Barnes and Noble Business Assessment

Barnes and Noble Booksellers MGT 499 Barnes and Noble was acquired by Leonard Riggio in 1974 after they had fallen into decline. He started his career selling books early in his college career when he founded the Student Book Exchange or SBX. Once purchasing the rights to the name he quickly began transformations on the once giant retailer, making it into his dream, the worlds largest book store. In addition to all the Barnes and Nobles around today, Mr. Riggio also owns an operates over 600 college campus bookstores, like the one at Wright State University, which is where over 4 million students and 250,000 faculty members buy their books.Internal Environment Barnes and Noble has many strengths which are quickly fading in the ever changing book market. When individuals think of a bookstore these days, typically two come to mind first, Barnes and Noble and their now dead competitor Borders. They had and still have the great strength of partnering with College Campus’s to opera te their bookstores which allows them to connect with the consumers who typically spend the most on books (textbooks). With this being said, we also need to point out Barnes and Noble’s weaknesses.This can be summed up by saying that their lack of innovation failed to keep up with consumer trends and the changing market. Barnes and Noble is now trying to compete in the technology market by the creation and selling of their Nook, which is essentially an IPad where you can download and read books electronically. Barnes and Noble’s current leadership team consist of: Leonard Riggio- Founder and Chairman William Lynch – CEO Michael P. Huseby – Chief Financial Officer Chris Trola – Chief Information Officer Mary Ellen Keating- Senior VP of Corporate Communication and Public AffairsCompetitive ConsequencesPerformance ImplicationsValuableRate Non SubstitutableCostly to Imitate Sustainable C. A. AARNoYesNoYes Temporary C. A. Avg – AARYesYesYes/NoYes Competitive ParityAvg ReturnYesYesYes/NoNo Competitive DisadvantageBelow Avg ReturnNoNoYes/NoNo Mergers and Acquisitions Barnes and Noble has had several mergers and acquisitions, but only a few are extremely important when we look at the financial impact and operations impact they had on the company. In 1987, it purchased B. Dalton Bookseller from Dayton Hudson.This acquisition of 797 retail bookstores made it Barnes and Nobles largest acquisition and opened consumers eyes across the nation to the then second largest bookseller in the United States. Another major one that hit news headlines was in 1999 when Barnes and Noble acquired Babbage’s Ect. , which is now known as GameStop. Barnes and Noble had control of GameStop until 2004 when the game store bought back 6 million shares from the bookstore to gain its independence. The next and most important acquisition occurred in March of 2009 when Barnes and Noble acquired a company called fictionwise which is now known as eBoo k marketplace.This was the first step they made into the digital world of books with their Nook. This was by far their most important acquisition because it was an attempt to meet the demands of the ever changing market by inserting themselves into the digital book market place. The External Environment When talking about the external environment in terms of Barnes and Noble, the company has many strengths and weaknesses. Starting with the demographics, Barnes and Noble attracts a wide range of consumers, from students to elderly for either educational purposes or recreational purposes.The wide range of demographics is because most consumers either have to read for school or like to read for recreation or entertainment. Today, the retail stores draw mainly an older audience while the stores on college campuses attract mainly just college students. The economics of Barnes and Noble go hand and hand with the sales of the company. Not to long ago there was a rumor that Barnes and Noble was going to be bought out by a company named Liberty which causes the stock to spike 30% in one day. It soon there after returned to its $14 dollar range, which was a 16% decrease from previous years caused by the company announcing a . 6 million dollar loss.. There are also other factors at work in the market that are affecting Barnes and Noble negatively. One of the biggest players that impact B and N is Amazon, and their online, digital marketplace of books where the consumer and compare prices and find the cheapest option. Barnes and Noble has struggled to compete and overcome this obstacle since a majority of their previous consumers are now looking in their stores then going to the internet and Amazon to find cheaper prices. When it comes to bargaining power, Barnes and Noble is between a rock and a hard place.They would love to compete with the low prices their competitors offer, but cannot drop below certain prices because they must have some sort of profit margin on the s ale of their books after the authors take their cuts. Competition Barnes and Noble has millions of competitors because anyone with a computer can put a book on the internet to sell these days. However, this being said, there are a few formal competitors out there that greatly impact Barnes and Noble and their bottom-line. The biggest competitor is by far Amazon.Amazon is an online giant that sellers and buyers can place all of their new and used books on the market at their own set prices. This allows a consumer to â€Å"shop† for the cheapest price for the quality of book they desire to purchase. This was one of the major reasons a previous competitor in the industry, Borders, closed its doors not to long ago. Barnes and Noble has identified that they are in a changing market and that they need to adapt to the changes being made around them. This was the goal of the launch of the Nook in 2010.The Nook is a digital tablet that operates on Android software that gives access to the eBook Marketplace. This allows consumers to purchase books at cheaper prices and have them downloaded directly to their tablet for easy reading. Launching the Nook took Barnes and Noble into a different field which they had not previously experienced with other competitors. Now in addition to competing with retail bookstores, Barnes and Noble is also competing with Apple’s IPad, Amazon’s Kindle, RIM’s BlackBerry Tablet, and all other technology companies who are launching their tablet style computers onto the market.So now Barnes and Noble is competing with Apple, Amazon, RIM, EBAY and thousand of other smaller retailers. That is not a group I would like to be competing against. Barnes and Noble’s Struggles On October 29 of 2011, Barnes and Noble announced it 6. 6 million dollar loss or 17 cents per share to the public. This was just months after their biggest competitor in the retail side of the business closed. Some would think the closing of Borde rs would allow Barnes and Noble to grow, but the decline across the table shows that bookstores are a dying industry, and one that a smart investor would most likely not invest in.Fastforward a year to 2012. Barnes and Noble announced that it was projecting a loss of between $1. 10 and $1. 40 per share. As of late Barnes and Noble has been pumping money into the development and marketing of its Nook, the electronic book of the future. The question that needs to be asked here though is can the Nook really support an entire company with it having to compete against the IPad and the Kindle? Although the Nook has created the greatest revenue for the company, it is really all it has going for it.Liberty Technology offered to buy Barnes and Noble for a whopping 1. 03 billion dollars, this just to acquire the rights to the Nook which Barnes and Noble promptly turned down. But although the company is making money selling this tablet, the gap between the number of IPad users and Kindle users compared to Nook users is growing wider every day. Corporate Level Strategy Barnes and Noble’s strategy is extremely easy, offer customers inexpensive books. This is the cost leadership and a differentiation strategy that we learned in class.Barnes and Noble found a hole in the retail bookstore industry, which focused on bigger named, and newer types of books and well known authors that topped the best sellers list, that the bookstores then sold at a extremely high costs. The best seller books were not sources for great gain for Barnes and Noble though. Barnes and Noble found, that the customers wanted inexpensive books, regardless of author of rank on the best selling list. By publishing books internally through their company they were able to increase their profits.Differentiation was also prevalent in the cost leadership strategy because of the companies intense focus on the outside of the top seller list which only accounted for 3% of the companies Today however, althoug h the retail side of the industries corporate level strategy remains the same, the insertion of the Nook has caused the company to take is cost leadership and differentiation strategy and focus it toward the online eBooks marketplace, selling those cheap books through a digital market. International strategyBarnes and Noble has 691 stores covering all 50 states and 641 stores on college campuses, but has no stores in other countries. At this time is has no intention of spreading globally and says that it meets the demand of the international markets by its website. Recommendation Moving Forward At this point in time I believe the best strategy for Barnes and Noble would be to sell off the company to a company like Liberty to maximize profit for the stockholders. Although their current business strategy with the Nook is succeeding, that piece of technology does not have the capability to support an entire company by itself.

The Balding, Toothless, Castaway †with Wings

Marquez's A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings revolves on the genre of magic realism, where the unnatural events and characters are interspersed with the daily activities of human life.The story presents the two main topics of interest – the old and withering winged man and the small community around it. Magical characters are of a natural thing when it comes to this genre and the response of the people around it implies a subtle reality where the realms of magic and the real world meet halfway.The story does not present a clear moral perspective or lesson in the end. Rather, it only presents a straightforward storytelling style designed to give the reader an opportunity to think of different subjective possibilities. There are no genuine expressions of shock or exclaim over the appearances of these characters. In this case, the angel appears as though it is a part of their reality wherein it is viewed as something ordinary.The characters in the story view the angel as divine, even in his pathetic physical state. However, after the town priest carefully examined the angel, they have deduced that he was an impostor, for he did not know the language of God.   Although angels are closely associated with Christian teachings, the divinity of the angel in the story is concentrated more on the magical rather than the religious aspect.The angel—a decrepit old man with half-plucked wings infected with parasites—may be related to the struggles that the human soul experiences in the eventuality of submission from the burden of mortal problems. The angel symbolizes decay and the slow death of the soul as he tries to relieve all his burdens.There are several notions on the symbolisms of the angel and its wings. First, as a general figure without cultural or religious basis, the angel may be regarded as simply a man with wings coming from some shipwreck across the sea.However, the story made no mention of the origins of the man, nor the reasons why he h as wings attached naturally to his body. As Pelayo and Elisinda observed, it was a toothless, balding old man that could have been easily mistaken as someone from a foreign country. But the wings make the character all the more mysterious. Thus, upon their consultation from their neighbor who knew the â€Å"workings of life,† the latter immediately responded that it was an angel sent to claim their sick child's life (Marquez 388).The experience of the townspeople with the angel also implies the contextual definition and nature of the community. They immediately impose in their consciousness that it is in fact an angel and quickly resort to several propositions in order to use this divine entity for the benefit of the human race.The simplest of the proposals is to make the angel as mayor of the world. The more radical ones suggest that he be made either as a five-star general in order to win all wars or as a genetically perfect parental source in order to make all human beings wise and conquer the universe. These reactions are the natural impulse of man to associate divinity on earth as a universal solution to mortal problems.This divinity is a structured action that delimits the capacity of human act as incompetent and incapable compared to the powers of the divine. Human beings, upon the proper circumstances, will willingly submit themselves to a higher order or a divine power in order to take over and create a perfect society.These propositions also deal with human freedom, where the townspeople entrusts their problems to divine solution. Although the divine effects were in a sense magical and comical (blind man who, instead of regaining vision, grows extra teeth), the townspeople did not view the angel's abilities as a proper divine capability because of the lack to completely heal people.

