Evaluation model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evaluation model - Essay Example The sensitization will not only include educating the youth on ways of avoiding falling into addiction but will also be testing different models of ensuring the youth keep away from drug abuse. In addition to that, the program intents to implement models and techniques of breaking the cycle of youths addicted to drugs. The purpose and scope of the program is to identify the communities within Washington DC where drug abuse is prevalent and the incident rate for health related complications resulting from the addiction. The complications resulting from drug abuse will be identified and categorized. These effects will be grouped and assessed in the following categories; spiritual, emotional, mental, social and financial health. Drug abuse among the youths in Washington DC will be gauged on the basis of subpopulation within the city. This will be an attempt to help unearth communities where incidences of drug abuse are high. A detailed analysis of each subpopulation will proceed to determine its socioeconomic status, level of education, the rate of crime and access to drugs. The main that will be used in the third assessment of the communities is categorical socioeconomic status of the communities. This aspect will categorize the community in terms of the community with high socioeconomic status, the one in between and the one on the lower end of the socioeconomic status. This way, it would be easy for Discover Hope organization to come up with a hypothesis from the results that will draw a relationship between a community’s socioeconomic status, level of education and drug abuse. Using that criteria in assessing the relationship of drug and substance abuse within the communities, conclusive results will enable identification of the target community and Discover Hope will be in a position to roll out its program in the most effective way

Automobile Repair and Mechanics Essay Example for Free

Automobile Repair and Mechanics Essay Automobile repair is not only an interesting field to me, also I feel automobile maintenance is necessary knowledge to have in todays auto market. Like studying for school or learning the skills of a job; I feel knowing how to repair a vehicle will produce a cost effective lifestyle, and take out all the hassle anyone who owns a vehicle encounters everyday. How many Americans can change their own oil that dont work as mechanics, or what is the average repair bill for a same day repair are questions that bring concern to how becoming my own handyman makes a productive choice. I decided to explore the topic a little more to get a better understanding of the requirements to become an auto mechanic, for I have decided to become certified in Automotive Technology. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics(definition)- an auto mechanic is a technician that inspects, maintains and repairs automobiles and light trucks that run on gasoline, electricity or other alternative fuels; like ethanol. Auto mechanics play a very important role in maintaining and keeping vehicles running efficiently. The field of auto mechanics reveals a long history, specialized schooling and strong career objectives for anyone that would like to choose this field as a career. There are certain requirements to become an auto mechanic, and a student can get the basics of automobile repair by taking a vocational class in high school. The course is not really considered training, but the class gives a basic knowledge of what mechanics do. To be considered a qualified auto mechanic; completing training at a post- secondary school like Pinellas Technical Education Centers or at a community college are the best choices, but the college aspect is not as much hands on as the secondary school. PTEC consists of 2 years of intense training(brochure), and the community college usually offers an associate degree for this field that also takes 2 years to complete the coursework. With these types of training, getting the most up to date training needed is essential; like using computer systems to detect problems with cars. Another form of training involves working as an apprentice to a master technician so questions are answered from experience . When all the formal training is completed a mechanic is considered certified when receiving a ASE Certification. This stands for Automobile Service Excellence Certification. The Bureau of Labor statistics suggests that individuals who live in large cities should get certified to help them with their search for jobs. An auto mechanics basic job function is performed in some type of repair shop, and working 40 plus hours a work is expected with such high volume of vehicles to work on. Sometimes work can continue into the weekend, along with performing work on the side to help earn some extra money. The working environment for the job involves identifying and fixing problems that deal with the car in a repair shop. Most of the time repairs are done indoors in a large, open garage like facility, including mechanics to get dirty due to all the grease repairs performed daily. These functions are real important that this does not bother someone who might want to do this as a job, for some of the grease and dirt is almost impossible to get completely rid of. Many shops have now included electrical technology as part of their services due to the fact that most cars have specialized computer systems. This new service has increased the mechanics skill level greatly (resource). Many repair shops rely on these computerized systems to help in identifying problems related to the car (Ly). The term auto mechanic is slowly fading away, and many mechanics are now being labeled as service technicians. The change in the name comes from the fact that working on many different parts of the car, and computer systems that require additional and more advanced training. Auto mechanics make a pretty good living. Starting out as a new auto mechanic the annual income will range between $25,000 $35,000. The next level mechanic could make $35,000- $45,000. After that the pay can be anywhere from $45,000 up to $100,000, for the higher pay range is for a Master Mechanic. It would be best to try and achieve the highest level of pay to make this job worthwhile. This is not exactly a goal that I am going to set forth for myself to achieve because simply auto work is all Im interested in. Many Master Mechanics work for luxury car manufacturers like Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar and Porsche. The future for service technicians looks very bright. For the next 3 years the auto mechanics field will see an increase close to 10- 20%. This increase is due to many technicians retiring, and due to an increase in cars being purchased. Dealerships and independent car repair shops will be the main employers of service technicians. The outlook continues to look positive for auto mechanics even though economic downfall is predicted to continue. In conclusion, auto mechanics is a very diverse field that requires complete dedication and skill to help become successful. Mechanics involves a long history, specialized schooling and the desire to achieve. Auto mechanics has evolved into a very complex and sometimes challenging field, and the future job outlook for this field is great and it is a very good choice for anyone interested in pursuing this career.

Macbeth And Lord Jim :: essays research papers

Realization of one’s imminent death can drastically change an individual. Knowing that death is imminent can change the way we look at things, and cause us to confess our sins. In Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad and Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main characters experience this trauma. The instant that Jim jumps from the Patna, his life becomes a series of lies that will tamper with him for the rest of his life. He cannot confess the cowardly act that plagues him incessantly and, thus, he is controlled by his hidden secret. Only when he realizes that he is going to die does Jim face the lie. In parallel, Macbeth also is controlled by a lie. Macbeth’s murder of Duncan ignites a guilt inside of him that can only be confronted before he fights Macduff. Macbeth also needs to face the false promises that the witches gave him. These promises give Macbeth a false sense of security which help lead to his demise. Macbeth, like Jim, is badgered by a singular act that prevents him fr om living an honest life. However, both men are able to redeem themselves prior to their deaths. By confronting the lies and dying with dignity, the two men are able to regain some of their honor. The similarity between the two works emphasizes the effect of lies on the way an individual lives, and further stresses the internal struggle that Jim faced after he had jumped from the Patna. In their respective stories, Jim and Macbeth face the lies that dictated their lives and, consequentially, die with some of the dignity and honor that they had once experienced in their lives. This process is described as each man realizes and confronts his lies, faces the fatal consequences, and eventually dies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most significant point in Lord Jim and Macbeth is the respective main character’s realization of his lies. The realization of the lies begin by a singular drastic event that catches both men by surprise. When Tamb’ Itam explains to Jim about Dain Waris’ death, Jim is shocked. Jim separates himself from everyone else to ponder both the past and the present. “What thoughts passed through his head - what memories? Who can tell? Everything was gone, and he who had been once unfaithful to his trust had lost again all men’s confidence. It was then I believe, he tried to write - to somebody and gave it up.

Work-Related Project Analysis

Computer designing is a key effective of learning computers are a good educational design. The computer designing has related learning resources went it comes to guidelines. Computer designing guidelines which meet the learning for different types of groups and which are encourage to active and rich learning. The designing can effective the computer based of learning went it come to its environment. The computer has many branch of technology which has information that is security to the computers network. There are many objectives to the computer security that protects the information from any theft and natural disaster which allows information into the computer network. The computer technologies have become unwanted computer behavior and security strategies behavior. The computer technology which has security went it comes to logic. The security primary goals are the computer designing, applications programs with the type of security which most have restrictions to different types of program behaviors. The computer software has to be trusted and be able to security the software and be trustworthy for the database to run. There are some software’s that you cannot trust with a security computer systems software and hardware. Which different types of computer systems that can resulted in many possibility and use it very limited. Because ones approached with computer systems can always lead them to failure. Computer designing which often has hardware techniques are used to effective the security after they are design. The approach of the techniques and using the techniques security systems is having the effective of the design in the computer systems. The technique is to enforce the computer design principle and provide them with the function they need to attack and gain access to the program then need. Which breaking the computer systems up within smaller components can reduce individual components when using techniques that provide the software better access. With learning different types of knowledge and building strategies when it come to computer designing. The computer design should use and defense that way more than a subsystems needs the knowledge of information. The computer designing should become defense in the security which does not provide very many platforms in information. The computer security has many vulnerable that has few risk went it comes to computers and their connected to the network. With the computer network has the internet that computer security can expand gone it especially comes to the internet and using the network? The technical went it come to the computer security is that a represented by someone else has to get authentication or availability to use the network. In some computer system different types of areas can be confidentiality which mean very important file are there and you cannot be their unless you got the password to be there. There could be many confidentiality and privacy and secrecy files that company may not want other people to see. Computer designs to protect their information so hackers can get into personal information. With the computer security database and many other resources and all confidentiality so no one will have access to unauthorized party’s personal information. Many users want to have anything with the registering with the internet site because not very many users trust the internet because people taking their personal information and buying thing with their credit card and debit card. Many users want to feel safe went using the internet and protect their personal information and make sure that no one gets into their files. Some people will say that a person’s information is very important to them like an individual’s how like to collect things or someone wanting to find someone special. Many people don’t like the computer designing electronic format because you never really know if the information that you’re putting is going somewhere else and it already could be in the wrong hand to begin with. But there are many programs with the computer designing to where you can have a set password to where no one can access but you and the person you’re talking in person so that way no can get access to your personal information. There are many designing for computers which can be excellent to keep their servers and other computer protected and equipment which can improve their design on computer properly. The computer designing are responsibility is to making sure that all technology is confidence went it come to the projects. The computer out and input information can refer to communication went a machine or human error. Because the input information and signals which receives by the computer systems. The output which on the other hand can be data or an signal sent by the computer systems. Learning about computers in general encompasses a great deal of information. This information can relate to data input and output and how software and hardware play a specific role, but most can be derived when determining what components go into a computer. A few options exist for converting from a manual to a computer based. The lower end of computer automation would be the use of a general purpose software application package. One example would be Microsoft Office which is similar to the current package in place. This package includes word processing, spreadsheet, database management presentation graphics, and personal information management. The high end would be application specific programming. Computer information systems perform dynamic and significant roles. Whether the information for personal use, small business, or a conglomerate venue the execution and management of the computer information used must work effectively. Placing into operation an informational system allows for accuracy, convenience, and quality of input and output. Installing, maintaining, and upgrading hardware and software will ensure that the operational aspect of the system allows for an extensive radius of personnel and equipment necessities. Distinguishing the storage capabilities and speed of the computer system will further warrant the computers resilience and proficiencies. Data input must be accurate and reliable. Depending on the resource and outlet of the data also depends on the method used. People are living in the age of technology. Everything we do involves some sort of computer activity. Searching for jobs, going to school, communication, games, whatever a person desires they can use a computer to obtain it. Computers use several important components to operate. These components are input and output devices, and storage devices. An input device is a device that allows users to send data or interact with the computer. The most common input devices are keyboard, and mouse. However, in this age of technology other input devices can be game controllers, web and digital cameras, scanner, or a microphone. We use different input devices to conduct our daily lives.

