Solution Problems and Solutions Chap Essay Example

Solution Problems and Solutions Chap Paper You are considering a new project that has 50 recent more beta risk than your firms assets currently have, that is, its beta is 50 percent larger than the firms existing beta. The expected return on the new project is 18 percent. Should the project be accepted if beta risk is the appropriate risk measure? Pure play method 4. Interstate Transport has a target capital structure of 50 percent debt and 50 percent common equity. The firm is considering a new independent project that has an expected return of 13 percent and is not related to transportation. However, a pure play proxy firm has been identified that is exclusively engaged in the new line of business. The proxy firm has a beta of 1. 38. Both firms have a marginal tax rate of 40 percent, and Interstates before-tax cost of debt is 12 percent. The risk-free rate is 10 percent and the market risk premium is S percent. What should the firm do? S. Longest Corporation has a target capital structure that consists of 30 percent debt, 50 percent common equity, and 20 percent preferred stock. The tax rate is 30 percent. The company has projects in which it would like to invest faith costs that total $1,500,000. We will write a custom essay sample on Solution Problems and Solutions Chap specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Solution Problems and Solutions Chap specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Solution Problems and Solutions Chap specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Longest will retain $500,000 of net income this year. The last dividend was $5, the current stock price is 575, and the growth rate f the company is 10 percent. If the company raises capital through a new equity issuance, the notation costs are ICC percent. The cost Of preferred stock is 9 percent and the cost of debt is 7 percent. (Assume debt and preferred stock have no notation costs. ) What is the weighted average cost Of capital at the firms optimal capital budget? 6. Lamina Motors just reported earnings per share of $2. 00. The stock has a price earnings ratio of 40, so the stocks current price is $80 per share. Analysts expect that one year from now the company will have an PEPS of $2. 40, and it will pay its first dividend of SSL . 00 per share. The stock has a required return of 10 percent. What price earnings ratio must the stock have one year trot now so that investors realize their expected return? Heavy Metal Corp.. Is a steel manufacturer that finances its operations with 40 percent debt, 10 percent preferred stock, and SO percent equity, The interest rate on the companys debt is 11 percent. The preferred stock pays an annual dividend of 52 and sells for 520 a share. The companys common stock trades at $30 a share, and its current dividend (DO) of $2 a share is expected to grow at a constant rate of 8 percent per year _ The flotation cost Of external equity s 15 percent of the dollar amount issued, while the flotation cost on preferred stock is 10 percent. The company estimates that its WAC is 12. 30 percent. Assume that the firm will not have enough retained earnings to fund the equity portion Of its capital budget. What is the companys tax rate? Anderson Company has four investment opportunities with the following costs (paid at t 0) and expected returns: Expected Project Cost C $2,000 3, coo 5, COO 3,000 Return 16. 0% 14. 5 11. 5 The company has a target capital structure that consists of 40 percent common equity, 40 percent debt, and 20 percent preferred stock. The company has 51,000 in retained earnings. The company expects its year-end dividend to be $3. 00 per share (DID = 001 The dividend is expected to grow at a constant rate of S percent a year. The companys stock price is currently $42. 75.

Become an Adjunct Professor

Become an Adjunct Professor In the academic world, there are several types of professors. In general, an adjunct professor is a part-time instructor. Instead of being hired on a full-time, long-term basis, adjunct professors are hired based on the number of classes needed and by the semester. Usually, they are not guaranteed work beyond the current semester and are not given benefits. While they may be retained over and over again, being an adjunct is more of a temporary role in general. Adjunct Professors Contracts Adjunct professors work by contract, so their responsibilities are limited to teaching the course they have been hired to teach. They are not required to conduct research or service activities at the school, as a typical professor would participate in. In general, adjunct professors are paid $2,000 to $4,000 per class, depending on the university or college at which they teach. Many adjunct professors hold full-time jobs and teach to supplement their income or to expand their networking capabilities. Some teach simply because they enjoy it. Other adjunct professors teach several classes at several institutions each semester in order to earn a living from teaching. Some academics argue that adjunct professors are taken advantage of because many so desire to keep a foot in academia despite heavy workloads and poor pay, but it still makes good financial sense for different professionals and institutions. Pros and Cons of Adjunct Teaching There are advantages and disadvantages to becoming an adjunct. One perk is that it can bolster your image and help you develop a professional platform; another is that you will not have to get involved in organizational politics that plague many institutions. The pay is much lower than a regular professor, though, so you may feel like you are doing the same amount of work as colleagues and getting paid less. Its important to consider your motivations and goals when considering a career or job as an adjunct professor; for many people, its a supplement to their career or income instead of a full-time career. For others, it can help them get their foot in the door to becoming a tenured professor. How to Become an Adjunct Professor To be an adjunct professor, you will need to hold a masters degree at the least. Many adjunct professors are in the middle of earning a degree. Some have Ph.D. degrees. Others just have a lot of experience in their respective fields. Are you an existing graduate school student? Network in your department to see if there are any potential openings. Also, inquire locally at community colleges to break in and get some experience.

The Role of the Professional Code of Ethics in Addressing Security Threats

The Role of the Professional Code of Ethics in Addressing Security Threats Historically, many professional associations have viewed ethical codes as mechanisms used to establish their status professionally. This gives a way of regulating their membership in order to convince the world that they deserve to be as self regulating as possible (Aupperle 2005, p. 1057).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the Professional Code of Ethics in Addressing Security Threats specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The state of self regulation depends on ways to curb unethical behavior among members. Therefore, a code combined with ethics review board emerged as the solution. This code of ethics has helped in listing possible violations and has also executed threats and sanctions to such violations. The need to execute the ethical review board has not been an easy task at all for ACM. However, they later came to realize that the act of self regulation depends or can work only if there is a consensus and crucial commitment of its members. Recently, the most crucial rationale for ethical code has been the enactment of a set of commitments of the association members. In some instances, those enactments are brought out as rules and regulations as well as ideas. However, the main social function is clarification and stating the ethical requirement that are important to the organization which is acting as a professional association (Hagen, Albrechtsen Hovden 2008, p. 377) The recent codes of ethics put more emphasis on socialization and education rather than compliance enforcement. In addition, these codes can work toward collective well being of the association even if it might be a distillation of collective reflection and experience. Moreover, a code of ethics is usually the major drive for any profession bearing in mind that professionals should be accountable to the public and by so doing; it leads to great returns when public trust is fortified.Advertising Looking for essa y on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Before exploring the major security threats that can arise from irresponsible behavior among information technology employees, we ought to concur with the submission that the final and the most crucial function of ethical code is the role it plays as a guide towards decision making by an individual and hence it can be quite ideologically helpful if incorporated in every IT firm (Hagen, Albrechtsen Hovden 2008, p. 377). To begin with, it is worth to admit that human beings were not born to be perfect. This can be supported by the fact that they use brains. Every IT firm requires human beings as members of staff for its goals to be achieved and profitable results realized. However, it happens that there arise cases related to misbehavior among employees for one reason or another. Human carelessness, harm to other employees and machines, dishonesty and untrustworthy, confidentiality , unprofessionalism, improper crediting of intellectual property, disrespect of other employees, unfairness and discrimination, unreliability, software risks, unauthorized access as well as conflicting interests are among the many shortcomings that may be experienced in an IT firm ( Jin, Drozdenko Bassett 2007, p. 149) Therefore, due to the employees’ shortcomings, the Association of Computing Machinery (ACN) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS) enacted codes of ethics as part of their constitution whereby all members must adhere to at all times even as they pursue their professions. In addition, members are required to be law abiding citizens and they should also act within the given code of ethics by adhering to the set values. Some of the ACS and ACM codes of ethics, values and ideals that have been subscribed to members include standards of conduct, priorities, competence, honesty, social implications, professional developments and computing competence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the Professional Code of Ethics in Addressing Security Threats specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Under the main code of ethics, an employee is required to act with high levels of professionalism and integrity whenever dealing with clients, other employees, students and the community at large. By so doing, the interests of the aforementioned parties will be achieved while realizing or attaining the goals of the company (Van, Wempe Theo 2004, p. 385). These firms accept the fact that the standard of conduct are ideal and not can be achieved. It is a practical and a common occurrence for various standards to conflict against each other in various ways. There is need to apply some degree of subjectivity bearing in mind that in any given organization, cases of etjical as well as unethical behaiour will hardly miss out Hawkey Beznosov 2009, p. 4). It is also imperative to mention that vari ous cases of poor application of the given code of ethics mainly arise as a result of inadequate accountability on the part of members (Jin, Drozdenko Bassett 2007, p. 149). Finally, it is worthy to mention that according to the standard of ethics, a member is expected to distinguish between ethical and unethical practices in each particular circumstance. In any case, the application of the code of ethics should be exercised by individuals who are well versed with the rules and regulations as provided by the ethical bodies. By doing so, Intellectual properties will be credited properly (Jin, Drozdenko Bassett 2007, p. 149).Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These firms also share another close aspect in their codes of ethics. It is known as priorities. In other words, service should be offered to other stakeholders first before engaging in self service or interests. In other words, they are not supposed to put themselves first. Members are required to preserve and maintain continuity of computing information flow on their own (Messikomer Cirka 2010, p. 55).They are also supposed to preserve to security and integrity of every information obtained from clients. Furthermore, a member is required to advise clients or employers in case any conflict arises in course of their work. Finally, members are given priority to advise clients as well as employers whenever there are conscientious objections facing them in connection to their work. As a result of this clause, conflicting interests can be categorized as security threats among IT firms (Long Driscoll 2008, p. 173). Competence is another valuable clause that is shared among the ACS and ACM IT firms. There is also dire need for members to be quite diligent in their service delivery since it is considered to be part and parcel of the ethics. In addition, the tastes and prefarances of clients must be adhered to bearing in mind that clients who are unsatisfied may lead to poor business performance in any organization. Enacting this clause in the professional codes of ethics has helped in dealing with unprofessional security threats among IT firms (Messikomer Cirka 2010, p. 55). Moreover, it is imperative to mention that honesty is a vital tool that can be possessed by either an individual or organization. With a mission to curb the IT security shortcomings that have been existing among employers, these firms considered the virtue of honesty during the enactment of IT codes of ethics constitution. Under this clause, every member is required to maintain honesty while representing skills, knowledge, services and products to clients (Messikomer Cirka 2010, p. 55). Besid es, members are strictly warned against misrepresenting their skills and knowledge but are required to provide objective and unbiased opinion. Realistic estimates for projects are mandated under their control. The professional requirements of members should also be enhanced in order to have a vast knowledge of those who are practicing in the field. In terms of credibility, they are supposed to strictly credit other people’s IT work in order to prevent unfairness and discrimination. In order to ensure that the IT security is enhanced among employers, these firms included social implications clause in their constitution. Members are expected to strive in enhancing high quality of life to the users of their work. Moreover, employees ought to be respected at all times. This can be achieved by avoiding sentiments that may depict lack of respect or dignity. Fair treatment should be the basis of operations. Moreover, they should also offer due respect to peoples’ privacy (Lon g Driscoll 2008, p. 173). Finally, the involvement of computing profession in the ACM and ACS firms plays a major role in curbing occurrence of human errors. This helps in minimizing chances of losses resulting from errors which happened without being noticed. On a basic business note, involvement of strategies of ethics remains invaluable. One of the crucial things which should not be forgotten is putting in place monitoring mechanisms. From the above credible observations, it is definite that professional code of ethics is the major foundation upon which modern organizations in computing are ethically regulated (Long Driscoll 2008, p. 173). References Aupperle, E 2005, Information security and ethics: social and organizational issues, Choice vol. 42 no. 6, pp. 1057-1059. Hagen, J., Albrechtsen, E. Hovden, J 2008, Implementation and effectiveness of organizational information security measures, Information Management Computer Security, vol. 16 no. 4, pp. 377-397. Jin, K., Drozd enko, R. Bassett, R 2007, Information Technology Professionals Perceived Organizational Values and Managerial Ethics: An Empirical Study, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 71 no. 2, pp. 149-159. Long, B. Driscoll, C 2008, Codes of Ethics and the Pursuit of Organizational Legitimacy: Theoretical and Empirical Contributions, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 77 no. 2, pp. 173-175. Messikomer, C. Cirka, C 2010, Constructing a Code of Ethics: An Experiential Case of a National Professional Organization, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 95 no. 1, pp. 55-71. Van, J., Wempe, B. Theo, W 2004, Rethinking Organizational Ethics: A Plea for Pluralism, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 55 no. 4, pp. 385-393. Werlinger, R., Hawkey, K. Beznosov, K. 2009, An integrated view of human, organizational, and technological challenges of IT security management, Information Management Computer Security, vol. 17 no. 1, pp. 4-19.

