Financial Accounting vs Management Accounting

Management accounting is a field of accounting that analyzes and provides cost information to the internal management for the purposes of planning, controlling and decision making. Management accounting refers to accounting information developed for managers within an organization. CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) defines Management accounting as â€Å"Management Accounting is the process of identification, measurement, accumulation, analysis, preparation, interpretation, and communication of information that used by management to plan, evaluate, and control within an entity and to assure appropriate use of an accountability for its resources†. This is the phase of accounting concerned with providing information to managers for use in planning and controlling operations and in decision making. Managerial accounting is concerned with providing information to managers i. e. people inside an organization who direct and control its operations. In contrast, financial accounting is concerned with providing information to stockholders, creditors, and others who are outside an organization. Managerial accounting provides the essential data with which organizations are actually run. Financial accounting provides the scorecard by which a company’s past performance is judged. Because it is manager oriented, any study of managerial accounting must be preceded by some understanding of what managers do, the information managers need, and the general business environment. The differences between management accounting and financial accounting include 1. Management accounting provides information to people within an organization while financial accounting is mainly for those outside it, such as shareholders 2. Financial accounting is required by law while management accounting is not. Specific standards and formats may be required for statutory accounts such as in the I. A. S International Accounting Standard within Europe. 3. Financial accounting covers the entire organization while management accounting may be concerned with particular products or cost centres. Introduction Financial accounting and management accounting both prepare and analyze financial data. However, certain aspects of these two fields are very different. This article discusses the various differences between financial accounting and management accounting. The differing characteristics to be discussed include the users of information, the types of information, regulatory oversight, and frequency of reporting. Users of Information Financial accounting and management accounting provide information to two different user groups. Financial accounting primarily provides information for external users of accounting data, such as investors and creditors. On the other hand, management accounting provides information for internal users of accounting data. Internal users include employees, managers, and executives of the company. Types of Information The type of information required by the different user groups also differs. External users primarily rely on financial information about the company. They analyze this information in conjunction with general economic information, such as information about the industry in which the company operates. External users focus on broad information that reveals the overall performance of the company as a whole. In addition, financial accounting only reports information on financial transactions that have occurred in the past. Internal users need to review financial information about the company, such as financial statement information. They also use non-financial information about the company, such as customer satisfaction levels and competitor data. Internal users focus on detailed information that reveals the performance of particular subunits of the company, such as divisions or departments. In addition, management accounting concentrates on past and present information, as well as the forecasting of future financial transactions. Regulatory Oversight. In order to protect public interest, financial accounting is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). In contrast, management accounting is not regulated by any specific agencies. This is because the information provided by management accounting is intended for internal users only and is not available to the public. Therefore, since there is no public interest, there is no need to protect public interest regarding this information. Frequency of Reporting The focus of financial accounting is reporting on historical information. The information is reported periodically. It is often broken down into monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting periods. At a minimum, financial accounting information must be reported annually. On the contrary, management accounting information is reported continually. Internal users need to evaluate past, present, and potential future information in order to make decisions. Therefore, these users continuously need information in order to make the appropriate decisions.

Definition of Cloud Computing Essay

â€Å"What is your definition of cloud computing and how does it impact your business?† Cloud computing has been around for a while. It has been lurking in the ICT industry in smaller forms and companies have generally been using the service internally without realizing it. Only a few years ago, the sudden realization that cloud computing can save an organization massive operational costs came to the fore. Organizations were getting bigger and the cost of doing business was becoming expensive. Organizations that were expanding globally, i.e. beyond their country’s borders were discovering that the infrastructure costs per country varied and in some instances were none-existent as the country did not have the buying power to procure the latest infrastructure. This meant that organizations that had SOE (standard operating environments) and were mandated by policy to conform to specific standards began to find it more difficult to maintain their standards. This in turn meant that compromises would need to be made to security policies and the method in which data was delivered to international clients had to be changed to enable this to happen. So, it was only natural that when cloud computing service providers began an aggressive push for their services, the world breathed a sigh of relief. Here at last was a service that could be delivered virtually anywhere in the world and even more beneficial was the fact that the service could be delivered down to handheld devices such as smartphones and the iPad. In addition to this, cloud computing enabled an organization to maintain its policies seamlessly across multiple sites which may be located in different countries. The entire platform could be used to virtually centralize the data and the policies associated with it. So, exactly what is cloud computing? To the layman, the simplest definition is the storage of data in a virtual cloud with the Internet being used as the backbone to access and work on data. The Cloud The Cloud Data Flow Data Flow For a user who is always on the move, cloud computing makes it easier to access and work on data regardless of the location and it also allows the user to be in touch with his office because cloud computing is not restricted merely to information sharing but also allows for the bridging of the user and his colleagues by way of video conferencing, virtual boardrooms and other features that enable a user to remain connected. From a more technical perspective, the data is stored in data farms that can be made up of SANS, virtualization, security layers and connectivity mediums that allows for the quick access to data. The benefits of cloud computing are no doubt massive but what does this mean for the financial industry? What does this mean for an industry that is built up on a rigid set of information security policies, all with the one objective of protecting customer information and transaction records? For someone such as me, the financial industry is almost akin to the Russian iron curtain. Customer data is jealously guarded and information relating to the financial systems is kept securely under lock and key. Every single user is tasked to ensure that any information coming out of the system is used exactly and only for the purpose it is deemed and destroyed once it has been used. In addition to this, the ICT industry in the finance industry has a massive task on its hands. It is responsible for ensuring that intrusion attempts are detected and arrested on the spot and any data traversing out of the network is secured to the point of destination. Naturally, the ramifications of any breach can be potentially fatal. Breaches of customer data can usually result in: * Customer legal action, i.e. being sued * Non-compliance of central bank regulations can lead to fines * Loss of reputation * Loss of revenue These factors can usually be devastating for any bank. After all, customers expect their personal information to be kept secure when dealing with a bank given that no one likes their financial information splattered across the public boards for the world to see. If an example is sought here, one need only look at the Swiss banks. â€Å"†¦When people worry about their money, they rush it to Switzerland, even when domestic laws forbid it. Switzerland never seems to have any trouble which would adversely affect the value of its currency or the safety of the money entrusted to its bankers (Vicker 3, 4).† This was the general norm until recently in 2009 when the US demanded that the Swiss Bank UBS turn over details of US clients who were suspected of tax evasion, â€Å"†¦fight between U.S. authorities and the Swiss banking giant, UBS, the veil is about to be pierced. UBS agreed on Wednesday to turn over identifying information on 4,450 accounts which the IRS believes hol d undeclared assets belonging to Americans. Those accounts were believed to hold about $18 billion†¦ Accounting Web (08/20/2009 – 08:26).† Ultimately, this defined a new era for Swiss banking because another country had successfully infiltrated the closely guarded secrets of the Swiss banks and managed to demand data be handed over through legal channels. So what does this mean for organizations in the financial sector where security is paramount? Naturally, no financial institution wants to lose control of its data or being in a position where it cannot control the flow of data accurately. It is therefore critical that the decision to move to a cloud based environment be studied carefully while gauging the risks involved and the potential loss of customer information if the system were ever to fail. Therefore, it is my belief that organizations in this sector are highly unlikely to move over entirely to the cloud based system. Federal and central regulations would play a crucial role in the decision as well as the security aspects. For any financial organizations contemplating this move, it would certainly not be done by way of hiring a vendor providing the service and instead the organization would build its own private cloud where it would enforce all the necessary regulations and policies that would ensure the security of the data. It is also prudent to remember that the core applications of financial organizations are generally built around legacy based languages such as COBOL and these cannot be easily migrated to a web based system given that there are transactional processing issues such as response times, etc. that need to be factored. For financial institutions, the change would be far too massive and require an almost complete overhaul of the existing investments in the infrastructure and a change in the central policies. In addition to this, there is always the greater risk of data losses as Goo gle experienced recently which left a few thousand customers without access to their mailboxes and ultimately losing their data. In a cloud based environment, the risks of such occurrences particularly where customer data is concerned are far too great to be reckoned with – even if the ratio is small, that risk cannot be taken. Organizations in the financial sector are dictated on industry expected practices such as data retention periods, backup methodology, archiving, backup security and a whole host of other protocols that need to be followed when dealing with customer data. In an environment such a cloud based one, these methodologies cannot all be applied given that the environment is changed from a more rigid and manageable structure to a more fluid structure. In conclusion, the concept of cloud computing is indeed a fascinating one and offers massive savings for any organization that ventures into it however for industries where customer information security is the key to survival, the prospect of going to a cloud based system unless it were a privately built and controlled one would not induce any encouragement in the financial sector. Nonetheless, it is hoped that in the future, central regulations will be changed to encourage the migration to cloud and with the appropriate security policies and perhaps an improved security structure, this vision may one day be fully embraced by the financial industries around the world. * Vicker, Ray. Those Swiss Money Men. New York: Scribner, 1973. * Accounting Web. Swiss Bank UBS agrees to reveal U.S. secret accountholders, http://bit.ly/iO4bX6, August 20, 2009, 08:26

