The killer inside me by Jim Thompson Research Paper

The killer inside me by Jim Thompson - Research Paper Example More than the description of the crimes, what is more important is his cynical state of mind, which gets reflected in the way he needles people around him especially by his words which often bore them. He declares his sickness to be perhaps of psychosomatic origin. However Lou Ford on the outside leads the normal life of a respectable cop who is well like by his superiors especially Sheriff Maples. It is the perversion of Lou’s mind, whether it is about sexual encounters or pure cases of murder that gives shape to the plot with an underlying motive of exploring the bifurcated personality of Ford. The novel begins with Lou’s encounter with the proprietor of a restaurant and before that a waitress of the same place. Lou Ford comes to the readers as a fine, polished kind hearted person unless he begins drawling his sentences during his conversation with the proprietor. Lou does not carry a gun because he does not think about crooks like the way people do. Despite being a c op, he thinks that people are â€Å"a little misguided. You don’t hurt them, they won’t hurt you. They’ll listen to reason† (Thompson 4). ... The author switches the opinions about Ford quite briskly as the narrator states, â€Å"I liked the guy—as much as I like most people, anyway—but he was too good to let go. Polite, intelligent: guys like that are my meat.†(Thompson 4) the last phrase gives a hint about his perversion of mind. He purposely tries to bore him with philosophical talks while he knows very well that people dislikes a bore and â€Å"If there’s anything worse than a bore, it’s a corny bore† (Thompson 5). The moment he begins drawling out long sentences he finds that the proprietor is eager to quit the conversation. So Lou gets a sadistic pleasure in teasing people around him. The novel also introduces us to Bob Maples, the sheriff who trusts Lou a lot and is ready to back his decisions without knowing what they are. The readers come to know of his sickness directly for the first time when he meets Joyce Lakeland. One comes to know of the sickness he went through and encountered for the first time when he was fourteen years old. With a deeper thought one can perceive that this sickness is related to sexual perversion. It is aroused once again after a long time when he meets Joyce. His sexual perversion is aroused when he enters into a bickering with Joyce after she finds him holding her gun. By revealing his identity she begins to get violent with him and hits him hard. It brings out the long dormant sickness inside him and he is engaged into a violent sexual assault on her. Even a while before this happens he tries to get away as fast as he can because he fears that â€Å"She’s talks. She’d yell her head off. And people would start thinking, thinking and wondering about

What Is Knowledge from the Meno Essay Example for Free

What Is Knowledge from the Meno Essay The opinions which we believe and are right, are called â€Å"true opinions†. According to Plato’s dialogue from The Meno, when true opinions remain stable they can serve equally as well as knowledge until people forget their opinion or change their mind some time later. Knowledge is â€Å"tied down† by giving the reasons why it is so. Opinions, even if beautiful, can â€Å"escape from a man’s mind† without justification. Moreover, opinions lead less reliability compare with knowledge (Gendler, Siegel Cahn, 2008, P344). Therefore, people should prefer knowledge to opinion since the former is more correct and lasts longer. Opinion functions as well as knowledge when the opinion is right or true. For instance, a person who does not know how to turn on the computer eventually turns it on by pressing buttons randomly. Thus, true opinion and knowledge work the same at this point. However, this true opinion may not be replicable or reliable over time. For this, the person would need the knowledge that computer start buttons contain a certain logo. Plato argues that knowledge is superior to true opinion. He says that true opinions are not willing to remain long, and they are not worth much, until one ties them down by giving an account of the reason why they are correct (Gendler, Siegel Cahn, 2008, P344). We can see that mere true opinion is not stable, and it can be fleeting. For example, we see the moon, and may first think that the moon shines by itself if we do not have any knowledge about this. The next day, if we do not see any moonlight, we may think that the moon does not shine by itself. Although the latter idea is correct, and could serve as well as knowledge for a time, our opinion can change unpredictably. On the other hand, if we have knowledge that the moon reflects sunlight, we understand that the moon does not shine by itself. Knowledge gives more consistency and predictablily than true opinion. Furthermore, opinions are weak because they can be influenced by feelings, and emotions can occur at any time, anywhere. For example, if I am in a good mood on a sunny day, I think my cat is cute when it is running around. If it rains the next day, the weather makes me annoyed, and I think my cat is naughty when it is running around. In this example, the opinion that my cat is naughty has no justification because the cat did not change its behavior to make it naughty. With justification and knowledge, people can develop civilization and improve their quality of life in areas such as space exploration, transportation, education and medicine. For example, without a foundation of reliable knowledge, we could not develop safe medicine or safe airplanes; the risk and expense of basing our lives on true opinion is too great, because it has not been justified. Plato has defined knowledge as having three components: truth, belief and justification. First, it must be accurate and we must believe it. For example, when we say this coffee is hot, it must be hot, and we must believe it is hot. Second, by justification, Plato means that we must have reasons explaining why it is correct and prove our idea. If not, it is an opinion rather than knowledge. However, if we can prove our opinion, it becomes knowledge. For instance, recent news said that an Italian experiment had unveiled proof that fundamental particles known as neutrinos can travel faster than light. As we know, in the past people thought the speed of light was the fastest. After the experiment had been conducted and evidenced the result, this new information led people to correct their old opinion because they had better justification. When we find out that our old idea is wrong and have a new idea with justification, the old idea no longer has justification. This is the reason why truth, belief and justification have to be involved in knowledge. In Plato’s view, true opinions function as knowledge only when people understand the reason behind the truth or have evidence of it. For example, if my sister holds a cup of coffee and walks into classroom, her classmates will probably think that the coffee belongs to her. This would be a true opinion if I had bought the coffee for her. On the other hand, people who had seen me buying the coffee for my sister would regard this information as knowledge. In sum, true opinion contains truth and belief, but it does not have justification. Plato illustrates this idea with the image of Daedalus’s statue. Daedalus is a skillful craftsman and artisan. His statues were so realistic that people thought it could run away. Therefore, Plato mentions the statue as a metaphor for true opinion which will be forgotten by people over time. â€Å"To acquire an untied work of Daedalus is not worth much, like acquiring a runaway slave, for it does not remain, but it is worth much if tied down, for his works are very beautiful (Gendler, Siegel Cahn, 2008). † The tied-down statue symbolizes knowledge, and the ropes are the reasons why, the justification. This metaphor perfectly shows the relationship between opinion and knowledge. Through reading Plato and his teacher Socrates’ dialogue, I understand the differences between opinion, true opinion and knowledge. I also found out why knowledge is more important than true opinion. Opinion will not be valid all the time. In contrast, knowledge is more stable because it contains justification, and therefore, is superior to true opinion. Plato’s basic definition of knowledge and its three parts provides a clear basis for further philosophical discussion, such as what is accepted as logical and solid justification.

Elephantiasis :: essays research papers fc

I did my report on filariasis, which is more commonly known as elephantiasis. Elephantiasis is the late phase of filariasis. Filariasis is a tropical mosquito born parasitic disease causing obstruction of the lymph vessels. In some people the presence of the worm causes a tissue reaction that causes the lymph flow to be blocked. This blockage produces lymphedema which is a swelling and can eventually lead to a tremendous enlargement of an extremity or organ. When elephantiasis follows repeated infection, parts of the body -- particularly the legs -- become grossly enlarged and the surrounding skin hardens and ulcerates. Certain types of elephantiasis can be treated surgically. Elephantiasis of the legs is usually treated with elastic bandages and frequent elevation of the legs. The leg and foot, may swell to elephantine size. There may be allergic reactions like itching and localized swelling. The body may also react by causing calcium tissue to be deposited around the worm, walling it off and eventually causing its death. In humans, the mature worm lives tightly coiled in the lymphatic vessels where they reproduce. The female holds the fertilized eggs in her body. Later the embryos, called microfilariae, are discharged alive. An interesting feature of these worms is the periodic swarming of the microfilariae in the bloodstream. In most species swarming takes place at night. The embryos can be taken up by an insect only when they are in a human's bloodstream. They develope into infective larvae in the insect, which is the intermediate host. These hosts are various genera of mosquitoes, notably A?des, Anopheles, and Culex. Within 10 to 11 days after ingestion by a human skin they migrate to the lymphayic vessels

Dilema at Day-Pro Essay

The crossover point is the rate at which the NPV of the two projects are equal. NPV has a direct relationship between NPV and Economic Value Added. The NPV shows how the shareholders’ wealth would be increased if the project is accepted. The goal of the company is to increase shareholders’ wealth, thus NPV shows the better way in choosing the right decision to achieve their goal. NPV method implicitly assumes that the rate at which cash flows can be reinvested is the cost of capital, whereas the IRR method assumes that the firm can reinvest at the IRR. NPV method is better because it selects the project that adds the most to shareholder wealth. Tim can show that the MIRR is the more realistic measure to use in the case of mutually exclusive contracts by explaining that by using MIRR, they can avoid the multiple IRR problems and at the same time explain that since reinvestment at the cost of capital is generally more correct, the MIRR  which assumes that CFs from all projects are reinvested at the cost of capital rather than on the project’s own IRR (in the case of IRR), is a better indicator of a project’s true profitability. Tim could also state that with the use of MIRR, the company can avoid some conflicts encountered when comparing NPV with IRR. With the use of MIRR, they can minimize the conflict between the two, just like when the two projects being compared have equal size and same life, both NPV and MIRR leads to the same decision. The company can also arrive at the same decision when the two projects being compared have equal size and different life. Using Profitability Index can help in deciding which project to choose because it gives the ratio which allows us to measure the proportion of money returned to money invested. Thus by profitability index, it allows us to compare investment opportunities that requires us different initial investments. The higher profitability index will be chosen because it gives higher possible return in the amount that is to be invested. In short, in the dilemma of Day-pro, Synthetic Resin must be chosen because it gives a higher return in spite of the high initial investment. However, in using this method, the analyst will ignore many factors, such as risk, cost of capital, and liquidity of the project. Thus, the company must consider or decide first on what factor they will base their decision in choosing a project. Being more conservative in revenue projection will give us an idea that the project is less liquid because they projected a longer period of time before the company can earn back the invested amount. Moreover, it also indicates that they considered the possible risks that may occur in the project along the way. The chance of overestimation and underestimation of the project is less possible that make it more realistic. Thus, the Synthetic Resin project is more reliable and accurate. Knowing that the synthetic resin would require extensive and longer time before it could be implemented, it will cause doubt on the part of the Board to choose this  project because it only says that Synthetic Resin project is less liquid compared to epoxy resin and the company will be tied longer to this project before it can regain the invested capital. However, looking at the other side of the coin, synthetic resin gives a higher return in spite of its flaws and its risks. On the other hand, Epoxy Resin seems to be more liquid and less risky and the return of this project is less compared to the Synthetic Resin. As a result, the board might be more attracted to Epoxy Resin. Still, the decision of the board depends on what they give importance or emphasis in choosing a project. And since the Board has a strong preference in using rates or return as its criteria, we would recommend to the Board to choose Synthetic Resin.

