The Magic Tree House Book Series by Mary Pope Osborne

The Magic Tree House Book Series by Mary Pope Osborne The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne has been popular since the first MTH book for young independent readers, Dinosaurs Before Dark, was published in 1992. By August 2012, there were 48 books in the series for independent readers, 6 to 10 or 11 years old, as well as 26 companion research guides (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker nonfiction books) for some of the books in the series. The Adventures of Jack and Annie All of the books in the series center around the time travel adventures of brother and sister Jack and Annie, who live in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. The two discover a magic tree house in the woods by their house. In books #1 to 28, Jack is 8 years old and Annie is a year younger. Thanks to the book-filled magic tree house whose books have magical properties and whose owner, magical librarian Morgan le Fay provides them with exciting missions, the two have many exciting adventures. Each book focuses on a subject and story designed to pique the interest of young independent readers. The subjects and time periods vary widely, which means that there will most likely be some, or many, of particular interest to your child. The Basics Magic Tree House books #1 to 28 are generally between 65 and 75 pages long and target children 6 to 9. The reading levels are mostly between 2.0 and 2.4. The books are divided into brief chapters, each of which has one or more intriguing illustrations by Sal Murdocca, the illustrator for all of the MTH books. Teachers and parents looking for specific information about a variety of reading level measures for the books, as well as curriculum connections and lessons plans, will find Mary Pope Osbornes Magic Tree House Classroom Adventures Program site a valuable resource. Your children will enjoy the games, activities and fun, all related to books in the series and the subjects they cover, at the Random House Magic Tree House site. While you may want to have your child start with the first book in the series, which introduces Jack and Annie and enables your child to experience time travel via the Magic Tree House for the first time right along with Jack and Annie, its not necessary to read the books in a particular order. A prologue at the beginning of each book provides the necessary background information. However, to provide incentive for kids to keep reading, there is an overarching mission for each four books, but it is still not necessary to read even each of those books in a particular order. To give you an idea of a mission, in books #9 to 12, Jack and Annie have to solve four ancient riddles, one in each of the books, but since each of the books can be read independently, it will be up to young readers (or their teachers) to decide whether or not to read the books in groups of four. The books are available in paperback, library binding, and as audiobooks and eBooks. A full set of books #1 to 28 in the Magic Tree series is also available in paperback. Individual books are also available, as are books in sets of four. Benefits of a Good Series for Young Independent Readers In order for children to learn to be fluent readers, with good comprehension skills, they need to read a lot. When children are relatively new readers, they need to concentrate on decoding each word and comprehending what they are reading without a lot of distractions. It helps if they can find a series they like at a reading level they can comfortably read. Why? Every time they start a new book in the series, they dont have to get used to new main characters, a new story format, a different style of writing or anything else that would distract them from just enjoying the story. Its this enjoyment that will bring them back for more and more stories, which will help them become fluent readers. It also helps a lot to talk about the books with your children. Ask them to tell you about Jack and Annies latest adventure, what it was all about, and what they learned. For kids who prefer nonfiction or who want to know more about the subject of the Magic Tree House book they just read, see if there is a Magic Tree House Fact Tracker nonfiction companion research guide. Book List of Books #1 to 28 in the Magic Tree House Series Note that a CNB (for companion nonfiction book) at the end of each book listing means that there is a Magic Tree House Fact Tracker for that book. Dinosaurs Before Dark, Magic Tree House, Book #1 - CNBThe Knight at Dawn, Magic Tree House, Book Book #2 - CNBMummies in the Morning, Magic Tree House, Book Book #3 - CNBPirates past Noon, Magic Tree House, Book Book #4 - CNBNight of the Ninjas, Magic Tree House, Book #5Afternoon on the Amazon, Magic Tree House, Book #6 - CNBSunset of the Sabertooth, Magic Tree House, Book #7 - CNBMidnight on the Moon, Magic Tree House, Book #8 - CNBDolphins at Daybreak, Magic Tree House, Book #9 - CNBGhost Town at Sundown, Magic Tree House, Book #10Lions at Lunchtime, Magic Tree House, Book #11Polar Bears Past Bedtime, Magic Tree House, Book #12 - CNBVacation Under The Volcano, Magic Tree House, Book #13 - CNBDay of the Dragon King, Magic Tree House, Book #14Viking Ships at Sunrise, Magic Tree House, Book #15Hour of the Olympics, Magic Tree House, Book #16 - CNBTonight on the Titanic, Magic Tree House, Book #17 - CNBBuffalo Before Breakfast, Magic Tree House, Book #18Tigers at Twilight, Magic Tree H ouse, Book #19 Dingoes at Dinnertime, Magic Tree House, Book #20Civil War on Sunday, Magic Tree House, Book #21Revolutionary War on Wednesday, Magic Tree House, Book #22 - CNBTwister on Tuesday, Magic Tree House, Book #23 - CNBEarthquake in the Early Morning, Magic Tree House, Book #24Stage Fright on a Summer Night, Magic Tree House, Book #25Good Morning, Gorillas, Magic Tree House, Book #26Thanksgiving on Thursday, Magic Tree House Book #27 - CNBHigh Tide in Hawaii, Magic Tree House, Book #28 - CNB

