Saturday, August 31, 2019

Walmart vs Target

I decided to research the competing stores of Walmart and Target. Sam Walton opened his first store in Arkansas in 1962. His visions included helping customers and communities save money and live better. Walmart was considered the nation’s top retailer by the 90’s and enjoyed its first $100 billion sales year by 1997. In the New Millennium, â€Å"Walmart made a major commitment to environmental sustainability, announcing goals to create zero waste, use only renewable energy and sell products that sustain people and the environment. (www. walmart.com)† â€Å"In 2010, Walmart launched a global commitment to sustainable agriculture, aiming to strengthen local farmers and economies, while providing customers access to affordable, high-quality food. (www. walmart. com)† Walmart celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2012 and currently employs over 2. 2 million associates worldwide and serves 200 million customers each week at more than 10,000 stores in 27 countri es. According to the Walmart website, their core beliefs are service to our customers, respect for the individual, and strive for excellence and to act with integrity.After some research, it appears that the organizational culture of Walmart is still subject to an authoritarian culture. Authoritarian means favoring complete obedience or subjection to authority as opposed to individual freedom. The culture is viewed this way after multiple lawsuits against Walmart from their employees regarding wages, work hours, and advancement opportunities. There are many female employees of Walmart that would like to be eligible for promotions to management, however Walmart has made it difficult for women to take those positions.They have created the management structure in a way that most women are simply unable to accept. They do this by making relocation a fixed policy for management positions. The Target Corporation began its history in 1902 in Minneapolis. In 1962 â€Å"Target† and be gan to campaign with the classic Bullseye logo. The reasoning was, â€Å"As a marksman's goal is to hit the center bulls-eye, the new store would do much the same in terms of retail goods, services, commitment to the community, price, value and overall experience.(https://corporate. target. com/about/history/Target-through-the-years)† The Target Corporation appears to be continuing to have a history of giving and service. This commitment began in 1946. They strive to enhance the futures of their team members, communities and the world as a whole. â€Å"Supporting communities through giving has always been a cornerstone of our business and a belief that guides so many of our decisions. Each year, we’ve given 5 percent of our profit to communities, which add up to more than $4 million each week.We also believe that donating our time, talent and resources is equally important as the income we give. † They also try to meet corporate responsibility goals in the areas of education, environment, team member well-being and volunteerism Target also announced their goal to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015. In addition, Target’s giving program has reached $4 million a week to local communities. This money goes to communities to fight hunger, aid disaster preparedness and relief efforts, support the arts and put more kids on the path to graduation.It has also been claimed to be a great place to work. They also provide resources, services and benefit programs for eligible employees and their families. They are also many career development and networking opportunities. Target expresses its core values by continuing to make their contributions yearly with their giving program. That appears to be the norm for Target and its employees. Even the employees volunteer their time in many of Target’s community events.The culture of Target seems to be positive compared to the discrimination issues of Walmart. After all of this resear ch, I would definitely prefer to be working for Target because of their commitments to education and local communities. I have always felt the need to be involved in things of that nature and that would give me the push I needed. Work is work and there are days where we just don’t like our jobs but giving back can always help us feel better about what we’re doing.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Meaning of Being Educated

The Meaning of Being an Educated Person Being educated is one of the most important attribute a person can have. However, there is a difference between being educated from experience and being educated from readings and schoolwork. Though being knowledgeable through experience allows a person to be thought of as well-rounded, the basics of his or her own rights and abilities are often overlooked. Not too many people can recite all of their rights and capabilities and be able to explain them to an outsider. The American legal system is increasingly important with the constant changes in what is acceptable to our society.Being well-educated in the rights of one’s country allows for a citizen to become more involved and in turn, appreciate his or her country. An exact definition of educated would be termed as â€Å"having an education or having knowledge based from fact†, according to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary. To become educated, a person enters and may commit to a continuous process. Education is a process of gaining knowledge through self-examination and will, interactions with peers or elders, pure experience. One can even say that a person is educated through instinct alone.However, instinct alone cannot suffice if one wishes to enter the job force and rise in society. There is also a responsibility that comes along with gaining education. With the acquiring of knowledge there is the choice to use it to one’s advantage or to keep it to oneself. Education is variable. One can be more educated in law than another, and one can be more educated in music than another. How educated a person is is dependent on how much they want to learn about a subject. Not every piece of knowledge about the American government is handed to each citizen.Though many do not seek further education beyond high school, the resources are there for the use of learning and practicing one’s freedom. An example of a well-educated person in terms of an American’s rights and liberties would be a lawyer. A lawyer is schooled for many years about the legal system, including the laws and constitution of America. It is with their degree that lawyers gain the right and trust to provide legal advice and guidance. Some lawyers further their education and occupational ranking by becoming magistrates.Magistrates are looked upon has having a high education and understanding of the law, rights, and regulations of our society. Another example would be the occupation of a police officer. A police officer acts as a guide and stable hand to the society of America. A police officer learns and practices the constitutional law and keeps wrongdoers in check as much as possible. They create a safer environment for people to live in and lead by example by enforcing the rules as sternly as possible. When a criminal or delinquent is arrested they are confronted by the officer saying â€Å"you have the right to remain silent†.The police offi cer is making the citizen aware of their right as an American. When a business is made and operated, the owner or owners practice their legal rights as an American. These rights are laid out in exact detail through a contract signed in the process of starting a business. The owner is well educated in the law and rights that he or she must follow and practice. As a business owner, one will practice property rights most often. â€Å"Property is a set of legal rights to exclude others from interfering with one's acquisition, possession, use, and transfer of limited resources† (Reed 451).By owning a business, a person has the right to acquire, dispose of, and use property freely. According to the Cato Handbook for Policymakers, property is the foundation of every right we Americans have, which includes the right to be free. Therefore, every land owner practices their rights as an American. â€Å"When laws are generally and equally applicable they will tend to produce a beneficia l social order because lawmakers cannot benefit themselves exclusively but only as they also benefit the populace as a whole† (Reed 450). The laws are set in the U. S.Constitution in order to provide order and stability in the American society. The writers of the constitution were not as learned about society and democracy as people are today, but they were educated enough to realize what laws and guidelines would create a greater society and social system. The constitution allows for certain authorities to lead the United States. These authorities have a greater understanding and education about how society should work and run. With a greater education and understanding of the United States laws and freedoms, an American citizen has the capacity to appreciate and take part in their society.A well educated person has knowledge of fact and experience combined whether it is from schooling or by random occurrence. Through schooling, one can become part of the American government and practice the law by providing guidance and stability for citizens who may seem unaware. With numerous resources available to anyone in America, the ability to become well-educated in the subject of the government and the rights of the American citizen is easy.Works Cited A Summary of the US Constitution. n. d. 15 June 2011 lt;http://www2. waketech. edu/blogs/elcivics/files/2011/03/summary-of-the-USConstitution. pdf;gt;. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. â€Å"educated. † n. d. Merriam-Webster. com. 17 June 2011 ;lt; http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/educated;gt; â€Å"Property Rights and the Constitution. † Cato Handbook for Policymakers 7. (2009): 345-362 17 June 2011. Reed, O. Lee. â€Å"Law, The Rule of Law, and Property: A Foundation for the Private Market and Business Study. † American Business Law Journal 8. (2001): 441-474. Web. 17 June 2011.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Proposal On Deca Commissary Sign in Procedure Assignment

Proposal On Deca Commissary Sign in Procedure - Assignment Example There will be also an enhancement of recognition as all the people that will be signing in, the system will contain their data, and hence, improve the efficiency and security at Deca commissary (Markel, 2012, p. 184). The electronic system of signing in to work will promote the professional growth at the Deca commissary. For instance, the system, such as the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System will go a long way in verifying the status of all the people or customers and hence will grant them the access what is in the commissary, such as the promotional prices. This, in essence, will boost the professional growth of the commissary. The system will ensure there is no going against the policy, hence, promoting the professionalism of the commissary. The electronic system will also ensure those entering the commissary ensure they uphold professionalism. Furthermore, the electronic system of signing-in will ensure there is the connectedness of all the departments and employees within the commissary. This is possible by having the data time of each department and employees, and hence, it will be easy to have the data of all employees through electronic means. Therefore, this paper will embark on the problems of the current honor system of signing in and the possible solutions unto them. There exist several problems of using the current system of signing in, in which case it entails writing downtime in books, especially when writing the time of entering the commissary and time of leaving the commissary. One of the problems that such a system poses is the security threat. Security is remarkably crucial for all the employees that work in the commissary, including the whole of commissary and its properties.  

