Investigatory Projects Essay Example

Investigatory Projects Essay Flowers Used for Dye Hollyhocks Hollyhock, or Alcea rosea, petals are available in varying shades from nearly white to almost black. The dyes made from these petals range in color from bright green to greenish brown depending upon how the blossoms are prepared. According to Rakhi Shanker and Padma S. Vankar from the Facility for Ecological and Analytical Testing in Kanpur, India, a substance such as alum or other metal salts is used to make the dye stay on the fabric without quickly washing out. This substance is called a mordant. Shanker and Vankar experimented with mordants such as copper sulphate and stannic chloride as well as alum and found that the color varied depending upon which mordant was used. Saffron Saffron, or Crocus sativus, creates a strong yellow dye. According to W. P. Armstrong from Palomar College, saffrons blossoms contain a coloring pigment in their stigmas, which are the long tube-like structures inside the middle of the blossoms. This coloring pigment is called crocin, and it is a distant relative of vitamin A. The stigmas are dried and used for dyeing. The website indicates that approximately 4000 flowers are needed to make a single ounce of dye. Saffron was once used to dye the robes of Irish royalty, according to Armstrong. It is used most often as a food coloring. Royal Poinciana Delonix regia is also known as Royal poinciana or Gulmohur. These trees produce striking golden and scarlet flowers during the spring. Dyes created from gulmohur blossoms range in shades from golden yellow to dark brown, depending upon the mordant. According to K. We will write a custom essay sample on Investigatory Projects specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Investigatory Projects specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Investigatory Projects specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Anitha and S. N. Prasad from the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History in India, dyes that used turmeric powder as a mordant produced golden yellow or dark tan shades on silk depending upon whether the whole flowers or just the petals were used. A 10 percent alum solution produced olive green. Safflower Younsook Shin from Chonnam National University in Korea indicates that Korea has a long tradition of using safflower as a natural dye. Safflower petals contain carthamin, which produces red, and safflower yellow B, which roduces an orange-yellow color. Healthline adds that safflowers were traditionally used to dye silk yellow or red. The blossoms were also dried, finely ground and mixed with talc to produce rouge. Safflower dye is commonly used to add color to foods. Making Natural Dyes From Plants Did you know that a great source for natural dyes can be found right in your own back yard! Roots, nuts and flowers are just a few common natural ways to get many colors. Yel low, orange, blue, red, green, brown and grey are available. Go ahead, experiment! Gathering plant material for dyeing: Blossoms should be in full bloom, berries ripe and nuts mature. Remember, never gather more than 2/3 of a stand of anything in the wild when gathering plant stuff for dying. To make the dye solution: Chop plant material into small pieces and place in a pot. Double the amount of water to plant material. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. Strain. Now you can add your fabric to be dyed. For a stronger shade, allow material to soak in the dye overnight. Getting the fabric ready for the dye bath: You will have to soak the fabric in a color fixative before the dye process. This will make the color set in the fabric. Color Fixatives: Salt Fixative (for berry dyes) 1/2 cup salt to 8 cups cold water Plant Fixatives (for plant dyes) 4 parts cold water to 1 part vinegar Add fabric to the fixative and simmer for an hour. Rinse the material and squeeze out excess. Rinse in cool water until water runs clear. Dye Bath: Place wet fabric in dye bath. Simmer together until desired color is obtained. The color of the fabric will be lighter when its dry. Also note that all dyed fabric should be laundered in cold water and separately. Muslin, silk, cotton and wool work best for natural dyes and the lighter the fabric in color, the better. White or pastel colors work the best. NOTE: Its best to use an old large pot as your dye vessel. Wear rubber gloves to handle the fabric that has been dyed, the dye can stain your hands. Its also important to note, some plant dyes may be toxic, check with the Poison Control Center if unsure. Shades of orange -Alder Bark (orange) Bloodroot will give a good orange to reddish orange color. Sassafras (leaves) Onion (skin) – orange Lichen (gold) Carrot (roots) orange Lilac (twigs) yellow/orange Barberry (mahonia sp. ) yellow orange (with alum) very strong ; permanent. Any part of the plant will work. Giant Coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea) Yields bright permanent orange with alum. Turmeric dyed cloth will turn orange or red if it is dipped in lye. Pomagrante – with alum anywhere fro m orange to khaki green. Butternut (seed husks) orange Eucaluptus (leaves and bark) beautiful shades of tan, orange and brown. Shades of red Elderberry red Red leaves will give a reddish brown color I use salt to set the dye. Sumac (fruit) light red Sycamore (bark)- red Dandelion (root) Beets deep red Bamboo turkey red Crab Apple (bark) red/yellow Rose (hips) Chokecherries Madder (root) red Hibiscus Flowers (dried) Kool-aid Canadian Hemlock (bark) reddish brown Japanese Yew (heartwood) brown dye Wild ripe Blackberries Brazilwood St. Johns Wort (whole plant) soaked in alcohol red Bedstraw (root) red

Pascal programming Essay Essays

Pascal programming Essay Essays Pascal programming Essay Paper Pascal programming Essay Paper Pascal Programming Arieus Green Professor Gary Smith Sam Houston State University Pascal was designed in 1968, but was no published until the 1970 by the mind of a man named Niklaus Wirth. Niklaus Wirth was born in Winterthur, Switzerland in 1934 were he attended Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. Where he soon earns his degree in Electronic Engineering by the mid 1960s. Pascal was named based off the memory of the late Baise Pascal, a famous French Philosopher as well as a major mathematician (Bill Catambay). This particular language was inspired by Algol along with Simula 67. Although pascal resembles Algol, It far surpasses it in run precision and capabilities. Pascal was designed to be a straight forward block Structured programming. Pascal structurally sound functionality provided the way for several new languages we use today for example, Ada, Java, Modula and so many others. Pascal was design to farther educate the development of a systematically discipline construct. Pascal was initially designed to influence the practice of good or better program design. The language in particular is an imperative and procedural programming language (Bill Catambay). Imperative programming language simply describes the computation of each term as a statement. This important detail makes it easier to produce a programming code, it also has the capacity to use structure programming alongside with data structuring. All of these things take care of the clarity as well as the quality of each program written in pascal. By this time pascal has been at the top of its game being both reliable as well as efficient. Pascal is a strongly typed, block structure programming language (Bill Catambay). It has evolved with enough power to run home projects, commercial industries and many other entures. Wirth was very particular when the designs were planned out. Much of the pascal language is similar to what we see in our C or Java languages. Some of its features make pascal easy to understand and maintain. The programming Structure of pascal consist of; program name, uses command type, declarations, Statements data object and or functions. Every Pascal program has a heading statement, a declaration and execution in that exact order. Basic syntax variable are placed in the beginning of a statement, followed by a definition of some sort. Declaring a variable s straight forward in the design of pascal. By using keywords like var allows the programmer a number of abilities. Which include declaring string, integers, records and other defining types. This is followed by the capability to use functions and procedures. In Pascal procedures are instructions to execute within the program with no return. Functions are similar in attributes with the exception of having a return value. Like Ada, Pascal is not case sensitive. Pascal Programs are generally formed by several statements. Every statement gives the program a Job by stating or defining xactly what that Job is. Each Job should consist of declarations, assignment, reading or writing data and taking logical statements. Similar to other languages, Pascal has words on reserved such as array, begin and end. These words you would not be allowed use as a variable and to declare any value. Pascal also has a number of different data types that include the standard, integer, real, Boolean and structured array records and file. These constants make it easier for the programmer to read. Pascal has the ability to use numerical, logical, string and character constants. Pascal as many other types, the enumerated type is a data type defined by the user. They give most value the qualification to be specified in a list. Pascal uses variable as a define storage space. Operators are used in every programming language in pascal uses as manipulations of mathematical or logical functionality. There is a list of operators used in pascal involving arithmetic, relations, Boolean, bit, set and string Operands. Each operand has a different responsibility and implementation. Pascal decision making is design for the programmer to specify all condition to evaluated and test by the program. All statements have to have a true or false result and or reroute to another statement of the programmers choice. Helping with these logic statement would me key words like if-then, if-then-else, nest-if statement and many more (Micheal Van Cannegt). These statements can lead one to a loop, where some code that is to be executed multiple times. A loop is usually executed in a specific order the first followed by the second and so on. Pascal also has loop control statement feature that will allow breaks which can call for the termination of a loop or any case statement that has out grown its parameter. Goto statements can transfer control but this feature is not often used. Programmer use a number of small sections of code called subprogram (Victor John Saliba). Every one of these subprograms preforms a particular task as modules. There are two kinds of subprograms function and procedure. Functions are small programs that have a single return value of some variety. Every pascal has to have as many as one function to call it a program and other smaller program to define added functionalities. Pascal functions usually consist of a header, the declaration and a body. The function eader has only two main objects, the keyword and the name of that function. There are many other part to a function, by which include the argument, this is often where the programmer calls the program and the formal parameters. The formal parameter could be an array, subprogram or structured variables. The declaration function simply speaks to the compiler giving it instructions on how to call that specific program it ultimately has the same attributes as the function subprogram. The difference being in the format of the keywords, which is procedure being one of them nstead of function. Pascal file handling capabilities are second to none and are very simple to generate. For instant, notice that there is not a word on reserve for the reading or writing to a file, the usual format to use is readln() or writeln(). When reading a file the base type could be an integer real, Boolean, enumerator, subrange, record, arrays each one but certain other file types. Pascal was a powerful language and tool in 1970s and has become a more advanced language over time. Pascal has been through a few update and changes to the language. In being this reliable and fficient Pascal will continue to be of use in the near future. References freepascal. org/advantage. var ftp://ftp. freepascal. org/pub/fpc/docs-pdf/ref. pdf, Reference guide for Free Pascal, version 2. 6. 2 Document version 2. 6. February 2013 pascal-central. com/ppl/chapter2. html. The Pascal Programming Language. Bill Catambay. 0 2001 Academic Press. http://pascal-programming. info/ index. php. pascal Programming. Victor John Saliba 2006. computerhistory. org/fellowawards/hall/bios/Niklaus,Wirth/ . Copyright 0 2013 Computer History Museum

