Monday, September 30, 2019

Sigmund Freud and Phallic Stage Fixation

Ferris State University 1. According to Freudian theory, is Steve aware of why he interacts with women on only a sexual basis? Steve is superficially aware of why his interactions with women are exclusively sexual, but there is an underlying issue with his mother that prevents him from having a deeper connection with women. 2. What type of psychic energy motives Steve, according to Freud? Libido, that controls sexual drive, is what has been motivating Steve over a majority of his life. . Which of Freud’s personality types does Steve display? What evidence is there for it? What would have caused it? Steve displays the personality of someone that uses defense mechanisms such as displacement and reaction formation. Due to the neglect by his mother, Steve has taken then experience and is taking it out on women around him. 4. At what Freudian stage is Steve fixated? What evidence is there of it? Describe the stage and how it contributed to the fixation.What would have caused this f ixation? Steve is fixated at the phallic stage of development. The evidence is that he is constantly looking for that sexual pleasure. With the lack of attention he got from the opposite-sex parent (Mother), Steve became focused on getting the kind of pleasure he desired, resulting in him being stuck in this stage of development. 5. Others might express their behavior differently than Steve if t hey were fixated at he same stage. Give some examples of how they might behave. While Steve’s hyper-sexual behavior is due to his phallic stage fixation, another person fixated at the same stage may act differently. For example, a person may instead seek sexual attention from people of the same gender. In another instance, a person could become fixated with themselves and unable to engage in sexual relations with another person.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Accounting Scandals

The events that followed had worldwide implications and were analyzed extensively in the media as well as In government circles. Experts pointed their fingers at a number of different reasons that led to the massive fraud in business and accounting practices in the Enron collapse. One theory put forth by Alex Person of the New York Times was that â€Å"the focus that analysts, Investors and executives place on quarterly earnings as a company's success indicator† began to take precedence over the ethics of executives and accountants (Roberts 808). In PaulCraig Roberts' review of Forenoon's book, he disagrees with Forenoon's contention, or at least points out the holes that he sees with that logic. Roberts points out that the scapegoats Person cites as the root causes of the scandals (quarterly earnings, stock options. And price competition between accounting firms) were In fact yesterdays reforms intent upon increasing the protection of corporate investors (old. ). Person posit s that a â€Å"cult† of the quarterly earnings developed, which in some cases caused executives and accountants to trade ethical accounting practice for the healthy appearance of the company.Roberts' rebuttal points out that quarterly earnings were the result of a reform that sought to provide investors with more timely information about the financial condition of companies. Roberts also mentioned how accounting had traditionally relied on â€Å"character and internal censure† to moderate fair practices. This culture was based upon a pay scale according to seniority. But in the sass's the FTC changed the accounting culture to one where partners were not paid by seniority, but by how much business they could bring to the firm.Conflicts of interest were also introduced into this ultra when accounting firms began to consult with the businesses they were supposed to be auditing. (old. ) Roberts makes it clear that he believes federal regulations have a lot to do with the s candals that occurred. He seems to feel that a culture of honesty and integrity in the business and accounting professions Is the most effective way to curb shady business dealing. Roberts even analogies that â€Å"standard accounting practices are like door locks.They keep honest people honest. But they cannot prevent fraud any more than a door lock can prevent favorable entry. † (old. . Another interesting perspective suggests that â€Å"executives are likely to commit more fraud as the expected costs of committing fraud decline† (â€Å"How to Clean up†¦ † F-4). The article infers that in the sass's when much of the fraud was occurring, the cost of getting caught was so low that fraud likely increased. It also analyzes the U. S. Crestless market In ten , wanly â€Å"grew ostentatiously†¦ T a rate Tanat Tar outpaced the growth in resources at the SEC† (old. ). There was also an increase in corporations with a large amount of intangible assets s uch as telecommunications. The aforementioned editorial thinks that a company's intangible assets make it harder to detect fraud than in corporations with tangible assets like food and textiles. To bolster the point of the editorial, it is further noted that most of the high profile accounting scandals in the sass's occurred in companies with intangible assets.This editorial seems to imply that lax regulations are the reason for increased fraud, and ultimately that an increase in regulation will decrease fraud. This conclusion is in stark contrast to Roberts' article mentioned previously. But they represent opinions on two ends of the spectrum when placing blame for the accounting scandals of the sass's and sass's. (old. ) While the reasons for the accounting scandals are infinite in number, the somewhat opposing viewpoints of these two articles shed light on a number of possibilities.What seems to be agreed upon throughout both articles is that no matter the condition of the market or the regulations in place, lapses in ethical Judgment are the root cause of most of these situations. This strongly suggests that the power to avoid another round of scandals like the ones experienced in the sass's lies in the individual accountant or business executive to know the ethical standards to which he is held, and to abide by them. There were a number of effects that the accounting scandals caused on corporate businesses in the United States and worldwide.The main issue was that trust in public companies waned. Investors polled after the Enron scandal said that even after certain regulations were introduced, â€Å"they had lingering doubts about the industry integrity' (Green-Morale). This issue of public trust was a serious, yet largely superficial view of the state of corporate business and accounting. Some feared that an overreaction to the accounting industry would create â€Å"bad public policy' (â€Å"How to Clean Up†¦ F-4). And to this day debate goes on about the pros and cons of the Serbians-Solely Act of 2002.Aside from the public policy revisions, the market numbers following the Enron scandal seem to indicate that there was very little effect on the actual market itself. One year after the Enron scandal first came to light, the S&P 500 declined by 28. 3 percent. Although this initially appears like a direct result of the accounting scandal, analysis of world markets at the time tell a different story. At the same time as the S&P 500 downturn, Britain's FETES declined 27. 5 percent, France's CA declined 34. 9 percent, and Germany's ADDAX declined 36. 8 percent (old. . These numbers indicate that there was a world-wide fluctuation in the market, even in countries not beset by an accounting scandal. Other possibilities for this downturn were considered likely, such as â€Å"a slowdown in economic activity, excess capacity in the worldwide telecommunications market, and uncertainty over terrorism and Iraq† (old. ). Further e vidence that the market was not directly affected by the scandals is leaned from the movements of stock prices in the telecommunications industry, where a large number of the scandals occurred.Before the scandals were brought to light, the Nasdaq Telecoms Index had declined by 80 percent from a high in March 2000. (old. ). This indicates that there was a prominent downturn in the telecommunications market before the scandals occurred. If the focus is narrowed in even Turner, tons tale upon ten actual companies Tanat suffered Trot scandals, ten numbers continue to support the idea that the market was declining before the scandals occurred. In August 2000, Enron's stock price peaked at $90. By October 15, 2001 , the last trading day before the scandal broke, Enron stock had already fallen to $33 a share.This indicates a 2/3 drop in value before any hint of scandal had reached the public. So, while it is certainly likely that the scandals had an initial effect on the market, in the lon g term there was already a downturn unrelated to the accounting scandals. Similar to the effects to corporate business, the effects to the accounting industry have been largely related to image. A large effort was made to restore the public trust in accounting. One accounting industry insider recognized that they Molted the trust and confidence of †¦ Linens and [they] need to get that back† (Green- Morale). Many in the accounting field expressed concerned about a â€Å"congressional rush to Judgment in trying to make the whole problem Just an accountant's problem† (Taylor old). Whether or not it was a rush to Judgment, the federal government made some drastic changes that affect the accounting industry to this day. Most notably is the Serbians-Solely Act of 2002, which was signed into law and created a body whose sole responsibility was the regulation of accounting firms that edited publicly traded companies.When it was initially introduced, the Serbians- Solely Ac t was costing companies millions of dollars to initiate and maintain compliance. An annual survey is done by Financial Executives International to track how much money it is costing companies to comply with Serbians-Solely, specifically section 404. There most recent survey of 2007 noted that compliance fees among companies with market capitalizations of $75 million were $2. 9 million during fiscal year 2006. This is a 23 percent drop from year 2005, and a 35 percent drop from the initiation of Serbians-Solely in 2002 (â€Å"FEE Survey†¦ ). While companies are increasing their efficiency in regards to compliance with Serbians-Solely, it has still put a large strain on the accounting industry. The FEE Survey seems to indicate that efficiency will likely increase and then level off, with companies having an annual expense that includes compliance fees related to Serbians-Solely. Whether this Act is too much government regulation is arguable on both sides. But it did accomplish a larger goal, which was to begin to restore confidence in the accounting profession to the public.Another significant population that was affected by the accounting scandals was the academic side. The heads of accounting programs throughout the country initially feared lower enrollments due to the accounting scandals. But figures seem to indicate that there was actually an increase in enrollment from 2002 to 2003 (Dotard 59). Many programs offered new courses as a direct result of the scandals. These courses involved such topics as fraud detection, corporate governance and ethics (old. ). Many programs also offered presentations, seminars, and lectures with an increased emphasis on professional ethics.A survey done by the American Institute of Spa's sought to gauge student attitudes towards accounting after the scandals. The survey generally found that the more educated students were about the accounting scandals, the more positive their attitudes were. This â€Å"suggested that op en communication and straight talk†¦ Could improve student attitudes† (old. ). It would seem that numbers wise, the accounting scandal has not affected enrollments In accounting programs In a gallants way. IT anything, ten scandals nave served to opening dialogue with students about the importance of ethical standards and fraud revelation.The firm that I work at, Crower Cheek, was not specifically effected by some of these changes implemented, but was affected in a general way by the change in business and accounting culture that occurred. The business and accounting industries as a whole came through the early sass's relatively unscathed. Sure there was major damage done to the public image of both professions, but they have generally recovered and have continued to comply with the new regulations resulting from the Serbians-Solely Act and other SEC provisions. But there are a number of strives that have come about as a result of the scandals and subsequent government ac tion.More skepticism is being brought into the audit process. Companies are considering how fraud could occur â€Å"even if there's no indication it is there. † Also, â€Å"investors are becoming better-educated about corporate financial statements†¦ And are not putting so much credence in the views of media pundits and analysts† (Allen 7). Students who are considering or have chosen accounting as a profession now have an increased dialogue concerning ethics, fraud, and the consequences thereof in a corporate scandal. Overall this increased dialogue seems o be the most straightforward method to prevent future scandals.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership - Research Paper Example Contingency leadership Contingency theory of leadership emphasizes that effective leadership depends on matching a  leader’s  style  to the appropriate situation (Da Cruz et al, 2011, p 7). The theory  is based  on the assumption that people’s styles and behaviours cannot be influenced or modified in any way. The  leadership  theory  is formed  by a combination of three factors, which are, leader-member relation,  task  structure and positional power (Da Cruz et al, 2011, p.9). Leader-member  relation  measures  acceptance  between all hierarchies within the organization where  acceptance  is determined  by trust, confidence a  feeling  of adequacy and  motivation  by leaders. In relation to  task  structure, it refers to a measure of clarity that a project or a defined task carries and the methods used to  achieve  the product. These allows progress to be tracked, this is because of the  presence  of clear guideli nes as to how a task should be performed. Positional power, on the other hand, is a measure of the amount of  authority  that a leader has, ad its ability to influence the  productivity  of the workers. This is in reference to the ability that a leader when it comes to reward and punishment. It also has a  part  in hierarchies where the workers  are required  to report to their leaders. ... on, in order to exert influence on one’s workers or followers, there is the need to  use  people skills and communicative skills in order to  influence  the outcome of their followers (Da Cruz, 2011, P. 17). Concerning contingency theory, there are several groupings of leaders and their  outright  performance  situations based on the power and  influence  they exert. The theory proposes that a  task-oriented leader stands a better chance at getting better performance due to its dynamic nature. The  nature  is it can be used when there is too much  control  or too little control over workers. In addition, in positions where a  leader  has  moderate  power, the theory proposes that  best  performance  is yielded  for  relationship-oriented leaders. Transformational leadership Transformational leadership is a leadership  style  in which leaders and followers  elevate  each other to levels above  present  level of  morali ty. In order to account for  power,  influence  and  leadership  in transformational leadership, it  is based  on four components. Influence  is exerted  on followers or workers according to how admirably the  leader  behaves. This, in turn, has an  influence  on the followers on whether they would like to emulate them (Hoffman et al., 2011, p. 781). Leaders in this theory  follow  a set of  clear  values that they  demonstrate  in their actions. This allows the  leader  to be a role model for their followers creating trust between leaders and followers. Therefore, the leader does not just  wield  the  power  to  lead  his or her followers but works by appealing to their values to the followers.   However, the leadership style holds an unethical edge, as unscrupulous leaders to suit their own purpose or personal interests can exploit it. Therefore, it

