Sioux City Crash Essays - Aviation Safety, Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City Crash INTRODUCTION Aircraft accidents can be a tragic thing. Some people may argue that all are avoidable. But when considering this statement, one must always remember there is an element that is in all accidents. Humans. Either through design, being flown by, or maintained by, humans are in all aspects of flying. As long as humans are in 100% control of an airplane there will be accidents. However, a good side to an accident is it is thoroughly researched by the NTSB. (National transportation and safety board). From a majority of those accidents, something can benefit aviation in general. Aviation can be benefited through design, training, or in this situation, re-evaluating current limitations to a safer level. The focus of my project is going to be on a particular accident that took place on July 19, 1989 when a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 aircraft crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. This particular type of aircraft, at the time of the accident, had been in production for about 18 years. The United Airlines jet was bound for Chicago when the tail-mounted engine broke apart and severed the aircrafts main hydraulic lines. Without hydraulics the aircraft wouldnt be able to maneuver. It would also have trouble slowing down for landing. This meant trouble for United Airlines flight 232 with 285 passengers and 11 crew- members on board. Statement of the Problem: A potential problem of complete hydraulic failure if the tail-mounted engine breaks apart. PAGE 1 Hypothesis Statement: My theory is this all could have been avoided. The actions taken after the accident could have been incorporated in the initial design of the aircraft. RESULTS On July 19,1989 a United Airlines DC-10-10 passenger plane took off Stapleton International in Denver Colorado. The plane was scheduled to make a quick stop in Chicago, Illinois and then continue on to Philadelphia, PA. After an uneventful hour of flight a loud thump was heard, followed by a shaking of the aircraft. The flight crew observed the tail-mounted engine had failed. (SEE FIGURE 3) While performing an engine shutdown procedure, the crew noticed that they didnt have any hydraulic pressure. They also noticed that the fluid level was at zero. The co-pilot tried to maneuver the airplane with no success. The crew then radioed to the air traffic controller that they needed emergency assistance to the nearest airport. Sioux City, Iowa was found to be the almost straight-ahead. The captain then briefed the passengers of the up-coming trials. It just so happen that there was a United Airlines DC-10 pilot instructor sitting in first class. He asked if he could be of any assistance and the captain asked him to see if there was any damage that the could see. The instructor found that the flight controls on the wings werent moving and that the horizontal stabilizer had damage to the left and right side. The horizontal stabilizer is the part of the aircraft that controls elevation and what is known as yaw. (Right and left turning) Now that they definitely knew they didnt have any flight controls the crew began to discuss what ways the aircraft could be maneuvered. PAGE 2 The instructor pilot recommended the use of engine power to maneuver the airplane. The idea seemed to work and being that all other options were few, the crew adopted this plan of action. When flight 232 was about eight miles from the airport they lowered the landing gear. To their dismay they learned from the air traffic controller that they were lined up on a runway that was closed for repairs. The captain elected to stay on course because of the difficulty to turn the airplane. The air traffic controller said that the runway was 3000 feet shorter but they shouldnt have any trouble landing due to the repairs. During the final approach the flight crew felt they were on course to make the landing. However they were a little faster than normal, due to not being able to lower the proper flight controls known as the flaps and slats. These two controls allow the airplane to fly at a lower speed. At about a hundred feet above the ground, the pilot reported that the nose dipped considerably and the right wing

Biography of Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Biography of Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan. 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) was the charismatic leader of the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He directed the year-long Montgomery bus boycott, which attracted scrutiny by a wary, divided nation, but his leadership and the resultant Supreme Court ruling against bus segregation brought him fame. He formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate nonviolent protests and delivered over than 2,500 speeches addressing racial injustice, but his life was cut short by an assassin in 1968. Fast Facts: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Known For: Leader of the U.S. civil rights movementAlso Known As: Michael Lewis King Jr.Born: Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GeorgiaParents: Michael King Sr., Alberta WilliamsDied: April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TennesseeEducation: Crozer Theological Seminary, Boston UniversityPublished Works: Stride Toward Freedom, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?Awards