What is a Low Pressure Area in Meteorology

When you see the red capital letter L on a weather map, youre looking at a symbolic representation of a low-pressure area (or low). A low is an area where air pressure is lower than it is in other areas surrounding it. As a general rule of thumb, lows have a pressure of around 1000 millibars (29.54 inches of mercury). Low air pressure tends to bring stormy weather and have counterclockwise winds. Lets explore why this is. How Lows Form In order for a low to form, something must happen to decrease air pressure over a certain spot. This something is the flow of air from one place to another. It happens when the atmosphere tries to even out a temperature contrast, like that which exists at the boundary between cold and warm air masses. This is why lows are always accompanied by a warm front and a cold front; the differing air masses are responsible for creating the low center. Low Pressure = Stormy Weather Air rises near areas of low pressure, and its a general rule of meteorology that when air rises, it cools and condenses. Thats because the temperature is higher in the upper part of the atmosphere. As water  vapor condenses,  it creates clouds, precipitation, and generally unsettled weather. The kind of weather a location sees during the passage of a low pressure system depends on where it is relative to the warm and cold fronts. Locations in front of the low center (out ahead of the warm front) typically see cool temperatures and steady precipitation.Locations to the south and east of a low center (a region known as the warm sector) will see warm, moist weather. Because winds flow counterclockwise around a low in the Northern Hemisphere, winds in the warm sector are generally from the south. This results in milder air being fed into the system. Showery precipitation and thunderstorms also occur here, but at the boundary of a warm sector and the leading edge of the cold front.Locations behind, or to the west of a low center will see cold, dry weather. This is because the counterclockwise flow of winds around the low are from a northerly direction, suggesting colder temperatures. Its also typical to see conditions clearing here (the colder, denser air is more stable). While its possible, in general, to say low pressure stormy weather, every low-pressure area is unique. Mild or extreme weather conditions develop based on the strength of the  low-pressure system. Some lows are weak and only produce light rain and moderate temperatures, while others may be strong enough to produce severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, or a major winter storm. If a low is unusually intense, or deep, it can even take on the characteristics of a hurricane. Sometimes surface lows can extend upward into the middle layers of the atmosphere. When they do this theyre known as troughs. Troughs are long areas of low pressure that can lead to rain, wind, and other weather events.

Self-Acceptance is the Key to Happiness - 792 Words

When we are young children, we are introduced to the concept of living happily ever after. This is a fairy-tale emotional state of absolute happiness, where nothing really happens, and nothing even seems to matter. It is a state of feeling good all the time. In fairy tales, this feeling is usually found in fulfilling marriages, royal castles, singing birds and laughing children. In real life, an even-keeled mood is more psychologically healthy than a mood in which you frequently achieve great heights of happiness. Furthermore, when you ask people what makes their lives worth living, they rarely mention their mood. They are more likely to talk about what they find meaningful, such as their work or relationships. Research suggests that if†¦show more content†¦Giving too much importance to upcoming events and future possessions, they rely on them to make their lives better, while studies and statistics clearly show that we usually â€Å"overestimate the intensity and duration of our emotional reactions† (Gertner, 447). As Gilbert says, a newly bought computer, car, or house, will very quickly lose its magic and fail in making its possessor happier. This position only comforted my personal point of view. I see the notion of happiness as independent from any kind of belonging or social status. Indeed, every day, millions of married people long for their lost freedom, while others envy these same people who have succeeded in their relationships and found their significant other. The same way will the person who just purchased a highly expensive car will soon begin to notice its imperfections and dream of a better, stronger and faster engine. Therefore, the belief that satisfying desires will lead to happiness is a false one, and can only cause greed and insatiability. So if happiness is a â€Å"lasting† state of well being, shouldn’t it be inherent of something more durable in human nature, and depend less on external incentives? The way I see it, happiness is in life itself. The Gilbert metaphor of a ‘psychological immune system’ (Gertner, 447) encourages my opinion that the stereotype ofShow MoreRelatedLove. Loves Is A Four Letter Word With A Lot Of Significance.1304 Words   |  6 Pagesa part of love. Yet, it doesn’t simply begin from one day to another. Love is a necessity that starts with one-self, within each person. Self-love is very important not just for that individual but for everyone around. Love has the capability to bring such a simple feeling as happiness. Love is the key to striving and living a vigorous life, self-love is included as well. Many see self-love as â€Å"selfish and narcissistic† (Kipp). Its is not selfish nor narcissistic, it is something that is to be valuedRead MoreImpact of Cross-Cultural Differences on Different Perceptions of Happiness1358 Words   |  5 Pagesof happiness. A careful analysis of Weiners findings, which are rooted in research, shows that there are universal patterns and trends beyond individual and cultural differences. Happiness entails understanding the curious combination of internal and external factors; environmental triggers and the human psychological response to those triggers. Buddhist societies like those of Bhutan and Thailand show that happiness manifests when the individual no longer chases happiness, because happiness isRead MoreThe Pursuit Of Understanding Happiness1201 Words   |  5 Pagesand Motivation In the pursuit of understanding happiness, there are two forms of theoretical perspectives called hedonic and eudemonic happiness. Each form of happiness represents the determinant of an individuals’ well-being. Hedonic happiness focus more on activities that bring individuals’ pleasure whereas, eudemonic happiness focus on the circumstances that influence people emotions and life’s expectations. Fisher (2010) defines hedonic happiness as the pursuit of pleasure. These pleasures mayRead MoreHistorical Perspective : What You See Yourself862 Words   |  4 PagesHistorical perspective summary Key concept # 1 self concept describes how you see yourself. overall perception of your abilities, behaviors, and personality. Ideal self is the person you dike to be. Not shaped by your desires for yourself but is shaped by other’s perceptions and evaluations and acceptance of you. If these two match up, youre happy. The greater the difference, may caue anger, depression. Key concept # 2 actual self making progress towards ideal self is self actualization, the basicRead MoreImproving Self Esteem And Live A Better Life1242 Words   |  5 PagesHow to Improve Self Esteem and Live a Better Life By Kassie Lyne | Submitted On March 03, 2012 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest One of the questions psychologists and counselors of all kinds find themselvesRead MoreFamily Value Is Important For Life1696 Words   |  7 Pages I think we all can agree that at some point in our life we asked our self about â€Å"what makes human life matter†? Some of us, including myself, always perceived Human life as something this very precious and important. Even though the answer to this question is ambiguous, people often have a different answer. Some of us only care about life that has some way connected to us or had an impact in our life. However, as for me, the one that stands out above all would value of family because theyRead MoreEvaluation of a Business Code of Ethics Essay1369 Words   |  6 Pagesits employees, and maximum financial stability with focus on the highest morals (First Energy Corp, 2010). The key pulled from the previous statement attempts to substantiate the ethical system with maximum stability portraying the highest morals. Utili tarianism explains that correct actions are actions that provide the highest balance of happiness over sadness. Every person’s happiness is of equal importance (Lasley Pickett, 1992). The following paragraphs will provide more information into theRead MoreHappiness666 Words   |  3 PagesWorkplace  Happiness  Lecture Key  Questions †¢ What  is  happiness? †¢ Why  is  happiness  important? †¢ Cognitive  Lens:  How  do  we   understand/misunderstand  what  will  make  us   happy  at  work? †¢ Situational  Lens:  When  are  people  happy  at   work? †¢ Trait  Lens:  Who  is  happy  at  work? What  is  Happiness? 1 30/04/2013 What  is  Happiness? †¢ Happiness: – an  emotional  state. – how  you  feel  about  yourself  and  the  world. †¢ Satisfaction  with  Life: – more  global  judgment  about  your  acceptance  with   your  life  conditionsRead More`` Slumdog Millionaire And The Great Gatsby By Wendy Wu : Homecoming Warrior1544 Words   |  7 Pageshis terms of happiness. A key scene which helped me come to this realization that money cannot buy happiness is the scene of Jamal won the game show. Boyle symbolized the concept of money through a medium shot film techniques to capture Jamal passive expression when he won. This scene signified that money couldn t buy happiness as Jamal believes his terms of happiness is not wealth but finding Latika is his happiness. People today, including myself, measured their success/happiness only by wealthRead MoreThe First Wave Of Psychological Therapy1386 Words   |  6 Pages Linehan, 2004). The third wave is the most current theory which focuses on traditional cognitive-behavioral concepts with the addition of mindfulness techniques and the acceptance of thoughts (Hayes, M asuda, Bissett, Luoma, Guererro, 2004). This third wave of cognitive-behavioral therapies includes such methods as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, Wilson, 1999), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT; Linehan, Armstrong, Suarez, Allmon, Heard, 1991), mindfulness-based cognitive

Rainbow’s End †Belonging Free Essays

â€Å"At the heart of any individual journey is the tension between belonging and not belonging. † Psychologist Abraham Maslow constructed a theory of self-identity. He believed that for one to understand themselves that had to achieve a true sense of belonging. We will write a custom essay sample on Rainbow’s End – Belonging or any similar topic only for you Order Now The concept of belonging is explored through Jane Harrisons, ‘Rainbow’s End’, as well as Rachel Perkins television drama ‘Redfern Now’ episode ‘Stand Up’. Both texts represent belonging and not belonging through place, family and community. Each text emphasises on the tension between belonging and not belonging from the aspect of an individual’s journey. A Place is an essential part of belonging. Aboriginals believe that they do not own the land, that they are a part of it. However European settlement didn’t respect the Aboriginal culture and values. Despite constant issues between indigenous and non-indigenous land rights and owner ship the indigenous population still have a strong connect with land and thus, place. In ‘Rainbow’s End’ the Dear family live in a humpy on the river bank, which is prone to flooding. Despite the troubles with their home, Dolly is proud to be from the flats. I’m from the flats, not even one of those townie types of cross-over aboriginals†. This quote communicates how proud Dolly is of her Aboriginal culture and that she feels connected to it by where she lives. In ‘Redfern Now’, the representation about place is completely different. Clifton Grammar is a privileged private school, in North Sydney. The school is a symbol of upper white class society. The school is often showed as a low angle shot, this highlights power and authority because the angles of the camera make the school seem larger. A completely different shot is used to show Joel in this very scene. After the low angle shot of the school, there is a high angle shot of Joel. High angle shots express a lack of power by making Joel look smaller, especially when compared to the intimidating school. This emphasises the substantial difference between the rich white private school and Joel’s aboriginal culture, as well as his life in Redfern. Family can provide the deepest form of belonging. The Dear family do not refer to home as a place, home is the connections that all three women share with each other and ancestral past. Dolly’s connection with her family is highlighted in the end of scene thirteen, act 1. Errol asks Dolly to move to the city with him, where he wants to have a future with her and spoil her. She refuse’s and Errol can’t understand why, she explains â€Å"But†¦ a real home? A real home is where there are people looking out for each other. † Unlike Errol Dolly is extremely close to her family and Errol fails to see that family is Dolly’s definition of belonging. The difference in Joel’s family opinion is massive. Joel’s mother wants him to fit in at Clifton Grammar because it is such as privilege to attend the school and the opportunities the school will provide will set Joel up for life. However Joel’s father wants Joel to stick to his aboriginal morals, therefore not standing up and signing the Australian national anthem during assembly. This is represented by costuming and dialog. Joel’s mother says â€Å"you look very handsome in your uniform – it suits you. † Compared to Joel’s father saying â€Å"You look good, you look deadly. If you were going to court. † Both these quotes are said while Joel is in his uniform, highlighting the difference of opinion. Dealing with the pressure from both parents, this puts Joel in an awkward position. The tension between parents is related to belonging and not belonging because only one parent will accept his decision, therefore the other will not feel as appreciated because Joel has rebelled against their beliefs and values. Nan Dear and Gladys represent a different form of community. Nan Dear represents the Indigenous community, believing that the substantial difference between Indigenous Australians and White Australians should remain. Unlike Gladys who wants both cultures to combined to make a society in which everyone is equal. Each character tries to manipulate Dolly into sharing their beliefs. Nan Dear reminds Dolly of want white people have done to the Aboriginal community â€Å"and hospital is where they take our babies away. † This quote scratches the surface of the issues of the stolen generation, therefore this quote creates an allusion of the historical problem. Unlike Nan Dear Gladys looks towards the future is a positive light. To help Dolly fit into the white community she tries to get her a job at the bank. While talking to the bank manager Gladys wears white gloves through the technique of costuming this expresses her trying to fit into the white community. Similarly, Joel becomes an outcast from the Redfern community because he is attending Clifton Grammar. This concept is captured through costuming. While Joel is walking to school he is joined by to boys that give him a hard time because of what he is wearing compared to their casual public school uniform. Even though Joel does no longer belong to the Redfern community, he doesn’t belong to the school community either. This is because he refuses to stand up and sign the Australian national anthem. This is similar to Gladys, this creates tension between belonging and not belonging because of the divided culture and race of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Each text demonstrates the importance of belonging and the reality of not belonging. Even though both texts are set in different decades the difference between Indigenous Australians and White Australians are extremely noticeable in both. All characters in ‘Rainbow’s End’ and ‘Redfern Now’ deal with tension between belonging and not belonging through place, family and community. How to cite Rainbow’s End – Belonging, Essay examples