Alaskan Airlines †Strategic Choice and Evaluation Essay

Recognizing an organization’s alternatives for growth is an important process for companies. By evaluating and selecting the competitive advantages within a market a company can distinguish themselves from their competition. For an organization the â€Å"grand strategies indicate the time period over which long-range objectives are to be achieved. Thus, a grand strategy can be defined as a comprehensive general approach that guides a firm’s major actions† (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). Alaskan Airlines is a company that is known for their innovations and leadership within in the aviation industry. Alaskan Airlines is easily identifiable because of the smiling Eskimo on the tail of their aircraft. Their leadership and innovations in technology have seen them be the first to sell tickets online and allow customers to check-in and print boarding passes via the Internet. Alaskan Airlines has also innovated technologies to allow for safer air travels in inclement weather conditions. In the aviation market, Alaskan Airlines must focus on how to maintain their status as the air carrier with the next generation technology and low cost airfares. As air carriers compete for the consumer dollar Alaskan Airlines must strategically execute growth strategies. Generic Strategy Alaskan Airlines is known for its high standard of customer service and industry innovation. The company sustains market leadership by leveraging generic strategy. Alaskan Airlines managed the generic strategy in all the three areas, which includes: 1. Low-cost Leadership – Alaska Airlines must be able to offer low-cost through low overhead and high productivity to compete with low-fare competitors. This will enable the company to offer an exceptional quality service at competitive prices compared to the competitors. 2. Differentiation – Alaskan Airlines has remained a leader in the customer service industry by revolutionizing the services offered to the customer. Alaskan Airlines in the only air carrier that offers a Baggage Service Guarantee that states that the customer will receive their bags within 20 minutes of parking at the gate. If the Alaskan Airlines goes over the 20 minutes the customer will receive a 20-dollar discount code for on future flights. 3. Focus – One of the major focuses of Alaskan Airlines is their customer service value and the company uses that to generate success. Alaskan Airlines knew customer service was important to customers and strove to deliver world-class service. The consumers want great customer service, which is safe, and at a competitive price. The accomplishments of Alaskan Airlines are ascribed to strategic plans applied to generate the culture and service offered. The best direction for the grand strategy of Alaskan Airlines is to implement product development and innovation. Alaskan Airlines has established loyal customers based on their quality of service and value. It is a trusted brand that thrives in customer service, safety, and value. The goal of this strategy is to continue the success of the outstanding service and innovations in aviation technologies. Innovation through â€Å"product development involves the substantial modification of existing products or the creation of new but related products that can be marketed to current customers through established channels† (Pearce, 2011, p. 193). Innovation is another grand strategy used throughout Alaskan Airlines. A recent example of Alaskan Airlines implementing this strategy is, in conjunction with the FAA, â€Å"working to implement quieter, more fuel-efficient arrival routes into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The routes use satellite-based technology, namely Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and Optimized Profile Descent—two key pieces of the FAA’s â€Å"NextGen† air traffic management system† (Alaska Air, 2012, pg. 3). Attaining the long-term business goals for Alaskan Airlines has been focused in increasing the quality of the flying customer experience. Alaskan Airlines consistently strives to provide the best customer experience to the consumer through consumer feedback. Alaska Airlines was the first airlines to use Internet technologies to enhance the customer service experience through their online check-in and ability to print boarding passes. The grand strategy is delivered through a final marketing strategy; Alaskan Airlines currently services over 60 cities and three countries, has a pro-active program in place to reduce emissions from jet engines, an extensive recycling program at facilities and is developing/using technologies to fly more economical routes. Recently Colgan Air decided not fly offer service from Presque to Logan International, PenAir a partner of Alaskan Air decided to provide the service at a $115 round trip. This gives Alaskan Airlines the ability to provide customers with outstanding service while becoming a better global citizen. Recommendation Alaskan Airlines, through the leadership of Brad Tilden, has been able to provide renowned customer service within in the industry and has been a leader in the innovation of technologies that can be used for the betterment of the aviation industry. The recommendation is to follow the current business model of customer service to preserve the customer positive customer experience. Alaskan Airlines should also focus on the environmental portion of the aviation industry by using more Green practices such and wind farms, more robust recycling programs and using more fuel-efficient aircraft and bio-fuel. Alaskan Airlines has very loyal patronage and through the expansion of new routes and more cities, more consumers will be able to experience flying on Alaskan Airlines. Conclusion Alaskan Airlines must build upon an already successful customer service program, continued improvement to the fleet of aircraft and to furthering the technologies used within the aviation industry. References Lynds, J. (2012, Jun 15). Alaskan Airline debuts services in Presque Isle. Bangor Daily News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1020684161?accountid=35812 Pearce, J. A., II, Robinson, R. B. (2011). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, and Control (12th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Objected Oriented Programming Paper Essays

Objected Oriented Programming Paper Essays Objected Oriented Programming Paper Essay Objected Oriented Programming Paper Essay Objected Oriented Programming Paper IT/218 May 13, 2012 Farhad Malek-Asghar When it comes to writing a program there are so many ways a person can approach the problem. Think of it this way, a chef following a recipe can look at the ingredients and decided to add more of one thing and less of another or the chef can follow the recipe exactly. As long as the chef uses common logic on blending foods the dish will come out correctly. The same is true when building a program. A programmer has many tools to choose from to make it more or less complicated. The programmer also has several tools to choose from to ensure the program runs. So let me go over some of these essential tools right now and how they relate to one another. The first tool a programmer has to work with is called Structures. According to Cprogramming. com (1997), Structures are a way of storing many different values in variables of potentially different types under the same name. This makes it a more modular program, which is easier to modify because its design makes things more compact. So in retrospect they are inherently more useful when a lot of data needs to be grouped together like large databases. Next we have Classes. According to Cprogramming. com (1997), Classes are collections of data related to a single object type. Classes not only include information regarding the real world object, but also functions to access the data, and classes possess the ability to inherit from other classes. Try to think of Classes as a television. Public parts of the classes can relate to the parts ofa television that people tend to use. An example of this would be the volume or channel changing buttons. Each function is essential in the overall operation of the television and so is true about Classes. Then you have Unions. According to Microsoft (2012), A Union is a structure like type that is provided in C to members, and read from them, in the same manner. However, members of a structure occupy adjacent areas of memory, but members of a union share the same data space. Unions are a great way of saving memory, especially when running programs across multiple servers but they should be used cautiously due to that that assigning values to one Union can essentially affect the others. Next in your tool box is something called Inheritance which is an important feature of any class especially when it comes to object oriented programming. Inheritance allows you to create a hierarchy of classes, with various classes of more specific natures inheriting the general aspects of more generalized classes (Cprogramming. com, 1997). Think of a Bear Class and how it relates toa Public Animal. From there you can Just add on to or take away from depending on which way you want to go. Then there is Objects and how they relate to the rest of the tools in the object oriented programming bag. Stroustrup (1992), In C++, an object is a region of storage with associated semantics. Objects are usually referred to by references, which are aliases for an object. If you think how Classes and Objects are related, they basically define the behavior of objects within a program. Finally you have Polymorphism which is a very powerful feature in object oriented programming. According to exforsys (2000), Polymorphism is the ability to use an operator or method in different ways. Polymorphism gives different meanings or functions to the operators or methods. In short it refers to the operations, codes, or objects that are essentially different. When it comes to object oriented programming these are some of the important ools a programmer has in their arsenal. Like I stated before at the beginning of my paper programming or writing a code is like a chef creating a dish from a recipe. Each ingredient or in this case tools add different flavors to the program or code. Essentially tying everything together allowing the program to run. It does not matter whether or not you are an experience chef or programmer to make it work. All you need to do is be organized in your thoughts and actions, utilizing the tools available to you. References Cprogramming. com. (1997). Structures in C++. Retrieved from http://

