Benefiting from Learning About the Flaws of People

Benefiting from learning about the flaws of people they respect or admire. Usually it just so happen that we people are young they tend to have a lot of heroes, or someone they respect or admire. They soon learn when they grow up that these people they have admired for so long have flaws just like anyone else. Leaving them feeling disappointed or upset, but what they don’t know is that learning about these flaws can be beneficial to them. People benefit from learning about the flaws of people they respect or admire. What they soon learn is that people make mistakes, no one is perfect.Including those they may look up to the most, for example their parents. Their parents are the ones who teach them right from wrong, and so the kids may expect their parents to go by this as well. Most of the times the kids are disappointed to find out their parents aren’t perfect either. After that, they either chose to make the same mistake or chose to learn from it. â€Å"Monkey see, mo nkey do. † It can even be beneficial coming from someone they don’t even know. It could be someone who sang their favorite song, or stared on their favorite TV show. For a kid to have a celebrity as an idol is very common.Celebrities are people just like us so they are going to make mistakes; it is how they deal with the problem that’s beneficial. But because they are famous, everyone can see their mistake. People can also benefit to one’s peers. Watching someone they love or admire, make a mistake than learn from it, is extremely beneficial. They can accept that person for who they are and become more mature. It is very important that we learn at a young age that no one is perfect, and they can’t always set high expectations for everyone. Especially if they set the expectations for someone they have known all their life.Everyone’s has flaws and they should be expected. â€Å"There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings g iven to us to learn from. † It is not always good to have an admirer that makes mistake and they follow but don’t ever learn from. It important to, grasps it, learn from it, and consider it a blessing. Don’t be disappointed if their hero wakes up one morning and brushes his teeth with ice hot instead of tooth paste. Instead, always look up to what they admire about them, and try to relate to it. Work cited page: http://www. inspirationalspark. com/making-mistakes-quotes. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Monkey_see,_monkey_do

Balance sheet Essay

According to the depreciation rates used by the company and described in the Production Cost Report, if a company adds 50 new workstations at a cost of $250,000 each and also spends $5 million for an addition to its assembly plant to accommodate the new workstations. According to the cost allocation methods used in the company’s accounting system and described in the Help section for the Operations Report for any of the four geographic regions, if a company spends $5 million to advertise its camera lines in North America, assembles and ships 300,000 entry-level cameras and 200,000 multi-featured cameras to its North American dealers, derives revenues of $80 million from its sales of entry-level cameras and $120 million from the sales of its multi-featured cameras in North America, then 50% of the $5 million in advertising expenditures will be allocated to the costs of advertising for entry-level cameras and 50% will be allocated to the costs of multi-featured cameras. 70% of the $5 million in advertising expenditures will be allocated to the costs of advertising for entry-level cameras and 30% will be allocated to the costs of multi-featured cameras. the per camera advertising costs for both entry-level and multi-featured cameras will be $10.00. 40% of the $5 million in advertising expenditures will be allocated to the costs of advertising for entry-level cameras and 60% will be allocated to the costs of multi-featured cameras. the per camera advertising costs for entry-level cameras will be 50% larger than the per camera advertising costs for multi-featured cameras.

Welfare Reform Affects Us All Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Welfare Reform Affects Us All - Essay Example Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act. This provided for many social programs aimed at helping people recover and get back on their feet. Within this legislation was provision for the unemployed, affordable housing, medical insurance, food assistance, as well as Aid to Families with Dependent Children. There were also many management agencies created to monitor the situation and ensure that the benefits were actually performing to their maximum potential; however, somewhere along the way, something went terribly wrong. What started out as a stopgap measure to help the nation get back on its feet again quickly blossomed into an aid-dependency mentality that has spanned three generations. It’s a well known fact that anytime a person is given rights without being held accountable for those rights, respect for those rights falls. This is part of what has happened in our country with regards to social programs. Many people have developed not only a dependency, but also an entitlement concept that produces antisocial behavior and beliefs. So much so that in 1994, the Welfare, Food Stamps, and Medicaid programs comprised 20% of the national budget. On August 22, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Initially many politicians were afraid that there would be horrible results with families and children going hungry and becoming homeless. They felt that forcing Welfare recipients to go to work would jeopardize their children who would be left at home to fend for themselves while their primary care taker was at work. Seriously ill people, especially children, would not be able to receive treatment for their conditions and could possibly die. The Leftists Liberals painted a stunning picture of how America would become the scene of another Third World country with abject poverty and lack of basic human needs being met. Parents would be forced to get a divorce in order to get the amount of money needed by a family to actually survive on government assistance. Actually, it was never intended that a family could live happily ever after on government assistance with no need to do anything more than stand in line and reproduce yearly. What actually happened during the Welfare reform was simply amazing. Not only did the doomsday prophets prove to be totally incorrect, but also there was not part of the system that didn’t flourish under the new rules. It was discovered that the main contributors to a badly flawed system were intergenerational poverty, out-of-wedlock births, and system dependency. The very problems that the social programs had sought to eradicate were actually made larger through the programs. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act had these components that made it one of the strongest pieces of legislation aimed at fighting poverty in the late 20th century. It’s goals were to:1) end Welfare as an entitlement pr ogram, 2) require recipients to secure employment after two years on the system, 3) place a lifetime limit of five years on government assistance programs, 4) support two-parent families and discourage illegitimate births, and 5) enhance child support enforcement. The actual strength of this legislation was the back-to-work ethic for everyone to increase their self-esteem and confidence and decrease their dependency on handouts. People learned that they could become productive members of society again and become part of the solution not only for the economy, but also for their own families. Through increased child support enforcement, fathers could once again take pride in providing for their offspring. Back-to-work training programs gave people the necessary skills needed to enter the

Comparative Analysis of Christianity and Islam Essay

Comparative Analysis of Christianity and Islam - Essay Example The essay "Comparative Analysis of Christianity and Islam" aims to develop a comparative analysis of the Christian and Muslim belief system or philosophies as pertains to the concept of spiritualism, and how the philosophies manifest themselves. The key questions suggested by James Sire in understanding the concept of worldview. A focus on the aspect of prime reality is important to start with. God is the prime reality for Christians while for the Muslims, it is Allah. God and Allah are perceived as the supernatural being that determines all conditions or situations that humans experience. Muslims have their prayer, referred to as Du’a, which seeks to ask Allah to heal the sick people. The prayer of Du’a can be traced from the Quran 21:83-84; the prayer of Prophet Ayyub. The verses state: â€Å"Truly distress has seized me, but You are Most Merciful of those that are merciful†. It is inscribed that the early Muslims would seek the advice of Prophet Muhammad whene ver they were sick. The prophet would thus recite one of these Du’as for them while touching the area of pain: â€Å"Oh Allah! The Sustainer of Mankind! Remove the illness, cure the disease. You are the One Who cures. There is no cure except Your cure. Grant us a cure that leaves no illness†. Christians also pray to their God to heal the sick. During the days of Jesus, he healed many people with prayer. Psalms 41:3 has the recognition of God as a healer. The verse notes: â€Å"The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness†.

Critical Perspectives on Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Critical Perspectives on Management - Essay Example Taking its roots from poststructuralism, which posits that there is "no central meaning in texts," deconstruction has been used as a new method to understand and interpret human resource changes and behavior in organisations today. Its usefulness stems from the fact that it generates multiple perspectives, or ways, in which the manager can best assess the nature of the organisation's human resources. The ability of deconstruction to look into a subject or object in different ways is useful not only in decision-making processes, but also in the implementation of these decisions within the organisation. This paper discusses the role that deconstruction plays in the contemporary organisation, influencing its very nature and processes. Drawing from both theoretical and practical applications of deconstruction as applied in the business perspective, specifically in business organisations, I discuss and analyze the presence of the "Other" in organisations when applied under the deconstructionist perspective. Moreover, in addition to identifying the presence of the Other, the development of the behavior of openness and uncertainty when the manager encounters a posstructuralist interpretation is also analyzed. Finally, the relevance and significance of deconstruction per se, and the application of deconstruction in the business organisation are integrated in the final part of the analysis, integrating both theory and application to understand the nature and dynamics of the contemporary organisation. II. The theoretical foundation of deconstruction To better understand the practical use of deconstruction in business organisations, its theoretical foundations must first be investigated. Deconstruction takes its root from poststructuralism. As a sociological thought, poststructuralism "deny that there is any central meaning in texts," a thesis that also adopts the assumption that there is no universal truth or way of interpreting objects or subjects that people experience in their everyday lives. Theoretically, deconstruction "shows that whatever meaning is derived is wrong. Since there is an unending set of possible meanings in any text, there can be no central or true meaning at all" (Littlejohn, 1999:223). These claims are developed from the increasing need of academicians and social scientists to know the limit at which knowledge-building and development have reached since the advent of modernism. Deconstruction as a new perspective in the schools of thought extant provides humanity with the opportunity to further improve and develop the knowledge that we have. The pursuit of "truth" is no longer achieved by gaining an in-depth knowledge of the phenomena that trigger humanity's curiosity, but rather, truth is now discovered by knowing the wide range of knowledge available to us humans, whether this knowledge is only at the most basic level. That is, knowledge production is no longer intensive, but rather extensive and diverse, as posited by deconstruction. Other theoretical explanations on deconstruction are, at best, descriptive in nature. Take as an example Bennington's elucidation of deconstru