Mbuti Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mbuti Culture - Research Paper Example The Mbuti tribe is dependent on the forest for all the aspects of their life including getting their food, clothes, materials for hunting, item of play, musical instrument etc. In the recent times the tribesmen have come in contact with the agricultural people living the peripheries of the forest. However hunting remains their primary source of subsistence. Even in their trade with the agricultural people they exchange the meat they get from the forest in exchange for farm products (Tanno, n.d. pp. 1-51). The forest and hunting activities influenced the culture, social structures, gender relations and the beliefs and values of the Mbuti tribe associated with the Molimo ritual of the tribe. Social Organization The difference in the strategy for procuring the subsistence has attracted the interest of the anthropologist and ethnographers. Along with the difference in the hunting technique some difference in the social structure has also been observed with reference to the number of memb ers in the community. The inhabitants of the southwestern region, the net hunters live in a comparatively large camp consisting to seven to thirty families together. There method of hunting and distribution of the hunt are also of communal type. The women beat the under bush to drive the animals to the net which are looked after by the men. According to famous pygmy researcher Turnbull, this method of hunting requires a number of families to cooperate with each other in order to procure their subsistence. On the contrast the archers live in small groups of three to five. Individual members hunt with the help of arches and bows. The different operations of arching are tracking and ambushing which requires less number of men than net hunting. Several reasons have been cited for this difference in hunting pattern and consequent social structure based on region. According to Turnbull, this has occurred due to the historical distribution of the forest. The southwestern parts of the count ries have been subjected to encroachment for agriculture, mining, plantations, tourist centers etc. As a result the inhabitable land and the land for hunting and gathering have been reduced. On the other hand the population of the tribe has increased over the years. As a result the tribe was forced to increase their utilization of the reduced amount of available land. Moreover due to the Law of Diminishing Return the tribesmen had to undertake more work individually in order to maintain similar level of consumption. Another interesting feature that has been pointed out by the scholars is that the pygmy tribe has a low exposure to the technological advancement. Therefore they are unable to increase the utilization of the plot of land with the help of technology. To compensate for that, the tribesmen are required to increase the coordination and cooperation among themselves to maintain similar level of consumption. (Abruzzi, 1979) Renowned anthropologist, Harako suggests another alter native theory. According to him the original mode of hunting of the Mbuti tribe was archery. But some time in history a part of the tribe came in touch with the Bantu speaking tribes. In course of their interaction and exchange the Mbuti tribe learnt to use the net as a tool for hunting. This theory gives an explanation for the division of hunting methods

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Stanard v. Bolin, 88 Wash. 2d 614 (1977) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stanard v. Bolin, 88 Wash. 2d 614 (1977) - Essay Example Similarly, she suffered socially from embarrassment and ridicule from friends and neighbors (Stanard v. Bolin, 1977). In this case the court found the law of tort as well as the law of contract to be the most applicable since the plaintiff was suing for damages arising from a breach of promise- marriage (Lettmaier, 2010). Many American states, a promise to marry is deliberated to be legally enforceable, if the promise or agreement satisfies all the basic requirements of a valid contract. Therefore, failure to satisfy a promise to marry is treated in a similar manner to breach of contract. Moreover, a breach of promise to marry is treated as tort since the plaintiff suffers injury and loss hence they have a right to sue for damages ( LaMance, 2011). In light of the presented facts and claims by the plaintiff, the court ruled that the defendant owed the plaintiff damages for mental distress, injury to health, and loss to reputation. In addition, the court ruled that a rejected fiancà © would no longer be compensated for damages for loss of anticipated financial and social position (Stanard TD v. Bolin,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Environmental Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental Sustainability - Essay Example "Sustainability means using, developing and protecting resources at a rate and in a manner that enables people to meet their current needs and also provides that future generations can meet their own needs."(www.ezinearticles.com) When the aspect of Environmental Sustainability comes into the picture, numerous environmentalists have given numerous sets of causes, impact, and effects, that have contributed and led to environmental degradation. Numerous environmentalists have been discussing various causes for the degradation and the major three of them are discussed here. Firstly, the concept of growth of population is one of the main aspects of the various concepts put forth by scientists and environmentalists. It is largely felt that growth in world population has led to the greater demands for resources and has also been creating more and more demands for employment, social services, education, greater political and socio-economic efficacy.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Critically assess the view that using drugs leads to crime Essay

Critically assess the view that using drugs leads to crime - Essay Example These situations illustrate an obvious association between drugs and crime. However, it is difficult to accurately determine to what extent in which drugs could be considered the main motivation for crimes. A person under the influence of an illegal drug while committing a crime does not necessarily mean that the crime was drug-related. To what extent the drug clouded their judgment is subjective at best. That person may be a cigarette smoker as well but the crime would certainly not be classified as tobacco-related. Theories such as Strain, Labeling and Socialisation explain causations for crime and can also be applied to drug usage, but all drug users do not commit crimes and all criminals do not use drugs. The connections between drug use and crime are complex and explanations vary widely. This has been a topic that has garnered a considerable amount of attention for the past few decades among the public, media and politicians because of the considerable negative social and econom ic impact on society as a whole and the victims of crime. Some argue that laws make criminals out of drug users and distributors. Prohibition acts to encourage organized criminal activity because of the high profitability involved. In addition, the inflated expense of drugs is the main reason a user has to resort to crime to support their habit. Broadly differing arguments are offered regarding the degree to which criminal activity is driven by drug use. The term ‘drug user’ cannot be used without qualification when connecting this activity to crimes of any description. Drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, phencyclidine, (PCP), barbiturates and alcohol are more closely connected to criminal acts of violence than are heroin and marijuana according to current scientific literature (Wright & Klee, 2001). Some statistics that show a linkage from drug use to crime are generated from drug tests on prisoners. If the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Concepts of Wellness Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concepts of Wellness - Annotated Bibliography Example This study found that by either keeping elderly patients in the community at large, or creating a substitute community within a care facility, the patients quality of life and well-being could be drastically increased. This study again showed a linkage between emotional wellness, social wellness, and physical wellness. This study reviewed current literature on the connection between spiritual wellness and mental health. The author found that spiritual health could be further broken down into components, which all added up to good spiritual health. One of these components was a sense of community with others who held similar beliefs, so once again links back to social and emotional health. The study found that there were profound implications for mental health treatment in the area of spiritual wellness. This research looked into the wellness needs of online and distance learners in a college setting. The study found that in many cases, the wellness needs of such students were being overlooked. Their intellectual wellness was met through challenging courses and online discussion, but in many cases their social and emotional needs were not met. The implications of this study are that students with lower levels of overall wellness tend to perform less well in their studies, and so more of an effort needs to be made to meet all of the wellness needs of these students in order to help them reach their full potential. This research focused on overall wellness for employees in a university setting. The study found that most of the research subjects had high levels of overall wellness, but were lacking in physical wellness. Poor nutrition and long working hours contributed to this issue. This study shows that even if most of the dimensions of wellness are met, failing in just one area can affect overall health in a significant