Accounting For Managers Suppourt

Questions: (a) How much are Casino Computer Service Centers total asset? (b) How much are Casino Computer Service centers total Liabilities? (c) Can the company pays its debts and remain in business? (d) Calculate the amount of profit or loss for Casino Computer Service Center. (e) Calculate Casino Computer Service Centres equity and accounting equation. (f) An asset is similar to an expense. Do you agree? Discuss and use examples to support your discussion. (g) Calculating the following ratios for the two companies. Return on Equity Ratio (in %) Gross Profit Ratio (in %) Net Profit Ratio (in %)Inventory Turnover period (No. of Days) Inventory Turnover period Debtors Settlement period (No. of Days) Capital gearing ratio (in %) Current Ratio (No. of times) Quick or (Acid Test) Ratio (No. of times) Answers: (a)The total assists of Casino Computer Service Centres are $60200 comprising of cash , Accounts receivable and Land (b)The total liabilities of Casino Computer Service Centres are $2700 comprising of Accounts payable. (c)Yes, the company can pay its debts and remain in business because it is generating service revenue, it has good amount of cash in hand and accrue accounts receivable. The company can easily pay off its debts and stay in business. (d)The amount of profit is Service revenue-Office supplies-Rent expense-Salary expense-Interest expense-Utilities expense-dividend ,therefore total profit is $15000-$500-$3500-$2600-$400-$500-$4500 =$7500 (e)Theaccounting equationis: Total side of the Debit side = Total liabilitie side including shareholder equity. The balance sheet is a multifaceted show of thisequation, viewing that the total debit side that is the asset side of a corporation are equal to the credit side of the balance sheet including shareholder funds. Therefore Cash + Accounts receivable Land = Accounts payable + Share Capital+ Retained earnings 25200+5000+30000=2700+40000+14500+3000 Note: The profit of $3000 is included as it will be transferred to the retained earnings of current financial year. (f) An asset cannot be classified as an expense . Asset are resources that are owned by the company, it can be anything an intangible asset or in tangible asset. Expenses are the expenditure that are incurred by the company in respect to the business operations. They cant be classified as resources and they doesnt add economic value to the company as asset provides. For example goodwill is an instable asset, land in this example is a fixed asset. Rent expense , utility expense can be said as an expense incurred by the company to generate revenue. (g)Equity return ratio is a effectivenessrelationshipthat trials the aptitude of a corporaton to make profits from its stockholders moneys in the business (The Economic Times, 2016). Return on equity can be classified as Average income ROE =Annual Net Income/Average Stockholders' Equity ACDC ltd: 170/1140 =.14 or 14% Beeges Ltd: 170/420 = .40 or 40% Thegrossmarginrelationis considered by dividing the business'sgross profitdollars by its remaining transactions or sales dollars. It is termed as an effectiveness ratio that shows the relationship among gross profit and total net sales income. It an effective basis to assess the operational presentation of the business . Gross profit: Gross profit / Net sales ACDC ltd: 680/2880 = .23 or 23% Beeges Ltd: 500/2800= .17 or 17% Net profit ratio is the ratio that is the profit after tariff or tax to net sales . All the cost of production, and all the administration costs , all expenditure that is necessary to generate revenue for the business like rent expense ,cost of materials, electricity expense and the income tax are recognised accordingly. It is not an indicator of proper cash flows as it includes many non-cash items like depreciation, the expenses which are accrued , amortisation expense,. It is actually a small term measurement and cannot be relied upon for long term purpose. A corporation may postponement a diversity ofoptional expenses, such as upkeep, to make its net profit ratio appear more proper than it is already existing (Ready ratio, 2012). Additional plan that can insincerely make the ratio lower is when a business's proprietors need to diminish taxes, and so hasten the acknowledgment of taxable revenue into the present time. Net profit ratio : Net profit / Sales ACDC ltd: = 170/ 2880 = .05 or 5% Beeges Ltd = 170/ 2800 = .06 or 6% In bookkeeping or accounting, theInventory revenueis a quantity of the amount of times stockis vended or castoff in a timeperiodsuch as a year or half a year.. This is actually an indication how good the company is handling inventory and generating more sales and earn more revenue. A high ratio will result in lost revenue as there is no stock to meet the demand. Inventory turnover ratio :The cost of the good that is sold /Average Stock ACDC ltd = 2200/640= 3 i.e. 1/3*365= 123 days Beeges Ltd = 2300/100= 23 i.e. 1/23* 365 = 16 days Debtors Payment period is the standard time it takes whichever for a corporate to pay its creditors or debtors for what they owe. It actually helps a company to know how much time the company will be able to bet its money. Average payment or settlement period for debtors = trade debtors x 365 days / credit sales ACDC ltd = 560*365/2880= 70 days BeeGees Ltd = 220*365/2800 = 27 days Assuming that the sales are not cash sales and are credit sales. Capital gearing ratiois a good method to keep a check at the the capital assembly of a corporation and is considered by dividing the shared shareholders equity by immovable interest or dividend bearing funds. Properly overviewing capital arrangement means calculating the association between the funds provided by shared stockholders and the reserves delivered by those who obtain a periodic interest or dividend at a rate that is fixed. It is actually a measure of the performance of the company and is helpful for the investors (Ashok, 2016) Capital gearing ratio : Stockholders equity : Fixed interest bearing funds ACDC ltd = 1140/1000= 1.14 BeeGees Ltd =420/200 = 2.1 Current ratio is the liquidity ratio which indicates about how frequently the company is able to meet its short term debts and long term obligations. It is also known as the working capital ratio. It indicate good health of the companys condition Current ratio : Current assists/ Current liabilities (Folger, 2016) ACDC ltd = 1380/300= 4.6 times BeeGees Ltd = 550/600 = .91 times Quick ratio Quick ratio is the ratio which indicates how healthy the corporation is able to meet its financial liabilities. Quick ratio excludes stock from the assists. The ratio originates its name seemingly from the resource such as assets such as cash and saleable securities are rapid sources of cash and it does not include inventories as inventories take time to convert in to cash. Whether accounts receivable is a source of ready cash is debatable, however, and depends on the credit terms that the company extends to its customers. Quick ratio = (Assests that are current stock) / current obligations, or = (cash +saleable securities+ any receivables) / current obligations ACDC ltd = 750/300= 2.5 times BeeGees Ltd = 450/600= .75 times To comment on the ratio we would go with the with the ROE ratio where the ACDC ltd has low ratio than BeeGees Ltd. It means BeeGees Ltd is able to make more profits from the shareholders. The gross profit ratio of ACDC ltd is higher than Beegees ltd is higher it means the company sales are high with low cost of production. Coming to quick ratio ACDC ltd is overpowering the other company as it has high ratio that mean liquidity rise as the ratio rises. Same goes with the current ratio as the ratio of ACDC Ltd is increasing the liquidity power is rising and it is beneficial for the investors also. Net profit ratio of BeeGees Ltd is more which means more profits for the company and it does not include any depreciation or other on cash item so it is generating actual profits. Coming to the debtors average settlement period where the ACDC ltd is taking more days to pay its money and the other company is taking less days, so it means Beegees ltd has a good control over paying its debtors. Capital gearing ratio is better when the ratio is lower ,in this case ACDC has a low ratio it means it is good for the investors to go with the ratio and invest. Capital gearing ratio is usually seen by the investors to invest in the company. In inventory collection period , the higher the ratio or days the bad it is therefore Beegee is overpowering ACDC ltd. At the end it is seen that ratios play an important role in letting the company, the stock holders, the investor , the third parties know about the financial results of the company and various measures are provided to keep things at place. It is an important tool for the company to ask loans and can raise by having proper ratios and can make proper analysis of the firm. They can easily chalk out a plan for the corporation. Proper cost cutting facilities are doe by this, the debtors creditor come to know about the collection period and the company tends to know about the profit ratio that they are generating and useful for compa ring results from previous year. References: Ready ratios. (2012).Net profit margin. Retrieved 11 December 2016 from https://www.readyratios.com/reference/profitability/net_profit_margin.html Folger, J . (2016).Formula for calculating current ratio. Retrieved 11 December 2016 from https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/070114/what-formula-calculating-current-ratio.asp Ashok, M . (2016).Capital gearing. Retrieved 11 December 2016 from https://www.accountingnotes.net/financial-management/capital-structure/capital-gearing-meaning-and-significance/7966 The Economic times . (2016).Return on equity. Retrieved 11 December 2016 from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/return-on-equity

A Glance at Nothing free essay sample

I was hopeless, watching the rest. Who was I? And why was I not with them. As the sun cut its arm, and extended its flowing blood to me, I felt its beat. The ringing light brought clarity. A tinted vision, it was almost too much. My first moment of true, deep thought would come of this surreal sense of surrounding. My friends were running, careless, in the breeze of the wind. Yet, I had stayed in my room. Why? I did not know. Depression? I thought not. I was five years old! Why wasn’t I out there? It was the perfect summer weather, where you feel the constant motivation to explore, imagine and play. The time of season where the cornfield by my house held a maze of witches and treasure. I watched as the laughter of these kids were made silent by my closed window. Somehow, I didn’t want to hear their laughs. We will write a custom essay sample on A Glance at Nothing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page With the endless smiles and expressions of their faces, I was worried the sound would ruin it. Eventually, I had sat beneath my window. With the vivid strength of the hazy orange light, I could hardly see the outlines of my walls. It was a vision blurred, and I searched for clarity. There was dust in the midst of this light, and it created a vast, complex sight. Where one speck of nothingness twirled with the other in an endless dance, a clear creation of some splendid something. It was a universe. Each one had its life, a life that by all mathematics and measurements could never again be repeated. The tiniest of movements in the room could move these lives in a different direction. Re-creation of this moment could never again happen. For that reason it was sacred, and kept by me. This individual moment became everything. I changed there, with my back against the grainy wall. The plain colored wood of my sill hung above my head as I gazed. How could I be normal? I hoped I wasn’t, I knew I wasn’t. With a schizophrenic grandma, my mom taking pills to be sane, and the utmost stereotype of a manly-man as my dad†¦ What were the odds of me ever being normal? A mix of insanity and complete simplicity. In the infinite string of time, I had now, my first contemplation on the complexity that life is. I found my goal in life. My mind would be an endless struggle. A battleground of thoughts where I would, from now on, challenge everything. To accept my individuality, to both create and dismantle views on the world, until I had found the way the universe truly worked. Until I answered the forbidden fruit of questions. I sought a complete understanding and the highest of wisdom, a path that these specs of nothing had bestowed upon me. This was a quest to reach the highest tower. A journey, with a road lain by those great thinkers before me. An ignorance of all great resource to knowledge is unbearable to me. I shall pour myself into this oddly traveled dirt road. A trail that, dare I say, takes effort. There are stepping stones to understanding, yet the distractions of this world seem too great. I stare at the mountains in the valley of my room’s flat carpet. Foot and destiny, flush, firm, and proud to be brought together. The gazing black clouds ahead are strewn with hate, and the road upon I stand, seeks their master. Hell-bent, I sought impossibility. Mortal-ridden, I seek to complete the path before my death. There in my room, was my start. Truth, unbiased truth, wisdom’s treasure, and power in knowledge, I desire. Gazing at a galaxy of nothing exposes how little we truly know of a galaxy that is our something. I want to know.

