Marks Spencer Group Anaylsis free essay sample

Imprints and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 2 Marks and Spencer Group plc Company Overview COMPANY OVERVIEW Marks and Spencer Group (MS or the organization) is one of the main retailers of dress, nourishments and homeware in the UK. The organization works in excess of 40 nations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is headquar tered in London, the UK and utilizes 78,169 individuals. The organization recorded incomes of ? 9,740. 3 million (roughly $15,158. 8 million) in the monetary year finished April 2011 (FY2011)*, an expansion of 2. 1% over FY2010. The working benefit of MS was ? 836. million (roughly $1,302. 5 million) in FY2011, a diminishing of 1. 8% contrasted with FY2010. The net benefit was ? 612 million (around $952. 5 million) in FY2011, an expansion of 16. 3% over FY2010. *The monetary year finished April 2, 2011 was a 52-week time frame though the money related year finished April 3, 2010 was a 53-week term. KEY FACTS Head Office Marks and Spencer Group p lc Waterside House 35 Nor th Wharf Road London W2 1NW GBR Phone 44 20 7935 4422 Fax Web Address http://www. We will compose a custom article test on Imprints Spencer Group Anaylsis or on the other hand any comparative point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page marksandspencer. com Revenue/turnover 9,740. 3 (GBP Mn) Financial Year End April Employees 78,169 London Ticker MKS Marks and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 3 Marks and Spencer Group plc Business Description BUSINESS DESCRIPTION MS is the holding organization of the Marks Spencer Group of organizations. The organization is one of the UK’s driving retailers, with in excess of 21 million individuals visiting its stores every week. MS offers dress and home items, just as nourishments, sourced from around 2,000 providers all inclusive. It works through both completely possessed stores and establishment stores. As of FY2011, the organization worked 703 stores in the UK. MS works more than 361 claimed and diversified stores in more than 42 regions. Despite the fact that the organization fundamentally repor ts its incomes regarding geographic sections (UK and global), its tasks can be classified under two divisions: food and general product. The food division focuses on four principle zones: new, normal, sound food; unique festival items; genuine prepared supper ranges; and outstanding ever yday food, for example, Oakham chicken. It works a chain of 163 Simply Food possessed stores and 202 Simply Food establishment stores in high roads, motorway administration stations, railroad stations and air por ts in the UK. The general product division of the organization is arranged into two sections: apparel and home. The dress fragment offers womens wear, mens wear, unmentionables, childrens wear, and adornments and footwear. A portion of the conspicuous brands offered by this fragment incorporate Autograph, Limited Collection, Collezione, Blue Harbor, Girls Boutique, Per Una, Ceriso, Adored, and Truly you. The home section offers homeware and home embellishments, kitchen and silverware, lighting, and furniture items. Notwithstanding selling items through normal stores, the section additionally offers index administrations. MS offers its items and administrations online just as through lead stores, high road stores, retail park stores, MS outlets, Simply Food stores, and Simply Food diversified stores. Imprints and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 4 Marks and Spencer Group plc HISTORY MS was established in 1884 as a slow down in an open market in Leeds, the UK. At that point known as Marks Penny Bazaar, it was the family unit merchandise, haberdasher y, toy, and sheet-music business of Michael Marks, a Jewish displaced person from Poland. In 1894, he accepting Thomas Spencer as a business standard tner. In 1903, MS was enrolled as a private restricted organization. Albeit an apparel plan depar tment had first been set up in 1938, it was not until after the Second World War that it turned out to be completely evolved under a main creator. In 1973, the organization entered Canada, and purchased Peoples Depar tment Stores and DAllairds, a national womens wear retailer, the two of which it later sold. The organization likewise had direct retailing interests in Canada. It attempted to move south of the outskirt in 1988 with the acquisition of Brooks Brothers, however the US activity never took off as the organization had trusted. Five diversified stores were shut down in Turkey in 1999 when the establishment standard tner Turk Petrol Holding couldnt meet its bank commitments and fallen. Later in the year, Marks and Spencer Canada, following 25 years of business, shut down its 38 stores. The organization sold its US dress chain Brooks Brothers for $225 million out of 2001. In 2003, MS reported the dispatch of its more charge card. Nearby this, Marks Spencer Financial Services was re-marked Marks Spencer Money. In 2004, MS finished the offer of Marks Spencer Retail Financial Services Holdings (MS Money) to HSBC. Over the span of 2005, the organization opened 31 Simply Food stores just as shut the Lifestore venture in the UK. MS extended the Simply Food group with the obtaining of 28 stores on a leasehold premise from Iceland Foods for a thought of ? 38 million (around $76. 3 million) in 2006. Around the same time, MS sold Kings Super Markets, its just non-MS marked business to a US speculator bunch comprising of Angelo, Gordon Co, MTN Capital Par tners and Mr. Bruce Weitz for $61. 5 million in real money. In 2007, MS and two of its drawn out providers chose to star t the improvement of MS first eco-plants, spearheading imaginative strategies for reasonable assembling. One calculate y Sri Lanka would make undergarments and two plants in Nor th Wales would produce furniture upholster y. Around the same time, the organization propelled its own marked LCD widescreen TVs. This range was notwithstanding the current assortment of Sony TVs presently accessible at MS. Hide ther in the year, MS propelled school wear produced using reused plastic jugs. The companys first independent home store in Lisburn, Nor thern Ireland was propelled in 2007. Around the same time, MS propelled Big Tall, a select online mens wear offering in excess of 450 things web based running from fitting to knitwear to easygoing shir ts and pants. Additionally in 2007, MS decreased soaked fat level as much as 82% in more than 500 companys items. The organization diminished soaked fat levels in items including sandwiches, prepared suppers, crisps and relish y snacks. Imprints and Spencer Group plc  © MarketLine Page 5 Marks and Spencer Group plc History Towards the finish of 2007, another Made to Measure shir ts ser bad habit was propelled by MS, which permitted clients to plan a customized shir t inside 21 days. The organization added new items to its mens wear por tfolio in FY2008. MS likewise propelled atmosphere control clothing including temperature managing innovation created by NASA, extended Collezione brand assortment by presenting new shoes, fleece and cashmere blend pants. MS revitalized its Blue Harbor brand to pull in 35 to multi year elderly people men. Likewise in FY2008, the organization star ted to freeze its prepared dinners for global deal and propelled a scope of 70 lines in eight nations. Afterward, the organization additionally propelled a 25-piece case assortment called GD25 from Per Una. In 