Software Configuration Management Essay Example

Software Configuration Management Essay Example Software Configuration Management Essay Software Configuration Management Essay In this world of rapidly changing technology, it has become a need for IT companies to have people working in parallel on Software projects across different geographical locations. Under these circumstances, using Software Configuration Management tools to keep track of all the changes in the code is the need of the times. This essay outlines the definition and primary characteristics of a Software Configuration Management system, and its role in any organization. It also explains the SCM Technology used by IBM ClearCase as an example of how SCM tools actually work.Full Text (907 words)In this era of rapid advancements in the world of Software Technology, there are Software developers working together on the same project across continents and geographical locations due to the evolution of the Global Delivery Model.   Projects now involve global teams working in parallel and modifying the same code base from different locations at the same time .Under these circumstances, the absenc e of a version control system would have caused the most unimaginable catastrophes. In the event of two programmers made changes to the same part of the code simultaneously, changes made by the second developer could undo or break the changes by the former, affecting the project dramatically. Tested features would disappear mysteriously, and the entire development could be marred by many such crippling and frustrating problems.To circumvent these problems however, all IT companies use a Software Configuration Management tool to keep track of all the changes in the code. According to the definition of SCM, â€Å"Configuration management is the discipline of developing uniform descriptions of a complex product at discrete points in its lifecycle with a view to controlling systematically the manner in which the product evolves.†Ã‚   (K.Narayanaswamy and W. Scacchi, Maintaining configurations of evolving software systems, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering March 1987, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 323-334.)   As the definition clearly explains, Software Configuration Management keeps a track of all the changes made to all components, recording the way they contribute to every release. It is a boon for parallel development, and also for the growth of sub projects within a project..SCM tools primarily create a different version of the entire system for every user, and isolate the changes made by a developer from the rest of the code until the differences are resolved. The code is merged to the main label only after all conflicting merge points are taken care of, and it is ensured that the present changes will not have any undesired adverse effect on any other part of the code. They keep a track of the history of the source code, isolate files relevant to a particular task and reproduce the past releases. This is essential because software development goes through evolutionary phases. Initially after it’s release to the customer, there come in the defect fixing and enhancement requests for the next release. Hence if a bug is found at any point, it needs to be fixed in all the older versions also. For this we need to keep an exact snapshot of the previous versions which is done by SCM tools. These tools control the entire software and the release. They also provide security by having an authentication mechanism to validate the user before granting access the code repository.The kind of SCM tools used depends on the company’s requirements and the compatibility of the SCM tool with its code base. There are may SCM tools available in the market, like ClearCase , Microsoft Visual Souce Safe, CVS, RCS, PVCS and Synergy to name a few. Out of them, probably the most widely used and acclaimed is IBM’s Clearcase Version control system.   The ClearCase Version control system supports parallel development and inbuilt Build Management. Its strategy works equally well for LAN based or geographically distributed development environ ments. ClearCase has an inbuilt utility called â€Å"Multisite† which is used to create a copy of an entire repository across geographical locations. In this case, apart from support for parallel development, there is also a periodic sync up to keep the changes up to date across locations You could also call this WAN based ClearCase support. The various components of the ClearCase version management system are:-Version Object Base:The ClearCase system creates a Version Object Base (VOB) which is read-only repository storing information about the directories and files under its control. This is also a globally accessible database which requires proper authentication to access it. It keeps a record and reports actions, and its history records provide reproducibility and traceability. It has powerful concepts of branching and merging, which are extremely useful for parallel development.View:In the ClearCase system, every user has a private workspace, which is derived from a part icular set of rules defined in his/her configuration specification. This private workspace is called a view. Every view has a private data storage, and is isolated from the activities in other views.   All views have access to the VOB, and the access to the versions transparently and automatically.Metadata:The data which is related to VOB objects, but distinct from the contents of these objects is called Metadata. It consists of Event records created whenever any change is made to the VOB object. It keeps track of who modifies what data when and where in the VOBs. This is done by permanently stored and logically assessed information related to a particular object. Metadata also comprises of Labels and Branches. Labels are user defined tags used to identify files and directories. Branches are also tags, but they are used for parallel development and can be merged back to the main stream using the merge utility.By default, all files in ClearCase are read-only and you would need to c heck-out the files to make any modifications in them.   Once the changes are made, the files are checked in and integrated with the VOB. In Windows operating system, ClearCase gets automatically integrated with Internet Explorer so the VOBS can be viewed just like any other directory.

