American Underclass And The Underclass Essay - 837 Words

Americans used to teach their children that words can’t hurt you. This was a way for parents to comfort their children when they were faced with bullying. In society today, that thought process has changed. Words and labels can hurt people, just not physically. According to Herbert Gans, he believes that labeling a group of people can hinder their mobility in a society. Herbet Gans would not agree with the statement, â€Å"sticks and stones may break your bones but worlds will never hurt you.† He believes that labeling certain groups, particularly the group we label as â€Å"the underclass† harms that population. The reason is because other people associate negative characteristics along with the label the underclass. There is a long list of characteristics that are associated with the underclass population. Two main characteristics are the most important. Americans believe people who are in the underclass group are dangerous and undeserving. This makes the people who are labeled as underclass have a negative connotation about them and they have consequences they face just because of their label. When people put a label on a group of people in a society, the people in the labeled group become to attach themselves to that label and then play their role in that label. This can be positive for the upper classes, however, for the underclass it has devastating effects. Not only are the underclass labeled, there have no choice in the matter. If they have some of the characteristics, forShow MoreRelatedThe Underclass Is Not the Major Threat for American Ideals1893 Words   |  8 PagesThe Underclass Is Not the Major Threat for American Ideals There is no agreement or consensus reached on the proper definition of the term underclass. Furthermore, most researches have not determined the size of the underclass population, much less, on how the underclass population has changed over time. Most people assume that the term underclass implies a group of people who live in isolation, or are isolated from the rest of the society. Secondly, these kinds of persons (underclass) have low payingRead MoreThe American Underclass in In Life at the Bottom by Theodore Dalrymple1127 Words   |  5 Pagesnow the way to depict the lower class. Dalrymple also argues that in order to rise out of the underclass that family ties are needed and without it there is hardly any way to do so. Dalrymple says that many of the issues that plague the underclass comes from a bourgeoisie society, that this upper class of liberals are feeding and fueling all of the problems and mentality that are taken on by the underclass. Some of the points that where stated by Dalrymple can in fact be transitioned towards theRead MoreThe Underclass Of The United States1449 Words   |  6 PagesAn underclass does not exist in the United States. It is a function of conservative’s imaginations. The relevance of their creating of an underclass serves one large purpose and that is to be an emotional ploy to keep people politically occupied with small issues. This allows corporations to ensure that their competition will be busy fighting other battles while they continue to push policy and laws that will represent the interests of the country’s wealthiest and most powerful. A distraction isRead MoreThe Undeserving and Deserving Poor Structure1065 Words   |  5 Pagesthat of the underclass. Karl Marx tabled the idea of the lumpen proletariat, yet in the modern era, the concept did not take hold in Britain until 1989. Today, the debate focuses on whether frictional forces create a continuum of inequality, or whether a defined underclass does exist. The question asks if poor people belong in a separate underclass, which is a vague definition. There will always be poor people, but whether or not this automatically qualifies them as a separate underclass is tenuousRead MoreThe Inequality Of Social Classes982 Words   |  4 PagesMatt Wuerker a political cartoonist for Politico, published Kitchen Tables that highlighted the injustice in social classes. It is a cartoon that consist of three different drawings of kitchen tables that Americans sit around: a luxurious upper class, an average middle class, and a deprived underclass. Wuerker used unequal proportion between each of the drawings size to represent the iniquity within social classes. He not only gave the upper class half of the paper, but he also labeled it the â€Å"top 1%†Read MoreThe Poverty Of Americans Are Affected By Poverty1464 Words   |  6 PagesMillions of Americans are affected by poverty every day, it does not spare anyone of a certain race, age, or gender. As children go hungry and the homeless become invisible, the 85 percent of wealthy Americans go on believing poverty does not exist. We live in a â€Å"culture of poverty† where there are many Americans that deny the fact that the country is in a state of despair, the only likely way out is to change how the government assists the deprived and to educate the unknowing. Policy makers haveRead MoreThe New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration1667 Words   |  7 PagesMain Thesis Americans think they live in a colorblind society and do not discriminate based on race. The fact is Americans have Barack Obama as their president. Some might argue as long as there are exceptional blacks there are no excuses for all blacks to succeed. Although, Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness, challenges American’s colorblindness by bringing to light the mass incarceration of African Americans. Jim Crow laws are no longerRead MoreAmerica, Like Ancient Rome, Depend On A Marginalized Underclass Of Maintain Its World Power Status?1330 Words   |  6 PagesStephanie Sierra Professor Stern History 219-01 Paper#1 Does America, like Ancient Rome, depend on a subjugated underclass to maintain its world power status? In Ancient Rome, The way society worked was much similar to America. The Roman social class is and has been very significant in the operational American social class. None of the Roman class’ was oppressed or enslaved rather they were split into two. Once the Romans defeated the Etruscans they went on to build an empire that would changeRead More The Two Major Causes of the Urban Underclass Essay1870 Words   |  8 Pagesof the Urban Underclass nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Today in the United States, as well as in many other affluent, industrialized nations, there exists an urban underclass, which is defined as a class of people that comprises members of low-income households who have little or no participation in the workforce (Gilbert 2003, p. 274). Currently there are predominantly two distinct, conflicting views of why the underclass exists. On one hand, there is the notion that the underclass is simply theRead MoreSocial Class Is An Integral Part Of Our Society Essay1609 Words   |  7 Pagesclass is a valuable subject to address since it’s difficult to really understand the differences between the classes as well as the fact that, at least in America, it is easy for people to turn a blind eye to the truly horrifying situations a lot of underclass families find themselves in. Class was defined in lecture as, â€Å"A set of people who share similar status with regard to factors such as wealth, income, education, an d occupation (Obernesser, L. 2016,)† and social class is, â€Å"a group of people in society

Child Development Is All Apart Of A Life Cycle - 1851 Words

Child development is all apart of a life cycle. The life cycle defines pathways for individuals as they age from birth to death. Child development is an interesting topic to observe. Anyone who is around or care for children cannot help but to notice the rapid growth from infancy to adulthood. Those without children can recognize the rapid growth also, because he or she was once a child. â€Å"Childhood has thus been identified as a stage of life, associated with chronological age, located between infancy and youth, and including adolescence† (Burke 4). Children go through periods of development as they grow up in life, and they also participate in their own development and learning. Childhood is generally considered to be a natural biological stage of development (Burke 1). In each stage there are multiple changes in the development of the brain. Studies show that child development processes through three stages; early childhood, late childhood, and adolescence. The beginn ing stage in child development is early childhood. â€Å"Early childhood is defined as the period from birth to five years old. This is the time in which the brain grows; these years lay the foundation for subsequent learning and development† (Mott 1). While the structure of the brain is determined biologically and develops during the prenatal stage, the connections within the brain that are critical in laying the foundation for all later development result from the child s interaction with his or her humanShow MoreRelatedPoverty in America Essay838 Words   |  4 Pagesprovided a means for escape from the continuing cycle. Other factors contributing to poverty was the location of homes or neighborhoods and the accessibility to better paying jobs. Introduction Its hard to believe in a country as wealthy as the United States, that we have the problem of poverty. Poverty has not become a recent problem of our nation. Legislators, scientists and those impoverished have long searched for the end of the poverty cycle. The fact is that poverty does seem to be anRead MoreAnatomy And Physiology : Questions1722 Words   |  7 Pagesmethod is described as a natural form of contraception when engaging in sex. There is no form of birth control used such as pills, shots, intrauterine devices (IUDs), or any kind of condoms. A woman is basically relying on the upkeep of her menstrual cycle and tracking the days she thinks she is fertile and ovulating and on those particular days she either refrains from sex or instead decides to use a form of birth control. The pros of this method is that there aren’t any side effects related to theRead MoreThe Oedipus Complex And The Electra Complex1032 Words   |  5 PagesSigmund Freud’s declaratio n that â€Å"neuroses†¦can be derived only from disturbances in sexual life† (94), challenged the prevailing societal attitudes of his day regarding mental health, childhood development, and human sexuality. Freud explored the inner life of children developing into adulthood by reviving mythological stories of incest, brutality, and obsessive self-love: The Oedipus Complex and the Electra Complex, both variations on the theme of destructive love, murdering the same-sex parentRead MoreHomelessness in the United States952 Words   |  4 PagesThe focus will be on homelessness and how the child is affected in two major settings: the home, or lack of, and school. In both of these settings, children are impacted by different social forces and must push through barriers that are set before them given their circumstance. â€Å"Living without permanent, long-term housing creates a number of stressors for children and families, but being homeless can be particularly detrimental to the healthy development of young children† (McCoy-Roth, Mackintosh,Read MoreThe Cycle Of Life928 Words   |  4 Pages The Cycle of Life â€Å"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.† (Baldwin). The idea that two groups of people, generations apart can be akin to one another is one of life’s many mystical ironies. Human life is often characterized by cycles and stages, beginning with birth and ending at death. The exact reason why people age is still an incomprehensive phenomenon. As people age, they often take on the characteristics of a dependentRead MoreThe Book of Ecclesiastes Essay1182 Words   |  5 Pageswhom the actual author of Ecclesiastes is, but the overwhelming majority of critics deem the authorship of this book to Solomon, King David’s son, based on textual clues. It is also generally accepted that this book was written late in King Solomon’s life based on the text in chapter 12:1-7. Ecclesiastes is similar in style to several Biblical poetic books as well as in context to various ancient Near Eastern text s, which demonstrate that practical wisdom is of little value in the real world. HavingRead MoreSelf Control And Its Effect On Our Lives1570 Words   |  7 Pagesdefine self-control as the ability to control ourselves when put in a variety of situations, in particular in dealing with emotions and desires. Self-control sets us apart from our ancestors and also sets us apart from other animals in that we have higher reasoning skills and can better control our behavior. With these developments, humans have the ability to subdue impulses in order to achieve long-term goals, instead of surrendering to impulses to get instant gratification. Humans can also analyzeRead MoreThe Necessities For Living Are Basic Food, Water, And Shelter1115 Words   |  5 Pages The necessities for living are basic: food, water, and shelter. Plain and simple, but how do you acquire such necessities? Education is the foundation. No matter where anyone goes with life, the need for an education is an important factor in living a healthy, safe, and successful life. In America, many adults still lack the ability to read and understand the world around them because they are not literate, and it doesn’t just affect the individual. The affects are passed down to the children, theRead MoreEffects Of School Achievement On Children1306 Words   |  6 Pages School achievement outcomes are also life impacting. Often the only way out of poverty is an education that can provide them with a job which can meet their income needs. If a child’s school achievement is affected by poverty, they have a higher chance of dropping out and continuing poverty in their generation. Effects of school achievement are measured by if the child has repeated a grade, suspended or expelled, and/or dropped out before graduating. A large amount of children that live in povertyRead MoreDivorce And The Effects On Child Development1577 Words   |  7 Pages Divorce and the Effects on Child Development Nicole Harris Child Development- PSYC 3026-20 Simpson University July 3, 2015 Divorce and the Effects on Child Development Although needed in severe cases of abuse, divorce harmfully impacts, wives husbands and children. The lack of understanding of the primary nature of marriage has brought about a withdrawal from the institution of marriage. Parents need to slow on the uptake and proceed with care before the decision is made that divorce is