2008, MS expelled ar tificial hues and flavorings from its whole food and sodas run. Around the same time, the organization improved the amount of room in various major out of towns and downtown area stores through store augmentations and furthermore added 35 stores to its Simply Food por tfolio, including 25 BP diversified stores. Another leader store in new Westfield Center at White City, West London was opened toward the finish of 2008. To hide ther progress in Asian markets, the organization opened its initial 38,000 square feet store in Shanghai. MS at that point went into a standard tnership with Scottish and Southern Energy, according to which MS Energy would flexibly power and gas to local clients and prize them with MS store vouchers for helping the earth by decreasing their vitality utilization. MS reported designs to close 10 of its Simply Food stores in 2009. The organization opened Food to Go outlets in Hong Kong around the same time. Additionally in 2009, MS declared designs to enter new classes in the Indian market, with the dispatch of baggage and footwear for men. The organization presented a Ramadan and Eid style assortment in all the 13 stores all through the Middle East in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman in 2009. Hide ther in the year, MS propelled customized welcome cards business on the web. The organization likewise declared to open its subsequent territory store in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong area in southern China. MS additionally propelled a brew and juice range to supplement its wine determination. MS propelled a patched up form of its site in 2009, the primary significant update since 2007. Hide thermore, in 2009, the organization started to offer its online global convey y administration to 73 additional nations as standard t of a drive to develop yearly deals of MS Direct. The organization started its contribution inside the homeware division in 2009. MS reported designs to open a store in Marbella, Spain before the finish of 2009. Around the same time, MS and India-based Reliance Retail intended to open roughly 50 stores in India in the accompanying five years under the pennant of their joint endeavor organization Marks Spencer Reliance India. Later in the year, the organization illustrated plans to reduce expenses by ? 50 million (about $150 million) by improving its flexibly chain and IT frameworks. MS likewise declared designs to open another store at the Swords Pavilions strip mall in the Dublin Airpor t, Ireland, in 2009. The organization opened its new 22,000 square feet store at Morpeths Sanderson Arcade around the same time. MS chose to dispatch Simply Food i n Western Europe. Hide ther in 2009, the organization declared designs to sell a chose scope of around 400 marked basic food item and family unit items in the entirety of its UK stores, following a 16-month preliminary in its stores in the Nor th East and South East of Engl

Reading the American Past, Volume II From 1865 Selected Historical Document

The presentation: the basics of the after war time frame While examining the Lessons of World War II by Marshall, there is a need to feature the essentials of the period. Along these lines, one is to remember that the after war period was portrayed by fruitful recreation of the economies. It appears that agent establishments appearance was the best just as the best occasion of the after war period.Advertising We will compose a custom paper test on Reading the American Past, Volume II: From 1865: Selected Historical Document explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Marshall Plan is viewed as the key part of the achievement Western Europe experienced. Along these lines, this thought is affirmed by DeLong Bradford and Barry Eichengreen. As it were, one can express that Marshall’s Plan was of extraordinary criticalness for the flourishing of Western Europe. Obviously, the way that Marshall’s program had an incredible achievement is perceived to be unquesti onable; be that as it may, considering the focuses Marshall’s Plan included, one can express that the significance of the Plan is clear when examining easing asset deficiencies. For the most part, the principle motivation behind Marshall’s Plan was to dispense with appetite, and neediness. There is likewise a need to include that working economy restoration was the key point of the program. The significance of Marshall’s Plan It is important to call attention to that dread of money related confusion was viewed as the foremost issue in Europe. Thus, one can make an end that this dread must be understood with Marshall’s program. Then again, it's not possible for anyone to disregard the effect of the mental effect on individuals everywhere throughout the world. For the most part, they state that the recreation of Western European nations was considerably more significant than execution of the obligations of the East Europeans. Besides, Cox and Kennedy-Pipe a re of a similar supposition. While talking about Dwight D. Eisenhower’s goodbye address, one is to remember that this discourse turned out to be extremely amazing. It appears that Eisenhower’s discourse greatly affected the association between the military and protection industry. Then again, the job of the colleges can’t be ignored. The most significant point, which is to be talked about, is the manner in which the force must be utilized to secure the interests of the entire world. In this way, Eisenhower was certain that emergencies can’t be stayed away from; in this way, therefore, he perceived the significance of the answers for resolve different inconsistencies. The chief point of the purported military complex was to set up open strategy corresponding to American majority rule government. At the end of the day, the principle point of Eisenhower’s discourse was to tell previously about threats of the result of military establishment.Advertis ing Looking for article on history? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The end: the U.S. economy While breaking down Johnson’s book and considering the previously mentioned focuses concerning the after war time frame, one can make an end that financial condition of the USA turned out to be progressively steady. It can sound weird; be that as it may, the auxiliary break in the economy of the USA turned into a vital advance to balance out its monetary state. When talking about Marshall’s Plan, one is to remember that Marshall was not the principal Western pioneer who proposed to utilize American dollars for monetary adjustment of Europe. In any case, he was the main individual who drove the way. At the end of the day, the unconventional element of Marshall’s Plan was monetary recuperation of the entire world. It was self-evident, that without his arrangement, there could be no political soundness on the plan et. Then again, without Marshall’s program, harmony could be likewise under the danger. Works Cited Johnson, Michael. Perusing the American Past, Volume II: From 1865: Selected Historical Documents, 2008. Web. https://www.amazon.com/Reading-American-Past-Historical-Documents/dp/0312459688. This paper on Reading the American Past, Volume II: From 1865: Selected Historical Document was composed and put together by client Karlee Pittman to help you with your own investigations. You are allowed to utilize it for research and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; be that as it may, you should refer to it appropriately. You can give your paper here.