Critical State Soil Mechanics (Geotechnical Design) Assignment

Critical State Soil Mechanics (Geotechnical Design) - Assignment Example esting, one study established the shear apparatus that the successive students used in studying the conditional changes in the shear zone both in clay and sand soils. Another study that obtained the soil ob the Cambridge data of a simple apparatus of shear test and on triaxial tests resulted into the publication of a critical state concept. The critical state theory was developed from the understanding of the soils that go through shearing. In the mechanics of the critical soil, clear shear strength would be showed when the soil experiences the shear at a constant volume, which is referred to as the critical state (Figure 1) (Heyman, 2008). In this case, there are three identified shear strengths for a soil that goes through shear. These are the peak strength, constant volume strength or the critical state, and the residual strength. Peak strength happens at a critical state depending on some initial state of the particles of soil that are sheared. A given loose soil would have its volume contracted during shearing, and would not develop the peak strength in high critical states. This means that the peak strength would be similar to the critical shear strength state when the soil stops the contraction. Such soils can be considered to have no distinct peak strength. The soils that are dense have slight contraction, and the granular interlock inhibits more contraction. For the shearing to be continued once the granular interlock occurs, the soil should dilate. Since addition shear force would be needed for dilation, peak strength would occur. If the peak strength resulting from dilation is overcome by the shearing, the p rovided resistance by soil would occur. Critical state has three parameters. These include the peak strength (, Critical state (), and the residual strength). Peak strength happens at or before the critical state. It is depended on the initial condition of the soil that is experiencing the shear. The critical state is considered being inside the

Company Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Company Law - Coursework Example This legislation is a critical constituent of the constitution since it provides guidance to corporate entities2. Initially, company act begins by establishing diverse business forms. The key forms include partnership, sole proprietorship and companies. Sole proprietorship Sole proprietorship is the oldest business structure normally founded by a single party. Consequently, the founder of the organization serves as the overall manager of the entity3. Sole proprietorship lacks a legal personality since the owner is accountable for the organization liabilities. Similarly, the revenues of this entity act as the income of the founder for tax purposes. Sole proprietorship is the most rampant form owing to easy in formation. Moreover, the entity’s governance follows few regulations thus its operations are easy to manage. Despite the inclusion of the business form in company law, the entity lacks legal personality4. Therefore, strict legal analysis deters inclusion of Sole proprietor ship in this legislation. Because of the absence of a distinct legal personality, the founder bears all legal consequences that relate to the entity5. Partnership Represents an organization founded by more than one individual. An assorted forms of this partnership exists. Notably, the differences to the partnership exist due to liability of the founding members6. Unlimited liability characterizes a general partnership. Consequently, founders bear legal liability both individually and jointly for business’ transactions. This means that the entity has no legal individuality. Similarly, the founders coin a ratio that dictates sharing of profits. This ratio principally corresponds to the capital ratio. This section of the company provides the basis for dissolution of partnerships. Additionally, the legislation provides for limited partnership. Limited partnership deviates from the convectional partnerships by admitting partners with limited liability. Subsequently, the unlimited partner bears the blunt of the entity’s losses. Partnerships suffer multiple management hitches due to differing ideologies of the partners. However, the Company act provide for a treaty that guides the partnership. The treaty outlines how the partner will operate the entity. Moreover, it establishes the responsibility of the partners. Limited liability companies The Company act predominantly addresses this entity in detail. Fundamentally, a company represents an alliance of individuals with a unified objective. The legislation begins by establishing an entity with a distinct legal individuality7. The distinct legal individuality arose through judicial precedents. The distinct legal personality allows the entity to transact in its own identity. Additionally, a company can undertake legal action against a party. Similarly, the entity can be a defendant in litigation. â€Å"Salmon vs. Salmon† established the legal identity of the companies. Salmon, a shoe designer, incor porated his business with himself as a debenture holder8. Additionally, the entity borrowed more money creating creditors. Owing to industrial upheaval, the entity collapsed and the creditor applied for liquidation of the entity. In adherence to the company act, the liquidators paid Salmon prior to the creditors. Nonetheless, the creditor argued that the entity was a deception hence creditor should receive refunds before Salmon. The lords stated that the entity’

Ice 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ice 3 - Essay Example Self-sufficiency is no longer possible because one individual will depend on another for grocery, another for fuel, and another for other items. To avoid further suffering in times of disaster or lack we need to effect changes that will favour our conditions. For instance, instead of screaming at civic leaders about slow pace of power restoration, individuals can team up and pay for this repair. In addition, the government has a responsibility to provide services, social amenities, and habitable houses to its citizens as per the constitution. Thus, the government is charged with the responsibility of effecting changes that better the lives of the citizens. For instance, the government has to restore and build the power systems, roads, and buildings in case of a disaster. However, the government can sensitize its citizens and work as a team to effect desired change. For instance, the government can work with fuel storeowners to reconstruct the stores in a way they will not be affected by the heated storms like Sandy. Richard Stuebi argues that American Government should be more involved with climate change. In fact, Americans need to alter their current lifestyles and accommodate a sustainable environment. Scientists argue that the recent disasters like Katrina and Sandy have come because of rising sea levels after global warming. If this is true, then climate issue in America need an urgency move by the government and by individuals. The government need to take an active role of sensitizing the public to make efforts to reverse our climatic conditions in the near future. Sensitizing the public and educating them on depth of the climate conditions needs finances, which will come from the government funding. The changes that need to be effected to make climate of America will involve households. First, each household will need to plant some trees to help purify the carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere everyday. Secondly,

