Gasoline Essays - Ocean Pollution, Petroleum Geology, Liquid Fuels

Gasoline Demand for gasoline has been the driving force in utilization and depletion of crude petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource. In recent years, tendencies have just begun to, at times, favor alternative fuels to power autos. Many possible alternative fuels exist, certainly not without their drawbacks. These alternatives include, but are not limited to, various batteries coupled with solar power, alcohols, gasohols, and both liquefied and gaseous natural gas, as well as hydrogen. As mentioned above, drawbacks do exist; the chief drawbacks being cost of adaption / implementation, engineering, and cost of the fuels themselves. As stated by many a chairman of petroleum companies, alternative fuels have limited applications and too many economic disadvantages, (Derr, 30). Although alternatives to gasoline may have some very limited niche applications in efforts to reduce air pollution, they have too few environmental advantages and too many economic disadvantages to justify the high expectations that some regulators have of them. Quote from a speech given by the chairman and CEO of Chevron in 1994, (Derr, 30) Derr, Kenneth T. Alternate vehicle fuels do not offer viable alternative to gasoline in U.S.. Adapted from a talk given to the Commonwealth Club of CA in San Francisco. Oil & Gas Journal. Dec. 19 '94. p. 30-34 . The National Research Council recently published information stating that human intervention has begun to take its toll on the marine environment. The ecological balance of oceans worldwide are at a dangerously unstable state, the effects of man-made pollutants introduced into the waters and seas are having severe consequences upon the marine life living there. There is much that needs to be accomplished before scientists can fully understand how bad our oceans and seas really are. Even more importantly, is the fact that environmental action must be taken now to reduce the oceans growing plight. Arguably the most contributing polluters to our oceans are the major industries of the world. Industrial ocean pollution has incorporated a wide variety of polluters, ranging from major oil spills dispersing toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons (the resultant of the breakdown of petroleum) to PCB=s (polychlorinated biphenyls) as well as DDT=s (dichloro-diphenyl trichloroethane, which is banned in the U.S. but still largely used in third world countries) all of which are used widely in chemical pesticides and detergents (Gourlay 85). The introduction of oil into our oceans occurs in three major ways; by tanker accidents, faulty underwater pipelines, or oil-rig blowouts. The times atlas of oceans lists one-hundred eighty-six tanker accidents between the years 1970 - 1985. Each accident was given an estimated oil-spill of ten thousand barrels (1,130 tons) or more (Gourlay 86). Potentially more disastrous are the oil rig blowouts, since they are more difficult than the tanker accidents. For example, in January 1969 an underwater oil drill exploded in the Santa Barbara Channel off the California coast. For nearly two weeks crude oil was polluted into the channel at nearly twenty-one thousand gallons a day. To this day wildlife experts are calling this spill the worst to ever hit the California coast, affecting over thirty different beaches, killing thousands of birds, seals, and dolphins as well as affecting hundreds of different species of fish (Gourlay 98). Oil breaks down into different compounds, depending on the molecular structure of the crude. It breaks down by the process of evaporation which leads to the process of dissolution, which in turn leads to emulsification and finally to biodegradation (Gerlach 73-74). Evaporation occurs after the first few hours after the oil has been introduced into the water. The best known way to evaporate the crude is to set it on fire, but this can only be done within a few hours after the oil spill due to having sufficient amount of pure flammable oil to ignite. After the evaporation process the dissolution process begins. The density of the oil will determine just how long the oil will stay at the surface of the water, or how long it will take for the oil slick to break apart and dilute itself. If the oil is relatively light then the period of dilution shall be relatively shorter. Whereas if the oil is heavier in mass, the outcome is a Ahighly persistent water-in-oil

