Solar Power Has a Future :: Solar Energy is the Future

This is NOT a paper. It is an Annotated Bibliography Plan: I want to look into solar energy and assess how likely it is to change American energy usage through the 21st century. This type of energy has worked well in Germany and should be greatly considered in the US. I think widespread usage of solar energy can prove a large step in solving our current energy crisis and assist in the current climate crisis at the same time. Outline I. Introduction A. The current energy system needs a new solution B. That solution may be solar energy C. Basics of how solar works/types of energy available D. Generally why solar is a great renewable energy resource II. The issues and solar energy A. More detailed explanation of how solar works than the brief explanation given in intro B. Photovoltaic cells C. Solar heating D. Biofuels E. How solar is the greenest energy source III. Challenges A. Technology is expensive B. The sun only shines part of the day and only on sunny days C. Batteries are needed to store energy for use at non-peak times D. Large scale production requires large amounts of land E. Current technology is very inefficient IV. Benefits A. Arguably the greenest energy source B. Technology pays for itself halfway through its lifespan C. Installing panels on your home or business allows you to sell that energy to the grid D. Rather simple for home usage E. Small scale units take up no space otherwise used V. Germany’s experience A. The government pushes solar greatly B. For a brief time on a June day 50% of the country’s energy was coming from solar energy C. Generally how they have been doing: pros and cons of their experience D. They are continuing to push for greater amounts of solar and other renewable energies VI. Governmental policies A. Pressure for utility companies to make a percentage of their energy come from solar B. Tax incentives C. Europe feels more pressure from the EU than felt in the US and they’re doing better at switching to renewables D. The US still lacks strong governmental policies to make the push toward solar and other renewables VII. Conclusions A. Solar is certainly a way to help solve the current energy crisis B. Solar alone will not become the new full scale energy provider C. It works best on a smaller scale especially for the individual Solar Power Has a Future :: Solar Energy is the Future This is NOT a paper. It is an Annotated Bibliography Plan: I want to look into solar energy and assess how likely it is to change American energy usage through the 21st century. This type of energy has worked well in Germany and should be greatly considered in the US. I think widespread usage of solar energy can prove a large step in solving our current energy crisis and assist in the current climate crisis at the same time. Outline I. Introduction A. The current energy system needs a new solution B. That solution may be solar energy C. Basics of how solar works/types of energy available D. Generally why solar is a great renewable energy resource II. The issues and solar energy A. More detailed explanation of how solar works than the brief explanation given in intro B. Photovoltaic cells C. Solar heating D. Biofuels E. How solar is the greenest energy source III. Challenges A. Technology is expensive B. The sun only shines part of the day and only on sunny days C. Batteries are needed to store energy for use at non-peak times D. Large scale production requires large amounts of land E. Current technology is very inefficient IV. Benefits A. Arguably the greenest energy source B. Technology pays for itself halfway through its lifespan C. Installing panels on your home or business allows you to sell that energy to the grid D. Rather simple for home usage E. Small scale units take up no space otherwise used V. Germany’s experience A. The government pushes solar greatly B. For a brief time on a June day 50% of the country’s energy was coming from solar energy C. Generally how they have been doing: pros and cons of their experience D. They are continuing to push for greater amounts of solar and other renewable energies VI. Governmental policies A. Pressure for utility companies to make a percentage of their energy come from solar B. Tax incentives C. Europe feels more pressure from the EU than felt in the US and they’re doing better at switching to renewables D. The US still lacks strong governmental policies to make the push toward solar and other renewables VII. Conclusions A. Solar is certainly a way to help solve the current energy crisis B. Solar alone will not become the new full scale energy provider C. It works best on a smaller scale especially for the individual

Battered women

Designation from other forms of abuse is necessary due its frequent occurrence today. A battered woman is one who due to the physical and mental abuse shows symptoms of fear most of the time and feels very helpless. The condition is caused by conjugal abuses, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and encounters such as rape.Apart form being common, the term is confused to refer to women who have encountered some of the forms of abuse that women face today. Understanding the meaning of the word and the difference is Important in making sure that it is not mistaken for a specific form of abuse.Men are the perpetrators of this abuses that result to battering in the end. The victims exhibit fear most of the time with major reactions to minute issues. Apart from that they are helpless in most circumstances that they encounter due to the trauma. Aside from creating fear in the lives of the victims, there are other effects that result from battering. Arthritis, hypertension and other he art diseases like heart attacks are some of the adverse medical conditions diagnosed in many battered women.Some of the words that come