buy custom Medicare essay

buy custom Medicare essay The current and future financial status of the Medicare has largely been subject to the health reforms that have taken place in the recent past. Some of these reforms increase the Medicare spending while others decrease the expenditure, geared at increasing benefits either in coverage or to facilitate the efficient operations of the program respectively. Others improve the quality and delivery of care. Considering benefits improvement, we have a hundred and five billion dollars budgeted for a period of ten years. From the year 2011, Medicare will be covering new annual wellness visits, which will have a personalized prevention plan. In this plan the expenditure will be five billion dollars. Primary care physicians and other providers will spend additional eight billion dollars. What one can conclude from this argument is that Medicare is experiencing a lot of financial constraint. It, therefore, has been necessary to ease this mounting pressure (Barr, 2011). The government and Medicare organizations have put dramatic efforts to increase Medicare savings; as a result the savings have increased to five hundred and thirty three billion dollars. This has been possible due to the reduction of expenditure by Medicare as propelled by the health reform law. The annual increase in payments that health providers ought to receive from Medicare has generated 219 billion dollars. Other reductions generated from provider payments also contributed to this savings portion. An approximate of twenty five percent (136 billion dollars) of the total savings generated from reductions in payment made to medical advantage plans. An increase in the premiums payments for higher income beneficiaries of Medicare is yet another source contributing thirty six billion dollars. It is worth noting that the new board, tasked with reducing Medicare expenditure to levels below defined targets, contributes to sixteen percent whereas other delivery reforms contribute to twelve percent of the total savngs. In the current time, people have a choice of a traditional fee-for service Medicare, or one can enroll in a Medicare advantage plan (MA); for instance, HMOs and PPOs. Note that Medicare advantage plans normally receive a given fixed amount of money for every enrollee. Therefore, they get more than the amount traditional Medicare receives. This is a move by the congress, aimed at encouraging more Medicare advantage plan participation, as well as higher enrollment. Consequently, more plans have been developed with increasing enrollments (Brown, 1992). In fact, the number of enrollees has increased by more than double from the initial size between the year 2004 and 2010. Medicare has thus been compelled to pay more for beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare advantage plans, than it does to those of traditional Medicare. From cost-benefit analysis it is evident that the Medicare program has higher expenditure to revenue thus shortening the life of Trust Fund and increasing payments made by other beneficiaries. In ten years, the Medicare expenditure has to be reduced by one hundred and thirty six billion dollars due to three key provisions. Freezing benchmarks is one of them. If plans presented a bid to Medicare that is below the benchmark, they would be allowed to keep 75% of the difference in their offer and the Medicare maximum, also called the rebate. The health reform law freezes a maximum payment that Medicare will pay the Medicare advantage plans in 2011. The law freezes in decreasing proportions of payments based on the average Medicare cost in every county in the year 2012. In addition, Medicare keeps a larger share of the difference between the plans bid and the county level benchmark. This reduces the amount that plans were previously able to keep, called the rebate. The law also includes a new system of bonus payments to plans, based on a new five star quality rating system. Their impact is not known yet, but it is highly likely that the followwing will happen: there will be fewer enrollees in the Medicare advantage plans, extra benefits for Medicare advantage plans, enrollees will be fewer with time, and finally, the number of plans will probably be fewer (Timothy, 2010). CBO has initiatives estimated to reduce Medicare expenditure by twelve billion dollars in ten years. One of them is a reduction of payments for cases of hospitalization that are preventable. The other one is reduced payment on conditions that are hospital-acquired. Before the implementation of the law on health reforms, analysts of the Medicare part A Trust Fund projected that this trust fund was going to be exhausted by the year 2017. With the enforcement of the Health reform legislation, the Part A Trust Fund will last up to 2029. This is because of the Medicare savings provision, and the new Medicare payroll tax provision. Because of the increase in health cost with time, we expect that Medicare will face tough challenges in the future. In fact, it is likely to double as the share of the gross domestic product (GDP). In proportion terms, it will increase from 3.5% in the year 2010 to 6.4% in the year 2030. The Congressional budget office shows that a rise in health cost has caused a growth in Medicare enrollment, and not due to the Baby Boom generation. The major courses of increase in Medicare spending are: price inflation leading to prices increase, increased volumes of beneficiaries and the introduction of new technologies in the Medicare program. As the population ages, they tend to turn to the Medicare. Medicare, in this case, is taken as a primary source of health insurance. The public also considers Medicare as a pillar of retirement security (Barr 2011). We expect the health reform law to reduce the Medicare spending significantly. By 2015, for example, we project the Medicare spending to be less by fifty billion dollars. Therefore, we anticipate improved financial status in future, holding other factors constant. Buy custom Medicare essay

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Risk management and insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Risk management and insurance - Essay Example Medicare enrollees have in the recent past started purchasing gap-filing coverage, with the enrollees involved constituting up to 70 percent of the total covered population. Medicare provides healthcare coverage in four different parts, namely part A, B, C, and D (King, 2010). Part A and B are the primary parts of the program, providing health insurance for hospital and medical needs. The other two are complementary parts, primarily addressing program flexibility and drug prescriptions. The four primary parts that constitute the Medicare program do not fully address all-round health coverage, meaning that there are some hospital and medical aspects that are not covered by the program. The inadequacies realized in Medicare necessitate the purchase of gap-filling coverage to supplement the Medicare coverage. This gap-filling coverage is necessary in accounting for health risks that Medicare does not provide for. Although Medicare covers the elderly and the disabled populations, only a certain level of their healthcare needs is provided for. As a result, an insurance cover that addresses health care aspects that Medicare does not provide for becomes necessary. MediGap plans serve as a common example of gap-filling

Poetry and society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Poetry and society - Essay Example It has the ability to remind the people about the past, present and future. In short, the ability of poems or poetry in touching the hearts and souls of the people is unquestionable. Since poetry has the ability to touch the souls or emotions of the people, it is often argued that poetry can be used effectively for emotional healing. Emotional problems in this world are growing day by day. Medicines and other methods of therapy have some limitations in addressing the emotional problems such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety of the people. Since poems or music has the ability to speak to the souls, it is believed that poetry or music therapy may help the people with mental problems to get out of the troubles. According to Bouchard, poetry is one of the mediums most conducive to personal, emotive expression. This paper analyses how poetry can be used effectively for emotional healing. The number of people, suffering from emotional problems is growing day by day. The major reason for the growing emotional problems in the society is the life style changes and the loss of morality and ethics in the society. Upcoming generation, especially the children and young adults are facing a lot of emotional problems in recent times. Richard Gold (Founder of Pongo volunteers) and his volunteers conducted a study among children and young adults in juvenile detention centers, homeless shelters, psychiatric hospitals, and other organizations, to know more about the ability of poetry in solving emotional problems. Gold and his team used a carefully constructed model to encourage written expression that will target those areas which are most affecting the youths’ circumstances (early childhood trauma, such as abuse, rape, addiction, death and violence). After this study, Gold has written a post on the Pongo site blog, entitled â€Å"Poetry Saved My Life†, which is giv en below: â€Å"Ive seen that lifes worst experiences can exist as strangers