Sunday, September 22, 2019

In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and in The Fifth Child Essay Example for Free

In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and in The Fifth Child Essay In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and in The Fifth Child an outsider is progressively released into an existing society destroying peace and goodness as it comes In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson the outsider is Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll is a very clever person who does not like having to be a good, respectable member of society and trying to live up to his reputation all the time. After living his life like this for a while and becoming ever more frustrated by living like this he uses his knowledge of drugs and medicine and Mr Hyde is born as the evil side of Jekylls personality. In The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing the outsider is a boy called Ben the fifth of five children from a couple called David and Harriet. David and Harriet wanted a happy family life with many children and a big house. This dream world was going fine until the outsider Ben is introduced. This essay is going to look at the similarities and differences between the two books and the two outsiders. The reader from the first time they are met views both Ben and Hyde as outsiders. Harriet just after she has given birth to Ben describes him as a troll or goblin This is certainly not the usual reaction a mother gives her new born child or creature as Harriet describes him. Ben was not like other new born babies he was muscular, yellowish, long his forehead sloped from his eyebrow to his crown. His hair grew in an unusual pattern from the double crown where started a wedge or triangle that came low on his forehead, the hair laying forward in a thick yellowish stubble. He did not look like a baby at all. The first time we meet Mr Hyde he is attacking a small child in the street trampled calmly over the childs body which is not normal practice for the normal man in the street. Stevenson makes this more horrific by saying it sounds nothing to hear but I think it does sound quite nasty to hear but it was hellish to see implying that it is much worse than it sounds. Mr Hydes appearance made the doctor who would usually have nothing to hold against Hyde turn sick and white with the desire to kill him. Later in the book Mr Utterson tries to describe Hyde there is something wrong with his appearance, something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere, he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldnt specify the point. All this suggests that Mr Hyde is not normal. Stevenson then goes to describe Hyde through his house and his front door. Mr Hydes house lies just past a market that is described as having an air of invitation, like rows of smiling sales women. Mr Hydes house is nothing like this being situated in a court and is one of a sinister block of buildings this description immediately makes you imagine a dark house with dark anti-social inhabitants. Stevenson then goes on to say the house showed no windows, nothing but a door on a lower story and the door which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained all of this is not actually just describing the house but Hyde as well. It says Hyde is a dark anti-social man that does not like visitors and does not generally fit in. In The Fifth Child there is also an object like Mr Hydes door used to describe, but this time peoples feelings and what is going on. This is the big table; it is used to show the state of the family and relationships. The table near the beginning of the book before Ben is born is full of people at Christmas who are all happy and Christmassy but when Ben is born less and less people come around until at the end of the book the table is totally empty apart from Harriet. Harriet is imagining what it used to be like before Ben was born with many people all enjoying themselves and how much better it would have been without him. Mr Hyde and Ben are both violent people. Mr Hyde had trampled over a small child in the street and killed an MP with a walking stick; both of these people were people that someone of Hydes age should have been stronger than, an old man and a small child. Ben had sprained his older brothers arm and attacked an older girl in the playground, both of these people should have been able to overpower someone of Bens age but Ben seems to be abnormally strong. When Ben was a small baby his mother did not breast-feed him like she did with her others because it hurt too much the child looked at her and bit, hard. This may suggest that Ben is more evil than Hyde in being able to attack people that should be stronger than him. Stevenson describes the event of Hyde trampling a small child in a different way to the way Lessing describes how Ben attacks a girl in the playground. Stevenson tells the story through Mr Enfield who is talking to Mr Utterson but Lessing uses Harriets thoughts to tell the story of Ben. Stevenson doesnt just describe what Hyde did to the girl he goes on and makes the incident more realistic and tries to compare Hyde with other things such as a juggernaut to provoke more feeling in the reader it sounds nothing to hear but it was hellish to see. Lessing on the other hand describes Bens actions almost as a series of bullet points, stating what he did and nothing else he had pulled her down, bitten her and bent her arm back until it broke. For this reason, that Stevenson used more description in parts of his book I can find parts of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde more believable and mare memorable. These parts of the two books also show how far apart they were written. In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson uses the word juggernaut, which then meant a large unstoppable force but in todays world has become to be associated with large lorries. Also in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde there are few women and the ones we do hear about are servants or maids but in the Fifth Child there are many women and one of the most important people in the book, Harriet, is a woman. We also do not hear many people called by their first names in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde but in the Fifth Child last names are seldom used. The title of this essay I agree with most of except for the part that says, progressively released. This part of the statement is true for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, as Mr Hyde is only really understood at the end of the book he is not easy to describe. In the Fifth Child Ben is thrown into the middle of everything suddenly and can even be different before he was bourn David felt a jolt under his hand. The second part of this statement destroying peace and goodness as it comes I totally agree with. In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Hyde causes Jekyll so much pain that eventually he commits suicide. In the Fifth Child Ben scares Harriet and David off having any more children and breaks the family apart by making some of Harriets other children go to boarding school and by making them go and live with relatives.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Molson Canadian Beer to China Essay Example for Free