and Honors: Nobel Peace PrizeSpouse: Coretta ScottChildren: Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, BerniceNotable Quote: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Early Life Martin Luther King Jr. was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Michael King Sr., pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta Williams, a Spelman College graduate and former schoolteacher. King lived with his parents, a sister, and a brother in the Victorian home of his maternal grandparents. Martin- named Michael Lewis until he was 5- thrived in a middle-class family, playing football and baseball, delivering newspapers, and doing odd jobs. Their father was involved in the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and had led a successful campaign for equal wages for white and black Atlanta teachers. When Martins grandfather died in 1931, Martins father became pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, serving for 44 years. After attending the World Baptist Alliance in Berlin in 1934, King Sr. changed his and his sons name from Michael King to Martin Luther King, after the Protestant reformist. King Sr. was inspired by Martin Luthers courage of confronting institutionalized evil. College King entered Morehouse College at 15. He was uncertain about following in the footsteps of the familys clergymen, questioning religions relevance in addressing segregation and poverty among his people. King rebelled against a life of service to God, playing pool, drinking beer, and underachieving his first two years at Morehouse. King studied sociology and considered law school while reading voraciously. He was fascinated by Henry David Thoreaus essay On Civil Disobedience and its idea of noncooperation with an unjust system. King decided that social activism was his calling and religion the best means to that end. He was ordained as a minister in February 1948, the year he graduated with a sociology degree at age 19. Seminary In September 1948, King entered the predominately white Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania. He read works by great theologians but despaired that no philosophy was complete within itself. Then, hearing a lecture about Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, he became captivated by his concept of passive resistance. King concluded that the Christian doctrine of love, operating through nonviolence, could be a powerful weapon for his people. In 1951, King graduated at the top of his class with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. In September of that year, he enrolled in doctoral studies at Boston Universitys School of Theology. Marriage While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, a singer studying voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. Coretta hesitated about dating a minister but was persuaded when King said she had all the qualities he desired in a wife. The couple married on June 18, 1953. Kings father performed the ceremony at Corettas family home in Marion, Alabama. They returned to Boston to complete their degrees. King was invited to preach in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, which had a history of civil rights activism. The pastor was retiring. King captivated the congregation and became the pastor in April 1954. Coretta was committed to her husbands work but was conflicted about her role. King wanted her to stay home with their four children: Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, and Bernice. Montgomery Bus Boycott When King arrived in Montgomery to join the Dexter Avenue church, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local NAACP chapter, had been arrested for refusing to relinquish her bus seat to a white man. Parks Dec. 1, 1955, arrest presented the perfect opportunity to make a case for desegregating the transit system. E.D. Nixon, former head of the local NAACP chapter, and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, a close friend of King, contacted King and other clergymen to plan a citywide bus boycott. The group drafted demands and stipulated that no African-American would ride the buses on Dec 5. That day, nearly 20,000 black citizens refused bus rides. Because blacks comprised 90 percent of the passengers, most buses were empty. When the boycott ended 381 days later, Montgomerys transit system was nearly bankrupt. Then on Dec. 20, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that enforcing segregation on public transit was unconstitutional. Buoyed by success, the movements leaders met in January 1957 in Atlanta and formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate nonviolent protests through black churches. King was elected president and held the post until his death. In early 1958, Kings first book, Stride Toward Freedom, was published. While signing books in Harlem, New York, King was stabbed by a mentally ill black woman. As he recovered, he visited Indias Gandhi Peace Foundation in February 1959 to refine his protest strategies. Birmingham In April 1963, King and the SCLC joined Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) in a nonviolent campaign to end segregation and force Birmingham, Alabama, businesses to hire blacks. Fire hoses and vicious dogs were unleashed on the protesters by â€Å"Bull† Connors policemen. King was thrown into jail, where he wrote Letter From a Birmingham Jail, affirming