I need help with the book called warriors dont cry Essay Example for Free

I need help with the book called warriors dont cry Essay Oluwatemi Kukoyi December 3. 2013 English Period 7 Gang Violence: Death of a Friend In the united States, there are over 1. 4 million gang members. With such small percentage of the U. S, their the reason why most kids such as Isaac Johnson, 17 years old killed by the crossfire; are fearing for their life every day. They say dont blame the streets, blame the people in it. I look back, and see all the Hard work America have done to change the life styles of Gang Bangers. Based on the results, on the streets. d what the Media have been embracing, it seems that America have been doing absolutely nothing. His name was Mike. I usually wouldnt say not Like Mike as of In the movie, but, in this case, he was Like Mike All he wanted to do was play Basketball, There was never a time when he was bored, because basketball is what hell be playing. He was smart on the streets but, not too bright when it came down to books. He was my best friend, my right hand man, every time I looked at his face, I see a wallet full of enJamln bills, because I knew with his talent, and he would make It to the real court (NBA). The court raised him, but, the streets changed him. Mike hated school. He would accept graduating with Ds down his report card, and be proud of It. He didnt care. He was only in it, to Just get out of his life. I use to see mike outside around the corner sometimes, smoking weed, and with gang affiliates. remember It like It was yesterday, or 5 minutes ago. I was home, waking up from a nap from school. I went in the kitchen to get a nice cold bowl cereal. The phone rang. One of my good friends whispered through the phone in a dreadful tone that mike was died. And when heard that, it felt like I have died also. walked in my bed with a limp of sorrow, and just cried. I swallowed my Machoness and swallowed my pride. I felt as If I was handicap. That my right hand man was killed, that the pain will never go away. skipped school for weeks. My mind was full of questions. At that point, I really didnt care, but for only to get my friend back. I need help with the book called warriors dont cry by melba beals By Jamesthegreatl 2 Oluwafemi Kukoyi December 3,2013 In the United States, there are over 1. million gang members. With such small streets, and what the Media have been embracing, it seems that America have been His name was Mike. I usually wouldnt say not Like Mike as of in the movie, but, in this case, he was Like Mike All he wanted to do was play Basketball. There was never a time when he was bored, because basketball is what hell be playing. He was benJamin bills, because I knew with his talent, and he would make it to the real court ccep t graduating with Ds down his report card, and be proud of it. He didnt care. I remember it like it was yesterday, or 5 minutes ago. I was home, waking up from mike was died. And when I heard that, it felt like I have died also. I walked in my bed with a limp of sorrow, and Just cried. I swallowed my Machoness and swallowed my pride. I felt as if I was handicap. That my right hand I skipped school for weeks. My mind was full of questions. At that point, I really didnt care, but for only to get my friend back.

Anthropogenic Factors Leading To Climate Change Environmental Sciences Essay

Anthropogenic Factors Leading To Climate Change Environmental Sciences Essay There is great uncertainty surrounding the science of global warming and climate change. The Earths history is full of abrupt climate changes [1]. The Intergovernmental panel on climate change at the Kyoto protocol determined in 2007 that most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations [2]. Furthermore, based on the assumption that significant anthropogenic warming has taken place over the past 50 years over each continent except Antartica, it has been concluded that anthropogenic climate change is having a significant impact on physical and bilogical systems globally [3]. Climate change is occuring on all continents and in most oceans. Changes in the natural system since 1970 have been occuring where temperature increase has taken place. These changes cannot be explained by natural climate variations alone. This implies that climate change is primarily attributable to anthropogenic factors. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conclude that the earth is warming and that humans are probably the cause. Technologies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and strategies for carbon sequestraion have been found to be essential as species extinction has been found to be related to climate warming [4]. German Biologist Josef Reichholf contradicts the conclusions of the IPCC stating that there have been much faster climate changes in the past and that these did not automatically lead to a global extinction of species [5]. However the IPCC found that climate change is primarily based on anthropogenic factors but with the help of technologies, the effects could be minimized. This essay will focus on four aspects of anthropogenic factors believed to be contributing to climate change. These will explore factors such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Some of the natural factors which may cause climate change will be described, such as the effects of volcanoes. Introduction: Climate change has become one of the major global issues of our times. The Earths climate is changing rapidly, due to a rise in the average temperature of the global which has a subsequent impact on a variety of geographical factors. These include rising sea levels, melting of polar ice caps, flooding of land, hotter days and colder nights, and heat waves. All these phenomena bear a threat to