Molson Canadian Beer to China Essay This paper will analyze a products potential to enter a foreign market. The product, Molson Canadian, is a well known and reputable Canadian beer with a rich history. For our purposes, we have attempted to formulate a plan for Molson Canadian to enter the Chinese beer market. Utilizing empirical data, statistics and research on the Chinese beer market, we have gathered significant information regarding entry into this market. After analyzing China as a country, their beer market and relevant business information, we developed an effective way for Molson Canadian to be introduced into the Chinese market. In addition, we have highlighted some potential opportunities and threats associated with this plan, thereby rationalizing the entry mode we have chosen. After all the information was presented, we concluded that the most effective way to introduce Molson Canadian to the Chinese market was to export the product, utilizing distributor and import contacts to have the beer sold at on-trade sites such as upscale bars and eateries. The following information provided explains our direction and reinforces our decision to enter the market in this fashion. Introduction. The beer brand Molson is one of Canada’s oldest consumer brand names and one of North America’s oldest brands. John Molson established Canada’s oldest brewery in 1786 near the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, Quebec. The Molson company has a range of beer selection including: Molson Canadian, a lager beer containing 5% of alcohol per volume, Molson Canadian Light contains about 2% of alc/vol, Molson Canadian 6. 0 Cold Shots (6% of alc/vol), Molson Canadian Sub Zero (it can served at temperatures below freezing through innovative technology) and its new Molson Canadian 67 (contains only 67 calories). Along with the Molson brand of beverages, Molson also owns the rights to other brands such as the various Rickards brands as well as distribution rights of popular imports such as Heineken from Holland. Molson Canadian is the company’s signature beer, using freshwater from Canadian lakes and the best quality barley in the recipe. Molson’s brewing methods do not utilize preservatives in order to maintain crisp, clean and fresh taste. Instead, they use traditional best methods along with skilled brew masters to ensure best quality from suppliers to retailers. As a result, Molson has received numerous awards in the past, including the gold for â€Å"North American Style Lager† in 2008. In 2005 Molson Brewery merged in equal parts with American brewing company Coors, forming the Molson Coors Brewing Company. The purpose of this report is to introduce a marketing plan for Molson to enter the Chinese consumer market. The main objective is to analyze and determine possible ways to successfully distribute Molson’s signature beer (Molson Canadian) to the Chinese consumer market. The next sections provide country and business analysis as well as the marketing mix in order to construct an effective and efficient marketing plan. Also, an action plan will be prepared to consider implementation of strategies and their associated budgets. Country Analysis China is located in eastern Asia and is the fourth largest country in the world. It borders a number of countries including Vietnam, North Korea, India and Pakistan. China also has the largest population in the world with more than 1. 3 billion (1,338,612,968) people. China also has several languages and dialects spoken throughout the country, but the major ones are mandarin and Cantonese. (CIA Fact book 2010) China is a communist state, however in the last 30 years the nation has gradually changed from a centrally planned economy to a more market oriented economy. This transition has benefited China because it opened its’ boarders to international trade, increasing the countries import/export figures dramatically over the years. In addition, the more open economic system allowed for an influx of foreign direct investment into the country. China’s rampant growth in the past 30 years is evident in the country’s economic statistics. 2009 country GDP numbers place China as 3rd overall worldwide in total GDP with $8. 791 Trillion (US$), only second to the European Union and the United States. (CIA Fact book 2010) This figure can be put into perspective however when analyzing GDP per capita where China places 128th worldwide with only $6,500 (US$), a figure which has been improving throughout the years. Although china is one of the fastest developing countries in the world, its’ government still faces several challenges including reducing corruption, sustaining adequate job growth rates and environmental concerns such as pollution. In addition, China has long been perceived by other nations as a country not up code regarding certain policies such as human rights and intellectual property rights. However, their inclusion into the World Trade Organization in 2001 has vastly improved their global standing and many joint and domestic initiatives have been undertaken to improve the perception of China globally. Rationale for Choosing China There were several key reasons for choosing China as our target market. China’s vast population was an influence because it provided a large potential consumer base. Another reason is the large demand for beer which continues to grow as middle and upper class income levels continue to rise in the country (Datamonitor 2004). In addition, several international beer brands have not managed to effectively penetrate the Chinese market. Therefore, if an international beer company in china survives an initial tough few years, it has the potential to make significant profits going forward. The beer industry in China will be analyzed in more detail in the following sections. Other important reasons for the selection of China was that its’ healthy trade relations with Canada throughout the years. China is Canada’s 2nd largest trading partner, only second to the United States of America with bilateral trade between China and Canada reaching over $50 billion(CAN) in 2009 (Statscan, 2010). Finally, notion that China is the fastest growing nation in the world and is predicted to be the world’s largest economy by 2025 had a significant impact on our selection. (Foreign affairs and international trade Canada, 2005) (See Appendix A) Environment of the Beer Industry in China â€Å"China is one of the world’s largest alcohol producers in the world and in the next few years it is expected to go surpass the United States as the largest alcohol producer in the world† (Newman, Ian 2006). China has a very large beer market worth around $6. 154 billion (USD$) and produced more than 26,244 million litres in 2004 (Datamonitor 2004). Both of these figures are significant increases from the previous year 2003. For the majority of brewers around the world, the Chinese beer market is too large to ignore and at times, too hard to grasp because of its complicity. China is viewed as the next big opportunity in the beer industry because its large population and its high economic growth is unmatchable elsewhere. However, many international brewers have failed to penetrate the Chinese beer market. This could be due to unfamiliar market dynamics and the presence of too many domestic beer brands in the Chinese market. Although many international brands have failed, some like SAB Miller have succeeded. It is believed that focus on quality brands and long term entry plans were contributors to the success companies like SAB Miller have had in the Chinese market. Some of the leading brewers in China include Tsingato brewery, SAB Miller, Fosters Group Limited and Noble China Inc. (Datamonitor 2004) Threats and Opportunities Having looked at the general environment of the beer industry in China, our focus will now shift to the threats and opportunities in the market. First, one of the main threats is the other large beer companies and breweries that we are going to be competing with, both domestic and international. Chinese domestic beer accounts for a large percentage of consumption in the country, and as an international product, we will be facing stiff competition from other international companies already present in the market. A less concerning threat is that the older demographics in China prefer to drink more wine than they do beer. This however is contrasted by the increasing popularity of beer in the nation. The biggest opportunity is the fact that the China has largest population in the world and also that it is the world’s fastest growing country. Another opportunity is that there is steady growth rate predicted in the next few years for the beer industry (Datamonitor 2004). Another key opportunity is that Chinese consumer’s value taste and reputation in their beverage products, we believe that Molson Canadian can cater to this need with our product implementation. (Industry Digest, 2005) On the technological side, the Chinese market has several domestic brewing companies in the nation. This could be very useful because the technology to produce beer in China is readily available. On the negative side, China incorporates strict restrictions on content through various media. For example, internet censorship is common in the nation, leaving marketers with limited when choosing which type of media to use for marketing purposes (Human Rights Watch, 2006). Socially, alcohol plays an important role in Chinese tradition and Chinese society as a whole. Alcohol is used in a lot of Chinese traditional festivals and celebrations, as well as it is also a very important part of Chinese religions. Alcohol can also be found in traditional Chinese medication and also used for cooking (Newman, Ian 2006). Market Buyer Characteristics Many of the beer buyer characteristics in the Chinese market are similar to those of Canada. First, gender plays a large role in that the majority of beer consumers are males. However, the female segment of the market has steadily continued to increase as china develops further, mainly due to increased spending power of Chinese women. However, this gender bias cannot be overlooked as the female segment of the buyers is very important because in some major cities like Beijing, women make up to around 30% of beer drinkers in the city. Most of the buyers of beer in china are between the age groups of 25 to 44, similar to the demographics found in Canada (Industry Digest, 2005). Another important aspect about buyer behaviour in China is that it varies according to the region or province. The same applies for the beer market in China, for example people from the southern regions of China drink more beer at bars an pubs and banquets whereas people in the northern regions are more likely to drink beer while dining because they believe that it ads flavour to their dining. Also in the south of China the climate is very hot so casual drinking as a means to cool down is common similar to Canada in the summer months. (Industry Digest, 2005) Furthermore, reasons why people buy beer in China are important aspect for marketers. For consumers in China, value and good taste are important characteristics that consumers tend to look for. These qualities of beer products precede the importance of other factors such as price and brand reputation. Brand loyalty to domestic brands is more common in certain locations such as Beijing, but brand loyalty overall in general is not a decisive factor for many consumers in the Chinese beer industry. â€Å"People between the ages of 16 to 44 who live in Guangzhou and shanghai, switch brands on a regular basis† (Industry Digest, 2005). Selection of and Rationale for Chosen Mode of Entry into the Target Country The entry mode that we have chosen for entering into China will be exporting through an import contact that will then use local distributors to sell our product. The reason that we have selected this option is that although there is a huge potential for companies to succeed in the Chinese beer market, there are still many risks of doing business in China. By choosing exporting as our first step, it allows us to reduce financial and investment risks. Many studies have shown that having a good relationship with the Chinese government and business owners is a significantly important factor for foreign companies to success in China (Owen, 2010). Therefore, before moving into further actions such as partnerships and joint ventures, we want to have Molson establish a good working relationship with the Chinese government. At the same time, this entry mode will also give Molson ample time to develop the relationship with potential Chinese partners, as well as get better understanding about the government regulations for foreign ownership of land building resources. Last but not least, comparing this mode of entry to partnerships and joint ventures, exporting requires less finical investment. For example, Molson does not need to build factories or set up mass manufacturing operations right away which will save a significant amount of money right from the get go. In addition, if anything goes wrong initially, this entry mode allows us to withdraw the business from China much easier than if we had already established manufacturing operations in the country. Objectives. Due to the risks that beer companies are facing in expanding into the Chinese market, Molson Canadian wants to move slowly into the Chinese market. In other words, the company wants to test the environment first and then take the necessary steps to further the expansion process. First of all, Molson Canadian will establish the mode of entry which is the exporting strategy, and then the company will choose a well known Chinese beer company such as Tsingtao as our distributor, because this will reduce the uncertainties. While working with Tsingtao, Molson Canadian wants to ensure distribution networks are reaching desired locations for sale of product and look for other possible distributors and partners as well in order to get it prepared for our future development purposes such as joint ventures or partnerships. The next objective that we suggest is gathering forecasting information for potential future margin and feedback from consumers. This step will help us to make sure if the Chinese market is really worth to investing in and develop strong indicators to our customers’ preferences, in order to better serve our customers. During this stage, Molson Canadian will also be able to get more familiarized about the Chinese regulations related to the beer companies, especially for foreign companies. After the completion of this stage, the company will be able to develop plans for future operations based on the information that it has collected from before. If the information does not support the expansion, then Molson Canadian should stop developing, and possibly withdraw the business from China. If everything goes well, the company will pick the right distributors and partners that have been evaluated before to start the joint ventures or partnerships with local Chinese companies. The reason that we decided to do joint ventures or partnership eventually is that based on information from the Euromonitor International, which states by doing a joint venture it will allow foreign companies to gain local market knowledge â€Å"These joint ventures should provide foreign companies with a necessary foothold in the market which can, in the future, be exploited by their own products† (Euromonitor International, 2004). The last objective is to work towards generating steadily increasing profits in the future, which will be in more details in our action plan. Limitations There are also limitations that could affect Molson Canadians entry into the Chinese market. As we mentioned before, the uncertainty of the Chinese market is a huge concern. First of all, the government regulations and standards are different from what we have seen in the North American market. Based on the article written by Owen, issues included the â€Å" Chinese top-down approach to standards and conformance, Openness and transparency, Low confidence in private-sector standards setting and conformity assessment, and Inconsistent implementation creates uncertainty†(Owen, 2010) are all the concerns that Molson needs to pay attention. The second