Alternative Courses Of Action Information Technology Essay

Alternative Courses Of Action Information Technology Essay Real Time Video Limited media is a social enterprise that as being in existence since 1984 with the aim of helping the socially excluded groups, socially deprived areas and risk group to voice their concerns and challenges they are faced with using participatory media. Real Time Video Limited is one of the few firms who received annual grant from council also, fund are being raised through renting out of equipment and funds received for specific projects from different agencies or body. This creates a level of steady inflow of fund to Real Time Video Limited. However, the council grant remains the major source of income for Real Time Video Limited. Real time works mostly with the councils and few project from other firm this due to the stiff completion with other profit making firm. With the rapid increase in social enterprise or the third sector in UK we have seen many faced with challenges which as hampered their growth or force them to close down this rare. Some of the problem encounter includes improper management, inadequate funds, lack of strategic planning etc. In recent years, with the globalization..Companies of today must respond to change to survive the future. Change is inevitable-growth is optional. Change forces all business owners to adapt, adjust and be energetic in building their businesses. After all, there are only three things a company can do with change: ignore it, adapt to it or embrace it. By focusing on new ways of doing things, a company can revitalize their business.   In particular, marketing in new ways and with different strategies not only simulates new business, but also gives a company a new vision on productivity The major problem faced by Real Time Video Limited is the failure to realise the importance of marketing and projecting what they do to wider audience. Through the use of every possible means rather they depend on referral and word of mouth, although referral are good and cost effective medium but, with the changes in technology and the world becoming smaller everyday other means should be explore to reach targeted audience. Secondly, another problem is the inability to upgrade to the recent technology level due to the high prices of these equipments. This has left Real Time Video Limited to be about two to three year technology backward and this has a significant effect on the mode of operation but, Real Time Video Limited still produce top videos with the equipment at its disposal. Others include Inadequate staff that possess the required skills in video and digital art, also they are faced with stiff competition with other profit making business, Sometimes the charges do not cover their entire cost due to long processes and participatory nature of their work, and sometimes having difficulty working with young people and meeting deadline Analysis Boschee. (2006), pointed out that every social enterprise his faced with two fundamental challenges: To do the right things (strategic marketing) and to do them right (operations). In fact, strategic marketing may be the only thing that holds a non-profit together in an increasingly competitive world. Marketing most times is perceived to be irrelevant and too costly, either financially or in terms of time (Foley and Green 1986). In addition, marketing is perceived to be a cost rather than an investment. Real Time Video Limited is not out left in making these assumptions. This has partly resulted in the shrinking of income as some of its major client/sponsor has pulled out and projects have reduced. The major challenges noted was the absent of marketing plans or budget, in these time and age the importance of marketing cannot be over emphasis to the success of any enterprise. Rather Real Time Video Limited depends on the word of mouth and referral from previous client. According to re cent survey of 900 sales marketing professional it was said that small business should focus more on those who they know and have supported them. This experts ranks referrals as the most effective method for attracting new customers. But with the recent introduction of social media marketing where the word of mouth is now operated through different social media this can be an addition to help create awareness about the service of real time. In addition, real time has a web site but is it not fully utilized and it contents gives only little information about who they are, how they do it. This website has little videos that shows their past project, with numerous opportunity available through YouTube to share video to a wide audience at no cost, real time has no video on YouTube and that bothers me. Also real time does not adequately presenting itself to the public, these as resulted in losing potential sponsors and customer, reduction in the streams of funds and ultimately reduction in the number of projects. Sometime it affects the execution of a project i.e. not being able to cover the cost of some project or leads to the suspension of others. On visiting one of Real Time Video Limited shows event, which was basically showing different films to the public in and hoping to get volunteers or skilled people who are interested in video editing, production and other aspect of Real Time Video Limited. That was a great idea but to my surprise, it was not well manage or presented. on interviewing one of the first timer at the venue he seems confused and mistake the venue for a relaxing centre, on asking him about Real Time Video Limited i found out he had little or no knowledge of what Real Time Video Limited is all about. This problem can be said to be as a result of limited finance , and probably inadequate knowledge of marketing. Furthermore, inadequate volunteer there has being some volunteer in the past who being trained but most times they go to the university they dont come back or their family relocates. This has left real time with only one volunteer who has the required skill and one of the founders who acts so many functions. Also the inability to upgrade to the current technology. Limited finance, rapid change in technology, changes in the environment are some of the factor that contribute to the challenges of real time. Alternative courses of action From the list of problem sighted in Real Time Video Limited the following solution are proposed. For the marketing problem which seems to be the main problem i will suggest the firm should carry out an awareness program reasons being that the firm has being around for long. This can be done through the printing of flyers, posters, and other hand held pamphlet, they can be easily created on most computers, which are low cost when printed by self or print one and take it to a copy shop to duplicate. These can be distributed at location where targeted audience will easily find them such as school, restaurants, other social enterprises, charity organizations, local council office and can be included in local newspapers note permission may be required in these case. These flyers should contain basic information, firstly who