the Earth, its ecosystems and its inhabitants, most importantly the human race. Problems such as global food shortages, natural disasters and health risks are on the rise posing severe threat to millions of lives. The risk of floods, hurricanes and heavy rains leaves major chunks of population living in potential danger of becoming homeless at any time. Changing weathers render portions of land arid and foodless, creating food security threats. A growing population only aggravates the problem. The impact of climate change is thus extremely hazardous, and it becomes important to ide ntify the root of this problem. Climate change is a direct product of global warming. As heat from the sun reaches the Earth, some of it is absorbed by the surface and the atmosphere, and the rest is reflected back into space. However, due to global warming, more and more of this heat is being trapped into the Earths atmosphere, resulting in high temperatures. The Earths surface has warmed by more than 0.8 degree Celsius in the past century and almost by 0.6 degree Celsius in the 1970s-2000s [5]. Causes: The rise in temperature is attributable mainly to human activities which are termed anthropogenic factors. Global warming has increased over the years due to human activities of burning of fossil fuels which release harmful gases, deforestation and emission of chemicals. Other concerns are the use of gases such as Chlorofluorocarbons in refrigerators and aerosol sprays and the means of transport. Most of this damage has occurred after to the heavy industrialization over the past three centuries, from 1750 the time of industrial revolution. The impact was scientifically proven and presented by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) in a series of reports. In 2007, the IPCC published its last assessment on the subject in which it asserted that human factors have in fact contributed widely to the resultant climate change. It is very likely that human factors are responsible for sea level rise, changing wind patterns, risk of heat waves and droughts. In fact, had it not been for the anthropogenic factors, the solar waves and volcanoes would more likely have cooled the Earth rather than warming.[6] The IPCC incorporates into its findings the concept of radiative forcing, a term which empirically measures the impact of each factor on the climate change. Radiative forcing is defined as How the energy balance of the Earth-atmosphere system is influenced when factors that affect climate are altered. The word radiative arises because these factors change the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation within the Earths atmosphere. This radiative balance controls the Earths surface temperature. The term forcing is used to indicate that Earths radiative balance is being pushed away from its normal state.[7] Thus, if a factor has a positive forcing, it means that it is contributing to an increase in overall temperature. Typically, carbon dioxide has a forcing measure of more than 1.5 watts per square meter, which is the largest forcing caused over this period. GHGs:Greenhouses gases have increased by about 70% ever since 1750, bearing direct relation with the problem of global warming.[8] These include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide. The emission of carbon dioxide gas has contributed 80% to the heating up of the Earths atmosphere.[9] Carbon dioxide is produced due to the burning of fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal. Humans burn fuel for cooking, for deforestation, for protection from the cold. The industrialization has led to the use of fossil fuel in industries, for running of machines, and in cars. In fact, the burning of fossil fuel contributes towards 80-85% of the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Methane is another gas being emitted in the process which all have served to increase the greenhouse effect. Methane is produced from the cultivation of rice, from the burning of coal and from cattle, It has increased by 145% due to human activity. These gases increase the concentration of particles in the atmosphere, which prevents heat from the sun to reflect back into the space. As a result, most of the incoming radiation becomes trapped in the atmosphere, heating up the Earths surface. Deforestation: Deforestation is another issue created by the needs of fossil fuel, agricultural land, food and space. In most developing countries, the basic need for fuel is satisfied by forest wood. Hence, forests are being burnt down by rural families on a daily basis. In addition, as agricultural land becomes less and less for the needs of growing population, people extend their space by clearing up the forests. However, the land beneath forests tends to be unproductive and devoid of natural chemicals of fertile lands. It serves as source of food for a few years, after which it becomes unfertile and useless, its nutrients get depleted, and exposure to heavy winds leave it deserted. Forest removal results in various problems such as destruction of natural ecosystems, wildlife extinction and aggravation of floods and natural hazards [10]. Forest removal not only contributes to warming due to increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, but also, it decreases the evapotranspiration efficiency, and decrease roughness of earth surface. Both of these factors contribute to warming of the Earth. Climate change as a natural phenomenon: There is another school of thought which repudiates the claims made by IPCC regarding the climate change. According to this school, anthropogenic factors cannot be held responsible for the overall climate change, which is infect a natural phenomenon. Kininmonth in his book Climate Change: A Natural Hazard provides an alternative explanation