Hum/105 World Mythology

Many volcanoes and mountains stretch across the world; however, all volcanoes and mountains are not considered sacred. Mount Fuji and Mauna Kea function as sacred places rich with mythical elements that have a functional role in culture, and are comparatively similar. Mount Fuji was once a sacred place only accessible to men for spiritual enlightenment, but is no longer strict on visitation. Although ceremonies remain held during climbing season to this day, many people view the ritual as more a cultural experience instead of a religious one. Japan has two other mountains, but neither is as sacred or rich with religious and mythological Japanese culture. Mount Fuji is one of the most sacred places in the Japanese culture. Every year thousands climb to the shrine every summer. Traditionally the climb to the shrine on the peak was a religious movement and women were not allowed to make the journey. This climb usually required the wearing of white robes (O'Meara, 2006). Today thousands come to climb generally during â€Å"climbing† season from July 1st to August 26th. Many believe that this place is very sacred and many believe it to be spiritual (O'Meara, 2006). People commonly believe that ascending this mountaintop is to bring luck and the more one climbs the better. The mythic belief retains empowerment because the mountain also serves as a national emblem (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 350). Some have climbed at least 100 times. At the start of each climbing season two religious sects hold sacred ceremonies to begin climbing season (O’Meara, 2006). Some have marathons ascending and descending the mountain. Many believe it to be unlucky to ascend any other sacred mountaintop. Climbing Mt. Fuji is one of religious tradition. Tradition states that the mountain is split into three parts from peak to base. The grassy areas represent the mundane world. The forest line represents the transient line between this world and the world of the gods. The burned areas with a thick layer of volcanic ash represent the realm of the gods and Buddha. The idea of ascending and descending the mountain represent travels between the world of the living and the dead. With each passage one could receive purity and have the sins of this world washed away (Fujisan, 2009). Shintoists believe Mount Fuji is sacred to the goddess Sengen-Sama. They also believe the mountain itself to be an embodiment of nature. Another religious sect believes that the mountain itself is a sacred being which contains a soul. The Buddhists believe the mountain is a gateway to another world (Sacred-Destinations, 2009). Mount Fuji is a sacred place and has been since the first inhabitants of Japan. Buddhists believe the mountain came to be around 286 BC after an earthquake that formed the mountain as well as the Lake Blwa, the largest lake in Japan (Sacred-Destinations, 2009). This mountain is a very sacred part of Japanese religion and for years people treated it as such. Today it is more of an attraction and the religious meaning has been lost a little. Mount Fuji seems to be more of a tourist hotspot than a spiritual place, one in which souvenirs can be bought. Mt. Fuji or Fuji San refers to the most sacred mountain in Japan. Mt. Fuji is such a natural symbol and sacred not only to the Shinto and Buddhist but also for most Japanese people. The name â€Å"Fuji† is a local Ainu word that means â€Å"deity of fire† because of the often-volcanic eruptions (Mount Fuji, 2011). The Japanese built a shrine about 800 A. D. to the gods to help calm the erupting volcano. Mount Fuji later became home to a Shinto goddess Konohano Sakuya Hime â€Å"the Goddess of the Flowering Trees. † The Shinto goddess Koyasusama is also known as the goddess who grants easy childbirth. The Shinto goddess has â€Å"shrines at the base and summit of Fuji† where there is a fire ceremony at the conclusion of the climbing season (New World Encyclopedia, 2009). The Fujiyoshida’s Sengen Shrine is the main Sengen Shrine positioned on the north side of the mountain. The shrine stands in a dark forest and is set off the road lined with stone lanterns and tall cedar trees. In the past the Shrine was a starting point for climbing Mt. Fuji, and these hikers would start their ascent with a prayer at the shrine. Buddhist found Fuji as a â€Å"symbol of meditation† and calls its â€Å"summit zenjo,† that is a Buddhist term that describes perfection of a meditative state (Mount Fuji, 2011). Japanese Buddhists revere the mountain as a gateway to another world. â€Å"Shugendo practitioners established the first climbing route to lead pilgrims to Fuji’s summit† (Mount Fuji, 2011). Today pilgrims continue to climb Mount Fuji. Some stop to worship at the shrine of Konohana Sakuya Hime, pray at the summit altars, or ritually circumambulate the volcano’s crater† (Mount Fuji, 2011). Aokigahara, also known as the Sea of Trees is another sacred and mythological place that lies at the base of Mt. Fuji. The Sea of Trees are associated with demons in Japanese mythology, haunted by the ghost of people left to die. Mauna Kea is a tr aditional mythical place that compares to Mount Fuji. Mauna Kea is a volcano found on the big Island of Hawaii. In Hawaiian mythology, the peaks of the island of Hawaii are sacred. Only high-ranking tribal chiefs were allowed to visit the peak. Mount Fuji is the central figure in the neisho-e work. The Japanese consider Mt. Fuji to be sacred and is a symbol of national identity (Wikipedia, n. d. ). Mount Fuji is also considered to be a symbol of beauty. The mountains are also a sacred place because the higher the mountain the closer the mountain’s reach to heaven. Some sacred mountain can sometimes be just a mythical thought, depending on the meaning or the purpose of the mountain. Mount Fuji, located in Japan, is the highest mountain with an active volcano. Japan has Three Holy Mountains. Mount Fuji is the mountain the sightseers go see when they are in Japan. The other two mountains in Japan are Mount Tate and Mount Haku. Some people think that the meaning of Fuji is immortal, but no proof has been determined on that issue. Many Japanese writers have used Mount Fuji in their artwork, literature, and as a background picture in several movies. Mount Fuji was sacred to the point that woman were not allowed to go to the mountain. The volcano inside Mount Fuji is currently said to be active, but has a very slim chance of erupting. Mauna Kea is also considered to be the most sacred mountain in Hawaii. The tribal chiefs were the only ones allowed at the top of the mountain. Mauna Kea is one of the best sites that people can visit for astronomical purposes. Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano, unlike Mount Fuji, and is among five other volcanoes in Hawaii. Hawaiian Law implements visitor restrictions on Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea is sacred, and portrayed as the first born of the father of the sky (Wakea) and the mother of the earth (Papa). Mount Fuji and Mauna Kea are active volcanoes. Both volcanoes are sacred places where tribal chiefs are the only ones allowed to go to the top. The mountains are sacred because of developing the highest point closest to heaven. Mount Fuji last erupted in 1707-08. Mauna Kea last erupted was about 4,600 years ago. Both mountains have that attractive cone shape, and are hotspots of their location. Once a sacred Japanese religious site, Mount Fuji has become more of a tourist attraction. This volcano became a shrine to Gods, and later to the Goddess of the flowering trees. Similar to Mount Fuji in sacredness and Goddess mythology is Mauna Kea, another volcanic mountain. Mauna Kea’s myth embodies the mountain as Poliahu the Snow Goddess, the first child of the sky father and earth mother (Lovingthebigisland’s Weblog, 2009). Both sites are rich with mythology, culture, and both are sacred places. Although Mauna Kea has limits on who may ascend, Mount Fuji is open for all to climb. Both Mount Fuji and Mauna Kea retained their sacred status because of their heights being closest to heaven. References Fujisan (2009). Mt. Fuji and religious beliefs. Retrieved from http://www. fujisan-3776. jp/english/religiouis_beliefs/religiouis_beliefs. html. Leonard, S. , & McClure, M. (2004). Myth & knowing: An introduction to world mythology. New York: McGraw-Hill. Lovingthebigisland’s Weblog. (2009). The Hawaiian snow goddess poliahu and the summit of mauna kea. Retrieved July 30, 2011, from http://lovingthebigisland. wordpress. com/2009/02/05/the-hawaiian-snow-goddess-poliahu-and-the-summit-of-mauna-kea/. Mount Fuji. (n. d. ). Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Mount_Fuji. New World Encyclopedia. (2009). Mount Fuji. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://www. ewworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Mt. _Fuji O'Meara, D. (2006). Mount Fuji. Faces (07491387), 22(5), 6. Retrieved from EBSCOhost History. com (1994-2009). Mount Fuji. Retrieved from http://www. history. com/topics/mount-fuji. Sacred-Destinations (2009). Mount Fuji. Retrieved from http://www. sacred-destinations. com/japan/mount-fuji. Sacred Land. (2011). Mount Fuji. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://www. sacredland . org/mount-fuji/. Wikipedia. (n. d. ) The great wave off kanagawa. ASK. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://www. ask. com/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa.