Translation - Definition and Examples

Translation s The word translation can be defined as: The process of turning an original or source text into a text in another language.A translated version of a text. An individual or a computer program that renders a text into another language is called a translator. The discipline concerned with issues related to the production of translations is called translation studies.   Etymology:From the Latin, translat-  carried across Examples and Observations: intralingual translation - translation within the same language, which can involve rewording or paraphrase;interlingual translation - translation from one language to another, andintersemiotic translation - translation of the verbal sign by a non-verbal sign, for example music or image.Three Types of TranslationIn his seminal paper, On Linguistic Aspects of Translation (Jacobson 1959/2000. see Section B, Text B1.1), the Russo-American linguist Roman Jakobson makes a very important distinction between three types of written translation: Only the second category, interlingual translation, is deemed translation proper by Jakobson.(Basil Hatim and Jeremy Munday, Translation: An Advanced Resource Book. Routledge, 2005)Translation is like a woman. If it is beautiful, it is not faithful. If it is faithful, it is most certainly not beautiful. (attributed to Yevgeny Yevtushenko, among others).(Literal or word-for-word attempts can result in some amusing translation fails).   Translation and Style ï » ¿To translate, one must have a style of his own, for otherwise, the translation will have no rhythm or nuance, which come from the process of artistically thinking through and molding the sentences; they cannot be reconstituted by piecemeal imitation. The problem of translation is to retreat to a simpler tenor of ones own style and creatively adjust this to ones author. (Paul Goodman, Five Years: Thoughts During a Useless Time, 1969) The Illusion of Transparency A translated text, whether prose or poetry, fiction or nonfiction, is judged acceptable by most publishers, reviewers, and readers when it reads fluently, when the absence of any linguistic or stylistic peculiarities makes it seem transparent, giving the appearance that it reflects the foreign writers personality or intention or the essential meaning of the foreign textthe appearance, in other words, that the translation is not, in fact, a translation, but the original. The illusion of transparency is an effect of fluent discourse, of the translators effort to ensure easy readability by adhering to current usage, maintaining continuous syntax, fixing a precise meaning. What is so remarkable here is that this illusory effect conceals the numerous conditions under which the translation is made . . .. (Lawrence Venuti, The Translators Invisibility: A History of Translation. Routledge, 1995) The Process of Translation Here, then, is the full process of translation. At one point we have a writer in a room, struggling to approximate the impossible vision that hovers over his head. He finishes it, with misgivings. Some time later we have a translator struggling to approximate the vision, not to mention the particulars of language and voice, of the text that lies before him. He does the best he can but is never satisfied. And then, finally, we have the reader. The reader is the least tortured of this trio, but the reader too may very well feel that he is missing something in the book, that through sheer ineptitude he is failing to be a proper vessel for the book’s overarching vision. (Michael Cunningham, Found in Translation. The New York Times, Oct. 2, 2010) The Untranslatable Just as there are no exact synonyms within a language (big does not mean precisely the same as large), there are no exact matches for words or expressions across languages. I can express the notion four year old male uncastrated domesticated reindeer in English. But our tongue lacks the economy of information packaging found in Tofa, a nearly extinct tongue I studied in Siberia. Tofa equips reindeer herders with words like chary with the above meaning. Furthermore, that word exists within a multidimensional matrix that defines the four salient (for the Tofa people) parameters of reindeer: age, sex, fertility, and rideability. Words are untranslateable because [they] do not exist in a flat, alphabetised dictionary style list, but rather in a richly structured taxonomy of meaning. They are defined by their oppositions to and similarities to multiple other wordsin other words, the cultural backdrop. (K. David Harrison, linguist at Swarthmore College, in Seven Questions for K. David Harr ison. The Economist, Nov. 23, 2010) Pronunciation: trans-LAY-shen

5 Tips for Keeping Your Energy Up During the Week

5 Tips for Keeping Your Energy Up During the Week Joan Burge, workplace expert writing for Office Dynamics, has some tips for those of us who start Mondays full of energy and enthusiasm, but by the end of the week find ourselves fighting distractions and fatigue. How do you keep that energy going through Friday?   1. Develop a Work ScheduleTake a look at the tasks you lined up for the week. Create a simple spreadsheet with time allocated to each responsibility you have. This will ensure that everything is planned out and you won’t end up having little to no energy once Friday arrives.  2. Reassess on Wednesday AfternoonWhat needs to be pushed higher on your list? What can be shifted lower? What can wait until next week or has turned out to be unrealistic? Make sure you’re finishing your top A priority tasks before moving to the Bs.  3. Shake Up Your RoutineTreat yourself to a special meal or a night out with a friend or partner on Wednesday or Thursday; having something to look forward to can perk you up as the w eek draws to a close. Take the opportunity to explore volunteering, or sports, or music hobbies!Don’t go overboard though- feeling exhausted or hungover on Friday will undermine all that thoughtful productivity planning. Planning special activities on Saturdays may also help you feel excited about wrapping up your work week.  4. Get a Good Night’s SleepMaybe what makes Monday feel so full of possibility is how rested you are after the weekend. Get a full night’s sleep mid-week to help you have enough energy to power through.  5. Do Some Self TalkBurge recommends compiling some motivational phrases or slogans on Mondays. Then, check in with those on Wednesday and Thursday. Words of inspiration while you’re in the thick of it might give you that extra push to  end the week on a high note!Finally, talk with your colleagues about their strategies, talk to your supervisor if you’re just finding yourself overloaded, and remember†¦ you’r e only human!

Economic Value Added Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic Value Added - Assignment Example There are two main types of financing for a business, debt and equity financing. When accountants calculate net income, they deduct the interest expense (which is the cost of the debt capital). However, the cost of the equity is not taken into account. Therefore, the net income exaggerates the ‘true’ net income in economic terms. This flaw is overcome by the EVA method. A positive EVA indicates that value is being created i.e. value of the company increases by that amount. On the other hand, a negative EVA indicates that value is decreased and the company is now worth less than the initial capital employed (which is the assets from which earnings for the year are generated). (Russell) A value of zero means a sufficient achievement because shareholders have earned a return that just compensates for their risk. The term â€Å"Operating Capital† used in the EVA formula on the last page accounts for the interest-bearing debt, preferred and the common stock used to acquire the company’s net operating assets. In easy terms, it is the capital which was used to acquire net plant and equipment plus the net current assets. EVA = (Operating capital) * (ROIC – WACC) i.e. a firm adds value if it’s ROIC – Return on Invested Capital is greater than the WACC – Weighted average Cost of Capital. However, if WACC goes beyond the ROIC, then new investments in the operating capital will actually reduce the firm’s value. EVA is an estimate of a business’s true economic profit for the year, and if differs sharply for accounting profit. Accounting profit is basically determined without imposing any charge for the cost of equity capital and is therefore an overstatement in economic terms. However, EVA determines the residual income after accounting for all the cost of capital (debt and equity both) and provides a much better performance measure to the stakeholders. Misra, Anil and Kanwal Anil. "Economic Value Added (EVA) as the most

Health Care Reform Matrix Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Health Care Reform Matrix - Assignment Example Purchasing a students’ travel health insurance coverage would help safeguard students from unanticipated accidents while abroad. Foreign students studying in America can receive international student health insurance plans. The student health advantage enables them to obtain the visa and covers costs such as mental health maternity, or international emergency care services. The law allows a review of international student benefits insurance plan annually to help cater for expense costs. Affordable care act implementation has resulted in reforms in student health provisions such as affordable health insurance covers. Presently, both American and alien college students can obtain travel insurances or international emergency covers easily and faster than before. Affordable care act reforms have promoted comprehensive access to health care. Nearly all USA citizens can access quality health care services because of reduced costs of health insurance and coverage. The health reforms have resulted into prevention of excessive spending in the healthcare sector. The reforms also advocate rights, insurance rules, new on creation, spending and tax issues (Murdock, 2012). Medicaid program initiated methods of helping poor individuals in the society to obtaining quality health care services. The program enabled provision of health services to many poor income citizens in America. The affordable care Act reforms would result in the creation of new Medicaid groups between the ages of nineteen to sixty-five. Medicaid beneficiaries would not be entitled to Medicaid incarceration. Medicaid reform would also ensure for the deduction of health costs for children, families and pregnant women. The Medicaid reforms, however, do not affect Medicaid groups such as foster care children, aged and disabled persons. Reforms in health care law would help states to issue and manage Medicaid coverage.