into mind like conjugal abuses, domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and rape should not be individually taken to be the cause of battering in women. Rather they should be considered as some of the causative agents. Battered women: Designation from other forms of abuse to avoid misuse and reduce the ambiguity, especially now that it has become an issue of concern due to its frequency. Step 3: Definition paragraph Revised Draft Battered women: Designation from other forms of abuse is necessary due its frequent occurrence today.A battered woman is one who due to the physical and mental abuse shows symptoms of fear most of the time and feels very helpless. The condition results from is caused by conjugal abuses, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and other encounters such as rape. Apart form being common, the term is confused to refer to wo men who have encountered some of the forms of abuse that women face today. Understanding the meaning of the word and the difference is Important in making sure that it is not mistaken for a specific form of abuse. Men are the perpetrators of this abuses that result to battering in the end.The victims exhibit fear most of the time with major reactions to minute issues. Apart from that, they are helpless in most circumstances that they encounter due to the trauma. Aside from creating fear in the lives of the victims, there are other effects thatother effects result from battering. Arthritis, hypertension and other heart diseases like heart attacks are some of the adverse medical conditions diagnosed in many battered women. Some of the words that come into mind like conjugal abuses, domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and rape should not be individually taken to be thenotably are not the only causes of battering in women.Rather they should be considered asare some of the causativ e agents. Battered women: Designation from other forms of abuse to avoid misuse and reduce the ambiguity is important,. This is especiallyespecially now that it has become an issue of concern due to its frequency. Step 4: Definition paragraph Revised Draft Battered women: Designation from other forms of abuse is necessary due its frequent occurrence today. A battered woman is one who due to the physical and mental abuse shows symptoms of fear most of the time and feels very helpless.The condition results from conjugal abuses, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and other encounters such as rape. Apart form being common, the term is confused to refer to women who have encountered some of the forms of abuse that women face today. Understanding the meaning of the word and the difference is Important in making sure that it is not mistaken for a specific form of abuse. Men are the perpetrators of this abuses that result to battering in the end. The victims exhibit fear most of the time with major reactions to minute issues. Apart from that, they are helpless in most circumstances that they encounter due to the trauma.Aside from creating fear in the lives of the victims, other effects result from battering. Arthritis, hypertension and other heart diseases like heart attacks are some of the adverse medical conditions diagnosed in many battered women. Some of the words that come into mind like conjugal abuses, domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and rape notably are not the only causes of battering in women. Rather they are some of the causative agents. Battered women: Designation from other forms of abuse to avoid misuse and reduce the ambiguity is important.This is especially now that it has become an issue of concern due to its frequency. Step 5: Definition Paragraph Final Draft Battered women: Designation from other forms of abuse is necessary due its frequent occurrence today. A battered woman is one who due to the physical and mental abuse shows symp toms of fear most of the time and feels very helpless. The condition results from conjugal abuses, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and other encounters such as rape. Apart form being common, the term is confused to refer to women who have encountered some of the forms of abuse that women face today.Understanding the meaning of the word and the difference is Important in making sure that it is not mistaken for a specific form of abuse. Men are the perpetrators of this abuses that result to battering in the end. The victims exhibit fear most of the time with major reactions to minute issues. Apart from that, they are helpless in most circumstances that they encounter due to the trauma. Aside from creating fear in the lives of the victims, other effects result from battering. Arthritis, hypertension and other heart diseases like heart attacks are some of the adverse medical conditions diagnosed in many battered women.Some of the words that come into mind like conjugal abuses, domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and rape notably are not the only causes of battering in women. Rather they are some of the causative agents. Battered women: Designation from other forms of abuse to avoid misuse and reduce the ambiguity is important. This is especially now that it has become an issue of concern due to its frequency. REFERENCE The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, 2010. Domestic violence. Retrieved on 9th August < http://www. clarkprosecutor. org/html/domviol/effects. htm

Red bull Essay

