Bus 303 Practice Midterm Essay

Characters: Cathy and Dave, a well-to-do professional couple Al, a real estate salesman Cathy and Dave are young, upwardly mobile. They hold good professional jobs in downtown Chicago. One day Cathy received an invitation in-the mail, from a resort called Green Acres (GA), which was located near the mountains, about eight hour driving time from Chicago. The mailer invited the young couple to spend two nights free of cost and receive $50 for expenses. All they had to do in return was to listen to a presentation, see a video, and take a tour of the resort for about two hours. Additional conditions included 24 hour advance booking of the room with 24 hour notice for cancellations, and a valid credit card. Green Acres would charge $50 for a no show. Although the letter made no mention of it, Cathy and Dave knew the invitation was a real estate promotion and guessed that the two hours with the GA staff meant a hard sell for a condo or a timeshare near a lake or a golf course, something they did not want. They decided to take the offer anyway in order to get a free vacation and arranged to visit GA the following weekend. Cathy and Dave had a good time at GA. The only sour point of the trip was the last exchange they had with Al the salesman. At the end of the two hour presentation when Cathy and Dave had refused to buy any GA properties, Al looked at Dave in frustration and said, â€Å"If you knew you weren’t going to buy any property here, why did you come? Our company spent $300 to get you down here, and you have taken food off my family’s table. What you did is immoral. Please don’t do it again.† At this Dave retorted, â€Å"Your letter was clear, there was nothing in it that said a purchase of real estate was involved, and we had no obligation to buy anything from you. Your invitation was unconditional, I don’t owe you or your family anything and I resent what you just said.† At the end of this uncomfortable exchange, Cathy and Dave left the room with an unpleasant feeling. But the unpleasant feelings did not last long because the drive back through the m ountains was truly spectacular. After a few days Cathy said to Dave, â€Å"You know, I’m still mad about what Al said to us at Green Acres. Should we write to his boss, or to the real estate board or to some government agency? You know, if we don’t do something, some poor unsuspecting people might fall for their gimmicks!† Dave replied, â€Å"No, I don’t think we should waste any time on this. Most people know, or should know what they are getting into-there are no free lunches! Besides if we complain, Al may lose his job and when we’ll be really taking the food from his family’s table!† What Are the Relevant Facts? 1. Cathy and Dave are educated and well paid. 2. They received an unsolicited invitation from Green Acres (GA). 3. The invitation had nothing in it that said they had to buy anything from GA. 4. They correctly guessed that the GA sales staff would put pressure on them to buy real estate. 5. GA was eight hours driving time from Chicago. 6. Al made a sales presentation. 7. Cathy and Dave listened to the presentation. 8. Al said Cathy and Dave had acted immorally and had deprived him of a chance of earning a sales commission. 9. Dave said that they had fulfilled their obligation, as outlined in the invitation, and had not acted incorrectly. What Are the Ethical Issues? 1. What is the role of inducements in marketing? 2. What is the responsibility of individuals who accept inducements? Do they have any moral obligations to purchase goods if they accept free gifts from merchants? 3. Is giving attractive gifts to potential buyers an ethical practice? Does the size of the gift or the inducement matter? 4. Cathy and Dave were sophisticated, educated city folk and did not feel pressured to buy from GA. Do less educated or less sophisticated consumers feel pressured to buy merchandise under enticements of gifts? Would such business practice be considered ethical? 5. Should Cathy and Dave complain so that other vulnerable people may not be pressured into buying expensive property they do not want? Who Are the Primary Stakeholders? †¢ Cathy and Dave †¢ Al †¢ GA †¢ GA’s stockholders †¢ Other potential consumers, especially the vulnerable ones What Are the Possible Alternatives? 1. Cathy and Dave can forget the incident and do nothing. 2. They can file a complaint with GA. 3. They can file a complaint with the appropriate authorities. 4. They can write to Al. What Are the Ethics of the Alternatives? 1. What is the best course of action for Cathy and Dave from the moral standpoint? What is the best course of action that Cathy and Dave take that will provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number? 2. Do Cathy and Dave and other potential customers have rights not to be pressured or induced into actions they may not wish to take? Do GA and Al have rights to pursue their business and personal interests? Were any rights violated? 3. What is the just thing to do in this case? Which alternative distributes the burdens and responsibilities fairly? If Cathy and Dave act and if GA improves its practices everyone except Al may benefit. Not complaining may mean Al will continue his tactics and undermine GA’s goals assuming that word would get around and additional customers will be offended. What Are the Practical Constraints? None. What Actions Should Be Taken? 1. What should Cathy and Dave do? 2. Which alternative would you choose? 3. Which approach (utilitarian, rights, or justice) makes the most sense to you in this situation? Clearly, no action could mean unsuspecting people may be lured into buying expensive real estate with potentially severe consequences. Complaints could lead to improved practice and better performance but could lead to the loss of Al’s job. 4. What is the right thing to do?

Macroeconomics and its study with relevance to china

SummaryIn accordance to the formulation of latest economic data juxtaposed with macroeconomic principals and theories it can be stated that at the start of 2006, the People's Republic of China officially proclaimed itself as the fourth largest economy, determined by USD-exchange rate leaving behind France and the United Kingdom. The People's Republic of China has an economy, which is graded as the fourth largest economy in the world, when measured by nominal GDP. According to the records of 2005, about 70% of China's GDP is in the private sector.IntroductionAccording to The Star Business, it is estimated by the financial specialists of Pricewaterhouse Coopers that, â€Å"China could overtake the United States by 2025 to be the world’s largest economy and is anticipated to grow to about 130% the size of the United States by 2050†.[1] (The Star, 2008) it can well be stated that the basis of this statement is completely dependent on the microeconomic theories related to fi nance and particularly the quantity theory of money.In general, it can be stated that Macroeconomics is a subdivision of economics that has its transactions with the behavior, structure and performance in terms of regional or national economy. Aggregated indicators price indices, unemployment rates and GDP are the prime factors of this subject along with several other variables such as international finance, international trade, investment, savings, inflation, unemployment, consumption, output and national income.The current article analyzes the trends of Chinese finance market and applies the quantity theory of money and the momentum or velocity of its circulation in Chinese market and beyond. The equation of exchange i.e. M. V=P.Y is applied in this case to yield the forecast. In accordance to the formulation it can be stated that China's National Bureau of Statistics in December 2005 recalculated its 2004 nominal GDP raised by 16.8% or Rmb2, 336.3 billion (US$281.9 billion), maki ng China the 6th largest economy in the world, leave behind Italy, with a GDP of almost $2 trillion USD. At the start of 2006, the People's Republic of China officially proclaimed itself as the fourth largest economy, determined by USD-exchange rate leaving behind France and the United Kingdom. (Edelman, 2005)DiscussionAt the beginning of 2006 China arises as the second largest economy in the world determined by domestic PPP (purchasing power) measure, at about $10 trillion USD, although such approximation must be taken with a great deal of warn as PPP estimation is very vague, more than ever in a huge country like China, Chinese acquiring capacity varies radically between Shanghai and Sichuan, and PPP is immaterial for imported products and overseas acquisitions. By the end of 2008, China foresee (determined by exchange rate) to go beyond Germany as the third largest economy, and to overtake Japan by the year 2015. (IMF, 2007) Thus, it is certain that China is fast becoming a globa l super power, at least economically as the quantity theory of money suggests and as calculated by the financial specialists of Pricewaterhouse based on this theory.The People's Republic of China has an economy, which is graded as the fourth largest economy in the world, when measured by nominal GDP. Its cost-effective productivity for 2006 was $2.68 trillion USD.   Its per capita GDP is rising rapidly. According to the records of 2005, about 70% of China's GDP is in the private sector. The less significant public sector is occupied by about two hundred large state enterprises concerted mainly in utilities, energy resources, and heavy industries.Since 1978 the People's Republic of China (PRC) government has been restructuring its economy from a Soviet-style centrally planned economy, where the state or government have the sole power over the issue of production and takes all decisions about their utilization and about the dissemination of income, to a new market-oriented economy, in which the manufacture and dissemination of goods and services is done through the system of free markets directed by a gratis price system.Within the political skeleton, given by the Communist Party of China this economic system has been termed as Socialism with Chinese characteristics and is a category of mixed economy. Since 1978 after the implementation of these reforms, millions of people have been elevated out of poverty, bringing down the poverty rate from 53% of populace in 1981 to 8% by 2001. (Kar, 2006)Thus it is clearly seen that the velocity of money is fast gaining momentum and when the equation of M. V=P.Y is applied it is clear that growth is tangible and constant.The record of China’s progress over the past two decades has demonstrated naysayer wrong and optimists not positive enough. Upon close assessment, China’s record loses some of its sheen. China’s economic presentation since 1979, for example, is in fact less imposing than that of its Ea st Asian competitors. Regardless of China's distinguished economic progress, its per capita and total GDP growth has been over taken by some nations.From 1999 to 2006, Russia's minimal per capita GDP increased from $1334 to $6879 (515 percent), while that in People's Republic China increased from $870 to $2000 (229 percent). Similarly impressive are some oil producing nations of Middle Eastern, such as Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Brunei. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Angola had outpaced China in utilizing huge energy coffers in the same time.On the other hand, Equatorial Guinea, an African country recorded 79% percent real GDP augmentation in 2004. Even some countries in Asia such as Vietnam have made GDP triple between 1999 and 2006 in ostensible per capita dollar basis, astonishingly more than China. The strength of overall economy is a major determinant of political significance in the present time and China is doing quite well in this prospect. (King, 2006)In adjunct, it must be kept in mind that per capita income in absolute dollars (not percentage) GDP per capita is ascending much rapidly in most of the developed nations of the world than China, on account of China's very low foundation of   income. The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party a short time ago permitted the draft for the 11th 5-year plan for 2006 – 2010. The plan is intended to achieve a comparatively conventional 45% increase in GDP and 20% decline in energy intensity by 2010.Intriguingly enough, due to its vast population, China's per capita share of world GDP can by no means accomplish the levels of the USA or Japan or some European countries in the 1990's by economic progress alone. Avowed in another way, an average Chinese can never posses the same comparative economic power that possessed by average Americans, Western Europeans, and some Japanese in 1990's. This is demonstrated as Japan had 20% of world GDP in April 1995, with not more than 2% of its population. (Lamb, 2004)ConclusionAs China contains approximately 20% of the world's population, it would require 200% of world GDP to compete with Japan's level by this evaluation in April 1995, which is next to impossible. China’s share of total population of the world would have to reduce in size to well below 10% for this to happen. (Fletcher, 2005) Thus, it is quite clear that microeconomic theories like the quantity theory of money is very relevant in the modern context of financial analysis and forecast and the formulation of the national and economic variables are always dependable. Thus, it is obvious that economic commentaries or economic reports, like the one by The Star, can always be used for the fundamental understanding of macroeconomics and its principals.References:Edelman, S; (2005); Evaluation Techniques in International Business Management; Bloemfontein: ABP LtdFletcher, R; (2005); Principals: Beliefs and Knowledge; Believing and Knowin g; Dunedin: Howard & PriceIMF; 2007; Reports: 2006-2007; Paris: ADM PressKar, P; (2006); History of Industrial Economics and Related Applications; Kolkata: Dasgupta & ChatterjeeKing, H; (2006); Economic Principals Today; Auckland: HBT & Brooks LtdLamb, D; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; Wellington: National Book Trust[1] The Star; (March 2008); China to be world’s largest economy in 2025; KUALA LUMPUR: thestaronline