How the United States of America will respond to German Cars Essay

German cars are famous worldwide for their luxury, durability, innovation, exoticism and sophistication in terms of design and production. Whatever they make is perceived of high value in terms of money and exhibits high cultural values of the Germans. Over the decades the German philosophy of management is structured in such a way that it bring out an element of extremely reliable quality and focuses on the aspects of giving something new to the world. Their cars are known to the world and most preferred by their target market because of the reputations that have been able to maintain over the decades. The German apply the concept of high level engineering in the manufacturing of the product add extreme level quality management is applied. In order to explain the German concept let us take the example of Mercedes, a German car manufacturer. The brain child of Karl Benz, this company has grown up to the limits of providing high value cars to the market it caters. Mercedes is a brand that has attached its values with luxury and comfort which encompasses extreme engineering that focuses on precision engineering. The target market of Mercedes is the highest socioeconomic group given in any country in terms of income. The target market includes people who have a sophisticated life style and prefer luxury of any of the factor. Mercedes goes by the philosophy of providing more for much more. Obviously high and reliable product offerings are then associated with higher cost which the customers of Mercedes are ready to pay. Mercedes has always been known to come up with innovation in its products which are always shown in the new model which Mercedes launches. The values that are attached to the brand are always taken care of by the manufacturer and as a result, reflected on the end product. Mercedes philosophy is based on providing the best of what is required. Its product has now become a prestige for its owners who stand out from the rest of the population. Mercedes has a reputation of maintaining customer retentions and high customer satisfaction. This is done in terms through the medium of providing high quality cars and much better customer service that comes in the form of car maintenance and part a service supply. The customers enjoy the convenience of getting better maintenance because they become a part of the Mercedes family. The reputation has become a part of the brand that lives up to its value. The German car manufacturer on which we will be focusing has a product that caters to the higher class of customer as they would be differentiated on the basis of their income. Our customer is a person of age around 25-35 years, a person who is lively, energetic and more fun loving. He prefers luxury and comfort over economy of the product and would mind spend money that gives him satisfaction. If we classify our target market’s need on the Maslow’s chart of hierarchy of needs, we would place it on the end that is self-actualization. The personality of our customer is a healthy and active individual, who is also very classy and has a good taste of products. He prefers to go to clubs rather than normal bars and would celebrate his success with wine rather than a glass of champagne. Our customer is a winner and would never settle for something low. If we were to diagnose of how reactant our consumer is then we would rate it as an early adopter who is highly informative about the newly arriving product and is a connoisseur for fine products. Our aim is to target the higher class of people and also the younger segment because of the sustenance of our business. To make thing more specific, our cars that are luxurious and we are not willing to expand our product line. The whole concept to cater to this segment of the target market is because of the rich tradition and culture attached to German products. German philosophy in the car manufacturing industry is to provide something innovative and high-tech. So this target market is chosen to order to align with what are philosophy is. And the whole objective to expand our domain to other countries is solely based on the feasibility of the plan which includes profits and sustainable development of the expansion. These things will be emphasized upon when giving analysis of the expansion plan of the company in the following countries. Plus we will also look in to business and operations process reengineering which will be needed in different countries in order to align with the consumers of the country and their traditions also. United States of America: USA is a country that has a blend of people living in it. They include Caucasians, Latin Americans, Mexicans, Afro-Americans, Asian and many more. The majority of the population that lives in the U.  S is Caucasian or white Americans . However this majority is in terms of the relative ratio to the different races. The American culture includes a variety of aspects in it and is a very complex system in itself to analyze it. If we analyze the country as a whole then we will have to analyze the geographical, economical cultural, demographical, and social concepts of people living there. The geographical design of U. S is divided in to two categories which further have been divided for other studies. These categories are defined as cities and country side. An important thing to note is that the lifestyle of people who live in the two different categories is extremely different to each other. The city life is perceived as fast paced and more inclined towards professional environment. The residential areas are either near the business hubs which are expensive and are in the form of apartment and penthouses or separated from the city center and are located in the outskirts of the city. These places are residential areas that have houses, bungalows, schools, supermarkets etc. The standard of living in the United States is high which is also reflected in the lives in people living in cities. However people who live in the out skirts are usually those who have their own family and own a house in those places. The people who live near the city center usually reside in apartment and are singles. The people who live in the outskirt residential areas have their own cars for traveling, while those who live near the business hub are the ones who not use cars to travel to office and use public transport like buses, subways and taxis also. So the business should emphasize on catering to the segment that lives in the residential area. People can afford the car because of higher income status and because of the lifestyle that aligns with the product’s positioning. More over its customers live in expensive areas that prefer big luxurious cars. Right now the personal transportation mode of the American is automobiles. It is estimated to be 80% of the land transport. This mean that out of 100 American, 80 of them have their own car; which in the European countries is approximately 51%. This is an added benefit for the automobile manufacturers. The market which will be focused upon are mostly cities like New York (population of 20,000,000 approximately), Washington D. C. 6,000,000 approximately), Los Angeles (12,500,000 approximately), Chicago (9,600,000 approximately), Miami (5,500,000 approximately) and other cities. The political system of the country is based on the democratic system of government. Everyone has certain rights that are stated in the charter of democracy. Everyone one has a right to vote in the elections which determine who will lead the country for the next four years. The country has had an advantage of having wise president and a clever and socially binding congress which has the responsibility of passing laws for the better of the people as well as to contribute to the world. U. S. A has been lucky to not to face political turmoil and the law and order situation in the country is very good. The crime rates even though high do not majorly affect the economic functioning and are able to withstand any sudden disruption. After the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center the government has increased its budget on social security in order to prevent any further assault on the US soil and has been able to achieve its objective of maintaining peace in the country. This is also proven by the fact that the country has until now not encountered another attack since the last nine years. The government gives very much importance to the social expenditure which is aimed at improving the socioeconomic aspect (education, medical etc). This in turn increases the standard of living if the people who further help in maintaining a sustainable economy by creating opportunities for new entrant in the market. U. S. A has high investment opportunity. It is because the economy is capitalist economy which means that it is based on the free market trade and that there is no government intervention. Due to this, there is high investment on other businesses and the high growth opportunities. The tax rate in the U.  S is high, which is a symbol for a developed economy. The taxes given by the people to the government further help the government to contribute to the social expenditure it incurs. The tax rate, even though; are cost are outweighed by the profitability of the companies operating in the U. S. USA is a huge market for potential businesses to enter. This can be seen from the fact that it has a GDP of $14. 4 trillion. This shows that how big an economy US is. The private sector contribution to the economy is 55. 3%, which is a majority and it shows the strength of the private sector. This means that U.  S has high private investment firms who are also high tax payers. The United States of America also has the privilege of having the world’s largest stock exchange in terms of volume which is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). More over as it is a country that has diverse group of people living in it; the chances of success are very high. Secondly the country has started to come out of recession which hit back in 2008. This means that the dark period for the US economy will in very short time become a thing of the past and the only thing which is anticipated now is the economic growth of the country. Another thing which will add to the benefit of the transfer is that the interest rates in the US are all time low. Which means that cheap financing is available to people and due to this there will be an increase in consumerism which will further add up to the advantage of sales in the automobile manufacturing. Moreover the competition in the automobile industry is low in the US because of the bankruptcy of the automobile company due to the recession. These companies have either packed up or either been bought by Chinese or Japanese companies. Now the competition remains with only the Chinese or the Japanese manufacturers. German cars comparatively have more edge to other manufacturers because of the higher quality and a very good reputation. Then to add further USA ranks third in the oil production industry. It is also the largest importer of oil. This means that there is no problem of availability of fuel for those who can afford it. The culture of a country is defined by the people living in it. It is the representation of the behavior and practices of the people in their daily lives. Everything what people feel, think and learn is a part of learning that comes from culture. The culture of U. S is a blend of people living in it. As described above there are many races in the United States. And since it is known that culture is adaptive and changes according to time, the mixture of their cultural values has evolved to form what is called the American way of life. U. S is also a house for people who belong to different religion and practices. The majority of the population living in U. S belongs to Christianity. There are also Muslims, Jew, Buddhists, Hindus and people of other religions living in America. What is unique about the people is that even though they consider themselves as American, they do not necessarily share a common set of ideas and beliefs. This is because even though they live in America that adds up to their social learning that comes through interacting with other people, their parenting and inherited learning is different from one another. This means that people belonging to different groups may have different behavior in different situations. This adds to the out benefit since the values related to luxury and satisfaction is espoused value that all the people of different races tend to share. Humans have always had the tendency to develop. People strive to in order to increase their standard of living. This means that with the growth of economy and socio-political environment people develop the tendency to get to the next level of their needs which are then changed into their wants and they demand for thing that gives them satisfaction. The change in the wants of people is reflected by their demand for a particular thing. So it won’t be wrong to say that growth in the economy is directly proportional to the demand of products which is an added benefit to the businesses. During the nineteenth century, the American philosophy was of working hard to become well off evolved into the increase in the social status. This is was the belief that was prevalent among the whites. This philosophy has now shifted to the Asians.

