Vikings Essays (1069 words) - Vikings, Viking Age, Viking, Thrall

Vikings Vikings Who were the Vikings? The definition of a Viking is "one belonging to the pirate crews from among the Northmen, who plundered the coasts of Europe in the eight, ninth, and tenth centuries." Some historical accounts have presented an image of the Vikings as brutal, savage, unfeeling warriors who pillaged and burned with reckless abandon. This is not the whole story. While the Vikings were great warriors, they did not kill for sport or burn and pillage without a motive. They were cunning warriors who sought to make, and ultimately did make, great changes in the lands they conquered. The period known as the Viking Age started in the 9th century and lasted until the 11th century. During this time, Viking ships sailed from Scandinavia, at the center of the Viking World, out across the Northern Hemisphere. They went out on voyages of piracy and invasion, and journeys of exploration, commerce, and settlement. (The Vikings-Donovan. Pg. 15). The Vikings expanded their empire over a great distance. To the east, they traveled as far as the Black Sea and to the west they sailed at least as far as the coast of North America. No one knows exactly why the Vikings decided to expand. Some believe their quest for expansion was due to the overpopulation of their homeland, while others believe that climatic conditions and crop failure forced their migration. (From Viking to Crusader. Rizzoli) Before the year A.D. 1100 the Vikings were polytheistic. They believed that the leader of the gods was Odin, who was the god of battle, poetry, and death. He was also the father of all of the other gods. He presided over Valhalla ("the Hall of the Chosen"), the Viking heaven. It was believed that when a Viking died in battle, a warrior maiden called a Valkyrie escorted him to Valhalla. Once the warrior arrived at Valhalla, he began a new life where he fought all-day and feasted all night. This belief in the conditions of the Viking afterlife shows us that the Vikings held fighting and feasting in very high regard. The Vikings had several other very important gods as well. The most popular god was Thor. He was the ruler of thunder and the sky. Thor was so popular that many Vikings wore lucky charms shaped like the hammer Thor supposedly swung to make thunder. Another very important god was Freya, who was the goddess of love and the"provider" of large families. (The Vikings...Living History). To honor their gods, the Vikings offered sacrifices. A chieftain-priest called a gothi conducted these sacrifices. They were held either inside a temple or at sacred location outside. Vikings could offer anything of value to be sacrificed. Precious metals, clothes, and other inanimate items were buried or thrown in a bog. Sacrificial animals were eaten. The greatest sacrifice of all was to give up a son. This happened on a number of occasions but one in particular stands out. When a war between Earl Hakon (ruler of Norway from 965-995) and a neighboring band of Vikings was going badly, Earl promised to sacrifice his son. The battle changed immediately and Earl's Vikings defeated the neighboring Vikings with minimal losses. Earl gave his son to a servant to be put to death. After the Vikings converted to Christianity sometime between 1050-1100 AD the practice of making sacrifices ended. (The Vikings...Living History) In Viking society there were three classes of people. They were the Bondis, Jarls, and Thralls. The Jarls were military leaders and sometimes priests. The Bondis were farmers or merchants, and the Thralls were slaves who were either born into slavery or captured in battle. A Jarl would own a farmstead and around 30 Thralls. He could also hire poorer freemen to work for pay. The Thralls had to cut their hair short and wear white coats. The Thralls did most of the heavy labor on the farm. Thralls lived very hard lives. A Jarl was allowed to beat his Thralls to death as long as he publicly announced what he'd done on the same day. (The Viking World...Campbell) Although the Vikings shared many customs (way of life, treatment of women, respect for elders), a common religion, and a language called Old Norse, they were not a unified nation. They did, however, have very definite codes of behavior. Their first loyalty was to their clan (family) and secondly they were loyal to their local community. Each year, these communities held meetings called "Things". The purpose of these meetings was to allow freemen to vote on their leaders and laws. Before the year 800 A.D. the Vikings were many

