Lets Save Our Tropical Forest Essays - Habitats, Ecosystems, Forest

Do you know that tropical forests are in trouble now? Since the beginning of time, tropical forest have been a peaceful paradise of huge trees, leafy plants, animals, birds, insects more than you can imagine. But, tragically these forest are disappearing at an alarming rate, about 30 hectares a minute. In fact, 32 million hectares of tropical forests are destroyed each year in a small country like Malaysia. How about Indonesia which has larger number of tropical forests than Malaysia? We should all be concerned about it. This time I?d like to talk about the importance of tropical forests as the lungs of the earth and the impact of tropical forests? destruction for our life viability. My discussion will be in 3 main points: ?First, I?ll give you the importance of tropical forests. ?Secondly, I?ll give you the reasons why people cut down these forests. ?Lastly, I?ll give you the reasons why we must save tropical forests. Tropical forests are often called the lungs of the earth because they help keeping oxygen in the air that we need to live. While it?s true that the most of the world?s tropical forests are in South America, especially Brazil, tropical forests influence the weather everywhere on the earth. That?s because the trees absorb a heavy gas called carbon dioxide from the air around us. As a result, the weather cycle change regularly each year and people can predict what will happen with the weather. However, there are some dilemmatic problems with the tropical forests. People often cut down these forests for a lot of reasons. They cut it down to grow food and raise cattle. They also need the woods for the forest to build houses for their shelter. This condition becomes worse when big companies open the forest in order to find cheap sources of wood and beef. They also drill the land for oil and mine it for gold. These conditions make the forest lose its function because when the trees are burned, CO2 in the leaves is released back into the air and built up in the air. It traps heat close to the earth instead of letting the heat go out into space. So when there is too much CO2, the earth?s temperature rises. This is what we call global warming. It causes strange weather pattern. Although tropical forest offers some benefits to us, such as producing a lot of goods that we need in our life, but it can also threaten us if we don?t keep the balance. Now, tens of thousands of different kinds of animals disappear each year. About 200 million people live in tropical forests also. Their lives are threatened because of irresponsible men. Because of this, we need to be responsible to preserve our tropical forest. Due to these conditions, we propose that you pay attention to keep an eye on tropical forest?s destruction such as illegal logging and clearing. To solve these problems, we have looked at three different options: First, the government has to stop the illegal logging which is done by big companies. This option gives us benefits such as reducing the damage and preventing natural disaster. Besides, the government can also save the national properties. But, there are however, some practical problems in field. Some of the government staff sometimes commit in corruption. They cooperate with brokers who give them money. So the second option we considered is to make restricted area in all part of tropical forests by cover it with wire fence. This gives us benefits like people cannot enter these forests because it was protected by the law. There is problem here too. If the forests are covered, the people who live near tropical forests would be lost their job. So, now let?s look at the third option. To save the forest we don?t have to prevent people in cutting down the tree. What we need is just doing sustainable harvesting. It means replacing what we take from the forest, such as planting tree for every tree we cut down. Though it?s like trivial, but if all of us do this program, we will be out of danger.

Wetware

Wetware Wetware Wetware By Maeve Maddox Computer-age coinages don’t usually strike me as â€Å"creepy,† but this one does. Formed on the model of software and hardware, wetware begins to soar into prominence on the Ngram Viewer in 1979. Both the OED and Merriam-Webster provide definitions of this new term. OED wetware noun: Chemical materials organized so as to perform arithmetic or logical operations; brain substance, as having this ability. M-W wetware noun: The human brain or a human being considered especially with respect to human logical and computational capabilities. Apparently the invention and continuing development of artificial intelligence (AI) has created the need for a retronym for human. In I, Robot, written between 1940 and 1950, Asimov referred to the brain of a robot as a â€Å"positronic brain.† In the dystopia of Terminator (1984), an intelligent computer is called â€Å"Neural Net CPU.† In the 2015 film Ex Machina, a substance made of a gel that causes artificial neural connections to form is called wetware. Here are examples of the usage of wetware I found on the Web: [Marleen Stikker] was director of multimedia art festival Zomerfestijn Amsterdam in 1990 and 1991 and organiser of the Wetware Conference (on hardware, software and physical interaction). Integrated IT Wetware/Software Solutions [headline on site of company offering digital services] Many, many teams just abandon this impossible wetware task and use each solution in isolation. [This is a consultant’s website. In the context, wetware seems to mean the aspect of online selling that involves human beings called â€Å"web customers† and â€Å"mobile customers† who are part of the â€Å"wetware task.†] The term wetware in its turn is spawning new meanings for the adjective wet. Dean Koontz uses (and defines) the expression wet intelligence in the following exchange between characters who are examining an alien creature: Linked up, maybe these hundreds of millions of nanocomputers functioned as this creatures brain or at least as the largest part of its brain, assuming there was also some wet intelligence in it. Wet intelligence? Biological brain matter. At first I thought that the term wet signature had a similar meaning, but several readers have informed me that the wetness of this term refers to ink and not to gray matter. For example: DocuSign is capable of keeping the entire transaction in the cloud. There are, however, rare occasions when a wet signature is necessary. Related post: What’s a Retronym? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:5 Uses of InfinitivesWhat is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?50 Tips on How to Write Good