for climate change by saying that the IPCC in its global warming model ignores the regional variation in Earths climate. Earth is a sphere, and radiation from sun is absorbed differently by different portions. The tropics absorb more incoming heat, whereas outgoing radiation is far greater than incoming radiation at the poles. Hence, the Earth is not heating up as a whole due to the effect of radiation. Moreover, circulations of the ocean current and atmosphere help distribute this energy through Earth, leaving tropics cooler as well. The excess heat in the tropics is also absorbed by the enormous ocean laye r of the tropical oceans which serve as an energy reservoir. Therefore, the resulting climate change is not caused by the anthropogenic factors, rather it is a natural variation which Earths atmosphere is prone to. Kininmonth has argued that it is a flaw in the computer models of research that has led us to blame human activities as the causal factor.[11] Similarly, it is also asserted that deforestation actually leads to both negative and postive radiative forcing. If forests are replaced by grassland, it has a cooling effect which counters the heating effect discussed earlier. Thus, deforestation may or may not be a negative concern.[12] It has also been a finding that volcanic eruptions may be a natural factor contributing to climate change. Research models developed at the Max Planck Institute of Technology showed that while volcanoes have a cooling effect on global troposphere, they may lead to a clear winter warming pattern of surface air temperature over Northern Hemisphere continents.[13] Implications and Solutions: Yet, despite the debate on the real cause of climate change, it is evident that the change is in fact occurring and the threats it poses are very real. They have strong implications, and the future may be very tumultuous for many regions of the Earth.These particularly leave developing countries vulnerable to the problems of agriculture and population growth [14]. In order to cope, it is necessary to adapt ourselves to the situation. This does not only require measures to prevent global warming, such as banning CFCs but also to become less vulnerable to its impacts by eliminating factors that aggravate the situations. Some of such measures proposed include improving agricultural management, development of efficient irrigation systems, access to sanitation and health facilities for everyone, and development of buffer systems against floods and rising sea levels. Preventive measures include development of greener technology, environment-friendly means of tra nsportation and technology for efficient utilization and redistribution of energy [15]. Conclusion: In order to mitigate and solve the problems of global warming, it is essential to identify the realistic measures that can be taken. Given the current state and rate of industrialization in our globe, it ibis very difficult to curb the production of greenhouse gases and the process of deforestation. Population growth is another factor which needs to be plugged into the overall equation of sustainable growth. In addition, and more importantly, we should identify exactly where the problem lies, and if in fact some other factor aside of anthropogenic factors is responsible for climate change. Further research needs to be carried out to understand the natural causes of climate change, as promoted by the second school of thought. References: [1] Carey, J. Shapiro, S. (2004) Global Warming Business Week http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_33/b3896001_mz001.htm. [2] Aldy, J.E. and Stabins, R.N. (2008) Climate Policy Architectures for the Post Kyoto World, 50, 7-17. [3] Rosenzweig et al (2008) Attributing physical and biological impacts to anthropogenic climate change, Nature 453, 353-357 http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v453/n7193/full/nature06937.html. [4] Thomas C. D. et al (2004) Extinction risk from climate change, Nature 427, 145-148 http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v427/n6970/abs/nature02121.html. [5] Stampf, O. and Traufetter, G. (2007) German Biologist: Global Warming Is Good ForUS. http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/may2007/090507germanbiologist.htm. [5] Campbell-Lendrum D. et al. (2007) Global Climate Change: Implication For International Public Health Policy. Bulletin of the World Health Organization (BLT) [6] Pachauri, R.K. and Reisinger, A. (2007) Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report: Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC, 104. [7] How do Human Activities Contribute to Climate Change and H ow do They Compare with Natural Influences? (2007) http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/climate/factsheets/howhuman.pdf [8] Meyer, M. D. (2010) Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change Assessment. Journal of the American Planning Association 76, 402-412. [9] Hamburg S. P. et al. (1997) Common Questions about Climate Change. United Nations Environment Program- World Metereological Organization. [10] Boyd D. The race to save   the worlds forests.http://www.fanweb.org/patrick-moore/dboyd.html [11] Kininmonth, William. (2004) Climate Change: A Natural Hazard. Multi-Science Publishing Co. Ltd. [12] Edouard, D. L.(2010) Climatic Impact of Global-Scale Deforestation: Radiative versus Nonradiative Processes. Journal of Climate 23, 97-112. [13] Wolfe J. Volcanoes and Climate Change. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Volcano/ [14] Mintzer, Irving M. (1993) Confronting climate change: risks, implications, and responses. Victoria, Australia: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. [15] Hardy, J. T. (2003) Climate Change: Effects, Causes and Solutions. John Wiley Sons Ltd.

