How Aircraft and Aircraft Carriers helped the U.S in WWII Research Paper

How Aircraft and Aircraft Carriers helped the U.S in WWII - Research Paper Example Air power facilitated the surveillance of the U.S land. The use of aircraft in the World War II was part of a national grand strategy. Higham observes that the use of aircraft in the war during the 20th century consisted of strategic planning by the government and tactical operations, which follows the, principles of war and commerce (2002, 1). In this paper, we focus the discussion on how aircraft and the aircraft carriers were of help to the U.S army during the World War II. Air power consists of the air forces, airlines, aircraft and the ancillary industry. For the operation of this industry, it requires management that entails command control communications and intelligence. All this things were a vital part for any U.S air force soldier to be familiar with before taking command of any U.S air force airline. During World War II, Higham points out that the air power was still a not an area familiar to the American army. However, over the years the airpower became a force to reckon with, the air force was vital to the ground power in the World War II. ... At the pacific, see the land, based air forces and the carrier task forces were in use. The U.S utilized the air force to patrol the sea-lanes in the north Atlantic; photoreconnaissance was also a part of the role done by the air force in the wars. The British and Americans used the air power for guerrilla warfare. In his book, the rise of American Air power, Sherry examines the American bombing strategy of specific interest is the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing. The author approaches this from the cultural point of history. Sherry points out that the U.S utilized the dropping of the atom bombs as a defence and due to its terror potential. Culturally speaking the use of air power was not because of the technological advancement of the weapons used in war but it was a continuation of the fantasy of scientific warfare and the evolving of political social and military views (1987,239). With the technological advancement in the air power, the dropping of the atom bombs was an easy way fo r the U.S to block the enemy’s ability to wage war. The Japanese according to sherry’s observation gave in to an unconditional surrender. Sherry does point out that in the use of aircraft; the aerial bombing was a chaotic and haphazard affair that yielded unintended consequences that included massive civilian casualties. This to sherry was a failure because it did not in any way address the necessity to defeat the main body of the enemy military forces (1987, 145). Sherry observed that the use of aircraft as an offensive strategy in the warfare did achieve its target because it did fuel for revenge between combatants. This was because of the inhumane pain inflicted upon the civilian population. The whole idea of developing technology related to aircraft warfare

Actual families Essay Example for Free

Actual families Essay The views of actual families and perceived families on inner city family values are different in the sense that reality hits actual families. Our minds can perceive what should be done but if we check reality, poverty is a serious problem that should be dealt with fervor. Teaching family values is the foundation of all solutions to these problems. Why is that so? If children learn family values at home and the parents show them good example in practicing these values, children will most likely emulate the parents (Learning Family, 1999, p. 1). Then there will be no existence of violent crimes since people practice compassion. There will be no extreme poverty since people practice being industrious. All these could be perceived in the mind but can be transformed into reality. Finally, it is not true that inner societies should believe that poverty is part and parcel of the society they belong. Poverty can be eradicated by all means if cooperation of the people concerned can be given. However, there are people who become poor because of the things that they do not have control of. And other people experience poverty because they are too indolent to work hard. The former cause of poverty deserves to be treated as recoverable and can be solved. See more: Beowulf essay essay And there is nothing we can do for people who become poor due to idleness and slothfulness. Thus, family values of industry and integrity must be upheld in both actual and perceived families on inner cities. References Ashman, K. Hull, G. 1999. Understanding Generalist Practice. USA: Nelson-Hall, Inc. International Herald Tribune. 2008. Global Food Shortage; America’s light still shines; moving too fast. Retrieved September 30, 2008, from http://www. iht. com /articles/2008/03/13/opinion/edlet. php. Learning Family. 1999. Learning Family Values. Retrieved September 30, 2008, from http://www. learningfamily. net/about/values. htm. News 24 Website. 2008 August 25. Poverty, parenting cause crime. Retrieved October 1, 2008, from http://www. news24. com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2382088,00. html. Overpopulation Website. 2008 September 7. Impacts. Retrieved September 30, 2008, from http://www. overpopulation. org/impact. html. Vogel, S. 2008 August 24. Gazette Extra. Does Poverty Equal Crime? Scholars disagree. Retrieved October 1, 2008, from http://gazettextra. com/news/2008/aug/24/does-poverty-crime-scholars-disagree/. Wattenberg, M. , Edwards III, G. Lineberry, R. 2003. Government of America. USA: Addison- Wesley Educational Publishers, Inc.

