Financial Management and Credit Risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Financial Management and Credit Risk - Essay Example This can significantly both increase the interest rate that is charged to the company as well the additional strain to the company’s earnings. While the company proves to be profitable, other financial measures show its many weaknesses, especially on the part of its working capital and cash conversion cycle. By probing at the current financial standing of the company, the company’s financial position is seen. With this, the implications of the subsequent financing activities can be determined as regards the overall health of the firm. The company is then faced with a decision of whether to pursue the additional debt financing. If Butler Lumber Company is not going to avail of the financing, it has to at least address and avail of some options of financing to meet its financing need. These alternatives are explored in the subsequent portions of this case study, which include strengthening cash generation from the profitable operation of the company through better working capital management, as well as other equity financing means. Butler Lumber Company’s main line of business is in retailing lumber products within the local area of a large city in the Pacific Northwest. Mark Butler, the company’s sole owner and the president is contemplating an increase in debt financing for its expansion. Butler Lumber Company currently has an existing relationship with Suburban National Bank, where it gets its additional funding in the form of loans. However, as Mr. Butler reaches the loan limit of 250,000, he is pondering on availing additional financing for his company’s expansion with a revolving credit line of 465,000 from Northrop National Bank through George Dodge. This is in order for him to secure financing that will address his company’s shortage of funds. As the loan has not yet been approved, Butler Lumber Company’s financial position is yet to be determined by Northrop National Bank before Mr. Dodge can decide on giving the additional financing to Mr. Butler.

Two Companies in Economic Downturn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Two Companies in Economic Downturn - Essay Example For about four years General Motors have been losing in the market but Harley Davis has been gaining. Ultimately GM has failed after a loss of about $82 billion in 2008 and Harley is still survived with a net gain of $3.6 billion. Both are in the automobile manufacturing business and based in USA.( Branding Strategy August 09) Harley too has faced the slowdown recently in the period of recession but it did not close down. GM is multi-brands company and Harley has a single core product. It competes with brands like Honda, BMW. GM also competes with these brands in the market. The main difference behind the Harley’s success is that the company has built a strong brand image in the market focusing on its heavy duty motorcycles. GM on the opposite went on adding to its brands without focusing them on any single segment. GM had twelve brands in the market Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Opel, Pontiac, Daewoo, Holden, Hummer, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall, and Wuling. These vehicles were not free from problems. Customers were not happy about the performance of these vehicles. GM had put the focus on these brands in order to sell them and not at all on how to solve the problems. Customers remained dissatisfied and that eventually put GM into problem. This is case of ‘Supply power’ that Porter in his theory P orter’s 5 forces mentioned explaining how erosion of brand loyalty penalizes a big company.( Brand Position workshop) Harley always projected the brand HOG to prospective customers and explained what the brand stands for. HOG grabbed 46% of the Heavy-duty motorcycle market and entered the name among the world’s 50th most valuable brand. GM was nowhere in the list. In 2007 GM made about 7,450.000 vehicles and lost $4141 on every vehicle. GM never projected what their brands stand for except dreamy and vague captions such as â€Å"See the USA in your

Blue Tooth Technology Essay Example for Free

Blue Tooth Technology Essay Bluetooth is an open standard for speech and data transmission. Besides the applications for this new technology, e. g. the wireless connection between mobile station and terminal equipment, also the structure of the Bluetooth system architecture is presented. The set-up of so-called short-range ad hoc networks (piconets and scatternets) will be introduced. Bluetooth wireless technology is an open, accepted standard for wireless communication which means that Bluetooth electronic equipment can communicate as long as they are within approx. 10 meters of each other, making it possible to transfer data, speech, music or images without a physical connection. The mobile telephone manufacturer Ericsson invented Bluetooth technology, naming it after the Viking King Harald Bluetooth. Just as King Harald Bluetooth united Denmark and Norway, Bluetooth technology â€Å"unites† various types of electronic equipment to form a coherent whole. Ericsson formed the foundation for Bluetooth as early as 1994, but the standard was not ready for use until 1998. The first Bluetooth products came on the market in 2000. Today, Bluetooth technology can be found in all types of electronic equipment – including mobile phones, mobile headsets, PCs, keyboards, mouse devices, printers, GPS navigation units, video cameras and pocket PCs – and new products are emerging every day. Today, Bluetooth technology is an essential everyday tool to be found in a variety of electronic equipment. The technology makes it easy to transfer speech between a mobile phone and a headset, a mobile phone and a pocket computer or images from a digital video camera to a PC. Even though two Bluetooth units can find each other and be connected, because they both comply with the standard, it may not necessarily make sense for them to speak to each other. For instance, a Bluetooth mouse would not profit much from a connection with a digital camera, or a headset with a keyboard. The basic requirement for Bluetooth units to be able to communicate is that they are located within 10 meters of each other. That is the range of the Bluetooth radio waves – at least under the current standard. The study intents to (1) know the key features of Bluetooth technology; (2) evaluate Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and its key role in maintaining specifications of the protocol, profiles, testing and qualification, interoperability and compatibility and; (3) how Bluetooth applies to wireless technology. II. Background As Bluetooth technology becomes more common, however, we will undoubtedly see CD players that send sound to amplifiers via Bluetooth, which then transfer the sound to speakers in the same way. A Bluetooth enabled pocket computer will automatically synchronise with a company’s diary and make sure that the day’s e-mails are ready to be read on the screen. And car radios will turn the music down and transfer the speech from a mobile phone when it rings (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. 