The Value Of Marks And Spencers

The Value Of Marks And Spencers Marks and Spencer the giant in UKs high street history started its journey in 1884 which leads the retailers in Uk who has the number of visiting customers over 21 million per week with over 70,000 employees working in around 900 stores all over the world with 600 stores in uk and above 300 in over 40 countries ( Marks and Spencer , 2010) since the origination of marks and spencers had grown as a global retailer and increased its strength to strength by increasing the stores all over , and getting closer to the customers , since 1920, Marks and Spencers has bought its goods directly through the manufacturer using the trademark name as StMichael and became a public company in 1926 with its first store opening in 1930 in London , from then the organisation has grown step by step fulfilling the needs of public, From then MS has become the Brittans leading organisation providing wide range of products and services to the customers worldwide. Marks Spencers has wide range of products li ke clothing,footwear,gifts,bakery,houseappliances,electricals etc.Where 17% of the clothing market in Uk is in hold of Marks and Spencers .Softgoods such as clothing and household appliances account about 58% of the companys sales and almost 42% of the sales come from Food and Wine .The reputation of marks and spencers increased day by day due to its customer friendly techniques.The goods that are sold by marks spencers have excellent value and quality which increased the reputation and brand value which made Marks and Spencers as the best retailer in Uk. The headoffice of Marks and Spencers is located in Paddington station, London, UK. The Marks and Spencers store that is located in Marble Arch, London holds the Guinness record for having the highest revenue per square foot considering any stores all over the world. Britain called as home of shopkeepers and for sure Marks and Spencer can be called as the leader of the shop keepers in UK. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This research is aimed to show how Marks and Spencers could be by 2030, and what are the strategies Marks and Spencers need to follow to attain a sustainable position in the market and the ways it need to save its reputation , and the role of Human recourses Management for the sustainable growth . This researchs objective is to interlink the role of HRM and Scenario Planning on Marks and Spencers and show the picture how Marks and Spencers would grow when both scenario planning and HRM work effectively, and even to show the other side of Marks and Spencers by 2030 when the management doesnt have a specific strategy with a normal team of HRM. This research even shows how marks and Spencers can increase its range in different business fields in different countries, and how it can be the leading shopkeeper in the world by 2030. LITERATURE REVIEW: Scenario planning is defined by many authors in different ways, Ringland defined scenario planning as the part of strategy planning that relates to tools and technologies for managing the uncertainties of the future (Ringland, 1998) Scenario planning is defined by Schwartz as tool for ordering ones perceptions about alternative future environments in which ones decision might be played out- (Schwartz,1991). According to shoemaker (1995), scenario planning is a disciplined process for imaging good future in which organisations outcome is calculated. Scenario planning for the years has been proven that the technique to overcome the uncertainties and identifying the critical future and investing the loop holes in the organisation-(Kahane, 1999). The changes in the environment and the financial crisis may lead to degrade the market situation. Fleming believes that this type of situation cannot be overcome easily and the public policy should concentrate on transformation of the political economy- (David Fleming, 2001). According to Deming, a change is necessary when the economy is in a down-hill-slide and he even argued that we can elevate our economy with specialized services and products. This change will require knowledge .in other words, our problem is education and development of a culture that puts value on learning (Deming, 1994). According to Edgar da Cruz Souto Gomes, modern companies pay attention towards their human resources. The one who is able to enable them, coordinate them and take in to their expectations are able to gain market share. According to Thompson the main aim behind PEST analysis is generally economic conditions affect both on cost and demand even they effect on the success and profits-(Thompson, 2002) In an organisation such as Marks and Spencers training for the employees should be carried out in a highly specific way in such a situation the role of HRM is crucial. The designed programmes for the employees should be in such a way that it should satisfy both the organisation and the employees. According to McGhee and Thayer in 1961trainingmust be identified and performing different level of analysis such as organizational, operational and individual analysis. In training needs analysis (TNA) method and technique are often used in the journals by the authors such as Chiu, et al, 1999, Ford, 2002. According to R.R.Yeleti manager in Marks and Spencer the Human Resources was well established and the way it approaches is simple as the role of line manager to customer service assistant is to improve the quality of Marks and Spencer. And for the growth of the organisation Marks and Spencer need to follow SMART. In general SMART is used as the goal setting tool for the organisation. And R.R.Yeleti also discussed about Plan-Do-Review-Revise which is being followed by the organisation. According to him it is a tool that can be used in many ways and in many situations for setting a plan for the implementation of project and process of simplifying the problems. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1) What are the scenarios that Marks and Spencer need to follow by 2030 to attain a sustainable position? 2) What is the role of HRM in Marks and Spencer for the growth of the organisation by 2030? SMART: the goal setting tool for Marks and Spencer. Goal setting of Marks and Spencer is achievable only when they had the vision. The research analyses the need for developing its HR team by 2030 and developing some strategies for overcoming the competition which they are facing now and the need for changing its brand value which willt be goals for the organisation. Some areas where Marks and Spencer need to consider before setting the goals FROM THE MARKS AND SPENCER PRESPECTIVE: Explore what you need to set as target through the heart of Marks and Spencer keeping in mind the trusted customer base. How to function the leadership? The line managers and senior managers should have discussions on the needs that they are to be achieved? Need to maintain the database regarding the feedback from the customers and even from the staff regarding the performance measurement. Direct and indirect feedback within Marks and Spencer What is the best way to demonstrate and add value to the organisation? PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS WITHIN MARKS AND SPENCER Considering the past feedback from colleagues and other databases which will give a chance to look the future. Marks and Spencer need to review on own strengths and areas of development. Marks and Spencer need to finalise the results for various questionnaires and what does the results show? What feedback did Marks and Spenser receive from its suppliers regarding its retail business and what are the ways it can develop. PLAN TO ACHIEVE THE TARGETS: Considering the targets and after setting new goals then Marks and Spencer need to put up a plan together by the management. I recommend the following goal setting plans in this research. Make a detailed Plan: For achieving the goal the process should not slip or advance from the time limit. Marks and Spencer should tell its customers only when they are sure that they can help to achieve the goal. Dead Line: Marks and Spenser should have a dead line to track the status for example if they had a goal of opening 100 new stores all over the world they should have a dead line for achieving that, the dead line should particularly specify the year when Marks and Spencer are going to achieve the target so that they will be able to track the path they are in. Visualise the goal: Marks and Spencer should visualise the goal as if they are creating the future history. Marks and Spencer should be able to feel the change they are going to show in the future to the public so that the target can be achieved easily. Marks and Spenser should be able to feel and sense the taste, smell and should be able to experience the outcome. Direct / Indirect support: Marks and Spencer should be able to keep a note of people or groups who could support Marks and Spencer to achieve the goal. What does the supporter need from the organisation to support Marks and Spencer? The supporters might be supporting the organisation directly or indirectly. And the organisation should be able to help the supporters which will indirectly help Marks and Spencer. Overcoming Obstacles: Even they follow the actions according to fixed targets and goals they may have some obstacles such as political and economical issues. To overcome such obstacles Marks and Spencer should be able to face with a never give up attitude which will make the organisations dreams come true PLANS DO REVIEW REVISE IMPROVE (PDRRI): The plan do review revise improve is generally opted by the organisations for the continuous development. Marks and Spencers can use this tool in creating a path to fulfil the goals. Planning a project by Marks and Spencer Reviewing the effectiveness during the implementation and completion Revising the adopted changes Making changes to improve The success of the assigned goal of Marks and Spencer come true only when the staff feel responsible for the implementation with a plan , making use of the direct and indirect help from the stake holders in all stages to improve the quality. PLAN: Marks and Spencers should be clear about the plan DO: Implementing the strategic planning for carrying out the plan REVIEW: Marks and Spencer should be able to draw the conclusion from the implementation of strategic planning IMPROVE: How can Marks and Spencer improve? Improving the assigned plans for the better outcome. A goal without any specific plan just remains as goal .Marks and Spencer has vision , intentions, ideas, dreams which will make the goals come true by 2030 if they are SMART. SMART is in general Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound. SPECIFIC: A specific goal has a much difference when compared to a general goal, a general goal for Marks and Spencer would be internalization. A specific goal would be different from internalization and the specific goal would say setting up a team to calculate the business levels in particular countries where the business is planned. MEASURABLE: Marks and Spencer need to concentrate on measuring the progress towards attaining the goal , Marks and Spencer need to measure the progress, whether they are on track, and reaching the target dates, and experience the effort to reach the organisations goal, and asking questions themselves such as how much? How many? ACHIEVABLE: It is important to Marks and Spencer to ensure that the goal they set is achievable not impossible. It would be a wrong assumption if they set a goal to attain profits of 50% in a recession which is impossible .instead they can have achievable goals such as market segmentation expanding the market opening new stores and being a tough competitor to its competitors. REALISTIC: Marks and Spencer should be realistic in the goal they choose and they should be able to represent their goal in highly realistic way that it is achievable and they would be only one who can decide whether the goal they set is high, realistic and achievable. TIME BOUND: Marks and Spencer goals should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame there is no sense of urgency. If Marks and Spencer has a goal of opening 100 new stores, when do Marks and Spenser want to open new stores by? In next 10 years wont work. But if you have a time frame that is by 2030. Then it is clear that Marks and Spencer set a clear time bound which will start to work on the goal. S W O T ANALYSIS: SWOT analysis shows the internal business in terms of strengths and weakness of an organisation, opportunities and threats of the external business. SWOT analysis is meant to spark the strategic ray and to calculate the facts and figures which help for the strategic planning (Mintzberg 1994).This research shows the SWOT analysis of the Marks and Spencers to analyze the current situation and to implement the strategies to give a tough competition to its competitors by 2030. STRENGTHS: Marks and Spencer has many strengths but this research focuses mainly on the brand value of the organisation and wide range of products and different outlets which help to grow the business and the range it delivered to the public. High recognition of the brand: Marks and Spencers is the giant of the UKs high street is known by everyone in the market for the quality it is providing in the past years. The brand value is high as the customers who go to the high street prefer to go to Marks and Spencers as they can finish the whole shopping in a go. Wide variety of products: Marks and Spencers had a variety of products in every store which helps the customers to choose the best, for example if we take vegetables , Marks and Spencers began to sell the vegetables and fruits over 40 years ago, they started selling fruits and vegetables such as Canary tomatoes , avocados and English apples , carrots . and Marks and spencers always relied on the farmers with good relationship from where they are able to increase the variety of products. Back in 1970s Marks and Spencers persuaded small growers of strawberries to drive their crop straight to local marks and Spencers stores. To find the perfect taste of the customers Marks and Spencers spend more than three years on testing and tasting the strawberries before launching marks and Spencers jubilee Strawberry in summer 2003. At the moment Marks and Spencers has more than 1200 suppliers with over 400 different varieties, as well as 500 different types of pre prepared fruits, vegetables and salads.( Marks and Spencer 2010) Where the other super markets fail to produce wide variety of products , which indirectly helps Marks and Spencers . Large number of stores and outlets: Marks and Spencer the giant in the uks high street history has about 900 stores all over the world with 600 stores in the Uk and above 300 in over 40 countries (Marks and Spencer, 2010). The numbers clearly say that large number of stores and outlets make the business wider and the sales even increase due to the wide range of products that Marks and Spencer has. If the stores and outlets increases the strength of Marks and Spencer goes high day by day, as it can be available to all the commodities of the people for reasonable cost and good quality. Popular designer brands: Marks and Spencer has wide range of brands which really help the organisation. For example mens wear has wide range of brands such as autograph, Bigtall, Blue harbour, Collezione, North coast etc (Marks and Spencer, 2010). Coming to women brands Marks and Spencer has different brands such as Autograph, Classic, Indigo collection, Limited collection, Per Una, Portfolio, etc( marks and Spencer 2010). Due to the wide range of brands the business of the organisation goes strength by strength WEAKNESS: Marks and Spencer even had some weakness as the other organisations had; this research mainly focuses on weaknesses of Marks and Spencer and the strategies the organisation need to follow to overcome the situation. Bad publicity as non trendy store: Marks and Spencer has a draw back in the market as the organisation is out fashioned and non trendy. Even though Marks and Spencer has wide range of products and different brands the general people has a wrong assumption that mens wear and womens wear are only for the aged people not for the teenagers and young people. These wrong assumptions are making the business low. The management should develop new strategies to focus on the sales for the young people. Even the management failed in the past years to attract the new customers, the people who had trust on Marks and Spencer from the past years still shop but the new generations are not at all interested. Some people say that Marks and Spencer is a shop for sixties and seventies but not for twenties and thirties. To overcome this management of Marks and Spencers need to come with a new strategy to attract all the age limits not losing its reputation with the present followers and they even need to develop a strategy to overcome from the bad publicity and to give great competition to its competitors such as Primark, Next, River island, oasis, Oxygen, New look, HM etc. Manual working increases the costs: Marks and Spencers had a backdrop of following old techniques rather than following the new techniques which increase the different aspects such as money, time etc. But in general the big organisations are keeping a focus on the new technologies for the efficiency of the work done. Now a days the organisations are preferring for both mechanized and automated material handling alternatives for various types of logistic operations. Most of these technologies help to increase the productivity in less span of time but the main drawback of Marks and Spencer is not utilising the technology for effective use the manual work increases the cost and reduces the work efficiency it is recommended to Marks and Spencer to use the new techniques instead of increasing the manual hours and manual costs for trading. Its just matter of time and planning to overcome this obstacle. There is no doubt that manual working increases cost. OPPORTUNITIES: INTERNALIZATION-increasing the global presence: Marks and Spencer was stabilized in UK and even it started number of stores all over the world in the 1940s.the company started trading most of its services using St.Michael brands. Using St.Michael brand the company started exported about $1,146,000 worth of merchandise. Marks and Spencers early internalisation was mostly due to domestic factors. After some dramatic changes it is clear that the expansion of the market have to come from the overseas. Labour party members were suggesting nationalising for the leading domestic retailers ( De Nardicole 1998). Internationalization was therefore seen as a tool that diverts everything from the market on the local basis. Due to the export business only few international franchising relationships are made. Importers of the St. Michael brand , who were familiar with the success of the brand in their countries started investing in the business of Marks and Spencer . In the early 90s St Michael fr anchises were operating a good business in 14 different economies. By 1996 Marks and Spencers has 645 outlets worldwide, among these 645 outlets 58% of the shares were in UK, Europe and Canada.(De Nardi-cole 1998) . The picture has changed since then at the moment Marks and Spencer has about 70,000 employees in 900 stores all over the world with above 300 stores worldwide and 600 stores in the UK. Marks and Spencer has above 21 million visiting customers per week (Marks and Spencer, 2010). In general Retailers take relatively less risk to enter the global market, Instead they start exporting and franchising their products globally. Marks and Spencer did the same thing back in 1950s but due to the significant raise in the demand by the consumers marks and Spencer can go ahead by increasing globally as it has significant purchasing power. Marks and Spencer can utilize various types of modes of entry around the world. Marks and Spencer can open its own stores around the world or throug h expanding the business through franchise agreements. Marks and Spencer has its own stores in Canada, France, Belgium, Germany, Hong-Kong, Ireland, Spain and Netherlands. Marks and Spencer have the Franchise agreement with developing countries such as Bermuda, Canary Islands, The Bahamas, The Czech republic and Israel (De Naridi cole , 1998) the company started franchising in the countries who have smaller per capita income . Marks and Spencer started growing in south Asia from 2000 . Marks and Spencer had a franchise deal with a company called planet sport. According to the market basis it started the clothing and bath items only, the franchise owner VP.Sharma said to BBC that most of the goods in India are imported from Europe so The brand name of Marks and Spencer would help the business to grow rapidly. It is a good idea to increase the Franchise as Marks and Spencer has a good reputation all over the world and it origins from the land of costly brands. By taking Planet Sport a s example Marks and Spencers has the chance of growing globally as it is recognised globally, The management need to take necessary steps to increase globally keeping in mind all the factors . The chance of growing increases only when Marks and Spencers is activated globally. A specific strategy need to be implemented by the management for the raise in the branches all over the world which will be a good sign for the organisation. MARKET SEGMENTATION: Market Segmentation is defined as the process of splitting customers in a market into different groups within which customers share similar level of interests in the same or comparable set of needs satisfied by a distinct marketing proposition. Marks and Spencer has the opportunity to increase the technique of market segmentation by increasing its branches all over the places which will increase the business, in general marks and Spencer mainly have the mega stores all over the places but they dint concentrate on splitting the customers according to the area of interest. Sainsbury on other hand divided the customers by opening new stores called Sainsbury Locals which increased the business. In the same way Marks and Spencer has the opportunity by dividing the customers by establishing small shops which will reduce the maintenance cost and increase the profits as the manual power will gradually decrease when compared to mega stores and even the investment on the p ublicity will be less , keeping in mind all the features it has the opportunity of spreading the business by market segmentation. THREATS: Increased competition in all areas of business: Marks and Spencer has the threat of losing its scope in the business due to the competition, the increased competition in the retailer sector is a big worry as the other retail competitors such as Asda, Sainsbury and Tesco are expanding themselves such as Sainsburys local and Tesco Express where as Marks and Spencer is still relaying on the mega stores, if the same thing goes on there is a risk of losing its reputation among the customers so it is recommended to increase the stores where they can increase the profits so the Management need to come with a new scenario to develop the risk management by increasing the stores. Marks and Spencer need to come with a strategy to overcome all the obstacles PEST ANALYSIS: PEST analysis can be defined as the Political, Environmental, Social and Technological analysis that describes the frame work of the macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning components of strategic management(Brenner ,1998). Figure http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-pest-analysis-image14771406 SCENARIO PLANNING: As the world progresses further into developing stage, organisations are looking for different types of new techniques which would drive the organisation; uncertainty is becoming a factor to concentrate on for the business leaders. The changes are external to the organisation but to overcome these uncertainties there should be designed solution assuming the future. The well known technique for overcoming uncertainties is strategic planning; the strategy planning alone cannot overcome Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors. Another school of strategy planning has emerged as scenario planning. Rather than predicting the future scenario planning gives the different type of stories that organisation need to follow in the critical situation. It is clear that the participation in scenario planning can have direct impact on business and the decision making techniques are directly related to the business results (Schwartz, 1991). Scenario planning was first developed by RAND corporation in the early 1940s by Kahn and he titled it as Future-now (Kahn, 1940). The intent of this approach was to produce a script which would analyze the future and produce the report regarding the business by the business professionals. Around in 1960s Kahn adopted a name called scenario 1. Lean Economy 2. Political nightmare 3. Marks and Spencer forms as a conglomerate ( low competition and trend changes in the environment) 4. High competition and trend changes 5. Hr to Hr.2 for Marks and Spencer LEAN ECONOMY: Expected global recession to hit UK in 2030 If this situation occurs Marks and Spencers should be Developing the funds necessary to overcome the situation Having a focused team with knowledge on political issues Marks and Spencers should be active politically for best result to know the policies of the government which are going to be affecting the retailers. If the recession by 2030 occurs Marks and Spencers should be able to Compare the market situation and try to be cheaper than its competitors such as Primark, Next, Oasis in the clothing segment and retailers such as Sainsburys, Tesco and Asda etc. UK: 2030, if X party which does not support the retailers is in power and if there is another recession hits UK. The X government does not have any interest to support the retailers. The X party dont have any idea of injecting money into the market even the situation is so tight which will make the situation too worse , Marks and Spencer wont be in a situation to help itself from the crisis even the organisation will find difficult to run the business effectively. Even in this situation Marks and Spencer dont want to lose its reputation in the market by showing the situation to employees and the customers. POLITICAL NIGHTMARE: Uk:2030 expected change in the politicians policies towards the retailers which make the business sink If this change occurs Marks and Spencer need to focus on the political issues Role of HRM should be active in Marks and Spencer to overcome the critical situation Marks and Spencer should be able to Change the policies according to the political issues Marks and Spencer would be comfortable with the situation only when the organisation had a specific planning. MARKS AND SPENCER FORMS AS A CONGLOMERATE (LOW COMPETITION AND TREND CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT) Expected that the situation in the global market changed by 2030 and there is low competition and also trend changes in the environment then Marks and Spencers need to follow different approach to the customers. If the situation goes then Marks and Spencer should focus on how to get closer to the customers and to retain the customers by offering incentives to remain with them. Due to the low competition Marks and Spencer can opt to spend more on Loyalty schemes rather than investing the money on advertising. Marks and Spencer need to look for cost saving techniques and then pass the savings for the lower prices to the customers. Marks and Spencer should merge as a conglomerate because of the potential benefits that might be provided to the organisation. Due to the less flow of the money in the market customers and business people show the value for money Keeping in mind the present situation Marks and Spencer could form as conglomerate will lead the business of Marks and Spencer remain both profitable and efficient. Marks and Spencer should concentrate on buying the shares of the smaller businesses who are facing tougher financial stages due to the present situation, as Marks and Spencers would be capable of investing their business under the franchise would be even helpful as they can expand the business even in tougher situation like this. MARKS AND SPENCER WITH DYNAMIC APPROACH (HIGH COMPETITION AND TREND CHANGES IN A GOOD ECONOMY): If this is the situation by 2030 consumers are with high income and they prefer to have better services rather than a normal service. Marks and Spencer should be in a situation to implement new technology for the fast growing customer needs. Marks and Spencers should be able to research its competitors potential at home and abroad, and it should be able to turn the customers to its side with dynamic approach as there is a chance of high competition and trend changes in a good economy. Marks and Spencers should have the ability to purchase the products due to high demand of products as consumers demand for the innovative technologies. Marks and Spencers is in a situation where there is high competition and tremendous changes in the trend in a good economy by 2030, the organisation should be able to have the purchasing power for the innovative technologies which will help the organisation to attract new customers with high potential so that the sales increase gradually even the competition in the market is high. Marks and Spencers should even concentrate on internalization as the economy is expected to be in raise which will increase the consumers needs , Marks and Spencers even need to have a check on its own potential with its competitors due to high competition. HRM SCENARIO: HR to HR 2.0 Expect the need. Strong work force planning must be conducted. Specify the job. Make sure that right job is assigned for the right employee; jobs must be built around the people. Developing the pool Concentrate on choosing the right assessors than concentrating on the assessment technique. Measure the candidates. Receiving the new comer. Helping him to acquire the organisation culture. Examine and review. MS should be able to foresee the need of recruiting the staff for some special occasions like Christmas and New Year. As the flow of customers will be high on these occasions, more employees must be recruited. To control the situations, MS should have a strong work force planning. The right job must be assigned to the right employees to achieve the best outputs. If the HR department fails to assign the right jobs, it will be of no use even if they best employees. The jobs must be built around the employees. It is very much important to develop the pool to easily filter the better workforce. The HR department should concentrate on choosing the best assessors rather than concentrating on the techniques they use to assess the employees. If they can assess the employees, then they