Red Bull is a functional beverage founded by Austrian entrepreneur, Dietrich Mateschitz, in 1984. Containing ingredients such as taurine and caffeine, Red Bull beverages are specially developed for those who wish to be physically and mentally active. The various product variants under Red Bull aim to enhance performance, concentration and stimulate metabolism which improves the overall well-being of consumers. Red Bull is currently present in over 162 countries, and holds 65% of the worldwide energy drink market. With a witty slogan â€Å"Red Bull gives you wings†, the product is marketed through advertising, extreme sports tournament sponsorships, sports team ownerships, athlete endorsements, online games and a record label, Red Bull Records. However, in the fast progressing beverage industry cluttered with many substitutes and large competitors, Red Bull might face issues concerning its lack of product variability as well as arising health concerns with regards to its high caffeine content. In order to tackle these issues, we will first conduct a SWOT analysis to determine the internal and external environment which Red Bull is operating in. Secondly, we will conduct an in-depth analysis on Red Bull’s market structure and control systems to determine if these systems are effective complementing strategy implementation. Lastly, we will provide relevant recommendations to address the issues and problems faced by Red Bull in its strive expand and grow globally. 2.0 SWOT Analysis of Red Bull Strengths †¢ Market share leadership with approximately 65% market share in the energy drinks market. †¢ Strong reputation especially backed up by strong customer loyalty from Generation Y †¢ Strong brand identity since its incorporation in 1987 with steady growth into a market giant and is now synonymous with brand and product excellence. Weakness †¢ Small product base as Red Bull markets only 4 branded products (Red Bull Energy Drink, Red Bull sugarfree, Red Bull energy shot and Red Bull Cola), therefore vulnerable to market fluctuations †¢ Lack of product innovation thus being left behind when a number of new energy drinks have been launched in 2004. Opportunities †¢ Could diversify retail outlets and distribution network by means of capitalizing on vending machines as a new route to increase sales as well as keep up with industry trends. †¢ Potential to extend product lines by adding new products, such as new flavours, forms, colours, added ingredients and packages sizes. †¢ Marketing their products as functional drinks so as to capitalize on strong consumer awareness of its brand. †¢ Geographical expansion in the Asia Pacific regions by building upon developing markets such as India. Threats †¢ Imminent threat of new entrants as the energy drink industry has always been considerably attractive due to its high profit margin †¢ Near zero switching cost for consumers makes it even easier and more attractive for new entrants to capture market share †¢ Real threat of substitute products which serve the same functional purpose of Red Bull but main ingredient of caffeine replaced by electrolytes, which is a healthier choice. †¢ Government regulations could pose as a threat to the expansion and penetration plans of  Red Bull as their products is not just another flavoured beverage in the market; the high caffeine content in the drink has always been a concern to certain interest groups. †¢ Recent popularity with organic food and drinks products could eat into Red Bull’s market share, especially when Red Bull’s market is seen to be in the maturing stage. 3.0 Analysis of Red Bull’s Market Structure and Control Systems 3.1 Market Structure 3.1.1 The number of players in the Energy Drink Market  Red Bull belongs to an oligopoly market structure where the market is dominated by a few large players. The degree of market concentration is relatively high with a large % of it taken up by Red Bull. There are currently more than 30 types of energy-drink products in the market, with Red Bull occupying the largest market share of approximately 65%. With the number of players in the market, there is therefore certain degree of interdependence between firms and it is necessary for Red Bull to take into account the likely reactions of other firms during strategy planning. 3.1.2 The Degree of Product Differentiation in the Market Being in an oligopoly market structure, Red Bull produces branded products where advertising and marketing is an important feature of competition. The different types of energy drinks in the market serve as close substitutes to Red Bull. Hence, Red Bull presents itself as a premium product, having â€Å"a unique combination of high quality ingredients† (Red Bull, n.d.) which â€Å"vitalizes body and mind† (Red Bull, n.d.). It segments its market differently from its competitors, focusing on performance-oriented individuals who want to have a clear, focused mind and a fun and active lifestyle. This has resulted in Red Bull pricing its product higher than its competitors. For instance, an 8.4 fl oz. can of Red Bull retail for $2.59 whereas a 16 fl oz. can of Rockstar retails for $1.50, which constitute to about half the price per fl oz. as compared to Red Bull. 3.1.3 The Ease of Entry and Exit Into And Out Of the Energy Drink Market There are huge, though not insurmountable, barriers to entering the energy drink market. One prevalent barrier is brand loyalty which Red Bull has built up over the years. This strong brand loyalty has the effect of reducing consumer  consideration of alternatives in the marketplace. Also, the high initial capital cost associated with research and development prior to formulating energy drinks could deter potential competitors from entering the market. In addition, government policies pertaining to licensing and patents create the biggest barrier to entry, which aids in the dominance Red Bull enjoys today. 