Essay on Walt Whitmans Song of Myself - 3631 Words

Walt Whitmans Song of Myself This paper deals with Walt Whitmans Song of Myself in relation to Julia Kristevas theories of abjection--my paper does not point to abjection in the text, but rather the significance of the abscence of abjection. This abscence, looming and revolting, arises from Whitmans attemt to refigure a conception of sublimity which delimits the material which can trigger the sublime moment. Whitmans democracy of the sublime is inclusive of those figures on the American landscape, their lives and voices, which are functionalized into his world. This paper employs the theories of George Lukacs and Julia Kristeva allow the unearthing of the archeological layers of Whitmans text. The most literal adjective†¦show more content†¦It lies there, quite close, but it cannot be assimilated. It beseeches, worries, and fascinates desire, which, nevertheless, does not let itself be seduced.[1] The strange elegance of this specter looms in the relief, in the archaic layers of Song of Myself. It is beyond the foregrounded inversive space--at times utopic and sublime, the space is permeated with universal brotherhood, happiness, the compelled-sentimental-- that I attempt to delve into, that source from which generates the repulsive, hidden quivering of a text which, though cast out and forced into absence, looms in the shadowed relief. The edification of his text and of his readership is attempted through the construction of an inversive space which refigures the sublime: the apex of the cultured. I have chosen those moments in the text in which the poet nears the threshold of bordering abject in order to construct his sublime utopian vision. It is here, this marked refigurement where ecstasy occurs, where material which triggers the sublime is the signal of another text; a repulsive reading looms from the absence of abjection An invocation of the self begins Song of Myself, positioning the text as an edification of the American readership: I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as god belongs to you (lines 1-3). Thus Whitmans work joins with theShow MoreRelatedIdentity In Walt Whitmans A Song Of Myself869 Words   |  4 PagesIdentity: A Common Theme Walt Whitman (1819-1892) wrote a poem titles â€Å"A Song of Myself.† He wrote this piece in order to celebrate his identity, what makes him unique. Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) writes of a little boy struggling with identity in a quickly changing world. Jamaica Kincaid (1949-), writes of a young girl who is learning her identity as a mother, wife and daughter. By examining each piece of literature, one can trace the common theme of identity by comparing and contrasting theRead MoreTranscendentalism In Walt Whitmans A Song Of Myself1073 Words   |  5 PagesThe school of thought that is transcendentalism is best explained as the idea that everything is connected. America, as a country, represents the philosophy of Transcendentalism. This is best exemplified in the writing of Walt Whitman. In his poem, â€Å"A Song of Myself†, Whitman truly heralded a new brand of American exceptionalism. He championed the individual and created a work that exemplified the common man as the pillar of the American dream. Yet he also explained that Americans are what make upRead More Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay716 Words   |  3 Pages In one of the sections from the poem, â€Å"Song of Myself† Walt Whitman starts out with a child asking a question, â€Å"What is the grass?† Grass is a symbol of life. God, who created both the heavens and the earth also gave birth to life. When Whitman refers to grass as a â€Å"handkerchief of the Lord† (7), as a gift. When people look at the grass, they do not think of it as a creation but rather just a plant. Whitman refers to the grass as â€Å"a child, the produced babe of vegetation† (11, 12). Here, the grassRead More References to Homosexuality in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1210 Words   |  5 PagesHomosexuality in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself WHITMAN WAS MORE MAN THAN YOULL EVER BE, said a student of Louisiana State University. When asked questions of your sexual preference or thoughts on the issue of sex, I would venture to say it makes most people uncomfortable. This is an age-old topic that people know about, yet do not want to talk about. He was particularly reticent about his issues regarding sex and his particular sexual preference. In fact, of Whitmans struggles theRead More An Analysis of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay778 Words   |  4 PagesAn Analysis of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself `Whitman was always asking questions. He believed that lifes goal or cause was a mystery. He was surrounded by people who were drawing distinct lines between right and wrong, rejecting the things in the universe that were not a direct ticket to holiness. Whitman, unlike his contemporaries, embraced the beauty of everything. His mystical perception of the world ushered in the idea that God was to be found in every thing, and that He couldRead MoreEssay about Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1779 Words   |  8 PagesWalt Whitmans Song of Myself Walt Whitmans Song of Myself is, on the most basic descriptive level, a really long poem. Whitman is clearly a poet with a lot to say, or at least with a lot of different ways to say it. He meanders from the micro to the macro, from atoms to the whole earth. There are obviously myriad ways to explain what the poem is about, and myriad keys to its true meaning. In what became Section 6 of the final edition (lines 90-121 of the 1855 edition ) Whitman himselfRead More Defining the Soul in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay721 Words   |  3 Pages Every sentence in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself tends to either repeat or contradict. He even says of himself, I contradict myself (Lauter, p. 2793). This can make Whitmans poetry a little confusing to some. In his many stanzas, definition of the soul is ambiguous and somewhat contradictory. Whitman says, Clear and sweet is my soul....and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul (Lauter, p. 2745). What I believe Whitman is saying here is that his soul and everything elseRead MoreEssay Choosing Sides in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1095 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Song of Myself† is an attempt by Walt Whitman to become the â€Å"American poet† as described by Ralph Waldo Emerson; he attempts to be â€Å"[T]he sayer, the namer, and [representative] of beauty† (Emerson 1182). Whitman wants to speak to and for America. Whitman does not explicitly choose sides on the slavery debate that was raging at the time of his writing, but he does express the equality of all people, regardless of gender and race in â€Å"Song of Myself†. While Whitman’s writing can be read as neutralRead MoreIndividuality And Free Verse in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1524 Words   |  7 Pages2.5 kids, 2 cars, a dog and a satisfying job), the spirit of innovati on, individuality and progress remains unchanged. The father of free verse, and perhaps the American perspective of poetry, Walt Whitman embodies these values in his life and work. First published in 1855 in Leaves of Grass, Song of Myself is a vision of a symbolic I enraptured by the senses, vicariously embracing all people and places from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. Sections 1 and 2, like the entirety of the piece,Read More An Annotation of Section 24 of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1354 Words   |  6 PagesSection 24 of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Walt Whitmans Song of Myself is a vision of the American spirit, a vision of Whitman himself. It is his cry for democracy, giving each of us a voice through his poetry. Each of us has a voice and desires, and this is Whitmans representation of our voices, the voice of America. America, the great melting pot, was founded for freedom and democracy, and this poem is his way of re-instilling these lost American ideals. In this passage from Song of Myself

Greed in Macbeth Essay - 1018 Words

Greed is the excessive desire to acquire or possess more, and it is also one of the biggest creators of tragedy. This is so vividly shown in both the novel The Sun Also Rises and in the play Macbeth. In The Sun Also Rises, this greed is directed toward a person, Lady Brett Ashley. Five men; Mike, Jake, Pedro, Bill, and the Count, are fighting to be with her throughout the book. In Macbeth, this greed is directed toward power as Macbeth wanted to become King, and what he does to become it. However, this greed led to the collapse of each character. Lady Ashley left all five men, leaving them devastated, while in Macbeth; an opposing army overthrew Macbeth. In both stories, greed drives the main character to do something, which is then†¦show more content†¦In both stories, the main character achieves the goal that their greed compels them to do. In The Sun Also Rises, Jakes lust for Brett drives him to have an affair with her, in which he thinks that she dearly loves him and he loves her. During the affair, Jake is always so tight with Brett, meaning he does not give her much freedom. Jake lets Brett dance with other friends and drink with other people, but any move that would be against their relationship, Jake would get angry. For example, when Brett had a drink with Count Mippipolous, and invited him home, Jake made her send him away, even though the count did not have any thoughts on her at that time. This is easily comparable to Macbeth, by the fact that Macbeth is indecisive and is a tyrannical leader, and he did anything to stay in power. For example, when Macbeth hired the three murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance, because according to the witches, all of Banquos sons will be King. Eventually, this greed to achieve what was not intended for them ended in the defeat of the characters. In The Sun Also Rises and Macbeth, the main characters greed leads to his downfall when he took what was not meant to be his. Jake had thought throughout the affair that Brett loved him. The truth was that she was just with him because she liked to have affairs, and when she realized that he had become unable to have sex because of the injuries resulting from the war. She leaves JakeShow MoreRelatedGreed In Macbeth1034 Words   |  5 Pages In William shakespeares play, Macbeth, there is a constant struggle for power that is displayed by Macbeth. The play demonstrates one of human’s strongest nature which seems to be the desire for power. This play is entirely based on Macbeth’s greed for power. As Macbeth gained more power, his behavior shifts from being a loyal and noble warrior to a power hungry man. He is a prime example of a character that is struggling to free himself from powers of others or seeks to gain power over othersRead MoreThe Power Of Greed In Macbeth1 488 Words   |  6 Pagesplay, Macbeth, there is blood, power and greed; all of which can be read with literal and metaphorical interpretations. They intertwine at different points in the story and have different effects on each of the characters including: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Malcom, and Macduff. These three ideas create a cycle throughout the story, particularly for Macbeth, as greed leading to the spilling of blood, which can give someone power is ultimately his demise. When Shakespeare first mentions Macbeth in theRead MoreEssay On Greed In Macbeth751 Words   |  4 Pagesother people judge you based on their views of whats right or whats wrong. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare displayed a darker and wrong side of humankind. Three main characters, in particular, showed similar traits of greediness. Banquo, who appears to be noble fails to resist his desires; Lady Macbeth overrules herself with greed to a fate of anguish. And finally, Macbeth becomes engulfed with greed that leads to horrible deeds. Shakespeare emphasizes that desire for power and wealth canRead MoreThe Themes Of Greed In William Shakespeares Macbeth881 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares play Macbeth portrays man as a species controlled by ones inner thoughts, greed and ultimately hubris. Mankind is often fueled by desire to acquire more, with little regard to possible negative or evil outcomes. When faced with an uncertain prophecy, Macbeth allows greed to overpo wer conscience, and ultimately allows malevolent powers within himself to dictate and lead to his demise. Shakespeare personifies the witches- supernatural beings with no agenda, feared greatlyRead MoreEssay about Power and Greed - Macbeth1736 Words   |  7 PagesPower and Greed: The Driving Force behind the Story of Macbeth The rise of an individual and the gain of power can often be intoxicating. This control placed in the hands of one can often ignite thoughts and actions of greed found deep inside. This can often be seen in the history of civilization as countless leaders have neglected the good of their people to fuel their own selfish desires. Lord Acton once expressed, â€Å"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.† This is embodiedRead MoreEssay on The Roles of Greed and Pride in Shakespeares Macbeth1284 Words   |  6 Pagesnot to stray from where they think they should end up, even if it means throwing away their principles and values in the process. Through Shakespeares Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth’s original character and values are destroyed because of the influence from the witches prophecies, Lady Macbeths greed, and his own hidden ambition. Macbeth begins to defer from his original character when he learns of the witches’ prophecies, which leads him to believe he is fated to be king and to pursue that â€Å"destinyRead MoreExternal Ambiture And Greed In Lady Macbeths Macbeth1566 Words   |  7 Pagesand future, which is as a result of temptation and greed. Greed will keep building, and will not stop until it is satisfied, along with temptation. MacBeth follows through with murder for building greed. Early on in the book he is already Thane of Cawdor and is very wealthy, has a family, and anything he would ever need. His building greed is a want for money, power, but most importantly ambition. His greed is planted inside his head by Lady MacBeth, as he never really had any intentions to becomeRead MoreMan of Greed and Power: The Tragedy of Macbeth1089 Words   |  5 Pagesgreat power leads to the downfall of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Contributing to the downfall and demise of Macbeth, three sinister witches pla n to foil Macbeth through telling him prophecies of his future. But, through the freewill of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth they paved their own road to destruction. Lady Macbeth is a woman who is not mentally strong enough to commit a murder but is mentally capable of persuading someone into committing the crime for her. Macbeth is gullible at first judgment, but soonRead MoreEssay On Greed In The Great Gatsby1101 Words   |  5 Pages The paths of greed and vanity will always lead to ones downfall. The character of Myrtle Wilson from the novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby† written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Lady Macbeth from the play â€Å"Macbeth† by William Shakespeare both successfully demonstrate the deadly sin of greed through their immoral actions to gain their own personal desire for wealth and power, eventually leading to their downfall. To begin, the character of Myrtle Wilson carries out an affair with Tom Buchanan toRead MoreThe Role Of Force And Influence On Human Behavior954 Words   |  4 Pages and nurture can force a person to do things they avoid doing and eventually that person is forced to become something that they are not. Influences normally involve a person being obsessed with an idea, excessive desires, especially greed. In this case, it’s greed for power. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, it is a novel full of murder, tragedy, and despair. But all that tragedy, murder, and despair occur because of a lack of connection to either family or society. The true evil in Frankenstein

