Genetically organism Essay

Everyone in the world competes in his/her way to maintain standards through which he/she can feed themselves and their loved ones with food. It is the basic necessity every human being requires daily from birth until death. Today in the modern days different forms of many foods have evolved ranging from organic foods to genetically modified foods. Since the genetically modified foods have taken over the market they are known to be greater in resistance to pesticides and viruses, provide higher nutritional value and have a longer expiration date. Lastly, these foods are sold at cheaper prices in comparison to the organic foods. However, the potential risks of these foods are still being debated all over the world. The three reasons why the genetically engineered food should be labeled separately are the health hazards, religious – ethical concerns, and economic concerns involved. The reason why genetically modified foods should be labeled separately from organic foods are the health hazards involved in the production. The major health hazard involved in the non-labeling of genetic foods is that people all over the world have allergies to particular types of ingredients used in the manufacturing of the foods. The genetically modified foods include soybean, maize, chicory, potato, squash, oilseed rape (canola), pineapples, and strawberries. [1] Genetically modified foods can cause health diseases such as cancers, a newly discovered disease Morgellons, and other allergies. Without any specific labeling, the rate at which these diseases can occur doubles because people allergic to certain genes used in these foods, and there is no other way to determines these foods contain these genes or not. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats. This study claimed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. (Raab, Grobe; 2009) [2] The quoted article above examines the differences between the Rats that fed on organic produce of potatoes and the ones’ that fed on the GM potatoes. The rats that fed on GM foods developed precancerous cell growth in their digestive tracts, inhibited developments of their brains, livers, and testicles. They also faced enlarged pancreas and intestines, and suffered immune system damage. The quote also demonstrates the possibility of the harmful side effects that GM foods can cause to future human generations. The possible solution to minimize these side effects is that Extensive testing of GM foods should be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Labeling of GM foods and food products will acquire new importance. Before buying a certain GM product, people will be able to determine if they are allergic to its ingredients or not. Another reason why genetically modified foods should be labeled separately from organic foods is the religious – ethical concerns involved in the production. Different religious groups prohibit themselves from eating certain types of animal products. For example, Muslims do not eat any type of enzymes extracted from Pork. [3] Thus, using genes to create traces of genetic material from pork in GM foods and plants without labeling them could cause a stir in the Muslim sect. Another ethical concern is that Animal rights can harmfully be affected by excessive manufacturing of Genetic Foods. For example, Sheep given more powerful hormones could suffer problems relating to growth and problems in digestive systems. Without specific labeling on foods, animals being tested cannot be identified, and this could lead to further malpractices by large corporations. Ethical and religious concerns include the belief that the technology involved is unnatural, and preoccupations regarding the consumption of religiously forbidden ingredients from certain animals. These new technologies, it is argued, violate religious freedom by placing a burden on those who follow strict religious dietary laws. The government is not constitutionally obligated to make accommodations in favor of religious groups that are incidentally affected by neutral rules. Accordingly, the neutral decision of not labeling genetically modified foods met this constitutional standard and was not subjected to a more rigorous constitutional adjudication test. (Lietz, 2000) [4]. The quoted excerpt above from the Harvard law review emphasizes the importance of the labeling on genetically modified foods because without explanation of how these foods are manufactured, it is unethical and unfavorable to religious and cultural groups that restrict themselves from practices in consumption of certain ingredients included in these foods. In other words, the use of these technologies is harming the religion freedom of people. [4] The government of United States protects the non-labeling by not passing laws that require rigorous tests on GM foods because it is believed that there are already laws that protect religious groups. The third reason why genetically modified foods should be labeled separately is the economic concerns involved in the production. The main economic concern is that the world food market could be monopolized by large multinational corporations that control the production and distribution of genetically manufactured seeds. If this happens, they would be able manipulate governments to pass laws that don’t require companies to label their GM foods. [5] Monopolization will increase prices of seeds and eliminate small level farming. GMOs are the products of large corporations and considered intellectual property. Thus, they are protected by patents and copyrights. This means that if farmers want to use genetically modified crops, they must buy it from a corporation. If the world relies solely on GMOs, this means that these corporations will control the world’s food supply, leading to the monopolization of food. The use of GMOs is driving out the need for small farmers. These small farmers are forced to switch to GMOs in order to compete with other GMO farmers, but in the process, they are subjugated to the control of the corporation that produced the GMOs. (Barton, 2002) [6] The above passage was taken from a research about non labeling consequences published in the Harvard Law Review that extrapolates the consequences if the food industry is monopolized. It explains that if this happens, the patents and copyrights will increase prices of foods massively and abolish the system of low scale farming. Each and every farmer will need to rely on large corporations to grow crops, and GM foods will be seasonal that means in every season the seeds will expire and costs of storage and harvesting will sky rocket. All in all, the corporations will completely take over the food sourcing misleading people in what they produce for the sole purpose of profits. Thus, it will be considered legal and ethical. Regulations should be passed by governments all around the world that strictly insist on the labeling of genetically manufactured foods. Without labeling on the Genetically Modified Foods the health hazards, religious – ethical concerns, and economical concerns will increase over time. Therefore, instead of looking at the future from the eyes of the economic benefit, the world should look at the consequences this evolution could lead. Works Cited Page 1. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. † Crowdsourcing Questions & Answers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 May 2011. 2. [6]Barton. â€Å"GMF Labeling Issues. † Harvard Law Review, Winter 2002. Web. 18 May 2011. . 3. Daneil, â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods | Better Health Channel. † Home | Better Health Channel. Deakin University. Web. 18 May 2011. . 4. [2]Grobe, and Raab. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods | Better Health Channel. † Home | Better Health Channel. Deakin University. Web. 18 May 2011. . 5. [4] Lietz, supra note 11, at 416; Julie Teel, Regulating Genetically Modified Products and Processes: An Overview of Approaches, 8 N. Y. U. ENVTL. L. J. 649, 660-61 (2000) 6. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. † Crowdsourcing Questions & Answers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 May 2011. .

Racial bias in the criminal justice system Essay

Numerous study have found widespread racial bias in US criminal justice system. A new report issued by a coalition of civil rights organizations calls the â€Å"massively and pervasively biased† treatment on blacks and Hispanics by the US police and courts the major civil rights problem of the twenty-first century entitled â€Å"Justice on Trial : Racial Disparities in the American Criminal Justice System.† The study finds that minorities in the US face discriminatory treatment at every stage of the judicial process, from arrest to incarceration. The 95 page report was issued by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights based in Washington DC. It’s findings show that blacks, Hispanics and other minorities face unfair targeting by police and other law enforcement officials, racially biased charging and plea bargaining decisions by prosecutors and discriminatory  sentencing by judges.In a report released from Washington DC- Amnesty International criticized Us Federal and state justice systems as riddled with racial discrimination. The report, Racism and the Administration of Justice, cites  as evidence the disproportionate rate of minorities incarcerated, sentenced to death, and executed in the US. In its report, Amnesty International cited cases of racial profiling, unlawful use of force, unlawful shootings, and  deaths in custody affecting minorities from at least 10 states in the US. African Americans and other minorities suffer disproportionate rates of incarceration, accounting for 60 percent of the 1.7 million people currently in jail or prison in the US. African American men are imprisoned at more than eight times the rate of white men, and one third of all young African American men are in jail or prison, on parole, or on probation. African American women are imprisoned at eight times, and Hispanic women at four times, the rate of white women.The overwhelming majority of victims of police brutality, unlawful shootings and deaths in custody are members of racial minorities. A study of 2,000 murder cases in Georgia found that the odds of a death sentence in cases in which blacks murdered whites were s much as 11 times higher than when whites murdered blacks. A study found that in Philadelphia a black defendant is four times more likely to receive a  death sentence than a white defendant. Racism that perverts the course of justice is a daily fact of life for many in the US, yet this plague of bias is over looked, ignored or openly tolerated by police chiefs , prison wardens, judges and our political leaders.Today a full two-thirds of America’s two million prisoners are people of color. One million are African American and 400,000 are Hispanic/  Latino. People of color represent one third of those arrested for drug crimes, but two-thirds of those sent to prison. Whites and racial minorities live in  completely different worlds when it comes to the American criminal justice system.. Since as far back as the 1920’s minorities have been ov er-represented in federal and state prisons. Minorities were then 25% of all prisoners while only about ten percent of the total population.The Kerner Commission warned in its report: â€Å"Our nation is moving towards two societies, one black, one white-separate and unequal.Coramae Richey Mann, Unequal Justice, suggests that white Americans view the classic rapist as a â€Å"black man,† the typical opium user as a â€Å"yellow man,† the archetypal knife wielder as a â€Å"brown man,† the â€Å"red man† as a drunken Indian, and each of these people of color as collectively constituting the â€Å"crime problem†. The race or ethnicity of the stereotyped perpetrator varies between African American, Hispanic, or Native American depending on the nature of the crime or the section of the country.These prejudicial images provide a social-psychological under girding upon which many of the discriminatory aspects of the criminal justice system are  constructed.Racial Discrimination is defined as including any distinction or impairing the exercise of a person’s human rights. The discriminatory treatment of people of color in the criminal justice system fits squarely under  this standard.

