by Barbara Farfan, Singapore rental retail space is about $455 USD in 1Q 2012 per sq feet annually as compared to Tokyo which is $1025 USD per sq feet annually (Barbara Farfan, July 2012) As for their competitors like Bread studio which is well establish in Japan, they also place themselves in high human traffic area like their train station. As the map on the left shows where Bread studio is located which is at Amagasaki station (Kobeya Baking, 2011) (Kobeya Baking, 2011, Google map) Whats More, Tokyo would be the best start up place in Japan as its filled with the highest population of 8.956 million residents compared to its second highest city Yokohama which have 3.690 million (Yasunori Sato May 2012) Product BreadTalk is an established brand with presents spread out internationally with 17 countries mostly in Asia countries and its famous for its best selling bread known as the Floss which is a unique soft light bread with flavoured with egg cream and topped off with lots of pork floss. (BreadTalk 2009) Hence a suggestion for a product should be focus on having a stronger and sweeter taste for its bread as suggested earlier in the report based on current trends in Japan. BreadTalk could consider Having a range of organic product that would be target to very heath conscious customers in Japan with a possible light packaging stating any possible chemical or preservative as mention above under the current trend section with the article title of Just what the doctor ordered. Another new possible resource product opportunity is that BreadTalk can utilized Sanyos Gopan rice to bread making machine to launch new bread product line that is safe for those allergic to Wheat based products. (Slowfoodrocks.com,2011) Especially When the machine which was first launch in October 8 2010 and was completely sold out even with the price tag of 50,000 Yen. Do show the demand of Rice base bread in the market of Japan. (Juniper Foo, 2010) Another great selling point of BreadTalk  would be its wide variety of different unique creative creation of bread that appeals to many consumers as it focus is on being different from the rest. Unlike Many Japanese bakery product that is heavily and beautifully packaged like Kobeyas bread which is part of Bread studio Japan (BreadTalk potential competitor in Japan) as seen in the image on the left One competitive suggestion that BreadTalk have is simplicity. Where the actual product display like the one on the right should be able to sell (source image: Kobeya,2012) (image source:BreadTalkme.com) without any heavy packaging at all that cover the product up or even no packaging. Promotion As mentioned earlier since BreadTalk is such an established brand in Asia countries, having to set up a foot print of one of the must visit city in the world, Tokyo city which have seen a record of 8.6,million tourist in 2010 and out of it 2.44 million are south Korea visitor which BreadTalk is established in along with 1.41 Million from China which BreadTalk existed in and 1.27million from Taiwan which BreadTalk is established as a Joint-Ventura with Lin Cheng Yi in Taiwan back in 2005 (BreadTalk 2012) Does show a lot of potential BreadTalk patrons tourist in Tokyo to visit a BreadTalk establishment in Tokyo. (Mayank Gupta, January 2011) Naturally, Japan is normally cited for crazy wacky ideas. A suggestion of how BreadTalk should promote their products is though an electric paper/flyer. As a limited one time offer for market penetration and that should make a bigger impact on consumers mind of a new upcoming brand in the market (Amar Toor, March 2012) Price. Like any other bakery especially dealing with competitive low price products, the issue with inflation is always looming around with possible price influx  of prime stall rental rates, change is resource price like flour, eggs, etc and possible new demand on worker pay increase and changes in utilities bill. Take for example based on the static price history of flour from (ers.usda.gov, 2012) its shows that in Jan 2010, prices of flour were $153USD per metric ton but in Jan 2011, the prices rose to $272USD per metric ton. As of mentioned earlier regards to rental fee in Singapore and Tokyo, $455 USD compared to $1025 USD in Tokyo do suggest that whichever item that BreadTalk is selling in Singapore have to sell it at double the cost which is surprising competitive in the Japanese market take for example a simple slice of bread with butter would cost 150 Yen which is about $2.40SGD (Heart-Bread shop) up to 1365 Yen for a loaf of Bread which is about $21.70SGD (shop.gnavi.co.jp) Hence pricing for BreadTalk going into Japan wouldnt be of an issue. * Implementation, evaluation and control 1.First 3 months. Selecting a High human traffic area with easy transportation system like beside/inside a train station located at the very heart of Tokyo and bringing the same open concept store setting where it enable curious onlooker to see the operation of creating a perfect BreadTalk bread. Also building a brand imagine with customer and bringing some Singapore cultural taste like the floss Bread into Japanese daily diet with a twist of taste adjustment of the