3.2 Marketing Control System In order to ensure that the company’s objectives are achieved, Red Bull markets its energy drink in three ways, namely the media advertising, sports and event sponsoring as well as sampling. The three marketing techniques not only increase the brand awareness of Red Bull, but assist the management in terms of market control. Additionally, Red Bull also performs control techniques in the following ways. 3.2.1 Intensive Research Work Firstly, Red Bull conducts on-going research to determine if consumers are satisfied with its product. This includes sampling to its primary target market – tired people who need energy. Through sampling, consumers are able to provide feedback on the product, essentially its taste, packaging and effects. If there is negative feedback received, Red Bull will then look for ways to improve so as to meet consumer needs. 3.2.2 Internal Statistics Secondly, Red Bull uses statistics such as sales, revenue and market share to assess if its marketing strategies are successful. Based on analysis, a total of 4,204 billion cans of Red Bull were sold worldwide in 2010, which signifies an increase of 7.6% against 2009 (Red Bull, n.d.). This can be one of the factors indicating that Red Bull is heading in the right direction in marketing its product. 3.2.3 Marketing and Pricing Strategies Thirdly, Red Bull employs advertising strategies that are suitable to its primary target market. Hence, at this moment, Red Bull does not need to adjust its strategies to change consumer perception. Nonetheless, if Red Bull has decided to introduce new uses for its product, changes have to be made to the advertising strategies to market the new uses. However, unlike most companies which adopt pricing strategies that involve adjusting the  product prices to meet market changes so as to remain competitive, Red Bull does otherwise. Consumer reviews state that Red Bull is being priced steeper as compared to other energy drinks in the market. Despite that, Red Bull continues to maintain its premium price as it has positioned itself as a premium product. 4.0 Solutions and Recommendations Q1. Red Bull should construct a market-oriented mission statement, focusing on customer needs rather than products. A product-centered mission statement is too myopic and does not reflect the long-lasting basic market need. Red Bull’s mission statement has to reflect the company’s core product, position in the market, distinctive competencies, and lastly, it has to be motivating. Our group proposal of Red Bull’s mission statement: â€Å"As a market leader, Red Bull promotes an active lifestyle by providing high-quality energy drinks to the global market, empowering our customers to live to their fullest potential and have the courage to achieve their dreams.† Q2. Red Bull has managed to identify the best target market. Red Bull has segmented the market as follows: Demographic segmentation Red Bull is targeting young teenagers to busy working adults. It targets students who often suffer from exhaustion, blue collared workers who require strength for their manual jobs, and office professionals, who require concentration to focus in meetings and their respective work. Psychographic segmentation Red Bull targets markets based on the consumers’ lifestyles. These consumers include party-goers, sportsmen and gamers. In terms of the personalities of the customers, Red Bull targets those who are able to connect with the brand image of Red Bull, which is to live with zest and lead a fun, happening and risk-taking lifestyle. Product – Red Bull does not have a wide variety of flavours – only original, sugar free, cola and Red Bull shot. The rationale for this is mainly to establish a clear core product. Furthermore, Red Bull is recognized as an energy drink that gives a strong and immediate energy boost to improve performance. In terms of design and packaging, a Red Bull can is small and easy to carry which is chromed, making it reflective and hence, it can catch a customer’s eye easily. As for recommendations, Red Bull could produce an alcoholic beverage of its own, which can be sold over-the-shelf in stores. This would be able to create new product that mixes Red Bull and alcohol. Thus, the non-party-goers can have a taste of an alcoholic Red Bull as well. Promotion – One of the most well-known activities that Red Bull has been involved in for many years is Formula 1. This is a form of above-the-line advertising done by Red Bull to increase consumer awareness of Red Bull. Other than that, Red Bull also engages in â€Å"Opinion Leader Marketing† by having more than 250 agreements with top athletes. This is to attract people who follow and look up to these athletes. Red Bull’s strategy of attracting celebrities to endorse their products is very unique because they do not pay the celebrities a single cent. Instead, they approach athletes who support Red Bull wholeheartedly. Q5. Red bull’s competitors come in two forms – direct and indirect. This is measured by how close these competing products are in relation to Red Bull’s. The direct competitors would be those who produce similar utility/functional products, such as Monster, Rockstar and Naughty G. Indirect competitors would be other drinks that are somewhat similar but do not give the same benefits as Red Bull. Examples would be Pepsi and Coke (caffeinated and soft drinks, but not energy drinks) and 100 Plus and H20(sports and soft drinks, but not caffeinated). Clearly indirect competitors are furthest away in terms of substitutability. Examples are Nescafe (caffeine only), Sprite (soft drink only) and Gatorade (sports drink only). Q6. Currently, we think Red Bull’s marketing strategy is already very successful. In relation to how Red Bull reaches out to ‘tired’ and ‘exhausted’ people by giving them free samples, we feel there might not be such a strong need to raise more awareness about the product as it has already established itself adequately. Instead, Red Bull can invest in product Research and Development, which might enable Red Bull to introduce more flavours and variety to its current line of products. Red Bull can introduce â€Å"limited edition† flavours, where they can bring in new