his peaceful philosophy. The brutal images galvanized the nation. Money poured in to support the protesters; white sympathizers joined demonstrations. By summer, thousands of public facilities nationwide were integrated, and companies began to hire blacks. The resulting political climate pushed passage of civil rights legislation. On June 11, 1963, President John F. Kennedy drafted the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson after Kennedys assassination. March on Washington Then came the March on Washington, D.C.,  on Aug. 28, 1963. Nearly 250,000 Americans listened to speeches by civil rights activists, but most had come for King. The Kennedy administration, fearing violence, edited a speech by John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and invited white organizations to participate, causing some blacks to denigrate the event. Malcolm X labeled it the â€Å"farce in Washington. Crowds far exceeded expectations. Speaker after speaker addressed them. The heat grew oppressive, but then King stood up. His speech started slowly, but King stopped reading from notes, either by inspiration or gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouting, â€Å"Tell em about the dream, Martin!† He had had a dream, he declared, â€Å"that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.† It was the most memorable speech of his life. Nobel Prize King, now known worldwide, was designated Time magazines â€Å"Man of the Year† in 1963. He won the Nobel Peace Prize the following year, donating his $54,123 prize to advancing civil rights. Not everyone was thrilled by Kings success. Since the bus boycott, King had been under scrutiny by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoping to prove King was under communist influence, Hoover filed a request with Attorney General Robert Kennedy to put him under surveillance, including break-ins at homes and offices and wiretaps. Poverty In the summer of 1964, Kings nonviolent concept was challenged by deadly riots in the North. King believed their origins were segregation and poverty and shifted his focus to poverty, but he couldnt garner support. He organized a campaign against poverty in 1966 and moved his family into Chicagos black ghetto, but he found that strategies successful in the south didnt work in Chicago. Blacks turned from Kings peaceful course to the radical concepts of Malcolm X. King refused to yield, addressing what he considered the harmful philosophy of Black Power in his last book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? King sought to clarify the link between poverty and discrimination and to address Americas increased involvement in Vietnam, which he considered unjustifiable and discriminatory toward the poor. Kings last major effort, the Poor Peoples Campaign, was organized with other civil rights groups to bring impoverished people to live in tent camps on the National Mall starting April 29, 1968. Last Days Earlier that spring, King had gone to Memphis, Tennessee, to join a march supporting a strike by black sanitation workers. After the march began, riots broke out; 60 people were injured and one person was killed, ending the march. On April 3, King gave what became his last speech. He wanted a long life, he said, and had been warned of danger in Memphis but said death didnt matter because hed been to the mountaintop and seen the promised land. On April 4, 1968, King stepped onto the balcony of Memphis Lorraine Motel. A rifle bullet tore into his face. He died at St. Josephs Hospital less than an hour later. Kings death brought widespread grief to a violence-weary nation. Riots exploded across the country. Legacy Kings body was brought home to Atlanta to lie at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he had co-pastored with his father for many years. At Kings April 9, 1968, funeral, great words honored the slain leader, but the most apropos eulogy was delivered by King himself, via a recording of his last sermon at Ebenezer: If any of you are around when I meet my day, I dont want a long funeral...Id like someone to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others...And I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. King had achieved much in the short span of 11 years. With accumulated travel topping 6 million miles, King could have gone to the moon and back 13 times. Instead, he traveled the world, making over 2,500 speeches, writing five books, leading eight major nonviolent efforts for social change, and being arrested over 20 times. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan created a national holiday to celebrate the man who did so much for the United States. Sources Abernathy, Ralph David. And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: An Autobiography. Paperback, Unabridged edition, Chicago Review Press, April 1, 2010. Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63. America in the King Years, Reprint edition, Simon Schuster, November 15, 1989. Garrow, David. Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Paperback, Reprint edition, William Morrow Paperbacks, January 6, 2004. ï » ¿Hansen, Drew. Mahalia Jackson and Kings Improvisation.† The New York Times, Aug. 27, 2013. McGrew, Jannell. â€Å"The Montgomery Bus Boycott: They Changed the World. X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley. Alex Haley, Attallah Shabazz, Paperback, Reissue edition, Ballantine Books, November 1992.