Volcanic Eruptions in Iceland

Volcanic Eruptions in Iceland Take-home Test Describe the three different types of volcanic eruptions that have given rise to Iceland’s volcanic landforms. Effusive: An effusive eruption is a volcanic eruption characterized by the flow of lava onto the ground. Lava flows generated by effusive eruptions vary in shape, thickness, length, and width depending on the type of lava that erupted, the type of discharge, the slope of the ground over which the lava travels, and the duration of the volcanic eruption. Explosive: This is a violent, explosive type of eruption. This is a result of when sufficient gas has dissolved under pressure within a viscous magma, such that the discharged lava violently bubbles up into volcanic ash as pressure is suddenly lowered at the vent. Explosive eruptions can send rocks, dust, gas and lava fragments into the atmosphere. A cloud is then created which then collapses, creating a flow of hot volcanic matter (gas + rocks). Mixed: This eruption is a mixture of both lava and tephra (fragmental material produced by a volcanic eruption). Describe the characteristics of a Tuya. How does this acquire its distinctive shape? A Tuyais a flat-topped, steep-sided  volcano  formed when  lava  erupts through a thick  glacier  or  ice sheet. Such volcanic formations are restricted to regions which were covered by  glaciers  and had volcanic activity during the same period. Their formation is due to lava that erupts under a glacier and cools very quickly. It cannot travel far, so it piles up into a steep-sided hill. Define the term jà ¶kulhlaup and explain its significance to Iceland. Jà ¶kulhlaups in Iceland may originate from marginal or subglacial sources of water melted by atmospheric processes, permanent geothermal heat or volcanic eruptions. Glacier-volcano interactions produce meltwater that either drains toward the glacier margin or accumulates in subglacial lakes. Iceland is a unique and valuable study-site for glacio-volcanic interactions. The jà ¶kulhlaups can be seen as modern analogues of past mega floods on the earth and their exploration may improve understanding of ice-volcano processes on other planets. Jo ¨kulhlaups, both those draining meltwater stored in subglacial lakes and meltwater produced during a volcanic eruption, have significant landscaping potential: they erode large canyons and transport enormous quantities of sediment and icebergs over vast outwash plains. What are the origins of Icelandic river waters? Describe the relevant main characteristics. Icelandic rivers are of three general types: The glacial-fed rivers which carry large quantities of fine silt and are typically brown in colour. Their runoff, being conditioned by ice melt, is high in the summer and low in the winter. Glacial rivers are close to freezing at source but warm up considerably in lowland areas. They typically divide into many interlinked distributaries which constantly change direction. The direct runoff rivers; are relatively clear. They are characteristic of old basaltic areas where the bedrock is impermeable. They have their greatest flows in the spring during snowmelt and in autumn following heavy rains. Water temperature in these streams generally follows the air temperature. The spring-fed stream drains areas covered by permeable post-glacial lava fields. In these zones the ground is more porous; therefore water emerges in springs at lower levels to supply the rivers with a constant flow of generally clear water. These spring-fed rivers have a water temperature of 3–5 °C at source and never freeze over at that point. Their beds and banks are usually stable. Explain the following terms: Tephrochronology: A geo-chronological technique that uses discrete layers of tephravolcanic ash from a single eruption to create a chronological framework in which archaeological records can be placed. Cryptotephra: Very few studies have looked in detail at the sedimentation and distribution of cryptotephra deposits within sequences and, more importantly, the criteria for defining the correct stratigraphic position of the volcanic event. Cryptotephra is a tephra-derived glass shard which is not that visible to the naked human eye since they are less than 125micrometers. Isopachs: Lines on a map or diagrams which connect points beneath which a particular stratum or group of strata has the same thickness. One measure used to tackle the problem of soil erosion is re-seeding with appropriate floral species. What characteristics of a plant would make it suitable for such a purpose? Soil stabilizing plants range in size, root type (ideally long), degree of ground cover (fast growth) and visual appeal, and selecting a variety of plants is essential for combating the impact of wind and water erosion. Low plants provide ground cover from wind, while higher trees slow down the force of rain before it hits the ground or more delicate ground cover plants. Once plants are established, their life cycles help return nutrients to the soil to encourage future plant growth (important to have an easy seed dispersal process as well) and maintain adequate moisture levels to avoid soil drying or oversaturation. Describe one method that could be used to measure the profile of a beach. Select sampling points for beach profiles across the width of the beach. At each sample point in turn, place a pole at the start and finish. The first point should ideally be the low tide mark, or as close to it. The next step is to note the main changes in slope angle up the beach, each change is to inform the ‘sections for the profile. For each change in slope, use a clinometer to take a bearing to record the slope angle (It is important to ensure that the bearing is taken from a point on the pole that corresponds with the eye level of the person using the clinometer). Measure the distance along the ground of the section, and record this information alongside the slope angle. Repeat processes for each break in slope that you have identified. Explain the following: Lateral moraines: Parallel ridges of debris deposited along the sides of a glacier. The unconsolidated debris can be deposited on top of the glacier by frost shattering of the valley walls or tributary streams flowing into the valley. Because lateral moraines are deposited on top of the glacier, they do not experience the postglacial erosion of the valley floor and therefore, as the glacier melts, lateral moraines are usually preserved as high ridges. Lateral moraines stand high because they protect the ice under them from the elements, causing it to melt or sublime less than the uncovered parts of the glacier. Multiple lateral moraines may develop as the glacier advances and retreats. Kettle Lake: Kettles are depressions left behind after partially-buried ice blocks melt. Kettle Lake describes the way the lake basin was formed. While glaciers were forming, a block of ice broke of, and found a uniform position. As the glacier continued to melt, the debris from the glacier (soil, rocks, stones, gravel, etc.) filled in around the block of ice. When the block of ice finally melted, all the debris surrounding it fell into the hole, creating the kettle type basin, which when filled with water, became a lake as we know it. Outwash plain: is a flat region formed of glacial sediments deposited by melt water outwash at the terminus of a glacier. Explain the presence of wave-cut platforms in areas of Iceland presently distant from the coast. A wave-cut platform is the narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by the erosion of waves. Wave-cut platforms are often most obvious at low tide when they become visible as huge areas of flat rock. In Iceland, some cases, the rock is relatively easy to erode. Sea-level changes have left a stamp on the coast, and wave-cut platforms can be seen in many around Iceland. Distinguish between mafic and felsic lava: These words are used to indicate the chemical composition of silicate minerals, magmas, and igneous rocks. Mafic is used for silicate minerals, magmas, and rocks which are relatively high in the heavier elements. The minerals are usually dark in color and have relatively high specific gravities and also represent material which is newly differentiated from the upper mantle. Felsic is used for silicate minerals, magmas, and rocks which have a lower percentage of the heavier elements, and are correspondingly enriched in the lighter elements, such as silicon and oxygen. Felsic minerals are usually light in color and have specific gravities. The most common felsic rock is granite, which represents the purified end product of the earths internal differentiation process. What is the nominal fix accuracy of a GPS? Why can a DGPS improve this nominal accuracy? The nominal fix accuracy of a GPS is of 100 meters with a selective availability enabled on the system. The GPS has a number of small errors (e.g signal delay), so a DGPS can be used to improve nominal accuracy since it transmits messages from local stations that are connected to satellites, producing better and accurate data readings. In cartographic terms, explain why the datum used by a GPS navigation set must be the same as for the reference chart being used. A datum is a set of reference points on the Earths surface against which their position can be associated with a model of the shape of the Earth to define a geodetic coordinate system. Horizontal datum is used to describe a point in latitude and longitude. A vertical datum measures elevations or depths. Because the Earth is an imperfect ellipsoid, all localized datums can give a more accurate representation of the area which is being covered than the latest version of the World Geodetic System datum (84). Marie Claire Attard Bason