flavours for a limited period of time, and then see how well the sales of the new flavours turn out to be before deciding to permanently add them to their product line. For example, Red Bull can come out with a product comprising of natural ingredients, such as Siberian/American Ginseng(natural alternatives to caffeine), or add in some vitamins like vitamin C to its existing products , which might capture more of the ‘health-conscious’ consumers. Furthermore, this might attract Asian consumers who prefer traditional/herbal ingredients. Control measures: Analysis of how the market share amongst Asian consumers is affected(look at sales, growth, etc.). Red Bull can also give free samples to consumers, just like how it does for its existing products through its Red Bull vehicles. Along with their free samples, they can conduct surveys on the consumers and ask for their feedback. Also, they can conduct online surveys, as the use of online social media is largely pervasive today. Red Bull can build a theme park comprising of extreme rides. It can aim to break the world records for the highest roller coaster drop or have the fastest ride. In this theme park, it can also provide complementary Red Bull drinks to its visitors. This will also be a great avenue for new flavours to be sampled. Such an extreme theme park would create much buzz all around the world, and people who visit the theme park will definitely share their extreme experiences with their friends. Thus, Red Bull would have come out with another form of its already famous buzz marketing. Control measures: By calculating the theme park’s return on marketing investment. Building such a theme park has a lot of fixed costs, like the costs of land and constructions. Hence, it is easy to calculate total cost. Furthermore, sales can also be easily calculated by simply looking the number of tickets sold. Therefore, it would be easy to calculate the theme park’s return on marketing investment. ​ Q7. Small Asian Businesses have relatively lower financial power as compared to big companies. They face difficulty competing with the big companies given similar products. To simply put it, they are the small ‘fishes’ regardless of the size of the market. Firstly, like Red bull, they can focus on a small product base and differentiate their products from the competitors’. They can identify the right market segments and target markets which have been relatively untouched and fit their products to be the most attractive for the consumers in their targeted markets. Like Red Bull, small Asian businesses should create an efficient Marketing Informatics Systems (MIS) and have an  appropriate mix of marketing research and intelligence, so that they are constantly able to discover new opportunities and cater to the needs of consumers, and at the same time be aware of their competitors’ strategies. Also, small Asian businesses can adopt Red Bull’s stealth marketing approach. This eliminates costs such as large scale advertising costs coming from big billboards or banners for example. Red Bull has also shown through stealth marketing that doing something unorthodox and not merely following what everyone else does can also lead to success. Therefore, small Asian businesses can draw inspiration from this and be creative and brave in their marketing strategies. References http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Red-Bull-Energy-Drink/001242937921959 Drawert. http://www.drawert.com/red_bull_1.php

Сhapter of autobiography

Now we have reached October 2004. From this date to the present, I am still greatly affected about what has happened to my family and I. Although October was the month in which my pain and heartache started, two years later on Saturday 24th June 2006 was the day that many things ended. Equally, it was the day that many other things and experiences begun. Monday 11th October 2004 â€Å"Come on Bex, up you get.† â€Å"Yeah, ok mum, just five more minutes. Please?† â€Å"No. Now!† With that, I peeled off my covers and rolled out of my bed. I stood up and pulled back my curtains. The sun was glistening and the leaves on the trees were swaying in the morning breeze. â€Å"Bye, I'll see you after school. Love you† â€Å"Bye mum. Love you too.† So, there I was strolling off towards school for yet another long day. â€Å"BRRRRRING!† At long last, the end of another exhausting and dragging Monday at school. Lumbered with bags and files, I started my journey towards home. When I, eventually reached my house, I recognised Siobhan and Ruth were running about frantically. I asked what their problem was; they replied with the words, â€Å"Mum's gone.† I was so confused; I had no idea what they were doing or what they were talking about. Suddenly, it clicked. Mum had been ill for quite a while now, which had been extremely odd, as mum hardly ever got ill. If she ever had the flu she would still be up and down, being her busy old self, helping people, caring for people, being there for people. When we had all calmed down, we retired to the front room. Siobhan picked up her phone and tried to call Mum, Ruth did the same and phoned Dad, I also called someone, my Uncle John. He had been at home all day looking after mum, due to the fact that she wasn't feeling to good. The three phones rang and rang. No one answered. Not Mum, not Dad and not even John. Yet again, panic had struck in the Heneghan house. Siobhan then noticed my Mum's flowery coffee cup, placed upon the table in front of me. She walked over and dipped her finger into the coffee. It was stone cold. The panic in the house was growing by the second. No note, no text, no phone call. Nothing! The three of us just sat there, we knew that the only thing any of us could do was wait. That night as Dad returned home, he sat us down and explained where Mum was. Immediately we all got in the car and