Apple's Balance Sheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Apple's Balance Sheet - Essay Example Assets From the provided financial information for Apple for the two six months operating periods taken in 2008 and 2009, it is clear that the company experienced an upward movement in different items regarding assets. Initial cash and its equivalents for the two specified periods represent a significant level of reduction from USD 11.875b in 2008 to USD 4.466b in 2009 (Apple, 2009). Whereas cash and similar cash items growth could not necessarily represent growth in view of liquidity practicality issues, it is appropriate to make the assumption that the materiality of the difference did not affect the overall reflection of business operations as cash flow values indicate. This argument is also supported by the observation of increased short-term marketable securities over the same period by double from USD 10.236b to USD 20.547b which could explain the reflected liquidity difference. Despite the fact that the accounts receivable after relevant reconciliation adjustments give a reduc tion in 2009, the difference does indicate a huge difference in terms of operations. Held inventories also indicate a reduction that would be explained by operations at a time when demand projections would be scaled downwards amidst financial crisis. However, overall liquid assets reflected a growth of USD 1.542b (from USD 32.311b to USD 33.853b), which gives a better reflection that the company grew its liquid assets. Investment in form of long-term securities gives detail of fixed assets and the increase from USD 2.379b to USD 3.865b (37 per cent) confirms the current assets trend as a growth trajectory (Apple, 2009). Other fixed assets elements such as buildings and properties owned increased from USD 2.546b to USD 2.455b, a reflection also reflected in the category of other assets that rose from USD 2.498b to USD 1.935b. To confirm this trend, the overall asset figure was a growth of 9.3 percent (USD 43.237b from USD 39.572b). In support of this information, perhaps the company can consult certain incidental information of cash flow nature to highlight the apparent growth in assets and operation level. The value of income and other operating activities indicate upward movements in net income (USD 2.81b from USD 2.626b) as was the reconciliation movements for income generating activities. Certain operating concepts such as depreciation and amortization illustrate a rise in the charged values, which translates in growth of the associated assets. An increase in the value of these operation costs for instance for depreciation from USD 222m in 2008 to USD 330m a year later reflects a huge hike of related asset base to support operations of the corporation. In other movements, increased stock-based compensations cost by 45 per cent (USD 242m to USD 351m) is an indication of growth in operations that occasion stock-based compensations, translated as growth by the company. It is evident that this information reflects a powerful suitability of Apple as an investmen t destination. Despite the fact that such increase in compensation could also indicate inefficiency in operations at the same operating capacity, the reduction of disposition losses from USD 10m in 2008 to USD 8m in 2009 as well

Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Starbucks - Essay Example It is a public company with its headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Currently, Howard Schultz is the president, chairperson and CEO of the company (â€Å"About Us†). The organization is in restaurant business and serves whole-bean coffee, cold and hot beverages, instant coffee varieties, snacks, pastries and full-leaf teas. Apart from the major selling items, the stores also sell cold and hot sandwiches, packaged food products and other items such as, tumblers and mugs. The business operations are strategically diversified according to the customer trends, traffic as well as demands. For instance, Starbucks Evening offers varieties of wines, beers as well as appetizers after 4 pm. Another arm called Starbucks’s entertainment and brand, Hear Music, markets music, films and books. This is a strategic division with the objective of engaging consumers through different channels. Products and services are seasonal and change according to the store locality as well as local demands. It also reaches another set of target customers through its coffee and ice-cream range offered at various grocery stores. Starbucks’ mission statement is â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time† (â€Å"Mission Statement†). At present, the company is planning to restructure by shutting down unprofitable chains and opening stores in new emerging markets. Also, market saturation is forcing Starbucks to use a more innovative and persuasive approach to reach consumers across various regions. The current report will start with profiling the company, evaluating the current situation and prospects for future. This will be followed by evaluation of the external environment and key success factors for the organization. Strategic Issue Situational Profile and Prospects The potential challenges in front of Starbucks are the increased competition from new and emerging retailers. These retailers may n ot have an identical concept as Starbucks, but they have been able to attract particular category of customers, especially those with low levels of loyalty. Overall economic conditions also pose a strategic challenge for the coffee giant. Starbucks is perceived as a luxury coffee parlour catering high-end customers and corporate professionals. With the recession hit, the company is experiencing loss in many of its store outlets even in prime locations across the globe. This has raised a doubt regarding the feasibility of the present strategic action plans. Also, being perceived as a high-end retail chain, offering discounts and other promotional benefits to increase sales might not go well with its loyal and regular customers (Koehn 25-45). The company’s business operations have also been criticized for over-diversification in recent years by offering products like, ice-cream and chocolates, which did not perform well in the market and negatively affected the bottom-line of t he company. The current strategic direction of Starbucks has also been critici