Bamboo free essay sample

Bamboo is actually and evergreen plant, and a member of the true grass family  Phocaea. It is the fastest growing woody perennial on the planet, and some of the giant species can grow up to four feet per day! It is found on nearly every continent in the world, and has a wide range of useful applications. Bamboo products are used extensively in the modern world, and its usage has been growing rapidly in recent years. It is an easily renewable resource and its cultivation is beneficial to the environment. A bamboo grove creates 5 times more bio-material than a typical pine forest, making it beneficial to the environment. Bamboo is truly an amazing plant, and provides great benefits for our planet. There is currently over 1,000 known  bamboo species, and 91 genera. The bamboo family is diverse and can grow in a wide range of climates and conditions. Bamboo can be found growing in the cold high altitude mountains of Tibet, and in the warm desert climates of sub-Saharan Africa. Sizes, shapes, colours, and behaviours of bamboo can also vary significantly. The plant can grow as short as a couple of inches, to as tall as 100 plus feet and 8 inches in diameter. Colours of bamboo canes are typically bright green, but can also be jet black, or even striped. The varying of appearances makes them an idea choice for ornamental and landscaping purposes. Bamboo is a staple of the Japanese garden and a symbol of Japanese culture. The cultural significance of Bamboo in Asian culture is profound and has been well documented in the history books. In fact, Bamboo was actually used as the writing medium in ancient Chinese literature. Scribes would write on bamboo slats, which are known in the United States as bamboo scrolls. Much of the history of China has been document this way, and without bamboo much of it may have been lost. Bamboos are woody stemmed members of the grass family, Poeceae, which belong to the family Bambusoideae. All members of the subfamily can be distinguished from the other grasses by foliage leaf blades which are attached to their branch lets by slender leaf stalks or petioles. Other grasses like corn and sugar cane have leaves without petioles. The Culms Like all grasses the bamboos have stems or culms which are segmented by oints called nodes. Bamboo nodes are always solid but between the nodes, the internodes of the culm are usually hollow. A group of culms growing near one another are usually connected together underground by segmented stems called rhizomes to form a single plant. The roots grow from the nodes of the rhizomes. The rhizomes serve as a storehouse of food for the bamboo p lant allowing new culms to grow very rapidly. Each culm grows to its full height in a grand period of growth which usually takes no longer than 2 or 3 months. Thereafter, even though it may live for up to 10 years, the culm does not increase in height or diameter. A plant with small rhizomes can produce only small culms. Under favourable conditions the rhizomes will increase in size and produce larger culms each year until the limit for that particular species is reached. The oldest culms are thus often the smallest and the youngest the largest. Bamboo Culms or Canes The Rhizomes There are two basic types of bamboos, the clampers and the runners. The culms of a clumping species grow close to one another usually no more than a foot apart. While the culms of a runner are often spaced far apart. Up to 10 ft. or more. The spacing of the culms is characteristic of each species and depends on the nature of the rhizomes. McClure first used the terms symposia and monopodia to describe c1umpers and runners. Sympodial refers to the branching habit of clumping rhizomes: each rhizome typically branches into a pair of rhizomes, each of which branches into a pair again. Monopodial refers to the running rhizome which consists of a main axis from which branches arise one at a time. Later (McClure. 1966) the above two terms were abandoned in favour of pachymorph and leptomorph: the first refers to the short. Thick shape of the clumping rhizome while the later describes the long, slender shape of a running rhizome. Both pairs of terms describe some of the features of the two rhizome types but I prefer to use the words clamper and runner. A running bamboo has the capability of spreading rapidly. It can also get nourishment from the ground at some distance from its culms. Under favourable growing conditions the runner planted as an ornamental can become a problem, growing into a lawn. a flower bed or a neighbors yard. The c1umpers are more well behaved as they can only spread slowly from the edge of the clump. In most cases the clump diameter will be no greater than about 10 or 15 ft. after many years. In most genera of bamboos all of the species are either clumpers or runners. Most clumpers are tropical or subtropical plants that are damaged by temperatures below about 15 ° F, while most runners can withstand colder temperatures. There are exceptions the two most hardy species grown in the U. S. Thamnocalamlls spathaceolls  (Fran. ) Soder. and  Sinarundinaria nitida  (Mitf. ) Nakai are clumping bamboos The Branches Almost all bamboos have one or more branches that grow from the culm nodes. In many species the lower nodes of large culms remain branchless. The number of branches , their relative size and their arangement on the culm node is an important characteristic for the identification of the genus and sometimes of the species. Bamboo Branches The Leaves The bamboo leaf complement consists of two parts, the sheath and the blade. The sheath wraps around the stem to which it is attached at the sheath base. The opposite or distal end of the sheath develops into the blade which is often flat and bent away from the sheath and stem. Bamboos have two distinct kinds of leaves. Culm leaves and foliage leaves. Culm leaves are attached at the base of their sheaths directly to culm nodes atthe sheath scar. The culm leaf sheath, which is usually large compared to the blade, serves to protect the new culms as they emerge during the grand period of growth. After the culm grows to its full height the culm leaf dries and often fall soff. On the upper end of the sheath on both sides of the blade are two auricles. The bristle-like hairs which extend from the margins of the auricles are called oral setae. Extending up from the central margin of the sheath is the ligule. The auricles and oral setae may be lacking on some species. Culm leaf blades are larger toward the upper end of the culm. Near the upper tip the leaves are similar to foliage leaves; the blades remain green and persist long after the lower culm leaves have fallen off. The culm leaf sheath is often simply called the culm sheath or the sheath. Foliage leaves grow from branchlets. The blades are generally large compared to the sheaths which wrap tightly around the stems often overlapping the sheath above it. The foliage leaf blade is commonly called simply the leaf. Foliage leaves have ligules and often auricles and oral setae. The foliage leaf blade is always attached to its sheath by a stem or petiole in contrast to the culm leaf blade which is often without a petiole. Foliage leaves drop off after about one year but not until new leaves have grown to replace them so that the bamboos are generally green year round. The leaves that grow from main branches tend to resemble culm leaves while those at the ends of culms and branches are somewhere between the two types. To identify species one should look at culm leaves that grow near the middle of large culms and at foliage leaves that grow from branchlets. Bamboo Leaves The Flowers The flowering of bamboo plants occurs at irregular, often long intervals. Each species has its individual pattern; it may flower continuously. yearly. every few years. or at long intervals up to over 100 years. The flowers may be only a few. cover one or a few culms or cover all culms of the species growing in a wide area. With heavy flowering vegetative growth comes to a virtual standstill that may last from a few months to many years, after which the plant may slowly recover its vegetative growth or it may die. Each flower does not produce a seed and often plants will produce a massive quantity of flowers and little or no fruit. The history of the flowering ofPhylloslachys  is given by Adamson et al. (978) for plants grown at the United States Barbour Lathrop Plant Introduction Garden at Savannah, Georgia (hereafter called the Garden). Eighteen different accessions representing 10 different species flowered between 1951 and 1977. Of these, 8 accessions died, 8 recovered and two were still flowering in 1977. During this time all of the accessions ofP. niduaria  flowered while some accessions of  P. bambusoidesflowered and some did not. Because of the rarity of flowering in most bamboos, one must often rely on the vegetative characteristics to distinguish species. When a plant does flower it often lacks the vegetative parts such as culm leaves which are critical for identification. In some cases most of the foliage leaves fall off of flowering plants Characteristics: Bamboo is an attractive alternative for flooring because of its physical similarities to hardwoods. Bamboo floor manufacturers and sellers promote its strength, durability as well as resistance to insects and moisture while having the added benefit of being eco friendly. The hardness of bamboo ranges from 1180 (carbonized horizontal) to around 1380 (natural) using the  Janka hardness test  versus  red oak  (1290),  white oak  (1360),  rock maple  (1450), andhickory  (1820),Brazilian Cherry / Jatoba (2350), (the higher the number the harder the material). Care and maintenance: Bamboo is an aggressive plant and will require general maintenance task throughout the year. Its behaviors are different than many other garden plants. In this section, we break down the common maintenance tasks you may encounter. Following these guidelines will help you maintain healthy and happy bamboo plants. Watering  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Ornamental and garden bamboos require a regular watering schedule, and cannot rely completely on rain water. Bamboo likes to dry after watering, so your watering schedule will need to alternate days. It is important to keep a balanced water schedule, as too much or too little water can be harmful to the bamboo. Newly planted specimens should be watered at least twice a week in their ideal weather conditions. In areas with warm temperatures or frequent wind, the bamboo may require water up to 5 times a week. As a grower, you must make a judgment call on watering frequency by examining the leaves and soil. Bamboo leaves will start to curl inwards if they are not receiving enough water. This is a natural mechanism used by the plant to protect itself against drought. By curling the leaves the plant will prevent water from escaping by trapping it in the pockets it creates. If you notice that your bamboo is starting to display this behavior, it should be a red flag that more water is needed. Soil also needs to be monitored on a regular basis, with this being especially true for container bamboos. Bamboo growing in a container is vulnerable to overwatering, and it is common for gardeners to unknowingly waterlog the plant. This can lead to rotting of the rhizomes and roots, and can even kill the entire plant. Fertilizer  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ After your bamboo plant is established, it is recommended to fertilize regularly. An organic fertilizer that is high in nitrogen is the ideal choice. Half rotted horse or cow manure is also an excellent choice, and can often be obtained for free. A standard high nitrogen lawn fertilized works well, and is often the most cost effective choice. Fertilizer should be applied once in the summer when rhizomes are developing, and again in the fall or early spring. Apply a 2 inch layer of your fertilizer mixture or compost around the base of the plant. You can also spread the mixture out to areas you want the plants to grow. Thinning and Pruning  