Sentence Structure The Basics of Word Order

Sentence Structure The Basics of Word Order Sentence Structure: The Basics of Word Order A grammatical sentence is more than just the sum of its parts. All those parts have to be in the correct order, too. Using an incorrect word order, on the other hand, may lead to errors or a lack of clarity. Thankfully, the basics of word order are easy to remember if you use the initialism â€Å"SVO.† Subject + Verb + Object (SVO) The minimum required for a grammatical sentence is a subject (i.e., the person or thing that is doing or being something) followed by a verb (i.e., the action or state of being). You can see this in the table below: Subject (S) Verb (V) Steve†¦ †¦dances. The sentence above has only two words: the proper noun â€Å"Steve† and the verb â€Å"dances.† This is enough to create a grammatical sentence, but only if we use those words in the order shown. If we were to reverse the word order here, it would not make sense (â€Å"Dances Steve†). Any sentence with a transitive verb will also require a direct object after the verb. This â€Å"object† is the thing being acted upon in the sentence. For example: Subject (S) Verb (V) Object (O) Sally†¦ †¦kicks †¦the ball. In the sentence above, the subject (â€Å"Sally†) acts upon (â€Å"kicks†) the object (â€Å"the ball†). Any order other than subject + verb + object here would be ungrammatical with adding extra words. And as such, this basic word order is often the clearest, most concise option available. Indirect Objects If you’re feeling a little braver about word order now, you might be ready to tackle indirect objects. An indirect object is the thing that receives the direct object in a sentence, such as in the following: Subject Verb Direct Object Preposition Indirect Object Jimmy†¦ †¦gave †¦the present †¦to†¦ †¦his grandad. To break this down a bit, in this case: â€Å"Jimmy† is the subject. The verb is â€Å"gave.† The direct object is â€Å"the present.† And â€Å"his grandad† is the indirect object. As you can see, then, when following a preposition like â€Å"to† or â€Å"for,† we place the indirect object after the object in the sentence. However, if we omit the preposition the sentence, the indirect object would go before the object (making the correct order subject + verb + indirect object + object): Subject Verb Indirect Object Direct Object Jimmy†¦ †¦gave †¦his grandad †¦the present. This distinction is key, so it’s always worth checking whether your sentence contains a preposition if you’re unsure about the correct word order. Summary: The Basics of Word Order The basic word order in English is captured in the initials SVO: Subject + Verb + Object Each of these plays a specific role in the sentence: Subject (S) – The person or thing that enacts the verb in the sentence. Verb (V) – The action or state of being described. Object (O) – The direct object is the person or thing being acted upon. The minimum required for a grammatical sentence is a subject plus a verb. But any sentence with a transitive verb will have a direct object as well. The word order may be slightly more complicated in a sentence that includes an indirect object (i.e., the recipient of a direct object in a sentence). In this case, the correct word order depends on whether you’re using a preposition. If you are using one, the correct order is: Subject + Verb + Object + Indirect Object If the preposition is omitted, the sentence should be ordered: Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Object Finally, don’t forget that proofreading is a great way to ensure that your writing is free from grammatical errors. And our expert editors are always here and ready to help, so why not submit a document today?

Ancient Chinese Contributions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ancient Chinese Contributions - Essay Example China is the motherhood of various objects that have become an integral part of every house and office. The inventions suggested by ancient China concern every sphere of human life. They are created to make human life more interesting and convenient. Each of the above-mentioned inventions is very significant and useful for the whole world. Moreover, each of them has an interesting and unique history that is worth paying attention to. Every person saw or played with a kite at least once in his/her life. The first kites were applied by Chinese people. It happened approximately two thousand and eight hundred years ago. It is known that this object was created by Chinese philosophers – Mozi and Lu Ban (Backus 2002). It happened in the fifth century BC. However, the usage of kites was not the same as today. They were applied as a message for a rescue mission. Sometimes kites were used by Chinese people for various purposes – measuring distances, signalling, military communic ation, testing the wind and lifting people. Today people resort to the use of compass in order not to be lost at the forest or in any other unknown place. It is a good device to use in order to find out the right direction. However, today a few people know about the initial role of compass. It was created by Chinese people in order to fulfil various religious purposes. ... In fact, it is the father of modern calculators. Before the invention of abacus people had to use fingers and hands. It was not very convenient. So, China gave the world a better way to count various things. This invention appeared about 3000 B.C. (Challen 2005). This device consisted of beads and wood. It was not very difficult to carry or hold abacus. It is applied even today, when there are computers and calculators at all offices. However, it is still rather convenient to use abacus, because it helps to keep track of numbers.