The title of the painting: Adoration of the Shepherds

The work is about the joyous celebration of the shepherds upon seeing Jesus, the hailed messiah. It was finished in 1672 by the Italian painter Baciccio. Italians are famous for their passion for painting, and for living their art.This painting of his is approximately 10 11/16 x 8 3/8 inches in size. It is drawn using pen and brown ink, black chalk, washed with brown, and with white bodycolor. (www.getty.edu)Baciccio, whose real name is Giovanni Battista Gaulli and is also called Il Baciccio and Baciccia, was born in Genoa, Italy on the 8th of May 1639. After his parents died of a plague, he became an apprentice of Luciano Borzone and Gianlorenzo Bernini, two renowned painters of his time.Baciccio also saw Correggio’s works, which influenced his illusionism and the gentleness of his pictures. He afterwards became very known for his vault wall painting in the Gesu church of Rome. (wikipedia.com)The Adoration of the Shepherds can be considered a relief sculpture because it bears and combines essential symbols, and it depends on its surface. Here, Baciccio made very much use of the power of lighting and shadowing effects. In the drawing, the only source of light is exuding from the baby, illuminating the faces of the crowd around him and casting dark shadows of the shepherds.This technique of creating pictures wherein light pierces darkness is dubbed as the Art of Nocturnal Light. In this art, the source of the light is something divine, artificial, natural, or has held figurative relations beyond its common role. The nocturnal light – which can be candlelight to add intimacy, fire to symbolize power, or moonlight for landscapes – is intended to enhance the drama of the spiritual sight. (www.getty.edu)Baciccio also used free lines to give the picture a vibrant look, and to exalt the religious subject matter. It attracts viewers to witness the story of the appearance of angels to the shepherds to proclamation the good news of Christ’s bi rth to them, and the shepherds’ journey to Bethlehem to see the infant lying in a manger. (Luke 2:8-20, NKJV) In the scene, the shepherds look at Jesus at his birthplace in Bethlehem.The birthplace is often in the form of a barn or manger. The angels are praising and saying, â€Å"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, goodwill to men!† This speech became the first lines of the Gloria, the doxology that is traditionally sang in Christian masses.I would not prefer to include this work in my personal collection. The arrangement of the elements is somewhat in a mess. Looking at it, I did not know where to look at first. Some may have also experienced the same difficulty. Hence, peace and comfort is not extended to the viewer, and the viewer is not drawn into the picture.Moreover, the scene is supposed to be joyous, but the picture depicts not one indicator of delight. Its lack of appeal and colorfulness does not invite spectators. One might see it, look at it shortly, and then continue on walking. Because of its monochrome, it might not even be noticed. If I were to put a work in my personal collection, I prefer something catchy, or colorful enough so as to be catchy.

5 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

5 questions - Essay Example Next to cell migration is cell differentiation that begins with gene expression, wherein previously dormant genes undergo activation, and which ends up with the cell producing a certain protein. Neuroblasts, at this point, turn into particular types of neurons. After cell differentiation is cell maturation, which happens 20 weeks after conception and continues after birth. It takes place through dendritic and axonal growth. Maturing neurons build dendrites to give surface area for synapses with other cells and to expand their axons to proper targets, which will launch synapse formation. Axonal growth relies on a particular process, which begins with the growth cone at the end of the axon. As these growth cones branch out, they create shoots or filopodia that, after they reach certain targets, other filopodia follow them. Next to cell maturation is synaptogenesis, or the creation of synaptic connections. Synapses reach 1014 or 100,000 trillion. After synaptogenesis is cell death and synaptic pruning. The brain chisels out unneeded neurons and prunes synapses. Neural Darwinism explains that the brain removes excess neurons through competition among them. Neurons die because target cells create neurotrophic factors that axon terminals absorb and which create messages that seem to tell some neurons to die in a programmed process called apoptosis. The last stage of brain development is myelogenesis or production of myelin. Myelination demonstrates cerebral maturation. Light energy travels through the pupil and into the light-sensitive surface of the eye called the retina. This activates the photoreceptor cells on the retina, which results to the creation of people’s visual worlds. The photoreceptor cells and neurons generate visual precision and enable people to see different colors, including dimness and brightness. Photoreceptors change light energy to chemical energy, which activates neural

Barcly Bank Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Barcly Bank - Assignment Example Perhaps one would say that it is because the bank has already established its name considering the quantity of time that it has penetrated the UK banking arena; it has marked its name among its consumers considering the amount of time that it renders among its consumers. Basically, the thinking that due to the fact that it has been in the market for quite a long time, then it has the skill and expertise needed in banking industry. Secondly, the thought that it won't stay that long of the company didn't earn the trust of the consumers. Considering the present state of bank market nowadays, is it enough to rely on the aforementioned premises to attribute the success of the said bank In this case, the answer would be obvious, it is a big NO. Due to tougher, competition among several bankers, relying on the name alone plus the quantity if stay in the market is not enough to consider the case because of changing times, customers have different needs . In dealing with the present competition, laying down the master and contingency plan to address the further success of the company is the most important thing to do. Before, plunging into a more delicate issue concerning competitions and plans, looking back to where the company has started is an important thing to do in order to draft plans in relation to the next step that the bank must do to be on top despite the threat of hundreds of competitors encircling the competitive arena. In dealing with the bank's history, the company website barclays.co.uk (2007) revealed that "Barclays origins can be traced back to a modest business founded more than 300 years ago in the heart of London's financial district. In the late 17th Century, the streets of the City of London may not have been paved with gold, but they were filled with goldsmith-bankers. They provided monarchs and merchants with the money they needed to fund their ventures around the world. One such business was founded by John Freame and his partner Thomas Gould in Lombard Street in 1690. The name Barclay became associated with the company in 1736, when James Barclay - who had married John Freame's daughter - became a partner. Private banking businesses were commonplace in the 18th Century, keeping their clients' gold deposits secure and lending to credit-worthy merchants. In 1896, 20 of them formed a new joint-stock bank. The leading partners of the new bank, which was named Barclay and Company, were already connected by a web of family, business and religious relationships. The company became known as the Quaker Bank, because this was the family tradition of the founding families" Understanding the company's history is an important thing to do to formulate draft since a saying goes that it is impossible for you to reach your destination without looking back to where you have started. The same thing in formulation of plans regarding the success of the business lies within the formula from where the company has started. Basically, it started from different ventures and from different businesses delivered and catered different types of

Public History Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public History Project - Essay Example The paper will explore various aspects of this museum and its significance in providing to us the historical context of American Civil War in relation to abolition of slavery in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freedom House Museum is situated in the state of Alexandria in United States. It is based on the building that was originally possessed by a trading firm that used to deal in slaves. It was back in 1800’s when this company came into being to fulfill the requirements of people who wanted to own slaves for money. The slaves were basically Blacks who were deprived of any right to claim their freedom and were thus treated as slaves by birth. It was the result of the lack of realization of basic human rights in that era. The slavery had been started from 1706 with the advent of trade with Africans. The Africans were forced to the other areas where people purchased them on account of money. However, the advent of domestic slavery took place in 1860’s where natives Amer icans were being held captives. Not only adult men and women were enslaved but children were also being kept as slaves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The historians have narrated various incidents, which shed light on the type of treatment slaves had to go through. The people visiting Freedom House Museum can witness the artifacts providing an overview of the life of slaves before the start of Civil War in America. The people bought as slaves were treated worse than animals and were whipped often. There was no difference being considered among the enslavement of an adult and a child. In a book, ‘Slavery and the Making of America’, the author throws light on the pathetic life of slaves by narrating heartrending tales by slaves themselves. The book describes the torture the Black slaves had to undergo that was based on occasional beating, chaining down with other severe punishments that were being imposed on a minor mistake committed by the slave. The slaves were forced to do a ny kind of work their master assigned them and were not appreciated for their work. Instead, it was considered their duty to please their master without questioning anyone about their slavery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The slaves were used for various purposes among which using them as laborers to work in fields or other jobs was a common practice by Americans. They were also made to construct buildings that were basically the earliest ones to be constructed. Moreover, there was a high demand of slaves for working in cotton fields which was met by the slave trading firms that provided domestic slaves on payment of money. Nearly 1000 slaves were being sold by a trading firm by Franklin and Armfield in a year. In the museum, there are numerous artifacts with pictures of the owners of slave trading firm. There are heavy iron shackles as well that were used to chain down the slaves. The area brings to one’s mind the sad aspects of history where the value of a human being was lesser than an animal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While going through the Freedom House Museum, one gets an insight into the history of US Civil War as well which was caused to end slavery from America. Abraham Lincoln once the president of America is credited with the abolition of slavery who initiated a campaign to end the enslavement of Blacks. A civil war came into place from 1861 to 1865 that resulted in the deaths of thousands of militants and innocent civilians. The Northern America succeeded in civil war that was

The Role of Nursing in Pain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Role of Nursing in Pain Management - Essay Example In order to do this the discussion will first of define pain, because it not objective as many nurses and health practioners may believe. In fact it is a very subjective term. The essay will then go on to the different types of pain relief and finally end with a discussion of the problems in the UK when dealing with patient's whose wishes are hard to discern and whether we should be administering pain relief and life saving methods without proper consent. Pain is a multi dimensional experience and has a sensory, emotional, cognitive component. Pain management approaches that address all these three factors are likely to be more successful and popular (Carr C.J. Ellois. 2001). The World Health Organization estimates that 22% of people experience some form of pain (Gureje et al 1998). Potter in 1993 showed that 11.3% of the visits made to General Practitioners were to get treatment for chronic pain (DAY.R. 2002). The losses in terms of quality of life and economy were rated high enough for the WHO to give pain the status of a "world health problem," by the WHO in 1986. In the UK, the Working Party Report Pain after Surgery (The Royal College of Surgeons of England and The College of Anaesthetists 1990) recognized the need for professional supervision and protocol development for pain management. The committee also highlighted the historical inadequacy in pain management. Acute Pain Services (ACS) was initiated for managing post-surgical pain (Taylor. H. 2001). The Provision of Pain Services (Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland and The Pain Society 1997) propounded the specialized role of nursing in pain management. (Pain Society, 2001) The Royal College and the Anaesthetic Association reported that 44% of hospitals had some form acute care services and 79% used modern analgesic techniques to manage pain (Carr C.J. Ellois. 2001.) A study of hospital services declares pain prevention to be one of the 10 most important indicators of care quality. (Susan M, 2003) While the need for management is acknowledged, the resources allocated for the function were found to be inadequate. In a significant finding, the Clinical Standards Advisory Group found that although 81% of the functions involve nursing care and 7% of these were headed by nurses there was lack of specialized nursing care in the chronic pain department. The situation was further made worse by inadequate funding. (Pain Society, 2001) Health professionals currently are found to have deficits in knowledge and skills for proper pain management. Nursing care is often found to be influenced by attitude of patients, their culture and value systems. (Redorbit.com, 2006) . The Services for Patients with Pain, in their study in 1999 found that 50% of trusts did not provide pain care services for children and awareness of guidelines were poor (Susan M, 2003) An analysis by Ferrell et al (2000) on the text books used in nursing