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Pruning bamboo on a regular basis is usually not necessary and is primarily done for aesthetics. Culms will generally live up to ten years, but can start to dry out and look unattractive later in life. Removing the older culms is an important maintenance task and will promote the health of the newly emerging culms. The older culms will compete for light and nutrients with the younger culms and allowing them to live will lessen the overall beauty of the entire clump or grove. This is done by cutting off the old culm at soil level. We recommend that old or dead culms are removed at least once per year from your garden. In the case of timber bamboos, you can promote large and rapid growth by removing the smaller culms in the grove. Removing small culms will allow for the space and nutrients required to produce giant timber bamboo. Thinning and pruning will do wonders for the health and appearance of the plants. Controlling Spread  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ There are several method used to control the spread of running (leptomorph) bamboos. The most common tactic is to install a HDPE rhizome barrier around the growing area. Check out our article on installing a rhizome barrier for a full breakdown. Depending on the area, installation of a rhizome barrier can be a difficult or impossible task. The most simple and cost effective method of controlling bamboo is to prune the rhizomes on a regular basis. Rhizome pruning is a seasonal task, normally done in late fall through spring. As new rhizomes emerge from the soil, a sharp garden spade can be used to sever the rhizomes as they travel beneath the ground. Start by marking out the desired perimeter to which the bamboo should be confined. Next, plunge the spade as deep as possible into the soil along this perimeter. This will cut the rhizomes in the area and limit their growth for the remainder of the season. This must be done at least once per year in order to work effectively. Winter Protection  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Bamboo is most vulnerable during the winter months. In cold, windy climates there are necessary steps to take to protect your bamboo. After the initial planting, the goal is to allow the plant enough time to establish a root system and become hardy enough to survive in freezing winds, temperatures, and frost. Freezing winds are a young bamboo plant’s worst enemy. The cold temperatures are not particularly damaging, but the loss of moisture will cause plant to dry out quickly. For a young plant that is not well established, the aftermath of winter can be devastating. Frost can also be troublesome to bamboo. A consistent layer of frost has the potential to cause cell irreversible cell damage to the leaves, branches, and culms. Leaves are the most susceptible to frost, but the culms are also at risk during the winter. It is important to know and understand the cold hardiness of the variety of bamboo you are growing. This will help you prepare the area according to the exact needs of your bamboo. Black Bamboo covered in snow. (Photo: Paul Smith) The first and most important step to protecting your bamboo in the winter is to provide a heavy layer of mulch at the base of the plant. This will give the soil beneath some degree of protection from freezing temperatures and allow the roots and rhizomes to remain healthy. Good mulch can consist of dried leaves, organic compost, or a low growing groundcover plant. The next step is to protect the plant from excessive wind exposure. This can be done by planting some type of cold hardy plant in the vicinity of the bamboo to deflect and absorb the incoming wind. It is also possible to install a screen or panel in front of the plant to provide an equal level of protection. Uses Culinary The shoots (new culms that come out of the ground) of bamboo are edible. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths, and are available in supermarkets in various sliced forms, in both fresh and canned versions. The shoots of the giant bamboo (Cathariostachys madagascariensis) contain  cyanide. Despite this, the  golden bamboo lemur  ingests many times the quantity of toxin that would kill a human. The bamboo shoot in its fermented state forms an important ingredient in cuisines across the Himalayas. Pickled bamboo, used as a condiment, may also be made from the  pith  of the young shoots. Pickled bamboo shoots (Nepali: tama) are cooked with black eyed beans as a delicacy food in Nepal The empty hollow in the stalks of larger bamboo is often used to cook food in many Asian cultures. Soups are boiled and rice is cooked in the hollows of fresh stalks of bamboo directly over a flame. Medicine Bamboo is used in  Chinese medicine  for treating infections and healing. It is a low-calorie source of potassium. It is known for its sweet taste and as a good source of nutrients and protein. In  Ayurveda, the Indian system of traditional medicine, the siliceous concretion found in the culms of the bamboo stem is called  banslochan. Construction House made entirely of bamboo In its natural form, bamboo as a construction material is traditionally associated with the cultures of South Asia, East Asia and the South Pacific. In China and India, bamboo was used to hold upsimple suspension bridges, either by making cables of split bamboo or twisting whole culms of sufficiently pliable bamboo together. One such bridge in the area of Qian-Xian is referenced in writings dating back 960 A. D. and may have stood since as far back as the 3rd century B. C. , due largely to continuous maintenance. Bamboo has also long been used as scaffolding; the practice has been banned in China for buildings over six storeys but is still in continuous use for skyscrapers in  Hong Kong. In the Philippines, the  nipa hut  is a fairly typical example of the most basic sort of  housing  where bamboo is used; the walls are split and woven bamboo, and bamboo slats and poles may be used as its support. In  Japanese architecture, bamboo is used primarily as a supplemental and/or decorative element in buildings such as fencing, fountains, grates and gutters, largely due to the ready abundance of quality timber. Bamboo scaffolding  can reach great heights. Various structural shapes may be made by training the bamboo to assume them as it grows. Squared sections of bamboo are created by compressing the growing stalk within a square form. [21]  Arches may similarly be created by forcing the bamboos growth with the desired form, and costs much less than it would to assume the same shape in regular wood timber. More traditional forming methods, such as the application of heat and pressure, may also be used to curve or flatten the cut stalks. [22] Products made from bamboo laminate, including flooring, cabinetry, furniture and even decorations, are currently surging in popularity, transitioning from the boutique market to mainstream providers such as  Home Depot. The bamboo goods industry (which also includes small goods, fabric, etc. ) is expected to be worth $25 billion by the year 2012.. The quality of bamboo laminate varies between manufacturers and the maturity of the plant from which it was harvested (six years being considered the optimum); the sturdiest products fulfill their claims of being up to three times harder than  oak  hardwood, but others may be softer than standard hardwood. Bamboo intended for use in construction should be treated to resist insects and rot. Bamboo pavilion in the Shenzhen Biennale Bamboo has been used as reinforcement for concrete in those areas where it is plentiful, though dispute exists over its effectiveness in the various studies done on the subject. Bamboo does have the necessary strength to fulfill this function, but untreated bamboo will swell from the absorption of water from the concrete, causing it to crack. Several procedures must be followed to overcome this shortcoming. Several institutes, businesses, and universities are working on the bamboo as an ecological construction material. In the United States and France, it is possible to get houses made entirely of bamboo, which are earthquake and cyclone-resistant and internationally certified. In Bali, Indonesia, an international primary school, named the  Green School, is constructed entirely of bamboo, due to its beauty, and advantages as a sustainable resource. There are three  ISO  standards for bamboo as a construction material. In  Maharashtra, the bamboo groves and forests are called VeLuvana; the nameVeLu  for bamboo is most likely from Sanskrit, while  Vana  means forest. Furthermore, bamboo is also used to create flagpoles for  saffron-coloured,  Hindu  religious flags, which can be seen fluttering across India, especially  Bihar  and  Uttar Pradesh, as well as inGuyana  and  Suriname. Bamboo is used for the structural members of the  India pavilion  at  Expo 2010  in  Shanghai. The pavilion is the world’s largest bamboo dome; about 34 m in diameter, with bamboo beams/members overlaid with a ferro-cement slab, water proofing, copper plate, solar PV panels, a small windmill and live plants. A total of 30  km of bamboo was used. The dome is supported on 18-m-long steel piles and a series of steel ring beams. Textiles Because the fibers of bamboo are very short (less than 3mm), they are impossible to transform into yarn in a natural process. The usual process by which textiles labeled as being made of bamboo are produced uses only the rayon, that is being made out of the fibers with heavy employment of chemicals. To accomplish this, the fibers are broken down with chemicals and extruded through mechanical spinnerets; the chemicals include  lye,  carbon disulfide  and strong acids. Retailers have sold both end products as bamboo fabric to cash in on bamboos current ecofriendly cachet; however, the Canadian  Competition Bureau  and the US  Federal Trade Commission,[as of mid-2009, are cracking down on the practice of labeling bamboo rayon as natural bamboo fabric. Under the guidelines of both agencies, these products must be labeled as rayon with the optional qualifier from bamboo. Paper Bamboo fiber has been used to make  paper  in China since early times. A high quality hand-made paper is still produced in small quantities. Coarse bamboo paper is still used to make  spirit money  in many Chinese communities. Bamboo  pulps  are mainly produced in China,  Myanmar,  Thailand  and India and are used in  printing and writing papers. The most common bamboo species used for paper areDendrocalamus asper  and  Bamboo bluemanea. It is also possible to make  dissolving pulp  from bamboo. The average fiber length is similar to  hardwoods, but the properties of bamboo pulp are closer to  softwoods  pulps due to it having a very broad fiber length distribution. With the help of molecular tools, it is now possible to distinguish the superior fiber-yielding species/varieties even at juvenile stages of their growth which can help in unadulterated merchandise roduction. Musical instruments Bamboos natural hollow form makes it an obvious choice for many instruments, particularly wind and percussion. There are numerous types of  bamboo flute  made all over the world, such as the  dizi,  xiao,  shakuhachi,  palendag  and  jinghu. In India, it is a very popular and hi ghly respected musical instrument, available even to the poorest and the choice of many highly venerated maestros of classical music. It is known and revered above all as the divine flute forever associated with  Lord Krishna, who is always portrayed holding a  bansuri  in sculptures and paintings. Four of the instruments used in  Polynesia  for traditional  hula  are made of bamboo:  nose flute, rattle, stamping pipes and the  jaw harp. In Indonesia and the Philippines, bamboo has been used for making various kinds of musical instruments, the modern amplified string instrument, the  Chapman stick, is also constructed using bamboo. The  khene  is a mouth organ of Lao origin whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out hardwood reservoir into which air is blown, creating a sound similar to that of the violin.