Biodegradation Using Fungal Isolates

Biodegradation Using Fungal Isolates Dr. Jayanthi Abraham* Anjali.M, Caroline Jessica Solomon, V.Vinothini. Abstract Biodegradation is a sustainable and eco friendly way to clean up contaminated environments. The biological processes harnessed play a major role in the removal of contaminants and they make use of the catabolic versatility of microorganisms to degrade/covert compounds which are toxic and difficult to breakdown. The study was done to determine the biodegradation of profenofos using fungal strains. Two fungal strains were isolated and characterized by 18srRNA sequencing. Minimum inhibitory concentration was checked on the fungal isolates. Growth kinetics was performed using Czpax Dox broth to understand the growth pattern of the fungal isolates in the presence and absence of profenofos. The biodegradation of the pesticide was then performed using the isolates grown on minimal and mineral media. Analytical characterizations of profenofos were also done using HPLC, GCMS, and FTIR. Key words: Profenofos, Gro wth kinetics, Biodegradation, fungal isolates. 1. Introduction Modern agricultural practices include the use of various chemical supplements in the form of pesticides such as fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides which are used to manage different groups of pests to maximize crop yield and to meet the demands for higher supplies of food and other agricultural products for the fast-growing human population. Various  benefits are derived from the use of pesticides, however they also cause a wide array of toxicological and environmental problems and often persist in the environment for long periods of time. Organophosphorus insecticides are one of the most commonly used pesticides in agricultural practices. Out of a large number of organophosphate pesticides, profenofos is the one that is most widely used because of its broad spectrum of activity. Profenofos: O-4-bromo-2-chlorophenyl-O-ethyl S-propyl phosphorothioate (C11H15BrClO3PS, Molecular mass 373.6 g/mol]) is widely used for agricultural purposes in India and some other countries such as Australia, China, Pakistan, Egypt and Korea. [1][2][3][4][5][6].It is classified as moderately hazardous(toxicity class II) pesticide by WHO. Profenofos iw widely used on cotton, to control the tobacco budworm, cotton bollworm, armyworm, cotton aphid, mealy bugs, cotton strainers, whiteflies, spider mites, plant bugs, leafhoppers and flea hoppers ,they are used as effective pesticide for watermelon, Chilli peppers, tomatoes, soya beans . An estimated 85% of all profenofos is used to control lepidopteron species (the worm complex) at varying rates. It is a non systemic insecticide and acaricide which is found to have contact and stomach action. Like any other pesticide its effect on non target organisms is unavoidable and they eventually find their way into the food chain. Morphological, reproductive, enzymatic, hormonal and genotoxic effects exhibited by this pesticide have been reported[2]. Profenofos was found to be highly toxic to different organisms including mammals [8] insects  [9], and [6][11] Profenofos has been found to cause cholinesterase inhibition in humans; it over stimulates the nervous system causing nausea, dizziness, confusion, and at very high exposures, respiratory paralysis and death. It has been found that various bacteria such as Pseudomonas diminuta, Flavobacteria sp , Pseudomonas putida , Burkholderia gladioli [12] Pesudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis . fungi and actinomycetes [13] are able to degrade these pesticides in the soil. Fungi however have been found to be more efficient in doing so. There are several methods which can be used to degrade pesticides which have accumulated in the environment, these process are Photo catalytic degradation, Ozonation, Oxidative processes, Phytoremediation, photo-fenton reactions and bioremediations (Zenilda et al.). Of all these systems bioremediations is found to be most effective because it brings about complete mineralisation unlike in the case of physicalor chemical treatment. Treatment can be done insitu without having to excavate contaminated soil, thus it becomes extremely cost effective.

What causes stroke in the Human Brain Assignment

What causes stroke in the Human Brain - Assignment Example One of the primary genetic causes of stroke has been shown to be CADASIL which tends to display a number of familial inheritance patterns in which the primary responsible gene has usually been identified. According to Bevan and Markus (1), CADASIL is usually seen to present with at least one of four given manifestations that include, cognitive deficit, Lacunar stroke and TIA, migraine with aura or even psychiatric disturbance in the form of a depression that is seen to precede the onset of an estimated 30% of stroke cases. CADASIL has been attributed to be primarily due to the occurrence of highly stereotyped mutations occurring in the Notch3 gene. These mutations that are seen to lead to CADASIL subsequently disrupt the highly conserved cysteine residue converting the number of these residues that normally stands at 6 to an odd number. This phenotype has been found to be variably present within certain given families. UK Website The Stroke.UK organization website is essentially a Stroke Association website that is developed to aid in the provision of support to the various stroke survivors. It is designed in such a manner that various professionals and charity group organizations are able to use it to provide support to stroke survivors so as to aid them in making the very best recovery that they possibly can. The website provides key information that is seen to essentially be quite useful to individuals in aiding them in obtaining more information on stroke. The organization also has an estimated over 20 years of research on stroke and has contributed to the development of a number of research review papers published in different journals. High Blood Pressure The United Kingdom Stroke Association is seen to point out that having a high blood pressure is perceived to be the biggest cause of stroke for not only the older adults but also the younger persons as an estimated 30 percent of individuals aged below 50 that have had a stroke are shown to also have a generally high blood pressure (Strokeassocation 1). The use of combined oral contraceptive pills is identified as being among the many factors that might potentially result in high blood pressure. These pills have been seen to cause the blood to become more likely to clot and thus significantly increase the risk of one developing high blood pressure. It is generally recommended that women that happen to have a number of other stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure or smoking should try and avoid the use of these pills (Strokeassocation 3). Summary of Tuomilehto J. et al. Article The peer reviewed article by Tuomilehto Diabetes Mellitus as a Risk Factor for Death From Stroke. is a research paper that provides crucial information on the link between the increased stroke and hypertension risk of individuals seen to be having diabetes mellitus. The objective of the study conducted in the article was to attempt to study and perform a critical assessment of the invariably independent effect of diabetes as a key risk factor for stroke. The study which was conducted in Eastern Finland over a f ollow up period spanning at an average follow up period of about 16.4 years involved about 8572 women and 8077 men. Summary of Lewis Kuller Stroke and Diabetes Article The article

Ethical Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Arguments - Essay Example Organ trade basically involves the sale of the human inner organs like the heart, liver the kidneys and other vital organs for transplant. As of now, there is a worldwide shortage of organs that are available for transplant. Essentially, a lot of wealthy people who unfortunately require organ transplant are capable of paying any amount of money to have the treatments as long as they do not have to wait in line for donated organs. Conversely, a lot of poor people will gladly sell their organs to make a living. However, a large percentage belongs to those who die will waiting for organs due to shortage (Chia, 2009). The sale of these organs has three major implications: ethical, legal and financial implications. Although the sale has had loopholes in a number of issues, there is a need to look at some of the implications since they affect the international market in which we are a part of. ... This is because, thousands of patients die yearly due to shortage in supply of organs, while others undergo painful and pricey dialysis treatments. Consequently, consenting to a commercial market in organs is highly likely to reduce the needless deaths and sufferings that are present as it increases the supply of organs. Moreover, the cash payments will increase people’s enthusiasm to donate their body parts, as well as, contributing to the fall of the same prices and making them affordable to more patients. On the contrary, the opponents for the sale of human organs argue that, although the society may claim to have the obligation of preserving life and easing human suffering, this may not be fully applicable. In particular, they argue that the society in not in a position to assume any practices that would violate the rights of its members or cause injustices. Additionally, the society has the obligation to ensure that each of its members whether rich or poor has an equal ri ght to accessing medical benefits. The issues of having the rich buying organs from the poor appear to benefit the former as compared to the latter, hence inception of unequal allotment of health becomes unjust (Wilkinson, 2011). Needless to mention, individuals have the right to live their lives with much freedom and dignity. Wilkinson, 2011 argues that, the organ market would undoubtedly lead to abuse that entails the violation of freedom and dignity of persons. In essence, they say that such a scheme will give confidence to the most defenseless, who in this case happens to be the poor through treating hemselves and be treated as commodities, as well as, giving others the opportunity to violate their rights in

United States Coast Guard Maritime law enforcement seizure of boats, Research Paper

United States Coast Guard Maritime law enforcement seizure of boats, weapons, and contraband - Research Paper Example The paper reflects the role of the Coast Guard of US which enquires, inspects and searches the waters for the violators of United States maritime laws including traffickers of drugs, arms and to prevent illegal human migration. Introduction The United States have entered into a number of counter-narcotics agreements with different countries. In total there are 25 countries which have a law enforcing agreement including 3 countries that entered into the agreement after the completion of military installation in the Panama Canal in 2000. The countries include many of the Latin American countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela etc. The agreements are based on a number of clauses and allow the coast guards different degree of freedom to enforce the maritime counter-narcotics laws of the United States. According to the ship-boarding provisions the authorities of United States can take quick permission from the other countries for the coast guards to search a vessel for illegal trafficking. In some cases no permission are required from the respective countries to board and search the vessel. Most of the countries except El Salvador, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba and Turks and Caicos have this agreement with the United States. According to the ship-rider provision the coast guards can position officers on the vessels of the countries. Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Venezuela are the only countries that do not have an agreement of ship-riding with the United States. Pursuit provision has given the Coast Guards the ability to chase a vessel or aircraft into the territories of different country or search their vessel in the absence of available vessel or aircrafts of the country. All the countries have agreed on this provision except for Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Turks and Ca icos and Venezuela (United States Government Accountability Office, 2005, pp. 39-40). Role of Coast Guard Coast Guard is one of the premier forces for the enforcement of laws and has a high number of arrests and seizures each year (Roach, Smith, 1996, p. 491). The following table shows the removal statistics of Coast Guard Drug removal (year wise) in pounds United States Coast Guard, 2011 Narcotics One of the major duties of the United States coast guard is to identify and interdict the drugs smuggled through water mainly by the small sea vessels. Near the coastal areas the coast guards ensure the enforcement of drug laws in collaboration with the United States Customs Service. Further away into the ocean the US coast guards are the primary force responsible for enduring the drug laws. The major regions of duty of the force rest in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and in the region of South Florida. In the former two areas the force looks out for mother ships that transfer their ca rgo to the smaller boats which carry it to the coasts. Apart from the drugs the other items of marine trafficking are arms and illegal human transport. The United States coast guards also carry out regular missions to prevent these kinds of trafficking. The force also ensures that the United States marine reserves like fisheries and other reserves are protected from the outsiders. Often the vessels of transport are seized by the force (Kash, Cross, 1987, 34-35; University of Virginia). In 1994, 28 vessels were seized by the United States Coast Guards which is a sharp decline from the previous year’s trends. Most of these vessels were carrying large