Biography of Civil Rights Activist James Weldon Johnson

Biography of Civil Rights Activist James Weldon Johnson James Weldon Johnson, an esteemed member of the Harlem Renaissance, was determined to help change lives for African-Americans through his work as a civil rights activist, writer and educator. In the preface of Johnson’s autobiography, Along This Way, literary critic Carl Van Doren describes Johnson as â€Å"†¦an alchemist- he transformed baser metals into gold†(X). Throughout his career as a writer and an activist, Johnson consistently proved his ability to uplift and support African-Americans in their quest for equality. Family at a Glance Father: James Johnson Sr., - HeadwaiterMother: Helen Louise Dillet - First female African-American teacher in FloridaSiblings: One sister and a brother, John Rosamond Johnson – Musician and songwriterWife: Grace Nail – New Yorker and daughter of wealthy African-American real estate developer Early Life and Education Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 17, 1871. At an early age, Johnson showed great interest in reading and music. He graduated from the Stanton School at the age of 16. While attending Atlanta University, Johnson honed his skills as a public speaker, writer and educator. Johnson taught for two summers in a rural area of Georgia while attending college. These summer experiences helped Johnson realize how poverty and racism affected many African-Americans. Graduating in 1894 at the age of 23, Johnson returned to Jacksonville to become principal of the Stanton School. Early Career: Educator, Publisher, and Lawyer While working as a principal, Johnson established the Daily American, a newspaper dedicated to informing African-Americans in Jacksonville of various social and political issues of concern. However, the lack of editorial staff, as well as financial troubles, forced Johnson to stop publishing the newspaper. Johnson continued in his role as principal of the Stanton School and expanded the institution’s academic program to  ninth and tenth grades. At the same time, Johnson began studying law. He passed the bar exam in 1897 and became the first African-American to be admitted to the Florida Bar since the Reconstruction. Songwriter While spending the summer of 1899 in New York City, Johnson began collaborating with his brother, Rosamond, to write music. The brothers sold their first song, â€Å"Louisiana Lize.† The brothers returned to Jacksonville and wrote their most famous song, â€Å"Lift Every Voice and Sing,† in 1900. Originally written in celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, various African-American groups throughout the country found inspiration in the song’s words and used it for special events. By 1915, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) proclaimed that â€Å"Lift Every Voice and Sing† was the Negro National Anthem. The brothers followed their early songwriting successes with â€Å"Nobody’s Lookin’ but de Owl and de Moon† in 1901. By 1902, the brothers officially relocated to New York City and worked with fellow musician and songwriter, Bob Cole. The trio wrote songs such as â€Å"Under the Bamboo Tree† in 1902 and 1903’s â€Å"Congo Love Song.† Diplomat, Writer and Activist Johnson served as United States counsel to Venezuela from 1906 to 1912. During this time Johnson published his first novel, The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man. Johnson published the novel anonymously, but rereleased the novel in 1927 using his name. Returning to the United States, Johnson became an editorial writer for the African-American newspaper, New York Age. Through his current affairs column, Johnson developed arguments for an end to racism and inequality. In 1916, Johnson became field secretary for the NAACP, organizing mass demonstrations against Jim Crow Era laws,  racism and violence. He also increased the NAACP’s membership rolls in southern states, an action that would set the stage for the Civil Rights Movement decades later. Johnson retired from his daily duties with the NAACP in 1930 but remained an active member of the organization. Throughout his career as a diplomat, journalist and civil rights activist, Johnson continued to use his creativity to explore various themes in African-American culture. In 1917, for instance, he published his first collection of poetry, Fifty Years and Other Poems. In 1927, he published God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. Next, Johnson turned to nonfiction in 1930 with the publication of Black Manhattan, a history of African-American life in New York. Finally, he published his autobiography, Along This Way, in 1933. The autobiography was the first personal narrative written by an African-American to be reviewed in The New York Times. Harlem Renaissance Supporter and Anthologist While working for the NAACP, Johnson realized that an artistic movement was blossoming in Harlem. Johnson published the anthology, The Book of American Negro Poetry, with an Essay on the Negro’s Creative Genius in 1922, featuring work by writers such as Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. To document the importance of African-American music, Johnson worked with his brother to edit anthologies such as The Book of American Negro Spirituals in 1925 and The Second Book of Negro Spirituals in 1926. Death Johnson died on June 26, 1938, in Maine, when a train struck his car.

Banking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Banking - Assignment Example Consumer banking is reported as an alternative in the banking sector and investment platform that many investors consider as an option. The article reports consumer credit as a viable investment due to the increasing number of borrowers that seek money for different reasons. The report also indicates $880 billion as part of the revolving consumer debt currently accumulated by the population. The most interesting aspect of the development is that many people are willing to obtain debt and pay back at very high interest rates with a n average of 15%. Considering the loss rates registered by these kind of facilities and the level of losses involved are very low as at 2.52% in relation to JP Morgan Chase. Banks consider this a very lucrative opportunity and has taken deep into consumer credit. The advantage that the banks have over the other investors is that they obtain savings from masses that they use for the development of the finances necessary for investing into consumer credit. Consumer credit facilities stem in many forms as credit or debit cards, credit facilities for purchase of goods among others. The banks benefit more due to their level of interest earned compared to the interest paid to the owners of the savings. Kopp, Carol . "Plot Your Escape From the Big Fees of Big Banks." DailyFinance.com., 24 June 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. . Carol Kopp explains more on how to escape the huge fees charged by big banks on the different transactions and accounts opened by customers. Basic banking services in major banks in the American financial sense. Escaping these banks would help on save more of their money. The hiking of the fees in huge banks has is known to have originated from the 2008 financial crisis from which many banks suffered losses. These banks especially the big ones hiked fees and basic charges on the simple banking