product to be a little stronger for Japanese liking. To create a more lasting impression, a suggestion of issuing electrical paper flyer for the first month of operation as a limited edition advertising item as people may be tempted to keep it due to its uniqueness and with each time potential consumer look at it, Theres a possibility they would try it and with those who have already tired BreadTalk, there is a chance that they may return to buy it again. To create more awareness, electric paper advertisement should be place inside train station and inside the train itself as public train transport is the main and economical way of travelling around in Tokyo. (Japway.com) and maximized band exposure for the next 6 months. To build Japans BreadTalk website, have a channel of collecting customer feedback in-stall by either filling feedback forums or  dropping off e-mails at the Japans BreadTalk website By the end of 3 months. i suggest that the way to measure success would be based on the ability to pay the shop rent, resources and the staff working in the shop a long with some advertisement fee. If earning falls short, i suggest having a free bread day to create more brand awareness and hopefully get people more addicted to BreadTalks product. 2.Following 6 months This following 6 month would be use to bring in more Breadtalk Varieties based on customers feedback on what food items is prefer in terms of taste and also use existing sale figures to determine whats the best selling product and develop more varsities on it for example if the Japanese love BreadTalk cream cheese bun, how about coming out with wasabi favour cream cheese buns? It can be done by a series of promotion like having 1 free wasabi bun for every 3 buns purchased. Also the introduction of free small bun sampling would be effective to let consumer try new type of products. As mention in the earlier part of this report writing, to stand out from other competitors is have loaf of bread made from rice flour to target customer who are allergic to wheat base product. Factor to determine if success or not would be based on not only the ability to make profit but also cover at least half of the start up fee. If target is not met, the suggestion of having all day student and senior citizen rates for BreadTalk products to be implemented to drive up sales. 3.The next 3 months. It would be focus on Expansion on of BreadTalk outlets to other high human traffic areas that area are near to transportation hubs and the implementation of home and office delivery system via walking to those customer who stay nearby the outlets within and to those who stay near train station within Tokyo City. To create more awareness of the delivery system, advertisement should be carried out in train station around Tokyo to tell consumer that delivery is now possible. success would be based on popularity of delivery service used and at the same time sustainability of outlets  profit. If profit falls into loss, the company may want to consider having contracts with schools and offices to supply fresh buns as a mean of stable income. * Conclusion Based on the report and all reference and suggestion and marketing ideas, It seem to me that Tokyo would be an ideal place to start up a new outlet for BreadTalk as opportunity with a potential pool of 8.956million customer is available not counting the tourist figure of 8.6million that visited the city during 2010. Its concept of being like a convenient store just like 7-11 would possibly bring in good profit and expand in no time with the trend shifting to fresh fast quick healthy cheap and convenient food products not forgetting the good infrastructure in place for easy access to customers citywide. Reference List: http://breadtalkindia.com/html/aboutUs.htm ( 2009 vision and statement) http://www.breadtalk.com.sg/ourstory.php ( concept and vision statement change 2012) http://www.7andi.com/en/ir/pdf/annual/2012_05.pdf ( Number of 7-11 stores in Japan compared to North America) http://www.7andi.com/en/ir/pdf/annual/2012_13.pdf ( Food sales percentage in 7-11 Japan) http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2012/04/wheat_in_japan_how_the_nation_learned_to_love_the_american_grain_instead_of_rice_.html ( Japanese prefer Bread over rice ) http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20017956-1.html (rice to bread flour machine and bakery) http://breadtalkindia.com/html/breads.htm (Floss Product) http://www.breadtalk.com.sg/loc_central.php (location) http://www.ers.usda.gov/datafiles/Wheat_Wheat_Data/Yearbook_Tables/Domestic_and_International_Prices/WheatYearbookTable20.pdf (price flour change) http://www.cafeterra.info/2008/11/food-and-health-in-japan.html (Japanese chose to eat out more and more beef in their diet) http://web-japan.org/trends/lifestyle/lif051221.html ( Sweet Trend) http://www.researchpanelasia.com/newspr/pressrelease/2011/may_11th.html (total spending cut) http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_new_Japanese_consumer_2548 (new Japanese consumer trend) http://www.teatronaturale.com/article/952.html (green tea demand) http://web-japan.org/trends/07_food/jfd080808.html (Trends in Japan ) http://www.oceanusmarketing.com/2012/03/24/japan%E2%80%99s-consumer-trends-and-opportunities/ (organic food and possible food danger in japan) http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/statistics/agri-food/japan_consumer_report_en.pdf (statics on living household) http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD (average annual income per person) http://retailindustry.about.com/od/famousretailers/a/Highest-Retail-Store-Rental-Prices-In-The-World-Global-Comparison-2007-2012.htm (Retail rental fees)