Multiculturalism in canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multiculturalism in canada - Essay Example According to Bertrand, this commission was formed with the aim of investigating the existence of different cultures and ethnic groups in the country, and to devise recommendations on how the government can incorporate all of them in all walks of life in the country. The commission was also to take into account the cultural enrichment that the other ethnic groups provided in the country and find measures that could be taken to safeguard that contribution (Bertrand, par 3). Although it seems as though multiculturalism is a phenomenon that confers some advantage to a country, this essay outlines some of the damaging effects it expedites. It would be worthwhile to investigate how multiculturalism in Canada has promoted the creation of "segregated racial and ethno-cultural enclaves within local communities," (Garcea), leading to a country where the people are divided into numerous ethnic groups with different cultural backgrounds instead of uniting them. Garcea continues in this article t hat though the government tries hard to concentrate "immigrants with similar racial or ethno-cultural backgrounds," into the same location, multiculturalism "promotes and supports the creation of ethno-specific secular and religious institutions to serve the needs of each major ethno-cultural community." Clearly, immigrants to Canada do not automatically adopt the same national identity that the locals share, but they retain their own sense of identity and culture that they bring along from their own native country. Banting and Kymlicka have found that multiculturalism actually leads to feelings of alienation among the immigrants, and they quote that " racial minorities are less confident they fully belong," (Banting and Kymlicka, 54). Multiculturalism has also been blamed for resulting in discrimination and racism. Banting and Kymlicka claim that these minorities are " clearly are victims of racism," (Banting and Kymlicka, 64), and that they are more likely to be discriminated upon and face racist situations in the country. Banting and Kymlicka also state that " in comparison with white immigrants, minority immigrants have a greater sense of discrimination and vulnerability," (Banting and Kymlicka, 55). Additionally, "multiculturalism fosters competition and inequality between ethno-cultural groups," and also, "after some period of struggle a very clear group hierarchy will emerge and thereafter life chances will again be a direct consequence of ethnic background," (Garcea). He further states in his article that "this inequality results from the political dynamics between the relationships of the leadership of ethno-cultural groups and some political parties whereby the former seek political status and financial resources to advance the group's and personal interests, and the latter seek various forms of support to win elections," (Garcea). Clearly, multiculturalism does not lead to the creation of an equal and egalitarian society where everyone has the same chances of success in life regardless of their ethnicity; it instead promotes the creation of a hierarchal system, based on one's ethnicity. Multiculturalism has also led to the creation of conflicts between the different ethno-cultural gr

Occupy Wall Street Movement Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Occupy Wall Street Movement - Coursework Example This coursework follows a world-wide phenomenon, known as The Occupy Wall Street movement, that started in 2011 on September 17 on Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District. This movement spread across the 100 cities in the United States as well as 1500 cities globally. In this coursework the history, motives and effects of the movement are analyzed. The movement was intended to seriously question role of multinationals, corporate and banks in specific that have played significant role in causing the recession. The researcher focuses on the main single motive behind the movement of Wall Street, that was to force businesses and to balance the power across the board. This simple motive united many people of different social classes, celebrities and politicians. In this coursework the rising inequality in the United States topic was also well described as one of the movement's motives. The Occupy Wall Street movement erupted against inequality to support equal pay for everyone in the corporative structures regardless on their nationality, gender or skin color. In conclusion of the coursework, it's author states that the movement of Occupy Wall Street, despite celebrated its anniversary recently, seemed to fail and analyzes three possible answers as to why it happened. Hence, though OWS is still being supported by some people, it may only leave marks in the history as being one among the movements that might lead to world change but does not appear to sustain as single change driving movement.

Buyer behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Buyer behavior - Essay Example This refers to a relationship between individual and the collectivity prevailing in a certain society (Hirchman, 1983, 197).   It is exhibited by the manner in which people live together and are intimately linked to the norms of the society. The concepts of individualism explain societies where their loose ties between people. In such a society, everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and/or the immediate family. The concept of collectivism refers to societies where people are integrated into strong groups in which people protect each other in exchange for unquestionable loyalty.The consumers behaviors attributed to individualism-collectivism pertains to the behavior of persons in a given group, relationships with others and perception of themselves vis a vis others. These consumer behaviors are the influence by reference groups, self-concept, and information sharing, ethnocentrism and opinion leadership.Reference Groups A reference group takes the form of an actual o r imaginary group or individual born of the existence of significant relevance upon individuals’ aspirations, evaluation and behavior (Park and Lessig). Witt (1970) defines reference group as a group taken as a frame by an individual in evaluating himself/herself and formation of attitude. Three means are known through which behavior can be influenced; value expressive, informational and utilitarian (Park and Lessig 1977).The reference group extent depends on a group’s behavior and identity. It is reasonable to think of a possibility.... m and Collectivism and their Consumer Behaviors effects This refers to a relationship between individual and the collectivity prevailing in a certain society (Hirchman, 1983, 197). It is exhibited by the manner in which people live together and are intimately linked to the norms of the society. The concepts of individualism explain societies where their loose ties between people. In such a society, everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and/or the immediate family. The concept of collectivism refers to societies where people are integrated into strong groups in which people protect each other in exchange for unquestionable loyalty. The consumers behaviors attributed to individualism-collectivism pertains to the behavior of persons in a given group, relationships with others and perception of themselves vis a vis others. These consumer behaviors are the influence by reference groups, self-concept, and information sharing, ethnocentrism and opinion leadership. Reference Groups A reference group takes the form of an actual or imaginary group or individual born of the existence of significant relevance upon individuals’ aspirations, evaluation and behavior (Park and Lessig). Witt (1970) defines reference group as a group taken as a frame by an individual in evaluating himself/herself and formation of attitude. Three means are known through which behavior can be influenced; value expressive, informational and utilitarian (Park and Lessig 1977). The reference group extent depends on a group’s behavior and identity. It is reasonable to think of a possibility of the existence of interpersonal influence brought about by individualism and collectivism, on the consumption behavior. A study by Shaw (1971) on the effects of individual interactions and

Management Evolution Essay Example for Free

Management Evolution Essay The evolution of management can be traced back to the start of the Industrial Revolution. â€Å"Management and leadership abilities were not thought of as learnable skills but derived from one’s heredity. There did not exist the need for a theory of management: leaders were born, not made. † (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 14). This belief ignored the need for a written theory of management and focused on the practice itself. As industrialization increased and spread, problems related to the factory system began to appear. Large numbers of workers were needed to keep up with the rapid economic expansion. Many of these workers were immigrant, unskilled, and non-English speaking. Managers did not know how to train these employees. This led to a scientific study of management and to what is today known as management theory. Classical School of Management The first management theory, Scientific Management, arose because of a need to increase worker efficiency and productivity. Emphasis of this approach was placed on the best way to get the most work accomplished. Focus was on examining the work process and developing the skills of the workforce. The classical school owes its origins to several contributors; including Frederick Taylor, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, Henry Gantt, and Mary Parker Follet. Frederick Taylor is often referred to as the â€Å"father of scientific management†. He believed that organizations should study and gain an understanding of work and develop precise procedures to complete it. â€Å"Taylor believed that economic prosperity could only be achieved by maximal worker productivity, which in turn, would be the product of making workers more efficient† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 5). By analyzing every job through scientific observations, he felt there was only one best way of doing a job. He believed managers should study each job and determine the minimum necessary steps needed to complete it. Individuals step would be analyzed to determine the most efficient way of performing it. Managers would then total the time of each individual task to determine the optimum amount of time necessary to complete the entire task. Workers would then follow the precise instructions of management. If tasks were not completed in the optimal amount of given, workers were removed from the job. He believed this system gave managers power over workers. Workers could no longer resist management demands. Managers possessed the knowledge and workers performed their detailed steps. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were a husband and wife team that studied job motions. â€Å"The Gilbreths are considered pioneers in making use of motion studies to improve worker efficiency† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 16). Frank analyzed worker actions to determine the best possible method of performing a given job. When he understood all the motions, he would seek to improve the efficiency of each action and reduce the number of motions required to accomplish the job–a process called job simplification† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 16). Managers would then select, train, and develop workers with devised procedures. Lillian extended this theory into the home in an effort to determine the ideal way to complete household tasks. Henry Gantt developed the Gantt chart; a work scheduling chart that measures planned and completed work along throughout each stage of completion. The Gantt chart is a powerful planning and evaluation tool used by managers. He believed inefficiency was a result of management unrealistic production standards. According to Gantt, â€Å"work standards should be determined by scientific observation and measurement, and only then may realistic work standards be set† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 17). Gantt also believed that workers should be rewarded for good work through a bonus system. He felt that workers would be more productive and achieve higher levels of production if there was an incentive. To motivate workers to go beyond the daily production quotas, he pioneered the use of a production bonus (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 18). Gantt also focused on the importance of quality leadership and management skills and their relationship to building effective industrial organizations. Mary Parker Follet is often referred to as the â€Å"mother of conflict resolution†. â€Å"Her research and writings pointed to a collaborative approach to problem solving that advocated compromise† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 17). Follet focused on the importance of establishing and developing common goals within the workplace. She believed workers should be allowed to participate in the decision making process. She believed workers could and would comply and follow management’s logical requests without being given too many orders; workers should not be micromanaged. â€Å"The classical approach to management theory had asserted that the key to worker efficiency and organizational productivity was efficient job design, use of appropriate incentives, and effective managerial functioning† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 23). This approach emphasized the work elements and eliminated the human dimensions. Behavioral School of Management The behavioral approach stresses that effective management will come from an understanding of the worker† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 23). Emphasis of this approach is based on the belief that every human being has social and physiological needs which affect performance and motivation. Focus was on improving the self-esteem and self-confidence of the workforce. Contributors to the behavioral school include Elton Mayo, Chester Barnard, and Douglas McGregor. Elton Mayo was the founder of the human relations movement. â€Å"Mayo concluded that factors other than the physical aspects of work had the power of improving production. These factors related to the interrelationships between workers and individual psychology† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 25). Mayo believed that if workers were treated with respect and their needs were being met, they would be more productive and their work would be more efficient; therefore both the employee and management would benefit. Mayo is known for his work conducted at the Western Electric Company in Chicago; known as the Hawthorne Experiments. He was able to prove that the relationship that employees have with management directly affects productivity. He concluded that management needed to be more directly involved with employees. Chester Barnard developed the acceptance theory of management, which focuses managerial authority. He believed that employees themselves determined if managerial order is legitimate and acceptable. He felt that in order for employees to accept that managers have legitimate authority to act, they must first understand the communication they receive from management. Employees must also feel that the communication that is received is consistent with the organization’s purpose. Bernard believed that managers needed to share a common purpose and express a willingness to cooperate with the employees. â€Å"Douglas McGregor, in distinguishing between the pessimistic Theory X view of employees and the optimistic Theory Y, had a dramatic impact on management theory and practice† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 27). Theory X which characterized the views of Taylor is based on the assumption that the average human being dislikes work and that because of this dislike they must be threatened and controlled before they will work. Theory X also assumes that the average person desires security and prefers being directed. Average people dislike responsibility and have little ambition. Theory Y which characterized the views of Mayo is based on the assumption that if a job is satisfying and the working conditions are good, then the worker will be committed to the organization. Theory Y also assumes that if the average worker is committed, then they will not only accept, but seek responsibility. McGregor believed that managers should operate with the belief that workers will contribute more to an organization if they feel valued and are treated responsibly. The behavioral approach to management theory focused on the workforce and their needs; the human element of the organization. This approach emphasized work as a group activity and aimed at increasing work productivity through collaboration. Production Operations Management (POM) Approach The Production Operation Management Approach to management was developed in response to increasingly difficult operational problems and a rapidly changing environment. The concepts of the POM Approach were based on the belief that the scientific method was the solution to problem solving. Herbert Simon was a major contributor to the POM Approach. â€Å"Herbert Simon is best known for his research in decision-making and information processing but also made contributions to cognitive psychology, computer science, public administration, philosophy of science, and artificial intelligence† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 29). Simon coined the term satisficing which was based on the belief that executives rarely had access to perfect information. They were more apt to accept data acquired early in a search and seek solutions or accept choices that are deemed good enough for their purposes. He believed that seeking the maximal solution or result expended resources. â€Å"Production operations management stresses a systems approach that views the total operating system and analyzes a problem within that system. The problem is seen to exist as it relates to the total system, and any proposed solution is evaluated as it relates to the same system† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 30). The POM approach focused more on production and less on the human factor. Contingency Approach The contingency approach to management is the most recent school of thought about management. It combines the ideas of the other three approaches and states that there is no one universal set of management principles or one best way by which to manage an organization. This approach is based on the belief that to effective, planning, organizing, leading and controlling must be contingent on the circumstances in which an organization operates. Different problems require different solutions. â€Å"This approach arose out of the observation that the three earlier approaches to management–the classical, the behavioral, and productions operations research–did not always lead to an acceptable solution† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 1). The contingency approach applies to all areas of management, not just organizing and leading. This approach takes into consideration both the internal and external environments of the organization. Conclusion â€Å"The foundations of the various approaches to schools of management theory are found in a variety of disciplines, inclu ding economics, psychology, sociology, mathematics, philosophy, and industrial engineering. But management theory, even though it makes use of other scholarly areas and the observations of the practicing manager, has emerged as a separate area of study since the 1940’s† (Montana Charnov, 2008, p. 4). The thoughts and ideas of the classical school have been analyzed and developed over the years; however the basic concepts are still in practice today. Relation to Work Environment I believe that the contingency approach to management is the most effective. The classical, the behavioral, and productions operations research approaches all are based on a universal approach, one best way, of management that applies the same techniques to every organization. As a manager I have come to realize that not all people and every situation should be handled identically. I believe managerial decisions and actions are contingent upon a given situation. Managerial styles and techniques must vary according to the circumstances of the situation. To be effective, managers must determine which factors are relevant in what situation. I believe the most important aspect of the contingency theory is that it accounts for the human factor. As the Dining Services Director at Miles Community College, I am required to make daily decisions concerning both my department and the organization as a whole. I believe that to be an effective manager it is necessary to evaluate each and every situation to come up with the appropriate decisions and actions. I understand that each and every situation is unique and requires a situational analysis. I also believe that every decision I make affects the organization therefore my decisions are based on the goals and values of the organization as a whole. I believe that the contingency theory best fits my management style.