The Ethics Of Predator Drones Criminology Essay

The Ethics Of Predator Drones Criminology Essay Since its inception in 1995, the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator was initially intended for reconnaissance and forward observation roles, but the September 11 attacks changed that altogether. During February 4, 2002, the CIA deployed the first unmanned, armed Predator drone in an assassination attempt. The strike was to happen in the city of Khost, a province in Afghanistan. The target was Osama bin Laden, or at least someone who the CIA thought was him. Armed with a payload of Hellfire missiles, the drone attacked a group of would-be insurgents. Days later, local journalists and Afghan civilians reported that the dead men were civilians collecting scrap metal. What ensued thereafter was backlash from the public condemning its use. Using (UAVs) unmanned aerial vehicles to kill suspected terrorists marks a radical departure from the ways we have dealt with enemies before. Drones have unofficially become the weapon of choice for counter-terrorism. And over the coming decades, are expecte d to replace piloted aircraft. With the future of warfare pointing to the use of drones, legal and ethical issues surrounding their use must be explored. Since their deployment, armed combat drones have killed terror suspects as well as innocent civilians. The Ethics of Predator Drones Introduction From Davids slingshot, to the invention of bows and arrows, then guns, and missiles, major advances in military technology have revolved around the ability to kill from a distance. Just like a sniper able to shoot down an NVA commanding general from a mile away, the ability to shoot at your enemy from a greater distance than he can shoot back at you is one of the reasons why warfare continues to evolve. The MQ-1 predator drone is just a new tool in a new kind of war. A war waged in the 21st century, the height of technological advancement in weaponry. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were used by the US military as a test bed for their development of future weapons. The US military might is one of the greatest of the world. The US spends more money in defense than all of the other countries combined. The money spent is used in the hopes of lessening military casualties, and to help in accomplishing missions and tasks in a more effective way by using new technology. Their latest inventions include an assortment of robots that are capable of performing EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) and IED (Improvised Explosive Device) destruction missions. Some robots have even cross-trained to a more combat role. For example, the US military have deployed a robot called the Foster-Miller TALON. This robots mission ranges from reconnaissance to combat by employing a rifle mounted apparatus to its tracked chassis. Calibers from the M16, M249, M240 machine gun, .50 Barrett, and sometimes a six barreled 40mm grenade launcher have all been outfitt ed into its tracked chassis. These are just examples of the robots that are deployed on the ground. The most noticeable robot from this new generation of combat robots is the MQ-1 Predator drone. To this day, the Predator drone has flown more than 1 million flight hours. Combat Capabilites The CIA began experimenting with reconnaissance drones since the early 1980s. It was only in the early 1990s when they finally found a suitable prototype that could meet their intended mission needs. Before the production of the current MQ-1 Predator, most of the prototypes were so loud that their detection was inevitable. A chief designer from the Israeli Air Force immigrated to the US in the 1970s and started his own defense contractor business and called it General Atomics. The CIA secretly bought 5 drones from General Atomics and equipped with a more improved and quieter Rotax engine that is driven by a propeller. The Predator drone can fly a range of 770 miles and stay in the air for up to 40 hours, cruising at altitudes over 25,000 feet. Its top speed is 135 mph which is powered by a 115 horse powered Rotax engine. With a payload of 450 pounds, most of the equipment include: infrared tv cameras, and a ground-scanning Synthetic Aperature Radar. A variant was also produced to pro vide a more combat-centered role. This variant is armed with a pair of AGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided, anti-armor missiles. Another variant called the MQ-9 Reaper is their latest incarnation of combat drones. The MQ-9 Reaper is much larger and also capable of autonomous flight operations. It is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-edurance missions. The Predator can be disassembled into 6 main components and loaded into a container which makes it rapidly deployable. Included in the Predator package is a 20ft satellite dish and other supported equipment. The satellite dish provides a link to communicate with the operators at a distant remote location. The ground station houses the multiple support staff from pilots to sensor operators. The remote link could be as far as 5000 miles away, which makes the predator a system rather than an aircraft. The advantage of using such a system is that it has all the advantages of a traditional reconnaissance sortie without ever exposing the pilot to a hostile environment. Combat Record Currently the US Air Force has over 190 MQ-1 Predators and over 25 MQ-9 Reapers in operation. Over 250 missiles have been fired in Iraq and Afghanistan alone since 2008. An estimated 70 Predators have been lost due to weather, equipment failure, operator error and an additional 4 have been shot down. With over 1 million flight hours, the Predator has maintained a 90 percent mission capable rate. With no US casualties related to operating a drone, this proves advantageous in combat operations. The Predator drone first took flight over the Balkans. It provided reconnaissance during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Then in 2000, the CIA and the Pentagon joined forces to locate Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. The first flights over Afghanistan were more of an observatory role which provided intelligence for the locations of suspected terrorists. It wasnt until the September 11 attacks that the US started to seriously consider arming the Predator with weapons for combat purposes. After successful testing of the newly armed Predators, the US found more missions for the Predator to perform and more are used today in multiple combat zones. With its newfound role as a combat drone, the US began to deploy the Predator on missions to Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, and other middle-eastern countries in which suspected terrorists are expected to be in hiding. During missions in Iraq, several Predator drones encountered Iraqi MiG-25s and participated in the first air to air combat between a drone and a piloted fighter aircraft. In fact, the US stripped multiple Predator drones of its sophisticated weapons and sensory systems and used them as decoys in the sky to entice Iraqi air defenses to expose themselves by firing. The most recent account of a Predator being used to kill high-profile terrorists was during an operation to apprehend deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Since then, several Predators have returned to Libya in support of the Benghazi attacks. Civilian Casualties Despite its combat effectiveness against suspected terrorists, reports suggest that far more civilians have been killed by US drone attacks than US officials have acknowledged. A new study by Stanford University and New York University contends that CIA targeted killings arent making America any safer and instead has turned the Countries that these drones have ravaged against the US. The study calls for the Obama administration to be more transparent and accountable for its actions, and to prove compliance with international law. One instance in dispute involving civilian casualties occurred during a drone attack on March 17, 2011. An estimated 42 people were killed during a Jirga, a meeting of elders. According to reports, most of those killed were civilians with only 4 known members of the Taliban in attendance. The disparity of civilian deaths to militant deaths calls to question the legal basis for targeted killings by drones and the criteria in which an authorized strike is recommended against armed men who fit the profile of militants. The study says that the drone attacks violate international law because the government has no proof that the targets are direct threats to the United States. The following graph displays the reported fatalities resulting from US drone strikes conducted in Pakistan. As you can see from the graph, fatalities have risen significantly since 2004. The dramatic rise in fatalities correlates to the frequency of use. Not only has President Obamas administration embraced the CIAs campaign of Predator drone strikes in Pakistan that began under President Bush in 2004. It has also continued an acceleration of the campaign that began in July 2008 during the last year of President Bushs tenure (Woodward 2010: 25). There is also evidence that the range of persons being targeted has expanded. In particular, it has been widely reported that late in the Bush administration, the CIA received permission to broaden the scope of targeting from an exclusive focus on high-value al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban targets to include low level fighters whose identities may not be known and that this broadened scope has gradually come to include the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban (Kilcullen, Exum, Fick and Humayun 2009: 18; Mayer 2009; Entous 2010). More and more pressure has been added by the international community to stop these drone attacks, but top US officials have defended its use. A top US counter-terrorism official cited the benefits of its uses. Such benefits include reduced danger to US pilots and limited US military involvement overseas. Legality There were reports from the Wall Street Journal that revealed the Bush Administrations and CIAs plan to set up hit squads to capture and kill Taliban and Al Qaeda militants around the world. The anger from the public grew even more when the Times reported that the CIA planned to carry out these hits by employing the controversial private contractor formerly known as Blackwater. Members from both the House and Senate intelligence committees claim that these plans were hidden from them and demanded a thorough investigation of the programs created to carry out those hits. Although the program was never fully operational, many legal experts contend that if they were, it would have violated President Gerald R. Fords 1976 executive order in which it bans American intelligence forces from engaging in assassinations. Although the targeted-killing program was never fully implemented, many consider the Predator program to be an extension of its intended creation. It so happens, that the Predator program also uses private contractors for maintaining the drones, equipping it with Hellfire missiles, and also flying it. There are currently 2 drone programs in which the US government runs. There is the military version, for which it is publicly acknowledged and operates in recognized war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The military version is considered to be an extension of conventional warfare. Then there is the CIAs version, which aims at killing suspected terrorists around the world, including in countries where US troops are not present. The latter is covert and not much information is provided to the public about how it chooses its targets, where the operations are conducted, or how many people have been thought to have been killed. The international community condemns these targeted killings and suggested that these attacks would encourage other countries to disregard long-established human rights standards. Some even suggested that these drone strikes may even constitute war crimes. Powerful countries such as China, Russia and other countries have publicly criticized the US drone attacks. The concern is mostly about the use of drones outside of recognized war zones and the secretive nature of such operations. Aside from the lawful use of drone attacks in which it is involved in armed conflict, some consider the secondary attacks on rescuers who are helping the injured after the initial drone attacks, those further attacks are suggested to be war crimes. Ethical Concerns One of the main concerns about using the Predator drone, despite its exemplary combat record, is that drones could lead us down the road to building fully autonomous weapons systems; machines that can make their own lethal decisions on the battlefield. Its hard to distinguish which weapon system is considered autonomous, so for the purpose of making a quick distinction, I will refer to any weapon that makes a decision to launch a lethal attack as fully autonomous. So, a heat-seeking Hellfire missile that follows a target would not be autonomous because a human entity made the decision to push the button to launch it, but a Predator drone programmed so as to make the decision for itself to fire on a specific target of its own accord would be. So as long as the human element is present for each particular lethal decision, it would not be considered autonomous. Many consider autonomous drones to be morally impermissible and are afraid that the move to make current drones autonomous is j ust around the corner. Another concern pertains to the drones decreased ability to discriminate combatants from noncombatants. The concern stems from the trust-worthiness of intelligence and also from the ability to discern different people from a video feed in which the operator is literally thousands of miles away from the battlefield. The examples given before in which the toll of civilian deaths were reported to be significantly larger than the combatant deaths attest to this concern. Some are worried that the use of drones leads to psychological conflicts for their operators. A drone operator would go home or to a PTA meeting after a hard days work of killing suspected terrorists from the comforts of his work desk. Some argue that this places unjust psychological burden on them and causes cognitive dissonance in the mindset of the warrior. An even greater concern is that drone operators would treat warfare as if it were a video game; as a result from the cognitive dissonance which will weaken a warriors will to fight. This could ultimately lead to mental problems or even PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) which would likely affect the operators decision-making on the battlefield. Another criticism is that drones create unjust asymmetry in combat. The objection follows: The use of technologically superior weapons such as drones by one force against another force that does not have the means to attain similar technology crosses an asymmetry threshold that makes the combat inherently ignoble. Its considered to be morally impermissible to pit two opposing sides against each other whose combat abilities differ greatly. Imagine pitting a lion against a dog. The same principle applies when you consider jus in bello (Laws of war). This position is usually held because in such circumstances one side literally does not take any life-or death risks whatsoever (or nearly so, since its warfighters are not even present in the primary theater of combat) whereas the opposing side carries all the risk of combat. (Stawser, 2010) A Moral Case for Drones There are many advocates for the continued use of drones. Some argue that the US is not only entitled but morally obliged to use drones. Considering all the advantages, there is really no downside to using them. Drones are merely an extension of a long historical trajectory of removing a warrior ever farther from his foe for the warriors better protection. (Strawser, 2010) Predator drones have been credited with the removal of top Al Qaeda and Taliban members, the most recent being Al Qaedas No. 3, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid. Stopping these influential terrorist leaders proved to be valuable in stopping large scale terrorists plots aimed at destroying or even devastating US cities and their allies. Conclusion Its only a matter of time when drones will rule the sky. Not only are drones being used in the combat zone, assassination plots, or just surveillance, there are plans in the future for them to roam in the sky of our own US cities. Plans to make drones an extension of law enforcement are inevitable. Before that happens, we have to be responsible citizens and look deep into the ethical problems that they provide and not be blinded by its technological superiority. As the drone attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere have demonstrated, we now have the ultimate in push button warfare. There is always an advantage to having military superiority over your enemies. However, I think its important that we not fall into the trap of thinking that just because our slingshot has a greater range than the other guys, we are morally justified in using it in every case. Military superiority brings with it a moral responsibility not to use the superior weapons we possess merely because we possess them.  (Vincent, 2009)