uncertainty is that the intense competition will be created by both local and foreign beers companies in the crowded industry. As represented by Euromonitor International, there are several foreign breweries doing business in this market now. Many of which have found that the market is more difficult to operate than they expected before entering the Chinese market. Problems included comparatively high production costs and a fragmented market, combined with oversupply, has caused a market slowdown which led many companies to cut their prices. Many of the companies have already chosen to exit the market and cut their losses (Euromonitor International, 2004). Criteria In terms of the time frame, we estimated that will take one year to complete the objectives from 1 to 3, which is also considered to be our primary expansion. As mentioned above this includes the establishment of the entry mode- exporting, develop appropriate distribution networks, and collecting forecasting information and feedback from consumers. The secondary expansion includes the envelopment future operating plans such as joint ventures or partnerships; after everything has been created our final goal will be work towards generating steadily increasing profits in the future. We estimated that will take 1 or 2 years to finish framing the joint venture or partnership structure. Segmentation For our segmentation we decided to focus on 5 main demographic criteria’s. We obtained basic secondary data based on the past buying patterns of Chinese and other Asian consumers. From that data, we sorted and decided upon with segments of the market we would test for. We based the selection of the criteria on hypothesis testing and concluded that only traits that that appeared consistently within two standard deviations (95%) of each segment’s sample would be counted; these demographics being on age, region, ethnicity, financial capacity and lifestyle within the 18 – 45 age range. For this analysis we have ranked them in order of popularity and difference in cost relative to other premium beers; from this analysis we have distilled this ranking system. * Molson Canadian Subzero is loved for its flash and fancy appeal * Molson Canadian Lager is popular for its strong distinct flavour * Molson Canadian Light beer is popular for its smoother taste and lack of a strong after taste * Lastly Molson Canadian ‘67 is the least preferred. This is due to the misconception that diet beers are more diluted than regular beers and that consumers are getting less for their money. From our demographic analysis of Chinese consumers of a certain demographic tend to prefer certain tastes to be present in their alcohol and while these preferences are not as potent in affecting purchase decisions as they would be in north America, never the less they are significant to warrant analysis and attention. Characteristic| Characteristic Related| Price| Westernized | Stronger Alcohol| More expensive| Traditional| Smoother Alcohol| Less Expensive| Sichuan | Stronger Alcohol| Less expensive| Han| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive|. Tibetan| Stronger Alcohol| Less expensive| Southern| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive| Northern| Stronger Alcohol| More expensive| Old | Stronger Alcohol| average| Young| Smoother Alcohol| Less expensive| (Data Extrapolated from Chinas beer consumption and Barley imports) From our analysis we can conclude that as you move up north and become more westernized the taste for alcohol becomes steadily stronger and that people value alcohol more. We have found that there are many cultural factors that the affect the purchasing characteristics of each segment. Age: Age is a significant factor when incorporating this model, with younger generations preferring relatively cheaper products than the older generation. As China’s socialistic society progress, legislation has greatly altered the spending habits of consumers. Such like the 1 child policy has left a significantly smaller working force to support the country. With most average working couples supporting 3 generations simultaneously (Adams, 2008), this can impact greatly on the decisions regarding the purchase of the luxury items such as premium foreign beer. Region: In regards to region, there are smaller difference in the tastes and spending habits of northerners vs. southerners. While the South has a higher pay-grade than those of the north, historically the south has always been a more crowded and competitive place (Trent, 2009). Thus those living there adapt to have a more conservative outlook in regards to consumption and purchases. Contrary, while the average northerner earns significantly less money they are more likely to spend extra for what they want (Trent, 2009). Also cities along the coast tend to adopt more western ideals than those located on the interior of China. Ethnicity: While china’s population is 87% Han (Doan, 2008) there is a small population of minorities that also live in china. Though living in the same country this minority have significantly different tastes from your average Chinese. These Minorities include Tibetans, Wiggers and Manchus. Lifestyle: Since China has opened its doors to international products and cultures, there have been many Chinese that have adopted a more western-lifestyle. With Western styles often come more western tastes (Qingbin et at, 1998), in contrast to the smoother taste western-styled Chinese prefer a stronger tasting alcohol. Marketing Mix This section presents strategic alternatives that Molson Canadian should take into consideration, recommendation of the suitable alternative and implementation of marketing plan through the use of the controllable elements of marketing mix. Strategic Alternatives There are two strategic alternatives that Molson Canadian can use to expand its beer brand to Chinese consumer market. Molson Canadian can expand its beer brand to Chinese consumer market by exporting its product line on trade or off trade. Alternative 1: The first alternative for Molson Canadian is to export its product line on trade, meaning that their target locations for sale are establishments which serve alcohol. For our product, we want to target specifically high end restaurants, pubs and bars. High end restaurants, pubs and bars would offer high quality products; therefore the best quality beer would also be expected from customers. One of the main strengths of Molson Canadian is that they utilize high quality ingredients as well as a team of brew masters that make sure the beer follows the high quality standards, qualities that Chinese consumers would be drawn to. Additional strengths of Molson Canadian is that it offers product differentiation such as best quality barley and no use of preservatives for its production. Also, the products country image is perceived as good quality product since it is North American which means that the products symbolize Western civilization, status and modernity (Zhou Hui, 2003). A weakness that should be taken into account is that Molson Canadian is not well known in the Chinese market, so it may be difficult to find consumers initially. However, opportunities in Chinese alcohol industry should be considered regarding this matter. For instance, an opportunity encountered is that there is an increasing demand for better tasting and premium products, meaning that premium beer sales will be more likely to increase in upcoming years (Euromonitor International, 2010). Also, another significant opportunity is that as consumers’ disposable incomes increase, consumers will be able to spend on leisure time such as going out to pubs and bars. In fact, there is a strong development of the consumer foodservice market, as well as, an increase of premium beer in forecasted years which accounts for 70% of total value growth from 2008 to 2013 in local currency (Euromonitor International, 2009). In addition to the above points, Chinese consumers are not price sensitive regarding on-trade places, indicating that premium and standard beer will become popular among the consumers (Euromonitor International, 2009). Lastly, a major threat towards this alternative is that the rise of prices for materials such as oil and energy can affect transportation cost. The National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC) had reported a price increase of RMB 1,000 per tonne for oil which is approximately equivalent to US$ 170 in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). This means that there will be a need for adjustments in terms of price of beer to circumvent export costs to China. Alternative 2: The second alternative for Molson Canadian to export in China is to sell its product off trade. For this alternative, Molson Canadian beer should be sold in small grocery stores and/or hypermarkets. In order to better analyze this alternative for better profitability of the company, a mini SWOT analysis should be established. A major strength for this company is that the beer could be sold as standard lager beer to Chinese market with product differentiation. For example, the beer could be differentiated towards its high quality ingredients used in the production such as barley and hops and its high quality control standards. A weakness encountered in this option is that Molson Canadian is not a well known beer brand among Chinese market. An opportunity for selling Molson Canadian beer off trade is that this is main channel of sales accounting for 68% of volume sales in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). Also, small independent grocery stores in rural areas account for 66% of total volume sales in 2008 (Euromonitor International, 2009). However, threats should also be taken into account for this alternative. A major threat there is high competitive market between domestic and foreign beer brands. In fact, the three top companies China Resources Enterprise Co Ltd, Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd and Beijing Yanjing Brewing Corp accounted for 41% of total volume sales in 2007 (Euromonitor International, 2009). There are also two leading international companies participating in Chinese beer market which are InBev and Anheuser-Busch. Another threat encountered is that consumers are price sensitive towards beer in off trade channels as they have a range of beer selection as well as prices that differ from different brands issues (Euromonitor International, 2009). Recommendation. The best alternative for Molson Canadian is to target on-trade businesses, especially high end restaurants, pubs and bars. The main criterion for choosing this alternative was based on willingness to pay for high priced product. Also, Molson Canadian should consider the high competition with domestic and foreign beer brands in off-trade markets. In order to reach Chinese consumers, we have weighed the pros and cons of this alternative and believe that Molson Canadian would have the best chance for success by initially focusing on selling to high end restaurants, pubs, bars and so on. The first reason for this chosen alternative is that customers will pay for high quality at any price. The customers will pay for a product that provides better taste, healthier and premium packaged products (Euromonitor International, 2010) since their disposable income allows buying better quality products. In fact, according to China Alcoholic Association, beer volume production has increased 6 % in the first half of 2009 (Euromonitor International, 2010). Also, when beer is sold in high end restaurants, its price will be set much higher price than at grocery stores, so Molson Canadian can generate profit using this method. According to Euromonitor International (2010), standard and premium beer account for only 10% of total sales volume, but generate around 50% of total profits in China’s beer sector. One of downsides towards marketing on-trade is that it may be difficult to break into the market since Molson Canadian is not recognized publicly in China. Also, Molson Canadian may face fierce competition in Chinese on-trade markets. For example, Budweiser, Heineken, Tiger, and Carlsberg are the main multinationals that have majority of the premium beer sales on trade. This alternative is preferable to the other option since it provides the means to generate long term profit and on-trade customers will favour buying high quality product as their preferences change. Another reason for choosing this alternative other than off-trade is that grocery stores will offer a variety of beer brands that are cheaper and domestic Chinese brands, therefore consumers will have more general knowledge of the products available to them. Once the strategic alternative is implemented, there will be opportunities and challenges that should be relevant to Molson Canadian. A potential opportunity for Molson Canadian is to introduce Molson Canadian 67 which is a type of beer that contains only 67 calories. This is a significant advantage for this company since Chinese people are becoming more concerned about their health and wellness. In terms of challenges that Molson Canadian may face is that there will be competition within foreign beer brands such as Heineken that could affect Molson Canadian’s profitability. Implementation In order to execute the marketing strategy of exporting Molson Canadian beer to Chinese market in high end restaurants, pubs and bars, the company should consider the 4P’s of the marketing mix. First, the product provided is Molson Canadian lager beer by Molson Coors Brewing Company which is a high quality Canadian brand which Molson Coors will be able to sell its beer as premium brand because of it offers clean, crisp and fresh taste as well as the no use of preservatives. The price for Molson Canadian beer lager is planned to be high since most of target market in China is represented by medium to high income consumers. Consumers in high end restaurants, pubs and bars will able to buy a bottle of Molson Canadian lager beer for more than 20RMB or $3US(Eumonitor International, 2009) since high end restaurants will place their price three times its market price. For the promotional aspect of our product, Molson Canadian attempt to use practices similar to those found in the North American markets. The use of commercials and posters display the refreshing qualities of a Canadian lager beer will be a major focus of the promotional ads. However, unlike the Canadian and American markets where beer commercials incorporate sexual messages to sell their products, ads in China will mirror those of beverage companies already operating in the country. To do this, the sexual appeal found in North American type commercials will be replaced with the quintessential Chinese humor found very often in Chinese advertisements. In addition, another promotional campaign will be launched in China based on the current public relations department knowledge of Molson Coors regarding drinking and driving programs. This program will be shared with the government of China to increase awareness since drink driving is one of major factor causing traffic accidents. In fact,† according to the Ministry of Public Security, the number of road traffic accidents reached 107,193 during the first half of 2009, with the number of fatalities and injuries reaching 29,866 and 128,336 respectively† (Euromonitor International, 2010). This promotional tool will be helpful to reduce barriers that the government may place for Molson Canadian. Finally, another way to promote the beer brand is to provide an event marketing strategy since ‘international sporting, economic and cultural events are strong drivers for beer consumption† (All China Marketing research, 2008). For instance, Molson Canadian can potentially sponsor the 16th Asian Games in China which is taking place from November 12th to 27th, 2010 (Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee ,2010). Therefore, this sponsorship will bring brand awareness. Molson Canadian may have a backup plan if the sponsorship does not work out through donating a certain amount of money to the Asian Games event so then there will be also the brand name out there for consumers. A last marketing mix factor is place which could be achieved by utilizing the same distributors of Coors Light to d.