Literature Review of Emotional Intelligence in Managers Essays

Literature Review of Emotional Intelligence in Managers Essays Literature Review of Emotional Intelligence in Managers Essay Literature Review of Emotional Intelligence in Managers Essay The authors of the two journals review and provide valuable information on the work, life and emotional management of managers and leaders and how it is being intertwined with and embedded in the managing processes, implications on the employees? moods and emotions. The keyword in the two papers is emotional intelligence. However, it is arguable that they focused heavily on the aspects of emotional intelligence and leadership, and ignored other psychological forces that influence an individual. The research will be analysed closely by reviewing their arguments and findings. Humphrey et al. , (2008) research agrees on the use of emotional intelligence and emotional labour by leaders, how leaders? emotions influences the moods and emotions of their employees. The paper develops 15 propositions that provide an insight on how leaders perform emotional labour, leading with deep acting and surface acting. They concluded that success is obtained through leading with emotional labour, though sometimes costly especially for those engaged in surface acting. Trainings for leaders and managers on how to express their emotions effectively may help make the workplace more productive and enjoyable for both leaders and followers. Brotheridge and Lee, 2008 research provides an insight on the impact the expressed emotions of managers have on their work units „emotional climate, their employees? motions and the organization? s emotional health and overall success. The authors agree that at the heart of all working relationships are emotions (Burkitt, 1997, 2002; De Rivera and Grinkis, 1995); thus, emotions are the substance of managerial work and argues that leaders need to be knowledgeable on both emotional and social control and expectations that arise from gender roles. They concluded emotions are essential for managerial work and managers are expected to manage their emotions and their e mployees?. These two journals are almost completely similar as the authors review and argue on about the same issue – management with emotions, use of emotional intelligence. Brotheridge and Lee, (2008) argue that emotions and emotional skills are essential for day to day managerial work and leaders should learn to express their emotions more as that will result in more benefits for them instead of conducting business in a non-emotional â€Å"business-like manner†. Brotheridge and Lee, (2008) agree with Humphrey et al. , (2008) that managers must attend to their wn emotions and express them appropriately or experience declines in their personal emotional health. The influence the moods and emotions displayed by managers have on their subordinates? feelings, moods and emotion as well was highly emphasized in the two papers. The authors both agree that to a large extent, for a successful result, managers may need to engage in emotional labour. Managers may have to display a wide var iety of emotions and will require judgement about which emotion to display at a particular time depending on the situation which arises. Brotheridge and Lee, (2008) agrees with Humphrey et al. (2008) argument that managers who engage in deep acting (i. e. attempt to feel the emotions that they are expressing) are more likely to transmit their emotions to their employees than managers who are engaging in surface acting or are not regulating their emotional expression. Humphrey et al. , (2008) and Brotheridge and Lee, (2008) argue that leaders must be emotionally intelligent to be effective. As stated by Humphrey et al. 2008 proposition 10: Leaders high on emotional intelligence will be better at recognizing when situational demands call for performing emotional labour (2008: 161). But again, looking at the concept of leadership and management, the similarities and differences, it can be argued that leadership and management are two different, thus, leadership does not require emotional intelligence and it is best used for management. Arguably, we can say that even though managers and leaders are expected to lead with e motions, different people carry with them different personalities. If not properly trained on how to manage emotions and when to use, a manager may get carried away on when to use his/ her emotions and could be seen as a weakling. The employees working with these managers also have a role to play. A manager can only get a successful result, when he gets around studying and understanding the personalities of the employees under him to avoid a clash of personality. Also, pressure from the higher level management and home affairs can affect managers and leaders and may be displayed in their attitude to work. Humphrey et al. (2008) and Brotheridge and Lee, (2008) agree that managers would require to perform emotional labour. However, it can be argued that emotional labour increases emotional stress and causes emotional exhaustion which could result in reduced levels of employees? job dissatisfaction (Brotheridge and Grandey, 2002). Furthermore, cultures vary in their expectations for regulating and expressing emotions in the workplace (Cooper, Doucet am p; Pratt, 2003). In conclusion, Humphrey et al. , (2008) and Brotheridge and Lee, (2008) arguments were very valid and provided a valuable knowledge. Management and leadership though could be different, but are two complimentary systems of action and both require use of emotional intelligence to operate successfully. Employees? feelings and emotions are influenced through emotional contagion. Managers need to manage their personal emotions so that they are expressing positive emotions and not result in a decline in their emotional health. They must be attentive to their emotional reactions when making decisions, and the effect of their emotions on the quality of these decisions (Kida et al. 2001; Lurie, 2004). I believe gender has no factor in excelling in emotional management. I agree with Humphrey et al. , (2008) instead of telling managers and other leaders not to express their emotions, training on how to express their emotions effectively should be taken into consideration. This may help them use either deep acting or genuine emotional expressions and avoid the harmful psychological effects that accompany surface acting.

Google Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Google Inc - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  in 1998, the collaboration built a computer housing of their own and was located at Larry’s dorm room. In the same year, they built a business office in Sergey’s room where they transferred their project of BackRub.   This technology worked better than others that were available at the time. During the time of their inventions, Rankdex was been used to analyze the back links but it was not effective.   They later tested their project as part of their studies and they realized that their project could function quite effectively.  This paper outlines that the company gets a lot of revenue from advertising services. Proceeds from advertisement represent 99% of whole company’s revenue. This substantial revenue from advertisements is realized because of DoubleClick technology adopted by the company. This tracks user’s interests in many related sites. Google AdWords enable the Web advertisers to display their produc ts in Google’s search results through cost-per-view scheme.   In the book by Ledford, the establishment of the Google Adsense has attracted many internet advertisers since they can display Ads on their own sites and earn money every time they are viewed by internet users. The launching of behavioral targeting based on user’s interests also generated a lot of revenues for the company.  Google is the most used search engine and it has gained a lot of popularity since its conception. Google search engine has a market share of about 54% which is followed by Yahoo (20%).

