General Aviation Marketing and Management

General Aviation Marketing and Management Summary of Chapter 7General Aviation Marketing and Management Second Edition by Alexander T Wells and Bruce D. ChadbourneChapter 7 SummaryCAV 650Toni R. BurgosMarketing ResearchThrough research, management can reduce uncertainty in decision making. It is an integral part of any management information system that provides a flow of inputs useful in marketing decision. Marketing research is the systematic process of gathering, recording, analyzing, and utilizing relevant information to aid in marketing decision making. -Marketing research has a broad scope including various types of studies, these studies can be grouped into four major categories. (1) market measurement studies, (2) marketing mix studies, (3) studies of the competitive situation, and (4) studies of the uncontrollables. Market Measurement Studies: are designed to obtain quantitative data on potential demand. Concerning marketing mix studies, elements of the marketing mix are product, place, price, and promotion. Compani es study the competitive position of their own products and services.English: This is an example Likert Scale using fiv...The studies of uncontrolables are the studies of business trends, economic data, and industry statistics through the process of environmental scanning are the most widely used type of study in this category.The Marketing Research Processconsists of a series of activities: defining the problem and research objectives, designing the research, collecting the data, preparing and analyzing the data, and presenting the findings. Collecting information is too costly to allow the problem to be defined vaguely or incorrectly. At this point management needs to set the research objectives. At the end of this first step, the researcher should know (1) the current situation. (2) the nature of the problem; and (3) the specific question or questions the research will be designed to answer. Secondary Data consists of information that already exists, having been collected for ano ther purpose. Internal Secondary Data is available within the company.

How Quantum Computers Work

How Quantum Computers Work A quantum computer is a computer design which uses the principles of quantum physics to increase the computational power beyond what is attainable by a traditional computer. Quantum computers have been built on a small scale and work continues to upgrade them to more practical models. How Computers Work Computers function by storing data in a binary number format, which result in a series of 1s 0s retained in electronic components such as transistors. Each component of computer memory is called a bit and can be manipulated through the steps of Boolean logic so that the bits change, based upon the algorithms applied by the computer program, between the 1 and 0 modes (sometimes referred to as on and off). How a Quantum Computer Would Work A quantum computer, on the other hand, would store information as either a 1, 0, or a quantum superposition of the two states. Such a quantum bit allows for far greater flexibility than the binary system. Specifically, a quantum computer would be able to perform calculations on a far greater order of magnitude than traditional computers ... a concept which has serious concerns and applications in the realm of cryptography encryption. Some fear that a successful practical quantum computer would devastate the worlds financial system by ripping through their computer security encryptions, which are based on factoring large numbers that literally cannot be cracked by traditional computers within the lifespan of the universe. A quantum computer, on the other hand, could factor the numbers in a reasonable period of time. To understand how this speeds things up, consider this example. If the qubit is in a superposition of the 1 state and the 0 state, and it performed a calculation with another qubit in the same superposition, then one calculation actually obtains 4 results: a 1/1 result, a 1/0 result, a 0/1 result, and a 0/0 result. This is a result of the mathematics applied to a quantum system when in a state of decoherence, which lasts while it is in a superposition of states until it collapses down into one state. The ability of a quantum computer to perform multiple computations simultaneously (or in parallel, in computer terms) is called quantum parallelism. The exact physical mechanism at work within the quantum computer is somewhat theoretically complex and intuitively disturbing. Generally, it is explained in terms of the multi-world interpretation of quantum physics, wherein the computer performs calculations not only in our universe but also in other universes simultaneously, while the various qubits are in a state of quantum decoherence. While this sounds far-fetched, the multi-world interpretation has been shown to make predictions which match experimental results. History of Quantum Computing Quantum computing tends to trace its roots back to a 1959 speech by Richard P. Feynman in which he spoke about the effects of miniaturization, including the idea of exploiting quantum effects to create more powerful computers. This speech is also generally considered the starting point of nanotechnology. Of course, before the quantum effects of computing could be realized, scientists and engineers had to more fully develop the technology of traditional computers. This is why, for many years, there was little direct progress, nor even interest, in the idea of making Feynmans suggestions into reality. In 1985, the idea of quantum logic gates was put forth by the University of Oxfords David Deutsch, as a means of harnessing the quantum realm inside a computer. In fact, Deutschs paper on the subject showed that any physical process could be modeled by a quantum computer. Nearly a decade later, in 1994, ATTs Peter Shor devised an algorithm that could use only 6 qubits to perform some basic factorizations ... more cubits the more complex the numbers requiring factorization became, of course. A handful of quantum computers has been built. The first, a 2-qubit quantum computer in 1998, could perform trivial calculations before losing decoherence after a few nanoseconds. In 2000, teams successfully built both a 4-qubit and a 7-qubit quantum computer. Research on the subject is still very active, although some physicists and engineers express concerns over the difficulties involved in upscaling these experiments to full-scale computing systems. Still, the success of these initial steps does show that the fundamental theory is sound. Difficulties With Quantum Computers The quantum computers main drawback is the same as its strength: quantum decoherence. The qubit calculations are performed while the quantum wave function is in a state of superposition between states, which is what allows it to perform the calculations using both 1 0 states simultaneously. However, when a measurement of any type is made to a quantum system, decoherence breaks down and the wave function collapses into a single state. Therefore, the computer has to somehow continue making these calculations without having any measurements made until the proper time, when it can then drop out of the quantum state, have a measurement taken to read its result, which then gets passed on to the rest of the system. The physical requirements of manipulating a system on this scale are considerable, touching on the realms of superconductors, nanotechnology, and quantum electronics, as well as others. Each of these is itself a sophisticated field which is still being fully developed, so trying to merge them all together into a functional quantum computer is a task which I dont particularly envy anyone ... except for the person who finally succeeds.