36-38). Moreover, the Bluetooth brand is now recognized worldwide on products with short range wireless communication capabilities. The brand is a label that is not a single company technology but is shared by many members of the Bluetooth SIG. The brand is applied to devices implementing the Bluetooth technology; even if it says little about the way the technology works (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. 36-38). III. Discussion A. Features of Bluetooth Technology The logo for Bluetooth is based on Runes surrounding the legend of Harald Bluetooth. Bluetooth the technology is based on communications central to man’s own personal space. Fundamentally Bluetooth operates within the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band at 2. 4 GHz. It is a short-range wireless communication standard defined as cable replacement for a Personal Area Network (PAN) (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, pp. 87-94). Figure 1 is the Bluetooth Logo. A cable replacement standard has been defined because cables limit mobility of the consumer; they are cumbersome to carry around, are easily lost or broken. Often connectors are prone to difficult to diagnose failures; or are proprietary. To counteract these limitations Bluetooth is designed to be light and portable. It can be embedded to take the riggers of physical knocks and shocks. It includes standards and protocols to make it mobile, robust, reliable and not limited to one manufacturer (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, pp. 87-94). The operating band also fits the goals of Bluetooth, imposing requirements as a cable replacement. The cost needs to be comparable with cable. Reductions can be achieved by operating in the licence free 2. 4 GHz ISM band, keeping backward compatibility wherever possible lowers the cost of ownership by avoiding upgrades and having a relaxed radio specification enables single chip integrated circuit solutions. It also needs to be as reliable and resilient as cable and cope with errors and degradation caused by interference. For mobile devices it must be compact, lightweight, low power and easy to use (see â€Å"Bluetooth†. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge, pp. 87-94). A. 1 Frequency Hopping We have addressed the reasons for the Bluetooth without delving into the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the technology to discover how it operates. For the majority of countries the ISM band used by Bluetooth is available from 2. 40-2. 4835 GHz, although some countries impose restrictions. In this band Bluetooth uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) techniques in order to improve its immunity from interference (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). In unrestricted countries the radios hop in pseudo random sequences around all available channels, this equates to 79 RF channels with a channel spacing of 1 MHz. Starting at a base frequency of 2402 MHz then the frequency of the channels, f, can be expressed as: f =2402 + n MHz where, n, is the channel number with an integer value in the range of 0 to 78. In restricted countries a limited frequency hopping schemes with just 23 channels is used and is catered for in the Bluetooth specification. Both hopping schemes have a 1 MHz channel spacing making it possible to design a simple radio interface whereby the baseband only has to specify a channel number and the radio multiplies this up to the appropriate frequency offset (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). In this FHSS scheme there are 1600 hops per second, which is a hop every 625  µs. Part of this hop timing is taken up by the guard time of 220  µs allowing the synthesizer time to settle. The frequency hopping implements time division multiplexing as shown in Figure 2. The basis of the scheme has the Master device transmitting in the first 625 us slot, k, and here the Slave receives. In the next slot k = 1 the Slave is permitted to transmit and the master listens (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). Figure 2: Frequency Hopping, master and slave interact on corresponding slots The radio must be able to retune and stabilise on a new frequency within tight time constraints. This is pushed further when establishing a connection; the hop rate can be shortened to every 312. 5 us. As the radios are constantly hopping to different radio channels, this ensures that packets affected by interference on one channel can be retransmitted on a different frequency channel. To further enhance resilience both ARQ (Automatic Repeat reQuest) and FEC (Forward Error Correction) form part of the specification (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). One drawback with the normal hop sequence is the time taken for production testing. Bluetooth ensures adequate frequency coverage with a test sequence allowing the radios to be tested at a faster rate (see J. Bray and C. F. Sturman, Bluetooth: Connect Without Cables†, Prentice Hall). A. 2 The Bluetooth SIG and Specifications If the success of Bluetooth is measured by its initial interest alone then its prominence has already been assured. Before products were on sale, hundreds of companies joined the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and the Bluetooth brand became recognized worldwide. Before investigating the technology further it is appropriate to comment about the role played by the SIG, the administrative structure of which is outlined in Figure 3. With membership of the SIG nearing 2500 members it is only right to look at how the SIG works to promote, shape and define the specification and position Bluetooth in the market place. Positioning of the technology is important when you consider other wireless technologies that share the same ISM band, e. g. IEEE802. 11b, HomeRF and DECT. Differentiation is key in avoiding confusion of potential users.

Earthquake In Japan Causes The Tsunami Engineering Essay

Earthquake In Japan Causes The Tsunami Engineering Essay ABSTRACT Earthquake in Japan causes the tsunami happen near the Fukushima nuclear power station on 11th March 2011 shocked of the world. All reactors that have ceased operations automatically as soon as tremors detected. Electric system failure and also shake the reactor cooling system causing an unprecedented explosion in the Fukushima station. Hydrogen explosion occurred at Reactor Buildings that contain atoms known as radioactive hazardous. Radioactive began to spread around the station as far as 20 km to 30 km. due to the Japanese government had warned residents and also advice on the surrounding area to circulate to the area far from the radioactive. In a further report will inform industrial process and operation, impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster to the society, Ecology, Sociology, health and actions also rates Taken by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Fukushima_I_NPP_1975_medium_crop_rotated_labeled.jpg/220px-Fukushima_I_NPP_1975_medium_crop_rotated_labeled.jpg Introduction The Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, nuclear power plant located on a 3.5-square-kilometre (860-acre) in the towns of Okuma and Futaba in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (Tohoku offshore in the Pacific). First commissioned in 1971, the plant consists of six boiling water reactors (BWR). These light water reactors drove electrical generators with a combined power of 4.7 GWe, making Fukushima Daiichi one of the 15 largest nuclear power stations in the world. Fukushima I was the first nuclear