Teachings of the Living Prophets †Theology Essay

Teachings of the Living Prophets – Theology Essay Free Online Research Papers Teachings of the Living Prophets Theology Essay In a spiritually turbulent world, General Conference is a wonderful haven. The messages from the General Authorities never fail to bring the Spirit and inspire us to draw closer to Christ; it is clearly evident from their pleadings that they who speak in Conference desire nothing greater than our eternal happiness. The April 2002 meeting certainly was no exception. Those who spoke chose a myriad of topics with which to focus their message, but a general theme appeared in every talk- the world is spiritually dangerous, but Christ’s example and Gospel give us the sole means by which we can fight the influence of Satan, improve, and progress. The meeting opened with President Hinckley’s characteristic optimism. It was the first Conference since the Olympics took place in the same city, and our Prophet had nothing but good, inspiring news about the Church’s positive influence and growth as a result of that international event. He tells us, â€Å"out of all of this came something wonderful for the Church† (Ensign, May 2002 5). The media, which in general had outdated and otherwise prejudiced concepts of the Church, quickly discovered that they were mistaken. They wrote kind things about our institution that were not only positive but accurate. In a spiritually treacherous world, President Hinckley has given us hope and assurance that we are on the right team- that we who follow the Church of Christ are doing what is going to be not only temporally but eternally beneficial. Elder Hales also spoke of the benefits of the last Olympics. His talk centrally concerned the concept of emerging into light out of darkness; the Church has certainly accomplished this with the recent events in Salt Lake City. However, Elder Hales continues to expound on this concept of â€Å"marvelous light† by explaining that the ultimate example of light is Jesus Christ. â€Å"I bear my special witness that Jesus Christ ‘is the light and the life of the world’† (Ibid. 71). Only by pursuing and looking toward our Savior and His teachings as the ultimate light source can we survive the turbulence of the worldly forces around us. In the following talk, President Hinckley enhances this point by likening the darkness to the unknown in front of us. He says that faith is the light by which we can progress into that unfamiliar. â€Å"We reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the way. If we will cultivate that faith, we will never walk in darkness† (Ib id. 73). Elder Russell M. Nelson speaks of this faith as a foundation against the stormy darkness of the world and the burdens it can cause. This foundation is two-tiered. First, of course, there is the immovable foundation of the Lord’s gospel- our Savior’s teachings in amalgamation as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But on a second level, our individual faith is a foundation. Elder Nelson says, â€Å"We know that God lives and that He loves us. Standing on that firm foundation, we can reach up and find strength to endure the heavy burdens of life† (Ibid. 76). Certainly, building a foundation of faith in Christ’s gospel is essential to withstand the buffetings of the world. Faith as a foundation is fundamentally important, but how do we progress from there? Elder Scott expands on the principle of faith with the concept of â€Å"full† or â€Å"true† conversion. He tells us, â€Å"Stated simply, true conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience† (Ibid. 25). Not every member of the Church is fully converted; conversion and Church membership are not synonymous terms. However, by building the foundation of faith, repenting when necessary, and striving to be obedient in a consistent manner, we can attain â€Å"full conversion.† Being fully converted means that we are fully equipped to combat Satan and his influence. But more importantly, Elder Scott stresses the point that this process brings about what the prophets ultimately desire- our happiness. Often heard coupled with this â€Å"happiness† is that wonderful word â€Å"peace.† What an ephemeral concept in these turbulent days! Nevertheless, Elder Ballard reminds us how to obtain peace despite our tremulous surroundings. Peace is not found through unchaste activities, or through actions devoid of charity, pleasurable as they may be. Peace is not found in any manner of wickedness. â€Å"Peace- real peace, whole-souled, to the very core of your being- comes only in and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ† (Ibid. 88). Though location of this peace may be difficult at times, the Lord is always willing to help us obtain it, and the greatest way we obtain help from the Lord is through prayer. We all need the Lord’s help. It is all fine and great to preach obedience and champion progression, but we cannot really go too far without assistance from our Heavenly Father. Luckily, we have His help when we need it. James E. Faust teaches, â€Å"[prayer] is recognition that we need help beyond our own ability† (Ibid. 59). Most assuredly, this is true. God has allowed us to be on the Earth at this time, but He has not done so without promise of His loving assistance. Heavenly Father cannot assist us, however, without an action to assist. President Monson relates how the success of the Tahitian sea captains can be attributed to a single poignant phrase- â€Å"They pray and they go.† In other words, they do not pray for safety and success and then sit at the docks. Faith for them is how it should be- a belief and an action. President Monson later admonishes, â€Å"Let us †¦ be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Let us pray; then let us go and do† (Ibid. 51). Through faith in the Gospel and subsequent application of that faith, we will be able to withstand the storms of this world just as the Tahitians navigated the tempests of their islands. Never has correct application of our faith been so important as it is today. President Hinckley speaks of the tragic evils of spouse abuse, abuse of the elderly, and the malevolence of child abuse. Molestation and abuse of children is a terrible problem; Elder Boyd K. Packer’s talk on children gave an even further assurance that this evil is one of the greatest plagues of our modern era. The Prophet counsels that our behavior and actions â€Å"must be above reproach† (Ibid. 52). Although he is speaking specifically to priesthood holders, this council certainly has universal application. No one, of course, is perfect. The Lord loves us anyway. Elder Maxwell assures us that â€Å"the Lord has said consolingly, ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’† In addition, â€Å"He has also promised to make weak things strong† (Ibid. 38). And Elder Holland, in his talk on the â€Å"other prodigal,† makes it clear that Heavenly Father loves us- â€Å"insecurities, anxieties, self-image and all† (Ibid. 64). In addition, we are given friends to help us progress in our quest to become like Christ, as Elder Eyring points out. Sometimes these friends bring us to the Gospel and sometimes they provide reinforcements in the battle against the world. The battle against the world is raging fiercely in these latter days and the Gospel of Jesus Christ provides the only true and lasting counsel against its onslaught. Elder Dallin H. Oaks reflects in his talk that he is â€Å"grateful for the warnings of the scriptures and Church leaders on things to avoid† (Ibid. 35). He then describes the importance of taking on the â€Å"whole armor of God† to be able to withstand the last days. The rest of his talk is also wonderful in its description of the ability of the Church to assist in our progression. He makes it clear that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way by which we can truly improve and fight against the evils of pornography, alcohol, drugs, and gambling, to name a few. Elder Wirthlin calls these vices â€Å"nets,† and likens them and other addictive or worldly pursuits to the nets of Simon Peter when the Lord called out to him, â€Å"follow me.† In other words, they may be difficult to leave becau se they are so comfortable, addictive, or pleasurable. We can imagine it was a big thing for Peter to leave his nets- they were, after all, his livelihood and he was no destitute fisherman by any means. Elder Wirthlin summarizes his point by telling us, â€Å"Jesus the Christ is ‘the way, the truth, and the life: no [one] cometh unto the Father, but by [Him]† (Ibid. 17). Basically, following Christ is the only way to avoid the pitfalls of the world and come â€Å"unto the Father.† Just as he opened optimistically, President Hinckley exuded similar hope and faith in his brief closing remarks. Probably the most significant of those remarks was his hope that, â€Å"Each of us should be a little better for this rich experience. Otherwise, our gathering has been largely in vain† (Ibid. 90). Implicit in this statement is the inference that the purpose of the General Conference was to help us improve and progress. Obviously, then, we should not ignore or passively take in the talks given at Conference. Even in this world, with its spinning tempestuous wickedness and plummeting standards, our ultimate goal still remains to progress toward eternal happiness by following the teachings of Christ. It may be more difficult than it has been. It may require a little more effort. But this is why we have prophets today: to guide us and teach us the Gospel of Jesus Christ- the only path to attain joy on Earth and happiness in the eternities. 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Identification, Placement, or Provision of Appropriate Instruction to Low Income Gifted Students

Identification, Placement, or Provision of Appropriate Instruction to Low Income Gifted Students Introduction  ­ Demographics of Florida have recorded overwhelming changes in the recent years due to the increased population as well as enrichment of human race diversity. The city is identified with a large population of students in the available schools, who are inclusive of all human races.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Identification, Placement, or Provision of Appropriate Instruction to Low Income Gifted Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The students’ achievements of set goals are widely determined by the extent of recognition by the Bureau of education, the low income gifted students not being an exception. Gifted children entail those individuals that have high potentials of achievements, though disadvantaged by the fact that they come from low income earning families. The 2000 demographics table of recognition has been constructed in a way that makes rampant challenges identifiable (Brody , 2004). The discussion in this paper is aimed at investigating challenges associated with the identification, placement, or provision of appropriate instruction to low income gifted students. Challenges to low income gifted students A countless number of challenges are identified in regards to the identification, placement as well as provision of the essential instruction to those students that are gifted and coming from low income families in Florida. Inequality in representation is very evident from the recent 2000 demographics. The fact that the city holds all types of races in the general population and the fact that the same rate should be viewed in school populations, there needs be equal treatment for all students. However, the largest numbers that are catered for in the placements to special programs are whites while very few numbers of other races are catered for. The inequality challenge goes beyond the national level for it is rampantly extended to the district level (Br ody, 2004). Additionally, there exists a disproportional representation of the students in regard to linguistic, cultural as well as the ethnic diversity. The consideration is based on the racial lines and hence giving room to the aspect of tribalism to take preeminence in the operations of gifted students programs. In the process, the low-income gifted students who should be considered for special education are not catered for.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The issue of ethnicity is identified with persistence over the years and also the failure for the educational curriculum to offer ample instructions to those students that are talented in one way or the other. The long standing challenge has been that of the high percentage of minority students with special needs as compared to their enrolment to the gifted and talented students programs. The immigrant’s student s into Florida have very small numbers of those considered as compared to those of the white’s students. This problem is identified with a disproportionate representation in the schools. In response to this, the current research reports indicate that the future of Florida is bound to encompass large numbers of diverse racial lines, thus becoming a multiracial area. This also accounts for a rise of the numbers of students of immigrants to higher levels that those of whites, making it a problem if this tribalism challenge continues thriving (Karnes and Johnsen, 2005).  Moreover, there is the prevalence of favoritism challenge, which entails offering special consideration to some individuals more than the others are considered. The demographic representation of the year 2000 indicate some parts of those that are white gifted students being given a priority over the rest, though they are racially similar. The counties, though in the same city do not use an identical criteria fo r the consideration of gifted low income students, and those in some areas benefit. The major long-standing problem is even that having ghost students being in the special school programs, who take up the positions of the genuinely needy. This form of favoritism diverts the funds that are to help the gifted low income students into no noble utilization. The extension of this challenge is also extended along racial lines in regard to the identification and placement of the gifted low income students into the appropriate programs. Furthermore, the fact that the challenges are long standing is an implication that no policies have been put into place to safeguard the gifted low income students to help them achieve their dreams by the prevailing government (Karnes and Johnsen, 2005). The usefulness of the information in identifying this subgroup in a school The information herein provided is crucial in the identification of such a sub-group in my school. The fact that no school in the wo rld will comprise of students of a similar race helps release the importance regarding every person as a human creature regardless of their origin.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Identification, Placement, or Provision of Appropriate Instruction to Low Income Gifted Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More My school though does not emphasize on such programs will need to come up with the best strategies to identify such groups. The gifted students are quite innovative since are those people with an extra knowledge in regard to innovation but sometimes never get a chance to achieve their dreams. The information is also valuable in the evaluation of how best a government, an institution or an education has been able to assist needy students. It is also important in addressing the issue of inequality in learning institutions as well as governmental realms. The change of placement and identification policies is only p ossible when appropriate environmental scanning has been performed to identify such challenges (Cline and Schwartz, 1999). Conclusion The placement, identification and meeting of instructional needs of gifted low income students in Florida have been overwhelmed by some rampant challenges in the recent years. The rampancy of inequality, favoritism as well as tribalism is known to have been long-standing over the years. However, the identification of these challenges has a rationale of identifying such groups in my school as well as addressing them. However, more research should be conducted to come up with the sources of these rampant challenges associated with the identification, placement, or provision of appropriate instruction to low income gifted students References Brody, L. (2004). Grouping and acceleration practices in gifted education. NY: Corwin Press, 2004. Cline, S. and Schwartz, D. (1999). Diverse populations of gifted children: meeting their needs in the regular classro om and beyond. NY: Merrill Prentice Hall. Karnes, F. and Johnsen, S. (2005). Identifying gifted students: a step-by-step guide. Texas: Prufrock Press Inc.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