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

International Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

International Finance - Essay Example When used in a data set of 7 major currencies in the post-Bretton Woods age, the JLR test offers strong and credible evidence in support of a unitary cointegrating vector in between forward and corresponding future spot rates. However, the orthogonality condition is met only for 3 major currencies. According to the forward rate unbiasedness hypothesis (FRUH), â€Å"under conditions of risk neutrality and rational expectations on the part of market agents, the forward rate is an unbiased predictor of the corresponding future spot rate†. Assuming the absence of a risk premium in the foreign exchange market, it must hold true that Johansen (1992) puts forward a maximum likelihood technique to establish the number of common trends in a system of unit-root variables. Without any generality being lost, a p -dimensional vector autoregressive (VAR) process of k -th order can be written as: To test the hypothesis in (6), it suffices to test that the smallest of the characteristic roots of ÃŽ   is zero, as a rejection necessarily implies that all characteristic roots of ÃŽ   are nonzero and therefore ÃŽ   possesses full rank. Such a test can be constructed on the basis of the following test statistic, referred to as the Johansen likelihood ratio (JLR) test statistic: The paper analyzed U.S. dollar spot and 90-day forward rates for 8 major currencies: Canadian dollar (CD), Deutsche mark (DM), British pound (BP), French franc (FF), Swiss franc (SF), Netherlands guilder (NG), and the Italian lira (IL). The sample period is from 1974:3 to 1996:4 at a quarterly frequency. Since the maturity date of the forward contract and the sampling frequency are similar, problems emanating from the use of overlapping data are bypassed. The 90-day forward rates are matched with the corresponding future spot rates and

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution Essay

The Technological Stimulus of the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example The technology that continued to drive the Industrial Revolution came in the form of invention and innovation. Invention, and the implementation of the invention, was merely the first step in the process. It is estimated that the period of invention terminated in 1780 (McCloskey 251). All progress after that date was due to innovations on existing technology. Initially, the textile mills located their factories near sources of water that were needed to drive the water wheel technology. The introduction of the steam engine radically changed the economics of the textile industry. No longer forced to relocate workers to the site of the source of power, manufacturers were free to build factories at the population centers that provided a ready supply of cheap labor. Aside from solving the labor issue, steam power was not subject to the changes in weather and seasonal variations that water was. Water was subject to drought and in the attempt to make up for losses in the dry period, water driven mills were often forced to employ child labor during high productivity periods. The loss of this labor source reduced the value of water. Though the cost of water may have been competitive, it could never be a reach the production levels of steam. Without the introduction of the invention of steam, the textile industry could never have reached an economy of scale. ... However, there were some major differences in the economy of the production of iron. Iron experienced an unprecedented level of growth in production during the period of 1780-1860. However, it did not see an improvement in the productivity that was noted in textiles (McCloskey 251). While the cost of textiles fell dramatically during this period, the cost of iron fell less sharply. McCloskey has attributed this to the rising cost of inputs, mainly coal, that were required in the production of iron (251). The production level of iron was spurred by improved technology, but an influx of capital could not significantly raise the level of productivity. The inventions and innovations also aided the high levels of production and improved productivity during the Industrial Revolution in transportation. Transportation not only increased trade, but also facilitated the transport of local raw materials and finished goods. While McCloskey puts the value of transportation during this period at about 6% of the national income, it may have been a resource whose dynamic effect is difficult to calculate (258). The development of roads and waterways was reflected in the overall cost of transporting cloth from a remote mill to a commerce center. The eventual reduction in the cost of transportation through technological improvements would further raise the level of productivity. Transportation moved the finished goods and allowed for the importation of raw cheaper materials. Critics, however, have argued that the peripheral economic benefits of transportation, including the expansion of trade, amount to very little (McCloskey 258). However, even outside the textile sector, exports grew among almost all manufactured goods though they were

Monday, August 26, 2019

International Business Management Research Paper - 1

International Business Management - Research Paper Example Cost of Moving The different areas where the assembly plant has to bear cost of moving are as follows: Fittings, fixtures and land for the new plant Salaries of the new workers including the overheads and the training cost Social costs Transportation cost of exporting or shipping the finished products Power consumption and utilities Cost of installing machines Shareholders Affected The current economic crisis may affect the company’s ability to get business in the market. This might be the reason of declining profits. The company must conduct an internal analysis to find the root cause of their problem areas. After evaluating, the responsibility can be laid on a certain party. The benefit would be, that the labor cost, and production cost would be lower in Mexico and the maintenance cost would be lesser in US, so the shareholders profit can be guaranteed (Elliott, 2007, p. 13-14). Answer b) The strategic implications of moving and not moving are explained below: Moving: There are both advantages as well as disadvantages of moving the plant. Moving the assembly plant from the old location to a new place would help the company to start their business with cheap labor force and a new community to target to. The company would be able to generate more revenue. The company’s machineries are old and outdated which results in declining profits. So utilizing the low transportation cost, and tax free benefits in Mexico, the assembly plant can be moved. The disadvantage would be that the company would not be able to utilize its old site; it has to adjust according to the new and advanced equipments that will be used in the new plant. Along with that the training cost would be high as the employees of a totally different culture would have to be trained on new equipments. Not Moving: Legal implications may arise while moving to Mexico. The employees’ loyalty would be questioned and the originality of the company would be lost. The major issue of the co mpany is to maintain its profitability and increase the long-term value. This could be even done by inputting new facilities into the old machineries to compete with the other players, hard-work, continuous improvement and through innovation. By keeping the assembly plant where it is the company would not only be profitable but also be loyal to the place (Deresky, 2006, p. 64-66). Answer c) If the management of the company is able to understand the obligations of communicating with the political and the social leaders, then their recently adopted obligation is right. It is important to persuade the leaders that the community as a whole and the employees are the priority and not the profits. The company must look for options for supporting their moving decisions. They may propose the existing plant to look for some new owner or explore the opportunities of owning the employees. In case of the new assembly plant in Mexico, the responsibility lies on the host country and the facilitato rs of the organization. It is important to have a good public relation in order to consider the environmental and social issues. The ethical implications may also have an impact on moving the assembly plant to a different location, through reduction of labor cost. The focus should also be on the social and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Coursework - Essay Example The episode recaps are easier to understand, and are a more manageable size to study. However, they lack many details that are hard to find. For instance, in the Vietnam War episode, it might be easier to find information if there were tables or graphs of how many people on each side died, etc. The effects of some events, such as the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are not dealt with in enough depth to show how the people on the other side of the conflict suffered. The site could be improved with links to websites that cover the aftermath of the bombings as well as links to the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The site may also not quite convey the extent to which the Cold Wars potential for global nuclear annihilation gripped the lives of ordinary people, or the effects on generations who grew up believing there was likely no future to the world. Although, this is covered somewhat in the Cold War Memories section. The website would also be more interesting if it included more information on the Vietnam anti-war movement and the ways it was influential in changing the course of the nation. Likewise, an analysis of the effectiveness of nuclear disarmament efforts would be interesting. The most interesting parts of the website include the way that the causes of conflicts are given. It is easy to see what precipitated certain events, for instance, by studying the episodes in order, it is easy to see what events led to the Vietnam War. The interactive quizzes that test your Cold War knowledge, such as about culture of the time, are also interesting and fun. There are many facets to the impact of the Cold War on the United States. The competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union compelled both countries to a space race; the U.S. was inspired to be the first to land on the moon, and the U.S. space program received great support that it may not have otherwise. The Cold War also fueled a nuclear weapons arms race

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Essay response Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Response - Essay Example e blacks were victimized as a community but there were other groups of people that suffered at the hands of such an extremely discriminating system as well. The free black community also suffered at the hands of the white masters indirectly. The free carpenter boy who loved the slave girl could not marry her because she was someone else’s property. Similarly, the wives of the white masters were also victimized by their husband’s sexual relations with the slave women. They were forced to accept the insolent sexual behaviour of their husbands. It must have been really hard for them to turn a blind eye to the slave children their husbands bore with the slave women. Thus, women- either black or white received the most brutal blows of slavery. The free people of the North that represent a silent community are looked upon with great hope by the slave girl. She wonders why they were silent; as she believes that they have the power to change the system. The silence of the free people of the North actually represents the indifferent attitude usually adopted by those people who live in their own little bubble of life. This is not just a personal narrative of a slave girl but a life changing experience to read about her ordeal. This narrative compels the minds of the readers to think about what it is like to be a slave to another human being. This enables us to think beyond our immediate lives and to reach out to others who are in trouble. It also pinpoints to the fact that people in trouble look up to those who are in a strong position to change the course of their lives and destinies; and if their calls for help remain unanswered, then whatever hope they have turns into hopelessness and despair. â€Å"If God has bestowed beauty upon her, it will prove her greatest curse.† (47) This narrative is also about power, strength, hope, virtuousness and determination of human soul. The slave girl is an epitome of bravery and courage as she tries to fight back and to resist.