Implementing Total Predictive Maintenance Essay

Implementing Total Predictive Maintenance - Essay Example It appeared that manufacturers with efficient and effective equipments where enjoying a competitive advantage over others. Traditional methods used by technicians were being labeled as passive and non-productive. The manufactures did not take long in realizing that proper maintenance management and control of machines and equipment have a stronger and direct relationship with organizational performance and productivity. This was the time when the concept of â€Å"Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)† (Seng, Jantan & Ramayah, 2005) appeared on the scene aiming at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the equipment by using the skills and abilities of the human resource of the organization. The ultimate target is to improve the â€Å"Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and reach to the level of Zero Defects and Zero Breakdown† (Seng, Jantan & Ramayah, 2005). The paper sheds some light on the optimum use of TPM in the Malaysian Manufacturing Industry and some implementation issues. The literature review reveals that the strategies concerning TPM can be divided into Human orientated strategies and Process orientated strategies. Human oriented have three important aspects. ... ing and education is another important factor for the success of TPM because it introduces employees to TPM in a systematic and educated manner, providing them with information before hand and preparing them for the upcoming issues and challenges. Process oriented strategies have their roots in the technical approaches. â€Å"The goal is identify all possible sources of losses and inefficiencies in the equipments due to breakdowns, time loss, shortage of equipments, defects, startup time and others† (Seng, Jantan & Ramayah, 2005). The simple three-point agenda process oriented strategy is to first, find such losses and analyze its causes, second, planning improvements to cope up with losses and third, confirming and building on the results. In short, process oriented strategies put all their energies in creating environments and processes where employees could be provided with an optimal environment to achieve satisfaction and higher productivity, which would ultimately lead t o higher organizational performance. The paper moves on with considering the problem of implementation of TPM in a developing country such as Malaysia (Seng, Jantan & Ramayah, 2005). Despite the fact that its implementation is imperative, at least for the manufacturing industry, however, resistance towards TPM has come from all directions. Non-conductive and unsupportive environments, lack of commitment and dedication from the top management, refusal of employees to take up extra training and responsibilities and others remain important causes marking the failure of TPM. In order to understand various dimensions of this problem, the paper moves forward with a structured survey approach where questionnaires have been used as the research tool. Industrial manufacturers from Northern and Central

Leadership style; Tillman Fertitta (Landry's) Essay

Leadership style; Tillman Fertitta (Landry's) - Essay Example Tillman later married his beautiful wife with whom they have four beautiful children (Bane). Tillman is a man who has achieved fame for his massive wealth that to me I can say he is self made since he did not inherit anything from his parents that propelled him into his current financial state. Tillman had shown that he had entrepreneurial skills at his early stages of life even before graduating from the university when he stated his own firm that majorly dealt with marketing and sales. This to me seemed to be his first step to what would soon enable him venture into business field. Later after graduating he also ventured into other field like construction and developments thus making him build homes. He later in the year 1986 joined the Landry’s as a specialist who oversaw their real estate and at this point is when he ventured foodservices (Bane). After his own personal assessment of the Landry’s he saw potential that lay unexploited and later decided to acquire it by the year 1988 when he bought shares from the Landry’s brother and other investors making him the owner of the Landry’s. This later made him the chairman and CEO of Landry’s Inc which under his management grew to be one America’s leading Hospitality Company. He also later ventured in other fields like entertainment when he bought the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino thus making his success go beyond the restaurants. Later The Landry’s Inc would be associated with other companies which were also owned by Tillman. This made his properties over more than 33 states be to the tune of 400. Some of his many restaurant chains of companies include McCormick &Schmick’s, Landry’s seafood House, Chart House, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co and Rainforest cafà ©. Also part of his vast family of companies include , Inn at the Ball Pa rk, Grotto, La Griglia, Mortons Steakhouse, Brenners Steakhouse, Kemah Boardwalk, Downtown Aquarium Denver and Houston not forgetting the Towers of Americans in San

Evaluate if Youngs is a good investment. In this answer you need to Essay

Evaluate if Youngs is a good investment. In this answer you need to consider any qualitative factors that might affect your recommendation - Essay Example The competitive advantage will make the company to reward its shareholders very well for decades thus making it a good investment. The good reputation has provided the company with a real opportunity to expand in the future hence a good investment. Such conditions make Youngs to have higher future financial performance hence being able to provide the highest financial rewards to the investors or shareholders. Secondly, Youngs has an increasing profitability and liquidity. The current ratio of Youngs shows an upward trend and the trend is likely to continue into the future, this indicates an increase in its ability to meet short-term obligations. On the other hand, its profitability ratios show an upward trend. The net profit ratio of the company increased in 2014 sop is return on assets. This implies an increase in the company’s efficiency. The company is therefore very profitable nd the trend is likely to continue into the unforeseeable future. Even though the company has an increasing use of debts, it has sufficient liquidity to meet its interest payments. Its cash flow in terms of interest payment is, therefore, limited hence the company is able to keep such costs to a minimum. The lower interest payments leave more cash at the disposal of the company which they can use as financial rewards to the investors in terms of dividends. In addition, the surplus cash can be reinvested into the company to generate or create value for the shareholders of the company. In either way, the investors stand to benefit. Thirdly, the company has a very simple business model. It sells high quality ladies and gents clothing. It is therefore very easy to monitor the performance of the stock of the company. The ever increasing demand for designer and fashionable clothing acts as a driver for future growth and this makes the company to be a good investment because it has a bright future in the fashion

Organizational Change Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Organizational Change Master - Essay Example While it has many ramifications including corporate ones that need a greater degree of focus and analysis within the socio-economic environment in which the company operates, there is also the need for a more practical view of the challenges faced by the society. It's here that Unilever has succeeded. Many writers have defined the concept of sustainability in a variety of ways. However the definition given by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) is considered to be of prime importance - "Sustainability represents forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs". Big organizations meet most of these constituent elements in its efforts to sustain the very environment in which they operate. Both the production process and the consumption process in the economy of a country are shaped by the innovative strengths and the subsequent summation of the "five basic sustainability principles" as enunciated by Buckminster Fuller (Dresner, 2002, p.37). They are the material domain, the economic domain, the domain of life, the social domain and the spiritual domain. According to Fuller the material domain is the central principle necessary for the regulation of the mobility of materials and en ergy that help to sustain life as it's. The economic domain serves as a main mechanism to husband wealth.On the other hand organizational change and sustainable development refers to a process in which individuals, processes, practices and whole organizations are transformed from their current position to a new desired position. According to Warren Bennis organizational development and sustainability is a complex strategic process in which attitudes, values, beliefs and the organizational structure are subject to change through adaptation to new challenges and techniques in equally new market segments. In other words it's a dynamic process intended to bring about systemic improvement and change. Thus organizational response to sustainability issues plays a very significant role here. The process of transformation from what an organization now is to a new dimensional growth trajectory is determined by how best change is accepted by the staff. AnalysisDuring the past two decades organizational change and sustainability has become a very important aspect in the modern day management practice. Change is more appropriate when everything else has failed to ensure the continuous survival of the business (Clark, 1999). However change and sustainability in itself might not be desirable when the degree of resistance to change becomes stronger because when resistance gathers momentum that in itself is an indicator of the existence of other solutions. If organizational change and development were focused on improving critical success factors related to financial management, Human Resource Management (HRM), employee relations, supply chain management, quality management, marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR), then the organization would have to face considerable resistance.In the first

Sex Education in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sex Education in Schools - Essay Example There are some critics who argue that sex education in schools does not achieve the intended purposes. It is however important to realize the importance of offering sex education in schools which is where the young people spend most of their time, and the many benefits that sex education has. This means that policies should be put in place to ensure that sex education is part of the curriculum in the different schools. The role of parents and caregivers should however not be ignored when it comes to giving sex education to the youth. It is important to have the realization that there are many benefits to having sex education as part of the school curriculum. This is because while most young people assume that they have the required knowledge when it comes to sex matters, most of them are very misinformed. This is because they get their information from unreliable sources such as friends who may also lack the proper information. This makes it necessary for teachers to provide the corr ect information to avoid negative consequences. Sex education therefore is the process of ensuring that the relevant and correct information and attitudes about sexuality and sexual identity, intimacy and relationships, sex, and sexually transmitted infections is passed on to the relevant parties. When the information is obtained from the teacher in a regulated setting such as the classroom, the youth will gain a better understanding and therefore avoid the negative consequences of engaging in risky sexual behavior. There are many aspects of sex education, and the content is diverse. The content in sex education includes teaching the students about their sexuality and what makes them male or female and how to deal with developments in their sexuality. In most cases, it is accepted that the goal of sex education should be to ensure that the young people are informed on their sexual health, and when they have received the necessary information, then they will be able to enjoy satisfyi ng relationships while avoiding the risks of reckless sexual behavior which includes diseases and teenage pregnancies. There are two main types of sex education. One type is the abstinence only type of sex education. This is the type of sex education that teaches the youth to avoid engaging themselves in sexual intercourse until such a time that they are married (Denyse and Coles 1). The other type of sex education is referred to as abstinence-plus sex education or the comprehensive sex education. This type of sex education urges the youth to postpone their first sexual encounter and also gives them information on condom use, birth control, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

Sociology Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sociology Paper - Essay Example In the reading, â€Å"making sense of the senseless: understanding genocide†, the authors begin with a statement that solidifies their greater purpose. That is, â€Å"all genocides are horrific, but not all genocides are the same. they can arise from cold-blooded calculations, realistic fears instincts for revenge, or ideologies of purification. understanding-and perhaps forestalling- genocide requires clear distinctions,† (Chirot & Edwards, p.406). A clear distinction to be made would be that, while genocide and the wars that come about are horrid, their root causes can differ to varying degrees, by what caused them in the first place. The inner meaning of the text, as written by Daniel Chirot and Jennifer Edwards, is to consider the frightening human atrocities of such events as the ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia in the 1990s, as well as the extermination of the Jewish people during World War II, along with Rwanda, but to look at them through the means in which they were initiated. â€Å"The inevitable comparisons of these recent atrocities to those of the past, most notably the Holocaust, are highly controversial. Classifying an event as a genocide can be used to legitimate the claims of survivors or as justification for reprisals against perpetrators. Therefore, several questions about genocide should be considered: (1) How successful does an attempted â€Å"cleansing† of a group need to be to warrant classification as genocide? (2) Does a certain number or percentage of a population need to be killed? (3) Does the intent of the perpetrators make any difference? (4) Should the term genocide be reserved for the murder and expulsion of religious or ethnic minority groups or can political dissidents or enemies in war be victims of genocide?† (Chirot & Edwards, p.406). The subjective facts listed within the article would be the tendency of many to want to classify any form of