How the Compromise of 1850 Helped Delay the Civil War

How the Compromise of 1850 Helped Delay the Civil War The Compromise of 1850 was a series of five bills intended to stave off sectional strife that passed during  Millard Fillmores  presidency.  With the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the end of the Mexican-American War, all the Mexican-owned territory between California and Texas was given to the United States. This included parts of New Mexico and Arizona. In addition, portions of Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado were ceded to the US. The question that arose was what to do with slavery in these territories. Should it be allowed or forbidden? The issue was extremely important to both free and slave states because of the balance of power in terms of voting blocs in the US Senate and House of Representatives.   Henry Clay as Peacemaker Henry Clay was a Whig Senator from Kentucky. He was nicknamed The Great Compromiser due to his efforts at helping bring these bills to fruition along with previous bills such as the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise Tariff of 1833. He personally owned slaves which he would later free in his will. However, his motivation in passing these compromises, especially the 1850 compromise, was to avoid the Civil War. Sectional strife was becoming more and more confrontational. With the addition of new territories and the question of whether they would be free or slave territories, the need for a compromise was the only thing that at that time would have averted outright violence. Realizing this, Clay enlisted the help of Democratic Illinois Senator, Stephen Douglas who would eight years later be involved in a series of debates with Republican opponent Abraham Lincoln.   Clay, backed by Douglas, proposed five resolutions on January 29, 1850, which he hoped would bridge the gap between Southern and Northern interests. In April of that year, a Committee of Thirteen was created to consider the resolutions. On May 8th, the committee led by Henry Clay proposed the five resolutions combined into an omnibus bill. The bill did not receive unanimous support. Opponents on both sides were not happy with the compromises including southerner John C. Calhoun and northerner William H. Seward. However, Daniel Webster put his considerable weight and verbal talents behind the bill. Nonetheless, the combined bill failed to win support in the Senate. Thus, the supporters decided to separate the omnibus bill back into five individual bills. These were eventually passed and signed into law by President Fillmore.   The Five Bills of the Compromise of 1850   The goal of the Compromise bills was to deal with the spread of slavery to territories in order to keep northern and southern interests in balance. The five bills included in the Compromises put the following into law: California was entered as a free state.New Mexico and Utah were each allowed to use popular sovereignty to decide the issue of slavery. In other words, the people would pick whether the states would be free or slave.The Republic of Texas gave up lands that it claimed in present-day New Mexico and received $10 million to pay its debt to Mexico.The slave trade was abolished in the District of Columbia.The Fugitive Slave Act made any federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave liable to pay a fine. This was the most controversial part of the Compromise of 1850 and caused many abolitionists to increase their efforts against slavery. The Compromise of 1850 was key in delaying the start of the Civil War until 1861. It temporarily lessened the rhetoric between northern and southern interests, thereby delaying secession for 11 years. Clay died of tuberculosis in 1852. One wonders what might have happened if he had still been alive in 1861.

History and Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

History and Political Science - Essay Example There were many factors at the end of the 19th century that saw a shift towards American Imperialism. Kennedy Cohen-Bailey in his book, The American Pageant outlines the period and covers the various aspects that led to the Great War of 1914 and America’s involvement. This article reviews the book under the following subheadings: The Spanish American war and the aftermath. The legacy of President Roosevelt and the effect of his presidency on America A comparison of the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Taft and Wilson and who was the best among the three? The end of World War I and the decisive factors that lead to the end The Spanish American war and the Aftermath The US had for the most part of the 19th century strictly adhered to its non-colonization policies and even at the onset only acquired contiguous territories. Most of it was brought about by the need to expand the trade borders of the American people. America was linked in many ways to Cuba than just at the time of the war. Cuba was one of the major producers of sugar and major suppliers to the USA. The Wilson-Gorman tariff imposed on Cuba by America to protect the sugar growers in America invariably raised the price of sugar and the Cuban economy suffered as a result. The misrule by the Spanish of its colony in Cuba created a lot of unrest. The Cubans fought the 10year battle of independence from 1868 to 1878 and tried to drive the Spanish away by destruction of property including cane fields and blowing up of passenger trains. The situation peaked when Spain sent tyrant General Wyeley in 1895 to Cuba. Wyeley took it upon himself to crush the rebellion and opened up re-concentration camps, imprisoned and isolated the Cuban revolutionaries from the Filipino revolutionaries in their war of independence. Many perished and â€Å"died like dogs† (Bailey, 629). from unsanitary conditions in the camps. The American people rose against this atrocities to the Cubans and wanted war but the then president Grover Cleveland was against it and even motioned to strike against congress if they were to declare war against Spain and send troops to Cuba. This resolve however did not last very long as there were many other factors at stake than America was unwilling to admit to at that time. US also had a stake in the war because it was not really comfortable with having a European colony that close to its own borders. The unrest in Cuba was straining US trade relations in the region and threatening US investments in Cuba. There was also fear that its access to Panama would affect future sea trade routes. The anti-colonisation policies of the US went a long way in selling the concept of a free Cuba to the Americans. What cinched the deal however was the journalistic trend of the time, which focused more on justifying the concept of war. There started a spate of graphic imagery and reports of atrocities adding fuel to the situation and feeding the insatiable hunger of yellow journali sm. Eventually Wyeley was removed from his position and sent back home. In February 1988, the USS Maine, which was on a friendly mission to take Americans in Cuba to safety, blew up in the Havana harbour with the loss of 260 American lives. The cause for the explosion still remains unknown. Reports have even said that the blow up was due to mechanical failure and not a case of sabotage. But sensationalised news articles blamed the Spaniards for it and the fate of history was sealed, War had begun. President Mc Kinley forced by circumstances and party loyalty consented and under Theodore Roosevelt’s command of the military, the American’s over threw the Spanish from Tampa, Florida and gave armistice to the Cubans in August 12, 1898. The war was a forgone conclusion although not evident. Spain’

Points of Access citizens have in the American Government Essay

Points of Access citizens have in the American Government - Essay Example These three outlets are chosen because they seem to be the most efficient approaches to letting American government know about the grievances of its citizens. There are broadly two kinds of demonstrations: there are peaceful and non-peaceful demonstrations. In the United States, peaceful demonstrations are mostly carried out by special interests groups, disgruntled workers, angry people from the same communities, unpaid workers, and topical issues opponents. Since the inauguration of Obama Administration, several peaceful demonstrations or protests have been carried by those who felt that his Government was moving off course: they include protests against Health Care reforms, Abortion issues, Big government spending and several other testy issues that divide or unify Americans. The main merit of peaceful demonstrations is that they are not often dispersed by the jaded police, since it has no immediate dangers to the public safety and would not disrupt usual business activities (Holbrook 4)1. It may be difficult, at times, to precisely detect the efficiency of a demonstration, but there is no doubt that it is an open expression of displeasure at the US Governmental policies. And it is always true that the particular section of the government affected by the demonstrations often take into consideration what the demonstrators are fighting for. When peaceful, a demonstration can attract an unbelievable number of people who shared in the same urgency to make their voices heard against a typical injustice or mismanagement of public limited resources. The courts in the United States have been described as the last resort for common men: in other words, anyone who feels that his/her fundamental rights have been breached, or has been cruelly treated against the dictates of the US Constitution, can seek legal redress in any of the courts in America. Structurally, these courts range from the Municipality Court to the Circuit Court, Appeal Court