Impact Hammurabis Code of Laws and Egyptians Be Human Essay Example for Free

Impact Hammurabis Code of Laws and Egyptians Be Human Essay Select a minimum of TWO [2] primary-source documents [easier if a contrast] from the list on Blackboard HICC 101 course package as a basis to answer the central questions listed below. In other words, answer the question using evidence from what the authors at the time thought about these issues. Always clearly state your idea first, and then quote from the source. REMEMBER: the term â€Å"quote† should be restricted to a verb form. You are quoting the text, but if you refer to the text, don’t say â€Å"In this quote†; refer to the â€Å"statement† or â€Å"text. † All quotations from the primary sources must state the author’s last name (or title of book) and page number in parentheses directly following the quote. You will need to quote the most significant passages in order to support your claims. Keep the length of all quotations to a minimum, and make certain that you interpret and point out the meaning of the text [texts are never obvious]. Quote only what you can explain: quotations are only evidence for the points you already make! In order to reflect on a document you will have to quote it several times. Never quote your professor or class notes; they only teach you the material so you can find evidence in published texts, like your text book, which you can choose to quote in a limited way, but is not necessary. This assignment is your analysis of the primary sources (thus: never begin or end a paragraph with a quotation), and always interpret and explain the quotation in light of the idea that you have made. A good paragraph (in a nut shell) has one central idea, the idea is explained, then evidence is suggested (quote), then interpretation, then conclusion of the idea. Primary Source paper #1 reflect on any of the material in Units I, II, III. Central Question: How did civilizations in the ancient world view humanity? What did it mean to be human? Compare and contrast at least two different civilizations (i.e. Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Greek, or Roman). Primary Source paper #2 reflect on any of the material in Units IV, V. Central Question: How did Christians in the European West [AD 200-1600] develop the Catholic intellectual tradition? How did they balance the wisdom from Greco-Roman thought with Christian theology, and what balance was developed between faith and reason? Compare and contrast an author from the early medieval period (any Christian thinkers before 1000 AD) with an author from the high Middle Ages or Renaissance period (after 1000 AD). Primary Source paper #3 reflect on any of the material in Units VI on China. Central question: What did Chinese authors [1500 BC- AD 220] think was necessary to forge a more just society for the common good? Compare and contrast two different authors. You may refer to some of the authors in Units I-V to compare and contrast, but most of the paper should be reflecting on Chinese authors