Argumentative Essay Oppose Death Penalty

Argumentative essay Death penalty The issue of whether death penalty should be abolished or not has been widely debated for years and there are a lot of different views. It is an important issue since it concerns one of the most fundamental human rights, which is the right to live. Death is wrong when a single person commits the murder, but when the decision if a person should be killed or not is made by the society as a unit, the act is apparently justified. This essay deals with the contradiction in the arguments being given as a support to the death penalty.It will also put forward reason for why this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment should be abolished. The death penalty is practiced in many parts of the world today. Amnesty International, the leading human rights non-governmental organisation, have been working to abolish the death penalty for over the past 20 years. But 58 countries maintain the death penalty in both law and practice, and thousands of people is executed annually in cold-blooded ways like stoning, death by deadly injection, hanging and the electric chair.These actions are being approved without any legitimate basis. First of all, the death penalty is a violation of two fundamental human rights, as laid down in Articles 3 and 5 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights: â€Å"The right to life† and â€Å"The right not to be tortured or subject to any cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment†. Fact is, the most successful form of torture is reportedly the threat of execution. From the moment you are put in death row and the minute up to the execution is one of the most agonizing form of psychological exploitation.No man or woman should endure this kind of torment, no matter what crime they have committed. Human rights are for everyone, always, and can never be forfeited. No exceptions. Furthermore, there is a risk that it can be inflicted on the innocent, and an execution is final and a life cannot be taken back. Secondly, an execution cannot work as any form of satisfaction for the victim’s family since an execution will not restore anyone’s life and the crime that first was committed by the perpetrator cannot be undone.As a matter a fact, many whose relatives or friends have been murdered, have distanced themselves from the death penalty. In addition, an execution causes a lot of grief and pain for the family of the executed, while imprisonment is giving them the opportunity to stay in contact with the confined. Thirdly, the death penalty is not a contribution to a safer society. Numerous of studies have shown that there is no scientific evidence saying that executions have a greater effect than lifetime prison when it comes to a decrease of serious violent crimes.Some research actually shows that the number of serious violent crimes is increasing directly after an execution. Furthermore, those who commit for an example premeditated murder do not think they will get busted, so it is mo re likely that the deterrent effect would be greater if the probability of getting arrested was higher. Obviously, the death penalty prevents the criminal from committing more crimes. But on the other hand, you can never be sure that the criminal would have repeated the crime if he or she is not allowed to live.Some studies actually show that murderers, as a group, are the least likely to relapse into crime after being released. In conclusion, the death penalty should be abolished. It is one of the cruellest treatments, which no man or women deserves to experience, whatever crime has been committed. Moreover, the executed could have been innocent, and an execution is final and cannot be taken back. In addition, death penalty is not a contribution to a safer society. For the reasons given, noting good can come from an execution and therefore should the death penalty with no doubt be abolished.