In what ways does Harrison Bergeron by Vonnegut and the ones who walk Coursework

In what ways does Harrison Bergeron by Vonnegut and the ones who walk away from the omelasLeGuin does dystopian works - Coursework Example Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula Le Guin are two examples of dystopian works. In both these stories, the authors give descriptions of futuristic societies that are majorly characterized by the concepts of perfection and equality. In Harrison Bergeron for instance, the author describes a futuristic society of 2081 in which the government has put controls in place to enhance equality in the society. In this society, no one is supposed to have an advantage over the other. Similarly, in The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, the story describes the peace, happiness and abundance enjoyed by the people of the city of Omelas, and the cots the society has to pay to enjoy these fortunes. In both stories, elements of dystopian societies are evident. In the story The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, the concept of a dystopian society is well brought out by the author’s description of the child that lives in a room with one door and no window. According to the author, the child has been neglected, and as a result, he may have become an imbecile due to poor nutrition and neglect. The people of Omela know that this child is suffering in the tiny room, and even some of them have come to see the child. However, they know that the child has to be there because all the things they enjoy- happiness, friendships, health of their children, good harvest- all depend on the child’s suffering. This is what is usually told to children whenever they get to the age of understanding. This is a clear illustration of a dystopian society in which propaganda is used to manipulate the people. In dystopian society, propaganda is used to control the citizens, just is the case in Omela. In addition, the author shows that even those who sympa thize with the child are afraid to do anything or leave the city. This is also an illustration of

CIS206 U3 Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS206 U3 Discussion - Coursework Example Windows is made up of FAT and NTFS filesystems whereas Linux has a variety of files systems most that you can boot from the network. Its not easy to run out of memory in Linux because it has swap partition that is different from the partition containing data. The latter is not the case in Windows (Carpenter, 2012). In addition, Linux filesystems have a lot of recovery tools as compared to windows. There are many file systems in Linux including xfs, ext3, ext4, ext2, and jfs. These filesystems have different advantages and disadvantages thus the preference of one over the other. XFS has its data layout the same way it is in ext2, ext3, and ext4. However, it has a journal and consequently increments btree management of meta-data. The latter case leads to poor performance especially when in managing meta-data in files and directories. A positive outcome is read enactment. XFS also has an excellent performance when handling read and write at the same time. It is one of the filesystems that has been tested and fine-tuned over a long period. Further, it has incredible features that include xfs_fsr a defragmenter that is very simple to use (Hudson & Hudson, 2006). However, it is only possible to increase the size of the XFS but its not feasible to reduce that size. Thus as a precaution it is advisable to start with a smaller size. Ext4 evolves from ext3. It has the advantage of writing in a journal before updating the file system. It has made it good in recovering from crashes. It also adds wonderful management to adjacent data in files. Its performance in reading is good. Since it is very recent, a lot of tests are still underway. An administrator imposes a disk quota system on a Linux server so as to distribute the disk space among the users or groups according to their usage needs. It is also important in determining the number of directories and files that the

Cup cake can make us happy Essay Example for Free

Cup cake can make us happy Essay An afternoon spent whipping up cakes, biscuits and pies doesn’t just make your kitchen smell amazing, it can also help alleviate stress, anger and even depression. Baking enthusiast Alix Walker reveals why it’s making us very happy Photography: Patrice De Villiers Baking: Pamela Giles Supermodel Karlie Kloss may have appeared on 20 magazine covers this year alone, but she still finds time to send the editors at US Vogue her homemade toffee at Christmas. She also spends the night before important shoots baking her Perfect 10 Kookies (milkbarstore. com) to calm her nerves. I may be a good foot shorter (and wider) than Karlie, but we do have something in common. Two weeks before my wedding I decided it would be a brilliant idea to bake my own four-tiered wedding cake. It wasn’t like I was already about to internally combust with stress or anything†¦ When we launched Stylist I worked until 2am for three months but I still spent my first weekend off making a giant gingerbread house. When I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed, like my brain can’t quite focus and my heart is a bit racy, I bake. John Whaite, the winner of The Great British Bake Off 2012, has spoken about how baking helped with his depression. He says, â€Å"You can turn the destructive into the creative just by stirring some sugar and eggs. Working through the steps of a recipe in a methodical way means you don’t have time to concentrate on everything else that is whirring through your mind. † Spending an afternoon in icing sugar is certainly becoming an increasingly popular pastime. The fourth series of The Great British Bake Off started on BBC Two last Tuesday night, hoping to draw in even more viewers than the 7.2 million who watched last year’s series finale. Sales of baking paraphernalia have shot up at John Lewis; cult baking clubs like Band Of Bakers and Clandestine Cake Club are popping up around the country; and owning a KitchenAid is suddenly as prestigious as possessing an Alexander Wang bag. And this is not a hobby just for the retired: 287 Stylistreaders lovingly crafted everything from a Ryan Gosling cake to the perfect afternoon tea in our competition to bake this week’s cover (click here to read an interview with Pamela Giles, who baked the winning cover), showing the passion for baking among professional 30-somethings. We’ve fallen back in love with this age-old hobby for a simple reason: it makes us happy. In an increasingly fast-paced and unpredictable world, baking has become the modern woman’s stress buster. Today, we spend eight hours a day in front of a computer screen and rarely have something tangible to show at the end of it. Modern technology means we don’t switch off until we actually sleep. Baking is the antithesis to this. It’s physical. Methodical. It can’t be rushed. Follow a recipe step by step and you’re almost (almost) guaranteed a certain result. There is calm in its predictability; reassurance in its simplicity. Unconvinced? Type ‘stress bake’ into Google and nearly seven million entries flash up. In addition,the Depressed Cake Shop, a series of baking pop-ups, appeared throughout the UK this month to recognise the power of baking to soothe (not cure) depression. And author Marian Keyes wrote her first cookbook Saved By Cake after a newfound passion for baking pulled her out of depression: â€Å"To be perfectly blunt, my choice sometimes is: I can kill myself or I can make a dozen cupcakes. Baking makes me focus. It is sort of magic – you start off with all this disparate stuff and what you end up with is so totally different. Sweet and scientific It makes sense, really. For a start, the techniques used in baking – stirring, mixing, kneading – are very similar to other proven stress relievers such as knitting or squeezing a stress ball. Chartered psychologist Dr Jill Owen explains: â€Å"Repetitive behaviour and rituals can be very effective in increasing focus and reducing stress. Countless studies have also found a strong connection between being creative and wellbeing. Focusing on a new icing technique means you don’t focus on individual pieces of information, which is why you may find the answer to the problem you’ve been stewing on all day the minute you bring your hot cross buns out of the oven. You also receive an extra shot of happiness when you see the positive reaction your baking has on other people. Then, of course, there’s the eating. Tucking into a thick slab of apricot and ginger cake, a flaky millefeuille or a raspberry clafoutis subtly change our brain chemistry, making us altogether happier. The sweet sticky carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin into the blood, which clears out all the amino acids in the bloodstream apart from tryptophan, which is then converted into serotonin in your brain, that warm, fuzzy hormone that makes us want to hug people and smile a satisfied grin. That, in my opinion, is worth all the calories.