An introduction to the macroeconomics of walmart

An introduction to the macroeconomics of walmart Sam Walton, a leader with an innovative vision, started his own company and made it into the leader in discount retailing that it is today. Through his savvy, and sometimes unusual, business practices, he and his associates led the company forward for thirty years. Today, years after his death, the company is still growing steadily. Wal-Mart executives continue to rely on many of the traditional goals and philosophies that Sams legacy left behind, while also keeping one step ahead of the constantly changing technology and methods of todays fast-paced business environment. The organization has faced, and is still facing, a significant amount of controversy over several different issues; however, none of these have done much more than scrape the exterior of this gigantic operation. The future also looks bright for Wal-Mart, especially if it is able to strike a comfortable balance between increasing its profits and recognizing its social and ethical responsibilities. Why is Wal-Mart so Successful? In 1962, when Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas, no one could have ever predicted the enormous success this small-town merchant would have. Sam Waltons talent for discounts retailing not only made Wal-Mart the worlds largest retailer, but also the worlds number one retailer in sales. Indeed, Wal-Mart was named Retailer of the Decade by Discount Store News in 1989, and on several occasions has been included in Fortunes list of the 10 most admired corporations. Even with Waltons death (after a two-year battle with bone cancer) in 1992, Wal-Marts sales continue to grow significantly. Wal-Mart is successful not only because it makes sound strategic management decisions, but also for its innovative implementation of those strategic decisions. Regarded by many as the entrepreneur of the century, Walton had a reputation for caring about his customers, his employees (or associates as he referred to them), and the community. In order to maintain its market position in the discount retail business, Wal-Mart executives continue to adhere to the management guidelines Sam developed. Walton was a man of simple tastes and took a keen interest in people. He believed in three guiding principles: 1. Customer value and service;   2. Partnership with its associates; 3. Community involvement (The Story of Wal-Mart, 1995). The word always can be seen in virtually all of Wal-Marts literature. One of Waltons deepest beliefs was that the customer is always right, and his stores are still driven by this philosophy. When questioned about Wal-Marts secrets of success, Walton has been quoted as saying, It has to do with our desire to exceed our customers expectations every hour of every day (Wal-Mart Annual Report, 1994, p. 5). Waltons greatest accomplishment was his ability to empower, enrich, and train his employees (Longo, 1994). He believed in listening to employees and challenging them to come up with ideas and suggestions to make the company better. At each of the Wal-Mart stores, signs are displayed which read; Our People Make the Difference. Associates regularly make suggestions for cutting costs through their Yes We Can Sam program. The sum of the savings generated by the associates actually paid for the construction of a new store in Texas (The story of Wal-Mart, 1995). One of Wal-Marts goals was to provide its employees with the appropriate tools to do their jobs efficiently. The technology was not used as a means of replacing existing employees, but to provide them with a means to succeed in the retail market (Thompson Strickland, 1995). Wal-Marts popularity can be linked to its hometown identity. Walton believed that every customer should be greeted upon entering a store, and that each store should be a reflection of the values of its customers and its community. Wal-Mart is involved in many community outreach programs and has launched several national efforts through industrial development g rants. What are the Key Features of Wal-Marts Approach to Implementing the Strategy Put Together by Sam Walton The key features of Wal-Marts approach to implementing the strategy put together by Sam Walton emphasizes building solid working relationships with both suppliers and employees, being aware and taking notice of the most intricate details in store layouts and merchandising techniques, capitalizing on every cost saving opportunity, and creating a high performance spirit. This strategic formula is used to provide customers access to quality goods, to make these goods available when and where customers want them, to develop a cost structure that enables competitive pricing, and to build and maintain a reputation for absolute trustworthiness (Stalk, Evan, Shulman, 1992). Wal-Mart stores operate according to their Everyday Low Price philosophy. Wal-Mart has emerged as the industry leader because it has been better at containing its costs, which has allowed it to pass on the sav ings to its customers. Wal-Mart has become a capability competitor. It continues to improve upon its key business processes, managing them centrally and investing in them heavily for the long-term payback. Wal-Mart has been regarded as an industry leader in testing, adapting, and applying a wide range of cutting-edge merchandising approaches (Thompson Strickland, 1995, p. 860). Walton proved to be a visionary leader and was known for his ability to quickly learn from his competitors successes and failures. In fact, the founder of Kmart once claimed that Walton not only copied our concepts, he strengthened them. Sam just took the ball and ran with it (Thompson Strickland, 1995, p. 859). Wal-Mart has invested heavily in its unique cross-docking inventory system. Cross docking has enabled Wal-Mart to achieve economies of scale, which reduces its costs of sales. With this system, goods are continuously delivered to stores within 48 hours and often without having to inventory them. Low er prices