E-commerce Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

E-commerce Operations Management - Essay Example Since the first trimester of 2001 when the US e-commerce sales were $7931 million the overall sales increase by 242% six years later for a total $27,092 million online sales in the 1st quarter of 2007 (Plunkett Research, 2007). The largest retail firm in the world, Wal-Mart, caught on to this trend early and set up an internal and external ecommerce business infrastructure. This paper discusses e-commerce solution for customers and for internal business transaction by showcasing the capabilities of the multinational firm Wal-Mart Corporation. An electronic platform that allows business to interact with each other is a business to business network (B2B). A business to business application or e-biz is the exchange of products, information and services among business entities through electronic medium to achieve ecommerce transactions (Searchcio, 2001). The early emphasis of e-commerce was targeting business to customer transaction which has grown tremendously, but B2B have surprisingly become on the biggest forces driving the world ecommerce growth. B2B is a way to achieve significant savings in supply chain activities such as purchases and sales of product and services to other business partners. One of the simplest ways for other businesses to gain entrance into B2B networks is by utilizing the company home page as a portal for users to access a secured system to perform B2B transactions. Walt-Mart decided five years ago to convert their information system into a full B2B network to achieve greater efficiency in their relationships with suppliers and other vendors. The move was rapidly accepted by the business who are involve in business with Wal-Mart which enabled Wal-Mart to perform B2B transaction within a one year time span with 98% of its vendors (Zimmerman, 2003). Wal-Mart created its B2B application with the assistance of a software company called Coty. This firm provided the retail giant with the assistance

Why should we make Alcohol illegal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Why should we make Alcohol illegal - Essay Example Alcohol blocks different messages of the brain and proper messages reception is not possible in this scenario. The perceptions, movement, control, hearing and the excessive use of alcohol affects the vision of a person. People usually become addictive to alcohol because when they take it into small amounts then at times they feel more relaxed and less anxious. However, if you consume alcohol in excessive amounts then it might result in intoxication. There are different people who slur when they speak, they losses their coordination and this is all because of alcohol. All these alcohol consumers are confused and disoriented in their lives. The effects of intoxication in certain conditions are slow and people become very angry and aggressive at times. The alcohol is associated as one of the deadliest drugs of the planet because of the fact that it links the phenomenon of slow poisoning. The negative effects of alcohol can be identified by the fact that if alcohol is consumed in greater quantities than a person might die because of alcohol poisoning. People might also engage in violent vomiting and because of it, death might occur. Despite all these problems that are associated with the consumption of alcohol, there are different people and even teenagers who consume alcohol in the form of beers, whiskeys, rum, etc. Organizations that own alcohol oriented products market these products extensively uses adventurous themes to market the products. Ultimately, when people consume these products they affected by that.

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Nursing - Essay Example Notably, nursing practice entails numerous responsibilities and workers need time for adequate rest because of the nature of the job. Moreover, there is a need for a proper compensation for the services in terms of a decent pay (Snow, 2008). However, my current employer does not seem to realize that the organization has not considered salary increment for over 6 years now. During this period, the responsibilities accorded to workers have increased immensely. With many workers expressing their discontent concerning the poor labor practices, there is a need to address the issue promptly. This paper will describe the most appropriate approach to solving the problem. The best approach for addressing the ensuing problem of being overworked and underpaid is by tabling down an outline of all the grievances of the nurses at the health center. In this outline, the nurses will indicate the number of hours they put in on a daily basis, the numerous tasks they are expected to handle each day, and outline the pay they receive for such work. In addition to such an outline, the nurses will also indicate the number of additional staff required to take up some of the responsibilities in an effort to ease the overworking (Snow, 2008). The outline will also indicate the expected pay, compensation, and benefits that each nurse deserves for the work they do. In an effort to ascertain that being overworked and underpaid is a threat to the performance of the health center, the nurses will describe the negative effects resulting from the poor labor practices. There is evidence that many of the nurses are suffering from depression due to work related causes. In addi tion, the nurses are discouraged, and they have been registering numerous eras in their work because of the depression and lack of motivation (‘US nurses overworked, underpaid-and in demand’, 2012). Moreover, the outline presented will also indicate

Why should we make Alcohol illegal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Why should we make Alcohol illegal - Essay Example Alcohol blocks different messages of the brain and proper messages reception is not possible in this scenario. The perceptions, movement, control, hearing and the excessive use of alcohol affects the vision of a person. People usually become addictive to alcohol because when they take it into small amounts then at times they feel more relaxed and less anxious. However, if you consume alcohol in excessive amounts then it might result in intoxication. There are different people who slur when they speak, they losses their coordination and this is all because of alcohol. All these alcohol consumers are confused and disoriented in their lives. The effects of intoxication in certain conditions are slow and people become very angry and aggressive at times. The alcohol is associated as one of the deadliest drugs of the planet because of the fact that it links the phenomenon of slow poisoning. The negative effects of alcohol can be identified by the fact that if alcohol is consumed in greater quantities than a person might die because of alcohol poisoning. People might also engage in violent vomiting and because of it, death might occur. Despite all these problems that are associated with the consumption of alcohol, there are different people and even teenagers who consume alcohol in the form of beers, whiskeys, rum, etc. Organizations that own alcohol oriented products market these products extensively uses adventurous themes to market the products. Ultimately, when people consume these products they affected by that.

Magnet Recognition Program for Nurses Research Paper

Magnet Recognition Program for Nurses - Research Paper Example There was a distinction between the two roles in the 1960’s but today the role of the RN is not as distinct; each level of education received the title of RN after successful passing of the state boards of nursing licensure test to become a practicing registered nurse (Pellico et al., 2009). Previous distinction of role included the definitions of the technical nurse and the professional nurse. The technical nurse was in the beginning educational preparation stage and attended a 2 year community college. The professional nurse was enrolled in a four year nursing program at a colleges or university; the distinction of roles is consistent with accreditation standards of thinking at the time (Donley & Flaherty, 2008). The goal was to expand the nursing programs and assist the technical nurse to transition into professional practice (Donley & Flaherty, 2008 & Nelson, 2002). These attempts notwithstanding, the needs of the educational curriculum were still not fulfilled for the RN at both levels after taking the state board licensure exam receives the same title, â€Å"RN†. There is a continued effort for nursing to elevate the profession at a higher educational level. healthcare facilities with Magnet ® status help to push this process forward with the continued excellence in nursing practice outcomes. In 1965, the American Nurses Association’s First Position on Education in nursing was published to describe the need for educational reform in nursing (ANA, 1965). This argument continues today. The goal for a standardized nursing entry level of education has yet to be resolved. According to Smith (2009) the environment of nursing has evolved considerably and educational advances need to be changed.... Magnet Recognition Program for Nurses With the advent of the Magnet Recognition Program ® more healthcare facilities are seeking attainment of a higher level of professional nursing practice. The rationale for healthcare facilities in seeking Magnet Status is driven by healthcare institutions wanting to serve the communities with the highest level of care possible in the use of innovative technology and excellence in care. Bargagliotti, West-Sands, Burchum & Selbe, note that in year 1960s, most nurses were trained at a diploma level, which was a two or three year hospital based nursing program where nursing students learned the basic skills to care for patients in the hospital. In the 1960’s, undergraduate programs were recognized as a path that nursing students should take to function at the professional level of nursing. This system was generally quicker and cost effective to utilize the diploma programs to produce a high functioning nurse to care for the large number of patients. The diploma programs were the first to be extinguished from the education framework as the profession moved into the ADN and BSN programs of study. All nurses at every level should be encouraged to go back to school and continue the path of lifelong learning in the profession of nursing. Lacey, Cox & Lorfing (2007) anticipated that the entry level for nursing will be the BSN which consists of entry level by the year 2020. This process continues and will continue until all can agree to the level and expectations of the professional entry level of the nurse.