plant to be designed, constructed and run in conjunction with General Electric, Boise, and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) This earthquake is the mega thrust earthquake of magnitude 9.0 undersea (Mw) which originates in Japan offshore epicenter located about 70 kilometers (43 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula Tohoku with a depth of about 32 km (20 bt) in the sea. This is the most powerful earthquake known to have hit the Japanese, and one of the strongest earthquake in the world since modern record-keeping beginning in 1900. This earthquake has triggered a monster tsunami that reached a height of 40.5 meters (133 ft) in Miyako, Iwate of the Tohoku Region, and swept inland as far as 10 km (6 mi) inland in the Sendai area. This earthquake has turned the island of Honshu 2.4 m (8 ft) to the east as well as tilting the Earth on its axis by 10 cm (4 in.) to 25 cm (10 in). According to TEPCO reports a total of 37 with physical injuries, 2 workers taken to hospital with radiation burns. After the interrogation is no person or employee of the station die struck radiation. Some problems also arise in Fukushima Daini station, which houses four (4) reactors, Unit No. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Four units at Fukushima Daini station is operated in the period 1982-1987, and all is well BWR. Four units are also in operation during the occurrence of two earthquakes, and all operations will stop automatically when the vibration is detected. Although the earthquake and tsunami did not affect the structure of the reactor building in all units. Serious incident occurred at Units 1, 2 and 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi as the results of the external power stations are required reactor cooling pool and nuclear fuel storage. by power outage outdoor, emergency generators began operating. Once the tank is washed diesel generator by the tsunami generator fails to operate because then stopped by cooling the reactor system. Sample of nuclear operation When all three cooling system is not operating, the pressure increase in the reactor without control. The high pressure is caused by the boiling water in the reactor has been the absence of an emergency cooling system, and which also contain rates of hydrogen gas generated from the reaction of steam and dangerous radiation in the core reactor. The hydrogen gas occurs when water molecules (H2O) lost due to radiation, to produce hydrogen and oxygen. As a result of the opening of the valve element extract cesium (cesium) that released radioactivity was detected first reactor and around Fukushima Daiichi station. This explosion of a building external hydrogen scheme does not affect the primary containment structure (primary containment) and the secondary reactor (secondary containment). Therefore, more serious radioactive leak has been avoided, but part of the nuclear fuel in the reactor core melting was suspected (partial melt-down). Therefore, the Prime Minister of Japan has expanded evacuation orders to 10 kilometers of Fukushima Daini station. Injection of seawater mixed with boric acid into the reactor Unit 1 at Fukushima Daiichi March 12, 2011, and continued until now. Boric acid intended to absorb neutrons in nuclear reactions in the reactor so that it can be stopped continue to achieve cold shutdown (cold shut-down) form. Overview The earthquake and tsunami 11th March 2011 natural disasters that shocked the whole world. Fukushima nuclear accident in the past year was characterized as a man-made disaster and not simply due to the tsunami, according to a Japanese parliamentary panel in a final report on the disaster. String from the tsunami happened was an unexpected event involving nuclear reactors causing hydrogen gas explosion in the reactor building. The disaster that struck Japans Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station on March 11, 2011, caused the most extensive release of radioactivity the destruction at Fukushima was initiated by natural disasters a huge earthquake and tsunami rather than equipment failure and human error. The tsunami knocked out backup power systems that were needed to cool the reactors at the plant, causing several of them to undergo fuel melting, hydrogen explosions, and radioactive releases. Studies of the Fukushima disaster have identified design changes, response actions, and other safety improvements that could have reduced or eliminated the amount of radioactivity released from the plant. As a result, Fukushima has prompted a re-examination of nuclear plant safety requirements around the world, including the United States. Identifies whether the Fukushima nuclear disaster is natural or man-made. Clearly explain your justification. In investigations of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation said the Japanese government and TEPCO say that failing to prevent the disaster is not as large tsunami is not expected, but because they refuse to invest time, effort and money in protecting against natural disasters is considered impossible. The panel system is not enough to blame the law for managing the nuclear crisis, crisis chaos, direction caused by the government and TEPCO, and excessive intervention possible in the Prime Ministers office in the early stages of the crisis. Panel also said that cultural complacency about nuclear safety and poor crisis management led to a nuclear disaster. With the Fukushima nuclear accident last year has been characterized as a man-made disaster and not simply due to the tsunami, according to Japanese parliamentary panel in its final report on the disaster. By TEPCO mentioned, the size of the earthquake and tsunami exceeded expectations and can not be predicted to be the main cause of the problem. Japanese Prime Minister apologized to the Fukushima nuclear crisis in the country. Industrial process and operation of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant Unit 1 is a 439 MW boiling water reactor (BWR3) was built in July 1967. Began producing commercial electricity March 26, 1971, and was scheduled to close in March, 2011.Ia damaged during Sendai earthquake and 2011 tsunami. The reactor has a high level of safety and earthquake atom when made, but now both old and outdated. No one knows how bad the earthquake could occur in Japan. Unit 1 is designed for peak ground motion earthquake shakes acceleration of 0.18 g (1.74 m/s2) and seismic response spectra based on Kern County earthquake 1952. All units were inspected after the 1978 Miyagi earthquake when the ground acceleration seismic 0.125 g (1.22 m/s2) for 30 seconds, but no damage to the critical parts of the reactor has been found. And fukushima daiichi unit 2, 3, and 4 is a 784 MW boiling water reactor (BWR). But was commercial operation on July 1974(unit 2), Mac 1976(unit 3), and October 1978(unit 4) Impact of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster From the survey we found that Radiation from Japans Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster may eventually cause anywhere from 15 to 1,300 deaths and from 24 to 2,500 cases of cancer, mostly in Japan, Stanford researchers have calculated. Estimates have a large uncertainty, but the contrast with earlier claims that radioactive emission is unlikely to cause serious health effects. The numbers are in addition to the 600 deaths caused by the evacuation of the area