drove to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. We sat tight listening to what we were being told about our critically ill Mum. After having found some active cancerous cells in recent blood tests, she had been called into hospital at once. The doctors explained that she had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and needed an immediate transfer to St. James' Hospital in Leeds. Mum remained there for two months, in the Leukaemia unit on ward 68, room 5. Two months seemed like a long time for Mum to be away from home, but the fact that I wouldn't get to see her much, as we lived a twenty five minute drive away, seemed totally irrelevant. I thought to myself, as long as she's in the best place for her, then that's all that truly matters. Isn't it? Saturday 25th December 2004 Christmas day had arrived. Could I have possibly been more wrong about my earlier prediction? It certainly was one huge issue that Mum hadn't been there for the previous two months. It was unbelievably hard for my Dad, both my sisters and I. With cooking, cleaning, ironing, washing and various other jobs to do, the four of us were finding it an enormous struggle. Being thirteen, I had never really done many of these â€Å"jobs† before and some of which were new to me. I realised how much I had taken my Mum for granted and had relied on her for thirteen years of my life. Now, it was time to grow up. Friday 31st December 2004 New Years Eve and also, the day Mum was allowed to return home. Lumbered with bags upon bags of tablets, medicines and dressings, Mum, emotionally, unpacked her bags and remained on a strict diet of only certain foods and liquids. Weeks passed and finally, there was a phone call saying that they had found someone whose bone marrow matched Mum's and that she was now ready to start the transplant process. At this, Mum repacked her things and, once again we kissed her goodbye. Friday 25th February 2004 The day of the transplant. Mum was now being treated in the BMTU (Bone Marrow Transplant Unit) back in St. James' Hospital and was to remain there until further notice. With long daily visits from her husband and her three girls, Mum made a rather speedy recovery and returned home, again, on Friday 8th April 2005. Although this time, it was for good. Or so we thought! The family was told it would be about eighteen months until Mum would be in the all clear. With weekly check-ups, four months had past. Next, the check-ups were every fortnight, eight months had passed. Now, the check-ups were monthly and sixteen months had passed. It was now May 2006. Two more months to go and then Mum would be fully recovered. Thursday 25th May 2006 Apparent side effects and symptoms were starting to happen to Mum. These had come from her, now small, dose of tablets and medicines. We were told that these symptoms she was experiencing had never been obvious in any patient before, yet they were happening to my Mum. They were happening to my family. They were happening to me. Who could I turn to? Where could I go? I couldn't, I had to be strong. I had to be there for my Dad and my sisters but most of all, for my Mum! Within the next few weeks of Mum being in intensive care, in the BMTU, things got rapidly worse. Mum started to deteriorate; her platelets became lower, as did her blood count, also part of her memory. One of the worst things I have ever experienced in my whole life was when I went to visit my mum. She was drugged up with large amounts of morphine and her other medications. This made Mum's memory and mind very vague and distant. As I was visiting, I walked into her room. She stared at me blankly, just looked straight through me. She had no idea who I was. I walked over to her, stroked her hair and kissed her on the head. She peered up at me. â€Å"Who are you?† she asked me. I burst out into tears and ran out of the room. It was the worst feeling I have ever had. My heart just sunk like an anchor on a ship. I couldn't come to terms with the fact that my own Mum didn't know who I was. Eventually, I pulled myself together and managed to go back in to support my Mum and to be there for her every single step of the way. Saturday 17th June 2006 The whole family were called. We had been told that Mum would have just a few more hours to live. My heart started to bleed viciously. I felt so sick. It was too hard to think about the fact that these few precious moments could be the last ones I would ever share with my Mum. Once again, Mum managed to prove the doctors wrong. She hung on in there for yet another week with my dedicated Dad at her bed side, all day and all night. Saturday 24th June 2006 Heartbroken and alone, Dad returned home with the expected news. She was gone! It was over. Mum was in no more pain. Her suffering had ended. She was fast asleep, resting in the place that was best for her. I was fourteen when it happened and it was now time to start living my life without my Mum. It was right in the middle of my school exams. I did them. She never left my mind of course, but with my friends, family and also a huge help from my teachers, I did them. I had to; I knew it's what she would have wanted. Even now I still hear her sometimes, waking me up in a morning. Shouting me down for my tea. Telling me to clean my bedroom. It hurts and I know full well that it always will, but at the same time, it has made me so much stronger. I could never forget my Mum, no matter how unhappy I may be at times, no matter how much pain and heartache this ordeal has caused me. I know, deep down, that she will never leave me. She will always be looking down, watching over me and will always stay in my head and in my heart. For eternity she will be a marvellous Mummy, wonderful wife, devoted daughter and fantastic friend. I miss her so much, words cannot describe. Wherever you are Mum, I love you!