World War 1: Harold Begbie, Fall-In

World War 1: Harold Begbie, Fall-In The emotions and ideas of the great world war was very different as it was seen as honourable and ‘Edenic. It was also seen as vile and chthonic. The emotions and ideas of the people had evolved a lot throughout the war. August 1914 World War One had began and Britain was part of it .Men were quick to fight in World War One because it bought the thrill of adventure to their lives which was socially and economically very attractive unlike their former lives which were simple and dull. An appealing factor was that entertainment, food and drink were all provided for the soldiers. Men fought for freedom and honour. They were very patriotic and would die for their country. Glory was one of the many things they fought for. However some men were emotionally blackmailed, through posters and propaganda, into joining the army. The soldiers were considered socially and politically superior because they would fight for there country. The beginning of World War One Britain had not enforced conscription unlike most other most other European countries until 1916. The first two years of the war Britain used propaganda to emotionally blackmail the whole countries population. The government did this through various an example is a poster in which they used words like â€Å"You† a lot which are second person pronouns this made the reader feel as if it was personally to him. The government used some posters to make the men feel guilty and shameful and others to make them feel anger which made them want vengeance and pride. Further more, propaganda was expressed through recruiting poems a famous poem written by Harold Begbie in 1914 called â€Å"Fall-In† it became so famous that it was turned into a song. The poem was sung in working mens clubs and even in churches. The poem was also in the newspapers lots of times due to the government making them put it there since the whole poem was propaganda. Subsequently, Harold Begbie integrated powerful emotional blackmail which challenges the males sense of machismo: â€Å"But what will you lack when your mate goes by With a girl who cuts you dead?† Begbie really plays on mens machismos using second person pronouns then making the reader feel as if this is his future. The future not being very good as he says that all your friends will leave you making the reader afraid of being isolated and alone so the poem uses peer pressure making the reader feel as he is the only one not in the army. The effect of peer pressure persuades the reader to join and if thats not enough Begbie carries on to say that the reader will not be wanted by any girls. This scares the reader as it makes him feel socially rejected by all girls. Additionally, Begbies poetic structure of â€Å"Fall-In† is very propagandistic as he incorporates a strong mesmerizing militaristic metre. This gives the poem a constant rhythm giving making the poem sound like a march: â€Å"What will you lack, sonny, what will you lack, When the girls line up the street Shouting their love to the lads to come back† Begbies add to the poem giving it a militaristic metre changes the poem completely. Giving the poem rhyme makes it very catchy and if it wasnt for this then nobody would like it. The poems structure is very simple so rhyme is very good at making it sound good. Rhythm is a key in this poem as it is militaristic and gives it the sense of a march which suits the message perfectly but also a march is very memorable and forceful. The ideas and emotions of the Great War was very ‘propagandandenised until Rupert Brooke wrote idealistic poetry very different from Harold Begbie. Rupert Brooke was an admiral and respected poet. He went to university at Cambridge and was part of the literary greats. Brooke died of sepsis while on his way to battle of Gallipoli. Both poets had different opinions but because they both supported the war there was no real evolution between them. Furthermore Rupert Brooke in his poem â€Å"The Soldier† shows the positives of war like in Begbies poem â€Å"Fall-In† but the poems do so for different reasons. For example â€Å"Fall-In† is propaganda and â€Å"The Soldier† is about a mans passion for patriotism â€Å"IF I should die, think only this of me: That theres some corner of a foreign field That is forever England. There shall be† â€Å"The Soldier† is inspired by Brookes ‘passion for self-sacrifice whereas â€Å"Fall-In† is only fuelled by propaganda and emotional blackmail. Brooke uses phrases like ‘IF I should die, think only this of me in which he is trying to say that he doesnt care if he dies. He writes it as if he knows he will probably die in the war and has accepted it but he thinks if he does then where he dies will turn into a little piece of England. Though both poets show different view points on patriotism there is no specific evolution. In addition Brooke utilizes powerful language portray his idealistic view of England through imagery while Begbie, uses imagery to con the males machismo: â€Å"A body of Englands, breathing English air, Washed by rivers, blest by the suns of home,† Bothe Brooke and Begbie utilize the imagery in there poems to show the benefits of war. Begbie has little imagery but uses it to show what dystopia the reader life will become if he doesnt join the war. Brooke uses pastoral imagery like ‘breathing English air which makes England seem like paradise and something beautiful to protect. Although England isnt very ‘Edenic Brookes use of language makes the reader see a picturesque landscape. Brooke makes Earth seem like a motherland and female characters are usually seen by men as beautiful this adds to the readers picturesque image. Even though Begbie and Brooke utilize imagery for completely different reasons both there imagery is supporting war so there hasnt been any evolution. Moreover, both Brooke and Begbie use poetic structure to give there poem a regular metre but Brooke also uses it to convey his ideals about the nobility of patriotism: â€Å"A pulse in the eternal mind, no less Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;† Rupert Brooke writes his poem in a sonnet form which gives it a rythmic metre just as in â€Å"Fall-In† which has a very regular rhythm and rhyme giving it a materialistic metre. â€Å"Fall-In† has a very easy and simple structure that common men could understand but â€Å"The Soldier† has a very traditional sonnet form which only the higher educated men could understand. Rupert Brooke conveys his righteousness of patriotism by using a metaphor at the beginning of the sestet conveys the epiphany of the poetic voice that that dying for England is good. This powerful metaphor entices the reader to believe Brookes message that patriotism is noble as it makes them feel if they were to die for there country they would become ‘immortal never forgotten by the whole universe. Brooke conveys through his poem how much he is willing self-sacrifice for his nation. Although both poets use different poetic structure for different reasons they are both supporting war so t here is no evolution. During the Great War battles like the Somme in which thousands of soldiers died news was sent to families and survivors told the tale of these battles and its viscerally. Many soldiers wrote poems and so the evolution of the ideas and emotions started. The survivors of horrific battles like the Somme were crucial in order to change the publics ideas and emotions of the Great War. While Rupert Brooke wrote about the nobility of war poets like Wilfred Owen wrote about the truth of war and its horrors. Wilfred Owen was a teacher and private tutor in France before he enlisted in 1915. He was very naà ¯ve and optimistic about war. Until he joined the conflict in 1916 and saw some the worst battles and his relationships with Segfred Sasson helped in his realistic and shocking poetry. Owen died in the battle of the Somme. Consequently, Owen writes about how the sardonic attack on the lies upon which war is founded. This is completely different from Brooke ideals about war and the beauty of willing self-sacrifice: â€Å"My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori.† Brooke wrote about how noble patriotism was and how we all should be ready to die for our country whereas Owen thinks the opposite and writes about how all propaganda poems are a lie and nothing like the real war. Owen is similar to Brooke as he also used to be positive about war. Owen writes at the end of his poem ‘The old lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori. This shows that he was also sucked into believing how righteous and decent war through the poem â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est† written by Gerladine Glasgow who wrote a complete lie to what war was really like describing battles with swords when they were noble King Arthur. Glasgow wrote this when the war was at its worst ticking young foolish men into going to war. Owen is mainly attacking her as he takes her title and twists everything round showing how visceral war was and what a lie Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori is. The big difference in ideas between Owen and Brooke really shows that the ideas and emo tions have evolved. Subsequently both Owen and Brooke include different imagery to convey their ideas and emotions. Brooke utilises his imagery to show his idealistic view of England whereas Owen uses imagery to show the true horror of war. â€Å"Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;† Owen writes about how dark war was ‘Men marched asleep as if they were like zombies he also uses a metaphoric parallelism ‘All went lame; all blind to show that all these soldiers have become blind to what they are doing carrying on from how they all seem like zombies. Owen uses good imagery to show how corrupt and vile war was. Brooke uses imagery in his sonnet to show beautiful and England is and how to die for your country is so noble. Brooke portrays war in a picturesque and ‘Edenic image where Owen portrays war as chthonic like hell. This change between the poets shows a big evolution of their ideas and emotions. However, Owen and Brooke both choose to write in sonnet form as the complexity of it makes it stand out. Brooke also uses it as it is traditional and English also does this Owen but uses the traditional view of a sonnet for a subversive purpose. â€Å"The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori† Both Owen and Brooke have a perfect rhythm scheme throughout but Owen makes his last line irregular giving it an uncomfortable gap in the rhythm. Owen does this purposely to make the reader focus their attention on the last line. Owen uses Volta very skilfully to change the actions and emotional impact on the poem. Owen uses a sonnet form for his poem as it adds substance and authority to Owens perspective on war but he also subversives the traditional use of a sonnet for his on purpose. As Owen changes the traditional view of sonnet form he shows that there has been a big evolution in ideas and emotions during the first World War. In conclusion the evolution of emotions and ideas of the great world war was like a rollercoaster ride. In 1914 lots of propaganda was used to get men to go to war. It was done through posters and poems like â€Å"Fall-In† which all played with the males sense of machismo. Also in 1914 Rupert Brooke wrote â€Å"The Soldier† which was also used by the media as propaganda but one mans love his country. Even though he went to war he didnt actually fight as he died from lead poisoning on his way to war. In 1914 as nobody had actually been to war and come back people believed the propaganda and thought it was good and noble. Wilfred Owen also wrote a poem before going to war about how righteous it will be. 1917 people started to find out the truth about war and how all the propaganda was a lie. One of the first poems to do this was by Wilfred Owen â€Å"DULCE ET DECORUM EST† in which he writes about the truth of war and chthonic it is. During 1914 most peoples ideas o f war was influenced by propaganda and emotions were good about war. In 1917 lots of poets who went to war started writing the truth of how it really is and so the peoples ideas of war was the complete opposite from 1914 and their emotions to it was hate and anger. Until 1917 people had the same emotions and ideas of war as in 1914 it was only until people were being told the truth from the men fighting did their views change.

The Character of Kent In King Lear :: William Shakespeare Plays Essays

The Character of Kent In King Lear While reading Eva Turner Clark's analysis of King Lear, in her Hidden Allusions in Shakespeare's Plays, I was struck by the polarity of our interpretation of this supreme drama. Where Clark finds historical and political allusions, especially for the years 1589-1590, I find personal ones. For King Lear is a play of internal, personal tragedy. With this in mind I strongly disagree with her statement, "I consider Kent represents Drake." (P. 869 n.) Therefore I sought another contemporary of Oxford's who would fulfill the characteristics and qualities of the Earl of Kent. In looking tor this prototype, I drew upon J. Thomas Looney's methodology. (See Shakespeare Identified, p. 80.) Simply stated my task was to examine the text of Lear, to draw from it a definite conception of the character and qualities of the Earl of Kent, and then look for a man who fits that description. Once such a man was found it was necessary to connect him with the character of Kent and with the author. Eventual ly I found that my conception of Kent had been accurately described by S.T. Coleridge, Kent is, perhaps, the nearest to perfect goodness in all Shakespeare's characters, and yet the most individualized. There is an extraordinary charm in a bluntness, which is that only of a nobleman arising from a contempt of overtrained courtesy, and combined with easy placability where goodness of heart is apparent. His passionate affection for and fidelity to Lear act on our feelings in Lear's own favor: virtue itself, seems to be in company with him. (Complete Works of Samuel Coleridge, Vol. IV, edited by W.G.T. Shedd, Harper and Bros., New York: 1884, pp. 138-39.) The first two requirements of Looney's blueprint had been completed. I had read and examined the text of Lear, and with the aid of Coleridge, I had out-lined the qualities of Kent. It was now necessary to find the man. He must be blunt but charming; noble and courteous, but not overbearing in rank or slavish to authority. He must be loyal to his country, his monarch, and his friends. He must be someone worthy to lead men; even nations. (It must be remembered that Kent is one of the triumvirate who, it is implied at the close of the play, will lead England's destinies.) He must be someone who had won the highest respect and admiration of Oxford; the man chosen to be old King Lear's personal champion (and, in effect Oxford's also?

Biographies of Karl Marx and Frederich Engels Essay -- Marx Engels Bio

Biographies of Karl Marx and Frederich Engels Karl Marx and Frederich Engels collaborated to introduce the liberal ideas of Communism. The Communist Manifesto was their byproduct that was introduced in January of 1828. Marx and Engels lives were drastically different from each other, although they both agreed upon the fundamental ideas of it. Marx’s idea of being an individual stemmed from the life that he lived. Marx found that his ideas were often not accepted in various societies but this did not stop him from professing them. Marx found that his personal ideas could be expressed freely, not in his own country, but in other countries. This soon became a problem because his homeland of Germany tried to oppress him through pressure. Engels life was different because of the family that he came from. Engels was born into the life of a middle-upper class family that allowed him more freedom in his life. Engels found that his individual ideas were accepted from the start but he was not as liberal as Marx. With the experience s and oppression that the men faced for their ideas, it is amazing to see how the Communism Manifesto was established. Karl Marx (1818- 1883) Karl Marx is an intriguing and fascinating man. He was born on May 5, 1818 from two German Jewish parents. Marx’s father was a prominent lawyer in Trier. Marx’s father converted to Lutheranism to safeguard his livelihood. This event did influence Marx’s later view of religion and conformism. His mother was from a long line of rabbis, but these religious beliefs played a small role in his life. He was baptized at age six, but this was the extent his encounter with religion as a child, which prevailed later in his life as he proclaimed himself an atheist. Marx stu... ...Both Marx and Engels believed that the individual should not be repressed in a governmental system. Their thoughts on these ideas came from the events that shaped their lives. Together the dynamite combination of Marx and Engels created a Communist theory that shaped society. Notes [i] Carver, Terrell ed., The Cambridge Companion to Marx (United States: Cambridge University Press, 1991), 4-6. [ii] Koren, Henry J., Marx and the Authentic Man (Pittsburgh, PA: Duquesne University Press, 1967), 1. [iii] Lenin, â€Å"Biographical Article on Frederich Engels,† Engels Biography by Lenin, (10 March 2002). [iv] Brian Basgen, â€Å"Karl Marx By: Frederick Engels,† Karl Marx Biography, (08 March 2002).