Compliance in International Relations

Compliance in International Relations Abstract This paper seeks to address whether state cooperation via formal international institutions may best be understood as a spectrum of compliance rather than binary states. Prevailing perspectives on state compliance to its international obligations generally presupposes binary state of compliance in which states adhere to its commitments and non-compliance in which states do not adhere to its commitments. This construction proves problematic as it disregards state intention; states may act in good faith to comply with its international commitments, yet fail to meet these commitments do to exogenous variables. While largely ignored by realists, liberal institutionalist and constructivist literature has sought to address this issue and provides a limited descriptive framework to understand non-binary states of compliance. While these frameworks are useful for understanding complexities inherent in defining non-compliance, these do not fulfill the stated objective of this paper: refram ing compliance as a spectrum rather than binary states. Intro, Research Question Chayes, Chayes and Mitchell (1998) illustrate the limitations of a binary compliance definition through a good-faith description of the environment treaty non-complier state. Environmental treaties attempt to impose regulatory requirements, not only on states, but on subsidiary private sector actors. Exogenous factors to environmental treaties may limit a state’s ability to enforce these regulatory requirements on private sector actors, resulting in a state of non-compliance. The binary definition of compliance disregards the good-faith in which a state enters an international agreement and further ignores the exogenous factors that limit state compliance. A binary definition of state compliance provides no relevant information by which one can determine whether non-compliance is a deliberate violation of state commitment or due to exogenous factors to the agreement. In order to provide a more descriptive framework to determine the nature of non-compliance, this paper posits t hat it is necessary to redefine compliance as a spectrum such that the level of compliance (C) can be defined: C∈[0,1], where 0 is perfectly non-compliant, and 1 is perfectly compliant. This definition of compliance may provide greater insight into the nature of a state’s non-compliance by providing information on the extent of non-compliance to treaty obligations. While disregarded by realists, the nature of compliance has been explored in liberal institutionalist, and constructivist literature. This literature has provided some insight into the complexity inherent in defining compliance; yet, it falls short of providing a definition of compliance which allows for further understanding of the nature of state non-compliance. In fact, constructivist literature fails entirely in this endeavor as it proposes that compliance is a social construction impervious to a general analysis. While a compliance spectrum does not fully illuminate exogenous factors to international commitments, within this definitional framework they exist as lurking variables upon which further scrutiny can be given. Furthermore, while not a conclusive determinant of state intention, a spectrum of compliance allows for consideration of good-faith through a quantitative estimate of how compliant states are with their international commitments. This is preferable to the existin g compliance binary which fully disregards good-faith in state action. Furthermore, this research aims to provide increased context and understanding of inter-state cooperation via international institutions. The creation of a compliance spectrum allows for observation of trends both in terms of a state’s tendency towards compliance or non-compliance and in terms of a state’s historical capacity to fulfill its international obligations. This contextual understanding of a state’s compliance may inform how commitments are enforced by institutions on a state-by-state level as well as inform the formulations of new inter-state agreements to take into account trends of compliance. Literature Review For realists, state power is the primary factor that governs interstate relations. Consequently realists find contention in the notion that formal international institutions play substantial role in determining state behavior (Boyle, 1980). Consequently, states are assumed to successfully comply only under conditions of shared interests or hegemonic coercion, and only in so far as compliance is congruent to a state’s foreign policy