Sustainable deveploment and international business law Essay

Sustainable deveploment and international business law - Essay Example The above three factors according to my view were somehow interconnected. Low GDP automatically led to poverty which for the poor to sustain there life, engaged themselves into criminal activities. Therefore correcting low GDP was like eradicating poverty and reducing crimes. Some factors also arisen within the government that worsened the economy of the country. These factors were brought forward by the organizations that were towards the provision of aids to the country. These organizations experienced some difficulties providing these aids which were caused by the government and citizens of Matune. There were instances of Child labor and women slavery, corruption within the government and excess Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However various approaches can be taken to come up with solutions to these issues to open way for the development of the economy. Low GDP, poverty and high rates of crime should be eradicated for a country to achieve high level of development. In my opinion, in order to reduce these factors, there would be need for the government to provide employment opportunities for the citizens to increase there income. Once there is a source of income, people w ill think of other methods of increasing there income and this will open ways for most venturing into businesses and hence increased levels of transactions. Creation of jobs by way of industries will require the need for labor and this will cut off slavery as they will be needed to work in the industries. Matune was a country limited to the highest level of poverty stated to be 90%. Once in poverty of that high the country development usually remain stagnant and this calls for foreign aids. However, the country had some resources that were never exploited, since they did not have the technology to exploit such resources. This opened doors to foreign investors and other international organizations. However, carrying out activities in Matune, some concerns

Learning to Read and Write Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning to Read and Write - Essay Example When the boy made rapid progress, she proudly reported the fact to her husband, who berated her for her pains. She was not only breaking the law, she was doing something 'unsafe'-for learning would make the boy unfit to be a slave, and unmanageable too. Mrs Auld followed her husband's orders-and soon became a new woman. Whereas she had earlier been good and kind, she turned cruel and harsh. The sight of the slave with a book or a newspaper in his hand was hateful to her. She kept the closest vigil to monitor his questionable movements. "Irresponsible power" had corrupted and changed her, through and through. Douglass records how he resorted to various "stratagems" to steal an education, with help from street-urchins and ship carpenters, and by surreptitious use of his young master's copybook, a Webster's Spelling Book, and a powerful book of speeches and dialogues that he was lucky to lay hands on. The story of his determined conquest of his own illiteracy is amazing. No wonder he had to write it out for people to believe that he had really risen from the ashes of oppression, rather than from the rungs of opportunity. Alice Walker's "Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self" tells the story of her finally coming to terms with what seemed to her a life-changing deformity. She remembers her life from around two and a half years till the age of eight as an idyllic period, when she knew she was both cute and sensible and had no doubt that she was the apple of her father's eye. Then, her elder brothers were given guns and pellets to play with and one of them accidentally fired the shot that left the little girl one-eyed and physically scarred for ever, and mentally scarred and scared for almost two decades. When she learns to look at herself through the eyes of her own child, she sees a 'world' unseen till then, and is free to dance again with herself. After her accident, although things changed enormously for her, the physical change was not really noticed by those close to her, and therefore, they failed to notice the inner change in her. Years later, when she spoke of the 'change' to them, they responded by asking, "What do you mean" Walker rephrases the question to herself, (and to her readers), "What do I mean" Others fail to understand her, and she fails to understand herself. It required some surgery to make her confident enough to look at other people again, and, when she did this, others looked at her, and she got a boy friend, popularity, the status of valedictorian and 'queen' of her class. Then, the sight of a beautiful desert made her aware of the blessing of having at least one eye to see it with. Her child it was who finally liberated her. The three-year-old child became aware of her mother's face for the first time in her life. She looked carefully and closely, taking the face in her dimpled palms with maternal gentleness. Walker dreaded the words that would follow, but what the child said must have filled her with an almost unbearable lightness of being. The child's words were, "Mommy, there's a world in your eye." And then, gently, but with great interest: "Mommy, where did you get that world in your eye" Walker says that "the pain left then." She could see her face as something that others could love and as something that she should love. It had taught her all she knew of

