Influence of Age on Alcohol Addiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Influence of Age on Alcohol Addiction - Essay Example Everything that happens to their individual life as they grew up is influenced by their age. Richard grew with little understanding of the world around him. â€Å"I grew silent and reserved as the nature of the world in which I lived became plain and undeniable; the bleakness of the future affected my will to study.   Granny had already thrown out hints that it was time for me to be on my own† (Wright 181). However, as he aged, consciousness started to grow deep within him, allowing him to create remarkable realization of the reality of life and the one that he is trying to follow. â€Å"I was in my fifteenth year; in terms of schooling I was far behind the average youth of the nation, but I did not know that.   In me was shaping a yearning for a kind of consciousness, a mode of being that the way of life about me had said could not be, must not be, and upon which the penalty of death had been placed.   Somewhere in the dead of the southern night my life had switched on to the wrong track and, without my knowing it, the locomotive of my heart was rushing down a dangerously steep slope, heading for a collision, heedless of the warning red lights that blinked all about me, the sirens and the bells and the screams that filled the air† (Wright 187). The above points only show that Richard’s understanding of the world around him comes with age. His realization of the things around him is a depiction of his actual response to his world which is clearly associated with his age as we could clearly see the level of his maturity in here. Thus, we have created the point that our specific response to what is happening around may have potential impact on our actual thoughts or actions, but this clearly comes with age just as the kind of thought like this of Richard when he was already at the right age. â€Å"I dreamed of going north and writing books, novels.   The North symbolized to me all that I had not felt and seen; it had no relation whate ver to what actually existed.   Yet, by imagining a place where everything was possible, I kept hope alive in me† (186). Similarly, Caroline Knapp would have never realized what an alcoholic is when she had never become one as she aged. According to her, â€Å"Craziness, dark secrets, alcoholic furies, that's how you become an alcoholic, right? It's encoded in your DNA, embedded in your history, the product of some wild familial aberration. There was always an undercurrent of moral failing in the stories I heard about alcoholics: they were unstable, unwell, irresponsible, and if they were parents, they tore through the lives of their children like tornadoes, drinking and divorcing, screaming and raging" (Knapp 28-29). The reason why Caroline actually defines this is because she had so much experience from her growing years with alcohol and she could actually associate the actual feeling involved in such a habit. Those things that influence her to gulp an alcoholic beverage, which could be more than what is substantially required, are integral components of her past growing years. In fact, there is an indication that she pre-learned everything from her father, but later was full blown when she already stood at the right age. "My father had a probing manner, an analytic intensity tempered by a vague detachment, and whenever I sensed him turns his attention to me, the feeling on my part was

Frank Lloyd Wright Essay Example for Free

Frank Lloyd Wright Essay Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect, interior designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 projects and over 500 of them were completed. He promoted organic architecture in his time which is quite popular now. (Baruffii, 2008) He also designed officer, churches, schools, sky scrapers, and museums. He authored more than twenty books and many articles. He was a popular lecturer in both Europe and the United States (Toronto Star, 1987). This paper will discuss Frank Lloyd Wright’s history and compare it to the reasons why he is still popular today and will remain popular in the future. Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center Wisconsin into a farming family who struggled to make a living. His parents separated when he was 14. Frank then became responsible for his mother and sister as he never saw his father again. There is no record of him graduating from high school but he was accepted as a special student at University of Wisconsin in 1886. He married in 1889 and built his own home at that time. Frank Wright then went to work for another architect but lost his job when that architect found that he was designing for some on his own. He then established a business of his own out of his home. He renovated and added on to the house several times. He moved his office downtown and then moved it several other times (Huxtadey, 2009). Frank Lloyd Wright left his wife with six children to spend time in Europe while writing his first book, with the wife of a friend. He then came home and built Taliesin on 200 acres inherited by his mother. His then wife and her two children were murdered in this home. The home became his winter home and is now the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. This home is located in Scottsdale Arizona and could not be more â€Å"green† than if it had been built as part of that movement today. Wright then met and moved into to Taliesin again with a divorcee though he was still married to his first wife. He, at the same time began to the design of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. He lived in Tokyo during the construction of the building. Keeping his innovative style, he designed the Imperial Hotel using both Japanese and Western architecture. He wanted to show that Japan was becoming a modern nation and that they had ties to the West. The Imperial Hotel was demolished in 1968 but some of the entrance was retained in a museum. It is studied to this day for design tones for today and tomorrows buildings. During the depression, like everyone else work was difficult to find. Wright began lecturing and writing at this time and had finally received a divorce from his first wife and married a second. He finished several books by now and was contributing to architecture magazine. Shortly thereafter, he opened his school at Talesman. The tuition was $1,100 and he shortly had a waiting list. In 1934 Wright designed and built Fallingwater which has become one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world. The house was built for Edgar Kaufmann in Bear Run Pennsylvania. It was built on a waterfall. During this time Wright was also beginning to design his modest housing. The first was his Usonian house in Madison Wisconsin. He believed that everyone should have an architect and not a cookie cutter house. (wright. htm) Wrights Fallingwater house is one of those designs that speak to our thesis. It is a design of his day, a design of today and is believed to be a design for tomorrow. There are things about mans human nature that we tend to forget. We are a part of nature. When Wright designed this home he liked the powerful sound of the waterfall and the strength and beauty of the forest around it. There were dramatic rock ledges and beautiful colors in the granite all around. He wanted the design to flow as part of nature and it did and does and will. It takes ones imagination to a place many of want to go but find difficulty in getting to. Many thousands of people view this home every year and are in awe of its beauty and design (Steffenson, 2009). Wright then returned to Arizona where he got involved in many projects in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. He designed the Opera House at the University of Arizona which was originally designed to be built in the Mid-East but was built here instead. He had a short period in his history when he suddenly likes what can only be called retro-sci-fi modernism. At that time, he designed what was to be the Southwest Christian Seminary. Many say the design was straight out of Flash Gordon. The design was never built. Benjamin Adelmans House was designed and built in Scottsdale in 1951. The Norman Lykes house was the final house in the area as it was designed just before Wright died in 1959. It was a 2,800 sq. ft. home that was circular in design and was actually built in 1967. He had much influence in architecture in the area as he was this areas