UK extradition law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

UK extradition law - Coursework Example Stevenson, (2006, p. 23  ) reveals ‘such nonexistence of international responsibility and the ambition of the right to require such criminals of other nations have caused a network of extradition agreements or treaties to develop’ and further points out that â€Å"the majority nations in the world have signed mutual extradition accords with numerous other nations†. 1 No nation in the world has an extradition treaty with all other nations and for instance, the United States of America has no extradition treaties with several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, People’s Republic of China, North Korea, Namibia, and Bahrain. According to Bassiouni (1996, p. 87) extradition is the delivery of a convicted individual. Or an accused by one country to another nation on whose territory he/she is alleged to have been convicted or committed of a crime. 2.0 Restrictions By concluding treaties or enacting laws or agreements, nations settle on the conditions under which they may perhaps deny or entertain extradition requests. Universal restrictions to extradition comprise of: According to Christopher (2001, p. 345) ‘the failure to execute double criminality is normally the act for which extradition is sought after’’ But â€Å"it must comprise of a crime which is punishable by some minimum penalty in equally the requested and requesting and parties†. 2 He points out to the political atmosphere of the alleged crime where the majority of the nations decline to extradite suspects of political crimes, there is the possibility of particular forms of punishment where various nations refuse extradition on grounds that the individual, if extradited, may possibly face torture or get capital punishment. A small number of these nations go as far as to cover all the punishments that they themselves may not direct. Christine (1998, p. 78) writes that the jurisdiction over a crime may be used to refuse any extradition and in particular, the reality that the individual in question is a country’s own citizen, makes that nation to have jurisdiction but he states that the citizenship of the individual in question where particular countries refuse to extradite their own citizens, and instead decide to hold trials for the individuals themselves. In some cases, such as that of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the suspect can not face any criminal charges brought against them. 3 Nathaniel (2007, p. 37) avers that most nations involve themselves to deny the extradition requirements if, in the government's opinion, the suspect is wanted for a political crime. He however avers that â€Å"many nations and regions, such as Mexico, Macao, Canada, Australia and most European nations, ‘may not consent to extradition if the death penalty might be imposed on the suspect unless they are guaranteed that the death sentence will not be carried out or passed†. 4 Rikhof (2009, pg. 324) gives an example, in ‘the case of one Soering v. United States, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that it could violate Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights if it were to extradite an individual to the U. S. from the U.K. in a capital case’. He however discloses that court ruled out that this â€Å"was because of the harsh circumstances on death row and the doubtful timescale in which the sentence could be executed and the parties to the European Conv

Management communication 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management communication 2 - Assignment Example I was taken by shock and disappointment. I could not think of saying or doing anything. I just left. The person did not use the strategies mentioned in Chapter 15, which was why, the news was conveyed in such a bad manner. Ideally, the secretary should have told us to leave after interview so that the results would be emailed to us, rather than keep us waiting after the interview only to reject us with a sarcastic smile, which was just pointless! Ideally, I should have received a letter via email that would regret over the refusal of my proposal, and tell me that the alternate way is to apply three months later. Formatting of letter is also important. â€Å"The bad news should be placed in the middle of the letter, after the buffer† (benchmarkinstitute.org, n.d.). Sentences like â€Å"Im so sorry that happened† (Herndon, 2005) convey empathy to the reader. The letter should also have indicated the factor which made me lose points so that I would work upon that to improve it. â€Å"A good reason prepares the audience to expect the refusal† (p.

Edit the answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Edit the answers - Essay Example In general, the code of ethics covers moral behaviour such as: taking responsibilities one’s actions, honesty in working with others and accepting others honestly, rejecting bribery in any form, shunning discrimination, and assisting colleague to develop and not hurting co-workers. The strength of the ethical code is that it is written and easy to understand. Also it helps build trust and encourages helping others. In the end the code of ethics has a cyclic effect as it encourages members of the electrical and electronics profession to help one other. If there exist weaknesses in the code of ethics, members of the body are encouraged to recommend changes as highlighted in the golden rule. The code encourages leaders to enhance trust among co-workers, which may be challenging. For example, one of the articles encourages people to assist each other to develop themselves. While this is the case, there are people who feel that this may disadvantage them as their peers may be compe titors. In conclusion, having a standard code of ethics for each field and career is important in real life because it will help people to act morally for greater good. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has a standard code of ethics that should be internationally applied. The stipulations of the ethical code of the IEEE focus on providing a clear path for members of the profession, guiding them to have be effective in their practice of the electrical and electronics engineering professions. As a person, I totally agree with those ethical codes because they aim for the great good of all members of the profession. Also, the codes are written in such a way that it benefits all members of the profession in line with the golden rule so that everyone benefits in the long run. So far, I feel there is nothing to add considering my limited experience. I would day the ethics code is written extensively to cover the working environment of engineers. If

The Visitation of the Gods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Visitation of the Gods - Assignment Example The writer does succeed in creating a sense of apathy by exploiting expected events. The plot is unconventional and the events effortlessly flow into each other to give way to a sense of unity.  Miss Noel, a young and idealistic teacher is the main protagonist, which acts as a suitable foil to the somewhat less upright and opportunistic Principal and the supervisors. The characters in the story are somewhat flat, especially the visiting officials. The writer on purpose has kept the antagonists flat to enhance the sense of apathy and hopelessness permeating the story. This provides a suitable and grave background against which is depicted the internal conflict in the protagonists’ consciousness that is Miss Noel. The grossness of the characters indicated by the expressions like â€Å"the supervisors, with murmured apologies, belched approvingly† do contributes to the filthy ethical environment in the play. In the story ‘The Visitation of the Gods’, Gilda C ordero-Fernando intricately uses the setting as a background against which unfolds the contrived yet disgusting drama of school inspection. At the very start of the story, the austere setting of the school is elaborately highlighted to depict the ordinariness and unquestioning helplessness of the school staff. However, as the drama of visitation starts unfolding itself, the setting starts altering with the improvised stuff like bougainvillea pots, mattresses , nd cushions, china, crockery, napkins, etc to highlight the conceitedness of the visiting officials. The hastily improvised stuff creates the sense of a satin patch on the otherwise drab and ordinary life of the school teachers. The writer aptly elaborates on the settings accompanying every event in the story to build on the readers’ sense of waste and apathy. In the story, Gilda uses the third person omniscient point of view.

A movement in American history Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A movement in American history - Term Paper Example Therefore, drawing on a variety of sources the paper will discuss the Anti-Vietnam War movement of the l960s. On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy became the 35th head of state of the United States of America. During that time, there were continuous revolutionary attempts to topple the American backed South Vietnamese government by the communist National Liberation Front (NLF). By December 31, 1960, there were already more 900 military personnel in Vietnam (Bowman 20). President Kennedy’s administration provided more help to South Vietnam, including American military advisers and soldiers. During that same year, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was formed and it became a crucial force during the Anti-Vietnam War campaign in the 1960s. By 1962, the combat troops had doubled. American involvement increased further when the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave President Kennedy more power to increase military presence in Vietnam. In 1965, regular combat soldiers were deployed. Proponents of the Vietnam War argued that by turning the Vietnamese nation into a communist state it would imply that the anti-communists would be losing the Cold War. In other words, the involvement of America in the war was a way of preventing the communist takeover of South Vietnam. While South Vietnam was supported by the U.S and other anti-communist allies, North Vietnam was supported by China and the Soviet Union, as well as other communist allies. The NFL, a communist front in the South, fought in favor of the North Vietnam. Supporters of the war asserted that communism was a threat to free governments and America was protecting its national interests (Bowman 34-37). The protests against the Vietnamese War were very few at the beginning. However, as the Vietnamese War continued to gain intensity; public disenchantment also escalated. The Americans were growing tired of the increasing war casualties together with