Export Spanish Ham Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Export Spanish Ham - Coursework Example Wheel organization structure entails the procurement and distribution of ready-made products. This involves a comprehensive supply chain system. It is also concerned with functional structure refers to the organization of the functions of an organization into the required number of functions within a particular organization. This structure determined the selection of a functional organization structure because of the efficient utilization of resources associated with this structure. This structure also guarantees career development and advancement because the personnel succeed each other according to their ranks in Authority. Furthermore, this structure is the one that gives an opportunity to the employees to work as a team in order to achieve the overall organizational goals of profit maximization and wealth creation. Traditional divisional structuring leads to horizontal communication within the organization whereas functional structuring has got vertical communication according to the hierarchy existing. Furthermore, there is utilization of human resource in functional structure whereas there is wastage of this resource in divisional organizational structure. This owes to the fact that in divisional structuring, each division has its own personnel in the field of accounting, human resource, marketing, manufacturing and purchasing hence duplication of effort. Matric organizational structure is the best structure because it employs both functional and divisional techniques and designs. However, reporting to the seniors is a problem because authority has been fully delegated to the heads of every division, unlike in the functional and divisional organizational structures. Moreover, there is continuous competition between line managers and the personnel in matrix structure unlike the case in functional and divisional organizational structures. Matrix-based organizational

Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay Genetically modified foods: Beneficial views Adverse views a. What is the possible risk for genetically modified crops considering nutrition and health? b. Whether the economic effects are the most important? c. Will it bring severe environment problems? III. Arguments for beneficial effects of GM foods a. Firstly, transgenic technology has made considerable progress in food applications. b. Transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety. c. GM foods significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Introduction The author, Magana-Gomez, critically analyzed the risk assessment methods of transgenic food for human nutrition and health in the paper, â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health†. Magana reviewed various modes including different feeding period, animal modes and parameters in the paper published in 2011 by Nutrition Reviews (Magana G, 2009). In consistent with his studies, negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. However, with our entry into the 21st century, genetically modified foods have undergone even faster development. However, there are also many doubts about the safety of genetically modified foods. Therefore, genetically modified foods have become a hot topic issue. Personally, although there are many controversies about GM food, I still insist on the research and promotion of transgenic food due to its diverse benefits. Views According to Curieux-Belfond CL, he could identify the factors that deserve consideration before â€Å"commercialization and promotion of transgenic food† (182). In this paper, â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon†, the author took transgenic salmon as an example, in which Curieux-Belfond examined the corresponding impacts in terms of aquaculture, wildlife, ecosystem and human health. The paper published in 2011 by Evironmental Science Policy suggested that GM food undoubtedly contributed to economic benefits without exerting too much extra burden (Curieux B, 2009). In the end, the author believed that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. Analysis of the benefits of genetically modified foods Magana’s argument is persuasive when he assessed the risks about GM food. However, since genetic engineering techniques have successfully transferred anti-viral, insect resistance, cold resistance and other genes to cotton, wheat, tomatoes and other plants, we can get stable new varieties of genetically modified, with low production cost and high-yield food, which will ease the world food shortage and reduce the use of pesticides to a large extent. Based on the above reasons, I will provide a critical analysis with the following specific examples which show his argument is partially wrong. Firstly, transgenic technology has also made considerable progress in animal food applications. At present, a variety of mammal and bird genes are successfully integrated into the genome of fish, which can significantly enhance transgenic fish muscle protein content and improve growth speed. With the development of genetic engineering technology, people have been freed from natural enzymes to a large extent. Especially when the enzyme obtained from natural protein material encounters difficulties, genetic engineering has the unique advantages of natural gene cloning (Seralini GE, 2011). Thus, it can be highly expressed in microorganisms with mass production by fermentation. At present, the transgenic enzymes are widely used in the food industry, such as maltose enzymes amylase, pectinase and the juice protease. The food nutritional quality modified by genetic engineering has also made remarkable achievements. For instance, the genetic engineering technology has been applied for seed protein improvement, which renders it possible to change the plant composition and amino acid content. Secondly, transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety, which helps increase production and food supply while reducing the farm labor and pesticide applications, agricultural inputs and production costs (Weasel LH, 2009). In the future, GM crops have great potential in solving the food crisis. For instance, by applying transgenic technology to the human staple foods of rice and wheat, people can increase food production and improve nutritional quality, which will provide mankind with higher-quality food. Furthermore, GM foods have also proved effective in alleviating poverty and hunger. The world’s poorest 50% of the population are small and resource-poor farmers, while 20% living in rural areas without their own land actually depend on agriculture. Therefore, the increase in small-scale and resource-poor farmers’ income will directly assist 70% of the world’s poorest people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). So far, genetically modified cotton in India, China and South Africa have already made a significant contribution to more than 1. 2 million poor farmers’ income. The benefits of genetically modified corn in the Philippines and South Africa will be much clearer in the future. In addition, genetically modified rice has great potential to benefit 250 million poor families in Asia, whose benefits will reach 10 million people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). Transgenic food also helps to reduce land development. Transgenic technology has been developed to improve the current 1. billion hectares of arable land productivity through conservation of biological resources, thereby reducing land development and deforestation. Thirdly, I will demonstrate such improvement since they significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Traditional agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, and transgenic biotechnology can help reduce this impact. In the first decade of appli cation of genetically modified crops, by planting herbicide and insect-resistant characteristics, transgenic technologies have greatly reduced the use of pesticides, saved fossil fuels and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Undoubtedly, genetically modified crops with drought-tolerant genes will improve water-use efficiency and maintain sustainable agricultural development, which will play an important role in easing the crisis of population growth and global food shortage (Artemis D, 2009). GM crops have also contributed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in two main ways, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping slow climate change. First, by reducing fuel use, the spraying of insecticides and herbicides, GM crops continue to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, genetic engineering has been stated to reduce 1. billion kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to a decrease of 50 million cars from the road. Secondly, herbicide-resistant GM crops help reduce tillage applications, which protects the land and enhances soil carbon sequestration. Conclusions Despite the many advantages of GM food, we cannot ignore the risks. After genetically modified foods have been taken into th e human body, they may cause harm to human health. Moreover, after a large number of transgenic crops come into nature, they may be biologically harmful to ecosystems. Since the risks of GM food is serous, it is important for us to reflect on it first. Any of the scientific and technological developments should be comprehensive and provide well-being for human life. If genetically modified foods can only increase our economic interests and improved material life without the moral, social and environmental harmony, they cannot be defined as making great contribution to social development. Therefore, whether GM food is a benefit or a disadvantage really depends on what kind of human values people hold (Qaim M. 2009). That is the question we reflect on deeply. In contemporary society, with the rapid development of science and technology, the economic situation of the human and the material standard of living has been soaring. It seems that mankind is taking great proud for the advanced technology. However, we should look back to what the living environment we rely on is subjected to. Therefore, genetically modified foods are seen as the savior of mankind, which is actually human self-centered ideology. Of course, with the continuous development of biotechnology and genetic engineering, human beings have the ability to create more genetically modified food.