Performance against the Project baseline Research Paper

Performance against the Project baseline - Research Paper Example This involves Earned Value Management technique is employed to measure the project performance against the planned baselines and to forecast any deviations from the planned activities to bring project variations within acceptable limits. Planned expenditures, budgeted expenditures and actual expenditures form the basis of Earned Value calculations. In 1960’s, US Navy formally began to use this technique in their projects. It was later made more user-friendly based on define set criteria by National Defense Industrial Association to effectively employ this technique in public and private sector projects (David, 1994). Earned Value Management is the most commonly employed method, which relates project scope, cost and schedule for measurement of project performance. The most common metrics used to measure the project performance are Cost Variance (CV) and Schedule Variance (SV). The variance in CV and SV decreases as more work is accomplished towards project completion. Also values of acceptable variances in CV and SV can be determined early during the project planning (Charles, 2010). 3.4 Cost Variance (CV). Difference in Earned value (EV) and actual cost (AC) gives the cost variance. At the project completion, cost variance can be calculated as difference of Budget at Completion (BAC) and Actual Cost incurred. 3.6 Cost Performance Index (CPI). Cost Performance Index (CPI) is a ratio of Earned Value (EV) to Actual Cost (AC). CPI value is a cost efficiency indicator showing either a cost overrun (less than 1) or a cost underrun (greater than 1). 4.1 Project Baseline. Earned Value Techniques relate Earned Value against the project baselines. More accurate the project baseline is, more beneficial would be outcome of earned value management, Thus, cost overruns would occur if project is under budgeted and scope creep would occur if project scope baseline is not

Inter-Global Medicare Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Inter-Global Medicare Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Any business venture demands critical economic analysis for its survival amidst the other numerous entrepreneurs in the same firm. In that respect, Inter-Global Medicare main goal is to provide the best prescription medication to our clients’ at the most affordable prices in the market. The sale of the drug would be at reduced prices through careful maintenance of efficiency in the operations of the firm and by aiming specific market segments especially those who pay for the prescribed medicine themselves. By focusing on this segment the firm will avoid inefficiencies and operational disruptions that are characterized by unsteady cash-flows and hence eliminate supply shortages. Inter-global Medicare plans to operate from one store that is to serve both mail order customers and those who visit the facility in person. The firm seeks to thrive through employment of friendlier and skilled staff, which in combination with our great prices is set to propel the repeat business that w ill be reliable. The firm expects that as the price of medication continues to rise, Inter-Global Medicare will be appealing more and more the clientele sense of value, affordability and convenience. The firm's advertising, mainly through the ads in magazines targeted by a relatively greater crowd, will be aiming at those who seek to save money on high price but necessary and regular expenses. Inter-global Medicare entrepreneurs will be led by Experienced PHD holder in the field of medicine and with an accumulated wealth of experience in relevant field not less than five years. The cost of the entire venture will be minimized by maintaining just a few pharmacists and filling the remaining gaps with pharmaceutical technicians. In so doing, the firm expects to reach profitability by third year and will generate substantial sales by mid of the same year. 1.1. Background Information The central issue of focus in this proposal is to establish the best remedial medication against the mena ce of obesity. This problem has been gaining momentum of the past centuries and is headed to ruin the better part of the coming generation. The increased nutritional imbalances and inadequate physical exercise has been blamed on this health matter. Nevertheless there are other unidentified factors attached to it that has not been given critical analysis so as to come up with an all round measure. It has also been noted that some of the medical measures that had been developed to curb this condition have failed woefully in different ways. Some of them like the fenfluramine and phentermine were found to have overwhelming side effects and this rendered them ineffective to combat the threat of obesity in the society (King & Nuala 67-72). Some other medical discoveries like Thyroid extract was tried but its effects on the bones, muscles and the heart were prohibitively dangerous leading to a consequential medical gap. It is out of this need by the society that Inter-Global Medicare entre preneurs has invested resources to come up with an obesity treatment that would see the menace reduce by more than half by the year 2030. 1.2.0. Population Affected Obesity is taking toll among the young generation and partially among women. This group of people is highly exposed to this condition due to their uncontrolled feeding habits, minimal or no exercise. The global statistics presents a high population of the young