Dooms Day Scenarios (the validity of these predictions will ever Essay

Dooms Day Scenarios (the validity of these predictions will ever happen) - Essay Example It certainly looks like we are in for another lost in translation event come December 21, 2012. The year when the Mayan calendar comes to an end of its cycle. Note, it is the end of the calendar year cycle for the Mayans. It is not the end of the world prediction of the Mayans like most naysayers wish us to believe. We have to remember that this same media hype existed a mere 3 years ago. Way back in 2009, Hollywood was making big money at the box office using the various end of days scenario to sell their product. From an asteroid hitting the earth, all the way to the melting of the polar icecaps, these film events somehow managed to take on a life of their own and become the doomsday prediction for the year. the people lapped it up because if Hollywood was telling the story, then there must a semblance of truth to it right? Obviously, it is not necessary to answer that rhetorical question. Instead, the focus of all attention should be on the latest doomsday scenario slated to happe n on December 21, 2012. For this is the year that some wanna be scholars and doomsday predictors insist the world will end because the Mayans provided definite proof of it through their calendar which ends its cycle this year. However, these people have failed to mention that the Mayans actually created at least 3 other different calendars, each with a specific task. This race of people developed a calendar for every need so to speak ranging from earthly, lunar, solar, and galactic in use (â€Å"The Mayan Calendar: What is it and What Does it Really Tell Us?†). Now why would a race of people require more than one calendar? After all, modern man goes by and does really well with only one calendar that ends every year to begin a new cycle anew. The Mayans were highly advanced scientific and mathematical thinkers during their time. As such, they wanted to make sure that all of their predictions when it came to crop harvesting, the lives of their tribal leaders, etc. all had a fa ctual basis to lean on. That is exactly what these Mayan calendars were meant to be used as, calibrators in order to help them synchronize their calendars, not for use as predictors. The doomsayers say that the evidence to point towards the accuracy of the prediction already exists. What with the tsunami that hit Japan and its accompanying earthquake and nuclear disaster, there can be no clearer signs than that. Let's not also forget the fact that the ice caps are constantly melting and the earth is continuously evolving on its axis, a move that causes various shifts and changes to the way the earth functions on its own. While most of see these events as part of the evolution of a living planet, there are those who would rather prepare themselves for the end of the world as they know it. As some wise journalists explain (Radford, Benjamin â€Å"The Truth About the 2012 Doomsday Hype†): Whether or not 2012 will bring cataclysmic volcanism or a great flood, it has undeniably br ought a flood of books. New Age and doomsday authors have been cranking out 2012-themed books at an amazing pace over the past few years; there are literally thousands of such titles in print, with more on the way. Doomsday predictions are a huge money making scheme for usncrupolous characters in modern times. By hyping up the misreading of the

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay This shows just how angry she is about being dumped. In Havisham Carol Ann Duffy makes miss Havisham seem less than human in many ways, first of all she degrades her by not giving her a proper title, just Havisham not Miss Havisham just Havisham this makes her seem in an under class, then she says that she spent whole days cawing nooooo this makes her seem like a crow as a crow caws, also the crow is an ugly bird so this makes miss Havisham seem even worse. In both Great Expectations and Havisham miss Havisham is shown as an evil old woman, however her appearance is described more shockingly in Great Expectations as miss Havisham is described through the eyes of a small child, Pip. In Havisham she is described through her own eyes, also her description in Great Expectations was of her appearance, her white hair, the yellowing dress e. t. c and in Havisham it is more so her feelings and not so much to do with her appearance. Great Expectations was wrote in a time when gothic novels were very popular, for example Bram Stockers Dracula or Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, also The Castle of Otranto by Mrs Radcliffe, as a result of this Mrs Havisham is portrayed in a very gothic way, as when Pip first sees her he compares her to a waxwork, see was very similar to a waxwork I remember having once seen that quite scared me also because Great Expectations was written a lot earlier than Havisham so Charles Dickens will have been a lot more restricted with the language he could use. You can see this as in Havisham Carol Ann Duffy describes miss Havisham making love to her fianci then biting off his manhood, Charles Dickens would never had dreamed of putting that in his novel so it shows that the two pieces of writing are different not just because of the authors styles or format but also because of the social and historical context. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.

Organic vs. Conventional Foods Essay Example for Free

Organic vs. Conventional Foods Essay For years, there has been a debate on how food is grown. Should it be organic or conventionally grown? To answer this question, the difference between the two needs to be known. Organic produce is grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Organic livestock is free ranged, most of the time, with no added antibiotics or growth hormones. Conventionally grown produce is usually processed after being harvested. They are also sprayed with chemical pesticides and enriched with polluting fertilizers. Research Stanford University has held over 250 investigations that compared the nutritional value of organic and traditional crops. These studies show that organic foods tend to contain slightly more phosphorous, a higher level of omega ­3 fatty acids, and a 30% lower rate of chemical residue. However, traditional chicken and pork is one ­third more likely to contain antibiotic bacteria than organic meats. Bacterias that cause food poisoning are equally present in both traditional and organic. They have little difference in nutritional value. Organic When people see â€Å"organic,† they immediately think â€Å"pesticide ­free.† Organic products can still be labeled as organic, even if they contain commercial pesticides. The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that almost 20% of organic lettuce showed up as positive for containing a  pesticide   called spinosad. Spinosad comes from a naturally occurring bacterium in soil. Although it is considered slightly toxic to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), it can be used while farming and still be labeled as organic. Spinosad, under the name Entrust, is especially harmful to the nervous system of insects, and small marine life, like mollusks. Spinosad, as well as compounds made of natural elements like sulfur and copper, have made it onto a list of pesticides open for use on organic crops, which you can find on the USDA website. Organic farming became popular in the 1970s when the first pesticides and fertilizers were introduced. The effects of the chemicals they contained were soon noticed. The chemicals paralyzed the nervous system of many people. People became concerned with what they were consuming. Organic produce may have a longer storage time and lower input costs, but there is more bad that comes out of it than there is good. Organic crops have a longer growing time. Organic farming also requires more skill than needed for traditional farming and has higher risks of soil erosion. Despite the disadvantages, organic farming is more popular than ever. Organic products tend to have a more natural taste, and is believed to decrease the risk of the avian flu. Conventional Since organic farming is becoming so popular, traditional farming is beginning to be frowned upon. It is believed to be highly dangerous and an environmental risk. However, that is not the case. Conventional farmers are starting to focus on soil fertility techniques, such as crop rotation and composting. Although some farmers still use chemical based fertilizers, herbicides, and  pesticides, others have switched to fertilizers, herbicides, and   pesticides with little to no chemicals. Conventional farms can produce more crops per acre, replenish soil, decrease risk and topsoil erosion. Conventional farming is also cheaper and require less skill. The amount problems with conventional farming have risen over the years. These problems are becoming more serious. Droughts are a big problem when it comes to traditional farming. Crops rely on rainfall to live and grow properly. If a drought occurs, it is very likely for starvation in a community to happen. Also, crops must be sprayed with the right amount of pesticide or herbicide. If not given the right amount, crops, runoff, and local water sources can be contaminated. Suicide within the conventional farming community is also a very common thing. Since 2009, over 200,000 Indian farmers have committed suicide due to debts they could not pay off. The decreased sea levels and organic competition is the cause of their lowering profit. Price Differences The prices of organic products tend to be around three to four dollars more than regular produce and meat. Say you were at the grocery store. Your grocery list contained bread, a dozen eggs, and a half gallon of milk. If you were to buy these things as conventional products, it would cost around $7. However, organic versions of these products would cost about $11.50. Organic products, such as milk, eggs, or chicken, can cost up to five dollars more than conventional products. Which Should I Buy? Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases two official lists of the crops with the most and least amounts of chemical residues. These lists are called the â€Å"Clean 15† and the â€Å"Dirty Dozen.† As of 2015, the crops that made the Clean 15