Scientific Glass Sg Provides Specialized Glassware Finance Essay

Scientific Glass Sg Provides Specialized Glassware Finance Essay Scientific Glass provides specialized glassware for a variety of organizations such as pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, research labs, quality-control sites and testing facilities. As of  January 2010, there was a substantial increase in their inventory balances which tied up the capital necessary for further investment needed for expansion. The debt-to-capital ratio surpassed the target of 40% preventing the company to use their capital in other areas. In addition, the shipping costs were rising, competitive pressures were accelerating, and certain markets in North America and Europe were becoming saturated which underscored the necessity for capital investment for expanding market opportunities in Latin America and Asia. Moreover, expanding warehousing network increased the inventory levels along with costs, documentation complexities and errors. The company hired a new Manager of Inventory Planning, Ava Beane, to come up with an effective plan to manage SGà ®Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬s inventory without requiring a large capital investment. In order to finance operations in year 2010, SG requires an external funding of $53.8 million (Exhibit1). These expenses would further limit the company to use their existing capital in other areas such as research and development and expanding to international markets. To improve customer service levels, SG had increased the target customer fill rate to 99% and added six more leased ware houses to meet the demand more accurately. This led to an increase in the inventory levels as some warehouse managers kept extra inventory in order to meet the company target fill rate. Good practices Maintained continued sales growth and higher customer satisfaction Produced creative products with lower life cycle costs Focused on durable products, innovative designs and superior customer services Reduced time between ordering and delivering the products to the customers Bad practices Treated inventory management as an afterthought, due to which inventory imbalances were increasing The company exceeded its target debt to capital ratio of 40% Incurred both underage and overage costs High Inventory Problem Due to increasing in customer service level, SG planned to add regional warehouses in many parts US. SG has the main and the largest one in Waltham, MA, which is next to manufacturing plant. SG also has another warehouse that located outside of Phoenix,  Arizona. However, at the end of 2008, SG bought other six warehouses. This means SG has the total 8 warehouses to serve customers. Annual rental and operation costs for North  American warehouses were 15% of the cost of the warehoused inventory. However, in 2006, before add more 6 warehouses, SG already made investment to expand the warehouse at Waltham in anticipation of continued growth, but after these 6 warehouses had been bought, this warehouse does not work full efficiency of its capacity.  Another problem of warehouse management is company expected to reach high level of  customer service to 99%, so that warehouse managers keep order inventory ahead before it reach threshold of inventory level to order new one to assur e that they will meet the customer service target level at 99%. This situation causes high inventory levels than required and also high inventory turnover. Moreover, salespeople were allow having its products up to $10,000 worth from ware house and kept them in trunk stock in their homes and cars in order to deliver this inventory on short notice to any customer who was within driving distance. This amount could lead to high finished goods in warehouse and in-transit as shown in exhibit 6. It could lead to missing products in inventory, and lost. Proposed solutions to inventory problem In order to solve the inventory issues, there are actually two main aspects to consider: Number of warehouses and their structure can be changed; Related policies can be changed and of course appropriate ones can be done simultaneously. For changing the number of warehouses, in other words, centralizing or decentralizing warehousing functions, available options are considered as: Centralized warehousing in Waltham: In this option, one central warehouse near to manufacturing facility at Waltham will send all customer orders from one location. Centralize warehousing in Waltham to meet demand in Southeast and Northeast regions using delivery service of Winged Fleet as their rates are cheaper for these two regions. This would allow SG to pool its inventory in order to meet demand. However, the customer response times would increase Decentralized warehousing: In addition to the main warehouse at Waltham, there would be another warehouse at Dallas which would be supplied from Waltham. This would allow demand to be met for all the regions and prevent any stock-outs in a single warehouse. Continuing with 8 warehouses: This option makes no change on the network of the warehouses and all regions will be supplied its warehouse if there is no stock-out occurs. Two centralized warehouses: In this option, addition to the main warehouse at Waltham, there will be an additional warehouse at the west, at Phoenix, and it will be supplied from Waltham. Demand of east region will be met from Waltham, demand of west region will be met from Phoenix and demand of central region will be met from both warehouses, assuming to have equal shares on the central region. Outsourcing the warehousing functions: In this option, all warehousing actions will be outsourced to Global Logistics (GL) and distribution will start from main warehouse at Waltham and then GL will be responsible from rest of the operations. Outsource warehousing to GL to meet demand in the Central, Southwest and Northwest regions because shipping costs for those regions is cheapest with the GL rates. Outsource warehousing to Global Logistics (GL) which will provide a centralized warehousing in Atlanta. Goods will be transported in bulk from Waltham to Atlanta and GL would take responsibility of inventory-control and delivery to the customers. This way SG would not have to bear the warehouse rental charges and could focus on increasing sales and develop newer products to meet customer needs. Changes in inventory policy: In addition to these options, Beane should propose the following actions to Eric Gregory and Melissa Hayes Lower fill rates to the industry-average in order to decrease inventories. Greater enforcement by managers to avoid keeping excess inventories in the warehouses. Have periodic reviews of inventory and control procedures for all stocks in the warehouses. Evaluations of the proposed solutions Evaluation of mentioned alternatives will be conducted from mainly five aspects: Transportation costs, Average inventory levels, Time responsiveness, Fill rates and Additional costs and benefits Transportation Costs: Transportation costs for alternatives are calculated for the two products, namely Griffin and Erlenmeyer, since they are mentioned as the best representative for a total of nearly 3000 products of Scientific Glass. In addition, for each option, demand for the next year calculated considering the 20% increase in sales. When warehouse to customer shipments are considered average shipment weight of 19,5 pound is used and to have an average transportation cost value, these two products costs are averaged according to their relative proportion in sales . It also be mentioned that, inter-warehouse transshipments occur only when stock-out occurs and as the number of warehouses are decreasing, effect of this costs will be diminished; therefore, it is only considered in the option where there are 8 warehouses. For the 1st option, having 8 warehouses and making no change, from Waltham to all other 7 warehouses all items are sent by bulk shipment. Inter-warehouse transshipments are calculated by bulk  shipment rates and they are considered only when a stock-out occurs, therefore fill rate is included in these calculations and average total cost found as $2701, 41 For the 2nd option, when there is only one warehouse, all customer shipments are calculated for rates of Winged Fleet. In this option, average total cost is calculated as $12210, 16. For the 3rd option, when two centralized warehouses considered, it is assumed that Waltham will supply east region, Phoenix will supply will west region and they will equally supply the central region. Average total cost is found as $2332.07. For the last option, when warehousing functions are outsourced, assuming the 5 regions of  Global Logistics (GL) will have equal amount of demand. Total average cost is calculated as $2276, 83. To conclude, as it is expected, when numbers of warehouses are decreased