Current Event Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Current Event Paper - Assignment Example Daiichi Sankyo is a Japanese pharmaceutical company that has a stake in the Ranbaxy Laboratories based in India. Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FAD) had banned the use drugs produced from the laboratory, citing that the drugs have quality problems. In response to this, Daiichi Sankyo has started to put measures in place to improve the quality of products from the laboratory. One f the steps taken is the hiring of consultants and sending experienced employees from Daiichi Sankyo to the Ranbaxy plants. Furthermore, as reported in the article, the company is taking steps to dig deeper and understand the violations that have led to the poor quality products from the Ranbaxy plants. The main idea behind quality control is to ensure that the output meets the required standards. In the above article, Daiichi Sankyo is taking steps to ensure that the quality of the products from its Ranbaxy plants meets the required international standards. The failure to meet these standards was the reason why the FAD banned the use of its products. In addition, quality control requires that the company takes the necessary steps to identify the causes of poor quality and how to address them. Daiichi Sankyo is bringing in consultants and experts to help identify and address the quality problems at the Ranbaxy Laboratories. Inagaki, K (2014, January 31). Daiichi Sankyo Vows Drastic Steps to Improve Ranbaxy Quality. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from

Alternative Measures of GDP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alternative Measures of GDP - Research Paper Example However, there are few restrictions identified in this system of economic growth measurement which calls for the requirement of alternate methods to present more accurate detail of the economic health of a geographic and political division (Mankiw, 2011). These alternative computations of GDP would be considered in this paper in order to evaluate their impression over the interpretation of GDP. Alternative Measures to GDP Studies have revealed that there are a few inadequacies in the concept of GDP and for the reason of which the need for corrections in the factors included in the GDP along with some substitute computations were identified by various economists. It was stated by Giovannini & Hall (2010) that a collection of indicators needs to be developed which could offer an increased surrounding explanation of the living standards as well as the well-being compared to just a single indicator which is the GDP. For the period of 1970s, a collection of communal gauging methods were u sed with the intention to measure the socio-economic growth by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These techniques were considered to be the alternatives of GDP among which few were developed on the foundations of the concept itself (Giovannini & Hall, 2010). Some of the substitute measures also tend to consider the concept of GDP as well as the nationwide accounts to be their groundwork. These have been adapted to appear more accurate than the GDP measure with a few modifications in the traditional method of measuring economic growth. The modifications involve certain additions and deductions of a few indicators concerning the environmental problems, and sustainability problems among others so as to reach to a broader computation of well-being (Commission on the measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, 2010; Boarini & Et. Al., 2006). Another alternative is said to be the well-being indicators which does not entail GDP in their computa tions and thus, act as a substitute to the concept. The main substitute amongst the approaches have been learned to be the ‘economics of happiness’ that intends to measure the welfare of the residents in the economy. This method merges practices made by economists as well as psychologists with the intention to determine the degree of happiness in a particular society along with the policy that contributes to it. This particular method goes more from the economists’ perception of happiness which centered on ‘revealed performance’ along with the beliefs that increased unpaid options that were available to an individual and make that individual happier (Nallari & Et. Al., 2011; Schepelmann & Et. Al., 2010). The results from the happiness assessment point out that the unpaid options did matter, similarly as did an individual’s comparative earnings in the society along with the percentile position of those earnings. To be precise, it was found that after an amount of certain per capita earnings gained per annum, the total earnings did not contribute to happiness. Therefore, this method established that total earnings were crucial in describing the individual’s well-being which in turn was essential in gauging the GDP. Another substitute method for GDP so as to measure the economic growth of a country has often been categorized to be the

Risk management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Risk management - Assignment Example These are banks, insurance businesses, mutual funds, securities firms, investment banks and finance companies. A financial institution collects funds from private as well as public investors to use them in financial assets. Financial institutions play the role of mediators in share markets and debt security markets. Financial activities may include bonds, debentures, stocks, loans, risk diversification, insurance, hedging, retirement planning, investment, portfolio management, and many other related functions. Through these functions, funds get transferred to different tiers of economy for positively performing a business function (Babbel & Santomero 1997). When financial companies such as banks and insurance companies sell their products, they cover the risks which could be short-term or long-term risks. There are other companies called â€Å"Reinsurance companies† that sell policies to insurance companies to cover risk factors and save from big losses. Generally, reinsurance companies are big players and can write insurance risks directly. There is another type ‘captive insurance company’ that serves the limited aim of financing the risks of a parent company (Wikipedia 2010). Financial activities are risky business. From management perspective, some financial risks can be such that can be removed by following standard business practices, some risks can be shifted to other participant , and some financial risks must be managed proactively by the institution itself. Financial companies have their own financial risk management systems involving risk management techniques (Babbel & Santomero 1997). Generally, financial institutions, being the principal functionaries, use their own balance sheets to realise a transaction and mitigate the risks involved. Thus, most of the risks are for on-balance-sheet businesses. Financial institutions estimate

Compare and contrast the fixed and flexible budgets Assignment

Compare and contrast the fixed and flexible budgets - Assignment Example However, in unstable business scenario, flexible budget is always more relevant as it helps the business to effectively manage possible changes in the business environment, which would be hazardous if not well managed. Therefore, budget managers are usually faced with the task of adopting the right type of budget for their organisations depending on business situation. This paper explores fixed and flexible budgets, their differences, preparation procedures and functions. A fixed budget (static budget), is a type of budget that remains unchanged over the budget period regardless of changes in the level of activity of the organisation. A fixed budget is â€Å"prepared of for one level of activity for a definite time period† (Dutta 2004 p. 25). On the contrary, a flexible budget is a budget which is designed to change with changes in activity level. It is also referred to as variable budget because it takes into account cost behaviour, such as fixed and variable costs, in connection with changes in output level or turnover (Weygandt, Kieso & Kimmel 2010). A fixed budget remains constant relative to the variation in the actual level of activity attained. This makes it inflexible. On the other hand, a flexible budget changes with the variation in the level of actual activity, which makes it flexible (Tulsian & Tulsian 2005). A fixed budget is developed based on one level of activity and relies on the assumption that no change will occur in the prevailing circumstances, which is impractical. On the other hand, a flexible budget is based on various levels of activity (Weygandt, Kieso & Kimmel 2010). In a fixed budget, all costs are related to a single level of activity. As such, variance analysis fails to provide valuable information about cost differences. On contrary, flexible budget analyses each cost on the ground of cost behaviour and thus gives important information about cost variances (Tulsian & Tulsian 2005). Under fixed budgets, the comparison of

Risk management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Risk management - Assignment Example These are banks, insurance businesses, mutual funds, securities firms, investment banks and finance companies. A financial institution collects funds from private as well as public investors to use them in financial assets. Financial institutions play the role of mediators in share markets and debt security markets. Financial activities may include bonds, debentures, stocks, loans, risk diversification, insurance, hedging, retirement planning, investment, portfolio management, and many other related functions. Through these functions, funds get transferred to different tiers of economy for positively performing a business function (Babbel & Santomero 1997). When financial companies such as banks and insurance companies sell their products, they cover the risks which could be short-term or long-term risks. There are other companies called â€Å"Reinsurance companies† that sell policies to insurance companies to cover risk factors and save from big losses. Generally, reinsurance companies are big players and can write insurance risks directly. There is another type ‘captive insurance company’ that serves the limited aim of financing the risks of a parent company (Wikipedia 2010). Financial activities are risky business. From management perspective, some financial risks can be such that can be removed by following standard business practices, some risks can be shifted to other participant , and some financial risks must be managed proactively by the institution itself. Financial companies have their own financial risk management systems involving risk management techniques (Babbel & Santomero 1997). Generally, financial institutions, being the principal functionaries, use their own balance sheets to realise a transaction and mitigate the risks involved. Thus, most of the risks are for on-balance-sheet businesses. Financial institutions estimate

Enterprise ebusiness strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Enterprise ebusiness strategy - Essay Example This will also ensure attendant benefits for the economy. The main impediment to the takeoff of B2B in the today's world is inadequate information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, as well as shortcomings in physical infrastructure, logistics and trade facilitation. A rapid growth in both e-commerce and Internet use is expected to continue. This applies especially in context to the developing world with low penetration rates. Internet use recorded a growth of 30% in 2001. It should be noted here that one third of all new users belong to the developing world. E-commerce is increasing in these countries at a very slow rate especially in the case of B2B comprising around 95% of all e-commerce. Source: PRESS RELEASE, 18 November 2002. TAD/INF/PR65. GOOD PROSPECTS FOR IT INDUSTRY IN 2003, PREDICTS UNCTAD; Developing world looks to e-business for growth. Asia Pacific Network Information Centre. Official website. Disintermediation is defined as the removal of intermediaries in a supply chain in terms of economics: "cutting out the middleman". companies may now deal with every customer directly like through the Internet instead of using traditional distribution channels having some type of intermediate like a distributor, wholesaler, broker, or agent. Drop in the cost of servicing customers directly is the most important feature. Disintermediation is the result of high market transparency where the buyers are aware of supply prices direct from the manufacturer. Buyers bypass all the middlemen like the wholesalers and retailers in order to buy directly from the manufacturer and thereby paying less money. Buyers can also select to purchase from wholesalers. A B2C intermediary functions as the bridge between buyer and manufacturer. A typical B2C supply chain is composed of four or five entities (in order): Supplier Manufacturer Wholesaler Retailer Buyer Source: wikipedia. Disintermediation. Review on an article on backend EC integration All enterprises are lining up into virtual alliances in order to remain competitive in the globalizing markets. Virtual enterprises constitute location-independent association of financial institutions, industrialist and many more aimed towards a shared goal. These networked organizations do integrate their value chain to enhance the customer-perceived added-value while sharing their resources in a more efficient way then ever. The paper by Ralf Reussner is entitled as Enhanced Component Interfaces to Support Dynamic Adaption and Extension. A new interface model for software components is presented in this paper that not only specifies static information but also semantic applicability information in order to ensure non-conflicting run-time behavior and to facilitate component adaptation. The paper by Niels Christian Jul compares two E-Commerce servers, IBM's NetCommerce and Microsoft's Site Server Commerce based on a B2B case study. It emphasizes on the integration of the servers

