Consumer Perception on Security in E-Commerce Portals

CONSUMER PERCEPTION ON SECURITY IN E-COMMERCE PORTALS ABSTRACT With the introduction of internet and e-commerce many companies have been performing their business transactions through e portals such as C2B (Consumer to Business), B2C (Business to Consumer) etc. Increasing technology changes has bought tremendous changes in online business transactions and /or processes (buying and selling) and currently this process has become common. Currently E-commerce portals are playing a vital role in online business and here most consumers have varying opinions or views on online transactions especially security, privacy and trust. Security and privacy are the two major aspects that drive online businesses which leads online consumers to develop†¦show more content†¦The level of satisfaction derived by a customer by a portal depends to a great extent on the authenticity and believability of the information offered by a portal (Bart et. al., 2005). Privacy Vs Freedom of Information Every individual has a right to retain the information of their own tax, medical and other government related documents and this highly sensitive and personalized information is not revealed by the hospitals/doctors, financial institutions, business parties or the government agencies to irrelevant third parties. The Capitalistic societies are trading with the personal data as a saleable commodity (Jan, 2005), resulting in the privacy and free market policies being at odds with each other. Advanced data management technologies have resulted in sophisticated â€Å"Consumer database and management systems† which in turn has become a fast growing and highly profitable business activity by itself. Data stored digitally has an indefinite span of life; because of which, consumers are apprehensive about their personal information being shared with unintended third parties (Warren amp; Brandies, 1890). In the present day context, the â€Å"rights to privacy† is directly conflic ting with the â€Å"freedom or the right to information† being implemented by various democratic societies (Udo, 2001). Protection of the individual personal identifiable information is covered under the privacy. This is one of the major key drivers of online trust. A person buying a system mayShow MoreRelatedBusiness Models in Ecom1049 Words   |  5 PagesOverview Lecture 2 E-Commerce Business Models Boriana Koleva bnk@cs.nott.ac.uk C54 Key components of e-commerce business models Major B2C business models Major B2B business models Business models in other emerging areas of e-commerce Benefits and Problems with E-Commerce E-commerce Business Models Business model – set of planned activities designed to result in a profit in a marketplace Business plan – document that describes a firm’s business model E-commerce business model – aims to use andRead MoreE Commerce And Consumer Attitudes1380 Words   |  6 Pagesof e-commerce in China has relatively been higher and faster than in the United States. This means that this revolution opens more opportunities for businesses like Yiwu Asu. It may also be predicated that the stronger global presence will be achieved by Yiwu Asu in the future. E-commerce and consumer attitudes/perceptions Since there is an amassing number and variety of business that exploit the opportunities presented by e-commerce, consumer attitude should be taken into account. The e-commerceRead MoreE Commerce And The Internet Essay1842 Words   |  8 Pages E-COMMERCE At first, the term ecommerce meant the process of execution of commercial transactions electronically with the help of the leading technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) which gave an opportunity for users to exchange business information and do electronic transactions. Electronic commerce is a term for any type of business, or commercial transaction that involves the transfer of information across the Internet. It covers a range ofRead MoreMobile Commerce: Literature Review2392 Words   |  10 PagesMobile Commerce: Literature Review Dr. Sudha Singh ( Associate Professor, PG Department of Computer Science and Engineering, BCET, Durgapur.) The m-commerce (MC) is an evolving, dynamic, unique and rapidly changing business opportunity with its own characteristics and concept (Lindsay, 2000). Many industry experts believe that m-commerce is a sleeping giant whose time has yet to come (Buhan, 2002). E-commerce benefited many organizations by reducing supplier cost and increasing profit. E-commerceRead MoreOnline Shopping Habits1389 Words   |  6 Pagesshopping or online retailing is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser. Alternative names are: e-shop, e-store, Internet shop, web-shop, web-store, online store, and virtual store. An online shop evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a bricks-and-mortar retailer or shopping center; the process is called business-to-consumer (B2C) online shopping. In the case where a businessRead MoreEthical Ethics And Ethical Hacking968 Words   |  4 Pageshacker. â⠂¬Å"A hacker is an individual who intends to gain unauthorized access to a computer system† (Laudon Traver, 2015). Oxford Dictionaries defines an ethical hacker as â€Å"a person who hacks into a computer network in order to test or evaluate its security, rather than with malicious or criminal intent† (Ethical Hacker, n.d.). In other words, an ethical hacker aims to discover if any vulnerabilities exist in the system so the vulnerabilities can be fixed before a malicious hacker can exploit them.Read MoreComparison of Online and Offline Retail Environment of Car Industry2505 Words   |  11 PagesThe offline retail environment of the automobile industry is that of manufacture to intermediary to consumer. The process from which the product (car) proceeds from manufacturer to consumer is that of through the automobile dealer. This intermediary batch purchases a number of models from the manufacturer and sells them from the ‘lot’ or storefront. This placem ent and presentation of the product has proved largely successful. The tangible product is viewed, test driven and purchased from theRead MoreEcom 320 - Assign 12854 Words   |  12 PagesQuestions (30 marks total) Answer each question in one to two paragraphs. 1. What are the major differences between pure play e-commerce and bricks-and-clicks operations? What are the benefits and limitations of each? (5 marks) Pure play e-commerce are virtual retailers that sell directly to consumers over the Internet without maintain a physical sales channel. Virtual e-tailers have the advantage of low overhead costs and streamlined processes. 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The Effect Of Aging On Neural Cells - 1425 Words

The Effect of Aging on Neural Cells Introduction: Neurogenesis is defined as the creation of new brain cells. Before studies proved that neural cells do have the capacity to proliferate and repair themselves, it was often believed that species are born with a distinct amount of neural cells and as time passes, these cells would die without the ability to be healed or replaced. It was thought that the cells were mainly formed during the embryonic and perinatal stages in the mammals (Ming and Song, 2005). The first piece of evidence that proved that neural cells can be formed throughout the life of a mammal was found by Altman. He found that there were newly formed granule cells in a postnatal rat hippocampus (Altman and Das, 1965). In humans, there are two main regions that were found to have an active amount of neurogenesis. One is the subgranular zone (SGZ) which is located in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. It is here that new dentate granule cells are generated. The other is the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the late ral ventricles. Neurons are generated in this area and are migrated through the rostral migratory system (RMS) to the olfactory bulbs where they become interneurons (Gage, 2000). A question scientists continuously investigate is whether or not there is a decrease in an organism’s ability to regenerate and repair neural cells as they age, and if this there is a limit on their ability to regenerate these cells, are there genes or proteins thatShow MoreRelatedStem Cell Aging1894 Words   |  8 PagesStem cell aging is still a controversial topic among scientists. One of the most popular explanations of stem cell aging is defined by the decrease in ability to proliferate or self-renew. Cell regulation mechanisms that have been related to aging are senescence and apoptosis. Leading evidence has identified the relationship between p16INK4a, a tumor suppressor protein, and aging in neural stem cells. 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Succubus Heat CHAPTER 10 Free Essays