interests (Morgenthau, 1985). Under this formulation, a state’s international commitments and the formal institutions present to enforce them are indeterminate of state decisions to comply with their commitments (Aron, 1981). The primary grievance realists pose to compliance and enforcement literature is the lack of coercive power of formal international institutions to ensure state compliance. Furthermore since states possess jurisdiction to interpret provisions of international agreements, realists contend that states have no incentive to c omply with burdensome past commitments (Morgenthau, 1985). Realist formulations of international cooperation predominantly focus on state power and interest and generally disregard ideas concerning compliance. Since it is the aim of this paper to propose a redefinition of state compliance, it can be said that realists are pursuing an altogether different project and are consequently of no interest to our current undertaking. Liberal institutionalists formulate international agreements as a means by which states are able address common issues which cannot be addressed through unilateral action (Bilder, 1989). Within this formulation, compliance is largely due to state reputational costs. States expect higher costs in the long term if they are non-compliant with their short term commitments. Consequently, formal international institutions can be understood to amplify the reputational consequences of non-compliance by increasing transparency of state behavior (Keohane, 1984). Greater transparency and the potential for reciprocity in international agreements serve to increase compliance through iterative engagement amongst the same state actors. These conditions stabilize a state’s expectations concerning member state behavior and increase confidence that these states will comply with their international commitments. This in turn incentivizes a state to also comply with its international commitments ( Garrett Weingastt, 1993). Liberal institutionalist literature generally privileges the state as the sole agent of compliance. However the Downs and Rocke (1995) study of General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) rules illustrates how exogenous factors to the agreement, including domestic politics and interest group demands, play a major role in determining the degree of compliance one could expect from GATT signatories. Downs and Rocke illustrated that negotiating states agreed upon weak enforcement mechanisms due to uncertainty of future interest group demands. These uncertainties lead to the adoption short term obligations and less strict enforcement mechanisms thus reducing the cooperation demands for GATT states. In order to achieve compliance, states must address exogenous domestic factors to the agreement. This illustrates the primary failing of Liberal institutionalist literature which generally overemphasizes the roles of formal institutions and states over domestic factors. Further literature examines domestic administrative and technical incapacities as a source for non-compliance. Jacobson Brown Weiss (1995, 1997) illustrated that the determinant variable for successful compliance with environmental accords was administrative capacity. Domestic factors such as a skilled labor force, financial resources, and domestic legal authorization were crucial in order for a state successfully comply with environmental accords. In order to address these administrative incapacities, independent agencies may facilitate compliance by providing necessary resources to reach regulatory standards. Within this formulation state cooperation via international institutions serve not only promote compliance and enumerate state commitments, they also serve to enable states with administrative and technical incapacities to meet compliance standards (Hans et al, 1993). While Liberal institutionalist literature considers the intentions of states engaging in international agreements as well as the exogenous factors that determine a state’s compliance success, Liberal institutionalist literature still adopts a binary definition of compliance that disregards these factors. The complexities Liberal Institutionalists perceive within state compliance do not inform and are not represented in their formulation of compliance. This paper seeks to move beyond the work of liberal institutionalists and redefine compliance such that these complexities are integrated into our understanding of state compliance. Constructivist regime theorists formulate an understanding of state compliance in terms of international rules, norms and agreements. Rather than focusing on conditions of non-compliance constructivists posited that analysis should endeavor to understand how state behavior is interpreted by other states as well as how these behaviors are intended by the state actor. For Constructivists , the most relevant inquiry into state compliance was how states rationalized their actions and whether other states were receptive to its rationale (Kratochwil Ruggie, 1986). By this formulation, seemingly conflicting actions of state actors could be derived from similar principles and norms. Compliance