Speak Response to Literature Free Essays

â€Å"It is easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip; can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. We will write a custom essay sample on Speak Response to Literature or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say. † (Speak. Pg. 9, Paragraph 4. ) Everyone at some point in their lives have felt that terrifying feeling of dejection, sorrow, anger, frustration and pain. Whether it is an action done by one or an action done by others, there is always the fear of being judged, to which people decide it is best if they don’t talk their problems with others. Melinda used to be a serene, sweet loving girl that loved to play sports and had a good relationship with her parents and friends, but suddenly, as she started her first high school year, she skips days of school, drop her grades and feels completely empty. The tones of fear and relief in Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson reflect an inner growth presented by the main character when she overcomes the challenging and devastating condition of being sexually abused. The foreshadowing presented several times in the story reinforces the mystery and the intrigue in the reader as it discovers and resolves the conflict and causes of it. In the beginning of the book, Melinda expresses what she has â€Å"been dreading†; she is the â€Å"Outcast† and the only person â€Å"in the entire galaxy [she is] dying to tell what really happened† (Pg. 3, Paragraph 3; Pg. 4, Paragraph 2. ) and whom she trusted all her life, Rachelle, Melinda’s best friend until 8th grade, hates her to death. For this reason the reader can infer that something inconveniently awful occurred since there is a very sudden shift in their friendship that caused not only their total isolation, but also, feelings of anger and resentment. The author does this to emphasize a sense of interest, charm and curiosity as a hook to capture the reader’s attention from the beginning to build up the plot in the story. Equally, later on in the book, there is a shocking event when Melinda gets trapped with Andy Evans in the janitor’s office; she was about to â€Å"wet [her] pants† as Andy lividly â€Å"cracks his knuckles† and â€Å"stares at [her] without talking. (Pg. 193, Paragraph 3. ) As Melinda gets corned face to face with her biggest fear, the reader feels anxious wondering whether he is going to rape her again or is Melinda going to stand up for herself, be courageous and take revenge from that pervert selfish man. The author does this to built suspense in the reader as i t gets to the ending resolution of the book’s plot; this anxiety is built up by giving small clues that indicate certain actions. For this reason the reader is able to get the traumatic feelings of terror and affliction from a likely experience. The symbolism behind the abandoned janitor’s office in Speak, conveys the reader of the powerful conflict of man versus self. In a moment of trouble, Melinda discovers the inactive and decrepit janitor’s office and she describes it as an â€Å"abandoned [place] – [with] no purpose, no name† and finds is it appropriate for her. (Pg. 25, Paragraph 4. ) The closet represents isolation from the rest of the school as well as it provides her with a place of self-reflection and tranquil safety. The author does this to emphasize Melinda’s affliction and her insecurity, hiding from people and not expressing her feelings to others. Consequently, the Secret Annex was a place for protection and avoiding any type of harm during the World War II in which Anne Frank and her family lived for a very long time. Furthermore, in the end of the story, Melinda is packing her stuff from the closet when suddenly, â€Å"some body slams into [her] chest and nocks [her] back into† it (Pg. 193, Paragraph 3. ); she trapped with Andy Evans, the beast that hurt her once and came to do it once more. As they were fighting, Melinda breaks the mirror hanging form the wall and â€Å"wrap [her] fingers around a triangle of glass†; she holds it into Andy Evans neck â€Å"hard enough to raise one drop of blood†. Immediately, â€Å"his lips are paralyzed† and â€Å" cannot speak†. Melinda added, â€Å"I said no† (Pg. 195, Paragraph 2. ). The closet reflects the place of self-transformation as she becomes courageous and gains control of the situation to fight for herself. The author does this to demonstrate the rewarding satisfaction of fighting over the problems and the huge change that involved courage and maturity. Melinda is able to defeat her biggest fear by growing up, having confidence in herself just like an invincible hero. The first person point of view gives the reader a personal-hand experience of the struggle the protagonist experience as she overcomes her condition. After confronting the truth about what happened that night in a TV show, she feels extremely sick, devastated and confesses, â€Å"My head is killing me, my throat is killing me, my stomach bubbles with toxic waste. (†¦) A coma would be nice. †¦) Anything just to get rid of this, these thoughts, whispers in my mind. Did he rape my head too? † (Pg. 165, Paragraph 2. ) When the character starts reflecting about what happened, she feels fearful and uncertain. The author does this to help the reader understand a personal experience by getting inside her head, which is the only place where Melinda expresses without restrictions or concerns of being judged by her parents, friends and society. In the last pages of the story, Melinda makes a self-reflection in which she says, â€Å"IT happened. There is no avoiding it, no forgetting. No running away, or flying, or burying, or hiding. (†¦) It wasn’t my fault. He hurt me. It wasn’t my fault. And I’m not going to let it kill me. I can grow. † (Pg. 198, Paragraph 1. ) As Melinda cogitates on the events that occurred that night, she has a drastic transformation from her mature beliefs compared to her callow, insecure ones. The author uses this point of view to emphasize the emotional and personal growth of the protagonist by becoming courageous and confronting her fear. This perspective is intended so the reader can feel empathy and understanding as it becomes aware of the main character’s personal opinions. Melinda’s challenge reinforces life’s most challenging task, growing up. Being in such a traumatic age of 14 to 16, it is very hard to deal with these types of situations that are ordinary in our society but are often excluded from conversations; however Melinda’s actions should endure as being a raw model to other people that have experienced the same abuse. Society should protect and look after everyone involved in any abuse, instead, of being so close-minded and judgmental. Furthermore, in order for these abuses to stop, people should gain courage to defend themselves by denouncing their acts; the society around them should not let these misdoings be forgotten with neglect. Bibliography Halse Anderson, Laurie. Speak. New York: Penguin Group, 2009. Print. How to cite Speak Response to Literature, Essay examples

Crazy Eddie Essay Example For Students

Crazy Eddie Essay Crazy Eddie Case Questions 1. Compute key ratios and other financial measures for Crazy Eddie during the period 1984-1987. Identify and briefly explain the red flags in Crazy Eddie’s financial statements that suggested the firm posed a higher-than-normal level of audit risk. There were several red flags in Crazy Eddie’s financial statements. The company’s higher-than-normal level of audit risk can be determined by completing a ratio analysis of the financial statements. An analysis of key ratios over the period of 1984 to 1987 would have resulted in red flags. Crazy Eddie’s change in assets between this period is one red flag that an auditor should have noticed. Short-term investments had a zero balance until 1986 when it dramatically increased to 21. 1 and then dramatically increased again to 41. 4 in 1987. At the same time cash on hand dropped from 34 in 1985 to 3. 2 in 1987, which is a troubling sign. The saying goes that cash is king. Crazy Eddie was rapidly expanding the number of stores and was not anticipating what could happen in the future. Competition greatly increased and Crazy Eddie did not have the funds to pay suppliers for merchandise, which in turn causes potential customers to go elsewhere for their needs. Basically, the industry had become saturated with retailers and the company could no longer extract sweetheart deals from suppliers. After seeing this drop in cash, an analysis on merchandise inventories is needed. From 1984 to 1987, merchandise inventories decreased from 63. 8 to 37, which is another red flag that should have been investigated. Crazy Eddie is a retailer and retailers sell merchandise to customers so inventory is extremely important. This could have been a sign that inventory was misstated. As it turns out, Crazy Eddie had a huge overstatement of the company’s inventory and personnel systematically destroyed incriminating documents to conceal inventory shortages. The age of the inventory was also a red flag that should have been noticed. In 1986, the age of the inventory was 80 days. It increased to 111. 8 days in 1987. This is a sign that inventory that is in stock is not selling, which is a negative since electronics become obsolete quickly and these products tend to have a short life cycle. During this same period from 1984 to 1987, the company’s liabilities were taking a turn for the worst. Short-term debt increased from . 3 in 1984 to 16. 8 in 1987 while accrued expenses went from 16. 6 in 1984 to 1. 9 in 1987. Short-term debt increased because of the company’s rapid expansion as previously mentioned. The decrease in accrued expenses could be the result of the company artificial inflating its revenue by releasing accruals and is a red flag for auditors. These red flags would have appeared to users when the financial statements of Crazy Eddie were compared against the financial statements of a competitor. 2. Identify specific audit procedures that might have led to the detection of the following accounting irregularities perpetrated by Crazy Eddie personnel: (a) the falsification of inventory count sheets, (b) the bogus debit memos for accounts payable, (c) the recording of transshipping transactions as retail sales, and (d) the inclusion of consigned merchandise in year-end inventory. Proper audit procedures are required for auditors to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence that will allow them to draw reasonable conclusions as to whether the client’s financial statements follow generally accepted accounting principles. More specifically, an audit usually contains such procedures as risk assessment procedures, tests of controls, and substantive procedures. Of all the audit procedures, risk assessment procedures are preliminary. Through the risk assessment procedures, auditors obtain the needed understanding of the client, its environment, and internal control of the client company. As in the Crazy Eddie Case, the auditors should have found out the nature of the transshipping transactions, and the potential high risk placed in the inventory accounts by proper performance of the risk assessment procedures. Following the risk assessment procedures, substantive procedures are designed and conducted to detect material misstatements of relevant assertions. Substantive procedures include analytical procedures and tests of details. Analytical procedures involve evaluations of financial statement information by a study of relationships among financial and nonfinancial data. Tests of details  may be divided into three types. One test is the test of account balances to address whether there are misstatements in the ending balance of an account. In the case of Crazy Eddie, auditors should have put greater attention to inventory and accounts payable accounts. The second test is a test of classes of transactions to determine whether particular types of transactions have been properly accounted for during the period. Crazy Eddies fraudulently classified these transshipping transactions as retail sales to inflate its sales revenue and continue growth at existing stores. Child abuse EssayAssume that client personnel were unable to locate 10 of these invoices. How should you and your superiors have responded to this situation? Explain. These ten missing invoices are a troubling sign and needs to be thoroughly investigated by the auditors. It could be a sign that client is trying to conceal fraudulent accounting transactions or it simply could be an issue of lost or misplaced invoices. In situation like this, auditors need to use professional skepticism and increase the assessment of fraud risk. Auditors have the responsibility to detect both fraud and errors. It is important that the auditors adequately examine the internal control procedures for receiving merchandise and paying bills. The auditors needs to understand the process from cradle to grave so it is important that the auditors observe an transaction from start to finish to determine whether the internal controls are appropriate. By understanding the process, the auditors can then determine if the invoices could have been simply lost in the scuffle. Also, the auditors could contact the supplies of the inventory to request the missing invoices in order to verify the existence of the invoices. Finally, they can compare the transactions with previous years records and other firms in the same industry to see if there is a similar pattern. If no there is no satisfactory conclusion to the ten missing invoices, auditors should report the problem to auditing committee. 6. Should companies be allowed to hire individuals who formerly served as their independent auditors? Discuss the pros and cons of this practice. There are several pros and cons of hiring individuals who formerly served as independent auditors. Hiring former external auditors to work as senior accounting and finance officers is known as a revolving door phenomenon. One draw back of this practice is that some individuals believe that this practice undermines auditor independence, audit quality and the quality of financial statements. Auditor independence is extremely important and it is essential to satisfactory performance. Also, the former external auditor has knowledge of how external audit firm operates and their testing techniques for audits. This means that the former auditor has the ability to help its current employer to manipulate the financial statements in ways that are least likely to be detected by the auditors. They have the potential to keep external auditors from finding evidence of any fraud. Also, remaining members of the external audit team may be reluctant to question former colleagues. This past relationship history can constrain the independence and professional skepticism of the auditing, because reliance is now placed on emotional confidence and trust. However, there are many pros with this practice of hiring individuals who formerly served as their independent auditors. Companies have found these employees to be both efficient and effective. They are efficient for the company because these individuals are already familiar with the companys policies, practices, and corporate culture. This means that less time and money is required to educate and train these individuals about the company. Also, these individuals are highly educated and are knowledgeable about the industry and the internal control. They have had years of experience and are familiar with numerous types of businesses and complex accounting financial transactions. The former external auditors already have relationships with employees at the company. They have had first hand experience with the employee’s and know about the employee’s capability, ethics, and personality, which is beneficial in certain situations. Sarbanes Oxley resulted in auditing firms no longer being able to provide internal audit work to the clients they audit. This was done to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. On March 31, 2003, the rules for hiring individuals who formerly served as their independent auditors changed. According to Securities and Exchange Commission, under Release No. 33-8183, an accounting firm is deemed to be not independent with respect to an audit client if a former member of the audit engagement team is employed by the issuer in a financial reporting oversight role unless the individual had not been a member of the audit engagement team during the one year period preceding the initiation of the audit.