Did Truman simply want the black vote Essays

Did Truman simply want the black vote Essays Did Truman simply want the black vote Essay Did Truman simply want the black vote Essay Essay Topic: Best Worst American Stories When Harry Truman came to power in 1945 his policies were very much associated with black civil rights, in this assignment we must establish whether he simply just wanted the black vote or whether there were underlying reasons for his association and his appealing to the black voters. Truman was born and raised in the state of Missouri which had a large white population and a small black population, it would have been unusual for Harry Truman not to be a racist. The environment he grew up in was very racist and his own ancestors had owned slaves, many of the blacks in the state of Missouri were also previously slaves. Previous to 1944 Truman did not need the black vote to win, no need to court the black vote. Roosevelt in 1944 was looking for a vice president, Truman got the position and for the first time had to appeal to the whole of the USA, therefore he had to court the black vote. It was possibly the first time that the black vote actually accounted for something (franchisement- the right to vote). Then in 1945 when President Roosevelt died, Truman became president, at first he was not helpful to blacks. In 1948 the presidential election was held and it was then that Truman really pushed his civil rights policies, possibly to win the black vote. To win the election he needed to secure at least 270 votes. There are 538 votes in the Electoral College and the candidate who wins the vote in each state receives all of the electoral votes assigned to that state. Each state has a number of Electoral College votes equal to the number of senators it has plus the number of members of the House of Representatives it has (which is dependant upon the population of the state). New York, Illinois and Michigan were the three most important (northern) states in the election process because they had a large black population. It was these three black communities which Truman needed to convince to vote for him, in order for him to become president, they were the deciding states as it were. His rival was Strom Thurmond a republican, who was an overt racist whereas Truman was a democrat. His plan was flaw proof, by offering civil rights to the blacks in the Dixie-southern states and those in the two most important northern states would win him the presidency. This action shows the great influence that Trumans policies had on the black voters. It cannot be argued that in no means can it possibly be due to his need for the black vote, the fact is it was to do with votes. In the election Truman carried an unprecedented two-thirds of the black vote. He did however lose the Dixiecrat vote, which was probably significantly as large as the black vote. However this does not entirely explain his support for civil rights, there were a number of other factors which played a part in his support. In 1945 the cold war took place, an ideological conflict between the USA and the USSR followed. Both super powers were involved in a global power struggle and both had the potential to control the entire world. The USA believed the whole world should adopt their capitalist system and at the same time the USSR believed the world should adopt their communist system. In 1945 the USSR and Mongolia were both communist run countries but between 1945 and 1948 Poland, Czechoslovakia, Eastern Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia and China were a new list of countries that Russia had liberated forced to become communist, in the global power struggle. Americans became terrified that the world would become communist and that they would be swamped. Americans did not want to be part of a communist country because it would mean all their wealth would have to be shared, industry would be state-owned not privately owned and elections would be a one-party dictatorship with all candidates belonging to the communist party. The Americans embarked upon a red witch hunt an attack on all communist countries. Truman firmly believed that equality was vital in maintaining Americas moral standing in the Cold War world. So Truman may have been eager to gain equality for all Americans, to stand tall against the USSR, in the global power struggle. Truman may have also been backing black civil rights for the sole reason to protect the Americans national reputation conscience, he believed that there should be an end to lynching, the poll tax and inequality in education and employment. It was clear that he was motivated by the desire to do what was best for America, alongside the other factors which contributed to his policies. Truman was a racist but tried to be fair. He did not seek social equality for blacks but he wanted legal equality, which he saw as a black mans basic right, because he is a human being and a natural born American. It was clear he was still representing the Missouri voters. He was especially horrified by the attacks on black servicemen returning from World War II, the worst occurred in the Deep South where Negro soldiers had just returned from overseas and were dumped out of army trucks in Missouri and beaten Truman remarked that these stories turned his stomach. His opinion on education for blacks was that if they were better educated that it would benefit the economy and in turn help all Americans, he told black democrats of this belief. His ideas were deliberately misrepresented. His advocacy for equality of opportunity was interpreted as miscegenation and integration, which was unprecedented. Integrated political meetings, which he conducted in southern states, caused serious violence. Idealism was an important element in his actions, this was seen when he put his life on the line. When The Ku Klux Klan surrounded a several thousand strong crowd, at a meeting but dared not attack because 100 armed blacks stood alongside them. Truman recognised that regardless of race the respect for the law was at sake. In the case of a white person being violent towards a black person, in whom they were not punished led to the belief and idea that the law was more lenient on the white community. Therefore it was likely that the whites would abuse the law and lose all respect for it. Also those whites, who saw little help for those black people being attacked, would lose their trust in the law to support them in times of need. The nation would lose pride in their justice system. However, privately Truman would still refer to blacks as niggers, his sister even claimed that Harry is no more for nigger equality than any of us. This paints a different picture to how he was regarded by his public. The question being analysed has a very open ended answer, as it is quite possible that President Truman was motivated by the black vote, respect for the law, humane repugnance at racist attacks, personal veracity and his insight into what was good for his country at the time and its proclaimed leadership of the free world against communism, which veered Truman toward support of greater equality for blacks. However, ultimately he supported civil rights so strongly, it could be claimed that it was simply to win the black vote and as a result gain power of the country that he had been brought up in. the definitive reward, which he longed for, a famous name all around the world and a place in history. Still there remains to be strong enough evidence to prove that Trumans motivation was not purely political. Therefore Trumans association with black civil rights was not totally motivated by his want for the black vote but as a result of a combination of reasons.