FMC, Aberdeen, green river discussion on Organizational Behavior Essay

FMC, Aberdeen, green river discussion on Organizational Behavior - Essay Example Bob Lancaster, who was tasked to build and operate the facility, said that the central belief that guides Aberdeen’s organization and management is a participative-management system on the principles of trust, involving self-directing work teams that would eliminate fear from all employees. (Clawson, 1990) An employee is assigned to a team where a team leader is selected by the members - no supervisors or managers. The teams decide on all matters among themselves concerning their work as long as they get their task done. There are significant differences between Green River’s organizational behavior and management to those of Aberdeen’s. For instance, the people employed here are more than 1000 and have a worker’s union where Aberdeen has none. The facility is also charged with 100 products, which is being distributed worldwide in contrast to latter’s single product line. Both facilities cater to very different industries - one, defense, the other, chemicals. And finally, while Aberdeen is a start-up facility, Green River has been operating since 1948. Aberdeen and Green River facilities share the same FMC corporate guidelines, independence in running their sites, and operating values and systems. Thus, the success posted by Aberdeen’s organizational behavior is a challenge for a bigger facility like Green River. The structure and management approach adopted by Aberdeen, which is basically based on trust, might pose a great risk to a larger organization that must cater to a diverse product lines. The Aberdeen concept espouses the elimination of fear among its employees and mistakes are considered learning opportunities. Green River must consider if it is willing to trade the stability of the huge infrastructure which has been in place and tested for years to a system based on faith. Technical problems also abound, like how the

Prinicples of Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Prinicples of Management - Term Paper Example Because those working in IT always need to plan ahead for the future, this makes them the best suited to be able to change management styles at short notice. Also, because there is a risk involved with most forms of leadership, those in IT are able to balance the risks and rewards and choose a successful strategy. IT managers also have to have good communication skills due to the technical terms involved; this can be beneficial when giving simple tasks that need to be done correctly. Because IT consultants always have to take onboard advice from their customers, they are best placed to listen to the needs of their staff. Also, because innovation is an important part of IT, this skill can be used to change as technology improves. Ben quotes Machiavelli, who says that â€Å"whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times† (Ben, 2012). Finally, a good leader needs to understand the needs of their employees yet are aware of organizational objectives; IT p ersonnel can achieve this because they always have to satisfy a number of different people. Needed: Managers Who Are Leaders - In this article by Michael Maccoby, he discusses the need for research and technology manager to lead more than they manage. Research and technology is seen at the forefront of offering solutions to problems on a global scale. Innovation forms a big part of this since new ideas are constantly being sought. Many people find it easy to come up with new inventions; these people are known more as inventors. It takes innovators to be able to take a concept and market it to a wide range of people. In order to accomplish this, high collaboration and teamwork is necessary. Jim Meier is quoted as saying that seven factors are needed for achieving high performance collaborative teams, such as common purpose, trust, clear roles and responsibility, support, directed action, continued excellence, vitality and resiliency (Maccoby, 2009, p. 58). Even though the use of team s can be helpful, something more is required. Exceptional leadership is absolutely necessary when in comes to organizing a highly successful team. Meier says that trust is a key factor when it comes to a team being able to follow everything that a manager tells them (Maccoby, 2009, p. 59). A good leader needs to contain three elements in their management philosophy: ethics, moral reasoning, and practical values (Maccoby, 2009, p. 60). Developing Research/Technology Leaders - Michael Maccoby starts out with a comment that most managers have had some form of training in order to make them a better leader. Maccoby backs up this argument by saying that there are over one and a half million references for the Google search term â€Å"leadership training† (Maccoby, 2007, p. 65). However, many of these leadership training programs are ineffective. Maccoby proposes that research technology leadership training in particular should be centered on the four Ps: purpose, processes, people , and presentation (Maccoby, 2007, p. 66). For the first P, purpose, technology leaders often don’t understand why they are even doing a project let alone know how to successfully complete it. The first subject that leadership training should deal with is purpose, because this is the first step required to successfully run a project. For the second P, process, leaders need to understand the role that each team member or department has to offer. Once the process of an organization is made to run efficiently, it is that much

Touch of Evil Essay Example for Free

Touch of Evil Essay Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958) attempted to lift the stylish low-budget crime drama form with quality directing, writing, acting, cinematography, soundtrack, and locations, while maintaining the authentic film-noir motif. One of the key elements of film-noir was steamy sexuality, and Touch of Evil exploited this genre feature enthusiastically with lurid and seductive characterizations and scenes of tawdry sexual tension. Touch of Evil takes place in a border town between the USA and Mexico, representing the thin line separating two different cultures and realities. The lead character finds himself in a dilemma when a murder takes just as he and his bride cross the border. He struggles to deal with local officials without ruining his honeymoon, but events conspire against him. The local Sheriff is dishonest, his wife is kidnapped by his enemies, and his murder investigation takes him into an underworld of human misery, corruption, and sleaze. In 1958, interracial relationships were socially unacceptable, perhaps even forbidden in certain sections of America. Hollywood generally avoided the subject until the controversial Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967, Stanley Kramer), almost a decade later. So when Touch of Evil’s opening scene presents a Hispanic man and a Caucasian women, a newly wed couple, it purposely introduces an element designed to produce audience anxiety. When Orson Welles’ character, Sheriff Quinlan, realizes that the characters portrayed by Charleton Heston as Miguel Vargas, a virile Mexican, and Janet Leigh as Suszie, a sexy American, are a honeymooning husband and wife, he snidely comments, â€Å"She dont look Mexican†¦.† Earlier, the Mexican border guards addressed the same issue with similar disdain. These scenes establish interraciality as a socially unaccepted custom in the film’s universe and focuses the audience’s attention and expectation of danger on the issue. The plot soon fulfills the expectation. Vargas, an honest and incorruptible police official, tries to help the local police solve a murder that he and Suzie witnessed as they crossed the border into Mexico in the open scene. In one scene of high sexual tension – and fantasy – Suzie, in seductive lingerie, in the privacy of her hotel room, has phone sex with her husband who has called her from a pay phone. A blind man, adding a titillating voyeurism to the scene overhears the conversation. Matters are complicated when Suzie is kidnapped by criminals with a grudge against Vargas, and Vargas’ dedication to his prosecurial duty and concern for his wife leave him with a dilemma of two separate crises both demanding him to take action. The stakes rise when Vargas becomes convinced that the local sheriff (Welles’ Quinlan) is corrupt and is framing an innocent man. Vargas tries several times to rescue Suzie, which fail and serve to incite the kidnappers to threaten Suzie with sexual degradation, and ultimately places her in even greater danger of being murdered. The result of these events on top of the smoldering relationship between the main characters is a story that produces a story environment of smoldering sexuality that produces scenes rife with sexual anxiety. Sources consulted: â€Å"Touch of Evil† http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052311 retreived Oct. 16, 2007 Ebert, Roger. Review of â€Å"Touch of Evil† September 13, 1998 http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980913/REVIEWS08/401010367/1023