Founding Brothers Essay Example for Free

Founding Brothers Essay The book, Founding Brothers, tells about the struggles of the American leaders after the revolution to establish a new government and the events that occurred during this time. Famous Americans such as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams along with their opposite points of view about the Constitution are given equal focus. The author brings to light the amazing ability of the colonies to come together, bring about change and break away from England to establish a nation built on democracy. This story is one that every American will have a stake in, as it forms the backbone of our national history. The author of Founding Brothers is Joseph Ellis, who has degrees from Yale and the College of William and Mary. His writing centers on American history, and he won the National Book Award in 1997 for his work American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson. One of his other works is titled Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams (Ellis, 2000, title page). Ellis goes right into the details of the debate that was fueling between the two sides in reference to the new American Constitution. He talks about James Madison who, with Alexander Hamilton, wrote the Federalist Papers. Madison was pushing for compromise on the Constitutional question and was doing his best to create a middle ground (2000, p. 52-53). Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and many of the others were already seeing a small example of the legacy they were creating, but didn’t fully understand it yet. The author points this out by saying: Men make history, and the leading members of the revolutionary generation realized they were doing so, but they can never know the history they are making (2000, p. 4). Ellis also points out how important that the decade in which the Constitution was written was to American history. According to him, these ten years of dealing with many of the issues that face the nation set the stage for future events to come, such as the Civil War (200, p. 9-10). During the debate of the Constitutional convention, slavery was a major obstacle and one that would not be settled completely here. The debate that took place in 1790 between those for and against slavery shows not only the struggle to create a new nation but also the fact that these leaders were considering what would happen as the nation grew and changed (200, p. 88). Another major aspect of this time period that the author addresses is the presidency of George Washington and the political divide that began to form among the nation’s leaders. Throughout his role as the first president, Washington was seen as an immortal figure that was beloved and respected. When he decided to retire as president in 1796, he left a strict warning for those he was leaving in charge: to avoid breaking apart and political parties in taking sides against each other. He wanted the nation to be united as one, and also to have its leaders be united as well (Ellis, 2000, p. 128-129). The author gives the reader an interesting view of these major characters by providing behind the scenes details that is often opposite to the stereotypes they are seen as now. For instance, Ellis goes into detail about George Washingtons character during his time as president. For instance, the author says: First, it is crucial to recognize that Washingtons extraordinary reputation rested less on his prudent exercise of power than on his dramatic flair and surrendering it. He was, in fact, a veritable virtuoso of exits (2000, p. 129-130). Along with relevant details about Washingtons health and personality, the reader sees a different side of this famous individual. Throughout the entire novel, Ellis organizes the book in a way that makes it easy to follow the events that occurred right after the revolution up to the time when the Constitution was being written. He provides personal quotations and references from those involved that gives the reader a deeper understanding of how they felt and what they were thinking when living through this time. He also provides the reader with enough information on the historical events that were going on in the country that helped to frame the interactions of the founding fathers. Founding Brothers adds to other his storable writing of this time by giving an inside view of not only the events but also the people who helped to create America during the revolutionary period. He makes it clear how certain obstacles, such as slavery, were not completely agreed upon or settled and how this affected the nation later on in its history. Ellis is able to explain both the short-term view of the founding fathers and the long-term view of the Constitution that they were trying to take. The debates and compromises that made up the writing of the Constitution and the establishment of a new government are laid out to support these points. As a history book, this novel will give the reader a good understanding of what was going on behind the scenes as the nation was born. Its clear explanations and interesting takes on the first leaders will hold the readers attention throughout the book. It is a valuable addition to the many writings that have been done on the revolutionary war and the writing of the Constitution. References Ellis, Joseph. (2000). Founding Brothers. New York: Vintage Books.

Health or Wealth :: essays papers

Health or Wealth Market forces, in my belief, have always shaped the relationship between humans and their environment, and I have found it a daunting task to consider the history of such a long and complicated relationship. In all truth, market forces can be considered as anything that drives our means of consumption and our economy as a whole, and from this point of view, they can be seen as existing in some way since the dawn of time. So, instead of starting at the beginning, I will instead focus on the relationship between humans and nature from the start of what I see as the beginning of the end. The capitalist economy’s history, when viewed in light of mans entire existence, has been rather short and in that span of time, it has managed to catapult much of the world into a very new and destructive relationship with the Earths natural resources. While the changes that capitalism has brought about have been slow to evolve, it is a system that has deeply altered much more than the marketplace and which has forever changed the world. In this paper, I intend to demonstrate how the core concepts of the capitalist economy have lead the world into ecological disaster. There are many structures on which capitalism is built and a few of the most core principles are the ones that are most destructive. The tenets of individualism, efficiency, profit maximization and consumerism can be found at the heart of many of the most damaging practices of today’s world. Since they are main pillars of the capitalist marketplace, they are very pervasive and have become widespread, standard practices and ways of thinking. Individualism it is a new development in our social structure and one that has left a very deep impression. While capitalism did not spring up overnight, the period of it’s development is not relevant to this analysis, so I shall consider capitalism from some hypothetical starting point. Up until this starting point, the community was the central unit of sociological structure. Families and communities were tightly knit and gave support to one another. This type of lifestyle provided an accurate sense about how one person’s actions affect everything around them and the relationship that humans had with their environment reflected this awareness.

Negotiations to End Apartheid Essay -- South Africa Apartheid Essays

Ethnic races in South Africa, have always been highly disproportionate with Africans being the overwhelming majority and the whites the minority. The ratio of races has not changed much over the years. Today, South Africa (which is twice the size of Texas) is home to some 50-million people; 79.5% African, 11.5% Coloured and Indian/Asian and 9% are white ("South Africa's population," 2012.) Not unlike many European countries, South Africa has a history dating back to the 1600’s that is rooted in crimes against humanity. However, South Africa was one of the few countries that created formal laws to endorse full-blown racism. The term â€Å"apartheid† directly translated from its Afrikaans origin means â€Å"separateness,† and absolute separation of rights, based on race, is what the laws of apartheid embodied. Through a brief recap of South African historical events, it is evident that native Africans have been treated as less than humane for centuries. The laws that governed slaves (known as Tulbagh Slave Code), dates back to 1753, and includes such laws as: curfews that required slaves to carry passes; slaves were forbidden to make any noise at night, including singing or whistling; slaves could not converse on the streets of Cape Town; and should they revolt in any manner perceived as violent, they were put to death (Mountain, 2005). Although its title changed, the practices of slavery continued in South Africa until 1994. Documented negotiations to end slavery can be seen as early as the 1893 when Mohandas (Mohatma) Ghandi began his crusade against racism known as â€Å"Satyagraha.† Although considered â€Å"war without violence†, Ghandi’s 1908 campaign stirred the Indian nation to protest en-mass by burning their passes. These acti... ..., A. (2005). An unsung heritage: Perspectives on slavery. Claremont, South Africa: New Africa Books. Reynolds, A. (2005). Reserved Seats in National Legislatures: A Research Note. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 30(2), 301-310. South Africa. (2012). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/555568/South- Africa/260110/Resistance-to-apartheid South africa's new era; transcript of mandela's speech at cape town city hall. (1990, February 12). The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/12/world/south-africa-s-new-era-transcript- mandela-s-speech-cape-town-city-hall-africa-it.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm South African Government, Brand South Africa. (2012). South africa's population. Retrieved from Big Media Publishers website: http://www.southafrica.info/about/people/population.htm Negotiations to End Apartheid Essay -- South Africa Apartheid Essays Ethnic races in South Africa, have always been highly disproportionate with Africans being the overwhelming majority and the whites the minority. The ratio of races has not changed much over the years. Today, South Africa (which is twice the size of Texas) is home to some 50-million people; 79.5% African, 11.5% Coloured and Indian/Asian and 9% are white ("South Africa's population," 2012.) Not unlike many European countries, South Africa has a history dating back to the 1600’s that is rooted in crimes against humanity. However, South Africa was one of the few countries that created formal laws to endorse full-blown racism. The term â€Å"apartheid† directly translated from its Afrikaans origin means â€Å"separateness,† and absolute separation of rights, based on race, is what the laws of apartheid embodied. Through a brief recap of South African historical events, it is evident that native Africans have been treated as less than humane for centuries. The laws that governed slaves (known as Tulbagh Slave Code), dates back to 1753, and includes such laws as: curfews that required slaves to carry passes; slaves were forbidden to make any noise at night, including singing or whistling; slaves could not converse on the streets of Cape Town; and should they revolt in any manner perceived as violent, they were put to death (Mountain, 2005). Although its title changed, the practices of slavery continued in South Africa until 1994. Documented negotiations to end slavery can be seen as early as the 1893 when Mohandas (Mohatma) Ghandi began his crusade against racism known as â€Å"Satyagraha.† Although considered â€Å"war without violence†, Ghandi’s 1908 campaign stirred the Indian nation to protest en-mass by burning their passes. These acti... ..., A. (2005). An unsung heritage: Perspectives on slavery. Claremont, South Africa: New Africa Books. Reynolds, A. (2005). Reserved Seats in National Legislatures: A Research Note. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 30(2), 301-310. South Africa. (2012). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/555568/South- Africa/260110/Resistance-to-apartheid South africa's new era; transcript of mandela's speech at cape town city hall. (1990, February 12). The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/12/world/south-africa-s-new-era-transcript- mandela-s-speech-cape-town-city-hall-africa-it.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm South African Government, Brand South Africa. (2012). South africa's population. Retrieved from Big Media Publishers website: http://www.southafrica.info/about/people/population.htm