Otogami

Otogami In Madrid we met David Bonilla, who is the CEO and founder of Otogami and Runnics the google for video games and shoes.In this interview you will learn about Davids background, the business model of Otogami, the affiliate marketing, and why you should share your knowledge with other entrepreneurs.Interviewer: Hi. Today we’re in Madrid with Otogami. David, who are you and what do you do?David: Apparently we are a price comparison engine, but we are much more than this, we are a Google for everything. Right now we’re focusing on video games, but in the future we’ll see. We’re exploring more segements.Interviewer: What did you do before you started this company?David: I worked as developer for many many years, I’m very very old. But just before Otogami I worked for Atlassian an Australian company, right now it’s based in San Francisco, working on projects like JIRA and Confluence, a whole platform for developers.Interviewer: Okay, great. Can you please briefly explain the b usiness model of Otogami?David: We have model one that the main business model is affiliate marketing. We search for the best offers in video games and we give all this information to the users. If they finally buy the items we get commissions. But on the other hand we also have another business model with data. Data is the best product with the best margin, and we have a lot of knowhow about how the prices are changing from time to time. So we are starting to explore this business model.Interviewer: When you have this kind of data, to what type of customers would you like to provide it and in what way or what type of applications?David: For example, we can tell one shop if they have the best price in their local market, Germany, Spain, in Europe, or in the whole world, because we are searching for a lot of offers in a lot of ecommerce sites. The other thing is that we can compare their prices with their competence, so we say you are very cheap or not, or this shop is doing this kin d of thing or this kind of pricing strategy, because we can see how one shop is changing the price in reaction to, for example, another offer. And the last thing is that we can predict if prices are going to change.Interviewer: And regarding the other business model, the affiliate model, how do you manage this kind of customer acquisition affiliate revenue spread. Because on the one hand you have to acquire these customers through differnt channels, social, etc., and on the other hand you’re earning some kind of affiliate revenue in some other ways, etc., how do you manage this kind of spread between the cost of getting the users to buy something and having the revenue?David: The point is that we can’t focus on how we can monetize each transaction, because the price of video games, for example, is very low and the commission is also very low, so if you try to invest and get their money back just with the first transcation it’s not going to work. So what we try to do is to get a lot of users to create relationships, not transactions, and getting some kind of revenue or profit from time to time with the biggest value of these users.Interviewer: How important is branding over performance marketing for your business model?David: It’s super-important, because in the video games market recurrence is very very high, you can make two or three video games each month. So our strategy is to be the top of mind of this kind of things for the users if our target is to be there, when they need to buy one video game they must think, Okay I must go to Otogami to find the best price or the best offer.Interviewer: Great. Can you please describe what a video game is?David: For the user, the point is that the video games market is so big that you can find very different video games from castle games to series games or to blockbusters, like Call to Duty. So it’s very difficult to define what is one video game, but what I can tell you is that the market is changing, and th e prices are getting lower and lower and lower.Interviewer: And this is because of piracy, or is it because of competitive factors?David: It’s because of competitors. You can get very good games just in your browser, and free to play games are very very good, so right now it makes no sense to sell one video game for €60, right now it’s crazy.Interviewer: Let’s talk briefly about the corporate strategy of Otogami. What do you perceive the two or three major drivers that you want to work on for the next two or three years in order to become the leader in your own market segment?David: Just regarding video games, I think the best thing to do is that we want to be the single catalogue. You have a lot of search engines, but we want to be the place where you can find digital downloads, physical games, platforms like PlayStation or Xbox or whatever, even mobile games. Right now if you try to find all these games you don’t have any single site where you can search for all these ga mes. Because we’re focusing just on video games, our data model allows us to convert all the versions of one video game to all the platforms and all the editions. I want to know the best price of Fifa ’14, I can tell you the cheaper version is for your iPhone, and it this kind of edition, and you can buy it here. I think that we are the only website that can do that, and this is our first goal right now.Interviewer: Other fun stuff would be to create a recommendation engine based on the big data that you have, based on the purchases or user behavior.David: We have something like this right now. We even have one algorithm for recommendation looking at the prices, because we know historically when the prices are going to change â€" for example for one blockbuster game usually the prices drop down after two months of the launch date â€" we can recommend you when is the best moment to buy one video game. So first we assume that you know which kind of video games you want to know abo ut, so we’re going to recommend you when you can buy these video games, what is the best moment to buy your video games.Interviewer: Market development, as you said you are mostly or mainly in the affiliate marketing segment, how do you perceive has this market developed over the last years and will develop, and what are some issues and challenges in this market?David: Everybody thinks that definitely the market is a nightmare, and it’s true. It’s very difficult to make real business or serious business there because everything is very hard. For example attribution, a lot of people go from our website to another shop, and I think that we lost a lot of sales just because they didn’t have cookies activated or JavaScript or whatever. The third thing is that it incredible because it’s a very big market, but it’s very difficult to find serious apps, serious partners, serious technologies, for example, is great but a lot of shops are using crappy affiliation platforms and it†™s very difficult to work with them.Interviewer: How do you perceive the future development? Will these affiliate platforms become better in quality or what kind of deals can they offer for publishers?David: I hope so. I think that there is a huge opportunity in the affiliate marketing sector. If one can create a very good tool for ecommerce they’re going to go out of money, because the point is that you can see guys like us but they’re not in very small shops, and if one new company can focus on this kind of long-tail market, they’re going to get a lot of money because I can help a lot of shops that want to do affiliate marketing but they have no idea how to do that.Interviewer: Zanox is not a player who is interested in them?David: Right now I think that they’re focusing on big players, not a long-tail.Interviewer: David, we always try to share some insights and learning with our readers, and you have a very interesting learning about knowledge sharing and how can you impr ove your business with it, can you tell us about that?David: The whole team came from the open source community, we really believe in this kind of sharing knowledge. My advice is that a lot of people are worried about people stealing ideas or knowhow, I think that ideas don’t work for nothing and you can get much more profit if you share your knowledge with other people. For example, we share our google analytics account with other companies and we just ask them to share with us their accounts just to learn how they acquire traffic, how they acquire customers, how they measure their traffic. And it’s working. Nobody did nothing against us just to do that, and our investors are pretty happy with these steps because we’re learning a lot. So my advice is don’t be afraid about sharing your knowhow with other people.Interviewer: Thank you very much David.David: You’re welcome.