transportation costs are increased. From the aspect of transportation costs, GL option has the smallest cost amount. Average Inventory Levels: First of all, it must be decided which inventory policy that the company should apply. Begin with the review type; although firm monitors the entire inventory transfers from Waltham warehouse to other warehouses; they think taking physical counts of inventory at all warehouses. Therefore, it is concluded that company uses periodic inventory review policy. Secondly, company did not mention any due date, therefore the inventory plans should consider infinite time horizon. And lastly, though there exists a fixed cost for shipments from warehouses to customers; there is no other fixed cost related to transportation to the warehouses, i.e. no fixed ordering cost. The only order cost is $0.40 per pound bulk shipment cost which is a variable cost with weight. As a result, all analysis can be conducted considering critical ratios and the related fill rate values, which is the only option that is left and also it is considered as the most applicable to the situation. Since some of the simultaneous changes can be done, considering ceteris paribus principle and when fill rate is maintained exactly as 99% for all warehouses, we can calculate the average inventory level that must be kept at warehouses. Weighted-average biweekly inventory levels are found as: 8 warehouses : 98853 2 warehouses : 68034 1 warehouse : 59703 Outsourcing : 59703 When outsourcing option is used, it will be the same for the company in the sense of kept inventory levels for the one-centralized-warehouse option therefore they are assumed to be equal. As number of warehouse decreases, level of inventory decreases as it is expected. This is because, the greater the degree of  collaboration, the lower the uncertainty (standard deviation of the error or coefficient of variation) of  the demand model This implies that the money tied up in the inventory decrease sand this extra capital can be used in other areas, like expansion plans to international markets Time Responsiveness: Delivery system of the company compensates 2 weeks of shipment cycles including the stock-out situations. In order to be a market leader, differentiation on this subject is also needed and unfortunately since this is not an exact quantitative scale, only possible situations could be mentioned. For having one centralized, or two centralized or 8 decentralized warehouse options, they all include at most 3 days ready to shipment duration and Winged Fleets delivery time of at most 3 days if there is no stock-out situation and the stock-out probabilities are diminishing with the aggregated demands. On the other hand, GL has 1-day premium shipment in addition to 3-day regular shipments. Considering the highly growing market situation and different segment of products, having different delivery times to different products and also to different customers will make this company focus on the most yielding areas. Therefore, it can be said that working with GL has the advantage of differentiating customers/orders and, since there will be 2 warehouses, stock-out probability and related durations will be less compared to other options. And all of these aspects will increase the time responsiveness of the company. Additional Costs and Benefits: Quantitative issues to related to options of inventory management In order to continue with the current warehouses total of $10M investment is necessary, it is assumed that all of this amount will be equally shared among all warehouses. Since warehouse operating costs will be the %15 of the total warehoused inventory, these costs could be directly compared with the annual average inventory levels that are kept in each option The amount paid to sales forces will not change when the company has 1, 2 or 8 warehouses because it is assumed that as the number of warehouses decreased, number of salesperson per warehouse will increase and total of 32 will not change. On the other hand, when warehousing is outsourced this amount will not be paid Qualitative issues to related to options of inventory management When GL is used for warehousing, SGs senior managers will be able to focus on increasing sales, marketing issues and developing next generation of products. There are some issues that must be mentioned from the proposed policy changes. Stopping the practice of trunk stock could conclude with a decrease in the time responsiveness and therefore it should not be stopped. Also as mentioned in the same proposed policy changes, improving thec ontrolling systems will create a better understanding of the current situation after the warehousing functions changed. Finally, when GL is used, the approach of warehouse managers to keep more than99% fill rate and 60-day-supply will not be a problem, because all of these operating issues will be responsibility of GL. This will help to company not to keep excessive amount of inventory and less tied-up money in the inventory which can be used in other areas. Fill Rate: Companys fill rate policy should also be calculated for the different alternatives. The company replaced the earlier fill rate policy of 93%, which is only marginally better that the industry average fill rate of 92%, with 99%. However, there is no sign that the company is implementing this policy because it is the best approach that must be taken for the company objectives. Moreover, using a fill rate higher than optimal level leads to higher inventories and more money tied up in the inventory. Therefore, company should lower the rates down to optimal levels, if there is no other concern related to market leadership or customer satisfaction. To calculate the optimal levels of fill rates for all four alternatives we should consider cost items which are added to underage and overage costs. However, the sales leadership noted that underage costs are 10% of the gross margin and overage costs are 0.6% of the unit cost of any product. Also it is assumed that unit costs covers all the costs such as warehouse rental and operation costs, cost of capital and inventory write-offs. For the three alternatives other than outsourcing, there is no change in cost items, only the multiplied quantities are changed; but the outsourcing alternative eliminates the 15% warehouse rental and operating costs and 1% inventory write-offs. As a result, overage costs are decreased while underage costs are increased. Resulting optimal fill rates are as follows: 1, 2, or 8 warehouses Outsourcing Reference product 1   95.4% 96.5% Reference product 2   94.9% 96.1% These numbers can be interpreted in two different ways: If company is flexible about the determination of fill rate, in other words if it can lower the fill-rates from 99% to optimal levels, outsourcing option pushes the optimal fill rates to higher levels which results in larger inventories and more money to tie up. If the company still insists on keeping fill rate at 99%, the additional costs that must be paid to maintain 99% fill-rate level is lowered in the outsourcing alternative. Consequently, the better policy related to fill rates depend on the attitude of the company. Finally, another policy change about fill-rates can be considered. Rather than using one fill-rate for over all products of the company, different rates for different products can help the company in decreasing inventory costs related to, at least, for some of the products. Conclusion To conclude, since available options are studied from different aspects, it must be mentioned that the company should choose the alternatives and compare the results of evaluations according to their priorities. For instance, evaluation criteria like inventory levels and transportation costs are conflicting on interests. Company can see their situation and make decisions according to priorities. While assessing the weights for factors, it is considered that average inventory level and the transportation costs are the most important costs for the company. Then, the fill rate follows them. Time responsiveness is the next important factor which is followed by additional costs and benefits with equal weights for each. Changes in warehouse management are considered as options other than outsourcing do not provide radical policy changes which could make warehousing management better. These weights and the scores related to our previous investigations yield that the outsourcing the warehousing function to Global Logistics is the best alternative among all. All of investigations and cost studies conducted in this case study are to find the most cost effective option in order to getting closer to the target debt to capital ratio of the company and provide more capital to fund expansion into new international markets while maintaining or even improving the high customer satisfaction level