most famous snow bird. He came here every winter and consistently had another idea for the desert. That was one of the beautiful things about Wright is that he could see beauty everywhere and was able to use the landscape as part of the design. Is that not what we are looking for today and probably tomorrow? Last but not least there is the Guggenheim Museum. It turns 50 this year (Lubow, 2009). Wright had yearning to elevate human society through its architecture. He felt that how we lived was how we learned. The beauty of where we lived should be mainted and nature should be a part of all design. The Guggenheim Museum is a part of the dream and the vision that Wright had throughout his life. This would be the last building he designed. It opened in New York City October 21, 1959 (Lubow, 2009). Frank Lloyd Wright died 6 months before it opened. He had many problems in making it happen. There were budget issues, building code issues, and even issues with the artists that would eventually display in the building. He spent essentially 16 years of his life designing and overseeing this building. There are some of those issues that the artists were concerned about. It is difficult to hang paintings in the museum because of the slanting of walls among other things. However, it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and it is said that it is prophetic in its way of meeting the needs of today and the world of art (Lubow, 2009). Wright seemed to see today’s world and how we would envision art when he designed the building. This writer would wonder if the next 100 years they will feel the same. One of the many things that Wright believed shows in his design of the spaces at the Guggenheim. He felt that though we all crave being alone sometimes, we are only truly well developed humans when we are all socially developed. The Guggenheim is built to accommodate that. It is huge and seems bigger than life but as one ambles through, it feels as if one is alone with the art and at the same time a part of those around them. Only the design can make one feel this way. Again, is this not a design for the future? There are so many beautiful spaces built by Frank Lloyd Wright. We can only begin to know what he was truly thinking. In his biography he talks about his beliefs about human nature and the spaces they live in. His Prairie houses were built for the average homeowner and yet they are like no house that any of us can own though many of us would like to. The Prairie houses were low horizontal designs with open interior spaces. You see their influence in homes all over the United States. In conclusion, it is obvious that the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright has not gone away. His original designs are some of the most beautiful designs in the world and he is appreciated as the most famous architect of his time. He continues to be popular today as we try to move toward designs that are more natural and more part of the nature around us. In all of the designs that have been developed to take in the affects of the landscape around them we find Wright elements. These are the things that support the fact that Frank Lloyd Wright was a visionary of his time, our time and the future. Resources Baruffi, K. , (2008). 10 great places to behold Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision. USA Today. Available at http://www. ebscohost. com http://architect. architecture. sk/frank-lloyd-wright-architect/frank-lloyd-wright-architect. php Huxtadey, A. , (2009). The hand and eye of genius. Wall Street Journal. 25(24) pg. 7. Lubow, A. , (2009). The triumph of Frank Lloyd Wright. Smithsonian; 40 (3) pg 52-61. Prairie Styles, Frank Lloyd Wright (1997). http://www. prairiestyles. com/wright. htm Steffensen, I. , (2009). Frank Lloyd Wright and the gift of genius. The Journal of American Culture, 32:3. pg. 257-268. Toronto Star. (1987). Frank Lloyd Wright: his influence lives on in home furnishings; AP news features. Pg 6.

Competing Against Low Cost Steel Imports

Competing Against Low Cost Steel Imports Nucor is the second largest steel producer in North America on total production capacity in the end of 2006, with 18 plants. With the year 2006 Nucor was the most profitable steel producer by having the capacity to produce 25 million tons of steel with revenues of $14.8 billion and net profits of $ 1.8 billion. In the late 1960s Nucor established the steel mini-mill industry and since that time, mini-mills have become broadly exist in the large incorporated steel companies out of most niche markets. Nucor in the late 1980s made a brave entry into the flat-rolled steel market, afield of big steel. Nucor follow low-cost leadership strategy, product development by using innovation and technologies, quality systems, strong relationship between employees and productivity, corporate culture and using focus diffrenation, in order to reduce and achieve low costs per ton produced. The market share of Nucor increased by 17% in both years 2005 and 2006. According to the four generic competitive strategies Nucor follow low-coast provider strategy as their strategic direction. They are determined to attain lower overall costs then rivals and tempting to a wide range of consumers. Nucor followed growth strategies which are new acquisitions, new plants construction, continued plant upgrades and cost reduction efforts, and joint ventures. Nucor internally has established a raw materials strategy to control directly and indirectly through global growth with joint ventures, the production of 6 to 7million tons of iron of high quality metals for consumption of its steel mills. Such acquisition is imperative to meet buyer demand for manufactured steel goods. Nucor has a wide array of products and each product must go through a different operations cycle. This is an implication to the efficiency of each unit. Nucor externally has the ability to deliver shipments anywhere in USA. This is a profitable competitive advantage that ensures quick and on-time delivery of products. Nucor ad opts successful marketing and sales strategies. In line with its goals of becoming a global player, it continues to build long-term relationships with contract customers who purchase value added products, 92% of the production of Nucors steel mills was sold to outside customers in 2005-2006. It shows how Nucor is maintaining long- term contracts, and maintaining profitable value-added products. Nucor is known for developing and commercializing new efficient product technologies for the steel manufacturing business. The same enables it to reduce its operating costs and compete effectively in the market. Considering Nucor infrastructure, centralization at the company in the early 2000s has supported the current success and supported the various units. Solid training and employee relation building contributes to the continuous growth. As for services and quality, Nucor focuses on fast delivery and increased customer integrated technologies. Quality control is considered important to ma intain the durability and exact specifications of the manufactured product. Considering political factors, variations amongst countries laws provides favorable and unfavorable circumstances for a large company to do business in that country. Nucor deals with tax policy in USA paying federal, state, and local taxes, affecting its bottom line. Nucor has to understand the taxes of other countries planned for contracts implementation. As for economic factors, exchange rate fluctuations and interest rate changes are considered by Nucor as bases for decisions on expansion, and competition. Markets are attractive for steel companys entrance when the currency is week, and interest rates low. No greater advancement has had more impact on the steel industry than the recent technological improvements. While many industries are outsourcing much of their manufacturing, Nucor has been able to undertake the opposite approach and expand in the domestic market. Technology increases efficiency of fac tories, decreases inventory, and enhances product quality. The efficient mini-mill is an example of this. Strategic Issue Given the internal and external factors, that steel situations in the world had been improved by 2005-2006. The prices were higher in the U.S by 50% in 2000 as well as Nucors Sales. However foreign steel companies, dumping in home domestic market and U.S market below market prices that leads to over capacity and more supply than demand. Inside US and Outside