Entertainment Architecture and Disney Design

Entertainment Architecture and Disney Design The Walt Disney Company must be a fun place to work. Even the Seven Dwarfs have smiles on their faces as they sing Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, its off to work we go!   But who knew cartoon characters would be asked to hold up the floors of Disney Headquarters in Burbank, California? Designed by internationally known American architect Michael Graves, this whimsical building is a landmark example of entertainment architecture. Disney Architecture Needs Disney Architects The Walt Disney Company is not just for kids. When you visit any of the Disney theme parks or hotels, youll find buildings designed by some of the worlds leading architects, including Michael Graves. Typically, theme park architecture is as the name implies - thematic. Borrowing popular motifs from history and fairy tales, theme park buildings are designed to tell a story. For example, its well known that the romantic Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany inspired Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle in Southern California. But the Walt Disney Company wanted more when Michael Eisner took over in 1984. Were not about safe-deposit boxes. Were in the entertainment business, Eisner told The New York Times. And so the company set out to find architects to develop an entertainment architecture. Architects Who Have Designed for the Walt Disney Company All architects do not submit to the blatant commercialism behind entertainment architecture. Most notably, when the Disney Company was enlisting architects for their Disney World expansion, Pritzker Laureate James Stirling (1926-1992) denied Disneys advances - the commercialization of Britains Queen, the   changing of the guard, and other regal traditions soured the Scottish-born architect on using architecture for frivolous commercial promotion. Many postmodernists, however, jumped at the challenge of designing an architecture whose purpose was to envelop entertainment. They also jumped at the chance to be part of the powerful Disney empire. Architecture becomes magic, whether designing for Disney or not in the 1980s and 1990s. Robert A. M. Stern may be the most prolific Disney architect. At the Walt Disney World Resort, his designs for the BoardWalk and the 1991 Yacht and Beach Club Resorts are modeled after New England private resorts and clubs - a theme Stern also used for the 1992 Newport Bay Club Hotel at Paris Disneyland in Marne-La-Vallà ©e, France. Even more Disneyesque is Sterns 1992 Hotel Cheyenne in France - conceived in the image of a nineteenth-century American western town, but filtered through the lens of Hollywood....Hotel Cheyenne is the town itself. The meaning of the lens of Hollywood is, of course, what became known as the Disney version and not the 1973 horror tale of robots gone amok in the Westworld movie by Michael Crichton. A New York architect known for his sleek, postmodern urban designs, Stern developed the art moderne Disney Ambassador Hotel in 2000 in Urayasu-shi, Japan - a design that looks back to an architecture that represented the promise, magic, and glamour of a time when travel and movies were a romantic escape. Stern is also a champion of the new urbanism movement. In 1997 Sterns architecture firm, RAMSA, was chosen to design the Master Plan for Disneys planned community known as Celebration, Florida. It was to be a real community, where real people live and commute to nearby Orlando, but modeled after a typical sleepy Southern town of children, bikes, and neighborhood pets. Postmodernist architects were enlisted to design playful town buildings, such as the multi-columned Town Hall by Pritzker Laureat Philip Johnson and the Googie-styled movie theater designed by Cesar Pelli. Michael Graves designed a small post office that looks like a lighthouse, or a silo, or a ships smokestack. Graham Gunds inn is designed for visitors to step into 1920s Florida relaxation, but Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown planned the local bank to look like the old J.P. Morgan vault on the Corner of Wall Street in Lower Manhattan - all postmodern fun. Colorado architect Peter Dominick (1941-2009) knew how to design Disneys Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge - resort rustic based on American Rockies. The whimsical Michael Graves (1934-2015) incorporated swans and dolphins, waves and shells into the architecture of the Walt Disney World Swan and Walt Disney World Dolphin hotels. Charles Gwathmey (1938-2009) designed Bay Lake Tower to look like a modern convention center and hotel, which it was. Disney employees work in Team Disney office buildings, which in a postmodern world are designed to look like cartoons. Michael Graves dwarf-clad headquarters building in Burbank, California substitutes dwarfs for Classical order columns. Japanese architect Arata Isozaki uses sundials and mouse ears within the Orlando, Florida Team Disney building. Italian architect Aldo Rossi (1931-1997) created Celebration Place, an office complex that is a drive-by lesson of postmodernism in the history of architecture. When Rossi won the Pritzker Prize in 1990, the jury cited his work as being bold and ordinary, original without being novel, refreshingly simple in appearance but extremely complex in content and meaning. This is the architecture of a Disney architect. Disney Design Specifications At Disney, architects may (1) strive for historic authenticity and recreate historic buildings; (2) take a whimsical approach and exaggerate storybook images; (3) create subtle, abstract images; or (4) do all of these things. How? Take a look at the Swan and Dolphin hotels designed by Michael Graves. The architect creates a storybook destination without stepping on the toes of any Disney character. Giant sculptures of swans, dolphins, and shells not only greet each guest, but also stay with the visitors throughout their journey. Sculptures are everywhere.   Located near EPCOT in the Walt Disney World ® Resort, the hotels architectural theme not only takes storybook-like figures, but also environmental elements as their theme. Like the swans and dolphins, water and sunlight are everywhere. Waves are painted as murals on the hotels facade. The hotel itself is an entertainment destination. What is Entertainment Architecture? Entertainment architecture is the design of commercial buildings with a focus on amusing themes. The approach has  been loosely promoted and/or defined by the entertainment industry, with the Walt Disney Company leading the way. You might suppose that entertainment architecture is the architecture of theaters and amusement parks, and structures exclusively designed by Disney architects. However, the term entertainment architecture can refer to any building or structure, regardless of its location and function, provided that it is designed to stimulate the imagination and encourage fantasy and whimsy. The Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall in California may be a hall for entertainment, but its design is pure Gehry. Some works of entertainment architecture are playful recreations of famous monuments. Some feature enormous statues and fountains. Entertainment architecture is often considered postmodern because it uses familiar shapes and details in unexpected ways. Examples of Entertainment Architecture Perhaps the most striking illustrations of entertainment architecture are amusing theme hotels. The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, for example, is designed to resemble a giant pyramid filled with over-sized imitations of ancient Egyptian artifacts. In Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the Fantasyland Hotel stimulates make-believe by decking out rooms in various themes, like the Old West and ancient Roman splendor. You will also find many examples of entertainment architecture in Disney World and other theme parks. The Swan Dolphin Hotels may be considered entertainment architecture as guests discover giant birds lurking through windows into lobbies. It is a destination in and of itself. Likewise, the exaggerated pediment at Disney Headquarters in Burbank, California is not supported by Classical columns but is held up by six of the Seven Dwarfs. And Dopey? Hes at the top, within the pediment, unlike any other symbolic statuary youve ever seen. Building a Dream One of the best sources for in-depth information on buildings at Disney resorts world-wide is Building a Dream: The Art of Disney Architecture by Beth Dunlop. Dont let the Disney name in the subtitle fool you. Building a Dream is not a travel guide, a childs storybook or a sugarcoated romanticization of the Disney empire. Instead, Dunlops picture-packed book is a careful study of the imaginative and often-revolutionary designs found in Disney theme parks, hotels, and corporate offices. At over two hundred pages and with a focus on the Michael Eisner years, Building a Dream includes interviews with architects, drawings and color photos along with a helpful bibliography. Author Dunlop has written for numerous architecture, design, and travel magazines, as well as being the architecture critic at the Miami Herald for fifteen years. In Building a Dream, Dunlop approaches Disney architecture with the care and respect of an anthropologist. She examines original concept drawings and historic photographs and she conducts extensive interviews with architects, imagineers and corporate leaders. Architecture enthusiasts will be fascinated by the inside story of how the trendy architects Eisner hired managed to incorporate Disney motifs into complex and often abstract designs. Building a Dream is a book studded with anecdotes: We learn about the heated competition to build the Swan and Dolphin hotels and the oriental philosophies expressed in Isozakis striking Team Disney building. We make dizzy and sometimes disorienting leaps from Disneyland to Walt Disney World to EuroDisney. An occasional technical term, such as scuppers along the parapet may leave some readers baffled, but overall Dunlops tone is relaxed and conversational. Devoted Disney fans may wish Dunlop had spent more time on Cinderellas castle and Thunder Mountain. Even in its early days, the Walt Disney Company pioneered imaginative building styles. Dunlop traces the evolution of the first Disney Main Street, Future World and the original corporate offices. For Dunlop, however, the most exciting architecture was created when Eisner took over the company in 1984. When Eisner commissioned prize-winning architects to create new designs for Disney worldwide, the ideas baked into modern architecture were brought to the masses. This is the importance of the Disney architects. Sources Disney Deco by Patricia Leigh Brown, The New York Times, April 8, 1990 [accessed October 2, 2015]Additional photo of the Team Disney Building in Burbank, California by George Rose/Getty Images; additional photos of the Swan and Dolpin Hotels courtesy Swan Dolphin MediaWDW Architecture, magicalkingdoms.com/wdw/more/architecture.html [accessed January 25, 2018]RAMSA, Hotel Cheyenne, ramsa.com/project-detail.php?project451 and Disney Ambassador Hotel, ramsa.com/project-detail.php?project453langen [accessed January 28, 2018]Pritzker Prize, https://www.pritzkerprize.com/laureates/1990 [accessed January 26, 2018]