Real Time Video Limited, what they do, how they help build and influence the society, details of past projects, current projects and views of past participants. Secondly, Articles are another simple and inexpensive way to get the word out about a business which can be use in Real Time Video Limited video. Article can be written on a weekly or monthly basis and place in various social enterprise magazines or local newspapers and other publications. For example having a write-up on how participatory video can be of benefit to the physically challenged or less privilege and other write-ups that gives insights and relevance of participatory in recent times or brief history of participatory video how they are being used in other country. In addition, these articles can be submitted to the top article directories like ezinearticles.com, isnare.com or ladypens.com and creating a link to your website in the resource box. In as much as writing an article might sound interesting but it requires a great skill and creativity. Writing about concept that is not well known might take time before it is accepted. In addition, Participating in forums is another great way to spread the word about a business. This can be done by creating or locating a few social enterprise or conventional forums, blog, etc which is related to what you do and spend a little time each week answering questions. Direct advertisement of your services should be avoided, but posting a link back to your website might do the trick or use your website as your signature. The main aim of creating or locating a forum is to create a relationship with other forum participants and getting them to see you as someone who is an expert in that area which when done they will want to find more about you and possibly becomes a potential customer, volunteer or sponsor. Some of the implications of these is that it is time consuming which may affect the time giving to the overall projects because building a relationship requires time say six month depending on the time put in and involves some level of creativity. It might be difficult t o be implemented as the founders age bracket does not seem to appeal to this. Furthermore, Building relationship with other social enterprise or charity organization that works with the same target audience or the same line of business thereby would learn from there experience where relevant. There are many other charity or social enterprise in reading such as, Berkshire County Blind Society, Disabilities Trust, Prospect For People With Learning Disabilities, and lots of others that fit into your target audience. In the case of other social enterprise in same industry, we have Media Community Network Ltd, Malt Films Ltd, Griffin Theatre Company, just to mention a few all of which are located in London, however their some conventional media partners. Smart partnering help expose a business to new groups of customers, or hard to reach audience. using a partners contacts and reputation can be a valuable way to get a foothold with new groups of customers or sponsor. Also the relationship sees the two business have a greater buying power than individual. It can res ult into having volunteer with the required skill Also, Employing the services of a consultant or having a specialist in marketing will be helpful has it brings along with it wealth of experience. Marketing cannot be over emphasis as it is vital to the success of any business as it help to create awareness or inform on the existence of a particular service. Employing the services of a consultant to help in planning the marketing strategy of Real Time Video Limited would be a welcome idea as it brings along with a lots of benefit such as it save time as that aspect is being handled by a professional, also wealth of experience from acquired over year can be relevant and other advantages attached. However, with the benefit that come s with employing a consultant also cons the cost, the average cost of having a service of consultant is about  £1070, which is much for Real Time Video Limited who has one only major sponsor. Example of a consultant that works with social enterprise is Eastside Consulting Ltd. The other opinion is to empl oy marketing personnel whose duties would be to plan and implement marketing strategies and working according along side with clive and other partners. This option is less expensive and members are involved in the planning, it allows for progressive update to the members. Moreover, Video advertising is one of the fastest growing means of passing across messages to wide audience, with the advent of social website such as face book, YouTube, etc which allow sending and sharing of videos at no cost, and makes it easier to cover a wide rank of people. In recent time, statistics has showed that people do not have patience to read anymore and would rather watch a video that explains a concept. Over the years there has being an increase in the use of video to promote products and services amongst small businesses and this feature is added to their website. From the chart below in the fourth quarter of 2008 5.2% of small business had video on their web site, in the fourth quarter of 2009 the number increased to 19.2% almost four times as many. From: http://www.reelseo.com/video-small-business-advertisers/ Thats the growth recorded within a year, and the growth is expected to increase over the years, as it is inexpensive and it is one of the ways to best engage and position your firm amongst the targeted audience that are seeking for your services via search. This area is the specialty of Real Time Video Limited because they make videos to promote other area of concern, i believe they should be able to make a video that shows what they do, how they do it and how it is affecting their society. Lastly, there is no denying that social media websites are the next destination for marketing on the web. The number of people who participate in social network website has increased and this as led to the increase in the investment in social media marketing. Some small businesses has incorporate social media marketing as strategies in achieving their goals. Some of such social network site include, twitter, Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. Social media marketing is word-of-mouth in an online environment and it has greater effect than conventional word of mouth as information moves faster with just a click. If you want to attract new visitors to your site then you have to actually participate and become involved in a community. The of the is to real is that it is easy to set up at no cost, Social media helps engages audience, increase your online visibility, it helps to create brand awareness, generate publicity (both good bad). All these suggested solution are geared towards building relationship with real time video-targeted audience. (Relationship marketing) Dees et al (2001). Recommendations All the suggested recommended was based on the assumption that Real Time Video Limited has limited financial resources, has not maximize it potential and the latest trend of marketing effectiveness, requirement/nature