The level of contamination on the things we use on daily basis Lab Report

The level of contamination on the things we use on daily basis - Lab Report Example The following tests were done: For Morphological test; culturing was done. The samples were cultured on MacConkey and r2a plate. These three items were compared to determine the level of contamination. After 24 hours of growth on both MacConkey and r2a plate, small growth was observed in all the samples. Similarly after 48 hours, large colonies were observed on both media for samples brush and Chap Stick but this was relatively higher on the brush. After undertaking Gram staining, it was observed that all the samples on both media had Gram positive bacteria. According to the result findings, the most probable bacteria identified were all cocci, bacilli, and spirilla. Besides, the brush sample seems to have high levels of contamination. These tests have been explored in the next section. Introduction By definition, Cross contamination is the transfer or physical movement of bacteria that are harmful from one place, person or object to another. It is a major factor which contributes to food poisoning, and it consists of 4 common sources that include people, work surfaces, food and equipment. Harmful bacteria live in or can be on our bodies, particularly around or on hands and faces as well as on clothing (McKillip, 2011). Due to the fact that they exist in small numbers they never cause a disease. If it happens that, there is a transfer of these bacteria from the clothes or bodies to food, and then given a chance to multiply, it can lead to food becoming unsafe to be eaten. Bacteria have the ability to multiply and live in any crevices and cracks in equipment including the chopping boards surface cuts. After using the equipment, food bits with bacteria can remain. If there is no proper cleaning of the equipment, there will be transfer of bacteria to another food when it is used next. Surfaces including bench tops might have bacteria on them as a result of contact with people, also dirty equipment, raw foods or other things like cartons stored on the floor can con tribute. If there is no proper cleaning of bench tops, there might be bacterial contamination of any food that is placed on them. The main objective of the study was to ascertain the level of cross-contamination on the thing we use on daily basis to make our faces that include brush, Chap Stick and mascaras. The experiment was conducted to test the amount of bacteria on the cosmetics we use daily. These products go to our face every time. Health is so critical and we need to give it a priority. The hypothesis of the experiment was that the brush had the highest level of contamination followed by Chap Stick then mascaras. Materials and methods Petri dishes Mascaras Brushes Chap sticks Method To begin the experiment there was a collection of the variety of cosmetics that included State brand and type od make up used. The next step was culturing as presented below; Culturing Techniques Incubation was done on agar media at of 37 oc . Streaked specimen using a loop, later flaming and coo ling was done, then streaked at 45o for a second time, this second streak over ­lap ­ped the first one.. There was less growth after 24 hours then after 24 hours a lot of growth was observed on both agar plate that was observed at 37 oc. There were large colonies, white in color, pink colonies, red colonies, circular in form, with margin that was filamentous Procedure for Tube method Five drops of 3% H2O2 was added to a 12 x 75-mm test tube. Small organism amount was collected with a wooden applicator stick from a ‘’well-isolated 18- to 24-hour colony’’ then it was put into the test tube. Care was taken not to pick up any agar. This is particularly crucial if the isolate of the colony was grown on agar that had red blood cells. The tube was Placed against a dark background and formation of immediate

Digital Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Digital Communication - Research Paper Example Digital communication is the transfer or transmission of data from point to another and it is generally encoded digitally and this form of communication was first emerged in 1920's but its presence was there since the establishment of general communication. Since its emergence new technologies have been seen in the world. Basically the history of digital communication revolves around the three basic networks, i.e. computer, telephone and Cable TV. T1 similarly, emerged in 1960's during the digital upheaval in the roots of the U.S telephone network. But now it is used irresistible for data broadcasting. It is due to the telephone companies that T1 exists in this world. Due to the continuous improvements in technology of Digital communication, new communication systems emerged as some of the major today's digital communication systems includes GSM, iDEN, CDMA and others. In general this research paper includes the history of digital communication and T1 and the main components included in this report is the description of digital communication and T1, its application. This report explains and emphasizes how different people contributed in this field and brought new revolutions and new technologies and how it is being used in the present situation. Digital CommunicaDigital Communication Digital Communication is also known as data transmission in which the data is physically transferred through a communication channel, i.e. point-to- point or point-to-multipoint. The data transmitted during this communication process are electro-magnetic signals such as microwave signals, electrical voltage signals or infra-red signals, while copper wires, optical fibers, wireless communication, storage media are the most common communication channels used. When data is being transmitted, it mostly uses digital messages which are originated from mostly a computer or a keyboard. Digital communication or data transmission is a sub field from data communications, and also has a strong background with telecommunications and electrical engineering. T1 T1 is also known as DS1, is a T-carrier signaling scheme which was developed by Bell Labs and is mainly used to transmit voice and data between different devices. It is mostly used in telecommunication departments in North America and Japan. T1 is defined as a mean that carries multiple voice and involves data conversion in a single line in a full duplex (transmission method that involves that transmits and receive the information at the same time) synchronous data transmission technique where the data is transmitted at an aggregate speed of 1.544 Mbps. The T1 circuit is made up of twenty four 8 bit channel, in whicj each cannel comprises of 64 kbits/s carrier circuits. History of Digital Communication Digital communication has been used since the advent of communication, when data was transmitted through non-electrical means such as optical and mechanical. The

Barn Burning by William Faulkner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Barn Burning by William Faulkner - Essay Example However, equally powerful is Faulkner’s use of character to define, explain, and develop the conflicts that take place throughout the short story. As such, this author will work to examine these two specific aspects and draw inference on their interrelation and use within the story. The story itself opens amidst a trial that is set in the epitome of the rural dust-bowl of the mid-west. Abner Snopes stand accused of purposefully and intentionally burning the barn of his former employer. The reader is quickly made aware that the true nature of the crime is known by young Sartoris and it is soon incumbent upon him to lie to the court, as instructed by his father, in order to wrongfully acquit the accused. Unlike most stories where the denouement comes at the end, Faulkner uses this as a mechanism to provide a life-altering impression on the young Sartoris; an impression that categorically affects the way that the rest of the story progresses and has implications for how Abner Sno pes will eventually be undone (Swann 132). In a way, Faulkner’s development shows the reader that the story can essentially be broken in to three distinct components. Firstly, the reader is made aware of Abner Snopes treachery and his moral deviance. Secondly, Faulkner wanders about describing each scene to the fullest while alluding back to the effect that Sartoris has come to experience as a result of the lies that have been told and the type of life that is being led. Lastly, the tension is released by Sartoris making the difficult choice to right the wrong that he had previously done. Although few might consider this story a tale of redemption, for Sartoris, it is precisely this. Haunted by the wrongs that the father continues to perpetrate and fearful of what the future consequences of these might be, Sartoris has to make the most difficult of decisions and quickly pursue honesty in order that the opening sequence of the short story will not repeat itself with respect to Abner’s short employment with de Spain. Although this conflict exists early in the story, it is the feeling and sense of conscience that troubles the young boy and makes it difficult for him to accept the result of the trial as well as to accept his role in the acquittal and to a greater extent his role within such a family. Faulkner presents a young boy who even at the tender age of 10 is uniquely aware of what is right and what is wrong (Comprone 18). Masterfully fabricated elements within the story help to develop the fact that Abner Snopes is an absolute tyrant. These include but are not limited to the beating that Sartoris faces as the family is in the process of relocating, the fact that Abner curses at his wife and instructs her not to tend to Sartoris wounds, the incident with the rug in de Spain’s house, and the final incident concerning the lantern oil. Although these can be understood as elements of conflict, they are at the same time elements of character development with relation to the way that Sartoris views his surrounds, his role in the family, and the level to which he will allow these things to continue before making a stand based on his own convictions. What is intriguing about the development of both of these themes is the fact that they are so inexorably linked. Without Sartoris clearly defined conscience, there would be little if any of a conflict between Sartoris and Abner. Without a broken family suffering under the dictatorial rule of a maniacal father, there would be little room to development on the emotions of frustration, rage, anger, regret,

