Age of Spiritual Machines essays

Age of Spiritual Machines essays The Age of Spiritual Machines presents a history of computers, looking at how past trends in computing have led to today's personal machines. Author Ray Kurzweil then goes beyond history to look towards the future. Most audiences are familiar with the notion that computers will one day think faster and better than humans. However, Kurzweil goes beyond such familiar ground, making specific predictions regarding how "spiritual machines" will blur the line between thinking humans and technological In the first part of the book, "Probing the Past," Kurweil presents an excellent survey of how computational knowledge evolved throughout history. A gifted technological historian, Kurzweil sets the stage in this chapter by showing how these past developments have both changed the way people live and how this knowledge laid the foundations for his future Towards this, Kurzweil draws heavily from the work of heavyweights in the field such as Carl Sagan, Sherry Turkle, Marvin Minsky, Alan Turing and Eric Drexler. While Kurzweil does not actually present anything new in this part, he presents a good synthesis of the work of these important technological writers and philosophers. In this sense, The Age of Spiritual Machines is already a good read for a person looking for a good introduction into the work of the aforementioned authors. However, Kurzweil then moves on to make predictions of his own, and the fact that Kurzweil is specific with his predictions is one of the strengths of this interesting book. The author writes, for example, that by providing more intense and pleasurable sensations, virtual sex will soon be better than conventional sex. Digital prostitutes will service humans in a virtual environment, eliminating the risk of disease. Humans will soon have the ability to download their brains and minds into robots. This means that humans would be akin ...

Evans, Walter. The Fall of the House of Usher and Poes Theory of the Tale.

Evans, Walter. The Fall of the House of Usher and Poes Theory of the Tale. In this article, Walter Evans discusses the narrative style of Edgar Allan Poe and speaks about the peculiarities of such a short story as The Fall of the House of Usher. This novella occupies a distinctive place in the creative legacy of this writer, and it is included in many collections or anthologies. This literary work has always attracted a close attention of many literary critics who intend to study the literary elements and techniques used by Poe.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Evans, Walter. The Fall of the House of Usher and Poes Theory of the Tale. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the whole, Walter Evans believes that this literary work does not comply with narrative principles advocated by Poe in many of his critical articles (Evans 137). Moreover, in the author’s opinion, Poe adopts a dramatically different narrative approach which was virtually unprecedented in the nineteenth century. Thus, t he readers should consider this issue in order to assess this short story. These are the main arguments that this scholar tries to elaborate in his discussion. In his critical works, this writer lays stress on the necessity to create the â€Å"preconceived effect† by inventing or combining the so-called â€Å"incidents† that enable the author to grasp the attention of a reader and produce a specific impression on the audience (Evans 138). In this case, the word incident is used to describe various elements of the narrative that help the writer to achieve his/her goals. This writer believed that every literary element had to be subordinated to the main effect that the author tried to produce. This method was advocated by many writers in the nineteenth century. Poe applied this approach to many of his short stories. Yet, Walter Evans believes that Poe does not use this principle while writing The Fall of the House of Usher. The scholar describes this short story as †Å"a series of vivid and superficially disjointed images† (Evans 140). Apart from that, in Evans Walter’s view, the narrative elements do not play an important role in this short story. There are some important events that are critical for the development of the narrative, but Edgar Poe does not pay much attention to them. For instance, one can mention the alleged death of Lady Madeline (Evans 140). Furthermore, the readers know very little about the factors that contributed to the downfall of Roderick Usher. This is the major distinctions that the scholar identifies. Overall, in this short story, Edgar Poe uses literary elements that help him create vivid imagery. In particular, one can speak about the use of metaphors that are necessary to create striking descriptions of the house in which the main character lives (Evans 143). These descriptions produce a strong impression on the readers who want to know why this house is depicted in this way. This is why this detail s hould be taken into account. Additionally, these literary devices are importa This description help readers place themselves in the position of the story-teller. Overall, Walter Evans argues that The Fall of the House of Usher can be viewed as the example of a lyric short story in which the sensations of the protagonist are more important than different elements of the plot (Evans 144).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This issue should not be disregarded because it is vital for the evaluation of this short story. This approach was later adopted by many writers in the twentieth century. In particular, it is possible to mention such authors as Sherwood Anderson and James Joyce. The author’s discussion shows that Edgar Poe could depart from the aesthetic principles which he discussed in his critical reviews. However, in this way, he was able to create innovative works of literature. These are the major points that the scholar makes in this article. One can argue that this article can be of great use to people who are interested in the works of Edgar Poe. His literary legacy is still closely examined by many critics, and his narratives are still open to various interpretations. Furthermore, this source can help a reader understand different approaches to writing short stories. So, this information can be useful for analyzing various narratives created by other writers. More importantly, the source can help readers better appreciate fiction. These are some of the main benefits that can be distinguished. This is why this article can be of great interest to students or even teachers. Certainly, the reading of this source may require some background knowledge. For example, one should learn more about the works of Edgar Poe and his views on literature and story-telling. Additionally, students may read various short stories written by this author . In this way, one can better understand the arguments that Walter Evans makes. This is one of the limitations that should be considered. However, this article contains an in-depth and thought-provoking analysis of Poe’s short story, and it can show how one can examine a work of literature, especially the techniques used by the authors. This is why it should not be overlooked by the readers. Evans, Walter. The Fall of the House of Usher and Poes Theory of the Tale.  Studies in Short Fiction 14.2 (1977): 137-144. ProQuest. Web.