around the nuclear plant immediately after, March 2011 earthquake and tsunami crisis. In March 2011, Japanese officials announced that radioactive iodie-131 exceeding safety limits for infants had been detected in 18 water treatments plants in Tokyo and other provinces. As in July 2011, the Japanese government has been able to contain the spread the radioactive material into the nations food. Radioactive material has been detected in variety of outcomes, including spinach, tea leaves, milk, fish, and meat, up to 200 kilometres from the nuclear plant. In the 12 kilometre evacuation zone around the plant, all farming was abandoned The Fukushima Daiichi meltdown was the most extensive nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Radiation release critically contaminated a dead zone of several hundred square kilometres around the plant, and low levels of radioactive material were found as far as North America and Europe. But the most of the radioactivity was dumped in the Pacific, only 19 percent of the released material was deposits over land and keeping the exposed population relatively small. There are groups of people who have said there would be no effects. A month after the disaster, the head of the United Nations science committee on the effects of atomic radiation, for example, predicted that there would be no serious public health consequences resulting from the radiation Outline the actions taken by (TEPCO), government and the regulatory body during the occurrence of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Catastrophic Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 resulting humanitarian crisis and a devastating economic impact. The tragedy of 300,000 residents forced to leave their homes in the tohoku region, in addition to the lack of food, water, shelter, medicine and fuel for survivors. To address the crisis, the Japanese government move him self defense forces, while many countries sent search and rescue teams to japan to help search for survivors. Aid organizations in and outside japan also responded, especially the Japanese Red Cross society branches that reported donations of $ 1 billion. Prime Minister Kan visited the plant for a briefing on 12 March. He had been quoted in the press calling for calm and minimizing exaggerated reports of danger. Kan met with Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on 15 March and lamented the lack of information. According to press accounts, he asked, what the hell is going on? Secretary of Government Yukio Edano stated around 18 March, We could have moved a little quicker in assessing the situation. The Japanese government asked the United States to provide cooling equipment to the plant. As of 15 march, the U.S had provided 3,265 kilograms (7,200 lb) of special equipment, a fire truck to help monitor and assess the situation at the plant. The French nuclear accident reponse organization Groupe INTRA shipped some of its radiation-hardened mobile robot equipment to japan to help with the nuclear accident. At least 130 tonnes of equipment has been shipped to japan. Japan request that Russia send landysh, a floating water decontamination facility originally built with Japanese funding and intended for decommissioning nuclear submarines. After advocates building more reactors, Prime Minister Naoto Kan took increasingly anti-nuclear stance in the months following the Fukushima disaster. In May, he ordered the aging Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant be closed over earthquake and tsunami fears, and said he would freeze plans to build new reactors Former chiefs of key nuclear safety commissions and government agencies hav apologized for overlooking important nuclear safety concerns. The Japanese government has admitted it failed to keep records of key meetings during the Fukushima nuclear crisis. Such detailed notes are considered a key component of disaster management Effective preventive action to be strengthen by TEPCO Quite a number of issues exist, which need highly specialized nuclear knowledge over a wide range for solving technical and nuclear engineering problems concerning the emergency responses to the accident at TEPCO Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS, and the then-available disaster preparedness by the government, TEPCO and other organizations. These issues should be reviewed and resolved, results being shaped into concrete actions, through competent knowledge by stakeholders in nuclear power generation. In doing so, they should sincerely take into consideration the recommendations the Investigation. Committee has made and they should do so with accountability to society for its process and results. TEPCO has been pursuing the reduction of risks of nuclear disasters from various perspectives. However, as summarized in the Main Report, almost all functions of the facilities that were expected to operate for accident response were lost in this accident due to the effect of the tsunami which was an unprecedented scale. Since the frameworks and procedure manual for accident response were developed on the premise of using such facilities, responses at the field were forced to adapt to the sudden change of circumstances and they became extremely difficult. As a result, TEPCO was unable to prevent the reactor core damage, which the company regrets deeply. After actually encountering this tsunami, TEPCO now sincerely reflects upon its lack of sufficient prior preparedness, and is determined to steadily put in place countermeasures that are compiled in the Main Report based upon the lessons learned this time. Conclusion In conclusion I would like to propose some recommendation and awareness regarding this Fukushima daiichi nuclear disaster matter: For reforming the crisis management system for a nuclear disaster. Learning from the experience as a result of the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS, the crisis management system for a nuclear disaster should be urgently reformed, in which the nuclear emergency response manual should be revised assuming an occurrence of a complex disaster combining an earthquake/tsunami disaster and a nuclear accident. In its reforming process, the strengthening of response capabilities of off-site centers, which are supposed to serve as the base for response during a nuclear emergency (hereafter simply referred to as off-site centers), is needed. In addition, it is also required to build a crisis management system by examining how to respond to a situation which a Local Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters cannot handle by convening personnel from relevant emergency response bodies. for the nuclear emergency response headquarters -The emergency response headquarters should, in general, be located close to the accident site where the relevant information is easy to obtain in a nuclear emergency, and the activities at the accident site are easy to grasp. To promptly collect accurate information is, needless to say, the fundamental principle in a nuclear emergency. The government emergency response headquarters should be set up in a way which enables the government people access to the necessary information while staying in government facilities like the Prime Ministers Office, without moving to the nuclear operators head office. For the roles of the prefectural government in nuclear emergency responses. -In a nuclear disaster, the