5 Core WordPress Features That You Should Use More Often

WordPress is the worlds most popular content management system, and even with its minimalist out-of-the-box functionality, it is  far more powerful  than you might think. Were  not just talking about the notion of using plugins like Jetpack to extend the platforms core functionality either there are probably  built-in core WordPress features you  are unaware of.In fact, its possible that you have functionality-boosting plugins installed on your WordPress website right now that, in reality, dont need to be there. Fortunately, all core WordPress  features are easy to find, and are ready to be used on your website right now.In this post, we reveal five core WordPress features that you probably dont know about, but should definitely make better use of.  Lets get started:Core WordPress features to use more often:1. Distraction-free writing modeResisting distractions and battling procrastination are part and parcel of a bloggers daily routine. To help you focus on your writi ng, WordPress has a handy distraction-free writing mode built right into its native editor.Where to find itThe distraction-free writing mode button can be found within the TinyMCE editor on any edit page. Simply click the icon located in the top-right hand corner of the editor, and WordPress tucks away both the meta boxes on the right,  and the dashboard  menu on the left. It even dims the bar at the top of  the page to ensure your eyes dont wander.All of this serves to  bring the editor itself to the forefront, enabling  you to focus on putting pen to paper (so to speak).2. The Theme CustomizerCustomizing your WordPress theme – especially within the context of a complete redesign –  can  quickly bog you down. There are plenty of theme developers who have noticed this and created custom dashboard editors in an attempt to relieve users of the strain.However, the often overlooked WordPress Theme Customizer still has its place, and is  a great way  to ma ke quick theme modifications without trawling through the options in a custom solution. More than that, its actually the recommended way of customizing a theme.Where to find itThe WordPress Theme Customizer can be found under  Appearance / Customize within the WordPress sidebar. From here you have access to  a number of customizations, depending on the theme youre using. At the very least, youll be able to change your websites  title and tagline, logo, menu structure, and color scheme.With  the  recent WordPress 4.5 update, WordPress Theme Customizer has seen  a number of new additions,  making it an even more viable alternative for quick customization. In fact, we love the WordPress Customizer so much weve created a comprehensive guide  on how to use it to spruce up your websites design.3. The category and tags converterThe structure of your WordPress website may change over time. As you learn more about how to  organize your website, youll discover new ways to ut ilize categories and tags to help users to  find related content.As such, you may eventually find yourself needing to convert your websites categories into tags (or vice versa). This process can help to restructure the way your blog posts and pages are served up to your readers – particularly if youre thinking about  swapping your WordPress theme for something a little more snazzy. And this is where the next one of our core WordPress features comes into play.Where to find itThe Categories and Tags Converter can be found by heading to the  Tools menu, then Import.  You can choose convert  Categories to Tags or Tags to Categories  before making your individual selections. After clicking the Convert button, WordPress will then handle the  technical stuff.4. CSS classes for menusHave you ever wanted to customize the look and feel of individual menus, submenus, and menu buttons? WordPress already has you covered!By activating custom CSS classes for your WordPress men us, you can easily add CSS code without having to exit the Menus  edit page. Its a quick and easy way to go deep on customizing the design of your menus, all from a familiar interface.Where to find itBefore you can use the CSS Classes option, youll need to activate it from the Screen Options tab at the top of the Menus screen. Click the tab, and it will open out to display several checkboxes. Click the CSS Classes box under the Show advanced menu properties section, and  youll see the field  appear within any menu items options.5. The Press This toolPress This is a bookmarklet that  can be dragged and dropped into your browsers bookmark bar. By  clicking the button whenever youre browsing an interesting web page, you can quickly post a link and a short commentary  directly to your WordPress website. Its then immediately published in the form of a blog post.Its a fantastically quick, easy, and smart way to alert  your readers to exciting content as and when you find it around the internet.Where to find itYou can  access the  Press This button by navigating  to the  Tools menu, then the  Available Tools tab. Simply drag it to your browsers bookmarks bar, and its ready to go. You can also access Press This for mobiles using the Open Press This button, adding it as you would any other bookmark on your device.ConclusionWordPress is already a powerhouse content management system, but by making use of some relatively unknown core  functionality, you can make it go the extra mile without having to resort to plugins.To recap, here are the five core WordPress features you could  make better use of:Distraction-free writing mode:  For a more focused writing experience.Theme Customizer:  To modify WordPress websites quickly within a familiar interface.The Category to Tags Converter:  For re-structuring the categories and tags that make up your WordPress website.CSS classes for menus:  For adding custom CSS code to your menus, submenus, a nd individual menu buttons.Press This:  To help you quickly share newly discovered  content with your audience, directly from your browsers bookmark bar.Are there any other core  WordPress features that dont get the props they deserve? Share them with us in the comments section below!

Richelsons The Wizards of Langley Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Book Review

Richelsons The Wizards of Langley Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Book Review Richelson offers an authentic account of the development and evolution of directorate of science and technology at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). CIA started its work in reports’ department before becoming an agency of scientific intelligence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Richelsons The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Book Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The agency adopted science and technology as part of clandestine surveillance in its events in 1968. Some of the most noteworthy facilities acquired by the agency included the Corona photographic reconnaissance satellite and U-2 airplane (Richelson 54). These programs faced much criticism at first. However, the intelligence technology through use of satellites finally caught the hearts of officials in 1960 and later in 1980’s, after they realized that the programs did not leave any room for s usceptibility. Some of these officials of CIA were Allen Dulles who was the director and Eisenhower, the President. These two officials turned into firm supporters of the programs after they learnt that no gap for planned bombing prevailed as the U-2 missions revealed. The deals of the agency went on well until it ruined Bay Pigs in 1961. This annoyed the then U.S. president John Kennedy and what followed was the firing of Bissell who was a leader in the team that directed the attack. Bissel had also played a key role in developing satellite and aerial survey mediums to keep an eye on the Soviet tactical challenge. Following the Cuban fiasco, Wheelon became the directorate of the intelligence programs. Land and Killian nominated him when they realized that Kennedy wanted to stay far from the CIA. Their argument was that the programs were too intricate for military managers and that it was necessary to merge science and technology in a fresh CIA directorate. Following appointment, Wh eelon aided construction of a first class scientific laboratory, which executed advanced research in intelligence, medicine and military.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The agency’s scientists also came up with systems for measuring the level of activity in Soviet atomic spots as well as a method of identifying breast tumor. Other systems developed by CIA scientists included retrieval machines as well as systems for translating languages. These scientists also created systems for identifying ghost aircrafts as well as human faces. Production of apparatus that could detect people’s faces was an excellent defense strategy in fighting terrorism. Later, CIA experts steered the killings of Fidel Castro and Lumumba. CIA technicians made pills with poison as well as strange murder arms, which they used to assassinate the two heroes. The agency handed the pills to mafia who plotted the killing of Fidel. CIA continued with producing drugs at science and technology directorate until when the media uncovered this deal. Later, an army man who was responsible for drug production at the agency committed suicide. Richelson gives an account of how the agency made use of science and technology for surveillance through tradecraft. The agency created apparatus that could mask voices and alter their bodily looks. Another scheme involved wiring a listening device to a cat so that it could record transmitted information from different areas. However, this scheme failed after a vehicle hit it hard in Paris. As explained by Richelson, successes of science and technology directorate were extraordinary, since their technical group was very efficient. Policy makers used information from surveillance to make regulations about disarmament. The directorate ensured that all arms sold to the Soviet Union underwent scrutiny by the CIA.Advertising We will write a c ustom essay sample on Richelsons The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Book Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The intelligence collected by CIA assisted in winning many fights. For instance, the agency offered satellite intelligence to President Nixon and he succeeded in signing an accord pertaining arms control against the wish of the military. The agency also led to the signing of ABM treaty after persuading critics that the Soviet-surface-air missile apparatus was different from an anti-ballistic apparatus. Richelson depicts the CIA as a super agency. However, anyone will wonder why the agency did not foresee the collapse of the Soviet Union. The politicization that occurred during the reign of Casey and Gates addresses this query. The leaders manipulated estimations of CIA on Soviet militia power to rationalize the huge spending in U.S. defense force. For instance, the amount that Gates clai med to have spent on defense program differed from photography results. Thus, the CA failed to consider the information collected by photography and this shows that the CIA betrayed its role as an agent between policy and intelligence. Another thing that Richelson fails to consider is the fall of science and technology at the CIA, after the directorates of intelligence failed to realize the value of scientific unearthing. During the reign of Casey and William Colby, critics attacked the directorate leading to its fall. Richelson, however, does not mention or consider this occurrence in his work. Severe failure followed the decline of the agency’s science and technology directorates. For instance, both Chinese embassy and Sudan experienced bombing in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The nuclear program in India also lacked supervision. In addition, CIA directorate explains that the agency was not able to endorse the test restriction treaty and this made Clinton‘s government to lose senate endorsement.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Presently, the CIA is unable to stay advanced in the field of communication intelligence due to control by military. Terrorists have advanced systems of communications, which they use to send swift messages and this undermines the intelligence when gathering information. This shortcoming together with the incompetency of the intelligence communities when it comes to analyzing all collected data led to the failure of CA to predict the attacks staged against America in 2001. The fact that the senate select committee on intelligence has ignored to weigh reasons that led to the fall of science and technology directorate is quite sad. The senate select committee supervises the CIA and therefore, it should have investigated the reason behind the fall as well as the effect of this fall on the scientific side of the intelligence society. The cases of Land, Killian and Wheelon should act as reference point to the committee on how to apply science on intelligence. Besides, the committee shoul d scrutinize the behavior of directors who made first research to end paving way for scientific application. In conclusion, Richelson describes various achievements of the CIA. The agency is the root of most accomplishments of intelligence technology. Some of the most noteworthy facilities acquired by the agency include the Corona photographic reconnaissance satellite and U-2 airplane. Use of technical systems like satellites and reconnaissance aircraft has assisted in watching over arms control and this has solved many disputes among nuclear powers. CIA has also led to many scientific advances especially in the medical field. Thus, we cannot ignore the contributions of CIA to modern intelligence technology. Richelson, Jeffrey. The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology. Boulder, MD: West view Press, 2002. Print.