of the target audience. Firstly, I will recommend having a new employee against consulting a specialist in marketing reason being that a firm like Real Time Video Limited video have limited funds, also approaching a consultant is expensive and there is little control over their activities. However, since marketing is a cyclical and continuous process having someone responsible will allow for flexibility, daily monitoring of progress and low cost of running compare to consulting. It should be noted that the person employed might not have the wealth of experience compared to a consultant. Nevertheless, with training and different exposure there will be an improvement. The process for getting marketing personal is putting up job advertising and volunteer on the web site. Furthermore, Also building a web site that is comprehensive that show what you do and how u do they, e.g. putting up videos, pictures, relevant links to support each project. E.g. the project on the land lord rent policy should be linked to various property agents, also the project on road to recovery and whats up doc can be linked to other social enterprise that works with recovering addict and those with learning disabilities. The social media networks should be linked with the website to allow for easier access by visitors. Most social enterprise are using this means as it i.e. cheap and easy to set up and it helps to build relationships. Relationship marketing is one the quiet means but the most effective as customer seek to establish relationship with its service provider. In implement this, according to Clive Real Time Video Limited video is building a new website all these suggested features can be added to the new website, as they are easy to set-up. In building the relations hip over the social media, it takes 6 month or more depending on the creativity and time input. Lastly, the printing of flyers and handbills showing and describing what real time video is all about, what they do, how they do it, and how it has affected the society. Also establishing symbiotic relationships with other social enterprise in the same target audience and other conventional business. This can proof difficult at first but over time and established trust between the parties they can learn from each other. Creating a strong network of business partnerships can be a valuable way to provide good customer service.   When you cant meet a customers needs, a reference to a reliable business can be a relationship saver.   In turn, both the customer and the other business are happy, and may return the favour. Real Time Video Limited can ride on reading borough, council forums and publications as a means to create awareness of its services however, application must be made to this course.

Stimulus measures policy forms

Stimulus measures policy forms Part 1. Some reject stimulus measures in all current policy forms. These economists focus on the damaging activities and decisions of (a) private corporations, (b) commercial banks, and (c) wealthy individuals. How can these three groups that lead our private market system, each in their own way, frustrate and foil the goals of a fiscal stimulus program. The 2009 Stimulus packages that President Obama released were done so with the intentions of trying to fix the recession bound economy. But the question that surfaced was what the long term results of this stimulus package were. Is it more beneficial or more harmful to our already down falling economy? A fiscal stimulus package by the government consists of generally three options either the use of tax cuts, increased transfers or increased government spending. All three options have one problem in common; it will cause the government budget to increase. It can only serve as a temporary boost to the economy, because the government has to find a way to fund this package. When the government needs to spend money that they didnt revenue from taxes it is called a budget deficit, they would need to borrow and most likely from foreign reserve banks or through the selling of bonds. In Keyness economic vision â€Å"the goal of macro policy is not to balance the budget but to balance the economy at full employment.† This does logically make sense because a low availability of jobs would mean an increase of transfer payments including unemployment compensation and welfare benefits. But if new jobs can be created it will decrease the burden of transfer payments and increase tax revenue. An increase of jobs would equal more taxes to collect and less economic problems when unemployment rates are lower. But since the recession and fiscal policy both are signs that suggest, the economic state is not currently at its best for investments. Private corporations are less eager to invest being that from a business perspective their initial intent is to make profit. Without the confidences in future profit rates theres less of an obligation to want to take the risk. I believe that from any business stand point, private corporations are interested in how much profits they can make and maybe secondarily how many jobs a new project or investment can create. Commercial banks on the other hand could result in a â€Å"crowding out effect because the increase in government borrowing will cause a decrease in private sector borrowing†. Crowding out means that theres less progression which is also an â€Å"opportunity cost for government spending†. When the government is shut out of all other options, borrowing money to finance the budget deficits can cause an increase in interest rates. Theres only a certain about of money available for borrowing and if the government borrows, less money is available for business investments. Wealthy individuals would tend to save more and spend less. They may also invest in foreign counties that stand at a better economy. Therefore private corporations, commercial banks, and wealthy individuals are three power groups that hold the foundation of our private market system. They have the general ability to effect consumption rates because of investments. Its a circular flow effect, less jobs cause less overall GDP consumption and less taxes, less confidence in economy, which causes less investment. After all Keynes did say that â€Å"the goal of macro policy is not to balance the budget but to balance the economy at full employment. The main problem here is that there are not enough jobs to boast the economy in the long run. The American dream is to do better than the past generation. Its hard to reach that when jobs arent available and a recession at hand. Part 2. Given our currently high unemployment rate and low inflation rate, argue for or against a Supply-Side policy focus versus a Demand-Side policy emphasis. Aggregate demand or aggregate supply whats a better a choice when you have high unemployment and low inflation rates? I believe that the demand curve is only going to be a temporary answer to the economic problem. â€Å"The demand curve will shift in response to changes in income, changes in expectations (consumer confidence), changes in wealth, changes in credit conditions or changes in tax policy.