Texting free essay sample

Texting trading written messages over cellphones and other devices is changing the way people communicate, (Janet). Editor Debra Nussbaum writes in an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer that by the early 2000’s Americans sent more than two trillion texts a year, by 2007, texting had exceeded phone calls by a long shot. This has definitely made a huge difference in the way people communicate with each other. To get a letter in the mail is pretty rare today especially knowing that a text will reach a loved one tout de suite. This is most definitely the generation of instant gratification and having no patience, however, that can be a good thing in certain situations. Emergencies are also being relayed instantaneously as well along with important notifications from cell phone companies and colleges. Adults are jumping on the band wagon to stay in contact with their kids, who are most likely only going to communicate in a timely manner via text. We will write a custom essay sample on Texting or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are many good things that have come out of texting, but as usual with all good things there can be downsides. Last year, David Miller, administrator of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said 911 text messaging will spread around the state and that texting is one fundamental tool in the next generation of communication with 911. In today’s society, texting is a part of our culture, and even though there are many situations where texting has proven fatal, in a situation like this one, texting has proven to be a more effective and safe way to communicate. Originally 911 texting was promoted for the hearing impaired and people with speech impairments but has recently come in handy in situations where communication with 911 needs to be quiet. If a homeowner’s house was being broken into they could text 911 instead of calling and avoid putting them in a more dangerous situation, like being heard by the intruder. Along with emergencies becoming text savvy, texting has also proven very helpful for parents trying to stay in touch with their college bound children. Many college students are busy studying or hanging out with their friends and don’t have time to pick up the phone and call home. Kim Leonard writes in an article form the Pittsburg Tribune explaining that major cell phone companies reported more people in the 40’s and 50’s are using texting to communicate with their â€Å"sons and daughters on the go†. Texting is second nature for teens and young adults these days but more times than not it isn’t for adults. To help the not so text savvy adults many cell phone companies are making dictionaries with â€Å"text-ese abreviations†. These features are making it easier for parents to be able to communicate and stay in contact with their children as well as stay cool with the new lingo and keep up with their kid’s text language. Texting has grown dramatically beyond the teenage and 20-something thumb generation over the past year, in part because parents are beginning to use the cellphone screen as another channel to communicate with children who otherwise might not have much to say, (Johnson). However, parents aren’t the only ones trying to communicate with their children using texting, colleges are catching on as well. A newspaper source said one college chose to use what’s called â€Å"JANET txt† to stay closer and keep in touch with the students in â€Å"their own language†. By doing this the college has made it easier to get ahold of students to inform them about papers due or class schedule changes or emergencies on campus. Paul Taylor, Network and Corporate Data Manager at Gateway Sixth Form College explains, On one occasion, the college had to close when our water supply was cut off, and we sent texts early the next morning when the supply was restored to tell students that the college was re-opening†¦, (Gateway Sixth Form College). These notifications are a lot easier way to communicate with busy college students and are being used by more than just colleges, today many cell phone companies will text you a notification letting you know your cell phone bill is due or if you’ve gone over your minutes. Theyre promoting phone text messaging plans that allow families hundreds of messages, or unlimited use each month, (Leonard). These unlimited usage of minutes gives teens and adults as much text time as they could want causing people to become more dependent on their phones. Unlimited usage might not be such a bad thing when it comes to parents knowing where their children are when they are with their friends or have an important message to relay to them while they are at school. While their faces may be glued to their phones at least parents know kids will see the message. Because young adults rely on texting most would actually prefer to text then call thus altering the way teens communicate with each other as well. Texting is also cheaper because most of the time its free making communicating between teens much more convenient. There was a point in the not-too distant past when students who wanted to communicate with each other at school passed notes,(Prater). Today teens aren’t passing notes in class, they are texting. Christina Porter, a senior at OHS, explains that she prefers to communicate with her friends by texting rather than calling. Teens are relying on texting so much it can also be a bad thing as well. Instead of paying attention in class they are looking at their phones and waiting for their friend to reply to their text. Walking and texting has become a trend as well. People aren’t paying attention to what’s going on around them anymore because their noses are stuck looking down at their phones. Some people may say that texting has ruined this generation’s ability to have a normal face to face conversation, that they are more antisocial or lack proper communication skills. That may or may not be true but one thing that is proving to be true is that people aren’t just paying more attention to their phones while walking but driving as well. Texting while driving has proven to be fatal which has forced many states to ban the use of any cell phone usage while driving. This is one of the huge downfalls of using texting as a form to communicate. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveals that nearly 6,000 people were killed last year in accidents caused by distracted drivers, and 515,000 people were injured. People feel like they are getting away with using their cell phones while driving because the police can’t see the phone in the driver’s hands if they are texting. â€Å"Talking or eating doesnt require that you look away from the road, but texting does. That quick glance can make a huge difference: Texting truck drivers are 23 times more likely to crash, according to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study†, (Its dum). Talk or text is the question people should ask themselves if they just can’t detach themselves from their phones long enough to drive to the local market for more milk. Unfortunately teens, because they tend to be more attached to their phones, are the number one offenders of this crime. 46% of teenagers say they text while driving, according to a 2007 AAA study. A new video, made by a British police department, graphically depicts a texting teen crashing her vehicle and has no doubt made an impression on its 1. 8 million YouTube viewers, (Its dum). Hopefully it won’t take a million teens experiencing their friends dying in car wrecks caused by texting to quite the bad habit. While texting and driving have been the cause of numerous deaths on the road, some would argue texting has been the killer of romance as well. Regardless if people want it or not, â€Å"the digital age† has generated a new expectation for modern romance. â€Å"Natural selection may be favoring† the text savvy, jokester rather than the self-assured â€Å"alpha male†, (Has Texting Killed Romance? ). People don’t risk walking up to someone they find attractive any more when it’s much easier to find out what their number is from an outside source and text them. Texting has changed the smooth talker to the smooth texter. â€Å"We havent lost romance in the digital age, but we may be neglecting it†, (Has Texting Killed Romance? ). Some would argue that yes, texting has taken the art of formal, face to face communication out of society but we are a constantly evolving world. Now we can send a text with a picture or talk via video massage. Writing is definitely not going away either it’s just developed into a new form, instantaneous digital delivery. Hopefully we can learn to appreciate the good things that have come from texting and all the other forms of communication. Soon we will be sending 3D images of ourselves on some kind of projector and maybe even talking into our hands. All in all texting is not going away and so we must learn to make it work for the better and not the worst.

Queen Victoria Quotes

Queen Victoria Quotes Queen Victoria, the longest-ruling monarch of Great Britain, ruled during a time of economic and imperial expansion, and gave her name to the Victorian Era. Selected Queen Victoria Quotations We are not amused. (attributed) Please understand that there is no one depressed in this house; we are not interested in the possibilities of defeat; they do not exist. Move Queen Anne? Most certainly not! Why it might some day be suggested that my statue should be moved, which I should much dislike. (about moving a statue of Queen Anne for Victorias Diamond Jubilee) The Queen is most anxious to enlist every one who can speak or write to join in checking this mad, wicked folly of Womans Rights, with all its attendant horrors, on which her poor feeble sex is bent, forgetting every sense of womanly feeling and propriety. The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them. His purity was too great, his aspiration too high for this poor, miserable world! His great soul is now only enjoying that for which it was worthy! When I think of a merry, happy, free young girl and look at the ailing, aching state a young wife generally is doomed to which you cant deny is the penalty of marriage. I feel sure that no girl would go to the altar if she knew all. An ugly baby is a very nasty object, and the prettiest is frightful when undressed. I dont dislike babies, though I think very young ones rather disgusting. I would venture to warn against too great intimacy with artists as it is very seductive and a little dangerous. Great events make me quiet and calm; it is only trifles that irritate my nerves. He speaks to Me as if I was a public meeting. (of Mr. Gladstone) More About Queen Victoria Queen Victoria BiographyHow Is Queen Elizabeth II Related to Queen Victoria?   About These Quotes Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not be able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote.