Threat Management Of Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Threat Management Of Terrorism - Essay Example Most of the terror outfits in recent times have an ulterior political motive, and comprises of a very large and complex social network. One of the key measures of counter-terrorism strategies is to disrupt these terror networks by gaining corroborative evidence against its operations and pressing for military and/ or criminal proceedings against the culprits by way of seeking intervention of international bodies such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); International Police for Cooperation against Terrorism (Interpol); and the United Nations counter terrorism activities (Fraser, 2003; Deflem, 2004). This paper on ‘Threat management of terrorism’ discusses the various ways in the issue of global terrorism can be addressed and approached. Risk Calculation It is extremely crucial for decision makers to take calculated risks while undertaking counter-terrorism measures. This is because most of the time, the information collected regarding the terrorist activitie s, may result in poor judgments and hence poor decisions. Although the fact that no amount of planning and preparation on the part of counter-terrorism agencies can foretell or foresee all the terror attacks on a nation, a deterrence strategy based on defensive principles will, nonetheless, contribute significantly in restricting the extent of damage or at the most, prevent the dissipating of scarce national resources (Lebovic, 2007). Risk calculation might not help in completely averting the attack but it does play a key role in quantifying the extent of damage to human life and property and take pre-emptive measures to support and / or contain the aftermath. Today, due to the increasing use of technological aids and computer simulation it has become easier to calculate with accuracy, the degree and extent of damage likely to be caused by a certain act of terror. One of the most critical aspects / aftermath of such attacks is the number of casualties and economic loss. The risk cal culation strategies prove to be highly useful in mitigating the damage through development of counter-terrorism methods, evaluating the risk implications, and implementing crisis management strategies, in the most cost-effective manner possible (Larche, 2008; Dixon, 2007). Furthermore, strategies such as red-teaming and blue-teaming exercises which refer to the process of defining the weaknesses of a system and developing methods to mitigate the resulting vulnerabilities, can be implemented as an effective countermeasure (Carter, 2002). Reducing risk: Reducing the risks associated with terrorist attacks is perhaps one of the most crucial aspects of threat management. Thanks to the ever increasing technological developments, reducing such risks has become easier and cost-effective, over time. One of the key strategies to ensure reducing the terrorism risks is to enhance the level of security. Care must be taken to install effective special protection technology which helps in avertin g and detecting potential risks, particularly at places which are highly vulnerable to terror strikes and prone to such attacks. Some of the most commonly used technological vigilance aids include installing of CCTV cameras in places of high risk, deploying of security guards and metal detectors; using intensive

Article Critique #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Critique #3 - Essay Example Nine of the articles have only â€Å"maternal† or â€Å"mother† in the title, though most of the other references refer to â€Å"father,† â€Å"paternal,† or â€Å"men.† A total of 7,601 men completed questionnaires for the study, a large study to say the least. The researchers assessed children at 3  ½ and 7 years of age, and data were compared for children whose fathers reported prenatal or postnatal depression (or both). The researchers theorized that exposure to father depression even before birth can affect the behavior of the child, even if the depression itself clears up. Although more than 7,000 total questionnaires were completed, only 175 reported prenatal-only depression, 166 reported postnatal-only, and 89 reported both. The results of comparing these three groups together with the controls (never depressed) show that both prenatal and postnatal depression in fathers causes children higher levels of behavior problems later in life, usually conduct disorders, and fathers who reported depression at both times were even more likely to have children with behavior problems. The researchers broke the data on the children into boy and girl sets. Their findings show that both postnatal depression and pre- and postnatal depression caused boys behavior problems, but interestingly the prenatal only group of children exhibited conduct problems but not emotional or overall problems. The findings for girls were less statistically significant, but the analysis showed that girls exposed to depression also had more conduct problems than girls who were not exposed to paternal depression. Basically, it is clear that boys exposed to their father’s depression, even if it is just prenatally, exhibit behavior problems in later life more than boys who are not exposed to paternal depression. The study is limited by the broad nature of the population (7,601 total) and the small number of men reporting depression (430

Medicaid and the Uninsured Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicaid and the Uninsured - Essay Example However, it seems that the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) (2005) poses a threat to those families who might use Medicaid and SCHIP. Reasons include the imposition of cost sharing, the complications involved in levels of income and percentage of cost demanded, and the need for individual families to keep records that determine what percentage to pay. This is difficult and complicated, as many such families' incomes vary a lot. Research also shows that imposing premiums makes people stop paying or applying for cover. Having such tight budgets already, this represents a further demand on limited resources. Knowing that treatment may be refused if one cannot pay is yet another deterrent. Restrictions on adults without children, enrolment processes, and the lack of knowledge of what is available are other factors preventing both adults and parents taking up insurance for themselves or their children. Christopher P. Tompkins, Stuart H.