British Gas Business Essay Example for Free

British Gas Business Essay A review of the British Gas Businesses current approach to collating, storing and using HR data within the organisation. Findings Below you will find an overview of some of the data that the HR function within British Gas Business collects. Within this report I will identify two reasons why British Gas Business needs to collect HR data, and the current methods in which we store the data. I will also briefly touch upon some key legislation which if compliant, will reduce any financial or legal risks to the organisation. Absence Performance – appraisals, Learning and Development (LD) activity Employee Engagement results Equality/Diversity – To meet legal requirements Recruitment – Contractual information Employee Information â€Å"Accurate personnel records will help the organisation in many ways increasing the efficiency of recruitment, training and development, and promotion. They can also provide the raw data to monitor equal opportunities issues and the legal requirements placed on all organisations† [ACAS: Online 30th November 2014]. One of the areas where there is need for collation of data is we are able to track volumes of employees currently being performance managed within the organisation to then further identify whether this is a behavioral or skill issue where further training is required. This then helps us to define our learning programmes moving forward and tailor the content around any shortfalls which may have been identified through Training Needs Analysis (TNA) within performance management. Another area that the HR function collates data for is for Absence. â€Å"This is one of the longest-running causes of serious concern to managers. Unapproved absence from work causes a multitude of problems to managers and involves the organisation in significant extra costs†. (Currie et al, 2010, p.293). All absence data within each business unit (and then business wide across British Gas) is centralised using the data base Absence Manager. This helps us to track against our performance and resourcing for people and establish  whether recruitment or redundancy plans would benefit the long term strategy of the organisation. The Human Resource function currently use an Information System (HRIS) which runs alongside our main billing system called SAP. Within SAP all Line managers have access to view employee information (direct reports only), process secondments or job role changes, and change manage details. The benefit of this is that the data is easily accessible and is consistent in line with any people movements within the business. Alongside this system there is also a requirement for some documentation to be stored manually. This is then kept for 6 years, regardless of whether that individual is still in employment with British Gas Business. This is beneficial for any documentation which requires employee signatures or verification. This could be disciplinary documentation to any learning that has taken place. Using the internal HRIS British Gas Business complies with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, which covers the security and confidentiality of the retention of data. We do this by ensuring that access to the HR online system is done only registered through authorised access and then a further password security check. British Gas Business also ensures that it keeps written documentation for no longer than 6 years in line with the Principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). Once documentation reaches this age we contract to a disposal company to safely dispose of all confidential waste. The HR function also complies with all Subject Access Requests (SAR’s) which is governed by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act). Customers are able to place requests in writing to access all information held about them or their business on the organisations systems. The customer pays a one of fee of ten pounds and they are then issued with the information within 40 days of their request. Key Findings British Gas Business is fully compliant with all key legislation in collecting and storing data within the organisation. I see no risk, financially or strategically from the methods we are currently using. Bibliography Web ACAS. (2014). Personnel Data. Available: http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=717. Last accessed 30th November 2014. Books Currie, D (2010). Introduction to Human Resource Management. 2nd ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. 293 Introduction – Activity 2 Analysis of absence data for the Customer Care function of British Gas Business from high level reported case volumes, to understanding the gender split of the absence recorded. Summary By analysing the data collated from our absence records, we can establish trends to enable the organisation to look to implement preventative measures to reduce overall long term absence levels. key findings Absence from the British Gas Business – Customer Care function is currently at its highest levels since 2010. The average number of days taken as absence within the short term sickness (STS) criteria (under 20 consecutive days), has increased from 4.6 to 5.5 days per employee per rolling 52 weeks. The increase in long term sickness (LTS) registered within the organisation has increased by 0.8% over the past 4 years. LTS cases for 2014 are split into the following reasons for absence and then subsequently by gender for all Stress (Work related) / Mental Illness reported absences. Of the 45 LTS stress (Work) related cases registered in 2014, 23 were for male employees. This shows us a change in trend from previous years. For the first time in over 4 years we can see the greater proportion of stress (Work) /mental illness related absences is now reported by the male employee population. conclusions In 2011 British Gas Business began its journey in implementing a new billing system. We can see a noticeable trend in the years following on from the  start of this journey, with the volume of work induced stress related absences reported within the function. Throughout the function we have also seen a high natural attrition in the leadership team in 2014. This means that we now have less experienced leadership population who are progressing our people through their long term sickness absences. Recommendations Identify potential learning gaps through Training Needs Analysis (TNS) â€Å"Test and Play† drop in sessions for all employees Full review of the learning documentation and the online learning environment Wellbeing events throughout the system change timeline to be ran throughout the function i.e. exercise programmes, healthy eating, fitness checks, stop smoking programmes. Engagement temperature checks amongst the employee population Team leader workshops in identifying stress and supporting employees Review the benefits package for the leadership population to reduce churn Validation of the process within the leadership teams from day 1 of absence registered, through the fruition of policy outcomes Wellbeing days across function for all levels to understand support tools references – Data British Gas Business – Absence Manager Data sample from 2010 – 2014. Accessed on the 17th November 2014. British Gas Business – HR Function – Team Leader Exit data – 2014. Accessed on the 19th November 2014.