Infosys and Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essays

Infosys and Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essays Infosys and Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essay Infosys and Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essay Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is defined as a businesss policy to encourage positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities and all other member of the public who may be considered its stakeholders. [8] Analysis The Infosys Foundation The Infosys Foundation was established in the year 1996 with the goal of serving the under-privileged sections of the society The focus areas of the foundation are: Learning and education in 2007, the foundation embarked on the Library for Every Rural School program to get people to donate books in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and Kerala. It has since set up 35,000 school libraries, the largest rural education program in India. Healthcare Since its inception in 1996, the foundation has constructed hospital wards, donated medicines and advanced medical equipment to hospitals, and organized health camps in remote areas, all in order to get the under-privileged access to modern medical practices. Arts Culture The Infosys Foundation sustains and preserves several art forms that are unique to our country and form a part of our heritage. Over the years it has sponsored art and music shows by rural artists, sponsored documentaries on Indian culture and published books that delineate the roots of art in Karnataka. Social Rehabilitation and Rural Uplift The foundation works for the welfare of destitute women and children and also helps towards developing rural India by providing education and vocational skills. It has built orphanages where education is prioritized and organized training centres for destitute women in and around Karnataka. Assessment There are a number of observations to be made from the above. Firstly, Infosys is seen to be engaged in various, unconnected welfare activities. Though laudable, this may not be the best policy to adopt towards CSR because many of these have little or no relevance to its core business ability. Thus, there is a chance that it may drop them in the future if aspects of the activities start to clash with their normal business working. This will damage the entire premise of sustainability that the company promotes about its CSR. The extremely local nature of these activities (most are based in and around Karnataka) show that Infosys is perhaps trying to build a good relationship at home where it wants to address as many problems as possible. However, scaling up of these activities will be the real test of its CSR practices because being a global company it cannot afford to limit its welfare activities to only one region. This may raise questions about their sincerity as their efforts may be construed as simply trying to appease the authorities at home and maybe get benefits over its competition. In the next section we will see that in matters in which it has expertise, Infosys has already expanded its activities to the global level. Sustainable Social Change Infosys makes the proud claim of influencing sustainable social change through its varied development initiatives. [1] The following are some of these initiatives: Education and Intellectual Capability It is no secret that India is engineering-mad with Indian Engineering Institutions churning out over 500,000 science and engineering graduates every year. However, even as rival IT companies and a host of other recruiters vie with Infosys over the recruitment of the fresh, inexpensive engineering talent, there is little that these corporates have done to aid in the recognition and reward of top Indian research. This is a matter of pressing concern because not only does this hamper the intellectual capital of our country in relation to competition from overseas (Even China has more PhDs per capita than India) but it promotes a lack of systematic learning that ultimately results in making a lot of these graduates unfit for immediate industrial employment. It is here that Infosys has once again differentiated itself from the competition by undertaking ventures that promote science and engineering education as more than simply a means of landing a job. The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) was set up with the goal of achieving the above. It was set up by some of the companys founder members in February 2009 with the aim to elevate the prestige of scientific research in India and inspire young Indians to choose a vocation in scientific research. The ISF honours outstanding contributions and achievements by Indians in various streams of science with the Infosys Prize in five categories: mathematical sciences, physical sciences, engineering and computer sciences, life sciences and social sciences. The award is given to Indian scientists below the age of 50. The Foundation is funded by an amount of Rs. 215,000,000 contributed by the members of the Infosys Board and an annual grant from Infosys Tech. Ltd. The annual award in each category amounts to Rs. 5,000,000. The importance of this award is highlighted by the names of its past winners and their achievements, for e.g. last year the award for Life Sciences went to Dr. Chetan Chitnis for having discovered the first viable malaria vaccine and the award for Engineering Sciences went to Prof. Ashutosh Sharma for his applications in energy storage. Along similar lines is the ACM Infosys Foundation Award in Computer Sciences, established in August 2007 and carrying a cash award of USD 150,000 provided by the Infosys Foundation Endowment. It aims to reward educators and researchers whose work in software systems foster innovations that address existing challenges in the domain. Assessment Unlike a number of Indian companies whose education related welfare activities focus primarily on issues of primary/basic education, Infosys initiatives are unique in that they are associated exclusively with the domain of higher technical education, a segment in which it is arguably the most respected company in the country. This allows it to create perfect synergy between its everyday business activities and its investments in the above initiatives because unlike a lot of other companies who get into CSR without doing their homework and as a result get accused of doing it for ulterior motives, Infosys engagement with the field of technical education is a natural extension of its business practices. Its approach in this direction must also be lauded. While Narayana Murty has been accused in the past of favouring foreign universities when it came to giving grants, his decision of having Infosys establish the above awards is a godsend for the research establishment in India because though grants may be siphoned off by agencies without the threat of accountability, awarding individuals for their excellence is more effective as it provides a greater encouragement for others to follow in their shoes. But Infosys has not completely ignored the primary and secondary education sectors either. It has just approached it in a different way and yet received accolades all the same. A case in point is the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which was founded in 2000 and has three senior Infosys members apart from numerous Infosys volunteers who work towards providing free midday meals to schoolchildren. The foundations functions in partnership with state and central governments and currently serves over 1.3 million students in 7699 schools across India. Its impact is easy to assess from third party recognitions: it was awarded an International Fellowship by the US Congressional Hunger Centre, it received the 2008 CNBC India Business Leader of the Year Award and it even made it to the MBA curriculum as a case study at the Harvard School of Business in 2007. Similarly, Infosys BPOs work on Project Genesis, under which it works to improve the written and spoken communication capabilities in addition to the analytical skills of students in Tier 2 and 3 towns of the country so that they become employable, was awarded as the best CSR initiative at the 8th National Outsourcing Association (NOA) Awards 2011, in London. It was especially lauded for making sure that no expense was incurred by the participating academicians in the program. Community Development Unlike the education schemes already mentioned, community development initiatives do not at first seem the best fit with the companys existing activities. However, Infosys has done its share of work in this domain too and while most of it has been in the vicinity of its offices, there are projects like the Flood Relief Project for the victims of northern Karnataka in which the company has participated quite actively. Only last year the first phase of their initiative to construct 2250 houses across 18 villages was completed and subsequently these houses were handed over to the villagers. Assessment This aspect of Infosys CSR efforts can also be criticized for not matching with the core business abilities of the organization. The question to be asked is whether Infosys could have done a better job as simply a service consultant (a domain in which it already has expertise) to a third-party organization and have the latter handle the actual on-ground developmental work. Also, nearly all of Infosys developmental work has come in the neighbourhood of Karnataka. The scalability of this work can be called into question much like in the case of the Infosys Foundation. Regionalized developmental work can always raise questions about its sincerity, i.e. whether they are simply means to appease the local public/authorities. Infosys Eco Group Plans and Implementation Infosys has been considering the worsening impact of businesses on the environment for several years and has understood the importance of a clean environment and energy efficient solutions. It has hence committed itself to come up with innovations which positively impact the environment and can lead to large energy savings. Many of these have been implemented at Infosys itself. Under this initiative of Green Innovation, Infosys has not only come with a number of ideas but has also implemented some of them in tangible forms: iSustain: Carbon energy and resource management tool that helps the user to generate and monitor the use of various resources such as energy and water etc. being used, take majors to allot them efficiently and also monitor the carbon footprint. InGreen Energy Management: A tool used by Infosys to monitor the energy consumption at micro level and to take majors to cut on unnecessary usage. Using this, Infosys has been successfully reducing its carbon emission at a rate of more than 5% per annum. InGreen Personal Carbon Calculator: A tool that helps the user organizations to assess their impact on ecological systems in terms of carbon emission. Smart Integrator for Smart Grid: A device that continuously monitors the power usage of various devices in the range using a sensor and controls them accordingly. Infosys also plans to become carbon neutral and shift to entirely renewable energy by 2017. The steps taken for the same seem to be promising which include building of renewable energy power generation plants (recently they have built a solar energy plant at Jaipur Campus) and aiming for a platinum rating, the highest rating given by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for environment friendly architecture. In January 2012, the third building at the Mysore Campus achieved this rating. Besides these, Infosys has been taking small but effective measures to reduce its own energy consumption, such as building designs with maximum exposure to natural light, design of windows which could lead to reduction in room temperature thus saving on air conditioning consumption of energy, increasing use of green power and use of recycled water. (Refer Exhibit 1) Assessment In year 2011, Infosys has saved more than 4 lakh units of conventional energy units through the use of the renewable energy sources. Not only has this helped in energy conservation but it has also resulted in savings of Rs. 20 Crore for the organization. In a similar way, innovative ideas such as smart integrator, rooms having maximum exposure to day light, optimum room temperature maintenance measures and use of LED and CFL tubes in place of conventional ones saved more than 7 lakh units of electricity, accounting for monetary benefit of Rs. 35 lakhs. In addition to these, Infosys is working closely with the Karnataka Government and Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) for implementation of renewable energy power plants. It has been successful in convincing KERC to remove the cross-subsidy on renewable energy thus reducing its cost. Moreover as a result of these efforts, KERC has made it compulsory for the power utilities in Karnataka to buy at least 0.25% of total energy in form of solar energy, which will cost the end users only 4 paise more than regular rate per unit. Though listed under the CSR activities and initiated as Green Innovations, the activities mentioned above are not only intended to improve the environmental conditions as a social need but are also aimed at a reduction in Infosys energy consumption thereby giving it a competitive advantage as it can sell these innovative solutions to its clients as well. It is these latter observations that have been points of concern for critics who blame Infosys of hyping its energy savings and accuse it of Greenwashing. [18] Employee-Driven CSR Employees at Infosys are given ample opportunities to contribute to the society. This way of engaging employees to have hands on experience on CSR can also help the society, which needs responsible citizens to contribute man hours. The policy also helps these employees to attain their personal aspirations of serving the society. This sabbatical policy was initiated in the year 2008, where all the employees are encouraged to work through Infosys Foundation to support the needs of the society. The company as an entity is greatly supportive of its employees in executing the initiatives. The employees are made to pledge that they will make a difference to the society on a consistent basis. For effective execution, the company has individual divisions which run independent of each other under major themes like Health, Art, Education, Rural welfare and Rehabilitation and Targeted inclusive growth. A governance framework has also been put in place to streamline and implement the employee driven CSR initiatives in order to provide operational efficiencies and financial transparency.