Partnership Accounting Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Partnership Accounting - Coursework Example Capital - William $ 87,500 Capital - Frank $ 87,500 Capital - Sammy $ 175,000 4. General Partnerships is that all partners have unlimited liability. This means that if a business is not able to pay back its debts, the partners are held responsible to pay the debtors back and they can be forced to sell of their personal assets in order to repay the debt. Only under certain circumstances, there can be a partner with limited liability; however that partner does not take part in the management of the business. Under Limited Partnerships there exist some partners whose liability is limited to the contribution of capital in the business. The resignation, retirement or death of such partner does not cause the dissolution of the firm. However, one partner has to have unlimited liability while the partners with limited liability do not take part in the management of the business. Also, such a partnership has to be registered. Joint Venture Partnership is similar to a general partnership, howe ver it lasts for only a certain time period or for a certain project. Usually two companies share the costs, risks and benefits by running a project. However, a written agreement is not necessary. 5. The two methods of recording changes in the membership of a partnership are Bonus Method and Goodwill Method. Under bonus method, the assets accounts increases by the amount of capital contributed by the new partner. Any access amount paid to acquire the interest in the business is credited to the respective partners account. However, under goodwill method, a goodwill account is opened to account for this access amount. It is an intangible asset. 6. A. The list of provisions is: 1) Nature of the  partnership   2) Contributions to the partnership 3) Allocation of profits and losses 4) Interest on Capital 5) Interest on Drawings 6) Management Duties 7) Policy upon admission or retirement of partners. 6. B. The articles of partnership are very significant as it outlines the nature of t he business, the names of the partners, their addresses, the address of the business. Also it includes the duties of each partner, their profit and loss sharing ratios, any salaries if applicable. It has clauses relating the percentage of interest of capital or interest charged on drawings. It may also contain the policy upon admission or retirement of a partner. All the partners and witnesses sign the articles of partnership agreement. Apart from highlighting the various factors relating to the business, it can serve as a legal document. Many partners contribute their capital, labor and skills to the business which has high risk associated with it. Therefore, there is a possibility that there is disagreement among the partners over assignment of duties, division of profit or loss or the admission of a new partner. In case a partnership agreement has not been framed and signed, this can lead to lawsuit. However, if a lawyer is involved and the articles of partnership are stated, it resolves conflict easily as all partners can refer to it. For instance, a dispute arises among distribution of profits among partners, it can be served as a legal document in the court and the conflict can be easily resolved. To avoid legal implications, it is always better to have a partnership agreement to prevent any partner from violating the agreement. It is signed to protect the interest of all partners. Discussion Board The partnership agreement is a legal document that not only serves in the interest of the partners but the government as well. The agreement not only covers the type of the business that it will carry but other important aspects. Many a times the profit and loss sharing ratio is different from the capital ratio, in such cases partnership agree

Mythology King Aurther Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mythology King Aurther - Research Paper Example He was one of the great rulers of Britain. He killed giants, monsters, and witches and also drove on horses on many audacious marvels. King Arthur is famous for Knights of the Round Table and also for reuniting all the people of his land. The end of King Arthur was one of a catastrophic one but despite of that, he is celebrated and known by people all around the globe even today. The British Parliament hosts his story on its walls (Siivola). Joseph Campbell’s four functions of myth go in accordance with King Arthur’s mythology. The life of Arthur starts with his father, Uther Pendragon. Pendragon is obsessed by Igraine who is the wife of Duke of Cornwall. Now, Pendragon dresses up like Duke of Cornwall and sneaked into their bed with Igraine and that is when Igrain conceived Arthur. Seeing this despiteful behavior of Arthur’s parents, the wizard takes him away from his parents. The wizard, named Merlin, was the one who put up a huge Round Table for Arthur’s father where one hundred and fifty knights could sit at one time. When Uther died, the knights have no clue as to who should precede him. Merlin came up with a solution to this problem. He said that anyone who can take out a sword from a stone will become the next king (PBS). Many people tried to find the sword. But fortune was in King Arthur’s favor as described in Joseph Campbell’s Pedagogical function. King Arthur was a hero in his life who defined his own mythology. When Arthur came to visit his foster brother called Sir Kay; Kay sent him to find a sword as a replacement of his broken one. He came across the mysterious sword Excalibur which was dig into the stone and took it out. He did not know that it was any prophecy associated with it. He had no intention of becoming the king or finding the sword, so he found it out as his fortune (Siivola). He took his gender role into account as he accomplished the Social function of myth as described by Joseph Campbell. He united the Britain and also invaded the Saxons. As a king, Arthur was a well-liked and merciful king as he took the Campbell’s social factor into account. His period of influence is celebrated with romance of chivalric nature and of heroic factors. The biggest expeditio n of Arthur along with his Knights was the expedition for the Holy Grail, the mythical Holy Grail. It is the cup with which Jesus Christ drank at his Last Supper. King Arthur never found the Holy Grail but his Knight Sir Galahad did because of his virtue and pure heart. King Arthur was married to the daughter of King of Scotland, called Guinevere. The wizard Merlin warned King Arthur not to marry her as she loved one of his knights, Sir Lancelot. When Arthur found out that Sir Lancelot and his wife, Guinevere, were having an affair, his knight flew to France but Arthur follows him. As Arthur was off to France, his nephew, Mordred came into power. Arthur then went back to Britain to find out this terrible news. Obviously, complying with Campbell’s myth function, Pedagogical, King Arthur fought a terrible combat with his nephew in which many of his knights died and he was brutally wounded. He throws his magical Excalibur into a lake, and finds a boat to go to the magical Isle o f Avalon. At this place, he hoped to get better so that he can go back to his people and lead then. This is the very reason Arthur is known as â€Å"once and future king† (PBS). Mystical metaphysical factor of Campbell’s factors of myth say that there is a God and in King Arthur’s time, people believed him to be a God. He was a hero; a hero who came into an ordinary world for the people. This new world is not known to the hero but he has to accomplish his tasks and show him the mundane world. The special world is the area of