Katrina Broke down :: essays research papers

I. This disaster appears to have been made far far worse than it could have been by a number of factors: A. The Hurricane was a Category 4/5. 1. We are in a bad hurricane cycle that will last another 20 years. 2. Global warming might contribute to hurricane intensity, but this is most likely political dogma in the case of Katrina. 3. Levee system (see C) was designed for Category 3 max. B. The precarious location of New Orleans. 1. Surrounded by water on three sides. 2. 70% below sea level and slowly sinking. C. A river levee system, along with overzealous oil exploration. 1. causes the marshes protecting New Orleans from storm surge to disappear at a rate of two acres per hour (yeah I know thats pretty stunning - I got it from National Geographic). D. A lack of funding for the levee system and for marshland protection. 1. Has never been fully funded. Bush's cuts have made it worse. 2. Several hundred million required to expland and maintain levee system. Bush cut funding to about 1/4 to 1/2 what was needed. 3. $14 Billion requested over 30 years for marshland restoration. Bush cut back to $2 Billion over 10 years. E. Failure in FEMA planning. 1. Partly due to incompetence. 2. Partly due to reorganization woes after 9/11. Focus shifted to terrorist attacks, natural disaster releif de-emphasised. 3. FEMA incorporated into DHS, adding to beareaucratic red tape. F. Louisiana National Guard in Iraq fighting war - unavailable for Katrina Disaster. G. New Orleans population one of poorest in country. 1. 68% Black. 2. Many did not have means to leave city, did not own cars, etc.