US market. The Demand increased by 6% should Nucor continue focusing on the U.S steel market or begin to expand into another foreign markets? Or should they have to deal with budding volume of low priced foreign imports in the US market and how to compete with foreign steel producers? Do they need to expand the capacity of the company steel-making and start building new plants, new acquisitions, and new joint ventures? External Environment External factors include those influences cut side the industry in the macroeconomic that should be considered in shaping the companys strategies in long-term direction are legislative factors, economic, socioeconomic, and technological factors. Political and Legislative Businesses are heavily regulated, from state to federal to international. These regulations challenge the ease of achieving profit margins. A business must deal with the local laws and regulations of another business when attempting to compete in a foreign territory. For Nucor Corporation, the growing international competition requires addressing and dealing with various types of laws, mainly taxation. Nucor deals heavily with the tax policy and regulations in the United States paying federal, state, and local taxes. Each imposes heavy effects on their bottom line. Taxes however do not always negatively impact a business. Many international steel companies were selling their products at below market cost to undercut domestic competition. Taxes imposed protect the domestic industry. The same is important when competition is high. Nucor is a large company that is subject to international trade agreements. It is financially essential for a company to understand the costs associated to all regulations and tariffs on import and export processes, especially that competition ad globalization are required to maintain profits in the future. Economic factors As Nucors strategy has always been to become a market leader, much of its growth comes from international markets, especially developing ones. Thus, it is always exposed to exchange rate fluctuations. Markets become attractive when their currency is weak. This was the situation of the steel industry during the economic downturn in 2001. When markets become attractive due to weak currency, the demand for steel would increase and consequently the supply to meet the increasing demand. To finance the large expenditures, loans are very common. As interest rates decrease, corporate loans increase to create an expansionary economy. The same will create positive effects on corporate spending of major steel buyers, and consequently suppliers. Hence, steel demand and supply would increase. Socioeconomic factor Steel industry operates on a business to business model. The same allows for greater efficiency and protects from the risk impact of negative social factors. These factors include consumer behavior, fashions, geographic location, consumer thoughts, ectA company like Nucor must understand the sub-cultures of each market segment where it exists, and concentrate on the most profitable. Nucor considers expansion through acquisition. This carries along the risk of mixing two distinct cultures. Nucor must be able to preserve and embrace new knowledge employees, skilled labor, and other valuable assets. Moreover, the existing individual cultures can be a source of risk, so assuring adequate safety environment should be a priority. Nucor differentiates itself by high wages, incentive based pay, and a flat organization. Each of these has a positive impact on the existing Nucor organizational structure. The existing challenge and risk would be to create equilibrium between preserving a positive culture, and an increased profit strategy of which lower wages is somehow a must. Nucor Corporation recognizes its role in protecting the environment. It gives attention to the environment of the communities in which it operates and recognizes its importance to the employees. Protecting the environment is critical to its operations and long-term success. To illustrate, Environmental compliance is a priority for Nucor management equal with all other business functions. Technological factors While many competitors within the steel industry are outsourcing many of their manufacturing due to increased technology, Nucor is able to take the opposite approach and expand in domestic market. Technology increases efficiency, decreases inventory, and improves the product quality. Nucor, for example was able through the new technology used to efficiently use the small factory production mini mill to increase its capacity utilization. The mini-mill simplifies the process when compared to the more tradition integrated mill. It cuts many corners in the production cycle and also uses larger percentage of scrap metal. This in return reduced the amount of pollution from making steel significantly by eliminating the several elements of the old blast furnace process. Technology also provides greater enhancement for engineering and sales. The products have detailed computerized models with test statistics, and efficiency attributes. The sales department is able to directly deal with customers through the internet. Transactions are seamless and process quickly. Technology has enhanced the steel industry processes but it has its draw backs that need to be considered. For example, computer failure, database errors, and any simple user error can affect the business. Having specialists and IT managers will have its positive impact on controlling these risks. Industry Analysis There have been two major factors influencing the steel industry- consolidation of global companies, and revolutionary technological changes among competitors affecting prices, production, and consumer satisfaction. National boundaries have melted to encompass an ever increasing world market. Since, the beginning of the 21st century, the industry has been hovering around 75% capacity utilization, a level too low for many companies, thus, forcing them to globally consolidate. Examples of these consolidations are the three European companies who merged to form the worlds largest steel producer and the two Japanese companies who did the same to form the second-largest steel producer. Driving Forces The defining characteristics of the industry are increasing globalization of the industry, and technological changes. As for globalization, it is a driving force as it will have an effect on the overall industry growth. When considered, globalization will pave the way for consolidation between companies allowing them to be strong players in the industry where their success or failure will have an impact on the overall industry growth. Technological changes can have great impact on the industry. When more improved technologies are used, production and prices will be affecting the industry growth. The global steel market grew by 8.2% in 2007 to reach a value of $529.7 billion. In 2012, the global steel market is forecast to have a value of $759.1 billion, an increase of 43.3% from 2007. Key Success Factors The Key success factors (or KSFs) are competitive factors most affecting every industry members ability to prosper. KSFs include; Necessary resources, competencies, and capabilities (organizational style) Competitive capabilities Expertise in a particular technology Scale economies or experience curve benefits Strong network of wholesale distributors, and suppliers Nucor was established in 1966 and continues to grow strongly according to a number of key success factors and strategic organizational strengths. The companys organizational style is remarkable and features a number of factors that contribute to Nucors success. First, the company employs a decentralized business style. In 1966, Iverson assumed the role of president to be decentralized manner has been used and been very successful. A decentralized business style distributes the administrative responsibilities or powers among several authorities rather than a large number (Decentralization). This style has permitted Nucor to empower their managers and employees. By Improving the level of empowerment allows each division manger control over day-to-day decisions and transactions that will increase profitability. Nucors decentralized business style also helps the Co. to be lean. Lean manufacturing incorporates the production of goods using less waste, less human effort, manufacturing, too ls, inventory, and less time. Equivalent to their lean business style, Nucor is continually seeking for