† The whole purpose of aggregate demand is to stimulate consumer spending. If unemployment is high its unlikely that this will solve the problem. How do you tell someone who is unemployed to buy more? In contrary I think the aggregate supply is a better policy choice to get the economy back and running. â€Å"The policy options to shift AS rightward include: Tax incentives for saving, investment and work, human capital investment, deregulation, trade liberalization and infrastructure development.† This works better because the tax cuts will increase consumption being that it would result in a higher level of disposable income. This means that people would be more motivated to work. Lets just say Person A makes $40,000 a year and taxes used to 10% and now they are down to 5%, this means that instead of paying $4000 in taxes it would just be $2000. Person A is able to work the same amount and have $2000 extra for disposable income. This guarantees that (C+G+I+(x-m) = GPD) GDP will go up if consumption goes up. Human capital investment is a long term effect; people find it worth their benefit to invest in school and training. Our goal is to find a way to both lower unemployment and lower the inflation rates. To do this we have to focus on the supply side or the production part of the market. By producing more (new technology) it would set the platform so that better prices levels are available. The technology is going to be useful for production for a while and the investments in education will increase the standards of living. This means that cheaper goods equal more consumption. Its a long term answer to the economy because the overall GDP will grow. The economy will grow and the production of output rises while unemployment and inflation falls. If all these aspects are intact theres no way that the next generation couldnt do better. I believe that a lot of the economic problems we face today are because of the actions that the government made without thinking of the long term effects. If we want our country to become stronger and stronger we have to think in long term strategies and I believe that the Aggregate Supply Policy is the right one. Part 3. Upon completing ECO 100, you have been hired by the Obama administration to advise them on Foreign Exchange Policy. Their concern is that low interest rates and a large trade deficit have led to a depreciating dollar. Accordingly, first prepare an overview of the way such rates and trade conditions can threaten our currency value. Then secondly, advise the President whether (or not) steps should be taken to strengthen the dollar in foreign exchange markets. What makes euros worth more than dollars and Chinese Yuan to be below both? The answer is that the currency market determines what the exchange rates are worth. The Foreign exchange market is just like the all markets where theres a demand theres a supply. But if there is a more demand than supply then the exchange rate would go up. Meaning if there was a higher demand for U.S dollars; dollar value would increase also known as appreciation. But in this example if there was an excess amount of U.S currency that is above the demand needed then our dollar value fall also known as deprecation. But the rule is that where theres a lost there is always a gain. Meaning if one countrys currency value goes up some other countrys money value has to go down. If the value of the U.S dollars improves in the Foreign Exchange Market then it would increase the overall supply of dollars. If our country has a trade deficit, meaning we import more and export less, we should find a method that attracts more exports. I think that the best approach to take would be to weaken the dollar. But in order for that to happen there had to be a way to alter the supply of U.S currency. In one perspective its a good thing if our dollars are more valuable we would be able to buy more foreign goods with the same dollar. But if theres too much of a supply of dollars the dollar may lose value. â€Å"As dollars become cheaper, American exports effectively fall in price and demand rises.† In order to reduce the amount of our trade deficit we could export more goods. If our dollar rates were low enough to attract foreigners to buy our good and cooperation would still make their profits then it would all work out. A weaken dollar would work until we could clo se the gap of our trade deficit and after that we would create a strategy that will strengthen the dollar by lowering the supply of it.

Essay --

What is progeria? The word Progeria is a Greek word â€Å"progeros† meaning 'prematurely old' Progeria is a rare genetic disease that causes children to age faster than normal. Children with this disease do not show any symptoms at birth until after their first 10 months, after which their face and body will start to show accelerated retardation and resembles to that of an adult. Their head usually grows to that of an adult and their hair will start to disappear as they grow. Life average expectancy for children affected by this illness is usually between 13 to 20 years. Research shows the major causes of death of children affected by this disease is heart failure and stroke. Causes Symptoms Complications Preparing for your appointment Tests and diagnosis Treatments and drugs Lifestyle and home remedies Lifestyle and home remedies coping and support Causes Majority of children with this disease have a change in the gene that is responsible for encoding the LMNA in their bodies. LMNA is a gene that is responsible for producing a protein that helps maintain the structural integrity of the nucleus in human cells. When LMN A malfunctions certain nucleus in the body becomes unbalance. As a result of this malfunctioned nucleus, it is believed that the malfunctioned or the unbalanced proteins are the cause of progeria in children. Sometimes this disease occurs without any given cause. It sometimes occurs in a family that has not such history. While this disease affects the genes that helps our body to function there is no proven research which shows that it hereditary. Symptoms Children with this disorder are born normal at birth. They start to show characteristics of this disease before their first birthday. At this time they will start to... ...t blood clots. Growth hormone medication may also help the patient increase height and weight. Research also shows that there are steps parents and doctors can take to improve the quality of life for children affected by this disease. Example: since poor appetite is associate with this disease, parents are encourage to give certain nutritional supplements, like Pediasure and Boost to help patient get the nutrition and calories they need. Lifestyle and home remedies There are some steps parents can take at home that may help child affected by this disease. Parent should make sure to keep children with progeria stay warm and always hydrated. Dehydration can cause more harm to children affected with this disease. The child needs to always drink enough, more so whenever they are ill. They should always be provided with meals they are reach in nutrients and calories.