Compare and Contrast Various Research Concepts Paper

Compare and Contrast Various Concepts - Research Paper Example Research is thus vital to an organization to get access in to right information, on right time and about right events in right ways. Most business organizations spend relatively a good amount of its earnings on research, mostly through the ‘Research and Development’ departments. Knowing deeply about the world around the business, especially regarding competitors, customers, other relevant stakeholders, technology, economic and political environments etc, helps a business plan strategically and effectively to serve its people better. This piece of research paper explains various research concepts, based on reviewing the literatures and compares and contrasts these different concepts. This paper addresses basic concepts of business research, applied and basic research, manager and the consultant researcher, hallmarks of scientific research etc. Business Research Research is a process of seeking information to find solution to a problem after thoroughly studying and analyzi ng situational factors (Sekaran, 2003, p. 42). Managers or specialized team assigned by the managers in most organizations engage in studying and analyzing organizational issues in order to find better solutions to it and help the organization run smoothly. A business organization cannot take decisions on important issues unless the manager or any other body assigned for it investigate the relevant information more deeply, mainly by collecting information on particular aspects that the business is interested on them. The information thus collected can be used to make judgment regarding right solution to the problem. Research normally includes a number of difficult processes such as situation analysis, data collection, hypothesis development, quantitative or qualitative analysis and presenting the findings etc. Concepts of Basic and Applied Research Though research is normally conducted for large numbers of different purposes, literatures identify two different purposes for research, namely basic research and applied research. Research may be conducted for different purposes like assessing business performance, measuring financial strength, finding financial viability, recognizing human capital productivity, assessing the effectiveness of specific organizational programs like training, development etc. These are quite different examples for some issues or problems that a firm generally requires to find solution to and bring them under control. All these different types of purposes fall in to one of basic or applied research. Basic and Applied research: Compared and Contrasted A manager or researcher may undertake the research to solve a current problem that he currently faces in his organization. the problem he or the firm faces requires a timely and more often an immediate solution. Applied research is thus one that attempts to find solution to a current problem faced by the organization (Sekaran, 2003, p. 7). Basic research focuses on generating a knowledge b ase that can be used to comprehend a problem likely to occur in the organization in future. The organization does not currently face a problem, but it is very likely that it would face issues like financial or managerial in its future and therefore it requires to create information that can be used to analyze and solve the problems. Thomas, Nelson and Silverman (2010) described that the concept of research can be viewed through two different extremes- basic research and

Marketing strategies, tactics and techniques Essay

Marketing strategies, tactics and techniques - Essay Example This is already faster than the normal speed of cars available in the market at present. It is equipped with capabilities that limit the acceleration into 155mph that electronically safeguards the person driving thus avoiding cataclysmic effects of speed in accidents. http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2006/id20060426_124236.htmchan=innovation_auto+design_new+%3Cfont+face%3D%22arial%22%3E%2B%3C%2Ffont%3E+noteworthy. Question here is, can this be available to ordinary consumers earning meager income enough to support a family of three Or is this limited only for those who can afford the luxury of buying expensive cars like that of BMWs As Steve Job would say, is the cost effective enough to be accessible to the ordinary masses Or will they be confined to subways and busses I believe that consumers nowadays are better equipped with options and better judgement this is why advertisement gets a bigger chunk of investments. In the end, no matter how popular the product may be , it would still boil down to what is necessary and therefore price is not the only consideration here. http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060602/oil_prices_europe.html.v=1 With gas prices increasing unpredictably, shoppers would go for the best value for their money. In as far as economic stability staggers due to the erratic trend of gas prices, sellers are at the same time on their toes for tough competition.

Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Portfolio - Essay Example To say that this course helped me crystallize many of my thoughts and feelings would be an understatement. The paragraphs that follow would detail the ways in which I developed my thoughts and learnt to form them into coherent arguments reflecting some beliefs that are close to my heart. As is evident from the classroom discussions t as well as the online exchanges that I had with my peers, this course helped me reframe some of my core beliefs and attitudes towards Euthanasia and the right to die. This is one issue on which I have firm beliefs and as people who know me well would attest, I firmly believe that we as individuals have a right to die when â€Å"the time is up†. Towards this end, I practice what I preach as is evident from the fact that I have made my will and want to go without â€Å"no tube for eating† and â€Å"no support†. This is what I am and what I will be. The reason that I mentioned about making a will was that for many people, the controversy surrounding Euthanasia is primarily due to the fact that there might be malicious intentions in letting people decide on whether they want to live or not because their near and dear ones would be awaiting the gains from that person’s will. This would not be the case with me and I have already made arrangements in terms of drawing up the will as I have explained above. When a person carries out an act of euthanasia, he brings about the death of another person because he believes the latters present existence is so bad that she would be better off dead, or believes that unless he intervenes and ends her life, it will become so bad that she would be better off dead. The motive of the person who commits an act of euthanasia is to benefit the one whose death is brought about. (Though what was just said also holds for many instances of physician-assisted suicide, some wish to restrict the use of the latter term to forms of assistance which stop short of the physician ‘bringing about the death’