Construction Issues and Reflective Assignment

Construction Issues and Reflective Assignment Introduction This report evaluates and analyses 4 issues which arose from a construction project and solutions have been recommended. A reflective essay is included to provide an amicable solution to the issue. Background Information Smart Developments are a commercial development company based in Leeds with goals to provide new sustainable buildings in Leeds. The first development is a  £10,000,000.00 project to build new accommodation, retail, sports and leisure facilities. Modern Contractors are a respected and hard-working medium sized contracting organisation operating in Leeds and throughout the region. Modern Contractors had signed an 18month contract with Smart Developments to complete the building works, based on JCT Standard Building Contract with Quantities 2011. The following issues have arisen: 1. On the date that Modern Contractors were due to start the project the main entrance to the site (as stated in the Bills of Quantities) is blocked by materials left by the Client. These materials are not removed from site for 1 week. 2. During the removal of the cellar a gas main was found and British Gas was called to relocate the main which took 16 working days. Some works could continue but the repositioning of the gas main caused a delay to the progress of the main groundworks. 3. Then, during the excavation of the substructure works ancient roman coins are found. This leads to a further delay of 1 month to allow for archaeological investigation work. 4. Monthly payments are agreed in the contract particulars and these should be in Modern Contractors account by the 15th of each month. In August and six months into the contract period payment was not paid until 5th September. When Modern Contractors complained to the employer they said â€Å"that’s the trouble with banks these days – you just can’t rely on them† and Modern Contractors â€Å"should know better than to complain about the situation as this is standard industry practice†. As Modern Contractors have some issues with cash flow they are proposing an additional clause in their contracts with their sub-contractors that will provide for them to pay the sub-contractors only when they have been paid. Issue 1 On the date that Modern Contractors were due to start the project the main entrance to the site (as stated in the Bills of Quantities) is blocked by materials left by the Client. These materials are not removed from site for 1 week. Before going deep into the roots of the contract, it is important to note that all site works are under responsibility of Smart Developments. What does the contract say? In the case ofFreeman v Hensler (1900)where it was held that it is an employer’s duty (of co-operation) to give the contractor possession of the site within reasonable time to enable him to carry out and complete the work on the completion date. According to JCT 11 SBC/Q, the employer has to co-operate fully with the contractor so that the site is handed over within reasonable time, and the contractor will be able to perform the works as per schedule. If the employer fails to do so, it is possible for the employer to defer giving possession of the site for a period not exceeding six weeks calculated from the relevant Date of Possession stated in the contract. (Clause 2.5) Such clause prevent the employer from being in breach of contract and liable to damages, but the contractor will have alternative remedies which are listed in clause 2.29.3 (extensions of time) and clause 4.24 (loss and expense). The fact that materials were blocking the main entrance can be taken positively. The contractors could have notified Smart Development who would have organized for an alternative entrance or simply moved the materials somewhere else. It can be argued that one week’s time loss is not substantial and will not hinder the project or cause the project to continue beyond completion date. Assuming buffers/float were added for activities, Smart Developments can argue that the whole project duration can accommodate the loss of time (1 week) and they negotiate with the contractors to start the project after one week and still finish the project on time. Recommendation In the event that the contractors do not agree and decide to go forward with a claim of extension of time or loss and expense, it is advisable for Smart Developments to allow for reasonable extension of time. Though the process isn’t simple, the contractors need to notify the employer that they will be delayed in starting their work. The Contract Administrator need to do the follow up and find out if this event is a Relevant Event or not. This process may take another week. (Note: Deferment of Possession is a relevant event under clause 2.29.3 / 2.5) Concerning loss and expense claim, it is advisable for Smart Developments to verify the claim amount to know if there has been any mobilisation cost or machinery transferred to site or any valid claim, before proceeding to any payments. Issue 2: During the removal of the cellar a gas main was found and British Gas was called to relocate the main which took 16 working days. Some works could continue but the repositioning of the gas main caused a delay to the progress of the main ground works. What does the contract say? There is a mechanism in the contracts to deal with delays. Usually foreseen or unforeseen events which appear during progress of work have to be dealt with by a protocol. JCT 11 dictates that the Contractor has to inform the Contract Administrator or the Architect in writing when cases arise where they deem to have been delayed significantly. And to stipulate the number of days they think the delay will cause them prejudice/prevent the contractors to continue their job. It can be noted that an extension of time granted for a cause of delay which may seem to have financial implications does not necessarily mean that there will be additional payments. The design team of Smart Developments should have carried out proper site surveys prior any designing and notify the Contract Administrator of possible works concerning gas pipes. It is inevitable for British Gas to be present and complete the repositioning of gas’ main. JCT 11 SBC/Q defines that statutory undertaker such as British Gas (being responsible for gas supply and regulated by law) should carry out their work diligently. Recommendation At this point, it is advisable for Smart Developments to fix the completion date and allow for extension of time for the contractors to complete the work in progress, based on clause 2.27, 2.28 and 2.29 To prevent any further problems concerning loss expenses, Smart Developments can review the rate at which Liquidated Damages are governed and reduce at its free will. Under clause 2.30, once a certificate has been issued, deductions can start after the first payment but Smart Development can bargain with the Contractors for a review of the rate and withhold deductions until practical completion has been reached. If both parties agree, only extension of time will be granted because of the delay caused by British Gas. Issue 3: Then, during the excavation of the substructure works ancient roman coins are found. This leads to a further delay of 1 month to allow for archaeological investigation work. What does the contract say? According to JCT 11 SBC/Q, the clause 2.29.4 acknowledge that compliance with clause 3.22.1 (Antiquities) or Architect’s/Contract Administrator instruction under clause 3.22.2 is a valid Relevant Event. Recommendation Valid Relevant Events are entitled to Extension of Time; Therefore Smart Developments should fix the completion time and allow an extension of time. The contractor can claim for Loss Expenses since excavation was being carried out and it had to stop to allow for investigation. Since 1 month of delay is fairly considerable lapse of time, Smart Developments should allow the contractor to claim for its Loss Expenses, Smart Developments can only compute a reasonable amount of loss incurred. The other side of the coin is that if there is part performance only, then Smart Developments can only pay for the work that has been carried out. Since the contract has not been fully honored, both parties can wait and accept the delay in project. And resume work after the coins’ investigation has been completed. Smart Developments will forfeit the right to claim for Liquidated Damages if the contract completion date is fixed again. Issue 4: Monthly payments are agreed in the contract particulars and these should be in Modern Contractors account by the 15th of each month. In August and six months into the contract period payment was not paid until 5th September. When Modern Contractors complained to the employer they said â€Å"that’s the trouble with banks these days – you just can’t rely on them† and Modern Contractors â€Å"should know better than to complain about the situation as this is standard industry practice†. As Modern Contractors have some issues with cash flow they are proposing an additional clause in their contracts with their sub-contractors that will provide for them to pay the sub-contractors only when they have been paid. What does the contract say? The dates provided in the contract particulars are to be used to distinguish if there has been a breach of contract for delayed payment or not. According to JCT 11 SBC/Q clause 4.12.1 the final date of an interim payment is 14 days from the due date. Therefore money due in August should have been lodged in the contractors account by latest 29th of August. Since payment was received on 5th of September this amounts to a breach of the contract. The contractor has the right to suspend any work as a result of the breach of contract or to terminate his employment under clause 4.16.7 / 4.14.1 Recommendation It is advisable for Smart Developments to pay the contractor simple interest on the amount due from 29th August till 5th of September as per clause 4.12.6 and to make sure that all payments are done within the time frame. The fact that Modern Contractors are altering their contract with the sub-contractors doesn’t not affect Smart Developments because of privity of contract, though Modern Contractors have to notify the employer of the sub-contractors they will be employing as per CDM Regulations stated in clause 3.23.3 Reflective Essay Modern Contractors could have moved the materials on site themselves or notify Smart Developments of the problem that the main entrance is blocked by materials, and expect the Employer to clear the entrance. Concerning the 1st issue: Though the delay is only one week, the employer cannot use any available float to absorb this type of delay. Modern Contractors should apply for extension of time for this delay and make sure that extra time is allowed for the float as well. Concerning the 2nd issue, British Gas has to complete their work as per law, Modern contractors being hindered in doing their job can claim for extension of time. Though Modern Contractors have been trying to complete other works in sections, this delay can be reflected in the overall project hand-over time. Therefore Modern Contractors have to apply for extension of time and moreover claim for Loss Expense as it is accrued for 16 days of not performing actual work towards achievement of project. Concerning the 3rd issue, since the event could not be foreseen by any parties, Modern Contractors are entitled to extension of time and have the right to claim for Loss Expense. The cost would include plant provided on site for excavation, labour, lorries waiting for excavation etc. Concerning the 4th issue: Modern Contractors have the right to suspend any performance until payment has been effected. It is possible to terminate the contract as well because of the breach caused by Smart Developments in delaying payment. By adding extra clauses to the contract, Modern Contractors cannot forego their duties to pay their Sub-Contractors. The payment has to be processed by Modern Contractors no matter what is the outcome with Smart Developments. An amicable solution for problems is direct negotiations between Modern Contractors and Smart Developments. For Issue 1: Either parties could have cleared the materials and go forward with the project. As 1 week is not considerable time and both parties can absorb this delay within float For Issue 2: The design team should have known that there are live gas lines within the cellar, therefore British Gas would have been called during the first week to relocate the pipes. Modern Contractors would have been given possession of site 2 weeks after British Gas had fix the lines. For Issue 3: The best option would be to pay Modern Contractors a minimum rate for the delay caused. That rate would cover for plant hire and labour for example, there would not be any profit for Modern Contractors. Or allow Modern Contractors to carry alternative works on other site until Smart Developments are ready to accommodate them again. For Issue 4: Smart Developments can negotiate to allow for some extra time before payment can be released to Modern Contractors and waive retention money for part of works carried out.

Denying Medical Value Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tens of thousands of patients are denied of medical cannabis that could benefit from its therapeutic use. Not only does it help ease the pain of many agonizing diseases, but it also contributes to the prevention of some illnesses. It can also replace harmful antibiotics that we use now. An abundance of arguments have been made on this issue, but I feel as though most of them are a bit far-fetched and can be retaliated with legitimate responses, which will be further explained later in this essay. So far, twelve states have legalized marijuana for medicinal uses. These states include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. The earliest to pass this law was in 1996, and with much reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Medicinal marijuana can provide multiple types of pain relief. First, it was proved to relieve asthma attacks and improve breathing. Also, its active ingredient, THC, reduces vomiting and nausea caused by chemotherapy. It relieves the muscle pain and spasticity that comes from multiple sclerosis, and may also help some of these unfortunate patients with bladder control and relieve tremor. The leading cause of blindness in the United States is caused by glaucoma, which is when the pressure inside one’s eyeball has increased. Marijuana, when smoked, reduces this pressure, making it a significant amount better to deal with. Medicinal cannabis also strongly improv...

Nucor Case Analysis :: Finance Business Essays

Nucor Case Analysis Case summary: Nucor is the world’s largest recycler, recycling over 10 million tons of scrap steel annually. Nucor descended from auto manufacturer Ransom E. Olds, who founded Oldsmobile. The company evolved into the Nuclear Corporation of America, which was involved in the nuclear instrument and electronics business in the 50’s and early 60’s. Over the next five years, Valley Sheet Metal, Vulcraft Corporation and U.S. Semi-conductor Products joined the Nuclear Corporation. After suffering several money-losing years, in 1964 F. Kenneth Iverson was installed as president. Management then decided to integrate backwards into steel making, and in 1972 they adopted the name Nucor. Since then Nucor has established itself as a leader in the steel industry through efficiency and innovation. It now employs more than 7,000 people worldwide and has experienced tremendous growth under its new CEO Daniel R. DiMicco. SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢ Low Cost Producer †¢ Employee/Manager ial Relations Leading Innovator †¢ Low Debt Load †¢ Overall industry leader Weaknesses Dependency on scrap metal Company Profile - Nucor Corporation is the largest steel producer in the United States and had net sales of $11.3 billion in 2004. -Nucor's origins are with auto manufacturer Ransom E. Olds, who founded Oldsmobile and then Reo Motor Cars. -The reorganization resulted in restructuring and eliminating money-losing businesses which left only the steel joist business called Vulcraft -Vulcraft operated in Florence, South Carolina and Norfolk, Nebraska -Management then decided to integrate backwards into steelmaking by building its first steel mill in Darlington, South Carolina in 1968 -In 1972 the company adopted the name Nucor Corporation -By 1985 Nucor was the seventh largest steel company Situational Analysis General External Environment ï  ¶Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sociocultural - Nonunion workers got paid more than 85% of the states they worked in -Recycled more than 10 millions tons of scrap metal annually ï  ¶Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technological -Began using a twin shell electric furnace to increase production and lower costs and increase market share -Developed and implemented strip casting overseas to eliminate a step in the steel making process ï  ¶Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Demographic -Economic slow down in early 90’s led to a decreased demand for steel -By 1995 the steel industry was the best it was for 20 years ï  ¶Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Economic -Import values decreased for all steel products from 1998 to 1999 -U.S. steel producers facing higher energy costs ï  ¶Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Global -Increasingly tough environmental rules -Cheaper imports for steel Industry Analysis – Nucor has established itself as a leader in the steel industry through efficiency and innovation. Industry Driving Forces of Change ïÆ' ¼Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increased demand on a global scale due to increase in manufacturing across the world, opposite in U.