The Success of Tylenol Essay -- BTEC Business Marketing GCSE Coursewor

The Success of Tylenol During the 1900's, the McNeil company developed and established Tylenol into a well known and recommended analgesic. It has become recognized world wide as a safe brand of acetaminophen. The name Tylenol has become identified as a trusted, safe drug that people can easily purchase over the counter for their ailments. Tylenol is still recommended by doctors even though there was a cyanide scare in the history of the company. It has been discovered by my independent survey that consumers use Tylenol for their pet's needs also. Through the many years that Tylenol has been on the market, it has been a highly recommended analgesic by doctors. Reports show that doctors recommend Tylenol for headaches three times more than Advil, five times more than Excedrin, and seven times more than Aleve(Tylenol.com). Tylenol is also one of the mostly used analgesics by hospitals. Some of the reasons it is recommended so highly is because it is gentle on the stomach and is less likely to react with other medications. This would enable people with hypertension and gastrointestinal ulcers to use this medication. Arthritis experts also recommend Tylenol for osteoarthritic patients due to its wide margin of safety. The Tylenol Elixir product also has a proven record of safety and recommendation by doctors when used according to the correct dosage. These products ushered the McNeil company into a world wide company with well known products liked by the consumer. In a independent survey by myself, I found that seventy- nine percent of the people said they used Tylenol products. The recommendation by doctors of the safe product helped to establish the Tylenol products as being trustworthy and reliable fo... ... etc. As consumers in the 1990's and into the twenty-first century, the baby boomer generation loves to play hard and enjoy life, but with this hard play it sometimes brings about pain where they increasingly reach for Tylenol to give them comfort. Works Cited Fannin, Rebecca. Diary of Amazing Comeback. Marketing & Media Decisions. New York: Spring 1983. Guzzardi, Walter. Laurels: The National Business Hall Of Fame. Fortune. 12 March 90. Plunkett, Signe. Emergency Procedures For the Small Animal Veterinarian. 1993. p 117-119. Sherding, Robert G. The Cat Diseases and Clinical Management. 2nd Edition. Vol. 1. 1994. p 30-31, 233. Teague, Kerri. Independent Survey of Classmates. 23 May 2000. Tylenol Web site. 11 Apr 2000. . Wilson, Karen Ann. Analgesics Can Be Pain For Pets. St. Petersburg Times. 16 Oct. 1993.

Turn of the century Vermont literature :: essays research papers

The later half of the nineteenth century and early half of the twentieth century marked a period of great change in the United States. The demography was drastically affected by the influx of immigrants who left their homelands in search of a new life. People off all nationalities, languages, and colors came together as a newfound community to live work amongst one another, regardless of differences. Men sacrificed their homeland at the expense of providing for their families, their ultimate mission. With this new life brought hopes of freedom, opportunity, and work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In modern society, money and material wealth are always at the center of life. The American dream is no longer characterized by a Leave it to Beaver lifestyle, but rather much larger in scale. The world we live in today is a capitalistic society that targets itself at making enormous profits off the funds of consumers. Americans want to be rich so that they can gain more for themselves to fulfill their greed, which never can be fully satisfied. The majority of people in today’s society can be characterized as the â€Å"Takers† of the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This situation that has grown to be the common way of life has blossomed over time into the mess that we observe today. Greed did not always rule society the way it does today. Literature and memoirs from a by-gone era prove this to be especially true. In reviewing such works, much emphasis is placed upon community and family. The man was conventionally the head of the household and would labor intensely to earn the needed resources to supply for his family. None the less, families tended to be larger in those days with the mother at the forefront of household and child duties. Given this, these early people can be easily characterized as â€Å"Givers.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marie Tomasi’s Like Lesser Gods illustrates this way of life through the men that came to Granitetown Vermont from lands far away in search of work at the granite quarries. The infinite amount of work was immeasurable which gave security to the people who came to work in this new land of Vermont. In turn, this brought self-fulfillment to the people who worked there. Mr. Tiff recalled a letter he had received from Pietro while in Italy that characterizes his feelings: â€Å"It is beautiful, this Vermont granite we work, and its lifetime is that of the pyramids†¦You ask me if here I am content?