inof on Joan Makes History :: essays research papers

What we’re after, of course, is stories, and we know that history is bulging with beauties. Having found them, we then proceed to fiddle with them to make them the way we want them to be, rather than the way they really were. We get it wrong, willfully and knowingly. But perhaps you could say that the very flagrency of our "getting it wrong" points to the fact that all stories even the history "story" are made. They have an agenda, even if it’s an unconscious one. Perhaps there are many ways to get it right. The interesting parts of history are probably always what’s not there. My own special area of interest about what’s not in history is the women. As you would all know, by and large they’re sadly absent from the historical record. However, I’m lucky to be the recipient—custodian, even, if that doesn’t sound too grandiose—of a rich oral history handed down from my mother, who got it from her mother and so on back down the line. She’s told me family stories from every generation since our family first came to Australia—in the form of our wicked convict ancestor Solomon Wiseman, in 1806. Sol is supposed to have murdered his wife, and turned his daughter—pregnant to the riding-master—out of the house to starve. (But perhaps, the novelist in me thinks, she didn’t starve , but went on to have, well, a story†¦) There was "Uncle Willie with the red hair" who was "killed [by falling] off a horse when he was eighteen and broke his mother’s heart." There was her own mother, in love with a Catholic boy—a love as unthinkable as between a Montagu and a Capulet and was forced to marry a good Protestant boy. You should see th e look on her face in the wedding photos. This oral history, handed down in a series of formalised anecdotes from mother to daughter, leaving rich areas for speculation in between is, I suspect, one of the things that’s made me a novelist. http://www.nla.gov.au/events/history/papers/Kate_Grenville%20.html SOUL-SEARCHING about our past is the new literary fashion. It is the period in which the breast-beaters, the moral Pharisees, are driven to tell us how, unlike their predecessors, they have political and moral virtue. The Aborigines, women and ordinary people have become the 'goodies', and all those who ignored them in their books or their teaching have become the 'baddies'. The winds of change are blowing over the ancient continent.

Ownership Essay

I own the idea that I eve this other human. For instance, love my family and they love me. There isn't a mastermind programming us to love each Other, we own the idea that this is our family and we love us. When I was a little boy, would steal from our candy jar and one day I got this yucky feeling in my belly that I was doing something naughty. So went to my dad and after he explained what was doing was wrong and then it clicked that my actions were wrong so apologized. What I did was realizing that my actions were wrong and so I owned up to them. We own our actions whether we want to or not.Actions take a split-second for us to decide to act on what we saw and if so, positively or negatively. No one else telling me what to do, it's just me and my thoughts. So what are thoughts? The literal definition of thought is â€Å"An idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurring suddenly in the mind. † The literal people would say that the brain is the most powerful thing in the wo rld. But what makes the brain so special is not that it controls our body, but that it controls our thoughts. Whenever we listen to a good song the brain tells the body that it likes it so we get that little tune tuck in our head.Whenever get test back that I didn't do well on, I get that sinking feeling and I get sad. Then the next time a test is coming up, I study and try to get a better grade. My thoughts reminded me of how bad it felt to get a bad grade and to do better next time. Both scenarios are my own thoughts; it's just me doing what my brain tells me is right and putting my actions to it. Love, our actions, and our thoughts are all examples of things that, even if we don't want to, own. These are all intangible things that we cannot see nor can we keep.

In 2011, What Are Social, Political, and Economic Impacts of Slavery in the U.S.?