The Impacts Of Aids Essay Example for Free

The Impacts Of Aids Essay Although the AIDS epidemic has occurred in a period when social conservatives have been politically dominant in most Western societies increasing the stigma against homosexuals and homosexuality, it has also translated into much greater recognition of the homosexual community and a homosexual movement, in most Western democracies. As the 1980s progressed, the gay and lesbian community increasingly realized the devastating impact of AIDS on gay men. The complex of diseases called AIDS was first discovered among gay men in 1981. From the first moment the gay male community became aware of AIDS (which was first called GRID—gay-related immune deficiency), it responded politically. By the end of the summer in 1981, a group of gay men had already met at author Larry Kramers apartment in New York City and had established the Gay Mens Health Crisis (GMHC)—the largest AIDS organization in the country today. It is not, of course, homosexuals who are at risk for AIDS but rather those who practice certain forms of unsafe sex. This distinction between behavior and identity, which often seems academic, is in fact vital to a rational understanding of AIDS. Because the media and the public generally do not make these distinctions, gay and AIDS have become conflated, so that the public perception of homosexuality becomes largely indistinguishable from its perception of AIDS. This, in turn, has two consequences: (1) It causes unnecessary discrimination against all those who are identified as gay and lesbians, and (2) it also means that people who are not perceived (and do not perceive themselves) as engaging in high-risk behaviors can deny that they are at risk of HIV infection. As the gay movement matured in the 1970s, however, it made more concrete demands of governments, pressing for antidiscrimination ordinances and for financial support for gay organizations and activities. But, in large part, the gay movement retained an adversarial relationship with the government, a relationship made possible because of the movements emphasis on self-assertion (coming out) and challenging social stigma. All this changed with the appearance of AIDS. Demands for government-funded research were first made by New Yorks Gay Mens Health Crisis, the first community-based AIDS organization. And the demands have not stopped there: Governments are asked to support research, patient care, services, and education programs. Inevitably such demands involve gay participation in the processes of government—policy-making, membership on liaison committees, day-to-day contact with bureaucrats, and so forth. But the process has been two-way. Governments have understood that to research the disease, to provide the necessary services, and to bring about the behavioral changes (primary prevention) believed to be the most effective strategies against the spread of the disease, contact with the most affected groups is required. AIDS has thus forced governments to recognize organizations they had previously ignored, and this has resulted in strengthened gay organizations, often with the help of state resources. As a generalization, the response of gay groups and those working in local AIDS education and advocacy programs has been to stress large-scale education about primary prevention, while conservative medical, political, and religious figures have emphasized widespread testing for the HIV antibody and restrictive legislation. The issue of testing for HIV antibodies among high-risk populations has been a major debate in most Western countries. AIDS organizations have generally argued that large-scale testing is undesirable and that mandatory testing of high-risk groups will compel those infected with the AIDS virus go underground out of the mainstream of health care and education. As the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) argued: The experience of the gay community—the only group where significant prevention and risk-reduction programs have taken place—demonstrates that education and counseling, not testing, are critical to changing behavior. Not everyone needs or desires to know his/her antibody status. No one should be forced into that position, particularly given the potentially severe social, legal and economic ramifications of testing. The NGLTFs anti-testing position is further strengthened by the fact that test results often obtain false positives for the presence of HIV antibodies. It is easy to portray this dispute over testing as one that pits public health advocates against proponents of gay rights. In reality, the dispute centers on different conceptions of public health: Those who oppose mandatory testing are concerned that the fear of discrimination resulting from seropositive results will force those most at risk to avoid needed testing, counseling, and contact with support services. It is vital to understand the extent to which discrimination (real and perceived) against AIDS carriers is a factor, and how it is strengthened every time a politician or religious figure talks of quarantine or isolation. Certain sorts of discrimination are justified in the interests of public health, and reasonable people can disagree about the balance—as was true in the protracted debate in San Francisco concerning the gay bathhouses. But few diseases in recent history have led to as many stringent proposals to restrict the rights of those affected, and even fewer have led to claims for discrimination against all members of high-risk groups, whether or not they were actually ill or contagious. Fear of AIDS has elicited a welter of irrational reactions based on the stereotyping of homosexuals. The U.S. Justice Department has ruled that persons with AIDS may be dismissed from their jobs because of fear of transmission, even where such fears are not medically supported; some state courts and legislatures, however, have taken an opposite position. Fear of AIDS was invoked by the state of Georgia in its successful defense of its antisodomy law before the Supreme Court in 1986. A number of governments (including the United States) have sought to make evidence of HIV-antibody-free (noncarrier) status a requirement for immigration or even entry; in West Germany this provision has led to a bitter dispute between the Interior and Health ministries. Fear of and hostility toward those with AIDS most clearly overlaps with more generalized homophobia in the attempts by some politicians and a number of fundamentalists to use the epidemic to argue against homosexual rights. In the eyes of the religious right, AIDS is literally viewed as a God-given opportunity to reverse social attitudes toward homosexuality, which have grown more tolerant over the past decade; in English-speaking countries particularly, fundamentalists have invoked fire-and-brimstone rhetoric to argue that AIDS is evidence of Gods wrath. Gay groups have quickly learned which aspects of the political system are most amenable to pressure; in the United States, at a national level, this has involved working through the courts (a vast number of AIDS-related cases are already working their way through the judicial system) and, especially, sympathetic members of Congress. Among the groups most affected by AIDS, only the homosexuals have been able to mobilize and articulate political demands. The publics perception of the disease therefore continues to be more closely linked with homosexuals than its epidemiology suggests. In the United States this is further complicated by racial divisions and intravenous drug use, as a far higher proportion of AIDS cases that are not sexually transmitted are found among blacks and Hispanics than among whites. Even now one feature of AIDS organizations is the under representation of people of color, including homosexuals. Even in countries where this is not a problem, the dominance of AIDS as an issue makes the gap between gay women and men increasingly more difficult to bridge; although many lesbians are heavily involved in AIDS work, most gay women cannot identify with AIDS as a central issue in the way true for many gay men. AIDS has mobilized more gay men into political and community organizations, although not into specific demonstrations and marches, than any other event in the short history of the gay movement. In every major city of the United States, Canada, Australasia, and most of northern Europe, the appearance of AIDS has led thousands of gay men (and others) to volunteer in programs of care, support, counseling, and education. But this in turn creates several problems: It reinforces the publics misperception of the causal link between AIDS and homosexuality; it forces other issues off the gay movements agenda and monopolizes its attention; and it creates new tensions as dependence on government and the emergence of a new class of AIDS experts leads to growing strains within the movement. One could in fact posit that AIDS has created a shift in the leadership of the gay movement, accentuating the trend toward leaders who can claim professional expertise instead of activist credentials—a move already under way during the late 1970s. This has been most obvious in the rise to prominence of openly gay medical doctors, who have been able to use their professional skills and sexual identity to claim a certain legitimacy in the eyes of government; groups like the American Physicians for Human Rights have become prominent within the gay movement largely because of the epidemic. But the new leadership also includes those skilled in legislative and bureaucratic lobbying, and one consequence of this shift has been to reduce the representativeness of leadership in terms of class, race, and age. Observing the gay movement, AIDS has changed the movement in ways none of us could have anticipated in the much headier days of the 1970s. Obviously the stakes are higher: However important law reform was, it does not compare with the urgent need to respond to an epidemic that in some cities (New York, San Francisco, Houston, Copenhagen, Sydney) was striking nearly every gay man. In response, new people have come into the movement; many gay men who had hitherto regarded gay politics as irrelevant, have become the front-line activists because of AIDS. But many experienced activists have found that AIDS has turned them into professionals; the people who run the large organizations, such as GMHC, the Terence Higgins Trust, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the AIDS Council of New South Wales, and so forth, spend much of their time now dealing with government bureaucrats, health-system managers, and various authorities whom they had once denounced as the enemy. Unconsciously, certain forms of co-optation inevitably take place; governments fund jobs, trips, and conferences, and those who take part begin to see things differently. Thus, a new tension develops within the rank-and-file, many of whom came into AIDS work as volunteers concerned to look directly after the sick and dying, who feel estranged from the new bureaucrats their own movement seems to have spawned. It is difficult to speak of the impact of AIDS without speaking of the changing perceptions of homosexuals, so intertwined are the two in the public imagination. AIDS seems to have heightened both the stigma and the respectability of homosexuals; in unraveling this apparent contradiction, we can come to terms with certain crucial social changes. The common assumption is that AIDS has been responsible for reversing, or at least halting, a gradual social acceptance of homosexuality as an alternate life-style, an acceptance that had grown out of changes in sexual mores and the commercialization of sexuality during the 1970s. It is not hard to point to the hostile rhetoric, increased antigay violence, and the quite considerable discrimination directly linked to AIDS. Evidence of increased violence directed against homosexuals, much of it linked to AIDS, was recognized by a special congressional hearing in late 1986.The reality may well be that the response to AIDS thus far has largely been a reflection of the extent to which preceding gay-rights struggles had achieved a place in the political process for gay organizations; AIDS has thus highlighted a process already under way. The point has often been made that the epidemiology of AIDS would have been very different in most Western countries had it not been for the expansion of gay sexual networks in the 1970s. Equally, the response of governments would have been very different—and almost certainly slower and more repressive—if this expansion had not also been accompanied by the growth of gay political organizations that provided a basis for the development of community-based groups in response to the epidemic. At the level of conventional liberal political analysis, the case of AIDS bears out the adage that the squeaky wheel gets the oil. AIDS has brought issues of central concern to the gay movement onto the mainstream political agenda: at an enormous price the gay movement has become a recognized actor in the politics of health policymaking. Political will and mobilization can have a large effect on the social impact of the disease. The growing impact of AIDS on the American population forced activists to broaden their constituency. Some of the groups were also socially stigmatized and had even fewer resources than the gay community. Occasionally, they had segments who voiced their discomfort with or disapproval of homosexuality. When it came to matters of strategy, AIDS activists even had increasing conflicts with gay and lesbian political elites within the community over political priorities. The politics of AIDS activism forced gay and lesbian activists to have increased interaction with federal, state, and local governments, thereby transforming the lesbian and gay communitys relation with the state. Community-based organizations received government funding and participated in policymaking to a much greater extent than ever before. The AIDS movement has had a significant impact on government research, public health policies, and government funding of treatment, care, and education. This government funding has created large-scale institutions with jobs and career possibilities that did not exist in the lesbian and gay communities before the epidemic. These economic and institutional developments have had two major effects on the gay and lesbian communities. First, they have encouraged lesbian and gay political institutions to engage more with other communities, governmental agencies, and mainstream institutions. Second, they have transformed the class structure of gay and lesbian leadership. The new jobs and career possibilities attracted a generation of leaders who were upwardly mobile and educated at elite universities and colleges. In the past, gay men such as this might have pursued conventional careers. Now, though, many of them were infected with the virus that causes AIDS and took up AIDS activism to fight for their lives. The older generation of leaders had chosen gay political life as an alternative to mainstream careers. Very early on in the epidemic, however, AIDS devastated the founding generation both physically and emotionally. A new generation soon displaced the older one. AIDS had decimated the gay male community, had forced it to reach out to other communities, and had seriously undermined its economic and cultural self-sufficiency. The countervailing pressures of gay and lesbian identity politics and of AIDS activism produced a political situation that required a new perspective—one that conceived of identity as stable, but also recognized the incredible diversity within the community. The perspective needed to account for the kinship of all sexual minorities and the range of possible gender roles, ethnic, and racial identities. Works Cited Adam, B. D. The rise of a gay and lesbian movement. New York: Twayne Publishers.1995. Bell, G. AIDS in Australia, Sydney Bulletin , 17 March 1987 Bullough, Vern L. Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context. Harrington Park Press, 2002. Cante, Richard C. Gay Men and the Forms of Contemporary US Culture. London: Ashgate Publishing. March 2008 ISBN 0 7546 7230 1. Dynes, Wayne R. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Homosexuality. New York and London, Garland Publishing, 1990 Frighten and be Fired, The Economist , 28 June 1986. Epstein, S. Gay and lesbian movements in the United States: Dilemmas of identity, diversity, and political strategy. In B. Adam, J. Duyvendak, A. Krouwel (Eds.), The global emergence of gay and lesbian politics: National imprints of a worldwide movement, pp. 30-90. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.1999. Gawenda, AIDS: Reaping Responsibility, The Age (Melbourne), 2 May 1987. Goldstein, R. The Hidden Epidemic: AIDS and Race, Village Voice , 10 March 1987. Johansson, Warren Percy, William A. Outing: Shattering the Conspiracy of Silence. Harrington Park Press, 1994. Katz, Jonathan. Gay American History: Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A. (New York: Harper, 1976) ISBN 006091211 Kitsuse, J. Coming out all over: Deviants and the politics of social problems. Social Problems, 28, 1-13.1980. McCombie, S.The Cultural Impact of the AIDS Test, Social Science and Medicine 23 (1986): 455-459. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, news release, Washington, D.C., 5 February 1987.Somerville, M. Rubin, G. Thinking sex: Notes for a radical theory of the politics of sexuality. In R. Parker, P. Aggleton (Eds.), Culture, society sexuality, pp. 143-178. New York: Routledge.1998. Schroedel, J. R., Fiber, P. Lesbian and gay policy priorities: Commonality and difference. In C. A. Rimmerman, K. D. Wald, C. Wilcox (Eds.), The politics of gay rights, pp. 97-120. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (2000). Seidman, S. From identity to queer politics: Shifts in normative heterosexuality and the meaning of citizenship. Citizenship Studies, 5, 321-328. (2001). Structuring the Legal and Ethical Issues Raised by AIDS, in AIDS : Social Policy , Ethics and the Law (Monash: Monash University Centre for Human Bioethics, 1986). Surgeon General s Report on AIDS (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Public Health Service, 1986), 30. Tatchell, P.AIDS : A Guide to Survival (London: Gay Mens Press, 1986), 97-101 Thompson, Mark, editor. Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate History of the Gay and Lesbian Movement. New York: St. Martins Press, 1994. ISBN 0-312-09536-8 Timmons, Stuart. The Trouble with Harry Hay: Founder of the Modern Gay Movement. Boston: Alyson Publications, 1990.