How did Plato and Aristotle differ in the way they believed the mind Essay

How did Plato and Aristotle differ in the way they believed the mind should perceive reality - Essay Example In fact we are only describing our image of reality. The materiality we observe, the solidness we feel, the whole of the real world that we know, are, like color, sound, smell, and all the other qualities we experience, qualities manifesting in the mind. This is the startling conclusion we are forced to acknowledge; the stuff of our world-the world we know and appear to live within-is not matter, but mind (Russell). While psychology is interested in the nature of humanity, in understanding how human beings function, psychology is by no means the only field of inquiry that seeks answers to the puzzles of human nature.The earliest roots of the modern discipline of psychology can be traced to two different approaches to human behavior. Philosophy is a means of exploring and understanding various aspects of the nature of the world in general - including human nature. Philosophy operates primarily through introspection - the self-examination ofideas and inner experiences. The second field from which psychology derives is physiology- the scientific study of living organisms and of life sustaining processes and functions. Plato (428-348 B.C.) and Aristotle (384- 322 B.C.) also believed that the mind was to be found within the body. Plato located it in the brain and Aristotle placed it in the heart. Plato and Aristotle had a profound effect on modern thinking not only in psychology but also in many fie lds. With regard to psychology they particularly impacted three areas: the relationship between mind and body, the use of observation versus introspection as a means of discovering truth, the question of what is the original source of our ideas (Sternberg as quoted by Griffin, 2004). Plato's theory of representation is substantially different from Aristotle's, for whom some sensations are objective. Reason for Aristotle need only distinguish between accurate and inaccurate sensory images in order to gain access to the real outside world. For Plato no sensory evidence is objective. Reality is only within the inner, ideal, remembered world. Plato and Aristotle had different views on the nature of reality.Plato had a very different attitude towards representation than Aristotle. Plato believed that reality

Syria and United States of America International Relations Essay

Syria and United States of America International Relations - Essay Example Al-Assad since he there is evidence that he used chemical weapons against his citizens. The main challenge in this study is trying to predict the future actions of the two parties and also try to predict the future direction of Syrian internal conflict. In an attempt establish an answer to these questions; we are able to determine the possible answers to minor questions that rise during our investigations. Such questions include; will U.S involve itself in direct military action or will it settle to the use of diplomacy in relation to Syria? What security threats does Syria present to the U.S? And what is the likely conflict resolution action between the two nations?I developed an interest to this research topic since because Syria as a small country has been involved in reckless usage of chemical weapons in the 21st century. No other county has in present time has been involved in such action. Furthermore, the action and attitude of the Syrian president doesn’t seem to be apo logetic although he is openly going against the global policies on the protection of human rights. This becomes a place of interest to try and analyze what actions the world powers are likely to take in curbing this situationAccording to the united stated department, United States of America started advocating for diplomacy with Syria as early as in the 1944 but in 1967 Syria Severed the diplomacy during the time of Arab-Israeli conflict. The relationship between the two states soured as the U.S portrays Syria as a nation.

Is simulation an effective educational tool in teaching procedural Dissertation

Is simulation an effective educational tool in teaching procedural skills to pediatric residents - Dissertation Example The use of simulation technologies for medical training has been studied by the SAEM (Society for Academic Emergency Medicine), the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and the CEMRD (Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors) among others. The use of simulators relegates the need for learning through observing and doing. It is considered to be a safer alternative to the traditional methods for providing medical training. Through simulation experience, medical trainees can acquire procedural experience in addition to medical knowledge. There are also other newer methods in use in medical education such as computer or web-based training and using virtual reality systems. The simulation can involve exercises with the full body, provide immersive environments or scenarios, or involve specific tasks or procedures. â€Å"High-fidelity simulators are full-body automated mannequins designed to provide realistic tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli† (Vozenilek et al., 2004). Hence, si mulations can also involve the use of models such as mannequins or other anatomic structures instead of being entirely computer-based. The quality of the mannequins is improving, as technology develops so as to provide an increasingly realistic experience. In immersive simulation, there is greater provision for developing organization, communication and multitasking abilities alongside. The benefits and long-term effectiveness of simulation training Numerous studies have shown the benefits of simulation training. For example, Rosenthal et al. 2006) showed how scenario-based simulation training (SST) can be effective for medical interns to develop airway management skills. A study by Overly et al. (2007) demonstrated the usefulness of HFS as an assessment tool specifically for developing the ability of pediatric residents to manage acute airways. The study was observational based involving 16 residents and 2 scenarios. The success rate was 56%. Thus, many areas were identified for im proving skills but HFS had the potential for assessing ability as well as for teaching the necessary skills for managing acute pediatric airways. According to the Center for Medical Simulation (CMS, 2009), providing simulation practice leads to â€Å"improved real-world communication, collaboration, teamwork, and crisis management†. Residents also appreciate the value of simulators but prefer training in the form of small-group sessions (Shanks et al., 2010). The advantages of simulation training prove to be especially beneficial in cases where the required care involves high risk or invasive procedures, when training for difficult environments and preparing for disaster scenarios. For example, Hayden et al. (2002) suggested simulations are ideal â€Å"for low frequency but critical procedures†. These procedures would usually be applied in life-threatening situations such as cardiopulmonary arrest for example. Training for rare events tends to be uneven across a large number of medical residents and many residents never get the opportunity to witness or manage such an event, let alone one in which a child is involved (Becker, 2007). Hence, simulation training provides this much need opportunity so that when a real situation is faced, there is better preparation. Instilling confidence in trainees is of particularly importance where the risk to patients is high. In Becker’s (2007) study, assessment was made of how prepared radiology residents were for recognizing and managing children’

Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Coursework Example Illustration 1 above shows a Heron’s Fountain schematic drawing. Three major parts of the Heron’s fountain facilitate the functioning of the fountain. In the schematic diagram, there are three components referred as Basins A to C. Joining the basins together are vessels that allow air and fluid pressure to be transferred through. The connection of the parts as shown in illustration 1 show that the apparatus should make use of supporting mechanism in order to hold each component or part to the respective position. With respect to Basin B, the top of the component should be sealed off and then water is poured into the basin. Basin C is left empty and connection hose is hooked to join the two basins/vessels as illustrated in the figure above (illustration 1). Additionally, Basin A is placed above Basin B and a joining hose to Basin B is fitted connecting the two. Basin A and Basin C are connected as well using another hose as shown in the figure above. When water is poured into Basin A, it flows through the hose connecting Basin A with Basin C and collects in Basin C. When the water flows into C, air in C is replaced and hydrostatic pressure results (P2=rho gh2) adding to the primary atmospheric pressure (Patm) of C’s air volume. Following the flow of air from C as result of the Pascal’s principle and forces the water in vessel or Basin B to move up the hose connecting B with A. There is action and reaction between pressure exerted by the air and the primary atmospheric pressure leading to hydrostatic pressure (P1 = rho gh1). Air in basin B and C is compressed and drives the water to shoot from the upper basin thus resulting in a continuous movement of water to run the fountain (Brown, 2010). Heron’s Fountain considered various principles and concepts of physics. Among the most applicable are Pascal’s and Bernoulli’s principles. While Pascal’s principle explains the pressure changes as a

Racial and Ethnic Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Racial and Ethnic Relations - Assignment Example The reason is very obvious. No matter how modern and liberal we have become, we still have not been able to come out of the so-called pride and prejudice system regarding gender and race. In the workplaces and outside, women of Color are always treated as low class citizens. If we survey through organizations, we come to know that white men are given high level job positions while employees of Color, and especially women of another race or other underrepresented minority groups, are given low level positions due to which there often arise interpersonal conflicts and the overall organizational culture gets affected. Complaints by women of Color regarding discrimination are not even heard. Due to this fact, there are a lot of discrimination cases at workplaces that go unidentified because the victims are always sure that they will not be given an ear and their problem will never be solved. The reason for this is that the offender is always someone who is at a higher job level or is of the other gender. This makes the complainant apprehensive about the issue. Women of Color also have to undergo sexual harassment at times.