Temperature, Humidity and Air Quality Index Relationship

Temperature, Humidity and Air Quality Index Relationship The relationship between temperature and humidity and air quality index in Suzhou and Jinan Lixiu. Zhang in class two. (Student ID: 1514401038) Soochow University. College of Science and technology Abstract This is a study about the relationship between temperature and humidity and air quality in Suzhou and Jinan. A hypothesis was formed that higher temperature and humidity can result in better air quality. The data was collected daily from May 12th to May 30th. Using simple linear regression model, the study found no significant correlation between these three variables in either Suzhou or Jinan. Introduction       Air pollution today is becoming an increasingly serious issue in China. As incomes rise and priorities shift away from only pursuing money to ensuring a better life, environmental awareness is also soaring. So more and more attention has been paid to what affects air quality. This study tried to find the relationship between air quality and weather elementshumidity and temperature. Considering that high near-ground temperature will accelerate vertical air convection, which will dramatically reduce near-ground pollutants, a hypothesis was formed that: the higher the temperature, the better the air quality. Another hypothesis was that higher humidity will cause better air quality, which is based on the fact that droplets in the air can combine solid particles like PM 2.5 to reduce air suspension. This study assessed the effect of humidity and temperature on air quality, in which humidity refers to relative humidity, expressed as a percent. The unit of temperature is „ƒ. AQI is short of Air Quality Index, which is calculated from five major air pollutants: O3, CO, SO2, NO2, and PM2.5. Higher AQI value means a greater level of air pollution and greater health concern,which is shown as follows: AQI 0-50 51-100 101-150 151-200 201-300 Levels of air pollution good moderate Slightly-polluted Moderately-polluted Heavily-polluted Suzhou and Jinan were involved in this study. Suzhou, a major city located in southeastern Jiangsu Province, has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate . As the capital of Shandong Province, Jinan has a warm temperate continental monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. These two cities were chosen because they have similar climate except Suzhou is more humid. Thus they can be compared to obtain more reliable data. Sampling methods and schedule of data collection are presented in Method section. Tables and graphs are showed in Results part. Discussion part is the explanation of the data. A summary with recommendation of improvement follows in Conclusion part. Methods The data, containing the value of humidity, temperature and AQI, were collected daily at 3PM-4PM from May 12th to May 30th. To make it more representative and reliable, the data was collected in two cities and from two different sources: www.nmc.cn ( the website of National Meteorological Center ) and Moji APP. The final data was collected after comparing these two sources. Results The data contains three variables from two cities, and is 19 days in total, from May 12th to May 30th. The data collection efforts was effectively carried out, and missing values were minimal (below 5%). Graphs and tables are shown as follows: figure 1: AQI VS temperature in Suzhou figure 2: AQI VS temperature in Jinan figure 3: AQI VS humidity in Suzhou figure 4: AQI VS humidity in Jinan Based on the analysis of simple linear regression, the relationship between variables are revealed by regression equations, which are shown in the figures. R ² is also presented to show how well the points fits. Note that figure 1 fits well except points (19„ƒ,107) and (28„ƒ,107), which is probably due to the low humidity on those two days. The peak value of AQI appeared in May 25th in Suzhou with 28„ƒ and humidity of 75%. For Jinan, the peak value lies in May 27th, with 18„ƒ and humidity of 71%. Discussion Figure 1 presents the relationship between temperature and AQI in Suzhou. Though not significant, this figure does suggest a positive correlation between these two variables. In other words, the higher the temperature, the worse the air quality, which contradicts the first hypothesis: higher temperature causes better air quality., As shown, most of the points fit well except for the two outliers as mentioned in last part, which pull down the value of R ². While figure 2 shows no correlation between temperature