Office Dakota Products Case Analysis

Office Dakota Products Case Analysis Course: BUSA 5061 Managerial Accounting Students Name: Teresa Willette Professors Name: Dr. Conner/Dr. Pollard Date 3/20/2011 Executive Summary The following analysis is written for Dakota Office Products to evaluate current business operations and recommend future actions necessary to ensure company success. In the analysis of the company we will identify inefficient business practices that have led to the companies first profit loss in its history. We will evaluate the companys current pricing structure, ordering methods, shipping and delivery process, and deficiencies in cash flows. For Dakota Office Products (DOP), its existing costing system was inadequate because it is incapable of accounting for even all of the known costs such as the desktop delivery service as well as hidden costs such as the ten percent DOP paid to maintain its working capital line of credit for accounts receivable. Using the Activity Based Costing(ABC) methodology can be utilized to also improve processes and identify opportunities to improve business effectiveness and efficiency by determining the true or real costs of a given product or service. ABC principles are used to focus management's attention on the total cost to produce a product or service, and as a basis for full cost recovery of a production or service process. Background Information The company under the study, Dakota Office Products, is an established and reputed player under this segment. They were regional distributors for office supplies and the major clientele served by the company included institutional and commercial clients. It dealt with all kind of office supplies starting from all kinds of writing equipment to papers and other office supplies. The company has been able to carve a good name for itself in the industry. The company had also arranged for several distribution centers where the shipments were required to be unloaded and packed into cartons meant to be delivered to the respective customers. In order to increase the utility for its customers, the company had introduced the desk top option for its valued customers. Under this option, the company will use its own fleet to directly deliver the goods at the customers premises. The company charged a small additional amount of upto 2% of the marked price for this additional value added service. This decision was made keeping in mind that such a decision could boost the margins of the company. The company had the policy of marking the sales price by 15% over and above the purchase price. This policy was framed o ensure that the overheads and transportation cost of the materials could be made up from the mark up. The company would then add another mark up to ensure coverage of general expenses and contribution of the company. The mark up decision was taken at the beginning of the year based on the projected cost of the different products of the company. Key Issues The management is faced with major pricing and costing issue for its products. The company has been using the traditional costing method to compute the cost of the product provided to the clients. The company then adds a mark up as per its policy to come up at the selling price of the product. As a result of not following the Activity Based Costing, the company has not been able to cost the products realistically. This has lead to mispricing of the products and resultant overall loss to the company. The fact that an increase in sales has not lead to an increased profits, instead, it has resulted in increased losses has exposed the limitations of the cost accounting system of the company. The company has not been able to increase its profits. This has led the management to believe that the existing cost accounting system has some serious flaws which needs to be rectified on an immediate basis so as to avoid making bad decision leading to losses to the company. The company should now be contemplating the implementation of Activity based costing system so as to ensure proper recording of information which will lead to optimum decision making for the company as a whole thus contributing to the growth of the company through increased profitability. The key issue presented in front of the management is the possible steps to be taken by the management in order to avoid such losses. Critical Thought The issue addressed by the accounting system of Dakota office products invites our attention to the premise of Activity Based costing methodology. We are certain about the fact that the accounting and reporting system at Dakota Office Product is inappropriate and is leading to the company making wrong decision ultimately leading to losses. This was apparent from the record where the company was able to increase its sales without a corresponding increase in the profits for that particular year. Activity based costing system is an approach which seeks to allocate the overhead cost to the products on a scientific and realistic basis. The existing system of allocating cost at Dakota Office products were inadequate in so much so that it was following an unreasonable basis for allocating the cost, which were known and visible, such as the desktop delivery cost. The existing system was suffering from oversight of some of the expenses. ABC costing system seeks to overcome the problem of oversight and make a more reasonable allocation of the costs. The distinctive feature of this method is the fact that the method can provide useful insights to the management as to the activities which are leading to the cost by identifying the cost drivers, rates and the number of activity undertaken. This can also help the management redesign the operational system such that the costs associated with the products are reduced. We must also note that the traditional method of costing adapted by Dakota Office Products are typically designed for companies who are dealing with only a single product, or homogeneous products. However Dakota Office Products have come to a stage that they are dealing in multiple products such as writing instruments to copier to pages, thus it makes the traditional costing method even more impractical to be followed by the company. This company was dealing in numerous products and was also making strides in adapting varied operational methodologies such as the desktop delivery or the sales through e commerce internet sites. The