Teenage Dating in the 1950s Essay -- Relationships

Teenage Dating in the 1950s Teenagers in the 1950's are so iconic that, for some, they represent the last generation of innocence before it is "lost" in the sixties. When asked to imagine this lost group, images of bobbysoxers, letterman jackets, malt shops and sock hops come instantly to mind. Images like these are so classic, they, for a number of people, are "as American as apple pie." They are produced and perpetuated by the media, through films like Grease and Pleasantville and television shows like Happy Days, The Donna Reed Show, and Leave It to Beaver. Because of these entertainment forums, these images will continue to be a pop cultural symbol of the 1950's. After the second World War, teenagers became much more noticeable in America (Bailey 47). Their presence and existence became readily more apparent because they were granted more freedom than previous generations ever were. Teenagers like these were unique. They were given a chance to redefine the ways things were done in America. One of the conventions they put a new spin on, and consequently revolutionize, is the idea and practice of dating. The 1950's set up precedents in dating that led to what many consider "normal" dating today. ORIGINS OF DATING Dating is definitely an "American phenomenon." Few other countries carry on this practice with as much fervor as Americans do. Then again, few other countries have the same social conditions as America. Since the turn of the century, there has been a greater freedom between men and women, for example, both attend the same schools with the same classes. Both sexes become accustomed to the other at early ages which is very conducive to the practice of dating (Merrill 61). Dating essentially replaced the pra... ...isible. They drove cars and had money to spend. They were a new source of power, independent from their parents and ready for a change. Works Cited Bailey, Beth. From Front Porch to Back Seat. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 1988. "Cross Country Report on Teens." Seventeen Sept. 1959: 134-135. "Do I have the right to love?" Seventeen May 1959: 136. Gould, Sandra. Always Say Maybe. New York: Golden Press, 1960. "How Much Do Boys Spend on Girls?" Seventeen June 1959: 75, 121. McGinnis, Tom. A Girl's Guide to Dating and Going Steady. New York: Doubleday, 1968. Merrill, Frances E. Courtship and Marriage. New York: William Sloane, 1949. Sadler, William. Courtship and Love. New York: Macmillan, 1952. Smith, Ken. Mental Hygiene: Classroom Films 1945-1970. New York: Blast Books, 1999. "The Art of Pursuit." Seventeen Feb. 1959: 72-73, 131.