Casting Engine Blocks Automotive Manufacturing Processes Engineering Essay

Casting Engine Blocks Automotive Manufacturing Processes Engineering Essay There are several different types of manufacturing processes to choose from out there and many different alloys that are at ones disposal to be used. Some processes include: sand casting, die casting, and lost-foam casting. In this report, sand and die casting will be discussed with the focus on sand casting. Also, choosing a suitable alloy will be discussed. Is the alloy going to be ferrous or non-ferrous and what qualities does the alloy chosen have, to make it a good choice to use with the manufacturing process is a question to ask oneself. In this case, sand casting has the capability of using any alloy whereas; die casting is generally limited to non-ferrous alloys. Aluminum is a very common alloy to use and it can be used for almost any process. Although, this alloy possesses some qualities that would be desired by most, gray cast iron was decided by us to possess even stronger qualities that led us to choose it for the material used in the design of a cast iron block. Sand cas ting is now and has been for some time one of the most commonly used manufacturing processes and the use of gray cast iron fits very well with this process. The reasons for choosing sand casting as the manufacturing process and gray cast iron as the alloy will be discussed further in the report. Problem Statement: To select a suitable casting process and material that will be as per the requirement of efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly engine block production. Objectives: To discuss the various casting processes that can be used to manufacture an engine block. To select a suitable alloy for the part. To select a suitable casting process. To justify the above selection. To design the selected process to cast an engine block. To discuss the defects in the casting and challenges to be faced while using the selected process and the methods to overcome these. To discuss the cost consideration and environmental impact of using the selected process. The Identification of Suitable Casting Processes The manufacturing of cast engine blocks out of cast iron involves the consideration of what manufacturing process to use as well as a suitable alloy. The alloy chosen for our company is gray cast iron and the process of selecting this particular alloy will be discussed further in the next section. This section will discuss how our company came to choose sand casting as the manufacturing process by comparing this process with other processes. There are several factors involved in choosing a suitable casting process for manufacturing cast engine blocks. Some of these factors include the type of material that can be used in the casting process, the type of part that can be cast, the finish of the product, the amount of time it takes for the process, and the cost involved. In this section, sand casting will be compared with die casting. Although both are good processes to use, the results vary depending on what process is chosen. There are some similarities between the processes, while there are mostly differences in most aspects of the processes. Selecting a Suitable Alloy An engine block is the main part of an engine which holds all most all the parts of the engine. It should house the internal moving parts, fluids and also withstand the forces and pressure developed during combustion. It should have high strength, wear resistance, good machinability, good vibration absorption capacity, corrosion resistance, low thermal expansion, good thermal conductivity and manufacturability and should have less manufacturing cost. In general, most of the industries use cast iron for manufacturing the engine blocks because of the following reasons: It is cheaper, excellent damping capacity, good wear and high temperature resistant, easily machinable, inexpensive to produce, and can tolerate high pressure and RPM. Other materials which are considered for manufacturing engine blocks are aluminum alloys and magnesium alloys. But, after considering the above factors using cast iron is the feasible option. For choosing the right alloy from cast iron variants, their material properties are compared. Table 1.1 compositions of the different cast irons Name Nominal composition [% by weight] Form and condition Hardness [Brinell scale] Grey cast iron (ASTMA48) C  3.4, Si  1.8,  Mn  0.5 Cast 260 White cast iron C  3.4, Si  0.7, Mn  0.6 Cast (as cast) 450 Malleable iron (ASTM A47) C  2.5, Si  1.0, Mn  0.55 Cast (annealed) 130 Ductile or nodular iron C  3.4, P  0.1, Mn  0.4,Ni  1.0, Mg  0.06 Cast 170 Ductile or nodular iron (ASTM A339) cast (quench tempered) 310 Ni-hard type 2 C  2.7, Si  0.6, Mn  0.5, Ni  4.5, Cr  2.0 Sand-cast 550 Ni-resist type 2 C  3.0, Si  2.0, Mn  1.0, Ni  20.0, Cr  2.5 Cast 140 Table1.2 comparision of the strengths of the cast irons alloys Table 1.3 castability of the different metals. As we need a material which is hard enough, having good strength and good castability, from Table 1.1 we can find gray cast iron having enough and nominal hardness. There are materials which are harder than grey cast iron but as hardness increases material can wear the internal components and will be brittle in nature which is not a preferable property. From Table 1.2 we can observe that elongation is less with good yield strength for gray cast iron which is one of the desirable properties. Both pearlitic and martensitic gray cast irons have less elongation with high yield strength but martensitic gray cast iron has more hardness which is against our requirements and Table 1.3 tells that castability is excellent for gray cast irons compared to other metals and alloys. For desired properties like castability, fluidity, resistance to deformation, relatively low melting point and cost On the whole from the above mentioned tables 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and above desirable properties gray cast iron matches our requirement. So we finally decide to go for the pearlitic gray cast iron. The Effect of Manufacturing Processes on the Product Sand casting and die casting both consist of the pouring of molten metal into a mold, allowing the metal to cool until it solidifies. The type of mold used in these processes usually varies drastically from one another. Die casting uses the molten metal that gets forced into a mold and is subjected to high pressures so that it solidifies very nicely into the die cavity. Sand casting generally uses silica sand as its material for the mold. Sand is generally chosen as the mold material because of the characteristics that it possesses and the fact that its relatively inexpensive. The strength of the mold is critical in the manufacturing process and using the right type of grains in the sand can improve the strength. A specific type of sand is commonly used for sand casting, and that type is called green molding sand. Green molding sand uses a mixture sand, clay, and water. This mixture provides a moist sand to be present in the mold when the metal is poured into the mold. This moist sand then becomes easily reusable, which contributes to lowering the expenses in the process. Sand casting is an efficient process to use because of the flexibility in what can be done as part of the process. There is no limitation to what material can be used, which means that gray cast iron is available to be used when sand casting engine blocks. There is also no limitation to the type of part that can be cast. The part can also be of any size or shape or weight. Another reason for using sand casting is the minimal costs when compared to other manufacturing process, the amount of time required for production of the parts, and the number of parts required in a production cycle. Sand casting allows for the production of one part at a time if necessary, with no limit to the number of parts to be produced. All costs, including mold material, tooling, and labor costs are relatively low compared to other processes. Although, sand casting has many good qualities that persuade us to use this process, there are a few deficiencies in using the process too. These deficiencies include the finish of the material, porosity, and dimensional tolerance. The dimensional tolerance is much greater than that of other manufacturing processes which causes a greater rate of shrinkage. This shrinkage increases the porosity of the material, which results in a rough surface finish. Die casting is an efficient process to use because more precise results. The die casting process allows for the production of solid, fine parts at a high rate. No additional machining should be necessary on these parts since the dimensional accuracy is so good to begin, with that these parts are ready for use after one cycle of the process. Although the types of materials that can be used are limited, which is mentioned in the next paragraph, experimental results show that gray cast iron is a very workable material for die casting. Even smaller sized parts like pins and fasteners can be casted using die casting, but the smooth surface finish and precision of the parts allow for them to be put to good use. Similar to sand casting and any other casting process, die casting has its disadvantages too. Generally, only nonferrous materials can be casted using die casting. The materials work very well, but that still limits the resources out there for the process which could potentially cause some problems. Also, since the parts produced are small, this limits the potential uses of the part. Another problem that could arise is that even though the labor costs are very low since the process is mostly run on automated systems; these systems and all other equipment are relatively expensive. This is the one major difference between sand casting and die casting that cannot be ignored. Ways to lower the costs are still being worked on, but there is still some work left to do to bring these costs down a sufficient amount. It takes a long time to produce these parts, but being able to produce a large quantity at a time helps to make up for the long lead time. These deficiencies will be looked at in greater detail in a later section. The Sand Casting Procedure Sand casting Sand casting is one of the oldest techniques of manufacturing. In this form, molten metal is poured into a mould made of sand. When the metal is hardened and cooled, the part is removed. In sand casting, the mold is made of packed sand. Mold preparation In the process, we chose green sand casting as our casting process. The sand mixture consists of sand, clay binder, water and additives. The sand also includes zircon(ZrSiO4), olivine(Mg2SiO4), iron silicate(Fe2SiO4), chromite(FeCr2O4). Zircon, olivine and iron silicate have low thermal expansion, and chromite has high heat transfer. During the process, all the ingredients are mixed together and the sand should be moist and not dry. Figure 1. Green Sand Casting Mold Sand casting procedure During the process, patterns and cores are made; sand is thoroughly mixed and then formed about the patterns as per our need. The patterns are removed and the two halves of the molds are put together and are thus ready for pouring the molten metal. The preheated metal is then poured slowly into the mold until the mold is full. The part is then cooled and after the part solidifies thoroughly, the sand mold is removed by striking the part. Lastly, we machine the casting to give it its final shape. Defects Sand castings have many defects such as inclusion, shrinkage, air holes, sand holes, cold shut and cracks. In this procedure, the granule shape, granule size and collapsibility of sand mold effect sand mold casting. Quality inspection Quality inspection of sand casting can be done by sharp impact test, x-ray inspection, pressure test, magnaflux inspection and ultrasonic test. Whereas, to inspect the casting in the foundry itself; visual inspection, dimensional inspection, chemical component inspection and testing to figure out the physical properties by doing the hardness or tensile strength test are commonly used. Casting products and mass production The sand used in making the mold can be used again and again(reclaimed), thus the green sand casting process is cheap and widely used compared to other casting process. Due to this mass production of this process in a cost effective manner is possible. CASTING DEFECTS Some of the possible defect that may arise during the sand casting process Shrinkage defects: These defects mainly occur when feed metal is not available to compensate the shrinkage as the metal solidifies. These defects can be avoided by providing proper gates, vents and risers in the mold. Gas porosity: They are formed as bubbles on the casting after it is cooled. This is due to the presence of large amounts of dissolved gas in the molten metal. To prevent this, the metal is melted in vacuum or in the presence of specific low solubility gases such as argon or carbon dioxide. To minimize gas solubility, the super heat temperature can be kept low. Misruns and cold shuts: They are the empty cavities in solidified metal, due to the lack of fluidity, narrow cross sections, back pressure and turbulence. These are rectified by reducing the pouring temperature, adding sprue and proper gates. Metal penetration: This is the presence of rough surface finish because of the liquid metal penetrating the sand mould. This penetration is due to high pouring temperatures. Lowering the pouring temperature will avoid this phenomenon. Hot Spots: They are formed on the surface that is very hard because of the quick cooling compared to the surroundings. Changing chemical composition and providing proper cooling methods like using chills, these can be avoided. Inclusions: These are metal impurities generally oxides, sulfides, nitrides and carbides formed from the material that is eroded from furnace or impurities present in the mold. These inclusions can be reduced by using ceramic filters or melting the metal in vacuum Hot tears: Also called as hot cracking, these are the failures in the casting that are formed while cast metal starts cooling because of the weak strength of the metal when it is hot and the internal stresses. These can be prevented by proper mold design. Mold erosion: Erosion of the mold sand occurs while filling molten metal into the mold, caused due to sand having less binding strength or high pouring velocity of metal. This can be avoided by redesigning the gating system or by using large runners. Identifying challenges in the process and how they are being addressed An engine block has a very complex geometry. The engine block has internal recesses for the coolant, i.e., water to circulate and the cylinders for the piston to reciprocate. So casting such an intricate shape is always challenging. First, the pattern for making the mold must be very carefully designed because the quality of our casting is as good as the quality of our pattern. For such a complex machined part, we must carefully monitor the cooling of the casting; as such a complex part is bound to cool in an uneven manner. We all know that the major problem concerned with sand casting is the poor surface finish, but in an engine block the only important surface is the cylinder where the piston will reciprocate and it is not important for the cooling water to flow through highly machined surfaces. In sand casting, the surface finish can be substantially improved by using finer sands and we are adding zircon to the sand which will result in a better surface finish. Another challenge in sand casting an engine block is the pouring of the molten metal. Since an engine block is huge and has a complicated geometry, the pouring rate of the metal should be carefully monitored. We should not pour it at such a slow rate that the metal solidifies in the pouring vessel itself and it should not be so fast that molten metal could not reach some regions resulting in voids. In fact, the metal should not be poured. It should be pumped against the gravity so as to avoid gas entrapment. As said earlier, an engine block, due to its geometric complexity will tend to cool irregularly. So the risers should be properly placed to take into account this irregular cooling. Addressing the cost consideration The cost associated with sand casting can be divided into three broad categories: Material cost, Production cost and Tooling cost. Material cost As the name suggests, material cost includes the cost of all the materials used in the sand casting process. These materials include the metal, the mold sand and the core sand. The cost of the metal will depend on a number of factors such as cost of the alloy, purity of the alloy and the castability of the alloy. For more pure alloys, the cost will be higher. For alloys with lower castability, additional metal will be required in order to fill the flow channels and the feed heads to assure a good casting, so in such cases, the cost will be higher. The cost of the mold sand and the core sand will depend on the shape and size of the mold and the core respectively. In this case, since our part is an engine block, due to its size and geometric complexity, the cost is bound to be high. Production Cost Again as the name suggests, production cost will include the cost of all the operations that will take place during the process of sand casting. These will include core making, mold making, pouring, and cleaning. The addition of cores to the casting will increase its cost because it will slow the process down. An engine block, a very complicated part, will definitely have cores which will increase the overall production cost by slowing down the production. Pouring and cleaning costs are determined by the size and weight of the casting. So these will be high for an engine block as it is a big and heavy component, and the mold will take longer to fill and the cast block will take longer to be cleaned. Tooling Cost Tooling cost is the cost associated with the tools used during the sand casting process. These include the patterns used to make the molds and the core-boxes to make the cores. Since an engine block is huge and geometrically complicated, tooling cost will be high. Also, since we are designing for mass production, the patterns as well as the core-boxes will have to be used more frequently. The constant use of the tool will result in the wearing down of the tool at a high rate, which in turn will increase the overall cost as the tool will have to be replaced. A solution to this problem will be to use patterns and core-boxes of a better quality material, but again the cost will be high. Environmental Impact of using Sand Casting: Foundries are generally regarded as being dirty and unfavorable to the environment. The primary issues being faced by the casting industry are the excessive volumes of by-products that are to be sent to landfills, and the Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) which are released during the process. Of all the by-products generated by volume, sand is the largest. Even in processes which involve a high level of sand recovery, some amount of new sand is always required to maintain the optimum quality of sand in the system. This in turn will result in loss of sand from the system. After its use, the sand is either sent to a landfill for disposal, resulting in soil pollution, or it is reclaimed off-site. Not all foundry sands are considered hazardous, especially the ones from ferrous foundries, which pass the TCLP (Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure), which, after use can be sent to unlined landfills for disposal. Some non-ferrous sands on the other hand contain high levels of metal because they have to be sent to secured landfills and not the unlined ones. Chemical binders inwaste sand can become a crucial issue if resin-coated sands are wasted in large volumes before the pouring stage as most of the binder in the mold is burnt off during the pouring stage. Hence, the binder level should be carefully monitored so as to prevent it from reaching unacceptable levels over a period of many reclamation cycles. The second largest by-product by volume in the sand casting process is the baghouse dust. It is typically formed when the sand is reclaimed multiple times, which results in the sand grains breaking down to dust particles. Not only will it affect the quality of the casting, but it will also result in health issues such as silicosis. Slag is yet another by-product which is formed during the sand casting process. When flux is added to the molten metal to remove impurities, it reacts with the impurities to form slag which floats to the surface and is to be removed before pouring the metal. The slag so formed has a glass like appearance and is not really hazardous as it can be easily disposed of in unlined landfills. Apart from these solid wastes, there is also a substantial amount of gaseous waste (emissions) produced during the sand casting process. These include benzene, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, phenols, nitrous oxide and other HAPs. Of all the pollutants, benzene is the most emitted. Conclusion In many ways the job of an engineer is not simple, because to choose between one material or one process over another is never easy. There is no process or material which can be considered as perfect. Each process has its advantages and disadvantages. An engineers job is to find an optimum solution so that the huge amount of investment in this industry is justified. In this project we, as engineers have done a similar job. We have selected sand casting for manufacturing the engine blocks and have justified our decision by discussing various aspects, both good as well as bad, of the selected process.