Chronic Disease Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chronic Disease Paper - Essay Example According to Andrew Prentice, professor of international nutrition at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, he finds developing countries facing a â€Å"double burden of disease†. Nutrition and life styles play a major role where chronic diseases are concerned. Cancer occurs or develops when the abnormal cells in ones body grow rapidly out of control. Normally, the cells in our body grow, divide and die in a systematic fashion. When the person is young, the cells grow rapidly until the person reaches adulthood after which the cells in the body mostly divide to repair any injury or to replace the dead or worn – out cells. In the case of Cancer, the cells are much different than normal cells. They keep on growing and dividing replacing the normal cells with abnormal ones. Cancer occurs because of the damage caused to the DNA which is present in every cell and conducts all our activities. Usually, when the DNA becomes damaged, the body is in a position to repair it. But in case the cells are cancerous, the DNA is not repaired. Damaged DNA can also be inherited and therefore can get cancer later on in life. Substances in the environment can damage the DNA, such as smoke from tobacco. Cancer cells often travel to different parts of the body where they take root and grow and multiply while replacing normal tissue. The process by which this takes place is called â€Å"Metastasis†. Most of the Cancers form tumors but in the case of leukemia no tumor is formed but instead these cells flow with the blood and circulate through the blood forming organs. Different types of cancer react differently to different types of treatment. All cancers are not life threatening. The tumors may be benign or non-cancerous and do not spread or metastasize to the various parts of the body. They multiply at a different pace and needs a

Geography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Geography - Assignment Example The first phase in weathering of rocks is fracturing, which entails the formation of joints and cracks. Jointing a means through which rocks yield to both external and internal stresses including tectonic movements, contraction and expansion as a result of chemical or physical changes. Joints in rocks result from cooling or when pressure on their rock surface gets offloaded through erosion. Joints facilitate weathering by creating free space weathering agents, which increasing the surface area of rocks exposed to agents of physical or chemical weathering (Spellman, 2009). â€Å"They play an important part in rock weathering as zones of weakness and water movement† (Spellman, 2009, p.96). A slope failure refers to the collapsing of a slope caused by weakened stability of the earth in the event of an earthquake or heavy downpour. In most cases, slope failure often catches people unaware when it happens near residential areas causing high fatality rates. In order to determine whether a building lot is safe, it is important to assess slope failure factors such as gravity, physical properties of slope materials, and level of saturation of the area. Assessing all these factors would reveal the level of safety of the building

The White Dress Poem Essay Example for Free

The White Dress Poem Essay The White Dress is an expressionism poem discussing a powerful, universal connection with the dress hanging in the woman’s closet. She analyzes how she thinks the dress sitting in the closet would feels, should it be alive, ready to be at her service upon demand, cosmetically. When she wears decorative highly fashionable dress, the dress becomes a part of her, and the woman becomes part of the dress. The two are inseparable, like she is describing two special people feel towards each other. The white dress described in this poem is a formal dress, taken out for special occasions. Of all the dresses in her closet, and even other white dresses in her closet, this is the dress she writes an analytical emotional poem about. Perhaps she is discussing a one time special occasion when she was wearing the dress, perhaps when she got engaged, met a special friend, or maybe she is expressing her desire to wear the formal reserved dress more often.   The deep fascination she has with the dress is very intriguing, because the strongest emotional empowerment she feels to the dress is invisible, but overwhelming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In her line in the first paragraph â€Å"We itch to feel it, it itches to feel us, it feels like an itch† (Emanuel, par. 1 lines 3, 4). This line is saying there is an underlying emotional reason why she was attracted to purchase that particular dress in the store, amongst all other dresses. Everyone, or at least all women, experience this â€Å"sudden click† when they see a dress or other item when shopping. There are items everyone buys, for example everyone needs clothes. Most clothes are purchased because the look good, or we need them for something coming up. Then there are items that click with us. When this happens, we always just happen to have the money, sometimes it may be barely enough, and more often than not, it is on clearance or better than average price. When she talks about mutual â€Å"itch† she is describing that sudden click when we see an item calling out to us in the store.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Next paragraphs she speaks about its decorations, the actual character or identity of the dress. â€Å"Encrusted with beading, its an eczema 5 of sequins, rough, gullied, riven, puckered with stitchery† (Emanuel, Par. 2 lines 5, 6, 7). †Bouquet of a woman’s body, or its armor and it fits like a glove.† She is saying she becomes the decorations, comparing her body to a bouquet of flowers, the dress acting as a vase. There is a phrase or saying in professional ballroom and salsa dancing, the man is the frame and the woman is the picture. The dress frames or outlines her body, like a vase, but she is the actual attraction inside the dress. But she is enslaved to the dress to make her look good. â€Å"When we’re in it we’re machinery.† (Emanuel, Par 4, line 13).   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Right now it’s lonely locked up in the closet; while we’re busy fussing at our vanity† (Emanuel, Par. 5, 6 Lines 15, 16, 17).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tonality of this poem is consistent from beginning to end. A woman talks about a formal dress in her closet reserved for special occasions. She obviously had a very special event with the dress, probably meeting a special person or friend who made am important impact on her life. Not many of us think about any of the clothes sitting in our closet, not even the formals that stand out until we are planning an occasion we will wear the dress, or within the first few moments we bring it home. There is a hint of guilt in some of her lines, talking about the dress sitting in the closet, waiting for it to be called upon again.   This poem sums up her powerful invisible connection to the dress, talking about it like it much more than just another item. She identifies herself with the dress, almost like she is becoming another person or going into another realm of the universe when she puts on this dress.

Australian Economy - Foreign Debt :: essays research papers

Throughout its history Australia has had to rely on foreign savings to finance its development as did America until the World War I. This savings inflow showed up as a current account deficit that averaged 2.5 per cent of GDP. The 1980s monetary explosion under Keating saw this average leap to about 4.5 per cent. The soothing argument was that this sudden rise only meant that more foreign savings are being invested in Australia. That most of the foreign debt was incurred by the private sector was waved about as proof of this proposition. The debt, we were told, was being used to generate future income. If only it had been that simple. The painful truth is that a good part, if not most, of that capital inflow was wasted and the previous labour government was to blame. Foreign debt now stands at about 51 per cent of GDP. It is claimed by some that Australia has been forced to finance this debt by selling off the farm, and this is largely the fault of the private sector borrowing. This is economic nonsense. The 1980s saw the money supply spin out of control; at one point monetary growth was averaging 25 per cent a year. (In 2001 the present government allowed M1 to explode by 22 per cent and deposits by 25 per cent). As any classical economist — a much maligned breed — would have warned, the results were rising interest rates and rising current account deficits. True, the monetary expansion stimulated the economy — it also gave us an unsustainable boom followed by the inevitable bust. With monetary demand rising, interest rates at historically high levels and inadequate domestic savings the private sector was forced to borrow abroad. Much of the borrowings by business went into mal-investments: investments that would turnout to be unprofitable. This happened because the monetary expansion (inflation) misdirected production and hence investment by sending distorted price signals to investors. The situation was aggravated by a speculative fever fuelled by the boom and by any elements of the tax structure that favoured debt. Only accelerating inflation could maintain these mal-investments. Eventually, as we know, the government finally punctured its monetary boom with 20 per cent plus interest rates. The mal-investments revealed themselves as idle resources and humiliated entrepreneurs. What we could not liquidate was our foreign debt. The debt was bad because of the circumstances that created it.