Modelling a Database for a Garment Manufacturing Company Essay Example for Free

Modelling a Database for a Garment Manufacturing Company Essay This project will contain information on the processing involved in modelling a database for a Garment Manufacturing company. It will also document how to create letter and fax templates that make the work more efficient. The database will hold details about the suppliers, customers and stock etc. The garment style, size, how many ordered and deadline dates for the garments to be finished will also be data which is stored in the table. The end-user Mr Jordan will be able to recall information on any of his suppliers or customers. He will be able to link what the customer orders to what he has to order from his suppliers or if the customers provides their own supplies he will see the amount needed. Mr Jordan will be able to send letters automatically to his customers and suppliers about work and orders. The database will be developed using Microsoft Access, the supplier and customer letters will be created in Microsoft Word and merged with data from Microsoft Access. Background to Organisation The Garment Manufacturing Company is called Air Ltd, it is located in Stratford and is owned by Mr Jordan. There are nine workers, which Mr Jordan is in charge of. He takes care of every aspect of the business himself apart from parts of the accounts. All of the other nine workers are arrange in a production line around the work place. Mr Jordan deals with the customer enquiries, orders and suppliers etc. At the moment letters are created from scratch in Microsoft Word. Information Technology is not used much as it could be at the present time. Current procedures Customers get into contact with the company and talk about their order and the type of work required to meet their needs. This would include the design styles, materials and number of garments etc. Either the customer provide their own materials or they set out their order to Mr Jordan so he can go to his supplier. The company then makes a sample garment which is shown to the customer if they are pleased with it then production starts, if not then amendments are made. At the moment if letters need to be sent out to customers or suppliers they are created individually instead of making a template and using mail-merge. From customer orders Mr Jordan notes down how many garments to be made, style of garment and size on paper, all of this documentation is kept in a folder. Image of Mr Jordans customers order detail sheet. [image002.jpg] The customer detail sheet is in tabular form where records are filled in about each of the individual garments. For example data such as size, colour and style etc. would be held on the sheet. Mr Jordan takes care of all of these sheets in a folder. When they are out dated and are no, longer of any use they are disposed of. Strengths of the current system The strengths of the following system are: All of the workers are used to the current system this means that nobody has to be trained to use any new equipment. For example none of the workers have to be trained on how to use computers. Most work is carried out by hand , this is a strength because if machines were used and any one of them broke down the production of the garments would have to be stopped. Weaknesses of the current system The weaknesses of the current system are: All documentation is carried out on paper. All letter to customers are created individually. The business does not use e-mail to communicate with its customers or suppliers. The business does not have a web site advertising its service and goods. If vital business documents are lost, there is no backup. There is no form of a factory outlet. Objectives for the new system Store details about the customers permanently. Store details about the suppliers permanently. Easily be able to input data concerning the ordering of materials. For example, style, material, size, colour etc. Be able to print out order details for the worker to use. Check his status with the suppliers. For example, material ordered etc. Send out letters to customers using mail merge for better efficiency. Print out an update of all deadlines to be met. End-user and functional requirements Store details about the customers permanently The database will need to store details of the name of the company, its address and the telephone number. The user will sometimes want to display details of all the customers. It will be useful if the customer company names are in alphabetical order. The user might want to send the customers letters which means that the postcode will have to be stored in a separate field. Store details about the suppliers permanently The database will store details about the suppliers. For example the user will sometimes want to list the names in alphabetical order this means that the first name will have to be stored in a separate field to the middle and last name. If the user wants to send the customers letters to inform them about orders etc he will need to store the post code part of the address in a different field. Store details about the suppliers permanently The database will store details about the suppliers name and address. The suppliers table will be similar to the customer table. But the user will send letters to the suppliers concerning the orderinf of raw materials etc. Easily be able to input data concerning the ordering of materials. For example, style, material, size, colour etc. The user will easily be able to in put the data u sing Microsoft access instead of inputting the data on paper using a hand made table where he could be creating a more efficient table using access. Be able to print out order details for the worker to use. The user will be able to print out details of the customers orders. For example, the number of garments, style, material etc. Check his status with the suppliers. For example, material ordered etc. The user should be able to access details about what he has ordered and what there is to pay at the touch of button Send out letters to customers using mail merge for better efficiency. The user will be able to send out letters to the customers and suppliers quickly and efficiently using mail merge with Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word Print out an update of all deadlines to be met. The user will be able to print out a list of all deadlines to be met of all of the customers so the workers can work efficiently. Working Constraints End-user skill level The end-user(s) have used modern computers before based upon Windows 95. The user has used a modern computer to create letters and do calculations on Microsoft Excel. The user can only do simple calculations and nothing too complicated. The user can create letters for suppliers and customers by using a word processor. Mr Jordan is new to Microsoft Word but is getting the hang of it. He does not know much about the advanced features of the software. Mr Jordan will need some form of support in using the advanced features. Mr Jordan can use any simple software, but will have to apply himself slightly to be able to get the hang of the advanced features. His experience with IT is very limited. The new system must be easy to understand so that the vital functions can be successfully carried out. No errors should occur, everything should be clear. Availability of hardware and software The previous software that Mr Jordan was using is called Lotus Word Pro96 but has recently purchased a new PC with Microsoft Office 2000 on it. This new computer is manufactured by Compaq and has the following specification: 900Mhz processor 64Mb RAM 13Gigabytes HDD 17 inch VDU Cannon Bubble Jet printer BJC4200 Microsoft Office 2000 Mr Jordan has an ideal specification if not too good for the functional requirements. The software in the school will easily correspond with Mr Jordans PC since in school Microsoft Office 97 is available. Time constraints The deadline for the project is to be completed for the 30^th March. This gives approximately nine weeks for development, testing and documentation. Documentation will take up a great deal of the time this means that time will be a major constraint upon the completed system. Initial time plan Consideration of solutions Data such as company names and addresss will need to be stored along with ordering details etc. this means that a database must be used. A word processor will also be needed because letters have to be created for the customers. Mail merge could be used. There are two choices for the type of database: relational or Flat-file. Flat-file A Flat-file database will not be suitable because it would mean that all of the field would have to be stored in one table. For example, supplier, customer and order fields will all be in the same table. This would then lead to there being data in the table that is not needed. For example, each time a customer made an order their name and address will have to be recorder in that record. If this type were to be used then it would take up a lot of space and hold useless data. It would also make it hard to search in the basic ways that you do. It will be hard to develop it so that the end-user will be able searc h for a certain supplier or customer without all of the other irrelevant details coming up. It would also make it increasingly difficult to use the mail merge facility. Concluding this we now know that a spreadsheet is not suitable for our purpose because it is just like a Flat-file if not nearly enough the same thing. Relational database This form of storage is much more flexible than Flat-file because it allows the data to be split up into separate tables. This is more efficient because each table contains information about a single entity. Now that information is in its individual tables, data redundancy is avoided. By linking all of the tables the whole structure will be able to be searched in a variety of ways. There are a great amount of relational database options in the market but the two main ones are Microsoft Access and Lotus Approach. These are both very suitable choices. Out of the two I will use Microsoft Access because it is more common compared with Lotus Approach and also because I am more familiar with the Microsoft environment. Overall I feel that Microsoft Access is easier to understand the instructions are clearer which makes it easier to follow. The terminology used in Access is better than that used in Lotus Approach. The form will be used to enter record of orders, suppliers and customers etc. This will make the business more organised and thus more efficient. The queries will be used to see who is ordering what and how much is owed to suppliers or owed by customers. To produce the templates for the letter I have chosen Microsoft word because it can easily be linked to Microsoft Access. It will also enable the letter to look professional as you can set any of your own preferences. For example, margin width, header and footer etc. Functions in Microsoft word such as MacroButtons, Date fields can make the end-user develop the letter template for his suitability. Other functions like AutoCorrect and AutoText will give the user an option for creating many types of customised letters for different kinds clients. My other options for word processors were Lotus WordPro, WordPad, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Paint and Word Perfe ct. These were not as suitable as Microsoft Word because some of them do not allow me carry out the advanced features that I wish to and also because most of them will not be able to link with Microsoft Access.

Transportation 1788-1868 :: Free Essays Online

Transportation 1788-1868 The process of transporting convicted criminals to Australia came about as a result of Britain's defeat in the American War of Independence. With the loss of this colony, Britain also lost its primary depository for its surplus criminal population; and, for a time, these excess numbers were housed in floating jails - 'hulks' - moored on the Thames. This proved an unpopular policy and so, in 1787, a British fleet set sail to build a penal colony at Botany Bay in New South Wales - seventeen years after James Cook had landed there. Robert Hughes, in his study The Fatal Shore, describes this undertaking as 'a new colonial experiment, never tried before, not repeated since. An unexplored continent would become a jail.' The choice of New South Wales was an unusual one, for Cook had described it as barren, and A.G.L. Shaw notes in Convicts and the Colonies that 'it seemed wholly useless for trade'. It would appear that all the British government required was a place to dispose of its criminal classes and subsequently forget about them, ignoring commercial considerations. The inhospitable nature of the place seemed ideal for ne'er-do-wells, and its distant location meant that few were likely to return. Many crimes, from petty theft to murder, were deemed worthy of transportation, and there seems to have been little distinction made between types of criminal, which concerned social reformers of the time. Household Words expressed concern that 'hardened ruffians of the deepest dye were chained hand to hand, during a six month voyage, with simple country poachers, pickpockets of tender age, and sailor smugglers.' All prisoners were treated alike, and conditions were harsh; appalling living conditions, disease, hunger, floggings and general neglect were prevalent and many convicts died en route or upon arrival. However there was hope on the horizon for some prisoners; those who behaved well were hired out to emigrant farmers to become, like Dickens' Magwitch, 'sheep farmer(s), stock breeder(s) and other trades besides.' Thus convicts could make some sort of return to respectability. Not only that: those who had completed their terms were granted small plots of land, with the aim of boosting the local economy and ensuring that these undesirable - regardless of whether their crimes were 'worked out and paid for' - did not return to British shores. The response from the metropolitan centre to these emancipist settlers who flourished was one of outrage; they feared that transportation would be perceived as a great blessing by the criminal classes, rather than as a deterrent.