operations of the company are such that it would be apt for the company to establish a cost driver rates and apply those rates in the products of the company. The cost driver rates could also be used by the company while applying the cost overheads to some other products that the company may be planning in the future. The existing system of the company involves use of many activities and the company has been able to regularize the operations of the company and is clear about the operational goals that need to be fulfilled by the company. The company is dealing in an industry where the products are quite heterogeneous in nature and once the products are purchased there is very little scope of application of direct materials or labor. The major cost that is expected to be incurred is the overhead costs which are factual dependent upon the number of activities undertaken to accomplish the task. The cost drivers need to be ascertained before the application of the cost drivers to the number of activities attributable to the product as regards the particular activity. Alternate Solution A noteworthy fact is that the company has posted increased losses in spite of an increase in overall sales of the company. The objective of the exercise is to let the management be aware of the reasons as to why the company has osted losses even after an increase in the sales. Moreover, the management needs to be shown the way by which the company could remedial action so that the managements direction is towards the right direction. The alternate solution available to the company could be enlisted as follows Increase in selling price of the products Review the accounting procedures and implement the change required in accounting proc edures Discontinue the product which reports a loss We will make a brief study of the above alternatives before forming an opinion on any of the alternatives. As the company is operating in a competitive market, so an increase in selling price of the products is expected to have far reaching repercussions in the sense that the company could go on to lose clients and contracts which could lead to even lower sales and higher losses. Moreover, the existing accounting procedure is inappropriate to produce the actual cost of the product. The computation of actual cost of the product is important in the backdrop of the company policy to add a mark up on the cost price of the goods. If the accounting system is inappropriate to calculate the cost of the cost, then it would be inappropriate to add a mark up on the goods based on the cost as produced by the existing accounting procedure. A review of the accounting procedure is duly called for as the existing accounting procedure is not appropriate. The accounting procedure is not apt for a company having multiple products and multiple processes, and very little expenses on the direct materials and labor. Application and implementation of the ABC system will be able to contribute to the accounting procedure adapted by the company. A product which is not able to contribute to the overall profits of the company could be considered to be discontinued. However, the decision of the product to be discontinued lies with the management and the accounting system. As mentioned earlier, the accounting system is not fit, so the company should first implement an ABC costing system in order to make proper decision regarding the costing and pricing of various products as well as the costing of servicing various clients. Implementation Measures and Follow up Dakota was following the traditional method of allocating overheads across the product lines. The overheads were not allocated to the products based on the activity undertaken for the manufacture of the product. This led to mispricing of the product and also led to difficulty in taking optimum decision for the company as a whole. The company had incurred losses in spite of an increase in sales, because the company was selling a product at a loss (which was not detected by the traditional costing system). We need to identify the activities on which the cost is dependant, in order to calculate the cost driver rate. The following are the activities identified Processing of Cartons (Activity 1) Service Involving Desktop Delivery (Activity 2) Order Handling (Activity 3) Data Processing and Entry (Activity 4) Activity 1 Amount of Expenses = Warehouse Personnel Expense (90%) + Items Purchased = 90%*2400000+35000000 = 2160000 + 35000000 = 37160000. Activity Driver (Processing of Carton) = 80000 Cost Driver Rate for Activity 1 = 37160000 / 80000 = $ 464. 5 per carton. Activity 2 Amount of Expenses = Warehouse Personnel Expense (10%) + Delivery Truck Expense = 10%*2400000+200000 = 240000 + 200000 = 440000 Activity Driver (Desktop Delivery) = 2000 Cost Driver Rate for Activity 2 = 440000 / 2000 = $ 220 per carton. Activity 3 Amount of Expenses = Warehouse Expense + Freight = 2000000+450000 = 2450000 Activity Driver (Orders) = 16000+8000 = 24000 Cost Driver Rate for Activity 3 = 2450000 / 24000 = $ 102. 083 per order. Activity 4 Amount of Expenses = Order Entry Expenses = 800000 Activity Driver (Orders Line) = 150000 Cost Driver Rate for Activity 4 = 800000 / 150000 = $ 5. 3 per line. The implementation involves computing the profitability of the two clients A Sales Cost Gross Margin No of Cartons Ordered 464. 5 92900 9290 0 B 1040 103000 00 8500 85000 0 1900 18000 0 Desktop Deliveries 220 Order Handling 102. 083 1224. 996 Data Entry 5. 33 Total Cost 319. 8 94444. 8 959. 4 1095 67. 7 5567. 7 1020 8. 3 0 5500 Contribution 8555. 204 The following are t he main causes of difference in profitability between the two customers Customer B has a desktop deliver of 25 whereas customer A has none. The number of data entry for customer B is 180 whereas it is about 60 for customer A. References Michael H. Granof, David E. Plat, Igor Vaysman. (2000). Using Activity-Based Costing to Manage More Effectively. http://costkiller. net/tribune/Tribu-PDF/Using-Activity-BasedCosting-to-Manage-More-Effectively. pdf Rockford Consulting, retrieved March 21, 2011, from http://rockfordconsulting. com/activitybased-costing%20(ABC). htm Value based management, retrievd March 21, 2011, from http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_abc. html Dakota Products Case Office Analysis Course: BUSA 5061 Managerial Accounting Students Name: Teresa Willette Professors Name: Dr. Conner/Dr. Pollard Date 3/20/2011