The Cask of Amontillado Essay -- Literary Analysis, Allan Poes

In Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† the main character, Montresor, leads his enemy, Fortunato, into his catacombs, and there buries him alive by bricking him up in a niche in the wall; Poe gives no actual reason for this except to say that Montresor has been â€Å"insulted† in some way. In his Science Fiction work â€Å"Usher II,† Ray Bradbury adopts many of Poe’s works in creating his story—including pieces from â€Å"TCoA.† What separates Bradbury’s work from other authors who borrow works and re-imagine them (Gregory Maguire’s Wicked, Geraldine Brooks’s March, and Peter Carrey’s Jack Maggs, for instance), is that â€Å"Usher II,† in its imaginative way, is trying to be one with its predecessor. Bradbury seeks to retain Poe’s love of the double and the secretive (Gothic mentalities where the reader is meant to be a bit uncertain about what they’re reading and what†™s going on) while adding, most notably regarding â€Å"TCoA,† the things Poe never had much care for: a beginning, an end, and reason—thus making â€Å"Usher II† not only an homage to Poe’s work, but a companion piece whose beating heart lies within the original work. Poe, according to Professor Epstein of the Queens College English Department, wrote for the climax, got you there, and then left; examples of this can be found in â€Å"The Black Cat† and â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† where Poe cuts out right before the cops are about to slap the chains on the narrators, and, as will be illustrated below, in â€Å"TCoA.† In â€Å"The Philosophy of Composition,† Poe writes, regarding the structure of his stories, â€Å"It is only with the denouement [the final revelation showing the outcome, or untying, of the plot] constantly in view that we can give a plot its indispensable air of consequence, or causation, by ma... ...has taken Poe’s â€Å"TCoA† whole, just as it is, and made it his own by tinkering at the edges, giving it a beginning, and, because the main character has knowable reasons for doing what he’s doing, a proper conclusion that doesn’t leave the reader feeling as if they’ve been pushed to the top of a mountain and then left there to get down themselves. In â€Å"Usher II,† Bradbury takes Poe’s masked figures and lifts them for the reader (if not for the characters, who need to die because they aren’t familiar with Poe). Bradbury hasn’t stolen Poe’s work, nor has he altered its effect; he has, instead, added his own sly creativity to a master storyteller’s work by expounding upon what was already there. I think that even Poe, who so valued originality, would have been amused by Bradbury’s retelling of his work. (Either that, or lead him down into some dark and dusty catacombs.)