Financial Ratio And Operating Indicator Analysis Case Study

Financial Ratio And Operating Indicator Analysis Case Study Riverview Community Hospital operates as a not for profit facility with 210 inpatient beds. The financial ratio and operating indicator analysis of Riverview Community Hospital will attempt to determine their performance within their market. The further assessment of the cash flows, Du Pont equation, and economic value added (EVA) will offer insight to their financial performance. The assessment of the hospitals cash flows will allow the evaluator to determine if the companys core operations were profitable, how capital was raised, and how the institutions financial strategies effected their cash position. The ending cash and investments for 2009 were reduced by almost forty-five percent from the previous year. This downward trend may become an area of concern, because it could create an inability for the hospital to pay its daily operating commitments. The fixed asset acquisitions have continued to exceed the depreciation indicating a possible area of investigation for budget development to control costs. This was a decrease of forty-six percent from the previous year and may require further financial strategies to justify their expenditure. The most significant factor affecting the change in the cash flow was the payment of long term debt ($1.4 million) as compared to the previous year when more than $3.5 million was incurred to cover for their capital purchases. The Du Pont analysis offers the management an overall understanding of the profitability of the institution. Riverviews total margin of 6.75% falls within the upper quartile of the industry data for hospitals with 200-299 beds (Table 2). This higher profit margin indicates that Riverview has attained better control over its total expenses than the majority of similar size hospitals. The asset turnover of 0.67 falls within the lowest quartile of comparable hospitals. This asset utilization indicates that the hospital is not very efficient in generating revenues for every dollar of asset. The equity multiplier of 1.69 falls below the median data group. This indicates that the institution possesses lower debt financing and lower risk than the average hospital but this results in reducing its financial leverage. Riverviews return on equity (ROE) falls just above the median of similar size hospitals at 7.66% which translates to 7.6 cents profit for every dollar of revenue. This is signifi cantly lower than the top quartile of comparable facilities that had more than double Riverviews ROE. The analysis of the income statement and the balance sheet requires the calculations of financial ratios to obtain meaningful data that can be compared to industry values. There are numerous ratios that can be utilized to assess the financial status of a business. The profitability ratios of Riverview fall within the median range, except their total profit margin of 6.75% (Table 3). This level places it within the upper quartile of comparable hospitals. This would indicate that Riverview manages to control expenses well. Riverviews current ratio and days cash on hand fall within the top twenty-five percent of the industry data. These liquidity ratios indicate that Riverviews current assets would provide $2.67 for every dollar of current liabilities, and they have 32.72 days of cash on hand. These ratios indicate to their creditors that they are in position to meet their financial obligations. The debt management ratios all fall within the median range. The asset management ratios fal l within the median range except the fixed and total asset turnover. Riverviews utilization of assets falls within the lowest quartile. The fixed asset turnover of 0.86 times may be an indication of their inability to offer specific services. The total asset turnover of 0.67 times is not as low as its fixed asset indicating they are utilizing current assets better than fixed assets. Inflation or age of the hospital may adversely affect these ratios; however, Riverview has an estimated fixed asset age of 6.12 years. Riverview falls within lower quartile to indicate that their hospital offers more recently purchased acquisitions. The operating indicator analysis examines internal data to determine the factors that contribute to the financial status of the company. These indicators are used by managers to identify and guide financial strategies for the future. Riverviews profit indicators are within the median range of the industry; however, the significant downward trend for profit per inpatient discharge should be followed closely (Table 4). The profit per outpatient visit has improved but is still negative. The net price per visit and revenue percent of outpatient services are both within the upper quartile. The outpatient services are still not producing a profit with the increased price per visit. Riverviews occupancy rate is within the median range, but their average daily census is within the lower quartile. This would further indicate their need to utilize fixed assets more effectively. The hospitals adjusted length of stay is within the lowest quartile indicating a good management of discharging patie nts. The intensity of service indicators show that the cost per discharge and visit are within the lowest quartile but their case mix is in the upper quartile. They are providing more intense service to their patients at a lower cost. The outpatient labor hours per visit are within the upper quartile at 9.24 hours. The outpatient service would require further investigation of these higher labor hours to increase efficiency. The economic value added (EVA) measures the managements ability to create or destroy wealth for their company. Stern Stewart Co. (Stern, 2010) developed this metric to offer a more effective evaluation of managements ability to provide stockholders value. The EVA analysis of profitability takes into account all costs including: capital, equity, and its financing. The higher the EVA measure, the more effective management is at creating value for their shareholders. The EVA measurement for Riverview has trended negatively over the two previous years but has improved twenty-five percent this past last year to -1.2 million (Figure 1). The factors contributing to this negative change were shrinking profits and an increasing accumulation of capital. The EVA dollar amount in 2009 improved due to decreased capital purchases and reduction in long term debt. The limitation of the EVA calculation; does not offer an allowance for the social value provided to the community by the not-for-profit facility. The assessment of the financial performance of Riverview Community Hospital reveals several areas of concern. The further analysis of fixed asset acquisitions should be justified by the hospitals financial strategies. These capital purchases significantly outpace the yearly depreciation allowance. Riverviews REO analysis reveals a significant decrease in total margin that remains in the upper quartile of their industry. The hospital should assess the viability of improving both total asset turnover and equity multiplier to bring their ROE in line with their level of total margin performance. They should determine if improved fixed asset utilization will better leverage them within the market. The profit of their outpatient services is an area that should be targeted for effective cost reduction strategies. The financial ratio and operating indicator analysis may have several limitations that need to be addressed. The income from non-operating revenue for not-for-profit hospitals can be unpredictable and inconsistent. This outside source of revenue can be a significant portion of their income. This could distort the calculations based on that highly unreliable income. The many financial ratios may not fully account for the not-for-profit status of the hospital and may need further analysis to determine their validity. The unaccounted equity provided to the community is not factored into the equations. The additional healthcare benefits provided to the shareholders of the community may out weight the decrease in effective asset utilization by the facility.