prefectural government should take a responsible role in front, because the damage can extend to a regional size. The nuclear disaster prevention plan should take this point into account. for improving radiation monitoring operations -To ensure that the monitoring system does not fail at critical moments, and to ensure the collection of data and other functions, the system should be designed against various possible events, including not only an earthquake but also a tsunami, storm surge, flood, sediment disasters, volcanic eruptions and gale force winds. Measures should be taken to prevent the system from functional failures even in a complex disaster simultaneously involving two or more such events. Furthermore, measures should be developed to facilitate the relocation of monitoring vehicles and their patrols even in a situation where an earthquake has damaged roads. -Training sessions and other learning opportunities should be enhanced to raise awareness of the functions and importance of the monitoring system among competent authorities and personnel. http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gempa_bumi_dan_tsunami_T%C5%8Dhoku_2011 http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_Nuclear_Power_Plant http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120717084900.htm http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akibat_gempa_bumi_dan_tsunami_T%C5%8Dhoku_2011 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_reaction_to_Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster http://icanps.go.jp/eng/SaishyuRecommendation.pdf

Character Profile of Friar Lawrence :: English Literature Essays

Character Profile of Friar Lawrence Most movies portray friars as wise mentors, or strict religion-followers, that lead lawful, moral, and virtuous lives. But this tragic play of Romeo and Juliet begs to differ, as the friar does nothing but help achieve the forbidden plans of two star-crossed lovers. As Friar Lawrence gets involved more deeply into the schemes of Romeo and Juliet, he too begins to warp sly plans out of his head, such as the potion plan. Despite his conscience, Friar Lawrence reveals a potion that will put Juliet to a false death, in the â€Å"Potion Plan† scene. His motivation was caused by the weeping and tears of Juliet who was in the hands of a twisted marriage against her will. She had already been married to her love, but now that promise was in danger of being broken. From the few lines that the friar speaks, the audience realizes that this friar is certainly not the stereotype friar that goes around trying to live an impossible life of perfection. Though it may have been wrong to help children marry against their parents’ permission, and let them fake a death to run away together, Friar Lawrence did the exact thing. Friar Lawrence didn’t think of what was lawfully right, but of the destiny of two people, that were very important to him. He cared for them, and wished Romeo and Juliet well. He valued them as his own children. It goes to show that Friar Lawrence was human, also, and not perfect, since no one can be perfect. Friar Lawrence felt an internal conflict within him – the conflict of self against self. He knew in his mind that it was wrong to help a teen run away with her lover, who happened to be a murderer. But he also felt himself reach out to them, as he had known them as his own children for a very long time. He knew what a desperate situation Juliet and Romeo were in, and knew that he could prevent their lives from being ruined. But the problem was that the only way to solve everything, was to take a ‘wrong path’, that everyone opposed. In the end, he ends up helping his fellow children. But by this decision, he affected the whole plot of the play, and caused it to turn greatly. This plan would have turned out marvelously, but he made a few mistakes. Character Profile of Friar Lawrence :: English Literature Essays Character Profile of Friar Lawrence Most movies portray friars as wise mentors, or strict religion-followers, that lead lawful, moral, and virtuous lives. But this tragic play of Romeo and Juliet begs to differ, as the friar does nothing but help achieve the forbidden plans of two star-crossed lovers. As Friar Lawrence gets involved more deeply into the schemes of Romeo and Juliet, he too begins to warp sly plans out of his head, such as the potion plan. Despite his conscience, Friar Lawrence reveals a potion that will put Juliet to a false death, in the â€Å"Potion Plan† scene. His motivation was caused by the weeping and tears of Juliet who was in the hands of a twisted marriage against her will. She had already been married to her love, but now that promise was in danger of being broken. From the few lines that the friar speaks, the audience realizes that this friar is certainly not the stereotype friar that goes around trying to live an impossible life of perfection. Though it may have been wrong to help children marry against their parents’ permission, and let them fake a death to run away together, Friar Lawrence did the exact thing. Friar Lawrence didn’t think of what was lawfully right, but of the destiny of two people, that were very important to him. He cared for them, and wished Romeo and Juliet well. He valued them as his own children. It goes to show that Friar Lawrence was human, also, and not perfect, since no one can be perfect. Friar Lawrence felt an internal conflict within him – the conflict of self against self. He knew in his mind that it was wrong to help a teen run away with her lover, who happened to be a murderer. But he also felt himself reach out to them, as he had known them as his own children for a very long time. He knew what a desperate situation Juliet and Romeo were in, and knew that he could prevent their lives from being ruined. But the problem was that the only way to solve everything, was to take a ‘wrong path’, that everyone opposed. In the end, he ends up helping his fellow children. But by this decision, he affected the whole plot of the play, and caused it to turn greatly. This plan would have turned out marvelously, but he made a few mistakes.

Essay --

The chemical reaction between 2 different metals and the juices in the potato generate enough voltage to actually make a clock run or a light bulb a small one. The whole experiment should produce about 1.5 volts DC. You might need to use more than one potato but one should power a small light bulb. It works because the phosphoric acid (H3PO4) in the potato. The potato acts more as an electrolyte not really having a role in the chemical reaction itself. This is why it’s very important to make sure that the pennies and nails never directly touch each other inside the potato. Zinc is an active metal which reacts readily with acid to liberate electrons. The acid’s active ingredient is positively charged hydrogen. So a transfer of electrons takes place between the zinc and the acid. The zinc is oxidized and the acid is reduced to hydrogen gas which you can see bubbling out around the electrodes. The reaction at the penny electrode depletes the electrons from the copper and attaches them to the hydrogen ions in the phosphoric acid. Researchers found that a potato boiled for 8 minutes can make for a battery that produced ten times the power of a raw one. They tried to power a LED light bulb for 40 days and it worked. the cost is around 1 tenth the cost of a