The Dairy Industry Of Pakistan Marketing Essay

The Dairy Industry Of Pakistan Marketing Essay The dairy industry of Pakistan is a very competitive industry and has huge potential. Unfortunately, dairy processors in Pakistan still have miles to cover before they can exploit full benefits of this industry. The milk production of the country has not been up to the mark and as a result the demand for dairy products outweighs the supply. Traditionally, people living in urban areas preferred to consume fresh milk delivered to their homes by Gawallas. However with the passage of time, as people became more and more health conscious there was a shift towards the consumption of UHT milk and its demand has been increasing ever since. In the UHT milk segment, firms like Nestle Pakistan Limited and Engro Foods Limited have emerged as leading market players. These firms with their bundle of financial resources have made huge investments in getting state of the art technology, manpower and strengthening their promotion efforts. Despite the fact that local dairy processing industries have b een able to match the quality standards of Nestle and Engro to a greater extent, these firms lack in their marketing efforts. Noon Pakistan Limited is one such firm which is being effected due to poor marketing efforts and has not been able to reap the benefits of the industry in which it operates. Noon Pakistan Limited is a venture of the Noon Family and has been marketing its products under the brand name of Nurpur. The firm enjoys market leadership in the category of butter. Initially when the firm launched its UHT milk the market response was good. However with the passage of time, the brand performance of Nurpur UHT milk has deteriorated due to mismanagement of marketing efforts. While management claims that they are able to sell whatever they produce, the market survey results prove that the prevailing performance of the brand has not been up to the mark. The firm relies on the selling concept which is a short term approach and little emphasis is being given to the concept of brand building. It is the need of the hour that Noon Pakistan Limited adopts a long term strategic approach if it wants to secure its position in the market for years to come. To study the issue being faced by Noon Pakistan Limited, a rigorous Literature review was conducted followed by interviews with employees of the firm, retailers and consumer surveys. Financial analysis and comparison with Nestle and Engro was done. Even though Noon Pakistan Limited does not match the financial strength of its competitors, there are many ways in which the firm can improve its position in the market. The first step in building strong brands is to ensure that the brand has a high salience. The brand should have top of the mind recall and recognition. Unfortunately the survey results analyzed using SPSS software proved that Nurpur milk is not the first brand which comes to the mind when a consumer wants to purchase UHT milk. Majority of the respondents could not even recall any advertisements of Nurpur milk. A major proportion of the respondents also highlighted the fact that Nurpur milk was occasionally short in the market. The results of the retailer interviews also prove that Noon Pakistan Limited has to improve its trade promotion schemes as majority of the retailers were not satisfied with current distribution practices of the company. The retailers highlighted the fact that the company should improve its promotion activities so that consumers start demanding Nurpur milk. Companies such as Noon Pak Limited, those fail to expand, eventually move to the phase out or withdrawal stage. This is because expansion ensures the continuity of profitability, brands, innovation and progress. It also creates employment opportunities and contributes to the growth of economy by improving the GDP. Noon Pakistan Limited however is not expanding and considering the intense competitive environment that prevails in the dairy industry, if they fail to expand in future; the company might have to face a stark fortune of a complete phase out and therefore should start redesigning their marketing and management strategies accordingly. Due to weak financial resources, Noon Pakistan Limited should utilize alternative strategies to maintain its position in the market. The firm needs to invest in consumer promotion activities like in store sampling and taste trials. The firm also needs to focus on its BTL activities in order to strengthen the perceptual positioning of the brand in consumer mind. The firm needs to revise its payment policies with retailers and start providing goods on a credit basis to those retailers who have a good reputation in the market. In short, Noon Pakistan Limited should revise its current practices and operations. The firm should let go its old concept of selling and instead focus on building the equity of its brands if it wants to strengthen its position in the market for the future. 2.0 Introduction 2.1 The Noon Group The Noon Group of Companies is being managed by the Noon family. The group has qualified and experienced professionals. The Noon Group of Pakistan strives to improve its profitability and safeguard its stakeholders interest while maintaining highest quality standards and serving the community1 The Noon Group of Companies has various business ventures and Noon Pakistan Limited is one such profitable venture of the Group. Apart from Noon Pakistan Limited a brief description of the other business ventures are as follows:- 1. Noon Sugar Mills Limited This venture was incorporated in 1964 and manufactures white sugar. Initial crushing capacity was 1500 MT of sugarcane which has been increased to 4000 MT over the passage of time.2 2. Pioneer Cement Limited Pioneer Cement Limited was incorporated in 1985 with a total investment of Rs.2660 million and production capacity of 630000 tons per annum. The plant is situated in Chenki, Khushab.3 3. Noon International Private Limited Noon International Private Limited is a trading company which was established in 1972. The company employs 43 people including a team of 15 professional sales engineers. This firm represents various international companies of repute in Pakistan and markets their equipment in the fields of textile, power generation, sugar, fertilizer, chemical, steel, cement, food and milling4 4. Textile Technics Private Limited Incorporated in 2004 with a total investment of Rs 100 million, Textile Technics is a joint venture between M/S Blue Reed of Spain and Noon International Private Limited. The project has a production capacity of 22000 meters of reed per annum5 5. Textile Services Textile Services was established in 1994 and provides services to over 200 customers of Sulzer Textile Projectile Weaving Machines. The company employs 32 people and provides training, technical service and spare parts for clients6 2.2 Noon Pakistan Limited Incorporated in 1966 with a total investment of 553 million, Noon Pakistan Limited produces various products namely Butter, Cheese, UHT milk, HCLF, Pasteurized milk, Flavored milk, Juices, Water, Desi ghee, Honey and Jam. Installed capacity of the plant is 72000 Liters/2 shifts and there are 700 employees. Noon Pakistan Limited has been marketing its products under the brand name of Nurpur. The plant is located in Bhalwal, Sargodha while the head office is situated in Lahore7 The year 2011 was a challenging year for Noon Pakistan Limited. Energy Crisis, security situation coupled with devastating floods had exerted significant pressure on the economy and cost of living. Higher inflationary trends continued impacting their key products particularly related to fresh milk when shortages led to a cost increase of 16% compared to last year. Additionally, higher growth of their products led to severe filling capacity constraints and the market demand could not be met fully. Due to reduced buying power, trend in the market is changing fast as consumers are looking for cheaper products in small packages. Therefore the management at Noon Pakistan Limited has made plans to reassess the market requirements and also further improve their production efficiency8 2.3 Vision The vision statement of Noon Pakistan Limited is as follows:- Our vision at Nurpur is to be a transformative force in our community and world at large and to serve as a model of a sustainable business alternative that nurtures social and economic well being in an environmentally sensitive manner9 2.4 Mission The mission statement of Noon Pakistan Limited is as follows:- Nurpur is committed to supplying the consumer and customer with the finest, high quality products and to be a leading industry in healthy and nutritious products. Nurpur supports these goals with a corporate philosophy of adhering to the highest ethical conduct in all its business dealings, treatment of its employees, and social and environmental policies10 2.5 Core Values At Noon Pakistan Limited, consumers are at the forefront of everything they do. The core values of the company include the generation of Ideas that can be constantly challenged to develop next generation solutions, to conduct business openly and fairly while competing fiercely at the same time, to encourage teamwork with individual flairs, to set tough goals that can be challenged and beaten, to value preservation of the environment and ensure sustainability of organic agriculture, to value mutually supportive relationships among members of local and global communities11 2.6 Awards and Certifications Noon Pakistan Limited has won many prestigious awards and certifications which are First dairy company in Pakistan to be certified under ISO 22000:2005, Brand of the year award (2006-07) in the category of Butter, Brand of the year award (2007-08) in category of Butter, Cheese and flavored milk and Brand of the year award (2008-09) in the category of Butter12 2.7 The Purchase Department To study the operations of the Purchase Department, two interviews were conducted with the Purchase Manager. The findings of the interviews have been utilized to describe the function of the Purchase Department. The purchase department is responsible for purchasing all materials required by the head office and plant other then milk which is purchased at the milk collection centre in Bhalwal. Materials which are purchased by the department range from ordinary items like office and plant stationary to complex materials like Flavors, Spare parts for plant equipment and transportation vehicles, Chemicals, Fuel and everything related to the manufacturing process, Logistics and day to day operations. Demand for requisition comes from the factory and approval has to be given by the Managing Director. The purchase department currently has 4-5 employees. The department uses a manual system of keeping records and storing files. The purchase department always keeps 3 copies of requisitions and delivery challans. One copy is sent to the plant, one copy is maintained with the purchase department and one copy is kept by the Purchase Manager. The major suppliers of Noon Pakistan Limited are SMC, Sitara Che micals , Jason Foods and Danisco. Payments to suppliers are made either on cash or credit through the head office. Credit terms depend on contacts and relations with suppliers and can range from 15 days up to a month. According to the Purchase Manager, Noon Pakistan Limited believes in maintaining healthy relations with Suppliers and this is one of the key strengths of the department The Purchase Manager also stated that in case of materials needed from local suppliers, the purchase department is given no time and purchase has to be made immediately. However when imported materials are required from foreign suppliers, the Purchase department is informed in advance as shipping takes time. There is no fixed pattern of purchases made throughout the year and it all depends on plant and market requirements. The quality of materials purchased is checked at the plant and if there are defects the merchandise is returned to the supplier.13 2.9 The Marketing Department To study the operations of the Marketing Department of the firm, two interviews were conducted with the Marketing Manager. Marketing research activities are outsourced. The Marketing Department purchases monthly reports from different marketing research agencies like AC Nielson and Tetra Pak. In this way the marketing department stays in touch with the latest trends and competitor activities. Some of the agencies with which the marketing department works are SABB Marketing, Time and Space, Orient, HRK Communications, Aura Communications, TOPAZ Communications and ADZ Communications. These agencies prepare designs of print ads and commercials. The brand manager discusses the various designs with the Marketing Manager and after making necessary amendments and recommendations approval is given to Marketing agencies. The Marketing Strategy of Noon Pakistan Limited is Differentiation strategy. However the strategy to be adopted for each brand depends on the market performance and competitor activities. Since UHT milk is difficult to differentiate, the current strategy being adopted is to position it as a milk which is enriched with vitamins needed for healthy growth and development. The target market of UHT milk is Housewives and working females as well as males. Different SKUs are being used to target different Socio Economic Classes like the 1000ml pack is targeted for SEC-A while the 200ml and 250ml packs are targeted towards low income households. The main competitor brands of Nurpur Milk are Olpers, Milk Pak, Good Milk and Haleeb. The marketing department does not go for an offensive strategy because Nestle and Engro are huge giants with bundle of resources. Noon Pakistan Limited can be classified as an Analyzer because it is operating both in a stable and dynamic market. Another reason for not adopting an offensive strategy is that volumes are low. The main weakness of the Marketing Department is that very little attention is being paid towards building brand equity. The department is focusing on increasing sales which is a short term approach rather than focusing on building their brands 14 2.10 Organizational Chart of the Marketing Department Figure 3 Organizational Chart(Marketing Department) Source: Internal Company Documents The Brand Manager is responsible for dealing with various Marketing Agencies and reports to the Marketing Manager. The Marketing Manager reports to the General Manager of Sales and Marketing15 2.11 The Sales Department Two interviews were conducted with the Sales Analyst of the firm to get insights regarding the operations of the Sales Department. The organizational structure of the Sales Department comprises of the General Manager of Sales and Marketing, National Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Area Sales Manager, Field Managers and Sales Officers. Territories have been assigned according to location and comprises of Central Zone, Southern Punjab zone and Northern zone which includes RWL/AJK, Hazara belt and Pakhtoon.K belt. The process of forecasting yearly sales is that last years closing sales are doubled and the amount is set as the Sales Target for the next year. There are more than 280 distributors all over the country and each Sales Officer has to monitor and look after three to four distributors. If targets set in the year 2012 are met, the entire Sales Team will go on a vacation to Dubai on the companys expenses. Noon Pakistan Limited has also started exporting its products to countries like England, Kenya and Afghanistan.16 2.12 Marketing Mix of Nurpur UHT milk Nurpur UHT milk has been positioned as a milk which is enriched with vitamins needed for healthy growth and development.17 The milk is packed in Tetra Aseptic Packaging which allows long lasting storage and shelf space. Currently three SKUs are available in the market which are 200ml, 250ml and 1000ml. Initially the pricing policy adopted for Nurpur milk was market penetration pricing, which means prices were low compared to competing brands. Recently the pricing policy has been changed and now the pricing policy is competitive pricing policy as shown :- Product Packing Unit/Ctn Retailer Margin Trade Price Consumer Price 1.UHT MILK Ctns Units Ctns Units 1000ml 12 6.09% 1018 84.83 1080 90 200ml 24 4.35% 391 16.29 408 17 250ml 27 5.97% 586 21.7 621 23 Table 3 Price List of Nurpur UHT milk Source: Company Internal Documents Due to low volumes produced the company has adopted the policy of selective distribution. The company offers various discounts to retailers to push their products into the market18 . The indirect distribution channel being used is shown below:- Figure 5 Distribution Channel Source: Company Internal Documents 2.13 SWOT Analysis Strengths Market leadership in selected product categories Strong and Experienced Sales Team Strong Supplier relationship Brand Loyal Customers Strict adherence to Quality Standards First dairy company in Pakistan to be certified under ISO 22000:2005 Weaknesses Weak coordination among departments No emphasis on building brand equity No formal HR Department Centralized Decision Making No policy of recruiting fresh blood Selective Distribution Opportunities Exporting products to foreign countries Increased demand for dairy products due to urbanization and increasing population Ensuring availability in untapped markets Launching innovative products for health conscious consumers Going for backward integration Threats Reliance on few suppliers Rising prices of sugar Rising prices of oil increasing transportation expenses Energy and Power Crises Procurement of Quality Milk as milk production fluctuates Rising Inflation decreasing purchasing power of consumers 3.0 Literature Review Pakistan has been classified as the third largest milk producing and consuming country in the world. There is a huge potential for liquid dairy products because 94% of the total population still consumes unpackaged milk. Dairy Processors in Pakistan are coming up with innovative products. An example is Tea Creamer which has been quite successful because drinking milk with tea accounts for 32% of total milk consumption in Pakistan. Consumption by low income consumers in developing markets is forecast to increase by from about 70 billion liters in 2011 to 80 billion liters in 2014 and many of these consumers are expected to switch in coming years from drinking loose milk to packaged milk19 According to Tetra Pak, global consumption of liquid dairy products is set to rise by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.9% in 2011-2014, accelerating from 2.5% growth in 2008-2011, led by buoyant demand in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Asia, Latin America and Africa are all expected to record higher growth rates in consumption in 2011-2014 than in 2008-2011. Asia is forecast to consolidate its position as the worlds biggest market for liquid dairy and dairy alternatives, while Latin America is forecast to overtake Western Europe as the worlds second biggest market by 2014, the research shows. Demand in Asia-Pacific is forecast to rise by 4.6% (CAGR) in 2011-2014 to some 165.3 billion liters20 The research shows that there is a huge potential for dairy processors and demand for dairy products especially UHT milk is likely to go up in future years to come. This demand for dairy products will not only exist in Pakistan but also in developing countries abroad. The demand for milk in neighboring countries also provides huge opportunities for dairy processors and they can expand their operations in those countries by either exporting their products or setting up plants. This research by Tetra Pak provides sound evidence that the future for dairy processors is bright if they can overcome certain issues of availability, quality of milk and reduce operating expenses. Pakistans milk and dairy products industry has already reached $26 billion as of March 2012. Engro is the market leader in the UHT milk segment with a share of over 44%21 A major issue being faced by the dairy industry of Pakistan is that the total production of milk in the country is not fulfilling domestic needs. While human population and consumption per capita has been increasing at the rate of 3% annually, milk production in the country is not increasing at the same pace22 In Pakistan, Buffalos are the main source of milk production with a contribution of 66%, followed by Cows with a contribution of 32% and Goats and Sheep which contribute 2% of the total milk produced. The major Buffalo breeds are Nilli-Ravi and Kundhi, while Sahiwal and Red Sindhi are dominant cow breeds. A majority of small holding farmers, who fulfill 90% of the total milk requirements of the country are not linked to the formal dairy market. The reasons which have been attributed to low productivity of animals are low genetic life of cattle, delay in puberty, scarcity of feed resources, high disease incidence, disorganized marketing system and traditional farming practices. The low production of milk in the country places a huge burden on dairy processors and in the year 2008-09, dry milk products worth Rs. 1.1 Billion had to be imported due to shortfall of milk production23 This article provides information regarding the major sources of milk in the country. It also clearly indicates a major issue being faced by dairy processors in the supply chain, which is procuring quality milk for further processing. Milk is the major raw material for dairy processors and insufficient milk production means that dairy processors have to operate with constrained capacity and cannot expand into new markets to meet future demands of milk. As the article highlights that not only is the productivity of animals low but majority of farmers do not have access to the formal dairy market. In Pakistan, 97% of milk produced is consumed by producers in far flung areas and only 3% is being processed and marketed through formal channels. Demand for milk is present not only in Pakistan but neighboring countries like Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Philippines which can be harnessed to advantage. Apart from bacteria of tuberculosis and hepatitis that naturally occur in milk, the Gawala adds many more impurities specially contaminated water for milk dilution. Other impurities like ice slab, soda bicarbonate, and formalin are added to prevent the milk from intense weather. Improper marketing channel is one of the major constraints being faced by the dairy sector. The informal private sector comprises of various agents in the supply chain each performing specialized roles. These comprise of producers, collectors, middlemen, processors, traders and consumers. Seasonal fluctuation hampers milk production and consumption in Pakistan. Milk production is maximum in the months from January to April due to availability of green fodder and reaches minimum in months of May to August. Alternatively milk consumption is high during summers and low in winters. Cold storage facilities are limited in Pakistan due to high cost of operations and shortage of electricity. Dairy processors like Nestle are looking at options to reduce or eliminate their reliance on small farmers due to milk adulteration and delays in getting the quantity of milk which hampers production. Dairy processors should vertically integrate their activities by Corporate Farming and offer additional services and support to medium and large farmers in order to get bulk quantities of milk from them24 This article highlights that opportunities exist for dairy processors to export their products in neighboring countries. It also explains how milk is collected and various contaminations which are added to raw milk. Procuring bulk quantities of milk is a big issue for dairy processors and their viable options are to reduce their dependence on small farmers. The constraint of seasonal fluctuation and ensuring quality standards is also a prime concern for dairy processors since all these factors hamper production and ultimately sales. The milk marketing chain in Pakistan can be classified into an informal marketing chain and a formal marketing chain. The informal milk marketing chain is highly unorganized and milk is delivered under unhygienic conditions. The formal marketing chain on the other hand is more organized and utilizes Cold Storage Tanks to deliver milk from collection centers to processing units25 The informal marketing chain provides the end consumer with low price dairy products at the cost of poor quality standards and unhygienic conditions. The formal marketing chain on the other hand is more conscious towards meeting health standards. However consumers also have to pay more for purchasing their products26 The demand drivers of the dairy industry include increased spending on healthy dairy, increasing nuclear families and working women, increase in demand for functional dairy, organized retail and private label penetration, changing demographics and rise in disposable incomes and increasing urbanization. The challenges being faced by the dairy industry are that milk productivity is still too low, R D is low, human resource challenges have to be addressed, supply chain hindrances have to be minimized and quality standards need to be improved27 The processing of UHT milk involves six steps. In the 1st step fresh milk from cows enters into the UHT process at 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit and contains 50 kinds of bacteria most of which are harmful to health. In the 2nd step the milk flows through pipes in which the temperature gets hotter and hotter until it reaches a holding tank and bacteria gets killed as the milk flows through the pipes. In the 3rd step the milk is heated to 278 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 seconds which kills 99.9 % of the bacteria. In the 4th step the milk is quickly cooled down to 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit which preserves essential nutrients and vitamins. In the 5th step the UHT milk is packed in Tetra packing within seconds to prevent bacteria from entering again in closed pipes and tanks. Finally in the last and 6th step the packed UHT milk is ready to be transported28 Tetra Pak is the pioneer in aseptic packaging. In this type of packaging the product and the package are sterilized separately and then combined and sealed in a sterile atmosphere29 The reason why dairy processors like Noon Pakistan Limited use Tetra Packages is because it allows products to be stored for up to a year without refrigeration which increases shelf life of milk. Branding is one of those marketing concepts which has immense importance since times immemorial. This is because it is the distinguishing feature between various goods and services. Customers perceive a concept of brand as something with which they can easily associate attributes of a product and to build a strong trust over time. This in turn results in brand equity which is long lasting and is a result of effective marketing efforts on the part of management of the company. With the advent of technology and trends of packaged products, branding is no more a source of identification of a product but way more than that. It is now used for building emotional attachments to both the companies and the products. Apart from the mere identification of the product there are other attributes of branding such as customers involvement, stress on higher quality and standards and other intangible attributes which are related to the brand name and in particular its symbol. Branding helps in creat ing images in the minds of consumers so that they can be ensured that their product is unique and different from the rest. Therefore, it can be said that a brand can only be recognized as a strong entity if it continues to provide attributes that it has been promising and are provided consistently. This shows the importance, growth and need for branding a product and service in recent times. This is because initially, consumers associated the brand with something that can be used for identification purposes only. However, now we can see that branding is way beyond that and is concerned with perceptual positioning of a product more than a distinguishing feature alone. Also a brand can emerge as a strong and well established brand only if the consumers are able to experience consistent delivery of attributes that have been promised by the company. Therefore, no brand can survive in the market if it is unable to fulfill its brand promise and this is a new phenomenon towards which we are seeing a paradigm shift in the market30 The concept of brand awareness is all related to the mind of the consumer. If a brand has a strong presence in the mind of the consumer he is said to be aware of it31 . It is also defined as a measure of the percentage of the target market that is aware of the brand name32 In order to create brand awareness in the mind of consumers33 ,companies can take use of advertising by marketing their product again and again which will create a few competitive advantages to them. For example: Brand familiarity Name familiarity will prove commitment to the brand If a brand isnt recalled during the point of purchase it is of no use and brand salience ensures that Brand awareness will be the most durable intangible asset According to Aaker, companies can generate brand awareness through two steps by firstly broadening the sales base and then by improving their skills beyond the regular mediums of advertisement34 . There are several ways to measure the brand awareness of a company and these attributes are described below: Brand Recognition: Brand recognition in simplest terms refers to the brand identification when consumers are provided with merely a cue about the brand prior to the actual exposure. This means, that this brand can be easily differentiated from others based on previous knowledge about the brand35 Brand Recall: Brand recall basically refers to the aptitude of the consumer for remembering the brand from the minds memory when provided with category of a product or any other cue36 Top of mind Brand: The brand which is named by the consumer first when provided with the product category or classification is known as top of mind brand37 Dominant Brand: When asked from the consumers, if a brand name is recalled by the majority of the respondents then that brand is said to be the dominant brand38 Therefore from the above research it can be analyzed quite easily the significance of the brand awareness. A brand which is able to achieve maximum brand equity and becomes a dominant brand can undoubtedly become the largest market share holder amongst the competitors. Building brand awareness however, is a challenge that is faced by the companies and they need to make their marketing efforts strong in order to ensure that among a huge pool of consumers, the brand awareness of their brand is most dominant as it will provide both economical and perceptual benefits to the compa