Management Information System Questions

————————————————- MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM Question 1(10 Marks) Discuss five (5) challenges of Management Information System (MIS). Answers Introduction A Management Information System (MIS) provides information which is needed to manage organizations effectively. Management information systems involve three primary resources such as people, technology and information or decision making. Management information systems are distinct from other information systems in that they are used to analyze operation activities in the organization.Academically, the term is commonly used to refer to the group of information management methods tied to the automation support of human decision making, e. g. decision support systems, expert systems and executive information systems. The Challenge of Management Information System (MIS) Although information technology is advancing at a bli nding pace, there is nothing easy or mechanical about building and using information systems. There are five major challenges confronting managers: 1. The information systems investment challengeIt is obvious that one of the greatest challenges facing managers today is ensuring that their companies do indeed obtain meaningful returns on the money they spend on information systems. It’s one thing to use information technology to design, produce, deliver, and maintain new products. It’s another thing to make money doing it. How can organizations obtain a sizable payoff from their investment in information systems? How can management ensure that information systems contribute to corporate value?Senior management can be expected to ask these questions: How can we evaluate our information systems investments as we do other investments? Are we receiving the return on investment from our systems that we should? Do our competitors get more? Far too many firms still cannot answ er these questions. Their executives are likely to have trouble determining how much they actually spend on technology or how to measure the returns on their technology investments. Most companies lack a clear-cut decision-making process for eciding which technology investments to pursue and for managing those investments. 2. The strategic challenge What complementary assets are needed to use information technology effectively? Despite heavy information technology investments, many organizations are not realizing significant business value from their systems, because they lack—or fail to appreciate—the complementary assets required to make their technology assets work. The power of computer hardware and software has grown much more rapidly than the ability of organizations to apply and use this technology.To benefit fully from information technology, realize genuine productivity, and become competitive and effective, many organizations actually need to be redesigned. T hey will have to make fundamental changes in employee and management behavior, develop new work models, retire obsolete work rules, and eliminate the inefficiencies of outmoded business processes and organizational structures. New technology alone will not produce meaningful business benefits. 3. The globalization challengeHow can firms understand the requirements of a global economic environment? The rapid growth in international trade and the emergence of a global economy call for information systems that can support both producing and selling goods in many different countries. In the past, each regional office of a multinational corporation focused on solving its own unique information problems. Given language, cultural, and political differences among countries, this focus frequently resulted in chaos and the failure of central management controls.To develop integrated, multinational, information systems, businesses must develop global hardware, software, and communications stan dards; create cross-cultural accounting and reporting structures; and design transnational business processes. 4. The information technology infrastructure challenge: How can organizations develop an information technology infrastructure that can support their goals when business conditions and technologies are changing so rapidly? Many companies are saddled with expensive and unwieldy information technology platforms that cannot adapt to innovation and change.Their information systems are so complex and brittle that they act as constraints on business strategy and execution. Meeting new business and technology challenges may require redesigning the organization and building a new information technology (IT) infrastructure. Creating the IT infrastructure for a digital firm is an especially formidable task. Most companies are crippled by fragmented and incompatible computer hardware, software, telecommunications networks, and information systems that prevent information from flowing freely between different parts of the organization.Although Internet standards are solving some of these connectivity problems, creating data and computing platforms that span the enterprise—and, increasingly, link the enterprise to external business partners—is rarely as seamless as promised. Many organizations are still struggling to integrate their islands of information and technology. 5. Ethics and security challenge: The responsibility and control challenge: How can organizations ensure that their information systems are used in an ethically and socially responsible manner?How can we design information systems that people can control and understand? Although information systems have provided enormous benefits and efficiencies, they have also created new ethical and social problems and challenges. A major management challenge is to make informed decisions that are sensitive to the negative consequences of information systems as well to the positive ones. Managers face an ongoing struggle to maintain security and control. Today, the threat of unauthorized penetration or disruption of information systems has never been greater.Information systems are so essential to business, government, and daily life that organizations must take special steps to ensure their security, accuracy, and reliability. A firm invites disaster if it uses systems that can be disrupted or accessed by outsiders, that do not work as intended, or that do not deliver information in a form that people can correctly use. Information systems must be designed so that they are secure, function as intended, and so that humans can control the process. QUESTION 2 (10 Marks)Explain with example (s) one (1) of the following Enterprise Applications: a) ERP b) SCM c) CRM Answers a) ERP Introduction In 1990, Gartner Group first employed the acronym ERP as an extension of material requirements planning (MRP), later manufacturing resource planning and computer-integrated manufacturing. W ithout supplanting these terms, ERP came to represent a larger whole, reflecting the evolution of application integration beyond manufacturing. Not all ERP packages were developed from a manufacturing core.Vendors variously began with accounting, maintenance and human resources. By the mid-1990s, ERP systems addressed all core functions of an enterprise. Beyond corporations, governments and non-profit organizations also began to employ ERP systems. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance or accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application.Their purpose is to facilitate then flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside stakeholders. ERP systems can ru n on a variety of computer hardware and network configurations, typically employing a database as a repository for information. Characteristics ERP systems typically include the following characteristics:- * An integrated systems that operates in real time (or next to real time), without relying on periodic updates. * A common database, which supports all applications. * A consistent look and feel throughout each module. Installation of the system without elaborate application/data integration by the Information Technology (IT) department. Examples: * Finance/ Accounting : General ledger, payables, cash management, fixed assets, receivables, budgeting and consolidation. * Human Resources : payroll, training, benefits, 401K, recruiting and diversity management. * Manufacturing : Engineering, bill of materials, work orders, scheduling, capacity, workflow management, quality control, cost management, manufacturing process, manufacturing projects, manufacturing flow, activity based cost ing, product lifecycle management. Supply chain management : Order to cash, inventory, order entry, purchasing, product configurator, supply chain planning, supplier scheduling, inspection of goods, claim processing, commissions. * Project management : Costing, billing, time and expense, performance units, activity management. * Customer relationship management : Sales and marketing, commissions, service, customer contact, call center support. * Data services : Various â€Å"self–service† interfaces for customers, suppliers and/or employees. * Access control : Management of user privileges for various processes. Components:- * Transactional database Management portal/dashboard * Business intelligence system * Customizable reporting * External access via technology such as web services * Search * Document management * Messaging/chat/wiki * Workflow management Connectivity to Plant Floor Information ERP systems connect to real–time data and transaction data in a v ariety of ways. These systems are typically configured by systems integrators, who bring unique knowledge on process, equipment, and vendor solutions. Direct integration—ERP systems have connectivity (communications to plant floor equipment) as part of their product offering.This requires the vendors to offer specific support for the plant floor equipment that their customers operate. ERP vendors must be expert in their own products, and connectivity to other vendor products, including competitors. Database integration—ERP systems connect to plant floor data sources through staging tables in a database. Plant floor systems deposit the necessary information into the database. The ERP system reads the information in the table. The benefit of staging is that ERP vendors do not need to master the complexities of equipment integration. Connectivity becomes the responsibility of the systems integrator.Enterprise appliance transaction modules (EATM)—These devices commu nicate directly with plant floor equipment and with the ERP system via methods supported by the ERP system. EATM can employ a staging table, Web Services, or system–specific program interfaces (APIs). The benefit of an EATM is that it offers an off–the–shelf solution. Custom–integration solutions—Many system integrators offer custom solutions. These systems tend to have the highest level of initial integration cost, and can have a higher long term maintenance and reliability costs. Long term costs can be minimized through careful system testing and thorough documentation.Custom–integrated solutions typically run on workstation or server class computers. Implementation ERP's scope usually implies significant changes to staff work processes and practices. Generally, three types of services are available to help implement such changes—consulting, customization, and support. Implementation time depends on business size, number of modules, customization, the scope of process changes, and the readiness of the customer to take ownership for the project. Modular ERP systems can be implemented in stages. The typical project for a large enterprise consumes about 14 months and requires around 150 consultants.Small projects can require months; multinational and other large implementations can take years. Customization can substantially increase implementation times. Process preparation Implementing ERP typically requires changes in existing business processes. Poor understanding of needed process changes prior to starting implementation is a main reason for project failure. It is therefore crucial that organizations thoroughly analyze business processes before implementation. This analysis can identify opportunities for process modernization. It also enables an assessment of the alignment of current processes with those provided by the ERP system.Research indicates that the risk of business process mismatch is decreased by: * linking current processes to the organization's strategy; * analyzing the effectiveness of each process; * understanding existing automated solutions. ERP implementation is considerably more difficult (and politically charged) in decentralized organizations, because they often have different processes, business rules, data semantics, authorization hierarchies and decision centers. This may require migrating some business units before others, delaying implementation to work through the necessary changes for each unit, possibly reducing integration (e. . linking via Master data management) or customizing the system to meet specific needs. A potential disadvantage is that adopting â€Å"standard† processes can lead to a loss of competitive advantage. While this has happened, losses in one area are often offset by gains in other areas, increasing overall competitive advantage. Configuration Configuring an ERP system is largely a matter of balancing the way the customer wants t he system to work with the way it was designed to work. ERP systems typically build many changeable parameters that modify system operation.For example, an organization can select the type of inventory accounting—FIFO or LIFO—to employ, whether to recognize revenue by geographical unit, product line, or distribution channel and whether to pay for shipping costs when a customer returns a purchase. Customization ERP systems are theoretically based on industry best practices and are intended to be deployed â€Å"as is†. ERP vendors do offer customers configuration options that allow organizations to incorporate their own business rules but there are often functionality gaps remaining even after the configuration is complete.ERP customers have several options to reconcile functionality gaps, each with their own pros/cons. Technical solutions include rewriting part of the delivered functionality, writing a homegrown bolt-on/add-on module within the ERP system, or int erfacing to an external system. All three of these options are varying degrees of system customization, with the first being the most invasive and costly to maintain. Alternatively, there are non-technical options such as changing business practices and/or organizational policies to better match the delivered ERP functionality.Key differences between customization and configuration include: * Customization is always optional, whereas the software must always be configured before use (e. g. , setting up cost/profit center structures, organizational trees, purchase approval rules, etc. ) * The software was designed to handle various configurations, and behaves predictably in any allowed configuration. * The effect of configuration changes on system behavior and performance is predictable and is the responsibility of the ERP vendor. The effect of customization is less predictable, is the customer's responsibility and increases testing activities. Configuration changes survive upgrades to new software versions. Some customizations (e. g. code that uses pre–defined â€Å"hooks† that are called before/after displaying data screens) survive upgrades, though they require retesting. Other customizations (e. g. those involving changes to fundamental data structures) are overwritten during upgrades and must be re-implemented. Customization Advantages: * Improves user acceptance * Offers the potential to obtain competitive advantage vis-a-vis companies using only standard features. Customization Disadvantages: * Increases time and resources required to both implement and maintain. Inhibits seamless communication between suppliers and customers who use the same ERP system un-customized. * Over reliance on customization undermines the principles of ERP as a standardizing software platform Extensions ERP systems can be extended with third–party software. ERP vendors typically provide access to data and functionality through published interfaces. Extensio ns offer features such as:- * archiving, reporting and republishing; * capturing transactional data, e. g. using scanners, tills or RFID * access to specialized data/capabilities, such as syndicated marketing data and associated trend analytics. advanced planning and scheduling (APS) Data migration Data migration is the process of moving/copying and restructuring data from an existing system to the ERP system. Migration is critical to implementation success and requires significant planning. Unfortunately, since migration is one of the final activities before the production phase, it often receives insufficient attention. The following steps can structure migration planning: * Identify the data to be migrated * Determine migration timing * Generate the data templates * Freeze the toolset Decide on migration-related setups * Define data archiving policies and procedures. Comparison to special–purpose applications Advantages The fundamental advantage of ERP is that integrating the myriad processes by which businesses operate saves time and expense. Decisions can be made more quickly and with fewer errors. Data becomes visible across the organization. Tasks that benefit from this integration include: * Sales forecasting, which allows inventory optimization * Chronological history of every transaction through relevant data compilation in every area of operation. Order tracking, from acceptance through fulfillment * Revenue tracking, from invoice through cash receipt * Matching purchase orders (what was ordered), inventory receipts (what arrived), and costing (what the vendor invoiced) ERP systems centralize business data, bringing the following benefits: * They eliminate the need to synchronize changes between multiple systems—consolidation of finance, marketing and sales, human resource, and manufacturing applications * They bring legitimacy and transparency in each bit of statistical data. They enable standard