The Dada And Punk Movements

The Dada And Punk Movements In this essay I will be looking at two design movements from very different decades and discussing the relationship between them. The two movements which I will be analysing are the Dada and Punk movements, which have roughly 60 years between them. Firstly I will look at both movements separately and then begin to analyse how they have such a strong link through different areas in design. I will be using examples to support the key points I am going to make and visually analysing these examples in great detail. A broad range of research will also help to widen the range of examples of the design work from these periods and help me to discuss in depth the relationship between them. The Dada Movement began in 1915 just after the start of the First World War and peaked between 1916 and 1922. The movement concentrated on rebelling against the unnecessary carnage caused by the war. The Dadaists responses were to shock people in various ways with their provocative behaviour through theatre, public speeches and art. I will be comparing this movement with the Punk movement which began in 1975 and peaked for almost a decade. This movement began as a result of a number of events which happened in the seventies such as an economic disaster and the youth cultures problems with the government. There was an increase in teenage pregnancy, a rising divorce rate and mass unemployment which then caused people to rebel against traditional values. Even though both these movements began as a rebellion against society and their work started off as anti art and anti fashion a larger culture combined together to create quite the opposite. Both movements used out of the ordinary tacti cs to get attention from the public in many ways. During the Dada movement artists began to use unusual techniques which hadnt been used in this way before such as, collage, photomontage and ready-mades. Dada art went against the stereotypical and the Dadaists wanted to make a statement that they believed art could be made from anything and everything. These new techniques developed due to the fact that the Dadaists had little money during the war, therefore little resources to produce art. This meant they had to use the very few resources that were available to them. Many decades after, Punk used the same techniques, using anything they could find to produce a new type of art and fashion, using things such as recycled rubbish, cardboard and cut up newspaper articles to express their freedom. Art from both these movement was seen as anti art and asks the question What is art? Raoul Hausmann was a key figure during the Dada movement. He is an example of many artists who began to use the photomontage technique during this time. In Dada Siegt (Dada Victorious) from 1920 we can see Hausmann is trying to show his anger over the happenings during the war. In this piece Hausmann has taken many images from newspapers, magazine and other books from that time. This method of design would have angered the authorities whose images were being cut up and reassembled to be used against them. Art is not an end in itself but it is an opportunity for the true perception and criticism of the times we live in Ball (1918). Artists were trying to show; by using real photographs and newspaper headlines how the authorities were involved with the unnecessary war. At the very top of the work we can see a world map, which has Dada printed largely across it. This is trying to show that the world would be improved if everyone disagreed with the happenings and the disaster caused by t he war. Only the top half of the world is shown as this is where the Dada culture was present. Next to this, Dada Siegt is written which means Dada Victorious. In the photograph of the city street Dada labels can be seen on the houses and on the other side 391 which is the name of a Dada journal. Another part of this piece which caught my attention was the man at the bottom of the piece. He appears to be saying Fieneren Naturkrafte which translates to finer forces of nature. This again shows that the artist believed the forces of war were unnecessary. This collage is an example of how headlines and images from the media can be rearranged and put into a very different context. In this case the headlines have been used against the authorities. During the punk movement many of the posters were very similar to those that were designed during the Dada movement. They took the collage and photomontage techniques and used them again shock the public and go against the traditional view of art. It again questioned What is art? Punks didnt want to create new things they decided to recycle, manipulate and use what was already available to them. Dada artists used this same attitude during the war when very little resources were available to them. Punks used torn out letters and imagery recycled from newspapers, typewriter text and their own handwriting. Photocopying was one of the main techniques during the movement as it created an intense brutal effect which would not have been considered traditionally attractive. Like the Dada artists Punk artists used techniques which werent consider as traditional art. Hollis (2001) states Dada had been against Art; Punk was anti-Design. Both movements began as a rebellion to what was considered normal but they turned it into own style of art and design. Fig 2. Sniffin Glue Cover Issue 8 1976 by Mark Perry Sniffin Glue was a punk magazine designed by Mark Perry in 1976 and a collage style design was used on its front covers. Fig 2 is a cover from the 8th issue which like the Fig 1 discussed previously contains image and type found in newspapers and magazines. The image of the Queen has been defaced which is a famous piece of punk art work by Jamie Reid. Combined with the image of the Queen are images of band members from the Sex Pistols who empowered the Punk scene. The caption at the bottom of the image reads No Future, a slogan seen a lot on posters throughout the movement. It was a rallying cry against a bleak and meaningless life in conformist merry ol England, Vallen (2001). The use of a photocopier is apparent in this image which was a big part of the Punk movements distinctive attitude and style. Sniffin Glue went with the DIY ethic that also appeared in Dada art work. The magazine was put together using found materials, photocopied images, hand written and drawn graphics. Perry (2002) spoke about designing the magazine covers in 1976, The whole of that first issue was what I could do at that time with what I had in my bedroom. I had a childrens typewriter plus a felt-tip pen. This design included aspects which were not considered attractive but punk changed what was once considered ugly. Another way in which Punk and Dada are linked is through their use of ready-mades or assisted ready-mades. Marcel Duchamp was an artist during the time of the Dada movement and a piece which he created was L.H.O.O.Q from 1919, which Duchamp referred to as an assisted ready-made. L.H.O.O.Q was a cheap postcard of the famous painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, which Duchamp then drew a moustache and beard onto and added the caption L.H.O.O.Q. When this is pronounced in French it forms the sentence Elle a chaud au cul which is translated to She has a hot ass. This piece could be seen as an attack to the original iconic painting of Mona Lisa and traditional art in general. By adding to this painting Duchamp has encouraged the viewer to consider a new perspective on classic art work. During the Punk movement artist Jamie Reid designed a piece of work which also used the assisted ready-made style. Reid designed many images for the punk band the Sex Pistols and became very well known f or his ransom note style designs. His single most iconic image of the punk era OHagen (n.d) was a piece named God Save The Queen. God Save The Queen is very similar to the Marcel Duchamps Dada image L.H.O.O.Q as they both use iconic imagery and alter it as a way to shock the public. There were two different designs, ransom (fig 4) and swastika (fig 5) which were both equally as controversial. Both pieces include an image of Queen Elizabeth II which is a copy of the original photograph for her silver jubilee celebrations, taken by Cecil Beaton in 1977. Just as Duchamp defaced the image of Mona Lisa, Reid has altered the Queens image in a way that may be considered disrespectful. Fig 4 shows the bands name and the singles title placed over the Queenss eyes and mouth in the style of a cut and paste ransom note. Fig 5 shows the Queen with a safety pin through her lips and swastikas over her eyes. The Sex Pistols and Jamie Reid used these images to shock the public just like the artists during the Dada movement. Harrison (2001) stated It was also probably the first and perhaps the last time something was put on the front cover which collectively shocked a nation. These shock tactics were used in both movements to get their opinions across to the rest of the nation. Punk and Dada also have a strong relationship between their uses of type in many pieces of work. During the Dada movement artists started to use pieces of lettering they could find from anything lying around, such as, newspapers, journals, magazines and poems. In 1919 Raoul Hausmann and Johannes Baader designed the journal Der Dada. The unique type style which the Dada artists began to use is shown on the front cover of this journal. Instead of using one font to show information on the front cover of the journal Hausmann has mixed various fonts. This style created its own version of typography which gave individual letters, words and sentences a new sense of freedom that it never possessed previously. This example from the first edition of Der Dada in 1919 contains both large and small letters which are joined in new combination along with various small symbols. Words placed vertically, horizontally and diagonally give a new life to simple letter forms and show a new sense of freedom to the reader. During the punk movement artists also started to use similar ways of working. They used whatever equipment was readily available and inexpensive such as, typewriters, stencils, found type and images and their own hand writing. Using photocopiers was also a big part of the type elements in the punk movement. Like Dada artists, Punks rejected the traditional typographic rules and used their own freedom of expression. Jamie Reid designed this poster for the Sex Pistols Anarchy in the UK tour in 1976. It contains cut and paste type which relate to the use of typography during the Dada movement. It is clear that a photocopier has been used to create the statement black letters which are written using cuttings from newspapers. This style was particularly symbolic in the 1970s as again it was a rebellion against the norm. This example shows the style of typography which was neither fluid nor free flowing. Reid combines various sizes of fonts to advertise the tour which shows the freedom of the Punk movement. We can clearly see that Reid was influenced by the collages of the Dadaists and his use of mixing found type can be related to the Fig 6 discussed previously by Dada artist Hausmann. Both the Dada and Punk artists used this unique way of working to get attention from the public and to shock society. According to Cantlon (n.d) The work of Jamie Reid was clearly influenced by the image and type coll ages of the Dadaists. These influences on Reids typography, with its deliberately erratic and eclectic mixing of fonts, sizes and styles, can be seen in many Dadaist artworks. Throughout this essay I have looked at a range of ways in which there is such a strong relationship between the Dada and Punk movements. As there were problems in society during the time of these movements there was a strong rebellion against traditional values. This caused the unique way in which both movements decided to use shock tactics to get their views across to the public and authorities. Both movements were about being independent and free but even against their best attempts to remain this way a larger culture combined with them to create a movement which started to become the norm. Dada and Punk werent about creating beautiful pieces of art or using traditional methods, they were about cut and paste and using materials which were not necessarily used to create the typical masterpieces. They were countercultures created from a rejection of dominant values and behaviour of society.

Ludwig Van Beethoven The Incessant Sound Of A Fallen Tree Essay

There resounds a proverbial question, â€Å"If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear, does it make a sound as it falls?† Capricious as this query may appear I have had occasion to entertain just such a notion when, as a youth, I found an exploratory journey down a deep wood’s path abruptly halted by the greeting of an enormous fallen tree. The colossal obstacle lay across my path and presented itself a motionless, silent guardian that protected that which lay beyond from my further intrusion. What a monumental disturbance must have been witnessed by the forest as this giant came crashing down! I wondered how the tree came to be there in the first place or what of the countless forms of life that had sprang forth from its protective purview over the decades of the tree’s history. I wondered what might have led to the demise of the strong anchoring system that had so obviously sustained the uprightness of this tower for so long. Not to mention what a scurry for life itself must have taken place by the multitude of creatures that were no doubt within the danger zone as tons of falling wood rushed earthward. Notwithstanding the magnitude of this event and the obvious lasting effects that resulted, I still wondered if â€Å"the falling tree had made a sound?† When the life of Ludwig van Beethoven first encroached upon my path, much the same sensation was experienced. No doubt I had heard of the composer’s name, but then so had I foreknowledge of trees, both fallen as well as standing ones. However, what of this particular composer. Had I ever entertained conversation with him? Had I known of his particular work, achievements, or failures? What difference had been made by this long extinguished life, at least where I was concerned? So here I stood. Yet another fallen giant before me in an apparently posture of complete silence leaving me to contemplate what, if any, true sound had been made as it fell. Every inquiry has its beginnings and Beethoven’s began in Bonn, Germany on December 16, 1770 (Cross 45). Though he had somewhat of a musical heritage with both his father and grandfather being performers themselves, it appears to have been that the emotion of greed more probably served as the conduit for molding of the youth. Johaan Beethoven, Ludwig’s drunkard father, had become aware that his son possessed musical talent. Though apparently not particular... ...curried for cover and sun-light, no longer blocked out, reached new areas of the forest floor, resulting in a host of new life being brought forth from the decaying carcass of the wooden giant. Until I encountered the tree, no difference had been made to me. Yet now, as I could not pass by, the course I took was now forever altered. From this perspective I can truly say that, though I was not present at the time of the event, either in the case of the life of Ludwig van Beethoven or in the falling of the great tree, I am now aware and thus truly affected by both. BIBLIOGRAPHY Milton Cross and David Ewen (1962). Encyclopedia of the Great Composers and Their Music. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc. Alessandra Comini (1987). The Changing Image of Beethoven: A Study in Mythmaking. New York, New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. Irving Kolodin (1975). The Interior Beethoven: A Biography of the Music. New York, New York: Alfred A. Knope. Alfred Einstein (1969). A Short History of Music. (4th ed.) New York, New York: Alfred A. Knope. Felix Greissle, eds. The International Library of Piano Music. (Album 14) New York, New York: The University Society, Inc.