Buying Decision Behaviour

Buying Decision Behaviour Contents (Jump to) 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Types of Buying Decision Behaviour 3.0 The importance of understanding consumer buying behaviours 4.0 Conclusion References 1.0 Introduction Understanding consumer buying behaviour is crucial for successful marketing. Consumer buying behaviour is defined as the buying behaviour of final consumers, individuals and households who purchase goods and services for personal consumption (Kotler, Brown, Adam and Armstrong, 2001: 858). Consumer buying behaviour can be classified into four groups: complex, variety-seeking, dissonance-reducing and habitual buying behaviour. These buying decision behaviours vary in terms of the involvement levels and the perceived differences between brands (Lawson, Tidwell, Rainbird, Louden and Bitta, 1997: 523). According to Mitchell (2002: 71), one of the core functions of marketing is to connect buyers and sellers as efficiently and effectively as possible. Therefore, it is imperative for marketers to acquire a profound and comprehensive understanding of consumer buying behaviours. 2.0 Types of Buying Decision Behaviour The relationship between different types of consumer buying behaviour with the level of consumer involvement and the degrees of differences between brands. The level of involvement in a purchasing a product is related to the importance of the purchase, the risks involved and the type of cognitive processing that is generated (East, 1997: 19). 2.1 Complex buying behaviour Complex buying behaviour is personalised by high levels of consumer involvement in a purchase and significant perceived differences among brands (Kotler, et al., 2001: 211). Consumers usually apply complex buying behaviour when the intended purchases are expensive, infrequent and risky (Rowley, 1997: 88). Purchase decisions are more intricate compared to other products that are less costly (Chao and Gupta, 1995: 48). According to Adcock (1993: 54), buyers undertaking complex buying behaviour are likely to go through each stage of the decision making process. They will usually spend time inquiring about the product, evaluating alternative brands and comparing options before finally making the purchase. For example, a person who wishes to buy a car would be very involved in deciding what car to purchase. He or she will engage in an extensive information search, such as by visiting different car dealers, surfing the Internet and so on, to evaluate and compare the numerous types of model s available in the market and also to scout for the best deals. They may take weeks or months to make a decision. A car is an expensive asset and will usually be used for a long time. As a result, consumers undergo complex buying decision behaviour to ensure that they will not regret their investment in future. 2.2 Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour encompasses high involvement in purchase decisions but little dissimilarity between brands (Adcock, 1993: 57). Purchases are usually expensive, infrequent and risky (Kotler, et al., 2001: 211). The buying decision is often made from only a small range of products. Considering the products brand name is not the main priority in the purchase decision, consumers will make their choice by evaluating and comparing the products based on their price, quality, performance and the consumers individual preferences ( Kennedy and Kiel, 2000: 84). For example, when purchasing a lawn mower, consumers may face a high involvement decision because a lawn mower is rather costly. However, the lawn mower brand names will not be of much concern to consumers. Buyers will still look around and compare different lawn mowers based on their extrinsic features, and purchases are normally made within a shorter period of time as opposed to complex buying behaviour (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). After making a purchase, the consumer may encounter postpurchase dissonance, also known as after-sales discomfort, resulting from discrepencies between the consumers decision and the consumers prior evaluation (Lawson, et al.,1997: 447). For instance, the buyer may discover undesirable traits or hear negative comments about the lawn mower and thus regret his or her purchase. To minimise such dissonance, marketers have introduced certain features to satisfy customers, such as warranties and after-sales services (Lawson, et al.,1997: 637). 2.3 Variety-seeking buying behaviour Variety-seeking buying behaviour can be defined as consumer buying behaviour in situations concerning low consumer involvement but with significant perceived differences in brands (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). These purchases are made simply because the of the consumers desire for novelty (Lawson, et al., 1997: 525). In other words, consumer may deviate from their normal brand purchase because they feel like trying something different for a change. Consumers who practice variety-seeking buying behaviour buy for the sake of diversifying and not as a result of dissatisfaction with the product (Adcock, 1993: 57). To further illustrate the point, a consumer who regularly buys Kellogs Corn Flakes, whom one day opts to purchase Nestles Honey Stars for a change, is engaging in variety-seeking buying behaviour. The consumer may be just bored of Kellogs Corn Flakes for awhile after consuming them every morning and would like to try out a different cereal, not because he or she is discontented with Kellogs Corn Flakes. Marketers have developed strategies to reduce this consumer behaviour, which will be discussed in the later sections of this report. 2.4 Habitual buying behaviour Consumers perform habitual buying behaviour when buying frequently purchased products that are relatively of low cost and that involves very little risk and decision effort (Kennedy and Kiel, 2000: 84). There is low consumer involvement and few differences between brands in this buying behaviour (Rowley, 1997: 89). These products are purchased almost automatically out of habit rather than brand loyalty by consumers( http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp). This normally applies to grocery products. For instance, people do not generally spend much time or mental effort selecting a packet of sugar or a bar of soap. They do not really pay attention to the brand names of these products. Unlike complex buying behaviour, consumers who purchase the same product regularly, do not go through all the steps in the decision making process (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They need not undertake an information search or evaluate and compare the different produc ts in the market. Instead, they receive information through repetitive advertisements on the television or newspapers and this forms brand familiarity. Consumers are not inclined to a product, rather, they select the particular brand out of familiarity (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They would just recognise their need and immediately make a purchase decision. They may not even bother to make a postpurchase evaluation (Rowley, 1997: 89). 3.0 The importance of understanding consumer buying behaviours 3.1 Develop a more effective and efficient marketing strategy Consumer buying behaviour is an integral part of marketing. Attaining a deeper comprehension of the different types of consumer buying behaviour would be a boon for marketers as it would assist them in developing a more sophisticated marketing strategy, thus allowing the organisation to compete more efficiently and effectively than its competitors (Mitchell, 2002: 74). By analysing the type of buying behaviour that relates to the organisations products, marketers are able perform effective segmentation, which may lead to a more efficient targeting of resources (Rowley, 1997: 89). For example, for products that are susceptible to complex buying behaviours such as automobiles and computers, marketers tend to concentrate on promoting them on the basis of the features and the benefits a consumer may gain from the products (Adcock, 1993: 56).. Most car catalogues will show pictures of the engine and highlight the details of the technical features of the vehicle. For products that are more prone to dissonance-reducing and habitual buying behaviours, marketers will advertise substantially to ensure that their products will be considered by as many people as possible (Adcock, 1993: 57) and also to familiarise consumers with their products (East, 1997: 19). Providing another example, marketers will try to encourage habitual buying behaviour for products that are more inclined to variety-seeking buying behaviours among consumers by extensive advertising and dominating shelf space. In contrast, marketers may also try to encourage variety-seeking buying behaviour by offering promotions and free samples (Kotler, et al., 2001: 212). They do so to induce new customers to purchase their products. To summarise the point, a clear understanding of the types of buying behaviours can help marketers to construct relevant marketing strategi es to market the particular product so as to increase the products sales. 3.2 Form a healthy relationship between buyers and sellers As mentioned earlier, one of the core functions of marketing is to connect buyers and sellers as efficiently and effectively as possible (Mitchell, 2002: 71). The marketing concept stresses that organisations should create a marketing mix that will satisfy their customers better than their competitors. To do so, marketers must examine the major influences that determine what, where, when and how consumers make purchasing decisions (http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp). According to Wilson (1998: 785), marketers who understand the types of buying behaviour that are related to their product will be able to come up with marketing techniques that will provide customer satisfaction and at the same time, establish brand loyalty among its customers. Marketers should always remind themselves that satisfied consumers would have a very positive impact on the organisations success. Therefore, it is essential for marketers to understand and evaluate the different types of consumer buying behaviour. 4.0 Conclusion The four types of buying behaviour mentioned earlier basically summarises how and why consumers make their purchase decisions. However, one has to keep in mind that the purchase of a particular product does not always derive the same type of decision making behaviour (East, 1997: 19). For example, an affluent businessman who enjoys collecting cars may not undergo complex buying behaviour as opposed to an average earning salesman who is buying a car for transportation purposes. In conclusion, understanding consumer buying behaviour can assist marketers in constructing a more efficient and effective marketing strategy allowing them to form a tighter relationship with their customers. Hence, it is vital for marketers to understand the four different types of buying behaviour that relates to their product. References Adcock, D., Bradfield, R., Halborg, A., and Ross, C. (1993), Marketing Principles and Practice, Pitman Publishing, London. Chao, P. and Gupta, P.B. (1995), ‘Information search and efficiency of consumer choices of new cars International Marketing Review, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp 47-59. East, R. (1997), Consumer Behaviour: Advances and Applications in Marketing, Prentice Hall, London. Kotler, P., Brown, L., Adam, S., and Armstrong, G. (2001), Marketing, (5th Edn), Prentice Hall, Sydney. Lawson, R., Tidwell, P., Rainbird, P., Loudon, D., and Bitta, A.D. (1997), Consumer Behaviour in Australia and New Zealand, McGraw-Hill, Sydney. Kennedy, M and Kiel (2000). ‘Marketing: A Strategic Approach. Nelson Thompson Learning, Melbourne. Mitchell, A.S. (2002), ‘Do you really want to understand your customer? Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Vol. 2, Issue 1, pp 71-79. Rowley, J. (1997), ‘Focusing on customers Library Review, Vol 46, No. 2, pp 81-89. Samara, N., Understanding Consumer Behaviour, (http://www.bbci.freeserve.co.uk/SAGEPROJECT/UnderstandingConsumerBehaviour.asp) Accessed (30 August 2003) Wilson, D.F. (1998), ‘Why divide consumer and organisation buyer behaviour? European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 34, No. 7, pp 780-796.