Steroid Use in Major League Baseball Essay -- Sports Drugs Steroids Ba

Steroid Use in Major League Baseball Steroids are unhealthy for baseball players and they are giving the game of baseball a bad reputation. Since steroids have become such a hot topic in Major League Baseball (MLB) fans have had nothing but bad things to say about the sport and its players. When sports illustrated asked some of its readers to give reaction to the steroid controversy in the MLB here is what baseball fan Howard Langsner from New York had to say 'Horrible, just horrible. We take Olympic medals away from athletes on steroids, but we're supposed to look the other way in MLB because a guy can make the ball go further? Drug testing is commonplace everywhere, and used in other sports, as the article mentioned. Baseball should be no different'. Matt Bookman of San Jose, California writes 'That's it. I'm done as a baseball fan until MLB has a comprehensive drug testing policy. I feel so naive. I really thought that the players had gotten bigger and stronger because they had learned the value of hitting the wei ght room and staying in shape during the off season. It breaks my heart that I won't be able to give my children the same experience I had growing up -- to go to the ballpark and feel good about your guys and cheer on your team.' The fans reaction speaks for itself but MLB should not sit back and let steroids take over a game that was at one time America?s pastime. In this paper research will be given on what exactly are anabolic steroids and how they can affect your body, testing policies, the effectiveness of steroids on players and major league baseball. There are many different kinds of steroids but anabolic steroids are the ones most commonly used by pro baseball player. Anabolic steroids are synthetic ... ... It takes no fool to realize that without the fans there is no professional baseball. The fans who are the ones who pay the salaries of the players who in all honesty said Canseco is why players are doing steroids, to make the game more exciting with homeruns. In this paper research was given to prove that steroids are unhealthy for baseball players and giving the game of baseball a bad reputation. MLB is losing their fan base and good name due to the use of anabolic steroids. In the end baseball with suffer the consequences if this problem is not handled quickly and efficiently Bibliography Haley, J.(eds.).(2003). Performance-enhancing drugs. San Diego, Ca: Greenhaven Press. Levine M, H.(eds).(2000). Why are Steroids so ?Big?. Austin, Tx: Greenhaven Press. Bodely, H. (2005, January 12). Baseball announces tougher steroid policy USA Today, 23, 37.

Deception Point Page 70

â€Å"Correct,† Tolland said. â€Å"This species would have collapsed under its own weight if it walked around on earth.† Corky's brow furrowed with annoyance. â€Å"Well, Mike, unless some caveman was running an antigravity louse farm, I don't see how you could possibly conclude a two-foot-long bug is earthly in origin.† Tolland smiled inwardly to think Corky was missing such a simple point. â€Å"Actually, there is another possibility.† He focused closely on his friend. â€Å"Corky, you're used to looking up. Look down. There's an abundant antigravity environment right here on earth. And it's been here since prehistoric times.† Corky stared. â€Å"What the hell are you talking about?† Rachel also looked surprised. Tolland pointed out the window at the moonlit sea glistening beneath the plane. â€Å"The ocean.† Rachel let out a low whistle. â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Water is a low-gravity environment,† Tolland explained. â€Å"Everything weighs less underwater. The ocean supports enormous fragile structures that could never exist on land-jellyfish, giant squid, ribbon eels.† Corky acquiesced, but only slightly. â€Å"Fine, but the prehistoric ocean never had giant bugs.† â€Å"Sure, it did. And it still does, in fact. People eat them everyday. They're a delicacy in most countries.† â€Å"Mike, who the hell eats giant sea bugs!† â€Å"Anyone who eats lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.† Corky stared. â€Å"Crustaceans are essentially giant sea bugs,† Tolland explained. â€Å"They're a suborder of the phylum Arthropoda-lice, crabs, spiders, insects, grasshoppers, scorpions, lobsters-they're all related. They're all species with jointed appendages and external skeletons.† Corky suddenly looked ill. â€Å"From a classification standpoint, they look a lot like bugs,† Tolland explained. â€Å"Horseshoe crabs resemble giant trilobites. And the claws of a lobster resemble those of a large scorpion.† Corky turned green. â€Å"Okay, I've eaten my last lobster roll.† Rachel looked fascinated. â€Å"So arthropods on land stay small because the gravity selects naturally for smallness. But in the water, their bodies are buoyed up, so they can grow very large.† â€Å"Exactly,† Tolland said. â€Å"An Alaskan king crab could be wrongly classified as a giant spider if we had limited fossil evidence.† Rachel's excitement seemed to fade now to concern. â€Å"Mike, again barring the issue of the meteorite's apparent authenticity, tell me this: Do you think the fossils we saw at Milne could possibly have come from the ocean? Earth's ocean?† Tolland felt the directness of her gaze and sensed the true weight of her question. â€Å"Hypothetically, I would have to say yes. The ocean floor has sections that are 190 million years old. The same age as the fossils. And theoretically the oceans could have sustained life-forms that looked like this.† â€Å"Oh please!† Corky scoffed. â€Å"I can't believe what I'm hearing here. Barring the issue of the meteorite's authenticity? The meteorite is irrefutable. Even if earth has ocean floor the same age as that meteorite, we sure as hell don't have ocean floor that has fusion crust, anomalous nickel content, and chondrules. You're grasping at straws.† Tolland knew Corky was right, and yet imagining the fossils as sea creatures had robbed Tolland of some of his awe over them. They seemed somehow more familiar now. â€Å"Mike,† Rachel said, â€Å"why didn't any of the NASA scientists consider that these fossils might be ocean creatures? Even from an ocean on another planet?† â€Å"Two reasons, really. Pelagic fossil samples-those from the ocean floor-tend to exhibit a plethora of intermingled species. Anything living in the millions of cubic feet of life above the ocean floor will eventually die and sink to the bottom. This means the ocean floor becomes a graveyard for species from every depth, pressure, and temperature environment. But the sample at Milne was clean-a single species. It looked more like something we might find in the desert. A brood of similar animals getting buried in a sandstorm, for example.† Rachel nodded. â€Å"And the second reason you guessed land rather than sea?† Tolland shrugged. â€Å"Gut instinct. Scientists have always believed space, if it were populated, would be populated by insects. And from what we've observed of space, there's a lot more dirt and rock out there than water.† Rachel fell silent. â€Å"Although†¦,† Tolland added. Rachel had him thinking now. â€Å"I'll admit there are very deep parts of the ocean floor that oceanographers call dead zones. We don't really understand them, but they are areas in which the currents and food sources are such that almost nothing lives there. Just a few species of bottom-dwelling scavengers. So from that standpoint, I suppose a single-species fossil is not entirely out of the question.† â€Å"Hello?† Corky grumbled. â€Å"Remember the fusion crust? The mid-level nickel content? The chondrules? Why are we even talking about this?† Tolland did not reply. â€Å"This issue of the nickel content,† Rachel said to Corky. â€Å"Explain this to me again. The nickel content in earth rocks is either very high or very low, but in meteorites the nickel content is within a specific midrange window?† Corky bobbed his head. â€Å"Precisely.† â€Å"And so the nickel content in this sample falls precisely within the expected range of values.† â€Å"Very close, yes.† Rachel looked surprised. â€Å"Hold on. Close? What's that supposed to mean?† Corky looked exasperated. â€Å"As I explained earlier, all meteorite mineralogies are different. As scientists find new meteorites, we constantly need to update our calculations as to what we consider an acceptable nickel content for meteorites.† Rachel looked stunned as she held up the sample. â€Å"So, this meteorite forced you to reevaluate what you consider acceptable nickel content in a meteorite? It fell outside the established midrange nickel window?† â€Å"Only slightly,† Corky fired back. â€Å"Why didn't anyone mention this?† â€Å"It's a nonissue. Astrophysics is a dynamic science which is constantly being updated.† â€Å"During an incredibly important analysis?† â€Å"Look,† Corky said with a huff, â€Å"I can assure you the nickel content in that sample is a helluva lot closer to other meteorites than it is to any earth rock.† Rachel turned to Tolland. â€Å"Did you know about this?† Tolland gave a reluctant nod. It hadn't seemed a major issue at the time. â€Å"I was told this meteorite exhibited slightly higher nickel content than seen in other meteorites, but the NASA specialists seemed unconcerned.† â€Å"For good reason!† Corky interjected. â€Å"The mineralogical proof here is not that the nickel content is conclusively meteoritelike, but rather that it is conclusively non-earth-like.† Rachel shook her head. â€Å"Sorry, but in my business that's the kind of faulty logic that gets people killed. Saying a rock is non-earth-like doesn't prove it's a meteorite. It simply proves that it's not like anything we've ever seen on earth.† â€Å"What the hell's the difference!† â€Å"Nothing,† Rachel said. â€Å"If you've seen every rock on earth.† Corky fell silent a moment. â€Å"Okay,† he finally said, â€Å"ignore the nickel content if it makes you nervous. We still have a flawless fusion crust and chondrules.† â€Å"Sure,† Rachel said, sounding unimpressed. â€Å"Two out of three ain't bad.† 83 The structure housing the NASA central headquarters was a mammoth glass rectangle located at 300 E Street in Washington, D.C. The building was spidered with over two hundred miles of data cabling and thousands of tons of computer processors. It was home to 1,134 civil servants who oversee NASA's $15 billion annual budget and the daily operations of the twelve NASA bases nationwide.