Revelation Essay

Revelation The opening lines of the poem initiate the main themes; â€Å"Black bull† introduces one of the themes which are gender stereotyping. This suggests the bull is powerful, strong and very angry. Females are then introduced in the poem, â€Å"eggs and milk†. This suggests females are pale, delicate and easily broken. The poet highlights the theme of stereotypes by placing â€Å"black bull† above â€Å"eggs and milk†. This is to effectively state that the black bull is on top of eggs and milk which emphasises on the importance of gender stereotyping.The second theme is introduced which is innocence and experience, â€Å"They call him Bob – as though perhaps you could reduce a monster with the charm of a friendly name†. Tone her is cynical. The bull has been given a cheery, friendly name which is a irrelevant name for the harsh animal. The key words of the quote are â€Å"monster† and â€Å"friendly†. This is a very striki ng contrast between the idea of the name Bob being friendly, cheery and approachable, but in actual fact behind the cheery name lays a monster. The quote, â€Å"at the threshold of his outhouse†, is the turning point in the story.This is a symbolic quote that states you must go over a line before starting a new life. In the poem a young girl is standing in the area between safety and danger. The line is significant as the pause creates a series of tension building up to a sense of danger. The girl’s initial perceptions of the creature are conveyed in, â€Å"At first only black, and the hot reek of him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The girl’s sensory impressions of the bull are that the word â€Å"black† represents danger. The words â€Å"hot reek† represents the smell and stench of the bull.Her over all sensory impression is the smell of the bulls pungent aroma that is its natural smell and the limited sight gives her a sense of the unknown danger. The poet conti nues to reference the main theme of gender stereotyping by developing it, â€Å"We was immense†, This quote highlights masculinity and power. It shows that males are bigger, more powerful and the dominate gender. The theme of innocence and experience is also developed, and the bull and the girl are compared to each other. The girl is full of fear and innocence. She is extremely intimidated by the bulls presence.The poet powerfully, reinforces the contrasting thematic dichotomies suggested in verse one. In the first instance this is done by including details in verse two which contract with details from the first verse. The poet has reinforced the theme of innocence and experience as he shows that the bull knows he is restrained. Also reinforces the theme of gender stereotyping – girl and boy. This is done as it is dark and the girl cannot see what the bull is doing, whilst the girl is unaware of this, the bull is trying to break free from where he is chained up too.The poet condenses the contrast by highlighting them in a few lines of verse two. â€Å" I had always half known he existed† Here, the poet points out that the girl had always knew the bull was there, just she had never seen the bull and didn’t want to come to terms with the reality. Verse three is effective as it shows that the girl is fearful of her encounter with the bull. The girl is terrified by the bulls presence and runs away from the farm. She runs past a group of boys.Here the writer links the bull and the boys together by the use of harsh sound effects. It is important that this link is made as it makes a direct comparison between the bulls aggression and the boys cruelty. It highlights that they both share the same characteristics. Finally, the girls attention is redirected to the parlous state of the eggs and milk, due to the flight, â€Å"scared of the eggs shattering† While she’s too busy protecting the eggs it shows the reader that females are protective towards anything precious.In the girls eyes the eggs and milk are precious, and she wants to protect them from any harm. â€Å"in case the milk should spill† The precarious position of the milk is highlighted in the small hands of a weak girl, who has been charged with the responsibility of looking after the eggs and milk. She is protecting what is important to her. The poet seems to be suggesting that her experience shows that females are scared of males and have to protect themselves from any harm. Females protect all forms of life, they are caring and sensible creatures.

Human cloning Essay

If there was one technology that the world never accepted, then it will be the cloning of humans. Just 30 hours after the news of a cloned lamb hit the streets, movements against human cloning already started forming (Pence 1998, p. 1). 90 days after the study, a law against human cloning was already being pushed. People claimed that there is no good reason to clone humans, and yet, how can this be known when there wasn’t enough time to discuss it? When the scientific community did not even have time to prove its advantages? Most of the arguments against cloning are philosophical in nature. It is not about â€Å"scientific facts but about ethics, human nature and public policy† (Pence 1998, p. 3). If we look at human cloning in an objective point of view we will realize that there are certain merits to this technology. Certainly, there are disadvantages too, but whether the disadvantages outweigh the advantages is still a question unresolved today. Advantages of Human Cloning Human cloning becomes a good prospect when we talk about the issue of infertility and genetic illnesses. In an article published by ScienceRay (Whatani 2008), it was mentioned that only half of the population of females are capable of gestation. Estimates show that current infertility treatments are only 10% effective (Benefits of Cloning n. d) hence, there are many couples who end up getting frustrated because of their inability to have children. With human cloning, there is no need for the egg to be fertilized, and there is no need to find a mate, and only one parent is needed to create a child (Teacher’s Domain 2010). Researches show that an average person carries 8 defective genes (Benefits of Cloning n. d). In some cases, these genes are recessive and no symptoms will appear, but there are also instances when the genes are inherited by the children and they become dominant traits. Down’s syndrome and Tay Sach’s disease are just two genetic illnesses which can be inherited if reproduction is left to natural means. Though human cloning, parents can choose which genes their children will inherit, thereby allowing them to get rid of the defective genes. Another advantage of cloning is that it is now possible to create organs which can be used for transplants (The Advantages of Cloning n. d). People with liver and kidney trouble no longer need to wait for a donor to get a transplant. People suffering from leukemia can get cloned marrow. Scientists will be able to produce effective therapy for cystic fibrosis if only they are allowed to test the technology for human cloning. Lastly, cloning will allow medical professionals to understand how cells differentiate and become cancer cells, thereby allowing the creation of a cure for the disease. Disadvantages of Sexual Reproduction In several researches conducted (Science Daily 2006; Treisman 1976; Williams and Mitton 1973) it was discovered that sexual reproduction allows populations to adapt to their environment better because they are able to resist harmful mutations. Yet, sexually transmitted diseases are already so widespread that sex has become risky. Also, sexual reproduction has its costs wherein the female carry most of the burden, a situation called as the two-fold costs of sex (Science Daily 2006). In his study, Ricardo Azevedo says that in order to overcome the two-fold cost of sex, two things must be true ‘†The production rate of harmful mutations must be relatively high, such that each individual acquires on average one or more harmful germline mutations not inherited from its parents. The second is that these harmful mutations must interact in a special way, called negative epistasis, such that adding more and more harmful mutations makes you progressively worse off (Science Daily 2006)†. This means that in order for genetic illnesses and harmful mutations to become extinct, these two conditions must take place. Needless to say, there are no studies which show how prevalent negative epistasis is in nature, hence the extinction of genetic illnesses and mutations are purely by chance. With the world becoming even more chaotic because of the discovery of new incurable diseases and the rapidly degrading environment, there is a big possibility that the survival of humankind may need to rely with artificial means. With human cloning, it is now possible to create a healthier, if not a better race of individuals who are more resistant to mutations and have lesser diseases to endure (Phil for Humanity n. d).

Esssay

1. What is the major decision facing CCM? What is the timeline or sequence of events leading up to the decision? 2. What is your evaluation of the external environment, industry, and competition? 3. What is the position of CCM in the marketplace? What is your evaluation of the new product development† prototype and market testing† process used by CCM? 4. In light of the customers and their behavior, and your previous analysis, how would you position the U+ Pro skate in the marketplace? 5. What recommendations would you make to CCM regarding the execution of their launch strategy for the U+ Pro? Notes The major decision that CCM faces is one that involves the development of an effective product launch strategy which will boost the sales for the re-launch of CCM’s U+ Pro skate. This has been due to the fact that ‘a number of quality and marketing missteps had occurred since the market introduction of the U+ Pro skate two years earlier’. In addition to th is, the hockey equipment industry has been facing flat sales as of late. – Major decision †¢Skates make up the largest (34%) portion of global hockey equipment market by category, followed by sticks – Exhibit 2. †¢Key competitors are: Reebok-CCM Hockey, Bauer Hockey, Easton, and Graf. Competition in the industry †¢The industry was an expensive industry in comparison to other sport equipment industries like soccer. – Threat of substitutes high †¢The consumers of hockey equipment belong in mid-high income brackets, and spend quite a bit of money per annum for equipment. Hence, after they buy the equipment, they tend to stick to it and try to avoid repurchasing. – High power of buyers †¢Had variety of distribution channels within the industry. Among them the independent retailers had the best knowledge and tradition associated with selling hockey equipment.In addition, they are part of buying groups that spread across the country in Canada. †¢3 consumer segments: oPersonal Expression and Performance group (49%): concerned with image, product and personal performance, brand reputation and brand popularity. Want a brand that reflects style and personality. Price was not a barrier. Responds well to NHL endorsements. oSmart performers (45%): rational decision makers who consider both value and product performance when making a purchase. They want equipment to help them outperform the competition while staying within a budget. Didn’t care about NHL endorsements. oPrice Conscious Consumers (†¦