war :: essays research papers

CONFIRMED KILLS IN THE HUNDREDS’ The commander of the operation near Gardez said the U.S.-led offensive had cleared several enemy caves honeycombing the mountains. â€Å"We’ve got confirmed kills in the hundreds,† Maj. Gen. Frank Hagenbeck told a news conference at Bagram air base north of Kabul. â€Å"We truly have the momentum at this point.† He said U.S. intelligence had pointed to 150 to 200 enemy fighters in the hills of the Shah-e-Kot mountain range when the operation began on Friday. By Wednesday, however, he estimated that as many as 600 to 700 al-Qaida and some Taliban troops had filtered into the territory. <a href="/news/target_front.asp"><img src=/c/0/61/361/bcol_nav.gif border=0> Part 1: Changing perspective †¢ The new views from America †¢ Hard choices on defense Part 2: About face on Sudan †¢ U.S. warms to 'rogue' regime Part 3: Who defines terrorist? †¢ For Syria, opportunity and peril †¢ In Lebanon, no black and white Part 4: Distant echoes †¢ U.S. crosses a line in Colombia †¢ Broadcasts make Prague a target Part 5: Spinning on the 'axis' †¢ 'Axis' missiles fall short †¢ Where China fits in Part 6: Special forces †¢ The 'special forces' war †¢ The perils of new tactics 1 of 11 The new views from America â€Å"Conservatively speaking right now, I’m convinced from the evidence I’ve seen that we’ve killed at least half of those enemy forces,† he said. Eight U.S. troops have been killed in the operation, seven of them in two incidents Monday in which two U.S. helicopters came under fire. Around 50 have been wounded. Rumsfeld and Franks were peppered with questions Wednesday about whether a U.S. Navy SEAL killed Monday had been executed by the enemy. They acknowledged that an aerial drone had videotaped the incident but said it was still not clear whether the soldier had already been dead when he was dragged off by enemy fighters after falling out of a helicopter. â€Å"We may never know that,† Rumsfeld said. â€Å"What’s important,† he said, is that the United States did not withdraw and instead sent a helicopter back in to retrieve his body. â€Å"The United States is leaning forward and not back,† he said. MORE TROOPS, LESS BOMBING Advertisement The U.S. reinforcements were ferried overnight by Chinook helicopters from Bagram. Troops were armed with shoulder-launched rockets, equipped with night-vision equipment and dressed in winter uniforms to combat the sub-zero temperatures.