typical AA battery. A potato could be used to charge a phone and other electronics. This would be good for regions without a power grid. The potato is not a power source it is the action called salt-bridge between the two metals allowing the electron current to move freely across the wire to create electricity. Numerous fruits rich in electrolytes like banana and strawberries can also form this chemical reaction. Besides being rich in phosphoric acid spuds are ideal in that they’re ... ...e electrons away while other metals accept extra electrons. Electrons are subatomic particles that zoom around an atoms center and make up the part of the atom that is negative charged the lemon batteries is a type of battery called a voltaic battery. These batteries are made up of two different metals which act as electrodes or places where electrons can enter or leave a battery. All voltaic batteries need their metals to be placed in an electrolyte. An electrolyte is a substance that can carry electrical current when dissolved in water. The tiny bit of salt in your saliva makes your saliva an electrolyte and other sour citric acid does the same thing for lemon juice. Batteries stop working when there is not enough of the electrolyte to react with the metal or not enough metal left to react with the metal or not enough metal left to react with the electrolytes.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 98-101

CHAPTER 98 Robert Langdon regained consciousness with a crippling headache. Where am I? Wherever he was, it was dark. Deep-cave dark, and deathly silent. He was lying on his back with his arms at his side. Confused, he tried moving his fingers and toes, relieved to find they moved freely with no pain. What happened? With the exception of his headache and the profound darkness, everything seemed more or less normal. Almost everything. Langdon realized he was lying on a hard floor that felt unusually smooth, like a sheet of glass. Stranger still, he could feel that the slick surface was in direct contact with his bare flesh . . . shoulders, back, buttocks, thighs, calves. Am I naked? Puzzled, he ran his hands over his body. Jesus! Where the hell are my clothes? In the darkness, the cobwebs began to lift, and Langdon saw flashes of memory . . . frightening snapshots . . . a dead CIA agent . . . the face of a tattooed beast . . . Langdon's head smashing into the floor. The images came faster . . . and now he recalled the sickening image of Katherine Solomon bound and gagged on the dining-room floor. My God! Langdon sat bolt upright, and as he did, his forehead smashed into something suspended only inches above him. Pain exploded through his skull and he fell back, teetering near unconsciousness. Groggy, he reached up with his hands, groping in the darkness to find the obstacle. What he found made no sense to him. It seemed this room's ceiling was less than a foot above him. What in the world? As he spread his arms to his sides in an attempt to roll over, both of his hands hit sidewalls. The truth now dawned on him. Robert Langdon was not in a room at all. I'm in a box! In the darkness of his small, coffinlike container, Langdon began pounding wildly with his fist. He shouted over and over for help. The terror that gripped him deepened with each passing instant until it was intolerable. I have been buried alive. The lid of Langdon's strange coffin refused to budge, even with the full force of his arms and legs pushing upward in wild panic. The box, from all he could tell, was made of heavy fiberglass. Airtight. Soundproof. Lightproof. Escape-proof. I am going to suffocate alone in this box. He thought of the deep well into which he had fallen as a young boy, and of the terrifying night he spent treading water alone in the darkness of a bottomless pit. That trauma had scarred Langdon's psyche, burdening him with an overwhelming phobia of enclosed spaces. Tonight, buried alive, Robert Langdon was living his ultimate nightmare. Katherine Solomon trembled in silence on the floor of Mal'akh's dining room. The sharp wire around her wrists and ankles had already cut into her, and the slightest movements seemed only to tighten her bonds. The tattooed man had brutally knocked Langdon unconscious and dragged his limp body across the floor along with his leather bag and the stone pyramid. Where they had gone, Katherine had no idea. The agent who had accompanied them was dead. She had not heard a sound in many minutes, and she wondered if the tattooed man and Langdon were still inside the house. She had been trying to scream for help, but with each attempt, the rag in her mouth crept back dangerously closer to her windpipe. Now she felt approaching footsteps on the floor, and she turned her head, hoping against hope that someone was coming to help. The massive silhouette of her captor materialized in the hallway. Katherine recoiled as she flashed on the image of him standing in her family home ten years earlier. He killed my family. Now he strode toward her. Langdon was nowhere to be seen. The man crouched down and gripped her around the waist, hoisting her roughly onto his shoulder. The wire sliced into her wrists, and the rag muffled her muted cries of pain. He carried her down the hallway toward the living room, where, earlier today, the two of them had calmly sipped tea together. Where is he taking me?! He carried Katherine across the living room and stopped directly in front of the large oil painting of the Three Graces that she had admired this afternoon. â€Å"You mentioned you liked this painting,† the man whispered, his lips practically touching her ear. â€Å"I'm glad. It may be the last thing of beauty you see.† With that, he reached out and pressed his palm into the right side of the enormous frame. To Katherine's shock, the painting rotated into the wall, turning on a central pivot like a revolving door. A hidden doorway. Katherine tried to wriggle free, but the man held her firmly, carrying her through the opening behind the canvas. As the Three Graces pivoted shut behind them, she could see heavy insulation on the back of the canvas. Whatever sounds were made back here were apparently not meant to be heard by the outside world. The space behind the painting was cramped, more like a hallway than a room. The man carried her to the far side and opened a heavy door, carrying her through it onto a small landing. Katherine found herself looking down a narrow ramp into a deep basement. She drew a breath to scream, but the rag was choking her. The incline was steep and narrow. The walls on either side were made of cement, awash in a bluish light that seemed to emanate from below. The air that wafted up was warm and pungent, laden with an eerie blend of smells . . . the sharp bite of chemicals, the smooth calm of incense, the earthy musk of human sweat, and, pervading it all, a distinct aura of visceral, animal fear. â€Å"Your science impressed me,† the man whispered as they reached the bottom of the ramp. â€Å"I hope mine impresses you.† CHAPTER 99 CIA field agent Turner Simkins crouched in the darkness of Franklin Park and kept his steady gaze on Warren Bellamy. Nobody had taken the bait yet, but it was still early. Simkins's transceiver beeped, and he activated it, hoping one of his men had spotted something. But it was Sato. She had new information. Simkins listened and agreed with her concern. â€Å"Hold on,† he said. â€Å"I'll see if I can get a visual.