improvement. Stable aim to decrease production cost is always a priority and ultimately helps to lower costs of steel to buyers. Moreover, a focus on dealing with employees helps in reducing employee turnover and increase productivity. Safety is an important consideration for Nucor and is consistently monitored and improved. Employee surveys are conducted every 3 years which helps to give an insight on employee attitudes and concerns. Management then compares the surveys across plants and divisions to control potential problems areas and increase employee satisfaction. Finally, Nucor focuses on creating strong relationships with outside parties. This enables it to establish long-term sustainability with these parties. Furthermore, structure and supply cost will often be decreased which allows for lower costs for buyers. Strong relationships established ensure long-term sustainability and lowered prices for Nucor. The booming business structure of Nucor along with the management styles implanted has allowed the Co. to become a leader in the industry. The Company has established a reputable brand and has created brand awareness both domestically and internationally. It currently has a significant market share of the U.S. market and is budding as a global leader in tough industry. Moreover, their increase in size has helped them increase production capacity. Last but not least, Nucor has a strong technological focus and is works at all times to boost manufacturing and production pace. Innovation also is always considered and helps the company remain a leader. Being the largest steel manufacturer, Nucor remains a profitable company in one of the most cyclical industries in the economy. Nucor enjoys this success for several reasons, employee relations, quality, productivity, and aggressive focus on innovation and technical excellence. Nucors strategy low cost providing, they know they are selling a commodity for which the competitive edge in the industry is lowering prices through innovation and productivity. Firms in other Industries Offering Substitute ProductsPorters five forces analysis Suppliers of Raw Materials, Parts, Components, or Other Resource Inputs Rivalry among competing Sellers Competitive pressures created by the jockeying of rival sellers for better market position and competitive advantage Buyers Potential New Entrants They five competitive forces affecting industries attractiveness are: Competitive rivalry: (High Threat) The global competition in the steel industry faces Nucor and the vast array of competitors that fill the industry. Intense competition among competitors in the domestic market of Nucor causes a cyclical effect within the industry. Each competitor strives to win bids of contracts, causing a stiff price war in the market. As price is the main factor for differentiation among competitors and it is the bases of the industry, the company with the lowest fixed costs will survive the longer, and be the most profitable. Nucors use of both base pay and incentive pay ensure output is relative to pay and, therefore, decreases its fixed costs. The business model differentiation is also primary means of competition. Nucor has a decentralized structure with control being at the factory level. This advantage allows for focused decision making, and efficient use of profits. Extremely high exit barriers are a major risk to competitive competition. During times of economic downturn or overproduction, inefficiencies are weeded out. The United States boasts one of the strongest protections for businesses with its bankruptcy laws to ensure they can make it through these tough times. Counter this though, the U.S. also has some of the toughest laws against closing inefficient plants. Extremely high exit barriers are a major risk to competitive competition. Competition from Substitutes: (Low to moderate Threat) This threat is considered low as there are few substitutes for the use of steel. From auto manufacturing, to structural supports, to fasteners, there are relatively few products available with the strength, durability, and cost efficiencies of steel. The largest alternative to steel would be use of another material. Plastics are on the top of the list, but have not found the same durability as steel. Wood may have aesthetic appeal but cannot combat with steels robustness. Alternatives increase market presence at times of economic downturn and times of increase in steel material cost. To hedge this threat many manufacturers maintain inventories of steel reserves. Large companies also trade steel futures to ensure stability of price and guaranteed supply for a future specified time. The goal is to maintain low costs and market share during times of economic fluctuation. Bargaining Power of Buyers: (High Threat) The buyers impose the greatest; they are the bases for price competition by influencing the demand. The ultimate goal of the buyer is to get the best quality product at the lowest price. The ultimate goal of the seller (Nucor) is to get most attainable profit for the least cost. Because the market is filled with numerous suppliers and taking into account the two different goals of suppliers and buyers, the steel industry is commonly a buyers market. Bargaining power of Suppliers: (High to moderate Threat) The supply of raw materials, steel shreds, iron ore, or recycled steel can have a great effect on the cost strategy. Most of the steel used for manufacturing in US is imported. Due to the difficulty in suppliers ability to constantly meet the demands of the companies such as Nucor, joint ventures between suppliers and manufacturers are established. The same ensures low costs for manufacturers. Acquisition of the supplier might also be undertaken by the manufacturer. Also, the power of unions labor and unionized labor, could affect the labor costs for steel produces in placing weak competitive force and on cost disadvantage vis-à  -vis firms with nonunion labor. The Threat of Entry: (Moderately Strong Threat) The main determinate for an entry into an industry is the costs associated. Barriers to entry have increased due to merging and globalization growing of many competitors. Economies of scale and capital requirements are the greatest barriers I the steel industry. Larger quantity orders of raw materials are usually discounted. Higher production volumes directly discount the associated costs. During times of strong growth, such as the 1960s-1980, economies of scale are very good. During stagnation or recession, these approaches often cause diseconomies due to under utilization of capacity. Product differentiation is also a major barrier to entry. Steel is not sold on its overall difference, but more commonly on price. Many manufacturers utilize the same technologies and process. Price wars are seen in minimization of fixed costs as stated earlier. Directly with this, there are few switching costs from one manufacturer to another. Little brand loyalty is recognized in an industry that does not appeal to consumer loyalty or brand image. Entrants must find a way to compete based on lower costs. Access to raw materials is additionally a barrier. Many times raw materials must be bought in large quantities (economies of scale). The cost disadvantages associated with small material purchases can be huge and directly increase overall manufacturing costs; this make competition challenging in a market where margins are already slim. Government policy is not a major threat to entry on the domestic level, but at the international level the barriers are enormous. Well established relationships by large steel manufactures with governments allow for easy creation of contracts in a foreign territory. The creation of these contacts takes time, executive work hours, and vast amounts of money. As most steel manufacturers must be globally competitive to maintain profits, government policy is threatening entry barrier. At first glance it may seem the mature steel industry would not be very attractive. This may be true to a new entry on a small scale, but with the advance of globalization the steel industry is again becoming very attractive. Industry Profile and Attractiveness The Industry position and competitive structure future for a low-cost steel producer such as Nucor is attractive due to the good shape of their financial situation to gain sales and market share however the industry market environment maybe un attractive to some rivals but for some other rivals it may indicate some opportunities. The