In 2011, what are social, political, and economic impacts of slavery in the U. S.? To review American history, â€Å"American Dream† is encouraging a lot of foreigners to immigrate to America where can let these immigrates willing to the better life which refers to the success of economy through individual efforts. However, there is a dark side, namely the slavery, in American history that should not be neglected. The impact of slavery can be recognized in three fields, namely the economic field, the political field, and the social field. Each field has been interacting with each other, there are some visible and invisible phenomenons that might be helpful to spell out what the social, political, and economic impacts of slavery in American in nowadays. From 1619 to 1869, America was the biggest western country which owns huge populations o slavers and strict system of slavery. Slavers didn’t have any rights, such as education, suffrage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦etc. Simply put, slavers are not considered as people, they are the property of slave owners. The transition of the status of African-Americans, which has gone through too many struggles, is from slavers to African-Americans, in 1865, the United States Congress adopted The 13th Amendment Act, it explains that â€Å"neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. â€Å" It means that the slavery became a history of America. There is no denying that it is the long-term impact of slavery on economy in America, there are two economic transformations, which are triangle trade and industrialization, in American history. The structure of triangle trade is based on the business among Europe, America and Africa. At that time, the North America was the transfer spot between England and its colonies, it means that North America exported agricultural products to England, such as cotton, in the mean time, North America imported slavers. Due to the different economic systems between northern and southern states: industry and commerce were centered on the northern states, agriculture was centered on the southern states, the economic confliction was increasing and then changed to the political and social confliction. At that era, the northern states claimed that protectionism which claims America should take high customs duties to protect the development of industry and commerce, but this policy caused great damage of agricultural economy in southern states. because slavery was major foundation of economy in southern states, so the confliction between northern and southern states was unable to avoid. Another point is that America was not a federal government at that time, it was a confederation. According to the aforementioned, I do not think that northern states want southern states to be the dependency of England in some day, so the Civil War is avoidless process. Slavery is the foundation that forces America to be t he most powerful country in whole world, especially economic and social impacts. After Civil War, slavers get freedom and they enter into the labor market of industry, it improves the economic benefits and rapid industrialization, America was prospering before Great Depression. However, America has experienced some economic failures, such as Great Depression and Financial Tsunami. I think it is the long-term economic impact of slaver because American government adopted over-protected economic policy, and it is one of reasons which caused Great Depression and then American government has gone toward another extreme way, namely the over-liberalism, and it is one of reasons that caused Financial Tsunami. After the disaster of Financial Tsunami. The most important political impact of slavery is American changes to federation. The problem of confederation is that the confederation government does not have enough political, military and economic power to restrain each state, it means these states usually ignore the motions of confederation government. With the establishment of federation after 1865, America is toward the centralization, the interests of country is far higher and more important than the interests of each states. The racial discrimination is a long term problem in the American society, some white people think that they are more superior than other races, and it is called â€Å"White supremacy†. African-Americans are facing the racial discrimination since the era of slavery, such as the racial discrimination in Major League Baseball. An unwritten policy is called â€Å"gentlemen’s agreement† created a colored barrier in Major league baseball until 1947. The possibility of African-American players in Major League Baseball had been excluded. In the late of twentieth century, American government adopts â€Å"Affirmative Action† to try to improve the situation of black people through the structure of law, however, it caused the reverse discrimination. As William J. Wilson’s book, â€Å"The Truly Disadvantaged† noted , he claims that the racial discrimination and its damage were happening in the past, the education is the major factor which effects the economic success of black people because black people are in the bottom of the economic pyramid. In fact, I can not agree with this point because I think that the long-term discrimination is causing the unfair of education and social status, and these factors also influence with each other, this discrimination is invisible that has gradually permeated to the cultural, political, economic field. In nowadays, the racial discrimination still exists in the American society, as one survey from â€Å"Gallup Poll† in 2008 noted, the racial discrimination can be found in four specific problems—â€Å"lower average education levels for U. S. blacks, lower average income levels for U. S. blacks, lower average life expectancies for blacks, and a higher percentage of blacks serving time in U. S. prisons. † It was impossible that African-Americans can be the American president in two hundred years ago, but Barack Obama won the election of American president in 2008. To most people, the victory of Barack Obama is breaking the racial discrimination in the American society, but I do not think so. Because changing the law is easier than changing the opinion of people, especially the long-term concept. Works Cited 1. EH. Net. â€Å"Slavery in the United States. † EH. Net. The Economic History Association with the Support of Other Sponsoring Organizations. , 1 Feb. 2010. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. . 2. Wagley, K. â€Å"Slavery's Economic Basis and Impact on the Emerging United States. † Yahoo! Voices – Voices. yahoo. com. 30 Sept. 2009. Web. 04 Dec. 011. . 3. Wright, Gavin. Slavery and American Economic Development. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2006. Print. 4. Wilson, William J. The Truly Disadvantaged. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1987. Print. 5. Jones, Jeffrey M. â€Å"Majority of Americans Say Racism Against Blacks Widespread. † Gallup. Com – Daily News, Polls, Public Opinion on Government, Politics, Economics, Management. Gallup, Inc. , 4 Aug. 2008. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. .