is therefore not an objective fact; rather it is a subjective social construction. The implications of this theory are that 1) normative concepts such as fairness determine a state’s compliance decisions and 2) formal international institutions can be undermined- states become non-compliant- if they lose legitimacy with member states (Kratochwil Ruggie, 1986). The relationship between legitimacy and compliance has been explored multiple constructivist authors. Legro (1997) posited that understanding the attributes of a rule its specificity and durability- is the most effective way to determine the causal effect norms have on compliance outcomes. This theory argues that the clearer, more durable and endorsed a rule or norm is, the greater effect it will have in promoting state compliance. Other constructivists like Fisher (1981) argue that rules will promote compliance when they adhere to shared values and morals. Under this formulation the more widely held the rule the more compliant state actors will be to the rule. Keck Sikkink (1998) attempting to advance compliance in the human rights theatre assert that prohibitions that will successfully engender interstate compliance are those prohibitions that embody cross-cultural norms such as protection of innocent groups nd ensuring bodily integrity. For constructivists formal international institutions play a significant role in legitimating particular rules and fostering a sense of obligation amongst states. Tacsan (1992) exemplifies this through his discussion of the International Court of Justice, which he argues is a location where norms and normative values converge through the ICJ’s multilateral bargaining process. The convergence of norms at the ICJ has resulted in the development of norms concerning self-determination, non-intervention, and collective self-defense were the primary normative expectation that informed Central America’s peace settlements. Constructivist literature utilizes a normative approach in its study of compliance. Constructivists assert that norms of appropriateness, ideas, and values are the determinant factor to state compliance. Furthermore, constructivists assert that international commitments, and consequently compliance, are social construction that can only be understood through an intersubjective framework, and are imperious to a general analysis. By contextualizing compliance in a case-by-case basis, you are effectively left with no standard definition of compliance by which one can determine what constitutes non-compliance. The lack of a satisfactory definition of compliance in constructivist and liberal institutionalist literature that considers both intentions and trends is in need of formulation.

The Quantum Brain: Theory or Myth? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Quantum Brain: Theory or Myth? The study of neurobiology has long involved the actions and interactions among neurons and their synapses. Changes in concentrations of various ions carry impulses to and from the central nervous system and are responsible for all the information processed by the nervous system as a whole. This has been the prominent theory for many years, but, now, there is a new one to be reckoned with; the Quantum Brain Theory (QBT). Like many new theories, the QBT has merits and flaws. Many people are wholeheartedly sold on it; however, this vigor might be uncalled for. Nevertheless, this could prove to be a valid and surprisingly accurate theory of brain function. One of the most convincing arguments of the QBT is its explanation of how reality is conceived by the brain. Classically, reality should always be changing, even by the slightest notion, and the brain should be aware of these changes as they occur. According to quantum mechanics, this would be impossible; there is no time during which something is changing. Therefore, the brain cannot be in a state of change, it must be in one state or another, there is no in between. The QBT states that our brain takes in reality one moment at a time, it is never in a state where it is observing something change. It observes reality before the change and then after the change and then fuses these two images together in order to make sense of them. One question about the QBT comes when reality itself is considered; "why can't reality be a quantum system?" Well, there are a few explanations. One is that quantum systems are usually very small. Quantum mechanics cannot be used to explain the universe as a whole in all venues, however, can explain the movements of an electron, or the actions of a black hole. Another reason why reality cannot be explained by quantum mechanics is that quantum mechanics call for a holistic interpretation of the system. Reality, then, is much too large for all of it to be encompassed in one interpretation. Non-locality, another feature of quantum mechanics, prevents reality from being explained by quantum mechanics. Non-locality means that distance is not an issue in the effects of one part of a system on another. For example, curtains might not be blowing because your window is open and there is a wind, they might be blowing because somewhere in