What Specific Problems Could Be Created By the Permanent Assignment of Essay

What Specific Problems Could Be Created By the Permanent Assignment of a Judge to the Juvenile Division - Essay Example The researcher states that now the court administration is contemplating on whether or not it will be a wise decision to permanently assign a judge to the juvenile division. For a while, this idea might appear to be a sensible solution to the problem of increasing workload. By assigning a judge permanently to the juvenile division, the current hybrid approach of the court can be controlled considerably. Hence, the risk of increased ambiguity on the part of the court staffs will be lessened. Moreover, the efficiency of the different categories of the justice system can be increased if specialist judges are given permanent assignments to their respective area of specialization. However, every legal expect would not agree with the idea of permanent assignment. The permanent assignment may be theoretically a rewarding idea. Nevertheless, a judge who has to handle a permanent assignment is repeatedly exposed to the same type of cases. According to Baum, short term and long term specializa tions are the two most prominent categories of specialization in law. Hence, specialist judges are better trained in handling special courts and cases. Nevertheless, when some judges are given â€Å"permanent assignments to particular types of cases, including, by definition, judges who serve on specialized courts†, they face high psychological stress. This psychological stress results from repeated hearing of the same sort of cases. And if the court administrator starts to give a selected judge (particularly one who has been serving in a hybrid court system) similar cases constantly, he/she may be overwhelmed. Of course, the judge has to see the same sort of crimes, face the same sort of questions, and deal with the same branch of law (here, it is the juvenile code) all the time. In fact, when a judge is aware that he/she will have to hear the same kind of cases for a long period of time, this very reality may affect the way he/she thinks.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Tort Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tort 2 - Assignment Example y have different types of compensation schemes and laws for injured employees, but they are all intended to guard against the negative consequences of inability to earn an income caused by injury. Most industrialised states are exhibiting a renewed interest in their systems of personal injury litigation, which can be viewed as an inclination towards responding to personal injury through legal redress. For example, in the United Kingdom, there is the Workers Compensation Act, of which the entire Part 3 and several provisions of Part 1 are applicable to occupational safety and health (IIDB, 2014). Sections of Part 4 are applicable to safety and health decisions appeals. Therefore, workers’ compensation is a scheme where employers must either pay or provide insurance that will pay medical expenses and lost wages of workers who get injured while performing their jobs. This paper will show that Tom, Dick and Harry have different rights and compensation levels from a dry cleaner the y worked for before being retired on health grounds after developing different diseases caused by a chemical they used at work. Under the Workers’ Compensation Act, an employer is defined as anyone with one or more workers who work for them in an industry by either a hiring or apprenticeship contract which is implied, expressed, oral or written. On the other hand, a worker is defined from multiple perspectives, but the most suitable in the case of Tom, Dick and Harry would be anyone under apprenticeship or contract of service whether implied, expressed, oral or written. Tort law defines a duty of care as a legal obligation owed by an individual to others, whereby a reasonable standard of care must be exercised while performing acts that are potentially harmful (Bagshaw & McBride, 2008). It also requires that the harm must be foreseeable. In the case of Squeakyclean, the company had known for 10 years that Blastoff, a chemical fluid used in the process of dry cleaning, causes a

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Excel Logistics Case Essay Example for Free

Excel Logistics Case Essay Purpose To introduce participants to the supply chain concept and to the effects decisions along the chain have on inventory levels and costs. Introduction In this game the retailer sells cases of beer to a consumer and orders cases of beer from the wholesaler; the wholesaler sells cases of beer to the retailer and orders cases of beer from the distributor; and the distributor sells cases of beer to the wholesaler and orders beer from the factory (brewery). The factory brews the beer. The beer supply chain is shown below: Players of the game each take on a different role in the supply chain. The roles are the Factory, Distributor, Wholesaler and Retailer. Each position is directly linked, and beer cannot skip the adjacent position. For example, the Wholesaler orders beer from the Distributor, and ships beer to the Retailer. An important consideration in making decisions is the delay in the movement of beer through the supply chain. It takes three periods to move an order of beer between each player in the supply chain. If during period 3 the Wholesaler decides to ship 10 cases of beer to the Retailer, the beer would take periods 4 and 5 to move to the Retailer and then would be available for sale by the Retailer at the beginning of period 6. Similarly, orders are not visible to the upstream player for one period. For example, if the Wholesaler places an order in period 3, the order is received by the Distributor at the beginning of period 4. For each period of play, every participant follows the same cycle: 1. The system is updated by your instructor where new orders and shipments are received, shipments enroute are advanced, and inventory levels and backorder positions are calculated (these tasks are done automatically by the server program. 2. The player updates the status screen and reviews current position. 3. A shipping decision is made according to new orders and backlog, subject to inventory availability, 4. An ordering decision is made for more beer. There are only two costs involved in this simplified version of a logistics  supply chain: inventory holding cost ($1.00/case/period) and back order costs ($2.00/case/period). Each team has the goal of minimizing the sum of these costs by balancing the cost of having inventory (inventory holding cost) with the cost of being out of inventory when a customer orders beer (back order cost). The server program keeps track of the costs incurred by each team. At the end of the game, the total game cost for the distribution system is the sum of the four individual participants total costs (retailer cost + wholesaler cost + distributor cost + factory cost). The goal is to minimize team costs. Action The game begins with a fully-loaded pipeline of cases of beer: 16 cases of inventory in each positions current inventory, 4 cases in each of the production delay pipeline, 4 cases in each of the shipping delay pipeline, each position has an initial order for 4 cases of beer. Definitions The following terms are used in the status report: Current Demand This is the demand for the current period at this position. For the Retailer, this demand is determined by an external demand stream. For all other positions, this demand reflects an order placed by the downstream position in the supply chain during the previous period. Backorder This is the demand that has not been met to date at this position. When a position does not meet demand by shipping cases of beer, the backorder amount is increased. This amount does not include the demand during the current period. Current Shipment This is the amount that is being shipped to the downstream position during the current period. After the ordering and shipping decisions have been made, the status button can be used to update the status report. The status report will reflect the current order and shipment decisions. Remember that after the instructor has updated the system, the status button should be pressed again to receive a report that reflects the execution of the decisions for the previous period. On Hand This is the current amount in inventory at the position. This is the total amount that can be shipped this period from this position. Due Next Period This is the number of units that are scheduled to arrive at this position next period. Due In Two Periods This is the number of units that are scheduled to arrive in two periods. Current Order Release This is the number of units that are being ordered from the upstream position. The  upstream position will not see this order until after the system has been updated to the next period. Inventory Cost This is the cumulative inventory cost for this position. This is calculated from the actual inventory balance at the end of each simulated period. During the update process, the system first ships material to the downstream position, updates the cumulative inventory and backorder costs based on the inventory and backorder levels, and then receives new material into the position. Backorder Cost This is the cumulative backorder cost for the position. Total Cost This is the total cumulative co st for the position.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