Friday, September 20, 2019

XML Query Routing in P2P Systems | Paper Critique

XML Query Routing in P2P Systems | Paper Critique Critique on XML Query Routing in Structured P2P Systems (Leonidas Fegaras, Weimin He, Gowtham Das, David Levine) Rahul Rayineni The structured peer-to-peer network is a decentralized architecture which consists of large number of nodes that share data and resources with other nodes. They use a distributed hash table to determine the location of data. The nodes in structured P2P systems maintains a list of neighbors so that they from a overlay network in which lookup time for a key take logarithmic number of routing hops between peers. They offer better availability and scalability than unstructured P2P systems but the main difficulty in using these systems lies in data placement and query processing as queries are more complex. If the queries are not properly optimized routing and processing takes lot of time. This paper demonstrates about data placement, querying, and indexing large data repositories distributed over an existing DHT based P2P systems like pastry (Reference 4 and 6). According to Leonidas Fegaras, Weimen He, Gautam das, and David Levine, There are lot of earlier proposals like XPath lookup queries in P2P networks(Reference1) and Locating data sources in large Distributed Systems(reference 3) on indexing and querying XML data distributed data over a P2P network but there is no work reported on complex XML query processing with full text search that uses data synopses to selectively route queries to peers. The framework proposed in this paper is implemented on DHT-based P2P system Pastry (Reference 4 and 6). But this framework can be implemented on any P2P infrastructure. This frameworks works on summarized data namely structural synopsis and data synopsis for mapping XML queries. The high query routing precision, low data placement and low maintenance overheads are achieved through novel data synopses structures. This framework gives more accurate evaluation of textual and containment constraints in a query compared to bloom filters. The publishing process makes the documents available to other peers while unpublishing is removing the document by the owner. If the peer wants to update the document first it will unpublish the document and later publish it again to reflect the document updates. According to Leonidas Fegaras, Weimen He, Gautam Das, and David Levine, The XPath syntax is modified to add the predicate e ~ S, where e is an arbitrary XPath expression that returns true if at least from the sequence returned by e matches the search specification, S. A search specification is an IR-style Boolean keyword query that takes the form term | S1 and S2 | S1 or S2 | (S) where S, S1 and S2 are search specifications. A term is a keyword that must be present in the text of an element returned by the expression e. The label path of an XML document consists of child/attribute steps and can distinguish non-empty set of data nodes in the document. There are two types of data synopses used in this framework in which one is content synopses that contain structural summary nodes associated with bit matrices. The second one is positional filters which are bit vectors consists of internal structure summary nodes and their positions. To achieve good load balance with small number of nodes structural summary information and data synopsis are distributed over the existing P2P network. This framework is capable of finding all possible structural summaries applicable to the query with one DHT lookup. The content synopses consists of index terms along with their positions. Index terms are formed breaking the document in to simple terms. The position of the index term depends on the position of its begin/end tags. The position of the elements tag depends on the number of the begin and end tags preceding the elements. So index terms of a same element consists of same positional range. The positional bit vector consists of all the positions of the document. According to Leonidas Fegaras, Weimen He, Gautam Das, and David Levine, The search specification e ~ t1 and t2 for two terms t1 and t2 becomes true if and only if there is at least one document node returned by e that contains both terms. Using one-dimensional term bitmaps alone, such as bloom filters, and checking whether both the t1 and t2 bits are on, will give us a prohibitive number of false positives. The core operation in this framework is containments filtering, CF(F,V) which test element containment. Here F is positional filter and V is a bit vector. The output of the above function is new positional filter F. In the bit vector V, if there is at least one bit is on with in this range it copies all the bits in F to F. Data placement involves placing of structural summary and data synopsis. The structural summaries are routed to every peer using every different tag name. Thus, with a single DHT lookup we can able to find out all structural summaries matching the structural footprint of the query. The label path of data synopsis is used in placing it. Since Multiple documents consists of label path , the synopsis from these documents is placed at a single peer. Thus with single DHT look up we can locate all the documents. Query routing involves collecting and filtering documents all the way. The triples(peer, document, positional-filter) are used as communication between the peers. They contain id of a matching document and owner of the document along with the document positions. At each peer size of the list is reduced by removing the documents whose positional filter are zeroes. The network updates like node arrival, departure and failure are handled by novel methods when the node arrives the overlay network, it invokes the Pastry method notifyReady() and start sending and receiving messages. It receives all the information like structural summaries and data synopses from its predecessor. Similarly when a node decides to leave the network, it routes all its structural summaries and data synopses to its successor and leave the network. This can be done using one single message. When peer doesnt find a matching structural summary the predecessor node may be failed. In this case peer chooses another tagname and search request to other peers to find structural summary. The Id of the failed predecessor is used to check for the node failure. If the predecessor is failed it will abort the query and scan the list again for the documents and send a message to publisher to publish the data. The main advantage of this method it will abort only one query at a time and d ata synopsis is restored that is associated with the failed peer The closest work to this is done by L.Galanis, Y.Wang, S. R.Jeffery, and D.J.DeWitt. locating data sources in large distributed systems.(Reference 3). In this framework, the distributed indexing targets location of data sources which is different from the framework in this paper. The structural summaries are similar to the one that are presented in this paper. Here they use the tag name of the element that contain the text as search key which is contrary to the framework in this paper in which text was broken before indexing and label paths are used as keys. They dont address the indexing cost also. According to Leonidas Fegaras, Weimen He, Gautam Das, and David Levine, the framework proposed by Galanis (Reference 3) is more suitable for data-centric XML data rather than to document-centric ones, since the later may include large text portions inside specific tag names, which results to the routing of large parts of document to the same nodes. Another related framework is by A. Boni fati, Xpath Lookup Queries in P2P Networks. WIDM 2004. in which XML data fragments are indexed based on their path. The search key is the hash value of its path. This framework answer simple Xpath queries in one peer hop. The drawback of this framework is it requires additional hops to retrieve complex data fragment. Also this framework doesnt support XPath predicates. There are other distributed summaries for XML data like XSketch(Reference 5) which is used in selectivity estimation than in query routing. In the paper presented by J.M. Bremer and M. Gertz on distributing XML repositories (Reference 2), the structural summary is used as a global scheme to show how XML data are fragmented and distributed over the network. My opinion of this paper, it provides best framework for XML routing in structured P2P networks. The data synopsis and content synopsis used for indexing are better than regular bloom filters. The framework maps a query with full-text search into a distributed program that migrates from peer to peer. The index terms used in this framework are label paths which are better single tag names used in the previous frameworks for routing XML data. The containment filtering of this framework is efficient in addressing the containment relationships between predicates in a query. It can find all structural summaries of a query using one DHT lookup. It can handle complicated XPath queries using structural summaries. The network updates are handled effectively using novel methods which are very crucial in structured P2P networks. The data placement strategy gives load balancing in the system. The framework is easily scalable and it can be implemented on top of any existing P2P infrastructure. References A. Bonifati, et al. XPath Lookup Queries in P2P Networks. WIDM 2004. J.-M. Bremer and M. Gertz. On Distributing XML Repositories. WebDB 2003. L.Galanis, Y.Wang, S.R.Jeery, and D. J. DeWitt. Locating Data Sources in Large Distributed Systems. VLDB 2003. Pastry. http://freepastry .rice.edu/. N. Polyzotis and M. Garofalakis. Structure and Value Synopses for XML Data Graphs. VLDB 2002. A. Rowstron and P . Druschel. Pastry: Scalable, Distributed Object Location and Routing for Large-Scale Peer-to-Peer Systems. International Conference on Distributed Systems Platforms 2001. The Motorcycle Diaries | An Analysis The Motorcycle Diaries | An Analysis During these novels it can be seen how important is the background in there, whether historical background and social one were deeply connected in the way the plot was developed, creating contrast and reflection about that current time in both stories. Besides, even they were written in different years they are a critical informers about the lack of moral in the American society in the 20s and in the other hand, the economical situation in Latin-America -specifically in South America -; the poverty that took part during the 50s and in some way also modified thinking and performance of that society. In a very short review, The Motorcycle Diaries tells the trip of two friends the 29 years old Alberto Granado and the main and later revolutionary character the 23 years old Ernesto Che Guevara, both university students of medicine that travel from Argentina to Venezuela, go passing from Chile, Peru and Colombia. Here the criticism of the social injustices of exploited mine workers; persecuted communists, ostracized lepers, and the tattered descendants of a once-great Incan civilization are the main themes of the novel. Opposite to The Motorcycle Diaries, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tells the story of Jay Gatsby, the Buchanan Family and Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story. The novel shows how the American society of the 20s recreated in the New York city was unwrapped in an environment of luxury, individualism, shallowness and appearances, all reflected in each of the characters in the plot of the book and at the same time are part of what Fitzgerald always idolized and wanted to get for himself. However, it is very important to remember that both stories were written in order to show to the reader deep situations that Fitzgerald like Guevara were involved with, trying to face them and leave a moral maybe. According to Che Guevara this trip was not only another experience gained during youth but also made of him another completely person; in his spirit: The person who recognizes and polishes them, me, is no longer, at least Im not the person once was (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Our America with a capital A, has changed me more than I thought (Page 16). But what are the experiences that made of him a totally different person, as it was mentioned previously, the poverty of this continent, the one of he belonged and the political practices far away of the real needs of people changed his view of the life. According to Guevara the hospitality of Chile To meet in Chile means invite (to a house)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ page 101 because in contrast with Argentina, Chile did not suffer the mix-up between Creoles and the Saxons that lived in the south in that country: creoles and Indians lived together in distances of each others. The lack of opportunities that Chilean people had for having a better life style was reflected and also how the community, reflection of society in general, disapproved the other people conditions coexisting in that way a kind of a mutual bitterness between the people who is a little bit better than the other one who lived in bad conditions, and the ones who are under the standard level of quality of life between the other people over their living conditions whose reproach them: and become a purely negative factor in the struggle for life, and consequently, a bitterness for healthy members of the community who resent their illness as if it were a personal insult to those who have to support them. (Page 70) Continuing in Chile and according to different issues that took part in the stay in this country; specifically in Valparaiso, they could find lots of social problems that the established government during that time did not solve, like the overcrowding and the almost inexistence of economical help for the community exposed in the following mention: is time that politicians and put less effort wasting time in the goddesses of their propaganda and more money, ( ), for solving the work in social profits. (Page 72). Moving forward in the story, the corruption, deceive, and the naivety of police and common citizens were involved each other. Moreover, placed in the North of Chile, Chuquicamata, they met a couple in the desert night who were communist, and where the men told them about the time he was in jail due to his political tendency; while the woman, his wife, followed him leaving their child with someone else until they got some money. This situation was particularly hard and sad for both Alberto and Che Guevara; for the last one added: (The couple) was the living image of proletariat in any place around the world (page 77) and according to Guevaras words being communist was considered like a sin while. That spirit produced the long for something better in the future, at least that was what the couple expected to get at the end, but is it worth putting your life in risk, in a work place where you can get a pulmonary disease and even dye, an leaving somebodys children alone just because of dreams? At this moment; at the beginning of the end, Granado and Guevara leave Chile for going on with their objectives at the north of this continent; and something else, even this is the goodbye of this long and narrow country Guevara keeps talking about the social differences evidenced and experienced by them and most of all, how the more powerful people in the history of this country, and in most of the countries for sure, applied his vigour over the rest of the common people immortalized in: the act of Valdivia represents the never deny effort of the men for achieving a place where to exert his irrefutable authority (page 85). Finally, some reflections written tell now the social situation of Chile, like he said in the whole South America and even worse. First of all the lack of awareness of health in everywhere, streets, hospitals and also in Chile existed low opportunities for working and the people; thereby, Chile showed a lower quality of life than Argentina, and no mattering those previous features of this isolated country, the life can be easily carry in the way people work hard and, of course, they do not belong to the communist party. While they were in Peru they could experienced that most of Peruvians believed that Argentina was like the land in which peoples dreams were made come true, and not only Peron was great but also Evita (Perons wife), where everything was good just because the Indians were not punished by the white man. Guevaras life, consciously or unconsciously, went around the pursuit of social justice, corruption and democracy. Since they started their journey and specifically when they arrived in Chile they were focused in different issues that embodied those moral behaviour in people and in the particular idiosyncrasy due to, nevertheless they went all over Chile, they could identified the cultural characteristics between southern and the more north people. And being in Peru they could be aware about their same life philosophy and ideals. However, some believes of those friends were not jut part or applicable in hierarchical relationships but also in the more typical important ones; between the community itself. When we kept on the route, the old Indian took off from his clothes a very appetizing corn and he offered it to us. Quickly we realized that he democratically divided into the same share out of the corn. (Page 115). In the same way, the emphasis of people who had been fired because of their political thinking, it is also an issue that must be not only for reader be aware of that but also Ernesto Guevara as itself and most of all to understand what was happening on that time; oppression against who were apposite to the government believes. Those situations were reflected in the couple of Chuquicamata and Puno a Peruvian indigenous who was expelled of the government due to the already mentioned facts. Summary from this fragment can be assumable during that decade South America was overwhelmed by the power of its leaders. Moreover, Punos words reflected about that current situation between the conqueror who have the nation and the forced ones who were trying to do their best in order to obtain what belongs(ed) to them; however, Guevara had interpreted those words like offensive to the Inca people: to themselves, so at that moment more than a potential Marxist el Che seemed an anarchist; against everything and everyone that subjugated to other, the Incas in this opportunity. At this moment, Guevara showed himself like a critical thinking person and at the same time a dreamer with clear aims for his life and for the other too. The Great Gatsby , like The Motorcycle Diaries, presented in its plot a social issue during the 20s, placed in America the story moved through the high society. The lack of values like honesty, friendship, loyalty, love, among many others is present into those peoples hearts. The well known American dream evoked the worst part of people for both the upper class and the recent one. But this is not just a fiction and successful story; whereby, the story itself was yet the reproduction of that society involved in individualism and shallowness. Therefore, that reality was embodied by Fitzgerald in this book. Throughout the story a big number of themes can be deeper developed. Every character is different to the other but all of them share the same behaviour, laying each other, being aware of appearances, and making the other pay for their own mistakes. Finally, whereas Gay Gatsby, the main character of the novel, it is important to focus on his personality and his life was developing since he worked to the rich man and then when he met Daisy and the goals in his life made them strong. After that, during the reunion with Daisy he showed for once one hundred percent honest and that proved the power of his dreams, which they came true partly but consequently, made of him a totally different person, ostentatious, layer and criminal and finally triggered his dead. For concluding, both novels are recognized by the whole globe, like inb Time Magazine on June the 14th of 1928 (page 5) due to his relation with the historical and social context in which both were written. The Motorcycle Diaries novel revealed the poverty in Latin American and in the other hand The Great Gatsby reflect the high American society before the Black Thursday in which the American dream was the symbolic icon of this society. Thereupon, some reflection can be drawing assuming that no matter how much money somebody have do not define what people are and there is plenty of evidence for that when Guevara told about the poor economical development in Latin America, however, he and Alberto could did their trip because the peoples help in most of the places they arrived. Opposite to that reality, Americas financial situation seemed good as well as the comfortable life for Americans, but if Guevara and company had decided do their journey to America they would certainly had to gi ve up to that odyssey, because people were not as generous as the one in the South. Expression totally opposite can be contrasted quickly, in order to understand the huge and deep feelings and thinking that separates our main characters. Expressions like proletariat and bourgeois page 125 can be easily found in the Latin American novel and that represented the social communist tendency of the writer. But in accordance to the social context of Fitzgerald novel, we can find lots of quotations which named luxury, fashionable, exuberant, money, and so on. So it can be easily to reader identify the environment in which this two celebrated plays were written. But as it was mentioned before, is it worth leave important thing away from you just for getting a dream?, or not just things but also people like leave your children them suffering in a place instead leave your dreams that make them suffering in a place where their dreams did not care at all. The best examples for each ones are the life in Valparaiso and Chuquica-mata. Or putted it in another way, is it worth to fight for a dream that maybe never would become real, until putting your life in danger, like Gay Gatsby did it with not worthwhile people like Daisy; and most of all, the characterization in Great Expectations suggests that money causes people unconsciously to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Here you can reflect by yourself.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Invention of the Telephone and How It Has Changed Over the Years Es