The Road to Perdition

The most appealing thing about Road to Perdition is its over-arching theme of redemption. Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks), an Irish mafia heavy, wants more than anything to keep his son from following in his criminal footsteps. Even though father and son will eventually drive to a place called Perdition to lay low, the story’s title suggests that Michael has for many years been traveling the road to hell.He understands as much, and wants his son to avoid the same highway, a road with no off ramps. Then there is John Rooney (Paul Newman in his last feature film role) who is the embodiment of Satan in the film, the pitiless head of an Irish crime family. If his actions weren’t clear enough, he includes the devil in a toast, and late in the film in a conference with Michael below a church tells his younger protege, â€Å"there are only murderers in this room,† and â€Å"there is only one guarantee, none of us will see heaven. †Early in the movie, at a wake in hi s home for Danny McGovern, a foot soldier he has had killed, Rooney ominously acts the charming father to the Sullivan boys, Michael and Peter, one his son will soon murder, and the other he will personally order a contact on. He playfully tosses dice with the boys in a kind of gangster pastoral, in reality gambling with their very lives. With a disarming charm, reminiscent of the Prince of Darkness, he establishes an early connection with the youngsters, so that later when they are older they’ll feel taken care of by the family.By the time they learn the truth about the business, they will be less horrified, and will be drawn into the web of sin just like their father. Rooney also functions as the surrogate parent to Michael Sr. (Hanks), but whereas it’s usual or a father to protect his child from sin and danger, Rooney has molded Michael into the ruthless enforcer for his evil organization. The story heads in another direction when Rooney’s son Conner (Daniel Craig) slaughter’s Michael’s wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and his youngest son Peter to hide his own corruption within the corrupt world he inhabits.But if there is any good in Rooney, it’s his refusal to give up Connor, even though the son has betrayed his father and put him in a mortally precarious position. Thus, the plot becomes increasingly parallel as the two fathers face each other and certain death to protect their offspring like so many lionesses. With the Rooney’s demonic hit man (Jude Law) on their trail, Sullivan goes to see the powerful Frank Nitti with the vain hope of obtaining mafia justice.But when Nitti tells Michael that he will not give up Conner because of the crime connections with Rooney, Michael realizes that his only recourse now is to eliminate his boss before Rooney kills his remaining son. In the great scene when Michael guns down Rooney and his intimates with a Thompson sub-machine gun that lights up the dark, it is a toss up o f whether Michael is revenging himself, giving into his darkest, most vengeful lust, or that he is redeeming himself by saving Michael Jr. the only way he can.The interweaving stories of the two fathers, combined with the closure of the main plot in which Michael Jr. abandons the mafia road to be raised on a farm and never hold a gun again, leaves the viewer with a sense of hope: amazing considering the film’s dark themes. This spirit of hope is brought home by the film’s musical score, the most appealing aspect of the movie for me. Thomas Newman—my favorite film composer—wrote the soundtrack, and the one for this film is my favorite work of his.Newman’s patented swelling strings and simple but central piano motifs drive every important scene in the film. The despair of the Midwest’s great depression era, the tension of carrying out a job accomplished with guns, the absolute peace of completing life’s final task, these along with ever y shot in the movie are underscored by beautiful music, which itself functions as an actor in the film, every bit as important as Tom Hanks or Paul Newman. My favorite example of the music’s effectiveness is the scene when Rooney nd his gang leave a pub one evening and walk out into the rain to their car, only to find that the car’s driver is dead. For me, it is the most powerful scene in any movie I have ever seen. The song that plays at this moment is called â€Å"Ghosts. † Sam Mendes, the film’s brilliant director, decided that even though what we are seeing is an action scene, he was not going to make it about action. For Mendes, it is a scene about emotion, and so we hear no sound other than Newman’s score, save for a couple of transitions where the rain can be lightly heard.The five gangsters are looking around when one of their cronies gets shot up from behind. They all turn and start firing hopelessly into the darkness, at the end of the st reet where the muzzle flash is coming from. Only Rooney remains rooted, with his hand on the car door and his back to the mysterious gunman. The camera then moves into a mid shot of Rooney looking downward, and the mostly ambient score now adds a low string that slowly increases in volume as recognition dawns on Rooney’s face. He now realizes the killer is Sullivan, and he knows he is going to die.He remains frozen as his henchmen are picked off one by one, but not one sound of gunfire is heard, no cries, no footsteps, no shouts. As the last body falls to the street, some sparse piano notes are heard traveling down the scale, which seems to echo the ease in which Sullivan drops Rooney’s bodyguards, like fingers traveling down the piano, ending a life on every key. The sound impresses on us how alone Rooney is now, standing in the rain before his final judgment. Next, we see a long shot of the dark end of the street, and after a time a figure appears out of the darkness walking towards Rooney’s back next to the car.At this moment, the sound of the rain drifts back in. Now a similar shot from a reverse angle, then an over the shoulder shot where we see Rooney beside the car, facing away from Sullivan, and over his shoulder, Sullivan moves towards him. As Rooney lifts his head and his gaze from the ground to camera level, every element in the soundtrack fades away and we understand why Thomas Newman owns this scene, for we are presented with five of the most powerful chords that a string section has ever played. They can’t be described in words so I won’t try.As the 5th chord fades, Rooney turns to face Sullivan, whose face is set in unhappy determination, which we see in an over the shoulder shot from behind Rooney. Again, there is no sound except the rain falling around them and the water dripping from their drenched fedoras. Now the camera moves in on Rooney’s face as he delivers his signature line, â€Å"I’m g lad it’s you. † Then the camera cuts to a close up of Sullivan, and we see he is shaken by Rooney’s statement; he is near on the verge of tears, but in spite of his emotions raises his Thompson to the firing position in steady resolve.After Rooney’s coda, the chords play again but end on a different, more conclusive chord, which adds closure to Sullivan’s act before it even happens. This scene was Paul Newman’s final theatrical screen appearance, and I think it does justice to him. It is uncanny how many fine actors died in life not long after they died on screen. This is the scene that proved to me that Thomas Newman was the master. In many ways, Road to Perdition is the coming together of many film masters.Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, two of the most highly acclaimed actors of the last 2 generations, Thomas Newman, a 10 time academy award nominee, and Cinematographer Conrad L. Hall, who won an Oscar for his moody and contrasted lighting. Road to Perdition was also Hall’s last film before his death, and Mendes dedicated this, perhaps his greatest film, to him. A long time ago, I gave up on the gangster film. I just didn’t like the subject matter.And although Perdition is one of the greatest examples of the genre, surpassing in my mind the celebrated Godfather films, it is arguably much more than a mob picture. It is a film whose writer and director were tantalized less by the sensationalized lives of the thieves and murderers of organized crime, and more with the idea of how one conducts and makes meaning of life under extraordinary conditions. Like Hamlet, Shakespeare’s greatest hero, Michael Sullivan is also turned into a scourge who might have cried, â€Å"Oh cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right. †

An Analysis of H.G. Wells The Invisible Man Invisible Man Essays

"The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow. He was wrapped from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose. He staggered into the Coach and Horses (an Inn in Ipling), more dead than alive"(p.11) The stranger was the invisible man. The Invisible Man was written by H.G. Wells, and published in 1964. The invisible man is a dynamic character who was changed by society. He seemed to start out as a quiet man who didn't like to be disturbed. Things that some of the people did made him angry to the point that at the end he was killing people for no apparent reason. In the beginning I wanted the people to leave the Invisible Man alone, but by the end he needed to be killed. Before he made himself invisible, he was an albino. His name was Griffen, and he was living in a rented place, where he would conduct his experiments. He kept getting pissed off at his landlord, who was constantly bothering Griffen. With the landlord always around, Griffen was always afraid that someone would figure out how he was making things transparent. He thought that becoming invisible was a utopian idea, and he didn't want someone stealing his idea. Griffen was so stuck on his invention that he didn't take the time to think the whole thing out. He comes across as a nervous character at this point in the story. The landlord made him very angry and he decided to run the experiment on himself. Once he was invisible, he destroyed his machine, and because he was so angry he burned the house down. As he walked the streets he was leaving muddy footprints. Some boys saw the footprints and the ghostly feet that made them. Immediately, the boys drew a crowd and started chasing the feet. This made him cautious, and he realized that it wasn't going to be easy to stay invisible. He needed clothes and shelter, so he went to a department store where he thought he could steal clothes after they closed. He needed to be visible to get his money and his books. His plan didn't work so well and he had to leave with nothing. He finally got some clothes by knocking out the owner of a costume shop and stealing what he needed.

A Commodity Chain Analysis of a pair of shoes Essay

A Commodity Chain Analysis of a pair of shoes - Essay Example It is worth bringing such a product into perspective in order to unearth the whole processes that lead to the final products that the whole want have now made an essential part of their lifestyle. This analysis is mainly focused on the leather shoes. It is an unparalleled fact that leather shoes is the most consumed of all the brands of shoes that exist. It is mainly used as part of the attire for clerical and office works. Many companies across the world have made leather shoes part of their attire and a mandatory requirement for any staff. However, leather shoes are not only used as attire for office work but it also forms a very core part of casual wears. It is therefore imperative to the needs of the society that a little focus is given to this special kind of shoes. A pair of leather shoes is very popular in modern society as many people now use it. The most consumers of leather shoes currently are the world’s growing economies (Roberts, 32). This includes nations in the some parts of the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Far East. In the Americas, the use of leather shoes has been part of the existing population for hundreds of years. With the production of leather shoes having been in existence for such a long time, it is worth noting that the major source of raw materials for these products have mainly been Africa and Asia. These materials are gotten through numerous import agencies who gather the materials from their resources inlets. These inlets are always set up in rural areas where animals are kept in their large numbers. The materials are then used in the manufacturing of the leather shoes that are the sold to different parts of the world through exports thus earning the respective countries involved in the trade foreign exchange. This helps in enhancing the economic growth of the respective nations. The production of leather shoes has spread into many parts

Leadership Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership Ethics - Essay Example It is a multifaceted moral relationship flanked by people, based on conviction, compulsion, commitment, emotion, and a shared hallucination of the good. Ethics, then, fabricates at the very center of leadership. This essay discovers the ethical ins and outs of leadership. Most scholars and practitioners who write about leadership genuflect at the altar of ethics and speak with hushed reverence about its importance to leadership. Somewhere in almost any book devoted to the subject, there are a few sentences, paragraphs, pages, or even a chapter on how integrity and strong ethical values are crucial to leadership. Yet, given the central role of ethics in the practice of leadership, it's remarkable that there has been little in the way of sustained and systematic treatment of the subject. The state of research on leadership ethics is similar to the state of business ethics twenty years ago. I argue that ethics is located in the heart of leadership studies and not in an appendage. The learning of ethics in general consists of the test of right, incorrect, good, wickedness, virtue, responsibility, compulsion, rights, fairness, evenhandedness, and so on, in human being relationships with every one and other living things too. Leadership learning's, either straightly or indirectly, tries to appreciate what leadership is and how and why the leader-follower connection works (What is a manager and what does it mean to work out leadership How do leaders show the way What do leaders accomplish And why do people follow). Because leadership necessitates very characteristic kinds of human relationships with characteristic sets of ethical problems, I consider it suitable to submit to the theme as leadership ethics. Ethics In Leadership Ethics is one of those subjects that people rightfully feel they know about from experience. Most people think of ethics as practical knowledge, not theoretical knowledge. Ethics is primarily a communal, collective enterprise, not a solitary one. It is the study of our web of relationships with others. Ethics is elementally the pursuit of justice, fair play, and equity. Ethics is how we make a decision to behave when we make a decision we belong together, " the study of ethics has to do with developing standards for judging the conduct of one party whose behavior affects another. Cleanly, "high-quality behavior" is going to do no damage and respects the rights of all exaggerated, and "terrible behavior" is deliberately or neglectfully flattens on the rights and interests of others. Ethics, then, tries to locate a means to defend one person's personal rights and needs alongside and besides the rights and wants of others. Of course, the inconsistency and innermost tension of ethics lie in the truth that even though we are by nature collective and in need of others, at the similar time we are by character more or less self-centered and self-serving. If principles and ethics are a part of life, so too are employment, labor, and trade. Work is not impressive thing disconnected from the rest of human existence, but to a certain extent "man is born to labor, as a bird to fly." What are employment and business about Making a living Yes. Producing a manufactured goods or service Sure. Creating money or profit Completely. In actual fact, most ethicists quarrel that business has