Thorn Queen Chapter Ten

I set out to Dorian with a sense of foreboding, made worse by the fact that I wore a skirt with a slit all the way up to my hip. Both Shaya and Nia had wanted me to go see him in a dress, arguing it befitted my station and would endear me to Dorian. I'd argued that I wouldn't be able to ride in a dress, and this slit thing had been their solution. And like always, I had a handful of guards in tow. Their constant presence still continued to make me feel like a child. In this case, a kind of slutty child. In keeping with the Otherworld's bizarre geography, we passed through another village. My visit was brief, just long enough to see how they were doing. Their situation wasn't too different from Westoria's, though they had a woman who was pretty adept at finding water sources. Her technique, the way she wove magic, was more skilled than mine, though she didn't possess my strength. After observing her, I mimicked what she did and managed to find a spot ripe for well-digging. The dress kept me from getting out there and shoveling along with them, but it didn't matter. I left regarded as a savior yet again. Reaching Dorian's took less time than it had taken to get to Maiwenn's. Unlike that journey, much of our trip today passed primarily through my own land, with no respite in one of the more temperate kingdoms. The heat beat down on us, and I sweated profusely into the violet silk of my dress. I would have given anything for a breeze, anything to stir that stagnant air. My own Tucson was often windy; I didn't get why the Otherworldly version wasn't. My father had been able to control all things connected with storms: water, air, charged particles, temperature, et cetera. So far, I only had a hold of water, but every once in a while I could feel the air with the same senses that could touch and control water. Reaching out now, I had that same experience: I could sense the air. It hummed to me. It called. But when I called back, nothing happened. Over and over I tried, attempting the same technique I used with water, urging it to bend and stir and cool me off. Nothing. I finally gave up when Dorian's castle came into sight. It was stone like mine and somehow managed to be both imposing and graceful. Where once I had been greeted with hostility and suspicion, I was now welcomed with respect and a fair amount of groveling. And, yeah, some wariness too. My guards were led away, and Dorian's servants fell all over me, offering me any refreshment I wanted. I declined. I simply wanted to get these negotiations done with. A servant led me to an opulently decorated chamber and announced me, titles and all. Dorian sat there, casual in a long-sleeved, cream-colored shirt, leaning over a chess board. An old man with a beard that went all the way to the floor sat opposite him. Dorian's green-gold eyes lifted at my name, and he broke out into a dazzling smile. Honestly. The man was too good-looking sometimes, and he knew it. A moment later, Dorian turned a disapproving glance toward his chess partner. â€Å"By the gods, Kasper. Have you no manners at all? The Thorn Queen is here. Show some respect before I have you flogged.† I started to protest as the old man rose. The hunched-over posture he'd held in the chair appeared to be permanent, and it took him forever to actually get up. He managed something that passed for a bow-really, it was hard to tell the difference between that and his normal stance-and gave me a grave â€Å"Your majesty.† And as the old man's back was to the board, Dorian leaned over and moved some of the pieces around. I opened my mouth, more in shock than to make any sort of protest. Dorian raised one finger to his lips in a shushing motion. I swallowed my comments and smiled at Kasper. â€Å"Thank you. Please sit down again.† â€Å"And you, my dear,† said Dorian. â€Å"Come join us.† The servant who'd led me in hastily pulled a velvet-cushioned chair over to the chess table. I thanked him and sat down, crossing my legs out of habit. When I saw half the skirt spill over and reveal nearly the whole length of my leg, I hastily uncrossed them. Dorian saw the leg, of course. He always saw everything. Kasper's eyes, underneath his bushy gray brows, were fixed on the board. He made a play, capturing one of Dorian's pieces. Dorian frowned briefly, then put his smile back on as he turned to me. â€Å"You are radiant as always,† he said. â€Å"That dress is particularly lovely. Kasper, look at her. Do you see the way that shade matches her eyes?† Kasper looked like he wanted to study the board, but he turned to me obediently and gave a quick bob of the head. â€Å"Yes, your majesty. Most becoming.† Dorian quickly swapped a few more pieces and then put on a look of deep pondering when Kasper turned back around. With a sigh, Dorian moved his bishop. â€Å"Not my greatest play, but it'll have to do.† He seized one of Kasper's pieces. The move clearly took Kasper by surprise, not all that astonishing considering the pieces weren't where they'd been the last time he looked. He studied the board for almost a minute and then moved a knight, though it didn't yield a capture. â€Å"Eugenie, you look as though you've been stranded in a desert,† mused Dorian. â€Å"But then, I suppose that's the case, isn't it? Such a shame, all those towns suffering and starving, towns like Songwood.† The old man looked up sharply, eyes wide as he stared at me. â€Å"Songwood?† â€Å"Songwood?† I asked in equal confusion. Dorian covertly moved more pieces. â€Å"I was born in Songwood,† said Kasper. â€Å"People are starving there?† â€Å"Oh, wait,† said Dorian. â€Å"Songwood's in the Willow Land, isn't it? Sorry for the scare. I was thinking it had been part of Aeson's kingdom. I'm sure Songwood's perfectly fine.† He studied the board for a moment and then deftly moved his queen. â€Å"Checkmate.† Kasper gaped. â€Å"That's not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His eyes roved over the board, no doubt looking for any possible way to counter Dorian's move. â€Å"You can't fight against the queen,† said Dorian glibly. â€Å"Once she's decided to take the king, you might as well give in and enjoy it.† I rolled my eyes. Kasper sighed. â€Å"Excellent game, your majesty.† Dorian gave him a comforting pat as the old man stood up. â€Å"Don't take it so hard. You played pretty decently yourself. Sloppy here and there, but who knows? There's always next time.† Kasper gave another wizened bow and then left us alone. I gave Dorian a censuring look. â€Å"You're a bad man. You should be ashamed of yourself.† â€Å"Hardly,† he said. â€Å"That man's the grand chess champion of seven kingdoms. A little humbling will do him good. And speaking of humbling, shall we get on to our business?† He stood up and extended a hand to me. I didn't take it and simply followed as he walked over to the far side of the room. He sank down onto an ivory satin couch while I chose a velvet loveseat the same color as my dress. I felt adrift in a sea of purple. Dorian produced a stack of parchment from a nearby table. â€Å"There you are. Just sign, and we can get this out of the way.† I flipped through the papers, astonished. I didn't understand most of it. It detailed amounts and shipments of assorted goods, listed interest rates, and laid out some sort of schedule. I gave Dorian an incredulous look. â€Å"What happened to negotiating?† He poured two glasses of white wine from a carafe that sat on the table to his other side. â€Å"Oh, come now. You don't want to actually do that. I don't want to do that. So why waste our time? I assure you, the terms are very, very generous. Probably more generous than you deserve, considering the way you toy with my affections. Your people will be getting a lot of goods on faith for copper that has yet to materialize.† â€Å"Then why did you make me come here?† â€Å"Do you have to ask?† â€Å"No,† I grumbled, signing my name with a quill. A quill. Honestly. â€Å"You're a bad man.† â€Å"I try. Wine?† He gestured to the glass he'd poured for me. I shook my head. â€Å"Wouldn't want you to run out. So, I guess me sitting here is part of the price I pay for my kingdom's food. What do you want to do now?† His eyes held mine over the top of his wineglass. â€Å"I could make up a list of things to do longer than that contract.† Yeah. I'd set myself up for that one. â€Å"Okay, then. What would you like to talk about?† â€Å"You,† he said. â€Å"And why you never come see me.† â€Å"You know why. Because you used me and stuck me with that kingdom.† â€Å"You sure do hold a grudge. Is that a human trait?† â€Å"It's a Eugenie trait.† He smiled. â€Å"Of course. You know, Rurik tried to rape you, yet now you welcome him with open arms.† â€Å"That's not exactly how I'd put it.† â€Å"You know what I mean. How can you forgive him and not me?† I looked down at my lap and played with the dress's fabric. I didn't have a good answer for that. Rurik had really been a total asshole when we'd met, yet now I took him as a normal fixture around my household. Why did I hold such animosity for Dorian? Because things hadn't started as hostile between us, I realized. Sure, I hadn't trusted him initially, but he'd never done me any true harm. I had grown to like him-care about him, even-which made what he'd done hurt that much more. Dorian was the one who'd guided me through claiming the Thorn Land after we'd killed Aeson in a pretty horrific battle. I'd simply followed Dorian's direction, having no clue what I was doing until it was too late. Once I realized what I'd been stuck with, I'd felt like every interaction with Dorian had been one big setup. It had seemed like his endgame the whole time had been to oust Aeson and give me that land so that Dorian could eventually control it. That was why I resented him. Are you sure that's it? a sneaky voice inside me wanted to know. No, there might be more. Even I could admit that to myself. The truth was I'd developed physical and emotional attachments to Dorian, and I didn't want them. I didn't want to be bound to someone like him, someone who was full-blooded gentry-and had the annoying tendency to make me lose control. Slamming up walls of animosity between us was a way to protect myself. â€Å"What are you thinking?