demand for steel globally has been rising strongly in recent years, and this is likely to continue. The industry has become attractive for new entrants from the international market since these companies are not burdened by union contracts and since governments may provide special incentives in order to help them establish a customer base in steel, which can help in forming an important part of a nations economic infrastructure. Although the U.S is already dumped with outsider steel products, it is still considered to be a reliable and potential market for other global companies. As summary of the Nucor case gives many insights into the company and the industry. In general, the steel industry is a very strong industry to compete in successfully. The question here is the steel industry an attractive one? The answer would yes, if the entering company is already in the industry and well set up and highly regarded. Moreover, its very important that the company is in a position to acquire other companies and/or form joint ventures. Nucor currently has done an amazing job moving itself up from near bankruptcy to an industry leader. Major numbers of challenges have been met and overcome throughout the companys life. However, this does not mean that there will not be more major challenges for Nucor. Nucor is nowadays is facing growing competition from both domestic and international rivalries. Its critical that Nucor continues to grow and increase global market share. Current management must continue to specialize in Nucors core product and capitalize on a proven suc cessful organizational structure. Can Nucor continue to succeed as a global steel company into the future? This is the main concern. Nucor is capable of continuing its entrepreneurial spirit as it grows larger because its marketing and management techniques. Since Nucor has been an innovative and risk-taking company, their profits will continue to expand. Nucor has embodied techniques that have been profitable to the company. An example of these techniques is the fact that Nucor managers would set standards for quality and output for groups of 25 to 30 employees and reward them with weekly bonuses. By emphasizing quality and efficiency in employees and then rewarding them for it, Nucor only increases its own profits. Company Situation Nucor Situation Introduction Nucor deals with key specific issues in the steel industry including the fast growth of steel producers in the world reflecting as an increased capacity in steel production creating prices war, and the competition in an industry where technology usage has been a way for saving costs. Despite their specialization into steel, Nucor Corp. has become a benchmark for both the U.S. steel industry and U.S. industry in general. Nucor is one of the fastest growing and most efficient steel producers in the world. Despite the declining demand for steel, Nucors growth has been phenomenal, from pouring its first batch of steel in the 1960s to support in-house operations; the company has become one of the top five producers of steel in the U.S. Nucor has repeatedly achieved technological feats other steel producers thought impossible. Their hourly pay is among the lowest in the industry, yet they have the highest productivity per worker of any steel producer in the U.S. But can it continue to do so? Financial Analysis According to Nucor Corporation Financial Ratios data for 2005 2006 provided in Table 2 Profitability  [1]  : Profitability ratios are used to assess a businesss ability to generate earnings as compared to its expenses and other relevant costs incurred during a specific period of time. For most of these ratios, having a higher value relative to a competitors ratio or the same ratio from a previous period is indicative that the company is doing well. Gross profit margin FYE  [2]  12/06 increased by 14% reflecting an increase in sales for 2006. Liquidity ratios remained almost the same reflecting the continuous ability of the company to meet its obligations and invest further in the new technologies adoption strategy. Activity  [3]  : Are ratios that measure a firms ability to convert different accounts within their balance sheets into cash or sales Inventory turnover and total asset turnover were positive and closely in-line with past results. Nucor maintains the ability to draw class investors with its relatively strong financial performance, though down a bit from previous years. The increase in activity ratios is affected by the increase in sales FYE 12/06. Leverage  [4]  : Ratios used to calculate the financial leverage of a company to get an idea of the companys methods of financing or to measure its ability to meet financial obligations. There are several different ratios, but the main factors looked at include debt, equity, assets and interest expenses. Leverage ratios decreased by 1% FYE12/06 as compared to year 2005. The same reflects the ability of the company to meet its obligations and the reduction in reliance on leverage to meet its strategic plans. As globalization and acquisition is the focus, the leverage ratios are important. Debt has remained relatively low as compared to assets and equity, 23% and 44%respectively. Liquidity  [5]  : Are ratios used to determine a companys ability to pay off its short-terms debts obligations. Generally, the higher the value of the ratio, the larger the margin of safety that the company possesses to cover short-term debts. The current strategies may require short-term loans to finance acquisition. With these ratio levels, Nucor is in the position to shop for good interest rates. Total cash reserves for 2007 were roughly $1.4Billion, which will directly aid a globalization and expansionistic approach. As conclusion, at the end of year 2006 Nucor was in very good shape financially and the financial performance is strong for the 2004-2006. The date in table 1 shows how Nucor increased tons sold during the year 2000- 20006 with increasing in sales and market share of their products. SOWT Analysis In this part which is simply but powerful tool for sizing up a companys resource strengths and competitive efficiencies, its market opportunities, and the external threats to Nucor future well-being of Nucor Table 2. Nucors strengths Technology Innovation: Is one of Nucors key strengths due to the amount of resources they can save because of it. Nucor also has established plants with low pollution levels. The ability for Nucor to use this to its advantage allows them to be more competitive with the market by substantially lowering their production cost. It also allows them to be environmentally friendly, which is a huge worldwide social concern these days. Continuous Innovations allows Nucor to hold its technological edge on the competition. Nucor is always moving and always improving its business cycle through the use of continuing innovation. Nucor is an industry leader when it comes to innovation. Strong market position: Nucor Corporation has many different competencies that allow it to hold a strong position in the steel industry. These include its adopted new technologies, successful management structure, strong established market relations, and the long successful existence in the market. The company has marvelous industry position and positive financial results for the past over 40 years. Corporate Philosophy: One of Nucors strategic strengths is its philosophy of empowering its workers and reducing the inefficient layers that plagues corporate. Company structure is decentralized with minimal management layers. Cost control: Nucor focuses on cost control. To be competitive in a market with little product differentiation, price is the main competitive factor. One of Nucors core competencies is that its expertise in keeping costs low. The same is maintained by adopting technological innovation that helps increase production at lower costs. Nucors Weaknesses A weakness is something a firm lacks, does poorly, or a condition placing it at a disadvantage in the marketplace and these are;  [6]   Missing capabilities in key areas leading to dependence on a volatile market location: Nucor faces some significant weaknesses with its location. Nucor has plants, all of which are located within the US. The problem is that Nucor cannot effectively serve international markets as good as competitors having plants worldwide. The shipping of steel to overseas countries is extremely expensive. Nucor is not in a great market position. Customers can go some place closer to buy their steel essentially knocking off a large shipping cost. Nucor also does not give deals on quantities purchased. Nucors most significant weakness lies with its domestic market. With the US Market being its primary customer base, Nucor is not able to offset losses because of a diversified location worldwide. Nucor is currently in a Market where growth is declining significantly. Deficiencies in competitively important physical, organizational, or intangible assets through high expansion and technology costs: The expansion policy accompanied with dependency on scrap steel and energy prices and the vol