Achieving the American Dream Essay Example for Free

Achieving the American Dream Essay One would think that purchasing your first home would be a very fascinating experience; after all it is one of the most major purchases of your entire life. In America, home ownership ties in with the American Dream and the spirit of working hard to one day earn through hard work a home with a white picket fence. My husband and I felt that it was time for us to reward ourselves for all the hard work we have been putting in over the years by purchasing our first home, which was well overdue. I quickly learned the process of purchasing your first home can be very frustrating and stressful. However, if you survive the home buying process the reward is priceless once you move into your â€Å"American Dream.† Before we started shopping for our home we both agreed it was important for us to have a mortgage loan preapproval. Although I assumed that obtaining a preapproval would be the most challenging part of purchasing a home, it happened to be the easiest part of the entire process. I was able to be preapproved by my bank over the phone in a matter of minutes pending certain guidelines. Acquiring the preapproval was so easy I was sure the remainder of the process would be effortless. I was startled to learn that I would be faced with many obstacles to overcome in order to complete the process of buying our first home. Next, it was time for us to shop for a new home. I was excited and anxious to shop for our first home. Unfortunately, I was unaware that the housing market in Houston, TX was flourishing and it was very competitive. On my quest for the perfect house, I looked at several beautiful homes. I found one in particular that I liked, and it was a foreclosure. I decided to place an offer on the home. However, only a few days later I was informed that I was outbid by another buyer. Since this was the first home I placed an offer on I did not foresee the outbidding being a major issue. We decided that we would continue our search for our â€Å"American Dream.† The next home I fell in love with was a model home; however, I soon learned that it was a short sale. A short sale can take up to six months to be approved, and I did not have time for that ,because, my existing lease had already expired on my rental home. I begin to work with a realtor who was also an investor. She had a lovely home for sale in a beautiful neighborhood. I extended an offer to her on the home, and she said that she would need to talk it over with her husband. She later contacted me to advise me that she had agreed to accept a cash offer on the home. I continued to look for the perfect home and was not having much success. I soon discovered that the realtor had a new house on the market in the same beautiful neighborhood. I contacted her right away and made an offer on the house. Once she accepted my offer we signed and faxed the contract to the bank right away. The realtor and I both agreed on a closing date which was 45 days from the date we signed the contract. At this point, it was time to make sure that we met all of underwriting guidelines. It was not only important for us to meet all of the bank stipulations but the actual house had to meet bank standards in order for the bank to approve the loan. Shortly, after faxing the contract over to the bank I was contacted by my loan processor, her name was Emily. She told me everything that I needed and I emailed Emily the requirements within 24 hours. The only thing that was pending to my knowledge was the appraisal on the house which I had completed within one week. After, I faxed over the appraisal I did not hear from Emily until three days before my 1st closing date. Emily was contacting me to make me aware that the underwriting department was requesting that a 2nd appraisal on the home be completed before we could close on the home. I was very disappointed that three weeks had passed and I heard nothing from her and now three days before closing she was contacting me to relay this information to me. However, I was not about to give up. I got the appraisal and sent it to the bank, only to have Emily contact me a few days later to tell me that the underwriter was now requiring a termite inspection. We were already well past our 1st closing date and quickly approaching our 2nd closing date, I contacted a termite inspector and had the termite inspection performed right away. Emily then informed me that she was sending all of our information over to the title company so they can arrange a closing date. She gave me the title company’s contact information and told me to contact the title company for my closing date. I contacted the title company and was very surprised to discover I could not close on the house until the seller returned from the Bahamas because she needed to sign a release form. The seller returned from the Bahamas two weeks later and I finally got a real closing date which was October 18, 2012. Finally, I said to my husband we have an actual closing date. I was beyond excited. My husband and I went to the title company on October 18, 2012 to finalize our purchase on our home. I can’t explain the feeling we felt as we signed the mortgage papers on our new home. After signing what felt like a million papers we got the keys to our new home. When we got in our car we had to take a moment to give thanks to God, for not only allowing us to purchase our first home but for letting our first home be our dream home. Why was the process so difficult and complicated to purchase my first home? I can imagine it was due to the housing crisis in America. I believe that banks require so much now because they are trying to prevent homebuyers from losing their homes to foreclosure. They are making every effort to make sure that homebuyers are not overpaying for homes and making every attempt to ensure that homebuyers can afford the homes. Although, I was very frustrated I want prospective homebuyers to know that it was worth all of the trouble. I think homeownership is the American dream and encourage everyone to work towards achieving the American dream by not giving up or becoming frustrated. I think it is very important for prospective homebuyers to focus on the final prize-homeownership. Reflections Paragraph The step I found to be the easiest was major revisions. It was easy because I was able to tie in my conclusion with my introductory paragraph. I am hoping that will grab the readers’ attention and keep them more interested in my essay. The step I found the hardest was proofreading. While I was proofreading I noticed that many sentences did not sound correct. I did my best to try and correct the sentences that did not sound correct. I learned that writing by revising your essay allows you the opportunity to make your essay even better. I still have many errors for improvement; however, I am confident that with practice I will become a great writer.