Research: Sustainability Policy for EU Islands

Research: Sustainability Policy for EU Islands EU Island-Friendly Policymaking – Malta’s case Charlon Joseph Abela For us small island developing States, the question of sustainability is not an abstruse, arcane concern. It is rather a matter that affects the very nature of our existence. H.E. Mr L.Erskine Sandiford Prime Minister of Barbados[1] Table of Contents Abstract European Union policy is not considered to be one which well reflects the sustainability challenges which islands continuously face. The EU policy approach as regards sustainability issues has been regarded as an incremental and a fragmented one. This paper seeks to identify the main sustainability challenges faces by EU islands and strives for the achievement of their awareness. The current definition of islands is also noted. Here, the problem lies on the fact that the definition of islands is rather restrictive and consequently excludes island states. Additionally, one should also not the fact that both insularity as well as peripherality fall within any of the categories of the Union’s Impact Assessment guidelines. One of the main problems which put European islands at a disadvantage is that since they are found in different administrative strata of the EU, a lack of harmonisation vis-à  -vis statistical data and other elements exists. This hinders the efficient monitoring of sustainable development. Malta’s role in stressing these problems as suffered by European islands will be considered in the light of the European Union’s policy-making. Keywords: European Union, Sustainability Challenges, Definition, Impact Assessment guidelines, Harmonisation, Policy-Making. Research Question Starting off from the theories of the main proponents on the subject of Sustainable Development the author of this paper seeks to discover how European Union (EU) policy making is addressing sustainability challenges in island states and how this is seen from the perspective of the concerned stakeholders. In this context, a case study would be the best general method to observe the impact of these policies. Malta’s Mistra case will be analysed. Literature Review One may ask why the issue of sustainable development is found in political science and not within ecosystem theory or human ecology. The reason for this is that most academic debate is led and dominated by economic theories which reflect the preference for economic capital and monetary valuation. Cost-benefit analysis and normative policy theory also fall within these theories. (e.g. Vatn and Bromley, 1994; Victor, 1991; Gutà ©s, 1996; Munda, 1996; Gowdy, 2003). The 1992, action plan of the United Nations about sustainable development, more famously known as Agenda 21, called for the countries’ development of National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDSs). This plan recognized the need that key decisions had to be taken at a national level together with stakeholders. Before delving deeply into the challenges of Sustainable Development one has to look at various scholars (and organisations) who discussed this subject and observe their definitions and believes. The roots of sustainable development challenges come from the concepts of economical and social sound developments that in sum demands a drastic change in one’s methods of production, innovation, decision-making, scientific understanding and problem-oriented research (Ashford, 2002; Rammel, 2003; Funtovicz and Ravetz, 1994). According to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) sustainable development results from the â€Å"concern over the social and environmental impacts of economic development† and â€Å"aims to achieve progress through ‘win-win-win’ solutions based on the integration of environment, economic and social policy objectives†.[2] Discussing sustainable development one has to look at the Conventional forms of development and at the Sustainable development model. Approaches of a conventional nature say that in line with globalisation modernization will take place. According to David Pepper (1996) modernization and progress of society depends on two variables that are, how much structurally specialised it is and how differentiated it is. This theory closely relates to an ego-centric growth and one’s personal advance. However, one of the impacts of modernization is the devastating effect on nature. This includes wilderness transformation to natural parks, deforestation and river harnessing for energy generation. According to Thomas C. Bell from the U.S Water News, in the context of hydropower dams these have been the cause of negative impacts on the rivers’ ecosystems.[3] According to Walt Whitman Rostow (1960), within the Conventional model, the society is seen to pass from various stages of economic growth which he splits up into five categories, that are, 1)Traditional Society; 2) Preconditions for take-off; 3) Take-off; 4) Drive to maturity; and 5) Age of high mass consumption. With ‘Take-off’ there is the emergence of new industries and new entrepreneurial classes while during the ‘maturity’ stage economic growth exceeds population growth. At the final state, the society’s mass consumption allows the introduction of social welfare (Pepper 1996).