The Invention of the Telephone and How It Has Changed Over the Years About 100 years ago, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone by accident with his assistant Mr. Watson. Over many years, the modern version of the telephone makes the one that Bell invented look like a piece of junk. Developments in tone dialing, call tracing, music on hold, and electronic ringers have greatly changed the telephone. This marvelous invention allows us to communicate with the entire globe 24 hours a day just by punching in a simple telephone number. It is the most used piece of electronic apparatus in the world. It is probably one of the most easy to use electronics available too. All you have to do is pick up the receiver, listen for the tone, and then select a number using either tone or pulsing dial. A telephone can be separated into two main categories: there is the tone (touch tone) or the older rotary dial (pulse) telephones. Then you can divide those into other categories such as business line (multi -- line) or home line (single line). You can also have many other types of phones: there are those that hang on the wall, on the desk, etc. THE HANDSET No matter what kind of telephone you own, there has to be some device that allows you to talk to and listen to. This device is called the handset. The handset is usually made out of plastic and inside it are two main components: the transmitter and the receiver. THE TRANSMITTER It is the job of the transmitter to turn the air pressure created by your sound waves to electrical signals so they can be sent to the other telephone. The waves hit a thin skin called the diaphragm that is physically connected to a reservoir of carbon granules. When the pressure hits the diaphragm, it shakes up the carbon granules. Then the carbon expands and contracts, depending on what force is exerted. At two points on the outer shell of the reservoir of the carbon are two outlets of electricity from the talk battery. By applying voltage, a current is made and is passed along the lines to the waiting telephone. At the other end the current is transformed back to speech. THE RECEIVER The receiver turns an ever varying current back to speech. A permanently magnetized soft iron core is covered in many turns of very fine wire. Through the wire, the electrical c... ...ed back to the number. TELEPHONE CORDS Older telephone lines were made of fork shaped piece of metal attached to wires with a tool called the crimper. When installed, these wires were screwed into the terminal box on the wall. This is really a pain in the rear end because if you are going to fix the phone, you have to unscrew the box, then all the screws. This process could last for hours at a time. To make this job a lot easier, coiled cords and modular lines were invented. To take out the handset or telephone, all you have to do is to unplug the modular connector from its match and that is it. Modular cords can be bought nearly in any electronics store. There are three kinds of cords. One is the full modular cord. There are small modular clips on both ends of the cord. The second is the one mentioned in the first paragraph, this is called the spade -- lug cord. The third one is called the 1/4 modular, this cord has one modular connector on one side and the old fashioned spade -- lug end on the other. These 1/4 cords are not very common. BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOK: THE TALKING TELEPHONE AUTHOR: STEVE SOKOLOWSKI PUBLISHER: TAB BOOKS NOV. 1991

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Wally :: essays research papers