Dr. Diver as Rosemarys Father-Figure in Tender is the Night :: Tender is the Night Essays

Dr. Diver as Rosemary's Father-Figure in Tender is the Night      Ã‚  Ã‚   Parents are the basic role models for their children. Both parents play an important role in raising their children, but it is the father whom is normally portrayed as the protector, advisor, and provider of the family. He is the person whom the children look up to when they are young and whom the daughters compare all men to when they become older. The father sets the standards for his children. If there is no father, children must look other places for this type of comfort and information. Sometimes they might turn to their mother who would take over the father's place as best she could. The only role that the mother cannot fulfill, however, is the comparison that daughters need when looking for a husband. To try and fulfill this need, the daughters might find a male whom they trust and believe would be a good role model and father-figure and then base their future ideals on the qualities that he portrays.    Rosemary, from Tender is the Night by Fitzgerald did not have a father figure for a good portion of her life. She had been raised by her mother, a twice widowed woman, and the boarding school in France which she had attended when she was younger. Rosemary had never really known her father when he was alive so Mrs. Speers was both father and mother to her. Mrs. Speers did a good job of being both while Rosemary was growing up, but once she became old enough to begin looking for a husband, Mrs. Speers was not quite the right person to compare men to. Mrs. Speers attempted to counteract this need by forcing Rosemary to become a more independent person. Then she would not have to rely on her or anyone else, including a man. By gradually realizing that she can make her own decisions, Rosemary also realized that she did want to have a man in her life and that she needed that father-figure for comparison. She also realized that she was missing the comfort, protection, and advice that comes from a male. It was not until she went to the French Riviera that she finally found the father-figure she had never had before, in Dr. Dick Diver.    After meeting Dr. Diver, Rosemary was left with the impression that "he would take care of her, and .

Language in Haiti Essay -- Linguistics

Language in Haiti Language is a major issue in Haiti. Our language is both one of our greatest belongings and one of our greatest baggages. On one hand, it represents the mainstay of our culture, the unique pathway to our true nature; on the other, it sometimes restricts and casts us out by putting us in a box and preventing us from accessing two prime universal bases of knowledge and culture: French and English. Our people, in Haiti and throughout the world, sometimes need to use Creole, French, and English at different times, in different places, to respond to different needs. Creole as mainstay and restriction is Haiti’s current and, most likely, our future reality, and I believe that Creole should be valued and fully integrated in the educational system in Haiti. The two official languages of Haiti are French and Creole. All Haitians speak Creole, while only a very small part of the population can be considered bilingual in French and Creole. Traditionally, the two languages served different functions, with Creole being the informal everyday language of all the people, regardless of the social class, and French considered as the language of formality used in situations such as newspapers, schools, the law and the courts, and official documents and decrees. Nevertheless, because the great majority of Haitians only speak Creole, many efforts have been made in recent years to expand its usage. A language is conventionally composed of arbitrary signals such as voice sounds, gestures, and written symbols; such a system uses its own rules for combining its components, which makes every language unique. Haitian Creole highly relies on proverbs, metaphors, and sublime imagery. Here are a few of these pro... ...ole, and I wish to take part in it. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?† The Composition of Our â€Å"Selves.† 2nd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt. 2000. 123–6. Curtis, Marcia. Preface. The Composition of Our â€Å"Selves.† 2nd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 2000. 103–9. Jordan, June. â€Å"Nobody Mean More to Me Than You.† The Composition of Our â€Å"Selves.† 2nd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt. 2000. 157–163. Katz, Stacey. â€Å"Near-Native Speakers in the Foreign-Language Classroom: The Case of Haitian Immigrant Students†. The Sociolinguistics of Foreign-Language Classrooms. EBSCO. 2003. 08 Nov. 2005 http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db= eric&an=ED481793. White, Michael and David Epston. â€Å"Story, Knowledge, and Power†. The Composition of Our â€Å"Selves.† 2nd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 2000. 64–77.

Should We ‘Tone Down’ Anzac Day?

Should we ‘Tone Down’ ANZAC Day to be considerate of ethnic minorities in Australia? Of course not. But a substantial amount of Anglo-Australians believe that we should. This makes absolutely no sense at all. Why would anyone be offended by ANZAC day, we are remembering the brave men and women who have fought and died for this country, as well as the ones that continue to fight for our country overseas. I don’t see how anyone may be offended by that, except for maybe the Turkish or the Germans but even they should enjoy ANZAC day because it is a celebration of who the ANZAC soldiers were, not who they fought.It’s not like the ANZAC’s were Nazi’s, they didn’t commit genocide or crimes against humanity, they protected a country full of innocent people, they are heroes and heroes deserve to be remembered at least once a year. They believe that we should consider how the ‘minorities’ would feel. The key word there is minorities . Does it seem fair that an entire nation or at least the majority of a nation must give up a tradition of almost a century for the consideration of a small percentage of the population? This is Australia, Australians built this country whether they were white Australians or not doesn’t matter.Celebrating the ANZAC spirit is not only respect for our fallen soldiers, but respect for our country and everyone who enjoys the prosperity of modern day Australia should honour that. ANZAC day is celebrated not only in Australia, but at many locations all over the world. Of course it is not celebrated in these countries in the same capacity as it is in Australia and New Zealand but is remembered none the less. Some of these countries include Turkey, Germany, France and China. These countries had no soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Core; they are remembering the values the ANZACS represented.Every year for I don’t know how long people who care have set up two week s before ANZAC day and begun to sell ANZAC day badges, these people volunteer their time and effort because they respect what this special day means. A few weeks ago just before ANZAC day ‘Metlink’ – the company that runs metropolitan trains and buses in Melbourne and surrounding areas – told these people they could only sell the ANZAC day badges at the train and bus stations on one day rather than for the entire two weeks that had been the tradition for many years.Obviously many people were extremely offended, including the many volunteers, commuters and the general population. Luckily, after public outcry the metropolitan train company withdrew the restrictions on the sale of ANZAC day badges. But the fact that it was even suggested is a gross example of how even some white Australians have lost sight of what ANZAC day and the ANZAC spirit represents. Almost every second Australian had a grandparent who fought in the First World War. And most people have some sort of relation to an ANZAC soldier.Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd once said â€Å"The Gallipoli campaign is part of our national consciousness, it's part of our national psyche, it's part of our national identity. † I think this statement just about sums it up. The ANZAC spirit is a part of every one in this country, whether they were born here or not, because it is a part of the country. The last Australian ANZAC and last person in the world to have fought on the beaches at Gallipoli, Alec Campbell, died on the eve of March 16, 2002.With him died the last living memory of the courage, strength and valor that was displayed on the battlefield all those years ago. Alec Campbell died in peace knowing that the ANZAC spirit and the memory of his fallen comrades would never be forgotten. But was he comforted by a false hope? Has the essence of the ANZAC spirit been lost somewhere in the translation of time? The fact that people are suggesting that we ‘tone down†™ ANZAC day or discontinue the celebration completely, leads to the conclusion that maybe it has. So what is the ANZAC spirit?Above all the ANZAC spirit means loyalty and respect to your comrades, families and friends. The ANZAC spirit means courage, strength and resourcefulness. Are these not values that every race and religion should celebrate? Perhaps the problem lies not within the meaning of ANZAC day and how that effects the ethnic population, but in the education that is given regarding ANZAC day. Perhaps if we tried harder to involve new Australians in the ANZAC day celebrations, they may begin to better understand what ANZAC day really represents for our country and for them.