Meteors Case Study Essay

Meteorites are rocks from space, which land on Earth, attracted by her gravity. The shooting stars that you see at night, are actually burning meteors that fall on Earth from outer space! This is the first of many interesting facts that are going to follow. Why do meteorites fall? For the same reason why anything falls on Earth – ‘Gravity’. Very few can escape it! Meteorites have their origin in outer space. They are relatively small pieces of dust and debris, usually left behind in the wake of a comet. Meteorites, that are huge in size, have their origin in space, as asteroids. They are left over pieces of matter from formation of the solar system, which could not clump together to form a planet like our Earth. There is a dense belt of such asteroids outside the orbit of the planet Mars, called the ‘Asteroid Belt’. Asteroids are huge in size and their lengths can number to kilometers! Once in a while, small pieces of rock or dust, come into range of Earth’s gravitational pull and fall on Earth as shooting stars. An asteroid dislodged from its trajectory and falling on Earth is also called a meteorite. However, an asteroid being huge in size, causes a cataclysmic explosion on Earth on impact. Origin ‘Meteor’ and ‘Meteorite’ facts are interchangeable terms and we shall see why they are so. When these rocks and pieces of dust are floating in space, they are called ‘Meteoroids’. When they make a blazing entry into Earth’s atmosphere, they are called ‘Meteors’. Finally, if they survive the burning entry into Earth’s atmosphere and fall on Earth, they are called ‘Meteorites’. So a meteorite could originate from comet debris called meteoroids or larger objects called asteroids! Here are some basic facts about meteorites, meteors and meteoroids. Comets leave tons of dust and debris in their trail as they travel along long orbits round the Sun. When Earth, while revolving around the Sun, passes through some patches of this comet debris, it enters the Earth’s atmosphere causing meteor showers. Meteor showers are periodic events. One can see thousands of meteors or shooting stars, as they are called, during such a shower. The most popular meteor showers are ‘Perseids’ (which peak around August 12) and Leonids (which peak around 17 November). During these showers, you can observe a shooting star at the rate of 1 meteor per minute on an average. A falling meteor can travel at speed of as much as 44 miles per second ! One of the facts is that they have some of the oldest rocks in the solar system among them. They could be older than the Earth and date from the period when Sun was forming! Every day, about 4 billion meteoroids fall on Earth! Majority of them are very tiny and therefore do not cause much harm. If a meteorite is observed while falling and recovered from the place of fall, it’s called a ‘fall’ meteorite. If a meteorite is not observed while falling, but found from any location, it’s called a ‘find.’ Till 2006, there have been roughly 1,050 witnessed falls while there are about 30,000 documented ‘Finds’. Falling meteors which are large in size, can create an intense electromagnetic pulse, which temporarily disrupt radio communication in the region of fall! With a properly designed radio antenna, you can actually ‘hear’ meteorites falling as radio noise. Types and Composition Here are some facts about their types and composition, that you should know about. Recovered meteorites are classified into three main categories which are ‘Chondrites’ (Make about 86% of all recovered meteorites), ‘Achondrites’ (8%) and ‘Iron’ meteorites (6 %). The name ‘Chondrites’ comes from features called ‘Chrondules’, which are melted silicate materials from their past. Chondrites are about 4.55 billion years old and are the types of rocks from which our own planet formed! Certain chondrite meteorites fallen from outer space contain traces of amino acids and organic matter, bolstering the theory that life may have been planted on Earth! This is one of the most astounding facts. Achronidtes are relatively younger meteorites of the igneous rock type and are pieces of asteroids, the Moon and Mars! Iron meteorites are composed of iron-nickel alloys and silicate materials. They are also thought to be pieces of asteroid s! Every one of these meteor facts are intriguing. Earth has been pounded by the impact of many meteorites, ranging from the very tiny to gigantic meteorites. The meteorites impact craters that are found on earth are testimony to this. It is time for the last of our facts. One gigantic meteorite impact occurred millions of years ago on Earth which brought on the extinction of dinosaurs! One question that may come to your mind is, ‘Where do meteorites fall?’. They could fall anywhere on Earth. Meteors have been found all over the world. The recent findings have been mostly in Africa and accessible parts of Antarctica. If you could find one, you are bound to be rich as private collectors and museums pay millions of dollars for them! The reason is that they are very rare and are made up of minerals, which are never found on Earth! So keep looking! You may never know, when one might pop out of the sky, making you rich. So it’s actually profitable to know some meteor fact s. Originating in the outer space, an object reaches Earth and gets a place in the list of meteorites. There have been many instances of extraterrestrial bodies impacting the Earth’s surface while some have only passed through the Earth’s atmosphere before they were destroyed. Meteorites have been arousing interest of the masses as there is an element of mystery that surrounds them. Where do they originate? What makes some of them enter the Earth’s atmosphere? How dangerous can they get? Space research and astronomy have revealed some interesting information about some of these questions and researched thoroughly on the different types of meteorites. Most of the meteorites disintegrate before reaching Earth while some reach the planet’s surface. Huge meteorites form craters on Earth while the smaller ones involve less danger. Meteorites containing small round particles are known as chondrites and form about 86% of those falling on Earth. Those similar in appearance to small igneous rocks are called achondrites and believed as being the crustal material of a steroids. Meteorites originating from the core of asteroids are known as iron meteorites and form about 5% of the meteorites, which fall. History has recorded a number of instances of meteorites impacting the Earth. ALH 84001: It was found in the Allan Hills, Antarctica in December 1984. Meteorite hunters of the United States working on ASMNET project discovered this meteorite. When discovered, its mass was 1.93 kilograms and its rock was reportedly one of the oldest forms. This meteorite was supposed to have come from Mars. Later it was believed to consist of some traces of the life on Mars and this made ALH 84001 more famous than ever. Hoba: This meteorite lies on the farm Hoba West in Namibia and has never been moved elsewhere because of its exceptionally greater mass. With a mass of about 60 tons, it is the largest meteorite known to mankind. It is tabloid in shape and composed of metal. It is believed to have landed on Earth about 80,000 years ago. In 1955, it was declared as a national monument and has since then been attracting visitors from different parts of the world. Tunguska Event: The Tunguska explosion took place in June 1908 near Tunguska River, now a part of Russia. Most probably, the air burst of a large meteorite caused this explosion. The energy emitted from this explosion was about 1000 times greater than that of the bomb blast of Hiroshima. According to the eyewitnesses of this explosion, the event started with a flash of bright blue light and a sound originating from east and moving northward. Later the sound was accompanied by shock waves that broke windows miles away. This was one of the famous disintegrating meteorites that remain in the list of world’s most famous meteorites. Willamette Meteorite: This is an iron-nickel meteorite that was discovered in the United States near Oregon. It is the largest of the meteorites found in the United Sates as also the sixth largest in the world. Probably the meteorite had landed in the region, which is now known as Canada. This meteorite weighing about 15.5 tons is one of the very large meteorites of the world. Orgueil: This meteorite fell in France in 1864 and is a relatively older meteorite. The fall of this meteorite consisted of small stones that covered a massive area. This is one of those eight meteorites that belong to the CL chondrite group. A striking feature of this type of meteorite it that its composition is similar to that of the Sun. This meteorite is one of the most researched ones. For purposes of deeper study of the composition of this meteorite, it was split into pieces. Currently, it exists in the form of pieces kept in different museums in Europe and the United States. These were some of the famous meteorites of the world. They have always been a subject of interest for researchers around the world. Meteor showers A meteor shower is a celestial event wherein it is observed that a group of meteors radiate from anyone point in the sky. This phenomenon is also known as ‘Meteor Storm’ or ‘Meteor Outburst’. The meteors that are present in the showers are actually cosmic debris that enter the Earth atmosphere at very high speed and vaporize very quickly due to friction leaving behind a streak of light which is known as the meteor shower. An identified meteor shower is usually an annual affair as the Earth will encounter the same meteors at approximately the same time and same speed every year. Causes Meteor showers are a result of interaction that takes place between the planet Earth and a comet. Comets consist of ice and rocks (often termed dirty ice balls) that orbit around the sun like planets. Every time the comet gets close to the sun, some of the ice present in the comet melts which produces a large amount of debris. This debris moves away from the comet and becomes a part of its tail which is visible part of the comet. The solid parts of the tail are the meteoroids and they spread along the entire orbit of the comet which is termed as a meteoroid stream. As the Earth orbits around the sun, its path may cross the meteoroid stream and a meteor shower follows. When the meteoroid stream is particularly dense, then we get to witness the meteor storm and having witnessed one myself, I can guarantee that the sight is truly spectacular. People Behind the Concept It is believed that Irish astronomer George Johnstone Clooney collaborating with the British astronomer Arthur Matthew Weld Downing and Adolf Berberich belonging to the Royal Astronomical Computation Institute in Berlin, Germany offered the very first idea of the meteoroid stream in the 1890. They were able to calculate as to how the meteoroids once freed from the comet would travel at low speeds when compared to the comet itself would start drifting after completing one orbit. This effect was attributed to simple orbital wherein the materials drift laterally away from the comet as some particles make a wider orbit when compared to other particles. The gravitational pull of the Earth’s atmosphere would decide where the dust trails would pass the Earth’s atmosphere. It is a fair possibility that some years, the dust particles can completely miss the Earth’s orbit. Major Meteor Showers If you want to watch meteor showers then the best time of the year is the night of January 3. The shower has been named Quadrantids and this particular shower can produce over a close to 140 meteors per hour. The source of this shower is not a comet but a minor planet, 2003 EH1 which suffered a catastrophic breakup in 1490. However, the showers are very faint and the peak hours last only for a few hours. Hence, you will have to be in a good spot and at an ideal point to watch the shower in all its glory and the best place to watch this particular shower is from the Northern Hemisphere. But people in Southern Hemisphere need not be disappointed. As a matter of fact, they get to witness a meteor shower termed Eta Aquarids which consists of debris from the famous Halley’s Comet. This shower peaks on the night of May 5 and the rate of meteors is about 30 per hour. The meteor shower ‘Geminids’ is considered to be the best annual shower. It peaks around the night of December 13 and the rate of meteor is around 70 per hour. The source of this shower is also a minor planet, 3200 Phaethon. It is best visible from the Northern Hemisphere and it is believed that due to the extreme cold conditions, the air tends to be more transparent and this is the reason as to why this particular shower is spectacular. Sporadic Meteor Showers When the meteoroids collide with each other and can become a part of the sporadic meteors background. They form isolated meteors and are not a part of any shower. Asteroids Asteroids are considered to be remnants of an early broken planet of the solar system. Asteroids have no fixed shape and are too small to be spherical in shape. They are ellipsoids (two dimensional figure), dumbbell or irregularly shaped. As they have different shapes, they also vary in their size. The first asteroid Ceres, discovered in January 1801 by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi, is the largest known asteroid and is 940 km in diameter. Some of the smallest asteroids are just 6 meters in diameter. The mass of all the asteroids added together, is believed to lesser than the mass of the Moon. Only 200,000 asteroids have been discovered so far, but billion more undiscovered asteroids still exit in our solar system. Asteroid Belt Most asteroids lie in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, however there are more belts in the solar system, namely the ones beyond Neptune’s orbit. The belt itself has interesting origination theories. Most astronomers believe that the belt is a broken planet, while some say that the belt is primordial material that never coalesced into a planet because of Jupiter’s gravitational pull. The asteroid belt lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and contains more than 200 asteroids larger than 100 km in diameter, and more than 750,000 asteroids with diameters larger than 1 km. Most asteroids are found in this belt because of the gravitational interaction between the solar system and the celestial bodies in it. As opposed to the fiction made popular by various depictions of the asteroid belt, it is not at all dense. The region is so vast that asteroids are hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from their closest neighbor. The asteroids are so small and far away from each other that they appear as faint stars, and except for Ceres, are not bright enough to be seen without some telescopic aid. Only the asteroid Vesta, on rare occasions of an extremely clear dark sky can become visible to the naked eye. What are Asteroids Composed Of? Asteroids are made of different minerals and substances. This depends on the planet they broke away from in a collision, as well as the chemical reactions they might have experienced while orbiting in the solar system. The asteroids closest to the Sun are mostly carbonaceous and the ones further away are composed of silicate rock. The metallic asteroids are made of 70-80% iron and the remaining is nickel with many other metals such as iridium mixed in. Some are also made of