What Are The Concepts Of Geoengineering Environmental Sciences Essay

What Are The Concepts Of Geoengineering Environmental Sciences Essay Climate change is already affecting the inhabitants, economies, and environment of all regions of the world. Scientific evidence now clearly indicates that human activities such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation have initiated significant climatic change. These anthropogenic activities produce greenhouse gases emissions into the atmosphere, which heat up the atmosphere causing global warming. The impacts of global warming, which are mostly linked with extreme climate events, are mostly dangerous and are expected to continue and intensify in the future. Today, climate policies for global warming are mostly focused on the mitigation of greenhouse gases emissions through regulation. Yet, concerns regarding the slow progress on achieving global emission reductions and uncertainties as to whether regulation can solve global warming, have led some of the worlds scientific and political groups to suggest the possibility of directly manipulating the Earths climatic feedback system (Ra lston, 2009). Such a deliberate, large-scale manipulation of the environment is called Geoengineering (Greencarcongress.com, 2009). The idea of geoengineering is to mitigate the effect of fossil fuel burning on the climate through high-efficiency technologies whether by removing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, or by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. The proposed projects include capturing carbon dioxide from ambient air, enhancing weather system, injecting sulphate aerosol into the stratosphere, locating sunshades on the Earths surface, and launching reflective materials into the atmosphere, just to name a few (The Royal Society, 2009). Despite the hopeful sound of these geoengineering proposals, scepticism about whether they are scientifically possible, politically feasible, and ethically justifiable remains. Although there still remain the potential of devastating risks, such as drought in Africa and Asia, ozone depletion, and other unexpected consequences, the deployment of geoengineering presents scientific, political, and ethical challenges to addressing climate change. One of the most significant challenges posed by geoengineering is the scientific issue. While not all scientists agree with the concept of geoengineering, there is the challenge as to whether developing and deploying geoengineering projects on a massive scale are scientifically practicable. Although there are some current technologies that allow these projects, most of them are technically unproven and potentially dangerous to the environment. Given such uncertainties, the scientific soundness of geoengineering has been brought into question. Its not only ethicists and policy makers who question its practicability but also scientists themselves dismiss this idea as infeasible and risky given the scale at which most projects must be instituted and the associated catastrophic consequences. Many still doubt its applicability. For example, the National Academy of Sciences committee on science, Engineering, and Public Policy commented that engineered countermeasures on climate change must first be evaluated before implementation and clear cut understanding on the direct effects and potential side effects, risks and ethical issues must be sought. Some scientists have argued that some of the effects of these technologies are short-term and may be turned-off but others may have long-term effects yet we still cant rely on our current range of scientific experience. Economists in various parts of the globe are working hard to develop least-cost and optimal paths in geoengineering development. Some of their attempts have minimal scientific interest with limited policy and practical value. The main reason for it is because today we have inadequate knowledge on geoengineering risks and costs. It transpires that outputs of cost modelling developed by economists end up being determined by uncertain input assumptions. There is limited cost-benefit climate impact assessment that is simple and economically focused that can provide results relevant to the current policies. Economic analysis on whether to do emissions mitigation or geoengineering is inappropriate (Barret, 2007). This clearly means that more economic research is required so that policy decisions on geoengineering can be made. It is estimated that costs of conventional mitigation may be 1% or 2% of the global GDP and this is almost 1 trillion annually. This is the amount of money that is re quired to avoid risks of current emissions approaching 10GtC/yr. the carbon price corresponding to this is $100 per tone. Costs of SRM (solar radiation management) methods require 1 trillion annually in order to be affordable. CDR (carbon dioxide removal) methods costs would be comparable to carbon mitigation costs of $100/tonne of carbon. Its difficult to establish estimates of costs for geoengineering technologies. There are only tentative estimates available for the methods to be applied (Robock, 2009). Greatest challenge in deployment of geoengineering methods is the political and legal issues associated with governance but rather not in technical and scientific issues. Pre-existing national mechanisms may be sufficient for some of the methods like ambient air capture. For others like ocean iron fertilisation current international mechanisms though relevant still require modification. Some of the methods requiring trans-boundary activity and have trans-boundary effects require nations to have new international mechanisms. One method requiring new international mechanisms is space-based mirrors and stratospheric aerosols. Before deployment of such methods such as solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal, there must be appropriate governance mechanisms and this call for analysis to determine whether existing national, regional and international mechanisms are appropriate to manage geoengineering. Ethical considerations are a must even if we have to seek ways to minimize risks of global warming. There are debates whether geoengineering is warranted ethically and some arguments of this seek to extend moral concern towards nonhuman environment. For example, people have to conquer natural forces threatening their survival. Adaptation to effects of global warming like mega-storms and rising sea levels shows that nature is the victor in the man-nature struggle. Geoengineering projects apply technology to overcome nature and to convert natural environments to built environments. Some have argued that it is a moral imperative to conquer nature. There is an ethic of control requiring humans to manage natural environment while treating soils, fauna, atmosphere and flora as resources for use. Those who are for ethic of restraint however resist temptation of natural environment exploitation. Geoengineering methods are though to be aligned with an ethic of control but not merely that of r estraint. On ethical matters, there appears to be a conflict between the present and the future generations. Some of the projects favoured by current generations with idea that they will not affect the future generations are however not aligned with interests of these projects. There is insufficient scientific certainty that may prevent adoption of cost effective measures to evade causing harm to future generations and degradation of environment. Anthropogenic GHG emissions continue to rise since rich nations undertake projects without consent of poorer ones while the poorer nations with a right to development may initiate their projects. The debate remains on collective actions while the levels of emissions are still increasing (Robock, 2009). Geoengineering technologies may slow down the global hydrological cycle (Hoffman, 2010). Several studies have proposed geoengineering schemes that will reduce amount solar radiation that is absorbed by planet earth. From sunshade geoengineering schemes, it has been reported that global warming as a result of increasing concentration of carbon dioxide can be mitigated intentionally through manipulation of amount of sunlight absorbed through the climate system. Insolation reductions aimed at offsetting the global temperature increase usually lead to a decreased global average precipitation. This happens because solar forcing more effectively drives global mean evaporation changes compared to amount of carbon dioxide forcing which is of the same magnitude. Insolation changes come with larger changes in surface radiative fluxes and this is compensated by larger changes in sensible and latent heat fluxes. Hydrological cycle is so sensitive to temperature adjustment through the changes in insolation. This is a clear indication that geoengineering technologies through alteration of solar forcing offsets hydrological and temperature changes. Geoengineering technologies have serious effects on ecosystems. The mitigation effects are somehow ineffectual in reduction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Coral reefs are one of the most sensitive ecosystems to climate change. They are two groupings of solar radiation; long-wave carbon dioxide removal and shortwave solar radiation management. Some of these techniques only reduce some of the effects but create other problems. They dont affect carbon dioxide levels and thus rarely address its side effects like ocean acidification that is important for coral reefs. Solar radiation is important for survival and growth of coral, therefore solar radiation management is not appropriate for coral reefs ecosystems (Royalsociety.org, 2009). Calcifying marine organisms like crustaceans, corals, and molluscs are adversely affected by these technologies. Marine life ahs millions of lives that can be destroyed through the current technologies aimed at checking the climate change. Thoug h they are good remedies to reduce effects on humans, marine life has been put at risk. Even iron filings that are used to enhance growth of phytoplankton are still not good to marine life 100%. Aerial spraying, aerosol emissions, chemtrails or the so called cirrus clouds have been created through geoengineering technologies. These chemicals have heavy metals that may cause dementia symptoms associated with Alzheimers disease. Chemtrails affect localized weather where a clear blue sky may be turned into a hazy overcast. Some of the chemicals from chemtrails have high concentrations of Lead (8.2 ppm) and Barium (6.8 ppm). There are traces of other elements such as selenium, cadmium, chromium and arsenic which are so toxic. Exposure to Barium can cause chest and stomach pains and weakening of the human immune system (Robock, 2009). Barium causes asthma and its a powerful suppressant of the immune system. This is weather modification that has also affected the water supplies and agricultural crops. Weather modification using geoengineering technologies may in the long run affect all ecosystems through reduction of water supplies, crop production, water availability and changing the agricultural crops production cycles. Due to the increasing effects of global warming and the greenhouse gases, use of geoengineering technologies is a great idea. This is because even if there are side effects we cant just ignore the new inventions by our scientists as we continue to suffer. Its one of the methods that we can apply in minimizing the high concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. We cannot however use it as a substitute but we need to have it as a preventive measure when the concentrations of carbon dioxide are so high in the atmosphere. We should use geoengineering when we have to reduce adverse effects of climate change. It is important that we use geoengineering in controlling greenhouse gases like harmful methane which is capable of staying in the atmosphere for a very long period of time. Reduction of such gases in the atmosphere is less painful than reduction of carbon dioxide. Technologies to perform such prevention measures are already in existence and are economically and politically ea sy to handle. Personally, I believe we need to have more research on this topic before we decide to use it on the large scale (Schwartz, 2009).

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Effect Of Technology On Architecture Construction Essay