Informative Valentines Day Speech Outline

(Name) Topic: The history and a few different traditions of Valentine’s Day General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my speech class of the benefits of moderate indoor tanning. Thesis Statement: There is actually a fascinating history behind Valentine’s Day, which I will tell you about today along with some insight to how different countries celebrate this day of love. INTRODUCTION All of us have someone special in our lives. Whether it is a significant other, friends, or family, we all have someone, often many people, whom we love. But how often do we remember to really express the love we feel for these people?Good thing there’s a whole day devoted to love, so, at least once a year, we get the chance to tell these people how much we love and appreciate our relationships with them. That day of course is Valentine’s Day. A day for romance and splurging on gifts such as flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and those cute little teddy bears with the f luffy hearts reading â€Å"Be Mine. † Valentine’s Day in the U. S. has also become a day when merchandisers can count on making a few quick bucks, leading most to believe that this horrifically commercialized holiday was invented by the candy, jewelry, and card companies.On the contrary, there is actually a fascinating history behind Valentine’s Day, which I will tell you about today, along with some insight to how some different countries celebrate this day of love. BODY I. History a. St. Valentine i. Catholic church recognizes at least 3 different saints named Valentine or Valentinus ii. Martyred for marrying young men and women when it was outlawed by Emperor Claudius iii. St. Valentine was martyred for trying to help Christians escape from Roman prisons iv.Legend of first written valentine by St. Valentine 1. Jailor’s daughter b. First Valentine’s Day cards II. Different countries and some unique traditions followed today a. Similar to U. S. i. Australia ii. Canada iii. France b. Different than U. S. i. Wales 1. Welsh Valentine’s Day – St. Dwynwen’s Day 2. Love Spoons ii. Scotland 1. Cards sent anonymously 2. Game at parties 3. Valentine Date Search iii. Finland 1. Ystavanpaiva iv. Denmark 1. â€Å"Snowdrops† 2. Lover’s Cards . Gaekkebrev v. Japan 1. Valentine’s Day 2. White Day CONCLUSION Here are a few things to remember. Valentine’s Day was actually deemed a holiday by Pope Gelasius, not Hallmark, Hershey’s or Kay Jewelers. Regardless of the accuracy behind the legends of St. Valentine, they are all great, romantic stories about a man giving his life for what he believed in. Though there are countries where customs do not differ much from our own, there are many traditions followed around the world that are very different.When the next Valentine’s Day approaches, just remember, the Welsh women will be looking forward to some fancy spoons. Singles in Scotlan d will be wondering which party their crush will be at so that they can go to the same one and hopefully draw their name. The Finnish will be looking forward to spending time with their best friends. Danish women will be thinking really hard to win an Easter egg. And if you want to continue to receive gifts on Valentine’s Day, do not move to Japan. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs since 1980 essays

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs since 1980 essays In the early 80s the world so the initial boom of the computer era. The first personal computers were sold and the main players of the business were sorted out. Two of the prominent figures were Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Each pioneering their own front, the two entered the 90s as the computer world celebrities. By the mid 90s each of these tycoons' life had taken many turns and twists, albeit for the better usually. Bill Gates' 1995 was a bit hectic, this was the year of the huge unveiling of windows 95. After many delayed attempts to get it out Gates released windows 95 in August without Microsoft Plus, as had been earlier said, this was due to time restrictions as changing windows 95 to 96 would be a waste of money and probably more seriously the worst move commercially any company would ever make. With the release of Windows 95 the world saw the largest over media onslaught to sell a product. Also with the release of Windows came Microsoft's foray into the Internet market share. In hindsight this perhaps may not have been the best move to make. 1996 passed with much criticism of Gates' operating system, people said it was unstable, hard to figure out and anything else possible. 1997 came around with rumours of a new operating system in the works dubbed Chicago. This was perhaps a rumour but more likely the beginning of Windows 98. In 1998 Gates released this newer version of Window s 95, which made the world Gates' subject for the biggest beta test ever. Windows 98 was just an upgrade of 95. Upgrade may be an understatement, but on the surface it is almost identical, underneath they are worlds apart. Recently Microsoft's ghosts have come to haunt them. Netscape, their main rival in the Internet division, had started an Anti-trust case in the federal supreme court. The accusations spawned from a dispute where Netscape's browser were being loaded onto pre made Compaq computers and Microsoft did not approve of thi...