Legal Issues of ICT Use in the Construction Industry

Legal Issues of ICT Use in the Construction Industry Abstract While in the 21st century the construction industry prefers to conduct business using the information and communication technologies (ICT), the presence of legal issues pertaining to this mannerism of business cannot be ignored. The aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of these legal issues which are associated with their use. The objectives entailed to achieve this aim are to determine the existing legal issues and to estimate the awareness about them in the industry. The aim and objectives have been addressed by conducting two types of field investigations namely, questionnaires and interviews with lawyers, architects and engineers with different backgrounds. The project concludes with the identification of the legal issues present in the industry and an attempted comparison between the legal scenario in the U.K. and India. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and Scope of the Research Almost a decade ago the information technology invaded our lives like never before. The advancement in information and communication technologies (ICT) and their utilisation has been tremendous with the recent years witnessing the development of several IT-based technologies such as e-commerce. Information technology solutions have paved a way to a new world of internet, business networking and e-banking, budding as a solution to reduce costs, change the sophisticated economic affairs to an easier, speedy, efficient, and time-saving method of transactions and exchange of information. Though the internet has emerged as a boon for the present pace of life yet at the same time it has also resulted in posing various threats to the consumers and other institutions for which it has till now proven to be the most beneficial. Various criminals have been able to pave their way to interfere with the internet accounts through various techniques like hacking the Domain Name Server (DNS), Internet Providers (IP) address, spoofing, phishing, internet phishing etc. and have been successful in gaining an unauthorised access to the users computer system thereby gaining enormous profits from the stolen data. These and other problems have forced the business community, the legal community and the law enforcers i.e. the government to look at the current legal scenario. These problems, therefore, need to be studied in detail by investigating legal issues pertaining to the construction industry. This study is an attempt at understanding the legalities which are related to the mannerism of conducting business while using ICT. As part of this study an effort will be directed towards comparing the legal stance of the United Kingdom and India. 1.2 Aim and Objectives The aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of the legal issues involved while using information and communication technologies (ICT) in the construction industry. To achieve this aim, the following objectives should be fulfilled during the course of this project:- To study the legal issues pertaining to e-commerce (for e.g. electronic contracts, digital signatures, etc.). To assess the importance of jurisdiction issues in cyberspace (for e.g. engaging in e-commerce on World Wide Web may expose the company to the risk of being sued in any state or foreign country; law applicable to contractual obligations, etc.) To study the various legal problems that can arise out of miscommunication between the client, consultants and contractors (court actions, out-of-court settlements of disputes, etc.) To study and compare the legal stance of India and the United Kingdom, in using the information and communication technologies in the construction industry. 1.3 Justification for the Research Computers and more importantly internet governs our lives to the kind of extent that we do not even realise its significance. Today companies, especially in the concerned area of construction, are conducting business by means of the latest advancements in information communication technologies. Bearing in mind the current flourishing e-commerce, it becomes quite easy to get embroiled in lawsuits. The reasons maybe several, for instance either there may be disputes between the client and the company; or there might be an issue with jurisdiction; or there may be concerns related to the security of level of exchange of information electronically. In most of the cases it can be assumed that there is a highlighted ignorance of the legal framework with respect to ICT, and this ignorance may be a deterrent in the popularity of conducting business in this manner. In lieu of these issues, I believe it becomes the need of the hour to undertake a study of this kind. 1.4 Methodology Outline Owing to the nature of the research project and its data, the research approach adopted is mostly quantitative. However, some aspects of qualitative research have also been incorporated. Source of information will be taken from journals and books. The method of collecting data for this research project has consisted of online questionnaires (surveys) and unstructured interviews. Case studies of previous lawsuits with respect to the topic have been studied. 1.5 Dissertation Contents The research project includes a detailed study into the methodology to be followed and also provides the justifications for the chosen methodology. The project also includes a literature review about the various legal issues which are related to the use of information communication technologies for conducting business in the construction industry. It sheds light on the some of the legal terms associated with the legal framework of e-business. The project report additionally contains with analysis and evaluation from the interviews conducted and the online questionnaire filled in by architects, engineers and lawyers. It supplies information on the â€Å"legal future† of using the various existing and upcoming information communication technologies in construction, providing an insight into the implications; the solutions available; the problems faced while conducting research; and manner in which ICT can be utilised for the growth of the construction industry worldwide. It concludes with summarisation of the research and recommendations and scope for further study on this research subject in the construction industry. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction The intentional use of information technology by cyber-terrorists or cyber-criminals for producing destructive and harmful effects to tangible and intangible property of others is addressed as ‘cyber crime. Cyber crime is clearly an international problem with absolutely no national boundaries; hacking attacks can be launched from any corner of the world without even an iota of fear of being traced or prosecuted easily. A cyber-terrorist can collapse the economic structure of a country from a place where that country might not even have arrangements such as an extradition treaty to deal with that criminal. The only safeguards can be better technology; to combat such technology which is already well-known to the hackers; and to evolve stricter and tighter laws which can be accepted universally. 2.1.1 An introduction to the construction industry A maxim in India states, to live a comfortable life all one needs is three basic essentials- food, clothes and a house. This has held true across all civilisations and centuries. Building a house was just a first step. The world has advanced much further constructing palaces, forts, dams, skyscrapers, factories, energy-efficient buildings and lots more. In a world of today, the 21st century, the construction industry is an important sector of a nations economy; providing employment to millions; employed by countries across the world as an economy regulator! In U.K. alone, construction industry had an output of  £102.4 billion at current prices (2004); 8% of Gross Domestic Product (G.D.P.). In the European Union the construction sector accounts for 9.9% of G.D.P. and 50% of Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF). Considering the scope and importance which the construction sector enjoys worldwide, it becomes quite easy to understand that this industry functions at an incredible level and involves working with many organisations. â€Å"The construction industry is frequently described as fragmented by its critics; however, disseminated would be a better description .For each construction project a whole new organization is created involving the client, designers, contractors, sub-contractors, material suppliers, plant hire companies, government, local authorities and agencies such as the environmental agency, Health and Safety Executive and many others. Each ‘new and ‘transient project organization is, in fact, a virtual organization or enterprise† (McCaffer, 2008). Communication, thus, becomes an important aspect of conducting a successful business in construction ensuring successful collaboration between the various components of the industry. 2.1.2 An introduction to e-business/e-commerce and e-construction With age time the concept and means of communication have also evolved. Earlier communication meant travelling to places near and far, then the concept of letters came and with the advent of telephone postage lost some of its significance. The world was however still is in store for more inventions and the 1940s took the world by storm as the computers were born. Computers and internet are a lethal combination, a form of communication which rules over our lives as much as eating food does. Every day, man makes new discoveries regarding these two, trying to find out how our day-to-day activities can be undertaken in an improved efficient manner. The term ‘electronic commerce (e-commerce) was coined by Lawrence Livermore in 1989. E-commerce is a consolidation of people, technology, materials and â€Å"the processes on an electronic network for commercial transactions† (Johnston et al, 1997, p 37). As specified by the European Commission (1997, cited in Bruin, 2002), electronic commerce is all about doing business electronically involving the electronic processing and transmission of data (which consists of data, text, sound and videos). It encompasses various activities consisting of electronic trading of goods and services, electronic share trading, on-line delivery of digital content, on-line sourcing, electronic fund transfers, direct consumer marketing, electronic bills of lading, commercial auctions, collaborative design and engineering, public procurement, and after-sales service (European Commission, 1997). To be speaking strictly its not really the electronic aspect of e-commerce but the digital part which imparts the revolutionary, efficient and versatile character to e-commerce (Johnston et al, 1997). E-commerce involves both the services; e.g. financial, information and legal services); and the products; e.g. consumer goods, specialised mechanical equipment. It also constitutes the combination of traditional activities such as education and healthcare and new activities such as virtual malls (European Commission, 1997). This is also agreed with by Johnston et al, 1997 who state that e-commerce supports the selling, buying and distribution of services and goods. Johnston et al (1997) while discussing the definition of electronic commerce noted that it involves the conduction of business electronically across the spectrum of inter-enterprise relationships. E-commerce has the advantages of being a paperless economy, engaging in outsourcing and entails the convergence of all information in a single form (Johnston et al, 1997). In this day and age e-business has emerged as a field of immense potential. The use of information and communication technologies to conduct business has gained momentum, and, like just about any other business the construction industry too has embraced the concept of e-business. â€Å"Strong information technology (IT) capabilities have been a competitive necessity in nearly every industry sector. The post-Latham (1994 and Egan (1998) era has seen many construction firms investing in technology tools to improve business performance, which subsequently led to an increase in technology investments in construction firms† (Ruikar et al., 2008, p 23). The use of information and communication technologies in construction, however, depends upon a number of factors such as the size of the construction firm, its position in the market, the markets that the company operates in etc. 2.1.3 Introduction to the legal problems in e-business Before jumpstarting onto the e-business wagon, a company should have some reasonably placed apprehensions. The question in front of the management of a company should be: whether conducting business using information and communication technologies is legally safe or not? Other questions should follow as well, such as: what is an e-contract? will the companys information be secure when shared through ICT? what are the liability issues? what are the jurisdiction issues? is a scanned document valid and legal? what is a digital signature, an e-signature? Questions such as above are justified because in actuality the companies are unaware of the legal risks involved while conducting e-business, hampering the chances of fruitful commerce. Sieber (2001) brings to light the need for new laws when he says that the increased significance of information and information technology is closely linked to increased potential dangers, and these dangers bring an increased necessity to reassess the existing information law regulations and to formulate new ones. Sieber (2001, p8) further makes this statement to back up the formulation of new information law regulations, â€Å"It must encourage- in the interest of communal justice (iustitia commutativa) and as a contribution to distributive justice (iustitia distributia)-the creation of new â€Å"information† values (e.g. by means of economic incentives in copyright law), ensure a just distribution of the newly created goods (e.g. through the regulation of rights to particular information), reduce the number of new risks stemming from information technology (in particular, by provisions in the area of liability, administrative law and criminal law)and ensure a just compensation in cases where harm is caused†. Exchange of information in construction and engineering based businesses is a universal occurrence but it is not accounted for by contractual practice. Insufficiently defined responsibilities, overlapping communication techniques and mistrust all hamper the fuller use of inter-enterprise ICT (Hassan et al). A major problem exists with the enforcement of electronic law. Particularly practical difficulties arise from the fact that data containing most of the information is available at the discretion of the recipient. As is the case electronic data is not actually visible and can be altered, deleted or hidden through manipulation of technology (Sieber, 2001). Data can also be encoded or encrypted by offenders to escape imprisonment. Several terrorist, bank robbers, paedophiles, etc have attempted to escape or have been able to escape by encrypting data. Encrypted data is data which has been converted into incomprehensible codes which can only be unlocked by using a key which only a holder of that matching key can reconvert them into plausible data. All in all there is clearly an urgent need to study and understand the legal issues involved while using information and communication technologies for conducting business. 