† Dorian asked, sparing me from his other question. â€Å"I was wondering if I just blindly signed my name to sexual favors in that contract.† â€Å"Damn,† he said. â€Å"I wish I'd considered that.† From the tone of his voice, I think he meant it. â€Å"Oh, well. Perhaps next time since I'm sure this will be the first of many dealings between our kingdoms.† â€Å"I hope not.† For a moment, he almost looked hurt. â€Å"Is it that painful coming here?† I felt bad. â€Å"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I mean†¦I hope I don't need any more help. I hope things will just work themselves out in the Thorn Land.† His easy smile returned as he finished off his wine. He reached for my untouched glass. â€Å"Well, according to rumor, things are on the mend, thanks to the omnibenevolent Thorn Queen. Why, I heard the other day that you were out digging ditches and feeding orphans. It's a wonder you have the time for that, what with your hypocritical job of battling your own subjects in the human world.† â€Å"My subjects don't cross into the human world,† I said loftily. Of course, the irony was that might not be true, not if the evidence surrounding those girls was any indication. â€Å"And I never did any of that other stuff. I just found water.† He tsked, eyes sparkling with delight. â€Å"Yes, which is a hundred times more than most monarchs do. You're out with your people, maybe not working beside them exactly, but it's close enough. They think you're some kind of messiah. I guess that sets a good precedent for your son, hmm?† I made a face. â€Å"Don't even go down that road. And anyway, I'm not trying to be a messiah. I'm just trying to help.† â€Å"Good gods,† he said, downing the glass in one gulp. â€Å"The frightening thing is that you're actually serious. Were you helping them before you arrived here today?† â€Å"Er, well, a little. We stopped in a village and helped find some water.† â€Å"I can tell. When you use your magic, it wreaths you like some sort of afterglow. It's very†¦becoming.† Something about the way he spoke and looked at me made me want to cross my arms and legs protectively-until I remembered crossing my legs wouldn't do me any favors. Fucking dress. â€Å"I daresay your control of water is becoming very useful,† he added. â€Å"Too bad you didn't continue your lessons with it.† â€Å"I don't need your help anymore. I've practiced on my own-I've gotten a lot stronger.† â€Å"Hmm. I see. And what about the rest of your inherited powers? Have you been practicing with, say, air?† For half a second, I thought he'd been spying on me. No, that wasn't his style. He'd guessed I would attempt air magic because†¦well, he knew me. And because he was Dorian and canny about such things. â€Å"As a matter of fact, I have,† I said loftily. There. Take that. His lips twitched. â€Å"I see. And have you been successful?† I wasn't fast enough with my answer. He laughed and moved to sit beside me. I tried to scoot over, but there wasn't much room. â€Å"Eugenie, Eugenie. When are you going to stop fighting this-stop fighting me? You're only going to create more trouble down the road if you don't learn to fully harness your abilities.† â€Å"Right,† I said, trying not to notice the apple and cinnamon scent that always surrounded him. Why couldn't I shake this attraction when I found him so annoying half the time? â€Å"It's for my benefit, right? Not because of your desire to rule the Otherworld and see the prophecy fulfilled?† â€Å"Of course it's for those reasons,† he scoffed. One thing you had to love about Dorian was his unflinching honesty. â€Å"But that doesn't mean you can't benefit too. You don't think it'd be useful to control air? You don't think that would aid you in helping those poor suffering souls under your control?† â€Å"Damn it. Don't involve them.† â€Å"They're already involved. Learn to control storms, and there'll never be a drought again.† His voice was low, filled with promise and temptation. I thought about the things I'd seen, the fields gone barren and hungry faces. I shook my head. â€Å"I'm not going to let you teach me again.† â€Å"What if I got you another teacher?† â€Å"What?† I shifted so that we could look at each other eye to eye. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Exactly what I sound like. As hard as it is to believe, I'm not the only one who knows how to use magic around here. True, I'm the most stunningly attractive and dazzlingly intelligent, but if you're dead set against my help, there are others whom you could benefit from.† I turned away and stared off across the room. The water finder I'd worked with today had certainly been useful. She was actually the first gentry I'd met who had any sort of magic compatible enough to mine to teach me anything. Dorian's magic was actually completely different from my own, but he was skilled enough to still transfer the basic principles. But what if I had someone else to tutor me? Someone more in sync with my powers-who wasn't always trying to get me into bed? No. Self-chastisement instantly arose. Magic was dangerous. It made you crave more of it, and the more I used, the more I embraced my gentry side and lost some of my humanity. Kiyo had advised against it over and over, and I didn't even want to think about what Roland would say. And yet†¦ â€Å"You've actually got someone in mind?† I asked, turning back to Dorian. He nodded. â€Å"She's not an exact fit for your powers-honestly, no one is-but she's close and is an excellent instructor.† She. That was promising. No one who'd want to father a child on me. He seized on my hesitation. â€Å"Eugenie, why resist this? It's obvious you want to learn more, no matter how haughty you pretend to be about dirtying your hands in the affairs of the shining ones. Stop your pandering and accept this as a gift.† â€Å"What do I have to do in return for this gift?† I asked warily. â€Å"Nothing except learn. If you take my tutor back with you to the Thorn Land, I just want you to promise me you'll give her a fair chance.† â€Å"That's it?† â€Å"Yes. You already know all my other motivations for doing this, so there's no trick there. The rest is on you.† True. He had been up-front about his larger designs on me and his megalomania. â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kiyo was going to freak out. â€Å"I'll give her a chance.† â€Å"You promise?† â€Å"I promise.† Somehow, every time I agreed to something with Dorian, I always felt like I was signing my soul away. â€Å"Excellent,† he said. â€Å"We'll make an all-powerful queen out of you yet.† He reached his hand over and smoothed out where some of my dress's fabric had wrinkled up near the slit. His motion actually covered up more of my leg with the skirt, though it did involve his fingers brushing against my skin. For a brief, dangerous instant, I kind of wished he'd move his fingers underneath the dress. Instead, he simply left his hand on my thigh. â€Å"Dorian,† I said warningly. â€Å"Hmm?† I looked pointedly down. He followed my gaze. â€Å"Oh, look at that. It seemed so natural, I hardly noticed,† he said cheerfully, removing the guilty hand. I almost felt†¦disappointed. â€Å"Let me fetch your new teacher since I'm guessing you won't be lured into staying for dinner.† â€Å"You guessed right. You really are dazzlingly intelligent,† I said wryly. He stood up and flashed me a grin. â€Å"And stunningly attractive?† â€Å"Just go get her.† He left the room, and I watched the way his long, lean build moved and how the sunlight streaming through a window turned his hair every shade of red, orange, and gold. Dorian was trouble. Yes, I suspected I really had made a deal with the devil. Particularly when I saw who his instructor was. â€Å"Her?† I exclaimed. I shot up from my chair. Dorian had just entered the room, and standing beside him was Ysabel-the Eugenie-clone strumpet from the party. Her blue eyes widened when she saw me. Apparently I wasn't the only one who had been caught by surprise. â€Å"What is this?† she demanded. â€Å"You said you wanted me to instruct someone.† â€Å"I do,† he said calmly. â€Å"You're going to pack your things and return with the Thorn Queen. You will teach her to use her magic to the best of her ability.† â€Å"No,† she said icily. â€Å"I will not.† His pleasant demeanor dropped. â€Å"Yes, you will. This isn't a request. You're my subject, ergo you follow my commands. And I am commanding you to go with her. Unless you're openly defying me?† I couldn't help a shiver. I'd occasionally seen this hard side of Dorian, and it always unnerved me. It was such an abrupt change from his usual laconic self, the self who bantered and tried to feel me up†¦and I found the change kind of terrifying. â€Å"Dorian,† I said uneasily. â€Å"Don't make her do anything she doesn't want to do.† She glared at me. â€Å"I don't need your assistance here.† â€Å"What she wants is irrelevant,† said Dorian. I was a bit surprised at how casually he was able to order her about and objectify her. I'd assumed whomever he was sleeping with at any given time would be someone he had feelings for. Who knew? Maybe he cared about her a lot but was still able to treat her as a subject. Or maybe he just cared about me more. â€Å"Yeah, well, I don't want her,† I retorted. â€Å"Also irrelevant,† he replied, eyes still fixed on Ysabel. â€Å"You made a promise to give your teacher a fair chance-unless you're going to be human and go back on your word?† â€Å"This isn't quite what I expected!† â€Å"It doesn't matter. You're either going to keep your promise or you won't. And you,† he said to Ysabel, â€Å"are either going to obey or not.† Ysabel's eyes were ablaze with rage, and her breathing was heavy. I had the feeling she wanted to burst forth with a million expletives, but she bit her lip as though physically forcing them back. At last, she swallowed and took a deep breath. When she spoke, her words were to Dorian, but her gaze was on me. I hadn't seen malevolence like that in quite some time-no, wait. That wasn't entirely true. Her look was a lot like the one Volusian often gave me. â€Å"Of course, I will obey, your majesty. With great pleasure.†