[4] Such a model proposes a linear development which presents the necessity for Third World societies to reach development of a Western style. However, in opposition to this idea of linear development John Barry (1999) believes that there is no such development which may be guaranteed for modern society and such development is not to be necessarily harmonious between countr ies. A number of models of environmental development have been created in order to replace the previous development paradigms. According to Mark Roseland (2000) these new models consider social change, the advancement of social equity, the expansion of organisational effectiveness and the building to human and technical capabilities aiming at sustainability. Within these new models, sustainability, asks for the protection of the base of natural resources upon which further development lies. This environmental development model is not solely directed towards the protection of nature but also at the creation of an ecological society that lives harmonized with nature. Such a society, demands that economic activity and human progress by no means necessitate the ruin of nature. According to Susan Baker (2006) â€Å"Sustainable development is part of new efforts, albeit tentative to integrate environmental, economic and (more recently) social considerations into a new development paradigm.†[5] Aims The following are the main aims of the study: What are the interpretations and ways of implementation of the policy in the national context? What are the main sustainability issues, policy design, implementation ideas and resultant changes to land use? How sustainable are the criteria? What is the impact on the 9 Land Use Functions (LUF)? What are the sustainability framework indicators? Methodology The methodology used in this study is based on the general principles of the SENSOR protocol. This protocol was established to carry out surveys in 4 SENSOR[6] sensitive areas, mainly: Coastal regions Post-industrial regions Mountainous regions Island regions Because of the lack of direction and missing documented examples of participatory approaches to the Impact Assessment, a methodological framework for the involvement of stakeholders in the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) is analyzed in the background of the policies developed as part of the SENSOR project, especially as regards the use of European land. [7] The Framework Programme for Participatory Impact Assessment (FoPIA) design enables the assessment of policy effects that are considered to be sensitive to national, regional and local sustainability concerns by gathering and connecting the expertise of the national, regional and local stakeholders who do play a vital role in the analysis process. Situations within the SENSOR project allude to potential variation in European policy as a result of perceived sustainable development challenges. Scenarios which possibly may involve a blend of policy instruments including legislation, subsidies and taxes, are thoroughly comparatively studied in a counterfactual or baseline setting for the exhibition of situations in which the policy is not implemented. These settings are then made subject to the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) which involves the selection and investigation of the sustainability criteria and indicators that reflect main concerns related to the sustainability of land use. Impact assessments and sustainability limits are acknowledged by the stakeholders’ knowledge of the present socio-economic and environmental status of the region. Now that a basic understanding of the FoPIA has been delivered, one can delve into its various stages. These stages will be the main methodology through which information will be gathered for this study. The FoPIA is founded on 5 blocks within the European Environment Agency, that are, the Driver; Pressure; State; Impact; and Response. Driver, refers to sustainability issues that drive / generate interest in a particular policy. Pressure, refers to variations in the use of land as a result of changes in policy. State and Impact, refer to the resultant changes in the spheres of society, economics and environment. Finally, Response, refers to the policy makers’ final decisions according to their knowledge from information gathered from the assessment’s technical output. Normally, this final category is seen to be outside of the Sustainability Impact Assessment Tool (SIAT). For effective data gathering, the FoPIA is based on a Stakeholder-approach. This method is divided into two phases. The first phase consults stakeholders in semi-structured interviews while in the second phase the stakeholders are gathered and participate in a Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) workshop. The FoPIA approach presents ue with a methodological journey from problem definition to the stakeholders’ feedback. Figure 1 illustrates the logical structure of the FoPIA. Figure 1 The following sections show how this method can be applied in detail. Phase 1. This phase commences with the critical study of the policy’s national interpretations and ways of implementation in the context of the main sustainability issues and difficulties. This is achieved through semi-structured interviews with the concerned policy makers who operate both at national level as well as those who represent the national interest at an EU level. Generally, these are representatives coming from the government’s departments. However, members of working groups and members of specifically-set advisory panels are also interviewed. Another set of interviews is done with regional stakeholders. These interviews focus on the change of land use that will take place when the policy is implemented. These stakeholders are chosen from government departments and those involved in decision making, which are specifically concerned with the policy in question. Interviewed stakeholders may also be chosen from the ‘land’ representatives and interest groups. The method used for these interviews is that of Snowball Sampling and is to be done through email correspondence or by telephone. Each interview is based on a topic guide asking questions on sustainability issues, policy design and implementation as well as the resultant changes in land use. All interviews have to pass through three stages: Recording Transcription Analysis Content analysis involves the highlighting of the key themes mentioned and the results are to be used as the foundation for draft of possible scenarios. This information is to