Effect Of Technology On Architecture Construction Essay Technology has played a big role in shaping the current society and its surroundings. It has affected every aspects of human life and one of them is space in the field of architecture and interior design. As technology changes, so does the practice of architecture and interior design. Previously, without the technology, the value of architecture lies in the process of crafting experience in a space. But, nowadays, with the technology, the value has changed into privileging the visual aesthetics of the space or described as visual architecture. Therefore, this essay aims to investigate the current effect of technology in architecture and interior design. As well as to argue that the current visual architecture has decreased the value of architecture. INTRODUCTION Technology opens the door to the future. It is one of the main essences that shape and change the way society behaves, as well as transcends the surrounding to suit the way society lives. Nowadays, the effect of technology has reached almost every level of the society, and one of them is modern building technology. It has great implication in the creation of space in both architecture and interior design. Since the early days, architecture is one of the most important needs of man. It provides space to live and works, an environment for interaction and provoking emotions, as well as a realm where experiences and memories are created. Feelings and emotions are evoked by the form and shape, the arrangement of forms and by relationships that space draws with the surroundings. It affects every part of human senses. As technology developed, the meaning of architecture started to adapt accordingly. Formerly, with conventional building construction technology such as wood-framed, stone-stacking and mud bricks structures, the shape and form of architecture that could be achieved was only a simple and pure form. It led to a trend of homogeneous building, which made architecture looks similar with its surroundings. Because of this limitation, architects and designers became more sensitive and focused on crafting experiences in a space. These experiences then become memories that will be remembered by the visitor and elements that differentiate one building from another. As this continues, because of the limitation on the materials, buildings visual aesthetic is slowly decreasing. Currently, with the creation and development of new building materials and technologies, the inventions of cutting-edge and futuristic looking forms and shapes are possible. New materials and structures are evolved and manufactured everywhere. These advancements have made architects trying to work out and explore the possibility of how these new materials can be used to elaborate and create new structures for buildings. Unintentionally, these advancements has also made them became so attached to visual appearance. Meaning that majority of them concentrate on using technology in order to discover new forms and shapes for architecture in order to reflect the idea for which it was designed. The design of the building that focused on visual aesthetics has led to a trend of creating a form that looks good rather than a space that feels good. With this trend continuing, it seems that the role of visual sense has being privileged when compared to other human senses. The impact of this trend causes the design of the current architecture being reduced and restricted into visual senses. With the absence of other senses, the strength of interaction between our bodies and a space is being diminished. This is because human experience space and environment through all of their senses, not only through the visual. The trend also indicates that the tendency in architecture of image rather than architecture of experience is increasing. The products of architecture of image will only offer visual consumption which wont create lasting impressions that all the architects strive for. It will only become a nice looking postcard of visually striking building. Hence, the essay aims to prove that the current use of technology in architecture is only being used to achieve visual aesthetics and has decreased the value of architecture. The essay will also argue that technology to achieve powerful or aesthetically pleasing form to the sight has to be able to grow hand in hand with other human senses, in order to create valuable experience and memory in a space. Only then, the value of architecture can be pushed to a full potential. Architecture of Experience rather than Visual Instead of experiencing our being in the world, we behold it from outside as spectators of images projected on the surface of the retina. Pallasmaa, J, 2005, p.47 Before we can move forward to the main issue, to question the effect of technology towards current architecture, it is important to look and understand briefly what is the nature and value of architecture since the early days it was created. Throughout the history, despite of a large number of definitions which have been proposed by numerous architects, the answer to the nature and value of architecture has never come to a conclusion. Maybe it is because there are diverse ways to formulate an answer to this. Davies (2008) noted that one of the numerous definitions of architecture that can be found in dictionaries, refer to the meaning of, a method or style of building. It seems that this definition leads to a diminishing understanding that building is just an object of visual aesthetic. Some even make comparison of architecture with other form of arts which is sculpture. For instance, Santiago Calatrava, a world-renowned Santiago Calatrava: Sculpture into Architecture, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Spanish architects that combined sculpture and painting with architecture. He is claimed as a building sculptor and had a world-wide exhibition of his works. James Gardner (2005, The Art Behind the Architect, The NY Sun newspaper) mentioned that there is no clear line whether Calatrava is a sculptor that design buildings or an architect that makes sculptures. And whether his works are sculptures that are in a form of architecture or a combination of both art and architecture. So is architecture is just a method of applying aesthetics consideration to the form of buildings? Or it is just an art of making buildings beautiful? This idea of definition seems to have missed a central core of the nature and value of architecture. Previously, in the prehistoric time where architecture was not even born yet, human lived in a nomadic way. They moved from one place to another. When night came, they stopped and lighted a fire to warm themselves up. By doing so, they started to define a place. And if they intend to stay there longer, they started to define a place to sleep, a place to shelter them from the rain, a place to collect and store food, a place where they could defend themselves from danger, etc. From their chosen site, experience of their surrounding, until the organization of their place, this leads to an evolution from a place to architecture. Based on that, one can say that the nature and value of architecture is in the sense of a place that is created by the organization between buildings with the surrounding and context itself. Thus, architecture relates to the way people live, it changes and evolves based on the environments, experiences and needs. As time goes on, places that people used have became more diverse, sophisticated and complex which made architecture consistently changing as well. Starting from the prehistoric era where human dwells in occasional caves to stone-stacking shelters. Then evolves to temporal tents make by frame-wood structures and into round houses that made of mud bricks. And as human becomes more civilized, the needs of place for different functions emerged too. From a place to worship gods, a place to trade things, a place for entertainment and so much more. These places will keep on expanding to meet the different needs of human. Moreover, tools to build and transport materials, such as wheels or pulleys, have advanced and are still growing in order to make construction process becomes more efficient. So, not only materials have evolved, functions and tools to build each building have advanced as well. From the early civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Roman Empire and the East, the develo pment in architecture to create buildings for different purposes have greatly varied. Egypts Pyramids, Greeks Temples, and Romans Amphitheatres are just few illustrations of various functions that could be found globally. The forms, materials, tools and functions of the architecture evolve because of the resources that are available in the environment. The needs for stronger materials to create shelter and suitable types of materials to craft the atmosphere for different functions have pushed the tool and building technology to an advanced level too. With the application of the advanced materials and technologies, humans are able to generate unique experiences which would enrich the physical and psychological experience in architecture. In the time where modern building technology was not developed yet, there was a limitation in the creation of architectural form. Architects and engineers were only able to create certain kinds of form because of the limitation of the materials and tools at that time. Considering this constraints, the focus of architecture at this time is in the creation of experience, which is the nature and value of architecture since the early days. People lived through experiencing the world with body senses. One sense interacts with other senses to be able to let human integrate with the surrounding and the world. As a result, architecture is the product of this constant interaction between people with their surrounding and the world. Architecture provides spaces where people could do their daily activities, experience the environment, feel comfortable with it and generate impactful memories through these interactions. The interaction that happens can be either simple or complex. It means that t he space within the architecture should be able to interact with at least one or all of the body senses. This is due to, as human we have needs and desires, beliefs and aspirations, as well as aesthetic sensibility that are affected by warmth, touch, odour, sound and visual stimuli. Every interaction that happens will be experienced by the body. And if the experience through the space is strong enough, it will formulate an impactful memory to the users mind. And if this is successful, the lasting impression that every architects strive for will be achieved. That is why architecture should be designed with a thought of multi-sensory experience inside the space. Some examples of ideal architecture that illustrates significant historical buildings with good space design are The Colleseum in Rome, The Louvre in France, and Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca. For the first one which is The Flavian Amphitheatre or widely known as The Colosseum at Rome. The reason that it is one of significant historical buildings with good space design lies within the successful achievement of the monumental and grandeur size, practicality, efficiency for controlling the crowd and the most important is its ability to radiate the crowds and spectators excitement and experience throughout the whole space experience at that time. The hugely impressive vast ellipse form that is filled with tiers of seating was created to strike awe into anyone who saw this great monumental building. It was a symbol of the glorious power and cruelty of Rome and its emperors. Its classical design features, reminiscent of classical Greek architecture is the quintessential symbols of Roman cultur es and was meant to convey that Rome was a great, mighty wealthy, and civilised nation. The Colleseums design was heavily influenced by concrete and vault arches which are two of their greatest inventions. And the construction technique that the Romans used is the standardised parts system so that the components are interchangeable which similar to the current modular system. This standardised system allowed some components of the building such as stairs and seats to be built off-site and then brought to the amphitheatre to be fitted in to their specific location. Along with the standardised parts system, there were also a huge number of entrances and exits being built throughout the amphitheatre. These entrances and exits were imperative to the amphitheatre in order to ensure the crowd to be seated quickly and efficiently. All of the design and system of The Colleseum has been used as the basic for the architects and designers to design and construct the current stadiums globally. The design and form of The Colosseums breath-taking architecture was as a result of the needs of major requirements as a theatre or arena for staging various forms of entertainment to the Romans. As well as, it is a result of the consideration towards the excitement that the designers wanted the spectators to feel. And even today, The Colosseum is still one of the hugely impressive skyscrapers and the memories of how Romans culture, social and life was like before can still be felt through exploring and experiencing the interior of it. Another significant historical architecture with good spatial qualities is The Louvre in France. Currently, it is one of biggest art museums in the world. Built in the 12th century, it was constructed with a cut stone bearing masonry system and previously it was function as some kind of royal or defensive fortress against invasion until the late 18th century where it was first open to the public to display the royals collection such as paintings and sculptures. The reason that The Louvre is considered as significant historical building that has good spatial design lies in the strong sense of the countrys cultural knowledge that the building exhibits and can be identified through its architectural quality. Although The Louvre has a history of the ever-changing function of the architecture, started from a fortress to a palace and eventually becomes one of the worlds largest museums, no matter what it always bear and have its original identity, history and culture of that time it was bu ilt. It is because of the consideration towards the identity, history and culture aspects in mind that the designer had the idea of the form of the architecture and was able to craft the experience inside the space in order to display and showcase those aspects through the test of time. And the third architecture that illustrates significant historical architecture with good spatial design is Masjid Al-Haram which is located at Mecca. It is the largest and considered as the holiest mosque in the world. The current architecture of the mosque is not what it was like since it was first built in the 7th century. There have been major rebuilt, modifications and expansions on its architecture and because of these expansions it has became the largest mosque in the world. The expansion happened in order to accommodate the increasing number of the pilgrims. Since the past, mosque has been considered as a medium for communication; either it is a communication between God and pilgrims or between fellow pilgrims. This idea of the mosque that it is built as a centre for social interaction rather than a building only for ritual or worshipping is being clearly shown and felt in the architecture of Masjid Al-Haram. For examples the presence of the courtyard surrounds the Kaaba or t he grey square house which is designed or placed there with the intention of providing the best meditative and interactive atmosphere for the performance of prayer and community interacting experience to happen inside. And the placement of the minarets or the tall free standing towers is based on the topography of the site in order to create harmonious balance with the Kaaba. These considerations towards the pilgrims experience and the meaning for every placement or form that is created has made Masjid Al-Haram or The Holy Mosque a significant historical building with good spatial design. These 3 architectures above show that designing through paying considerations towards the experience and behaviour of the visitors or occupants would create lasting impression that could stands the test of time. Nevertheless, through this time, because of the limitation on the materials and tools that they could be worked or used, architects and engineers were only able to build certain kinds of forms which made them unsatisfied with the visual aesthetic of the building. With this feeling of unsatisfactory as the main force that drives architects and designers to overcome this issue, which then becomes one of the main factors of the emerging trend of visual architecture or an architecture that the visual aesthetic considerations is being privileged or have dominated the designers thoughts rather than the experiential value. It is until the late 18th century, in the industrial revolution era, when cast iron can be produced in a large numbers and cheaply enough and has opportunities in creating new forms. This is when architects and designers started to become aware of the glorious potential of cast iron used in architecture. One of the first architectural projects that are entirely made from cast iron is The Iron Bridge in Shropshire (Potter, D, 2006). And this marks the dawn of Modern building technology. As technology has advanced towards a new stage, which is the modern building technology, the nature and value of architecture started to shift and adapt as well. The birth of modern technology is as the result of architects using experimental science and engineering theory and tools to inform the form and construction of their buildings. Which previously form and structures of buildings were relied strongly on the knowledge of the craftsman or builder. This development has begun to revolutionize architecture into an entirely new direction. Through this modern building technology, architects and designers are provided with a new range of materials and tools to achieve and satisfy their hunger for more advanced forms. Previously, the architectural form of each location has their own unique characteristics. This is because of their environment would only be able to produce certain kinds of materials. Due to this constraint, architects and designers had lesser choices of resources that w ere available. This led to vernacular architecture of that area which meant that the material and building tool that they used to construct buildings in a location would have a more deeply grounded meaning with the context of the building and in a way was more purely defined with the unique representative form of that certain location. For instance, the Pyramid in Egypt that is made from stone is entirely different from the Temple in China which is made from wood. But since the developed worlds industrialisation trend has expanded globally throughout the world. This has influenced the local architects and designers wanting to follow the international architectural fashions style and has become another factor that contributed in the emerging trend of visual architecture. With modern building technology , transportation of materials from one location to another location has became possible, the ability of mass production has lowered the cost of construction, and computer software has accelerated the time to finish the drawing or design of a building. These developments have made the process of realizing architecture become more efficient and effective in every layer, either it is the time span to complete, the construction, the planning of the project, the creation of the buildings form or even the innovation of new and better materials is continually increasing. The development of materials has played a big role in the creation of advanced architectural form. It is one of the aspects that started the trend of architecture of image. Beginning by looking into the traditional materials that have been used since the prehistoric times, which is wood. This material could be considered as the forefather of all current materials. In the early days, prehistor ic people used these to build tents as their shelters from the sun and rain. By constructing tree trunks or branches together creating the shape of an inverted V-shape, putting some support to hold it firm on the ground and covered with leaves. This creates the simplest foundation of architecture form. As human evolved so did materials for shelter. Moving from wood to stone, as a stronger material, the form of the shelter started to develop into tent-like house by stacking different stones together. As human moves on to the times of early civilizations, the needs, desires, and beliefs have been greatly varied too. This leads to the creation of places of worships, sacrifices, monuments, and governments. Based on this, the form of the architecture started to goes vertically higher and bigger. At this time, pillar, column, beam, arch and dome has started to be built to fulfil the functions of the architecture. Moving on from the prehistoric times into the middle age, at this time, castles are becoming common forms of architecture in every part of Europe. And as it moves through The Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism and Gothic revival, from 15th century to 18th century, architects and designers feel that every architectures in their own location has looked similar because of the limitation of technology and materials provided at that time and that location. Until early 19th century, when modern building technology was discovered. This technology allowed iron to be used in architecture because it has became relatively cheaper while previously it was considered as a very expensive material. Iron is architecturally unique because of being relatively lightweight and malleable as well as strong. Moreover, because of its properties, it can be used for free-form designs. In this period, glass has also been widely used and available. Glass is widely used for its optimal balance between aesthetics, functions and its ability to create effects that could change experience. The reason is because glass has the property that allows light to transmits in and by using it, the architects or designers has the power to controls light which creates an illusion that the building are able to change, move and create certain atmosphere. And for architect light is one of the powerful tools in crafting experience in architecture. One of the architecture that ref lects a building of high technology in this period is the Joseph Paxtons Crystal Palace of the Great Exhibition. Built in 1851 in London, this building was made of modular cast iron and glass which symbolized the industrial, technological and economic superiority of the modern building technology. Progressing to the late 19th century, which reinforced concrete is invented. At this time, concrete is being reinforced with iron or steel in order to increase the strength of tension in concrete to minimize cracking problem. By doing so, this reinforced concrete have special properties which are more durable to thermal expansion, provides strength to optimize building structures and it has the ability to bend allowing it to be made into any shape or size for architectural purpose. Because of these special properties, reinforced concrete is still one of the most popular materials that are being used for construction purposes until now. And in 20th century, plastics became widely known and popular as well. It is because plastics are lightweight, resilient, generally resistant to corrosion and moisture, and can be moulded and formed into complex shapes. And because it is the only man-made material, this allowed it to be developed even more in the future. This development in modern building technology has opened the door for architects and designers to realize all the unrealized ideas that they had in mind. And with this the notion of architecture of image is slowly becoming a trend. With advancement in modern building technology, materials and tools to construct a building have greatly expanded. Back then, buildings are limited with height. Mainly it is because of the limitation of materials and tools that caused architects and designers to think and design horizontally. But with modern building technology, current buildings are able to go higher becoming a skyscraper or go deeper underground, maybe becoming an earth scraper, and not only going vertically, it also allows the buildings to be built diagonally. From geometric to organic form or from masses to pixels, current technology makes everything possible. Moreover, modern building technology is being used for visualizing and selling the ideas that the designers have to the clients too. For example 3 dimensional simulation software that are able to produce photo realistic images of the building even though it has not being constructed yet. Architecture has entered into a realm of visual form which is nothing more or less than the creation of buildings tangible and visible shapes. Beekman Tower, Frank Gehry New York One example of a purely visual architecture is the Beekman Tower in New York by Frank Gehry. It is a curious fusion of public and private zones. The main design feature is the organic form of the buildings facade which is made of aluminium foil. The organic folds evoke the sense of water ripples. And the effects of ripples are being enhanced more on the daytime because of the natural light. This building is surely a successful design and appealing to one of human senses which is the visual. But for the interior, everything inside the space is dully conventional. The consideration towards other senses inside the space in order to experience the space has been neglected. Another one is the Orchard Central in Singapore by DP Architects. The key design element of this shopping mall is on the facade of the mall which is a faceted membrane which will function as massive media wall and is set to be an iconic feature at the junction of Orchard and Killiney roads. The idea of this is to add aural and visual vibrancy to the central stretch of Orchard Road. By doing so, the architectural facade of the building will be able to generate visual connection with the public. But the problem is the elimination of other senses and the dependency towards the vision has made the design of the space unattractive and unable to create a connection with the visitors. In addition to another architecture that illustrates purely visual architecture is The Central Plaza Shopping Mall by Manuelle Gautrand which is located in Bangkok, Thailand. The design of the architecture relies heavily on the faà §ade of the building while the interior is not greatly different from most other shopping mall in the city. The idea of the glowing red lines that simply clad or covered the facade of the building which is the key design element of the architecture is being conceived by the designer as tools that are able to send messages of flow movement and fluidity to the visitors. This perception shows that the design of the building is influenced by technology and only focus on the visual aesthetics to resolve the issue of the space. And by doing so it weakens the architectural value of it and diminished the experiential value inside. Orchard Central, DP Architects Singapore Based on both of the case studies above, it is fairly obvious that the privileged of visual senses over other human senses will create a sense of detachment between the architecture and the visitors. This is merely because humans experience the world and their surroundings through their senses. For instance, the sounds of steps, the light that penetrates through the space, the coldness of the concrete walls, scale and proportion are just few ways of how architecture interacts with the visitors senses. Such interaction is then strengthened and articulated through the complex interaction of human senses and will be perceived by the visitors as an experience. With this two-way interaction between visitors and architecture, it will lead to the creation of meaningful memory towards the space. It is true that vision is the first connection between human and the world. Most of us, when we are walking through a space or street, are affected in one way or another by the looks of the buildings that we pass through, the positions of the objects and the arrangements inside the space. But in architecture, the reliance in the sphere of vision will only made the building existed merely on a surface level which is as an object of visual expression such as a postcard. Architecture should be able to interact with every human sense because it is a representation or expression of human minds. And the only way to communicate with the mind is by experiencing the world and surrounding through the senses. That is when architecture has moved on to another level. So, by using the modern technology, not only to grasped the visual aesthetics that has became a trends nowadays, but also to craft the experience that has been the nature and value of architecture since the early days. This will affe ct the human physically and psychologically and will push the architecture to the full potential. Word Count Word count 4885 (excluding Abstract, Table of Contents, Captions, and Works Cited)