Opening the Doors of Perception :: Music Musical Band Musicians Papers

Opening the Doors of Perception In August of 1965, Jim Morrison met his friend Ray on the beach in Los Angeles and sang him a few lines of a song he had just written. Ray played keyboard for a band at the time and had known Jim since they both went to UCLA, but he didnt know that Jim could write songs or sing. In a few weeks, Jim had taken the lead vocal position in Ray's band, Rick and the Ravens, and the group had produced a demo recording with Aura Records. In the next sixteen months, Jim, Ray, John Densmore (a drummer), and Robby Krieger (a guitarist) formed The Doors and by 1971, The Doors had written, produced, and released some of the most popular, memorable, rebellious and intelligent music of their time. When Jim began writing his own music, he never had written a song and he had never been a singer either. Jim was living on the rooftop of a building near Venice Beach and he wrote much of his material about the people, places and things he saw in L.A. One of his earliest songs, Soul Kitchen, was written about a small deli in Los Angeles; this song eventually became a popular concert piece and was recorded in a couple versions ranging from three-and-a-half to over seven minutes long. Soul Kitchen was released on The Doors first album (The Doors) in the beginning of 1967 and captured much of the darkness and mystery that the group soon became known for. In one passage, Morrison sings "Speaking secret alphabets; I light another cigarette; learn to forget; learn to forget" and also references the late night scene in Los Angeles he was so wrapped up in, "Stumblin in the neon groves". Personally, I like Soul Kitchen not only because of the lyrics and reference to an actual place, but also because of the rhythm. Ray Manzarek was and still is an excellent keyboardist. Soul Kitchen opens with a mesmerizing keyboard solo and Ray's ivory tones remain present throughout the entire song. Another of The Doors many songs that features the keyboard is When The Musics Over. This song was one of my favorites when I bought my first Doors cd (Strange Days) and I still like it quite a bit. When The Musics Over is a very complicated song to understand and I still dont think I understand it after hearing it countless times.

Law Essay

Administrative Action Are grounds of judicial review so poorly defined that they enable the courts to pick and choose the cases in which they will grant judicial review? Should that be the case? Introduction Substantive Grounds of Review: Unreasonableness Unreasonableness as a ground of review is difficult to define with any clarity or certainty and as a direst result has often been branded as a problem ridden aspect of administrative law.The concept of Wednesday unreasonableness, formulated in the case of Associated Provincial Picture Houses v. Wednesbury Corporation [1948] and further developed in Council of Civil Service Unions v. Minister for the Civil Service [1985] per Lord Diplock was that courts would intervene to correct an administrative action based on the ground of reasonableness only if it was â€Å"so outrageous in its defiance of logic or accepted moral standards that no sensible person who had applied his mind to the question to be decided could have arrived at it. I ndeterminacy as to the definition of Unreasonableness: Poorly defined grounds of review? The concept of unreasonableness as propagated by Lord Greene and adopted by Australian courts is inherently indeterminate. Whether a particular decision is reasonable or not is often nothing more than a question of degree and opinion by the courts. This creates an overt sense of arbitrariness which then calls into question the consistency and subsequently effectiveness of such a ground of review as illustrated by case law.The effectiveness of unreasonableness as a ground of review was blatantly called into question in the case of Chan v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs where the High Court and the Federal Court differed in opinion as to what constituted unreasonableness which was manifestly unfair. This apparent inability of the courts to reach a consensus on what precisely constitutes the required degree of unreasonableness in order to allow a reversal of the disputed administrative decision calls into question the consistency with which it can be applied by courts.Although subsequent cases (Prasad v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs/ Luu v Renevier/ Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend) seemed to prefer an expansive interpretation of unreasonableness, in neither of these cases can it be said that the delegate’s decision represented something that was manifestly unfair or overwhelming as required by Lord Greene’s original version. Conversely, it can be argued that the Federal Court simply reviewed the merits of the case and substituted its decision for that of the original one.In these cases although it was difficult to reach the conclusion that the decision was so unreasonable that no reasonable person would have come to them, that is exactly what the courts did. This further prompts arguments that the ground of unreasonableness is so poorly defined that courts can pick and choose the cases in which they grant judicial review . The wider the interpretation of unreasonableness greater the risk that courts are in essence given greater opportunity to conduct a merits based review with the effect being that judicial review becomes less effective as it loses the element of consistency.In light of this realization, this ground has recently come under close scrutiny by both the judiciary and the legislature. Where unreasonableness does exist as a ground of review, both the High Court and the Federal Court have held unequivocally that it must be strictly construed and that the courts must abstain from using unreasonableness as a guise to hear an appeal and so engage in merits review of a case.In the cases of Minister of immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Eshetu and Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Betkhoshabeh, the Court established strict constraints for unreasonableness, insisting that it is only to be used in the most extreme of cases and that the review should only extend to the legality of the decision. These cases clearly mark a turnaround from the earlier approach in Prasad. In essence his ground of review has been narrowed so that it is to be used only where there is unreasonableness in the very strict sense of the word such that courts can only intervene where only one possible conclusion could have been reached by the decision maker but was not so reached. Therefore precisely defining this ground of review is impossible due to conflicting needs to reign in unreasonableness as a ground of review as opposed to limiting its scope excessively.Proponents of the restrictive approach advocated in Eshetu would argue that a wider interpretation and application of unreasonableness may eventuate in judicial review extending to the merits of a case and possibly usurping the administrative process. However to restrict unreasonableness as a ground of review to that extent runs the risk of marginalizing this ground to the effect of making it redundant. This then gives birth to the possibility that occasions where judicial review was warranted due to the oppressive nature of administrative decisions would go unchecked.There must be a ground of review that can capture decisions such as that in Chan that would otherwise escape scrutiny. Moreover the arguments for and against a restrictive approach to interpreting unreasonableness do not of themselves remove other elements of unreasonableness as a ground of review that are poorly defined. The requirements for something overwhelming or for the evidence to support only one possible conclusion are no more determinate