Fable & Story Essay

The paper revolves around a fable that talks about the systems development and implementation in a certain organization, for which the managers are discussing the methodologies, project management, training users, involving users in gathering the requirements, and communicating among them. Mr. John is the director of IT department, Stephen is the CEO of the company, and Harry is the Leader selected for the new project. Stephen: Hi there John, I have heard you have some kind of proposal for the company; what’s that? John: You’re right, and the company desperately needs to introduce some change in its IT systems. Stephen: I’m eager to listen to it; please go on with your proposal. John: Sir as we all know that the information database system of our company has been experiencing some shortcomings in the recent past, and is not able to assimilate the changes of this dynamic environment efficiently. Hence, our company needs to introduce and implement a new ERP system as soon as possible that matches the needs and demands of changing requirements of our company, customers, suppliers, and industry. Stephen: Hmmm†¦ Agree†¦ So, have you come with the methods to bring it on considering the cost benefit analysis along with SWOT analysis? Listen John, (leaning forward) this is not an easier a job, and surely requires perfection in every aspect as to prevent losses from huge investments. John: Yeah, I understand†¦ (Sigh) Stephen: What’s up with the project management and other problems that might come up in the introductory and implementation stage? How are we going to handle all that? And yes, what about the costs or investment; can we afford it at this time of situation? John: I’m totally aware of such issues that might stir up Mr. Stephen, and to overcome or prevent them, we must have a leader for this project. You know Mr. Harry I guess, don’t you? Due to his excellent leadership skills, he would be the project manager who would look around and lead the overall implementation of new ERP system. And yes, costs are high but affordable; you know we are not in a situation to sacrifice our company’s productivity and efficiency for just an additional one time investment. Harry, explain the rest to Mr. Stephen about how would you handle the training programs, information gathering, and communication. Harry: Well Mr. Stephen, our employees would definitely need to be trained since the new ERP system is a lot different than the existing one. We would hire expertise from different companies who have the same ERP system, and on-the-job training sessions would be arranged for few weeks. Stephen: Sounds good, but what about the requirements that the employees would feel to have for the purpose of customizing their work needs and have familiarity with the system? Harry: Hmmm†¦ For that, the ERP system would help them†¦ Yes, the system has different modules for different usages in different departments. Moreover, employees would be provided with the tools that are necessarily required to accomplish a given task. John: (interrupting in between) definitely, and as far as the communication of this change and problems are concerned, there would not be much issue. The reason is that our company already has an open-book management policy and a friendly atmosphere that encourages communication and socializing (Daft, 1997). Stephen: Hmmm†¦ Considering all that reasoning, I’m impressed. Sure guys, let’s go on. Bring the new ERP system here. J References Daft. R. L. (1997). Management. Fourth Edition. U.S.A. The Dryden Press