Tyranny can Never be Completely Removed Essays -- essays research pape

From fictional novels to real life experiences, tyrants who have been removed from power will only be replaced by the next, thus negating the original objectives of the revolution that was once hard fought for. Animal Farm by George Orwell is a story of which animals overthrowing their tyrant owner and establishing a nation of their own. As time passes, the more intelligent of the animals taste the lure and addiction of power, turning out to become the tyrants they once abolished. A leading Irish figure in 20th century theater, George Bernard Shaw, once said "Revolutions have never lightened the burden of tyranny, they have only shifted it to another shoulder." Tyranny is yet to be diminished since human (animal) nature is selfish and only seeks the good of oneself. When one steps down, another rises from the crowd, repeating this pattern of a power shift. Basically, those with the influential powers and support of many, tend to obtain power. This does not allow the power to be share d amongst the commoners. The grasp of tyranny is to be hovering over the masses and time by time the one abusing the power would be switched. History demonstrates to us that Shaw's observation applies in any era. After the expulsion of the previous tyrant, the masses believe that all are equal, but as time flows, some become ?more equal than others? (133). From the beginning, when the revolution was yet to be complete, Old Major introduced the basic idea of revolting against Mr. Jones, their owner. In his final speech to provide his fellow animals with a boost, the old boar reminded them that they must not follow in the steps of the tyrant they hated. ?Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices? (31). As the cornerstones of Animalism a... ...is overwhelming power overcame him. Nothing was changed after all. Leaders have all been the same, as many fall into the same traps or follow the footsteps as previous ones in power. George Orwell?s Animal Farm is a definite entertainment and moral. One of the main themes, human nature dictates that revolutions are bound to fail, incorporates with what George Bernard Shaw said about revolutions. ?Revolutions have never lightened the burden of tyranny, they have only shifted it to another shoulder.? Tyranny is part of life. It cannot be avoided unless God rules over man as William Penn suggested. ?Men must be governed by God, or they will be ruled by tyrants.? As one succeeds to power, original objectives most likely are neglected while becoming tyrannical like the previous. Shaw?s observation serves as a core of Animal Farm, an illuminating and realistic lesson.

Red Balloons

The song I chose to do my project on is the song 99 Red Balloons, by the artist Gabriel Kernel, also known as Nana. This was one of the songs in the ‘ass to make the point about how the war really affected the citizens and the countries themselves. The theme of this song is that overreacting right away is a bad thing. It can cause damage to you and to everything else around you. This song is representing the fact that the United States and the Soviet Union were caught up in the Cold War and it caused many problems.The example in this song is that, what if a child let go off balloon and it went over the Berlin Wall to the Soviet's side? Without deciding what it was, they blew up the whole country of Germany. This could have happened because of something so silly like a balloon. It also describes how unlucky the citizens of Germany are. They are in the middle of all of this. If something was thrown over the wall, or a balloon floated over it, their lives would have been ruined o r they could have died because of it. The Soviet Union and the united States only thought about homeless.They were waiting for some kind of spark in the war so they would know when to fight. The meaning of this whole song Is that during the cold war, the Soviet union and the united States were always at the brink of a nuclear war. This song explains a great story about what might have happened if something floated over the Berlin wall to the Soviet Union's side. In this song, the balloons are mistaken by the Soviets as some unidentified object in the sky. Their military springs into action, creating a big, useless war that destroys their city. This was all because a bunch of balloons.The song ends on a hopeful note, when Nana sings the line â€Å"Eve found one more balloon. Think of you and let it fly,† that part shows that hope still remains, despite all that was lost. A lot of people believe that this was a song about protest, but in an interview with Nana, she explained th at the song was only meant to be a place to lighten the atmosphere of fear that the Cold War was bringing to Germany during the time she wrote it. This song makes me feel really sad about the way the woo superpowers would have Just destroyed their city like this and kill all of their innocent civilians.The minute they say these unidentified objects coming their way, they Immediately shot and blew up their city. I feel awful for the poor families who could not do anything or escape from harm's way. There was always a threat of nuclear war looming in the air. People who lived through the cold war were always at a risk of nuclear war breaking out. Children had frequent drills. They were taught what to do in case an atomic bomb went off. People must have been living in days filled with fear. The united States tried to have a period of dtenet which lasted for a while, but It did not end the war. Hen I first heard the song, It made me sad that a couple of kids could have caused that much destruction by letting go some balloons. I am very thankful that I did not have to go through what they went through for over 44 years. Ready to launch a surprise nuclear attack to them and their allies. They had a new alert system called the RYAN that provided important information to them, like warning before the attack comes. Two years later in 1983, the year the song 99 Red Balloons came out, the Soviet Union's RYAN tracker spotted something.Some observers dismissed the alert and the war scare but others were not sure. The latter view seems to have been closer to the truth. These developments, along with the new United States management's tough stance toward the USSR, prompted Soviet officials and much of the populace to voice concern over the prospect of a US nuclear attack. But there really was no attack that was necessary to deal with. Like in the song 99 Red Balloons, they overreacted again, but this time to something that was not even there.

Charles Martin’s “Taken Up” Essay

Charles Martins Taken Up is a poem that could illustrate two possible scenarios. This poem can be interpreted as viewing a group of people waiting on, meeting, and leaving with extraterrestrial beings. It could also be a personified colony of aspen trees that are awaiting the sun on a spring day. It is written in free verse that does not have a specific amount of syllables per line. The poem consists of seven terza rima rhyming verse stanzas, which displays the authors control over the free verse form. These stanzas are constructed simply by using the rhyme scheme a a a, b b b, and so on. This poem is written in the third person narrative and describes the interaction between humans and aliens. It could also describe the scene of a colony of aspen trees waiting on a spring morning. The poem uses descriptive language so that one may easily construct a visual scene with their mind. The poem presents the use of literary devices—imagery, alliteration, metaphors, and personificatio n are most common. The poem was written in 1978 by the American poet Charles Martin, and could possibly capture the ideals of the American popular culture at the time. The Roswell incident of 1947 gave rise to a multitude of thoughts regarding the possibilities of extraterrestrials coming to earth. On the other hand, the poem could simply be about beauty and life as seen in nature. The opening lines of the poem possibly illustrate the extraterrestrial idea as well as a colony of aspen trees waiting for the sunrise on a spring morning. It begins:Tired of earth, they dwindled on their hill,Watching and waiting in the moonlight untilThe aspens leaves quite suddenly grew still,If we assume the poet is referring to people in this poem, these lines would illustrate a group of people dwindled, or sitting, on a hill watching upwards towards outer space. Line three, â€Å"The aspens leaves quite suddenly grew still† could possibly refer to the silence before something big happens. This type of silence can be compared to the silence a contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? receives before knowing if he/she correctly answered the question. But if we were to assume that the poet is referring to a colony of aspen trees, then it could be read much differently. Because trees need sunlight to grow through photosynthesis, they might be personified in the sense that they dwindle in the moonlight while they are watching and waiting for the night to be over and the sun to rise. The third line illustrates the  calmness of a spring morning. Aspen leaves by nature easily catch the slightest breeze so this illustrates a deadening silence or calmness. The next three lines continue to illustrate both ideas of extraterrestrials as well as the aspen tree colony:No longer quaking as the disc descended,That glowing wheel of lights whose coming endedAll waiting and watching. When it landedThe first line reinforces the idea of silence or calmness because the quaking refers to the leaves of an aspen tree quaking, or rocking, back and forth. The disc descended could refer to a flying saucer, which was an idea of the American popular culture of what an alien space craft might look like. It might also be the moon going down in anticipation of the sun rising, which brings the life giving rays of light. Line two might illustrate the coming of the sun, glowing wheel of lights, and the closure of night, whose coming ended. It could also be compared with a wheel of lights, or a UFO. The third line, All waiting and watching. When it landed could refer to people waiting and watching this UFO land. On the other hand, it could mean that this aspen colony is personified in the sense that it is waiting and watching for the rays of sunlight when it landed giving the possibility of life to the saplings in the colony. The third stanza again carries dualism in its lines:The ones within it one by one came forth,Stalking out awkwardly upon the earth,And those who watched them were confirmed in faith:The first line could illustrate the extraterrestrials one by one getting off the UFO. The first line is followed by a descriptive line as people see them as stalking out awkwardly because it would be awkward to see something new from outer space that might have been proportionally dissimilar to a human. This first encounter with extraterrestrials would cause these people to be confirmed in faith. Their beliefs have now been confirmed; there are extraterrestrials in the universe. The other take on these lines illustrates a view of saplings, which came forth, or sprouted one by one growing awkwardly upon the earth in all the different directions that branches grow. These new trees were growing and the rest colony was confirmed in faith by their growth. They were ensured that a new generation of life was gro wing among the colony. In stanzas four and five it seems as if the extraterrestrial idea is clearly what the poet is referring to, but it could very well be another reference to the aspen tree colony. One must think abstractly to pull out dual meanings in the following lines:Mysterious voyagers from outer space,Attenuated, golden—shreds of laceSpun into seeds of the sunflowers spinning faceLight was their speech, spanning mind to mind:We come here not believing what we find—Can it be your desire to leave behindThe mysterious voyagers are extraterrestrials from outer space who are attenuated, or made slim, but have a huge face like that of a sunflowers spinning face. These lines help to paint a picture of what an extraterrestrial might look like. At the time, in American popular culture the thinning or attenuated physique of the alien with a huge sunflower like face was commonly used as the symbol for extraterrestrials. The golden may be descriptive of a really bright light that one may associ ate with extraterrestrials. Then in the next line the extraterrestrials speech was light, or low tone, which may reassure that no harm would come to those encountering this. The next two lines of the fifth stanza are written so that one may think an alien was talking about finding people whom they are not believing would want to desire to leave behind the earth. Or, it could be that the mysterious voyagers are the rays of light beaming on the earth from outer space where the sun is. The golden—shreds of lace is descriptive of the golden rays of life giving light that the sun produces. The rays are golden in color and as beautiful as lace. The rays of light allow the seeds to grow into the saplings of the aspen colony. The suns light that was spanning from mind to mind could illustrate personification in that the light was spanning from sapling to sapling, or seed to seed, giving each the necessary fuel for growth. The last two lines are lines of questioning. Do the saplings really want to leave behind the earth from where they began? The next stanza again questions both the colony of aspens as well as the people desiring to leave with the extraterrestrials:The earth, which those called angels bless,Exchaning amplitude for emptiness?And in a single voice they answered Yes,The line exchanging amplitude for emptiness could suggest the question of why would these humans leave this earth full of everything they need for life for a life in the emptiness of outer space? Likewise, these lines could be asking a question to the aspen saplings. Do the saplings really want to  leave the amplitude of the earthly body for the emptiness of the air above ground? Both parties answered Yes states that the people want to leave earth as well as the saplings wanting to grow from the earth and in a sense leave it as well. It is almost as sustenance is being taken from both people and the colony. People do not survive well for long in an environment without oxygen, such as outer space. Likewise, aspen trees only live for a short amount of time above ground (40-150 years); while there root system in the earth can survive for far longer (up to 80,000 years). (Wikipedia)The final stanza of this poem finishes off the dualism seen throughout the poem:Discord of human melodies all blentTo the unearthly strain of their assent. Come then, the Strangers said, and those that were taken, went. The first line refers to a discord, or disagreement among human beings whether or not to make the decision to take the assent into space. The extraterrestrials tell those who decide to go to come then and those who did not disagree with them went. On the other hand, the saplings are in strain of their assent meaning that gravity is working against the samplings that are stalking out awkwardly causing strain on their assent higher and higher into the emptiness of the air. The saplings want to continue this growth and the strangers can be compared to the sunlight that allow for growth to happen. The strangers supplied the saplings with the sunlight needed to be taken into the air. This poem can definitely been seen as a parallel between a human existence, and a non-human existence such as an aspen colony. How would a sapling or tree react to the sun flooding its life giving rays of light upon the earth each day? How would a person react to a UFO filled with extraterrestrials wanting to take you take you with them to outer space? Are such reactions natural on both parts? Does a sapling decide whether to become a tree and leave the ground from which it was once buried and only a seed? Likewise, does the human decide whether to leave its earthly home in search of the exploration of extraterrestrial life? These questions cannot be answered by the poem, but they do give rise to the idea of decision making. Sometimes in  life you are presented with issues that require decisions, and sometimes the decisions have already been made for you. The important thing is that once a decision is made, whether by you, or someone else, that you represent your decision personally, and learn from it if the results do not turn out the way you expected. References Mason, David. Western Wind. New York: Mcgraw-Hill, 2006. Wikipedia. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspen Retrieved on 10-07-2007. Last modified 10-04-2007.