Antigone: A Woman Who Believes In The Power Of Women :: essays research papers

A Woman Who Believes In The Power of Women Scene I: The Trial Introduction At the law firm of Theban Associates, one of the lead partners is Antigone, she is a hard worker whose intentions usually consist of reaching a compromise between the government and her client. As a defense attorney, her line of work is quite demanding and difficult since she is a female working in a male dominated world. While being placed in this position, Antigone is able to appreciate how difficult things are for a woman in society, even in today's world. She realizes that regardless of the anti-gender bias laws that have been passed, society still views women as baby-machines and they are constantly degraded and viewed as inferior to man. Antigone's new client, Medea, is responsible for the brutal murder of her two children and of her husband's new bride to be. Although Antigone disagrees with Medea's actions, she takes the case because she feels that it is a way to show the world that even today, in the new millennium, women's actions are still measured harsher than those of men. In other words, Medea claims that she took drastic measures in order to retaliate against her husband for leaving her alone in the world, but it was the only way that she could truly finish him and make everyone think about they way the world is run today. When the case is taken to trial Antigone takes an excessive amount of criticism and beating from her friends and colleagues as well as the media. She is said to be inhuman and her prerogative to why she has chosen to defend this demand woman, Medea is questioned. In addition, her place in society as a prominent "female" attorney is disregarded because her moral and ethical values are questioned. Yet, despite these terrible things, Antigone holds her head up high and walks into the courtroom determined to defend her client as best she could. In this courtroom it is inexplicable to anyone how somebody could murder her own children to teach her husband a lesson, every individual has forgotten their oath and placed their own personal opinion into their work, including Judge Good. Before starting, Antigone turns to the Chorus for moral support. In reply they tell her to do her job as she has in the past, and to remember what is the true reason why she has decided to take this case.