Cog. Psyc wk2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cog. Psyc wk2 - Essay Example List the factors that influence attention when performing this task and why they are of influence. There will be several factors which will influence an individual undertaking writing and reading at the same time. The first of these is how effectively an individual can divide his conscious attention between these two demanding tasks (Spelke, Hirst & Neisser, 1976). This factor greatly influences the multitasking ability of an individual as it is central to his ability to perform. Another factor in terms of dual-task interference results because of the presence of a single channel bottleneck which will frequently cause a delay in the response. This influences the individuals’ performance because supposing we ask them a question while they are performing it will lead to a possible pause, delay or error in their work as they strive to respond to your question (Mei-Ching, Ruthruff, and Johnston). In terms of attention the locus of this bottleneck (asking a question) in a personâ⠂¬â„¢s information processing system can either translate into a perceptual limitation ( it takes them time to formulate a response) or response limitation ( it delays the time it takes for them to respond or they respond in a limited way by nodding or shaking their head). Then, describe three things that can be done to increase attention when engaged in the situation. The first thing that can be done to increase attention when engaged in multi tasking is by practicing the tasks in a routine. Because the brain cannot fully focus when multitasking, people take longer to complete tasks and are predisposed to error. The essence of multi tasking through practice hence unconsciously induces an element of becoming automatized in their behavior. That is, when people attempt to complete many tasks at one time they are in fact rapidly going between them (Meyer 2003). Second by extensive undertaking of the task one can bypass the central bottleneck (distracters). Studies by Spelke, Hirst, and Neisser (1976) prove that due to the formulation of a pattern in their reading while accurately transcribing spoken words subjects were able to clump the activity as if it were a single unit. Take driving for example; by the formulation of a pattern (driving the car) the individual reaches a level of automatization which enables him to multi task (drive as well at perhaps talk on the phone). Initially for a new driver the aspect of driving itself was the combination of a number of processes (shifting gears, using the brakes etc) (like a conjunctive search) until through practice he was able to see it as one unit ( kind of like a feature search). This brings us to the third aspect of the visual-search ?ndings which aim to increase attention by suggesting that certain perceptual processes can operate in parallel after practice (Spelke et al, 1976). An implantation of this visual search aspect strives to improve our ability to multitask by utilizing the aspect of task familiarity. Ref erences Mei-Ching, Ruthruff, and Johnston. Attentional Limitations in Doing Two Tasks at Once. Oregon State University, University of New Mexico, and NASA Ames Research Centre. Retrieved form: http://www.unm.edu/~ruthruff/Lien%20Ruthruff%20Johnston%20CDPS%202006.pdf Spelke, Hirst & Neisser. 1976. Learning to Multitask. Retrieved from:

Writing Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Writing Report - Essay Example As an accounts executive of a PR consultancy, I would like to stress upon the fact that Public Relation trends have been experiencing serious changes and technological advancements. ICT has grown inevitably throughout the past few years. It has seeped into other industries other than the field of information technology. ICT is one of the sectors driving the new economy and also the public relations sector. It is also one of the sectors most directly affected by the recent trends in globalization. The rapid growth in Internet usage and rapid growth of mobile usage with broadband networks all point towards the fact that this technology is impacting every moment of our day to day lives and businesses. But how precisely does ICT affect economic growth and the efficiency of firms? In many studies and recent surveys it has been proved that even in this recession, ICT has kept a steady growth and has no doubt contributed to the GDP and economic growth. The introduction ICT to small medium enterprises has allowed them to compete with larger competitors. ICT is a very dynamic area. The tools and frameworks of ICT expand and advance continuously; these expansions demonstrate the usage and improvements. If we take a broader look at advanced technologies, satellites, mobile phones video news releases etc are the latest tools of ICT that are used by PR agencies and influence public relations policies and practices. Twitter, mash-up media and blogging are the publics eyes and ears nowadays, this latest trend has created more implications and has definitely raised the bar for public relations. In other words, it has raised the bar for public relation practitioners. The Internet and World Wide Web have created mediums for the public to accesses information, whether in the form of blogs, podcasts or videos from YouTube. The traditional role of media is constantly changing with regular upgrading. If we take a quick briefing of

Economics essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics - Essay Example Fortunately, Economists are getting their due importance in policy making. It's economists who shout both in praise and against all policy decisions of different countries. And at least in a few cases, they themselves get divided in ideas and concepts. Regarding certain policies a group of economists come up with words and swords against another group of economists. Each group depends upon different theories at different times. Basically they keep in mind their own basic view and proceed. For giving stress to their views, depend on theories according to their convenience, that's all. Economics is supposed to act in such a way to wipe out tear from all the human eyes in the world. It should address the issues of poverty, famine and basic needs. All the theories may be different in ways of action but aim the same target: bring prosperity to human race. From theories to application - here starts the real game. Economists have made so many jargons familiar to the common man. But what's the end result Did it take us anywhere they planned or predicted This question stands as a very big unanswered question before mankind, especially these days. In the initial years of the new millennium what the Economic World has been experiencing was boom, boom and boom. The IT boom, banking boom, insurance boom, etc. could be cited as shining examples. Predictions also were aplenty. It was pointed out that the IT boom will stand for many more years. According to economists, banking and insurance were also going to record a trajectory of growth. Many reasons were given numbered one by one to substantiate their point of view. Banking habit is not developed among a large number of people. And an attempt was started by governments of various countries to bring more citizens of theirs to banks. Different packages were announced including zero balance accounts and any time money withdrawal facility. Similarly, it was observed that major chunk of the population remain outside insurance net. Studies were conducted which revealed that there are countries which have only upto a mere 10% of their population keeping insurance policies. Based on the se sorts of observations and statistics, so many new economic concepts were introduced by economists. Since the economists were having crucial role in policy making, their views and beliefs turned out to be policies. Political leaderships were depending much on economists in planning future. Since they themselves were ignorant of economic concepts, believed blindly what was advised. There are cases where enough studies were not conducted or even common sense was applied before reaching in far reaching policy decisions. And such policies affected the concerned economy very badly also. Offshoring of jobs is a typical example. Kathy Sanborn writes: In an article by Paul Craig Roberts ("How the Economy Was Lost"), he explains how the offshoring of jobs helped to create a lower tax base for American communities. Because US workers could no longer keep their IT and software engineering jobs due to 1) offshoring and 2) foreign workers coming in on H-1b work visas, our highly trained technical workers' salaries plunged. In addition, corporations began a mass exodus of manufacturing jobs