Monday, August 19, 2019

What Science Can Do :: Science Scientific Papers

What Science Can Do I argue that 'we' the public of the United States of America, do not have an exaggerated view of what science can do. To support this claim I have compared and contrasted two articles: Enemies of Promise and The Hazards of Science. Both articles cover the topic of scientific research. Both authors are accredited scientists in their own right, and are excellent examples to cite for my thesis which I believe very strongly in. Although, I disagree with some of the conclusions made in the articles, I neverless hold both authors in very high regard. Professor of microbiology and Nobel Prize winner, J. Michael Bishop continually makes the statement in his article, Enemies of Promise, that the public has exaggerated and unrealistic expectations as to what science can do; Just as physician-author Lewis Thomas asks in his article, The Hazards of Science, "are there some things in science we should not be learning about?" (238). These men both have relevant opinions about science today. I can not say that they agree with each other because their articles are structured differently. Bishop makes arguments for science while stating it's limitations; and Thomas highlights some of sciences' achievements while questioning how far science should go. In discussing the topic of science, albeit from different frameworks, they touch upon some of the same topics. Bishop alleges that, "Science, is not the exclusive source of knowledge about human existence." (256). Then sites Thomas as saying that science is "the best way to learn how the world works." As Bishop cites Thomas to make his point, they both obviously agree with this statement. However, Thomas questions the lengths that science should go to while Bishop does not. Lewis Thomas asks the central question, "are there some kinds of information leading to some sorts of knowledge that human beings are really better off not having? Is there a limit to scientific inquiry not set by what is knowable but by what we ought to be knowing? Should we stop short of learning about some things, for fear of what we, or someone, will do with the knowledge?" (237). The author then answers his own questions: No, but he qualifies his answer by stating that it is an intuitive response that he is incapable of reasoning through. I too believe that we should not place limitations on science, while admitting that it is also an intuitive response.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Virginia Woolf :: Biography Biographies Authors Writers Essays