Ship management perspective

Ship management (KLSM) is a ship management company located in Singapore and involved in the technical management of a fleet of 30 container and tanker ships. It is a fully owned subsidiary company of K Line in Japan and all the ships managed by KLSM are owned by its parent company in Japan. Technical management activities include provision on crew members to man the ships, implementing and malntalnlng safety and quality management systems on board the vessels, maintaining safe and satisfactory vessel operations and maintenance of hull nd machinery on board the ship.The company is involved in procurement and supply management of various goods and services including stores, spare parts, bunkers, food and beverage, manpower etc. One of the major functions of the company Is the maintenance of hull and machinery of vessels under Its management, Technical superintendents are responsible for the maintenance matters on board their controlled ships whilst managers are responsible for formula ting and overseeing policy making and implementation. A major part of maintenance involves the supply of stores and spare parts to the vessel.Each ship is fitted on board with a large number of complex equipments and machinery manufactured by hundreds of different makers and thus spare parts lists for all the equipment and machinery on board, runs into hundreds of pages. With the life of a ship being 20-30 years, several of these equipments/parts become obsolete and even OEM's close shop during such course. Procuring spares and delivering these on board ships (in good time) that are trading worldwide thus becomes a great challenge for the technical department and in turn for the company.Presently the responslblllty of procuring spare parts for each vessel Iles with the echnical superintendent In charge of the vessel. An admin lady assists him in this work. The technical superintendent, who is responsible for the smooth running of the vessel and its machinery, spends a majority of hi s time in such procurement and supply issues. It might be a good idea to outsource this function to another department or to another organization altogether.This would free up the technical superintendents time to work on more critical operational and technical issues where his expertise might be better utlllzed and also perhaps make the procurement and upply management more efficient and organized. The decision to make or buy could be critical and various factors must be considered. Transaction Cost Economics is a central theory in Strategy. It addresses questions about why firms exist, how firms define their boundaries, and how they must govern operations. Transaction cost economics suggests that the costs and difficulties production) and sometimes markets as an economic governance structure.An intermediate mechanism, called hybrid or relational, between these two extremes has recently emerged as a new governance structure. Coase (1937) defined the term transaction costs by asking two fundamental questions: â€Å"Why is there any organization? † and â€Å"Why isn't all production carried out by one big firm? † Reason is that there are transaction costs that determine what is done in the market, with price as the regulating mechanism, and what is done inside the firm, with bureaucracy as the regulator.Within this framework, all transactions carry a cost, either as an external market transaction cost or an internal bureaucratic transaction cost. The limit to the size of the firm is reached when the costs of rganizing additional transactions within the firm exceed the costs of carrying out the same transactions through the market (Coase 1993). The most important market transaction costs are the cost of determining the price of a product or service, the cost of negotiating and creating the contract, and the cost of information failure.Williamson (1975, 1985) extended the argument by noting that two behavioral assumptions are critical. First, indivi duals in an organization are boundedly rational. Meaning individuals in an organization have the ability to make rational decisions ased on the limited knowledge they possess. This limitation makes it impossible to structure perfect contracts, and any contract will be incomplete even if all information is available. Second, individuals behave opportunistically. This means that they will act in self interest with guile. Organizing the vertical chain is an important part of business strategy.Deciding which parts of the vertical chain must be produced in-house and which parts must be out-sourced, is an important strategic decision defined by the vertical boundaries of the firm. This decision is simply called the â€Å"make or buy' decision. The company must compare the benefits and costs of in-house production versus using the market. Traditionally such procurement and supply function has been carried out by technical superintendents so they will always be fully aware of the maintenan ce requirements and status of spare parts and repair.Completely outsourcing the function to another organization could result in the loss of control and loss of critical business contacts in the marketplace. Also then, reliance on a third party for such procurement and supply could be detrimental to the performance of the vessel in ase of non performance or poor performance which might be realized only after the problem occurs. Perhaps a better way to manage the sourcing and supply of spare parts on board ships would be to invest in an integrated software solution linking planned maintenance systems, spare part requisitions and approved vendor database worldwide, to optimize supply management.The procurement and supply part of the can work closely with the technical department or be a subset of the technical department itself. As the maintenance system will be linked to the spare part equisition and supply system, the technical superintendent retains overview and control on this asp ect at all times whilst being able to focus on his primary responsibilities. All planned maintenance is scheduled into the system and spare parts required to perform each maintenance item will also be part of the database.Standard inventory of parts must always be maintained and a requisition for supply of these will be automatically generated for the superintendent's approval as and when a planned maintenance Job is recorded on board the vessel system as complete. The age of the internet and speed of communication between ship and shore as well as amongst parties ashore has changed drastically. Automated information interchange and highly intelligible databases have made online purchasing and inventory maintenance very easy and efficient.Vendor approval and management could be an integrated part of the software solution and any requirement of spare parts supply would come with a recommended approved vendor list which could be targeted for action. A variety of sourcing strategies co uld then be used for procurement of spares onsidering the technical complexity, lead time necessary, logistical issues etc. To help in formulation of appropriate sourcing and competitive strategies, KralJic (1983) developed a simple positioning matrix based on these factors.This model could be applied by the purchasing department for procuring different spare parts with different levels of complexity in terms of source, logistics, coat, lead time etc. Pareto's 80/20 rule may be applied to classify spares into A, B and C class items and determine strategic positioning and risk. Environmental and ethical issues are of growing concern as regulators continue to ighten the already stringent regulations for garbage disposal at sea. All supplies that come on board the vessel packaged substantially and this eventually generates waste on board.A conscious effort needs to be made to push suppliers to use more eco friendly and bio degradable packaging and to have the vessel return all unwanted packaging back to the supplier for safe and eco friendly disposal ashore rather than disposal at sea or incineration. Instructions must be sent to all Vendor management and approvals must include vetting for compliance with standards like ISO 14001 etc. Another important supply management area for the company is bunkers. Fuel oil, diesel oil and lube oils supplied on board vessels are referred to as bunkers and more commonly the work bunkers denotes fuel oil.Challenges faced here are mainly to do with availability, pricing and quality of bunkers stemmed. Since bunkers are supplied worldwide, optimal ports are identified for good quality and reasonably priced procurement. Several vendors are used at various ports worldwide and price negotiations are tough with little guarantee of quality at several of these. Bunker for vessel management and could be integrated with same. Such bunker supply modules help in optimizing bunker stems and also include capability of having an approved vend or database.Hedging against bunker price volatility is another tool that must be considered as the price of fuel oil in the recent times has shown extreme volatility in the short term. Experts must be employed to carry out this function in house or alternatively hedge incorporated supply contracts must be negotiated with standard supplier groups who have the capability to supply bunkers t most major and frequent bunkering ports around the world. Such activity would effectively reduce the risk of exposure to extreme price fluctuations. Besides supply management of goods, the company also faces challenges in the supply management of services.All ships need to be manned with a suitable regulated complement of officers and crew members. These crew members are contracted for a certain period and proper rotation of staff upon completion of contracts poses a logistical challenge. The supply of manpower to each vessel involves a rostering and planning process which becomes highly complex du e to a arge gamut of regulatory requirements on competency, standards and other facets. The crew manning department struggles to have the right people on board the right vessel at the right time and there is a constant struggle with retention rates as well.Resumes of all crew members are manually updated and maintained and the rostering as well is performed manually. An electronic system or module to cover this function will be extremely significant in increasing the departments efficiency and eventually benefit the overall organization as retention rates increase and crew erformance is enhanced. The strategic supply wheel (Cousins, 2006) suggests that it is imperative to maintain an alignment of corporate and supply policies. There seems to be good alignment of policies within KLSM and as a small company with less than 50 staff, this is relatively easy to implement.With acute cost focus without compromise on quality of critical items, the strategy is uniform and understood by all i nvolved. Overall KLSM deals with several unique supply chain management challenges because of the nature of the company's functions and ships trading worldwide. An overall efficient supply management strategy implemented at all levels would become almost imperative for successful achievement of the company's goals which is primarily safe, efficient and cost effective maintenance of the ships and their operations.A comprehensive software solution to replace a lot of the traditional manual work in relation to supply management will certainly help optimize outcome, considerably improve cost efficiency and mitigate risk inherent in the manual system. Careful selection from available range of software in the marketplace will need to be one and suitable packages compared before making the important decision of which product to use.Training of all staff involved with operations both on board ships and ashore will then become necessary to fully exploit the software's capabilities and achiev e desired results.