UK Mail industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

UK Mail industry - Assignment Example On the other hand, the problems, which the Royal mail has recently faced, made consumers think about the necessity to make the mail market competitive and open for the new participants. As soon as the decision to open the mail market for new companies from the beginning of 2006 has been taken, two questions appeared: will Royal Mail stand the competition and is the competition a threat to its operations and position In order to answer this question, the position of Royal Mail on the British market should be considered from the following viewpoint: is the leading position of Royal Mail connected with the high quality of its services or with the impossibility for the similar companies to enter this marketing segment To my mind, the quality of Royal Mail service in the recent years has somewhat decreased and new competitors may create a serious threat to the Royal Mail leadership, though new companies will have to break the resistance of those consumers, who rely on their constant preferences and are not willing to change the supplier of universal mail services. Royal Mail still carries several advantages and meets some challenges, which help it to keep its profitable position. It is noted among the most reliable employers of the UK, having over 193,000 workers in its staff, which is almost 1% of the working British population. (http://www.royalmail.com) The number of addresses serviced by Royal M ail is the biggest in the country, making up to 84 million deliveries a day. As Royal Mail itself quotes, 'Since then we've undergone a huge transformation, turning losses of more than 1 million a day three years ago into a 537 million profit fromoperations in 2004-05. And we are delivering our best quality of service on record with world-class performances. This success has given giving us a base to meet the next challenge of full competition in the UK mail market from 1 January 2006. We will fight hard for every single letter. We are determined to compete successfully in the open market - but in order to do so we need a fair regulatory regime and the ability to invest in the modernization of our business.' (http://www.royalmail.com) The key words here are 'modernization and investment', which are the urgent needs of Royal Mail today to stand the competition. Despite the serious organizational changes, through which it went in the year 2001, Royal Mail is still fully owned by the Government, thus the need of about 2 billion to renew the equipment, technologies and premises should be invested from the state budget, which now seems problematic. The open mail services market becomes a threat to the Royal Mail and its profitability. Modern customers choose speed, quality and reliability, especially when it concerns such services as mail, which are in fact the foundation of everything. Mail services all over the world face the decrease of the mail volumes, with the wide spreading of emails. Speed is often a decisive factor in relation to the universal mail services, thus new technologies are crucial for Royal Mail to stay a leader on the British market. (Cohen & Waller, 2000) It can be said, that Royal Mail has 'subscribed' on receiving its competitors, as it now faces the

Monopolies and Oligopolies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Monopolies and Oligopolies - Essay Example However, this competitor does not fit the definition of close substitute and has difficulty entering the market. Apple has recently introduced the Windows Operating System on its machines and has reinforced Windows as a monopoly. Consumers are tied to Windows for practical reasons as well as the piece of mind that familiarity brings and they can find no close substitute. When consumers can find no close substitute and are locked into a data processing system, it allows Microsoft to charge whatever the market will bear. In the Microsoft model, they have priced their software at the level that will produce the greatest returns without effecting demand. This has allowed them to optimize their pricing based not on demand, but as price setters. This is another indication that they are a monopoly. People will no sooner switch from Windows than they would buy a rhinestone engagement ring as a substitute for a DeBeers diamond, no matter what the cost. The fact that they have a barrier to entry, can set the price on their own terms, and have a consumer base that will not accept a substitute makes Microsoft one of the largest monopolies in the history of the world Similar

Has racism ceased to be a major problem in the world Essay

Has racism ceased to be a major problem in the world - Essay Example What is even more worrying is that it is not restricted to the apartheid promoting continents and nations alone. It has made its ubiquitous way into the very fabric of almost all continents. Racism is a complex phenomenon and cannot be wished away. Discrimination on the basis of colour, race or religion entails the subjugation or oppression of a section of people within a community. To be able to eliminate this social malady one needs to understand the reasons that give rise to discriminatory behaviour of which racism is a major manifestation. Discriminatory behaviour can arise out of feelings of insecurity, fear, hatred and an acute desire to dominate. People who support intolerance towards others usually operate in gangs or groups and target those who are weaker than them. Imperialism and the rise of colonialism from the 15th century onwards have given credence to racial superiority and discriminatory practises based on this perceived superiority. This led to the complete alienatio n of the people who have been colonized. The prevalence of racism was experienced in Africa, Asia and America at first, and then spread through colonialism to the rest of the world. Racism is manifested through behaviours that encourage separatism, hatred amongst groups and racial or religious intolerance. Racists are unable to accept and/ or tolerate the exclusiveness and distinctiveness of ethnic or cultural groups other than theirs.

The history and spread of probation in America

The history and spread of probation in America The term probation comes from the Latin verb probare, meaning to prove or to test. Throughout history probation has been used in various forms. From its earliest American origins probation has broadened and expanded immensely in its function within the criminal justice system. The terms and conditions of probation continue to evolve, as well as the various consequences imposed if said conditions are not closely adhered to. Probation is a privilege granted to particular law violators in lieu of imprisonment. Just as the root word derived from, probation is a test issued to an offender, offering them a chance to prove themselves. HISTORY Elements of probation can be seen throughout history. There is reference in Mosaic Law to the right of sanctuary. Right of sanctuary offered cities of refuge to killers seeking to escape retribution. While probation as we know it today is not an escape from punishment, it can be seen as a sort of sanctuary in that probationers are offered the opportunity to atone for their crimes and maintain in the free society. The suspended sentence, commonly used in the Middle Ages in England, mirrors probation in that it can be revoked and a prison sentence imposed if the offender fails to stay out of trouble for the amount of time specified. Suspended sentence at this time, however, did not include any kind of supervision, nor were there any set goals of reform. There was also a form of temporary release used by the courts during this time. Binding over for good behavior offered offenders an opportunity to secure pardons or lesser sentences. Matthew Davenport Hill was a English barrister and judge in Eighteenth Century England. As Recorder of Birmingham, a judicial post, he instituted a practice for individuals who did not appear to be hopeless cases. In witnessing the sentencing of youthful offenders to the custody of their parents for supervision, Hill decided that those offenders who showed hope of rehabilitation could also be placed in the hands of willing guardians. As part of this arrangement these willing guardians would receive periodic visits from local police to stay current on the progress of the released offender. JOHN AUGUSTUS John Augustus, credited as the Father of Probation, embarked upon a journey that would revolutionize the field of corrections in America. His efforts began when he persuaded a local court in Massachusetts to release into his custody an adult drunk, instead of imprisoning him. This challenge was met with great success. A shoe cobbler in Boston, Augustus supervised the man, paid his fines, and helped him achieve sobriety. His efforts broadened to and he began taking responsibility for juveniles. Again his efforts were fruitful and the court was pleased with his results. Reform became a true possibility. Over the course of his eighteen years as a volunteer probation officer [1841-1858], Augustus bailed 1,946 men, women and children. A mere ten of this number forfeited their bond. The first probation statute was passed in 1878 shortly after his death. Augustus work was a remarkable accomplishment when measured against any standard. (New York City Department of Probation) THE SPREAD OF PROBATION By 1900, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, and Illinois passed probation laws; by 1910, 32 more states had passed legislation establishing juvenile probation; and by 1930 juvenile probation was legislated in every state except Wyoming. (Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives) Every state in the country offers probation to both adults and juveniles today. While the structure may vary from state to state the possibility for reform remains a strong and solid objective. Probation not only offers the offender incentive to change it saves the public enormous funds as the cost is minimal when compared to the increasing costs of incarceration. Probation also serves to abate the current concerns of overcrowding in prisons. THE USES/GOAL OF PROBATION Probation has many practical functions in the field of corrections. As mentioned above, probation is privilege not a right. One of the many aims of probation is protecting the public. Probation is generally issued to low risk, non-violent offenders. Often these offenders are open to the idea of treatment and rehabilitation in an effort to avoid becoming professional offenders. Until recently, probation was predominantly used for first offense misdemeanants, however, with the implementation of get tough laws and the war on drugs saw the court system becoming more and more bogged down with cases and the prison system became increasingly prone to overcrowding. Depending on the sentencing guidelines for the crime committed, the accused may offer to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Probation is a valuable tool for the offender, the district attorney, and the court system. If the criteria of a case make the offender eligible for probation a presentence investigation report is ordered to determine if probation could be a valid and effective punishment. The presentence investigation report includes the offenders background and their disposition to their charges as well as other useful information. CONDITIONS OF PROBATION/INTERMEDIATE SANCTIONS If probation is granted, several conditions may be imposed. These conditions will be specifically designed to the individual based on their criminal record and the nature of the crime they have pled guilty to. There are various levels of probation. The lowest level of probation is unsupervised. This is when the offender is placed on probation and perhaps ordered to pay fines and court costs but is not obligated to a regular interaction with a probation officer. They are generally ordered to call in on arranged dates and update the probation officer as to their progress as well as maintain gainful employment in the community. Supervised Probation requires the offender to report to their local probation office on an established number of days per week or month, depending on the level of supervision. Often supervised probation will contain conditions such as: reporting regularly, failing to engage in any further criminal activity, submitting to searches, abstaining from using drugs, abstaining from owning a firearm, limiting alcohol intake, abstaining from associating with known criminals and notifying their supervising officer of any major changes such as relocation or job change. (Allen, Latessa, and Ponder 93) The probationer is required to pay a monthly supervision fee and a schedule to pay other fines and court fees imposed is set up between the offender and the probation officer. Certain individuals have specific conditions of probation to which they must adhere. This is sometimes as a result of the crime they committed (including factors of the crime, such as drug abuse). Specific conditions include (but are not limited to): methadone maintenance, taking Antibuse, attending 12-Step meetings, drug testing, treatment (inpatient or outpatient), and vocational training. (Allen, Latessa, and Ponder 93) These conditions are imposed to aid the probationer in successful completion of their court ordered term of supervision. There has been an adequate success rate with these programs to date. Special conditions of probation are additional punishments ordered by the courts and act to strengthen supervision. The goal is to reduce recidivism by addressing the underlying cause of the individuals criminal behavior as well as protect the local community. Special conditions of probation are: house arrest, electronic monitoring, intensive supervision, halfway house residency, boot camp programs and split sentences. (Allen, Latessa, and Ponder 93) Imposing these special conditions is at times the last line of defense for keeping the offender out of prison. In some cases, if probation is violated, additional conditions can be imposed in an effort to get the offender back on track. REVOCATION OF PROBATION Failure to adhere to these conditions, excessive violations of these conditions or failing to remain current on court mandated payments can result in probation revocation. When an offender is sentenced to a specific amount of time in jail or prison, that sentence is sometimes suspended in favor of placing the individual on probation. Repetitive violations or new charges can be cause to revoke that probation and resentence the offender or activate the sentence that they are currently on probation to avoid serving. There are a variety of reasons offenders are unable to comply with the conditions of their probation. Some are indifferent or hostile, being unwilling or unable to cooperate with their supervising officer or the court. Some are too immature emotionally to comply with directions. (Allen, Latessa, and Ponder 93) Technical probation violations require the offender to re-appear in court in front of the judge. If the probationer fails to appear a warrant will be issued for their arrest. Revocation is a serious matter and the probationer has the right to counsel for the hearing. SUMMARY The use of probation in our nations criminal justice system is widespread. Probation allows the offender the freedom to earn a living and support their family, it allows the community to feel safer knowing that these individuals are under close supervision, it saves the state money that could better be spent on reform rather than incarceration and the building of new prisons. The number of Americans currently on probation is astounding. According to the United Stated Department of Justice at the end of 2008 there were better than 4.2 million adults on probation and another almost 830,000 on parole. That number indicates that 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. is currently under community supervision. These figures show the importance of probation in America today.