be forwarded to the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) workshop. Phase 2. This phase involves the SIA workshop, which brings together all the stakeholders in Phase 1. Throughout the workshop, the stakeholders execute analysis of sustainability criteria. Additionally an assessment of the consequent changes resulting from the policy in question, within the social, environmental and economic indicators is done. Any new indicator values are contrasted with the sustainability limits laid down by the stakeholders. Finally, criteria are reassessed in order to highlight the stakeholders’ preferences. In the beginning of the SIA workshop the team leading the study presents a prà ©cis of the findings discovered from the interviews in the first phase. Stakeholders, then discuss these points and if an agreement is achieved the points may be amended to reflect more precisely any possible recent policy development. Following is a definition and assessment of the main sustainability criteria in the context of the land use. This stage requires a moderated discussion and a scoring exercise which are followed by another discussion in order to achieve agreement on the criteria scores. The discussion on sustainability criteria is based in nine Land Use Functions (LUF) which are to be presented by the moderator. These 9 LUFs are categorised as follows:[8] Social functions: Cultural Health and Recreation Provision of work Economic functions: Residential and non land-based industries and services Land-based production Infrastructure and mobility Environmental functions: Provision of abiotic resources Provision of habitat Maintenance of ecosystem processes Each of these nine functions are passed through a process of scoring ranging from ‘1’ to ‘10’. A score of ‘1’ shows low importance while that of ‘10’ signifies extremely high importance. After the scoring phase, the stakeholders can defend or reconsider their scores as a result of new information/understanding from other participants. This enables ‘social learning ‘(Henkens et al. 2007). An average of the scores is drawn, however, if any participant changes his/her score the average can only be amended by consensus from all participants. Following, definition and agreement on sustainability framework indicators are sought. These are then used for an impact assessment of each policy scenario. These Land Use Function Criteria Indicators (LUFCI) are obtained from the previous stage. This stage, seeks to link impacts and sustainability issues brought up by the stakeholders. Stakeholders agree on a list of LUFCIs in the previous stage. In this stage they agree upon LUFCIs are used for the performance of an impact assessment on each policy scenario. Again, the participants have to provide a score on each LUFCI ranging from -3 to 3. ‘-3’ denotes a strong negative impact, while a ‘+3’ denotes a very positive impact. These predictions are to be made on a time period of 25 years. As in previous stages, an average score is worked out. Stakeholders discuss together the average of the LUFCIs which enables social learning on a basis of the differences between their opinions. During this stage, acceptability of the resultant impacts is assessed. Each LUFCI is set a minimum standard (also referred to as a ‘sustainability limit’) which again after individual scoring is followed by discussion. Participants should assess each LUFCI and choose whether their approach is sustainable or unsustainable. Again score vary from -3 to +3. Now, stakeholders should again analyse the LUFC in the background of the impact assessment in order to extract the stakeholders’ preferences for the policy scenarios. This stage is highlighted by the consideration of trade-offs which might result both from positive and negative impacts. Participants are again asked to provide a score which ranges from 1 to 9, whereby a score of ‘1’ denotes the least importance. As before, an average score is calculated, discussed and amended only if all agree. This final session involves another discussion of both the process as well as of the final results of the SIA. This allows all participants to reflect on the output and to consider the providing of feedback on the methods used, materials and research inputs adopted. This session is divided as follows: A presentation of the summary of the workshop results The stakeholders discuss results Participants should highlight any point with which they agreed or disagreed throughout the running of the study including the methodological aspect This includes the highlighting of parts which required further clarifications The participants should provide their feedback on whether they believe that this FoPIA based study is efficient in within the set context and whether they believe that there will be any analytical and political achievements. Finally, participants should point out if they enjoyed the study’s methodological part and if they believe that there were any setbacks. They should also suggest any possible improvements. References Blewitt John, Understanding Sustainable Development, TJ International, 2008 Baker Susan, Sustainable Development, Routledge, 2006 Sustainable Development Strategies: A Resource Book, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris and United Nations Development Programme, New York, 2002 Sustainable Development: New Research, Abate Gugsa et al. Maples D. Alexander (Editor), Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 2005 Trade, Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Key Issues for Developing Countries; International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (http://ictsd.net/downloads/2008/08/mauritius-complete-policy-paper.pdf) (accessed on 20th December 2013) Pierce Roger, Research Methods in Politics: a practical guide, TJ International Ltd, 2008 Morris Jake, Sustainability Impact Assessment: Tools for Environmental, Social and Economic Effect of Multifunctional Land Use in European Regions. Session 3: FOPIA – A new methods engaging regional stakeholders in Impact Assessment. Accessed