Products And Processes The WritePass Journal

Products And Processes Introduction Products And Processes IntroductionChoice of facility locationInventory managementTransportation Information infrastructureReferencesRelated Introduction Q1. Seven-Eleven’s supply chain strategy in Japan can be described as attempting to micro-match supply and demand using rapid replenishment? Are there any risks associated with this choice? What are these risks? Seven-Eleven Japan sought to simplify of its operations through use of advanced information technology, a factor to which its success is significantly attributed. This technology consists of a total information system installed in each outlet and linking their headquarters, their suppliers and their distribution centers. The system also includes an online network link; Point-of-sales (POS) system consisting of cash registers and terminal control equipment; personal computers linked to the POS cash registers and to the online network; and, an integrated services digital network (ISDN), an online communication system which enables quick collection, processing and feedback of data (Dai 2004). The hardware components of this system include: hand-held graphic display devices with access to the POS data in relation to each item which aid order placements; scanner terminals that read bar codes and reconcile inventory; store computers that interlink all these other components and track all t he data; and the POS registers which record sales and customer details such as age (Dai 2004). The POS data comprises of; sales analyses, waste analyses, and analyses of trends including daily sales, number of customers in relation to sales, slow product movement, and growth of sales per category. With this information system, the stores have better capacity to match their supply with demand. Through such data analyses, staff in the store can make adjustments through the day depending on consumption patterns, adjusting merchandise mix on store shelves, best described as rapid replenishment (Kumar 2001). This strategy of rapid replenishment though quite useful in maintaining efficiency and responsiveness, however, has risks associated. Among the risks, is an over-reliance on information technology systems which could be disastrous in case of system failures. A de-link of the several operations could disrupt the supply chain (Kumar 2001). Also a challenge is finding the right balance in the number of transport units due to the wide range of product quantities that are in demand. This could most likely result in increased costs of ordering and transport due to the high frequency of orders that earn this system the term â€Å"rapid replenishment†. This system also makes production and manufacturing quite an expense as the producers are limited by demand data flowing back to them, as they seek to match need. It would otherwise be cheaper if products were mass produced as the economies of scale would be favorable to such an arrangement (Chopra 2004). With an increase in product var iety and availability, there is also an attendant risk of higher inventory costs and culpability towards capacity fluctuations. Q2. Discuss how Seven-Eleven’s choice of facility location, inventory management, transportation and information infrastructure support its supply chain strategy in Japan? Choice of facility location `Seven-Eleven places its stores in clusters of over 50 stores supported by a distribution center. This choice of facility location is influenced by its market-dominance strategy in which Seven-Eleven Japan sought to open its new stores in areas already having clusters of stores (Li 2003). This arrangement of its facilities helps the company in its rapid replenishment strategy as the high density and geographical concentration boosts its efficient distribution system and enhances its system efficiency. This enables it to consolidate its warehousing and transport functions. The main advantage of this arrangement of clusters of stores around a delivery center is enhanced responsiveness core to the enhancement of efficiency in the supply chain. The centralized delivery center is essentially a cross-docking center, an essential node that enables consolidation and combination of product categories. Items supplied by different manufacturers are combined at the delivery center into distribution trucks which then service the stores depending on their individual orders (Li 2003). This use of distribution centers helps the company in its supply strategy by reducing lead time as well as the inventory and logistical costs throughout the chain. It enables faster replenishment through frequent supply by its distribution trucks several times a day. Inventory management Seven-Eleven’s inventory management system is composed of three levels; the manufacturers or suppliers, the delivery centers and the stores. The manufacturers or suppliers receive orders for goods from the stores and supply them through the distribution centers. The Seven-Eleven distribution centers do not carry any inventory as they only serve in cross-docking, transferring inventory from supplier trucks to distribution trucks that then serve the stores. At the store level, inventory management entails the use of bar code scanners to record inventory received from the distribution center which is reconciled against orders placed, the store computer, point-of-sale terminal and graphic display terminal which are useful in tracking all items in the inventory and guiding subsequent orders to replace sold items (Li 2003). All these levels are useful in the chain’s replenishment strategy through the tracking of inventory from supplier to the store and the provision of useful data to all parties in the chain through the communication interlink. This is quite significant in strengthening efficiency as parties seamlessly work together to enable rapid supply of products to meet demand from the stores. Transportation