string(47) " a little north of it, the traffic cleared up\." Dante promptly passed out after sex later that night, but I stayed awake for a while. Rolling over at last, I turned my back to him and stared at my bedside table. I’d set Seth’s book there, and now its spine stared out at me, like we were having a showdown to see who would look away first. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Heat CHAPTER 10 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Seth had given it to me as a gift, possibly a peace offering, yet I was afraid of it, afraid of how I might feel if I opened it. After ten minutes of staring, I finally reached for the book and scooted closer to the bed’s edge so that I could get more light from my tiny reading lamp. Curling onto my side, I took a deep breath and opened up All Fools Night . First came the title page, then the dedication: For my niece Brandy, who dreams of great things and will achieve greater ones still . It was embarrassing, but I had almost for a moment speculated whether he might have dedicated the book to me. He’d finished it right around the time we first started dating, but he’d been editing and making small changes right up until the time we broke up. It was vanity, I supposed, to think there might be some sign of my time with Seth in the book. Yet, when I turned the page, I wondered. Before the first chapter, Seth always had a quote, something from a speech or possibly a verse from a poem that was relevant to the book. This was from a song: And if I only could I’d make a deal with God And I’d get Him to swap our places – â€Å"Running Up That Hill,† by Kate Bush I read the lyrics a couple of times, wondering if there was more to them or if I just wanted there to be more to them. I’d heard the song a long time ago, and it had had that poppy synth feel so common to music in the 1980s. I didn’t recall this particular part. Finally, dragging my eyes away, I moved onto the heart of the book. Before meeting Seth, I’d rationed myself while reading his novels. I would only read five pages a day because I’d wanted to prolong the sweetness of that first reading. When something was really good, it was easy to dive into it, and before you knew it, the moment was gone. You’d burned through it. I experienced that too frequently in my long existence, and a strict reading schedule was a weak attempt to slow things down. When I settled into this book, though, I didn’t really have a plan, and before long, I knew stopping at five pages was impossible. It was exquisite. While he had a few self-standing novels, this series-Cady and O’Neill-was his flagship one. At its basic level, this was just a mystery book, yet there was a wonderful, lyrical quality to Seth’s writing that elevated him above the genre ghetto. Sure, there was action and a trail of clues, but his characters were also evolving, always growing in ways both wonderful and heartbreaking. Seth had a way of describing their feelings and their reactions in a style that was so real, it resonated with my own life and left an ache in my chest. Whether that was for his art or for the man himself, I couldn’t say. It was only when Dante rolled over that I’d realized I’d been sniffling. â€Å"Are you crying, succubus?† â€Å"It’s this book,† I said. I had just read a section where Cady and O’Neill were having a profound talk about life, and O’Neill had commented that all people were seeking both damnation and forgiveness, needing each to make sense of their existence. I was crying because it was true and because Seth had known it was true. â€Å"There are a lot of things to cry about in this world,† Dante said through a yawn. â€Å"Not sure a book should be one of them.† The clock read 4 a.m. by that point, and my eyes were bleary from tears and a need to sleep. I put down Seth’s book-which I was now more than half-way through-and turned off the light. Dante shifted and threw an arm around me, resting his chin on my shoulder. His breathing grew heavy and regular, and before long, I joined him in sleep. The phone woke me up at an ungodly hour later in the morning. Dante was gone already. I found that surprising, but seeing as he hadn’t gotten three hours of sleep, it might not have been that much of a leap. â€Å"Hello?† Finding the phone had been feat enough, let alone checking the caller ID. A frantic voice answered me. â€Å"Georgina? This is Blake.† â€Å"Blake?† I didn’t think I knew any Blake. â€Å"Don’t tell me you forgot about us?† He pronounced â€Å"about† as â€Å"aboot,† and it came back to me through my sleep-addled brain. â€Å"Oh, God. I’m sorry. Blake. From the Army.† Him calling me couldn’t be a good sign. I sat up straighter in bed. â€Å"What’s going on?† â€Å"They’re doing something today†¦I’m not supposed to tell anyone, but I’m worried. I don’t know much, except that it’s big.† I was up and moving now, clothes and hair shape-shifting as I walked. â€Å"Do you have anything else? A time or place?† â€Å"Not yet. Evan’s being really secretive about what he’s telling us. He says the Angel wants it to be a need-to-know-thing and that we won’t find out the details until the absolute last minute.† â€Å"Fuck.† I suspected the Angel was also trying to limit my knowledge as well. Flattering, but frustrating. â€Å"Okay, well, listen, I’m in Seattle, but I’m getting on the road right now. I should be there in two hours.† â€Å"You can’t get up here in two hours,† he said incredulously. â€Å"I can if I don’t drive the speed limit.† There was a bit of congestion within the city itself, but once I got a little north of it, the traffic cleared up. You read "Succubus Heat CHAPTER 10" in category "Essay examples" It was the morning commute; everyone wanted to get into Seattle. Once I had clear highway ahead of me, I dialed Cedric. I knew he wasn’t going to like my lack of information, but considering how angry he’d been after last time, I had to at least make the attempt here to keep myself out of trouble. It was Kristin who answered. â€Å"He’s having breakfast right now,† she told me. â€Å"It’s kind of a special time for him. He doesn’t like to be disturbed.† There was an anxious tone to her voice, and I could almost picture her arranging a breakfast tray just-so for him. â€Å"Yeah, well, he might be disturbed whether he likes it or not.† I told her what Blake had said, and her response was similar to mine. â€Å"That’s all you’ve got?† â€Å"Their Angel’s working on a need-to-know basis now,† I said bitterly. â€Å"I’ll let you know more when I learn more. I just figured Cedric should know.† She sighed. â€Å"You’re right. Thanks. Man, this is going to piss him off. He’ll have no appetite at all.† I made the drive in the two hours I’d quoted Blake and miraculously didn’t get pulled over. I hadn’t heard from him the entire time, so I dialed him once I was over the border and buying coffee. I’d found a Starbucks and took a secret thrill in defying the Tim Hortons domination. Except†¦once I had the coffee in hand, I decided a donut would be really good with it, so I walked over and got one from the Tim’s across the street. Blake didn’t answer, so I tried Evan next and also got no answer. Frustrated, I drove over to Evan’s house and knocked on the door for a while. I was nearly on the verge of climbing in through a back window when my phone rang again-and ironically, it was Evan himself. â€Å"Georgina!† he exclaimed, sounding ecstatic. â€Å"Where are you? We need you here.† â€Å"Where are you ?† I demanded. â€Å"On the observation deck,† he said. â€Å"Observation deck of what?