Acer Case Transnational Management Essay

1. When Multitech was starting up, Stan Shih preached frugality in the form of not spending more money then necessary and not being wasteful with the resources the money spent provided. Shih went as far as creating a campaign that focused on turning lights off, using both sides of paper, and traveling economy class. This is vastly different then the philosophy of other startup companies that spend more money then they have available and quickly go bankrupt. Secondly, Multitech made employment very attractive through delegated responsibility. Most companies have a top-down management approach where all decisions are made at the top and employees need to do what they’re told and keep their ideas to themselves. With Multitech, there was a sense of freedom, which led to the recruitment of bright young engineers. That type of creative freedom, as long as it’s for the betterment of the company, breeds increased productivity. Third, to compensate for offering no more then a modest salary, Multitech offered key employees equity in the form of ownership in subsidiary companies. Can you imagine just coming out of college and being offered ownership in a company? I would take a little less per hour for that opportunity. Imagine if any of us had such an opportunity with Apple or Facebook. Wow! Lastly, joint ventures allowed Multitech to expand its sales into new territories without the risk of hiring more people or raising more capital. In other words, Multitech increased their market share without taking on additional expenses or putting in more money. To sum up, keeping spending under control, hiring the best minds and keeping them happy, and expanding for â€Å"free† leads to an impressive startup. 2. Leonard Liu added value to Acer by making employees responsible for their actions. Liu did this by introducing productivity and performance evaluations. Before Leonard Liu came on board, employees did not have a profit and loss responsibility and as we know, the difference between a successful company and an unsuccessful company is profit. Now, if an employee wanted freedom to make his own decisions, that employee had to make sure his freedom produced a profit. Before Liu, there was a lack of structure within the company. Liu brought a professional management structure to Acer by establishing standards for intra-company communications to make sure everyone was on the same page. Most importantly, Liu created structure within the company by creating RBU’s and SBU’s. With this change, organizations, subsidiaries, and marketing companies under the Acer umbrella all had specific responsibilities instead of doing a little bit of everything. Unfortunately, some of the changes Liu implemented seemed to do more damage then good, which eventually led to employees questioning his judgment and implementing his directives half-heartedly. The supportive family approach was gone having been replaced with an iron-fisted form of management. Employees were not responding. The change was too drastic. Something in between Shih’s approach and Liu’s approach would have probably been more productive. Also, frugality was replaced with lavish spending on accounting and law firms and full acquisitions of companies instead of joint ventures, which put all the financial responsibility on Acer. If the goal was profit, Liu was losing just as much, if not more money. 3. In regards to development of the Aspire, I believe a local-for-local model was used. The Aspire was the first product designed and developed by an RBU, in response to a locally sensed market opportunity. Acer America and other RBU’s felt that Acer’s Taiwan-based SBU’s were too distant to develop product configurations that would appeal to diverse consumer and competitive situations around the globe. The second aspect of the local-for-local model requires that subsidiaries use their own resources to develop products. With that criteria, Mike Culver, AAC’s Director of Product Management, commissioned a series of local focus groups to explore opportunities in home computing. After the focus groups showed a potential for a consumer PC, Culver hired Frog Design to create a prototype for the Aspire. By using focus groups and hiring Frog Design, a company independent from Acer, Culver was using resources available to him outside of the Taiwan home base. From start to finish, the development of the Aspire happened in the US as a product initially for the US market. 4. Shih should allow the development of the Aspire to continue as long as implementation is transferred back to the SBU’s in Taiwan. If all of the company’s engineering and production expertise is located in Taiwan, those with the most expertise should handle the launch of such an expensive product into a highly saturated and competitive market. Shih would also need to make sure that the design of the Aspire stays as-is to achieve economies of scale on production. As far as marketing, I see no problem with different markets customizing the marketing plan for the Aspire. Companies all over the world implement different marketing strategies for a product depending on the market. For example, Diet Pepsi is marketed as Pepsi Light in some countries outside of the US. What may be an important feature of the Aspire in the US market might not be as important in a different market.

The Ongoing Struggle For A Family Essays - Gender, Human Sexuality

The Ongoing Struggle For A Family Essays - Gender, Human Sexuality The Ongoing Struggle For A Family The Ongoing Struggle for a Family The most important thing in a family is that all the people in it love each other. This excerpt is from a childrens book, written by Leslea Newman, Called Heather Has Two Mommies. This story is intended to show kids that not everyones family is the same. Many reasons are given to dispute gay and lesbian parenting but all founded on some of the archaic beliefs that Hitler used to kill homosexuals during W.W.II, fear and prejudice! Although having children and being parents seems like a basic human right or choice, many people believe that the government should have the authority to discriminate who can are cannot have children, regardless of their parenting skills. Some say that it is unnatural for gay and lesbians to have children because they have to go to such extremes to have them (Oppos ..199). It is kind of ironic because it has become mainstream for heterosexual couples that are determined infertile to use artificial insemination, adoption, and even invitro-fertilization, and when one of these procedures is successful the couple is said to have had a miracle, while the gay or lesbian couple is said to be fanatical. Lesbian couples may use sperm banks, or they may become coparents with a gay couple that also wishes to have children. In these cases the child has 4 loving and nurturing parents instead of the standard 2. Noom 2 Another opposing view is that all gays and lesbians are sexually promiscuous, therefore have HIV/AIDS, and their relationships are not stable enough to have children (Oppos..199). Lesbians and gays love and form deep and lasting commitments just like heterosexuals. To claim otherwise is to declare that lesbians and gays are somehow not human and ignore the reality of their lives, (New Civil..125) Laws and social views seem be conflicted on what they want because they say gay/lesbian relationships are not stable, but than deny them the right to marry, therefore through laws and legislation the are not promoting the behavior that they seem to require. HIV/AIDS is a horrible disease and truthfully is a major concern in the gay community, but it is because of the stereotypes, lack of education, and knowledge about the disease itself that this disease was able to attack many gay males. Although HIV/AIDS is a concern for people in general the number of lesbian women with it is almost non-existent. Does this mean that heterosexual couples that have HIV/AIDS are not having children? No, countless articles can be found about drug using prostitutes that give birth to a baby with HIV and still retains custody. While in 1997, a women named Sharon Bottoms loses her child in Virginia to her mother for being gay, active lesbianism practiced in the home may pose a burden upon the child by reason of Social Condemnation attached to such an arrangement the state Supreme Court stated (issues..36). All hope is not lost though, in June of 1997 an Ohio appeals court upheld that, sexual orientation alone, has no relevance to a decision concerning the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, (Issues..37) Many people believe that gays and lesbians shouldnt have kids because the child will be molested and/or be mal adjusted as a youth and adult. Lesbians and gays are inherently sick and prey on children. Giving them custody of children opens those children up to sexual abuse. They cannot raise healthy children, (Oppos..199). Noom 3 The statistics certainly do not support these statements, Adults who sexually molest children are a diverse group. No one race, religion level of intelligence, level of education, occupation, or income sets perpetrators apart from the rest of the population, (New Civil.. 78). One thing is clear, most often a child molester is a heterosexual male who is acquainted with the victim (New Civil..78). Others believe that a child of a homosexual is most likely going to be a homosexual, and even if they are not they will have a hard time growing up due to the teasing and stereotypes of their classmates and community. Studies have proved these beliefs false, Although studies have assessed over 300 offspring of gay or lesbian parents in 12 different samples, no evidence has been found for significant disturbances of any kind in the development of sexual identity. they go on to say that, the same held true for moral development, intelligence, and peer relationships, (New Civil..132). Like all children, kids from gay and lesbian familys have