Patton-Fuller Network Design Project Essay

This project focuses on designing an integrated network for the Patton-Fuller Community Hospital. The first section of the paper describes the characteristics and components of the current network as well as the standards that coincide with the project. Lastly, the paper also evaluates the current network topology. The hospital has a power backup unit designed to automatically use auxiliary power from a diesel generator. Each department also has its own uninterruptible power supply. The topographical network design shows that of a centralized design. This system has benefits with no need for an operating system stored locally. Thus improving the performance because the OS and user applications are already running on the servers, however it also increases the risk if the mainframe suddenly lost power it will affect all terminals. Distributed networks have much less risk of power outages because if one component in the network fails the others will still have functionality. On the other hand they require OS and software installed on individual computers which require additional hardware to store it, which can take more time to maintain and update. The network bridge is a critical component in this network that passes information locally throughout the network. Doctors can be authorized in a virtual private network (VPN) from a router linked to the remote access server (RAS) that permits them access to the servers from their home. For email functions the network has a Windows Exchange server running on an IBM x3250 series. Workstations in doctor’s offices and nurses have iMac clients on fiber cables. The senior managers in human resources, operations, and finance have virtual operating systems with both Mac OSX (Leopard) and Windows XP. The hospitals current network architecture comprises of a network bridge joining  the administrative and clinical areas. All administrative functions have lines contained in a trunk using Cat 6. The executive departments have Apple desktop systems with Wi-Fi cards installed. The hospital central mainframe is an IBM series Z9EC featuring a database storing patient records and with a fiber connection to a 10 terabyte NAS. Clinical departments have another trunk line on a single mode fiber optic line. (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2011) As part of HIPAA, which is meant to protect patient information in attempts of data breaches. This information is stored in encrypted data files using AES (advanced encryption standard). Access is permitted through identification and authentication of any user the requests this information. Standards are important in networking because all networking devices must have the same rules for communication to prevent a loss of data. Networks can have several levels of scope, local area networks (LAN) are a group of devices connected by Ethernet cables and are limited to the same building with a range of 300 feet. Wide area networks (WAN) are networks built in cities, usually for institutions. Wireless networks have the same scope as LANs do, but use radio signals as communication between a router or wireless modem and any number of wireless devices. A WLAN will require a wireless standard in typically 802.11n or ac. In the installation of a WAN an X.25 standard using a leased line will be adequate for a connection between other hospital locations. (International Business Machines [IBM], n.d.). Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) is a telephone network that utilizes the Internet to send voice signals. Unlike the public switched telephone networks that require extra hardware when placing calls in other countries, VoIP send data packets to the phone. Which is the same as how a webpage is loaded in a browser (Nunn, McGuire, & Crowe, 2009) In summary, this paper discussed characteristics and components in Patton-Fuller’s network and its topographical design. Finally, standards that are relevant to this project were analyzed. References International Business Machines. (n.d.). Wide area network standards: X.25 networks. Retrieved from http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/ssw_ibm_i_61/rzajt/rzajtx25con.htm Nunn, L., McGuire, B., & Crowe, B. (2009, Forth Quarter). Measuring the benefits of voice over internet protocol. The Review of Business Information

Mixed-gender sports Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mixed-gender sports - Term Paper Example In the past women had no opportunity or even a chance to improve and develop their bodies. It was not preferable for women. Now the situation has changed and women took part in the competitions, but the amount of them is much less than the amount of men. It would take much time to improve the situation (Bryant, 2003, 140). Feminist movements made many attempts in order to gain the same rights and conditions for women. Only at the end of the 20th century the world saw the results. The sport was not considered to be a male privilege and from that moment women received the opportunity to participate in almost every kind of sport. For sure we cannot say that the full equality has not been achieved and now feminists turned their attention to the problem of segregation (Bryson 350). At first sight in the world of sport the segregation does not provoke any disputes; it is just accepted by its participants. And there are a number of reasons for that. Due to the physical peculiarities, women have less opportunity to demonstrate their skills. The trouble is that sex segregation in sports seriously influences not only the issue of discrimination in sports circles, but also on the sexual hierarchy in the society