History of Weapon Essay

A weapon simply means a device or a tool that is used to inflict injury upon opponents. It is used with application of effort manually or through electronic automation for the purpose of attack or defense in war. It could also be aimed at rendering the enemy’s weapons powerless by destroying their weapon with a superior gadget (Anthony1988). The simple force that is applied produces such a magnified effort that is capable of causing injury along the directed path. In the ages, weapon takes many forms on a chronological annul of history depending on technological advancement and discovery update in applied science. Most weapons used are designed purposefully to perform a particular task by the manufacturer in an engaging war or execution plan where there is no war. The simplicity of weapon model can appear in form of a club or taking form of a ballistic multipurpose missile with such a huge destructive capacity. Philosophically, there is an interesting side to the definition of the material weapon. Weapon is often metaphorically described as any means through which damage can be executed upon intended opposition party (Anthony1988). This means we could have a psychological weapon, a social weapon and other non physical tools. In more modern times, there has been development of non-deadly weapon by the paramilitary or security men for a mere incapacitation of targeted subject. Its advantage is found useful in a situation where criminal activities is rarely involved or to prevent accompanying damage to property and physical environments when used. In this study, we shall demonstrate how events over time led to technological advancement in weapon development from historical lane, paying more emphasis from the middle ages to the present days. Brief Review of Historical Weapons Figure 1: Picture displays arrays of bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools (Anthony 1988). About 5 million years ago, a researcher in the University of Southern California demonstrated that chimpanzees communities are first to use â€Å"spears† as a weapon (Rick 2007). Following this is the use mystery is the deduction that primitive hominids must have equally used â€Å"clubs and staves† s weapon of war within their community (Craig 1776). The evolution of conflicts among man in fight for supremacy began with the use of modified primitive weapons used by hominids. Man also used this weapon to hunt in a wide bush for possession and the driving away of wild inhabitants of the deep forest. In the early years of human history is found the use of axes fashioned with strong stones as weapons to make attack. The archeologist discovered the use of earliest cache camping â€Å"wooden spears known as schoninger speere† (Hartmut 1997). This is dated to as far back as four hundred thousand years ago. The stone fashioned axes were soon replaced by fire-hardened materials around. Bow and arrow is comparative recent and dated to about sixty thousands years back The use of wooden darts is dated to the era of mid-Paleolithic age (Jill 2007 ). Weapons used in The Middle Ages (Early 19th Century) Figure 2: A Cannon in Ancient London The middle age is also known as the medieval era. Historical advancement in weapons can be categorized into inventories on weapons not in prehistoric existence and inventories in terms of modifications on the existing weapons for a better performance. Dominating the desire for advanced weapons was born out of the need for faster, more fulfilling and deadlier weapons. Middle ages weapon by far is a show of development military technological advancement over the ancient weapons. The significance of this development is in the improvement in the force applied in relation to the destructive measure achieved. Weapons are now developed to perform a closer specific action without unnecessary invasion of large volume of land. This was a major revolutionary record in the history of military achievements in the middle ages. Over the use of armed chariots and spoke wheel which lost importance in the fourth century, the medieval period was characterized with the use of two weapons. The middle age weapons development was noted for knights and cannon. Knights, an evolved technological advancement over ancient cavalry, are heavily armed horse ridden soldiers with developing military operation that negates the use of castle. There was development of large caliber gun powder called cannon. Cannons had a more technologically advancement in historical findings (Jill 2007). A form of cannon is a heavy artillery weapon that is large enough to required mounting for firing. It is used on a warship and tracked vehicle. It is also more recently used, it is a rapid firing gun mounted on aircraft during air combat. Historically, medieval weapons are indeed a true evolution over what has been in existence earlier. Weapons are made with technologically skilled military personnel themselves who have witnessed the need for exact perfection over outdating weaponry tools. Ever since this inventory time, human being cannot forget the importance of paying close attention to weaponry industries in the role of killing. Most early technological advancement in weapon is in the area of rebranding metallic tools (Jill 2007). Steels crafting provides advancement over iron tool in that there is advantage of pliability, durability and more sharpened edges that kills faster with minimally applied effort. The prehistoric use of simple weapons like sword and catapults during personal fight evolved into a refined iron alloy (steel) in producing some materials and others like arrows and axes. Still an advancement of steel is the melting process that increases steel characteristic qualities to give increasing satisfaction of flexibility and light-weighted weapons. In middle ages of history, the little sword of prehistoric tools was not left over in the technological advancement that evolves over time in weaponry. There is stronger building materials for sword, the attached blade now has sharper edges and less likely to brake or bend in fierce use and above all, there exist flexibility in swinging to the direction of desired target to kill (Rick 2007). As part of a community war pride in the middle age was the possession of technologically advanced sword of a caucus over the order. Second to this is the experience of man power in their usage over time. The shaping took change into wide flat bladed sword with a guarding close to the handle. These were the technological advancement that caught up with sword in the middle age era. Others include the sharp pointing end that made it potent when forcefully thrust on an enemy at a distance before close contact. During the advancement, there was also the arrival of â€Å"bastard sword† in the fourteenth century. The potent weapon can be maneuver with a single hand, having a narrower and sharply pointing end that accomplished ultimate killing at a distance thrust. Evolutionary advancement was also recorded for bows and catapults. Producers became more proficient in crafting suiting tool that can increase swift killing thus, making advancement over older fashion (Rick 2007). The trend was historical advancement in the production of crossbows to a later substitution with long bows. More inventory techniques increase the production speed in order to outrun enemies’ arsenal and armory. The success of technological advancement is