† â€Å"The Space Needle. You live close by, don’t you?† I nearly dropped the phone. â€Å"You’re in Seattle ?† â€Å"Yeah!† I could perfectly picture that eager, zealous look of his. â€Å"Cool, huh? The Angel wanted us to expand our message. So, we’re all up here with these banners that we’re going to unfurl at the same time, and then we’ve got a few more surprises to-â€Å" â€Å"Evan,† I begged, sprinting toward my car. â€Å"Don’t do it. You’re stirring up more trouble than you realize.† â€Å"That’s the point!† he chuckled. â€Å"How long until you can be here?† Once I told him I wasn’t in the city, he lost interest, and my pleas became meaningless. As soon as we disconnected, I dialed Cedric, expecting to get Kristin. Instead, I got his voice mail. Somehow, that made me angry. â€Å"Cedric, this is Georgina. The Army isn’t doing their thing here-they’re down in Seattle right now. I hope you finally believe I didn’t have anything to do with their stupid plans now! When Jerome finds out, it’s going to be my ass on the line, and knowing my luck, he’ll think you and I are working together.† Yes, this was one of those situations in which there was no way I could win. I was going to get in trouble no matter what I did, but again, I had to attempt damage control. Jerome had a cell phone that he never answered and didn’t even have voice mail for. Hugh was the best way to get a hold of him-but he didn’t pick up either. â€Å"Damn it!† I cried into his phone. â€Å"Doesn’t anyone answer their fucking phones anymore?† I gave him a hasty recap of what was happening and told him to let Jerome or one of the demonesses know about the cult’s plans, or else Jerome was going to get the same scrutiny from the higher-ups that Cedric had been getting. After that, there was nothing left for me to do except hit the road to Seattle again-something I was not happy about. Fortunately, I was fully outside the commuting times now and again could enjoy easy driving as I zipped down I-5 at 75. Pretty Hate Machine blared on my speakers and was oddly soothing to my agitated mood. I eventually fell into that trance-like state drivers often get, with one part of my brain watching the road and the other frantically wondering if my warning had reached any of the Seattle demons in time to intercept the Army. I had just cleared Everett, about a half-hour outside of Seattle, when it hit me. A jolt of electricity shot through my body, making the world spin and my vision blur. I felt hot all over. My hands slipped on the wheel, nearly causing me to swerve into the neighboring lane. I had just enough bearings to slam on my hazard lights and pull off on the shoulder before I hit someone. A wave of nausea rolled through my stomach, then settled down, then swept through me again. Shifting the car into park, I put my head down on the steering wheel, hoping for some clarity. There was a buzzing in my ears, and my whole body shook. What the hell? I didn’t get sick. Ever. The only thing that could really affect me like this was drinking too much or indulging in other substances. I’d had food poisoning a couple of times, but it had been short-lived, and somehow I doubted that donut I’d had was doing this to me. I lifted my head up a little, but the world kept rocking. Closing my eyes, I rested my cheek against the steering wheel and took a few deep breaths, hoping I wouldn’t throw up. I had no idea what was going on here, but it would pass. It had to pass. And it did-a little. I don’t know how long I sat like that, maybe about fifteen minutes, but the next time I dared a peek up, the dizziness had lessened. The nausea was still there, but it too had dropped to a lower level. Deciding to risk it, I turned back onto I-5, anxious to finish my drive to the city and figure out what was wrong with me. I made it back to town without causing an accident and nearly fell over trying to make it up my building’s stairs. I didn’t even bother with my suitcase and simply left it in the car. Once in my apartment, I headed straight for my room and crashed on the bed. Aubrey joined me and peered curiously at my face. I gave her a few pets, then let my hand slip down as I fell asleep, too weak to hold it up any longer. I woke up almost two hours later, shaken out of sleep by knocking at my door. I sat up, relieved to find my stomach had settled. The light-headedness had also gone away. Maybe the donut had been defective after all†¦and yet, I had this weird feeling-this tiny, nagging suspicion-that something wasn’t right. Only, I had no clue or evidence as to what it was. Ignoring it for now, I stumbled out to the living room and opened my door, not even bothering to look out the peephole. Cody and Peter stood there, both of them grinning from ear to ear. â€Å"What do you want?† I asked, stepping aside for them when the door opened. â€Å"I was sleeping.† â€Å"I can tell by your hair,† said Peter, flouncing on my couch. â€Å"And what are you doing asleep? It’s the middle of the day.† Still groggy, I squinted at my clock. It was a little after three. â€Å"Yeah, I know. I didn’t feel good. It’s weird. I just suddenly felt wiped out and dizzy.† That smile had never left Cody’s face. He sat beside Peter. â€Å"How do you feel now?† I shrugged and settled onto my loveseat. â€Å"Fine, I guess. A little tired, but the worst is over.† That nondescript something isn’t right here feeling was still with me, though. â€Å"You shouldn’t be cooped up inside,† said Peter. â€Å"It’s a great day.† â€Å"Look at all the sun,† agreed Cody. â€Å"It’s like summer came early.† I followed his gaze to the window. Warm golden light spilled in onto my floor, much to Aubrey’s delight, and beyond the neighboring building, I could see blue sky. Still, I wasn’t impressed. â€Å"We’re barely into spring. This is a fluke. It’ll probably be cold tomorrow.† Peter shook his head. â€Å"You sure are grumpy when you wake up.† They both seemed so absurdly pleased with themselves, and I couldn’t figure out why. â€Å"Maybe you should get outside,† said Cody, exchanging smirks with Peter. â€Å"We were going to go for a walk after this. It might cheer you up.† â€Å"Yup. Nothing like a bright, sunny afternoon to perk up the old spirits.† Peter’s grin grew even bigger. I leaned my head back against the loveseat. â€Å"Okay, okay. What’s the joke I’m missing here?† â€Å"No joke,† said Peter. â€Å"We just think it’s a great day.† â€Å"A beautiful, sunny day,† Cody concurred. â€Å"Will you two stop already? I get it. It’s a nice day. The sun is out the, the birds are singing-â€Å" I stopped. I felt my eyes go wide. I looked at the smirking vampires, then looked at the sun-filled world outside, and then looked back at them. I swallowed. â€Å"How,† I asked quietly, â€Å"are you guys out in the middle of the day?† Their pent-up mirth exploded, and they both dissolved into laughter. I felt wide awake now. â€Å"I’m serious! What’s going on? You can’t be out in daylight, and how-wait. I didn’t sense you guys at the door. I still can’t sense you.† â€Å"I know,† said Cody. â€Å"Isn’t it crazy?† â€Å"No! Well, I mean, yes. But it’s not†¦it’s not supposed to happen,† I argued. I didn’t understand how they could find this so entertaining. Something was wrong. Very wrong. All the drama with the Army was gone from my mind. That niggling worry that I’d woken up with turned into a hard knot of fear. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I’d gone cold all over. â€Å"How is this possible? The sun should fry you.