2.2 Legal Aspects of using ICT When the concept of e-commerce as introduced it was greeted with hysteria which has now been replaced by a concern voiced by many over the impact of using ICT for business. The industry is now closely examining the after-effects of e-business business world (Ismail and Kamat, 2008). Hurtado and OConnor Jr (2009) deliberate on the contractual issues concerned with the use of construction Building Information Modeling. They explain that the legal community is struggling to help out in developing meaningful contract terms in relation to the use of BIM technology. In their paper for the Society of Construction Law, they have contemplated upon the issues to be considered when preparing contractual provisions, including the proposed use of the model; the mannerism of data transfer from one model into the other models; the deliverance schedule expected from the model; reliability of the modelled information; management of the modelling process; and usage of the model after the completion of construction. Some of the legal issues and terminology pertaining to the use of ICT for business purposes shall now be discussed. 2.2.1 Types of legal risks involved in e-business in construction Every new day is coloured with a new discovery; this holds as much truth for ICT as for any scientific discovery. The only drawback with ICT is that a new discovery brings along with it a new set of legal issues. These legal issues are a drawback because they take time for implementation and regulation; sometimes damage has already been done before any sufficient action can be taken. Ismail and Kamat (2008, p-212) correctly state, â€Å"The difference between the rates at which e-business technology develops to the rate at which legal framework and rules develop is substantial. Legal risks have not been studied in relation to construction e-business†. The legal risks discussed include risks posed by web-based agencies, risks related to jurisdiction; contract formation; authentication; electronic privacy and risks associated with intellectual property. These legal risks inflicting e-construction have been discussed as below: †¢ Insecurity regarding electronic privacy In the digital economy privacy claims have been of paramount concern. An issue forever causing concern amongst the construction and business community is the insecurity of their personal and private information which is exchanged and stored electronically. A popular, efficient and inexpensive means of information exchange and data transfer is the electronic mail systems, popularly known e-mails. While emails now incorporate information in various forms which includes photographs, typed memos, video clips, spreadsheets and bar codes; they are deemed to be as insecure as a postcard if they are not protected by encryption and elaborate password systems (Johnston et al, 1997). Construction companies involved in e-business will need to manage the risks associated with sharing private information; private information may refer to personal privacy concerns about their own firms (Ismail and Kamat, 2008, p214-215). â€Å"Online portals and marketplaces collect more information than is needed for legally authentically an e-contracting party† (Smith and Clarke, 2000). The information thus collected may be in the form of registration forms, cookies, etc. Though the question remains as to who owns this information, the risk associated is with the privacy being challenged. In case of hacking or a virus, the information may end up being passed onto a third party. †¢ Risk posed by the web-based agents Web-based agents are information brokers. A new brokerage model can substantially change the equilibrium and re-adjust the interests of existing stakeholders. Also, software agents pose the biggest and truly exclusive risk to the current legal system as pointed out by Ismail and Kamat (2008). Agents control decisions and they learn and act upon their perception of the environment to make the maximum goals of its user or programmer (Dzeng and Lin, 2004; Lee, 2004; Ren and Anumba, 2004). Agents act on behalf of their owners to promote the owners desires, unlike support software that supports the owner in making a decision but leave the decision for the owner to make (Schoop et al., 2003; Ren and Anumba, 2004). †¢ Risks related to electronic authentication When doing business via the electronic networks, it become increasingly difficult to establish the other partys trustworthiness without having physically met them, in other words doubts about authenticity are raised (Bruin, 2002). Smith Clarke (2000 cited in Ismail Kamat, 2008, p 216) debate authentication by stating, â€Å"The drive to authenticate e-business buyers and sellers and attribute contracting actions to the proper buyer and seller is in direct conflict with privacy laws†. Pacini et al (2002, quoted in Ismail and Kamat, 2008, p 216) support this statement when they say, â€Å"Attributing an electronic message for an offer or acceptance of an e-contract to the person who purports to send it is yet another risk†. The Uniform Electronic Transaction Act (UETA) addresses this risk from a legal perspective by making it necessary that certain authentication levels are acquired and thus proper authentication and attribution is ensured and a protection is provided to the e-business participants from the attack of hackers (Belgum, 1999; Moreau, 1999; Thelen Reid Priest LLP, 1999a; Pacini et al., 2002, cited in Ismail and Kamat, 2008). †¢ Risks inflicting electronic contracts Consider this scenario. Two parties engage in a negotiation for the purchase of cement for the construction of an institutional building. The seller offers it at say  £5 per kg and the buyer refuses and wants to buy it at say  £4 per kg and also wants the seller to bear the shipping cost. The seller agrees, transaction is completed, cement is shipped and the buyer transfers money into the sellers account. This sounds like a simple business contract; however, the difference here is that this contract has been formulated and fulfilled electronically (Johnston et al, 1997). In a commercial context, promises are exchanged in the form of an offer and an acceptance of the order. The offer and the acceptance supported with a valid consideration and mutual assent would, subject to certain limitations, constitute a valid contract. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology is an advanced form of cyber-contracting. EDI is conducted between trading partners who already have a negotiated agreement which rules the relationship. In this form of technology, the computers contact each other as well as negotiate (based on programmed instructions). If a reply which rejects the offer is received then a counter-offer is also made. This continues till an agreement is arrived at or one of the system stops the process (Johnston et al, 1997). However, in the e-business transactions, it is not an easy job to distinguish between the offer make and the acceptor. This is considered critical because a contract is considered to be invalid until an offer has been made and the acceptor has accepted the offer and communicated the same to the offer maker (Ismail and Kamat, 2008, p 213). Although the laws governing electronic contracts have improved significantly over the year, yet there is always scope for improvement because of the ever changing evolving nature of the communication technologies. Business risk and uncertainty are always on a high level in the electronic world. Legal difficulties in an e-contract arise when the parties expectations are not met with or when a transaction does not progress as planned. Bruin (2002, p 146) shed some light on TrustUK and explained that, â€Å"in July 1999, the Department of Trade and Industry published its Consumer White Paper Modern markets: Confident consumers..The White paper among other things contained plans for the approval of on-line codes of conduct by a new body provisionally called TrustUK†. Section 4 of TrustUK Code of Practice deals with the various aspects of e-contracts and its implications (liabilities included). †¢ Risks related to varying jurisdictions Jurisdiction is a legal term describing which law is in effect at a given period of time and which courts decisions will be legally binding. Jurisdiction issues arise when parties dispute over a contract and want to settle as to which jurisdiction will decide over the issue (Ismail and Kamat, 2008). The problem becomes more intimidating where the issue of e-commerce comes into picture. The internet simplifies the carrying out of business globally. But then different countries follow different laws, especially those with respect to construction and therefore, the risk of encountering lawsuits in foreign land increases. In an electronic contract it should be very clear as to what law applies to the contractual obligations, what court of law will be presiding over to judge any dispute arising from the contract (Bruin, 2002). As pointed out by Rowe (1998, cited in Ismail and Kamat, 2008) a dispute judged under varying set of regulations, laws and rules have as different judgement. â€Å"Although the laws regulating e-business vary, the general opinion of the courts implies that companies engaged in activities or online advertising may have to defend lawsuits in different jurisdictions if those activities violate the local laws†, Thelen Priest (1997 quoted in Ismail and Kamat, 2008, 213). The problem of jurisdiction exists becomes all the more relevant in the 21st century, now that there are so many countries existing worldwide and when global expansion has occurred in the business scenario with the arrival and explicit use of the information and communication technologies. However, there are quite a lot of countries which are at the moment unable to make any kind amendments in their legal framework on construction, especially where the amendments in law are concerned with e-construction. At the same time, it is good news that some governments are making changes to the construction law executed in their countries to make e-construction and e-business a more feasible and legally secure venture. However, the point to be noted here is that despite all the positive proceedings in the respective field, the possibility of two countries sharing the same law on e-commerce and that too in the construction sector are negligible. In a scenario where the choice of law is absent, legal uncertainty may arise regarding the application of law to an electronic contract (Bruin, 2002). This information clearly implies that risk attributed to varying jurisdiction remains. Bruin (2002, p42) clearly points out that in a specific case of â€Å"cross-border electronic consumer contracts, a court procedure may involve such difficulties that a contract term defining a foreign jurisdiction may de facto exclude or hinder the consumer to take legal action†. As a result the service provider also ends up providing an unfair contractual term. From the literature on jurisdiction which has been studied and mentioned here, it has been found that although there are quite a lot of provisions in legal frameworks of countries which address the jurisdiction issues, yet it would be beneficial to make changes and improvisations to these existing laws. 2 Brief description of some of the legal terms associated with the legal framework of e-business To understand the legalities involved in using information and communication technologies for business, one needs to be aware of some terms associated with the legal framework of e-business. In this section these common yet important terms shall be discussed briefly. Identification of the potential legal gaps and problems within the cluster projects issue 2, a report on the findings of Hassan et al, forms the main basis for defining these terms. The discussed terms are as follows:- †¢ Electronic / digital signatures Electronic and digital signatures allow the recipient of a piece of information to know when the information has arrived, who has sent it, and to check whether the information has been changed or tampered with since it was sent. Digital signatures are electronic codes specific to individual users, which can be used to identify the originator of a message or file, and to indicate approval of the transmitted information. There are different types of digital signatures available (i.e. public key infrastructure, asymmetric cryptography, account numbers and passwords), and the level of security that is required dictates the choice of method to be used. Digital signatures are easily to transport and all the more difficult to imitate by anyone else, and more importantly they can be automatically time-stamped. A digital signature is basically a unique ‘key that provides, if anything, stronger authentication than any written signature (Wacks, 2001). Asymmetric cryptosystem involves two keys, one public, the other private. Its main advantage is that if you are able to decrypt the message, you know that it could only have been created by the sender (Wacks, 2001) The Electronic Transaction Act 1999 (in Australia) gives legal recognition to the use of electronic signatures and one may find them useful in executing electronic contracts on your website. The risk of e-businesses dealing with parties which might misuse digital signatures is similar to the commercial risk of fraud that arises through forgery of signature on a paper contract. †¢ Here is an example which depicts the working of a digital signature. Assume that man named A has to the draft of a contract to his lawyer who at present is in another town. A wants to assure his lawyer that the information sent across has not been tampered with and it really is what he had sent. To ensure that, heres what A has do: †¢ Copy-and-paste the contract into an e-mail. †¢ Using specialised software, A obtains a message hash (mathematical summary) of the contract. †¢ A then uses a private key that he had previously obtained from a public-private key authority to encrypt the hash. †¢ This encrypted hash becomes As digital signature of the message. It is to be noted that the digital signature will be different each time a message has been sent. Now, how will As lawyer detect that this document is the same unchanged one that A had sent across to him? Heres what he will do: †¢ As lawyer makes a hash of the received email to ensure that the document is intact and has been sent by A only. †¢ As lawyer then makes use of As public key to decrypt the message hash or summary. †¢ The received email (document in this case) is considered authentic and valid if the hashes match. Thus we understand that using a digital signature is an easy and safe method to protect privacy of information. A digital signature consists of the concerned persons public key, his/her name and e-mail address, the expiry date of the public key, name of the company, serial number of the digital ID, and digital signature of the certification authority (Magalhaes, 2003). The fact that digital signature increase the security and ensure privacy is confirmed by Wacks (2001, p 80) when he states, â€Å"Blinding or blind and digital signature will significantly enhance the protection of privacy†. †¢ Digital notaries Digital notaries provide a time stamping service, thereby proving the existence of a piece of information at a particular time. These are often used in conjunction with an electronic / digital signature. Timestamping can ensure non-repudiation. Indeed, a digital signature is only legally binding if it was made when the users certificate was still valid, and a timestamp on a signature can prove this. Timestamping involves the following parties -client, timestamping authority (TSA) a verifier. Feather in 1999 expressed his opinion on digital notaries. He articulated that the purpose of a digital notary is to certify that a document as produced by a person is a true copy of that