also in the place of speed and accuracy. The deadlier catapult was also part of the discovery credited to advancement in technology. Examples were â€Å"ballista and mangonels† advancement with the evolution of â€Å"trebuchet†. The trebuchet is a medieval siege engine with a sling attached to a wooden arm for flinging large stones with great projectile. Some version could be that effective as to throw over three hundred pounds or stone. With the increasing requirement by war men, trebuchet indeed was a significant advancement over catapults in the middle age by lifting the older approach in castle war with more siege capturing. Weapons in the Pre-Modern Age The rebirth of weapons into modernized tools is peaked in the invention of sophisticated firearms. There was notable advancement in the approach to battle field with the production of early guns and rocket-propelled weapons. The advancement here is such a resounding one as it touched the basis of energy transfer. Firearms qualitatively improve over other previous weapon in that the energy is not transferred by the tensile string or weighty object but by simple particles – gunpowder or other combustible explosives. The rapidity of energy transfer is also remarkably outstanding over earlier weapons. There is no time lagging in recoiling requirement when compared to primitive weapons. Firearms were markedly used during 16th to 19th centuries where there were several moments of ongoing conflict among nations. Notable conflicts that result into war during this era were proliferation of many European nations in the establishment of empires without official ceding. Some of the newly formed European federation survived with the won battle aided by evolution of firearms. Firearm continually received efficient development with more effortless triggering ignition to initiate firearm shot. Another beneficiary of technological advancement during early modern age is the U. S. Civil War against proliferated Federation of United State. This war featured the use of machine gun and ironclad warship. Up till today, these tools still find their relevance in the military armory. Armored ships also advance in the substitution of fueling with fossil fuel. These age equally witness rifle development over sword. This invention was an icon in the revolutionary history of military technological advancement quest. Shortly we enter the industrial age where we had advancement in the escalation of aircraft and armored tanks. There was not a significant improvement on the land combat weapons. Technological Improvement of Weapons in The Modern Age Figure 3. Soldier handling Machine Gun The beginning of 20th Century was welcome with cruel war between India and French where there is virtually absence of mechanically driven weapon for rifle weaponry. This era is often referred to â€Å"The Age of Rifles† since the least weapon used in battle field is reduced to rifle. Foot soldiers used rifle and canon for combat. Furthermore, there was the introduction of more mechanized weapons like machine gun with high capacity to shoot at distance. Other notable technological advancements in this era were aircraft carriers supplied for naval warfare. The evaluation of weapon inventories with important chronological event in this period would make one conclude that World War I heralded a full industrial revolution. More so, weapons modern proliferated at a higher rate with skilled technology without compromise on standard. The evolution of biotechnology also birthed chemical and biological weapons during this age. The availability of motor vehicle is also significant in the record of technological advancement since this aid weapons’ maneuvering during war as opposed to footing in the earlier centuries. Ever since the time of World War II, the evolution of more mechanized and sophisticated weapons set a standard for the rest of military advancement. This poised the invention of atomic bomb during this time (1939 to 1945). Post World War II Technological Improvement on Weapons The immediate war post WWII was cold war. During this period, the technological advancement peaked with the nations boosting of nuclear power that can destroy the world within few seconds. The drive continues in the invention of weapons of mass destruction and counter weapons. Another recent technological advancement in weaponry is the introduction of ballistic missile known as Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). There was also the development of hydrogen bomb and other war missiles. Despite many conflict of interests, the basis of existing peace among nations is sometimes traced to mutual possession of these nuclear power and ICBM by the two powerful war giants. There exist an atmosphere of peaceful comport since a breach in peace could lead to proportional destruction. The peak of technological advancement in the invention of nuclear weapons almost made its discovery useless since the achieved destruction through them is highly non specific at targeted enemy. It use could return the world back into the historic era where economic crisis dealt on the world sequel to WWII destruction. The proposed loss with the use of nuclear power would be rather more devastating. It is vital to further point out the invention of computerized weapons few years back. It aids precision and accuracy of target. Two notable ones are â€Å"precision-guided munitions and computer-aided tank rounds†. Furthermore, the present modern age with ICT and other developments in the 21st century, helped improves on night vision through goggles gadget that is technologically powered to see clearly at night like day vision. This is important among land combatant in a strange environment. Identification of target at long distance is equally now possible with the weaponry tools of high technological surveillance gadget and automated aerial. Modern communication enhancement also contribute immensely to effective coordination of weapons and controllers, hence, Information technology advancement has brought tremendous improvement to weaponry (U. S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment 1995). In conclusion, chronological history of weapon technology improvements from the Middle Ages to the present day has demonstrated vast growth in man search to possess power and protect it with unending weaponry development every century. It is not unlikely for technologist to soon invent the mother of all advancements in weapon engineering considering the need for competitive possession of power and acquisition of protective gadgets with the most sophisticated version in a dynamic global village. Works Cited Anthony, Isaac. Understanding Physics and Weapon of War (1988). New York: Barnes & Noble. p. 88. Hartmut Thieme. Lower Palaeolithic hunting spears from Germany. Letters to Nature. Nature 385, 807 – 810 (27 February 1997). Hind, Edward, My Magazine: Being a Series of Poems, Tales, Sketches, Essays, Orations, Etc. ,: The Present Age – An oration J. and H. Clarke, London, 1860. Jill D. Pruetz1 and Paco Bertolani, Savanna Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, Hunt with Tools†, Current Biology, March 6, 2007 Medieval Weapon History – An Evolution in Killing. Site Available at: www. medieval-castle-siege-weapons. com Pijush Roy, Paul, Akshoy, Sanchayan Mukherjee. Mechanical Sciences:Engineering Mechanics and Strength of Materials (2005). Prentice Hall of India. p. 215.