and AQI in Jinan with R ² less than 0.1. Maybe this is because the human factor is more significant in Jinan . As for humidity, there are no correlation in either figure 3 or figure 4, with R ²=0.13012 in Suzhou and 0.00383 in Jinan. As humidity gets greater, the value of AQI hardly changes or changes irregularly, which suggests that the second hypothesis is also wrong. There is no relationship between humidity and AQI. Conclusion To conclude, theres no significant relationship between temperature and AQI. Although AQI turns higher as temperature goes up in Suzhou, the correlation is not so significant. Neither in Suzhou nor Jinan were the relationship found between humidity and AQI. This is because air quality is the result of combined effects of multi-factors, so its very hard to figure out the effects of a single variable. Limitations exist because the size of sample is too small. Bias is possible as the data was collected in two big cities, in which human factors are very significant, and thus rural area and other small cities are excluded in this research. I recommend that further research should collect abundant data and choose more representative cities or countries. Furthermore, if conditions allow, future researcher had better singularize the variable when analyzing how a specific variable affect air quality. References The Website of National Meteorological Center. ( May, 2016). http://www.nmc.cn/. Moji Weather.(May, 2016). Moji Fengyun science and technology company. Appendix original data

Advanced Medical Technology Solution Essay

Would you, as Mr. Winter, recommend a loan to AMT? If so, on what basis? As Mr. Winter, I would recommend a loan to Advanced Medical Technology Corporation (AMT). There are several reasons why I would recommend a loan to AMT. The biggest factor is this company is still in the growth / infancy stage of its life cycle. They have invested large amounts of capital into the research and development, and marketing of its products, and it is too soon to see the rewards from these investments. Some of the changes that need to be made in order for a loan to be approved for AMT include improving manufacturing efficencies, short-term loans, operations, and managing their accounts recieveables. The manufacturing operations of AMT can be streamlined which will enable AMT to see greater profits. Right now they are building in ten to twelve week lot sizes, and they are not always making the products they need. With the investment into a information system, they can streamline this process. This was installed in 1984, and they are making progress. I would recommend reshuffling some positions (i. e. , MRP, planning, master data) in order to obtain the full benefit of the information system. They can build larger lot sizes of some products which will cut down on the direct labor costs for the materials. Making only the products they know they have demand on will minimize the excess and obsolesnce amount they have to reserve for each quarter. AMT can also improve its accounts receivable days outstanding ratio by having more control over it’s A/R. Having someone do background checks on new customers instead of granting all new customers the same 30 days. Some customers with poor credit history should be given no credit, and must pay COD or before the products are shipped to minimize risk of default. Well-known customers or customers with great credit can be given more than 30 days. Also, collection of past-due accounts should be pursued more aggressively. Based on the criteria mentioned, and the financial statements, I would give AMT the full $8 million line of credit. The company has had great growth in its revenues. Although this company has not been profitable over the last three years, if it had to turn a profit, it could do so by eliminating research and development. Just by selling existing products, it would have had a net income of $3. 8 million in 1985 if it did not have the research and development expense. I am not advising the removal of R&D, I am just providing a worst case scenario for the company. Ending the R&D department would cause no new products, and new improvements to existing products in an ever changing evenronment. This company has the potential to become profitable in 1986, and pay down significant amounts to its debt by the end of 1987. And they need to pay down some debt in order to improve their working capital which was fine in 1983, but because of expenses (possibly related to the installation of the information system) in 1984 its working capital has soured.