Police Brutality

Over the recent years, police have been one of the organizations to be associated with the largest cases of misconduct. Police brutality can be termed as the process of misuse and abuse of authority by the police. The rising cases of police brutality are causing more harm to the public, compared to the actions perpetrated by real criminals. Although police claim that It's sometimes necessary to curb crime, the process Is Illegal and police officers should be charged Just like any other criminal offender.It should be the responsibility of the Justice system to establish effective tragedies to deal with the rising Illegal satellites In order to restore public trust In the law enforcement authorities. The police, the group with the responsibility of protecting citizens, commit Illegal satellites. Individuals engaged In law enforcement satellites can define police brutality as the process of using excessive force.In addition to the abuse of power by the police force, the term is also use d to illustrate the misuse of power by individuals in the municipal, correctional facilities and other facilities subjected to reforming and retaining criminals. In a case reported in the ear 2011, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team, killed a 31 year old man in a mistaken identity (Roberts 1). It is evident that several law enforcement individuals have been conducting careless investigations.It is evident that these cases are rarely reported either because the victims are uninformed of their rights, or the victim is afraid that same police who committed the misconduct in the first place will also be involved in investigating the abuse cases. By the year 2011, there were over 470, 000 reported cases of police brutality, that could be easily located on the internet Roberts 1 Although people are gradually being encouraged to report abuse cases, the numbers have not decreased.Compared to the level of crime and the reported criminal activities, it shows that the public is usually at risk of being attacked by a police officer than a real criminal Monsoon 365). This means that police are becoming some of the individuals highly involved in criminal activities. Various Forms of Police Brutality The longstanding perception is that police brutality Involves only physical assaults. However, the term can also mean psychological assault, abuse and other forms of issue of power.Some of the remarkable forms of police brutality Involve false arrests and accusing the wrong person. In Dalton, Intimidation and police profiling can also be considered police brutality, since It Involves Intrusion Into the rights and the property of Individuals. Physical brutality Is one of the most widespread, and In most cases, Individuals are subjected to torture and other physical harm. Ordinarily, people do not consider the various harsh treatments, being hit with police batons and being pressed by the police shield as part of police brutality.In most cases, people sustain very bad injurie s from some activities of the police. Psychological brutality is mostly brought about by verbal abuses and subjecting the public to inappropriate conditions. Psychological intimidation may also occur in situations where the police are holding a suspect and they subject him or her to threats on temporary psychological breakdown. In most cases, the reported cases are only those involving physical assaults, mostly because there is usually enough evidence to charge the involved personnel.Causes of brutality One of the main causes of police brutality is the authority vested in the police officers y their superiors, to ensure that law is enforced when necessary. When police officers are given the option to chose when to, and when not to, use excessive force, they end up abusing the power of choice by making the wrong decisions even when dealing with petty crimes. In addition, police may gradually develop some dislike for lawbreakers, especially in situations where the surroundings are ful l of criminals.Police officers in a crime prone region and in areas with extreme rowdy criminal behavior may develop some degree of dislike for the law breakers and their approach to dealing with the criminals may be brutal. In such situations, the police officers enforcing law and order act based on their emotions rather than their professional expectations. The gradual dislike leads the police officers to always contemplate on ending the rising crime and in the end; they find themselves using excessive force, even in situations where force was not needed.The SWAT team is one response unit that is trained and psychologically prepared to deal with tough and resisting criminals. In addition, the response team is issued with specific orders to use excessive force when necessary; especially if they note that, the criminals are ungenerous and may harm others. The above reasons police have also been known to use excessive force is because they think that they are above the law. Due to th e power vested in the police to deal with all types of crimes and to carry weapons, they soon develop the notion that they are above the law and end up misusing their powers instead of protecting the public.In addition to the feeling of being above the law, there are no practical and effective internal accountability mechanisms to regulate the excessive use of force by the police officers. Many police officers take advantage of the fact that many member of the public are uninformed of their rights and they therefore subject themselves to harm, on the basis that they are above the law. Lack of internal investigation procedures, especially due to solidarity, makes the police force lack effective internal investigative structures to check the misuse of powers by the police officers.In most cases, police may feel mandated by the blue codes to protect fellow police officers in case they are involved in criminal activities (Isoclinic 7). Blue codes is a code of silence amongst police offi cers. In such instances, the criminal is always perceived to be wrong and any action taken by the police is justified based on the existing police cultures. In most cases, police departments are established under tight and strong hierarchical models that make it hard to implement ethical decision processes (Owens and Prefer 7).This means that the decisions to engage, or not to engage, in brutal activities when dealing with the public are not clear, In addition to the faults in the system, the other issues that lead to police brutality may include psychological and behavioral backgrounds of the law enforcement officers. In most cases, police are left to deal with criminals, while still suffering from psychological and sociological disengagement. Some of the reasons committed. In addition, some officers claim that they act under authority of the senior police officers.Although these reasons can be possible, they do not Justify the actions on the public, who trust the police officers f or protection. Civil rights Some of the legislations protecting the public against police brutality include the Fourth Amendment that protects citizens against unwarranted searches and seizures ND if an individual feels that the rights have been violated, they should immediately report to the relevant authorities. In addition to the fourth amendment, the Civil Rights Act 1871 protects the public from being harassed or mistreated in anyway whatsoever by the police.The law, which was enacted to protect the minority groups fighting for their rights, however exempts the public from making claims on brutality in section 42 of the 1983, edition (Civil Rights Division 1). The other legislation protecting the public against police brutality is the fourteenth amendment that establishes equality irrespective of responsibility vested by the law. Citizens have the right to have a fair trial and the police should not take it upon themselves to pass judgment and incriminate a suspect without goin g through the appropriate Justice process.The above legislations protect the public from police brutality by stating the rights of an individual, even when they perpetrate a crime. In case an individual is armed, it should be the responsibility of the police officer to disarm the criminal with minimal possible injury. This civil rights establish the boundaries and ensures that Alice act within their vested powers. In case of any brutality, individuals are encouraged to report the incident like any other crime in order to get the required support.Solutions to police brutality One of the groups that have come forth to protect the public against police brutality is the Amnesty International. This organization has been vibrant in identifying the rampant cases and in pressuring the government to establish internal strategies to deal with the ever-rising police brutality. The organization also identifies and releases reports indicating the prevailing police brutality in different regions. The external agencies notwithstanding, it should be the responsibility of each member of the public to ensure that they understand their rights and to report abuse cases as soon as they occur.In addition, the societal based cop-watch group should also ensure that the crimes are reported and conduct a follow up on the reported cases to ensure that Justice is served. The police departments should also establish flexible and effective accountability strategies that incriminates any police officers abusing power, and ethical guidelines should be enacted to prevent the police officers from purporting their own based on the existing cultures (Civil Rights Division 1). The justice system should also be strengthened to ensure that police law breakers are not left unpunished.The investigators of police brutality should be from independent bodies to avoid biasness during investigations. Since it has been a common trend for police officers to support their fellow officers over the criminals, the Justice system should set up an independent body to evaluate the operations of required. The government should also start an awareness campaign to educate the public about their rights and to explain about the appropriate channels for airing grievances associated with police brutality. Police Brutality ?Lucy Sanchez English 1302 Mr. Gonzalez 8 April 2009 Police Brutality Draft Who can forget the Los Angeles riots and the Rodney King beating in 1991? This case of police brutality was the most widely known. Over the years, it seems that police abuse remains one of the most serious human rights violations in the United States. It makes the people wonder if in fact police officers are doing their job and if they are here to protect us. Police officers get away with unjustified shootings, fatal choking, rough treatments, and severe beatings. Police brutality needs to be addressed and there has to be harsher punishment to minimize the amount of police brutality that happens. A punishment that they can receive for their brutality is harsher sentencing and job dismissals. If such a case should go to court the judge and jurors should sentence the police officer. If the case was minor then the chief of police or someone in charge. There is not a day that goes by that somewhere in the United States that an innocent civilian gets beaten from a police officer for no apparent reason. Sometimes the reason is because a police officer is racist. Racism, discrimination, and police brutality all go hand in hand because police officers usually do not go around beating civilians up for no reason. Usually the motive is because they are racist. The most major race that was affected by police brutality seems to be Caucasian people but according to the â€Å"NAACP, they say that between 1976 and 1987, officers killed about 1,800 blacks and 3,000 whites. Since blacks comprise approximately 12% of the general population, the data suggest that blacks are about three times more likely to be killed by officers than whites†. These appalling numbers are probably on the rise. It seems that there is no escape for police brutality because it can happen to anyone not just African Americans or Caucasians. Although, mostly Africans Americans are targeted it can happen to any other race. Police officers feel because they are the law they can do whatever they please. They feel that they are above the law. My father, who is now deceased, was a victim of police brutality. It was about eight years ago when the Garden Grove police department of California barged in my dad’s apartment around three in the morning with a warrant. The first thing I remember was when he was slightly beaten with their hands to arrest him. My younger brother and I were watching the whole thing and the police new we were there. So how could they even think about doing this in front of us? I asked my father when I visited him in jail,† Why do cops treat people this way? † He simply said,’’ they think they are above the law and they have no respect for Mexicans†. (Ruben Paz). When he told me this I never liked police officers no matter who they were. I hated them with a passion. I assumed they were racist. This kind of police brutality may not have been that severe but the case with Rodney King it was without a doubt. One reason that this incident of police brutality is so famous is because it was captured on tape. Watching this tape may be hard to watch because it is obviously seen that Rodney is defenseless and has no weapon, yet he is surrounded by six or seven police officers that are beating him to death with their nightsticks. Many agree that this was no regular traffic stop. The police officers that took part in this brutality at first were not punished at all. That is what caused the riots because people were very angry that those police officers could get away with such a crime, especially because it was caught on videotape. Later, according to Los Angeles Times, after taking a second look at the tape, two officers were sentenced to prison for violating Rodney King’s rights. The aftermath of this videotape was that people were not safe. African Americans were afraid of police officers and knew they were a target every time. While driving, walking, or even standing on a corner they are a target no matter where they go. When a victim has evidence that a police officer had assaulted or beat them in some way, that is proof and all they need to convict the police officer. In many cases, when this is brought to court or police department the punishment they give the police officers for their brutality is verbal reprimands, reprimand letters, suspensions, or dismissals. These punishments should be harder depending on the severity of the case. For example, according to facts. com, a police officer was not charged for the brutality he caused on an innocent civilian. His only punishment was a couple days suspension and he was back to work. Many police officers get this type if treatment. It is rare that an actual police officer gets convicted and sentenced to jail. Police officers should serve time behind bars to teach them a lesson. They should be treated just like the rest of the civilians. One right punishment an officer received for his brutality is eighteen months in jail and three years of probation. Michael Singleton, which was a police officer for Maywood police Department in California, rammed a civilian’s head against a wall. The victim Jose Bernal was knocked unconscious, his nose was broken, and suffered temporary paralysis to one side of his face (Los Angeles Times). This type of punishment that Michael Singleton received is very rare because he was actually convicted. After so many cases reported of police brutality many cannot beat he system. Because police officers are above us in law we cannot win. We can if we have hard evidence o them, but sometimes even that cannot help us because of the corruption inside police departments. In order to decrease the amount of brutalities we have to first define the barriers of what is brutality and what is their job as police officers. Another way can result in more constant training and better use of force training and policies. When people are in trouble and the only number they can call for help is 911 we sometimes think about it twice before we call. How can we be afraid to even call the police department? Has it in fact changed the way we think about police officers? They are supposedly here to serve and protect but how can we believe that when they are committing crimes themselves? Police brutality is no joke. One question I have been asking myself for a very long time is, â€Å"Who can police the police? † it may not make sense but to me it does. How can they be trusted when they are the law? They should not be above it but they act as if they are. Of course not all police officers are bad. Some are police officers because they are here to serve and protect those that cannot protect themselves. It is safe to say that there are some good cops but more sure that there are more bad cops. It is a sad thing but only my opinion based on the experiences I have encountered with them. In the past I used to hate cops but I learned to know that some could be trusted. Even though, police brutality will never stop and that is a known fact, I will always keep my guard up. Works Cited Los Angeles Times. 18 October 2008.. â€Å"Police Brutality. †   Issues & Controversies On File   3 Oct. 2003. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services. 9 Apr. 2009   . â€Å"Police Corruption. †   Issues & Controversies On File   30 Apr. 2004. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services. 7 Apr. 2009   . Rodney King. 2007. video. 12 April 2009. .