Meeting demand from the stores in rapid sequence requires a robust transport system backing the supply side. Seven-Eleven’s transport system consists of two segments; supplier trucks that transport goods from the manufacturers to the distribution center; and the company’s distribution trucks transporting products from the distribution centers to the stores. This segmentation enables the reduction of vehicular traffic to stores as the combination process at the distribution center makes it tenable for fewer distribution trucks serving the stores (Chopra 2004). To further ease transport, inventory is classified into four categories of temperature-controlled trucks including; frozen foods, chilled foods, processed foods at room-temperature, and warm foods. Goods in a similar category are combined in a single truck for delivery to multiple stores with the number of stores served by a truck depending on sales volumes (Li 2003). This arrangement gives Seven-Eleven the capacity to reduce number of vehicles that would be required for daily delivery to each store, even though the frequency of delivery is high. It consequently, also, reduces delivery costs and enables the rapid delivery of a variety of fresh foods thus enhancing efficiency and reducing costs in inventory management and transportation. This enhanced efficiency and reduced costs favors the rapid replenishment strategy as goods at stores are replaced faster and more efficiently. Information infrastructure This infrastructure is what gives Seven-Eleven much of its capacity and efficiency in its entire system, the backbone of its rapid replenishment strategy through the micro-match of demand and supply. This infrastructure consists of a total information system installed in each outlet and linking them to headquarters, their suppliers and to distribution centers through an online network link, the integrated services digital network (ISDN). This enables the sharing of actionable information in real time which serves to enhance responsiveness throughout the system. At the store, there is the Point-of-sales (POS) system consisting of cash registers and terminal control equipment and personal computers linked to the POS cash registers and to the online network (Kumar 2001). These components are useful aids in the analysis of a variety of data necessary for the realization of the supply chain strategy, through the tracking of inventory and a simplified process of placing orders. Data accrued from the various analyses is essential for the generation of projections enhancing the capacity to micro-match demand and supply. This infrastructure is key in bringing together all the information necessary to manage facilities, transport, manufacturing and general distribution, thereby enabling the smooth conduct of operations and management of the entire system at greater levels of efficiency. Q3. Seven-Eleven does not allow direct store delivery in Japan but has all products flow through its distribution centre. What benefit does Seven-Eleven derive from this policy? When is direct store delivery more appropriate? The decision to move all product deliveries through distribution centers came about as a result of Seven-Eleven’s endeavor towards efficiency in the supply chain. In its early life, up to 70 supplier trucks visited each store daily but with the distribution center arrangement, it has drastically reduced to 11 distribution trucks. Manufacturers supply the ordered products to Seven-Eleven’s distribution centers which then combines several items of similar category into a single distribution truck (Li 2003). This enables the supply of multiple stores by a single distribution truck for a particular category of products. The benefits of this supply mechanism include the reduction of vehicular traffic whereby only 11 distribution trucks with combined product categories are sufficient for daily supplies to stores. This enhances efficiency and responsiveness enabling a reduction in transport and inventory handling costs. Also beneficial is the resultant flexibility of the supply system as the distribution trucks are Seven-Eleven’s own (Chopra 2004). Delivery schedules can, through coordination, be altered easily and efficiently to enable the micro-matching of demand and supply, offering shorter replenishments cycles as per requirement and thus, enhancing responsiveness. The managing of fewer relationships is also a benefit of this indirect system as stores do not deal directly with vendors but leaves that to the distribution center. A store’s relationship in the chain is only with the distribution center and trucks (Li 2003). This partitioning enhances efficiency in the supply chain throug h the separation of scope of work for each player in the supply chain. Direct store delivery would, however, be more appropriate in instances when there is need for supply of unique one-time items that are heavy or bulky that would be inconvenient to pass through the distribution center (Chopra 2004). Direct delivery by supplier trucks would be appropriate in this case. It would also be appropriate when one among the stores is selling items with high demand uncertainties that are not sold in other stores as would be in cases when there is a difference in local preferences in the store locations. Another instance would be in cases in which emergency shipment of products is required necessitating straightforward supply path to the store (Dai 2004). References Chopra, S., and P. Meindl., 2004. Supply Chain Management, 2d ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Prentice-Hall. Dai, S., 2004. â€Å"Knowledge Creation System in Seven-Eleven Japan†. In: Journal of Electronic Science and Technology. Vol 2 , 92-97. Kumar, K., (ed), 2001. â€Å"Technology for Supply Chain Management†. In: Communications of the ACM( June, special issue). Li, L., 2003. Seven-Eleven Japan. Centre for Business Education, St. Andrews University.