† â€Å"Hell if we know,† said Peter. â€Å"We were in our coffins and then just suddenly†¦woke up. We got out, and there we were. Out and about in the middle of the day. You know what else? I don’t want blood. No desire whatsoever. Not even a drop.† â€Å"And so what, you guys just decide to go stroll around and enjoy the day? You didn’t contact Jerome? You didn’t question the fact that something has seriously altered your immortal existence?† A mischievous look crossed Peter’s face. â€Å"Not just us, Georgina.† They both watched me expectantly. â€Å"Don’t look at me like that,† I told them. â€Å"I’ve always been able to go out in the sun.† â€Å"You don’t have a signature either. We can’t sense you,† said Cody. I stared at them for several heavy seconds, trying to parse the meaning here. An uneasy feeling began building in my stomach as I recognized their implication-except what they were implying was impossible. Unthinkable. â€Å"You’re wrong,† I said. Slowly, carefully, I touched my face. It was exactly the same as it had been this morning. My build was the same. My height was the same. I was still me. I exhaled with relief. â€Å"I’m the same.† Peter’s eyes danced. â€Å"Fix your hair. It’s a mess.† Shape-shifting is an instinct for a succubus or incubus, practically subconscious. It’s like tightening a muscle or taking a deep breath. You barely think about it, send the message from your brain, and it happens. So, I thought about my hair, willing it to smooth out and tidy itself into a ponytail. There was usually a slight tingle when that happened, resulting from the burn of using up a piece of my stored energy. And of course, there was always the tangible evidence-the actual change of my appearance. This time, there was nothing. No tingle. No hair movement. Peter leaned forward. â€Å"Ooh, it did happen to you! You’re the same. None of us are working.† â€Å"No,† I said frantically. â€Å"That’s not possible.† I tried again, willing my hair to change-to turn a different color, grow short, restyle itself†¦but there was nothing. I tried to shift my clothes, urging my jeans and Henley to become a slip dress. Or maybe a track suit. I even attempted to make my clothes disappear altogether. Nothing happened. Nothing . In pure desperation, I did the unthinkable: I tried to give up the unconscious hold I always maintained in order to keep a form that wasn’t my natural one. I let go of all control, allowing my body to shift back to the one I was born with, the one my essence always wanted to return to-the one I fought very, very hard to hide from the world. Nothing happened. I stayed the same. I couldn’t shape-shift. It was like having my arm cut off. Until that moment, I didn’t realize how much of my self was tied into shape-shifting. As a mortal, the power had been unimaginable. After having it for a millennium and a half, it had become part of me, and its absence was now unbearable. I didn’t have to see my face to know I wore pure panic. Peter and Cody were still laughing. I shot up, incredulous. â€Å"This isn’t funny,† I cried. â€Å"We have to talk to Jerome. Now. There’s something seriously wrong with us!† â€Å"Or right,† suggested Cody. â€Å"Why do you think this is a joke?† â€Å"We don’t,† said Peter calmly. Underneath his mirth, I saw the tiniest bit of concern in his eyes, concern he was clearly trying to ignore for now. â€Å"We just think it’s cool. You don’t think Jerome already knows about this? Whatever it is, they’ll fix it soon enough. Nothing we can change.† The tirade I was about to unleash on them was interrupted by more knocking. Just like with the vampires, I sensed no immortal signature. Anyone could have been at my door. Yet, peering out the peephole, I saw Hugh. I let him in, feeling relieved. Hugh would sort this out. He always knew what was going on since he and Jerome maintained such constant communication. Hugh’s confidence and typical know-it-all air would fix everything. Instead, he looked miserable. Dejected. He trudged in and dropped onto where I’d just been sitting. He put his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands. â€Å"Hey, Hugh,† said Cody. â€Å"Isn’t it a great day?† I knelt down on the floor in front of Hugh, so I could look straight into his eyes. â€Å"Hugh, what’s going on?† He simply stared at me, dark eyes mournful and bleak. I’d seen Hugh angry, elated, and exasperated over the years, but I’d never seen him depressed. It would have bothered me, if not for the fact we had a few other things to worry about than his hurt feelings just now. â€Å"Hugh! We’ve all lost our†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned, not sure what to call it. Powers? That sounded too Justice League. â€Å"†¦abilities.† â€Å"I know,† he said at last. â€Å"So have I.† â€Å"What powers did you even have?† asked Cody, apparently not minding the superhero comparison. â€Å"Multitasking?† teased Peter. â€Å"The ability to balance books and collate?† I shot him a quick glare over my shoulder and then glanced at Cody to explain. â€Å"Imps see souls-everyone’s life energy. They can tell whose soul is good and whose is bad.† â€Å"I know that,† said Cody. â€Å"I just thought there was†¦more.† Hugh sighed. â€Å"You can’t imagine it, Georgina. Not having that ability now. It’s like losing one of my senses. Or going colorblind.† â€Å"I know exactly what you mean,† I told him. â€Å"Not likely. When you can’t see energy and souls around living beings, the world is so†¦empty. It’s dull.† â€Å"Why did it happen?† I asked gently, trying my best to squelch my own escalating fear. Internally, I was still reeling. My shape-shifting was gone. My immortal signature was gone. The marks that defined me as Georgina Kincaid, succubus, were gone. â€Å"What’s going on?† Hugh’s eyes were still sad and unfocused, but finally, he looked at me and studied my face, like he’d just noticed me in front of him. â€Å"We get our various gifts and immortality for selling our souls,† he began slowly. â€Å"Those unique abilities-and their side effects-come from our contract with Hell and are filtered through our archdemons. It’s what lets them keep track of us. We’re†¦connected†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned, grasping at how to best explain the system through which Hell managed its employees. â€Å"I know what you’re talking about,† I said. Cedric would know if I crossed into his territory simply because he could sense me when I was close enough. Jerome, so long as he was my supervisor, knew where I was at all times and if I was hurt. He was always aware of me, always tied to me. â€Å"Our†¦powers†¦are transmitted from Hell, through Jerome, to us.† â€Å"Right,† Hugh said. I waited for more, but that seemed to be all he had to say. â€Å"Right what? Why are our abilities gone?† A bit of the normal Hugh exasperation glinted in his eyes. â€Å"Because Jerome is gone.† â€Å"Jerome’s gone all the time,† Peter said. â€Å"We can never get a hold of him. We can’t get a hold of him now.† Hugh shook his head. â€Å"You aren’t getting it. When I say gone, I don’t mean hiding from us at a bar. I mean gone . Vanished. Disappeared. Might as well not exist for all intents and purposes. No one knows where he is. Not our side, not the other side. He. Is. Gone.† Dead silence hung around us for what felt like an eternity. And that was saying something. Peter’s voice was hard to hear when he finally spoke. â€Å"And as long as he’s gone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦then so are our abilities,† I finished. How to cite Succubus Heat CHAPTER 10, Essay examples