Hong Kong International Airport Is the Main Airport in Hong Kong

Kong International Airport (HKIA) is the main airport in Hong Kong; it is an important regional trans-shipment centre, passenger hub and gateway between the Mainland China and the rest of Asia. And HKIA is the primary hub for several domestic airlines, such as Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair, Hong Kong Express Airways, etc. Review the history, HKIA has won seven Skytrax World Airport Awards for customer satisfaction in just ten years (Skytrax, 2010), the second busiest airport in the world in terms of cargo traffic and the 13th busiest airport worldwide in terms of passenger throughput in 2009 (Airports Council International, 2010).This is the strong evidence to proof that HKIA was entering to the World-Class International Airport and we can estimate its development effectively. In this essay, I will go to evaluate the hub airport development of the Hong Kong International Airport, also try to analyze the overall performance and the relevant statistics with other major hub airport to make the comparison and some opinions. The passenger throughput and cargo traffic in HKIA is developed in  tremendous speed in past 10 years.In view of this, the Airport Authority Hong Kong was going to build up some supporting facilities to strengthen its competitiveness, such as Terminal 2, North Satellite Terminal, SkyPier and planning to construct the third runway, etc. This is a very active operation to maintain and develop the position as a hub airport while compare with other major hub airport around the world. There are several major hub airports in Southeast Asia, like the Singapore Changi Airport and the Beijing Capital International Airport, etc.No matter what the passenger and cargo throughput, facilities, connection architecture and awards; it is competed so intensively with the HKIA. First of all, I will go to analysis the development trend of passenger throughput in the HKIA. In the early of 2000’s, the operation of HKIA was back on the train after the tra nsition period from the Kai Tak Airport. Base on the statistics, the total passenger in 2001 was 32,546,029 and ranking 17 (Airports Council International, 2002). After one year, the throughput increase 4. 1% to 33,882,463 and the ranking climb to 15 (Airports Council International, 2003).But in 2003, the passenger drop about 20% to 27,092,290 since the influence of SARS (Airports Council International, 2004). The HKIA was suffered a huge loss in this year, such as the passenger, cargo and economic, etc. Luckily, the recession has to undergo only one year, and it rise up again in the next year. In 2004, the PAX increase 25. 5% to 36,711,920 (Airports Council International, 2005), and the trend continues to increase until 2009. The other statistics which in 2005 increase 9. 7% to 40,269,847 (Airports Council International, 2006), 2006 increase 8. % to 43,857,908 (Airports Council International, 2007), 2007 increase 7. 3% to 47,042,419 (Airports Council International, 2008), 2008 incr ease 1. 7% to 47,857,746 (Airports Council International, 2009). And the trend was adjust lightly in 2009, which is decrease 5% to 45,499,604 (Airports Council International, 2010). The phenomenon was anticipated since the outbreak of H1N1 influenza made the economic slowdown in whole world. Apart from these passenger throughput data, we can analysis the HKIA was very successful as a passenger hub airport, even in Asia.Since the passenger flow was increase equably in past 10 years. And its ranking is good enough which represent the Asia hub airport. And here is the diagram to compare the PAX throughput between HKIA and Changi Airport. [pic]The above diagram shows the passenger traffic comparison between two major hub airports in Asia. Both of them are keeping the ascending trend since 2002, and the top 30 ranking. As we know that, the Singapore Changi Airport had the long term history and winning over 340 awards in a 20-year period from 1987 to 2007.Also, with  80 airlines serving 200 cities in 60 countries, Changi Airport established itself as a major aviation hub in the Asia Pacific region (Changi Airport Group, 2009). But when we look back the passenger throughput in HKIA; it was higher than Singapore Changi Airport about 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 in the past 10 years averagely. The most important is the HKIA just go though the 10 year’s history. It can prove the development of HKIA is very high-speed and prosperity. [pic] Secondly, it is the cargo traffic comparison between the HKIA and Changi Airport. The diagram shows above is the total cargo statistics from 2009 to 2009.Base on the diagram, it is no doubt to prove that the HKIA is acting the leader position in Asia, even in the World since 2002. The cargo traffic was above 2,500,000 tones from 2002, and continued to rise above 3,000,000 from 2004 and until to 2009. And the HKIA keeps the second ranking in the World's busiest airports by cargo traffic since 2002, just behind the Memphis Internation al Airport (Airports Council International, 2003~2010). When compare the cargo traffic with the other busiest cargo airports in Asia – Changi Airport. We can clearly perceive the outcome and difference.Although the history of Changi Airport is longer then HKIA, and it introduced the Air Hub Development Fund in 2003 (Net Resources International, 2010) to attract the airlines and push up the cargo traffic. But the total cargo traffic in the past 8 years was still fall behind HKIA distantly, and the gap becomes has widened in these several years. This is the best statistics to verify that the HKIA is the successful hub airport in the cargo side. Moreover, it is the new development in HKIA. It officially launched two new facilities in January 2010, which are the SkyPier and the North Satellite Concourse.For the Skypier, the temporary SkyPier was made available in 2003. It assists the movement of passengers between HKIA and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. With an extensive air network of 150 destinations,  HKIA has also served well the air transportation needs of the PRD, meeting the economic development needs of Hong Kong and contributing to Mainland's economic growth over the past three decades (HKIA Press Releases, 2010). And the AA has invested over HK$1 billion in the construction of a new North Satellite Concourse (HKIA Press Releases, 2009).It is designed to serve more than five million passengers a year at the initial stage. And ensure the same level of service for the passengers who flying on smaller aircraft (HKIA Press Releases, 2009). Refer to the Executive Director in Airport Authority Hong Kong, said, â€Å"HKIA is dedicated to providing top-notch service and facilities to enhance its competitiveness as a regional and international aviation centre. With the new satellite concourse, less than 10 flights will need to be parked at remote bays every day compared to the current 40 to 50.This means more passengers can embark or disembark their aircraft in a pleasant, weatherproof environment, sparing them the inconvenience of being exposed to hot or rainy weather† (HKIA Press Releases, 2009). The director has briefly explained the objective and function of the North Satellite Concourse. Evidently, the growth project is using to enhance service levels, pave the way to meet future demand and strengthen the connection with the PRD network. Also deepen the role and position as a hub airport around the world.In conclusion, the passenger throughput, total cargo traffic and the facilities development in HKIA has expand quickly in the past ten years. And all the relevant statistics, ranking, awards and reputation has the sustainable increase. It is the positive outcome and result to evaluate the development of the HKIA as a hub airport, also HKIA is the famous, guarantee airport for all the local and foreigner.HKIA Opens New Passenger Concourse to Enhance Service. Retrieved 20 April, 2010, from http://www. hongkongairport. com/eng/media/press-releases/pr_981. html HKIA Press Releases (2010).Airport's New SkyPier and North Satellite Concourse Officially Opened. Retrieved 20 April, 2010, from http://www. hongkongairport. com/eng/media/press-releases/pr_983. html