Impacts of Sun Damage and Benefits of Sunscreen

Impacts of Sun Damage and Benefits of Sunscreen Abstract Sun damage is a cumulative process, meaning that every moment of exposure has a long-term impact. Overexposure to the suns harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause burns, diseases, and cancers-substantially contributing to mortality rates in fair-skinned populations. The severity of skin cancer is real; there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined figures for lung, breast, prostate, and colon cancers each year (Bell, 97). Helping to protect against sunburn and skin cancer, sunscreen is a topical product that absorbs or reflects the suns UV light. This article will address the global impact of sunscreens, while focusing on the scientific/engineering principles of the sun-care product and its effects. It will review some of the recent advances in photoprotection, including the development of broad-spectrum sunscreen and the sun protection factor. Although sunscreens have been around for over 70 years, its health applications are still being explored. Author Biography: Hieu Nguyen is a junior studying Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California. After receiving his B.S. degree, he hopes to continue his education in graduate school-in pursuit of a challenging engineering career. From Hawaii, he enjoys riding the oceans waves and basking in sunny, tropical climate. Keywords: sunscreen, sunblock, ultraviolet, radiation, sunburn Rubbing It In: Modern sun-protection Introduction Our sun-the most powerful entity in our corner of the universe-is dangerous. Just about everyone comes into contact with its rays every day. Whether youre outside walking your dog or in a sports arena watching a 3-hour college football game, your skin is at risk. It is well-known that solar radiation is harmful; youve probably taken a few precautions in the past to protect yourself from the suns intensity by wearing brimmed hats, polarized sunglasses, or high-SPF sunscreens (Figure 2). For many, lathering on sunscreen lotion may seem like a chore. But what exactly are you applying liberally to your body? How much protection does sunscreen really have to offer against sunburn and skin cancer, and how long will these safeguards last? The answers to these questions can be understood when you consider the scientific/engineering aspects behind the $1.9 billion industry skin-care product: Sunscreen. A Harmful Sun Natural sunlight contains, among other things, ultraviolet photon particles of light. These photons are shorter in wavelength and have a much higher energy than visible light, giving it the ability to directly cause DNA damage in skin cells. Ultraviolet radiation is broken down into the following three types of wavelengths: Ultraviolet, Type A (UVA) Ultraviolet, Type C (UVC) UVC (wavelength 100-280 nm) rays are completely absorbed by the atmosphere and never reach us on the Earths surface. The UV rays that we are exposed to consist of UVB (280-315 nm) and UVA (315-400 nm) photons. The shorter wavelength UVB rays cause significant damage to DNA and are the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer. The longer wavelength UVA rays cause tanning and penetrate the deeper layers of skin. Because UV light falls outside of the visible spectrum (400-700 nm), the human eye cannot perceive them. Humans are also unable to feel UV radiation, and thus, your body has no mechanism to warn itself against overexposure. The Suns Effects on Our Skin Our skin is highly susceptible to critical damage from the suns ultraviolet rays. Any exposure to UVA or UVB light can alter or damage the skin. Without protection, long-term exposure to natural sunlight inflicts the skin cells, causing them to tan, burn, and peel. Although a suntan is often considered an emblem of good health, tanning for its own sake has no health benefit and is actually a health hazard (MacNeal). Tanning is your skins defense mechanism against the sun, and any change to your natural skin color is a sign of skin damage. When exposed to moderate levels of radiation, a chemical reaction in your skins cell system occurs. Your skin protects its complex structure of sensitive cells by producing a brownish pigment, melanin, which absorbs and reflects UV rays, dissipating the energy as harmless heat. This is one of the reasons you heat up in the sun. Special pigment-producing cells called melanocytes (depicted in Figure 3) manufacture color capsules and send them to the surface of your skin, thus acquiring a tanned color. Dark-skinned people tan quicker because they already have more melanin in their skin. Fair-skinned people burn easier because they have less melanin in their skin to protect against the burning rays of the sun (Kuhta, 6). Although tanning triggers your bodys manufacture of melanin, this process takes time-days to weeks-for your body to build up its supply, and if you are in the sun for an extended period of time, burning may occur. As anyone who has had sunburn knows, this localized skin injury leaves your skin red and extremely painful. When you get sunburn, what you are really getting is cellular damage caused by overexposure to the suns ultraviolet rays. When you stay out too long, you get burned and your skin gets damaged. To attempt to cool the heated skin area, your blood flow increases. The body sends blood to the surface of the skin so that it can be cooled by evaporation and returned to cool the organs-similar to the way a car radiator system works. Sometimes so much blood is pumped to the surface of the skin that it pushes right through the thin walls of your blood vessels to permeate the other tissues and your skin takes on a reddish color. Your skins immune system then releases chemicals like histamine and serotonin, which trigger inflammation and additional chemical production. And within twelve hours, skin cells begin to die, and inflammation turns the skin a darker red (Readers Digest). Peeling after sunburn is your bodys way of getting rid of damaged cells. This abrupt acceleration of the natural cycle of cell replacement causes gobs of dry skin to curl up and flake off (as shown in Figure 4). This process is necessary because the damaged skin cells are at risk of losing control and becoming cancerous. Due to this danger, all damaged cells are instructed to commit cell-suicide. This mass suicide of skin cells results in whole layers of damaged skin peeling off, to be replaced by other cells underneath those layers. Sometimes, the