Describe Popular Culture in Britain at the Beginning of the 1960’s

The 1950's were a conservative period. The country was recovering from the ravishes of war and many people wanted society to return to how it was in the 1930's. America was leading the way forwards however much the older generation disliked it. New music was appearing such as Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard. More consumer goods could be afforded by the middle classes creating a better standard of living. Televisions began to be purchased widely as did refrigerators and washing machines. The standard of living of the average person living in Britain rose during the 1950's. The popular catchphrase used in the 1959 election by Harold Macmillan was ‘you've never had it so good' which in my view sums up the 1950's; and by 1960 change was imminent. The culture of the 1960's reflects Britain at this time. Attitudes of many people in Britain were still very conservative entering the 1960's. However, things had begun to change for many groups in society. Women were still second class citizens but a large proportion of them had begun to work. They were paid less and did most of the manual jobs. Some male attitudes towards women still hadn't changed very much and many saw women still as ‘baby machines'. It was generally unheard of in 1960 for women to wear trousers in public, let alone to work. Many women began to demand equal rights, and by the mid to late 60's much had changed for women. In the later years of the 50's Britain saw a large influx of immigration from the Commonwealth. There were jobs available in Britain and better living conditions. By the 1960's Britain had become a multi-cultural society. The large majority of immigrants arrived from the West Indies and India. They suffered from large amounts of racism and were given the poorly paid jobs. Many did menial work and failed to buy a house for many years. It wasn't until the later 1960's that Britain became a more tolerant society. Crime was at a low in the late 1950's to 1960. Few needed to turn to crime due to the increase in wealth by the large majority of people. Capital punishment was still being used despite an increasingly large number of people turning against it. Crime was in fact at a lower rate than in today's society. Drugs were starting to be used by a certain group of people. It was not until the later 1960's when drugs became more widely used. Times were changing but the society was still very conservative with few people using drugs. Attitudes towards sexual behaviour had not yet begun to change by the early 1960's. It was still a very conservative society although in the later 1960's it became more permissive. The contraceptive pill had been discovered but was not widely used. Many women still believed that sex before marriage was a sin although this did change. Britain was still very much a class society although times were changing. The middle classes were expanding and the upper classes were starting to lose the control. Cars in the 1950's became more widely available. Ownership was rapidly increasing throughout the 50's due to the reduction in price. In 1960 the Mini was brought out alongside cars such as the bubble car made by a German company. They were advertised on television and on the radio as a necessary possession and fun. In 1959 the first motorway to be built in Britain the M1 was opened. Travelling long distances was becoming much easier and accessible for the general public. Public transport began to suffer problems due to the huge increase in cars. The steam trains effectively died out being replaced by the newer and more economical electric and diesel powered engines. Less people were using them as a method of transport and there were large cuts in the workforce. There was a new period beginning in the holiday industry. Some were still very traditional like Butlins, bed and breakfasts and other holiday camps. However with people owning cars they experienced a new found freedom. Places such as the Costa del Sol became popular with British holiday makers. Package holidays grew in popularity as did camping and caravanning holidays. The new found freedoms experience with the new transport was shown in various ways throughout culture in the 1960's. As in any period of time the media always shows how the culture was changing. Until the early 1960's the British television was dominated by the upper classes. There were only two channels, BBC and ITV with BBC 2 starting in 1965. However the television industry underwent a period of change in the early 1960's Programmes began to get shown with people from middle and working classes on. Coronation Street was first broadcast in 1960 and others soon followed. The television started to reflect the society around it and soon became the most popular activity. Dramas began to be shown like ‘Cathy Come Home' which were watched throughout Britain and had great impacts on society. Campaigning programmes also began to be broadcast for example Tonight and other news based programmes. There were more programmes for the teenage and child markets. The 6 -5 Special was first followed by Ready Steady Go. These had major impacts on the youth culture of the 1960's. During the 1950's radio was the most accessible and widely listened to form of entertainment. There were such stations as Radio 2 and 4. These were listened to by adults and children alike. However by 1960 things were changing. The teenage market had developed and they were demanding their own radio station playing their music. Many pirate radio stations set up, such as Radio Caroline. These played popular music of the time and aimed themselves to the teenage market. In the late 1960's Radio 1 was created. This was aimed at the older teenage market. The 1960's were a period of change for the music industry. Newspapers were widely read although there were less tabloids than today. These were aimed towards the adult generation and left most teenagers and young people to find out the news from the television. They were generally more serious which reflects the culture of the early 1960's. Magazines were also much more serious. Women read ‘Women's Own' and nothing else was available. Young children had many different comic books at the time, Dandy, Bunty etc. It was not until the mid to late 60's that more revolutionary magazines like Cosmopolitan were created. There were very few music or hobby orientated magazines either. The traditional British film industry was in decline in the late 1950's. Typical romances were shown along with early action films. They all contained only upper class people. By 1960 new comedies were becoming popular. A change was underway with more people with working class accents getting into the film industry. These were more popular with the general public who enjoyed being able to watch a film that they could relate to. The first person to enter the ‘new' film industry was Michael Cain, who soon became a teenage icon. The media of the early 1960's reflects the change that was occurring in British society and culture of the time. Around 1960 there were 5 million people who now classed themselves as teenagers. This had become a whole new market for companies and advertising in the late 1950's. More of these young people had more money than ever before and could afford many new products. Throughout the 1950's the influence of American culture had been great. British teenagers wanted to be like their American counterparts and have coffee bars and their own fashion and music tastes. The society was changing and the demands of the new market were met. New music in 1950 and started the revolution in youth culture. Elvis Presley was frowned upon by the older generation but the youths were fascinated by the new concept of ‘Rock and Roll'. Cliff Richard became the British teen symbol and began the British music industry. Adults however were still listening to Frank Sinatra and the Joe Loss Orchestra. They couldn't understand the new music with their sexual lyrics and movements. In 1962 the Beatles released their first record. They were still relatively unknown playing in places like the ‘Cavern' and Hamburg. New fashions were starting to become the new way to be revolutionary. Teddy Boys began to make a statement in society as did the Rockers. Many teenagers and young people in the early 1960's though, still wore their parents fashions. Boys wore short trousers and shirts whilst girls wore skirts. Fashion as everything else in the late 1950's to early 60's was still very conservative. Popular culture in the early 1960's was still much the same as it had been throughout the 50's. Although a teenage market had emerged, little had really changed by 1962. The British culture was still very conservative. However things were soon to change. The 1960's were dramatically different to the ways the older generation had grown up. America looked to Britain as the culture capital of the world. New pop groups emerged and life became ‘swinging' for many young people. The older generation still did not approve but were powerless to do anything. The early 1960's can be described best as ‘a grey period' and not as the ‘swinging sixties' which came later. Describe popular culture in Britain at the beginning of the 1960’s To many people at the time, they were the â€Å"swinging sixties†. They were a decade when fashions changed continuously and young people appeared to have more freedom then ever before. It was time that many people look back on with found memories, but which other blame for some of the failings in society. The sixties consisted of stars like Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard and Marlin Monroue which I will be mentioning in this essay as well as other stars. These stars were like the modern David Beckham, Tom Cruise and J-lo. In 1958 the National Service ended which was a huge relief for some. People in England were looking to America for their icons, but America band members or artists were not allowed to enter the country, then so people like Cliff Richard was formed. Moreover in the 1960's Britain had not yet developed its own style therefore was still in America's shadow. The traditional and cultural values in the 1950's were now about to change. These were many due to the development of TV, radio and theatre which I will be exploring in this essay. By the end of the 1950's music was still heavily influenced by America a lot of people were listening to American stars like Elvis Presley. But by the beginning of the 1960's British artists like Billy Fury, Cliff Richard and Adam Faith all s tarted to appear in the charts. Many of these British starts were producing new records but mainly basing them Elvis rock music. The British fashion was changing very rapidly and stars like Jackie Kennedy influenced them a lot. Wearing shifts and A-line dressed which had been designed in during the 1954 and 1955 were not worn until the 1960's. These gave women a new sense of freedom. Moreover the British film was not as popular as it was in America but brand new films featuring pop starts interested a lot of teenagers. There was now new British humour which people had never seen before. Radio was introduced and started showing some distinctive style. Radio shows such as â€Å"Beyond the Fringe† was a mocking comedy that criticized the way the country was run making people think more about politics. Many television programmes were brought so people watch television at home but there were only two channels BBC and ITV which could only run for about five to six hours a day. In 1960 the first episode of â€Å"Coronation Street† appeared in black and white in TV sets all over the country. Finally there was theatre which consisted of plays developed to mirror real life situations. As well as this it also helped to break down class barriers. Youth culture began to expand and grow by the late 60's rival groups such as â€Å"Mods† who drove Italian scooters instead of motorbikes were formed also girls began to wear more mini skirts whereas they were very strict. Prices generally went up as wages rose by 34% in the 1960's. In some respects it started popular music, fashion and a rise economy. Youth culture changed Britain's youth forever.In conclusion much of Britain's popular culture was a mix of American and 1950's Britain but changes were beginning to develop which would lead to a new British culture and a new era.