from http://tran.zalf.de/home_ip-sensor/newsevents/brussels/09_Tabbush_SNESOR_final_policy_day.pdf (accessed on 22nd December 2013) Morris Jake Berton, Tassone Valentina, De Groot Rudolf, Camilleri Marguerite and Moncada Stefano, A Framework for Participatory Impact Assessment: Involving Stakeholders in European Policy Making, a Case Study of Land Use Change in Malta, Ecology and Society 16(1): 12, Published under the license by the Resilience Alliance http://www.mepa.org.mt/sustainabledevelopment (accessed on 22nd December 2013) http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131030/local/ngo-insists-proposed-mistra-deveopment-is-unacceptable.492552#.UsPN0_RDt_Q (accessed on 23rd October 2013) 1 [1] Opening statement to the UN Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. Barbados, 26 April – 6 May 1994. [2] http://www.mepa.org.mt/sustainabledevelopment (accessed on 21st December 2013) [3] Bell Thomas C. , U.S. Water News, 1995 [4] Baker Susan, Sustainable Development, Routledge, 2006 [5] Baker Susan, Sustainable Development, Routledge, 2006 [6] SENSOR project: Sustainability Impact Assessment: Tools for Environmental, Social and Economic Effects of Multifunctional Land Use in European Regions. This is an integrated project funded under the European Commission’s sixth Framework Programme, that is, a Framework Programme for Participatory Impact Assessment (FOPIA). The FoPIA is a set of research methods that altogether facilitates the understanding of the involvement of national, regional and local stakeholders as regards the assessments of policy impacts on European land use. [7] Morris Jake Berton, Tassone Valentina, De Groot Rudolf, Camilleri Marguerite and Moncada Stefano, A Framework for Participatory Impact Assessment: Involving Stakeholders in European Policy Making, a Case Study of Land Use Change in Malta, Ecology and Society 16(1): 12, Published under the license by the Resilience Alliance [8] Morris Jake, Sustainability Impact Assessment: Tools for Environmental, Social and Economic Effect of Multifunctional Land Use in European Regions. Session 3: FOPIA – A new methods engaging regional stakeholders in Impact Assessment. Accessed from http://tran.zalf.de/home_ip-sensor/newsevents/brussels/09_Tabbush_SNESOR_final_policy_day.pdf (22nd December 2013) Why was Captain Jack Famous Across the Nation? Why was Captain Jack Famous Across the Nation? Name: Jacob J. Ervine Kintpuash was a Modoc Indian Chief, but it was easier for white settlers from Yreka to call him Captain Jack. Captain Jack was famous across America and the world because of the huge impact he and his band of freedom fighters had fighting against the Army for their tribal lands. This small group of Modocs held off against the might of the U.S. Army that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and almost a year perusing them. The Modoc War last between 1872 and 1873 and was a desperate struggle for the Modocs. The life and death of Captain Jack is important when understanding the fame behind this modern day folk hero. The Ben Wright massacre was highly influential on Kintpuash. Ben Wright and his men from Yreka killed more than thirty Modoc Indians under a flag of truce. Captain Jack saw his father murdered during the massacre in 1852. The Modoc Indians never forget this atrocity and would influence Kintpuash on the broken promises and deceitfulness of settlers. In 1864 a treaty was signed with the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Indians to give up their lands to live on a shared Indian Reservation east of Klamath. The problems that plagued the Modocs on the Klamath Reservation stemmed from both the infighting of the other tribes and the ratification being stalled. The Modocs were ill-treated and abused by the Klamath Indians, The Klamath ceaselessly annoyed them with threats and insults. Alfred B. Meacham. The tribes were hard-pressed to cooperate and supplies were often late. In 1865 Kintpuash appealed to the Offices of the Reservation, but was ignored. Kintpuash angrily lead his people back to Modoc Lands. When they returned the discovered that their ancestral homelands were being taken over by white settlers. To earn money to survive, several Modocs worked on farms as hands and Kintpuash rented his lands and worked in Yreka where he got his nickname, Captain Jack. In 1869 Soldiers brought the Modocs back to the Reservation, but nothing had changed so the Modoc returned to their lands once again. In 1872 the Army was called to return the Modoc to the reservation, forcibly if needed. Captain Jack wanted to avoid conflict, but the situation intensified when they were asked to drop their weapons. Scar Face Charlie and Lieutenant Botell shot at each other, but missed. Both sides retaliated and this skirmish was known as The Lost River Battle. The Modocs retreated to the modern-day lava beds. The militia attacked a separate Modoc Camp lead by Hooker Jim, and in response the Modocs lead by Hooker Jim killed over a dozen settlers. Afterwards Hooker Jim and other Modocs joined Captain Jacks Stronghold in the Lava Beds. The war against the Indians was highly publicized throughout the country as conflict often is. It was expected that the Modoc would be quickly defeated by the Army. Considering how outnumbered the Modoc were. War was not favored by all people, but these were mostly humanitarian and religious groups. President Grant said he would use a peace policy. However, the policy demanded that Indians remain on reservations, but the Modoc would not return to the Klam ath Reservation. There were approximately fifty-five Modoc men and their families in Captain Jacks Stronghold. The Stronghold is one of the most if not the most defensible places in the United States. The Stronghold was fortified and small skirmishes ensued until the first battle. In January 17, 1873, the U.S. Army outnumbered the Modocs six to one and attempted to advance on the Stronghold. Aided by the fog the Modocs killed 40 soldiers including five officers. The Modocs had no casualties and this prompted a Peace