Essay about recent hate crimes and statistic Essay

Lifeless bodies with slashed throats were found in the mountains of Virginia nearly six years ago. This is quite a disturbing image; the unfortunate result of a hate crime. What exactly is a hate crime? The American Psychological Association defines hate crimes as â€Å"violent acts against people, property, or organizations because of the group to which they belong or identify with† (1). The different groups usually involved include homosexuals, ethnic groups, and religion affiliations. Dr. Jack McDevitt, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston, said hate crimes are forms of messages the offender wants to send to members of certain groups letting them know they are unwelcome in that neighborhood, community, school or workplace (APA, 1). According to CNN.com, Darrell David Rice of Columbia, Maryland, was found guilty of committing the 1996 slayings of hikers Julianne Marie Williams and Laura â€Å"Lollie† Winans, who were the girls in the opening disturbing image. Rice is serving an 11-year sentence in federal prison in Petersburg, Virginia, for attempting to abduct and kill a female bicyclist in the same park in 1997. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft called the killings of Williams and Winans â€Å"hate crimes† and said Rice could also receive the death penalty, in addition to the present sentence (Frieden, 1). Examples of hate crimes provided by Stephen Wessler’s â€Å"Addressing Hate Crimes: Six Initiatives† include (3):  ·the dragging death of African-American James Byrd, Jr., in Jasper, Texas  ·the deadly attack on Matthew Sheppard, a gay student in Laramie, Wyoming  ·the shooting rampage targeting minority citizens in Chicago  ·the shootings of children at a Jewish community center in Los Angeles  ·the murder of Joseph Santos Ileto, a Filipino-American mail carrier A report done by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states that 7,947 hate crime incidents were reported. In 1995, a comparison of states showed that California was at the top of the charts with 1,751 incidents reported, and Florida stood with 164 incidents (2). The total number of hate crimes only decreased by less than a hundred between 1995 and 1999. While these numbers may seem relatively small, the Southern Poverty Law Center has posted more dramatic statistics: every hour someone commits a hate crime, every day eight blacks, three whites, three gays, three Jews and one Latino become hate crime victims, and every week a cross is burned (1). In order to prevent the hate crimes from occurring, different things are being done in order to prevent and deal with the hate crimes. In schools, the Anti-Defamation League websites suggests planning ahead by doing the following (1): 1.Work with your school administration to establish a plan for responding promptly to hate incidents and hate crimes. 2.Educate school staff on how to recognize hate-motivated incidents and hate crimes. 3.Establish procedures for reporting hate-motivated incidents/crimes. 4.Establish school policies which clearly indicate that hate-motivated behavior will not be tolerated. On a wider scale, since the 1980s research on hate crimes has increased, especially from those in the fields of criminology and law enforcement. There focus is primarily on reporting the frequency of the problem and preparing criminal justice responses to it. While many hate motivated crimes go unreported, the number of reported incidents is up. However, with special training, people are prepared to deal with the situations. According to Wessler, the first professionals to respond to the scene of a hate crime are police officers. How they act in the situation will affect  the outcome of the incident. Wessler stated, â€Å"law enforcement agencies have a pivotal role in responding to, investigating, prosecuting, and preventing hate crimes.† Training is given to the police officers in order to carry out their role. Wessler said the training includes how to â€Å"recognize and investigate potential hate crimes, have clear protocols on how to respond to hate violence, and develop innovative programs for preventing the hate crimes.† Along with the professional training of police personnel, laws against hate crimes have been enforced in some states. As of 1999, there are only eleven states that do not have hate crime laws: South Carolina, Hawaii, Wyoming, New York, Kentucky, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Kansas, Arkansas, Georgia and Indiana. The anti-hate laws may not be well known but there are some out there. For example, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act â€Å"provides assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies and amend federal law to streamline the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes.† This bill will change the already existing law, adding crimes against sexual orientation, gender, and disability. This law also allows authority to respond to all crimes covered by the existing law, meaning crimes based on race, color, national origin, and religion (1). The number of hate crimes is slowly being decreased and the number of laws against hate crimes is slowly being increased, but the truth is, they are still out there. It may seem impossible to eliminate all the hate crimes that are occuring, but with more research, training, and handling each situation as they arise more seriously, America is slowly on it’s way to eliminating the problem of hate crimes. Works Cited American Psychological Association. 1998. Anti-Defamation League. 1999. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Reports. 1995. Frieden, Terry. 10 Apr. 2002. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. NGLTF Communications Department. 25 Sep. 2002. Southern Poverty Law Center. Wessler, Stephen. Addressing Hate Crimes: Six Initiatives That Are Enhancing the Efforts of Criminal Justice Practitioners. Feb. 2000.