Impact of Just in Time in Manufacturing

Impact of Just in Time in Manufacturing CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Introduction to the Problem Statement of the Problem: It had been proved from time and again the positive impact of Just in Time in manufacturing. No models or methodologies have been developed to relate how predictive maintenance can have a significant effect on the performance of JIT in manufacturing and its supply chains. In early 1950s Toyota devised their manufacturing system called Toyota production system which streamlines the entire process of manufacturing in an organized way through continuous information sharing between supplier and customer to achieve just- in- time production. Just-in-time is one of the major pillars of Toyota production system. Implementation of lean principles gave way for various strategic advantages in manufacturing. (Lathin, 2001) stated that using lean principles, a traditional mass producer could expect a reduction of 90% in inventory, cost in quality, lead time and 50% increase in labor productivity. (Nystuen, 2002) stated that one could see a reduction of 90% in travel time, 82% in inventory and 11% in product lead time. After the success of Toyota production system,  Ã‚   although this production system revolutionized the entire process of manufacturing in Japan, it did not reflect the west. This is due to many reasons such as traditionally minded management (Gup ta and Jain, 2013), lack of machine capability, high inventory, fluctuating markets (Golhar, Stamm, and Smith, 1990), high product variety (Cusumano, 1994) and lack of communication between processes. One of the biggest key suspects understands machine capability. This can be achieved by filling the gap between machine capability information and production planning. To achieve this system, there are 2 key elements; Real- time machine data and data processing. P.ODonovan, K. Leahy, K. Bruton and D.T.J. OSullivan (2015) presented a concept called smart manufacturing where manufacturing data can be used create positive impact on the manufacturing operations The first industrial revolution began in early 1800s through mechanical production using steam and water. Since then, there has been two other industrial revolutions through assembly line production for mass production, increase quality, reduce cost and manufacturing time; and using technology and IT systems. Currently the manufacturing industry is in the midst of data driven revolution transforming traditional manufacturing facilities into smart manufacturing facilities (Peter ODonovan, Kevin Leahy, Ken Bruton and Dominic T. J. OSullivan, 2015). Many industry Pundits today believe; we are currently undergoing fourth industrial revolution through internet technology in manufacturing. Machine reliability has always played an important role for manufacturing. Over time machines have become smarter and are capable of collecting their performance as feedback. It has always been a challenge to fix the machines during downtime and machines technicians are also required to keep themselves updated on latest technologies. (Jay Lee, Hung-An Kao, Shanhu Yang, 2014) suggested that machines could be connected together in a cyber-workspace where, machine data could be collected and later analyzed using predictive tools for machine predictability. Connecting the machines through cyberspace enables managers to monitor every machines performance remotely without visiting every machine during the day. Significance of the Research Research Questions and Objectives Implementation of predictive maintenance has been a buzzword for some time in Internet of Things (IoT) neighborhood. In the recent years, many companies have been implementing predictive maintenance activities it to their advantage in order to achieve machine failure free environment. There has been a lot of case studies published in the recent times on implementation of predictive maintenance activities with results closer to machine failure free operation. Most of research in predictive maintenance in recent times have focused on different methodologies and algorithms implemented in data mining, classification and prediction in order to achieve failure free operation. In the course of literature review it was found that, there has been a lack of research in studying the effect of implementation of predictive maintenance activities throughout manufacturing supply chains. This research study is conducted to answer some of the questions in an industry environment such as (1) What was effect in product flow by implementing predictive maintenance activities? (2) How were the supply chains impacted by the implementation of predictive maintenance activity (3) Was there any effect on the performance of Just-in-time manufacturing? (4) If so, what factors were affected and by how much? (5) Can a model estimate the effect on the performance of Just-in-time in manufacturing before the implementation of predictive maintenance activity? This research study is conducted to answer these questions by collecting and mining data from current manufacturing setup and its supply chains, applying new methods to analyze it and use traditional regression models to predict the performance change in Just-in-time in manufacturing.   The objectives in this research includes The development of a methodology for measuring performance variance in Just-in-time for an industry environment and throughout its supply chains by implementing Predictive maintenance activity. The identification of Just-in-time performance measurement factors that would have significant effect in predicting the performance before implementation of predictive maintenance activity The creation, verification and validation of a model that could estimate the performance variance in Just-in-time for future implementations throughout the supply chain CHAPTER II Literature review Overview JIT in Manufacturing Machine Maintenance All actions appropriate for retaining an item/part/equipment in, or restoring it to, a given condition is known as maintenance (Dhillion, 2002). Each year US manufacturing industry spends about $300 billion on plan maintenance and operations. It is also estimated that approximately 80% of the industry budget goes towards correcting chronic failures of machines, systems and peoples (Latino, 1999). There are 2 types of machine maintenance and are classified as follows. Planned maintenance is generally classified as preventive (PM) and corrective maintenance, while breakdown maintenance is considered as unplanned. Preventive maintenance can be further subdivided into fixed maintenance and predictive maintenance. (Mansor, Ohsato, Sulaiman, 2012). Unplanned Downtime The unscheduled maintenance or repair to return items/equipment to a defined state and carried out because maintenance persons or users perceived deficiencies or failures is known as corrective maintenance (Dhillion, 2002). Planned Downtime There are many definitions to preventive maintenance. All actions carried out on a planned, periodic, and specific schedule to keep an item/equipment in stated working condition through the process of checking and reconditioning is known as preventive maintenance (Dhillion, 2002). In the recent years, PM has been one of the most sought techniques in industries across different areas. One of the main objectives of PM is to keep the machine in running condition through standard inspection methods and correction methods at early deficiency stages. Performing PM activities has some of the advantages such as increasing equipment availability, reduction of overtime, reduction in inventory, improve safety, improve quality, reduces time and cost (Levitt, 1997). Some of the disadvantages of PM are it increases initial cost, damaging equipment, reduces life of parts and using more number of newer parts (Patton, 1983). Fixed maintenance Predictive maintenance Similar to preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance have several definitions. To some workers, predictive maintenance is monitoring the vibration of rotating machinery in an attempt to detect incipient problems and to prevent catastrophic failure or it is monitoring the infrared image of electrical switchgear, motors or other electrical equipment to detect developing problem (Mobley, 2002). According to Dhillion (2002), predictive maintenance is a method of using modern measurement and signal processing methods to accurately diagnose item/ equipment condition during operation. It would not be wrong to say, Predictive maintenance is a complement of preventive maintenance which uses various testing and measuring methods to monitor the equipment status and predict the machine failures. According to Mobley (2002), there are five nondestructive techniques used for predictive maintenance management: vibration monitoring, process parameter monitoring, thermography, tribology, and visual inspection. Predictive maintenance not just limited to manufacturing sectors used various other industry such as water and wastewater utility solutions (Severn Trent Services), Transportation railway (Finnish railway VR Group), Power grids (Israel Electric corporation), Oil and gas industry, wind power (Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, 2014), Airline industry (IBM, 2014), Biotech industry (Cypress Envirosystems, 2008) and many more. Some of the case studies related to manufacturing would be discussed in later part of this report. Case Studies KALYPSO: Predictive analytics and Improved Product design with machine learning Daimler: Automotive manufacturer increases productivity for cylinder-head production by 25 percent IBM Asset Analytics for Manufacturing Equipment in Automotive Israel Electric Corporation moves towards smarter maintenance Fluke Corporation: White Paper: Thermography Roland Berger: Oil and gas Reducing breakdowns and increasing production of highly critical assets Roland Berger: Wind Power Reducing maintenance costs and improving uptime in a challenging operational environment ABB Group: Predictive Maintenance for Heavy Industry Data collection, Data mining and Predictive maintenance methodologies Data Collection Sensor data Historical data Data mining Techniques Signal Processing and Feature Extraction Principle Component Analysis (PCA) based fault detection Predictive Maintenance methodologies Health Assessment Self-organizing map (SOM) Performance Prediction Health Diagnosis Self-organizing map (SOM) References Latino, C.J., Hidden Treasure: Eliminating Chronic Failures Can Cut Maintenance Costs up to 60%, Report, Reliability Center, Hopewell, Virginia, 1999 M.A. Mansor, A. Ohsato and S. Sulaiman, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, International Journal of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering, SSN: 2229-8649 (Print); ISSN: 2180-1606 (Online); Volume 5, pp. 612-621, January-June 2012 Levitt, J., Managing preventive maintenance, Maintenance technology, February 1997, 20-30. Mobley, R Keith, An Introduction to predictive maintenance, 2002, 2nd ed, ISBN 0-7506-7531-4