Virginia Woolf Missing Works Cited The Victorian Era was a time of very rigid and strict lifestyles. In the 1900's there were special rules of conduct to be followed for everything. Victorian society required everyone to follow every protocol and nobody was excluded from these 'duties'. Victorians and Edwardians believed that there should be no awkward silences or pauses during conversations, it was considered impolite. It was also believed that people should dress for dinner every night regardless of the presence of company. It was uncommon to express one's feelings or to hold an opinion or point of view other than the norm. These were among the many rules that made up the foundation of Victorian society. Virginia was born during the Victorian/Edwardian Era and lived under the iron fist of her father Leslie Stephen. Virginia's mother died when she was young which left her father in charge of the household. He was a man who strongly believed in the customs of Victorian society and he insisted that they were followed to the letter. He enforced the required rules of conduct and behavior but Virginia found it all very "oppressive". Virginia Woolf http://metalab.unc.edu/cheryb/women/Virginia-Woolf.html went through a lot of anguish throughout her life. She suffered numerous nervous breakdowns and never managed to lead a normal life. After her father's death in 1904 she moved with her brothers and sister to Bloomsbury. She thought her father's death was "the end of tyranny". She also thought that the move from Kensington, where she lived before, to Bloomsbury, " was the gulf between respectable, mummified humbug and life crude and impertinent perhaps, but living†¦ The new generation wanted air, simplicity and light and the move was escape from the past and all it's horrors"(108). During the early 1900's Virginia and her siblings were comfortably settled in . One Thursday evening her brother Thoby decided to start a ritual by inviting a few of his Cambridge friends home and thus began a circle of artistic and cultural group of friends. At first Virginia found them unusual but soon she joined in their lengthy conversations about art, poetry and culture. She was intrigued by their conversations which eventually took a different turn and soon they found themselves discussing topics such as religion, sexuality and other subjects that were considered taboo at the time. Thoby's Thursday evening friends originally included Clive Bell, who Virginia thought was, " a sort of mixture between Shelly and a sporting country squire"(112).

Persuasive Paper on Paintball - Original Writing -- Sports Paintball P

Persuasive Paper on Paintball- Original Writing You were just running, the leaves crush under your feet and are not sure if anyone is following you, but a gut felling keeps you going. Then you come to a quick halt. There you stand unprotected and vulnerable to any one, as the trees close in around you. Then a twig snaps you avert your eyes to the origin of the sound. As you frantically look about; you hear leaves shuffle around, knowing someone is stalking you. You begin to panic, your heart beating faster and faster and your breathing increases. It is unbearable to withstand. In a blind furry you let loose a barrage of paintballs in every direction. You look around at the surrounding trees painted by your gun. BAM! You cringe, feeling a stinging sensation in your back. This is, because you have just become a victim of someone’s paintball gun. You walk off the field feeling miserable, but you smile knowing the war is not over. That was a scenario that I hoped you enjoyed. I am going to address the topic of why should you should try paintball as a sport. First you are going to need standard equipment for paintball. I will talk to you in three areas: first, the best equipment for you, second standard equipment, and third where to purchase your equipment. This will help you understand why you should play the sport. To choose the best equipment for you is to first find your main style, there are two main paintball styles: â€Å"Turtle and Rabbit.† The turtle style consists of finding a safe location and then taking the enemy, but while doing so you must not let your location be known. To be a turtle you must have great patience. For... ... their equipment. The internet website: www.xpaintball.com , www.anythingextreme.com, and www.walmart.com. This website and my internet browsing helped me on where to purchase my equipment. To refresh you on my main topics: First, You need to know what your style is in paintball whether turtle or rabbit. Second, when you know your style, get your equipment based on your style and try out of different type’s equipment. Finally when you decide to buy your equipment use the internet and get multiple types of equipment to compare and read reviews on the equipment you choose to buy. I want to thank for listening to my speech and you were just informed about standard equipment for paintball. I also encourage everyone to go and at least try paintball, because this sport is excellent for people who like to just have fun. Persuasive Paper on Paintball - Original Writing -- Sports Paintball P Persuasive Paper on Paintball- Original Writing You were just running, the leaves crush under your feet and are not sure if anyone is following you, but a gut felling keeps you going. Then you come to a quick halt. There you stand unprotected and vulnerable to any one, as the trees close in around you. Then a twig snaps you avert your eyes to the origin of the sound. As you frantically look about; you hear leaves shuffle around, knowing someone is stalking you. You begin to panic, your heart beating faster and faster and your breathing increases. It is unbearable to withstand. In a blind furry you let loose a barrage of paintballs in every direction. You look around at the surrounding trees painted by your gun. BAM! You cringe, feeling a stinging sensation in your back. This is, because you have just become a victim of someone’s paintball gun. You walk off the field feeling miserable, but you smile knowing the war is not over. That was a scenario that I hoped you enjoyed. I am going to address the topic of why should you should try paintball as a sport. First you are going to need standard equipment for paintball. I will talk to you in three areas: first, the best equipment for you, second standard equipment, and third where to purchase your equipment. This will help you understand why you should play the sport. To choose the best equipment for you is to first find your main style, there are two main paintball styles: â€Å"Turtle and Rabbit.† The turtle style consists of finding a safe location and then taking the enemy, but while doing so you must not let your location be known. To be a turtle you must have great patience. For... ... their equipment. The internet website: www.xpaintball.com , www.anythingextreme.com, and www.walmart.com. This website and my internet browsing helped me on where to purchase my equipment. To refresh you on my main topics: First, You need to know what your style is in paintball whether turtle or rabbit. Second, when you know your style, get your equipment based on your style and try out of different type’s equipment. Finally when you decide to buy your equipment use the internet and get multiple types of equipment to compare and read reviews on the equipment you choose to buy. I want to thank for listening to my speech and you were just informed about standard equipment for paintball. I also encourage everyone to go and at least try paintball, because this sport is excellent for people who like to just have fun.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Project Closures Essay

Everything with a beginning must have an end and a project is not quite complete until the closing stage is considered successful. (Sanghera, P.2009 p.223) Scenario one: Closing a project that has met its objective This scenario delights the project manager and his or her team as it is the ideal end to any project. It involves closing all activities related to the project both the within and without. Here the project manager (PM) meets with the stakeholders to gain their final approval of the project, ascertain that the deliverable meets the completion standards, conclude contract arrangements with vendors, transfer responsibility of project output to other people, release people and other resources, and document lessons learned. (Sunny & Baker pp330-331). Scenario two: Closing a project that was terminated early In this scenario a project can be terminated for a number of reasons. From the discussion question we saw that a project can be adjudged to have failed, if it cannot meet up objective, expected to fail or are no longer in line with the objective of the company can be terminated. Bommer & Pease, 1991further provided reasons like paucity of funding, technological obsolescence, changes in consumer trends, mergers and acquisitions loss of the champion and negative cost/benefit ratio. However whatever might have being the underlying cause of the termination of a project, it is still very important that the project is closed formally. In that regard, there is no difference between closing a project that has met its objectives and a project that was terminated early in its life. Both scenarios must undergo the close project process and the close procurement process. But the following differences can be observed: (1)In the first scenario there is a tangible project deliverable that can be transferred to other people, it may serve as inputs to another project. While in the second scenario there may be no tangible deliverable. (2) The emotional currents observed in both scenarios are quite different, in the first scenario the PM and everyone associated with the project are elated and feels fulfilled, leading to more latent energy for future projects and commitment to the organisation. In the second case, negative emotions may be generated which can be counterproductive to future projects and the organisation. This situation can arise when senior management arbitrarily cancels a project without carrying the team along. Administrative closure This is the process of formally bringing to an end all project activities. It relates to the closing process group and the integration management knowledge area. (Sanghera 2010 p377) The accepted project deliverable after its verification is compared with the project management plan and other closure guidelines and procedures before it is handed over to the customer. This action is necessary for both scenarios one and two. Contract closure This occurs when the terms of the contract have been reached or when there is a termination before the terms can be reached. The latter case usually involves compensation. In multi-phased projects contract closure can occur more than once while administrative closure occurs only once. The acceptance of the deliverable takes place during the administrative closure. Conclusion Administrative closure and contract closure both occur in closing a project that has met its objective and one that is terminated early. In the latter case care should be taken to carry the team members along in the process of project termination in order to boost their morale and productivity for future projects.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Ebay Case Study