Reason for falling in Indian rupees Essay

Throughout the country please stop using cars except for emergency for only seven days (Just 7 days) Definitely Dollar rate will come down. This is true. The value to dollar is given by petrol only.This is called Derivative Trading. America has stopped valuing its Dollar with Gold 70 years ago. Americans understood that Petrol is equally valuable as Gold so they made Agreement with all the Middle East countries to sell petrol in Dollars only. That is why Americans print their Dollar as legal tender for debts. This mean if you don’t like their American Dollar and go to their Governor and ask for repayment in form of Gold,as in India they won’t give you Gold. You observe Indian Rupee, † I promise to pay the bearer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is clearly printed along with the signature of Reserve Bank Governor. This mean, if you don’t like Indian Rupee and ask for repayment,Reserve Bank of India will pay you back an equal value of gold.(Actually there may be minor differences in the Transaction dealing rules, but for easy comprehension I am explaining this) Let us see an example. Indian petroleum minister goes to Middle East country to purchase petrol, the Middle East petrol bunk people will say that liter petrol is one Dollar. But Indians won’t have dollars. They have Indian Rupees. So what to do now? So That Indian Minister will ask America to give Dollars. American Federal Reserve will take a white paper , print Dollars on it and give it to the Indian Minister. Like this we get dollars , pay it to petrol bunks and buy petrol. But there is a fraud here. If you change your mind and want to give back the Dollars to America we can’t demand them to pay Gold in return for the Dollars. They will say † Have we promised to return something back to you? Haven’t you checked the Dollar ? We clearly printed on the Dollar that it is Debt† So, Americans don’t need any Gold with them to print Dollars. They will print Dollars on white papers as they like. But what will Americans give to the Middle East countries for selling petrol in Dollars only? Middle East kings pay rent to America for protecting their kings and heirs. Similarly they are still paying back the Debt to America for constructing Roads and Buildings in their countries. This is the value of American Dollar. That is why Many say some day the Dollar will be destroyed. At present the problem of India is the result of buying those American Dollars. American white papers are equal to Indian Gold. So if we reduce the consumption of petrol and cars, Dollar will come down The Above Details are translated originally from Telugu Language to English by Radhika Gr. Kindly share this and make everyone aware of the facts of American Dollar V/s Indian Rupee. And here is a small thing other than petrol , what we can do to our Indian Rupee YOU CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE INDIAN ECONOMY BY FOLLOWING FEW SIMPLE STEPS:- Please spare a couple of minutes here for the sake of India. Here’s a small example:- At 2008 August month 1 US $ = INR Rs 39.40 At 2013 August now 1 $ = INR Rs 62 Do you think US Economy is booming? No, but Indian Economy is Going Down. Our economy is in your hands.INDIAN economy is in a crisis. Our country like many other ASIAN countries, is undergoing a severe economic crunch. Many INDIAN industries are closing down. The INDIAN economy is in a crisis and if we do not take proper steps to control those, we will be in a critical situation. More than 30,000 crore rupees of foreign exchange are being siphoned out of our country on products such as cosmetics, snacks, tea, beverages, etc. which are grown, produced and consumed here. A cold drink that costs only 70 / 80 paise to produce, is sold for Rs.9 and a major chunk of profits from these are sent abroad. This is a serious drain on INDIAN economy. We have nothing against Multinational companies, but to protect our own interest we request everybody to use INDIAN products only at least for the next two years. With the rise in petrol prices, if we do not do this, the Rupee will devalue further and we will end up paying much more for the same products in the near future. What you can do about it? Buy only products manufactured by WHOLLY INDIAN COMPANIES.Each individual should become a leader for this awareness. This is the only way to save our country from severe economic crisis. You don’t need to give-up your lifestyle. You just need to choose an alternate product. Daily products which are COLD DRINKS,BATHING SOAP ,TOOTH PASTE,TOOTH BRUSH ,SHAVING CREAM,BLADE, TALCUM POWDER ,MILK POWDER ,SHAMPOO , Food Items etc. all you need to do is buy Indian Goods and Make sure Indian rupee is not crossing outside India. Every INDIAN product you buy makes a big difference. It saves INDIA. Let us take a firm decision today. we are not anti-multinational. we are trying to save our nation. every day is a struggle for a real freedom. we achieved our independence after losing many lives. they died painfully to ensure that we live peacefully. the current trend is very threatening. multinationals call it globalization of indian economy. for indians like you and me, it is re-colonization of india. the colonist’s left india then. but this time, they will make sure they don’t make any mistakes. russia, s.korea, mexico – the list is very long!! let us learn from their experience and from our history. let us do the duty of every true indian. finally, it’s obvious that you can’t give up all of the items mentioned above. so give up at least one item for the sake of our country! We would be sending useless forwards to our friends daily. Instead, please forward this to all your friends to create awareness.