Scheduling Strategy

Question: Which Scheduling strategy would you recommend for this new operating system? Please provide reasons to support your recommendation? Answer: Consider first that I've been a day by day iPad client since the day the tablet propelled. I've never had much liking for MacOS and Apple desktops, yet I have actually utilized either the iPad, iPad 2 or new iPad consistently since April 3, 2010. Tablets work for me. Touch route meets expectations for me. What's more, the iPad has worked for mein spite of the way that its never helped me do any genuine work. Anyhow now there's a genuine distinct option for the iPad in my life. Throughout the previous couple of weeks, I've been playing with different Windows 8 tablets, including, yes, the new Surface RT, which I took for a twist on Microsoft's Redmond grounds recently. Windows 8 tablets are the genuine article, individuals, and their novel charms attach straightforwardly back to the new OS. Presently, don't imagine it any other way: Navigating the Windows 8 touch interface includes a precarious expectation to absorb information. The new touch motions aren't natural, and this alone cedes critical ground to iOS, which is so basic, ranch creatures could likely make sense of it. Anyway as with numerous vexing programming interfaces (think Photoshop or Excel), awesome force is frequently bolted inside apparently enigmatic UI. A Unix document is simply a huge pack of bytes, with no different qualities. Specifically, there is no ability to store data about the document sort or a pointer to a related application program outside the record's real information. All the more by and large, everything is a byte stream; even equipment gadgets are byte streams. This illustration was an enormous achievement of right on time Unix, and a genuine propel over a world in which (for instance) aggregated projects couldn't create yield that could be bolstered back to the compiler. Pipes and shell programming sprang from this allegory. At the same time Unix's byte-stream representation is central to the point that Unix experiences difficulty coordinating programming articles with operations that don't fit perfectly into the byte stream or record collection of operations (make, open, read, compose, erase). This is particularly an issue for GUI protests, for example, symbols, windows, and "live" records. Inside an established Unix model of the world, the best way to expand the everything-is-a-byte-stream analogy is through ioctl calls, a famously appalling accumulation of secondary passages into bit space. Enthusiasts of the Macintosh group of working frameworks have a tendency to be vociferous about this. They advocate a model in which a solitary filename may have both information and asset 'forks', the information fork relating to the Unix byte stream and the asset fork being an accumulation of name/worth sets. Unix partisans lean toward methodologies that make document information delineating toward oneself so that adequately the same kind of metadata is put away inside the record. The issue with the Unix methodology is that each system that composes the document needs to think about it. Subsequently, for instance, on the off chance that we need the document to convey sort data inside it, each instrument that touches it needs to fare thee well to either safeguard the sort field unaltered or translate and afterward revise it. While this would be hypothetically conceivable to orchestrate, by and by it would be excessively delicate. Then again, supporting document qualities brings up clumsy issues about which record operations ought to safeguard them. It's unmistakable that a duplicate of a named record to another name ought to duplicate the source document's traits and additionally its information however assume we cat(1) the document, diverting the yield of cat(1) to another name? The response to this inquiry relies on upon whether the qualities are really properties of filenames or are in some enchanted route packaged with the record's information as a kind of undetectable introduction or postamble. At that point the inquiry gets to be: Which operations make the properties noticeable. In registering, multitasking is a system where various undertakings (otherwise called courses of action) are performed amid the same time of time they are executed simultaneously (in covering time periods, new assignments beginning before others have finished) rather than consecutively (one finishing before the following begins). The undertakings offer basic transforming assets, for example, focal preparing units (CPUs) and principle memory. Multitasking does not so much imply that various assignments are executing at precisely the same moment. As it were, multitasking does not suggest parallel execution, yet it does imply that more than one undertaking can be part-path through execution in the meantime, and that more than one assignment is propelling over a given time of time. References: Belay, A., Prekas, G., Klimovic, A., Grossman, S., Kozyrakis, C., Bugnion, E. (2014, October). IX: A protected dataplane operating system for high throughput and low latency. In11th USENIX Symposium on Operating Systems Design and Implementation (OSDI 14),(Broomfield, CO)(pp. 49-65) Andrews, C. A., Huber, G. D., Lo, Y. C., Swierk, T. (2015).U.S. Patent No. 20,150,082,012. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Hodson, O. T., Hunt, G. C., Nightingale, E. B. (2014).U.S. Patent No. 8,776,088. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Abortion Essays (670 words) - Human Pregnancy, Midwifery

Abortion Essays (670 words) - Human Pregnancy, Midwifery Abortion Wim Van de Keere English comp I Prof. Fjordbotten A matter of life and death About 29 years ago, Norma McCorvey, who then adopted the pseudonym Jane Roe, became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit to challenge the strict anti-abortion laws in Texas. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, which handed down its controversial ruling on January 22, 1973. The decision legalized abortion in all fifty states and sparked a sociopolitical debate that remains charged to this day. However, McCorvey never had an abortion and eventually gave away the child for adoption. In 1995, she converted to Christianity and became a fervent adversary of abortion. The woman who had fought for women to have the freedom to decide what to do with their bodies came to see pro-abortionists as killers. Lets first take a look at some of the circumstances in which people may decide to abort a child. I think its a misconception to think that people will only opt for abortion in cases of unplanned parenthood. Todays technology enables us to see at a very early stage of the pregnancy if the baby is in good health. If tests show that something is wrong and that the baby will never be able to survive or will only grow to be a certain age, parents often have a very difficult decision to make. In these cases, I think that parents definitely have the right to opt for abortion. I find it sad that, while those people go through a living hell, they are judged for their actions, often by people who obviously havent been in their situation and judge them as killers who took an innocent life. Its far more complex than that. Unwanted pregnancies remain the main reason to opt for abortion. Here again, the matter is very complex and there isnt a solution that is valid in every situation. If the pregnancy is the result of rape or sexual abuse, there should be no discussion. The victim has the right to choose for abortion. Mostly, unwanted pregnancies are the result of unsafe sex. In these cases, I feel that the mother has the right to decide what she is going to do with the baby, as young men often dont want to take the responsibility for their actions. If they do, then the couple should decide together. An important aspect of the decision is financial security. If you decide to have the child, you have to be certain that you will be able provide clothes and food for it. If not, I think that abortion is an acceptable solution. Hopefully, these young people will have learnt a valuable lesson from this predicament. The support of parents - or lack thereof - also plays an important role in the decision-making process. If they are supportive and want to help the young mother to the best of their abilities, the decision becomes a lot easier. I dont think, however, that abortion should be seen as some kind of safety valve. People confronted with unwanted pregnancies shouldnt think that they can have sex without contraceptives and if they get pregnant, theyll just have the fetus aborted. Thats a totally wrong and regrettable mentality that I see too often among young people nowadays. And if not to prevent pregnancy, they should at least use contraceptives to prevent attracting STDs. Undoubtedly, there will always be people who are in favor of abortion and others who are against it. Religious beliefs will keep playing an important role in the debate. However, I dont think that people who opt for abortion should be seen as killers. If you are not sure that you will be able to provide a secure future for the child or if the pregnancy is a result of sexual abuse, there are sufficient grounds for abortion. I feel that people who do opt for abortion shouldnt be judged for their actions. To form an opinion of people, one should have all the facts. Unfortunately, that is often not the case.

The Arts and Crafts movement Essay Example

The Arts and Crafts movement Essay Example The Arts and Crafts movement Paper The Arts and Crafts movement Paper In this essay I will describe the Arts and Crafts movement and how it evolved. It began during a period of unrest within Britain in the post-industrial revolution times. The movement served to bring basic crafts, which we take to be artist skills today, to a level of the fine arts of painting. We accept that crafts such as textiles, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery making and woodwork are large areas of art on the same level as painting and sculpture. This did not occur however until the late nineteenth century when the Arts and Crafts movement began. The major influences on this movement were the writings of William Morris and John Ruskin. Not only did this movement do this wonderful thing for the art world it also introduced new themes such as the study of the ancient art of different civilisations such as Japanese, Islamic, and Celtic. The Arts and Crafts movement began around the 1870s and 80s mainly in England. It later filtered into Ireland, the United States and continental Europe. It is not a movement of artists but of architects, jewellery makers, ceramicists and as a whole craftsmen. It was an attempt to reunite the artist and the craftsman. At the time industrialisation was in full swing and many household objects were being made in factories by machines. Art had gotten to the stage where it was experiencing the decorative excesses of the nineteenth century and works became a mismatch of styles resulting in them being overly flamboyant and vulgar1. The Arts and Crafts movement cannot be isolated to one specific style as it can be exotic and precious or homely and plain, however, there must be evidence of hand craftsmanship2. The movement served to raise the status of furniture, textiles, metalwork and ceramics from household items to works of art. The period was one of great prosperity and even complacency3. Artists and writers were increasingly dissatisfied with the aims and methods of the art that pleased the public4. There was a search for return to simplicity, quiet beauty and honesty of construction5. Critics of the time were unhappy with the ugliness and inequalities of industrialisation6. Proportion, simplicity of form, fitness for purpose, honesty to materials, the revival of lost craft techniques and the enhancement of natural textures are all elements which, added to hand-craftsmanship, combined to create the Arts and Crafts style7. The period had begun to see things like chairs being mass-produced and all looking the same because a machine had manufactured them with precision and to a given setting. There was no evidence of individuality compared to a carpenters craftsmanship. The character achieved by hand making an object is lost with no evidence of mistakes or flaws in the object. The new movement latched onto the ideal of a society regenerated by the values and skills of craftsmanship8. The workshop was seen as a more harmonious humanitarian place than the factories. With the movement came a desire for novelty or the exotic. This saw craftsmen looking to new areas for inspiration. These areas included the cultures of the west, countries such as Japan. The writings of John Ruskin and William Morris greatly influenced the movement. Ruskin and Morris had hoped that the regeneration of art could be brought about by a return to medieval conditions9. William Morris (1834 96) was an English craftsman, painter, poet, and socialist. He was educated at oxford10. He was an apprentice to an architect and in his spare time he wrote, modelled clay, sculpted wood and stone, illuminated manuscripts, and embroidered11. In 1861 he set up a company called Morris and Co. and they produced wallpaper, textiles, stained glass, tapestries, and furniture12. He also studied under John Ruskin; an art historian who believed that true art was expression of mans pleasure in his work and upheld the medieval period as an ideal13. He also believed that the essence of a human is to produce and be creative in their work and to remove one serves to weaken the other. It was from Ruskin that Morris built up most of his views. Morris captured the basis of Ruskins views when he said that the art of any epoch must of necessity be the expression of its social life, and that the social life of the middle ages allowed the workman freedom of individual expression, which on the other hand our social life forbids him. 14 That is, the rise in industrialisation had prevented the expression of the worker to be part of the piece being created. This occurred because all human interaction with the object had been excluded from the process.