product naming/coding. * They provide a comprehensive enterprise view (no â€Å"islands of information†). They make real–time information available to management anywhere, any time to make proper decisions. * They protect sensitive data by consolidating multiple security systems into a single structure. Disadvantages * Customization is problematic. * Re–engineering business processes to fit the ERP system may damage competitiveness and/or divert focus from other critical activities * ERP can cost more than less integrated and or less comprehensive solutions. High switching costs associated with ERP can increase the ERP vendor's negotiating power which can result in higher support, maintenance, and upgrade expenses. * Overcoming resistance to sharing sensitive information between departments can divert management attention. * Integration of truly independent businesses can create unnecessary dependencies. * Extensive training requirements take resources from daily operations. Due to ERP's architectur e (OLTP, On-Line Transaction Processing) ERP systems are not well suited for production planning and supply chain management (SCM) The limitations of ERP have been recognized sparking new trends in ERP application development, the four significant developments being made in ERP are, creating a more flexible ERP, Web-Enable ERP, Enterprise ERP and e-Business Suites, each of which will potentially address the failings of the current ERP. QUESTION 3 (18 Marks) Describe with example all stages of System Development Lifecycle.Answers Introduction The Systems development life cycle (SDLC), or Software development process in systems engineering, information systems and software engineering, is a process of creating or altering information systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems. In software engineering the SDLC concept underpins many kinds of software development methodologies. These methodologies form the framework for planning and controlling th e creation of an information system: the software development process.Software development contains set of activities which when performed in coordination and in accordance with one another result in the desired result. Software development methodologies are used for the computer based information systems. The growth of the information’s has to pass through various phases or stages these stages are known as System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The SDLC follows a well defined process by which the system is conceived, developed and implemented. To understand system development, we need to recognize that a candidate system has a life cycle, much like a living system or a new product.Systems analysis and design are based to the system life cycle. The stages are described below. The analyst must progress from one stage to another methodically, answering key questions and achieving results in each stage. Figure 1 : System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Stages Step 1: Recognition of Need – What is the Problem? One must know what the problem is before it can be solved. The basis for a candidate system is recognition of a need for improving an information system or a procedure. For example, a supervisor may want to investigate the system flow in purchasing.Or a bank president has been getting complaints about the long lines in the drive – in. This need leads to a preliminary survey or an initial investigation to determine whether an alternative system can solve the problem. It entails looking into the duplication of effort bottlenecks, inefficient existing procedures, or whether parts of the existing system would be candidates for computerization. If the problem is serious enough, management may want to have an analyst look at it, such an assignment implies a commitment, especially if the analyst hired from the utside. In larger environments, where formal procedures are the norm, the analyst’s first task is to prepare a statement specifying the scope and objective of the problem. He/she then reviews it with the user for accuracy at this stage, only a rough â€Å"ball parle† estimate of the development cost of the project may be reached. However, an accurate cost of the next phase – the feasibility study – can be produced. Step 2: Feasibility Study Depending on the results of the initial investigation, the survey is expanded to a more detailed feasibility study.As we shall learn, a feasibility study is a test of a system proposal according to its workability impact on the organization, ability to meet user needs, and effective use of resources. It focuses on their major questions: * What are the user’s demonstrable needs and how does a candidate system meet them? * What resources are available for given candidate systems? Is the problem worth solving? * What are the likely impact of the candidate system on the organization? How will it fit within the organization’s master MIS plan?Each of these questions must be answered carefully. They revolve around investigation and evaluation of the problem, identification and description of candidate systems, specification of performance and the cost of each system, and final selection of the best system. The objective of a feasibility study is not to solve the problem but to acquire a sense of its scope. During the study, the problem definition is crystallized and aspects of the problem to be included in the system are determined. Consequently, costs and benefits are estimated with greater accuracy at this stage.The result of the feasibility study is a formal proposal. This is simply a report – a formal document detailing the nature and scope of the proposed solution. The proposal summarizes what is known and what is going to be done. It consists of the following. 1. Statement of the Problem – a carefully worded statement of the problem that led to analysis. 2. Summary of Findings and Recommendations – a list of the major findings and recommendations of the study. It is ideal for the user who required quick access to the results of the analysis of the system under study.Conclusions are stated, followed by a list of the recommendations and a justification for them. 3. Details of Findings – An outline of the methods and procedures undertaken by the existing system, followed by coverage of objectives ; procedures of the candidate system. Included are also discussions of output reports, file structures, and costs and benefits of the candidate system. 4. Recommendations and Conclusions – special recommendations regarding the candidate system, including the personal assignments costs, project schedules, and target dates.Three key considerations are involved in the feasibility analysis: economic, technical, behavioral. Let’s briefly review each consideration and how it relates to the systems effort. * Economic Feasibility: Economic analysis is the most frequently use d method for evaluating the effectiveness of a candidate system. More commonly known as cost/benefit analysis, the procedure is to determine the benefits and savings that are expected from a candidate system and compare them with costs. If benefits outweigh costs, then the decision is made to design and implement the system.Otherwise, further justification or alterations in the proposed system will have to be made if it is to have a chance of being approved. This is an ongoing effort that improves in accuracy at each phase of the system life cycle. * Technical Feasibility: Technical feasibility centers around the existing computer system (hardware, software etc. ) and to what extent it can support the proposed addition. For example, if the current computer is operating at 80 per cent capacity – an arbitrary ceiling – then running another application could overload the system or require additional hardware.This involves financial considerations to accommodate technical enhancements. If the budget is a serious constraint, then the project is judged not feasible. * Behavioral Feasibility: People are inherently resistant to change, and computers have been known to facilitate change. An estimate should be made of how strong a reaction the user staff is likely to have towards the development of a computerized system. It is common knowledge that computer installations have something to do with turnover, transfers, retraining, and changes in employee job status.Therefore, it is understandable that the introduction of a candidate system requires special effort to educate, sell, and train the staff on new ways of conducting business. After the proposal is viewed by management it becomes a formal agreement that paves the way for actual design and implementation. This is a crucial decision point in the life cycle. Many projects die here, whereas the more promising ones continue through implementation. Changes in the proposal are made in writing, depending on the complexity, size, and cost of the project. It is simply common sense to verify changes before committing the project to design.Step 3: Analysis It is a detailed study of the various operations performed by the system and their relationship within and outside of the system. A key question is – what must be done to solve the problem? One aspect of analysis is defining the boundaries of the system and determining whether or not a candidate system should consider other related systems. During analysis, data are collected on available files, decision points, and transactions handled by the present system. We shall learn about some logical system models and tools that are used in analysis.It requires special skills and sensitivity to the subjects being interviewed. Bias in data collection and interpretation can be problem. Training, experience and common sense are required for collection of the information needed to do the analysis. Once analysis is completed the analyst has a firm understanding of what is to be done. The next step is to decide how the problem might be solved. Thus, in the systems design, we move from the logical to the physical aspects of the life cycle. Step 4: Design The most creative and challenging phase of the system life cycle is system design.The term design describes both a final system and a process by which it is developed. It refers to the technical specifications (analogous to the engineer’s blueprints) that will be applied in implementing the candidate system. It also includes the constructions of programs and programme testing. The key question here is – How should the problem be solved?. The first step is to determine how the output is to be produced and in what format. Samples of the output (and input) are also available. Second, input data and master files (data base) have to be designed to meet the requirements of the proposed output.The operational (processing) phase are handled through programme constru ction and testing, including a list of the programmes needed to meet the system’s objectives and complete documentation. Finally, details related to justification of the system and an estimate of   the impact of the candidate system on the user and the organization are documented and evaluated by management as a step toward implementation. The final report prior to the implementation phase includes procedural flowcharts, record layouts, report layouts, and a workable plan for implementing the candidate system.Information on personnel, money, hardware, facilities and their estimated cost must also be available. At this point, projected costs must be close to actual costs of implementation. In some firms, separate groups of programmer do the programming whereas other firms employ analyst programmers who do analysis and design as well as code programs. For this discussion, we assume that analysis and programming is carried out by two separate persons. There are certain functio ns, though, that the analyst must perform while programs are being written operating procedures and documentation must be completed.Security and auditing procedures must also be developed. Step 5: Testing No system design is ever perfect. Communication problems, programmers negligence or time constraints create errors that most be eliminated before the system is ready for user acceptance testing. A system is tested for online response, volume of transactions, stress, recovery form failure and usability. Then comes system testing, which verifies that the whole set of programs hangs together, following system testing is acceptance testing or running the system with live   data by the actual use.System testing requires a test plan that consists of several key activities and steps for programs, string, system and user acceptance testing. The system performance criteria deal with turnaround time, backup, file protection, and the human factor. Step 6: Implementation This phase is less c reative than system design. It is primarily concerned with user training, site preparation, and file conversion. When the candidate system is linked to terminals and remote sites the telecommunication network and tests of the network along with the system are also included under implementation.During the final testing, user acceptance is tested, followed by user training. Depending on the nature of the system, extensive user training may be required, conversion usually takes place at about the same time the user is being trained or later. In the extreme, the programmer is falsely viewed as someone who ought to be isolated from other aspects of system development. Programming is itself design work, however. The initial parameter of the candidate system should be modified as a result of programming efforts. Programming provides a â€Å"reality test† for the assumptions made by the analyst.It is therefore a mistake to exclude programmers from the initial system design. System te sting checks the readiness and accuracy of the system to access, update and retrieve data from new files. Once the programmes become available, test data are read into the computer and processed against the file(s) provided for testing. If successful, the program(s) is then run with â€Å"live† data. Otherwise, a diagnostic procedure is used to local and correct errors in the program. In most programs, a parallel run is conducted where the new system runs simultaneously with the ‘old’ systems.This method, though costly, provides added assurance against errors in the candidate system and also gives the user-staff an opportunity to gain experience through operation. In some cases, however, parallel processing is not practical. For example, it is not plausible to run two parallel online point-to-sale (POS) systems for a retail chain. In any case, after the candidate system proves itself, the old system is phased out. Step 7: Evaluation During systems testing, the sy stem is used experimentally to ensure that the software does not fail.In other words, we can say that it will run according to its specifications and in the way users expect. Special test data are input for processing, and the results examined. A limited number of users may be allowed to use the system so that analyst can see whether to use it in unforeseen ways. It is desirable to discover any surprises before the organization implements the system and depends on it. Implementation is the process of having systems personnel check out and put new equipment into use, train users, install the new application and construct any files of data needed to use it.This phase is less creative than system design. Depending on the size of the organisation that will be involved in using the application and the risk involved in its use, systems developers may choose to test the operation in only one area of the Firm with only one or two persons. Sometimes, they will run both old and new system in parallel way to compare the results. In still other situations, system developers stop using the old system one day and start using the new one the next.Evaluation of the system is performed to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The actual evaluation can occur along any one of the following dimensions: * Operational Evaluation: Assessment of the manner in which the system functions, impact. * Organizational Impact: Identification and measurement of benefits to the organisation in such areas as financial concerns, operational efficiency and competitive impact. * User Manager Assessment: Evaluation of the attitudes of senior and user manager within the organization, as well as end-users. Development Performance: Evaluation of the development process in accordance with such yardsticks as overall development time and effort, conformance to budgets and standards and other project management criteria. Step 8: Post – Implementation and Maintenance Maintenance is necessary to eli minate errors in the working system during its working life and to tune the system to any variations in its working environment. Often small system deficiencies are found as a system is brought into operation and changes are made to remove them. System planners must always plan for resource availability to carry out these maintenance functions.The importance of maintenance is to continue to bring the new system to standards. After the installation phase is completed and the user staff is adjusted to changes created by the candidate system, evaluation and maintenance being. Like any system there is an ageing process the requires periodic maintenance of hardware ; software. If the new information is inconsistent with the design specifications, then changes have to be made. Hardware also requires periodic maintenance to keep in time with design specification. The importance of maintenance is to continue to bring the new system to standards. BIBLIOGRAFIGordon b. Davis ; Margrethe H. Ols on. (1985). Management Information Systems : Conceptual Foundations, Structure and Development. New York : McGraw-Hill. Lucey. T. (1987). Management Information Systems. 5th Ed. Eastleigh, Hants : D. P Pubns. O’Brien, James A. (2002). Management Information Systems : Managing Information Technology in the E-Business Enterprise. Boston : McGraw-Hill. Robert C. Nickerson, Saravanan Muthaiyah. (2004). Introduction to Information Systems. Petaling Jaya : Prentice Hall. McLeod Raymond, P. Shell George. (2004). Management Information Systems. N. J. : Pearson Prentice Hall.