Big Data and Supply Chain Management Essay

Big Data and Supply Chain Management Essay Introduction Big data has become one of the most important aspects of supply chain management. The concept of big data refers to the massive data sets that are generated when millions of individual activities are tracked. These data sets are processed to yield insights that help inform managerial decision-making. Supply chains in particular have leveraged big data because companies have been able to develop technology to not only capture hundreds of millions of data points, but to process them in meaningful ways to eliminate waste and promote efficiency in the supply chain systems. This paper will examine the concept of big data, how it has arisen and come to dominate supply chain management, and look at the different ways big data is transforming the supply chain function. Lastly, the paper will take a closer look at the future for big data with respect to supply chain management. As it becomes easier to gather data, and as there are diminishing returns to statistical robustness as the number of data points increases, are the competitive advantages of big data going to diminish? The Evolution of Supply Chain Management The field of logistics management was focused on controlling the flow of materials, in-process inventory and finished goods through a companys system from the time that it enters the system until the time that it leaves the system (Cooper, Lambert Pagh, 1997). As the field became more strategic in nature, it came to encompass other issues, such as sourcing materials and building in redundancy (Cooper Ellram,1993). More than simply moving things from point A to point B, the field became holistic in nature, where the quality and price of goods were factored into purchasing decisions as well as the logistics of getting those goods to the right place at the right time. Driving this change was the move towards a globalized marketplace. Globalization increased the complexity of the supply chain, adding longer transportation routes, border wait times, currency exchange, duties and tariffs, and a host of other variables that now had to be taken into consideration – logistics has rem ained important but it always viewed in context with the rest of the supply chain. Big Data The concept of big data really began to arise in the 1990s but has become increasingly important since that point. Big Data refers to the use of very large data sets to enhance managerial decision-making. The concept of big data arose as technology has developed to allow businesses to capture enormous data sets, and process them relatively easily (Boyd Crawford, 2012). Companies have long collected data at a rudimentary level. Loyalty programs and credit cards represented an evolution in the ability of companies to collect data and distill that data into consumer spending habits. This information is then made actionable by letting companies understand more about buying patterns. Big data is similar, but with a lot more data. One of the major advantages of big data is that it allows for complex problems to be solved. A modern supply chain can be exceptionally complex, and one of the important things about this complexity is that no one person can effectively make all the decisions â €“ decision-making tools are needed that can ensure not only consistent decision-making across the company but coordinated decision-making as well (Hult, Ketchen Slater, 2004). It is these coordinating mechanisms where the true power of big data lies – being able to identify things and make decisions that an entire team of humans working without big data would probably never be able to identify (Fugate, Sahin Mentzer,2005). Once big data gets to that point, a company can generate true competitive advantage. And when a company is large enough that is has a data advantage, it will be able to sustain that advantage, which is why there has been such a rush in recent years with respect to big data. As the concept was being fleshed out in academia, businesses were just starting to learn what they could do with all of the information that they were collecting – and one of the applications was to move away from marketing and use data to make decisions about the supply chain (McAfee Bryjolfsson, 2012). One of the first steps that companies needed to make was to hire data scientists – the sort of people who could process these data sets and derive useful information about them. Data scientists suddenly became popular, for their ability to take vast quantities of data, and derive actionable findings from that data (Provost Fawcett, 2013). At the heart of the drive to adopt big data is competitive advantage. Companies have invested in their data programs because they can derive significant advantage from big data under two conditions. The first is that larger companies have access to more data than smaller companies. The incremental cost of data acquisition is lower, and the companys ability to use that data in decision-making is theoretically better. The second is that even among larger companies, there are first-mover advantages to be had. This is evident in the supply chain, especially among companies that are competing on price. Using the classic example of Wal-Mart, one o f the leaders of data-driven supply chains, the company competes on offering the lowest prices, as do most of its competitors. Thus, if it can lower the cost of getting goods to its stores, it can pass those savings along to customers. There is opportunity for competitive advantage under that scenario, if cost leadership is the chosen strategy. Even when cost leadership is not the strategy, making the groundbreaking decision early puts a company in a better competitive position than its competitors (LaValle, et al, 2010). Big Data in the Supply Chain As the largest non-oil company in the world, Wal-Mart is looked to as a leader, so the fact that they were first movers on the use of big data in supply chain management has ensured that the rest of retail – and other industries as well – have followed. Some of the technologies that Wal-Mart has adopted allow the company to track its inventory from when it leaves the supplier –if not before – all the way through the logistics channel. Once Wal-Mart takes possession of the good, that good is scanned regularly through the process. The companys trucks are tracked via satellite. Stores use automatic re-ordering triggers to ensure that goods can be received as soon as they are needed. The goals of all this are to lower inventory holding costs by reducing the amount of inventory that stores have. Goods are turned over more quickly, because Wal-Mart receives them only days before it expects to sell them. Big data plays a significant role in ensuring that this pro cess can be achieved. There are a couple of key areas highlighted for big data in supply chain management. Demirkan Delen (2013) note that data, and how a company uses its data, is one of the ways it can truly differentiate from its competitors. It can be difficult to truly and consistently attract superior talent, and it can take time to move the needle on brand image, but data has become a popular means of finding competitive advantage largely because it is new, and firms in many industries are basically in a data arms race to find innovative ways to use their data to extract competitive advantage. The first is predictive analytics. Data science often focuses on using past events to predict future ones, and that is one of the main uses for big data in supply chain management. For example, if Wal-Mart in Smalltown, OH is running out of shovels at the end of February, and it takes twenty days to order new ones from China, including manufacturing and shipping times, three things can happen. The company can order a lot of shovels and ensure that they have supply. If spring comes, those shovels will sit in a warehouse until next November. They could also run out of shovels, but a late-season snow could leave demand on the table if the store lacks inventory. Modelling both weather patterns and local buying patterns can help the company to settle on demand. Even when weather is not a factor, the company can examine past purchasing patterns to set order quantities. The earlier it can set these quantities, the better response it can get from suppliers. Wal-Mart knows already what the no rmal amount of hot dogs it sells on the 4th of July, for example, so it can feed that information to its suppliers to ensure that they have those dogs at the Wal-Mart warehouse, exactly in the quantity Wal-Mart needs. Predictive analytics is used in supply chain management to take the variability out of the system as much as possible. Inventory usage is reduced, as is the potential for waste, especially with perishable goods. The chances of disappointed customers is also reduced. It is almost impossible – and certainly it is impossible for a company like Wal-Mart – to have exactly everything delivered exactly when the customer needs it. That means that there is always room for improvement. The pathway to improvement lies with bigger data sets, better analytics, and at scale even small incremental gains in the robustness of data or the ability of the company to analyze the data can yield meaningful financial gains (Waller Fawcett, 2013). But using data for something like predictive analytics – managerial decision-making, essentially – requires having good data, lots of it, and the means by which to process it. This is where larger companies enjoy scale advantages in big data. First, the technology to track events is not necessarily cheap. It can involve scanners, and certain involves large amounts of servers, routers, cloud storage – a lot of hardware. Larger companies are at an advantage in buying this hardware but they also have advantage in that they have many more data points. Wal-Mart can estimate sales because it has several years worth of sales, and can break these down by product, store, day, or even time of day. And instead of guessing for decision-making, the companys managers can look at the data and make the decision that on average delivers the greatest outcome. Data replaces decision-making heuristics when the data is sufficiently robust. Because the transference of big data relies on the Internet and communications technology infrastructure, that ICT infrastructure becomes a risk point for many companies but it also becomes a critical point of investment for companies that work with big data – how fast can the data collected on-site make its way to the decision-making tools matters in many businesses where time is of the essence in decision-making (Lu, et al, 2013). Predictive analytics has more than just value in ordering; it can help businesses to identify trends more quickly. This can be critical to advantage in some industries. Think of a fast fashion retailer – it needs to identify trends as soon as possible to get its knock-off clothes onto the market while the fashions are still fresh. Instead of anticipating, which is fraught with error, it can react to trends that have been verified with data. By understanding buying patterns and market cycles, companies can make better choices about what they make and when. This, in turn, is important to the supply chain, because companies also need to know what they need to produce their goods, and when. If there are fluctuations in availability, of if there is any variability among suppliers, then big data has the ability to point these factors out, and give the company an opportunity to deal with them proactively (Wang et al, 2016). Impact of Big Data When the concept of big data was first being elaborated, it promised major impact on business. Instead of guessing, firms would be able to make data-driven decisions that would reduce error, reduce waste and improve speed. As firms understand how to gather the data that they need, and to process it, they become more adept at this, big data has a bigger impact. Some leading firms have used the predictive powers of big data to help with their marketing. Amazon, for example, will recommend products to its customers based on what they have viewed and what they have purchased. Netflix does the same thing – and thereby encourages binge-watching of its shows. Both of these companies have become leaders in their respective businesses, and Netflix has done this specifically in the era of big data, by using that data to foster brand loyalty (Chen, Chiang Storey, 2012). If a company ends up as a first mover in big data, it will be able to gain advantage, and in many cases will make market share gains. Amazon faced a challenge from Wal-Mart a few years, ago, but has made use of big data to driver a high level of brand loyalty, while Wal-Mart fell short on its ability to use big data on the marketing side of its business. Netflix faced threat when major studios wanted to charge more for their content – so it created its own content and even more importantly used big data to improve the information architecture of its platform, allowing people to find content they want to consume. This increased the value of Netflix for many customers, thereby driving business value. Google uses data to target ads better, and charge its customers a premium. Customers are willing to pay more for a Google ad because they know that they will get more traction. So it is important that companies understand data on a conceptual level. One of the reasons that this is so important is that data today comes from a variety of different sources. This ties back to the concept of supply chain management, where the supply chain is a highly-integrated system with many parts from one end to the other. Understanding how the different variables within this system interact so that supply chain systems can be redesign in a more optimal way. Consider the way FedEx used the hub-and-spoke model before passenger airlines thought to do so. Consider how Wal-Mart designed its entire logistics network around lowering the amount of time that it takes for stores to restock. There are different approaches, but the innovations should derive from analysis of the data that identifies areas where the company might potentially perform better. Maybe sourcing goods from a certain country is no longer the lowest cost method, given how long it takes to get those goods to marke t. There are different ways of conceptualizing a supply chain, and now that companies are able to use data analytics to make those decisions, it is likely that many firms will start to restructure their supply chain (Tan et al, 2015). Total cost will become more important, but so too will overall responsiveness. Sourcing locally might provide a company with the responsiveness it needs for certain products that have higher variability in demand, for example. Future Directions While there is presently a shortage of people who have strong data analysis skills, these skills are becoming increasingly in demand, and schools are starting to train more students in the use of big data. One of the important factors here is that data has become much cheaper – big data arises because the cost of acquiring any given data point is very small, and continuing to shrink. Retailers in particular have been able to reduce their cost of data acquisition dramatically (Chen, Chiang Storey, 2012). Key to learning about the use of data is how to identify the problems that can be solved with data, how to match the data you have with the problems that you want to solve, and then developing systems to acquire the data that you do not have. At this high level of understanding, a company that thinks a good data game is in a much better position because having the right data matters just as much as knowing what to do with that data (Hazen, et al, 2014). The cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving a lot of changes in the way companies do business, and big data is playing a significant role in this restructuring of business. Zaslavsky, Perera and Georgakopoulos (n.d.) note that data is becoming a service function, with companies preparing to offer the means by which data can be acquired as a service, and the same for data analytics. We know that data is cheap to acquire, but combine that with lowering costs of processing data and there is a business model here, as well as one that focuses on using data to enhance business. The IoT will be more engaged in the data gathering process. For example, while convention supply chain data gathering might involve devices at the store level, the IoT might drill down further, to the individual level. Ovens could know how many people are cooking a frozen pizza and this information could be sold to frozen pizza makers, so that they can get a better sense of not only the performance of the ir products but of their competitors as well. This is the example a hungry person thinks up, but with more devices having some internet capability, it seems likely that type of application will emerge. Tesla is already a leader in gathering data about driving from its cars (Edelstein, 2016 Hull, 2016). Another progressive idea is that of big data benchmarking. If it is possible to buy and sell data to the point where a company can learn about the best practices at all levels for multiple companies in an industry, that would be incredibly valuable information to any firm in that industry. With the data explosion has come a rapid pace of innovation in the gathering and use of data. With this will come firms that buy and sell data, without actually gathering their own. Until now, data has largely been proprietary in nature, as a key source of sustainable competitive advantage, but as the cost of data acquisition declines, this might not be the case much longer. Secondary markets for data are already emerging and ultimately data will become commoditized – this process might take many years but it will happen and that will make for interesting analysis about the future of data , in particular the extent to which data can continue to be a driver of competitive advantage going forw ard (Ghazal et al, 2013). Finally, big data is also becoming a competitive weapon, which makes security of big data a major issue. Companies that gather and own data sets, and in particular the usable intelligence that has been gathered from those data sets, are increasingly going to be targeted with hacks. Security of big data is going to be an issue going forward. This is especially true of supply chain data, because that is powerful business intelligence. So it will be necessary, especially when using remote or cloud solutions, that data security is paid attention to, as the more that data becomes a source of competitive advantage the more at risk it will likely be. Conclusion Supply chain management had already emerged as a force in business, a holistic view of the supply chain that started with logistics but incorporated purchasing, product design and marketing as well, in order that supply chain decisions were not just based on a simply understanding of cost, but a complex one that took into account a number of different variables. Ultimately, supply chain management required significant amounts of data to be effective, and this realization occurred at just the time that managers realized they had the ability to gather, store and process data much more cheaply and easily than before. The transactional value of data grew at precisely the time that the acquisition cost declined. Data is typically used to aid in managerial decision making. Some companies have focused on the low-level decision where they seek out incremental gains on repeatable processes, knowing that those processes and other companies have sought insight that will allow them to completely transform their supply chains. Big data has become so important because the companies that are using it tend to be the market leaders. It is apparent that there is a scale value to data, which means that the largest companies, ones that have more data and lower data acquisition costs, are going to have sustainable competitive advantage. This has driven demand for data experts, such that there is a shortage of such individuals. Big data is going to continue to influence supply chain decision-making. There will be more points at which data is gathered, and the cost of processing data will continue to drop. There will still be a strong need, however, for talent that can conceptualize how that data should be used – after all, companies need to ask the right questions to get the most out of their data. If they can do that, they can sustain competitive advantage. In addition to there being an increasing ability to gather data, another reality is that many companies are going to be in the business of selling data. A company like Google sells data by proxy with its advertising, but as data becomes commoditized, the market for data will become more developed. An interesting aspect of this is that competitive benchmarking will be more common with respect to data practices. Firms will need to be careful to ensure that their proprietary data is secure so that they can maintain the competitive advantages that their data is giving them. If they can, then they can gain first mover advantage for tactics that deliver incremental gains, or the complete overhaul of a system to take advantage of something gleaned from the data. References / Works Cited Boyd, D. Crawford, K. (2012). Critical questions for big data: Provocations for a cultural, technological, and scholarly phenomenon. Information, Communication and Society. 15 (5) 662-679. Chen, H., Chiang, R. Storey, V. (2012) Business intelligence and analytics: From big data to big impact. MIS Quarterly 36 (4) 1165-1188. Cooper, M. Ellram, L. (1993). Characteristics of supply chain management and the implications for purchasing and logistics strategy. International Journal of Logistics Management 4 (2) 13-24. Cooper, M., Lambert, D., Pagh, J. (1997). Supply chain management: More than a new name for logistics. The International Journal of Logistics Management. 8 (1) 1-14. Demirkan, H. Delen, D. 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