repair mechanisms themselves may be damaged by the UV rays, which prevent the cells from committing suicide in the future and allowing cancerous cells to replicate. Cancer Risks Skin cancer, the uncontrolled growth of skin cells, is the most common cancer in the world today, and the number of cases worldwide is growing each year. This year alone, over 1.3 million Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer, and one of every five Americans will be afflicted with skin cancer at least once during their lifetime (Bell, 97). Repeated exposure to UV rays can cause cancerous mutations such as malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Some parent cells replicate through cell division repeatedly and the inordinate mass they produce is called a tumor. Once started, tumors keep growing in an irregular, shapeless way (Kuhta, 30). Melanoma is a skin tumor that develops in the melanocytes- pigment producing cells in the skin-and has a very high tendency to spread to other parts of the body. A study at the Anerson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas concluded that about one in 105 Americans will develop melanoma, and 20 percent of them will die from it (T. Adler). Interestingly, malignant melanoma has been found more frequently in sunscreen users than in non-users in some studies. This is because some sunscreens block the natural warnings and adaptations mediated by UVB, but allow damage from UVA to go unchecked. By preventing the pain and redness of sunburn, sunscreen may enable people to stay longer in skin-scorching sunlight, putting them at higher risk for developing melanoma. Prevention: How Sunscreen Works Sunscreens with broad-spectrum protection are most effective to protect against sunburn and skin cancer. Many of the sunscreens available in the U.S. today combine several different active chemical sunscreen ingredients in order to provide broad-spectrum protection, which block both UVA and UVB rays. Sunscreens work by absorbing the UV radiation in the chemical bonds of their ingredients. Different brands of sunscreen contain different combinations of active ingredients that work together to minimize the impact of harmful rays of light from the sun. Some of these ingredients will deflect the UV light while others will absorb it. Most sunscreens work by containing either an organic chemical compound that absorbs ultraviolet light (such as oxybenzone) or an opaque material that reflects light (such as zinc oxide), or a combination of both. This general structure of the principal ingredients allows the molecules to absorb high-energy ultraviolet rays and release the energy as lower-energy rays, thereby preventing the skin-damaging radiation from reaching the skin (Zenitech, 46). Like a screen door, sunscreen filters the light from the sun so that less of it reaches the deeper layers of your skin. The principal ingredients in sunscreens are usually aromatic molecules conjugated with carbonyl groups, which prevent significant chemical change and allow the ingredients to retain their UV-absorbing potency without significant photo-degradation (Zenitech, 48). As its ingredients absorb UV energy, sunscreens begin to deteriorate and lose effectiveness. Sunscreen must be applied early enough before sun exposure to bind to the skin. In order to be effective in preventing skin cancer and sunburn, sunscreen must be reapplied every two hours regardless of their assigned SPF (PrincetonOL). Sunblock, on the other hand, remains on the surface of the skin to reflect the UV radiation. Its sunblock agents-titanium oxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) -reflect the light away so that it doesnt reach the skin at all. Since they do not need time to bind to the skin, they are very effective in blocking all types of UV immediately upon application. However, because they remain on the surface, they are subject to removal by perspiration and friction from towels, clothing, or usual daily activities. The term SPF that appears on sunscreen labels stands for Sun Protection Factor, and is a worldwide standard for measuring the effectiveness of a sunscreens ability to prevent UVB radiation from damaging the skin. The higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen will provide against UVB radiation and sunburn. For example, if it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer-about five hours. SPF 15 blocks 93% of all incoming UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97% and SPF 50 blocks 99% (The Skin Cancer Foundation). As you can see, no sunscreen can block all UV rays. Because the SPF only accounts for UVB rays, certain sunscreens may not protect against UVA rays which are known to cause photoaging, wrinkles, brownspots, and melanoma. This curtailed protection is why protecting against sunburn does not necessarily protect against skin cancer. To deliver true broad-spectrum protection, products must also protect against UVA radiation in addition to UVB radiation. Conclusion Despite its dangers to skin cells, the sun is an important ally when it comes to good health. Optimal physical and mental wellbeing requires some exposure to the sun. Ultraviolet light enables the body to produce Vitamin D, a vital substance that works against the formation of tumors and aids in the absorption of calcium. Some scientists have suggested that short periods of unprotected sun exposure are beneficial, as they will enhance the bodys Vitamin-D-production capabilities (Kuhta, 40). Not only does sunlight strengthen our physical defenses against disease, but it also enhances our mental/emotional defenses against depression and fatigue. Bell Labs, Inc. has demonstrated sunlight to be a significant factor in maintaining a healthy mood and energy level (Bell, 101). The scientific/engineering aspects of sunscreen illustrate an impactful solution on a global scale, prolonging the lives of many by rejuvenating dead skin cells to deter skin cancer development. Utilizing chemical properties, sunscreen protects the skin by absorbing harmful UV radiation, effectively screening out the suns rays. And with new, emerging sun-care technologies such as the Sun Pillà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, a convenient daily-dose tablet that has been developed to offer medicinal protection from the sun, we can minimize the suns harmful effects easily. By practicing routine skin protection, one can aim for a healthy level of sun exposure. Because like most things in life, sunlight is best enjoyed in moderation.