To Kill a Mockingbird-Atticus Influences - 2069 Words

Bruce Cockburn, a well known Canadian jazz and folk artist, sang in â€Å"Lovers in a Dangerous Time† that one should â€Å"Keep kicking at the darkness ‘till it bleeds daylight†. This statement vividly outlines the determination needed to preserver through a tough situation and come out on the upside. When faced with a challenge that seems unbearable, one must remember that this effort will eventually turn into an accomplishment that they can be proud of. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the importance of Atticus Finch’s character is to influence the way the community and his children view racism. Atticus tries to change his children’s opinions and actions throughout the story by leading by example and discussing and explaining†¦show more content†¦Jem reflects upon the utter reality that there are people in any society that are not kind in any way. Jem ultimately becomes aware of the fact that what his father explains to him was right. People are not always what they appear to be and one must be careful how they conduct themselves and what they actually listen to. Undoubtedly, Atticus helped protect his children from the dangers of listening to what others say and acting upon it, making them think about if what others are doing is right before participating in it themselves. As Atticus teaches his children of equality, he also deals with trying to show the town that the black community are their equals, showing the development of his influence more openly. Illustrated primarily in his defense of Tom Robinson, Atticus begins to show his definite want to help when he stays outside the jail watching out for Tom. He sat there, â€Å"a long extension cord ran between the bars of a second floor window and down the side of the building. In the light of the bare bulb, Atticus was sitting propped against the front door... ‘He in there, Mr.Finch?’ a man said. ‘He is,’ we heard Atticus answer, ‘and he’s asleep. Don’t wake him up.’... ‘You can turn around and go home again, Walter,’ Atticus said pleasantly† (Lee 201-202). Atticus stands up for Tom when the group of men show up to get him. This makes one realize how passionate he is about saving Mr.Robinson and helping him get the fairShow MoreRelatedInfluence Of Atticus Finch In To Kill A Mockingbird1081 Words   |  5 PagesAtticus Finch is widely regarded as one of the most influential characters in modern literature. His pivotal role in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee exemplifies this influence and demonstrates his positive effect on his children, Jem and Scout. Throughout the novel, Atticus leads by example and provides lessons and teachings for his children to follow. His wisdom proves to be an instrumental part in the maturation and development of his children, and helps them to grow, learn, and adaptRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird Justice1545 Words   |  7 PagesAtticus Finch Quote 1 Atticus, you must be wrong.... Hows that? Well, most folks seem to think theyre right and youre wrong.... (11.54-56) If theres one thing that we learned from jeggings, Uggs, and chain wallets, its that the majority isnt always right. But Atticus doesnt need anyone to teach him those lessons. He already knows that individual conscience is a better guide to justice than majority opinion. The theme of justice plays a major role in To Kill a Mockingbird. IdeallyRead MoreHarper Lee : An American Author1341 Words   |  6 Pagesone major novel, yet that novel has had more influence on the country than most authors work combined. What influenced Harper Lee to write such an amazing book? Harper lee was influenced by her experiences to write To Kill A Mockingbird because of her father, her hometown, and what she observed in her community First, Harper Lee was influenced by her experiences to write To Kill a Mockingbird because like Scout s father in â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, â€Å"Her father, Amasa Coleman Lee, a lawyer inRead MoreGo Set A Watchmen By Harper Lee930 Words   |  4 Pages Published in July of 2015, â€Å"Go Set a Watchmen† is Harper Lee’s second full-length novel following her 1960 Pulitzer Award winning novel â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, a narrative within a novel where a black man is accused of raping a white woman and whom is also awaiting trial in a small Alabama town. In this, Harper Lee illustrates a theme of the injustices of prejudice, intolerance, judgments of others, and prejudice itself through the use of the setting: a time of social turmoil and havoc, a timeRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis924 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel To Kill a Mockingbird is based on the passed experienced from Harper Lees childhood. The character of Atticus r esembles the author’s father, and the character of Scout resembles herself. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by the well known author, Harper Lee. This book is written in Scouts perspective to portray her life. The main character, Scout, who is also the narrator is portrayed as a young girl who is still learning the rules of life. Her father, her brother Jem, and nannyRead MoreJem Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird1328 Words   |  6 PagesIn To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus, the father of Jem and Jean, has taken the position of giving Jem and Jean valuable lessons, whether what they are in. One of those lessons, was Jem being a gentleman; Jem was taught by him by promptly going to Mrs. Duboses house and read for a month - after wrecking her garden -, she had met her demise with little to no agony from her morphine addiction, because of Jem; he went to her house and read to her, that consequently had her head assuage of doing morphineRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird Essay92 1 Words   |  4 PagesContent within Books To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Assignment ENG 1D1 03 Alex Gardner December 2010 Mr. Przemieniecki Inappropriate content within books There are many different books that are studied in schools, but one should be removed from shelves. Students should not be reading about certain subject matters until they are fully invested into that specific subject. Certain inappropriate topics are racism and dated subject matter. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, should beRead MoreMaycombs Unusual Disease1211 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Maycomb’s ‘Unusual’ Disease In the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, the residents seem to have all been infected by the same disease. Harper Lee, the author of the very famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has used several ways of portraying this idea and is able to convince readers that her characters really do have some sort of ‘illness,’ an illness which affects people’s thoughts on how others should be treated. The novel highlights several issues including racism, childhood, injustice andRead MoreThe Significance of the Title to Kill a Mockingbird Essay1055 Words   |  5 Pagesthe title, To Kill a Mockingbird. The title To Kill a Mockingbird is very significant to the novel as it portrays many forms of mockingbirds throughout it. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are the true Mockingbirds of the story. They both are innocent from the accusations claimed upon them. When choosing the title of the novel, Harper Lee had to make sure it stood out but also was relevant to the story. To Kill a Mockingbird shows the readersRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Racism Analysis1348 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee wrote, â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† during a racial period in her home state of Alabama. This was when the South was still segregated, forcing blacks to use separate facilities apart from those used by whites. The Civil Rights movement started to become more active when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. During this period, Martin Luther King, Jr., became the leader of the movement, and the issue began to gain serious national attention. This is

Dolphin Facts Habitat, Behavior, Diet

Dolphins (Odontoceti) are a group of 44 species of toothed whales or cetaceans. There are dolphins in every ocean on Earth, and there are freshwater species of dolphins that inhabit rivers in South Asian and South American. The largest dolphin species (the orca) grows to more than 30 feet long while the smallest, Hectors dolphin, is just 4.5 feet in length. Dolphins are well known for their intellect, their gregarious nature, and their acrobatic abilities. But there are many lesser-known qualities that make a dolphin a dolphin. Fast Facts: Dolphins Scientific Name: Odontoceti  Common Name: Dolphin (Note: This name refers to the group of 44 species classified as Odontoceti; each has its own scientific and common name.)Basic Animal Group:  MammalSize: 5 feet long to over 30 feet long, depending on the speciesWeight: Up to 6 tonsLifespan: Up to 60 years depending on the speciesDiet:  CarnivoreHabitat:  All oceans and some riversPopulation:  Varies per speciesConservation  Status:  Bottlenose dolphins are considered to be of Least Concern, while about 10 species of dolphins are listed as Severely Threatened.   Description Dolphins are small-toothed Cetaceans, a group of marine mammals that evolved from land mammals. They have developed numerous adaptations that make them well suited for life in water including a streamlined body, flippers, blowholes and a layer of blubber for insulation. Dolphins have curved beaks which means they appear to have permanent smiles. Dolphins evolved from land mammals whose legs were underneath their bodies. As a result, dolphins tails move up and down as they swim, whereas a fish’s tail moves from side to side. Dolphins, like all toothed whales, lack olfactory lobes and nerves. Because dolphins do not possess these anatomical features, they most likely have a poorly developed sense of smell. The snout of some oceanic dolphins is long and slender due to their elongated, prominent jaw bones. Within the dolphins elongated jaw bone sits numerous conical teeth (some species have as many as 130 teeth in each jaw). Species that have prominent beaks include, for example, Common Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin, Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Tucuxi, Long-Snouted Spinner Dolphin, and numerous others. The forelimbs of a dolphin are anatomically equivalent to the forelimbs of other mammals (for example, they are analogous to arms in humans). But the bones within the forelimbs of dolphins have been shortened and made more rigid by supporting connective tissue. Pectoral flippers enable dolphins to steer and modulate their speed. The dorsal fin of a dolphin (located on the back of the dolphin) acts as a keel when the animal swims, giving the animal directional control and stability within the water. But not all dolphins have a dorsal fin. For example, the Northern Rightwhale Dolphins and the Southern Rightwhale Dolphins lack dorsal fins. Dolphins do not have prominent external ear openings. Their ear openings are small slits (located behind their eyes) which do not connect to the middle ear. Instead, scientists suggest that sound is conducted to the inner and middle ear by fat-lobes located within the lower jaw and by various bones within the skull. Tunatura/Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Dolphins live in all of the world’s seas and oceans; many inhabit coastal areas or areas with shallower water. While most dolphins prefer warmer tropical or temperate waters one species, the orca (sometimes called killer whale) lives in both the Arctic