† He crawled through the bushes in which he was hiding and peered back in the direction from which he had entered the square. After some maneuvering, he finally opened a sight line. Holy shit. He was staring at a building that looked like an Old World mosque. Nestled between two much larger buildings, the Moorish facade was made of gleaming terra-cotta tile laid in intricate multicolored designs. Above the three massive doors, two tiers of lancet windows looked as if Arabian archers might appear and open fire if anyone approached uninvited. â€Å"I see it,† Simkins said. â€Å"Any activity?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Good. I need you to reposition and watch it very carefully. It's called the Almas Shrine Temple, and it's the headquarters of a mystical order.† Simkins had worked in the D.C. area for a long time but was not familiar with this temple or any ancient mystical order headquartered on Franklin Square. â€Å"This building,† Sato said, â€Å"belongs to a group called the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.† â€Å"Never heard of them.† â€Å"I think you have,† Sato said. â€Å"They're an appendant body of the Masons, more commonly known as the Shriners.† Simkins shot a dubious glance at the ornate building. The Shriners? The guys who build hospitals for kids? He could imagine no â€Å"order† less ominous sounding than a fraternity of philanthropists who wore little red fezzes and marched in parades. Even so, Sato's concerns were valid. â€Å"Ma'am, if our target realizes that this building is in fact `The Order' on Franklin Square, he won't need the address. He'll simply bypass the rendezvous and go directly to the correct location.† â€Å"My thoughts exactly. Keep an eye on the entrance.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"Any word from Agent Hartmann in Kalorama Heights?† â€Å"No, ma'am. You asked him to phone you directly.† â€Å"Well, he hasn't.† Odd, Simkins thought, checking his watch. He's overdue. CHAPTER 100 Robert Langdon lay shivering, naked and alone in total blackness. Paralyzed by fear, he was no longer pounding or shouting. Instead, he had closed his eyes and was doing his best to control his hammering heart and his panicked breathing. You are lying beneath a vast, nighttime sky, he tried to convince himself. There is nothing above you but miles of wide-open space. This calming visualization had been the only way he had managed to survive a recent stint in an enclosed MRI machine . . . that and a triple dose of Valium. Tonight, however, the visualization was having no effect whatsoever. The rag in Katherine Solomon's mouth had shifted backward and was all but choking her. Her captor had carried her down a narrow ramp and into a dark basement corridor. At the far end of the hall, she had glimpsed a room lit with an eerie reddish-purple light, but they'd never made it that far. The man had stopped instead at a small side room, carried her inside, and placed her on a wooden chair. He had set her down with her bound wrists behind the chair back so she could not move. Now Katherine could feel the wire on her wrists slicing deeper into her flesh. The pain barely registered next to the rising panic she was feeling over being unable to breathe. The cloth in her mouth was slipping deeper into her throat, and she felt herself gagging reflexively. Her vision started to tunnel. Behind her, the tattooed man closed the room's lone door and flipped on the light. Katherine's eyes were watering profusely now, and she could no longer differentiate objects in her immediate surroundings. Everything had become a blur. A distorted vision of colorful flesh appeared before her, and Katherine felt her eyes starting to flutter as she teetered on the brink of unconsciousness. A scale-covered arm reached out and yanked the rag from her mouth. Katherine gasped, inhaling deep breaths, coughing and choking as her lungs flooded with precious air. Slowly, her vision began to clear, and she found herself looking into the demon's face. The visage was barely human. Blanketing his neck, face, and shaved head was an astounding pattern of bizarre tattooed symbols. With the exception of a small circle on top of his head, every inch of his body appeared to be decorated. A massive double-headed phoenix on his chest glared at her through nipple eyes like some kind of ravenous vulture, patiently waiting for her death. â€Å"Open your mouth,† the man whispered. Katherine stared at the monster with total revulsion. What? â€Å"Open your mouth,† the man repeated. â€Å"Or the cloth goes back in.† Trembling, Katherine opened her mouth. The man extended his thick, tattooed index finger, inserting it between her lips. When he touched her tongue, Katherine thought she would vomit. He extracted his wet finger and raised it to the top of his shaved head. Closing his eyes, he massaged her saliva into his small circular patch of untattooed flesh. Repulsed, Katherine looked away. The room in which she was sitting appeared to be a boiler room of some sort–pipes on the walls, gurgling sounds, fluorescent lights. Before she could take in her surroundings, though, her gaze stopped dead on something beside her on the floor. A pile of clothing–turtleneck, tweed sport coat, loafers, Mickey Mouse watch. â€Å"My God!† She wheeled back to the tattooed animal before her. â€Å"What have you done with Robert?!† â€Å"Shh,† the man whispered. â€Å"Or he'll hear you.† He stepped to one side and motioned behind him. Langdon was not there. All Katherine saw was a huge black fiberglass box. Its shape bore an unsettling resemblance to the heavy crates in which corpses were shipped back from war. Two massive clasps firmly locked the box shut. â€Å"He's inside?!† Katherine blurted. â€Å"But . . . he'll suffocate!† â€Å"No, he won't,† the man said, pointing to a series of transparent pipes that ran along the wall into the bottom of the crate. â€Å"He'll only wish he could.† In total darkness, Langdon listened intently to the muffled vibrations he now heard from the outside world. Voices? He began pounding on the box and shouting at the top of his lungs. â€Å"Help! Can anyone hear me?!† Far off, a muted voice called out. â€Å"Robert! My God, no! NO!† He knew the voice. It was Katherine, and she sounded terrified. Even so, it was a welcome sound. Langdon drew a breath to call out to her, but he stopped short, feeling an unexpected sensation at the back of his neck. A faint breeze seemed to be emanating from the bottom of the box. How is that possible? He lay very still, taking stock. Yes, definitely. He could feel the tiny hairs on the back of his neck being tickled by air movement. Instinctively, Langdon began feeling along the floor of the box, searching for the source of the air. It took only a moment to locate. There's a tiny vent! The small perforated opening felt similar to a drain plate on a sink or tub, except that a soft, steady breeze was now coming up through it. He's pumping air in for me. He doesn't want me to suffocate. Langdon's relief was short-lived. A terrifying sound was now emanating up through the holes in the vent. It was the unmistakable gurgle of flowing liquid . . . coming his way. Katherine stared in disbelief at the clear shaft of liquid that was progressing down one of the pipes toward Langdon's crate. The scene looked like some kind of twisted stage magician's act. He's pumping water into the crate?! Katherine strained at her bonds, ignoring the deep bite of the wires around her wrists. All she could do was look on in panic. She could hear Langdon pounding in desperation, but as the water reached the underside of the container, the pounding stopped. There was a moment of terrified silence. Then the pounding started again with renewed desperation. â€Å"Let him out!