Leadership capabilities: An analysis

Leadership capabilities: An analysis Leadership: ‘Leader a word which makes a normal human being into a famous personality (locally, nationally, internationally). Many authors express their views on leadership like. ‘A leader is one who selects, equips, trains, and influences one or more followers who have diverse gifts, abilities, and skills and focuses the follower to the organizations mission and objectives causing the follower(s) to willingly and enthusiastically expend spiritual, emotional, and physical energy in a concerted coordinated effort to achieve the organizational mission and objectives.(Bruce E.winston,2006:7). Here he says that leader, who selects an individual who had diverse abilities, tastes, culture and skills for particular task to be completed in a way that he trains, motivates and influences him with his skills. This type of leadership is seen in many personalities, An example is Sir Stuart Rose CEO of Marks and Spencer, who follows democratic type of leadership style in his decisions but makes autocratic style of leadership in terms of his short term achievements. He established good relations between employees and his other colleagues. ‘Effective leaders arent born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that the price well have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal (Vince Lombardi, American football coach). Sir Stuart Rose was first joined Marks Spencer in 1972 as a management trainee then he took many stages in profession in many companies and presently CEO of Marks Spencer. This is how to compare the definition of Vince with Rose career, that if he was born leader then he could have given the high position in any sector but day by day he had developed the companys fame by the time he was CEO, Marks Spencer was low in profits and was going private. Increasing profits introducing new thoug hts like plan A, for which he became the chairman of business in the community (BIC). Criterion of Leadership: Behavioural theory of leadership defines that successful leadership is rooted in definable, learnable behaviour; any one can become leaders or learn leadership qualities by teaching and observation. This behavioural theory is a good tool for many people, basing on this we in our group had discussed few criterions for leadership. Professional-friendly: In this criteria a leader should be professional-friendly in terms of task so that follower can achieve the task successfully, so that he can deal a task with them correctly and can give good guidance. Vision: Basically a good leader has to understand the culture and value of the organization, then he can work hard to communicate their vision over the organization at all levels. He should have clear-cut idea of understanding that their vision will be successful in any situation. Motivation: Every human in this world has different cultures in terms of behaviour, feelings and many more, so that their commitment to particular task is different at this instance motivation is a tool which can boost their activities (performance), and finally this can yield fruitful results in any task. Individual consideration (Responsibility): Leader should take the responsibility of particular task at any situation with out depending on his followers. Here is an example which gives an idea of having individual consideration of a lady. In 1989 Melissa, a fourth-grader in Nashville, Tennessee in USA, she was felt responsible about the pollution in her country and felt that what could be her countries position when she grows old, then she began writing letters to president and local politicians like mayor, congressmen and senators, she had no response from any one, but she was called up the local television channel and did an on-camera commentary. Melissa also started a club called Kids F.A.C.E (kids for a clean environment) which could help then in planting trees, picking up litter. Starting with just six members at her elementary school, kids F.A.C.E. grew to more than more than 5,00,000 members with 22 countries. Feeling responsible even at age 9 and became a leader this shows that age doesnt matter. Since she took responsibility of a task and led it for huge level at different countries. (James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner, The truth about leadership 2010:2) Communication: The most important criteria for a leader, for giving a task to his followers he has to communicate in a proper way so that followers has to get the task which is to be done. It is also a way of ascendancy for his followers. Flexibility: When many issues hit at once, handle more than one problem at once, this is a perfect behaviour of a leader. For example Sir Stuart Rose was the chief executive officer of Marks and Spencer he had to deal with many sectors in a limited period of time, he made the organization (Marks and Spencer) better in terms of profits and fame, he made flexible. Teamwork: It is leaders responsibility to understand each and every one is from different culture and have different behaviour, human relationship and functions and bring them in and make a unity and perform teamwork. This is called as unity in diversity. Respect for others: Do not belittle (under estimate) the opinions and work of the other people regardless of their status (profession). Emotional Intelligence: ‘Abilities such as being able to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations; to control impulse and delay gratification; to regulate ones moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think ; to empathize and to hope.(Mullins 2010:144). Emotional intelligence is able to think and handle the situations in frustrations. A leader should have this criteria because to lead the team successfully. Feedback with my strengths and weakness: Every one has strengths and weakness at his style in any of his own talents. Here is 360 degree feed back from my friends in my style of leadership along with my strengths and weakness to improve my effectiveness of my leadership. Motivation is a driving tool in achieving goals, I do like motivating people because every human is unique and they do mistakes and dont get positive result at single attempt( this is not in every ones talent, I do take in few cases) rather than discouraging is it important to motivate or encourage them. Responsibility (individual consideration), emotional intelligence. Here is an example for my emotional intelligence and responsibility, in my group professor gave an topic on delegation, so we were discussed and chose a person from my group as leader but the person was unable to speak then I took the responsibility and spoke few points about it( in Allitt Malcolms class in S3 batch). Flexible with group, this factor makes good use of comfort with individuals when performing as group and can communicate as well for different task to be completed. Respect for others, this is an good point for expressing ones capability, There is a famous telugu saying that even a grass comes out by bursting the land, so every one has individual thoughts and ideas so that a leader has to respect others. From my feedback its a point that I lack team work capabilities at situational times for example, if any professor gives a task to be completed in few minutes then I do my work independently. They say I am not a good listener, when I am listening my mind wanders for unnecessary thoughts and put me out of the class or any subject which makes me lack of confidence and feel depressed which is also a negative skill given by my friends in my feedback. Day by day every human learns a bit compared with the past, me comparing with the past days I learnt much in my Master of business administration (MBA). Being involved in group activities, taking responsibility, I am doing my best to improve the skills to be a good leader or at least be a good learner Conclusion: Though I have many positive qualities like communication, responsibility, emotional intelligence, motivation and lack in some skills like teamwork, not good listener, feel depressed for which I have to improve. In the leading in changing world every thing is not constant we have to grow as the world tends to modern. Personal Narrative Essay Outline: Anonymity on the Internet Personal Narrative Essay Outline: Anonymity on the Internet The right to anonymity over the Internet must be guaranteed to people due to the Fourth Amendment and the Supreme Court, and only information which people explicitly agree to offer can be accessed. People must be guaranteed anonymity over the Internet so they can voice insights and opinions, a right given by the First Amendment, freely without fear of persecution or danger. My father was a vocal critic of Woodbridge Townships (where we used to live) to cut spending from its middle schools, thus vastly reducing the capabilities of sports and extracurricular activities he voiced his concerns about the well-being of the students on an Internet blog, which gathered the following of many town residents and parents after several blog posts, he found that the township was attempting to gain a subpoena against the blog website seeking to identify my father, who blogged under an unrevealing username my fathers lawyer friend informed if that if the township succeeded in gaining a subpoena, my father might be persecuted the township failed in gaining the subpoena due to a similar case ruled before, Manapalan v. Moskovitz Judge Flynn ruled that, I recognize there are First Amendment issues with the past administrationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦anyone has a right to make their feelings clearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and first of all the bloggerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as a right not to be drawn into the litigation and forced to reveal identity or to impede on his or her First Amendment rights simply on a suspicion, however founded or unfounded. Had my fathers anonymity been breached, he might have suffered persecution for simply voicing his opinions: for this reason, anonymity must be guaranteed to Internet users to allow people to fully express their freedom of speech. Second body paragraph: Topic Sentence: If people are not guaranteed anonymity over the Internet, they can be severely blamed or persecuted for reasons they are not responsible for. Supporting evidence: -three years ago, when I was in eighth grade, I was unfairly blamed for posting something on the Internet my eighth grade history teacher had all of his students participate in an online class forum where everyone posts their ideas anonymously on sensitive topics such as abortion -I left my online account open at the library inadvertently and posted harmless jokes on the forum -my teacher somehow found out that the jokes were posted by me, probably by contacting the website administrator, and had the school administration suspend me for a day even though it was my fault for not signing off on my account, I was unjustly punished even though the jokes posted were detrimental to the learning process, it would have been better if Internet anonymity was upheld so that no one would have been punished unfairly Closing Statement: Granting Internet anonymity prevents people from being unjustly blamed or persecuted for actions they did not commit, even if the actions warranted probable cause as said in the Fourth Amendment. Internet anonymity allows people to establish their feelings on the Internet without creating unnecessary negative publicity, as can happen when peoples online identities are revealed. Virgil Griffith created the Wikipedia Scanner in 2007, a search tool that tracks Wikipedia entries back to their source IP addresses even though the Scanner can help prevent people from posting incorrect things, it can create unnecessary publicity for celebrities or government agencies posting entries for example, if a celebrity edits his or her own page on Wikipedia by adding a true fact that is at the same enhancing his or her image, the media will portray him or her in a negative light The right of the people to be anonymous over the Internet allows them to express their voice without creating publicity that they do not desire The right of anonymity over the Internet must be guaranteed and people should be allowed to access information only which others have explicitly agreed to. The Fourth Amendment and the rulings of the Supreme Court support Internet anonymity.