Marketing Study on Portable Water Cooler Essays

Marketing Study on Portable Water Cooler Essays Marketing Study on Portable Water Cooler Essay Marketing Study on Portable Water Cooler Essay Executive Summary Breeze Waters will introduce a bottled water cooler that is portable and easy to bring outdoors and will provide cool/cold water anytime, anywhere. The product’s main feature is its portability. Bottled water coolers are mostly indoors and are place in a fixed spot in vicinity. Our product will take on the mobility of users as the target market will be professional athletes that are always on the go in their trainings and game tours, and other professionals whose work are mostly on the field and access to a cool/cold water is limited to stores and offices. We are also taking advantage on the health benefits of cold water as a daily human need. The primary marketing objective is to achieve first year Philippine market share of one percent (1%) with unit sales of 1,000,000. The primary financial objectives are to achieve first year sales revenues of P5 million, keep the first year losses to less than 100000, and break even early in the middle of first year. I. Situation Analysis A water cooler is a device that cools water. It is generally broken up in two categories. First is the bottle-less or the point of use (POU) water coolers where the device is hooked to a water supply. Second is the bottled water coolers (BWC) that requires large bottles from vendors. In recent years, with increasing attacks from the environmental movement on bottled water in small plastic disposable bottles, water coolers has emerged an arguably the more environmentally friendly approach to dispensing bottled water. Market volumes for water coolers are holding steady, despite difficult market conditions. Whilst the overall market was stable, figures showed an increased bias in favor of POU coolers as against BWC. However this decline for BWCs is expected to slow over the coming year. Market value in 2009 had decreased since the peak experienced in 2005 but still showing some growth taking as a whole decade since 2001. Philippines market for water coolers had developed slowly since the 1990s, but aggressive cut-price competition has resulted in very low margins that are insufficient to offer quality delivery service to the consumers. Consumers mostly in the public sector felt it was best for staff working in large offices to have ready access to water and for this reason BWCs can provide a more flexible option. In the private sector, too, smaller companies and those, for example on construction sites, who need ready supply of water, choose the bottled variety. However, current market has not yet considered providing cool/cold water to workers that are always on the go and does not stay in an office for a long period of time, through the use of a BWC. To gain market share, Breeze Waters will focus its efforts on a specific target market bringing in the feature of portability as a value to be created in a growing market of water coolers. 1. Market Summary Breeze Waters’ market consists of professional fieldworkers (sales representatives, field auditors, surveyors, etc. ) and athletes who are always on the go and seldom stay inside an office or a building. After being on a field for a long period of time, these consumers would like a drink of cold water especially during hot and humid temperatures, and would find it more convenient if a cool/cold water is readily available. Exhibit A shows how Breeze Waters addresses some of the most basic needs of the target market in a cost-effective manner. The additional benefits like temperature adjuster, being cordless, and chic design of the product just enhances its appeal to the identified segments. Bottled water coolers are operated by either thermo-electric or compressor units. Thermo-electric units are silent and the most cost-efficient to operate but are not suitable for use in very hot environments. Compressor units, on the other hand, are extremely powerful and produce colder water, even in the highest temperatures. Both types can dispense cold, or room-temperature, depending on the particular brand and model. Exhibit A: Needs and corresponding Features/Benefits of Breeze Waters |Target Segment |Customer Need |Corresponding Feature/Benefit | |Professionals Clean and crisp cool water while on the go |Portable water cooler from 12 ounce to 1 liter | |Fieldworkers, |Â   |sizes. | | | | | |Athletes | | | | | |Stays cold for a longer period of time. | |Readily available whenever and wherever |Can be plugged in to any power source. | | |Cordless |Battery operated and rechargeable. | | |Adjust water temperature |Temperature adjuster based on the user | | | |preference. | [pic] 2. Market Demographics The profile for the typical Breeze Waters customer consists of the following geographic, demographic, and behavior factors: Geographics Breeze Waters will initially focus its effort of distribution in the Philippines, particularly in multinational and local companies that have employees engaged in field works such as pharmaceutical companies, heavy equipment companies and other organizations that invest heavily in marketing agents and sales representatives to sell their products. ? Breeze Waters will also cater to Philippine national and college/university sports teams particularly basketball and football. ? Total targeted population is 100,000 users in the first year of operations. Demographics ? There is an almost equal ratio between male and female users. The working group aged 22 to 35 will be the bulk of Breeze Waters products. They are mostly the age group that companies hire to be their sales representatives and/or agents. ? Part of Breeze Waters clientele will be the sports athletes both in university and national levels. This will comprise of users aged 17 to 21. Behavior Factors ? Users enjoy cold and crisp water anytime, anywhere especially after hours of working and/or practice/games. ? Users usually bring handy water containers when travelling long distances. ? Users are always on the go and are assigned to far flung areas where instant access to cold water is unlikely. Market Analysis | | | | | | | |Potential Customers |Growth |2013 |2014 |2015 |2016 |2017 | |Working group aged 22 to 35 |15% |50,000 |57,500 |66,125 |76,044 |87,450 | |Sports Athletes |Â   |Â   |Â   |Â   |Â   |Â   | | National |10% |35,000 |40,250 |46,288 |53,231 |61,215 | | Collegiate/University |5% |20,000 |23,000 |26,450 |30,418 |34,980 | |Other |3% |10,000 |11,500 |13,225 |15,209 |17,490 | |Total |33% |115,000 |132,250 |152,088 |174,901 |201,136 | 3. Market Needs Breeze Waters is providing the market with a handy water cooler that anyone can bring anytime and anywhere, and have a cold and crisp water at their beck and call. The c ompany seeks to fulfill the following benefits that are important to its customers: ? Portable/Mobile. Users can bring anywhere a water cooler to provide them with fresh and cold water anytime they want. ? Rechargeable. Permanent power source will not be needed always as the product runs through battery. Users can just bring spare batteries like for cell phones and digital cameras to continue usage of Breeze Waters. Adjustable Temperature. Users don’t just get cold water, they get the cold water they want. Drinkers of cold water have varying preference as to the degree of coldness in the water they are drinking. Some like it ice cold, some just like it chilled, and some like it depending on the weather. With this feature, Breeze Water is able to give the drinker the freedom to adjust the water’s temperature according to preference. 4. Market Trends Breeze Waters will differentiate itself from other similar products in the market in its portable and rechargeable feature . Research of the current market revealed that no product exists similar to Breeze Waters. Closest product to Breeze Waters is the typical water coolers that operate on a permanent power supply and smallest size cannot be conveniently put inside an average backpack or is too bulky to carry around. The water cooler market is composed of approximately 360,000 bottled water coolers. Over the last several years many bottled water cooler customers have migrated from bottled coolers to mains-fed plumbed-in. POU (mains-fed) water coolers now account for approximately 50% of the market. However, the migration from bottled to POU (mains-fed coolers) has all but ceased. Latest available data (2000 to 2013) showed that the total market will enjoy modest growth of 1% or 2% per annum over the next four years, with little or no change in the product mix between bottled and POU coolers. [pic] 5. Market Growth Using figures based on factual volume and financial data provided directly from members of British Water Cooler Association, the review contained some surprising results as it reported on the trends for Point of Use and Bottled Water Coolers over the last 5 years. There was a modest growth in bottled water coolers and a continuing reduction in the growth for mains fed water coolers, with improved margins for bottled coolers against plummeting margins for mains fed coolers. The same too can be expected in the Philippines as people are clamoring for clean water especially that not all places in the Philippines can provide clean water. Plus the need for cold water especially in areas without electricity is also high. Giving them the alternative of battery operated water coolers albeit in small sizes is more than welcome. [pic] 6. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis Breeze Waters has several strengths on which to bank the product, but our major weakness is the lack of brand awareness and imaging due to little investment in marketing. The major opportunity for the product is its portability and mobility which is a feature that is yet to be tapped in the bottled water cooler market. A major threat on the other hand is that of the mass availability of substitutes like bottled waters that can easily be bought from stores. Strengths a. Portability/ Mobility Breeze water comes in tumbler-like sizes of twelve (12) ounces and one (1) liter that will be easier to bring or put inside a bag for the yuppies and sportsmen that are always on the go. b. Cordless ? Breeze Waters is a water cooler that is able to cool water from a portable power source (battery pack) without any cable or cord to limit its mobility. Furthermore, the user may opt to cool his beverage at the time of drinking which gives a crisp coolness to the water instead of cold water turned tepid due to long period of time being ignored. c. Rechargeable ? The portable power source that makes Breeze Waters portable is rechargeable. Users can bring as many battery packs as they can when travelling to continue easy access to a cool/cold water anytime, anywhere. d. Adjustable temperature ? Breeze Waters is capable of adjusting the cooling level of water depending on the desired coldness of the user. Weaknesses a. Lack of brand awareness ? Breeze Waters has no established brand or image as no similar products are yet available or/or known in the market. Brand awareness will be the primary goal of advertising in the early months after the product launch. b. Small sizes ? The product’s main feature is its portability and mobility which makes the size to be inherently small. Small sizing of Breeze Waters may not satisfy users as to the volume of water they can cool at one time anytime, anywhere. To counteract this weakness, we will emphasize on the value of Breeze Waters that good things come in small packages. Opportunities a. Growing market for water cooler industry ? Customers are becoming more demanding with regard to the look, features and service of water coolers whether in the office or on the go. b. Product is in the introduction phase of product life cycle ? Breeze Waters can be a pioneer brand in the classification of portable water coolers , and intellectual property may be established. Threats a. Varying substitute products ? Instead of bringing portable water cooler in the field, consumers may just go to any retail stores to buy bottled cold drinks and a wide array of choices are available. Breeze Waters have to intensify marketing of the advantages and benefits of a portable water cooler especially in far flung areas where cold water is hard to come by due to, for instance, the absence of electricity and commercial establishments. In such cases having a cold water to drink is a luxury- a luxury that Breeze Waters only can offer. b. Aggressive cut-price competition of water coolers in the Philippine market ? This resulted to very low margins that are insufficient to offer quality delivery service to the consumers. Breeze Waters’ objective of breaking even with the second-year sales is realistic, given the low margins in the Philippine market for water coolers. 7. Competition Research of the current market revealed the absence of product similar to Breeze Waters with regards to size and features. Hence, no direct competition can be identified. However, several substitutes exist as follows: a. Portable Insulated Water Cooler Jug ? Heavy duty construction resists dents and corrosion. Extra thick insulation keeps beverage hot or cold. Screw tight insulated lid. Interior lid vent for smooth pouring. Fast flow faucet for easy pouring. b. Bottled Beverages ? Any potable liquid substance contained in a bottle. Bottled drinks are not limited to water, it also includes soda, energy drinks and others. c. Tabletop Water Cooler Tabletop water dispenser offers both hot and cold water dispensing and thermoelectric cooling. Lightweight design includes durable ABS construction, push button faucets for hot and cold drinking water, a removable drip tray, built-in cup holder, and full LED display for all functions. Hot and cold water operations have separate on/off switches . 8. Product Offerings Breeze Waters offers the following standard features: ? Operates in an ion-based battery pack capable of easy recharging and replacement ? Temperature of water may be controlled depending on the user’s preference ? Handy- sizes of twelve (12) ounces and one (1) liter ? Chic and stylish First year sales revenues are projected at 1 million, based on 50,000 units of 12 ounces and 50,000 units of 1 liter, sold of Breeze Waters at a wholesale price of 500 and 1,000 respectively. Bigger sizes of Breeze Waters will be introduced in the second year and will be focusing on providing cold water to areas without electricity, as a direct competition of main stream water coolers operating through a permanent power source. 9. Distribution Breeze Waters will be distributed through a network of wholesalers and retailers in the top 100 Philippine markets. Among the most important channel partners being contacted are: ? Electronic specialty stores Breeze Waters will be included in featured electronic must haves of the season (summer). ? Appliance Centers Leading appliance centers in the country will carry Breeze Waters in stores, in catalogs and also on-line. ? Bottle fillers To line up with the traditional water coolers and dispensers, Breeze Waters will be included as a handy and chic version of water coolers now available in the market. ? Sports apparels stores Breeze Waters will be introduced as a better and permanent substitute to conventional water jugs and tumblers as workout companion. Distribution will initially be restricted in the Philippines, with appropriates sales promotion support. Expansion outside the Philippines will follow after target sales have been reached. 10. Keys to Success The key to success is being able to engage big companies and teams to contract with Breeze Waters. Through this, the company can establish niche and loyal customer base. As the target market of the product are athletes and field workers who usually travel places, bringing Breeze Waters with them will also serve as advertisement to places where regular publicity and promotions of Breeze Waters cannot reach. 11. Critical Issues As start-up business, Breeze Waters is still in the introduction stage. The critical issues for Breeze Waters are: ? Establish itself as the premier provider cordless and portable water cooler. ? Emerging microbial control issues in cooling water systems ? Constantly monitoring consumer satisfaction, ensuring that the growth strategy will not compromise service and satisfaction levels. II. MARKETING STRATEGY Breeze Waters will aggressively be courting sports apparel shops and bottle filling stores to intensify the product’s distribution to sportsmen/athletes and industry field workers, on the first phase after product launching. Being able to attach Breeze Waters to a popular sports person or team will be a good mode of advertising and publicity for the product. The same thing with the field workers, companies can add to their usual procurement Breeze Waters product for their field personnel and even to office based workers. Being able to contract with big companies will give a steady stream of sales for Breeze Waters at least as the product goes about the introduction stage. After launching Breeze Waters, it will join the season must haves of specialty electronic stores that will present Breeze Water products as personal collectibles, gift items and the likes. Finally, Breeze Waters will join other electronic appliances and conventional water coolers and dispensers in appliance centers nationwide. 1. Mission Breeze Waters mission is to provide cold and crisp water anytime, anywhere through a portable and cordless water cooler, chic and small enough to carry around or put inside an average backpack. 