Edgar Degas and his Passion for Ballet

Ballet was considered as a classical form of art. The beauty of this dance type was considered timeless and unchanging. It was considered as an art in itself. The movement of the ballerinas represented years of training. Routines were rehearsed until they were perfected. It was an art form that entailed perfection and it was all for a night’s glory for a stage performance.The movement of the ballet dancers entailed specific rhythm; it required them to have undeniable grace and unity with the music. This made dance, for whatever genre or form, a beautiful piece of performance art. The discipline that was attributed to ballet was something that was unique to this dance form.Ballet was a dance that was considered one of the most exquisite. It had existed for centuries and was depicted in numerous art works. Strength and grace characterized this art form. The experience of watching ballet was the actual experience of art. When dance was depicted in paintings, sculptures or photogr aphy, it would represent something that was beyond beautiful. It was considered as the capturing of beauty on the canvass or the photograph. It was art depicted in art.Edgar Degas represented the art of depicting art in the best possible manner. He was the master of ballerina paintings. Dance had been a subject of visual artwork but it was Degas who represented this art form in one of the most exquisite manner. The portrayal of ballet in painting was uniquely captivating when it was expressed in the Impressionist art period.The movement of the brushes complemented the actual movement of the dancers as they were being observed and painting. Visible brush strokes made exemplified the beauty of ballet. From their costumes, to the forms of their bodies, to the graceful movements they exuded, Impressionism and ballet could be considered as a perfect match. Emphasis on movement was something that was definitive of both the art movement and the dance form.ImpressionismImpressionism was a m ovement that was seen in the 19th century wherein artists chose subjects according to what they ordinarily see around them. Traditional impressionism was interested in depicting the everyday scenes of the nearby streets, a quiet meadow or countryside or the look of the cafes and theaters (Hubbard 33).Most artists in this movement were known for completing a piece of art in a single session. Movements of other periods usually took days, weeks, months and even years in order to complete their art. Some would make sketches and then go back to the studio to complete the picture.Impressionists look at their subjects as photographers would look at theirs. Impressionist painters see daylight to play a significant role in their art and they try to capture on canvas what was happening in a fleeting moment of time before it disappeared (Hubbard 33).In order to accomplish the effect of light and how it reflected in objects, they focus on shading and lighting effects rather than the solidness o f the shapes of their subjects. Impressionists were distinguished by their obvious brush strokes and indistinct outlines of their subjects, whether they may be people, trees or mountains.Brush strokes reflect how Impressionist painters had to work very swiftly. Oil painting was usually done by putting small dabs in the canvass and by using short strokes with little color mixing.   These bright and frequently unmixed colors develop into blended shades when the painting was dried and finish (Hubbard 33).Edouard Manet was one of the famous impressionism artists who focused on landscape paintings. Following the ideals of impressionism, he believed that art must be portrayed in what the artist actually saw in that particular moment in time. French impressionists that included Claude Monet, Camille Pissaro and Edgar Degas painted different things but worked with similar goals in mind. Degas focused on painting dancers and was successful in capturing the beauty of their movement.The Arti st of DancersBackgroundDegas (1834-1917) considered himself as an anti-impressionist because he had a misanthropic nature and had the constant tendency to emphasize (Novotny 199). He prioritized the time he spent in finishing his drawings. He wanted them to be as real as possible however, the style that his brush strokes and colors could not separate him from being classified in the Impressionist movement.