The Kohen Gene :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Kohen Gene In a world where Jews have assimilated so much into other cultures, is it possible to trace the lineage of an elite group of Jewish men all the way back to a man who lived three-thousand and five-hundred years ago? According to Karl Skorecki, a scientist at the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, and Michael Hammer, a geneticist from the University of Arizona at Tuscan, the possibility is alive (1). In Jewish tradition, as written in the Hebrew Bible, the Children of Israel were split into three groups. The Kohanim (the singular is simply Kohen) were the priests. The first Kohen was Moses' brother, Aaron, and all Kohanim since then are said to be descendants of Aaron. The second group was the Levis, of which Moses himself was a part of, and the third group was compiled of the remaining eleven tribes (of which ten have said to be "lost"), simply called the Israelites. Since the Kohanim were the priests among the Jewish people, their duties were the holiest and most important. They were in charge of the sacrifices brought to the Temple, and thus had the most intimate relationship with God, aside from the prophets such as Moses. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E., and thus the secession of sacrificial offerings, the role of the priests became ceremonial. However, despite the fact that their strict duties do not apply today, all Kohanim, according to Jewish tradition, must still obey many commandments that pertain directly to them. The hope is that one day, a new Temple will be built, and their service will be required once again (1). According to Jewish tradition, the role of each individual (Kohen, Levi, or Israelite) is passed down patrilineally from father to son. In traditional and orthodox Judaism, a woman is known as "the daughter of a Levi" (if her father is a Levi) until she marries, and then she is "the wife of a Levi." So, the concept of a "kohen gene" can only pertain to Jewish men who have not converted into the faith (1). A gene is a sequence of DNA that is used by cells to create protein. It has all of the information needed to make a protein. It knows when to make these protein and where to begin and end. The functions of a cell are then carried out by the proteins.

Assessing A Company’s Future Financial Health Essay

Google is a multinational corporation that serves thousands of consumers worldwide. Through Internet related products such as Internet searches, maps, emails, mobile apps, and other online contents for users Google became the company it is today. Every employee of Google is different in his or her own way; making it a well-diversified organization similar to the global audience they serve. Google’s mission statement is to organize information from all around the world and make it universally accessible at a quick and orderly fashion. This means creating a search engine smart enough to understand the difference between Jaguar, the car, and jaguar, the animal. Google went public in 2004 and has been doing exceptionally well ever since. It has an estimated number of over three hundred million servers using the search engine every day. From these statistics it is easy to say that Google is number one in the Internet information industry. This industry is considered to be one of th e most important economic sectors due to the fact that it is for industries that are information intensive. Although there are many search engines similar to Google, such as Yahoo, Facebook, Groupon, Microsoft, and Pearson education, Google seems to be the one consumers use more frequently. The analysis of this paper will discuss the current financial status of Google, conditions relevant to the market, competitors, and recent news. One way to measure the financial health of Google’s current status is to analyze the S.W.O.T analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This being said Google should maintain its current strengths of a successful audience which helped reach a high of $13,100,000,000 operating income for the current fiscal year. With the growth of the company over the last five years Google’s net income, gross profit, and revenue have gradually increased. Hitting a low point towards the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 then rising again in 2010. Even  during a recession, a time of need, Google remained lucrative through its assets, liabilit ies, stable stock price, and efficiency for paying back debt. Google’s total assets have steadily increased from 2008 to 2012. Some key figures to point out in their assets are the slow growth between the second half of 2008 to the second of 2009. This slow growth period is probably due to the economic recession. Google also saw a strong growth in assets from the second quarter of 2012 to the third quarter 2012. Google has mainly kept its liabilities relatively low compared to assets. There was some increase in liabilities in 2010 as well as an extensive increase 2012 compared to earlier years. The stock price during the recession drastically decreased for many companies but this was not the case for Google. In 2008, the beginning of the recession, Google’s stock price increased by $7; every year since the recession the stock price has risen and is predicted to continue rising for future years. Google also remains a strong company because of their efficiency on paying back their debt with their cash received from operations. This can be shown by their operating cash flow to total debt ratio. Google’s operating cash flow to total debt ratio is 2.56%. Meaning cash is double the amount of debt issued. Therefore, Google is able to pay back their debt fairly quick. Although Google has some strength’s the company also has some weaknesses. A key factor that contests Google’s respected reputation is its bond rating. In 2011 Google started to issue bonds; they received a rating of AA, the fourth down level of ratings a company can receive. However, the double a rating still means the company is a high credit-quality investment. According to credit rating Agency Moody’s, who gave the rating, Google received the rating due to their substantial financial flexibility as well as its conservative financial philosophy. For the year ending December 31, 2012 for Google, it finished with $60,454,000 in current assets. This is a big increase from 2011, which had $52,758,000 in current assets, a total increase of $7,696,000. The bulk of this increase is due to net  receivables, which could be the result from selling advertising space on credit or one of the many products Google offers. Cash and cash equivalents also had a major jump of $4,795,000, which could be the result from selling phones, advertising, apps, and other cash generating assets Google owns. This is a promising sign to investors because if they can sustain the growth hopefully enough cash will be retained and dividends will be offered. Assets 2012 2011 2010 Current Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents14,778,000 9,983,000 13,630,000 Short Term Investments33,310,000 34,643,000 21,345,000 Net Receivables 9,729,000 6,387,000 5,261,000 Inventory 505,000 35,000 – Other Current Assets 2,132,000 1,710,000 1,326,000 Total Current Assets 60,454,000 52,758,000 41, 562, 00 Google’s total assets have steadily increased dating back from 2008 to 2012. Some key figures to point out in their assets are the slow growth between the second half of 2008 to the second of 2009. This slow growth period is probably due to the economic recession. Google also saw a strong growth in assets from the second quarter of 2012 to the third quarter 2012. Google has mainly kept its liabilities relatively low compared to assets. There was some increase in liabilities in 2010 as well as an extensive increase 2012 compared to earlier years. Google has a total asset turnover of .6%. The total asset turnover can be interpreted to mean the amount of sales, that each unit of assets can generate. Simply, it’s smarter to get more sales on the assets that you are deploying to a business. The higher the total asset turnover, the better the business is doing. Therefore, Google’s percentage of .6% is an indication that the company is below the average industry of .7%. The current ratio measures a company’s ability to pay short-term liabilities. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its liabilities. Google has a current ratio of 3.94, in comparison to the industry average of 4.8%. Due to the fact that Google is under the industry average it means that Google can pay  back its short-term debt but not as quick as other companies in the industry. The quick ratio is very similar to the current ratio; in the way it also measures the company’s ability to pay of short-term liabilities. The only difference is that it adds the inventory of the company to its calculations. Google maintains a quick ratio of 3.7, which still shows it, is efficient in paying off its short-term obligations. The debt to equity ratio indicates wha t proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. Google has a debt to equity ratio of 11.61%. This is considered high and means that the company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. The high number can result in inconsistent earnings as a result of additional interest expense. Google has a return on assets of 10.5%. This is an indicator of how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. Since Google maintains an ROA below the industry average, of 15.6%, this shows that the company is earning less money on investments. Google has ‘day’s sales outstanding’ or DSO of 49.8. This means that Google takes a relatively long time to receive revenue once a sale has been made. This could be because most of their sales could be done on credit. With the expansion of the industry, Google has an opportunity for growth. The current growth rate for 2012 for Google is 11.29% and it is predicted to increase to 17.43% in 2013. The reason Google is predicted to grow over the next year or so is because the demand for online use is more predominant. With the growth of this industry it is vital that Google is aware of the threats it may encounter. One of Google’s biggest competitors, Microsoft, has introduced a newly organized search engine called Bing. The search engine Bing is gradually growing and advancing their technology making them a threat towards Google. Whenever Google advances their technology Bing turns around and does something to make their search engine better, creating a war between the two. Google is generally strong in its ability to cover debt. It has a current ratio of 3.94%, meaning it can efficiently cover its short-term liabilities. The company also has a debt to assets ratio of .07%. This number measures the company’s financial risk by determining how much of the company’s assets have been financed by debt. Since Google’s number is equal to industry average it is easy to infer that Google has average financial risk because its assets are significantly higher than its short and long term debt. Google also shows a strong ability to pay off their  interest because their EBITDA to interest ratio is extremely high at 154.64. The operating cash flow to total debt ratio measures how well the cash generated from Google’s operations covers current liabilities. Google’s operating cash flow to total debt ratio is also high at 2.56. This is a good sign and means Google is able to generate a large sum of cash to pay off debts. When a company with operating cash flow is considerably higher than its net income the company is considered to have high quality. This is the case with Google. In 2008 Google’s net income was $6,632,000,000 and its operating cash flow was $7,853,000,000. Over the last five years both net income and operating cash flows have increased. Net income increased to $13,339,000,000 and the cash from operating activities increase to $15,874,000,000. Since Google is generating a good amount of their money back they have been able to reduce debt alo ng with buying backs some of their stock. Google investing activities primarily consist of information technology, consumer discretionary, and financials. In 2008 Google’s investing activity started out at $5,319,000,000 and gradually increased over the last five years till it reached $19,041,000,000 in 2011. In the beginning of 2012 Google’s investing activities decreased to a $12,101,000,000. In 2012 Google’s main investment was information technology with a hint utility research. Over the last few years Google has spent an exceptional amount of money on capital expenditures, items that last a long time to keep the company running. Over the last three years Google spent an average of $2,755,333,000 on capital expenditures. Cash from financing activities measures the movement of cash between a firm, its owners, and creditors. Financing activities consist of issuing dividends and issuing or selling stock. In 2008 and 2009 there was no long-term or short-term debt issued but in 2010 Google issue over $5,246,000,000 worth of debt and only paid back $1,783,000,000 of the debt. The following year Google issued $10,179,000,000 dollars’ worth of debt and repaid more then 2/3s of the debt, making them a credible company. Over the last few years Google did not have any dividends. In 2010 Google repurchased a stock of $801,000,000 because they felt their stocks were undervalued. When a company buys back stock they increase their earnings per share and increase the market value of the outstanding shares. From 2009 to 2010 cash from financing increased drastically, from $233,000,000,000 to $3,050,000,000,000. With a CAPM beta of 1.23 and a P/E ratio of 21.65 Google is a riskier firm. Google’s beta of 1.23 is above average making it riskier than other firms in the industry due to the amount of debt issued. However, firms with higher risk have higher return. Google’s P/E ratio is also currently under the industry average of 28.70% making the stock undervalued. Over the next year Google had predicted that their P/E ratio would decrease to 17.88. Return on equity or ROE, shows a corporation’s profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. Relative to the industry average of 15.30% Google has a relatively high ROE of 17.18%. Meaning Google generates a strong profit with the money shareholders invested in the company. In comparison to Google, Microsoft has a ROE of 24.5%, EBay has a ROE of 21.28%, Akamai Technologies has a ROE of 8.94%, and Baidu with an exceptionally high ROE of 53.6%. Another way to compare Google to its competitors is to compare benchmarks. Benchmarking of Google’s competitors would be measured in terms of profit margin. The higher the profit margin the more profitable a company is. Google has a profit margin of 59.92 % while its biggest competitor Microsoft has a profit margin of 75.23% and Apple has a profit margin of 43.87%. This means that Microsoft has a competitive advantage of cost control compared to Google, Apple, and other com petitors in this industry. Throughout the years Google has remained a strong well-known company that supplies organized information from all around the world to thousands of consumers every day. Through exploiting strengths, executing opportunities, fixing weaknesses, and distinguishing threats Google can remain a top-notch company and continue to dominate the Internet Information system. Some recent news for this company is the mind-blowing lawsuit between Apple and Google. Within the last year Apple had sewed Google for seeking unreasonably high license fees for patent use on wireless technology. Apple claimed that Motorola was in violation of their patent by seeking a license fee of 2.25 percent of the price of devices. Over the last week Google was  pleased to hear that this lawsuit was dropped due to the fact that there was no basis for the claim. References: â€Å"Google Inc.† Yahoo Finance. Yahoo, n.d. Web. . â€Å"Google Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results Investor Relations Google.† Google Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚€Ã‚“ Investor Relations ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚€Ã‚“ Google.n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012. â€Å"Reference for Business.† Google, Inc.N.p. n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.