† Katherine begged. â€Å"Please! You can't do this!† â€Å"Drowning is a terrible death, you know.† The man spoke calmly as he paced around her in circles. â€Å"Your assistant, Trish, could tell you that.† Katherine heard his words, but she could barely process them. â€Å"You may remember that I almost drowned once,† the man whispered. â€Å"It was on your family's estate in Potomac. Your brother shot me, and I fell through the ice, out at Zach's bridge.† Katherine glared at him, filled with loathing. The night you killed my mother. â€Å"The gods protected me that night,† he said. â€Å"And they showed me the way . . . to become one of them.† The water gurgling into the box behind Langdon's head felt warm . . . body temperature. The fluid was already several inches deep and had completely swallowed the back of his naked body. As it began creeping up his rib cage, Langdon felt a stark reality closing in fast. I'm going to die. With renewed panic, he raised his arms and began pounding wildly again. CHAPTER 101 â€Å"You've got to let him out!† Katherine begged, crying now. â€Å"We'll do whatever you want!† She could hear Langdon pounding more frantically as the water flowed into his container. The tattooed man just smiled. â€Å"You're easier than your brother. The things I had to do to get Peter to tell me his secrets . . .† â€Å"Where is he?!† she demanded. â€Å"Where is Peter?! Tell me! We did exactly what you wanted! We solved the pyramid and–â€Å" â€Å"No, you did not solve the pyramid. You played a game. You withheld information and brought a government agent to my home. Hardly behavior I intend to reward.† â€Å"We didn't have a choice,† she replied, choking back the tears. â€Å"The CIA is looking for you. They made us travel with an agent. I'll tell you everything. Just let Robert out!† Katherine could hear Langdon shouting and pounding in the crate, and she could see the water flowing through the pipe. She knew he didn't have a lot of time. In front of her, the tattooed man spoke calmly, stroking his chin. â€Å"I assume there are agents waiting for me at Franklin Square?† Katherine said nothing, and the man placed his massive palms on her shoulders, slowly pulling her forward. With her arms still wire-bound be hind the chair back, her shoulders strained, burning with pain, threatening to dislocate. â€Å"Yes!† Katherine said. â€Å"There are agents at Franklin Square!† He pulled harder. â€Å"What is the address on the capstone?† The pain in her wrists and shoulders grew unbearable, but Katherine said nothing. â€Å"You can tell me now, Katherine, or I'll break your arms and ask you again.† â€Å"Eight!† she gasped in pain. â€Å"The missing number is eight! The capstone says: `The secret hides within The Order–Eight Franklin Square!' I swear it. I don't know what else to tell you! It's Eight Franklin Square!† The man still did not release her shoulders. â€Å"That's all I know!† Katherine said. â€Å"That's the address! Let go of me! Let Robert out of that tank!† â€Å"I would . . .† the man said, â€Å"but there's one problem. I can't go to Eight Franklin Square without being caught. Tell me, what's at that address?† â€Å"I don't know!† â€Å"And the symbols on the base of the pyramid? On the underside? Do you know their meaning?† â€Å"What symbols on the base?† Katherine had no idea what he was talking about. â€Å"The bottom has no symbols. It's smooth, blank stone!† Apparently immune to the muffled cries for help emanating from the coffinlike crate, the tattooed man calmly padded over to Langdon's day-bag and retrieved the stone pyramid. Then he returned to Katherine and held it up before her eyes so she could see the base. When Katherine saw the engraved symbols, she gasped in bewilderment. But . . . that's impossible! The bottom of the pyramid was entirely covered with intricate carvings. There was nothing there before! I'm sure of it! She had no idea what these symbols could possibly mean. They seemed to span every mystical tradition, including many she could not even place. Total chaos. â€Å"I . . . have no idea what this means,† she said. â€Å"Nor do I,† her captor said. â€Å"Fortunately, we have a specialist at our disposal.† He glanced at the crate. â€Å"Let's ask him, shall we?† He carried the pyramid toward the crate. For a brief instant of hope, Katherine thought he was going to unclasp the lid. Instead, he sat calmly on top of the box, reached down, and slid a small panel to one side, revealing a Plexiglas window in the top of the tank. Light! Langdon covered his eyes, squinting into the ray of light that now streamed in from above. As his eyes adjusted, hope turned to confusion. He was looking up through what appeared to be a window in the top of his crate. Through the window, he saw a white ceiling and a fluorescent light. Without warning, the tattooed face appeared above him, peering down. â€Å"Where is Katherine?!† Langdon shouted. â€Å"Let me out!† The man smiled. â€Å"Your friend Katherine is here with me,† the man said. â€Å"I have the power to spare her life. Your life as well. But your time is short, so I suggest you listen carefully.† Langdon could barely hear him through the glass, and the water had risen higher, creeping across his chest. â€Å"Are you aware,† the man asked, â€Å"that there are symbols on the base of the pyramid?† â€Å"Yes!† Langdon shouted, having seen the extensive array of symbols when the pyramid had lain on the floor upstairs. â€Å"But I have no idea what they mean! You need to go to Eight Franklin Square! The answer is there! That's what the capstone–â€Å" â€Å"Professor, you and I both know the CIA is waiting for me there. I have no intention of walking into a trap. Besides, I didn't need the street number. There is only one building on that square that could possibly be relevant–the Almas Shrine Temple.† He paused, staring down at Langdon. â€Å"The Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.† Langdon was confused. He was familiar with the Almas Temple, but he had forgotten it was on Franklin Square. The Shriners are . . . â€Å"The Order†? Their temple sits atop a secret staircase? It made no historical sense whatsoever, but Langdon was in no position at the moment to debate history. â€Å"Yes!† he shouted. â€Å"That must be it! The secret hides within The Order!† â€Å"You're familiar with the building?† â€Å"Absolutely!† Langdon raised his throbbing head to keep his ears above the quickly rising liquid. â€Å"I can help you! Let me out!† â€Å"So you believe you can tell me what this temple has to do with the symbols on the base of the pyramid?† â€Å"Yes! Let me just look at the symbols!† â€Å"Very well, then. Let's see what you come up with.† Hurry! With the warm liquid rising around him, Langdon pushed up on the lid, willing the man to unclasp it. Please! Hurry! But the lid never opened. Instead, the base of the pyramid suddenly appeared, hovering above the Plexiglas window. Langdon stared up in panic. â€Å"I trust this view is close enough for you?†The man held the pyramid in his tattooed hands. â€Å"Think fast, Professor. I'm guessing you have less than sixty seconds.†