Age of Extremes Essay

The twentieth century was rich in events and outstanding personalities. In his book Age of Extremes, Eric Hobsbawm provides an extensive review of what happened during the Twentieth Century and the impact of those events on human development. According to Hobsbawm, the Twentieth Century was both the Age of Catastrophe and the time of the extraordinary economic growth – a complex sandwich of events and developments that changed the human society â€Å"more profoundly than any other period of comparable brevity† (Hobsbawm, 1995). In the first two chapters of Age of Extremes, Eric Hobsbawm (1995) tries to evaluate the social and historic legacy of the Twentieth Century and creates a brief picture of the events and accomplishments that took place between 1914 and 1991. The author is confident that human society cannot distance itself from the events of the past, because everyone on the globe, irrespective of their life history and personal background, went through more or less similar central experiences that affected them all (Hobsbawm, 1995). Hobsbawm (1995) traces the evolution of the Twentieth Century from the First World War, which marked â€Å"the breakdown of the western civilization of the nineteenth century† (p. 6). The western civilization was characterized by capitalist economy, liberal constitutional structure, bourgeois image of the hegemonic class, and the glory of scientific, educational, technological, knowledge, and moral advance (Hobsbawm, 1995). The decades following the beginning of the First World War were the Age of Catastrophe: until the end of WWII, the society stumbled from one calamity to another and lived at the edge of survival (Hobsbawm, 1995). The failure of the major colonial empires and the economic crisis of unprecedented depth added their share of complexity to the state of world affairs (Hobsbawm, 1995). Hobsbawm (1995) believes that the victory of the Soviet Union over Hitler was one of the most important events of the Twentieth Century. Without it, the whole Western world could have turned into set of variations on fascist themes (Hobsbawm, 1995). The rise of the socialist movements was the direct result of the weaknesses in the nineteenth-century bourgeois society (Hobsbawm, 1995). How and why the world threw itself into the Golden Age of capitalism between 1947 and 1973 remains one of basic historical puzzles; but the Golden Age could not be endless and the global crisis that followed affected all, irrespective of their political, social, and economic configurations (Hobsbawm, 1995). The economic crisis gradually extended to cover political issues – the collapse of the Soviet Union produced an enormous zone of political uncertainty and destroyed the stable system of international relations (Hobsbawm, 1995). The economic and political uncertainties were followed by the moral and social crisis – the crisis of beliefs, which humans had used over the course of the Twentieth Century to win their battle over the nineteenth century’s ideology (Hobsbawm, 1995). The century that had begun with unbelievable optimism and faith in the future ended with a bang and a whimper, leaving the society in the midst of the moral, social, economic, and mental collapse (Hobsbawm, 1995). In Hobsbawm’s (1995) view, the Twentieth Century was the time of unprecedented achievements and dramatic failures. The cyclical nature of evolution resulted in continuous instability and profound economic, social, and political shifts. For many countries, the Twentieth Century became the time of remarkable changes and the beginning of the new era of uncertainty and chaos. Whether countries succeed in resolving the existing controversies depends on how well they can learn the lessons of the past and use wisely the historical, political, and moral legacy of the stormy Twentieth Century. Conclusion The Twentieth Century was the time of unprecedented achievements and failures. The capitalization of the word combination â€Å"Twentieth Century† by Hobsbawm (1995) is not accidental. The author feels that the Twentieth Century reflected a unique paradox: the triumph of the material values and their absolute rejection at the end of the era. The century that had begun with unbelievable optimism and faith in the future ended with the deep crisis of the moral and mental ideologies, leaving humanity in the midst of the social, economic, cultural, and moral collapse. Whether countries succeed in resolving the existing controversies depends on how well people can learn from the past and use wisely the historical, political, and moral legacy of the stormy Twentieth Century.