DDoS Attack

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is one in which a multitude of compromised systems attack a single target, thereby causing denial of service for users of the targeted system. The flood of incoming messages to the target system essentially forces it to shut down, thereby denying service to the system to legitimate users. In a typical DDoS attack, the assailant begins by exploiting a vulnerability in one computer system and making it the DDoS master. The attack master, also known as the botmaster, identifies and identifies and infects other vulnerable systems with alware.Eventually, the assailant Instructs the controlled machines to launch an attack against a specified target. There are two types of DDoS attacks: a network-centric attack which overloads a service by using up bandwidth and an application-layer attack which overloads a service or database with application calls. The Inundation of packets to the target causes a denial of service. While the media tends to foc us on the target of a DDoS attack as the vlctlm, In reality there are many vlctlms In a DDoS attack the final arget and as well the systems controlled by the intruder.Although the owners of co- opted computers are typically unaware that their computers have been compromised, they are nevertheless likely to suffer a degradation of service and not work well. A computer under the control of an intruder is known as a zombie or bot. A group of co-opted computers is known as a botnet or a zombie army. Both Kaspersky Labs and Symantec have identified botnets not spam, viruses, or worms as the biggest threat to Internet security

Free Essays on Contradicting The Stereotypes Of Youths In South- Central, L.A.

Contradicting the Stereotypes of Youths In South-Central, Los Angeles The essay, â€Å"Jobs Illuminate What Riots Hid: Young Ideals†, by Sara Rimer, begins with a good-will gesture from Disney officials, offering young adults in South- Central the opportunity to work at the â€Å"happiest place on earth.† The Disney officials are surprised to find educated, ambitious, young black adults willing to make sacrifices to work for the Disney Corporation. The author establishes there is a negative stereotype connected to the young people who live in South-Central Los Angeles. He uses appeals to ethos and pathos to convince his readers- the young people living in South-Central are not all looters, drug dealers, and gang members. Rimer uses an appeal to ethos to build her credibility in the beginning of the essay to persuade the reader(s) that the youths in South-Central are not all depraved. Greg Albrecht, a spokesperson for the Disney Corporation, commented on how wonderful and outstanding the kids were, and their eagerness to work for Disneyland (Rimer, A1, A12). She has to make us believe that if the Disney Corporation is willing to hire these young adults, maybe the kids from South-Central really aren’t that bad. Using statistics helps build her argument also. The principal of Washington Preparatory, Marguerite LaMotte, one of South-Central public high schools, is quoted saying there are â€Å"118 graduating seniors planning on attending four-year colleges and 131graduating seniors going to two-year colleges (Rimer, A1, A12).† Rimer further states that â€Å"the world knows about the gang members; estimates put the number at 100,000 across Los Angeles County, and last year there were 771 gang-related homicides (A1, A12).† No one has tried to count the success stories of the young people trying to make a better life for themselves (Rimer, A1, A12). Giving statistics and using quotes by a spokesperson from an influential corporation like... Free Essays on Contradicting The Stereotypes Of Youths In South- Central, L.A. Free Essays on Contradicting The Stereotypes Of Youths In South- Central, L.A. Contradicting the Stereotypes of Youths In South-Central, Los Angeles The essay, â€Å"Jobs Illuminate What Riots Hid: Young Ideals†, by Sara Rimer, begins with a good-will gesture from Disney officials, offering young adults in South- Central the opportunity to work at the â€Å"happiest place on earth.† The Disney officials are surprised to find educated, ambitious, young black adults willing to make sacrifices to work for the Disney Corporation. The author establishes there is a negative stereotype connected to the young people who live in South-Central Los Angeles. He uses appeals to ethos and pathos to convince his readers- the young people living in South-Central are not all looters, drug dealers, and gang members. Rimer uses an appeal to ethos to build her credibility in the beginning of the essay to persuade the reader(s) that the youths in South-Central are not all depraved. Greg Albrecht, a spokesperson for the Disney Corporation, commented on how wonderful and outstanding the kids were, and their eagerness to work for Disneyland (Rimer, A1, A12). She has to make us believe that if the Disney Corporation is willing to hire these young adults, maybe the kids from South-Central really aren’t that bad. Using statistics helps build her argument also. The principal of Washington Preparatory, Marguerite LaMotte, one of South-Central public high schools, is quoted saying there are â€Å"118 graduating seniors planning on attending four-year colleges and 131graduating seniors going to two-year colleges (Rimer, A1, A12).† Rimer further states that â€Å"the world knows about the gang members; estimates put the number at 100,000 across Los Angeles County, and last year there were 771 gang-related homicides (A1, A12).† No one has tried to count the success stories of the young people trying to make a better life for themselves (Rimer, A1, A12). Giving statistics and using quotes by a spokesperson from an influential corporation like...