coraline :: essays research papers

Coraline Have you ever wanted to read a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and at the same time you will be scared of what’s going to happen next? Well if the answer is yes then Coraline is the right book for you. This wonderful book was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean. I chose this book because I had never read a good scary story in my entire life. This book is supernatural fiction. This story mainly takes place in another world that looks exactly the same as Coraline’s home. Although it looks the same, to Coraline it feels much different. The love and happiness from her real home is missing. This other world is not a bright and happy place like Coraline expected. It is gray and boring. In fact, not only is this unknown world dull and unhappy, it is also full of scary creatures. Coraline is very sad in this strange, horrible world. Although the the author did not give a detailed description of what Coraline looks like, I imagined that she was about my size, but thinner, with dark brown hair, beaming black eyes and a narrow face. I thought Coraline was a very brave girl. She showed her courage in the story when she went down into a dark cellar and found herself being chased by a frightening, button-eyed creation of the â€Å"other† mother. I liked the fact that even though she was scared, Coraline never stopped trying. She believed in herself and knew that some day she was going to get out of this miserable place. The story begins with Coraline finding the door to another world. Ready for adventure she goes inside, and what she finds amazes her at first but after a while things start falling apart and everything turns into a total and complete nightmare. Her real parents are missing and she is trapped inside this other place. Coraline must find her parents and her way out before the â€Å"other† mother changes her. During her adventure she finds many lost souls that she also must save. They were once children like her but never escaped. My favorite part in the story was in the beginning when Coraline found the door and went right through into the other world.

Kant vs. Singer

November 29, 2012 Singer VS. Kant Duty can be defined in numerous ways but what is difficult to know is what our moral obligations are? Immanuel Kant and Peter Singer have attempted to find a more simple, rational, and supreme rule for what our duty is. Singer makes the distinction between charity and duty. He attempts to show that we, in affluent countries such as the United States, have a moral obligation to give far more than we actually do in international aid for famine relief, disaster relief and much more.According to the reading, Singer believes we need to drastically change our way of life in order to help others. He is making the argument that â€Å"if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything morally significant, we ought, morally, to do it (231). † And he defines â€Å"bad† as â€Å"suffering and death from lack of food, shelter, and medical care (231). † The example he offers is a situation in wh ich a little girl is drowning in a shallow pond. One can easily rescue her, but doing so would wreck one’s new fifty-dollar shoes.Singer believes that morally, one needs to go in and save the girl. Anybody who would walk by and refuse to save her would be considered a horrible person. Then, he continues and introduces a different moral situation. A little girl is starving in a poor country. One can easily spend fifty dollars to save her life, but then one cannot use that money to purchase a new pair of shoes. Again, one is faced with a choice; do you save the little girl or buy new shoes? He believes that there is no moral difference between these two cases.In conclusion, he is saying that as a moral obligation, you should save the little girl in Africa instead of buying the new pair of shoes. People in affluent countries can prevent people dying from starvation by giving more money to famine relief without sacrificing anything morally significant. Therefore, they should. He believes that no matter how close or how far someone is, if you know you can prevent bad without sacrifice, it is your moral obligation to do so. Sometimes, the excuse people use for not donating to charity is that they don’t have much money right now but when they do, they will.Plus, they acknowledge the fact that there are other people who do have extra money at the time, so it is their responsibility. On the other hand, they also know that a lot of these people have the money but choose not to help. And the fact that they don’t help does not justify a person with less means not to help. In the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant is looking to find an understanding of morality that can be drawn from first principles rather than from empirical experience, which is knowledge that we gain from experiences.Morality needs to be established in pure reason and not gained form human experiences, but applicable to any and all rational beings. He is attempting to com e up with a rational supreme principle of morality. He begins by addressing the idea of duty. Kant says that the only quality that is actually good is good will. Any other quality can be accompanied by bad will. And good will is not good because of what it achieves, it is good for the reason to do it. He argues that reason must be meant to help us develop a good will.The purpose of having a good will is not to do good things, it is good in itself. And a person’s will is only good if they are motivated by duty, not any selfish wants. The idea of a good will is supposed to be the idea of one who only makes decisions that she holds to be morally worthy, taking moral considerations to guide their behavior. Kant believes that the fundamental principle of our moral duties is a categorical imperative. A categorical imperative is a command that expresses a general, unavoidable requirement of the moral law.Its three forms have universalizability, respect, and autonomy. Together they e stablish an action that would be considered â€Å"good† only if we can will everyone to do it, it enables us to treat other people as ends and not as the means to our own selfish ends, and it allows us to see other persons as mutual law-makers in an ideal ‘realm of ends. ’Kant believes that the difference between being motivated by a sense of duty in the ordinary sense and being motivated in his sense was that he thinks that motivation by duty is motivation by our respect for whatever law it is that makes our action a duty.Our respect for the laws that guide is qualified in the sense that we pick which is more or less important and which has more value. In contrasting and comparing Kant’s and Singer’s argument, I have come to the conclusion that Kant’s argument is more realistic than Singer’s. Singer is expecting everyone to accept the fact that helping others, whether they are close or far, is one’s duty and one must act upon i t. He is being too optimistic to think that humans will give away what is not necessary and help the people who are starving instead. His argument is weak because it achievable. Singer is asking us to sacrifice too uch and this makes it unattainable. Kant on the other hand is acknowledging that the human species is rational and is always progressing towards the good. He believes that it is one’s duty to raise ourselves from the unpolished state of our nature and move forward towards humanity. He also knows that our actions will be based on pure reason. And he knows that the motivation for duty consists on the bare respect for lawfulness. These laws he speaks about are established by the city or the state and they’re a guide for our moral compass. His expectation of us is much more attainable and real.