Platform technology Essay

Servlets are supported by the Java Sun platform technology of option for expanding and improving web servers and they provide a component-based, platform independent method for making web applications, without the confines of the performance of CGI programs. They are sustained in nearly all web servers. There are many popular servlets which are available in the market at the moment. JRun is a J2EE application server, initially made in 1997 as a Java Servlet engine by Live Software and later on bought by Allaire, who brought out the first J2EE compliant edition. It was obtained by Macromedia prior to its 2001 takeover of Allaire, and later by Adobe Systems when it bought Macromedia in 2005. Its latest patch Updater 7 was released by Adobe in 2007. Updater 7 added Sun JDK 1. 6 support, Apache 2. 2 support, Windows Vista/IIS7 support and Mac OS X 10. 4 on Intel support. This feature differentiates it from other servlets. Similarly, iPlanet was a product that was used mutually by Sun Microsystems and Netscape Communications Corporation when sharing out software and services as part of a non-limited cross marketing contract. AOL has continued to market the directory and certificate server products below the Netscape brand. After AOL joined with Netscape, technology analysts conjectured that AOL’s major concern was the netscape. com website, which some thought to have replaced the Internet Explorer browser. Apache Tomcat is also an open source Servlet made by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). Tomcat uses the Java Servlet and the Java Server Pages (JSP) provisions from Sun Microsystems and that gives it the edge over other servlets. As far as choosing one Servlet for our organization is concerned it depends on the platform technology. And since JRun is a J2EE application server therefore I would choose it over others. REFRENCES http://www. wikipedia. org QUESTION: Research some of the popular Servlet engines (Tomcat, JRun, IPlanet, etc). What features are there that make one Servlet engine better than the other? How would you go about choosing one for your organization?