Cryptology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cryptology - Assignment Example Hash functions are arguably the most important of all the encryption algorithms since they help in the prevention of external attacks. They are usually used in most of the applications that require very high security. They are also widely used in the specification of most communication protocols like IPsec and WAP. They typically serve message authentication codes and also help in provision of digital signatures or in some cases, they generate random numbers. MD5 and SHA-1 are the most common of the hash functions (Biham and Chen, 2004). MD5 Algorithm Data filling The MD5 algorithm usually adds the supplement immediately after inputting of the data thereby making the whole length of the mod 512=448. This can be represented as K*512+448 BITS WHERE K IS an integer. Add length Usually, a sixty four bit data b is used to dente the original length of the data while an independent b is used to two thirty two bit blocks. In the event that b>264, we will have to extend the length to multiple s of five hundred and twelve. This implies that the length will become times of sixteen double bytes. MD5 algorithm usually saves the data in an array. The syntax of such an array is given by M [0†¦N-1] Where N is in time of sixteen. Initialing of variables If four thirty two but variable named A, B, C, and D were to be defined, they would be initialized as A=0*01234567, B=0/889abcdef, C=0*fedcba98 and D=0*76543210. In this case, the data will be output in the same sequence that is, A, B, C, D. SHA-1 Algorithm This is also an important hash algorithm which is actually based on the MD4 principle. The algorithm actually produces 160 bit output which means that SHA-1 usually needs a set of five thirty two bit registers. However, the similarity between SHA-1 and MD5 is that both of them use a similar approach to message digesting. The SHA-1 algorithm has a total of four distinct rounds of iterative. Each of these rounds has its own twenty steps of operations. If you were to initial ize five variables namely A, B, C, D, and you would have:- A= 0x67452301 B=0xefcdab89 C=0x98badcfe D=0x10325476 E=0xc3d2e1f0 SHA-1 was traditionally thought to be the most secure hash algorithm and it is probably one of the main reasons why it is the current FIPS secure hash standard (Merkle,1990). Principle of operation of the two algorithms Generally the design of the hash algorithms is usually based on the Merkle-Damgard iterative structure. This is since the structure allows for arbitrary length in the messages that are sent. The hash algorithms typically work by dividing the input into different blocks of predetermined lengths. Each of the blocks that are formed is then affixed to the previous state using a form of a compression function in order to compute the updated state. This entire process is usually referred as chaining of a variable. After the processing of the message is completed, the output is given as the last step of the process. The state

COMPANY STRATEGIC ANALYSIS- Starbuck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

COMPANY STRATEGIC ANALYSIS- Starbuck - Essay Example An enterprise needs, at the very least, to define its role in the value chains based on its unique mix of strengths and weaknesses and design its processes, supporting assets and organizational structure and decision making. Firms create value for their customers by establishing a value chain within the organization. When customers recognize these values as being superior to the firm's competitors, the firm has established competitive advantage within its marketplace. Porter describes two broad ways in which firms can deliver this value: lower cost and differentiation. A lower cost emphasis is one where the firm can provide a good or service more efficiently than either the client or other competing firms; a differentiation emphasis is one where firms create superior value in the form of product or service quality. Starbucks Coffee is the leading coffee shop globally. It manages over thousands of branches across United Kingdom, Ireland, Central Europe and Asia. This study explored the competition inside the coffee shop industry. Starbucks Coffee is the most competitive company in the coffee shop industry. ... The study arrived to the conclusion that Starbucks Coffee is continuing to be the most competitive coffee company, however, since there are some competitors in the industry, Starbucks still needs the aid of Michael Porter's five forces, generic studies and cost leadership in order to stay on the top in the retail industry Company Background Starbucks, the coffee company, is the perfect example of a product that could have gone the route of a shallow brand. After all, what is so special about serving coffee As the Starbucks brand proves, this is a question that other retailers would have benefited from asking. Starbucks is full of warm, rich colors and shapes and is set up so customers have a lot to look at while waiting for their order. It is visually stimulating in a way that is pleasant to most people. Compare this to a typical coffee shop, where the customer is often subjected to bright, harsh lighting and is often in the way of traffic flow, making him or her feel vaguely uncomfortable. Accommodating fast growth also meant putting in systems to recruit, hire, and train baristas and store managers. (Student Resources:2005) Starbucks' is simply looking for passionate people who love coffee, diverse workforce which reflects their community and who enjoys what they're doing and for whom work is an extension of themselves. 16 Some 80 percent of Starbucks employees were white, 85 percent had some education beyond high school, and the average age was 26. All positions are filled internally about 60-70%. Automated staffing services between hiring managers and staffing teams and Starbucks has a user friendly field sourcing and selection tools in place. Internal movement processes and systems in place and broadly understood. (Student Resources:2005)

Ginevra de Benci Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ginevra de Benci - Research Paper Example Ginevra de Benci is one of the most beautiful portraits which depict a young woman created in the year 1474. She was a Florentine woman who was married at the tender age of sixteen to Luigi Niccolini in year 1474. The Portrait seems to have been on a wedding photo and on its backside it bore the inscriptions written in the Latin which translates to â€Å"beauty Adorns Virtue†. Looking at the photo background, the appearance of trees and skies is evident which leads to a dreamlike atmosphere which is also evident in other of his works. The young woman in the portrait is seen as looking past which gives her image of being sulky and unforgiving. The Ginevra series was made up of fifty two oil paintings which produced this great work piece. Looking at Leonardo piece of work, Ginevra de Benci which is a Florentine portrait, a lot about art is portrayed. The portrait can be used to tell a lot about the painter, the sitter as well as the way in which people lived during the time. The oil on wood paintings was one of Leonardo’s first works in his career. At this time, there was no other painter who could match Leonardo’s work of art due to his exceptional skills. Through a keen look on the portrait, the simplistic details can be captured; one of these is the place in which the portrait was created. At this period, women were displayed with their husbands in the portraits but here the lady is seen alone. The portraits of women were mostly done during their betrothal as well as during their wedding .In the portrait the lady. seem to face the right side which would imply that it symbolized her engagement this is due to fact that the right side was where the husband was supposed to stand during the wedding portraits but she seems to be staring at it. This would also imply that the work was done in the Italy where Leonardo resided as preparations for the lady’s wedding. Traditions of the time concerning marriage are portrayed by just looking at t he portrait and its history. Looking also at another minor detail, the portrait was done on wood and painted with oil. This would imply that the era was developing and the traditional means of painting were being replaced by better methods. The aesthetic perfection can be seen but more to it, there seems to be a lot which can be partially deciphered from the portrait. Through scrutiny, a lot about the lady in the portrait can be deciphered. Her expression on her face seems to tell more about what is in her mind especially her thought about her future. From the fact that she was preparing for

Military Accountability Essay Example for Free

Military Accountability Essay Purpose: to provide a refresher on property accountability and an awareness of Army physical security. Agenda Government Property Accountability Equipment Sensitive Items Weapons Physical Security Government Property OCIE Your personal equipment Unit/Section Equipment Tentage, Radios, Vehicles, Anything Green Vehicle BII Driver or TC responsible for Accountability Clothing Record (DA 3845 and Electronic) Used for OCIE Hand Receipt (DA 2062) Used for equipment Sensitive Items Cannot be lost Report immediately to the chain of command if missing Comsec equipment Weapons Certain Technology SINCGARS NBC Alarms, NVG’s Weapons Individuals issued arms are responsible for their security at all times. Each issued weapon will be carried on the person at all times. Weapons will not be entrusted to the custody of another person. Pistols will be secured with a lanyard. AR 190-11 Responsibility You are responsible for all US Army equipment you sign for. You can be charged for missing or damaged equipment. If you lose it, report it! A field loss can be investigated if reported immediately. You buy it on the showdown. Physical Security (Defined) That part of security concerned with physical measures designed to safeguard personnel, to prevent unauthorized access to equipment, installations, material and documents, and to safeguard them against espionage, sabotage, damage, and theft. AR 190-16 What Does That Mean? Physical security is meant to counter the threat during peace and war. Threat can range from enemy forces to terrorists to civilian criminals or saboteurs. How to Practice Physical Security Limit Access Secure Equipment Guards Locks Physical Barriers Fences Buildings Access Military Installations (Armories) will have access control. Installation Specific Varies based on Threat. Conclusion Secure equipment! Remember – You signed for it, you own it.