half silicate and half metallic. The asteroid Ceres is composed of a rocky core covered by an icy mantle, whereas Vesta has a nickel-iron core, basaltic crust and a covering of magnesium iron silicate (olivine mantle). Asteroids composition has been classified as the following: C class asteroids: They are found in the Earth’s outer belt and are darker and more carbonaceous than the ones found in the S class. D class asteroids: They are also known as Trojan asteroids of Jupiter and are dark and carbonaceous in composition. S class asteroids: They are found in the Earth’s inner belt, closer to Mars and are composed of mostly stone and iron. V class asteroids: They are a far-out group of asteroids that follow a path between the orbits of Jupiter and Uranus, and are made of igneous, eruptive materials. A near-Earth asteroid collided with the Earth about 65 million years ago, which triggered environmental changes, leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This asteroid created a huge circular depression called the Chicxulub Basin and is centered in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, a major tourist attraction. Though the chances of asteroid collision with the Earth is very rare, they do come very close to our planet due to collisions and gravitational tugs on the highly elliptical Sun’s orbit. Most asteroids burn up in the atmosphere and never reach the Earth. NASA projects, such as the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) and the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) main objectives are to detect and intercept asteroids or other celestial bodies coming close to the Earth before they cause untold damage to our planet. Asteroids are small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal, that revolve around the Sun. Their size can vary: some asteroids are large and roughly spherical in shape, due to which they appear like miniature planets; while the others are small and irregularly shaped. The matter of these celestial bodies also differs. The asteroid ‘Vesta’, is believed to have a nickel-iron core, olivine mantle and basaltic crust, while the asteroid ’10 Hygiea’ is composed of carbonaceous chondrite. Most of the small asteroids are piles of rubble held together by gravity. Some asteroids supposedly have traces of amino-acids and other organic compounds, and it is assumed that the impact of asteroids on the Earth could have initiated life on the planet by seeding it with the necessary chemical substances. Although, it is believed that the asteroids may have planted life on the Earth, they are capable of having catastrophic effect on the planet as well. Asteroids with a diameter of 5 to 10 meters, and energy equal to 15 kilotons of TNT, enter into the Earth’s atmosphere approximately once every year; while, those with a diameter of over 50 meters enter the Earth’s atmosphere approximately once in a thousand years. Their impact can be devastating if they hit the Earth, but they disintegrate in the upper atmosphere and most of the particles are vaporized, thus rendering them harmless. In the distant past, our planet has experienced a massive climate change and large-scale extinction of animal and plant species, ascribed to the impact of some large asteroids on the planet. The exogenesis theory suggests that origin of life on the Earth must have been triggered by the impact of some asteroid, carrying organic chemicals needed to initiate life form. The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, which led to the end of dinosaurs and the Permian-Triassic extinction event that led to the end of the Permian period finishing off 90% of the species on the planet, are believed to be the result of an asteroid impact on the Earth. The craters on the solid bodies in the solar system, which were attributed to volcanic activities till 1960s, were actually formed due to the impact of celestial bodies. Researchers have determined that in the last 600 million years, 60 objects with a diameter of five km or more, have struck the Earth. Even the smallest of these object possessed energy of ten million megatons of TNT, and would have formed a crater, approximately 95 km in diameter, on the surface of our planet. The Rio Cuarto craters in Argentina are believed to have formed due to the impact of asteroids that struck this area around 10,000 years ago. In 1490, ten thousand people reportedly lost their lives due to a hail of stones from the sky. This hail of stones is assumed to be result of the disintegration of a large asteroid, after it entered the Earth’s atmosphere. In 1908, a mid-air explosion of an asteroid destroyed 80 million trees, within an area of 830 miles, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River, in Si beria. In many cases, the sighting of a foreign body, such as an asteroid or a meteoroids is reported as a fireball in the sky. Millions of asteroids will pass by the Earth in the years to come. Though, they are unknown now, they are detectable as they come closer to the planet. The Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) and the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) are projects initiated by NASA to detect asteroids or other such foreign bodies coming close to the Earth. The need of the hour is to develop an intercept system in space, to destroy or deflect foreign objects heading towards our planet, before they prove catastrophic. Asteroids are celestial bodies consisting of rocks and metals. They are mainly concentrated in the region known as the asteroid belt which lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids can be as big as Ceres, which is close to 1000 kilometers in diameter, or can be just a few feet in diameter. Whatever the size, asteroids are neither big enough to be called planets nor are they as small as comets. They are classified as minor planets that include the Kuiper Belt Objects. Discovery On January 1, 1801, Giuseppe Piazzi discovered the first asteroid which he initially thought to be a comet. He named this asteroid Ceres, after the Sicilian Goddess of grain. Ceres is also the largest asteroid to have been discovered so far. Soon, other large asteroids like Pallas, Juno and Vista were discovered. By the end of the 19th century, several hundred asteroids were discovered. Formation of Asteroids It was once believed that asteroids were formed by the explosion of a planet orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. However, according to present day astronomers, asteroids are debris left behind by the Big Bang that could not come together to form a tenth planet because of the effect of Jupiter’s gravitational pull. Asteroid Hits Asteroids have been hitting the Earth since millions of years. However, due to the friction with Earth’s atmosphere most of the asteroids get burnt. The asteroids that enter the Earth’ s atmosphere are called meteors while the ones that get burnt and appear as shooting stars are called meteorites. According to the Giant Impact Theory, the Moon was created when Theia, an asteroid of the size of Mars, collided with the Earth in the early days of the solar system. However, some consider Theia to be more of a planetoid than an asteroid. The largest crater caused by an asteroid hit is the Chicxulub Crater in Mexico that is 180 km in diameter. The asteroid that formed the crater had a diameter of 10 km. This collision is supposed to be responsible for the extinction of a large number of flora and fauna including the dinosaur. However, the evidence of the largest asteroid hit is in the Vredefort crater in South Africa that is 300 km in diameter. Impacts of Asteroid Hits The damage that an asteroid’s impact can cause depends mainly upon its mass and velocity, as these are the two factors that determine the energy that is released when an asteroid hits the Earth. While some asteroids are capable of sending thermal waves that can incinerate most flora and fauna within a few hundred kilometers, some larger asteroids can create huge impacts causing magma to cover areas as big as continents. The worst effect of an asteroid hit is the blocking out of sunlight for months together due to formation of dust clouds and soot in the upper atmosphere. This would hamper the green plants’ ability to prepare food through the process of photosynthesis and the food chain would be disrupted. Near-Earth Asteroids Near-Earth asteroids are those that have moved closer to the Earth’s orbit as they have been knocked out of the asteroid belt due to collision with other asteroids or comets, or due to the gravitational forces of Jupiter. They are classified into the following three groups: The Amors: These are near-Earth asteroids that cross the orbit of Mars but do not go out of the Earth’s orbit. The Apollos: The orbits of these near-Earth asteroids cross the Earth’s orbit but have an orbital period of greater than one year. The Atens: These near-Earth asteroids have orbits that cross the Earth’s orbit but have an orbital period of less than one year. Asteroids are currently being monitored for their probability of colliding with the Earth. Such studies have predicted that asteroids may hit the Earth on February 1, 2019 and March 16, 2880. The probability of the 2880 collision is as high as 1 in 300. A number of projects in the field of astronomy, like Spacewatch, Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking and Catalina Sky Survey are being carried out to detect any threat of such catastrophes. Comets A comet is a small body in space. It was matter of great interest to astronomers like Sir Edmond Halley. Many decades later, comets still remain a challenging mystery for the field of astronomy. Space research institutes around the world have reported the existence of 3628 comets that are known and studied. Annually, an average of one comet is sighted by the naked eye from the surface of the Earth. According to the definitions given by the various space research organizations, a comet can be defined as a space body that travels in an elliptical orbit around the sun. Most of the comets travel in elliptical orbits. When the comet comes in the vicinity of the star it is orbiting around, its comma-like tail gets illuminated. A majority of comets are visible only through telescopes and other aids. There are however, some comets which are also visible to the naked eye. What is a Comet Made Up of? A comet is principally made up of ice, dust and different forms of gases. The nature of the components differs from comet to comet. The central part of a comet that looks like a ball is termed as the nucleus. The nucleus is principally made up of ice and frozen gases. The frozen components also include many other compounds like ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide. Rocks are another component of the nucleus. Due to such composition, the nucleus of the comet often resembles a huge ball of dirt and snow. It is also believed by some astronomers, that the nucleus of a comet is rather fragile because several comets have split into parts without any explainable reason except immense velocity. The huge elliptical orbit takes the comet in the range of heat of the star around which it is orbiting. When the comet enters the inner parts of the solar system, the frozen content of the nucleus starts melting. The gases and water within the nucleus vaporize as a result of radiation from the star and the solar wind. The immense velocity of the comet and the solar wind, push the vaporized matter away from the nucleus. This gives the comet it’s distinct tail and the comma-like appearance. The high amount of heat and the ions (charged particles that are formed due to the heat of the sun) cause the tail of the comet to glow. How are Comets Formed? According to their formation or birth, the comets can be classified into two types. The first type is short-term comets which originate in the Kuiper belt as space bodies beyond the orbit of Pluto. The gravitational pull of the planets in the solar system, causes the origin of short term comets. These comets enter the solar system and take the form of active and glowing comets. Long term comets originate as traveling bodies in the Oort cloud (located around 50,000 light years away from the sun). The gravitational attraction of the planets in the solar system and other gravitational forces cause these comets to form elliptical orbits. Death of a Comet The study of comets has revealed that they have a fragile structure. Sometimes, comets split into parts due to sheer velocity. The entry and exit of comets in the solar system in course of its orbit, reduces the amount of matter (ice and frozen gases) in it. Due to this reduction in matter, the comets break-up and disperse into clouds. A dead comet is nothing but an asteroid or a similar form of a space body. Sometimes the comets also crash in other planets when their orbits cross each other. The most famous example of such a comet is the Shoemaker Levy 9, that crashed into Jupiter. For astronomers who have spent their lives studying comets, it a very heart-breaking moment to gaze at a dying comet. The Halley’s Comet is said to be one of the most beautiful comets. Another very beautiful comet is the Hale-Bopp, that was discovered in the year 1995, on 23rd July. It was predicted by astronomers that the Halley’s Comet would be sighted in the November of 1835. Mark Twain, the famous writer, was born just two weeks after the sighting. He developed a very special liking towards the Halley’s Comet. In his biography he comments,†I came in with the Halley’s Comet, and expect to go with it. The Almighty has said no doubt, Now here are two unaccountable freaks; they came in together; they must go out together.