Disc Platinum Rule Assessment

â€Å"The ultimate goal of the Platinum Rule is personal chemistry and productive relationships† (Alessandra). The University of Phoenix creates learning teams in each online classroom setting. Individuals bring different behavior styles when they come together in a group. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the different behavior styles as defined by the DISC Platinum Rule assessment and how it relates to learning team members. The DISC Platinum Rule breaks out into four dimensions of behavior. Each different dimension has strengths and weaknesses and no dimension is better than another. The four different dimensions are the dominance style, the interactive style, the steadiness style, and the cautious style. Dominance Style The dominance style has two main governing needs. These needs are the need to control and the need to achieve. People who fit into the dominance style are goal-orientated go-getters. They find themselves most comfortable when they are in charge of people and situations. People with the dominance style are fast-paced, task-oriented, and work quickly and impressively by themselves. They are annoyed by delays and challenge outdated thinking and ideas. Alessandra) The four sub styles of the dominance style are the director, the adventurer, the producer and the pioneer. The director questions authority, takes more risks, and is motivated by new opportunities. The adventurer, wary of people who may take advantage, is result-orientated and is motivated by dominance and independence. The producer chooses to be involved in chosen activities from start to finish. They resist people who are obstacles and are motivated by accomplishing bigger and better goals according to their internal timetable. The pioneer tends to focus on the future and is driven by a quest for unique accomplishments to avoid boredom. Holding a position to direct and redirect task accomplishments motivates them. (Alessandra) Tijuana Muse and Nessa Little, two members of the learning team, both fit into the dominance style behavior dimension. The snapshot of their sub style report marked them both as â€Å"The Producer. † The assessment described them as less guarded and less direct then most other dominance styles. The assessment also stated their primary goal is to achieve bigger and better goals. Weaknesses presented in the assessment include impatience and taking themselves to seriously. Strengths presented in the assessment include the ability to juggle tasks and a high energy level. Tijuana agrees with these results as they describe her work patterns and behavior. She needs goals to be set to help motivate her to achieve a higher level of performance. Even though she does not like timeframes, she prefers to work at a higher pace. Her behavior style effects the learning team by providing results quickly and timely if given a set goal. Nessa agreed with the results of her assessment. She will use the weaknesses presented as areas for improvement. She wants to broaden her point of view when it comes to goals. She becomes very focused on the task at hand and will forget that other things need her attention also. She needs to learn to be more flexible and show more confidence in other people. These observations from the assessment affect the team because she knows to ask others to share ideas and to will become more tolerant of the differences in others. Interactive Style The second style is the interactive style. People in this behavioral style are friendly and enthusiastic. They prefer to be in the middle of the action and thrive on admiration, acknowledgment, and compliments. People in the interactive style are more relationship-orientated and less task-orientated. Their main strengths are people skills and communication and they do so with enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness, and warmth. Good communication skills help them influence people and bring them together to accomplish goals. (Alessandra) The sub styles of the interactive style are the socializer, the helper, the impresser, and the enthusiast. The socializer has a natural tendency to meet people. They speak freely about their thoughts feelings, and experiences, and receiving social approval from others motivates them. The helper has a natural dislike of pressuring others or telling them what to do. They seek close personal relationships that focus on caring and sharing and they are motivated by friendship. The impresser feels taking shortcuts to accomplish a goal is cheating. They become impatient with procrastinators and winning with flair motivates them. The enthusiast enjoys symbols of authority and prestige and is uncomfortable with confinement or restriction of freedom. Influencing others provides them motivation. (Alessandra) CooKie, a member of the learning team, fits into the interactive style behavior dimension. The snapshot of her sub style marked her as â€Å"The Impresser. † The assessment described her as seeing winning as an all-or-nothing proposition, judging people by their ability to make things happen, and working harder when there are bigger risks and rewards at stake. Weaknesses presented in the assessment included disorganized, careless, exaggerating, and poor follow through. Strengths presented in the assessment included persuasiveness, optimistic, motivating, and enthusiastic. CooKie agreed with how the assessment described her characteristics at work. She likes to go above and beyond expectations to complete a task. She often collaborates with co-workers in order to ensure the goals of the company are achieved efficiently. This causes her to be considerate of co-workers’ feelings when working on projects. As deadlines approach she tends to overreact that they will not be met. This is her reason to avoid procrastination. Her behavior style affects the learning team by providing a high attention to detail and being mindful of the other team members’ feelings. Steadiness Style The third style is the steadiness style. Individuals with this style are warm, supportive, and nurturing. They are excellent listeners, devoted friends, and loyal employees. This makes them the most people-orientated of the four styles. With a relaxed disposition they are approachable, which allows them to develop strong networks of people. People in the steadiness style do not like risk. They may tolerate bad situations rather than risk changing the status quo. They prefer to maintain their personal composure, stability, and balance. They exhibit behaviors of courtesy, friendliness, and a willingness to share responsibilities. People in this style are good planners, persistent workers, and good with follow-through. Because of their need of security, need to avoid risk, and desire to include others; Individuals with the steadiness style are slow decision-makers. (Alessandra) The four sub styles of the steadiness style are the relater, the specialist, the go-getter, and the harmonizer. The relater is threatened by changes that jeopardize relationships or surroundings, prefers to deal with concrete situations and data rather than theory, trends, or conjecture, and is motivated by personal stability. Specialists prefer to focus on their own interests. The excel in conditions that are stable and allow for steady, incremental gains and are motivated by doing what they know and only knowing what they do. The go-getter is a good short-term planner with an ability to identify roles, resources, and time lines. They are highly self-reliant and are motivated by a desire for a steady flow of more accomplishments. The harmonizer wants to be the person wanted and needed by others. They are motivated by the acceptance and approval gained from helping others. (Alessandra) Cautious Style The fourth behavior dimension is the cautious style. People in this style are analytical, persistent, and systematic. They enjoy problem solving and are detail-oriented. This causes them to be concerned with content over style. They enjoy working toward tangible results and perfecting the processes to achieve them. This type of person controls their emotions and tends to be uncomfortable amongst out-going people. Even though they tend to see the serious and complex side to situations, their intelligence and ability to see different points of view allows them to be quick and present a unique sense of humor. People in the cautious style can be over-critical because of having high expectations of themselves and others. In extreme cases their tendency toward perfection can cause paralysis by over-analysis. They do research, make comparisons, determine risks, and calculate margins of error before making decisions. This causes them to be slow and deliberate decision-makers. Some main strengths of the cautious style are an eye for detail and accuracy, dependable, independent, persistent, and organized. (Alessandra) The four sub styles of the cautious style are the thinker, the master-minder, the assessor, and the perfecter. The thinker has a preference for privacy, has a natural talent for deliberate decision-making and is motivated by the desire to be correct. The master-minder expresses his or herself more by what they do than by what they say. They choose to work alone and are motivated by increased opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. The assessor is a quick thinker and can deal with many inputs simultaneously. They are motivated by accomplishing goals with excellence. The perfecter pays attention to key processes and details. They are methodical, thorough, dependable, and is motivated predictable results. (Alessandra) Anthony Cosenza, another member of the learning team, fits into the cautious style behavior dimension. His snapshot of sub style report marked him as â€Å"The Master-Minder. † His assessment described him as more guarded and less direct than most other cautious styles. The assessment also described his primary goal that motivates him is to increase opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. His tendencies include being very alert to conflict and resistance, appearing focused and self-controlled with people, taking some calculated risks when making decisions, preferring to work alone, becoming overly analytical, and possibly procrastinating when under pressure. Weaknesses presented in the assessment include perfectionistic, critical and unresponsive. Strengths presented in the assessment include planning, dependability, problem solving, and systematizing. Anthony agreed with most of his assessment as it described many of his behaviors. During stressful times he does become withdrawn and focuses on tasks and the processes to complete them. He wants to be right and does depend heavily on data collection. He prefers to work alone and has good problem solving skills as the assessment identified. His behavior style affects the team by providing an awareness of the situation and being able to solve issues. Conclusion The DISC Platinum Rule assessment identifies a person’s behavior style. When working in a team each member will have a different style. Each style provides the team with unique characteristics that provide strengths and weaknesses. An effective team will utilize each team member’s strengths and look out for and correct weaknesses. By doing this a team will be highly effective in accomplishing goals and achieving success. Disc Platinum Rule Assessment â€Å"The ultimate goal of the Platinum Rule is personal chemistry and productive relationships† (Alessandra). The University of Phoenix creates learning teams in each online classroom setting. Individuals bring different behavior styles when they come together in a group. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the different behavior styles as defined by the DISC Platinum Rule assessment and how it relates to learning team members. The DISC Platinum Rule breaks out into four dimensions of behavior. Each different dimension has strengths and weaknesses and no dimension is better than another. The four different dimensions are the dominance style, the interactive style, the steadiness style, and the cautious style. Dominance Style The dominance style has two main governing needs. These needs are the need to control and the need to achieve. People who fit into the dominance style are goal-orientated go-getters. They find themselves most comfortable when they are in charge of people and situations. People with the dominance style are fast-paced, task-oriented, and work quickly and impressively by themselves. They are annoyed by delays and challenge outdated thinking and ideas. Alessandra) The four sub styles of the dominance style are the director, the adventurer, the producer and the pioneer. The director questions authority, takes more risks, and is motivated by new opportunities. The adventurer, wary of people who may take advantage, is result-orientated and is motivated by dominance and independence. The producer chooses to be involved in chosen activities from start to finish. They resist people who are obstacles and are motivated by accomplishing bigger and better goals according to their internal timetable. The pioneer tends to focus on the future and is driven by a quest for unique accomplishments to avoid boredom. Holding a position to direct and redirect task accomplishments motivates them. (Alessandra) Tijuana Muse and Nessa Little, two members of the learning team, both fit into the dominance style behavior dimension. The snapshot of their sub style report marked them both as â€Å"The Producer. † The assessment described them as less guarded and less direct then most other dominance styles. The assessment also stated their primary goal is to achieve bigger and better goals. Weaknesses presented in the assessment include impatience and taking themselves to seriously. Strengths presented in the assessment include the ability to juggle tasks and a high energy level. Tijuana agrees with these results as they describe her work patterns and behavior. She needs goals to be set to help motivate her to achieve a higher level of performance. Even though she does not like timeframes, she prefers to work at a higher pace. Her behavior style effects the learning team by providing results quickly and timely if given a set goal. Nessa agreed with the results of her assessment. She will use the weaknesses presented as areas for improvement. She wants to broaden her point of view when it comes to goals. She becomes very focused on the task at hand and will forget that other things need her attention also. She needs to learn to be more flexible and show more confidence in other people. These observations from the assessment affect the team because she knows to ask others to share ideas and to will become more tolerant of the differences in others. Interactive Style The second style is the interactive style. People in this behavioral style are friendly and enthusiastic. They prefer to be in the middle of the action and thrive on admiration, acknowledgment, and compliments. People in the interactive style are more relationship-orientated and less task-orientated. Their main strengths are people skills and communication and they do so with enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness, and warmth. Good communication skills help them influence people and bring them together to accomplish goals. (Alessandra) The sub styles of the interactive style are the socializer, the helper, the impresser, and the enthusiast. The socializer has a natural tendency to meet people. They speak freely about their thoughts feelings, and experiences, and receiving social approval from others motivates them. The helper has a natural dislike of pressuring others or telling them what to do. They seek close personal relationships that focus on caring and sharing and they are motivated by friendship. The impresser feels taking shortcuts to accomplish a goal is cheating. They become impatient with procrastinators and winning with flair motivates them. The enthusiast enjoys symbols of authority and prestige and is uncomfortable with confinement or restriction of freedom. Influencing others provides them motivation. (Alessandra) CooKie, a member of the learning team, fits into the interactive style behavior dimension. The snapshot of her sub style marked her as â€Å"The Impresser. † The assessment described her as seeing winning as an all-or-nothing proposition, judging people by their ability to make things happen, and working harder when there are bigger risks and rewards at stake. Weaknesses presented in the assessment included disorganized, careless, exaggerating, and poor follow through. Strengths presented in the assessment included persuasiveness, optimistic, motivating, and enthusiastic. CooKie agreed with how the assessment described her characteristics at work. She likes to go above and beyond expectations to complete a task. She often collaborates with co-workers in order to ensure the goals of the company are achieved efficiently. This causes her to be considerate of co-workers’ feelings when working on projects. As deadlines approach she tends to overreact that they will not be met. This is her reason to avoid procrastination. Her behavior style affects the learning team by providing a high attention to detail and being mindful of the other team members’ feelings. Steadiness Style The third style is the steadiness style. Individuals with this style are warm, supportive, and nurturing. They are excellent listeners, devoted friends, and loyal employees. This makes them the most people-orientated of the four styles. With a relaxed disposition they are approachable, which allows them to develop strong networks of people. People in the steadiness style do not like risk. They may tolerate bad situations rather than risk changing the status quo. They prefer to maintain their personal composure, stability, and balance. They exhibit behaviors of courtesy, friendliness, and a willingness to share responsibilities. People in this style are good planners, persistent workers, and good with follow-through. Because of their need of security, need to avoid risk, and desire to include others; Individuals with the steadiness style are slow decision-makers. (Alessandra) The four sub styles of the steadiness style are the relater, the specialist, the go-getter, and the harmonizer. The relater is threatened by changes that jeopardize relationships or surroundings, prefers to deal with concrete situations and data rather than theory, trends, or conjecture, and is motivated by personal stability. Specialists prefer to focus on their own interests. The excel in conditions that are stable and allow for steady, incremental gains and are motivated by doing what they know and only knowing what they do. The go-getter is a good short-term planner with an ability to identify roles, resources, and time lines. They are highly self-reliant and are motivated by a desire for a steady flow of more accomplishments. The harmonizer wants to be the person wanted and needed by others. They are motivated by the acceptance and approval gained from helping others. (Alessandra) Cautious Style The fourth behavior dimension is the cautious style. People in this style are analytical, persistent, and systematic. They enjoy problem solving and are detail-oriented. This causes them to be concerned with content over style. They enjoy working toward tangible results and perfecting the processes to achieve them. This type of person controls their emotions and tends to be uncomfortable amongst out-going people. Even though they tend to see the serious and complex side to situations, their intelligence and ability to see different points of view allows them to be quick and present a unique sense of humor. People in the cautious style can be over-critical because of having high expectations of themselves and others. In extreme cases their tendency toward perfection can cause paralysis by over-analysis. They do research, make comparisons, determine risks, and calculate margins of error before making decisions. This causes them to be slow and deliberate decision-makers. Some main strengths of the cautious style are an eye for detail and accuracy, dependable, independent, persistent, and organized. (Alessandra) The four sub styles of the cautious style are the thinker, the master-minder, the assessor, and the perfecter. The thinker has a preference for privacy, has a natural talent for deliberate decision-making and is motivated by the desire to be correct. The master-minder expresses his or herself more by what they do than by what they say. They choose to work alone and are motivated by increased opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. The assessor is a quick thinker and can deal with many inputs simultaneously. They are motivated by accomplishing goals with excellence. The perfecter pays attention to key processes and details. They are methodical, thorough, dependable, and is motivated predictable results. (Alessandra) Anthony Cosenza, another member of the learning team, fits into the cautious style behavior dimension. His snapshot of sub style report marked him as â€Å"The Master-Minder. † His assessment described him as more guarded and less direct than most other cautious styles. The assessment also described his primary goal that motivates him is to increase opportunities for unique and significant personal accomplishments. His tendencies include being very alert to conflict and resistance, appearing focused and self-controlled with people, taking some calculated risks when making decisions, preferring to work alone, becoming overly analytical, and possibly procrastinating when under pressure. Weaknesses presented in the assessment include perfectionistic, critical and unresponsive. Strengths presented in the assessment include planning, dependability, problem solving, and systematizing. Anthony agreed with most of his assessment as it described many of his behaviors. During stressful times he does become withdrawn and focuses on tasks and the processes to complete them. He wants to be right and does depend heavily on data collection. He prefers to work alone and has good problem solving skills as the assessment identified. His behavior style affects the team by providing an awareness of the situation and being able to solve issues. Conclusion The DISC Platinum Rule assessment identifies a person’s behavior style. When working in a team each member will have a different style. Each style provides the team with unique characteristics that provide strengths and weaknesses. An effective team will utilize each team member’s strengths and look out for and correct weaknesses. By doing this a team will be highly effective in accomplishing goals and achieving success.