Commission. Captain Jack was insulted by his own people for negotiating and opting for peace. They forced him to wear womens clothing during meetings. The Modocs thought if the American leaders were killed they would leave. Captain Jack agreed if their demands werent met. On April 11, 1873 negotiators, General Canby, and Reverend Thomas were killed on Captain Jacks alleged command and all peace talks ended. The fighting continued in the Second Battle, the Battle of Sand Butte, and The Battle of Dry Lake where the War turned against the Modoc. On May 10, 1973, the Modoc attacked a U.S. Army Camp at Dry Lake. The Army defended themselves and rushed the Modoc killing five Modocs including Ellens Man, a famous member of the group, which lead to the fracture of the Modoc groups. The Modoc had to flee the Stronghold and were in desperate need of water and food. The dissent caused Hooker Jim to surrender and agree to capture Captain Jack in exchange for Amnesty. On June 1, 1873 Captain Jack surrendered after fighting the U.S. Army for 7 months. In Fort Klamath Captain Jack was tried as a war criminal. Captain Jack was translated for and told that he only wanted peace. 6 men were found guilty of breaking laws of war for murder, breaking 7 laws. Throughout the nation sympathizers of Captain Jack asked for clemency. President Grant allowed two men to served prison sentences at Alcatraz Prison. Ca ptain Jack, Boston Charlie, Black Jim, and Schonchin John were sentenced to hang. For months, they were interviewed by reporters and pictures of the condemned were sold. The Fort became a tourist attraction and the execution was highly publicized. The purpose was to make an example of them for other Indians to reflect on. On October 3, 1873, after the hanging, the men were decapitated and sent to Washington D.C. Alfred B. Meacham went on to produce an Indian lecture tour that defended the Modoc that tried to kill him. Meacham was a friend to the Indians and a Humanitarian who wanted to shed a new light onto the plight of the Modoc. Whether famous or infamous the news across the country surrounded Captain Jack and The Modoc War. His impact was felt worldwide as stories reached England and beyond. The chapter in our national history which tells our dealings with the Indian tribes will be one of the darkest and most disgraceful in our annuals. Alfred B. Meacham. Captain Jack was famous across the nation because he and his band of Modocs defied the odds and took on the U.S. Army that outnumbered them and had superior equipment. The resourcefulness of the Modocs and the use of the highly defensible lava flows and caves allowed them to hold out for 7 months. Humanitarians saw the Modocs as fighting for a righteous cause against overpowering opposition. Captain Jack had always opted for peace, and in the trial, he said that he was opposed to murder of the two Peace Commissioners. Because he didnt speak English the translations were thought to be speculative. The Modoc War was so famous that it attracted tourism and memorabilia. It showed the wrongdoings of the settlers and government in the public idea that started a paradigm shift. That perhaps the Indians were not the aggressors, but the victims. BIBILIOGRAPHY RESEARCH LISTS Books Landrum, Francis S. Guardhouse, Gallows, and Graves: The Trial and Execution of Indian Prisoners of the Modoc Indian War by the U.S. Army, 1873. Klamath Falls, Or: Klamath County Museum, 1988. Eyewitness Accounts The Modoc War . TV | OPB. Television, Radio News for Oregon and Southwest Washington . Home | OPB. n.d. http://www.opb.org/television/programs/oregonexperience/segment/the-modoc-war-/. Recent Online Sources Most, Stephen. The Treaty of 1864. Oregon History Project. Last modified 2003. https://oregonhistoryproject.org/narratives/nature-and-history-in-the-klamath-basin/inhabiting-the-land/the-treaty-of-1864/#.WM87DqK1uUk. Kintpuash New World Encyclopedia. Info:Main Page New World Encyclopedia. Last modified May 29, 2013. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Kintpuash. CAPTAIN JACK, Modoc Indian Warrior Battle of Lost River Klamath Reservation. CALIFORNIA INDIAN EDUCATION CALIE Educational Tribal Website of Calif Native American Indians Families Reservation and Urban Communities of North America USA Southern CA. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://www.californiaindianeducation.org/famous_indian_chiefs/captain_jack/. Mark, Stephen. Modoc War. The Oregon Encyclopedia. Accessed March 19, 2017. https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/modoc_war/#.WM9teqK1uUk. IMPROVEMENT I tried to write the facts I saw in my own words on the previous discussion. The material was limited even on the Audubon Society website so I didnt have a lot to work with. I tried harder to make sure it wasnt just copy and paste.

Nucleic Acids :: essays research papers

DNA is the single most important molecule found within cells. It is a stable polynucleotide, which contains coded information for inherited characteristics. It is contained in chromosomes in the nucleus of an eukaryot cell. The essential features of the Watson-Crick model are summarised below. 1. The two helical polynucleotide chains are coiled around a common axis. The two chains have opposite polarity i.e. they are antiparrallel. 2. The regular repeating sugar phosphate backbone of each strand lies on the outside of the helix. The purine and pyrimidine bases project inwards at 900 to the axis of the helix. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two strands are held together by hydrogen bonding between pairs of bases such that guanine always pairs with cytosine and adenine always pairs with thymine; this is called complementary base pairing 3. The diameter of the helix is 2.0 nm and adjacent bases are separated by 0.34 nm and inclined at 360 relative to each other. This means that each complete turn of the double helix contains about 10 base pairs. 