American Financial Crisis Essay -- Economics Economy

The US Financial System: A Crumbling Empire The financial system has been crucial to the role of free enterprise. â€Å"Financial markets have come to supply non-financial corporations with mechanisms for managing their risks and for comparing and evaluating diverse investment opportunities in a highly complex global economy† (Cindin, 2008). â€Å"However, despite the lifetimes it took to build our financial institutions, bad luck and careless risk management have jeopardized careers and mortgaged these institutions’ futures†(Wallace, 2008). The nation is currently attempting to deal with the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. It is now imperative that a way be found which will re-regulate finance without undermining finance’s needed innovative capacity. The origin of the financial crisis can be dated back to 2006. During that period in time, companies began buying trillions of dollars of complex financial products called ‘structured credit derivatives’. The value of these derivatives quickly escalated to over one-hundred trillion dollars due to the high demand from banks around the world. â€Å"These paper investments were supposedly backed by loans on houses, cars, businesses, and credit cards† (Francis, 2008). Nevertheless, several issues have erupted from the sale of these paper investments. The production and trading method for derivatives is unclear, and no one really knows what credit risk is transferred to whom. Basically, banks were fighting over assets with questionable values. Even though the sale of derivatives has disrupted our economy, it is not the primary reason for which the financial system is now in distress. The reckless selling of mortgage loans has lead to the eventual breakdown of our financial... ..., Jane & Francis, Theo. The Financial System Bailout: Deal or No Deal? (2008). Business Week. Retrieved November 2, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/sep2008/db20080925_596844.htm Solomon, Deborah & Crittenden, Michael & Paletta, Damian. US Bailout Plan Calms Markets, But Struggle Looms Over Details (2008). Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2008, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122191819568460053.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Stewart, Heather. IMF Says US Crisis is Largest Financial Shock Since Great Depression (2008). Guardian News. Retrieved November 2, 2008, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/09/useconomy.subprimecrisis Wallace, Michael. Wall Street Talks: What the Bailout Means (2008). BusinessWeek. Retrieved November 2, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/sep2008/pi20080922_128934.htm

Willy Loman, Redefining the Tragic Hero in Arthur Millers Death of a S

Willy Loman, Redefining the Tragic Hero in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman      Ã‚  Ã‚   The events in the life of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman are no doubt tragic, yet whether or not he can be considered a tragic hero in a traditional sense is a topic requiring some discussion. Aristotle set the criteria for qualities a character must possess in order to be considered a tragic hero. In order to reach a conclusion on this matter, all six criteria must be examined to determine whether or not they are present in the character of Willy Loman. The first criterion for a tragic hero is hamartia, or a tragic flaw in the character's personality that brings about their downfall. Willy Loman definitely does possess a tragic flaw, and in his case it is pride. Loman cannot accept that he is a terrible salesman, a substandard provider, and suffering from mental illness. He borrows money every week from Charley, his neighbor, so that he can tell his family stories of his successful sales trips. While Willy definitely does possess a tragic flaw, another criterion required by Aristotle is peripeteia, a character's reversal near the end of the story for the purpose of self-reservation. Willy definitely does not meet this criterion. When Willy is terminated from his job late in the story, Charley offers him a job working for him, but feeling too much pride, Willy turns it down, saying he's already got a job. He turns down a chance to make a decent means to finish paying off his house and refrigerator, but turns it down because of his stubborn pride. A tragic hero must have a mix of both good and bad qualities, predominantly good, so that they are more of a character that readers could relate ... ...Sons in which the main characters are somewhat like tragic heroes but lack the high standing. They are all just common people, which might lead to the idea that Arthur Miller tried to create a mold for an American tragic hero. This however, is not a topic relevant to this assignment. So overall, Willy Loman is not a tragic hero, but just an unlucky man destined to be the Low Man. Sources Field, B.S.   "Death of a Salesman" Twentieth Century Literature.   January, 1972. 19-24.   Rpt. in World Literary Criticism.   Ed. Frank Magill.  Ã‚   "Arthur Miller" Detroit: Gale Research, 1992.   2366-2368. Hoeveler, D. J.   "Redefining the Tragic Hero Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman: Modern Critical Interpretations.   Ed. Harold Blum.   Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1988. 72-81. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Gerald Weales, ed. New York: Penguin, 1996