Ocean and the Antarctic Southern Ocean. Five dolphin species prefer fresh to salt water; these species inhabit rivers in South America and South Asia. Diet and Behavior Dolphins are carnivorous predators. They use their strong teeth to hold their prey, but then either swallow their prey whole tear it into small pieces. They are relatively light eaters; the bottlenose dolphin, for example, eats about 5 percent of its weight each day. Many species of dolphins migrate to find food. They consume a wide range of animals including fish, squid, crustaceans, shrimp, and octopus. The very large Orca dolphin may also eat marine mammals such as seals or marine birds such as penguins. Many dolphin species work as a group to herd or coral fish. They may also follow fishing vessels to enjoy the waste thrown overboard. Some species will also use their flukes to beat and stun their prey. Reproduction and Offspring Most dolphins become sexually mature at between 5 and 8 years old. Dolphins give birth to a single calf once every one to six years and then feed their babies milk through their nipples. Dolphin pregnancies range in length from 11 to 17 months. Location can make an impact on the gestation period. When a pregnant female is ready to deliver, she separates herself from the rest of the pod to a location near the waters surface. Dolphin calves are usually born tail first; at birth, calves are about 35–40 inches long and weigh between 23 and 65 pounds. The mother immediately brings her infant to the surface so it can breathe. Newborn calves look a bit different from their parents; they typically have dark skin with lighter bands which fade over time. Their fins are quite soft but harden very quickly. They can swim almost immediately, but do require the protection of the pod; in fact, young dolphins are typically nursed for the first two to three years of life and may stay with their mothers for up to eight years. Georgette Douwma/Getty Images   Species Dolphins are members of the order Cetacea, Suborder Odontoceti, Families Delphinidae, Iniidae, and Lipotidae. Within those families, there are 21 genera, 44 species, and several subspecies. The species of dolphins include: Genus: Delphinus Delphinus capensis (Long-beaked common dolphin)Delphinus delphis (Short-beaked common dolphin)Delphinus tropicalis. (Arabian common dolphin) Genus: Tursiops Tursiops truncatus (Common bottlenose dolphin)Tursiops aduncus (Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin)Tursiops australis (Burrunan dolphin) Genus: Lissodelphis Lisodelphis borealis (Northern right whale dolphin)Lssodelphis peronii (Southern right whale dolphin) Genus: Sotalia Sotalia fluviatilis (Tucuxi)Sotalia guianensis (Guiana dolphin) Genus: Sousa Sousa chinensis (Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin)Subspecies:Sousa chinensis chinensis (Chinese white dolphin)Sousa chinensis plumbea (Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin)Sousa teuszii (Atlantic Humpback Dolphin)Sousa plumbea (Indian Humpback dolphin) Genus: Stenella Stenella frontalis (Atlantic spotted dolphin)Stenella clymene (Clymene dolphin)Stenella attenuata (Pantropical spotted dolphin)Stenella longirostris (Spinner dolphin)Stenella coeruleoalba (Striped dolphin) Genus: Steno Steno bredanensis (Rough-toothed dolphin) Genus: Cephalorhynchus Cephalorhynchus eutropia (Chilean dolphin)Cephalorhynchus commersonii (Commerson’s dolphin)Cephalorhynchus heavisidii (Heaviside’s Dolphin)Cephalorhynchus hectori (Hector’s dolphin) Genus: Grampus Grampus griseus (Risso’s dolphin) Genus: Lagenodelphis Lagenodelphis hosei (Fraser’s dolphin) Genus: Lagenorhynchus Lagenorhynchus acutus (Atlantic white-sided dolphin)Lagenorhynchus obscurus (Dusky dolphin)Lagenorhynchus cruciger (Hourglass dolphin)Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (Pacific white-sided dolphin)Lagenorhynchus australis (Peale’s dolphin)Lagenorhynchus albirostris (White-beaked dolphin) Genus: Peponocephala Peponocephala electra (Melon-headed whale) Genus: Orcaella Orcaella heinsohni (Australian snubfin dolphin)Orcaella brevirostris (Irrawaddy dolphin) Genus: Orcinus Orcinus orca (Orca- Killer Whale) Genus: Feresa Feresa attenuata (Pygmy killer whale) Genus: Pseudorca Pseudorca crassidens (False Killer whale) Genus: Globicephala Globicephala melas (Long-finned pilot whale)Globicephala macrorhynchus (Short-finned pilot whale) Superfamily: Platanistoidea Genus Inia, Family: Iniidae Inia geoffrensis. (Amazon river dolphin).Inia araguaiaensis (Araguaian river dolphin). Genus Lipotes, Family: Lipotidae Lipotes vexillifer (Baiji) Genus Pontoporia, Family: Pontoporiidae Pontoporia blainvillei (La Plata dolphin) Genus Platanista, family: Platanistidae Platanista gangetica (South Asian river dolphin)Subspecies:Platanista gangetica gangetica (Ganges river dolphin)Platanista gangetica minor (Indus river dolphin) Conservation Status The Baiji has suffered dramatic population declines over recent decades due to pollution and heavy industrial use of the Yangtze River. In 2006, a scientific expedition set out to locate any remaining Baiji but failed to find a single individual in the Yangtze. The species was declared functionally extinct. Dolphins and Humans Humans have long been fascinated with dolphins, but the relationship between humans and dolphins has been complex. Dolphins are the subject of stories, myths, and legends as well as great works of art. Because of their great intelligence, dolphins have been used for military exercises and therapeutic support. They are also often kept in captivity and trained to perform; in most cases, this practice is now considered to be cruel. Sources Dolphin Facts and Information, www.dolphins-world.com/.â€Å"Dolphins.†Ã‚  Dolphin Facts, 4 Apr. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/dolphins/.NOAA. Dolphins Porpoises.†Ã‚  NOAA Fisheries, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/dolphins-porpoises.