Woolly Worm Caterpillars and Winter Forecasts and Folklore

Woolly Worm Caterpillars and Winter Forecasts and Folklore Every October, NOAAs Climate Prediction Center releases a winter outlook to give the public the best possible scientific prediction of how the winter may shape up across the nation; but in the pre-NOAA days, folks got this same information from a more humble sourcethe Woolly Bear caterpillar.  Ã‚   Called woolly bears in the Midwest and Northeast, and woolly worms in the Southern U.S., Woolly Bear caterpillars are the larvae of Isabella tiger moths. Theyre common to the United States, northern Mexico, and the southern third of Canada, and are easily recognized by their short, stiff bristles of reddish-brown  and black fur. How to Read a Woollys Colors According to folklore, the woolly worms coloring is said to indicate how severe  the coming winter will be in the local area  where the caterpillar  is found.  The Woolly Bear caterpillars body  has 13 distinct segments. According to weather lore, each one corresponds to one of the 13 weeks of winter. Each black band  represents one week of colder, snowier, and more severe winter conditions, whereas orange bands indicate  that many weeks of milder temperatures. (Some even believe that the position of the bands which part of winter. For example, if the tail end of the caterpillar is black, it means that winters end will be severe.)  Ã‚   Two other versions  of this folklore exist. The first relates the severity of winter to  the thickness of the caterpillars coat. (Thicker coats signal  colder winters, and a sparse coat, milder winters.)  The final  variation deals with the direction in which the caterpillar  crawls. (If a woolly crawls in a southerly direction it means hes trying to escape the cold winter conditions of the north. If he travels on a northward path, that indicates a mild winter.)    Significance of Solid-Colored Woolly Worms Not all woolly worms have alternating orange  and black markings. Occasionally, youll spot one thats all brown, all black, or solid white. Like their brown and black relatives, they too have : Orange:  Just as reddish-brown segments signal a week of mild temperatures, an all brown caterpillar  suggests  an overall mild winter with above-normal temperatures and insignificant snowfall.Black: An all black caterpillar  signals the onset of a very hard upcoming winter.White (sand-colored): White woolly worms are said to predict winter snowfall. Spotting one is supposedly a strong indicator that heavier than average snows   or even a blizzard   can be expected in the region during the winter season.   How Fame Found the Woolly Worm The woolly worms talent was first discovered in the late 1940s by Dr. Charles Curran, former curator of insects at New York City’s Museum of Natural History. As the story goes, Dr. Curran measured the coloration of woolly bear caterpillars between 1948 and 1956  at  Bear Mountain State Park. During those years, he found that 5.3 to 5.6 of the observed caterpillars 13 body segments were  orange. As his counts suggested, the winters for each of those years turned out to  indeed be  mild.  A reporter friend of Currans leaked his  forecasts to a NYC newspaper,  and  the  publicity the story  generated made woolly  bear caterpillars a household name. Is the Folklore True? Dr. Curran found that the width of reddish-brown fur correctly matched the winter type with 80% accuracy. While his data samples were small, for some people this was enough to legitimize  the folklore.  However, for the majority of todays  professionals, it isnt sufficient data. They argue that not only is a woolly bears coloring  based on its age and species, but also  that it would take researching an awful lot of caterpillars in one place over a great many years in order to make any conclusions about  woollys and  winter weather. One thing most can agree on is that regardless of whether or not the folklore is true,  its a harmless and fun autumn tradition to take part in. When and Where  to Spot  Woolly Worms Woolly worms are usually seen  in autumn  on sidewalks and  roadways.  If you do meet one, dont expect it to hang around for long. Woollys are busy creatures, always on-the-go  searching for a cozy home underneath a rock or log to overwinter in. They  move  pretty fast too (as worms go)!  Ã‚   One sure-fire  way to meet a woolly is to attend a  woolly worm festival. 2016  Woolly Worm Festivals Like  the  groundhog, woolly worms have become so  popular, several festivals have sprouted up across the United States to honor them. The  longest-running festivals are celebrated in:   Vermilion, Ohio. Ohios annual  Woollybear Festival  is one of the longest-running in the US. The festival started more than four decades ago, when  TV weatherman, Mr. Dick Goddard, proposed the idea of a celebration built around using the worm to forecast the upcoming winter. He still hosts the festival to this day.  This years festival is scheduled to be held October 2, 2016. Banner Elk, North  Carolina.  Held every third weekend in October.  This years 39th Annual Woolly Worm festival dates are October 15-16, 2016.   Beattyville, Kentucky. Beattyvilles Woolly Worm Festival is always the last full weekend in October.  This years 29th annual festival will take place October 21-23,  2016.   Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Currently in its 19th year, this years festival will take place on October 15, 2016. If youre a fan of woolly worm festivals, let us also recommend these weather-focused festivals.

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