2. Marketing Objectives ? Maintain positive strong growth each quarter (notwithstanding seasonal sales patterns). ? Achieve a steady increase in market penetration. ? Achieve 1% market share in the water coolers market through unit sales of 1 million in the first 2 years of operation. 3. Financial Objectives ? Sales of to achieve first year sales revenues of P5 million. ? Keep the first year losses to less than 500,000. ? Break even early in the middle of first year. 4. Target Markets As mentioned in Exhibit A above, efforts will be focused to the field workers agents and sports people who spend most of their time outdoors. 5. Positioning For professionals on the go who like their cold and crisp cold water readily available anytime, anywhere. Unlike conventional water coolers, Breeze Waters are easy enough to carry around to give the drinker instant access to cold water without the need of a permanent power source. 6. Strategies The utmost objective is to become the pioneer of cordless water coolers available in the market, serving our fieldworkers and athletes in the outdoors where access to cold and clean water is limited to stores in a given area. The marketing strategy will seek to first create customer awareness concerning the offered product. Compared to other industries, the cooler industry has a significant opportunity to use marketing and PR to drive business forward. Small distributors will be tapped given their entrepreneurial expertise. Breeze Waters will be matched with the right markets (fieldworkers and athletes primarily), and the right players within the market. In addition, we like our brand to be perceived as the pioneer in the market that delivers innovative and state of the art water coolers at reasonable prices. 7. Marketing Program ? Pricing. This will be based on a per product retail price. Distribution. Breeze Waters will be introduced to four different channels: electronic specialty stores, appliance centers, bottle fillers, and sports apparel shops. ? Advertising and Promotion. Aside from collaborating with top companies and school and national sports team, promotions will come in small packages as smal l distributors especially in rural areas will also be utilized to widen the reach of the product. Aesthetics will also play an important role in Breeze Waters advertising, as consumers are naturally drawn to attractive things and the photography we will be using reflects the quality of the products and attention to detail we put into it. Customer Service. Perpetual warranty will be provided. Breeze Waters believes that products sale is not the end of the cycle. Customer satisfaction is constant and hence perpetual. 8. Marketing Research We need to cover two main elements of market research: ? Manufacturers. We need to know the market of manufacturers in the geographic area of our target market, including market trends and developments related to manufacturers of water coolers. ? Channel Marketing. We nee to know the trends in channel competition, emergence of new channels, economics, major competitors and substitutes, new technologies and major players in the target market. Being in the introduction stage, our research is mainly secondary research generated by keeping up with the media, including trade press, international association of water cooler companies and the Internet. We should quickly establish a strong filing system so that we can use the information that appears in secondary sources and catalog and organize for effective use later on. III. Financials The following sections will outline the important financial assumptions. Breeze Waters will address break-even analysis, sales forecast, expense forecast, and indicate how these activities link to the marketing strategy. 1. Break-even Analysis The Break-even Analysis indicates what is needed in monthly revenue to break even. Break-even Analysis |12 ounce |1 Liter | |Monthly Units to break-even |1,000 |500 | |Monthly Sales break-even | 500,000. 00 | 500,000. 00 | |Assumptions: |Â   |Â   | |Average per unit revenue |500 |1000 | |Average per unit variable cost |350 |700 | |Estimated monthly fixe d cost |150,000 |150,000 | 2. Sales Forecast Breeze Waters conservatively projected its sales. It will steadily increase sales as the advertising budget allows. Our sales will have a steady minimum increase of 10% per year both for the 12 ounces and 1 liter sizes of Breeze Waters. Sales Forecast |2013 |2014 |2015 |2016 |2017 | |Sales: | | | | | | |12 Ounce Breeze Waters | 6,000,000. 00 | 6,600,000. 00 | 7,260,000. 00 | 7,986,000. 00 | 8,784,600. 00 | |1 Liter Breeze Waters | 500,000. 00 | 550,000. 00 | 605,000. 00 | 665,500. 00 | 732,050. 00 | |Total Sales | 6,500,000. 00 | 7,150,000. 00 | 7,865,000. 00 | 8,651,500. 00 | 9,516,650. 0 | | | | | | | | |Direct Cost of Sales (70% of Sales) | | | | | |12 Ounce Breeze Waters | 4,200,000. 00 | 4,620,000. 00 | 5,082,000. 00 | 5,590,200. 00 | 6,149,220. 00 | |1 Liter Breeze Waters | 350,000. 00 | 385,000. 00 | 423,500. 00 | 465,850. 00 | 512,435. 00 | |Subtotal Cost of Sales | 4,550,000. 00 | 5,005,000. 00 | 5,505,500. 00 | 6,056,050. 00 | 6 ,661,655. 00 | 3. Expense Forecast The expense forecast will be used as a tool to keep Breeze Waters on target and provide indicators when corrections/modifications are needed for the proper implementation of the marketing plan. The same with monthly sales, expenses are also expected to grow at least by 10% each year and a steady contribution margin of 30% for five years. |Monthly Expense |2013 |2014 |2015 |2016 |2017 | |Payroll | 420,000. 00 | 462,000. 00 | 508,200. 00 | 559,020. 00 | 614,922. 00 | |Sales and Marketing Expense | 600,000. 00 | 660,000. 00 | 726,000. 00 | 798,600. 00 | 878,460. 00 | |Depreciation Expense | 60,000. 00 | 66,000. 00 | 72,600. 00 | 79,860. 00 | 87,846. 0 | |Leased Equipments | 144,000. 00 | 158,400. 00 | 174,240. 00 | 191,664. 00 | 210,830. 40 | |Utilities | 120,000. 00 | 132,000. 00 | 145,200. 00 | 159,720. 00 | 175,692. 00 | |Insurance | 24,000. 00 | 26,400. 00 | 29,040. 00 | 31,944. 00 | 35,138. 40 | |Taxes | 240,000. 00 | 264,000. 00 | 290,400. 00 | 319,440. 00 | 351,384. 00 | |Total Expenses | 1,608,000. 00 | 1,768,800. 0 | 1,945,680. 00 | 2,140,248. 00 | 2,354,272. 80 | | | | | | | | |Percentage of Sales |24. 74% |24. 74% |24. 74% |24. 74% |24. 74% | |Contribution Margin | 1,950,000. 00 | 2,145,000. 00 | 2,359,500. 00 | 2,595,450. 00 | 2,854,995. 00 | |Contribution Margin/Sales |30. 00% |30. 00% |30. 00% |30. 00% |30. 00% | IV. controls This plan is about implementation, introducing new and innovative products and making it better. It is worth nothing if not implemented. In this chapter we look at specific implementation programs, and the details that it takes to make it happen. ? Implementation. The following table and chart identify the key marketing programs. Dates and budget are clearly established. Point persons are informed of their main programs and they are on board with implementation We will be tracking plan vs. actual results for each of the programs and discussing them at our monthly meetings. The programs will be revised each year. This year’s plan includes only the programs to be implemented this year. Milestones |Â   |Â   |Â   |Â   | |Corporate Identity Revisions |3-Jan |5-Feb | 10,000. 00 |KMDM | |PR Development Quotes |20-Jan |22-Oct | 20,000. 00 |ACM | |Website Online |2-Jan |30-Mar | 55,000. 00 |KNDM | |Standard Page Brochure |3-Mar |30-Apr | 50,000. 00 |KNDM | |PR: Sponsorship in schoo l leagues |12-Jun |30-Sep | 350,000. 00 |ACM | |Targeted Advertising |16-Aug |15-Nov | 100,000. 0 |KMDM | |Athletes (collegiate/national) |16-Aug |15-Nov | 500,000. 00 |ACM | |Industry Fieldworkers |11-Sep |31-Dec | 300,000. 00 |ACM | |Press Release 1 |6-Jun |6-Jun | 5,000. 00 |KMDM | |Press Release 2 |1-Dec |1-Dec | 5,000. 00 |KMDM | ? Marketing Organization. Our Marketing Department is headed by Arnold C. Madrio, a seasoned marketer exposed in various marketing efforts brought about by his previous experiences in the field. We need the marketing department to maintain its professional integrity above and beyond the specific associates looking out for our marketing goals and implementing the marketing program as best fits our strategy. ? Contingency Planning. The most likely change in the marketing scheme is adding bigger sizes of Breeze Waters and introducing the same to a different market segment. We will be keeping a close eye on the market trends related to this plan. As of today, we expect we can develop our niche and focus without direct competition from the market with the same product specifications. Worst case scenario is that Breeze Waters cannot support itself on a going concern basis and having to liquidate equipment and intellectual capital to cover liabilities.

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How Nurses Can Improve Nutritional Safety Research Paper

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