Yet More Testing Center Problems for June 6 SAT

Yet More Testing Center Problems for June 6 SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We've written at length about the June 6 SAT misprint snafuand SAT testing center problems. Our SAT experts who took the SAT on June 6th noted major problems in how the test was administered, leading to potential imbalances in test performance and equality. As we suspected, these problems extend throughout the country. A reader wrote in with his terrible College Board testing experience with his son. The belowletter was directly sent to the College Board as a complaint: My son took a SAT Subject test on June 6, 2015 at UC Irvine in Irvine, California. The test was to be an hour. I assumed the total time he would be there would be no more than 2 hours. On the testing day, there were hundreds of students there. They were testing for all subject tests plus the SAT itself. Checking in the students was a nightmare. Initially, there was only one extremely long line of students. I dropped my son off and saw him get in line. Since we arrived early, he was behind approximately 50-75 students. When I drove by 30 minutes later, I was shocked to see the line at least five times longer and my son still standing in line. At that point, I thought there was nothing I could do, and it wasn't until FOUR hours later when he texted me that he had finished, that I discovered what he had to go through. After he waited an hour in line waiting to be checked in, he said suddenly many students started running to another building. He then heard someone yell that SAT subject test takers need to go to another building. By the time he ran over to the other building, he then was at the back of a new long line. He said nowhere were signs posted or people giving instructions to the students as they arrived as to where they should go to check in. Once he got into the room for the test about an hour later, he said he sat through 40 minutes of instructions, including instructions about calculators and having the calculators physically examined. My son was not there to take a math subject test, but a history test. Yet he had to sit through lengthy instructions that did not even pertain to his test. So after being dropped off to take the test, he was not able to begin the test until hours later. That alone would make a student not only tired but even more apprehensive. The desk he had to sit in had a very small surface area, less than the size of a sheet of notebook paper. He said it wasn't even enough room for his scantron and his arm had to hang off the side. He had to put his test booklet in his lap, without anything underneath it to provide a harder writing surface. When I asked how he marked in his test booklet (for marking eliminations and notes), he said he had to do it in his lap and it was extremely uncomfortable. My son said he didn't want to take any further subject tests because of the experience. I tried to assure him that we will find a different test center next time, but I have no way of knowing what he might encounter elsewhere and it could be even worse. We have heard the many stories of proctors listening to audible music while the test is being administered, issues with the correct time being given, noise from outside not being addressed and other unfair conditions. At this point, we don't yet know how he fared on the SAT subject test he took. But regardless, these testing conditions and disorganization are unfair and completely unacceptable. We expected the process to be professional, especially since the College Board has been administering these tests for many years. It's very likely that this reader's son was severely disadvantaged compared to students at other, better-run SAT testing centers in the country. If the College Board is serious about reducing inequality in testing, one place it needs to look is testing conditions as test centers. Have a similar experience? Share it as a comment below. When you take the SAT or ACT, make sure you know your rights. Speak up if any of these problems happen to you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Where Should I Take the SAT

Where Should I Take the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While you're doing a lot to prepare for the SAT, you probably haven't given that much thought to the physical location of your test. However, that location could definitely affect your performance. Think about it – have you ever had to take a test in a cramped classroom or in room without air conditioning? It probably didn’t exactly help your performance. So why would you take the SAT in sub-optimal conditions? Read our guide to choosing the best possible test location so you can do as well as possible. Two Search Methods Before we worry about choosing locations, you have to find out what those locations are. We will go over two methods to finding SAT locations – one that’s easy to use but less informative, and one that’s harder to use but contains more info. Method One: College Board’s Test Center Search College Board’s Test Center Search lets you look up test centers by state or by city. Depending on where you live, this may give you all you need to know. The Test Center Search page allows you to search for SAT locations by state and city. Image via College Board. For example, I’m from Utah. In the entire state, there are just nine testing locations for the next SAT, mostly at area colleges. So just seeing these nine locations will give me all I need to know. Likely any student in Utah will have just one or possibly two options based on location. Some of Utah's nine SAT locations. Image via College Board. However, if you live in a state like Massachusetts with dozens of potential test sites, you may want to do a more fine-grained search. You can search by city, but remember to look up towns and suburbs near to you to see the most options. If you’re in a state with tons of choices, the second search method, which allows you to look by zip code, will likely be easiest†¦ Method Two: Begin to Register for the SAT For whatever reason, College Board’s test location search within its registration process is more informative than its basic test search option. So to get access to the most efficient SAT location search, you have to go through the SAT registration system. Move through College Board's SAT registration process until you get to step 3, "Select Test Center." Image via College Board. You can enter your zip code (rather than search by only city or state) and see the options closest to you, including neighboring cities. This is much more efficient if you there are a lot of potential test sites near you. Image via College Board. You can also see who still has seats available for the test, which is important info if you know you need to register soon. You don't have to complete the registration to use the search tool. Also, live close to a state line? Consider options over the border, especially if rules/laws are different (some states require scores be reported to talent searches). Choosing a Test Site Now that you know how to search for a test center, you probably fall into one of two camps. In the first camp, let’s call it the Utah camp, your test location is entirely determined by proximity. This means that you have only one or two options based on where you live, so unfortunately you can’t optimize your test center beyond location. But if you’re in the second camp, let's call it the Massachusetts camp, you have many choices. So how do you make sure you pick the best possible test center? Your choice of test location depends on a few important factors, which we will cover in order of importance. How Far Do You Have to Travel? Basically, the closer you live to a test center, the better. You don’t want to risk having a morning-of traffic or weather crisis. Many students test at their high school if they can, but if you live far away from your high school, it might actually be better to see if there is a location closer to your home. Also consider that parking and drop-off around the center is likely going to be congested on the morning of the test, and plan accordingly. Add at least 10 minutes onto predicted travel time to account for this. Are You Familiar With the Test Site? Once you’re inside the center, you’ll be less stressed if you know how to get around. For example, if you’re testing in your own high school, even if you’re headed to a room you’ve never had a class in, you’ll likely be able to find it easily. However, if you’re in a university building and have to go looking for the room, or take a wrong turn, that could add unnecessary stress the morning of the SAT. If you’re heading to a new building on test day, either scope it out before test day or arrive early to give you ample time to get to your test room. Getting lost and ending up in a lonely hallway that looks like something out of The Shining probably won't help your test day jitters. Who's Going to Be There? Don't just think about where you're taking the SAT. Think about who is going to be there, too. If you’re taking the SAT at your high school or at a location with students from your high school, that could be good or bad, depending on your personality. Will seeing friends or classmates relax you, or stress you out? For some students, seeing their friends could help calm them down. Seeing familiar faces and having a moment to joke around before the test could alleviate stress. But for others, seeing their classmates could remind them of their competition for college and make them more stressed. Or seeing friends could be more distracting than helpful. There’s no right answer here. Just take your personal preferences into account. If you know that having your friends around will help, don’t worry about heading to your local high school. If you think it will be stressful for you, consider going to a test center more out of the way so you can focus better on the test. Any Test Center Problems? You should also consider some of the more nitty-gritty details of the testing center before making your choice. There are many factors that could make the test center itself good or bad. Are there windows in the test rooms? For some students, sitting by a window is distracting. For others, being in a windowless room feels suffocating. Are there heating/cooling issues? Taking a test in the sweltering June heat without A.C. would be miserable, but so would taking it in a freezing room in November. If you’re signed up for a winter or summer test date, in particular, make sure you’re in a room with decent temperature control. Any there issues like nearby construction? For example, if there is a noisy construction project going on by your high school, you might elect to go to farther location to make sure your test center will be quiet. Finally, think about desk size. Generally, the more space, the better, because you’ll be balancing the test book and the answer sheet. This can be tricky on those tiny desks some college rooms have. If you’re sensitive about your work space, try and sneak a peak at the test room before you sign up. Should I Just Test at My High School? After reading through all these possible factors, you might be thinking you should just test at your high school, since you know the most about it. For many students, this is a great option. Make sure to consider the following factors, though. Will familiar faces distract you? Like we discussed above, for some students, seeing friends and classmates on test day can be stressful. If you would prefer to be with a crowd of strangers, look into different locations. Is there a closer location you could go? Keep in mind the Saturday morning SAT commute is typically earlier than your high school commute. There might be unexpected traffic and parking issues at the school. If your high school is a ways away, see if there are closer testing locations. Are there known issues with your high school, like small desks or a nearby construction project? If anything about your high school is distracting for you, think about other locations. Finally, do you tend to lose focus in environments you’re used to? Some people prefer the â€Å"blank slate† environment of a new testing center. Others like being in familiar environments for stressful, high-stakes testing. If none of the above are true, your high school could be the best option since you’re familiar with the location. You’ll be less likely to run into morning-of problems simply because you know the building well. Other Tips Be aware of test center closings. Sometimes College Board has to close test centers due to weather or other reasons. Check your email carefully in the weeks and days leading up to the test in case something happens to your location. Drive to the testing location before the morning of the test if you’ve never been there. Make sure the route you’re using (or the route Google Maps is telling you to use) is accurate and gets you there. You don’t want to risk getting lost the morning before the test. If you have a long drive the morning of, pack breakfast with you to save time. You can also listen to music in the car (relaxing music if you need to calm down, pump-up music if you want to get amped) or review some notes to get your brain in gear. (But don't review notes if you're the one driving!) Finally, recognize you can change your location after registering, but there’s a $28 fee and locations fill up the closer you get to the test. What’s Next? Not feeling 100% ready for the SAT yet? Consider reading our guide to a 1600 by our full scorer. Even if you’re not going for a perfect score, the skills described in this post will help you in your last studying push. We also recommend doing full SAT practice tests, with strict timing, to get used to SAT pacing and help build your stamina. Get access to free, official online practice tests here. Curious about what else you should do the morning of the test? Get our advice on the best routine. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