Responsibility Of Patient Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Responsibility Of Patient Safety - Essay Example Most hazardous technologies have barriers as well as safeguards. The question to ask whenever a mistake occurs should not be who did what but instead why and how the system failed. When the medical practitioners get proper payment, and their shifts made shorter, service delivery can be better. The supply of medical equipment and medications should also be available and at the disposal of the patients as well those who administer. A manual guide of how medication dosages work in several age sets accompanied by the particular disease they treat is valuable as well. Cases of wrong medication for the bad disease of even wrong dosage will not be subject to discussion at all (Cohn and Brower, 2012). Hospital and health institutions should have resilient systems for them to be able to bounce back to its initial ability. Machines that are of great importance to patient health survival should go through careful checking before and after a patient is put on it daily. Medical practitioners will ensure that the patients only use machines that are of good standard and condition as well. The steps to reduce risk concentration, as well as the reoccurrence of problems, can be directed towards the patient (JonWang, 2008). The patients should be taught to associate risks with incidences that precede their occurrences. Detecting these factors can act as warning signs that should trigger immediate actions from the personnel who are on standby every hour of the day to serve and reduce or even do away with the risk.

Child Pornography, an International Perspective Essay

Child Pornography, an International Perspective - Essay Example This paper further denotes that the development of technology, especially in video and computer technology has accelerated the growth of child pornography. In defining the term child pornography, this paper denotes that different countries have their own criteria of defining it. A contributing factor to the disparities in the definition of Child pornography is the standards set for defining a child. For instance, UNCRC defines a child as an individual aged 18 years and below. The paper has managed to give the definition of child pornography as the reproduction of a sexually explicit image of a child. It also distinguishes child erotica, from child pornography. It defines child erotica as materials that aid in child pornography, such as toys, sexually implicit manuals, and children clothing’s. This paper identifies boys and girls, irrespective of their ages as the victims of child pornography. According to this paper, a large percentage of children exploited through child porno graphy are male. Most of these children are poor and disabled, making them vulnerable to the exploitations. People who exploit children in a sexual manner come from the larger community, and influential members of the society are included. Most of these people are pedophiles, and they are always heterosexual. They are always attracted to any aspects of child pornography, from their production, to consumption. This problem is accelerated by the emergence of technology, especially in video technology, computers, and the internet. Computer system has made it possible for pedophiles to hunt their victims through social sites such as inter relay chat. This paper identifies countries where child pornography flourished, and it identifies countries such as Japan, United States of America, Holland, and Sweden as the main centers of the production of child pornographic materials. It denotes that tourism also played a major role in enhancing child pornography, and this is with the emergence of sex tourism. Most victims of sex tourism were found in third world countries such as Thailand. According to this paper, there are various uses of child pornography, and they are; I. To sexually arouse and gratify the offender. II. To justify and validate the pornographic behavior. III. To sexually seduce the child. IV. To preserve the child age of sexual preference. V. To blackmail the child in order to keep him or her quiet on the sexual experiences he or she has passed through. VI. For business purposes. VII. As a method of building trust with other sexual offenders. VIII. In order to gain access to other pornographic markets. On this basis therefore, child pornography contributes to a large extent to the exploitation and molestation of children. However, the paper denotes that this statement can be debated further. Child pornography can affect a child in two ways, namely through exposure to the pornography itself, and through filming of the child. Child pornography, affects the behavior of children in regard to their sexual believes, violence and force. They portray emotional withdrawal, anxiety and fear, and mood swings. These children are also at risk of becoming pedophiles, and sexual perpetrators at their adult hood. Because of these negative impacts of child porno

Reality in the eye of representation Assignment

Reality in the eye of representation - Assignment Example The paper "Reality in the eye of representation" through analysis of various works produced in the eighties will give a clear picture of whether representation is a copy of reality or reality is a mere effect of representation. The use of signs in place of something else is known as representation. An artist can represent the world and reality through simple acts giving its element some unique attributes. The signs are thus organized in some kind of semantic construction and show relations. For example, both modern and ancient philosophers consider a man as a representative of all animals. The term representation can therefore be used to give various meanings such resemble or look like. It can also be used to stand for an object or individual. Representation therefore helps stimulate sensory information pertaining to an individual or item as described through a medium used. How perfect a representation look like the intended object depends on resolution that an artist assigns on the art and the word choice. Influence that presentation has on reality and the opposite of the same was a typical 1980s concern in art. Many arts were used to critique popular traditions. In 1980s videos portrayed the structural experiments of the past decades as political influenced. The arts instead looked to critique the social and economic premise on which the television was invented. The artist argued that the videos looked like TV shows though with something missing. The critique of representation became more popular.

Growth And Evolution Of Steel Industry India Economics Essay

Growth And Evolution Of Steel Industry India Economics Essay Indians were familiar with iron and steel during the Vedic age more than 4,000 years ago. It is evident from the Iron Pillar at the outskirts of Delhi. But the seeds of modern steel industry were sown by Sir Jamshedji Tata in 1907 when Tata Iron Steel Company Ltd. (TISCO) was set up. The first steel ingots were rolled in TISCO in 1911. This was followed by the establishment of the Mysore Iron and Steel Works in 1936, later renamed as Visvesvaraya Iron Steel Works. Three years later in 1939, production of steel started in another private steel company, the Indian Iron Steel Company, now a subsidiary of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). In India, a major part of steel is consumed in engineering applications, followed by automobiles and construction. The growth of steel, as is well known, is dependent upon the growth of the economy, industrial production and infrastructure sectors. Over the last few years the performance of the Indian steel industry has been adversely affected due to overcapacity, cheap imports, economic slowdown, declining global steel prices and also anti dumping duty imposed by USA on Indian exports. In the era of planned economy, iron and steel, a core and basic sector, received the full attention of the Government. It became a key sector for public investment for the first Five Year Plan itself. The year 1953 saw the first agreement being signed with the Germans to establish a 1 million tone plant at Rourkela in Orissa. Two more agreements for setting up steel plants, at Bhilai with the erstwhile USSRs assistance and another at Durgapur with the help of U.K. was signed in 1956. Successive capacity augmentations at Bhili, Durgapur and Rourkela saw their capacity increase to 2.5, 1.6 and 1.8 million tons per annum respectively by the end of the 60s. A new plant at Bokaro with a capacity of 2.5 million tones per annum went into production in 1973-74. The year 1978 witnessed a major restructuring of these steel-making public sector units giving birth to the public sector giant, SAIL, having a Navaratna status today, with an aggregate capacity of over 10 million tones. The first shore-based public sector integrated steel plant, viz. The Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited of 3 million tones per annum capacity went into production in August, 1992. During the first two decades of planned economic development, i.e. 1950-60 and 1960-70, the average annual growth rate of steel production exceeded 8 per cent. During 1970-80, this growth rate in steel production came down to 5.7 per cent per annum and gathered up marginally to 6.4 per cent per annum during 1980-90. Until the 1990s the iron and steel sector was by and large the exclusive preserve of only the public sector, the sole exception being TISCO. The new economic policy announced in 1991 was no doubt a significant milestone in the evolution of the Indian economy. The process of the economic reforms ushered in substantial liberalization of the policies and institutions governing trade, industry and finance. With this the complexion of Indian iron and steel industry has undergone a sea change. Iron and steel industry became one of the foremost sectors to be opened under the New Economic Policy. Substantial private investments flowed in with the consequent changes heralding a new beginning for the interplay of free market enterprise in this vital sector. Changes A glance at the pre-and post-1991 era reveals some interesting and significant structural changes. At the consumer or demand end, the market for steel has been transformed from a seller to a buyer market. Control and regulation have been replaced by competition. Administered prices have been replaced by supply-and demand-determined market prices. In the post-liberalization era, the structure of the steel industry is significantly and vastly different with the advent of major steel producers in the private sector which have come up with the world class technologies and capacities. There has been a clear shift towards the selection of the product mix. During the pre-1991 era, the private sector was mainly confined to the production of long products. The only producer of hot-rolled flat products was SAIL in the public sector. Now there are 5 additional major producers of flat products of steel in the private sector. There has been a clear focus on the state-of-the art technology. Presently, India can boast of new technologies like Corex, Thin Slab Casting and Compact Strip Mill Technology, DC Electric Arc Furnaces, Twin Shells AC EAFs etc. in the steel industry. The industry has now to focus on customer satisfaction and outstanding quality of steel products in a competitive environment. Steel producers in the public and private sector have taken upon themselves with determination and commitment to overcome the new and arduous challenges to come up to the Governments expectations as also the people of our country in the most difficult and trying period for the last couple of years. Indias Competitive Position India is a very competitive country with regards to steel production. India is next only to Brazil if I have to compare the competitiveness of the steel industry. The first and foremost is the availability of iron ore, the next being the adaptability to technology and last but not the least, the labour costs are very competitive as compared to the rest of the world. India is more competitive than countries like US, Europe, Posco of South Korea and Japan and even China. China does not have iron ore resources. China imports almost all of its iron ore requirements. Indias competitiveness in steel is a good one. But the competitiveness gets eroded a little due to various high infrastructure costs like freight rates in rail as well as through road are very high. Port charges are uncompetitive. The time it takes for loading and unloading of the ships is uncompetitive. For a comparison, export of steel in bulk to London works out to be more cost effective the sending steel to Mumbai from Kolkata. Impact The response of the private sector in particular has been quite encouraging in the post-liberalization era. Many all-India financial institutions also came forward to support these initiatives and had sanctioned financial assistance to 19 steel projects involving an investment of about Rs. 30,000 crore covering an additional capacity of 13 million tones per annum during the post -liberalization era. Today, India is the tenth largest steel producer in the world. Government Initiatives The Government has been making all-out efforts to help the domestic steel industry to overcome the problems faced by them. To boost the demand and consumption of steel, an Institution for Steel Development Growth (INSDAG) was set up involving leading steel producers in the country. The Development Commissioner for Iron Steel had launched a National Campaign for increasing the demand for steel in non-traditional sectors, particularly in the construction, rural and agro-based industrial sectors. Other areas include reduction in power and railway tariffs, reduction in input costs, strengthening of antidumping mechanism, setting up a steel exporters forum and an empowered committee for research and development. Current Scenario for Steel Industry Global steel demand is rising on the back of accelerated infrastructure activity in China, CIS and India, housing boom in USA, and white goods resurgence in Europe. During the recent recessionary phase, the industry has consolidated in terms of ownership as well as mothballing of inefficient capacities. Steel prices continue firming up. For the first time in last 20 years, there is demand growth all over the world for steel. In US, the demand is led by the booming housing industry. Additionally the auto industry is showing signs of recovery as auto sales hit their strongest levels for the year in July even as US posted a 2.4% GDP growth. In Europe, there is demand from a buoyant housing and white goods industry according to industry sources. In India, China and other Asian countries the demand is led by emphatic investment activities in infrastructure. Russia and other CIS nations are also witnessing strong internal demand. Iraq reconstruction work is expected to fuel further demand for steel over the next three years. China is consuming steel like never before for its infrastructure with investments such as Three Gorges project on Yangtze as well as part of its build up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the Shanghai Expo in 2010. 2) PRODUCT PROFILE ESSAR STEEL LIMITED (ESL) Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) Essar steel took various technical initiatives to increase the production and reduce the cost. The capacity utilization improved after the company made various modifications. The HBI plant produced 1,65,052 tons in March 2000. With this the annual production capacity of the plant is close to 2mn tons. Hot Rolled Coils (HRC) ESL is one of the largest exporters of hot rolled coils. It increased its exports by 32% from 161,000 tons to 213,000 tons in the last quarter The company has increased its hot rolled coil capacity from 2mn tons to 2.4mn tons. Essar steel expanded capacity to take advantage of the increasing demand in the domestic as well as the international markets. During the year Essar Steel shifted from base grade steel to high value grades to get better realizations. Essar steel has developed new products for segments like the automobile sector. ISPAT INDUSTRIES LIMITED (IIL) Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) The DRI plant operated at 90% capacity utilization and produced 1.07mt of sponge iron, with 95% metallisation quality.. The decline in realizations was due to the oversupply scenario caused by the fall in production levels of all induction and arc furnace units. Cold rolling mill and Coating plant The company produced 0.26mt of cold rolled coils/sheets in the last fiscal. During the year the company sold 1.22mt of DRI which was higher by 12% as compared to the previous years sales volume of 1.08mt. The full integration of the steel plant will enable the company to produce value-added products and help them change their product mix. INDAL IRON AND STEEL CORPORATION LIMITED (JISCO) Hot rolled products JISCOs hot rolling facilities are located at Vasind near Mumbai. The plant has an installed capacity to produce 2,80,000 tonnes of HR plates/coils. The company during the year produced 1,61,253 tons of hot rolled plates as compared to 1,97,178 in the previous year, showing a drop of 18.22% yoy. The dip was due to the low demand for HR plates as demand from heavy automobile, construction etc. sectors was low. Cold rolling and galvanizing JISCO has an installed capacity to produce 400,000tpa of cold rolled strips/sheets at Vasind (150,000tpa) and Tarapur (250,000tpa). It also has 550,000 tpa capacity of galvanised coils/ sheets at Vasind (175,000 tpa) and Tarapur (225,000 tpa) and has commissioned a 1,50,000 tpa capacity quality line CSD III. STEEL AUTHORITY OF INDIA LIMITED (SAIL) Product Mix SAIL produces nearly the entire range of steel products. The production strategy was altered in line with shifting demand patterns of the market. The production of crude steel through con-cast route increased by 17% yoy with proportion of BOF- CC production going up from 43% in FY02 to 50% in FY 2003. Modernization SAIL incurred a cost of Rs55bn between FY88 and FY92, on modernization. The second phase of modernization has envisaged Rs130bn investment during FY93 to FY97. The modernization has resulted in significant improvement in energy consumption, coke rate, yield etc Steel Products Semi-finished products (also called semis) are intermediate products, cast from liquid steel prior to further rolling into finished products. Finished steel products, available in a vast range, can be broadly categorized as longs and flats. Long products include bars, wire rods, angles, structural, channels. 3) DEMAND DETERMINATION OF THE STEEL INDUSTRY The global demand for steel is at an all time high nowadays. Much of the tremendous demand for steel around the world may be attributed to the numerous construction projects that are going on around the world. Much of these projects are taking place in the economically developing countries of the world like India, China and Thailand. China is the place where a lot of construction is being done nowadays and much of the construction is for the purpose of the Olympics to be held in 2008 and the Shanghai World Exposition of 2010. Along with being one of the major users of steel, China is one of the major producers of steel as well. During March, 2007 China produced a record 40.16 million tonnes of steel. The demand for steel has gone up in the United States of America as well.   This may be ascertained from the fact that in 2007 the amount of steel used was 2.2% more than what it was in 2006. Thus it may be ascertained that the supply and the demand for steel is at their respective peaks. This bodes well for the Indian steel industry as India has plenty of steel to meet up with both the domestic as well as international demand.  India has a lot of iron ores. This implies that India has a ready base for producing sufficient amount of steel and the experts are also of the opinion that the Indian steel industry would continue to grow in the coming years. In the recent times the production of steel has gone up in the country from 17 million tons in 1990 to 36 million tons in 2003.  The Indian steel industry is trying to reach the 66 million tones mark in 2011. The high levels of production would allow the Indian steel industry to establish a stronghold on a number of areas like housing, construction, and ground transportation. The special steel produced by the Indian steel industry is supposed to be used in high end engineering industries like generation of power, fertilizers and petrochemicals.   The fact that India is not a voracious consumer of steel like some of the major economies like China and the United States of America means that India would be able to use the surplus steel it produces for exporting to other countries. So that their demands are met. This would help the Indian steel industry to be regarded as one of the most prominent steel industries if not the leading one. 4) PLAYERS IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY The performance of steel industry in India has been quite satisfactory over the past decade. Company Share % (2009) Tata steel 35.7% Steel authority of india limited 23.8% Jsw 9.7% Other 30.7% Total 100% The steel industry in the whole of Asia is aided by cutting-edge technology and because of this, the companies in the industry has made great advancements in all their operational areas.The development of steel industry in India is mainly due to the substantial increase in the demand for steel products of India in the global market. The top companies in this industry mainly operate in four different forms like manufacturers of semi-finished steel, producers of finished steel products, manufacturers of stainless steel and producers of pig irons. The list of top companies in the steel sector in India is given below: Top 10 steel companies in India: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Steel Authority of India à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tata Steel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visveswarayya Steels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Bokaro Steel Plant à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Bhilai Steels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Essar Steels Limited à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Jindal Steel Power à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ KVS Ispat à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Jindal Steels Limited Some of the details regarding these top players in steel industry is given below: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited: The foundation stone for Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited was laid in the year 1971 and this organization is the corporate body of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. They have three different mines under their control being the blast furnace grade limestone mine, manganese mine and dolomite mine. They are specialized in the production of the following products: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rounds à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Beams à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Wire rods à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Squares à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Billets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Channels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Blooms Steel Authority of India: Steel Authority of India shortly called as SAIL is one of the top public sector steel-makers in India and they produce steel products both for export and for domestic consumption as well. SAIL holds the pride of being one among the four Maharatnas in the Central Public Sector Enterprises in India. They are the major manufacturers and sellers of the following steel products: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Alloy steel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Stainless steel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rods and bars à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Railway products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Structurals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Electrical sheets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Galvanized steel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cold and hot coils and rolled sheets Tata Steel: Tata Steel is a part of the Indias popular Tata group and they are one among the global steel service and manufacturing companies in India. They have a balance presence in over 50 developed countries in the continent of Europe and they have manufacturing units in 26 different countries all over the world. Visveswarayya Steels: Visveswarayya Steels is actually a unit of the Steel Authority of India and they are dealing in the production of pig iron and alloy steels. The company began as a separate entity in the year 1923 and it has now come under the SAIL. Bokaro Steel Plant: Bokara Steel Plant began its journey as a limited company in the year 1964 and the company is situated in the Bokaro District of the state of Jharkhand. The plant holds the pride of being the countrys first Swadeshi Steel Plant. Even though, the company began its journey as a separate entity, it is now merged with the Steel Authority of India. Bhilai Steels: Bhilai Steels are one of the leading supplier, stockiest, exporter and importer of hast alloy, aluminum, inconel, monel, brass, copper, ally steel, carbon steel and stainless steel. They are also leaders in a wide range of pipefittings like compression type of popes with Ferrules, forges, screwed, SW and BW pipes. The steel products of this company are being used in different industries like cement, power, textile, pharmaceuticals, sugar mills, petrochemicals, fertilizers and chemicals. Essar Steels Limited: Essar Steels are one of the most versatile producers of steel-based products and tailor-made products and these products are the best known for their quality. Their 24-carat steel is a product that got worldwide acceptance. They have international centers in different countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Canada and the USA. Some of the products manufactured by them are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cold Rolled Products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hot Briquetted Sponge Iron à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hot rolled products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Galvanized products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Iron ore pallets Jindal Steel Power: Jindal Steel Power is a leading player in different industries like infrastructure, gas and oil, coal to liquid, mining, power and steel. They are continuously creating new opportunities by leveraging their core capabilities to venture into new business, diversifying investments and by increasing production capacity. KVS Ispat: KVS Ispat is a flagship of KVS group of companies and the company enjoys a legacy in the industry of steel for the past 22 years. This company is known for its excellence right from its inception and they are consistently making great contribution towards the development of the society. They are dealing with different types of steel products like: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rounds Squares à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Channels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Flats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Angels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Light Structural Steel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ TMT Bars Jindal Steels Limited: Jindal Steels are also making a good contribution towards the development of India and they are ranked sixth among the top business houses with respect to their asset holding. They are one among the multi billionaire corporation in India. Their main aim is to become a world player in the industry of steel production and they are committed to maintain world-class quality in their production, to offer products at a competitive price and to do excellent after sales service to their customers. Thus, like any other industry steel industry in India is also offering wide range of employment opportunities to deserving candidates thereby acquiring the required talents for their organizations and by offering the right job to the right candidate. 5. DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL OF INDIAN STEEL INDUSTRY Distribution channel in India is now more smooth after 1991. Distribution maybe the best characterize through alarming consolidation. This consolidation is usually, predictable, also understandable as competitors in industry, which are in same business or substitute, additionally set their niches or produce bigger in a hunt for economies of scale. Distribution channel having their own alteration according to their convenience . for clearing the idea about it , the distribution channel of Indian steel industry are given as below (see  Figure 1). Traditionally, sales have playing an important role in each stage of the steel industry supply chain. sales people are remunerated through sales reward typically makes around 2 % of the product MRP . In the model shown in Figure 1, 16 % of the charge in the channel is associated to sales salaries as well as commissions. As the industry have moved from a home market to a global market, competition has greater than before they face, which help them to earn more profits. To protect profits, or for competing , the channel has upgrade their production technology . several clients begin to analyze sales calls through salespeople as an interruption in their day. A fine proportion of businesses entered in annual contracts with a companies, negotiated price as well as preset, scheduled material releases salary, or through salarwithcommission, although others draw directly . distributer channel.JPG 6. KEY ISSUES AND CURRENT TRENDS 1.New Steel Policy To Facilitate Rapid Growth Of Domestic Steel Sector, Says Government [Friday, Mar 23, 2012] A new steel policy will be aimed to ease the faster growth of the domestic steel sector by ensuring faster capacity addition, as realized by the government. The Steel Ministry-constituted panel is scheduled to finalize the draft within two months and there are expectations that it will be prepared in another three-four months. The government conceived of taking countrys capacity to 145 MT by 2015-16. The new policy assumes importance as it is coming up against the backdrop of huge delays in the multi-billion dollar ventures including those of ArcelorMittal and POSCO which were delayed due to the hurdles of regulatory and land acquisition. ArcelorMittal, which has proposed projects worth Rs 1.3 lakh cr. in Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh, is facing land acquisition problems. POSCO, which has proposed a project in Orissa worth Rs 54,000 cr., is also battling regulatory hurdles for several years. 2.Arcelormittal Eyeing Land In Jharkhand [Saturday, Feb 04, 2012] Arcelormittal, a steel company, is in the process of identifying land in the Bokaro district for recommended 12-million tonnes per annum Greenfield steel plant in Jharkhand. AP Singh, Jharkhand Industry Secretary, said, They are still in the process of searching land in two locations Chas and Kasmar in Bokaro district. Mr Singh, who has been here to take part at a trade fair organized by CII, said that the recommended project of the international steel company will be delayed although the environment department has proposed the environmental approval, since the nod from the forest department has not come yet. The steel firm needs 2,400 acres of land for the recommended project. 3.Ministry Of Steel-(2012-2013) To transform India into a global leader in the steel sector, both as a steel producer as well as a steel consuming nation and to enhance the industrys international competitiveness. Mission Promoting policies, initiatives and incentives for attaining a national steel production capacity approximately 100 million tons per annum by the year 2012-13.Streamlining the regulatory environment for enabling optimal steel production; particularly regarding mineral policy and the mine allocation regime, tariff and taxation measures, and land allocation and environmental and forest clearances .Promoting the development of infrastructure required for enhancing national steel production through coordinated efforts, particularly in sectors like Railways, Roads, Ports, Power and Water supply . Enhancing the domestic demand for steel through promotional efforts and by enlarging the retail network of steel Companies . Improving the techno-economic efficiency of operations of steel Ministrys PSUs. Objective 1. To facilitate creation of steel making capacity and growth in steel production during 2012-13. 2. To oversee the completion of the apex and modernization programs of the PSUs. 3. Ensuring adequate availability of raw material for steel industry from domestic and overseas sources, particularly iron ore and coal by PSUs under the Ministry of Steel. 4. Improving the performance of Iron Steel industry through R&D; intervention, Quality Control and Export Promotion. 5 .To facilitate and monitor mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures by the Steel Ministrys PSUs. 6. Finalization of New Policy Initiatives. 7 To update information and data base in respect of Re-rolling industry 7. PEST Analysis India is the 10th largest steel producer of the world. the huge Integrated producers like SAIL, Tisco and RINL have traditionally dominated steel production in India. Due to excessive Government controls as well as regulations, the Indian steel industry are broadly affected from the environmental aspect. A examine of the external macro-environment in which the companies operates can be articulated in terms of the following factors which detailed as below. Political Economic Social Technological Political Factor Government And Regulatory Interventions The role of the government is crucial, both as a supplier and as a customer, and also as the supra-environment for business, creating the rules for competition. It creates boundaries within which the steel industry must operate. In the case of the Indian steel industry, the government directly or indirectly controls the finance and many of the inputs both raw material and services. The government has opened the field for private power plants. This is, in the long run, expected to improve the power situation in the country, to the benefit of the steel industry. The government as a buyer is very important for the steel industry. The investment of government in infrastructure such as highways, rail, plants, power dams, ports etc are significant key movers for steel demand. In fact, government spending on infrastructure spurs the demand for long products, which is followed, with a time lag, by a demand for flat products. The demand for long products tapers off with a saturation of infrastructure development. This is expected to provide the necessary fillip to the stagnant steel demand. Government regulations also provide protection to indigenous industry, or take it away. The recent liberalization of the economy has had mixed results for the Indian steel industry. On the one hand, they are free to import machinery6 and select raw material without the earlier procedural delays and checkpoints. On the other hand, they have had to continuously fight the dumping of cheap steel from around the world. Environmental norms imposed by the government from time to time have a significant reflact, expected to be about 15% of project cost. Government regulations and concerns regarding discharges from steel plants could become one of the major forces driving development of new technologies. Economic Factor INDIAS steel exports registered impressive growth in 2002-03. Provisional figures suggest that exports stood at highest level, against last five years. The steel industry was finally showing signs of recovery. Major producers started to export to capitalize on rising international prices and to boost bottom lines that had rusted in 1998-99. However, yet again, the good times comes for steel players. Indian economy become the strongest than it is comparing since last many years, it is absolutely good time for Indian steel industry. The analysis shows that the Indian steel industry suffer the low productivity of labour but high capital, energy and transportation cost. The steps needed to enhance competitiveness of the Indian steel industry contain investment towards technology up gradation. There is also a vast scope for quality up gradation. Quality monitoring, inspection and control measure have also to be introduced at all stages of operation as well as technical discipline. computerization in process routes, improved maintenance practices, optimum capacity utilization, extensive automation in all possible areas as well as pollution control measures need to be implemented. The Indian steel industry is at crossroad. It needs to step up values-addition to ensure that the wide fluctuations in HR prices are moderated with greater share of value-added products. Further, it has to modernize itself to bring down production costs. China makes strong impact in Indian economy. Various steel majors are planning to exports in millions of tonnes to china this year. So. Overall there is a good and grooming economy for Indian steel industry. Social Factor In Social point of view, the responsibility of various steel companies towards society and for the community is required to be analyzed. Safety Steel Industry is committed to the task of ensuring the safety and safeguarding the health of all its employees under various companies. In the company like Tata Steel, Importance will be given to continuous training for promoting safety consciousness among all employees. Joint committees of executives and employees representatives will supervise the Companys safety measures. Company is accountable for: Establishing safe and healthy work environment. Ensuring compliance with mandatory safety and health requirements. Proper maintenance and orderly house keeping, to control the risk of damage to plant and equipment. Insisting on safe work procedures being followed by employees, contractors and visitors. Quality Steel Industry shall continually tried hard to improve the quality of life of the communities industry serve with excellence in all facets of its activities. They are committed to create value for all their stakeholders by continually improving their systems and processes through innovation. The policy has reviewed to

Family Traditions Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

It was going to be a bad Christmas. Nothing could be done to salvage it. The little tree (the only one we could afford) was bare, surrounded by its fallen needles. The Christmas presents were not much; Santa did not have the means to give the children what they had on their Christmas lists. It was going to be awful, the season of joy and giving was corrupted, nothing in the tiny apartment even resembled Christmas. The little, dead, bare Christmas tree was prophesying what the season would really bring that year to the family, almost nothing. How could they save the holiday? It seemed almost hopeless, but it turned into my family’s most loved and fun family ritual. To this day, I cannot remember a Christmas morning where Santa did not fill the entire living room floor with balloons. Every Christmas morning my family wakes up to a jungle of balloons; long skinny ones that look like baseball bats, the regular round ones, some that have a special design on the rubber, and others that are so tiny we do not notice them until we hear a big bang when we accidently step on them. This Christmas tradition is the one that saved Christmas back when I was really young. My parents, in an effort to save the holiday, had rushed to the local corner store and bought some balloons. The balloons were cheap, took a long time to blow up, and made that Christmas and every Christmas after that so much more exciting and fun than if my parents had been able to afford all the gifts we had on our list to Santa that year. I have always known that spending time with your family is important, but I never had a testimony of its importance in my life. When I read the words â€Å"wholesome family recreation† in the ... ...nce because when he was there we knew of our importance to him. Morning without prayer is not completely; those prayers helped me learn the gospel. There are so many benefits to wholesome family recreation that go unnoticed underneath all the fun. Before I started researching this topic, I did not think that having a testimony of recreation could be possible; testimonies were about tithing and the atonement. Now I realize that family traditions and rituals are an indispensable aspect of family life. I can say that I have a testimony in the importance of wholesome family recreation. When I start my own family, I want to continue and build new rituals so that we can build lasting and meaningful relationships. The Proclamation to the Family is incredibly insightful, who would have thought such a minor thing was really an ingredient to having a successful family.

Bernie Ebbers and Scott Sullivan

What power bases did Bernie Ebbers and Scott Sullivan rely on to get away with accounting fraud? The power bases are legitimate power, reward power, coercive power, expert power, referent power. Case Study Bernie Ebbers built WorldCom Inc into one of the largest telecommunication firms. Yet he and CFO Scott Sullivan have become better known for creating a massive corporate accouting fraud that led to the largest bankruptcy in US history. Two investigative reports and subsequent court cases concluded that WorldCom executoves were responsible for billions in fraudulent or unsupported accouting entries.How did this mammoth accouting scandal occur without anyone raising the alarm? Evidence suggests that Ebbers and Sullivan help considerable power and influence that prevented accouting staff from complaining, or even knowing, about the fraud. Ebber's inner circle held tight control over the flow of all financial information. The geographically dispersed accouting groups were discouraged f rom sharing information. Ebber's group also restricted distribution of company – level financial reports and prevented sensitive reports from being prepared at all.Accountants didn't even have access to the computer files in which some of the largest fraudulent entries were mde. As a result, employees had to rely on Ebber's executive team to justify the accounting entries that were requested. Another reason why employeees complied with questionable accoutong practices was that CFO Scott Sullivan wielded immense personal power. He was considered a "whiz kid" with impeccable integrity who had won the prestigious "CFO Excellence Award. quot; Thus, when Sullivan's office asked staff to make questionable entries, some accountants assumed Sullivan had found an innovative and legal accouunting loophole. If Sullivan's influence didn't work, other executives took a more coercive approach. Employees cited incidents where they were publicly berated for questioning headqua rters decisions and intimidated if they asked for more information. When one employer at a branch refused to alter an accouting entry , WorldCom's contoller threatened to fly in from WorldCom's Mississippi headquarters to make the change himself.The employ changed the entry. Ebber's has similar influence over WorldCom's board of directors. Sources indicate that his personal charisma and intolerance of dissention produced a passive board that rubber-stamped most of his recommendations. As one report concluded: ;The Board of Directord appears to have embraced suggestions by Mr. Ebbers without question or dissent, even under circumstances where its members now readily acknowledge they had significant misgivings regarding his recommendedd couse of action. ;

Free Essays on Latin American History

Latin American History A brief description of the political structures of the Aztecs and Incas. Also describe the local and national level of politics. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had a population estimated to be between 150, 000 and 200,000. The majority of the population consisted of artisans, priests, civil servants, soldiers and entertainers. Other members of the population where the calpulli leaders, merchants and nobles. Their whole education system was based on the foundations that male children would follow in their fathers’ footsteps and have the best education depending on what their position in society is. In a society with such a complex economic, political and social life, a hierarchy of courts was compromised with two high tribunals. The Aztec priesthood was the main integrating force in the whole society. The priesthood was called on to intervene in every private political crisis of the Aztec community. The priesthood shared power with the nobility a class that had gained power through war and political centralization. The Aztec political system was a mixture of royal disposition and theocracy. Political power was centralized in a ruling class of priests and nobles, over which presided an absolute ruler resembling an oriental despot. The Inca state also promoted self-sufficiency by allowing members of a given community to exploit the resources of different levels of the Andian â€Å"vertical† economy. The Incas had a strong strategic situation in the valley of cuzco and some cultural superiority over their neighbors. This provided the Incas with instructive precedents for conquest and consolidation of conquest through a variety of political and socioeconomic techniques. The Incas maintained their authority with an arsenal of devices that included the spread of their quechua language as the official language of the empire. The Aztec and Incas first contact with the Span... Free Essays on Latin American History Free Essays on Latin American History Latin American History A brief description of the political structures of the Aztecs and Incas. Also describe the local and national level of politics. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had a population estimated to be between 150, 000 and 200,000. The majority of the population consisted of artisans, priests, civil servants, soldiers and entertainers. Other members of the population where the calpulli leaders, merchants and nobles. Their whole education system was based on the foundations that male children would follow in their fathers’ footsteps and have the best education depending on what their position in society is. In a society with such a complex economic, political and social life, a hierarchy of courts was compromised with two high tribunals. The Aztec priesthood was the main integrating force in the whole society. The priesthood was called on to intervene in every private political crisis of the Aztec community. The priesthood shared power with the nobility a class that had gained power through war and political centralization. The Aztec political system was a mixture of royal disposition and theocracy. Political power was centralized in a ruling class of priests and nobles, over which presided an absolute ruler resembling an oriental despot. The Inca state also promoted self-sufficiency by allowing members of a given community to exploit the resources of different levels of the Andian â€Å"vertical† economy. The Incas had a strong strategic situation in the valley of cuzco and some cultural superiority over their neighbors. This provided the Incas with instructive precedents for conquest and consolidation of conquest through a variety of political and socioeconomic techniques. The Incas maintained their authority with an arsenal of devices that included the spread of their quechua language as the official language of the empire. The Aztec and Incas first contact with the Span...

Make Crystal Pinecone Ornaments

Make Crystal Pinecone Ornaments Crystal pinecones are real pinecones that you can coat with crystals to make ornaments that appear frosted with ice and snow. These decorations are easy to make and can be preserved to use year after year. Its the perfect crystal project to make homemade ornaments with kids or to practice growing crystals. Crystal Pinecone Materials The most important material is the pinecone. Choose any genuine pinecone. It doesnt even need to be in great shape, since you can crystallize over any imperfects. The other ingredient is a salt that forms pretty crystals. I used borax, but you could use alum (big chunky crystals), table salt (small sparkly crystals), Epsom salts (fine needle-like crystals), or sugar (chunky rock candy crystals). Sugar or salt are nice if youre worried about kids or pets tasting your creations. If you use borax, it is also great for making crystal snowflakes, which you can make at the same time, if you like. pineconewaterborax (or one of the other ingredients)jar big enough so you can completely cover the pinecone with liquid If you want to hang the pinecone, like for a Christmas tree ornament, youll also want a hook or wire. Crystallize the Pinecone If you are going to hang the pinecone, its easier to add the hook before the crystallization process. Attach an ornament hook or run wire around the pinecone first.Figure out how much water you need. Rather than mix the crystal solution right in the jar, I prefer to fill the jar with water, then heat it to boiling and pour it into a mixing bowl. This way, its easy to filter the solution and remove any undissolved material.Stir in your crystal ingredient (borax, for my pinecone). Keep adding more powder until it stops dissolving. This is your crystal growing solution. If you wanted a colored crystal coating, you could add food coloring to this mixture. For borax, youll use about 2 parts water to 1 part borax (e.g., 2 cups water and 1 cup borax).Put the pinecone in the jar. Pour the solution over the pinecone. If you have a lot of undissolved material, you can filter the solution by pouring it through a coffee filter or paper towel into the jar. Otherwise, just add it to the container, trying to avoid adding in solids. They wont ruin the project, but do affect the size of the crystals youll get. If there is undissolved solid, youll get fine crystals, like snow. Fully dissolved liquid and slow cooling gives you large, icy crystals. The pinecone will probably try to float. I put a rock on mine to hold it down, minimizing the contact between the rock and the pinecone since crystals cant grow where the pinecone is covered. It does not really matter what you use because the pinecone wont float for very long. Once it soaks up the liquid and starts growing crystals, it will sink. You can remove any weight you used to ensure coverage of the pinecone.Check on your pinecone after about an hour. If you used a weight, you should be able to remove it. You can also un-stick the pinecone from the bottom of the jar, to make removing it easier later on.Allow at least a couple of hour to overnight for crystals to grow, depending on how coated you want the pinecone. I removed my pinecone after about 2 hours. Set the crystal pinecone on a paper towel to dry.You can hang the pinecone indoors or outside. However, you might want to seal it against damage from moisture, especially for outdoor use. Make sure the crystallized pinecone is completely dry before sealing it. Id allow 3 days (though you can use the pinecone indoors while youre waiting). To seal the crystals, you can spray the pinecone with sealant, dip the cone, or paint on lacquer or varnish. Good choices include Future floor polish, Varathane, or Modge Podge. Any of several products will work just fine.

CBRE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CBRE - Essay Example As the discussion highlights  since the company is planning to engage in global financial activities, there is a possibility of it facing additional opportunities and risks. The major risks that the company is likely to face are political risk and foreign exchange risk. Due to these risks the company is likely not to maintain its reliable and constant revenues.From this paper it is clear that   the company is also likely to face risk due to the current emerging market banks. This will be risk associated with potential loss, which may arise from the negative effects due to change of interest rates, equity price volatility, and currency exchange inherent from trading portfolio of banks. Since the CBRE Company has many opportunities because it has highly invested and has technological development, the company has potential and future developments. Due to the increasing rate of population and increased residential income, the company is planning to develop more real estates. In addit ion, a large number of people are migrating to urban centers in search of jobs and this gives the company a guarantee that they will still have increased number of customers. The company is also planning to improve its technological standards and dominate the entire town in order to attract a large customer population (Nel, et al 6). It will achieve this goal by reducing the price of its properties and set a price that is slightly lower than their competitors for competitive advantage.

Hospitality Group Developing your Managerial Skills Essay

Hospitality Group Developing your Managerial Skills - Essay Example 10 Relate Management Skill 10 Compare and Contrast 10 Conclusion 11 References 12 Bibliography 15 Introduction This reflective essay aims to present a brief of my professional development with respect to international and cultural employability skills along with my team development and planning and organising skills which I believe to be quite helpful in deriving better career prospects in hospitality industry. The essay will cover a theoretical explanation of the employability skills I could develop from my previous academic experiences and draw towards a critical review of my learning in these particular areas. In the current phenomenon, diversity is often regarded as one of the vital aspects within the hospitality industry which creates a direct influence on the tastes and preferences of the customers along with the level of commitment and expectations of the employees. The presence of cultural diversity both the internal and the external market of hospitality industry is quite ap parent as compared to the other industry structures. Today, it has widely been argued that managing diversity within the workforce is important as well as a difficult task for managers in the hospitality industry by which organizations can generate greater cultural awareness while operating within international marketplaces. Contextually, the significance of generating cultural awareness and other intertwined employability skills such as team development and planning and organising have often been argued as a crucial facet of hospitality industry. Review of 3 Employability Skills Employability Skill 1: International & Cultural Awareness Literature Review According to Quappe & Cantatore (2005), cultural awareness imposes a direct impact on the communication system of an organisation which comprises the capability of creating consciousness towards the cultural values, beliefs and perceptions in different contexts. In this regard, it has been observed that different cultural groups eva luate and interpret situational components applying different perspectives, which further essentialists the obtainment of cultural awareness among modern day professionals (Quappe & Cantatore, 2005). As explained by Whitelaw & et. al. (2009) cultural diversity is quite apparent in the modern day hospitality sector in the both the dimensions of internal organisational culture (employees/workforce) and external organisational environment (customers/marketplaces). It is in this context that professionals need to continuously enhance and develop their efficiencies in this particular dimension so as to satisfy the contemporary needs of the hospitality industry (Whitelaw & et. al., 2009). According to Hall (2003), cultural awareness is often professed as an attitude which can be obtained from his/her learning experiences by an individual when interacting with various cultural groups. It has further been implied in this context that culture can be distinguished as the big ‘C’ of material culture and smaller ‘c’ of shared culture within an organisation (Hall, 2003). Based on a similar context, Moss (2002) revealed that when students and other academic professionals are engaged with the learning of cultural aspects, they will able to comprehend the