than those of the concept of reasonableness itself.There still exists the need for courts to engage in an evaluative, value laden inquiry as to the reasonableness (or the extent thereof) of a decision and this necessarily involves delving into the merits of a decision rather than its legality. The test of whether a decision is reasonable then hinges upon whether the evidence has been considered wit h propriety and reasonably and it is precisely this which makes the test one of poor definition.In determining whether the available evidence was reasonably interpreted, even considering the more recent restrictive approach propagated by courts, the courts are essentially disagreeing with the decision under review on an indeterminate ground. The danger of illegitimate judicial incursion into the merits of the decision remains present despite its strict construction. Violating the Distinction between merits and judicial review: Poorly defined grounds of review?Although courts can justify judicial review on the basis of Wednesbury unreasonableness, this justification is limited in that the courts cannot intervene simply because they do not agree with the administrative decision or view the facts differently. The distinction between judicial and merits review requires that courts only concern themselves with the question of whether the decision maker had acted within the confines of hi s power subject to the issues of relevancy, proprietary of purpose and unreasonableness.In no way must they concern themselves with the appropriateness of nor the policy considerations behind the decision in a bid to influence or criticize the policy. To do so would amount to a merits review and this would be contrary to the rule that the final authority on the merits of a decision should be the body vested with the discretionary power to do so by Parliament.The theory behind this is that although Courts have the constitutional authority to review decisions of the other arms of government, there is an ever present danger that they might extrapolate this duty excessively and effectively exercise the power vested by Parliament in the primary decision maker, hence substituting their decision for that of the intended decision maker. This would amount to a radical breach of the doctrine of Separation of Powers due to the courts’ exercise of a â€Å"surrogate political processâ₠¬  in direct and conflictual contravention of the notion of Parliamentary sovereignty.The aggregate effect would be a decay of our established system of parliamentary democracy as the courts are neither democratically elected nor politically accountable. The credibility and legitimacy of both the judiciary (and judicial review) and the Constitutional guarantee against excesses by any arm of the Government would be impaired should such a development occur. However the problems surface when there is attempt to apply the theory to practice. Judicial review, despite the grounds on which it is justified, ecessarily involves a process that is evaluative, with emphasis on examining the merits of a decision. When this is compounded by the fact that a conferral of discretionary powers are done so in language that often lacks clarity and is open-ended, it is not too remote to state that courts, in their attempt to evaluate the reasonableness of a decision, will have to embark upon the path o f a value-laden judgment about whether there was a breach of the confines of the discretionary power.This inherent problem within grounds of review is particularly exacerbated in the case of Wednesbury unreasonableness because, although the enacting statue would include the requirement of reasonableness, it will inconveniently leave out the definition of reasonableness, hence creating more room for an evaluative process by the courts. This then amounts to a process of pitting a contested decision against an ideal standard of reasonableness, a standard which has to be construed by the courts.It is then no surprise that the result is often an opaque and loose standard which tends to veer towards the substantive elements of a decision rather than the procedural elements. The fundamental problem of Wednesbury unreasonableness as a ground of judicial review is that the trigger for raising this ground is the disputed quality of the administrative decision. Hence what this amounts to is an intervention by the courts in lieu of the merits of the decision, hence blurring the distinction between legality and merit.When courts attempt to evaluate the legality of administrative action on the murky grounds of unreasonableness, they risk justifying a merits review as judicial review and hence risk an intervention based on their construction of unreasonableness and not based on the legality of the decision in question. Procedural Grounds of review: Bias Bias is a failure to have an open mind on the issues. Actual bias, a closed mind, may lead to other reviewable errors but exists as a separate ground of review.Bias as a ground of review also looks at the perceptions and a decision may be set aside for a perception of bias, whether there was any or not. The test is whether a fair minded lay observer would perceive a possibility of bias. This portion of the essay deals with judges continuing to act in a decision making process when they have an interest in the outcome of the c ase. A judge with a financial interest in a decision is not automatically barred from hearing the case and is only barred if the interest was such as to create a perception of bias [Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000)]The distinction between actual bias and an apprehension of bias is that for the latter there needs to be no issue of whether the judicial officer might or did in fact bring an impartial mind to the resolution of that case. All that is required is that he might or might have brought an impartial mind to the resolution of the case. The High re-defined the apprehension of bias principle in Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) such that the governing principle now is that a judge is disqualified if a fair minded lay observer might reasonably apprehend that the judge might not bring an impartial mind to resolving the case at hand.The principle may also need to be modified in the case of some administrative decision makers, to recognize and accommodate the different legal framework within which administrative decisions are made. Indeed, in Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Jia, the High Court made it clear that the application of the Ebner principles will depend on the circumstances of the case at hand. Judicial officers, by virtue of their public duty do not lose their rights as citizens to engage in a private life and participate in all that a private life necessarily entails.Therefore to assert that there will be conflicts of interest between the public duty and private life of judicial officers seems to be an otiose argument. Any argument that this conflict of interest could result in bias, hence forming a ground for review must then be contemplated with skepticism. Interest The prominence of financial diversity, prevalent interest in shareholding, necessity of investing in superannuation and its related equity funds all result in a significant number of judicial officers, like their counterparts in other profe ssions to have an interest in publicly listed companies.These publicly listed companies are not only the dominant incumbents of their industries but also, as a result of their expansive service production, likely to be involved in litigation periodically. Therefore there is potential scope for litigants to argue that there should be judicial review of a decision made on the basis of an apprehension of bias because of the pecuniary interest of the judge in the case. However, the resolution of most cases involving large companies is unlikely to be significant in affecting the value of a shareholding.Hence shareholdings in large companies will not be disqualifying factors in most proceedings. The proportion of the shares held to the value of the company as an aggregate is likely to be insignificant such as to warrant an intervention on this account. Association There is no clear touchstone that can provide an easy method of identifying what might be a disqualifying association and this could provoke arguments that this ground of review is poorly defined and arbitrary. Obviously a judicial officer cannot preside in a case in which he or she is a party; or in which a close relative is party.On the other hand, the judicial and planning appeal systems would be unworkable if a member was disqualified simply because they knew a party, let alone a representative of a party. The High Court has stated that a reasonable apprehension of bias may exist where the presiding judge has a substantial personal relationship with a party to, or a person involved in, proceedings or a substantial personal relationship with a member of the family of that party or person. However what constitutes a substantial personal relationship may, in practice, be elusive.Much depends on the nature, duration and closeness of the relationship. The High Court decision in Bienstein v Bienstein, which established the general principle that a judge is not disqualified from hearing a matter simply becaus e, when a barrister, he or she has appeared for a party in the past. The recent decision of the House of Lords in Gillies v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is illustrative that, in the case of an expert tribunal or court, a relationship with the agency whose decision was under review might not be a disqualifying factor.The House of Lords considered that a fair minded observer, who had considered the facts properly, would appreciate that professional detachment and the ability to exercise an independent judgment lay at the heart of such decisions. No-one is immune from a complaint of apprehended bias. Judges cannot be expected to be value-free. Conduct Sometimes the conduct of a judicial officer may be such that a reasonable person may apprehend that the matter might not be decided impartially.But this does not mean that a judicial officer cannot have an opinion about the general reliability of a witness who regularly appears before a court or tribunal; provided that the off icer is open to persuasion and does not make comment indicating prejudgment. It must be stressed that the expression of tentative views, designed to elicit relevant submissions, does not constitute bias nor create a reasonable apprehension of bias. Indeed, this practice actually enhances procedural fairness by alerting the parties to the thoughts of the tribunal and providing them with an opportunity to persuade the tribunal to adopt a different course.Demands to disclose interests or associations When should a judicial officer respond to questions about their interests or associations? There are different schools of thought as to the appropriate practice to adopt when a judicial officer is asked about his or her interests or associations. My view is that, within reason, it is better to answer specific questions in relation to factual matters in order to put minds at rest; or, if minds are not put to rest, to require the parties to confront the potentially disqualifying interest or association and identify the logical connection this may have with a partial adjudication.However a judicial officer should not feel compelled to identify and disclose all possible interests and associations, direct and indirect, whether or not relevant to the case at hand. And there is certainly no obligation to answer questions about opinions, values or attitudes. Effect of non-disclosure of non-disqualifying interest What happens if a judicial officer does not disclose an interest or association which might have been disclosed as a matter of prudence (on the asis that it was potentially disqualifying), but, when revealed, was not ultimately found to be a disqualifying interest or association? In Ebner, the majority of the High Court thought it necessary to distinguish between considerations of prudence and requirements of law. The court considered that, as a matter of prudence and professional practice, judicial officers should disclose interests and associations if there is a se rious possibility that they are potentially disqualifying.But it thought it was neither useful nor necessary to describe this practice in terms of rights or duties. Thus if a judicial officer does not disclose a non-disqualifying interest or association, his or her silence cannot reasonably support an inference of want of impartiality. Conclusion The High Court has emphasized that judicial officers should not be too ready to disqualify themselves when confronted with an insubstantial objection, lest that this will lead to forum shopping.But the same does not go to disclosure of potentially disqualifying interests or associations. Quite apart from any moral responsibility, recent decisions have shown the practical virtues of disclosure in circumstances of any doubt. But in determining any objection a court or tribunal should apply a method that requires there to be some logical connection between the alleged disqualifying matter and an inability to impartially determine the proceedin g.

Thematic Essay Question Revolutions Essays

Thematic Essay Question Revolutions Essays Thematic Essay Question Revolutions Essay Thematic Essay Question Revolutions Essay Danjai Jones 11/21/11 Social StudiesThematic essay question It as once said that â€Å"Political, economic and social conditions have often led to turning points that have changed the course of history for nations and peoples. † In other words at times of discomfort within a region or country they tend to lead to a revolution to meet the most publics wants and needs. One example of a turning point in our history is â€Å"The French Revolution†. The reason being for its importance is The French Revolution marked the beginning of prodigious changes that would affect world history. Despite the revolution occurring internally in France and only lasting twelve years (1787-1799), the lasting effects would be felt internationally, with direct repercussions reaching from areas as far as North America to the Dutch East Indies. Despite some of the Revolutions consequences being short-lived, it is obvious that after viewing the cultural, social, and political effects of the French Revolution it should be regarded as successful. Effects of the Revolution range from as petit as the spread of the metric system to as grand as the shift from absolutism to republicanism. In addition There is universal agreement that the political and administrative face of France was wholly altered: a republic based around elected – mainly bourgeois deputies replaced a monarchy supported by nobles while the many and varied feudal systems were replaced by new, usually elected institutions which were applied universally across France. Culture was also affected, at least in the short term, with the revolution permeating every creative endeavour. However, there is still debate over whether the revolution permanently changed the social structures of France or whether they were only altered in the short term. Another example is â€Å"The Enlightenment Age†. The Age Of Reason, as it was called, was vastly spreading very quickly across the European continent. In the late 17th century, scientists like Isaac Newton and writers like John Locke were opposing the original unethical order. Newtons laws of gravity and motion described the world in ways of natural laws beyond any spiritual force. In the wake of political turmoil in England, Locke made people reconsider the right of people to change a governmental system that did not appropriately protect or protect natural rights of life, liberty and property at all. People were beginning to doubt the continued survival of a God who could determine the life of human beings in advance to heaven or hell indefinitely and empower a tyrant for a king. Europe would be forever changed by these ideas. The Enlightenment Age is an important factor history turning point because the old way of life was represented by a common held but unjustified belief beyond scientific explanation, also a causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event of an angry God, and absolute submission to authority. The thinkers of the Age of Reason created something new` in a new way of thinking. This new way supported the cause of the accomplishments of humankind. Individuals did not have to accept the complete loss or absence of hope. Science and reason could bring happiness and progress. Kings did not rule by divine right. They had a responsibility to their subjects. Europeans thought about the concluded statement for nearly a century. In conclusion both implemented issues in this essay are both very strong and are connected turning points in our history. They both changed the way of life indefinitely to revolutionize the lives of many.