What brought about the destruction of the Berlin Wall Research Proposal

What brought about the destruction of the Berlin Wall - Research Proposal Example (Joan) Former U.S Presidents, Eisenhower and Kennedy had the U.S credibility as their agenda. For them a failure at Berlin would imply disruption in the NATO supplies and fragile American influence in the region in particular West Germany; America’s key to ensure a balance of power in the region. Thus the Berlin Wall as many say was the â€Å"flash point† of the entire crisis. (Harrison) Berlin was the foundation of power in Europe after World War II. Soviet Union which had isolated itself after the war continued to be active across the borders. Several events across the world, related or unrelated constituted to be the main casualties of the Cold War. There were a lot of battle grounds that were kept in secret and away from public eye for decades while some other epicenters like the Berlin Crisis were under considerable public scrutiny. The whole crisis began when Soviet ordered that Nikita Khrushchev the main route to Berlin Airlift of the West be blocked. Tensions continued to rise and mount for some forty years after Germany lost in the Second World War The Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961 in an attempt to prevent the crà ¨me da crà ¨me of East Germany from going to West Germany. It was built post World War II and inaugurated on the 16th August of the same year. The eastern sector of Berlin was under the control of the Soviet Union and the western sector under United States, France and Great Britain. Technically and officially East Germany also known as German Democratic Republic (GDR) was a communist state. It existed for around forty one years under Soviet control spanning it through the 1949-1990 eras. Soviet sector constituted all the major hubs including Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, and Lichtenberg; it was also the biggest o the spot and the whole idea was to prevent an imminent brain drain, departure of well educated talented elite from east Germany. It also aimed at keeping at bay various spy