Dickens and his Stucture Of Hard Times Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"On every page Hard Times manifests its identity as a polemical work, a critique of Mid-Victorian industrial society dominated by materialism, acquisitiveness, and ruthlessly competitive capitalist economics† (Lodge 86). The quotation above illustrates the basis for Hard Times. Charles Dickens presents in his novel a specific structure to expose the evils and abuses of the Victorian Era. Dickens’ use of plot and characterization relate directly to the structure on account that it shows his view of the mistreatments and evils of the Victorian Era, along with his effort to expose them through literary methods. A befitting display of structure is evident through his giving name to the three books contained in Hard Times. The titles of the three appropriately named books are an allusion to the Bible, and are also â€Å"given a further twist in Gradgrind’s recommendation to ‘Plant nothing else and root out everything else’ (except facts)† (Lodge 91). In the first book, titled â€Å"Sowing, † we are introduced to those that Dickens creates a firm character basis with. The opening chapter emphasizes on Thomas Gradgrind Sr., and his students fittingly referred to as â€Å"vessels before him ready to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they are filled to the brim† (Dickens 12). Gradgrind’s methods of education are employed to show Dickens’ view on the evil of the educational system. Among the â€Å"vessels† are Bitzter and Sissy Jupe. They exemplify two entirely d...

Boston matrix analysis for BHP Billiton Group

Abstract The paper provides an analysis of BHP Billiton Group based on the Boston matrix. It is indicated that this matrix is a solid marketing tool to determine the financial performance of organisations. It focuses on companies’ market share and market growth. As a result of the implementation of the Boston matrix analysis to BHP Billiton Group, it is concluded that the company is at the position of a cash cow on the matrix. This finding has significant practical implications, and thus recommendations to use certain strategies are provided. Introduction The Boston Matrix represents a marketing tool, which is commonly used to conduct product portfolio analysis and management. This instrument was introduced by the Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s (Stern and Deimler, 2006). The Boston Matrix mainly focuses on the dimensions of market share and market growth, as these aspects are considered important to identify the areas in which companies need to utilise resources in order to optimise their profit generation capacity (Kotler, 2006). The matrix indicates a focus on a product management perspective as an integral part of the analytical process. Market share refers to the percentage of the total market, which is attained by organisations. This value can be measured by considering the percentage of revenue or unit volume. It is usually assumed that a high market share suggests significant financial benefits to a company. Market growth relates to the attractive parameters identified in a particular market (Schermerhorn, 2013). Businesses are usually grouped into four major categories: dogs, cash cows, question marks and stars. Dogs are companies that encounter the challenges of low market share and low market growth, while cash cows tend to have a high market share in low growing markets (Kotler, 2006). Question marks have a low market share in high growing markets. Stars represent the ideal situation for organisations because they tend to have a high market share in a rapidly growing industry (Stern and Deimler, 2006). These elements are reported by Stern and Deimler (2006) to generate sufficient cash and extensive opportunities for development. By applying the Boston matrix analysis to the performance of BHP Billiton Groups, it appears that specific information and trends from the company’s segments should be considered. The iron ore segment of the organisation has been following a star strategy by focusing sales in Australia due to its intention to decrease production costs, which would help the corporation obtain a bigger share of the market. This may happen even though growth in Chinese steel output significantly decreases (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). BHP Billiton Groups has a high market share in the Chinese location but low growth, which reflected in the price drops. This in turn decreased the revenues from the company’s associated segments. According to this dimension, the corporation has been following a cash cow strategy. The iron ore segment of the organisation is facing persistent challenges related to the decline of iron price, workers strike as well as strengthening Australian dollar (BHP Billiton Lt d., 2013). The copper segment is also affected by copper prices. As a result, the organisation has been following a question mark strategy by indicating a low market share in China due to the overall decline in copper revenues. Yet, the strategy of the company is to maintain a high market growth because of its positive production outlook in the respective segment. Similarly, the coal segment is negatively affected by low coal prices and rising cost. However, the corporation’s coals continue to be recognised as the most highly valued, supporting strong long-term margins, implying that BHP Billiton Groups has been following a star strategy in the Chinese and Australian locations (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). Future supply growth in the coal segment indicates that it is predominantly Australian, which directly sets the organisation at the position of a star on the Boston matrix. The fact that the outlook for the petroleum segment looks good is important to predict that the company may return to its position as a star on the Boston matrix. One of the expectations in this context is that total shale production is most likely to rise in the future (Stern and Deimler, 2006). In terms of the company’s geographical locations, it seems that geographic factors limit competition for the organisation. The company operates in more than 100 geographical locations across the world. The company’s market share is high due to its diversified portfolio of services. Moreover, its market growth is relatively high (Grant, 2013). Therefore, BHP Billion is pursuing a star marketing strategy considering the mentioned aspects. With regards to the company’s aluminium segment, it can be argued that BHP Billiton is pursuing a star marketing strategy, considering its both high market share and high market growth. For instance, the corporation’s total aluminium production for the fiscal year of 2013 is approximately 1.2 Mt (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). This means that the company’s market share is extremely high in this segment, which along with its high market growth in markets of Western Europe and Asia makes the corporation in a winning star position on the Boston matrix. The manganese segment of the company shows its adoption of a star strategy because approximately 80% of its production is sold directly in countries, such as China, India and South Korea (Grant, 2013). This aspect implies that BHP Billiton has both high market share in the mentioned markets and high market growth. It can be argued that BHP Billiton Group’s share prices were relatively low in 2012. This aspect prompted the company to follow a question mark strategy because despite its low market share, the provision of various natural resources took place in a high growing market (Schemerhorn, 2013). However, at the end of 2012, the corporation gradually started expanding its share prices by representing an adequate price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. This means that the group has focused on following a star strategy in its main segments. Yet, it is challenging to estimate the market price for each product due to the extensive diversity of the company’s products (Grant, 2013). Another challenge associated with the quantification of returns is the categorisation of returns in different currencies. As previously indicated, BHP Billiton Group placed importance on location when it comes to making investments. In the United States, the corporation has been extensively concerned to adhere to a star strategy on the Boston matrix by distributing crude petroleum (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). It is essential to note that the company relies on its current strength of occupying a leading position in global commodities prices that are related to the health of the international economy. This suggests the potential of the corporation to predominantly follow a star strategy, which would guarantee it a better position compared to other organisations operating in the same industry sector (Grant, 2013). Nonetheless, the company is unable to predict currency assessments, which may lead to the adoption of a cash cow or a question mark strategy according to the Boston matrix. It has been indicated that certain flaws in the global economy negatively affect the performance of the corporation in the sen se of decreasing its market share in certain segments. For instance, such flaws may lead to a reduced demand for commodities, which may directly reflect in lower prices and reduced profitability of the company. The diverse portfolio of assets provided by BHP Billiton Group has assumed a solid market position of the company in its major segments. It is important to note that the corporation occupies a leading position in the trade of uranium in Australia after Olympic Dam Mine as well as of other natural assets, such as silver and copper (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). This places the company at a quite favourable position regarding its trade activities and thus it is more likely to adopt a star strategy in its home country. The fact that the corporation is a leading producer of nickel globally is indicative of the high market share it has in different segments and in different locations across the world (Stern and Deimler, 2006). As a result of the application of the Boston matrix analysis to the performance of BHP Billiton Group, it can be suggested that the company has the potential to make a substantial impact on the global delivery of natural assets. Its position as a star in most of its seg ments and in most locations shows solid management and leadership practices present at the organisation. It is important to note that the major purpose of the Boston matrix analysis is to help BHP Billiton Group decide which of its business units should be kept as well as in which areas it can invest further (Grant, 2013). There are different strategies to be applied considering that the organisation is in the position of a cash cow on the Boston matrix. One of these strategies is to hold in order to maintain its sales or market share (Schermerhorn, 2013). Another strategy that can be utilised is to defend its position regardless of the challenges the company faces with regards to its market share and projected market growth (Kotler, 2006). BHP Billiton Group can also implement a strategy, which is identified as ‘milk’, implying that the company is expected to use the cash it generated in the fiscal year to return to its position as a star on the matrix from the period of 2011 to 2012 (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). The fact that the company is at the position of a cash cow means that its profitability ratios have significantly declined. For instance, the organisation’s net profit margin, operating profit margin, ROE and ROA deteriorated in the period from 2011 to 2012 and from 2012 to 2013. It can be suggested that the company should seriously rethink its position in the market so as to try its best to restore its star position from the past (Schermerhorn, 2013). The application of the Boston matrix analysis to BHP Billiton Group’s performance yields significant conclusions about the company’s challenges and opportunities that can be addressed. Conclusion This paper has provided an analysis of BHP Billiton Group’s financial performance based on the Boston matrix. It has been indicated that the organisation is currently at the position of a cash cow on the matrix considering its high market share and low growing market (Kotler, 2006). Certain strategies have been provided so that the organisation can implement them in order to improve its position and return to the status of a star, which represents an ideal combination of a high market share and fast growing market (Grant, 2013). References BHP Billiton Ltd. (2013). Stock Analysis on Net [online]. Available at: http://www.stock-analysis-on.net/NYSE/Company/BHP-Billiton-Ltd/Financial-Statement/Income-Statement [Accessed: 14 August 2014]. Grant, R. M. (2013). Contemporary Strategy Analysis. New York: Wiley. Kotler, P. (2006). Marketing Management. New York: Pearson Education. Schermerhorn, J. R. (2013). Exploring Management. New York: Wiley. Stern, C. W. and Deimler, M. S. (2006). The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: Classic Concepts and New Perspectives. New York: Wiley.