Nathans Famous Company Analysis

Nathans Famous Company Analysis Introduction This report focuses on historical background of the fast food restaurant â€Å"Nathan’s Famous†, structure and ownership pattern, mission and vision of the company, SWOT analysis, list of strategies, financial position, and so on.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nathans Famous: Company Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More History of Company In 1916, Nathan Handwerker established â€Å"Nathan’s Famous† as a fast food stand on Coney Island, New York where he served special hot dogs prepared with the recipe of his wife; however, the company gained global reputation within a short time for the special taste and quality (Morningstar 1). This restaurant really became famous worldwide while its hot dogs had served to the historical icons like Soviet iron man Joseph Stalin and to the English Monarchy and 32nd president of the United States Roosevelt visited the restaurant to enjo y the Nathan’s hot dogs (Morningstar 1; NATH 4; and Basham 2). Most legends politicians, celebrities, and sports celebrities of twenties in the United States like Performer and comedian Eddie Cantor, Jimmy Durante and Cary Grant and even the Chicago gangster of twenties Al Capone were the regular customers of Nathan’s Famous. During thirties, the company started to get orders from overseas market, for instance, London and other cities; in addition, it has enjoyed to monopoly market for its hot dogs supplies in the White House (Nathans Famous 1; and Basham 2). Key facts 2012 (thousand) 2011 (thousand) Total Sales revenue $52,369 $44,634 Cost of sales $42,106 $34,567 Gross profit $66,222 $57,255 Total Assets $44,520 $52,958 Net income $ 6,158 $2,213 Total costs and expenses $56,215 $53,935 Total current liabilities $13,561 $12,965 Total liabilities $15,683 $14,880 Working capital $21,989 $31,454 Total shareholders’ equity $28,837 $38,078 E arnings per share: Basic $ 1.26 $ 0.41 Number of Employees 219 (it recruited from 100 to 125 seasonal employees) Table 1: Overview of the key facts about NATH Source: Self generated from NATH (43)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Company Structure and Ownership Pattern: Nathan Handwerker established this company as a family business with his wife; after death of the owner, his son Murray Handwerker became the president of the company in 1959 and explored its expansion strategy by opening several branches all over the USA. Moreover, this company lunched new strategy to open a number of franchises (Morningstar 1; NATH 4; and Basham 2). During nineties, the son of Murray has taken the leadership of the company; Bill failed to show high performance and he sold out the company to a private group; subsequently, this company incorporated and listed in the New York Sto ck Exchange for public trade in 1993 (Handwerker 1; Yahoo Finance 1; Morningstar 1; and NATH 5). Mission and Vision of the Company The Mission of the Nathan’s Famous Inc. is to provide unparalleled delicious and high quality fast food to the customers in order to strengthen its position and create a base of satisfied customers worldwide; The vision of the company is to improve the number of it outlets and franchisees at home and abroad with the aim to maximize its shareholders value by becoming market leader in the traditional and captive-market restaurant environments within next 10 years. Product and Services Although the NATH is a legendary in the global market for its hot dogs from the historic perspectives, the company also deals with a variety of fast foods like hamburgers, breakfast sandwiches, and crinkle-cut fries along with some restaurant tools and equipment like vending machines and Subway units and so on. According to the annual report, the majority of the fast food retailers like Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Restaurant Depot, Sams Club Cafes, Regal Theatres, Sunoco, Yankee Stadium, and Cowboy Stadium are randomly selling the products of the Nathan’s hot dogs at 1000 outlets in 50 states and accounted sales of 435 million hot dogs in the previous year. Demographics The major operation of the Nathan’s Famous Inc. is in the United States where the demography consists with population of 313,847,465 estimated in July 2012 with a growth rate 0.9%, birth rate 13.7 births/1,000, death rate 8.4 deaths/1,000 and net migration rate 3.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (Indexmundi 1). Major cities for population density, the position of New York is at the top with 19.3 million population; Los Angeles in the second position with 12.675 million population; Chicago in third position with 9.134 million; Miami is the fourth with 5.699 million, and the lowest population in the capital city Washington, DC with 4.421 million population. Among th e total population, male female ratio is 97: 100; the life expectancy for male is 76.05 years and for female is 81.05 years and at least 1.2 million people live with HIV / AIDS and 17,000 people die from this disease in 2009.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nathans Famous: Company Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In accordance with the data provided by the US Census Bureau, in 2007, there are several ethical groups live in the US where Native Americans are only 0.97%, whites are 79.96%, blacks are 12.85%, Asians are 4.43%, Hawaiians are 0.18%, and the others are 1.61%. At the same time, the Literacy rate of the country is 99% and the expenditure for education is 5.5% of GDP and the per capita income is US$ 27100; however, the unemployment rate was 8.15% while the health care expenditure was 16.2% of GDP in 2009. Strategic Analysis List of Strategies Implemented Branding Expansion Strategy NATH has aimed to put into practice of brand expansion strategy primarily by the marketing of the â€Å"Nathan’s Famous† brand and sales of goods with the â€Å"Nathan’s Famous† trademarks that carries historical dignity of the company. From its long practice, the brand has gained strong confidence of its customers in an extent where the company engaged to boost its sales of non-branded products converting in to own branded products while the concept of co-branding restaurant provided further opportunity to explore its brand (NATH 18); Distribution Strategy This company has engaged to expand its distribution channels by increasing addition of new points of sale