Conformity in the 1950s Essay -- American Culture History Conformity E

Conformity in the 1950s During the post WWII period in America, the face of the nation changed greatly under the presidency of Truman and Eisenhower. America underwent another era of good feelings as they thought themselves undefeatable and superior over the rest of the world. Communism was the American enemy and American sought to rid the world of it. Because of the extreme paranoia caused by Communism, conformity became an ideal way to distinguish American Culture from the rest. Conformity became a part of every American Life to a large extent. It became evident through the medium of culture, society and politics throughout the era of the 50s. When WWII ended, Americans were left in the hands of Harry Truman. Known as an aggressive Cold War fighter, he led Americans against...

George Lucas :: essays research papers

George Lucas THX 1138, American Graffiti, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back†¦the list goes on and on. Although many have not heard of each of these films, everyone certainly has to know the man behind them. George Lucas has, in many cases, written, produced, and directed, not to mention edit, his own films. His vision was the driving force that imagined and created these movies. All have made back the cost of the film and most have received millions of dollars in profit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it sounds as if he had an easy life, in reality, Lucas had to struggle in order to get ahead. Not being interested or involved in school, Lucas turned his attention to cars. When he reached driving age, his father gave him a nice, small, â€Å"safe† car. However, passionate about cars and racing, Lucas revved up his engine and turned it into a hot rod. Each day following, he went cruising around town, drag racing often. However, this passion led him to a drastic change in his life. It ultimately led him to success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lucas was in a car crash in 1962, which ended his racing career before it even started. He missed his graduation ceremony at his high school, but joked that the only reason he got a diploma was because his teachers felt sorry for him. As a result, Lucas looked for other options to fill his void in life. Since his grades were not good enough for a four-year college, he decided to go to junior college. For the first time in his life, he hit the books. He fell asleep trying to earn the highest grades he could in order to have a future for himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During junior college, Lucas formed other interests. Instead of racing, he filmed them on an 8-millimeter camera his father gave him. An old friend, John Plummer, told George that he should apply to the University of Southern California. His friend remarked that it was not that hard to get into as reputation indicated. Lucas applied, and was accepted, for his junior year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the idea was unpopular with his father, Lucas was not stopped in pursing his career. At school, he realized that he had to work his but off to stay on top. He did not mind the hard work. Lucas actually felt relaxed staying up all night editing film. Even when a lot of college students got high on drugs, â€Å"Lucas got high on films (1, 45).

Urban Legend of Woodburn Governors Mansion of Dover, Delaware :: Urban Legends Ghost Story

Woodburn Governor's Mansion of Dover, Delaware The story of Woodburn Mansion has been told to residents of Dover, Delaware for many years. A 19-year-old Caucasian male student at the University of Maryland told this particular version of the ghosts of Woodburn Mansion. Now a sophomore architecture major, he grew up in a small town just outside of Dover, where the story of Woodburn is known all too well. The story was first told to him as a young teenager while actually visiting the mansion with his parents. The telling of a ghost story entails more than the text itself. Lighting, environment, tone of voice, and many other factors affect how well a ghost story is told. As one can see by reading the following story, simply reading a ghost story on paper does not have the same effect as hearing it performed by the teller in a fitting atmosphere. The following story was told one night in a dark, shadowy room filled with five or six college guys. The teller used long pauses, emphasis on certain words, and body gestures to make the story all the more believable and chilling. There’s a haunted house in Dover, Delaware called the Governor’s Mansion, where all of the Governors of Delaware have lived. If you go to the house yourself, you might see or experience a couple different ghosts. One evening, a guest to the house passed an old man dressed in old-fashioned clothes while going down the stairs for dinner. Once at the table the guest asked the owners who the person was. The curious owners asked for a description of the man. The description that the visitor sent chills down the spines of the owners, as it was an exact description of the owner’s father who had been dead for many years, and nobody else was in the house. The father had also been known for getting drunk a lot, so to this day he can still be seen drinking any liquor left out in the open. The mansion is also known for being a part of the Underground Railroad, so lots of slaves were always coming and going through the house at night. One night the house got busted an d one of the runaway slaves ran and hid in a big tree in the yard. The slave was up there for a while and was already tired from his journey to the house.