Green Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Green Power - Essay Example Furthermore Green Power is associated with a cleaner environment devoid of pollution. The Green energy sources include wind, solar, biomass and water. Renewable energy plants can provide a constant flow of power which can be the greatest realization for humanity. Presently this is not the case. There is a clarion call across the world for the adoption of Green energy in a bid to conserve Mother Nature. Indeed, the call for these safer and non-pollutant forms of energy cannot really be emphasized. Several researches have demonstrated the great harm done across the world through the usage of oil and other forms of energy not classified under this category. In few countries across the world, Green Power contributes substantially toward the total national grid. However, in most countries, the consumption of green energy is still very limited to the extent of 2 to 5% for most developed countries. Such a trend worries considering that the world’s oil resources are running out at amazing rates. It certainly calls for alternative measures to be put in place in order to address the situation before issues go haywire. The greatest challenge facing the consumption of Green Power across the world is the already established infrastructure that serves the consumers. The incorporation of green energy into such infrastructures is normally a difficult affair. The centralized nature of most electricity grids in the world means that purchasing the Green energy from the producers becomes difficult. In the Netherlands, electricity companies are compelled to buy a given amount of the Green energy to supplement the national output and to serve clients who specifically opt for the green energy sources. The Green Power affair has become an important program across the world and people are called upon to join the bandwagon. Policy makers are giving many reasons on why such renewable sources of energy should greatly be adopted across the world. The amount of carbon

Ford Motor Group - Henry Ford Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ford Motor Group - Henry Ford - Lab Report Example Major points discussed in the report will be summarised at the end of the paper. 2.0 Findings Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford and it specialised in manufacturing automobiles. The company rose to prominence when it invented the Ford T model which attracted a lot of customers after being launched in the market. This inspired the founder to use his entrepreneurial skills to devise strategies that could improve the production process of the vehicle so as to be in a better position to gain a competitive advantage over other players in this particular case. The report will analyse the strategies used by the founder in order to establish the extent to which they contributed to the success of the company. 2.1 Entrepreneurship Basically, the concept of entrepreneurship can be defined as the process of searching the business environment to identify business opportunities for improvement or start-up enterprises to mobilise resources as well as to implement actions to maximi se these opportunities (Bowler, 1996). To a larger extent, it can be said that entrepreneurship is learnt behaviour where it can be seen that profitable business opportunities are realised after carefully scanning the environment. It is important to determine the strong and weak points before starting up a business. Henry invented the Ford car and he did not end there. He went on further to devise strategies that were to improve the production of the vehicles. The success of Ford Motor Company can be attributed to the founder’s outstanding leadership skills as well as the capability to devise strategies that could improve productivity. Henry Ford displayed great entrepreneurship skills when he invented the Model T vehicle. For instance, in 1913, he turned his attention to improving the manufacturing process in order to help meet the growing demand for the Model T car (Ford Motor Corporation, 2013). He implemented the technique that allowed workers to stay in one place and per form the same task repeatedly and it soon became the standard of production in the automobile industry. According to its official website, the strategy of moving the assembly line proved tremendously efficient and it helped the company to surpass the production levels of its competitors by far while making its vehicles more affordable. 2.2 Marketing Marketing is defined as the process used by marketers to satisfy the needs of the people in a profitable manner (Lamb et al, 2008). Essentially, marketing is concerned with satisfying the needs of the customers with the aid of using various tools in meeting the marketing mixes. It is therefore the responsibility of an entrepreneur to adapt a marketing strategy that effectively utilises the marketing mix in order to appeal to the interests of a certain group of potential buyers in the market targeted. This can be done through the effective utilization of the marketing mix so as to be in a position to attract as many customers as possible. Ford Motor Company uses various marketing strategies in order to satisfy the needs of different customers. For instance, the product is designed to suit different needs of the customers. According to its official website, the company offers a wide range of hybrid cars and these are designed to appeal to the interests of as many people as possible. The company makes an effort to keep pace with the changing demands and tastes of the consumers with

Critically evaluate Hope and Fraser's (1997) arguments and the reasons Essay

Critically evaluate Hope and Fraser's (1997) arguments and the reasons for their arguments - Essay Example After ascertaining this, the limits of the budget follows. A budget, to be useful to a manager at any level, must reflect the organization pattern. When plans are complete and coordinated very well to fit into the departmental operations, the department budget becomes useful as an instrument of control. Budgeting, Hope and Fraser (1997:22) argue, should be dispensed with because it: "strengthens the vertical chain of command and control rather than empowering managers. It constrains rather than increases flexibility and responsiveness. It reinforces departmental barriers rather than encouraging knowledge-sharing across the organization. It makes people feel undervalued as 'costs to be minimized' rather than assets to be developed. And it is bureaucratic, internally focused and time-consuming." That is quite a diatribe. Yet, it seems from anecdotal and other evidence that budgeting remains 'alive and well' in most organizations. First, there is a risk of overdoing the budget by way of spelling out minor expenses in detail that deprive managers of the needed freedom in managing their units. For instance, a department head in a poorly budgeted company was hampered in a very important sales promotion because expenditures for office equipment exceeded budgetary estimates. Such being the same, the new expenditures had to ... Such being the same, the new expenditures had to be limited, even though his total expenses in his unit where within the budget and he had funds to pay personnel for writing sales promotional letters. In another case, a department's expenses were budgeted in such less important details that the actual budgeting cost of many items exceeded far the controlled expenses. Another risk may lie in allowing budgetary goals to become more important than the organizational goals. As mentioned by Fraser, budgeting strengthens the vertical chain of command and control rather than empowering managers. Managers, in their desire to keep within limits, might forget that they owe loyalty to the organization's ideals and objectives. In one organization with a budgetary control program, the sales department could not get needed information from the medical department on the ground that the latter's budget would not stand such expenses. This conflict exists perhaps because there is no proper coordination; and normally, these are symptoms of inadequate management. Plans constitute a supporting and interlocking network and every plan should be clearly in a budget. It is interesting to note that it is often common for managers to say that an idea is good but it is rejected because it is not within the budget. Sometimes, budgets often control the wrong things. They measure inputs but ignore outputs such as the quality of the product or customer satisfaction. These items may be difficult to measure; yet they may be the key to success or failure of the enterprise. Some managers may no invest in research and development or invest in activities that will result eventually in greater market share because these investments normally do not show immediate results. It is wiser