4. The amount of guanine is usually equal to that of cytosine. The monomers of RNA and DNA are called nucleotides. Each nucleotide has three parts: A Five Carbon or Pentose Sugar The sugar will be one of two very similar pentose rings. Ribonucleic acids contain the sugar ribose. Deoxyribonucleic acids contain the sugar deoxyribose. The only difference between these two sugars is that deoxyribose contains one oxygen atom less than ribose. Pentose sugars are essential because they are involved in linking different nucleotides together by condensation reactions. The Nitrogen-Containing Bases There are two types of bases found in nucleic acids. The purine bases have two nitrogen containing rings, while the pyrimidines have only one. In DNA the purines are adenine (A) and guanine (G) and the pyrimidines are cytosine (C) and thymine (T). In RNA the purine bases are the same as in DNA, but the pyrimidines are cytosine and uracil (U). These rings have the chemical property of being bases because of the nitrogen atoms they contain. Adenine always forms 2 hydrogen bonds with thymine. Cytosine always forms 3 hydrogen bonds with guanine. Nucleic Acids :: essays research papers DNA is the single most important molecule found within cells. It is a stable polynucleotide, which contains coded information for inherited characteristics. It is contained in chromosomes in the nucleus of an eukaryot cell. The essential features of the Watson-Crick model are summarised below. 1. The two helical polynucleotide chains are coiled around a common axis. The two chains have opposite polarity i.e. they are antiparrallel. 2. The regular repeating sugar phosphate backbone of each strand lies on the outside of the helix. The purine and pyrimidine bases project inwards at 900 to the axis of the helix. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two strands are held together by hydrogen bonding between pairs of bases such that guanine always pairs with cytosine and adenine always pairs with thymine; this is called complementary base pairing 3. The diameter of the helix is 2.0 nm and adjacent bases are separated by 0.34 nm and inclined at 360 relative to each other. This means that each complete turn of the double helix contains about 10 base pairs. 4. The amount of guanine is usually equal to that of cytosine. The monomers of RNA and DNA are called nucleotides. Each nucleotide has three parts: A Five Carbon or Pentose Sugar The sugar will be one of two very similar pentose rings. Ribonucleic acids contain the sugar ribose. Deoxyribonucleic acids contain the sugar deoxyribose. The only difference between these two sugars is that deoxyribose contains one oxygen atom less than ribose. Pentose sugars are essential because they are involved in linking different nucleotides together by condensation reactions. The Nitrogen-Containing Bases There are two types of bases found in nucleic acids. The purine bases have two nitrogen containing rings, while the pyrimidines have only one. In DNA the purines are adenine (A) and guanine (G) and the pyrimidines are cytosine (C) and thymine (T). In RNA the purine bases are the same as in DNA, but the pyrimidines are cytosine and uracil (U). These rings have the chemical property of being bases because of the nitrogen atoms they contain. Adenine always forms 2 hydrogen bonds with thymine. Cytosine always forms 3 hydrogen bonds with guanine.

The Diary of Lady Murasaki Reflection

The Diary of Lady Murasaki, gives the reader a glimpse of the imperial court during eleventh century Japan. Being an attendant in the imperial court, Murasaki is frequently involved with the activities of elite. As a woman, Lady Murasaki's descriptions are oriented around clothing, appearance, and the position of woman in Heian Japan. Lady Murasaki was the most educated woman in the court. She acknowledges learning the Chinese classics from listening to her brother’s lessons.She cautiously expressed for discretion in regards to her knowledge, since education was restricted for women due to the prejudices against women in the Buddhist convictions. Murasaki kept a personal diary, and spent her days filling it with notes from the daily activities of the court. I was a form of entertainment for Murasaki due to the lack of â€Å"excitement† in the court. The notes were almost making a mockery of the court and their way of life. She talked a lot about women and their role dur ing the time period in Japan. There wasn’t much going on inside the imperial court.The ladies-in-waiting spent there days engaged in gossip they had no other real responsibilities. The woman of the court wore lavish colorful garments. There were very strict rules on what colors the women were allowed to wear. For example, only woman from a certain rank were allowed to wear yellow-green or red, but it was restricted to only jackets, figured silk and printed trains. Only on special occasions, like the birth of a prince, were all ranks dressed in white. The woman also had very long luxurious hair. This was also a sign of rank in the imperial court.The way Lady Murasaki describes the women of the court, it seems that their true position was to serve as the eye candy. They weren’t educated, except for a small number of them, and they didn’t have any real power in the dynasty. During this time women faced severe isolation with limited education. Women in the Heian per iod were defined by restrictions of what was not permitted. Custom influenced by Buddhism, enforced strict physical limitations on women, not to be seen by men and sometimes even other women. It seems like more of a hassle to have women present in the court then not.Without women in the court there wouldn’t be children. Without children, there wouldn’t be any heirs to the throne. Lady Murasaki diary gave third party view in the life of the imperial court. The priorities of the women were more focused on appearance rather then education because of the Buddhist convictions. Even thought the women were held at different ranks in the court they all had the main purpose of keeping the dynasty alive via childbirth. Due to the advance in Murasaki’s education, her writings gave way to the beginning of education for women in Japan.