Comparing Business and Econimic Opportunities in India and China Essay

From my perspective, the main factor contributes to the difference in FDI and economic growth in China and India are institutions. There are two kinds of institutions; one is formal institution, including political system, legal system and economic system, another one is informal institution, which consists of culture, business norms and ethics. As for political system in India, which labeled as â€Å"sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic.† It is similar to America, it has the federal form of government, its central government is patterned after the British parliamentary system, and several Parties are able to take control of the nation, but the main power to control the country is the central government. Compare with Chinese communist totalitarianism, India is more democratic in terms of the political system. In other, words, it is more easier to set up your own business in India and which may absorb more capital thanks to the democratic political system in India. According to the corruption perceptions index 2012, India got the score of 36, and China got the score of 39, the lower score means the country is highly corrupt in the public sector. Therefore, China is more attractive to foreign investors in terms of the corruption level. As for political risk, thanks to corruption and the departure of several key allies for India, the government has been weakened in India, which make India less attractive for foreign investment to compare with China. As for protecting intellectual property right, the provisions of intellectual property right in India is more comprehensive than Chinese, which ensures foreign companies get an easier access to take control of intellectual property in India. According to the data from Global EDGE, Chinese government provides more protections on labors to compare with India. Which is a good sign for encouraging FDI in China. According to Ease of Paying Taxes Index on Global EDGE website, which ranks the country based on their total tax rate as well as measuring the administrative burden of paying taxes. India ranked 152 and China ranked 122; this indicates that compare with doing business in India, foreign companies may not have much pressure of paying tax for the government in China, which is positive sign for foreign companies to expanded to Chinese to get rid of the high tax rate. As for economic system, both of China and India used to be in the  command economy, but they have reformed their economy system to mixed economy in 1978 and 1991 respectively. From my perspective, the early reform of Chinese economy provides a rapid development of the economy in China, which contributes to the higher GDP compare with India now. The economic growth of India is constrained by the inadequate infrastructure, which may creates obstacles for foreign investment. As for cultures, business norm and ethic, India got a huge number of well-educated people skilled in English skill, which is easier for foreign investors to overcome the languages barriers to compare with China. The religion is a factor which foreign investor has to take into account when they want to enter India. Thanks to different religion groups in India, the core value and the norms are widely differ from different religions, which take time to understand those value and norms when doing business among Indians. According to data from The Hofstede Center, China and India almost had the same score in power distance, collectivist culture, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance, but China is more long-term oriented, the investment is tend to be more long-term projects for instance, the real estate. From my perspective, choosing India to invest is a wise decision, the main reason I recommend the India for foreign investment is that companies may not face as much as competition in India compare with China. There are a huge number of multinational firms in China; it is more difficult to be successful due to the fierce competition in China. As for India, where had a more comprehensive legal system, which can reduce the cost of doing business and improve the security of foreign investment. The democratic society may offer more opportunities for foreign investors as well. The India cannot surpass China within a short period of time because of the inadequate infrastructures; the inadequate infrastructures is the key factor which constraints the economic growth in India. It is capital and time-consuming to build infrastructures within a short period of time.

Hula Auana vs. Hula Kahiko essays

Hula Auana vs. Hula Kahiko essays In the year 1893, the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown, marking the divergence of two styles of traditional hula. Both forms of the dance, the ancient Hula Kahiko and the modern Hula Auana, are choreographed to interpret a poetic text called mele. Although the two dances are both a form of hula, Hawaiis most popular art form, the two dances have many differences. The older, more indigenous form of hula, Hula Kahiko, is danced to chants in Hawaiian, which tunes tend to not be too melodious. The instruments are older indigenous percussive pieces, drums such as a ipu heke (a double gourd) and hula pahu (drum made of sharkskin and the trunk of a coconut). The hand motions describe the story which is told by the chants, and are simple, vigorous gestures. The feet in this form of hula are also very simple, basic movements, and facial expressions are more ritualistic. The modern form of hula, called Hula Auana, is the transformation of hula into general entertainment due to the huge rise in tourism. Hula Auana is in general a more flowing form of the dance, as compared to Hula Kahiko, the more stiff form. This modern form is danced not to chants, but to more lighthearted songs sung in either Hawaiian or English, which have a much more melodious tune than the chants.. The instruments are stringed instruments such as ukuleles and guitars. The hand gestures are embellished and tend to look more like swaying movements than precise formations. Feet movements are not only limited to simple steps but unrestricted, and facial expressions are more animated and dramatic according to the context of the song. Although both forms of this dance are very beautiful to watch, if I had to chose one to watch, I would chose Hula Kahiko, the older more traditional form. I have visited Hawaii a few times and each visit many Luaus offer shows with the modernized hula form Hula Auana, and it is hard ...