Explication of Adrienne Rich’s “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” Essay

Adrienne Rich did a wonderful job portraying the trials of abused and battered women in this poem. These trials could possibly be explained by Rich being the niece of Aunt Jennifer; therefore, personal feelings are exposed throughout the piece. The speaker speaks in an admiring, sincere, tone and her sympathy is apparent because she herself is a female. Rich’s poem, â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers† is about the trials of an older woman in distress because her marriage is in trouble, and she is too afraid to leave her husband. The most apparent point in the poem is the ongoing contrast between the fictional tigers and Aunt Jennifer. The tigers represent a powerful character created by Aunt Jennifer through her needlework, which she uses as an escape. While the tigers move with certainty, â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen† (1). Aunt is nervous and afraid: â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool† (5). Webster’s dictionary defines flutter as a condition of nervous agitation. Aunt is agitated and in a hurry to create the image of the tigers to get her mind off of her husband. â€Å"Bright topaz denizens of a world of green† (2) creates a feeling of greenery which represents the living surroundings of the jungle where a tiger would be found. Line two shows the reader how Aunt describes the tiger’s home, while at the same time Aunt is in her home. The contrast is shown between Aunt Jennifer and the tigers through the attitude of the characters. Aunt Jennifer creates images of tigers because it gives a sense of protection against Aunt’s husband and all men in her eyes. â€Å"They do not fear the men beneath the trees† (3), speaking of the tigers for their brave stand against the men, whereas the Aunt is scared of the men: â€Å"The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band / Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand† (7-8). The ring is made of metal and is not physically heavy, for it symbolizes her heavy hardships she has had with her husband. She fears the men, but she feels better knowing the tigers are there to watch over her. The hand with the ring is also holding an â€Å"ivory needle† (6), which she uses to stitch the tigers. Ivory is thought to be pure and heavenly, and she is using the needle to knit an image that represents safety. The tigers and the ivory are being used as diversionary tactics to cancel out thoughts of Aunt Jennifer’s  husband. The poem in itself contains many literary devices that allow the reader to understand better what the author is trying to say. Alliteration is apparent throughout the entire poem. â€Å"Sleek chivalric certainty† (4) indicates the tigers are confident with themselves and fear nothing or nobody. â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering† (6) is an example of alliteration that shows the reader how seriously she wants to finish the artwork. â€Å"Prancing, proud† (12) gives the reader a sense of the power of the tigers and how much of a threat they can be. The repetition of the consonants in line six and line twelve emphasis how strong Rich wanted those lines to be heard. As the poem rolls on, the reader notices a rhyme scheme that is very simple and easy to follow. â€Å"Across a screen† (1) and â€Å"world of green† (2) are examples of the rhyme in this poem. The rhyme scheme continues AABBCCDDEEFF. â€Å"Tree† (3) and â€Å"certaintyâ €  (4) are examples approximate rhyme. Imagery is used to create the tigers, and symbolism created a character that Aunt Jennifer could never be. The third stanza speaks about what will happen when Aunt Jennifer passes away. â€Å"When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie/ Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by† (9-10): Aunt Jennifer will lie in her deathbed wearing the ring that tainted her life. Until that day, she will keep finding things to get her mind off of her husband. â€Å"The tigers in the panel that she made/ Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid† (11-12): even when Aunt dies, the tigers she created will continue to conquer the men and will go on protecting all women who struggle the way she did. This twelve line poem is a representation of all women who are treated with disrespect. Adrienne Rich uses many different devices to draw out her poem just as she wants it. The vivid word choice used in every line is symbolic throughout the entire poem. Line by line, Rich explains how a certain woman uses her hobby to create a character used to block out her trials with her husband. The story contrasts the tigers with the men and how anything can be defeated.

Overpopulation Problems

Before we move on to overpopulation problems, we need to know about the various factors that are responsible for this incessant rise in population. Significant improvement in quality of life and basic health services has resulted in decline in death rate, and at the same time has caused an increase in the birth rate. Continuous migration of people from underdeveloped areas to developed areas has triggered an unnatural growth in population in developed areas, thus, putting immense pressure on available resources. Our failure in understanding the problems caused by overpopulation in urban areas is reflected in unplanned growth of newer towns and cities. More importantly, a look at the projected population growth is even more horrendous, which in itself stresses on the fact that we are not learning from our mistakes. Read more oncauses of overpopulation. Problems Caused by Overpopulation Overpopulation problems refer to a series of interwoven problems which are basically caused due to population explosion. The worst thing about these problems is that they act as major hindrances in the process of development. Though restricted to the urban areas as of now, these problems have already begun and it will be just a matter of time before they engulf the entire planet. Scarcity of Resources Available resources will not be sufficient to meet the demand of rising population. Only 3% of water on the planet is potable, so overpopulation problems will start with the lack of drinking water for millions of people across the globe. Land available for agricultural production is also shrinking, which means the amount of crop produced will decrease with time. If population increases and crop production decreases, a large part of population will be left to die of hunger. In fact, Thomas Malthus had predicted this problem of food shortage due to rise in population two centuries ago through his theory of population. Scarcity of resources will not just be restricted to food and water, it will also affect various other walks of life, including health services, jobs and many basic amenities. Health Problems The amount of waste produced by increasing population will hamper the waste management program in several countries. Untreated waste and poor hygiene will result in the spread of diseases. A large population will make the spread of contagious diseases even more easier. Health resources available with us will not be sufficient enough to cater to the needs of the huge population in case of an epidemic, and the death toll will be difficult to handle. Entire planet will experience large scale outbreaks of diseases, which will wipe out a large part of population by itself. Environmental Issues Increase in population will also increase the anthropogenic activities which cause global warming and related climate change. Larger the population, more will be the environmental issues that we will have to deal with like pollution and deforestation. We have proved time and again that we won't hesitate to encroach upon the natural surroundings and destroy them if we don't have a place to stay. This will result in loss of habitat for various species and cause a severe ecological imbalance on the planet. It would be foolish to expect that we will be safe from these overpopulation effects, as all lifeforms subsisting on this planet, including humans, are dependent on each other, either directly or indirectly. These overpopulation problems would not have affected us if we had unlimited land and resources, but that is not the case. Already limited resources are being continuously divided into smaller and smaller portions, especially the land. Perhaps we are yet to understand the hazards of overpopulation, or maybe we will continue to turn a blind eye to them until it causes some serious calamity. The need of the hour is to identify the solutions for these