also eliminate the expense of frequent sales promotions and sales are more predictable. Cross docking gives the individual managers more control at the store level. A company owned transportation system also assists Wal-Mart in shipping goods from warehouse to store in less than 48 hours. This allows Wal-Mart to replenish the shelves 4 times faster than its competition. Wal-Mart owns the largest and most sophisticated computer system in the private sector. It uses a MPP (massively parallel processor) computer system to track stock and movement which keeps it abreast of fast changes in the market (Daugherty, 1993). Information related to sales and inventory is disseminated via its advanced satellite communications system. Wal-Mart has leveraged its volume buying power with its suppliers. It negotiates the best prices from its vendors and expects commitments of quality merchandise (Thompson Strickland, 1995). The purchasing agents of Wal-Mart are very focused people. Their highest priority is making sure everybody at all times in all cases knows whos in charge, and its Wal-Mart (Vance Scott, 1995, p. 32). Even though Wal-Mart was tough in negotiating for absolute rock-bottom prices, the company worked closely with suppliers to develop mutual respect and to forge long-term partnerships that benefited both parties (Thompson Strickland, 1995, p. 866). Wal-Mart built an automated reordering system linking computers between Procter Gamble (PG) and its stores and distribution centers. The computer system sends a signal from a store to PG identifying an item low in stock. It then sends a resupply order, via satellite, to the nearest PG factory, which then ships the item to a Wal-Mart distribution center or directly to the store. This interaction between Wal-Mart and PG is a win-win proposition because with better coordination, PG can lower its costs and pass some of the savings on to Wal-Mart. Sam Walton received national attention through his Buy America policy. Through this plan, Wal-Mart encourages its buyers and merchandise managers to stock stores with American-made products. In a 1993 annual report management stated the program demonstrates a long-standing Wal-Mart commitment to our customers that we will buy American-made products whenever we can if those products deliver the same quality and affordability as their foreign-made counterparts (Thompson Strickland, 1995, p. 868). Environmental concerns are important to Wal-Mart. A prototype store was opened in Lawrence, Kansas, which was designed to be environmentally friendly. The store contains environmental education and recycling centers (Slezak, 1993). Wal-Mart has also adopted the low cost theme for its facilities. All offices, including the corporate headquarters, are built economically and furnished simply. To conserve energy, temperature controls are connected via computer to headquarters. Through these programs, Wal-Mart shows its concern for the community. Wal-Mart h as been led from the top but run from the bottom, a strategy developed by Sam Walton and carried on by a small group of senior executives led by CEO David Glass. Although recent growth has led Wal-Mart to add more management layers, senior executives strive to maintain its unique culture. This culture, described as one part Southern Baptist evangelism, one part University of Arkansas Razorback teamwork, and one part IBM hardware has worked to Wal-Marts advantage (Saporito, 1994, p. 62). Just how Successful is Wal-Mart? A forecast (see Appendix A) of Wal-Marts income for the period 1995-2000, considering increases of 30.6% in Net Sales, 27.7% in Operating Expenses, and 52.3% in Interest Debt (a level which is below Wal-Marts historically compounded growth rate of 55.6%) indicates that the company should continue to report gains each year until 2000. According to most analysts and company projections, sales should approximate $115 billion by 1996, representing an increase of 30.6% as compared to 1995. If the company continues at this pace, sales should reach $334 billion by the year 2000. The growth on sales that Wal-Mart reported during the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s will be difficult to repeat, especially considering the ever-changing marketplace in which it competes. In an interview, Bill Fields, President of the Stores Division said, Wal-Mart is now seeing price pressure from companies that once assiduously avoided taking it on. These include specialty retailers such as Limited, category killers like Home Depot and Circuit City, and catalog companies like Spiegel. I think everybody prices off of Wal-Mart. Youve got Limited reaching levels wed thought theyd never get to. The result is that everyday low prices are getting lower (Saporito, 1994, p. 66). In addition, the baby-boomers are reaching their peak earnings years, when financial and personal priorities change. Thus, savings, not spending, will likely take precedence because most baby-boomers are approaching retirement. Based on Wal-Marts position in 1994, which was considered a year of expansion for the company, (Wal-Mart added 103 new discount stores, 38 Super-centers, 163 warehouse clubs, and 94,000 new associates) interest debt increased 52.3%. The cost paid by Wal-Mart to finance property plants and equipment forced the company to increase long term debt by 4.6 times during the period 1991-1995. Long term debt for 1995 is $7.9 billion. If Wal-Mart continues its expansion plans based on more debt acquisition at 1994 levels, the company may not attain forecasted gains by as early as 1998. Operating expenses will be a key strategic issue for Wal-Mart in order to maintain its position in the market. The challenge is how to run more stores with less operating expenses. According to Bill Fields,. . . the goal is to increase sales per square foot and drive operating costs down yet another notch (Saporito, 1994, p. 66). Trends indicate that operating expenses have been grow ing at a rate of 27.7% in recent years. However, Wal-Mart should reap the