The legalization of marijuana in the United States Research Paper

The legalization of marijuana in the United States - Research Paper Example However, there is also a giant percentage of public which believes that criminalization of marijuana possession has always been a defeated objective. It is a kind of government objective which has consumed a lot of manpower and valuable limited resources. However still, the government is nowhere close to discouraging the public from smoking marijuana. Basically, this research paper seeks to argue that cannabis should be legalized or decriminalized in the US. The paper will present and explicate multiple reasons to augment the argument that marijuana is a drug with a variety of uses and minor risks. To validate the argument, marijuana will also be compared with alcohol and tobacco as a way of demonstrating how marijuana is so much less detrimental than the latter substances and still looked down upon by the government with such intensity, which is absolutely unjustified. War on drugs, particularly marijuana, is a complete failure. It has consumed trillions of dollars to date and continues to exert more financial pressure on the American government with every passing day. Prohibition on this drug has affected society very badly because more people are reported or jailed for minor drug offenses and people have to go to extreme measures to get this drug. Many such measures often affect their self-esteem in a very bad way given the circumstances and the places they have to bear to get the drug discreetly. Research also claims that the main reason marijuana often affects users’ lives negatively is not because of the drug really, but â€Å"because of the consequences attached with using the drug† (Pitts cited in Millat). Research shows that the US government has wasted a lot of money to keep marijuana from reaching the market in the past. According to an estimate, the US government suffers a total cost of about $10 billion on an annual basis in myriad efforts to make the country free of this drug. On the other hand, the State of California produces

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

Finance - Essay Example Moreover, an increase in EPS is also increasing dividend paid to NEXT plc shareholders, thus satisfying more the shareholders. This increase in EPS is also tested for quality based on the information from cash flows. Increase in EPS is strengthening positive operating cash flows; as increase in EPS is sometimes shown only on income statement and cash flow statement provides real picture with negative cash flows for operations (Next Plc, 2012).. This increase in EPS in line directors stated objective to provide sustainable long term growth in EPS. For this purpose, NEXT has adopted two strategies; one to increase the sales of the company by increasing the product quality and new stores along with increased cost control. The second strategy is buying back of outstanding shares. Buy backed shares reduces the number of shares outstanding in the market and hence, allows greater proportion of net income to individual share, thus it will lead to same earnings with less outstanding shares, t herefore lower EPS. EPS increase also puts positive impact in share price (though not always) and has also benefitted NEXT plc. CORPORATE BONDS FROM BALANCE SHEET For year 2012 NEXT plc has increased corporate bonds liability amounting to 652.1 million as compare to 471.2 million in year 2011. In the current year firm has issued 10 year 325m bond. Increase in corporate bonds has increased interest expense to 28m (Next Plc, 2012). Increase corporate bonds indicate that firm is extending its debt source of financing as against equity financing to take tax benefit. Equity financing is the most expensive source of financing; therefore, firms are more inclined to debt financing that is relatively cheaper as per Pecking theory (Zhao, Katchova, and Barry, 2004). Moreover, increase in debt facilitates firms firm with cash flows without giving any rights of decision making. Since in difficult economic situation firms have to make tough decisions therefore, management is interested to maintai n decision making more in their own hands. In addition to this, increase in debt gives the opportunity to firms to take advantage of the leverage concept which in return increases its Return on Equity (ROE) (Booth, Aivazian, Demirgue-Kunt and Maksimovic, 2001). This makes the firm more attractive for investors against competitors and it gives a positive signal to the investors according to Signal Theory. Benefit of this strategy has started to be reflecting as NEXT plc share has been ranked as the second best performing firms on FTSE-100 companies and has led its earnings per share increased by compound rate of 18 percent. NEXT Plc has been increasing its debt source of financing to facilitate two objectives; first, to tender cash flows for operations and capital investment. And second to gain the sustainable long term growth in EPS. To continue growth strategy in terms of location, product and sales firm and also EPS, NEXT plc has planned to increase the debt further and has also i ncreased its bank facility by 300 million for 5 years. Moreover, NEXT plc has planned to increase debt max by 700m in order to support the share buyback strategy. REPURCHASE OF OWN SHARES FROM STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS NEXT plc has been following to continue share buy back from on market and off market. In year 2012 firm conducted in investment activity of buying back its own shares

Intro to Rel Dbase Mgts Syst Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to Rel Dbase Mgts Syst - Assignment Example De-normalization process is applied for the creation of data warehouse or sometimes used for revival of the dying online transaction processing (OLTP) applications, which shows the dreadful performance. De-normalization process applied to those tables, which results during the normalization. De-normalization does not alter the basic form or structure of the schema, but adjusts the basic structure or database design. Response 2: Business rules are enforced by applying the triggers or stored procedures. Business rules are used for handling the referential integrity. Using stored procedures for achieving the referential integrity does not involve the application development outside of data. Response 1: Queries like select, create, update, delete, and alter are used to perform the various business functions from a relational database management system. These queries can be used to access the column or rows of relations. Response 2: Under specification of data translation is another issue. Data from multiple tables becomes an issue because no simple way is there to validate the cross references from different files. It becomes the integrity issue of cross-referencing. Response 1: Initial deficiencies of information flow assessed during the Database Initial Study phase causes the modification of the existing system. This modification is also derived from the increased size of the organization. Increased number of wants and needs of the system also modify the initial study phase of database life cycle. Response 2: If the current system fails to meet the required functionality then system designer examines the ways the existing system failed. Lot of time is spent in talking with end-users of the database (Rob, Coronel and Crocket

Computer Sciences and Information Technology Essay - 1

Computer Sciences and Information Technology - Essay Example EHRs are very quick as there is no need for any paper-work for documenting and sharing of the information and images. Thus, an EHR plays a vital role in evidence based treatment and decision-making without having to go through the manual process (Williams, 2010). These enable access to the records even from distant areas by means of online networking. The drawback with EHRs is that they are quite expensive but once implemented, they tend to be very cost-effective. Carter (2008) studied that the concept of EHRs began in 1960s â€Å"with the COSTAR system, developed by Barnett at the Laboratory of Computer Science at Massachusetts General Hospital† (p.7). According to him, the earlier efforts provided models and pseudo types on which current â€Å"hospital-based and ambulatory† EHRs are based upon. EHRs can be used as tools for continuity of care and for collaborative performance of healthcare providers. EHRs are a significant contribution to the medical industry since th ese have modernized the way patients’ data are stored. Disadvantages Research has it that despite significant advantages of EHRs, their adoption rates are progressing rather slowly. Gans et al. (2005) conducted a research on the use of EHRs and IT based tools in the health industry and concluded that most health professionals were not incorporating EHRs, especially in smaller practices. Their findings suggested that the adoption of EHRs was making progress at a snail's pace; however, the physicians planned to incorporate them in the coming years. They found that this happened because the practitioners found it difficult to choose and implement EHRs. What kept physicians from implementing EHRs in their settings was the knowledge gap. Jha et al. (2009) conducted a significant survey of a number of acute care hospitals to find out the EHR functionality and implementation. They found that out of the 63% hospitals in the US that were surveyed, only 1.5% had integrated the use of c omprehensive EHRs and 7.6% were following a basic model of EHRs. They suggested that the lower adoption rate was due to higher maintenance costs. Linder et al. (2007) conducted a retrospective cross-sectional survey to determine the relation between the use of EHRs in health centers and the quality of ambulatory heath care which they referred to as ambulatory quality indicators. They found that there was no significant performance difference between the centers that used EHRs and those which did not. Major Competitors in the Marketplace Gold (2011) writes in his updated guide about EHRs about major competitors in the marketplace that are promoting this technology. According to him, seeing the performance of EHRs, it is very likely that EHRs will be implemented in all health organizations in near future taking the place of paper documentation that has been in place for years. At present, the market leaders for EHRs include Cerner, iSoft and Emis. Cerner Cerner is the US based product and â€Å"has so far been installed across 16 trusts and more than 70 hospitals since being launched in 2004, as the preferred NPfIT software for London†, writes Gold (2011). The health organizations that have, at present, employed Cerner EHRs include Kingston Hospital, Homerton Hospital in London, Newham University Hospital trust, and Wirral University Teaching Hospital foundation trust. iSoft iSoft is an Australian company. The US IT firm, CSC, is buying it for implementation. Th

Business and economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business and economics - Assignment Example That was the year the UK economy went into recession, pushed to the brink by the global financial contagion, together with rising levels of debt in the consumer market, as well as sharp falls in the prices of residential properties. The recession spurred government into pump-priming mode, spending on government projects to spur the economy, taking a stake in the banking system and effectively nationalizing portions of that system, reducing taxation, and putting on hold curbs on government borrowing. These acts pushed Britain to the opposite end of another brink, and that is an elevation of public debts, and the ballooning of the public deficit levels, that then spurred the government of Cameron, formed with the support of both Democrats and Conservatives, to initiate a five-year plan of austere reforms in 2010. The goal of the program was the reduction of the budget deficit to just a percent of GDP by 2015, from 10 percent of GDP at the start of 2010. By the next year, the government announced an extension of the austerity program through to 2017, owing to the perceived inadequacy of the interventions to effect change, the lower than desired rates of growth in the economy, and the effects of the crisis sparked by the debt problems in many parts of the EU (Central Intelligence Agency 2013). There was an increase in VAT in 2011 to 20 percent from 17.5 percent as part of the measures tied to this program. Meanwhile, the tax rates for companies in the UK were targeted to go down in 2014 to just 21 percent. Also, $605 billion was earmarked for a program to purchase assets by the end of 2012. In all, 2012 was characterized by public deficit levels that stuck persistently in the range of 7.7 percent of the GDP, above targets; a 0.1 percent contraction in the GDP; tepid spending by consumers; tepid investment levels among business concerns; and the continued rise in the levels of public debts (Central