Pest Analysis of Mcdonald Essays

Pest Analysis of Mcdonald Essays Pest Analysis of Mcdonald Essay Pest Analysis of Mcdonald Essay Essay Topic: Vegetarian MKT 204 Principle of Marketing 2 Individual Assignment Fast food industry Swot Analysis Name: Ting Ze Kai ID: I11008551 Section: 5K1 Lecturer: Mr CHEAH SIN CHYE Table of Contents Company Background| 3| PEST Analysis | 4-9| 4Ps Strategies| 10-11| References| 12-13| Appendix| 14| Company Background McDonald is a largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants in the world. Approximately 68 million customers in 119 countries daily are served. The birth of McDonald began with Raymond Albert Kroc. He found two brothers (Richard and Maurice McDonald) who run a hamburger restaurant and acquired the franchising right from them to run McDonald’s restaurant. In 1955, McDonald’s Corporation was founded by Ray Kroc and opened the first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. In 1980, GOLDEN ARHCES RESTAURANTS SDN BHD gets the license to operate McDonald’s restaurant in Malaysia from McDonald’s Corporation USA in 1980. The first restaurant McDonald’s Malaysia opened at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. Now, it has more than 200 restaurants operated in Malaysia. PEST Analysis- McDonald Political * Raising retirement age * Healthy Issue * Taxation| Economic * Exchange currencies * Economic growth * Interest rate| Social * Seek to better quality * Technology with teenagers | Technology * Online advertising * Mobile CRM * New technology | Political Raising retirement age According to the V. SHANKAR GANESH and EUNICE AU (2012), they stated that the retirement age for the public sector has already been raised to 60 by government. It can be a huge impact for the company. Normally, company paid high salary for the old workers which contain high skill and experience. For saving cost, company will recruit new worker which paid low salary to cover worker near retirement age. But, the retirement age has been increase and old worker still with high salary. It will lead the cost of labour increasing to the company. Healthy Issue According to the Audrey Edwards (2012), he stated that 35 major food and beverage(FB) producer and fast food has been asked by the government to reduce the sugar and salt content in their product. It implies government will start to enhance the standard of requirement of the food and request fast food company emphasis on more healthy food. Therefore company should readjustment the standard of their food to reach the government requirement. It might affect the taste of their product and losing their customers. Taxation Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib in Budget 2012 announced franchise fee is now tax deductible in Malaysia. Those fees for franchise business they paid are allowable for tax deduction (NBC, 2011). It is good news for those franchise companies. Normally, a rise in corporation tax has the same effect as increase cost. Company will pass some of this tax on to consumer with higher price. Whereas, franchise business can use those fees they paid to deduce the tax from company. Therefore, the cost will be decrease and they can provide more value meal for their customer. Furthermore, they have more capital to find a new market such as hot drinks market, healthy food market and so on Economic Exchange currencies According to the The Star (2012), it mentioned that the ringgit climbed 3. 7% to 3. 0598, the biggest gain since the third quarter of 2010. A head of treasury at Bangkok Bank Bhd said that the currency is on a strengthening trend and could test 3. 3 to the dollar in the near term (The Star, 2012). It means that the exchange currency maintains at the high level and it will be increasing in the following. McDonald always imports most of its raw material such as beef and potatoes due to local market cannot supply in abundant to meet the demand of its products. Therefore, the strengthening of ringgit makes company cost of purchase decrease. Then, company is able to lo wer their product price and diversify their promotion tools to offer more value meal to attract customer. Economic growth According to The Star (2012), it mentioned that Malaysia’s economic growth remains strong and is at a comfortable level when compared with that of the global economy and the central bank has projected the Malaysian economy would grow at a steady 4%-5% this year anchored by resilient domestic demand. As the food slightly above normal foods, not many people will have the income range to consume the products. Moreover If the economy is bad and their income is affected, the demand of McDonald product will certainly going down. But Malaysia’s economic remains strong means Malaysian have more disposable income and they can spend more and more expensive food at fast food restaurant. Interest rate Malaysian interest rates currently at three per cent have remained accommodative (The Star, 2012). It could be a dangerous for the company. Businesses often need to take out short term loan to make up for shortfall in expenses, so higher interest rate makes such shortfalls more costly, since the business will have to more interest back to lenders. Company also frequently take out longer term debt for improvement and infrastructure. The higher interest rate, they should face more costly on their debt. Therefore, they should lower their cost of production by using different way and strengthen their marketing strategies to gain more profit to overcome. Social Seek to better quality Malaysian quality of life index increased from 100 points for the base year 2000 to 111. 9 points in 2010 (The Star, 2012). When their quality of life is improved, they have higher expectation. They will start to want have quality in services and more conveniences that can differentiate one restaurant from another. All these needs should be considered by the company. If company haven’t noticed it yet, it will be difficult to gain competitive advantage in the market. Technology with teenagers According to the Joy Lee (2012), he mentioned that technology has no doubt brought about the luxury of convenience. Nowadays, even a toddler or kid is in tune with technology. It means that technology is changing the life style. Teenagers want technology in their life and facilities such as credit card payment, wireless internet and other attraction for their hangout and eating. So all these need should be considered by McDonald Company. Technology Online advertising During the height of the tech boom, online business is getting normal nowadays. It brings convenient to the customer and company. According to the Jack Komperday (2003), McDonald’s sat on the internet advertising side lines. This will get closer with their target market because teenagers get in touch with technology more. Compare with TV advertising, online advertising is more effective and cheaper. Furthermore, company are easier to spread their new products and news through their official website such as www. Mcdonal. com. my. Customer also can take order easily through their official websites. Mobile CRM According to the Chantal Tode (2012), Mcdonald’s will introduce a mobile CRM program with the goal of rewarding customer and driving loyalty. The program involves using the Mowingo mobile application to notify customer about regional promotions and store-specific coupons that are exclusive to the app and the store issuing them such as they can get a free coffee or other through the app (Chantal Tode, 2012). This will lead cost saving for the company and attract more customers. New Technology Times have changed and evolution of technology in the fast food industry is picking up the pace. According to the Kerry Pipes (n. d. ), touch-screen kiosks and self-checkout lanes will happen in fast food restaurants such as McDonald, Burger King and so on. These contactless payment kiosks often included colourful, animated touch-screen menus that give customer the option to browse through the entire menu, customize their order, and then pay with cash a credit card Kerry Pipes (n. d. ). It is very fantastic system for McDonald which is a fast food industry provide fast services. They give customer more freedom and convenient. It will increase the speed of service and ease long lines. Company also can cut their labour costs due to the machine has replaced labour work. 4P Strategies deal with issue Product For dealing the health issue, company can come up new menu with healthy food. McDonald’s specialise product is burger so they can come out a healthy hamburger, add salad and fruit with set meal or organic food. It will meet the requirement from government and open new market to attract healthy conscious customer. Furthermore, Malaysia’s economic is growing, Malaysian has more steady and disposable income and they will choose more expensive and quality food to satisfy them. Therefore, McDonald can adapt better raw material to produce products with high price and high quality such as triple burger, high quality beef burger and so on to satisfy customer’s taste. Price In marketing mix, price is very important for a product. Due to the franchise fee is now tax deduction in Malaysia, McDonald are able to use more pricing strategies to position their products such as promotion price, value price, price skimming. But for the vegetarian burger and high quality beef burger, company can use pricing skimming method to set initial high price with them into market because they adapt high quality and healthy material to make it and then slowly lowers the price to make the product available to a wider market. It will position the healthy burger with high price high quality in people’s mind. In addition, exchange currencies issues bring the cost of production decrease and hence they can earn more profit. Promotion For the new launching of product, company can advertise new product with bar code. Customer scan the barcode with their smartphone, they can get free drinks with new product. Online advertising is getting normal nowadays. Therefore, company can use various form of online marketing techniques such as banner advertisements, videos or social medial to promote their product. In addition, McDonald, social responsible company so they can expand their online advertising related with social responsible. It can build a positive image in the market. Furthermore, using CRM program maintains customer relationship and loyalty. McDonald has opportunity cooperate with mobile cooperation to wider their range of customers such as customer will get free coupons when they purchase certain brands mobile. Place Malaysians are starting to seek to better quality now. McDonald should increase their outlets nearby work place, bus station, and airport. Furthermore, they should increase their location of deliver service and provide training for their employee to build a faster and better service for their customer. For the new launching product such as high quality beef burger, they initially can only available few outlets which located upper middle class area. References * V. SHANKAR GANESH and EUNICE AU, 2012. Raising retirement age. Available at: nst. com. my/top-news/raising-retirement-age-1. 94353#. [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * Audery Edwards, 2012. Passion for food feeds disease. Available at: http://thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? file=/2012/4/15/nation/11069279sec=nation. [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * The Star, 2012. Asian currencies complete quarterly gain. Available at: http://thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? file=/2012/4/15/nation/11069279sec=nation [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * The Star, 2012. Minister: Economic growth stays strong. Available at: http://biz. thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? file=/2012/3/26/business/10986390sec=business [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * The Star, 2012. Interest rates remain accommodative. Available at: http://biz. thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? file=/2012/3/21/business/20120321195459sec=business [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * Joy Lee, 2012. Today’s toddlers and kids are in tune with technology. Available at: http://thestar. com. my/metro/story. asp? file=%2F2012%2F6%2F2%2Fcentral%2F11395408sec=central#. T8nYyO-wHmE. facebook [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * The Star, 2012. Report shows better quality of life in 2000-2010. Available at: http://thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? file=/2012/6/11/nation/20120611220429sec=nation. [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * Tan Cheng Li, 2012. Malaysians do their part to protect the environment. Available at: http://thestar. com. my/lifestyle/story. asp? file=/2011/4/22/lifefocus/8485754sec=lifefocus. [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * NBC, 2012. Franchisee fee is now tax deductible in Malaysia. Available at: nbc. com. my/blog/franchise-fee-tax-deductible-in-malaysia/. [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * Jack Komperda, 2003. Buying Time Online. Available at: usnews. com/usnews/culture/articles/031006/6ads. htm. [Accessed on 19 June 2012] * Chantal Tode, 2012. Mcdonald’s bites into mobile CRM at over 500 locations this summer. Available at: mobilecommercedaily. com/2012/05/18/mcdonald%E2%80%99s-bites-into-mobile-crm-at-over-500-locations-this-summer. [Accessed on 19 June 2012] Appendix