Characteristics of digital media that support eBay is storage. Data is one of the most important assets to any business same goes to storage that eBay needs to save their customer data. If they lack of storage they will face the problems such as lost product data, high technology security that help eBay to keep their information save. Due to its absolute volume, how and where eBay store this ever-growing pool of data has become more important than ever. The IT infrastructure must be able to scale with growth and continue to provide consistent levels of performance for the sake of eBay. Storing data is not just about how and where, but also the speed in which it can be accessed, manipulated, and presented where it can ease eBay's customer. Next characteristic of digital media that support eBay is community. Community media can play an important role in helping eBay to use storytelling to communicate and advance eBay's mission. Community media canters provide community members entree to the tools and training they need to produce digital stories. There are three ways community media can help use storytelling to start a meaningful dialogue and create modification. First, use storytelling as a community development strategy. It is through judicious storytelling that community media can help turn a community's shared experiences and concerns into a big picture. This big picture lays the foundation for an effective community development strategy for eBay. Secondly, use storytelling as an instrument for citizen empowerment. Personal stories facilitate deeper connections between people. Storytelling reaches the heart of decision-makers who often forget the predicament of the people; this is where storytelling begins to create power and empowerment. And lastly, use storytelling to build social capital. Social capital refers to personal relationships people have developed over time that enable them to influence human capital, policy-making or community initiatives. Other than that, digital communication also one of the characteristic of digital media that support eBay. Digital conversation is a powerful medium for delivering the data. In virtual global, visible communication is a perfect style of conveying your brand info by means of the use of the image, video, or minimal texts. Digital conversation may be a drawing, a commercial, a poster or any visible fabric you could find on line on social media structures. These days, the net is occupied by way of visible content and everything is revealed with the help of visual media. In addition, the characteristics of digital media that support eBay also include data. The sheer volume of data coupled with the improved analysis skills to be had these days approach that groups now have the potential to get a higher information of the way their customers behave within the beyond and present in addition to probable the future. This veritable wealth of records can be mined and manipulated into actionable information which could help remedy key business issues, promote extra products or services, and the entirety in between. Facts analytics has emerge as a vital aggressive differentiation from which most any enterprise can advantage. Lastly, ratings and reviews also one of the characteristics that include in eBay's. Ratings and reviews are the maximum essential assets of information during the customer buying process. Users are eager to verify their purchase decisions, and strive to do so using social media and real-time feedback from other users as their primary source. Good ratings and reviews will instantly create a sign of trust to others customer. The five characteristic of eBay was the most important to growth their income.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Common Law Assignment

Jessie statement made to Ian that he is happy to ‘let go' of his car with the wording he has used has the potential to aka the situation somewhat ambiguous, Jessie true intentions are unclear. The statement is not definite and lacks sufficient finality for the statement to be classed as an offer. Although his wording is uncertain the courts will also look at what context the statement was made and because Ian did state he wanted to ‘buy a car for his daughter then the statement can be argued both ways.Jessie then invited Ian to his home to look at the car although there is still no conversation about the sale of the car. This offer doesn't have terms that are clear and final and therefore the requirement off valid offer has not been satisfied. It's important in deciding if valid acceptance has occurred to acknowledge that acceptance must be clear, absolute and identical to the terms in this case Ian in not having full knowledge of the terms has accepted without full knowl edge of the offer.He did not communicate acceptance to the offer Jessie. Ian in his actions of the visit to Jessie house to look at the car and his daughter taking full possession of the car cannot be seen as valid acceptance as Ian acted in ignorance of the offer Question 1 B Ian and Jessie at no point stated that they had any intention to enter into any binding agreement to create legal relations.The court will apply two tests the commercial presumption and the social and domestic presumption to determine if the parties had intended to create legal relations The language used by Ian in this case from the first discussion regarding the car, to the discussion regarding the ‘Market Value' seemed somewhat of a social nature rather than a commercial arrangement.Jessie at no point made any indication to Ian regarding a legally binding agreement and he at no point made any suggestion's to Ian that he was selling his car the court could el in favor of the social domestic presumption this was simply an arrangement between friends no intention to create legal relations have been satisfied Question Nan's consideration for the car is too vague and could be seen to be too affected by uncertainty due to there being at no point any talk of a sale or payment.Ian could not have provided good consideration in this case; it's unclear whether he provided consideration at all because an agreement has not been reached by both parties. A mere discussion between friends on the Market value of the car in question could not be seen as valid consideration. Question ID There is no valid contract between Jessie and Ian because all elements of a contract have not been satisfied at this stage.The terms are to ambiguous and unclear to come to a conclusion as to what the terms may have been as Jessie use of wording ‘Let go' of the car and further discussions with Ian are not certain. The courts may apply the six rules to help determine whether a contract exists or the certainty of the terms if there to be a contract. The terms in this case would be seen as Illusory and therefore the court would not enforces or recognize the terms as being a valid interact. 11.Assuming the courts did find in favor of the commercial presumption and other elements were satisfied the discussion regarding the market value of the car could be seen as a term to pay $3500 for the Toyota Corolla while Stephanie Nan's daughter takes first possession of the car. Question 2 Bryan can argue on the basis of lack of capacity as a minor and the contract can be void because it's not a contract for necessaries. Although he would have to prove that it's a luxury not a necessaries and it would be up to the courts to decide given his lifestyle and current circumstances 2. Common Law Assignment The issue is it's unclear whether Jessie is making an offer to sell or an offer simply as a gift as they have been friends for 15 years. In order to determine if a valid offer has been made application of the objective test would be applied . Would a reasonable person in these circumstances believe there to be a valid offer and what is the relative importance of the statement to each party?Jessie statement made to Ian that he is happy to ‘let go' of his car with the wording he has used has the potential to aka the situation somewhat ambiguous, Jessie true intentions are unclear. The statement is not definite and lacks sufficient finality for the statement to be classed as an offer. Although his wording is uncertain the courts will also look at what context the statement was made and because Ian did state he wanted to ‘buy a car for his daughter then the statement can be argued both ways.Jessie then invited Ian to his home to look at the car although there is still no conv ersation about the sale of the car. This offer doesn't have terms that are clear and final and therefore the requirement of a valid offer has not been satisfied. It's important in deciding if valid acceptance has occurred to acknowledge that acceptance must be clear, absolute and identical to the terms in this case Ian in not having full knowledge of the terms has accepted without full knowledge of the offer.He did not communicate acceptance to the offer Jessie. Ian in his actions of the visit to Jessie house to look at the car and his daughter taking full possession of the car cannot be seen as valid acceptance as Ian acted in ignorance of the offer Question 1 B Ian and Jessie at no point stated that they had any intention to enter into any binding agreement to create legal relations.The court will apply two tests the commercial presumption and the social and domestic presumption to determine if the parties had intended to create legal relations The language used by Ian in this cas e from the first discussion regarding the car, to the discussion regarding the ‘Market Value' seemed somewhat of a social nature rather than a commercial arrangement.Jessie at no point made any indication to Ian regarding a legally binding agreement and he at no point made any suggestion's to Ian that he was selling his car the court could ale in favor of the social domestic presumption this was simply an arrangement between friends no intention to create legal relations have been satisfied Question Nan's consideration for the car is too vague and could be seen to be too affected by uncertainty due to there being at no point any talk of a sale or payment.Ian could not have provided good consideration in this case; it's unclear whether he provided consideration at all because an agreement has not been reached by both parties. A mere discussion between friends on the Market value of the car in question could not be seen as valid consideration. Question ID There is no valid contr act between Jessie and Ian because all elements of a contract have not been satisfied at this stage.The terms are to ambiguous and unclear to come to a conclusion as to what the terms may have been as Jessie use of wording ‘Let go' of the car and further discussions with Ian are not certain. The courts may apply the six rules to help determine whether a contract exists or the certainty of the terms if there to be a contract. The terms in this case would be seen as Illusory and therefore the court would not enforces or recognize the terms as being a valid interact. 11.Assuming the courts did find in favor of the commercial presumption and other elements were satisfied the discussion regarding the market value of the car could be seen as a term to pay $3500 for the Toyota Corolla while Stephanie Nan's daughter takes first possession of the car. Question 2 Bryan can argue on the basis of lack of capacity as a minor and the contract can be void because it's not a contract for nece ssaries. Although he would have to prove that it's a luxury not a necessaries and it would be up to the courts to decide given his lifestyle and current circumstances 2.