and distribution along with various retail chain and supermarkets including the company owned restaurants; however, the combined practice of franchising and distribution agreements with different business and individuals is the traditional practice of exploring distribution channels; Overseas Entry Strategy This Com pany has decided to continue its international expansion through its traditional franchising scheme along with its co-branding restaurant concept that would tremendously assist for overseas entry while the company would also engage with sub-franchising and licensing for manufacturing. International distribution contracts have already given the opportunity to establish 98 restaurants along with 100 co-branded illustration worldwide;Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Operation Strategy NATH has emerged to continue its harmonized architectural design at every operational points for which it provides training and operation manuals for all the stores, no matter whether it is a company owned or franchised entry; in addition, it has provided fees for particular tasks and signed agreement for 10 years (don’t ask for any profit sharing). Both for local international operation the raw materials of the branded product must be purchased from Nathan’s or from its recommended suppliers; Nathan’s operational strategy always look for new prospects both in traditional as well as captive markets; Marketing Promotion and Advertising Strategies The company has considered marketing strategy as an integral part of brand awareness development in the course of its fortunate points of distribution channels by selling its branded menu through advertising in the supermarkets, club stores along with television advertising that boosts its reputation f or quality and value for which the company is striving. In the promotion purpose, the company frequently arranges eating contests of Hot Dogs in different states and the champions are gathered in main restaurant of Coney Island for national competition, all of these competitions get huge media coverage that greatly promotes Nathan’s brand. On the other hand, under the Nathan’s franchising agreement, the local restaurants are obliged to spend 2% of their annual sales for advertising and promotion; moreover, the local restaurants would conduct local marketing campaigns pointing to the value-oriented strategies for promotion announcing special discount offers. HR Strategies and Corporate Governance According to the annual report 2012 of this company, it has already incorporated a Financial Officer Code of Ethics to control CEO, CFO and other employees of finance department; in addition, it posted Code of Ethics on the Company’s website with intent to comply the dis closure requirement under Item 10 of Form 8-K. Moreover, NATH arranges training programs for managers and co-workers of new Company-owned and franchised restaurants because they are the key asset of the company to create brand image in the fast food industry; furthermore, it has already designed operating manuals with practices and procedures to train the employees and operate the business. Analysis of the Strategies Business Level Strategy: Cost leadership: The US fast food restaurant competitive market, the competitors mainly consider cost leadership strategy and ask comparatively lower price for the commodity and service; however, NATH offers lower price, but it is not offering the lowest price for all food item. In addition, it has a lot of loyal customers and they purchase hot dogs considering taste and quality; therefore, NATH has not used this strategy since price is not a prime concern to the customers; Differentiation: From the very beginning of the operation of NATH, it o ffers unique hot dogs. However, product differentiation is key strategy of this company, for instance, Beef Hot Dogs, Crinkle-Cut French Fries, Hamburgers, Philly Cheesesteaks, Chicken Classics Menu (Krispy Chicken Tenders and Sandwich, Chargrilled Chicken) Salads (Caesar and Krispy Chicken Club), Famous Favorites, and so on; Cost focus: According to the annual report 2012 of NATH, it designs own pricing strategy known as â€Å"value pricing†. According to this strategy, individual food items price is higher than the price of combination of several items; however, NATH purchases raw materials from the suppliers at competitive price with intent to focus on this strategy by producing goods at lower price and offer competitive price as well; Differentiation focus: It has already captured the market of NATH concentrates on this issue because clients have distinctive preferences, taste with special requirements; therefore, the decision makers focus on this factor, but cautiously i t is not introducing new items in the regular basis; SWOT Analysis of NATH: Strengths NATH has a long experience to operate fast food restaurants as it established in 1916; According to the annual report 2012 of NATH, it achieved numerous awards for the world famous beef hot dogs; In addition, quality and taste of the food items help the company increasing market demand (Basham 3); Brand image, reputation, loyal customer base, and leadership quality are the key factors of success (Nathans Famous 1); At the same time, it has qualified and financially capable franchisees; It has 40 corporate management employees, 154 full-time employees, 25 restaurant managers; Distribution strategy, pricing strategy, supply chain management, other marketing strategies are the main strengths; Financial position At present, it has strong financial position to invest more for the new outlets and change the external business environment; however, the following table shows ratio analysis for this compa ny. Nathans Famous 2009 (US$) 2010 (US$) 2011 (US$) 2012 (US$) Net profit margin 15.20 10.95 3.87 9.30 Return on Assets (%) 14.81 10.79 4.16 12.63 Return on Equity (%) 17.72 12.93 5.37 18.41 Return on Invested Capital (%) 17.72 12.93 5.27 17.53 Current Ratio 6.12 6.12 3.43 2.62 Table 2: Key ratio of Nathans Famous Source: Self generated from Morningstar (1) Weakness The management of this company has not concentrated on the global market expansion while many companies open new outlets in the emerging market, like Brazil, Bangladesh, India, and China; however, this company has a problem in the decision-making process to develop business and compete with other competitors. the corporate governance system is ineffective