History of the Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater

History of the Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater is one of the most well-known of the ancient Roman structures because so much of it still remains. Meaning: Amphitheater comes from the Greek amphi ~ on both sides and theatron ~ semicircular viewing place or theater. An Improvement Over the Existing Design The Circus The Colosseum in Rome is an amphitheater. It was developed as an improvement over the differently shaped  but similarly used Circus Maximus, for gladiatorial combats, wild beast fights (venationes), and mock naval battles (naumachiae). Spine: Elliptical in shape, the circus had a fixed central divider called a spina down the middle, which was useful in chariot races, but got in the way during fights.Viewing: In addition, the spectators view was limited in the circus. The amphitheater put spectators on all sides of the action. Flimsy Early Amphitheaters In 50 B.C., C. Scribonius Curio built the first amphitheater in Rome to stage his fathers funeral games. Curios amphitheater and the next one, built in 46 B.C., by Julius Caesar, were made of wood. The weight of the spectators was at times too great for the wooden structure and, of course, the wood was easily destroyed by fire. Stable Amphitheater Emperor Augustus designed a more substantial amphitheater to stage venationes, but it wasnt until the Flavian emperors, Vespasian and Titus, that the enduring, limestone, brick, and marble Amphitheatrum Flavium (aka Vespasians Amphitheater) was built. The construction utilized a careful combination of types: concrete for the foundations, travertine for the piers and arcades, tufa infill between piers for the walls of the lower two levels, and brick-faced concrete used for the upper levels and for most of the vaults.Great Buildings Online - Roman Colosseum The amphitheater was dedicated in A.D. 80, in a ceremony lasting a hundred days, with the slaughter of 5000 sacrificial animals. The amphitheater may not have been finished, however, until the reign of Titus brother Domitian. Lightning damaged the amphitheater, but later emperors repaired and maintained it until the games were ended in the sixth century. Source of the Name Colosseum The medieval historian Bede applied the name Colosseum (Colyseus) to the Amphitheatrum Flavium, possibly because the amphitheater which had taken back the pond on the land Nero had devoted to his extravagant golden palace (domus aurea) stood beside a colossal statue of Nero. This etymology is disputed. Size of the Flavian Amphitheater The tallest Roman structure, the colosseum was about 160 feet high and covered about six acres. Its long axis is 188m and its short, 156m. Construction used 100,000 cubic meters of travertine (like the cella of the Temple of Hercules Victor), and 300 tons of iron for clamps, according to Filippo Coarelli in Rome and Environs. Although all the seats are gone, at the end of the 19th century, the seating potential was calculated and the figures are generally accepted. There were likely 87,000 seats in 45-50 rows inside the colosseum. Coarelli says social standing determined seating, so those rows closest to the action were reserved for the senatorial classes, whose special seats were inscribed with their names and made of marble. Women were separated at public events from the time of the earliest emperor, Augustus. The Romans probably held mock sea battles in the Flavian Amphitheater. Vomitoria There were 64 numbered doors to let spectators in and out that were called vomitoria. N.B.: Vomitoria were exits, not places spectators regurgitated the contents of their stomachs to facilitate binge eating and drinking. People vomited forth, so to speak, from the exits. Other Noteworthy Aspects of the Colosseum There were substructures under the fighting area that may have been animal dens or channels for water for or from the mock naval battles. It is hard to determine how the Romans produced venationes and naumachiae on the same day. A removable awning called velarium provided the spectators with shade from the sun. The outside of the Flavian amphitheater has three rows of arches, each built according to a different order of architecture, Tuscan (the simplest, Doric, but with an Ionic base), on the ground level, then Ionic, and then the most ornate of the three Greek orders, the Corinthian. The vaults of the Colosseum were both barrel and groined (where barrel arches intersect each other at right angles). The core was concrete, with the exterior covered in cut stone.

The Image of God in Leading Religions of the World Essay

The Image of God in Leading Religions of the World - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Ð µhe leading religions of the world include the names of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The followers of the above-mentioned ways of life have an explicit belief in the presence of God while some of them tend to build a connection with a Divine Entity by offering prayers and others seek him in the natural beauty of the world. Moreover, those people who do not consider themselves as religious consult with God only when they need him or his help in any worldly matter. But importantly every human being has an implicit or expressed belief in the God. Importantly there are no significant differences in the image of God in three leading religions of the world. Judaism is the oldest religion of the world as it propagated from the nation of Moses after that Jesus developed Christianity and finally Islam came into the world through the teachings and guidance of Mohammad. Judaism believes that humans are created in the image of the God and therefore they are representatives of their creator on Earth. The Jewish community holds on to the belief that every human is an agent of God regardless of his or her race, religion and ethnicity. Christianity, on the other hand, conceptualized the power of God to be divided into three distinct parts. The first portion resides with God himself whereas the other two are with Jesus and his mother. In this way, Christianity believes in three-dimensional divine super-powers. Finally, Islam conforms to Jewish theological foundations by admitting that there is only one God. Islamic teachings also identify man as the true representative of the God Himself. This paper suggests that there is no feasible difference in the views of God among leading religions of the world because all of them consider man as the real representative of God. Still the lack of tolerance and mutual understanding is currently undermining all the similarities of theological frameworks. Modern research suggests that t hose people who have a firm belief in the presence of God and his role in their lives are spending contented life as compared to those who do not believe in supernatural at all. Nevertheless it is also important to note that Christianity is a little bit different in conceptualizing the God because it recognizes Jesus as the son of God and therefore entire humanity becomes a race that emanated from the divine entity. Islam and Judaism are having quite a different view of God from previously stated one as they consider him as omnipotent (Hill and Pargament pp. 65). The concept of God in Christian belief differs because what Jesus did by welcoming the hanging on the cross cannot be done by an ordinary human being and therefore he was identified as a God in Christian literature. The concept of God is as ancient as the humanity itself. Nevertheless the presence of a Divine Entity is repeatedly reinforced by Prophets and Saints throughout the history of mankind. The notion that God exists while he posses the power of punishing and rewarding humans for their misdeeds and deeds respectively is supported by scholars of all leading religions. The religions impacted ev ery aspect of human life ranging from social practices to sexual relationships. Thus humans identified their creator with the help and reference of the Prophets in all ages (Ellison and Levin pp.714). The concept of God helped humanity in attainment of spiritual and intellectual growth by ordering them to think about the surroundings in which they are living whereas in Quran Allah openly commanded the whole of the mankind to devote its struggles towards attainment of knowledge and enlightenment (Fish pp.35). All of the leading religions are emphasizing on the role of God in the journey of spiritual development of humanity at large. In the light of above argument it can be established that God himself wants humans to continue the journey of enlightenment (Hill and Hall pp. 14).