McDonald’s Environmental Issues

McDonald’s Environmental Issues Introduction There is evidence of corporate sustainability, which is a balance of economic, social, and environment as a necessity for business (Dyllick and Hockerts, 2002). Additionally, companies caring about their environmental issue will not only benefit the environment but also the company itself. Consumers show preferences for green products and are willing to pay a premium price thus improve revenues (Peattie, 2001). While dealing with environmental impacts, corporates may find ways to reduce their costs and waste. Reputation could be earned at the same time (Bansal and Roth, 2000). As one of the worlds largest fast food chains, McDonald’s is criticized by environmentalists with many problems. It is vital for McDonald’s to identify its key issues and provide solutions. In this essay, McDonald’s impact on global warming and packaging waste as well as it responses will be discussed. Then, recommendations are drawn. McDonald’s environmental issues The main issue of McDonald’s negative impact on the environment is global warming resulting from greenhouse gas emissions from cows as well as damaging the rainforest for raising beef cattle and grains. For one thing, methane emitted from cattle is a major contributor of global warming. McDonald’s, as one of the world’s largest buyer of beef, is using 350000 cattle a year. With so many cows farting all day, they could produce a considerable amount of greenhouse gas. In the UK for example, 4% of the carbon emissions are the gas emitted by livestock (Day, 2010). For another, McDonald’s is causing the deforestation in the rain forest. McDonald’s often buys meats for its burgers from privatized farms. These privatized farms, however, are being blamed for not environmentally because the farmland they used to rear the cattle used to be a lush rainforest (Ecologist, 2010). In addition, trees in the rainforest are cut down for agricultural to grow grain for the livestock and poultry (Chew, 2001). According to Greenpeace, McDonald’s feed the chickens with the soybeans grown in the Amazon rainforest because those soybeans are cheaper (Astor, 2006). Therefore, McDonald’s is not only responsible for greenhouse gas emissions but destroying forests, which could help to address global warming. Global warming is an important issue for business as it could have negative impact on economies. McDonald’s should care about this because global warming would influence food supply and transportation, which are two main sectors for fast food industry. Regarding food, global warming may affect production of seafood and agricultural. The rising water temperature has damage the coral reef ecosystems, which are homes to many marine species. Loss of shelters is threatening the survival of coral reef fish. Crop production may also decline. For instance, in parts of Africa, growing season for crops is shortening due to the warmer and dryer weather (Grossman, 2013). Farmers may have to abandon their land that are too warm or too dry and invest in new areas. This causes problems of decreasing revenue as well as food productivity. Furthermore, transportations may face an increase in fuel cost because of climate-related policies. Since carbon dioxide emitted from burning oil contributes largely to global warming, governments are imposing taxes to fossil fuel and result in the price to rise (Grossman, 2013). Prices of biofuels are increasing as well due to the decline of crop production. For the society, global warming not only brings about economic impacts but social problems. People would have a greater chance of suffering from drought, floods, and other climate-related disasters (Stern, N., 2008). Thus, may lead to an increasing number of environmental refugees. The mass migrant is likely to trigger conflict with indigenous resident and even conflicts between countries (Hartmann, 2010). Packaging waste is another environmental problem McDonald’s should tackle with. Considering how much waste is created when getting a meal from McDonald’s: a wrapper for burger, a box for fries, a cup for drinks with a lid and a straw, napkins, and a bag for individual use. McDonald’s use tons of unnecessary packing everyday, which end up littering on the street and buried in landfills. Convenience and portability are the main reason for the packaging waste for fast food industry. As people now in busy modern lifestyle prefer easy and quick food, the amount of waste that fast food industry created therefore increased (Aarnio and Hamalainen, 2008). According to a survey in England, 29% of the litter on streets is the wrappers and cups from McDonald’s (Gray, 2009). McDonald’s should take action to reduce its packaging waste since waste generation could cause serious environmental pollution and put human health at rick. Within Europe, 50 million tons of packaging wastes are produce every year. To burn these huge amounts of waste may release some harmful chemicals into the air, which is harmful to people’s health. Landfilling, likewise, could lead to land pollution and kill underground animals that live there. Wastes may also flow to the ocean and become marine debris, harming marine life (Golub, 1996). Additionally, waste generation represents human’s â€Å"inefficient use of natural resources† (Scortar, 2013). 3. McDonald’s responses McDonald’s is alert of these issues and has announced several environmental initiatives to prove that it is trying to solve its environmental impacts. Concerning global warming, McDonald’s make efforts to reducing its impact on deforestation and carbon emission. Firstly McDonald’s promise not to buy soya grown in Amazon rainforest (Greenpeace, 2006). Deforestation for soya farming and cattle ranching in Amazon is one major driver for global warming. Studies have shown the relationship between soya production and deforestation rate in Amazon (Nepstad, Stickler and Almeida, 2006). McDonald’s approach to stop using soya from Amazon could reduce rainforest destruction and help mitigate global warming. To reduce carbon footprint, McDonald’s improves carbon efficiency by using energy-efficient equipment and low-energy lights in its restaurants (McDonald’s, 2013). According to Stern (2008), the mitigation in energy use is important as it has equal effect as agriculture and deforestation in contributing greenhouse gas emission. Moreover, McDonald’s had team up with E-CO2 project, a consultancy and energy auditing company, to measure cattle’s methane emission of its farms. E-CO2 project not only provide carbon assessment tool but also help farms to reduce emissions by using new technology on the farm (Day, 2010). Livestock account for 14.5% of human-caused global greenhouse gas emission. Hence it is critical to cut emission from livestock production. McDonald’s solution to this issue, which is changing farming techniques can be considered appropriate. According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the adoption of better techniques can cut as much as 30% of global warming gases (FAO, 2013). In 2014, the fast-food chain took another step to reduce carbon emission, announcing it would start purchase verified sustainable beef. Nevertheless, McDonald’s is criticized for not giving definition for sustainable and not providing what percentage will its meat come from those sources (Picchi, 2014). A more specific standard should be set up on selecting its meat suppliers. To deal with packaging waste issue, McDonald’s redesigned it’s packaging with sustainable materials and to be recyclable. In 2011, McDonald’s claimed that 82% of its packaging are made from renewable materials (Farmer, 2011). In the US restaurants, McDonald’s stop using polystyrene famed coffee cup and replace it with paper-based cups (Environment News Service, 2013). This approach could have positive effect on the marine environment. Foamed polystyrene is frequently used for fast food packaging. This foamed plastic, however, is non-sustainable and is not widely recycled. After littered, they may easily travel through gutters and end up in the ocean. It is the most common components of marine debris. When the polystyrene breaks down into small indigestible pellets, marine animals or birds may mistake them as food and eat them, which would lead to their death (Owens, Zhang, and Mihelcic, 2011). Although paper cups still have its own problems such as energy waste and the chemicals uses during the production, it is a recyclable recourse and will not exist in the environment for such long time as polystyrene does. Besides redesigning packaging, recycling programs are introduced. For example, 11 McDonald’s restaurants in the UK are recycling waste to turn them into electricity instead of sending them to landfills (Eccleston, 2008). Working with the Environmental Defense Fund help McDonald’s find ways to reuse and recycle packaging (Farmer, 2011). However, to reduce waste may be the may be a better solution than simply recycling. Despite that recycling reduces landfill use and conserves natural recourses, the process of recycling could generate other negative effects on the environment. Wastes needed to be sorted, collected and processed and this consumes a lot of energy. During the recycling, harmful chemicals may also release into the air (Berkin, Carrigan and Szmigin, 2007). Recycling may help ease the pollution of waste but mass consumption of unnecessary packaging is the key problem to packaging waste issue. McDonald’s should focus more on reducing the amount of waste i t produce. 4. Recommendations To make sure that it purchases meat from a sustainable resource, McDonald’s could create a code of conduct on how it selecting suppliers. The rules could be not buying beef that are raised on deforested land or acquire its suppliers to agree that they would improve and apply new methods of raising cattle and poultry which could be beneficial in reducing carbon emissions. Take IKEA for example, it set up an IKEA Way of Purchasing Home Furnishing Products (IWAY) which lists many requirements for its suppliers’ environmental behavior such as purchasing wood from forests that are managed in a sustainable way. Choosing suppliers following the IWAY enables IKEA to successfully obtain a sustainable supply chain (IKEA, 2011). By making a code of conduct, McDonald’s could have a clear standard on the requirements its suppliers should meet. Being stricter on choosing suppliers that contribute less to greenhouse gases and deforestation would help McDonald’s lowering its impact on global warming. McDonald’s should also invest in research and support its supplier to adopt other practices that are useful in cutting emission from livestock and pasture since the suppliers have limited financial resource in developing new techniques. Apart from using new technology, carbon sequestration in rangeland, change in cattle’s diet and agroforestry could have long-term benefits in reducing agriculture and livestock’s contribution to global warming. First of all, carbon sequestration in rangeland has great potential in mitigation of the impact of livestock production. This method can be done by planting deep-rooted pasture such as Brachiaria. It is estimated that Brachiaria can capture and store 29.5 t/ha more carbon than other pasture (Thornton and Herrero, 2009). Preventing overgrazing and adding nutrients from manure or fertilizer can also have positive effect on carbon storage (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2011). Diet improvement may further help to mitigate cows ’ methane emission. Reducing methane could be beneficial to the environment because methane is 23 times as powerful as CO2 at causing global warming (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2011). For instance, Beauchemin and McGinn (2005) suggest that a corn-based diet would decrease cattle’s greenhouse gas emission. In addition, adaptation of agroforestry could provide positive to the environment. The increasing of trees enables greater carbon sequestration. Agroforestry can also produce more digestible and nutritive crop and forage for cattle, which decrease methane production digestion (Thornton and Herrero, 2009). If McDonald’s could assist its suppliers in implementing new methods such as carbon sequestration, changing cow’s diet and turning into agroforestry system, it is likely to reduce carbon emissions more efficiently. In order to reduce packaging waste, using reusable containers and giving incentive to customer to provide their own cups may be two options for McDonald’s. McDonald’s can replace some of its packaging such as salad containers and coffee cups with reusable ones because recycling packaging including glass and paper are proved to be less environmental than reusable packaging (Van Dam, 1996). KFC has started using eco-friendly container in its US restaurants since 2010 and plans to replace paper boxes with reusable plastic plates (Environmental Leader, 2010). McDonald’s could also offer discounts to encourage customers to provide their own beverage bottle or coffee cups. For instance, consumers buying coffee in Starbucks will have a ten-cent discount if they bring their own cup. Moreover, Aydinliyim and Pangburn (2012) indicate that such campaign could help companies to increase profit. With the introduction of reusable containers and promotion, McDonald’s is possible to earn more while reducing waste at the same time. 5. Conclusion McDonald’s has been criticized for having bad influences on the environment. To provide meat for its food, McDonald’s indirectly causing deforestation in rainforest and greenhouse gas emission. In addition, McDonald’s use too much unnecessary packaging and many of them are non-recyclable and non-renewable. Thus, it can be concluded that the main environmental issues for McDonald’s are global warming and packaging waste generation. McDonald’s itself is aware of these issues and has made several strategies to solve the problem. By stop purchasing soybean in Amazon, improving carbon efficiency and using new farming techniques, McDonald’s could successfully reduce its impact on global warming. However, McDonald’s still cannot guarantee that its meat all come from sustainable recourse. With regard to packaging waste, McDonald’s redesign packaging with sustainable materials and start recycling programs while neglecting the importance of reducing waste generation. To better tackle with these issues, it is recommended that McDonald’s draw up a code of conduct for its supplier selection to work with farms and ranches that is not harming the forest. Furthermore, McDonald’s should monitor and support supplier to reduce impacts on carbon and methane emission. Practices including carbon sequestration, changing cattle’s diet and agroforestry may be useful. It is also important for McDonald’s to use reusable container and promote customers to bring their own containers by offering them discount to reduce packaging consumption. By doing so, McDonald’s could lower its negative effects on global warming and packaging waste.