to meet the challenge of competitive industry It has only 219 employees to control all the distribution channels (NATH 12) Profit margin is decreasing due to high operating costs in the recessionary economy (Morningstar 1); On the other hand, less inter est to develop new products and expand business in new business zone; Needs to take appropriate measure considering the pricing or other marketing strategies of the competitors; Opportunities NATH has already opened a new outlet in different States of the US market, but it has opportunity to expand more outlet in the high populated market; It can create large customer base in the new areas to maximize profits At the same time, it should open new branch in emerging Asian market, for example, Bangladesh; It has opportunity to increase share capital and earning per share using appropriate strategy in the stock market It has scope to increase market share in the first food industry; Threats According to the annual report 2012 of this company, the fast food restaurant industry is extremely competitive because many factors influence the business, for instance, economic condition, purchasing power of the customers, changes in consumer tastes, awareness about the nutritional quality and increase number of competitors. There are many other risk factors, such as, the loss of major suppliers, the impact of agreement with SMG, high competition in the quick-service restaurant segment; however, the following table provides competitive position of NATH. NATH MCD YUM Market Situation 225.93 million 100.55 billion 31.13 billion Employees: 219 440,000 78,450 Sales Revenue 70.55 million 27.63 billion 13.42 billion Gross profit Margin 0.32 0.39 0.27 EBITDA 12.54 million 9.84 billion 46.37 million Operating Profit Margin 0.16% 0.30% 0.16% Net Income 6.99 million 5.47 billion 1.48 million EPS 1.52 5.39 3.14 Table 3: Direct Competitor Comparison Source: Yahoo Finance (1) Present Market Shares of the Company The position of this company in the stock market is comparatively better because the basic chart shows that share price is increasing over time. The following chart compares share price between NATH and McDonalds to show that the investors are now relyin g on the NATH considering overall position of this company in the recessionary and post recessionary economy. However, the management of this company should use the share capital to expand business in the global market and the investors will gain confidence to purchase the share of this company considering the position in the fast food industry. Figure 1: Basic chart for 2009 to 2013 (comparison between NATH and McDonalds) Source: Yahoo Finance (1) The next basic chart demonstrates that the position of YUM is strong in the stock market, but share price of NATH is higher than the share price of YUM. Figure 2: Basic chart for 2009 to 2013 (comparison between NATH and Yum! Brands) Source: Yahoo Finance (1) Share in international market NATH has business operation in eight countries with only 30 outlets all over the world whereas MCD has over 31000 outlets and Burger King has about 13200 restaurants all over the world. Therefore, the business reports on the fast food industry had not addressed significantly the market share of this company considering the number of outlets; however, the next table gives information about the presence of NATH in foreign market. Figure 3: NATH in international market Source: NATH (16) Share in local market NATH (16) reported that it has not outstanding market share in the local market in terms of the number of Company-owned and franchised units, for instance, it has 274 outlets (highest 66 franchised units in the New Works and 40 franchised units in the New Jersey). Recommendation Based on above analysis, this study will suggest two strategies for its further market growth, such as- New Product Development Although Nathan’s restaurant deals with a variety of product line, but the hot dog is globally famous and unparalleled for its taste and quality; at this stage, the company required to innovate some new products with unbeaten quality and taste. In its hamburger menu, there are grilled bacon cheeseburgers, special burgers along with super cheeseburgers; however, the company conducts further research to develop these products by maintaining same quality standards of its hot dogs; however, such innovative idea will assist the company to explore its growth quickly. Vertical Expansion Strategy The future growth of the company strongly aligned with its vertical expansion strategy; besides franchising, NATH has the opportunity to consider prospective merger and acquisition, joint venture, and strategic alliances with the local districts food stores in the US market and the international market. The ongoing licensing programs for packaged foods can also enhance through geographic integration outside the US market, but before introducing any vertical expansion strategy, the company required to have some risk assessment. However, this report suggests that the management of NATH to arrange meeting with board members to receive proposal to expand business vertically; in addition, it should prepare a timetable in order to implement new strategic alternatives. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be said that Nathan’s creative approaches will assist to establish strong base of satisfied customers, and the focused strategies will ensure continuous expanding opportunities for the company; in addition, it will ultimately support revenue generation program in order to maximize the shareholders value creation. Basham, Mark. Nathans Famous. 2010. Web. www2.hmc.edu/~evans/NathansSP.pdf. Handwerker, Murray. Nathans Famous owner expanded nationwide. 2011. Web. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/22/local/la-me-passings-20110522 Indexmundi. United States Demographics Profile. 2013. Web. indexmundi.com/united_states/demographics_profile.html. Morningstar. Nathans Famous NATH. 2013. Web. http://financials.morningstar.com/ratios/r.html?t=NATHregion=USAculture=en-us. Nathans Famous. Nathans Famous History. 2013. Web. nathansfamous.com/index.php/history NATH. FORM 10-K: Annual report 201 2 Nathan’s Famous, Inc.. 2012. Web. http://216.139.227.101/interactive/nath2012/.. Yahoo Finance. Direct Competitor Comparison. 2013. Web. http://finance.yahoo.com/q/co?s=NATH+Competitors.

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