† Halley’s Comet was next sighted on 20th April, 1910. Twain ended the journey of his life the very next day. The journey of any comet is indeed like that of Mark Twain. It is remarkably long, fast, adventurous as it streaks across the dark sky. Haley’s comet Historical Spottings British scientist, Edmond Halley who observed the comet in 1682, was the first person to establish its periodic reappearance after every 75-76 years. He studied the comet and quite accurately predicted that it had earlier appeared in 1531 and in 1607. It was named ‘Halley’ in his honor and was observed again in 1758 as stated by him. It was last seen in February 1986. However, this was not the first time the comet was in focus. The first sighting recorded, was way back in 240 BC, by the Chinese and was mentioned in a chronicle, ‘Records of the Great Historian’. The comet also finds a mention in a Babylonian clay inscription of 164 BC. It has always been a subject of great interest, since it was believed to have an influence on the contemporary events. Armenian king Tigranes II, had its image printed on the coins issued in his regime after it was sighted in 87 BC. Therefore, even though the recurrence of the comet was an unknown fact, people were fascinated b y its appearance. The bright star that appeared in the night sky in 12 BC, coinciding with the birth of Jesus, is widely believed to be the Halley’s comet. Giotto Di Bondone, the famous Italian painter, who lived before the renaissance era, painted it in his work ‘The Star of Bethlehem’ in the Nativity, in 1305. He had seen the comet appear in 1301 and was impressed by the spectacle. In the middle ages, the appearance of a comet was considered to be a warning sign of a forthcoming danger. The most famous incident of spotting a comet during this period, was in 1066, before the Battle of Hastings. King Harold who had lost the battle, was believed to have seen the comet due to which he was cursed. In fact, the Bayeux Tapestry in Normandy, France, signifies the Norman victory in this battle with an image of King Harold looking at the comet in the sky. In 1456, Pope Calixtus III had condemned its appearance considering it to be an evil omen. Three years prior to this, Europe was defeated by the Ottoman Empire. Human beings have always blamed celestial phenomena, whenever they have not been able to explain the causes of certain unfavorable events. Historically, the presence of a comet in the night sky was commonly cited as the reason behind difficult situations that were beyond the reasoning of common man. A French physician, Ambroise, had described the pitiful conditions of middle ages, when a comet was seen just before the spread of a big epidemic. According to him, some people were scared to death while others fell sick on seeing the comet. It was believed to be some ‘evil form’ leaving behind a trail of blood, believed to be a sign of misery. Recent Spottings In the 16th and the 17th century, scientists learned to calculate the speed and distance at which comets travel around the Sun. Once, Edmond Halley had established the year of its reappearance, Halley’s comet became a matter of great interest. Although, he didn’t live to see his prediction coming true, his observation had a significant impact on the way society perceived comets. The sighting of a comet, especially Halley’s comet became less of a concern and more of a curiosity among people. Once people realized that comets are orbiting bodies just like planets, they became less apprehensive on the arrival of a comet in the Earth’s visibility zone. The change in the attitude of the people was seen in the depiction of the comet in the contemporary pictures. Halley’s comet was a subject of scientific study and was depicted as a beautiful heavenly body in the sky. Famous American writer Mark Twain was born in 1835, the year when Halley’s comet ha d appeared. He predicted in 1909 that since he had ‘come’ with the comet he will ‘go out’ with it. Sure enough, he passed away a year after the comet reappeared in 1910. In the 1900s, it had appeared twice; once in 1910 and then in 1986. Further studies gave us a deep insight into the structure, composition and orbital journey of many different comets. Halley’s comet has one of the shortest orbital paths. It is classified as a short period comet, i.e. comets having an orbit period of 200 years or less. Once upon a time, it belonged to the long period class, but due to the gravitational force of planets, its orbit shortened over a period of time. Today, it is known that comets like ‘Hale Bopp’ which appeared in 1997, will reappear after 4200 years! Thus, Halley’s comet is the most frequently spotted one. Recently, it was seen in February 1986. During this visit, it was subjected to its biggest scrutiny ever. Five spacecrafts from The European Space Agency, Japan and the USSR were launched to study its surface. Structure and Composition of Halley’s Comet Halley’s comet is a big mass of ice and dust, having an elliptical orbit and shaped like a peanut. It has a highly elongated orbit, taking it very close to the Sun. It flings off far in the outer solar system, similar to a slingshot motion. The composition is mainly of water, sodium monoxide, methane, ammonia, hydrocarbons, iron and sodium. Its closest distance from the Sun was found to be just 0.6 AU (astronomical unit) and the farthest distance was calculated to be 35 AU, roughly the same distance as that of Pluto. It orbits the Sun in a retrograde or in the direction opposite to that of the planets’ revolution. The speed with respect to the Earth is quite high, since it is highly eccentric and inclined. The day time is relatively more on its surface and its maximum temperature rises up to 77 degrees celsius. Due to its large size and a well-defined and regular orbit, it was easy for the probe missions photograph it closely and study its surface. The mass of the comet is 1.7Ãâ€"1015 kilograms and the size of the nucleus has been estimated to be 15 km Ãâ€" 7 km Ãâ€" 7 km. Winds blowing near its surface are so strong that 1 gram particle of dust which hit the Giotto space probe, briefly destabilized it. Halley’s comet will next appear in 2062. Comets have always been a fascination for human beings and will continue to mesmerize generations to come, as we discover more interesting facts about these spectacular fireballs, the comets. Comet lullin Comet Lulin was discovered on July 11, 2007, by the duo of Ye Quanzhi and Lin Chi-Sheng. A non-periodic comet, Lulin appears to be greenish in color. This green color is attributed to the presence of gases such as cyanogen and diatomic carbon, which produce a green glow when illuminated by sunlight in the vacuum of the space. Officially designated as C/2007 N3 (Lulin), it is also known as the ‘Comet of Cooperation’ in China and Taiwan, as the two individuals involved in its discovery, were from these two countries. This comet was first photographed by Taiwanese astronomer Lin Chi-Sheng on July 11, 2007, while he was working on the Lulin Sky Survey Project (LUSS) at the Lulin observatory in Nantou, Taiwan. The Lulin Sky Survey Project aims to identify the numerous small objects in the solar system, particularly those that pose possible hazards to our planet. Lin used a 16-inch telescope to photograph this comet, which was initially assumed to be an asteroid. A few days later, Ye Quanzhi, a 19-year old student of meteorology from Sun Yat-Sen University, China, recognized this comet while going through Lin’s photographs. Its status of being a comet was confirmed after the presence of coma, the nebulous envelope around the nucleus of the comet, was noticed. Both, Lin and Quanzhi were accredited with the discovery of this new comet. As it was first noticed from the Lulin Observatory, it was named as Comet Lulin. Comet Lulin was seen in the Libra constellation from January to March 2009. In January, it was getting brighter and could be seen just before dawn; while in February, the brightness reached its peak. Eventually, in March, it started to fade as it went farther away from the Earth. While it was approaching the Earth, it had a typical tail pointing away from the Sun, as well as an ‘anti-tail’ which was directly pointing towards the sun. Although, it was assumed that this anti-tail was observed only in photographs, so me observers reported that it was visible even from a telescope in February 2009. According to Brian Marsden, an astronomer at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Massachusetts, this comet’s closest approach to the sun was on January 10, 2009 when it reached a distance of 113 million miles from the sun. He noticed that the comet was moving in a retrograde orbit that is near-parabolic. On February 24, Comet Lulin came the closest to the Earth, at a distance of 0.41 AU or 38 million miles to be precise. On February 4, 2009, a team of Italian astronomers, under the leadership of Ernesto Guido, witnessed a strange phenomenon taking place in comet Lulin. While photographing the comet with a remotely controlled telescope in New Mexico, they saw that its tail suddenly disconnected. Ernesto attributed this odd phenomenon to magnetic disturbance of the solar wind hitting the comet. Earlier, this had been observed with Comet Encke too, when coronal mass ejection occurred, due to such magnetic storms. Photographs taken by NASA’s Swift Gamma-ray Explorer satellite in ultra-violet and X-rays show that Lulin is shedding 800 gallons of water every second. Observations by NASA also revealed that the surface material of the comet was burning away due to sun’s heat. This sighting of Comet Lulin was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the whole world, as there is no possibility of this comet returning to the inner solar system, at least not for the next thousand years. Human kind has always looked to the heavens in awe and wonder, and sometimes in fear. Perhaps no other astronomical phenomenon except a total solar eclipse has historically evoked as much fear as comets. When the specter of fear is removed, however, they emerge as strikingly beautiful objects in the sky. It was once believed that if earth passed through a tail of a comet, its inhabitants would die; this theory has been discredited. Comets are messengers from a time long past. Most are chunks of dirty ice, locked away in the Oort cloud for billions of years. (Oort cloud: – It is the source for long period comets, with orbital periods of greater than two hundred years.) Comets are familiar to nearly everyone as striking star like objects with long tails stretching across a wide band of the sky. The most famous comet, Halley’s comet makes its return to the skies every seventy-five years. The word â€Å"comet† is derived from a Greek word meaning â€Å"long haired† Comets were greatly feared before the twentieth century as bad omens. Since then, they have been identified and cataloged as objects that come from deep space. Most of them occupy orbits that carry them far outside the solar system. Many of them make only a single approach to the sun and never return again, while others exist in stable, but highly elliptical orbits that allow them to return after an extended period of time, such as the Halley’s comet. In 1986, the European space probe Giotto passed about 600 kilometers from the Comet Halley as it made its close approach to the sun. The probe verified existing theories that comets are made up of ices covered by black dust or soil. The spacecraft confirmed a theory that had been advanced prior to the reconnaissance that described comets as â€Å"dirty snowballs.† Using data taken by the spacecraft, scientists determined that the dust is composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Other metals have also been discovered in comets, such as iron, calcium, nickel, potassium, copper and silicon. Halley’s comet was one of the darkest objects ever seen in the solar system; it was basically flat black. Comets are composed of a mixture of ices and dust. As a comet approaches the sun, it absorbs the suns energy and warms up. The main body of the comet is called the nucleus. As the nucleus warms, the ice beneath the comets soil evaporates. Because the comet has no atmosphere, the evaporated substance (also called a volatile) escapes into the vacuum of space as a gaseous envelope that surrounds the comet called â€Å"coma.† As the coma grows, it forms a plume of vapor that carries away some of the comets surface as well. This mixture of evaporated volatile particles and dust is carried away from the comet by solar wind, is ionized by high-energy particles, and creates the spectacular tail of the comet. The comet’s tail, glowing in the solar wind, can stream behind the comet for millions of kilometers. The nucleus of the comet consists of mostly volatile ices and dust. The ice is nearly all water ice, but there is also evidence of ices composed of carbon dioxide and methane. More elementary compounds of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon monoxide may exist as volatile ices. Comets are typically small bodies (comparatively!!). Halley’s comet is a potato shaped object, 14 by 17 kilometers. The largest known comet is Chiron, which is estimated to be approximately 200 kilometers in diameter. Comets are thought to have formed as the solar system evolved. The material of which comets are composed was constructed by accretion at the outer edge of the disk of material that ultimately became the sun and planets. Because the comet material was fashioned at the outer edge of the solar system, the sun did not evaporate the volatiles in the cometary material. At the same time, the giant planets of the solar system formed at what would become the outer orbits of the solar system. These massive planets encountered the newly formed comets, and the ones that were not engulfed by the giant planets were, over the first billion years, catapulted into interstellar space by the planets massive gravitational fields. Not all comets met that fate, however. Some were gently nudged into stable orbits closer to the sun. Others were flung into the inner solar system and impacted the inner planets. Relevance: – The study of comets involves detailed knowledge of its composition of the outer regions of the solar system and the space between the last planet and 100,000 astronomical units onwards. Cometary study also seeks to understand complex gravitational interactions between bodies separated by wide distances and even gravitational interactions between tiny comets, their behavior when approaching the sun, and something of the makeup and evolution of the early solar system. New comets approaching the sun for the first time have been held in deep freeze in the Oort cloud and are thought to be composed of primordial material of the newly forming solar system. They have been tied up in the Oort cloud for billions of years at temperatures slightly above absolute zero. As they approach the sun, their internal gases begin to steam away. A detailed study of an approaching comet may tell cosmologists about the composition of the early solar systems. Comets and their approach have also hinted at the existence of the elusive brown dwarf, thought to be one of the most common bodies of interstellar space. Because they are so dim, they are all but invisible from Earth. On the other hand, because brown dwarfs are thought to be so plentiful, the study of comets and their orbits may give the first real clues to the former’s reality and abundance. In the early 1980s the existence of the galactic tidal action was merely speculation. Since then, careful study of cometary orbits and approaches has favorable supported the theory of galactic tides. In the close approach of Halley’s comet by an unmanned spacecraft in 1986, a wealth of information was recovered on the shape, behavior, and composition of comets. The existence of the Oort cloud and the concept gravitational interactions by passing objects in space have led to the theory of periodic comet showers. Such comet showers, separated by periods of tens of millions of years, may be responsible for the mass extinction on Earth. There is a wide speculation that Earth was struck by one or more comets 70 million years ago, which wiped out the dinosaurs. Some scientists have speculated that this extinction was the result of a shower of comets from the Oort cloud, sent on their close approach to the sun by a passing star or brown dwarf through the Oort cloud. Comets have been used to judge vast distances, evaluate the composition of the solar system as it was being born, and even test the idea that the gravity of the entire galaxy can make a difference to the smallest objects in space. Comets have been used as yardsticks to evaluate what may be the most type of star in the galaxy-the brown dwarf-which ironically is one that may never be seen. They have also been called dirty snowballs. Halley’s comet was so black that it was the darkest object ever seen in space. Yet, from these dirty specks of ice, cosmologists have witnessed some of the most spectacular light shows. Ultimately comets may also generate clues to some of the most fundamental secrets about the solar system and planets. From these tiny messengers, cosmologists may unlock and examine pristine elements from creation itself.