Environmental Psychology Article Analysis Essay

The concept of environmental psychology is a new one which came into existence following the realization that there is always interplay between human behavior and the environments. In this regard, the term environment is broadly explained to include the natural surroundings, social surroundings, built surroundings, learning and information surroundings. Environmental psychology is a discipline that is committed to the development of a field that is both value and problem oriented giving priority to research that aims at providing a solution to the myriad environmental problems whenever one is pursuing individualistic welfare within the framework of the larger society. This paper shall give an analysis of an article regarding environmental psychology. Environmental Psychology: Environmental psychology is a discipline that deals with behavior in relation to the environment. This discipline focuses on the concepts that concern environment and the aesthetic preferences being presented in behavioral maps. According to Arkkelin and Veitch, (1995), environmental psychology has been defined as â€Å"a multidiscipline behavioral science, both basic and applied in orientation, whose foci are the systematic interrelationships between the physical and social environments and individual human behavior and experience† (p. 5). Environment in this regard becomes more ambiguous as the focus is on the interplay between people, behavior and their surroundings. Environmental psychology gains some ground given that human behavior is generated by interplay between the cyclical interaction of independent variables that include individuals and environment (Arkkelin and Veitch, 1995). Article Analysis: Social concerns in regard to the problems that are experienced in the real world is the driving force behind scientists’ involvement in environmental psychology issues (Rossman, 2009). One major problem that is facing humanity is associated with global warming that is threatening not only human existence but also any form of life on the earth. The article for analysis shall be ‘How to Spur Action on Global Warming’ written by Velasquez-Manoff in the year 2008 and published in the Christian Science monitor (Rossman, 2009). According to the article, the temperatures in the Arctic have been rising and even reached nine degrees higher during the fall of 2009 compared to the previous year. The article also reveals that the Arctic had recorded the warmest temperatures in the year 2008. It goes further to explain that emphasis should be placed on how to address the main problem of global warming as opposed to dwelling much on the cause of the problem. In trying to make individuals change behaviors, human activity is always blamed on the global warming problem and that the problem is said to be a moral issue. This has been found to be potentially counter-productive as individuals take it as criticism (Velasquez-Manoff, 2008). Velasquez-Manoff argues that programs where individuals are required to opt out so as to avoid taking part may be essential in changing behaviors. The opt-out programs employed in organ donation are found to be successful with a rating of between eighty and ninety per cent participation. When the individuals were asked to opt in for organ donation, success was only realized to up to 20% (Velasquez-Manoff, 2008). In a study on the energy usage by individuals, an energy meter was located on both the inside and outside, and there was found to be a reduction in the energy usage of individuals by up to 14% leading to a conclusion that when individuals are able to visualize the amount of energy that they utilize, then they are able to control the amount of energy that they use by reducing it (Velasquez-Manoff, 2008). Global Warming: The world today is faced by the global warming phenomenon which is described as the rising temperatures being experienced due to the emissions of the greenhouse gases. The greenhouse gases include the carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane and they are responsible for trapping heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere which in turn increases the temperatures (National Geographic Society, (2010). Carbon dioxide is a non-toxic gas that is usually exhaled by animal’s and absorbed by plants and since the amount of the gas being released is so large, the gas is left in the atmosphere. According to Arkkelin and Veitch, â€Å"With increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the balance between the incoming and outgoing radiation can be maintained only with an increase in surface and lower atmospheric temperatures† (Arkkelin and Veitch, 1995, page 184). The focus of environmental psychology is to devise a way in which people shall be motivated to change their behaviors so as to preserve the environment. In regard to global warming, the interest of the environmental psychologists is to find out the psychological changes that are due to the increasing temperatures. It has been argued that a higher temperature is associated with increasing levels of crime and violent behavior (Rossman, 2009). Rising temperatures are said to be causing irritability and aggressive behavior amongst individuals. Scientist in environmental psychology aim at improving the management of the environment which shall result into improved quality of life and psychological growth (Mathew, 2004). Actions that are aimed at stopping global warming leads to other benefits like preservation of nature, structural and community improvement as well increased environmental awareness. There are various actions that if adopted in the homes, will help in addressing the global warming problem. Such actions include making use of modern push mowers as opposed to gas-powered and electrical mowers that are rampant (Global Warming, 2008). The other ways of reducing global warming include using the below-ground pools instead of the above-ground pools which requires less heat. The use of the light emitting diode lights is also advisable as it not only uses less energy, it also has a long life span and provides more light compared to the conventional bulb (Global Warming, 2008). Conclusion: Global warming is a serious problem that needs to be addressed promptly. To think of the problem in terms of the amount of greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere provides a scenario in which problem appears to be overwhelming to the human race. However, as the old Chinese saying goes that a journey of a thousand miles starts with simple steps; the global warming problem can be addressed through initiation of simple practical solutions such as wearing a pullover instead of turning up the heat. People need to be environmentally conscious and this should be reflected in the effort they make to preserve the environment for this and the next generation. Sustainability of the environment is crucial for the survival of humanity and the general life found on earth. Environmental psychology is therefore important in addressing environmental issues by providing practical solutions to address the environmental challenges as most of the problems are as a result of human interaction with the environment. Reference: Fisher, J. J. , (2007). What is Environmental Psychology? Retrieved on 19th August 2010 from; http://environmentpsychology. com/environmental_psychology. htm. Global Warming. (2008). Global Warming – Climate Change. Retrieved on 19th August 2010 from; http://www. warmingglobal. org/ Matthew, V. G. , (2004). Environmental Psychology. Retrieved on 19th August 2010 from; http://www. psychology4all. com/environmentalpsychology. htm National Geographic Society, (2010). What Is Global Warming? Retrieved on 19th August 2010 from; http://environment. nationalgeographic. com/environment/global-warming/gw overview. html. Rossman, J. (2009). Environmental Psychology Article Analysis. Retrieved on 19th August 2010 from; http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/1928210/environmental_psychology_article_analysis. html. Veitch, R. , & Arkkelin, D. , (1995). Environmental Psychology: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Pearson Education Company. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Velasquez-Manoff, M. , (2008). How to Spur Action on Global Warming. Christian Science Monitor. 100(240). Pp, 13-14.