Great Wall of China Free Essays

The Rise and Fall of China’s Great Wall The rise and fall of China’s Great Wall: the race to save a world treasure – Special Report Current Events, Sept 27, 2002 Save a personal copy of this article and quickly find it again with Furl. net. It’s free! Save it. We will write a custom essay sample on Great Wall of China or any similar topic only for you Order Now MADE OF BRICK, STONE, and dirt, the Great Wall twists and turns across China’s landscape like a giant dragon. It seems to rise out of the sea at Bo Hal gulf, a place known to local people as Laolongtou, or â€Å"the old dragon’s head. † The wall then stretches across the plains, crawls along the sides of mountains and scales their peaks as it spans the Asian countryside. This ancient wonder, built entirely by hand, often overwhelms visitors. On a trip to the wall in 1909, French scholar Auguste Gilbert de Voisins said, â€Å"Nothing stops it, nothing gets in its way; seeing it at this point, one might believe it to be eternal. † Today, however, neglect, misuse, and modernization threaten the giant dragon. Although the wall once stretched nearly 4,000 miles across China’s northern border, only about 1,500 miles of China’s Great Wall remain. The rest has fallen apart and disappeared. This year, the World Monuments Fund placed the Great Wall on its list of 100 Most Endangered Sites. The group hopes to protect what’s left of the wall and to encourage the Chinese government and others to save the historic structure. According to a World Monuments Fund report, â€Å"[The wall] was built to protect China; now China must protect it. † The Great Wall of Qin China’s Great Wall didn’t start out so great. Begun nearly 2,300 years ago, the structure was a series of small fortifications. As early as 600 B. C. , people in China built small walls around their homes and cities for protection. Soldiers guarded the gates around the city walls during the day and swung the gates shut at night. During the Warring States period (475-221 B. C. ), leaders struggling for control of China built walls around entire kingdoms. Soldiers occupied forts and towers on the wall and fought to protect the borders of the independent states. In 221 B. C. , Qin Shi Huangdi unified the kingdoms and became the first emperor of China. Qin Shi Huangdi gave orders to build the chang cheng, or â€Å"long wall,† to protect China from northern nomads who were trying to invade China. Laborers built the wall by joining walls constructed earlier and extending the length of the wall to nearly 3,100 miles. With the help of General Meng Tian, Qin Shi Huangdi ordered 800,000 men–soldiers, prisoners, and peasants–to build the wall. Where stones were plentiful, workers used stones to build parts of the wall. Where stones were scarce, workers used dirt. To build the wall, laborers dug up large amounts of dirt and carried it to the wall. The workers then piled dirt into wooden frames about 6 inches deep. They used wooden instruments to pound the dirt until it became a solid mass. This process was repeated until the wall reached a desired height. Workers then moved the wooden frames to the next section of the wall and began the process again. According to legend, Qin Shi Huangdi condemned workers to death for making the slightest construction errors. Today, few traces of the Qin wall remain. After Qin Shi Huangdi’s death in 210 B. C. , workers abandoned the wall and it eventually crumbled into ruins. The Ming Fortress Nearly all of Qin Shi Huangdi’s successors built walls along China’s northern frontier. The fortifications, however, never fully protected China from invasion. During the early 13th century, Genghis Khan, leader of the Mongols, a nomad group from the north, united several nomad armies and conquered much of Asia. In 1279, Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kubilai Khan, overthrew the Chinese emperor and established the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). The Yuan emperors did not maintain the old wall or build a new one, so the wall began to fall into ruins. After Khan died in 1227, a Chinese farmer named Zu Yuanzhang led a rebel army and helped overthrow the last Yuan emperor. When Zu Yuanzhang seized power, he established the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Zu and his successors decided to rebuild China’s Great Wall, which lay mostly in ruins, to keep the Mongols from returning to reconquer China. For nearly 200 years, thousands of workers toiled away on the Ming wall–reinforcing the Great Wall with bricks and stone. The Ming wall eventually blocked mountain passes that Mongol soldiers had used to invade China. When Mongol tribes attacked the wall, Chinese soldiers alerted others by lighting signal fires. When guards from a signal tower saw the fire, they built another fire, passing the warning along the wall. The number of smoke plumes and cannon shots fired indicated to Chinese soldiers how many enemy soldiers were approaching. The Ming government taxed the people of China heavily to pay for construction of the Great Wall. In 1644, the Manchus, a nomad tribe from northeast of Peking, helped rebels overthrow the Ming rulers and started the next era in Chinese history–the Qing dynasty. During the Qing dynasty, Manchu forces drove out Mongol invaders and extended China’s border farther north beyond the Great Wall. The wall no longer protected China’s border, so construction stopped and soldiers abandoned the fortresses. The Wall At Risk Today, Chinese officials warn that the Great Wall is once again under attack. But this time the wall is not in danger from invaders. Instead local people and tourists alike threaten the wall. Dong Yaohui, head of the Great Wall Society of China, recently persuaded a local government to levy a fine on residents in a small village after they demolished part of the wall to obtain bricks for new houses. And in 1999, officials in the autonomous region of Nei Monggol (once called Inner Mongolia) plowed through the Great Wall to build a highway. Nature has also taken its toll. At the wall’s western end, desert sandstorms have worn down much of China’s great wonder. Dong Yaohui said, â€Å"Saving the Great Wall is now the most urgent task facing our country. Its splendor must be rebuilt. † Preservationists also argue that commercial developers are destroying the aesthetic beauty of China’s Great Wall. Developers have turned parts of the wall into a tourist destination. Visitors to the wall at the Badaling section near Beijing can take one of five cable cars to the top of the wall, bungee-jump off a section of the wall, paraglide along the wall, or ride a toboggan down the mountain. William Lindesay, an Englishman living in China, organized a group to protect and preserve what is left of the wall. Lindesay’s group, the International Friends of the Great Wall, works with local villagers to pick up garbage along the wall and make sure the wall is protected from vandals. â€Å"The wall is in grave, grave danger,† Lindesay said. The Chinese government also hopes to protect the national treasure. Officials in Beijing are considering legislation that, if passed, would convict anyone caught littering or defacing the Great Wall to a jail term of up to seven years. Arthur Waldron, a historian, wrote, â€Å"Whatever the future brings, the image of the wall †¦ as a symbol of China †¦ seems bound to endure. † Get Talking Ask students: why do you think the Great Wall of China was built? What is the approximate length of the wall? What might have been some of the challenges