benefits of its investments in high technology, and be able to operate more stores without increasing its expenses. Cost of sales historically has been equal to the level of sales. If the company continues to take advantage of its buying power, Wal-Mart can expect to lower its cost of sales. Wal-Marts future will depend on how well the company manages its expansion plans. For the coming years, the company will need to justify its expansion plans with consistent growth in sales, in order to offset the increases in debt interest and operating expenses. What Problems are ahead for Wal-Mart? What Risks? Throughout the 1980s, Wal-Marts strategic intent was to unseat industry leaders Sears and Kmart, and become the largest retailer in the U.S. Wal-Mart accomplished this goal in 1991. But Wal-Marts current strong competitive position and its past rapid growth performance cant guarantee that the company will remain a s the industry leader or maintain its strong business position in the future. Carol Farmer, a retail consultant, told the Wall Street Journal that, One little bad thing can wipe out lots of good things (Trimble, 1990, p. 267). Every move in its business operation ought to be well thought-out and executed. Wal-Mart needs to address two major areas in order to maintain or to capture an even stronger long term business position: 1) Single-business strategy Wal-Marts success is mainly based on its concentration of a single-business strategy. This strategy has achieved enviable success over the last three decades without relying upon diversification to sustain its growth and competitive advantages. Given its current position in the industry, Wal-Mart may want to continue its single-business strategy and to push hard to maintain and increase market share. However, there is risk in this strategy, because concentration on a single-business strategy is similar to putting all of a firms eggs in one industry basket (Thompson Strickland, 1995, p. 187). In other words, if the retail industry stagnates due to an economic downturn, Wal-Mart might have difficulty achieving past profit performance. Also, if Wal-Mart continues to follow Sam Waltons vision of expansion, Wal-Mart will reach its peak in the very near future. When it does, its growth will start to slow down and the company will need to turn its strategic attention to diversification for future growth. Social responsibility Retail stores can compete on several bases: service, price, exclusivity, quality, and fashion. Wal-Mart has been extremely successful in competing in the retail industry by combining service, price, and quality. However, other merchants may object to Wal-Marts entry into their community. Because of its ability to out-price smaller competitors, Wal-Marts stores threaten smaller neighborhood stores which can only survive if they offer merchandise or services unavailable anywhere else. This makes it very hard for small businesses, such as mom-and-pop enterprises, to survive. They, therefore, fight to keep Wal-Mart from entering their locales. Numerous studies conducted in different states both support and criticize Wal-Mart (Verdisco, 1994). Nevertheless, Wal-Mart did drive local merchants out of business when it opened up stores in the same neighborhood. As a result, more and more rural communities are waging war against Wal-Marts entrance into their market. Besides protesting and signing petitions to attempt to stop Wal-Marts entry into their community, the oppositions efforts can even be found on The Internet. Gig Harbor, a small town in Washington, recently started a World Wide Web page entitled Us against the Wal. The towns neighborhood association promised that they will fight them [Wal-Mart] tooth and nail (PNA/Island Aerie Internet Productions, 1995/1996). The increasing opposition indicates that the road ahead for Wal-Mart may not be as smooth as Wal-Marts annual r eport would entail. This requires Wal-Mart to rethink its expansion strategy since it would not be profitable to operate in an unfriendly community. How Big Will Wal-Mart be in Five Years if all continues to go well? Before he died, Sam Walton expressed his belief that by the year 2000 Wal-Mart should be able to double the number of stores to about 3,000 and to reach sales of $125 billion annually. Walton predicted that the four biggest sources of growth potential would be the following: 1. Expanding into states where it had no stores;  Ã‚   2. continuing to saturate its current markets with new stores;   3. Perfecting the Super-center format to expand Wal-Marts retailing reach into the grocery and supermarket arena a market with annual sales of about $375 billion; 4. Moving into international markets (Thompson Strickland, 1995). Wal-Mart Super-centers represent leveraging on customer loyalty and procurement muscle in order to create a new domestic growth vehicle for the comp any. With few locations left in the U.S. to put a new Sams Club or traditional Wal-Mart, the Super-center division has emerged as the domestic vehicle for taking Wal-Mart to $100 billion in sales. Before the Super-center, Walton experimented with a massive Hyper-mart, encompassing more than 230,000 square feet in size. The idea failed. Customers complained that the produce was not fresh or well-presented and that it was difficult to find things in a store so big that inventory clerks had to wear roller skates. One of Waltons philosophies was that traveling on the road to success required failing at times. As a result of the unsuccessful experiment, Walton launched a revised concept: the Super-center, a combination discount and grocery store that was smaller than the Hyper-mart. The Super-center was intended to give Wal-Mart improved drawing power in its existing markets by providing a one-stop shopping destination. Super-centers would have the full array of general merchandise found in traditional Wal-Mart stores, as well as a full-scale supermarket, delicatessen, fresh bakery, and other specialty shops like hair salons, portrait studios, dry