Police and SWAT Teams

SWAT stands for Special Weapons and Tactics, and is an extremely important branch of Law Enforcement that is primarily designed for subduing heavily armed criminals and saving the lives of many. SWAT is even considered the most important job in the Law Enforcement branch, and for convincing reasons. Some have the opinion that SWAT teams are intimidating to the public do to their military-styled tactics and operational procedures. However, it is these frightening tactics that save lives and eliminate serious criminal threats. These days there are extremely violent criminals, heavily armed gangs, large drug cartels, and the public needs capable units for protection. It is SWAT’s job to come in when the situation is considered out of regular police officer abilities. These situations include hostage rescue, high risk search warrants and anti terrorism. Is SWAT really necessary? The answer is an outrageous YES, SWAT is a necessity! Couldn’t police officers take care of the situations that we have SWAT for? The answer is an incredible NO; the regular police force does not have what it takes to fulfill SWAT duties. With the threat of terrorism on the rise and the new technology this century has brought about, the role of SWAT teams has expanded, and their importance has never been greater. Police officers are not enough when it comes down to the safety of USA citizens, and SWAT teams are needed to take care of the deadly criminals and resolve high risk situations that today may present in the quickest and most effective way possible. Without SWAT, it would be like August 1, 1966 all over again, a tragic incident that showed the need for a special team designed for high risk situations. SWAT is simply a necessity to keep all American citizens from being victims of dangerous criminals. Without SWAT, our defense against crime would depend primarily on the regular the police force, and as The Texas Clock Tower Shooting showed, that is not enough. On august 1, 1966, a man named Charles Joseph Whitman randomly killed over a dozen people and wounded another 30 or more from the top of the University of Texas clock tower in Austin in under 90 min with his high powered rifle. The police force was so uncoordinated for a situation like this, that even though they got there within minutes, they were unable to stop the rampage of the â€Å"Texas Tower Sniper† for over 90 minutes. It is even said that there was a large amount of luck involved in stopping him when they did. August 1 was the birth date of SWAT because it was on that day that Law Enforcement realized that they needed special plans for these types of situations. Though the police officers involved were undoubtedly performing to the best of their abilities, they did not have the type of tactical training or special weapons needed to quickly suppress this type of violent crime. This devastating massacre opened the eyes of America, and put a spot light on how truly vulnerable the everyday person really was. No one could feel safe if something didn’t change, for as Charles Whitman showed, even an honor student could create such a tragic scene. It was then that Chiefs of police decided that they needed to have teams of officers with equipment and training to carry out special plans for these types of incidents. In this day, 2010, our country would be devastated by deadly crime sprees without SWAT teams. If one man could create such havoc in 1966 with a hunting rifle, imagine what would happen in this day and age with the new technology and groups of organized crime such as terrorists. Police officers do not have the training to deal with dangerous hostage situations. Nor do police officers have the ability to eliminate terrorist threats, or subdue heavily armed criminals. SWAT teams are a necessity for the protection of innocent American citizens. One main reason why police officers are insufficient for carrying out SWAT duties is their training and abilities. SWAT officers are trained specifically to work as a team, usually consisting of four officers, to carry out their duties in the fastest way possible, with the absolute most organization in any given situation, and to do so with the very minimum number of casualties attainable. Team members have to gel and work together as a cohesive unit and this is accomplished by training, training, and more training†(http://ezinearticles. com/? The-Swat-Team&id=646368). Swat Training or Tests include a written exam, fitness test, firearms test, review board, and psychological evaluation. The fitness test consists of maximum bench press rep, maximum leg press rep, most pushups acquired within one mi nute with perfect form, maximum sit-ups reached within a one minute time period, a timed 1. 5 mile run, 300 yard sprint, and 150 lb dummy exercises are the bare minimum. Some teams have more difficult fitness training or tests that can even involve swimming. The firearms test consists of target acquisition drills, rapid fire sequences drills, shooting on the move drills, and mechanical knowledge of weapon operation testing. Review board is an exercise or test to see if the individual has the ability to â€Å"think on their feet and gain insight into their suitability for assignment. A great amount of information may be gained from a candidate including personality type, the amount of preparation they put into testing, their ability to work as part of a team, and their level of commitment. Some interviews may also require the candidate make a presentation on a SWAT-related topic† (http://www. specialoperations. com/Domestic/SWAT/swattraining. html). Special Weapons and Tactics teams are on call every hour of every day, even when considered â€Å"off duty†. SWAT duties are all of high risk, requiring SWAT officers to be a person that is not flustered easily, and with a very high level of maturity. What’s great about SWAT officers is that they are often also police officers as well. Police officers that fit the criteria are trained to be SWAT officers. When a situation needing the SWAT profession is presented, then the officers of the Special Weapons and Tactics team are called upon. This means that not only do you have a SWAT team, but you get well trained officers on duty until their SWAT duties call. SWAT duties include, but are not limited to, â€Å"Sniper Situations, Barricaded Suspects, Hostage Situations, Dignitary Protection, Civil Disturbance, Search & Arrest Warrants, Armed Suspect, Narcotics Raids, Anti Terrorism† (http://www. hollywoodpolice. org/special_units/swatteam. tm). It is plain to see, that SWAT teams are not around for directing traffic or calming domestic disputes, but only serious and deadly conditions that involve high stress and need to be eliminated as quickly and safely as possible. However, training to be a police officer is much different than training to be a SWAT officer, as is their duties. Policemen aren’t tested nearly as much for physical ability, how well they can â€Å"think on t heir feet† or problem solve fast and efficiently, or even how well they can shoot. Police officers are trained to perform or take care of situations that most likely include, â€Å"conducting patrol duties on foot and by car and bicycle, responding to calls and requests from the public to assist, domestic disputes, fires and public disorder, attending road-related incidents including collision scenes, vehicle check points and traffic offences, delivering death and hospital messages to families, conducting initial investigations, gathering evidence, taking statements, interviewing suspects and victims as well as witnesses, searching individuals or personal property like vehicles, and conducting arrests† (http://www. rospects. ac. uk/p/types_of_job/police_officer_job_description. jsp). If one was to look, one would find that police officers are not qualified for even the very basic SWAT situation. Police training just simply doesn’t prepare officers to carry out SWAT duties proficiently, if even at all. Simply put, police officers are around to keep the peace and prevent serious situations from breaking out. In general, policemen are here to, â€Å"protect and serve† (http://ezinearticles. com/? Duties-of-a-Police-Officer&id=1835924). What if the peace is already gone, and can no longer be kept? What happens when protecting and serving isn’t enough, for the people of America are already in harm’s way? That is the core reason for the existence of SWAT teams all around the United States. When the serious situations find ways around the defense of the police force and present themselves, it is then that SWAT, Law Enforcement’s best defense, is called upon by the people of America for protection. Another reason why SWAT teams are needed, and police officers alone are not enough, is this day and age we live in. In 1966, just one man was able to raise havoc with just an arsenal of, â€Å"three rifles, a sawed-off shotgun, two handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a five gallon container of water, some sandwiches, and a can of gasoline†(Captain Robert L. Snow, pp. 1-7). The police force could not stop one man before he randomly killed over a dozen innocent people passing by the University on a beautiful summer day, and wound close to forty victims enjoying the sun. There is no doubt in my mind that if police officers were not enough then, they are not enough now. It is especially critical that we don’t just depend on the police force now as we did back then do to the new technology. If the events of august 1st 1966 were to reoccur in the present with our new resources and improved arsenal, but no SWAT team, the outcome would be devastating. Imagine the number of casualties if a man went on a rampage today as happened on august 1st, but instead was equipped with assault rifles, sniper rifles, explosives, and even deadly chemical threats like anthrax. For example, a weapon under development called the â€Å"Metal Storm† fires an excess of one million rounds per minute. One burst of over a thousand bullets is fired so quickly that it sounds as if one bullet was shot. It is said that, â€Å"A computerized fire control system precisely controls the firing signal to each round in the barrel. As there is no need to mechanically reload the barrel after each round is fired, Metal Storm has complete control over the timing and rate of fire. As a result, the weapon can be used to deliver a single round or dozens of rounds instantaneously at the target. † (http://www. metalstorm. com/content/view/64/109/). Aside from that, there are even such things as automatic pistols today such as the â€Å"Ingram M11† that can fire 1200 rounds per minute. This new technology allows a frenzy of over one million bullets to be hurled at a target. The fastest firearms of the 1960’s were automatic assault rifles like the AK-47. These automatic assault rifles fired close to six hundred rounds a minute, which doesn’t even come close to competing with the rate of fire of newly discovered weapons. With an unorganized and badly prepared police force, people may keep dying until the criminal runs out of ammunition and materials, and that is not expectable. With a SWAT team however, America can breathe a bit easier for many reasons. SWAT teams are trained specifically to prevent these certain tragedies, and they too have an adequate arsenal. The basic SWAT team is equipped with, â€Å"the Heckler & Koch 9mm MP5 Submachine Gun, the Colt . 45, Glock . 40-. 45, or the Smith & Wesson . 40-. 45, CS gas, flash bangs, tear gas, Tactical vests, and sometimes helmets†(http://fcswat. tripod. com/faq. htm). This equipment is also why SWAT is called upon, as shown in this following situation that could have turned very bad if not for SWAT. â€Å"Officers said they heard the sound of ammunition eing chambered in a shotgun (or racked), according to CPD Sgt. Rich Weiner. Officers backed off, set up a perimeter and called in SWAT. SWAT arrived at the complex shortly after 12:30 p. m. Medics already were on the scene. Police blocked off the apartment complex; no one could enter or exit the complex. Residents also were evacuated from their apartm ents during the standoff. SWAT shot tear gas into the apartment and arrested the suspect without further incident before 3 p. m. † (http://www2. nbc4i. com/cmh/news/crime/article/cpd_swat_responds_to_apartment_complex/32010/). I can say with confidence, that had there been SWAT teams available on august 1st, 1966, Charles Whitman would have been stopped at least twice as quick, maybe even prevented. Finally, we must have SWAT teams to deal the increase in terrorist activities. SWAT teams have not been called on for many terrorist activities yet, for there haven’t been many terrorist attacks on United States soil. SWAT training for Terrorist attacks is mostly a plan, but a very important plan. In already having an organized and thought out plan, SWAT will be prepared to protect America if terrorists do attempt anything in the United States of America. As SWAT Officer Lt. Andrew Esposito says, â€Å"The threat of an international terrorist attack against our country is not to be taken lightly by law enforcement professionals† and also states â€Å"As professional police officers we are all aware of the threat. The training is out there to provide information and resources on how to deal with terrorism, whether it is domestic or foreign. †(http://www. infowars. com/swat-officer-says-posse-comitatus-makes-u-s-vulnerable-to-terror/). Thanks to SWAT teams, we have a defense if terrorists’ attacks start to break out in our nation due to the training and existence of a plan. Before SWAT teams, there wasn’t even a plan, or a single idea of what to do in case of a terrorist attack. Terrorism isn’t taken lightly, especially since 911, which is why courses have been provided. â€Å"From October 2008 to October 2009, Security Solutions International (SSI) conducted 12 SWAT Counter Terrorism courses around the country with hosting agencies. The courses have been taught on the East Coast, on the West Coast and in the Midwest, with a total of 48 LE agencies. †(http://www. thecounterterroristmag. com/pdf/CTMAG. DecJan09. SWAT. Trai ningReview. ores. pdf). That’s the most important thing, a well organized plan, with officers trained and capable of carrying the plan out. In brief, 2010 brings a new threat to the safety of anyone and everyone in the United States of America. The Law Enforcement we currently have is of utmost certainly a necessity to protect Americans from any threats. The twenty-first century brings new technology to the desperate hands of deadly criminals, and gives these Law breakers the opportunity to pose much more of a threat than they ever could in 1966 or anytime before now. Improved automatic rifles bring unlawful citizens the ability to hurl monumental amounts of bullets into crowds of people in less than half the time. Improved technology in ballistics and scopes allows criminals to post up with high powered sniper rifles and carelessly pluck off innocent victim after victim from a mile away with deadly accuracy. New and easier ways of manufacturing more powerful explosives have made it easier for murderers to demolish whole buildings full of people, a massacre of grate loss in less than 10 seconds. Toxic chemical threats, an invisible airborne killer, could be released in densely populated areas, killing all exposed to it with no mercy. Organizations bent on burning down America could strike at any opportune moment, and it would take more than police officers to save our friends and family from their ruthless attacks. The list is a sad one, and it could keep going, but it doesn’t need to. Any one of those scenarios is creditable of being able to take lives, and to save those lives is more than just a worthy reason to have SWAT teams in full swing. It is the purpose of SWAT’s existence.