Statistical Symbols and Definitions Matching

Statistical Symbols and Definitions Matching Free Online Research Papers Statistical Symbols and Definitions Matching Match the letter of the definition on the right to the appropriate symbol on the left. Symbols Definitions 1. S (Uppercase Sigma) __b__ a. Null hypothesis 2. m (Mu) __h b. Summation 3. s (Lowercase Sigma) __e__ c. Factorial 4. p (Pi) ____i d. Nonparametric hypothesis test 5. e (Epsilon) _g e. Population standard deviation 6. c2 (Chi Square) ___d_ f. Alternate hypothesis 7. ! _c g. Maximum allowable error 8. H0 __g__ h. Population mean 9. H1 __f__ i. Probability of success in a binomial trial Match the letter of the term on the right to the definition of that term on the left. Definitions Terms 1. The average of the squared deviation scores from a distribution mean. _j___ a. Reliability 2. Midpoint in the distribution of numbers. __e__ b. Mode 3. It has to do with the accuracy and precision of a measurement procedure. __a__ c. Generalization 4. Examines if an observed causal relationship generalizes across persons, settings, and times. __c__ d. Variance 5. The difference between the largest and smallest score in a distribution. __i__ e. Median 6. The arithmetic average. _g___ f. External validity 7. Refers to the extent to which a test measures what we actually wish to measure. _k___ g. Mean 8. The most frequently occurring value in a set of numbers. __b__ h. Internal validity 9. The conclusion from research conducted on a sample population to the population as a whole. _f___ 10. Examines whether the conclusion that we draw about a demonstrated experimental relationship truly implies cause. _h___ 11. Determines how far away the data values are from the average. __d__ i. Range j. Standard deviation k. Validity Research Papers on Statistical Symbols and Definitions MatchingResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesStandardized TestingComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Hockey GamePETSTEL analysis of IndiaRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Forecast Presentations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Forecast Presentations - Coursework Example There is more damage in standing hesitant or unsure than giving no presentation at all. If I face a situation where I am unsure of the sales forecasts I will still stand confident and vibrant. I will not give any indication of anxiety that is probably going on behind the curtains. I will try to justify whatever amount of certainty I have in my research and projection. The conscience can be a problem in such times. I can handle a situation where I do not have confidence in an answer in more than one way. If I am standing at the stage with the team, I can simply refer one of my team members to respond. I can justify this move by saying that that particular team member has more expertise in that matter than me. If I am standing alone I will stick with the guidelines presented in my readings; I will stand confident in front of my audience. If I’m unsure of an answer it could be because of my emotional state at that point. Confidence keeps the speaker motivated to continue speaking (O’Rourke, 2008). If I choke and reveal that I don’t have full faith in my answer the audience notice this immediately. They will also start doubting my presentational integrity before that particular question. The same question will also boost my confidence in my abilities. Self-confidence should be valued over comments (questions) that are destructive (Booher, 2011). The speaker projects an aura of confidence. The audiences listen to the speaker because this charisma pulls them towards the presenter. The physical presence itself is influenced by self-confidence (Koneru, 2008). I simply cannot compromise on the speaker’s respect that a presenter requires to be

Segregation and the Racial Wage Gap Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Segregation and the Racial Wage Gap - Term Paper Example Though the world’s governing body has formulated policies for the development of gender equality and elimination of racial discrimination, numerous issues come to light regarding racial discrimination at schools, workplace; gender discrimination, etc. The major issues coming into discussions are about the racial and gender inequality at workplace, discrimination in wages, etc. in spite of various legal provisions available to assist the victim. This paper looks into such cases of discrimination and segregation at workplace with regard to unequal pay and race while reviewing cases published in various newspapers, magazines, journals and online articles. Body Wage Gaps based on race and gender inequality Occupation gender segregation is the strong feature of the US labor market as it is inefficient economically, preventing able people from moving into occupations where they could perform well. Occupation segregation is important point for discussion because occupational choice i s constrained by socialization, lack of information, or more direct barriers to entry to training or work in occupations where one sex is small minority of the workforce (IWPR, 13). Various legislations have been passed in different countries regarding equal pays, right to living with dignity, etc. but the differences still persist in society at large. According to Alfano (Report: Race Gap in US Persists) the median income for white households was $50,662 in the year 2005 as compared to $30,939 for black households and $36,278 for Hispanic households which shows there is huge income gap among the non white and white households revealing the discriminatory practice in income generating opportunities. According to the Economist (Race and Red Tape) black workers in America earn less than their white peers due to less education, skills, knowhow and experience than the whites. However, the article reveals the bias attitude of American companies stating that the companies are more likely to interview white person than the black person, if both of them have identical qualification. The dismal condition of black people is known for generation, gender discrimination is also at large with women entering the workforce competing with the men for the same position. The wage gap between male and female workers was huge when there were no policies protecting their rights. However the gap has narrowed down to 77 cents earned by full time female worker, irrespective of black or white, as compared to every dollar earned by men. However, the gap widens for African American women with 67.9% of men’s wages while Latinas earn 58 percent of men’s earnings (Pappas, â€Å"Women Intensely Dissatisfied with Pay Gap†). Rayner (Pay gap is growing between men and women) reported the statistics from Chartered Management Institute (CMI) which reveals that male managers are paid more than their female counterparts with same qualifications and talents. This scenario has be en explained briefly in an article at Center for American Progress (Wage Gap by Numbers) wherein its is stated that women with more