cleaners, and optical wear departments. Super-centers would measure 125,000 to 150,000 square feet, and target locations where sales per store of $30 to $50 million annually were feasible. Waltons prediction was right on target. The Super-center division more than doubled in size during 1993, then doubled again in 1994. Super-centers, once thought of as risky because of slim profit margins on the food side, will most likely make Wal-Mart the nations largest grocery retailer within the next five to seven years (Longo, 1994). Expanding overseas, Wal-Mart moved into the international market in 1991 through a joint-venture partnership with CIFRA S.A. de C.V., Mexicos leading retailer. Since then the company has entered Canada, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Brazil. The Wal-Mart International Division w as officially formed in 1994 to manage the companys international growth. By the year 2000, analysts expect Wal-Mart to be a huge international retailer, with numerous locations in South America, Europe, and Asia. The ever-changing market presents continuing challenges to retailers. First and foremost, retailers must recognize the strong implications of a buyers market (Lewison, 1994). Customers are being offered a wide choice of shopping experiences, but no one operation can capture them all. Therefore, it is incumbent upon management to define their target market and direct their energies toward solving that specific markets problems. Technology, demographics, consumer attitudes, and the advent of a global economy are all conspiring to rewrite the rules for success. Success in the next decade will depend upon the level of understanding retailers have about the new values, expectations, and needs of the customer. If Wal-Mart continues its customer-driven culture, it should remain a retail industry leader well into the next century. REFERENCES: Daugherty, R. (1993). New approach to retail signals strong future for point of purchase displays. Paperboard Packaging, pp. 24-27. Lewison, M. D. (1991). Retailing. New York: Macmillan. Longo, D. (1994). New generation of execs leads Wal-Mart into the next century. Discount Store News, pp. 45-47. PNA/Island Aerie Internet Productions (1995/1996). Us against the Wal. Gig Harbor, Washington: Peninsula Neighborhood Association. [Online] Available: http://www.harbornet.com/pna/. Saporito, B. (1994, May). And the winner is still . . . Wal-Mart. Fortune, pp. 62-68. Slezak, M. (1993). Seeds of environmental store planted in 1989. Discount Stores Inc., pp. 25-27. Stalk, G., Evans, P., Shulman, L. (1992, March-April). Competing on capabilities: the new rules of corporate strategy. Harvard Business Review, pp. 55-70. Thompson, A. A., Jr. Strickland, A.J. III. (1995). Strategic management concepts and cases (8th ed.). Chicago: I rwin. Trimble, V. H. (1990). Sam Walton: The inside story of Americas richest man. New York: Dutton. Vance, S., Scott, S. (1994). Wal-Mart: a history of Sam Waltons retail phenomenon. New York: Twayne. Verdisco, R. J. (1994, October). Superstores and Smallness. Discount Merchandiser, p. 8. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (1995). The story of Wal-Mart. Bentonville, Arkansas: Corporate Offices of Wal- Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart Annual Report, 1994 Wal-Mart Annual Report, 1995

Fermi National Accelerator :: physics proton accelerator

During the early 1950's there was a need for a new large accelerator facility in the United States, therefore a group called MURA (Midwestern Universities Research Association) was formed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission specifically to take on this enormous task. By the early 1960's the accelerator research panel had made several recommendations about the accelerator project. The panel reccomended that four things needed to be constructed to get the project under way. What the panel had suggested was that a super high current accelerator be constructed, a proton accelerator of approximately 200 GeV ( this would be Fermilabs original main ring) be constructed, storage rings needed to be constructed and a design study for an approximately 800 GeV machine needed to be formed. On November 21, 1967 President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill allowing the go ahead of the Fermi National Accelerator and by early 1968 congress approved funding to build the laboratory. In 1967 the Fermilab cost $243 million with an additional $120 million in 1983 to complete the Tevatron. The site chosen by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission was just outside Chicago Illinois in a small town called Weston, Illinois. The first person chosen to take on the complicated task of running the Fermilab was Founding Director Robert R. Wilson, and from the outset Robert committed the laboratory to firm principles of scientific excellence, esthetic beauty, stewardship of the land, fiscal responsibility and equality of opportuniy (Fermi website, http://www.fnal.gov/pub/contact/index.html). What excactly does the Fermilab do you ask? Well in the simplest terms possible the lab studies the tiniest building blocks of matter to learn and understand more about the forces involved in holding them together and the forces that separate them, otherwise known as particle physics. To study these subatomic particles the scientist must smash them together in order to see what comes flying out. One of the most interesting parts about the Fermilab is the immense size of the equipment used to carry out the experiments. The Tevatron is the highest energy particle accelerator in the world. It is located 30 feet below the surface and has a circumference of approximately four miles. The Tevatron uses accelerators that help add energy to the subatomic particles so that they can travel around the four-mile loop 50,000 times a second at a speed of 99.9999 % of light. To help study the collisions there are two collider detectors ( CDF and DZero), each about the size of a four story building.