Nucor Corporation Case Analysis Essay

1. What are the primary competitive forces impacting U.S. steel producers in general and the producers like Nucor that make new steel products via recycling scrap steel in particular? Please do a five-forces analysis Rivalry among Steel Producers There is a fierce competitive force in this industry. Rivalry revolves heavily around price competition because most steel products are commodities. Producing steel of satisfactory quality is most producers are familiar with. In a commodity market like steel, it is hard to distinguish products of one steel producer from another. I this type of market condition, buyers make a choice among lowest/best price sellers. Moreover, competitively, meeting customers’ delivery schedule requirements is also a relevant consideration for the buyers. This particularly holds true when rival sellers are charging fierce competitive prices. Nucor is figuring out how to use low-cost scrap steel recycling technology to make a wider and wider range of steel products. Nucor is using its newly developed technological capabilities to enter a fierce battle for market share in the new product categories. Competition from Substitutes A moderately strong competitive force: there are substitute products that compete with steel. For instance, aluminum, plastics and other materials can be used in place of steel in some products. The Threat of Entry A moderately strong competitive force: it is less likely that new start-up firms will enter the steel industry. According to this case, existing steel producers are anxious to operate their plant at their full capacity. It is more likely to seek out customers in geographic markets where they do not currently have a presence. Moreover, it is clear that new entry may occur when companies like Nucor and Mittal Steel acquire less successful steel  producers and try to turn the operations of the newly acquired companies into strong contenders in the marketplace. Nucor’s recent acquisitions, for example, represent entry of a potent and competitively successful steel company into either product categories or geographic areas where its presence is minimal. Similarly, Mittal Steel’s growth via acquisition strategy has turned it into a major competitive force worldwide. Bargaining Power of Suppliers There is a moderate competitive force in case of scrap steel suppliers and unionized steel companies but there will be a weak competitive force otherwise. There is an indication that suppliers are major competitive factors. However, the price of scrap steel is a key input for mini-mills and rising scrap prices can put them at a competitive disadvantage. But scrap steel prices appear to be a function of overall market demand-supply conditions rather than a function of the power of individual suppliers of scrap steel. Bargaining Power of Customers A moderate to weak competitive force when demand is strong and in short supply but a potent competitive force when demand is weak and steel suppliers are anxious to win a customer’s business. The competitive conditions in steel can be tough when the supply is greater than demand and that price competition tends to dominate the competitive environment because of the commodity-like nature of steel products. 2. What driving forces do you see at work in this industry? Are they likely to impact the industry’s competitive structure favorably or unfavorably? Three factors qualify as driving forces here: A. Technological innovation in steel-making via electric arc furnace technology, thin-slab casting, and direct casting of carbon steel that has allowed companies like Nucor to enter product segments formerly dominated by the integrated mills of producers using older, more traditional steel-making technology. This driving force is acting to increase the competitive pressures that mini-mills are putting on the integrated producers. There is an unfavorable result from the standpoint of integrated producers but a  highly favorable result from the standpoint of the producers like Nucor that are leading the charge to use new low-cost steel-making technology. B. Steel-making capacity worldwide exceeds the demand for steel, such that companies anxious to operate their plants at full capacity are seeking to find foreign customers for their output. Thus a number of foreign steel suppliers are shipping some of their output to the U.S. This puts them in a head-to-head competition with domestic steel suppliers. High-cost domestic steel suppliers are the hard hit by imported foreign steel. C. Industry consolidation to a smaller number of larger and more competitively successful steel companies (lead in part by the acquisitions of Mittal Steel and Nucor) is acting to increase competitive pressures. Aggressive companies like Nucor may be able to acquire efficient plants at bargain basement prices and enhance their long-term competitive market position. The industry outlook and competitive structure is much brighter for a low-cost producer like Nucor, which, is in a good financial position. In other words, tough industry conditions do not hit all competitors equally hard. As one of the industry’s low-cost producers, Nucor is in good position to gain sales and market share at the expense of the high-cost producers and those exiting the marketplace. Thus an industry’s market environment may be unattractive to some rivals doesn’t necessarily mean it is unattractive to all rivals because tough conditions for some may mean attractive opportunities for others. 3. How attractive are the prospects for future profitability of U.S. steelmakers? Should Nucor consider expanding in this type of industry environment? Why or why not? All the U.S. steelmakers have different prospects for future profitability. High-cost steelmakers in the U.S. are in a risky position, earning profits because of short supplies and historically high market prices, but facing a weaker future when demand weakens and the market prices for steel products slip. A low-cost producer like Nucor is easy to gain sales and market share at the expense of high-cost producers, although it must certainly fight off low-cost foreign suppliers opting to sell in the U.S. to achieve this result. Hence, we think Nucor should certainly consider expanding its capacity via both additional acquisitions and the construction of new plant capacity. And Nucor should probably be somewhat aggressive in doing so, since it has proven expertise in operating plants efficiently and profitably. However, many domestic steel producers  need to understand expanding in the present environment unless they have the knowledge and ability to do so. There is a tendency for domestic steel producers to acquire and expand existing steel mills rather than to construct new ones. In doing this, they can avoid price-cutting and overcapacity during excess supply of steel products. 4. What type of strategy has Nucor followed? Which of the five generic strategies discussed in Chapter 5 is Nucor employing? Is there any reason to believe that Nucor has achieved a sustainable competitive advantage over many of its steel industry rivals? If so, what type of competitive advantage does Nucor enjoy? Low cost provider: continued plant upgrades, cost reduction, and greater control over raw material costs. Very clearly, Nucor is pursuing a low-cost leadership strategy. Such a competitive approach often is the best strategy in a commodity product industry. Nucor has been successful in achieving relatively low production costs. Nucor builds plants inexpensively and operates them efficiently. Nucor’s record of profitability during hard times in the domestic steel industry is clear evidence that it is a low cost provider as compared to other domestic steel producers in the U.S. Nucor has to go far away from domestic competitors. No domestic competitors appear to have costs as low as Nucor. Nucor has a sustainable low-cost advantage over domestic steel producers and that it seems able to hold its own in competing against low-cost foreign steelmakers. 5. What are the specific policies and operating practices that Nucor has employed to implement and execute its chosen strategy? Some of the specific policies and operating practices that Nucor has employed to implement and execute its chosen strategy (in pursuit of low-cost leadership status) include: ï‚  The aggressive implementation of cost-saving technological improvements Nucor’s incentive compensation system for both plant employees and senior managers Nucor’s HR practices and policies such as its no-layoff policy and its empowerment of plant employees The company’s low-cost culture and operating practices. The company’s pursuit of innovative technologies to inter into new market segments ï‚  The emphasis on decentralized decision-making and a very lean corporate staff. ï‚  Employees were kept informed about company and division performance. Most all employees were quite aware of the level of profits in their plant or division. Nucor plants were linked electronically to each  other’s production schedules, and each plant strived to operate in a just-in-time inventory mode. 6. What specific factors account for why Nucor has been so successful over the past several decades? Do these factors have more to do with great strategy, great strategy execution, or great leadership? There are several factors that account for Nucor’s spectacular success over the years: 1. Nucor’s a low-cost leadership strategy. Nucor is an excellent example of a company with a winning strategy (a clear reason for the company’s success). 2. All of its operating practices, policies, and procedures are great competing strategies for Nucor, but it has also implanted and executed those strategies effectively and efficiently. 3. Nucor has had great strategic leadership, especially, in the case of Ken Iverson, Dan DiMicco, and senior executive team is a big reason for the company’s success over the long-term. Therefore, Nucor is a standout company in an industry that is highly competitive and profitable. Nucor can be an example of â€Å"great strategy + great strategy execution = great management â€Å" 7. What is your assessment of Nucor’s financial performance the past several years? How strong is the company’s financial condition? Financial Analysis Assessment of Nucor’s financial performance in the past several years and the company’s financial strength can be analyzed mainly using Nucor’s case Exhibits 1, 2, and 3. Based on the data on Exhibit 1, the following Compound Annual Growth Rates (CAGR) of Tons Sold for Outside Customers, Total Net Sales, Total Earnings Before Tax, and Total Net Earnings are analyzed: Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) = [(Ending Value / Beginning Value)^(1/n)] – 1 The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of total tons of steel sold to outside customers from 1970-2006 and 2007-2011 is 13.86% and 13.99% respectively. These figures show that there is an increasing trend in the total amount of steel sold to the outside customers. CAGR in net sales from 1970-2006 is 17.06% and the net sales from 2007-2011 is 18.06% CAGR in earnings before taxes from 1970-2006 is 21.84% and that of from 2007-2011 is 19.05% CAGR in net earnings from 1970-2006 is 22.74% and that of from 2007-2011 is about 20% The calculated result clearly indicate that Nucor has been able to grow its business very consistently over the past several years from 1970 to 2011 even though there were fluctuations in the total tons of  steel sold after 2008 as indicated in Exhibit 1 on page C-215. The data in Case Exhibit 2 indicates that Nucor is in good financial shape and that its financial performance has been particularly strong from 2002-2008. Using the financial ratio information provided along with calculations of CAGRs, we can determine the following: Nucor’s net sales grew from $4.8 billion in 2002 to $23.7 billion in 2008, a very healthy CAGR of 25.62%. The strong increase is due both to rising unit sales volume and rising selling prices per ton (we can see in columns 2 and 3 of Exhibit 1 on page C-215 and also the data in case Exhibit 3 on page C-221). Nucor’s net earnings grew from $162.1 million in 2002 to $1.83 billion in 2008; and CAGR of 41.4%. However, the big gains primarily came from 2004-2008 period. Financial Ratios Based on the above table the cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales in 2007, 2008, and 2009 is 81.14%, 82.90%, and 98.62% respectively. The rise in percentage of Nucor’s cost of goods sold during 2007-2009 is more a reflection of a depressed sales price for steel products than of costs running out of control. This implies that the rate at which the sales decreased is greater than the rate at which the cost of good sold decreased  because in Exhibit 2 both the net sales and cost of goods sold shows a decreasing trend. However, the net sales decreased by more than 50%, whereas the cost of goods sold decreased by a little less than 50%. Generally, there is from 2007 to 2011, we can conclude that there is a fluctuating trend in the cost of products sold as a percentage of net sales. Likewise, the marketing, administrative, and other expenses as a percentage of net sales has a fluctuating trend due to a fluctuating trend in both net sales and marketing, administrative, and other expenses. Generally, all things considered, Nucor is in very good financial shape. If we look at the balance sheet statement from 2000 to 2006 as a representative of the whole data, Nucor’s working capital has increased from $821.5 million in 2000 to $3.23 billion in 2006, giving it substantially more fund to conduct business operations and more financial flexibility. The company’s current ratio has climbed steadily during the 2000-2006 period as well. When we look at the cash flow statement, Nucor’s cash flows from operating activities climbed from $820.8 million in 2000 to $2.25 billion in 2006. This implies that Nucor’s cash flows have been sufficient to cover its annual capital expenditure. As far as Nucor’s long-term debt is concerned, even though Nucor’s long-term debt climbed from $460.5 million in 2000 to $922.3 million in 2006, Nucor’s long-term debt as a percentage of stockholders’ equity dropped from 21.6% to 19.1%; the company clearly has the ability to handle the higher level of debt due to acquisition. 8. What issues does Nucor management need to address? To be more financially and competitively successful in the years ahead, Nucor has to address the following issues: In Nucor’s case, we see the following issues: International expansion should be strengthened. For example, Work more on  value added products Expansion into developing countries Developing strategic aliens with other steel producing companies (Caterpillars) to better strength themselves. Union formation is a key to employee rights Recommendations Continue to pursue a low-cost leadership strategy Continue to seek out profitable opportunities to expand the company’s production capacity. Expanding into the markets of foreign countries needs to be pursued very carefully and cautiously because of its exclusive access to lower- cost steel-making technologies