Why Scm Strategy Is Important For An Organization Business Essay

Why Scm Strategy Is Important For An Organization Business Essay Supply chain management plays a vital role in modern day business operations, as carefully planned supply chain process adds value to customers. CIC is a company involved in agricultural products and the only company in Sri Lanka that serve Seed to Shelf motive in local and foreign markets. This document discusses the effectiveness of supply chain and possible waste reduction strategies that can adopt by the CIC, also some measures they have to implement in terms of logistics when they are planning their products in the shelves of other counties. Finally this report discusses about the importance of integrating the supply chain using modern information technology and how it can results in the long run while generating a competitive advantage to the business. Introduction CIC Agro Businesses (Private) Limited is a subsidiary of CIC, which encompasses all the agriculture related businesses that are carried out within the CIC Group. CIC Agro Businesses (Private) Limited comprises of a number of companies. With its wider goal to enhance farmer income, improve the rural economy and contribute towards the development of Agriculture making Sri Lanka a nutritious healthy nation. Vision To be the leader in enriching Sri Lankas agriculture with the best quality produce from Seed to Shelf. Mission To provide innovative technologies and professional management to the agriculture sector contributing significantly to Sri Lankas GDP whilst ensuring trust from farmer to consumer. (Source: www. cic .com) 1.0 Supply Chain Management Supply chain management is the oversight of finances, information, and material as they move in a route from supplier to consumer, passing manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, etc in between. Supply chain management is an efficient and accepted management philosophy focused at improving the business process of an organization. A supply chain is the network of different aspects. Knowledge, technology, resources, and people involved in the production or manufacturing, and transportation, distribution and marketing are involved delivering products to the final customer. In modern business supply chain activities are used to maximize customer value and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. There are four major elements in Supply chain management, they are Production Production is a major factor in SCM. This element aims on the products the market is demanding and particular products consumers want. At the production element, many features are considered such as what products are to manufactures and in what quantities. Supply and Inventory Inventory visibility and Inventory control are two very significant factors in any supply chain operations, for these elements are the cost factors and directly affect the bottom lines in the balance sheet of the business. Inventory is an asset for the organization. Every business has a standard inventory turnover which is optimum for the business, this means the number of times the inventory is sold and replaced in a given period of time. The health of the inventory turn relates to the health of business Location and Transportation The company decides the best locations to produce the indented goods and focuses on the best process for producing, storing and distributing the production. This decision is depends on the available resources and existing buyers. Other aspects considered in this decision are the location of suppliers. Then the company decides the modes of transportation that is most appropriate for delivering goods.. Information The final element of SCM is information and how it is used, which means the methods of record keeping and passing information that are accurate and effective. This may include using computerized software and integrating all systems together. 1.1 Why SCM strategy is important for an Organization Supply Chain Strategies are the vital backbone to modern business. Successful Market coverage and product availability at locations are the keys to revenue generation, and it depends on the effectiveness of Supply Chain Strategy implemented. In simply terms, when products are introduced to the market and promoted, the company must make sure the accessibility and availability of the products where the customers are able to purchase and take delivery. If the products are not being available at the right time and the right place, can cause a drop in customer interest and demand, which can eventually be disastrous to business. 1.2 Eliminating waste in Seed to Shelf program CIS has a wide product range in their Agriculture and Livestock industry, such as vegetables, fruits, seed paddy, yogurt, curd, rice, eggs, etc which are introduced to the market under the brand name CIC, the brand name is well known in both in the international and local market. The company is dedicated towards agriculture business, and help farmers to increase their incomes, improve rural economies while contributing to the development of the Agro industry in Sri Lanka. CIC Agri also provides with facilities and expertise in the purchasing, set up and maintenance of agricultural equipment and machinery. Furthermore the expertise are been provided in the use of fertilizers and irrigation equipment to increase the production. CIC is carefully managing the seed to shelf supply chain operation effectively and efficiently. But when studying this process, there can be possible areas which can cause waste or cost to the process. Below are the areas CIC must focus their attention in elimin ating waste in their of Seed to Shelf program. Over-production: producing more than or ahead of demand. The result of producing to speculative (forecast) demand or supposed economic batches, it is visible as excessive, time consuming and costly material stores. Employee waiting: this might occur at any stage of the supply chain process, the result is wasted worker time. The goal is to maximize the utilization and/or efficiency of operatives first and machines second. Transportation: this means unnecessary transportation cost in production process, CIC face this problem as the production locations are in rural areas. Work In Progress (WIP) and finished goods adds no value to the product. Therefore it is more cost efficient to minimizing or eliminate unnecessary transportation system, than thinking of improving them. Non-value added processing: doing more work than is necessary to complete a task, or in other words activities that do not contribute to the product or the process. According to Lean methods it is best to use simpler tools and processers in the production, where possible. Unnecessary motion: relating to people stretching, bending, or walking too far, this is a common waste factor can be seen in agricultural industry. This happens primarily due to the inappropriate location of tools, parts inventories and fixtures. Excess inventory: specifically referring to Work In Progress (WIP) between operations and purchased parts within the supply chain, often resulting from overproduction, usually due to excessively large batch manufacturing or processes with long cycle times leading in turn to cost and waste. This will result additional waste in the form of increased lead-times, extra handling, high interest charges, avoidable people movement, excessive floor space requirements and paperwork and, again, the associated costs. Defects: agricultural products are often exposed to pests and other deceases, which cause rotten or putrid crop. This decayed crop adds significant production waste and costs. The organization must focuses on preventing the occurrence of this pest and diseases, before focusing on improving the cultivation processes. 2.0 Logistics Management The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), the preeminent worldwide professional association of supply chain management professionals, defines logistics as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that part of supply chain management that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customers requirements.. This definition includes inbound, outbound, internal, and external movements, and return of materials for environmental purposes. Logistics plays an important role in business operation of an organization. Logistics involves from the very beginning of the business process, it starts with post procumbent stage, purchasing and delivering raw materials to production locations which is known as inbound logistics. After production process is completed, logistics again comes to the scene by delivering the final product to end users which is known as the outbound logistics. Therefore it is obvious that the effectiveness and efficiency of logistics process will directly impact the bottom line of the balance sheet. The strength and the productivity of Supply Change Management lies on the factors which are directly involved with logistics such as, Suppliers from various levels and territories, Distributors locally and internationally, Agents and freight forwarders such as cargo, railway, air cargo, sea cargo and so on. 2.1 Logistics Challenges for CIC CIC is focusing on seed to shelf concept on foreign countries as well, there are possible barriers CIC might face in agricultural logistics, some of the identifies barriers are, High supply uncertainty due to natural production: unpredictable variations in quality and quantity of supply, which demands for flexibility in logistic processes and planning and early warning and pro-active control mechanisms; High perishability of fresh food products, which demand for temperature conditioned transportation and storage (cold chains) and very short order-to delivery lead-times; Seasonable growing, which demands for global sourcing to ensure year-round availability; High demands on food safety, quality and (environmental) legislation, which demands for the ability to trace production information of products in transit; High flow complexities, due to a combination of continuous and discrete product flows, diverging and converging processes and by-products; this demands for advanced tracking and tracing and logistic planning capabilities; Important role of export, including additional phytosanitary inspections (Formal certificate issued by an exporting countrys agricultural authorities to ensure the shipment is inspected and is free from pests and plant diseases) 2.2 Measures to overcome logistics challenges CIC can overcome above identified barriers by implementing certain measures to their business processes. Supply uncertainty can manage to a certain extend by focusing at vertical and horizontal integration of value chains. At one end of the value chain the organization can align the support activities that reallocate to sustainable production and precision agriculture, and at the other end of the chain, the company can aim on developing agro logistics with distribution and consolidation centers  which are directly serving export and local markets. Therefore by integrating the value chain CIC is able to pre determine the supply planning and the logistic process. CIC must also focus on post harvest technology since agricultural products are highly perishable, CIC must take appropriate precautions to maintain the freshness of the agri products till it goes to the shelves of other countries, some possible precautions to overcome this are; Smart fresh technology Smart Fresh technology successfully controls fruit and vegetable ripening by controlling naturally occurring ethylene during storage and transport. Ethylene triggers ripening and spoilage in most fruits and vegetables; in some cases it is responsible for important storage disorders, which can cause the spoilage and waste of entire storage areas. Smart Fresh Quality System reduces fruit waste and maintains texture, firmness, taste and appearance of fruits by warding off negative ethylene effects http://www.agrofresh.com/smartfresh/smartfresh.html Cold Chain management Cold chain management means maintaining a constant temperature of a product to ensure the wholesomeness as it is processed, delivered, shipped and stored at the pre determine destination. The cold chain must never be interrupted or disturbed to ensure the long shelf life of the product. This involves relevant equipment, knowledge and people skills during the transportation and storage process from the time they are produced up until they are administered. Packaging of perishables For CIC packaging plays a major role in adding value to their products. CIC should pay a special attention to food safety, protection, tampering resistance and hygiene when packaging agro products. Additionally packaging act as the interface of a CIC product it also using as a medium of reflecting quality which promotes itself compared to other products. When it comes to packaging it is one of the mile stone standards that the company has to focus since they are perishable products. Proper quality measures must be implemented in order to add value to the products, on perspective of nationally as well as internationally adding another competitive advantage for the company and its products and continues improving process. Some quality measures are; Quality Control (QC) this means maintaining and evaluating the standard of manufactured product prior to its marketing. Quality Assurance (QA) set of activities implemented such as quality checks, processes, procedures, etc to identify and correct any mistake that would reduce the quality of the products at each production stage. Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) often the best practice prescribed for recurring use as a the standers operation, in reference to agreed upon specifications focused at obtaining a desired outcome Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) critical preventive guidelines for production operations. GMP addresses areas such as personal hygiene, food hygiene, pest control, waste disposal, water supply and so on Furthermore CIC can expand their logistics process by collaborating with logistics companies which have facilities, reputation, and experience like Maclerens and Logiventure cargo will be one of the way the company could expand and outsource the logistics process. 3.0 Role of information technology in supply chain management Supply chain has always been different companies and different departments within the company working together. Supply chain integration means integrating all activities in the supply chain in to a one key processes. Today, the internet has allowed companies to move these functions to web based networks where clusters of business that typically do business with each other come to gather via the connectivity of the internet. Companies can collaborate and communicate with each other through a single internet interface. When all the participants in the supply chain become connected electronically, allowing the unfettered flow of information, the supply becomes fully integrated. Utilizing web based technologies; companies are starting to integrate their supply chains in a system-to-system manner, minimizing the need for human contact, human data entry or any sort of human involvement. Moreover data can move in real time and disparities in size of companies are becoming less critical as software providers come up with solution that allows small companies to connect with large customers through the web. While the application to connect companies with their trading partners are far from free, the internet is relatively inexpensive medium, unlike a value added network (VAN) that charges a per transaction fee for data transmission. E-commerce is driving a revolution of the supply chain, as we have known it. With processes once took days or weeks now taking minutes to perform, the potential to cost saving through efficiency is greater than ever. E commerce solution providers have come forward with new tools that enable supply chain participants the opportunity to connect and collaborate via web based net works. While analysts, consultants, solution providers and enterprises continue to debate how companies ultimately will integrate those new tools into their operations and the shape of the supply chain of the future, there is a consensus forming around one vision for the next generation supply chain. The underlying theme is connectivity. As a result, we are moving from production base supply chain to a fulfillment base model. In industrial age, production was the primary business activity. In the technology age, fulfillment becomes the primary business activity. The trading networks that are set up turn the chain upside down and create a demand chain where customer order drives the business activity. Consequently fulfillment of customer demand is the key, it is no longer about tossing the customer a product; it is also about improving customer relationships through better customer service. 3.1 Enterprise Resource Planning System for CIC Each stage of the supply chain must be aimed on making the transition as productive and cost effective as possible. But, most of activities in the supply chain add little to the final outcome. This scenario is also same with CIC, therefore CIC can integrate their supply chain using modern E strategy, and most appropriate solution would be an ERP system. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems streamline business processes by allowing all departments and divisions within a company to access a common database which they upgrade via their own module. An ERP System will enable communication and information sharing between all business functions and helps to manage the connection with its internal and external stake holders. By implementing an ERP system it is easy for the organization to trace the companies upstream and downstream functions and other relevant business functions, facilitating Lean supply chain management. Effective ERP System can add value to CIC in improving many business functionalities. For an example it will improve and complement the Value chain, VMI (Vendor manger inventories), ECR (Efficient customer response), Global supply chain Seeds to shelves from global perspectives and Contribution to business objective that means aligning SCM and corporate objectives and strategies. 3.2 Benefits of Integrated supply chain An obvious benefit CIC can gain is reduction of inventories. CIC can change from Just in case inventory management to Just in time inventory management. Better inventory management allows increased turns in the inventory cycle, which reduces holding cost while increasing the cash flow. CIC supply chain runs from rural villages in Sri Lanka to market shelves of other countries. Therefore information sharing and information management is very vital to manage the business from seed to shelf. By having better information and better access to the information, customer service can be substantially improved by being able to make more timely and accurate sales and on time delivery, replenishment and shipping decisions. Emerging technologies allow trading partners to collaboratively plan, track orders through fulfillment process, maximize process efficiency based upon historical performance data and provide superior service to the point of delivery. Finally process automation across the extended enterprise reduces the amount of manual process and potential error. This removes the opportunities for incorrect data entry. Incorrect data or information cause reliance upon confusing and contradictory information, which often leads to customer dissatisfaction and disputes between trading partners. Not only does this reduce cycle time, if it occurs repeatedly over time it is likely to cripple the very relationship that is the heart of the business. The companies that adapt the collaborative tools and processes available today, and into the future, will find that the ultimate benefit of participating in a networked supply chain is a significant competitive advantage over their competitors that do not participate. In that case, supply chain integration does become the end game. Conclusion Supply chain plays a major role in CIC on achieving the seed to shelf vision. To achieve this vision effectively CIC must first focus and take necessary steps to eliminating waste in their supply chain process. Then the company should take needed precautions in terms of logistics in order to ensure the quality and the availability of the CIC products in the shelves of other countries. Finally CIC can use modern information technology to integrate the supply chain process and optimize their service.