Chi Mei Optoelectronics Essay

1. What prompted CMO to diversify from its core petrochemical base? What were the risks involved? In the late 1980s, Ho started to think that the future for petrochemicals in Taiwan was not very bright. At that time, he made the first visit to the nascent Hsinchu Science-Based Park where he found that everybody was doing pretty well. Then he began to think diversifying into something. Ho’s good friend Wu had been the principal investigator on the first TFT-LCD research project at the Electronics Research Service Organization (ERSO), part of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). ITRI had been responsible for the original technology transfer of RCA’s CMOS semiconductor process from New Jersey to Taiwan. Under Wu, ITRI had begun an investigation of small TFT-LCDs in 1989 and had moved on to three- to six-inch technology in 1990. But unlike what happened with TSMC, the Taiwanese government suddenly cut the budget, leaving ITRI without enough capital to comple te the plant’s construction. Wu suggested to Ho and Shi that manufacturing color filter arrays for LCD flat panels would be a very good move for Chi Mei, but Shi disagreed. But in 1997, the petrochemical industry suffered a severe contraction due to the Asian economic crisis. They asked Mitsubishi who said color filter was good. So Dr. Wu stayed outside for almost one and a half years until the founder decided to approve the plan. In fact, Chi Mei had been tracking the TFT-LCD industry since 1996, as many of the key ingredients used in fabricating TFT-LCD panels were based on materials derived from petrochemicals and were therefore closely related to CMC’s core products. But Shi was skeptical of direct investment because he was not sure whether his company could get a grasp on the core technologies. Shi soon recognized TFT-LCD as a â€Å"once in 100-year opportunity for Taiwan.† But the TFT-LCD industry counted only Japan, Korea, and Taiwan as major producers, and most of the demand at the time was coming from Taiwanese notebook computer manufactures. Japanese manufacturers supplied most of the color filters which was a lucrative business. Ho explained that by moving to become a full-line TFT-LCD producer, the company would be able to address a much larger market. Another consideration in the decision to enter the TFT-LCD industry was that TFT process technologies were not entirely new territory for CMC. CMC already possessed many chemical processing and mechanical technologies. Although CMC  was privately held, profitability from its petrochemicals operations made it cash-rich, with almost all of its credit lines unused. But Ho and Wu realized the importance of being a public company in order to attract the right talent, and they were able to convince Shi. CMO’s 2006 Annual Report detailed a long line of fund-raising activities to finance what subsequently turned into a huge string of investments. The risks involved were relying on the technical, financial and merchandising resources of the original product line and the company need acquiring new lines and markets, skills, techniques and facilities. 2. How did CMO implement its strategy of being a leading LCD manufacturer? Ho realized that CMO need a different organizational structure with different resources, processes, and priorities, so he opted for a separate subsidiary, with an independent structure and compensation model as well. He redesigned the pay structure by enlarging the compensation differential across various rankings and put in a larger performance bonus component.   They all recognized the importance of attracting key talent and the value such talent placed on an autonomous unit structure with decentralized management and the flexibility to act quickly. From the start, CMO’s strategy was different from other Taiwanese panel makers. CMO licensed the basic technology from ERSO, and then modified the licensed TFT structured and developed a new structure in Fujitsu’s fab. Since this new TFT structure was their own design, they could modify the process by themselves as needed. CMO was able to take advantage of one of the industry downturn cycles to enter the industry. The pioneering Japanese manufacturers were thus able to extend their window of profitability by generating licensing income. So CMO was able to test out some new, experimental cell structure designs using Fujitsu’s equipment and develop its internal processed as it was building its own factory. CMO also agreed to work as a Fujitsu supplier for LCD panels. In essence, they exchanged their production capacity for Fujitsu’s technical support. One of the key philosophies that CMO has is that it doesn’t outright purchase a complete technology package. It tries to develop what it needs to and it may put in some basic technology or hire an outside consultant to develop its proprietary, internal technology. What that allows it to do is to understand that technology much better and it’s much quicker for it to improve the technology. In mid-1999, in addition to becoming a fo undry supplier to  Fujitsu, CMO licensed Fujitsu’s MVA technology, which enabled wide viewing angles for large-size TV panels. CMO’s R&D team subsequently achieved several breakthroughs while working with the original MVA technology, developing its own proprietary â€Å"Omniview Color,† which significantly reduced the color shift of skin tones when viewing the panel from wide angles. In 2002, along with other Taiwanese LCD peers, CMO licensed a set of common TFT-LCD patents from the ERSO unit of ITRI. As CMO developed its capabilities, it sometimes took some major technological risks. While Fab 1 was still under construction, Shi realized that the accelerating rate of competition in the LCD industry necessitated bold investment decisions, so he approved the construction of Fab 2, a Gen 4 facility. By this time, Ho and Wu had become convinced that the key to the market was going to be flat-panel televisions, which meant larger panel sizes than were used in notebook computers and computer monitors. At that time, Fujitsu VLSI was developing an experimental technology called one-drop fill, in which many, many micropipette dispensers would each place a single drop of liquid crystal material between the two pieces of glass before they were sandwiched. CMO had sent a senior R&D team to evaluate the ODF equipment. Implementing a completely new technology like this in production entailed enormous risks. Ultimately, CMO made the decision to make it work and CMO not only became an industry pioneer in suing ODF but also filed many ODF-related patents. 3. Why did CMO vertically integrate? Was this a sound move? Though Chi Mei had originally intended to make only color filters, it had quickly moved into making the TFT-LCD sandwich. From 2003 to 2004 alone, as many as 15 Gen 5 fabs came onstream across Asia, driving finished panel pricing down. In the early part of the decade, display drivers could make up 15%to 20% of the overall production cost of an LCD display. CMO relied exclusively on Texas Instruments for it supply. Strategically, CMO management felt that to be successful over the longer term, the IC design team needed to have exposure to a more balanced customer portfolio, instead of supplying CMO exclusively. Therefore, management decided to spin off the team into a separate entity, Himax, so that it could engage other customers without conflict. CMO was able to move into photomasks, polarizer films, and many other key components by simply leveraging its expertise in chemical manufacturing. With the Himax model as a successful first step in upstream  integration, over the years CMO formed a web of tightly linked subsidiaries across its supply chain. These efforts at vertical integration helped alleviate some of the concerns about the availability of critical components. All these efforts made CMO one of the most vertically integrated of Taiwan’s TFT-LCD manufacturers. CMO created an environment that people come to them, whether internally or externally. 4. How did CMO’s leadership and culture impact the company’s performance? Shi espoused three credos as his guiding principles: (1) business was a way to pursue fulfillment, (2) people-oriented management was important, and (3) harmonious relationships were valuable. These credos set a very powerful tone within the company. A highly decentralized decision-making model enhanced this management philosophy. This made the company a very attractive place to work, allowing it to draw personnel from many quarters of Taiwanese industry when new initiatives were launched. One of the strengths of Chi Mei’s culture is the entrepreneurship and flexibility. The power to attract talent would later turn out to be a key enabler, as the company expanded into areas that required specialized technical expertise. Chi Mei didn’t lure people away from other companies; it just built a good environment and set up â€Å"stages† for people to develop businesses. In fact, all CMO did was build a good environment and everything else followed.

Ray Bradbury Research Paper Essay

Ray Douglas Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, on August 22, 1920. He is the son of Leonard Spaulding Bradbury and Esther Marie Moberg Bradbury. Ray attended Los Angeles High School. He was active in the drama club and planned to be an actor. Bradbury’s formal education ended with his high school graduation in 1938. However, he continued to educate himself by spending his nights in the library. One of Bradbury’s best-known works, Fahrenheit 451, was released in 1953. It is set in the future in which a totalitarian government has banned the written word. Today, Ray and Maggie Bradbury continue to live in Los Angeles. Ray Bradbury still writes daily and occasionally lectures. At an age when most men rest on their laurels, Bradbury remains a dynamic storyteller and contributor of â€Å"obvious answers to impossible futures.†(Jepsen and Johnson 4) Ray Bradbury’s writing style has always been known to be poetic without being pretentious; it communicates abstract ideas with layman terms and engages our senses. (Ray Bradbury Board) I enjoy Bradbury’s use of irony in stories, but especially in A Sound of Thunder when the killing of a butterfly changes all of civilization. The short story is about this wealthy man named Eckles who pays this time traveling company to take him back to prehistoric times, so he can hunt for a dinosaur. These dinosaurs have been selected because a previous survey indicated that they would die very soon anyway. Although this supposedly gets around the ripple effect, it quite obviously does not—a flaw in logic that Bradbury himself undoubtedly recognized. â€Å"A Sound of Thunder† is about a wealthy man who has purchased a spot in a hunting trip named Eckles. The time traveling company doesn’t want diseases brought to the past, so they will wear environmental suits and they will also be required to walk on an elevated platform. Bradbury provides an excellent description of the ripple effect, showing how one minor change can multiply over thousands of generations until it has the potential to change the world beyond recognition. Only marked dinosaurs are allowed to be killed. Surveys are conducted to see which dinosaurs should be marked and would die naturally anyway. Then, Eckles panics from seeing a tyrannosaurus appear, thus falling off the platform. The creature is dead, but the guide is still angry because Eckles could have changed the future. Before they traveled back in time, a heated election ends with a would-be dictator losing, but upon returning, there are few changes in the room, which the group notices as differences for reasons that Bradbury never explains. The most profound difference is that the election outcome is different. The alteration of history occurred because, when Eckles left the path, he inadvertently stepped on and killed a butterfly. (Don D’Ammassa 1) When reading A Sound of Thunder, I noticed parts when Bradbury used foreshadowing. One example of foreshadowing in Bradbury’s short story is Lesperance’s explanation to Eckles on the dangers of small changes in the past having catastrophic effects on the future foreshadow the changes that occur. The constant warnings to stay off the path indicate that Eckles will leave the path. Another archetype of foreshadowing is when Eckles says, â€Å"Does this safari guarantee I come back alive?† They reply, â€Å"We guarantee nothing!† This in my opinion gives me the idea that the safari must be quite dangerous and anyone doing such an activity needs a plethora of courage. There are many examples of foreshadowing in A Sound of Thunder. Ray Bradbury remains a dynamic storyteller and contributor of â€Å"obvious answers to impossible futures.†(Jepsen and Johnson 4) He writes stories in compelling ways that involve very complex ideas and he makes it simple to understand while still being in an intelligent way. One particular quote Bradbury has stated that I enjoy is, â€Å"Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. The landmine is me. After the explosion, I spent the rest of the day putting the pieces together.†(Ray Bradbury Quote 1) Bradbury’s use of irony is probably one of his most famous writing traits; along with his way of being poetic, without being pretentious. In conclusion, Ray Bradbury will go down in history as one of the most famed science fiction writers of all time; even though, he never considered himself a science fiction writer. How ironic? Sources Page D’Ammassa, Don â€Å"A Sound of Thunder Encyclopedia of Science Fiction: Facts on File, Inc., 2005 Chris Jepsen, and Richard Johnson. Facts about Ray Bradbury: www.spaceagecity.com/bradbury/bio.htm Ray Bradbury: Xplore Inc, 2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quote/authors/r/ray_bradbury.html Ray Brabury Message Board: http://www.raybradbury.com/ubb/Forum1 /HTML/000463.html Bleiler, Richard Science Fiction Writers: 2nd ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons Mittnacht, Veronica 10 Things you didn’t know about Ray Bradbury: http://flavorwire.come/106189/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-ray-bradbury