Serial Killer Research

The Insanity Of Killers Serial murder is a psychological crime in many aspects. It is a planned, thought out action. The crimes themselves are often committed in order for the killer to gain a sense of power, control, and domination. There must be psychological desires and/or perceived needs that are otherwise lacking in his or her life. Are serial killers insane? Not by legal standards. The legal definition of insanity is based on the 19th century M’Naghten Rules: Does the offender understand the difference between right and wrong?If he flees or makes any attempt to hide the crime, then the offender is not insane, because his actions show that he understood that what he was doing was wrong. Yet what person in their right mind would filet young children and write letters to the parents, glorifying over what a fine meal their child made? In the case of Albert Fish, the jury found him â€Å"insane, but he deserved to die anyway. † A formal definition of legal insanity fir st was adopted in 1843 and is called the M'Naghten test; its basic form still is used today.The test outlines that the defense must clearly prove that the accused person was so impaired psychologically as to not understand that the crime was wrong when he or she committed it. Most crime experts believe that serial killers are not insane and are fully aware of their actions at the time that they commit murders. What's more, serial murderers commit several crimes, so it would follow that they should be proved as insane when planning and committing all the crimes they're charged with.Some serial killers have been diagnosed as psychopaths, or people who act with total disregard for the rights of others; they can tell the difference between right and wrong, however, so psychopaths aren't considered insane. Society believes that the insanity defense is used far more often than it actually is and people believe that the defense is used as a tactic to avoid punishment. People perceive seria l killers as inhumane and question how they could ever commit the crimes that they do.Some think it is inhumane to put a killer to death, but isn’t it even more inhumane to kill as many people as that killer did? One of the most predictable attempts to shift the blame is by creating an evil dark side, or alter ego. Fabricating an alter ego is a convenient way to pin the guilt on another, even if that other is within. It's a psychological variation of â€Å"the devil made me do it. † But diabolical alter egos are usually clumsy constructions that fall apart under scrutiny. At best, a legitimate split personality could hope for a mental institution instead of death row.But authentic cases are exceptionally rare. The motives of serial killers can be placed into five different categories: visionary, missionary, hedonistic, gain motivated, power and control. Visionary is like having that little voice in your head telling you to do something, so the killer listens and even s ometimes tries to shift the blame on to the voice and claiming to be insane. So-called missionary killers believe that their acts are justified on the basis that they are getting rid of a certain type of person and thus doing society a favor.The hedonistic type kills for the sheer pleasure of it, although what aspect they enjoy varies. This is the most common type of serial killer depicted in slasher and horror movies, psychological thrillers, and so on. Gain motivated, most criminals who commit multiple murders for material ends (such as Mafia hit men) are not classed as serial killers, because they are motivated by economic gain rather than psychopathological compulsion. Power and control, their main objective for killing is to gain and exert power over their victim.Such killers are sometimes abused as children, leaving them with feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy as adults. They must be insane, what normal person could slaughter another human, for the sheer pleasure of it? Yet the most chilling fact about serial killers is that they are rational and calculating. As the â€Å"British Jeffrey Dahmer† Dennis Nilsen put it, â€Å"a mind can be evil without being abnormal. † Serial Killer-Psychopathic or Psychotic Differences between the two. What is a serial killer? A serial killer is a person who attacks and kills victims one by one in a series of incidents.Some characteristics of a serial killer is that they have a minimum of three to four victims, usually with a â€Å"cooling off period† in between. The killer usually is likely to victimize a stranger than they are to victimize someone that they know. The serial killer has a sadistic urge to dominate there victims, they do not profit, except for psychological satisfaction. The serial killer usually looks for victims that are vulnerable. The majority of serial killers are white males, in there late 20’s to early 30’s, but some have been known to be a lot older.Serial k illers usually come from lower to middle class family backgrounds and they usually have at least an average intelligence. There are two types of serial killers, the psychotic and the psychopath. The psychotic serial killer is one who is legally insane, they cannot tell the difference between right and wrong, they may hear voices, see visions and sometimes may have hallucinations prior to committing the murders. â€Å"The son of Sam† aka David Berkowitz is a great example of a psychotic serial killer. The second type of serial killer is the psychopathic serial killer.The psychopathic serial killer does not suffer from hallucinations, they know the difference between right and wrong, and are in touch with reality, they just do not care what the are doing is not right. Psychopathic serial killers lack one very important trait and that is that they do not have a conscience, or that there conscience is too weak to stop the violent behavior. A psychopathic serial killer does not fe el any guilt, nor are they sorry for there actions. There are numerous theories as to whether a person is born with the predisposition to kill; some theories suggest that the psychopath is a product of his/her environment.It is possible that it is a combination of both genetics anjd the person’s environment. The worst part of a psychopathic serial killer is his/her ability to blend in with their environment. They will act normal, but underneath there persona, lies two uncontrollable traits; sexual abnormality and a consuming need for power. The killing satisfies both the ultimate control over life and death. Simply, killing gives them pleasure, they will because they want to and because they enjoy doing so.The only thing that stops a serial killer from committing these types of killings is either they are arrested or they die. Works Cited Debswood, . â€Å"Serial Killer – Psychopathic or Psychotic. † Scienceray. 19 2008. Web. 2 Nov 2012. . Ward, Daniel. â€Å"T he M'Naghten Rule: A Re-evaluation. † Marquette Law Review. Marquette Law Scholarly Commons, n. d. Web. 4 Nov 2012. . Bardsley, Marilyn. â€Å"Albert Fish. † Trutv-Crime Library. A Time Warner Company. Web. 3 Nov 2012. . Sullivan, Andrew. â€Å"Mind of Madness. † Studymode. studymode. com, 27 2011. Web. 5 Nov 2012. .

Design of a steel skew cantilever followed by construction and testing to destruction

Design of a steel skew cantilever followed by construction and testing to destruction. Analysis and improvements section included. Aiming for minimum weight and structural costs, while achieving a working load of 1kN and a failure load of 2kN. Statement of the Problem: To design and build a steel skew cantilever that is required to show no visible deformation at a vertical working load of 1000N and to fail at 2000N. The objective is to design a structure that satisfies the loading conditions, while keeping weight to a minimum and maintaining design simplicity; to reduce drawing and fabrication time, and making the structure more predictable through analysis. The load is at a horizontal distance of 815mm from a rigid vertical plate. The line of action of the load is 407mm to the right of the normal to the wall through the centre of the main plate when viewed from the front of the main plate. The load is applied through a rig with a 13mm diameter bolt. The main plate has 4 pairs of M6 tapped holes to which the structure may be attached. Designs Considered: The main design considered apart from the 4 main member triangulated cantilever, was based around a 3 main member design with cross bracing shown in the diagram to the right. The advantage of this structure is a reduction in weight, holes and rivets thus a huge reduction in cost. However, the design that we came up with was too difficult to analyse and predict during in failure, due to the side planes not being vertical. Also, construction would have been quite difficult because all cross braces would have to attach to the main members at an angle, thus additional plates would have be constructed which would have raised the price dramatically. The other design considered was based on the 4 main member design but flipped upside down. However, this would mean that the compression member would be comparatively long, increasing the need for cross bracing due to potential buckling. Thus the structure would be no better than the one we have selected only it would cost more due to the additional cross bracing. The box design was considered, however, it is not very suitable for a skew cantilever as construction would be immensely hard. Design considerations: The rig to which the structure was to be attached was inspected to see whether the load plate would fit and to get a general feel for the vertical constraints of the jack. To prevent a bending moment within the structure, lines of actions of forces in members must cross at a point. Hence in the drawings, lines of actions for every joint are shown to meet at a point within the material. For single cross braces, this line of action is 3/4 of the way in from the edge parallel with the edge. To make members act as though they were in mode B, the struts had to be rivet together. This was done 40mm from the edges of the struts in question and subsequently the remaining length was divided up into 3 sections at which the boundary of each division was riveted. This was performed on all the double angled struts. Where possible, the struts coming into connecting plates were made to touch the plate with their edge so that they would be transferring their load in a more direct manner. We attempted to make the base as wide as possible, for stability hence the connecting plates should go up to the edge of the main plate. Construction Phase: The base was the first thing to be constructed as it was easier than the upper members, thus by the time it had been built, experience had been gained and could applied to a more complex construction step (the upper members). The upper members were then constructed and both sets were fitted to the base plate. An additional plate was put in between the connecting plate and the main plate for the tension members to prevent the bolts from tearing out. The partially completed structure was taken to the measurement deck, where the alignment was checked. It was within 5mm in respect to the horizontal plane, thus we could slightly bias connections so that the alignment became closer to about 3mm. It was then noted that the rig that would connect the load to the load plate needed the load plate to have parallel edges, thus a double bend and an extension of 40mm in the load plate was required to allowed the rig to connect to the load plate. See right hand page for diagram. The load plate was then attached and the structure was checked that it aligned to about 3mm. The cross braces were than fabricated and attached. An attempt was made to work efficiently during construction, my laboratory partner and I finished with 6 hours to spare. Modifications: To M4 bolts were used to help keep the two sections of the load plate in alignment to achieve ease of rig attachment. These are attached as shown on the diagram to the right. A small cross brace was also placed between the two tension members at the top to attempt to prevent rotation of the structure. See right for the diagram. Also there was not enough space for the smallest cross brace connecting the compression members, thus it was not included. Some minor changes in the lengths of some of the members was required to improve alignment. Also some edges of struts had to be cut so that they could rest flat against others to transfer load more effectively. Cost and Mass of Structure: The mass was 2.52kg, which is heavy in comparison to the other groups, but not the heaviest. The material cost was 120.5 and the labour cost was 282 giving a total of 452.5, once again the cost ranked high amongst the other groups. However, considering the magnitude of the mass, if the cost saving strategies had not been applied then the cost would have been about 30 higher. These cost saving techniques consisted of using a hole to not only mount the members to connecting sheet metal but also a cross brace, thus saving a rivet, a hole and some time during fabrication. Depending on the forces, this technique could be slight disadvantage, the joint would now be in double sheer, and the rivet would be under greater loading. However, this effect would be small due to the small forces in the cross braces. Test results and Observations: The structure had a very slight amount of visible deformation at the working load of 1kN, and finally failed at 2.57kN. This was mainly due to the rightmost (looking at the front plate) compression member 5 buckling inwards at a position closer to the wall than the intersection between member 10 and 11. Another noted deformation was that the metal plates (A and B) connecting the main plate to the compression members had been bent inwards towards the main plate as the corners of the A and B were not touching the main plate. This meant that as the compression force in member 10 and 11 grew the force on the corner increased and cause deformation of the connecting plate. If the buckling in the compression member had not occurred, it would be conceivable that this would be the next location for failure. Suggested Modifications to Improve Performance: Using another cross brace in a sense parallel to the main plate between the lower main compression members 10 and 11 would have prevented the buckling that caused the main failure from occurring. The geometry of the proposed cross brace would force the member to become stockier thus its critical stress would be much higher, allowing us to once again us mode A with a 9.5mm by 9.5mm of thickness 0.8mm. If the holes for the bent plates that connects the main compression members 3 and 5 to the main plate were moved such that the corner of the connecting plate lay within the normal of the edge of the main plate, then this would reduce deformation of the connecting plate and hence the structure. If these connecting bent plates were to be the first point of failure, the modifications described would increase the failure load by postponing the tearing of the connecting plates. Conclusions: The main failure as discussed was mode B buckling of the longest compression member due to insufficient cross bracing. It would be interesting to rebuild the cantilever with the improvements and even have an entire redesign. One can learn many things from analyzing a failure. For example how to improve the structure and more importantly how to go about design in the first place.