faced by the wall’s builders? What might the wall be threatened today? Background The Great Wall is among the most popular tourist destinations in China, along with the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the Terra Cotta Warriors at Xi’an. Qin Shi Huangdi (the first emperor of China) unified the nation of China and built the first Great Wall. After Qin Shi Huandi died, he was buried in a tomb with an army of terra cotta warriors and horses at Xi’an. In 1974, Qin Ski Huangdi’s tomb was discovered by a group of archaeologists. During the Qin Dynasty–when the first Great Wall was built–workers toiled for ten years to build the wall, at a rate of about 25 miles per month. Portions of the wall have been rebuilt during the past century–including the section of the wall at Badaling, near China’s capital of Beijing. Many myths surround China’s Great Wall. One of the most prevalent is that the Great Wall is the only man-made structure visible from the Moon. However, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), â€Å"The Great Wall can barely be seen from the Shuttle, so it would not be possible to see it from the Moon with the naked eye. † Doing More After students have read the story, ask them to research other sites listed as endangered by the World Monuments Fund. What are the biggest threats to those sites? Why are the sites considered important? When students have finished gathering the information, have them present their findings to the class. How to cite Great Wall of China, Essay examples

Macroeconomics Case study of Japan

Question: Discuss about the Macroeconomics for Case study of Japan. Answer: Introduction to macroeconomics, GDP and economic growth Sources Data.worldbank.org. (2016). GDP growth (annual %) | Data. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=JP Sato, T. (2016). Global Financial Crisis: Japans Experience and Policy Response. frbsf.org. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/files/Panel_Sato.pdf Summary According to the article mentioned above, Macroeconomics is a branch of economics where national, global and regional economics are discussed. Economic variables such as gross domestic product, unemployment, inflation rate, interest rate, fiscal and monetary policy, investment. Saving and spending of public, private sectors and the individual are discussed in the macroeconomic studies. Japan is a developed country and third largest country in the world in terms of nominal GDP. As per World Bank, during 2016, nominal GDP of Japan is $4.41 trillion. After 2012, GDP of Japan started to fall steadily. However, GDP has increased in 2016 from 2015, when GDP was $4.123 trillion (data.worldbank.org, 2016). During 2008-09, GDP growth rate was negative. Japan economy is still at recovery stage after global recession in 2008-09. Figure 1: GDP growth rate of Japan (Source: data.worldbank.org, 2016) Analysis Japan economy experienced negative growth rate during 2008-09 due to the effect of global financial crisis. As stated by Soble (2015), collapse of housing and securitisation market in US hit Japan market during 2008-09 as Japanese financial firms were involved in the domestic property market. Harding Wells (2016) argued that the root of Japan banking crisis prevailed within country and hence, global financial crisis had spilled over quickly in the Japanese economy. However, short term stabilisation policy taken by government helped to overcome this situation rapidly. However, due to the after effect of global recession in 2008-09, Japan economy again entered into the recessionary phase due to decline in investment, declining confidence of investors (Sato, 2016). Moreover, economic slowdown in China was another reason. Japanese export of industrial equipment, construction machinery and capital goods reduced due to lower demand from China. However, Japan economy has started to recover during the first quarter of 2016 due to fiscal stimulation policy taken by government. Boosting aggregate demand in short term has been effective in short run. Topic 3: Wages and unemployment Sources Stat.go.jp. (2016) Statistics Bureau Home Page/Labour Force Survey/Monthly Results -September 2016-. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/roudou/results/month/ mainichi.jp (2016). Japan's average minimum wage set at 823 yen per hour, biggest rise since 2002 - The Mainichi. The Mainichi. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160824/p2a/00m/0na/021000c Summary According to the article, Japanese government has raised the minimum wage rate during 2016. Government has announced that the average minimum hourly wage rate will be increased to 823 yen from 800 yen. Minimum wage in Japan varies across the region (mainichi.jp, 2016). Government has taken this policy to boost aggregate demand in the economy. Wage bargaining power of the workers in the informal sector is low. Job market in the informal sector is rigid and therefore, workers are vulnerable in the private and informal sector. Minimum wage hike may facilitate workers of all the sectors. Government has asked the business leaders to raise wages of employees to beat the effect of deflation in the economy. Figure 2: Wages in Japan (Source: Stat.go.jp, 2016) Unemployment rate in Japan economy is falling continuously from 2013 to 2016. During 2013 September, the unemployment rate was 3.95. The rate has decreased to 3% during September 2016. Unemployment rate has hit the lowest rate since 1995. Figure 3: Unemployment rate in Japan (Source: stat.go.jp, 2016) Analysis The minimum wage rise policy has been taken by the Japanese government to boost the economy from the deflationary effect. However, Nohara Miller (2016) argued that this policy discourages the business operates to hire people at a higher wage. Increase in minimum wage raises the cost of operation. Hence, there is a possibility for business firm to shift toward capital augmenting technology. Increase in minimum wage will benefit the part time worker and the low paid workers in the informal sector. On the other hand structural reform policy has kept the unemployment rate in the Japan economy low. This policy has increases the scope of job availability in the economy significantly. References Data.worldbank.org. (2016). GDP growth (annual %) | Data. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=JP Harding, :. Wells, P. (2016). Japan GDP growth rate jumps to 1.7%. Ft.com. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://www.ft.com/content/866509c8-1c8e-11e6-a7bc-ee846770ec15 mainichi.jp (2016). Japan's average minimum wage set at 823 yen per hour, biggest rise since 2002 - The Mainichi. The Mainichi. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160824/p2a/00m/0na/021000c Nohara, Y. Miller, B. (2016). IMF sees Japanese talent locked in low-paying jobs | The Japan Times. The Japan Times. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/09/29/business/imf-sees-japanese-talent-locked-low-paying-jobs/#.WDHMJdV97IV Sato, T. (2016). Global Financial Crisis: Japans Experience and Policy Response. frbsf.org. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/files/Panel_Sato.pdf Soble, J. (2015). Japan Economy Contracts 0.8%, Returning to Recession. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/16/business/international/japan-economy-contracts-0-8-returning-to-recession.html?_r=0 Stat.go.jp. (2016) Statistics Bureau Home Page/Labour Force Survey/Monthly Results -September 2016-. Retrieved 20 November 2016, from https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/roudou/results/month/