Events that Sparked the American Revolution essays

Events that Sparked the American Revolution essays The reasons the colonists rebelled against the British in 1776 were many. Unfair taxations, violations of human rights, changes in the British military policies, and a long legacy of both religious and political ideas prompted the colonists to break away from British rule and declare their independence. Taxation was clearly one of the major factors that led to the colonists rebellion. In 1763, George Grenville became the prime minister of England. While in office, he noticed that England was spending four times more in the colonies than it collected from them. Also, England was in debt due to the French and Indian war. He felt taxes should be collected from the colonists. He passed the Sugar Act in 1764, which put a tax on foreign sugar and molasses. He also set up the Stamp Act in 1765 that required the colonists to purchase stamps for anything written or printed on paper. The Townshend Acts also put a tax on glass, lead, tea, paper, and dyes. The colonists were not pleased with these new taxes. Before, the British policy was one of salutary neglect, which meant that they left the colonies alone and did not interfere with their affairs. Now, not only were the colonists being taxed but they were also not fairly represented in Parliament. Colonists declared, No taxation without representation. The British argued that they were given virtual representation in the government, which did not sit well with the colonists. Some merchants even boycotted British goods to show their opposition to the new taxes. Protest groups, such as the Sons of Liberty were formed. In order to stop the Tea Act, which had made the British East India Tea Company a monopoly, the Sons of Liberty went aboard the British ships and dumped 90,000 lbs of tea into the water. In response to this bold act, the British passed the Coercive Acts, which were renamed the Intolerable Acts. These acts closed the port of Boston until the tea that was lost was...

Control Structures in programming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Control Structures in programming - Essay Example s control structures for the statements have been held up for the reason that the primeval control structures of a digital computer that has a sequential uni-processor that is adequate to replicate some other control structure. The compensate of extraordinary as well as meticulous control structures are for the most part in simplicity plus briefness of appearance and in programming effortlessness, events which are tough to determine and normally in unpredictability by competence of accomplishment proceedings. It is accessed that "language programmers should by no means be pleased by languages that give permission to them to program the whole thing, on the other hand to computer program not anything excluding attention simply"(Fisher, 1990). The control arrangements of programming have not reserved rate by the augment (Fisher, 1990). The next important control structure is the selection that permits the selection in the middle of diverse ways. For instance the C++ offers dissimilar ranks of assortment: we have the one-way choice by means of an â€Å"if structure† then we have the 2-way choice by means of an â€Å"if-else structure†. The last selection can be used for the multiple choices by means of a â€Å"switch statement†. The last type of the control structure is the iteration control structure that guides to the looping of the programming statements. In the C++ we have 3 types of the iteration control structure lopping structures:2 This type of the control structure permits single set of programming language statements to be performed if an outcome is correct plus one more group of proceedings to be performed if a statement is false.   A selection structure is as well acknowledged as an "If-Then-Else" arrangement, its pictorial representation is given below in picture # 1. Here in the selection control structure the state in the â€Å"if statement† is the expression that is calculated for the decision of the â€Å"if statement†. If this statement is correct,

Amazon Prime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Amazon Prime - Essay Example So, in order to generate value for the customers, frequent purchases on the online store is necessary. For repositioning the service, a multi step strategy can be implemented. The first one is to create awareness about the service among the loyal customers, who have high shopping frequency. The second step will be to highlight the benefits of faster product delivery during the holiday seasons, which are the prime shopping seasons (Rao, 2013). The third step can be to pitch the service to consumers, who has a high movie watching tendency. The final tactic will be to offer attractive price rate for consumer electronics and books, since they have the highest purchases in the online stores (Nanji, 2013). By offering attractive prices, the purchase frequency of the consumers can be increased and this will create a pull demand for the Amazon Prime Service. Kline, D. (2014). Is Amazon Prime Still Cost Effective With a $20 Price Increase? Retrieved from: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/04/17/is-amazon-prime-still-cost-effective-with-a-20-pri.aspx Rao, L. (2013). eBay And Amazon On This Year’s Marketplace Holiday Shopping Trends. Retrieved from: http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/24/ebay-and-amazon-on-this-years-marketplace-holiday-shopping-trends/ Nanji, A. (2013) Online Shopping Trends 2013: Most Popular Categories, Top Purchase Drivers. Retrieved from: