Friday, November 29, 2019

The range of complementary therapies Essay Example

The range of complementary therapies Paper The term complementary medicine is used by conventional medical practitioners to refer to nom-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques which are used in conjunction with allopathic medical treatments such as drugs and surgery. The term implies that sometimes conventional medicine is used as a primary tool and also a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical complementary technique is used as a supplement when needed. Complementary medicine has become an increasing feature of healthcare practice, but there still remains some confusion about what exactly complementary therapy is and what position the techniques included under this term should hold in relation to conventional medicine. Complementary therapy is based on the interaction between the mind, body and the energy systems combining them; this holistic approach to healing is found useful for the treatment of many conditions, such as asthma, migraine, insomnia and stress. Reflexology, acupuncture, massage and reiki are some popular examples of holistic complementary therapies. Complementary therapies fall into four main types of therapy; 1. Hands on, body manipulation therapies like acupuncture. 2. Energy based therapies like reiki 3. Mind body interaction therapies like EFT 4. Therapies based on other systems Patients or carers don’t have to have a particular health need to use complementary therapy. People often use them to maintain their general well-being or as something to treat themselves to. Most people can use aspects of a variety of complementary therapies as a means of support, which is safe and effective. We will write a custom essay sample on The range of complementary therapies specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The range of complementary therapies specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The range of complementary therapies specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Holistic – Holistic therapy is a generic term for any treatment/therapy session that is intended to treat the individual as a whole on all levels – mind, body and spirit. Most complementary or alternative therapies could be regarded as holistic. Alternative – When an alternative medicine or therapy is used alone or instead of a conventional medicine, it is called alternative. Complementary – When treatment or therapy is done alongside or in addition to conventional medicine, it is referred to as complementary medicine as the two practices complement each other. -Describe the why the use of complementary therapies is on the increase and why this is the case The use of therapies such as reflexology, acupuncture and herbal medicines has rapidly increased over the last two decades and is now used by around six million people a year. Britons spend ? 130m a year on complementary treatments and it is estimated that this will exceed to more than ? 200m over the next four years. Recent surveys found that using such therapies was especially strong among women aged between 35 and 54. 29% of the people interviewed had received some form of complementary and alternative medicine over the previous 12 months, with a very wide range of therapies being used. Compared to previous surveys in the UK there is an increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine, with over 75% still being provided outside the National Health Service, indicating that the general population is willing to pay for these treatments. Evidence suggested that integrated medicine – medicine in which conventional and complementary approaches are combined – is more cost-effective than conventional medicine alone. The survey reported that the most used therapies, in order, were aromatherapy, reflexology, massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine and relaxation. Usage ranged from just over 14% for aromatherapy to 9% relaxation. Complementary approaches may involve self-treatment or a practitioner. Of practitioner treatments reflexology was most commonly used. According to the survey, acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal medicine were chosen most often for a health reason whereas aromatherapy and reflexology were more commonly used for wellness and relaxation. It said common health problems were musculoskeletal, stress, women’s health and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. In terms of how effective the treatment was, 74% of respondents who had received acupuncture thought it was definitely very helpful; the least confidence was shown in aromatherapy in that 17% said it was definitely not helpful. -Produce an annotated map of the area showing the range of therapies within Wolverhampton. A – Justicia Health and Complementary Therapies (14 Sherborne Gardens, Codsall, Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire, WV8 1BN). Justica has been providing complementary therapies to a variety of clients in the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Shropshire area, with experience in a range of settings, including gyms, the NHS and office environments. Operating from a clinic in Codsall, Justica is managed by a qualified and insured holistic health practitioner. Justica offers a wide range of treatments to suit a variety of health concerns, these treatments include aromatherapy, eastern facial massage, EFT, food allergy testing, holistic massage, hopi ear candling, indian head massage, reflexology, reiki and remedial massage. B – MJM Holistic Therapies (William Barrows Way, Tipton, West Midlands, DY4 9ED). This is a privately run business which provides a range of different holistic therapies. C – Eubotic Holistic Health Clinice (93, Berrington Lodge, Tettenhall Road, Wolverhampton, WV3 9PE). Private treatments including massage techniques, laughter therapy, relaxation session and a variety of different yoga styles. Eubotica is run by a qualified therapist. D – Bowen Technique (4 Gleneagles Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 7YN). This is a privately run business. The bowen technique is a gentle non-invasive, remedial therapy which uses light rolling movements made by fingers or thumbs over soft tissue and muscle to initiate a healing response. E – Wednesfield Holistic Therapy Centre Ltd (12 High Street, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV11 1SZ. This is NHS funded. It offers a wide range of complementary therapies for NHS patients. F – Myatt Anita (564 Penn Road, Wolverhampton, WV4 4HU). This is a privately run business, offering a wide range of different therapies including acupuncture and aromatherapy. G – Wolverhampton Homeopathy Clinic (194 Penn Road, Wolverhampton, WV3 0EN). This is a private and NHs funded business. It accepts NHS and private patients. H – Herbal Remedies UK (182 Newhampton Road East, Leicester Square, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 4PQ). This is a privately run business. It specialises in acupuncture. I – Angela Robertshaw Reiki Train (20 High Street, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, WV7 3JB. Angela of Wolverhampton started practicing Reiki in 1990. Angela Robertshaw Reiki in Wolverhampton, west midlands are experienced holistic therapists. They offer a complete service including, reiki training, reiki courses, holistic therapy, energy, healing, stress management and relaxation. -Discuss the factors that affect access to complementary therapies There are many factors which may either deter of influence complementary therapy. Complementary therapy is a natural therapy which is used instead of orthodox medication; there are many different reasons why individuals may choose to use their own remedies and therapies. These include; * Geographical * Physical * Social-economic * Cultural * Education Physical Factors; Many individuals may experience many physical factors such as pain and mobility problems, some individuals may feel that taking orthodox medicines such as paracetamol may not be the best pain relief. Different people may encounter different side effects from taking medicines therefore they may chose natural alternatives such as massages and acupuncture, the influenced therapies such as these as pain can be eliminated naturally without any side effects. However individuals may feel that therapies may not be the best option as you may have to have several treatments before the problem is treated, secondly individuals may use orthodox methods as the pain they are experiencing may go away much quicker. Mobility is a factor that can either promote or hinder an individual’s access to complementary therapy for example due to an individual’s mobility they may be unable to gain access to the premises or the premises may not provide the facilities that are needed to accommodate for this individual. An individual with mobility problems may choose to use complementary therapies as certain therapies such as reflexology may help to ease the pain and help the movements in their joints. Geographical Factors; The area in which you live can have a great impact on an individual’s access to complementary therapy. Individuals living in urban areas have a great range to centres that are available without them having to travel distances to access them. When living in an urban area, there are advantages such as public transport that runs regularly however the problem with this is that urban areas can sometimes be highly congested with traffic, this may discourage an individual to use certain centres due to busy roads. Suburb areas are the opposite as they are less likely to be congested as there is very little traffic. As there is little public transport it can be very time consuming for an individual to travel far distances to access a centre. Individuals living in rural and suburb areas may have very few centres that are available. Culture; When analysing research complementary therapies are very common when it comes to culture. Not all cultures may use or believe in the same theories as they all come from different origins. For example within Africa some tribes forbid individuals to used therapies such as acupuncture as it is seen as witchcraft. Within some countries such as America complementary therapies may be used regularly, the reason for this is that individuals have to pay for their healthcare therefore it does not matter whether they choose to use orthodox or complementary treatments. Most Chinese people tend to use herbal remedies as it is part of their culture. The herbal use of remedies among the Chinese may be due to the fact that herbal use is very common within the Chinese culture in general. Within the afro Caribbean culture complementary therapies such as teas, vitamins, nutritional supplements, are used very regularly as it is part of their culture. Social economic; Your social class status can either hinder or promotes a persons access to complementary therapy. Your social class is divided into either categories with the lowest starting from one and the highest being eight. Depending on the social class of an individual is in, it will establish the wealth of that individual. From research on complementary therapies some treatments can be quite costly and most treatments vary. Most sessions normally last about 40-60 minutes at a time and depending on what treatment an individual needs depends on their circumstance, you ill normally need about 6-8 treatments. You social class can prevent you using complementary therapies as it can be expensive. Education; Whether an individual has been educated or the type of education they may receive can either influence of deter the use and access to the therapies available. Many individuals will visit their GP, who will then prescribe them with orthodox medicine according to their needs. Many people have not been educated and informed about the many other ways their health problems can be treated, lack of education hinders peoples access to the services available as they are unaware of the choices.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Analyzing Data in HR and Presenting Findings to Make Decisions in Crown Prince Court

Analyzing Data in HR and Presenting Findings to Make Decisions in Crown Prince Court Crown Prince Court: HR Policies Investigation The Crown Prince Court is a successful governmental organization that assists the Crown Prince in performing his official responsibilities both at the local and international levels.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Analyzing Data in HR and Presenting Findings to Make Decisions in Crown Prince Court specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The organization also seeks to foster the interaction between the Prince and the residents of the United Arab Emirates by means of general correspondence (Crown Prince Court, 2012). Finally, the governmental body is also responsible for handling the Prince’s private affairs. With regard to the above-presented information, learning and development of human resources department is the main objective of organization’s managerial staff to enable high performance and create values for employees (Crown Prince Court, 2012). At this point , the Crown Prince Court underwent the assessment carried out by Investors in People (IIP) International to allow the organization to advance their IIP Certification. The IIP Certificate has been received in 2008 to provide a general framework for developing and advancing employees’ performance, as well as training the most valuable asset of the company – people (Bahrain New Agency, 2012). The obtained credentials are unique contributions made by the Court to fulfill the vision of HR managers work on providing incentives and motivation for human capital that shapes the foundation for working out strategies and plan for the prosperity of UAE. Rationale for the Analysis of the Selected Data The above-presented IIP initiative is also premised on the increased tolerance to diverse cultures and nationalities, which permits the managerial staff to facilitate the decision making process and create a favorable environment for employees’ efficient work.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, The Crown Prince itself considers it vital to reestablish HR policies and develop a new global framework in which employees can receive wider opportunities for self-development and growth. At this point, constant monitoring and IIP assessment encourage innovation and advancement of training programs for the organization’s personnel. Introducing numeric data about the employees in the Crown Prince Court will introduce new courses of action in the sphere of problem solving and decision-making (Crown Prince Court, 2012). More importantly, HR focus will contribute to facilitating the quality of services performed within the organization as well as increasing the competitiveness over other related governmental bodies. Findings in HR That Assist in Decision-Making The pie chart presented below provides the areas that are engaged in dev eloping and advancing HR policies, as well as improving the participation of all departments in value creation. All these programs and departments focus on enriching organizational cultures that can allow the organization to facilitate international relations and improve the domestic policy. With regard to the above-presented diagram, CPC managerial strategies, implementation of IDEX program and introduction of IIP Certification are basic pillars of HR policies that can foster the decision-making process at Crown Prince Court.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Analyzing Data in HR and Presenting Findings to Make Decisions in Crown Prince Court specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In particular, CPC managerial strategies focus on constant upgrade and innovation of employed environment to make employees feel save and secure. IDEX Program is another important element that contributes to the quality of decision at the organ ization because it plays a significant role in improving international relationships. Sustaining the policy of cultural diversity is a priority for the organization. Finally, constant assessment and control of human capital and their performance can provide the company with new information about the pitfall and challenges of operating in the workplace. The proposed three-dimensional plan creates a solid underpinning for managing the employees in the most effective way. References Bahrain New Agency. (2012). Crown Prince’s Court Maintain IIP Credentials. Web. Crown Prince Court. (2012). CPC Management. Web.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Reflections on ENGL393 Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflections on ENGL393 - Research Proposal Example Reflections on ENGL393 In addition, I also do not work well with traditional corrective feedback. When I read written feedback, sometimes, I do not understand exactly what they mean or what they expect me to do. I prefer student-teacher conferences or speaking or chatting with my instructors and peers to better understand the revision needs of the paper. For the first assignment, I did not fully understand the instructions and I was not familiar with the topic at all. As a result, my work is not what the professor expected and I got a low grade. For the second assignment, our topic was related to my major, which is very familiar to me. Furthermore, group working helped me understand the assignment better. Each member has a different perspective, thus, we improved the work more efficiently. So far, with three assignments, I think I have honed my research and interview skills. For example, I tend to be shy when approaching strangers with higher positions, but since this is a technical paper, I have improved my confidence and communication skills. I have more poise when talking to the apartment manager, for instance, regarding the no-party policy. I found that I prefer practicing how to speak with management-level people in advance because it can vastly improve my confidence. In addition, my strengths as a writer are my eagerness to learn through reading and actual research and my openness to feedback. I enjoy reading various materials related to writing itself and to my topic.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Discuss arguments related to global warming.where are there Essay

Discuss arguments related to global warming.where are there differences of opinion and can they be justified - Essay Example Present science points toward the matter to unrestrained release of gases. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognizes discharge of anthropogenic conservatory gases as the major cause for global warming in the middle of twentieth century. Clearly, the results are aiming to control the discharge of these dangerous gases. Approximately, all the countries have signed the Kyoto procedure but this is concerning all our governments. On the other hand, at any rate, the scientists are to be answerable, not the politicians since scientists have failed to recognize the actual reason, and therefore, solutions recommended by them are not useful. (Thakur, pp.115, 2002) An added alarming situation is that due to the global warming, many cyclones and hurricanes can take place on common basis with a greater force. There is also a chance of sea levels to rise and give a passage to the coastal flooding. (Codrington, pp.396, 2005) On the other hand, argument that global warming may cause tropical cyclones to turn into more relentless is rooted on the supposition that sea level temperatures will boost as the atmosphere become warmer. (Codrington, pp.396, 2005) Warm oceans give the majority of the energy supply from tropical cyclones. Again, the confirmation for this argument is vague. In the opinion of Landsea (1996), there has been a wide-ranging decline in the number of intense tropical cyclones tendency in the Atlantic. Several climatologists bring to a close that even though global warming has a number of effects on the occurrence and intensity of tropical cyclones, nearly all of the variations, are due to natural factors for instance ocean temperatures and the movement of ocean currents. (Codrington, pp.396, 2005) In today’s world, there has been more increase of rate of global warming as in comparison to what has been experienced in the past. Therefore, if we look into past we will notice that even in the history a large

Monday, November 18, 2019

Story Summary ( two old women ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Story Summary ( two old women ) - Essay Example The two women then move on to a place where they can avoid dreadful memories and probable enemies. They walk for an uncertain destination until they become exhausted. They halt the night there but the next morning, with their aching joints, freezing lungs and swollen feet and also fatigue, they continue on their journey up to the middle of a frozen lake. The next day, they become success to cross the lake despite Ch’idzigyaak’s misery. When four days is gone over, they come to a slough that reminds Ss’ that they are in the right path. They smile first to their conversation after a long period of time. But, after a tiresome journey, they feel again of death. Being hungry, they eat the rabbit head and broth. Now, taking their belongings, they move on to follow the river. On the sixth day, Sa† can see an opening to the creek. After crossing the river, they see there remains of the long desired fishracks. At the scenery of the fishracks, they feel at home. But, the next day the two older women prepare for colder weather ahead. At this time, they feel that they are much closed to be abandoned. Now, they begin to share their memories of their family and childhood. Ch’idzigyaak remembers the time the family left her grandmother behind and Sa’ remembers how she grew up more interested in what boys did than the girls and how her family accepted her. She tells Ch’idzigyaak, women spend their idle time telling stories and weaving rabbit fur blanket and clothing. In this very day, they capture a grouse and get a change of meat from rabbit squirrel and beaver to the meat of grouse since they start their journey. Now, the winter is passed and it is spring. They catch muskrats and beaver and freeze dry the meat. Now they don’t trust ‘the young generation’. The women decide to move to a safe place where no one will want to go in the fear of mosquitoes. They spend the spring and arctic summer fishing and hunting. They use their ingenuity to store and

Saturday, November 16, 2019

A Review Of Online Payment Systems

A Review Of Online Payment Systems CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In this Oligocene world, electronic ecommerce has grown explosively. According to Hof (2003), on 1994 with 6 million to 2003 which have approximately 40 million households in the United States alone made at least one consumer purchase from the internet, the advancements in computer technology and deregulation of financial markets especially in the payment system which for transfer money. Traditional payment systems are flexible instruments such as drafts, checks, credit card, debit cards, and documentary credit. Some payment systems had substantially a different appearance of payment that includes the credit mechanisms. Nowadays most of the users usually make the payment through electronic payment system. As we know Electronic Payment is a division of an e-commerce transaction offered through the internet for buying and selling goods or services and non-credit-card online payment systems. The appearance of e-commerce has created new financial needs that in many cases. Some of them using a way to fraud such as credit card fraud and subjected to more digital attacks. The awareness and knowledge about the electronic payment system are needed to prevent fraud to develop. An electronic payment system is needed for expiation for some information, goods and services, this information provided through the internet as a convenient form of payment for external goods and services on consumption of system resources, access to copyrighted materials and database searches (Clifford neuman,1999). Broadly electronic payment systems can be classified into two categories such as Online Payment Cards System and Electronic Banking Payment System. Each payment system has its advantages and disadvantages for the customers and merchants. These payment systems have numbers of requirements, example security, acceptability, convenience, cost, anonymity, control, and traceability (Sumanjeet, S., 2009). Electronic payment systems may be more expedient for international online business due to vary in credit card customer protection laws in different countries. The picture of e-banking in the United States is one of a wide variety of services used by a disparate number of consumers. Approximately 91 percent of United States households have a bank account and, of these, 93 percent have one or more Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) features associated with their accounts. In 2003, the number of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) transactions stood at 902 million per month, up slightly from 2002 (EFT Data Book, 2003). In addition, by 2003, the number of point-of-sale debit transactions stood at 495 million per month, up 21 percent from 2002, and the volume of electronic payments in the United States in 2003 exceeded that of checks for the first time (Jane M. Kolodinsky, 2004). While consumers may be willing to adopt e-banking technologies, they also want assurance that problems will be resolv ed and that some transactions will remain personal (Goldfarb, 2001; Financial Technology Bulletin, 2000). Nowadays the e-banking system also very common on internet, it works by their retail, credit union, and virtual bank by secure the website to carry out the financial transaction by customers. Some e-banking goods and services are still infancy and going innovations build through the internet growing rapidly as a marketplace for the exchange of both tangible and information goods and services. Besides online marketing and internet usage are growing to be more advanced. Paying is not definitely paper currency on the transaction, because the transaction going substituent with the electronic payment system or the card. Multitudinous payment mechanisms suitable for use in this marketplace are in several stages of development. This research projects scope is limited to electronic payment systems which focused on the needs of consumers. As in usually the case with payment innovations, the success of the smart card will depend on market circumstances and cooperation among the banks. The proper timing of the introduction may depend on consumer readiness to use the new system, which will itself be largely due to prior experience and innovativeness (Andreasen, 1991). The Numerous Payment Systems have been pervasion on the marketplace, the new system prepared to accept by better consumers. To the level that consumers have experience with previous systems, the responsiveness and information of a new payment system will be facilitated. Lastly , this research project is a key of understanding of consumer behaviour and their payment choices, and also the factors that influence the consumer choose to use e-payment. Moreover, this research project oration the usage of the electronic payment system provided a brief literature review on electronic payment and purpose to explain the determinants which affect the usage of users towards electronic payment system. 1.2 History of Electronic Payment System In late 1970s technology such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to promote e-commerce transactions, authorized to operate in order to promote, such as purchase orders or invoices for electronic business documents. In 1979, Michael Aldrich contrived a technique as e-commerce; the technique was about online shopping to allow consumers and business through online transaction processing to shop from home and to trade with other business. In 1980s the enlargement and receipt of credit cards, automated teller machines (ATM) and telephone. The first ATMs machines use of magnetically prearranged plastic, the money could not automatically withdraw from users accounts were off-line machines. So the customer would perhaps be apprehensively to let a machine handle their money. But the cards used an encoded magnetic strip, making them safe and reusable. Consequently, just the only customers with good credit history were able to use ATMs. Therefore nowadays the ATM industry Association states that there will 1 billion of users using this transaction in ATMs. Almost 80 percent belong to the private sectors (Commercial Union ATM, 2000). The process of conventional payment system and settlement involves a buyer-to-seller transfer of cash or payment information such as cheque and credit card. The actual settlement of payment takes place in the financial processing network. A cash payment requires a buyers withdrawals form his or her bank account, a transfer of cash to the seller, and the sellers deposit of payment to his or her account. Non-cash payment mechanisms are settled by adjustment such as crediting and debiting the appropriate accounts between banks based on the payment information conveyed via cheque or credit cards. Non-cash payment requires three separate elements. The buyer must have an agreed means of payment authorization and restructuring its bank to affect a transfer of funds. The sellers bank and buyers bank need an agreed method of exchange payment instructions. This is referred to as payment clearing (Singh Sumanjeet, 2009). The process of electronic payment systems have been in operations since 1960s and have been expanding rapidly as well as growing in complexity. After the development of conventional payment system, Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) based payment system came into existence. It was first electronic based payment system, which does not depend on a central processing intermediary. An electronic fund transfer is a financial application of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), which sends credit card numbers or electronic cheques via secured private networks between banks and major corporations. To use EFT to clear payments and settle accounts, an online payment service will need to add capabilities to process orders, accounts and receipts. But a landmark came in this direction with the development of digital currency. The nature of digital currency or electronic money mirrors that of paper money as a means of payment. As such, digital currency payment systems have the same advantages as paper c urrency payment, namely anonymity and convenience. 1.3 Problem of Statement Despite the rapid development of electronic payment systems, innovative services, but still faces some challenges. Business e-markets as herald fundamental changes in the source and the computer-assisted alternative to existing market arrangements for trading in practice (Malone et al., 1989). Areas of impact include online catalogues, multimedia mail, electronic payment, brokering services and collaborative engineering. Initial implementations of electronic commerce have focused on the provision of telecommunications-based infrastructure in support of Internet-oriented services and electronic payment systems (Kohala Coast, HI 2009). Electronic payment systems should offer at least as much confidentiality as traditional payment systems currently do. The goal of this requirement is that payment data should not be exploitable in order to obtain more precise or more comprehensive information about involved entities example payer profiles. Thus, confidentiality properties of electronic payment systems can be distinguished regarding which information they reveal to which parties. Confidentiality of payment information against other parties can be achieved by encrypting communication which is no specific property of payment systems. Note that confidentiality in electronic payment systems cannot prevent information flows which may happen outside an electronic payment system among involved parties for example by observing communication networks, or revealing data in further commercial interactions (Fiat, Naor 1990). Security are keys for the successful implementation of the payment system, electronic payment security has missed out on a lot of technical innovation improvements seen in other industries. But as levels of fraud continue to increase, so too will the cost to the consumer. If this problem is not addressed, credit cards and electronic payments may become an unviable option for consumers (Benjamin Graham, 2003). (Please add research questions before research objectives) 1.4 Research Objectives Basically, there are several objectives for this study. This research project carries the objectives are as the following: To determine the awareness level of electronic payment systems To identify the factor that influences the usage of e-payment systems. To determine the current usage level among usage and the application of the electronic payment system. 1.5 Significance of the Study The significance of the study is to study about the awareness of electronic payment system for university private student which is Multimedia University in Melaka. In this research will study on various independent variables affecting the awareness of electronic payment system for student which are personal factors, demographic factors and type of benefit whether can affect Melaka private university student on their awareness of usage of electronic payment system. Many people do not aware of the importance of electronic payment system to more easy complete on their financial transaction. Nowadays the computer enables us to access all the money in the world, even we carry a credit card we could around the world. Using the electronic payment system could let us enjoy much better life. Lastly, the significance of this study would definitely be in accordance with the objectives mentioned earlier. 1.6 Scope of the Study This research will focus on the awareness and usage of electronic payment system among Multimedia University students in Melaka campus. The assumption that can be made by survey conducted using random sample to obtain the primary data. Survey instrument is in questionnaires form. In order to achieve the objective of the study, the questionnaires question will be set based on research objective and hypotheses statement. It is to ensure that the data that had been collect are useful and can be analyzed. 1.7 Organisation of Research Project This study is divides into five chapters as follow: Chapter 1, Introduction, introduces general information of electronic payment system. It also covers the history of electronic payment system, problem statement, research objective, significance of the study, scope of the study and limitations of study. Chapter 2, Literature Review, presents the state of electronic payment instruments and type of credit card, debit card, electronic purse card and electronic banking. This chapter reviews how the previous researchers summarized the relationship between usage of electronic payment system with behavior and perception of users towards the electronic payment system. Chapter 3, Methodology is telling the method of investigation. This chapter describes the conceptual framework that as the basis for designing a questionnaire to conduct an empirical study. Chapter 4, Result and Discussion, after the survey is done, a discussion is conducted to verify the result obtained. Chapter 5, Conclusion and Recommendation, summarizes the main result and provides the contributions of the study. Recommendations and limitation are being provided.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Cuban Missile Crisis Essay -- American History Cuba Essays

The Cuban Missile Crisis John F. Kennedy's greatest triumph as President of the United States came in 1962, as the world's two largest superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, edged closer and closer to nuclear war. The Soviet premier of Russia was caught arming Fidel Castro with nuclear weapons. The confrontation left the world in fear for thirteen long days, with the life of the world on the line. In 1962, Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union, employed a daring gambit. He secretly ordered the placement of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba. Earlier the Soviet premier had promised Soviet protection to Cuba ("Cuban" 774). This was the first time any such weapons had been placed outside of Eurasia (Hersh 345). Several explanations for his actions have been offered by historians. One factor in Khrushchev’s decision was a strategic one (Hersh 346). A year earlier, the United States had placed several medium-range nuclear missiles in Turkey ("Cuban 774). The missiles were just across the Black Sea from the Soviet Union, within sight of Khrushchev's summer home (Hersh 346). President Kennedy had earlier ignored his advisors and placed nuclear missiles in Turkey. Another factor was a threat by the US to one of the Soviet Union's satellite countries, Cuba (Hersh 346). The United States had, in the past, attempted to kill Fidel Castro, dictator of Cuba (Brinkley 1047). In July of 1962, the United States found out that nuclear missile shipments were being made to Cuba. United States U-2 spy planes flew over the island, bringing back reports of construction and ballistic missiles ("Cuban" 744). The CIA found that five thousand Russian military technicians were in Cuba, and various military weapons were being unloaded onto the island. When U-2 activity was increased, reports showed the presence of SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) and torpedo boats with ship-to-ship rockets (Mills 233). On September 4, Soviet ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin met with Robert Kennedy to discuss a m essage from Khrushchev. According to the message, the military buildup was defensive in nature and not militarily threatening. Robert F. Kennedy informed the ambassador that the United States would closely watch all military activity in Cuba and warned of severe consequences should the Soviets place offensive weapons (Mills 233). President Kennedy apparently did not believe the ... ...were removed and the sites demolished. Khrushchev soon announced that he would concentrate on Russia's economic problems instead of international military matters. He asked for solutions from the West in solving the Berlin dilemma. He thought that "in the next war, the survivors will envy the dead" (Mills 246). On Christmas Eve, 1962, over $50 million of baby food and medical supplies were sent, and the Bay of Pigs prisoners were released. In April 1963, Kennedy had the Jupiter missiles removed from Turkey, and four months later, Russia signed the nuclear test ban treaty. A "hot line" teletype link now enabled instant communication between Moscow and Washington, and the US sold extra wheat and flour to the Soviet Union. The tide of the Cold War turned--for a little while (Mills 247). The crisis was the closest the world had ever come to global nuclear war and could possibly be the reason for Khrushchev's fall in 1964 ("Cuban" 774). Those thirteen days left the world in awe of the determination and responsibility of the Un ited States and its young president (Hersh 342). John Kennedy summarized his dealings with Khrushchev in just five words: "I cut his balls off" (Hersh 341).

Monday, November 11, 2019

Foundation and Empire 21. Interlude In Space

The blockade was run successfully. In the vast volume of space, not all the navies ever in existence could keep their watch in tight proximity. Given a single ship, a skillful pilot, and a moderate degree of luck, and there are holes and to spare. With cold-eyed calm, Toran drove a protesting vessel from the vicinity of one star to that of another. If the neighborhood of great mass made an interstellar jump erratic and difficult, it also made the enemy detection devices useless or nearly so. And once the girdle of ships had been passed the inner sphere of dead space, through whose blockaded sub-ether no message could be driven, was passed as well. For the first time in over three months Toran felt unisolated. A week passed before the enemy news programs dealt with anything more than the dull, self-laudatory details of growing control over the Foundation. It was a week in which Toran's armored trading ship fled inward from the Periphery in hasty jumps. Ebling Mis called out to the pilot room and Toran rose blink-eyed from his charts. â€Å"What's the matter?† Toran stepped down into the small central chamber which Bayta had inevitably devised into a living room. Mis shook his head, â€Å"Bescuppered if I know. The Mule's newsmen are announcing a special bulletin. Thought you might want to get in on it.† â€Å"Might as well. Where's Bayta?† â€Å"Setting the table in the diner and picking out a menuor some such frippery.† Toran sat down upon the cot that served as Magnifico's bed, and waited. The propaganda routine of the Mule's â€Å"special bulletins† were monotonously similar. First the martial music, and then the buttery slickness of the announcer. The minor news items would come, following one another in patient lock step. Then the pause. Then the trumpets and the rising excitement and the climax. Toran endured it. Mis muttered to himself. The newscaster spilled out, in conventional war-correspondent phraseology, the unctuous words that translated into sound the molten metal and blasted flesh of a battle in space. â€Å"Rapid cruiser squadrons under Lieutenant General Sammin hit back hard today at the task force striking out from Iss-† The carefully expressionless face of the speaker upon the screen faded into the blackness of a space cut through by the quick swaths of ships reeling across emptiness in deadly battle. The voice continued through the soundless thunder â€Å"The most striking action of the battle was the subsidiary combat of the heavy cruiser Cluster against three enemy ships of the ‘Nova' class-â€Å" The screen's view veered and closed in. A great ship sparked and one of the frantic attackers glowed angrily, twisted out of focus, swung back and rammed. The Cluster bowed wildly and survived the glancing blow that drove the attacker off in twisting reflection. The newsman's smooth unimpassioned delivery continued to the last blow and the last hulk. Then a pause, and a large similar voice-and-picture of the fight off Mnemon, to which the novelty was added of a lengthy description of a hit-and-run landing – the picture of a blasted city – huddled and weary prisoners – and off again. Mnemon had not long to live. The pause again – and this time the raucous sound of the expected brasses. The screen faded into the long, impressively soldier-lined corridor up which the government spokesman in councilor's uniform strode quickly. The silence was oppressive. The voice that came at last was solemn, slow and hard: â€Å"By order of our sovereign, it is announced that the planet, Haven, hitherto in warlike opposition to his will, has submitted to the acceptance of defeat. At this moment, the forces of our sovereign are occupying the planet. Opposition was scattered, unco-ordinated, and speedily crushed.† The scene faded out, the original newsman returned to state importantly that other developments would be transmitted as they occurred. Then there was dance music, and Ebling Mis threw the shield that cut the power. Toran rose and walked unsteadily away, without a word. The psychologist made no move to stop him. When Bayta stepped out of the kitchen, Mis motioned silence. He said, â€Å"They've taken Haven.† And Bayta said, â€Å"Already?† Her eyes were round, and sick with disbelief. â€Å"Without a fight. Without an unprin-† He stopped and swallowed. â€Å"You'd better leave Toran alone. It's not pleasant for him. Suppose we eat without him this once.† Bayta looked once toward the pilot room, then turned hopelessly. â€Å"Very well!† Magnifico sat unnoticed at the table. He neither spoke nor ate but stared ahead with a concentrated fear that seemed to drain all the vitality out of his thread of a body. Ebling Mis pushed absently at his iced-fruit dessert and said, harshly, â€Å"Two Trading worlds fight. They fight, and bleed, and die and don't surrender. Only at Haven – Just as at the Foundation-â€Å" â€Å"But why? Why?† The psychologist shook his head. â€Å"It's of a piece with all the problem. Every queer facet is a hint at the nature of the Mule. First, the problem of how he could conquer the Foundation, with little blood, and at a single blow essentially – while the Independent Trading Worlds held out. The blanket on nuclear reactions was a puny weapon – we've discussed that back and forth till I'm sick of it – and it did not work on any but the Foundation. â€Å"Randu suggested,† and Ebling's grizzly eyebrows pulled together, â€Å"it might have been a radiant Will-Depresser. It's what might have done the work on Haven. But then why wasn't it used on Mnemon and Iss – which even now fight with such demonic intensity that it is taking half the Foundation fleet in addition to the Mule's forces to beat them down. Yes, I recognized Foundation ships in the attack.† Bayta whispered, â€Å"The Foundation, then Haven. Disaster seems to follow us, without touching. We always seem to get out by a hair. Will it last forever?† Ebling Mis was not listening. To himself, he was making a point. â€Å"But there's another problem – another problem. Bayta, you remember the news item that the Mule's clown was not found on Terminus; that it was suspected he had fled to Haven, or been carried there by his original kidnappers. There is an importance attached to him, Bayta, that doesn't fade, and we have not located it yet. Magnifico must know something that is fatal to the Mule. I'm sure of it. â€Å" Magnifico, white and stuttering, protested, â€Å"Sire†¦ noble lord†¦ indeed, I swear it is past my poor reckoning to penetrate your wants. I have told what I know to the utter limits, and with your probe, you have drawn out of my meager wit that which I knew, but knew not that I knew.† â€Å"I know†¦ I know. It is something small. A hint so small that neither you nor I recognize it for what it is. Yet I must find it – for Mnemon and Iss will go soon, and when they do, we are the last remnants, the last droplets of the independent Foundation.† The stars begin to cluster closely when the core of the Galaxy is penetrated. Gravitational fields begin to overlap at intensities sufficient to introduce perturbations in an interstellar jump that can not be overlooked. Toran became aware of that when a jump landed their ship in the full glare of a red giant which clutched viciously, and whose grip was loosed, then wrenched apart, only after twelve sleepless, soul-battering hours. With charts limited in scope, and an experience not at all fully developed, either operationally or mathematically, Toran resigned himself to days of careful plotting between jumps. It became a community project of a sort. Ebling Mis checked Toran's mathematics and Bayta tested possible routes, by the various generalized methods, for the presence of real solutions. Even Magnifico was put to work on the calculating machine for routine computations, a type of work, which, once explained, was a source of great amusement to him and at which he was surprisingly proficient. So at the end of a month, or nearly, Bayta was able to survey the red line that wormed its way through the ship's trimensional model of the Galactic Lens halfway to its center, and say with Satiric relish, â€Å"You know what it looks like. It looks like a ten-foot earth-worm with a terrific case of indigestion. Eventually, you'll land us back in Haven.† â€Å"I will,† growled Toran, with a fierce rustle of his chart, â€Å"if you don't shut up.† â€Å"And at that,† continued Bayta, â€Å"there is probably a route fight through, straight as a meridian of longitude.† â€Å"Yeah? Well, in the first place, dimwit, it probably took five hundred ships five hundred years to work out that route by hit-and-miss, and my lousy half-credit charts don't give it. Besides, maybe those straight routes are a good thing to avoid. They're probably choked up with ships. And besides-â€Å" â€Å"Oh, for Galaxy's sake, stop driveling and slavering so much righteous indignation.† Her hands were in his hair. He yowled, â€Å"Ouch! Let go!† seized her wrists and whipped downward, whereupon Toran, Bayta, and chair formed a tangled threesome on the floor. It degenerated into a panting wrestling match, composed mostly of choking laughter and various foul blows. Toran broke loose at Magnifico's breathless entrance. â€Å"What is it?† The lines of anxiety puckered the clown's face and tightened the skin whitely over the enormous bridge of his nose. â€Å"The instruments are behaving queerly, sir. I have not, in the knowledge of my ignorance, touched anything-â€Å" In two seconds, Toran was in the pilot room. He said quietly to Magnifico, â€Å"Wake up Ebling Mis. Have him come down here.† He said to Bayta, who was trying to get a basic order back to her hair by use of her fingers, â€Å"We've been detected, Bay.† â€Å"Detected?† And Bayta's arms dropped. â€Å"By whom?† â€Å"Galaxy knows,† muttered Toran, â€Å"but I imagine by someone with blasters already ranged and trained.† He sat down and in a low voice was already sending into the sub-ether the ship's identification code. And when Ebling Mis entered, bathrobed and blear-eyed, Toran said with a desperate calm, â€Å"It seems we're inside the borders of a local Inner Kingdom which is called the Autarchy of Filia.† â€Å"Never heard of it,† said Mis, abruptly. â€Å"Well, neither did I,† replied Toran, â€Å"but we're being stopped by a Filian ship just the same, and I don't know what it will involve.† The captain-inspector of the Filian ship crowded aboard with six armed men following him. He was short, thin-haired, thin-lipped, and dry-skinned. He coughed a sharp cough as he sat down and threw open the folio under his arm to a blank page. â€Å"Your passports and ship's clearance, please.† â€Å"We have none,† said Toran. â€Å"None, hey?† he snatched up a microphone suspended from his belt and spoke into it quickly, â€Å"Three men and one woman. Papers not in order.† He made an accompanying notation in the folio. He said, â€Å"Where are you from?† â€Å"Siwenna,† said Toran warily. â€Å"Where is that?† â€Å"Thirty thousand parsecs, eighty degrees west Trantor, forty degrees-â€Å" â€Å"Never mind, never mind!† Toran could see that his inquisitor had written down: â€Å"Point of origin – Periphery.† The Filian continued, â€Å"Where are you going?† Toran said, â€Å"Trantor sector.† â€Å"Purpose?† â€Å"Pleasure trip.† â€Å"Carrying any cargo?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Hm-m-m. We'll check on that.† He nodded and two men jumped to activity. Toran made no move to interfere. â€Å"What brings you into Filian territory?† The Filian's eyes gleamed unamiably. â€Å"We didn't know we were. I lack a proper chart.† â€Å"You will be required to pay a hundred credits for that lack – and, of course, the usual fees required for tariff duties, et cetera.† He spoke again into the microphone – but listened more than he spoke. Then, to Toran, â€Å"Know anything about nuclear technology?† â€Å"A little,† replied Toran, guardedly. â€Å"Yes?† The Filian closed his folio, and added, â€Å"The men of the Periphery have a knowledgeable reputation that way. Put on a suit and come with me.† Bayta stepped forward, â€Å"What are you going to do with him?† Toran put her aside gently, and asked coldly, â€Å"Where do you want me to come?† â€Å"Our power plant needs minor adjustments. He'll come with you.† His pointing finger aimed directly at Magnifico, whose brown eyes opened wide in a blubbery dismay. â€Å"What's he got to do with it?† demanded Toran fiercely. The official looked up coldly. â€Å"I am informed of pirate activities in this vicinity. A description of one of the known thugs tallies roughly. It is a purely routine matter of identification. â€Å" Toran hesitated, but six men and six blasters are eloquent arguments. He reached into the cupboard for the suits. An hour later, he rose upright in the bowels of the Filian ship and raged, â€Å"There's not a thing wrong with the motors that I can see. The busbars are true, the L-tubes are feeding properly and the reaction analysis checks. Who's in charge here?† The head engineer said quietly, â€Å"I am.† â€Å"Well, get me out of here-â€Å" He was led to the officers' level and the small anteroom held only an indifferent ensign. â€Å"Where's the man who came with me?† â€Å"Please wait,† said the ensign. It was fifteen minutes later that Magnifico was brought in. â€Å"What did they do to you?† asked Toran quickly. â€Å"Nothing. Nothing at all.† Magnifico's head shook a slow negative. It took two hundred and fifty credits to fulfill the demands of Filia – fifty credits of it for instant release – and they were in free space again. Bayta said with a forced laugh, â€Å"Don't we rate an escort? Don't we get the usual figurative boot over the border?† And Toran replied, grimly, â€Å"That was no Filian ship – and we're not leaving for a while. Come in here.† They gathered about him. He said, whitely, â€Å"That was a Foundation ship, and those were the Mule's men aboard.† Ebling bent to pick up the cigar he had dropped. He said, â€Å"Here? We're fifteen thousand parsecs from the Foundation. â€Å" â€Å"And we're here. What's to prevent them from making the same trip. Galaxy, Ebling, don't you think I can tell ships apart? I saw their engines, and that's enough for me. I tell you it was a Foundation engine in a Foundation ship.† â€Å"And how did they get here?† asked Bayta, logically. â€Å"What are the chances of a random meeting of two given ships in space?† â€Å"What's that to do with it?† demanded Toran, hotly. â€Å"It would only show we've been followed.† â€Å"Followed?† hooted Bayta. â€Å"Through hyperspace?† Ebling Mis interposed wearily, â€Å"That can be done – given a good ship and a great pilot. But the possibility doesn't impress me.† â€Å"I haven't been masking my trail,† insisted Toran. â€Å"I've been building up take-off speed on the straight. A blind man could have calculated our route.† â€Å"The blazes he could,† cried Bayta. â€Å"With the cockeyed jumps you are making, observing our initial direction didn't mean a thing. We came out of the jump wrong-end forwards more than once.† â€Å"We're wasting time,† blazed Toran, with gritted teeth. â€Å"It's a Foundation ship under the Mule. It's stopped us. It's searched us. It's had Magnifico – alone – with me as hostage to keep the rest of you quiet, in case you suspected. And we're going to bum it out of space right now.† â€Å"Hold on now,† and Ebling Mis clutched at him. â€Å"Are you going to destroy us for one ship you think is an enemy? Think, man, would those scuppers chase us over an impossible route half through the bestinkered Galaxy, look us over, and then let us go?† â€Å"They're still interested in where we're going.† â€Å"Then why stop us and put us on our guard? You can't have it both ways, you know.† â€Å"I'll have it my way. Let go of me, Ebling, or I'll knock you down.† Magnifico leaned forward from his balanced perch on his favorite chair back. His long nostrils flared with excitement. â€Å"I crave your pardon for my interruption, but my poor mind is of a sudden plagued with a queer thought.† Bayta anticipated Toran's gesture of annoyance, and added her grip to Ebling's. â€Å"Go ahead and speak, Magnifico. We will all listen faithfully.† Magnifico said, â€Å"In my stay in their ship what addled wits I have were bemazed and bemused by a chattering fear that befell men. Of a truth I have a lack of memory of most that happened. Many men staring at me, and talk I did not understand. But towards the last – as though a beam of sunlight had dashed through a cloud rift – there was a face I knew. A glimpse, the merest glimmer – and yet it glows in my memory ever stronger and brighter.† Toran said, â€Å"Who was it?† â€Å"That captain who was with us so long a time ago, when first you saved me from slavery.† It had obviously been Magnifico's intention to create a sensation, and the delighted smile that curled broadly in the shadow of his proboscis, attested to his realization of the intention's success. â€Å"Captain†¦ Han†¦ Pritcher?† demanded Mis, sternly. â€Å"You're sure of that? Certain sure now?† â€Å"Sir, I swear,† and he laid a bone-thin hand upon his narrow chest. â€Å"I would uphold the truth of it before the Mule and swear it in his teeth, though all his power were behind him to deny it.† Bayta said in pure wonder, â€Å"Then what's it all about?† The clown faced her eagerly, â€Å"My lady, I have a theory. It came upon me, ready made, as though the Galactic Spirit had gently laid it in my mind.† He actually raised his voice above Toran's interrupting objection. â€Å"My lady,† he addressed himself exclusively to Bayta, â€Å"if this captain had, like us, escaped with a ship; if he, like us, were on a trip for a purpose of his own devising; if he blundered upon us – he would suspect us of following and waylaying him, as we suspect him of the like. What wonder he played this comedy to enter our ship?† â€Å"Why would he want us in his ship, then?† demanded Toran. â€Å"That doesn't fit.† â€Å"Why, yes, it does,† clamored the clown, with a flowing inspiration. â€Å"He sent an underling who knew us not, but who described us into his microphone. The listening captain would be struck at my own poor likeness – for, of a truth there are not many in this great Galaxy who bear a resemblance to my scantiness. I was the proof of the identity of the rest of you.† â€Å"And so he leaves us?† â€Å"What do we know of his mission, and the secrecy thereof? lie has spied us out for not an enemy and having it done so, must he needs think it wise to risk his plan by widening the knowledge thereof?† Bayta said slowly, â€Å"Don't be stubborn, Torie. It does explain things.† â€Å"It could be,† agreed Mis. Toran seemed helpless in the face of united resistance. Something in the clown's fluent explanations bothered him. Something was wrong. Yet he was bewildered and, in spite of himself, his anger ebbed. â€Å"For a while,† he whispered, â€Å"I thought we might have had one of the Mule's ships.† And his eyes were dark with the pain of Haven's loss. The others understood.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Battle of Cambrai - World War I - Western Front - Tanks

Battle of Cambrai - World War I - Western Front - Tanks The Battle of Cambrai was fought November 20 to December 6, 1917, during World War I (1914 to 1918). British General Julian Byng2 corps324 tanks Germans General Georg von der Marwitz1 corps Background In mid-1917, Colonel John F.C. Fuller, the Chief of Staff of the Tank Corps, devised a plan for using armor to raid the German lines. Since the terrain near Ypres-Passchendaele was too soft for tanks, he proposed a strike against St. Quentin, where the ground was hard and dry. As operations near St. Quentin would have required cooperation with French troops, the target was shifted to Cambrai to ensure secrecy. Presenting this plan to British Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, Fuller was unable to obtain approval as the focus of British operations was on the ​offensive against Passchendaele. While the Tank Corps was developing its plan, Brigadier General H.H. Tudor of the 9th Scottish Division had created a method for supporting a tank attack with a surprise bombardment. This utilized a new method for targeting artillery without registering the guns by observing the fall of shot. This older method frequently alerted the enemy to impending attacks and gave them time to move reserves to the threatened area. Though Fuller and his superior, Brigadier-General Sir Hugh Elles, had failed to gain Haigs support, their plan interested the commander of the Third Army, General Sir Julian Byng. In August 1917, Byng accepted both Elles attack plan and along with Tudors artillery scheme to support it. Through Elles and Fuller had originally intended for the attack to be an eight- to twelve-hour raid, Byng altered the plan and intended to hold any ground that was taken. With fighting bogging down around Passchendaele, Haig relented in his opposition and approved an attack at Cambrai on November 10. Assembling over 300 tanks along a front of 10,000 yards, Byng intended for them to advance with close infantry support to capture enemy artillery and consolidate any gains. A Swift Advance Advancing behind a surprise bombardment, Elles tanks were to crush lanes through the German barbed wire and bridge the German trenches by filling them with bundles of brushwood known as fascines. Opposing the British was the German Hindenburg Line which consisted of three successive lines approximately 7,000 yards deep. These were manned by the 20th Landwehr and 54th Reserve Division. While the 20th was rated as fourth-rate by the Allies, the commander of the 54th had prepared his men in anti-tank tactics utilizing artillery against moving targets. At 6:20 AM on November 20, 1,003, British guns opened fire on the German position. Advancing behind a creeping barrage, the British had immediate success. On the right, troops from Lieutenant General William Pulteneys III Corps advanced four miles with troops reaching Lateau Wood and capturing a bridge over the St. Quentin Canal at Masnià ¨res. This bridge soon collapsed under the weight of the tanks halting the advance. On the British left, elements of the IV Corps had similar success with troops reaching the woods of Bourlon Ridge and the Bapaume-Cambrai road. Only in the center did the British advance stall. This was largely due to Major General G.M. Harper, commander of the 51st Highland Division, who ordered his infantry to follow 150-200 yards behind his tanks, as he thought the armor would draw artillery fire on his men. Encountering elements of the 54th Reserve Division near Flesquià ¨res, his unsupported tanks took heavy losses from the German gunners, including five destroyed by Sergeant Kurt Kruger. Though the situation was saved by the infantry, eleven tanks were lost. Under pressure, the Germans abandoned the village that night. Reversal of Fortune That night, Byng sent his cavalry divisions forward to exploit the breach, but they were forced to turn back due to unbroken barbed wire. In Britain, for the first time since the start of the war, church bells rang in victory. Over the next ten days, the British advance slowed greatly, with III Corps halting to consolidate and the main effort taking place in the north where troops attempted to capture Bourlon Ridge and the nearby village. As German reserves reached the area, the fighting took on the attritional characteristics of many battles on the Western Front. After several days of brutal fighting, the crest of Bourlon Ridge was taken by the 40th Division, while attempts to press east were halted near Fontaine. On November 28, the offensive was halted and British troops began to dig in. While the British had been spending their strength to capture Bourlon Ridge, the Germans had shifted twenty divisions to the front for a massive counterattack. Beginning at 7:00 AM on November 30, German forces employed stormtrooper infiltration tactics which had been devised by General Oskar von Hutier. Moving in small groups, German soldiers bypassed British strong points and made great gains. Quickly engaged all along the line, the British concentrated on holding Bourlon Ridge which allowed the Germans to drive back III Corps to the south. Though fighting quieted on December 2, it resumed the next day with the British being forced to abandon the east bank of the St. Quentin Canal. On December 3, Haig ordered a retreat from the salient, surrendering British gains except for the area around Havrincourt, Ribà ©court, and Flesquià ¨res. Aftermath The first major battle to feature a significant armored attack, British losses at Cambrai numbered 44,207 killed, wounded, and missing while German casualties were estimated at around 45,000. In addition, 179 tanks had been put out of action due to enemy action, mechanical issues, or ditching. While the British gained some territory around Flesquià ¨res, they lost approximately the same amount to the south making the battle a draw. The final major push of 1917, the Battle of Cambrai saw both sides utilize equipment and tactics that would be refined for the following years campaigns. While the Allies continued to develop their armored force, the Germans would employ stormtrooper tactics to great effect during their Spring Offensives.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Hong Kong - 10 Facts About the Chinese Region of Hong Kong