Baseball and Antitrust Laws Essay Example for Free

Baseball and Antitrust Laws Essay Any commerce with operations spanning state boundaries, thus undertaking interstate trade, is governed by antitrust laws. Efforts at monopolizing and controlling trade could be regarded unlawful by national circuit courts as per the Clayton and Sherman Acts. Baseball has always been immune from such antitrust regulations from 1922, upon the Supreme Court’s verdict made baseball winner in Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore, Inc. v. National Baseball Clubs. It was determined that although planning of sports was done across State boundaries, such games constituted intrastate occasions since movement from state to state was not essential (Falk, 1994). The antirust immunity bars MLB from being legally challenged because of national antirust braches. Unless such immunity is removed by Congress, baseball proprietors make whatever decisions they wish because no antirust-related legal proceedings can be instituted against them. Whenever the proprietors attempt to modify baseball, the MLBPA quickly comes in to claim that they were not consulted (Bendix, 2008). Despite the fact that proprietors may do whatever they wish disregarding antitrust regulations, nothing which breaches the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) can be done. Such agreement requires that almost each dispute be mediated, like it is done with numerous labor deals. If the antirust immunity of baseball was cancelled, would this mean the changing of baseball? This is unlikely since the same regulations that govern NHL, NFL, and NBA would continue to govern baseball. The USA at the moment has antitrust regulations meant to bar businesses from controlling specific markets. Nevertheless, US baseball market has been monopolized by key league baseball for ages, thus preventing upcoming players from actually gaining footage. The US Supreme Court has defended Major League Baseball’s (MLB) liberty to monopolize in a number of instances. MLB remains the sole US monopoly in numerous ways, and has remained so from its beginning. Upon the 1903 merger of the National League (NL) with the American League (AL), such partnership immediately proved successful. Such success was surely bound to invite imitation. Therefore a different baseball league almost immediately demonstrated willingness to challenge the NL/AL monopoly. The Federal League began as an insignificant league; however, it espoused key intentions (Anderson, 2002). By 1914, numerous individuals regarded such Federal League to be a main league; the league itself desired to officially confirm this. The Federal League (FL) took legal action against Major League Baseball on 5th January 1915 for disrupting their efforts at hiring players who were between agreements that is, not governed by the Reserve Clause, from the American National League, citing national antitrust law. The case was heard by Kennesaw Mountain Landhis, reputed for his firm observance of the law. However, Ladhis was as well a big fan of Chicago Cubs. He knew that the Federal League’s case was a justifiable one, however, his favorite team, the Cubs, would suffer if FL won the case, and thus Ladhis kept such case under advisement as opposed to immediately issuing a verdict. The FL’s 19156 collapse made everyone happy. The Baltimore Federal League license proprietors tried to buy out a team of the Major League (ML) only to be rejected. They subsequently attempted to purchase a franchise of the International league; they were once more rejected. The proprietor of White Sox, Chalets Chomsky, offended Baltimore city by saying that the metropolis constituted a bad and insignificant league. Charles Ebbets, the proprietor of Dodgers, added to the insult by stating that the metropolis was among the worst insignificant league metropolis because of having excess colored people. The perspective proprietors then took legal action against ML baseball, alleging a scheme to tear down the FL. In April 1919, a law court declared the Baltimore proprietors the winners of the suit, thus awarding them damages worth $240,000. An appeal was instituted in 1920, with the appeal ruling being made in 1921 (Barra, 2003). The 1921 ruling nullified the decision of the junior court and declared that baseball did not constitute the type of trade national law ought to standardize. The US Supreme Court endorsed such a ruling on May 22nd 1922, thus strengthening baseball’s antitrust immunity. In the Federal Baseball Club v. National League, the Supreme Court gave the verdict that ML baseball remained immune from the Sherman Antitrust Act provisions. Following the 1915 folding of the FL, majority of the FL proprietors were purchased by proprietors within the other MLs, or had received compensation in other modes. For instance, St. Louis FL owner was authorized to purchase the St Louis Browns. Baltimore Federal League club owner did not get this authorization and hence he took legal action against the American league, National League, as well as additional defendants, such as a number of FL officials. The suit alleged a plot to dominate baseball through demolishing the FL (Rovell, 2001). The listed defendants were declared jointly answerable, with $80,000 worth of damages assessed. The figure was tripled to total $240,000 as per the Clayton Antitrust Act provisions. Such immunity, as well as the monopoly of MLB, was unchallenged up to 1972. Curt Flood took legal action against baseball following his sale to Philadelphia Phillies from the Saint Louis Cardinals following 1969’s season. Such a case ultimately reached the Supreme Court, where the initial decision was endorsed with Congress left to rectify the inconsistency. Despite the fact that Flood did not win the case, he set the precedence for wage negotiation, and immediately afterwards, free action. At the moment free agency survives, however such antitrust immunity is as well law. Baseball was not to be awarded antitrust immunity if the Baltimore League squad owners had been reimbursed after the league was disbanded. All other squad’s proprietors were compensated with the exception of Baltimore, thus prompting their filing of the initial antitrust lawsuit. Such immunity is suspect, and several observers are convinced that it may once more be upheld in a law court. Nevertheless, from the Flood case of 1972, no any one case has been even close to being heard at the Supreme Court (Barra, 2006). In addition MLB’s domination has not been challenged by any league since the 1950s unsuccessful Continental League. The National Federal League has been engrossed in majority of the major antitrust court cases, such as, its lawsuits against the US Football League. Such cases have demonstrated that antitrust lawsuits are not essentially fatal. Despite that fact that the NFL lost the two cases, numerous lawsuits have been previously won by sports leagues. In antitrust lawsuits, such leagues have to demonstrate that they did not breach antitrust regulations through demonstrating that their activities generally, served to promote contest more as opposed to inhibiting it. Despite the fact that Al Davis legally defeated the NFL, the NFL could as well have emerged victorious if it possessed an unambiguous guidelines and adhered to them rather than acting because they particularly disliked Al Davis (Bartree, 2005). In addition, despite the fact that USFL legally beat NFL, a mere $3 worth of damages was awarded. If the US Congress completely revokes the antirust immunity of baseball, some interesting enduring consequences could result. Firstly, the key leagues are to be affected. Insignificant-league baseball t the moment relies on the ongoing presence of the Reserve Clause , which permits major-league teams to legally control players even following the expiry of the players’ contracts. Such Reserve Clause permits the existence of deep insignificant-league structures within baseball by permitting such teams to control numerous players not in their key-league rosters. NBA and NFL do not have any minor-league structures. Hockey has insignificant-league squads; however, such are mediated into the joint bargaining of hockey with the players. The Reserve Clause is likely to be legally challenged if the antitrust immunity of baseball is lost. In case such clause is determined to breach antitrust regulations, baseball squads could be forced surrender the legal claims to a number of or even every of their insignificant-league players. With no interest to develop the team members whom they formerly controlled, big-league squads would be less motivated to offer support to their insignificant-league partners through subsidizing their activities (Blum, 2001). This has thus made insignificant leagues lobby Congress to uphold the antitrust immunity of baseball. Without such immunity insignificant leagues would be forced to modify their activities, to become more similar to free insignificant early 1900s leagues rather than be under MLB. Proprietors would have no power regarding discussing with team members due to lack of legal standing to possess a Reserve Clause. When squads have no rights over team members, there will be less willingness to recruit high school players and accord them 4 or 5 development years, particularly if they are forced to dwell much on major league rosters. This could imply a major impetus fro baseball in colleges, and perhaps also for global baseball leagues (Rovell, 2001). Such would form the major MLB’s propagation ground as has been for basketball and football. If the antitrust immunity is revoked, franchise transfer, and particularly contraction, would from the greatest challenge. Close to thirty years have elapsed since a single baseball squad relocated from one metropolis to the other. Since that time, the other 3 games have progressed since the antitrust immunity grants baseball proprietors extra authority to bar squads from relocating than the proprietors have within other games. Such authority was especially apparent in 1992 at the time when the Tampa/St. Petersburg Vince Piazza’s group wanted to purchase the Giants from Bob Lurie at $115 million. The proprietors declined to allow such sale, and then compelled Lurie to accept $100 million from Peter Mogowan for the squad. Piazza instituted legal proceedings against MLB, actually winning the initial round of the case. The court stated that the antitrust immunity did not cover relocations (Belth, 2001). However, the Curt Flood Act currently holds that immunity does touch on relocations. Absence of antitrust immunity makes it hard to bar teams from relocating by the MLB. Attempts to block relocations would surely be met with lawsuits instituted by the cities or teams that were attempting to relocate. Baseball would be tasked with the responsibility to demonstrating that barring such relocation would benefit contest, plus that the resolution was founded on unambiguous guidelines. If Congress repealed the immunity, the contraction war would most likely not be based on Twin’s release and labor deals. Contraction challengers would posit that the proprietors were attempting to get rid of 2 competitors so as to raise profits; this is a typical antitrust breach (Falk, 1994). The proprietors would be forced to defend such relocation arguing that they were enhancing competition within the game. It is difficult to determine whether America or baseball would benefit if the antitrust immunity of baseball is revoked. Attorneys would surely benefit owing to increased lawsuits. The proprietors would benefit since the MLB has previously won against attempts to revoke the immunity and Congress always takes it time. References Anderson, P. (2002). Recent major league baseball contraction cases. Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://law. marquette. edu/cgi-bin/site. pl? 2130pageID=474 Barra, A. (2003). Policy debate: Should the antitrust exemption be eliminated? Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://swcollege. com/bef/policy_debates/baseball. html Barra, A. (2006). Policy debate: Should the antitrust exemption be eliminated? Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://www. swlearning. com/economics/policy_debates/baseball. html Bartree, H. (2005). The role of antirust laws in the professional sports industry from a financial perspective. Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://www. thesportjournal. org/article/role-antitrust-laws-professional-sports-industry-financial-perspective Belth, A. (November 26th 2001). Ending baseballs antitrust exemption. Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://courses. cit. cornell. edu/econ352jpw/readme/Baseball%20Prospectus%20-%20Ending%20Baseball%27s%20Antitrust%20Exemption. htm Bendix, P. (December 3rd 2008). The history of baseball’s antitrust exemption. Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://www. beyondtheboxscore. com/2008/12/3/678134/the-history-of-baseball-s Blum, R. (June 12th 2001). Why is the antitrust exemption important? Retrieved august 4th 2009, from http://www. usatoday. com/sports/baseball/stories/2001-12-05-antitrust-explanation. htm