Joseph Stalin :: essays research papers

Joseph Stalin’s official reign of terror ended with his death in 1953, but the effects of his autocratic rule continued for many years to follow. His lasting hold on the people of the former Soviet Union still lingers in a few brainwashed minds. In the article "Stalin’s Afterlife" and the movie "Russia’s War - Blood Upon the Snow", Stalin is portrayed as the monster really was and should be remembered as. It said in "Stalin’s Afterlife" that "Stalin’s policies created a holocaust greater than Hitler’s.", which unbelievably is true. The horror of the crimes Joseph Stalin committed against his own people is appalling. For example, Stalin’s plan for collectivization resulted in the death of twenty million people. The great five-year plan to turn the peasant farmers into one, huge farming community brought on famine, starvation and eventually death to twenty million peasant farmers. Another atrocity that Stalin was responsible for was the forced labor camps known as Gulags. "...the murderous forced labor camps of the Gulag archipelago - victimized tens of millions of innocent men, women, and children for more than 20 years." Millions of people were sent to the Gulag camps from 1939 through 1953, for the crime of doing absolutely nothing. There were "...eight million souls (a conservative estimate) who languished in Soviet concentration camps every year between 1939 and 1953." under the horrible conditions at the Gulags. Every year Stalin, in his paranoia sent millions of people off to their deaths. "Russia’s War - Blood Upon the Snow" brought into view a more detailed, personal account of Stalin’s atrocities. People recalling memories they had of what it was like to live under Stalin’s paranoid rule. During his five-year plans to become a more industrialized nation, Stalin had thousands of people forced into building the White Sea Canal. They were made to continue working until they dropped from exhaustion. When it was completed in 1933 the workers who were still left were drowned in the canal. Another paranoid act Stalin ordered to be carried out was the murder of over a thousand members of the seventeenth congress. When Stalin held a vote to elect who the general secretary would be, three hundred votes were against him. He feared that he would be overthrown by Sergei Kirov, who only received three votes against him. Joseph Stalin, over a short period had Kirov murdered as well as one thousand out of nineteen hundred sixty-six committee membe rs and ninety-eight out of one hundred and thirty-nine central committee members.