Essay --

When the time came to choosing a potential career path, in my mind I had absolutely no doubt that I aspired to pursue dental hygiene. I believe that dentistry is one of the careers that has continual advancements in treatments and patient care, which provides endless opportunities to specialize in different branches of dentistry. Most importantly I find this profession to be rewarding. I have always envisioned to take on a profession which combines not only scientific appli-cations but also patient care that improves peoples' quality of life and this happens to be the best career which combines both of these important elements. My ambition to study dental hygiene has been further reinforced over the course of my gap year experience, working and studying as a dental nurse. I have become more aware of the growing importance of helping educate the general public about oral health paying closer attention to causes of some of the most disastrous oral conditions. Whilst working at the Ivory Dental Studio in London, I observed numerous procedures such as tooth onlays, root canal treatment...

Reflection paper on date rape for Human Sexuality Essay

There are many sad stories of girls who have been violated by someone that they know. They almost all begin with a wonderful night and eventually get taken advantage of. The woman in the situation may feel as though she asked for it. The male may feel as though she didn’t say no, so if I do this I am doing nothing wrong. It is horrifying to me how many times this has happened to a woman. The number of times it happens to women is the most significant thing about date rape to me, because I didn’t realize that it happened so much. I think knowing this will help me to watch out for things around me a little better and make my trust level go down even further. I think all women need to watch out for themselves in sketchy situations. If she or I feel uncomfortable then she or I should try to avoid the situation before it is too late, if possible. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds though. There have been quite a few times that I was in situations where potentially very bad things could have happened to me and out of pure luck they didn’t. I am usually a very trusting person, but the past couple of years I’ve been having to rethink that and become more of an untrusting person to try to protect myself. Men take their strong, masculine image and use it to their advantage. They may try to use guilt, lies, alcohol, and/or aggressiveness to get a girl to have sex with them. If she declines and he still continues to have sex with her, then he is committing a crime. The worst part is that girls don’t really know who to trust or not to trust. It’s a very scary world in which we live. I wish the world was different and it was ok to trust everyone especially the people you are close to, but since it’s not I have to be really careful when choosing who I will trust.

Problem Review Set Capital Structure and Leverage Essay

Managerial Finance – Problem Review Set – Capital Structure and Leverage If a firm utilizes debt financing, an X% decline in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) will result in a decline in earnings per share that is larger than X. True b. False 2) Firm A has a higher degree of business risk than Firm B. Firm A can offset this by using less financial leverage. Therefore, the variability of both firms’ expected EBITs could actually be identical. 3) It is possible that two firms could have identical financial and operating leverage, yet ave different degrees of risk as measured by the variability of EPS. ) Which of the following events is likely to encourage a company to raise its target debt ratio, other things held constant? An increase in the corporate tax rate. An increase in the personal tax rate. An increase in the company’s operating leverage. d. The Federal Reserve tightens interest rates in an effort to fight inflation. e. The company’s stock price hits a new high. 5) The firm’s target capital structure should be consistent with which of the following statements? Maximize the earnings per share (EPS). Minimize the cost of debt (rd). Obtain the highest possible bond rating. Minimize the cost of equity (rs). Minimize the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). 6) Which of the following statements isAs a firm increases the operating leverage used to produce a given quantity of output, this will normally lead to an increase in its fixed assets turnover ratio. b. normally lead toa decrease in its business risk. normally lead to a decrease in the standard deviation of its expected EBIT. d. ormally lead to a decrease in the variability of its expected EPS. e. ormally lead to a reduction in its fixed assets turnover ratio. 7) Reynolds Resorts is currently 100% equity financed. The CFO is considering a recapitalization plan under which the firm would issue long-term debt with a yield of 9% and use the proceeds to repurchase common stock. The recapitalization would not change the company’s total assets, nor would it affect the firm’s basic earning power, which is currently 15%. The CFO believes that this re capitalization would ikely to occur if the company goes ahead with the recapitalization plan?