Ferdinand and Isabella essays

Ferdinand and Isabella essays Spains Middle Ages were marked by dramatic cultural contrasts, rapidly changes boundaries, and constant interaction, both good and bad, among the Christian, Muslims, and Jewish societies that shared the Iberian peninsula throughout the time frame until nearly the start of the 16th century. Until the late 1200s, religious tolerance and multiculturalism was a hallmark of Spanish royal society. Isabel (Isabella) was born at Madrigal on April 22, 1451, the daughter of John II of Castile and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal. Almost against her own volition she was drawn into the political intrigue of Castilian politics. Because of her family's importance, she was brought to court at the age of thirteen to be under the eye, and the protection, of her half-brother the king. As the heiress of Castile, the question of Isabel's future marriage became a matter of frenzied diplomatic activity both in Spain and throughout the other royal courts of Europe. France, Portugal, and Aragon each put forward a potential suitor. Ultimately, between her advisors and her own strong will, the decision came down to Ferdinand of Aragon. She married Ferdinand in October of 1469. Ferdinand was born in Sos on March 10, 1452, the son of John II of Aragon and Juana Enriquez, both of Castilian heritage. He was the focus of a bitterly contested succession when his father named him heir apparent and the governor of all his kingdoms and lands. When Ferdinand came of age in 1466, his future was assured. His father had put all the pieces in place for Ferdinand to be accepted into the Castilian court, exactly where John II wanted him. In addition to participating in the world of intrigue at court, Ferdinand also saw battle in the Catalonian wars. When he began to sow his first "wild oats," he went courting and was very favorably received in the home of King Alfonso of Aragon, Isabel's half-brother. Ferdinand had an imposing personality but was never...