Hong Kong - 10 Facts About the Chinese Region of Hong Kong Located along the southern coast of China, Hong Kong is one of the two special administrative regions in China. As a special administrative region, the former British territory of Hong Kong is a part of China but gets a high level of autonomy and it does not have to follow certain laws that Chinese provinces do. Hong Kong is known for its quality of life and high ranking on the Human Development Index. A List of 10 Facts About Hong Kong 1) 35,000-Year History Archaeological evidence has shown that humans have been present in the Hong Kong area for at least 35,000 years and there are several areas where researchers have found Paleolithic and Neolithic artifacts throughout the region. In 214 B.C.E. the region became a part of Imperial China after Qin Shi Huang conquered the area. The region then became a part of the Nanyue Kingdom in 206 B.C.E. after the Qin Dynasty collapsed. In 111 B.C.E the Nanyue Kingdom was conquered by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The region then eventually became a part of the Tang Dynasty and in 736 C.E. a military town was built to protect the region. In 1276 the Mongols invaded the region and many of the settlements were moved.2) A British Territory The first Europeans to arrive in Hong Kong were the Portuguese in 1513. They quickly set up trading settlements in the region and they were eventually forced out of the area due to clashes with the Chinese military. In 1699 the British East India Company first entered China and established trading posts in Canton. In the mid-1800s the first Opium War between China and Britain took place and Hong Kong was occupied by British forces in 1841. In 1842 the island was ceded to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking. In 1898 the UK also got Lantau Island and nearby lands, which later became known as the New Territories.3) Invaded During WWII During World War II in 1941, the Empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong and the UK eventually surrendered its control of the area to Japan after the Battle of Hong Kong. In 1945 the UK regained control of the colony. Throughout the 1950s Hong Kong rapidly industrialized and as such its economy quickly began to grow. In 1984 the UK and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration to transfer Hong Kong to China in 1997 with the understanding that it would get a high level of independence for at least 50 years.4) Transferred Back to China On July 1, 1997 Hong Kong was officially transferred from the UK to China and it became the first special administrative region of China. Since then its economy has continued to grow and it has become one of the most stable and highly populated areas in the region.5) Its Own Form of Government Today Hong Kong is still governed as a special administrative region of China and it has its own form of government with an executive branch made up of a chief of state (its president) and a head of government (the chief executive). It also has a legislative branch of government that is composed of a unicameral Legislative Council and its legal system is based on English laws as well as Chinese laws. Hong Kongs judicial branch consists of a Court of Final Appeal, a High Court as well as district courts, magistrates courts and other lower level courts. The only areas in which Hong Kong does not get autonomy from China is in its foreign affairs and defense issues.6) A World of Finance Hong Kong is one of the worlds largest international finance centers and as such it has a strong economy with low taxes and free trade.   economy is considered a free market one that is highly dependent on international trade. The main industries in Hong Kong, other than finance and banking, are textiles, clothing, tourism, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches and clocks (CIA World Factbook). Agriculture is also practiced in some areas of Hong Kong and the main products of that industry are fresh vegetables, poultry, pork and fish (CIA World Factbook).7) Dense Population Hong Kong has a large population with 7,122,508 (July 2011 estimate) people. It also has one of the densest populations in the world because its total area is 426 square miles (1,104 sq km). The population density of Hong Kong is 16,719 people per square mile or 6,451 people per square kilometer. Because of its dense population, its public transit network is highly developed and about 90% of its population utilizes it.8) Located on Chinas Southern Coast Hong Kong is located on the south coast of China near the Pearl River Delta. It is about 37 miles (60 km) east of Macau and is surrounded by the South China Sea on the east, south and west. On the north it shares a border with Shenzhen in Chinas Guangdong province. Hong Kongs area of 426 square miles (1,104 sq km) consists of Hong Kong Island, as well as the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories.9) Mountainous The topography of Hong Kong varies but it is mostly hilly or mountainous throughout its area. The hills are also very steep. The northern part of the region consists of lowlands and the highest point in Hong Kong is Tai Mo Shan at 3,140 feet (957 m).10) Nice Weather Hong Kongs climate is considered subtropical monsoon and as such it is cool and humid in the winter, hot and rainy in spring and summer and warm in the fall. Because it is a subtropical climate, the average temperatures do not vary much throughout the year.To learn more about Hong Kong, visit its official government website.ReferencesCentral Intelligence Agency. (16 June 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Hong Kong. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/hk.htmlWikipedia.org. (29 June 2011). Hong Kong - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong

Monday, November 4, 2019

Analysis of the Firm and Competitive Advantage Essay

Analysis of the Firm and Competitive Advantage - Essay Example It is a series of activities (i.e. a production process) that constitutes a chain creating and building value. The summation of these generated values is called the total value performed by an organization ("Value Chain Analysis"). It is "full range of activities that are required to bring a product from its conception to its end use and beyond" (qtd. in "Basic Concepts"). A value chain is divided into two parts: primary activities and support activities. The former is a collection of essential activities (e.g. inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, service) that builds up the actual production process of a product, while the latter activities (e.g. procurement, technology development, human resources management, and firm infrastructure) bolsters the former, ensuring its effectiveness and productivity ("Value Chain Analysis"). The performers of these activities may be found in a single firm or in various firms in different countries. Global value chains is an internationalization of the production process wherein different countries act as participants in the various stages of production of a particular good. Under this operational system, quality and efficiency of production is optimized since the site of a specific stage of production is in a place where it is done in the most efficient and most economical way ("Global Value Chains"). The modern day textile industry is among those that heavily rely on the global value chain to subsist. With the proliferation of branded and designer clothes, the clothing industry has become a sought-after commodity that requires the specialization of different countries to produce a quality product that satisfies the discriminating preferences of its consumers. Belonging to the buyer-driven type of global value chain, "those wherein large retailers, marketers, and branded manufacturers play pivotal roles in setting up decentralized production networks in various exporting countries." (qtd. in Gereffi and Memedovic 5); the developing countries, which mainly constitutes the exporting countries under this set-up, have a great opportunity in participating in the global business scene. One of the countries that maximize its competency in textile global value chains is China. Endowed with lush flora used as raw materials for producing cloth and populated by hundreds of millions of workforce that receives one of the lowest wage rates in the world, China has definitely an edge in producing textiles and apparels. Statistics have proven that they are indeed the world's top apparel exporter, producing $39.2b worth of apparel in the year 2000, which comprises 14.5% of all her export items. With all these advantages in their favor, Chinese textile firms really have competitive advantage over American companies (Gereffi and Memedovic 29). The Esquel Group, one of China's leading producers of premium cotton shirts, exhibits this competitiveness as against US firms. Though cotton is also grown on American soil, efficiency and economy propels the success of Chinese firms, particularly of Esquel Group. The Esquel Group's Global Value Chain The Esquel Group manufactures clothing for well-known and highly esteemed global brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, Brooks Brothers, Abercrombie and Fitch, Nike, Land's End, and Muji. They also supply

Saturday, November 2, 2019

E-Commerce Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E-Commerce Education - Essay Example In the same way, a large number of businesses that were operating traditionally have decided to move their business to the internet. Hence, the quick developments in information technology, particularly the use of internet in the form e-commerce (electronic commerce) and e-business (electronic business) in current years has influenced a large number of business organizations. In fact, e-commerce is believed to the most important and attractive internet supported ideas appeared in the recent times. In this scenario, electronic commerce engages carrying out business over the web with the help of computers that are connected to each other in order to form a network. In simple words, ecommerce deals with selling and buying products and services and transferring funds by making use of digital communications (EcommerceEducation, 2007; Hendershot, 2013). In addition, both the trends e-commerce and e-business are used interchangeably. However, e-business is about the development of businesse s which can be run on the Internet, or using Internet systems and technologies to enhance the profitability or productivity of a company. In other words, this term can be employed to explain some structure of electronic business: that is to say, a business that makes use of a computer. This practice is somewhat out-of-date, though, and in most of the cases e-business refers completely to an Internet based business. In addition, both the trends e-commerce and e-business are used interchangeably.  ... a business which offers and sells products and services online, an e-business allows a firm to get access to a huge customer base than some customary brick-and-mortar store could ever expect for. Additionally, e-commerce is believed to be a significant component of e-business. Moreover, e-business can as well make use of the Internet to obtain wholesale products or supplies intended for in-house manufacturing. This side of e-business is occasionally recognized as online or e-procurement, as well as provides the businesses an excellent opportunity to reduce their costs radically. However, the majority of e-businesses that work without an electronic business platform at the present utilize e-procurement as a key mechanism to effectively track and run their purchasing (McGuigan, 2013). This report presents an analysis of e-business in the context of Galaxy Electronic Inc. business, which is a main supplier of power management solutions and mobile electronic devices (for example PDAs, mo bile phones, digital cameras, etc.). In light of the benefits offered by the internet to business organizations the management of Galaxy Electronic Inc. has decided to establish a web based business and information portal. The basic purpose of this e-business implementation is to improve the business capabilities and take competitive edge in the market. This report presents a detailed analysis of this implementation process. This report outlines the ways this e-business platform will bring benefits and opportunities of the business. 2- Business Background Galaxy Electronic Inc. is a well-known business in electronic industry. It presents a wide range of modern electronic devices. As well, visual and audio products developed by Galaxy Electronic Inc. offer customers excellent alternatives