Elmer, â€Å"Walt† was a friend I knew when I lived in California. Despite being a throwback from the 1960’s and a reject from society’s public eye, Walt still lived with a smile on his face and a story in his heart. Walt loved to tell stories and he loved the place where he told them. Walt also loved to drink and toward the end of an evening the bottle had met his lips way too many times. Old hippy ways faded to history for everyone else but Walt. Elmer didn’t like his real name. He liked being called by his middle name, Walter, because of the relentless teasing that went on in his childhood. Elmer shared the same name as the famous Warner Brothers cartoon character, Elmer Fudd. The small circle of friends which Wally and myself were a part of gave him several nicknames. Two stood out the most. Walt Walter Wally Wallester, all one nickname but kind of long and the other Sir Walter Wally. He liked to be called the latter of the two. I would call him Wallester, which he disliked vehemently, to get a reaction from him. When Walt entered a room, he’d get noticed. It wasn’t his stature. His normal five foot ten inch medium frame didn’t give him away. It was his demeanor and the clothes he wore that would make heads turn. His shoulder length kinked hair and long untrimmed beard surrounding leathery skin would be the focal point for his audience. Walt almost always wore a smile. His facial expression was one of comfort, not hatred. People did not fear him. He chose to wear clothes reminiscent of the late sixties. His brown fringed sued vest would wrap around layers of unmatched colored tee-shirts. His oversized Budweiser belt buckle would rest on his hips holding up striped bellbottom pants that partially coved white on black high top tennis shoes. He’d wear his belt buckle not in the center of his torso but way off to the side almost on his left hip. â€Å"Because I’m cool.† he’d reply when asked about his fashion choice. Sir Walter Wally lived about twenty miles south of Berkeley, California in the small town of Castro Valley. His tiny second story apartment was just outside the downtown area. The complex was old and out of code. The walls had been painted so many times before due to past tenants that it was hard to tell what was wall and what was trim, for the two had blended together creating a single texture.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Battle of Kursk

In the winter and spring of 1943, after their terrible defeat in Stalingrad, clearly outnumbered and losing the initiative in the eastern front, Hitler and the German High Command were asking themselves what to do next, in the summer of 1943. The situation was bad not only in the war front. While Russian tank production increased to unbelievable levels, the German obsession for complex new super weapons, like the advanced but then immature Panther and Tiger tanks, largely reduced German tank production. General Guderian, the best German armor expert and commander, said â€Å"As interesting as these designs were, the practical result was just a reduced production of the Panzer 4, our only efficient tank then, to a very modest level. â€Å". Shortly before the battle of Kursk Guderian added, about the Panther and its crews, â€Å"They are simply not ready yet for the front†. In early 1943 the Germans were about to destroy their own tank production rates by terminating Panzer 4 production in return for a production of just 25 new Tigers per month, but at a moment of reason Hitler gave control of tank production to Guderian who stopped this idea. The German plan The debate in the German High Command about what to do in the summer of 1943 was between two options, the realistic option and the enthusiast-optimist option: * The realistic option, supported by Guderian and Manstein, the best German field commanders, and by others, suggested to compensate for the large Russian numerical advantage by fully utilizing the superiority of the German commanders and soldiers in tactics, command, and fighting, by a strategy of dynamic mobile defense that would cause great losses to the Russians in a series of local clashes. The realistic goal was to stop and delay the Russians, as decisive victory was no longer achievable. * The enthusiast-optimistic option, proposed by General Zeitzler, chief of staff of the German army, suggested to concentrate almost all German tanks, and other forces, to a major decisive battle against a large portion of the Russian armor, in order to destroy them and by doing so hopefully regain the initiative. The most suitable place for such a battle, as Zeitzler proposed, was the Kursk salient, a wide region around the city of Kursk, about half way between Moscow and the black sea, where the Germans surrounded the Russians from three sides. It was obvious that the Russians will keep a large tank force there, and the plan was to encircle them in a classic Blitzkrieg style pincer movement of German tanks from North and South and destroy them. Zeitzler's plan was code named Operation Citadel. When Hitler discussed the two options with his Generals on May 4th, exactly two months before the German attack began, it became clear that each of the two options had a major problem. The major problem with Zeitzler's plan to attack the Kursk salient, was that aerial photos clearly revealed that the Russians were building dense and deep fortifications there in order to counter such an attack, and that many Russian tanks were moved deeper behind the front line. Instead of an open battlefield Blitzkrieg, it was going to be a direct charge on dense anti-tank defenses. General von Mellenthin warned that such a direct attack will be a â€Å"Totenritt†, a ride to death, for the German tanks. In response to Guderian's worries, Hitler himself admitted that whenever he think of this planned attack, his guts turn. The major problem with Guderian's option was that it lacked the charm, enthusiasm, and optimistic hope for a major change in the war that Zeitzler's plan had. So the enthusiast Hitler decided in favor of Zeitzler's plan, and calmed his worries of it by ordering to delay the attack for a while in order to incorporate more of the brand new advanced German tanks and tank destroyers in it. The date was set to July 4, 1943. Once the order was given, the Germans prepared as best as they could. The entire region was photographed from above, the German commanders visited the front line to observe their intended routes, and the Germans concentrated all available forces in two armies, North and South of the Kursk salient, leaving minimal forces along the rest of the long Russian front. The German force included a total of 50 divisions, including 17 armor and mechanized divisions. These included the most powerful and best equipped German divisions, such as the Gross Deutschland (Great Germany) division and the Waffen-SS tank divisions Leibstandarte (Hitler's bodyguards), Totenkopf (Death skull), and Das Reich (The Reich). The Germans concentrated all their new armor, the Tiger and Panther tanks, and the mighty new Elefant tank destroyers, which had a front armor thicker than a battleship's armor. They also concentrated all available air units and artillery, and despite the problems of the German plan it was a formidable concentrated mobile armor force with great offensive potential. The Russian preparations Thanks to their â€Å"Lucy† spy network, which operated high ranking sources in Germany via Switzerland, the Russians didn't just expect the German attack, they knew all about it. They received the full details of the German plan, and the Russian military intelligence was able to verify most details in the front to ensure that the information was real, not disinformation. The Russians prepared eight defense lines one behind the other, and also positioned their entire strategic mobile reserve East of the Kursk salient, in case the Germans will penetrate thru all these defense lines, which indeed happened. The Russian plan was simple. First, they will let the Germans attack as planned right into their series of very dense defense lines, and after the German armor will be crushed there, the Russian army will start its strategic attack North and South of the Kursk salient and push the Germans West along a wide part of the front. The Russian defense was unprecedented in its density. A total of 1,300,000 Russian soldiers with 3600 tanks, 20,000 guns, including 6000 76mm anti-tank guns, and 2400 aircraft were concentrated in and around the Kursk salient. It was about a fifth of the Russian military personnel, over a third of the tanks and over 1/4 of the aircraft. They laid 3400 mines per each kilometer of the front, half of them anti-tank mines, and over 300,000 civilians dug thousands of kilometers of anti-tank trenches and other fortifications. The Russian lines were filled with numerous anti-tank guns organized in groups of up to 10, each group commanded by one officer and firing at the same target. The Russian camouflage was superb, the Germans said that until they were hit by them, they could identify neither the Russian mine fields nor their anti-tank gun positions. To avoid forcing the Germans to divert from their known plan, Russian air attacks were delayed until the German tanks already moved into the trap. The Russians were as ready as they could be. The battle of Kursk The German attack finally began, in the afternoon of July 4, 1943, as planned. The German armor spearheads, led by the most armored and most powerful Tigers and Elefants, advanced forward in the wheat fields toward the Russian lines. Then came wave after wave of anti-tank aircraft attacks by both sides, German Stukas attacked dug in Russian tanks and Russian Sturmoviks attacked the German tanks. The fighters of both sides engages in air combats over the battlefield, and each side's massive heavy artillery also fired. The advancing German tanks suffered rapidly increasing losses from the dense Russian anti-tank defenses, but pressed forward. Once the German heavy tanks reached into the Russian defense lines, they could finally be hit and destroyed from their sides, where they were not so armored as from the front. At this short range they also lost their superiority in long range firing from their powerful guns. In the North, the German attack advanced only 10km into the Russian lines in two days and was stopped, after losing about 25,000 soldiers and 200 tanks, but fighting continued. In the South, where they had stronger forces, the Germans sent all their reserves forward and pressed on despite the losses. On July 12, after a week of heavy fighting with heavy casualties in both sides, General Hoth, the German commander in the South side of the Kursk salient, decided to concentrate all his remaining tanks, about 600, and press forward with all their concentrated force deeper, past the last remaining Russian defense line, and into an area more suitable for tank warfare near the small village Prokhorovka. He didn't know that at this point in the battle, the Russian High Command already predicted this development, and since the German advance in the North was stopped, they could now safely send their armor reserve to meet the advancing German tanks in the South. The Russians ordered their entire 5th Guards tank army, which so far didn't participate in the battle, to hurry at maximum speed from its position East of Kursk to meet the German tanks advancing near Prokhorovka. Due to very bad visibility, with thick smoke and dust, when the Russian tanks met the German tanks the next morning, they didn't stop advancing until they were all around and between them, so about 1500 German and Russian tanks fought in a fierce battle of very short firing distances in which the Germans could not exploit their technological superiority in longer range fighting. The Germans lost more than half of their remaining tanks in this great clash which lasted eight hours, and the Russians lost greater numbers. The battle was decided. The next day Hitler ordered to stop Operation Citadel, and the Russians started their counter attack North of Kursk. After the battle The battlefield in Kursk was filled with many hundreds of burnt tanks and crashed aircraft, and so many dead soldiers. The difference was that while the Russians suffered heavy losses but could continue as planned and shift from defense to a large counter attack in a wide front, the German army in the East just lost the core of its remaining force. In the summer of 1941 the German army attacked Russia and was stopped only near Moscow. In the summer of 1942 the German army attacked in South Russia and reached the Volga river at Stalingrad before it was stopped, and lost the strategic initiative to the recovering Russian army. In the summer of 1943, in the battle of Kursk, the much weaker German army broke its fist and lost its best remaining units in its attempt to regain the initiative in one last major attack, for which the Russians were fully prepared. After the battle of Kursk, the war in the eastern front was a long Russian advance, in which the Russian army returned to all the territory it lost to the Germans, conquered all of Eastern Europe, and reached all the way to Germany and to Berlin and won the war. The Germans could no longer attack or stop the Russian advance, and were just pushed back in a long retreat.