in general. So, this issue is very important and worth-discussing as it refers not only to sport but to the everyday life as well. Mixed-gender sports could help defend the rights of women, so it must be introduced as much as it is possible. There is an opinion that the main aim of feminists concerning sport is to get rid of men, especially in those kinds of sports where women suffer from men’s athleticism. To say more such evidence as gender segregation in the team sport is accepted by both women and men. The basis for such statement is the myth that men have privileges over women, because they are stronger from the birth. So, gender segregation in the field of sport contributes to the common belief that women and men belong to the different worlds. Now man y scholars is concerned with the issue what role the gender plays in sport and how it influences the position of women in the modern world. In order to find the answer to this question it is enough to recall the participants of different kinds of sport. Just remember the Olympic Games, where women and men have different competitions. People can explain it due to different physical abilities and as a result women usually compete with women and men with men. An interesting thing was noticed during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The German team had different colors of jackets for women and men and it looked like the indicators of gender that automatically demonstrated the differences between them (Bryant, 2003). And here the important question arises if such separation takes part in professional sport and if the professional sport tries to emphasize the differences between men and women. According to the official sources a great number of sports are gender-segregated at a p rofessional level. On the other hand, researches show that a great number of men already recognize that women as athletic as they are. Anderson came to the following conclusion in his research: â€Å"thus, in the sex-integrated sport of collegiate cheerleading, even once sexist and misogynistic men were able to witness the athleticism of women, befriend them in

Riblets and Tripwires and their role in reducing drag over underwater Essay

Riblets and Tripwires and their role in reducing drag over underwater aerofoils - Essay Example Their optimal specifications, mechanism of functioning and potential applications for drag reduction over underwater aerofoils have also been dealt with. Riblets and tripwires In case of underwater vehicles, fluid mechanical drag (hydrodynamic drag) reduces the speed with which they travel through water. For a specific limit of engine power, the maximum speed that can be attained by the vehicle is drastically reduced due to the formation of eddies very close to the surface of the vehicle. Apart from this, another source of hydrodynamic drag is the development of pressure drag due to laminar flow at the boundary layers. Riblets can be used to reduce the formation of eddies near the surface of the vehicle, while tripwires can be used to reduce the pressure drag and induce turbulence at the boundary layers. Riblets: These are minute grooves, longitudinally placed on the surface of a vehicle or airfoil, and are in alignment with the direction of flow. They â€Å"have been shown by Walsh and Lindemann [1984] at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Reidy and Anderson [1988] at the Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) to produce as much as 8 percent turbulent flow drag reduction on flat plates†.1 Studies on â€Å"fully submerged axisymmetric bodies†1 conducted by Beauchamp and Philips [1986 and 1987], have shown that the use of riblets reduces skin friction by seven percent.1 Tripwires: Tripwires, also known as turbulators, are thin wires that are attached at the hull of a vehicle or at the nose of a submarine or aircraft. These are used to â€Å"trip† or disturb the boundary layer and introduce turbulence, thereby reducing pressure drag. These are â€Å"one of the oldest and most used methods of turbulence stimulation†.2 1. Mechanism To comprehend the mechanism of functioning of riblets and tripwires, it is essential to understand the types of drag imposed on a vehicle and the process of their induction. The total drag experienced by a body, includes a combination of pressure and friction. The frictional drag can be reduced by using smooth surfaces. However, studies have shown that this form of drag is further reduced with the help of riblets. The boundary layer of flow around a vehicle can be distinguished into three parts, â€Å"a relatively small viscous sublayer, the middle buffer layer and the logarithmic layer†.3 The riblets that are used to reduce drag â€Å"extend into the buffer layer. With this kind of riblets a drag reduction of about 8-10%† has been achieved. This is because the riblets restrain the movement of eddies, which are prevented from coming very close, within 50 microns, to the surface of the aircraft or vehicle. â€Å"By keeping the eddies this tiny distance away, the riblets prevent the eddies from transporting high-speed fluid close to the surface, where it decelerates and saps the aircraft's momentum†.4 To reduce the pressure drag over a vehicle, tri pwires are used. Pressure drag occurs when there is a â€Å"lack of pressure recovery on the back of the body, due to separation of the flow around the body†.5 This results from laminar flow in the boundary layer around the vehicle. By using tripwires, it is possible to induce turbulence in this laminar layer, thereby reducing pressure drag. 2. Optimal Specifications The extent of drag reduction is found to increase with the size of riblets. However, for very