New Urbanism Planning and Design

New Urbanism Planning and Design New Urbanism is an urban planning and design movement that began in the United States in the early 1980s. Its goals are to reduce dependence on the car, and to create livable and walkable, neighborhoods with a densely packed array of housing, jobs, and commercial sites. New Urbanism also promotes a return to the traditional town planning seen in places such as downtown Charleston, South Carolina and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. These locations are ideal for New Urbanists because in each one there is an easily walkable Main Street, a downtown park, shopping districts and a gridded street system. History of New Urbanism In the beginning of the 19th century, development of American cities often took a compact, mixed-use form, reminiscent of that found in places like old town Alexandria, Virginia. With the development of the streetcar and affordable rapid transit, however, cities began to spread out and create streetcar suburbs. The later invention of the automobile further increased this decentralization from the central city which later led to separated land uses and urban sprawl. New Urbanism is a reaction to the spreading out of cities. The ideas then began to spread in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as urban planners and architects started to come up with plans to model cities in the U.S. after those in Europe. In 1991, New Urbanism developed more strongly when the Local Government Commission, a nonprofit group in Sacramento, California, invited several architects, including Peter Calthorpe, Michael Corbett, Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk among others, to Yosemite National Park to develop a set of principles for land use planning that focused on the community and its livability. The principles, named after Yosemites Ahwahnee Hotel where the conference was held, are called the Ahwahnee Principles. Within these, there are 15 community principles, four regional principles and four principles of implementation. Each one, however, deals with both past and present ideas to make cities as clean, walkable and livable as possible. These principles were then presented to government officials in late 1991 at the Yosemite Conference for Local Elected Officials. Shortly thereafter, some of the architects involved in creating the Ahwahnee Principles formed the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) in 1993. Today, CNU is the leading promoter of New Urbanist ideas and has grown to over 3,000 members. It also holds conferences yearly in cities across the U.S. to further promote New Urbanism design principles. Core New Urbanist Ideas Within the concept of New Urbanism today, there are four key ideas. The first of these is to ensure that a city is walkable. This means that no resident should need a car to get anywhere in the community and they should be no more than a five-minute walk from any basic good or service. To achieve this, communities should invest in sidewalks and narrow streets. In addition to actively promoting walking, cities should also de-emphasize the car by placing garages behind homes or in alleys. There should also only be on-street parking, instead of large parking lots. Another core idea of New Urbanism is that buildings should be mixed both in their style, size, price, and function. For example, a small townhouse can be placed next to a larger, single family home. Mixed-use buildings such as those containing commercial spaces with apartments over them are also ideal in this setting. Finally, a New Urbanist city should have a strong emphasis on the community. This means maintaining connections between people with high density, parks, open spaces and community gathering centers like a plaza or neighborhood square. Examples of New Urbanist Cities Although New Urbanist design strategies have been tried in various places across the U.S., the first fully developed New Urbanist town was Seaside, Florida, designed by architects Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk. Construction began there in 1981 and almost immediately, it became famous for its architecture, public spaces, and quality of streets. The Stapleton neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, is another example of New Urbanism in the U.S. It is on the site of the former Stapleton International Airport and construction began in 2001. The neighborhood is zoned as residential, commercial and office and will be one of the largest in Denver. Like Seaside, it too will de-emphasize the car but it will also have parks and open space. Criticisms of New Urbanism Despite the popularity of New Urbanism in the recent decades, there have been some criticisms of its design practices and principles. The first of these is that the density of its cities leads to a lack of privacy for residents. Some critics claim that people want detached homes with yards so they are further away from their neighbors. By having mixed density neighborhoods and possibly sharing driveways and garages, this privacy is lost. Critics also say that New Urbanist towns feel inauthentic and isolated because they do not represent the norm of settlement patterns in the U.S. Many of these critics often point to Seaside as it was used to film portions of the film The Truman Show and as a model of Disneys community, Celebration, Florida. Finally, critics of New Urbanism argue that instead of promoting diversity and community, New Urbanist neighborhoods only attract affluent white residents as they often become very expensive places to live. Regardless of these criticisms though, New Urbanist ideas are becoming a popular form of planning communities and with a growing emphasis on mixed-use buildings, high density settlements, and walkable cities, its principles will continue into the future.

Harley-Davidson in 2004..2011 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harley-Davidson in 2004..2011 - Essay Example The global market consumers consider all the factors while purchasing the motorbikes because the motorbikes in most of the countries are used by means of transport or the consumers who does not afford the cost of maintaining car: The motorbike industry of US is different from the international market because the US consumers do not use the motorbikes by means of transport. So US consumers do not consider all the above factors except superior quality. Every country has its own economic conditions that are different from the other country. In motorbike industry of under developing countries the consumers consider these factors: cheap in cost, average in quality, fuel efficient and spare parts available at cheap prices. And in the developed countries the focus of the consumers on superior quality, innovative features and designs etc. the economic conditions of a country creates a big difference in the consumer preferences. 2.1-The motorbike industry is growing very fast for the last two decades and now the total number of motorbikes in the world is around 200 million. It’s a very huge market with a huge growth every year. Many bug multinational entering in this fast growing market because in the under developing countries motorbikes is used as a means of transport and in developed countries it is used with a broad perception. Harley Davidson associates its brand image with life style of customers. Its market is increasing because today’s consumer associate it self with the product’s characteristics to build its personal image as a products image. This trend makes the market of Harley Davidson more effective and appealing. Harley Davidson is most selling motorbike brand in US market and containing a highest market share in the US motorbike industry. The sales and the market share of Harley Davidson in the US motorbike industry

Critique of Strategic Thinking for Information Technology Essay

Critique of Strategic Thinking for Information Technology - Essay Example line that requires study and preparation† as well as â€Å"a discipline that enables one to develop deep and far reaching conclusions about the information age and IT fighting.† Strategy is seen as an essential factor in the success of a business organization especially in an IT company where alignment is highly required. He also stressed that alignment is not a point-in-time concept and that IT must change in response to the changes that the organization faces. The chapter also presents the scenario of the information age where bits become source of value and where IT intensifies rivalry among industry players. In response to this, the traditional sustainable advantage is replaced with throwaway temporary advantage. Boar stresses that in order to keep up with the current competition, business organizations need not capitalize on long-term capacities but on short term competitive advantage. The main idea is to keep up with the competition by manoeuvring across time. An important point that Boar discuss is the importance of having a strategy in order to propel a business organization to its expected end (Boar 62-63). The author furthers his point by stating that business organizations can strategically position themselves by acquiring advantages both competitive and sustainable. In the end, his emphasis is on acquiring temporary competitive advantage that building on long-term sustainable advantage. This point is in direct contrast with what is taught by strategic management theorists Thomson and Strickland. In their book entitled Strategic Management, these thinkers recognize the importance of turning competitive advantage into sustainable advantage. They argue that business organizations should focus on the long-run and thus, find ways to sustain the competitive advantage that they have. The ideas presented by Boar contrasts that of Thomson and Strickland. While Boar favors competitive advantage, Thomson and Strickland are advocating sustainab le advantage. These