Russia, a woman is beating her rugs. The Quantum Brain: Theory or Myth? :: Biology Essays Research Papers The Quantum Brain: Theory or Myth? The study of neurobiology has long involved the actions and interactions among neurons and their synapses. Changes in concentrations of various ions carry impulses to and from the central nervous system and are responsible for all the information processed by the nervous system as a whole. This has been the prominent theory for many years, but, now, there is a new one to be reckoned with; the Quantum Brain Theory (QBT). Like many new theories, the QBT has merits and flaws. Many people are wholeheartedly sold on it; however, this vigor might be uncalled for. Nevertheless, this could prove to be a valid and surprisingly accurate theory of brain function. One of the most convincing arguments of the QBT is its explanation of how reality is conceived by the brain. Classically, reality should always be changing, even by the slightest notion, and the brain should be aware of these changes as they occur. According to quantum mechanics, this would be impossible; there is no time during which something is changing. Therefore, the brain cannot be in a state of change, it must be in one state or another, there is no in between. The QBT states that our brain takes in reality one moment at a time, it is never in a state where it is observing something change. It observes reality before the change and then after the change and then fuses these two images together in order to make sense of them. One question about the QBT comes when reality itself is considered; "why can't reality be a quantum system?" Well, there are a few explanations. One is that quantum systems are usually very small. Quantum mechanics cannot be used to explain the universe as a whole in all venues, however, can explain the movements of an electron, or the actions of a black hole. Another reason why reality cannot be explained by quantum mechanics is that quantum mechanics call for a holistic interpretation of the system. Reality, then, is much too large for all of it to be encompassed in one interpretation. Non-locality, another feature of quantum mechanics, prevents reality from being explained by quantum mechanics. Non-locality means that distance is not an issue in the effects of one part of a system on another. For example, curtains might not be blowing because your window is open and there is a wind, they might be blowing because somewhere in Russia, a woman is beating her rugs.

Analyzing Search Engines :: essays research papers

<div style="sub-title">1. Formulate five criteria for the evaluation of search engines To effectively evaluate three different search engines from the perspective of an advanced web user, the following criteria were established: 1. Relevance and accuracy of search results 2. Search speed 3. Advanced search options 4. Other services 5. Site design and layout More information about these criteria and how they were used is available below. 2. Test three search engines against your criteria For this evaluation, the following three search engines were tested: 1. AltaVista - http://www.altavista.com/ 2. Google - http://www.google.com/ 3. DirectHit - http://www.directhit.com/ <div style="sub-title">3. Explain your methodology The criteria outlined in Part 1 were reached by considering the things that would be important to an advanced user. Of course, factors like Relevance and Speed are critical to such a user (particularly in a work environment). The search options criteria is particularly important to advanced users who are after a specific page and do not want to waste time 'wading' through results from a 'standard' search. The other criteria are important to most users and mean that the search engines are more usable and useful. The search results from the three test search engines (Part 2) were evaluate according the criteria, explained it more detail below. Criteria 1 - Relevance and Accuracy of Results This criterion was to evaluate the usefulness of a particular search engine according to the accuracy of its results. I defined the relevance, according to personal standards, after browsing the pages in the results, for three separate search terms. The Relevance Percentage is calculated by counting the number of relevant pages that appear in the first 20 search 'hits' and then multiplying by 20 (for a percentage). Criteria 2 - Search Speed This criterion was to evaluate which of the test search engines returns results quicker. However, it is important to note that the speed test is both a test of the Internet connection to the remote machine, as well as the time taken by the search engine to perform the search. Furthermore, tests of Internet speeds are very variable based on time of day, other internet traffic etc and are therefore of only limited accuracy. For this reason, no 'hard numbers' were calculated (ie timed searches). Instead, I rated each search engine based on 5 searches per engine at the same time, same day. The possible Speed Ratings are as follows: Excellent, Good, Poor Criteria 3 - Search Options This criteria was to evaluate the search engines advanced search options.